Ken Micallef

T.H.E. New York International Audio Show 2025

T.H.E. New York International Audio Show

Ken Micallef Oct 30, 2025

The first thing to know about T.H.E. New York International Audio Show is that it’s not in New York. The three-day event, Oct 24–Oct 26, 2025, was held at the Hilton Hasbrouck Heights, a New York bedroom community available by train, rental car, or personal vehicle if coming from Manhattan. Your ability to get to the venue was anyone’s guess, as no directions were shown on T.H.E. Show’s website.

T.H.E. New York International Audio Show 2025

Technics reveals the SL-1210GME Master Edition turntable

Ken Micallef Oct 30, 2025

Efficient and focused like the brand he represents, Technics business and development manager Bill Voss arrived in Hasbrouck Heights with a full array of Technics offerings including the direct-drive Technics SL-1210GME Master Edition turntable in a world debut ($TBA) and the recently released SL-50C compact turntable ($899).

Revinylized!

Revinylization #69: Pablo Records via Granz and Kassem

Ken Micallef Sep 30, 2025

Way back in my ignorant youth I thought that Pablo Records, the label of jazz producer/promoter legend Norman Granz, was where jazz artists went to fade away, where they were put out to pasture. I thought the black discs inside Pablo's black-and-white jackets, which depicted jazz greats tracking sessions in their twilight years, couldn't compete with the music of younger jazz guns.

News

Five-alarm fire storms resolution A/V in Red Hook, Brooklyn

Ken Micallef Sep 29, 2025

At 1am on September 17, 2025, Adam Wexler’s phone broke through his snores. He silenced the call and rolled over. Four hours later, the insistent ring jolted him awake. “When Ray, an amazing man who oversees the pier and runs everything around here, called me at 1am, I ignored it,” Wexler recalled, “though fire did cross my mind, because this space is entirely timber. Then my employee Robert Kapszewicz called, and I went to the warehouse at 5:30am.”

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews

Volti Audio Lucera loudspeaker

Ken Micallef Aug 22, 2025

This past May, I stormed the halls of the international audio orgy High End Munich. My scorched-earth tour covered countless rooms, in pursuit of the holy grail of music playback. Among the finalists, a clear pattern emerged: With a few exceptions, my favorite rooms used horn-loaded speakers.

Audacious Audio Tube Preamp Reviews

Treehaus Audiolab The Preamplifier

Ken Micallef Aug 08, 2025

Imagine navigating the hectic rooms of an audio show at which a sea of similar-looking, similar-sounding gear blends into a predictable thrum, drawing a chorus of familiar nods. Then you stumble into the room occupied by Rich Pinto and his Treehaus Audiolab components. Here, the expected evaporates, replaced by designs that offer something different, both inside and out, sparking curiosity among jaded journalists and seasoned listeners.

Munich 2025

Pro-Ject Audio Systems

Ken Micallef Aug 04, 2025

Pro-Ject, the renowned Austrian audio manufacturer, made a striking impact with its static display at High End Munich 2025. Its new products, though silently presented, conveyed a powerful message. Jakob Dirnberger, representing Pro-Ject, showcased a vast array of turntables, a compact portable system, a record flattener, and legacy products—creating a compelling and sometimes humorous presentation.

News

Joy and Resistance in Manhattan

Ken Micallef Aug 03, 2025

This past Monday, July 21, drummer/composer Terri Lyne Carrington and harpist/composer Brandee Younger discussed their recently released albums, respectively We Insist 2025! (Candid) and Gadabout Season (Verve) at an event billed as Joy and Resistance, moderated by Dr. Guthrie Ramsey. The Doris Duke Center in New York City hosted the event, with a streaming audio system featuring Treble Clef Audio's TCA-M active floorstanding loudspeakers.

Audacious Audio Stand Loudspeaker Reviews

Audio Note AN-E/SPx Ltd. Field Coil loudspeaker

Ken Micallef Jun 26, 2025

Stemming from the foundation of Kondo Audio Note of Japan, Peter Qvortrup's Audio Note UK is, for many, a custodian of the definitive audio heritage. The debut of each Audio Note piece sparks obsession among adherentsardor that outstrips mere fandom.

News

Nagra, DeVore Fidelity at Resolution A/V in Red Hook, Brooklyn

Ken Micallef Jun 23, 2025

On May 29, Adam Wexler's Resolution A/V, in Red Hook, Brooklyn, debuted new products from two heavy hitters in the audio world: Brooklyn's DeVore Fidelity and the renowned Swiss brand Nagra.