Today's Fresh Catch: The Sophia Electric Royal Princess 300B Vacuum Tube
I'm way behind on posting about 'Fresh Catches' of cool audio gear that I've purchased, built, borrowed, or that is in for review at Positive Feedback Online, so over the next week or so I'll try to post - in the order I have received them - some updates on the latest 'Fresh Catches'. First... Read More »
Coffee and Miles
Nothing beats a little good music along with my Peet's coffee on a Saturday morning, and this morning with the sun breaking through the Pacific Northwest rain clouds I'm almost giddy about the music I'm listening to right now, the Miles Davis Quintet - Great Prestige Recordings 45 RPM box set that Chad Kassem did... Read More »
Danny Bar: Checking in from Cuba with some great photos!
Fellow photography (and Leica!) enthusiast, Danny Bar, sent me some absolutely awesome photos of his recent trip to Cuba, which really makes me wish travel to Cuba from the US was a whole lot easier politically. Thanks for sharing your photos with us, Danny, they are awesome - wow! If you click on the photos... Read More »
Travel & Photos: Long Island, New York
The last time I traveled to Long Island, New York, it was to visit Harry Pearson at his home in Sea Cliff for The Absolute Sound celebration party Harry hosted to celebrate the continuation of his magazine, which had been purchased by new owners, and whose influx of money helped rescue the magazine which had... Read More »
Stereophile Recommend Components - Leben CS600 Class A
The April 2011 issue of Stereophile arrived in my mailbox a couple of days ago, and if you haven't seen it already, the Leben CS600 integrated amplifier earned the coveted Stereophile Class A rating - way to go Leben! The Class A rating was the result of a very nice review that Stereophile writer John... Read More »
Japan Quake and Tsunami
If you're like me you've watched in horror the devastating result of Friday's earthquake and resulting tsunami on the nation of Japan. The first thing I thought about upon hearing the news was the safety of Mr. Yoshi Hontani (Leben & Acoustic Revive exporter), Mr. Ken Ishiguro (Acoustic Revive), and Mr. Taku Hyodo (Leben), and... Read More »
A Couple of Albums Worth Having in Your Collection
It's a chilly (-5 degrees Fahrenheit with windchill) but sunny Saturday morning here in Washington State in the Pacific Northwest of the US, so it's a great time to catch up on posts and listen to some music. By the way, I try to stay up on all the comments, so if I miss one... Read More »
A Little Jazz - 20 Favorites
A couple of weeks ago, while getting ready for a bicycle ride, I injured my lower back quite severely and so have been out of action, first flat on my back for almost a week, then followed by a week of physical therapy (with three more weeks to come), but now I'm starting to feel... Read More »
Behind the Scenes: Getting ready for the Acoustic Revive Chronicles Chapter 9 Article for PFO
I think most of you are familiar with my writings over the years about the superb Acoustic Revive Hi-Fi performance products from Japan, but just in case you're not, let me provide a quick introduction from an earlier article: "Those who have been following the Acoustic Revive Chronicles know all about Mr. Ken Ishiguro and... Read More »
Bringing in the new year with Ron, Cindy, and a trio of fine amplifiers!
My buddy Ron stopped by with three amplifiers from his collection for an afternoon of listening fun & games. The first one we listened to was Ron's vintage Harmon-Kardon Citation II that he fully restored - but not 'hot-rodded' - using Jim McShane's parts offerings. The vintage Harmon-Kardon Citation II sounded warm, rich, eminently musical,... Read More »
Apple TV Fun & Games
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 »
Art in Print, Listener #95, "Critical listening has everything to do with music and nothing to do with sound."
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 »
Leben CS300X & CS660P Win High Fidelity Awards!
It is always gratifying for me to see products I have high regard for get recognized by others, and in this case it is the superb Leben CS-300XS integrated amplifier and the CS-660P power amplifier designed by the gifted Mr. Taku Hyodo, the founder of Leben Hi-Fi Stereo Company, which have received awards from the... Read More »
Yoshi San Checking In from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara
Yoshi Hontani, the Leben and Acoustic Revive exporter in Japan, is a kindred spirit to yours truly. Yoshi San enjoys fine music, audio, and photography, and I was delighted when I received an e-mail sharing some photos he took of the Japanese Fall during a recent hike he and his family went on in Nara.... Read More »
New Acoustic Revive Products Coming In December
I found out that there are a couple of new Acoustic Revive products being released towards the middle to end of December, the first being the RUI - 1 USB Isolator. The press announcement about the RUI-1 USB Isolator says, "The biggest problem in PC based audio is the huge amount of ‘noise’ generated by... Read More »
The 7th Annual Positive Feedback Online's Writers' Choice Awards for 2010
The 7th Annual Positive Feedback Online's Writers' Choice Awards for 2010 are now online for your reading pleasure - enjoy!
Travels in Turkey - Part 2
Istanbul is really an amazing city to visit with its kaleidoscopic display of culture and sights. Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, with current estimates putting the population at approximately 17 million, making it one of the largest cities in the world. It is located on the Bosporus Strait and covers both the European... Read More »
Kenneth Rexroth - An American Experience
While traveling through Turkey recently, one of the more frequent questions I encountered was about books, both as smalltalk in the "What have you been reading lately?" or the "What are your favorite books?" context, or at times with the much more interesting context of, "What books best describe the essence of your American experience?"... Read More »
LEBEN CS300XS WINNER OF DIAPASON GOLD MEDAL 2010
Yoshi Hontani sent me word that the wonderful little Leben CS300XS vacuum tube integrated amplifier was a winner of Gold Medal for 2010 from the French magazine Diapason. Here's a little excerpt from the review: "Faithful to the look and spirit of the end of the 1960’S, this small integrated tube amplifier is full of... Read More »
Live at Positive Feedback Online: The Sablon Audio 'The Robusto' AC Power Cord Review
The Sablon Audio 'The Robusto' AC Power Cord review I have been working on just went live at Positive Feedback Online here. To quote the last section of the review as a teaser: "The Sablon Audio The Robusto power cord is a remarkable achievement in a power cord design, with performance that puts it right... Read More »
The 7th Annual Positive Feedback Online's Writers' Choice Awards for 2010 - Part 3
As you found out in posts 1 & 2, the first two winners for 2010 were ... drum roll ... the Tannoy Westminster Royal Special Edition loudspeakers ($35,000 USD) and the Leben RS-30EQ Phono Preamplifier ($2495 USD). While the Westminster Special Edition is expensive enough to make your teeth hurt, they really are worth every... Read More »
The 7th Annual Positive Feedback Online's Writers' Choice Awards for 2010 - Part 2
I just clicked 'send' to get my 2010 PFO Writers' Choice Awards on the way to PFO Editors Dave and David. As I mentioned earlier, by visiting my blog you get a preview of coming attractions before it goes into print at that esteemed magazine. We writers hand out the PFO Awards for those stellar... Read More »
The 7th Annual Positive Feedback Online's Writers' Choice Awards for 2010 - Part 1
Ye Olde PFO Editors Dave and David have called for the Writers Choice Awards to be submitted by us Hi-Fi hacks, so I'm putting that together now. One of the benefits you get by visiting my little blog is a preview of what's coming from yours truly before it goes into print at that esteemed... Read More »
Rodrigo y Gabriela 11:11
Over time I have found friends - which includes you dear readers - to be a rich source of good recommendations for music. This time the recommendation comes from my globe-trotting friend, Rebecca, who told me about the Rodrigo y Gabriela 11:11 CD while we were traveling through Turkey. Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero are... Read More »
Travels in Turkey - Part 1
It seems like almost everyone in the Pacific Northwest of the USA has heard about Washington State's Rick Steves' Europe Through The Back Door due to his entertaining travel shows on public television. I have been wanting to go on one of Rick's tours for a while, but the timing always seemed to conflict with... Read More »
I'm back ...
I've been traveling through Turkey the last few weeks and so haven't been able to answer any of your messages, but now that I'm back home I'll get caught back up with everyone as soon as I get over the nasty case of jet lag I've got going. I started my trip through Turkey in... Read More »
For Leben CS300 Enthusiests - A Terrific Article by High Fidelity
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 »
Sunday's Fresh Catch: The Acoustic Revive USB-2.0 SP Cable
I just got in for review at Positive Feedback Online what can only be described as a really astonishing USB cable that connects a USB DAC to a computer - the Acoustic Revive USB-2.0 SP. On the DAC end there is a single USB-out connector, but on the computer end(s!) there are two USB connectors... Read More »
Leben CS600 Integrated Amplifier Gets an 'A'
I was just thumbing through my copy of the October 2010 edition of Stereophile magazine - which is the Recommended Components issue - and noticed that the Leben CS600 integrated amplifier has been awarded Stereophile's highest rating of 'A' in the integrated amplifiers section. For those who aren't familiar with it, Stereophile is one of... Read More »
The Sophia Electric Model 91-01 300B Mono Amplifiers
I thought I'd share a couple of photos of the Sophia Electric Model 91-01 300B mono amplifiers that have just arrived for review at Positive Feedback Online. Directly heated single ended triode (DH-SET) amplifiers have always held a special place in my heart, as they do certain aspects of musical reproduction so magically that it's... Read More »
Today's Fresh Catch: The Sablon Audio 'Robusto' Power Cord
The Sablon Audio 'The Robusto' power cord is today's fresh catch, and believe me, it serves up some fine listening. More often than not, it’s through the ‘audio underground’ that I get tips about new or relatively unknown Hi-Fi products that really deliver the musical experience in spades, for it is from the underground’s deep... Read More »
Chris checking in from South Africa
I really enjoy hearing from all of you. Every once in a while something really amazing comes to light among the music lovers that stop in for a visit, and this time it's Chris' post about his Tannoys (and more!) that really blew my mind. Chris and I have traded a couple e-mails, and Chris... Read More »
A Tip from Chris of Shirehampton
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 »
Frank, Gizmo, Eunice, Tannoy, and Musical Ecstasy
Frank - a fellow member of the Westminster Guild - and I have been having a fun discussion over e-mail that was quite interesting, and I asked Frank if I might share part of it with you for your edification. The gist of it? Having fun with music and Hi-Fi gear, along with some really... Read More »
Visit to Pendleton, Oregon
Recently I visited the small western town of Pendleton, Oregon, known primarily for the historic Pendleton Woolen Mills, renowned maker of fine Indian blankets and men's plaid shirts since 1893 (several of their Indian blankets adorn my living room walls). I used the visit to get some experience shooting with the Leica SEM 18/3.8 lens... Read More »
String-Theory 'Woody' Tonearm by Pete Riggle Engineering
I've been getting a number of inquiries about the new 'Woody' tonearm from Pete Riggle Engineering, so I thought I'd post this e-mail with photos (note the cool vintage Garrard 301 and Thorens TD124 turntables - drool) from Pete telling about his new String-Theory Woody Tonearm. I haven't yet seen or heard Pete's new tonearm... Read More »
