September - October 2014 Archives - Positive Feedback

High Fidelity: Why the Grimm LS1 is the World's Best Complete Audio System

Tim Roth — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 17:35:35 +0000

The Theory One day when looking closely at a copy of the Beatles' first mono single, "Love Me Do" (a replica, sadly), I had an epiphany. You see, my vision is in the extreme nearsighted range, which is mostly a curse but also a blessing because my eyes are like microscopes. The average human eye... Read More »

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Frankie Rat and The Art Pro Audio USB Phono Plus, Project Series Audiophile Computer Interface

Francisco Duran — Fri, 10 Oct 2014 17:41:35 +0000

Hi I would like to introduce myself to you. My name is Frankie Rat and I have an audio story for you. I hope you find it interesting so here goes. It's not easy living in the rat race. I get up real early in the morning, hop in my little rat rod slide down... Read More »

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Musings on Building a Digital Music Server: Revisiting the Rega DAC

Andy Schaub — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 10:39:22 +0000

"The muses dance and sing| They make the children really ring I spend the day your way Call it morning driving thru the sound and In and out the valley" - "Roundabout" by Yes As you may remember from an earlier article, I recently moved to San Francisco and had to scale down my... Read More »

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Devore Fidelity Orangutan O/93 Loudspeakers

Ken Micallef — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 16:52:58 +0000

As I learned at the recent 2104 New York Audio Show, there is no lack of absurd loudspeaker designs executed with all sorts of wacky and expensive materials. While this year's blessed event was not as off-the-charts as prior shows in regard to loudspeakers that look like they were built by aliens with auditory requirements... Read More »

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A High Resolution Music Download Site You May Not Know

Brian Moura — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 17:30:15 +0000

Last year there were concerns about the lack of high resolution music files available in the Direct Stream Digital (DSD) format for purchase. It was a factor that some music fans cited as a reason for holding off on buying a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) that included DSD playback. Those of you following the... Read More »

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Townshend Seismic Isolation Pods

Robert H. Levi — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 17:27:45 +0000

Attack of the PODs! No they are not from Mars! They are from London: Designed, constructed, and shipped from London, England by the brilliant Max Townshend to American audiophiles like us, for the best replacement of the air filled bladder sinks of old. The PODs isolate your gear like it was suspended in outer space.... Read More »

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Impressions: The AURALiC VEGA DSD DAC and TAURUS Mk. II Balanced Headphone Amplifier

David W. Robinson — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 10:11:28 +0000

The AURALiC VEGA DSD DAC (top) and TAURUS headphone amp (bottom) in tandem, on one of our reference Stillpoints ESS Grid Racks… lovely, lovely! Once, and not so long ago (A year? Two?), I maintained a list of DSD DACs. After the establishment of the DSD-over-PCM (DoP) open standard, and the polishing of ASIO drivers... Read More »

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From Clark Johnsen's Diaries: The Polarity Problem Redux, Then Redux Again

Clark Johnsen — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 10:05:26 +0000

More than once this writer has been accused of having a single-track mind when it comes to talking audio. This view I must heartily confute: in fact he has three tracks. But the one that attracts attention foremost does concern polarity, also known as acoustic polarity, also under proper circumstances known as Absolute Polarity. On... Read More »

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Blue Note Records 75th Anniversary Special Limited Edition Box Set

Michael Wechsberg — Sun, 21 Sep 2014 17:32:37 +0000

I had the distinct pleasure of attending a press briefing the other night to announce the release of a special limited edition box set of recordings to honor the 75th anniversary of Blue Note Records. Our hosts were Owen Kwon, VP of Product and Business for Astell & Kern, and Don Was, President of Blue Note... Read More »

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When Moving Requires That You Scale Down, At Least Temporarily: A Personal Story

Andy Schaub — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 17:00:09 +0000

"Say it ain't so, I will not go, Turn the lights off, Carry me home" —"All the Small Things", Blink 182 So this all started with a big argument that my girlfriend and I had, the resolution of which was to move in together up in San Francisco, where she already lived. The problem was... Read More »

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The Neoteric Listener and The Fritz Hemp 6 Loudspeakers

Dean Seislove — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 17:23:33 +0000

John (Fritz) Heiler has been designing his Fritz Speakers loudspeakers for over thirty years. His credo is always consistent: He uses the same premium parts as speakers costing much more, and works hard to make affordable speakers that deliver exceptional sound. I've met Fritz many times over the years. He's a really likable, down-to-earth guy,... Read More »

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The Neoteric Listener and the Audioengine B1 Premium Bluetooth Music Receiver

Dean Seislove — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 10:15:36 +0000

Another summer gone. Although nothing could beat the summer of Luxman for exquisite sound quality here at the shack (see HERE and HERE), recent experience with the Audioengine B1 proves once again that audio fun can be simple and inexpensive, if you know what to look for. The Audioengine B1 Premium Bluetooth Music Receiver "My world is perfect!"... Read More »

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Super HiRez Brings Live Blues to DSD and Signs Warner Music Deal

Brian Moura — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 17:18:31 +0000

Chad Kassem and Marc Sheforgan of SuperHirez.com Chad Kassem is well known in music circles and among Positive Feedback readers as the CEO of Acoustic Sounds, Super HiRez music downloads site, Analogue Productions record label and Quality Record Pressings—a high quality Vinyl LP pressing plant. This has put Kassem at the forefront of many major breakthroughs in... Read More »

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HiFi is All a Scam - Roger Skoff Finally Admits All

Roger Skoff — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 16:53:43 +0000

That's right, HiFi is a scam, and you, I, and every other audiophile, music lover, and HiFi Crazy have all been laboring under a misapprehension for all these many years. To make it even worse, even those people I've been maligning for so long by, in my innocent ignorance, calling them fools, trolls, "flat-earthers," troglodytes,... Read More »

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PFO Will Host Another DSD Seminar at RMAF 2014

David W. Robinson — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 17:20:21 +0000

The 2014 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest is fast approaching. Running from October 10-12, this event has been one of the great regional high-end audio events for years now. For the past few years I have been moderating a series of seminars on DSD audio developments. These have featured many of the leading persons in the... Read More »

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