3.12.15 I wrote the review of the Master & Dynamic MH40s below while I was in the Impressions phase - as indicated in my first introductory sentence below. Since writing this piece I've had many listening sessions with my MH40s - and I still LOVE & prefer the gun-metal finish to the wildly popular brown-leather  - but that also looks great IMHO. I'm going to include some updates - and hopefully some of the original readers of the review will catch em'.   **I'm not sure if users receive updates because they commented or interacted with the review...

  I feel obligated to share out-of-the-gate that I am no CIEM expert! As a matter of fact, I don't even particularly enjoy IEMs - I love over-ear or on-ear headphones. That said: Experiencing JH Audio's JH-13 Pro (now Freqphase) IEMs at Canjam 2009 was nothing short of a revelation for me. As a matter of fact, the experience was so far from anything I had to compare it with that I ended up being fortunate enough to write the first formal review of the JH-13 Pro for Positive Feedback! That was an intimidating task to say the least. There I was, at...

When I finally got to sit down with Alex Cavalli and hear his Liquid Lightning and Liquid Gold I had unreasonable expectations. I love a combination of tubes and solid state in my reference systems. The sonic pairing of the body and warmth of tubes with the speed and precision of solid state, when executed properly (or just the right complementary components) have delivered some of my favorite, most musically transparent listening sessions of my life, period. I'm talkin' from six-seven foot speaker towers and amps the size of lobster traps to the...

The Audeze LCD-XC has, again, redefined what's possible for me in a headphone, in terms of sonic integrity and musical engagement. In this case I'm talking about music playback through closed cans. My favorite way to experience music via headphones is through open-back designs. They've always been more immediately able to transcend my thoughts about a band on my head and drivers hugging my ears when trying to lose myself in the music. Perhaps I never considered the notion of using closed headphones for anything more than DJing or gettin' on the road...

I just experienced one of the most incredible listening sessions I can remember with the ALO Studio Six!  I'm still in a sort-of sonic shock. I haven't experienced that sensation since I first heard the Genesis One Loudspeaker System (250k) in Harry Pearson's house (Founder of The Absolute Sound magazine) for the first time.   This is a single-ended triode amplifier that utilizes 6SN7, 6V6, 5AR4 and OB2 (2) tubes with an over spec'd power supply.  The beefy power supply is important here, as this amp delivers such velocity and authority that...

While I'm a known advocate for Audeze's LCD3 I've shied away from writing anything official about the cans because Alex Rosson, CEO and co-designer, has become one of my closest friends.  So there's an obvious conflict-of-interest, but I figured if I share that here I could maybe stop some of the vitriol in the commentary that might follow in our wonderfully strange world of high end audio, both personal and in-home. I've also experienced a handful of events over the last two years that have literally forced my hand. Some of my most intense listening...