My Fave HiFi products RIGHT NOW, 2025
Every week I get an email or two asking me what I am using these days in my audio system, for my personal use. Well, here ya go. These are my fave pieces right now and ones that I have purchased (or soon will) for my own use so far in 2025. So below is my system as it sits as of May 2025. I had to get my electronics cost down and landed here.
- Icon 12 Speakers from O Audio. Just everything I could have ever asked for in a speaker. They have warmth, beautiful gentle details, amazing bass with a solid foundation to the music. They are holographic with body and brawn and are superb at low volume as well. These sound as one, perfectly blends the woofer with the horn tweeter. Smooth as silk and gorgeous. I love these and prefer them to any other speaker I have ever owned. They are the total package. Big, yes, Heavy, yes. Expensive, yes. Worth it? YES. (See O Audio HERE)
- Nagra Streamer. I somehow ended up with a full Nagra stack in Jan 2025 but soon realized it was overkill for me, my room, and my wallet. I figured I would keep them for the year and sell (to pay them off) or with any luck, for a long time but there is only one piece I will keep (what I can afford) and that is the Nagra Streamer. In fact, it’s my fave Nagra product for a few reasons. Simplicity, performance, build/design, and sound quality. It’s also not priced into the stratosphere yet brings the Nagra quality. Nagra says this streamers matches the sound quality of their own CD player and I believe it. This streamer is fantastic and sounds gorgeous, human vs robotic and organic. Bested any and every streamer I have pitted it against to date, for sound, regardless of cost. I haven’t tried them all, but this is my vibe right here. It is a very simple streamer though with minimal outputs and it doesn’t even have an app. Plug and Play. For me it’s all about the SOUND with this one. (See the review here)
- LAIV Micro Harmony DAC – If I can be honest, I like this DAC more than the full size Harmony and the Micro only costs $994. Just a personal preference, doesn’t mean it’s “better” just different. It’s also due to synergy as it gels so well with the system it sits in. It’s an amazing DAC, almost perfect for my likes. It delivers a rich many but detailed sound due to its R2R architecture. No other DAC up to $2500 can compete for my tastes, heck…I prefer the sound of this to one DAC that I had in here that cost $8k (that I didn’t review). No joke, this is small, mighty and built well. The sound is just right and blends being musical with detail, vigor and plenty of beautiful bass ; ) Not for those who seek analytical sound, the micro has soul. My review is HERE.
- ModWright LS99 Tube Preamp. WOW, just wow. I have not reviewed this yet but I need this in my life in a bad way. This may be my fave product that has ever been sent to me for review, seriously. It has exactly what I have been searching for but have never been able to find. Luscious, REAL tube sound mixed with some modern vibe vs the new modern tube sound. When paired with the brands KWA99 Mono amps, this offers up the most luscious, beautiful, soul stirring and emotional sound I have ever heard when paired with the Icon 12, but it’s a synergy thing. There is some warmth, body, and the most gorgeous midrange I have probably ever heard. I do not own this just yet but want it. It’s not an airy, analytical dig deep into the recording kind of vibe, which Nagra does well. Rather this is holographic with warmth and soul. I sadly had to let go of my dream setup, the Nagra HD DAC and PRE due to finances at this time (Home Insurance quadrupled in Jan, Property Taxes went up by 6X this year and my wife’s car is dead. Life happens. If all goes well, this will be part of my setup with the Icon 12’s with the amps below as the synergy is perfecto, as good as it will get for these ears. Review soon.
- Modwright KWA99 Mono Amps – Again, just as with the LS99 above, when paired with the LS99 pre the sound is beautiful. glowing and with heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears. Ethereal and just a beautiful glow and vibe, .Details emerge and they float away from the speakers and nothing is hidden or obscured. Emotion oozes out from the speakers. Feed it a good source and you will be in heaven, THIS is the sound I crave and I have never heard it so refined and beautiful. I am excited about these as they are truly end game amps without the end game price for those who seek this kind of sound. They sound this way with the LS99 Pre and they are a super match and the set costs less than half of the Nagra Classic AMP alone (though different sound, with the Nagra being more open and detailed). Ive tried so many amps with the Icon 12, and a few I chose not to review. First Watt SIT-3, Accuphase Integrated, Luxman 509Z, A few Gan Amps, an Audio Research VSI 75 (used) and more. The Modwright KWA99’s were my fave set of amps for these speakers, period, when used with the LS99 preamp which adds the tube flavor to these MOSFET amps. Review soon.
- Pure Audio Project Duet 15 (Horn or Voxactive) – I own both of these versions of the Duet 15 and I love both. I cannot say for sure which is my fave but right now it is the Horn model. The way voices are reproduced is scary good and for a lot less cash outlay than some competitors. I now have these in a second smaller system, paired with the LAIV GaNM amps and LAIV Preamp, which have a sort of tube like flow to them, but with power and impact. Smooth with great bass and beautiful top end and mids. I just love Horns I guess ; ) SEE MY REVIEW HERE.
- VINSHINE/KINKI STUDIOS Tai Heng Power Conditioner. Best I have used for removal of DC and bringing more soul to the sound. Some conditioner enhance the top end like Audioquest and Puritan Audio, which can be nice for some setups. I preferred this to my 2+ year old PSM 156 as well as a model from Shunyata. Fixes humming transformers (if caused by DC on the line), acts as current enhancer (plug in those amps, doesn’t slow them down) as well as a surge protector. Amazing fit and finish with such a great price. One day I want to add a second one as it only has 4 inputs and they do recommend to plug amps into one, digital into another. My review is HERE.
May 2025
Some have asked me why I am selling the Nagra gear I just bought in Jan of this year, five months ago as it was and is my dream setup. Well, after I purchased in Jan 2025 a few things happened. My wife’s car is now dead, she needs another. Our property taxes went up by 6X and our home insurance, even though I have never filed a claim in my life went up X4. The world is crazy these days and my expenses shot through the roof AFTER I made this purchase and it was tight as could be before these thihgs happened.
I was going to have to scrimp, save and go without for a while to keep these (I did not pay cash) but it all fell apart. For me, life stuff is more important than audio and in any case, the Nagra HD gear outclasses me anyway. I’m going to switch to a setup of preamp and amps that cost 1/10th of what the Nagra cost but my memory of the Nagra gear will always be with me. I have to go more in line with what I can afford. With the sale of the HD DAC X I paid off a chunk of credit card that had the Nagra gear on it. with the sale of the HD PRE, which is now pending, I will pay off the rest and buy my wife a new car (finance). With the sale of the amp I will buy my new setup and it will be paid off, free and clear. I just went over my head as I was getting a deal and excitement kicked it, but even with my deal it was way too much for me in the end. So that is why I am selling. If I was loaded with cash, they would have stayed. I will miss them. Whoever buys the amp here will really get a deal (I will lose some) on a like new killer amp, and at the same time, will really help me out. Also, I live in an area that is considered “poor”. Many around us struggle and I’d like to help them out a little as well and I sometimes do, when I can. There ya go.