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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 »

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 »

Last weekend I traveled to Buena Park, CA, to attend the 25th Anniversary Gala Weekend for the Los Angeles and Orange County (LAOC) Audio Society. Some background:  The LAOC was founded originally with the help of two of my partners at Positive Feedback, Carol and Dave Clark. They recently told the story of that development... Read More »

Okay so the article below is from way back in June 2002 when David Robinson and his wife Lila Ritsema, Carol Clark and I (Dave Clark) decided to merge our two print publications into one web publication, well for the first two years or so, so sorta two. This article ran not only in the last... Read More »

NAGRA is a company-institution. Both figuratively and literally. As I shall try to show you, it's a unique example of combining the elements of professional and home audio as well as music. The fact that the company was founded by Stefan Kudelski, a man from Poland, only emphasizes its uniqueness in my eyes. Here's the... Read More »

Stefan Kudelski with Nagra III tape recorder A view from our hotel's window towards Geneva Lake. A view from our hotel's window towards Alps on the French side of the Geneva Lake. As you can see we were expected in Nagra. Nagra team plus truly yours: Matthieau Latour (Audio Division Director), Wojciech Pacuła (me), Pascal... Read More »

Ye Olde Editor:  a portrait by John Robinson Numbers. I don't usually get too hung up on round numbers and anniversary metrics…they happen all the time. But as we get ready to launch our next issue and go into 2019, I wanted to stand up, take a stretch, and note two things that are at... Read More »

Aaron Diehl's 2013 CD The Bespoke Man's Narrative, his début on Mack Avenue Records, fell like a thunderclap upon the jazz landscape, reaching No. 1 on the JazzWeek Jazz Chart. Something about the advance publicity must have caught my eye or ear, because I asked for a pre-release press copy of the CD. Upon playing it, I was so gobsmacked... Read More »

George Klissarov and David W. Robinson George Klissarov, AXPONA 2017 exaSound's new flagship device, the PlayPoint DM Dual-Mono D/A Converter and Network Audio Server, is the high point of my life-long obsession with audio and eight years of research, design, and the making of DACs and streamers. We entered the audiophile market with the introduction... 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 »

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 »

Alright, so as part of our trip up to the California Audio Show (see Malachi's and Kirsten's show reports HERE and HERE) Carol and I decided to add in a visit to Sonoma wine country as well as a visit to Mono Lake way over on the 395. As part of the trip up to... Read More »

Carrie Ellyn Fisher, January 19, 1959 - August 4, 2018. Carrie Ellyn Skokut Fisher of Reston, VA, born on January 19, 1959 in Garfield Heights, Ohio, to the late Margaret Skokut and the late Miller Skokut, passed away at age 59 on August 4, 2018 in Reston, Virginia. Carrie graduated from Independence High School in... Read More »

Radio Free Chip The French have a phrase for it. The bastards have a phrase for everything and they are always right. To say goodbye is to die a little. Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye It’s always too damn soon to say goodbye.  I have always believed...well, postulated in any event, the notion that when... Read More »

菅野沖彦 This is the name that is synonymous with the highest sound quality in Japan. Known for his extremely good hearing, exceptionally warm personality and an amazing collection of vinyl records, he has been one of the most important journalists working for the Stereo Sound magazine. This is his story and the story of his... Read More »

Making the simple complicated is commonplace. Making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. - Charles Mingus Years ago my friend, the British guitarist Robert Fripp (of King Crimson renown), found the time for a brief assignation at a Greenwich Village bistro. Over lunch, when I inquired as to how his visit to Manhattan was... Read More »

The world of fine audio was rocked by the news of David Wilson's passing. In this memoriam, our good friend John Marks, the editor of The Tannhauser Gate, reflects on David's contributions to the industry, and how he helped to set the foundations for modern high-end audio.  I echo John's prayer for his eternal rest and... Read More »

Dave and Carol Clark of Positive Feedback. Dave and Carol give us all the details on creating a print magazine, shifting to an online publication and learning how to really enjoy audio shows. Co host Bryan Beasley.