SoundStage! Access | SoundStageAccess.com (GoodSound.com)

First Look: KEF Q3 Meta Bookshelf Speaker

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 15 December 2024

Here’s the thing about reviewing a seemingly never-ending stream of audio gear: From time to time, a product will come in that, for one reason or another, feels like a palate cleanser. A reset. A sanity check, if you will. For me, without even having listened to them yet, KEF’s Q3 Meta bookshelf speakers ($799.99/pair, all prices in USD) feel like that.

Totem Acoustic Kin One Music System

Details: Written by: Thom Moon; Created: 15 December 2024

Canada’s Totem Acoustic describes its Kin line as “a companion brand . . . born from a desire to engage a wider audience by offering affordable solutions to today’s audio-capable devices.” I think they’ve succeeded with their Kin One music system. Priced at $1199 (all prices in USD), the Kin One system consists of the Kin Amp and a pair of Kin One bookshelf loudspeakers. The amp, a class-D design with built-in phono stage and Bluetooth connectivity, is available separately for $799. The speakers can be purchased separately for $599/pair, so purchasers save $199 by buying the system as a package.

The Stuff in the Middle

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 01 December 2024

Some months back, SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider said something to me that has been rolling around in my brain ever since, accumulating some of the debris that results from my own habitus. The quip was simply this: “People get source devices. They understand those. They get speakers. They know what those are. But these days, they just have no clue what any of the stuff in the middle actually is or does.”

Dynaudio Emit 30 Loudspeaker

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 01 December 2024

Whether or not you’ve ever sat down in front of a pair of Dynaudio speakers, you’ve likely been exposed to the brand’s influence. If you found yourself sitting in a Volvo with the premium sound option in the aughts, you were listening to Dynaudio speakers. Ditto Volkswagens a few years later. More recently, the freaking Bugatti Veyron boasts a Dynaudio sound system (although I’m guessing not a lot of Access readers are riding around in Bugattis on the reg). The company also used to sell its drivers to DIY speaker builders, though those days are long gone. But still, it points to the fact that this is one of the few speaker brands out there making its own drivers. And many of the world’s top recording studios, including the Hit Factory, rely on Dynaudio professional monitors. All of which means that a little entry-level floorstanding tower speaker such as the Dynaudio Emit 30 ($849.50 each, all prices USD) has a heck of a lot of pedigree behind it.

Reloop HiFi Turn 3 Mk2 Turntable with Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge

Details: Written by: Thom Moon; Created: 15 November 2024

Since its founding in 1996, the primary business of German audio company Reloop has been supplying equipment for club DJs. But not long ago, they brought out a line of turntables designed for the home-audio market under the name Reloop HiFi. I reviewed their entry-level unit, the Turn 2, in November 2023, and I thought it was a fine value.

Dynaudio Emit 30 Loudspeakers Unboxing and First Impressions

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 15 November 2024

It’s that time of year when introspective folks start looking back over their year, and when I do that with regard to my work here at SoundStage! Access, I see a few unintentional trends. Early in the year, my efforts were focused heavily on integrated amps. To be fair, that’s sort of my beat and not out of the ordinary. The middle of the year was dominated by a long run of vinyl coverage. And lately, for whatever reason, I find myself reviewing more speakers than usual. This month’s offering is the Dynaudio Emit 30, a slim, petite two-and-a-half-way tower speaker that sells for just $1699/pair (USD).

Are CDs Making a Comeback?

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 01 November 2024

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) recently released its mid-year report on the state of the music business, and if you’re a fan of disc-shaped receptacles of recorded sound, the news isn’t all bad. In the first half of 2024, physical media brought in an appreciable $994 million for the American music industry, versus $882 million in the first half of 2023 and $840 million in the first half of 2022.

Totem Acoustic Loon Monitor Loudspeaker

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 01 November 2024

In a recent episode of Audio Unleashed, my cohost Brent Butterworth—friend of the SoundStage! Network and former SoundStage! Solo editor—said something that’s been living rent-free in my head ever since: “Audio reviewers, you and I included, have egos, and . . . as much as you and I try to resist this, we . . . often try to confirm our existing beliefs.” The reason I’m bringing this up is that, unbeknownst to Brent, he uttered those words when I was smack-dab in the middle of writing a review of Totem’s new Loon Monitor standmount loudspeaker ($1299/pair, all prices USD) and struggling with it to a degree. Because the Loon seems to intentionally rebel against a lot of what I look for in a speaker, and I’ve been grappling for weeks with how best to communicate my honest feelings about how this speaker does sound, detached from all the baggage related to my thoughts on how speakers should sound.

Pro-Ject Audio Systems Automat A2 Turntable and Sumiko Oyster Rainier Cartridge

Details: Written by: Thom Moon; Created: 15 October 2024

Reviewers' Choice Regular readers may recall that I’m a fan of automatic turntables. There are several reasons for my preference; most notable among them is not having to get up every 20 to 30 minutes to lift the tonearm off the record. When I was much younger, the mere mention of an automatic turntable would elicit raised eyebrows from hardcore audio enthusiasts—and maybe even a condescending sneer. Automatics were criticized for the supposed drag the auto mechanism placed on the tonearm.

Totem Acoustic Loon Monitor Unboxing and First Impressions

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 15 October 2024

It’s time for a confession. While I still get excited about unboxing any piece of gear that has crossed my threshold for review—I get to play with toys for a living, after all—when it comes to electronics, that excitement normally centers on ergonomics, design, vibes, that sort of thing. With speakers, though, there’s a bit of anxiety involved. Surprises can be either a good or bad thing depending on my mood, and electronics don’t have much in the way of surprises when it comes to performance. Speakers, on the other hand—well, they all sound a bit different, don’t they? Some more different than others.

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