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Now on Newsstands: Stereophile Vol.37 No.5

Stereophile Staff Apr 16, 2014 First Published: Apr 16, 2014

The May 2014 issue of Stereophile is now on newsstands. With High-Resolution Audio poised to go mainstream, the issue features Sony's $2000 HAP-Z1ES file player on its cover. Kalman Rubinson takes the Sony through its paces summing up that the "audiophile quality" Sony "has the potential to become a gateway product for the mass market of portable-player users."

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Meridian's Spectacular Speaker Unveiling

Jason Victor Serinus Apr 14, 2014 First Published: Apr 14, 2014

Meridian Audio's co-founder Bob Stuart (above) journeyed to Audio High in Mountain View, CA on April 8 for the US unveiling of Meridian's new Special Edition DSP Digital Active Loudspeaker. The tantalizing time I spent listening to the top-of-the-line DSP8000SE ($80,000/pair) convinced me that Meridian's slogan, "Redefine the Possible," is anything but hype.

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Building a Better Hi-Fi Shop with a Little Help from Indiegogo

Jason Victor Serinus Apr 03, 2014 First Published: Apr 03, 2014

When high-end audio retailer AudioVision San Francisco got hit with an unexpected eviction notice, Antonio Long and Randy Johnson realized they had to either raise funds fast for a move or close up shop. That's when they decided to generate support via what is undoubtedly the first high-end retailer Indiegogo fundraising campaign.

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Universal Music Group's Pop/Rock/Jazz Pure Audio Blu-rays

Jason Victor Serinus Mar 27, 2014 First Published: Mar 27, 2014

Universal Music Group (UMG) is currently fulfilling its promise to release hundreds of 24/96 High Fidelity Pure Audio Blu-Ray (audio only) titles in 14 countries by the end of 2014. While many of these titles are from its rich back catalog, a few are new. These include, on the pop front, George Michael's Symphonica, and for classical, one of my 2013 R2D4s, Jonas Kaufmann's Wagner.

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The Montreal Audio Show Starts Friday

Jason Victor Serinus Mar 24, 2014 First Published: Mar 24, 2014

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. Such is the story of the Montreal Audio Show aka Salon Son et Image (SSI), which takes place this coming weekend, March 2830. The Chester Group may be sponsoring the show for the first time, and longtime show organizer Michel Plante may have ceded the reins to his partner/wife, Sarah Tremblay, but both the location (the Hilton Bonaventure Hotel) and the show structure are pretty much the same. Tremblay expects about 80 exhibitorsthe same as last yearholding forth in 80100 rooms.

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Universal Music Group's Blu-ray/Hi-Res Initiative

Jason Victor Serinus Mar 22, 2014 First Published: Mar 22, 2014

Thumbing their collective nose at pundits who predict the imminent demise of physical media, Universal Music Group has begun reissuing select back catalog and new releases in Pure Audio (audio only) Blu-Ray 24/96 and/or 24/96 download formats. The first of the classical titles appeared in February, with more rolling out all the time. To get the skinny on UMG's plans for Blu-ray and hi-res, I conducted two separate interviews with folks in the UK. The first, with Barry Holden, the extremely committed and highly articulate VP of Classical Catalogue at Universal Music, appears below.

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Neil Young's PonoMusic Launches at SXSW 2014

Robert Baird Mar 12, 2014 First Published: Mar 12, 2014

"I’m not an audiophile but I’m very geeky about other things."

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Everest Records Returns in All its Glory

Jason Victor Serinus Mar 06, 2014 First Published: Mar 06, 2014

Over half a century after the creation of the prized Everest Records catalog, most of whose 78 classical titles were recorded between 1958 and 1961 on 35mm magnetic tape in three-channel stereo, 61 titles have now been remastered and released in multiple formats. In addition to physical CD and downloadable Mastered for iTunes versions, a still-expanding, luscious hi-res treasure trove of Everest titles may be downloaded from HDTracks's Everest Records pages. All HDTracks titles, remastered from the master tapes in 24/192, are available in both 24/192 and 24/96 versions.

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Genesis and Linn at Elite Audio Systems San Francisco

Jason Victor Serinus Mar 02, 2014 First Published: Mar 02, 2014

How often have you encountered someone reciting your obituary? That's what happened when he of the living dead visited Michael Woods' aesthetically sensational Elite Audio Systems showroom in San Francisco on February 22, only to discover Gary Leonard Koh, CEO of and chief designer for Genesis Advanced Technologies, declaring, "The days when people sat in one sole sweet spot listening to music are over."

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A Unique KEF Event

John Atkinson Feb 23, 2014 First Published: Feb 23, 2014

All photographs by Lily Szabo Photography and used with permission

Thursday February 13 was a day most of us in New York would have preferred to stay indoors. With 10” of snow falling since the night before, the Stereophile office closed, the roads in my neighborhood impassable, and public transport iffy at best, I really didn’t want to make the trek into Manhattan. But I did and was glad to have done so. English loudspeaker manufacturer KEF, represented by a team led by the company's brand ambassador Johan Coorg (above right), was promoting a unique event for the press at MSR Studios on 48th Street featuring legendary engineer and producer Ken Scott (above left).