Category: Preamps
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Bluesound Unveils The HUB, A $319 Networked Music “Preamp” With HDMI And Phono Input
Today, Bluesound announced the release of their new HUB Network Accessory. This Wi-Fi audio transmitter lets you take the output from various digital and analog components (like CD Players) and stream them out to Bluesound BluOS components throughout the home, like the Bluesound NODE we recently reviewed or Bluesound speakers like the PULSE. The HUB…
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AXPONA 2022: The Show In Pictures
Analog, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, News, Power Amps, Preamps, Shows, SpeakersWell, it’s time to wrap up our Axpona 2022 coverage, but before we do, we just wanted to share some additional pics from the show! While the show was scaled back a bit, it was well organized as usual, and there was still a lot to see! There were also many people there the two…
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AXPONA 2022 Saturday Recap: The Best (Our Favorite) Hifi Systems From America’s Biggest Audio Show!
Analog, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, News, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Preamps, Shows, Software, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessThe coolest stuff from Hifiman, Polk Audio, Kef, Cambridge Audio and more! This past Saturday was my last day at Axpona 2022, and while there were fewer attendees (and exhibitors, for that matter), it still seemed like a successful show, with plenty to see and do. It was terrific to get out again and hear…
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AXPONA 2022 Friday Recap: Highlights From The Big Rooms! Focal, ATC, Luxman
DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, News, Power Amps, Preamps, Shows, Speakers, StreamingOne of my favorite parts of going to an audio show are the big rooms or ballroom/meeting rooms. Big rooms usually mean large systems, with six-foot-tall speakers and mini fridge-sized power amps. Sometimes they don’t sound as good as the smaller rooms because it’s hard to dial in a system in the middle of a…
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AXPONA 2022: Coolest Stuff From Day One At The Biggest Hi-Fi Show!
DACs, First Impressions, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, News, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Preamps, Shows, Speakers, VideosOne of the best things about going to an audio show like AXPONA is coming across extraordinary or unconventional stuff. A big part of designing hi-fi is coming up with new ways of doing things, and as a result, you often see some cool stuff. Here’s a list of the coolest stuff I saw on…
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AXPONA 2022: The Biggest Audiophile Audio Show Is Back And Buzzing!
It’s been a long time, but the big one is back. AXPONA opened its doors to the public this morning, and I was so happy to be there! When I attended AXPONA back in April of 2019, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have to wait three years until the next…
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Best Home Audio DACs For Audiophiles On A Budget! (2022)
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Preamps, Reviews, Software, Videos, WirelessIn today’s digital audio world, you need a good digital to analog converter or DAC to get the best out of your home audio hi-fi setup. The DAC takes the digital audio signal produced by your source (most likely a laptop or streamer) and converts it to an analog audio signal that can be amplified…
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Start Listening Right Away With This Super Affordable “Just-Add-Speakers” Hi-Fi System!
Best Buys, Budget, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessSetup is quick and easy with this Best Streaming Amplifier/Best Bookshelf Speaker combo! Have you ever heard of the K.I.S.S. principle? K.I.S.S. started as a U.S. Navy acronym for “Keep It Simple Stupid,” meant to convey that most systems work best when you design them simply. When it comes to Hi-Fi, there are some advantages…
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Best Budget Amplifiers For Audiophiles (2022)
Analog, Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Downloads, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Music, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, Wireless5 of the Best Stereo Amplifiers Under $2000! If you’re looking to build an affordable high-end Hi-Fi system, then you should be looking at a quality 2-channel amplifier to be the heart of it all. If you want to get the most for your money, we recommend picking up a good Integrated Amplifier, which is a…
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Spin CDs and Stream To Your Heart’s Content With This Brilliant Affordable Audiophile Setup!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessWhile streaming is probably the audiophile’s primary music source nowadays, I know many like to spin CDs as well. (I personally like to head out to the local Goodwill on the weekend, find some 99-cent gems in the used CD section, then play them at home on my system.) To truly enjoy a well-recorded CD,…
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Best Powered Bookshelf Speakers Under $1000! (2022)
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Software, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessBuying a pair of Powered Bookshelf Speakers is a quick and easy way to start an affordable hi-fi system. With these speakers, a good portion of the work has been done for you, as the amplification is provided and matched to the speakers, plus in some cases, matched sources are provided as well. All you…
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How To Build A Brilliant Budget Audiophile System In 5 Steps!
Analog, Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Deals, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Music, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Software, Speakers, VideosYou CAN build a wonderful budget audiophile setup! If you’re reading this, then that means you most likely care about music. Not just music, but high-quality reproduction of music. That’s basically what Hi-fi (short for high fidelity) is all about. It’s about putting together a group of audio components to make a recorded piece of…
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Cyrus Audio Brings Well-Respected BluOS Multi-Room Audio To Their Hi-Fi Systems
Best Buys, Bluetooth, DACs, Downloads, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, News, Power Amps, Preamps, Software, Streaming, Videos, WirelessBritish Hi-Fi manufacturer Cyrus Audio is bringing the venerated BluOS multi-room audio system to their excellent lineup (our review) of hi-fi components: The following press release is courtesy of Lenbrook: Cyrus Audio to Join the BluOS® High-Resolution Multi-room Audio Ecosystem Respected British brand, Cyrus Audio, looks to the future by integrating the best-in-class BluOS platform…
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Cambridge Audio AXR100 Stereo Receiver/AXC35 CD Player Review: This Affordable Hifi System Is Sensational!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Hi-Fi, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessWondering what a hi-fi system is? Here’s your answer! Cambridge Audio has been making affordable yet robust amps and receivers for a long time now. My first proper high-end component, a modestly priced Azur 540A V2 integrated, was from them, and it held a special place in my hi-fi rack for a long time. That’s…
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Product Of The Year Awards 2021: Best Analog Audio & Turntable Components, Best Audio Accessories
Analog, Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Home Audio, Music, News, Power Amps, Preamps, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessAs the year wraps up, this is the time when we look back at the best stuff we’ve come across in 2021, awarding them based on several criteria, including value for money, design/build, innovation, and of course superior sound quality! In this post, we present our 2021 Product Of The Year Award winners for Best Analog Audio/Turntable Components…
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Product Of The Year Awards 2021: Best Powered & Active Speakers, Best Speakers
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, Music, News, Power Amps, Preamps, Software, Speakers, Streaming, VideosAs the year wraps up, this is the time when we look back at the best stuff we’ve come across in 2021, awarding them based on several criteria, including value for money, design/build, innovation, and of course superior sound quality! In this post, we present our 2021 Product Of The Year Award winners for Best Powered/Active Speakers and…
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Product Of The Year Awards 2021: Best Stereo Amplifiers, Best Streaming Amplifiers, Best Budget Stereo Amplifiers
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, Music, News, Power Amps, Preamps, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessHey folks! Well…we’ve made it through another year! It’s been a tough one with Covid-19 ravaging the planet once again, but that hasn’t stopped us from checking out some of the best affordable high-end audio. As the year wraps up, this is the time when we look back at the best stuff we’ve come across…
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2021 Holiday Gift Guide Roundup: Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas For Audiophiles!
Analog, Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, Music, News, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Preamps, Speakers, Streaming, WirelessHey folks, we’re a little less than a week out from Christmas, so time is running out to get those gifts! Thankfully in this day and age, you have easy access to tons of amazing gear and can get it shipped out super quick! For the last-minute shoppers (like us!!!), we have rounded up all…
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Awesome! Cambridge Audio Celebrates The 10th Anniversary of StreamMagic!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, DACs, Deals, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, Music, News, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Software, Speakers, Streaming, Videos, WirelessToday, Cambridge Audio officially celebrates the 10th Anniversary of their Streammagic streaming platform, a combination of hardware and software that allows the playback of digital music from their network audio components. As a long-time user of their gear, I have followed the development of StreamMagic for a while, and I think the current incarnation of…
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SMSL DO200 Review: This $489 MQA DAC Will Help You Build A Killer DAC Amp Stack!
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WirelessTL;DR This attractive and full-featured MQA DAC gives you a truly musical and immersive performance. You will have to spend several hundred more to get significantly more definition and layering. Intro At one point in time, desktop DAC and headphone amp separates were only available to those with deep pockets. But over the last couple…
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