LATEST ADDITIONS

One of the many affordable turntables that impressed us at High End Munich 2024 was Dual’s CS 529, which features a twin gimbal tonearm and a pre-mounted Ortofon 2M Red cartridge (among other things), so we felt it was time to give the German company’s latest a closer look. Read on to see all the features and specs of the Dual CS 529 table. . .

Have mercy! Rhino High Fidelity (a.k.a. Rhino Hi-Fi) does it again with today’s special box set release — namely, ZZ Top’s From The Top: 1971-1976, a limited-edition vinyl reissue collection containing the first five LPs from that little ol’ band from Texas — ZZ Top’s First Album (1971), Rio Grande Mud (1972), Tres Hombres (1973), Fandango! (1975), and Tejas (1976). Read on to learn about the source materials, the SRP, and where you can get From the Top exclusively. . .

Hand-built in Kent, England, Classic Audio’s MM PRO by Michael Fidler phono preamp is a pint-sized bruiser that packs a real punch. This little box — no bigger than a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold phone tucked into a Band-Aid tin — is a serious piece of kit hiding inside a sandblasted aluminum frame. Read Ken Micallef’s review to see if Fidler’s MM PRO makes the grade in terms of clarity, separation, and broad soundstage performance. . .

In the world of popular music, few names are as iconic as Louis Armstrong. His influence is undeniable as one of the founding fathers of jazz, and while there is no shortage of posthumous releases issued since Armstrong’s passing at age 69 in 1971, that wealth of music can also make the process of discovery daunting for new listeners trying to figure out where to begin — or where longtime fans can continue. Read Mark Smotroff’s review of the newly released 180g 1LP Louis in London set on Verve to see why this live performance he did for BBC TV in 1968 is a great place to start and/or resume. . .