Reviews Archives - Positive Feedback

Sammi Smith, Help Me Make It Through the Night

Robert Pincus — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 16:43:44 +0000

Jewel Faye Smith (1943-2005), who went by the name Sammi Smith, was born in Orange, California. Due to her father's military career, she lived in Arizona, Texas, Colorado, and Oklahoma. In 1967 she was discovered in an Oklahoma City nightclub by Johnny Cash's bassist, Marshall Grant, and subsequently she moved to Nashville. With help from... Read More »

The post Sammi Smith, Help Me Make It Through the Night appeared first on Positive Feedback.

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 »

The post Rhino High Fidelity Continues Its Journey Down The Yellow Brick Road – A Fantastic New Vinyl Reissue of Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac! appeared first on Positive Feedback.

RAY Tubes Shootout: Reserve KT88's vs Reserve EL34's in the PrimaLuna EVO 300 Tube Integrated Amplifier

Tom Gibbs — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 16:45:53 +0000

When Nelson Wu, CEO of RAY Tubes offered earlier this year to send a full complement of RAY Select and Reserve tubes for evaluation in my PrimaLuna EVO 300 tube integrated amplifier, I jumped at the chance. I've never looked back; RAY Tubes have lifted my analog system performance and musicality to new heights, providing... Read More »

The post RAY Tubes Shootout: Reserve KT88's vs Reserve EL34's in the PrimaLuna EVO 300 Tube Integrated Amplifier appeared first on Positive Feedback.

The Power and Precision of ATC SCM40 Active Loudspeakers - Are They For You?

Juan C. Ayllon — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 18:57:44 +0000

Backdrop loudspeaker drivers image courtesy of ATC Like a surgeon's scalpel, the ATC SCM40A loudspeaker is a serious instrument, deftly cutting through sinew, fat, and bone to the heart of music with surgical precision and clarity. A three-way floor-standing model at just under 40 inches tall, it is unobtrusive and remains at the top of... Read More »

The post The Power and Precision of ATC SCM40 Active Loudspeakers - Are They For You? appeared first on Positive Feedback.

Joni Mitchell's Transitional Masterwork "Hejira" on Mobile Fidelity Limited Edition UltraDisc One-Step 45 rpm LPs

Tom Gibbs — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 20:38:14 +0000

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's ongoing release of Joni Mitchell's most iconic albums continues with her 1976 transitional masterpiece, Hejira, where her embrace of jazz idioms deepened far beyond her initial explorations in both Court and Spark (1974) and The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975). Hejira is very much a road album of sorts, a musical... Read More »

The post Joni Mitchell's Transitional Masterwork "Hejira" on Mobile Fidelity Limited Edition UltraDisc One-Step 45 rpm LPs appeared first on Positive Feedback.

World Premier LP Recording: CLARICE from Yarlung Records

Robert H. Levi — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:07:29 +0000

Michael Fremer and Bob Levi CLARICE from Bob Attiyeh and Yarlung Records Extraordinarily well recorded with every tube and analog bell and whistle, this 45 RPM LP of Clarice, pressed in Germany, is another Yarlung Records treat. Bob Attiyeh of Yarlung Records, 2018. A portrait. Considering that the producer, Bob Attiyeh, has taste levels superior... Read More »

The post World Premier LP Recording: CLARICE from Yarlung Records appeared first on Positive Feedback.

Joni Mitchell's Confessional Classic "Blue" on Mobile Fidelity Limited Edition UltraDisc One-Step 45 rpm LPs

Tom Gibbs — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 23:57:59 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to review Joni Mitchell's classic album Court and Spark, which is part of Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's ongoing release of six of Joni's most iconic albums. You can read my review of that superb UltraDisc One-Step set HERE. The UltraDisc is MoFi's ne plus ultra analog statement format, and their... Read More »

The post Joni Mitchell's Confessional Classic "Blue" on Mobile Fidelity Limited Edition UltraDisc One-Step 45 rpm LPs appeared first on Positive Feedback.

Zu Audio Method Bookshelf Loudspeaker

Dean Seislove — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 17:51:36 +0000

A colleague once postulated that audio gear invariably sounds like the people who make it. The line of thinking goes that, if the person is big and bold, then their speakers look and sound the part. High-energy, constantly moving personalities turn out cables big on dynamics and tilted up tonal range. Quietly brilliant masterminds bring... Read More »

The post Zu Audio Method Bookshelf Loudspeaker appeared first on Positive Feedback.

Jethro Tull's "Still Living In The Past," Updated and Expanded on LP and CD+Bluray Sets from Rhino Entertainment

Tom Gibbs — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 23:07:26 +0000

Rhino Entertainment has just released Jethro Tull's Still Living In The Past, which updates the band's original 1972 album issue in every possible way. Still Living In The Past is being released as a gatefold double LP edition, as well as an expansive 5-CD+Bluray package, all remixed and remastered by Steven Wilson. The 2-LP set... Read More »

The post Jethro Tull's "Still Living In The Past," Updated and Expanded on LP and CD+Bluray Sets from Rhino Entertainment appeared first on Positive Feedback.

Craft Latino Continues to Celebrate Latin and Salsa Music with Eight Superb LP Reissues from Fania, Vaya, and Tico Records

Tom Gibbs — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 16:12:14 +0000

Craft Latino celebrates Latin and Salsa music across a host of subgenres, with eight new LP reissues, many of which have been long out of print. Featuring three albums that are continuing the centennial celebration of "The Queen of Salsa," Celia Cruz; percussionist extraordinaire Ray Barretto's 1975 self-titled album; a pair of albums from salsa... Read More »

The post Craft Latino Continues to Celebrate Latin and Salsa Music with Eight Superb LP Reissues from Fania, Vaya, and Tico Records appeared first on Positive Feedback.

Rhino Celebrates New Wave and Post-punk Icons The B-52's with a Colorful 9-LP Box Set, "The Warner/Reprise Years"

Tom Gibbs — Sun, 10 Aug 2025 17:16:17 +0000

Rhino Entertainment is celebrating the musical legacy of the B-52's with multi-LP and CD catalog box sets, The B-52's The Warner/Reprise Years, which collects the band's eight albums from the years between 1979 and 1992. Formed in Athens, Georgia in 1977, the B-52's initially rode the crest of the New Wave with a string of... Read More »

The post Rhino Celebrates New Wave and Post-punk Icons The B-52's with a Colorful 9-LP Box Set, "The Warner/Reprise Years" appeared first on Positive Feedback.

And Now, For the Gentlemen, Part 2

John Marks — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 22:53:20 +0000

Bach hanging out with John Marks... John Marks continues with the Gentlemen; see HERE for Part 1. QOBUZ Playlist Link https://play.qobuz.com/playlist/33451444 Jesse Colin Young, Light Shine (1974) "Jesse Colin Young" was the stage name of singer-songwriter Perry Miller (1941-2025). He chose that stage name in part because of his admiration for Lotus sports- and racing-car... Read More »

The post And Now, For the Gentlemen, Part 2 appeared first on Positive Feedback.

A New Record Review: House of the Singing Blossoms, Featuring Anthony Wilson, from Sam First Records

Robert H. Levi — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 15:42:32 +0000

Bob Levi: a portrait by David W. Robinson (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) House of the Singing Blossoms (click for complete album art and information), a jazz tour-de-force starring Anthony Wilson is recorded at Sam First's jazz club and recording studio by Sam First Records. This two record set with thick stock gatefold... Read More »

The post A New Record Review: House of the Singing Blossoms, Featuring Anthony Wilson, from Sam First Records appeared first on Positive Feedback.

Recent Finds No. 48 A Potpourri from NativeDSD

Rushton Paul — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 21:34:12 +0000

This Recent Finds includes an eclectic selection of music from the NativeDSD catalog. What's the common thread? In each case, I found the music engaging, the performers/performances excellent, and the sound quality at a very high standard. Beyond that, it is highly varied group of albums. Frans de Rond us gives another of his marvelous... Read More »

The post Recent Finds No. 48 A Potpourri from NativeDSD appeared first on Positive Feedback.

Recent Finds No. 47 Seven Pure DSD256 from HDTT, Plus 1 More

Rushton Paul — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 01:22:46 +0000

This Recent Finds edition is back to HDTT releases. Some new and some from a few years past that are past due for a review. All are very nice. In fact, four of them are included in my recent Pure DSD256 from Analog Tape: My Top of the Pile listing—albums that were always a reference... Read More »

The post Recent Finds No. 47 Seven Pure DSD256 from HDTT, Plus 1 More appeared first on Positive Feedback.

Node Audio SS-1 Component Support

Marshall Nack — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 18:31:44 +0000

While browsing the photo gallery on the Node Audio website, I came across a group shot of five finely crafted, elegantly designed objects. They appeared to be variations on a theme, but what was the theme—what were they used for? Sometimes you come upon objects that grab hold of your attention, yet their purpose remains... Read More »

The post Node Audio SS-1 Component Support appeared first on Positive Feedback.

A Clean Sweep? A Look at the iSonic P4875 II MVR5 and MVR 10 Ultrasonic Record Cleaners and their PSR01A Isonic Pump Station

Juan C. Ayllon — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 17:17:33 +0000

It seems a lifetime ago. For my side hustle as a mobile DJ, I honed my beat-matching and mixing skills with a pair of Technics 1200 turntables at home to apply on the road with a Pioneer CMX-3000 Dual DJ CD player, but after I married Belle in 2011, I sold my gear, reinvested the... Read More »

The post A Clean Sweep? A Look at the iSonic P4875 II MVR5 and MVR 10 Ultrasonic Record Cleaners and their PSR01A Isonic Pump Station appeared first on Positive Feedback.

The Flying Burrito Brothers

Robert Pincus — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 23:26:29 +0000

The Flying Burrito Brothers were formed in 1968 by former members of The Byrds Chris Hillman and Gram Parsons (1946-1973), who both had similar backgrounds in rural music. Their debut album was the critically acclaimed The Gilded Palace Of Sin (A&M SP 4175), released in February of 1969. A few months prior to recording The... Read More »

The post The Flying Burrito Brothers appeared first on Positive Feedback.

Waters on the Hardware: The Gingko Audio Cloud System and Arch Loudspeaker Isolation Device

Dean Waters — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:40:13 +0000

The Maestro himself! (Portrait and image processing by David W. Robinson) My LP life When writing audio reviews, reviewers are often called on to describe things we readily hear that aren't always easily quantifiable. We use adjectives like 'open,' 'free,' 'effortless,' 'relaxed,' etc. The list goes on and on. Every once in a while, we... Read More »

The post Waters on the Hardware: The Gingko Audio Cloud System and Arch Loudspeaker Isolation Device appeared first on Positive Feedback.

Aurender's A1000 Network Music Server/Streamer/DAC: Redefining Affordable World Class Performance

Tom Gibbs — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 16:30:18 +0000

Over the course of the last twenty-five-years, I've carved out a fairly satisfying niche in audio journalism. One that finds me most often focused on reasonably priced gear that frequently performs beyond its price point—while also playing nicely in more pedigreed audio systems. Many of the companies I deal with focus exclusively on that segment... Read More »

The post Aurender's A1000 Network Music Server/Streamer/DAC: Redefining Affordable World Class Performance appeared first on Positive Feedback.

Bryston BDP-3 Digital Player

Malcolm J. Gomes — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 19:09:38 +0000

The audiophile digital music software scene has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past decade. Streaming services have increased their dominance and almost every audiophile I know, has transferred most of their CDs into digital files and stored them in multi-terabyte hard drives, especially since the price of very high-capacity hard drives, even SSD versions,... Read More »

The post Bryston BDP-3 Digital Player appeared first on Positive Feedback.

Recent Finds No. 46 Six Excellent New Releases from HDTT

Rushton Paul — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 19:08:45 +0000

Bob Witrak continues to mine pure gold from the vast past catalogs of great music, great performances, and outstanding recordings. In this edition of Recent Finds, I want to share six new releases I've been very pleased to see: three classical and three jazz, all in outstanding sound quality. Opera Ballets, Ferenc Fricsay, Berlin Radio... Read More »

The post Recent Finds No. 46 Six Excellent New Releases from HDTT appeared first on Positive Feedback.

And Now, for the Gentlemen! Part 1

John Marks — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 21:36:58 +0000

John Marks is a multidisciplinary generalist and a lifelong audio hobbyist. He was educated at Brown University and at Vanderbilt Law School. He has worked as a trial and appeals lawyer; as a music educator, recording engineer, classical-music record producer and label executive; and as a music and audio-equipment journalist. He was a columnist for... Read More »

The post And Now, for the Gentlemen! Part 1 appeared first on Positive Feedback.

Bert van der Wolf Recordings of Stavanger Symphony Orchestra for NRK Broadcast

Rushton Paul — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 21:51:11 +0000

As you know by now, I enjoy the recordings produced by Bert van der Wolf-Oude Avenhuis. So, when I saw that he'd released a series of live performance recordings with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and conductor Andris Poga, I just had to get them all for a listen. These live recordings are part of a... Read More »

The post Bert van der Wolf Recordings of Stavanger Symphony Orchestra for NRK Broadcast appeared first on Positive Feedback.

Follow-up: Vera-Fi Audio's Line Noise Black Hole and Snub Station Zero, with the Infinity Fuse, in My Digital Source System

Tom Gibbs — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 18:46:06 +0000

When Mark Schifter hooked me up with the first two devices from Vera-Fi Audio's new trio of power conditioning equipment, I simply wasn't prepared for the dramatic differences they made to my all-analog system. That system uses single-ended RCA connections throughout, and it had a couple of problem noise areas I couldn't seem to eliminate,... Read More »

The post Follow-up: Vera-Fi Audio's Line Noise Black Hole and Snub Station Zero, with the Infinity Fuse, in My Digital Source System appeared first on Positive Feedback.