It’s going to become intelligent! http://ajournalofmusicalthings.com/another-excellent-question-what-comes-after-streaming/

“…. the reproduction of recorded music is truly an entertaining illusion: “not dialysis!”” Nelson Pass’ 2nd Harmonic Generator. If you listen with valve power amps, you don’t need to add 2nd harmonics! https://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-26-nelson-pass-harmonic-distortion

This 1983 album has some stellar players, including Jeff Porcaro, Abraham Laboriel, Steve Lukather, Steve Khan, Richard Page, Alan Tarney, and Mo Foster. It reminds me that about this time five years ago we found ourselves eating lunchtime sushi at an outdoor table adjacent to Leo Sayer. He had played a Mission Estate winery concert […]

Mechanism helps explain the ear’s exquisite sensitivity. http://news.mit.edu/2019/mechanism-explains-ear-sensitivity-0116

Found this 1976 album today for $2 – and bought it as Discogs value it at $30, and I am reminded of their Woodstock festival appearance. Their 50s nostalgia rock ‘n’ roll was surely the blueprint for the UK 70s group Showaddwaddy. I’d always had them down as a somewhat less than intellectual show band. […]

and Mark King talks to Jazzwise http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/breaking-news/13486-billy-cobham-meets-level-42-at-ronnie-scott-s

Some enthusiasts recommend an Isopropyl Alcohol cleaning fluid. Others are certain the isopropyl alcohol damages the glue that holds the diamond tip to the cantilever. I have a fluid, a brush, a nano-fibre pad, and a Blue Tack blob. What do you use?

My review of the 432 EVO music player is online at witchdoctor.co.nz This uses a special re-tuning DSP to enhance the listening pleasure. http://witchdoctor.co.nz/index.php/2019/01/finding-harmony-at-a-lower-pitch/

https://www.stereophile.com/asweseeit/490awsi/index.html

I have been given a box of records. Among them is this (sleeveless) disc of Mohammed El Bakkar & his Oriental Ensemble. It’s on the Audio Fidelity Enterprises label. This company was the first to issue a mass-produced stereophonic record, in November 1957. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Fidelity_Records Indeed, this album was issued in 1957 and was one of […]

I added this oddity to my collection today. From 1970, and co-conceived, co-arranged, and co-produced by Simon Napier-Bell (later Manager of Wham!), it’s on RCA Records. Includes songs written by Jagger & Richard, and Peter Sarstedt, among others, and Ken Scott was one of the engineers. http://seattlehockey.net/blog/2013/05/20/fresh-out-of-borstal/

Here’s a list of a few well-known songs that draw from classical heritage. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – and it avoids the tedious need for originality.

How Buke and Gase built a huge indie rock career—and its own guitars and software. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/01/how-buke-and-gase-built-a-huge-indie-rock-career-and-its-own-guitars-software/

This is the Forbes article mentioned by Mark Waldrep in my previous post. https://www.forbes.com/sites/oisinlunny/2019/01/18/why-high-fidelity-streaming-is-the-audio-revolution-your-ears-have-been-waiting-for/

Vested interests generally produce assessments designed to influence. Independent opinions serve a different purpose. http://www.realhd-audio.com/?p=6345

Getting up close may be sonically superior, but not practical in all but dedicated listening rooms. Near-field listening is how producers, artists, and engineers listen in the studio. Yet, hardly anyone listens to music in the home that way. There’s an obvious mismatch, which is introducing room effects, the uncontrolled factor when equipment is sold […]

Well, yes, there’s a lot of used records in storage as well as in circulation. I rarely buy from dealers, as I find plenty of interesting records in the third stream – second-hand and junk shops, and especially op shops. I rarely need to pay more than $1-3 and that goes to charitable causes. Recently, […]

The boss says they’re as much like Etsy as Pandora. They sell music downloads and streaming, but also physical media. Their new place in Oakland, California features a selection of the five million releases on its site, plus a performance space. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13848866/inside-bandcamp-oakland-online-music-retailers-new-venue-record-shop-and-office

It just occurred to me that hi-fi retailers are often referred to as dealers. There presumeably is a good reason, but it reminded me of other kinds of dealer.

Some people claim that they prefer pops and crackles from old records. Indeed, John Peel famously said that life is background noise. I don’t know a name for the condition in which such surface noise is distracting and deeply irritating, I only know that I am cursed with such a hyper-sensitive reaction. I enjoy old […]