thoughts on audio Archives - Positive Feedback

If it Makes Me Dance, It's a Keeper - by Frans de Rond of Sound Liaison

Editors at Positive Feedback — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 16:06:54 +0000

Sound Liaison founder and recording engineer Frans de Rond makes some wonderful recordings. He and his business partner Peter Bjørnild have been doing so for quite a long time, and my music library is delightfully filled with their superb small ensemble and duo recordings. The other day, their newsletter flowed into my email box and... Read More »

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The Myth of the Black Background

Roger Skoff — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 22:49:24 +0000

"Black" Background – Roger Skoff writes about what it's really like. Have you ever been to the beach? No, I'm not kidding. There really are millions of people—unlike us here in California or on either coast—who live nowhere a major body of water, and whose only idea of the beach comes from movies. So, for... Read More »

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Impressions: The Analog Audio Design TP-1000 Reel-to-Reel Playback Deck

David W. Robinson — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 23:40:28 +0000

Ye Olde Editor on his deck with the sun, a son, a cigar, Port, and some fine outdoor music, contemplating.... Happy Valley, OR, 2023 (Photograph by John Robinson; image processing by YOE himself.) Passion is a long, deep road...often life-long. You have your list; I have mine. Among other fine audio passions—and they are many—is... Read More »

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Creating a Dedicated Recording and Performance Space at High Street Studio, Heerewaarden, Holland

Rushton Paul — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:44:30 +0000

I've been following Bert van der Wolf-Oude Avenhuis' hints about seeking a new dedicated recording space for well over a year. And now it is coming into focus with a lovely old church building he and his wife have purchased. Soon High Street Studio in Heerewaarden, Holland, will be a reality and music will start... Read More »

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It’s a Gas: Restoring the Legendary Hill Plasmatronics Loudspeakers

Frank Doris — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 15:38:51 +0000

This is a republication of our good friend Frank Doris's article in Copper magazine, Issue 218, back in May of this year. Frank's writing is first-rate, as are his sensibilities...I love this man's stuff!...republishing his work with the blessing and permission of Paul McGowan of PS Audio. Dr. David The Hill Plasmatronics speakers in Brian... Read More »

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Impressions: AXPONA 2025, Part The First...My Audio Oasis! Awards

David W. Robinson — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 22:43:07 +0000

Ye Olde Editor: a Fantasy. (Photograph by John Robinson; image processing by yours truly.) AXPONA time again... Another year, another AXPONA. The biggest high-end audio show in the USA had its latest iteration on April 11-13 at the Renaissance Schamburg Hotel in Schamburg, IL. According to the AXPONA management team, "10,000+ attendees and 700+ brands... Read More »

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HiFi-rrari 2025

Roger Skoff — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 01:05:08 +0000

In which Roger Skoff tells why he didn't buy a Ferrari… In 1969, when a brand-new Ferrari sports car cost, depending on which model it was and how it was equipped, less than US$20,000, I almost bought a used one. It was an absolutely gorgeous 1967 bright yellow, aluminum bodied 275 GTB/4, offered by Otto... Read More »

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Magic Snake Oil: Roger Skoff Writes the Real Truth about HiFi

Roger Skoff — Mon, 05 May 2025 01:53:44 +0000

During well more than half a century of being a HiFi Crazy, I've learned a lot about not only our hobby and its toys and goodies, but also about my fellow audiophiles. (I and my friends have always referred to ourselves as "HiFi Crazies," so know that I use that other term lovingly). One of... Read More »

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Audio Ramblings - Seasonings?! I Don't Need No Stinking Seasonings!

Editors at Positive Feedback — Thu, 01 May 2025 16:54:38 +0000

This article by Dave Clark originally ran in 2006, so while we call this section "New Old Stock - Articles from Our Days in Print" you are also going to see some articles from our early days of going online. Want to add some flavor or seasoning to your system. Spice it up a bit!... Read More »

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Waters on the Hardware: Dejitter it’s Remarkable Switch X

Dean Waters — Sat, 05 Apr 2025 15:18:03 +0000

Dean Waters enjoying a fine drink at Munich 2024 (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) As lovers of clean, pure, wonderful audio, we spend much time and effort in regard to equipment, power, and cabling, among other things. When it comes to networking, we tend to not give it much thought other than... Read More »

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A HiFi Tail Chaser

Roger Skoff — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 01:51:09 +0000

Roger Skoff writes about your system and the state of our hobby I was talking recently with a friend of mine (also a HiFi Crazy, also in the Industry) about the future of our hobby, and we came to one of those "forehead-slapper" moments—you know, when something finally occurs to you that should have been... Read More »

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Impressions: Long Reflections on the T+A 3100 HV Stack

David W. Robinson — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 14:56:17 +0000

Ye Olde Editor enjoying a cigar and Single Malt at Tiberias, Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret), Israel, 2022. (Photograph by John Robinson; image processing by Ye Olde Editor himself.) A keyboard can be a piano. "It is the artist who, more than other men, is able to create something out of nothing. A whole artistic work... Read More »

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Master Tapes, Shmaster Tapes

Rushton Paul — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 16:40:39 +0000

Watch out. This is going to be a bit of a rant. I begin to cringe every time I read/hear from audiophiles: Was it made from the master tape? Or..., It can't possibly sound very good—it wasn't from the master tape. Yes, I'm talking about reissues. And, yes, I'm talking about audiophiles being brain-washed into... Read More »

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Jamie Howarth of Plangent Processes: Making Recordings Sound Better, Part 3

Frank Doris — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 00:55:26 +0000

This article is the third and final part of Copper Magazine's interview with Jamie Howarth by Copper Editor and good audiobud Frank Doris. We republish it with the kind permission and blessing of PS Audio's Paul McGowan, with whom we have a deep shared love of DSD. You'll find part one republished by PF HERE, and... Read More »

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Choosing the Best Sounding File Format with Free Sample Downloads

Rushton Paul — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 17:21:49 +0000

Since downsizing 5 years ago and leaving behind my LPs and vinyl playback equipment, I have gradually built a new digital music library. At Dr. David's request, I shared this traumatic journey in several articles titled Yes, There Really is Music After Vinyl, the first of which you can find HERE. Today, most new additions... Read More »

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Spending Money

Roger Skoff — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 00:48:45 +0000

Roger Skoff at the LAOC Audio Society Gala, 2024 (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) Roger Skoff writes about the cost of building a system On one of the audiophile groups on Facebook, I just read a post where some guy wrote in and said he's got a turntable that cost whatever number... Read More »

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Sound Liaison's Remastering of Thousand Shades of Blue - Free Download Tracks to Compare

Rushton Paul — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 17:21:50 +0000

I was fascinated recently by Sound Liaison's 2024 remastering of their excellent 2012 album Thousand Shades of Blue by Carmen Gomes Inc. In this new release, Thousand Shades of Blue Revisited, recording engineer Frans de Rond and producer Peter Bjornild went back to the original 96kHz 24-bit recorded tracks and applied everything they'd learned the... Read More »

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Jamie Howarth of Plangent Processes: Making Recordings Sound Better, Part 2

Frank Doris — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 23:29:07 +0000

This is the latest installment of re-published articles from our good audiobud, Frank Doris, Editor of Copper magazine, the journal of Paul McGowan's company PS Audio. Paul has kindly given Frank Doris permission to re-publish here at Positive Feedback, and some of Frank's valued articles appear here occasionally, courtesy of them both. This is Part 2 of a three-part interview with Jamie... Read More »

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The Grateful Dead, (Momentarily) Considered as a "Christian" Rock Band

John Marks — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 22:03:14 +0000

An Affirmation of the Concept of Grace I can already envision the angry Comments: Herr Doktor Marks: We hereby award you the Prize for the Most Completely Outrageous Clickbait Trash-Post of the Week! I reply: Nicht so schnell! Please read my headline carefully. I am not claiming that the Grateful Dead were a "Christian" rock band,... Read More »

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Call It!

Roger Skoff — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 21:19:29 +0000

Roger Skoff writes about a game that could save a valuable part of our culture... As many of you probably know by now, I like and listen to just about every kind of music: everything from opera to Tuvan Throat-singing, to Mexican Rancheras, to Russian folk songs (which are just like Mexican music in that... Read More »

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Jamie Howarth of Plangent Processes: Making Recordings Sound Better, Part 1

Frank Doris — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 17:05:51 +0000

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Impressions: Final Postcard from Los Angeles & the LAOC Audio Society

David W. Robinson — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 17:18:09 +0000

Another year, another Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society Gala weekend. Early December once again. Been doing these for a long time, now...over the past number of revolutions around the Sun, chairing the LAOC Audiophile Recording of the Year Awards (ARYA). 2024 was another trip to LA for this event; my photographs and brief... Read More »

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The Aging Audiophile

Editors at Positive Feedback — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 17:14:32 +0000

This article by Dr. Sardonicus originally ran in Issue 77, 2015, so while we call this section "New Old Stock - Articles from Our Days in Print" you are also going to see some articles from our early days of going online. The Aging Audiophile … a Tale of Sorrow and Redemption (sort of) I... Read More »

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Imersiv D1 DAC (now in Beta) and Audeze CRBN2 Headphones

Bob Katz — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 00:57:44 +0000

Bob Katz at work wearing the Audeze CRBN 2 Headphones, a portrait. (Photograph by Mary Kent.) Introduction Today I'm reviewing two remarkable products, both of which represent a new audio paradigm and a veritable redefinition of the state of the art! I know, this is an old audio cliché, but in this case I think... Read More »

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Bah! Humbug!

Roger Skoff — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 23:36:01 +0000

Roger Skoff: a moment. Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society Gala. Buena Park, CA, 2024 (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) Roger Skoff writes about glad tidings from HiFi Land... Happy Holidays! Now's the time to enjoy family, good food, good friends, and good music, played in great sound. But, even now,... Read More »

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