The Absolute Sound Podcast

The Magico M7 is an extraordinary speaker, as it should be at its price point. Except price isn’t always a good indicator of sonic quality to the degree you might expect. And even allowing for price and appropriate budget, the M7 will mainly appeal to knowledgeable music lovers. 00:00 Magico M7 00:36 Specs & Design 05:08 Sound Quality 13:04 Thoughts on Value 18:58 Summary The Absolute Sound’s...

DESCRIPTION In our loudspeaker brand surveys, Wilson Audio is consistently rated the highest by consumers. This is not an accident in my view, as the company has a long history of excellence, is supported by one of the best dealer networks in the world and continues to improve its products at a steady pace. Wilson has carved out this position in part by exploring the state of the art with the WAMM...

Robert returns with his review of the idiosyncratic but no less impressive VIVA 45's. Does their unique enclosure produce a novel sound? Listen in to learn more... The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/ Robert's Reference System: -Turntable: VPI Classic Signature with the 10 inch gimbal tone arm an...

Robert has spent some time with the Pear Blue Audio ARAS Turntable, diving into its design, features, and sound quality – here’s what he discovered. 00:00 Pear Blue Audio Aras Turntable 00:48 Specs & Design 06:36 Set Up 7:17 How to Play 10:26 Sound Quality 13:28 Conclusion The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-...

DESCRIPTION The Perlisten S7t is a very special speaker. Special because it does some sonic things particularly well. Special because its design is different. And special because this is a speaker that will be favored by specific kinds of listeners. 00:00 The Perlisten S7t 00:34 Specs & Design 04:41 Sound Quality 11:25 Sound Quality: Listening Examples 15:26 Voicing 21:31 Summary The Absolute...

DESCRIPTION Most headphones today are intended for one of two markets. They're either for listeners who want to remain at home with their stereo system and enjoy that intimate, solitary sonic experience. Or they're for listeners who are on the go and want to use music off their smartphone or their laptop while they're traveling. Yes, there are models that say they do everything for everyone, but f...

DESCRIPTION In the final quarter of 2024, Hegel debuted their new H4 100 integrated amplifier build to replace the very popular H3 90, of which I am a long time owner. That AMP has traditionally been one of the biggest sellers for the Norwegian company, and its popularity gives the H 400 a lot to live up to. 00:00 Hegel H400 00:45 Overview 02:10 Specs & Design 07:58 Sound Quality 13:49 DAC &am...

DESCRIPTION Paradigm is a Canadian company that has been around for about 40 years. Their Founder 80 speaker is part of their premium line, made in a factory near Toronto—about seven hours from where I live now. Although I’ve owned over 100 pairs of speakers over the years, strangely enough, I had never owned a Paradigm speaker. So, you can imagine my excitement when I finally got my hands on one!...

Have you ever had an experience so revelatory that it brings into question everything you know on a particular subject? Undoubtedly, you have. I have recently had an event like this occur in the realm of personal audio. Historically, I have reserved the use of personal audio for listening while exercising and this is where my review of the Denon PerL Pro Premium True Wireless earbuds begins. Newsl...

DESCRIPTION For many people shopping in this price range, the Sourcepoint 888 is probably the speaker to get, or at least it should be on the short list. It may not be the speaker you think you want but hear me out and then decide. 00:00-01:00 Overview 01:00-03:35 Sound Quality 03:35 We want elevated Bass 03:35-5:05 Sound Quality Music Examples 05:05-06:55 Voicing 06:55-09:49 Summary Newsletter: h...

Introducing John Quain to the TAS reviewer team, with this first report on the Beats Studio Pro Wireless. While acknowledging the oft-reported features of the Beats line, John uncovers some novel features unique to the Studio Pro Wireless. Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com...

From Fremer: "Beginning in the late 70s/early 80s, Musical Surroundings' Garth Leerer has been an eye witness to and participant in the growth of high performance audio. I've known Garth for more than thirty years but mostly we're like two ships passing in the day and night at hi-fi show or I'm calling him about reviewing a piece of gear he's importing or representing. On the eve of Clearaudio's 4...

DESCRIPTION What do you do when you come across a speaker that is both deeply engrossing on Vaughn Williams’ orchestral Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and enthralling on Samantha Fish’s blues rocker Kill or Be Kind? My first thought was “buy it!” However, before we jump to hasty conclusions, let’s do a full review of the Paradigm Persona 5F speakers. 00:00-:45 Intro 00:45-03:22 Overview 03:2...

DESCRIPTION Oneiros Acoustics is a new British loudspeaker company. They recently launched their flagship speaker with a special listening session at the Power Station recording studios in New York. We were in attendance to put together this report for the select few at whom this speaker is targeted. 00:00-01:30 Introducing the Oneiros speaker 01:30-3:53 Overview 3:53-03:39 Specs & Design 03:3...

DESCRIPTION Where my time with the RIALTOs landed on the calendar got me thinking (my time with them spanned the onset of the holiday season, which included Thanksgiving). If – as an audiophile – you could identify with the Pilgrims - that is, as a puritan – you might just skip this review. These speakers are likely too much fun for you. This video is sponsored by: https://www.advanceparis.com/en/...

The Acoustic Energy Corinium does much of what excellent speakers at 2 to 3 times the price try to do. In this review, I cover what that means, what you might get if you spent more, and also discuss why you might or might not want this sonic profile. That’s a lot, so let’s get going. This video is sponsored by: https://www.advanceparis.com/fr/ The Perception and Measurement ofHeadphone Sound Quali...

DESCRIPTION We recently travelled to Chicago for a preview of Dali’s newest Epikore speakers, the more affordable Epikore 9, Epikore 7 and Epikore 3. The new speakers follow last year’s release of the Epikore flagship, the Epikore 11, The technology on offer is impressive, and the prices are upper midrange, so we wanted to see if the tech of the new speakers paralleled the Epikore 11 and see if th...

DESCRIPTION The Pass Labs HPA-1 comes with the Pass pedigree and accompanying price, so this is not the headphone amp for most people. But does it do things sonically that might make it right for some music-lovers? Let’s see. Robert's Nelson Pass interview: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/nelson-pass-four-decades-of-innovation/ Sponsored by: https://www.svsound.com/products/ultra-elevati...

DESCRIPTION With their remarkable vocal presence and technological innovations, the Focal Aria X No. 1 Bookshelf Speakers allow for relaxed listening and render music in a way that encourages sharing with others. Sponsored by: https://www.advanceparis.com/en/ Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolut...

DESCRIPTION So imagine that you're living space is a small to medium living space that could be an apartment, a condo, or just maybe a small room in your house and interest isn't in a bookshelf speaker you're looking for a tower speaker. That's pretty elegant looking, and that sounds great. Well, that's what we're going to talk about today in my review regarding a speaker from Audio Physic: the Cl...

An under $1000 speaker contending for best in class, class A integrated amps, new small Magnepans, seductive single-driver speakers, marble cabinets, semi-affordable tubes and more from the 2024 Capital Audio Fest in Washington DC. This video is sponsored by: https://estelon.com/speaker/aura/ Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesoun...

DESCRIPTION MBL builds many products that re-examine the core assumptions behind most audio equipment to find different and often better engineering solutions for music reproduction. Of course, they are famous for their superb omni-directional speakers, but having the N51 integrated amp here for review has made me think their fame should apply to electronics as well... This video is sponsored by:...

DESCRIPTION: There are 6 major audio issues that stand between listeners and a level of believability and engagement that parallels or improves upon the live experience. The Berkeley Alpha DAC Reference addresses one of these major issues, that of a-musical digital distortions, more effectively than any DAC I have heard. This video is sponsored by: https://estelon.com/speaker/aura/ Robert's Review...

DESCRIPTION: Impeccably judged and well-engineered, the Q Acoustics 5020s routinely persuaded me to listen to more music. Their ability to render low-level detail sent chills down my spine and their dynamics kept me completely engaged with the music. Sponsored by: https://shunyata.com/ Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Subst...

The Raidho X2t is a very big sounding speaker with a very small footprint, but its special qualities extend far beyond mere scale.... listen in to learn more from Michael Johnson's report.