Features: Miscellaneous

Got warped records? Warped records are a problem, though I have to say I really don't get too many of them. In fact, finding a warped record to flatten was not that easy for me. Finally one came along as a gift—a 180g Japan-pressed reissue of Happy End's Kazamachi Roman. Sometimes warped records come directly from the factory as a result of insufficient cooling time, but many a well-pressed record warps as a result of bad handling by the usual suspects:... Read More

Two recent connections provided the perfect opening for this review. One was from a guy I'd not heard from in more than twenty five years. He'd visited my basement listening space but I don't recall the circumstances. Contacting me via LinkedIn, he wrote, "I don’t think I’ve ever heard a system and room as gorgeous as your Glen Rock room. Not the recording studios I’ve been in. Not the radio station rooms I’ve broadcast from in years past. I can’t... Read More

Gryphon Audio just introduced its first entry into the power conditioning universe.

Here's an easy way to approach using a step up transformer with a moving coil cartridge: The load that a step-up transformer presents to its primary is calculated when you divide the resistance connected to the secondary with the turns ratio squared. So for the Ypsilon MC16 for instance, it's Rin=47k/16*2=183.5ohms. To be more precise this stands for an ideal transformer with no winding resistances. So add also 450ohms secondary and 8ohms at primary coil.... Read More

Dave McNair listens and evaluates four moving coil cartridge step-up transformers.

Let’s start with, would you buy an ethernet switch at all? If your music is all in the analog domain, you don’t need one unless it’s for your home theater set-up or for your household Internet and even then, you may be 100% wireless and not need one. And let’s continue with, why is any ethernet switch being reviewed on TrackingAngle.com? And let’s complete the questioning with why is that analog guy doing the reviewing? All good questions.Of course, vinyl records... Read More

Owners of the Audio Deske record cleaning machine know it's convenient and does a good job cleaning records. They also know that the Audio Deske cleaning fluid is costly: $33 for a single small bottle of detergent good for cleaning approximately 150 records, depending upon how clean or dirty they are going into the machine. Because of the cost, it's tempting to use the tank up to the 150 record limit even if you think it's better to change it more... Read More

This review is late, a victim of job change-related delays (among other things) but better late than never, even if PS Audio's updating history indicates a newer edition might be on the way—the Sprout100 replaced the original Sprout, which began life as a Kickstarter funded project back in 2014. The Sprout100 came about five years later so the "next gen" Sprout if there is to be one, might come next year.For now though, there's the Sprout100, which... Read More