Arendal Sound 1528 Monitor 8 Loudspeaker
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- Written by Philip Beaudette Philip Beaudette
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 01 December 2025 01 December 2025
Note: measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada’s National Research Council can be found through this link.
I’d never heard of Arendal Sound prior to reviewing its 1723 Tower S loudspeaker early in 2024. I liked the pair, but I didn’t love them. They were solidly built and sounded remarkably smooth, even at high volumes. But they weren’t as detailed as some of the competition. Regardless, they performed well, and I concluded my review by remarking that I was eager to see and hear what the company did next.
Rotel Michi Q5 CD Player–DAC
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- Written by George de Sa George de Sa
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 15 November 2025 15 November 2025
Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.
“Perfect sound forever”—that was the promise consumer-electronics and recording companies made back in 1982 when Sony’s CDP‑101 made its debut. The CDP‑101 was the first consumer CD player to hit the market. Although the validity of that initial claim has been hotly debated since the CD’s inception, it’s amazing that 40-plus years later, the format maintains a foothold. Not only do manufacturers continue to introduce new CD players, but some of these components represent continuing attempts to attain that elusive goal of perfect sound.
Focal Diva Utopia Streaming Active Loudspeaker System
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- Written by George de Sa George de Sa
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 01 November 2025 01 November 2025
Even with the huge variety of products available today, high-end loudspeakers with built-in network streamers are still few and far between. There are quite a few streaming active speaker systems that target mainstream buyers, including those from major brands such as JBL, KEF, PSB, and Technics. But truly aspirational wireless speaker systems are rarer. Bang & Olufsen’s Beolab 90 is one exception. There are a few others from the likes of Goldmund and Meridian—and more recently, Focal.
Anthem MCA 225 Gen 2 Stereo Amplifier
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- Written by Philip Beaudette Philip Beaudette
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 01 October 2025 01 October 2025
Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.
The recent heavy tariffs imposed on Canada by its neighbor to the south and the provocative rhetoric (annexation? seriously?) have sparked a surge of patriotic fervor among Canadians, many of whom now feel duty-bound to buy Canadian when possible. For those in the market for a power amplifier, Anthem’s MCA 225 Gen 2 (US$2299.99, CA$2699.99, £2295, €2550), which is designed and manufactured entirely in Canada, is an appealing choice.
Cambridge Audio EXA100 Integrated Amplifier–DAC
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- Written by Roger Kanno Roger Kanno
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 01 September 2025 01 September 2025
Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.
Cambridge Audio’s product offerings are diverse and extensive, encompassing nearly every type of audio product, including home-theater components, speakers (from in-ceiling speakers and subwoofers to an all-in-one, wireless streaming speaker), turntables, phono preamps, and headphones. When looking at the company’s integrated amplifiers, one finds a surprising disparity in both price and specified performance between the Edge- and CX-series amps. With the recent release of the EXA100 integrated amplifier, Cambridge Audio has bridged this gap, providing a high-quality, high-power integrated amplifier at a moderate price.
Anthem P2 Stereo Amplifier
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- Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 01 August 2025 01 August 2025
Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.
The Anthem P2 stereo amplifier is not a new product, nor is this the first time we’ve reviewed it. Launched in 2005 as the Statement P2 stereo amplifier, it was reviewed by Jason Thorpe, who praised its sonic transparency. At that time, the amplifier retailed for a very reasonable $2500 in the United States, and Jason bought the review sample and used it for several years. Now, 20 years later, we’re reviewing the Anthem P2 again.
Dynaudio Confidence 20A Active Loudspeaker System
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- Written by George de Sa George de Sa
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 01 July 2025 01 July 2025
Most audiophiles want to assemble their systems themselves, to match components in the hope of maximizing performance. Since a system built around passive loudspeakers requires an amplifier, hi-fi enthusiasts have traditionally favored passive loudspeakers over active models, which have built-in amplifiers.
Hegel Music Systems D50 Digital-to-Analog Converter
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- Written by George de Sa George de Sa
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 01 June 2025 01 June 2025
Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.
With its midnight-black plumage, the raven is a bird that evokes a sense of seriousness. It’s been associated with prophecy and mysticism, and the intelligence of real-world ravens is well documented. In Norse mythology, two ravens, Huginn and Muninn, served Odin by traveling the earth and bringing back knowledge and insight. Tying into this mythology, Norway-based Hegel Music Systems has nicknamed its latest and greatest DAC, the D50 ($4900, CA$5900, £4250, €4895), “the Raven.”
Bryston Bi-200 Integrated Amplifier
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- Written by Philip Beaudette Philip Beaudette
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 01 May 2025 01 May 2025
Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.
If you’ve followed my work on SoundStage! Network, you probably know that I’ve been using Bryston amplifiers for many years—18 to be exact. My hi-fi journey began in 2002 with a Yamaha home-theater receiver. When I realized I would never use four of its six channels, I replaced it with an NAD integrated amplifier. In 2007 I upgraded to a Bryston B100 SST integrated, and in 2013 I purchased the B100’s successor, the B135 SST2, which I’ve used ever since. The B135 SST2 was succeeded by the B1353 integrated amplifier, which I reviewed in 2021. Although I slightly preferred the sound of the B1353 over that of my B135 SST2 and found the new amp to be quieter, the difference was not enough to justify upgrading. Suffice it to say, I’ve become quite familiar with Bryston components.
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle Loudspeaker
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- Written by Philip Beaudette Philip Beaudette
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 15 April 2025 15 April 2025
Note: measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada’s National Research Council can be found through this link.
When I moved from my one-bedroom apartment in Ottawa, Canada, to a detached house in the suburbs of Toronto several years ago, I was excited by the prospect of having a large unfinished basement where I could set up my stereo system. I figured I’d be able to enjoy bigger sound, which I could crank up from time to time without irritating my neighbors. That first part didn’t go quite as planned. As fellow SoundStager Jason Thorpe once told me, it can be difficult to fill a large room with sound, and that’s exactly what I found.
