The Audio Stuff - Accessories Reviews

Ekustik Woody Queen Review: Don't Buy Cheap Acoustic Panels

Jakub Charkiewicz — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Handmade Czech acoustic panels with a luxurious wood frame and PET felt core - true broadband absorption to 100Hz, zero fiberglass, and a 0.94 NRC rating.

Verdict: Highly Recommended - 9.0/10. Price: From €399/panel.

What's good

Handmade in the Czech Republic with luxurious wood frame
Eco-friendly PET felt Envizol core - zero fiberglass
Three depth options: 5cm decorative, 10cm performance, 15cm bass
NRC up to 0.94 - 94% sound absorption
True broadband absorber, effective down to 100Hz
60x120cm standard footprint suits most rooms
Optional placement consulting from Ekustik
Looks like luxury furniture - no need to hide them

Worth knowing

15cm Performance Bass version is chunky on the wall
Premium price - not budget DIY territory
Wall-mounting required - heavy and large
Placement requires real consultation for best results
Light wood frame might not match every interior
60x120cm is the only standard footprint

Read the full Ekustik Woody Queen review on The Audio Stuff

Synergistic PowerCell 14 Review: A $15K Power Strip?

Jakub Charkiewicz — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT

A 14-outlet flagship power conditioner with seven SRX folded EM cells, ULF+DC biasing, graphene treatment, and a silver matrix ground strap - a tier above any 'power strip'.

Verdict: Reference - 9.2/10. Price: $14,495.

What's good

Carbon-fiber composite + plexiglass top - visible internals
14 UEF Purple 2.0 outlets across three isolated banks
EM Cells doubled as supercapacitors for current peaks
ULF + DC Bias system with 3 selectable bias settings
24-karat gold UEF tuning circuits
10-gauge silver matrix point-to-point wiring
62cm² high-purity silver ground strap
Color-selectable internal lighting for ambiance

Worth knowing

$15,000 entry price is far from affordable
Schuko version omits the USB output
12kg unit takes up serious shelf space
Carbon-fiber/plexi top can attract dust
Benefits scale with system - modest setups won't show it all
Power switch position requires reaching behind

Read the full Synergistic Research PowerCell 14 review on The Audio Stuff

3 Audiophile Tweaks That Actually Work

Jakub Charkiewicz — Sun, 18 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Three real tweaks that improve a high-end system without swapping speakers or amps - audiophile network/USB/digital cables, AC power conditioning, and parallel filtering.

Verdict: Recommended - 7.8/10. Price: Varies.

What's good

DH Labs Reunion Cat8 reduces digital haze, sharpens imaging
DH Labs HDMI 2.1 for clean I²S - opens up the soundstage
DH Labs Mirage USB separates data and power - 4 shields total
DH Labs D-750 coax keeps 75Ω impedance with silver-coated copper
DH Labs Air Matrix Cryo: 60% air dielectric, cryo-treated
iFi DC Blocker+ kills transformer hum dead
iFi LAN iPurifier Pro provides optical galvanic isolation
Vera-Fi parallel conditioners lower noise floor without limiting current

Worth knowing

Improvements are cumulative, not night-and-day
Most benefits require a revealing, high-end system
Several products combined add up to a real investment
Parallel AC conditioners are a niche concept many dismiss
Diminishing returns - last 10% costs the most
Easy to fall into placebo without honest comparisons

Read the full DH Labs, iFi, Vera-Fi HiFi Tweaks Roundup review on The Audio Stuff

Taga PF-1000LPS Review: 5 Reasons You Need This

Jakub Charkiewicz — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

A serious 8-outlet power conditioner with a linear DC/USB supply, 3-tier filtering, audiophile fuses, and a phase detector - real protection and a measurable noise drop.

Verdict: Recommended - 8.0/10. Price: $445.

What's good

Heavy, all-metal chassis acts as additional EMI/RFI shielding
VU-style voltage meter for at-a-glance power monitoring
Phase detector flags incorrect polarity at the wall
Linear PSU for DC and USB outputs - not switch-mode
3-tier filtering network with toroidal transformer
Audiophile-grade internal fuses
8 Schuko outlets (4 direct, 4 filtered)
Switchable DC output (5/9/12/15/19/24V, up to 3A)

Worth knowing

Heavy - drop it on something and you'll regret it
Voltage meter isn't lab-precise, just indicative
Power inlet uses a standard connector - not exotic
Not the most flashy design - purely functional
Schuko outlets only - European market focus
Maximum total load of 10A / 2500W

Read the full Taga Harmony PF-1000LPS review on The Audio Stuff

AudioMica 4-all-in-1 Cable Set Review: HiFi Cable Synergy Solved

Jakub Charkiewicz — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT

A pre-matched cable kit at €790 (or PRO version) - speaker cables, power cord, and shared geometry tuned together to give you synergy out of the box without trial and error.

Verdict: Highly Recommended - 8.5/10. Price: €790.

What's good

Pre-matched: power cable + speaker cables in one set
Tinned OFC conductors with 192-256 micro-conductors
Aluminum foil + tinned copper round braid shielding
Premium soft, squishy texture - love to handle
PRO version adds metal connectors and mesh finish
Static-charge absorbing element in PRO
Faster bass attack with quick decay
Cleaner treble with reduced sharpness

Worth knowing

Premium price point
Standard version connectors look slightly DIY
Slight metallic timbre on vocals possible
Improvements scale with system resolution
Synergy benefits are subtle but real

Read the full AudioMica 4-all-in-1 Cable Set review on The Audio Stuff

Melodika BSSC95xx Review: The Thickest Speaker Cables in the Brown Sugar Series

Jakub Charkiewicz — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Melodika's flagship 9.5mm² LITZ speaker cable - super thick OFC copper, hand-finished Italian leather, and a big improvement in extension, dynamics, and treble air.

Verdict: Highly Recommended - 8.5/10. Price: Varies by length.

What's good

Massive 9.5mm² conductor with 6N OFC copper
True LITZ construction - every strand individually insulated
Hand-finished real Italian leather details
Twisted dual-conductor geometry reduces self-interference
Solid Grip pressed connectors - no air gaps
Banana or spade options, gold-plated
Better sub-bass and airy, articulate treble extension
5-7% wider soundstage without sacrificing imaging

Worth knowing

Heavy and stiff due to massive thickness
Directional - has to be installed correctly
Premium price for a speaker cable
Improvements only audible in resolving systems
Won't fix poorly set up rooms or systems

Read the full Melodika Brown Sugar BSSC95xx review on The Audio Stuff

Melodika BSSC4500 Review: Are Thicker Speaker Cables Better?

Jakub Charkiewicz — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT

A higher-tier 4.5mm² LITZ speaker cable that delivers tighter mid-bass, better instrument separation, and a more natural, lifelike sound - a clear upgrade over the BSSC3300.

Verdict: Highly Recommended - 8.2/10. Price: Varies by length.

What's good

Larger 4.5mm² conductor with 6N OFC copper
Spiral LITZ technology with individually insulated strands
Multi-Gauge BassCore for cleaner bass / treble separation
Solid Grip termination - no air gaps in the connection
Triple LDPE dielectric insulation - safe for in-wall runs
Banana or spade connector options
Tighter, punchier mid-bass and more spacing than BSSC3300
10-year warranty - confidence in the product

Worth knowing

About 50% more expensive than the BSSC3300
Stiffer due to greater thickness
Improvements only audible in well-resolving systems
Won't fix poorly-set-up systems

Read the full Melodika Brown Sugar BSSC4500 review on The Audio Stuff

Monosaudio P902E6R Review: I Replaced All My Power Cables

Jakub Charkiewicz — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Sub-$150 high-end power cables and audiophile USB cables that brought tighter bass, a wider soundstage, and unexpectedly large clarity gains across an entire HiFi chain.

Verdict: Recommended - 7.8/10. Price: Under $150.

What's good

Thick 17mm diameter with 5.5mm² cross-section
99.998% OFC copper, 100% copper shielding, Teflon insulation
Heavy-duty aluminum alloy plug body, anti-corrosion plated pins
Tighter, more refined bass on power amplifiers
Cleaner overall sound and reduced background noise
Wider soundstage with the preamp, better timbre on DAC
Their USB cable produced surprisingly large detail and depth gains
Very flexible USB cable despite the 3x normal thickness

Worth knowing

Power cable itself is stiff (especially at shorter lengths)
Big plugs can be awkward in tight power strip layouts
Improvements depend heavily on system resolution
Per-component gains are subtle - not transformative

Read the full Monosaudio P902E6R + USB Cables review on The Audio Stuff

Melodika Brown Sugar BSSC3300 Review: Polish HiFi Speaker Cables

Jakub Charkiewicz — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Polish-made LITZ speaker cables with Multi-Gauge Core technology - clean, neutral, and detail-rich, but the 3.3mm² gauge is on the lighter side for full dynamic punch.

Verdict: Recommended - 7.5/10. Price: Varies by length.

What's good

True LITZ construction - every conductor individually insulated
Multi-Gauge Core technology splits frequency bands across strands
Triple LDPE dielectric insulation
Twisted dual-wire braid for EMI rejection without shielding
Clean, neutral, non-fatiguing tonality
Spacious soundstage that doesn't get diffused or stretched
Beautiful brown-and-white aesthetic

Worth knowing

Slightly calmer and less dynamic than expected
Connector-splitting jacket is loose - too thick for this gauge
Not the biggest soundstage compared to higher tiers
Probably worth stepping up to a higher gauge in the series

Read the full Melodika Brown Sugar BSSC3300 review on The Audio Stuff

AS-EU08 + SP-USB Review: Budget HiFi Power & Data Filtering

Jakub Charkiewicz — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT

An affordable alternative to PS Audio and AudioQuest. The AS-EU08 paired with the SP-USB delivers a darker background, lower noise floor, and a more refined sound.

Verdict: Recommended - 8.0/10. Price: From $200.

What's good

Outstanding build - 3 solid metal pieces, ~3 kg
8 pure copper Schuko sockets with proper spacing for thick plugs
Audio-grade Furutech FI-06 inlet for your own power cable
Ground connector accepts bare wire, banana, or spade
Internal blue EMI capacitors + metallized paper safety cap
Surge / lightning protection on top of filtering
SP-USB cuts switching PSU noise with a linear stabilized supply
Lower noise floor and improved high-frequency cleanliness

Worth knowing

Total cost climbs once you start adding both pieces
Stiff power cable required for a tight install
SP-USB ground switch needs experimentation per system
Improvements rely on the rest of the system being resolving
Won't help low-quality systems much

Read the full Monosaudio AS-EU08 + SP-USB review on The Audio Stuff

Monosaudio Cables Review: Can These Chinese HiFi Cables Make a Difference?

Jakub Charkiewicz — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Affordable audiophile cables from AliExpress that genuinely deliver - silver RCA interconnects, OFC CAT 8 Ethernet, and a power cord with real, audible improvements.

Verdict: Recommended - 7.8/10. Price: From $30.

What's good

PS75R1R RCAs use pure silver conductors with 4 shielding layers
Polished brass, chrome-plated R201R connectors with locking mechanism
Surprisingly flexible despite the thickness
CAT 8 Ethernet uses true 99.998% OFC copper, not CCA
Power cable produces noticeably better dynamics, punch, and slam
Well-protected packaging - no shipping damage concerns

Worth knowing

Improvements are small and system-dependent
Power cable connectors aren't my favorite
Power cable is stiff due to the many internal layers
Ethernet improvements very limited if you only swap one cable
Won't help if your system isn't resolving enough

Read the full Monosaudio PS75R1R, CAT 8, P903M0 review on The Audio Stuff