The Linda Lindas: Growing Up
Epitaph (16/44.1 stream, Qobuz). 2022. Produced, engineered, and mixed by Carlos de la Garza.
Performance *****
Sonics ****½
When your uncle is an award-winning producer and engineer, a band formed by you and your cousins has a higher-than-average shot at going somewhere. But even that family advantage can't explain the immediate success of the Los Angelesbased Linda Lindas; they've earned their accolades through talent, hard work, and ingenuity. Their first album, Growing Up, offers proof of their worth and the promise of a stellar musical future.
After a dozen years as General Manager of dCS Americas, well known industry veteran John Quick has joined Dynaudio North America with the title Vice-President for Sales & Marketing, Americas. Quick will work alongside Michael Manousselis, Dynaudio N.A.'s president, to develop and refine Dynaudio's sales channels, marketing efforts, and brand awareness across its home and professional audio offerings in the US, Canada, and Central and South America.
Sometime around 483 BCE, in Kushinagar, the capital of the Malla Republic in what today is the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, an aristocrat named Siddhārtha Gautamaknown better to us as the Buddha, or the Awakened Onepassed away. For 45 years, he had wandered the North Indian River Plain teaching a method of overcoming ignorance, craving, and the cycle of death and rebirth to a growing community of followers.
Lublin, Poland, is about 130 miles from Lviv, Ukraine, a town that has been in the news lately. That's about the same distance as Hershey, Pennsylvania, is from my desk in northern New Jersey, where I'm writing this. They are close. Russian missiles struck Lviv on March 18, 2022, and as I write these words Lviv is preparing for more intense bombardment.
Are well-heeled audiophiles ready for a knob-free future? Gryphon Audio Designs thinks so. In contrast to Gryphon's volume knobdominated Pandora preamplifier, the Danish company's new Commander offers nothing on its bold front panel to grab or turn.
Instead, there's a large, extra-thick, triangular glass protuberance that extends dramatically below the chassis's vertical dimension. That's where you'll find an "on/off" button, the main unit's only physical switch.
Look into the faces of Jashan Bahl and Anmol. The boy, who is 5, came to the show with his dad because he loves music and instruments. He's wide-eyed, curious, and ready to learn. He is the future of high-end audio.
Given the legendary status of 300B tube-based amplification, this blog may surprise you. But in all my years at audio shows, I cannot recall more than one or two instances when I've been treated to a 300B-based product. If I'm wrong, then it's safe to say that those products did not leave a lasting impression. Since none of my audiophile buddies owns 300B-based electronics, that renders me, at this late stage of life, a 300B virgin.
Which made my half hour in the room sponsored by Oz Turan's High End By Oz even more enlightening...
First things first. This was one of the best-sounding rooms at T.H.E. Show. Given its sheer size, I have no question that some of the success was due to the various and sundry magical Synergistic Research accoutermentsI counted 10 so-called "Acoustic Room Treatment" devices and 5 Synergistic Power Conditioning devices (including Purple fuses)along with new Synergistic Racks (intended for internal use) and, no surprise, Synergistic Research cabling.
After I joined Emiko Carlin, Senior Vice President for T.H.E. Show, for our wrap photo op, she said, "What? You missed the opportunity to see MC Audiotech's new speaker?"
What the ever-delightful, tell-it-like-it-is and then some Emiko says, Jason does (within reason)...