March - April 2019
Audio Discourse
Aerosmith: Deuces are Wild featuring 1More Triple Driver In-Ear...
Photo by Katarina Benzova A few weeks ago I received an unassuming enough looking email from Cameron Black of the PR firm Noyd Communications, asking...
In Search of a Perfect Song, The Soft Moon Edition
There are times when I think the iPod in my car can read my mind. I have it perpetually set to shuffle all songs. It's old, and sometimes it doesn't do...
Previews of Digital and Other Very Interesting Things Too
Most anyone that knows me well knows that analog playback has been my chosen lifestyle for the last two decades in that, as an "industry professional"...
Impressions: From an Editor’s Notebook - Merrill Audio...
Ye Olde Editor in action at RMAF 2015 (photograph by Jeff Day) Three things for you… As AXPONA 2019 is looming next week, I have three items that I...
My Ultimate Mono Experience: the Hana SL Cartridge and the...
Hey, Positive People! When we last spoke on March 9 in Issue 102 (HERE), I ended the article saying that being so inspired by the sound of the...
Impressions: The HeadAmp Blue Hawaii Electrostatic Special...
Yon Olde Editor (portrait by John Robinson) A prologue: of memories, music, and dreams… To start: An extended and quite famous passage from...
Audio Ramblings and the Antipodes CX
Getting music from A to B is still the hot thing with more and more renderer/server/streaming devices coming out from every nook and cranny. While...
Capacitors, Speakers, Cables, and Other Magic Stuff
Roger Skoff, LAOC Gala 2018 (photograph by David W. Robinson) Roger Skoff writes about possibly unexpected things that can affect the sound of your...
My Ultimate Mono Experience: the Hana SL Cartridge and the...
Wayne Goins and Henri Musselwhite: a portrait. Salina, KS, 2017. Photograph by David W. Robinson. A coupla months ago, I had a new experience when...
Hana SL Moving Coil Cartridge with the Musical Surroundings...
I love the new world of digital file streaming; I love the convenience of accessing your entire music library at the touch of a few tablet buttons, and...
In Memoriam: The Passing of Mark Hollis
It's a day of mourning for music lovers everywhere—Mark Hollis, the ingenious lead singer, songwriter, and musician of Talk Talk is dead! People may...
Brief Impressions, Short and Sweet: The STAX SRM-T8000, SR-009...
The STAX T80009S system package So, this set of impressions will be (relatively) short. Sweet, though. Several years ago, I got a chance to spend a few...
Experiences with Gryphon Audio
Mythical Sound from the Winged Lion. How many manufacturers offer fully designed turn-key systems? How many do it with the panache of Gryphon Audio of...
Hardware Reviews
The New Apartment Lounge Streaming Magic: The Superb AURALiC...
Digital Marches On Back in Issue 96 (HERE), Managing Editor Dave Clark put the AURALiC ARIES G2 Streaming Transporter ($3999) through its paces,...
Synergistic Research Active Ground Block SE
One of the many reasons why I love the audiophile hobby so much is that it always affords me so many avenues to learn something new and interesting....
Benchmark Media Systems LA4 Line Amplifier
The LA4 Line Amplifier is a linestage preamp introduced by Benchmark Media Systems in 2018. Priced at a very competitive $2495 USD, the small,...
Doshi Audio Phono Stage V3.0 - The Curious Incident of the Phono...
'Twas the week before Christmas when Nick Doshi and Anthony Chiarella dropped by bringing seasonal cheer in the form of the Doshi Phono Stage V3.0....
The New Apartment Lounge: Silnote Audio's Enticing Poseidon...
The Persistence of Myth If you've followed this hobby long enough, you've no doubt heard the oft-repeated barb that "all audio cables sound the same."...
Jensen Transformers' MC-2RR ISO-MAX Moving Coil Phono Cartridge...
Though more and more phono stages contain moving coil facilities, many do not. From McIntosh to Sony, preamps are available with only moving magnet...
PureAudioProject Trio15 Speaker System
I've had the honor of having experienced the PureAudioProject "Trio" system for a while now, and it is one of the most eye-opening experiences I have...
Finite Elemente Ceraball and Cerabase Classic Anti-vibration
This time we got for a review the anti-vibration feet of the German company Finite Elemente, Ceraball and Cerabase Classic models. This brand is one of...
iFi AC iPurifier - Helping Improve Your Playback Experience by...
At my old place, I had a plethora of audio-related problems, not the least of which was with AC power. An early 80s house, it was reasonably well...
Grado Labs GR 10e In-Ear Monitors
Just when you would figure John Grado would take some time off with his vivacious wife and spend time at their pied-à-terre in Paris, (if they have...
Parasound Halo P 6 2.1 Channel Preamplifier and DAC
It Even Makes Julienne Fries It was a golden age for Television, or perhaps commercials in the 1960s. The Ronco Veg-O-Matic hit the market, promising...
4Point Bejeweled – A Guided Tour of an Improved Kuzma Tonearm
The Kuzma 4Point tonearm continues receiving praise from audiophiles for its precision construction, ease of adjustment, and contributions to achieving...
Kuzma STABI R Turntable
The leitmotif of all turntables from the Slovenian company Kuzma is "less is better." Have a look at its iconic, "tubular" Stabi S turntable, to...
MAG-LEV ML1 Turntable - Part 3
Every day I play the ML1 is an adventure. It has its glitches, but is musical and quiet. At the price, it is miraculous indeed. (You can read Part 1...
Cardas Clear Beyond Phono Cable
Not long ago, I was chatting with George—not George Cardas, but with George Counnas, genius creator of Zesto Audio's celebrated electronics. I...
TriangleArt Ultimate TA-350M Monoblock Amplifiers
Tubes or Solid State? That question alone divides us audiophiles—at its most basic level it's telling a story about your preferences, as there is no...
Zesto Andros Allasso Step-Up Transformer - Quite Possibly The...
"From my cold, dead hands!" - Charlton Heston, describing the only way anyone would be able to take away his guns. I'll state right up front that...
Tara Labs RSC Air Evolution Interconnects
I am staring out my window this afternoon, watching the snow fall and lay a blanket of shimmering white across my lawn, and touching every corner of...
Luxman LX-380 Integrated - A Second Take
As many of you know, Luxman has a long and proud tradition in the HiFi industry. Within that history, the HiFi press has bestowed accolades to many of...
Acoustic Revive RTP-4EU Absolute AC Power Strip
A power strip is simply a "splitter" of the power supply—it goes in with a single cable, and it goes out via several outputs/sockets. Acoustic Revive...
Interviews
An Interview with Luis Fernandes of Finite Elemente
The Finite Elemente Method (FEM) is a numerical method for solving problems of engineering and mathematical physics. Typical problem areas of...
Audiophiles as Artists - Greg Petan
Twenty questions with an audiophile who is also an artist. For this premiere, we feature our own writer, Greg Petan. Tell us about your background? I...
TRPTK Music Label
Record labels usually focuses on promoting the music itself, forgetting that it is closely related to sound. Every now and then, companies are created...
Jeff's Place
The Duelund-Altec Project: The Fifth Week Update! OMG!
The fifth week of listening to the Duelund-Altec Project's state-of-art Duelund CAST tinned-copper crossovers with the vintage "Stokowski" Altec's.... . . Read More »
Music Reviews
The Old Outweighs the New in Youth Fountain's Freshman Release
Youth Fountain (formerly Bedroom Talk) is a 2-piece emotional pop-punk outfit from Vancouver. After a long time, the band has finally released their...
The Cold Spring Weather Blooms Cherry Blossoms
Sometimes I have no idea how I find music. It's a weird combination of factors that go into the discovery of new music. Sometimes I just have to be in...
Stereo Sound Reference Record Vol. 1
Analog Record Collection, Universal Music LLC Stereo Sound SSAR-028~029 There are some albums that for some reason stay in use in the industry...
Marvin Gaye, What's Going On - Marvin's...
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UD1S 2-008, Motown B0026761-01, Limited Edition, SuperVinyl, Box Set (2019, Jan.), # 6140 of 7500 Originally released on...
Fauré in Seattle
FAURÉ Orchestral works. Seattle Symphony/Ludovic Morlot. Seattle Symphony Media SSM1004. TT: 70.29. Masques et bergamasques. Fantaisie for Flute...
Auner Quartet: Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, String Quartet No. 2...
The musical form I had the most commercial success in (as a classical-music record producer and label owner), was the string quartet. Granted, my...
Telarc Firebird Vinyl Reissue
Telarc Stereo TEL00005. 33.3 RPM, 180 gram vinyl. Retail $24.98. Robert Shaw conducts the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for this...
New Old Stock - Articles from Our Days in Print
Grado Labs GR 10e In-Ear Monitors
Just when you would figure John Grado would take some time off with his vivacious wife and spend time at their pied-à-terre in Paris, (if they have...
Our Friends at HIFI Statement
Playback Designs Merlot DAC und Syrah Server
Wie wäre es mit einer Server-Wandler-Kombination, die praktisch alle Formate und Abtastraten problemlos abspielen kann, ihren ganz eigenen klanglichen.... . . Read More »
Our Friends at High Fidelity
SPEC RPA-MG1000 Integrated Amplifier/Power Amplifier
SPEC Corporation is a Japanese company founded by Mr. Shirokazu Yazaki, former chief engineer of TEAC and Pioneer, in order to achieve one goal: to...
RCA Red Seal High Performance Series - The USA strikes back!
The article is about how the "High Performance" series has changed the perception of classical music reissues, as well as about an incredible...
Hegel Music Systems H590 - Integrated Amplifier/Music File
The H590 is an extremely important device for Hegel Music Systems. Basing only on the description, it would seem very similar to the H190 model, which...
Our Friends at Part-Time Audiophile
Audio Fur and the Border Patrol DAC
Stereophile’s Herb Reichert posted a letter on the web version of an “As We See It” column written by his colleague Jon Iverson. I’m reposting.... . . Read More »
Rowen Absolute MONO | Mini-Review
Every dyed-in-the-wool, card-carrying, worldly audiophile knows of all the significant audio companies coming out of that highly regarded Alpine.... . . Read More »
Florida 2019: MBL, United Home Audio, WireWorld
I had so much fun in this room but the highlight was a live performance of “Slippery People” by the Talking Heads. I have always loved the.... . . Read More »
Show Reports
AXPONA 2019, Photo Essay Part 4
Continuing on with our coverage of AXPONA 2019. All images by Dave Clark, along with some added commentary. Distinctive Stereo, German Physiks, Mojo...
AXPONA 2019, Photo Essay Part 3
Continuing on with our coverage of AXPONA 2019. All images by Dave Clark, along with some added commentary. Another engaging room, Bel Canto e1X DAC /...
AXPONA 2019, Photo Essay Part 2
Continuing on with our coverage of AXPONA 2019. All images by Dave Clark, along with some added commentary. Source Systems Limited, Esprit Audio,...
My AXPONA Adventures: Music (and Laughter) is the Best Medicine
Dateline: April, 2019 Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center. Schaumburg, Illinois Welcome back my Friends, to the show that (hopefully)...
AXPONA 2019, Photo Essay Part 1
AXPONA is a big show. Big as in massive. Big as in I don't know how someone can cover almost 200 rooms in three days. I'm sure one could find many...
AXPONA 2019 - My Favorite Rooms
Bottom line. AXPONA 2019 was a blast! I have not seen any numbers just yet, but I feel like AXPONA 2019 was very well attended and will be considered...
A Return to Denver (RMAF)
From Tents and Pods to a Remodeled Hotel Two years ago, I made the trek to Denver's Marriott Tech Center Hotel to attend the 2016 edition of the Rocky...
