Most audio engineers split hairs. Eelco Grimm splits microseconds. His expertise in high-precision audio laid the groundwork for Grimm Audio, the Dutch venture he cofounded in 2004 with fellow electrical engineer Guido Tent. The company's master clocks and DACs, developed for both the pro audio and home hi-fi markets, combat tiny timing errors and jitter that can blight digital audio.
I'd been building and repairing tube amplifiers for a few years when my first Altec A5 Voice of the Theater speakers arrived. I bought them to help me evaluate the sound of low-powered triode amps—but whoa! The moment I turned that VOT system on, I heard from 30' away the sound of either a waterfall or a large AM radio tuned between stations . . . What's the best tube tester? A 107dB/watt speaker!
Revinylization #67: Rollin' with Leo Parker, a New Tone Poet Reissue
Aug 05, 2025
Rollin' With Leo is a treasure from bebop's past that's been reissued several times on CD and LP since 1980. This new version, with its freshened sound, proves again that Dexter Gordon's concise appraisal of Leo Parker was on the mark: "The Kid could play. Lots of bottoms."
Pro-Ject, the renowned Austrian audio manufacturer, made a striking impact with its static display at High End Munich 2025. Its new products, though silently presented, conveyed a powerful message. Jakob Dirnberger, representing Pro-Ject, showcased a vast array of turntables, a compact portable system, a record flattener, and legacy products—creating a compelling and sometimes humorous presentation.
This past Monday, July 21, drummer/composer Terri Lyne Carrington and harpist/composer Brandee Younger discussed their recently released albums, respectively We Insist 2025! (Candid) and Gadabout Season (Verve) at an event billed as Joy and Resistance, moderated by Dr. Guthrie Ramsey. The Doris Duke Center in New York City hosted the event, with a streaming audio system featuring Treble Clef Audio's TCA-M active floorstanding loudspeakers.
A century ago, pioneering psychiatrist Carl Jung had a wild encounter with the power of sound. "In a village on the way from Lake Albert to Rejaf in the Sudan we had a very exciting experience," Jung wrote in his book Memories, Dreams, Reflections. He goes on to describe his participation in a tribal drum and dance ritual. "Night had fallen ... when we heard drums and horn blasts. Soon some sixty men appeared, martially equipped with flashing lances, clubs, and swords."