Michael Lavorgna, Author at Twittering Machines

Let’s Make Lovely Music Together

August 21, 2018 Michael Lavorgna

Back in my AudioStream days, I ran a feature most Mondays titled “Lovely Recordings“. The premise was simple—reader’s wrote about some albums they loved. While “Lovely Recordings” was limited to CD-quality or better downloads, Lovely Music is not. Downloads, CDs, LPs, cassettes, etc. Anything goes.

In Barn: Quad VA-One

August 21, 2018 Michael Lavorgna

Quad VA-One Integrated Amplifier/DAC ($1,595.00).

Question: The Best HiFi Ad Of All Time Is Nearly 40-Years Old. What Happened?

August 20, 2018 Michael Lavorgna

It’s iconic.

Milan Grygar: The Marriage of Art & Sound

August 17, 2018 Michael Lavorgna

Sometimes you stumble upon a gift. The thing about stumbling, however, is you first have to be moving and to find a gift you have to have chosen a direction.

Album of the Week: Tirzah

August 17, 2018 Michael Lavorgna

Slow, sultry, and spare go a long way toward keeping my listening genes happy. Devotion is the debut album from Tirzah released on Domino earlier this month and it keeps my Soul-O-Meter pegged at a constant 11.

RIP: Aretha Franklin

August 16, 2018 Michael Lavorgna

The Queen of Soul has passed. Aretha Louise Franklin, March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018. May she rest in peace while we are blessed with her music forever.

In Barn: NAD D 3020 V2 Hybrid Digital DAC Amplifier

August 16, 2018 Michael Lavorgna

NAD D 3020 V2 Hybrid Digital DAC Amplifier ($399.00).

Halber Mensch: Einstürzende Neubauten + Sogo Ishii = Dystopia

August 15, 2018 Michael Lavorgna

Einstürzende Neubauten released their 3rd full length album Halber Mensch (1/2 man) in 1985. They landed in Japan that same year on tour, hooked up with Japanese filmmaker Sogo Ishii in an abandoned warehouse, and together they made this perfect picture.

Progress Report: Ayre EX-8

August 14, 2018 Michael Lavorgna

Do you like simple? I like simple. Let’s make a system hardware checklist: Ayre EX-8, DeVore Fidelity gibbon X, sonic Transporter i5 (Roon Core), NAS (music storage), iPad remote (Roon), and a router. Check.

The (last?) Lovable Audiophile

August 14, 2018 Michael Lavorgna

You have to go back to Jean-Jacques Beineix’s Diva from 1981 to find as lovable an audiophile as Jules. His infatuation with Diva Cynthia Hawkins, portrayed by none other than Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, leads him into the most madcap audiophile adventure ever put to film.

In Barn: Micromega M-150 All-In-One Integrated Amplifier

August 13, 2018 Michael Lavorgna

Micromega M-150 All-In-One Integrated Amplifier ($7,499 silver or black anodized; $8,499 lacquer finishes).

A Carnatic Konnakol Riffing On Fibonacci

August 13, 2018 Michael Lavorgna

Have you ever wondered what it would sound like if an Indian Carnatic master of Konnakol, the art of performing percussion syllables, were to make music based on the Fibonacci Sequence? Me neither but I am very happy that B.C. Manjunath did just that.

“I hope Jana is not lost to the audio world …”

August 13, 2018 Michael Lavorgna

Hi Michael – welcome back – normal (and extended) service is resumed! I would like to thank you for all your helpful advice down the years on network streaming etc. and look forward to both your audio gear and musical recommendations – the Bartok is […]

“I am beginning to think of my hifi gear as ‘twittering machines'”…

August 13, 2018 Michael Lavorgna

Also a welcome back from me. I am beginning to think of my hifi gear as “twittering machines” as well as all hifi reviewers, magazines and so on. Just to keep everything varied, I love your new layout – it makes discovery and surprise possible, […]

New(s)!: Meet the dCS Bartók Upsampling Network DAC

August 10, 2018 Michael Lavorgna

dCS, maker of some of the most engaging digital products I’ve heard, announced the birth of Bartók, an Upsampling Network DAC and the entry point in the dCS lineup when sorted by price (ascending). Bartók retails for $13,500 and/or $15,000 if you opt for the […]