LATEST ADDITIONS

Munich 2024
Fink Team and Epos
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 12, 2024  |  0 comments
Speaker designer Karl-Heinz Fink’s Fink Team recently bought British loudspeaker brand Epos. “We have changed the Epos designs considerably,” Fink told me about the company’s three speaker models. “Epos loudspeakers are less expensive than Fink Team’s, but the engineering is nearly the same as the Fink Team’s.”
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Music and Recording Reviews
June 2024 Classical/International Record Reviews
Herb Reichert, Jason Victor Serinus, Stephen Francis Vasta, Ray Chelstowski  |  Jun 12, 2024  |  0 comments
Será Una Noche: Otra Noche; Bela Fleck: Rhapsody in Blue; Mahler: Symphony No.3 & R. Strauss: Death and Transfiguration; Maya Beiser × Terry Riley: In C; Schubert: String Quartet No.15 in G major D887 • String Quartet No.8 in B flat major D112; Stravinsky: Pétrouchka & Debussy: Jeux, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune.
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Music and Recording Reviews
June 2024 Jazz Record Reviews
Thomas Conrad, Andrey Henkin  |  Jun 12, 2024  |  0 comments
Stephan Crump: Slow Water; John Surman: Words Unspoken; Arve Henriksen/Harmen Fraanje: Touch of Time; Charles McPherson: Reverence.
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Music and Recording Reviews
June 2024 Rock/Pop Record Reviews
Jim Austin, Ray Chelstowski  |  Jun 12, 2024  |  0 comments
Beyoncé: Cowboy Carter; Various Artists: We Still Can't Say Good Bye: A Musicians' Tribute to Chet Atkins; Old 97's: American Primitive.
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Munich 2024
Marten’s Coltrane Quintet
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 11, 2024  |  1 comments
I cannot recall a single instance where I was less than thoroughly satisfied—thrilled, usually—by the sound Marten loudspeakers made at shows. Given how tricky show set-up often is, Marten’s track record of stellar sound is no mean achievement.
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Munich 2024
Triode Japan
Ken Micallef  |  Jun 11, 2024  |  2 comments
Triode Japan premiered two products at High End Munich: the Triode Evolution Pre Preamplifier and the Triode Evolution Musashi Integrated Amplifier ($10,830). The latter runs in class AB in a push-pull configuration, outputting 100Wpc into 8 ohms. It uses four KT 150 and four 12AU7 tubes for its power and pre stages, respectively.
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Munich 2024
Straight2Tape / 2inch Records
Ken Micallef  |  Jun 11, 2024  |  2 comments
I followed the throng towards the Straight2Tape booth. A darkened entryway beckoned, promising access to a hidden music haven. But as I neared, the illusion shattered. The passageway was a masterfully crafted cardboard facade, complete with lifesize musicians frozen in mid-performance, a gleaming microphone outstretched, and a realistic pop filter catching the nonexistent light.
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Music and Recording Features
Jazz Without the Poverty: The Jazz Cruise Rides the Waves in Style
Thomas Conrad  |  Jun 11, 2024  |  3 comments
The Jazz House All-Stars. All Photos: John Abbott Photography c/o Jazz Cruises

Jazz leads a hand-to-mouth existence. It was born in the red light district of New Orleans in the early 20th Century, and has never fully overcome its disreputable origins. Jazz lacks the support from governments, foundations, and rich donors that other, more decorous art forms enjoy. Jazz is too much of the street to be considered high culture, yet its audience is tiny compared to the masses who consume popular music. Pop stars like Taylor Swift perform in huge stadiums. Important jazz musicians play the Bar Bayeux in Brooklyn.

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Munich 2024
Tune Audio, Trafomatic, Rockna, WoodYard
Ken Micallef  |  Jun 10, 2024  |  3 comments
In the Tune Audio/Trafomatic room, the Tune Audio Marvel (€15,840/pair), a 97dB, 8 ohm nominal, two-way, horn loaded loudspeaker, stood sci-fi bold and fantastic looking in slate gray with a candy apple red horn. The Marvel’s single 8" full range driver joined to a folded back-horn was paired to a 1" compression driver given expression by an epoxy compound tractrix horn.
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Munich 2024
Lansche Audio, Thrax Audio, Hachidori, Inc., Dyrholm Audio
Ken Micallef  |  Jun 10, 2024  |  0 comments
This large system employed a reel-to-reel deck and a DAC for sources, abetted by a new product designation, at least for me, a combination tape/phono stage.
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