The Absolute Sound      May / June 2023

  The Absolute Sound is the world's preeminent source of expert product reviews, features, and commentary on high-performance audio. Since 1973, TAS has set the standard for quality audio and music journalism, helping to shape the industry and guiding audio enthusiasts and music lovers to components and recordings that faithfully reproduce the sounds one might hear in a good concert hall. The Absolute Sound's editors and reviewers, many of whom have been writing about music and high fidelity for better than three decades, bring unparalleled enthusiasm, expertise, and insight to the magazine's readers.

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From the Editor
Inside The Sausage Factory
Robert Harley explains how The Absolute Sound chooses products for review.
Editorial By Robert Harley
How do we choose products for review in The Absolute Sound? Why do we review certain products and not others? What are the criteria for inclusion in the magazine? I'm sure that many readers have asked these questions, so I'll share with you some of the decision-making that goes into the process. I'll also let you in on the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that sometimes occurs as manufacturers jockey for position in the magazine. Although we publish many more product reviews than other magazines, TAS can review only about 80 to 90 products per year. That math dictates that we must be very selective in choosing review products out of the many hundreds of new-product introductions every year. The selection criteria start with whether we have reason to believe the product will be outstanding.
---> Inside The Sausage Factory. 

Cover Story
Rockport Technologies Orion Loudspeaker
This all-new model from venerable Rockport brings world-class performance — and some surprising twists — to a moderately sized loudspeaker. Robert Harley brings you a full sonic, musical, and technical assessment of this mid-sized miracle.

Letters
We listen to our readers.

Show Report
The Florida International Audio Expo
Alan Taffel and Andrew Quint report on the hottest new gear from Tampa.

Feature
Geometry Of The Orchestra
Robert E. Greene examines the constraints — and miracle — of reproducing an orchestra's scale on a hi-fi system.

Absolute Analog
Kuzma Safir Tonearm
This technically innovative tonearm from Frank Kuzma offers state-of-the-art performance at a less lofty price, says Michael Fremer.

Lyra Etna Lambda Phono Cartridge
What's in a name? Plenty, if that name includes the "Lambda" suffix. Alan Taffel reports on the new version of Lyra's Etna cartridge.

Ortofon Diamond Phono Cartridge
Michael Fremer delves into Ortofon's rich history in this in-depth evaluation of the Danish cartridge-maker's new Diamond moving-coil.

Electronics Focus Equipment Reports
Cambridge Audio EVO 150 Streaming Integrated Amplifier
High-performance audio couldn't get any easier than this all-in-one unit: Just add speakers. Muse Kastanovich makes the case for affordability and simplicity.

Amped America AMP2400 Power Amplifier
Steven Stone reports on this affordable Class D powerhouse of an amp.

Schiit Audio Loki Max Equalizer
Robert E. Greene extols the virtues of equalizing your recordings and finds no better tool for the job than Schiit Audio's Loki Max.

AGD Productions Alto Preamplifier And Tempo Power Amplifier
With a new type of output transistor, these electronics from newcomer AGD Productions deliver great Class D performance, says Muse Kastanovich.

Equipment Reports
Technics SL-G700M2 CD / SACD Player And Streaming DAC
Technics has lavished its most advanced technologies on this single-box solution to digital playback. Anthony H. Cordesman explains why the SL-G700M2 is so compelling.

Dynaudio Confidence 50 Loudspeaker
This full-sized floorstander from one of the most established names in loudspeakers shows why size matters. Andy Quint reports.

United Home Audio Ultima5 Open-Reel Tape Player
After being wowed by United Home Audio's cost-no-object SuperDeck, Jonathan Valin weighs in on tape guru Greg Beron's more affordable entry in the wonderful world of reel-to-reel — the single-chassis, 15ips UHA Ultima5 with OPS-DC power supply. Plus: JV's SuperTape List of some of the best-sounding, most musically worthy R2R tapes on the market.

MoFi SourcePoint 10 Loudspeaker
This retro-looking design from famed designer Andrew Jones delivers startling sound from a compact loudspeaker. Dick Olsher brings you the details.

AudioQuest ThunderBird Interconnect And ThunderBird Zero Loudspeaker Cables
Part of AudioQuest's new Mythical Creatures Series, the ThunderBird series provides trickle-down engineering at its best. Neil Gader reports on these overachievers.

Future TAS
New products on the horizon.

Video Preview
A look at the newest videos on The Absolute Sound's YouTube channel.

Music
To Hell And Back
Bob Dylan's Time out of Mind is a particularly dark album — yet, as Greg Cahill explains, it helped reignite Dylan's career.

When Bowie Became Bowie
A new deluxe edition sheds light on how David Bowie's music made a quantum leap forward as Hunky Dory began to take shape. Jeff Wilson reports.

One Hundred Dreams And Counting
In an interview with Derk Richardson, pianist Satoko Fujii discusses her prolific body of work.

Greatest Grunge Reissues
Along with recommending some deluxe editions of classic grunge rock albums, Gil Kaufman points out several overlooked titles.

Hedvig Mollestad's Maternity Beat
Jeff Wilson discusses a new collaboration between an innovative Norwegian guitarist and the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra.

Rock, Etc.
Elvis Costello / Burt Bacharach, the Arcs, Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy, Robert Hill/Joanne Lediger, NRBQ, Jim Carroll, Harvey Mandel, Steely Dan, Harry Belafonte, and an anthology of Japanese city pop.

Jazz
Frank Kimbrough, Brad Mehldau, Benny Carter, Paco De Lucia, Patricia Barber, Jane Bunnett, and Henry Lowther.

Classical
Performances by Lisa Batiashvili, the Pacifica Quartet, Trio Imàge, and Matthew Bengston, soundtracks by John Williams, the piano music of Scriabin, and a performance of Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana.

Back Page
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