Alan Taffel

Florida

Freelance Writer and Producer at Freelance

Author, Director/Producer/Writer, Guitarist, Golfer, Husband, Father, old movie lover..https://t.co/KZpQCsAuwf

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Articles

2024 Golden Ear: YG Acoustics Hailey 3 Loudspeaker

2 weeks ago | theabsolutesound.com | Alan Taffel

Although the Hailey 3 looks identical to its predecessor, from a philosophical, technological, and sonic perspective the new speaker is a complete break from the past. Series 1 YGs were accurate and detailed but analytical to a fault. Series 2 models were much more musical, while still giving precedence to neutrality and resolution.
2024 Golden Ear: CH Precision I1 (Upgraded) Integrated Amplifier

2 weeks ago | theabsolutesound.com | Alan Taffel

The I1 is a previous Golden Ear winner, but I’ve gained new appreciation for it over the past year. First, I’ve found that its nominal 100 watts/channel of horsepower, which was previously fed a diet of mostly high-efficiency speakers, has proven up to the task of driving more challenging loads like the Wilson Sasha V. Indeed, I’ve now had the opportunity to directly compare the I1’s power amp section with the higher-output CH Precision A1.5 stereo amp.
AXPONA 2025: Loudspeakers Under $50k

3 weeks ago | theabsolutesound.com | Alan Taffel

In an increasingly unpredictable world, the fact that AXPONA 2025 played out exactly as expected was something of a comfort. Old friends and familiar brands converged on Schaumberg from around the globe, “Hey, now” boomed through the halls, and steakhouses grilled up prime fare for the winers and diners. In my category, there was just one surprise, which was the relative dearth of significant introductions.
Goldmund Telos 800 Stereo Power Amplifier

1 month ago | theabsolutesound.com | Alan Taffel

Goldmund’s new Telos 800 occupies a small and rarified niche in the audio market. It’s a stereo power amp that, at an eye-watering $89,000, costs as much as—more, really—than most high-end monoblock pairs would fetch. There are other members of this elite class from the likes of Soulution, MBL, and Constellation, and they all beg the same question: If you had that much to spend on amplification, wouldn’t you just go the monoblock route? For me, the answer is not as obvious as it might seem.
YG Acoustics Hailey 3 Loudspeaker

2 months ago | theabsolutesound.com | Alan Taffel

Early in the gestation of any new speaker, its designer must determine the product’s mission. What is this speaker meant to accomplish? Who is it for? What will its listening environment be? For the bulk of its 22-year existence, YG Acoustics speakers shared a mission instigated by its founder and chief designer, Yoav Geva. Regardless of a particular model’s size or price point, Yoav uniformly aimed to create products that excelled in specific technical metrics.
Estelon Aura Loudspeaker

2 months ago | theabsolutesound.com | Alan Taffel

Estelon speakers have always been among the most beautiful in high-end audio. They’re all smooth surfaces and curves, tapering at the waist. Looking at them, you couldn’t be faulted for assuming their shape was the predominant design parameter, with sonic considerations coming in a distant second. But, in fact, Estelon speakers are prime exemplars of form following function. Those edgeless enclosures? They eliminate parallel surfaces, minimizing internal standing waves. The sexy waist?
The 2024 Capital Audio Fest: Aspirational New Products

Nov 21, 2024 | theabsolutesound.com | Alan Taffel

Maybe it was the just-over election or the sudden cold spell that settled on Washington, but the Capital Audio Fest (CAF) seemed just a tad less festive this year. Attendance got off to a promising start on Friday but ebbed by Saturday afternoon. This despite the welcome presence of multi-generational families checking out the goods. Come Sunday, when systems were, as usual, sounding their best, journalists had their pick of seats.
Moon North Collection 641 Integrated Amp and 681 Streaming DAC

Oct 7, 2024 | theabsolutesound.com | Alan Taffel

Having heard a variety of Moon gear at audio shows and having used one of its headphone amps as my reference for years, I knew it was good stuff. But I didn’t know it was this good until I had the opportunity to sample the new North Collection in my own system. Color me immensely impressed. The Moon North Collection is an entirely new series of components that embraces a trio of often mutually exclusive goals. The first concerns packaging.
CH Precision I1 V2.2 Upgrade

Jun 11, 2024 | theabsolutesound.com | Alan Taffel

Digital technology evolves rapidly. That immutable fact means that audiophiles investing in a good DAC will eventually pine for an upgrade. Yet, for the preponderance of DACs on the market there is no upgrade path. That’s because those DACs are built around off-the-shelf chipsets. I don’t mean to demean such chips; some of them are excellent and can be found in very good DACs, such as those from Japan’s Esoteric.
Wilson Audio Unveils the New WATT/Puppy to Commemorate the Company’s 50th Anniversary

Jun 7, 2024 | theabsolutesound.com | Alan Taffel

On a warm, cloudless day in New York City, audio journalists from around the country gathered to go underground. That’s where, shielded from the urban din above, bespoke dealer Innovative Audio makes its home. And that’s also where, on June 5, Wilson Audio chose to preview its latest speaker, the WATT/Puppy, to the press. (The official unveiling would take place two days later.)Does that name sound familiar? It well might.