We will help you find the law of DIMINISHING RETURNS!
Roundup: Mains Conditioners
Make no mistake, a Mains Conditioner is the first link in your chain and a vital component to a highly resolving hi-fi system. If you do NOT have a top flight mains conditioner, you’re leaving performance on the table that you cannot get back LATER in the process.
The improvement can be described easily to us more mature audiophiles. We grew up in an era with analog TV and snow in the picture. Isotek conditioners strip snow from the picture, yielding a cleaner audio signal with more information!
For a hundred years various manufacturers called on me to present conditioners. None of them IMPROVED the quality of sound until 2014 when Isotek brought its VDR line to market. With the introduction of these products we can attain transparency that heretofore was not available.
I know many customers are suspicious that power products can even help. As I said, until 2014 I was right there with you. But the world has changed! Please read some of the testimonials on our yellow tab near the bottom of our home page.
There are a number of competitors in the biz now offering good products. Yet Isotek remains my favorite. Isotek is designed in England and built in their factory in Slovenia. The prices are remarkably reasonable. Isotek is the best value going.
Isotek Corvus V3 $900
Corvus is a 9 outlet bar that provides 35dB of isolation. It provides a distinct sonic improvement vs NOT running a conditioner, OR, vs a Home Depot bar or even Panamax or Furman option. It comes with a fantastic power cord, the Isotek Premier. I mention this because many conditioners don’t come with ANY power cord- and to buy one a la carte runs two bills or more!
Isotek Elektra V5 $2000
Elektra V5 is a brand new conditioner that steps in to be the best value out there for $2k. It has two high level AC outlets, and four lower level. Each of these six connections has its own filter. It provides 55dB of isolation. It’s sonic improvement is demonstrable. Elektra should be your choice in a bigger guns system than Corvus above. And of course it comes with an outstanding Isotek Initium power cable.
Isotek Aquarius V5 $3000
Aquarius V5 replaces Isotek’s venerable Aquarius mains conditioner. It is a 6 outlet component styled mains conditioner that will IMPROVE your sound and protect your system from damage. It has 65dB of isolation and higher current capability than Elektra.
You simply won’t believe how much a conditioner will improve your sound until you get one! In this day and age of progressive power solutions, you’re absolutely leaving resolution and dynamics on the table if you’re NOT running a fine conditioner like an Isotek.
Aquarius V5 features six outlets, each of which has its own isolation filter. You’re getting six filters in one component. There is no cross talk or back wash among components connected to Aquarius. The isolation and filtration allows ALL audio electronics to sound cleaner and quieter than you ever knew.
Two of the outlets are for high powered amps. The other four are for your preamp and other components. It comes with an Isotek Premier power cable that goes to the wall. Many companies price their conditioners without cables. You have to ante up a lot more just to get a power cable.
If you’re putting together a system where high resolution with a broad and deep soundstage are a must, don’t pass on getting an Aquarius V5.
You cannot GET BACK information that you have lost earlier in the chain. Think back to the days of watching TV with a bit of haze or snow in the picture. Aquarius V5 strips the snow to zero so you can “see” the musical content without any fog. Think air around voices, transient attacks of piano and guitar work- at their most vibrant.
Roundup: CD Players
I realize streaming has taken over the world. I don’t mind if “everyone” wants to stream. But I still have to have my silver discs. I hope you do too.
Don’t believe that nonsense about CDs being extinct. They said that about LPs too. Right now there is quite renewed appreciation for how good CDs (& SACDs) can sound. SACD in particular offers state of the art performance.
I have plenty of discs that are NOT available via streaming- like everything on the magnificent Hyperion label, among others. Further, being a classical piano fan in particular… we are kind of out there on our island. Metadata for classical music is awful. Beethoven isn’t an artist, he’s a composer. Terms like largo and presto are not names of works. Streaming is fine for pop music.
To me, it is still a treat to walk over to a rack of a zillion CDs, all of which I bought- to decide which one to listen to, and play it all the way through. If you’re too lazy to walk over and grab a CD, what did you do when we only had LPs? And please don’t tell me you have nowhere to put some discs. It’s your house too.
$400: NAD C538
C538 is king of the entry level CD players. It has the best built chassis and cost effective sled.. The drawer works quickly instead of a rickety bucket of bolts. With Wolfsen DAC, it sounds good for the price point and has no serious competition.
$550: Denon DCD-900ne
Denon’s 900 is built even more solidly than C538 above. With better isolation and superior DAC system to the NAD, this guy is my budget fave for well under a grand.
$1000: Marantz CD-60
This brand new player uses Marantz’s own transport vs an off the shelf component from a vendor we’ve never heard off. It has Marantz’s HDAM2 circuitry for a superior line stage after the DAC. It has a dedicated, symmetrically built PCB and the smoothest sound going for a modestly priced player. It’s my new fave for anywhere near $1k and has a 5 year warranty.
$1500: Denon DCD-1700ne
With this Denon, CD and SACD playing get much more serious. It’s a 20 pound tank, made in Japan instead of China or Vietnam (like the units above). Make no mistake, manufacturing in Japan is a full cut above what’s coming out of the rest of the far east. It has a whole new world of fit/finish and reliability. It does use a DAC chip and sounds a bit darker than my fave, Marantz’s SACD30n below. Yet for half the price, it’s a terrific option, albeit with one year warranty.
$3000: Marantz SACD 30n
SACD 30n steps away from anything less. It doesn’t use a DAC chip. It uses Ken Ishiwata’s MMM technology (no DAC chip!) to achieve another level of precision. The air and space around the music will take your speakers to new places. It delineates the finest nuances on your discs and will enchant you with what you didn’t know was hidden in those silver pits. It brings CD and SACD performance to a new level of transparency.
CD done well, sounds fantastic! SACD is even better. It has none of the mechanical noises of vinyl. It has none of the curve balls of downloads. It doesn’t have the metadata problems of streaming.
I simply can’t recommend this piece (built in Japan, not China) strongly enough! I’ve had mid level system owners stretch to buy this- and race back to the store to thank me. And of course higher end systems benefit from this fabulous source.
Droves of customers have rediscovered the magic within their silver discs due to SACD-30n. You’re going to find that CDs will make a come back, even stronger than LPs have.
If you can swing $3000, accept nothing less than SACD 30n. It competes with any player at any price! Oh, and don’t believe that foolishness you may be hearing that silver discs are extinct. That’s what they said about vinyl, ya know!
Bryston BCD-3 $4500
The BCD-3 is a GREAT sounding player! So clean, so fast and tight- that you’ll love it. It has RCA and Balanced outs. It makes sense for anyone who has a Bryston stack, or would prefer balanced operation vs single ended. For those of us who appreciate the silver disc, it’s a marvelous value.
$9000: Marantz SA-10
With no apologies, SA-10 is the player to get if you have a TIP TOP tier system. It is a fully balanced player with MMM, that is simply unsurpassed. I’ve heard it head on head with DCS and other big dogs. SA-10 doesn’t take a back seat to any of them. It’s solid and full of romance. SA-10 reveals musical secrets you just can’t attain without it. It’s a 42 pound chunk of copper and musical treasure! I bought it when it was introduced in 2014. I’ve compared it head to head with a myriad of competitors. It remains unvanquished.
What is SA-10s closest competitor going north? Machines from dcs and the Swiss start at $40k PLUS!
Roundup: Streamers
$600: Bluesound Node
Bluesound’s Node is in a league of its own. It’s a streamer that competes with the best at any price, for a fraction of the expensive guys. It looks like a cable TV box. That’s fine. You’re going to run it with your touch pad anyway! You can run it analog out, or digital out into a higher end system. There’s no reason your streamer needs to be pricey. Further, NAD owns Bluesound and supports this streaming technology. Most companies that make streaming boxes are not capitalized well enough to keep up with the necessary updates. NAD has proven for a decade that it can do so.
If you doubt that $600 is enough for a great streamer, I recommend you run the Node through a great DAC like the Mytek Liberty 2. You see, the Node streaming apparatus is outstanding. You CAN get better transparency through a superior DAC. Of course… it’s impossible to put a state of the art DAC in a $600 streamer. My contention is, that Node run through a stellar DAC, competes with anything out there, even for tens of thousands. I’m happy to take your money. But I want you to spend it wisely so I’ll earn your trust and you’ll keep coming back.
$950: Bluesound PowerNode
PowerNode is a Node with 80×2 amplifier on board. This is ideal when you have a number of speakers around your house that you’d like to drive- with better than Sonos level sound. Or, perhaps you have an office or workout room that needs some music. Connect PowerNode to some pretty decent speakers and you’re set.
DAC:
$1495: Mytek Liberty 2
Mytek’s new Liberty 2 DAC is a superstar. It competes with literally any DAC, at any price,
for this affordable price point. Yes, it does! That includes the Swiss and German gear for uber money. It has a wide array of inputs. It outputs RCA and XLR. It decodes MQA from your streamer- which should be the Bluesound Node. What a great addition to a Node! For just $2100 you get a magnificent streamer/DAC combo that can’t be beat for the investment.
Roundup: Turntables
I have tried really hard to find a cheap turntable I like. I’ve tried dozens. And, NOPE, I can’t find anything under about six bills I’m happy to endorse. Everything less is just a plastic rattle trap that makes playing LPs a waste of time. There’s no reason to play vinyl if you’re just going to hear all the mechanicals get in the way. With that said…. On we march.
$595: Rega Planar 1 With Carbon Cartridge
Planar 1 is better than I knew. I have sold one version of it or another for two decades. It’s a great table that keeps getting better. Until I checked out a variety of alternatives, I didn’t appreciate how GREAT P1 is for the money. Every time P1 vanquished them soundly. Finally, I’ve given up trying to offer a serious turntable for less than P1 money. Hats off to the first turntable I’m happy to endorse- the very nicely built Rega P1. Complete with nicely machined bearings and a well of brass, P1 is a turntable closer to the $1k guys than the $600 guys.
It comes with the Rega Carbon cartridge. It’s an OK starter cartridge, but not good enough. So…
$695: Rega Planar 1 With Ortofon Red MM Cartridge
The Orto Red is made with TLC in Denmark. The sonic step up over the Carbon is a slam dunk, gotta have it! The output is higher. The dynamics are in another league. Just spend the $100 already and don’t waste time fretting about it.
$775: Rega Planar 2 with Carbon Cartridge
Planar 2 has a bit nicer finish than P1. The glass platter and color options (black,white,red) are pretty fun. Please add the Orto Red. You’ll land at $875 and it’s worth the extra C note.
$1395: Rega Planar 3 With Rega Elys 2 Cartridge
This is a big sonic step over Planar 2. Elys 2 is a sweet, 7.0 mV cartridge with ONE PIECE cantilever. Its superlative detail and high output work out on any phono section- but this is especially worthwhile on a modest level phono preamp. It makes the mid level phono preamps sound better than they deserve. This… is a high end turntable/cart combo at a value price.
$3000: MoFi UltraDeck With Master Tracker Cartridge
At 3 large, this is something of a bargain. It’s a big battleship of a table- which does yield benefits from its mass. The Master Tracker Cartridge is MoFi’s best MM with a solid steel body
and Ohno wiring. It has a Micro Linear stylus to deliver the best resolution at less than crazy money. I love this combination at the price point. It’s close to the biggest of the big dogs at a fraction of the price. It’s a great stopping off point before doubling your money.
You can read in our testimonials that customer Ian replaced his classic Linn LP-12 and arm with an Ultra Deck with Master Tracker- and was thrilled with the improvement. This combo is a best bang for the buck, legit high end table/cart combo for a reasonable price!
$3500: MoFi UltraDeck With UltraGold Moving Coil Cartridge
One of THE best values on the turntable market is this brand new combo from MoFi! You get the brick outhouse UltraDeck turntable with MoFi’s brand new, UltraGold MC cartridge- at a super package price. The UG cart is hot off the presses and competes with the loftiest carts in the biz,
yet is affordable because it’s made by MoFi. UG has a Boron cantilever and Shibata stylus, with output of .4mV. Its resolution is first class! The UD sells alone for $2500. UG sells alone for $1500. MoFi has a special package promo on the combo to kick off the UG’s inception. For $3500 you get a turntable combo that will compete with ANY on the market because economies of scale are working for you.
Roundup: Integrated Amps
$600: NAD C328 (50×2)
With on board DAC, Bluetooth and NAD’s renowned Hybrid Digital design, C328 is a ragingly good buy. The Hybrid Digital term means the power supply is an analog design. This is a cut above similarly priced alternatives largely because it will drive any impedance! C328 has NAD’s PowerDrive technology. This means the amp has a second rail to provide double the power on demand. It also employs NAD’s long established Soft Clipping circuit to roll off blaring highs when you hit it too hard. These amp features put C328 in a different league from the generics at about six bills. It also has a sub out- handy.
C328 can drive some very hearty speakers! For customers with a thinner, rather than thicker wallet, C328 is just fine with Brystons/Axioms at less than ferocious volume levels. C328 can deliver air and musical timbre in spades, which means you’re usually smarter to buy C328 and better speakers, rather than spend more on an amp and less on speakers.
$1400: NAD C3050 (100×2)
The new C3050 has vintage cool style! It even has meters that read out in wattage, gawd luv em! Most companies that provide meters… just have them bounce. They don’t read out real power. This guy has a solid 100×2 with over double that on peaks. It has a DAC, Bluetooth and MM. Most importantly, it’s the best choice in its price range because its power amp section puts it above similarly priced units from Cambridge, Yamaha etc.
$1500 NAD C700 (80×2)
NAD’s new C700 is a fantastic system hub for almost anyone.
C700 is an integrated amp with Bluesound Node streamer on board. The streamer does full MQA decoding.
The amp section is quite special despite its diminutive size.
It has a PowerDrive UcD, 80×2 amplifier on board. This muscular amp has NAD’s PowerDrive second rail technology. It’s solid for a tough impedance and has an open/airy sound character.
C700 has a cool looking 5” touchscreen for album art and display functions. There’s nothing wrong with a little sex appeal and convenient size in a real hi-fi product. It also has pre and sub outs, so you can grow into a bigger system if you like.
To contrast with the other guys, Naim’s Unity Atom is a similar design- $3300 with 40×2 on board. Double the price- half the power. ANDDDD, we know NAD will support the streaming service properly! We dealt with Naim a decade ago and enjoyed their analog gear. The streaming platform hiccuped incessantly. I visited a customer within the past year and his Naim was sputtering too.
Just to remind you… the preamp output allows you to put C700 on top of a cabinet where it’s visible. You can hide some gigundo amp within the cabinet. Then you have the sleek look of C700 and a bazillion watts to boot.
$1700: Rogue Sphinx V3 (100×2) With Skeleton Remote
Sphinx uses a pair of 12 AU7 tubes in the preamp section. It is a full analog design including a non switching power supply and highly regarded phono section (MM&MC). Sphinx is especially more open and less congested in the important vocal range. The new V3 is quiet enough for Ks and literally any other speakers: Brystons, Axioms, Maggies.
$2000: Rogue Sphinx Magnum (100×2) With Metal Remote
Stop the presses! The best $2k integrated in our business has just landed in the market place. Sphinx Mag is a notable upgrade to the v3 version above, though Rogue will continue to offer both. For 3 bills, man up and buy the Mag version. You get a superior power supply, better tubes and a myriad of additional superior parts. All Rogues are made in the USA and give you a more spacious, breathy presentation of human voices and acoustic instruments!
$2200: NAD C399 (180×2)
With NAD’s Hybrid Digital design and high headroom, C399 is a HEAVY HITTER that won’t run out of gas, with a very quiet noise floor. C399 has improved PowerDrive nCore technology and is our choice in an affordable integrated for people that like to muscle up the volume with speakers that like some power. C399 is quiet enough for Klipsch and strong enough for Bryston & Maggie speakers.
C399 isn’t as open and spacious as Sphinx Magnum above, yet his swings a sledgehammer if you need it. It also has Bluetooth and a DAC.
$3000: Marantz Model 30 (100×2)
This fully analog, built in Japan (not China) integrated sounds smooth as butter! It is stable into any impedance and has a superlative MM/MC section, housed on its own board within a mu-metal box. The lower end is leaner instead of heavier. The upper end is smoother rather than brighter. The name of the game is refined musicality with Model 30. Consider Model 30 with SACD-30n. What a great start for the speakers of your choice. Model 30 has a black audio background with no noise. It works great with any speakers and is an especially smart choice with high efficiency speakers, which benefit from the zero noise floor.
$4000: Rogue Pharaoh 2 (250×2)
Pharaoh 2 (P2) is Rogue’s new high powered integrated. It uses two tubes in the line level section to imbue a softer sound than full solid state. It features MM/MC phono and is very quiet. Rogue doesn’t build a DAC on board because they think that category is a moving target. They don’t have Bluetooth because they fell it compromises the integrated’s analog performance.
Pharaoh 2 is a wonderful choice for you if you’d like a taste of tubes to go with your big time, 250×2 horse power. And yep, it’s built in Pennsylvania.
$5000: NAD M33 (200×2)
NAD’s M33 is a serious integrated with built in Bluesound Node streamer. Not only do you get a progressive new amplifier technology (Eigentakt) that obviates the need for traditional output transistors, you get a built in Bluesound streamer that works like a champ. You can have Tidal with full MQA, Dirac and more. M33 has a myriad of other worthwhile features you can read about all over the web.
$6000: McIntosh MA5300 (100×2)
This fully solid state Mac integrated has a slightly warmer, thicker sound than M33. It has 100×2 with built in DAC and gorgeous blue power meters. Don’t be afraid that 100×2 of Mac isn’t enough power for you. For the vast majority of our customers, it IS!
MA5300 punches above what you would infer 100×2 will do, due to its enormous transformer and power supply. MA5300 is direct coupled- no autoformers. That means its bass grip is a bit tighter than amps that use autoformers. It’s also the least expensive way to get a nice dose of Mac with the panache of meters. Mac won’t let us list prices.
$6500: Hegel H390 (250×2)
In H390 we’re getting up to heavy hitting Hegel. It delivers significantly stronger bass than its little brothers. It features their SynchroDAC and SE2 with high damping factor.
$7000: McIntosh MA352 (200×2)
MA-352 is a great integrated with tubes in the preamp section with MM phono. There’s no DAC on board to keep this a full analog beauty- which does have Mac’s famous blue power meters and a 5 band EQ. It’s OK to have some style and FUN with your hi-fi!
The power amp section is a muscular 200×2 sans autoformers. It’s a beautiful sounding, very strong integrated. Very tough to beat!
Roundup: Preamps
$600: Marantz NR-1200
Marantz’s NR-1200 is my favorite budget preamp. How can it be so good, so cheap? It’s because Marantz has made a number of smart decisions to make it sell like hot cakes. This keeps the price low due to long production runs.
NR-1200 isn’t discrete like the preamps below. You can’t get that for $800. It’s a fine stereo preamp, with MM, DAC on board (OPT & Coax). It has 5 HDMI in, 1 out. It has Bluetooth and AM-FM. It has pre out and two sub outs. It has three high level RCA inputs.
The coup de gras that helps it sell wildly is- it has a 75×2 amp on board too! If they made this just as a preamp, they would sell X number. With all these additional features, they sell a thousand times X- which gets the price lower than if they made a small number of preamps alone.
$1800: Rogue RP-1
Now we’re talkin! RP-1 is a class breaking audiophile treasure. RP-1 introduces tubes (two 12AU7) into your system at an affordable price. It has MM/MC phono and four high level inputs. It has two variable outs and a fixed out. Smart! It even has a headphone jack and balance control. It’s a great sounding, fairly minimalist tube preamp, befitting all but the highest end of systems.
$2000: NAD C658
C658 is a clean preamp and has a built in Bluesound MQA streamer on board. With a nice array of connections. It has Bluetooth, an on board DAC and streamer. C658 is a terrific affordable choice for a system that will be streaming centric.
$4000: Rogue RP-5v2
RP-5v2 is an upper crust single ended preamp with four 12AU7s. RP-5v2 exudes the lush sound tube lovers crave. It has MM/MC and four high level inputs. Outputs include two variable and one fixed. Make no mistake, this boy goes toe to toe with the priciest ARCs, VTLs etc.
$5000: Rogue RP-7
This is Rogue’s balanced version of an RP-5v2. It has beautiful sound with two balanced ins and outs, as well as single ended connections. If you need balanced, go RP-2.
$5200: Bryston BP-19
This is Bryston’s new straight analog preamp. Add $1k for MM or $1745 for MM/MC. If you don’t need a built in DAC, as with BR-20, you can save a few bucks with BP-19. They have the same stellar sound!
$6800: Bryston BR-20
Bryston’s BR-20 is their best preamp ever and my favorite preamp on the market today! Nothing is quieter and cleaner than a Bryston. It offers a state of the art noise floor and superlative dynamics. BR-20 is way under priced at $6800. It will compete with any preamp at any price! Yes, that’s right. Even the Swiss built boys at $72k won’t outperform a BR-20!
BR-20 has Bryston’s BDA3 DAC ($3400 separately) built in! Yup, you get a state of the art preamp AND DAC, on one chassis.
Listening to BR-20 is like going from standard res to hi-res. It reminds me of listening to master tapes instead of commercially pressed LPs. There is a breathy immediacy with BR-20 that you can’t attain south of it. With a 20 year warranty, you’ll put BR-20 on the shelf and forget it!
Roundup: Power Amps
Axiom power amps have raised the bar for affordable power amps. You can now get a N American (Canada) built power amp that throws barbells around your room, for not much more than a lightweight Chinese competitor. Please buy N American! You’ll get superior sound and reliability with a little red/which & blue built in.
$1390: Axiom ADA1000 (125×2)
Axiom is the less expensive portion of the Bryston family. The companies merged some years ago. ADA1000 has much richer and more dynamic performance than the Chinese imports. While it is rated at 125×2, it peaks at 375×2! The internal parts are large and spread some distance apart to keep noise floor and heat issues at bay. It’s unlikely you’ll need more but if you do….
$2990: Axiom ADA1500 (325×2)
Warn the women and children, ADA1500 has just arrived. With 325×2 and peak power of 975×2, ADA1500 is as much power as anybody will ever need.
The Axiom amps have dramatically better HEADROOM than the Chinese due to linear power supplies and massive filter capacitors. We’re talking a much more sophisticated level of performance with the Axioms vs similarly priced power amps from Asia. They’re built in Canada with a 5 year warranty, instead of China with a 2 year warranty (and crossed fingers).
$4000: Rogue DragoN (300×2)
DragoN is a fire breathing, gentle monster! It uses tubes in the output stage, yet runs cool and tight. You can hammer DragoN and it doesn’t get mean. DragoN is a dynamic sounding, heavy hitter with a tube flavor of smoothness and spectacular ambiance. DragoN is a GREAT power amp that can drive the finest of loudspeakers.
$6000: Bryston 3B Cubed (200×2)
Bryston power amps are my favorite in the business. Brystons have great clarity, a heavy hammer in the bass and a 20 freaken year warranty!
$7500: Bryston 4B Cubed (300×2)
This is the latest version of iconic Bryston beef cake. With exquisite sound and long warranty, it’s as good an amp as you can buy.
Audiophiles chatter on forums about this new amp or that- supposedly wonderful innovations from companies we’ve never heard of- that work out of a garage. Those guys might indeed make a decent sounding amp. But NOBODY else is going to be as reliable and be around to service your amp, much less UNDER WARRANTY in 19+ years- except Bryston. They’ve been around since 1963 and have proven they’re good to their word.
Some of the forum dopes write that Bryston is too cool sounding. They know not what they write. They’ve gotten used to amps with MORE DISTORTION. When you hear music without the fuzzy artifacts, it’s different and better. If you hear Bryston for any length of time and go back to almost anything else, the music is more foggy with the other guys.
Theater Power Amps
Marantz Multi-Channel amps are my favorites. They sound musical because they’re built like a brick outhouse with no short cuts. They run AB and have linear power supplies. They don’t shriek or oscillate if you ask them to work hard. The power ratings are honest- no trickery involved in the specs like most of the other guys.
$1000: Marantz MM-7025 (140×2)
With RCA or XLR inputs, this is the stereo version of this fine amp.
$1500: Marantz MM-7055 (140×5)
This is the same amp in 5ch configuration. It is my favorite 5ch amp with smooth, non gritty sound.
$2500: Marantz MM-8077 (150×7)
For about double the price you get 7 channels instead of five- and a bit more power. MM-8077 is a better quality amp in all regards- not just more channels. To put all this on one chassis without cutting corners in the power supply- is a tall task at which Marantz excels.
Round Up: Stand Mount Speakers
OK folks, I’m officially done with Chinese speakers. With the Bryston acquisition of Axiom, we can offer a wide array of N American built speakers that outperform the imports.
Further, during Covid the SOBs flooded our market with generic merchandise, complete with hornswoggled marketing techniques. They create inflated retails with duplicitous sales to take advantage of the naive customer who thinks he’s getting a great deal when he sees “a discount.”
I’m not having it any more! Hit the road, Jack.
$700 Per Pair: Axiom M2
Axiom is built in Canada with a 5 year warranty. This 5.25” Cast Frame 2-way, is clean and lean. It has a Pure Aluminum bass/mid driver to go with its Titanium tweeter. It is likely to be plenty for a den or office, with no boom and a smooth top end.
$760 Per Pair: Axiom M3
M3 is significantly stronger than M2 and worth the $60 if you have the money and space. It shares M2’s smooth top end, but with 6.5” bass/mid, it delivers much stronger bass. Yep, it’s well worth $60 more.
$990 Per Pair: Bryston Tiny A
Tiny A is a 6.5” Cast Frame 2-way with smooth sound and more powerful bass than the Chinese imports. Tiny A has a better bass/mid driver and cabinet than M3 above. With all Bryston models you also get a 20 year warranty because the parts are more sturdy and trustworthy!
$1665 Per Pair: Bryston Mini A
This Bryston 3 way has serious octane in a small, but not tiny profile. If you want a reasonably sized stand mount that you can actually use on a shelf, or stand, Mini A has Bryston’s renowned smooth top end and a bigger hammer than its competition.
$4990 Per Pair: Bryston Mini T
There is nothing Mini about Mini T. At 22.5h, 10.5w, 10d and 42 pounds, Mini T is a full sized stand mount speaker that sounds great on matching stands, or on a shelf.
Bryston uses a Gibralterish 8” woofer that any sub manufacturer would be proud to use. Consequently it is no surprise how Mini T delivers a massive, powerful image from a “full sized” stand mount. If you want huge sound, including impressive thunder, from a stand mount speaker, Mini T is ideal.
Round Up: Floor Standing Speakers
$3200 Per Pair: Klipsch Heresy 4
H4 looks like the classic Heresy but it is much improved. It is fast, sparkling and carries a big stick! At 99dB SPL any amp will do. If you’re a classic rocker, here ya go.
$3290 Per Pair: Bryston A3
A3 is a modestly sized, prodigious loudspeaker that will rock your world. It’s nothing like all the lightweight Chinese imports you’ll see at this price point. Made in Canada with 20 year warranty, A3 brings you into the “big boy” world of towers that don’t need a sub. The bass is much deeper on A3 than the Heresy 4 above..
$3990 Per Pair: Bryston A2
A2 is about doubles. Double tweets/mids & woofs. Each driver has HALF the travel to give you a certain level of sound. So A2 is more transparent, cleaner and more powerful that the substantial A3 above. A2 casts a huge image as well. Simply fabulous!
$4990 Per Pair: Bryston A1
Bryston’s A1 tower is clear, smooth and packs a big wallop! With an extra woofer than A2 and a more sophisticated crossover network A1 is the class of the loudspeaker world at $5k. It’s built like the Rock of Gibraltar and delivers stupifying bass while being smooth on top. Don’t fall from some 2.5 way import or chintzy powered sub tower with a plate amp.
$5000 Per Pair: Klipsch Forte 4
Forte 4 has a much taller/wider image than H4. It maintains the K family sound of shimmering highs and high SPL. For high powered music with no apologies, F4 leaves its competitors in the dust. It is more forward sounding and doesn’t have as much bass as Bryston A1 or A2. But if you like to play loud, go Forte.
$8600 Per Pair: Bryston Middle T
Middle T is in all respects a full range audiophile speaker. With smooth top end and prodigious bass, Middle T competes head on head with the myriad of $25k per pair speakers out there. You simply have to hear Middle T to believe it can produce the kind of muscle from its modest tower size to punch with the heavyweights!
$12k Per Pair: Bryston Model T
This is the big daddy that started it all for Bryston speakers. Revised over the years, Model T
(T for designer James Tanner, Bryston CEO) not only casts a massive soundstage of high resolution,
it has truly subterranean bass response of refined character. T is no one note wonder.
Your response from Model T (& Middle) is limited only by the gear you have in front of it. While we love to pair the Bryston speakers with their own amps, don’t forget the ground breaking Axiom power amps that do an outstanding job for much less money. While every link in the chain is vital, the speakers matter most.
$13,200 Per Pair: Klipsch LaScala
LaScala is just iconically cool. It looks like the 1960s and plays at lifelike SPLs with 105dB efficiency. There’s nothing else quite like it.
$20k Per Pair: Bryston Model T-10
Bryston’s new line array is simply awesome! It produces a massive, powerful sound that you’ll love. The SIZE of the image, even on tender vocals, makes traditional speakers sound very small.
For $20k most companies give you 3-4 Scanspeak or Seas drivers in a heavy box. You’re paying out the wazoo for a lotta epoxy resin or aluminum. I’ve heard those speakers and do respect them. But you will get MUCH MORE performance for your investment by running a much taller line array of drivers in a dense wooden enclosure, fortified with an aluminum baffle.
Magnepan Speakers
Magnepans need their own listing. They’re different from everything else on the planet. They’re well suited for those of you who love acoustic music and can pull the speakers off the back wall three feet or more. Due to their tall height and lightweight diaphragm, they produce a convincing size of image. Maggies purvey the kind of detail I’d equate to headphone listening.
Maggies have taut, clean bass. If you want the heavy hammer in your music, plan to add one of the JL subs.
Round Up: Powered Subwoofers
JL subs are in league of their own, made near Ft. Lauderdale. All models are sealed and have massively deep drivers that leave the competition quaking in their boots. Virtually all competitors sub $3k are Chinese parts slapped in a box, typically in China! Please support these American power houses. And yep, they beat the little guys with smaller active drivers that try to sneak a bit more bass from passive radiators. Do it right. Buy JL Audio.
$1100: JL Audio D-110
D-110 is a 10” CAST woof in a sealed box. It is made for music as much or more than theater. Made in Florida by a family owned company- it’s a bargain.
$1900: JL Audio E-110
E-110 is about the same size as D-110. But the driver is DOUBLE the size and the crossover is much faster and cleaner. E-110 can belong in a true audiophile dream system.
$2500: JL Audio E-112
E-112 wields a bigger hammer than E-110 by use of a commensurately built 12” driver in a bigger box with a bigger amp. If you can swing $2500, go for it. Especially if your system is in your basement, the extra thunder is unquestionably advantageous.
JL Audio Fathoms
The Fathom Series is more refined yet. The drivers are heavier and deeper. The cabinets and amps are stronger. The Fathoms use JL’s best crossover system and its DARO room correction circuitry for best accuracy.
$4000: JL Audio Fathom 110v2
$5000: JL Audio Fathom 112v2
$6000: JL Audio Fathom 113v2
$10,000: JL Audio Fathom 212v2
Round Up: Interconnect Cables
Available in almost any length. I’m using 1m for a starting point.
$108: Kimber Tonik 1m, RCA or Balanced
Braided with polyethylene jacket. Noticeably cleaner sound than traditional cables.
$296: Kimber Hero 1m, RCA or Balanced
Braided with Teflon jacket. More refined, rich and dynamic than anything less.
$620: Kimber Carbon 1m, RCA or Balanced
Braided with Carbon/Teflon jacket. Significantly more dynamic and transparent than anything less!
Round Up: Speaker Cables
Available in almost any length. I’m using 10’ for a starting point.
$224: Kimber 4 Pair, two 10’ runs with Kimber bananas
Braided with polyethylene jacket.
Cleaner and more detailed than parallel wires.
$388: Kimber 8 Pair, two 10’ runs with Kimber bananas
Braided with polyethylene jacket- twice the cabling of 4 PR.
Has better bass and dynamics than 4 PR above.
$1320: Kimber Carbon 8, two 6’ runs with Kimber bananas
Braided with Carbon/Teflon jacket.
Has better transparency than anything less.
$2520: Kimber Carbon 16, two 6’ runs with Kimber bananas
Braided with Carbon/Teflon jacket- twice the cabling of Carbon 8.
Has better dynamics and weight than Carbon 8 if you have big speakers!