The Audio Evangelist Goes Knocking on Doors
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: Opinion
I’ve been thinking a fair bit these days about getting newcomers involved in this sport. I know, I know—there’ve been untold numbers of editorials about how audiophiles are all balding, overweight, white-male boomers, and how hi‑fi is becoming less relevant with each passing year. However, my thoughts about this situation have been jump-started by several successful interactions with non-audiophiles who have subsequently come over to our side of the fence.
Spec RSA-EX1000 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.
“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
My father used to quote that line from Hamlet on the regular. It’s a useful phrase to have at the ready, even if the “Horatio” part takes away some of the gravitas. I remember using it while on a mid-’80s New Year’s Eve bus trip to Montreal with some of my hard-rocking, Coors Light–drinking buddies. We had slid in with a bunch of university students, and one of the girls mentioned the group the Smiths. My rocker friends were more Aerosmith and Led Zep, and rocker-buddy Louie responded that he hadn’t heard of them. The university girl was shocked. “You haven’t? Don’t you go out?” she said, her voice wet with scorn.
Technics SL-1200GME Turntable
- Written by: Jonathan Gorse
- Category: Full-Length Reviews
Do you remember your first proper turntable or hi‑fi source? I do. My family had one of those huge teak radiograms full of glowing valves that crackled and seemed to emit a faint whiff of menace. Inside the doors of the enormous cabinet was a radio tuner with mysterious names on it like Hilversum, Sundsvall, Moscow, and Vienna. There was a hint of cold-war intrigue about the whole thing, but it was exciting turning the dial and hearing strange whistles and crackles until a station would gradually emerge from the static. The turntable was one where you could load it up with a stack of 45s and it would gradually play through them, but the sound was thick and woolly, with very little detail. One day while my father was using it there was a sudden flash, and my poor dad received an electric shock. Mindful of posing undue risk to the children in the house, the following weekend he bundled us into the car and whisked us off to the local hi‑fi emporium. I remember being enthralled by the huge wall of speakers and the way you could select each pair in turn using a huge comparator unit. We came home with a Technics separates system, festooned with impressive flashing LEDs, VU meters, and more buttons than the jumbo jets he worked on.
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
- Devialet Astra Streaming Integrated Amplifier
- Digital Vampires: What Have I Invited Into My House?
- 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
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