Recording of February 1984: Beethoven/Enescu Violin Sonatas

Recording of February 1984: Beethoven/Enescu Violin Sonatas

Jul 11, 2013 First Published:Feb 11, 1984
BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata in G, Op.96
ENESCU: Violin Sonata No.3, Op.25 (In Rumanian Style)
David Abel, violin, Julie Steinberg, piano
Wilson Audio W-8315 (LP). David Wilson, prod., eng. AAA.

Oh, what a breath of fresh air this is! An audiophile recording of real music that isn't bombastic, overblown, or high-powered.

Imagine, if you can, a private recital in your own home by two consummate artists who play these works for their own delight as much as for yours. Imagine sound so completely and disarmingly natural that after 30 seconds you're unaware it's reproduced. That's what this record is all about.

I could rhapsodize endlessly about this record, but I won't. Suffice it to say that if you think there's even a remote chance you'll like this music, you will be positively mesmerized by this recording of it . . .

CAD Audio MH510 Headphone Sweepstakes

CAD Audio MH510 Headphone Sweepstakes

Jul 11, 2013
Register to win a set of CAD Audio MH510 Headphone (MSRP $159.00) we are giving away.

According to the company:

The new Sessions MH510 professional headphones from CAD Audio have been designed for performers in recording and live audio environments as well as audio enthusiasts who want to experience their favorite recordings exactly as the artist intended.

[This Sweepstakes is now closed.]

The Big Dream & “The Vastness of the Small Corral”

The Big Dream & “The Vastness of the Small Corral”

Jul 10, 2013
David Lynch's The Big Dream will be released by Captured Tracks on July 16th. If Crazy Clown Time, David Lynch's successful 2011 solo debut, is any indication, we're in for a surreal and haunting treat: heavy starlit skies, empty highways, torch songs, and reverb-drenched blues. You can ask Michael Lavorgna about that.

The AKG K267 Tiesto Headphone with Bass Adjustment Control

The AKG K267 Tiesto Headphone with Bass Adjustment Control

Jul 10, 2013
This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

Q: Who the heck is Tiesto, and why does he want an adjustable bass control?

A: Some sort of popular European DJ, and because, by golly, the damn thing works!

Music in the Round #61

Music in the Round #61

Jul 09, 2013
Sometimes, things happen so fast it's almost unsettling. DSD is the high-resolution recording format used on SACDs and I closed my May column with the expressed hope that the exaSound e18 multichannel DAC would eventually be able to decode DSD data, that Oppo would implement DSD streaming in its universal players, and that I'd be able to get my hands on a working trio of Mytek DSD DACs. I didn't expect that, even before that issue went to press, I'd have to add a footnote (p.61) indicating that stereo DSD streaming was a reality for the exaSound e18, and that Oppo had made available "test" firmware to empower their universal Blu-ray players for stereo and multichannel DSD. On March 26, Oppo publicly announced that this DSD capability was part of the comprehensive "Public Beta Test Release" made available that day. Then, with the May issue not yet hitting the streets, I got a proper multi-Mytek setup. I had a lot of catching up to do.

Books, Guitars, & Hi-Fi

Books, Guitars, & Hi-Fi

Jul 09, 2013 First Published:May 01, 2006
I'm still using a Mac mini as a music server, using iTunes on this host server to stream music to my listening-room system via the Apple Airport Express WiFi hub. However, as the Airport Express is limited to CD-quality music, I tend to use them for nonserious listening, when I am involved in some other activity. One of those activities this past week or so was reading a new book from erstwhile Stereophile record reviewer Allen St. John: Clapton's Guitar: Watching Wayne Henderson Build the Perfect Instrument (hardcover, 288pp; Free Press, New York, $25).
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