Mike Mettler

Mike Mettler  |  Aug 16, 2023  |  First Published: Aug 16, 2023  |  16 comments

We have not yet given proper due to nor spotlight on the Döhmann Helix Two Mk3 turntable, so no better time than the present to get up to speed with this most current, and quite formidable, offering from the noted Australian manufacturer. Read on to glean all the features and specs for this truly top-tier, Aussie-made, work-of-art turntable. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Aug 14, 2023  |  First Published: Aug 14, 2023  |  8 comments

We’re always on the lookout for great, current turntable options at various price levels, more often than not with an eye toward what we consider to be relatively affordable options these days. With that in mind, we wanted to look at what’s what with the vaunted British company Vertere — and thus, we’ve taken to eyeballing their DG-1S turntable, which is currently available in three different configurations. Read on to find out what each Vertere DG-1S ’table entails, and what their respective SRPs are. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Aug 10, 2023  |  22 comments

Pretzel Logic, the third entry in Analogue Productions' comprehensive all-analog 200g 45rpm 2LP Steely Dan UHQR reissue series, is indeed a bit of a different sonic animal than its predecessors, Can’t Buy a Thrill and Countdown to Ecstasy. That’s due in no small part to SD co-founders Walter Becker and Donald Fagen wanting the album to have more of a first-call studio musician feel to it overall. Read AP editor Mike Mettler’s in-depth review to find out if the Pretzel Logic UHQR is the kind of record you want on your phonograph. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Aug 08, 2023  |  First Published: Aug 08, 2023  |  33 comments

Our dime dancing is officially through, as we just got the news that the eagerly awaited LP reissue of Steely Dan’s indisputable September 1977 masterpiece Aja has now been given an official release date of September 29. The 180 1LP edition comes via Geffen/UMe, while the 30,000 numbered-copy limited-edition 200g 45rpm version on Ultra High-Quality Vinyl (UHQR) comes courtesy Analogue Productions. Read on to glean more about the source material for the new vinyl versions of Aja, as well as what the respective SRPs will be. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Aug 07, 2023  |  First Published: Aug 07, 2023  |  7 comments

We here at AP felt it was high time for a state-of-the-art update on Audio-Technica’s ART series of moving coil (MC) cartridges, so we’re going to take a closer look at the four models currently being offered under the company’s ART umbrella. Read on to see what all the features and SRPs are for the A-T ART cart series quartet accordingly. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Aug 02, 2023  |  First Published: Aug 02, 2023  |  3 comments

Has it really been 45 years since Rhino Records put out their very first release in 1978? (Bonus points to those of you who remember “Rocky,” the original Elvis-ified Rhino company logo from back in the day.) In celebration of Rhino’s 45th anniversary this year, the vaunted archival label is launching what they’re calling Rhino Reds, a new series of limited-edition reissues pressed on custom “Rhino Red” vinyl. Read on to see which 12 LPs from Rhino’s deep catalog will be getting the Red carpet treatment over the next few months. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Jul 26, 2023  |  29 comments

Just how good is Peter Frampton’s excellent new Frampton@50: In the Studio 1972-1975 180g 3LP box set from Intervention Records? The following three numbers tell the tale in shorthand: 100, 50, and 75. Find out what they mean and why this all-analog vinyl collection of three key entries from Frampton’s early solo career sets new standards for box set presentation by reading AP editor Mike Mettler’s in-depth review. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Jul 25, 2023  |  First Published: Jul 25, 2023  |  9 comments

The well-respected entertainment data company Luminate recently released their Midyear Music Report, which confirms vinyl sales are on the rise yet again. Therein, Luminate reports that vinyl sales saw a 21.7 percent increase in the first half of 2023. Read on to see more about how our favorite format is doing this year to date, along with some other key vinyl-specific data stats of interest. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Jul 24, 2023  |  First Published: Jul 24, 2023  |  5 comments

Venerable German manufacturer ELAC returned to LP-spinning form in 2016 by shoring up their turntable line with the Miracord 90 Anniversary ’table, one that ultimately garnered a well-deserved EISA Award in 2017. While the properly feted 90 Anniversary and its subsequent “regular 90” version are no longer available, the Miracord series lives on with a trio of turntables that continue to make good on the ELAC name. Read on to learn more about what’s what with the current Miracord turntable series. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Jul 19, 2023  |  First Published: Jul 19, 2023  |  3 comments

Tom Waits hit a new creative stride in the 1980s, starting with his acclaimed September 1983 masterstroke Swordfishtrombones — a breakthrough “junkyard orchestral deviation” (his words) — that culminated four LPs later with November 1993’s The Black Rider. Starting September 1, Island/UMe is re-releasing all five of these key Waits midperiod Island Records LPs via 180g black vinyl and limited-edition color variants with the first three titles slated for September 1, and the remaining two to follow on October 6. Read on to find out more about which specific Waits Island-era titles are forthcoming, and what they each entail. . .

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