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Our good friend and fellow scrivener John Marks, he of The Tannhäuser Gate, has shared with us another of his musical reflections from that estimable blog site. Once again, he stirs the mind by telling us about music that we likely do not know...much to our benefit! I always learn when I read one John's... Read More »

Greetings faithful readers. It is time to bring you another installment on Sonus Faber Speakers. I initially reviewed the Olympica Nova I stand mounted monitor. I found this speaker to be very neutral and capable of a very consistent presentation throughout its frequency range, and highly recommended it. This was followed by the more upscale... Read More »

Comparing Native DSD64 and DSD256 Releases by Tom Jung of DMP I was graciously asked by Brian Moura at NativeDSD.com to listen to and critique some of their newest Native DSD releases which come from Tom Jung at DMP.  The releases were provided as both DSD64 and DSD256 masters for download and comparison. I listened to the... Read More »

I recently reviewed the entry level Boulder 508 phono stage, and it surprised the boots off me by its price / performance ratio. It's so good, in fact, that it ended up finding a permanent spot in my system. Since then I have been following the roll out of Boulder's latest product, the 866 integrated... Read More »

As a new owner of Magnepan 3.7i I've discovered quite a few things about these much loved and storied planar magnetic speakers. Hearing them at shows and showrooms is one thing, but listening to them create their magic in your own home is where the rubber truly meets the road. I'm happy to report that... Read More »

How does one define the word-brand? It's a question I've been working on answering while helping to create a new sustainable women's clothing line with my wife. Is it a catchy name? A slick logo? The overall look and feel of the product(s)? The advertising / marketing message? Yes, in part all these elements bolster... Read More »

I am awaiting delivery in today's post of five AudioQuest Dragon power cords with mixed emotions. The unease is not about them; it is because I'm leery of rocking the boat presently anchored in the placid oasis of audio synergy, where all parts are working and everything important to me in playback is present. From... Read More »

AGD's Andante and Vivace will transport you to the musical venue. Review By Rick Becker With this article, Positive Feedback continues its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music. Rick Becker shares his thoughts on the AGD Andante Preamplifier and Vivace Monoblocks. Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief It is always an honor when a manufacturer asks me to review... Read More »

2020 marks the 20th anniversary of progressive / hardcore / metalcore / technical deathcore band Between the Buried and Me, and Craft Recordings follows up on the excellent reissue of the band's first album with a remixed / remastered LP reissue of their sophomore effort, 2003's The Silent Circus. The myriad changes to the band's... Read More »

The last decade summers at my place have been hotter than ever before. At 6300 feet, what used to be two weeks of high temps has turned into 10 weeks of even higher temps. I know this is just a Chinese hoax, but damn, the heat my tube monoblocks generate is just too much for... Read More »

Go back some 50 years, and the American audio scene involved an assortment of acronyms from around New England: off the top of my head, AR, ADS, APT, CSW, DBX, EAW, EPI, KLH, and NEAR come to mind, with the BAS (Boston Audio Society) and MIT providing cross-pollination. Oh, and there was one nasty four... Read More »

When it comes to turntables, I have to admit that my top MC reference remains the Aidas Mammoth Gold. It is the benchmark by which I compare all comparable MC cartridges. It lacks nothing I can hear and is listenable to the maximum. The Gala Gold LE is their limited-edition cartridge in honor of the... Read More »

If you have the good fortune to have a smart TV connected to your stereo and are a fan of the genre, then I encourage you to participate in this Latin Jazz listening party. These are not cell phone audience recordings, but professional productions with good sound. Grab a favorite beverage, a dance partner hopefully,... Read More »

In the audio world, a dealer relationship is still fairly common. As more businesses go online, dealers are adapting and making their products available online as well. Some manufacturers are even starting to forgo dealers and have started selling direct to their customers. The result, when done well, is more performance per dollar. This is... Read More »

I-O DATA was founded in 1976 in the Japanese city of Kanazawa. I-O Data is one of the largest manufacturers of computer peripherals in this country. In 2016, an offspring brand called  Fidata was founded within company, whose audio files transports / music servers are intended for the "premium consumer market." In 2019, they decided... Read More »

…all descriptions of music are quite worthless & rather unpleasant; they are apt to be hysterical & to say things the people will be ashamed of having said afterwards. V. Woolf, Diary.   Vigilate. English Polyphony in Dangerous Times. Monterverdi Choir, John Elliot Gardiner. Soli Deo Gloria SDG 720. It isn't often we get to... Read More »

During the initial days of my shelter in place, I stepped outside for a walk, only to find a short monolith in the middle of my driveway. It was a hulking, brown box, and obviously delivered by truck. No knock on the door, no ring of the bell... just something I discovered in my driveway—not... Read More »

I was once upon a time in a galaxy far, far way, an unabashed, dyed-in-the-wool tube lover. The mere mention of solid-state electronics sent my upper lip into involuntary quivering. Still, it was important to separate my job as an audio reviewer from my personal preferences. Over the years, products from Levinson, Rowland, Cello, PASS,... Read More »

For those who have read my other reviews on Positive Feedback, one thing that is probably apparent, is my love of tubes. I find that tubes bring a sense of space and realism that is rare in solid state amplifiers. Now tubes are not perfect, they have their drawbacks. For example, if you are using... Read More »