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Clark Johnsen, Private Ear (series drawing no. 1, by Bruce Walker, 1993) I got the news first thing in the morning last week. Clark Johnsen has passed away of cancer, at the ripe age of 78. I wasn't surprised; a mutual friend had warned me four or five months ago that Clark was in a... Read More »

Heads up! I have just received the following very important letter from Joel Davis of JD Events regarding the rescheduling of AXPONA 2020, and share it with our readers: "Dear AXPONA Community, AXPONA has been rescheduled from April 17-19 to August 7-9, 2020 out of concern for the health and safety of all participants due... Read More »

Life is hard and filled with sorrow. And sometimes you don't see it coming. Two real woes for high-end audio are at hand. What their outcomes may be, or how they may affect audiophiles worldwide, are yet to be seen. Woe Number One I received a phone call and an email recently from a colleague... Read More »

Port and a Cigar at Night on a Deck. Happy Valley, OR, 2019 And now, on to the final chapter of my Positive Feedback Brutus Awards for 2019. Clarus Concerto AC Power Conditioner and Clarus Aqua High Current Power Cable A relative latecomer for 2019 Brutus Award consideration was the combination of the Clarus Concerto and... Read More »

E-in-C Robinson going deep with the Sonoma Acoustics reference headphone system at AXPONA 2018 (photograph by Martin Roberts; image processing by David W. Robinson) Recordings, Labels, Sites, & Streaming Services This installment of my 2019 Brutus Award announcements will be relatively short and to the point. I've talked about many of this year's winners in... Read More »

Ye Olde Editor at play… (Portrait by John Robinson) Into the home stretch with my Brutus Awards for audio hardware in 2019. Just two or three more to go. Cardas Audio Clear Beyond RCA Interconnects The Cardas Clear Beyond RCA interconnect breaking in on audioexcellenceaz's audiodharma Cable Cooker…which is an essential component if you work... Read More »

Ye Olde Editor at the wheel of my BMW M3 hardtop convertible, 2014 (photograph by John Robinson) LampizatOr Pacific DAC upon arrival (DHT SET Triode, unbalanced version without volume control, for Windows 10) If you've been following my writing over time, you may be familiar with the fact that LampizatOr has been showing up in... Read More »

David W. Robinson photographing at Icicle Creek during the fire season of 2012:  a portrait. Leavenworth, WA. (image by Lila Ritsema) My Brutus Awards, once again. Lordy, tempus fugit! What are they? Quoting myself in 2018, quoting myself recursively… "The Brutus Awards are given at the end of each year, in recognition of the best high-end... Read More »

David W. Robinson, Leavenworth, WA, 2012 (photograph by Lila Ritsema) Preamble Last weekend I attended the Los Angeles/Orange County (LAOC) Audio Society Gala in Buena Park and Orange, CA. Held in early December each year, this gathering represents the finale for the LAOC AS annual calendar. The LAOC AS is the largest high-end audio society... Read More »

David W. Robinson, "Self-Portrait, Variation No. 3," Happy Valley, OR, 2019 Here's an outstanding product that audiophiles everywhere need to know about. Keep reading… Newly upgraded, and the latest iteration of the far end of our stereo reference system:  The Raidho TD 4.2 Loudspeakers, with Stillpoints Aperture II IIs, the Audionet MAX monoblock amps on... Read More »

Self-portrait, Variation No. 3. Happy Valley, OR, 2019 The Rocky Mountain Audio Fest of 2019 was not only a great time for music and fine audio systems. It was also a treasure trove for a photographer like myself. The Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center, late afternoon, 2019 We all share a common passion for the... Read More »

David W. Robinson:  Self-Portrait, Variation 3, Happy Valley, OR, 2019 Wilson Audio & VTL As usual of late, the Wilson Audio/VTL room did not disappoint…quite the contrary. The Wilson Audio Sasha DAW loudspeakers and their accompanying Wilson Watchdog Subwoofers, with an external crossover, were sounding quite full-range and authoritative, driven by the VTL S-400 Monoblocks.... Read More »

Ye Olde Editor at RMAF back in 2015 (photograph by Jeff Day) Introduction:  RMAF at a major new site After a hiatus of three years (2016-2018), during which my colleagues Dave and Carol Clark headed up show coverage for Positive Feedback at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, it was time for Lila Ritsema (PF's Business... Read More »

David W. Robinson:  a portrait by John Robinson The Merrill Audio Element 118. Why that name? Simple, says Merrill Wettasinghe, the designer:  "Element 118 is named after the newest element in the periodic table called Oganesson, which completes the 7th row of the periodic table. The name Element 118 reflects the newest in technologies in... Read More »

Self-portrait, 2017 In medias res… From time to time, I shake out my ongoing audio journal, and comment on some products and items that have accumulated over the past few months. Nothing too lengthy or intense, but quick thoughts and bullet points indicative of fine audio designs/products that I think our readers should be aware... Read More »

To close out my reflections on AXPONA 2019, I am publishing my photographic portraits from AXPONA 2019…the faces and moments seen, and created. Many of these were published several at a time at Facebook immediately after the event, as mementos. Now they are available all at once, given in no particular order...a photo book of... Read More »

Here is the final installment of my Audio Oasis! Awards from AXPONA 2019. A major event; a major set of articles reflecting upon the awards that I gave. Daedalus Audio/Vacuum Tube Amplification/LampizatOr/WyWires In the Daedalus Audio/VAC/LampizatOr/WyWires room…great beauty here! Lou Hinkley, Fred Ainsley, Kevin Hayes, and Alex Svetinsky were making beautiful music in Room 496,... Read More »

Continuing my long march through AXPONA 2019, here's Part the Fourth of my Audio Oasis! Awards. The Audio Company/Von Schweikert Audio/Valve Amplification Company/MasterBuilt Audio/Critical Mass Systems/Aurender/Esoteric Lukasz Fikus of LampizatOr taking it easy with the VSA Ultra 11 and VAC amplification:  a portrait Once again at AXPONA 2019, Von Schweikert Audio linked up with VAC,... Read More »

Continuing my Audio Oasis! Awards, reflections on AXPONA 2019, and my photographs... Merging Technologies/Evolution Acoustics/Wave Kinetics/darTZeel/Durand Tonearms/ATR/Analog Audio  In the Blue Light Audio room…world-class components, all! Another big-time non-surprise:  The Blue Light Audio et al. room was gassed, stoked, and ready-to-go! once again. Jonathan Tinn, Kevin Malmgren, and Joel Durand hosted a really seductive room,... Read More »