Reviews Archives - Positive Feedback

Grado Labs Signature HP100 SE Headphones – a Brand New Direction for a Historic Manufacturer

Robert H. Levi — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 19:48:09 +0000

One hundred years ago Joseph Grado, founder of Grado Labs, was born. In 1953, he established the iconic Grado Labs producing extraordinary phono cartridges and dynamic headphones in Brooklyn, New York. The skilled manufacturing continues there today with even stronger creative energy from John Grado providing the leading Epoch 3 Phono Cartridge and the very... Read More »

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The iFi Neo iDSD 2 DAC/Amp: Yeah, Yeah, Little GTO!

Bruce Kinch — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 17:48:08 +0000

The iFi Neo iDSD 2 occupies a most intriguing spot in the UK firm's extensive roster of DACs and DAC/Amps. At $899, it is the first step down from the much praised $3249 iDSD Pro Signature. In fact, the two are the only items the iFi website lists as "Home Audio" above the ZEN range... Read More »

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Recent Finds, No. 28 - Pure DSD256 from Eudora, Hunnia, Yarlung, plus more

Rushton Paul — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 22:52:26 +0000

I'm catching up... honestly I am. There are many wonderful albums to talk about, more than I can cover in one article. But, I'll make a start and then add more in a later article. Today, I want to visit several terrific Pure DSD256 recordings from Eudora, Hunnia, and Yarlung. Plus some outstanding high resolution... Read More »

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Mogwai, The Bad Fire

Michael Mercer — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 17:14:53 +0000

Mogwai, The Bad Fire Mogwai is a cosmic band. With the fires finally subsiding in Los Angeles County; The Bad Fire is aptly, and unfortunately titled. Utterly coincidental (we don't want to spark even more conspiracy theories here—the world needs that like we all need holes in our heads)—but isn't that one of the most... Read More »

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New! HiFi-Tuning Diamond Fuses

Marshall Nack — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 20:42:06 +0000

Audiophiles spend thousands for a 39" (1 meter) power cord, only to follow it with an inch of conductor that costs around $3 at a local hardware store. That power cord may be highly rated, but current flow and sound quality will be constrained by the cheap fuse element at its tip. Surely, we can... Read More »

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The S-DUO Pro Ultrasonic Stylus Cleaner + Gauge and I-Brush from HumminGuru

Bruce Kinch — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 21:56:35 +0000

I recently became aware of HumminGuru, a Hong Kong based company with a quite forward-looking perspective on the viability of vinyl. While reviewing their affordable and very effective ultrasonic record cleaning machines (HERE), I also discovered a couple of accessories that break new ground for LP spinners. As with their record cleaners, HumminGuru's only outlet... Read More »

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Bruno Walter's Classic Mahler Ninth Symphony in Stunning Sound Quality

Rushton Paul — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 20:52:56 +0000

Mahler Symphony No. 9 in D major, Bruno Walter, Columbia Symphony Orchestra. HDTT 1961 2024 (DSD256, DXD) HERE Some performances are so culturally significant that they require special notice when a superb new release becomes available. Such is the case with this 2024 reissue from HDTT of the classic account of Mahler's Ninth Symphony recorded... Read More »

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The Goldring Ethos SE - a Ringer of an MC Phono Cartridge

Juan C. Ayllon — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 19:02:09 +0000

The Goldring Ethos SE Moving Coil Cartridge sports a capital G on its body's front like the "S" on Superman's chest—or the G on the University of Georgia football helmet of Herschel Walker—to which I see a passing similarity. Going into his first game in 1980, he was a fourth-string running back—unexceptional, merely fitting in... Read More »

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Recent Finds, No. 27 - HDTT Recent Releases

Rushton Paul — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:39:29 +0000

I've been on a bit of an audio hiatus these past few months, but that hasn't meant I wasn't paying attention to the many excellent albums Bob Witrak has been releasing over that time. Those of you who have read some of my other writing know with what great respect I hold Bob's work at... Read More »

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The Invisible DAC: My Listening Impressions of the dCS Varèse System

Lee Scoggins — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 21:55:50 +0000

The dCS Varèse DAC For some time now, I have enjoyed visiting my friend Scott Carpenter who owns Evolution Hi-Fi in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, Georgia. As my friends will tell you, I am a frequent visitor of hi-ﬁ shops, and I have a deep passion for the latest technology. Fortunately, Scott is not... Read More »

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Acoustical Systems Archon Improved MC Cartridge

Robert H. Levi — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 17:05:37 +0000

I love reviewing phono cartridges. In my incredibly neutral Helius Omega Tonearm, for example, they dramatically reveal either error or truth, thin or full textures, and the recording or the performance. Michael Fremer and Bob Levi at the LAOC Audio Society Board dinner, 2024 (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) The Acoustical Systems... Read More »

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Origin Live Agile tonearm

John Hoffman — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 17:27:12 +0000

In the beginning of 2024, an old acquaintance came to visit. While we have known each other for quite a while, I am afraid I only know him by his nickname of "What If." Some days my friend What If drops by for an evening to chat, other times it becomes a weekend stay. Well,... Read More »

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Passos Brasileiros, Toomai String Quintet

Stephen Francis Vasta — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 17:15:50 +0000

Passos Brasileiros, Toomai String Quintet, with assisting artists. Tocanta Media (CD). 53 minutes. Pascoal: Garrote. Villa-Lobos: Saudades das Selvas Brasilieras 1-2; Chôros 5 ("Alma Brasileira"). Gonzaga: Passos no Choro. Freire: Mamulengo; Espiral; Turbulenta; Pintou um Grilo. Nascimento: Cais. Gil: Domingo no Parque. Nogueira: Bachianinha 1. Lara: Força da Imaginação/Sonho Meu. As in their 2018 début... Read More »

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One Hit Favorites

Robert Pincus — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 17:24:22 +0000

We've all bought albums for the hit song that we heard on the radio, or for that one incredible sounding demo cut we heard at an audio show. Because of this, vinyl nuts, like me, who've been collecting records for decades, always wind up owning lots of albums that have only one good cut. I... Read More »

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A Pippen of a Component - the Pass Labs X150.8 Stereo Amplifier

Juan C. Ayllon — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 23:28:55 +0000

The Pass Labs X150.8 Stereo Amplifier, seen up front atop a 1/4" steel plate on A/V RoomService EVP Equipment Vibration Protectors. In the back to the left is one of my reference Usher Audio ML-802 Loudspeakers. As a longtime Chicagoland resident and audio enthusiast, the Pass Labs X150.8 conjures Scottie Pippen's impact on the 1991-1998... Read More »

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Recent Finds, No. 26 - Bert van der Wolf Recordings

Rushton Paul — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 22:53:00 +0000

Recording engineer Bert van der Wolf's releases are eagerly awaited in our household. The reason is a combination of three factors: (1) the audio quality he achieves is easily in the top ranks of what is possible today, and he's constantly pushing the envelope to achieve even better sound; (2) I like his choice of... Read More »

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Music Hall Stealth Turntable

Ed Kobesky — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 19:00:21 +0000

I threw everything but the kitchen sink at this relatively affordable Darth Vader-looking contraption in terms of upgrades. Not because it's bad, but rather, because it's very, very good. It sounds and feels more like a $2500 product than something priced at $1649, including cartridge. Could a few, well-chosen and easily installed swaps make it... Read More »

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The Dan Clark Stealth Planar Headphones - A Sublime Upgrade to Your Headphone Experience!

Juan C. Ayllon — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 18:53:36 +0000

Good headphones immerse you in an aural cocoon, delivering remarkable soundscapes that allow you to escape the noise and stress of daily life. Whether I was listening to Steely Dan tapes with their low-grade hiss on an AM/FM radio cassette player over Koss "Stereophones" back in 1979 at my college dorm room, or savoring a... Read More »

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MoFi Electronics MasterPhono Phonostage

Greg Weaver — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 17:56:16 +0000

Before we explore the exceptional performance and remarkable value that the moderately priced Mobile Fidelity MasterPhono Phonostage represents, the historian in me wants to make sure you understand why it is so noteworthy. Since Mobile Fidelity's humble beginnings as an independently owned audiophile recording company by recording engineer Brad Miller in March of 1958, it... Read More »

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Imersiv D1 DAC (now in Beta) and Audeze CRBN2 Headphones

Bob Katz — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 00:57:44 +0000

Bob Katz at work wearing the Audeze CRBN 2 Headphones, a portrait. (Photograph by Mary Kent.) Introduction Today I'm reviewing two remarkable products, both of which represent a new audio paradigm and a veritable redefinition of the state of the art! I know, this is an old audio cliché, but in this case I think... Read More »

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Al Di Meola's Jazz Fusion Classic Elegant Gypsy, now reissued on 180 Gram LP by Impex Records

Tom Gibbs — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 00:11:11 +0000

Impex Records continues to honor the legacy of celebrated guitarist Al Di Meola with a new 180 gram LP reissue of his 1977 jazz fusion classic, Elegant Gypsy. The album sold a half-million units in the year of its release, peaking at the number 5 position on Billboard's jazz album charts while earning Guitar Player... Read More »

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Euphony Audio's Stylus OS 4.0 (RC 24), in Combination with Mozzaik Upsampler, S.M.S.L.'s VMV D2R DAC, and a Peek at Exciting New Upcoming Euphony Hardware

Tom Gibbs — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 21:14:39 +0000

Over a decade ago, the late John Sunier of Audiophile Audition called me with a hardware review offer for the original AURALiC Aries streamer. I was clueless as to what a streamer was or what it was supposed to do, John was unable to offer any explanation of its function to me, and I only... Read More »

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The GIK Acoustics Q7D Diffuser

John Zurek — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 23:49:12 +0000

Over the years I've worked on refining the sound in my listening room by both upgrading/changing components and adding room treatments. Not sure why, but the whole room treatment project always seemed like a separate component of the system. Corner treatments, absorptive panels, diffusers, and Argent Room Lenses, in addition to the occasional component and... Read More »

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iFi Audio ZEN Phono 3 - Let's Make Some Friends

Al Chieng — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 17:21:24 +0000

I recently met a good friend for dinner and we got to talk about all things audio. It was there that he pondered an earth-shaking scenario to me. He told me that he was considering selling off his vinyl collection and rig to go all digital. It took me a moment to get my jaw off... Read More »

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New Release and Reissue LPs from Barenaked Ladies, OPA, Bush, and Miles Davis, all from Craft Recordings

Tom Gibbs — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 17:33:31 +0000

Craft Recordings continues to drop great late-year releases, and I have four more here you'll definitely want to check out! These albums criss-cross the genres of classic jazz, alternative pop, post-grunge hard rock, and jazz fusion, and feature reissues of rare, long out-of-print, and hard-to-find classic and noteworthy LPs. Including a new Miles Davis compilation... Read More »

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