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Recording of the Month
Recording of July 2025: Shades of Sound: Gil Evans Project Live at Jazz Standard Vol.2
Thomas Conrad  |  Jun 17, 2025
Ryan Truesdell: Shades of Sound: Gil Evans Project Live at Jazz Standard Vol.2
Truesdell, conductor; 23-piece orchestra
Outside in Music 2014/2025 (reviewed as CD). 2025. Truesdell, Dave Rivello, prods.; James Farber, Tyler McDiarmid, Geoff Countryman, engs.
Performance ****½
Sonics ****½

Ryan Truesdell launched his Gil Evans Project in 2012 with Centennial. It contained 10 Evans arrangements, including two original Evans compositions, that had never been recorded. The project was made possible by the fact that Truesdell had been granted access to the Evans family archives. Evans was a towering figure who had been responsible for some of the greatest recordings in the history of jazz, like his own Out of the Cool and Miles Davis's Sketches of Spain. Evans died in 1988, and Centennial was something the jazz world never expected to have again: a brand-new Gil Evans record. Truesdell assembled a large orchestra containing many of the best jazz musicians in New York and used an eminent engineer, James Farber.

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T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025
Brane Puts the Boom in Boombox
Julie Mullins  |  Jun 16, 2025
Although most of the products shown at T.H.E. Show in Costa Mesa lean toward the higher end and specialty markets, some affordable products from next-gen designers were mixed in, too—Chesky Audio's LC1 bookshelf monitor, for one, which has been receiving plenty of buzz. Another noteworthy example of a different sort—an active speaker—is the all-in-one Brane Audio Brane X portable speaker ($499) with a built-in true subwoofer.
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Audio Advice Live 2025
Audio Advice Live Returns to Raleigh, August 1–3
Stereophile Staff  |  Jun 16, 2025
Friday, August 1–Sunday August 3: Audio Advice Live 2025 will take place at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel. It is located at 421 South Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC. For more information about the show or to get tickets, follow this link.
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Munich 2025
Tiny Dancer: Métronome Introduces the DSAS
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 16, 2025
Métronome unveiled its very first music server, the small but mighty Métronome x Audirvāna DSAS ($6,950, due in September), in an all‑French system. A “Digital Sharing Audio Server,” the DSAS uses Audirvāna Studio to manage both local and streaming music. It includes 2TB of storage (expandable to 4TB) and comes with a free three‑year subscription to Audirvāna.
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Munich 2025
Riviera Audio’s AFM‑70 Amplifier: Don’t Let the Silence Fool You
Ken Micallef  |  Jun 16, 2025
Italy’s Riviera Audio Laboratories, represented by CEO Silvio Delfino and designer Luca Chiomenti, introduced the new AFM‑70 monoblock power amplifier (price TBA). The launch follows the release of recent Riviera models such as the APL‑1 line‑stage preamplifier and the AFS‑32 stereo power amplifier, both priced at $28,000.
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Munich 2025
Qobuz Connects, Solomon Detaches
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 16, 2025
From Munich's English Gardens to the Marienplatz, all audiophiles seemed to be talking about Qobuz Connect. I sat down over lunch with David Solomon to get the skinny.
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Munich 2025
Marten Goes Extreme
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 16, 2025
In the Rhythm Distribution room—where Marten loudspeakers partnered with Audia Flight electronics and Jorma cabling—the main objects of attention were the striking Marten Coltrane Quintet Extreme loudspeakers. At $415,000/pair (all prices approximate when converted from euros) and with a production limit of just 10 pairs, these speakers are for listeners who don't merely gawk at unobtanium—they bring it home and plug it in.
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Munich 2025
Joseph Audio, Doshi Audio, SOtM, Funk Firm: Kicking Ass and Taking Names
Ken Micallef  |  Jun 14, 2025
Joseph Audio's Jeff Joseph teamed with Nick Doshi to present another fantastic‑sounding room at High End Munich.
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T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025
Ayon Audio and Lumen White
Julie Mullins  |  Jun 14, 2025

T.H.E. Show has plenty of jazz in the demo rooms, including Dave Brubeck's "Take Five," which I heard via Roon in the demo featuring Ayon Audio and Lumen White demo in Emerald Bay 1, a large banquet room, presented by USA Tube Audio Labs.

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Munich 2025
Ferrum's Firmware Finesse: An International Ear for Audio
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 14, 2025
Drawn to the impressive sound and compact design of Ferrum's Polish-made, relatively affordable components, I was eager to visit the brand's booth and learn about the new 2.0.0 firmware update for the $2800 Wandla DAC. The update introduces Ferrum Streaming Control Technology (FSCT), which enables remote control of streamers and displays title and artist information on the DAC's touchscreen.
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