During well more than half a century of being a HiFi Crazy, I've learned a lot about not only our hobby and its toys and goodies, but also about my fellow audiophiles. (I and my friends have always referred to ourselves as "HiFi Crazies," so know that I use that other term lovingly). One of... Read More »
It's been a very passionate and rewarding journey for me when it comes to Patricia Barber and her music. As a long term resident of Chicago, I was able to see her and her band perform at the Green Mill many times over the last 30 years. Though she is now performing at several additional... Read More »
NativeDSD continues to earn highest recommendations from me as a preferred source for high resolution downloads. There are some labels they don't have access to, unfortunately, but their catalog continues to grow with new labels showing up every few weeks. This means their new releases outpace my ability to write about them. But, I'll keep... Read More »
(Audiovector, Copenhagen, 30th of April 2025) – Audiovector is proud to announce the release of its flagship loudspeaker, the R 10 Arreté. Integrating the very latest Audiovector technologies, the R 10 immerses listeners in an audio experience that stands apart from any other loudspeaker. Launched at HIGH END Munich 2025, the R 10 will soon... Read More »
PRESS RELEASE: May 1, 2025 (Maple Grove, Minnesota) Audio Research's latest announcement marks a significant milestone in its illustrious 55-year history, showcasing an impressive commitment to innovation and quality. The introduction of six new products—the largest in the company's history—represents not only a testament to the engineering prowess brought in by owner Valerio Cora and... Read More »
Brad Lunde, at right, talks with a photographer based out of Los Angeles the ATC suite at this year's AXPONA (photo by Juan C. Ayllon) Brad Lunde is in Room 1534 at Audio Expo North America (AXPONA) held at the Schaumburg Renaissance Hotel to expedite the introduction of ATC's brand new SCM20 ASL h, a... Read More »
This article by Dave Clark originally ran in 2006, so while we call this section "New Old Stock - Articles from Our Days in Print" you are also going to see some articles from our early days of going online. Want to add some flavor or seasoning to your system. Spice it up a bit!... Read More »
XACT Audio, a brand known for uncompromising digital audio engineering, is proud to announce the release of the XACT N1, a groundbreaking audiophile network switch developed entirely from scratch to meet the demands of the most discerning listeners. While many so-called "audiophile" switches are rebranded IT-grade devices with minor modifications, the XACT N1 sets a new standard... Read More »
CUT FROM THE ANALOG TAPES AND PRESSED ON 180-GRAM BLACK VINYL AVAILABLE AT RHINO.COM AND SELECT RETAILERS ON JUNE 27 (April 29, 2025 - Los Angeles, CA) In celebration of Black Music Month, Rhino Reserve continues with the next installment of the acclaimed premium vinyl series with Baby Huey’s The Baby Huey Story: The Living... Read More »
Two new stereo music streaming playlists with over 4-hours of music that features songs mixed on Focal monitors Montreal, Canada — April 29, 2025 — Focal Naim America, a leading North American importer and distributor of premium consumer and professional electronics brands, has released two new HD audio playlists, with songs “Mixed on Focal” professional monitors. The playlists are available... Read More »
Frank Doris: a portrait. AXPONA 2025, Chicago, IL. (Photograph by David W. Robinson.) I have been extremely impressed with the reissues I've heard from Impex Records, including Patricia Barber's Nightclub and more recently, Companion, the absolutely astonishing 1STEP Getz/Gilberto 45 RPM 2-LP release, and their 2020 reissue of Sing and Dance With Frank Sinatra. Impex has reissued the... Read More »
With such a rich history of music in the western world, it is too easy to get lost in centuries past. We can too easily fail to see the amazing music being written today. With this article, I want to offer up some outstanding music of the 21st Century I've been privileged to hear these... Read More »
In today's world, Eydie Gormé (1928-2013) is most famous for being part of a successful singing duo with her husband, Steve Lawrence (1935-2024). As a pair, they were successful from the earliest days of stereo LPs and well into the digital era. They also excelled at comedy, and they looked great too. By all accounts,... Read More »
The impressive PS Audio room, boasting their latest, continues to be a crowd-pleasing fixture at AXPONA Despite current concerns regarding U.S. tariffs, this year's edition of AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) proved to be triumphant, bigger and better than its predecessors, boasting over 200 listening spaces on 12 floors representing over 700 global manufacturers, distributors,... Read More »
John Marks is a multidisciplinary generalist and a lifelong audio hobbyist. He was educated at Brown University and Vanderbilt Law School. He has worked as a music educator, recording engineer, classical-music record producer and label executive, and as a music and audio-equipment journalist. He was a columnist for The Absolute Sound, and also for Stereophile magazine. His consulting... Read More »
New PMG Signature Preamplifier, Signature 512 PureStream DAC, Signature Phono Preamplifier and Signature SACD Transport incorporate numerous design advancements to deliver extraordinary soun Boulder, Colorado, April 17, 2025 – In the most significant product introduction in its 50-year history, PS Audio announces its all-new PMG Signature Series of top-of-the-line ultimate-performance audio components. The four models... Read More »
David Fung, Evening Conversations. Yarlung Records 2006 2025 (Pure DSD256) HERE Edit Master Sourced I found myself talking recently on the phone with my friend Bob Attiyeh, the creative founder and visionary of Yarlung Records. I'm always intrigued by these occasional calls with Bob. One never knows whence they may wander. That day, Bob was... Read More »
Last year Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab began releasing six of Joni Mitchell's most iconic albums, making them all available not only as hybrid SACDs, but also in MoFi's ne plus ultra analog statement format, their UltraDisc One-Step 180 gram LP set. The series began with Ladies of the Canyon (1970), then moved to Joni's deeply... Read More »
Bob Witrak has been busy these past months with additions to the HDTT catalog. The biggest news is that the International Phonograph Jazz recordings are back! See my earlier note about this great news, HERE. Below are some of the new reissues (not IPI) that have caught my ear in recent weeks. Witches Brew, Alexander... Read More »
iRHINO QUADIO BEAVER & KRAUSE AND ROD STEWART PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED IN QUADRAPHONIC SOUND QUADRAPHONIC ALBUMS DIGITIZED FROM ANALOG FOUR-TRACK QUAD MIXES NOW ON BLU-RAY WITH QUADRAPHONIC AND HI-RES STEREO ORDER HERE (April 11, 2025 - Los Angeles, CA) Rhino’s Quadio series continues with a brand-new collection of high-quality quadraphonic releases - Beaver and Krause's All Good... Read More »
Record Store Day typically always takes place on the third Saturday of April in any given year, but for 2025, that date fell on what is a bank holiday across much of the globe, so the date was pushed forward to April 12. Rhino is again offering a broad selection of 47(!) limited edition LPs... Read More »
Craft Recordings again offers an interesting mix of collectible, limited-edition, rare, and long out-of-print LPs for Record Store Day 2025 (RSD) that's happening on Saturday, April 12. Record Store Day typically always takes place on the third Saturday of April in any given year, but for 2025, that date fell on what is a bank... Read More »
April 10th 2025, Santa Ana, CA — Audeze, the leading premium headphone manufacturer known for its award-winning technology is excited to announce the new LCD-S20 closed-back headphone, the first planar headphone featuring their patent-pending SLAM technology for powerful bass response and improved spatial imaging, along with a new magnetic earpad attachment system. At $499, LCD-S20... Read More »
The ONIX Zenith XST20 SACD/CD Transport Simplifies the Addition of Super Audio to High-end DACs Montreal, Quebec, April 8, 2025 – Forte Distribution, a leading distributor of audio and audiophile music products, announced today that Shanling ONIX Zenith XST20 SACD transport will soon be available in the the U.S. The ONIX Zenith XST20 (MSRP: $2,399)... Read More »
With a symphony of advancements to the first-ever 15-inch driver, dual monoblock amplifier, and power supply, along with the most powerful DSP ever deployed in a subwoofer at 295MHz, 5000 R|Evolution Series features flagship SVS subwoofer technology and brings reference performance to more people than ever. Youngstown, OH – April 9, 2025 - SVS, a... Read More »
Nordost, in collaboration with Stenhiem and VTL, is excited to invite all AXPONA attendees to experience a world-class, reference-level hi-fi system in the Schaumburg F Ballroom at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois, from April 11-13. The centerpiece of Nordost’s room will be their Supreme Reference cables, featuring the Odin 2 line... Read More »
Automotive journalist, amateur endurance-car racer, musician and music lover Jack Baruth challenged our mutual friend John Marks to come up with a list of the most frequently over-programmed pieces for symphony orchestra. And then, for each "War Horse" composition, come up with a "Delightful Discovery, Dark Horse" piece. John's answers ran in two articles published... Read More »
Musical Artisans is thrilled to announce their Annual Spring Open House, on Friday, April 11th, from 6:30 to 9:30 PM, immediately following the first day of AXPONA 2025. Experience several new product introductions across five meticulously tuned systems throughout the evening, with select vendors and industry representatives in attendance to answer your questions. See the... Read More »
Let there be rejoicing among fans of Pure DSD recordings—transfers from the IPI analog master tapes to Pure DSD256 are back at HDTT! They disappeared for a while when IPI owner and recording engineer Jonathan Horwich decided to retire and withdrew them. But now the International Phonograph, Inc., catalog is returned to HDTT. These albums... Read More »
Buffalo, NY – April 7, 2025—Bluebird Music proudly announces their appointment as exclusive US and Canadian distributor of the extraordinary audio electronics produced by Swiss manufacturer Orpheus Lab. Orpheus Lab exemplifies the heritage of Swiss precision engineering and craftsmanship, combined with 21st century cutting-edge technical innovation. As you would expect from the finest Swiss-made products, the... Read More »
Thousand Oaks, CA – April 7, 2025 - Zesto Audio is excited to announce the world premiere of the new Tube Athena DAC at AXPONA in Chicago on April 11-13, 2025, in exhibit room #418. The Athena DAC is an advanced digital-to-analog converter that delivers “The Best of Both Worlds.” In collaboration with a team... Read More »
Lee Scoggins at the 2017 LA Audiophile Show. Los Angeles, CA, 2017 (portrait and image processing by David W. Robinson) It's hard not to love the Tampa show. Always great weather, and the people running the show, including Bart Andeer and team, really care about the experience people are having. This year the show moved... Read More »
Apr 4, 2025 Treehaus Audiolab is excited to introduce our latest product, the LCR Phono, at AXPONA 2025. Building upon our expansive knowledge of vacuum-tube based amplification products, the LCR Phono presents the listener with fantastic, natural, vinyl sound reproduction. A proper phono preamplifier has two primary tasks. First, and what makes it specific to... Read More »
4th April, 2025: Englewood, Colorado – Monarch Systems Ltd. announces Model 8 and Model 35 Turntable with the NEW Series Vi Tonearm by SME to be launched at AXPONA 2025 with North American Distributor Monarch Systems in listening room #434 in Schaumburg, IL. A New Era of Analogue For more than 75 years, SME has... Read More »
I unabashedly love listening to early music, from medieval to renaissance. And much of this music is for voices. Not all, by a long shot, but there is a lot that is a cappella. Early music will be the theme of today's Recent Finds because this is what has consumed much of my recent listening.... Read More »
Roger Skoff writes about your system and the state of our hobby I was talking recently with a friend of mine (also a HiFi Crazy, also in the Industry) about the future of our hobby, and we came to one of those "forehead-slapper" moments—you know, when something finally occurs to you that should have been... Read More »
What: VANA Ltd., a specialty distributor providing the North American market with carefully chosen audio components from international manufacturers, will feature previews of new models and a selection of favorites from Rekkord, Austrian Audio, and Atlas Cables. The Ear Gear Experience personal audio section will be VANA Ltd.’s unofficial HQ, with display #8105 featuring a preview of... Read More »
