News

The April Issue is Alright!

Stereophile Staff  |  Mar 10, 2016

The April Issue features an extensively revised "Recommended Components" feature—often copied, never equaled—while April Music's stylin' Aura Note V2 CD receiver gets the full review treatment from Art Dudley. In addition, we have:
• Great analog playback gear from Abis, Jasmine, Mørch, Reed, SME, and TechDAS
• A US-premier review of the AR-M2 hi-rez portable player from one of the great names in hi-fi, Acoustic Research, now under new ownership
• A high-end server from Aurender is put through its paces
• An interview with blues-ish singer/guitarist, Bonnie Raitt
• And kicking off this bumper 188-page issue, a report that "The Kids Are Alright!"

All right!

COMMENTS
soundboy's picture
Submitted by soundboy on March 11, 2016 - 1:15am

While the brand Acoustic Research (AR) was purchased by VOXX International (formerly Audiotex and current parent to Klipsch), why do I think VOXX only owns the AR brand in the US only? The AR-M2 hi-res audio player was actually mentioned in this thread I started in May 2015 over at the Steve Hoffman Forum:

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/is-acoustic-research-ar-really-dead-im-not-so-sure.372989/

However, digging a little deeper, it looks like the AR brand is also owned by a Hong Kong conglomerate called Founder GlobalTech Limited. Well, at least the HK parent has new AR speakers (see pictures in link) instead of running the brand into the ground, like what VOXX is doing with the AR brand in the US.

ShanghaiDan's picture
Submitted by ShanghaiDan on March 11, 2016 - 2:17pm

I'm looking forward to a review of the latest Lirpa Labs wunderkind product...

Rhino58's picture
Submitted by Rhino58 on March 11, 2016 - 8:57pm

Just downloaded the digital edition from the iOS app. It looks like the opening pages of "Gramophone Dreams" has copy from Shutterbug magazine instead. Please fix. Thanks!

John Atkinson's picture
Submitted by John Atkinson on March 13, 2016 - 3:33am
Rhino58 wrote:
Just downloaded the digital edition from the iOS app. It looks like the opening pages of "Gramophone Dreams" has copy from Shutterbug magazine instead.

Indeed it does. Thanks very much for alerting us. I have let the publisher know and this will be fixed.

It appears that this error only affects the Apple Newsstand edition and not the Zinio electronic edition.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

John Atkinson's picture
Submitted by John Atkinson on March 15, 2016 - 2:06am
John Atkinson wrote:
I have let the publisher know and this will be fixed.

I was told the problem has been resolved so if you reload the Apple Newsstand edition, you should now see the first 2 pages of Gramophone Dreams.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

johnnyangel's picture
Submitted by johnnyangel on March 12, 2016 - 4:57pm

Yes, and there was also an amusing toc typo referencing "Gramophone Drams." A mistake or maybe this heralds the long-awaited column on single-malt whisky (long neglected as a cost-effective upgrade that will improve any listening session)?

John Atkinson's picture
Submitted by John Atkinson on March 13, 2016 - 4:02am
johnnyangel wrote:
there was also an amusing toc typo referencing "Gramophone Drams."

I checked the print, Zinio, and Apple Newsstand editions of the April issue and "Dreams" was spelled correctly on the table of contents of all 3. Was this typo in an earlier issue?

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

johnnyangel's picture
Submitted by johnnyangel on March 13, 2016 - 11:05am

John, I'm sorry I wasn't more clear about the location. "Drams" is in the Apple Newsstand version, but the typo isn't in the *printed* table of contents, it's an Easter Egg in the *electronic* one. From any page, pull down the contents listing and you'll see it there.

John Atkinson's picture
Submitted by John Atkinson on March 14, 2016 - 3:04am
johnnyangel wrote:
"Drams" is in the Apple Newsstand version, but the typo isn't in the *printed* table of contents, it's an Easter Egg in the *electronic* one. From any page, pull down the contents listing and you'll see it there.

Now I see it. Thanks for the detective work. I'd say "mea culpa" but this error must have occurred once the finalized and proofed content left my hands :-(

I'll find out how this happened and force the miscreant to listen to Taylor Swift recordings over and over again!

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

volvic's picture
Submitted by volvic on March 15, 2016 - 7:16am

Loved Dudley's interview and wish I had known about that classical store located in Paris he mentioned in his article, when I last visited that great city. Herb's writing makes me want to get an older Technics 1200 and make all those mods he mentions, his writing has this sense of allowing the reader to be right there in the room with him, listening to records. Have really enjoyed his writing since he joined Stereophile.

johnnyangel's picture
Submitted by johnnyangel on March 22, 2016 - 2:00pm

John, dunno if you're still monitoring this thread, but just in case ... As of the 22nd, they still have not fixed the Apple edition and restored the first part of Gramophone Dreams. When I delete the issue and renown,iAd to my iPad, I still see the Shutterbug intrusion ....

John Atkinson's picture
Submitted by John Atkinson on March 23, 2016 - 10:10am
Johnnyangel wrote:
As of the 22nd, they still have not fixed the Apple edition and restored the first part of Gramophone Dreams. When I delete the issue and renown,iAd to my iPad, I still see the Shutterbug intrusion ....

I was assured that this had been fixed, but when I did the same as you, the April issue still has the Shutterbug content on pp.38 and 39. I have contacted the production department to let them know. Apologies for the inconvenience.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

johnnyangel's picture
Submitted by johnnyangel on March 23, 2016 - 4:51pm

Thanks for the followup, John. It's fixed now (though the delightful Gramophone Drams Easter Egg is still there on the TOC :) ). You can pass on to Herb how much fans hate missing even a page of his column; and I'm glad to finally understand what "German Jasmine" was all about!

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