Jason Victor Serinus

Gold Note DS-10 D/A processor

Jason Victor Serinus Jul 31, 2020

I felt like I'd just been offered a choice of 31 flavors of Baskin-Robbins ice cream topped with up to 57 varieties of Heinz ketchup, 57 condiments, and 47 brands of coddled cream. My head began to spin, my stomach churned, and my mouth grew very dry as I read that Gold Note's DS-10 ($2995) was a "chameleon DAC" with 192 setup options that enable it to "completely blend in with different music genres, giving the listener the opportunity to adapt the behavior of the unit to the music playing, to one's stereo system and, most of all, to the listener's taste."

Music and Recording Features My Back Pages

Terry Riley: Get What You Need

Jason Victor Serinus Jul 29, 2020

For two months, I'd been planning to attend Terry Riley's appearance at Seattle's 536-seat Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall. For two weeks, I'd been planning to watch a presidential-candidate debate on television. Only one problem: As it turned out, the two events were scheduled for the same night. Even after a decade of trying to master the muddle known as multitasking, it was impossible to do both.

Solid State Preamp Reviews

MBL Noble Line N11 line preamplifier

Jason Victor Serinus Jun 26, 2020

During the four years that I've reviewed for Stereophile, I've had the privilege of evaluating products from some of the world's best-known audiophile companies: Audio Research, Bel Canto, CH Precision, dCS, D'Agostino, Dynaudio, EMM Labs, Jadis, Krell, Nordost, and Wilson, among others. But one long-standing manufacturer whose exhibits at audio shows invariably inspire ecstatic reports, Germany's MBL, has remained outside my purview.

Integrated Amp Reviews

Aavik Acoustics U-380 integrated amplifier

Jason Victor Serinus May 19, 2020

Finallya way to get a handle on the sound of Aavik Acoustics electronics. I'd heard the Danish-made components many times at shows, but always in the context of Ansuz Acoustics cables and Børresen Acoustics loudspeakers. As much as the threesome was inevitableall three companies are owned by Michael Børresen, Lars Kristensen, and a third shareholderthere was no way to determine the unique sound of each component in the mix.

News

RMAF Nixes 2020

Jason Victor Serinus May 19, 2020

Denver’s Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF) has canceled its 2020 show.

News

No Show for T.H.E. Show

Jason Victor Serinus May 14, 2020

The Home Entertainment Show—aka T.H.E. Show—which was originally scheduled for June 12–14 in the Long Beach Hilton, has canceled for 2020. According to a May 13 announcement, T.H.E. Show team of President Maurice Jung and Director of Marketing Emiko Carlin had hoped to postpone the event until December 2020. Not happening.

Recording of the Month

Recording of June 2020: Ešenvalds: Translations

Jason Victor Serinus May 13, 2020

Eriks Ešenvalds: Translations
Portland State Chamber Choir, Ethan Sperry, cond.
Naxos 8.574124 (CD, auditioned as 24/96 WAV). 2020. Erick Lichte, prod.; John Atkinson, Doug Tourtelot, engs.
Performance *****
Sonics ****½

I'll admit to a conflict of interest in choosing as Recording of the Month a work co-engineered by our very own John Atkinson. WeI, who nominated the piece, and Editor Jim Austin, who ultimately chose the winnerhave both worked with John for years. And I'd never deny it was moving to sit next to him during his recent visit to Port Townsend following the release party for this new album, Translations, watching him shed tears as we listened together to the heavenly voices of the Portland State Chamber Choir singing "In paradisum" (2012), which Latvian composer Eriks Eenvalds dedicated to his grandmother, who died the morning of the premiere.

News

AXPONA: Moving On from Here

Jason Victor Serinus May 11, 2020

On May 5, Joel Davis, founder and CEO of JD Events (JDE), the company that mounts the annual AXPONA—Audio Expo North America—proposed a “rollover plan” settlement for companies that had committed funds to the canceled 2020 show, which had been scheduled for April, postponed until August, and then, finally, canceled. The plan attempts to “right the ship in the midst of this pandemic storm” and to demonstrate the company's “long-term commitment” to continuing to serve the audio industry. Many exhibitors were unhappy that, in canceling the show, did not offer refunds of funds already committed to the show by exhibitors and sponsors.

News

Streaming Salvation for the Sequestered--UPDATED 5/5!

Jason Victor Serinus May 05, 2020

Specific Live Streams (Scroll down for ongoing series):

Thursday, May 7 10pm EDT: The Noe Music Listening Club features composer Jake Heggie discussing and performing his music and that of his music heroes. Sign up here.
The Metropolitan Opera streams live performances for 25 hours. This week’s schedule is:
May 6 Saariaho’s L’Amour de Loin
May 7 Strauss’s Capriccio
May 8 Puccini’s La Bohème
May 9 The Opera House
May 10 Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana / Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci.

More...

News

AXPONA Canceled; No Refunds for Exhibitors - UPDATED

Jason Victor Serinus May 05, 2020

Editor's note: On May 5 around 2:40pm, JD Events sent a letter to 2020 AXPONA exhibitors and sponsors outlining a plan to apply 100% of 2020 exhibitor payments to future shows, with 50% credited to the 2021 show and 25% to each of the two subsequent shows.

See below for the original story published 30 April.