Getting music from A to B is still the hot thing with more and more renderer/server/streaming devices coming out from every nook and cranny. While there continues to be offerings from such companies as AURALiC, Aurender, and so on—running their own proprietary software—there are those from the likes of Antipodes, Wolf, Roon, Small Green Computer,... Read More »
Roger Skoff, LAOC Gala 2018 (photograph by David W. Robinson) Roger Skoff writes about possibly unexpected things that can affect the sound of your system. Well more than half a century ago, when I was a kid, the teacher in my High School physics class did something I will never forget. Let me tell you... Read More »
Sometimes I have no idea how I find music. It's a weird combination of factors that go into the discovery of new music. Sometimes I just have to be in the right place at the right time, in the right mindset. 花冷え。(Hanabie) is no exception to this case. The way I discovered this band, which... Read More »
Twenty questions with an audiophile who is also an artist. For this premiere, we feature our own writer, Greg Petan. Tell us about your background? I grew up in Evanston, IL. My father was a jazz pianist and middle school teacher and principal. He had a regular Saturday night gig at the Playboy Mansion for... Read More »
Founded in 2010 by Pat Hickman, Whammerdyne Heavy Industries is an amalgamation of technical skill-sets united by a common passion for hi-end audio, based in Wilsonville, OR. With many years of combined experience in hi-end audio, electronics engineering, and CNC fabrication, the team set out to build the ultimate single-ended stereo amplifiers. The year 2019... Read More »
PENNSYLVANIA, NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE AND MARYLAND Saturday, June 1, 2019: Doug White, of The Voice That Is, in cooperation with the Philadelphia Area Audio Group and the New Jersey Audio Society, will host a vinyl event featuring Vertere Acoustics and Touraj Moghaddam, Designer. The topics of discussion will be analog reproduction, turntable and tonearm design. A short... Read More »
The digital-to-analog converters named Purson are now called Merason, Daniel Frauchiger, CEO of dafraud GmbH, the manufacturer based in Switzerland, announced today. Apart from the new brand, there are no other changes. With the new name, the manufacturer underlines the claim of its products to be committed to sound. "Mera" stands for "unique," "son" for... Read More »
Analog Record Collection, Universal Music LLC Stereo Sound SSAR-028~029 There are some albums that for some reason stay in use in the industry "permanently." We can hear them at many shows, we find in our friends' collections—well, usually even we have at least one version of such titles on our shelf. They are almost always... Read More »
MOON 110LP v2 PHONO PREAMPLIFIER THE LITTLE BLACK BOX OF SUPERIOR VINYL REPLAY The new MOON 110LP v2 phono preamplifier brings dramatically improved performance from vinyl. Hand-crafted in Canada, this little black box of outstanding technology tricks will ensure records sound better than ever before. The 110LP v2 sits between turntable and amplifier, designed either... Read More »
Bryston will be unveiling the Middle T-REX active loudspeaker system powered by the brand new 21B3 amplifiers during the Montreal Audio Fest, March 22-24 at the Hotel Bonaventure Montreal. The demo system will feature the BDP- 3 Digital Player, the BDA-3 DAC, the BP-26/MPS-2 Preamplifier and two of the venerable 21B3 amplifiers. Also in the system will... Read More »
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UD1S 2-008, Motown B0026761-01, Limited Edition, SuperVinyl, Box Set (2019, Jan.), # 6140 of 7500 Originally released on Tamla – TS-310 (1971, May) Category: soul, jazz and spiritual undertones Format: Vinyl (2x180 gram LPs at 45 rpm) Rating Global Appreciation: 9.9 Music: A+ (10) Recording: 9.5 Remastering + Lacquer Cutting: 9.9... Read More »
Revisiting London: Internationally acclaimed song stylist Lyn Stanley delivers a double-disc audiophile recording, part 2 of her Julie London tribute project With her new release, sultry jazz singer Lyn Stanley follows up on her well-received 2018 album London Calling—A Toast to Julie London How does a musical artist define perfection? And what lengths will one... Read More »
New Audio Rack Incorporates Rugged X-Brace Design Throughout for Maximum Stability and Weight Capacity GRAND RAPIDS, MI, March 15, 2019 – Pangea Audio, developer and manufacturer of high performance, high value audio accessories, today announced a new rugged and highly stable audio rack, X-Brace Four-Shelf Audio Rack, that incorporates steel X-Braces that provide maximum strength and rigidity. Scheduled... Read More »
Preamps and Integrated Amps among those to receive Roon Tested designation Binghamton, NY – March 13, 2019 – McIntosh, the global leader in prestigious home entertainment and ultimate-quality audio for 70 years, is proud to announce that 11 of its products have received Roon Tested designation. Roon is a rich and engaging way to browse,... Read More »
New York/London, 11 March 2019: TIDAL, in partnership with MQA, has announced that Master quality tracks are now available via iPhone devices, continuing to optimise the smartphone listening experience and deliver guaranteed master quality recordings direct from the source. The eagerly awaited update to TIDAL’s iOS app follows the recent Android news announced at CES... Read More »
Wayne Goins and Henri Musselwhite: a portrait. Salina, KS, 2017. Photograph by David W. Robinson. A coupla months ago, I had a new experience when Dan Wright loaned me his ModWright PH 150 tube preamp for several months. Published in PF Issue 100 (HERE), I wrote about using the "mono" button on the front panel to... Read More »
With Qobuz on Sonos, stream 16-bit CD quality on your sound system Qobuz, the world’s first and only certified Hi-Res streaming service, is now available on Sonos, the leading multi-room wireless smart home sound system, in the U.S. With a subscription to the Hi-Fi level of Qobuz, Sonos users will be able to tap into the... Read More »
Command Performance AV will host two Luxman events this Friday and Saturday, March 8 and March 9, with special guest Jeff Sigmund, president of Luxman America. Together with Rick Tydings, owner of AB&T Sales Corp., the regional sales representative for Luxman, the pair will provide background on Luxman’s incredible 94-year history, demonstrate key products in... Read More »
I love the new world of digital file streaming; I love the convenience of accessing your entire music library at the touch of a few tablet buttons, and I love the fact that digital-to-analog conversion has reached a state of near perfection that early digital only hinted at. And with so many outstanding tools at... Read More »
The legendary D/A-converter 1611 F from MBL has always connected the digital world with the analogue. With Roon Ready integration, we've taken the next big step. Ease of use and seamless streaming of various sources combined with the fantastic sound of an MBL audio system makes listening to music even more enjoyable. The MBL ROON... Read More »
P3 is the most-compact, lowest-priced regenerator ever Boulder, CO: 3/4/2019 PS Audio originated the product category of power regenerators. Through the years we've gone bigger and smaller in our critically-acclaimed line of Power Plants, but until now, there hasn't been one in our affordable Stellar line. That changes now. The Stellar P3 provides 300 watts... Read More »
Gold Note Appoints Rutherford Audio Inc. Distributor for USA, also known as Gold Note USA. Florence, Italy and Centennial, CO – Gold Note Audio, founded in Florence Italy in 2012, manufacturer of high-end luxury hi-fi electronics: streamers, loudspeakers, amplifiers, turntables and accessories announces the appointment of Rutherford Audio Inc. of Centennial, Colorado as its exclusive distributor for the USA... Read More »
Musical Artisans will host their annual Winter Open House Event on Friday March 8th and Saturday March 9th to celebrate the return of CH Precision and introduction of Rockport Technologies to Chicago. Special guest Ralph Sorrentino from CH Precision America will be on hand to demonstrate the unique features of CH Precision components, including the... Read More »
Cumming, GA USA - March 1, 2019 - Stereolab, LLC (Black Cat Cable) announces the formation of their ACME subdivision and their first product: Å19 “ACME is the name for the compartment within which I’ll be producing “bulk” (unterminated) cable for use by hobbyists and colleagues,” stated Chris Sommovigo, owner and operator of Stereolab, LLC, the parent company for... Read More »
The article is about how the "High Performance" series has changed the perception of classical music reissues, as well as about an incredible combination of knowledge and technology that has led to this change. We have got used to the fact that Japanese companies are the driving force in the field of Compact Disc/Super Audio... Read More »
FAURÉ Orchestral works. Seattle Symphony/Ludovic Morlot. Seattle Symphony Media SSM1004. TT: 70.29. Masques et bergamasques. Fantaisie for Flute (orch. Talmi; with Demarre McGill, flute). Pelléas et Mélisande: Suite. Berceuse for Violin and Orchestra (with Alexander Velinzon, violin). Élégie for Cello and Orchestra (with Efe Baltacigil, cello). Dolly (orch. Rabaud). Pavane (with Seattle Symphony Chorus). Full disclosure: I haven't... Read More »
BALLSTON SPA, New York, February 2019 – Targeting a slightly wider range of vinyl enthusiasts, Luxman America today introduced the PD-151 belt-drive turntable. Luxman based the new analog player on the company’s highly regarded PD-171A, which was introduced in 2014 and continues in the line. “As enthusiasm for vinyl surges, the PD-151 is poised to... Read More »
After years of great success with their original System Set-Up & Tuning Disc, Nordost is excited to introduce a newly upgraded disc-set that both improves and expands upon their initial product, offering more content and features, to get your system sounding its best and to keep it that way. Nordost’s System Solution is an invaluable tool for the installation, maintenance, and fine-tuning... Read More »
The 2108 is Boulder’s second generation of 2000-level phono preamplifier, following and improving upon the multiple award winning 2008 phono stage. 22 February, 2019: Louisville, Colorado – Boulder Amplifiers is pleased to announce the immediate release and shipment of the 2108 Phono Preamplifier. The 2108 is a part of the 2100 Series and is Boulder’s reference level phono... Read More »
Cary Audio is pleased to announce the addition of high resolution music streaming service Qobuz to our new DMS-550 and DMS-600 network audio streamers. Like all firmware upgrades to our DMS platform, the new Qobuz firmware is absolutely FREE and available now. Now with Qobuz, the DMS-550 and DMS-600 offer two ways to stream high resolution music. Qobuz offers up to... Read More »
It's a day of mourning for music lovers everywhere—Mark Hollis, the ingenious lead singer, songwriter, and musician of Talk Talk is dead! People may only remember Talk Talk from their hits, "It's My Life" and "Life's What You Make It," but Talk Talk's last two albums, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock are absolute musical... Read More »
On Saturday, March 9th, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, Musical Artisans will host their annual Winter Open House Event. This event celebrates the return CH Precision and introduction of Rockport Technologies to Chicago. Special guest Ralph Sorrentino from CH Precision will be on hand to answer questions and demonstrate of the unique capabilities of the... Read More »
The STAX T80009S system package So, this set of impressions will be (relatively) short. Sweet, though. Several years ago, I got a chance to spend a few months with the STAX SRM-007tII tubed electrostatic headphone amp driven by the SR-009 combination. At the time the SR-009 ‘phones were the reference for STAX. They were modern... Read More »
SCHAUMBURG, IL (February 19, 2019) - - AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) will celebrate its 10thanniversary April 12-14 at theRenaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center, marking the biggest show to date with NEW and exciting features. The 2019 show will include an Ear Gear Halldedicated solely to Headphones,Mobile Appto help navigate the show, Guest Speakers, Live Musicnightly, major International Exhibitors, and 100’s of Product Debutsfrom... Read More »
LAHAINA, HAWAII (01/15/19) – Walter Liederman, President and Owner of Underwood Hifi, Inc is pleased to announce the Asset Sale Purchase of Core Power Technologies, LLC of Broomfield Colorado. Liederman comments - The EQUI=CORE, DEEP=CORE and GROUND=ZERO products have been designed and executed by some of the brightest minds in our industry. Manufactured solely in... Read More »
The musical form I had the most commercial success in (as a classical-music record producer and label owner), was the string quartet. Granted, my remarkably successful string-quartet recordings consisted of quartet arrangements of sacred and traditional Christmas music. But those recordings are a lot more "classical" in character than "crossover" in character. In other words,... Read More »
We just can’t help ourselves. If there’s anything we can do to get closer to the music, we’ll do it. Introducing the new AB-1266 Phi TC (Total Consciousness). Newly designed 66 mm planar magnetic speaker drivers deliver the absolute highest resolution of any headphone ever made. Combined with the venerable AB-1266 headphone design, newly minted... Read More »
