Michael Fremer

Former Image Hi-Fi magazine editor Dirk Sommer and his wife Birgit Hammer-Sommer recorded and produced this solo double bass performance by Dieter Ilg using a purist analog chain direct to ¼” analog audio tape. Compression was neither contemplated nor used, nor was there any filtering or equalization of any kind.

Stereophile reviewer Ken Micallef visited (mask on) recently to pick up a turntable for review. He asked if I'd do a video with him showing some of my best sounding records. I agreed and picked a bunch out that I show in these three videos shot during his visit.

In the video below you’ll see a new $449 (MSRP) Audio-Technica AT LP5 direct drive turntable with aluminum platter, complete with MM cartridge and built-in switchable MM/MC phono preamp and A/D converter.

In the Needle Doctor room on a Clearaudio Innovation turntable you’ll see the much talked about $750 Hana SL cartridge that includes a Shibata stylus, playing through a Musical Surroundings Super Nova 3 battery powered phono stage ($5000).

Back in “the day,” budget labels like Seraphim (Angel), Cardinal (Vanguard) Victrola (RCA) and Odyssey (Columbia) usually released old recordings at low prices. Many of these were great performances from either mono recordings (sometimes foolishly "reprocessed for stereo") or transferred from 78rpm parts.