Marcus Vale
I'm Marcus, and I'll be honest up front: I trust a measurement before I trust my own ears, because my ears lie to me daily. I spent fifteen years designing audio electronics before I started writing about them, so when a brand tells me a number, I want to see the graph. That doesn't make me cold about this hobby — I love a system that disappears as much as anyone — it just means I'll tell you when an expensive box is selling you confidence rather than performance.
14 published articles · most recent June 21, 2026
I'm Marcus, and I'll be honest up front: I trust a measurement before I trust my own ears, because my ears lie to me daily.
I spent fifteen years designing audio electronics before I started writing about them, so when a brand tells me a number, I want to see the graph.
That doesn't make me cold about this hobby — I love a system that disappears as much as anyone. It just means I'll tell you when an expensive box is selling you confidence rather than performance.
Articles by Marcus Vale
AVR vs AV processor: which should power your home cinema?AV receivers and dedicated processors both decode Atmos — but the engineering tradeoffs are real. Marcus Vale breaks down what the measurements actually tell you.
Rega's first high-end pre/power in years debuts with the Solis power amplifierRega unveiled the Solis power amp and Mercury preamp at Bristol 2026 — the British brand's first genuine reference amplification in years. Here's what it means.
FiiO's new discrete Class A desktop headphone amplifier targets high-end cansFiiO teased a fully discrete, pure Class A desktop headphone amp ahead of Vienna High End 2026. Marcus Vale breaks down what it means for serious headphone listeners.
Pro-audio brand Ultrafide enters hi-fi with the music-first Enso INT-125 integratedBritish pro-audio specialist Ultrafide debuts its first home integrated at Bristol 2026 — the 125W Enso INT-125, priced at £3,500.
Dirac Live 3.14: The Legacy Calibration Tool Is Gone, and ART Just Got a Lot More AccessibleDirac's 3.14.1 and 3.14.3 releases retire the old DLCT and expand ART support. Here's what changed, why it matters, and what AU buyers need to know.
miniDSP Tide16: a 16-channel immersive processor that ships with the full Dirac Live suite as standardminiDSP's Tide16 bundles Dirac Live Room Correction, Bass Control and ART in a standalone 16-channel processor. Marcus Vale unpacks what that means.
Qobuz posts 45.7% revenue growth, outpacing the broader streaming market by a factor of fiveQobuz's June 2026 annual results show 45.7% revenue growth in 2025, dwarfing the market's 8.8% rise, with profitability now targeted by March 2027.
HARMAN absorbs Sound United, putting B&W, Denon and Marantz under one roofSamsung's HARMAN completed its $350M acquisition of Sound United in late 2025, reshaping premium audio and raising hard questions for serious listeners.
Chinese luxury group Chow Tai Seng rescues German high-end maker MBL from insolvencyMBL filed for insolvency in May 2025. By October, a Chinese luxury conglomerate had taken over. Here's what it means for the brand, the industry, and AU buyers.
How Purifi's 1ET9040BA pushed Class-D to the edge of measurabilityPurifi's flagship Eigentakt module claims distortion below 0.00017%. But a Stereophile follow-up revealed even reference-grade Class-D can ship defective. What does 'state of the art' actually mean no
Sonos returns to profit and innovation under permanent CEO Tom ConradAfter a catastrophic app rebrand and leadership turmoil, Sonos has swung to its first positive Q2 EBITDA in four years. Marcus Vale analyses what it means.
Class-D arrives at the flagship single-box tier with the Marantz Model 10The $15,000 Marantz Model 10 wins EISA's top integrated amplifier award — and it runs on Class-D. Here's why that matters.
Gallium nitride goes mainstream as Chord adopts GaN for its Blade amplifierChord Electronics previewed its Class G GaN Blade amp at High End Vienna 2026. Marcus Vale explains why GaN matters and what it means for serious audio.
Hegel keeps Class-AB alive with the H150 'Prodigy' streaming ampThe Hegel H150 'Prodigy' arrives with Class-AB SoundEngine 2, a new USB-A input and MM phono — a deliberate statement against the Class-D tide.