Price: $1699
Website: www.64audio.com
Brent said: My guess is that most audiophiles will enjoy the detail and general neutrality of the mids and the highs—and I bet audiophiles who don’t buy into the concept that high-end headphones shouldn’t have plenty of bass will love them.
Read the SoundStage! Solo review.
The gist: Very expensive but competes with the best.
Price: $1299
Website: www.64audio.com
Brent said: While you might prefer a more trebly (or more bassy) set of earphones, I couldn’t find anything I didn’t like about these.
Read the SoundStage! Solo review.
The gist: 10 out of 10 for sound!
Price: $24,999
Website: www.accuphase.com
Doug said: The C-2850 embodies the best of what a high-end hi-fi component is about—quality in every respect.
Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.
The gist: Extreme Japanese thoughtfulness throughout.
Price: $1599 per pair
Website: www.acoustic-energy.co.uk
Gordon said: The AE1 Actives definitely held their own against the KEFs, which have already received a Reviewers’ Choice award.
Read the SoundStage! Simplifi review.
The gist: Add a DAC-preamp and you’re ready to go.
Price: $49
Website: www.akg.com
Brent said: . . . for a set of knock-around headphones to use in places where you need sound monitoring and don’t want to fret too much about the headphones getting left on the floor and stepped on or run over with an office chair, they’re a great choice.
Read the SoundStage! Solo review.
The gist: You get your money’s worth with these.
Price: $19,500
Website: www.allnicaudio.com
Howard said: [K.S. Park] set out on the apparently more difficult road of transformerlessness and has created something special in the directly coupled L-9000 OTL/OCL preamplifier, which sounds exceptionally immediate, detailed, and captivating.
Read the SoundStage! Ultra review.
The gist: Far from another me-too tube preamplifier.
Price: $17,000
Website: www.audioresearch.com
Aron said: Audio Research’s Reference 6SE preamplifier is a big step forward from their Reference 6 in terms of transparency, and thus in terms of all the sonic nuances that a superior preamplifier can communicate.
Read the SoundStage! Ultra review.
The gist: Yet another in a long line of great ARC preamps.
Price: AU$24,995
Website: www.audioresearch.com
Travis said: . . . sonically speaking, it offers just enough of 'yesterday' to ensure that the grin on your face will last long after your first listen.
Read the SoundStage! Australia review.
The gist: Entry into ARC’s Reference series of amplifiers.