Dream Maker | Moonriver 404 Reference review in Hi-Fi News by Andrew Everard, Lab: Paul Miller
“There’s no overt ‘hi-finess’ here, but instead an honest, rich and enveloping sound from boogie to sweeping orchestra to sultry jazz. While some will wish for more power, a headphone socket, or even a functioning USB input, the 404 Reference still offers a refreshing alternative to amplifiers with more obvious physical size and swagger.
The fuzzy guitars, relentless drive and growled vocals sounded magnificent here, and you could almost sense the spontaneity of the trio involved in making so big a sound in their California desert studio. It’s a thick, heavy and rather fabulous album, and from the straight-rockers to the more menacing – the simmering ‘Spanish Fly’ and the dark closer, ‘Desert High’ – the Model 404 Reference creates compelling sonic pictures, full of ambience and hot, dusty atmosphere”.