The Absolute Sound Podcast

The streamer is quite possibly the most misunderstood device commonly used in the high-end audio chain. Most people harbor the thought that the differences between streamers are either non-existent or very, very small. I had that thought, reinforced by the idea that “it’s just a computer, and computers can be had for $500.” Then I started testing them. The differences are pretty obvious on a good...

In many loudspeaker reviews, you'll hear the word 'soundstage' and 'sound dispersion' a lot, and today you're going to hear a lot more about it, in this review of The Golden Ear Triton five loudspeakers. This video is sponsored by: https://fidelityimports.com/pages/introducing-perlisten 00:00 Golden Ear Triton 5 1:01 Overview 01:42 Specs & Design 5:35 Sound Quality 09:15 Summary Newsletter: ht...

The E-3 is strictly for playback of DS audio optical cartridges. Does its refined purpose lead to refined sound? Listen in to Robert's review to find out. This video is sponsored by: https://hifirose.com/ 00:00 Soul Note E-3 Phono Equalizer 00:49 Specs & Design 02:39 Sound Quality 08:45 Summary Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolu...

Ahead of his review of the https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/alsyvox-caravaggio-xx-loudspeaker/ Editor-in-Chief of The Absolute Sound hosted Alsyvox founder and owner Daniele Cohen at his listening room to gather some expository information on the Caravaggio and Alsyvox as a company. The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-revi...

What can 80 watts per channel of American tube muscle do for your system in 2025? And further, what can a storied heritage brand like Audio Research bring to the table in a field increasingly dominated by foreign competitors? Hello viewers, I'm Michael Johnson with the Absolute Sound and I am lucky enough to have an early look and listen to Audio Research’s new D-80 stereo tube amplifier, so let’s...

For a long time, electrostatic driver technology has been at the apex of headphone performance. Audeze, famous for their planar magnetic headphones, has recently updated their electrostatic flagship to create the CRBN2. Let’s take a look. This video is sponsored by: https://www.perlistenaudio.com/products/r210s/ The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the...

Some products that we review do special things that are almost immediately obvious in a controlled environment like we use for testing. Some products also present a challenge to our preconceived notions of what works in audio. The Esoteric F-01 integrated amp does both. Let’s take a look. This video is sponsored by: https://fidelityimports.com/ 6 Major Problems of Believability: https://www.theabs...

Robert Taylor reviews the versatile yet simple Bricasti M21 Platinum Series DAC, with its sleek, timeless platinum faceplate. This video is sponsored by: https://www.perlistenaudio.com/products/r210s/ 00:00 Bricasti M21 Platinum Series DAC 00:38 Specs & Design 02:23 Reference Equipment 2:49 Sound Quality 08:48 Summary Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://ww...

This one is different. The Sound Lab G7-7C speaker is just under 7 feet tall, 3 feet wide and 4 inches thick. There are no conventional speaker drivers inside. From the right perspective, it contends for the best speaker in the world. And while $49,500 per pair isn’t inexpensive, in a world where the top speakers are often priced at $400,000 or $800,000 per pair, the Sound Lab might be considered...

Today we're diving deep into what might be one of the most tech-focused streaming decks to date: the Eversolo DMP-A10. This isn't just another incremental upgrade, as we often see, this is Eversolo's flagship statement piece, turning heads with its features and hardware, priced at around $3,999. 00:00 EverSolo DMP-A10 01:00 Specs & Design 03:13 Connectivity & Features 05:32 What's Inside?...

Robert Taylor reviews the impressive, hefty Soulnote E-3 phono equalizer. 00:00 Soulnote E-3 00:39 Specs & Design 2:29 Sound Quality 08:36 Conclusion The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/ Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesoun...

Ray Samuels Audio is a long-standing builder of both portable and desktop headphone amplifiers. Ray sent us his B-21 Raider amp to try with a bevy of high-end electrostatic and dynamic headphones that arrived in the lab. As you might intuit, the B-21 can drive both types of headphones. Let’s see what we heard. 00:00 Ray Samuels Audio B-21 00:59 Overview Ray Samuels Audio B-21 02:44 Sound Quality 0...

This speaker really surprised me; I don’t know if it was all the rhetoric of being a disrupter to the industry on their website – I often approach disrupters with a hint of skepticism, but SVS means business and the Ultra Evolution Pinnacle brings it! 00:00 Ultra Evolution Pinnacle 00:47 Overview 03:13 Sound Quality 08:59 Wrap Up Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: ht...

This speaker really surprised me; I don’t know if it was all the rhetoric of being a disrupter to the industry on their website – I often approach disrupters with a hint of skepticism, but SVS means business and the Ultra Evolution Pinnacle brings it! 00:00 Ultra Evolution Pinnacle 00:47 Overview 03:13 Sound Quality 08:59 Wrap Up Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: ht...

We wanted to share with you some of the music we are using in the review process, with a focus on musically interesting work that is also enjoyably recorded. This isn’t necessarily new work or new recordings. With streaming making a test drive of these recommendations so easy, we simply wanted to give you some ideas. The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/article...

Tom recently visited T+A in Herford, Germany to get an overview of their approach to audio design. Of course, he knew something from the name, which means “Theory plus Application”, but he really didn’t know what to expect. Frankly, he was surprised, pleasantly surprised, by what he found. The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review...

Founded in 2012, Backert Labs are an American company that only produce tube preamps. Despite a crowded marketplace this family operation has stood out with its unique approach to linestage design. I got to spend the last two months with the new Rhumba Extreme 1.4, an $8500 dollar analog linestage from the company that promises a lot in a small chassis. I’m Michael Johnson with the Absolute Sound...

While the Martin Logan Motion XT series isn’t especially new to the market, we’re trying to go back through the catalog of available options that may interest our viewers. And, yes, Martin Logan may be best known for their electrostatic offerings, but we thought we’d see what they were able to do with traditional cabinet speakers. Were they able to fold the benefits of what they’ve learned from pa...

While the Martin Logan Motion XT series isn’t especially new to the market, we’re trying to go back through the catalog of available options that may interest our viewers. And, yes, Martin Logan may be best known for their electrostatic offerings, but we thought we’d see what they were able to do with traditional cabinet speakers. Were they able to fold the benefits of what they’ve learned from pa...

Originally founded in 1999, TIDAL is now one of the world's premier loudspeaker and high-end audio manufacturers. The Absolute Sound's Grover Neville had the opportunity to tour TIDAL's factory outside Cologne, Germany and investigate for himself: what makes TIDAL, TIDAL? Listen in to discover what he found out... 00:50 History 04:08 TIDAL factory 07:26 Listening Room 09:26 Listening Experience 14...

In the ever evolving landscape of digital audio conversion, PS Audio has once again demonstrated why they remain a resolute pillar in the high end audio community. This video is sponsored by: https://www.javahifi.com/home The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/ 00:00 PS audio StellarDAC 00:56 Overvi...

Robert Taylor duel reviews the Accuphase C2900 preamplifier and the Accuphase A80 amplifier, noting their individual characteristics and their combined output. Tune in to hear Robert's thoughts... 01:04 Specs & Design 03:44 Preamp door controls 05:10 Associated Equipment 05:58 Sound Quality 08:08 Sound Quality Pt. 2 10:51 Conclusion This video is sponsored by: https://shunyata.com/ The Absolut...

We've all heard the phrase, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Today we are going to review the Perlisten R7t Speakers & R10 Subs by the end of the review, we'll re-ask the question: can have your cake and eat it too? Erratum: Since filming the review, the price of the speakers has gone up as note in subtitles. This video is sponsored by: https://www.javahifi.com/home The Absolute Sound’...

Introducing Muse Kastanovich, a longtime TAS magazine writer making his YouTube review debut. Muse reviews the design, sound, and context of the Bowers & Wilkins 702 Series 3. Listen in to hear his thoughts! 00:00 Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 02:34 THREE-way design 07:02 Listening to TWO 16:25 ONE Conclusion The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-...

One of the things that I’ve discovered in life is that the broader my brush, the more quickly I paint myself into a corner. Scouring the online forums of audiophilia has shed light on a subset of listeners who have done just this when it comes to switching amplifiers. This video is sponsored by: https://www.perlistenaudio.com/products/r212s/ While I’m certain earlier class-D amplifiers warranted t...