Ariel Bitran
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Celebrate Dynamic Range Day on March 25th
News
Ariel Bitran • Mar 03, 2011 • 2 comments
On March 25th, interested parties can join music producer and mastering engineer Ian Shepherd in his commemoration of rich and sonically inviting recordings by participating in Dynamic Range Day.
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Date Moved! Mårten Django Debut at David Michael Audio
News
Ariel Bitran • Mar 15, 2012 • 0 comments

The debut of the Mårten Django loudspeaker at David Michael Audio (4341 Delemere Court, Royal Oak, MI) originally slated for March 17th, has been moved to Saturday, April 7, Noon–7pm.

Follow this link for more details on the event and the history of Stereophile's coverage of the Mårten Django. Review forthcoming.

Debut of the Mårten Django at David Michael Audio
News
Ariel Bitran • Feb 22, 2012 • 0 comments
Saturday, March 17, Noon–7pm: David Michael Audio (4341 Delemere Court, Royal Oak, MI) will host the premiere of the Mårten Django floorstanding loudspeaker ($15,000/pair).
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Delicate Sound from Music First
NY Audio & AV 2012
Ariel Bitran • Apr 17, 2012 • 0 comments
The Music First Audio room was getting a lot of buzz around the show for its sound: delicate and detailed, a sound which emphasized Chet Atkins’ nimble shredding on “Snowbird” perfectly. Like his fast-fingered attacks, the playback from a Revox reel-to-reel A77 fed to the passive Music First Baby Reference Preamp ($7900) into Rogers LS35A speakers powered by a Bel Canto S300 was nuanced and swift. Sam Tellig reviews a similar Music First Audio Classic Magnetic Preamplifier ($4185) in our upcoming June issue. Also appealing in this room were gorgeous and compact stands from Hi-Fi Racks.
Do You Consider Yourself an Audiophile?
Ariel Bitran, NY Audio Show 2013
Ariel Bitran • Apr 15, 2013 • 5 comments

Some are afraid to admit it. Others are proud. Do you consider yourself an audiophile? Attendees, exhibitors, and members of the press are asked this very question.

Thank you to all who participated.

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Dynamic Range Day: How Could I Forget?
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran • Mar 15, 2012 • 5 comments
Over @Stereophile, we received a tweet from follower Henry Gessau:

Henry Gessau. Henry Gessau! Who is this mysterious chap? He must be some time-travelling, sound-saving avenger! Color photography was not widely available until the 1950s, so based on his profile picture, Henry must have lived sometime between the years 1850 and 1950 and then tweeted into the future! But forget the man. What about his message?

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Enter the Void of Cygnus X-1: A Vinyl vs. CD Comparison (Kinda)
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran • Oct 25, 2012 • 48 comments
After filling my speaker stands with kitty litter, the bass warble tones on Stereophile’s Editor’s Choice CD were less boomy from start to finish with greater depth within each warble tone and lower frequencies not heard previously were now audible thanks to a quieter noise floor, but after weeks of warble tones, I needed some real music.

First on the platter was Bob Dylan’s John Wesley Harding which features 3-piece band orchestrations, punchy yet meandering bass lines, and anguished harmonica playing from Mr. Zimmerman. While listening, the bass player’s melodic fills on “All Along the Watchtower” muddied the mix and masked Dylan’s vocals. One week later, my problems of unruly bass had returned.

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Everyone’s a Salesman
NY Audio & AV 2012
Ariel Bitran • Apr 14, 2012 • Published: Apr 18, 2012 • 1 comments
Before playing “La Villa Strangiato” from side 2 of the Rush LP Hemispheres, On a Higher Note’s Philip O’Hanlon advised me to go get my record cleaned by the Audio Deske Vinyl Cleaner. I told him, “I just did!”

Seconds after playing my There Comes a Time record by Neil Young in the Robyatt Audio room, Charlie King said I should get it cleaned at the Audio Deske cleaner. I told him, “I just did!”

First of all, just how filthy are my records?

Second, this same experience happened to me at least five different times during the New York hifi show. Maybe it is because my records actually are filthy, or maybe it is because that Audio Deske Vinyl Cleaner ($3895), really just is that awesome and easy to use that everyone had to sell it to me.

Followup: The British Invasion Visits NYC at In Living Stereo
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran • Dec 06, 2012 • 3 comments
This past Wednesday (12/5/2012) at New York City’s In Living Stereo, a diverse crowd of music lovers and audiophiles congregated on the listening room’s floor for a chance to hear a few choice sides from the new Beatles LP remasters. Attendees overflowed from the listening room into the lobby where they waited in anticipation to sit on that floor and get a listen to the new LPs.
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For the Live Music Junkie: Concert Vault
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran • Nov 12, 2012 • 3 comments
Bill Graham: holocaust survivor, legendary concert promoter, and all-around badass.
Photo by Mark Sarfati

Please. One more hit. Just one. That’s all I need. Another song, another act. It won’t hurt. It can’t hurt. I promise this will be the last place we go. Four hours later, we wake up on a subway train in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

Live music can be a dangerous thing. The thrills of a live show, the blending lightshow, the stomach-shaking bass, the spit and the sweat, are irreplaceable, but the life of the live music junkie can drain one’s energy and bank account. Fortunately, thanks to the folks at Concert Vault, you can get your live music fix on daily basis for just $2.99 a month.

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