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The California Audio Show 2018. This year was the eighth annual installment of this show. Dave and I attended the first two, 2010 in Emeryville, and 2011 in Burlingame. The venue this year was the Oakland Airport Hilton. Sponsored by Constantine Soo of Dagogo, this show was small and easy to navigate. There are fairly... Read More »

Alright, so as part of our trip up to the California Audio Show (see Malachi's and Kirsten's show reports HERE and HERE) Carol and I decided to add in a visit to Sonoma wine country as well as a visit to Mono Lake way over on the 395. As part of the trip up to... Read More »

Radio Free Chip The French have a phrase for it. The bastards have a phrase for everything and they are always right. To say goodbye is to die a little. Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye It’s always too damn soon to say goodbye.  I have always believed...well, postulated in any event, the notion that when... Read More »

If you read Part 1 of this Soundsmith review series in Positive Feedback Issue 98 (HERE), where I wrote about the new Carmen Mk II phonograph cartridge, you know that I found the Carmen Mk II to be one of the most musically enjoyable phonograph cartridges I have ever written about. The Carmen Mk II... Read More »

Ye Olde Editor, Happy Valley, Oregon, 2018. Portrait by John Robinson. Playback Designs has returned again…with a vengeance! Their Dream Series of digital audio designs debut here at PF River City with their MPS-8. Part one of my impressions is here…read on for my take on what Andreas Koch and company have achieved. The powerful... Read More »

Ah, Montreal We finally made it! An excursion to Kronos Audio in Montreal had been planned last year, but, due to one thing or another, it never happened. Lynn and I were again vacationing nearby, attending the Ottawa Chamberfest (13 years and counting!). One full day is always given to "New Music Now" programming. This... Read More »

As Fiio continues their push into higher-performance personal portables (and into the US market!), they're releasing some technologically remarkable products that perform at a shockingly high level. And at price points that tend to be well below the cost of completing brands like AK, HiFiMan, and Sony. I'm continually impressed by the performance of the... Read More »

"It's good to be the King!" While sitting back and listening to the Pass Labs INT-250 integrated amplifier, I couldn't help but giggle and think about this infamous line from Mel Brook's underground 1981 classic film, History of the World, Part I. What I was hearing had me glued to my seat and skimming through... Read More »

With their headquarters based in sunny-side California, Ultimate Ears was initially founded in 1995 by Jerry and Mindy Harvey. The former of which has played such an influential role in the design of headphones that within just a few years of UE's induction, The Rolling Stones, Enrique Iglesias, and Faith Hill were loyal customers. A... Read More »

With Grado's new superstars of the cartridge world on the scene, I have updated my turntables, adding the EAT Csharp and Forte S models. Both had DIN connectors requiring me to search out top-notch phono cables with DIN plugs. I auditioned many wires, and finally settled on the WyWires Diamond Phono Cables. I also auditioned... Read More »

I don't trust loudspeaker reviews. OK, you do realize you can't trust what you read in the paper, see in an advertisement, watch on cable news, hear on talk radio, or click on Facebook? Or anything on the Internet at all? Unless, a priori, you agree with the content, the trolls, or the known bias?... Read More »

Gosh, it sees that lately I've been inundated with Class D topology amplifiers. Several here for review, pending. Each one with their own style and power. The latest lightweight contenders come from PS Audio, a company well versed in the high end audio scene (and very well respected). Now, when I hear the words PS... Read More »

You know, every once in a while, one of those "disruptive" products that come to the market that make you think "Why didn't I think of that", or "I thought of that!"... enter one of the original ultrasonic record cleaners. Since the release of the original Audio Desk system several years ago, there have been... Read More »

Prologue I used Pass Labs' XP-10 as a reference preamplifier for most of 2017. I had no problem distinguishing it from my previous reference, a circa 1995 YBA Alpha 1 linestage. The XP-10 was more relaxed in the midrange and had every bit as much detail while forming more realistic renderings of bass depth and register... Read More »

菅野沖彦 This is the name that is synonymous with the highest sound quality in Japan. Known for his extremely good hearing, exceptionally warm personality and an amazing collection of vinyl records, he has been one of the most important journalists working for the Stereo Sound magazine. This is his story and the story of his... Read More »

Arbors Records ARCD 19463, CD $10, available at https://arborsrecords.com/collections/frontpage/products/tom-hook-62 "Where were you in '62?" The number 62 always gets my attention. That's because I was born in 1962, and any mention of that year and the events that occurred instantly gets embedded in my memory, everything from Marilyn Monroe's death the day before I was... Read More »

If you're wondering why I enjoy having John Marks' erudite commentary (editor of The Tannhauser Gate) here at PF so much, puzzle no more, my friend! His latest essay is full of delights for music fans, and also for those who admire the work of Stanley Kubrick. Read and learn! Dr. David W. Robinson, Ye Olde Editor Trio... Read More »

After many many years as an audiophile delving into all forms of music reproduction in the home, I am most aware of the direction of the many twists and turns of our limitless hobby. The infinite variability of our quest enhances the fun and fulfillment waiting just after the next acquisition. Recently, I described a dynamite phono... Read More »

Unibody Chassis. Display Brilliance. Tesla G1. Music Streaming Ecosystem. Lightning Link. Frankly, I didn't realize Apple had moved the introduction of a new iPhone to late winter. Of course, I'm only kidding; although reading through AURALiC's all new and superbly well-designed website, you'd be hard pressed to think that what you just read were the... Read More »