Our History

Same motor, same tonearm, same weight, same dimensions: the Technics SL-100C and the Technics SL-1500C have more in common than they do in common. Yet the price difference is significant, and understanding where it ends is also useful for those considering a used model—because the SL-100C is mostly found secondhand these days. The heart is the same. Both feature a coreless direct-drive motor, meaning there's no iron core: this is the solution Technics introduced to eliminate cogging, that micro-jerk of the motor that in traditional direct-drive systems would reach all the way to the platter.

They're two moving magnet cartridges in the same price range, both with thin-profile styluses, both designed for those who want the most from a moving magnet without switching to moving magnets. But the Sumiko Amethyst and the Ortofon 2M Black ask different things of your system—and on one of them, if you get it wrong, the more expensive cartridge sounds worse than a cheap one. The difference that matters most of all: output voltage. Before any discussion of sound, a number: the 2M Black outputs at 5 mV, the Amethyst at 2,5 mV. Half...

Same brand, same series, same millimeter measurements: the Rotel CD11 MkII and the Rotel CD14 MkII are two CD players that look like twins on the shelf. There's a price difference, though, and it's the question we get most often: what extra do you get with the CD14? Here's a comparison based on the data sheets, without adjectives. Two identical players outside. Let's start with what doesn't change, because it's a lot. Both measure 430 × 98 × 314 mm, both consume a maximum of 15 W, both have a coaxial digital output, and...

"Best turntable" rankings last only as long as the model they recommend. The mistakes that lead to buying the wrong one, however, have been the same for twenty years—and they don't depend on which model comes out this year. We see them repeated in stores every week, often by people who have done a lot of research before coming in. If you avoid five of them, you'll find the right turntable on your own, in any price range. Mistake 1: Comparing turntables by looking only at the price. This is the most costly mistake, and almost no one notices it in time. A turntable from...

They're two bookshelf speakers from the same manufacturer, both two-way, with the same sensitivity and claimed bass extension. Yet there's a significant price difference between the Indiana Line Tesi 3 and the Indiana Line Diva 3, in the order of seventy percent. The question we're most often asked is whether you can hear that difference. The honest answer is: it depends on where you place them and what you play them with—and on this page you'll find the data to help you decide for yourself. What they have in common (more than meets the eye) First...