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Stick around long enough and you get to witness the life cycle of a fad. Presently, the audiophile community has been riding herd on RFI, judging by the third-party Band-Aids proliferating on Audiogon and webzine talk. I believe the interest to be an offshoot from the prior focus on the electrical ground: after all, RFI... Read More »

Paris, Hilary Hahn (violin); Radio France Philharmonic/Mikko Franck. DG 00289 483 9847 (CD).  TT: 52.51. CHAUSSON: Poème. PROKOFIEV: Violin Concerto No. 1 in D. RAUTAVAARA: Deux sérénades. The chief interest here lies in Einojuhari Rautavaara's Deux sérénades, adapted for Hilary Hahn from his opera The House of the Sun; when the composer died in mid-project, his onetime student... Read More »

I've long been a fan of those wizards at iFi, especially the wonky folks tasked with widget warfare on hi-fi noise pollution. Although perhaps best known for their cost-effective DAC/Headphone amps, iFi has also issued a stream of USB and AC power iPurifiers and iDefenders to address audio problems both common and not so. Of... Read More »

I love cables. I hate cables. There, I said it. Cables—from an audio perspective—are that step-brother no one really knows how to engage at the annual Thanksgiving bash. Everyone knows he's part of the family, everyone knows he generally has a nice guy image, but no one really knows how to properly befriend him. Let's... Read More »

For the last five weeks, I have had the opportunity to sit back and enjoy one of the best amplifiers I have heard in a long time. It all started when I got a phone call from the owner of ampsandsound, he said he had something new and special in the works. I was intrigued,... Read More »

Thick aluminum casing, a dark anodized finish, microprocessor-controlled functions, and mysterious red lights on the faceplate could describe the latest generation of Cylon Centurion from the Battlestar Galactica science fiction series, or the newly released Monoceros preamplifier from Musician Audio. While Cylons are a Hollywood creation, this preamplifier (linestage) is the real deal, and is... Read More »

A friend is a connoisseur of many things in life. At the intermission of a concert, he was puzzled that the audience was clapping as the pianist had made so many mistakes—he performed professionally. He pushed aside a meal at the first bite because it wasn't worth the calories. As a counterpoint, the first time... Read More »

I rarely revisit my complete reviews, but the RSX top-of-the-line Beyond phono cable with DIN connector has revealed state-of-the-art attributes that are stunning to this reviewer. In its RCA-terminated form, the cable from the legendary Roger Skoff was musically natural and neutral with a bullet. I was never able to truly discover what it did... Read More »

Back in October of 2020 I did a straw poll among readers of Jeff's Place and Positive Feedback to find out what audio products they would be most interested in having me write about. The most popular and intriguing request among readers was the artisanal and custom-made Triode Lab 2A3 EVO single-ended-triode integrated amplifier from... Read More »

North America Premiere Review! Small package – Big impression! Review By Clive Meakins With this article, Positive Feedback continues its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music Rick Becker shares his thoughts on the Charisma Audio Musiko Tonearm, Soundeck, and Audio Machina Accessories. Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief Lindemann is very well versed with digital technology and Class D amplifiers. For... Read More »

Record Store Day 2021 has two summer dates this year, June 12 and July 17, and Craft Recordings has no fewer than twelve RSD exclusive releases to offer this go around. Last year's RSD was the craziest ever, what with the pandemic and everything, but 2021 seems to be bringing new hope for some kind... Read More »

The last few years I've been pretty pleased with my system, so I've really not been considering any major changes. My current gaggle of components, cables, and room treatments works well in my somewhat difficult room, and delivers most of the passion of the music while usually keeping me happily engaged.  I even get to... Read More »

With a light and delicate touch, Noelia Rodiles carries us on a rollicking joy filled ride with Schumann, Rueda, Mendelssohn, and del Puerta, then lands us gently with Schubert and Magrane. If some of these names are unfamiliar, I encourage you to join me and explore this lovely recording. Another transparent recording by Gonzalo Noqué... Read More »

Violent Femmes: Add It Up (1981-1993). Two 120 gram, black vinyl LPs: $29.99 MSRP. Also available as two 120 gram, blister-marbled red vinyl LPs: $32.99 MSRP. Available from Craft Recordings. My first experience with the Violent Femmes came not too long after their eponymous debut album had been released in 1983. I'd just gone to... Read More »

Sarah Jarosz: Build Me Up From Bones. 120 gram, black vinyl LP: $21.99 MSRP. Also available as a 120 gram, opaque red vinyl LP; no website or pricing information was available at the time of the review. Available from Craft Recordings. Sarah Jarosz is a multi-instrumentalist and singer / songwriter who grew up in Wimberley, Texas, a... Read More »

Back when I went to public school, everyone took band. If you had no preference, they gave you whatever instrument needed players to fill a section—that's how a dented, silver trumpet wound up in my lap. Most of us consumed the hour by chilling out, with the exception of a small coterie of trumpet players... Read More »

I tend to be a believer in a less is more approach when it comes to my audio system; find a high end DAC like the Chord DAVE, and use it's outputs to drive the amplifier directly. In my experience putting anything between the DAC and the amplifier adds noise, colors the sound, and removes... Read More »

IBIS, Self-Titled. Polydor Records 3581980. 1975 Locanda Delle Fate, Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Piu. Polydor Records 3529073. 1977 Sensations' Fix, Finest Finger. Polydor Records 3559352. 1976 For the uninitiated, Italian Progressive Rock of the 1970s can be differentiated from its German and British peers by its heavier emphasis on the Hammond B-3 organ as opposed... Read More »

Muarah Audio made its debut during the Audio Video Show 2015 with a complete system designed for playing music from vinyl records. Associated primarily with turntables, it also offers electronics. This time, however, we are testing its flagship MT-1 EVO turntable with a PSC precise speed controller. The title of one of the articles on... Read More »