Why Do We Treat Audio and Video So Differently?

Details: Written by Dennis Burger; Created: 01 December 2022

I was recently chatting with an industry colleague who’s reviewing an updated version of a wireless headphone model I reviewed several years back (for another publication). Without knowing the tonal quirks of this new version, I told him the old one had a reasonably flexible built-in EQ, and I’d be happy to share my custom profiles for that version to see how well they worked for the new release.

Technics Grand Class SU-G700M2 Integrated Amplifier-DAC

Details: Written by Dennis Burger; Created: 01 December 2022

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

In a recent editorial about the appeal of vintage audio, I said, and I quote, “Build me a $1500 stereo receiver or integrated amp that looks anything like [the $9500 Technics SU-R1000 stereo integrated amplifier], and I think I could turn a lot more uninitiated music lovers into high-performance audio enthusiasts.” Needless to say, at $2699.99 (all prices USD), the Technics Grand Class SU-G700M2 integrated amplifier isn’t precisely that amp. Still, this new offering promises to be a much more value-oriented alternative to the company’s big-boy flagship, at a price that places it reasonably within the spectrum of attainability for many people, even if they’re not hardcore.

The Beatles: "Revolver"

Details: Written by Joseph Taylor; Created: 01 December 2022

Parlophone / Apple Records / Universal Music Group PCS 7009, 0602445599691
Format: LP

Musical Performance

Sound Quality

Overall Enjoyment

The new reissue of The Beatles’ 1966 album Revolver follows the pattern of recent re-releases of the band’s recordings: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (2017); The Beatles, aka The White Album (2018); Abbey Road (2019); and Let It Be (2021). Those reissues came in various download and physical media formats, and in packages that would satisfy everyone from the casual fan to Beatles obsessives.

Unboxing the SVS Prime Wireless Pro SoundBase

Details: Written by Dennis Burger; Created: 15 November 2022

There have been times in my career when I was certain someone oopsed and shipped me an empty box. Granted, almost all of those times were when I was covering gaming headsets or lightweight gaming mice or custom IEMs or things of the like—never an honest-to-gosh hi-fi stereo amp. Until, that is, the new SVS Prime Wireless Pro SoundBase arrived at my door.

Pro-Ject Audio Systems E1 Phono Turntable with Ortofon OM 5E Cartridge

Details: Written by Thom Moon; Created: 15 November 2022

In 1991, at a time when most people thought vinyl was dead, Heinz Lichtenegger introduced the first Pro-Ject Audio Systems turntable. He knew there were probably millions of people who still owned billions of records and that many of them would want to hold on to their collections. So he set out to build a turntable that offered great sound at a budget price. That turntable was the Pro-Ject 1.

What Makes a Good Reference Recording?

Details: Written by Dennis Burger; Created: 01 November 2022

If you’re shopping for new gear—especially as a relatively new audio enthusiast—one of the most important decisions you can make is which songs to use as test material when auditioning an amp or preamp or—most importantly—a pair of speakers. And the choice of which material is most illustrative isn’t always super intuitive.

Denon PMA-1700NE Integrated Amplifier-DAC

Details: Written by Dennis Burger; Created: 01 November 2022

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

As I’ve said more than once here lately: with well-established brands, once you get to a certain level of product you can very nearly take performance for granted these days. At least in the two-channel domain. It really just comes down to whether or not the product in question fits your specific needs.

Daniel Lanois: "Player, Piano"

Details: Written by Joseph Taylor; Created: 01 November 2022

Modern Recordings
Format: 24-bit/48kHz FLAC download

Musical Performance

Sound Quality

Overall Enjoyment

Daniel Lanois lets inspiration take him wherever it leads. Last year he released Heavy Sun, an album of soul and gospel music that Lanois presented in his own sonically adventurous production style. In 2018, he collaborated with Aaron Funk (aka Venetian Snares) on Venetian Snares x Daniel Lanois, a provocative and bracing collection of keyboard- and effects-based instrumentals. Goodbye to Language (2016) paired Lanois and Rocco DeLuca on steel guitars for a series of ambient songs that yielded great rewards, with each play revealing tremendous emotional and musical complexity.

Unboxing the Technics SU-G700M2 Integrated Amp

Details: Written by Dennis Burger; Created: 15 October 2022

Normally, the Noachian weather we’re having here in central Alabama at the moment wouldn’t be a matter of concern for SoundStage! Access readers. It seems relevant, though, given that our recent flooding threatened to derail my upcoming review of the Technics SU-G700M2 integrated amp ($2699, all prices USD). Or so I thought.

A Baloney Detection Toolkit for Hi-Fi?

Details: Written by Dennis Burger; Created: 01 October 2022

On a recent episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, I mentioned to Brent Butterworth that we need an Audiophile Baloney Detection Toolkit. If you’re not familiar with the reference, it comes from “The Fine Art of Baloney Detection,” an essay by Carl Sagan from his final book, The Demon-Haunted World.

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