Shawn Kernes Blog

Is there any point to an "entry level" vinyl playback system? I recently ran ran across someone asking a this question, and it got me thinking... In a world where "entry level" digital playback is so damn good and so accessible, why would anyone go for an entry level vinyl playback system, which is both lower absolute quality and often significantly more expensive.  Let's start with a cost comparison: Streaming services range from free to about $20/month. Generally you get what you pay for in this arena, but even the free services are of reasonable quality and have catalog's consisting of millions of songs these days. The highest quality services, such as Tidal and Qobuz, cost a bit less than one new record per month.  Records range from about $3 for less desirable examples at used record stores, if you happen to have one in your town, to upwards of $100. On average you can expect to pay $20-$35 for a new record at Target, Walmart, or Amazon.   Streaming mus

Link to THX Press Release:  https://www.thx.com/blog/thx-launches-dacamp-thx-onyx/ Link to ASR Measurements:  https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/thx-onyx-review-headphone-adapter.22223/ SAN FRANCISCO, April 7, 2021 —  THX Ltd., a world-class audio and video certification and technology company, today announced the global launch of its first consumer electronics device, THX Onyx™. Staying true to its mission to empower high fidelity for entertainment, the company unveiled THX Onyx with improvements over traditional DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) amplifiers by including THX AAA™ amplifier technology onboard to ensure lossless, pure sound that empowers listeners to hear content the way the artist intended. THX Onyx has both THX AAA and ESS Pro DAC chips inside, as well as MQA support, creating the best-in-class portable DAC/Amplifier solution on the market today at this price for powering wired headphones.              “THX was founded on the principle that qual