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Way back in the 50s a phenomenon known as the folk sampler LP existed. The company best known for making folk sampler LPs was Elektra. Other companies, like Vanguard and Prestige, culled their catalogs to create folk music samplers, but their results were sonically mediocre and musically bland. The competition simply couldn't match the musical... Read More »

Let's talk about new releases from High Definition Tape Transfers (HDTT)—they've been on a roll with great reissues of vintage recordings these last few months. Starting with a classic album from Miles Davis, then two iconic John Coltrane albums, moving along to Getz, Brubeck, Anita O'Day, Jimmy Rushing, and Sonny Stitt. And then to reissues... Read More »

Like many, I am a huge Little Feat fan. Despite all of the passion, I have been very patient. It's been quite some time since the last release of significant quality, but there have been several Little Feat audiophile LP reissues over the years. This is a band that still has a considerable following and... Read More »

"Life is a magical mystery; Bert has no part in any of that…" - Bert van der Wolf  Producer, recording and mastering engineer Bert van der Wolf, owner of Northstar Recording Services, has been making among the best engineered classical recordings one will find. I've written before about his recordings (see list of articles here) and... Read More »

Mobile Fidelity set off quite a fire storm a year ago when it suddenly became public knowledge that they'd been using a DSD step in many of their LP reissues—which were touted by the label as being all-analog throughout the remastering chain. MFSL LPs were prized by audiophiles, collectors, and music lovers alike, and were... Read More »

Sometimes you listen to a piece of equipment, and its performance gives you pause. Sometimes that pause is a good thing because what you're listening to is performing better then you expect. Unfortunately, sometimes it's a bad thing, candidly most of the time it is a bad thing. However, this review is about one of... Read More »

Ann and I just finished listening to the Reiner/CSO performance of Scheherazade (RCA Living Stereo, 1960) and we were entranced once again by just how great a performance this is. Since our transition to digital-only listening, I have missed being able to listen to this performance in really superior sound quality. Our standard from our... Read More »

In my search for the Sweetheart of the most popular phono cartridge lines, offering the highest value and top performance for the price, the Hana series of cartridges brings a powerful entry. New to the market is the Hana Umami Blue Moving-Coil Cartridge also created by the brilliant Maseo Okada of Excel Sounds in Japan,... Read More »

The iFi Neo Stream network audio streamer is a sterling representation of smart audio design, boasting an open, musical delivery from a simple and compact chassis sporting clean angular lines and functional features. As such, it's a gleaming 21st Century take on form meets function, melding well with the natural and industrial elements of a... Read More »

I continue to be delighted by the amazing titles coming out of Sam Records. If you have not heard the backstory by now, let me provide some additional insight. Sam Records is an independent one man operation founded in 2011 by Fred Thomas and located in Paris, France. His love and commitment to jazz and... Read More »

Back Up the Loudspeaker Evolutionary Ladder Last summer I waxed enthusiastically about Von Schweikert Audio's remarkable Endeavor Special Edition (ESE) loudspeakers (HERE), one of the finest components to have graced my home during my many years as a reviewer. Compact in dimensions (an important consideration here at the Lounge), blessed with first-rate fit and finish,... Read More »

Sometimes happiness arrives in simplest of forms, and this obscure LP by George Dewitt (1922 - 1979) is a perfect example. In today's world George Dewitt is unknown, but in the 1950s he was quite visible on TV as a game show host. He was also a singer. The game show was Name That Tune,... Read More »

Shore Fire Media has just announced the first two titles from a new LP reissue program, the Rhino High Fidelity Premium Vinyl Series. Rhino High Fidelity's planned release schedule will be quarterly throughout the year; the inaugural release features two outstanding titles, the eponymous debut album from The Cars, The Cars (1978, Elektra Records), and... Read More »

When it comes to audiophile quality reissues, there seems to be a myriad of options these days. My apologies up front, as I am sure that I will miss mentioning a few. We have the exquisite one step releases from Analogue Productions, Mofi , IMPEX, and Craft—many with 45 RPM pressings and with the most... Read More »

Symmetria Pario: Creation, Pekka Kuusisto, violin, Joonas Ahonen, piano. Yarlung Records 2023 Pure DSD256 HERE When you take contemporary compositions from nine different composers (six of which were commissioned for your recital), and you add the brilliant artistry of Pekka Kuusisto and Joonas Ahonen, and you record it in a world class, acoustically magnificent music hall... Read More »

There's no getting around it, cable lifts are controversial. With so many competing designs and theories all claiming to remediate the same issues—mechanical vibrations, interactions between wires, and RFI/EMI contamination—sorting them out can make your head spin. One company says the best RFI solution is lifting the cable with a minimum of mass, coming close... Read More »

The Parasound JC 5 stereo amplifier has been in continuous production since 2018 and has been reviewed many times over the years including reviews in Positive Feedback. I want to be upfront that I purchased the JC 5 prior to writing this review. I made the leap of faith based on the reputation of the... Read More »

With La Petite Bande's 50th anniversary in 2022, Challenge Records celebrated with the release of a nine CD box set, which you may have seen. All nice, but that's not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about something even more wonderful: the release of the original DXD recording resolution files! (HERE) From... Read More »

Craft Latino is a specialty imprint that focuses on reissues of classic salsa, Latin jazz, Latin soul, and Afro-Cuban releases from Craft Recordings' deep catalog of Latino artists, many of which haven't been reissued as LPs for decades. Their newest reissues highlight classic records from a pair of legendary Latino percussionists, conguero Ray Barretto's Que... Read More »