2nd Edition
Talk Talk's Mark Hollis RIP
Talk Talk's Mark Hollis (center in photo) has died at age 64 after a "short illness". Readers unfamiliar with the group's astonishing later albums and who lump the group in with late '70s synth bands might not understand why this is news but Hollis's later Talk Talk albums Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock surely do. Hollis later released a self-titled solo album recorded with two microphones that ends with two minutes of tape hiss.
This $19 Pyle Phono Preamp Is Anything But Crap
An Amazon search for "phono preamp for turntable" (the last two words theirs) will yield approximately 395 results, and above most affordable Pro-Ject, Cambridge Audio, U-Turn, and Music Hall phono preamps are those of Pyle, a company that makes most every kind of easily affordable product; hifi and A/V components, pro audio products, fitness trackers, subwoofers for boats, kitchen appliances, pest controlling devices, and even security systems!
From The Archives: Analog Corner #112
Manufacturers of audio accessories are an odd bunch: they show up at your door, pucks, cones, platforms, or balls in hand, eager to demonstrate the enormous sonic effects their products will have on your system. After inserting their isolators, energy drains, or what have you, they sit down for a listen.
Boulder Releases, Ships 2108 Phono Preamplifier
Boulder Amplifiers announces the immediate release and shipment of its reference level phono preamplifier, the 2108, which is a substantially updated and "re-visited" version of the 2008 that shook up the phono preamplifier market with its versatility, high performance, and high cost.
"What's Going On" One-Step Long Ago Souled Out But....
Mobile Fidelity's One-Step reissue of Marvin Gaye's groundbreaking album What's Going On is long out of print but still deserving of a short review. Berry Gordy founded Motown Records to produce pop hits that would appeal to young people across the racial and ethnic divide and of course he succeeded.
Cooking With M&M
A shared love of music especially when engraved in vinyl forged a friendship between Michael Fremer and Malachi Lui. Later they found out both also love to cook and the youngster has a sophisticated palate (not surprising). So they decided to cook something together when Malachi next visited, which was last week.
Stereolab Announce Deluxe Vinyl Reissues & Tour
English-French avant pop band Stereolab recently announced an extensive reissue series of seven of their albums, starting with 1993's Transient Random Noise-Bursts With Announcements and its 1994 follow-up Mars Audiac Quintet via Duophonic Ultra High Frequency Disks and Warp Records.
Blue Note "Tone Poet" Series Launches With Wayne Shorter's "Etcetera"
Blue Note's new "Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series" is part of the company's 80th anniversary celebration. Wayne Shorter's Etcetera is the first release in the series. Joe Harley, well known among audiophiles for his work with AudioQuest both as a press liaison (among other tasks) and especially for the series of all-analog AudioQuest LPs he produced back when vinyl was "dead", "hand picked" these "Tone Poet" titles and oversaw their production.
1st Edition
A Stellar Show Debut For Florida Audio Expo
Suppose a group of exposition amateurs produced an audio show. What do you think would happen? The crew that created last week's Florida Audio Expo had no show producing experience and did not know what to expect when they went into this dicey venture.
Anthony Wilson's "Songs and Photographs" Takes Listeners (and Viewers) to a Protected Space
One of the Anthony Wilson-shot photographs in the coffee table quality photobook housed within Songs and Photographs's handsome, textured paper slipcase-- along with the jacketed 180 gram LP (Goat Hill Recordings GHR-005)--is of a church's red brick back wall, in front of which are three gravestones.
From The Archives: Analog Corner #110
A young reader who's been a Stereophile subscriber since junior high, and an "Analog Corner" fan for nearly eight years, sent me a copy of "A Vinyl Farewell," by David Browne, which appeared in the October 4, 1991 issue of Entertainment Weekly. In the article, Browne kisses the LP goodbye, lovingly, nostalgically, and not at all dismissively.
"Lachesis/Clotho/Atropos" Spells Mind Blowing Musical Pleasure
You know those records that "got away"? The ones you saw in the bins when they first were released that you mean to buy but somehow didn't? One for me was Peter Walker's Rainy Day Raga on Vanguard. I'll pick up a copy eventually (I said that before, back in the '60s, but this time I mean it!) but for now there's this old-time/modern psych-drone fest with the recently resurfaced Walker.
Malachi's First MC Cartridge: Ortofon's Quintet Black S
"The next piece you need to upgrade is your cartridge," my editor repeatedly reminded me for months. After receiving my Rega Planar 3 from a generous AnalogPlanet reader, I felt perfectly content with the pre-mounted Rega Elys 2 MM cartridge, as my new system (complete with AudioQuest speaker cables) was already a large improvement from my Audio-Technica LP120 turntable connected to a Panasonic home theater system.
AV Options ULTRA-HBL 6 Outlet Power Strip with 6 Foot AVO Deep Cryo Cord
In a modern high-performance audio system running out of A.C. jacks is easy, especially if you have only a single-ganged wall jack. But even with a dual jack you've only got four-plug A.C. access. So, what's the solution? If you believe in power conditioning (which is hardly controversial since every recording studio in the world does, though some audio fools don't), you can add additional jacks with one of those.
From The Archives: Analog Corner #109
It wasn't exactly heroic or even particularly daring, but has anyone ever attempted to install a phono cartridge while facing a room full of audiophiles at a hi-fi show, as I did during my "Analog Clinic" at Home Entertainment 2004 in May? Not that I know of.
AnalogPlanet Visits Manley Laboratories
In late December AnalogPlanet paid a long overdue visit to Manley Labs' Chino, California headquarters. "Long overdue" because the last visit was at least fifteen years ago--before you could record a factory tour in high-definition.
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