Vétroz, Switzerland, May 6th, 2024 -- Stenheim, the Switzerland-based speaker company that utilizes aluminium cabinets and high-efficiency drivers to bring out every nuance of the finest recordings, will show its new Alumine Five LE, a luxury variant of the also brand new Alumine Five SX at High End Munich. These two new additions to the Alumine Five range both incorporate an elegant aluminium plinth machined... Read More »
Just Listen (Columbia Special Products CSS 1337) is an LP that I discovered in 1986. It was released by Columbia Special Products in 1970, as a promotional item for Magnavox. Like most of the CBS Special Products LPs, it's a stereophonic various-artists compilation. The musical selections are by Percy Faith, Ray Conniff, Dave Brubeck, Andre... Read More »
Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, with Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, HDTT 1957 2024 (Pure DSD256) HERE This is such a great album, it is wonderful to now have it in my digital music library in the best quality sound. My standard for this album has always been the excellent 45rpm vinyl... Read More »
Ye Olde Editor, AXPONA 2024 (photograph by Bill Parish; image processing by David W. Robinson) Another year, another trip around the Sun, another AXPONA. Apart from the COVID years, I have been attending AXPONA since Mark Freed first invited me personally to do so in late 2014. 2015 was my first show. So, I've been... Read More »
Roger Skoff answers a question that many audiophiles have, but never ask... On one of the audiophile groups on Facebook a few days ago, I saw a question from one of the group's members that I had wrestled with, myself, many years ago, when I first got into our hobby. Here it is: I'm very... Read More »
Discovery of a Limited Collection of Telefunken PCF803 Tubes Leads to Next-Gen Version of a Vincent Audio Favorite GRAND RAPIDS, MI, March 12, 2024 - Vincent Audio, a designer and manufacturer of elegant high-fidelity stereo and multichannel components, announced today the limited production run of the new SA-T7 Diamond, a tube preamplifier featuring prized German Telefunken... Read More »
Romanel, Switzerland – 3 May 2024. The Swiss company discloses the exciting Meet the Expert program for the High End Show in Munich. Year after year we are honored by the confidence of passionate professionals who come to our room to share their work and their passion to our visitors. We call these sessions “Meet... Read More »
Romanel, Switzerland – 3 May 2024. The Swiss company announces the introduction of a new digital source. 30 years after the then state of the art Nagra D, the first high resolution digital recorder, and almost 20 years after the Nagra CDC reference CD player, Nagra is releasing a streamer. In a compact format but... Read More »
We at Göbel High End are happy to unveil, our new ultra high end small sized floor standing loudspeaker Divin Comtesse. The exclusive world premiere of our Divin Comtesse will be at the Munich High End show 2024,which will take place from 9th - 12th May 2024 in the MOC Munich. We are happy to... Read More »
Donny Hathaway’s Extension Of A Man, Hot Tuna’s Burgers, Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly and Seals & Croft’s Summer Breeze All Titles To Be Issued On Blu-ray With Quadraphonic And Hi-Res Stereo Order Here LOS ANGELES –Rhino returns with the next installment of high-quality quadraphonic releases. Unavailable in quadraphonic audio for nearly 50 years, four iconic... Read More »
Some of the most fun to be had at AXPONA was discovering fresh new ideas and technology. Never have I ever encountered a complete 3D printed horn system (with bass cabinets), or software algorithm-controlled tube equipment. Yet, this is exactly what Tony Crocker of Swan Song Audio delivered and more. Who is Tony and Swan Song... Read More »
Schubert, Quartets 15, 8. Takács Quartet. Hyperion CDA 68423 (CD). TT: 77.48 Schubert's harmonic innovations are broadly recognized. But, as these quartets show, he had a keen rhythmic and structural imagination as well. The Fifteenth Quartet is large-framed, with a twenty-minute first movement; after an imposing "dotted" introduction, a syncopated motif enters, becoming a sort of quirky... Read More »
Deep Purple's Machine Head: Super Deluxe Edition (SDE) has just been remixed, remastered, and re-released in a gorgeous new multi-disc edition that includes media choices to accommodate listeners from all corners. It's also being billed as a 50th anniversary release, though technically it comes a couple of years late for that to be completely accurate—no... Read More »
This article by Roger S. Gordon originally ran in Issue 8, August/September 2003, 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. Random surfing on the Web can produce interesting results. It was... Read More »
Furutech Co. Ltd. • Tokyo, Japan, manufacturer of ultra-refined analog, digital, video cable and accessories, announces the release of the GT2 NCF USB-B by Furutech, the epitome of USB cable perfection tailored for discerning connoisseurs seeking the pinnacle of USB 2.0 connectivity. This material is the cumulative result of Furutech’s 30 plus year effort to... Read More »
Buffalo, NY, May 1, 2024 -- Bluebird Music, distributor of high-performance audio products since 2000, is pleased to announce their Canton Vento Summer Promotion. Selected models from the new Vento loudspeaker range are being offered at 20% savings between now and July 31, 2024. Introducing the New Vento Series Positioned directly below the top-rated Canton Reference Series, and... Read More »
Furutech Co. Ltd. • Tokyo, Japan, manufacturer of ultra-refined analog, digital, video cable and accessories, announces the release of the NCF Clear Line USB & NCF Clear Line LAN, featuring Furutech’s Nano Crystal² Formula (NCF). This material is the cumulative result of Furutech’s 30 plus year effort to eliminate electrical and mechanical resonance from signal... Read More »
Furutech Co. Ltd. • Tokyo, Japan, manufacturer of ultra-refined analog, digital, video cable and accessories, introduces their top-of-the-line Project V1-L high performance Interconnect cable. The Project V1-L is the pinnacle of high-end audio grade interconnect cables, meticulously crafted to elevate audio system performance to unprecedented heights. Engineered with the same precision and unwavering commitment to... Read More »
Furutech Co. Ltd. • Tokyo, Japan, manufacturer of ultra-refined analog, digital, video cable and accessories, invites you to Hall 3, L01 and various room around the show as listed below where you will see our ultimate Cable and Connector damping solution NCF Booster series featuring Furutech’s revolutionary NCF sound enhancing material. The versatility of the... Read More »
London, UK - High End by Oz UK is pleased to announce its exclusive partnership with VIVA Audio, a renowned manufacturer of high-end audio equipment. As the newly appointed distributor for the United Kingdom, High End by Oz will bring VIVA Audio's exceptional range of audio products to the discerning British market. IVA Audio is... Read More »
Impex Records continues to roll out the hits with another superb choice for their next deluxe 1STEP LP treatment, reaching again into the catalog of classic albums from jazz composer, pianist, and vocalist Patricia Barber. For this release, Impex has chosen Barber's fifth album, Companion (1999, Premonition Records), which was recorded live at Chicago's Green... Read More »
I'm pleased to introduce this article by my audio friend, Ferenc Koscsó, founder of My Reel Club™ and eminent recording engineer. As so often in today's world, Ferenc (who lives in Budapest) and I have never met in person, but over the past five years we've shared many online communications about things audio. His goal... Read More »
– The beauty and clarity of stringed instruments is showcased in spellbinding high-resolution DSD audio, in a wide variety of styles and sounds – April 24, 2024 – There’s something elemental and captivating about the sound of stringed instruments, and The Art of Hi-Fi Volume 04: Strings from PS Audio’s Octave Records showcases them to spellbinding effect, in stunning high-resolution Pure... Read More »
Manley Labs has always kept its feet planted in two lands. Known for keeping the tube faith on the Pro side of audio—their mic preamps and processors are legendarily for their natural detail, color, and overall juiciness. They are used at many of the best studios and mastering houses. They also make some of the... Read More »
German turntable makers Analog Manufaktur Germany (AMG) will be introducing a new turntable at AXPONA 2024, the Giro MK II Wood. This new model will feature a cherry wood sub-chassis, bringing a fresh look and improved sound to the popular turntable. The wood layer is a collaboration with Die Möbelmacher, a local carpenter specializing in... Read More »
The Kii SEVEN is a wireless music system that sets new standards in sound quality, connectivity, and ease of use Kii Audio is proud to announce the upcoming launch of the new Kii SEVEN, a compact wireless music system with unrivaled performance and connectivity. Following the award-winning Kii THREE path, the Kii SEVEN utilizes state-of-the-art digital signal... Read More »
Welcome to the first installment of Hit Play!, a bimonthly column (at least in the beginning) dedicated to the ultimate in music and sound on 15-ips reel-to-reel tape. Why devote space to a column about an obsolete analog format? Easy. Tape is far from obsolete! To start, three companies (Analog Audio Design (France)/Metaxas (Holland)/Ballfinger (Germany)... Read More »
Turn up the volume and prepare for sumptuous sonics from one of the great performances in the catalog. This new transfer from High Definition Tape Transfers is terrific. It is now my personal standard for what this great RCA Living Stereo recording can sound like. Respighi Pines of Rome & Fountains of Rome, Fritz Reiner,... Read More »
Carbide Audio is based in the city of Llano located east of Austin, in the mountainous part of Texas. Founded in 2019 by Jeffrey Jenkins, this specialized audio company focuses on anti-vibration feet. It makes almost all the components for them in-house, using CNC machines, measurements and listening. We test its top-of-the-line Carbide Base Diamond... Read More »
I think it's pretty safe to say that most record-collecting audiophiles know Dave Brubeck (1920-2012), and his album, Time Out (Columbia CS8192). After all, it's one of the most popular jazz LPs ever recorded. Time Out was released in 1959, and it introduced the world to Brubeck's use of unusual time signatures. It also introduced... Read More »
A NEW tape-recorder from France A new tape machine to playback the wonderful one-off duplicate masters from many companies, e.g., Genesis Loudspeaker’s collection from Bernie Grundman. An innovative development to handle priceless master tapes and faithfully reproduce the musical event. Analog Audio Design Analog Audio Design was founded 5 years ago by Christophe Martinez in... Read More »
Rhino Entertainment has an impressive slate of limited-edition LPs available for the upcoming Saturday, April 20th celebration of Record Store Day 2024 (RSD). Rhino's extensive offering of rarities and specialty releases are only a few of the hundreds of exciting albums that will be available from both online sources and at independent record stores everywhere.... Read More »
10,000+ attendees and 600+ brands from 50+ countries gather to experience AXPONA Schaumburg, IL (April 17, 2024)--AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) welcomed 10,391 attendees, coming from 42 states and 31 countries, to the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center April 12-14, 2024. This was a 14% increase over 2023 and marked its biggest show yet.... Read More »
Beaverton, Oregon, 22nd April, 2024 - Continuing its legacy of pioneering high-performance audio technology, AURALiC proudly introduces its latest innovations: S1 series audio streamers, Tesla G3 streaming platform based ALTAIR G2.2 and the release of version 10.0 software, now featuring several new features to enhance sound quality. AURALiC will be showcasing these innovations first hand... Read More »
I'm sliding into Northern Illinois on a dreary Thursday in early April. There is a touch of nostalgia and foreboding landing here in the suburbs of Chicago filled with its brutalist architecture and utilitarian brick structures. The daffodils and plum trees are blooming. The grass and clover is already coming out and getting green. It is... Read More »
Last year we successfully launched the well awarded Axxess Forté streaming amplifier series. Now it is time to expand the product range of Axxess audio equipment. Audio Group Denmark is very proud to announce the launch of two loudspeakers, a series of cables and finally a resonance control device to position under your loudspeakers and... Read More »
Craft Recordings is offering another cool slate of limited-edition LPs for the upcoming Saturday, April 20th celebration of Record Store Day 2024 (RSD). Craft's selection of rarities and specialty releases are only a few of the literally hundreds of exciting records that will be available online and at independent record stores everywhere. For RSD April,... Read More »
