Jason Victor Serinus, Stephen Francis Vasta

February 2026 Classical Record Reviews

Jason Victor Serinus, Stephen Francis Vasta Feb 10, 2026

M'a dit Amour, Julia Roset, soprano, Susan Manoff, piano; Ravel: Chamber Music, Nash Ensemble; Lalo | Bonis | Debussy | Ravel: Art Nouveau: French Chamber Music Around 1900, Trio Wanderer.

News

Octave Unveils the Jubilee Class A Mono Amplifier

Jason Victor Serinus Feb 03, 2026

Octave Audio of Karlsbad, Germany, a longtime manufacturer of tube electronics, presented the North American debut of its new Octave Jubilee Class A mono amplifier ($85,000/pair) at Definitive Audio, Bellevue (across the lake from Seattle) on January 29. The first stop in a three-city US tour by Andreas Hofmann, company president and designer, and John Quick, VP Sales & Marketing for Octave's US distributor, Dynaudio North America, the multi-day event included two back-to-back sessions followed by open houses.

Audacious Audio Solid State Preamp Reviews

CH Precision L10 Stereo line preamplifier

Jason Victor Serinus Jan 21, 2026

Stereophile strives to distribute the wealth equally. Did that get your attention? What the statement refers to, in terminology devoid of dollar signs, is that Stereophile attempts to review products from different companies rather than repeatedly focus on products from a single company.

Recording of the Month

Recording of February 2026: Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

Jason Victor Serinus Jan 15, 2026

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde
Marie-Nicole Lemieux, contralto; Andrew Staples, tenor. Les Siècles, François-Xavier Roth, cond.
Harmonia Mundi HMM 902740 (CD; reviewed as 24/96). 2026. Jiri Heger, prod., eng.
Performance *****

Music and Recording Reviews

January 2026 Classical Record Reviews

Jason Victor Serinus, Stephen Francis Vasta Jan 14, 2026

Erin Morley & Lawrence Brownlee: Golden Age; Elena Firsova & Dmitri Smirnov: Love And Loss; Ben-Haim: Symphony No.2, Israel Philharmonic/Lahav Shani; Mahler: Symphony No.7, National Symphony Orchestra/Gianandrea Noseda.

Recording of the Month

Recording of January 2026: Pur ti miro

Jason Victor Serinus Dec 18, 2025

Pur ti miro
Wu Wei, sheng; Martin Stegner, viola; Janne Saksala, double bass
ECM New Series 2843 (CD; reviewed as 24/96). 2025. Manfred Eicher, exec. prod.; Martin Sauer, eng.

Music and Recording Reviews

December 2025 Classical Record Reviews

Jason Victor Serinus, Stephen Francis Vasta Dec 16, 2025

G.F. Handel: Handel Arias, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson; Dvořák: Slavonic Dances; John Dowland/Henry Purcell: Songs of Passion; Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.4 In G Major, Sciarrino: Il Sogno Di Stradella; Mozart: Sonata in C, Andante with Variations, Schubert: Duo in A minor; Fantasy in F minor.

News

Icons and innovators at Definitive Audio

Jason Victor Serinus Dec 04, 2025

Definitive Audio of Bellevue, Washington (near Seattle), one of the premier dealerships in the Pacific Northwest, continued its 50th anniversary celebration with a September event it called "Icons and Innovators." Highlighted by showings of the new JBL Everest series and Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus and 801 Abbey Road edition loudspeakers, the event drew a full house to the first of two sessions on the afternoon of September 18.

Audacious Audio Tube Power Amp Reviews

Audio Research Reference 330M monoblock power amplifier

Jason Victor Serinus Nov 29, 2025

The memory of the sound of the Audio Research 330M monoblock amplifiers ($90,000/pair) at AXPONA 2025 is so vivid I can still recall what I heard and felt. I sat front and center in a room sponsored by Quintessence Audio . . . The sound was so colorful, rich, and effortless—the images so convincing in size, weight, and timbre—that I felt my eyes open wide in amazement.

Music and Recording Reviews

November 2025 Classical Record Reviews

Jason Victor Serinus, Stephen Francis Vasta Nov 14, 2025

Brahms: Piano Concerto 2; Three Intermezzi; Morton Feldman: The Viola in My Life; Beethoven: for Three, Vol.4; Coleridge-Taylor: Orchestral Works.