Aaudio Imports: Product Reviews

HB Cable Design PowerSlave Acrylic

The HB Cable Design PowerSlave Acrylic Distributor does some wonderful things for your power line.

Bottom line: If I had an unlimited budget, I'd sooner purchase the HB Acrylic than any power distributor or conditioner on the market.

- Marshall Nack

Positive Feedback 1/1/2014

HB Cable Design PowerSlave Marble

Let me be honest: After all the great and some not-so-great power conditioning products I have owned and/or reviewed, I simply was stunned by the improvement the HB Marble made in the sound of my system. After the time I had just spent with the Audience aR6-T, the Synergistic Research Tesla PowerCell with active power cords, the HB Acrylic, and the new Audience aR-6TSS (by the way, all incredibly good units) I just wasn’t prepared for how much better my system sounded with the HB Marble in the system.

If you can afford the HB Marble and your system is at the place that this could be your next big step, then go for it. You won’t be disappointed!

- Jack Roberts

Dagogo 10/23/2013

Stage III Kraken AC Power Cord

Just one Kraken will be enough to alter your sound in startling ways. Singlehandedly, it can take your system from very good to outstanding. Its effects are so noted, it really has me thinking it should be considered a component—in particular, a power conditioner.

The Kraken is another world-class power product from Stage III and gets my top recommendation.

- Marshall Nack

Positive Feedback 6/9/2013

HB Cable Design PowerSlave Acrylic

First, there is the increase in scale. My system sounded bigger and more powerful with the Acrylic compared to the Horizon. Second, there was a solidity and sense of space to the sound with the Acrylic in the system that I had not heard before. Third, the system’s ability to play loud and not break up was expanded; my amp sounded like it had more power. Fourth, my system had even better timbre and tonal accuracy with the Acrylic distributing the power to it. Last, because of the first four points, my system sounded more alive with the Acrylic.

Dagogo 4/17/2013

Ypsilon Aelius monoblock power amplifier

The Aelius's top-to-bottom rhythmic agility may be in a class of its own. Its bottom end was nimble, clean, and well extended, and did the best job of controlling the woofers of the Wilson Alexandria XLFs of any amplifier that's been here since those speakers arrived.

The Aelius is yet another spectacular sonic and technological achievement from Ypsilon Electronics. I remain impressed by everything they do.

- Michael Fremer

Stereophile 4/1/2013

PowerStar Horizon: High End Power Dist.

I’ve tried so many power conditioners that I won’t try to list all of them. In the end, I am a firm believer in the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle when it comes to audio design. Just look at my system, it only has three power cords, and one pair of interconnects plus the tonearm cable. The HB Designs PowerStar Horizon fits right into that principle. I can’t wait to get the Acrylic and the Marble in for a listen.

Well done, Brian for bringing to the U.S. another great sounding product that most of us had never heard of.

Dagogo 1/25/2013

Stage III: Magnus Prime Interconnects

It’s hard to describe interconnect that doesn’t have much sonic character. It’s not warm, not cold, not dark or bright... basically, it’s just right, meaning it really isn’t there at all. And the benefit of this lack of character is that whatever is on the tape, that’s what you’re going to hear.

The Magnus Prime lets you spend much more time listening to the music, rather than to the system. You’ll hear all that there is to hear, to a farethewell.

Nicholas Bedworth 7/9/2012

Stage III: Magnus Prime Speaker Cables

The Magnus Prime speaker cables are certainly worth a long listen,
You may well end up deciding you can’t part with them.

To me, they’re well-balanced, highly detailed, dynamic and accurate, while also sounding natural, compelling, intriguing and effortless.

Nicholas Bedworth 7/8/2012

Ypsilon Electronics Aelius Mono Amplifiers

...within a broad level of performance, the Aelius competes with any amp I've heard -- and I suspect any amp made today.

The Audio Beat 3/11/2012

Ypsilon VPS 100 Phono Stage

"Man, what a natural, refined sound!" was my first enthusiastic response to the VPS 100. The differences lay in the quantity and quality of low-level information. The convincing little events are there, but equally important as this abundance of micro-level stuff is their terrific timbral and dynamic fidelity.

The VPS 100 conjoins excellent performance on the objectivist criteria with the unique qualities only step-up designs bring. The difference is this is the first step-up design that doesn't exhibit the step-up weaknesses.

As a total package, the Ypsilon VPS 100 Phono Stage offers the finest, most satisfying, analog playback I've heard to date. Marshall Nack

Positive Feedback 10/11/2011