Roger Skoff of RSX Technologies at the LAOC Audio Society Gala, December of 2023 (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) Roger Skoff writes more about the weirdest thing about our hobby. In Part 1 of this article, I wrote how some people who claim to be audiophiles seem to be constantly on the... Read More »
I've had the immense pleasure of being able to evaluate a number of Impex Records' excellent LP releases over the last year or so, with results that have been uniformly superb. That list includes unexpectedly great albums, like Barbra Streisand's triumphal Live at the Bon Soir and the truly magnificent Al Di Meola/John McLaughlin/Paco De... Read More »
Recorded live at Denver’s Dazzle music venue, Reason features pianist Deutsch, the extraordinary singer Theo Bleckmann and woodwind player Sly5thAve in an adventurous set of boundary-stretching songs Boulder, Colorado, March 4, 2024 – The latest Octave Records release, Reason by Erik Deutsch, Theo Bleckmann and Sly5thAve takes jazz, pop and avant-garde flavors into a compelling musical adventure. Recorded live at Dazzle,... Read More »
Focal and Naim to enhance presence and high-end products in Canada Montreal, Canada - March 4, 2024 - Focal Naim Canada, a leading provider of premium audio products, announced today that its core brands, Focal and Naim, has joined Azione Unlimited, the Smart Home Association™, as a vendor member to serve the dealer members in Canada.... Read More »
Introducing the A&ultima SP3000T, a Flagship Digital Audio Player with Vacuum Tube Amp and NOVUS, the Second In-Ear Monitor Collaboration with Manufacturer Empire Ears Astell&Kern, a global leader in portable high-resolution audio players and accessories, announces an expansion of the A&ultima flagship player line and a new In-Ear Monitor, produced in collaboration with Empire Ears. Both... Read More »
Now Available in North America M600 Manual Turntable is an Aesthetically and Sonically Superior Model at its Price Nesconset, NY, March 1, 2024 -- REKKORD Audio, the company whose extensive selection of turntables is meticulously designed and handmade in one of Europe’s foremost audio manufacturing facilities, today announced the availability of the top-of-the-line M600 manual turntable... Read More »
Norman Varney of AV RoomService Ltd. has joined Positive Feedback as a Senior Technical Editor as of Issue 113. His expertise in his field of audio acoustics and experience in the field makes him a helpful voice in our creative community for the audio arts. As has been our wont from the beginning of PF, we do welcome... Read More »
This article by John Pearsall originally ran in Positive Feedback ISSUE 3 October/November 2002, 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. The Twentieth Century and the Birth of Audio Technology: Some... Read More »
My old friend and former roommate, Dave, suggested that I write about my Leni Okehu record. What a cool idea. The music is a boatload of fun, it's beautifully recorded, and Dave and I used to love the way it sounded on his ADS L880 speakers. The album's title is Hawaiian Holiday (International Award Series... Read More »
PREMIERE Flow by Allegro is a Hungarian company, founded in 2018, specializing in audio amplifiers. Its founder and designer is Mr. Bela Teleki, but it's a family business—50% is owned by his wife, Mrs. Andrea Ohar. We are testing its smallest amplifier, the Flow Three model. Flow by Allegro is a small company based in... Read More »
Herford, February 27th 2024: Germany's leading high-end specialist T+A elektroakustik continues refining its speaker portfolio with the introduction of the first model in the new Criterion series. The new Criterion S 230 brings the design language, innovative technologies, and unique craftsmanship of the Solitaire series into an attractive new price range with a suggested retail... Read More »
The newest member of the TIDAL Audio dealer network, Audio Ultra, located at the West Coast, now joins the esteemed ranks of Artisan Fidelity as an Authorized Partner and The Voice That Is as TIDAL Audio’s US Premium Partner. This distinction underscores TIDAL Audio's dedication to collaborating with top-tier dealers who share a passion for... Read More »
The latest in Octave’s sonic reference series features a wide range of acoustic-based music, recorded in extraordinary Pure DSD sound Boulder, Colorado, February 27, 2024 – PS Audio’s Octave Records has released Audiophile Masters Volume IX, the latest in its series of reference-quality music-sampler recordings. This collection is focused on acoustic-based performances, ranging from the solo acoustic guitar rendition of... Read More »
Montreal, Canada – February 26, 2024 – Focal Naim North America, leading subsidiaries of VerVent Audio Group, are proud to celebrate its fifth anniversary distributing high-quality audio products in America and Canada. Despite facing economic challenges and the impact of the global pandemic, Focal Naim North America has doubled its business and increased dealer partners by 30%... Read More »
Craft Recordings has announced the first group of new titles for 2024 in their Original Jazz Classics (OJC) reboot, featuring three albums that were released within months of each other in 1962. Those include the classic Cannonball Adderley with Bill Evans session, Know What I Mean?, along with the equally classic Art Blakey & the... Read More »
The Rhino High Fidelity Premium Vinyl Series continues with the release of two new titles, and as with the previous group of offerings, the selections are eclectic. The one constant is that Rhino has again chosen both rock and jazz titles, featuring Marquee Moon (1977, Elektra Records) from art-punk darlings Television and avant-garde saxophonist Ornette... Read More »
On March 1st, Craft Recordings is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the eponymous debut record from folk/punk pioneers Violent Femmes with a new box set, Violent Femmes: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition. Craft is offering expanded reissues of the band's groundbreaking first album with multi-disc box sets available in a variety of formats. My supplied review... Read More »
Craft Recordings celebrates the 30th anniversary of southern alternative rockers Collective Soul with their reissue of the band's 7even Year Itch: Greatest Hits 1994-2001, available for the first time in the LP format. The Stockbridge, Georgia band's debut album, 1994's Hints, Allegations and Things Left Unsaid, was a surprise hit that took them from absolute... Read More »
Romanel, Switzerland – 23 February 2024. The Swiss company announces the introduction of a new turntable. The Reference turntable joins the limited edition Reference Anniversary turntable in Nagra’s flagship Reference line of products. In 1951, our founder Stefan Kudelski invented the first portable recorder, simply called the Nagra I. Nagra comes from a Polish word... Read More »
As part of our commitment to providing a true hi-fi experience, we are excited to announce a series of in-person events featuring the Model 60 at leading dealers across the United States and Canada in the coming months. In the age of online shopping and YouTube gear reviews, we would like to emphasize the importance... Read More »
This article is republished from Copper Magazine, edited by Frank Doris, and was written by him. Frank is also a Senior Associate Editor here at Positive Feedback, where he is a valued member of our editorial community. Enjoy! I first heard about the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, aka the Slambovians, a few years ago, from the guys... Read More »
Ye Olde Editor, before the tsunami... Personal tsunami, 2023. Such a strange year for me, one that threw me for a loop right in the midst of the two main audio show that I attended: AXPONA 2023 and Pacific Audio Fest 2023. Normally, I'm able to issue my considered judgements and Audio Oasis! Awards within... Read More »
Intro - Some New Toys at Stu's It's been a while. Over two years by my reckoning. There's been a lot going on in my world, but hidden away, deep in my audio bunker, I've been doing a lot of modifying, tweaking, and after doing much careful listening, I've even picked up a few new... Read More »
It's time for a confession: I enjoy the album Calcutta! (Dot DLP 25359) by Lawrence Welk (1903-1992). Honestly, there's an awful lot to like on this LP. It has incredible sound, incredible musicianship, and memorable tunes that'll make your body move. The stereo imagery is on a par with the best of Martin Denny's exotica... Read More »
13th Annual AXPONA will feature All-Star Musicians, Industry Experts, and Guest Appearances Schaumburg, IL (February 15, 2024) -- AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) returns to the Schaumburg Convention Center, April 12-14, 2024 with three jam-packed days of incredible sound, technology, seminars, live music and the very latest products in the industry. One of AXPONA’s most... Read More »
Cardas Audio is in Tampa to escape Winter weather on the Oregon Coast. And also to attend the Florida International Audio Expo! Hello audio friends! It's 70º F with clouds. Tampa locals call this "Winter weather". As Oregonians, it feels like Summer! We love an excuse to come to Florida in February - And the Florida International Audio Expo is the... Read More »
About the fact that what is simple is better than what is complex. But also about the fact that thoughtless simplifying is a mistake. Listening to music should be a simple matter. It is, after all, about one of the basic ways of spending free time that humans have indulged in for a very long... Read More »
A great new listening experience for this well loved performance, perhaps the greatest performance of Mahler's Third Symphony in the catalog. Mahler Symphony No. 3, R. Strauss Death And Transfiguration, Jascha Horenstein LSO, recorded by Jerry Bruck. HDTT 1970 2024 (24/192k 4.0 Surround and Stereo) HERE We all know this famous Horenstein Mahler Third Symphony... Read More »
Montreal, Canada — February 13, 2024 — Focal Naim America, a leading North American importer and distributor of premium consumer and professional electronics brands, has released five new genre-specific HD audio playlists for R&B, Hip Hop/Rap, EDM, and Rock. The playlists are available to Focal HI-FI and Pro Audio dealers, the Press Corps, and current and prospective customers. Whether in a... Read More »
Qobuz Marks Half a Decade in the US Leading Hi-Res Audio Streaming Into the Mainstream With Unbeatable Sound Quality and Commitment to Music Lovers Since Qobuz launched as the US' first Hi-Res streaming and download service on Valentine's Day 2019 – five years ago today – it has presented unbeatable sound quality and commitment to... Read More »
For those of you attending the Florida International Audio Show on February 16-18, 2024, Joe Parvey's House of Stereo is issuing a special invitation. The House of Stereo has a suite of rooms on the 7th floor, with a number of excellent product lines. Please come up and see their multiple show rooms, and hear... Read More »
Tampa, Florida—February 9, 2024—The Florida International Audio Expo takes place Friday–Sunday, February 16–18, 2024, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore hotel. Qobuz returns as the show’s official streaming service. David Solomon, Chief Hi-Res Evangelist for Qobuz USA, will host his famous Flash DJ sessions throughout the show. Attendees will have the opportunity... Read More »
My fascination with and appreciation of Beethoven's work began even before my relatively formal introduction to his vast body of work and influence on Western music which came in junior high school, where I not only had Miss Bloom's music class once a week throughout the 7th, 8th, and 9th grades, but also sat in... Read More »
EF500 and EF499 Put HIFIMAN Design and Performance Within Reach of Music-lovers at Every Level BELLMORE, NY, February 6, 2024 – HIFIMAN, the leader in high fidelity personal audio, today introduced two additions to its growing lineup of high-performance desktop headphone DAC/amplifiers: EF500 and EF499. Both the EF500 and EF499 (SRP: $459 and $299, respectively) bring true audiophile-grade performance to sleek,... Read More »
Buffalo, NY, February 6, 2024 -- Bluebird Music, distributor of high-performance audio products since 2000, is pleased to announce the availability of the new, state-of-the-art Weiss Helios DAC. Weiss Engineering has been a leader in digital audio technology for nearly 40 years; founder Daniel Weiss' contributions to the field were recognized with a Technical GRAMMY in 2021.... Read More »
As I explained many months ago last May in Issue 127, my 2023 show impressions for both AXPONA and Pacific Audio Fest were derailed and terribly delayed by death...family and close friends...disease, and depressive moments. Top it off with too much work and some travel, and, well here I am. But I'm working on finishing... Read More »
