Registration is now open! Reserve your exhibit space at the Pacific Audio Fest! Contact us now to be ahead of the pack to reserve a great showroom at the premier Audio Event of the West Coast. Limited to 100 showrooms…always! Book your tickets and hotel rooms for July 2021. No, we are not just another... Read More »
Ye Olde Editor in days collegiate, presenting the goods. Corvallis, OR, 1972 (photograph by Dr. John Hull) Thoughts at this end of the first year of the pandemic… Once again, yes, once again it's time for my Brutus Awards. This time, the 2020 edition…a year that will live in infamy. Our first major pandemic in... Read More »
This curious tale of low-end wires in a very high-end system to be filed in the "Things I Can't Explain" folder, is directed at keen observers with highly resolving, neutral systems. Not everyone will relate. Back in 2011, when I had installed the YG Acoustics Anat Studio speakers, my dealer gave me a spiel about... Read More »
The Devialet D-Premier is sure to go down in audio history as a game changer. When it was introduced in 2010, little did we know that the D-Premier would alter the integrated amplifier landscape forever by redefining the concept of what an integrated amplifier is. Up to that point, an integrated amplifier had consisted of... Read More »
ALBUM PAYS HOMAGE TO BRAZILIAN COMPOSER London, Friday 4 December 2020 – Eudora Records is a prestigious independent classical label, established in Madrid by producer, recording engineer and musician Gonzalo Noqué in 2014. The label releases a select number of titles each year, and its stated aim is “to capture the finest music performances in... Read More »
MOON is delighted to announce that its performance audio streaming products* are even more connected as they now feature Apple AirPlay 2. The new integrated streaming module effortlessly allows Apple users to play music from any iOS device and to change music with Siri voice control. AirPlay 2 also adds multi-room playback to MOON’s premium... Read More »
Record Store Day—or RSD as it's commonly known among aficionados—typically takes place twice a year, generally around April and October. RSD piques the interest of every vinyl hound in the US—and worldwide, for that matter—and generally brings a slate of releases that are widely varied in approach from record label to record label. Some labels... Read More »
We are proud to announce that dune and warp are the first of the product line by borg.audio to be available on pre-order. Furthermore, with every pre-order of dune or warp we will include a complimentary 1 year Roon subscription and 1 year subscription to either Qobuz (Studio Premier) or Tidal (HiFi) (limited time offer,... Read More »
The first Peanuts comic strips from cartoonist Charles Schulz appeared in newspapers in October, 1950, and Craft Recordings is celebrating 70 years of Peanuts and Charlie Brown this year with a limited edition series of LP releases. Next up: the original soundtrack from 1965's A Charlie Brown Christmas television special; the soundtrack album has sold... Read More »
December 2, 2020. Cary Audio is please to introduce the new DMS-700 Network Audio Player. When we set out to design the DMS-600, our goal was simple. To make the absolutely best sounding network audio streamer on the planet, far exceeding its price point and beyond, period. As evident by the following the DMS-600 garnered, it’s clear we... Read More »
Roger Skoff writes about audiophiles and double-blind testing. Yup, I was on Facebook, browsing one of the audiophile groups (you'll probably know which one from what I'm about to tell you) when I came across a slugfest between a long-time reviewer friend of mine and several "rationalist" "audiophiles" (Yeah, both of those terms are in... Read More »
Do you recall certain artists whose new releases you eagerly awaited? Anna Fedorova is that artist for us these days. We only recently discovered two of her solo albums on Channel Classics, Storyteller and Four Fantasies. I wrote about these thoroughly engaging releases in a recent article. Now we've found her duo album, Silhouettes, with... Read More »
exaSound Unveils New Streaming DAC Toronto ON - exaSound Audio Design, manufacturer of innovative, exceptional fidelity audio products, announces the new flagship s88 Eight-Channel Streaming DAC. exaSound s88 Streaming DAC, Native DSD512 PCM384 kHz/32bit Featuring a reference-grade 32-bit digital-to-analog converter, Roon-Ready streamer and headphone amplifier in stylish full-size mono-block enclosure, the s88 excels with its... Read More »
Rachel Podger is a joyful music maker, regardless of her choice of composers. And she is one of the best artists performing today on baroque violin and within the world of period instrument performance generally with her Brecon Baroque ensemble. I wrote enthusiastically about Podger and Brecon Baroque in my article about Channel Classics and the... Read More »
...with comments on the Synergistic Research MiG SX Isolation Feet. This is a story long in the coming. Long, long, long. Ye Olde Editor in contemplative mode, Happy Valley, OR, 2017… (Photograph by John Robinson; image processing by David W. Robinson) By way of backstory… You see, I've been following Warwick Acoustics and its predecessor... Read More »
It is the story of birth of digital audio, as well as a journey through the 1970s and 1980s, the best period in the history of digital recorders, and finally the story of their unique representatives; reel-to-tape recorders from Mitsubishi. (Part 1 can be found HERE) DIGITAL SOUND RECORDING method of preserving sound in which... Read More »
This is an ongoing project by Claude Lemaire of Soundevaluations 156. Jackie McLean, It's Time!. Blue Note – BST 84179 (1965), Tone Poet Series – B0031655-01 (2020), 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: jazz, hard bop, post bop, free jazz leanings. Previously I had suggested that Tone Poet's remastering of Wayne Shorter's excellent Etcetera (Blue Note LT-1056, B0029357-01) pretty much... Read More »
9 November, 2020; Englewood, CO – Monarch Systems Distribution is happy to announce the immediate release and availability of the new Power Two stereo amplifier from Alluxity. The Power Two has a US MSRP of $7,800. The third solid-state power amplifier from Alluxity, the Power Two produces 200W into 8 ohms and 400W into 4... Read More »
Authentic premium Danish hi-fi, handmade with love in Skanderborg Skanderborg, Denmark – 19th November, 2020 Dynaudio has launched its new, limited-edition Heritage Special passive stand-mount loudspeakers – handmade from top to bottom, inside and out, at its headquarters in Denmark. Started as an ‘off-the-radar’ project and developed under top-secret conditions at Dynaudio Labs, it’s now... Read More »
Buffalo, NY, November 17, 2020---- Bluebird Music, distributor of high-performance audio products since 2000, is pleased to announce the immediate availability of the Weiss DAC501. Weiss products are precision-built in Switzerland to the most rigorous professional standards, The DAC501 is a compact, half-width unit, allowing placement flexibility in desktop and studio applications, as well as in home... Read More »
Circa 1967, that is… Imprints on music are lifelong influences. Among my early imprints that I continue to cherish are the recordings made by André Previn with the London Symphony early in his career. Released by RCA from around 1967 to 1972, these Decca recorded performances are a consistent pleasure. The various Decca recording teams,... Read More »
Nicolas van Poucke: The Schumann Collection, Vol. 1, TRPTK. (2020 (DXD) (HERE) What a pleasure to listen to this quite extraordinary pianist, Nicolas van Poucke, in this new release from TRPTK. His performances of the Schumann works on this album are totally engaging, full of musical intelligence and emotional depth. It is always a treat... Read More »
Beginning at the end of 2003, PF established its first annual awards for fine audio. The Brutus Award was established for the best that David Robinson and Dave and Carol Clark had heard in their own listening rooms during that year. You can think of it as our equivalent of an "Editors' Choice" award. The Gizmo... Read More »
The latest XLPE-upgraded Chord Company speaker cable is here & just in time for Christmas (£7.50m) 17th November 2020, Wiltshire, England: Chord Company is bringing its latest XLPE insulation technology to hi-fi and home cinema fans on a budget, with the launch of C-screenX, the British A/V cable specialist’s latest loudspeaker product to benefit from... Read More »
Nickel Creek formed in 1989, at a point when all three members were under the age of thirteen. They actually went by the moniker "The Nickel Creek Band" for a few years before eventually deciding to drop "The Band" to present themselves with a more modern and concise identity. Consisting of mandolin player and vocalist... Read More »
New Naim Radio Stations Plus a Radio Upgrade for All Naim Streaming Systems Salisbury, England – November 17, 2020 - Naim Audio, the British specialist with almost 50 years of hi-fi expertise, is delighted to announce new and higher-quality radio options for users of its streaming speakers, systems and separates – all freely available from... Read More »
Lanchbery-Herold, La Fille Mal Gardée, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, conducted by John Lanchberry. HDTT 1962 2017 (Pure DSD256) HERE These excerpts from John Lanchbery's 1960 adaptation of Ferdinand Hérold's 1828 score have been a guilty pleasure of mine since I first heard them on the original Decca SXL 2313 LP in... Read More »
The consistent excellence of Channel Classics' recordings has rapidly made this label our "go to" resource for modern recordings of both long-standing classical musical favorites and new areas for exploration. Jared Sacks, founder and chief recording engineer, is a recognized master of his craft and deservedly so. His recordings are transparent jewels that have become... Read More »
November 16, 2020 - Since 2013, Focal Aria has been a leading range among high-performing and expressive Hi-Fi loudspeakers. With its natural flax cone and sleek style, Aria marked a decisive point in Focal’s history. And the story continues. As part of its process of constant renewal, the St. Étienne brand completes its line with... Read More »
In my article about the Audio Note (UK) Oto Phono SE Signature Integrated Amplifier for Positive Feedback (Issue 108 HERE) I discussed how impressed I was with the Oto's performance powering my vintage Duelund-Altec Project "Stokowski" loudspeakers (Issue 105 HERE). The Oto and Altec-Duelund combination really wowed me with its superb musicality and sonic performance,... Read More »
Bob Witrak's High Definition Tape Transfers (HDTT) is a treasure house for DXD and DSD256 downloads of some of the best recordings from the golden age of analog stereo recording. Perusing the HDTT catalog is like traveling back in time to my favorite record store to wander through shelves of wonderful recordings from Decca, RCA,... Read More »
First in a Series of NEW Budget-Class Reference Products Introductory Priced at $799 Walter Liederman and Underwood Hifi announces an Incredible Full-Featured High Res DAC with remote controlled Preamp and Headphone Amp that has both Vacuum Tube Outputs as well as Solid State - you choose Your Voice and Musical Style. Liederman went on to explain... Read More »
November 12th, 2020 — Clarus® is excited to announce the release of CODA, a new USB DAC with Headphone Amplifier that includes an MQA renderer. The CODA features the latest in USB-DAC technology that provides ultra-low distortion, more detail, greater dynamics, and a bigger sound stage. Designed to be used with a smartphone, tablet or computer, the CODA... Read More »
MQA Users have Doubled Since 2019 on TIDAL TIDAL HiFi Users Now Stream 40% More Tracks in Master Quality than Last Year November 12, 2020 (New York, NY) – Today, global music and entertainment streaming platform, TIDAL, added millions of tracks in MQA from Warner Music Group to its Masters catalog. TIDAL, in partnership with... Read More »
Sacred Trance Music from Taos Mountain, Habib Chishti, Michael Rosell, Salman Hanuman Lee, Shawnina Good Road Woman. Yarlung Records 2020 (EP) (Pure DSD256, Stereo, MCh) HERE Go to your quiet place, turn out the lights, transport to the original recording session with these musicians. The sound quality is that good—immersive, translucent, and transcending. And the... Read More »
Craft Recordings continues their 50th anniversary celebration of the founding of Creedence Clearwater Revival with this new LP reissue of their seminal album, Cosmo's Factory. Starting in July 1970, Cosmo's Factory quickly rose to the top of the US Billboard album charts and was propelled to quadruple platinum status in the US alone on the... Read More »
