Audiophilepure

https://pt.audio/2025/08/10/alexandria-audio-the-monitor-revisited-review/

My second round with the Alexandria Audio The Monitor changed how I feel about these monitors. I liked them the first time, back in 2023, but this time I had a system that was more resolving and more ambitious, and The Monitor was completely happy to join the party and impress me anew. I suppose the lesson here is that follow-up reviews represent an absolute good in our hobby–I’ve changed my mind about many hi-fi components in the past, and I bet plenty of reviewers can say the same thing.

But the real lesson here is that Alexandria Audio, who has been expanding their product line to great fanfare in other parts of the world, should be offered in the United States. When I was younger, I found high-end audio magazines from Europe and Asia to be highly informative. Now, I find audio shows in places such as Munich to be invigorating to my enjoyment of this hobby. There’s so much good hi-fi gear coming from all over the world, and while that’s currently being threatened by tariffs and other nonsense, as a true audiophile you need to get out there and find your true sound. For me, the Alexandria Audio The Monitor should be a household name in North America. If you find a pair to listen to, I think you’ll agree.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/piega-premium-301-gen2-loudspeaker

Missing was the kind of massive soundscape to make these pieces all-encompassing – the 301 Gen2s favouring focus and control. Yet Eminem’s studio-produced ‘Superman’ [The Eminem Show; Interscope 493 290-2], with its added bass heft and upfront sound, did feel both immersive and largescale, as did the title track from AC/DC’s ‘Highway To Hell’ [Epic EPC 510764 2], with its echo-laden riffs and drums.

Seeking warmth and bounce? Then try Dennis Wilson’s ‘Pacific Ocean Blues’ [Pacific Ocean Blue; Caribou Records 88985368632] – one of the funkiest blues jams ever recorded, and a reminder that Brian wasn’t the only Beach Boy with musical magic in his fingertips. Again, the 301 Gen2 played it straight, avoiding any extra bloom or romance while digging into the various tones and colours. If detail, transparency, and dynamism are on your wish-list, Piega’s compact speaker is made to measure.

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0715/YG_Acoustics_Carmel_2_Floorstanding_Loudspeaker_Review.htm

The YG Carmel ($18,000), when it came along in 2010, was a revelation to me. Here is the conclusion of my review of that speaker. That the Carmel belongs in the reference class is unquestionable. More than that, I have selected it to be my new reference. That’s just going to raise the bar for any new speakers that come my way for review. Some of you may prefer a more laid-back approach, or a speaker with greater low frequency extension or a higher maximum sound pressure capability. I’m not promising this speaker will press your buttons as fully as it presses mine, but if you are spending upwards of $15,000 on a pair of speakers it’s worth going out of your way to give the Carmel a listen. You can thank me later.

If I were to put a bucket list together of speakers to review, somewhere near the top would be a pair of TAD Laboratories speakers. I have done that now, and someday a pair of Reference would be nice, if anyone is listening.

I have been fortunate to have reviewed some really great speakers lately, but the TAD left their mark as some of the best stand-mounted speakers I’ve reviewed – tight, razor sharp, and yet soft and soulful. The ME1TX were as close to perfect as I could imagine.

What the TAD-ME1TX does so well is play back music uncolorized and transparent. Far from clinical and sterile, the ME1TX has a marvelous sense of warmth and grace. It is almost sad that this type of listening is a luxury to most, including myself. Given any opportunity to listen to the TAD-ME1TX (or any TAD Labs speakers), do yourself a favor: grab a listen and enjoy.

https://pt.audio/2025/06/27/line-magnetic-lm-519-sg-edition-integrated-amplifier-review/

Line Magnetic led the redevelopment of the WE212E tube in partnership with a domestic manufacturer, aiming to revive its legendary performance using modern techniques. Recreating the 212E posed significant challenges, as the original was a military-grade tube made with rare and now restricted materials. Through detailed analysis and reverse engineering, the team attempted to replicate its composition. However, environmental regulations under RoHS rendered some materials obsolete, causing delays. With persistence, alternative materials were sourced from European suppliers, enabling the team to match the original’s performance while remaining compliant. After multiple refinements, stable and reliable 212E samples were produced.

The tube’s heavy glass stem, prone to breakage during transport, highlighted the need for structural updates. Line Magnetic worked with the manufacturer to reinforce the design without altering its electrical characteristics. The result was a more shock-resistant structure with significantly improved reliability.

The EXACT constant voltage series crossover is a tour de force in engineering. Far from a conventional dividing network, the EXACT filter circuit elevates performance to the outer limits of sonic possibilities, delivering much higher emotional content, not by added tonal warmth or artifacts, but by allowing the signal to be fully rendered, keeping it pure and completely faithful to the artistry of the original event.  This dramatic improvement is accomplished by isolating all the mechanical distortion nodes of each of the drivers and suppressing their influence on the overall sound, generating ruler flat frequency response, with incredibly low distortion. The electrical performance of the system is made more linear, yielding much tighter impedance deviations, or smaller phase shifts. This combines to create a loudspeaker that is more accurate, both sonically and electrically, resulting in much greater realism in both tonal reproduction and sound stage presentation.