Loudspeaker Reviews Index – Horns / Planar Speakers And More.
Click on ‘READ MORE’ text to go to full review.
Spica TC‑50 Review: What $350 Can Still Buy You in High-End Audio
There are certain products in the audiophile world that seem to defy time, designs that, despite their original MSRP,...
Ditching Your Linestage and Going Source-Direct
Transcript: Okay, this is a topic that comes up quite a bit on audiophile forums, the subject of running a DAC...
All New Altec Lansing Speakers and Amps Revealed at Capital Audiofest 2024
Day One CAF 2024 - Altec Lansing Iconic Series Speakers / 300b Monoblocks From AL Press Release: Iconic Series This...
Vintage Wizardry From Merlin Music Systems
A Brief History of Merlin Music Systems And Its Products Note: In writing the following, I've mixed my own firsthand...
Klipschorns vs Altec Lansing Valencia vs Altec Lansing A7
Oris 150 custom horns to Klipschorns, this article pitches the Klipschorns vs Altec Lansing Valencia vs Altec Lansing VOTT A7 and provides a review of each.
ProAc D40R Review
It's been some time since I last experienced a set of ProAc speakers. My most recent encounter was at Capital...
Review: Martin Logan Impression ESL 11A Speakers
When it comes US based high-end speaker manufacturers, Martin Logan is a name that stands out. Renowned for their...
Sonus Faber Cremona M Review
Review of the Sonus Faber Cremona M in stunning graphite finish – best speakers in the world?
Aperion Audio Dual Firing AMT Ribbon Super Tweeter Review
Around a decade or so ago I used super tweeters on a stacked Oris 150 horn system with good results. The speaker...
Altec Lansing VOTT A7 Vintage Horn Speaker Review.
OK, this isn't necessarily a review of the Altec Lansing VOTT A7 speakers, it's more of an introduction to these...
Decware Zen Master Open Baffle Clone – Lii Audio F-15 Full-range Driver
I'm a big fan of boxless speakers. Over the years I've owned no-box speakers from Apogee, Magnepan, Carver, Spatial...
Altec Lansing Valencia 846b Crossovers / Lyngdorf TDAi 2170 (Page 4)
This is part 4 of a series focused on improving the performance of a pair of Altec Lansing Valencia 846b speakers....
Altec Lansing Valencia 846b / Aperion Audio AMT Ribbon Super Tweeters (page 2)
Continued from this page. If you landed here directly, please use the link above to get to the first page of this...
![Quad ESL 57 Speaker Review [Retro]](data:image/svg+xml;nitro-empty-id=NTM4OjcwNw==-1;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgNDAwIDI1MCIgd2lkdGg9IjQwMCIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNTAiIHhtbG5zPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnczLm9yZy8yMDAwL3N2ZyI+PC9zdmc+)
Quad ESL 57 Speaker Review [Retro]
Quad ESL57 speaker review looks at the feasibility of living with Quad 57s and using them as daily drivers, plus, how good is that Quad midrange? Let’s find out here….
![Piega C40 Speaker Review [Retro]](data:image/svg+xml;nitro-empty-id=NTQ5OjY5MA==-1;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgNDAwIDI1MCIgd2lkdGg9IjQwMCIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNTAiIHhtbG5zPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnczLm9yZy8yMDAwL3N2ZyI+PC9zdmc+)
Piega C40 Speaker Review [Retro]
If you’re new to this website you may wonder why I’m writing about a speaker whose production was terminated before the internet became popular. Yes, the Piega C40 is that old, but is it still relevant in 2022?….
Spatial Audio X3 Speaker Review
These are Spatial Audio’s top-of-the-line speakers and cost a whopping $9,000. All Spatial’s current models appear to hold their value pretty well on the used markets, so it was a big outlay and an even bigger gamble –
Spatial Audio X3 Review Part II
(Continued from here) Spatial Audio X3 Review Part II - LISTENER FATIGUE I went around in circles with the Spatial...
![Dunlavy SC-III Speakers [Retro Review]](data:image/svg+xml;nitro-empty-id=NTgyOjcxOA==-1;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgNDAwIDI1MCIgd2lkdGg9IjQwMCIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNTAiIHhtbG5zPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnczLm9yZy8yMDAwL3N2ZyI+PC9zdmc+)
Dunlavy SC-III Speakers [Retro Review]
This isn’t really a review of the Dunlavy SC-III, per se, it’s more of a shout-out to prospective future owners of this remarkable speaker. I bought my pair of Dunlavy SC-IIIs coming up on 3 years ago, after reading a good deal of positive information on the Dunlavy range, but never having heard them in the flesh.
Klipsch Klipschorn Speaker Review
The K-horns are designed to fit tightly into the corners of the long wall, where the adjoining sidewalls become an extension of the bass horn itself. Thusly placed in the corners of a 16′ wall, the speakers cross at a point around 4 feet in front of the listening position, which is 16′ from the….
Castle Acoustics Harlech Speakers (Version 1)- Retro Review
EQUIPMENT USED IN THIS REVIEW INCLUDED:ANALOG Origin Live Resolution Turntable With Full Manufacturer's Upgrade...
Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor M Review
We're delighted to have the Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor M in-house for another retro-review of these fine speakers...
Magnepan MG-3.6r Speaker Review
It has taken me quite some time to come to terms with Magnepan's MG 3.6R speakers, to identify their strengths and...
Magnepan MG-12 Speaker Review
BACK STORY: I purchased my Magnepan MG-12 loudspeakers (list $1,100!) about 2 years ago through Audiogon. At that...
Gilmore Audio and Carver Amazing Speakers
I've just recently been introduced to the Carver Amazing loudspeaker system, with its dipole ribbon and dipole dynamic...
Sason Ltd Loudspeaker by Ridge Street Audio Design
Review/Report from WI Audio Society Meeting:- Sason Ltd Loudspeaker by Ridge Street Audio Design The North Eastern...
Recent Reviews & Posts
Bookshelf vs Floorstanding Speakers vs the Room?
[Watch a short version of this article on YouTube above.] Audiophiles love a good debate (fight). Tubes vs solid state, digital vs vinyl, cables that “definitely” make a difference vs those that “absolutely” don’t. But perhaps one of the most enduring arguments is...
The Law of Diminishing Returns in High-end Audio
I've been downsizing both my systems lately, and it has been an interesting experience. It started about a year ago. I basically came to the realization that, for whatever reasons, I wasn't using my system(s) enough to justify the amount of cash that I had tied up in...
Manley Labs Steelhead RC Phono Preamp Review
I’ve lived with the Manley Labs Steelhead RC phonostage longer than any other component in my main system. It’s hard-working, reliable, versatile, and sounds great. Unlike many tube preamps that inject their own flavor, the Steelhead focuses on staying true to the...
SMR Cable Technologies Vanish 334 Speaker Cable Review
You know you're in for something serious when a set of speaker cables arrives with serialized documentation and a signed, certified performance report from the manufacturer. Not a vague promise of “reference sound,” not a generic factory checklist, but actual measured...
Spica TC‑50 Review: What $350 Can Still Buy You in High-End Audio
There are certain products in the audiophile world that seem to defy time, designs that, despite their original MSRP, age or modest appearance, still punch way above their weight and occasionally leave you wondering why the industry ever moved on. Or wondering, has it...
Vintage Linestages That Still Compete: Four Tube Preamps Worth Hearing in 2025
There’s great value in the vintage market. Not long ago, buying a vintage linestage meant resigning yourself to dusty old relics — gear that looked like lab equipment and often sounded like it too. You were wading through clunky circuits, high noise floors, and enough...
The Midnight Effect in High-End Audio: Myth, Magic, or Measurable?
So I was up late last night listening to the system and enjoying a few adult beverages. "The System" in this case was the dining room system, which is configured entirely for digital playback and is far more detailed and analytical than the main system, where I use...
REL Carbon Special Review: High Expectations – Poor Results.
I’ve spent 18 months with the REL Carbon Special subwoofers, and while I wanted to love them, I find myself more frustrated than impressed. For a subwoofer at this price point (MSRP: $4,499 each), there are design flaws that make setup and fine-tuning unnecessarily...
Tube vs. Solid-State Preamps: Magic, Myth, or Just Distortion?
Mick, from Downunder, just published a YouTube video on the channel - Tube Preamps Versus Solid State. It seems to be a bit controversial judging by some of the comments on YouTube. I don't know why, obviously tube preamps are better. But here it is - click the image...
Ditching Your Linestage and Going Source-Direct
Transcript: Okay, this is a topic that comes up quite a bit on audiophile forums, the subject of running a DAC directly into a power amp without using a preamp - so basically going source direct from a DAC, either standalone or built into a streamer or CD player, that...
Don Sachs D2 Linestage Review
Note: While Don Sachs has recently retired, his legacy lives on in the Don Sachs D2 Linestage. While Don isn't actively building new products, he has, to some extent, passed along the baton to the speaker builder Spaitial Audio, who are producing Don Sachs' designs,...
Ayre Codex DAC / Headphone Amplifier Review
I've been spending a lot more time listening to the second system this past few weeks, rolling through some low-cost retro gear that I think really flies under the typical audiophile's radar. By 'retro', I mean it's no longer in production but still very much viable...
All New Altec Lansing Speakers and Amps Revealed at Capital Audiofest 2024
Day One CAF 2024 - Altec Lansing Iconic Series Speakers / 300b Monoblocks From AL Press Release: Iconic Series This category will combine classic methods and materials with new technology to build a bridge from the past to the future. The lineup will be built with...
The Death of the Audiophile – A Slow Slide to Oblivion.
About a week ago I was looking through the stats in my YouTube channel. I'm not a 'YouTuber', as anyone who has watched one of my videos will know! "..I love you, but sooner or later, you’re going to have to face the fact you’re a goddamn moron.” But it's fun every...
The FTC’s New Ruling on Fake Reviews and the Future of Audiophile Content
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) recent ruling, aimed at banning fake reviews and deceptive testimonials, has already sparked a lot of debate within various online forums and communities. I recently started a thread on the popular audiophile forum at Audiogon on...
The Audiophile Song – Forced To Get Rid Of Everything – It’s So Unjust!
'The Audiophile Song' Here's a 3-minute song that seemed to resonate with many people across the various audiophile fora, and on YouTube where it was published. [Someone named it 'The Audiophile Song', so I changed the title to match.] Had I known it was going to be...
Origin Live Resolution Vs. Dr. Feickert Woodpecker – Video
Watch as our good friend of the channel Shelton Ward provides an overview of the differences between the Origin Live Resolution MK IV with its Illustrious 3C tonearm, and the Dr. Feickert Analogue Woodpecker, with the Kuzma Stogi S 12VTA tonearm. Video Summary:...
Part IV – Audiophile System Building Journey
Here's Part IV of my system building journey, click here for Part I, Part II, and Part III I don't know whether or not it was through frustration with the main rig, boredom, or something else, but I started to spend more time, energy, and money on system #2. Remember,...
An Audiophile’s System Evolution – Component Reviews Part III.
This is Part III of the system evolution thread, click for Part I, or Part II Klipsch Klipschorns On the previous page, we reached the moment when the Klipsch Khorns entered the picture. Before the Khorns, I had acquired a pair of Klipsch Heresy I speakers. Though...
Part II System Evolution and Component Reviews at Audio Resurgence
This is part II, for part i click here This is Part II of documenting a journey through reviewing and/or just buying and selling high-end audiophile speakers, amps, turntables, CD players, Dacs, Phonostages, and more. I've basically lost the plot here and buying audio...
An Audiophile’s System Evolution – Component Reviews Part I.
I was looking through the photos on my iPhone the other day and realized there's a lot of equipment I've brought in over the recent years with the intention of providing a full review, but, for one reason or another, just never got around to it. The photo summary also...
Vintage Wizardry From Merlin Music Systems
A Brief History of Merlin Music Systems And Its Products Note: In writing the following, I've mixed my own firsthand experiences as owner of three sets of Merlin speakers, with insights gathered from browsing through various forum posts, comments, and reviews of...
Room Treatments, Bass Response and Other Things To Drive You Crazy
Sometimes, it's just damn cathartic to openly vent. When you've spent 5 years flogging a dead horse there comes a point where you just have to down tools, quit and start over. That's how I feel at the moment with my various acoustic room treatment adventures. So in...
Review to Rivalry: The Story Behind ASR’s Contentious Clash with Tekton and Carver
The Audio Science Review (ASR) website has become a significant player in the audio equipment review landscape, where its founder Amir Majidimehr conducts rigorous tests on various audio products and publishes the results alongside his written review. The reviews then...
Bob Carver Corp Closes Its Doors – For The Final Time?
I was sad to read today that Bob Carver Corp (Bob Carver Corp website) has closed its doors on new product production as of April 24th, 2024. There's a recap of events leading to the company closure on one of the Carver forums, but the main thing to be taken away here...