I reviewed the Unison Research CDPrimo tubed CD player a while back, and found it to be a great sounding, fairly priced source component. I thought it only fitting to review the Italian company’s flagship player, the Unico CDE. They share some of the same design characteristics, but are very different animals, as reflected in their price points and performance. The $2295 Primo sounded terrific, with an output stage built around a 12AU7/ECC82 tube, a USB digital input, and a 96/24 upsampling DAC chip. The Unico CDE, also a 24/96 upsampling CD Player, has four twin triode tubes in the analog output stage. The build quality is extraordinary, taking things to a whole new level. There is a digital input via coaxial RCA, and both single-ended and balanced outputs. The CDE, like the rest of the Unico line, is available ...

Unison Research is a family owned high end audio company based in Treviso, Italy. They have been making tubed, solid state, and hybrid components since 1987.  There are a number of unique things about Unison Research, one of them being that all their products are still made in their factory in Italy. You can bet that is one factory tour this reviewer would jump at the chance for!  Also unique is the fact is that they are the sister company to Opera, who make wonderful loudspeakers. I have read about Unison Research for years now, and when I was assembling my first real “reference” system”, which I was determined to make tube based, a friend mentioned Unison Research should be on my short list. Unfortunately, at that time there was no local dealer. Fast forward to CES 2012 when I ...

Introduction In our quest for the best loudspeaker or high-definition video image, one area we often neglect, which can have a substantial impact on both sonic and visual performance, is power.  I’ve been guilty of it in the past, as I’m sure many of you have.  While many AV components work just fine plugged directly into a standard wall outlet or a simple surge suppressor, one cannot discount the importance of feeding your gear good, clean power.  After all, you don’t see finely-tuned athletes downing 40-ounce malt liquors or Big Macs between quarters or events, do you?  However, power products, like many AV accessories, are plagued with the ever-present snake-oil argument by manufacturers, who make bold claims that are often hard to substantiate and/or discern.  I’ve seen my share of power products that fall into this category and have even purchased ...

AV Education on RHT Understanding Video Terms Written by Mike Levy The world of audio and home theater is littered with often confusing terms that get tossed around freely by salespeople and writers. Nowhere is that more prevalent than in the world of video. You may have seen some of these terms on the menus of your bigscreen TV, but rarely are they ever defined. As an ongoing feature, we plan to help shed some light on the dark world of video terms. As you will see, they aren’t too confusing after all. General Video Terms • Types of Video Displays • Advanced Terms Screens • Video Maladies