March - April 2018 Archives - Positive Feedback https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/issue/march-april-2018/ A Creative Forum for the Audio Arts Sun, 29 Apr 2018 23:36:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 Day 3 AXPONA 2018: The Final Push https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-day-3-final-push/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-day-3-final-push/#respond Wed, 25 Apr 2018 00:54:11 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=26427 By Sunday all that was to give it the olde college try and go for broke. Sunday's game plan was to start as early as possible—beginning with a 7:30 AM breakfast with buddy Andre Jennings from The Absolute Sound—and visit as many of the rooms that had missed. There's no question that covering audio shows... Read More »

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Day 3 AXPONA 2018: Scouring the Marketplace for Goodies! https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/day-3-axpona-2018/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/day-3-axpona-2018/#respond Tue, 24 Apr 2018 17:33:42 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=26368 Bigger than a basketball court but slightly smaller than a football field. Roughly one-half of the exhibit hall was designated the "Record Fair," while the other half of the Marketplace was the Ear Gear Expo. Inside this massive room sat 80 tables/booths filled to the brim with audiophile goodies ranging from software to cables to... Read More »

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Day 2 AXPONA 2018: Reality Sets In https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/day-2-axpona-2018/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/day-2-axpona-2018/#respond Tue, 24 Apr 2018 17:28:10 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=26290 By now the reality of covering 162 rooms (with 60 new exhibitors) and 80 booths was over. Any hope of seeing the whole show—other than sprinting from room to room and taking pictures—was also dashed and it was time to implement Plan B. So plan B—namely cover what I could—was put into motion. Of course,... Read More »

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Tekton Double Impact - Adventures with High Sensitivity https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/tekton-double-impact-adventures-with-high-sensitivity/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/tekton-double-impact-adventures-with-high-sensitivity/#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2018 17:15:38 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=24268 This article will be a departure from my normal format for reviewing audio components. The Tekton Design Double Impact speakers came to me by way of Steve Lefkowicz's personal pair. Steve and Rosina put the word out that they needed space in their living room to accommodate the holidays. Since we are only separated by... Read More »

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Papa's Got a Brand New Bag: AXPONA 2018 https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-1/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-1/#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2018 00:00:27 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=26292 For 2018, AXPONA moved to a bigger, shinier, swankier venue, showed up with real attitude and renewed swagger, and hosted noticeably bigger crowds. The Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, a ginormous, and ginormously over-the-top Bauhaus-influenced conference center, blessed with the amenities and exhibition capacity to handle a show the size of AXPONA, replaces the... Read More »

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AXPONA 2018, Photo Essay Part 6 https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-photo-essay-part-6/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-photo-essay-part-6/#comments Fri, 20 Apr 2018 21:03:43 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=26174 All photos by Dave Clark, words by Carol Clark... more on AXPONA 2018. Also, just a note. Not all rooms provide equipment lists, so many times I have to go by what is on the door sign. If you notice an error we are happy to correct it. Thank you! Sennheiser headphones in the EXPO... Read More »

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AXPONA 2018, Photo Essay Part 5 https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-photo-essay-part-5/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-photo-essay-part-5/#respond Fri, 20 Apr 2018 18:27:32 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=26128 All photos by Dave Clark, words by Carol Clark... more on AXPONA 2018. Also, just a note. Not all rooms provide equipment lists, so many times I have to go by what is on the door sign. If you notice an error we are happy to correct it. Thank you! The Audio Company had an... Read More »

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AXPONA 2018, Photo Essay Part 4 https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-photo-essay-part-4/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-photo-essay-part-4/#respond Fri, 20 Apr 2018 17:04:00 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=26078 All photos by Dave Clark, words by Carol Clark... more on AXPONA 2018. Also, just a note. Not all rooms provide equipment lists, so many times I have to go by what is on the door sign. If you notice an error we are happy to correct it. Thank you! Vanatoo loudspeakers. Dan Wright of... Read More »

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AXPONA 2081, Photo Essay Part 3 https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2081-photo-essay-part-3/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2081-photo-essay-part-3/#respond Thu, 19 Apr 2018 20:37:46 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=26013 All photos by Dave Clark, words by Carol Clark... more on AXPONA 2018. Clarus Cable system. McIntosh in the house! Clarus Cables. Burwell & Sons Loudspeakers, Rogers High Fidelity. Very nice. A museum of electrical things in the High Fidelity Cables room. Van der Graaf generator. Electricity was in the air. High Fidelity Cables system.... Read More »

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AXPONA 2018, Photo Essay Part 2 https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-photo-essay-part-2/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-photo-essay-part-2/#respond Thu, 19 Apr 2018 18:43:35 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25938 All photos by Dave Clark, words by Carol Clark... more on AXPONA 2018. Sue Toscano has an endless supply of energy, I was hoping it would rub off! Gayle Sanders with his new Eikon loudspeaker, room correction, amplifier, DAC, all-in-one system debuted at AXPONA. System total $24,5000. The sound was quite remarkable. While Gayle is a... Read More »

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SweetVinyl SugarCube SC-1 Hi-Res All-In-One Vinyl Noise Removal and Digital Recording Platform https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/sweetvinyl-sugarcube-sc-1/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/sweetvinyl-sugarcube-sc-1/#comments Wed, 18 Apr 2018 20:13:50 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25906 Having covered audio shows for many decades now, I have learned to take it with a pinch of salt when I hear exhibitors bandy about words like "revolutionary", "game changer", and "new generation" in trying to get you to focus on their products. However, what was different as I started my coverage of TAVES in... Read More »

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AXPONA 2018: A New Location, A New Vibe - Part 2 https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-a-new-location-a-new-vibe-part-2/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-a-new-location-a-new-vibe-part-2/#comments Wed, 18 Apr 2018 16:19:42 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25493 This is Part 2 of my Axpona 2018 Show report...  lots of pics! Sennheiser HE-1 Headphone System $60K, but yeah, it sounded great! Gayle Sanders Legacy Audio Scaena Constellation Audio and Martin Logan I loved this system last year, and it was equally enjoyable this year.  Ruel: Self-powered Line Array. Very cool! How could they... Read More »

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AXPONA 2018: A New Location, A New Vibe - Part 1 https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-a-new-location-a-new-vibe/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-a-new-location-a-new-vibe/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2018 16:59:15 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25605 1st Floor Entrance of the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel The late, great show-master of early TV, Ed Sullivan, would say, "That was a Really Big Shew!" And yes, ladies and germs, AXPONA 2018 was certainly all that, and a bottle of spring water. After a successful multi-year run at the Westin in Rosemont, Il, this year,... Read More »

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AXPONA 2018 Day 1: Crowds Set Records For Attendance https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-day-1/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/show-reports/axpona-2018-day-1/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2018 20:54:33 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25644 I’ve been totally overwhelmed by the size of the show, and trying to cover all the rooms. Industry turnout today Friday was, as my Absolute Sound buddy Andre commented, "like RMAF, pre-renovation, only with far more consumer turnout." According to Liz Miller of JD Events, there were 162 rooms at AXPONA 2018. Consumer attendance on... Read More »

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Impressions:  The Sound Galleries SGM2015 – Chapter 2, with the Nagra HD DAC and MPS External Power Supply https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/nagra-hd-dac-mps-external-power-supply/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/nagra-hd-dac-mps-external-power-supply/#comments Thu, 12 Apr 2018 02:40:21 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25445 Ye Olde Editor contemplating the mysteries of life and audio…  (Photograph by John Robinson) Back in the winter of 2017 (HERE in Issue 94), I shared my evaluation of the Sound Galleries SGM2015 reference-level Music Server. Since a music server cannot be reviewed without also considering either an internal or downstream DAC, my comments had... Read More »

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First Take: The Bakoon International AMP-41 Amplifier https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/bakoon-international-amp-41/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/bakoon-international-amp-41/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2018 15:31:45 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25395 Just about ten years ago, when I first started writing the Neoteric Listener column for Positive Feedback, editors Dave and Carol Clark invited me to their home. At the time, the heart of their system featured the substantial Clayton Audio mono blocks and the well-regarded Reimer speakers. Reflecting on my then modest Arcam and Tannoy... Read More »

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Vanatoo Transparent Zero Loudspeakers https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/vanatoo-transparent-zero-loudspeakers/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/vanatoo-transparent-zero-loudspeakers/#comments Tue, 10 Apr 2018 16:48:59 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25355 I first heard the Vanatoo Transparent Zero (T0) speakers at the Los Angeles Audio Show last year and was immediately smitten. The sound quality I was hearing from speakers—available at an introductory price of $299 (now $359)—had me scratching my head wondering how so much could cost so little. Add to that 2 x 48... Read More »

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Gold Note PH-10 Phono: EU EQ OK for US LPs? https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/gold-note-ph-10-phono/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/gold-note-ph-10-phono/#comments Mon, 09 Apr 2018 03:08:56 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25330 Gang tackling is not usually part of the gameplan around team Positive Feedback, but if you are a fan of phono stages, you will note that I am the fourth reviewer here to get a chance to audition the Gold Note PH-10 (see HERE, HERE, and HERE). As my colleagues have ably pointed out, it... Read More »

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Einstein The Pure Loudspeaker https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/einstein-the-pure-loudspeaker/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/einstein-the-pure-loudspeaker/#comments Sun, 08 Apr 2018 16:52:20 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25322 Linn did it. Meridian has also done it. So have Naim, Avantgarde, Burmester, Gryphon, and a host of other brands, mostly hailing back to great European heritage and lineage. Naturally, one may ponder the who, the what, the it may refer to, and you would of course be right in that quest. Here, this question... Read More »

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The Celebration of the Art of Music - The Rembrandt Frerichs Trio https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/music-reviews/rembrandt-frerichs-trio/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/music-reviews/rembrandt-frerichs-trio/#respond Fri, 06 Apr 2018 20:51:42 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25283 Pal Szatmari With this contribution, Positive Feedback adds to its music review community select contributions from NativeDSD.com's volunteer writers. This review was originally published as part of the "Call for Reviewers" programme initiated by NativeDSD.com. Eight carefully selected DSD listening reviewers have been writing for Blog.NativeDSD.com since late 2017. The focus of these writers will... Read More »

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The New Apartment Lounge: Piercing the Electroacoustic Veil with Audionet's Paradigm-Shifting WATT Integrated Amplifier https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/audionet-watt-integrated-amplifier/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/audionet-watt-integrated-amplifier/#comments Thu, 05 Apr 2018 23:10:27 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25257 Will Wonders Never Cease A recurring nightmare haunts my dreams. In the nightmare, some guy named Bill Parish of GTT Audio continually harasses me with phone calls, texts, and emails imploring yours truly to return the Audionet WATT integrated amp that took up residence hear at Casa Jeffries a little over a month ago (and... Read More »

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Ryan Tinsel Rackit-Compatible LP Storage Racks https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/ryan-tinsel-rackit/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/ryan-tinsel-rackit/#comments Wed, 04 Apr 2018 20:21:06 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25082 Back in November I published a review of the 33 Rackit Modular Record Storage Unit, a replacement for the original Per Madsen LP racks. Afterward, I was contacted by Ryan Tinsel who informed me that he also was making a replacement for the Madsen racks. Per Madsen in San Francisco made a modular storage system... Read More »

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Frank Ultra Bank UB-25000Ws AC Power Conditioner https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/frank-ultra-bank/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/frank-ultra-bank/#respond Wed, 04 Apr 2018 16:21:09 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25228 Abundant availability of AC power is something we take for granted. The distribution of electrical power has been executed with a level of unprecedented success: no matter where we look, there's the good ol' AC power outlet staring at us. Unfortunately, what is delivered by that good ol' AC power outlet usually arrives seriously flawed.... Read More »

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Impressions:  The Pear Audio Blue Kid Thomas Turntable/Cornet 2 Tonearm System https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/impressions-the-pear-audio-blue-kid-thomas-turntable-cornet-2-tonearm-system/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/impressions-the-pear-audio-blue-kid-thomas-turntable-cornet-2-tonearm-system/#respond Mon, 02 Apr 2018 20:31:22 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25194 Image courtesy of Pear Audio Blue Damnation. Time is sand through the fingers, crap through the goose. Projects pile up, deadlines come and go, and the best intentions of rodents and humans crash and burn. Turntables. Tonearms. Cartridges. LPs. Reissues. New record companies. New pressing plants. A glory of riches, getting better and better over... Read More »

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Hanging with the Chads - A Rega(l) Experience https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/rega-p6-turntable/ https://pollux.positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/rega-p6-turntable/#respond Sat, 31 Mar 2018 21:47:26 +0000 http://positive-feedback.com/?p=25124 As I mentioned when I introduced myself to this journal, I'm a rookie when it comes to high tech audio equipment—but I'm a fast learner. And l have already learned pretty quickly how deep this rabbit hole goes when one steps into the arena of sound and technology. Now, I'm not one for keepin' up... Read More »

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