Reviews

Reviews of hi-fi stereo equipment, typically examining the design, engineering, and what I like and dislike about hi-fi equipment.

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Technics SL-23 Turntable Service & Review

The Technics SL-23 is an affordable, loveable belt-drive turntable that I highly recommend to anyone looking for their first ‘proper’ deck. Updated March 2024! Technics is perhaps best known for the SL-1200 series of direct-drive turntables and the lovely SL-10 linear tracker. They manufactured a huge range of machines at varying price points, many of […]

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Legendary Yamaha NS-1000M Loudspeaker Review & Upgrades

The legendary Yamaha NS-1000M loudspeaker is an iconic design that, in many ways has almost no peers even today, 50 years on. Yamaha’s NS-1000M is lauded by those who have heard them and loved by many thousands of owners, who, like me, appreciate their unique attributes. I own the pair of NS-1000s featured in this article,

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Jelco SA-750D Tonearm Review

Looking for one of the best affordable tonearms? The Jelco SA-750D is a quality tonearm, at a sensible price, designed to fit a variety of turntables. UPDATE, 2018: The Jelco SA-750D is now superseded by the TK-850S. UPDATE 2020: I’m very sad to announce that, as of mid-2020, Jelco is no longer in business. A

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Fidelity Research XF-1 Moving Coil Step-up Transformer Review

The phenomenal Fidelity Research XF-1 moving coil step-up transformer is the best way to get the most out of a good MC cartridge. Fidelity Research is one of the most iconic and revered names in vinyl. No other brand has quite the same status and FR cartridges and step-up transformers have become legendary in audio

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Primare R32 Phono Preamplifier Review

I have been lucky enough to have a brand new Primare R32 Phono Preamplifier to audition over the last few weeks and I wanted to share my experiences in this review. The Primare R32 phono preamplifier is designed in Sweden and is a fully discrete, solid-state, DC-coupled, class-A phono preamplifier. The Primare R32 has three

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Technics SL-1200 Direct Drive Turntable Review

When the Technics SL-1200 direct drive turntable hit the market in 1972, there was nothing else like it. This turntable really was a game-changer. In fact, the SL-1200 was so popular that over one million units were manufactured, when production finally ended in 2010. With the resurgence in vinyl, thousands of people have petitioned Matsushita

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Mackie HRS120 THX Subwoofer Review

I want to tell you about an amazing subwoofer that few people know about – the awesome Mackie HRS120 THX studio subwoofer. The HRS120 is a monster, weighing in at nearly 50kg and able to deliver 400 watts continuously, via a proper high-power linear amplifier and power supply. All this power is fed into a downward-firing 12-inch

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Headphone Bargain: Logitech Ultimate Ears 4000 Review

I want to tell you about a headphone bargain, in the interesting world of speakers you wear on your head – the Logitech Ultimate Ears 4000. Every once in awhile you find a bargain and doesn’t it feel good?!   I have just purchased a pair of Logitech Ultimate Ears 4000, on-ear, sealed-back headphones, for use out-and-about, and

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Kenwood KD-500/KD-550 Turntable Review

Kenwood’s legendary KD-500/KD-550 direct-drive turntables are classics from an era when things were built to last. Indeed, if decks like the KD-500/KD-550 with this level of custom engineering were manufactured now, they would cost many, many thousands of dollars. The Technics SL-1200 is a classic example – it’s recently been reissued and costs thousands. This

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