Robert S. Youman, Author at Positive Feedback

Two New One-Step Treasures From The Definitive Sound Series - R.E.M. and Beck

Robert S. Youman — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 18:52:10 +0000

R.E.M., Chronic Town & Murmer. The Definitive Sound Series. One-Step (33 RPM) The Definitive Sound Series (DSS) is absolutely killing it! This twofer One-Step reissue, which includes R.E.M.'s first EP Chronic Town and first LP Murmer, were both originally released on the IRS label in 1982 and 1983 respectfully. For this One-Step, both pressings are... Read More »

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A New and Inspired Album from Chet Baker, "Swimming by Moonlight"

Robert S. Youman — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 17:19:34 +0000

Chet Baker, Swimming By Moonlight. Slow Down Sounds (33 RPM) My father was a big Chet Baker fan. I remember that he had several of the essentials including Chet, Chet Baker & Strings, Chet Baker & Art Pepper – Picture of Health, and Chet Baker Plays The Best of Lerner And Loewe. I also remember... Read More »

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Inspiration At Its Finest – Definitive Pressings For Buckingham Nicks, Prince, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer

Robert S. Youman — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 16:41:18 +0000

Buckingham Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham & Stevie Nicks, Rhino High Fidelity Records (33 RPM LP) Kevin Gray's success with the Fleetwood Mac discography and related recordings continues to amaze. My go to copy for Rumors is the 2020 45 RPM reissue cut and mastered by Kevin Gray along with Steve Hoffman. My go to copy for... Read More »

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New Vinyl That Somehow is not Getting the Luv and Attention That is Deserved! Check Out These True Treasures From Wilco, Dan Fogelberg, Joni Mitchell, Cory Weeds, and Duke Ellington/Ray Brown

Robert S. Youman — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 16:07:49 +0000

Wilco, A.M. (Rhino High Fidelity) I am a Chicago guy, and I have been a long term loyal fan of Wilco since the very beginning of the band. Wilco was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of the alternative country group Uncle Tupelo, after Jay Farrar's departure that same year to form Son Volt.... Read More »

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Rhino High Fidelity Continues Its Journey Down The Yellow Brick Road – A Fantastic New Vinyl Reissue of Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac!

Robert S. Youman — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 16:38:14 +0000

This has been a very interesting if not challenging review, especially when considering the sound quality of this reissue compared to the original pressing and other reissues that have been released over the years. Well established as a true classic, this 1975 self-titled album by Fleetwood Mac was the first with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey... Read More »

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Another Amazing Triumph on Vinyl from Impex Records, "Patricia Barber, Modern Cool"

Robert S. Youman — Sun, 04 May 2025 20:01:27 +0000

It's been a very passionate and rewarding journey for me when it comes to Patricia Barber and her music. As a long term resident of Chicago, I was able to see her and her band perform at the Green Mill many times over the last 30 years. Though she is now performing at several additional... Read More »

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k.d. lang, Ingénue and Green Day, American Idiot - Two Classic One-Step Reissues from Because Sound Matters

Robert S. Youman — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 22:51:58 +0000

k.d. lang, Ingénue. Because Sound Matters, 33 RPM One-Step. $99.98 The k.d. lang, Ingénue One-Step reissue from Because Sound Matters has been an absolute delight from the first day that it arrived! It is clearly my favorite reissue so far this year! I was unfamiliar with this title, yet it has been on constant rotation... Read More »

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The Rhino High Fidelity Series Continues To Set The Gold Standard! New Reissues From The Doors, Faces, and Television

Robert S. Youman — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 17:43:50 +0000

The title of this posting says it all. The Rhino High Fidelity Series continues to amaze! These limited numbered edition 33 rpm LP reissues are all pressed on super quiet 180-gram vinyl pressings from Optima in Germany. They offer the coolest high gloss, heavy weight gatefold "tip-on" style jackets and each has a custom designed... Read More »

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Punk Rock at Its Finest - the Iconic Green Day Dookie Receives the One-Step Treatment

Robert S. Youman — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 17:01:53 +0000

You have to applaud Grover Biery and his team at Because Sound Matters for giving us something different in the world of audiophile LP reissues. Grover has reached out and delivered on the unexpected, which includes new One-Step titles from Linkin Park, Green Day, K.D. Lang, and even The Flaming Lips (in the near future).... Read More »

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The Synergistic Research Pink Fuse, Low Hanging Fruit That Just Might Jump Start Your System

Robert S. Youman — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 19:26:30 +0000

Backstory By accident, I recently blew a fuse in a Synergistic Research Galileo SX Ground Block. I won’t get into all the details, but let’s just say that my own human error was very much the problem. At that point in time, the original Synergistic Research Orange fuse was still being utilized in the Ground... Read More »

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All Hail To The Chairman of the Board - The New IMPEX 1STEP Reissue of "Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra"

Robert S. Youman — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 19:44:14 +0000

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 »

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Rhino Opens the Vault and We are the Big Winners! Two Fantastic Vinyl Box Sets from Dire Straits and Lindsey Buckingham

Robert S. Youman — Sat, 06 Jul 2024 15:36:41 +0000

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 »

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The Legacy Continues – The Valve Amplification Company (VAC) Renaissance SE Phono Stage

Robert S. Youman — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 16:36:19 +0000

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 »

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The New IMPEX Patricia Barber Companion 1Step - A Majestic Testament And Tribute To A Wonderful Chicago Tradition

Robert S. Youman — Thu, 30 May 2024 18:23:04 +0000

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 »

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Three New Audiophile LP Reissues that Really Deliver! Iconic Albums from The Cars, CSNY and Joni Mitchell

Robert S. Youman — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 18:02:14 +0000

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 »

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The New IMPEX Records Getz/Gilberto 1Step. Has IMPEX Now Produced the Definitive Pressing?

Robert S. Youman — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 17:51:37 +0000

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 »

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A Six Pack Of Superb LP Releases From Analogue Productions, Mofi, Rhino High Fidelity, And Sam Records

Robert S. Youman — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 18:38:10 +0000

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 »

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Another Bench Mark from IMPEX Records. The New 1STEP 35th Anniversary Reissue for Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat

Robert S. Youman — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 21:19:25 +0000

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 »

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The Simaudio Moon 810LP Phono Preamplifier - A Flagship Offering that Checks all the Boxes and More

Robert S. Youman — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 19:24:15 +0000

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 »

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Hello Holidays! New Vinyl from Van, Miles, Carly, Joni, and John Prine

Robert S. Youman — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 15:20:23 +0000

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 »

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The Aavik I-880 Integrated Amplifier - A New Flagship For Audio Group Denmark

Robert S. Youman — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 17:14:21 +0000

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 »

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For Your Consideration - The Flagship Synergistic Research Galileo Discovery USB Digital Cable

Robert S. Youman — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 15:48:53 +0000

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 »

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My High End Audio Trip to Sarasota, Florida – Follow the Yellow Brick Road to VAC and Suncoast Audio!

Robert S. Youman — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 15:58:24 +0000

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 »

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A New And Unexpected Gem From IMPEX Records - Barbra Streisand, Live At The Bon Soir

Robert S. Youman — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 17:33:25 +0000

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 »

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The Wait Is Over! Two Little Feat Classics From Rhino – Dixie Chicken and Sailin’ Shoes (Deluxe Editions)

Robert S. Youman — Sat, 01 Jul 2023 16:16:52 +0000

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 »

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