Prokofiev. Viktoria Mullova. [Violin Concerto No. 2; Sonata for Two Violins, Solo Violin Sonata]. Viktoria Mullova, violin. Frankfort Radio Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Järvi, conductor. Onyx 4142. (live recordings). I am predisposed to like any recording by violinists, Jennifer Koh, Vadim Guzman, Rachel Podger, Gidon Kremer, Alina Ibagimova, and Viktoria Mullova and am seldom disappointed. The... Read More »
It took a while but I am finally first—even if but by a scant three hours—at something (Well to be honest, I did win a few fencing tournaments in my younger days). That something was not only being the very first high-end reviewer or audiophile (outside of Magico) to audition Magico's newest $58,000 (in standard... Read More »
It's a rarity, watching an audio company take the type of user-oriented action we've been editorializing about here at OccupyHifi for awhile now (long before our own blog - back when Occupy Hifi was a featured column at The High Fidelity Report ). But leave it to our friends at JH Audio for comin' out swingin' with their brand-new JH Crew Program!
Blue Circle Audio to Release New Class D Amplifiers with “User-Selectable Hybrid” Capability at RMAF 2015 For the first time in its history, Blue Circle Audio is offering a line of power and integrated amplifiers that employ a class D output stage. This newly developed output stage is the result of years of research by... Read More »
Seoul, Korea – Astell&Kern, the leader in portable high-res audio players, announces the Astell&Kern AKT1, a new all-in-one hi-res sound system that includes speakers, amplifier and high-resolution audio decoding in one unit, is now shipping. The Astell&Kern AKT1 is a true lifestyle product, perfect for city living, an office or anywhere that space is a... Read More »
Portland, Oregon – ALO audio is excited to announce the launch of Campfire Audio, a dedicated earphone brand that will produce premium earphone and headphones for the personal audio community. The official launch in the USA for Lyra, the first earphone from Campfire Audio, is August 2015. Campfire Audio believes Lyra will be a welcome... Read More »
August 12, 2015 | Dallas, TX |– The Sound Organisation announces the exclusive US distribution of Melco’s N1A, the new high resolution digital music storage solution. The N1A, is a purpose-built network music storage system that requires no network set-up, simplifying the process of accessing high resolution digital music. Featuring audiophile-grade components combined with simple... Read More »
September 9, 2015—The new 800 Series Diamond massively elevates loudspeaker performance, even compared to Bowers & Wilkins highly regarded previous efforts. For almost 40 years generation after generation of the 800 Series from Bowers & Wilkins has set the standard other loudspeaker brands attempt to follow. Now, on the eve of the company’s 50th anniversary,... Read More »
Burson Audio Demo Day Food, Drinks, Every Visitor Takes Home a Gift Tustin Distribution Center Friday September 18th 10:30 until 4pm Blog and Post Your Experiences about #BursonDemoDay Melbourne, Australia | September 9th, 2015 | Burson Audio, manufacturer of fine USB DAC/Headphone Amplifier/Preamplifiers, Headphone Amplifiers and Stereo Amplifiers, and its subsidiary Supreme Sound Audio Components... Read More »
Tannhauser – Richard Wagner. Music and Libretto: Wagner, Romantic Opera in Three Acts. Composer: Richard Wagner. Conductor: Axel Kaber. Director: Seabastian Baumgarten. Stage Designer: Joep vanMechaow. Chorus Master: Eberhard Friedrich. Recording: OABD7171D, 2 Discs Blu-rays, Opus Arte. Orchestra: Bayreuth Festival and Chorus First performance Koniglich Sachsisches H of theater, Dresden, 19 October 1845. Premiere of... Read More »
The digital era's exploration of the repertoire's byways led to a new interest in the music of Josef Suk—not only the son-in-law of Antonín Dvořák, but once a noted composer in his own right. The Asrael Symphony stands as a major score in his output; yet, despite intermittent attempts to promote it, it never seems... Read More »
This is going to be a sort of two-part review… first about the Auralic Aries and then about what I did to take my current file-based audio system to a completely different and yet, stunningly musical level... along with the Aries. Okay so to piggy back on the Antipodes review… yeah, I want it easier... Read More »
After 32 years of operating high-end shops in the North Bay Area in N.Cal., and a professional music career that has seen Craig Allison share bills with John Lee Hooker and Ray Charles among others, Craig has a message for our audio specialty industry and the public at large. Our passion/activity, which saw a mainstream... Read More »
I'm not sure I can keep the fact that, at forty, I'm going through a separation following a marriage that's lasted half my life from my readers. Do I have a choice? Though I'm doin' all this "work on myself" to keep movin' forward, that inescapable fact is always lurkin' in my mind. I'm no Yoda.
Pressed by QRP on 200 gram vinyl, 33.3, half-speed mastered, this recording from 2000 is receiving its LP release for the first time. The original release was on HDCD CD and has been a reference disk for my reviews since it was available. It features Eiji Oue conducting the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra. The Producer was... Read More »
Roger Skoff writes about some people he encounters on the internet... Although I use the internet daily, I'm not all that familiar with a lot of the lingo and the current culture that has developed from and around it. Oh, I know (after having asked someone) what IMHO means, and LOL, and even ROFLMAO, but... Read More »
We live in the true Golden Age of fine audio. I've said this before, but I don't want readers to forget the fact that we're awash in a great wave of audio designs in all categories, with the recordings to go with them. The best DSD and DACs, the best turntables, the best LPs ever... Read More »
Hitting the Ocean, or: "What Are You Babbling about Now?" Those words contained about as much sympathy as you'd be likely to imagine they would. "What are you babbling about now?" That was my wife of 19 years, her face contorted in that 'you-know-I-don't-care' expression that drops like a curtain at the first sign of... Read More »
Product launches happen all the time in fine audio. We have well over 300 DSD DACs now, for example, new turntables and cartridges all the time, with amps, preamps, integrateds, headphones, wireless speakers, cables, accessories, music servers, NAS/hard-drive arrays, and speakers spilling forth continuously. It seems like nearly every day I get new press releases... Read More »
Gabi was standing in the door, looking at us condescendingly while we were discussing acoustics, the microphones used and distortions. A moment before we had finished our first round of listening sessions and each of us was enthusiastically trying to convince the others that he was right. We paid the most attention to what Edwin... Read More »
There is not too many people like Mr Shirokazu Yazaki. I was tempted to write something like: are extremely rare, but I managed to hold myself back. He is an engineer with impressive education and immense practical experience with both, analogue and digital devices. He created such a remarkable devices like TEAC A-7300 reel-to-reel, high... Read More »
Edwin van der Kleij, the owner of Siltech, is a great fan of speakers designed by Franco Serblin. Over the years he bought all his designs with Sonus faber logo, and later with Franco Serblin one, too (see HERE and HERE). As he told us during Cracow Sonic Society meeting in Cracow, death of Mr... Read More »
Shostakovich, 'Under Stalin's Shadow.' Symphony No. 10. Andris Nelsons. Boston Symphony Orchestra. Deutsche Gramophone DG 479-5059. I bought this album out of loyalty to my 'local' orchestra under their new leader. Nothing was at stake as I had already married Petrenko's terrific Shostakovich cycle on Naxos, but I'll admit to some hopes. And then the... Read More »
Puidoux, Switzerland. August 2015: Merging Technologies is delighted to announce that On a Higher Note, LLC has been appointed as the exclusive distributor for USA and Canada for its new NADAC products. This agreement covers the consumer market and the high-end audio industry, tapping On A Higher Note’s ever-growing elite network of high fidelity retailers... Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Portland, Oregon – ALO audio is excited to announce the launch of Campfire Audio, a dedicated earphone brand that will produce premium earphone and headphones for the personal audio community. The official launch in the USA for Lyra, the first earphone from Campfire Audio, is August 2015. Campfire Audio believes Lyra will... Read More »
Sometimes it's not just the destination, it's the journey, whenever it is that you finally arrive. Trust me, this is, in fact a review of Naxos' Classics Online HD•LL Streaming Service, but a little background is in order, so please bear with me.... I know myself pretty well, and, let’s face it—I can get pretty... Read More »
After laughter at the first GOP debate from Donald Trump's chauvinist dump on Rosie O'Donnell, jazz hounds, east and west, now look eagerly ahead to the impeccable vocal art of Diane Reeves on the third weekend of September this year near Carmel. Ms. Reeves is literally at the top of any astute list of jazz... Read More »
Burson Audio Launches Supreme Sound Audio Components Website for DIY and OEM Products And Introducing the SS Lycan Op-Amp Test Bench/Headphone Amp/Preamp Melbourne, Australia | August 11th, 2015 | Burson Audio, manufacturer of fine USB DAC/Headphone Amplifier/Preamplifiers, Headphone Amplifiers and Stereo Amplifiers, is pleased to announce a new division, Supreme Sound Audio Components. Built to... Read More »
AVShowrooms’ releases the new high performance audio forum: http://avshowroomsforums.com AVShowroomsforums is the new destination for sharing audio knowledge, advice and life's experiences. AVShowroomsforums is founded by leading equipment reviewers’ Myles B. Astor, PhD. Sr. Assistant Editor, Positive Feedback Online, and Executive Editor, AVShowrooms, Peter Breuninger, CEO, Editor in Chief, AVShowrooms, and Terry Eringi, Executive... Read More »
Helen Callus [viola]. Luc Beauséour [harpsichord] Bach - Krebs - Abel. Analekta. AN2 9879. There are reasons not to buy this album of Bach (and Krebs and Abel) cello sonatas. If you don't like your Bach played direct and frontal—and on a viola, which cuts the music less slack than a viola de gamba or... Read More »
A Free Backert Labs Preamp to Lucky Listener Who Names It New model rivals their flagship Rhythm 1.1 at less than half the price WILMINGTON, DE, Jul. 30, 2015 – Backert Labs (www.BackertLabs.com), the tube preamp specialist, today announced the introduction of its latest linestage preamplifier. It is available direct from Backert Labs at an... Read More »
f you're into dance music and you haven't heard of The Chemical Brothers, well, I was gonna say you gotta be livin' under a rock. Perhaps it might be more appropriate to tell ya to stop smokin' so much rock, and open your eyes.
This kick-ass New York jazz orchestra's fifth album, scheduled for release on Friday, August 7, is leader John Fedchock's eighth publication. Already a powerhouse big band leader and arranger, trombonist Fedchock gained chops and jazz sea-legs working for legendary jazz orchestra guru, Woody Herman. He was Herman's musical director—a ferociously exacting task which earned him praise from the no-BS... Read More »
'The Tape Project' to Release Exclusive Music at Evening Event During the California Audio Show, August 15 Rare in-person appearance of artist Jacqui Naylor and full-playback of new Jerry Garcia & David Grisman release at August 15 event, 5:30-7:30PM, Westin SFO Hotel San Francisco, CA - August 4, 2015 - The Tape Project and Bottlehead invite... Read More »
AL: Freshly graduated from Syracuse University and done with my last school year, it was time to go home to California. With a daunting eight-day and 4,000-mile drive ahead, traversing the U.S. both east to west, and north to south, we had to make plans since our car had no working stereo. Our rite of... Read More »
I love it when people get their "sheeple" on, especially in a niche group. One person says something isn't comfortable, and ten hours later there's a thread somewhere reaching out to this headphone company, addressing the clamping force issue on that user's set of cans. Users justifiably request better padding in the headband.
The Tangerine Dream is considered either a co-creator of krautrock, or of electronic music in general, and new age in particular. In fact both ascertainments are true. The first four records released between 1970 and1973, during so called "pink period" (these were released by Ohr label that had a pink logo), were recorded with drummer... Read More »
