The Absolute Sound

The Absolute Sound, commonly known as "TAS," is a monthly magazine based in the United States. It focuses on reviewing high-quality sound equipment and recordings aimed at audiophiles, as well as discussing a range of topics related to music.

National, Trade/B2B

English

Magazine

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Ranking

Global

#191899

United States

#113356

Computers Electronics and Technology/Consumer Electronics

#531

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Articles

High End Munich 2025: Michael Fremer on Analog

1 week ago | theabsolutesound.com | Michael Fremer

What began as an analog whisper in 2004 at the High End Munich premier show exited with an exuberant, triumphant scream at the 2025 show finale. Vinyl was always relatively strong in Germany, even during the turn of the century “nadir years,” so it’s not as if record playing in 2004 was gasping for air, but compared to this show it was, though record vendors were in short supply this year. Why?
High End Munich 2025: Electronics and Digital Sources

1 week ago | theabsolutesound.com | Robert Harley

VTL debuted the Lohengrin, the company’s new flagship power amplifier. The Lohengrin retains the driver stage of VTL’s Siegfried and combines it with a new eight-tube output stage. This new output stage, capable of 400W, has a lower output impedance that allows for a simpler and better-sounding output transformer. The design has zero global feedback, wide bandwidth (–1dB at 100kHz), and an adjustable damping factor. The visual design has also advanced, giving the Lohengrin a more modern look.
High End Munich 2025: Loudspeakers $50k and Up

1 week ago | theabsolutesound.com | Jonathan Valin

As fate would have it, the first room I visited showcased the four-way (320mm-wide woofer, 25mm-wide midrange/tweeter, 5mm-wide supertweeter) $200k AlsyVox Botticelli ribbon loudspeakers driven by Soulution’s new 717 amplifier, POY-winning 727 linestage preamplifier, and OPOY-winning 757 deemphasis unit, and sourced by Soulution’s extraordinary new 787 linear-tracking turntable/tonearm with moving platter and DS Audio Grand Master EX optical cartridge.
A Very Special Record Label

1 week ago | theabsolutesound.com | Michael Fremer
2024 Golden Ear: MBL C41 Network Player

1 week ago | theabsolutesound.com | Jonathan Valin

This moderately affordable streamer/DAC/digital preamplifier from Jürgen Reis of MBL may not have all the features of the seven-times-as-expensive Kalista DreamPlay (it has no built-in disc player, for one), but on streams it comes shockingly close to the French unit’s extraordinary sonics.
Out Of/Into: Motion I

2 weeks ago | theabsolutesound.com | Bill Milkowski

A A A Since being reactivated in 1984, Blue Note Records has from time to time assembled all-star bands featuring artists from its roster. In the mid-80s, it was OTB (Out of the Blue), which introduced alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett. The late 80s saw the formation of Superblue, an octet including saxophonist Bobby Watson, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and pianist Mulgrew Miller.
2024 Golden Ear: Kalista DreamPlay XC Streamer/Disc Player/DAC/Digital Preamp

2 weeks ago | theabsolutesound.com | Jonathan Valin

The Kalista DreamPlay XC from France is by design impossible to reduce to a single component category. The DreamPlay isn’t just a DAC or a streamer; it is both, as well as a CD/SACD player and a preamp with Leedh Processing volume control. In Kalista’s words, it is a “universal digital source.” Sitting on its optional, floating, anti-vibration Silent Base, it is also an object of considerable beauty.
DALI Rubikore 2 stand-mount loudspeakers

2 weeks ago | theabsolutesound.com | Simon Lucas

On the curved rear of the cabinet, there are four extremely hefty speaker terminals for bi-wiring or bi-amping, which can accept bare wire, spade connectors, or banana plugs. Above them is an assertive ‘Continuous Flare’ bass reflex port tuned to 44Hz.The front baffle, meanwhile, features a tweeter above a mid/bass driver in a long-established manner. The soft dome tweeter is, at 29mm, unusually large for a speaker of this size – and it takes inspiration from the original Kore design.
2024 Golden Ear: Soulution 757 Deemphasis Preamplifier

2 weeks ago | theabsolutesound.com | Jonathan Valin

The 757 preamp, Cyril Hammer’s Series 7 replacement for his superb 750 phonostage, is truly unique. Yes, it will handle mc or mm cartridges with Soulution’s customary aplomb, but it will also eq and amplify optical cartridges from DS Audio, and eq and amplify IEC or NAB tapes from any deck that allows outboard preamplification of the signal at the tape heads.
Gryphon PowerZone 3 power optimiser

3 weeks ago | theabsolutesound.com | Alan Sircom

Let’s take a step back and look at the typical power conditioner. For the sake of discussion, let’s take regenerators and their kin out of the equation, as they do a very different thing; we’re concentrating on those devices that take the juice from the wall and give it a gentle massage on the way to the audio electronics. The trouble with many power conditioners is that massage isn’t so gentle after all.