2nd Edition
Cables, Bits, and Noise: How Cables Can Make A Sound Difference
"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." Henry David Thoreau
New Rules?
First off let me say I very much enjoy and appreciate the majority of comments here on AudioStream. People sharing their knowledge and passion for this wonderful hobby is very much appreciated.
AudioStream's (nearly) Complete DotW on Tidal
1,202 songs from more than 100 albums for 8 days 6 hours and 46 minutes of music. Fun!
Streaming Music Revenue Tops CD Sales
According to the Recording Industry Association of America's 2014 Report, CD sales topped out at $1.85 billion while total revenues from streaming, including ads and Internet radio, reached $1.87 billion overtaking CDs for the first time.
Download of the Week: Via Tania
Australia's Via Tania is Tania May-Bowers and Via Tania and the Tomorrow Music Orchestra is her latest release and just her third full length in 12 years.
Mytek Manhattan DAC
Mytek shook up the DSD DAC market with their Stereo192-DSD DAC back in 2011 at RMAF. At that time, there were just a handful of much more expensive DSD capable DACs and most people wondered if this DSD thing was going to catch on. It did.
Is YouTube Using Loudness Normalization? (And So What If They Are)
According to mastering engineer and producer Ian Sheppard the answer is yes. From his article YouTube just put the final nail in the Loudness War’s coffin...
The JCAT Reference USB Cable
WARNING: This review is written for audiophiles and true believers in the audiophile experience. Non-audiophile, bits are bits people, continue at your own risk!
Apple's New MacBook
I don't know where to start. Actually I do--one port? Just one? And it's USB Type-C? No Ethernet, no Thunderbolt, no SD card reader, and if you want to charge your new MacBook and connect a USB device, like a DAC or a hard drive, you have to buy an add on accessory which is, of course, sold separately?
Dynaudio Excite X14A
The Dynaudio Excite X14A is the active version of their Excite 14 speaker. Each X14A houses two 50W digital amps, one for each driver, so you get 100W per channel.
1st Edition
Apple Watch Edition: $17,000 Bling For Stupid Rich People
Ha! Kidding. I just wanted to see what it felt like to write for Yahoo, Gizmodo, or Ars Technica when writing about hi-fi.
Google's Nest Audio?
From the company that changed the definition of thermostat, Nest appears to be getting into the home audio business. You have to wonder what they'll come up with.
Bandcamp's Success Offers A Bright Spot On An Otherwise Dreary Music Industry
Bandcamp, which was founded in 2008 by Ethan Diamond and Shawn Grunberger, reported it has paid out $100 million to artists selling music on the Bandcamp site.
Blind Testing, Golden Ears, and Envy. Oh My!
The outrage aimed at audiophiles is for the most part about envy. Don't believe it? Follow me... I rounded up a few comments that illustrate my point from various articles on audiophile goods. The exact subject of the article doesn't matter as you will see. Enjoy!
TIDAL Successfully Streams Meridian MQA Music Files
Meridian's MQA technology is fascinating and complex. I would recommend reading John Atkinson's article on Stereophile for a great introduction.
The Wall Street Journal on High-Res Audio
In general, we've seen the "mainstream press" mangle the issue of high-res audio. From shoddy reporting to flat out misinformation, high-res has gotten a bad rap.
Exogal Comet DAC
Exo (out of this) + gal (galaxy). Exogal came to Earth in 2013, formed by four audio industry veterans, Jim Kinne, Larry Jacoby, Jeff Haagenstad, and Jan Larsen, "who worked for the some of the biggest names in the industry."
Resonessence Labs INVICTA Mirus DAC
The Resonessence Labs INVICTA Mirus DAC represents the state-of-the-art offering from this Canadian company. The Mirus is closely related to the Invicta DAC that Michael Lavorgna reviewed in May 2013 (see review). Michael presented an excellent review that was quite thorough in describing the features of the Invicta.
Technics Tracks High-Res Download Store Opens Today
The Technics Tracks High-Res Download Store opens today for residents of the UK and Germany. Technics claims "tens of thousands" of 24-bit/192kHz tracks at launch, "hundreds of thousands" of 24-bit tracks, as well as an "extensive collection of 16-bit/44.1kHz CD quality tracks."
Source Audio Stream
