EN 
FR Steven Stone
Steven Stone has been a professional writer and photographer since 1974. He is one of the few audio reviewers whose reviews can be found in both Stereophile and The Absolute Sound. Stone was also a monthly columnist, music reviewer, and feature writer for Vintage Guitar Magazine from 1996 to 2017. His articles for The Absolute Sound, where he is currently a senior editor, can be seen at www.theabsolutesound.com. Stone also edited the audiophile website AudiophileReview.com for nine years, and has written for Spin, Acoustic Guitar, and Creem Magazines.
Steven Stone
Steven Stone has been a professional writer and photographer since 1974. He is one of the few audio reviewers whose reviews can be found in both Stereophile and The Absolute Sound. Stone was also a monthly columnist, music reviewer, and feature writer for Vintage Guitar Magazine from 1996 to 2017. His articles for The Absolute Sound, where he is currently a senior editor, can be seen at www.theabsolutesound.com. Stone also edited the audiophile website AudiophileReview.com for nine years, and has written for Spin, Acoustic Guitar, and Creem Magazines.
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Steven Stone details his DIY journey building a dual-Raspberry Pi streamer, ultimately finding its subtle sonic and ergonomic benefits—especially long-term listening ease—surpass even pricier, dropout-prone built-in Ethernet solutions.
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Ten listeners, two DACs, one question: could they hear a difference? Steven Stone’s single-blind test pits a $2150 DAC against a $500 one—with surprising results.
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Steven Stone rounds up three ultra-budget audio components—the Fosi ZD3 DAC, iFi Zen Phono 3, and FX Audio R07Plus—that rival gear costing far more. After blind tests and strategic upgrades, Stone finds the ZD3 indistinguishable from elite DACs, the Zen Phono nearly noise-free, and the R07Plus a neutral powerhouse across headphones.
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Steven Stone seeks out more super budget components and emerges with a two-way that does it all, a nifty no-brainer bluetooth adapter, and a small but mighty amp.
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A DAC fails, a speaker hums, and a $299 bookshelf impresses—this column dives into the fickle alchemy of system synergy, budget excellence, and why great specs don’t always mean great sound.
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This roundup highlights three budget-priced components—the Sabaj A20a amp, A20D DAC, and Semibreve DA50—that defy expectations with reference-level sound, solid build, and serious value, proving hi-fi excellence doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
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In this follow-up on budget headphone amps, Steven Stone evaluates three sub-$500 Chinese models—including the Aiyima SMSL E600, Topping EH-5, and xDuuo X-20—highlighting performance, upgrade potential, and the high early failure rates he’s experienced.
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In the debut of his “Super Budget Components” series, Steven Stone spotlights three Chinese-made audio bargains—a $130 Fosi amp, SoundArtist LS3/5A monitors, and a $250 Rod Rain DAC—that punch far above their price.