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There is something to be said for stability in an audio system. In this case I don't mean "stability" as in free of vibration or unwanted movement, though that is obviously essential in a quality audio setup. I mean stable as in it is good to have some pieces of equipment that don't get swapped... Read More »

My highlight of 2019 was visiting with Peter Qvortrup (below) and the Audio Note (UK) 'family' in Brighton, England. Meeting Peter Qvortrup, Daniel Qvortrup (Peter's son, below), Andy Grove, and Darko Greguras was a real treat. Peter and Daniel walked me through the Audio Note (UK) operation, and told me about some of the exciting... Read More »

Did high output moving coil cartridges morph into some kind of oddball niche product when I wasn't paying attention? Despite the considerable press attention paid to the relatively new line of Hana cartridges, nearly all of it has focused on the low-output versions. The precious few reviews mentioning the high-output versions treated them as, at... Read More »

Auditioning cartridges is a lot like wine tasting and shopping for televisions. You never know how good a glass of wine from a $100 bottle tastes compared to a $10 bottle until you've experience it for yourself. And you never truly appreciate the delta between TVs until you've seen them side by side at an... Read More »

I think most of us are aware of E.A.T. and their turntables and cartridges. You may have read Robert Levi's review on the stunning Jo No. 5 cartridge back in our July 2018 issue (HERE). Robert had serious praise for the cartridge, ending the review with the following statement, "The E.A.T. Jo No. 5 MC... Read More »

At RMAF, evening cigars, Denver, CO, 2019 (photograph by Scott Hull; image processing by David W. Robinson) When you do a lot of audio reviewing and show-going over several decades, as I have, you get to see and hear a lot of gear and recordings. Some are good; some are bad; some are ugly. Like... Read More »

When it comes to turntables, I have to admit that my top MC reference remains the Aidas Mammoth Gold. It is the benchmark by which I compare all comparable MC cartridges. It lacks nothing I can hear and is listenable to the maximum. The Gala Gold LE is their limited-edition cartridge in honor of the... Read More »

Dragon2 USB Cable by Dragonfire Acoustics After 8 years of development by Dr. C, creator of Dragonfire Acoustics, comes his statement product:  the Dragon2 USB Cable. Trying it in comparison to the best of the best of the USB cables that I have access to here brought its attributes into focus. With superb solid connectors... Read More »

We live in exciting times for phono reproduction, a new golden age for LPs from manufacture to playback. The key lesson learned since the production of full-range stereo LP recordings in 1958, some taped in stereo as early as 1954 and released in 1958, is this:  the weakest part of the chain is playback in... Read More »

If you are (or, when you were…) new to the world of "stereo gear," you're likely familiar with a well-established two-channel specialty retailer based in Great Neck, New York, Music Hall. Founded in the spring of 1985 by audio devotee Roy Hall, Music Hall started out as importer and reseller of (mostly) British audio gear,... Read More »

Are you in the market for a really nice entry level turntable for under $2000? You may have just landed at the right spot. I have been living with this little gem for about 2 months now, and it has found favor with me for the quality, the features, and the sound that this little... Read More »

In November, the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society had its monthly dealer event at Weinhart Design in Bel Air. We enjoyed the debut of B&W's latest efforts, and a new line of phono cartridges made in California just outside LA. They are called Aidas Cartridges, and the company is Vira USA LLC. Victor... Read More »

The New Etsuro Gold Moving Coil cartridge, riding on the Kronos Helena tonearm over the Kronos Sparta Turntable I will admit to more than just a fleeting piquing of curiosity when Believe High Fidelity Owner Joshua Masongsong published a Facebook post just after the first of this year that the first Etsuro Gold MC cartridge,... Read More »

Can You Build a Better Mousetrap? This is not so much a review of a new cartridge as it is about what happens when you take a tried and true cartridge and make significant modifications to the body, cantilever, and stylus of the cartridge. To down play the impact of cartridge body design and material... Read More »

Getting closer to the music etched into your LP's grooves. Review By Tom Lyle With this article, Positive Feedback begins its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music. Tom Lyle, who used to write for PF in former years, shares his thoughts about the Etsuro Urushi cartridge. Read, and learn.... Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief It was about a year... Read More »

Hey, Positive People! When we last spoke on March 9 in Issue 102 (HERE), I ended the article saying that being so inspired by the sound of the Modwright P9.0 preamp, it led me to purchase quite a few fun vinyl items for discussion in this Part II of Mono-mania! I have a complete mono-ready... Read More »

Wayne Goins and Henri Musselwhite:  a portrait. Salina, KS, 2017. Photograph by David W. Robinson. A coupla months ago, I had a new experience when Dan Wright loaned me his ModWright PH 150 tube preamp for several months. Published in PF Issue 100 (HERE), I wrote about using the "mono" button on the front panel to... Read More »

I love the new world of digital file streaming; I love the convenience of accessing your entire music library at the touch of a few tablet buttons, and I love the fact that digital-to-analog conversion has reached a state of near perfection that early digital only hinted at. And with so many outstanding tools at... Read More »

This is the second of the new Sumiko Oyster series of cartridges. A few months ago I reviewed the Moonstone, the unit directly up the line form the Olympia (HERE). I found the Moonstone to be an exceptional bargain at the $299 price point. My expectations of the Olympia were to follow suit. So what... Read More »