Tag Archives: home stereo

Reviews

New Foundry F12 Subwoofer Includes DSP Room Correction

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PS Audio Introduces Its First-Ever Subwoofer: the Foundry F12 With DSP Room Correction–

New subwoofer features a custom high-excursion woofer, built-in amplification and versatile DSP room correction technology–

Boulder, Colorado, February, 2026 – our friends at PS Audio have just the introduced the Foundry F12 subwoofer, the company’s first ever subwoofer.

The Foundry F12 is a ground-up design featuring a high-excursion 12-inch woofer, 1,000 watts of built-in amplification, and advanced room mode correction technology that works in conjunction with PS Audio’s new Foundry control app.

“Designer Chris Brunhaver and I have been working on an ultimate-quality subwoofer for a long time,” said Paul McGowan, PS Audio CEO. “The Foundry F12 is the logical complement to our Aspen series loudspeakers – or any high-quality speaker. With the Foundry F12, reference-quality bass is not limited by room size, placement constraints, or compromise, and the built-in DSP room correction makes it easy to achieve accurate in-room low-frequency response.”



The PS Audio Foundry F12’s driver is a completely new design. It has an extremely long throw – greater than 2-1/2 inches – with a large 10-inch graduated Nomex spider. The motor structure utilizes large magnets, dual shorting rings and other elements to maintain a constant magnetic field throughout the driver’s excursion. The driver employs a paper cone with a carbon fiber dust cap, for high stiffness, low mass, and internal damping.

Ultimate High Current Subwoofer


The Foundry F12 includes a built-in 1,000-watt-continuous high-current amplifier with a massive 1,800-watt power supply. The result is a driver that delivers clean, articulate bass to below 20 Hz, with a fast, accurate response even at high output levels.

The Foundry F12 can be thought of as not just a subwoofer, but a solution to the low-frequency response anomalies every room has. The F12 employs the new Foundry control app, a purpose-designed app for iOS and Android that enables easy setup right from the listening chair. The Foundry app compensates for a listening room’s peaks and dips, (areas of bass reinforcement and cancellation) where most room problems occur.



The user can adjust the Foundry app’s settings either manually or via an auto EQ function. Comprehensive control is provided of volume, crossover point, delay, and parametric EQ. To use the automatic EQ, no external measurement mic is required; the listener just has to point their phone from the listening position and the app does the rest.

If desired, the user can tweak a variety of settings including EQ, high- and low-pass filters, phase, and more, and create custom user presets – for example, one preset for music and another for movies, or a setting for late-night low-volume listening. In addition to remote operation, the Foundry F12 offers rear panel controls, and a comprehensive set of balanced, single-ended and speaker-level connection options.

As an option, a wireless transmitter module is available, to eliminate the need for connecting cables. The transmitter utilizes WiSA E 24/96 wireless technology for extremely low latency and exceptional fidelity, and is compatible with other WiSA devices. For larger rooms and systems, an optional stacking kit enables multiple Foundry F12 subwoofers to be securely connected together for increased output and headroom.

The PS Audio Foundry F12 subwoofer is currently available in satin black or satin white at a suggested US retail price of $2,749 usd/ $3,721 cad. The optional wireless transmitter is available at $199 usd/ $269 cad and the stacking kit for $99 usd/ $132 cad .

For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.

PS Audio Foundry F12 Subwoofer At a Glance:


Custom 12-inch ultra-long-throw driver in sealed enclosure with 1,000 watts continuous of built-in high-current amplification

Extensive manual or automatic DSP control of EQ, delay, volume and other functions via the PS Audio Foundry app


Full complement of rear-panel connections to accommodate any system

Optional WiSA transmitter ​available for ultimate-quality wireless connectivity


Optional stacking kit allows multiple subwoofers to be connected together


Maximum output: 113 dB @2 meters

Frequency response: -6 dB @ 20 Hz anechoic (ground plane), flat to below 20 Hz in-room with room gain; ±0.5 dB to 500 Hz


Available in satin black and satin white finishes

Compact size for easy placement in any room


Dimensions (H x W x D): 14.75″ W x 16.75″ H x 17.5″ D (18.125″ with grille)


Net weight: 77 lbs.

About PS Audio
Celebrating 50 years of bringing music to life, PS Audio has earned a worldwide reputation for excellence in manufacturing innovative, high-value, leading-edge audio products. Located in Boulder, Colorado at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, PS Audio’s staff of talented designers, engineers, production and support people build each product to deliver extraordinary performance and musical satisfaction. The company’s wide range of award-winning products includes audio components, loudspeakers, power regenerators and power conditioners.
 
www.psaudio.com

Vintage

Clairtone Canada Stereo Equipment Was Design Icon

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The Art of Clairtone: The Making of a Design Icon, 1958-1971 is a fully illustrated stylish look back at the stereo story behind a Canadian design icon. This handsome hardcover is by Nina Munk and Rachel Gotlieb and is available on Amazon.Exhibit marks 50 years since first Clairtone stereo produced in ...

“At its peak in the 1960s, Clairtone Sound Corporation was one of the most admired companies in the field of electronics. Founded by Peter Munk and David Gilmour in Toronto, Canada, Clairtone made the wildly modern Project G hi-fi system and, later, the G-TV. 

For an entire decade, in the 1960s, Clairtone Sound Corporation captured the spirit of the times: sophisticated, cosmopolitan, liberated. From its modern oiled-walnut and teak stereos to its minimalist logos and promotional materials, Clairtone produced a powerful and enduring body of design work. Founded in 1958 by two young Canadians, Peter Munk and David Gilmour, Clairtone quickly became known for its iconic designs and masterful advertising campaigns.

Its acclaimed Project G stereo, with its space-age styling, epitomized the Swinging Sixties. Famously, Hugh Hefner owned a Project G. So did Frank Sinatra.

Oscar Peterson affirmed that his music sounded as good on a G as it did “live”. In 1967, suggesting how deeply Clairtone’s G series had come to be identified with popular culture, the G2 appeared in The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft.

With 250 illustrations, including previously unpublished drawings, rare film stills, confidential memorandums, and original photography, The Art of Clairtone is a candid and in-depth look at the company’s skyrocketing success — and sensational collapse.

Through the recollections of those who knew Clairtone best, from its founders to its designers, engineers, and salesmen, and with comments from Karim Rashid, Douglas Coupland, Tyler Brûlé, and Bruce Mau, among others, this elegant book, published on the 50th anniversary of Clairtone’s launch, celebrates an iconoclastic company that once seemed to represent the promise of Canada. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker. 

A peak inside this gorgeous book- CP

  • Hardcover: 176 pages
  • Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0771065078
  • ISBN-13: 978-0771065071

Reviews

Pure Analog Excellence: AT-LP7X Turntable

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Our friends at  Audio-Technica have just introduced the AT-LP7X fully manual belt-drive turntable — The AT-LP7X delivers sound that’s as clean and refined as its appearance. —

STOW, OH, January, 2026 — Audio-Technica is excited to announce the release of the AT-LP7X, blending analog excellence with style and versatility. While designing the AT-LP7X, Audio-Technica paid close attention to chassis geometry to ensure the platter, spindle and tonearm were optimally positioned for accurate, distortion-free tracking. This, along with the J-shaped aluminum tonearm with dual-axis gimbal with precision ball bearings, further enhances the tracking performance.

The turntable’s 20 mm acrylic platter is driven by an optical sensor-monitored motor that ensures a continuously accurate platter rotation speed of 33-1/3 or 45 RPM. The motor is mounted on vibration-dampening rubber bushings designed to decouple the motor from the plinth, minimizing the transmission of mechanical noise and oscillations. An external switching power supply isolates the AC-to-DC conversion to prevent it from adding any electrical interference, and the turntable’s spring-based, height-adjustable isolation feet offer excellent protection against external noise.

Additionally, the AT-LP7X features a dense MDF plinth to minimize unwanted resonance and vibration. The turntable has an elegant, matte black finish.

Equipped with an AT-LT10 headshell and black AT-VM95E cartridge with 0.3 x 0.7 mil elliptical stylus, the AT-LP7X provides excellent channel separation and low distortion for outstanding tonal quality. For easy customization, the stylus can be replaced or interchanged with other styli in the VM95 line, offering a wide array of options for every budget and application. An included MM/MC switch and subcounterweight add to the customization level, making this the perfect turntable for those interested in experimenting with alternate cartridges.

The AT-LP7X comes with a detachable RCA output cable (dual RCA male to dual RCA male with ground), 45 RPM adapter, and removable dust cover, and will be available for $999.00 usd / $1,375 cad MAP on www.audio-technica.com.

For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.

Reviews

Newly Improved Moving Coil Cartridges To Propel Your Record Listening

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Our friends at Audio-Technica have debuted their improved AT33x Series moving coil phono cartridges and you are gonna love them!

Stow, OH, October, 2025 — Audio-Technica announces the introduction of its AT33x dual moving coil phono cartridges, featuring a host of sonic and engineering upgrades over the previous AT33 Series. The new lineup offers five models including two dedicated mono cartridges, all designed to deliver warm, full-bodied and balanced sound along with easier installation.

“The AT33 Series has long enjoyed a cult following among moving coil fans in the know,” said Bob Peet, Audio-Technica Global Product Manager – Analog Products. “With the introduction of the AT33x models, listeners can enjoy even better sound in a variety of systems. We continue to support listeners seeking exceptional performance and high value in high-end stereo moving coil cartridges, as well as enthusiasts who enjoy their classic monophonic LPs.”

The new AT33x lineup includes the following:
AT33xMLB – microlinear nude stylus, solid boron tapered cantilever, $899 usd/ $1,257 cad
AT33xMLD – microlinear nude stylus, duralumin tapered pipe cantilever, $799 usd/ $1,117 cad
AT33xEN – 0.3 x 0.7 mil elliptical nude stylus, duralumin tapered pipe cantilever, $699 usd/ $977 cad


AT33xMONO/I – mono, 0.65 mil conical nude stylus, duralumin pipe cantilever, $649 usd/ $907 cad
AT33xMONO/II – mono, 0.65 mil conical nude stylus, duralumin pipe cantilever, $449 usd/ $623 cad

All AT33x Series cartridges are all hand-crafted in Japan.

All feature Audio-Technica’s unique dual moving coil structure with independent left and right coils, which provides exceptional channel separation, imaging and tracking capability for the stereo models, and sound quality that is dynamic yet delicate and refined. The AT33xMONO/I and AT33xMONO/II are configured as a true mono design that is unaffected by any vertical noise components picked up from the record groove. (They are also ideal for mono playback on a stereo system.)

All models have threaded mounting holes for easier installation and feature composite cartridge bodies made of die-cast zinc, aluminum and high-rigidity polymer to ensure clear, detailed sound with freedom from unwanted resonances. Rigid, dense die-cast zinc is used for the cartridge base for additional resonance suppression and to add clarity to the bass and midrange.

Every cartridge in the series utilizes PCOCC (pure copper by Ohno continuous casting) and gold-plated cartridge pins to ensure maximum signal transmission and musical clarity. Depending on the model, AT33x Series cartridges employ either neodymium or samarium cobalt high-strength magnets for responsive, high-resolution vinyl playback. A newly-developed suspension and rubber damper design (with lower compliance than other Audio-Technica cartridges) enable every AT33x model to be used with a variety of tonearms.

All are available now. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.

Audio-Technica was founded in 1962 with the mission of producing high-quality audio for everyone. As we have grown to design critically acclaimed headphones, turntables and microphones, we have retained the belief that great audio should not be enjoyed only by the select few, but accessible to all. Building upon our analog heritage, we work to expand the limits of audio technology, pursuing an ever-changing purity of sound that creates connections and enriches lives

Sci-Tech

Supercharge Your Vinyl Setup With These Tools

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Audio-Technica expands turntable accessory offerings for all vinyl enthusiasts
Stow, OH, October, 2025 — Our friends at Audio-Technica, a leading innovator in transducer technology for over 60 years, are excited to launch a new range of turntable accessories designed to help vinyl listeners achieve the best from their record collections. The latest additions include two new slip-mats, precision alignment tools and a stainless-steel disc stabilizer.
These new additions join Audio-Technica’s established lineup of turntable accessories including the AT6012 Record Cleaning Kit, stylus cleaners and more, expanding a complete family of products designed to help vinyl users care for and enjoy their collections to the fullest.

New to the Audio-Technica Slipmat series is the AT-SMCR2 Cork-Rubber Slipmat (MAP: $35.00 usd/ $49.00 cad) and AT-SMC1 Cork Slipmat (MAP: $25.00 usd/ $35.00 cad). The AT-SMCR2 is engineered from a premium blend of cork and rubber to absorb a wide range of vibrations, particularly at lower frequencies, delivering clearer audio reproduction. The cork-rubber blend also provides antistatic properties to reduce pops and clicks caused by static discharge. For listeners seeking a simpler option, the AT-SMC1 provides excellent resonance control and a stable playback surface without shedding particles or attracting dust like traditional felt mats.

Beyond vibration control, Audio-Technica introduces two new cartridge alignment tools designed to ensure precise playback geometry: the AT-VTAZ1 Azimuth + VTA Alignment Tool (MAP: $14.00 usd/ $20.00 cad) and AT-CAP1 Cartridge Alignment Protractor ($17.00 usd/ $24.00 cad). The AT-VTAZ1 allows users to achieve accurate tonearm height and cartridge azimuth adjustment. Proper alignment ensures even stylus wear, accurate channel balance, and minimal distortion. The AT-CAP1 utilizes the widely used Baerwald alignment method to set cartridge offset angle and null points to deliver optimal tracking and reduced distortion.

The new AT628a Stainless Steel Disc Stabilizer (MAP: $79.00 usd/ $111.00 cad )is designed to minimize resonance and keep records firmly in place during playback. The stabilizer accommodates even slightly warped records with two recessed inner rings on its underside for secure contact.

Rounding out the new launches are the AT-ST3 Speaker Stands (MAP: $59.00 usd/ $83.00 cad), designed to enhance the performance of the AT-SP3X or other similarly sized bookshelf speakers. Constructed from rigid alloy steel with vibration-damping cork feet, each stand provides stable support for speakers weighing up to 3 kg (6.6 lb). The 13-degree angled design directs sound upward for clearer projection and helps reduce sound wave reflections off hard surfaces, ensuring cleaner, more accurate audio reproduction.

For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.

Audio-Technica was founded in 1962 with the mission of producing high-quality audio for everyone. As we have grown to design critically acclaimed headphones, turntables and microphones, we have retained the belief that great audio should not be enjoyed only by the select few, but accessible to all. Building upon our analog heritage, we work to expand the limits of audio technology, pursuing an ever-changing purity of sound that creates connections and enriches lives.
Reviews

This Transport Reveals Hidden Sonic Details In Compact Discs And SACD

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CDs played through the PMG Signature SACD Transport come closer than ever to high-resolution PCM and DSD, uncovering new layers of dimensionality, soundstage, depth, and musicality previously unobtainable in other optical readers or server-based audio systems. 

What is a Transport?

Like its predecessor (the PerfectWave SACD Transport) the PMG Signature opens the long-restricted DSD layer of SACD to PS Audio DACs. The PMG will deliver the raw DSD layer of copyright-protected SACD directly into your PS Audio DAC through I²S. This means that you’ll uncover the wealth of audio’s finest digital medium, DSD, and hear exactly what the mastering engineers who created these discs have enjoyed all along. Hear what you’ve been missing with the PMG Signature SACD Transport.

PMG Signature SACD Transport

Locked inside your CD and SACD collection is a treasure trove of music you’ve never truly heard. How do we know? Because PMG, like you, know every note of our reference discs—and we were stunned when we heard them through the new PMG Signature SACD Transport. This isn’t just another player. It’s the finest optical disc transport we’ve built in 43 years, and for the first time in our history, our founder has signed his name to it.

The PMG Signature SACD Transport is an engineering triumph, designed to extract every nuance and detail from your CDs and SACDs with unmatched precision. With galvanically isolated outputs and ultra-low jitter design, it breathes new life into your CD collection when paired with any DAC. And when connected via I²S, it unlocks the raw DSD layer of your SACDs—delivering what was once hidden to external DACs. This is not nostalgia. This is revelation. The PMG Signature SACD Transport is the ultimate disc playback system—worthy of the name, and the legacy.

For the Silo, Paul McGowan.

Sci-Tech

New Audiophile Equipment Guide Is Ten Volumes Comprehensive

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Boulder, Colorado, March, 2025 – PS Audio announces the release of The Audiophile’s Guide, a comprehensive 10-volume series on every aspect of audio system setup, equipment selection, analog and digital technology, speaker placement, room acoustics, and other topics related to getting the most musical enjoyment from an audio system. Written by PS Audio CEO Paul McGowan, it’s the most complete body of high-end audio knowledge available anywhere.

The Audiophile’s Guide hardcover book series is filled with clear, practical wisdom and real-life examples that guide readers into getting the most from their audio systems, regardless of cost or complexity. The book includes how-to tips, step-by-step instructions, and real-world stories and examples including actual listening rooms and systems. Paul McGowan noted, “think of it as sitting down with a knowledgeable friend who’s sharing hard-won wisdom about how to make music come alive in your home.”

The 10 books in the series include:

The Stereo – learn the essential techniques that transform good systems into great ones, including speaker placement, system matching, developing critical listening skills, and more.

The Loudspeaker – even the world’s finest loudspeakers will not perform to their potential without proper setup. Master the techniques that help speakers disappear, leaving the music to float in three-dimensional space.

Analog Audio – navigate the world of turntables, phono cartridges, preamps and power amplifiers, and vacuum tubes, and find out about how analog sound continues to offer an extraordinary listening experience.

Digital Audio – from sampling an audio signal to reconstructing it in high-resolution sound, this volume explains and demystifies the digital audio signal path and the various technologies involved in achieving ultimate digital sound quality.

Vinyl – discover the secrets behind achieving the full potential of analog playback in this volume that covers every aspect of turntable setup, cartridge alignment, and phono stage optimization.

The Listening Room – the space in which we listen is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of musical enjoyment. This volume tells how to transform even challenging spaces into ideal listening environments.

The Subwoofer – explore the world of deep bass reproduction, its impact on music and movies, and how to achieve the best low-frequency performance in any listening room.

Headphones – learn about dynamic, planar magnetic, electrostatic, closed-back and open-air models and more, and how headphones can create an intimate connection to your favorite music.

Home Theater – enjoy movies and TV with the thrilling, immersive sound that a great multichannel audio setup can deliver. The book explains how to bring the cinema experience home.

The Collection – this volume distills the knowledge of the above books into everything learned from more than 50 years of Paul McGowan’s experience in audio. Like the other volumes in the series, it’s written in an accessible style yet filled with technical depth, to provide the ultimate roadmap to audio excellence and musical magic.

Volumes one through nine of The Audiophile’s Guide are available for a suggested retail price of $39.99 usd , with Volume 10, The Collection, offered at $49.99 usd. In addition, The Audiophile’s Guide Limited Run Collectors’ Edition is available as a deluxe series with case binding, with the books presented in a custom-made slipcase. Each Collectors’ Edition set is available at $499.00 usd with complimentary worldwide shipping.

About PS Audio
Celebrating 50 years of bringing music to life, PS Audio has earned a worldwide reputation for excellence in manufacturing innovative, high-value, leading-edge audio products. Located in Boulder, Colorado at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, PS Audio’s staff of talented designers, engineers, production and support people build each product to deliver extraordinary performance and musical satisfaction. The company’s wide range of award-winning products include the all-in-one Sprout100 integrated amplifier, audio components, power regenerators and power conditioners.
 
www.psaudio.com

For the Silo, Frank Doris.

Reviews

How New $198K Speaker Produces Jump Factor

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HOLBROOK, New York, June, 2023 At Pacific Audio Fest 2023 Nola Speakers will feature the West Coast debut of its Baby Grand Reference Gold Series 3 loudspeaker. The full-range floor standing speaker offers a number of upgrades from the previous model to deliver an extraordinary quality of musical realism, including a new isolation system that provides greatly improved dynamics, low-level resolution and other benefits.

The Nola Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 loudspeaker will be showcased at Pacific Audio Fest, June 23 – 25, 2023 at the Doubletree By Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport, Seattle, Washington, in Olympic Room 3, Wing 7.

The speaker employs Nola’s hallmark open-baffle dipole design for the midrange drivers and tweeters, which eliminates box enclosure colorations and contributes to the speaker’s spacious soundstage. The Nola Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 features four proprietary true ribbon tweeters along with four newly-designed midrange drivers, and dual 220 mm woofers. The new isolation system is a key element in the speaker’s remarkable performance. The isolation base’s construction features a spiked platform with an improved version of Nola’s ball-bearing isolation technology incorporated into the base.

While the concept may seem simple, the results are profound.

Nola president Carl Marchisotto noted, The idea was inspired by attending a recent live music concert. You can instantly tell live from reproduced music, and I wondered why. I was struck by the fact that with live music, the harmonics decay properly with respect to the fundamental. They’re not lost, or cut off abruptly. I set out to make sure this important aural cue was preserved, by designing the new isolation base, and achieving further improvements in performance with our new low-distortion drivers and upgraded crossovers. Marchisotto continued, For the first time, we will demonstrate our ball bearing isolation system applied to the whole system, including the source, amplification and other components as well as the loudspeakers.

The true ribbon tweeters, which are built with final assembly completed in-house with proprietary components, have a frequency response to 100 kHz, for smooth, effortless high-frequency reproduction.

The midrange drivers incorporate Alnico ring magnets for a more lifelike attack and transient response, and now feature the same gold-plated phase plugs used in the woofers. The 220 mm woofers employ magnesium cones and massive Alnico ring magnets, and are housed in individual rear-ported chambers for deeper, more articulate bass with exceptional dynamic response. The 3-1/2-way crossover network is hand-wired with premium components and no PC boards used, to maintain sonic purity.

These speakers have what designers and reviewers used to call the jump factor, where they can surprise you with their dynamic impact and clarity, Marchisotto said. You don’t realize that certain distortions in a loudspeaker are eliminated until you don’t hear them, in a speaker that brings you closer to musical reality. We invite everyone at Pacific Audio Fest to come by and enjoy a very special listening experience.

The Nola Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 is available in mirror-imaged pairs in a choice of True Piano Black Gloss or True Piano Santos Rosewood finishes, with other finishes and colors available by special order. The Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 is now shipping at a suggested retail price of $150,000USD/ $198,190CAD per pair. For the Silo, Frank Doris.

About Nola Speakers

In 2004 Carl and Marilyn Marchisotto founded Accent Speaker Technology Ltd. and created the Nola product line with the goal of bringing the experience of listening to live music to a wider number of people. President and Chief Engineer Marchisotto has been designing audio equipment since 1973 at Dahlquist, Acarian Systems/Alon and Accent/Nola, which now offers a complete loudspeaker lineup from high-performance bookshelf models to the flagship USD$500,000/ CAD$660,650 pair Nola Grand Reference Gold VII System, designed and built to deliver ultimate musical performance in every aspect. Nola employs a number of key technologies including baffle-less dipole drivers, Alnico magnets, Unison Crossover technology that optimally blends the performance of multiple speaker drivers, and many other refinements.