Tom Martin interviews Kevin Deal of Upscale Audio and David Mccaffrey of Tannoy to be taught concerning the Tannoy’s III LZ reinvention of the traditional Tannoy twin concentric design, its up to date cupboard, different specs, and extra…
The put up Classic Dual Concentric Design REINVENTED | The Tannoy Stirling III LZ Loudspeaker appeared first on The Absolute Sound.
Tom Martin interviews VP of Sales John Pravel on Luxman’s debut of the PD-191A turntable. We study concerning the PD-191A intending to interchange the long-running Luxman PD-171 collection, its heavy aluminum platter, its complementary tonearm, cartridge, and extra…
The put up The NEW PD-191A Luxman Turntable | AXPONA 2023 Preview appeared first on The Absolute Sound.
There’s few loudspeakers as placing and complex as Avantgarde’s Duo sequence. At AXPONA 2023 Tom Martin obtained the within scoop from American Sound Distribution Angie Lisi on the NEW DUO GT.
The publish Fully Active & Integrated Streaming Horn Speaker? | Avantgarde’s DUO GT appeared first on The Absolute Sound.
Audio Expo North America je přesný název největší audiofilské výstavy na severoamerickém kontinentě, které dnes již neřekne nikdo jinak než Axpona. Akce je pevně spojena s tradičním dubnovým termínem – tentokrát proběhla od 14.4. do 16.4. v obrovském kongresovém hotelu Renaissance ve městě Schaumburg, což lze považovat za předměstí slavného velkoměsta s českými stopami Chicaga.
Interviewing musicians is usually a multi-step course of. You attain out to a advertising and marketing rep who units up a time slot for a Q&A, after which you will have X variety of minutes to converse with somebody who’s squeezing you in between different interviews. Prior to the interview, you put together some questions.
There are different situations, nonetheless. Like this, instance: At 9 o’clock one morning, in a pre-caffeinated state, you’re ready in your first cup of espresso to chill down at a desk in a resort when unexpectedly a well known musician you acknowledge begins strolling previous you.
Which is what occurred to me at this yr’s AXPONA.
The musician I assumed I acknowledged is a keyboardist, arranger, and producer who had an outsized presence on the CTI label throughout its heyday, is large in Japan, has gained two Grammys and been nominated for 18 others, recorded the theme tune to Taxi, has been sampled by numerous hiphop artists, nonetheless excursions all over the world, and is at the moment recording for an audiophile label.
In different phrases, Bob James—however simply to be on the protected facet I checked his identify tag. Later that morning James was slated to signal his newest Evosound launch, Feel Like Makin’ Live, so it made sense that he was wandering across the constructing. So had been 9 thousand different folks, nonetheless, so the chances of us bumping into one another had been slim.
I requested him if he’d like to speak for a minute, and we ended up chatting for 45 minutes. I instructed him it appeared apropos he was attending the occasion, as he actually isn’t any stranger to the audiophile neighborhood. Going again to an early interval in James’ profession, Rudy Van Gelder engineered many albums on CTI that concerned James as a frontrunner or contributor. To leap ahead a couple of a long time, Evosound is an audiophile label based mostly in Hong Kong. As we began to speak, Bob James made it clear that he was acquainted with The Absolute Sound, which is smart, contemplating his dedication to good sound.
Our chat was fairly informal, and there have been occasions when he requested me questions—about TAS, about AXPONA, about my report assortment. It seems each of us are vinyl lovers, and he even confirmed me a photograph of his report assortment, which is now housed in some custom-designed cabinets in his residence in Michigan. When I requested what he’d been as much as these days, James, who’s now 83, made it clear that he’s been doing fairly a little bit of touring.
“Unlike what I’d have anticipated at my age—most individuals take into consideration retirement or taking it straightforward, however music is my life,” he defined. “And I really like performing. And whereas I’ve the vitality and the willingness to do it—it looks as if I say ‘Yes’ to issues extra usually than I did even up to now. So I’m doing loads of touring. I’ve a really younger band that performs with me. I really like the problem of making an attempt to maintain up with them.”
His ideas then turned to AXPONA.
“I really like studying issues about the best way different individuals are experiencing music,” he stated, and he spoke positively about “a complete trade like this, a conference like this, that’s dedicated to all of the completely different ways in which music will be heard in a extra life like method.”
He was interested by my function because the music editor of The Absolute Sound, and I instructed him about that. His response?
“As you had been describing your world, I used to be realizing that primarily what I wish to do is cry,” he stated. “You see, I’ve to confess to you that I’m now carrying listening to aids, and {that a} very basic a part of this world makes me unhappy as a result of I can’t admire it. I get it, and there was a time in my life after I would have been having a freakish unbelievable time on this constructing. I’d have been going fully nuts, and I’d have been talky talky talky about each side of it. Now that may be a reminiscence in my life.”
Needless to say, his decline in listening to has affected his recording course of.
“We have to talk a double language and now we have to translate for one another,” he stated about recording engineers. “I inform them what I need him to make the music sound like although, after I’m going to be listening again to it, I gained’t be capable of talk straight in the best way that I’d have.
“I nonetheless need the music to sound good. That’s what I need, however the very fundamental essence of it’s humbling, and that’s why I wish to cry.”
But, I stated, his musicianship hasn’t diminished. After knocking on wooden, James stated, “I’m hanging in there. I’m hanging in there with the music and piano music, and a piano participant performs it together with his fingers, and his mind’s telling how loud to play every word. And if he’s taking part in Mozart, he’s acquired to play a sure method, jazz a sure method, a blue million issues.
“Then it begins to return into your world the place there’s a microphone and there’s an engineer. ‘How do you translate that?’ But even earlier than you get there, there are all these different variables—the piano itself, is it a Yamaha or a Steinway or is it a Fazioli? You can have one million conversations about that. ‘I favor the tone of the Fazioli, I favor the Steinway, and I favor exhausting motion or gentle motion,’ however all of these issues are associated to what they sound like, and I say humbly to you—within the 70s I used to be so deeply into the distinction between a Yamaha and a Steinway and a Chickering and a Baldwin and possibly on a blindfold check I may say, ‘That’s a Baldwin or that’s a Chickering or that’s a Casio.’ I knew the subtlety of the piano tone. I don’t have that any extra. But I’ve the reminiscence of it.”
“The essence of it, the world of it’s nonetheless my life, and after I go to the piano now, I’m trusting my fingers with a lifetime of whether or not this word goes to be a 34 velocity or a 35. My buddies that take heed to me are telling me that I’m nonetheless taking part in piano the best way I used to although I’m not listening to a Steinway versus a Fazioli, I’m listening to a reminiscence of it.”
Understandably, James suggested me to keep away from rock live shows.
But you didn’t play rock live shows, I stated.
“No, however in my subject, yr by yr I may really feel the engineers, they went louder, louder, louder,” James stated. “I fought it so long as I may, however general, stage quantity in each career has gotten louder, louder, louder.”
I requested him about Japan, the place he has lengthy been a extremely revered artist.
“I’ve a protracted historical past there,” he stated, “each audio and music and all the pieces, and I’m pleased that it’s a Japanese firm that I’m representing as we speak. Evosound has been nice to me by way of presenting my music in a high-end audio neighborhood and having the records be demo records for high-end. Ashley Whitfield, the president, may be very excited about having an artist on his label who makes music that may be very usually recognized with high-end audio.”
Although our dialog concerned, at occasions, a good quantity of soul-searching, there was as a lot humor as there was gravitas, and our entire dialog handed in a light-hearted method. Repeatedly we talked in geeky record-collector phrases about our love for vinyl. I instructed him that when I’ve a devoted vinyl listening session at residence, I are likely to favor small-group acoustic jazz, and I requested what he most well-liked in that scenario.
“Because my world is taking part in the stuff that you just talked about, at residence fairly often I take heed to classical music,” James stated. “That’s my pastime as a result of that’s much less my actual world. When I’m listening to jazz, I’m in all probability going to be essential.”
Suddenly our dialog took an sudden flip, as Nick Getz, the son of tenor saxophonist Stan Getz, walked previous us. Along with Abey Fonn, Nick mentioned the upcoming 1-Step of Getz/Gilberto launch at AXPONA at varied factors that weekend.
“That’s Stan Getz’s son proper there,” I instructed James.
“You’re kidding,” James stated. “I produced Stan Getz and performed with Stan Getz many occasions.”
Nick Getz appears to be like quite a bit like his father—similar hair, face, and construct, and he even feels like him when he talks—and it was nice enjoyable introducing him to somebody who labored with Stan when he appeared a complete lot his son does now. (Talk about déjà vu.) Bob James instructed Nick Getz about working together with his father and the way a lot respect he had for him as a musician, and Nick was clearly touched by that.
After Bob James disappeared into the mass of individuals hoping to listen to as a lot high-end tools as attainable, I began to course of our dialog that morning. Due to listening to loss, this veteran musician now not will get the total expertise when he performs and records, however his dedication to music stays steadfast and he finds a strategy to make it work. At an occasion the place distractions had been quite a few and alternatives to replicate had been few, that message didn’t get misplaced.
The publish You Never Know Who You’ll Run Into at AXPONA: A Chance Encounter with Bob James appeared first on The Absolute Sound.
Does dimension matter? I believe so, for the 9,115 audiophiles that descended upon the Renaissance Schaumberg Center in Chicago, April 14-16, 2023. The last press launch from AXPONA states that there have been 9,115 guests over […]
Chief Content Officer Tom Martin interviews T+A Electroakustic founder Siegfried Amft on their new flagship Solitaire S 540 Loudspeaker.
The put up The Solitaire S 540 Loudspeaker AXPONA 2023 Debut | T+A Electroakustic appeared first on The Absolute Sound.
From Fremer: AXPONA 2023 was a global occasion that places the present and at last America on the world audio stage. The Consumer Electronics Show as soon as was that occasion however excessive efficiency audio is not a significant a part of that present.
Founded in 2009 by then retailer Steve Davis, AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) for a few years was a regional present, the sparsely attended 2011 Atlanta present being a great instance. Shows had been additionally held in New York City, Jacksonville, Florida after which in 2013 on the O’Hare Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, at which period JD Events bought the present. The firm’s experience is occasion manufacturing and over time the present grew in measurement, stature and the all encompassing phrase “professionalism”.
Covid crimped AXPONA’s progress and naturally the present was canceled for just a few years. AXPONA 2022 was a return to kind, although on a smaller scale than earlier than the pandemic.2023 introduced in a giant manner that AXPONA was again, greater, higher and extra worldwide in scope, with huge names from around the globe exhibiting up, together with SME’s Stuart McNeilis, Crystal Cables’ Gabi Reynveld, Cyril Hammer, Dr. Roland Gauder, plus govt and design groups from Accuphase, Air-Tight Technics and Esoteric, amongst others. That was new.
The present ran on flooring 1-7, and 11,12,14,15 and 16 plus on the linked conference heart. It was greater than anyone particular person may probably cowl and clearly I missed an awesome deal. To save time I skipped many rooms I’d usually cease in to say whats up, together with Bluebird Distribution the place I’d have run into SME CEO McNeilis.
The Absolute Sound despatched a big contingent and so they coated it in a well-organized vogue, assigning to every reviewer, a specific beat. Next 12 months, TrackingAngle will try one thing comparable however for this 12 months it was simply me and Ken Redmond. Our different writers had been for varied causes unable to attend.
Looking via the information, and from speaking with different attendees I see I missed, in no explicit order, corporations anybody protecting analog wouldn’t need to miss together with phono preamp producer Lejonklou, whose merchandise I’ve reviewed over time, Primaluna, which had a brand new phono preamp on show, I missed Doshi Audio, exhibiting with Joseph Audio—first time I missed that room—and I missed J. Sikora turntables, although I’ve coated their latest tonearm in a Capitol Audio Fest video together with their turntables. I missed complete flooring and so missed seeing some very acquainted faces and a few of their new merchandise.
On the opposite hand, I made a decision to broaden our protection to do extra with digital merchandise together with streaming DACs, and so forth. In one room I heard a demo of a quickly to be launched CD participant that the producer was completely happy to match to a stream of the identical materials and sonically, the CD trounced the stream!
Per week earlier than the present I needed to pack up the Esoteric Grandioso T1 turntable, the overview of which I’d simply handed in to The Absolute Sound, to ship it off to the present. The directions suggest a minimum of two and ideally three individuals to pack up the heavy turntable (the platter alone weights 42 kilos), however I had nobody to assist so I did it alone and managed fairly nicely (I like to recommend Pilates to all you kids!).
Just a few days later whereas loading up my snow tire wheels, I wrenched my again as I’ve by no means earlier than achieved—by no means had again ache—after which one thing I disagreed with ate me, and between the projectile outcomes of that encounter and my again I virtually stayed dwelling, however glad I didn’t, although conducting a turntable set-up seminar with a wrenched again was no enjoyable, nor was it enjoyable that the turntable’s arm was equally “wrenched” and simply hung in area wherever I put it. Still, I made essentially the most of it and used the event to point out the complete home the right way to diagnose turntable points like those I had that day. I additionally ran a helpful pane dialogue on reissues.
The put up Even MORE Fremer at AXPONA 2023 | Show Report 2/2 appeared first on The Absolute Sound.
There’s a motive AXPONA is so fashionable. After all, how typically do you’ve a possibility to listen to, for 3 days in a row, high-end stereo tools made by producers from world wide? That’s why over 9,000 folks converged to a suburb in Illinois for the 2023 occasion, and that’s why, for 3 days, the elevators had been full of audiophiles working their method from room to room. Two hundred rooms is usually a bit daunting for one weekend, however attendees did their finest to cowl as a lot floor as attainable.
While tools could also be the primary attraction at AXPONA, it isn’t the one recreation on the town. That would change into clear to you if, like me, you had been standing round shortly earlier than the Record Fair formally opened on Friday morning. There will need to have been 100 folks ready for these doorways to open.
And you may’t blame them, as AXPONA presents a splendid alternative to get your paws on what are very often extraordinarily restricted editions of audiophile LPs, deluxe editions, uncommon vinyl, and new vinyl, together with imports. Some titles had been launched that very same week, and in lots of circumstances solely the early birds had been in a position to seize these titles earlier than they had been gone. Buying records at AXPONA can truly prevent some cash, as the choice for most individuals means buying LPs on-line, which provides transport prices—and by the point you find yourself with a tall pile of wax (as many individuals did) you’ve saved your self so much moola. Below you’ll see the multi-tasking Chad Kassem from Acoustic Sounds on the far proper, attempting to carry court docket and promote bunches of records shortly after the Record Fair opened its doorways. He’s a very good multitasker.
I returned to the Record Fair a number of occasions in the course of the occasion, and when issues slowed down a bit I had an opportunity to talk with totally different distributors. Lisa Rothe from Direct Audio instructed me that vinyl is turning into more and more fashionable with followers of mainstream nation, and an early chicken bought all of the present nation LPs from her, and presumably for resale. Lisa additionally knowledgeable me that MoFi’s 1-Step of Michael Jackson’s Thriller has been certainly one of her best-selling titles:
Tyson Hall from Music Direct instructed me that though they stocked the heck out of the brand new 2-LP 45rpm vinyl of Warren Zevon’s Excitable Boy, ultimately they offered out of all their copies. Also scorching off the press was MoFi’s 1-Step of Elvis Presley’s From Elvis In Memphis, a 1969 launch that noticed Elvis as soon as once more in high type.
Kevin Berg from Elusive Disc stated a very fashionable title was Saturday Night in San Francisco, which that was recorded the night time after 1981’s Friday Night in San Francisco however solely launched final 12 months on the Impex label. Song-wise there’s no overlap between the 2 nights, and Saturday options, amongst different issues, a scorching efficiency of “Meeting of the Spirits,” a John McLaughlin composition that initially appeared on the primary Mahavishnu Orchestra LP, The Inner Mounting Flame. Quite merely, Saturday Night in San Francisco is a will need to have.
It’s all the time good to see Delmark Records on the occasion, as they’re a historic label with previous and new blues and jazz titles and they hail from Chicago. The CEO of Delmark, Julia Miller is seen right here holding a reel-to-reel tape of the Junior Wells basic, Hoodoo Man Blues.
AXPONA additionally presents an opportunity to fulfill musicians and advertising and marketing reps. Jazz singer and pianist Anne Bisson wore each of these hats this 12 months, performing a well-attended and well-received reside live performance on Friday night time and signing copies of her audiophile vinyl in the course of the day.
Along with taking part in harp, Isabeau Corriveau offered copies of her records within the foyer. Singer-songwriter Amber Rubarth carried out on Saturday night time. Also, Bob James signed copies of his reside trio album Feel Like Makin’ Live, on the Hong Kong-based Evosound label.
The founding father of Impex Records, Abey Fonn, held some talks the place, together with Nick Getz, the son of Stan Getz, she mentioned an upcoming 1-Step of Getz/Gilberto. Abey was additionally a part of a panel dialogue with Shane Boettner from Intervention Records, Julia Miller from Delmark, Chad Kassem from Acoustic Sounds/Analogue Productions, and Michael Fremer. The group mentioned the do’s and don’ts of remastering—and they need to know, as they’re all within the trenches.
The sorts of discussions and experiences described right here actually helped spherical out AXPONA, as, in the long run, it’s our love for music that makes us wish to hear recordings on great-sounding stereos.
The put up The 2023 AXPONA Show: Jeff Wilson on the Music appeared first on The Absolute Sound.
If BorderPatrol Audio Electronics, Triode Wire Labs, and Volti Audio are maybe higher generally known as the Three Amigos. Or as I prefer to name them, the Three Musketeers. And that makes their regular fourth, Innuos, maybe […]