ELAC’s Debut line of speakers was a sensational hit with budget-mined audiophiles in 2015, and a year later ELAC’s Uni-Fi series impact was no less extraordinary. Now ELAC is upping the ante again with their Adante AF-61 towers ($5,000, £5,200, approximately AU$10,000 per pair), AC-61 center channel speaker ($2,000, £1,750, approximately AU$4,000 each), and the …

Noho Sound & Stereo has a younger vibe than the other high-end shops I’ve visited over the past few years. There’s an energy to the place, which stems from the owners Alex Roy, Ron Kain, Chris Petranis and their desire to attract a younger clientele. Enlarge Image A look inside Noho Sound & Stereo. Noho Sound & Stereo Noho Sound …

If you crave uber clarity you’ve come to the right place: the Astell & Kern Kann will take your music to the next level. The company has dominated the high-quality portable music player market for years, and when you hold the Kann in your hands you’ll start to understand why. Measuring a tidy 1 by 2.8 by 4.6 inches (26 …

The Vista Spark is exactly what the audiophile world needs: a small, no-frills, no-nonsense, high quality and affordable integrated amplifier. Spark is super basic in functionality, you get two stereo analog inputs, but no digital inputs or even a remote control. Spark’s prime directive is all about maximizing sound quality, and it does that very well. Enlarge Image The Vista …

The Vizio SB3621 isn’t just a terrific little sound bar system for movies and TV, it’s also a sweet Bluetooth speaker for playing tunes. It’s the first sound bar CNET ever reviewed to earn five stars and an Editors’ Choice award. Heck, I’d be just as enthusiastic about the $149 SB3621 if it sold for $300, it’s that good. The …

I like the Sennheiser HD 660 S headphones a lot. They sound clean, they’re extremely comfortable and as high-end headphones go they’re pretty affordable at $500, £430, AU$799. The HD 660 S model looks like a near twin of Sennheiser’s older, and still available, HD 600 and HD 650 headphones, but the HD 660 S’ driver is different; it’s more similar to the …

Sumptuous is a word I’ve never applied to another $799 per pair bookshelf speakers, but that’s exactly what the Definitive Technology Demand Series D9 sounds like to me. The sound feels like a warm hug. The D9’s crisp lines and quality feel offer no immediate clues about the speaker’s sweet demeanor, but closer inspection reveals a rather unusual feature, nearly …

I know lots of audiophiles who get weak in the knees fantasizing about big, powerful amplifiers. Not me — I’m drawn to smaller ultra high quality amps. Some of you might recall that just last year I raved about First Watt’s sweet-sounding 20-watt-per-channel F7 amp. The Pass Labs XA25 is even better. The company makes a wide range of power …

Status Audio may be a new name to me, but I’m so glad it sent its CB-1 headphones over for review. They’re affordable and ruggedly built, and the sound quality is as good as I’ve heard for the money — just $69 on Amazon (£44 in the UK). It’s pretty much a no-frills design, but these closed-back headphones’ thick, plush ear pads …

As I looked over SVS’s line of all-new 4000 Series subwoofers I was drawn to the SB-4000 mostly because it’s a sealed design, not ported. Sealed subs typically have faster, more cleanly defined bass than ported subs. So I had a good feeling about the SB-4000 even before I heard it. One thing’s certain: it’s big. The cabinet measures an imposing …