Hi-Fi Shows are by their nature about the many and not the few, but this year’s Capital Audio Fest (CAF 2018) managed to do the unthinkable. One of its rooms managed to encapsulate the ethos of Hi-Fi as both a hobby and as an industry, and in the process managed to a shine a light, […]

Introduction I can scarcely believe that it has been seven years since my introduction to the original Merrill-Williams R.E.A.L. 101. Since that time, the 101 has not only been my reference, but has always proved to be the under-stated silent star in the sound of my analog system. It was therefore quite surprising when earlier […]

  Frank “Big Boy” Goudie (b. 1899 Louisiana – d. 1964 California) has been almost completely overlooked; a mere footnote in the jazz chronicles until recently.  He was a skilled musician who played saxophone, trumpet and clarinet, performing jazz, swing, dance, Latin and ethnic music on three continents.  His career paralleled the history of jazz […]

Read Audio Note M9 RIAA Signature phono stage Review, Part 1 This is the second of a two-part review on the Audio Note M9 RIAA Signature phono stage. The first article described the sound of the M9 and this one will focus on 1) a comparison of the Audio Note M9 RIAA Signature with the […]

From all outward appearances, given what the public knows from images of Tekton Design’s speaker range, one would be hard pressed to immediately identify the Mini-Lore Monitors as part of the family. But, they would be wrong. Absent the inverted tweeter-woofer drivers positioning, these speakers are about as standard in design as one would get […]

Day Two CAS 2018 See Day One, 2018 CAS (CAS8), Pt 1 and Day One, Pt 2   I have to admit, I slept in this morning. Last night I hung out with Peter Soderberg of MartinLogan and a few other exhibitors from the show, talking about vintage audio gear and commiserating on what has […]

I have been using the Hana EH high output moving coil phono cartridge for the past two years, and I had a chance to meet the man responsible for the Hana cartridge distribution, Mr. Masahiro Shibazaki of Sibatech when I was in Japan last year. His company, Sibatech, was originally contracted to do worldwide export […]

Three Taiwanese connoisseurs of sound decided they need to bring some of their perspectives to the world, so they started COS, which stands for “connoisseur of sound”. Evidently they wish anonymity, considering this is the extent of information given about them on the website: “COS Engineering, founded by three close friends serious about audio entertainment, […]

Slawa Roschkow/SW1X: Valves/Tubes in the 21st century. Were it not for my restlessness on one of my many excursions to London, England where I found with myself with free time, idle hands being dangerous, coupled with black diamond level curiosity and that could mean only one thing: GOOGLE. So, there I was searching the Greater […]

It’s been a while since tube/valve gear made any extended appearance in any of my homes. Nothing against the gear, but what with graduation and traveling and not settling down it just wasn’t practical. This is not to say that in my time I did not possess tube/valve gear from Audio Research and Conrad-Johnson, but […]

 Also see the Linn Selekt DSM Press Release of September 18, 2018 On September 18, 2018 Linn Products held a press conference in Chicago at the James Hotel in during which GiladTiefenbrun, the Managing Director of Linn, as well as Jen Cassidy, the Sales and Marketing Director, Mechanical Engineer Adrian Choong, and Software Engineer Peter […]

It’s all about simplicity, and it is something audiophiles tend to forget. It seems the machinery of industry always wants to push a new feature, another aspect of operational complexity. Our cars are becoming technologically laden, far more so than computers of ten years ago. Phones are ubiquitous with the continual addition of functionality. Bluetooth […]

Publisher’s note: Doug Schroeder sits down with Jeff Haagenstad and Jim Kinne, two of the four co-founders of Exogal, at 2018 AXPONA and talks about the company’s new product called the Streamer. Video format: MP4 Duration: 26 minutes

Originally published September 12, 2018. Updated on October 2, 2018 with remembrance by Nelson Pass. Siegfried Linkwitz (November 23, 1935 – September 11, 2018) September 11, 2018 (San Francisco Bay Area): On this day, we have lost an industry giant. Renowned audio industry veteran Siegfried Linkwitz passed away in his Sea Ranch residence on September […]

Singer Barbara Lashley (1935-1992) was a bright light in San Francisco Bay Area jazz during the 1980s.  This article offers an introduction via her best but long out-of-print 1983 record album and three newly recovered live performances.  The live sessions are not polished enough for commercial publication yet recall her love affair with song and […]

I first came into contact with the Studio Electric M4 speakers in 2017 at a show, where I met company founder David MacPherson for the first time. We would and have met regularly since then at shows. There was something about these speakers that I could not shake. It was as if I had heard […]

Publisher’s note: Audio Note UK has graciously provided the following article detailing the conceptualization and design of the company’s M9 RIAA Signature phono stage. The article is authored by Andy Grove, electronics designer of Audio Note UK. Read the Audio Note M9 RIAA Signature Review, Part 1 The M9 was intended, from it’s very conception […]

Introduction About six months after I reviewed and subsequently purchased the Audio Note M10 Special Edition Line Stage, AN asked whether I had any interest in reviewing their top of the line phono stage which, in their opinion, represents an ideal match to their M10 SE line stage. In their words, no expense had been […]

See Day One, 2018 CAS (CAS8), Pt 1 Day One, 2018 CAS (CAS8), Pt 2   After a short break back at my room, I am now refreshed and ready to see some more demo rooms. Whammerdyne Heavy Industries/PureAudioProject Whammerdyne is known for its very high-end low-output power amps. On display was what they call […]

Day One, 2018 CAS (CAS8), Pt I   I was able to start my morning at CAS8 a little before the show opened. This was Constantine Soo’s 8th show, and I for one was looking forward to seeing and hearing what was ahead for me over the weekend. Since I am writing this article post […]

The California Audio Show 2018, affectionately known as CAS8 has come and gone, but not without a fair share of sadness and nostalgia. Regional Hi-Fi shows are the lifeblood of the industry. We are talking about an industry which has the number of brick and mortar foot trafficked dealers dwindle precipitously the regional shows fill […]

The Audio Note UK DAC 0.1x is part of Audio Note UK’s entry level zero system. At first glance, the DAC 0.1x can seem to be a tough sell in a 2018 marketplace with far more modern DA converters competitively priced, most of them having half a dozen inputs and outputs and impressive techno babble […]

Respondent: Jeff Joseph, Joseph Audio, Room 5216.   What’s the “elevator speech” description of your company? Globally acclaimed Joseph Audio loudspeakers are designed to deliver the natural clarity of your recordings with effortless musicality.   What makes your company and products special – how do they stand out from the pack? Our exclusive crossover technology […]

To say that Ophidian’s MINIMO speakers are compact is the understatement of the year. The speakers measure roughly 5” wide, 7” high and 6” deep. The footprint of each speaker is smaller than the base plate of Pangea’s DS-400 stands (6” wide x 8.5” deep) and, while the image of them resting atop is indeed […]

Full Circle Record Store Day (RSD) was yesterday (April) all over the world, and it has indeed cemented its place. I remember its first year and it was nothing like in to what it has morphed. Good or bad, it always makes for a hot stove topic. Who does it benefit? Is it more for […]

Respondent: Rob Runolfson, Muraudio electrostatic loudspeakers, Room 5209.   What’s the “elevator speech” description of your company? Muraudio is a Canadian company that designs and manufactures point source electrostatic loudspeakers.   What makes your company and products special – how do they stand out from the pack? Muraudio is the only company in the world […]

Respondent: Joseph Hakim, Eigen Audio, Room 5220.   What’s the “elevator speech” description of your company? Eigen Audio sells high end audio equipment to the Greater San Francisco Bay Area – in particular the South Bay , an area that is relatively underserved in terms of high end audio dealerships. We focus on providing exceptional […]

Here’s a slice of rollicking Americana from a time and place not so far away.  Or was it? For nearly a quarter century Oakland A’s Swingers Baseball Band brought vintage jazz to ballpark audiences, Traditional Jazz events and private parties. It was a solid musical ensemble with a limited role at games: * Performing six […]

Introduction Recently I stumbled upon a method of connecting audio components I had never encountered, and it centers on the use of interconnects. I’ll not spend time discussing the efficacy of cabling; the reader will either be convinced of the merits of aftermarket cables, or will not. I do not intend to debate what I […]

If PS Audio’s Sprout100 has all the answers, you can just imagine the questions. I cannot tell you the number of times aspiring audiophiles and existing ones who share my penchant for travel ask me online and in person to make recommendations for them. And, what they have all in common is their particular criteria […]