Michael Lavorgna, Author at Twittering Machines

Qobuz Live & Rhino Present: ‘John Coltrane – Giant Steps 60’: An All-Star Livestream Discussion

September 22, 2020 Michael Lavorgna

All-Star indeed as the panel doing the discussing includes saxophonists Archie Shepp(!!), Lakecia Benjamin, Shabaka Hutchings, and Melissa Aldana moderated by Ashley Kahn, author of two books on Coltrane, and Greg Tate, the Louis Armstrong Visiting Professor at Columbia University’s Center for Jazz Studies.

In Barn for Review: Line Magnetic Audio LM-845iA Integrated Amplifier

September 21, 2020 Michael Lavorgna

Glowing tubes and meters. Who doesn’t like glowing tubes and meters?

HiFi Bargains: Sansui AU-555A (1971 – 1973)

September 20, 2020 Michael Lavorgna

Vintage HiFi can be a veritable goldmine of HiFi Bargains. It can also be a minefield of mediocrity.

The Truth About A HiFi Lie: John DeVore Tells It Like It Is

September 19, 2020 Michael Lavorgna

Buying an amplifier for your speakers shouldn’t be a guessing game in terms of required power. Yet it is. If you’ve ever wondered why, John DeVore has your answer.

Album of the Week: H.C. McEntire | Eno Axis

September 18, 2020 Michael Lavorgna

The river Eno runs through North Carolina, past H.C McEntire’s home, and right through the heart of Eno Axis.

Is USB Audio Going The Way Of The Dodo?

September 17, 2020 Michael Lavorgna

Remember Computer Audio? When I was hired as Editor of the then nascent AudioStream in 2011, Computer Audio was all the rage. If you wanted to play with all of the newfangled higher PCM resolutions and DSD, USB was your only option. The thing was, […]

In Barn for Review: Kora TB140 Integrated Amplifier

September 16, 2020 Michael Lavorgna

The Kora TB140 Integrated Amplifier ($5250) is an interesting hybrid affair, using both tubes and transistors to get you high (voltage) and current delivery as needed.

The Soundwalk Collective and Patti Smith: The Perfect Vision Trilogy

September 15, 2020 Michael Lavorgna

Of the books I kept, some of the most sacred are those by Arthur Rimbaud, Antonin Artaud, and René Daumal. The Soundwalk Collective and Patti Smith have released a trio of albums dedicated to each, as if they were reading my mind’s eye, under the […]

In Barn for Review: Holo Audio KTE May DAC

September 15, 2020 Michael Lavorgna

Over three years of R&D went into producing the Holo Audio May DAC, which comes in three performance/price levels. The KTE (Kitsune Tuned Edition) version is the flagship.

Melco’s EX-Series Get Roon Ready

September 14, 2020 Michael Lavorgna

Melco’s Digital Music Library EX-Series are, with today’s firmware release, Roon Ready.

In Barn for Review: Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC

September 14, 2020 Michael Lavorgna

The Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC ($13,400) is not your grandmother’s DAC.

HiFi Bargains: SACThailand Minute EL84 Integrated Amplifier

September 13, 2020 Michael Lavorgna

I purchased the fully-assembled SACThailand Minute EL84 Integrated Amplifier back in 2006 for $325 (it was also available in kit form for $295) pegging its 14-year use cost at around $28/year. That, my friends, is a HiFi Bargain.

Movies That Don’t Suck: Early 1960’s Horror

September 12, 2020 Michael Lavorgna

Boo! Horror was different when I was a kid as much was left to take place in one’s imagination.

Album of the Week: Bill Callahan | Gold Record

September 11, 2020 Michael Lavorgna

“Hello, I’m Johnny Cash” so begins Bill Callahan’s Gold Record.

Review: Hegel H95 Integrated Amplifier

September 10, 2020 Michael Lavorgna

The $2,000 H95 is Oslo-based Hegel Music Systems’ least expensive H series integrated amplifier. You could call it their entry level model, but that would be misleading.

Articles by Michael Lavorgna