2nd Edition
From the Archives: Analog Corner #96
When I came upon Giuseppe Viola's handiwork at the 2000 Top Audio Show in Milan, Italy, I said to myself, "Here's a guy with a fabulous machine shop and too much time on his hands." Most designers are satisfied to introduce a turntable. Not Viola.
Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings Announces Bob Dylan "More Blood, More Tracks-The Bootleg Series
The Blood on the Tracks story is familiar to Dylan fans: the album was recorded in New York City in four days, September, 1974. It was mastered and review copies circulated. Months later (late December) Dylan decided the approach was wrong and re-recorded five tracks at Minneapolis Sound 80 Studios. Bootleggers circulated outtakes from the New York sessions but they've never been available legitimately until now.
Malachi's Mat Mishegas: Felt Mats From Rega, Pro-Ject and Audio-Technica
Felt mats have never been known for audiophile-grade sound, but how do they fare against each other? Can you hear differences among them? For this comparison, I have included 48kHz/24bit samples of Rega ($30), Pro-Ject ($18), and Audio-Technica ($20) mats. These accessories came stock with turntables I have received (for both review and listening pleasure) from their respective brands.
From the Archives: Analog Corner #95
Thomas Edison was granted a patent for his phonograph on February 19, 1878. To celebrate the 125th anniversary of that momentous event, the Grammy Foundation, in partnership with the Edison Preservation Foundation, held a party at the French Institute Alliance Française, sponsored, appropriately enough, by Con Edison, the New York City power company.
"Listen" to SAT's Original Pickup Arm And Compare It to the new LM-09 and CF1-09
In a July 2nd story, we announced four new costly arms from SAT(Swedish Analog Technologies): two models each available in 9" and 12" versions. The least expensive of the four, the LM-09 was reviewed in the just shipped October, 2018 Stereophile (photo is of CF1-09 on left, and LM-09 on the right).
Siegfried Linkwitz RIP
Sad to report the passing of legendary loudspeaker designer/innovator Siefried Linkwitz. Mr. Linkwitz had been suffering with prostate cancer for some time and had been receiving home hospice care.
From the Archives: Analog Corner #94
The Rega P3 turntable I reviewed in the February 2003 Stereophile ran about 1% fast. That doesn't mean all Regas do, but when every owner of a Rega P3 who responded to my request for speed measurements also reported "about 1% fast," that would seem to indicate less a manufacturing variation than a design philosophy.
1st Edition
From the Archives: Analog Corner #94
The Rega P3 turntable I reviewed in the February 2003 Stereophile ran about 1% fast. That doesn't mean all Regas do, but when every owner of a Rega P3 who responded to my request for speed measurements also reported "about 1% fast," that would seem to indicate less a manufacturing variation than a design philosophy.
Gillian Welch's 2003 "Soul Journey" on AAA Vinyl For the First Time
Gillian Welch's fourth album originally released in 2003 on CD-only finally gets an AAA release, cut by Stephen Marcussen on the Ortofon VMS-80 cutting system Welch and partner Dave Rawlings bought and restored. Now that's progress!
Have You Seen Much of This On Your New Records?
There seems to be an epidemic of this kind of radial scratch marks on new vinyl from various pressing plants. Have you noticed it? Just curious. This is a brand new record pressed overseas at a well-respected pressing plant, but I recently got same from an equally well-respected domestic source.
From the Archives: Analog Corner #93
In the elegant Presidential Suite atop the Mandalay Bay, the Las Vegas strip's most formal hotel (no slots in the lobby), fine wines were poured, hors d'oeuvres were offered by white-gloved waiters, and a sushi chef--silhouetted by a dramatic nighttime panorama of Las Vegas--deftly fashioned sashimi and sushi to order for the hundreds of guests filtering in and out of the well-attended pre-dinner party.
Lejonklou's Smooth Sounding Gaio Moving Magnet Phono Preamplifier
The Lejonklou Gaio MM phono preamplifier is as simple to use as Swedish designer Fredrik Lejonklou's name can be difficult to spell or pronounce until you get the hang of it. The Gaio has been referenced in various AnalogPlanet moving magnet phono preamp shoot-outs but it's never been given a stand-alone review.
"Beside Bowie-The Mick Ronson Story" Is a Flawed But Essential Documentary For Every Bowie and Mick Ronson Fan
Filmmaker Jon Brewer's Mick Ronson documentary tells the truly sad story of the wholly under-apprecriated guitarist/arranger Mick Ronson, who is of course best known (if he's known at all) for his work with David Bowie. That being the case, Brewer spends a great deal of time (too much time) at the beginning of the 101 minute film on the rise of David Bowie before getting to the fall of Mick Ronson, better known to his friends as "Ronno".
From the Archives: Analog Corner #92
"Why would anyone pay $74,000 for a turntable?" sputtered Peter Panarisi. Aston Martin's product press officer was showing me around the company's V12 Vanquish production facility in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England. "What does it have to do," he continued incredulously, while showing me how they hand-build the ca $240,000, 460bhp, 190mph two-seater, "but turn the record?"
Is This Oyster Worth $300 Clams?
Sumiko has been shucking these Oyster moving magnet cartridges for many years. They've mostly been entry level products aimed at getting one started in the analog world, placed on a budget turntable and priced accordingly. The least costly $79 Oyster sported a spherical stylus that didn't deliver much in the way of detail but made set up easy and got the job done.
Source AnalogPlanet
