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Joanna Newsom: Kingdom of the Harp

Talk dirty to me!

"I had to master this record 11 times to get it to sound the way I wanted," Joanna Newsom growled with the knowing grit of someone who's worked through a sonic ordeal.

"Instead of test pressings, we had test lacquers for this one."

"I have no way to listen to music digitally in my house."

Oooh, baby!

At a time when the future of print is troubled, Newsom can make even a magazine editor feel slightly more secure.

"I love your magazine. I love your publication."

The story of Joanna Newsom is nothing but surprises. A…

Gramophone Dreams #7

The golden rays pouring in through the left oculus transport a tiny child carrying a cross: ". . . the devil was vanquished, as if he had just swallowed the bait in the mousetrap." In his essay "'Muscipula Diaboli,' The Symbolism of the Mérode Altarpiece," the late art historian Meyer Schapiro explains how every object, every surface—even the smoke, light, and volume of space—depicted in the famous triptych by Robert Campin (ca 1375–1444) is a coded symbol explicating the mystical underpinnings of Netherlandish Protestantism (footnote 1).

The painting, now in the Cloisters of New York's…

Gramophone Dreams #7 Page 2

Only moments after I'd received my review samples of open-back Audeze EL-8s, they committed their first act of transcendent love: I played Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort and Players' recording of Cristóbal de Morales's Mass for the Feast of St. Isidore of Seville (CD, Deutsche Grammophon 93904). Once again, the roof of my head became the dome of a cathedral. This 16th-century composition perfectly expresses the earthy sacredness of Spanish Christian feeling. The sound of the male choir was so well formed and accessible that I prepared to abandon my pagan rascality and join up with…

Altec Lansing 301 loudspeaker Manufacturer's Comment

Manufacturer's Comment

Editor: I have just read [Ken Nelson's] May 22 letter urging us to consider advertising in Stereophile. I understand that your business is to try to encourage potential advertisers to consider this publication, and I also confirm that you continue to write me in this regard.

I think it is only fair to remind you that we have decided as a policy matter that we do not consider Stereophile a publication to be included among those in which our company advertises. We and our agency are experienced [enough] to know and respect the separation between advertising…

Michigan Dealer Event This Coming Friday

Friday, December 11, 5pm–9pm, David Michael Audio (4341 Delemere Court, Royal Oak, MI 48073) will host an event showcasing and demonstrating the Naim Statement amplification components. Confirmed presenters will include Emmanuel Le Quéré and Francois Cauchon of Naim distributor AudioPlus Services.

Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served. Space is limited so RSVP early. You can register by sending an email to info@davidmichaelaudio.com.

A Record Seven Grammy Nominations for Reference Recordings

"I'm still in shock," Reference Recordings recording engineer Sean Martin blurted out during a conference call with his recording engineer stepfather, Keith O. Johnson. "When Jan Mancuso woke me up at 5:30 or 6 to tell me the news, I couldn't imagine who would be calling so early," was Johnson's follow up.

Reference Recordings and Johnson have been nominated multiple times for Grammys over the years. ("I hate to say how many times I've been nominated for the Engineering Award," quips Johnson, "although I only won it once, in 2010, for Best Engineered Surround Sound on Britten's Young…

The Aiaiai Studio Modular Headphone Preset Sweepstakes

According to the company:

AIAIAI is an audio design company dedicated to developing high quality audio products for everyday use. AIAIAI’s modern, minimalist headphones and earphones deliver clear, amplified sound.

Headquartered in Copenhagen, AIAIAI is proud to contribute to Denmark’s worldwide reputation as leader in acoustic and electro-acoustic design and engineering. Informed by a heritage of Scandinavian design, AIAIAI strives to create high…

Dynaudio Night in Manhattan Thursday

Thursday, December 10, from 5–10pm New York retailer In Living Stereo (2 Great Jones Street, New York City) is having a “Dynaudio Night.” Mike Manousselis from Dynaudio will be demonstrating some new Dynaudio speakers and answering questions. We will have the Confidence C1 platinum and the Contour 1.4 LE loudspeakers (above) on demonstration. We will also have Dynaudio’s new Xeo 2 wireless loudspeakers playing in the lobby. Snacks and beverages will be served.

PS Audio Lambda CD transport

It's easy for reviewers to become jaded by the high prices of some audio products. We get the products in our listening rooms—albeit temporarily—without having to part with our own money. Consequently, we get enthusiastic about products that offer real breakthroughs without, perhaps, fully considering their cost.

Reviewers should consciously try to avoid this tendency. Although we should report on cost-no-object components, the bulk of our readers want high musical performance at an affordable price. That's why I get most excited about reviewing sensibly priced components that offer sonic…

Beveridge 2SW loudspeaker system

This is an electrostatic column speaker, 6' tall and costing $6000/pair. An integral, fan-cooled amplifier is located in the base (footnote 1). The 2SW is said to cover almost the entire frequency range and is based on a patent, number 3,668,335, issued to manufacturer/designer Harold Beveridge on June 6, 1972. Internal acoustic lenses in front of the electrostatic panels widen the speaker's dispersion: In the Beveridge literature, it says "This 6-foot high device consolidated the entire frequency range into a vertical line source, and uniformly disperses it over a horizontal pattern, 180…