Rooms


  • How to Correctly Integrate Subwoofers Into a Stereo System

    Music and the search for better sound reproduction have always been my passion. I realized, early on, that bass was a big part of what I liked about sound and critical for the music to elicit in me an emotional response. But to achieve ultimate bassโ€”the deepest, most solid, most seamless bassโ€”requires getting many things…

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  • Twistinโ€™ Time: Chubby Checkerโ€™s Dance Revolution on American Bandstand

    August 6, 1960, was a pivotal day in the history of American pop culture. That Saturday, Chubby Checker took the stage on American Bandstand, the influential television program hosted by Dick Clark, and performed โ€œThe Twist.โ€ This performance would not only launch Checker into stardom but also ignite a dance craze that would define a…

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  • Boombox Bonanza: The History and Evolution of Portable Music Players

    In a world dominated by smartphones and wireless earbuds, itโ€™s easy to forget the trailblazers of portable audio that paved the way. This journey through the history and evolution of portable music players is filled with innovation, cultural shifts, and technological marvels. Letโ€™s dive into the groovy history and evolution of portable music players, a…

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  • Review: Pylon Audio Diamond Monitor 18 mKII

    “Manufacturers of hi-fi equipment like to brag about their flagship products, but in any company’s product lineup, the key role is played by the models that simply sell best.”

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  • Deciphering a Stereoโ€™s Acoustical Measurements and Taking Corrective Actions

    In my previous article, entitled โ€œAnalyzing a Stereoโ€™s Frequency Response and Decay Timesโ€, I suggested measurement tips and the use of important variables to do with frequency response and decay times.ย This article begins with a measurement baseline of a 2-channel stereo with two subwoofers within a typical domestic living room (25โ€™ x 11.25โ€™ x 8โ€™)…

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  • Is Class-D Technology About As Good As Itโ€™ll Ever Get?

    As an audiophile on a journey of perpetually better sound, I was left slightly disconcerted by class-D trailblazer Bruno Putzeysโ€™s assertion, in my previous class-D article, that, as he put it, well-done class-D amplification was now so good that โ€œthe amplifier part is basically a solved problemโ€. I understood the gist of what Bruno meant…

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  • My Morning at the 50th Anniversary WATT/Puppy Launch

    Photos by Robert Schryer except where otherwise indicated. Iโ€™d never listened to the WATT/Puppy speaker before, but, of course, as an audiophile, Iโ€™d heard of it, although not in the last few years, the reason for which will be revealed in a moment. But I always wanted to hear it, so having been offered the…

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  • Observations At T.H.E. Show 2024

    “What Iโ€™m going to say now with 100% certainty is that I had never heard these two recordings sound better than they did in that room.”

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  • Analyzing a Stereoโ€™s Frequency Response and Decay Times

    Many of us use our listening rooms as a place to escape the world and its problems, so that we may decompress and recharge our batteries. One thing I, as an audiophile, discovered is that the better the sound quality in my room, the more Iโ€™ve been able to connect emotionally with my music. That…

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  • 5 Hi-Fi Hangouts for the Golden-Eared Montrealer

    Exploring Montrealโ€™s Premier Sound Havens For audiophiles seeking the ultimate auditory experience, Montreal offers a rich tapestry of venues that cater to the golden-eared. From cozy bistros blending gourmet cuisine with vinyl records to vibrant bars with custom sound systems, the cityโ€™s sound havens promise a unique and immersive listening experience. Join us as we…

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  • Remembering Audio Retailing Legend Andrew Singer

    “The audio world has lost a giant with the passing of Andrew Singer at age 73. Andy was the founder of New York retailer Sound by Singer”

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  • A Deeper Look Into a Modern Classic: The Dayton Wright Hommage

    From the PMA vault, this article was initially published in August 2022 and is worth revisiting. One of my favourite and most memorable listening experiences this year was of the state-of-the-art Dayton Wright Hommage (French for Homage) loudspeaker, a cutting-edge re-imagining and redesign of the Dayton Wright XG-10 of yore. The Hommage uses nine XG-10…

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  • The 1963 Tour That Catapulted The Beatles into Stardom

    In the spring of 1963, The Beatles embarked on a tour that would irrevocably change not only their careers but also the cultural landscape of the 1960s. Starting on May 18 at the Adelphi Cinema in Slough, England, this tour was more than just another series of concerts; it was the genesis of Beatlemania and…

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  • Jazz Kissa and the Rise of Hi-Fi Havens

    Welcome to the inaugural feature of our new column, Hi-Fi Havens, where weโ€™ll explore the worldโ€™s most captivating high-fidelity cafรฉs, lounges and listening places. Each edition will take us to a new city, uncovering the local spots where music isnโ€™t just background noise but the main event, played on systems that turn listening into a…

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  • NAD Introduces the C 379 HybridDigital DAC Amplifier

    “The new addition to the Classic Series combines innovation and value to deliver refined performance and sound quality.”

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