I was on the phone with Vladimir Lamm discussing delivery of his LL1.1 Signature Preamp when somehow we got onto the subject of foreign accents. MN: "I am intrigued by foreign languages. I like sounds. My office is like the United Nations, so I get the chance to be an equal-opportunity abuser." VL: "That is... Read More »
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York has a slogan. "The improbable will be done right away. The impossible takes just a little longer." The Astell&Kern A&ultima SP1000 Series High-End Music Player (or Digital Audio Player – DAP) took just a little longer to develop, but the impossible has been achieved. This sonic and technical tour... Read More »
Last year I reviewed Fiio's M3 DAP, which broke the mold and set new standards for great-sounding, CD-quality, microscopically sized DAPs at the sub-$100 USD price point. But if you wanted a more full-featured unit—especially on a budget—you were basically out of luck, with the only real competition starting at about the $500 USD mark.... Read More »
Like many boomers, I've reached the point in my life where the aesthetics of Mid-Century Americana have become incredibly pleasing. It might be nostalgia, borne from the idea that the world of my childhood looked very different than now but in delightfully subtle ways such as the lines of the furniture in the average living... Read More »
The Audio Engineering Shows in Europe are much smaller and more oriented toward papers than the trade show, which makes them a good opportunity to sit and talk with people actually doing real audio research. This year AES 2017 Berlin was no exception. The conference was held in a hotel on the former East German... Read More »
People keep on learning that this year I skipped this or that room, missed one or another presentation, or did not manage to come to some appointments. I justify myself, giving lack of time as an excuse (which is true), but it does not absolve me from the fact that I simply did not manage... Read More »