Reviews

Marantz CD45 Review

Experienced readers will be aware that Marantz is effectively owned by Philips, and that, while many Marantz equipment is imported from the Far East, its CD players, in particular, are based on Philips designs, despite their outward look. In actuality, Marantz is given a reasonable amount of leeway in deciding which models to target for

Marantz CD45 Review Read More »

Philips LHH1000 Review

The limited-edition Philips LHH1000 has a transport (which houses the laser pickup assembly, the remainder of the CD player mechanics, and the servo electronics) as well as a separate digital-to-analog converter. The proposed list price for this player is $4,000, which is half the price of some other two-piece models but still twice the price

Philips LHH1000 Review Read More »

Yamaha NS-5000 Review

If you’ve been paying attention over the last few decades, you’ve probably heard of Yamaha’s legendary NS-1000M loudspeaker, which was first released in 1978. It had an unforgettable sound, thanks to highly inventive Beryllium midrange and treble dome drivers that were a tenth of the weight of standard designs, housed in a super-thick sealed cabinet

Yamaha NS-5000 Review Read More »

Zu Druid IV Review

The Zu Druid, made in Ogden, Utah, is one of the more intriguing floorstanding loudspeakers I’ve seen. This specific fourth generation model, from 2006, is a fan favorite. The one-and-a-half-way speaker is equipped with a full-range driving unit and a super tweeter that eliminates the need for a crossover. The impedance quoted is 12 ohms

Zu Druid IV Review Read More »

Sony SA-S1 Review

Sony’s La Scala 1 system, which was released in the UK in 1995 and cost roughly £1,500 at the time, was later lowered to much less. The CDP-S1 CD player, optional MD-S1 MiniDisc recorder, TC-S1 cassette deck, ST-S1 tuner, and TAE-S1 preamp were all included. A pair of SA-S1 active speakers completed the kit, resulting

Sony SA-S1 Review Read More »

Walker CJ58 Review

By the time Compact Disc was introduced in 1983, the UK had an abundance of excellent belt drive turntables on the market. There were versions to suit every budget, from the Rega Planar 3 and Ariston RD80 to the Strathclyde 305, Dunlop Systemdek, and Linn Sondek LP12. CJ Walker, a tiny British corporation situated in

Walker CJ58 Review Read More »