Last year on Christmas Eve, while I was in the midst of preparing our annual prime rib feast, I got a message from a friend telling me that T.H.E. Show was moving to Long Beach, CA in 2019. What? At long last an audio show in my back yard? Too good to be true! As... Read More »
Qobuz, the certified Hi-Res streaming and download service, has been named the official streaming platform of CanJam SoCal 2019. Taking place on June 22-23 at the Orange County Irvine Marriott, CanJam is the world’s premier headphone audio show, featuring a wide array of the world's most innovative headphone and personal/portable audio brands. Qobuz, which launched in the US in... Read More »
Studio Electric Loudspeakers announces the release of their new F2 floor standing speaker. Building on the success of their well-regarded M4 monitor and larger FS1, the F2 is the company’s attempt to redefine what can be achieved in an under $10K floor standing speaker. According to veteran designer David MacPherson, “Our monitors have been praised as a “new reference” by reviewers and by owners.... Read More »
Every once in while an artist comes along who rocks my musical apple cart, challenges my perceptions, and reignites my excitement about a given genre. Listening to the Yuko Mabuchi Trio (Live) Vol. 1 and 2 release had this effect on me. I love it when this happens, and I love sharing these newfound gems... Read More »
Back to the Midwest-SR In late January 2019, over the MLK holiday weekend no less, I ventured north by northwest from Florida to the wilds of exurban Indiana to pay my close audio bud, Greg Weaver, a long-overdue visit. I made a similar trek a year earlier to hear his then reference setup, namely Audionet's... Read More »
"A dozen of his favorite drummers were me." Hal Blaine Listening and the Art of Drumming… I remember, over the course of an extended sit down with Jim Hall back in the day, for a JazzTimes cover story, how off-putting this master guitarist found what he characterized to be a track meet mentality he sometimes... Read More »
To close out my reflections on AXPONA 2019, I am publishing my photographic portraits from AXPONA 2019…the faces and moments seen, and created. Many of these were published several at a time at Facebook immediately after the event, as mementos. Now they are available all at once, given in no particular order...a photo book of... Read More »
Here is the final installment of my Audio Oasis! Awards from AXPONA 2019. A major event; a major set of articles reflecting upon the awards that I gave. Daedalus Audio/Vacuum Tube Amplification/LampizatOr/WyWires In the Daedalus Audio/VAC/LampizatOr/WyWires room…great beauty here! Lou Hinkley, Fred Ainsley, Kevin Hayes, and Alex Svetinsky were making beautiful music in Room 496,... Read More »
CE Week Takes Over Jacob K. Javits Center, June 12-13 Qobuz, the certified Hi-Res hybrid streaming and download service, has been named the official Hi-Res streaming service of CE Week. Taking place June 12th and 13th at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in NYC, CE Week showcases the best in innovation and emerging trends... Read More »
Users can now stream in true 24-bit / 192 kHz, certified Hi-Res on their Yamaha devices in the United States Qobuz, the world’s first and only certified Hi-Res streaming service, is now available in full 24-bit / 192 kHz Hi-Res on select current-model Yamaha home audio products in the United States. With the Yamaha MusicCast... Read More »
Continuing my long march through AXPONA 2019, here's Part the Fourth of my Audio Oasis! Awards. The Audio Company/Von Schweikert Audio/Valve Amplification Company/MasterBuilt Audio/Critical Mass Systems/Aurender/Esoteric Lukasz Fikus of LampizatOr taking it easy with the VSA Ultra 11 and VAC amplification: a portrait Once again at AXPONA 2019, Von Schweikert Audio linked up with VAC,... Read More »
How many times have you read a review of some recording, some system, or some individual piece of gear that said something like this? "The orchestra was rendered perfectly, with each individual instrument hung in its own separate space, emerging from a perfectly black background…" Or maybe the reviewer had enthused that "It was easy... Read More »
Continuing my Audio Oasis! Awards, reflections on AXPONA 2019, and my photographs... Merging Technologies/Evolution Acoustics/Wave Kinetics/darTZeel/Durand Tonearms/ATR/Analog Audio In the Blue Light Audio room…world-class components, all! Another big-time non-surprise: The Blue Light Audio et al. room was gassed, stoked, and ready-to-go! once again. Jonathan Tinn, Kevin Malmgren, and Joel Durand hosted a really seductive room,... Read More »
Special event includes first North American preview of new flagship vacuum-tube pre-amplifier Toronto-based Audio by Mark Jones will host a Luxman Open House on June 6, with special guest Jeff Sigmund, president of Luxman America. This event will include the North American preview of Luxman’s new CL-1000 flagship vacuum-tube pre-amplifier on silent display. Attendees will have... Read More »
This note reflects, essentially, my first toe in the water of a higher end headphone setup, at least as a reviewer. I've heard high end speaker systems for decades. My first "high end" headphone setup was sometime in the late 1970s, an unknown model of magical Stax "earspeakers." At the time I thought them better... Read More »
Continuing their video interview series from Munich 2019, the good folks at NativeDSD share more of their conversations with people from that event. Great stuff! 1. Giulio Cesare Ricci, Fonè Records Floor van der Holst from NativeDSD Music catches up with Giulio Cesare Ricci from Fonè Records at High End Munich 2019. They discuss 2... Read More »
In spite of the improvements in efficient Class D switchers, watt-sucking Class A power amplifiers continue to attract high-end audiophiles. The breed remains as popular as ever—and why not? Any product of our school system knows that A is better than B, or C or D... I get quite a bit of email, and it... Read More »
NORTH PRAIRIE, WI May 23rd. 2019/VH Audio/- Chris VenHaus, the President and Head Designer of VH Audio, announced the official launch of the new V-Cap™ ODAM series of high-end audio capacitors. The ODAM series (Oil Damped Advanced Metalized) is a 'wet', hermetically sealed capacitor that offers superior performance in a compact form factor, for audio... Read More »
Cary Audio has always supported playback of vinyl records, and today there is a revival of the LP as a serious format, both for audiophiles and for the general music public. With the new VT-500, even the most demanding vinyl enthusiast will realize this exotic unit is dedicated to nothing short of incomparable vinyl playback. The... Read More »
I apologize for the long time between review articles and for the briefness of these: As I pass age 80, I am becoming more modest about the worth of what I have to say and am also beginning to play the age card. Hee-Young Lim, cello; London Symphony Orchestra. French Cello Concertos of Saint-Saëns, Milhaud,... Read More »
With PowerQuest, all audio/video enthusiasts can enjoy the benefits of clean, uncompressed AC power. With the award-winning Niagara Series of AC power products, AudioQuest takes a comprehensive approach toward effectively addressing the various ways in which AC power is corrupted in today’s highly volatile electronics environment. Met with near-universal acclaim, the Niagara Series has invigorated... Read More »
Continuing with my Audio Oasis! Awards series from AXPONA 2019... Synergistic Research/Scott Walker Audio In the Synergistic Research/Scott Walker room Ted! I spent time in the SR/Scott Walker room, checking out Ted's latest innovations at Synergistic Research. There is always something interesting going on with Ted and company, and I've had nearly 25 years of... Read More »
I've just gotten in and installed a really cool review unit from ADD Powr (which stands for Algorithm Digital Defined Power), the Sorcer X2, which employs high-tech digital technology to enhance and condition either the dedicated electrical line servicing your audio equipment stack, or perhaps even your entire electrical system. The design is from Bill... Read More »
The Galileo PowerCell SX is both evolution and revolution with four times the Active Filtration of the PowerCell 12 SE thanks to eleven more densely packed Active Electromagnetic Cells to the PowerCell 12 SE’s six EM Cells. The power supply for biasing the internal EM Cells has been completely re-engineered to have a lower noise... Read More »
Our good friends at the well-known DSD downloading site, NativeDSD.com, attended Munich 2019. During that time, they did a handful of video interviews with some key industry figures, which provide an excellent look at, and feel for, what Munich is all about. It also gives our readers an opportunity to hear more from companies that... Read More »
What can I possibly say about John Coltrane that hasn't already been said? Every jazz lover worth their salt knows John Coltrane was a player and band leader of unparalleled depth, creativity, and skill. With Craft Recording's new box set Coltrane '58: The Prestige Years the question is less about Coltrane and more about whether... Read More »
Reference Recordings RR-145, SACD and HDCD™ Price: $19.98; high-resolution download file, $24.98 While I don't do music reviews on a regular basis, there are times when a particular album really strikes me, and I have to say something…usually brief, but definite. This is one of those times. I just received a new SACD from my... Read More »
Sunday, June 2, 4-6 PM THE BACK ROOM, 1984 Bonita Avenue, Berkeley, CA Phone: 510-654-3808 Featuring: David Udolf, Piano; Dave Belove, Bass; Kendrick Freeman, Drums; Hugo Wainzinger, Guitar and special guests! Get Tix: https://backroommusic.com/events-1/2019/6/2/tribute-to-elis-regina-and-toots-thielemans-with-daria-and-brian-byrnes
With assistance on room lists from PF Senior Editor Myles Astor David W. Robinson, Munich 2018 (photograph by Wojtek Pacula) A glance backwards, and AXPONA 2019 fades into history. It's already being overlaid by Munich 2019, which occurs too quickly after the event in Chicago. Then again, the calendar for high-end audio events has been... Read More »
Yuko Mabuchi Plays Miles Davis, Yarlung Records, YAR88171, multiple formats. Recorded live in the Brain and Creativity Institute’s Cammilleri Hall on April 25, 2018. Executive Producer: Randy Bellous. Associate Producers: Billy Mitchell & Elliot Midwood. Recording Engineers: Bob Attiyeh & Arian Jansen. Sound Consultants: Brad Michel & Ricardo Ryan. Mastering Engineers: Steve Hoffman & Bob... Read More »
NORTH PRAIRIE, WI May 9th. 2019/VH Audio/- Chris VenHaus, the President and Head Designer of VH Audio, announced today that effective May 10th, 2019 the company's V-Cap™ line of high-end audio capacitors will be retailed exclusively through VH Audio, in North America. The V-Cap dealer organization in Europe and Asia will be unaffected by this... Read More »
So where to begin? I dunno… how about at the beginning? Okay so my first turntable was an AR-XA with the Shure VR-15 cartridge. This combo spun vinyl as I had never heard before and served me well for a good number of years. But then for whatever reason I went with a Sony PS... Read More »
Naim Audio, the British hi-fi specialist with 45 years of audio expertise, has launched the 2nd Generation of its multi award-winning Mu-so wireless music system. Mu-so 2nd Generation evolves the iconic styling of its predecessor, but under its luxury aluminium casing are game-changing performance, feature and functionality upgrades. From high-resolution streaming to multiroom music to... Read More »
High-End Munich – May 9, 2019 – Focal, the French expert in High-Fidelity manufacturing, is introducing new wooden finishes to the Sopra N°2, Sopra N°3, Scala Utopia Evo and Maestro Utopia Evo loudspeakers, at High-End Munich. The selection of sophisticated finishes complements the sound performance of these Made-in-France, high-end solutions. Focal’s audio innovation goes beyond... Read More »
Munich—May 9, 2019—Wireworld Cable Technology, one of the world's most respected brands of high performance audio and video cables, announces the release of their second generation Ethernet patch cables. Their patented flat design was developed through listening tests that compared network cables to a local USB stick. These new “Series 8” cables utilize higher density... Read More »
Munich May 8th, 2019 – Cementing its reputation for developing high-performance digital sources, AURALiC will unveil a new addition to the award-winning G2 Series of products at the Munich High-End Audio show this year. Three years in the making, the SIRIUS G2 Upsampling Processor will debut at the MOC venue in Munich from May 9th... Read More »
Munich May 8th, 2019 – Cementing its reputation for developing high-performance digital sources, AURALiC will unveil a new addition to the critically acclaimed G1 Series of products at the Munich High-End Audio show this year. Continuing its tradition as a high-performance wireless streamer, the updated and enhanced ALTAIR G1 will debut at the MOC venue... Read More »
