Minneapolis, Minnesota (August 25, 2020) – TWS Enterprises, LLC, a privately held company owned wholly by Trent Suggs, has agreed to purchase Audio Research from the McIntosh Group, Inc. subject to completion of due diligence which is expected to be finalized by the end of August. As Audio Research celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year, it is time to embark on the next chapter of its journey in high performance music reproduction.

Optimal Media recently announced a new "ecco-friendly" vinyl pressing package along with other environmentally friendly options for vinyl clientele wishing to minimize or eliminate their contribution to carbon-based pollution.

Verve will release on October 2nd, 2020 a never before issued Ella Fitzgerald concert performance recorded in stereo at Berlin's Sportpalast March 25th 1962. Ella recorded in Berlin 1960, one of her best known, most popular, double Grammy Award winning albums Mack The Knife: Ella in Berlin in which she bobbled the words. She remembers them here, but forgets where she is—understandable when you're in the middle of a long European tour. That one was recorded only in monophonic.

Arriving October 16th in multiple formats and configurations, Wildflowers & All the Rest features the original 1994 Wildflowers album, newly re-mastered and cut directly from the original ½” analog master tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering and pressed at Record Industry in The Netherlands, plus unreleased tracks, solo demos, live performances, alternate versions and more—many of which were sourced from analog tape but then of necessity digitized..

MAPLE GROVE, MN – August 20, 2020 – Audio Research is honored to partner with author Ken Kessler in releasing a book timed to the company’s 50th anniversary. Entitled, “Audio Research: Making the Music Glow”, the book describes the people behind the company, designing, manufacturing, fine-tuning, and marketing the audio amplification and source components that have been regarded perpetually as among the best in the industry.

After two COVID-19-induced delays, Record Store Day 2020 is finally (sort of) happening. Instead of the usual huge event, in an attempt to “socially distance” RSD, the releases will drop on three Saturdays over as many months. These “RSD Drops” occur August 29, September 26, and October 24, and in my opinion might fail the social distancing test. In particular, the August 29 drop has huge releases with diverse audiences; I predict that this first drop will be rather busy, leaving the latter two far emptier. I’ll be lining up early at Music Millennium on August 29 (last year’s event at Everyday Music was unsuccessful) for a large set of releases. Here are this year’s most noteworthy RSD items:

Register to win a complete vinyl playback system and stack of records (Value $4,682.44 total) we are giving away!

Prizes include: 10 select vinyl LPs from Disney Music Emporium's collection (including the Star Wars: A New Hope Box Set!), The VPI Player Turntable, SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers and Prime Wireless Soundbase, and a complete set of Nordost cables to tie everything together!

[This Sweepstakes is now closed.]

Verve/UMe announced today the October 9th release of its second round of Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series/ Acoustic Sounds pressings of two essential John Coltrane albums: A Love Supreme and Ballads, both in stereo, cut using the original analog master tapes. Deluxe laminated Stoughton Press Tip-On gatefold jackets complete the "must have" release.

MISTELBACH, AUSTRIA– August 17, 2020 – Pro-Ject Audio Systems today unveiled the new $499 Debut Carbon EVO turntable—a feature-packed priced-right addition to its Debut Collection.The new turntable incorporates a one-piece carbon fiber tonearm, electronic speed selection, suspension elements used in the more costly EISA award-winning X1 turntable and in America, a factory mounted Sumiko Rainier cartridge.

Unlike many of their competitors, Schiit Audio seemingly intends to guide hi-fi beginners up the quality/price ladder. Their direct-to-consumer standalone components, some advertised for gaming and office setups, start at just $99. Schiit’s products appear feature-packed, but does the sound live up to the specs? Or are Schiit products, well, total shit?