This video explains the difference between lacquers and acetates for those who don't know, and then you'll hear a 20+ year old 45rpm lacquer of what was supposed to be side 3 of "Tommy" but was never released. it's been played dozens of times around the world. There's been no editing, or fixing noise and/or pops and clicks. Just a straight 96/24 transfer. I hope you enjoy!!!!!! Read More

At 2023's AXPONA I spoke with this gentleman about record cleaning: cavitation, surfactants, the molecular charges of water and vinyl and all kinds of interesting facts related to record cleaning. Along with being a chemical engineer, he's an audiophile and a record collector. This was published on YouTube in an AXPONA video but Charles Kirmuss asked me to find and send it to him and I think now is a good time to run it separately. Why? Because I read all of... Read More

While I originally hadn’t planned to return to the Gothenburg Sound so soon, I cannot ignore the release of The Ghost of a Future Dead, which (probably) will be the last At the Gates album. Furthermore, it is important to me to introduce people to the legacy of frontman Tomas Lindberg, who passed away due to cancer in September 2025 and whose vocal contribution on this album was his last work.At The Gates was originally founded in 1990. Together with In Flames and... Read More

It’s been a while since I reviewed a large batch of titles from Deutsche Grammophon’s Original Source series. The success of the label which once took us all by surprise has now become a juggernaut with over 40 releases under its belt, including its first foray into DG’s massive opera catalog with the brand new release of Das Rheingold reviewed by our own Mark Ward just recently. With the launch of Decca Pure Analogue and Analogue Productions new 45rpm Living Stereo... Read More

Mike Millard–disguised as a handicap–wheeled himself through the corridors of the mega arenas in Southern California during the 1970s, concealing his Nakamichi 550 cassette recorder and AKG 451E microphones. His intent in recording shows was only to trade for others, frowning upon the practice of his tapes being distributed and sold by bootleggers. Millard’s recordings set a new standard for generally good-sounding bootlegs during a time when they often sounded poor... Read More

UMe's Vinylphyle series presses on with a series of releases, one surprising, the others in the "audiophile pocket". All follow the gatefold, paper on cardboard jacket, tape box picture, annotated booklet, OBI strip, cut from tape by a single mastering engineer format and sold direct on the company store website, pioneered by Rhino—and no reason to criticize that. It's a winning formula, with the talented Joe Nino-Hernes doing the cutting at... Read More

In 1982, Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi—taking a break from Yellow Magic Orchestra at the group’s artistic peak, which closely followed their initial height of mass popularity—established the Alfa Records sublabel Yen Records. Yen lasted for precisely three years and released a series of fascinatingly odd albums, some of which have been out of print for decades until these recent Sony Japan reissues.

It's a safe bet that Kenny Dorham is better known in 2026 than when he was alive and performing. He died young at 48. Another safe one would be that he's sold more records over the past few years than he did when he was active. And boy, was he active both as a sideman and as a leader. Always underrated and unfairly in the shadow of some of the big names of his time, it could fairly be stated that now is Kenny Dorham's time.He played with Hampton,... Read More

LOS ANGELES – Rhino High Fidelity (Rhino Hi-Fi) continues its premium audiophile series with a trio of celebrated albums from Dusty Springfield, Cher, and Joni Mitchell. The latest installment of the limited-edition vinyl reissue series features Dusty in Memphis, 3614 Jackson Highway, and Court and Spark.

Scott Walker’s career can be divided into two parts: before 1978’s Nite Flights, and after it. Before Nite Flights, Scott Walker was the Walker Brothers crooner who, after the group’s dissolution, moved onto solo material where he extensively covered Jacques Brel then started writing more of his own songs, as each solo record from 1967’s Scott through 1969’s Scott 4 became more musically sophisticated and lyrically complex. The entirely original Scott 4 is now regarded as one of the greatest records of all time (even if Scott 3 is my favorite), yet it hardly sold upon release and Phillips quickly deleted it from their catalog.

May 14th – Salina, KS – From October 15-18, 2026, Acoustic Sounds will host the inaugural Vinyl Summit, a landmark gathering at the center of the analog universe, inviting audiophiles, vinyl collectors and dealers into an immersive, four-day experience at the helm of high-fidelity sound. Featuring a behind-the-scenes look at Acoustic Sounds production scale, record fair, hifi show, and world-class live performances in multiple venues, The Vinyl Summit marks 40 years of Acoustic Sounds, celebrating the past, present, and future of audio excellence. Watch the exclusive interview with Chad about this event.

STOW, OH, May 6, 2026 — Audio-Technica is expanding its acclaimed VM95 Series lineup with the introduction of the AT-VM95EBK Dual Moving Magnet Cartridge and the AT-VM95EBK/H Headshell/Cartridge Combo Kit. Featuring the same high-performance design as the popular AT-VM95E and AT-VM95E/H models, these products join the pre-existing AT-VMN95EBK stylus in a refined black finish for a cohesive, polished look.The AT-VM95EBK brings the proven VM95 Series engineering into a... Read More

Press Release: UberLight™ Launches “The Light Behind Great Listening”[Toronto, Canada] – Reliable Corporation is proud to announce the launch of “The Light Behind Great Listening”, a new global campaign for the UberLight™ Frame, the premium task light designed specifically for vinyl enthusiasts and high-end audio systems. Over the next six months, Reliable will partner with some of the most respected brands in the audio industry, including SME, Thorens, Clearaudio,... Read More

"Best sounding Pet Sounds ever released" proclaims the hype sticker on the just-released Definitive Sound Series One-Step Pet Sounds mono reissue. It's my claim and I'm sticking with it, more convinced than ever now that I've heard the final pressing, which for some reasons sounds even more transparent and detailed than the test pressings. Well, that's why those are called "test pressings."Producer Tom "grover" Biery... Read More

For several decades, JS Audio has been a leading purveyor of stereo equipment in the Washington, DC area. The JS refers to the late Joe Stromick, who originally founded the store and was an impassioned and unforgettable figure. It is now owned and run by an intrepid band of brothers—David, Steven and Jason Kennedy—who regularly hold events featuring new gear. This Saturday they invited their customers to a new one that held a special promise.It featured Daryl Wilson,... Read More

Kaiser Chiefs took the stage at Leeds Festival on August 30th, 2009, before embarking on a two-year hiatus. The indie rock quintet had remained together since 1997 under the name Runston Parva, later shortened to Parva, and spent a year recording an album for Mantra Recordings that went unreleased before the label folded. Not satisfied with their repertoire and direction, Parva was no more, and they forged a new beginning as Kaiser Chiefs in 2003. The stigmatization... Read More

With algorithms’ tendency to rinse-and-repeat ad nauseam and the crushing mediocrity of the current pop landscape, it’s no wonder our culture can’t get enough of nostalgia. All the biggest pop acts right now are referencing somebody or something, right up to the Coachella stage.

The vinyl faithful show up in large numbers when Chad Kassem comes to town to play records at an audio store. They know they are in for good music, good sound and inimitable Chad stories. ZZ Top's Tres Hombres just released as a UHQR will be a highlight but Chad will be bringing a whole lot of other records to Dallas' Audio Concepts on May 16th, including some probably not yet released and he'll be playing those too.I participated in one of these Chad... Read More