Analog Matters & the Modafferi Mod

Analog Matters & the Modafferi Mod

After owning a McIntosh MR78 tuner for many years—I bought it on eBay sometime early in this millennium; it was fully functional and in superficially excellent condition—I finally did what I'd long intended to do: I sent it in to Audio Classics for inspection, refurbishment, and the famed Modafferi mod.

September 2025 Classical Record Reviews

September 2025 Classical Record Reviews

Holst: The Planets & Cheetham Fraillon: Earth, Deborah Cheetham Fraillon, soprano; MSO Chorus; Melbourne Symphony Orchestra/Jaime Martín; Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto 3, Yunchan Lim, piano; Fort Worth Symphony/Marin Alsop; Mozart: 6 String Quintets on Historical Instruments, Spunicunifait; L'Extase: Debussy & Messiaen, Magdalena Kožená, mezzo-soprano; Mitsuko Uchida, piano.

Spotify Premium Finally Gets Lossless Audio

Spotify Premium Finally Gets Lossless Audio

Spotify began rolling out lossless audio to Premium subscribers September 10, delivering streams up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC format. The feature arrives in select markets first, with broader availability expected through October. The streaming service will notify Premium subscribers when lossless becomes available in their region.

Rabbit Holes #18: Chrysalis Reissues Robin Trower's For Earth Below

Rabbit Holes #18: Chrysalis Reissues Robin Trower's For Earth Below

Five decades later, even dedicated fans of former Procol Harum guitarist Robin Trower have had to admit that they appreciate his solo albums for more than just his guitar gluttony. To be sure, For Earth Below's title track and his other blues-rock jams, obviously influenced by both the tone and approach of Jimi Hendrix, are foundational for today's stoner-rock subgenre.

2+2=Quad, Dutton and Rhino Reissue Quadraphonic Albums

2+2=Quad, Dutton and Rhino Reissue Quadraphonic Albums

As much as I love my stereo system and listening to music through two speakers, some recordings just can't be bound by the limits of stereophony. For instance, Carl Orff's epic cantata Carmina Burana. Sure, I've heard successful stereo versions, but listen to the four-channel Quadraphonic mix of the classic 1974 recording by the Cleveland Orchestra, Chorus and Boys Choir, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, then decide whether stereo still does it for you.
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