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Audio News for August 26, 2016

by | Aug 26, 2016 | Audio News

Sony Is Advertising a Hi-Res Turntable – There cannot be such a thing as a hi-res turntable. It may be designed to convert vinyl discs to audio files, but it is not therefore hi-res. Vinyl may often sound fantastic, but it is not hi-res and never will be. Post-iPod Players – Both new and experienced audio fans are flocking to hi-res audio players for music while on the go. Rather than the old-fashioned MP3 players like Apple’s iPod, they have sophisticated electronics such as DACs, making them capable of reproducing hi-res audio that the iPod cannot handle. The hi-res mobile players have also become cheaper and more feature-packed recently. Hi-res correctly refers to anything in digital audio files which is more than the standard 44.1K/16-bit of compact discs. (The current low-end hi-res is considered to be 48K/24-bit.) The bit depth is usually pushed up to 24-bits and the sampling to at least 96K, which results in clearer, richer and more authentic audio. Enthusiasts sometimes compare hi-res audio to so-called 4K video (actually UHD) in terms of better sound quality, clarity, and authentic audio. Such players now range from $150 to $6000. Tracks can be streamed via services like Tidal and […]

Audio News for April 8, 2016

by | Apr 8, 2016 | Audio News

DTS iHeartRadio Streaming – DTS has announced that their iHeartRadio streaming is now available on their DTS Play-Fi app on both iOS and Android devices. It allows streaming music over an existing home Wi-Fi network in high quality lossless audio from smartphones, tablets or computers. Sources, speakers and audio components from different manufacturers interoperate seamlessly in an open ecosystem. New Movie Studio Efforts to Improve Ticket Sales – Hollywood has has terrible ticket sales recently – last year the industry sold the lowest number of tickets since 1995. Analysts say this is from a combination of a weak economy and the many new home entertainment options. TV viewership is dismal especially among the millennials, meaning bad news for advertisers. So studios like Warner and Fox are using experiential mobile marketing and taking their messages directly to the people on cross-country movie tours. One uses a 53-foot expandable trailer from Cinetransformer, that converts into a complete mobile cinema, providing a unique movie-going experience. Studios screen their feature films several times a day, and let audiences have a sneak peek at 3D or 4K bits ahead of a picture’s release date. Even on the highway, the trucks serve as moving billboards. New […]

Audio News for January 12, 2016

by | Jan 12, 2016 | Audio News

Three Important B’s of Music Die – Paul Bley was a Canadian pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing. Bley was a fanstistic jazz pianist and a long-time resident of the United States. He died last week at age 83. Pierre Boulez was a French composer, conductor, writer and pianist. He was also the founder and director of the Paris based Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique. He made many acclaimed recordings and was a titan of contemporary music. He died last week at age 90. Pop performer and song-writer David Bowie has died at age 69 after an 18-month battle with cancer. He taught generations of musicians about the power of drama, images and personas, and was also a noted actor in films. He had just released his last album on his 69th birthday, Blackstar, with a jazz quartet. Sony Introduces PS-HX500 “Hi-Res” Turntable – At CES Sony is showing a new turntable system directed toward audiophiles, collectors and connoisseurs. It can convert the analog files off vinyl to either Sony’s propietary DSD format or 96K/24-bit WAV audio files, and feed out via […]

Home Page for February 2014

Home Page for February 2014

by | Feb 1, 2014 | Home Page

Our drawing for February is for six of the new audiophile vinyl pressings of jazz vocalist Gregory Porter’s 2010 album Water. (His new album Liquid Spirit just won the GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Album of the Year.) The 11 songs are based on themes of love and protest. He’s been said to be stylistically similar to the late Gregory Hines, with phrasing like Stevie Wonder, enunciation like Kurt Elling, and using techniques of singers like Jimmy Witherspoon and Joe Williams. All you need to do (besides owning a turntable system) is to register on our simple form this month; we will not share your email with anyone. The six lucky winners will be announced on our Editorial Page next month and you’ll find more details there this month. Our Best Discs of 2013 are published now.

Audio News for October 4, 21013

by | Oct 4, 2013 | Audio News

Sony Confirms “Mastered in 4K” Blu-ray Titles; Yamaha Hi-Res Desktop System; Limited Edition of Sondek LP12 Turntable; DTS and Deezer to Offer Pop Music Subscription Service; Home Audio Myths