March - April 2017 Archives - Positive Feedback

From the Kipnis Studios: The View From The Top - Essence for Hi Res Audio, the HDACC

Jeremy Kipnis — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 19:25:08 +0000

Introduction – The Illusion of "LIVE" Imagine something hard enough and it often materializes. About this time last year, I was engaged in several speaker reviews, most notably the Waterfall Audio Niagara Glass loudspeakers (see my review, HERE) and I thought to myself, "I wonder what effect the digital to analog conversion (DAC) stage and any step-up amplification... Read More »

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Periodic Audio IEMs

Victor Chavira — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 01:05:23 +0000

No other audio component takes as much abuse as in ear monitor headphones. My vintage balanced armature Klipsch earbuds have been stepped on, wash and dried, lost and recovered, twisted, pulled, and shoved into the pockets of jeans and sweaty gym bags. My classic Grado SR60 had their cable sliced through because I was wearing... Read More »

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Impressions: The Critical Mass Systems QXK Mk. III Rack System and Black Diamond Amp Stands

David W. Robinson — Sat, 15 Apr 2017 03:22:40 +0000

The Critical Mass Systems QXK Mk. III Rack in Four-Shelf Configuration, photograph courtesy of Critical Mass Systems. The latest chapter in a story… Some designs and products that I review are from new companies. This is a very good thing; it shows that the world of fine audio remains vibrant, creative, and open to innovation.... Read More »

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The Spatial Audio Hologram M3 Turbo S Loudspeakers

John Zurek — Sun, 09 Apr 2017 21:52:16 +0000

If you follow the reports from the numerous audio shows happening these days, you can't help but miss glowing extracts about Spatial Audio's exhibits featuring the M3 and M4 Hologram models. These open baffle speakers are designed by Clayton Shaw, who leads the research and product development efforts at Spatial Audio in Park City, Utah.... Read More »

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Michael Rabinowitz, Uncharted Waters

Marc Phillips — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 20:02:26 +0000

Michael Rabinowitz, Uncharted Waters. Cats Paw Records, CPD-9855, CD $20 at https://www.jazzbassoonist.com/shop As a high-end audio importer and distributor, part of my job is to sit down and evaluate new products so that I can answer questions from dealers, retail customers, and the press. Yesterday I was doing exactly that, comparing a new entry-level digital... Read More »

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Triode Wire Labs - Power Cords, Speaker Cable, and AES/EBU Digital Cable

Robert S. Youman — Fri, 07 Apr 2017 16:37:48 +0000

There is a new player in town... Triode Wire Labs. When Dave Clark extols enthusiastic praise about a particular product line, I sit up and take notice (his review can be found HERE and another by Steve Kozle HERE). After reading his review, I just happened to casually glance at the MSRP's and that greatly inspired me to read... Read More »

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1000 Years of Western Music History in 6 Tracks

John Marks — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 21:16:33 +0000

In this column, republished from his blog site, John Marks of The Tannhauser Gate (http://www.thetannhausergate.com) shares his six pack of choices for a seven-league-boots traversal of 1000 years of Western Music. The full selections would take about an hour. List-making is inherent to all passionate pursuits of excellence. Music, films, cars, cigars, wine, books, sporting events...just about... Read More »

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In the Master’s House: A Reflection Upon JM Reynaud Bliss Loudspeakers

Ryan Pfeiffer — Sun, 02 Apr 2017 16:37:58 +0000

What car does your mechanic drive, what food does your nutritionist eat, and what surgery does your doctor elect for himself? These questions are intriguing because they concern what experts do rather than what they say. Actions speak louder than words, we can all agree, particularly in an economy where people have so many incentives to lie or obfuscate... Read More »

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The Sonore microRendu and Signature Series Linear Power Supply

Tom Gibbs — Sun, 02 Apr 2017 16:11:04 +0000

The focus of this review is to contrast the Sonore microRendu and Signature Series linear power supply with affordable power supplies from Channel Islands Audio and iFi Audio, in a Roon-based headless environment. But before we get into that, a brief summation of the recent past: from the point when I first came in contact... Read More »

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New from TARA Labs - The Muse Cables

Marshall Nack — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 23:23:29 +0000

One Sunday afternoon we were listening to Krzystof Penderecki's Clarinet Concerto (DUX 0559). This is difficult, contemporary music—difficult enough to turn many listeners off; enough to make your neighbors complain. At 2:20 into the first movement, the solo clarinet plays a series of grace note figures which never fails to take my breath away. It... Read More »

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Burning Issues 1: Who Are We? A Response

Editors at Positive Feedback — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 16:00:02 +0000

This article, by Tom Davis, originally ran when Positive Feedback was in print - Vol. 6, No. 3, 1997. Finding the Right Kind of Provocation Little did I know that when I closed last issue's column with a promise to start responding to some of the speculations on High End aesthetics that have appeared in Positive Feedback, Harvey... Read More »

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VPI Hosts Press Open House Day. Part II: The Ultimate "Man Cave?"

Myles B. Astor — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 23:44:19 +0000

Everyone jumped in their vehicles at the end of the factory tour and drove—or caught a ride—to the "VPI Man Cave" for some listening sessions. How did the VPI man cave come into being? "After Mom passed," Mat shared, "Dad wasn't living in the house since it was too big and we were paying taxes... Read More »

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JE Audio IS250 Integrated Amplifier

Will Wright — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 01:12:03 +0000

If you have the slightest interest in all things audiophile—and given that you're reading this, it's a good bet you do, you will have noticed the steady influx of Chinese made audiophile products to our shores in recent years. One such company is JE Audio, and the JE Audio IS250 Integrated Amplifier is the subject... Read More »

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First Watt F7 Amplifier

John Hoffman — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 17:16:46 +0000

The First Watt series of amplifiers started as an exploration of uncommon circuit designs in a low wattage format, and has been an ongoing endeavor for two decades now. From Nelson Pass we have seen many an iconic audio product, such as the Threshold electronics, the Stasis circuit that Nakamichi commissioned, and of course the... Read More »

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AURALiC POLARIS Wireless Streaming Amplifier

Victor Chavira — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 03:18:23 +0000

These are exciting times for users of integrated amplifiers. Never before have so many features and efficient power been squeezed into a single box. Over the course of thirty years, I have been privileged to own or listen to several exemplary models. In time, I believe that the AURALiC POLARIS will be considered by many... Read More »

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Brief Impressions: Stein Music's The Perfect Interface Resonance Control Mat

David W. Robinson — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 06:13:45 +0000

Stein Music's "The Perfect Interface" Carbon Signature Resonance Control mat in place on our EMT 948 turntable. Every now and then I receive a product whose benefits are so obvious, and whose design is so straightforward that there's no point in holding back or trying to write an extended essay. It isn't a complicated call,... Read More »

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Santana's Lotus: Complete Edition in Quad DSD and SACD Surround Sound

Brian Moura — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 23:15:29 +0000

Lotus: Complete Edition, Santana (Photo: Sony Music Japan) Sony Music Japan will be celebrating Santana's upcoming concerts in Japan from April 22 to April 27, 2017 in a big way with the release of a new Complete Edition of the band's legendary Lotus album in DSD 11.2 MHz stereo (also known as DSD 256 or Quad DSD),... Read More »

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Impressions: The OPPO Digital HA-2 SE Headphone Amp and Quad DSD DAC

David W. Robinson — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 07:27:37 +0000

The Oppo Digital HA-2 SE A while back, the good folks at Oppo sent me a review sample of their replacement for the HA-2 USB DAC and Headphone Amp, the HA-2 SE (Special Edition). This is their very compact DAC + headphone amp with battery, made for road/travel warriors who want extra finesse and punch... Read More »

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John Barry: Somewhere In Time Soundtrack (1998 re-recording)

John Marks — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 22:13:51 +0000

Soundtrack: The great patron of classical music over the past century, nearly...or since the "talkies" arrived, anyway...has been the voracious maw of the film industry. Better than any capricious emperor, king, duke, or philanthropist, Hollywood et al. has been a grand footer-of-bills for many decades now. Some of the results have been schlock, but some of... Read More »

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VPI Hosts Press Open House Day: Part I: Factory Tour

Myles B. Astor — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 16:53:30 +0000

File this under a story within a story. At the surface, this report details VPI's newest product line offerings and releases. Throw in on top of that a side order of an interesting factory tour where attendees were treated to a tour of VPI turntables' assembly line, quality control testing as well as meeting the... Read More »

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Notes of an Amateur: Elgar, Mozart, and Bach.

Bob Neill — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 22:36:10 +0000

Elgar, Symphony No. 2. Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Onyx 4165. Elgar, Elgar, Elgar. What do American music lovers make of Elgar? Probably what the English make of Samuel Barber and of Copland's ballets. Each of our cultures has its romanticism and it is generally in our romanticisms that our cultures make their most characteristic, not... Read More »

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Graham Slee Lautus Analog Interconnect Cables

John Marks — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 05:12:45 +0000

After a publication gap while I was on vacation recently, John Marks of The Tannhauser Gate (http://www.thetannhausergate.com) returns to grace the pages of Positive Feedback. In this review, he praises the work of Graham Slee. Since John also does work with cables, his Esperanto line, we would normally not publish any commentary...but how can one be unimpressed... Read More »

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Doug Munro and La Pompe Attack The Harry Warren Songbook

Marc Phillips — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 21:04:00 +0000

Doug Munro and La Pompe Attack, The Harry Warren Songbook (GotMusic Records, GMR-1004, available at http://www.dougmunro.com, $15.99 CD) My first trip to an honest-to-goodness high-end audio store, one where I planned on making an actual purchase, happened way back in 1989 in downtown Philadelphia. (I lived there for almost a year, which now seems strange.) I... Read More »

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ESS RLM-713 Headphones

Robert H. Levi — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 20:24:22 +0000

ESS RLM-713 Headphones, photograph courtesy of ESS ESS is back big time with an array of top quality loudspeakers and—for the first time—headphones for the budding audiophile. The ESS RLM-713 headphones are very high quality cans with an ebony wood sealed sounding board and advanced circuitry. They sound musically superb and are surprisingly inexpensive, recently... Read More »

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Audio Ramblings - The ENGIMAcoustic Sopranino Super Tweeters

Dave Clark — Sat, 18 Mar 2017 05:35:57 +0000

So yeah, I like to dabble in tweaks and stuff that might add that much more to our musical enjoyment. Something that gets us that such more from our music. I admit it, I am a junkie for such things. People who have visited here look at the system and comment about its complexity and... Read More »

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