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  • “No, I have the best system in the world!” #1: The unique synergy of Karim’s system

    Karim Senoussiโ€™s audio system proves that synergy beats price: a vintage Mark Levinson amp, Simaudio Moon Neo 260D, tubed Thรถress preamp, and Dunlavy SC V speakers create a natural, immersive sound that captivates listeners without costly cables or room treatment.

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  • Putting an end to the audio cable debate! Part 2

    After dismissing high-end audio cables as snake oil, a $900 silver phono cable blew Gilles Laferriรจre awayโ€”revealing clearer detail, richer timbres, and vast soundstage. Key factors? Room acoustics, speaker placement, and clean power made the difference.

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  • Denafrips Pontus II DACโ€”why I bought it and kept it

    The Denafrips Pontus II DAC rekindled Mario St-Laurent’s love for digital audio with its smooth, analog-like warmth and emotional depth. After extensive burn-in, it revealed exceptional clarity, imaging, and musicality, effortlessly blending detail with natural sound.

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  • PMC Ltd. launches home audio distribution in North America

    I met Dave Frost, Business Development Manager and head of home audio export for British speaker manufacturer PMC Ltd.โ€”a dream role, Dave calls it, that he managed to get six years ago with a little persistence and the help of a friendโ€”in a snazzy resto-bar on the outskirts of Montreal, as part of his special…

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  • The best audio upgrade no one knows about

    A small bladder can ruin music marathons, but Stadium Palโ€”a discreet urinal pouchโ€”lets you stay seated through entire Pink Floyd albums or Mahler cycles, preserving sonic immersion and letting your systemโ€™s true balance keep you hooked longer.

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  • Booker T. & The M.G.โ€™s: a Tribute to the Beatles

    Discovering Booker T. & the M.G.โ€™s McLemore Avenue as a Beatles-ignorant 12-year-old, Wayne E. Goins recalls how the soul-streaked tribute became a personal classicโ€”long before he realized it echoed Abbey Road note for note.

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  • A conversation with my younger selfโ€”an audio fable

    In a playful dialogue with his younger self, Jonson Lee explores how sound quality deepens musicโ€™s magicโ€”while cautioning against losing joy in the endless quest for upgrades. The message? Savor the music, now.

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  • Want the Best Speaker Bargain? Iโ€™ll give you two!

    For under $1,500, the Zu Audio Omen and Magneplanar LRS offer two thrilling yet wildly different sonic pathsโ€”one bold and dynamic, the other refined and immersiveโ€”both delivering serious high-end sound without a high-end price.

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  • The Best of Record Store Day: Bill Evans, Behind the Dikes

    One of the leading music business stories of the 21st century is the continued discovery, sonic restoration, and release of previously unknown recordingsโ€”either from the studio or the stage. As the constant advance in digital technology has reclaimed live tapes once thought to be sonically inferior, and refreshed forgotten or leftover studio recordings, record labels,…

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  • A stone-cold classic: Carole Kingโ€™s Tapestry

    For Wayne E. Goins, Carole Kingโ€™s Tapestry isn’t just an albumโ€”itโ€™s a life marker, from teenage homework sessions on a beloved console to rediscovering its soul-stirring power decades later on a high-end setup.

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  • Irreconcilable Differences?

    Veteran music editor Robert Baird reflects on high-end audioโ€™s tribalism, from gear vs. music purists to loudness wars and streaming woes, vowing to spotlight artists who value both sonic integrity and musical impact.

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  • Diving into Disco, Part 2 โ€“ Uncovering the Roots of Dancefloor Magic

    Tracing discoโ€™s roots back to slave songs, chain gangs, and swing countercultures, the article shows how rhythm evolved into a movement โ€” one made possible not by concerts, but by records and multitrack recording.

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  • T.H.E Show 2021

    Dragged along to T.H.E. Show by chance, Jonson Lee’s wife โ€” a professional pianist โ€” helped crown Heavenly Soundworks’ active speakers as the eventโ€™s best, praising their astonishing clarity and bass, all powered by just a $500 streamer.

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  • No more cds?

    Faced with underwhelming SACD and BD playback, Tom Gibbs ditches discs for a digital setup that rips and streams native DSDโ€”revealing astonishing sound quality and a future where optical drives are obsolete.

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  • When was your audio awakening?

    A recent article by PMA Magazine editor Robert Schryer got me wondering about when I began to think of music and audio โ€” and, specifically, of myself as an audio hobbyist. The answer to โ€œwhenโ€ canโ€™t be clearly defined by a single moment; itโ€™s scattered across a handful of events that took place over a…

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