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With the Decca Pure series, Universal Music is expanding its collaboration with the Emil Berliner Studios to include sonic gems from its analog back catalog. Anyone who has followed high-quality classical vinyl reissues in recent years will inevitably have come across Deutsche Grammophon’s The Original Source series. Universal Music is now opening up its entire archive, searching the Decca and…
High-end legend Paul McGowan wants to prove himself one more time. He is putting his name behind PS Audio’s new top-of-the-line components. Let’s hear it for an exceptional DAC! So many good things to report! PS Audio has introduced the PS Audio PMG Signature 512 DAC, a new D/A converter. Despite its flagship status, it doesn’t carry a five-figure price tag. In fact, it isn’t simply a converter at…
Cross your heart and hope to die – every HiFi enthusiast knows that ever-present urge for “more” or “better.” I’m no exception, and so the latest incarnation of the Soulnote E-1 phono preamplifier, Version 2, now sits in my rack. Dressed in a discreet, elegant black, it fits in beautifully, or so my first spontaneous impression tells me. What else is there to report about it? Read on… Kato-san,…
Victrola will launch its Soundstage all-in-one speaker in Europe on October 1, following its introduction at CES 2026. The company says the system is designed to provide a compact alternative to a conventional hi-fi setup for vinyl listeners. The Victrola Soundstage combines a vibration-isolated cabinet with a down-firing woofer and front-facing radiators. According to the manufacturer, the design…
The Professor retreats into his inner emigration in these crazy times and listens to good music by Eefje de Visser, Los Straitjackets, Amadou & Mariam, Cookin’ On 3 Burners, and Birds On A Wire. De duisternis wordt doorbroken door fel stroboscooplicht. Golven van synthesizergeluiden razen door de menigte, breken achteraan bij de bar en rollen terug naar het podium. Dominante drumbeats laten alles…
An amplifier should be powerful enough to drive any speaker you throw at it. And of course, it should meet audiophile standards. It should also sport a full feature set and fit neatly into a home environment. And through it all, it should remain reasonably affordable. If you can agree with modest list of requirements, you should definitely take a closer look at the Canor Virtus A3. Founded in…
Did you know that Japan’s infamous “overtourism” problem is really just a matter of distribution? The reason the country can feel so jam-packed is that most visitors to Japan aren’t particularly creative and congregate at the same four or five hotspots in Tokyo and Kyoto. So by all means, come to Kanazawa sometime. There’s more room here, along with plenty of art and culture for both the eyes and…
The band Jethro Tull became famous for the instrument he played: the flute. Since 1968, Ian Anderson has been the “Pied Piper” of the rock world. But in the mid-1990s, he reinvented himself once again. Originally, he played electric guitar – but not well enough to meet his own standards. “When I heard Eric Clapton, I knew I could never compete with him,” Ian Anderson recalls. “And I didn’t want to…
Two new turntables with Bluetooth and multiple colour options aimed at budding Vinyl enthusiasts hit the market. Majority has launched two new turntables aimed at listeners looking to start collecting vinyl or upgrade from a basic record player. The Majority Stylo and Folio are designed around plug-and-play operation, Bluetooth connectivity and a range of colour options. According to the…
There are loudspeakers you barely notice out of the corner of your eye before immediately forgetting them. And then there are those that stay with you, even if you’ve only had a few minutes to hear them. That was my experience at the Süddeutsche HiFi-Tage (South German HiFi Days) last September. Amid all the new product launches, I came across two unassuming towers in the AP Elektroakustik room…
