Live from this past weekend’s Florida International Audio Expo 2025, Ken Micallef shows us turntables, reel-to-reel players, and more from the likes of Audio Note, Benny Audio, Clearaudio, Bergmann, J.Sikora, and Studer — plus, he has a bonus interview with VPI’s Mat Weisfeld, who walks us through all the ins and outs about the way-cool VPI Avenger Statement turntable. . .

As we await all the reports from this past weekend’s Florida International Audio Expo (a.k.a. FLAX) to come into AP HQ for proper editing and posting, we wanted to take a closer look at a cool new turntable in the meantime — and we were struck by Serbian manufacturer Soulines and their relatively recently released TT9 turntable. Read on to see all the cool specs and features of the TT9. . .

Ok, let’s see here — current weather in Tampa, Florida: 65 degrees, and sunny. Current weather in certain pockets of the East Coast: 23 degrees, with a chance of flurries. Hmm, where would you rather be? Looks like Tampa may win that bet, not just in terms of the weather, but also because the Florida International Audio Expo — a.k.a. FLAX — has officially gotten underway there today, February 21, 2025, and runs through Sunday, February 23, 2025. Some early, direct-from-FLAX notes follow forthwith. . .

Who are these children / Who scheme and run wild. . . No, that’s not a comment on the youth of today, but rather a piercing lyrical couplet of sorts that can only mean one thing — it’s time for us to dive deep into the just-released 200g 45rpm 2LP UHQR edition of Steely Dan’s March 1975 treasure of an LP, Katy Lied. Read Mike Mettler, Mark Smotroff, and Ken Micallef’s combo review to see if the UHQR version of Katy Lied meets and/or exceeds the standards set by its companion SD releases in this all-important reissue series. . .

DS Audio has just announced the U.S. availability of the company’s TB-100 tube phono equalizer — and the first Stateside showing of the EQ production model will be at this weekend’s upcoming Florida International Audio Expo (a.k.a. FLAX) in Tampa, Florida, which is being held from February 21-23, 2025. Read on to see all the specs and features of the TB-100, and also find out what other amazing high-end gear it will be paired with for its FLAX demo debut. . .

We’re all about unity — and so is Clearaudio, who have just announced that their new flagship Unity pivotal tonearm will be demo’ed at the upcoming Florida International Audio Expo (a.k.a. FLAX) in Tampa, Florida, from February 21-23, 2025. Read on to see all the Unity arm’s specs and features, as well as all the cool high-end gear it will be playing through in that FLAX demo system this upcoming weekend. . .

The name Sun Ra and the term “free jazz” can conjure up all manner of strange musical imagery, especially amongst those unfamiliar with his music. Alternate identifiers such as “free improvisation” and the more umbrella-like “modern jazz” might ease those anxieties, but the reality is, a lot of Ra’s spirited music is not as random and difficult as some might think. Read Mark Smotroff’s Short Cuts combo review that focuses on five new and recent 180g Sun Ra-centric vinyl releases that we hope will intrigue listeners to explore this fascinating artist’s music with fresh ears and open minds. . .

Here’s an instance where the concept of “trickle down” is a positive thing across the board. Today, February 13, 2025, noted British manufacturer Origin Live announces their new MkV tonearm range, which promises “significant trickle-down tech” from their high-end tonearm designs. Read on to see just what tech is being added to the MkV arm range, and why. . .

Make way for the mighty Clipper! In this case, we’re referring to JICO’s Clipper moving magnet (MM) cartridge, which is purported to be the world’s first dual-fitting model, and it features a tapered S-cantilever that is said to be inspired by the designs of Audio Empire and Swing record needles. Read on to see all the specs and features of the noted Japanese cartridge and vinyl accessory brand’s new Clipper MM cart. . .

In an official press statement, Musical Surroundings has just announced that Chris Thompson has joined the company as their Service and Product Manager. Read on to learn more about Chris’ background, and his new duties with the company. . .