January - February 2019
Audio Discourse
Fedor Rudin: Paganini Caprice in A minor, Op. 1, No. 5
Congratulations to Fedor Rudin! The Vienna State Opera has appointed him to fill one of their vacant co-concertmaster positions. I am tempted to say...
Rega Rebounds in Musical Surroundings: The Nova III Phono Stage
Hey Positive People! The last time we spoke, I was in the midst of bouncing between two rigs set up in my basement—one using several on-loan items:...
Technique - A Guide to Fine Tuning
Or how to set up speakers Did you ever experience a situation where the loudspeakers that sounded so great in distributor's showroom after you bought...
Box Sets - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
My relationship with box sets? Well, you might say its complicated. I recently reached the 100 mark with box sets in my collection, a bit of a...
Singing Lightfoot in Lincolnshire
After a holiday season of good cheer, John Marks returns to the pages of PF with a new reflection on the music of Gordon Lightfoot, one of blessed...
Robinson's Positive Feedback Brutus Awards for 2018: Part the...
Ye Olde Editor (photograph by John Robinson) By way of explanation… The final batch of my Brutus Award announcements for 2018 was significantly...
Get Real Audio: The Artist Perspective - Preparing to do a...
Lyn Stanley (photograph by Evelina Pentcheva) Synopsis: Preparation for the making a Direct-To-Disc recording is more complicated than a typical...
The Pursuit of Happiness: My Rega Revelations
Wayne Goins on the hunt for LPs: a selfie! In my last article for Positive Feedback, I extolled the virtues of the Modwright PH150 and the...
In Search of a Perfect Song, Part 4
Surprise! I'm back with another installment of my "Perfect Song" series! As I started thinking about writing this article, I reminded myself that...
Audio Ramblings - The Small Green Computer sonicTransporter i5...
The Small Green Computer's sonicTransporter i5 fills a niche for those looking to add a simple and affordable music server to their system—one that...
Get Real Audio: The Artist Perspective - Making a Direct to...
Lyn Stanley (photograph by Evelina Pentcheva) Part I Synopsis: There is some confusion in the audio world about the difference between a Direct to...
Roger Skoff Writes About Building a New System: Where to Start
WARNING: This may very well be the most controversial article on High-End audio you'll ever read. Roger Skoff at the LAOC Audio Society Gala, 2018 Are...
Robinson's Positive Feedback Brutus Awards for 2018, Part the...
David W. Robinson: a portrait by John Robinson Onwards into Part the Fourth of my Brutus Awards. PASS Labs HPA-1 Headphone Amplifier Wait! I'm not...
Carol Clark's 2018 Brutus Awards
In 2018, I made the jump from a passable desktop audio system into the big leagues. Because of that, I'm ready to hand out some Brutus awards, I think...
Papa's Got a Brand New DAC! PS Audio's New Snowmass Operating...
On December 11, 2018, PS Audio announced download availability of the newest Operating System for the PS Audio DirectStream Junior DAC. Named after...
Hardware Reviews
Paradox Pulse Audio Phono 70 Signature Phono Stage
I came upon Paradox Pulse quite by accident while pursuing eBay looking at some used amplifiers. What first caught my attention, and the reason for my...
Sumiko Olympia Moving Magnet Cartridge
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...
Constellation Inspiration 1.0 Linestage and 1.0 Stereo...
The Constellation Audio Inspiration 1.0 Linestage and pair of 1.0 Stereo amplifiers, driving the GamuT Flagship Zodiac Loudspeakers. From the Beginning...
Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ and Brooklyn Amplifier
I was recently introduced to Mytek, a company out of Brooklyn, NY that specializes in digital electronics. Not being known for being the go-to guy for...
Timeline SE Turntable Speed Strobe
"I feel the need—the need for speed!" (Peter "Maverick" Mitchell, Top Gun). Speed control that is! Whether it's jets or a turntable's speed... it all...
Cardas Audio Clear Beyond Power XL: 30 Years in the Making!
I know George Cardas through his charming daughter, Mary Cardas. Angela, his other daughter, skillfully grows the company while George continues to do...
JIB Boaacoustic Digital Cables
Wolfgang Kemper, guest contributor from HiFi Statement The Boaacoustic cables' colorful unique design quickly catches your eye. This is an advantage...
PS Audio P20 and P15 AC Regenerators - Keeping the System Clean
PS Audio has been steadily developing as a high-end manufacturer since 1974, despite the trading of leadership on various occasions. Paul McGowan, the...
The Boulder 508 Phono Stage - Like a Rolling Stone-Dig It
Boulder electronics, out of Louisville, Colorado, has been diligently creating some of the finest audio components in the world since 1983. Founded by...
The Ortofon Windfeld Ti Cartridge - 100 Years in the Making,...
Ortofon is a Danish company celebrating 100 years of commitment to excellence in the manufacture of audio related products, best known for its Analog...
JBL L100 Classic Loudspeakers
The JBL L100 Classic are new JBL loudspeakers that allude to the iconic JBL L100 speakers from years ago. The original JBL L100 were introduced in 1970...
Ultimate Ears Live In-Ear Monitor: King of the Hill
I am hearing through the grapevine from high-end in-ear monitor users that finally, a manufacturer has produced a model so extremely detailed and...
SVS SB-4000 Subwoofer
Time was (and largely still is) when the use of subwoofers in a two channel, high end audio system was considered at the very least controversial, and...
Parasound A21+ Amplifier
Spoiler Alert Parasound has chosen to take a staple core product that has remained an exceptional value for over fifteen years, the Halo A21 amplifier,...
Ryan Speakers S840 Loudspeakers
So it goes like this…. A few years ago I was at a high end audio trade show, where you do the usual rounds asking your acquaintances "what do you...
PS Audio Sprout100
A little over three years ago, I reviewed the original PS Audio Sprout integrated amplifier (HERE). That unit received widespread acclaim throughout...
Tru-Sweep Anti-Static Dust Cleaner/Sweeper
We audiophiles love to argue! There's no shortage of passionate "experts" espousing opinions regarding all things playback. These spirited debates...
Tri-Planar U12 Tonearm
If you are reading this article, it means you are at least interested in vinyl playback. Be prepared for an amazing rabbit-hole that will lead you to...
The CH Precision M1 goes to M1.1: An Improved Statement...
The old capacitors. A Parcel Arrives One day a box of gargantuan capacitors arrived—really heavy industrial cans measuring nearly 7" high and 3" in...
The New Apartment Lounge: It's an Analogue World Part 2 - JE...
Inauspicious Beginnings This review has seen all manner of fits and starts. It began, as do most such endeavors, nobly intended. There was, first and...
Gold Note PH-10 Phono Stage and PSU-10 External Power Supply
If you're an avid reader of Positive Feedback, you may be thinking—Déjà vu? Yes, this phono stage has been reviewed not once, but twice by...
Fiio Redefines Performance-to-Price With Three New Digital Audio...
Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm rapidly developing a reputation as a Fiio fanboy. The thing is, I put a fair amount of effort into cultivating a relationship...
Argento Flow Master Reference Phono Cable Plus a Discovery About...
Rounding third and heading for home, the fourth (and I hope final) contender in my phono cable shootout has arrived. By no means exhaustive, this mini...
CanEVER Audio La Scala Amplifier
This article was written by and contributed to Positive Feedback by Roland Dietl of our affiliate publication in Germany, HiFi Statement. You may...
The Fiio FH-5 In-Ear Monitors, with the LC-4.4C Balanced Cable
When I first gained an awareness of Fiio as a company, I thought their product offerings were very reasonably-priced alternatives to the typical...
JPLAY Femto for Windows, and UPnP vs. DLNA in a Computer-based...
Marcin Ostapowicz of JPLAY contacted me a couple of months ago; JPLAY had just released the latest iteration of their superb computer-based music...
Furutech NanoFlux and LineFlux Cables and Power Products
When I first spoke with Scot Markwell, US Distributor of Furutech products, at Elite Audio Video Distribution in LA, and a longtime colleague of, and...
World Premiere Review of Grado Statement GS 3000e Headphones
I thought the GS 2000e was brilliant, being a mahogany/maple sandwich and built with large sophisticated point source driver. The Statement series is...
Kharma Elegance dB7-S Loudspeakers
Monologue: Kharma Loudspeakers…producing the sound of bowed and plucked strings alike with color, humanness, and texture. In this age of industrial...
Interviews
Cluster and the Polish Case - Or Ten Years of Polish September...
Today it is probably the standard - Polish products are quite often reviewed by audio magazines. Just check the High Fidelity issue from the previous...
Jeff's Place
High Fidelity: Is HiFi System Voicing a Matter of Taste? Part 1
When I say “HiFi system voicing” you might wonder what I’m referring to. Basically, I’m referring to what any given hifi system sounds like in.... . . Read More »
A Look Through the Crystal Ball at What's Coming to Jeff's Place...
It sure is delight to be up and running here on Jeff's Place at Positive Feedback for 2019, and I'm "sharpening up my pencil" now to do a little.... . . Read More »
Welcome to Jeff's Place
Greetings music lovers, and welcome to the new Jeff's Place located at Positive Feedback! Dave & David offering a no-cost-to-me spot...
Music - SuperSonic Recordings
Top 500 SuperSonic List - Part 11
This is an ongoing project by Claude Lemaire of Soundevaluations 82. Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon. Harvest – SHVL 804, 1E 064 o 05249...
Music Reviews
Marita Sølberg: Opera Arias
Courtesy www.maritasolberg.com; photo credit Felix Broede. Marita Sølberg: Opera Arias. Opera arias by Catalani, Mozart, Gounod, Bizet,...
The Gasparini Album
Roberta Invernizzi, soprano; Auser Musici/Carlo Ipata. Glossa GCD 922905. TT: 59.30. Astianatte: Se la Grecia s'armerà. L'oracolo del Fato: Qui ti...
Latest Vinyl Releases - Are These References?
Here are some LPs that I've gotten in recently and I want to bring to your attention. Espresso, Bob James Trio, EVLP023, from Tappan Zee...
Somesh Mathur's Time Stood Still
Sweetbeats Productions, Digital download available at Apple Music and Google Music $8.99 I know I've raved about recordings in reviews, even in the...
Notes of an Amateur: Saariaho, Dusapin, Sierra, Finckel and Wu...
Saariaho and Koh. Jennifer Koh, violin. Nicolas Hodges, piano. Hsin-Yun Huang, viola. Wilhelmena Smith, cello. Anssi Kaarttunen, cello, Curtis 20/21...
New Old Stock - Articles from Our Days in Print
47 Laboratory Flatfish CD Player and Progression DAC
This article, as reviewed by Francisco Duran, Dave Clark, Larry Fisher, and Larry Cox, originally ran in audioMusings' Issue 12, 2000 and then in...
Our Friends at HIFI Statement
Bohne Audio BB-12
Das größte Bohne Audio System BB18 begeisterte mich auf der High End, das zweitkleinste, die BB-10 habe ich bereits getestet. Genau in der Mitte der.... . . Read More »
Cayin HA-300
Der chinesische Hersteller präsentiert mit dem HA-300 ein als Kopfhörerverstärker ausgewiesenes Gerät mit der Triode 300B, bei dem es sich.... . . Read More »
Our Friends at High Fidelity
NAGRA - Story of a Passion
NAGRA is a company-institution. Both figuratively and literally. As I shall try to show you, it's a unique example of combining the elements of...
A Photo Essay of NAGRA
Stefan Kudelski with Nagra III tape recorder A view from our hotel's window towards Geneva Lake. A view from our hotel's window towards Alps on the...
Our Friends at Part-Time Audiophile
D’Agostino Relentless Monoblock Amp
Dan D’Agostino’s new reference Relentless Monoblock amplifier (website) weighs in at a record 570 pounds, can dance beautifully at 1 watt and will.... . . Read More »
Synergistic Research HFT and Factory Tour
It was a sunny day off the coast of Hawaii. Ted Denney was on his J/42 and having the time of his life. At some point, he checked in with his.... . . Read More »
Sonus Faber Sonetto II Speakers
Should audio components always be 100% truthful to the source? Ahhh, that’s one of those questions that has resulted in untold audiophile angst, much.... . . Read More »
Show Reports
CES High End Audio 2019 R.I.P
"Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building!" Perhaps an odd opening title bar anywhere but here in Las Vegas. For the last 20 years I have...
2018 AES Convention
"Well, you can take a crosstown bus if it's cold or if it's raining, And the animals will love it if you do." - The Zoo, Simon and...
