RADAR – Random Access Digital Audio Recorder. The first fully functional HDD non-linear recording system Or how album recorded using RADAR sound like DIGITAL SOUND RECORDING – method of preserving sound in which audio signals are transformed into a series of pulses that correspond to patterns of binary digits (i.e., 0's and 1's) and are... Read More »
Dan Zimmerman: a portrait of an artist and musician. Happy Valley, 2019. (Photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) Why was it so easy to stare at the tube? Maybe it's because normal life felt like it was too much, felt like it kept adding something to the mix before you could adapt to... Read More »
Music Lovers' Platform of Choice Celebrates Third Anniversary on February 14th February 10th, 2022 - Qobuz, the certified Hi-Res music streaming and download platform, is celebrating three years in the US. Since its debut in the states on Valentine's Day 2019, Qobuz has led the field with best-in-class sound and premium features - digital liner... Read More »
February 09, 2022 – Succasunna, New Jersey. Orchard Audio, LLC (www.orchardaudio.com) is proud to announce the release of PecanPi DAC, Streamer, and Streamer Ultra Rev 3.0. The major update for rev 3.0 devices is the addition of a S/PDIF (coax) input. The rev 3.0 devices also use lower noise linear regulators and give customers the... Read More »
The New MA9500 and MA8950 Offer Additional Performance Benefits (Binghamton, NY) February 9, 2022 – McIntosh is proud to unveil its MA9500 and MA8950 Integrated Amplifiers, which replace the award-winning MA9000 and MA8900 and add performance enhancements to these already outstanding products. Dynamic headroom has been increased on both new models by over 50% thanks... Read More »
Celebrate! Raise joyful noises in the streets because Jared Sacks has released another wonderful album recorded in DSD256. And superb, indeed, is the sound quality of this release. Mozart & Beethoven: Wind Octets, MIB Wind Ensemble. Channel Classics. 2022 (DSD256) HERE I am always mindful that wind instruments seem most difficult to capture accurately in... Read More »
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, narrated by Bob Attiyeh. Yarlung Records 2022 [DSD256 PureDSD] HERE What a wonderful, over-the-top, project. Yes, Toad would be proud. I grew up with The Wind in the Willows and now have the perfect way to share it with my grandchildren, ages 7 and 9. They’ve listened... Read More »
There are few more beloved classical songs than Schubert's Wintereisse. It is a true joy to hear a new performance that brings such a direct, unaffected, but deeply emotional performance as this new contribution by baritone Michael Wilmering and pianist Daan Boertien. In superb sonics from TRPTK as yet a further gift. Schubert Wintereisse, Michael... Read More »
Melco Audio has launched a new range-topping digital music library, the N10/2. The new two-box flagship is the best-performing Melco music library in the company’s history. The N10/2 is available in two distinct storage type variants: an HDD version (N10/2-H50, £6,999) plus an SSD version (N10/2-S38, £8,999). The HDD version is a direct replacement for the original... Read More »
175+ Listening Rooms, 500 Hi-Fi Audio Brands, Educational Seminars and Live Musical Performance by Toronzo Cannon SCHAUMBURG, IL (February 3, 2022) - - Calling all audiophiles, music lovers, vinyl collectors, audio engineers and musicians, AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) will open April 22-24 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center offering attendees three jam-packed... Read More »
Tampa, Florida—February 2022—Just a few weeks away, the third annual Florida Audio Expo is happening February 18–20, 2022 (Friday–Sunday), at the newly refurbished Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore hotel. The Expo will partner with Barbaric Nightmare Productions to host their new documentary, The New Audiophiles. “This documentary will show not only how our love... Read More »
Kent, England, 31st January 2022: Chord Electronics has launched Mojo 2, the replacement for the genre-defining original portable DAC/headphone amplifier. Almost seven years after Chord Electronics created the high-end portable DAC genre, the company’s long-standing digital design consultant, Rob Watts, has revisited, reimagined and reengineered the award-winning original with ground-breaking, world-first technology. The new Mojo 2... Read More »
Lewis Layton is among that small pantheon of engineering greats who made the golden age of stereo such a wonderful period. I've long admired his work for RCA. Many of his recordings are among the greatest classical music recordings ever made. High Definition Tape Transfers carries a great number of them. It's time to take... Read More »
FYI, Roger Skoff is the founder and President of RSX Technologies, and the former founder and President of XLO Cables, a name well known to many. He knows whereof he speaks…. Michael Riley (known to his friends as just "Riley"), was one of my co-writers in the early days at Sounds Like...Magazine, the first audio... Read More »
Features Topology Diaphragm for Outstanding High Frequency Response The Company’s second Closed-Back Dynamic Driver Headphone Includes Super-Comfortable Earcups for Hours of Listening Pleasure BELLMORE, NY, January 27, 2022 – HIFIMAN, the leader in high fidelity personal audio, is now shipping a new closed-back dynamic driver headphone with a specially designed lightweight earcup for hours of listening comfort.... Read More »
Cary Audio is pleased to introduce the expanded DMS line up. While the DMS-700 continues to be our core DMS product, we wanted to add additional products to the line to meet various needs and desires of customers. As a result, our DMS family now includes the DMS-650, DMS-700, and DMS-800 Professional Version (PV). The... Read More »
Wright is pleased to present Sublime Sound: Vintage Audio Design from the Collection of Larry & Carol Dupon in tandem with American Design Online, an auction to be held February 25, 2022. Audiophiles Larry and Carol Dupon's thoughtfully amassed this incredible selection of vintage and highly desirable audio components over decades, and a collection of this caliber... Read More »
Oh my, oh my, indeed. This is a great transfer from analog tape to DSD256 from HDTT, released this past week. If you love classic jazz, you owe it to yourself to hear this transfer. It is simply outstanding. Somethin' Else, Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Sam Jones, Art Blakey. HDTT in Pure DSD256.... 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,... Read More »
I have been awestruck by the musicianship of veteran Spanish pianist Josep Colom since I first heard one his recordings three years ago. He is truly magical. Always playing with deep sensitivity, but with an intellect's assessment of what is going on with the music. Whether Bach or Chopin or Mozart or Liszt or Beethoven... Read More »
When Bob Atiyeh sounds excited about some sonic improvement he's achieved, I pay attention. In this case it is Bob's announcement of a 15th Anniversary remastering of the famous Antonio Lysy At the Broad: Music From Argentina, a recording that has received rave reviews since its release on vinyl in 2010 and as an EP... Read More »
Kenneth Wilkinson, Kingsway Hall, and the Decca Tree—it all adds up to Audiophile Quality Big Band sound. I'm delighted to find yet another Kenneth Wilkinson recording to savor, this time in a luscious big band jazz recording that surprised me to find again. Leave it to Bob Witrak at High Definition Tape Transfers to uncover... Read More »
Live recordings from the 1958 and 1963 Newport Jazz Festivals are legendary. Other years are also amazing, but its 1958 and 1963 in which I've been living recently. Louis Armstrong, Teddy Wilson, Marian McPartland, Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Coleman Hawkins, Clark Terry—oh, my! And in high resolution. This is sinful goodness, and I'm just loving... Read More »
The New AS125 and AS901 Provide a Proper Foundation for McIntosh Products Binghamton, NY – January 19, 2022 – McIntosh, the global leader in prestigious home entertainment and ultimate-quality audio for over 70 years, is proud to unveil its new AS125 and AS901 Amplifier Stands. The AS125 is ideally suited to be used with a... Read More »
The first with LUXMAN Integrated Feedback Engine System (LIFES1.0) BALLSTON SPA, New York, January 2022 – An uncompromising new power amplifier from Luxman, the M-10X embodies advanced design methods to combine sonic nuance with formidable power. The M-10X replaces the classic M-900u of 2013 and joins the acclaimed D-10X digital player as flagship models that... Read More »
The recordings by Ars Antiqua Austria continue to provide a rich treasure of musical enjoyment in our home. I group these next three recordings for no excellent musicology rationale, but simply because I enjoy the comparison of the all-instrumental works from a small rather hermetically sealed court (Graupner) and those with voice (Mayr) from a... Read More »
Ye Olde Editor in contemplation, pipe in hand, Happy Valley (portrait by John Robinson; image processing by David W. Robinson) Wolf Audio's Alpha 3SX with its iPhone-based control interface Time to say it again: we are in the golden age of high-end audio. I cannot think of a single category of "performance audio" that isn't... Read More »
As I continue exploring the recordings by Ars Antiqua Austria, I am delighted by the richness of instrumentation brought to the works they've chosen to play. These performances are a sumptuous feast of timbre, harmony and dynamics, coupled with superb musicianship. All complemented by glorious sonics. Today, our discussion turns to their recordings of works... Read More »
The CA1000 Is the Latest Device in Astell&Kern’s Line of Desktop/Home Audio Products Astell&Kern, a global leader in hi-resolution audio products and accessories, expands the ACRO desktop/home audio product line with the release of their first carriable headphone amplifier, the ACRO CA1000. The CA1000 will be available Monday, January 24th for $2,199 at authorized Astell&Kern dealers in the... Read More »
Edition XS Improves Upon Original Edition X with New Stealth Magnet Technology and NEO “Supernano” Diaphragm BELLMORE, NY, January 12, 2022 – HIFIMAN, a leader in high fidelity personal audio, today announced the availability of a long-anticipated update of one of its most popular headphones. Beginning this month, the Edition XS (SRP: $499) is available through select dealers and online... Read More »
(January 14, 2022) Enjoy the Music.com, high-end audio's celebrated online site for over 26 years and a leader in providing industry news, gear reviews, and show reports are pleased to announce that we're sponsoring Florida Audio Expo's Industry Happy Hour during their 2022 event in Tampa. Exhibitors and members of the press are invited to join... Read More »
Upgraded MKII Audio Circuits and Components Deliver a Higher Level of Acoustic Performance Tokyo, Japan (January 13, 2022) - Rotel is pleased to introduce the A12MKII, CD14MKII and RCD-1572MKII models, following the highly successful launch of the A14MKII, RA-1572MKII, RA-1592MKII, RC-1572MKII and RC-1590MKII models as the brand continues to launch upgraded models timed to its... Read More »
The fine artistry of Ars Antiqua Austria illustrates the excellence of historically informed performance practice today. Fifty years ago, one would search in vain for this kind of performance quality. Today AAA demonstrates "top of the pile" standards for performance on period instruments. And they've been doing it since 1989. Franz Joseph Aumann, Chamber Music... Read More »
Fozgometer V2 $400 Introducing our Fozgometer V2 azimuth range meter, the unique tool to optimize phono cartridge azimuth for the best sound from your HiFi system. To achieve the best performance, your phono cartridge’s azimuth must be calibrated. Today’s Line Contact and Micro Line styli have a very small groove contact area as compared to... Read More »
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, Ode Records – UD1S-030, Limited Edition, SuperVinyl, Box Set (adv. 2021, Dec. official 2022, Jan.), advanced promo #P004 of 10 000. Originally released on Ode Records – ODE SP 77009 (1971, Feb.) Ratings Global Appreciation: 9.6 - Music: A (9.4) - Recording: 9 - Remastering + Lacquer Cutting: 9.8 - Pressing: 9.8... Read More »
Sofia Gubaidulina, Three Orchestral Works. Vadim Repin, violin. Gewandhaus Orchestra, Andris Nelsons, conductor, DGG 486-1457. Andris Nelsons and ninety-one year old Russian modernist composer Sofia Gubaidulina go back a long way and they are paired here as they are frequently. She is a major voice in the contemporary music world without whom it is hard... Read More »
Wayne Coyne, leader of Grammy award-winning American rock music icons The Flaming Lips is partnering with music streaming and download platform Qobuz to spread the word about its unique offerings and pioneering studio audio quality. As a creator of infinitely complex musical productions, and as a fan of the high-quality presentation Qobuz provides his work,... Read More »
