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If there’s an album that's a musical portal to the college and singles years from the 80s and early 90s, INXS’ Kick album might be it. The band, INXS, was formed in Sydney, Australia in 1977, and after they broke out internationally in the mid-80s, their intoxicating blend of Australian rock, new wave, funk, and... Read More »

In my time reviewing closed-back headphones, I’ve found that it usually leads to a smaller and more condensed soundstage; I was astounded when I first heard the TH2s. The TH2s are actually only the second closed-back pair of headphones I have ever reviewed. The first were the Edition 8 headphones by Ultrasone, which sound by... Read More »

For those readers new to this column, please read the introductory comments in Part one here. Sorry for the delay in getting this installment published. I’ll be getting back on my normal schedule now. I’ve talked to a lot of record buyers over the years, many of whom are not audiophiles at all, and just... Read More »

Just about six months after the release of The Doobie Brothers’ Toulouse Street, they began working on The Captain and Me, again with producer Ted Templeman and recording engineer Donn Landee. They could not book Amigo Studio solid, as the band was touring, so they had to piece-meal the project, even recording some overdubs on... Read More »

As I've said in the past, if Bert has recorded it, I want to hear it. And my enthusiasm for the excellence of his recordings continues unabated. But, this is the "sound nut" side of me speaking. I will always enjoy the thrill of unrestrained dynamics, superb instrumental timbre, and luscious airy, open, and very... Read More »

Image courtesy of Jadis I have an amazing memory of my first experience with Jadis which proved to be mind-bending. While I was visiting Seoul, Korea in 1990 I was invited to meet Mr. J. Y. Woo. He introduced me to the world of high-end audio and Classical music. When I visited him in Seoul,... Read More »

This review of The Association’s debut album, And Then...Along Comes The Association (Valiant VLS 25002), has been a long time coming. Why did I take so long? The only lame excuse I have is this: I like this album a lot, and didn’t feel like doing the needed homework that the title deserved. I wish... Read More »

Donald Fagen, Kamakiriad, MOFI Ultradisc One-Step (45 RPM) Kamakiriad was Donald Fagen’s second solo album and was originally released in 1993 on the Reprise label. This was also a collaboration with former Steely Dan bandmate Walter Becker, and was recorded long after the Steely Dan breakup in the early 1980s. Becker produced the album, and... Read More »

Bob Witrak has been busy, and I've been listening—and enjoying! Again in this series of albums, Bob has accomplished something which I highly value in his reissues: he allows the original recording to be what it was, while bringing as much transparency and resolution to his releases as the original source will allow. And that... Read More »

MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto; SAINT-SAËNS: Havanaise; Introduction and Rondo capriccioso; MASSENET: Thaïs: Méditation Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violin; New York Chamber Symphony/Gerard Schwarz EMI CDC 549276 (CD, 1988). TT: 60.08 In a few recent blog posts, I've discussed what I call the shifts in the culture over time: the way in which a creative figure, after looming large,... Read More »

At times, life can be both difficult and confusing. Like when your significant other hires a Fung Shei consultant to maximize the “Chi” in your home. Said Chi expert insists on placing a large propane barbeque next to the toilet in your master bedroom’s ensuite bathroom to balance out the Chi in your toilet. Said... Read More »

Greetings friends, I hope you are well! Today’s feature article is about the incredible Audio Note (UK) Ongaku 211 single-ended-triode (SET) integrated amplifier. Audio Note (UK) is Peter Qvortrup’s family-owned audio electronics business located near Brighton, England, that specializes in building hand-crafted high-fidelity fine audio systems for people who love listening to music, and of... Read More »

For Late Boomers like me, Carly Simon's 'Anticipation' instantly triggers memories of my teen years. It played over crackling AM radio, clicked and popped on a friend's turntable, and blared over public pool PA speakers. Back then, the scent of suntan oil and glistening swimsuit bodies tantalized in the summertime. Oozing angst and excitement, the... Read More »

The avant garde in any field of endeavor inevitably challenges conventional expectations. That, in part, is precisely the point of its existence: to alert, provoke and stimulate aesthetic or conceptual attention. Judi Silvano's new album, GARDEN WINDS, with a brisk nod to Stravinsky midway, invites appreciation from those who are vulnerable to surprise and, no less, who are comfortable... Read More »

​I discovered in my career that if companies are to survive, they must continuously reinvent themselves. This applies to Audio as it does to broadcasting, cable television, streaming, and all of the exciting new technologies that we are enjoying today. It amazes me that a company founded in 1953 like Grado Labs has once once again charged into the valley of the 600, and... Read More »

Music of the Baroque and earlier rule this Recent Finds edition. From Bach (J.S. and C.P.E.), to Fux, Lassus, Hildegard von Bingen, and Machaut we have music of an earlier period on tap. And a very special treat: the marvelous Elinor Frey in her inaugural album on Channel Classics—long may that relationship flourish.   C.P.E.... Read More »

If you’re unfamiliar with my work, you should know that I am an unapologetic vinyl devotee. Since my initial record-playing days in the early 1960s, my approach to cleaning and caring for my LPs has grown steadily more effective and sophisticated over the decades. And as I am a bit of a historian, let’s take... Read More »

The Band, Music From The Big Pink (Vinylphile, 33 RPM) One of the most iconic and influential albums in rock 'n' roll history, The Band’s Music From The Big Pink was originally released in 1968 on the Capital Records label. As their debut album, it was their first recording effort after touring with Bob Dylan... Read More »

On a recent, really late evening, my phone chimed nearly nonstop as good friend and fellow high-end audio enthusiast Finnbogi Sigurdur Marinosson urgently slid into my DMs. Finnbogi and I are fairly obsessive hardware geeks, and he’d just descended into an inexplicable, almost incomprehensible journey from which there was seemingly no possibility of return. And... Read More »