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"First Press" ("1st Press") is a term used to describe LP releases. It is used to describe the earliest editions of a given title. This is a difficult topic and collectors specializing in it are usually focused on some part of the publishing market. But it is very similar with Compact Discs—below we will discuss... Read More »

Gryphon, that for some time now have been using name The Gryphon, is a Danish company, founded in 1986 by Flemming E. Rasmussen. Its products feature an extremely characteristic design and all belong to the high-end class. What draws attention is not only its fantastic construction, but also a beautiful logotype depicting a griffin—a mythical... Read More »

In April 1997, jazz magazines published numerous ads of the re-edition of Verve Records, bearing the common name "Verve Master Edition:" HIGHER STANDARD "Verve Master Editions" - the ultimate sound quality and releases for serious collectors. "Verve Master Editions" are new releases of the groundbreaking Verve discs from the 1950s and 1960s, using the best... Read More »

PREMIERE The first amplifier from the Danish company Vitus Audio was presented in 2003. Earlier, however, for eight years, its project was improved and perfected. Hans Ole Vitus Nielsen is the founder and head of the company, as well as its chief designer. We are testing his latest product, the SIA-030 integrated amplifier, weighing 63... Read More »

The history of the Krakow Sonic Society meetings with various types of Compact Discs is quite long. Almost as long as the list of technical studies intended to improve the process of reading signal from these discs. Already in May 2009, as part of the 64th KSS, we discussed new (for us) patents of EMI... Read More »

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO is a British company specializing in audio and audio-video electronic components, whose distinctive feature is a particularly good value for money of their products. The Edge anniversary series launched a year ago seemed to change this approach. And yet... Cambridge Audio has just launched a new, cheapest AX series. Designed in the UK... Read More »

A tape, a test pressing, an LP "The most expensive music format (in the world)" as exemplified by records produced by the AC Records label. A lot has already been said about analog tapes—by us as well. However, it was the first time we had had the opportunity to compare an analogue "master" tape with... Read More »

I'm a music lover. I am an audiophile. I'm an electronics technician. I am an acoustician, a sound engineer. I am a philologist with a PhD. I am a reader. I am a journalist, a specialist journalist, let's add. I am each of them individually and all at the same time. Such thoughts come to... Read More »

LEBEN is a small, Japanese company that is treated with great attention in its country of origin. It owes this to its founder and chief designer, Mr. Taku Hyodo. It is mentioned by Japanese magazines among the most important designers of tube amplifiers in this country. The CS600 integrated amplifier was introduced to the market... Read More »

It happens from time to time that a Japanese traveling in the world falls in love with a place or person and that's where he sets up his business. But for a Westerner to start a company in Japan - it's a real rarity. And in the audio industry it is an absolute rarity. This... Read More »

"It's style over substance," I thought, seeing the Tentogra Oscar turntable for the first time. It was during the Audio Video Show 2017. "It's probably style over substance," I said to a friend when I saw the same turntable a year later at the Audio Video Show 2018. The change was subtle, because "probably" does... Read More »

SPEC Corporation is a Japanese company founded by Mr. Shirokazu Yazaki, former chief engineer of TEAC and Pioneer, in order to achieve one goal: to provide a tube sound with solid-state amplifiers. The RPA-MG1000 amplifier is its latest and the most expensive product. And it's a Class D one. If we were to adopt an... Read More »

The article is about how the "High Performance" series has changed the perception of classical music reissues, as well as about an incredible combination of knowledge and technology that has led to this change. We have got used to the fact that Japanese companies are the driving force in the field of Compact Disc/Super Audio... Read More »

The H590 is an extremely important device for Hegel Music Systems. Basing only on the description, it would seem very similar to the H190 model, which we reviewed in High Fidelity, and it was featured on our cover, in November last year (HF | No. 163). Even comparing their features would suggest these are very... Read More »

NAGRA is a company-institution. Both figuratively and literally. As I shall try to show you, it's a unique example of combining the elements of professional and home audio as well as music. The fact that the company was founded by Stefan Kudelski, a man from Poland, only emphasizes its uniqueness in my eyes. Here's the... Read More »

Stefan Kudelski with Nagra III tape recorder A view from our hotel's window towards Geneva Lake. A view from our hotel's window towards Alps on the French side of the Geneva Lake. As you can see we were expected in Nagra. Nagra team plus truly yours: Matthieau Latour (Audio Division Director), Wojciech Pacuła (me), Pascal... Read More »

A turntable is an area of engineering art balancing on the border between mechanics and electronics. This time, we will take a closer look at the product unique even among the best turntables: TechDAS Air Force III Premium Turntable Heavy, massive, compact, with a platter moving around on a thin film of air, with a vacuum... Read More »

What is the difference between a collector and someone who just gathers some items? Mieczysław Stoch, the hero of the interview you can also read in this issue of High Fidelity says that collecting is gathering with sense and purpose (HF | No. 171). And what is listening to music from files and how does... Read More »

I wanted, I really wanted to start this text somehow differently, to escape from the memories from the review of the Chopin MkIV by Struss Amplifiers, but I gave up—though never I had an amplifier from this company, our paths have been crossing in one way or another for some time. For the last time we... Read More »