Ariel Bitran

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A Lifestyle Redefined
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran  |  Oct 26, 2011  |  8 comments
The iconic "McIntosh-blue" meter

Lifestyle brand. Let me say it again: Lifestyle brand. Did you just shudder a little? This term terrifies many audiophiles, because for many audiophiles, calling a hi-fi brand a “lifestyle brand” equals a focus on marketing rather than sound. Yet, on the eve of Thursday, October 6th, in a presentation to members of the hi-fi press at the Savant House in the SOHO district of New York City, McIntosh President Charlie Randall comforted us with the news that this would not be the path for McIntosh.

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A Much Belated CMJ Report
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran  |  Nov 12, 2012  |  86 comments
CMJ in New York City is a clusterfuck. Too many bands billed at each venue for them to handle with ease in one night. Too many shows to choose from all within a 2-block radius with about fifty bands you have never heard of and only nine you have. And too many people who are there for the “CMJ” experience rather than to witness the bands. Nevertheless, this CMJ was a good one.
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A Nice, Normal Dude Wins the V-Moda M-80 Headphones
Sweepstakes
Ariel Bitran  |  Mar 29, 2013  |  0 comments
Hey everyone. Meet Zach.
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A Quick Dip in the Digital Stream
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran  |  Oct 12, 2011  |  0 comments
Valle del Elqui, Chile. Photo: Alberto Bitran.

For the past few months, my system has been in a serious playback rut. The disc tray on my Oppo DV-980H does not pop out, and my Rega P1 is in unmistakably poor shape: the tonearm cable to connect the tonearm to the cartridge ripped off from the tonearm, one of the tonearm pins ripped off the tonearm cable and is firmly pinned onto the cartridge I never installed (an Audio Technica AT95E), and the needle on my old Ortofon cartridge is bent backwards, which is the reason why I needed to change my cartridge to begin with. I promise, I have reasons for all of this. Not good reasons. Thus, most of my music listening for the past seven months, has been done at work in my cubicle via different digital music streaming services, in the hopes of finding a service that would be fun and functional.

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A Return to the Past with Audio Note
Ariel BitranNY Audio Show 2013
Ariel Bitran  |  Apr 16, 2013  |  0 comments
At last year's NYAS, the Audio Note room had been a musical joy and learning experience. After a brief hello to music lover, photographer, and Audio Note exhibitor David Cope, we got straight to business with music listening. First on the Audio Note TT Two Deluxe turntable ($3500) was Las Guitarras De Sergio y Eduardo Abreu, where the brothers perform the music of Bach, Scarlatti, Albeniz, and more. Having played this record at least fifteen times in the past four weeks, I noticed immediately that the soundstage was imbalanced. Both guitars were too far to the left, but I refrained from comment.
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A Short Show Report from Manila
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran  |  Nov 28, 2012  |  4 comments
Show organizer Antonio De Leon (far left) and President of the Phillipines Benigno Aquino III (center) listen together.

At least 2,500 audiophiles attended the November HiFi Show at the luxurious Dusit Thani hotel in Manila, Philippines on November 10 and 11, 2012. The show featured thirty-nine exhibition rooms with a total of thirty plus dealers exhibiting products from across the globe.

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A Sound Salvation: More Thoughts on Rdio, MOG, and Spotify
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran  |  Dec 01, 2011  |  12 comments
A Spotify advertisement interrupts my listening. The ad is invisible, embedded in between the lines of my play queue. As it begins, a modern crooner soars over a twinkling piano. This is not the 311 I was just listening to. A voice very politely interrupts: “Hi, this is Bruno Mars.”

I need my riffage! Not ads!

Seconds later, a reminder pops up in my Microsoft Outlook program: “Rdio”

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A Thousand Dollars
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran  |  Sep 18, 2007  |  5 comments

Stephen has challenged me to build a system with just $1000.

I need to think fast. My requirements for the system are loudspeakers, preamp/power amp, phono stage, turntable, CD player... Shit. $1000! That's it? I'll use the 2008 Buyer's Guide data and see what I can do...

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A Week in the Life of Listening, Part 1
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran  |  Nov 05, 2008  |  2 comments

We played Scrabble and listened to Brian Eno's Another Green World. The synthesizers were raw, saw-toothed, and gripping, and Eno's volume swells had never been truly appreciated till that night.

Even though he's heard me play the record about a million times, Kyle kept asking, "Who is this playing?"

I think it caught him by surprise this time around.

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A Week in the Life of Listening, Part 4
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran  |  Nov 18, 2008  |  0 comments

"Ain't it strange how sounds can let you down / When you're waiting for the one you love."

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