Located between the Emotion and Elation! series of Kubala-Sosna Research cables comes the brand new Sensation Interconnects. A pricing of $5600 per meter does not exactly fall halfway between their $3000 and $6000 per meter cost, respectively, but musically the Sensations eclipse the best of the best I have heard to date. And, as a... Read More »
The Ghosts in the Machine "Remember when we used to talk about hearing the inner voices?" Lynn whispered. "How listening to the system was like looking at the score?" I knew what she was talking about. "That was a long time ago." LN: "Well, those inner voices are back…and with dimension." We were spinning Capriccio... Read More »
Denny Zeitlin & George Marsh's Expedition. (Sunnyside Communication SSC1487, CD $12.98, http://sunnysidezone.com/album/expedition) The first time I listened to Expedition from pianist Denny Zeitlin and percussionist George Marsh, I didn't think of it as a collection of improvisations between two longtime collaborators. I imagined a more traditional jazz ensemble, one with a traditional rhythm section, even though... Read More »
Lyn Stanley's The Moonlight Sessions, Vol. 2 (A.T. Music LLC 3106, 2-LP set $125, CD/SACD $29.98, http://www.lynstanley.com) "Other than that, I think her voice is incredibly sexy and inviting. It's much closer to London than too-cool-for-school Krall and for that reason I'll be more than happy to bring this to all future trade shows. Unless, of... Read More »
Plug-In Speaker Bullets (Crystal Series) The very cool looking Bybee Bullets, handmade to perfection of aluminum, gold, and other special metals, are Jack Bybee's best efforts and thinking in decades. Easy to install by just attaching the wire spade to the bullet, the integrated banana plug then fits securely into the speaker post. Jack Bybee... Read More »
Triode Wire Labs' Cables Come to the Tune Saloon! All right, you caught me. Triode Wire Labs is already a Star. Their products have been favorably reviewed by numerous respected audio publications, including several appearing in the cyber-pages of Positive Feedback. I never expected to write about them too, but it seemed that every time I attended an... Read More »
Grandissimi Gravita. Violin Sonatas by Vivaldi, Tartini, Veracini, Pisendel. Rachel Podger, violin; Brecon Baroque. Channel Classics SACD. CCSSA 39217. Snow showers! On November 13. In Western Massachusetts! And unexpectedly this album of baroque violin sonatas sounds warm and comforting that last week seemed a bit indifferent. I've learned not to underestimate the role meteorological (and... Read More »
German loudspeaker manufacturer Audio Physic celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2015. In the world of high-end audio, 30 years is quite an achievement. Equally laudable, Audio Physic's initial loudspeaker, the Tempo, has been in continuous production since 1986, albeit in numerous evolutionary incarnations. The latest version of the Tempo, the Tempo plus, embodies everything that Audio... Read More »
I do not know if you remember our interview with Daniel Břeizina, the editor-in-chief of the Czech portal HiFi-Voice.com, published in the previous High Fidelity edition (No. 159, read HERE). Just in case, let me remind you that when he was asked for advice for a beginner music lover and audiophile, he said that it... Read More »
For many years, Per Madsen in San Francisco made elegantly designed modular record racks which were prized by record collectors and audiophiles. With oak LP modules as well as modules for CDs and cassettes, many thousands of his Rackit modules were sold over the years. But then, in 2008, Mr. Madsen decided to retire and... Read More »
Angela Gheorghiu, soprano; *Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi/Anton Coppola; +Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/Antonio Pappano. EMI Classics 50999 9 65938 2 0. TT: 73.35 Madama Butterfly: Un bel dì vedremo; Tu, tu, piccolo Iddio (with Roberto Alagna, tenor). Edgar: Addio, mio dolce amor*; Nel... Read More »
Fidelizer Nimitra About two months into my first job—bagging groceries—I had a recurring nightmare. Mid-conversation I would discover I was sitting cross-legged on the counter next to the register wearing only my boxer shorts. Writing about computer audio makes me feel, well, let me say my nightmares involve fewer clothes these days. As foreshadowing for... Read More »
Have I got great news for you! The development of the brilliant, new Epoch $12,000 Grado Lineage Series Cartridge (see my review of it in PF Issue 92 HERE), incorporating unique and inventive engineering galore, caused the design team headed by John Grado himself to rethink the entire cartridge line-up! This includes their entry-level cartridges.... Read More »
Ripping CDs is a job that's easy to put off. "Honey, what's the plan for these CDs?" my wife says sweetly. I may be a little obtuse at times, but even I speak enough Spouse to know that what she really means is, "When are you going to get off your duff and do something... Read More »
The SPEC company and its founder, Mr. Shirokazu Yazaki, as well as its main constructor, Mr. Banno Tsutomu, have a special place in my heart. I was the first person from outside Japan to test the company's products and my relationship with Mr. Shirokazu is especially close. It was no coincidence that he described the... Read More »
Marek Pospieszalski, gra piosenki, które śpiewał Frank Sinatra Marek Pospieszalski MP001, Medium: Compact Disc. Date of release: 15th March 2017 A parcel with Marek Pospieszalski's album was sent from my home city of Cracow. It is modest, released in a digipack without any booklet, with minimum lettering imprinted on the CD and is – let me tell... Read More »
When I listened to the Spatial Audio M3 Turbo S (read that review HERE) I was hoping to pair them with the Linear Tube Audio Micro ZOTL MZ2 preamp/heaphone amp and ZOTL 40 power amp. Clayton Shaw of Spatial audio opined that the pairing of the LTA components driving his M3 Turbo S was magical,... Read More »
Having known the legendary John Curl's work since he did the JC2 Preamplifier for Levinson in 1972, a ground-breaking design for solid-state, and every bit as competitive as the tubed ARC SP-3a-1 of the era, I fearlessly replaced my current mega phono gear, both tube and solid-state, with the Parasound Halo JC 3 Jr. Phono Preamplifier, costing just... Read More »
Fyrlyd Records FYRLYDLP1602, available at http://fyrlyd.no/ for 389 NOK "I'm a huge fan of those guys." Music reviewers aren't supposed to admit to such things. We're supposed to be objective in our approach to something that's almost perfectly subjective. We're supposed to accurately describe the release, offer some sort of reference for the reader that... Read More »