John Reekie continues his quest for the perfect audio interface for acoustic measurements on a reasonable budget. He picks the MOTU MicroBook II because of its precise input gain control, but discovers that the MicroBook is useful for much more than originally anticipated. John writes: “the MicroBook II is an audio geek’s Swiss Army knife: an incredibly handy set of tools in a compact package… if you don’t mind a learning curve and have an inclination to tinker and experiment.”
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“I needed to come up with a recommendation for a USB audio interface for people interested in doing acoustic measurements”, writes John Reekie in his review of the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. He tests out the Focusrite for this purpose on Windows and Mac, and concludes that the performance, ease of use, and reasonable price make the 2i2 well worthy of consideration.
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“There are so many variants of the open-baffle subwoofer…” writes John Reekie of his quest to find a suitable form with which to replace his dipole subwoofer prototype. He explores the different ways in which an open-baffle subwoofer can be “folded” to make it more compact. Each configuration has its own strengths and weaknesses.
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The Australian Audio and AV Show, held in Sydney this year, is the first audio show in Sydney in decades. John Reekie takes a tour through the wonders on offer, and offers some musing of his own.
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HifiZine has run a number of technical articles on the miniDSP active crossover units. John Reekie interviews the man behind the product, Tony Rouget, to get his insights into their genesis and direction.
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Perhaps because it’s not a part of the system per se, the price of a basic measurement setup can be something of a barrier to audiophiles. So it’s good to know that there’s an inexpensive alternative to professional-grade measurement microphones, in the form of these mics calibrated by Cross-Spectrum Labs. John Reekie measures one up.
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“It’s a funny thing, being an audiophile. We are constantly chasing elusive goals…” The Aktimate Micro brings it all back down to earth for John Reekie, who explores getting the most musical enjoyment from this budget all-in-one desktop hifi system. “Overall, the Micro presents a compelling, inexpensive package that is undoubtedly ‘greater than the sum of its parts’.”
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Oliver Masciarotte, a member of the team that brought out the Amarra music player, has penned his thoughts in this new book on how to set up a Mac as a music server. Detailed and wide-ranging, this book is a “must buy,” according to John Reekie.
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“More and more audiophiles are using a computer to purchase, manage, and play back music. The advantages of storing everything on a computer are compelling…” John Reekie provides an in-depth tutorial on how to do it on the Mac.
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“My relationship with headphones and associated equipment has been pretty hit-and-miss over the years. Headphone listening has always been a definite second choice…” John Reekie goes in search of a more enjoyable listening experience with headphones, and settles on the little-known USB-powered Fostex HP-A3 DAC and headphone amplifier.
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