LATEST ADDITIONS

Michael Fremer  |  Jul 07, 2015  |  62 comments
Schiit's $129 phono preamp includes both MM and MC capabilities. U-Turn's $89 phono preamp is MM-only. Analogplanet's reviews of both of these inexpensive, made in the USA phono preamplifiers will soon be posted but in the meantime, here are two files: "File A" and "File B".

Files "A" and "B" were both made using Onkyo's CP-1050 Direct Drive turntable fitted with a Shure M97xE cartridge ( it comes with an Audio Technica AT 3600) with the output digitized using a Lynx HiLo A/D, D/A converter.

Both files were AudioLeak normalized to -.1dB. The music is an approximately one minute excerpt of "My Return" from The Twilight Hour's Stereo Night LP reviewed here a few years ago.

Listen to both and then choose your preference. Or, if you think they sound sufficiently similar or identical, choose "sound the same or too close to call".

File "A"

File "B"

For more on the U-Turn Pluto go here

For more on the Schiit Mani (currently out of stock) go here

U-Turn Pluto Versus Schiit Mani: Which Sounds Better (level matched)?
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 01, 2015  |  7 comments
This minor musical and major sonic gem features the great vibraphonist Gary Burton, Dave Brubeck Quartet drummer Joe Morello (reference only in case you just arrived from outer space) and veteran bassist Joe Benjamin on a jazz session headed by the great Nashville guitarist Hank Garland.

Michael Fremer  |  Jun 29, 2015  |  23 comments
Jerome Sabbagh's The Turn puts his long-running jazz quartet in New York's famed Sear Sound with veteran engineer James Farber at the board. The musicians managed to record to two-track analog tape the more than an hour's worth of music spread over the four sides of this double 180g LP set. That's getting you money's worth from a single studio session.

Michael Fremer  |  Jun 29, 2015  |  10 comments
First released in 2002 on CD and double LP, this collection of familiar Nirvana tunes plus the then previously unreleased "You Know You're Right" is again being reissued with some new production twists.

Michael Fremer  |  Jun 29, 2015  |  4 comments
Wax Stacks is a new company just "Kickstarted" by a Kimber Kable employee.

Michael Fremer  |  Jun 29, 2015  |  11 comments
Capitol/UMe Records recently announced an 8 LP "The Band" The Capitol Albums !968-1977".The good news here is that the 9 LP box set containing 8 albums (Rock of Ages is a double LP) was pressed at QRP, on 180g vinyl, features "faithfully replicated album art and packaging" costs $150.00

Michael Fremer  |  Jun 28, 2015  |  29 comments
Taylor Swift’s 1989 released in October of 2014, sold 1.27 million albums in its first week and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. By the end of the year it had sold 3,660,000 copies, remaining at the top of the chart for most of that time.

Michael Fremer  |  Jun 25, 2015  |  10 comments
If you want to hear the Thai radio show I was on, you can hear it here:

Michael Fremer  |  Jun 21, 2015  |  First Published: Jun 22, 2015  |  27 comments
The Living Voice is a no-holds barred system developed by U.K. designer and retailer Kevin Scott.

Michael Fremer  |  Jun 20, 2015  |  5 comments
I was hosted in Thailand by Chaiwat Jongpatanagitruang (on the right) and his brother Piyanas Jongpatanagitruang (on left). I was a guest on their half-hour Saturday night radio show. The weekly show is about audio.

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