Reviews
AudioQuest Rocket 88 REL Subwoofer Cable
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- Written by Barry James Johnston Barry James Johnston
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 15 October 2025 15 October 2025
Reviewing a subwoofer cable might sound like the final frontier of audio geekery, but here we are diving into the AudioQuest Rocket 88 REL subwoofer cable, a beautifully built, made-to-order piece of gear aimed squarely at high-performance systems. But let’s get something out of the way up front: no cable, no matter how exotic, can replace the presence of a subwoofer. And that’s exactly the challenge I ran into.
Telos Audio Design Monster Series Power Station Standard Edition & Earth Grounding Standard Edition
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- Written by Barry James Johnston Barry James Johnston
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 01 October 2025 01 October 2025
When I cut my teeth as a sound engineer, it wasn’t in some pristine temple of acoustic perfection. It was in studios that reeked of stale smoke, the walls painted with decades of sweat, tears, and spilled Budweiser, and for two years I had the privilege of having custodianship of SAE Glasgow during the holidays. I’d stay back long after the sessions ended, the last of the band long gone, and I’d cue up Sheryl Crow’s Tuesday Night Music Club. “I Shall Believe” would drift through the room, carried by a pair of Tannoy System 15 monitors, filling the room with a weight that didn’t come from decibels but from soul.
432 EVO Aeon Mk.3 Music-Server Upgrades
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- Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 15 September 2025 15 September 2025
Belgian company 432 EVO does things a little differently. Yes, the company offers a range of music servers at various price points, just like its competitors. Yet, the form factor, power supply configurations and bespoke operating system set it apart from most of the field. 432 EVO’s on-going development strategy sees periodic upgrades to its music servers with refinements in both software and hardware. This approach provides long-term value by allowing owners to upgrade without abandoning their original investment. Case in point: this writer’s own Aeon Mk.3 Reference Music Server has recently been updated with a new operating system and a “data centre grade” SSD, both available as optional upgrades within the product portfolio. In this review, I delve into the particulars of the installation process and assess the sonic performance enhancements that are claimed to follow.
Bluesound NODE ICON Reference Music Streamer
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- Written by Barry Jones Barry Jones
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 01 September 2025 01 September 2025
What makes an icon? I pondered this question as I awaited delivery of my next product review sample – the ‘NODE ICON’, a flagship wireless music streamer designed by Bluesound for, in the company’s own words, “the audio obsessed”. My mind initially went to Hollywood and icons such as Clint Eastwood, Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron came to mind, but I decided to ask ChatGPT, and the answer was revealed… Whether it’s a person, a symbol, or a brand, an exemplar becomes iconic when it’s instantly recognisable, emotionally resonant, and timeless. Would the Bluesound NODE ICON fulfill this definition? We'll see.
Siltech Master Crown Cables
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- Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 01 September 2025 01 September 2025
Back in 2011, while writing for 6moons online publication, I had the privilege of reviewing what was, at the time, the most expensive interconnect cables ever to grace my system. Stratospheric stuff at US$42K for a 1m RCA stereo set. Yep, one of the world’s most extravagant. It was a “wow” moment then and, truth be told, still a “wow” moment now. Well… maybe a touch less ‘wowie’ nowadays. Schlepping along my timeline to the here and now, through a journey punctuated by long-term listening with several seriously upmarket cables, once again I find myself deep in super-dosh territory. Even my personal reference cables, which are far from modest, are leagues away from the realm inhabited by Siltech’s Master Crown. Mucho gold coins. And yes, the precious metal is literally part of these flagship cables’ allure. There’s silver and gold in them thar hills…
Musical Fidelity M6xTT Turntable
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- Written by Mark Busby Mark Busby
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 15 August 2025 15 August 2025
The nineteenth century architect Louis Sullivan proposed that in design "Form Follows Function". What if that was reversed and function followed form? We could end up with beautiful creations like the Musical Fidelity M6xTT turntable, a transparent acrylic creation that not only looks gorgeous but produces sublime music too! Read on for the full low-down on this high performance looker…
PrimaLuna EVO 300 Hybrid Power Amplifier
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- Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 01 August 2025 01 August 2025
The best of both worlds… such an attractive concept. Merge the positives and strengths of divergent philosophies, varying points-of-view, in order to form what could potentially be a superior outcome. That was the core basis for the development of the EVO 300 Hybrid power amplifier from renowned electronics specialist PrimaLuna. The company’s engineers must have considered, “Is it possible to fuse ideals and technologies in the one product?” Could marrying the rich tonality and naturalness of vacuum tubes with the power, authority and dynamic expression of solid state circuitry unify into a single, truly exceptional amplifier?
Skyanalog G-1 MKII Moving Coil Cartridge
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- Written by Mark Busby Mark Busby
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 01 August 2025 01 August 2025
The moving coil cartridge has been around now for nearly 80 years and, with continuing interest in new vinyl, the MC cartridge shows no decline in popularity. Ongoing research into the interaction between materials has allowed cartridge designers and engineers to identify additional musical playback attributes from these devices. And yes, thoughtful engineering is exemplified by the Skyanalog G-1 MKII MC cartridge.
Lyra Analog PhonoPipe Phono Cable
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- Written by Mark Busby Mark Busby
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 15 July 2025 15 July 2025
Founded by a trio of vinyl replay artisans including American cartridge designer Jonathan Carr, Japanese master craftsman Yoshinori Mishima and Norwegian business strategist Stig Bjorge, Japan-based Lyra Analog has been manufacturing cartridges and components since 1986. Originally established under the name Scan-Tech, then rebranding to Lyra Analog in 1991, the company’s products are renowned for their exceptional transparency and dynamic capabilities. Lyra Analog’s mission is to create enduring products that combine original design, advanced engineering and optimal materials application. So, are those values reflected in the ‘PhonoPipe’ phono cable?
Audia Flight FLS20 SACD/CD Player
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- Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 01 July 2025 01 July 2025
Going out on a limb here… in a couple of years’ time, maybe less, the shiny digital disc might just be hip again. Like vinyl became lit a few years ago and still thrives. Mind you, while music streaming has evolved to ‘audiophile’ levels of performance, to many music lovers the CD still has the sonic edge. Of course, countless discs fill collections worldwide satisfying enthusiasts’ music experiences while reflecting the audio zeitgeist. Heck, you can even pick-up a mint previously-loved CD at a suburban market for a couple of bucks and it’ll play like new. For these reasons, and many others, a growing number of audio makers are offering CD players and disc transports with a view to meeting an underground demand. Audia Flight’s elegant FLS20 is a new disc spinner designed to handle both Red Book CD and the niche, yet persistently desirable, SACD format. Plus, the forthcoming streamer board will complete the FLS20’s digital playback suite, offering music lovers a unified digital music playback solution. So, care to go for a spin?
Focal Diva Utopia Active Wireless Loudspeakers
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- Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 15 June 2025 15 June 2025
The wireless speaker space has been an instrumental disruptor in terms of the way the mass market now consumes music. Overwhelmingly, wireless speaker technology has been concentrated in the extremely affordable section of the market. There are literally hundreds of inexpensive products from the portable to the sizable. For the average consumer, the value on offer is indisputable. Mostly, these products feature streaming technologies of all casts (pun intended), heavy DSP, long-life battery power, weather sealing and more. They provide easy access to music to an audience which may, we positively propose, eventually discover the wonders of high-end audio. It’s at that point, at that now realised singularity, that Focal’s Diva Utopia enters stage left. It aims to provide convenient functionality in a package which, in one step, transcends the category from mass market ubiquity to, in comparison, a level way beyond the stars. Yeah, a high-end, wireless loudspeaker system designed to perform at ‘audiophile’ levels.
Linn Klimax Solo 800 Monoblock Amplifier
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- Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 01 May 2025 01 May 2025
Perhaps through sheer innovation, skilled engineering and a tendency to divert from mainstream market conventions, Scotland’s Linn has become one of high-end audio’s most successful brands. Linn stands out from the black box bunch with sophisticated products featuring advanced engineering, elegant industrial design, and proprietary technologies that all trumpet a “We’re doing things our way” ethos. Partly due to that distinctive spirit and through its lengthy history, the company has been fervently embraced by a loyal customer base. Yet, with Linn’s new Klimax Solo 800 monoblock amplifier, it would seem that, on the surface, the company signals its flagship amplification as a more… traditional product. Hmm… that’s not Linn. Yeah, within its elegant chassis lies a stream of innovative technologies which, once again, deviates the Klimax Solo 800 from amplifiers that, in comparison, may seem simply… conventional.
