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

Dream Theater was in an interesting position within the progressive metal landscape at the turn of the 2010s. They were deemed legends, having won artistic liberation instead of caving into commercial demands by the record label, and they still had the spark for exploring fresh musical ground. Their 25th anniversary in 2010 honed in on how far the group had come from playing in rehearsal halls at Berklee College of Music to their hometown arena, New York’s Madison... Read More

Audio Group Denmark's Chief Designer Michael Børresen recently introduced a new line of "more affordable" Aavik phono preamps—the R-x88 series. The three models are the Aavik R-188: € 15.000, Aavik R-288: € 20.000, and Aavik R-588: € 25.000 (prices in Euros for now and vary by region)."Crafted in Denmark, Engineered for Musical Truth. Aavik proudly introduces the new R-x88 phono stage series, a culmination of decades of engineering innovation and... Read More

It’s been a while since I reviewed what Deutsche Grammophon and Emil Berliner were up to with their Original Source series. I’m happy to report that not only is their program still going strong, but they have also dipped into the catalog of their subsidiary Archiv Produktion, which is something I’m very excited about. This fall we saw four new releases from the acclaimed series, and before we get ready for all the titles that 2026 will bring, I thought I would recap... Read More

At some point in her 2010 acceptance speech at the National Book Awards, a tearful Patti Smith told those assembled that she hoped:

“Please, no matter how far we advance technologically, please don’t abandon the book. There is nothing in our material world more beautiful than the book.”

And while there was no one in the audience to stand up and say, “What about the 7” single?”, apparently the applause was thunderous.

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

When I traveled by train to Kyiv earlier this month as part of a small group invited by the Transatlantic Dialogue Center, I stocked up on a headlamp, power bank for my iPhone and various other sundries in anticipation of blackouts and nights in a bomb shelter. While blackouts up to 16 hours have become routine thanks to incessant Russian bombings (many buildings have their own diesel generators) that have targeted the Ukrainian energy sector, I was surprised to... 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

Blue Note announced these three new titles that can be made public today and a bunch that have to wait a while: Jan. 23: Julian Lage - Scenes from Above, Jan. 30: Joel Ross - Gospel Music, Feb. 6: Ron Carter & Ricky Dillard - Sweet, Sweet Spirit. The first two will have immediate vinyl releases. The Ron Carter coming on vinyl "down the road".Julian Lage Scenes From Above Guitar virtuoso Julian Lage returns with his 5th Blue Note release, Scenes From... Read More

Los Angeles – December 17, 2026 – Verve Label Group and UMe, the centralized global catalog division of Universal Music Group (UMG), are thrilled to announce the 2026 continuation of their acclaimed Acoustic Sounds Series, their audiophile vinyl reissue program presenting definitive editions of essential albums from the Verve and Impulse! Records catalogs. The 2026 slate places a special spotlight on landmark Impulse! Records sessions and classic Verve titles spanning... Read More

Nothing says Christmas like Tchaikovsky’s supremely popular music for this seasonal classic.  This is the kind of music that even the Scroogiest of listeners will have a hard time resisting.  We continue our survey of its many fine recordings, focusing on CD/SACD and streaming versions, plus recordings of the popular Nutcracker Suite. You can read up on the history of the work and our recommended vinyl versions of the complete ballet in Part 1.

Nothing says Christmas like Tchaikovsky’s supremely popular music for this seasonal classic.  This is the kind of music that even the Scroogiest of listeners will have a hard time resisting.  The work has a fine pedigree in recordings, including several acknowledged audiophile classics.  Therefore, as we ready ourselves for bottomless glasses of egg nog and Glühwein (yes please), mince pies and fruitcake, this is the perfect time to dive into the history of this irresistible work, why its music is so magical, and take a tour of the best versions to be found on vinyl and digits.

The Los Angeles & Orange County Audio Society holds its annual Gala the first Sunday of December at a Buena Park California hotel not far from Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland. Awards are handed out and there's a raffle held to benefit the Society, with tens of thousands of dollars worth of audio related prizes donated by manufacturers and retailers.This year's prestigious Founder's Award went to Dave and Sheryl Lee Wilson, the couple that... Read More

Every year since 2003, my editors at Slate—my main output, where I write a (roughly) twice-weekly column on national security—indulge my outside passions and lets me post a piece on my favorite jazz albums of the previous 12 months. Here’s the piece for this year, filed last week, replete with a bite-size essay on each album and a link to an audio track that, I think, best captures its vibe. As I have done since the revival of Tracking Angle, I submit below a... Read More

(Press release): The Köln Concert – the groundbreaking recording of Keith Jarrett’s improvised solo concert at the Cologne opera house – has attained legendary status since its release in 1975. An iconic album and an essential document of the era, few live recordings in any idiom have been celebrated as widely. In the liner essay included in the 50th anniversary edition of the LP, the concert’s context is outlined in detail. Recorded on 24 January 1975 and originally... Read More

(December 12, 2025 - Los Angeles, CA) Rhino High Fidelity (Rhino Hi-Fi) expands its acclaimed series of limited-edition, audiophile vinyl reissues todaywith two pivotal albums: T. Rex’s Electric Warrior and Devo’s Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!.Each album was cut from the original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram black vinyl at Optimal in Germany. Both releases are limited to 5,000 individually numbered copies and available exclusively at... 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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Chicago, IL - December 9, 2025—Thorens, one of the world’s oldest and most iconic turntable manufacturers, has appointed MoFi Distribution as its exclusive distributor for North America. Founded in 1883 in Sainte-Croix, Switzerland, Thorens has shaped the landscape of analogue music reproduction for more than 140 years, from early phonographs to legendary turntables such as the TD 124. Under the leadership of CEO Gunter Kürten, who took over the... Read More

Little Fwend, the automatic tonearm lifter made by Lasse Gretland of Norway, has grown into a niche success story. Unparalelled product quality and usability – plus attention from Technics – has turned the device into a cult favorite among turntable enthusiasts.