Unboxing Monitor Audio's Silver 300 7G Loudspeakers

Details: Written by Dennis Burger; Created: 15 January 2022

I’m not sure why, but there’s always something particularly exciting to me about unboxing a new pair of tower speakers. Maybe it’s because it’s the only unboxing process that feels like an undressing—I don’t know. Or perhaps it’s just the extra effort involved. If I had to bet, though, I’d guess it has something to do with that first fleeting instant of discovery—that moment when you figure out which side goes up and what accessories greet you upon first popping the tape and opening the cardboard flaps.

King Crimson: "Music Is Our Friend (Live in Washington and Albany, 2021)"

Details: Written by Joseph Taylor; Created: 15 January 2022

Discipline Global Mobile DGM5022
Format: CD

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The current lineup of seven musicians who make up King Crimson has been touring, off and on, since 2013, with minor personnel changes. Although this version of the band hasn’t released any studio recordings, its life as a touring group has been well documented in a series of live albums released through Discipline Global Mobile, the label overseen by Crimson’s guitarist and leader, Robert Fripp. Music Is Our Friend (Live in Washington and Albany, 2021) is the latest of these releases.

Should You Buy More Amplifier or More Speaker Than You Need?

Details: Written by Dennis Burger; Created: 01 January 2022

I envision a day in the not-too-distant future when the average audiophile loudspeaker will be active, not passive, and will have built-in amplifiers and DSP optimally matched to the drivers, ensuring the entire speaker safely performs to its fullest potential. But we’re not there yet. So if you’re new to the world of hi-fi and looking to build a component stereo system, one of the most critical purchasing decisions you have ahead of you is selecting the right amp and speakers for your needs.

Pro-Ject Audio Systems X1 Turntable with Sumiko Oyster Olympia Cartridge

Details: Written by Thom Moon; Created: 01 January 2022

Reviewers' Choice In September 2020, SoundStage! publisher Doug Schneider wrote about the Pro-Ject Audio Systems X1 turntable in his “System One” column on SoundStage! Hi-Fi. His headline posed the following question: “Perfection from Pro-Ject for under $1000?” His review never quite answered that, but he liked the X1 so much he recommended that another SoundStage! reviewer buy one.

The Grip Weeds: "DiG"

Details: Written by Joseph Taylor; Created: 01 January 2022

Jem Records PSL 1025
Format: LP

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The Grip Weeds have been making great rock’n’roll for nearly 30 years now, writing and performing music that shows a reverence for the great bands of the ’60s and early ’70s. Their songs contain hints of everyone from The Who to Paul Revere & The Raiders, but the band’s recordings are strong enough to stand on their own. Despite their affection for an earlier period in pop-music history, the Grip Weeds don’t sound retro. They make music that is fresh and vital.

Thorens TD 402 DD Turntable with Audio-Technica AT-VM95E Cartridge

Details: Written by Thom Moon; Created: 15 December 2021

Thorens is an old company given new life by CEO Gunter Kürten, once with Denon and a former CEO of Elac. Founded in 1883, Thorens made its first record player in 1903, its first electrically driven turntable in 1928, and its iconic TD 124 turntable in 1957. The TD 124 became a standard in its time as a result of its many innovations. First, it used an unusual belt/idler drive: the motor drove the belt, which drove the idler, which caused the platter to spin; this system reduced rumble. An unusual suspension system made it nearly impervious to shock, and it had a built-in stroboscope, which, in conjunction with a ±6% pitch control, gave it outstanding speed control. It also came with a spirit level on its top plate that made leveling easier. And it had a unique clutch assembly that provided nearly instantaneous start and stop, which made the TD 124 popular with radio stations, where tight cueing was critical.

My Morning Jacket: "My Morning Jacket"

Details: Written by Joseph Taylor; Created: 15 December 2021

ATO Records ATO 0573
Format: CD

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After releasing The Waterfall in 2015, My Morning Jacket went on hiatus. Guitarist and singer Jim James released five solo albums, guitarist Carl Broemel completed two solo projects, and other members of the Louisville, Kentucky, band found their own ways to keep busy. My Morning Jacket regrouped to play a small number of live shows over the last couple of years, and compiled unreleased material from the sessions for the earlier album for The Waterfall II in 2020.

Speakers or Headphones?

Details: Written by Dennis Burger; Created: 01 December 2021

Not to bore you too much with the sausage-making process, but what follows is not the article I originally intended to write this month. The goal here was to author an introductory article for budding audio enthusiasts who probably already have a lot of experience listening to headphones but perhaps don’t know what they get—and what they give up—when moving to a proper component stereo system.

Emotiva BasX TA1 Stereo Receiver

Details: Written by Dennis Burger; Created: 01 December 2021

Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click this link.

I should state right up front that I have absolutely no experience in marketing or product branding, so take everything that follows in this and the next paragraph with the appropriate dosage of salt. Hear me out, though. Imagine if Apple or Amazon or Roku—or any consumer electronics company whose name rolls off the tongue of your average consumer—developed a product like Emotiva’s “BasX TA1 Stereo Preamp/DAC/Tuner with Integrated Amplifier” ($549, all prices USD).

Det Norske Jentekor/Tord Gustavsen: "Stille grender"

Details: Written by Joseph Taylor; Created: 01 December 2021

2L 2L-164-SABD
Format: Hybrid SACD, Pure Audio Blu-ray

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It’s not exactly news that the COVID-19 pandemic threw things into confusion, and one of its impacts was on the delivery of mail. The US Postal Service’s own internal issues compounded this with further delays and backlogs. Near the end of January 2021, I received a holiday disc that had been released in November 2020 by 2L, a Norwegian audiophile label. Normally, I wouldn’t review a disc that has been available for a year, but Stille grender is a collection that is worthy of your attention at this time of year.