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Find Your Anti-Algorithm

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 01 August 2026

A few months back, I was in the shower, listening to an electronica playlist or radio station on Apple Music—I honestly can’t remember which—and had my mind absolutely blown by a song I’d never heard before. It had the textures and tones of, say, an Alon Mor composition, just a lot more fun and, dare I say, danceable. As soon as I finished bathing and toweling off, I scrolled back through my recently played tracks, made a mental note to remember this mysterious new musical revelation, and as you might be able to tell from my lack of specifics here, I promptly forgot to do so. I even managed to delete my entire listening history in Apple Music when I went digging a few weeks later in a vain attempt to find that track again.

Emotiva BasX TA2+ Stereo Receiver

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 01 August 2026

Reviewers' Choice As Geoffrey Morrison recently pointed out in an editorial for SoundStage! Solo, everyone is biased. I’m biased. You’re biased. There’s no escaping it. So when I find myself in a position where my biases might influence my impressions, I try to spell those biases out. So let me just say this from the giddy-up: I dig Emotiva. And yeah, I’ve had issues with the HDMI boards in some of its home-theater products, just like everyone else. But for solid, affordable, no-nonsense stereo gear that’s got a bit of personality, a distinctive aesthetic, and a put-up-or-shut-up approach to performance, it’s hard to beat the Tennessee-based brand’s offerings, such as the new BasX TA2+ stereo receiver/preamp/DAC/tuner (US$1299, CA$1750, £1099, €1248).

Pro-Ject Audio Systems Debut Reference 10 Turntable and Pick it Pro Balanced Cartridge

Details: Written by: Al Griffin; Created: 15 July 2026

This is my first turntable review for the SoundStage! Network, but I’m no vinyl newbie. My collection includes the many records I bought as a kid and teen before CDs took over, and I’ve steadily added to it over the years, even after streaming became my default method for music playback.

First Look: Emotiva BasX TA2+ Stereo Receiver

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 15 July 2026

’Tis the season, it seems, for sequels to popular audio components. For last month’s review, I dug into the Vincent Audio SV‑500MK hybrid integrated amp, which adds HDMI and Bluetooth capabilities to the beloved SV‑500 (at the expense of some analog connectivity). This month, I’m digging into the new Emotiva BasX TA2+ stereo receiver/preamp/DAC/tuner (US$1299, CA$1750, £1099, €1248), which adds a whole heck of a lot more than that to the template established by the original TA2.

Can You Build an Affordable Audiophile/Gaming PC in 2026?

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 01 July 2026

The short answer to the question posed in the headline is, “No. No, you can’t. Nothing about computers is affordable anymore in this era of AI market manipulation and speculation.”

Vincent Audio SV-500MK Integrated Amplifier

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 01 July 2026

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m getting to the age where repeating myself is just a byproduct of continued existence, so bear with me. A few years ago, I put together a document for new SoundStage! Network writers titled “The Unassailable, Unimpeachable Guide to Writing the Perfect SoundStage! Review (in my opinion, man),” created with the goal of walking newbies through the inner workings of my twisted mind when I’m reviewing a piece of gear.

Dual CS 529 Turntable and Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge

Details: Written by: Thom Moon; Created: 15 June 2026

The vast majority of turntables available today are operated manually—you move the tonearm to the lead-in groove to begin playing a record and lift it off at the end of the side. There are a few models that automatically stop the motor at the end of a side, fewer still that lift the tonearm off the record as well, and a very few that automatically return the tonearm to its rest position. Rarer still are fully automatic ’tables that will automatically move the arm into position and drop the needle to start playing, then retrieve it when the record finishes.

First Look: Vincent Audio SV-500MK Integrated Amplifier

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 15 June 2026

Vincent Audio’s updated SV‑500MK hybrid integrated amplifier (US$1699.95) took a circuitous route to my reference two-channel system, originally arriving at a time when I had a pretty big backlog of review gear on hand, only to take a quick side quest to Chicago for AXPONA before being shipped back my way. But to be fair, you’d never know any of that from looking at the outer shipping carton.

Are Schisms in Hi-Fi Simply Inevitable?

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 01 June 2026

It’s funny how human brains work, isn’t it? You can spend your entire life viewing the world through one lens, only to swap it for a wholly different paradigm after you’ve wrapped your brain around a new concept with explanatory power. Your entire habitus can get flipped on its head simply by fully understanding a framework that you either weren’t familiar with before or, by contrast, wrote off as so universal as to have little theoretical utility.

Onkyo Muse Y-40 Streaming Integrated Amplifier

Details: Written by: Dennis Burger; Created: 01 June 2026

I was frankly perplexed when Onkyo announced its new Muse Series integrated amplifiers earlier this year, including the Y‑40 (US$999.99, CA$1499, £849, €899). After all, the ink was barely dry on the company’s recently released Icon Series products, including the A‑50 (US$1599.99, CA$2599.99, £1199, €1299), itself a network integrated amplifier. One can’t help wondering if Onkyo is getting out over its skis a little with its big comeback in the stereo domain.

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