Even as a kid I was always seeking out better sounding speakers. Sometimes I’d borrow friends’ speakers just because I liked hearing familiar music sound different. With one set of speakers, vocals would be more or less prominent. Bass lines that were inaudible might come to life over a different set of speakers. Stereo imaging …

I review a lot of headphones, and here’s what I learned: they all sound different. Some are too bright, most pump up the bass to some degree and a lot of them are downright uncomfortable. Not this pair — I could wear the Focal Sphears for hours without fatigue. They sell for $179 in the US, £100 in the UK …

Enlarge Image Steve Guttenberg/CNET Last weekend’s Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2015 at the Denver Marriott Tech Center brought together the world’s very best audiophile gear. The vibe was very upbeat as I chatted with audiophiles ogling the gear, and listening to speakers, headphones, electronics, digital converters and turntables. I’m no fan of wireless speakers, but I have to admit Dynaudio’s …

Let’s face it, the majority of headphones in the $300-to-$500 range are mostly made of plastic. Sure, they might have a few metal parts sprinkled here and there, but plastic is the dominant material. Pick up a Master & Dynamic MH30 ($329 US, £259 UK, AU$479 Australia) and you’ll feel the difference the forged and beautifully finished aluminum ear cups, …

Great, you have a nice stereo, but the components are scattered around your room. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the whole rig in one spot? Or you have a turntable, but it’s sitting on a rickety table or on a shelf that’s not even close to level, so you’re not getting the best possible sound from your LPs. Maybe …

The ELAC Debut B6 (left), and Debut B5 (right) speakers Steve Guttenberg/CNET I regularly receive emails from readers requesting reviews of affordable speakers. I would love to do more, but great-sounding budget speakers are pretty rare. When I find one, I jump on it! When I first reviewed the Andrew Jones-designed, seriously affordable Pioneer speakers back in 2011 they blew …

At the time one of my audio buddies bought a pair of Snell Type A speakers, he had a large, by New York standards, studio apartment. Those 4-foot (1.2 meter)-tall speakers sounded great; they produced tight, well-defined bass, natural midrange and a sweet treble. A few years later he moved to a one-bedroom apartment, with a living room about half …

I own many thousands of LPs and CDs, but I don’t think I’m a record collector. Most collectors I’ve known obsess about getting the best pressing of a LP, or about the condition of the jacket, but I don’t give a hoot about those things. So when I spotted Eilon Paz’ “Dust & Grooves: Adventures in Record Collecting” 436-page coffee …

It’s funny — I keep seeing articles in mainstream media about vinyl, proclaiming “it’s back!,” as if that’s breaking news. Truth is, vinyl never went away, record pressing plants never stopped making LPs, and manufacturers never halted turntable production. The CD and other digital formats have peacefully co-existed with LPs for decades. Analog-orientated audiophiles never gave up on turntables and …

The Western Electric 757A was designed as a monitor speaker for radio stations and recording studios in the late 1940s. It was never produced in large quantities, so few prime specimens survive today, and the status of the design among the cognoscenti is legendary. Since the speaker was introduced before stereo became the standard format, most 757A speakers were sold …