May - June 2025
Audio Discourse
Impressions: AXPONA 2025, Part The First...My Audio Oasis!...
Ye Olde Editor: a Fantasy. (Photograph by John Robinson; image processing by yours truly.) AXPONA time again... Another year, another AXPONA. The...
HiFi-rrari 2025
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...
Magic Snake Oil: Roger Skoff Writes the Real Truth about HiFi
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...
The "Dark Horses" versus the (Orchestral) "War Horses," Part 2
John Marks is a multidisciplinary generalist and a lifelong audio hobbyist. He was educated at Brown University and Vanderbilt Law School. He has...
The "Dark Horses" versus the (Orchestral) "War Horses," Part 1
Automotive journalist, amateur endurance-car racer, musician and music lover Jack Baruth challenged our mutual friend John Marks to come up with a list...
Hardware Reviews
ONO Tone Labs a3 Standmount Loudspeakers: Stunning Performance,...
ONO Tone Labs is a new loudspeaker manufacturer based in Kahului, Maui, in Hawaii, and is the brainchild of Dustin (or if you prefer, "Dusty") Vawter....
XACT S1 EVO Music Server
The formula is simple. If you voice the component in a way that resonates with enthusiasts, odds are it's going to take off. What's left is securing...
Vera-Fi Audio's Line Noise Black Hole and Snub Station Zero:...
Mark Schifter and the geniuses at Vera-Fi Audio have done it again, and their new group of AC power optimization products may be the company's most...
RAY Tubes Select 12AT7 Dual Triode Tubes: Rolling Next-level...
In my recent review of the Advance Paris A12 Classic integrated amplifier, I was smitten with its great looks and retro-cool vibe, but it also proved...
Wireworld Silver Eclipse 10 Interconnects
What manner of arcane sorcery does David Salz of Wireworld Cable Technology practice behind closed doors in the depths of his cryptic labyrinth? Are...
Grado Labs Signature S950 Headphone: An Amazing Addition to the...
Bob Levi (right) with Michael Fremer (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) Brand new to the lineup of Grado Labs Signature Headphones...
RAY Tubes Reserve EL34 and Select 12AU7 Vacuum Tubes: Elevating...
Growing up in late-sixties north Georgia, music first really grabbed my attention around my tenth birthday. My family had an old tube Philco console...
Advance Paris A12 Classic Integrated Amplifier: Retro Good...
I spend a fair amount of time on social media, especially Instagram; it's a great space to post meaningless snippets of existential nonsense, and is...
Atma-Sphere Class D Amplifiers
Preparing for this review I asked Ralph Karsten, principal at Atma-Sphere, if he planned to make a Class D preamplifier. He responded "There's not much...
The ATC SCM40 Loudspeaker - a Crazy Diamond Hidden in Plain
Image backdrop by Aubrey "Po" Powell, courtesy of Reddit.com In the 1970s, engineer and entrepreneur Billy Woodman ran a tidy business designing...
FX-Audio L07 Integrated Amplifier and DS07 DAC/Preamplifier -...
Mark Schifter is constantly teasing me with new product offerings that are either currently under development or on the verge of reaching the...
Stack Audio SmoothLAN Network Filter and SmoothLAN Regenerator:...
Stack Audio has been around for over a decade, founded by Theo Stack in Devonshire England. His first products were a network streamer, and...
Small Green Computer sonicTransporter i7 CDR (Gen 3) and Sonore...
It was back in 2015 that I decided to get into a digital audio source that was not based on either a CD Player or a Transport/DAC combo. I'm really...
Vincent Audio SV-500MK Integrated Amplifier
Talk about poor timing. Just as I had this review sealed up, the tariff wars erupted. All politics may be local, but high-end audio sings to the tune...
Interviews
An Interview with ATC Loudspeaker's U.S. Distributor, Lone...
Brad Lunde, at right, talks with a photographer based out of Los Angeles the ATC suite at this year's AXPONA (photo by Juan C. Ayllon) Brad Lunde is in...
Music Reviews
Dan Fogelberg's Breakthrough Album Souvenirs, in a 50th...
Impex Records, in a joint effort with Iconic Artist Group and Epic Records, has just released Souvenirs, 50th Anniversary Edition, a limited LP reissue...
Robin Trower's Classic For Earth Below, 50th Anniversary...
Chrysalis Records continues their celebration of the legacy of legendary guitarist Robin Trower with the latest installment in the series, For Earth...
Recent Finds No. 42 Rachel Podger's New Album plus Pure DSD256...
A new album from Rachel Podger and Brecon Baroque, recorded by Jared Sacks, is always reason to celebrate! Add to that some delightful discoveries from...
Recent Finds No. 41 Pure DSD256 from Hunnia Records
You will likely have noticed a large number of recordings in my articles from Hunnia Records. The owner of the label, Robert Zoltán Hunka, loves all...
Cherish the Ladies, Part 2
John Marks of The Tannhauser Gate (thetannhausergate.com) and Positive Feedback This is a continuation of a very long essay. But I think the subject...
Recent Finds No. 40 Some Reissues of Significance from HDTT
HDTT has been on a tear generating great reissues this past year, and that tear continues unabated. Here are several releases that have gotten my...
Recent Finds No. 39 Mining Pure DSD256 Gold
For me, a Pure DSD256 recording done well is the height of audio reproduction excellence. Yes, 15ips and 30ips analog tape sound marvelous, but so does...
Stunning Release from Pelle D'oca and Jared Sacks in Pure DSD256
It is celebration time, folks. Jared Sacks has launched a new label, Pelle D'oca ("Goosebumps" in Italian), with a stunning new recording of...
Patti Page's In the Land of Hi-Fi
What has intrigued me about this record for decades is its cover photo. I can't remember when I first saw it, but it was long ago. I think I saw it on...
Cherish the Ladies, Part 1
Your hearing works in the dark. It even works when you are asleep! Humans were designed (or evolved) so that certain hard-wired aspects of our...
Outstanding Organ Recordings in DSD256 and DXD
Okay, I admit it. I love a good organ recording. In my vinyl days, I had shelves upon shelves of excellent organ recordings on LP. Today, my digital...
Donovan's The Hurdy Gurdy Man, in its Finest Incarnation Ever,...
Early on, Scottish folk singer Donovan Leitch was often considered at best to be little more than a Bob Dylan imitator. But when their paths crossed...
Rembrandt Trio The Blue Hour Sessions in Pure DSD256
Sometimes an album arrives on my shores that simply requires immediate comment because it is so deliciously good. This is one of those. The Blue Hour...
New Release and Reissue LPs from Craft Recordings, Including...
Craft Recordings has rolled out another great selection of new release and reissue LPs, including three more Original Jazz Classics (OJC) reboot...
Trini Lopez At PJ's
The great Trini Lopez (1937-2020) was a superb guitarist and singer. He was also an actor, both on film and on TV. The talented musician, who also hung...
Recent Finds No. 38 Wonders with Bert van der Wolf
Those who've read past articles know my admiration for the recordings of independent Dutch recording and mastering engineer Bert van der Wolf (now and...
Recent Finds No. 37 HDTT Strikes Gold Again
High Definition Tape Transfers continues to strike gold with its releases. Here are some excellent new classical and jazz transfers, plus one folk...
Freddie de Tommaso Puccini Arias
Freddie de Tommaso, Puccini Arias with London Philharmonic Orchestra/Edward Gardner. Decca 4870768 (digital EP, no booklet. La Bohème: Che gelida...
Iceland with Sono Luminus
For some time I've wanted to share with you some of this outstanding music, performance excellence, and superb audio quality coming from Sono Luminus'...
Patricia Barber's Classic Modern Cool, Pressed on Neotech's...
By the mid-2000's, my growing appreciation of jazz music was also developing into a full-blown fascination with the artistry of jazz singer and pianist...
Another Amazing Triumph on Vinyl from Impex Records, "Patricia...
It's been a very passionate and rewarding journey for me when it comes to Patricia Barber and her music. As a long term resident of Chicago, I was able...
Recent Finds No. 36 The NativeDSD Catalog Continues to Deliver...
NativeDSD continues to earn highest recommendations from me as a preferred source for high resolution downloads. There are some labels they don't have...
Sing and Dance With Frank Sinatra on Impex Records 1STEP LP: An...
Frank Doris: a portrait. AXPONA 2025, Chicago, IL. (Photograph by David W. Robinson.) I have been extremely impressed with the reissues I've heard...
Classical Music Composed Within the Past 25 Years
With such a rich history of music in the western world, it is too easy to get lost in centuries past. We can too easily fail to see the amazing music...
New Old Stock - Articles from Our Days in Print
Audio Ramblings - Seasonings?! I Don't Need No Stinking...
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...
Our Friend the Audio Analyst
E231: High End Munich 2025: Six Exceptional Rooms
Today we’ll explore a number of the incredible sounding rooms that were on exhibit at the 2025 Munich High End event. I’ll share my thoughts on.... . . Read More »
E229: High End Munich 2025: With True Life Audio
While True Life Audio wasn’t launching anything new at this High End Munich, the presentation of their Supreme series of products in two different.... . . Read More »
E228: High End Munich 2025: Kubala-Sosna Ovation & XPander...
There were so many product introductions at this past High End show in Munich that it was simply impossible to keep track of them all. But one of the.... . . Read More »
E227: High End Munich 2025-Updates from Audionet
Today I begin sharing my experiences during High End Munich 2025, beginning with a discussion with the CEO and Lead Engineer of Berlin’s world-class.... . . Read More »
E226: Kalista's Exceptional DreamPlay X & Mantax
Kalista’s flagship $65,000 DreamPlay X Optical Disc player/Streamer/DAC/Preamp and the similarly fashioned $64,000 Mantax DAC, represent both a.... . . Read More »
E225: Kronos Updates: The New Apartment Lounge featuring Maurice...
In this episode, I share the experience of my February trip to Orlando, Florida, to assist my friend and colleague, Maurice Jeffries, with the.... . . Read More »
E224: The Valve Amplification Company's Statement 455iQ...
Last week’s tour of the Valve Amplification Company, as presented by VAC’s Maestro Kevin Hayes, set the stage for today’s conversation with Kevin.... . . Read More »
E223: The Valve Amplification Company: A Factory Tour
Today, I’m pleased to present something that I’ve been wanting to accomplish and have talked about doing for more than a decade…a visit and.... . . Read More »
E222-SWAF 2025-Top Five Rooms
Last week I brought you eight wonderful-sounding rooms I encountered during the Sophomore Southwest Audio Fest, held at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in.... . . Read More »
E221: SWAF 2025 - Standout Rooms
It’s hard to believe that this was just the second Southwest Audio Fest… The attitudes, the spirit, the overall upbeat and enthusiastic tenor of.... . . Read More »
E220: When Audiophilia and Music Meet
This week finds us midway through the most hectic time of the year for me, spring show season. With Florida and Southwest behind us – and with plenty.... . . Read More »
E219: Top Five Rooms - Florida International Audio Expo
With previous episodes “216,” from March 2nd, and “218,” from last week, March 16th, I’ve shared some of my experiences with, and taken you.... . . Read More »
E218: More from the Florida International Audio Expo
In episode 216, from March 2nd, I shared my overall impressions of the sixth Florida International Audio Expo, from the new venue, the Sheraton Tampa.... . . Read More »
Our Friends at High Fidelity
Harbeth M40.5 XD2 Loudspeakers
Harbeth Audio Ltd. is a British company founded in 1977 by former BBC research chief Dudley Harwood. Its name is derived from 'HARwood' and his wife's...
Nagra by Roland Schellin - a Book Review
Nagra is a brand of portable audio recorders manufactured since 1951 in Switzerland. Starting in 1997, it also offers high-end equipment for the...
Show Reports
T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest 2025 Show Report
T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest 2025 ran the first weekend of May in Round Rock just outside Austin Texas. This eighteenth Lone Star Audiofest marked an...
2025 Munich High-End Show
Wow! It's been more than 15 years since I've been attending the Munich High-End Show and this year will be the last year it is to be held in Munich....
AXPONA 2025: Bigger, Better, and a Great Escape from Tariff...
The impressive PS Audio room, boasting their latest, continues to be a crowd-pleasing fixture at AXPONA Despite current concerns regarding U.S....
