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First, Some Personal Backstory And Perspective Please be patient with me as I step you through some personal backstory. When IMPEX released the 33 RPM reissue for Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra in late 2020, it was somewhat of an inspiration for me. I always enjoyed Frank as my father was a big fan... Read More »

Dire Straits Live 1978-1992 Let me get right to the point! The sound quality of each and every reissue in this box set is absolutely magnificent! There are many reasons, but three are extremely important. All of the vinyl was mastered by Andy Walter at Abbey Road and cut by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman... Read More »

Over the last two years, I have been on a determined mission to find a standalone phono stage for my system. I have been experimenting with both solid state and tube phono stages at several different price points. I have posted a few reviews, but not for everything that has entered my listening room. The... Read More »

Throughout my teenage and adult years in the Chicago area, I had the great fortune to experience some of the biggest and brightest of all the rock, blues and jazz superstars as they passed through The Windy City. The venues included some amazing large settings like Soldier Field, The International Amphitheatre, The United Center, The... Read More »

The Cars, Candy-O. Rhino High Fidelity Series (33 RPM) The Cars first album entitled The Cars, was released in 1977 on the Reprise label and was a huge success, with a long list of hit singles and a tremendous amount of attention by the press. Their second album entitled Candy-O was released in 1978, also... Read More »

I have been waiting with great anticipation for the new IMPEX 1Step Getz/Gilberto reissue to arrive, but that was no problem. I have learned long ago that patience more than pays off when it comes to IMPEX Records. This label never fails to amaze and delight! The excitement began to build after I experienced the... Read More »

Dire Straits, On Every Street. Mofi (45 RPM) Highly underrated and one of my favorite Dire Straits studio albums, On Every Street was released in 1991 on the Vertigo label in Europe and on the Warner Brothers label in the USA. "Calling Elvis," "Planet of New Orleans," and "How Long" are three tracks that belong... Read More »

It's been five years since I organized and posted a shootout on this title. Click HERE if you would like to read that article. After several requests from readers for a comparison, three of my audiophile buddies joined me for a wonderful two nights of fun. This kind of thing might sound a little over... Read More »

As I continue to re-evaluate my system, I have been auditioning various standalone tube phono preamplifiers. I am a big fan of utilizing tubes in the front end of my system when paired with solid-state preamplifiers and/or amplifiers. The unwritten rule claimed by many audiophiles is that there must be tubes somewhere in the system... Read More »

Van Morrison His Band And The Street Choir (Rhino High Fidelity Series) Released in 1970 on the Warner Bros. label, Van Morrison His Band And The Street Choir was recorded at the infamous A&R Studios in New York City earlier that year. As an interesting aside, the original title for this album was Virgo's Fool,... Read More »

Audio Group Denmark (AGD) is on a roll. If you take a look at some of the major high end show accounts for 2022 and 2023, the Audio Group Denmark rooms have been consistently reported as an important highlight at the show and always with a high buzz factor (and with good reason). Hard copy... Read More »

I have reviewed several brands of cables over the years, but more often than not, I always seem to come back to the Synergistic Research lineup for its superb sound and performance. When offered the opportunity to review some of their newer flagship digital cables, the timing could not be better. I discussed several options... Read More »

A Trip To Remember What an adventure! Despite the stifling heat in the 90s, and the intense humidity that would never let up, my recent trip to Sarasota (Florida) was one of my most favorites ever. How could it not be with such gracious hosts like Kevin Hayes and his lovely wife Darlene Monteiro-Hayes at... Read More »

Barbra Streisand, Live At The Bon Soir. Impex Records Growing up and even as an adult, I always seemed to be surrounded by passionate Barbra Streisand fans. She was my father's favorite female vocalist and both my wife and my mother-in-law simply adored her. My mom and dad attended several concerts in Las Vegas, Chicago... Read More »

Like many, I am a huge Little Feat fan. Despite all of the passion, I have been very patient. It's been quite some time since the last release of significant quality, but there have been several Little Feat audiophile LP reissues over the years. This is a band that still has a considerable following and... Read More »

I continue to be delighted by the amazing titles coming out of Sam Records. If you have not heard the backstory by now, let me provide some additional insight. Sam Records is an independent one man operation founded in 2011 by Fred Thomas and located in Paris, France. His love and commitment to jazz and... Read More »

When it comes to audiophile quality reissues, there seems to be a myriad of options these days. My apologies up front, as I am sure that I will miss mentioning a few. We have the exquisite one step releases from Analogue Productions, Mofi , IMPEX, and Craft—many with 45 RPM pressings and with the most... Read More »

There is something special about the Dan D'Agostino Master Audio Systems brand and legacy. For myself, every interaction has been first class from beginning to end. This not only includes the product and the performance, but even more important are the people that stand behind it. We of course have Petra and Dan D'Agostino, but... Read More »

What a wonderful weekend at AXPONA 2023! The weather was quite lovely for this time of the year in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs—sunny and in the 70s and 80s. There was a certain sense of excitement and energy in the air, even beyond last year's 2022 event as 2021 was cancelled to due to... Read More »