About 5 years ago, I bought on a Marantz 2265 off Craigslist for $300 from a seller in Park Slope, Brooklyn. That was an attractive price given how popular the vintage Marantz, blue-dial receivers had become (and remain today). I remember him bringing it down to my car and asking about my repair plans. He... Continue Reading →

Stereophile reviewer Jason Victor Serinus owns what appears to be a half-million-dollar-plus Hi-Fi system. It includes, among other things, a dCS Vivaldi Apex DAC, a Vivaldi Upsampler Plus, a Vivaldi Master Clock, an Innuos Statement NextGen Music Service, a Dan D'Agostino Momentum HD preamp and Progression M550 monoblocks, Wilson Alexia V speakers, various Nordost cables,... Continue Reading →

One of the many benefits of my foray into DIY audio is that I've learned the prices of the components that go into many hi-fi components, including the high-quality capacitors, resistors, transistors, and transformers that form the heart of most amps and preamps. The truth is that even the highest quality components from the likes... Continue Reading →

I've written previously about my efforts to replace my beloved Logitech Squeezebox with a Raspberry Pi-based Logitech Media Server or Roon endpoint. But I recently started using a Roon feature that has changed how I listen to music, and I'll never go back to anything else. After subscribing to Roon last year, I played around... Continue Reading →

If you've read my review of the Nakamichi SR-2A, then you already know how I feel about Nelson Pass and his Stasis design. That low-powered receiver floored me, and it is still the best $100 that I've ever spent on a piece of stereo equipment. So when the opportunity came along to purchase a Nakamichi... Continue Reading →

I dedicated my last post to the joys of building a Raspberry Pi-based Squeezebox replacement, not least of which is that Logitech Media Server (LMS) is free and works well overall. Audiophiles with deeper pockets, however, have another great option: Roon Labs' music server software. Roon's software costs $9.99 per month (which does not include... Continue Reading →

The Logitech Squeezebox Touch was a life-changing device. I vividly recall seeing it on the cover of Stereophile, reading the review, and then purchasing one the same day for $300. That is still the best $300 I have ever spent on a piece of audio equipment. The Touch not only put my entire library of... Continue Reading →

Have you ever done something and realized immediately that it was a huge mistake? That is how I felt when I recently sold my Sansui AU-555A, a little gem of an amp that I never should have let go. I bought it on eBay a few years ago and it sat in my closet for... Continue Reading →

The story of my SA-7800 is one of heartbreak, frustration, and triumph. I purchased this unit on Craigslist for $200 about two or three years ago.  I picked it up from a self-storage facility in Brooklyn where the owner had set up a tiny electronics repair space.  He apparently owned a radio and television repair... Continue Reading →

If you've read my other reviews on this site, you know that I'm often excited about my vintage audio finds.  So imagine my excitement when I found an Ayre V-3 for sale by its original owner in mint condition for what I considered the bargain price of $800.  While that is more than I've previously... Continue Reading →