News

The graphic above is incorrect but based upon projections for 2014. Nielsen/Soundscan reported recently that 9.2 million vinyl records were sold in 2014—a whopping 54% increase over 2013.

Guitarist Steve Vai gave veteran mastering engineer Bernie Grundman a well-deserved Making Vinyl lifetime achievement award at Monday's Making Vinyl, Hollywood 2019, Blue Note Tone Poet reissue series curator Joe Harley delivered an 80th Anniversary Blue Note slide show and Phonocut demonstrated a home new vinyl cutting system. Those were only a few of day one's highlights at Making Vinyl, Hollywood taking place at the W Hotel, Hollywood.

Marshall Blonstein, owner/founder of both the DCC Compact Classics and Audio Fidelity labels and a record industry veteran revealed in a recent email that he was retiring and closing down the Audio Fidelity label (the photo L-R is of Blonstein, AnalogPlanet editor Michael Fremer and legendary mastering engineer Kevin Gray taken during the TRON double LP mastering sessions).

—Sardinia, Italy, July 28th: Plymouth, Minnesota-based Audio Research introduced to its dealers and distributors at WOM (World of McIntosh) Convention its new lower priced Foundation line of tube electronics. The three pieces were on static display at the Munich High End Show, but here they played in a system with a pair of Sonus Faber Il Cremonese speakers.

It's short notice, but The Audio Salon's Maier Shadi works quickly when there's an opportunity to be seized and an exciting in-store event to be held.

The Home Tech Network has been purchased from TEN by AVTech Media Ltd (UK) it was announced today in a deal that's been in the works for some time. That means the Home Tech Network's six brands, Stereophile, Sound & Vision, Shutterbug, AnalogPlanet, Audiostream, and Innerfidelity will join with AVTech Media's Hi-Fi News, Hi-Fi Choice, Home Cinema Choice and the Hi-Fi Show Live.

The Beach Boys reissue project from Analogue Productions has been years in the making. Some of the mono records go on sale this Friday, December 16th. The process from master tape to finished record, packaged, boxed and ready for shipping is shown in a series of videos that make their world debut here on analog planet.