The Leben CS600x will shatter your preconceptions of what an EL34 integrated amp sounds like. It is one of the most musical pieces of gear I’ve ever owned, and it combines the best qualities of SET and ultra linear tube amps. Reward it with NOS line stage tubes and upgraded power tubes, and it will produce exceptional sounds. I am no stranger to tube amps generally, or EL34 amps specifically. I’ve owned many EL34 integrateds, including the ASL DT1006, the VAC Avatar SE, and the Conrad Johnson CAV50. I’ve also owned the mighty AirTight ATM3 monoblock...

I've enjoyed digital audio for quite some time, ditching my high end CD transport in 2005 for a Mac Mini based music server feeding a high end DAC, and later adding a highly modified Squeezebox SB3 with a custom linear power supply. This setup "served" me well until I tired of having a computer system in my listening room. I pivoted to the Sony HAPZ1ES, a one box music server that also opened up the world of hi rez files to me. This setup served me well until it became clear that Sony would not support high rez music streaming services - they could...

This is my third Woo amp and by far my favorite. I owned a 6SE for two years, then sold it for a WA22 (which I still have). The 6Se had a nice warm sound, but the WA22 really took it up a notch, especially for balanced sources. The former owner of my WA22 raved about the WA5LE he had acquired, and I kept my eye open for a deal. I located this unit, which is a pre-2015 WA5.   There are very slight differences between pre-2015 WA5 versions and the current version offered by Woo. I verified with Woo that, except as indicated below, the WA5's circuit...

The Tri-Vista 21 was a limited edition DAC sold in late 2004, early 2005. It was massively overbuilt - great power supply and output stage, and ran extremely long life 5703 milspec tubes, which are good for 100,000 hours. The unit is hefty, 20 lbs, and it has toslink and SPDIF inputs, and RCA outputs. The power supply is heavily regulated and has great chokes - Musical Fidelity built this unit to a spectacular degree. The feet of the unit feature LEDs that light up first orange then blue to signal when the unit has reached ideal warmup.   Compared...

I switched to the VPI Prime after a few months with a Pro-Ject Carbon Debut table - a great entry level table that provides a glimpse of great vinyl but left me wanting much more. The step from the Pro-Ject to the VPI is a massive step. The Pro-Ject retails for about $700 with needed upgrades; the VPI Prime retails for $3800 plus cartridge - I went for the $750 Ortofon 2M Black. Look for deals, however, as I was able to get the two for $3700 total - still over 5x the cost of the Pro-Ject.   Once you've recovered from the shock of that massive price...

I've been into vinyl previously but in the mid-90's, sold my high end VPI table and never looked back. I ended up recently with a bunch of new records and nothing to play them on, and decided to test the vinyl waters again - there is much more interesting and better sounding choices now than there was ten-15 years ago when record companies were fleeing record sales. Now it seems everyone is into vinyl - one positive thing I can thank the hipsters for.   Reviews all pointed to the Pro-Ject Carbon Debut as the "it" entry-level table - the minimum you...