Reviews

Tim Stinson of Luminous Audio and Mike Bettinger of GAS Audio have teamed up to create a new phono preamplifier, the Arion, which will be sold under the Luminous Audio brand. Mike’s $5,995 design has been a good while in the making and tweaking — I first heard about the project at Mini-CAF a little while back, but this was my first chance to see and hear the finished product. Read more....

There was a lot of talking going on when I entered room 8012 in the Marriott’s Tower, but Rosa Passos and bassist Ron Carter sounded very mellow through Funk Audio powered loudspeakers ($19,875/pair) David Berning ZOTL Pre One preamplifier ($12,360), Silver Circle Audio Juice Box One w/Vesuvius power conditioner, and Luminous Audio cabling. Although I don’t know if the RCA LP of tenor Jussi Björling I heard next was inherently bright, it sure sounded such through a VIP Classic 1 turntable with 3D-printed arm ($4400) outfitted with a Soundsmith Hyperion cartridge ($7500), which I know is not inherently bright, and...

Audio Ramblings - The Axiom Passive, Dragonfly DAC, and Quad Braid USB Cableby Dave Clark Axiom II Passive Preamp Fully balanced/XLR version from Luminous Audio ($349) It is always such a joy to find items in the high-price world of audio that are not so high-priced and still get you so much of what one can expect when handing out serious coin. Case in point: the Axiom II Passive Preamp Fully balanced/XLR version from Luminous Audio ($349 as configured, one has many options of inputs - RCA - pots and wiring).Now passives have a bad rap, and for many reasons,...

Sometimes, I think I’m losing my mind. Other times, I know it’s gone and I just sit around fondly recalling all the good times we had together.Case in point — I could have sworn I posted this two or three months ago. What have I lost (along with my mind and memory), you ask? Why, a lovely little side trip down passive-attenuator lane.  Read more...

Roy Harris -- I was attending a meeting of the Audio Syndrome — a local audio club whose members reside in the New York City metropolitan area. The president of the club was the host. The meeting encompasses a discussion followed by listening. Read more...