Ye Olde Editor: a portrait by John Robinson Audionet's STERN and HEISENBERG: Back to the mountaintop again! Fair warning: This is yet another one of my evaluations that is not going to be a typical "review." No, not with these designs. This is going to be more of a culminating mediation on my experiences with... Read More »
Selekt DSM – Linn’s launch events in North America Don’t miss your chance to see, hear and get hands-on with Linn’s latest streamer! Join Linn at a launch event for Selekt DSM and experience a revolution in digital music interaction. It’s easy to feel we’ve lost touch with the immersive experience of playing music. Take... Read More »
With shared commitment to advancing the state of digital audio entertainment, Aurender and Eikon Audio will partner in Rooms 8010 and 8014 of the Denver Marriot Tech Center during the 2018 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. Together, they will harmoniously create an intelligent yet intuitive system showcasing each company’s latest advancements to simplify the delivery of... Read More »
Introducing Galileo SX Cables World Debut, Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, Room 5018 Galileo SX represents the pinnacle of what we currently know in the field of building audio cables for high-resolution audio systems. We start with complex hand built geometries with Air, Teflon, and Silk dielectrics, pure 99.9999% monofilament silver conductors, 4th generation Tricon geometries, custom designed silver connectors... Read More »
Denver, CO—October 5, 2018—Troy Audio, manufacturer of ultra-high-performance loudspeakers, will unveil a new loudspeaker that promises natural, realistic sound quality previously unheard from speakers of this size. The Troy Audio Achilles will be demonstrated at the 2018 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver, in Suite 1110 of the Marriott Hotel. The Achilles is a three-way... Read More »
SAN FRANCISCO (9/25/18) — Parasound will introduce its new Halo P 6, 2.1-channel Audio Preamplifier and DAC to audio enthusiasts at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver, October 5-7. The Parasound Halo P 6, which is now in stock to replace the five-year-old P 5, improves upon its predecessor with a premium ESS DAC, ladder-style volume... Read More »
(September 25, 2018) Enjoy the Music.com , high-end audio's longtime online industry leader in providing industry news, gear reviews, and show reports is pleased to announce that we're sponsoring Rocky Mountain Audio Fest's (RMAF)Thursday night industry / press party plus all event seminars. For well over 20 years, Enjoy the Music.com has been a major resource for information about the high-end... Read More »
Thousand Oaks, CA, September 24, 2018 - Zesto Audio is pleased to announce the world premiere of their newest product, the Andros Deluxe Phonostage. This product will debut at the annual Rocky Mountain Audio Festin Denver, Colorado USA, October 5-7, 2018 in exhibit room 7009 at the Marriott Tech Center. The Andros Deluxe Phonostage is an exciting blend of Zesto’s... Read More »
Nelson Pass: a portrait. Sea Ranch, CA, 2018. Photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson. Introduction – Why do we care about 2nd harmonic? Historically, audio amplification has been about the elimination of all forms of distortion. Early on, the premise has been that low distortion is one of the keys to audio quality... Read More »
Sarah Reich, New Change. Tap Music Productions B07FTXR22W, CD $9.49 from Amazon.com "I want to be the first tap dancer to win a Grammy Award!" Okay yeah, it's nice to have dreams, kid—wait a minute, did you say tap dancing? A Grammy Award? When you think of tap dancing as an art form, do you think about... Read More »
A couple of weeks back, I arose on an otherwise unremarkable Sunday morning, had my coffee and checked my losing lottery numbers. I then proceeded downstairs to remove and replace the Hana EL cartridge that's been the recent mainstay of my analog playback system. The Hana SL (with its Shibata stylus) had recently arrived from... Read More »
In a discussion with Managing Editor Dave Clark in regards to what may be slated for review, it was noted that my loudspeakers may prove difficult for the readership to connect with since I design, build, test, and measure my own. Crossover design is a particular fascination of mine. Dave then challenged me to write... Read More »
I just back from a quick (two day) trip to Chicago, courtesy of the good folks at Linn in Scotland. On Tuesday, September 18, a very limited number of audio press representatives received an important briefing about new developments at the company. In addition to myself, my longtime audiobud Greg Weaver of The Absolute Sound... Read More »
Music streaming pioneer, Linn, today announces the launch of Selekt DSM, an all-new Linn network music player that promises to bring the feeling back to digital audio. Delivering a tactile and beautiful musical experience, Selekt DSM will make any system sound better and help you fall in love with music all over again. Gilad Tiefenbrun,... Read More »
The Beat MagDrive™ Turntable with Schröder Linear-Tracking (LT) Tonearm Ye Olde Editor, in medias puffus (photograph by John Robinson) Me, I call it "Big Red." Here was a real mountaintop moment for me with turntables earlier this year. It came in two parts: First, getting to meet Steve Dobbins, the creative master turntable craftsman at... Read More »
Steve Dobbins of Xact Audio and Dr. David W. Robinson I asked Steve Dobbins to give the background story of the design of the remarkable Schröder LT tonearm for his The Beat reference turntable, which I have reviewed elsewhere in this issue. He sent along the following comments for your benefit. Dr. David W. Robinson, Ye... Read More »
Dr. David W. Robinson and Steve Dobbins This sidebar article is by Steve Dobbins of Xact Audio, the designer of The Beat turntable that I've reviewed else in this issue. I asked Steve to provide the tale of how he ended up doing what he does in the wild world of turntables. He has generously sent... Read More »
Pioneer, Creative, Razer and HyperX are among the latest headphone calibrations - at no additional charge to existing customers Riga, Latvia, September 18, 2018 – Sonarworks, the revolutionary audio calibration software company, announced that its consumer application True-Fi has achieved a significant milestone, and now supports 232 different headphone models ranging from common consumer models... Read More »
A letter to the audio industry; First, please know AXPONA will not be moving to the fall dates as stated last week but will remain in April for 2020 and beyond. As stated in our announcement last week, we have been encouraged by many exhibitors in recent years to move far away from Munich, to... Read More »
The Jo N05 moving coil cartridge, LPS dual linear power supply and Massive Weight are upgrade essentials for vinyl aficionados (Lake Grove, NY) September 17th, 2018 – VANA, Ltd. (www.vanaltd.com), the North American distributor for fine audio products has announced the arrival of the European Audio Team (E.A.T) Jo N05 moving coil cartridge, the LPS dual... Read More »
Presenting the new PH 9.0 Tube Phono Stage, with on-the-fly loading and gain adjustment. Following in the footsteps of the Reference PH 150, the PH 9.0 offers much of the same performance and flexibility of the PH 150 at a lower price and smaller form factor. September 18, 2018 – ModWright Instruments, Inc., manufacturer of... Read More »
Tampa, Florida—September 2018—The Florida Audio Expo is happening Friday–Sunday, February 8–10, 2019, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore. This inaugural FAE offers exhibitors and attendees a fantastic venue with acoustically isolated rooms in which to experience the finest audio equipment in the world. Among the latest exhibitors to sign on include local... Read More »
Sarasota, FL -August 29, 2018 - VAC / Valve Amplification Company will introduce the latest member of its award-winning family of Statement audio components at the 2018 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver, CO, October 5-7. The new Statement 450i iQ Integrated Amplifier is an ultimate performance, cost-no-object instrument that establishes a new benchmark for... Read More »
One of the most important international competitions for young (ages 16 to 29) violinists takes place in the United States every four years. (The other top-tier classical-music competitions that include violinists, Moscow's International Tchaikovsky and Belgium's Queen Elizabeth, also run on four-year cycles.) While one might expect the US entry on that list to be... Read More »
AXPONA MAKES THE RENAISSANCE SCHAUMBURG HOTEL & CONVENTION CENTER ITS PERMANENT HOME AND MOVES TO FALL FOR 2020 AND BEYOND INDUSTRY AND PRESS INVITED TO THE INAUGURAL TRADE & PRESS DAY AT AXPONA 2020 SCHAUMBURG, IL (September 10, 2018) - - AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) is pleased to announce its permanent home at the first-class Renaissance Schaumburg venue... Read More »
This is an ongoing project by Claude Lemaire of Soundevaluations 73. The Stooges, The Stooges. Elektra – EKS-74051 (1969), 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: garage rock, psychedelic-tinged hard rock, proto-punk, avant-rock Clearly there must be something lurking in those waters but thankfully this has nothing to do with the tragedy that hit Flint in 2014. Michigan's music scene... Read More »
Kanta N°1, Kanta N°3 and Kanta Center are on display for the first time at CEDIA Expo in San Diego, September 4-8; booth #4036 San Diego, Calif. – September 6, 2018 - Focal is delighted to today unveil the expansion of the Kanta range of high-fidelity loudspeakers. After launching the award-winning Kanta N°2 in October... Read More »
Open Goldberg Variations, Werner Schweer, editor. Listening to "happy" music can make one feel happier. However, instead of always making people feel worse, listening to sad music often brings on a state of "paradoxical pleasure." I am not saying that listening to sad music in and of itself makes people happier, what I am saying is that... Read More »
Lone Star Audio Fest the high-end audio show held annually for 14 years the first weekend of May in Dallas, Texas was a grand success this year. The ever-present enthusiasm of exhibitors and attendees was enhanced by the upturn in the economy. Veteran exhibitors further dialed in their demo systems and were joined by a... Read More »
In Positive Feedback Issue 31 (May/June 2007) I reviewed three CDs from Silva Film Music (HERE). Silva Film licenses the rights to film scores and re-records the music using the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. In my review of 2007 I was impressed by the quality of the performances, the excellent recording and mastering that results in... Read More »
The late George Walker was old school, a kindly gentleman with Southern-style manners and an immense musical talent that took many forms, most notably as composer and pianist. I was once honored to hear him perform a Beethoven sonata movement in his home on his own concert grand. It was grand! How I came to know Mr.... Read More »
The lute is an ancient instrument with its forebearers having been traced back to 3100 BCE in Mesopotamia. Though a popular instrument during the Middle Ages, the lute reached its zenith during the Renaissance. While gradually falling out of favor after the Renaissance, the lute was still being widely used during the Baroque period. By... Read More »
Paavo Järvi conducts Bruckner's Ninth. BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 9 in D minor. Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra/Paavo Järvi. RCA Red Seal 88697542572. TT: 65.39 The notion of Bruckner's music as thick and heavy persists in some circles, but the earliest recorded evidence from the composer's prominent exponents—think Furtwängler, Klemperer, Horenstein —belies the stereotype. Those conductors projected the music in... Read More »
What is the difference between a collector and someone who just gathers some items? Mieczysław Stoch, the hero of the interview you can also read in this issue of High Fidelity says that collecting is gathering with sense and purpose (HF | No. 171). And what is listening to music from files and how does... Read More »
Friday Night In San Francisco - John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucia Back Story Impex Records has now reissued Friday Night In San Francisco on 180 Gram Numbered Limited Edition vinyl. Only 3000 copies will be made available for sale. Remastered by Bernie Grundman and Bob Donnelly from the original master tapes,... Read More »
Burning Amp Festival 2018, DIY Audio’s Premiere International Festival, Set For September 30th in San Francisco San Francisco, CA September 30, 2018 — Burning Amp Festival 2018 is coming to the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco on Sunday, September 30th from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 PM. New BAF’s hours have been extended due to the increased interest and... Read More »
Vivaldi, Sonatas for Cello and Basso Continuo, Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello. Harmonia Mundi. It has been quite a while since we've had recordings of this seldom heard, truly engaging music. Christophe Coin did it well in 1989 for L'oiseau Lyre, Susan Sheppard did it fine that same year with L'école d'Orphee for CRD; and then there... Read More »
