
Hi-Fi



Sennheiser’s $55,000 Orpheus Headphones Are Sublimely Perfect
Gearheads dream of driving the $1.2 million Bugatti Veyron.
By Eric Adams

Great Soundbars to Complete Your Home Theater
The perfect sidekick for your new 4K TV.
By Tucker Bowe

An Argument for the ‘Worst Audio Product Ever’
Bringing vinyl enthusiasts into the digital age.
By Tucker Bowe

Review: Klipsch Reference Premiere HD Wireless
Meet Klipsch’s first wireless high-definition home theater system.
By Tucker Bowe

5 Compact Hi-Fi Players That Look as Good as They Sound
Hardwire or Bluetooth systems that look as great as they sound.
By Eric Adams

The Dying Art of the Analog Recording Studio
Analog engineers cut tape recordings with a razor blade to make edits; in the digital realm, it’s a simple as clicking a mouse.
By John Zientek

Why One Whiskey Maker Serenades Its Spirits
Tuthilltown’s “Sonic Maturation” system pairs traditional whiskey-aging techniques with EDM.
By AJ Powell

Putting Four Premium Car Audio Systems to the Test
Listening to first-rate systems from Burmester, Naim, Meridian and Mark Levinson.

Making the Case for the $1,600 In-Ear Headphone
Does Noble Audio’s Kaiser 10U represent sound above reproach or price beyond reason?

A ‘Million’ Used Records, $2 a Pop, in No Order at All
‘The Thing,’ in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, claims to have a million used records in their cluttered, dingy basement.
By Chris Wright

How Audiophiles Shop for Audio Gear
A conversation with Sound & Vision editor Rob Sabin, who explains how audiophiles decide what systems to buy to bring the best sound.
By Eric Adams

Inside the World’s Biggest Jazz Record Store
The story of Chicago’s premier record store and the jazz and blues record label behind it.

How Meridian’s $80,000 Speaker Is Made
Behind the scenes with one of the best speaker makers on earth.
By Sung Han

6 Perfect Hi-Fi Headphone Setups
You love great music, and there’s a good chance you listen to a lot of it. Now it’s time to pair your tunes with equally great gear.
By Eric Yang

A Beginner’s Guide to Speakers
Before wandering into the hi-fi shop, understand what you’re looking for.
By Ben Bowers

The Perfect Home Theater at Any Budget
Everyone deserves a home theater. We put together kits at $2,000, $5,000, and $20,000.

The Beautiful Quandary of $80,000 Speakers
Meridian’s new 25th Anniversary Special Edition DSP8000 loudspeakers cost $80,000.
By Chris Wright

Tested: Klipsch X11i In-Ear Headphones
The typical beef with earbuds is that they sound worse than similarly priced over- or on-ear headphones. That’s not to say audio engineers haven’t figured out how to squeeze spectacular sound out of a diminutive package, there’s just usually a hefty premium for having your cake and eating it too.
By Ben Bowers