Southport, UK, April 30th, 2026– iFi audio unveils the ZEN Air Phono 2, the latest evolution of their entry-level phono stage. A growing audience is eager to experience the joys of classic vinyl listening, and they deserve to hear it as intended. The ZEN Air Phono 2 provides a drastically improved listening experience compared to the built-in phono stages of record players and amplifiers, offering an ultra-low noise floor for enhanced detail, and a precise RIAA EQ for... Read More

Los Angeles, CA (April 16, 2026)—Craft Recordings continues its year-long centennial celebration of one of the 20th century’s most important cultural icons—trumpeter, bandleader, and composer Miles Davis—with a brand-new box set, Miles ’56: The Prestige Recordings. Building upon Craft’s GRAMMY® Award-winning Miles ‘55 release, this latest collection focuses on Davis’ 1956 sessions for Prestige Records, which resulted in such landmark albums as Cookin’, Relaxin’,... Read More

Reference Recordings is one of the premier audiophile labels that regularly records classical music by contemporary artists in new performances. This Mahler Fifth is the second release in the label's exciting new partnership with the Grand Teton Music Festival. Formats are streaming at several resolutions, hybrid SACD/CD multi-channel and stereo.

Back in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, when I was a dealer, I set up hundreds of turntables. I had my process down. A little patience, a familiar record, our Shure C/PEK3 tester tied to an oscilloscope, a CBS test album, and a few careful nudges, and listen to the results.Fast forward to this decade, and I have taken a greater interest in devices that aid my vision as I age, especially those that help me see up close. I still do a lot of upgrade work, modifications, and... Read More

The final Axpona 2026 video covers some loudspeakers and more. The more includes a few turntables, a R2R tape recorder, some cables and the usual show entertainment. Loudspeakers covered include new ones from Ø Audio, Bricasti, Dynaudio, Alvalos, ELAC, Magico, MJ Acoustics, ATC, Western Acoustics, Franco Serblin, and others.Ø Audio YMIRATC EL50 In an earlier video I covered the new Acora Acoustics MRC 5.2 and the circa $60K MRC 5.2D featuring a diamond vapor... Read More

It’s not much more than 20 pages deep into Brian Cullman’s memoir when we find him squinting through the enormous pressure of auditioning in the poorly lit apartment of Elektra publicist Danny Fields. He’s been dragged here by friend and soon to be renowned rock writer Lillian Roxon. But before he begins, the would-be singer-songwriter notices a notionally dressed Edie Sedgwick in the corner and an unconscious version of Jim Morrison asleep on the couch. Fields seems to like what he hears despite the fact that he has one ear pressed to the phone in order to console “Leonard Cohen about Nico.”

During their active years, Children of Bodom could be considered one of the most influential bands in the Metal communities. A couple of years back, the early and most influential Children Of Bodom albums were released, remastered done on analog master tape by none other than Anssi Kippo, the recording engineer who recorded many of the band's impactful albums during the late 90s and early 2000s and who has moved heavily into analog recording in his studio since... Read More

Never in my life would I be voluntarily awake at 4:30 in the morning for any reason whatsoever. This is a core principle of myself that holds true.

Or, it held true until this year's Record Store Day festivities.

One of the challenges for any young musician wanting to carve out a niche in the classical music world, but in particular the recorded music market, is finding a way to stand out not just from the current crop of artists competing for punters’ hard earned cash, but from the many legacy musicians whose benchmark recordings are still easily available in one form or another.It really doesn’t matter how good you are, you’ve got to find an angle. Especially if you want to... Read More

Let’s put the lede where it belongs: This is a terrific, even an exciting album. Marta Sanchez topped last year’s Downbeat critics’ poll in the category of Rising Star Pianist. With this album, she has risen—holding a berth among the top echelon of jazz pianists, period.Born and schooled in Spain, Sanchez has led bands on six albums since moving to Brooklyn 15 years ago. Her new one, For the Space You Left (on the Out of Your Head Records label), is her first solo... Read More

The 1971 Weather Report precursor and post Miles In A Silent Way album is a series of musical impressions featuring an all-star cast that includes Herbie Hancock, Woody Shaw, Miroslav Vitous, Joe Chambers, Wayne Shorter, Billy Hart and others. But pick through and pull out Vitous, Zawinul and Shorter and you have the beginnings of Weather Report. Zawinul delivers a short 4:47 "In A Silent Way" as the chaser to the opener "Doctor Honoris Causa"... Read More

During a weeklong Provo, Utah event beginning April 20th, Wilson Audio Specialties launched the Autobiography, the company's most advanced and costly loudspeaker. Invited guests included international and domestic distributors and dealers, as well as select members of the press. In the hour long video you will first see the unveiling in a Provo museum setting followed by CEO Daryl Wilson's detailed discussion highlighting the speaker's technological advances that make this the most time coherent loudspeaker in the company's 50+ year history.

The surviving members of The Doors (Krieger and Densmore) and its management are masters of taking their legacy, a span of less than 10 active years, and milking it beyond reason for decades. As their core fanbase ages and withers into the sands of time, studio and live material continues to beireleased that one would’ve expected to already be out there. Record Store Day is the perfect venue for these ongoing excavations. Last year, engineer Bruce Botnick unearthed... Read More

After the huge commercial success of Decca’s recording of Wagner’s tetralogy in the late 1950s and early 60s, Deutsche Grammophon decided it was time to throw its hat in the ring (so to speak).  Turning to its star conductor and orchestra - Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic - what emerged was an account very different to Solti’s instant classic, both musically and sonically. Karajan's Ring may not enjoy the notoriety of Solti's account, but it more than holds its own, and for many is preferable.  Marking the 150th Anniversary of the cycle’s first performance at Bayreuth’s inaugural Festival in 1876, DG has turned over the master tapes of Das Rheingold to the technical wizards at Emil Berliner Studios for this Original Source vinyl reissue.  In Part 1 I took a deep dive into the origins, story, themes and musical processes of this groundbreaking opera. In Part 2 I examine Karajan’s distinctive approach to the score, and assess the performance and sonics of this important reissue.

Okay, it's not all tube gear, but I tried to put all or most of the tube gear at Axpona 2026 in this video. I'm sure I missed some rooms that had tube gear because I was there mostly looking for turntables and phono preamps—no great surprise—but there were many rooms with tube gear. Some of it was in the first video. Here you'll see more detail about the Audio Research Ref 20 that made its debut at this show, and other new Audio Research gear.... Read More

Some of my most memorable audio memories are centered around my friendship with David Wilson. I saw Dave numerous times in Utah and he visited me twice in Washington, DC, where he set up the WAMM Master Chronosonic loudspeakers and subwoofers. How well I recall our conversations about loudspeakers, music and politics! He would, more often than not, inject a salubrious note of sobriety when I waxed enthusiastic about a new cartridge or preamp. Dave, you could say, had... Read More

ZZ Top's third, released July, 1973 was the group's breakthrough set, peaking at #8 on the crowded Billboard Top 200. "Boogie-Rock", flavored with Southern Memphisonian (is there such a word?) blues charm produced a unique blend of pulsating rhythmic drive and country charm . Perhaps that's why all these years later the album continues to find new audiences wanting to both "boogie down" and draw close to the southern ether. It's... Read More

After the huge commercial success of Decca’s recording of Wagner’s tetralogy in the late 1950s and early 60s, Deutsche Grammophon decided it was time to throw its hat in the ring (so to speak).  Turning to its star conductor and orchestra - Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic - what emerged was an account very different to Solti’s instant classic, both musically and sonically. Karajan's Ring may not enjoy the notoriety of Solti's account, but it more than holds its own, and for many is preferable.  Marking the 150th Anniversary of the cycle’s first performance at Bayreuth’s inaugural Festival in 1876, DG has turned over the master tapes of Das Rheingold to the technical wizards at Emil Berliner Studios for this Original Source vinyl reissue.  Join me for a deep dive into this groundbreaking opera, Karajan’s distinctive approach to the score, and this important reissue. (You can read Part 2 here).