Mike Mettler

Mike Mettler  |  May 19, 2025  |  First Published: May 19, 2025  |  4 comments

While we look forward to sharing all the deep-dive show reports from our fellow editors who were at High End Munich 2025 on AP in the coming days/weeks, we do have some cool gear seen at the big show to report on in the here and now — starting with the Takumi TT Level 2.1DC turntable. . .

Mike Mettler  |  May 16, 2025  |  First Published: May 16, 2025  |  0 comments

High End Munich 2025 is in full swing through the weekend — and, rest assured, we’ll be posting a number of firsthand reports in the coming days/weeks. For now, we wanted to put a spotlight on a new, relatively affordable piece of analog gear seen at the big show that is actually available to consumers now — namely, Lenco’s L-455BK turntable. . .

Mike Mettler  |  May 14, 2025  |  First Published: May 14, 2025  |  0 comments

“It was the hippest of times, it was the squarest of times — mostly the latter.” Ever cleverly dour, that was how the principal members of Steely Dan (a.k.a. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen) opened the three-paneled liner-notes portion of the folded booklet within the MCA CD reissue of their masterful May 1976 ABC album The Royal Scam. Thankfully, the music found therein was much more hip than square — and, now, after a 40-year wait (!), The Royal Scam is finally seeing proper vinyl reissues courtesy separate Geffen/UMe and Analogue Productions editions on June 6, 2025. Read on to see all the royal LP details. . .

Mike Mettler  |  May 13, 2025  |  First Published: May 13, 2025  |  4 comments

Good grief! While we’re in the deep throes of our imminent full-court High End Munich 2025 press, we couldn’t let another day go by without acknowledging a truly special limited-edition piece of analog gear that may (or may not!) be seen at the big show — namely, Pro-Ject’s Peanuts turntable. Read on to see how Pro-Ject intends to celebrate 75 years of good ol’ Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the Peanuts gang with this cool new ltd-ed table. . .

Mike Mettler  |  May 12, 2025  |  First Published: May 12, 2025  |  5 comments

Can it be we’re just days away from High End Munich 2025? (That was a rhetorical question, mind you.) As we await Munich 2025’s official start later this week, we’ll be previewing some of the new gear that’s launching/debuting at the big show, including the Nagaoka MP-700 cartridge. Read on to see how this respected Japanese company plans to honor their 85th anniversary with the MP-700 cart. . .

Mike Mettler  |  May 07, 2025  |  First Published: May 07, 2025  |  3 comments

Welcome to our new weekly New Wax Wednesday column, in which we will highlight upcoming new LP releases and/or important vinyl reissues worthy of preordering and spinning again and again once they arrive in prime, direct from doorstep to turntable fashion. What better way to start off this new series than by commencing with a calling out to transit, as the saying goes — as in, sharing the news that R.E.M.’s Radio Free Europe 2025 five-track benefit EP is set for release via Craft Recordings on September 12, 2025. Read on to see what rare tracks and new mixes will appear on this limited-edition 10-inch orange-vinyl EP. . .

Mike Mettler  |  May 01, 2025  |  First Published: May 01, 2025  |  1 comments

We lost a true hero the other day. Mike Peters, frontman of the iconoclast Welsh alt-rockers The Alarm, passed away at age 66 on April 29, 2025, in Dyserth, Wales, following a three-decades-long battle with cancer. In a previously unpublished interview conducted in 2024, AP editor Mike Mettler and Peters discuss his favorite record shops he went to while growing up in Wales, the importance of understanding sleeve notes, and why early Alarm records were quieter on vinyl than they should have been. . .

Mike Mettler,  |  Apr 23, 2025  |  First Published: Apr 23, 2025  |  1 comments

Our in-depth AXPONA 2025 coverage continues! In today’s installment, AP’s chief product reviewer Ken Micallef shares video footage of as many turntables that he could get on camera at the big show — plus some new tonearms and cartridges, to boot — including cool new offerings from the likes of Well Tempered Lab, TriangleArt, TW Acustic, Vertere, AVM, and many, many more. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Apr 16, 2025  |  First Published: Apr 16, 2025  |  0 comments

Welcome welcome welcome to Part 3 of our AXPONA: First Impressions series. Today, we take a look at and a listen to some cool new TEAC gear, including their TN-5BB turntable, PE-505 phono preamp, and AP-507 power amp. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Apr 15, 2025  |  First Published: Apr 15, 2025  |  1 comments

Welcome back to Part 2 of our AXPONA: First Impressions series. Today, we take a look at some of the way-cool Clearaudio gear that was on display in the Quintessence Audio Ltd. vestibule area at the foot of the main escalators. . .

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