Stack Audio Auva EQ isolators As a long time fan of isolation proper it’s gratifying to see so many products on the market that are genuinely trying to stop the transmission of vibration into audio components. For far too long we were told that spikes were isolators whereas in fact they are the opposite, a […]
CAD USB Control noise reducer Us audiophiles are supposed to like noise, but the wrong kind of noise can be the bane of our lives. The more ‘tech’ we hook up to our mains supply, the more wi-fi devices we have in our homes, the more difficult it can be to enjoy the systems in […]
Network Acoustics tempus network switch It was only a matter of time before Network Acoustics got around to making a network switch. The streaming specialists have built class leading ethernet filters and all manner of digital audio cables so a data or network switch was the next logical step to building a complete back end […]
Humminguru HG01 Ultrasonic vinyl record cleaner Here is the first of an occasional series looking at some of the peripherals which can make having a home audio system even more of a joy. In this instance I’m taking a peek at the (now quite long-in-the-tooth) Humminguru HG01 record cleaner. Humminguru is a Hong Kong-based company […]
Audioquest Niagara 5000 AC power conditioner Electrical pollution of the mains supply is generally pervasive, and in cities and other locations it may be worse than in rural areas. Noise in the audio band and upwards intermodulates with the music signal in an audio system and leads to poor tonality, muted subtle detail and weak […]
Computer Audio Design USB II-R cable & USB Filter The USB II-R is the latest USB cable from CAD or Computer Audio Design. CAD was one of the first companies that saw USB as the best solution for streaming high resolution audio, their 1543 DAC only had a USB input at a time when few […]
CAD GC1.1 Ground Control Box The issues caused by high-frequency noise and addressed by the CAD GC1.1 are something that has been discussed in The Ear rather a lot in some of our recent reviews. Cambridge-based CAD was ahead of many in combatting the problem with the launch of the original GC1 way back in […]
Network Acoustics Muon Pro Streaming System ethernet filter and data cable Long before anyone dreamt of a device like the Muon Pro it was assumed that the music data heading for our streamer was just that. To suggest that it might be accompanied by electronic pollution that was damaging to sonic performance was to invite […]
Ansuz Mainz8 A3 & Mainz A2 power distributor and cables Ansuz is adamant that power distribution should not involve conditioning, thus its Mainz8 distributors apply no filtering or regeneration of the incoming voltage. This is because doing so saps energy from the sound. Ansuz also believe that the mains distributor is the most important element […]
Tangerine Audio Evenstar record stabiliser Tangerine Audio Evenstar is the latest creation from a company that’s dedicated to improving the Linn Sondek LP12 turntable (hereafter referred to as the LP12), a turntable that celebrated its 50th birthday in March. Many other competing products have come and gone in that time, but the LP12 sails on. […]
Chord Company Power ARAY The Power ARAY is the entry level component in the Chord Company’s growing range of devices designed to reduce ground noise in a system. Following my review of Chord Co’s Powerhaus M6 mains distributor it has become one of those items I live in fear of being asked to return. I […]
Ansuz Acoustics Darkz S2t & T2 When I visited the Audio Group Denmark last year Ansuz Darkz S2t resonance controllers were one of the first things they demonstrated to me, and they made a deep impression. The guys at Ansuz have done a lot of research into the resonant characteristics of different materials, specifically metals […]