Ban Classical!
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: Opinion
You’ve likely noticed that the SoundStage! Network websites adhere to a semi-monthly publishing schedule. SoundStage! Hi‑Fi, Ultra, Access, Simplifi, Xperience, and Solo are all refreshed on the first of the month and again on the 15th. Behind the scenes, there’s a flurry of activity that begins about five days before each update. Founder and publisher Doug Schneider kicks it off by sending links to each of the upcoming reviews and editorials to the authors, copy editors, senior editors, and our proofreading crew.
Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue Moving-Coil Cartridge
- Written by: Jonathan Gorse
- Category: Full-Length Reviews
This is one of those reviews that has needed a little time to come together. Etsuro Urushi is an elite cartridge line produced by Japan’s Excel Sound Corporation. Excel is probably better known for its Hana range of cartridges, but a large part of its business is manufacturing cartridges for third-party firms. It is one of the world’s most respected cartridge manufacturers. Having already reviewed the Hana Umami Red, I was naturally keen to see how Excel’s more exotic offerings perform. In the UK, where I live, the Etsuro line is distributed by Unique Audio, which is headed up by Mik Bhavnani, who has been involved in high-end audio for 40 years.
An Ortofon Vertical Tasting, Ending with the MC 90X
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: For the Record
I’ve reviewed cartridges that retail from US$1000 all the way up to $12,500 and found something to enjoy about every one of them. I guess that’s my reviewing superpower: being able to listen to pretty much any component and find something to love about it, even if it’s not a product that I’d choose to live with in the long term. It’s a skill that comes in handy—especially with cartridges.
Jason Thorpe’s Vienna Highlights
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: Opinion
“Are you not entertained?” It’s a meme wrapped in a movie—Russell Crowe in Gladiator, feeding the red meat of a fight to the death to a hungry crowd, and then calling them out for it. Somehow, that scene rattled around in my head for the entire time I attended High End 2026 in Vienna, Austria.
Clarus Concerto MKII Power Conditioner
- Written by: Phil Gold
- Category: Full-Length Reviews
I’m not a doctor, but I do know and appreciate one of the principles of the Hippocratic oath: “First, do no harm.”
Setting Up a Turntable—How Hard Can It Be?
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: For the Record
Our daughter, Toni, has been playing for a rep basketball team, the East York Eagles, for the past three years. Toni is an only child, so it’s been fairly easy for me to attend all the games, and it’s been a fun, rewarding experience to be part of this group.
Streaming Radio: So Smart It’s Painful
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: Opinion
I’m likely late to this type of complaint. Up to last year, I’d never really used a streaming service. Oh, sure, I’ve subscribed to Tidal since 2018, but it’s always been integrated into my Logitech Media Server software. I rarely listen to online music while I’m outside the house—I rely on local FM stations in the car and a bunch of downloaded favorites when I’m riding my motorcycle.
Engström Arne Integrated Amplifier
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: Full-Length Reviews
Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.
Who doesn’t love a tube amp? Okay, okay; I know there’s a large contingent of audiophiles who actively don’t like them, but those people are missing an important part of their souls. Tube amplifiers check many of the boxes that define archetypal human satisfaction. Think about it—tube amps provide warmth and light. They rely on similar principles to the lightning in the sky—which we used to think was the work of the gods.
Devialet Astra Streaming Integrated Amplifier
- Written by: Phil Gold
- Category: Full-Length Reviews
Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.
The late Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, famously declared, “You can never be too rich or too thin.” French manufacturer Devialet appears to have taken the latter half of this maxim to heart in the design of their amplifiers. Their first product, the D‑Premier integrated amp (2010), stood just 1.7″ high and marked a striking departure from conventional amplifier design. It caused a sensation at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where it was shown with its innards exposed, underscoring its unconventional engineering approach.
Digital Vampires: What Have I Invited Into My House?
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: Opinion
Some changes to my audiophile mindset have long been brewing. Since I started headlining SoundStage! Ultra, I’ve been slowly, slowly learning that (a) expensive doesn’t necessarily translate to better, and (b) much, if not most, accepted audiophile lore is categorically bullshit.
- PMC MB2 SE Loudspeaker
- Talking Talk Talk
- Engström—Super-Sexy Tube Amps from Sweden
- IsoAcoustics Gaia III Neo Loudspeaker Isolation Footer
- Sphinx Element 3 Loudspeaker
- Ultra Invades the Neighborhood
- Michell Cusis M Moving-Coil Phono Cartridge
- Burmester 232 Integrated Amplifier
- Stepping Up to the Ortofon Cadenza Black
- The WiiM Amp Ultra—What’s Happened to Me?
Page 1 of 52
SoundStage! Ultra is part of
All contents available on this website are copyrighted by SoundStage!® and Schneider Publishing Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
This site was designed by Rocket Theme, Karen Fanas, and The SoundStage! Network.
To contact us, please e-mail info@soundstagenetwork.com