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Sonus Faber Homage Tradition Loudspeakers
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- Written by: Doug Schneider
- Category: Sonus Faber Homage Tradition Loudspeakers
When it comes to luxury products -- clothing, cars, furniture, you name it -- the Italians have a sense of style that is unmatched worldwide. Some will consider this a generalization, of course, but if you’ve ever been to Italy, or even seen an Italian film, you’ll know that there’s a uniqueness about them and what they make that helps to define their culture. As a result, it’s not surprising that when the Italian speaker maker Sonus Faber presents new hi-fi products, it has a knack for doing it in ways that leave the rest of the hi-fi world in the dust. The company is based in Vicenza, about an hour or so by car from Venice.
CES 2017 SnapShots!
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- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Photos
A random selection of photos from CES 2017. All but one of the photos were taken by Doug Schneider.
CES 2017: Mass-Market Headphones (and More), Part 2
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- Written by: Brent Butterworth
- Category: Features
As I write this, CES 2017 has wrapped up just one hour ago, so I’ll be using this article to cover everything I didn’t get a chance to fit into my other CES 2017 headphone reports. Some of what I’m featuring here isn’t especially “mass market,” but it’s all still worthy of attention, and some of the products are far more technically interesting than your average headphone. All prices in USD.
2016 Products of the Year Awards Presentations
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- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Photos
The 2016 Products of the Year award winners were selected from among products reviewed that calendar year in SoundStage! Hi-Fi, SoundStage! Ultra, SoundStage! Xperience, and SoundStage! Access. Only the products that received Reviewers’ Choice awards at review time qualified for selection. On January 1, 2017, Doug Schneider and Jeff Fritz wrote feature articles announcing the 2016 winners on SoundStage! Hi-Fi and SoundStage! Ultra.
Can You Still Build an Entry-Level System for Under $1000 at CES?
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- Written by: Roger Kanno
- Category: CES 2017
If you’re an audiophile on a budget reading our show coverage and becoming frustrated by the lack of affordable gear, it may be a function of the fact that there were fewer specialty audio manufacturers at this year’s CES. And as with everything, the prices of audio gear are going up. But if you’re shopping for a truly budget-friendly audio system, there’s still hope -- Emotiva introduced a slew of very affordable products at this year’s CES, including all-new electronics and speakers that you might consider.
CES 2017: Product Coverage Gallery 3
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- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Photos
Companies featured in gallery below: Arcam, Chord, Genesis Advanced Technologies, Rockport Technologies, Naim Audio, Avantgarde Acoustic, Bel Canto Design, Furutech, Zanden Audio Systems, Keith Monks, YG Acoustics, VTL, Roksan, Wilson Benesch
CES 2017: The Venue Matters -- and Vegas Sucks
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- Written by: Jeff Fritz
- Category: CES 2017
OK, this is CES-related, but it could just as easily be my next monthly “Opinion” on SoundStage! Ultra. I feel the need, however, to expand upon the article I wrote yesterday: “The Graveyard That Was CES 2017.”
What I Would Buy if I Had About $5000 to Spend on a Stereo System
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- Written by: Roger Kanno
- Category: Features
The Adante speaker line from ELAC was one of the first things that caught my eye at CES 2017. Although ELAC manufactures some very high-end loudspeakers, its most recent products designed by Andrew Jones, such as the Debut and Uni-Fi speakers, have definitely been more budget-oriented. Jones also designed these latest Adante speakers, and though they’re a step up in price from those models, they still aim to provide high value. The model being demonstrated was the stand-mounted Adante, which retails for $2500 per pair (there were also a floorstander and center-channel, but those were on static display).
CES 2017: Audiophile Headphones and Two Amplifiers
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- Written by: Brent Butterworth
- Category: CES 2017
Even though high-end audio seems to be vanishing from CES, I did find a handful of audiophile-oriented headphones at the 2017 show. It’s worth noting that most of these were on display in the Las Vegas Convention Center, not at the high-end exhibits at the Venetian. Here are the models I found, along with a couple of interesting headphone electronics products I heard. All prices in USD.
CES 2017: Noise-Canceling Headphones
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- Written by: Brent Butterworth
- Category: Features
For frequent flyers like me, the most welcome trend in headphones at CES 2017 was the emergence of many models in the $200 price range combining active noise canceling with Bluetooth wireless capability. Previously, this combination of features typically ran the price up to $400 or more. Here are the new noise-canceling models I saw at CES, with all prices listed in USD.
The Graveyard That Was CES 2017
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- Written by: Jeff Fritz
- Category: Features
I'm writing this only because I’m a competitive guy. And because I have a competitive advantage I’d like to exploit. Over our very own Ken Kessler.
Revel and GoldenEar: How to Improve an Already Great Loudspeaker -- Times Two
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- Written by: Roger Kanno
- Category: Features
I used to think that some $5000/pr. speakers were the epitome of high-end audio playback at a reasonable cost. At this price you can get some truly outstanding speakers that also represent excellent value for money. Well, we sometimes get set in our ways, and at recent CESes I would often find myself scoffing at speakers that cost more than $5k/pr., thinking that they couldn’t possibly offer the same value as some of those excellent-sounding, less-expensive speakers. But this year I heard a couple of floorstanding speakers that changed my mind.
CES 2017: Product Coverage Gallery 2
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- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Photos
Companies featured in gallery below: Crystal Cable, Siltech, Nordost, Musical Fidelity, Music Hall, M2Tech, Rogue Audio, Emotiva, Totem Acoustic, KEF, ELAC, Technics, High Fidelity Cables
CES 2017: Product Coverage Gallery 1
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- Written by: Administrator
- Category: Photos
Companies featured in gallery below: Mark Levinson, Revel, Audionet, Kharma, Burmester, Magico, Constellation Audio, Scansonic, Aavik, Philharmonia, GoldenEar Technology, Quad, Simaudio
CES 2017: Cool Earphones
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- Written by: Brent Butterworth
- Category: Features
Officially, we’re only one day into CES as of this writing, but already I can spot a clear trend: a renewed focus on earphones. Much of it appears to be because companies want to get in on LG’s surprise success with its Tone line of neckband-style wireless earphones. And some of it seems to be driven by nothing more than a simple striving for better sound at lower prices. Here are some of the most interesting new earphones I’ve seen so far at CES. All prices in USD.
CES 2017: Mass-Market Headphones, Part 1
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- Written by: Brent Butterworth
- Category: Features
The doors to the exhibit floors at CES in Las Vegas don’t open until 10 a.m. Thursday, but for the press, there’s plenty to see beforehand at events such as Discover Blue, which features all sorts of products using Bluetooth wireless technology, and Digital Experience, a colossal gathering of hundreds of companies offering gadgets as varied as drones, digital door locks, and “smart” hairbrushes. You won’t find a lot of audiophile-oriented products at these events, but you can find lots of interesting mass-market headphones -- many of which offer cutting-edge features rarely found in audiophile products, and which often sound quite good despite their modest prices. Here are the most interesting headphones and headphone-related products I found before CES officially opened. All prices in USD.
CES 2017 Preview: Wireless Audio and Headphones
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- Written by: Brent Butterworth
- Category: Features
Today marked the official kickoff of CES 2017, in Las Vegas, which hosts more consumer electronics product launches than any other trade show in the world. While there were a few press events today, the big event was CES Unveiled, which took place at Mandalay Bay. This is a “pipe and drape” event, with most booths nothing more than a table full of products and a few posters, but it does give us some insight into what the big trends will be for the show and for the year. I would guess that 90 percent of the products shown fit the Internet of Things category, including health sensors, pet trackers, IP-controlled lights, robotic devices, and more. I did find a handful of interesting new audio products on display, though. Here are my favorites, with all prices listed in USD.
AVS 2016: Warsaw's National Stadium -- Hi-Fi's Best-Ever Show Setting
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- Written by: Doug Schneider
- Category: Features
When audiophiles think about hi-fi shows, they usually picture events held in hotels, with crowded hallways, cramped bedrooms turned into listening rooms (where they put all the mattresses from the rooms, I don’t know), and shipping boxes jammed into the bathrooms. Other than a few exceptions, that’s how most hi-fi shows are. Can anyone really consider these high-end-type affairs?
AVS 2016: Turntables
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- Written by: Doug Schneider
- Category: Features
There is no such thing as a vinyl revival anymore -- the LP has been revived and, as far as I can tell, is officially back and here to stay. Nowhere was this more apparent than at Audio Video Show (AVS) 2016, where there were plenty of turntables, either being used for system demonstration or showcased because they’re new. These are the five most interesting turntables I found at AVS 2016 -- and they’re all from Polish companies. All the prices are in euros.
AVS 2016: Electronics, Part 2
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- Written by: Doug Schneider
- Category: Features
This is the second and final installment on electronics at the Audio Video Show (AVS) 2016. Featured are those products that are new or were most interesting to me. Unlike the other write-ups from this show that I’ve already done, though, only one of the brands highlighted here is from Poland -- AVS is attracting exhibitors from all over the place. All prices in euros.
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