Most of you know about the high regard I have for Jim Smith. Jim has a stellar reputation for his good taste in all things high-fidelity, for his expertise in Hi-Fi system setup & voicing, as well as for being an honest and solid guy. Jim Smith has been in the Hi-Fi business for over... Read More »

It is always a pleasure to hear from Jim Smith. As I said in the article I wrote for Positive Feedback Online in Issue 59 about Jim's Get Better Sound reference 3 DVD set, "I suspect nearly everyone reading this article will already know about Jim Smith's expertise in Hi-Fi system setup and voicing, as his reputation has... Read More »

The 9th Annual Positive Feedback Online's Writers' Choice Awards for 2012 is now live here. Here's a quick excerpt: "I always cringe a little bit when the esteemed Positive Feedback Online Editors Dave Clark and David Robinson send out the call for the Annual Positive Feedback Online's Writers' Choice Awards, as it means that it is once again... Read More »

I can't believe how behind on posts I am! I have a bunch of things I want to tell you about, but the time has just been getting away from me. Where does it go!? Before I get into some Fresh Catchs and such I want to share a couple of messages that I received... Read More »

As many of you know, I really love the Acoustic Revive audio accessories designed and manufactured by Mr. Ken Ishiguro from Japan. If you look closely at the photos I post here at Jeff's Place you'll see Acoustic Revive accessories everywhere. That's because they work great! I've spent more time writing about Acoustic Revive products... Read More »

When I reviewed the Sophia Electric Model 91-01 300B mono amplifiers for Positive Feedback Online back in January 2011 - which I purchased after the review - they came with NOS vintage Chinese JAN grade 5Z3PA rectifiers (which you can generally substitute for 5U4G and 274B rectifiers). I am just now realizing how good these rectifiers are... Read More »

My friend Stephaen Harrell (6Moons reviewer) loaned me his Hagerman ‘Fry Baby’ cable conditioning device a while back, and I was rather astonished at the performance increase that comes from giving cables a good fry. That combined with Mark Coles dedicated conditioning of every Sablon Audio cable that he makes, using one of Alan Kafton’s audioharma... Read More »

Tweaks and mods can run the gamut from a simple vacuum tube or AC power cord swap, to changing equipment footers, to soldering in different capacitors or resistors in amplification components or loudspeakers, rewiring a component with your favorite wire, to altering a circuit design. I've enjoyed vintage projects, like the Garrard Project (1) (2)... Read More »

Fellow Tannoy Westminster Royal enthusiast David King recently contacted me to tell me about his positive results when upgrading the internal wiring connectors, driver connecting plugs, binding posts, and speaker support system of his Tannoy Westminster Royal HE loudspeakers. David has written a paper detailing his modifications, and has graciously agreed to share what he... Read More »

I've got a couple of articles I'm working on now for Positive Feedback Online, but soon as they're done I'm going to start writing a long-term report about what it's been like living with my Tannoy Westminster Royal Special Edition loudspeakers over the past year or so. It turns out that Jim Smith recently purchased... Read More »

I just wrapped up a review for Positive Feedback Online about Jim Smith's Reference DVD Set of Get Better Sound on setting up high-performance audio & video systems that I mentioned in Today's Fresh Catch awhile back. The review just appeared in the January/February Issue 59 here. If you've been reading my writing for a... Read More »

As most of you probably know, Jim Smith's talent for the setup and voicing of Hi-Fi rigs is legendary. Right now I'm working on writing an article about Jim's new Get Better Sound Reference 3 DVD set on Hi-Fi setup procedures and strategies to help you get a system performing at it's best for your... Read More »

Errata 1: I just wanted to let you know I added a 'reference' tab to the top bar to pull up posts that are of ongoing usefulness so they will be easier to find. The bypass mod for the CS660P, system setup articles, and the CS600 & CS660P tube settings tables are there for now,... Read More »

Just for fun I purchased an Apple TV to replace my the Roku box that I use to stream Netflix media. I hooked my new little Apple TV up via a Toslink connection to my Mhdt Labs Paradisea+ vacuum tube USB DAC. Toslink is not the best way to connect in the digital world, but... Read More »

Stereophile has been my favorite audio rag for a long time. They have the best Editor in audio (John Atkinson), the best writers (too many to name), and provide the most balanced coverage of the audio hobby in all its forms of any print magazine I’m aware of. Stereophile gets it. As a bonus, Stereophile... Read More »

Many thanks to Mark Coles of Sablon Audio 'The Robusto' fame, for sending along a link to an article in the superb High Fidelity magazine of Poland about a hot-rodded version of the Leben CS300. For those of you who know of articles about Leben, Westminsters, and so forth, be sure to let me know... Read More »

I get a lot of good ideas from friends sharing tips about music and Hi-Fi with me, and this musical & audio sharing is what makes the 'audio underground' so fun and inspiring. Vintage Garrard 301 turntables and Sony Playstation SCPH-1001s come to mind as examples of past tips that provided a lot of enjoyment... Read More »