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With the First Watt SIT-3: When the Nelson Pass–designed First Watt SIT-3 power amplifier clicks with a speaker, it presents recordings in a manner that has bones, core strength, and a natural way with vocal and instrumental timbre. One of the speakers the SIT-3 really clicked with was Harbeth's P3ESR 40th Anniversary Edition; see the first link in footnote 1 for details. The SIT-3 is an 18W, transformer coupled, single-ended, single-stage class-A amplifier that uses vertically stacked, static-induction field-effect transistors exclusive to First Watt. It uses no negative feedback and…

How much sound and build quality, and which features, do you give up by saving $53…

Meanwhile, I've enjoyed the Air Force Two's stay here 100%. It performed as a neutral conduit should, allowing the various tonearms, cartridges, and phono preamplifiers I tried with it to assert themselves, without inserting itself into the sound. And this was an exceptionally quiet turntable. Even using a stethoscope, I could hear no noise of any kind, even when I started up the motor. Speaking of which, it takes approximately 15 seconds for the AF2 to reach and lock to the chosen speed, but it's well worth the short wait, and a fluorescent screen at the front of the top panel lets you…

One…

For a guy born in postwar Glasgow who spent his formative years across the border in Northern England, Mark Knopfler has a knack for writing songs based in an American ethos.

Since disbanding Dire Straits, which he led from 1977 to 1992, Knopfler has evolved from headband-sporting guitar hero to acclaimed observational songwriter. Commencing with his 1996 solo debut Golden Heart (Warner Bros.) and continuing through One Deep River, his just-released 10th solo studio album, on the jazz-centric Blue Note label, Knopfler tells character-focused stories in…

Mettler: They might become better known after this. I also love how you describe the Tyne (footnote 6) in the title track. It's a river you crossed many times growing up, and you've given us great visual cues without overdescribing it. Same thing with "This One's Not Going to End Well." You don't over-tell what's going on, so we get to fill in some of the blanks as we listen.

Knopfler: Well, maybe that's because I'm not capable of it! [laughs heartily] But, yeah, I'm glad about you picking up on that.

Mettler: There's a line on your previous album (footnote 7), "one…

As in this group's previous release of the Mahler Fifth, the engineering is refreshingly clean and gimmick-free. The brasses that launch the Fourth have solid presence and depth. The oboe that begins the slow movement emerges startlingly from utter silence. Woodwind chords register with color and texture; the buzzing contrabassoon occasionally cuts through.

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Lizz Wright's new album recalls the good old days when successful jazz labels bankrolled ambitious projects for big-time singers. Shadow has classy packaging, a large cast of musicians, an established producer, a well-known photographer, fashion designers, and famous guests like Angelique Kidjo and Meshell Ndegeocello. But it is 2024, so Wright had to do all that herself. Shadow is the second…

It has been 12 years since the last time Little Feat went into the studio to make a new record. The passing five years ago of longtime member guitarist Paul Barrere caused Feat fans to worry that the band might never make another record of original music—that an ensemble that always embraced change might become a fixed museum display.

Sam's Place is welcome not only for its inherent sense of fun but for ensuring that the band…

Admittedly, I have never attended the big shows in Shanghai, Hong Kong, or Warsaw, but it would be hard to imagine either one outdoing Munich. The Warsaw show calls itself the second biggest show in Europe, deferring, presumably, to the Munich show. Munich is so big that it even has a sideshow, HiFi Deluxe, just down the road. HiFi Deluxe…