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Monday, February 02, 2026

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This new site was launched in July 2010. Visit the older site to access previous articles by clicking above.

Ultra Audio's site platform was changed in August 2010. For equipment reviews previous to that, use this link to transfer to the old site.

: Written by: Jonathan Gorse; Created: 01 February 2026

The Townshend Audio Allegri Reference is certainly the most unusual preamplifier I have ever reviewed. It may surprise you to know that Max Townshend considered the Allegri to be his greatest achievement, rather than his legendary Rock turntable or pioneering work on acoustic isolation.

: Written by: Jason Thorpe; Created: 15 January 2026

Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.

It was sometime around 2004. I’d been flailing around trying to find an appropriate replacement for my aging EAR Yoshino 509 mono tube amplifiers. The EARs had become unreliable to the point where I could no longer trust them in my reference system. Looking for reliability and neutrality, I purchased a Musical Fidelity A300cr amp, and that worked well for a year or so, but I was missing something. After reviewing the Anthem P2 Statement one year later, I ended up buying the review sample, hoping that I’d find peace with this large, powerful solid-state amplifier.

: Written by: Jonathan Gorse; Created: 01 January 2026

Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.

J.A. Michell Engineering Ltd. is one of the longest-established family-owned audio firms in the UK. Their GyroDec turntable, which I have used as my reference for 26 years, is a bona-fide cult classic and one of the very few bargains in high-end audio. You can buy one new with a standard tonearm and cartridge for under £5000. Even in its most basic form, it’s a serious vinyl spinner, but the real benefit of the GyroDec is its ability to take advantage of more potent ancillaries. Mine is fitted with an SME Series IV tonearm and a Lyra Kleos SL cartridge. The current price of my rig is north of £12,000, but it has outclassed some exotic turntables costing up to £25,000.

: Written by: Aron Garrecht; Created: 01 December 2025

Reviewers' Choice In late 2024, Marantz announced its new 10 Series, which comprises three models: the Model 10 integrated amplifier (US$15,000, CA$22,000, £12,999, €15,500), the Link 10n streaming preamplifier (US$14,000, CA$17,000, £10,399, €12,500), and the SACD 10 SACD player–DAC (US$14,000, CA$17,000, £10,399, €12,500), the subject of this review. The 10 Series was five years in development following the launch of Marantz’s retro-styled Model 30 amplifier and SACD 30n SACD player–DAC in late 2020. Conceived and engineered in Marantz’s facilities in Shirakawa, Japan, and clearly inspired by Marantz classics such as the Model 9 mono tube amplifier, the 10 Series is more than a trio of high-end products from Marantz. It’s a truly integrated family of products built from the ground up to showcase the absolute best Marantz has to offer in terms of technology, build quality, and performance.

: Written by: Jonathan Gorse; Created: 15 November 2025

Reviewers' Choice From the moment the Union Jack covering was slipped off the new SME Model 35 turntable and Series Vi tonearm at the press launch last April in London, England, I knew that this was going to be a very special product to review!

: Written by: Jason Thorpe; Created: 01 November 2025

Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.

How much flash should a flagship component radiate? In the world of turntables, the answer is a lot. For the most part, the more expensive a turntable is, the more physical space it occupies, and the more levels of chrome and polished acrylic there are between the shelf and the top of the platter.

: Written by: Jason Thorpe; Created: 01 October 2025

Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.

Reviewers' Choice My background, before taking charge of SoundStage! Ultra, is in IT. I’ve been a COBOL programmer, systems analyst, team leader, QA tester, and technical writer, all at varying times, sometimes running each task in series on the same project. I’ve gathered business requirements, coded up processes, and then tested my own code. I wrote it, so I know what to test, right?

: Written by: Phil Gold; Created: 15 September 2025

Note: measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council can be found through this link.

Behind the loudspeaker reviewed here is the story of a man with skill and interest in two seemingly unrelated fields: stonework and speaker design. Valerio Cora had the idea to bring those two fields together, and set about through painstaking development to bring that idea to fruition.

: Written by: Jason Thorpe; Created: 01 September 2025

Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.

Reviewers' Choice Hi-fi as physical art—that’s a concept manufacturers (and consumers) have wrestled with since sound reproduction became a thing. To deliver music into a living space, you need speakers, an amplifier, and a source component. There are many ways to accomplish this. One way is to build the speakers into the wall and sequester the electronics in another room. This works reasonably well, but it would take a monumental effort to achieve the same sound quality as that delivered by a pair of freestanding speakers and some performance-driven electronics.

: Written by: Jason Thorpe; Created: 01 August 2025

Reviewers' Choice About eight years ago, I was sitting in the lobby bar of the Hotel Bonaventure in Montreal, Canada. It was the Saturday night of the 2017 Montreal Audio Fest, and the bar quickly filled up with many of the exhibitors. I recall that particular evening as a time of easeful conversation lubricated by very good local beer. I spent a good hour chatting with Harry and Mat Weisfeld of VPI Industries. That father-and-son partnership made for good company—Harry’s quiet and calm demeanor, along with his wealth of analog knowledge, paired perfectly with Mat’s unbridled enthusiasm.