When it comes to prestigious audio brands, KEF may not be the first to come to mind. Companies like Bose and Sony have a large range of products for both budget-minded consumers and audiophiles alike. KEF, on the other hand, prefers to cater to a specific audience. Just one quick look at their website and you’ll realize that this is a brand for people who take audio seriously. With some of their products priced upwards of $100,000, it’s clear that they offer more than just fancy marketing. Recently, they’ve begun to pivot a little. With the GRAVITY ONE, KEF teamed up...
What is Yamaha’s MusicCast? The market for multiroom systems has been growing over the last few years as manufacturers try to move into a space that, until recently, was dominated by Sonos. So it came as no surprise when Yamaha announced a multiroom system of their own last year, although the name may have been familiar to those with longer memories. Yamaha actually tried to create a multiroom system, then called MusicCAST, over a decade ago but by their own admission it was beyond the capabilities of the technology at the time. So it must have been quite annoying for...
Well, Jason Sanders is no stranger to the SPL scene and has enjoyed the DD Audio brand over the years…. So when he contacted me three months ago about getting 12 x DD-212-S4’s I asked him why so many? He replied that he had always wanted to build a clamshell enclosure for his Mirage and built to a budget. It did not take long before the build took shape… The 12 DD-212’s are looking great in their new home… See below a close up shot… I guess you are now thinking, what was I thinking? What amp was going to...
Can Yamaha dethrone Sonos at their own game? One of the holy grails of audio is whole-house music. Traditionally, installing a high-quality whole-house audio system involved an expensive receiver or separates, multizone amplifiers, custom-installed cabling, and a home automation system to control everything. Several years ago, Sonos became a spouse’s dream and turned the custom-installer industry on end with its expandable, wireless audio system. Using WiFi and a slick app you could stream audio to Sonos-branded speakers and even connect your Sonos streams to your HiFi system. Even though Sonos didn’t provide custom integrators with their accustomed markup margins, the...
Vinyl is the format that just refuses to die. Back in the late 1990s its days seemed numbered, but since then, slowly but surely, sales have been building. And we’re glad. It’s a format we like, and it’s capable of a terrific sound, provided you take a bit of care – and this is where vinyl is different from other formats. Unlike the digital alternatives, a lack of care in installation can cripple the final sound. Now there are some great ‘plug and play’ turntables on the market, and for more complex decks, many dealers will help you set it...
