May - June 2021
Audio Discourse
Does That Really Work?
Roger Skoff writes about one of High-End audio's truly basic questions. Full disclosure: Roger Skoff is the former founder and CEO of XLO Cables, and...
The Secret Life of Audio Systems
There are issues that drive me crazy, truly. I try not to give in to them, I look away and look for more interesting activities, but eventually, sooner...
Grant Green Part II: The Holy Barbarians
Wayne Goins, doing his thing... This next chapter starts with Grant making major moves after his successful adventure with Jimmy Forrest. In our last...
Pure DSD256 - What We Hear
Some of you may recall that Ann and I have been on a journey of discovery these past three years. After 45 and more years as died-in-the-wool analog...
Is Testing the Real Snake Oil? Roger Skoff Debunks the Debunkers
When I was a Kid Hi-Fi Crazy many years ago, "specs" were really important to me and to all of my Kid Hi-Fi Crazy friends. Being kids, we naturally had...
The Art of Vacuum Tubes: Sophia Electric 45 Mesh Plate Triodes...
A friend of mine was looking at these Sophia Electric vacuum tubes, and she told me "They're so pretty, they look like works of art." These Sophia...
About UltraAnalogue Recordings
Edward Pong Edward Pong is the owner of UltraAnalogue Recordings. Those in the high-end reel-to-reel community will need no introduction to Ed; his...
The Great Guitar of Grant Green - Part 1
A portrait of Wayne Goins Every Sunday between 10 a.m. and noon, I show up to the Bluestem Bistro in Aggieville to play with my jazz guitar duo...
Hardware Reviews
RSX Beyond Phono Cable with DIN Review: Part Two
I rarely revisit my complete reviews, but the RSX top-of-the-line Beyond phono cable with DIN connector has revealed state-of-the-art attributes that...
The Triode Lab 45 EVO Single-Ended-Triode Integrated Amplifier:...
Back in October of 2020 I did a straw poll among readers of Jeff's Place and Positive Feedback to find out what audio products they would be most...
Lindemann Limetree Phono II
North America Premiere Review! Small package – Big impression! Review By Clive Meakins With this article, Positive Feedback continues its...
Intona 7054-x Galvanic Isolator
The last few years I've been pretty pleased with my system, so I've really not been considering any major changes. My current gaggle of components,...
More from Fono Acustica: the Armónico Power Cables
Back when I went to public school, everyone took band. If you had no preference, they gave you whatever instrument needed players to fill a...
Simaudio MOON 740P Preamplifier
I tend to be a believer in a less is more approach when it comes to my audio system; find a high end DAC like the Chord DAVE, and use it's outputs to...
Muarah MT-1 EVO and PSC Precision Speed Controller
Muarah Audio made its debut during the Audio Video Show 2015 with a complete system designed for playing music from vinyl records. Associated primarily...
Travel with the Devil: A Review of iFi's Diablo
We're all thinking about travel. Where can we go? How are we going to get there? And what will we listen to on our way? The Diablo (Spanish for devil)...
Zesto Audio Andros Deluxe II Phono Stage: World Premiere...
George Counnas of Zesto Audio with his Andros Deluxe II Phono Stage in Bob Levi's listening room Before I start: the most-asked question answered...
Dual Duty - Questyle CMA Twelve DAC / Headphone Amplifier
It's funny. As we move up through the echelons of the audio world, the pieces that produce our sonic magic become more and more singular in function....
Charisma Audio Musiko Tonearm, Soundeck, and Audio Machina...
World Premiere Review! A killer combination forced me to overcome my fear and buy the review sample. Review By Rick Becker With this...
Siltech Legend 880 Cables - When the Classic Becomes a Legend
For those Audiophiles that have been around a while, the name Siltech conjures images of high-end esoterica and rarified audiophile air. Edwin van der...
Hana SH Phono Cartridge
Did high output moving coil cartridges morph into some kind of oddball niche product when I wasn't paying attention? Despite the considerable press...
The Little Devil - The ifi iDSD Diablo DAC/Amplifier
Established in 2013, iFi currently has developed and manufactured over 30 products from its headquarters in Southport, UK. Sourcing parts from all over...
McIntosh MHA200 Tube Headphone Amplifier - World Premiere
Bob Levi with the brand new McIntosh MHA200 Tubed Headphone Amp (all photographs courtesy of Bob Levi) Once Upon A Time, in Binghamton, NY, a gathering...
Adventures In De-Crapification with the USBe Perfect
Hey Kids! It's 2021, and with no more pressure to have the US BeBest, let's all go play with the USBe Perfect! When the call came in, Georgia area...
Didn't Pass but Didn't Go - Further Thoughts on Pass Labs XA30.8
Part 2 (Part 1 can be found HERE) I originally titled this discussion as "Don't Pass, Go!" I meant, don't pass on the XA30.8, go! I didn't expect I'd...
Violectric HPA V550 PRO Headphone Amplifier
Headphones and the personal audio scene are a healthy and vibrant niche in our hobby, with a growth curve that has exponentially accelerated over the...
Siltech Crown Princess Interconnect
If there was a robust market for high-end audio cables back in 1983, I wasn't aware of it, but that's when Siltech joined the fray. In 2018, they...
Interviews
An Interview with Heavenly Soundworks Who Will Premiere FIVE17...
Jonathan and Kevin Couch - Founders of Heavenly Soundworks After three years of intensive development, Heavenly Soundworks will, for the first time, be...
An Interview with Nelson Pass
The is Interview originally ran back in 2015, but we felt it was worthy enough to run again... Image of Nelson Pass by David R. Robinson. Hello PF...
Music - SuperSonic Recordings
Top 500 SuperSonic List - Part 26
This is an ongoing project by Claude Lemaire of Soundevaluations 166. The Doors, Strange Days. Elektra – EKS-74014 (1967), DCC Compact Classics –...
Music Reviews
The Butterfly Effect, Noelia Rodiles in Pure DSD256
With a light and delicate touch, Noelia Rodiles carries us on a rollicking joy filled ride with Schumann, Rueda, Mendelssohn, and del Puerta, then...
Violent Femmes: Add It Up (1981-1993). Craft Recordings LP...
Violent Femmes: Add It Up (1981-1993). Two 120 gram, black vinyl LPs: $29.99 MSRP. Also available as two 120 gram, blister-marbled red vinyl LPs:...
Sarah Jarosz: Build Me Up From Bones. Craft Recordings LP
Sarah Jarosz: Build Me Up From Bones. 120 gram, black vinyl LP: $21.99 MSRP. Also available as a 120 gram, opaque red vinyl LP; no website or pricing...
Progressive Rock Italia Series, Universal Music Italia
IBIS, Self-Titled. Polydor Records 3581980. 1975 Locanda Delle Fate, Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Piu. Polydor Records 3529073. 1977 Sensations'...
The Intellectual of the String Family in Pure DSD256 -...
Chamber music of Brahms and Schumann, how does it get any better? Well, you mix it with music of Hindemith and Enescu, add excellent musicians who...
Two Masterpieces for Piano Performed by Javier Laso
As lovely a piano recording as we are ever likely to hear. Javier Laso gives us superb performances of two great works of the piano literature. And...
Amaya, Constellations - An Opera to Bring Us Back?
Sarah Shafer (s), Tessa; Raquel Winnica Young (ms), Pi; Dan Kempson (b). Arts Crossing Chamber Orchestra/Efraín Amaya. Albany TROY 1846. TT: 78.30...
Abbey Lincoln, Abbey Is Blue - Craft Recordings 180 Gram LP...
Anna Marie Wooldridge was born on August 6, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois, although she was raised from childhood in Michigan. Alternating between her...
Polish Jazz Remasters 2016
Two more titles from the "Polish Jazz" series in the new releases of Warner Music Poland: Young Power, Young Power. Polish Jazz vol. 72 Jaroslaw...
Citizen Cope Lays it all on the Line for The Pull of Niagara...
Citizen Cope, The Pull of Niagara Falls Music has become so overproduced that even the most natural of things, the sound of a human voice, is often...
New Old Stock - Articles from Our Days in Print
Yes, Polarity is Absolute - But Only Your Ears Know for Sure!
Clark Johnsen New Old Stock - Articles from Our Days in Print The topic of acoustic polarity, also known as Absolute Polarity, has cropped up again...
Our Friends at HIFI Statement
Audiaz Cadenza Silver Edition Speaker
Nun dauerte es doch länger, bis die AudiaZ Cadenza in Gröbenzell eintraf. Dafür hörte ich sie mit mehr Vinyl als jedes andere Testobjekt in den.... . . Read More »
Charisma Audio Signature One Moving Coil Pickup
Der Charisma-Audio-Gründer, der sich auch schon während seiner Zeit als Autor vorrangig mit Analogem beschäftigte, wählt auf Grund seiner Erfahrung.... . . Read More »
Our Friends at High Fidelity
Polish Jazz Remasters 2016
Two more titles from the "Polish Jazz" series in the new releases of Warner Music Poland: Young Power, Young Power. Polish Jazz vol. 72 Jaroslaw...
WestminsterLab Quest Preamplifier and REI Amplifier
WestminsterLab is a company founded in London (hence the name), currently headquartered in Hong Kong, run by Angus Leung. Its offer includes connection...
Show Reports
Revisiting Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2016
We are hopeful that audio shows will return some time soon. In the mean time, take a trip down memory lane with this look back at RMAF 2016. Part One...
