In Barn for Review

I’ve been a fan, albeit from afar, of Manley Labs for years. There’s something no-nonsense about the company, a refreshing directness and attitude that strikes me as a bit fresh, in the best sense(s) of the word.

Welcome back!

“Phono Equalizer Amplifier” is written on the front of the Aurorasound VIDA Prima Phono Preamp cause that’s what it does and is.

When Hegel’s founder Bent Holter decided to build a phono preamp, about 30-years after the company was founded, he started from the ground up.

And so it begins.

A clean stream.

Power, precision, control. A Parasound stack.

The Meitner MA3 Integrated D/A Converter also houses a Roon Ready network player and volume control making it a plug & play streaming Preamp/DAC solution.

The DA2 V2 Reference Stereo DAC is EMM Labs’ flagship DAC. When the opportunity arose for me to hang onto the review sample from the BIG system for closer inspection, I took it (not literally, mind you).

Sleek & sexy works for me.

Silent Angel recently signed up with US Distributor Specialty Sound & Vision who asked if I’d be interested in reviewing a stack, albeit kinda mini, of their digital gear. And here we are.

The Dynaudio Focus 50 Active Wireless Speakers have everything you need to play music packed inside—just add music.

When the BIG system left, they left behind a smaller Credo: meet the EV 1202 Ref. in the Barn-appropriate custom Rough Cut finish. Yum.

Every so often, the hifi underground surfaces and says, “You have to hear this.”

“Big room, small problems.” Big room, BIG system.