Too bad I wasn’t born into a rich family or became wealthy by age 35 like a young software entrepreneur. If that had been the case, I would probably have assembled a true high-end audio system before turning 60. Even then it took a few additional years to really get there. First came some pretty […]

Tracks: I Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso (14:32) II Molto vivace (13:12) III Adagio molto e cantabile (12:34) IV. Finale (22:30) Christina Landshamer, soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano Werner Güra, tenor Shenyang, bass-baritone Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (Matthew Mehaffey, music director) Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Manfred Honeck (conductor)   The Beethoven Symphony No. 9 […]

 It is, we think, one of the hallmarks of cable voodoo that its methods and notions are always obscure —proprietary terms of uncertain meanings on the technical side, and vague promises framed in the most poetic and inspirational terms on the subjective side. We don’t aspire to rewrite the laws of physics, or to craft […]

Exogal was formed by several principals of the former Wadia who felt that the company’s PowerDAC idea still had potential. These seasoned audio and business veterans proceeded to make what has been a well-received DAC featuring its own algorithm that converts all incoming signals. I reviewed the Comet DAC in 2015, followed by another product […]

And then there were … Liner Notes Yes, it has been a while. I’ve had to take some time off to clear my head and my ears. It also has become apparent that in these special times of ours the volume of album releases has slowed down a bit, not yet to a trickle, and […]

It has been nearly a decade since I wrote the last, #6 Audiophile Law, “Thou Shalt Not Overemphasize Burn In.” At the time I thought it might create a firestorm of conversation and controversy. Instead, there was the distinct sound of the wind blowing; largely, no push back, no big discussion. What do I make […]

And then there were … Liner Notes As some of you may have realized by now, I’m dropping hints during the week both in the NARP feed and one of the albums that are queued up and to which I am listening. Some, not all of those, have made their way to the list. As […]

Most audiophiles would love to start the new year with a new audio system, but few have the means or time to build a new system from scratch. For the rest of us, myself included, let’s kick off the new year right by overhauling the space and gear that we already own. In this post, […]

Introduction At the beginning of July, 2020, I shipped my three-year-old Lyra Atlas SL to the US importer to take advantage of a program that allowed owners to have their existing Lyra cartridge upgraded to Lyra’s new lambda technology. At the time I was hoping that the rebuild of my cartridge would take 8-12 weeks. […]

And then there were … Liner Notes As some of you may have realized by now, I’m dropping hints during the week both in the NARP feed and my personal one of albums that are queued up and to which I am listening. Some, not all of those, have made their way to the list. […]

And then there were … Liner Notes Unabashed, I have been and continue to be a raving fanboy of Cathode Ray Tube, and their latest recording entitled Anabasis has done nothing to quell my enthusiasm. Recently, I listed a Christian Löffler EP, a precursor to his full album entitled Parallels: Shellac Reworks by Christian Löffler. […]

The Sony TC-200 reel to reel tape recorder is where it all began. These days, I primarily listen to my turntable, but it did not start out that way. As a teenager, my favorite listening was to reel-to-reel tapes. Because they were recorded from records, it was not of the highest fidelity, but I still […]

And then there were … Liner Notes Apologies for the late arrival. I am now toying with either a Monday or a Tuesday weekly delivery date. As I am posting what I am listening to during the week at odd, well not-so-odd, but intermittent intervals, I’m going to take the liberty to make my weeklies […]

SW1X Audio Design, a company based in the UK, was unfamiliar to me before this review, something I suspect will be true of many a North American audiophile. But I hope that after reading this review, you’ll seek out their products, at least to hear, if not to own. To put it quite frankly, the […]

And then there were … Liner Notes Too many bangers without any clangers makes my commentary superfluous. That’s a nice way of saying life caught up with me and in order to get NARP out this week, I’m taking a mulligan. Better late than never the list is chock full of surprises. Yet another history […]

And then there were … Liner Notes   This week’s Re-Issues, Re-Masters & Miscellany is a true history lesson in so many ways. Dawn Upshaw – Caroline Shaw: Narrow Sea. If you don’t know me by now, well, I’m such a fanboy of Caroline Shaw, and no recordings with which she’s involved will ever miss […]

And then there were … Liner Notes What the … Talk about a full-house. I did not see this onslaught coming this week. Armel Dupas’ Organ Trio is comprised of Armel Dupas on piano, organ, Kenny Ruby: bass, synths, Mathieu Penot: drums, synths. You’ll be hearing a lot more about this trio as time progresses, and […]

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And then there were … Liner Notes I’m taking advantage of the Miscellany in Re-Issues, Re-Masters & Miscellany to champion and bring light to the work of one Eleanor Bindman. It is no secret that Bach’s Cello Suites for Solo Cello are some of my favorite pieces of music, and over the years I have […]

  And then there were … Liner Notes. Short and sweet. At the intersection of week 52 and week 1 of any 2 years in sequence, one is should not be expecting anything resembling a pot-of-gold, so there’s just not so much out there from which to cherry-pick. Jean Michel Jarre’s Welcome To The Other […]

Synopsis for those who hate to read The Inakustik Reference LS 4004 Air, Reference Digital 2404 Air, and Reference High Speed USB are all not only among the best audiophile cables I’ve heard, they are also among the best values in high-end components that I’ve encountered in the last several years. I have no compunction […]

  And then there were … Liner Notes Christmas week leading into New Year is not the most fertile ground for new album releases and re-issues/re-masters for that matter. To put the latter into perspective, this week, that portion of NARP is comprised of albums by Bonnie Raitt, Dr. John, and Swans. Tell me now, […]

And then there were … Liner Notes This close to Christmas, there’s just no way I was not going to have a festive holiday album on the list. It was SLIM pickings this week, but Jamie Cullum’s The Pianoman at Christmas did manage to grab my attention. Jamie, far better known across the pond, has […]

For some time I have been wanting to take a look back at Sumiko as a topic in my series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) on phono cartridges. I go way back with Sumiko, to 1976 and its early days with founder David Fletcher. I believe most of my readers are familiar with Sumiko […]

And then there were … Liner Notes Christian Löffler’s – Parallels – Shellac Reworks of Beethoven is the answer. The question: Where is the intersection of EDM and Classical Music? This past weekend Deutsche Grammophon presented Löffler’sParallels in its entirety as an EP. There will be a full-length album including tracks from other composers. I […]

And then there were … Liner Notes   From the start I knew this was going to be a banner week with releases from: Cats In Space’s Atlantis Girls In Airports’ Dive Mica Paris’s Gospel Silje Nergaard’s Hamar Railway Station Tenderlonious’ Ragas from Lahore – Improvisations with Jaubi VOS’ Charlatan   And then the unexpected: […]

Audiophiles maintain a not-so hushed reverence for recording engineers, producers, and independent record label owners. Deep down they harbor a desire to lay claim to being one, if not all, of the above. So, imagine my surprise when I learn that Cameron Jenkins, who is indeed all of the above as well as a classically […]

Introduction This review is unique in any number of ways. Normally, a reviewer contacts a manufacturer or distributor to request a review sample, which is then either returned to the manufacturer or purchased at the end of the review period. In most instances, it works well for all parties, except when the reviewer requests changes […]

And then there were … Liner Notes Short & Suite this week. Not seeing the need to wax on and …   New Releases Alexandra Conunova– Vivaldi: Le Quattro Stagioni Australian Art Orchestra – Sometimes Home Can Grow Stranger Than Space Cecilia Bartoli – Queen of Baroque Daniel Barenboim, Kian Soltani & Michael Barenboim – […]

The product category of mini-monitors is arguably the most visible among all too many audiophiles, at times generating equal portions of excitement and disappointment. We can stack equipment to save space but we cannot hide big speakers, so bookshelf speakers are often the first if not the only choice for many readers. Dagogo readers have […]