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Here We Go Again Over many years I've endured hope and disappointment in the service of auditioning and evaluating loud speakers of virtually every sort. At a certain point one becomes braced for the worst or, at least, for the next version of "no cigar" in the process of countervailing but ongoing optimism once again.... Read More »

Grado has done it again! I liked the original PS 1000 Headphones at $1695 when I first heard them. I am overwhelmed by the new and super-improved PS 1000e's at—guess what?!—the same price of $1695! The first law of high fidelity is "you never know what you are missing." You try a pair of 1000e's and... Read More »

Driving North The road from San Diego to Upland, east of Los Angeles, is both circuitous and a relief from decades of treks straight north up Route 5 or, northwest on the 405, to Santa Monica. Kevin Deal's Upscale Audio empire is defined by two locations in the bliss of semi-rural still rugged and hilly... Read More »

Antonin Dvorak, Symphony No.8. Leos Janacek. Jenufa Symphonic Suite. Orchestra: Pittsburg Symphony. Conductor: Manfred Honeck. Reference Recordings #FR-710SACD Hybrid It is truly nice to have the Pittsburg symphony back again after some previous delays. The orchestra has a great history supporting it that is not known well outside of the Pittsburg area; the full range... Read More »

Last year, in May, the remarkable (truly without equal) Herbie Hancock gave the commencement address at Soka University, where I teach humanities and literature, as well as coordinating the "Jazz Monsters" concert series which I founded in 2005 after decades of teaching at Cornell, Brown, Stanford, Brandeis, and UCLA. Herbie's eloquent message to our graduating... Read More »

The Capital Audiofest is one of the few true high-end audio shows left in the world, and as the industry shrinks all of these shows become more and more important. Long-time readers will recall that I have very mixed feelings about the current state of the high end audio industry, and because of that I... Read More »

I Never Said This Before Imagine the first time your youthful lust for innocent attachment to a mate of some sort, form or beguiling presence clocked you upside the head. Or inside your throbbing noggin. Imagine that virginal moment of longing and suspension—you, the uncertain gangly animal you were, staring at a creature who (for... Read More »

I love it when an albums' sound is so fresh and mysterious it challenges my ability to classify it. My dear friend and editor Dave Clark recommended Fhloston Paradigm's The Phoenix, knowing my taste (and his) for experimental electronic music. I would definitely call The Phoenix experimental. However, I'm not sure if this record is in fact 'electronic'. It... Read More »

Nick Cave. The man. The legend. To those who know him, he needs little introduction. He has been steadily churning out his own brand of beautifully macabre music since the '70s—from The Boys Next Door's beginnings in Australia, to the dark art punk outfit The Birthday Party that took up residence in Berlin, to the... Read More »

Bill Leebens. Jim Aud. EveAnna Manley. Knut Skogrand. Din Johnson of Ristretto Roasters. Andy Regan of Jerry Harvey Audio. Johan Coorg of KEF ESS Labs with Dared. More vinyl and audio accessories/bits and pieces over at the Atrium. Dan Muzquiz of Blackbird Audio. WyWires. More headphones and headphone amplifiers and more at the Atrium (courtesy... Read More »

One of the Audio Skies's rooms featuring Larsen speakers, Pear Audio Analogue, and Gamut.  Walker Aduio showing Slient Source Cables, Raidho Acoustics, and the littler Pass Labs amplifiers. The other Audio Skies' room with Gamut, and Pear Audio Analogue. Liked this room a lot. Quintessence Acoustics showing PBN Audio, Maker Audio, and Snake River Audio... Read More »

Before I slip on the green eyeshade, I want to compliment the Ypsilon PST 100 Preamp on the sheer creature comfort of its musical presentation. I had almost forgotten such a thing existed in the land of Hi-Fi.  Wow! This preamp is pushing a lot of buttons. But it didn't start out that way. Before... Read More »

I realize that for many years I've opened my various show reports with a little rant of sorts, carrying on about things that bother me about the high end audio industry, or about trade shows like CES. I was thinking about what to open with this time, when a brief conservation with an industry friend... Read More »

GIK Acoustics showed with Odyssey Audio. Devialet showed with Focal courtesy of Audio Plus Services. Sonic Studio demonstrating with Marten Logan and Peachtree. Brooks Berdan room showing Chord Electronics, Magico, VPI, and Light Harmonic Cables. Gingko Audio showed with DanaCable, Wells Audio, and LampizatOr.  Another Brooks Berdan room, but this time showing Auralic, Spendor, Cardas,... Read More »

What a great time was experienced by anyone attending this year's event. Healthy attendance, crowded rooms, wonderful discussions (many heartfelt thanks to those who asked about Carol—is nice to see such love for her and for myself after such a year). And hats off to Richard Beers and his organization for putting such a stellar... Read More »

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 !

After reviewing several pieces of high-end audio gear lately that arrived at my house in plain cardboard boxes, marginally adequate packing materials that weren't designed or manufactured by professionals, wrapped in layers of cellophane wrap instead of being inserted into a custom made plastic bag, and arriving sans power cord and instruction manual, it was... Read More »

C1 Preamp/DAC "I know who that is—that's the trumpet/piano duo we heard at the Kitano Hotel that night." Spot on, George. The date was the release party for Only Many with Fred Hersch and Ralph Alessi (Cam Jazz CAM 5048). We both bought CDs, which they autographed for us. Now we were in my living room, listening... Read More »

TiGLON is not a household name here in the states but if Phillip Holmes has anything to say about it they will be before long. Phillip is the principle and owner of Mockingbird Distribution LLC who are the importers for TiGLON, Jasmine, Abis, Zorin, Jakutus, Mockingbird Speakers, Pyon and a few other items just for... Read More »