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 »
Talking only about the price of these speakers, about how impressive product we get for the price, how well it is made—that would be a classic reductionism. Focusing on one feature would suggest its dominance or even lack of other such features that make Pylon Audio Sapphire 25 speakers truly special. And that would be... Read More »
Cutting edge technologies are expensive. Whether they are used in medical, food, or military industry, or for sound recording and playback. Small companies deal with this issue using solutions developed by major players, multinational corporations that sell licenses for their products. What they have to do is to tweak such product/solution, customize it for their... Read More »
David W. Robinson and Stan Ricker, VSAC 2003 (photograph by Dave Glackin) I got the word last week from an audiobud online. Stan Ricker, recently stricken with a stroke, was dead. Oh no. Not again. Another good man down…this one truly irreplaceable. Another great audio friend gone; more tons of audio lore and wisdom subtracted... Read More »
Editor: You used to always publish the associated equipment that was used with the reviewed gear, very unfortunate that you have stopped this practice. To me, and I'm sure many other readers, not having this info makes a review mute. Regards, Robert Arbonneau Robert, the system descriptions are still there. To see a reviewer's system,... Read More »
New "Yale" OS upgrade lowers noise, distortion--at no cost to user Boulder, CO 7/31/15-- PS Audio, manufacturer of fine audio components since 1973, is pleased to announce a new operating system for its revolutionary DirectStream DAC. The upgraded OS is called "Yale", after Mount Yale, one of Colorado's "Fourteeners" (the 53 mountain peaks in the state that rise above 14,000 feet). The practice of... Read More »
Editor: Regarding Audionet, have you done a review yet? Can't find it on your site.. By the way, I: like the new site, and liked your room at THE Show In the lap of bodacious sound: The GTT Audio room. As usual, the good folks in the GTT Audio room were providing truly top-notch sound, despite the... Read More »
AUDUBON, PA, July 28, 2015 —Walker Audio announces the introduction of the Procession Turntable, the world’s first turntable with wireless remote control VTA/SRA (Vertical Tracking Angle/Stylus Rake Angle) adjustment that allows the user to change the arm angle from the comfort of their listening position with a push of a button. The Procession turntable features:... Read More »
I mentioned the Sennheiser Momentums that uncle Mikey lent me in my Audioquest Dragonfly review at OccupyHifi.org. I promised I would talk about them some more; so here's that article I know you've been dying for.
With the bluebonnets in bloom spring is a lovely time to travel in Texas. Bluebonnet the Lone Star state flower For music loving audiophiles no better excuse can be had for a springtime drive in Texas than the Lone Star Audio Fest held in Dallas, the first weekend of May for the past 11 years.... Read More »
My Hot Tub Epiphany, or: "Where the heck did my ice cubes go?" A funny thing happened to me a couple of weeks into writing this article. While relaxing one cool evening in my hot tub thinking-spot, I had an epiphany. About audio. Specifically, about how we internalize the sound of recorded music. And I... Read More »
I was a bit breathless. My friend and spiritual colleague David Robinson had invited me to sketch and cover a uniquely intriguing event at Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium on Sunday, July 12, 2015. To kick off the Golandsky Institute’s summer series, noted pianist Ilya Itin was slated to perform the music of Scriabin and Rachmaninov.... Read More »
Grieg. Peer Gynt Suites. Six Orchestral Songs. Orchestra: Malmo Symphony. Conductor: Bjarte Engeset. Recording: Naxos CD8-570236 These Peer Gynt suites are the heart and soul of Grieg's incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play of the same name. This beautiful and very impressively melodic music is one of my personal favorites of all time. The immense... Read More »
Newark DE, July 09, 2015 -– HiFiMAN, a leading designer/manufacturer of high performance headphones and portable audio products, announced their most affordable full-size planar magnetic headphone, the HE-400S. At $299 MSRP, the HE400S is the least expensive planar headphone on the market yet it delivers unequalled performance, styling and comfort in its class. The HE400S... Read More »
MOON by Simaudio proudly introduces the MOON Nēo 230HAD Headphone Amplifier/Digital-to-Analog Converter, the newest addition to our MOON Nēo Series. Based heavily on the reference 430HA headphone amp and filling an immense void in the current headphone marketplace, the Nēo 230HAD offers exceptional performance at a price point that is virtually uninhabited. Additionally, music lovers... Read More »
For more than two decades I've been a fan of vibraphonist/pianist/band leader Ruben Estrada, whose lyrical delicacy and musical intensity define, and extend,the profound artistic heritage he absorbed on his way to Number One world class Latin jazz vibe and timbales guru. Estrada is an enormously modest man. His pride in his playing and his... Read More »
It so coincidentally happened that me and Wojtek, both love Japanese audio products. I admittedly prefer devices with tubes on board, but am also capable of appreciating solid-state devices manufactured in this country. It seems to me that almost every Japanese product apart from certain technologies, solutions, and so on, carries one more element that... Read More »
In Search of a Perfect Song… I recently republished that old article because I've had further opportunity to explore the concept. I began that article with a lesson about the difference between opinion and fact. Again I will remind you that this is my opinion of what makes a song perfect. Naturally, if you have... Read More »
"You paid too much for that junk! Take off those fake Vanilla Ice headphones and put on a pair of the real deal!" That's what I'd like to shout when I see somebody sporting one of those garish, neon metallic McHeadphones. Granted, that's hardly polite or inclusive, and who am I to go Grandpa Simpson on... Read More »
