Mike Mettler

Last week was indeed a tough one for those of us who listen to a lot of music on vinyl that initially made literal waves in the latter half of the 20th Century. Just two days prior to Beach Boys architect Brian Wilson’s passing at age 82 on June 11, 2025, funk/soul pop pioneer Sly Stone also passed away at age 82 on June 9, 2025. In the following in-depth analysis, AP editor Mike Mettler and our chief album reviewer Mark Smotroff combine forces to give us their collective overview of Sly’s best moments on vinyl. . .

Call it a case of, shall we say, “capitol gains.” The capitol spelling there is quite deliberate, for it relates to the Washington, D.C., hometown locale of the notable ethereal goth-rock band Strange Boutique, who are finally back on the scene with their first new album in 31 years, Let the Lonely Heart Sing. The LP was released yesterday, June 10, 2025, in a pair of limited-edition color vinyl options by The Circle Music, a Greek label. Read on to see why you should procure either/both versions of Strange Boutique’s stunning new LP ASAP. . .

The assignment for High End Munich 2025 was simple, and direct: “Show me turntables. Lots and lots of turntables.” And who better to carry out such a focused task than our go-to, table-loving main product reviewer for AP, the always estimable Ken Micallef. Click the link below to see Ken’s 11½-minute Munich 2025 video diary, which features a wide swath of turntables — plus a few tonearms and cartridges to boot — from the likes of TechDAS, Clearaudio, Klaudio, Kronos, Kuzma, Dual, Muarah, and many, many more. . .

Michael Fidler is a bonafide classic audio maestro, and he knows how to build phono preamps about as good as anybody can. Read on to see all the features and specs for the latest offering from Michael Fidler and Classic Audio — namely, the Spartan 15 Mk 2 phono preamp, which is said to have evolved the standards set with company’s prior Spartan 15 and Spartan 10 double-stage preamps. . .