KRAKOW SONIC SOCIETY is an informal group of audiophiles and friends who meet every now and then to learn something new about audio products, music releases, music itself, and so on. The idea for KSS was born in 2005. It has already been the 128th. KSS meeting. THE ENTERTEINMENT INDUSTRY IN THE TIME OF PANDEMIC... Read More »
Marius Leirånes. Photo by Natalie Jensen, used with permission. A few miles south of the arctic circle, in the small village of Rognan, Norwegian musician Marius Leirånes has, for decades, been dreaming up dark musical fantasies. Although his influences are diverse, he and his long-time friend and collaborator, Jostein Haugen, have plumbed the depths of... Read More »
January 28, 2021 - Following the launch of Stellia in 2019, global audio leader Focal presents Celestee. Delivering uncompromising audio quality, these headphones feature modern design and a blue finish, showcasing the French brand’s savoir-faire in audio. Focal has been present on the headphones market since 2012, developing a universally acclaimed collection of open-back and closed-back headphones. A... Read More »
I wrote enthusiastically about Just Listen Records a couple months ago (HERE). We were impressed by what this label was accomplishing, and we've been enjoying more of their deliciously well-recording acoustic music releases since then. They continue delivering innovative music from very talented artists, recorded in live single takes, with exceptionally natural, high resolution sound.... Read More »
Reports From The Low Country, Rick Stotijn (double bass), Channel Classics (2019 DSD256, DXD) (HERE) When a master plays, the double bass is one of the most amazing instruments. And so it is in this 2019 recording by bassist Rick Stotijn. Focusing on compositions by Dutch composers from the past 50 years, Stotijn brings his... Read More »
Patricia Barber remains one of my favorite contemporary jazz artists—both in the studio and live. Yes, her recordings are renowned for their sound quality and unique, if not eclectic arrangements, but she is much more than that. I lived in the Chicago area for many years and often found my way to her weekly Monday... Read More »
Los Angeles, Calif. — AGD Productions, Inc., a leader in Hi-End Audio electronic design, today introduced the AGD “Gran Vivace”, its new top of the line monoblock amplifiers. The AGD Gran Vivace 350W/4ohm amplifier is based on the new GaNTubeKT120. The AGD GaNTube technology is a unique proprietary CLASS-D modular platform 100% Gallium Nitride MOSFET... Read More »
Droplets II, Christiaan Richter, TRPTK (2020 DXD) (HERE) Live from Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Hall, it's an ear-opening extravaganza with a single percussionist and his 13" Chinese gong. But what a show! Watch out for the dynamics on this EP. Things start very softly, but progress to shattering volumes in the course of the twelve minutes of... Read More »
Republished from January - February 2021 I wrote about Jared Sacks and Channel Classics this past fall, focusing on several recordings which I find treasurable (HERE). Today, I'm returning to share a further conversation from this past December in which Jared and I talk about his recording philosophy, his work with some of the artists... Read More »
Mytek Audio proudly introduces the new Liberty THX AAA™ HPA, an analog headphone amplifier featuring THX Achromatic Audio Amplifier technology to deliver pure audio. The patented THX Achromatic Audio Amplifier (THX AAA™), the most linear amplifier technology available today, powers the Liberty THX AAA™ HPA to provide astonishing musical accuracy, unprecedented dynamic range, as well... Read More »
New York, January 15, 2021 Mytek Audio has announced a slew of new products to be launched throughout 2021 following the shifting of production to the new larger factory in Poland that took place last Summer. This change, originally prompted by a loss of confidence in previous manufacturer and EU distributor, HEM Electronics coincides with... Read More »
You know how certain record labels become favorites that you come back to again and again? For me, it comes from a developing trust in the label and the people behind that label—it's a brand thing. I know that I'll be safe taking a chance on a new release even if I don't know the... Read More »
If you listen via headphones or earbuds, you need some good binaural recordings in your music library. Binaural listening is the only way we get to hear true imaging and instrument positions via headphones. Stereo recordings, no matter how good, simply don't provide the same realism over headphones that properly made binaural recordings deliver. (In... Read More »
Dressed in a devilish red, iFi’s new top-of-the-range transportable DAC/headphone amp sports a powerful engine under the hood, expertly tuned to deliver an exhilarating sonic performance. Southport, England – iFi ushers in the New Year with the best battery-powered DAC/headphone amp the company has ever produced – the devilishly brilliant iDSD Diablo. Engineered to sit... Read More »
Yon Editor, contemplating... Photograph by John Robinson; image processing by David W. Robinson. Here's the fourth installment of my Brutus Awards for 2020. Time flows...I goes. Onwards.... The Mytek Brooklyn Bridge Streamer/DAC & the Mytek Brooklyn Amp+ Straight to this particular chase. I have been listening to designs from Mytek Digital for many years now…all... Read More »
As I get older, as I said a year or so ago when I started getting older, I find myself less inclined to talk, more inclined to drop a few notes and then just point. These are three recent recordings I feel compelled to point at. Jennifer Koh, Bach & Beyond, Part 3. Bach, Harbison,... Read More »
Roger Skoff writes about what might be the future of our hobby So what do you do when there's nothing to do? That's what a whole lot of us have had to figure out over most of the last year. Without restaurants, the movies, sports, concerts or other live music, without parties, the gym, or... Read More »
I was a total rock radio hound from the seventies through the eighties; I really stood up and noticed George Thorogood and The Destroyers when "Bad To The Bone" first hit the airwaves—especially his over-the-top guitar playing. The song (and George Thorogood) became a point of frequent discussion between my friends and me, who mostly... Read More »
Sasha Matson, Cooperstown (Jazz Opera in Nine Innings). Albany Records. (2015, 2020 Revised Edition (CD and 24-88 FLAC) (HERE) Baseball and jazz—two great American traditions here combined by composer Sasha Matson for an engaging musical experience. Add opera to the mix and you get some nice theater. Originally released in 2015 as a double CD... Read More »
Je donnerais mes jours. Songs by Gabriel Dupont. Rachel Joselson, soprano; Bo Ties, piano. Centaur CRC 3811. TT: 76.58. Downloads: amazon.co.uk (mp3); amazon.de (mp3); qobuz.com (16-bit) Poèmes d'automne. Le chanson de Myrrha. Le Foyer. Mandoline. Les Effarés. Deux mélodies. La Pluie. Chanson d'automne. Annie. Journée d'hiver. Le Jardin mouillé. En aimant. Les Caresses sur des poèmes de... Read More »
Most tube electronics enthusiasts are content to live with the stock tubes chosen by the manufacturer. And yet for others, comparing various types and grades of vacuum tubes into audio equipment poses an endless point of fascination, as they impart different qualities on signal passing through them, thus affecting the listening experience; some are more... Read More »
A portrait of Greg Weaver, Chicago, 2018. Photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson. Greg Weaver is a very good audiobud of mine. I first became aware of him back in the 90s, when I received a copy of his the audio analyst newsletter. His prose and commentary on LPs were top-notch. I got... Read More »
Ye Olde Editor contemplating in the fall of 2019. Photograph by John Robinson; image processing by David W. Robinson Time for Part the Third of my Brutus Awards for 2020... Merrill Audio Christine Reference Preamp Image courtesy of Merrill Audio Anyone who follows my "Impressions" series over the many years now knows that I have... Read More »
Or, why recordings don't always sound the same. We listen to music in various conditions, sometimes loud, sometimes quietly. However, in order to hear what is really there, we have to take into account, how it was mixed and mastered. I don't know if you pay attention to the fact that a given album sounds... Read More »
TACET a musical term to indicate that an instrument or voice does not sound, also known as rest. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacet date of access: 25.10.2020 The name of the TACET Musikproduktion record label comes from the language of music and, in a broader perspective, from Latin, where the proverb "qui tacet, consentire videtur", i.e. "he who is... Read More »
Until there are some new shows to attend, we continue our look back at shows from years gone by. For many, many years, audio industry folks from around the globe descended in Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronic Show. Here's a look back at 2003. Dave Glackin and Carol Clark From Dave and Carol Clark:... Read More »
Is He Rip, a Penny, or Moby Dick? Like the proverbial "bad penny," I keep turning up. I think our PF world could suffer another grizzled audio old-timer, so I've decided to make an inauspicious return to the fold. My reasons are many—some high-minded and altruistic, some low-minded and selfish. You needn't know which... Read More »
Frank Sinatra, Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra. Impex Records (33 RPM LP) You gotta love Frank Sinatra. We have been streaming Mad Men during the lock down. Taken from the late 1950s and into the 1970s, you can't help but envision Frank swaggering about during that timeframe and era in America. Think Manhattan, dirty... Read More »
Ye Olde Etc. enjoying the moment in the Pacific NW (portrait by John Robinson) Time for Part the Second of my Brutus Awards. iFi Audio Pro iDSD DAC/Headphone Amp/Streamer The iFi Audio Pro iDSD DAC/Headphone Amp/Preamp/Streamer (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) Earlier this year, iFi Audio sent along their new pro-grade many-in-one... Read More »
Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Tea For The Tillerman 2, Island Records (33 RPM LP) At 72 years old, Yusuf Islam continues to entertain and delight his fans. Born Steven Demetra Georgio in 1948 in London, England, he took the stage name of Cat Stevens in 1966 before turning to Islam in 1977 and assuming his current name. He... Read More »
Yes, I know. It's traditional to cite recordings used in an equipment review (and illustrate them with the cover art), but featuring even some of the music that used to evaluate four very different USB cables meant the review would run far too long. Ultimately, I had to cut all the window dressing. You can... Read More »
Hundreds of HD tracks set for release in mid-January 2021, including never-before-released tracks from Alex de Grassi, Fiona Joy Hawkins, Meghan Andrews and more December 17, 2020 Blue Coast Music has completed a new distribution deal with Entertainment One (eOne) and will launch 300 HD tracks to DSPs on January 15, 2021. The tracks include... Read More »
Clarus Announces the Sextet Power Conditioner December 10, 2020 — Clarus®, high-end audio cable brand and sister company to Tributaries A/V cables, introduces the Sextet, the third model in their power conditioner lineup. The Sextet offers the same functionality as the flagship Concerto with fewer outlets for a more affordable option. The Clarus power conditioning line brings an entirely... Read More »
ARLINGTON, TX - December 15th, 2020 — The Sound Organisation and The Sound Organisation Canada today announced they have been selected to be the new distributors for Spendor in the United States and Canada. Spendor is the most recent addition to the The Sound Organisation portfolio that includes Chord Electronics, The Chord Company, Fyne Audio,... Read More »
The Estonian based loudspeaker company, Estelon, has helped shape the past decade of top-tier loudspeakers. To celebrate their tenth anniversary, Estelon has made significant updates to six of their loudspeakers in the X and Y series, details HERE and have released ten, special edition pairs of their Forza loudspeaker HERE. These updates represent ten years... Read More »
I have three great products to bring to your attention at the end of 2020. Listen up! Amazing Vacuum Tube Alert: GE 6189 (12AU7) JAN NOS The military/industrial NOS GE 6189 tube is a premium quality 12AU7 tube with an added internal helical wire that strengthens the grid structure and dampens vibration and noise. This... Read More »
TIDAL Audio partners with BUGATTI Hürth, 15th of December 2020 TIDAL AUDIO ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIV PARTNERSHIP WITH BUGATTI FOR HIGH END HOME AUDIO. BUGATTI and TIDAL Audio are united in sharing the same philosophy: to strive for limitless perfection in order to deliver unmatched performance along with exceptional designs. The two companies have joint forces to... Read More »
