Be Careful What You Wish For
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: Opinion
As I write this, I’m panicking a little. It’s Friday, July 11, and I’m starting to make little piles around the house as I pack for my flight to Europe this coming Monday. I’ll be in Europe for nearly two weeks as I visit the Pro‑Ject Audio Systems / European Audio Team and Siltech / Crystal Cable headquarters. Then I’ll be writing up factory tours of those facilities, and you’ll get to read about them on SoundStage! Global in the next few weeks.
Ortofon MC X40 Moving-Coil Phono Cartridge
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: Full-Length Reviews
About eight years ago, I was sitting in the lobby bar of the Hotel Bonaventure in Montreal, Canada. It was the Saturday night of the 2017 Montreal Audio Fest, and the bar quickly filled up with many of the exhibitors. I recall that particular evening as a time of easeful conversation lubricated by very good local beer. I spent a good hour chatting with Harry and Mat Weisfeld of VPI Industries. That father-and-son partnership made for good company—Harry’s quiet and calm demeanor, along with his wealth of analog knowledge, paired perfectly with Mat’s unbridled enthusiasm.
Goldring Ethos SE Moving-Coil Phono Cartridge
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: Full-Length Reviews
I’ve owned a record player since I was 13 years old—1976, if I remember correctly. That record player became a turntable about four years later, with my acquisition of a Technics SL-B2 standalone deck. The Technics begat a Rega, and the Rega begat a Roksan. From Roksan to Pro-Ject, then from Pro-Ject to VPI, we arrive at the present.
Silver Everywhere: Sliding in More Siltech
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: Opinion
Two months ago, I related my experience as I dug into a carton filled with sufficient Siltech Royal Single Crown cables to wire up the core of my system. Although I was tempted—more than you can imagine—to simply rip open each box and stuff the full set into my system, I took a measured approach. With the review going live on the same day as that column, it made more sense to check out the speaker cables first, so into the system they went. After I’d finished the review, I found myself eyeing those unopened boxes of screamingly high-end cables.
Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Signature Loudspeaker
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: Full-Length Reviews
Note: measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council can be found through this link.
I’m not sure I’m the right guy for this job. With all the reviews I write for SoundStage! Ultra, I never cease to be conscious of how expensive these products are. Speaker cables that cost more than a car. Preamplification components that could put my daughter through a year of private school. Every Ultra-class component that comes through my house and my system is a reminder that I’m not rich.
Stunned into Indecision at High End 2025—European Audio Team to the Rescue
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: For the Record
Unless you’ve experienced it, the actual scale of Munich’s High End audio show is nearly impossible to imagine. I recently received a that’s-all-she-wrote summary from the organizers, wherein they reported that the 2025 show encompassed 501 exhibitors representing nearly 1000 brands. Attendance topped 20,000. While those numbers are impressive, they don’t tell the whole story.
Tariffs—Stingin’ Like a Sumbitch!
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: Opinion
When I worked full-time in an office, I regularly noticed how insanely stressed some people seemed to be. I recall walking past a coworker and offering an insincere salutation: “How you doing?”
Audiovector Trapeze Reimagined Loudspeaker
- Written by: Phil Gold
- Category: Full-Length Reviews
Danish loudspeaker manufacturer Audiovector, launched by Ole Klifoth in 1979, introduced an audacious wedge-shaped cabinet that year that broke away from the conventional boxy designs of the time. Unlike rectilinear cabinets, which are susceptible to internal standing waves, Audiovector’s design had no large parallel surfaces, thereby effectively eliminating this problem. It also had a back-leaning baffle that ensured phase alignment of the drivers. While tilted baffles have been featured in speakers from other brands, the Trapeze design was unique and remains unparalleled.
My Favorite Analog Accessories
- Written by: Jonathan Gorse
- Category: Opinion
Do you remember the first vinyl record you ever purchased? Did it start an obsession that persists to this day? I’ve been collecting vinyl since 1980, when I bought my very first album. I can still remember the thrill of bringing home my copy of Grease and playing it on my father’s Technics system. The first single I ever bought was a gloriously avant-garde and moody slice of electronica from January 1981: Ultravox’s “Vienna.” Back then, it felt like a totally new world was opening up—and it was!
Many Boxes of Luxury: Siltech’s Royal Single Crown Cables
- Written by: Jason Thorpe
- Category: Opinion
If you’re sitting in front of your system right now, I’d like you to consider how you choose your components. Is it sound quality alone? Is a component’s appearance important? How well one component matches with another? Of course, sound quality is of vital importance—a system that doesn’t sound good is an abject failure, no matter how good it looks. But how do you weight appearance, performance, and opulence on your personal balance sheet?
- Siltech Royal Single Crown Speaker Cable
- Harkness: “Ciao to the Beauty”
- The Best (and Worst) of Florida International Audio Expo 2025
- EMM Labs DV2i Streaming DAC-Preamplifier
- IsoAcoustics Delos 2216W1 Turntable Isolation Platform
- Nice Guy Jason and the Bowers & Wilkins DB2D Subwoofers
- Balanced Audio Technology REX 300 Stereo Amplifier
- Linn Klimax LP12 Turntable
- Avant-Garde Jazz vs. Classic Rock
- Magnificence on a Budget
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