Ariel Bitran

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Ariel Bitran

The Unofficial Dynamic Range Database

Ariel Bitran May 09, 2012 First Published: May 09, 2012 0 comments

At the 2012 NYC hi-fi show, I was chastised by a random showgoer for using a “dynamic-less” recording as a reference in the Legacy room. Now with the help of the Unofficial Dynamic Range Database, I can find the dynamic range measurements of many of my favorite recordings, including the record ridiculed by one spiteful audiophile. Was he right about its dynamics?

News Ariel Bitran

Sight + Sound Gallery Opens in Atlanta, GA

Ariel Bitran May 08, 2012 First Published: May 08, 2012 0 comments

Photo by Terrell Clark

Friday, May 11, at 5pm: Sight + Sound (Studioplex, G8, 659 Auburn Avenue, Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta, GA) hosts its grand opening as both a contemporary art gallery and high-end audio equipment retailer. The gallery will showcase artwork from local artists while exhibiting gear from T+A, Nordost, and Elipson.

Ariel Bitran

Now on Newsstands: Stereophile, Vol.35 No.5

Ariel Bitran Apr 26, 2012 First Published: Apr 26, 2012 0 comments

Wabaam! Another month, another Stereophile. My how time flies when you are reviewing hi-fi.

Compared to the enormous April issue that hosts our chunky Recommended Components listing, May is petite but still packs a powerful punch loaded with insights and audio enhancers. Enhancers you ask? What might those be? Well how about bell bronze gongs! And magic fuses! And audio to make you cream…I mean, P.W.B.’s Electret Cream, which according to AD, just might work if you rub it in the right place.

Ariel Bitran

April 2012 Record Reviews: Streamed Selections

Ariel Bitran Apr 23, 2012 First Published: Apr 23, 2012 0 comments

Stereophile is not all about reviewing hi-fi, and thanks to our all-knowing and thrill-seeking Music Editor, Robert Baird, we cover exciting new releases in each monthly issue for you to consider on your hi-fi escapades. In this post, I listen to all records we reviewed available on streaming services MOG and Spotify from our April 2012 issue, provide my own two-cents, and link to the playlists from the two services. With a premium account, one can stream at 320kbps Ogg Vorbis files from Spotify, and MOG users can stream 320kbps MP3s for free!

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Links:

The MOG April 2012 Playlist: A Pensive Month

The Spotify April 2012 Playlist: Pure Fun

News Ariel Bitran

The Show at Lyric HiFi

Ariel Bitran Apr 11, 2012 First Published: Apr 11, 2012 0 comments

Saturday–Sunday, April 14–15, 10am–5pm: Lyric HiFi (1221 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY) invites audiophiles to listen to an assortment of systems, interact with representatives from brands such as McIntosh, Focal, and Audio Research, and qualify to purchase demo units at 20% off, all part of The Show at Lyric HiFi.

News Ariel Bitran

The Springtime in New York Sale at Stereo Exchange

Ariel Bitran Apr 05, 2012 First Published: Apr 05, 2012 0 comments

Friday–Sunday, April 13–15, 10am–8pm: Stereo Exchange (627 Broadway, New York, NY) will host a weekend-long series of demonstrations from key players in the hi-fi industry including but not limited to an Einstein-haired speaker designer, young gun salesman, and the king of kables.

Ariel Bitran

Now on Newsstands: Stereophile, Vol.35 No.4

Ariel Bitran Mar 22, 2012 First Published: Mar 22, 2012 0 comments

It has been a strange winter. Now approaching what is formally known as spring, I’m not sure if we ever even made it out of autumn! Forty-five degrees Fahrenheit in the middle of February in New York City? What in the hell is going on?

Similar to how the seasons from 2011 to 2012 have melded together into the longest autumn, the shipping out of each issue of Stereophile becomes a blur as well. As I discussed in my last on newsstands March article, we are never really sure what month we are living in here at the Stereophile office, much less the month of the issue we are working on, except for when we are compiling April Issue. We always know when we’re working on the April.

Why’s that?

Ariel Bitran

Dynamic Range Day: How Could I Forget?

Ariel Bitran Mar 15, 2012 First Published: Mar 15, 2012 0 comments

Over @Stereophile, we received a tweet from follower Henry Gessau:

Henry Gessau. Henry Gessau! Who is this mysterious chap? He must be some time-travelling, sound-saving avenger! Color photography was not widely available until the 1950s, so based on his profile picture, Henry must have lived sometime between the years 1850 and 1950 and then tweeted into the future! But forget the man. What about his message?

Ariel Bitran

Kurt Rosenwinkel Quartet at the Village Vanguard

Ariel Bitran Mar 13, 2012 First Published: Mar 13, 2012 0 comments

From February 28 until March 04, 2012, the Kurt Rosenwinkel Quartet got cozy in the dark and welcoming Village Vanguard for six evenings and 12 evocative sets of guitar-work and authoritative musicianship. Rosenwinkel partnered with friends Eric Revis (bass), Aaron Parks (piano), and the band young’n Justin Faulkner (drums).

Ariel Bitran

Now on Newsstands: Stereophile, Vol.35 No.3

Ariel Bitran Feb 14, 2012 First Published: Feb 14, 2012 0 comments

The March 2012 issue of Stereophile features the stunning Sonus Faber Amati Futura loudspeaker on the cover.

As we sent the March issue for delivery to the printing presses, the April issue sat in queue for multiple rounds of edits. At the same time, the editors, writers, and a lowly editorial assistant lay the building blocks for the May issue to be released two months away. With the constant influx of communication regarding dates present, future, and future’s future, it is hard to know what month we are ever really living in, and it is a time-bending wonder whenever the new issue of Stereophile shows up on our desks. So with great excitement, we announce to you Stereophile March 2012, Volume 35, Number 3.