The vinyls. Remember those? Seems like I haven’t received a lot of vinyl to review in the last couple of months. I had a reader comment not too long ago that I should limit the Vinyl Anachronist music reviews to just LPs if I’m going to give this column that name. Deep down, I keep the name because it’s a continuation of my blog, which I just recently discontinued, and an extension of this persona I created back in 1998. But I agree with you. YES, I should limit this column to LPs. But I can’t because most artists who are just starting out, or in a very insular genre such as contemporary jazz, don’t have the money right now to send LPs all over the place hoping for reviews–hence the preponderance of CDs and digital downloads. I wish I received that many LPs for review, that daily front porch squeal of delight, especially since I’m running out of room for all these CDs. That doesn’t excuse my neglect when it comes to this LP, Squarewave’s Hazy. I’d forgotten all about it. I didn’t see it until a few days ago, when finally some more review LPs arrived. I said uh-oh, […]
Tag Archives: thurston moore
Why in the world would I want to review the Rotel A14 (website), an integrated amplifier with DAC and phono stage and headphone amplifier all sorts of features for just $1500? What is this, 1985? Am I still in college looking for an optimal amplification match for my Snell Type Js? Look over there, on the racks and around the listening room. I’ve got $10K worth of Rowland over here, and $25K worth of prime Pureaudio amplification over there. I should be set, ready to go, ready to review turntables or speaker cables or something else other than amplification. But when I got the chance to review the Rotel A14, I jumped at the chance. Again, why? Because I love doing reviews on gear from companies I know well, the brands that convinced me to fall head over heels with this hobby so many years ago. If you haven’t noticed, I love telling those stories. I love talking about my hi-fi history. Some guy in an elevator in 1992 who turns out to be Jeff Joseph and 28 years later I finally get to review his speakers. Meeting Colleen Cardas for the first time at CES—I remember meeting her, […]