Welcome to The Abso!ute Sound online! We explore music and the reproduction of music in the home. We believe that the sound of music, unamplified, occurring in a real space is a philosophic absolute against which we may judge the performance of devices designed to reproduce music. Our goal is to provide the resources consumers need to judge how a component's sound either honors or departs from the music's truth, and to make sound purchasing decisions that maximize their experience of reproduced sound. Below is our Issue 197, November 2009 contents and editorial.

Read this edition's editorial by clicking here.

 

Articles & Reviews In This Issue
6  From the Editor
Why high-end audio has never been a greater value.

8  Fourteen Ways to Improve Your  System
Robert Harley offers simple and inexpensive tips for better sound.

12  A Music Lover's Guide to Computer-Based Music
Steven Stone walks you through choosing, setting up, and enjoying a hard-drive-based music system.

22  Guide to Better Bass
Everything you need to know to get great bass from your system.

36  Analog Lives! A Guide To LP Playback
Wayne Garcia shows you how to get into — or back into — vinyl.

44  How to Choose Interconnects and Loudspeaker Cables
Robert Harley answers the vexing question of how to pick the best cables for your system.

48  A Short Survey of Audiophile Record Labels
Wayne Garcia on the folks who make the best-sounding LPs and CDs.

52  The Best-Sounding LPs, CDs, and SACDs
Our staff chooses the crème de la crème of great music and spectacular sound.

65  High-End Audio Buyers' Guide
Mini-reviews of our top picks in every category and every price.

66  Stand-Mounted Loudspeakers
74  Floorstanding Loudspeakers
90  Subwoofers
94  Power Amplifiers
102  Integrated Amplifiers
110  Preamplifiers
118  Phonostages
126  CD and SACD Players
136  Servers and Other Digital Sources
142  Turntables
148  Tonearms
152  Cartridges
158  Tabletop Systems
160  Tuners
160  Equipment Racks
164  Power Conditioners
168   Interconnects, Speaker Cables, and Power Cords

176  The 18 Greatest Bargains in High-End Audio (and Where to Find Them in This Issue)

 

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