Jim Austin

As We See It

No server is an island

Jim Austin Mar 16, 2022

No hi-fi is an island entire of itself; every component is a piece of the system, a part of the mains.John Donne, from The Compleat Audiophile, 1623

Around the time I took over as Stereophile's editor, I bought a Peloton, the internet-enabled stationary exercise bike. It was a lifesaver during the pandemic, when gyms were closed; despite the poor audio quality and the awful music many of the instructors choose, it's good, diverting exercise.

Audacious Audio CD Player/Transport Reviews Hi-Rez Disc Player/Transport Reviews

CH Precision D1.5 SACD/CD player/transport

Jim Austin Feb 16, 2022

There's a school of thought that maintains that among all hi-fi components, the D/A converter is easiest to perfect or come close to perfecting. Just make sure that every sample is converted accurately, that there's little rolloff in the audioband, that aliased images are suppressed almost completely, and that background noise is extremely low, and you have a top-quality D/A processor. Use of a high-quality DAC chip is assumed.

As We See It

Thoughts on reviewing

Jim Austin Feb 15, 2022

Evidence is nothing without judgments.The Lord Leto Atreides II in God Emperor Of Dune, by Frank Herbert

In college, I majored in physics, but I took a lot of theater courses. Not actingI never had any affinity for thatbut all the other aspects of theater: set design, directing, theory of performance, playwriting. One professor, a playwright himself, offered some advice to his students that has served me well ever since: To learn the craft, observe your response first, then look to the text to figure out what about it caused you to respond the way you did.

As We See It

Won't get fooled again

Jim Austin Jan 19, 2022

I'm excited about the return of live music to New York City. I've attended several classical concerts in the last few weeks, and in a week or so, I'll take in a show at the City Winery: Suzanne Vega. I haven't yet made it back to New York's amazing jazz clubsthe Vanguard, the Blue Note, Smallsbut I look forward to doing so soon, especially to dropping in on my jazz local, Smoke, when it reopens in a few weeks in new, larger digs.

Interviews Music and Recording Features

Jay Jay French: Twisted Business: Lessons from My Life in Rock'n'Roll

Jim Austin Jan 06, 2022

Jay Jay French has a book out, but it's not what you might think, or not exactly.

French earned fame in the 1980s as the lead guitarist for transvestite metal band Twisted Sister, which produced some of the most recognizableand widely licensedrock music in history: "We're Not Gonna Take It." "I Wanna Rock."

As We See It

Some new rock music

Jim Austin Dec 16, 2021

My As We See It column in the November 2021 issue of Stereophile was a sincere expression of regret over my inability to connect with current rock music. It ended with a request for recommendations. I got 'em. What's more, most (but not quite all) of those who responded found themselves inthe same situation: They too found most current rock'n'roll difficult to relate to.

Products of the Year

Stereophile's Products of 2021

Jim Austin Nov 19, 2021

Here's another Stereophile milestone, our second one this year. In August, we celebrated the magazine's 500th issue. This month, we celebrate a number that's smaller but almost as round: our 30th Annual Product of the Year Awards.

Audacious Audio Floor Loudspeaker Reviews

Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx V loudspeaker

Jim Austin Nov 17, 2021

The Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx V ($135,000$151,000/pair) is the biggest, heaviest, most expensive loudspeaker I've had in my listening room. It replaces the original Alexx in Wilson's lineup; Michael Fremer reviewed the earlier Alexx, bought it, and owned it until replacing it recently with the Wilson Chronosonic XVX.

As We See It

Complicated

Jim Austin Nov 16, 2021

Even though I'm the editor of Stereophile, I sometimes struggle to get my audio system to play. It's a little bit embarrassing. Just last night, I put on a record and there was no sound. I figured out the problem immediately: I'd forgotten to turn on the amplifiers. But the reason isn't always so obvious.

As We See It

Glory Days

Jim Austin Oct 21, 2021

I've got a music problem. Specifically, I've got a rock music problem.

It's a true clichéthat is, a cliché that happens to be true: Rock music, in almost all its forms, is young people's music. It's about new, fresh experiencesnew love, new sex, consciousness sought or attained, rebellion, drugsand when you've reached a certain age, those experiences don't feel so fresh anymore. That's a fact about which it's hard not to feel some regret. You don't have to share their sentiment to realize that there's a reason Pete wrote, and Roger sang, "Hope I die before I get old."