LATEST ADDITIONS

A Day in Tarifa: Pittsburgh Guitarist John Shannon

Pittsburgh has played a very meaningful if largely ignored role in the history of jazz. Known more for steel and sports teams than for musical innovation, Pittsburgh is the birthplace and first musical incubator or home to bandleader-vocalist Billy Eckstine; pianists Erroll Garner, Earl "Fatha" Hines, and Ahmad Jamal; drummers Art Blakey, Kenny Clarke, and Jeff "Tain" Watts; and bassist Ray Brown.
Continue Reading »

A Major Shake-Up at Audio Research and Acora Acoustics

David Gordon, Brand Ambassador of Audio Research.

Valerio Cora, who served for four years as executive leader of Minnesota-based Audio Research Corporation, founded Toronto-based loudspeaker company Acora Acoustics in 2018, and was a minority investor in both companies, has been relieved of his responsibilities. David Gordon (seen above), the longtime Brand Ambassador of Audio Research who departed the company on March 23, returned as ARC Brand Ambassador on June 15.

Continue Reading »

SPL Performer s900 power amplifier

In building my listening systems over the years, my primary goal has been to hear as much of the source recordings, and as little of the system itself, as possible. Every piece of every system imposes its own sound to some degree onto what comes out of the speakers. I don't only mean obvious, measurable things like distortion, noisefloor, S/N ratio, and so on.
Continue Reading »

Gramophone Dreams #110: LAiV Harmony µDAC, Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue, Bob's Devices Sky 20-S

In my studio, I have a hand-sized wood box. It is the soundbox of an African musical instrument with a small internal volume, a pencil-sized sound hole, a bent steel bridge, and an array of eight steel wires with flattened ends—a keyboard. It is called a mbira . . . you can buy a spiffy varnished mbira at Walmart, where it is called a "Kalimba."
Continue Reading »
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement