The first time I was a guest on Steve Westman's YouTube channel the subject was the Mo-Fi cuts from digital file story. Steve assured me a "whistleblower" was going to come forward in a few days and break the news. First, I really didn't believe it could be true. Why would a company with such a deep reputation not inform readers about it? If it thought it a superior way to go, make it public and certainly discontinue how the process is described in... Read More

Rob Robinson, Channel D founder, designer and manufacturer of some of the most innovative phono preamplifiers among other products, passed away suddenly on October 15th, 2025. He was 67 years old and leaves behind his wife Claudia. Please click on the hyperlink where you'll see a long list of his many achievements and accomplishments.This obit is late for a variety of reasons: I wasn't alerted until I was about to leave for the Warsaw Audio Video Fair and... Read More

Getting directly to the point: File #1 is the Gray/Hoffman 2002 version and File #2 is the UHQR. To me, on my system, File #2 wins in every way, especially in terms of natural transients and instrumental "delicacy", as well as a more honest straight forward EQ, with File #1 having a warmth "bump". But tastes and systems vary. There's no right or wrong. But honestly I was surprised by how many listeners preferred File #1 and I always wonder how... Read More

Here's an audio comparison between the 2002 double 45 released by Analogue Productions mastered by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman, and cut by KG at AcousTech Mastering and plated and pressed at RTI and the current UHQR cut by Bernie Grundman and plated and pressed at QRP.The cartridge was the MUTECH RM-Hayate MC ($7500) mounted on the SAT CF1-12 tonearm ($ don't ask), mounted on the Wilson-Benesch Prime Meridian turntable ($$ don't ask), feeding a voltage... Read More

It's once again time for Tracking Angle's annual holiday gift guide. Whether it helps you find a perfect gift of music or hi-fi for friends and family, or guides you to a self-indulgent present for yourself, either way you're sure to find a high quality something or other guaranteed to bring happiness and good cheer for the holiday season and throughout the next year.

In early November I posted a "re-do" story about the AFI Flat.Duo originally reviewed back in February. The "re-do" article included files comparing an excerpt from side one of the 4 LP one-sided reissue of the famous Reiner/CSO stereo recording of "Also Sprach Zarathustra" recorded in stereo in 1954 but not released in stereo until 1960 As LSC-1806. After recording it I put it into the AFI Flat.Duo, set it to "Relax" mode and... Read More

Contributing writer Evan Toth opened The Sharp Notes record store in the sprawling Garden State Plaza shopping center last month and on Saturday, October 4th held a grand opening celebration. It's the first new record store in the mall in at least 30 years. That one was Coconuts back when there was Bananas (still there in St. Pete), Coconuts, Peaches, Strawberries, Licorice Pizza, and other fruit cocktail record stores.The mall parking lots were filled so people... Read More

Resolution Audio's 7500 square foot hi-fi / smart home facility in Brooklyn recently experienced a 5-alarm fire—or more specifically the entire building was hit one way or another. While the fire did not spread directly to Adam Wexler's retail space (spotlit in a June post), there was water and smoke damage caused by the fire, which burned for more than 24 hours. On September 23rd, DeVore Audio's John DeVore organized a Go Fund Me campaign to help... Read More

Tomorrow I leave for the Making Vinyl even in Haarlem, The Netherlands, and what shows up today? The New $899 Technics SL50C turntable that comes complete with an Ortofon 2M Red and built in phono preamplifier! So let's unbox it together (in a hurry). I'm hoping tomorrow I'll have time to give it a quick spin and post video before I leave, but maybe not! Read More

Last week during a visit to REL Acoustics in Berkeley, CA, I was among the guests treated to a tour of 2200 Studios, the former legendary The Record Plant where Fleetwood Mac recorded "Rumours", Prince recorded his debut album and so much music history was written and played. The new owners just recently opened the restored facility that also contains many of the musical instruments formerly housed at Fantasy Studios, including the piano Bill Evans played on... Read More

Peter Ledermann's announcement: After 30 years in our location, we are being forced out of our Soundsmith home......with little time to move…..and we need your help. This rapid unplanned move is very expensive…so to raise funds for the move and to create an opportunity for you….Peter Ledermann is personally building a limited number of our high end cartridges - now available direct to you at a great discount for a limited time…….and he will help you on the phone... Read More

I am working on a major loudspeaker-design project. A floorstanding 3-way (not the speaker pictured, which is a pair of late 1990's era Ed Meitner designed Meliors). The Business Model is to deliver the sound quality of a $40,000/pair loudspeaker, but charge only $30,000/pair. Of course, in the Bill of Materials, I included both deluxe crossover parts, and the cryo processing of the completed crossovers. I was told that neither was necessary, but based on... Read More

A reader sent a distressed, somewhat angry email rant about how bad was Project's low priced T1 turntable ($599 with built-in defeatable phono preamp, Ortofon OM10 cartridge & electronic speed control) and how not being able to adjust anti-skating had ruined the Ortofon OM10 stylus and how Pro-Ject wouldn't honor the warranty, and on it went! He said the anti-skating didn't work and wasn't adjustable. And that's true it isn't!... Read More

What self-respecting audiophile’s heart does not gladden at the sight of an LP store? There it was, a sign, black print in gothic script on a yellow background, jutting proudly from the facade, announcing Buch Spieler Records in downtown Montpelier, Vermont, only a few blocks from the gleaming golden dome of the State House. Just boffo.I ventured inside to discover a cornucopia of records, including some fine jazz reissues as well as originals. The prices were fair—10... Read More

Analogue Productions and Acoustic Sounds founder Chad Kassem was recently interviewed by Marc Maron for his WTF podcast. This was a particularly good Kassem appearance because Maron is a serious record collector/audiophile enthusiast.In case you missed the news, you can listen to Marc and Chad chat here. Read More

Wednesday night and last night (Wednesday May 21st and May 22nd), Maier Shadi's The Audio Salon, Santa Monica, hosted an event celebrating Acoustic Sounds' founder Chad Kassem, who was in town visiting record company executives, band management and others for obvious reasons.Kassem was coy about who he met and what recordings he was seeking for future Analogue Productions LPs, SACDs and R2R tapes, but he did say the trip, capped off by these two evenings,... Read More

Tracking Angle wants to add a few equipment reviewers to our already impressive writer roster. Published experience is not required, though it would be helpful. When I began writing for The Absolute Sound in 1986 it was as a music reviewer/editor but I wanted to review equipment. The late, legendary Harry Pearson was willing to give me a chance so he sent a pair of inexpensive Siefert Research bookshelf loudspeakers for review and over the next few months the... Read More

The Flat.Duo's outstanding warped record flattening ability was the highlight of the previous Flat.Duo video. The noise added to two records I "relaxed" using the Flat.Duo's "Relax" mode's standard settings were the lowlights. Naturally, the manufacturer in Germany and the importer were disturbed by the results and who could blame them? Both said that customers (including some industry insiders I know) had no such experience and they... Read More

On January 7th at this year's CES Technics introduced the EAH-AZ100 flagship Bluetooth earbuds but I got to experience them a month earlier in Japan. When the invite arrived in my inbox I really didn't know what to make of it. Earbuds? Me? Japan? Sign an NDA? Sure, but was Technics really flying me to Japan for a headphone launch? Until I got there I thought maybe the trip was really about a new top end turntable and they were just making sure I didn't... Read More