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When I hear that Gonzalo Noqué is releasing a new Pure DSD256 recording on his Eudora Records label, my ears prick up. When I find that he is recording the excellent pianist Susana Gomez Vazquez, I'm doubly on alert. Her playing is just scintillating and her choice of programming is always intriguing. And so, when... Read More »

The labels represented in NativeDSD's catalog continue to deliver outstanding performances in great sounding recordings. NativeDSD is just a stunning resource for those who love immaculate high resolution recordings made by some of the best recording engineers working today (Jared Sacks of Channel Classics, Brendon Heinst of TRPTK, Gonzalo Noqué of Eudora, Jake Purches of... Read More »

Anna Fedorova performing selections from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, from YouTube video linked below. Anna Fedorova is among the greatest pianists performing and recording today. Sure, my opinion. But well judged. Anna plays organically, self-effacingly. She consistently lets the music flow forth for its own sake, never as a way of saying "look at... Read More »

If you listen to digital, love classic jazz and the golden age of stereo classical recordings, then surely you have been listening to the outstanding releases from Bob Witrak's High Definition Tape Transfers. Bob's transfers to high resolution digital (DSD256 and DXD) very typically sound better than the releases from the labels themselves. You know—the... Read More »

With some of the best sonics you will ever experience, I'd like to introduce you to six recently released Pure DSD256 recordings from Eudora Records, Hunnia Records, and Yarlung Records. All of these albums are originally recorded directly to DSD256 and not to analog tape and then transferred to DSD. If you value the ultimate... Read More »

High Definition Tape Transfers continues on its roll of great releases. Just recently I wrote about HDTT's superb reissue of Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section (HERE). Now we have the famous Fritz Reiner recording of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, and The Weavers Reunion At Carnegie Hall, and Ella and Basie!, and much more. Bartók Concerto... Read More »

Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, with Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, HDTT 1957 2024 (Pure DSD256) HERE This is such a great album, it is wonderful to now have it in my digital music library in the best quality sound. My standard for this album has always been the excellent 45rpm vinyl... Read More »

Turn up the volume and prepare for sumptuous sonics from one of the great performances in the catalog. This new transfer from High Definition Tape Transfers is terrific. It is now my personal standard for what this great RCA Living Stereo recording can sound like. Respighi Pines of Rome & Fountains of Rome, Fritz Reiner,... Read More »

High Definition Tape Transfers has released/reissued many superb albums over the couple of months since I last posted an update, and I keep being reminded of earlier releases I've not shared with you. So, here are a dozen I highly recommend. Some may wonder why I continue a focus on HDTT for music. To those... Read More »

As David Robinson and I were discussing a couple of weeks ago, we truly are living in the golden age of recorded music and home audio—both in the equipment available to us and, most importantly, in the wealth of wonderful performing artists and recordings. You may note that many of the recordings I recommend are... Read More »

Utter transparency. Abundant detail. Extreme delicacy and nuance. A soundstage to die for. Unrestrained dynamics and immense power. This is a recording to cherish, a recording to celebrate. Homeland - Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor and De Falla's Noches en los Jardines de España (Nights in the Gardens of Spain), Judith Jáuregui (piano), Kaspar... Read More »

A great new listening experience for this well loved performance, perhaps the greatest performance of Mahler's Third Symphony in the catalog. Mahler Symphony No. 3, R. Strauss Death And Transfiguration, Jascha Horenstein LSO, recorded by Jerry Bruck. HDTT 1970 2024 (24/192k 4.0 Surround and Stereo) HERE We all know this famous Horenstein Mahler Third Symphony... Read More »

Bob Witrak of HDTT keeps mining the hills for superb vintage recordings on both tape and LP to release in high resolution digital. And new recordings from the master tapes, as well. It is amazing that the flow continues in virtually a never-ending flood of superb music. The skill with which Bob makes these transfers... Read More »

If you've followed along with some of my other articles, you may have picked up on how much I admire the recordings made by Bert van der Wolf of Northstar Recording Services (see HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE). Bert ranks very highly among a small group of highly talented independent recording and mastering engineers whom... Read More »

I've written here and there about my preference for listening to 32-bit PCM versus 24-bit PCM files (either 352.8kHz or 384kHz). When there is no Pure DSD256 file available because the file has been post processed in PCM, these 32-bit files have become my preferred alternative for sonic enjoyment, even over the DSD256 files that... Read More »

I'm excited about this most recent group of Recent Finds, all released over this past year at NativeDSD. Included are a great new album from Carmen Gomes and Sound Liaison, a new Rembrandt Frerichs album on Just Listen Records, Anna Fedorova and Dana Zemtsov on Channel Classics, several albums from the Navis Classics label which... Read More »

Cartografía del Mar (Maps of the Sea), André Cebrián, Pedro Mateo Gonzalez. Eudora Records 2023 (Pure DSD256) HERE I am in love with this stunningly great Pure DSD256 recording from Gonzalo Noqué at Eudora Records! Gonzalo has made some excellent Pure DSD256 recordings over the past several years, but this is perhaps his best recording... Read More »

High Definition Tape Transfers (HDTT) has been very busy these past few months with some excellent new releases of some of the best recordings from both classical music and jazz. I previously shared my thoughts about their DSD256/DXD reissue of Reiner's performance of Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kije and Stravinsky's Song of the Nightingale (reviewed HERE) which I... Read More »

Prokofiev Lieutenant Kije, Stravinsky Song of the Nightingale, Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra. HDTT 1958 2023 (DSD256, DXD) HERE One of the glories of the RCA Living Stereo catalog now in glorious sonics from HDTT. These recordings of Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kije (1957) and Stravinsky's Song of a Nightingale (1956) performed by Fritz Reiner and the... Read More »