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Audio News for March 31, 2017

by | Mar 31, 2017 | Audio News

Google & Sony Collaborate to Bring Hi-Res to Android – The new Android Nougat has over 30 new features and about 250 bug fixes so every Andriod mobile user will benefit from Google. Bluetooth is reliable but not hi-res yet, so Sony lent its LDAC wireless audio coding tech to Android O. This is the same technology already in the Sony sound bar, Walkman NW-ZX2, and Sony Glass Sound Speaker. It can transfer data at about three times better than Bluetooth, and allows for efficent coding and optimized packetzation for an impressive sound quality. Google has already added this tech to their AOSP base code so developers can take advantage of it. The goal is to have hi-res streaming on your smart phone whether it’s a Sony or not. UK Ban on Carrying Laptops and Tablets on Inbound Flights Could be Extended to All Flights –  Passengers can no longer carry large electronic devices on inbound flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. It would theoretically stop terrorists from physically triggering a bomb concealed in a laptop. It follows a similar measure announced by U.S. authorities affecting flights originating in a longer list of mainly Muslim countries. […]

Audio News for September 20, 2016

by | Sep 20, 2016 | Audio News

Amazon’s Echo is Taking Over the World – The $180 small cylindrical speaker is much more than that, and there is a new $50 version called the Dot which can also be used with existing audio systems, and software which keeps multiple units from answering your voice commands. Amazon is building its Alexa army, tied in somehow with Kindel (which the company itself spells Kindel but Amazon insists on spelling it Kindle). Alexa is a plug-and-play hardware now integrated with Lutron and Creston, and Nucleus has a home video intercom device with Alexa built in. Echo is controlled by your voice, and streams music from top services via its 360-degree mono omni-directional audio. It can hear you even on top of music playing and from across the room. It can answer questions, read audiobooks, give the news, info on local businesses etc. It can control lights, switches, and thermostats on smart home devices. Things are constantly being developed to expand what it does. One observer called the virtual assistant the closest thing to a Star Trek computer available today. (But an audio club member complained that the speaker part is mono and has no bass end.) BBC Radio 3 Observes […]

The Night Manager (6 Episodes), Blu-ray (2016)

The Night Manager (6 Episodes), Blu-ray (2016)

by | Sep 11, 2016 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

A really thrilling six-episode miniseries based on a John le Carré spy novel. The Night Manager (6 Episodes), Blu-ray (2016) Cast: Hugh Laurie, Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman Director: Susanne Bier Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent. 47778 (8/30/16) [2 Blu-rays] Video: 1.78:1 for 16:9 screens, HD color Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 Subtitles: English, English SDH, French English Soundtrack for the Hearing Impaired Length: TT: 361 min. Rating: ***** This six-part miniseries was originally telecast on the BBC and is a thrilling spy story with great acting, cinematography and production. This Blu-ray duo is labeled “Uncensored Edition,” so there are evidently some portions that the BBC considered unsuitable for airing. For some time only the first two of the six episodes were available to those outside of the UK. It begins with a rather reserved English night manager at a fancy hotel in Cairo, Jonathan Pine. The mistress of a noted Arab person in the hotel has him make copies for her of some papers which incriminate a supposed charitable leader who is actually using his charitable organization for refugees as a cover for his actual business of being an international arms dealer and according to at least one person “the worst […]

SAINT-SAENS: Music for Piano Duo and Duet, Vol. One = Martin Jones & Adrian Farmer, p. – Nimbus

SAINT-SAENS: Music for Piano Duo and Duet, Vol. One = Martin Jones & Adrian Farmer, p. – Nimbus

by | Sep 4, 2016 | Classical CD Reviews

A deliciously joyful collection of four-hand work to complement your Saint-Saens library. SAINT-SAENS: Music for Piano Duo and Duet, Vol. One = Tarantelle, Op. 6; Duettino in G Major, Op. 11; Le Rouet d’Omphale, Op. 31; Koenig Harald Harfagar, Op. 59; Septet: Menuet & Gavotte; Polonaise, Op. 77; Feuillet d’album, Op. 81; Berceuse, Op. 105; Scherzo, Op. 87; Pas redouble in B-flat Major, Op. 86 – Martin Jones & Adrian Farmer, pianos – Nimbus Alliance NI 5940 65:35 (8/12/16) [www.wyastone.co.uk] ****: This recording (May & October 2015) presents the first of two volumes of original compositions and arrangements for piano duo and duet by Camille Saint-Saëns. This program offers the substantial Scherzo, Op. 87 and Polonaise, Op. 77 for two pianos, alongside a number of smaller works for two pianos and piano four hands. Saint-Saens (1835-1921)himself re-cast several of his chamber music compositions for piano-duo performance, as in his 1857 Tarantelle, Op. 6.  Typically, this composer’s music enjoys the brio of life, its sparkle and elan. Playful clarity combines with serenity in craft and security of expression. The other significant chamber music arrangement, from the 1880 Septet, Op. 65, arranges the staid Menuet & Gavotte in liquid tones. Two orchestral […]

Audio News for June 21, 2016

by | Jun 21, 2016 | Audio News

Bowie Classical Tribute Scheduled – Glastonbury in the UK will have a tribute concert for the late David Bowie tomorrow. Philip Glass will conduct his 1966 orchestral work Heroes Symphony which was a tribute to the 1977 Bowie album Heroes. The music will be backed by an immersive light and laserworks show by Chris Levine. Surface Hub Videos Focus on Music Notation, Product Planning, and More –  Microsoft’s Surface Hub has been on sale to customers for a few month. They have decided to highlight some documented real world application and hardware use cases in a series of YouTube videos. They focus on third party software on the Surface Hub doing music notation with StaffPad, collaborative creation with Drawboard, and Video looping with TechSmith Loop. LeEco Bringing Its Phones and Video Streaming to U.S. – This fall LeEco, which has launched hi-end affordable Android phones outside of the U.S., will be bring them into the U.S.  Their phones are light and will be sold unlocked. The company is currently securing the rights to live and recorded U.S. video content, and their handsets will support other streaming services as well. The phones have solid specs and affordable price tags. Is MQA […]

Audio News for March 18, 2016

by | Mar 18, 2016 | Audio News

UK Audio Company Pure has Three All-In-One Music Systems; WBIR.com Has Feature on a $200 Home Theater; Stewart Filmscreen Introduces Acoustically Transparent Material; Wireless and Hi-Res Audio Grabs Market Share; Nielsen Company’s Year-End Report on Music

Groundhogs – Scratching The Surface – Liberty /Parlophone /Pure Pleasure – vinyl

Groundhogs – Scratching The Surface – Liberty /Parlophone /Pure Pleasure – vinyl

by | Mar 1, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Groundhogs – Scratching The Surface – Liberty /Parlophone LBS 83199/Pure Pleasure PPAN LBS 83199 stereo vinyl, 44:03 ****: Obscure British band’s debut is released on audiophile vinyl. (Tony McPhee – guitar, vocals; Steve Rye – harmonica vocals; Pete Cruikshank – bass; Ken Pustelnik – drums) British Blues developed into a marketable brand in the 1960s. The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Long John Baldry and Savoy Brown led a vanguard that respected the American musical genre. These bands played with veteran blues acts in England and eventually re-introduced (and in some cases, introduced) blues music to younger audiences in the U.S. Many of these British bands modified their sound to assimilate into the mod, psychedelic scene. Like their American mentors, they learned that it is difficult to get rich playing the blues. One of the lesser-known British blues standard-bearers was Groundhogs. Formed in 1963, the group built a fan base, touring extensively for over five years. Finally signed by Liberty records, they recorded their first album, Scratching The Surface in 1968. Groundhogs continued to perform and record, but never garnered the commercial success of their UK counterparts. Albums like Thank Christ For The Bomb (1970) and […]

Audio News for March 10, 2015

by | Mar 10, 2015 | Audio News

Simon Rattle Also Appointed Music Director of LSO; Latest Sonos Update is a Leap Forward; DTS Challenges Sonos in Wireless Music; Sony Electronics U.S. Shutting Down Most Standalone Stores; How to Improve Your Voice on Audio Chats

Audio News for February 13, 2015

by | Feb 13, 2015 | Audio News

B&O Improves Home Automation Integration; Nine Atmos-Enabled Blu-rays Now Out; Dish Targets DirecTV Subscribers; Samsung Response to Smart-TV Privacy Concerns; Onkyo Music Store Now in Operation; Russound Launches KNX Interface

Audio News for May 9, 2014

by | May 9, 2014 | Audio News

Consumer Demand for Apps; CEA Asks Senate for Patent Reform; Enhancement of Sharp’s Smart TVs; UK Survey Shows Youth Buying Physical Format Music But Don’t Listen to Them