Roger Kynard "Roky" Erickson was, if nothing else, a Texas original. As founder of Austin's Thirteenth Floor Elevators, he was on the cutting edge of the first wave of psychedelia when the band's most noteworthy song, "You're Gonna Miss Me" ascended from a regional hit to crack the national charts in early 1966. One month... Read More »
Good News, Bad News... Good News! Like many of our exhibitors, we watch the news each day with bated breath. Some days it seems like our country is on the right path with more people getting vaccinated, and our spirits soar. Maybe we'll get a handle on COVID and the Delta variant, and life will... Read More »
AUGUST 2021: Attendees of the Hong Kong High End Audio Visual Show were the first to view Nordost’s innovative new Supreme Reference line, Odin Gold. Odin Gold achieves the unthinkable, eclipsing Odin 2. While Odin 2 will continue to remain available as a beacon of audio prowess throughout the industry, Odin Gold is now taking... Read More »
Something in my father came from somewhere else. Not knowing what it was or where it came from, I just watched and marveled. I really wanted to hang out with him, but he was the minister of a large church and I always had to wait my turn. He was usually busy caring for others... Read More »
Tampa, Florida—August 2021—Tampa’s finest audio extravaganza is back for 2022! 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 show will host the industry’s finest brands in more than 70 exhibit rooms, as well as in a new Marketplace... Read More »
I wasn't raised from birth to be a jazz-hound; that came about as a happy accident of Reaganomics, where I suddenly found myself out of a job and ended up working again in 1990 in the commercial print industry. Where I spent the next seven years in a 1940's era bunker of a building that... Read More »
There's been a vast amount written about what an audiophile is. (Personally, I and my friends have always preferred the term "HiFi Crazies," which, at least to us, seems more accurate and less pretentious.) Audiophiles—depending on who's writing, where, and when—have been described as everything or every combination of things from music lovers to equipment... Read More »
OCTOBER 29-31, 2021 TO CHICAGO-AREA Audiophiles and Music Lovers will convene for three days of exploring and shopping New Gear, Live Musical Performances, and Educational Seminars WHAT: AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) returns October 29-31 to the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center for its 11th anniversary. This must attend event for audiophiles, music lovers and manufacturers... Read More »
Orange, CA July 20th, 2021 – ELAC, a leading global provider of high-performance speakers and electronics, today announced the Solano line of premium home speakers. These new models are the perfect solution for the 2-channel enthusiast or the home theater connoisseur. Our new Solano series brings the performance benefits of our iconic JET5 tweeter and... Read More »
DS Audio elevates the sound of vinyl playback with their latest optical cartridge set. This pure analog playback system implements the new “dual-mono” generator from their flagship Grand Master cartridge, resulting in enhanced clarity, improved imaging, and greater musical involvement. DS Audio DS 003 Optical Cartridge Set: $6,000 includes the 003 optical cartridge and... Read More »
Harry Nilsson, Nilsson Schmilsson. Mobile Fidelity Originally released on RCA in 1971, this is a title that deserved an audiophile reissue long ago. Considered by many as the "American Beatle" (an opinion also shared by the Beatles), Nilsson was an innovative if not highly charged song writer and singer in the midst of many talented... Read More »
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, JULY 28, 2021 — Wireworld Cable Technology, one of the world's most respected brands of high-performance audio and video cables, announces the release of the Platinum Starlight 8 USB audio cable. This third-generation flagship USB2.0 cable features carbon fiber plugs and five termination options, including the latest Type C connectors. Following the... Read More »
That's one small step for MoFi, one giant leap for mankind. Yes, Fragile. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, Atlantic – UD1S 2-012, Limited Edition, SuperVinyl, Box Set (2019, Dec.), # 4164 of 7500. Originally released on Atlantic, 2401019 (1971, Nov.) Ratings Global Appreciation: 9.7 Music: A+ (9.9) Recording: 9.5 Remastering + Lacquer Cutting: 9.6 Pressing: 9.9 Packaging: Deluxe... Read More »
The Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society takes enormous pleasure in announcing the launch of AudioConLA, a world-class international high-end audio show organized under the direction of Sarah Tremblay and Michel Plante, the successful duo behind Montreal Audiofest and Toronto Audiofest. With its many convenient airports and large population — greater Los Angeles is the most populous region in... Read More »
My highlight of 2019 was visiting with Peter Qvortrup (below) and the Audio Note (UK) 'family' in Brighton, England. Meeting Peter Qvortrup, Daniel Qvortrup (Peter's son, below), Andy Grove, and Darko Greguras was a real treat. Peter and Daniel walked me through the Audio Note (UK) operation, and told me about some of the exciting... Read More »
Arlester "Dyke" Christian—along with James Brown—was almost singularly responsible for the infusion of Sixties funk and soul into rap music in the late 1980s. Yet ask the average man on the street about Dyke & the Blazers, and you'll generally be greeted with a blank stare in response. One of Dyke's biggest hits, "Let a... Read More »
Bach Sonatas and Partitas, Augustin Hadelich, violin. Warner Classics, 0190295048747. 2 CDs. A musician alone with his violin. No audience in sight. Or in mind. Some will consider these performances self-indulgent, a young maverick who hasn't earned the right to take this music to himself. Not me. I have enjoyed Hadelich's Ligetti (live), Adès, Sibelius,... Read More »
A key chipset upgrade for Shawline HDMI brings 48 Gbps performance for AV lovers, gamers and more 16th July 2020, Wiltshire, England: Chord Company has upgraded one of its best-loved HDMI cables, Shawline HDMI, to 48 Gbps performance, giving super-fast transfer rates from advanced HDMI chipsets. The new Shawline HDMI AOC 21 (Active Optical Cable) uses a high-quality... Read More »
Sumiko Introduces the Newest Addition to the Debut Series from Pro-Ject Audio Systems MAPLE GROVE, MN (July 15, 2021) - Sumiko and Pro-Ject USA are proud to announce the new Debut PRO Turntable from Pro-Ject Audio Systems. The original Pro-Ject 1 and its successor, the Debut series, revolutionized the music listening experience while reinvigorating... Read More »
Nesconset, NY — June 8, 2021: Following up the springtime debut of the Hypsos hybrid linear/switching PSU, Ferrum is continuing its mission of creating category-defining audio products with the introduction of the Oor headphone amplifier. The Polish design firm HEM, parent company of the Ferrum brand, has years of experience quietly masterminding high-performing electronics... Read More »
In San Francisco, Set for Oct. 16th & 17th San Francisco, CA July 14, 2021 — An expanded Burning Amp Festival 2021 returns after a year of Covid lockdown, October 16th & 17th at Fort Mason Center on the bay in San Francisco. This will be the 13th Burning Amp, which has since 2007 provided a forum for Do-It-Yourselfers... Read More »
MAPLE GROVE, MN (July 15, 2021) - Sumiko and Pro-Ject USA are proud to announce the new Debut PRO Turntable from Pro-Ject Audio Systems. The original Pro-Ject 1 and its successor, the Debut series, revolutionized the music listening experience while reinvigorating a passion for analog playback – a turning point for the industry. Pro-Ject continues... Read More »
DIY Audio’s Premiere International Festival Held Annually in San Francisco, Set for Oct. 16th & 17th FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS CONTACT: Bryan Stanton [email protected] San Francisco, CA July 14, 2021 — An expanded Burning Amp Festival 2021 returns after a year of Covid lockdown, October 16th & 17th at Fort Mason Center on the bay in... Read More »
Parasound Taking the Audio-Show Plunge at RMAF Finally, the first public demonstration of the John Curl-designed Parasound Halo JC 1+ 450-watt Monoblock Amplifier. SAN FRANCISCO (July 12, 2021) – When Parasound introduced and first started shipping its flagship Parasound Halo JC 1+ 450-watt monoblock power amplifier in early 2020, they were looking forward to... Read More »
The New York Brands are Thrilled to Guide Music Makers and Lovers to Find Their Sound in a World Full of Noise JULY 13, 2021 (NEW YORK, NY) – McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. and CONVICTS have teamed up to launch “Voice of Sound,” a new short film that celebrates the history of sound and music, voiced... Read More »
Roger Skoff is the former CEO and Lead Designer of XLO, and the current Chief Honcho and Lead Designer of RSX Technologies. Full disclosure = no conflict of interest, eh? The views expressed here are Roger's own...but they happen to be ones that I would agree with. You might, too, eh? And if not, la... Read More »
As I said before, besides being conscious that I was a separate entity, I learned that I was also a mobile unit. I could walk around, touching many interesting things. My fingers were amazing appendages. They were instruments of discovery. I was continually surprised by all the wonderful things I could do with my hands,... Read More »
The Family-Owned Japanese Brand Commemorates 60 Years of Innovation in the Hifi Audio Business Tokyo, Japan (July 8, 2021). Rotel has achieved global acclaim and recognition for performance and value since Mr. Tomoki Tachikawa launched the brand in Tokyo, Japan in 1961. For the past 60 years, generations of audio enthusiasts, music lovers, artists and... Read More »
Paris, Hilary Hahn (violin); Radio France Philharmonic/Mikko Franck. DG 00289 483 9847 (CD). TT: 52.51. CHAUSSON: Poème. PROKOFIEV: Violin Concerto No. 1 in D. RAUTAVAARA: Deux sérénades. The chief interest here lies in Einojuhari Rautavaara's Deux sérénades, adapted for Hilary Hahn from his opera The House of the Sun; when the composer died in mid-project, his onetime student... Read More »
Melco’s latest firmware brings a world of Qobuz high-res music for direct download and playback 6th July 2021, Surrey, UK: Melco Audio has released new firmware bringing Qobuz Downloader to its current range of EX Series (and EX-updated) music libraries. Available from today, the new firmware version 4.20 brings even more exciting features to Melco digital music libraries,... Read More »
INITIO 3, like OPTIMO 3 DUO, delivers life-like natural sound. Designed and fine-tuned with only the highest audio quality in mind, INITIO 3 will greatly improve sonic performance of JCAT USB & NET cards or any other low-current audio component requiring up to 3A. Based on JCAT’s flagship OPTIMO 3 DUO PSU design, INITIO 3 comes with two DC... Read More »
Dan Zimmerman, an artist with Positive Feedback, has been developing a new book on creativity and the inner, spiritual life of the artist. The subtitle of PF, you may recall, is "A Creative Forum for the Audio Arts." Music and the audio arts are only domains within this larger world of creative work. Therefore I... Read More »
I know, I know…I promised y'all I was gonna present Part III of the Grant Green story to you from last issue. But there's something I just gotta tell you about, and it can't wait. Reason is, it's a timely issue—one of the legends is hanging up his spurs, and this is my tribute to... Read More »
This article, as reviewed by Victor Chavira and Jim Grudzien originally ran in Issue 2, August/Sepetmber 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. NAD is a British company that specializes... Read More »
Walter Liederman and Underwood Hifi for Core Power Tech A/V is now shipping from stock the new EQUI-CORE 1000. Introductory Priced at $999 – DELIVERED Conus This is our Best Value, Balanced Power AC Mains Conditioner. A full 1000 watts and 8.5 amps on tap and ready to use. A perfect package - measuring 12... Read More »
Atlanta, GA -- The GIK Acoustics Summer Giveaway Photo Contest is back for the 3rd consecutive year by popular demand! We have all had a long year, spending a lot of time in our home and private spaces, making them sound great - and now it’s time we invite our customers to submit photos illustrating... Read More »
Buffalo, NY, June 24, 2021---- Bluebird Music, distributor of high-performance audio products since 2000, is pleased to announce the availability of the Questyle M12, an ultrahigh performance mobile headphone amp/DAC. New $199 Questyle M12 Features Ultra-Low Distortion CMA Amplification Technology and Optimized ESS Flagship DAC The M12 features an unmatched level of technical sophistication and... Read More »
