Imagine coming across this in a Craigslist or Audiogon ad: “Tube preamplifier for sale, used briefly 15 years ago.” Yowza! If you have any knowledge of tube amps or experience with them, you know there’s a lot to be worried...
I never know which component will find excellent synergy with my testing setup, but I usually do what I can to make sure I’m giving each piece a chance to shine. I know some speakers aren’t their best when powered...
I’ll try to make this one short [Ed: Ha! Yeah, right, because I’ve been listening to these crazy old Stax headphones for too long already. I wouldn’t say I just did a complete come-to-Jesus conversion, but it was a top-of-the-mountain...
You won’t see me writing much about phono stages and turntables in these blog pages sadly, because a reference phono testing setup is a delicate and expensive thing to maintain, and sometimes a downright pain in the ass. I’ve got...
If you're thinking about the best floorstaning speakers in the world, Wilson is always in the conversation. It takes about one second for all three TMR testers to recognize royalty in our midst. At second two, test stations are abandoned,...
OK, at this point, I’m starting to realize that I will fall in love with 100% of the First Watt amplifiers and preamps that come through The Music Room used gear trade-in and consignment program. Reviewing the Sound of the...
All-in-one. Do-it-all. This much hyphenated concept is often met with disdain in our field. Not always, though. Integrated, full featured single boxes these days can really kick — see Devialet for evidence. But most of the time, we accept trade-offs...
At TMR headquarters, we take sealed factory packaging very seriously. We consider our description of any item and its flaws (or lack thereof), and also our “A-OK” on the functionality, to be our sacred contract with each and every buyer....
I’m a pretty lucky audiophile. Not only do I get to play with, listen to and test some of the best audio gear from the last 20 years in my gig here at The Music Room, but I have something...
