This is no ordinary record.  The Quartet for the End of Time is unlike anything else out there, in any genre, given a compelling performance by an ensemble led by one of the giants of classical music, Daniel Barenboim.  In its Original Source reissue, this becomes not only a riveting, and very moving, musical experience, but a sonic roller coaster that will reveal every virtue and flaw of your sound system.  It may not be an orchestral blockbuster, but this is the record to take to hi-fi shows and see whether what they’re selling cuts the mustard.  I also explain why this might be the record for those of you who are more reticent about exploring classical music.

(press release): Erlangen, Germany 2nd June 2025 – for immediate release: German analogue audio specialist, Clearaudio has launched Compass: a new entry-level turntable designed to make high-end audio quality and performance accessible, without compromise. Compass is a ready-to-play turntable featuring a new T1 tonearm - a smaller version of Clearaudio’s acclaimed Satisfy tonearm - and the newly developed N1 MM cartridge. The compact model comes in sleek black or... Read More

Ortofon''s Leif Johanssen runs through the new MC-X moving coil cartridge line, explains the design goals and provides all of the details. At appx. 14:35 Andy Whittle, who has resurrected and upgraded the London/Decca cartridge line, shows and tells all, then at 21:10 in the hallway Whittle encounters Johanssen and shows him all of the original London/Decca blueprints—like two kids in a candy store! At 21:43Studer/Revox veteran, HSE Swiss designer/inventor... Read More

When discussing music some Boomers are quick to pull the “music was better in the 1960s” card. It’s a clichéd and cringy statement, but the decade’s musical impact is undeniable. It’s astounding to imagine an audience that welcomed boundary-pushing innovations by artists that dominated the decade, though what they really did was draw from influences that date back centuries. The fact that those bodies of work transcend decades and generations to touch both new artists... Read More

The author tells the long and winding tale of getting his Kuzma arm and Lyra cartridge to surrender their potential.

Above photo credit: Ana GibertShow business is packed with success stories born not just from talent, but also by being in the right place at the right time—backed up by a relentless work ethic. That’s how Joe Chiccarelli got his audio engineering start, setting him on a path to become a Grammy-winning producer. As the story goes, when Frank Zappa’s regular engineer couldn’t make a Sheik Yerbouti session Joe was called in as the backup and grabbed on to the... Read More

Recording a big band album live to analog tape in the studio Frank Sinatra had Bill Putnam build for him when he started Reprise Records, then Western Recorders, now East/West, engineered by Steve Genewick--long time Al Schmitt associate (etc.)--and mixed to 1/2" tape at 30 IPS on an Ampex ATR-100 at The Village Studios and then lacquer cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from that tape two months later is no guarantee of great sound. Well, come on, unless... Read More

It's been just over two years since Deutsche Grammophon launched its series of AAA vinyl reissues mastered directly from the original 4 and 8-track master tapes of treasured recordings from its 1970s catalogue. In response to collectors' numerous questions concerning every aspect of this important audiophile reissue series, Rainer Maillard and Sidney C. Meyer of Emil Berliner Studios take you behind-the-scenes of every aspect of the Original Source. This is... Read More

Believe it or not, I think that the Falcon Loudspeakers F50 (to me, “F50” sounds like the name of a not-yet-built US fighter jet), and which, at $2,495, is loosely in the same sub-$3,000/pr. price tier as the Philharmonic Audio BMR Monitor I reviewed last time out, really is a respectable alternative to the much larger, three-way BMR Monitor ($1,900/pr. and up, depending on finishes; but, currently out of stock, because of a few great reviews). Despite the F50’s having only a (nominal) 5" woofer. And, even if the F50 costs more. It all depends upon which virtues are more important to you, and which vices are less important to you.

Press release): (May 30, 2025 – Los Angeles, CA) Rhino High Fidelity (Rhino Hi-Fi) continues its acclaimed series of limited-edition, high-end vinyl reissues with the solo debut from Stevie Nicks and the first album from Wilco. Stevie Nicks’ Bella Donna (1981) and Wilco’s A.M. (1995) are available now exclusively at Rhino.com and internationally at select WMG stores. Each release is limited to 5,000 individually numbered copies and priced at $39.98. Available while... Read More

Deutsche Grammophon mines its archives for an extraordinary sequence of live performances from 1965 by one of its most revered artists, carefully restored and beautifully packaged.  This is Beethoven for the Ages…

Subscribers to official The Beatles webstore received the announcement that The Beatles mono box set is back and will be shipping July 18th, limited to 4 copies (per person). How long it will remain in production wasn't stated, so for those who use vinyl records as financial instruments (certainly preferable and a more stable investment compared to crypto IMO), here's an opportunity to wade into shallow Beatles investment territory.The set is the same one... Read More

Wow! Analog went out with a big high tech bang at Munich High End 2025. This is my second show video covering analog news and it's far from the final one. Due to Euro dollar variations and a volatile tariff strewn world marketplace all prices here are approximate. The final Munich High End show—the capper to a 21 year run—was filled with new analog gear from an Airon TH1 American-made $36,000 unipivot air bearing pivoted tonearm... to a new Soulution 787... Read More

Sustaining an ongoing 15-year professional career is a challenge for most modern bands. In recent years Ghost has succeeded to the highest degree. Their last album, Impera, met with critical acclaim and raised the group to arena-filling status. Due in part to the song trending on TikTok, “Mary on a Cross” became the Swedish group's first Platinum-certified American single.Their theatrical live shows became immortalized on film with the release of the Rite 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

Press conferences are generally off limits to consumers, so I thought I'd "invite" you to this one hosted for the press by Marten Audio the Swedish loudspeaker manufacturer—one of the few press conferences I managed to attend. Why? There was so much new and exciting analog gear to cover, I hardly had time for press conferences—I'm working on another all-analog gear video.At High End Munich 2025 Marten introduced two limited edition loudspeakers:... Read More