Musings about vintage Altec loudspeakers, SET amplifiers, and vinyl & digital sources!
I've had a long time passion for vintage Altec loudspeakers. At the moment I own three pairs: A pair of Altec A5 Voice of the Theatre loudspeakers in my audio-video system, a pair of Altec 832A Corona corner loudspeakers in my bedroom system, and the custom Altec loudspeakers that were built for conductor Leopold Stokowski... Read More »
Attend the Pacific Audio Fest 2023 in Seattle June 23 - 25! Part 1.
In 2023, post-pandemic life is pretty much back to normal in terms of social gatherings, and I think we are all really happy to get back to doing the things we enjoy, like attending an audio fest or a live concert performance. For those of us living in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, the... Read More »
Listening to Ellington Indigos on vinyl and CD with the Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x and Io I MC & silver AN-S4 SUT!
I'm a huge fan of Duke Ellington's music. One of my Duke favorites is Ellington Indigos, which is one of those albums I just never seem to tire of listening to. Ellington Indigos was originally released in 1958 as a mono LP (CL 1085), a stereo LP (CS 8053), and as a 7 1/2 ips reel-to-reel (GCB 18),... Read More »
Embrace your inner audiophile nerd: Bob Sharples and His Orchestra!
It just sort of fell into my hands while I was looking at CDs in my collection to play through the Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x CD player, Triode Lab 45 EVO SET integrated amp, and Duelund-ized Westminster Royal SE loudspeakers combination of hi-fi kit. Bob Sharples' Contrasts in Hi-Fi and Bob Sharples and His... Read More »
Jeff Checking In: Vespers martini, CDs, vinyl, Audio Note (UK), Duelund, Altecs, Westminsters, and Triode Lab!
Greetings friends, I hope you are doing well! I've been enjoying the improving springtime weather here. Like the last few years, this could to turn out to be an extra-hot year, as we were within 1 degree of the hottest temperature on record here for this time of year just a few days ago. That... Read More »
Jeff checking in: The Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x Red Book CD player!
Years ago I had written off CDs as a worthy software format for high-fidelity music listening. Boy, was I wrong about that one. It has turned out that a high-fidelity CD player is an indispensable source for me, and it compliments my listening to LPs in ways I would have never imagined possible, back when... Read More »
Today's Fresh Catch: Audio Note (UK) Silver AN-V RCA & XLR "Nitro-Boost" Interconnects!
Many thanks to Darko Greguras - Audio Note (UK)'s digital designer extraordinaire - for suggesting I try Audio Note (UK) AN-V silver interconnects in two termination configurations with the $30,850 USD Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x Red Book CD player that is in for review. Darko recommends these AN-V silver interconnects for use with CD... Read More »
Positive Feedback Review Sneak Peek: The Mactone XX-440 Line Preamplifier and MH-120 Stereo Amplifier - Adventures in Max-tone!
The full feature review of the Mactone XX-440 line preamplifier and MH-120 stereo amplifier has now been published at Positive Feedback, and you can read it HERE. As is my custom, I like to give you a 'review sneak peek' into my soon to be published feature articles for Positive Feedback. This time the feature... Read More »
Jeff checking in: Mactone, Audio Note (UK), Quality Record Pressings, and more!
Greetings friends, I hope you are doing well, and your 2023 is off to a great start! I'm in the midst of listening sessions of, and writing my feature review for Positive Feedback about, the Mactone XX-440 line preamplifier (above), and the Mactone MH-120 stereo amplifier (below). I've taken to calling the Mactone combo "Max-tone"... Read More »
The nanny state is taking away your freedom to listen to loud music!
The nanny state is taking away your freedom to listen to loud music! Huh? What? What did you say? The World Health Organization has launched a global standard for safe listening at venues and events that is worth reading (HERE), and in response numerous countries around the world are putting in place legislation that sets legal... Read More »
Inside the Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x Red Book CD player!
Its no secret that the Audio Note (UK) Red Book CD players have challenged my perceptions of what a digital audio reality sounds like, with their analog-like presentation, superb musicality, and exemplary sound quality from Red Book CDs. But that's only part of the Audio Note (UK) CD players allure for me, as where they really... Read More »
First Listen: Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x Red Book CD player!
Greetings friends, I hope your 2023 is off to a great start! My own 2023 has started off with a bang, as I've been listening to some impressive audio components that are in for review, like the Audio Note (UK) 5.1x Red Book CD player that is the subject of this post. I always like... Read More »
Inside the Mactone XX-440 preamp and MH-120 amp!
Fellow Tannoy owners will want to take note that the Mactone XX-440 preamplifier and MH-120 amplifier are an exceptional pairing with my Tannoy Westminster Royal SE loudspeakers. At times, the big Westminsters can be a bit fussy about associated components, due to the revealing nature of the 15-inch Tannoy Dual Concentric's horn-loaded tweeter, that is... Read More »
Today's Fresh Catch: The Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x Red Book CD player!
If you read my Positive Feedback review of the Audio Note (UK) CD 4.1x Red Book CD player (HERE) you know I was really impressed by its musical and sonic charms. More than that, exposure to the Audio Note (UK) CD 2.1x/II and CD 4.1x Red Book CD players actually changed my life in very positive ways,... Read More »
First Listen: Impressions of the Mactone XX-440 preamp and MH-120 amp!
The Mactone XX-440 preamp and MH-120 amp that Steve Mishoe (In Living Stereo) sent to me were well run-in prior to their arrival, so I had the luxury of not having to do the run-in of them myself. Just a few days of playing music with the Mactone components was all that was needed on... Read More »
The Mactone family: Introducing Kenjiro Matsumoto, son Teiichi, and grandson Daichi!
High-fidelity audio components are often much more than just products to be bought and enjoyed by us hi-fi enthusiasts. Often these high-fidelity components represent the embodiment of a passionate vision for audio reproduction that are both works of audio art as well innovative audio engineering accomplishments. I'm always fascinated by the background stories of the... Read More »
Today's Fresh Catch: The Mactone MH-120 amplifier and XX-440 preamplifier!
Greetings friends, I hope you are enjoying 2023 so far! I am for sure, and part of my enjoyment for 2023 is the arrival of the Mactone MH-120 amplifier and XX-440 line preamplifier from Japan, courtesy of Steve Mishoe at In Living Stereo, in New York City. Mactone is a revered high-fidelity audio brand in... Read More »
What Is High-Fidelity?
If you look up the term “high-fidelity” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary it says “… the reproduction of an effect (such as sound or an image) that is very faithful to the original …”. I could talk about high-fidelity inclusive of films, but to simplify, I’ll just limit myself to musing about sound recordings of music.... Read More »
Jeff checking in: Saying goodbye to 2022, and welcoming in 2023!
For me, the end of a year is always a time for reflection upon the events of the past year, as well as doing a bit of daydreaming about what the coming year might hold! 2022 Highlights! 2022 actually felt like life was almost starting to get back to normal, with a waning coronavirus pandemic,... Read More »
Listening and Musing: Audio Note (UK) AN-K/SPe loudspeakers Positive Feedback review follow-up!
With the publication of the Positive Feedback review of the Audio Note (UK) AN-K/SP3 loudspeakers (HERE), I've finished up my survey of the Audio Note (UK) Level Two and Level Three components that I have here at Jeff's Place, and they will be (mostly) winging their way back home in the not too distant future. ... Read More »
Jeff checking in: audio reviewing, listening, music, and more!
Greetings friends, and Happy Holidays! I hope you are doing well! My Positive Feedback review of the Audio Note (UK) AN/K-SPe loudspeakers has been published, and you can read it HERE. Audio Reviewing and Listening to Music During my time with the Audio Note (UK) AN/K-SPe loudspeakers a few ideas came to mind about hi-fi performance attributes... Read More »
Positive Feedback Review Sneak Peek: The Audio Note (UK) AN-K/SPe Loudspeakers!
The full article about the Audio Note (UK) AN-K/SPe loudspeakers is now available to read at Positive Feedback HERE. As is my custom, I like to give you a 'review sneak peek' into my soon to be published feature articles for Positive Feedback. This time the feature article 'sneak peek' is about the Audio Note (UK) AN-K/SPe loudspeakers.... Read More »
Adventures in Real Sound with Yazaki-san: Alan-san’s GEC PX25A (DA30) Monaural SETs - Part 5!
It's always a pleasure to hear from friend Yazaki-san about his latest adventures in Real Sound, and in Part 5 Yazaki-san tells us about his latest discoveries with the GEC PX25A monaural amplifiers he built for his friend Alan-san to use with his vintage Altec Corona loudspeakers. I always learn a lot from Yazaki-san's articles,... Read More »
Sources of 78 transfers for early recorded music explorers! Downloads coming!
As I mentioned in my last post, the great musical performances available on acoustic, electric, and early monaural magnetic era recordings don't normally circulate out of the cognoscenti music lover circles into the audiophile realm. I'll tell you what, very few people in the world have heard what those 78 records are really capable of in... Read More »
It's Fall, and the season of hi-fi weather is upon us. Happy Fall!
It's raining steadily outside of my window right now. The weather has gone from blazing hot for multiple weeks this Summer, with skies randomly filled with smoke from forest fires, to cooler temperatures with cloudy skies dispensing rain across our parched countryside. The rain of October is the start of the hi-fi 'weather' season for... Read More »
Getting Into Hi-Fi: The $5000 *or less* hi-fi system challenge!
A friend of mine, Will, a brainy and talented guy who used to work at the national laboratory with me as an intern, years ago now, just yesterday asked me one of the most relevant questions about audio that I've received in a long time: "I don't see 'a getting into hi-fi' system article on... Read More »
Jeff checking in: The Perfect Sound, SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier DIY project, Leben RS-30EQ DIY project, SET magnificence, and other hifi ramblings!
Murphy's Law has been going full steam ahead in my life lately, it seems, with a series of Murphy-like disasters shuffling aside my plans for some travel and adventure on a motorcycle tour through Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and Western Montana, that I had scheduled for this week. While I wait for life's positive vibes... Read More »
Jeff checking in: Amplifier heaven, listening to great Class A amplifiers, and an exciting upcoming amplifier project!
A couple of good friends - Leo and Santos - stopped by for a little "single-ended-triode (SET) amplifier and wine tasting event" here at Jeff's Place. It's always fun to get together with good friends like Leo and Santos for a little wine tasting, single-ended-triode amplifier 'tasting', good food, and good music. It's the perfect way... Read More »
Meditations: Journey into the whirlwind ... and back out!
"Journey into the whirlwind ..." isn't actually a nod to the memoir by the same name, written by Eugenia Ginzburg, about her life and imprisonment under the rule of Joseph Stalin. Neither is it a reference to the last three years of being "imprisoned" by the coronavirus pandemic, the resulting social isolation, and the limited... Read More »
The Pacific Audio Fest: Musings, meditations, observations, and random thoughts! Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8!
Greetings friends, I hope you are doing well! Pacific Audio Fest Report - Part 1 I just got home from three very enjoyable days attending the Pacific Audio Fest in Seattle, Washington. Big kudos to Lou Hinkley and Gary Gill for putting on such a spectacularly good audio fest. I've got all kinds of musings, meditations,... Read More »
Positive Feedback Review Sneak Peek: Audio Note (UK) Meishu Phono Silver Tonmeister 300B SET Integrated Amplifier: The Mighty Master of Tone!
The full feature article has now been published at Positive Feedback HERE. As is my custom, I like to give you a 'review sneak peek' into my soon to be published feature articles for Positive Feedback. This time the feature article 'sneak peek' is about the Audio Note (UK) Meishu Phono Silver Tonmeister 300B SET integrated amplifier. The... Read More »
Jeff checking in: Audio Note (UK), First Watt, Pass Labs, Pacific Audio Fest, and more!
Greetings friends, I hope you are doing well! I've been doing well, except for the Summer cold I caught a few weeks back. Knocked me down for about a week, but all better now. Summer is definitely here, and the temperatures are soaring, with yesterday hitting 104F! I actually went out for a bicycle ride... Read More »
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Trip to the Pacific Audio Fest 2022 - Part 2!
We're getting closer to the Pacific Audio Fest 2022, scheduled for Friday through Sunday, July 29-31, 2022, in Seattle, Washington, at the convenient location of the Doubletree Hilton Sea-Tac Washington located near the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The show hours are 10AM - 6PM Friday and Saturday, and 10AM-4PM on Sunday. Red Alert: If you haven't booked your room yet,... Read More »
Jeff checking in: Music, video, listening, Audio Note (UK), and other stuff!
Greetings friends, I hope you are doing well! 😃 The Music I've been all over the map in my music listening lately, from opera to funk, both which are well outside of my usual wheelhouse of jazz listening. I find it's easy for me to get into an audiophile rut if I listen to the... Read More »
Update on the Audio Note (UK) field-coil loudspeakers from Andy Grove!
Field-coil drivers are among the 'dream components' of many high-performance audio aficionados due to their more powerful motors, and the constant flux field density from their power supplies. This allows field-coil drivers to track an audio signal with more accuracy and precision, which provides big benefits in terms of dynamic response (and articulation) across the... Read More »
Positive Feedback Review Sneak Peek: The Audio Note (UK) CD 4.1x ‘Level Three’ Red Book CD Player: Digital Transcendence!
The feature review of the Audio Note (UK) CD 4.1x ‘Level Three’ Red Book CD player has now been published at Positive Feedback HERE. As is my custom, I like to give you a 'review sneak peek' into my soon to be published feature articles for Positive Feedback. This time the feature article 'sneak peek' is about the Audio... Read More »
