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Blue Prince and the Audiophile Journey

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

They say you can tell a lot about a person based on their favorite joke, although I hope that’s not the case, because mine goes a little something like this:

A guy dies and opens his eyes to find himself sitting in a circle of people in folding chairs, surrounded by flames. A red dude with horns and hooves steps into the circle and says, “Hi, I’m the Devil, and just to let you know, things here in Hell don’t work quite the way you might have assumed they would.”

Denon AVR-X2900H A/V Receiver

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

One of the phenomena that most fascinates me is the weird dissonance that results from a significant disconnect between perception and reality. For most areas of interest or influence, it’s easy enough to chalk it up to cultural hegemony, but when it happens in the domain of A/V, I’m not sure what to call it. Whatever the cause, though, there’s this perception that home theater is dead and dying harder every day—that A/V receivers like Denon’s new AVR‑X2900H (US$1349, CA$1799, £899, €1000) are a relic of the past and just barely hanging on. That pretty soon you just won’t be able to buy a mass-market one at all.

Victrola Third Man Records Wave Turntable and Tempo Powered Speaker System

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

To celebrate Record Store Day 2026, Victrola and Jack White’s Third Man Records collaborated on a limited-edition Third Man Records version of Victrola’s Wave turntable and Tempo powered speaker system. The bookshelf speaker system features Third Man’s striking yellow-and-black color scheme. The turntable is mostly black, but has the Victrola and Third Man logos emblazoned in yellow on the front of the plinth, and includes a felt mat that sports the Third Man logo. The turntable sells for US$499.99 and the Tempo speakers for US$249.99, but Victrola also sells the combination for US$649.98, a US$100 discount.

First Look: Denon AVR-X2900H A/V Receiver

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

Anytime Denon rolls out a new generation of AVRs, the first question that comes to mind for most home-theater enthusiasts is: what’s new? How, for example, is the new AVR‑X2900H (US$1349, CA$1799, £899, €1000) substantially different from its forebear, the AVR‑X2800H, which debuted way back in 2022 for US$1299?

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

Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click this link.

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.

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