If you're an audiophile, you realize at some point that digital spinning discs won't be around forever. Although that realization hit me several years ago, it took quite a while before I really decided to get serious about a digital source based on a computer. I'd heard several computer-based rigs at shows, and what I... Read More »
Avec l'assistance de M. Bastille "We sang songs of childhood Hymns of faith that made us strong Ones that mother Maybelle taught us Hear the angels sing along" —"Will the Circle be Unbroken" by Johnny Cash OK, first I have to admit something. I'm about to receive an Ayre QB-9 DSD as my new reference... Read More »
Best New Product in Show DPA has come out with something new, a vocal microphone using their existing 4000-series capsules. You can order it as an omni, cardioid, or hypercardioid, and you can order it as a a handheld mike or as a head that fits onto a number of standard wireless systems. These are very... Read More »
The European AES show is a very different beast than the American shows, in part because of much lower vendor involvement. The trade show section is very small, filling up only a section of a hotel ballroom rather than a whole convention center as with the US shows, and that puts more emphasis on the... Read More »
Style of the work of Czesław Niemen is very heterogenic. It covers big-beat, progressive work, rock with jazz elements, blues-rock, avant-garde, and electronic music—you will find all these elements in his works. The period from 1967, the year of his debut album Dziwny jest ten świat… till 2001 was the most interesting period in popular... Read More »
Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu Shrine (jap. 石清水八幡宮) is one of the three most important Hachiman-gu Shintō shrines in Japan. It was founded in 859 by the monk Gyokyo on the instructions of the Emperor Seiwa in Yawata. Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu enshrines Hachiman, the God of War, associated with the mythical Emperor Ojin. Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu was built for the... Read More »
During my career with AT&T Bell Laboratories, I had many opportunities to visit some of the finest higher education institutions in the country. My focus was on central office switches for voice and data services—typically purchased and utilized by regional telephone companies for medium to large cities and urban areas. Of course these elite Universities... Read More »
As personal audio enthusiasts, most of us have a decent portable rig to get us through the day.
Occasionally, it becomes our only rig for days (or weeks) at a time during business trips or vacations. However, we always sleep soundly knowing that we'll come home to our reference rigs - eventually - where bliss awaits. But what if there was no home rig to come back to?
There will always be those who doubt ability to assess and differentiate audio devices by listening to them in controlled environment and comparing them with others. That's human nature—many people won't believe something until they have touched it themselves. But comparing different audio devices is a very good way to assess them. One should listen,... Read More »
Most likely by a pure coincident, if you believe such thing exists, a few things analogue related happened within one week period, important things I must add. First, on Tuesday, I received the latest issue of Hi-Fi News & Record Reviews magazine, with TechDAS Air Force Two on its cover, and with a review of... Read More »
Some devices are able to fit into particular audio system seamlessly, like they have always been a part of it, as if they've always belonged. They fulfill sonic character of this system, allowing its user to elevate his level of music perception by adding some elements he hasn't even known existed. That sound serious, right,... Read More »
As I already mentioned once (in the review of Wow Audio Lab L1/M1 amplifier), Audio Show in Warsaw is a place for me to collect information. Not necessarily about the sound but rather about brands, products and people. But I always welcome a nice surprise, I mean a really good sounding system. Such a system,... Read More »
One can wonder why so many people at certain age start using expression "I remember that..." more and more often. I can not not remember that several years ago whenever I came across such expression in a text it usually ignited at least some level of aversion towards obviously "advanced" age of its author. Why... Read More »
To be honest I can't remember how it started. In my own review of Dionysos preamplifier for January 2011 I wrote that I'd firstly learned about existence of Thrax Audio one year earlier during High End 2010 Show in Munich. But now I really can't remember any details. It seems though that I somehow knew... Read More »
Dr. David W. Robinson, Yarlung Records, and DSD David W. Robinson, enjoying some holy smoke of a recent afternoon. Photograph by John W. Robinson…yes, one of my sons, who was also enjoying a fine pipe! Bob Attiyeh is the President and Chief Producer-Audio Engineer at Yarlung Records. He has just released an article talking... Read More »
The four composers represented in this overview and the accompanying album, all wrote music in a variety of styles and for many different types of ensembles. This broad spectrum of styles is a consequence of the four composers choosing to work within and to develop traditional formats and techniques, while at the same time mastering... Read More »
Jennifer Koh, Bach and Beyond 2. Solo Violin Sonatas by Bach, Bartok, and Saariaho. Jennifer Koh, violin. Çedille 90000-154. Nobody plays Bach better than Jennifer Koh. As I've written before, I heard her play the Partita No. 2 live in Amherst College's Buckley Recital Hall several years ago and at the time it felt as... Read More »
Here is a band that changed the way I view Neanderthals. Most people might see a caveman, or a Neanderthal, and instinctively see the old Geico commercials run through their mind. This is clearly not the case with Fartbarf. They are wild, energetic, comedic, brazen, outlandish, and enthralling to see live. Josh McLeod, Dan Burley,... Read More »
Sometimes the road beckons. When I heard the call this time it wasn't nearly as easy to just get-up and go. I'm not twenty anymore! I'm middle-aged, burly, married, and like most of you I have responsibilities to attend to in my every-day.
Don't forget to hit SAVE while writing a new blog - Learned that lesson the Hard-Way JUST NOW!! I had a whole thing typed and ready - w/ a link to the mix of mine and everything.
Seriously: Still denying the "paradigm shift" in consumer culture? Forget that I used the damn terminology. Forget that I have some sort of twisted-back-door stake in being right about this shit.
Dmitri Shostakovich, arranged Rudolph Barshai. Chamber Symphonies. The Dmitri Ensemble, Graham Ross. Harmonia Mundi HMU 907634. These are three of Shostakovich's string quartets arranged for chamber orchestra by a student, friend, and close associate of the composer. Only one of them, the arrangement of Quartet No. 8, has gotten much attention before now. I have... Read More »
SCHUBERT: Allegro moderato and Andante, D. 968; 4 Ländler, D. 814; German Dance with 2 Trios and 2 Ländler, D. 618; Introduction and Variations on an Original Theme in B-flat, D. 968A; Eight Variations on a French Song in E minor, D. 624; Fantasia in F minor, D. 940 Marco Schiavo and Sergio Marchegiani, pianos.... Read More »
Nigel Armstrong, Nigel Armstrong: Bach, Bartók, Korngold. Featuring Sir Neville Mariner and the Colburn Orchestra. Native DSD Catalog number YAR65007DSD This Yarlung Records recording is simply entitled Nigel Armstrong. Armstrong is a young and dynamic artist, exactly fitting the rising stars captured by the Yarlung label. With a varied repertoire of Bartok, Bach, and Korngold,... Read More »
Chicago. Not my favorite city. Mainly it has to do with O'Hare Airport, though its long and well-known history of political corruption and crime doesn't do much for me either. O'Hare Airport is the only air hub that I have been stranded at in all of my years of travels. The weather is generally iffy... Read More »
Belafonte at Carnegie Hall: The Complete Concert Photo: Courtesy of Acoustic Sounds Sometimes, the best things are worth waiting for. That's certainly the case with this week's long-awaited release of the Living Stereo album Belafonte at Carnegie Hall: The Complete Concert in 3 Channel SACD Stereo on the Analogue Productions label. I'm sure that most... Read More »
Dean Martin, Dream with Dean: The Intimate Dean Martin Analogue Productions, QRP 200 gram LP, stereo, 45 RPM (2 LP set), USD $50 You know, it really isn't fair. There I was. Just getting over my blood-pressure-wrecking pleasure over the brilliant Analogue Productions release of Duke Ellington's Masterpieces by Ellington (as reviewed HERE). Just getting... Read More »
If you have been following my reviews over the last few years, I have taken a considerable interest in integrated amplifiers. This includes those from Pass Labs, Vitus, D'Agostino, Simaudio, BMC and more. It was not my intent when arriving at CES this year to focus on this subject, but I noticed that there seems... Read More »
The is Interview originally ran back in 2015, but we felt it was worthy enough to run again... Image of Nelson Pass by David R. Robinson. Hello PF readers! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gary Bread. I am a woeful reviewer—all that subjective metaphoric bullshit and all—but I like to think I'm kinda... Read More »
The last page of a folder presenting the offer of the French Totaldac company reminded me of the way in which digital technology has developed in the last thirty-five years, in the context of the audio domain. It all started in the year 1980 when the fundamentals of the Red Book CD-CA standard were published.... Read More »
Geoff Merrigan, the CEO of Tellurium Q, is not very effusive when it comes to telling the secrets of his cables design. To be honest, it seems as if he wants people to know as little as possible about them. When asked about the reason, he gives an obvious answer: it does not matter how... Read More »
While tracing the development of the Accuphase company for the last several years, I underestimated its approach to designing audio equipment for a long time, which was in evident contrast with my respect for the products themselves. They have always been and undoubtedly will continue to be a model as regards the quality of workmanship,... Read More »
One of the most well-known Polish constructors specializing in digital systems asked me recently what we see in the "whole DSD thing". I frankly said that the answer is "nothing", because DSD files always come across better in comparison with PCM files. What I said was confirmed by a listening session in which I participated... Read More »
Power cords are a specialty within the category of audiophile connectivity that is mighty important. Those supplied with the gear, regardless of price, are merely included to allow the equipment to meet specifications and light the LEDs. They are best discarded and upscale cords should be used to tune your system for maximum performance. I... Read More »
A Little Background It's safe to say that mentioning John Tucker's eXemplar audio to an audiophile is likely to get one of three reactions. The most likely reaction is a blank stare accompanied by the questions "Who?" and "What?" There's a smaller group who hears the name and asks, "That guy with the big horns?"... Read More »
I would have called this a Quicky, but lets bump it up to a First Look in honor of Astell&Kern's top effort to date to create a network server, ripper, and ultimate headphone station and more! This powerful digital device has graced my big reference system for two weeks and here is what I heard.... Read More »
There's just something musically magical about the performance of idler-wheel Garrard transcription turntables that keeps me fascinated with them. Certainly the vintage Garrard 301 represents a beloved milestone of turntable design that remains enduringly popular with hi-fi enthusiasts to the present day, and who, like the 1956 Garrard advertisement below suggests, have concluded that Garrard... Read More »
