July - August 2025 Archives - Positive Feedback

PS Audio Stellar DAC

Dean Seislove — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 20:36:41 +0000

Kapow! Right in the noggin! Wobbling like a UFO saucer in the finest Ray Harryhausen tradition, the record sailed crazily in the air, then jetted straight into the hapless boy's forehead. Score! A direct hit! The lesson here was, while some may argue about a Dynaflex record's sound quality, it's pretty tough to dodge in-flight.... Read More »

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Craft Recordings' New Original Jazz Classics LPs, along with a Miles Davis Multi-LP Box Set: Miles 55 (The Prestige Recordings)

Tom Gibbs — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 18:53:14 +0000

Craft Recordings has just released the latest installment in the Original Jazz Classics (OJC) reboot series, featuring four new titles that are scattered across the Prestige and Riverside labels. Including guitarist Kenny Burrell's fourth Prestige LP, 1957's Kenny Burrell; the 1958 Prestige blowing session Wheelin' and Dealin', which features the horns of Frank Wess, John... Read More »

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Recent Finds No. 50 from HDTT

Rushton Paul — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:59:22 +0000

This issue brings discussion of two new releases, and four that are included on my Pure DSD256 from Analog Tape: My Top of the Pile list but not previously reviewed. So, time to tell you more about these. Milhaud, La Création Du Monde, Suite Provençale, Charles Munch, Boston Symphony Orchestra. HDTT 2025 1960-1961 (DSD256, DXD)... Read More »

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Recent Finds No. 49 NativeDSD's Catalog Continues to Expand Beautifully

Rushton Paul — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 21:32:53 +0000

NativeDSD's catalog continues to expand, with new artists and new labels. As I've written before, I enjoy recommending new albums from NativeDSD because I trust that the sound quality will be very high, regardless of the format or original recording resolution. Too many times I've been disappointed by the sound quality found elsewhere, even from... Read More »

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E240: Announcing the audio analyst© Merchandise

AudioAnalyst — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 20:26:04 +0000

I have finally settled on and set up a print-on-demand store to offer branded merchandise for those subscribers and followers who want to show their support for my channel and writing. The offerings are very simple, just two items to start…a quality vintage tee shirt for about twenty bucks, or a very nice Under Armour... Read More »

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Cobra Records Mastering Comparison Pure DSD256 and DXD, with Free Sample Download Included

Rushton Paul — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 10:04:56 +0000

Tom Peeters is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Cobra Records, which he founded in the fall of 2000. As founder, recording engineer, mastering engineer, and producer of nearly 100 exquisite albums released on the Cobra Records label over these years, Tom has many accomplishments for which his work should be celebrated. And he thanked. His... Read More »

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Santana's "Moonflower" on 180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl from Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab

Tom Gibbs — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 18:17:33 +0000

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab continues their brilliant restoration of Santana's catalog of albums with a new reissue of the band's 1977's classic, Moonflower. Sprawling across a pair of LPs, Moonflower unconventionally combined new studio tracks with Santana's first official domestic release of any of the band's live recordings. Moonflower provided a thrilling showcase of Santana's... Read More »

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Hardware - meh! Software is the Game

Rushton Paul — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 18:13:08 +0000

Hardware, more and better, constant angst—bleh. I suppose I'm the outlier among most audiophile circles because I rarely change equipment. And, I'm not eager to go listening to gear. For me, I want better software. That's clearly my shtick, always has been. And, here, it's not as much the music as it is the sound... Read More »

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E239: New Arrivals from Fosi AND Von Schweikert

AudioAnalyst — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 22:13:31 +0000

Lots of news today…including some exciting very affordable electronics from Fosi Audio, and a new loudspeaker from Von Schweikert Audio, the VR.thirty. And, coming soon on the heels of these items will be the new Børresen T5 Silver Supreme Edition loudspeakers and the Critical Mass Systems Ultra-Gateway Rack system!

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Sammi Smith, Help Me Make It Through the Night

Robert Pincus — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 16:43:44 +0000

Jewel Faye Smith (1943-2005), who went by the name Sammi Smith, was born in Orange, California. Due to her father's military career, she lived in Arizona, Texas, Colorado, and Oklahoma. In 1967 she was discovered in an Oklahoma City nightclub by Johnny Cash's bassist, Marshall Grant, and subsequently she moved to Nashville. With help from... Read More »

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Rhino High Fidelity Continues Its Journey Down The Yellow Brick Road – A Fantastic New Vinyl Reissue of Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac!

Robert S. Youman — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 16:38:14 +0000

This has been a very interesting if not challenging review, especially when considering the sound quality of this reissue compared to the original pressing and other reissues that have been released over the years. Well established as a true classic, this 1975 self-titled album by Fleetwood Mac was the first with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey... Read More »

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RAY Tubes Shootout: Reserve KT88's vs Reserve EL34's in the PrimaLuna EVO 300 Tube Integrated Amplifier

Tom Gibbs — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 16:45:53 +0000

When Nelson Wu, CEO of RAY Tubes offered earlier this year to send a full complement of RAY Select and Reserve tubes for evaluation in my PrimaLuna EVO 300 tube integrated amplifier, I jumped at the chance. I've never looked back; RAY Tubes have lifted my analog system performance and musicality to new heights, providing... Read More »

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The Power and Precision of ATC SCM40 Active Loudspeakers - Are They For You?

Juan C. Ayllon — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 18:57:44 +0000

Backdrop loudspeaker drivers image courtesy of ATC Like a surgeon's scalpel, the ATC SCM40A loudspeaker is a serious instrument, deftly cutting through sinew, fat, and bone to the heart of music with surgical precision and clarity. A three-way floor-standing model at just under 40 inches tall, it is unobtrusive and remains at the top of... Read More »

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Joni Mitchell's Transitional Masterwork "Hejira" on Mobile Fidelity Limited Edition UltraDisc One-Step 45 rpm LPs

Tom Gibbs — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 20:38:14 +0000

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's ongoing release of Joni Mitchell's most iconic albums continues with her 1976 transitional masterpiece, Hejira, where her embrace of jazz idioms deepened far beyond her initial explorations in both Court and Spark (1974) and The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975). Hejira is very much a road album of sorts, a musical... Read More »

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World Premier LP Recording: CLARICE from Yarlung Records

Robert H. Levi — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:07:29 +0000

Michael Fremer and Bob Levi CLARICE from Bob Attiyeh and Yarlung Records Extraordinarily well recorded with every tube and analog bell and whistle, this 45 RPM LP of Clarice, pressed in Germany, is another Yarlung Records treat. Bob Attiyeh of Yarlung Records, 2018. A portrait. Considering that the producer, Bob Attiyeh, has taste levels superior... Read More »

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Joni Mitchell's Confessional Classic "Blue" on Mobile Fidelity Limited Edition UltraDisc One-Step 45 rpm LPs

Tom Gibbs — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 23:57:59 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to review Joni Mitchell's classic album Court and Spark, which is part of Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's ongoing release of six of Joni's most iconic albums. You can read my review of that superb UltraDisc One-Step set HERE. The UltraDisc is MoFi's ne plus ultra analog statement format, and their... Read More »

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Zu Audio Method Bookshelf Loudspeaker

Dean Seislove — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 17:51:36 +0000

A colleague once postulated that audio gear invariably sounds like the people who make it. The line of thinking goes that, if the person is big and bold, then their speakers look and sound the part. High-energy, constantly moving personalities turn out cables big on dynamics and tilted up tonal range. Quietly brilliant masterminds bring... Read More »

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Jethro Tull's "Still Living In The Past," Updated and Expanded on LP and CD+Bluray Sets from Rhino Entertainment

Tom Gibbs — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 23:07:26 +0000

Rhino Entertainment has just released Jethro Tull's Still Living In The Past, which updates the band's original 1972 album issue in every possible way. Still Living In The Past is being released as a gatefold double LP edition, as well as an expansive 5-CD+Bluray package, all remixed and remastered by Steven Wilson. The 2-LP set... Read More »

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E238: The Audionet Mach and Schrödinger Experience

AudioAnalyst — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 18:19:51 +0000

The latest additions to the Audionet Scientist Series, the new Mach linestage and the Schrödinger mono amplifiers are under examination in my reference system. At two-thirds the price of the Audionet statement Stern linestage and Heisenberg monos, and delivering the lion’s share of their performance, these new machines so closely match their performance that many... Read More »

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Craft Latino Continues to Celebrate Latin and Salsa Music with Eight Superb LP Reissues from Fania, Vaya, and Tico Records

Tom Gibbs — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 16:12:14 +0000

Craft Latino celebrates Latin and Salsa music across a host of subgenres, with eight new LP reissues, many of which have been long out of print. Featuring three albums that are continuing the centennial celebration of "The Queen of Salsa," Celia Cruz; percussionist extraordinaire Ray Barretto's 1975 self-titled album; a pair of albums from salsa... Read More »

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If it Makes Me Dance, It's a Keeper - by Frans de Rond of Sound Liaison

Editors at Positive Feedback — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 16:06:54 +0000

Sound Liaison founder and recording engineer Frans de Rond makes some wonderful recordings. He and his business partner Peter Bjørnild have been doing so for quite a long time, and my music library is delightfully filled with their superb small ensemble and duo recordings. The other day, their newsletter flowed into my email box and... Read More »

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Paul Sawtelle Big Band: Live at Pacific Audiofest

Positive Feedback — Sun, 10 Aug 2025 23:02:28 +0000

Woodinville, WA – Genesis Advanced Technologies and Merrill Audio Advanced Technologies co-sponsored the Friday Night entertainment for show goers at the inaugural Pacific Audiofest in 2022. We hired a local band-leader, Mr. Paul Sawtelle, to put a 17-piece big band together for a concert. “This album was total serendipity,” said Genesis Chief Designer and CEO... Read More »

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Rhino Celebrates New Wave and Post-punk Icons The B-52's with a Colorful 9-LP Box Set, "The Warner/Reprise Years"

Tom Gibbs — Sun, 10 Aug 2025 17:16:17 +0000

Rhino Entertainment is celebrating the musical legacy of the B-52's with multi-LP and CD catalog box sets, The B-52's The Warner/Reprise Years, which collects the band's eight albums from the years between 1979 and 1992. Formed in Athens, Georgia in 1977, the B-52's initially rode the crest of the New Wave with a string of... Read More »

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An Informative Encounter with DALI Speakers

Frank Doris — Sat, 09 Aug 2025 00:05:42 +0000

Re-published from Copper magazine; used with permission of the owner Paul McGowan, and the Editor, Frank Doris. Images used by permission. DALI EPIKORE 9 loudspeakers I'd known of DALI Loudspeakers for a while. The Danish company (DALI stands for Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries) has been exhibiting at AXPONA right by the Renaissance Schaumburg hotel's check-in area, a prime... Read More »

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And Now, For the Gentlemen, Part 2

John Marks — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 22:53:20 +0000

Bach hanging out with John Marks... John Marks continues with the Gentlemen; see HERE for Part 1. QOBUZ Playlist Link https://play.qobuz.com/playlist/33451444 Jesse Colin Young, Light Shine (1974) "Jesse Colin Young" was the stage name of singer-songwriter Perry Miller (1941-2025). He chose that stage name in part because of his admiration for Lotus sports- and racing-car... Read More »

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