The Pass Laboratories INT-30A integrated amplifier doesn't do much, and that's what makes it great!

I've probably reviewed well over a hundred amplifiers, but I can't say I've ever really heard one. I'm always listening to an amplifier driving a speaker, so the sound is really the combination of the two.

I'm pretty sure Nelson Pass has not only listened to more amps and speakers than I have, he's designed more than a few of my favorite high-end amps.

Zu Audio's Essence speaker breaks almost every high-end design rule and sounds all the better for it!

A great speaker should make you feel like you're there, with the music. That's the idea, but it almost never happens, even with some of the very best speakers money can buy.

They can sound great, but they rarely sound like the real thing.

Tannoy's Prestige Kensington SE doesn't sound like any other high-end speaker; it's something else again.

I may have written hundreds and hundreds of speaker reviews, but I can pretty much guarantee that if someone asks me about the Tannoy Prestige Kensington SE speaker in 10 years I won't have a problem recounting this review.

RocknRolla

Sonus faber may be a small Italian speaker company, but you can literally see its influence in the curvy look of various B&W, KEF, Magico, Tannoy, Wharfedale and countless other speakers.

Thanks to Sonus faber, the box is out and round is in.

The Long Run

Have you ever heard a live band off in the distance and instantly knew it was the real thing? I can't tell you why, but there's something about the sound of live music that recordings always miss. So hi-fis, even the best ones, never sound realistic, but they can get close.

Audio Research's CD8 Reference player does just that. It's one of the least "digital" sounding CD players I've ever used.

The 60th Anniversary Limited Edition C22 Tube Preamplifier and MC75 Tube Monoblock Power Amplifier aren't exact replicas of the originals—they're better!

McIntosh is commemorating its 60th anniversary with 120 sets of its legendary C22 stereo preamplifier and MC75 monoblock power amplifiers for the U.S. market. Like the re-born, retro-styled, Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger, these components look the part and seduce the eye with classic styling, but inside, they feature modern design touches.

Groove Master

VPI currently offers seven turntable models, but the Cliffwood, New Jersey, company didn't start out with turntables. They initially made record cleaning machines that literally sucked dirt out of the grooves. The cleaning machines are still a significant part of VPI's business. It's a fact: Spotlessly clean records sound better. They just do.

After 30 years in the business, VPI is celebrating with the aptly named 30th Anniversary Classic Turntable.

Five high-end audio sales people tell it like it is.

My high-end sales career started in the late 1970s at Sound By Singer in New York City. I had a grand time playing with the world's best audio gear for 16 years, and then switched gears and became an audio reviewer. I quickly learned that my sales experience was terrific preparation for my second act in the business and that reviewers don't have access to anywhere near the variety of products that salesmen do. That took some getting used to. Nowadays when I want to know what's going on, I head to the stores.