The Absolute Sound Podcast

Details of the Viewer Giveaway of an Onkyo 9.2 channel Atmos receiver are after the break. Every once in a while, reviewers get products to evaluate that just doesn’t conform to the standard or to their expectations. That has certainly been the case with the new Onkyo M-80 amp and P-80 preamp. Let’s take a look, because the way this pairing deviates from normal might be very interesting to you. This video is sponsored by: theabsolutesound.com/newsletter 00:00 M-80 amplifier and P-80 streaming preamp 01:05 Giveaway 02:09 Features & Design 06:55 Sound Quality 14:20 Summary 14:58 Comparative Coda Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com Tom's reference system: Aurender N20 Streamer/Server Roon Nucleus server Mac Mini (M2) server Wiim Pro server/DAC Bluesound Node server/DAC Topping D70 Pro DAC dCS Lina DAC/Master clock Berkeley Alpha DAC Reference Series 3P with Alpha USB Reference input module MSB Premier DAC J Sikora Initial Max turntable Technics SL-1210G turntable Kuzma 4Point 9” arm J Sikora KV12 tone arm DS Audio 003 cartridge Benz Gullwing SLR cartridge Hana Umami Blue cartridge Hegel V10 phono preamp Musical Surroundings Phonomena III phono preamp DS Audio 003 optical cartridge energizer Soulution 326 preamp Wattson Madison power amp Hegel H20 power amp MBL N51 integrated amp Magico A5 speakers Perlisten S7t speakers Wireworld Platinum Electra Series 10 speaker and line cables Shunyata Omega digital cables Shunyata Venom power cables and director Audioquest Niagara 3000 power conditioner (for analog) Audioquest Niagra 7000 power conditioning Aavik Ethernet Switch Rediacoustic diffusers and absorbers Rediacoustic bass traps PSI Audio AVAA active traps Salamander racks Solidsteel Turntable rack What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

That said, for those of you who have a budget that could accommodate the JCAT XACT S1 Evo Server at $18,600 US or for those of you who are genuinely curious about the state-of-the-art in audio streaming, you’re gonna wanna stick around while I share what I heard when listening to this refined bit of kit. This video is sponsored by: https://www.devialet.com/en-us/amplifiers/?srsltid=AfmBOopMaf_et8mOEEL6rCtYelUeonyPqFg9RVuBdr2cWi96HSBd3fMv 00:00 JCAT XACT S1 Evo 01:18 Overview 04:09 Specs & Design 07:39 Sound Quality 12:15 Conclusion Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

Last year I built a new listening room. From the ground up. In part, this is the story of that process, but much more I have tried here to organize what I learned so that it is also instructive for music lovers and audiophiles who want to get more out of their current rooms. So, you don’t have to build a new room or complete a new building like I did to get a lot of value from this. I hope. This is a long one. Acoustics is a complex subject. Per our usual practice, I’ve tried to simplify but not dumb down. Anyway, if you hate complexity, hit the eject button now. This video is sponsored by: http://theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Robert Harley's Room Tour: https://youtu.be/OtUcfiaN6CY?si=GW7B9L13ZMlHpw0P REDI Acoustics: https://rediacoustics.com/ Fundamentals of Residential Wiring: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/fundamentals-of-residential-ac-wiring-to-improve-high-end-audio-system-performance/ 00:00 Tom Martin’s Listening Room 01:28 Overview 03:37 Goals: What Are We Doing? 06:18 Building Steps 37:10 Sound Quality 39:41 DIY Budget Approach 43:17 More Approaches for a Tighter Budget Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com Tom's reference system: Aurender N20 Streamer/Server Roon Nucleus server Mac Mini (M2) server Wiim Pro server/DAC Bluesound Node server/DAC Topping D70 Pro DAC dCS Lina DAC/Master clock Berkeley Alpha DAC Reference Series 3P with Alpha USB Reference input module MSB Premier DAC J Sikora Initial Max turntable Technics SL-1210G turntable Kuzma 4Point 9” arm J Sikora KV12 tone arm DS Audio 003 cartridge Benz Gullwing SLR cartridge Hana Umami Blue cartridge Hegel V10 phono preamp Musical Surroundings Phonomena III phono preamp DS Audio 003 optical cartridge energizer Block Line and Power Block SE preamp Block Mono power amps Hegel H20 power amps MBL N51 integrated amp Magico A5 speakers Perlisten S7t speakers Wireworld Platinum Electra Series 10 speaker and line cables Shunyata Omega digital cables Shunyata Venom power cables and director Audioquest Niagara 3000 power conditioner (for analog) Audioquest Niagra 7000 power conditioning Aavik Ethernet Switch Rediacoustic diffusers and absorbers Rediacoustic bass traps PSI Audio AVAA active traps Salamander racks Solidsteel Turntable rack What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

If there's one job for soundbars, it's to deliver deep bass. That's the Achille's Heel of every single big screen TV. In that sense the Devialet Dione does its job admirably, but it does much more than that, delivering a musicality that most other manufacturers surely are envious of... tune in to learn more! 00:00 Devialet Dione 00:57 Overview 02:11 Specs & Design 04:58 Sound Quality 10:59 Dolby Atmos 13:21 Summary This video is sponsored by: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

The Boulder 1162 is an amplifier at a price point where you would expect excellence, and indeed you get it. Also, at this price point details matter because there are other excellent amps both below and above this segment of the market. Let’s take a look. This video i sponsored by: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/ 00:00 Boulder 1162 01:29 Overview 04:45 Sound Quality 13:07 Balance Test 15:32 Summary Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com Tom's reference system: Aurender N20 Streamer/Server Roon Nucleus server Mac Mini (M2) server Wiim Pro server/DAC Bluesound Node server/DAC Topping D70 Pro DAC dCS Lina DAC/Master clock Berkeley Alpha DAC Reference Series 3 with Alpha USB Series 2 input module MSB Premier DAC J Sikora Initial Max turntable Technics SL-1210G turntable Kuzma 4Point 9” arm J Sikora KV12 tone arm DS Audio 003 cartridge Benz Gullwing SLR cartridge Hana Umami Blue cartridge Hegel V10 phono preamp Musical Surroundings Phonomena III phono preamp DS Audio 003 optical cartridge energizer PS Audio BHK 600 mono power amps MBL N51 integrated amp Audio Research 160S power amp Magico A5 speakers Perlisten S7t speakers Wireworld Platinum Electra speaker and line cables Shunyata Omega digital cables Shunyata Venom power cables and director Audioquest Niagara 3000 power conditioner (for analog) Audioquest Niagra 7000 power conditioning Rediacoustic diffusers and absorbers Rediacoustic bass traps PSI Audio AVAA active traps Salamander racks Solidsteel Turntable rack What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

Being one of the long established companies in specialist high-end, Audio Research has enjoyed quite a reputation for tube equipment since its founding in 1970. Only a fraction of the models they have produced over the years have been solid-state, though half of the 6 new model introductions are this year. How does the I/70 stack up compared to their other tried-and-true amplifiers? Tune in to find out... This video is sponsored by: https://wireworldcable.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorKXd8MSoC_SaZQrrpO_ZpjZZXMDsVgFZEcqjp_T3leeCyFrqvH 00:00 I/70 Integrated Amplifier 01:10 Overview 3:03 Key Features 4:19 Sound Quality 10:45 Summary Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

Anyone that’s been to an audio show in the last five years has likely run across a system from Audio Group Denmark, the Scandinavian company founded by former Raidho designers Lars Kristensen and Michael Børresen that is a union of four hifi brands: Ansuz, Aavik, Børresen and Axxess. Audio Group Denmark have marketed themselves heavily as being at the cutting edge of technology across amplification, speaker design, and accessories such as cables and noise control devices. This forward-thinking mindset has led them to the realm of universal streaming amplifiers, of which the Aavik U-288 is one of the latest iterations of. At $30,000 it is priced in the aspirational luxury end of the segment, promising to be that destination at the end of your HiFi journey. Can Aavik deliver on that promise? Stay tuned to find out. This video is sponsored by: https://rel.net/collections/serie-ht?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21634201662&gbraid=0AAAAADNXZ2xgcsTTJZrWVKTUJNk5UBhQc&gclid=Cj0KCQiAubrJBhCbARIsAHIdxD--TQtvCmYP-5EZzP7iGeIYgRQLwIqOQuOBbhKOx1illvwsnT188AEaArDIEALw_wcB 00:00 Aavik U-288 "Unity" 01:34 Overview 04:27 Specs & Design 08:49 Set Up 09:58 Sound Quality 15:13 Compare & Contrast 18:40 Summary Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

If you've been following high-end audio for any length of time, you know GoldenEar has carved out this interesting niche. They're not playing the same game as everyone else in regards to what the traditional 2 channel configuration looks like in a number of their designs. While some speaker companies are still arguing about whether you need a subwoofer or not, GoldenEar basically said "what if we just built it into the tower and call it a day" and that’s exactly what they did here. This video is sponsored by: https://www.mofielectronics.com/products/mofi-electronics-masterdeck-turntable 00:00 GoldenEar T44 01:46 The Hybrid Concept 02:45 AMT Tweeter 03:37 Bass Performance 04:48 Design 06:46 Sound Quality 11:35 Is it for you? 12:41 Conclusion Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

So, this review has been a long time coming, ARCAM announced their new flagship streaming integrated amplifier at High End Munich in May of 2024 and released the 5th Generation Class-G amplifier in fall of the same year. This dynamic titan is certainly indicative of a company who focuses on perfecting past products, while simultaneously incorporating new technologies into cost effective packages. Stick around while I share my listening notes with the ARCAM SA45 Streaming Integrated Amplifier in my system. This video is sponsored by: https://fidelityimports.com/pages/opera-loudspeakers Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

From Thomas Tan: When I was asked to review the Pink Faun Scion streamer transport, I felt both excited and a little uneasy. Excited because this is a $20,000 machine. A serious piece of audio engineering. And easy because the science is purely a streamer with no DAC. And I wonder whether it could really sound different from a $200 streamer. After all, in theory, a streamer is just sending ones and zero to the DAC, so how could it possibly change the sound? Listen in to find out! *QuoBuz connect is rolling out for Pink Faun servers at the end of the month* 00:00 Pink Faun Scion 01:27 Overview 02:56 First Impressions 03:54 Specs & Design 06:14 Sound Quality 10:41 Tradeoffs 12:14 Is it for you? 13:07 Conclusion Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

Big screen TVs are notorious for having really minuscule or poor sound quality. That's because just the dimensions of them dictate the fact that you can't fit a huge speaker into a thin LCD or OLED big screen TV, so soundbars are supposed to be a convenient solution to that one piece of equipment that can bring expansive sound in that immersive, enveloping quality to the soundtrack of a movie or even a TV show. KEF, known for their high-end products and technology, look to lead the way amongst the market. Do they deliver? Listen in to find out! 00:00 KEF XIO Soundbar 02:33 Specs & Design 04L48 Set Up 05:39 Calibration 06:24 Sound Quality 11:58 Dolby Atmos 14:50 Summary This video is sponsored by: https://fidelityimports.com/pages/opera-loudspeakers Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

Chesky Audio is a relatively new company. Today I’ll be reviewing their second speaker model, the LC2. Like the original LC1, the LC2 features a compact 3D-printed monocoque cabinet, with a 2-way design using dual side-mounted passive radiators. It is priced at $1995per pair, including shipping in the US. That specification seems pretty ho-hum, and this price point might lead to modest expectations. But! Those understandable expectations would be a mistake, in my view a big mistake if you’re shopping in this price range. Let’s take a look at some details to understand why and how. 00:00 Chesky Audio LC2 01:25 Overview 02:57 Sound Quality 09:36 Tradeoffs 12:02 Under the Hood 12:36 Summary This video is sponsored by: https://rel.net/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21640833068&gbraid=0AAAAADNXZ2wx_gvvKYO04_eWR9H3nWjkZ&gclid=CjwKCAiAt8bIBhBpEiwAzH1w6RR6KmeIZlRqqPIEnrLHIWUdRbEib-goYxh8oBW6wVyw1Hogx-fiBxoCNXsQAvD_BwE Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com Tom's reference system: Aurender N20 Streamer/Server Roon Nucleus server Mac Mini (M2) server Wiim Pro server/DAC Bluesound Node server/DAC Topping D70 Pro DAC dCS Lina DAC/Master clock Berkeley Alpha DAC Reference Series 3 with Alpha USB Series 2 input module MSB Premier DAC J Sikora Initial Max turntable Technics SL-1210G turntable Kuzma 4Point 9” arm J Sikora KV12 tone arm DS Audio 003 cartridge Benz Gullwing SLR cartridge Hana Umami Blue cartridge Hegel V10 phono preamp Musical Surroundings Phonomena III phono preamp DS Audio 003 optical cartridge energizer PS Audio BHK 600 mono power amps MBL N51 integrated amp Audio Research 160S power amp Magico A5 speakers Perlisten S7t speakers Wireworld Platinum Electra speaker and line cables Shunyata Omega digital cables Shunyata Venom power cables and director Audioquest Niagara 3000 power conditioner (for analog) Audioquest Niagra 7000 power conditioning Rediacoustic diffusers and absorbers Rediacoustic bass traps PSI Audio AVAA active traps Salamander racks Solidsteel Turntable rack What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

A couple of months back, Tom Martin reviewed the Sound Lab G7-7C – the G5-4C’s big brother (although still not the largest speaker Sound Lab makes). In that video, Tom did such a fabulous job getting into the technical minutia of Sound Lab speakers that there’s likely nothing beneficial I could add to that. I would recommend going back to that video to get a clearer overview of Sound Lab’s design principles and processes. Here, I would like to provide viewers with a detailed description of how the smaller G5-4C sounded in my room. So, stick around while I share what I heard when auditioning the Sound Lab G5-4C. 00:00 Sound Lab G5-4C electrostatic speakers 01:33 Overview 03:17 Reference Equipment 4:04 Sound Quality 08:46 Conclusion This video is sponsored by: https://www.devialet.com/en-us/amplifiers/?srsltid=AfmBOorbOG8jY6AYnlddhTyDqqV8wOhQ91MZyqEYi0dlWTxeNqI0gSiQ Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

Welcome to this edition of Recordings of the Month. Here we recommend recordings that our audio reviewers have enjoyed. They may be new recordings or older recordings that we have recently discovered. Sometimes, they are recordings our reviewers have come to appreciate more and more as they use them in audio review work. This video is sponsored by: https://www.mofielectronics.com/products/mofi-electronics-masterdeck-turntable Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com Tom's reference system: Aurender N20 Streamer/Server Roon Nucleus server Mac Mini (M2) server Wiim Pro server/DAC Bluesound Node server/DAC Topping D70 Pro DAC dCS Lina DAC/Master clock Berkeley Alpha DAC Reference Series 3 with Alpha USB Series 2 input module MSB Premier DAC J Sikora Initial Max turntable Technics SL-1210G turntable Kuzma 4Point 9” arm J Sikora KV12 tone arm DS Audio 003 cartridge Benz Gullwing SLR cartridge Hana Umami Blue cartridge Hegel V10 phono preamp Musical Surroundings Phonomena III phono preamp DS Audio 003 optical cartridge energizer PS Audio BHK 600 mono power amps MBL N51 integrated amp Audio Research 160S power amp Magico A5 speakers Perlisten S7t speakers Wireworld Platinum Electra speaker and line cables Shunyata Omega digital cables Shunyata Venom power cables and director Audioquest Niagara 3000 power conditioner (for analog) Audioquest Niagra 7000 power conditioning Rediacoustic diffusers and absorbers Rediacoustic bass traps PSI Audio AVAA active traps Salamander racks Solidsteel Turntable rack What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

T+A elektroakustic is a venerable German company with extensive engineering and manufacturing capabilities for speakers, amplifiers, D/A converters, turntables and headphones. The Criterion Series S240 which is our review subject, are part of the T+A Criterion range of speakers, each of which uses transmission line loading for the bass drivers. Let’s see what all this experience and technology delivers.  00:00 T+A Criterion S240 01:50 Overview 04:49 Sound Quality 14:17 Tradeoffs 15:25 Summary This video is sponsored by: https://www.devialet.com/en-us/amplifiers/?srsltid=AfmBOorbOG8jY6AYnlddhTyDqqV8wOhQ91MZyqEYi0dlWTxeNqI0gSiQ T+A Factory Tour: https://youtu.be/13fQesU3J2o?si=rBpG8HEnSYhK8NTc Siegfried Amft interview: https://youtu.be/zsilt_q_oY0?si=xzU0Z9E_vabar6wq Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com Tom's reference system: Aurender N20 Streamer/Server Roon Nucleus server Mac Mini (M2) server Wiim Pro server/DAC Bluesound Node server/DAC Topping D70 Pro DAC dCS Lina DAC/Master clock Berkeley Alpha DAC Reference Series 3 with Alpha USB Series 2 input module MSB Premier DAC J Sikora Initial Max turntable Technics SL-1210G turntable Kuzma 4Point 9” arm J Sikora KV12 tone arm DS Audio 003 cartridge Benz Gullwing SLR cartridge Hana Umami Blue cartridge Hegel V10 phono preamp Musical Surroundings Phonomena III phono preamp DS Audio 003 optical cartridge energizer PS Audio BHK 600 mono power amps MBL N51 integrated amp Audio Research 160S power amp Magico A5 speakers Perlisten S7t speakers Wireworld Platinum Electra speaker and line cables Shunyata Omega digital cables Shunyata Venom power cables and director Audioquest Niagara 3000 power conditioner (for analog) Audioquest Niagra 7000 power conditioning Rediacoustic diffusers and absorbers Rediacoustic bass traps PSI Audio AVAA active traps Salamander racks Solidsteel Turntable rack What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

Grimm is a manufacturer of audio equipment that take a somewhat different path than normal. Eelco Grimm, the CEO, is a fascinating person if you like audio tech because he comes at many problems from a systems perspective, integrating knowledge of the influence of the recording process, acoustics, ear and brain on the sound. This is in addition to knowledge of the component elements necessary for music reproduction. I find some correlation between this broader perspective and the ability of resulting equipment designs to address important problems, so I was excited to test Grimm’s streamer/DAC, the MU2. Let’s see how it performs. This video is sponsored by: https://www.svsound.com/collections/ 7 Major Problems of Audio Believability: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-six-major-problems-of-audio-believability/ 00:00 Grimm MU2 Streamer/DAC 01:24 Overview 03:14 What's the issue? 08:05 Sound Quality 16:45 Subjective Coda 17:49 Design 19:07 Summary The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/ Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved

At times, audiophiles tend to think of innovation in the field as something dramatic – technologically dramatic. In the case of speakers, the mind imagines new driver physics or driver configurations. I get it: plasma drivers or radiastrahlers or large electrostatic panels look dramatically different and sometimes sound quite different too. And yet, such exotic concepts have made limited headway in the market, although they show tempting promise. But what if significant progress lies in another direction? Perlisten Audio asks, and answers, that question. Let’s take a look. This video is sponsored by: https://chordelectronics.co.uk/mojo-2 00:00 Perlisten Audio Redefines The Modern Speaker 6:00 Problem #1: Bass in Real Rooms 10:08 Problem #2: Spatial Presentation 16:05 Problem #3: Dynamics 19:46 Problem #4: System Integration 22:40 Demo Time 23:40 Wrap Up The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/ Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved

In this review, Robert Taylor explores the dCS Lina Master Clock, the problem it's trying to solve, and its synchronization with this dCS Bartók APEX Streaming DAC. Does it clock a higher fidelity sound? Tune in to find out. This video is sponsored by: https://shunyata.com/product/everest-x/ The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/ Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com 00:00 dCS Lina Master Clock 01:07 Overview 01:53 Specs & Design 03:02 What's the problem? 04:17 Sound Quality 08:40 Summary What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved

This spring, I reviewed the new Dynaudio contour 20 Black Edition bookshelf speakers and I found these speakers to be one of the most highly resolving stand out monitors I've heard in the sub $10,000 price range, but like most stand mounts, they were still bound by the limitations of size and of course, frequency response. But Dynaudio has come prepared for this scenario with the Sub 6. And in this review, we're going to explore what this tech packed subwoofer can accomplish, especially in a small to medium sized rooms. This video is sponsored by: https://www.hegel.com/en/ 00:00 Dynaudio Sub 6 01:20 Overview 04:45 Set Up 06:04 Sound Quality 12:46 Conclusion The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/ Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved

One thing I love about audio reviewing is the element of surprise. Sometimes you get a product in for review and you might expect it to be good and then you start listening and you find out that it is…great! Who knew? And for me, despite best efforts, this often happens with straightforward products that don’t have an obvious “breakthrough” element. This was, indeed, the case with the Magico S2 speakers. Let’s see what impressed me and how this may or may not fit with your needs. 00:00 Magico S2 01:37 Overview 04:31 Sound Quality 14:52 Summary This video is sponsored by: https://chordelectronics.co.uk/mojo-2 The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/ Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved