The audiophile's holy grail has long been great sound on a budget. Recently, the word around town is that a Chinese company, Topping, is delivering solid products, at extremely affordable price points. Two products, the TOPPING E30 DAC and L30 Headphone Amplifier are inexpensive, yet boast a feature set of far more expensive components. They meet just about every possible spec wish list on the books (with the exception of MQA) to high-resolution audio. We used the ensemble to put the new HIFIMAN HE-R10D dynamic headphones to the test. When Apos Audio offered us the opportunity to live with this affordable duo for a while, we couldn’t say no.  Read on to learn more about this dynamic duo.

Harris Fogel & Nancy Burlan, Posted 7/26/2021

It's not often that we refer to cleaning albums as fun. But the unique Vinyl Record Cleaning (VRC) System and VRC Restore! vinyl record cleaning film, provided much more fun than we expected. In previous articles we've looked at different approaches to cleaning LPs, all of which used the same process - get the records wet, wash the dirt out, then dry them. We've also commented on the strange (but not recommended) trend of using wood glue to “clean” albums; an interesting but peril-fraught technique. So, when our colleagues recommended that we take a look at a new process from The Vinyl Record Cleaning Company of Australia, our interest was piqued. Read on for our take on this unique process. Part one of a two-part article.

Harris Fogel, Nancy Burlan, and Frank Schramm, Posted 4/7/2021

Do you remember when we were promised that our lives would be wireless? No cables, all our devices magically communicating, charging, printing, and so much more. The reality has been anything but. We seem to need more cables and adapters then ever. While our phones can do amazing things, at some point we need to charge them, transfer data, and attach peripherals. And so much more. Two of our favorite manufacturers are Accell, and Kanex. Both have earned a reputation for solid engineering, with first rate products. USB 4 Type-C got you down, no problem! Read on for our recommendations.

Harris Fogel and Nancy Burlan, Posted 2/21/2021

The Daguerreian Society was formed in 1988 as a group “dedicated to the history, science, and art of the daguerreotype,” but has expanded its mission; hence the Society’s new tag line: “dedicated to the history, science, and art of early photography and processes.” Normally, the Society hosts on an annual five-day conference, but due to the pandemic, they cut two days from the event, but kept a full schedule of speakers, panels, and museum tours, created a Virtual TradeFair, a benefit auction, and even informal time to chat over drinks or dinner. How well did this important symposium work out as a virtual event? Read on for our full review.

Harris Fogel with editorial support by Nancy Burlan, Stephen Perloff, and Sarah Weatherwax, Posted 1/11/2021