High-End Audio

You can't hear digital audio--until it's converted to analog

To hear digital audio it has to be converted to analog. The chip that does that is called a digital-to-analog converter, and there's one in your iPod, computer, and CD, DVD, and Blu-ray players.

Thing is, the quality of the conversion has everything to do with the sound quality you hear. That's why audiophiles pay big bucks for the best ones, and Chord Electronics, a British high-end stalwart has just released the QBD76, which contains a real contender for world's best digital-to-analog converter (DAC) chip.

Chord Electronics are used in top studios, including Skywalker Sound, Abbey Road, … Read more

The Audiophile Club of Athens on YouTube!

Some guys are into cars, some gamble, or blow the budget on high-end kitchens. Me, I'm an audiophile. I've met a lot of really intense tech geeks over the years, but this masterful YouTube video by Ken Barnes takes it to the extreme. The members of The Audiophile Club of Athens show off their stuff. It's a truly gorgeous video, lavishly produced and the short interviews are well done.

One guy admits, "I was a normal human being until I was thirty five years old." and then he found hi-fi, and he's been obsessed ever since. It's all about a love affair with exotic gear, sound, and yes, music.

Full video after the jump.… Read more