The Absolute Sound Podcast

• Recordings of the Month: Recommendations from The Absolute Sound Reviewers

  Welcome to this edition of Recordings of the Month. Here we recommend recordings that our audio reviewers have enjoyed. They may be new recordings or older recordings that we have recently discovered. Sometimes, they are recordings our reviewers have come to appreciate more and more as they use them in audio review work. This video is sponsored by: https://www.mofielectronics.com/products/mofi-electronics-masterdeck-turntable Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com Tom's reference system: Aurender N20 Streamer/Server Roon Nucleus server Mac Mini (M2) server Wiim Pro server/DAC Bluesound Node server/DAC Topping D70 Pro DAC dCS Lina DAC/Master clock Berkeley Alpha DAC Reference Series 3 with Alpha USB Series 2 input module MSB Premier DAC J Sikora Initial Max turntable Technics SL-1210G turntable Kuzma 4Point 9” arm J Sikora KV12 tone arm DS Audio 003 cartridge Benz Gullwing SLR cartridge Hana Umami Blue cartridge Hegel V10 phono preamp Musical Surroundings Phonomena III phono preamp DS Audio 003 optical cartridge energizer PS Audio BHK 600 mono power amps MBL N51 integrated amp Audio Research 160S power amp Magico A5 speakers Perlisten S7t speakers Wireworld Platinum Electra speaker and line cables Shunyata Omega digital cables Shunyata Venom power cables and director Audioquest Niagara 3000 power conditioner (for analog) Audioquest Niagra 7000 power conditioning Rediacoustic diffusers and absorbers Rediacoustic bass traps PSI Audio AVAA active traps Salamander racks Solidsteel Turntable rack What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

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• T+A Criterion S240: Best Speakers $10k-20k Series

  T+A elektroakustic is a venerable German company with extensive engineering and manufacturing capabilities for speakers, amplifiers, D/A converters, turntables and headphones. The Criterion Series S240 which is our review subject, are part of the T+A Criterion range of speakers, each of which uses transmission line loading for the bass drivers. Let’s see what all this experience and technology delivers.  00:00 T+A Criterion S240 01:50 Overview 04:49 Sound Quality 14:17 Tradeoffs 15:25 Summary This video is sponsored by: https://www.devialet.com/en-us/amplifiers/?srsltid=AfmBOorbOG8jY6AYnlddhTyDqqV8wOhQ91MZyqEYi0dlWTxeNqI0gSiQ T+A Factory Tour: https://youtu.be/13fQesU3J2o?si=rBpG8HEnSYhK8NTc Siegfried Amft interview: https://youtu.be/zsilt_q_oY0?si=xzU0Z9E_vabar6wq Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com Tom's reference system: Aurender N20 Streamer/Server Roon Nucleus server Mac Mini (M2) server Wiim Pro server/DAC Bluesound Node server/DAC Topping D70 Pro DAC dCS Lina DAC/Master clock Berkeley Alpha DAC Reference Series 3 with Alpha USB Series 2 input module MSB Premier DAC J Sikora Initial Max turntable Technics SL-1210G turntable Kuzma 4Point 9” arm J Sikora KV12 tone arm DS Audio 003 cartridge Benz Gullwing SLR cartridge Hana Umami Blue cartridge Hegel V10 phono preamp Musical Surroundings Phonomena III phono preamp DS Audio 003 optical cartridge energizer PS Audio BHK 600 mono power amps MBL N51 integrated amp Audio Research 160S power amp Magico A5 speakers Perlisten S7t speakers Wireworld Platinum Electra speaker and line cables Shunyata Omega digital cables Shunyata Venom power cables and director Audioquest Niagara 3000 power conditioner (for analog) Audioquest Niagra 7000 power conditioning Rediacoustic diffusers and absorbers Rediacoustic bass traps PSI Audio AVAA active traps Salamander racks Solidsteel Turntable rack What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

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• Best DACs $10k-$20k Series: Grimm MU2 streamer/DAC

  Grimm is a manufacturer of audio equipment that take a somewhat different path than normal. Eelco Grimm, the CEO, is a fascinating person if you like audio tech because he comes at many problems from a systems perspective, integrating knowledge of the influence of the recording process, acoustics, ear and brain on the sound. This is in addition to knowledge of the component elements necessary for music reproduction. I find some correlation between this broader perspective and the ability of resulting equipment designs to address important problems, so I was excited to test Grimm’s streamer/DAC, the MU2. Let’s see how it performs. This video is sponsored by: https://www.svsound.com/collections/ 7 Major Problems of Audio Believability: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-six-major-problems-of-audio-believability/ 00:00 Grimm MU2 Streamer/DAC 01:24 Overview 03:14 What's the issue? 08:05 Sound Quality 16:45 Subjective Coda 17:49 Design 19:07 Summary The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/ Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved

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• Innovators Series: Perlisten Audio

  At times, audiophiles tend to think of innovation in the field as something dramatic – technologically dramatic. In the case of speakers, the mind imagines new driver physics or driver configurations. I get it: plasma drivers or radiastrahlers or large electrostatic panels look dramatically different and sometimes sound quite different too. And yet, such exotic concepts have made limited headway in the market, although they show tempting promise. But what if significant progress lies in another direction? Perlisten Audio asks, and answers, that question. Let’s take a look. This video is sponsored by: https://chordelectronics.co.uk/mojo-2 00:00 Perlisten Audio Redefines The Modern Speaker 6:00 Problem #1: Bass in Real Rooms 10:08 Problem #2: Spatial Presentation 16:05 Problem #3: Dynamics 19:46 Problem #4: System Integration 22:40 Demo Time 23:40 Wrap Up The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/ Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved

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• dCS Lina Master Clock Review

  In this review, Robert Taylor explores the dCS Lina Master Clock, the problem it's trying to solve, and its synchronization with this dCS Bartók APEX Streaming DAC. Does it clock a higher fidelity sound? Tune in to find out. This video is sponsored by: https://shunyata.com/product/everest-x/ The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/ Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com 00:00 dCS Lina Master Clock 01:07 Overview 01:53 Specs & Design 03:02 What's the problem? 04:17 Sound Quality 08:40 Summary What Is The Absolute Sound? The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles. #hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved

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