Amphion Argon1 Loudspeakers

Details: Written by Sathyan Sundaram; Created: 15 November 2020

For more than two decades, Amphion has designed and built loudspeakers in Kuopio, Finland. Their stated goal is to offer affordable speakers for the home and the recording studio that are sonically truthful rather than imposing on the music any sort of “house sound,” and that are also of timelessly tasteful appearance.

Christine and the Queens: "La Vita Nuova"

Details: Written by Joseph Taylor; Created: 15 November 2020

Because Music 6508400
Format: CD

Musical Performance

Sound Quality

Overall Enjoyment

Of all the recordings I’ve reviewed over the last few years, I’ve returned to the 2018 Christine and the Queens album Chris most often. Christine and the Queens is Héloïse Adelaïde Letissier, a French singer-songwriter, dancer, and producer. The songs on Chris are well written, intelligently arranged, and powerfully performed. I probably should have given it at least a four-star rating, and I’m not alone in holding it in high regard. The Guardian named it album of the year for 2018 and Time picked “Girlfriend,” a single from Chris, as the year’s best single.

There and Back Again

Details: Written by Hans Wetzel; Created: 01 November 2020

Wikipedia defines the term ghosting thusly: “A colloquial term used to describe the practice of ceasing all communication and contact with a partner, friend, or similar individual without any apparent warning or justification.” As a matter of principle, ghosting is not something I’d do. As I explained in this feature on our sister site SoundStage! Ultra back in mid-2019, I just needed a change. It wasn’t you, it was me. But to be clear, I’m just making a cameo appearance here as the search continues for a permanent steward and champion for SoundStage! Access.

GoldenEar Technology Bookshelf Reference X Loudspeakers

Details: Written by Diego Estan; Created: 01 November 2020

Note: Measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council can be found through this link.

GoldenEar Technology, founded in 2010 by Sandy Gross and Don Givogue, is known for offering superb-sounding, high-value loudspeakers based on, er, sound engineering principles. Recently, GoldenEar was sold to the Quest Group, run by Bill Low, which also owns AudioQuest, a company that sells mostly speaker cables, interconnects, and power-related products.

Joan Osborne: "Trouble and Strife"

Details: Written by Joseph Taylor; Created: 01 November 2020

Womanly Hips Music 50481CD
Format: CD

Musical Performance

Sound Quality

Overall Enjoyment

With her new album, Trouble and Strife, Joan Osborne joins the growing number of her musical peers who have been moved to address current events. This album doesn’t display the unbridled anger that drives some protest records. Instead, Osborne gives us glimpses of people whose stories help to make her points. Osborne’s first collection of new songs since Love and Hate (2014) is also ear-catching, with engaging melodies and solid hooks.

Focal Chora 826-D / Chora Center / Sub 1000 F Home-Theater Speaker System

Details: Written by Vince Hanada; Created: 15 October 2020

Though best known for such premium luxury speakers as the models populating its Utopia and Sopra lines, France’s Focal offers speakers in many price categories. In September 2019, Focal introduced the Chora line with the release of the 806 minimonitor and the 816 and 826 floorstanders. The Choras comprise Focal’s newest series of affordable speakers, slotting between the Aria 900 and Chorus 700 lines. The Choras’ main-speaker prices start at $990/pair (all prices USD), for the Chora 806.

The Psychedelic Furs: "Made of Rain"

Details: Written by Joseph Taylor; Created: 15 October 2020

Cooking Vinyl COOKCD762
Format: CD

Musical Performance

Sound Quality

Overall Enjoyment

I approached Made of Rain, the first album released by the Psychedelic Furs since 1991’s World Outside, with the expectation of reliving a time when I had a full head of hair and was enjoying the synth-heavy, processed-guitar pop of the late ’80s and early ’90s. In other words, when MTV still showed music videos. Expecting that kind of nostalgia from the Furs isn’t really fair, and the good news is that the album itself avoids being a faint echo of past glories.

How to Assemble a Quality Hi-Fi System for About $1500

Details: Written by Vince Hanada; Created: 01 October 2020

Putting together a quality audio system for $1500 (all prices USD) is easy. It’s also hard. For audiophiles on a budget -- people like me -- these days it’s easy to find high-quality audio components for not much money. But today there are so many high-quality components that it’s hard to narrow down the choices.

Sonus Faber Lumina III Loudspeakers

Details: Written by Diego Estan; Created: 01 October 2020

Note: Measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council can be found through this link.

Italy’s Sonus Faber has a well-earned, decades-old reputation for producing speakers that not only sound great, but are some of the most beautiful and luxurious-looking in the world. Unfortunately, not every audiophile has pockets deep enough to experience the upper echelons of Sonus Faber’s model range.

Bill Frisell: "Valentine"

Details: Written by Joseph Taylor; Created: 01 October 2020

Blue Note Records B003216902
Format: CD

Musical Performance

Sound Quality

Overall Enjoyment

In July, during the fourth month of the pandemic, a video showed up in my Facebook feed. It was a live performance by guitarist Bill Frisell’s current trio, with Thomas Morgan on bass and Rudy Royston on drums. They were outside on the porch of a house in Brooklyn, wearing face masks and playing, appropriately, the great Bacharach and David tune “What the World Needs Now Is Love.” Folks from the neighborhood were sitting on lawn chairs, enjoying the chance, rare these days, to hear live music.