Stand Up! Jerome Sabbagh, Ben Monder, Joe Martin, Nasheet Waits. Analog Tone Factory 2025 2026 (Pure DSD256, Stereo) HERE When tenor saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh released Stand Up! on vinyl and open reel last year, I remember thinking, I hope he gives us a Pure DSD256 transfer from that half-inch 30ips master tape. Now he has!... Read More »
This article by Carol Clark originally ran in 2016, 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. I know, Carol when are you going to give the perfect song idea a rest?... Read More »
This Interview ran in 2013 Jürgen Saile Mr. Hirt, Ayon is well established internationally. Can you tell us something about the development of the company? Gerhard Hirt When we built our first tube amplifiers in 1993, they were only intended for our home market here in Austria. Over the intervening years the amplifiers spread beyond... Read More »
For those readers new to this column, please read the introductory comments in Part one HERE. One thing you probably will notice as this series progresses is the preponderance of used records listed. Of course some of those are used copies to replace records I've previously owned that were stolen, but quite honestly, the bulk... Read More »
A time for downsizing may come in your life, as it did in mine. If you've spent decades enjoying vinyl, you may find yourself staring at shelves upon shelves of records that, sooner or later, will need to find a new home. In my case, that meant more than 8000 LPs. When we moved to... Read More »
Audio Technology Switzerland SA Introduces the Nagra Compact Player Romanel-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland - February 25, 2026 — There are certain names in audio that carry more than technical meaning. They carry emotion, heritage, and the promise of musical truth. For decades, Nagra has been one of those names – synonymous with Swiss precision and a uniquely... Read More »
HDTT continues to release recordings of historical significance that are treasures to hear once again, and all in excellent sound quality. We have five classical recordings that deserve a place in every classical music collection. And three jazz recordings of interest, with the Sonny Stitt and Paul Gonsalves album, Salt and Pepper, beyond outstanding. Enjoy.... Read More »
Over the years I've freely admitted to being something of a sound nut. I revel in recordings that feel transparent, timbrally truthful, and utterly convincing in their portrayal of natural acoustic space. For me, the deepest listening pleasure comes from acoustic instruments captured in real environments, without artifice. With that in mind, I'm delighted to... Read More »
Intervention Records has just announced their Intervention Sun Records Hi-Fi Series, which will offer deluxe 180 gram, 45 rpm mono LP editions of classic Sun Records albums. The series has kicked off with Dance Album of Carl Perkins, the iconic guitarist's 1957 compilation album that not only commemorates the 70th anniversary of his classic hit... Read More »
The highly anticipated follow-up to the award-winning TH1 brings true two-channel system architecture into a wearable form. San Diego, California — February 16, 2026 — In a market dominated by system-on-chip headphone designs, écoute launches the first wearable built on the gold-standard architecture of a true two-channel hi-fi system. Most headphones collapse amplification, channel separation,... Read More »
The wait is finally over. We are thrilled to announce a historic milestone in high-fidelity audio: LUXMAN is returning to its roots with the launch of the L-100 CENTENNIAL pure Class-A integrated amplifier. For years, the audiophile community has anticipated Luxman’s return to the “Pure Class-A” designation. As a centerpiece of their 100th-anniversary celebration, the... Read More »
Impex Records has just released incomparable guitarist and jazz fusion legend John McLaughlin's latest recording, Music For Abandoned Heights. It's an album that hearkens back to not only his classic early recordings, but continues to build on a legacy of remarkable fretwork that spans a half-century of thrilling and often groundbreaking performances. Music for Abandoned... Read More »
Greetings friends, I hope you are well. When Positive Feedback Editor-in-Chief Dr. David Robinson asked me if I'd like to review the Gold Note DS-10 EVO streaming DAC along with its optional PSU-10 EVO power supply, I wasn't really sure what I would be getting into, as I've had minimal experience with streaming DACs, and... Read More »
Every now and then I discover an album that changes the course of my musical journey. Don't Fence Me In: Western Music's Early Golden Era (Ronder CD 1102), a CD that I found in the late-nineties, is one such title. My favorite music is sixties rock, followed closely by classical music, but in 2008 I... Read More »
A flagship loudspeaker defining a new reference in ultra high-end audio Audio Group Denmark proudly announces the Børresen M8 Gold Signature, a flagship loudspeaker created to define a new reference in ultra high-end sound reproduction. Designed and handcrafted in Denmark, the M8 Gold Signature represents the most advanced and uncompromising expression of Michael Børresen’s loudspeaker... Read More »
I admit to getting utmost pleasure from the outstanding releases Bob Witrak continues providing to us via his High Definition Tape Transfers catalog. As I've said before, his extensive offerings are like wandering into a treasure room filled with some of the greatest classical and jazz albums ever released. I'm delighted to have these opportunities... Read More »
Kickstarter Early Reservation Campaign Launches February 11 at 2:00 PM EST écoute audio unveiled the highly anticipated TH2—the successor to its award-winning TH1 vacuum tube headphones—at CanJam Dubai. The company has confirmed that a limited number of pre-production units will be available through a Kickstarter campaign launching February 11 at 2:00 PM EST. The campaign... Read More »
– New subwoofer features a custom high-excursion woofer, built-in amplification and versatile DSP room correction technology – Boulder, Colorado, February 9, 2026 – PS Audio announces the introduction of its Foundry F12 subwoofer, the company’s first ever subwoofer. The Foundry F12 is a ground-up design featuring a high-excursion 12-inch woofer, 1,000 watts of built-in amplification, and... Read More »
Gary Gill has produced one of my favorite audio shows yet again in a beautiful section of Rockville, Maryland. And by beautiful, I mean they have a really cool Porsche dealership within short walking distance. I think what makes the show so exciting is that it draws in a lot of big and small name... Read More »
Bassist Seth Lewis and friends lay it down with a funky nod to the Meters, Sly and the Family Stone, Dr. John and more, with rockin’ high-res sound – Boulder, Colorado, February 2, 2026 – It’s time to get up and groove! Octave Records’ latest, Take a Look Around from bassist Seth Lewis, is an R&B-rockin’-jazz-influenced... Read More »
Image courtesy of Acoustic Sounds Here's the trailer for Part 2 of Hyperion Knight's free Hillsdale College online course on the history of classical music. The trailer for Part 1, Pythagoras through Beethoven, has had 327,000 views. (See here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKSc8NL9ZBk) I want to stress that you can sign up for the course and watch... Read More »
Please be patient as I share some personal backstory. When I was a kid, our family had certain traditions for Christmas week that were lovingly established and then re-enforced by my father every year. He and my mother seemed to enjoy them as much or more than the seven kids. These traditions have carried on... Read More »
For those readers new to this column, please read the introductory comments in Part 1 HERE. As I mentioned in previous parts of this series, many times in my articles and reviews, and probably to everyone I've ever talked to about records or audio, I had a bunch of records stolen at some point in... Read More »
Ye Olde Editor, near Masada and the Dead Sea, Israel, 2022 (Photograph by John Robinson) Those of you who have been following my writing and reviewing over the years know that I've been following the audio career of Kevin Malmgren of Evolution Acoustics from very near the beginning. Via our mutual, and lamented close friend, Jonathan Tinn... Read More »
HIGH RES-AUDIO becomes the third integrated streaming service in JPLAY (after TIDAL and Qobuz), bringing lossless audio up to 24-bit/192 kHz, curated discovery, and access to HIGH RES-AUDIO VirtualVault to stream all purchased albums without a HIGH RES-AUDIO subscription. JPLAY today announced integration of HIGH RES-AUDIO (HRA), expanding JPLAY's in-app streaming lineup to three services:... Read More »
Montreal, Canada — December 2, 2025 — Focal Naim America, a leading North American importer and distributor of premium consumer and professional audio brands, has released the Mixed on Focal #7 playlist of 30 songs with almost two hours of music from a host of mix engineers using Focal Professional monitors. The playlists are available today to Focal Hi-Fi and... Read More »
Roger Skoff writes about why throwing money at, it isn't always the best way to solve a problem Many years ago, when I was just starting XLO, a top (and very wealthy) American neurosurgeon with a state‑of‑the‑art, viciously expensive system (actually, three of them, but we'll only be talking here about the one in his... Read More »
In this issue, we have some exquisite new albums at NativeDSD, led by a new Pure DSD256 release from Cobra Records with a fascinating program for solo piano. And two new releases from the creative artists partnering with Brendon Heinst at TRPTK, and more. I hope you will find something to further explore. Flowers We... Read More »
The launch blends Japanese craftsmanship and American design for uncompromising analog performance MAPLE GROVE, MN (January 28, 2026) – Sumiko, a leader in analog audio innovation, today announced the launch of the Oriole Phono Cartridge, a new benchmark in high-performance sound positioned between the company’s acclaimed Songbird and Starling models. Crafted in Japan, the Oriole Phono Cartridge delivers elevated musical detail and dynamic accuracy through a... Read More »
A new chapter rooted in legacy, precision and musical truth Romanel, Switzerland – 26 January 2026 Audio Technology Switzerland, the Swiss reference in professional and high-end audio electronics, announces the launch of Series II, a new product family that bridges the gap between its Classic and HD ranges. The first model in this new line,... Read More »
"The album was meticulously recorded with the best technology of its day and has always sounded good, but it has never sounded this good on vinyl," wrote Jeff Elbel of Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs Ultra Disc One-Step reissue of Stevie Nicks' Bella Donna record. "This prestige-format release benefits from the label's best mastering and highest-tier pressing process.... Read More »
Preamplifier – "Yes" or "no"? The 152nd meeting of the Krakow Sonic Society was devoted to a problem faced by many audiophiles—at some stage, almost all of them. It concerns the line preamplifier. Is it necessary or not? Does it improve the sound or degrades its quality? And above all, is it worth paying so... Read More »
Photo credit Bricasti Design. Bricasti Design, Ltd. was founded as a pro-audio company, specializing in reverberation units. Bricasti's principals formerly worked at Lexicon, which, at the time, was a Harmon International subsidiary. Reverbs are used not only in the recording process. Reverbs are also used in live-performance PA systems. Example, singer/guitarist John Mayer, when he... Read More »
Yes, you know by now that I keep track of Bert van der Wolf's recording projects. I've been holding my reviews of the two releases below because I keep hoping to add yet a third release along with them—wishfully the first release from Bert's new High Street Studio recording studio, HERE. But, alas, while Bert's... Read More »
Building on flagship SVS 17-Ultra R|Evolution Series technologies that reshaped the industry, the 3000 R|Evolution is the sweet spot of SVS subwoofers, delivering unrivaled output, extension, and transient response, setting all benchmarks for performance in its class and well beyond. Youngstown, OH – January 20, 2026 - SVS, a leading manufacturer of high-performance home audio... Read More »
One of my all-time favorite violinists is Arturo Delmoni, who has recorded far too infrequently. Here we have an opportunity to hear him performing in a superb reissue of his recording Music for Violin and Guitar. Originally released by Athena Records in 1993, this reissue is a significant sonic improvement over the original CD-only version... Read More »
Greetings friends, I hope you are well! Imagine with me for a moment that Blue Note Records set up a special concert event at Jazz Alley in Seattle featuring a premier jazz artist. The concert would be recorded directly to 2-track tape in real time, in front of the live audience, by Blue Note's crack... Read More »
