September - October 2016
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Audio Discourse
Rocky Mountain Audio Fest: The Good and Bad
Every October for the past 13 years I have looked forward to RMAF (Rocky Mountain Audio Fest). It is my favorite audio show because I can just walk...
John Marks: My Audio System Description
John Marks' Stereo System (as of fall 2016) The essential sound of this system is determined first by the loudspeakers, prototypes called Esperanto...
Impressions: The Playback Designs Merlot Quad DSD DAC and...
So here I am again, returning to one of the touchstone companies for DSD and digital audio: Playback Designs. Am I surprised? Should anyone be...
Deep Impressions: The Wave Kinetics NVS Turntable, Durand...
There's glory for you! In which our hero meditates… This isn't going to be anything like a standard review, which is something that I don't do...
Brief Impressions from an Editor’s Notebook: The PS Audio...
In which our hero meditates… What a year it's been. As I observed in the first of these "Brief Impressions" articles, on the Oppo Sonica (HERE),...
Williamson on the Hardware: The Alpha Design Labs STRATOS
Incredibili Sine Compromissum This is it. Think of Trader Joe's. The Hyundai Genesis. A Hamilton watch, Uniqlo clothing, a CAO cigar, the...well,...
Hardware Reviews
The Pass Labs XP-15 Phonostage Preamplifier
Perhaps I should start at the end. I love the XP-15 phonostage preamplifier. In fact, I love it so much that one night I dreamt I had barricaded myself...
The Lumen White Mystere Reference Turntable
From the first glance onwards, the Lumen White Mystere turntable fascinates with its visual elegance and noble appearance. Its beauty however still...
The HIFIMAN SuperMini Digital Audio Player
Here in the Dungeon, I'm challenged in every way to enjoy good music on any level possible. Almost all my equipment is still packed away in a storage...
Ortofon MC A95 Moving Coil Cartridge - Delivering the Goods
Amazingly the Ortofon MC A95 Moving Coil Cartridge is the very first Ortofon transducer—particularly given the company's long tenure in the cartridge...
Luminous Audio Technology Axiom II with Walker Modifications...
Luminous Audio Technology Axiom II "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it." – Ferris Bueller...
Ryan Speakers R610 Loudspeakers
Call me old-fashioned, but I have always preferred a good two-way. There is something comforting, but not necessarily boring or same-old-same-old as a...
Interviews
John Marks: Q&A with Sergey Schepkin
In this continuation of his assessment of the artistry of Sergey Schepkin, John Marks spends a few minutes with him discussing how his ongoing maturity...
Music Reviews
John Marks' New Music: The Parker String Quartet: Felix...
Here's a hot flash update (if such things exist in the world of classical music!) from John Marks of The Tannhauser...
Marc Phillips and the Music: Luis Filipe Fortunato’s 'Live...
Luis Filipe Fortunato’s Live and Pure A year or two ago I had to adopt a somewhat self-serving policy as a reviewer—physical formats only, please....
John Marks' Vault Treasures: David Oistrakh, Shostakovich...
Once again John Marks educates and enlightens us with his recommendation of a worthy recording from our audio treasures. "Some of the best recordings...
Marc Phillips on the Music: Michael Kiwanuka, Love & Hate
Michael Kiwanuka, Love & Hate Polydor B0024912-01 2 LPs – $24.99 Purchased at The Sound Garden in Syracuse, NY Tidal strikes again. Just a...
Impressions: Ilya Itin, Debussy, Preludes Books I and II in...
[UPDATED VERSION with new purchase links for NativeDSD.com included at the end of the review.] For quite a while now I've been sitting on an advance...
Pierre Boulez Conducts Mahler's Ninth
MAHLER: Symphony No. 9 Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Pierre Boulez Deutsche Grammophon 289 457 581-2 TT: 79.46 The death of Pierre Boulez earlier this...
New Old Stock - Articles from Our Days in Print
Impressions: The Classé DTP-1 Transport & DAC-1 D/A...
This article, by David W. Robinson, originally ran when Positive Feedback was in print - Vol. 7, No. 5, 1998. Background to a review If you do...
Our Friends at High Fidelity
Krakow Sonic Society Meeting 104 - King Crimson 7" Platinum...
If one has to use the word "legendary" to describe a musician or band, then when applied to the King Crimson it would be relatively painless from...
Aequo Audio Ensis Loudspeakers
Ivo Sparidaens, Concept Manager, and Paul Rassin, Marketing & Communications Manager, are members of a six person team of a Dutch company Aequo...
Polish Jazz Forever
When the heads of Warner's headquarters learned of the sale of Polish Recordings, then—as Bartek Chaciński writes in the article Marka dużej...
Linnenberg Elektronik Vicace 2 and Unisono
Linnenberg Elektronik offers thousands of products and most of them come from the Far East. China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan quickly conquered a...
Show Reports
RMAF 2016 Photo Essay - Part 4
Vandersteens at RMAF 2016. Musical Surroundings and The Audio Alternative were together with Vandersteen Model Seven MkII and a new subwoofer. Two...
RMAF 2016 Photo Essay - Part 3
Margules. All the way from Mexico for RMAF 2016. Andrew Jones from ELAC, what a joy to hear him talk! Standout Room Winner. ELAC, new integrated...
RMAF 2016 Photo Essay - Part 2
MQA showing the difference at RMAF 2016. Aurender had two rooms. The source was the Aurender A10 Server with MQA DAC, 4TB storage. Loudspeakers were...
RMAF 2016 Photo Essay - Part 1
Lines were long at registration on Friday for RMAF 2016, that's a good sign! Everyone seemed ready to enjoy the show! Even with all the distractions...
National Audio Show 2016 (UK)
This is my fourth attendance at the National Audio Show held each year at Whittlebury Hall near Towcester, England. I believe this will be the first...
Monterey Jazz 59 - Quincy Jones Takes Charge
In July, I visited all star music guru Quincy Jones at his mind-boggling hacienda near UCLA with its round ballroom's piano ready main gathering area...
