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Turntable Reviews
Pear Audio Blue Captain John Handy Turntable
Ken Micallef  |  Dec 30, 2025

In the world of high-end audio, turntable design is defined by strict minimalists, creative maximalists, and those who refuse the confines of traditional geometry altogether. The late Tom Fletcher was one such man. Fletcher’s table designs debuted in the 1970s at Nottingham Analogue, and, eventually, at his own company, Fletcher Audio — and his design wisdom is very much in evidence in the way Pear Audio Analogue constructed their all-new Captain John Handy turntable. Read Ken Micallef’s review to see if the Pear Audio Blue Captain John Handy table meets or exceeds Fletcher’s design aesthetics. . .

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AAA VinylAlbum ReviewsVinyl Reports
The 200g 45rpm 2LP UHQR Edition of Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas Is An Absolute Joy to Spin Any Time of the Year
Mark Smotroff  |  Dec 26, 2025

In the 60 years since its initial release in 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas has become not only a family tradition, but also something of a musical heirloom that gets passed on through the generations, thanks to its universally appealing TV special and — of course — its gorgeous, perfect soundtrack LP by Vince Guaraldi. As part of its 60th anniversary celebration, A Charlie Brown Christmas just received a wonderful new 200g 45rpm 2LP UHQR update from Analogue Productions, and its aural rewards can easily be enjoyed throughout the year. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why the new UHQR edition of A Charlie Brown Christmas is well worth getting now for 365-day enjoyment purposes. . .

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Album ReviewsFeaturesNew Wax WednesdayVinyl Reports
AnalogPlanet’s Top New LPs of 2025
Mike Mettler,  |  Dec 24, 2025

Welcome to Part 2 of our annual, year-end Best LPs extravaganza! As we noted at the outset of Part 1 yesterday (December 23), it’s never been easy paring down our favorite LPs to the final selections for these best-of listings, but we do feel we’ve done our measured best after sifting through the multiple hundreds of LPs we spun throughout the course of 2025 in order to represent the top-tier of what we’ve heard on vinyl this year. In the aforementioned Part 1, we — and by “we,” we mean a) Mike Mettler, our ever-faithful AP editor, and b) our chief LP reviewer, Mark Smotroff — covered our Top 10 favorite archival/reissues LPs. And now, read Part 2 to see what our Top 10 new LPs of the year are. . .

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AAA VinylAlbum ReviewsFeaturesVinyl Reports
AnalogPlanet’s Top Archival LPs of 2025
Mike Mettler,  |  Dec 23, 2025

Oh, where did the time go. . .? It’s been yet another year of acquiring, archiving, cleaning, spinning, and listening to LP after LP, and box set after box set — and sometimes, even some EPs and 45s got into that mix as well! Naturally, before the big mid-week holiday festivities take over our front-of-mindsets, we here at AP feel it’s the exact right time to determine the best of what we’ve heard on vinyl during the past 12 months — and we’ll be covering our favorites of the year in two installments. Between the two of us — i.e., 1) Mike Mettler, your intrepid AP editor, and 2) chief LP reviewer, Mark Smotroff — we have listened to multiple-hundreds’ worth of albums on vinyl in 2025 apiece, so check out Part 1 to see what our 10-plus favorite archival reissue LPs of the year are. . .

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Album ReviewsVinyl Reports
Inaugural Definitive Sound Series 180g 2LP One-Step Offerings From A Perfect Circle and Dr. Dre Both Bode Most Definitively Well for the Future of DSS
Mark Smotroff  |  Dec 19, 2025

The two albums we’re reviewing today are exciting prospects for us here at AP, because they also happen to be the first two offerings from Interscope/Capitol’s new Definitive Sound Series (a.k.a. DSS). DSS releases partake in the vaunted One-Step process, and this new series’ initial offerings couldn’t be more different. Said inaugural DSS releases are 180g 2LP One-Steps for a) alt-rock supergroup A Perfect Circle’s smash-hit May 2000 debut Mer de Noms, and b) ex-N.W.A rapper/producer Dr. Dre’s mega-platinum debut solo release, December 1992’s The Chronic. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why both of these DSS entries bode quite well for what’s to come in this exciting, ongoing series. . .

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Show Reports
SOTA, Rega, and Audio-Technica Make a Whole Lot of Sense Together at Capital Audiofest
Julie Mullins  |  Dec 18, 2025

In Part 7 of our Capital Audiofest 2025 show report, Julie Mullins heads to a room helmed by Hi-Fi Lite in order to check out a SOTA turntable fitted with a Rega tonearm and Audio-Technica stylus. . .

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New Wax WednesdayVinyl Reports
Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45rpm 2LP Van Halen Reissue Series Has Been a Master Class in How to Present Ultradisc One-Step Original Master Recordings on Vinyl
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 17, 2025

Mobile Fidelity have been on quite a tear of late. Besides their consistent slate of Original Master Recordings (OMRs), they’ve also been making a mark with their Ultradisc One-Step releases — most especially with the ongoing UD1S 180g 45rpm 2LP OMR Van Halen reissue series. Read AP Editor Mike Mettler’s combo review of all five UD1S VH OMR LPs, as well as his exclusive interview about how they came to be with MoFi President Jim Davis and MoFi mastering engineers Rob LoVerde and Shawn R. Britton. . .

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Show Reports
Luphonic’s R3 Turntable Enters the Analog Conversation at Capital Audiofest
Julie Mullins  |  Dec 16, 2025

In Part 6 of our CAF 2025 show report, Julie Mullins takes in the full scope of the new Luphonic R3 turntable and other cool gear she experienced in more than one of the rooms that were presented by Alma Music & Audio. . .

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AAA VinylAlbum ReviewsVinyl Reports
New Vinylphyle Series 180g 1LP All-Analog Reissue of The Velvet Underground & Nico’s Highly Influential 1967 Debut Album Shows the Inherent Beauty of How Distortion and Clarity Can Inevitably Intersect Quite Pleasurably on the Same Record
Mark Smotroff,  |  Dec 12, 2025

The Velvet Underground & Nico LP released on Verve in March 1967 — featuring hypnotic model-turned-chanteuse Nico along with guitarist/vocalist Lou Reed, violist/bassist John Cale, rhythm guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer/percussionist Mo Tucker — is arguably one of the most influential recordings in rock & roll history. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see if Republic/UMe’s new all-analog 180g Vinylphyle edition of this important, historical LP is able to corral the beauty inherent in its intersection of delicacy and distortion to a degree worthy of repeat spins. . .

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Features
Tis the Season to Join Us in Paying It Forward by Donating Vinyl to Your Local Library
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 12, 2025

Tis the season, just like the header says! Yesterday, AP editor Mike Mettler visited the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library and donated 13 sealed LPs to their Spin It Forward campaign, which promotes the idea of making new LPs available to the library’s patrons. See what other vinyl-related goodness he discovered during that library gifting visit, and think about how you can get involved in — or even come up with — a similar program in your own community. . .

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