January - February 2016
Audio Discourse
Journeys in Audio Subjectivism - Part Three
The $18,000 Challenge, or: "Where the heck was I just now?" The gods of inspiration picked the moment I was fishing out leaves from my pool to wallop...
It's Still Good…
It's Still Good… Roger Skoff writes about buying and enjoying older gear My sister called me the other day and said that she and her husband (a...
Prism Sound Announces Callia DAC/Preamp for Home Audio Market
Prism Sound, makers of recording studio and pro audio A/D and D/A converters and the SADiE digital workstation, has announced plans to enter the home...
In Search of the Perfect Song, the RMAF Edition
I know, Carol when are you going to give the perfect song idea a rest? Well, unlike a 'favorite' song, I think there can be many versions of a...
Musings on Building a Digital Music Server Goes Portable: The...
"I know it's only rock 'n roll but I like it, like it, yes, I do" —The Rolling Stones Not that long ago, I was working under contract at a big...
Audio Ramblings - The Lino Phonostage from Channel D
Phonostages. Or phono preamplifers. Same things. You know, the box or input on your preamp or whatever that takes what is coming from your turntable...
Audio Ramblings - The Concerto Turntable from Triangle Art
Analog is the thing now. Well for many it has always been the thing, but for many others… it is the new thing. Nice. Great stuff on vinyl and...
Impressions: The Blue Microphones Mo-Fi Powered Headphones
And now for something really different, with a set of reflections that are short, sweet, and right to the point. Last May I was approached by a company...
The 12th Annual Positive Feedback Writers' Choice Awards for...
Beginning at the end of 2003, PF established its first annual awards for fine audio. The Brutus Award was established for the best that David Robinson...
The Audio Circular No. 18: The Merrill Audio Taranis Stereo...
I first met Merrill Wettasinghe at AXPONA 2014 where he was showing his Veritas monoblock amplifiers with Sadurni horn speakers. It was quite an...
Breaking Through
In this brief jotting, Dan Zimmerman, Contributing Artist to Positive Feedback, continues his meditations upon art, music, and creativity. Some of...
Hardware Reviews
ampsandsound Kenzie Headphone Amplifier
Headphonemania! Headphones hold top five slots in global audiophile charts! Well, that's what the headlines should say. Headphones, headphones...
The Audioengine HD6: A Statement Product that Sets the Standard...
Last year I had the good fortune to review Audioengine's B2 Bluetooth Speaker—a product that amazed me, not only with its impressive sound and build...
The SPL Phonitor 2
A lot has happened in the headphone and headphone amplifier markets ever since we at HiFi Statement reviewed the Phonitor four years ago. However, the...
Audiomods Classic II Tonearm
We live during interesting times, at least as far as audio gear is concerned. The arena of cheap and cheerful hi-fi have seen unprecedented...
ampsandsound Stereo 15 Special Edition Amplifier (and their...
I've been interested in high-end audio since the mid 1970s, maybe even before that, certainly before anyone used the term High End Audio. This was...
ACA Seraphim Skogrand SE Speakers
Over the past couple of decades, many of my audiophile friends have often questioned my preference for well designed, intelligently engineered 2-way...
The Audioquest JitterBug
Since converting my digital playback chain to a heavily modded Mac Mini/Mytek Stereo 192 source (read review HERE) I've been very happily...
CH Precision M1 Mono Amplifier - The Future of Amplification
We are creatures of habit. For ten consecutive years Lynn and I have taken our summer vacation at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival in...
Arion Phono Preamplifier by Luminous Audio Technology
I have come across many audiophiles who have truly splendid turntables, tone arms, and cartridges, of which cost them an arm and a leg. Nevertheless,...
Finite Elemente Cerabase Footers
"It disturbs me that footers make such a difference." Ain't that the truth, Abe. But then you shouldn't have been so surprised....
Zesto Audio EROS 300 Class A Monaural Power Amp Premier Review
(Image courtesy of Zesto Audio) Introduced at RMAF in October by Zesto Audio, these new powerhouse mono-blocks have the Zesto signature house sound,...
Devialet 400 Integrated Amplifier
I am a huge fan of Integrated Amplifiers. I am a firm believer that less is more. Fewer boxes, cables and resonance control devices is a big plus...
Interviews
Interview with Michael Lang, Editor of Stereo Magazine
The Editors Series Numbers show how much the world of hobbyist magazines has changed. In a book entitled EISA. Looking Back, Moving Forward published...
Music Reviews
Notes of an Amateur: Auerbach, Wolpe, Wuorinen.
Homo Ludens. Piano Music of Lera Auerbach. Eli Kalman, piano. Centaur CRC 3441. There are three Lera Auerbachs (1973) in this program, held together by...
Impressions: Art Pepper Arrives in Double DSD!
In the world of Jazz, there are the greats, the near greats, the great-but-obscure, and the close-but-no-cigar. It's easy (but contentious!) to list...
Janet Feder - THIS CLOSE
I've told this story before, so bear with me. I first met Janet Feder at the 2012 California Audio Show in San Francisco. That was the show that marked...
Notes of an Amateur - Favorite Classical Recordings of 2015
Joan Tower. Violin Concerto. Stroke. Chamber Dance. Cho-Liang Lin, violin. Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor. Naxos 8.559775....
Notes of an Amateur: Wilhelmina Smith, Cellist; Bridge...
Wilhelmina Smith, Cello. Britten, Schnittke, and Shostakovich. Thomas Sauer, piano. Arabesque 26801. I had known of Wilhelmina Smith since her career...
New Classical Music
This is Glyndebourne's first ever staging of an opera by Rameau. Though he was well known as an innovator/thinker in the music world, it was not...
Mariss Jansons Conducts Shostakovich
Despite the virtual disappearance of EMI Classics as a separate label—having been swallowed into the Warner Music combine—Mariss...
My Top Picks for New Songs in 2015
The 20 songs I played a lot more than other songs this year, in alphabetical-artist-order, that were released in 2015 and that ended up on a list I...
The Reel Deal: Dealing with Tape Overload
Never in my wildest imagination did I ever foresee myself facing a mountain of reel-to-reel tapes to review in 2015. Sure, some of the backlog is...
New Old Stock - Articles from Our Days in Print
The Listening Experience as an Art Form: Meditations on...
This article, by Dr. John Coletti, originally ran when Positive Feedback was in print - Vol. 8, No. 1, 1999. As a teaching exercise, the student of...
Our Friends at HIFI Statement
Ubiq Audio Model One Speker
In Sloweniens Hauptstadt etabliert sich eine neue Marke, die hohen musikalischen Anspruch mit attraktivem Design und einem moderaten Preis verbinden.... . . Read More »
JPLAY and JCAT Streaming Solution
Vor etwa eineinhalb Jahren hatte ich begonnen, mich mit dem Aufbau einer Streaming-Lösung rein auf Computer-Basis unter dem Betriebssystem Windows zu.... . . Read More »
XTZ 99.25 Speaker from Sweden
Sind mir schwedische Lautsprecher bisher immer als sehr individuelle Produkte begegnet, handelt es sich bei XTZ um einen Lautsprecherhersteller mit.... . . Read More »
Auralic Aries Mini, SBooster BOTW and Tidal streaming
Auf das sensationell gute Preis/Klang-Verhältnis des Aries Mini hatte ich ja schon im Artikel über ein Vorserien-Modell hingewiesen. Dort hatte ich.... . . Read More »
ifi-audio iPurifier2
Schon mehrfach hat ifi-audio in den vergangenen Monaten mit bemerkenswerten kleinen und vor allem preislich attraktiven HiFi-Komponenten für Aufsehen.... . . Read More »
PS Audio PerfectWave Bridge II und Yale Update
Als Jürgen Sachweh, der Chef des deutschen Vertriebs von PS Audio, uns vor einigen Wochen in der Redaktion besuchte, hatte er eines der ersten in.... . . Read More »
Verity Audio Sarastro IIS
Dass die Beschäftigung mit der Sarastro IIS eher Freude als harte Arbeit werden würden, hatte ich gehofft. Aber dass der edle Schallwandler mir auch.... . . Read More »
Pear Audio Blue Robin Hood
Schon wieder der Osten. Aus Slowenien stammt der kleinste Plattenspieler von Pear Audio, der auf den Namen Robin Hood hört. Nicht nur dies, auch die.... . . Read More »
HABST Kabelmanufaktur Enso SL und Magenso
Das Wort Manufaktur ist bei HABST durchaus wörtlich zu nennen, denn alle Kabel der Berliner Firma werden in reiner Handarbeit hergestellt..... . . Read More »
AMG Giro G9, 9W2 und Teatro
Ja, in puncto analog haben wir einen nicht geringen Nachholbedarf. Und deshalb folgt auf Wolfgang Kempers Plattenspieler-Test gleich ein weiterer. . . . Read More »
Transrotor Jupiter Turntable Part 1
Transrotor Plattenspieler genießen einen besonderen Stellenwert. Bei dieser Marke vereint sich musikalischer Anspruch mit edlem Design, bei dem auch.... . . Read More »
Sombetzki Electrostatic Speaker
Hier geht es um eine völlig neue Art von Schallwandlern, die das Beste von Kopfhörer- und Lautsprecherwiedergabe vereinen soll. Da ich Michael.... . . Read More »
Our Friends at High Fidelity
New Music - Bach and Wyman
J.S. Bach, Motets. Fabio Bonizzoni, Capella Cracoviensis. Alpha ALPHA 199, Compact Disc. Alpha label has been known for years for their...
Lumïn M1 Streaming Amplifier/Player
When in 2005 Arcam, a company specializing in multi-box, mid-priced systems introduced their new Solo systems it seemed like a crazy move. The very...
JBL 4367 Studio Monitor
The JBL Model 4367 Studio Monitor premiered in October 2015 at CEDIA, and soon after that was also presented during Audio Video Show 2015 in Warsaw....
Audio Tekne TFA 9501 Preamplifier, TM 8801 Power Amplifiers, and...
When in January this year I received an email from Mr Hari Strukelj of Natural Sound asking if I was willing to review one of Audio Tekne's...
Krakow Sonic Society Meeting 99 - Diana Krall Digital...
I was that close to falling asleep while waiting for the final results of 17. International Chopin Competition that were presented after...
We are Audiophiles and Proud of it Project - Remaster, Or When...
That actually offers us three pieces of information: it is a label ("record label"), it deals with re-issues of recordings, and it is known...
Show Reports
AES 2015 New York
As always, I enjoy writing about a professional audio conference for the high end community. The AES show is really two things, it's a bunch of people...
