The sleek new Grand Prix Audio Parabolica direct drive turntable made its debut at the just ended Los Angeles Audio Show 2017 (shown here with TriPlanar arm and Lyra Etna cartridge).

Veteran loudspeaker designer Andrew Jones (KEF, TAD and now ELAC) explains how he's managed to create the new floor-standing Adante loudspeaker that produces robust, well-controlled bass for $5000 a pair.

At the Los Angeles Audio Show (June 2-4) Analogue Productions' Chad Kassem talks about the company's reel-to-reel tape program, the late Doug Sax's refurbished and restored The Mastering Lab mastering system that's now operational in Salina, Kansas and more.

The Los Angeles Audio Show opened today June 2nd at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel adjacent to LAX airport. Here's the ribbon cutting opening ceremonies. More coverage coming up!

A few more product debuts at High End Munich 2017.

This is a long video! Many new 'tables were introduced at High End Munich including The all in one The + Record Player, the result of an international design team, that features a Pro-Ject supplied 'table atop a built in sound system carefully isolated from the 'table, the idler wheel drive Blackstone from Italy shown in static display at previous shows, a new compact Thales TTT turntable with tangential tracking pivoted arm for around $9000, and the intriguing looking Cantano.

Let's take a (short) break from Munich High End 2017 coverage and instead play a track from this piano and vocal LP produced and engineered by legendary recording engineer Al Schmitt at Capitol Studios mastered by Bernie Grundman and pressed at RTI.

Even if you're not about to spend $24,000 on a tonearm, you ought to watch this veteran turntable and tonearm designer explain what he's done here and why it costs so much.

Not that many years ago Avid manufactured a very high end spring-suspended turntable and that was all. Today the U.K. based company has expanded its line of turntables and added a full complement of electronics, a speaker, a powered subwoofer and a few new intriguing tonearms including one that's of 3D printed titanium.

May 30, 2017 - Buffalo, NY - Bluebird Music has been appointed North American distributor for hi-fi specialist SME Limited effective immediately.