Reviews

Just wanted to send you guys a note.....I've been eyeing the Axiom II for a little while now and despite the ridiculously low price for the one input I've been wanting one with 2-3 inputs and 2 outputs so I've been shy about pulling the trigger since I've never gone passive.  Well, I grabbed one with just the 1 in/out to see if I wanted to make the jump to a more expensive modified version and all I can say is holy s--t.  I have it mated with my NuPrime STA-9 class D amp (another steal) and a pair of...

The Luminous Audio Technology Axiom II Passive Preamplifier, with Walker Mod and Remote Volume Control Positive Feedback 02-01-2018 | By Tom Gibbs | Issue 95 About five years ago, I'd just gotten an HRT Streamer HD DAC with balanced outputs, and had also just upgraded my system amps to a pair of Emotiva XPA-1Ls. The Emotivas were (and still are!!) capable of fully-differential, balanced Class A operation, and I was itching for a balanced preamplifier to help me enter what I was hoping would be a significantly enhanced era of system performance. Enter the Luminous Audio Axiom II, which was...

09-21-2014 | By T. C. Holy Moly! There’s a subway running under the house!An early, para-musical reaction to the new Arion phono preamp from LuminousAudio ($6000). We’ll get back to the train, but first a disclaimer. The Arion is theresult of a collaboration between Luminous Audio’s president/owner/sous chef TimStinson and GAS Audio’s Mike Bettinger. Tim has been a personal friend for many,many years, Mike for several, and both Tim and Mike are fellow members in theRichmond Audio Society.* The Arion was heard in prototype form at a couple of RASmeetings, which I unfortunately could not attend, but I heard raves...

01-10-2016 | By Malcolm J. Gomes | Issue 83 I have come across many audiophiles who have truly splendid turntables, tone arms, and cartridges, of which cost them an arm and a leg. Nevertheless, they still may not enjoy the best that vinyl has to offer if the bottleneck in their audio arsenal is their phono preamplifier.  Read more....

By cheerfully weird happenstance, I received two world-class phono preamplifiers, pretty much right on top of each other. The first to arrive was the Arion phonostage ($6,395) from Tim Stinson of Luminous Audio. Tim Stinson was beside himself over this phono pre — he and his partner Mike Bettinger of Bettinger Audio Designh ave been working on this thing for well over a year now — and the final product was “beyond all expectations”. Heady stuff. Read the review...