The 14th Annual Positive Feedback Writers' Choice Awards for 2017!
The 14th Annual Positive Feedback Writers' Choice Awards for 2017 are now live here. Actually the Writers' Choice Awards went live a few days ago but this is my first chance to tell you about it. Here's a preview of my little contribution for 2017. You can read the fully story at the link. ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪... Read More »
Fourth Tune: A Tunable Adventure with the Audio MusiKraft Denon DL-103 Phono Cartridge! Update.
When I left you in the "Third Tune" post, I had settled in on the maple "tonewood" inserts as having the tonality that was the most complementary to my main music listening system (below). The maple set of tuning inserts was the first of the four sets of tonewood tuning inserts that I thought portrayed... Read More »
Duelund Coherent Audio 0.01 uF Tinned-Copper Paper-In-Oil Bypass Capacitors
I just got a note from Frederik Carøe that the first batch of new Duelund Coherent Audio 0.01 uF tinned-copper paper-in-oil bypass capacitors are ready and will be arriving at Parts ConneXion this coming week. I've tried them in two applications so far and have been very impressed with the results. My first trial of... Read More »
Third Tune: A Tunable Adventure with the Audio MusiKraft Denon DL-103 Phono Cartridge!
It's been a lot of fun exploring the tunable Audio MusiKraft Denon D-103 phonograph cartridge of Guy Pelletier. Guy sent me the entry level aluminum cartridge shell version ($579 USD) of the Audio MusiKraft Denon DL-103 to try, which has the look & feel of a beautifully crafted precision instrument. In my first listen to... Read More »
A Weekend Adventure with the new Duelund tinned-copper paper-in-oil 0.01uF bypass capacitors! Updates.
Inspired by the praise and enthusiastic response from Duelund Coherent Audio customers around the world to the Duelund DCA line of tinned-copper cables, Frederik Carøe did something amazing, he applied the same creativity he used in developing the Duelund DCA cables to new lines of Duelund tinned-copper foil paper-In-oil capacitors. I compared the prototype Duelund... Read More »
Second Tune: A Tunable Adventure with the Audio MusiKraft Denon DL-103 Phono Cartridge!
I've been enjoying listening to and experimenting with the voicing of Guy Pelletier's "tunable" Audio MusiKraft Denon DL-103 phonograph cartridge on my restored and "hot-rodded" vintage Thorens TD-124. As is my custom, I like to blog about my "getting acquainted" stage with new audio products, offering first impressions about the quality, ease of use, sonic... Read More »
First Tune: A Tunable Adventure with the Audio MusiKraft Denon DL-103 Phono Cartridge! Updated.
Sometimes the best laid plans just don't pan out the way you think they will. Last weekend I had fully intended to do a little experimenting with the micro-tuning screws of the Audio MusiKraft Denon DL-103 phonograph cartridge. Between the need to tear down turntables, get them put back together and adjusted, as well as... Read More »
A weekend adventure with the Audio MusiKraft tunable Denon DL-103!
In my blog post about the Audio MusiKraft tunable Denon DL-103 phonograph cartridge last weekend, I described its performance in comparison to my stock Denon DL-103 on my vintage Thorens TD-124, that was restored and hot-rodded by Christopher Thornton at Artisan Fidelity. I listened to the two Denon's with identical Audio-Technica AT-HS1 headshells and identical sets... Read More »
Long Term Report: My 2015 Garrard Project in 2017!
In my original "Garrard Project" back in 2004, I started with a nice old original 301 in a simple plinth, and built it up into a music-making machine - the results were superb! Those vintage Garrard 301's (and 401's) are really wonderful classics of turntable design, and they have endeared themselves to generations of music... Read More »
The Thorens TD124 and the Acoustic Revive RAS-14-TripleC NCF Power Stabilizer!
The other day I was thinking about what Mark Coles (Sablon Audio) had told me about how a quality AC power cord noticeably improved the sound of a turntable. Improving a system's sound by using a high-performance AC power cord on the turntable wasn't an intuitive hot-rod mod for me, and I sort of wondered if... Read More »
A Sunday afternoon with the Audio MusiKraft Denon DL-103 tunable phonograph cartridge! Update x 2.
I've really been looking forward to listening to and experimenting with the voicing of the Audio MusiKraft Denon DL-103 tunable phonograph cartridge from Guy Pelletier. The idea behind the Audio MusiKraft tunable Denon DL-103 is that it offers a Denon DL-103 enthusiast, like myself, the potential of an almost unlimited amount of voicing options through... Read More »
Chris and Chloe visit Grandma Jaine and Uncle Jeff!
It sure was nice to have my nephew Chris and his daughter Chloe come to visit us this weekend! Chris and Chloe came all the way from Washington, D.C. to visit Washington State, and had some fun adventures in Seattle, Vancouver, B.C., and visiting Grandma Jaine and Uncle Jeff here at Jeff's Place. We took... Read More »
A look back at my year in reviewing, and choosing the Positive Feedback 2017 Writers Choice Award winners!
The Editors of Positive Feedback, Mr. Dave Clark and Dr. David Robinson, just sent out a message calling for the writers to turn in their three Writers Choice Awards for 2017. Every year Dave and David's message results in my going back and reflecting on my year in audio, the products I've written about for Positive Feedback, and... Read More »
The Artisan Fidelity Thorens TD124 Statement Long-Base Turntable is Here!
The Artisan Fidelity Thorens TD124 Statement long-base turntable that I commissioned is here! The packing containers from Christopher Thornton at Artisan Fidelity were extremely well done, with the TD-124 and plinth arriving in the large wooden crate you see on the above left, and the two platters, extra armboard, and other miscellaneous supplies packed in... Read More »
Revisiting an old friend: The Denon DL-103 MC Phonograph Cartridge
It's been quite a while since I've given my Denon DL-103 MC phonograph cartridge a good listen, so I thought I'd get the Denon out, mount it up, and play some music. The arrival of the hot-rodded Denon DL-103 from Audio MusiKraft, which I've been listening to for a while now, got me to thinking... Read More »
A Yazaki-san Adventure: Yazaki-san visits Kritapas-san!
It's always fun to hear about Yazaki-san's adventures, and this time Yazaki-san has shared his adventure of visiting Kritapas-san in Bangkok, Thailand! ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Dear Jeff-san, I would like to introduce you Kritapas-san. You can see Kritapas-san's graceful and warm heart from his shining smile at one glance. He is a banker, traditional Thailand bank's responsible member... Read More »
The review of the Arai Lab MT-1 SUT is now live at Positive Feedback!
The review of the Arai Lab MT-1 step-up transformer for moving coil phonograph cartridges is now live at Positive Feedback here. Enjoy! As always, thanks for stopping by, and may the tone be with you!
Sneak Peek: The Arai Lab MT-1 SUT Review for Positive Feedback!
I've been doing a lot of writing to get the review of the Arai Lab MT-1 SUT finished up for Positive Feedback, and I'm now done! Ta-da! Here's a little sneak peek into the review before it is published at Positive Feedback in the coming week. Enjoy! ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ The Arai Lab MT-1 Step-Up Transformer for... Read More »
Duelund Tinned-Copper Bypass Capacitors First Listen! Wow!
I got up early this morning, and after drinking a cup of coffee to clear the mental cobwebs, I decided it would be a good time to try the tinned-copper Duelund bypass capacitors that Frederik sent me in my Altec A5 Voice of the Theatre loudspeakers' crossovers. You can see them in the center of... Read More »
Today's Fresh Catch: Duelund Tinned-Copper Bypass Capacitors!
I got a nice surprise package from Frederik Carøe at Duelund Coherent Audio this week, some beautiful little Duelund 0.01 uF tinned-copper bypass capacitors! As you can see from the photos, the Duelund bypass capacitors are made in that same ultra-quality fashion as the other Duelund capacitors. So you could get an idea of their relative... Read More »
Yazaki-san checking in from the Sentimental Cafe!
Yazaki-san has been out on another adventure to the Sentimental Cafe in Bangkok, Thailand, and has shared some photos of his visit! Since Yazaki-san's visit to the Sentimental Cafe last October, they have become a Spec Corporation dealer, and today, September 22nd, they hosted an open house so visitors could experience Yazaki-san's beautiful Spec audio electronics... Read More »
Update: Artisan Fidelity Statement Thorens TD124 Long-Base Turntable!
Christopher Thornton just sent me some beautiful photos of the completed bespoke Artisan Fidelity Thorens TD124 Statement Long-Base turntable (with a Cocobolo plinth), that I commissioned. Woo hoo! I told Christopher that for my Artisan Fidelity Thorens TD124 Statement turntable my main criteria was that I wanted to use a 12-inch tonearm. Thorens TD124 owners who want to use... Read More »
A Shielded Duelund DCA26GA Interconnect for Sunday!
This morning I built a 1-meter shielded Duelund DCA26GA tinned-copper interconnect (shield connected at source end) to connect the 2-Ohm version of the Arai Lab MT-1 SUT that I am currently reviewing for Positive Feedback to my vintage MX110Z preamplifier's phono stage. I now have shielded versions of the DCA16GA, DCA20GA, and DCA26GA tinned-copper interconnects... Read More »
Jeff checking in: Guitars, Duelund, Thorens, Arai Lab MT-1, Audio MusiKraft, and more!
Man, the last couple of weeks have been rough. A kidney stone that seems to think that playing hide and seek with me is a fun thing to do has been keeping me under the weather a bit, and as a result I haven't got nearly as much written as I like to. No worries... Read More »
Jeff checking in: Thorens TD124, Sophia Electric, Duelund DCA ... and more!
Last weekend was a rough one. I was felled by a kidney stone on Sunday, which earned me a ride in an ambulance to the emergency room. The little bugger hasn't passed through yet, and still has some fight left in it, which it has been keen to remind me of from time to time. Ugh. I've... Read More »
Duelund DCA26GA Tinned-Copper Interconnects for a Saturday Afternoon!
As I mentioned in a post about 3 weeks ago, I built up a set of 1.5 meter Duelund DCA26GA interconnects terminated with Switchcraft RCA's. I've been listening to the Duelund DCA26GA IC's with the Switchcraft RCA's on my OPPO UDP-203 Blu-ray player, and I've been impressed with how good they sounded in that application. I had presumed that... Read More »
The Sophia Electric EL34-ST and Aqua 274B Vacuum Tubes Review is Now Live at Positive Feedback!
I wrote all day yesterday and finished up the review of the Sophia Electric EL34-ST and Aqua 274B vacuum tubes. The Sophia Electric EL34-ST power tubes (above) and Aqua 274B rectifiers (below) outperformed everything that's ever graced my Leben CS-600 integrated amplifier, and vintage McIntosh MC30 monaural amplifiers, respectively, and by a large margin. I don't... Read More »
A little live music for a Saturday morning! Guitars and more!
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I laid down my guitars a few years ago and haven't played them since then, as the focus of my time was helping my Mom and Dad through some difficult times healthwise. I decided I needed to pick the guitars back up as I was really missing that... Read More »
Sneak Preview: The Sophia Electric EL34-ST and Aqua 274B Vacuum Tubes Article for Positive Feedback!
I'm hard at work listening and writing this weekend for my article about the Sophia Electric EL34-ST and Aqua 274B vacuum tubes for Positive Feedback. I hope to be finished up with the article either this or next weekend, but I thought in the meantime you might enjoy a sneak peek, so here you go! ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪... Read More »
A Thorens TD124 Project for 2017!
I’m really excited about a very special Thorens TD124 restoration and ‘hot-rod’ project I commissioned with Christopher Thornton of Artisan Fidelity. The completed Artisan Fidelity TD124 Statement turntable will look similar to the photo below, but will have a "long-base" plinth that is about three inches wider to accommodate my preferred 12-inch tonearm. Christopher just sent me some... Read More »
A Western Electric Film About Vacuum Tubes!
Everyone loves Western Electric it seems, and for good reason, as their vacuum tubes and audio designs are the stuff of legend! I just ran across a fun film (below) from Western Electric about their vacuum tubes that was in the AT&T Archives, and I thought I'd share it with you. Enjoy! A Modern Aladdin's... Read More »
Quieting Down a Noisy Vintage McIntosh MX110Z Volume Potentiometer
I have access to buying almost anything as an audio writer, and there's some really nice audio gear out there, but for a preamplifier I chose the vintage McIntosh MX110Z tuner-preamplifier, which was sold by McIntosh from 1962-1969 for the lofty price of $399. The reason is that the vintage McIntosh MX110Z tuner-preamplifier is an... Read More »
First Listen: Audio MusiKraft Denon DL-103 with DCA26GA Headshell Leads
I've been looking forward to giving the Audio MusiKraft hot-rodded and tunable Denon DL-103 a listen, and comparing it to my stock Denon DL-103, a trusted friend of many years. I think the idea of a tunable phono cartridge is brilliant, and I applaud Guy Pelletier, the owner / propriétaire of Audio MusiKraft, for bringing to... Read More »
Today's Fresh Catch: Audiosilente Cartridge Clips for Duelund DCA26GA Headshell Leads
I've been looking forward to the arrival of the Audiosilente cartridge clips so I can build a couple of sets of Duelund DCA26GA headshell leads with them. One I get the new headshell leads built - I'm hoping to find time over the weekend - then I'll be able to give the stock Denon DL-103... Read More »
Guitarists John LaChapelle, Larry Coryell, and Freddie Green
I've been thinking a lot about the guitar and guitarists lately, and after an almost four year hiatus of playing the guitar, I've picked back up my guitars, dusted off my mental cobwebs, and tried to make some progress in my playing again. The highlight of my week back before I laid down my guitars... Read More »
Jeff checking in ... Duelund DCA, FryBaby2, Sophia Electric, and more!
Using the Hagerman Audio Labs FryBaby2 in voltage-only mode has revealed itself to be a powerful voicing tool for the Duelund DCA line of tinned-copper cables. Every single time I've used the FryBaby2 on the Duelund cables it has been a smashing success. In its voltage-only conditioning mode the FB2 has worked wonders on my... Read More »
