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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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

All right, so I am a digital file playback guy and I admit it. My confession. I apologize and please forgive me for my regressions in audio… digital as opposed to analog. Oh screw that... digital is right fine, just different. For sure we buy as many LPs as we can, but truth is we... Read More »

"Laid Back is a masterpiece! Gregg's greatest solo album and I'd be shocked by anyone disagreeing with that!" - Alan Paul, author of One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band. "Laid Back is probably the finest record Capricorn released in the post-Duane Allman era." - Scott Freeman, author of Midnight Rider:... 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 »

Ye Olde Editor, Happy Valley, Oregon, 2018. Portrait by John Robinson. Playback Designs has returned again…with a vengeance! Their Dream Series of digital audio designs debut here at PF River City with their MPS-8. Part one of my impressions is here…read on for my take on what Andreas Koch and company have achieved. The powerful... Read More »

Ah, Montreal We finally made it! An excursion to Kronos Audio in Montreal had been planned last year, but, due to one thing or another, it never happened. Lynn and I were again vacationing nearby, attending the Ottawa Chamberfest (13 years and counting!). One full day is always given to "New Music Now" programming. This... Read More »

If you're wondering why I enjoy having John Marks' erudite commentary (editor of The Tannhauser Gate) here at PF so much, puzzle no more, my friend! His latest essay is full of delights for music fans, and also for those who admire the work of Stanley Kubrick. Read and learn! Dr. David W. Robinson, Ye Olde Editor Trio... Read More »

Here's the latest from John Marks of The Tannhauser Gate blog site. His work is always a delight to re-publish here at Positive Feedback...this time is no exception. Enjoy! Dr. David W. Robinson, Ye Olde Editor The Internet radio station I listen to most often is Bavarian Radio's Classical channel. To get to it, click HERE and scroll down to... Read More »

Munich 2018, or "What the hell was that?!" Fair warning:  This is not going to be a standard show report, whatever that is. There are plenty of audio scribes, showgoers, bloggers, and videographers running around high-end audio shows these days. There are tons of articles, postings, discussions, YouTube videos, bloggo-blather, and camera dumps going on,... Read More »