November - December 2019 Archives - Positive Feedback

RSX Beyond Phono Cable: World Premiere

Robert H. Levi — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 22:53:03 +0000

Chip Moore (left) with Roger Skoff at the LAOC Audio Society Gala Banquet, 2019 (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) Everyone knows Roger Skoff. He developed XLO Cables thirty years ago, succeeded nicely, then sold off the company before the millennium. Fortunately for audiophiles who relished XLO's musical prowess and neutrality comes Roger's newest... Read More »

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Focal Powered by Naim North American Grand Opening

Adam Goldfine — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 00:37:33 +0000

On October 30th, Focal Naim America, manufacturer of Focal speakers and Naim electronics opened its first branded store inside of Scottsdale, AZ dealer LMC Home Entertainment's exquisite high end audio/home theater store. At the grand opening I had a chance to sit down with LMC owner Mike Ware as well as Focal Naim America's VP... Read More »

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Aidas Mammoth Gold Phono Cartridge

Robert H. Levi — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 21:24:19 +0000

In November, the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society had its monthly dealer event at Weinhart Design in Bel Air. We enjoyed the debut of B&W's latest efforts, and a new line of phono cartridges made in California just outside LA. They are called Aidas Cartridges, and the company is Vira USA LLC. Victor... Read More »

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The New Apartment Lounge: Minimalism Redux - The "Not So Little" Kronos Sparta 0.5 Turntable

Maurice Jeffries — Sun, 22 Dec 2019 22:36:33 +0000

I first raved about the stunning Kronos Sparta 0.5 turntable back in the fall in a teasing preview report (HERE). In my opening salvo, I described the sound of the littlest, but hardly little, Kronos turntable (the model weighs roughly 50 lbs. and measures a healthy 20 in (W) x 14 in (D) x 7... Read More »

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STEALTH Ethernet and USB Cables

Marshall Nack — Sun, 22 Dec 2019 21:55:59 +0000

A Google search found the pugilists in their corners sparring over USB and Ethernet cables, just as they do over interconnects and speaker wires. Being very new to the music server scene, I somehow thought things would be different, that maybe we had gotten beyond that. It's irksome to me that so many in the... Read More »

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The Calgary Audio Show

Al Chieng — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 18:19:57 +0000

Playing catch up as we enter into the holiday season, I wanted to highlight something that I have had the pleasure of attending for the past couple of years. The Calgary Market, although vibrant with many audiophiles, has never had the opportunity to have its own audio show. The owners of the Audio Room, a... Read More »

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Sonus faber Olympica Nova 1

Gary Lea — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 18:03:49 +0000

Sonus faber is not a stranger to most people in the high end audio world. They are well known for creating some of the most visually striking and best sounding speakers available. My very first experience with the brand was a set of Sonus faber Extrema stand mount monitors at a store in Denver, they... Read More »

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Sounds and Songs: An Interview with Mattias Olsson

Sander Roscoe Wolff — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 23:11:16 +0000

Mattias Olsson - Photo by Vincent Carild - Used with permission Mattias Olsson is perhaps best known as the drummer for the Swedish progressive rock band, Änglagård. Currently, he's credited with some sort of involvement in nearly 150 projects. From his Roth Händle Studio outside Stockholm, he records and produces bands from all over the world, and composes... Read More »

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PBN Olympia EB-SA3 Amplifiers and Lxi Preamplifier

Gregory Petan — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 22:43:16 +0000

Big Amps, Big Power Done Right. PBN is pretty well known for Peters Noerbek's wide range of speakers, a pair of M2!5s which I recently reviewed (HERE) took up floor space at my home for the majority of this review. So what better time to give his new Olympia mono amps and Olympia Lxi 2... Read More »

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Magnepan Focus Group Event - 30.7 for Condos

Robert S. Youman — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 20:29:33 +0000

Magnepan is on a roll these last several years. First the updated former flagship two panel MG 20.7 ($14,450), then the newly christened flagship four panel MG 30.7 ($29,950), and finally the new and diminutive but overachieving two panel LRS ($650). All of these models have received rave reviews and gained multiple awards throughout the... Read More »

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VPI Fatboy Unipivot and Fatboy Gimbal Tonearms

Robert S. Youman — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 03:28:49 +0000

I have a long history with VPI and it has been a delightful journey. From a turntable perspective, I have owned or reviewed the HW-19 MK4, the Aries 3, and the Avenger Plus. I have also seen my share of VPI tonearms, including the JMW-10, JMW-12.7, the JMW-12 3DR, and now both the Fatboy Unipivot... Read More »

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Top 500 SuperSonic List - Part 17 (Boogie on Down!)

Claude Lemaire — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 19:17:52 +0000

This is an ongoing project by Claude Lemaire of Soundevaluations 121. Various, Thank God It's Friday - Collectors Gift Series. Chocolate City – CCD 20014 DJ + Casablanca – NBD 20116, 20117, 20119, 20120, 20121, 20122, 20123, 20124, 20129 DJ (1978), 10x12", 33 1/3 rpm, single-sided, promo, compilation. Genre: disco Following the immense success of Saturday Night Fever... Read More »

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Impressions: Highlights, and My Portraits from the 2019 LAOC Audio Society Gala Event

David W. Robinson — Sun, 15 Dec 2019 20:48:12 +0000

David W. Robinson, Leavenworth, WA, 2012 (photograph by Lila Ritsema) Preamble Last weekend I attended the Los Angeles/Orange County (LAOC) Audio Society Gala in Buena Park and Orange, CA. Held in early December each year, this gathering represents the finale for the LAOC AS annual calendar. The LAOC AS is the largest high-end audio society... Read More »

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Fidelizer EtherStream Network Switch

Tom Gibbs — Sun, 15 Dec 2019 20:31:16 +0000

Streaming digital media is the future of music playback; I've been playing about with it now for roughly five years, often with USB sources directly connected to my stereo. But it's become apparent to me over the last few years that Ethernet streaming with my Sonore UltraRendu is vastly superior to a direct USB connection.... Read More »

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Fiio M11 Pro Android-Based Digital Audio Player

Smit Patel — Sun, 15 Dec 2019 20:13:37 +0000

Having released a multitude of digital audio players for entry, mid, and now hi-fi consumers, Fiio are a company dedicated in maximizing value for money propositions, and strive for continual improvement. Their latest breed of players include the Fiio M11 Pro digital audio player which improves upon the M11 Pro with an all new carefully... Read More »

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Simaudio Moon 110LP v2 Phono Stage

Will Wright — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 22:05:08 +0000

We've all seen the comeback that vinyl has been making over the last few years. Back when vinyl was dead, I built up my record collection to its present twenty five hundred LPs and one thousand 78s size by asking people if they had any records they no longer wanted. Everyone I asked handed over... Read More »

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"The Song of Names" (film)

John Marks — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 23:48:36 +0000

Herein, the latest from the Master of The Tannhauser Gate, John Marks, with a musical movie recommendation to make to us.... Dr. David W. Robinson, Ye Olde Editor Center: Dovidl (played by Luke Doyle). © Sabrina Lantos. Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics. Classical-music fans, especially fans of the violin and its literature, will want to know... Read More »

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Blue Note Tone Poet Series and 80 Series

Andy Goldenberg — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 21:34:34 +0000

Blue Note Tone Poet Series Donald Byrd, Chant. Blue Note Stereo LT-991 Stanley Turrentine With Shirley Scott, Hustlin'. Blue Note Stereo 84162 Blue Note 80 Series Lonnie Smith, Think! Blue Note 80 Stereo 7753113 Bobbi Humphrey, Blacks and Blues. Blue Note 80 Stereo 7752697 Grant Green, Alive. Blue Note 80 Stereo 84360 Donald Byrd, Ethiopian Knights.... Read More »

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SVS Pinnacle 3.5-Way Floorstanding Speakers

Editors at Positive Feedback — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 21:26:28 +0000

These speakers can rock, plus produce excellent macro and micro dynamics too! Review By Dr. Matthew Clott With this article, Positive Feedback continues its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music. Dr. Matthew Clott shares his thoughts about SVS's Pinnacle 3.5-Way Floorstanding Speakers. Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief SVS came on the scene several years ago and impressed everyone... Read More »

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Tenebrae Choir: "Miserere mei, Deus" (Allegri)

John Marks — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 01:50:56 +0000

In which John Marks shares his latest musical reflections from his very fine blog site, The Tannhauser Gate. As usual, his comments are edifying and instructive. Enjoy! Dr. David W. Robinson, Ye Olde Editor Gregorio Allegri’s "Miserere" (Have mercy on me, Lord) is one of the most famous pieces of Late-Renaissance polyphonic a cappella choral... Read More »

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Dave and Carol Clark's Brutus Awards for 2019

Dave Clark — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 01:36:14 +0000

Here we are with our Brutus Awards for 2019, but before we go into who and what, let me digress a bit. This past year has been rather interestingly different for both Carol and me. Entering our third year of retirement we find ourselves spending less time with audio related stuff (specifically reviewing, as it... Read More »

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In Search of a Perfect Song, Part 6

Carol Clark — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 01:35:04 +0000

Something not so secret about me, I'm more interested in the music than the gear. I've documented elsewhere that I do acknowledge that better gear produces better music, but when it's all boiled down, I get distracted listening to gear because I'm identifying with the music. Granted, there are times when I listen to a... Read More »

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ampsandsound Stereo ST15 Special Edition Amplifier

Gary Lea — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 19:03:34 +0000

Readers of Positive Feedback may already be familiar with Justin Weber's creations. At least two reviews of his products can be found in these pages. Known for elegant and physically small pieces that punch way above their weight class, this amplifier is no different, and this is actually the second review of this particular unit,... Read More »

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The 16th Annual Positive Feedback Writers' Choice Awards for 2019

Editors at Positive Feedback — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 23:51:47 +0000

Beginning at the end of 2003, PF established its first annual awards for fine audio. The Brutus Award was established for the best that David Robinson and Dave Clark (and Carol Clark) had heard in their own listening rooms during that year. You can think of it as our equivalent of an "Editors' Choice" award. The Gizmo... Read More »

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Magneplanar LRS Room Setup Tips

Tom Gibbs — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 22:16:54 +0000

The new Magneplanar LRS Loudspeakers are touted by Magnepan in very much the same way as the MMGs were for years: the most inexpensive way you can get a taste of Magnepan's high-end offerings. I can't argue with that; at $650 per pair, they're a remarkable bargain—there's nothing else out there close to the price... Read More »

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