JOIN US FOR A HIFI MEET AND GREET WITH SME TURNTABLES, WILSON AUDIO, D'AGOSTINO AT BETHESDA'S JS AUDIO You are invited to JS Audio for an evening of great music on one of the world's finest vinyl playback systems. The featured system is comprised of an SME Model 60 turntable, Wilson's XVX loudspeakers and D'Agostino... Read More »
Schaumburg, IL (April 13, 2023) – MoFi Electronics is set to launch its latest loudspeaker model, the SourcePoint 8, at the upcoming AXPONA event in Schaumburg, IL, USA from April 14-16. This bookshelf speaker, created by Chief Speaker Designer Andrew Jones, offers the same exceptional sound quality as its larger sibling, the SourcePoint 10, but... Read More »
New Stand Mount Speaker Featuring TAD’s Esoteric Technology Embodies the Legendary Company’s Design Philosophy Hanover MA – Iconic Japanese audio brand, Technical Audio Devices Laboratories (TADL) announces the official North American launch of its new Compact Evolution CE1TX stand mount speaker. TAD’s engineering team thoughtfully preserved cherished elements of the original model, the multi-award-winning Compact... Read More »
BALLSTON SPA, New York, April 05, 2023 – Vinyl fans have new reason to celebrate as Luxman America introduces the eagerly-anticipated PD-191A analog player. “So many music lovers have told me how much pleasure they get from the PD-171A,” said Jeff Sigmund, president. “This new player is more than a worthy successor. It breaks entirely... Read More »
The Norwegian classical music label, Lawo Classics, makes recordings I've come to quite enjoy. They find outstanding musicians and make recordings of exquisite sound quality. As I've been exploring their catalog (over 240 titles since 2008), I'm finding a deep treasure of wonderful performances in excellent DXD recorded sound quality. I'm always delighted to see... Read More »
The SR35 is the 4th player to be released in the Astell&Kern A&norma line of Digital Audio Players Quad-DAC (Quad/Dual Switching Mode) New Generation AMP Technology 2-Step Gain Mode NEW UI/UX - Crimson Theme Dual Wi-Fi (2.4 & 5 GHz) 20-hour continuous playtime Supports two-way Bluetooth and LDAC, aptX™ HD Roon Ready (First in A&norma series)... Read More »
April 2023: This month at AXPONA, Nordost is launching the QBASE Mark III. Since first being introduced to the market in 2009, the QBASE has been a sophisticated, yet straightforward AC Distribution Unit which provides the solid foundation audio components require, in order to improve upon any high-performing, two-channel system. Now, Nordost is further amplifying... Read More »
April 7, 2023: NativeDSD announced today that it is expanding its catalog to include albums originally recorded in PCM 96, 176.4, and 192 kHz rates in addition to the DSD/DXD recordings they have always featured. This change acknowledges the current reality that the majority of recording industry labels have standardized on lower sample rate PCM... Read More »
Aliso Viejo, California: ampsandsound is thrilled to announce our new Arch flagship Push-Pull amplifier. Following founder Justin Weber’s philosophy of quality above all else, the Arch Monoblocks are the finest example of ampsandsound’s work yet. The goal of the Arch is to showcase the fidelity and bandwidth that could be possible with a tube amplifier... Read More »
Boulder, Colorado, April 6, 2023 – At AXPONA 2023 PS Audio will be showcasing a wide variety of its high-end audio lineup including the award-winning flagship aspen FR30 loudspeaker, the new FR20 speaker, the exceptional PerfectWave DirectStream DAC MK2, the ultimate-performance BHK Signature Mono 600 power amplifiers and more. The speakers and components will be demonstrated using... Read More »
| Hello there, We are thrilled to announce the beginning of the cooperation in the US market with Fidelity Imports, the Gold Note exclusive distributor since April 1st. The official "debut" of the new, exciting path that we are undertaking together will take place during the Axpona Audio Show 2023. Come see us at Axpona,... Read More »
Qobuz Set as AXPONA 2023’s Official Streaming Partner Qobuz and Roon to host “Streaming Made Straightfoward” Panel - Saturday, 4/15, 11:45am Qobuz’ David Solomon to give “Streaming Hi-Res with Qobuz” Presentation - Saturday, 4/15, 5pm North America’s Biggest Audio Conference: 4/14 - 4/16 in Schaumburg, IL Qobuz, the music lover's go-to Hi-Res music streaming and... Read More »
Several years ago, I sold a very nice, expensive, music server to free up funds for better speakers, and sought a more cost effective one to manage and serve my digital recordings, streamed high res services like Qobuz and quality internet radio stations. It wasn't long until I discovered the Intel NUC. Dialing it in... Read More »
Schaumberg, IL, 14 April, 2023: VANA LTD, Importer and Distributor of Luxury Audio Products, will introduce WANDLA: the first “stand-alone” DAC from Ferrum. Ferrum’s complete range of award-winning products will be on display in Ear Gear booth # 1205 and room #8208 of the Renaissance Schaumberg Convention Center, Friday through Sunday, 14-16 April. During their... Read More »
Las Vegas, NV (April 03, 2023) – Origin Acoustics, the leading manufacturer of architectural audio, announces the new Bollard 10 outdoor landscape speakers from Ambisonic Systems are now available. The new Ambisonic Big Bollard 10 delivers incredible performance from a stunning aesthetic design for any residential or commercial outdoor application. Available with round or square aluminum sleeves in silver,... Read More »
Heilbronn, Germany - April 3, 2023 - Andreas Rapp has assumed the position of chief executive officer and managing director of beyerdynamic, effective April 1, 2023. In this role, he is responsible for the operational business of the renowned audio brand from Heilbronn, Germany. He succeeds Edgar van Velzen, who is leaving the company. With... Read More »
Toronto, April 1, 2023 With the Mark II release the exaSound s82 becomes all-in-one Roon Server, Streamer, reference grade DSD 512 DAC and powerful Headphone Amplifier. Featuring ESS9038PRO 32-bit digital-to-analog converter and refinements like autonomous balanced and unbalanced output stages with improved micro-symmetry, high-resolution volume control, proprietary asynchronous USB streaming, Galvanic isolation, 32-bit low-jitter,... Read More »
Founded in 1964, and for 59 years now, Mactone has continuously manufactured high-fidelity vacuum tube audio components, longer than any other company in Japan. Steve Mishoe (In Living Stereo) started importing Mactone audio components to North America in late 2018, after visiting the Matsumoto family—who owns and operates Mactone—in Japan. Steve recently contacted me and... Read More »
dCS is a British company based in Cambridge focused on development of digital audio sources—D/A converters, SACD and files players. It made its debut in 1987 in the military industry (radar). The first A/D converter, model 950, from 1989 was intended for recording studios, and only after some time they also designed versions for home... Read More »
Sasha Matson is an interesting contemporary American composer. Some may recall my earlier review of his jazz opera, Cooperstown (HERE). Jazz opera? Well, indeed yes. And I'd really enjoyed this funky take on opera with a contemporary jazz setting, and featuring baseball no less! Recently, our Positive Feedback world headquarters got a call: "Would we... Read More »
The Estelon modelthat needs no introduction is getting upgraded! After updating the Estelon classics series to Mk II and launching a limited Anniversary Edition of the Forza model, Estelon now refines its most luxurious high-end loudspeaker having incorporated a significant number of advancements in the same iconic form factor. The Extreme Mk II includes everything... Read More »
Helen Merrill isn't my favorite female jazz singer, as that designation belongs to June Christy. Having said this, I really like the two Merrill albums that I own. They are the Gil Evans arranged Dream Of You (Emarcy MG 36078) from 1957, and the Chuck Sagle arranged American Country Songs from 1959 (Atco SD 33-112).... Read More »
Roger Skoff writes about the things we buy Did you know that if you drive a Mercedes-Benz, or a Toyota there's a good possibility that your car wasn't made in either Germany or Japan? It's true; to avoid taxes and duties, to save shipping costs, or even to ensure greater safety, higher quality, lower cost,... Read More »
Highlights to Include Black Edition JBL Classic Series Passive Hi-Fi Loudspeakers, Limited-Edition Mark Levinson ML-50 Amplifier, and Revel Salon2 Loudspeakers NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — Mar. 28, 2023 — HARMAN Luxury Audio Group today announced that the company will be demonstrating the latest solutions from its JBL, Mark Levinson, and Revel brands in two listening rooms at AXPONA 2023,... Read More »
Entire Gryphon Product Line Comes To Chicago Schaumberg, IL, 14 April, 2023: Gryphon Audio Designs, designers and manufacturers of Ultra-Luxe Audio Components and Systems, will be attending AXPONA—Audio Expo North America—at the Renaissance Schaumberg Hotel and Convention Center, starting Friday, 14 April, 2023. Once again, Gryphon will be exhibiting on the main floor in the... Read More »
ORLANDO, FL, March 29, 2023 -- Gordon J. Technologies Inc., parent company of Tributaries A/V cables, speaker wire and innovative power products, and its sister company, Clarus audiophile cables, power conditioners and digital to analog convertors, today announced the availability of Series 8 MKII audio cables, featuring upgraded components that add up to a collection of some of... Read More »
Saint-Saëns, Symphony No. 3 "Organ Symphony," Paul Paray, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, with Marcel Dupre organ. 1957, 2023 (DXD DSD256) HERE Paul Paray's 1957 performance of the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony is another of the great recordings in the Mercury Living Presence catalog. Its release by HDTT in gorgeous high resolution sonics is cause for celebration! The Mercury... Read More »
How do you spell diva? Barbra Streisand has been a brash, larger-than-life, irrepressible talent throughout her career, whether on Broadway, the big screen, or in the recording studio. Her amazing voice, her physical presence on stage and in front of the camera, and her prowess behind the microphone has helped win her an astonishing array... Read More »
Time shift! Sometimes things stay on track; sometimes they don't. My Brutus Awards for last year fell into that category. There were so many great products that were submitted that it was impossible for me to completely clear them out in 2022. I have therefore shifted them to the first quarter of 2023, and re-dated... Read More »
Robinson in Jerusalem, 2022, contemplating on the Via Dolorosa. (Photograph and image processing by John Robinson.) Every now and then I make a trip to visit my very good audiobud Bill Parish over in Long Valley, New Jersey. Bill owns GTT Audio and has an exceptional line of high-end audio brands, each of which sets... Read More »
I was a longtime subscriber to the now defunct Audio magazine; around the midpoint of 1981, while thumbing through the record review pages, I came across two albums that caught my eye. The first chronicled Glenn Gould's autumnal re-interpretation of The Goldberg Variations; the second documented the posthumous release of Bill Evans' You Must Believe... Read More »
Aptly named “Tungsten”, this new version of Elite features a dark graphite grey finish with subtle silver particles. Baia Mare, Romania, March 2023. The Tungsten color scheme adds a touch of sophistication and elegance to Meze’s flagship headphone model, making it the perfect choice for audiophiles who value both sound quality and style. Antonio Meze,... Read More »
Pink Floyd fans will have a rare opportunity to hear the newly released “The Dark Side of the Moon – Live at Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974” LP and the new 2023 remastered studio album featuring the original 5.1 mix and remastered stereo versions delivered on premium sound systems in participating local high-end audio stores.... Read More »
This is an ongoing project by Claude Lemaire of Soundevaluations 211. Donald Byrd, At the Half Note Cafe (Volume 1). Blue Note – BLP 4060 (mono), BST 84060 (1961), Blue Note Tone Poet Series – B0033842-01 (2023), 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: jazz, hard bop, bebop. Will that be black or with milk and sugar? From the patron's... Read More »
David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief of Positive Feedback, with Greg Weaver of the audio analyst and a Senior Associate Editor at Positive Feedback in New Jersey for the GTT Audio Vivid Audio launch event. (Photograph by Bill Parish; image processing by David W. Robinson.) The first weekend in March saw a substantial press event hosted by GTT Audio... Read More »
Craft Recordings is beginning a new push with remasters and reissues of titles from the Original Jazz Classics (OJC) series from Concord Music's vast catalog of classic jazz from the Fifties, Sixties, and beyond. Many titles from the record labels that fall under the OJC umbrella rank among the finest ever recorded or released, and... Read More »
When you think of jazz pianists you probably don't think of Bobby Hamack (1922-1990). That's because his work was primarily behind-the-scenes studio work in radio and television. Hammack was the West Coast musical director of the ABC-TV and radio networks between 1958 and 1963, and he conducted his own orchestra and scored music for several... Read More »
