As a longstanding Dylan fan, I’ve eagerly devoured each new volume of his “Bootleg Series,” but the latest, “Bob Dylan – The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Vol. 12” may be the best yet. It’s chock full of outtakes, rehearsals and alternate takes from the “Bringing It All Back Home,” “Highway 61 Revisited” and …

The KEF LS50 was my Speaker of the Year when it debuted as the company’s 50th Anniversary Edition speaker in 2012. It’s been in and out of my system since then, but more recently I’ve spent a good deal of time listening to the LS50 and my respect for this speaker has only grown. It defines what it means to …

Last month I posted “The Audiophiliac’s top 10 (full-size) headphones for 2015” list of the world’s best and most expensive models, this time it’s an affordable headphone list. I’ve limited my selections to just one model from each brand, and I’ve spent many hours listening to each of these headphones, they’re listed in alphabetical order. All of them are full-size …

Chinese tech giant, Mi (aka Xiaomi) sent an advance sample of their rather exceptional In-Ear Headphones IV. It looks, feels and sounds like a really nice $100 ‘phone, but it will sell for $29.99 in the US. The In-Ear Headphones IV went on sale in China earlier this month. Each brushed aluminum earpiece has two drivers: one balanced armature for …

I’ve written about Audioengine’s products for years, so I was happy to see they have a new speaker, the HD6. It’s available in satin black, walnut or cherry real wood veneers for $749 for a pair. My review samples’ cherry finish looked absolutely fabulous, and their magnetically attached grilles give the HD6 the look and feel of a much more …

This is no joke: Can a one-watt amplifier possibly sound any good? If it’s a headphone amp, one watt per channel is plenty, but can a one-watt amp play louder than a whisper with speakers? It’s the sound quality of the single watt that makes this amp special, but if you crave power and glory, the Linear Tube Audio MicroZOTL2.0 …

Sennheiser’s new Orpheus electrostatic headphone system was designed without budgetary constraints or limits, so expectations among the audiophile cognoscenti are running high. For my listening session in New York City on Tuesday, I loaded a USB drive with familiar tunes to evaluate the Orpheus. I’ll tell you upfront the sound was, in many ways, more realistic than I’ve heard before. …

Held at the Hilton Westchester hotel November 6 through 8, the New York Audio Show 2015 wasn’t the biggest or comprehensive show I’ve ever attended, but it definitely had great spirit. The exhibitors seemed upbeat, a lot of rooms sounded sweet and the audiophiles I met were all having a good time. Here are a few highlights from the show. …

Put simply: High-end audio is always expensive, audiophile gear isn’t. For example, the recently introduced ELAC Debut B5 speaker that sells for a mere $230 (£250) per pair is an outstanding audiophile speaker, but it will never, ever be mistaken for a high-end speaker. The Magnepan 3.7i flat-panel speaker is an audiophile speaker that’s also a bona-fide high-end speaker, it …

Schiit is best known for its headphone amps and digital converters; Ragnarok is its first stereo integrated amplifier for speakers and headphones. It’s a purist, sound-quality-first design, and stands head and shoulders above run of the mill integrated amps that come stuffed with as many features as possible. The minimalist Ragnarok keeps it dead simple: There are five pairs of …