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Reviews of Attainable Hi-Fi & Home-Theater Equipment

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Details: Written by: Thom Moon; Created: 15 December 2024

Canada’s Totem Acoustic describes its Kin line as “a companion brand . . . born from a desire to engage a wider audience by offering affordable solutions to today’s audio-capable devices.” I think they’ve succeeded with their Kin One music system. Priced at $1199 (all prices in USD), the Kin One system consists of the Kin Amp and a pair of Kin One bookshelf loudspeakers. The amp, a class-D design with built-in phono stage and Bluetooth connectivity, is available separately for $799. The speakers can be purchased separately for $599/pair, so purchasers save $199 by buying the system as a package.

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 01 December 2024

Whether or not you’ve ever sat down in front of a pair of Dynaudio speakers, you’ve likely been exposed to the brand’s influence. If you found yourself sitting in a Volvo with the premium sound option in the aughts, you were listening to Dynaudio speakers. Ditto Volkswagens a few years later. More recently, the freaking Bugatti Veyron boasts a Dynaudio sound system (although I’m guessing not a lot of Access readers are riding around in Bugattis on the reg). The company also used to sell its drivers to DIY speaker builders, though those days are long gone. But still, it points to the fact that this is one of the few speaker brands out there making its own drivers. And many of the world’s top recording studios, including the Hit Factory, rely on Dynaudio professional monitors. All of which means that a little entry-level floorstanding tower speaker such as the Dynaudio Emit 30 ($849.50 each, all prices USD) has a heck of a lot of pedigree behind it.

Read more: Dynaudio Emit 30 Loudspeaker

Details: Written by: Thom Moon; Created: 15 November 2024

Since its founding in 1996, the primary business of German audio company Reloop has been supplying equipment for club DJs. But not long ago, they brought out a line of turntables designed for the home-audio market under the name Reloop HiFi. I reviewed their entry-level unit, the Turn 2, in November 2023, and I thought it was a fine value.

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 01 November 2024

In a recent episode of Audio Unleashed, my cohost Brent Butterworth—friend of the SoundStage! Network and former SoundStage! Solo editor—said something that’s been living rent-free in my head ever since: “Audio reviewers, you and I included, have egos, and . . . as much as you and I try to resist this, we . . . often try to confirm our existing beliefs.” The reason I’m bringing this up is that, unbeknownst to Brent, he uttered those words when I was smack-dab in the middle of writing a review of Totem’s new Loon Monitor standmount loudspeaker ($1299/pair, all prices USD) and struggling with it to a degree. Because the Loon seems to intentionally rebel against a lot of what I look for in a speaker, and I’ve been grappling for weeks with how best to communicate my honest feelings about how this speaker does sound, detached from all the baggage related to my thoughts on how speakers should sound.

Details: Written by: Thom Moon; Created: 15 October 2024

Reviewers' Choice Regular readers may recall that I’m a fan of automatic turntables. There are several reasons for my preference; most notable among them is not having to get up every 20 to 30 minutes to lift the tonearm off the record. When I was much younger, the mere mention of an automatic turntable would elicit raised eyebrows from hardcore audio enthusiasts—and maybe even a condescending sneer. Automatics were criticized for the supposed drag the auto mechanism placed on the tonearm.

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 01 October 2024

Recently, my wife asked me what I was working on at the moment, and I froze for a second. I should have answered, “A review of TEAC’s VRDS-701T CD transport” ($2699.99, all prices USD). What actually came out of my mouth was, “That raises an interesting question: Do you, as a normie, have any clue what a CD transport is? As opposed to a CD player?”

Read more: TEAC VRDS-701T CD Transport

Details: Written by: Thom Moon; Created: 15 September 2024

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

Reviewers' Choice What could anyone possibly expect from a pair of bookshelf speakers that you can buy on sale for a mere $69.98 per pair (all prices in USD)? “Not much,” you’re probably thinking. After spending time with a pair of Dayton Audio Classic B65 bookshelf speakers, I’d have to disagree.

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 01 September 2024

Of all the uncertainties that plagued this total vinyl newb when I finally got around to buying my first proper grown-up turntable, the one I struggled with most was how to deal with the onslaught of old vinyl devotees telling me that if I didn’t follow this, that, or the other rule precisely, I might as well not even bother. Getting a turntable that won’t let me set vertical tracking angle? Absolutely scandalous! And replace that felt platter mat immediately! With cork. No, wait, acrylic. No, wait, rubber. No, wait, leather. No, wait . . . kozo washi! Truth be told, I’m glad I ignored most of the mandates and explored all of these things in my own way and on my own time. But I must admit, I wish I’d listened to the people who told me that there’s simply no substitute for a good wet-cleaning system. It doesn’t necessarily have to be something like the Record Doctor X ($599.95, all prices USD). But it has to be something.

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 01 August 2024

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

My toxic trait: I hate pandering except when it’s aimed at me. So much so that I sometimes see pandering where there obviously isn’t any. Case in point: I’ve written a lot here lately about solved problems in hi-fi and how I think audio manufacturers should stop trying to reinvent the wheel when the wheel works just fine, but rather focus their R&D dollars on ergonomics, styling, and technologies that still have plenty of room for improvement. So I can’t help looking at a company like Peachtree Audio—and a product like its new Carina 300 integrated amplifier ($1999, all prices USD)—and think that somebody there is listening.

Details: Written by: Thom Moon; Created: 15 July 2024

Reviewers' Choice Pro-Ject Audio Systems claims to be the world’s largest manufacturer of audio turntables by far, and I have no reason to doubt that claim. In addition to offering a comprehensive lineup of turntables under its own brand, Pro-Ject manufactures ’tables for other brands as well. Their products receive near-unanimous praise for their engineering, materials, and sonic performance.