Hi-Fi Foundations

10/12/2017

MIT Cables, Clearaudio Electronic, Audio Research Corporation, Harmonic Resolution Systems Inc., and MartinLogan @

The sound was fabulous. Never have I heard Johnny Cash performing ‘Hurt’ like that! 🙂

Listening Notes:
- Clearest I’ve ever heard the acoustic guitar work
- Johnny’s voice sounds amazing

I enjoyed the detail retrieval on the turntable (a Clearaudio Concept Black with a Satisfy Kardan tonearm) so much, I ordered the Hana SL cartridge for myself!

10/11/2017

was flush with new gear and old friends. Stay tuned for our upcoming blog series detailing some of what this year’s show had to offer!

03/08/2017

Wireworld Starlight Cat8 Ethernet Cable

Wireworld has been doing some amazing things with Ethernet cabling of late. Wait, did you say *Ethernet* cable? Yes, yes I did.

It turns out that Ethernet cabling can have a significant impact on the sound of your system when using a digital music streaming solution like the much-loved Sonore microRendu. Every cable acts as an antenna to some extent, and Ethernet cables tend to be quite long. The opportunity for them to pick up noise and conduct it -- and for them to generate their own noise as the electrons flow through -- is prevalent.

David Salz of Wireworld has taken Ethernet to the next level by implementing the Category 8 cabling specification. These cables are capable of pushing 40 gigabits per second at a distance of 30 meters, which implies some serious internal (and external) noise rejection characteristics!

The red Starlight cable is amazing. Silver-clad oxygen-free copper conductors with an innovative topology (no twists?!) delivering groundbreaking performance. Every music streaming system I've put this into has instantly sounded better.

The recently released Platinum Starlight (the Starlight's pure silver bigger-brother) is even more amazing than the (red) Starlight. The Platinum may just be the best (non-optical) Ethernet cable on planet Earth. As deeper as the (red) Starlight brings you into the music, the Platinum clarifies and deepens the experience all the more. Trust me, you'll be hearing more buzz about this one soon...

Barking at the heels of these is the more modestly priced, yellow-jacketed Chroma Ethernet cable. It shares the exact same topology as the other Wireworld Ethernet offerings It might be the best bang-for-your buck digital audio cable that money can buy. If you've got a fairly long run between your server and your listening room, Chroma is definitely worth listening to!

Device Type: Ethernet CableAvailability: Wireworld Cable Technology DealersVersions: STE (Standard Termination), SCE (Crossover Termination). STE versions were used in this review. SCE Crossover cables are used to connect 2 computers together or 2 or more switches togetherPrice: $210.00 / 1 meter ,…

10/01/2016

We came across a neat article on the Wave Kinetics NVS and Durand tonearms:

http://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/impressions-wave-kinetics-nvs-turntable-durand-telos-12-tonearm-ortofon-anna-mc-photo-essay-review/

I've had the pleasure of spending time at Mike Lavigne's house (he's a Washingtonian and a friend of our Audio Society).

You can see Mike's personal system (a different one than is featured in the article) here:
https://onedrive.live.com/?v=photos&id=C484D43F51FF73DD%2177200&cid=C484D43F51FF73DD

There's a video in there that starts with a tribute to the recently departed Winston Ma.

08/25/2016

Nordost Cables

Get 'em while they're hot!

We are so excited to unveil the Sort Lift— Nordost's revolutionary take on the cable lifter! Visit our blog to find out more about the newest addition to our Sort System:

07/11/2016

Genesis Advanced Technologies, Inc.

Genesis Advanced Technologies, Inc. knows how to party!

We did this not to show how "live" the loudspeakers were, but to give a rare opportunity for the audience of music lovers to experience how incredibly rich and textured a live un-mic'ed and un-amplified saxophone can sound. There is no way to capture the richness of many musical instruments on to a recording.

With the saxophone, this is doubly difficult. Most recordings - and also most live performances - amplify the saxophone with a little mic clipped to the bell of the saxophone. This is only one (albeit the major) emitter of sound with this instrument. However, the entire saxophone vibrates, and emits sound through out the body of the instrument. There are other tone holes on the saxophone that make sound. The mouthpiece and reed also vibrate, and up close, you can hear that. In addition, there is the sound of the lips of the performer around the reed, his throat, his cheeks, even his hands holding the instrument. With recordings and a live amplified performance, you are mostly hearing the sound from the bell. A lot of richness is lost.

Here's Paul Sawtelle playing Another Sunday Morning from his fabulous album Virtual Insanity.

07/03/2016

Nordost Cables

Nordost Cables

In honor of the 4th of July coming up, we thought it would be nice to revisit this blog post from Nordost president Joe Reynolds. We're so proud to make our cables in the USA!

05/06/2016

Apple Stole My Music. No, Seriously.

A cautionary tale about . might be nuking your music library behind your back...

https://blog.vellumatlanta.com/2016/05/04/apple-stole-my-music-no-seriously/

“The software is functioning as intended,” said Amber. “Wait,” I asked, “so it’s supposed to delete my personal files from my internal hard drive without asking my permission?” “Yes,” she replied. …

04/25/2016

Nordost- Blue Heaven Headphone Cables- Terrific Value and Quality at an affordable price

"If you want to see what your headphone is capable of producing you should check out the Blue Heaven cables. Highly Recommended."

email

04/20/2016

DragonFly Red and Black are now shipping. If you've been waiting, now's the time. Drop us a line or give us a call today!

04/10/2016

Meet Dragonfly Black and Dragonfly Red | Hi-Fi Foundations

"Hard to believe! It’s been almost four years since the original
DragonFly (v1.0) changed the world’s concept of what a
DAC could and should be. At only $249, but with expensive
component-quality performance, DragonFly was hailed
around the world as the perfect introduction to the pleasures
of high-performance audio.

"A year and half later, DragonFly rocked the audio world again
when we introduced the updated v1.2—for only $149. The
sound was simply a little cleaner, a little better controlled,
and more relaxed—unequivocally better. And, the new price
helped bring better-sounding music to even more people.

"Now, AudioQuest is truly pleased to introduce two dramatic
steps forward—two new DragonFlys with unprecedented
audio quality and even higher performance-to-cost ratios—and,
drum roll, they work with Apple and Android™ phones!"

, ,

03/26/2016

Ethernet Matters | Hi-Fi Foundations

Coming from a software engineering background, I would usually be the first to tell you — all things being equal — that different (properly terminated, undamaged) Ethernet cables should not make a difference in audio quality.


It would seem that things are not equal, however...

Ethernet Matters You are here: Home » Announcements » New Products » Ethernet Matters Coming from a software engineering background, I would usually be the first to tell you — all things being equal — that different (properly terminated, undamaged) Ethernet cables should not make a difference in…

02/15/2016

Picking something to bask in awe of next with Benno (GamuT), Rob (MoFi), and Michael (GamuT) at in the GamuT room. Great people, phenomenal sound!

11/13/2015

Frey 2 Power Cords really are beautiful.

(Even my wife thinks so!)

08/12/2015

The AudioQuest has landed! Read more about it here:
http://www.hififoundations.com/the-jitterbug-has-landed/

01/11/2015

was great. Lots of new connections made, friendships developed, and memorable systems on display. 2015 is shaping up to be a great year!

12/25/2014

[Official Video] Mary, Did You Know? - Pentatonix

Merry Christmas, everyone!

We hope you're safe and warm, enjoying time with friends and family, reflecting on 2014 and looking forward to 2015. We look forward to serving your audio performance needs in 2015 and beyond.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let Earth receive her King!

2015 TOUR DATES (CITIES & VENUES LISTED BELOW) -- http://ptxofficial.com/tour BUY “THAT’S CHRISTMAS TO ME” http://smarturl.it/PTXtctmiT?iqiD=YT | BUY "MARY, ...

10/11/2014

Hi-Fi Foundations () | Twitter

We are loving and ! Follow us on Twitter @ Twitter.com/hififoundations

The latest Tweets from Hi-Fi Foundations (). Bringing the showroom home!. Bothell, WA

08/13/2014

Rocky Mountain Audio Fest - Rocky Mountain Audio Fest

We're making our arrangements for RMAF...

Are you going this year?

https://www.audiofest.net/2014/

What is RMAF? The 11th Annual Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF) is the largest consumer audio and home entertainment show in the United States. Simply put: “mega stereo systems!” Denver’s own audio wonderland now features over 170 exhibit spaces representing…Read more ›

05/14/2014

Geek Wave: a No-compromise Portable Music Player

Light Harmonic's latest no-compromise, portable endeavor:

Geek Wave is a high performance music player you can take with you on the go, made for discerning ears.

02/28/2014

Wilson Audio: Sasha Series-2

Music Matters at Definitive Audio was excellent this year. Great demos, incredible music, and good conversation. A highly recommended way to spend the evening!

For the record, my favorite speakers of the evening were the Wilson Audio Sasha W/P Series 2 speakers.

The official web site for Wilson Audio Specialties, home of Authentic Excellence

01/14/2014

OPPO BDP-105D Blu-ray Disc Player

Oppo BDP-105D is out and it has enhanced DSD support!

The OPPO BDP-105D brings Darbee Visual Presence video enhancement to our flagship product family. The Darbee Edition is based on the award-winning BDP-105 model known for its audiophile-grade sound fidelity. Darbee Visual Presence adds enhanced depth and realism to the visual experience. Excelling i...

01/13/2014

Find us on the web at http://www.hififoundations.com!

01/13/2014

Hi-Fi Foundations (HiFiFoundations) on Twitter

Check out our twitter for lots of CES updates: https://twitter.com/hififoundations

The latest from Hi-Fi Foundations (). Bringing the showroom home!. Bothell, WA

01/13/2014

was an absolute blast. So many things posted on Twitter, so many more to come. Thanks to Nordost Cables and Light Harmonic for bringing the awesome along.

01/06/2014

Looking forward to !

01/06/2014

Hi-Fi Foundations's cover photo