Wooing the Parents with the Focal Sopra No. 1 Loudspeakers I encountered Focal's exceedingly fine Focal Sopra No. 1 compact loudspeakers for the first time at the 2017 AXPONA audio show in the Audio Plus Services suite. Their beautiful sound and stunning good looks literally took my breath away. Paired with affordable Naim electronics (if memory... Read More »
This article, as reviewed by Sherman Hong, Victor Chavira, Francisco Duran, and Larry Cox, originally ran when audioMusings was in print. Issue 2, 1998 I awaited the California Audio Labs CL-15 player-processor with great anticipation. Eons ago, I was so enthralled with the CAL Genesis CD player that I almost bought it, but my lust was more powerful... Read More »
For the music lover who never really graduated from just plugging in whatever crap he could get his hands on so he could rock out... a guest article by Lance Morris of Lance Morris Walks Let me preface this review by saying that, where high-end audio is concerned, I am a novice. That's not to say... Read More »
Music/Labels, and Other Special Awards This year's list of Brutus Awards for labels/sites/enterprises is going to look a lot like past years. Why? Easy. "The best indicator of future performance is usually past performance," as a friend of mine once said. And these recipients all have histories of getting it done. On to it, then.... Read More »
Ye Olde Editor, contemplating life... Nagra HD DAC with MPS External Power Supply One of the legendary companies in fine audio is Nagra. As a lifelong lover of reel-to-reel recorders, I've known the name for decades…it's highly respected. In conjunction with the extraordinary Sound Galleries SGM2015, we brought in two different DSD DACs to receive... Read More »
Press Release | Louisville, Colorado – Boulder Amplifiers is pleased to announce the immediate release and shipment of the 1110 Stereo Preamplifier. The 1110 is the aesthetic and pairing mate to the 1160 Stereo Amplifier and the second product release in the new 1100 Series. The 1100 Series is Boulder's mid-level product line and achieves... Read More »
Active Design Features Unique Technologies to Clean Up Mains Power for Audible Improvement Southport, UK, December 19, 2017 – iFi audio, a leading designer/manufacturer of ultra-fidelity desktop audio products, today introduced the AC iPurifier, an active purification product that effectively cleans up noisy power line feeds. Technologically advanced, its active design cancels far more noise... Read More »
"Hey, we have the Aurender A10 in; interested in writing a post script to my review?" spoke our fearless leader, Dave Clark. "Sure, why not", I simply replied. Having spent time with various digital bits and players over the past year or so, including dCS Rossini, Meridian's stupid great Explorer2 (with full Roon and MQA compatibility),... Read More »
Yayuma Audio, a company whose sound processor we wrote about in the February issue of High Fidelity (No. 154), was created out of passion and on the basis of knowledge. These two elements are something normal in the audio industry, but not necessarily in a combination. There are a lot of enthusiasts, indeed—what would a hobby... Read More »
Thursday morning, December 7th, I was treated to a private unveiling of the new YG Acoustics Sonja Series 2 loudspeaker. As a guest of Dick Diamond, YG's Director of Sales & Marketing, and Bill Parish, owner of GTT Audio & Video, in Long Valley, NJ, I was granted the privilege of spending the entire day... Read More »
John Marks essays the Ars-Sonum Filarmonia integrated in this article. In doing so, he's revisiting...he had given a very favorable evaluation of an earlier iteration of the Filarmonia some ten years ago, while writing for Stereophile. An offer to Positive Feedback by long-time audio friend Rich Brkich of Signature Sound provided John with the opportunity to hear... Read More »
Named for Redcloud, a 14,035' high peak in Colorado's San Juan Mountains, PS Audio's latest firmware update for the DirectStream Digital to Analog Converters, was officially released December 8th, 2017. Redcloud is PS Audio engineer Ted Smith's next evolutionary step in code development for the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) used in the DirectStream series... Read More »
Lew Johnson (left) and Bill Conrad (right) with the ACT2 preamplifer at a CES many years ago! This is the story of Bill Conrad and Lew Johnson of conrad-johnson. The always introspective Bill and the ever-affable Lew. Two audiophiles who in their personal quest for audio nirvana came together and successfully parlayed their unbridled passion... Read More »
When conrad-johnson releases a statement product, everybody listens. Particularly when the new 40th anniversary ART300 amplifiers are the team of Bill Conrad, Jeff Fischel and Lew Johnson's first crack at an amplifier design incorporating the newly designed Tungsol KT-150 output tubes. Make no mistake. The new 40th Anniversary ART300 monoblock amplifiers aren't the conrad-johnson Premier... Read More »
Last weekend Lynn and I attended the launch of the YG Acoustics Sonja Series 2 Loudspeaker. The event followed the format of recent product unveilings hosted by GTT Audio in New Jersey. Each press attendee was invited to a personal listening session with Bill Parish and Dick Diamond, the YG Director of Sales & Marketing,... Read More »
When it became apparent I would have to miss RMAF 2017 because of a schedule conflict involving a moving van, a ferry, and some fifty boxes of records (among other things), I took heart in knowing at least I had a fall-back. I cancelled my flights on Southwest and booked the American shuttle to D.C.... Read More »
During the audio shows you can find both, interesting and boring things, new and vintage designs, big and small ones. But also the ones that you respect right from the start, and those that you do not even know whether to laugh or cry about. The loudspeakers and turntables often belong to the latter category.... Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 13, 2017 MoFi Distribution proudly announces the addition of the My Sonic Lab brand to their product lineup. Founded by master cartridge maker Mr. Yoshio Matsudaira in 2003, the goal was to pursue and develop the ultimate dream cartridges. Mr. Matsudaira has been a highly sought after OEM designer of high performance... Read More »
Where does the line between a project and a hobby lie? When does a review transition from an assignment to an obsession? Pear Audio Blue Little John Turntable in Red (image courtesy of Pear Audio Blue) Have you ever had a piece of audio equipment you just didn't want to leave alone? The kind of... Read More »
Alright, so as 2017 winds down I am left with a feeling of, "Where did it all go?" Not just as in all things audio, but also as in well… yeah, that went quicker than I thought—but then most years do as one gets older; time is fleeting. What the heck happened? Along with that,... Read More »
SOtM, a Korean company, had caught my attention at a number of shows with their way cool looking and affordably priced products that allow one to get their files from A to B. SOtM offers three lines of products: the Ultimate, the Advanced I, the Advanced II, along with a good number of accessories. You... Read More »
This is an ongoing project by Claude Lemaire of Soundevaluations. 41. Frank Sinatra, Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!! Capitol Records – SW 1491 (1961), MoFi – MFSL 1-407 (2012), 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: big band swing, vocal jazz, traditional pop standards. As previously mentioned in the very first installment of this series, Frank Sinatra along with Nat King Cole remain... Read More »
Dave Stryker's Strykin' Ahead on CD and LP. (Strikezone 8815, CD $15, LP $25 www.davestryker.com) The other night, while driving home one evening between Syracuse and Rochester, I happened upon a program called Cool Jazz Countdown on the local NPR station. The format of the show was clearly modeled on Casey Kasem's original Top 40 Countdown—if Casey... Read More »
The Apartment Life For those curious about the name I've chosen for my new Positive Feedback column, the New Apartment Lounge, here's the story. Last spring, I moved into a new apartment, a bigger space than my former digs, but still on the small side. Shortly thereafter, I found a CD I had not listened... Read More »
How did you come up with the name "KC VIBE"? To really know the authenticity and integrity of something, you must know its place of origin. We all know the role provenance plays in art and collectables. There is a midwestern value of doing something well. With a straightforward, unassuming manner. What design goals... Read More »
Youngstown, OH – November 29, 2017 – SVS, manufacturer of high performance speakers, subwoofers and audio accessories, proudly announces the 4000 Series subwoofers, three new models loaded with advanced features and technology only available from SVS, at a price that redefines the cost of entry into reference quality bass for music and home theater fans.... Read More »
FRANKLIN, TN, November 30, 2017—Emotiva Audio Corporation, the company that continually proves high-end audio doesn’t have be high-priced, announced today the latest addition to its Airmotiv speaker series, the E2 wall mount surround loudspeaker. Two-way Model Can Be Configured as Direct Radiating Dipole or Forward/Rear Dipole, For Maximum Flexibility in Any Theater Installation The Airmotiv E2 ($459/pair) represents Emotiva’s... Read More »
Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony's Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio and Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony's Adam Schoenberg: American Symphony; Finding Rothko; Picture Studies recordings have both received multiple 2018 GRAMMY® nominations! Best Engineered Album, Classical Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio – Mark Donahue, engineer (Manfred Honeck & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) Schoenberg, Adam: American Symphony; Finding Rothko; Picture Studies – Keith O.... Read More »
So soon! Another year, another time to announce my Brutus Awards for 2017. Every year seems to go by faster, and this year was no exception. As longtime readers know, I instituted the Positive Feedback Brutus Awards way back in the mists of time…yonder in 2003. And every year, for the new readers who have... Read More »
In my last Ramblings I wrote about the Gold Note PH-10 phonostage and in summary, loved what it did with our vinyl (reveiwed HERE) … in this Ramblings let me ramble a bit about the Mediterraneo turntable ($6973 with bundled B 5.1 arm) and the supplied Donatello MC cartridge ($1030). For the Mediterraneo turntable, from the Gold... Read More »
Beginning at the end of 2003, PF established its first annual awards for fine audio. The Brutus Award was established for the best that David Robinson and Dave Clark had heard in their own listening rooms during that year. You can think of it as our equivalent of an "Editors' Choice" award. The Gizmo Award, on the... Read More »
Good friend John Marks of The Tannhauser Gate once again sallies forth to introduce us to another musical worthy: In this case, the ravishing operatic singer, Frederica von Stade. Her vocal mastery is a wonder to hear, as you'll experience in John's three sample tracks below. I have been aware of Canteloube's Songs of the Auvergne for... Read More »
In which our hero meditates… The Audionet HEISENBERG Monoblock Amplifiers, bi-amped, with the YG Acoustics Sonja XV Loudspeakers and Kubala-Sosna Realization cables. In the fall of 2016 I reported on an extraordinary time that I had when I flew to Newark, NJ, and visited Bill Parish of GTT Audio for the launch of the brilliant... Read More »
The Capitol Audiofest was bigger than ever this year and I had less time than ever to see it. For those who don't know about the Capitol Audiofest, its an audio show that takes place in a hotel, with many demo rooms in the hotel being set up by a dealer, distributor, or occasionally a... Read More »
Intro The Audio Engineering Society convention is two different things happening at the same time. First of all there's a scientific conference downstairs with papers on the latest in audio technology. Secondly it's also a trade show selling pro audio gear. Both of these have many items that are of interest to the high end... Read More »
As we, at LAAS, count our blessings, you are at the top of our list. You made LAAS 2017 the most successful "first-year audio show" ever in the United States. Thank you! And we are looking forward to an even more successful event next year. We hope you will join us June 8-10 at the Hilton Irvine/Orange... Read More »
Boulder, CO 11/21/2017: It is with heavy heart I am writing about the end of an era. My friend, mentor, inspiration and former business partner, Arnie Nudell, has passed away from complications of pneumonia. The family laid him to rest on Monday, November 20, 2017. Arnie could truly be said to be one of the founders of... Read More »
