Announcements
In Memoriam: John Stancavage
by Kerry Malone “Never leave a friend behind. Friends are all we have to get through this life — and they are the only things from this world that we could hope to see […]
Articles by John Stancavage
Audio-Life
How do we attract more younger listeners? | The Listening Room
[Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the spring/summer edition of The Occasional, Part-Time Audiophile’s free, downloadable print/web magazine. You can read previous columns and other exclusive stories in that issue here.] I was checking my […]
Announcements
Pioneering speaker designer David Wilson dies
David Wilson may not have invented the high-end speaker, but his designs did much to define the category. Wilson’s Watt/Puppy, which began as a one-off project to help Wilson better monitor live recordings, became one […]
Announcements
AXPONA 2018 Advance: New venue, more gear, live music
There are a lot of ways to judge the significance and success of a hi-fi show — including the size of the venue, total attendance and number of exhibitors. By any of those metrics, Audio […]
Components
Review: Pass Labs X600.8 mono block Power Amplifier
Do you want the hernia or the double hernia? The voice on the phone asking that question was Bryan Stanton, a communications specialist who works with Pass Labs. A few weeks prior, we had begun […]
Components
McIntosh MA252 tube/solid-state: Review
Say hello to the McIntosh MA252: “Hello, stranger.” In the world of high-end audio, there are solid-state tribes and there are tube tribes. Usually, the two pretty much stick to their own camps, except for scattered […]
Announcements
An interview with hifi legend Nelson Pass
Part-Time Audiophile talks to Nelson Pass Nelson Pass formed his first audio company with a friend while studying physics at the University of California-Davis in the early 1970s. He went on to co-found Threshold Electronics […]
Show Report
U.S. Audio Shows in 2018: Bigger, Better, More
It appears 2018 is going to be another hectic year for U.S. audio shows. One California event that was postponed last year is set to return — less than a week before another major show […]
Music
Part-Time Audiophile’s favorite albums of 2017
You’ll note that we’re not calling this the Best Albums of 2017. There are plenty of those lists out there, and they are pretty much dominated by this year’s critical darlings with some heavily promoted […]
Awards
The Part-Time Audiophile guide to the best hi-fi gear of 2017
Picking the best audio component of the year is kind of like pondering your ultimate list of girls to ask to the high school prom. There are many very attractive choices, but probably a much […]
Music
Review: Getting my groove on with one-step vinyl releases
In business, it can be advantageous to cut out the middle man. In vinyl record production, too, less can be more. The latest mini-trend in the audiophile world is one-step recordings, which eliminate two parts […]
Announcements
Last chance to register to win an AudioQuest DragonFly Red DAC
Time is running out to start 2018 with a brand-new DAC/headphone amp, courtesy of AudioQuest and Part-Time Audiophile. So, put down that eggnog and enter our Best of 2017 contest now, before the clock hits […]
Announcements
What’s your pick for top product of 2017? Tell us by Dec. 16 and qualify to win an AudioQuest DragonFly Red
The crew members here at Part-Time Audiophile are busy making their lists and checking them twice. Rather than picking out toys, sweaters and bad ties, however, we’ve been selecting the audio components that jingled our […]
Audio-Life
How to build Listening Room Synergy: Curating a system that sings
System synergy — components mating so well that the result exceeds the sum of their parts — is one of the most elusive goals in audio. You know it when you hear it. You just […]
RMAF 2017
RMAF 2017: Best In Show
This year dawned with plenty of questions facing the high-end audio industry. The most pressing were: Would the U.S. economy hold up, allowing manufacturers and retailers to stay afloat? Would vinyl continue its revival, possibly […]
RMAF 2017
RMAF 2017: Audioengine offers high-end performance, budget pricing
More than a few audio companies have set sail with the simple mission of delivering budget gear, only to get lured into sometimes-rocky shores by the siren call of the higher-end market. Such temptations make […]
RMAF 2017
RMAF 2017: Aaudio Imports, Wilson Benesch make a statement with Cardinal loudspeaker
I first auditioned a pair of Wilson Benesch speakers about a decade ago at a Dallas dealer. I had come in primarily to listen to a tube amp I fancied, but the sight of the […]
RMAF 2017
RMAF 2017: Zu, Peachtree create club vibe
Each year at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, Peachtree Audio and Zu Audio take a large corner room on the mezzanine level of the Marriott Denver Tech Center. First-time visitors likely are surprised by what […]
RMAF 2017
RMAF 2017: Bang & Olufsen’s BeoLab 50 goes boldly where no speaker has gone before
Sitting in the darkened SmartLife Audio Video room at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, I had a flashback to “Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan.” In the film, which I’d just watched again a few […]
RMAF 2017
RMAF 2107: Nagra, Wilson define the state of the art
I found myself getting short of breath at RMAF not long after I entered room 1030 at the Marriott Denver Tech Center. I put most of the blame on my general middle-aged poor health, combined […]