Same Room Records SSR030, double LP $25, double CD $20, download $15—robertsarazinblake.bandcamp.com Recitative is one of those albums you release after you've had your big breakthrough, after you've hit it big and now sales are guaranteed because everyone's watching to see what you'll do next. This is the album where you get the big budget,... Read More »
Bushmen of the Kalahari When We Were Free: Bushman Music of the Kalahari Rhythm is the prominent element of the music on these CDs: claps, rattles, single-stringed instruments with mouth or can as a resonator, thumb pianos. This is sad, passionate music. Some of it sounds like a collective expression of misery set to hypnotic, repetitive... Read More »
Audio shows! Local, regional, national, international. I've been covering shows and have had the privilege of producing show reports for various outlets for over 25 years. I attended them as a consumer for over 15 more before that. When you've walked the halls of as many as I have, it might be understandable that it... Read More »
Jim Merod was in NYC recently, helping to MC a special Jazz event at The Lincoln Center. While there, he took the time to visit with Bill Parish of GTT Audio, at his listening rooms in NJ. Bill took the time to get Jim's take on the listening experience in Bill's big reference room, one... Read More »
Sonneteer may not be a familiar company to many of my American compatriots, but they've been in business since 1994 and have a line of audio products receiving favorable reviews worldwide. There's something quintessentially British about the Sonneteer name, so when Arcadia Audio Marketing, Sonneteer's U.S. distributor, asked if I would like to review Sonneteer's... Read More »
Roger Skoff writes about how our eyes, ears, and wallets may all be tied together The traffic on Pacific Coast Highway ("PCH") in Newport Beach, California is slow and awful, jammed most of the time with tourists, beach bums and bunnies, locals doing whatever they do, and others, from Orange County and elsewhere, on their... Read More »
ROSEMONT, IL (May 2, 2017) - AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) welcomed 6,723 attendees and 400 exhibitors to the Westin O'Hare in Rosemont, IL, April 21-23, 2017, offering music lovers, audiophiles, and seasoned audio enthusiasts three jam-packed days of incredible sound, technology, seminars, live music and the very latest products in the industry. Attendance was up 13% over 2016 with... Read More »
SUITE 533 AT THE LOS ANGELES AUDIO SHOW! In 1984, Steve Jobs introduced the Mac I with the bold claim of "computers for the rest of us." Contained in that statement was the recognition that not all PC buyers were "computer nerds" or aspiring programmers. AND that many people could benefit from and enjoy what... Read More »
This article, by Harvey Rosenberg, originally ran when Positive Feedback was in print - Vol. 7, No. 6, 1998. During my short tenure as PF's Techno-Shaman of Coolosity I have suggested that you, while artifying your harmonic/space/time continuum in your expanded aural matrix, consider single-ended triode amplifiers with tube regulated power supplies, Nobu Shishido's Inverted Interstage... Read More »
A general rule, which I try to follow selecting audio products for my tests and when performing the test boils down to credibility. On the one hand, my own, ultimately, what I write will stay online "forever" and it attests in my favor or against me, and on the other hand it defines a company... Read More »
PIPKOV: Bulgarian Suite for Piano, Op. 2. HADJIEV: Melodic Etudes. VLADIGEROV: Bulgarian Songs and Dances, Op. 25. Victoria Terekiev, piano. Gega New GR 31. TT: 48.14 Downloads: amazon.com (mp3); getlinksoundcloud.com (mp3, 128 kbps) The album's title, Wind from the East, momentarily misled me: I was expecting music from rather further east, perhaps on the order of the... Read More »
As anyone who has followed my work for the past twenty years or so know, I am all about lower cost, high value audio. I love finding equipment that punches above is price class and attempts to give real, solid, quality sound with the potential for long term satisfaction. I feel I have been pretty... Read More »
LOS ANGELES — "Sorry, we're sold out," Marine Presson was overheard telling a caller. Although, from the look on the LA Audio Show Director's face, "sorrow" was not the first emotion that crossed her mind. Ms. Presson was, however, careful to point out to the disappointed caller that while exhibit rooms per se were no longer available there were still avenues... Read More »
Devices and Desires: The Best of the Best at AXPONA 2017 Without question, last weekend's AXPONA show (April 21-23) in Rosemont, Illinois ranks amongst the best sounding AXPONAs in recent memory. Not since the show's rebirth at the Doubletree by Hilton O'Hare in 2013 has the Chi-town cavalcade boasted such superb sound quality overall. Yes,... Read More »
This time Brahms. Our musical guide John Marks, of The Tannhauser Gate (http://www.thetannhausergate.com), leads us into a recent recording of four symphonies by Brahms. Andris Nelsons leads the Boston Symphony Orchestra in four of Brahms' compositions. John's reviews of worthy music is once again republished from TGG with pleasure here at Positive Feedback! The performances are brilliant, done... Read More »
LOS ANGELES - Saturday, June 3 is likely to be a "Red Letter" day for Southern Californians and others who are fans of contemporary piano music. That will be the day that Fiona Joy, unveils her new solo piano album, "Into the Mist." The official launch will be at the three-day Los Angeles Audio Show at the Sheraton Gateway... Read More »
"The speaker that changed my life?" said Jones. "Easy. The Quad ESL57. It's the first true Hi-Fi speaker I heard once I got to university. I have almost always owned a pair." No surprise, then, that the ESL57's creator, Peter Walker, continues to inspire Jones's own work. "I had many conversations with Peter," said Jones.... Read More »
"The XA2 is an affordable transition amplifier enabling the discriminating Music Lover to move to Class A Technology." - Nelson Pass Pass Labs has started shipping their new XA25 Class A Power Amplifier, the most affordable power amplifier in their current line. With 2 x 25W @ 8 ohms, 2 x 50/W at 4 ohms... Read More »
I have been enjoying quite a lot of audio adventures over the last year or so while doing audio projects where I experimented with various wire types, capacitors, inductors, and resistors in audio circuits. As a result, my knowledge, skills, and confidence related to developing, modifying, and optimizing audio circuits have been progressing to where... Read More »
The Critical Mass Systems QXK Mk. III Rack in Four-Shelf Configuration, photograph courtesy of Critical Mass Systems. The latest chapter in a story… Some designs and products that I review are from new companies. This is a very good thing; it shows that the world of fine audio remains vibrant, creative, and open to innovation.... Read More »
Daedalus Audio at AXPONA 2017!
2017 marks the 40th anniversary of conrad-johnson design inc. and to celebrate, we are introducing two new anniversary tube amplifiers—the ART150 and ART300. These amplifiers employ the recently developed KT150 output tubes. A single pair of KT150s produces 150 Watts per channel in the ART150 stereo amplifier, while two pair produce 300 Watts in the... Read More »
In which our esteemed friend, John Marks of The Tannhauser Gate (www.thetannhausergate.com) introduces us to yet another worthy singer, she of a truly lovely voice, Camilla Tilling. I was not familiar with Ms. Tilling, but was very much taken by her fine performances on this recording by BIS. As always, John is a sure guide to worthy... Read More »
Playback Designs has announced their new Dream Series Audio DAC and Transport - SACD/CD/Server system incorporating the latest Ultra High Performance technology. Early prototypes will be shown at the Axpona show in Chicago and the High End show in Munich. According to Andreas Koch, president and designer of Playback Designs, this system could have been... Read More »
Michael Rabinowitz, Uncharted Waters. Cats Paw Records, CPD-9855, CD $20 at https://www.jazzbassoonist.com/shop As a high-end audio importer and distributor, part of my job is to sit down and evaluate new products so that I can answer questions from dealers, retail customers, and the press. Yesterday I was doing exactly that, comparing a new entry-level digital... Read More »
Appearing with TIDAL Audio at Axpona is the US Premier Dealer The Voice That Is TIDAL Audio and The Voice That Is are pleased and excited to announce Jorn Janczak, CEO of TIDAL Audio will attend Axpona 2017. The event will be held at The Westin O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois April 21-23, 2017 in Room... Read More »
In this column, republished from his blog site, John Marks of The Tannhauser Gate (http://www.thetannhausergate.com) shares his six pack of choices for a seven-league-boots traversal of 1000 years of Western Music. The full selections would take about an hour. List-making is inherent to all passionate pursuits of excellence. Music, films, cars, cigars, wine, books, sporting events...just about... Read More »
We have some very cool news concerning the iconic Abyss AB-1266 headphone. In working toward creating the world's thinnest boutique headphone Diana®, new high-tech magnetics were created that allowed us to further refine the AB-1266 transducer. We at JPS Labs are now producing new planar drivers for the AB-1266, the updated model named the Model AB-1266 Phi Headphone,... Read More »
Those attending the first day of the LA Audio Show, premiering at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel from June 2 through June 4, are in for a rare treat. "The BBB Featuring Bernie Dresel," one of the hottest jazz orchestras in Southern California, will be appearing live. The poolside concert is expected to draw a Standing... Read More »
The focus of this review is to contrast the Sonore microRendu and Signature Series linear power supply with affordable power supplies from Channel Islands Audio and iFi Audio, in a Roon-based headless environment. But before we get into that, a brief summation of the recent past: from the point when I first came in contact... Read More »
Von Schweikert Audio Annual 1-Day Only April 1st Sale. You'd be FOOLISH to miss it! This year we're pleased to present to you... E.A.R.S. - Give Your Sound System the Treatment it Deserves! Are you a passionate audiophile? Have you upgraded every component, yet still wonder what more you can do to improve the sound of... Read More »
Kipnis Studio Standard (KSS) - Stereo Loudspeaker & Amplifier Testing Array with (Left to Right) Ologe Model FIVE, Ceratec Effeqct Mk. IV, and Waterfall Audio Niagara, Hurricane, & Elora Evo Glass Loudspeakers being powered by the Golden Cherry Amps from Tommy O'Brien at Digital Amplifier Co. (plus Nero Barky von Schnauzer - my assistant). The tiny... Read More »
This article, by Tom Davis, originally ran when Positive Feedback was in print - Vol. 6, No. 3, 1997. Finding the Right Kind of Provocation Little did I know that when I closed last issue's column with a promise to start responding to some of the speculations on High End aesthetics that have appeared in Positive Feedback, Harvey... Read More »
Everyone jumped in their vehicles at the end of the factory tour and drove—or caught a ride—to the "VPI Man Cave" for some listening sessions. How did the VPI man cave come into being? "After Mom passed," Mat shared, "Dad wasn't living in the house since it was too big and we were paying taxes... Read More »
Stein Music's "The Perfect Interface" Carbon Signature Resonance Control mat in place on our EMT 948 turntable. Every now and then I receive a product whose benefits are so obvious, and whose design is so straightforward that there's no point in holding back or trying to write an extended essay. It isn't a complicated call,... Read More »
Lotus: Complete Edition, Santana (Photo: Sony Music Japan) Sony Music Japan will be celebrating Santana's upcoming concerts in Japan from April 22 to April 27, 2017 in a big way with the release of a new Complete Edition of the band's legendary Lotus album in DSD 11.2 MHz stereo (also known as DSD 256 or Quad DSD),... Read More »
The Oppo Digital HA-2 SE A while back, the good folks at Oppo sent me a review sample of their replacement for the HA-2 USB DAC and Headphone Amp, the HA-2 SE (Special Edition). This is their very compact DAC + headphone amp with battery, made for road/travel warriors who want extra finesse and punch... Read More »
