viva audio

Heavy-metal thunder: The very best high-end audio products

I had a long fascination with high-end audio before I owned any of the good stuff. I suppose the same allure applies to exotic cars; millions read reviews of cars they never drive, and watch Food Network shows about food they'll never taste. Folks are interested in excellence, but compared to $200,000 cars or celebrity chefs' handiwork high-end audio is more accessible and practical. Two products covered in today's blog -- used high-end Grado headphones and the Oracle Delphi turntable -- sometimes sell for less than $1,000 on eBay. That's still expensive, but more within … Read more

The art of tube amplifier design

Some high-end audio designers see themselves as artists. They might invest years of their life into perfecting an audio circuit or devising a turntable that's immune to disturbance from external vibrations from people dancing nearby. I'm fascinated by the sort of people who advance the art of audio design, but I'm also intrigued by designers exploring the aesthetic of high-end audio.

Case in point: Mateusz Glówka's Block tube amp; I think it's a stunning industrial design. The stainless steel tube amp is a functioning prototype, but may eventually be put in limited production. … Read more