It is my sad duty to report that Max Townshend of Townshend Audio passed away on December 31 of heart failure. He was 78 years old. Max Townshend was born and educated in Australia, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Western Australia. His first work experience was under a... Read More »
This article, as written by Clark Johnsen originally ran in Issue 4, December/January 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. In keeping with the present holiday season I recollect an... Read More »
Roger Skoff agrees with Porgy and Bess's character Sportin' Life about some Hi-Fi issues Nostalgia is a wonderful thing. It allows us to recall, honor, and enshrine the most cherished parts of the past while overlooking the less pleasant ones entirely. To the mind's eye (or to the ears of some audiophiles), the past is paradise.... Read More »
When I started writing music reviews for Positive Feedback, David gave me the brief to focus on high resolution DSD and DXD recordings. I think this was his way of challenging me to make the transition from an analog-only vinylholic to this new digital audio world into which I'd been plunged. And, so, I've found... Read More »
A reference system is a fundament of audio reviewer's work. It is his working tool. It turns out, however, that although we all want the same thing, and we want to capture the nature of the tested product or the reviewed album as best as possible, the way to achieve it can very significantly. It... Read More »
№ 33 of High Fidelity's "The Editors Series" of interviews. "The Editors" is a series of interviews with editors of audio magazines from all over the world—both printed ones, as well as online magazines and portals. It started on January 1st 2012 and 32 interview records have been published so far—the one below will be... Read More »
The Moon Leans In is an acoustic guitar- and piano-based album of wide-ranging stylistic diversity – Boulder, Colorado, December 28, 2021 – Octave Records’ newest release is The Moon Leans In by singer/songwriter/guitarist Thom LaFond. The album offers a broad range of moods and styles, from stripped-down acoustic instrument-based songs to upbeat, up-tempo cuts, and... Read More »
With this completely unexpected treatment of the great Robert Johnson's songs, Carmen Gomes Inc. surprises and delights me. I was expecting blues, of course, but the band's interpretations are a unique fusing of blues, bebop and contemporary rhythms. A refreshing new look based more around the lyrics and the mood of the songs. Carmen Gomez... Read More »
With the wonderful lead vocals of Carmen Gomes, the Carmen Gomes Inc. band delivers an album I find totally engaging from start to finish. They make these songs completely their own while honoring the great Ray Charles in so doing. Carmen Gomes Inc., Ray! Sound Liaison. 2021 (DXD) HERE In making this album, Peter Bjørnild... Read More »
(Dec. 27th) For the last fifteen years, Sarah and I have been organizing audio shows, and believe us, we went through many epic situations. Since the pandemic's beginning, we have closely followed the development of Covid-19 and its variants to make sure we make the right decision at the right time. As a result, in... Read More »
Dr. David W. Robinson, in contemplation with cigar. Happy Valley, Summer, 2021. (Photograph by John Robinson; image processing by Robinson) One of the high-end audio events that I attend every year is the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society's Gala. Held for years now at the Holiday Inn at Buena Park, CA, the LAOCAS's... Read More »
A fun seasonal confection—Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" is played solo on a 5 1/2 octave celesta. This little gem will stress test your audio system's capabilities, and put a smile on your face if your system is up to playing it. Tchaikovsky, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Celia Garcia-Garcia. EP (DXD,... Read More »
(December 21, 2021) Enjoy the Music.com, high-end audio's celebrated online site for over 26 years and a leader in providing industry news, hardware reviews, and show reports, is pleased to announce that we're sponsoring AudioCon Los Angeles' (AudioConLA) Thursday night Industry Happy Hour! Show exhibitors and members of the press are invited to join us at... Read More »
– Levelland presents Bonnie and Taylor’s singing and acoustic instruments with a warm, rich purity – Boulder, Colorado, December 20, 2021 – Octave Records’ latest release is Levelland by country-folk duo Bonnie and Taylor Sims. It’s a contemplative and romantic set of songs by the two, who have been playing and recording together for more... Read More »
Hürth, Germany, December 2021 – Effective Immediately, TIDAL-Audio GmbH is proud to announce the TIDAL Intra Power Amplifier. The TIDAL Intra results from the uncompromising implementation of our most basic requirement: pure amplification of the musical signal without adding any sonic color or concealing even the smallest of details. A TIDAL basic since founding the... Read More »
Tampa, Florida—December 2022—The countdown to Florida Audio Expo 2022 has begun. The Florida Audio Expo is ready to host the audio-industry elite for its third show, to be held Friday–Sunday, February 18–20, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore. Qobuz returns as the Expo’s official streaming service, and David Solomon, Chief Hi-Res Evangelist... Read More »
Roger Skoff writes about why it costs so much to get less Roger Skoff is the former CEO and Lead Designer for XLO Cables. Nowadays, he captains RSX Technologies, a new high-end cable company in southern California. Words are cheap. If you just want to hear the words of a song, even a kid's "crystal... Read More »
Beaverton, Dec. 17, 2021 – AURALiC Inc., today announced that it will now offer the capability to stream Amazon Music Unlimited on all of its streaming products. Owners of AURALiC products may now control and play Amazon Music from within Lightning DS, a feature-rich and intuitive control app designed in-house by the AURALiC engineering team.... Read More »
Adele, 30 Bravery Through Vulnerability Adele's a global superstar. The anticipation for new releases from the reclusive singer/songwriter is always a palpable worldwide event. But super stardom comes with a heavy price, especially when you're often compared to the greats like Etta James, Aretha Franklin, and Whitney Houston. Speaking of heavy; the constant criticism thrown at... Read More »
At long last, T.H.E. Show team is delighted to announce the official launch of T.H.E. Group (link to www.thegroup.life ), a brand new highly curated audio, music, and lifestyle… well, group! This is a membership-based eco-system with two levels of membership offered: (***Membership is open globally so you don’t have to be local to be part of... Read More »
T.H.E. Group: a Specially Curated Audio and Lifestyle Ecosystem Los Angeles, CA, December 15, 2021 - T.H.E. Show announces the launch of their brand new specially curated initiative, T.H.E. Group. Born in the cauldron of the unprecedented Covid pandemic when audio shows were forced to shutter, T.H.E. Show’s President, Maurice Jung and Director of Marketing,... Read More »
Since 2001 Wax Poetics has been highly regarded as a benchmark of quality in music. From its timeless music stories, through to its focus on progressive artists and scenes, quality has always been at the centre of what Wax Poetics does. Now newly relaunched to bring this same high level of music and insight to... Read More »
Bach's Goldberg Variations performed by string trio is a singular delight. This performance by members of the CamerataRCO is one that I rank among the best, most enjoyable, performances of this work that I know. With the significant bonus of outstanding sonics in this beautifully captured recording by Bert van der Wolf, Northstar Recording, I... Read More »
Norwegian soprano Mari Eriksmoen is remarkable. Her clear, agile soprano and light vibrato deliver perfectly in this collection of Mozart and Handel Arias. Highly recommended. Mozart and Handel: Arias and Overtures, Mari Eriksmoen, Jan Willem de Vriend, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra. Challenge Classics | Northstar Recording 2020 (DXD) HERE This is my first occasion listening to... Read More »
Hurth, Germany, December 2021 – Effective January 1, 2022, TIDAL-Audio GmbH is proud to announce the newly created status of Brand Ambassador, TIDAL-Audio, USA. As a component of global changes surrounding the company’s growth, TIDAL-Audio GmbH is proud to announce the newly created status of Brand Ambassador, TIDAL-Audio USA. Effective January 1, 2022, Doug White... Read More »
Jan Willem de Vriend and the Residentie Orkest The Hague give us a symphony cycle to savor, the symphonies of Franz Schubert in glorious high resolution audio. This is a great cycle of the complete symphonies, with one more volume to come. Highly recommended. Schubert, The Complete Symphonies, Volumes 1-3, Jan Willem de Vriend, Residentie... Read More »
The New RS150 and RS250 Systems Feature Streaming for Modern Listening Binghamton, NY – December 10, 2021 – McIntosh is proud to introduce its iconic sonic quality in the new RS150 and RS250 wireless loudspeakers. The RS150 Wireless Loudspeaker is a compact, user-friendly speaker delivering a larger-than-life home audio sound performance. The RS250 Wireless Loudspeaker... Read More »
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 and Dave and Carol Clark had heard in their own listening rooms during that year. You can think of it as our equivalent of an "Editors' Choice" award. The Gizmo Award,... Read More »
Boulder, Colorado, December 8, 2021 – Marking a major milestone for the company, PS Audio today announced the introduction of its aspen FR30 loudspeaker, an elegantly slim 3-way floorstanding tower that incorporates planar-magnetic and dynamic drivers and a host of innovative technologies to deliver extraordinary musical realism. The new FR30 features all-new push-pull planar magnetic midrange and high-frequency transducers,... Read More »
Buffalo, NY, December 8, 2021 --- Bluebird Music, distributor of fine audio products since 2000, is pleased to announce the availability of the AVM CS 2.3, an extraordinary all-in-one audio solution from Germany’s AVM (Audio Video Manufaktur). One elegant unit contains everything needed as a source for a high-quality music system---except a turntable. And AVM... Read More »
The Sound of Jazz - Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Jimmie Guiffre, Red Allen, Jo Jones, Mal Waldron (from the rehearsal for the Live from CBS Studio 58, NYC, broadcast December 8, 1957 (DXD, HDTT Redux) HERE The Sound of Jazz was a one-hour program that aired on CBS Sunday, December 8, 1957 at 5 p.m.... Read More »
Occasionally there are evenings where simply wallowing in aural excess is permitted. Tonight was one of those evenings as I pulled out this HDDT PureDSD transfer of two glorious performances from Charles Munch and his Bostonians, one of the greatest orchestras in the United States. It is from this Munch era in Boston that we... Read More »
Andy Duncanson and the High Cross Sound - International Phonograph, Inc., High Definition Tape Transfers, 2021. (from analog tape to DSD256, a PureDSD transfer) HERE This is Chicago Blues recorded on 26 May 2021 at High Cross Sound. Guitarist/vocalist Andy Duncanson is a regular live performer from the Champaign/Urbana area south of Chicago. He travels... Read More »
With compelling musicianship, the Ragazze Quartet deliver a superb cycle of Bartók's String Quartets. The Ragazze capture the full range of emotional content in these six quartets with vibrant, intelligent performances that rise to the top ranks of the great performances we've known over the decades. And the sound quality from Channel Classics is superb.... Read More »
Atmosphere SX replaces Atmosphere X, the longest-running and most successful cable loom in our 30-year history, with an uninterrupted four years in production. So needless to say, these new cables have some big shoes to fill. And how did we do this? Ultimately you’ll need to be the judge, but Atmosphere SX takes this loom... Read More »
2nd December, 2021, Tokyo, Japan: Leading digital music library specialist Melco Audio has released a new over-the-air firmware update (4.30), which brings a host of updates for the company’s N100, N10 and N1EX (EX Series) of digital libraries The new update, which has already been automatically sent to owners of Melco’s current EX Series or EX-updated digital music libraries,... Read More »
TRPTK delivers to us another amazing recording with Maya Fridman, a cellist whose musical sensibilities and skill never cease to enthrall me, performing two outstanding works for cello and orchestra by Jan-Peter De Graaff. The works are challenging and the performances by Maya Fridman are compelling. If you are at all sympathetic to contemporary music,... Read More »
