Sensitivity First, I measured the sensitivity of the Audeze CRBN, comparing it to the Stax 007. My headphone measurement instrument is the Mini DSP "Ears," which is far from a standard. However, using my ACO Pacific SPL calibrator, I was able to calibrate the Mini DSP for SPL at 1kHz within about a dB, I... Read More »
E-in-C Robinson photographing at the Kronos factory, Montreal, 2022 (photograph by Bill Parish; image processing by Robinson) If you've been following my comments since last February, you're well aware of the fact that I have been repeatedly stating my extremely pleased astonishment at Louis Desjardins' Discovery Turntable System. So have others in our creative community.... Read More »
The Bruckner symphonies cycle from Jaap van Zweden and the North Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, as recorded by Bert van der Wolf, is a superb accomplishment. It deserves a home in the music libraries of all music lovers—particularly those of us who value Bruckner. Bruckner Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 6, and 8, Jaap van Zweden, The... Read More »
As you probably know, I'm not just a writer and a long-time audiophile (I and my friends call ourselves "HiFi Crazies"), but a manufacturer of High-End audio cables, originally XLO, now RSX. As such, to some of our HiFi brethren, that automatically makes me and anything I might say suspect. They insist—often based more on... Read More »
X2 B is the newest member of our “True Balanced Connection” lineup fostering balanced connection to your phono stage. It is the first turntable in this range to feature a dedicated mini XLR output in addition to standard RCA/ground connections. The new X2 B is fitted with the elegant Sumiko Rainier MM cartridge, factory-mounted and... Read More »
The Pro-Ject X1 B is the newest member of our “True Balanced Connection” lineup fostering balanced connection to your phono stage. It is the first turntable in this range to feature a dedicated mini XLR output in addition to standard RCA/ground connections. The new X1 B is fitted with the elegant Sumiko Rainier MM cartridge,... Read More »
Qobuz and Blue Note Records Launch Global Initiative Exclusive content to be released throughout 2022 Blue Note The Classics Selection on sale now through August 15th: 30% off 200+ albums Qobuz, the music lovers’ high-quality music platform, has teamed up with the esteemed jazz label Blue Note Records for a global content initiative that will... Read More »
Continuing on with our coverage of the Pacific Audio Fest. Songer Audio, Whammerdyne. Images below. Simply stunning products. Clearly "not another black box with a knob" thing. Plus, for another single-driver room, it sounded rather good. Beautiful. Ansuz, Aavik, Børresen, a second room. Images below. Peter Hansen with Alan Kafton doing his best to not... Read More »
Continuing our coverage of the Pacific Audio Fest. Please keep in mind that at any show you are not listening to a speaker, amp, or whatever... but a system in a hotel room playing whatever music that is playing at the time. Whether something you like or don't, something well recorded or not. So yeah.... Read More »
JMF Audio designs handcrafted, state-of-the-art audio components, renowned for their performance, high output power, and natural sound. The quality and performance of the JMF Audio components convinced some of the most prestigious recording studios, from Soundville, (Switzerland), Masterfonics, USA (Tom Hidley’s reference studio), and 2L (Norway) just to name a few, to use JMF Audio... Read More »
Continuing on with our coverage of the Pacific Audio Fest. ModWright, Seattle Hi-Fi, SME, Revel, Cardas Audio. Images below. Pictured below is Dan's new Analog Bridge. It adds a tube quality to any solid-state device. As always, we had a great time catching up with Kristin Vittitoe and Dan Wright. Daedalus Audio, LampizatOr, WyWires, VAC.... Read More »
The inaugural Pacific Audio Fest, July 29 - 30, 2022, in Seattle, Washington was a lot of fun. For many attendees it was the first time out among audio friends since 2019. A good time was had by all, and there seemed to be a fair amount of foot traffic. Dave and I managed to... Read More »
At the 18th High Fidelity Anniversary In the past, before I started to work as a journalist, I heard several times from one of the audio distributors that audio magazines were "leeches" and "parasites." He said it deadly serious and pissed off. Which did not prevent him from partying, having fun, laughing and joking with... Read More »
Hurray for those obsessed by the pursuit of sonic excellence! Octave Records, founded by Paul McGowan of PS Audio, is an exemplar of compulsion for audio excellence in studio recorded music. And they are giving us much to celebrate. Octave Records was founded in 2019 in Boulder, Colorado, as a subsidiary of PS Audio. It... Read More »
Crosszone is a specialized audio company, founded in 2016 in Japan by the Taiwanese company Asia Optical Inc., a manufacturer of lenses and optical systems. It is headed by Mr. Robert Lai, and the first product was the CS-1 headphones. We are testing its latest product, the CS-8A headphones. The headphone selection on the market... Read More »
Five Shades of "Gray" This is an ongoing project by Claude Lemaire of Soundevaluations 196. Gerald Wilson Big Band, Moment of Truth. Pacific Jazz – ST-61-LA549-G (1962), Blue Note Tone Poet Series – B0033487-01 (2022), 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: latin jazz, big band swing, blues, ballads, soul-jazz. Until recently Mississippi-born Gerald Wilson had totally passed under my... Read More »
I can’t imagine that there are too many readers of this journal who will not be familiar with, or at least aware of, the renowned 1981 landmark guitar trio release, Friday Night in San Francisco. Treasured by music lovers and audiophiles alike, jazz author and critic Walter Kolosky has proclaimed it “…the most influential of... Read More »
Parasound’s flagship Halo JC 1+, 450-watt monoblock power amplifiers will be driving KEF’s flagship Blade Meta loudspeakers at the inaugural Pacific Audio Fest being held in Seattle, July 29-31. This prime demo system will be teamed with preamps from Parasound and commensurate quality products from Innuous, Straight Wire, Marantz, and Dr Feickert, supported by Parasound-distributed... Read More »
Some recordings are highlights of our music culture and are loved by generations. Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall, 1961, is such a recording. It is a remarkable tribute to a great artist performing at the top of her game. And, in this newly restored and remastered release from HDTT, it sounds better than it ever... Read More »
Written by Tom Methans While browsing around Steve Guttenberg's The Audiophiliac channel on YouTube, I came across several videos featuring Devon Turnbull, a multi-talented audio engineer and former clothing and graphic designer and graffiti artist, who now runs a small audio company in Brooklyn called Ojas (Devon's original graffiti pen name pronounced with the same "j" as in jazz... Read More »
Qobuz to Sponsor Two New Audio Shows: Pacific Audio Fest, Audio Advice Live Pacific Audio Fest takes place 7/29 - 7/31 in Seattle, Audio Advice Live takes place 8/19 - 8/21 in Raleigh Qobuz, the music lover's go-to Hi-Res music streaming and download platform, will be the official sponsor of two of the summer's biggest... Read More »
STOW, OH, June 15, 2022 — Audio-Technica today announced the introduction of its AT-ART20 Dual Moving Coil Stereo Cartridge, the latest in A-T’s ART Series of high-end phono cartridges. The AT-ART20 utilizes Audio-Technica’s magnetic-core design to achieve extraordinary musical realism. Complementing its superlative vinyl playback performance, the AT-ART20 has a striking, distinctive contoured appearance. “Our goal in creating the new... Read More »
As a reminder to Positive Feedback readers, PF has some very fine content-sharing relationships with a handful of fine audiophile publications. Among this fraternity of online magazines is Copper Magazine, the journal of PS Audio, Paul McGowan's audiophile company. Frank Doris is the current Editor there, and is a good friend, respected due to his many years in... Read More »
With set screw and solder contacts … “I salute Furutech’s engineers for the grind of overhauling the legacy XLR plug and endowing it with their proprietary Nano Crystal² Formula. Isn’t it amazing that solely for our playback entertainment, their engineers would labour over creating a better connector? I do believe that they did just that, exactly.... Read More »
Gasoline Lollipops combine an open, acoustically-based sound with ferocious electric playing on this DSD and SACD premium gold disc set Boulder, Colorado, July 22, 2022 – Octave Records has released Nightmares by country-Americana-rock band Gasoline Lollipops, a record that weaves roots music influences, intimate confessional songwriting and the raw power of rock and roll into a deeply moving album.... Read More »
Eric Vloeimans' music-making has captured me. I admit it happily. His innovative, cheerful explorations are refreshing, fun, interesting, and challenging, all at a go. No ruts here, no plodding along roads well-traveled by others. Listening to one of his albums is like finding fresh horizons. Oliver's Cinema, Eric Vloeimans, Tuur Florizoone, Jörg Brinkmann. Buzz, Northstar... Read More »
Dirk Sommer, Birgit Hammer (photography). This review is quite unusual: Audioquest's "LowZ/Noise-Dissipation" mains power technology, implemented in cables and power conditioners, which has recently received the Statement in High Fidelity award, has to show in the CSM mastering studio whether it has there just as positive an influence on the sound as in a HiFi... Read More »
The New Name Establishes Brand Cohesion, Aligning the Distribution Business of McIntosh Group MAPLE GROVE, MN (JULY 18, 2022) -- McIntosh Group Inc. is proud to announce a change in brand name of its US Distributor, Sumiko Audio, to Fine Sounds Americas. The name change is a rebranding effort designed to mirror the growth and... Read More »
Wednesday, July 20th, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern The Audiophile Society will conduct this meeting anywhere you want to be. Please join us this month for an enlightening presentation by Norman Varney that we’re calling, “Noise and Vibration from an Audiophile’s Perspective.” Mr. Varney is the Principal Consultant for A/V RoomService, Ltd. Prior to AVRS... Read More »
Ye Olde Editor, 2022: a portrait in Ink Outline (photograph by John Robinson; image processing by Ye Olde himself). A Study in Synergy There's that word again. As defined online by Oxford Languages, synergy is "the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater... Read More »
In the mid-seventies, Al Di Meola was a young, hotshot jazz fusion guitarist with Chick Corea and Return to Forever. But he'd also developed a deep understanding of Latin music, and had a special love for flamenco guitar. During a European tour with RTF, Di Meola heard of a legendary Spanish flamenco guitarist, Paco De... Read More »
Saturday Night In San Francisco, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Paco DeLucia (IMPEX Records - 33 RPM) This is an outstanding release that should be a strong consideration for all vinyl fans and record collectors—regardless of your favorite genre! From a performance, recording and production perspective, when you put together a team from IMPEX Records,... Read More »
Greetings friends, I hope you are doing well! Today's article is about the new Audio Note (UK) Meishu Phono Silver Tonmeister 300B single-ended-triode (SET) integrated amplifier (MSRP $19,300.00 USD, website link HERE). Long time readers know I have a special fondness for high-performance integrated amplifiers, as they represent what I consider to be the value... Read More »
By Harold Tichenor Harold Tichenor: a portrait. (Photograph by Matt Tichenor.) I encountered Harold Tichenor recently, while looking for a particular box set of the complete Solti Wagner Ring on Decca [recorded in 1958-1959] and issued in 1970, over at discogs.com. Since that time, we have gotten to know each other a bit, and I... Read More »
Qobuz Partners with International Anthem for Public Records (BK) Show Series + Exclusive Live Releases Next showcase will be July 16th: Anteloper + HXH Poster created by Mark Rice Qobuz, the music lovers’ Hi-Res streaming and download platform, is partnering with the Chicago-based independent record label International Anthem for a curated series of four album... Read More »
Hendrik Andriessen (1892-1981) is not so nearly as well known outside his home country of The Netherlands as he should be. His was a towering musical intellect, ever inventive, ever challenging. These chamber works composed early his career (in the 1930s) are a treasure. Hendrik Andriessen Works for Cello, Violin & Piano, Amsterdam Bridge Ensemble.... Read More »
Experience the Purity of Sound and Song from Italy's Hidden Gem Coming August 12th, 2022 Argentinian-born and Italy based vocalist and violist de gamba Luciana Elizondo partners with The Audiophile Society on her latest release, Cantos De Amor Y De Ausencia (Songs of Love and Absence). One of the premier viol players in the world, Luciana has played... Read More »
