Julie Mullins

Re-Tales #1: George Vatchnadze's Newest Gig
Re-Tales
Julie Mullins  |  Sep 24, 2020  |  16 comments
Access to musical information isn't guaranteed, whether it's limited by the resolution of a recording, your audio system, or an oppressive political regime. George Vatchnadze, concert pianist and dealer in high-end audio equipment, has experience with all three.
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Andover Model-One turntable music system
MiscellaneousTurntable Reviews
Julie Mullins  |  Sep 02, 2020  |  7 comments
Apart from the Beatles and Hendrix I heard in my audiophile father's basement, one of my earliest rock'n'roll memories involved a multipurpose record player at school. In third grade, six of us were moved as a separate group to a round table to watch a filmstrip in a darker part of a large, open-plan classroom. A clunky old record player in a self-contained carrying case with a half-dozen headphone jacks sat on the table.
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"Renaissance Man": Damon Von Schweikert on Albert Von Schweikert
Interviews
Julie Mullins  |  Aug 17, 2020  |  3 comments
The phrase "renaissance man" carries gravitas. It's probably overused. But Damon Von Schweikert believes the term genuinely befits his late father, speaker designer Albert Von Schweikert, who passed away on May 29, 2020, leaving behind myriad contributions to audio through his namesake companies.
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Piega Premium Wireless 701 wireless loudspeaker system
Floor Loudspeaker Reviews
Julie Mullins  |  Jul 21, 2020  |  13 comments
For the first time in the two years I've been living in this apartment building, I've received a noise complaint from a neighbor. Coincidence?

As it happened, yes it was a coincidence. True, my music was pretty loud, and the bass from the Piega Premium Wireless 701 loudspeaker system ($7495/pair) was anything but reticent, especially considering the tower's sleek appearance. But I was not the source of the specific noise that caused the complaint. That was the sloppy bass from another neighbor's inferior sound system. (The bass from this Piega system isn't sloppy.)

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Musicology Begins at Home
My Back Pages
Julie Mullins  |  Apr 28, 2020  |  20 comments
When I was growing up, calling Dad to dinner required a trip down carpeted stairs to the basement, an audiophile man cave in a time before the term had been invented. I'd open the door from the kitchen, and a great wall of sound would emerge—and nearly blow me back before I descended the stairs.
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Gray Forecast or Silver Lining?
News
Julie Mullins  |  Apr 07, 2020  |  First Published: Apr 03, 2020  |  56 comments
Social distancing. Flattening the curve. These expressions are embedded in our collective psyche as we to try to keep COVID-19 and the novel coronavirus that causes it at bay. Few of us who live through this will ever forget them.

But life and work must somehow go on, if at a slower pace than before.

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FLAX 2020 Recap, plus Magico M6 Speakers, Luxman C-900u Amplifier and M-900u Monoblock Amps, Von Schweikert Ultra 11 Speakers, VAC Statement Electronics, MBL 101e MK II Loudspeakers, Avid Analog Front End, Critical Mass Racks, Børresen 01 Speakers
Florida Audio Expo 2020
Julie Mullins  |  Feb 16, 2020  |  13 comments
This marks the end of our Florida Audio Expo 2020 coverage, but before I wrap things up, I'd like to mention a few more standout rooms with super systems.
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MC Audiotech Forty-10 Loudspeaker, Linear Tube Audio MicroZOTL Preamplifier, ZOTL Ultralinear Amplifier, and Reference 40 Amplifier
Florida Audio Expo 2020
Julie Mullins  |  Feb 16, 2020  |  2 comments
The MC Audiotech Forty-10 ($35,000) is probably the most exotic speaker seen and heard at the Florida Audio Expo.
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Wilson Audio Sasha DAW Speakers; VTL TL-7.5 Series III Linestage Preamplifier, MB-185 Series III Signature Monoblock Amplifiers, and TP-2.5i Performance Phonostage; Aurender A10 Music Server/Streamer/DAC; Pro-Ject Xtension 12 Turntable
Florida Audio Expo 2020
Julie Mullins  |  Feb 14, 2020  |  2 comments
Salon 1 Audio made its first-ever appearance at a high-end audio show with a demo room featuring upper-tier amplification from VTL’s Series III: the TL-7.5 Reference linestage preamplifier ($30,000) and MB-185 Signature monoblock amps ($22,500/pair), and the TP-2.5i Performance phonostage ($5000) paired with a Sumiko Palo Santos MC cartridge ($4500) and a Pro-Ject Xtension 12 turntable ($4500) with a lovely high-gloss mahogany wood plinth.
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Rupert Neve Fidelice Precision DAC, Phono Preamplifier, and Headphone Amplifier, Rosson Audio Designs RAD-0 Headphones, Focal Stellia Headphones, Massdrop x Sennheiser 6XX Headphones
Florida Audio Expo 2020
Julie Mullins  |  Feb 14, 2020  |  1 comments
Rupert Neve Designs, the legendary pro-audio maker of recording studio consoles and other equipment for concert halls and beyond, has expanded its product offerings for the home-audio market—ie, music lovers and audiophiles—with its new Fidelice series, including a full-featured DAC/controller with Neve's analog circuitry and an AKM-based DAC chip inside, a phono preamp, and a headphone amp. The three Fidelice components share a retro-modern look with matte aluminum casings with inlayed mahogany wood on top, red-accented control dials, little throw switches, LED lights, and tiny text that reminded me a bit of my first piece of gear, an oldie-but-goodie Advent 300 receiver. Their form factor is distinctive too: trapezoidal with rounded edges, with the DAC housed in a larger chassis.
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