The Absolute Sound magazine

In 1973, at a time when the hi-fi world was booming, The Absolute Sound magazine was born. Founded by sound enthusiast Harry Pearson, then aged 33, The Absolute Sound was one of the pioneers of the hi-fi press, devoting its pages to articles on audio reproduction equipment, recording devices and various music-related topics. Over the decades, the magazine has witnessed the arrival of numerous technological evolutions and new brands, and has contributed to the development of hi-fi-specific terminology.

Discussing the pros and cons of new technological advances, such as the advent of the CD in the 1980s, The Absolute Sound magazine has established itself not only as an essential source of information for music lovers and audiophiles, but also as a benchmark for equipment testing.

In the face of ever more powerful electronics with ever more promising features, accompanied by the promise of more faithful and dynamic sound reproduction, The Absolute Sound has never strayed from its primary objective, which is to discover products capable of delivering the most realistic and natural sound experience possible.

Since its inception, The Absolute Sound has made a point of offering a sincere and authentic approach to the equipment it tests. The magazine addressed its readers in a genuinely critical way, rather than as an equipment salesman, an approach that was virtually unheard of in the early 70s. Indeed, the magazine's main objective was the search for ‘absolute sound’, the perfect reproduction of instruments and voices as they might be heard in concert.

In the early years of The Absolute Sound, Harry Pearson even opposed the appearance of advertisements in his magazine, refusing to compromise its impartiality. The tests and articles published in The Absolute Sound aim to highlight the qualities and faults of a product, rather than simply promoting it.

Now available in print and online, The Absolute Sound is a mine of information for all hi-fi and music lovers, even featuring a selection of the best performing products in their category. Each year, the magazine awards prizes for the best products, grouping them by category (headphones, cables, compact speakers, floorstanding speakers, turntables, amplifiers, etc.) and making it easier for audiophiles to find their way around when buying a component or a system, or simply to find out about the new products available on the audio market.