An Audio Blog by Walden
Ideas & Insights on Audio & Good Sound
Aurorasound’s New HFSA-02. An Amplifier Outside the Ordinary
When I was looking for a new phono amplifier some years ago, before Walden High-End Audio, I came across Aurorasound. I had never heard of the brand, but when listening to the VIDA MKII phono amplifier, I discovered a sound that immediately drew me in: the expressiveness and fluidity one associates with a good tube amplifier, combined with a sense of scale and energy.
On The Audio Note (UK) JINRO
The Audio Note (UK) JINRO is one of those amplifiers we were fortunate enough to live with for some time, and one we will not soon forget. The JINRO combines the purity and clarity characteristic of the finest single-ended amplifiers with a sense of power more readily associated with a push-pull design.
KUZMA Stabi R – Stability, Scale and Swing
We ordered our KUZMA Stabi R in a custom RAL finish: a tranquil moss green colour that also brings to mind the aesthetic of the legendary Japanese Shindo components. The result wonderfully suits what this turntable conveys. Our Stabi R was fitted with the KUZMA 4Point 11 tonearm, including the optional VTA Tower. Even today, this tonearm remains an absolute reference for us.
LUXMAN D-100 CENTENNIAL
If you have a weakness for Japanese technology at its very best, it is difficult to ignore LUXMAN. Few names in high-end audio can draw upon a history as long and as rich. The story began in 1925, and over the course of a century LUXMAN has lived through virtually every major transition in audio: from radio to hi-fi, from valves to transistors, from analogue to digital, and from the Compact Disc to SACD and high-resolution music.
On The Secret of Musicality & The Work of Hiraga
Modern loudspeakers promise technical perfection. Manufacturers routinely claim frequency responses from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, vanishingly low distortion, and sophisticated crossover networks designed to optimize every driver within its ideal operating range. Yet experienced listeners often encounter a paradox: systems that measure impressively can still fail to communicate the vitality of live music. This contradiction fascinated Jean Hiraga, one of the most influential voices in high-end audio.
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