LATEST ADDITIONS

Analog Corner
Analog Corner #91
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 20, 2018  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2003  |  5 comments
There was a reference to a SOTA turntable in an episode of The Sopranos in the fall of 2002. Tony's son, A.J., and a pal were visiting a wealthy girlfriend when the pal popped out from the hallway and exclaimed, "A mint copy of Rubber Soul! That must be worth a fortune! And a SOTA turntable!" This was in or near the same episode in which Tony was outfitted with a sophisticated front-projection home-theater system. I'd wondered since the first season why a man of his means has been watching a 27", 4:3 Philips analog tube. I'm trying to find out who's the audio/videophile among The Sopranos' cast and crew.
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Cartridge Reviews
Looks Good Enough to E.A.T. JO Nº 5 Moving Coil Cartridge
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 16, 2018  |  13 comments
This revolutionary cartridge comes in two flavors: plain and peanut. When the stylus wears out instead of having the cartridge re-tipped, you eat it. It melts in your mouth, not in your hands. Best for “mint” LPs, etc.

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Album Reviews
The Wonderful Sounds of Female Vocals
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 16, 2018  |  19 comments
Humungous conflict of interest alert! I wrote this compilation’s liner notes and created the 22 song track order. Chad Kassem selected the female artists and the individual tracks sourced from albums he’d previously licensed and released on vinyl, SACD and high resolution download (maybe even R2R tape).

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News
Navigating Through Our "Shows" Dropdown Menu
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 15, 2018  |  5 comments
Your editor hadn't looked in a while at the "drop down" menu under "Shows". When he did he was kind of shocked to see how few shows were there compared to how many have been covered.

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Features
AnalogPlanet Visits Symbol Audio/Furniture in Nyack, N.Y.
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 14, 2018  |  18 comments
At the New York Audio Show a few years ago visitors, especially couples, found themselves attracted to a "console stereo" featuring a tube amplifier (with Blue-Tooth functionality), a high end Pro-Ject turntable, a pair of full range speakers plus a hidden powered 300 watt subwoofer all housed in a stunning-looking solid wood cabinet.

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Ask Mikey
Can You Tell Me How Master Tapes Are/Were Usually Handled Back in "the Day"?
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 14, 2018  |  20 comments
A reader asks:

I was wondering if you could tell me how the master tapes are/were usually handled back in the day? The reason I ask is because there are several master tapes floating around on the internet and people are offering reel to reel copies of them for sale (photo from back in "the day")

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Album Reviews
Get to Know "The Unknowable" (Now With Audio Track)
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 13, 2018  |  3 comments
The first unknowable is the correct speed at which to play this oddly accessible 100% improvised double LP set of 13 spontaneous collaborations between saxophonist Dave Liebman and a pair of eclectic percussionists, Adam Rudolph and Tatsuya Nakatani. There's nothing written on the gatefold jacket or labels indicating speed, but I'm pretty sure its 45rpm!

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Can I Have My Money Back?
Yes, You Can Replace Rotting Speaker Surrounds!
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 13, 2018  |  7 comments
Recently my mother-in-law's good friend needed to sell her late husband's audio gear and record collection so I went over to see what was there. She had a mint Denon DP-59L turntable fitted with an ADC XLM MKII cartridge, a Panasonic SA HE100 AV Control receiver and a pair of Boston Acoustics A100s, big floor stander two ways.

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Analog Corner
Analog Corner #90
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 13, 2018  |  First Published: Jan 01, 2003  |  0 comments
Acoustic Sounds' Chad Kassem (right) with viola player Stephen Tees, during the recording of Stereophile's Mosaic CD in Blue Heaven Studios. (Photo: John Atkinson)

Back in the mid-1980s, how many guys do you figure were hauling milk crates full of used LPs around America, from record fair to record fair? Hundreds? Thousands? How many are still doing it now?

That's how and when Acoustic Sounds' Chad Kassem got started—in, of all places, Salina, Kansas...

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Album Reviews
Does the “Lost” Coltrane Album Live Up to The Hype?
Malachi Lui  |  Aug 10, 2018  |  21 comments
(Mr. Lui's new Rega P3 has yet arrive following the family's west coast move so he was allowed to review the deluxe CD edition—Ed.)

One of the events covered most by the music press in the last few months has been that a “lost” John Coltrane album has been found and finally released. The original session tape vanished when Impulse moved from New York City to Los Angeles, the label having dumped many tapes of unreleased material in the process. The music was thought to be lost forever, but the family of Trane’s first wife, Naima, found the “take home” session copy in 2004. The story of its discovery is sure to captivate many fans, making it the perfect marketing tool for this new archival release.

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