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Accuphase A-300 monoblock power amplifier
One of the finest chamber music performances I have ever attended took place this past August under far from ideal circumstances. The venue was one-month-old Field Hall in Port Angeles, Washington, a...
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Burmester 216 power amplifier
When I was offered the opportunity to review a Burmester product—the 216 stereo power amplifier—I accepted immediately, mainly out of curiosity. Berlin-based Burmester is an important hi-fi brand, but...
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Plinius Reference A-150 power amplifier
When Jim Austin offered the Plinius Reference A-150 stereo amplifier ($14,995) for review, it felt like a welcome blast from the past. Plinius has, lately, maintained a low profile in the US, likely...
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JMF HQS 7001 monoblock power amplifier
For some, it takes the likes of Scheherazade to seduce; for me, simple sound will suffice. But not just any sound. If I'm going to enter into a relationship with an audio component, I want it to last....
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Rogue Audio DragoN monoblock power amplifier
When Editor Jim Austin asked me to review the new Rogue Audio DragoN monoblock amplifier, my first thought was, "Isn't that Herb's beat?" A quick scan shows that Rogue Audio has been prominent in...
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Krell KMA-i800 monoblock power amplifier
Ever since I raved about Krell's K-300i integrated amplifier after it was released in early 2019, I've wanted to review other Krell products. After spending more than a year and a half (since its...
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EMM Labs MTRS power amplifier
Edmund (Ed) Manfred Meitner's name and reputation have long been synonymous with pioneering achievements in the fields of digital audio, especially DSD. In 1971, after designing the first fully...
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Linn Klimax Solo 800 monoblock power amplifier
For reasons that have as much to do with why the creek does or doesn't rise as anything, almost all the UK-manufactured electronics I've reviewed over the years were from dCS of Cambridge. Through...
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Parasound JCA100 Tribute monoblock power amplifier
In December 2023, I took the train from New York to Los Angeles to attend the Los Angeles & Orange County Audiophile Society's 30th annual Gala. I took the trip because it is both stimulating and...
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Balanced Audio Technology REX 500 power amplifier
There was a period in the 1970s when many pop ballads that should have had understated arrangements instead turned grandiose and even maudlin. Take Gilbert O'Sullivan's sensational single "Nothing...
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Gramophone Dreams #89: Road Trip, Rare Audio Systems, and the First Watt SIT-4
Throughout my hundred years, I've told everyone who'd listen: If it's adventure you seek, the best way to find it is to stand on the right corner at the right time wearing the right hat, and when the...
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Burmester 218 power amplifier
As much as I tinkered with a little crystal radio as a child and started reading stereo magazines in high school, it wasn't until my early 30s that I half-stumbled into the higher end of the hi-fi...
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Gramophone Dreams #91: Mobile Fidelity, PrimaLuna, and First Watt Redux
Herb waits for Godot It's important for readers to remember that I've spent my adult life as an artist and mechanic. Making things. Working as a tradesperson during the day then at an easel or...
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Moon 861 stereo/mono power amplifier
It is unusual to begin a review with a detailed discussion of setup. But setup protocol for the Moon 861 power amplifier ($22,000 each), the top-level amplifier in the North Collection from Moon, which...
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Buckeye Purifi Eigentakt 1ET9040BA monoblock power amplifier
Back in 2016, I documented the rise of class-D amps using the early TriPath technology. Used in the Bel Canto eVo 200.2, TriPath cracked open the door to the High End but was never admitted due to a...
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