Month: June 2018
Found 274 results
Paul McGowan writes …… My son Scott loves music; perhaps more than I. He’s willing to listen even if the recording is awful and is able to turn off the rejection mechanism so ingrained in my head as an Audiophile. Part of me wishes I was just as able to be that selective – because […]
Deluxe 3LP Boxed Set. Resonance Records presents a previously unreleased gem from the NPR Music vaults, ‘Truth, Liberty & Soul’ captures the iconic bass innovator Jaco Pastorius leading a 22-piece big band on June 27, 1982 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City. Featuring a congregation of the top jazz musicians on the New […]
Paul McGowan: MultiWave is a feature unique to Power Plant regenerators. Unlike sine waves that come out from the wall to power our equipment, MultiWave gives us a new type of waveform that better energizes our equipment for best sound. The story of how it was invented is one I think worth the telling. In […]
We are told ….. Falcon offers dedicated audio purists a fabulous mix of the most revered and modern speaker designs, hand-building the world-famous LS3/5a monitor exclusively to the original BBC spec alongside its new Reference Audio Monitor (R.A.M.) range. There are three models in the new R.A.M range: the Studio 10, a 5″ 2-way bookshelf; […]
From the archives “This month sees the issue of several records of Britten’s music from Decca including one in the ‘World of…’ series. It also marks the 25th anniversary of the night that transformed the face of British opera – the premiere of Peter Grimes on June 7, 1945, at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. Britten himself […]
This morning started pretty good I thought. Okay, I spent a bit too long in bed, but the sun was shining and there was fresh melon in the fridge and I hadn’t run out toothpaste. And there were clean pants in the drawer. All fairly mundane stuff – but it made me feel okay. I’m […]
We’ve all heard of film caps costing upwards of a hundred dollars and gold plated connectors more expensive than diamond rings. Why don’t manufacturers use them more? Are they simply hocukm or real? Watch Now
It’s happened to us all. A kid or an adult mistakenly pushes in the dome of a metal or soft tweeter and bingo! We’re out of luck. What happens if we pop it back out? Is it damaged? Are there any tricks to rescuing one? Watch Now
For all its delightful and ethereal tinkliness, the harp suffers from something of an identity crisis. It lacks the versatility of the piano or the piercing qualities of the violin, let alone the brute force of the brass, so if it isn’t careful it can find itself relegated to a soothing, background role. Catrin Finch […]
We are told: The New York Contemporary Five barely lasted a year all told, but they recorded five albums that shaped the jazz to come. They were a supergroup after the fact – the stellar frontline of Don Cherry, Archie Shepp, and John Tchicai all being relative newcomers at the time. Cherry had recently left […]
Most of us will be familiar with the old rule of thumb for ranking the importance of the components of a system in order to obtain maximum sound quality for budget but if not I will reiterate it: 1. The source (if a TT it goes turntable – arm – cartridge) 2. The amplifier(s) […]
Paul McGowan …… If you had a chance to read yesterday’s post you’ll remember we’re in the process of setting up Music Room number Two, where we have a pair of floor standing 2-way Thiel loudspeakers. That room is considerably smaller than Music Room One, measuring 12 x 15 feet, compared to Music Room One’s […]
Hi, I’m Neil McCauley / editor in chief and I’m on a mission to resurrect this excellent classic British design. In short, to distance it from the widespread perception that it’s purely for the pipe and slippers brigade. Yes, of course it does to some extent have it’s roots in that patronized yet well-meaning market […]
Throughout the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, Decca, in my opinion, had the happy knack of making recordings that sounded great on the hi-fi of the day. Their classical LPs sounded amazingly vivid and highly detailed, with wide stereo and impressive dynamics. Decca’s engineers had a somewhat proactive approach to recording. Rather than just setting up […]
Gentlemen – what can you tell me about this legendary engineer and was he the guy that built the RM1 preamp? Yes, he is the designer of that legendary unit He struck me as seriously grumpy No way does he want to supply the European market with anything, apparently. He has a most interesting history […]
We are told: When Santana took the stage at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair on August 16, 1969, they were unknown outside of the thriving Bay Area music scene. By the time they triumphantly walked off the stage, they were one of the festival’s biggest surprises. Santana delivered a career-making performance melding Latin rock […]
Paul McGowan ….. After a recent post I was thinking about the term Separation as it applies to the instruments and singers on a soundstage. I spoke of how the elements in the recording were rounded and separate such that they seemed as if I could reach out and touch them. They were palpable. It […]
Paul McGowan writes: In a recent post we began the story of how MultiWave was invented. We left off at the point where I started questioning what was so sacred about the 60Hz frequency that comes out of the wall socket and started experimenting with higher frequencies in an attempt to “increase” the size of […]
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a high-efficiency loudspeaker? Why aren’t all loudspeakers high efficiency? Watch Now
Originally published 2012 Decca Aitkenhead writes: The dandy highwayman talks about surviving stardom, dealing with bipolar disorder and why he just wants to get on with making music Continues HERE
John Eliot Gardiner is an English conductor who has helped shape the direction of classical music performance for decades. He talked with DW about conducting four of Beethoven’s symphonies at the 2011 Beethovenfest. Please click HERE to continue reading
The 40th anniversary of the groundbreaking fusion album Bitches Brew offers an opportunity to expand upon the context of its original unveiling. The impact of this recognition can’t even be mitigated by a collision of commerce and creativity that echoes some of the furor over the original 1970 release. MORE Epilogue Hi. I’m Tony Andrews […]
I listen to a lot of radio and particularly relish any live performances on Radio 3 or Radio 2. I have recently had some work done on redirecting my FM aerial(to Holme Moss) and had a DAB aerial fitted for a UnitiQute located in a kitchen living room. The Uniti also has internet radio […]