May 28th, 2024
Has Vinyl Playback Technology Gone As Far As It Can Possibly Go? watch and listen to what this panel of experts At High End Munich 2024 has to sayBy: Michael Fremer
Last winter I was asked by the High End Society, organizers of the High End Munich show to assemble and moderate a panel discussion revolving around vinyl playback. We agreed on the topic "Has Vinyl Playback Technology Gone As Far As It Can Possibly Go?" and I got to choose the participants, all of whom agreed to take part. In the photo above, (L-R): Ortofon's Chief Officer of Acoustics and Technology, Leif Johanssen, WAM Engineering / WallyTools... Read More
May 24th, 2024
High End Munich 2024—Tracking Angle's Day Four Coverage (Plus) the "plus" is some footage from the first three days that got lost then foundBy: Michael Fremer
By Sunday most everyone is beat to a pulp and ready for the show to be over but go on it must! For those covering it there's never enough time. As I began assembling day four's videos I realized I'd missed some key ones that should have been posted on days one, two and three, so in addition to what I managed to get on day four, you'll find some earlier coverage. This one begins on the show floor with Audio Research's Dave Gordon who runs us... Read More
May 21st, 2024
High End Munich 2024—Tracking Angle's Day Three Coverage the day included a "future of analog reproduction" panel discussionBy: Michael Fremer
Day Three included two breaks in the normal convention coverage flow: first in the A.M. I moderated a seminar titled "Has Vinyl Playback Technology Gone About As Far As It Can Go?" with participants Mark Dohmann (Dohmann Audio), Craig Milnes (Wilson-Benesch), Leif Johannsen (Ortofon) and J.R. Boisclair (WallyTools/WAM Engineering). All over the past decade have advance the art and science of vinyl playback, so their take on the question was interesting and... Read More
May 19th, 2024
High End Munich 2024—Tracking Angle's Day Two Coverage I walked the convention floor most of the day and found plenty!By: Michael Fremer
Day two's coverage begins and ends with visits to the main floor mayhem where you can find newly minted dreamers as well as veterans who do well selling accessories, records, inner and outer sleeves, etc.I stopped by Rega, Thorens, where the finished edition of its big turntable was on both static and active display, Acoustic Signature, which showed a new Tango Apex NEO phono preamp and a new €50,000 TA 10000 NEO tonearm. The 50K tonearm price point has become a... Read More
May 16th, 2024
High End Munich 2024—Tracking Angle's Day One Video Coverage many exciting new products debuted at the showBy: Michael Fremer
New product debuts abounded at High End Munich. I was trying to cover products in the analog domain—turntables, cartridges and phono preamps—and found many each day, but while I was at it I came upon many other new and exciting products you'll see in this day one coverage. All prices are approximate. The day started with a curious coupling of Technics and Lamborghini. It seemed that Lamborghini wants some vinyl playback caché and Technics wants some luxury to rub... Read More
May 15th, 2024
Vertere Introduces SG-II PTA Tonearm at Munich High End 2024 looks similar to SG-1 PTA but shares only 3 partsBy: Tracking Angle
"Vertere's new high-end tonearm is designated the SG-II PTA, as it looks—at a brief glance—similar to the SG-1 PTA tonearms. However, looks can be deceiving, as the SG-II only shares three parts with its junior siblings: the fine tracking force weight, the lift lower mechanism, and the silicon nitride triple bearing assembly. The SG-II-PTA HB will sell for £13500, €16998, and $16995. It will be available from July.
Read MoreAXPONA 2024 hosted 10,391 attendees from 42 states and 31 countries at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center April 12-14, 2024— 14% increase over 2023. It was the best attended AXPONA yet.As with 2023's strong vinyl sales, the doom and gloom crowd was again wrong. This is a vital and growing hobby that has something affordable for every music lover but aside from shopping at a price point, there's so much fun looking at and listening to... Read More
AXPONA Saturday began for me moderating a reissue panel titled "Second Time Around: The World of Reissuing and Remastering" with a group of the best: Chad Kassem (Analogue Productions), Shane Buettner (Intervention), Abey Fonn (IMPEX) and Julia Miller (Delmark Records). I keyed off of the recent and somewhat controversial Rhino High Fidelity "Marquee Moon" reissue, asking each whether their task was to release a reissue as close as possible to the... Read More
April 16th, 2024
AXPONA 2024 Day One Video Coverage a visual drive-by more than a room by room product listBy: Michael Fremer
I was getting a whole lotta love on a crowded AXPONA elevator this past weekend, really enjoying the incoming. A guy stepped off at my floor and said “I guess a lot of people know you. I don’t...but nice meeting you”. This'll sound obnoxious and self-serving but I said to him, “Are you new to this?” “I am,” he replied. “I’m only here because my fourteen-year old daughter wants a turntable”. How great is that? I handed him a business card and told him if he had... Read More
March 29th, 2024
Southwest Audio Fest 2024—Dallas Cheerleading Coverage A Show to RememberBy: Ken Redmond
The organizers of the Southwest Audio Fest in Dallas must have felt like Hannibal Smith, who used to say, "I love it when a plan comes together." Gary Gill and Lou Hinkley took a chance by selecting as the show venue the upscale Hilton Anatole and it definitely paid off. Upon entering the lobby, I quickly sensed I was in for a memorable show experience. The hotel's sheer size and impressive facilities could rival a Las Vegas resort. In addition to the... Read More
March 7th, 2024
Ten Attention Getting Rooms at the 2024 Florida International Audio Expo ... and a couple of other thingsBy: Ken Redmond
Audio shows have personalities. For example, AXPONA has a business-like atmosphere. I typically feel rushed, like I am thirty minutes late for an appointment. When I go into a room to listen, I feel like I am on a timer. Don't get me wrong; it is a fantastic show that exposes many brands not seen at other shows, and I wouldn’t miss it, but "relaxed" is not the term I would use to describe the show's overall vibe.The Florida Audio Expo offers... Read More
February 28th, 2024
Florida International Audio Expo Days 2 and 3 Coverage a growing show demonstrated its international reachBy: Michael Fremer
Here's coverage of days 2 and 3 of the Florida International Audio Expo. This truly was an international Expo as you'll see. Products were on display from everywhere from Latvia to the U.K. to France, Canada, Finland, Austria, Czech Republic, Vietnam and Denmark.Product prices were equally wide-ranging. There was something for everyone at the show, though there was less analog and vinyl than hoped for.Loudspeakers were as usual an important part of the show... Read More
February 20th, 2024
Florida International Audio Expo—Day One Coverage the show was not exactly turntable paradiseBy: Michael Fremer
Last weekend's Florida Audio Expo was another successful show. Attendance was substantial—aided by heavy weekend rains, which is always good for hi-fi shows—and good industry participation, which was a combination of regional dealers and the smaller "indie" manufacturers, many of which also participate in the Capital Audio Fest and its Seattle cousin. However, also participating were some major, well-established and/or up and coming manufacturers. In... Read More
December 6th, 2023
Capital Audio Fest 2023 Longform Video 2—Final Show Coverage a lot of stuffBy: Michael Fremer
Tracking Angle's second and final long form video shot at Capital Audio Festival 2023, November 10-12th begins with a lot of VPI coverage because VPI brought a whole lotta turntables to the show—probably every model currently manufactured. How do they keep tabs on their SKU's?Then it's on to Sikora in the CommandAV room, Genesis Audio Technologies' new "no holds barred" cartridge, Haniwa's new tonearm and super low internal impedance... Read More
November 29th, 2023
Capital Audiofest 2023—More Coverage Dave puts on a different listening cap and picks some favorite rooms.By: Dave McNair
This year's CAF differed from past shows I’ve attended in Rockville, Md. Not the show itself, but my impressions. I think it was my 4th CAF. That’s not as many visits as some reviewers and audiophiles, but enough for the show to take on a mission for me. I’ve always enjoyed this show; the 2023 edition was my favorite.In previous CAFs (calves?), even as I knew intellectually most systems are in poor-sounding hotel rooms, I don’t think I sufficiently factored that... Read More
November 19th, 2023
Our Man in Tokyo Covered the Recent Tokyo Audio Show here's what he sawBy: Tracking Angle
Matt Walker, our man in Tokyo (as opposed to Jonti Davies, our man in Kyoto) reports from the recent Tokyo Audio Show: "We just had the Tokyo International Audio Show this past long weekend over three days at the Tokyo International Forum - a wonderful piece of Rafael Vinoly architecture designed to reflect the sweeping curves of a boat in the centre of Tokyo. There were around 34 rooms across 7 floors - up slightly on previous years. As previously, attendance is free but online registration gets you a personalised QR entry code for each day as they strictly control numbers and mask wearing is still considered ‘good manners’.
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