Sonus faber Announces Amati Supreme Speaker

FiiO M27 Headphone DAC Amplifier Released

Audio Advice Acquires The Sound Room

LATEST ADDITIONS

Analog Corner #264: Ortofon Windfeld Ti Cartridge

Michael Fremer Oct 11, 2022

Ortofon (footnote 1), which turns 100 in 2018, launched the original Windfeld cartridge nearly a decade ago. Named for cartridge designer Per Windfeldwho had just retired at age 75, after 30 years with the companythat top-of-the-line cartridge cost $3400 at the time of its introduction.

Music and Recording Reviews

October 2022 Classical Record Reviews

Jason Victor Serinus, Stephen Francis Vasta Oct 07, 2022

Aloys Schmitt: Piano Concertos 12; Rondeau brillant, India Gailey: to you through, Brahms: Symphonies 3, 4 and György Kurtág: Kafka-Fragmente.

Music and Recording Reviews

October 2022 Jazz Record Reviews

Robert Baird, Thomas Conrad Oct 07, 2022

Enrico Rava, Fred Hersch: The Song Is You, Reinier Baas/Jonas Burgwinkel/Kit Downes: Deadeye, Kirk Knuffke Trio: Gravity Without Airs and Anteloper: Pink Dolphins.

Music and Recording Reviews

October 2022 Pop/Rock Record Reviews

Anne E. Johnson Oct 07, 2022

Angel Olsen: Big Time and Bananarama: Masquerade.

Re-Tales

Re-Tales #25: Get rid of the ego, keep the fun and the music

Julie Mullins Oct 06, 2022

Attracting new customers is essential for brick-and-mortar dealerships' long-term survival. Over the last several years, many b&m dealerships have continued to expand into home automation and custom installation. Home theater is also undergoing a resurgence. These services can supportand complementtwo-channel audio-equipment sales.

Miscellaneous

Nordost QNet network switch & QSource linear power supply

Jason Victor Serinus Oct 05, 2022

"A switch? Why do I need a switch?" That was my response to Meredith Gabor, head of marketing and PR for cable and accessories manufacturer Nordost, after she dropped the news. She had just arranged with Jim Austin for me to write a shorter, "ancillary" review of the new Nordost QNet Network Switch ($3199.99) with its optional QSource linear power supply ($2749.99) and premium QSource DC umbilical interface cables ($339.99 for 1m). Why did I need an expensive QNet switch when my router was functioning reliably? Good question.

Revinylization

Revinylization #34: The Reintroduction of Candid Records

Ken Micallef Oct 04, 2022

As an aspiring teenage illustrator, I was fascinated by the work of outlaw cartoonist Robert Crumb. His beautifully drawn images offered escape from the redneck southern city where I grew up. I was especially enchanted by Crumb's caricatures of blues and jazz musicians, which were assembled in his "Heroes of the Blues" and "Early Jazz Greats" trading-card collections.

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews

Tannoy Stirling Prestige Gold Reference loudspeaker

Ken Micallef Sep 30, 2022

Founded in 1926 by Guy R. Fountain in London as the Tulsemere Manufacturing Company, Tannoya portmanteau (footnote 1) of "tantalum" and "alloy," after a tantalum-lead alloy used in rectifierstook on its current commercial identity in 1928. Through the war years and beyond, the company specialized in public-address (PA) systems. Indeed, today, "tannoy" is a widely recognized generic term for a PA system in the UK; there's an entry for "tannoy" in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Turntable Reviews

Music Hall Stealth record player

Herb Reichert Sep 29, 2022

The earliest direct-drive record player I've discovered is Garrard's Model 201 from 1930. It only played 78s. In their advertising, Garrard claimed the 201 was the world's first "transcription turntable." It employed Garrard's latest in a line of what they called "prestige" motors: an AC-induction "Super Motor." Garrard described the 201's platter as "plush covered" and said it was "popular with HiFi enthusiasts and used by the BBC." The 201 was superseded by the 201A, which rotated at both 78 and 33 1/3 rpm. The venerable Garrard 301 that followed was an idler-drive design.

Digital Processor Reviews Solid State Preamp Reviews

Bel Canto e1X DAC/Control Preamplifier

John Atkinson Sep 28, 2022

My late father-in-law used to say that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end, the quicker it passes. I was reminded of that when I was asked to review Bel Canto's new e1X DAC/Control Preamplifier ($6800). It didn't seem that long ago that I favorably reviewed the Minnesota company's e.One DAC3, but Google told me that it was 15 years ago! "Other than the jitter performance via its USB input, the Bel Canto e.One DAC3 is the best-measuring digital component I have encountered," I wrote in November 2007 (footnote 1), adding that it "offers some impressive audio engineering in both the digital and analog domains."