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As the 1960s became the '70s, the Grateful Dead went through a remarkable transition. After unsuccessfully trying to reinvent the wheel in the studio and finally clicking with Live Dead, the group found its mojo. In 1970, the band released its two greatest studio albums, Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. But the Dead made its bones on live performances, and early in '71 they decided to make another live record even…

Nina Simone was one of the most remarkable singers of the 20th century, but few albums capture her full range—heartbreak ballads, jazz, blues, rock, African rhythms, militant politics. Hence the value of The Montreux Years, which contains excerpts from all five of her concerts at the Montreux…

In switching from ECM New Series to 2L, Norwegian women's vocal ensemble Trio Mediæval has moved from a label known for atmospheric acoustics to one lauded for capturing resonant 3D space and pristine silences. Aided by label founder/producer/engineer Morten Lindberg, who has received 28 Grammy nominations and one Award, Trio Mediæval delivers…

My previous encounters…

After two years of COVID-enforced isolation, the ever-dapper Philip O'Hanlon, founder and president of On A Higher Note distribution, flew to the PNW (footnote 1) to present, on October 2, the US premiere of the Graham Audio Limited Anniversary Edition LS8/1 loudspeaker. At $9700/pair with stands, the Graham Anniversary Edition LS8/1 looked right at home in the tastefully appointed, main floor showroom of three-floor Gig Harbor Audio…

• Extraordinary Resolution of Detail: The noisefloor was significant lower than that of any other amp I've reviewed. The amount of information retrieved from very familiar recordings in some cases changed my reaction to the music. Over the last…

Designers frequently make minor changes in an electronic component's design throughout its market life cycle. As these changes tend to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary, manufacturers seldom make a big deal about a capacitor change here, a tube change or wiring reconfiguration there. This strategy is partly due to the company reluctance to get the market excited about subtle changes, and so not piss off the gal who just plunked down some heavy green for what she thought was the latest design.

Nevertheless,…

Description: Two-channel, tube power amplifier. Tube complement: four matched pairs 6550C output; four 6922 drive; four 6922 input. Power output: 100Wpc continuous, 20Hz–20kHz, into 8 ohms (20dBW). Power bandwidth (–3dB): 15Hz–80kHz. Frequency response at 1W: 1Hz–100kHz, –3dB. Total harmonic distortion: typically 1% at 1kHz at 100W, below 0.05% at 1W. Input sensitivity: 1.0V RMS (balanced or single-ended) for rated output. Input impedance: 200k ohms balanced, 100k ohms single-ended. Overall negative feedback: 10dB. Slew rate: 15V/µs. Risetime: 3µs. Hum and noise…