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From the March 2001 issue, Michael Fremer finds that, although homely in appearance, the Herron">http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/441/">Herron Audio M150 monoblock power amplifier has several endearing qualities. As Fremer explains, "Herron approaches the marketplace in a cautious, stealthy manner, working from the ground up to grab the ears of audiophiles." MF tells us where this amp grabbed him.
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For his review of the diminutive Acarian">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/445/">Acarian Systems Alón Petite loudspeaker, Wes Phillips explains that the "li'l guys frequently image like bandits—which some of us just can't resist." Also included is Robert J. Reina's followup review of Alón's matching PW-1 woofer system, from February 1997, along with his take on the Alón Petite.
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Michael Fremer wraps his ears around the Westlake">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/449/">Westlake Audio Lc5.75F loudspeaker in an effort to figure out "what's a pro audio company doing at CES?" Fremer discovers why a brand that, until recently, was rarely heard outside of recording studios is now selling 70% of its products to consumers.
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Jonathan Scull takes a gander at the dCS">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/454/">dCS Purcell D/D converter, and tries to make sonic sense out of the merits of upsampling. Scull writes, "So while the true differences between upsampling and oversampling remain murky, my pleasant mission is to report on the sound of the Purcell and compare it to the latest version of the pro-audio version, the 972."
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In his review of the Soliloquy">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/459/">Soliloquy 5.3 loudspeaker, Kalman Rubinson says that when he heard a pair, his first thoughts were, "Gotta get my hands on these!" After careful listening, did the speaker live up to Rubinson's first impressions? KR tells the whole story.
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For the tenth consecutive year, Stereophile writers and editors ferret out those components that have proved capable of giving musical pleasure beyond the formal review period and have wrapped them all up as The">http://www.stereophile.com//features/464/">The 2001 Products of the Year. The envelope please.
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As Larry Greenhill reports in his review of the Sony">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/469/">Sony SCD-C555ES SACD changer, "I didn't know what to expect from multichannel SACD. Would a multichannel music-only disc give me high-energy dramatics? Would there be any room for meditative, closed-eyed, total progressive muscular relaxation?" As Greenhill says, "The best was yet to come."
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As Jonathan Scull reports in his review of the Classé">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/474/">Classé Omega Super Audio CD player, "Classé has guts. These are uncertain times, but here they are with an audiophile classic: an expensive two-channel Super Audio CD player." Read how one of the first SACD machines from a high-end audio company stacks up.
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Martin Colloms reviewed the Sonus">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/487/">Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage loudspeaker back in 1994, finding that "Sonus Faber provides a fascinating and challenging insight into the art of high-quality sound reproduction." But does the diminutive Guarneri breathe real music? Colloms reports.
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Kalman Rubinson admits to having plenty of Sony trinkets, including clocks, VCRs, and TVs. But until the Sony">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/491/">Sony SCD-XA777ES multichannel SACD/CD player, he's always preferred other brands when it came to audio. Rubinson reveals whether this latest expression of SACD engineering from Sony has changed his perception of the company as a serious audiophile contender.