January - February 2015 Archives - Positive Feedback

Impressions: The Oppo Digital HA-1 Headphone Amplifier/DSD DAC and PM-1 Headphones, Double Helix Cable Complement3 Headphone Cables, PranaWire Photon USB Cable, and Kubala-Sosna Elation! Cables

David W. Robinson — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 01:18:29 +0000

I might as well come out and admit it. I've been a big fan of Oppo Digital and their product lines since I first tried them out, years ago now. I think that I've been through almost every one of their players from way back when. That would include the DV-983 DVD/audio player…don't think that... Read More »

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Musings on DSD: Using Offline Conversion from DSD to High-Resolution PCM Files Rather Than Using a DSD-capable DAC

Andy Schaub — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 08:14:12 +0000

"I don't know where I'm gonna live I don't know if I'll find a place I'd have to think about it some And that I do not wish to face I guess I'm counting on His Divine intervention" —"Divine Intervention" by Matthew Sweet I was looking at the Berkeley Audio Design's new reference DAC via... Read More »

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The Vintage McIntosh Experience: A Musical Ride With The MX110Z Tuner/Preamplifier and the MC30, MC225, and MC240 Amplifiers

Jeff Day — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 08:12:00 +0000

I've really had a lot of fun listening to vintage McIntosh vacuum tube audio electronics in my hi-fi system over the last year. The McIntosh MX110Z tuner/preamplifier, the MC30 monaural amplifiers, and the MC225 & MC240 stereo amplifiers were available as new products during the time period between 1954 and 1969, depending on the model,... Read More »

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Case Closed: Roger Skoff Puts an End to the "Voodoo" Wars

Roger Skoff — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 08:08:53 +0000

Julian Hirsch was co-founder of Hirsch-Houck Labs, which for many years was the leading test organization in the HiFi industry, and provided the technical analysis for quite literally thousands of reviews in the mainstream audio and electronics publications of the time. In all of his writings for everything he wrote for, even his monthly "Technical Talk"... Read More »

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The Voice of the Heretic – Is Red Book CD Hi-Resolution Audio?

Tom Gibbs — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 08:06:23 +0000

With my forays of the last few years into computer-based audio, I've really come to appreciate the lowly compact disc. Even though the prevailing logic would tell me that they're on the way out—very much like LPs were on the way out when the CD appeared in 1981, right? I think just about everyone has... Read More »

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My Challenge to David Pogue, Technology Reporter at Yahoo

Cookie Marenco — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 01:03:01 +0000

Cookie Marenco of Blue Coast Records and Dominique Brulhart of Merging Technologies at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, 2014 (Photograph and processing by David W. Robinson) [By way of introduction, Cookie Marenco just recently took David Pogue, a long-time mainstream audio/technology writer, and now at Yahoo, to task for his evident cluelessness about high-resolution audio.... Read More »

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…and Steve says… Breathing Life into an Old Linn LP12 – The Hercules II and Mose + Hercules Power Supplies

Steve Lefkowicz — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 07:53:10 +0000

Yes, I've used the same Linn LP12 turntable since 1984. It was a big deal for me, buying it back then, for a few reasons: At $1370, including the Ittok arm and Valhalla power supply, it was fairly expensive at the time. It certainly was a lot of money for me, being just four years... Read More »

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Audio Ramblings - The Audioengine D3 and the LH Audio Geek Out 1000

Dave Clark — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 07:20:02 +0000

Been awhile since I have had either the time or the desire to sit down and write about audio—let alone even spend much if any time listening to music. Too many personal and other things have happened this past year or so that have consumed all my time and energy. So most days my music... Read More »

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Viero Equilibrio Level 3 Speaker Cables - Old World Magic

Myles B. Astor — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 04:51:38 +0000

In some ways, Mark Pearson and I are birds of a feather. Among other things, we're both extremely picky and demanding about the performance of audio equipment. Not every component is the best thing since sliced bread nor is the last component the best component we've heard (or like HP always did—and few caught on—leave... Read More »

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INEX Innovation Generation III Photonic Interconnects and 3D Creator AC Power Cords

Michael Wechsberg — Sun, 19 Apr 2015 21:24:39 +0000

The era of photonic interconnect cables has arrived and we should all be singing praises! What do I mean? I've written before about the photonic cables from Harmonic Technology/INEX Innovation that use photons instead of electrons to carry audio signals. This technology, fiber optics, has revolutionized the telephone, cable TV and telecommunications industries including the... Read More »

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2015 CES - A Yellow Brick Road Of Integrated Amplifiers

Robert S. Youman — Sun, 19 Apr 2015 16:38:23 +0000

If you have been following my reviews over the last few years, I have taken a considerable interest in integrated amplifiers. This includes those from Pass Labs, Vitus, D'Agostino, Simaudio, BMC and more. It was not my intent when arriving at CES this year to focus on this subject, but I noticed that there seems... Read More »

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Impressions: The First Batch of Yarlung Records Quad DSD (DSD256) Transfers

David W. Robinson — Sat, 18 Apr 2015 23:54:01 +0000

Quad DSD (DSD256) is arriving! And I am delighted to say that it is doing so with some albums that makes us sit up and take notice of the powerful virtues of this supreme format. If you don't get what the buzz about DSD is all about…if you think that CDs are "good enough," or... Read More »

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Notes of an Amateur: Buxtehude, CPE Bach, pianist Wu Han

Bob Neill — Sat, 18 Apr 2015 23:49:31 +0000

Dieterich Buxtehude. Complete Vocal Works, 10 volumes (17 CD's). Ton Koopman. Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Chorus. Challenge Classics. In my long, lost youth, while dating one of three lovely young roommates in the magical Sixties of Cambridge, Massachusetts (all of us in our early twenties), one of the other two announced to us that her... Read More »

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Notes of an Amateur: Petrenko plays Elgar 1; Ibragimova's Chiaroscuro Quartet Play Mozart and Mendelssohn; Music @Menlo 'Live' for 2014

Bob Neill — Sat, 18 Apr 2015 01:01:43 +0000

Elgar, Symphony No. 1. Cockaigne Overture. Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko. Onyx. ONYX4145. Why listen to Elgar? Unless you're British and feel the need for some nostalgic cultural reinforcement? Elgar? Pomp and Circumstance? Though I'll confess to some pleasant moments with the composer'sCello Concerto, I didn't come to this recording for Elgar. I came for Petrenko—the young... Read More »

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KLaudio CD-CLN-LP 200 Vinyl Record Ultrasonic Cleaner V.4 and Silencer

Myles B. Astor — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 07:44:15 +0000

KLaudio has introduced several significant functional and cosmetic improvements to their highly acclaimed ultrasonic record cleaning machine since my original report back in the September/October 2013 issue of Positive Feedback. Included among the many changes are: The top loading record cleaning slot and the fill port for pouring the distilled water into the tank are... Read More »

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CEntrance Wraps iPhone in Hi-fi Player & Headphone Amp!

Michael Mercer — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 08:22:38 +0000

CEntrance has established itself as a leader in the personal audio community/industry over the last decade. They've managed to position themselves at the top through constant innovation in their own products, while providing USB and other digital solutions for other high-end audio audio industry leaders such as Playback Designs, McIntosh, Benchmark, Wadia, and Lavry, to... Read More »

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David Robinson and David Elias on DSD... Interviewed by Steve Rochlin - Video!

David W. Robinson — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 17:00:58 +0000

Enjoy the Music.TV's interview with David W. Robinson of Positive Feedback magazine and singer/musician/songwriter David Elias. Hosted by Steven R. Rochlin, we discuss creating and recording music, early Internet mp3.com and other services plus the places to buy modern DSD files today. As always, in the end what really matters is that you.... enjoy the music !

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Belles 150A Reference V2 Amplifier

John Hoffman — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 17:55:09 +0000

Since the early 1980's David Belles has been plying his craft with soldering iron, resistor, and capacitor to bring us some of the finest amplifiers that the common man could afford. The focus of the Belles products have always been centered on sound quality, reliability, a superior level of fit and finish that belies its... Read More »

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RMAF 2014 DSD Panel Presentation

David W. Robinson — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 18:27:46 +0000

Click here to watch the DSD panel discussion from RMAF 2014.

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Joseph Rouleau: Operas Russes

Stephen Francis Vasta — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 01:46:18 +0000

CD: Orchestra of Radio Canada/Jean Deslauriers; *unidentified pianist DVD: Nancy De Long (s), Feodor; Misha Raitzen (t), Shuisky; Yoland Guérard (bs), Pimen; orchestra and chorus/Pierre Hétu. Analekta 2 9223-4 (CD+DVD). CD time: 39.09. DVD time: 29.28. CD: BORODIN: Prince igor: Galitzky's Aria; Konchak's Aria. GLINKA: A Life for the Tsar: Ivan Susanin's Aria. RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Sadko:... Read More »

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The Jayhawks

Andy Goldenberg — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 01:35:49 +0000

Springing out of Minneapolis in the early '90's, the Jayhawks' music offered a healthy musical antidote to the rainy weather nihilism emanating out of the Pacific Northwest. With their gorgeous country harmonies, jangly Byrdsian–like guitar, combined with their knack for capturing pop hooks, the Jayhawks were conveniently pigeonholed by DJ's & music critics into the... Read More »

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Sidebar: AES 2014 Awards

Scott Dorsey — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 19:35:21 +0000

Best Sound in Show Pro Audio LA took some folks offsite to a studio called The Realm to audition some gear, most notably the new Guzauski-Swist monitors. These are three-way triamplified speakers with outboard amplifier and dsp boxes sold along with them, and the sound was excellent. There were a few issues with room asymmetry... Read More »

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Symposium Acoustics Segue ISO Platform

Bruce Kinch — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 02:23:13 +0000

As an occasional contributor to this site, may I also mention that I "read" every issue of Positive-Feedback.com in more or less the same way I read the TAS and S'phile pulps. That is, not every word, but for the musings of certain personalities, and for others' commentary on topics, recordings, and equipment of... Read More »

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INEX Innovation 3D Creator AC Cord

Roger S. Gordon — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 02:15:18 +0000

Most power line conditioners are passive, meaning the components that are doing the conditioning are in parallel to the power cord. This is done so that the conditioning components do not interfere with the instantaneous demand for power that happens with amplifiers when the music goes from very soft to very loud in a few... Read More »

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Dan D'Agostino Master Audio Systems Momentum Integrated Amplifier

Robert S. Youman — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 18:08:55 +0000

The Krell legacy via designer Dan D'Agostino is well known and respected if not revered. Thirty plus years ago I remember my first experience with the legendary KSA-50 amplifier. Along with the Mark Levinson ML-2, the KSA-50 was one of the first in the industry to lay the ground work for today's strong and continuing... Read More »

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