March 2021 - Twittering Machines

Angel Olsen Reveals Limited Edition Song of the Lark and Other Far Memories Box Set

March 31, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

Angel Olsen’s last two records, All Mirrors (2019) and Whole New Mess (2020), were bookends of sorts, sharing more than a passing resemblance. Song of the Lark and Other Far Memories wraps these records into a larger, 4 LP box set.

Radio Paradise MQA Comes To BluOS

March 31, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

Internet radio host Radio Paradise will start streaming hi-res MQA content through BluOS devices come April 2021.

In Barn for Review: Cambridge Audio CXC Dedicated CD Transport

March 31, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

Blame Darko.

Certainly Uncertain: When Measurement Results Don’t Match Part Two

March 30, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

Another of the greatest misconceptions in all of Audiophiledom is the notion that the interpretation of measurements are objective.

Linn’s New Klimax DSM Streamer Houses The First All-Linn DAC

March 29, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

On its surface, Linn’s new Klimax DSM Streamer is, to my eyes, a thing of industrial design beauty. The care and attention paid to every detail of its appearance speaks of passion and pride, and of building a product which embodies aesthetics as much as […]

#NewMusicFriday: March 26, 2021

March 26, 2021 Stephen Mejias

Each Friday, Stephen Mejias, AudioQuest’s Director of Communications and former Stereophile and Audiostream columnist, will browse through the many exciting albums released that day and select 15 worth a closer listen.

Album of the Week: Various Artists | Bulawayo Blue Yodel

March 26, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

1950s Country & Western by way of Zimbabwe, Kenya, and South Africa.

Review: The Jadis DA50S Tube Integrated Amplifier: Stiff & Sweet

March 25, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

The classic Rob Roy cocktail is made from whisky and sweet vermouth; stiff and sweet. Lovers of 19th cocktails also know that a Rob Roy can be made “dry” or “perfect”, the former using dry vermouth, while the “perfect” contains both dry and sweet.

Sonos + Qobuz = (sorta) Hi-Res Streaming

March 24, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

Sonos, whose 2020 revenue hit $1.326 billion, has joined forces with hi-res streaming service Qobuz to deliver up to 24-bit/48kHz streaming through Sonos S2 compatible hardware.

The Sonore Power Chord Supports: One Cup or Two

March 24, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

Let’s face it — as time goes by, things droop. Especially if they’re heavy. If you suffer from sagging power cords, Sonore offers the support you need.

Cambridge Audio Connects With Tidal Connect

March 23, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

When a hifi offers Tidal Connect, you can send your Tidal music stream directly from the ether to your hifi without the need for additional hardware or apps in between. That’s what I call Easy-Fi.

HiFi Is The Star On CBS This Morning: c/o Oswald’s Mill Audio (video)

March 21, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

Exposure. Typically, when you think about mature men and exposure, it’s not a good thing.

Christie’s Sells an NFT for $69 Million: Tulip Mania or Barking At The Moon?

March 20, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

NFT = non-fungible token. An NFT is essentially a way to attach ownership to a work of digital art. Christie’s recently sold an NFT by ‘Beeple’, aka Mike Winkelmann, titled “The First 5000 Days” for $69 million dollars. You may be thinking, “That’s nuts!” I’m […]

#NewMusicFriday: March 19, 2021

March 19, 2021 Stephen Mejias

Album of the Week: Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & the London Symphony Orchestra | Promises

March 19, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

Pharoah Sanders. I don’t know about you, but when I hear his name, my mind immediately wanders all over the decades of mind-blowing, spirit-enriching music that Pharoah Sanders has given us. Its the stuff of legend. As Albert Ayler said, “Trane was the Father, Pharoah […]

The Astell&Kern USB-C Dual DAC Cable

March 19, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

More dongle DAC madness, this time from Astel&Kern.

Demdike Stare: Drum Machines Limited Edition Cassette

March 18, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

John Darko and I recently had a Podcast chat about physical formats wherein I mentioned my love of cassettes. Here’s a new one from Demdike Stare that illustrates my love’s why.

The New Halcro Eclipse stereo power amplifier: Measured Perfection?

March 18, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

When Halcro’s dm58 monoblock power amplifier hit the market back in 2002, Stereophile ordained it a truly revolutionary audio product.

Bob Marley & The Wailers: Catch A Fire (Original Jamaican Version) Coming On LP!!

March 18, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

Bob Marley & The Wailers Catch A Fire (1973) is one of music’s finest moments. I am particularly partial to the original Jamaican version, the one that leaves out the guitar and organ overdubs and Chris Blackwell’s hand in the mix. Not one but two! […]

Twittering Machines Turns 14!

March 17, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

Time flies when you’re having fun.

Review: Raspberry Pi 4: A $70 Roon Ready Streamer

March 16, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

Legacy USB DACs. There I said it. These days, DACs without streamers are beginning to feel like relics.

Munich Is On! The HIGH END 2021 is now fully booked!

March 16, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

This just in: The organizer of the event, the HIGH END SOCIETY Service GmbH, is pleased to announce that the HIGH END 2021 is now fully booked, even before the registration deadline at the end of March!

IDLES Cover Sharon Van Etten’s “Peace Signs”

March 14, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

I didn’t see that coming.

Listening: The Most Moving HiFi-Related Video You Will Ever See

March 13, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

All’s I can say is thank you — Bob Lichtenberg, Christopher Bell, John DeVore, Erik Owen, Frankie Richards, Nick Kelling, Dave Gross, and Stereophile — for a beautiful, moving, and thought provoking story. Bravo!!

Warren Ellis Beard Balm: For the Bad Seed In All Of Us

March 13, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

Beards, especially long beards, can become unruly. Positively wild. What’s the hirsute to do? Balm, my friend. Balm.

#NewMusicFriday: March 12, 2021

March 12, 2021 Stephen Mejias

Album of the Week: Sarah Mary Chadwick | Me And Ennui Are Friends, Baby

March 12, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

: a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction

When Measurements and Blind Tests Go Wrong: A History Lesson

March 11, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

The correlation between measurements and hearing is tenuous at best. If we use history as a guide, engineers in the 1940’s were convinced people preferred narrow band music reproduction. They’d done blind listening tests to prove it!

The Twittering Machines Barn Mug

March 11, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

Everyone deserves a Barn (mug).

Phoebe Bridgers: The Gift That Keeps Giving

March 10, 2021 Michael Lavorgna

Phoebe Bridgers’ Punisher remains one of my favorite albums of 2020. Bridgers has joined musical forces with Jackson Browne for a new version of “Kyoto” and Maria Taylor for a cover of John Prine’s “Summer’s End” as part of the Spotify Singles series. Listen here…