HiFi Reviews
Music News
Recommended Reading (and listening): The Quietus Albums of the Year So Far 2025
There are two ways to look at a list of best new music—one way is to get angry that none of our favorites are on it, the other way is to rejoice that none of our favorites are on it.
HiFi Thoughts
Darko Audio Podcast #63: 12 albums for your next hi-fi demo
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water.
#NewMusicFriday
#NewMusicFriday: July 4, 2025
Each Friday, Stephen Mejias, AudioQuest’s Director of Communications and former Stereophile and Audiostream columnist, will browse through the many exciting albums released that day and select 15 worth a closer listen.
Album of the Week
Album of the Week: Caspar Brötzmann Massaker | It’s a Love Song
It’s not really a love song.
In Barn for Review
In Barn for Review: Ø Audio Verdande Loudspeakers
You’re looking at (and into) the 2-way Verdande Loudspeakers from Norway’s Ø Audio. For a sense of scale, that woofer/midrange measures 15″ while the tweeter sits inside the abyss-like Quad Vertex SoundField Horn about a foot from its mouth.
In Barn for Review
In Barn for Review: DeVore Fidelity O/Bronze Loudspeakers
Regular readers know I own a pair of DeVore Fidelity O/96 loudspeakers which I’ve used as my reference for years.
#NewMusicFriday
#NewMusicFriday: June 27, 2025
Each Friday, Stephen Mejias, AudioQuest’s Director of Communications and former Stereophile and Audiostream columnist, will browse through the many exciting albums released that day and select 15 worth a closer listen.
Album of the Week
Album of the Week: Blixa Bargeld & Nikko Weidemann | Blixa Bargeld Sings David Bowie
Blixa sings Bowie. Sold.
HiFi Reviews
Review: Grimm Audio LS1c Active Loudspeaker System
I don’t know what they put in the water in Veldhoven, Netherlands, home to Grimm Audio, but my guess is there’s more than a dollop of musical mojo in the mix.
In Barn for Review
In Barn for Review: Harbeth NLE-1 Professional Monitor Loudspeaker
“Hey! Harbeth has a new desktop-friendly active speaker. You interested?”
HiFi News
MBL News
I’ve not been shy about my enjoyment of every MBL system I’ve had the distinct pleasure of experiencing at many hifi shows over many years.
In Barn for Review
In Barn for Review: Audio Note Meishu Phono 300B Konzertmeister Integrated Amplifier
The first Audio Note Meishu hit the market back in 1994. You read that right–over 30 years ago.
#NewMusicFriday
#NewMusicFriday: June 20, 2025
Each Friday, Stephen Mejias, AudioQuest’s Director of Communications and former Stereophile and Audiostream columnist, will browse through the many exciting albums released that day and select 15 worth a closer listen.
Album of the Week
Album of the Week: Alan Sparhawk | With Trampled by Turtles
Artists can be burdened by their own history.
HiFi Thoughts
HiFi Thoughts: On Logistics
As I type, there’s over 2100 pounds of gear in Barn for review. And that’s not shipping weight which pushes the total well over 3000. Pounds.
In Barn for Review
In Barn for Review: Audia Flight Strumento Series N°1 evo Stereo Preamplifier & N°8 Monoblock Power Amplifiers
My interest in and coverage of gear from Italy’s Audia Flight has taken me from their entry integrated to the current top of the line integrated and now to the second from the top separates with their Strumento Series stack.
HiFi News
HIGH END Vienna 2026 Postponed One Week
Why? Eurovision.
In Barn for Review
In Barn for Review: Audio Hungary Qualiton 300B Integrated Amplifier
The Qualiton 300B integrated amplifier runs 4x 300Bs in parallel single-ended Class A for a total of 25 Watts per channel.
#NewMusicFriday
#NewMusicFriday: June 13, 2025
Each Friday, Stephen Mejias, AudioQuest’s Director of Communications and former Stereophile and Audiostream columnist, will browse through the many exciting albums released that day and select 15 worth a closer listen.
Album of the Week
Album of the Week: These New Puritans | Crooked Wing
These New Puritans new album, Crooked Wing released on Domino back in May, tells a grand sweeping story with a little help from some friends.
HiFi Reviews
Review: JMF Audio PRS 1.5 Preamplifier & HQS 6002 Amplifier
Astonishingly right. After struggling with how best to describe the JMF Audio PRS 1.5 Pre/HQS 6002 pre/power combo, these 2 words seemed to size things up best.
HiFi Thoughts
Percentage Improvements in HiFi Don’t Add Up
I imagine we’ve all read a review or comment where the writer claims a given piece of hifi kit offers an improvement over some other piece of hifi kit and that improvement is offered as a %.
#NewMusicFriday
#NewMusicFriday: June 6, 2025
Each Friday, Stephen Mejias, AudioQuest’s Director of Communications and former Stereophile and Audiostream columnist, will browse through the many exciting albums released that day and select 15 worth a closer listen.
Album of the Week
Album of the Week: Smerz | Big city life
I dreamed of an album until I realized I wasn’t dreaming.
HiFi Reviews
Review: LAiV Audio Harmony µDAC
The Harmony µDAC from LAiV Audio is a remarkable DAC when it comes to price, performance, and build quality.
HiFi News
Win a Pair of Limited Edition Powered Klipsch Jurassic World Rebirth Speakers
Kinda cool, right? Cool in the sense that these limited-edition Jurassic World Rebirth speakers from Klipsch will make some music loving dinosaur digger very happy.
HiFi Thoughts
My Thoughts on the The Biggest Advance in HiFi (revisited)
I attended my first hifi show as a member of the press in 2008.
Road Tours
A Duet of Debuts: DeVore Fidelity O/Bronze & Nagra Reference at Resolution A/V
I love a good vibe.
#NewMusicFriday
#NewMusicFriday: May 30, 2025
Each Friday, Stephen Mejias, AudioQuest’s Director of Communications and former Stereophile and Audiostream columnist, will browse through the many exciting albums released that day and select 15 worth a closer listen.
Album of the Week
Album of the Week: James Blackshaw | Unraveling In Your Hands
Do you receive news alerts? I do.
HiFi Reviews
Review: Auralic ARIES S1 Streaming Processor
When it comes to network players, aka streaming transports, I have an unoriginal motto—just do it.
HiFi Thoughts
HiFi Thoughts: What’s higher than high-end?
Mega? Ultra? Supreme? Spectacle?
HiFi Thoughts
McGill Study Suggests We Don’t Just Listen to Music, We Become It (w/Video!)
Our brains and bodies physically resonate along with music, according to an international study co-authored by McGill psychologist Caroline Palmer.
#NewMusicFriday
#NewMusicFriday: May 23, 2025
Each Friday, Stephen Mejias, AudioQuest’s Director of Communications and former Stereophile and Audiostream columnist, will browse through the many exciting albums released that day and select 15 worth a closer listen.