Neil Gader

1 month ago | theabsolutesound.com | Neil Gader

Who doesn’t love a deal? So, no mincing words here, Shunyata Research’s new Theta Series cable is one of, if not the most musical, affordable, and ultimately consequential cables I’ve evaluated to date. It’s that good. And in a world of costly to infinity and beyond competition, Theta’s pricing—which hovers in the $1–$2k range (depending on lengths)—makes it a must-audition, especially for enthusiasts on the lookout for that next critical system upgrade.

2 months ago | theabsolutesound.com | Neil Gader

The Audiovector QR 1 was an unexpected surprise when I reviewed it back in Issue 326. As the smallest speaker in Audiovector’s QR series, this two-way compact delivered a premium ride visually and sonically. At the time, I wrote that it was “one of the new breed of affordable compacts that asks, no demands to be taken seriously.” And for this achievement, it took home a well-deserved Product of the Year award (Issue 334). So why bring this up now?

2 months ago | theabsolutesound.com | Neil Gader

By Neil Gader My love of music largely predates my enthusiasm for audio. I grew up Los Angeles in a house where music was constantly playing on the stereo (Altecs, if you’re interested). It ranged from my mom listening to hit Broadway musicals to my sister’s early Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Beatles, and Stones LPs, and dad’s constant companions, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. With the British Invasion, I immediately picked up a guitar and took piano lessons and have been playing ever since.

2 months ago | theabsolutesound.com | Neil Gader

If you asked an AI computer to design a state-of-the-art loudspeaker materialized from another galaxy, you’d have MBL Radialstrahlers. This applies most particularly to the diminutive 126. But, of course, there is no need for AI when you have Jürgen Reis, the gifted Chief Engineer at MBL. Year after year, the littlest Radialstrahler remains on my short list of exhilarating compact loudspeakers.

Jan 24, 2025 | theabsolutesound.com | Neil Gader

To begin, I couldn’t have been more satisfied with the performance of my Bartók DAC. So, it was with a tiny dose of disbelief that I took the plunge and upgraded to Apex level—a comprehensive package of software and hardware advancements. Was this going to be an “emperor’s new clothes” moment or a sonic home-run? Well, Apex did the unthinkable, and a Golden Ear nod became inevitable. It furthered what the first-generation Bartók began and then surpassed it—and not by a small margin.