Added to the Archives This Week
It helps to know the technical basics when building the ultimate audio system. J. Gordon Holt, pointing out that "knowledge is power," would like to see thousands of knowledgeable audiophiles girdling the planet, and so has created an excellent primer on audio basics called A">http://www.stereophile.com//reference/62/">A is for Ampere.
Added to the Archives This Week
J. Gordon Holt, founder not only of Stereophile but also of high-end audio journalism as we know it, reveals all in a comprehensive interview with writer Steven Stone: 35">http://www.stereophile.com//interviews/66/">35 Years and Just Getting Started.
Added to the Archives This Week
Our first article this week is Space">http://www.stereophile.com//features/74/">Space . . . the Final Frontier, in which J. Gordon Holt explains both why he feels the High End should abandon two-channel stereo, and why it is misguided in its choice of loudspeakers for stereo reproduction.
Added to the Archives This Week
Online readers rejoice: Stereophile is posting the first of what we hope will be many equipment reviews in our Archives database. First up is the Linn">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/86/">Linn Sondek CD12 CD player (recently reviewed in Stereophile), along with a review of the Linn">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/85/">Linn AV 51 System (from the February 1999 issue of Stereophile Guide to Home Theater).
Added to the Archives This Week
Last week we posted reviews of the Linn">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/86/">Linn Sondek CD12 CD player and the Linn">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/85/">Linn AV 51 system. This week we add a review of the Linn">http://www.stereophile.com//analogsourcereviews/88/">Linn Linto phono preamplifier, as well as John Atkinson's report on the Revel">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/89/">Revel Ultima Gem loudspeaker & Ultima Sub-15 subwoofer, and Tom Norton's review of the complete Revel">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/90/">Revel Home Theater speaker system.
Added to the Archives This Week
Last week, in Book">http://www.stereophile.com//reference/101/">Book Review: High Fidelity Audio/Video Systems: A Critical Guide for Owners, we ran Corey Greenberg's scathing review of an audio book that misses the mark by a wide margin. This week, in Book">http://www.stereophile.com//reference/102/">Book Review: The Complete Guide to High-End Audio, we examine a book written by erstwhile Stereophile consulting technical editor Robert Harley. He does not emerge unscathed!
Added to the Archives This Week
Any audiophile who stumbles onto one of the more cantankerous audio newsgroups ("wreck audio opinion," anyone?) may wonder what has happened to the modern breed of audiophiles. One suspects that religious wars pale when compared to how some audio pundits jostle against each other! But over the years, there has always been a wide variety of opinion. For a perspective written decades ago that still holds true today, we present J. Gordon Holt's classic "Why">http://www.stereophile.com//features/104/">Why Hi-Fi Experts Disagree."
Added to the Archives This Week
In the latest article to appear in the Archives, Robert Harley comes right out and asks, "How many of you actually read the 'Measurements' sections of Stereophile's equipment reports and understand what's being measured, and why? I suspect that many readers skip over the technical assessment of the reviewed product and make a dash for the 'Conclusion.' "
Added to the Archives This Week
Believe it or not, there are reportedly several "audiophiles" out there who still refuse to accept that an extremely expensive amplifier can justify its price. "For them, the very idea of a $20,000 pair of monoblocks must seem absolutely ridiculous," writes Wes Phillips. "All I can say is that they should steer clear of the Mark Levinson No.33H, or else risk having their tidy little hypotheses shattered into tiny little pieces." For the complete review, take a look at the latest equipment report to hit the Archives: Mark">http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/115/">Mark Levinson No.33H monoblock power amplifier.
Added to the Archives This Week
Conrad-Johnson has been on a roll with their Anniversary Reference Triode preamplifier, aka the ART, which garnered the Stereophile Product of the Year award in 1998. (See previous">http://www.stereophile.com/news/10318/">previous article.) According to Lew Johnson, "We realized that Conrad-Johnson is coming up on its 20th anniversary, so we thought we might produce something special to celebrate. This is a version of the preamplifier we use in our listening room at the factory---we never even thought about producing it because it would be god-awful expensive. But it really is our last thought on what a preamp should be, so we figured we'd produce a limited edition, say 250 total, as a way of commemorating our 20 years in the business."