News / Articles

Published On 2/19/2023

Rick Rubin seems to be everywhere in the news these days, even on one of my favorite websites, BIG THINK. As one of the most successful and sought after music producers alive, in this article he shares a little about he approaches the creative process when working with an artist.

Published On 11/23/2015

SFAS member and Dean of the Berkeley Hi-Fi School Roger Modjeski is offering a basic electronics class in 5 Sunday afternoon sessions, starting Nov. 29th.

The Return of the Vinyl Album

Published On 3/30/2015

Our upcoming analogue event on April 18th is well-timed to reflect the changing habits of music-lovers away from listening to single after single on a shuffle setting on a smart device, to the experience of hearing an entire album from beginning to end and really feeling the artist’s intention for the album.

All Things Record Cleaning

Published On 6/30/2025

Kurt Morgan covers all the ways to keep your vinyl collection in tip top shape. From the basics of brushes, anti-static devices, record cleaning fluids and record sleeves. Kurt surveys devices from the humble Spin-Clean to mega-bucks Record Cleaning Systems. We cover possible ways to restore damaged records, and things to never do to your precious recordings.

Audiophile Streaming in 2025

Published On 6/30/2025

David Snyder describes problems he‘s seen in network streaming, their solutions, and his recommendations for topologies that support reliable, high-performance streaming.

Published On 6/30/2025

What is old becomes new again? This is certainly true for Field Coil Drivers. Early speaker designs relied on Field Coils (electromagnets) instead of permanent magnets as the motor that powers the electrical signals from an amplifier to the sound we hear in the room. When the technology of permanent magnets matured in the 1940s and became cost effective, Field Coil drivers were largely abandoned.

Published On 7/29/2024

The Audiophile Foundation presents a virtual meeting with Jason Stoddard of Schiit Audio, talking about his company, their approach to design and development, what's new and hopefully many other Schiity subjects.

2025 Muse Reader Survey Results

Published On 8/31/2025

Survey results

Published On 4/30/2025

This survey was generated to determine the satisfaction level of attendees of our weekly Happy Hour Zoom Zoom call, and to look for changes that would improve the overall experience for all attendees.

2024 Live Music Event Survey Results

Published On 12/31/2024

48 members responded to our Music Event Survey. The results will show a chart of the overall winner and a summary of all responses submitted.

2024 DIY Class Survey Results

Published On 3/31/2024

As part of our ongoing Educational Initiative a survey was sent on February 27, 2024 to our membership to determine the level of interest in future DIY courses offered by the Foundation. This article summarizes the results of the survey.

2023 Muse Reader Survey Results

Published On 12/27/2023

Summary results of the 2023 Muse Reader Survey.

Published On 10/30/2021

Dear SFAS members,

We recently sent out a survey to gather your input regarding the San Francisco Audiophile Foundation’s proposed Hi-Fi museum and the number of responses was somewhat underwhelming.

Results of SFAS 2014 Member Survey

Published On 2/26/2015

Results of SFAS 2014 Member Survey

Recap of 2024 February Member Meeting

Published On 2/27/2024

Summary of information presented and feedback collected from Foundation members.

Published On 8/24/2015

Here are a few of the many responses from members regarding the Michael Fremer event on Saturday.

Published On 7/15/2015

Our Loudspeaker event with Albert Von Schweikert at Joe and Debbie Hakim’s home in the South Bay was loads of fun! Everyone I spoke with so far agrees with that. And, as always in audiophile circles, some members loved the sound and some kinda sorta liked it, but not so much. Here’s what some attendees shared:

SFJAZZ Event: Comments From Attendees

Published On 3/5/2015

Comments from Attendees at our Inaugural Event with SFJAZZ, Sunday March 1st 2015

Event Attendees Respond!

Published On 11/18/2014

Here are some excerpts of responses from SFAS members who attended Audio Day in Wine Country

Published On 8/1/2026

Join local luminaries Nicholas McGegan, Cantata Collective Orchestra and Chorus and San Francisco Girls Chorus in an immersive presentation of Part 1 of J.S. Bach's monumental Matthew passion. This work is noted for requiring a double orchestra and double chorus, thus creating an ideal opportunity for an immersive listening experience. AES member David v.R. Bowles produced and engineered this recording, drawing on his research in 3D audio recording, developed in conjunction with NYU Steinhardt faculty.

Published On 12/1/2025

Updates to improve the usability and appearance of our ClubExpress website platform are coming. These changes are designed to make your experience faster and more intuitive. Existing features and functionality will not change.

The first phase of these changes will take effect on December 8th, 2025. ClubExpress will announce more updates in early 2026.

Here is a partial list of ClubExpress pages and functions that will change:

- The Member Log-in Process
- The Members Sign-Up Process
- The Member Profile Page
- Search Results

Published On 6/20/2025

Radio Day by the Bay 2025 returns bigger than ever on July 19 at the California Historical Radio Society’s Radio Central in Alameda. This annual festival celebrates both the golden age of radio and the future of broadcasting with a full day of live entertainment, historical presentations, and hands-on activities.

Legendary Station Celebration

Published On 4/27/2025

The Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame (BARHOF) and the California Historical Radio
Society (CHRS) honor and pay tribute to KEEN’s legacy and all the people who
made KEEN a cherished part of Bay Area radio history.

Broadcasting and Media Summer Camp

Published On 4/27/2025

Join us for an incredible week at the CHRS Broadcasting & Media Camp! This unique program offers students grades 6-10 the chance to learn from seasoned industry professionals. Collaborate with peers to create and produce content using professional and vintage recording equipment. Develop your skills in crafting engaging segments tailored to specific audiences and distribution platforms.

Published On 5/7/2024

Never under estimate the importance of cartridge alignment for proper vinyl playback! Here's an article both for folks that own a WallyScope or own a USB microscope to achieve correct stylus rake angle:

For those of you who like to "do it yourself" rather than send your cartridge in to WAM Engineering for a full analysis, we have updated the WallyScope instructions to help you strike a better balance between SRA and VTA. As with all WallyTools, the instructions are downloadable from the product page.

SFAF Rebranding Campaign

Published On 3/19/2024

We are pleased to announce the kickoff of our Audiophile Foundation rebranding campaign. The rollout of the new Audiophile Foundation logo is the beginning of our transformation from local audiophile group to national audiophile community.

Member's System of The Month

Published On 3/15/2024

Member System of The Month

We are kicking off what we hope will be a new monthly feature in our newsletter, namely, a Member System of The Month. After all, this is your monthly newsletter!

We will start this month with Foundation Member Robert Brook’s system. All YOU need to do to get your system featured is create a post on our Member’s System Forum Page. Include a list of the components in your system and as much detail as you would like, room dimensions, cables, tweaks, etc.. And at least one picture.

John Curl Awards Banquet

Published On 10/17/2023

John Curl Award Presentation

The Audiophile Foundation is pleased to alert our readership that this year on December 3rd, our beloved John Curl will receive the 4th Annual George and Carolyn Counnas Innovation Award during the LAOCAS 30th Anniversary Gala.

Published On 11/25/2019

Ed Yang will be teaching a build your own tube amplifier class at the Randall Museum in San Francisco.

By popular demand I will be teaching a second session of the Randall IV amp for the tube audio DIY class at San Francisco’s Randall Museum. Beware that this is not your run of the mill EL84 stereo amplifier. The goals of the amp is sound as close to a live performance as possible, keep the cost down, minimize component count so that it will be easier to build, must look pleasing both inside and out.

Published On 3/22/2017

It is my great pleasure to announce one of the most exciting events of the year: Stereophile’s senior contributing editor and editor of AnalogPlanet.com Michael Fremer is coming to SFAS!

Published On 12/11/2016

This past weekend was the SFAS debut of our System Audition Events, also known as Sys-Hops. I wasn’t sure there would be too much hopping since the five systems available for members to audition were spread out pretty far from each other… well, I was wrong. There was a lot of hopping around the Bay Area!

Published On 7/26/2016

This Saturday, our joint event with Michael Woods at Elite Audio is drawing a lot of attention! Is it the great gear, the audio illuminati attending… or is it his awesome high-end great-sounding coffee bar? Probably all the above.

Event Postponement Feedback

Published On 5/17/2016

A big “Thank you” to the 40 or so members (so far) who wrote in with comments regarding our postponement of a scheduled event. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, scroll down to the bolded text to read what I wrote to members regarding postponement of our May “budget Audio” event.

Published On 5/15/2016

Join us for our next event on May 28th:
The Giant Slayers –
At this gathering in Berkeley, we will be exploring and actually configuring budget systems with many components that perform way above their price point.

Published On 4/14/2016

oin us on April 30th for an event that will help members find their way through the complexities and potential of Music Servers. This exploration will be led by our newest Executive Team member, Joe Hakim, SFAS’ very own audio engineer and Mad Scientist.

Published On 3/7/2016

The upcoming Room Correction Event with Audio Engineer, Manny LaCarrubba is currently sold out.

DAC Smackdown #2 Event

Published On 2/27/2016

Our second DAC Smackdown event was a great success! We had a full house of members, including those selected to bring their own DACs to participate in the fun.

Our First ‘Deep Listening’ Event

Published On 1/27/2016

Our January 30th event will be all about the music as we listen to the Grateful Dead’s seminal 1970 releases,Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty, on fresh copies of Mobile Fidelity’s recent 45 RPM numbered releases.

The SFAS Audiophile Educational Events

Published On 9/24/2015

The SFAS Audiophile Education Events are designed to offer all of our members the opportunity to be involved in compelling conversations, presentations and demonstrations directly with our industry’s most innovative thinkers ––

Published On 7/21/2015

If your audiophile journey has taken you through the wet concrete of the mystifying and sometimes tantrum-inducing task of setting up an analog music system, fear not, for help is coming.

Our First SFAS Analog Event!

Published On 4/2/2015

Our first analog event is a Phono-Stage Smackdown, on April 18th. You should have received the registration invitation last week via email.

Introducing the SFAS Concert Series

Published On 1/31/2015

The SFAS Concert Series, a collaboration with the SFJazz Center, has hit a chord with our members, so to speak. Our first event on March 1, 2015, a concert with jazz giant Taj Mahal, sold out in 4 hours.

Audio Day in Wine Country – Sold Out

Published On 10/27/2014

Sorry, this Event is Sold Out.

Published On 7/13/2014

This event is sold out.

Published On 5/17/2014

Our next event – the third in the BAAS Audio Gear Smackdown series, will be held on Saturday June 14 at 10:00AM at David Levine’s beautiful Belvedere home (I hear the view alone is enough to want to attend).

ABX Comparator Event?

Published On 5/12/2014

This is a request for direct feedback from you. Yes, this unit is potentially a game-changer for our industry – but unlike previous events, some of the audio gear we would be testing (power amps) may be more physically challenging to bring with you without hiring a moving company!

2014 Schedule of Events

Published On 3/31/2014

Here are our upcoming events in California for 2014. More may be added as we move through the year. We did our best to also avoid dates that conflict with audiophile events outside California, but no promises there.

Local Audio Happenings

Published On 3/22/2014

Coming up at Audio High in the South Bay (unfortunately right on my 54th birthday, so I don’t think my wife will be OK with my coming to this event), as well as at Elite Audio in SF, is a great and rare opportunity to meet an industry legend, Bob Stewart of Meridian Audio.

Published On 3/8/2014

Pun intended (more accurately, stolen from a conversation with Michael).

73 attendees at the Michael Fremer Turntable set-up seminar represented the largest gathering of any SFAS event to date. We broke the record (OK, I’ll stop now).

Local Audio Happenings

Published On 2/20/2014

Elite Audio

This Saturday, Feb 22, Gary Koh, designer and CEO for Genesis Advanced Technologies will be presenting the new Genesis 2.2 & G2jr line source speaker. Discussion to include product design,

Published On 2/16/2014

A BAAS MEMBER EVENT – Saturday, March 8, 2014 ))))) EVENT IS SOLD OUT (((((

Yes, this is the longest invitation sent by anyone,

Published On 3/29/2024

For as long as I can remember I've been drawn to recorded music and its reproduction. My father brought home a Japanese receiver, turntable, reel to reel and a pair of speakers from his military service in Taiwan. Thanks to him, we had music with reasonably good sound in our home throughout my childhood.

Power Delivery to Components

Published On 10/21/2023

Ori talks about improving power quality at the input of a component.

The Unheard Symphony of the Planet

Published On 8/27/2023

Using a tiny device called a Raspberry Shake, people around the world are tuning in to the earth’s vibrations.
Jan. 3, 2023

surfacing

Photographs by Peter Fisher

Philosophical Audiophilia (A NEW Blog)

Published On 7/23/2023

Philosophy is love of Wisdom. Audiophilia literally is love of sound.

My goal is to share my applied physics knowledge and understanding, my listening experience, and common sense with others through this blog to increase their pleasure in hearing recorded music.

Don Naples, A Profile, by Lory Hawley

Published On 2/19/2023

I have volunteered to be contribute articles to the Muse from time to time, I’ve been thinking about how it would be a great way for me to learn about some of the industry folks by reaching out to them for interviews, and find out a bit about who they are, and how they became involved in their part of the world of audio. In doing so, perhaps I will glean some interesting tidbits that others would enjoy reading about.

The Perfect Sound, A Memoir in Stereo

Published On 10/7/2022

A book report. The Perfect Sound, A Memoir in Stereo, by Garrett Hongo, poet, professor and audiophile.

Columbia Record Lable History

Published On 2/9/2022

Review of the history of Columbia Records.

Published On 7/24/2019

David interviews author Andrew Cartmel

Musical Instrument Museum – Phoenix, AZ

Published On 2/26/2019

Kevin explores a very cool museum of musical instruments.

SFAS Membership Poll Results

Published On 2/25/2019

Review of the 2019 membership poll

Published On 2/9/2019

Music revenues by format

CLASH OF THE TITANS: JRiver vs Roon

Published On 1/25/2019

David two digital streaming options.

Audiophile Society Origins

Published On 1/19/2019

Here's some history about the origins of the audiophile society in the San Francisco Bay Area.

New Equipment at The Shops at Hilltop

Published On 1/1/2019

Equipment at the Hilltop Mall in Richmond

Sys-hop – My Visit to Larry’s

Published On 12/27/2018

Dan talks about his listening session at Larry Deniston's comparing the Technics SL-1200G to the VPI Prime turntable.

Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2018

Published On 11/29/2018

Kevin shares his experience at the RMAF

Jana Dagdagan Pays a Visit

Published On 11/26/2018

Jana measures David Hick's vintage system

QoBuz Streaming Service Launch

Published On 9/28/2018

David discusses the launch of the Qobuz streaming service.

Recording Bloopers on Famous Albums

Published On 2/23/2017

Mistakes found on albums

Published On 12/10/2016

Manny discusses the pluses and minuses of ported subwoofers

Published On 10/27/2016

"If you don’t have a shared listening session on your calendar between now and the end of the year, I encourage you to make the effort to set one up."

So You Think Your Speakers Are Big?

Published On 8/26/2015

Fun pictures of amazing speakers and speaker projects

Published On 2/19/2015

Conveniently, a great article was just published by Alex Ross in the New Yorker on Meyer Sound, the company whose products and expertise SFJazz Center used to achieve their unique sound signature. Read and enjoy.

Is This The Future of Vacuum Tubes?

Published On 1/31/2015

A new, miniature tube has been developed, see story in the link.

Published On 10/22/2014

Dan offers us a good primer on maximizing enjoyment from our computer based music systems. He has some good insights that could help even some of you more seasoned computer audiophiles. Enjoy! Alón

Published On 10/7/2014

In what will be a dream come true for many Bay Area audiophiles, I am happy to report that industry veteran Roger Modjeski has opened a dedicated Hi-Fi School in Berkeley!

Now Bach to You

Published On 5/11/2014

Bob Walters introduces Bach to Alon

Digital Tools for Vinyl Addicts

Published On 3/29/2014

Audiophile Streaming Music. An oxymoron if I ever heard one… at least for now. One day, the internet pipes to our homes will be fat enough to provide something more than low rez background music. That said, is there a good reason to subscribe to one of these $10 a month music streaming services? Yes. Because if you’re a avid record shopper, it can save you money. Really. A lot.

Jared Sacks: DSD Present and Future

Published On 2/23/2014

SACD and DSD champion Jared Sacks, founder of Channel Classics, stopped by Casa Bellecci-Serinus in Oakland for an extended chat about the history of his label, recording in DSD, and his new NativeDSD.com download site. I started our conversation by asking Jared to share his history with music and the industry with Stereophile.

Published On 2/14/2014

HE EMERGED FROM THE METRO AT THE L’ENFANT PLAZA STATION AND POSITIONED HIMSELF AGAINST A WALL BESIDE A TRASH BASKET. By most measures, he was nondescript: a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money, swiveled it to face pedestrian traffic, and began to play.

One Track Mind

Published On 2/13/2014

If you could only pick one track to listen to, what would it be?

A Tribute to Alón Sagee, our Founder

Published On 6/24/2024

To read the full article and leave words of remembrance, please continue to Leslie Lundin's blog post "A Tribute to A Tribute to Alón Sagee."

In Memoriam: Gordon Burwell

Published On 5/1/2024

Gordon was truly one of a kind, and his absence leaves a palpable void in our community.

Michael Cuscuna 1948 - 2024

Published On 4/28/2024

Michael Cuscuna, a titan in the world of jazz, passed away on April 20, 2024, leaving behind a legacy that will resonate for generations.

Michael is survived by his wife Lisa, his children, Max and his wife Jackie, and Lauren, and two grandchildren, Nicolas and Penelope Cuscuna. His passing leaves a void in the hearts of all who knew him. May he rest in peace, and forever be remembered as he will be deeply missed.

Published On 10/22/2021

Henry (Hank) Mahler, a true motion picture and television engineering icon, passed away on Oct. 5, 2021 at the age of 84.

Published On 10/5/2021

I am heartbroken. Charlie Watts has died.

Rest In Peace Jim Forte

Published On 9/16/2021

SFAF member passes

A. J. Conti of Basis Audio

Published On 10/17/2016

We lost a good one . . .

Harry Pearson - In Memoriam

Published On 11/11/2014

Mourning the passing of Harry Pearson, one of the founding fathers of high-end audio

Published On 9/30/2024

Peter Jensen's autobiographical book "The Great Voice" tells of his early days with Valdemar Poulsen, who invented, among other things, the wire recorder and the first viable way of sending voice and music by radio waves, the arc transmitter. It was working for Poulsen that brought Peter Jensen to America when U.S. rights to the arc transmitter were acquired by a company that became the Federal Telegraph Company in Palo Alto.

Wax Heads on Steam

Published On 7/27/2024

We are alerting you to a demo of a game, no full release date yet, that you can try out for free on the Steam platform. If you are unfamiliar with steam, here is a short description.

Published On 6/29/2023

I have been thinking about why I love headphones. There are many reasons, including the fact that I don’t have to overcome the acoustic challenges of my room, or disturb anyone while listening to music, but the most sublime reason is the world of binaural recordings.

Discogs

Published On 12/26/2019

For those of you not familiar with it, Discogs is a free database for your physical media and much, much more. I have my entire vinyl collection stored on Discogs. It does take a little time to enter each album, but it’s a pretty simple process. Just enter the matrix number and select the appropriate release, mono/stereo, media (vinyl, CD, reel to reel, etc.).

Published On 5/22/2019

Interesting article about how frequencies from different musical instruments interact.

Published On 2/1/2026

The Audiophile Foundation is entering its next chapter with the same energy and purpose that have defined it all along. Former President Leslie Lundin announces the appointment of longtime contributor Jim Hunton as Interim President, highlighting his steady leadership, deep involvement in AF’s hands-on DIY events, and commitment to continuity, learning, and community. With Leslie’s signature passion still resonating and Jim focused on keeping the signal clean and the momentum strong, this transition is less about turning the volume down and more about adjusting the gain for what comes next.

Puppies and Kittens

Published On 12/27/2024

Who doesn’t smile at the mention of those magical words: puppies and kittens? Just thinking about them brings warmth to our hearts, spreading joy and making the world a better place. December feels like an entire month filled with that same puppy-and-kitten magic—a time for pure goodness, where giving for the sake of giving and doing good just to do good feels deeply rewarding. It’s about that heartwarming feeling you get when you selflessly make someone else’s day a little brighter, expecting nothing in return except maybe the glow of having done something meaningful.

Become a Volunteer

Published On 10/13/2024

President’s Message: Yes, You Can Choose Your Family

People often ask why we do what we do. While many define success in terms of money, in a non-profit like ours, community is the true currency. But how do you measure the value of community? How do you quantify the worth of friendship? Perhaps the currency of a strong community is indeed more valuable than money.

Published On 7/28/2024

Beautiful things come from beautiful partnerships. This is the story of the Pete Taylor/KFOG Collection. Recognizing the synergy between our two organizations, the Audiophile Foundation partnered with The California Historic Radio Society (CHRS) in late 2023 to promote our events.

Published On 4/28/2024

AXPONA was bustling this year with over 9,000 reported attendees, proving that the audiophile world is alive and well in the Midwest. Always looking for an excuse to visit my birthplace, the Windy City, I, along with Larry D, Jim Hunton and John Hughes took Chicago (or to be more precise, Schaumburg) by storm extolling the virtues of the Audiophile Foundation.

Ritualize Your Music Listening

Published On 8/1/2026

Don’t worry, I’m not going to be asking you to perform a séance before playing your music. Mostly not, anyway. Requests like that are usually reserved for the April 1st Muse intros. However, much about our brains and hearing lends itself to a bit of mysticism. This is because, as most of you know by now, hearing doesn’t take place in your ears. Our individual “hearing” takes place in the brain. Normal hearing occurs when electrical signals are generated by your ears, and your brain processes those electrical stimuli to create sounds. But your brain doesn’t need your ears to hear.

The Revolving Revolution

Published On 6/1/2026

Vinyl had turned into a nostalgia format with aging collectors revisiting the records of their youth. Amazingly, it's become a Gen Z cultural movement, with the saucy new Sabrina Carpenter record, *Man's Best Friend*, outselling the classics like Fleetwood Mac's *Rumours* by over 50%. A new generation of music fans are spending real money on records. They want better sound, but have no idea what those records can really do, and they have no idea audiophiles exist.

Personal Preferences

Published On 4/1/2026

I know what I like…

There’s no universally “correct” sound. Yes, reasonably flat from 20Hz to 20kHz is an accepted target. However, adherence to the target doesn’t really describe how a system “sounds” to you. Measurements, reviewers’ opinions, and online forum threads can document what a piece of equipment can do; however, they can’t tell you what sounds best to you.

Published On 3/1/2026

After six weeks in the President’s chair, I’ve learned a lot about our club. I now fully appreciate the time and effort that each board member puts into their role. I also more clearly see how our club positively impacts our members.

Published On 3/1/2026

During a recent Audiophile Foundation Friday Night “Happy Hour Zoom Call,” our group dove into how artificial intelligence (AI) shapes audiophile decisions. AI now weaves into daily life, automating chores and delivering instant insights. Yet, harnessing AI wisely is key to unlocking its true value.

Compare & Contrast

Published On 1/1/2026

If you are on a quest for the very best sound your system can render, you might try some structured comparisons between different releases of the same album. I’ve found that I’ve learned more about what my system does well, and where it needs work by doing these comparisons. I’ve also found that my digital and vinyl systems are more alike than different with similar releases!
Recently, I found a truly amazing set of albums that illuminate my system through this process. They are from the new company Analog Tone Factory. They are classic jazz recorded in pure analog and released with a purist record pressing process. You can buy them in 24/192 high resolution or stream them on Qobuz/Tidal. But the real icing on the cake is that they have now released DSD256 resolution versions converted directly from the analog master tapes.

Add an Extra Pair of Ears

Published On 9/30/2025

Add an Extra Pair of Ears

The adage that two heads are better than one also applies when it comes to optimizing your home stereo. I say this for no other reason than four ears are better than two. Perhaps that is also partly because my brain, like your brain, is so good at filling in the missing information as I adapt to the sounds I regularly listen to? Oh, and motivation. I find the task of fully optimizing the sound in my listening spaces to be one that always sits at the bottom of my to-do list. This is where scheduling a specific time to work with a friend, audio club member, or your spouse can be helpful.

Published On 6/30/2025

Attending an audiophile show like AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) or Capital Audio Fest is more than just a chance to hear high-end audio gear—it's an immersive experience that blends technology, music, and community. For anyone passionate about music, whether you're a seasoned audiophile or a curious newcomer, these events offer a unique opportunity to explore the cutting edge while connecting with like-minded individuals.

Thoughts on my wild journey...

Published On 5/31/2025

When the legendary speaker designer, Andrew Jones suggested I join the then San Francisco Audiophile Foundation, he said I would find a fabulous group of folks (and oh, so much more…).

Backing up just a bit to explain how I was even talking with Andrew, I get very philosophical when I think about how chains of events can lead to unexpected opportunities.

Published On 3/31/2025

This month we announce the biggest giveaway in the history of the Audiophile Society-Foundation-Mega-Corporation’s existence! (Please note that we are not associated with Lum0n Industries.)

Grant Visits The Sphere in Las Vegas

Published On 2/28/2025

Remember going to concerts "back in the day"? Remember the joys of straining to see the performers, fighting to get near the stage, wading in spilled beer, and drums so loud (or guitar amps) that you could barely hear the singer? Not that it was all bad; sometimes, you could get right up to the stage so close the performers would sweat on you. For a lucky few, that was actually a great experience.

But welcome to the future… The Sphere has arrived in Las Vegas, and it will blow your mind.

Published On 1/31/2025

I have enjoyed my passion for listening to music for several decades, exploring different equipment and various environments as I have moved. It all began in fourth grade when my dad gifted me a quadraphonic.

My New Year’s Resolution

Published On 12/31/2024

What is my New Year's resolution? Not to focus so much on "resolution," at least that is, in my audio system. After thirty-plus years in this hobby, I believe I have assembled a musical and engaging audio system, but I still find myself hunting for that additional bit of detail, focus, and… resolution! Sometimes to the detriment of my musical enjoyment.

Holiday Music

Published On 11/30/2024

Happy Holidays! Time to bring out the Christmas albums! No way, you say? Some people can’t stand holiday music. Spoiler alert: I’m not one of them.

Don’t hate me, but I really like Christmas music. I’ve even made a couple of Christmas albums myself (though they were pretty primitive, recorded on cassette before I had better equipment, so don’t ask for one).

FTC Bans Fake Reviews and Testimonials

Published On 10/31/2024

e've all been down the research path, searching for the perfect piece of equipment that fits our budget, integrates well with our system, and delivers the sound we love. But it’s frustrating when nearly every review is positive or effusive—after all, no one wants to write a bad review. The new set of FTC rules aims to tackle false content, misleading reviews (such as those written by employees or agents of a business without proper disclosure), and deceptive practices (like positioning a website as “independent” when it's actually compensated for the review).

And The Nipper Goes To...

Published On 7/29/2024

Okay, I’ve invented the Nipper award for designating “The Best Sounding System” I’ve ever heard. You should feel free to appoint your own Nipper award to whatever system you’d like to anoint as the best you have ever heard. I chose the name “Nipper” after my goldfish’s name, though most people will assume the name derives from the dog RCA used in their advertising campaign as hearing “His Masters Voice.” I chose my Goldfish’s name to avoid any copyright infringement.

The Elephant in the Room is the Room!

Published On 4/27/2024

Manrique discusses room treatment...
"As an avid listener, I love exploring new ways to fine-tune the sound in my room because it offers me hours of listening bliss. Those caught on the component upgrade merry-go-round may overlook the sonic improvement room treatments can offer to the listener."

April 2024 Intro

Published On 3/29/2024

April 2024 Muse Intro
Part 1.: The Buy

“Improve The Sound of Your Music Without Changing Your Playback Equipment!”
When I first read that I thought it must relate to directions on how to set up your stereo within your room. Sure, the room and how your gear is placed can have the biggest impact on how your stereo will sound, it’s just that I was a bit perplexed about why this was printed on the back of a plain brown paper wrapper covering a vinyl record by an alternative music group.
But, let me back up a bit here…

Muse Intro by Grant Stoner

Published On 2/19/2024

Is it possible to age gracefully as an audiophile? Maybe. I’m turning 60 next month, and although I don’t think I quite look it, I feel it. I have aches and pains constantly. I used to race bikes, but now get winded just walking up the driveway. I’ve noticed some hearing loss in my right ear, so the prime spot between speakers isn’t quite right for me. I guess those balance controls I always thought were useless, could come in handy.

Developing Your Music Taste

Published On 9/22/2023

Grant talks about his exposure to different types of music and how he found the music he most enjoys

Published On 8/29/2023

An Audiophile Foundation Update and Request for Help

SFAF On The Road

Published On 6/30/2023

We just returned from the Pacific Audio Fest which was held June 23-25 in Seattle at the DoubleTree Hilton SeaTac. I’d say overall it was a decent show and we would go again next year in September (they smartly moved the date). It was well organized, smoothly run, had good musical performances Friday and Saturday nights and educational sessions.

Published On 5/27/2023

Have you noticed? COVID has been delisted as a Global Health Emergency- and Audio Shows are once again teaming with vendors and audiophiles coming to look and listen in rooms filled with electronic gear.

Jeff's West Coast Audiophile Journey

Published On 4/30/2023

This article covers some of my recent travels to Audiophiles homes throughout the west.

My wife and I are recently retired and moved back to the NW after 25 years in Arizona. Our first grandchild is due this month and that event was a move motivator.

I enjoy visiting like-minded audio people in different clubs, shows, manufacturers, and as many retail stores as possible in my quest for maximum audio exposure.

April 1st, 2023 Intro

Published On 3/31/2023

Ah, another year, another move. Of this I am tired. But, looking on the bright side, COVID is mostly in our rearview mirrors, and I have new neighbors to introduce to my audio systems while also introducing them to the audiophile cult of higher fidelity.

Where We're At Now

Published On 2/25/2023

It’s been roughly a year since we started the transition away from the Audiophile Society to the Audiophile Foundation, a long and complicated process. We needed to build the new website, transfer all of the data from the old site to the new site, get everyone signed up with new memberships on the new site, transfer all of the social media, including the Muse articles to the new site, increase the functionality of the new website, build the new app, legally dissolve the old entity, establish new email accounts and working accounts for the Foundation, establish new accounting and banking. The list has seemed endless.

Adventures at RCA, by Lory Hawley

Published On 1/29/2023

The season when to come, and when to go, to sing, or cease to sing, we never know
—Alexander Pope

I was thinking about how our love of music can take us on surprising adventures. It was certainly true for me, when my love for the music of John Denver coincided with my exploration of the wider world of ideas. Though this story is quite personal in its lessons, I feel it is universal in the sense that music, at its best, both mirrors and guides culture, as well as inspires. us.

Young Blood

Published On 12/31/2022

Over the years I bought and sold many pieces of audio gear. Most of it is sold locally on Craigslist, especially bulky items like speakers or delicate turntables that I really prefer not to ship for obvious reasons.

And while some of the items have an audiophile appeal and end up in the hands of seasoned and well-informed new owners, some are low-cost and low appeal, and these end up sometimes in the hands of the young and curious.

Waking To Live Jazz

Published On 11/30/2022

This is a story about how someone (me) who knows almost nothing about jazz groups or jazz, was blessed with the early morning sound of live jazz being played in the home where I was a guest.

Published On 9/24/2022

There have been very intriguing art installations and demonstrations of immersive discrete multi-channel audio. For an example, check out the recent SFAF Event write up by Lory Hawley. Such installations are not new, although the technology behind them continues to evolve. I wonder if and how this will eventually achieve wide-spread practicality or popularity with audiophiles.

Published On 8/22/2022

A discussion of gear that represents a very good performance to cost ratio.

Published On 7/15/2022

Should audiophile record companies be more transparent when they claim their records are100% analog from master tapes?

About the State of the Music Industry

Published On 6/27/2022

Ted Gioia's videos on "The Crisis in Music" inspired me to share this with you. Ted is a music critic, researcher, historian, musician and author, with highly informed perspectives on trends that will be of interest to audiophiles.

Published On 4/28/2022

Axpona Chicago… a whirlwind of sights and of course sounds. Held at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center April 22-24. The event definitely was a hit even if you judged by the number of attendees alone.

Published On 3/28/2022

Broken

Leslie:

I’m standing in a room in my house looking at shelves full of memories and emotions. I go into the room every month or so and with the hope that I can engage with them again.

Published On 2/21/2022

From The Mind of Grant Stoner
In The Home of Michael Fremer

“Obsession…you’re my obsession, who do you want me to be to make you sleep with me.” Animotion anyone?

From The Mind of Gregory Morgan

Published On 10/30/2021

As some of you may know, I had to move in the middle of our glorious COVID-19 disease pandemic. As much of a hassle as moving is in general it was made worse by the supply chain problems which prohibited me from getting a number of things that I needed for my new place.

October Muse Intro

Published On 9/27/2021

Obsession: an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person’s mind.

Sound familiar?

Yeah, we’ve all been there, can’t get something out of our heads,

Published On 8/26/2021

Live Music, remember that? We were just starting to go to shows, and now it seems everything may shut down again.

Published On 8/1/2021

Am I talking about sound quality? No. Although, I know some people may prefer the sound of digital files over vinyl’s sometimes associated pops and clicks and other surface noise.

Grant Stoner Musings

Published On 3/26/2020

Well there’s nothing good about the Corona virus, so let’s make something up to cheer us up a bit. The one good thing for audiophiles is it’s “forcing us” to stay home and listen to music. It’s a good time to organize your record collections as well. I’ve been doing a lot of both.

Music Is Love

Published On 3/5/2020

Jim discusses the benefits of music

Introduction of Gregory Morgan

Published On 2/24/2020

Muse Intro Introduction of Gregory Morgan

Published On 2/8/2020

Larry talks about the importance of clean power to your system.

Published On 9/1/2026

In the Roger’s Corner article that appeared in the May 2025 edition of The Muse, we presented a copy of a letter to the editor Roger sent to Stereophile. At that time, I thought I found a piece of historical documentation related to the Manley-Modjeski letters published in Stereophile in 1990 and 1991. While technically related, this letter was not part of the series of published letters in the infamous “debate” between the two audio industry luminaries. In addition, I lamented that I could not reference the original letters, including the letter written by Kevin Hayes that at a time not so long ago could be found on the Valve Amplification Company (VAC) website.

Having Fun with Decibels

Published On 8/1/2026

I am on vacation this month, but Roger is here with you and in this month’s Roger’s Corner we will be talking about decibels. I am kind of glad I took this month off because after reading the article myself I was pretty much at a loss for what to write for the introduction. Those of you that are mathematically inclined, or those of you who want to take a shot at being mathematically inclined can have some fun with Roger on this one. Just be sure to have the martinis close at hand. Good luck and see you next month.

Published On 7/1/2026

In this month’s Roger’s Corner, we will discuss the use of negative feedback (NFB) in amplifier circuits which has been a point of contention in the audio world for years. Some audio designers eschew it, notably those who design single ended triode (SET) amplifiers. I recall Jack Elliano of Electra-Print providing me with an analogy that using NFB is like flooring the accelerator on your car while simultaneously having your foot on the brake. Other audio designers use NFB with excellent results, but there are many more using NFB as a “band aid” not knowing how to properly apply it in an amplifier circuit. Nelson Pass wrote that one should use a few dB of NFB or a very large amount. He believed a moderate amount of 10 dB to 20 dB was worse than using zero NFB and caused more issues in circuits than they remedied. Others including Ralph Karsten, Bruno Putzeys, and even Roger, as he will tell you later, felt the same way.

Thoughts on Class A Tube Amplifiers

Published On 6/1/2026

Roger is back and in this month’s Roger’s Corner we will discuss various types of amplifier classes of operation with a focus on Class A. Many audiophiles enjoy Class A amplification excessive heat generation be damned. For example, there are audiophiles with a preference for flea watt single-ended triode (SET) tube amplifiers pairing them with high efficiency speakers. In addition, higher watt push-pull Class A tube amplifiers serve the needs of audiophiles requiring more power to drive their speakers. Then there are solid state Class A amplifiers for audiophiles who prefer to not deal with tubes. While the benefits of Class A amplifiers are numerous, they also have deficiencies, especially zero feedback SET amplifiers. More on that in a bit.

Making a Case for Active Speakers?

Published On 5/1/2026

Now that I am hitting full stride in retirement, I find myself in a bit of a quandary. So, this month’s Roger’s Corner topic is going to be intertwined with some difficult system decisions I may need to make. Over the years, small listening rooms have been my main challenge and while downsizing my system was always something that I faced, somehow, I found a way to make the room work with what I had. That was never an easy task and luckily there was always enough storage for the leftover components.

Published On 4/1/2026

After taking a needed break in March to get a few business-related things sorted out, we are back in April with this month’s Roger’s Corner. Roger again is taking some time off, but I have a feeling he might peak over my shoulder while I write this one. Our topic focuses on speakers and whether speakers are “power optimized” or “voltage optimized”. As part of the discussion, we will also touch on speaker resonance, but that can be an entire Roger’s Corner all unto itself, maybe a future topic, but for now we will try to keep that part of the discussion brief.

Published On 2/1/2026

For this month’s Roger’ Corner we are going to revisit the topic of damping. Those of you that are curious enough to wonder why the answer is simple. If you read the last couple of Roger’s Corner articles about the history and design of the Music Reference RM-10 amplifier you would have read that Roger grew tired of building larger amplifiers and wanted to build a smaller one that could still deliver enough power for most listener’s needs. Well later in life Roger further experimented with even smaller amplifiers, specifically the EM-7 series that included single ended triode and push-pull versions utilizing the 13EM7 tube. It was during this time he questioned the concept of damping and began researching low resistance transformers.

Published On 12/1/2025

This month we continue our discussion of the RM-10 amplifier. Last edition, we discussed how Roger achieved 35 watts per channel with a pair of EL-84 tubes, a first in the industry. At the time, other designers needed twice as many tubes to achieve 35 watts. In addition, those designs consumed 200+ watts at idle which shortens component life. In contrast, the RM-10 consumed 70 watts at idle, another first. At a bias current of 30 mA per pair the idling dissipation is 9 watts or 75% of rating. Tube life was estimated to be 5,000 to 10,000 hours if the amplifier is played below clipping at the recommended bias setting.

Published On 11/1/2025

Roger is taking a break, so I am covering this edition of Roger’s Corner solo, and our topic is the Music Reference RM-10 amplifier. Now why you may ask would we talk about an amplifier the design of which dates back 30+ years, is no longer made, and barely shows up on the used market making it difficult to obtain. The answer is simple, the Music Reference RM-10 MkIII is on the horizon. So, I thought now might be the time to talk about the design philosophy of the amplifier. As the RM-10 is unique among its peers the story will be told in multiple parts.

Demystifying Tube Myths - Part 3

Published On 10/1/2025

In this month’s Roger’s Corner, we will complete our vacuum tube trilogy with a discussion on power tube matching. One thing that always bothered Roger was the use of the term “auto bias” when describing the process where the circuit of the amplifier is designed to bias the power tubes. I cannot recall the explanation he gave me for how the term came about, but in my mind, it makes sense to say it became adopted by audiophiles because it was a simple way of expressing the concept of cathode self-bias which is really what we are talking about. On top of that, I have known audiophiles who felt “auto bias” and fixed bias were interchangeable terms. Simply, fixed bias means the user sets the bias manually. There is nothing “auto” about it.

Demystifying Tube Myths - Part 2

Published On 8/31/2025

In this month’s Roger’s Corner, we are continuing the discussion on tubes and demystifying some concepts about tube matching. Some 30 years ago I purchased my first tube component and trusted my dealer to educate me on tubes but later learned he was not that knowledgeable on the subject. Over the years, as I purchased more tube components, I found myself making the mistake of trying to seek advice on tubes from the “experts” on the audio forums.

Demystifying Tube Myths

Published On 7/31/2025

There are lots of myths about tubes. Most propagated by people who have little to no understanding of them. Roger Modjeski tried to dispel tube myths for years, including the myth that tubes have a “sound”. In addition to his research with RAM Tubes which he founded after leaving Harold Beveridge, Inc. (HBI), Roger also spent considerable time visiting tube factories (Sylvania, Ei, and Siemens among others) to research tube manufacturing.

Thoughts on Autoformers

Published On 6/30/2025

It is not often we reference the use of autoformers with amplifiers, as the more popular use is as an attenuator in a preamplifier (passive or active). It is known that people make them for use with amplifiers, one being Paul Speltz (https://anticables.com/autoformers), and McIntosh has a long history of manufacturing solid state amplifiers that use autoformers. In fact, there is quite the debate on the use of autoformers in McIntosh circuits. However, their autoformer output coupled amplifiers have enjoyed quite an avid following over the years. With autoformers in the circuit these amplifiers will output constant power into 2, 4, and 8 ohm loads.

A Conversation with Roger

Published On 5/31/2025

In last month’s Roger’s Corner, we experienced a piece of audio history with Roger debating David Manley on the topic of vacuum tubes. Roger certainly was not afraid to mix it up with anyone when it came to all topics audio, be it industry giants like Manley and Nelson Pass, who Roger politely debated at a Burning Amp event in my presence, or inept audio engineers. No one was off limits. So, when it came to audio publications and their reviewers Roger found himself a new breed of huckleberries to punch in the nose, and he did so on many occasions.

The Manley-Modjeski Letters

Published On 4/30/2025

In 1991, audio experts Roger Modjeski and David Manley entered a heated debate in Stereophile magazine over vacuum tube technology. These recently found letters reveal their mostly adversarial relationship, with debates so heated that industry peer Kevin Hayes stepped in as peacemaker. Modjeski's arguments were backed by his extensive tube research and factory collaborations. Though historically significant for audio enthusiasts, most of this passionate exchange has been lost to time.

Thoughts on Crossovers

Published On 3/26/2025

First, the problem and the bad news: Speaker level crossovers today often contain expensive boutique parts but are the weakest link in the high-end audio system. Would not the money spent to make such expensive crossovers be better spent on a second amplifier and electronic or passive line level crossover? These are the questions so few audiophiles are willing to ask.

Thoughts on the Topic of Noise

Published On 2/28/2025

Noise is a sensitive subject among audiophiles, and many are obsessed with eliminating it completely from their systems. Depending on the noise level it can certainly make ones listening experience less than desirable. When it comes to noise in an audio system, we can look at it from several different perspectives, but for this discussion we will just focus on a few.

Thoughts on the Topic of Measurments

Published On 1/31/2025

The topic of measurements is a touchy subject in the audiophile world. I once had a technical conversation with the late A.J. Conti from Basis Audio at one of the old Newport shows. At one point he asked me why audiophiles seemingly ignore how component engineering and measurements impact the sound.

Where Does Damping Come From? - Part 2

Published On 12/31/2024

In last month’s Roger’s Corner, we had a somewhat lengthy piece about damping. To summarize, damping is a misunderstood term and perhaps not as relevant today from the perspective of how an amplifier interacts with the speaker. Today it is more important to understand how damping impacts amplifier output regulation and the output impedance.

Where Does Damping Come From? - Part 1

Published On 11/30/2024

When matching an amplifier to a speaker, damping is a relevant term one should become familiar with. Especially as it relates to the amplifier, where it may be more appropriate to refer to damping as output regulation. It has been my experience that when you get the amplifier and speaker interface correct, it makes it easier to have everything upstream fall into place.

Thoughts on How to Listen

Published On 10/31/2024

Regardless of the components that make up their system, audiophiles enjoy listening to the music their system reproduces. However, audiophiles often do not understand what to listen for to determine if their system is reproducing music optimally, or even more important how to fix it if anything is wrong.

Published On 9/29/2024

This month’s Roger’s Corner features the second of two articles that Roger wrote explaining Output Transformer Less (OTL) amplifier circuits. This article is a white paper of sorts that describes the circuit of Roger’s OTL-1 amplifier. This is a unique amplifier in many aspects compared to other OTL circuits. It would not be Roger if it were not unique in some way.

Published On 8/24/2024

This month’s Roger’s Corner features the first of two articles that Roger wrote explaining Output Transformer Less (OTL) amplifier circuits. Roger’s favorite amplifiers were OTLs or direct drive. If he could avoid the use of an output transformer in a circuit, he would.

Published On 7/27/2024

For this edition of Roger’s Corner, I thought we should conclude the book with another letter to the editor Roger wrote to John Atkinson, this one on the topic of fuses.

Published On 6/25/2024

This month’s Roger’s Corner focuses on the topic of tubes versus transistors which was one of Roger’s favorite topics. During his career Roger became well known for his tube circuits, but his very first commercial circuit designs were the bass amplifier and active crossover for the Beveridge 2SW loudspeaker system (the preamplifier for this system was a tubed circuit).

Published On 6/1/2024

This month’s Roger’s Corner focuses on the topic of digital. First, I was very surprised to see that Roger wrote a chapter on this topic. Roger often told me that he had no desire to design digital equipment. He was very happy with his Sony CD players that he felt were reliable and easy to service. I will let those interested read the chapter to find out why audio playback quality was not part of that last sentence.

Published On 4/17/2024

This month’s Roger’s Corner focuses on a topic very near and dear to Roger. As an audio designer and repair technician Roger certainly had a few pet peeves. However, the one that annoyed him the most was noise. Roger was well known for designing quiet components.

Published On 2/28/2024

This month in Roger’s Corner we present Chapter 4 of A Beginners Guide and Other Thoughts on Audio. This chapter is dedicated to premplifiers.

Published On 1/29/2024

This month we present Chapter 3 of A Beginners Guide and Other Thoughts on Audio. This chapter is dedicated to Amplifiers.

Published On 12/27/2023

Chapter 2 of A Beginners Guide and Other Thoughts on Audio. This chapter is dedicated to Electrostatic Speakers

Published On 11/27/2023

This month in Roger’s Corner we present Chapter 1 of A Beginners Guide and Other Thoughts on Audio. This chapter is dedicated to Cone Speakers.

Roger's Corner Kickoff

Published On 10/28/2023

Welcome to the first edition of Roger's Corner.

To further the Foundation’s education initiative, we are introducing a new section to The Muse called Roger’s Corner. Each month we will feature articles, papers, streams of consciousness, and other content from the mind of Roger A. Modjeski, the inspiration behind the RAM School of Audio. In addition, this content will be incorporated into the school’s digital library that will exist on the Foundation’s website under the RAM School section.

Published On 9/1/2026

This event features experts James Plum and Wayne Carter discussing vintage audio restoration and optimization. James Plum brings two decades of hands-on repair experience, specializing in preamps, amplifiers, and integrated amps. Wayne Carter has extensive experience with equipment from 1950s onward. Together, they cover evaluating and maintaining vintage speakers, receivers, cassette decks, reel-to-reel machines, and turntables. The presenters emphasize research, proper capacitor replacement, variac use, and finding qualified technicians. They stress matching equipment eras, understanding speaker efficiency, and learning from experienced professionals—balancing preservation with practical restoration for both novice and experienced audiophiles.

Class D Amp Showcase Write-up

Published On 8/1/2026

On a warm, summer Sunday afternoon in July, we met at the California Historical Radio Society's "Radio Central Museum" in Alameda, CA, to showcase four GAN-based monoblock amplifiers, ranging from the $2500/pr. Orchard Audio Skarkrimson to the $18,999/pr. AGD Gran Vivance Mk.IV.

Published On 5/1/2026

Manny LaCarruba uses free software to measure and "tune" the club Linkwitz LX521.4 speakers to perform better in the room at CHRS. This is a working session as Manny creates a better acoustic presentation through the intricacies of speaker placement, acoustical measurement, and digital techniques to balance our speakers sound in a challenging room.

Published On 5/1/2026

Recorded in-person presentation by Manny LaCarrubba

Published On 4/1/2026

Dr. Edgar Choueiri, founder of Theoretica Applied Physics joins the Audiophile Foundation to explain how his BACCH (Band-Assembled Crosstalk Cancellation Hierarchy) cross-talk cancellation technology solves a fundamental flaw in two-channel stereo: the "phantom image" effect, where everything sounds like it's coming from between your speakers instead of from actual locations in 3D space. He walks through the science of how we actually hear in three dimensions—using interaural time differences, level differences, and spectral cues—and shows why standard stereo recordings capture all the right information but then destroy it through speaker crosstalk. The key insight? BACCH mathematically eliminates crosstalk between channels, so your ears receive the correct spatial information, letting you hear instruments as they were recorded.

2026 Digital Streamer Shootout

Published On 4/1/2026

There are still many audiophiles who are unfamiliar with music streaming. Many of our fellow foundation members have yet to dip their toes into the music streaming waters. Because of this we held a “Streamer Shootout” at CHRS on Saturday the 31st of January.

Published On 3/1/2026

This President's Day, Jerome Sabbagh, virtuoso saxophonist, audiophile and founder of Analog Tone Factory will talk about his journey to start his own analog record label, how he records and engineers his music, and digital and analog recording techniques. Jerome will play live music with comparisons to some of his vinyl records and hi rez streaming files. Records and CD's will be for sale and can be signed by the artist.

Published On 3/1/2026

On Monday, February 16, 2026, the Foundation held a lecture/live-music event featuring virtuoso saxophonist, audiophile and founder of Analog Tone Factory, Jerome Sabbagh. The event was held at the historic California Historical Radio Society (CHRS) building in Alameda, CA. The informative event was enjoyed by all.

Published On 2/1/2026

Jim hosted two Diretta listening sessions at his home on January 10th with a total of 9 club members attending. They compared a two-node Diretta system (AudioLinux and Raspberry Pi based) against the native streamer in his Meitner MA3i DAC. Attendees were encouraged to choose their own music selections to play from Tidal and Qobuz, resulting in an eclectic mix across genres and recording styles. Between tracks, the group discussed what they were hearing as Jim switched between the two streamers in his living room system.

Published On 2/1/2026

Richard spoke about the company’s evolution from a small Brooklyn workshop founded in 1953 to a globally respected, family-run manufacturer of handcrafted phono cartridges and open-back headphones. Richard covered their classic reference headphone deigns, new product introductions, and possible future innovation in the headphone space. We also had plenty of questions from attendees to round out the Zoom.

2025 Holiday Party Pics

Published On 1/1/2026

This year, our Holiday Potluck Party was held on Sunday, December 14, 2025. There was plenty of food & drink, several pieces of equipment for sale, and a wide variety of free Christmas albums for all who attended. While our President Leslie Lunden was unable to attend, other Board members, including Jim Bird, Jim Hunton, John Hughes and Larry Gee, participated in the celebration. We hope you enjoy the following collection of snapshots taken at the party.

Published On 12/1/2025

James Lindenschmidt, a recording engineer with 20 years of experience, provided an overview of GIK Acoustics, a company that offers acoustic treatment solutions and consultation services. He discussed various aspects of room acoustics, including speaker placement, treatment strategies, and measurement techniques, emphasizing the importance of balancing absorption and diffusion for optimal sound quality. James also covered product development processes at GIK Acoustics, technical aspects of acoustic devices, and provided specific treatment solutions for different room layouts and audio systems.

Headphone Cables Demystified

Published On 11/1/2025

Jeremy Esgritt led a comprehensive discussion on audio cables, covering their fundamental properties, materials, and various use cases in audio systems. The presentation explored different types of cables, their technical specifications, and the factors that affect signal quality, including material selection, cable design, and connector quality. The session concluded with practical advice on cable selection and maintenance, while emphasizing the personal and subjective nature of audio equipment choice and the importance of matching cables to specific headphones and amplifiers.

Published On 7/31/2025

Richard Vandersteen is the founder and designer of Vandersteen Audio established in 1977. He is known for his commitment to engineering that prioritizes the faithful reproduction of music, focusing on the integrity of the audio signal and its emotional impact. Richard emphasizes point-source radiation patterns for their ability to deliver correct amplitude, time, and phase in a residential listening space. The company prides itself on being a technology-driven entity, responsible for innovations such as reflection-free aerodynamic midrange drivers, minimal-baffle cabinets, and patented Perfect-Piston™ drivers, which utilize a unique carbon-fiber/balsa wood/carbon-fiber sandwich construction.

Michael Fremer Interviews John Curl

Published On 7/31/2025

John Curl is one of the most respected circuit designers in audio history. John's innovative work has shaped both professional and consumer audio equipment for over four decades. His career began at Ampex in the late 1960s, where he designed tape recorders and conducted pioneering research on video tape recorders.

Michael Fremer talks with John about John's early days in audio and significant pieces of history that John experienced.

Published On 7/8/2025

Wolf von Langa is a pioneer bringing Field Coil technology to life again with his series of loudspeakers. Wolf led a virtual discussion on Zoom of the history, technology and future of Field Coil designs, and how his speakers excel in the area.

Published On 7/7/2025

Video of All Things Record Cleaning event, by Kurt Morgan hosted by Jim Bird.

Digital Cable Shootout Results

Published On 5/28/2025

On March 30th, 2025 the Audiophile Foundation held a Digital Cable Shootout doing an informal blind comparison between 3 different levels of Ethernet and USB cables. The results were surprising!

Published On 4/30/2025

The $2000 Budget System Design Challenge is over and the systems have been submitted. Here's a summary of all of the system. Which system do you think is the best?

Magico Factory Tour

Published On 3/28/2025

On March 1st, Magico hosted the Audiophile Foundation for tours at their factory location in Hayward California.

Published On 3/28/2025

On March 12th, we rode the airwaves back in time, following the cosmic trail of three kindred spirits who knew the way. Through the warm glow of a Zoom screen, the Wall of Sound rose again—designed in dreams, built by visionaries, and felt in the bones of every show.

Linkwitz Lab & Playback Designs Event

Published On 1/31/2025

On a beautiful January Saturday afternoon in Alameda, CA, The Audiophile Foundation hosted a presentation by Andres Koch, founder of Playback Designs, and Dr. Frank Brenner of Linkwitz Audio. We listened to two engaging presentations in a sold-out event lasting well over two hours. We were treated to an opportunity to listen to a system that included two flagship products, the LX521-The Reference (aka LX521.4) loudspeaker from Linkwitz Audio and the MPD-8AI Dream DAC from Playback Designs.

2024 Holiday Party

Published On 12/31/2024

On Sunday, December 08, 2024, we held our first Holiday Party at the California Historical Radio Society (CHRS) building in Alameda, CA. The CHRS building houses a museum, a fantastic space full of historic radio memorabilia. Our Holiday party was a sold-out event.

MSB Factory Tour

Published On 12/31/2024

On December 5th, over a dozen members of the audiophile community gathered in Watsonville, California, to tour the headquarters and manufacturing facility of MSB. MSB is a manufacturer of high-end audio products, including DACs, transports, and amplifiers. For 25 years, MSB has been a California-based company that has advanced digital front-end technology through in-house development.

Published On 11/26/2024

On Wednesday, November 11, 2024, we held one of our Mid-month Zooms where members shared their favorite new or in rotation albums. While we only had 6 members attend, we had a lovely time hearing what musical delights our fellow music lovers have been listening to of late. I always find something new and exciting to add to my library during these types of events and I hope to revisit this theme from time to time with my fellow AF members.

Listening Session at Jim's House

Published On 10/29/2024

On Saturday October 12th Jim Hunton invited AF members for a couple of listening sessions at his home in San Jose. I attended the first session. Jim’s has built most of the system himself. And this was a rare opportunity to hear Jim’s version of the legendary Linkwitz Reference dipole speakers with his custom speaker and room correction software.

Cookie Marenco Virtual Meeting

Published On 6/1/2024

Cookie discusses the six degrees of degradation in music reproduction.

Published On 6/1/2024

Manrique and Jeff share their knowledge and experience with our community.

March Vinyl Garage Sale

Published On 3/18/2024

On March 16th the Audiophile Foundation held its Vinyl Garage Sale. This was a shared event with the California Historical Radio Society (CHRS) at their facility in Alameda California.

Room Calibration by Manny LaCarrubba

Published On 1/26/2024

On November 18, 2023 Manny LaCarrubba gave a presentation Audio System Calibration. The process of Audio System Calibration that Manny uses is Digital Signal Processing (DSP) to adjust the acoustics of the room in order fix acoustic room problems. According to Manny, a system is not done until it has been calibrated for the room in which it is playing.

30th anniversary LAOCAS awards banquet

Published On 12/27/2023

SFAF member Oliver Barrett attends the December 3rd, 2023 awards ceremony and recounts events from the banquet.

David Hyman Event Write-up

Published On 10/3/2023

Write-up of the in-person event at David Hyman's home and a description of the equipment.

Published On 9/30/2023

Description of this listening event

2023 Sept Member Celebration Party

Published On 9/26/2023

Party in Orinda celebrating the Audiophile Foundation Members

Published On 8/27/2023

Gordon talked about the audio recordings he made in different locations around the world and played some of those remarkable recordings. Members can check out Gordon's excellent presentation at the following link: View Video

Andrew Jones/SourcePoint 10 Event

Published On 1/31/2023

On January 21, San Francisco Audiophile Foundation members were treated to an in-depth presentation and demo of the new Mobile Fidelity SourcePoint 10 loudspeakers at the home of Leslie Lundin.

SFAF RAM School-Basic Lab Techniques

Published On 12/11/2022

LOTS OF FUN ON A RAINY DAY, by Ori Mizrahi

Saturday 12/3 was one long cloudy and rainy day. On a day like that you don’t have many choices. You can sit at home and watch the US soccer team knocked out of the World Cup by Holland. Or get on some audio forum where you are sure to get a headache trying to figure out what’s real and who’s a big zero with a very active keyboard… You can watch the Trump Diaries, but that’s a bigger headache yet… Or you could have taken the chance and joined our SFAF class in San Jose.

SFAF Capacitor Listening Session

Published On 12/11/2022

SANTA ARRIVES, by Ori Mizrahi
It’s the beginning of December, a month of jolly holidays and miracles, and sure enough we had some of that too. Along came our Santa on a long drive from Danville with his 10 years old son. Jeff brought many presents (no, he’s not Greek! – nothing against Greeks of course…) with him.
First and foremost, a few of the caps we tried in the afternoon session were from Jeff’s personal stash, and that by itself would have been a great contribution to the event. But then he lugged with him in the pouring rain a bulky custom tube amp with VHAudio silver/Teflon and copper/Teflon caps and a pair of Legacy Audio very heavy monitors. I would not want to move these so-called monitors too often!

Listening Session at Phil's House

Published On 11/27/2022

Listening Session at Phil's House

Published On 9/30/2022

See the results of the attendees preferences after listening to 16 different bookshelf speakers.

Interconnect Shoot Out Event

Published On 9/26/2022

A balanced cable “Shoot Out” was held at my home in Healdsburg, CA on September 17th and again on the 18th, 2022. There was a full house of about 15 people each day.

GaNfet Follow Up to the Curl Event

Published On 9/26/2022

During the recent educational event about equipment measurements by John Curl (Curl YouTube Event), one of the questions asked of John had to do with the use of Gallium Nitride (GaN) fets in amplifiers. The following information provides some additional information regarding the availability and use of GaNfets.

Open House with Spatial

Published On 8/23/2022

The fieldtrip to Spatial Inc. was my first gathering with the folks of SFAF. I was thrilled that the event chosen was with a company that has taken the experience of audio into a new dimension.

Based in Emeryville, across the street from the gates of Pixar are the studio spaces of Spatial Inc.
We met with four of the Spatial team; Michael Plitkins, the founding engineer (and Star Wars geek), Darrell Rodriquez, chief operating officer, Ken Felton and Kristin Miltner.
The collective background of these folks is impressive; Apple, Nest, Tellme and Netscape are just a few of the companies these engineers had either done high level work for, or founded.

How I Conquered DIY

Published On 7/26/2022

This in-person event was held on 7/24/2022. In the short tradition of learn-and-listen, Tony Chipelo conceived a light-weight but very interesting event focused on DIY (or Do-It-Yourself) fans, or future fans. You have to admit it, that there is something very attractive in DIY at all levels. Taking a small pile of parts and making a working musical gear is like creating a living thing. There is that pride of “I did it” and the excitement of experiencing a newborn baby for the first time. This is not gear anymore, it’s a living thing!

SFAF Phono Stage ShootOut

Published On 5/24/2022

We had six different phono preamplifiers and to cover enough audio and musical tastes we listened to six short tracks on each. Time was the essence and therefore the main instrument in the system was the large atomic LCD clock.

Published On 11/29/2021

On November 6th, Don Naples hosted an SFAS listening event at his home in Healdsburg. Not long ago, but before the Delta variant, Don had hosted a phono stage event at his home. The event’s focus this time was a showcase of the latest iteration of the Linkwitz LX521 speakers that are now being built in Germany.

Published On 10/25/2021

On Saturday October 9th, 2021, 19 SFAS members got together for a single driver (and open baffle) speaker listening session in San Jose. Mathew from J&J Audio Solutions provided the commercial equipment.

Published On 6/30/2021

Don Naples was kind enough to host the second post-COVID in-person SFAS event at his beautiful home in Healdsburg on June 19, 2021. We had about a dozen members invited by Don who were able to observe a cartridge setup demonstration by J.R.

Published On 6/29/2021

Please find below the note from Phil to the 25 SFAS members who were lucky enough to spend an afternoon listening to his system and enjoying his hospitality:

Published On 6/27/2021

Frank Doris has had a storied career across many facets of the audio world.

Here is a brief intro from Frank: “I’ve been an audiophile since I was a teenager and always interested in sound, although I couldn’t afford any good gear until after college.

Published On 5/16/2021

George (President and design engineer) and Carolyn Counnas (Executive Vice President) of Zesto Audio took SFAS through the design considerations for Zesto Audio products by category.

Richard Schram of Parasound!

Published On 4/18/2021

Richard Schram returned for another great SFAS presentation to discuss his path from studying music to hi-fi salesman and store manager to Parasound. He also discussed current Parasound equipment and prospects for new equipment that we might being seeing in the future.

Published On 4/14/2021

Famed rock historian Richie Unterberger was back and brought SFAS a media presentation on A General History of EPs, concentrating on their heyday in the UK in the mid-’60s!

John Curl & David Gans – April 3, 2021

Published On 4/3/2021

John Curl and David Gans returned for a very special SFAS Zoom program with a discussion of all things Grateful Dead, John’s extensive experience working with the Grateful Dead sound system

Published On 3/20/2021

Bill Dudleston, President and owner of Legacy Audio, joined SFAS along with Victoria Dudleston, Marketing/Project Manager, and Brice Auxier, Sales Technologist. Topics covered included the company’s philosophy and design principles,

Published On 3/6/2021

Duke LeJeune and James Romeyn joined SFAS to discuss the Swarm Subwoofer System, speaker design goals, and other things on their minds.

Published On 2/20/2021

At this event Richie spent his time with SFAS talking about musical group The Doors. Richie recently finished teaching an eight-week course on the group including details on the production of their studio recordings.

Andrew Jones Returns to SFAS on Zoom!

Published On 2/6/2021

Andrew Jones, the man who can design cost no object speakers as well as speakers that sound so good for so little money you’ll want to buy them by the dozen!

Published On 1/23/2021

SFAS enjoyed an interesting afternoon with Galen Gareis as Galen talked about his perspectives on the design of Iconoclast cables. Focusing mainly on speaker cables

Published On 1/9/2021

Audio and Computer Industry veteran Peter Ledermann, along with John Toney, Soundsmith’s Director of International Sales and Marketing, fielded questions from members of the San Francisco Audiophile Society.

Published On 12/19/2020

In this meeting John E. Johnson, Jr. answered questions from San Francisco Audiophile Society members and conducted a tour of his elaborate music and video system.

Published On 12/5/2020

In a first for the San Francisco Audiophile Society, EveAnna Manley led a video tour of the Manley Labs factory in Chino, CA (“Chino, not China”

Published On 11/22/2020

The San Francisco Audiophile Society was excited to host Michael Fremer, Jason Victor Serinus, and Herb Reichert together, three of the biggest voices in the Audiophile Kingdom,

Published On 11/7/2020

Steve Guttenberg of the Audiophiliac Daily Show on YouTube visited the SFAS and brought his uniquely New York viewpoints to discuss all things Audiophiliac with our mainly West Coast membership.

Published On 10/24/2020

The San Francisco Audiophile Society enjoyed hosting Merrill Wettasinghe, Principal and Founder of Merrill Audio. Merrill Audio is known for their award winning amps, preamps and phonostages.

Published On 10/10/2020

The San Francisco Audiophile Society enjoyed hosting David Solomon, “Chief Hi-Res Musical Evangelist” for Qobuz. He spoke about bringing Qobuz to the US market and making streaming an option for audiophiles.

Published On 9/26/2020

Virtual meeting with Caelin Gabriel, President of Shunyata Research. Caelin and Shunyata are recognized as a leading cable and power product manufacturer in the audiophile industry.

Published On 9/12/2020

View the afternoon with Mat Weisfeld, President of VPI. VPI has been making high value and highly rated turntables, tonearms and record cleaners in the US for over 40 years.

System Sunday at Rocco’s

Published On 8/30/2020

For you, the lucky attendees of our most recent System Sunday in San Rafael, it was a very special day indeed. Here’s a note from Rocco,

Published On 8/15/2020

Clayton designs and builds his speakers in Salt Lake City, Utah and his current speaker line includes M5 Sapphire, M3 Sapphire, X5 and X3 (https://www.spatialaudio.us/).

Jason Victor Serinus – August 1, 2020

Published On 8/1/2020

World Famous Stereophile writer/equipment reviewer, whistler extraordinaire, opera critic, author of dozens of other print and online publications. Probably most famous (locally) for his past role as head of the Bay Area Audiophile Society (BAAS).

South Bay System Hop, June 29, 2019

Published On 7/28/2020

First of all, a splendid time was had by the host, which was extremely important.

Herb Reichert - July 26, 2020

Published On 7/26/2020

On Sunday July 19, 2020 members were treated to an afternoon with Herb Reichert, Stereophile columnist and equipment evaluator.

Published On 7/25/2020

On July 11, 2020 SFAS members enjoyed a Zoom meeting with Alex Crespi, founder and president of UpTone Audio. Alex primarily talked about his latest product,

Nelson Pass - June 20, 2020

Published On 6/20/2020

On Saturday, June 20, SFAS members were treated to an afternoon with the one and only Nelson Pass. Nelson talked about his career,

Published On 6/8/2020

We had a great virtual event by Rick Schultz of High Fidelity Cables. Please find a link to the event below:

Published On 5/31/2020

On Saturday May 2, 2020 SFAS members were treated to a virtual event with Michael Fremer and Malachai Lui. Michael and Malachai took turns reviewing some of their favorite albums and albums of interest.

Published On 5/1/2020

On April 18 SFAS’s virtual event, hosted by David Snyder, was in three parts. For those who have not yet added dedicated network audio transports to their systems or who would like to add more, David demonstrated how to easily make one from ~$50 worth of parts...

Published On 3/28/2020

Audio Streaming is taking the world by storm. This will be much bigger than the move from vinyl to CDs.

Published On 2/24/2020

On February 22, 2020 at The Shops at Hilltop, David Snyder tackled the many questions and concerns regarding music streaming. The conference room was nearly filled to capacity with over 60 members and friends of SFAS with many new faces and esteemed colleagues from the Sierra Nevada Audiophile Society.

Published On 1/26/2020

SFAS members were treated to another entertaining and educational event at The Shops at Hilltop in Richmond. ELAC’s VP of engineering, Andrew Jones, speaker designer extraordinaire and truly engaging presenter, gave us his personal insights into the design and development of the Navis active speakers.

Published On 11/24/2019

On November 2, 2019, Richie Unterberger, rock historian, author and music reviewer, returned to The Shops at Hilltop in Richmond for a review of the music and the band members of early Pink Floyd.

Michael Fremer Event, September, 2019

Published On 10/23/2019

On September 28, Michael Fremer once again joined SFAS for a program that celebrated the musical fun and endless lore relating to great and no-so-great vinyl.

SFAS 5-Year Celebration! Aug 30, 2019

Published On 8/30/2019

It’s still hard for me to believe we just celebrated five years as SFAS. If the adage is true and time really flies when you’re having fun.

Headphone Event Aug 30, 2019

Published On 8/30/2019

SFAS members attending this fun and informative event were able to listen at 10 different headphone stations, which included the following...

Dutch & Dutch Powered Speaker Event

Published On 7/13/2019

The Dutch & Dutch 8c all-in-one speaker event held July 13, 2019, was latest of the SFAS monthly events and, to my knowledge is the first powered speaker event that SFAS has hosted.

Roger Modjeski Event

Published On 6/27/2019

On Sunday, June 23, 2019 SFAS members and guests were treated to an interesting and entertaining event with legendary amplifier designer Roger Modjeski. We were also lucky enough to have in attendance John Curl (another legendary amplifier designer), Allen Perkins of Spiral Groove turntable fame and speaker designer Fritz Heiler of Fritz Speakers.

System Sunday Event at Fred’s

Published On 6/26/2019

SFAS held it’s first System Sunday event June 9, 2019. Our host, Fred von Lohmann, provides his impressions below. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you’re interested in hosting a System Sunday at your home (query@sfaudiophilesociety.com).

Published On 3/29/2019

During one of the regular SFAS board member discussions regarding ideas for events our members might enjoy, Kevin Olson suggested we consider having Stirling Trayle of Audio Systems Optimized come and talk to us. Kevin had such a positive experience with Stirling’s services, we felt it was worth a try.

Published On 3/28/2019

While the event headlined Piper Payne, Mastering Engineer, we were lucky to have Allen Perkins of Spiral Groove turntables and Joe Markert, CEO and founder of FunctionOne, to make significant contributions as well.

Published On 1/29/2019

They said, “a shoot out with 10 phono stages? They must be crazy! Who would so such a thing?” Well, we did and by all accounts, it went well. (Actually, we did a similar shoot out with 11 phono stages in June 2015.

End of Year Party – 2018

Published On 12/23/2018

Time to celebrate a successful year.

Published On 11/29/2018

After last years’ fun and informative Parasound event with Richard Schram and John Curl, we followed up with another enjoyable event with the dynamic duo this year.

Published On 10/27/2018

Once again SFAS members were treated to the type of event that is only made available through the San Francisco Audiophile Society. Two industry greats, David Gans(1) and John Curl(2) came together to share their experience and knowledge of the Grateful Dead and many things rock and roll and Hi Fi with Gans leading the way down memory lane.

Published On 9/30/2018

The September 2018 SFAS event turned into a doubleheader, with presentations and demonstrations by Leo Hoarty and Dan Eakins of SweetVinyl, makers of the SugarCube SC-1 and SC-2 record surface noise reduction systems. Plus, Charles Kirmuss of Kirmuss audio described the science behind and demonstrated his “In The Groove” ultrasonic record restoration system.

Published On 9/26/2018

Our most recent event at the Shops at Hilltop was an interesting and informative presentation on the early works of David Bowie by Richie Unterberger and Alec Palao.

April, 2018 SFAS Event – Michael Fremer

Published On 9/25/2018

On Saturday April 28, 2018 the SFAS membership had the pleasure of another informative and entertaining presentation by Michael Fremer at our new conference room at The Shops at Hilltop. Presenters include Allen Perkins, Roger Modjeski, Richard Schram and John Curl.

Published On 9/25/2018

The SFAS event for March was held at The Shops at Hilltop in Richmond featuring Roger Modjeski. This was the first event at held at Hilltop which fulfills the needs of having events dispersed around the Bay Area plus relieving some of the pressure on Leslie’s audiophile garage

Published On 9/25/2018

SFAS Members were once again treated to a very interesting and informative event at Joe Hakim’s beautiful home in Soquel. This time the presentation covered the Critical Mass Systems (CMS) MAXXUM equipment rack and CMS 0.8, 1.0 and 1.5 Center Stage2 footers by the founder and president of CMS, Joe Lavrencik.

Audiology and The Audiophile’s Hearing

Published On 2/27/2018

On February 10 this year SFAS members participated in another sold out event at Leslie’s Audiophile Garage in Orinda. Attendees were treated to a very special experience with audiologist Peter Marincovich, PhD., CC-A and his associates Joseph Hardeman, AuD.; and Daniel Park, AuD., extern.

Published On 2/4/2018

Nakamichi presented a soundbar shootout at Leslie’s Audio Garage Emporium.

Published On 1/2/2018

This article is to give a recap and impressions of the club tour of the Magico factory that happened on Saturday, December 2, 2017. I was not able to attend the tour from two years ago, so I was pretty excited to see and hear what all the hubbub was about.

Published On 10/29/2017

SFAS members who attended the PS Audio event in Soquel were treated to a lively and enlightening discussion with PS Audio’s founder Paul McGowan and regional sales manager Kevin Jackson.

PARASOUND- Richard Schram & John Curl

Published On 10/27/2017

SFAS members were treated to an interesting, enjoyable, and candid visit with Parasound founder Richard Schram and renowned circuit designer John Curl. Phil Jackson of Parasound also joined the event and presented the new Parasound phono stage, the JC 3 Jr.

Published On 9/5/2017

On Thursday afternoon August 10 some lucky SFAS members had the pleasure of being treated to a tour of Dolby Labs in San Francisco.

Published On 8/5/2017

In this article I want to revisit the Mother’s Day Weekend event held at Leslie’s house.

Clark Smith, creator and proprietor of WineSmith, conducted a presentation and wine tasting for SFAS. Clark has been working in the wine making business since 1972.

Event Report: Michael Fremer at SFAS

Published On 4/26/2017

SFAS had the honor and pleasure of having Michael Fremer join us for sessions in the morning and afternoon at Leslie’s audiophile garage.

Published On 3/23/2017

On March 18, 2017 the San Francisco Audiophile Society (SFAS) was lucky enough to have Rick Schultz join us at Leslie’s audiophile garage and provide us with an afternoon of education and interesting discussion about magnetic conduction which is the basis of the High Fidelity product line.

Published On 3/6/2017

For the January 28, 2017 SFAS event, we had the pleasure of having Manny LaCarrubba* as a guest speaker. Among his many talents, Manny is an expert in music and sound recording as well as acoustically treating and setting up listening rooms and home theaters.

Published On 3/5/2017

The SFAS tried something new for our February 2017 event. We featured budget gear (under $1000) supplied by our members to find synergies and great sounding gear at a reasonable price.

Published On 12/1/2016

November 12th in Orinda this year was a beautiful, partly sunny, fall day. A light breeze slightly cooled the 72-degree temperature, but the day was no less a perfect day for Leslie Lundin to unveil to the world her newly expanded Audiophile Garage and Art Gallery (more on the art later).

Published On 5/16/2016

Here is an HTML version of Joe Hakim’s updated Media Server Event presentation for members to download (as a zip file).

Amazing Event on Music Servers

Published On 5/2/2016

Wow. SFAS’ Joe “Mad Scientist” Hakim’s debut – spearheading an SFAS event on his own – was a tremendous success. The quality of the presentation and the clear and understandable way he conveyed the fairly complicated material left even the least tech-oriented attendee with a satisfied feeling of having learned a lot.

Published On 4/14/2016

I’m a believer. Even before the March 26th room correction event, I was biased in my opinion that “The Room is King.” In fact, that’s one of my favorite audiophile sayings. I was fortunate enough to discover the importance of “the room” after attending my first two Bay Area Audiophile Society (BAAS) events about a hundred years ago.

A Day of Audio Magic

Published On 12/9/2015

What a year it has been! Just this past weekend, we broke all attendance records with over 100 SFAS members converging on Magico’s new factory and headquarters in Hayward.

Von Schweikert VR-55 Event Report

Published On 11/15/2015

The second speaker event of 2015 had us traveling to the South Bay, specifically to Boulder Creek and the lovely home of Joe and Debbie Hakim. Although Albert von Schweikert was the honored guest and spoke at length about his latest creation, what we listened to was Joe’s and Debbie’s system: they own the VR-55 Aktivs and the rest of the gear we heard, except for the two Hypex-based amps we auditioned at day’s end.

Published On 10/20/2015

Although the turnout for Rick Schultz’ presentation of his High Fidelity Cables was not as robust as usual for a SFAS event, that was a loss only to those who didn’t make the show. And what a show it was.

Channel D Event Report by David Hicks

Published On 7/24/2015

So on Sunday May 28th, Rob Robinson came to Casa Lundin in Orinda (aka The Audiophile garage) to talk to a group of SFAS members about his Mac-based Channel D software product, Pure Vinyl. He also came armed with three different Channel D phono stages, one of which, the Seta Model L, Stereophile reviewer John Atkinson gushed over...

Published On 7/6/2015

It was a warm and characteristically beautiful morning on June 13th, 2015 as I packed up my little Leben CS-300X integrated and bounded out from my house in Berkeley through the tunnel, headed for Leslie’s place in Orinda and the SFAS Speaker Demonstration event. I had been looking forward to this for weeks!

Dan Rubin’s Phono-Stage Event Report

Published On 6/4/2015

SFAS members listened to 11 different phono stages at Leslie’s house on Saturday, April 18. It wasn’t the 11 products that made this the most ambitious event ever undertaken by SFAS. It was our efforts to do this as level-matched, A-B comparisons.

SFAS & SFJAZZ First Event Report

Published On 3/4/2015

First of all, let me say, unequivocally, I had a great time going to see Taj Mahal with the 32 SFAS members who attended our inaugural event at the SFJAZZ Center.

Our DAC Shoot-Out Event Report

Published On 2/26/2015

In the member survey we conducted at end the end of last year, DACs was the most-requested product category for product comparison. So on Saturday, February 21, about 40 of us gathered at Leslie’s place to listen to seven member-provided USB DACs priced from $400 to $5,000. Here they are...

The Audiophile’s Home Theater

Published On 1/23/2015

On Saturday, January 17, a lively group of seventy three SFAS members met at San Rafael’s newest store, Audio Video Integration (AVI), for what felt like our own private mini-CES.

SFAS Audio Day in Wine Country Review

Published On 11/18/2014

on Saturday November 15th in Healdsburg California, Lavish Hi-Fi’s Craig Allison, (http://lavishhifi.com/), our host for the day, along with Michael Vamos (the owner of Audio Skies in L.A. and the U.S. distributer of Larsen Speakers) pointed a group of about 40 SFAS members in a different direction, a direction that would lavish the music on us from a Hi-Fi system that wouldn’t require you to take out a second mortgage.

Published On 9/25/2014

This was the second in our SFAS series of Audio Expert events (the first was the marvelous Albert Von Schweikert), this time featuring audio luminary Roger Modjeski, founder of Music Reference (amplifiers) and RAM Labs (tubes), both featured at http://www.tubeaudiostore.com.

Von Schweikert Event/SFAS Launch

Published On 7/23/2014

The day after Albert Von Schweikert presented his Mr. Wizard Show to an audience of SFAS members (fully-packed in Leslie’s newly renovated, expanded, and very cool listening room), he wrote to say: “Thank you for organizing one of the nicest meetings I’ve ever spoken at!” We’re honored to have had you here, Albert.

Published On 5/10/2014

BAAS members met on Saturday, May 3, at Leslie’s excellent digs in Orinda to listen to a selection of audiophile tweaks.

Digital Mini-Smackdown in Marin

Published On 3/31/2014

Leslie Lundin, Peter Truce and I spent a delightful few hours at Lee Mincy’s in Kentfield on Saturday, March 15. The excuse was a casual shoot-out focused on USB DACs with sidebar consideration of USB cables.

Published On 3/25/2014

Two of “my favorite things” are music and coffee. Elite Audio Systems offered them both in an inviting and collegial atmosphere this past Saturday. The event, jointly sponsored with BAAS was attended by perhaps twenty-five mostly BAAS members to discuss all issues audiophile. Neil Gader from the Absolute Sound was the cordial guest speaker and we all carried on for the entire afternoon.

Smackdown #1: Preliminary Recap

Published On 3/9/2014

Well, I haven’t heard of any fatalities, so I assume all attendees survived our first (full, sold out!) Audio Smackdown! Feedback is starting to come in

Published On 3/2/2014

How often have you encountered someone reciting your obituary? That’s what happened when he of the living dead visited Michael Woods’ aesthetically sensational Elite Audio Systems showroom in San Francisco on February 22

CD is Back Baby!

Published On 9/1/2026

For a format that is based on light, CDs have come roaring back into the limelight with a rise of 16% in sales the first half of 2026. While vinyl has only managed 2.4% this year. The demographic behind this growth is our familiar Gen Z and Millennials who are craving both physical media and in person experiences. Manufacturers have taken notice and new CD players are blossoming from the product lines of lifestyle and audiophile manufacturers alike.

Is the Fate of Spotify Uncertain?

Published On 4/1/2026

Joel Gouveia writes in his article "The Death of Spotify: Why Streaming is Minutes Away From Being Obsolete" on Substack about Jimmy Iovine's recent prediction of the demise of streaming services and explores why this may be true. If you don't know the name, Jimmy Iovine is a successful American entrepreneur who, according to Wikipedia, "served as chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M, an umbrella music unit formed by Universal Music Group, from 1999 to 2014". Joel goes on to unpeel the onion of the streaming industry, exposing how the economics of the system are fundamentally broken and how forward-thinking artists have learned to build relationships with fans through platforms like Discord and Laylo. For a look into the future of streaming services, check out Joel Gouveia's article.

8ban - mini playable Records from Japan

Published On 12/1/2025

Per Techmoan YouTube Channel:

A look at 8ban. Collectable, playable mini records from 2004. A deliberately, unashamedly low-fi format.

Published On 5/31/2025

Per The Absolute Sound YouTube Channel

"You could view the title of this video as audiophile "click bait"—and perhaps it is. In a more charitable frame of mind, however, you could view it as directing attention to a novel product that could prove to be highly significant and even a bit disruptive to the high-end audio marketplace. This is Andrew Quint, a Senior Writer for The Absolute Sound, and I'd like to tell you about new software coming very soon from Theoretica Applied Physics and BACCH Labs called Stratos, as it's something quite unique in my experience."

Published On 5/24/2025

The is a first-hand account highlighting the critical importance of properly insuring your precious audio systems, especially in the wake of catastrophic events like the Pacific Palisades Fire in California.

Published On 5/30/2024

"Art of Noise" at SFMOMA is a must-visit for anyone who loves music, design, or just having a good time. Whether you're there for Devon Turnbull's high-fidelity soundscapes, Teenage Engineering's playful installations, or Yuri Suzuki's ambient city symphony, this exhibition promises an experience that will leave you buzzing with joy. So grab your tickets, and get ready to immerse yourself in a world where music and design collide in the most delightful ways.

Art on Noise is at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art from May 4th to August 18th

Published On 5/28/2024

Researchers at MIT engineer a hair thin fabric that can actively absorb noise, act as a microphone, or a transducer.

Published On 5/26/2024

The Sausalito weather this spring has been spectacular. So much so that I’ve lately been lured out of the rabbit hole that is my audio cave and into the cool refreshing air and clear blue skies of the weekend outing world. Me and seemingly everyone else in the Bay Area. Where did all these people come from?

Published On 3/21/2024

The Discogs Collector Community just surpassed a new milestone in music collecting. Across a variety of formats, genres, and countries, the global Discogs community, utilizing the Discogs Collection Tool, hit 750 million releases cataloged. In 2021, the global Discogs community reached 500 million records in their collection, equating to 50% growth in just three years.

Published On 1/30/2024

State of the Art Tube Designs for Music Lovers!
Andros Spirit Phonostage

Teac - Esoteric Merger

Published On 12/29/2023

“Esoteric Company will merge with its parent company TEAC Corporation in April 2024. The benefits that this merger will bring to the Esoteric brand include the ability to further enhance its technological development capabilities by sharing the parent company’s extensive development and production resources in Tokyo, Japan, and to develop ever more innovative, truly unique products with high musicality.

Published On 11/28/2023

New xMEMS’ driver technology is poised to shakeup the world of dynamic drivers for IEMs.

Published On 6/29/2023

Is it surprising, or just disappointing, that we have not read about this in the Stereophile or TAS? (full disclosure, I subscribe to both). Comments I've received from members state the obvious; if you are receiving substantial advertising revenue from the accused, you'd do best not to fan the flames of the lawsuit against them.

Published On 4/30/2023

Last month we alerted you to Apples new high resolution Classical Music streaming platform with the largest catalog of Classical Music.
This month we're directing you to a review by Anthony Kershaw in which he states: Apple Music Classical—not ready for audiophile primetime.

Apple Classical in Hi-Resolution

Published On 3/26/2023

Apple Announces the world's largest classical music library now available in hi-resolution.

100 YEARS AGO in Audio History

Published On 2/19/2023

From Paul McGowan's PS Audio website we are alerted that "One hundred years ago, three seminal events of 1923 changed the world forever: The first commercial radio station in the United States, KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was launched while in that same year, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) began its radio programs. On the recording side, 1923 saw the Victor Talking Machine Company’s introduction of the first electrical recording process using microphones and amplifiers, setting the stage for every technological advance we have today."

Published On 2/3/2023

The recorded music market is regaining its former hourglass shape—this time with platforms like Spotify at the center.

Published On 1/27/2023

Streaming and the Music Industry

The Live Music Industry Is Broken

Published On 11/29/2022

The latest info re the live music industry.

Mo-Fi Class Action!

Published On 10/23/2022

I'm not sure if there is any truth to the rumor that Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab commonly referred to as MoFi, is planning a One-Step release of Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire by the Castaways. Pretty sure I just made that up.
Great idea though, and maybe they could give away a copy to everyone who signs up for the class action lawsuit against them?

The Science of Audiophilia

Published On 5/21/2022

I’ve recently read a few articles that offer explanations of why music evokes such powerful emotional and physiological responses. I thought I would share my take-aways with you.

The Return of Audio Shows

Published On 5/16/2021

Show coordinators are starting to schedule events for this year in a modified post COVID environment. The following shows are being scheduled. Check the websites to confirm whether any change of dates occurs.

Published On 2/5/2020

Art discusses acoustic boundary materials

What does “high resolution audio” mean?

Published On 9/30/2019

Industry's take on high resolution digital files

Published On 6/22/2019

Terrible loss of masters of albums

Published On 12/8/2016

This article talks about the resurgence of vinyl in the music sales market.

FiiO EH11 Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones

Published On 4/1/2026

Hey Bunky, are your high-end headphones weighing you down? Does your wallet growl at you when you consider a new headphone? FiiO may have the perfect antidote with the release of the EH11.

The FiiO EH11 is a Bluetooth over-ear headphone that has a playful retro 80’s look. From its wooden earcups, to its plastic headband, and brightly colored foam earpads, the EH11 makes it clear these headphones are meant to be fun.

Diretta Impressions

Published On 11/1/2025

While not a plug and play, the installation and setup was pretty straightforward. The instructions were well laid out and comprehensive. For my system, the installation was simply unplugging the Ethernet connection from the optical converter and unplugging the USB from the MSB Pro USB module and inserting the Host and Target Pi computers and turning them on.

Diretta Impressions

Published On 11/1/2025

What girl doesn’t love a new toy? In my case, that toy happens to be a novel take on a music streamer. I know — that might not sound thrilling to most people. But for me, discovering something creative and homegrown by one of our own members made this already valuable system upgrade much more fun.

Diretta Impressions

Published On 11/1/2025

Overall listening impressions: the most notable improvement with the Diretta compared to my Aurender N10 streamer and EMM Labs DV2i is that it has a lower noise floor which conveys a larger sense of space around instruments and openness in the soundstage.

Motorola 5C14GW DIY Restoration

Published On 10/1/2025

I had this idea of taking good looking old classic radios and rebuilding them with modern components. Seems a lot cooler than a commercial bluetooth shelf speaker, if you ask me.

So I bought a 1959 Motorola 5C14GW because I loved the mid-century look. I actually bought two and picked up a few other stereos that were older, but the Motorola ended up being the one I liked most.

Published On 5/24/2025

John Hughes reviews the Stack Audio SmoothLAN and SmoothLAN Regenerator Ethernet filters from Stack Audio.

Schiit Audio Introduces the Mimir

Published On 5/1/2025

Interesting technology is introduced with a long awaited new product from Schiit Audio. Is the end near?

Kevin's New Toy Widex Moment 440's

Published On 3/30/2025

NEW TOYS - Kevin Olson
Pi day, 2025

How can you improve the sound of your awesome stereo across the board? Source of course.
But I have digital and analog. Oh.
How about ears? I just upgraded my ears. Oh my, the stereo is sounding great

Published On 1/1/2025

Excerpt form Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity

The design of audiophile-grade audio cables is a pursuit that combines science, engineering, and craftsmanship. At first glance, these cables might seem like simple conductors of electrical signals, but for those deeply committed to high-fidelity sound reproduction, they are the result of decades of experimentation, refinement, and innovation. From conductor geometry and shielding techniques to dielectric materials and termination quality, every detail of the design is carefully scrutinized to ensure signal integrity and reduce sources of distortion. Designers of high-end cables dedicate significant time and resources to make sure their products meet strict electrical performance standards—such as low capacitance, minimal resistance, and high resistance to electromagnetic interference—believing that even small differences can impact the musical experience.

Published On 11/4/2024

While I have a lot of methods to reduce Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) in my system, the Snubway Noise Defender and Main Stream Master Class Dynamic Parallel AC Line Conditioner are some of the easiest to recommend. They are super simple to use, very affordable, and clearly improved sound quality in my system. Plus they have a 30 day no hassle return policy.

Auralic Aries G. 2.2

Published On 9/27/2024

I started by thinking about what would/could improve most of my listening. Being a lazy audiophile, I stream much of my music. When I purchased my Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC from GTT Audio, Bill Parish recommended I also buy an AURALiC Aires G2.1 plus a couple of Kubala Sosna cables. He said the sonic gains would be worth it. But buying the Tambaqui cleaned out my toy account so I passed on the purchase and forgot about it. But then my toy account grew again and I remembered.

A Souped Up Boltz Rack

Published On 5/28/2024

In conjunction with this being the Century of Vinyl’s Revival, and the accolades heaped on my last furniture write-up of my wall-mounted turntable shelf, I’m bringing you a recap of my Boltz Record Rack modifications.

Published On 4/27/2024

Greetings Audiophiles!

A new toy finally arrived. The popularity of this toy held up delivery for a few months. Worth the wait.

A number of years ago the SFAS had a headphone and headphone amp event. I was one of the attendees and one of the organizers.

Published On 3/22/2024

Lory Hawley reviews the SR-L500MK2 electrostatic headphones for the magazine Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity

Information Obscura

Published On 3/17/2024

Don't try this at home.

In 1790, Alessandro Volta (For whome the Volt was named) stuck one end of a electrical circuit into each ear and experienced "a boom within the head," followed by a sound similar to that of boiling thick soup." Given this shocking experience, he never repeated the expiriment, but his observations provided the first evidence that our perception of sound is mediated, in part, by electrical events in our head.

From the book, Coming To Our Senses, by Susan R. Barry

New Toy Furniture?

Published On 2/20/2024

Can a piece of furniture qualify as a new toy? I think so. Especially if it improves the sound of your audio system, or in my case, improves the sound by letting me walk around the room when I am playing a record.

Bowers and Wilkins Px8 Headphones

Published On 1/30/2024

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Royal Burgundy wireless headphones are simply gorgeous. Usually, when given a choice of colors for audio gear, I choose black. Especially for headphones. I want what I wear to disappear; I’m not interested in accessorizing my outfits with audio bling. So, when I was offered an opportunity to audition the new Px8 in burgundy Nappa leather and diamond cut, gold-toned aluminum, I didn’t expect to be wowed.

Published On 11/27/2023

HIFIMAN, known for its exceptional headphones, IEMs, headphone amplifiers, and portable players, is also known for its path of refinement that continually evolves its products. One of those headphones to recently receive an update is the Arya line of open-back, planar magnetic driver headphones, which are part of their Reference line.

Published On 8/24/2023

Review of noise cancelling headphones

Kevin's new ViV Rigid Float tonearm

Published On 6/29/2023

Here we go. I bought a new Tonearm for the turntable. Now I have a new toy to talk about. I had to solve a weak link in my system, and I had some money to spend. I wanted something good. But, sometimes I want something weird but good.

I have a Well Tempered turntable and arm and it’s weird and good.
I was tempted to buy another Well Tempered tonearm, but since I already have one, why buy another one. I am upgrading my Jelco 850 L on my Dr. Feickert Venti turntable.

Published On 5/29/2023

I first started using and recommending to our music server customers putting in a "Fiber Bridge" (Ethernet > Fiber > Ethernet) in 2005 when I was working with VRS Audio Solutions, So I am well aware of the sonic benefits of isolating the noise that is carried on ethernet. The last one I put in my system was about 5 years ago and I used the cheapest switch/media boxes and fiber I could find ( think it cost me $60). I added a cheap LPS to the switch on the clean side of the network, which did make a small difference at the time. I also use high quality Cat8 cables with Telegartner plugs on every run from my cable router.

Published On 7/25/2022

New Toy: Furutech GTX-D NCF (R) Wall Outlet
By: Larry Deniston
As I and many others with more gravitas than I have written, getting good, clean power to your gear can pay big dividends in improving the sound quality of your system. While I had a couple of “decent” wall outlets for my amps and front-end gear, I decided to go ahead and get what could be the best outlets available.

Published On 12/30/2020

Review of Iconoclast speaker cables

Published On 9/23/2020

Evaluation of the Smyth Realiser

Published On 3/29/2020

Review of balanced power transformers

Audioquest Niagra 1200 by Kevin Olson

Published On 12/1/2019

Kevin reviews his latest power conditioner,

Published On 11/24/2019

New Phono Stage review

Pass Labs XP-17

Published On 10/2/2019

Kevin reviews his new phono stage

Copper Weights for Headshells

Published On 9/20/2018

Joe talks about the advantages of proper mass for tonearm/cartridge matching.

Published On 12/1/2016

Larry talks about the Shelter cartridge and the challenges and benefits of using a mono cartridge.

Hardware Review: The USB Disruptor

Published On 8/15/2016

Alon reviews this piece of gear that helps clean up the noise on a USB cable.

Published On 3/23/2022

You may have read the title of this New Toys blurb and thought to yourself, Amp Camp. Sounds like DIY.

Published On 2/25/2022

I have long been impressed with the power distribution products from Shunyata Research that I have heard in others’ systems and the ones I own. One of the things that has always impressed me about Shunyata Research is that their entry level products have a serious level of trickle down from their high end products.

Published On 1/27/2022

As I indicated in my write-up about the Spatial Audio M5 Sapphire speakers, I was very impressed with the Linkwitz open baffle speaker design, but was looking for a simpler solution.

Published On 10/21/2021

For those of you who still have their CD collection and want to get the most out of your Redbook CDs, the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 T (https://pro-jectusa.com/product/cd-box-rs2t/) is a great sounding transport for you to consider.

Published On 9/27/2021

The Living Sounds Audio (LSA) Voyager GaN 350 is a class D stereo amplifier with Gallium Nitride (GaN) FET output transistors. It’s rated at 350 watts into 8 ohms, 500 watts into 4 ohms and “2 ohms stable” (not sure exactly what that means?).

Published On 9/23/2021

The Secret Sauce? A review of High Fidelity NanoParticle Solution NPS-1260 Contact Enhancer, By David Holzman

I have been a happy user of High Fidelity Cables and power cords since they first came to visit our club 4 years or so ago.

Published On 8/10/2021

As the years go by, I have become more and more attracted to my personally modified version of Occam’s Razor: the simplest way is the best way.

Published On 6/30/2021

David Snyder blogs about his latest price-friendly streamer!

Published On 5/16/2021

You Don’t Know What You’ve Been Missing Until You Hear It

If you’ve been an audiophile for, say, at least a week, you’ve no-doubt read many reports from reviewers about their experience of being shocked,

Published On 1/6/2021

Well, doing as I do, several months ago while enjoying listening to my system, I was also thinking about the next upgrade. Where’s the weak link in the current system?

Published On 7/25/2020

Spatial M5 Sapphire Speakers

In looking for the next improvement in my system, I started thinking about speaker upgrades and thinking about open baffle designs. I’d heard the Linkwitz open baffle speakers at Kevin’s, Don’s and Linkwitz’ homes and always was very impressed.

Published On 6/28/2020

Hello SFAS Board and club members! I hope you all are staying safe and sane during these crazy COVID times. Happily, the club has adapted to be as active as ever with weekly Happy Hour Zoom meetings...

Published On 6/8/2020

A DIY (with a lot of help) Turntable

I don’t post new toy write-ups very often, if ever, up until now, so I’m going to throw a whole bunch of new toys into this one post.

Published On 4/3/2020

Greetings. Sorry we are all stuck at home. With all our music and time to listen! Wow!

Just before things changed I bought a new phono cartridge. I might have an addiction.

Published On 3/29/2020

My relatively new toy is a Boulder 1008 phono preamp. It’s a solid state unit with two balanced inputs and two balanced outputs. I’ve installed an XLR junction box on my turntable to facilitate the use of balanced interconnects from the turntable to the phono preamp.

New Toy: Tripp Lite IS1000HG

Published On 3/2/2020

In a search for clean power for my system, I remembered a suggestion from Vince Galbo of MSB Technologies during a wide-ranging discussion about the MSB Analog DAC and the importance of clean power. Vince had recommended the Tripp Lite IS500HG, which is a 500 watt, hospital grade isolation transformer. I opted for the IS1000HG which is the 1000 watt version of the Tripp Lite as I was plugging everything except the subwoofer into the isolation transformer and more is better, right?

Published On 9/1/2026

What happens when loudspeaker design meets 3D printing? RD Physics explores why the sphere may be an almost ideal enclosure—rigid, material-efficient, visually striking, and capable of reducing diffraction—while tracing five generations of compact full-range speakers built with everything from carbon fiber skins to metal-filled filament and gyroid infill. It’s a fascinating look at how additive manufacturing opens up shapes, structures, and DIY possibilities that traditional cabinetmaking simply can’t match.

Published On 7/1/2026

This AI generated video explores the origins of American, British and Japanese speakers and the sound characteristics typically associated with the speakers of each geography.

Published On 6/1/2026

Per the Analogholic YouTube Channel:

Imagine your favorite song is a world-class recipe; the digital file contains every note and detail. This video explores how the "cooking" happens inside your digital to analog converter, focusing on R2R & Delta-Sigma DAC architectures. We explain key concepts like oversampling and noise shaping, illustrating how digital signal processing fundamentally influences the final audio output and how the digital to analog audio process works. This hifi education piece uses a clear analogy to make complex topics easy to understand.

Published On 3/1/2026

Why do streamer upgrades clearly change the sound in some systems, but do almost nothing in others?
This video explains what’s really changing, what isn’t, and how to tell when upgrading a streamer makes sense — and when it’s just the system reacting electrically.

You’ll learn why identical digital files can still sound different, how streamers interact electrically with DACs, why cables and power tweaks sometimes matter and often don’t, and how to recognize whether a streamer change is revealing a system sensitivity or delivering a real improvement.

This isn’t about saying streamers “don’t matter.”
It’s about understanding when they do, why they do, and how to stop upgrading blindly.

Published On 1/1/2026

For years, audiophiles have fought over one question:Do power cords and power conditioners actually make a difference… or is the whole thing snake oil? I went into this experiment fully prepared to debunk the myth once and for all.What happened instead… well… let’s just say it didn’t go the way I expected.

Published On 12/1/2025

Per the Andrew Huberman YouTube channel:

"My guest is Konstantina Stankovic, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair of Otolaryngology at Stanford School of Medicine. She explains how hearing works and why hearing loss—affecting over 1.5 billion people—impacts people of all ages. We discuss how hearing loss impairs focus and increases the risk of cognitive decline, as well as the role of menopause and other biological milestones in hearing health. We share science-backed protocols to protect your hearing and highlight risks to avoid. And we discuss tinnitus—its causes and treatment options."

Published On 10/1/2025

Per the Freaking Out With Billy Hume YouTube channel:

"The Real Reason Why Analog Recording Is Better. Why is analog better than digital for recording music? In this video, I dive into the surprising reasons why I prefer analog tape recording—and it's not about the sound. Discover how the analog workflow enhances the creative process, why vintage recording technology outlasts digital gear, and how working with tape can transform your music production. With 40 years of experience as a producer and mixer, I share insights into what makes analog unique in a world dominated by digital. If you're curious about analog vs. digital recording or just want to learn more about studio techniques, this video is for you."

Published On 8/11/2025

This month's Tech Talk is provided courtesy of David Snyder, who has shared several presentations with the Audiophile Foundation on a range of digital audio topics from digital basics to network streaming.

David has put together a comprehensive How-To guide, "Building a Dedicated Diretta Link with Audiolinux on Raspberry Pi," in which he describes how a Three-Tier Roon + Diretta Architecture can offer an improvement over a traditional Roon bridge solution.

Published On 7/31/2025

Per the SoundStage! Network YouTube Channel:

The definitive version of an analog recording is the analog master tape. Or is it? In this episode, SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider presents the case for why he believes for the best reproduction of analog tape, digital playback is necessary.

Hearing Aids: The Final Frontier

Published On 6/30/2025

Audiophile Foundation member Phil Conley shares his story of finally getting hearing aids in his 70s after putting it off for years. As someone passionate about good sound quality, Phil was worried that hearing aids might alter his music listening experience, but he discovered some pretty surprising benefits along the way.

Published On 5/24/2025

J.R. Boisclair is creating a weekly YouTube series of short 'Sound Bites' that delve into all aspects of turntable setup.

Published On 4/28/2025

Science or experience, can you use both to discover the best speaker placement for your room? Richard Mak uses both geometry and a good pair of ears as his unifying method to couple any kind of sepaker to a room.

How to build an OFFLINE music library

Published On 3/31/2025

Submitted by John Hughes

Listening to music on streaming services provides ultimate ease and instant gratification. But streaming is renting your music library, and with that comes issues with the landlord! Some music can appear and disappear on streaming sites depending on licensing. And there is the ever-increasing chance of losing access to your library altogether. (There is some talk in the industry of Tidal's demise!). Pride of ownership along with seeking and acquiring your favorite albums is its own reward.

What Next TBD | Spotify Trapped

Published On 12/31/2024

I don't use Spotify, and this podcast discusses some of the reasons why I don't use Spotify. Hint: It has nothing to do with SQ, and everything to do with algorithms.

In this Spotify Trapped episode of the What Next TBD podcast, Tiffany Ng, culture and tech writer, discusses how Spotify's algorithms are influencing the choice of music you listen to on this popular streaming music platform, and the how artists who create music are bending to the will of the algorithms.

Published On 5/26/2024

Has modern Class D amplification now surpassed the sound quality of traditional Class A/B and Class A amplifier designs? This article explores the possibilities and features several interviews with respected current designers that have been developing Class D circuits.

Published On 4/30/2024

Wayne Colburn of Pass Labs and PassDIY revealed to the DIY community his third iteration of the Pearl phono preamp at Burning Amp 2023.

Published On 12/28/2023

Ways to improve the connector/plug chain in the signal path.

Published On 11/27/2023

Definitely an easy weekend DIY project that can be completed in less than few hours.

Published On 5/28/2023

David Snyder presents a new way for you to inexpensively add another Roon endpoint in your system- or maybe your first Roon Endpoint- in this well thought out and easy to follow YouTube tutorial.
Your total investment, not counting your labor, should be around a Ulysses, but your enjoyment will be priceless.

Published On 3/31/2023

I asked my local ChatGPT to describe the difference in sound between a R-2R Ladder DAC and a Transistor DAC. What follows is the answer I received.

Who Knew That Bing knows Larry Deniston

Published On 2/23/2023

In sorting out the search feature for our SFAF website, I had the occasion to give the new Bing Search engine a go.

Using Bing to search for "Larry Deniston articles San Francisco Audiophile Foundation" returned seven articles that Larry had authored. The same search in Google returned one result relating to a survey Larry had sent out.

Published On 2/5/2023

Streaming vs. source material

Bass is Always a Problem

Published On 1/27/2023

Norm discusses low frequency challenges in listening rooms.

Work of Art Preamp

Published On 10/28/2022

Just when you think you've seen it all.

Do You Know the Definition of Assume?

Published On 10/7/2022

A very interesting story in tracking down an issue in a HiFi system.

Published On 9/26/2022

Cookie talks about the differences between mixing and mastering and how the process affects the sound quality of the product.

Published On 7/22/2022

This article describes how to best improve the power quality supplied to your listening room by installing large gauge wire with best practices for the installation.

Published On 6/29/2021

I think my obsession with clean power started with me noticing diurnal variation in sound quality, a fairly well recognized effect: things sound better at night when fewer people and businesses are drawing and corrupting PG&Es 60Hz feed. I acquired a PS Audio P3 regenerator which largely removed the diurnal variations.

Published On 5/30/2021

The audio industry is filled with people who will tell you what you should like based upon what they know sounds best. In general, there may not be anything wrong with this. After all, isn’t that, aside from the entertainment value, why we read audiophile magazines?

MSB Factory Tour

Published On 8/1/2020

After SFAS received a generous donation of HiFi equipment which included an older MSB DAC that needed repair, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit the MSB Technology factory while dropping off the DAC.

Published On 5/27/2019

Solving ground loop problems

Speaker Re-Coning 101 (901)

Published On 3/24/2019

Grant shows how to re-cone speaker drivers on Bose 901s

DIY Pass Labs Pearl II+

Published On 5/10/2022

PEARL II+ Phono Stage by Ori
The original Pearl2 was designed by Wayne Colburn and is still offered as a partial kit from PassDIY.
The Pearl2+ is a culmination of several hot-rod modifications to the Pearl2 kit. I chose to name it 2+ and not 3 out of respect to Wayne, which may one day release the next version and obviously would want to name it version 3. Since it was offered to resourceful experimenters, why not polish up that gem with a few simple modifications that are well within the grasp and budget of the average vinyl lover.

Humor 2025

Published On 1/4/2025

The Muse Humor for 2025

Humor 2023

Published On 10/13/2024

The Muse Humor for 2023

Published On 8/25/2024

Credit: Salut Salon's YouTube Channel

"The Summer", composed by Antonio Vivaldi, becomes the stage for a musical competition. Salut Salon fight acrobatically and with a special sense of humor -- this is a Salut Salon classic, a live recording from the movie "Salut Salon. The Movie", directed by musicfilmmaker Ralf Pleger."

Humor 2024

Published On 7/20/2024

The Muse Humor for 2024

Published On 9/1/2026

The video traces the afterlife of the Amen break — a six-second drum solo played by Gregory Coleman on The Winstons' 1969 B-side "Amen, Brother," a record almost nobody noticed at the time. Rediscovered in the 1980s and slowed down for the Ultimate Breaks and Beats compilations, it became a hip-hop staple, then crossed to the UK, where DJs chopped and reversed it at high tempo and built jungle and drum and bass around it. It has since appeared in thousands of tracks, from Bowie to Skrillex to the Futurama theme. The appeal is its flexibility: nothing but drums, rhythmically simple, and recorded well enough to survive any amount of processing. Coleman never earned a cent from it and died homeless, unaware of what he'd started.

Published On 8/1/2026

Per PBS SoCal YouTube Channel

"Robeson Taj Frazier and Perry B. Johnson explore the rise of listening spaces in Los Angeles, tracing their roots to Japanese kissaten culture. At Gold Line, Stones Throw Records founder, DJ Peanut Butter Wolf shares his vision for bars that bring people together through sound. At the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, an evening with In Sheep’s Clothing and Temporal Drift reveals the power of collective music appreciation and the cultural traditions that inspire LA's contemporary listening spaces."

Isley Brothers x Cadillac Chronicles

Published On 7/1/2026

Old School Artists Meets New School Social Media Platform.

Ride along with Atlanta Artist Brian Freeman and his musical guests in a 1974 Cadillac Eldorado Drop-Top.

Relax and Enjoy.

Published On 6/1/2026

Per the Audiocostruzioni YouTube Channel:

"Accuphase is widely regarded as one of the finest Hi-Fi manufacturers in the world. Founded in 1972, the company designs and builds amplifiers, CD players, and high-end audio components known for their impeccable craftsmanship, engineering precision, and long-lasting performance.
After more than twenty years of representing this iconic Japanese brand in Italy, we finally had the opportunity to visit their headquarters to explore how Accuphase products are engineered, assembled, and tested—while learning more about the philosophy that drives their pursuit of audio perfection."

Published On 5/1/2026

Jones & Cerreta is a new Los Angeles–based loudspeaker company co-founded by Andrew Jones and brothers Jamie and Bill Cerreta. In this video, Andrew walks us through his newest loudspeaker, Troubadour—the first speaker he has developed for this new company. This is the first video to break down Troubadour ahead of its highly anticipated launch at AXPONA 2026.

Published On 4/1/2026

Per the KEXP YouTube Channel:

"http://KEXP.ORG presents Angine de Poitrine performing"Mata Zyklek" live at ESMA in Rennes, France, during Trans Musicales 2025. Recorded December 04, 2025."

Published On 4/1/2026

Per the Oliver Gearing YouTube Channel:

"Angine de Poitrine is officially breaking the internet. Their KEXP performance has left everyone asking the same thing: How are two people making that much noise—and how is it so perfectly in time?

In today’s video, we’re peeling back the polka-dot curtain to reveal the secrets behind one of the hottest live-looping acts in the world. From the Dadaist art movement that fuels their aesthetic to the complex mathematics that makes their rhythms so addictive, we’re breaking down the setup."

Published On 3/1/2026

Published On 2/1/2026

Disturbed - The Sound Of Silence (Official Music Video)

Published On 1/1/2026

Per the Božo Paradžik musician YouTube Channel:

Henry Mancini's epic composition adapted (by myself) for a double bass quintet. Watch on my channel many top quality videos with classical double bass 🤗 and please subscribe to not miss anything.

Good work by my talented students from the generations 2017 until 2018
It was very funny to record the quintets in the forest 😂
Recorded with a single pair of Schoeps MK2S with added just a bit of digital reverb in PP.

Published On 12/1/2025

Per Moog Music YouTube Channel:
October 12, 2014 marks the 50 Year anniversary of the unveiling of the Moog modular synthesizer at the Audio Engineering Society's (AES) New York convention. On that day in 1964, Dr. Robert Moog introduced the world to a completely new type of instrument that would go on to change the course of music history and influence decades of future instrument design. Told by a Moog engineer, Moog Historian, and Bob Moog himself, this mini-documentary explores Moog Music's quest to resurrect the original methods, materials and designs used in the foundational modular synths. Through recreating Keith Emerson's modular system, Moog Music rediscovers the power, elegance, and enduring legacy of its first instruments.

Published On 12/1/2025

Per ALFfx Visual DJ YouTube Channel:

This is the 5th Kraftwerk video. I tried to keep the same kind of atmosphere as the last 2.
It's more human.

All midjourney.
Enjoy.
Hope you like it. But what not to like form Kraftwerk.

Published On 11/1/2025

Ain’t No Sunshine performed, produced and arranged by Marcin, featuring the kittens. Originally by Bill Withers.

Published On 10/1/2025

Per You Can't Unhear This YouTube Channel:

Here Comes The Sun has become one of the most popular and treasured Beatles songs, a gateway into their music for many new fans. This 3-minute gem of unforgettable songwriting is also packed with intriguing anomalies, production quirks and even a mystery. Unlike the vast majority of Beatles songs, Here Comes the Sun was not written by the main songwriting duo of Paul McCartney and John Lennon, but rather by George Harrison, the youngest member of the quartet, who contributed two memorable pieces to the Abbey Road album - an endearing love song called Something, and the effervescent Here Comes the Sun.

The Genius Of Sheila E.

Published On 9/1/2025

Per the Drumeo YouTube channel:

"Sheila E, also known as the "Queen Of Percussion," is a drummer and percussionist who has left an indelible mark on the music industry. Growing up in a family immersed in music, her father, the legendary percussionist Pete Escovedo, played a pivotal role in shaping her musical journey. "

Published On 7/31/2025

Per the BBC Archives YouTube Channel:

"Do they like music? Or are they in love with equipment?"

Robert Robinson narrates a short film which explores a thoroughly modern phenomenon - the audiophile - that group of enthusiasts forever seeking out the highest fidelity audio possible. Whether it's eternally fidgeting with the transistors on a home wireless set, buying more and more expensive high-tech hi-fi equipment, or setting up a confounding obstacle course of wires and speakers to deliver the perfect sound in their living room, the audiophile's quest is seemingly never ending.

Directed by John Schlesinger.

Published On 6/30/2025

Per the Musora YouTube channel

"The last time Ulysses visited Drumeo, we challenged him to make up his own drum part for "In Bloom" by Nirvana. This time, he brought his jazz ensemble, Generation Y, for a brand new challenge where they reinvisioned a Nirvana track on the spot. Watch as the band works together to come up with an incredible cover! Let us know what you think!"

RAYE: Tiny Desk Concert

Published On 4/30/2025

Per NPR Music YouTube Channel

Ashley Pointer | April 12, 2023
"I'm a songwriter for a living, okay. I usually have all the words but I'm genuinely speechless." RAYE told the audience at her Tiny Desk. "All I've wanted is to be seen and respected as a musician."

Published On 3/31/2025

Submitted by John Hughes

Per Jacob Collier's video description

"To celebrate A Rock Somewhere's Grammy nomination for Best Global Music Performance, here’s our first ever live performance together of the song in Amsterdam!"

Published On 2/28/2025

Paco De Lucia, Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin perform "Mediterranean Sun Dance" live in Modena, Italy.

In a word... amazing!

Published On 2/28/2025

John DeVore discusses the fundamental economics of producing hifi equipment, pricing structures, margins. etc. in this 30 minute YouTube video.

Billie Eilish: Tiny Desk Concert

Published On 1/31/2025

Per the NPR Music channel on YouTube
"Saudade is a Portuguese word that can be roughly defined as a feeling of melancholy, nostalgia or yearning for something that is beloved but not present. There's no perfect translation, but one of the closest English expressions of the word I've ever seen is Billie Eilish's Tiny Desk performance."

JOE MORELLO: The Great Drum Solo

Published On 12/31/2024

Per DRUMMERWORLD by Bernhard Castiglioni,
"Joseph Albert Morello (July 17, 1928 – March 12, 2011) was an American jazz drummer best known for serving as the drummer for pianist Dave Brubeck, as part of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, from 1957 to 1972, including during the quartet's "classic lineup" from 1958 to 1968, which also included alto saxophonist Paul Desmond and bassist Eugene Wright. Morello's facility for playing unusual time signatures and rhythms enabled that group to record a series of albums that explored them. The most notable of these was the first in the series, the 1959 album Time Out, which contained the hit songs "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo à la Turk". In fact, "Take Five", the album's biggest hit (and the first jazz single to sell more than one million copies) was specifically written by Desmond as a way to showcase Morello's ability to play in 5
4 time."

Published On 11/30/2024

"I hope you enjoy these Fun Christmas Songs on A Lot of Different Musical Instruments!

The Music in this video:

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy by Tchaikovsky
The Little Drummer Boy by Katherine Kennicott Davis
You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch - Words & Music by Theodor Geisel, Albert Hague
Carol of the Bells by Mykola Leontovych

Published On 10/24/2024

Per Audio Resurgence YouTube Channel

"Three-minute song that should resonate with many audiophiles, and their spouses! Beware, the singer does use the occasional expletive. (don't know where she got that potty-mouth :)

"The Audiophile Song" - the story of a beleaguered audiophile forced to sell his beloved system by his bitter and twisted spousal unit. A must-watch for vinyl lovers and fans of high-end audio!"

Acoustic cameras can SEE sound

Published On 10/20/2024

"Acoustic cameras have an array for microphones that are able to reproduce spatial information about sound. They even work in slow-mo, and echoes look amazing!"

Published On 10/1/2024

Per Sheet Music Boss, "The Toccata and Fugue in D minor is one of the most recognizable organ works ever composed. J. S. Bach wrote the work when he was in his teenage years, showcasing his amazing technique and understanding of compositional craft. Various arrangments and orchestrations helped the piece achieve a legendary status as one of the most well-known pieces in existence."

Your Favorite HiFi Tweaks Virtual Event

Published On 7/29/2024

This should be a fun and interesting discussion about the various tweaks you've tried that have either worked well for you, made no difference or made things worse!

Music Theory in 16 Minutes

Published On 7/28/2024

Join composer Guy Michelmore as he explains the essentials of music theory in just 16 minutes!

Steely Dan Aja UHQR Reissue

Published On 6/25/2024

Fagen, Grundman, Schnee, Kassem, & Kaplan discuss the original recording and the making of the UHQR reissue.

Published On 5/27/2024

This incredible slice of music from 1957 features some of the biggest Jazz artists of all time.

Vocals: Billie Holiday, Jimmy Rushing
Tenor Sax: Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Lester Young, Jimmy Giuffre
Alto Sax: Earle Warren
Baritone Sax: Gerry Mulligan, Jimmy Giuffre
Clarinet: Jimmy Giuffre, Pee Wee Russell
Piano: Count Basie, Thelonious Monk, Nat Pierce, Mal Waldron
Guitar: Danny Barker, Freddie Green, Jim Hall
Drums: Papa Jo Jones, Osie Johnson

Published On 4/30/2024

Excellent covers of 25 Bond movies. This collaborative medley was born from isolation restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Published On 4/1/2024

Mature humor for the fools of April.

Perhaps NSFW... you've been warned.

The Neuroscience of Loving Music

Published On 3/3/2024

Humans are musical animals four million years in the making, explained by music expert Michael Spitzer.

Published On 2/27/2024

From Fremer: A videographer visited recently to produce this 4K room tour showing my current audio system, including some new products under review, and some records and accessories.

Happy (Belated) Chinese New Year

Published On 2/26/2024

In celebration of the Year of the Dragon, we present a remarkable East meets West mashup of this familiar cover of an audiophile favorite. Enjoy.

Published On 1/30/2024

Not just for bagpipes and medieval folk tunes...

Published On 12/21/2023

Learn about technology that went into the immersive 167,000 loudspeaker system developed for the Sphere.

Happy Holidays 2023

Published On 11/17/2023

Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year. Cheers from the San Francisco Audiophile Foundation editorial team.

The Genius of Ringo

Published On 10/28/2023

What made Ringo Star so special? In this video, George Hrab creator and producer of The Geologic Podcast explains, "This video makes the argument that his originality, technique, skill, patience, and influence all add up to making him an unqualified genius of his instrument."

Published On 9/23/2023

Having a bad day? Here's a catchy, whistling, finger-snapping. toe-tapping, foot-stomping romp that you can't get out of your head.

WSJ, The Science Behind Sound Therapy

Published On 6/25/2023

The Science Behind Sound Therapy,
Some studies show that sound baths can relieve stress and anxiety.

When You Just Can’t Get Enough Music…

Published On 4/1/2023

So you can take it with you.

Published On 1/14/2023

This interesting Vox investigative report is more than just a story about what critical role data analytics plays today in how a video becomes viral...

Published On 12/8/2022

Listening, an extraordinary video tribute to the late writer Art Dudley's taste, vision, and devotion to music, premiers this month on Stereophile's YouTube channel.

The Quest For Absolute Sound

Published On 7/30/2021

A philosophical discussion about audiophiles and their search for the best sound.

The Most Complex Pop Song of All Time

Published On 6/30/2021

Check out this YouTube video – very interesting for musicians and non-musicians alike.

Published On 5/16/2021

Jonathan discusses the nature of technical specifications and what they tell us and don't tell us

The Art of Listening

Published On 3/5/2018

Documentary on the art of listening.

SF Old School Analog Recording Studio

Published On 2/6/2017

A mini documentary by John Vanderslice on his all analog recording studio.

MBL Promotional Video

Published On 12/5/2014

Promotional video from MBL speakers

How Loudspeakers Work

Published On 12/1/2014

Great video showing how speakers produce sound.

Science and Music

Published On 11/26/2014

This musical Science Experiment is for real, no special effects are used

Water and Sound

Published On 10/21/2014

This is a relatively simple experiment showing the behavior of regular tap water when introduced to a certain audio frequency.

Alon's Video Vault - "Bouncing Music"

Published On 2/19/2014

One of my all-time favorite music videos. It boggles my mind that someone (anonymous so far) actually envisioned this! I’m not saying anything else. Just turn up your volume and click on the image to watch.

Enjoy.

Alón

Everly Brothers – Born Yesterday

Published On 9/1/2026

You probably know at least some of the songs of the Everly Brothers. If not, well, you are either a youngster (OK – relatively) or you’ve never listened to “golden oldies” much. When the Brothers hit the radio airwaves in 1957 with “Bye Bye Love” it marked the beginning of an extraordinarily popular and influential career. Their music was characterized by a melding of country, pop, & rock’n’roll, good song writing, and unforgettable, instantly recognizable vocal harmonies.

John Hiatt – Stolen Moments

Published On 8/1/2026

You may be familiar with John Hiatt, and if you are an aficionado of rock and Americana music you may even have one of his albums. His catalog lists some 30 of them, including collections, the first being released in 1974 and the most recent in 2021. He still tours occasionally. Whether you have one (or more) of them or not, odds are good you’ve heard one (or more) of his songs as performed by one of the many other artists who have covered them. He is acknowledged as a great songwriter, has won awards and has probably achieved his greatest acclaim in that field.

Published On 7/1/2026

Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong had a long relationship of working together. Crosby had a great respect for Armstrong’s talent, and they performed together in films, recorded single numbers on other records, and Armstrong was a frequent guest on Crosby’s radio broadcasts and television shows. Drawing on recordings of those performances different collections featuring the two stars together have been released in recent years. However this record was the only full album these two giants of 20th century popular music collaborated on.

Ella Fitzgerald – Dream Dancing

Published On 6/1/2026

Everyone knows at least something about Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), the "First Lady of Song" and the "Queen of Jazz." Her numerous accolades, to mention only a few, included 14 Grammy Awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her songbook series, interpreting and celebrating the works of some of America’s greatest popular composers, remains a contribution to American culture that few other performing artists can even dream of achieving. Any one of that series would make a superb and easy recommendation for a review. However none of those will ever be in danger of being forgotten, so I’d rather call this much lesser-known but still very worthy album to your attention.

Harry Belafonte – Belafonte ‘89

Published On 5/1/2026

When Harry Belafonte passed away on April 25th, 2023, at age 96, the US and the world lost a GIANT musical performing talent, and a humanitarian and social activist as well. His achievements and contributions are worthy of books being written, and they have been. I read one biography, and learned that he was not a humble man, but then – he had a lot to not be humble about. It is tempting to launch into a review of his rather extraordinary life and many accomplishments, but – I will nobly restrain myself and refer you to Wikipedia for that, should you be interested, and focus on his music legacy and this album.

Lou Reed — New Sensations

Published On 4/1/2026

When you think about Lou Reed... well, let’s make that if you think about Lou Reed (1942-2013), you are likely familiar with his most commercially successful solo albums such as Transformer and Rock’n’Roll Animal. Or if you have been around a bit longer, as some of us admittedly have, perhaps his name may call to mind some of his work with his earlier band, Velvet Underground. A singular and influential artist, he had a long career in the music biz, and though he enjoyed great successes he also experienced major failures. Though the body of his work reflects a wide range of musical styles, it is all immediately identifiable as Lou Reed.

Jasmine Myra - Horizons

Published On 4/1/2026

Here's a quick pick of a new artist I discovered recently, Jasmine Myra, an alto saxophonist, flutist, and composer based in Leeds, England. Her album Horizons, which includes a nonet accompanied by a string quartet, has a calm, mellow vibe perfect for a relaxing afternoon. Jasmine has released three albums: Horizons in 2022, Rising in 2024, and her latest, Where Light Settles, in 2026.

Julie London – Around Midnight

Published On 3/1/2026

Many audiophiles are well aware of Julie London, but many surprisingly are not. She came to my attention only early in this century – over thirty years after her last ‘regular’ album was released in 1969 – in a CD collection of women torch singers. Once I did discover her I fell hard, as have so many other (mainly male) music fans before me. She was an iconic figure in American popular music in the fifties and early sixties. “Cool” or “lounge” music was much in vogue in that time, and though her albums generally were thought of such I will assert that her best work, at least, transcended such categorization.

Published On 3/1/2026

Rather than a full album review, I have a trio of albums by The Poll Winners as my album picks for this month. The group got together to produce four albums from 1957 to 1960, when they disbanded, but returned for a final fifth album in 1975. While I enjoy their entire library of five albums, my favorites are first two albums released by the group, The Poll Winners (1957), The Pool Winners Ride Again! (1958), and their last album Straight Ahead (1976).

Published On 2/1/2026

A great number of audiophiles are jazz fans, and I can’t claim to be. I can and do appreciate the craft and musicianship of its better practitioners, but somehow I have never been able to relate to much of the genre. My collection of jazz LPs (and CDs) is slowly growing, but until relatively recently my collection only included some 45 jazz titles. I therefore don’t feel qualified to offer much commentary on jazz albums, but – the sax music of Johnny Hodges (1907-1970) somehow reaches me.

Nanci Griffith, Storms

Published On 1/1/2026

Nanci Griffith grew up in Austin, Texas, and became part of the varied and vital music scene there before relocating to Nashville later in her career. She released her first album in 1978 and her catalog grew to 20 studio and live albums, plus a number of compilations. Her music melded elements of folk, country, and pop, and her record companies had occasional difficulties promoting her as it wasn’t easily classified. Later, when that more appropriate, more-encompassing classification of Americana came into usage (basically in the mid-1990’s) she became recognized as an artist whose work exemplified that genre.

Published On 12/1/2025

Are you having some friends over during the holidays for a low-key party, perhaps a dinner and general fellowship? I have the album you want for your background music right here, my friends. It’s one that most people will find it hard to dislike. It’s not a high-volume, crank-it-up sort of listen, but it’s some of the best lightweight Christmas music you will ever come across. And if you do feel inclined to turn it up, well, it just sounds that much better. At least, most of the songs will.

Published On 12/1/2025

OK, here’s an audio curve ball for you. I was uncertain about including it, but it’s listed on Discogs – and is available – so I figured what the heck. This is an EMI “Special Markets” CD produced for Kohls stores in 2007. Apparently Kohls did a series of such Christmas titles with different artists for a number of years. This one is made up of, as is obvious, Christmas songs delivered by the two most popular, well-known male vocalists of the past century. The 12 songs are all standards, all classics, and the two crooners alternate in delivering them. Why do I bother to include it in this review? Simply because somehow, surprisingly, this is sonically the best Christmas CD I own.

Dion, Rock n’ Roll Christmas

Published On 12/1/2025

There is a tradition that after singers/musicians are established, have a following, and have developed a catalog that they need to make Christmas albums. This tradition stretches back into the foggy mists of the time of early recordings. With only a few exceptions I will steer away from and am happy to leave them back there. I was skeptical about this one, even though I’m a Dion fan. (Reference my review of his Yo Frankie album in the August issue of The Muse.) However when I first heard this CD I could not help but be grabbed and pulled in by the infectious, up-tempo beat and overall cheerful presentation of these songs.

Nick Lowe, The Rose of England

Published On 11/1/2025

Nick Lowe is an influential figure in the world of rock/pop music, especially in his native England but also in the US and around the world. As well as enjoying a long and prolific solo career, he has played with a number of bands, produced many records, and written many well-known songs covered by other artists. Many artists/songwriters cite him as an inspiration. However, his albums, while critically well received, have seldom garnered major sales or the acclaim which would seem to be his due.

Published On 10/1/2025

Something a little different for you this month, ladies and gentlemen – and audiophiles. I present for your consideration – and hopefully listening pleasure – a classic of American popular music. Whazat? I call it a classic and you’ve never heard of it? Ah well, it may not rank alongside the very best albums of, say, Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, or Peggy Lee. Although... a case might be made.

Published On 10/1/2025

Partial Lyrics:

empty cup and a can full of marigolds
half burned candle a picture pinned on the wall
letters records and ash on linoleum
signs of life the beginning the beginning our beginning begin again

I was bare and your word was still warm in my hand
I was bare wanted all under heaven allowed

Rodney Crowell, The Houston Kid

Published On 8/31/2025

Rodney Crowell has been an established figure in country and Americana music since the early 1970’s when country artists started having hits with his songs. Emmylou Harris asked him to join her band in 1975, and he began releasing solo albums in 1978. He continued to be successful as a songwriter while building his solo career, and has received many awards. His first four albums, all of which have at least some good things on them, earned him an enthusiastic following and many favorable if not rave reviews. But – not astronomic sales.

Dion, Yo Frankie

Published On 7/31/2025

Those of us who have a bit higher mileage on our life odometers, say, enough to remember the heyday of Top 40 radio, should remember Dion. Dion (DiMucci) exploded out of the Bronx in the late 1950’s to become one of the most popular performers of rock-pop music of the day.

Published On 6/30/2025

This album is the work of two of the great guitar masters of our day, and is an achievement that just about anyone with any sense of musical appreciation will find it hard to dislike. The late Chet Atkins (1924-2001) was a genius of the guitar, one of the greatest of all time. He won 14 Grammy Awards, along with a Lifetime Achievement Award, put out 88 studio albums of his own, played on innumerable others, and was a producer for many other major artists.

Al Stewart, Past Present and Future

Published On 5/31/2025

When most people think about Al Stewart – if they think about him at all – what comes to mind is his mega-hit Year of the Cat. The 1976 album named from that single went platinum and established him as a musical star known the world over. His follow-up album, Time Passages, also did very well. However his star gradually faded after that and his subsequent efforts, while artistically worthwhile, have not proved as popular.

Published On 4/27/2025

Many audiophiles appreciate the music of this rather legendary figure of the 20th century. Others may share the almost inborn, instinctive dislike of him that I grew up with and only managed to shed later in life, after the repeated efforts of a dedicated friend. My record collection now contains the majority of Sinatra’s recorded work.

Various Artists – Not Fade Away

Published On 3/25/2025

Buddy Holly (1936-59) is, of course, a genuine icon of rock’n’roll music. He wrote most of his own songs – not common at the time—and was one of the musicians that helped to define the genre. On the face of it, the concept of getting a bunch of different country/pop stars to contribute to a tribute album to him might seem kinda lame, right? For my part, I would have forecast the likely result to be half-hearted artists turning in uninspired covers with subpar production and a dose of compression. Also, that faded gray cover with the superimposed artist list almost makes it look like a cheapo bootleg and gives a rather poor first impression.

Well… it could have been a colossal mess, but it most certainly isn’t. The stars on this disc are some of the best in the business, and not only did they not phone in their recordings of these songs, most seemingly put their hearts into it – it sounds like it was probably fun for them.

Josh Leo – Rockin’ on 6th

Published On 2/28/2025

With most (not all, but most) of the reviews I write, I seek to call attention to – to champion, if you will – worthwhile neglected albums of the past. Well, fair warning folks, I have something really obscure to share with you this time. Great, but obscure. It was never released as a CD, and I will be surprised if you can find it on any of the streaming services.

Published On 1/31/2025

On rare occasion I will divert from my avowed dedication to vinyl reproduction to hold forth concerning an album that is only available in a CD format. When I feel compelled to do so it is because the music involved is especially worthy of recommending. This album is certainly an example of that.

Published On 12/31/2024

Rather than selecting a single album pick for our 2025 New Year's edition, I'm including a Tidal playlist that our readers can use to explore the boundaries of their system's audio performance. The Ultimate System Testers playlist is a meticulously crafted collection that bridges audiophile classics with contemporary artists, spanning multiple genres, including pop, rock, jazz, and classical, and representing several decades of musical innovation.

Published On 12/31/2024

The first cut, “I won’t Run Anymore,” opens with the discordant pealing of church bells in the distance, they fade out and an organ rolls in, then comes the serious entry of electric guitars, Townshend’s vocals, and a chorus urging, “Don’t be afraid of the night.”

Paul Simon - Hearts and Bones

Published On 11/30/2024

Do you know who Paul Simon is? Of course you do. His is a name well-known to... well, just about everyone. Even those unfortunate folk who aren’t much into music know that he is of the greatest figures in popular music of nearly the last sixty years. (It’s hard to believe, but he is now 83.) Hearts and Bones, his 6th solo studio album, was meant to be a Simon & Garfunkel reunion album, and some songs were recorded with Garfunkel.

Published On 11/30/2024

I sat down to begin putting together the December edition of The Muse. But before I sat down to compile articles for this edition, I decided to listen to Bill Evans You Must Believe In Spring. It turns out that listening to this album was a bad idea because I'm still listening to what is, for me, a mesmerizingly relaxing album, and I've made zero progress with The Muse.

Colter Wall - Imaginary Appalachia

Published On 10/31/2024

Listening to Colter Wall’s vocal delivery draws the listener into a cramped, smoky bar with the image of an elderly C&W star playing for tips, the floor covered in sawdust, and the smell of stale beer heavy like a fog in the room. You could say the voice is rough and raw. The musical accompaniment is sparse and lacking in flash or flair. The combination is perfectly suited to the elemental lyrics that make you believe the composer isn’t just a songwriter but is someone who has lived the life of a poor country boy from the South.

Holly Cole – The Best of Holly Cole

Published On 10/31/2024

I depart from my usual writing about and advocating for vinyl to pontificate about a most worthy album which is not – regrettably – available in that preferred format, but only available as CD.

Many audiophiles are aware of Holly Cole, and I may be “preaching to the choir” to some readers, but a great number are not. She has been a fixture of the Canadian jazz scene since the late 1980’s, when she moved from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Toronto. There she formed the Holly Cole Trio, the name used on her first four albums, and began releasing albums that have generally met with very good critical acclaim but only varying degrees of popular acceptance. While she is somewhat well-known in the US, she is a virtual icon in Canada.

Published On 10/1/2024

Presumably everyone who knows anything about American music knows something about Doc Watson (1923-2012). If they don’t, they should. Blind from the age of two, he was self-taught on the guitar and became one of the great masters of folk/ bluegrass/Americana. He won 7 Grammys and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award – quite an accomplishment for any musician, much less a blind one.

The Fireman Electric Arguments

Published On 9/27/2024

The Fireman (Paul McCartney & Youth)
Electric Arguments
2008

The Beatles!
Wings!
The Fireman?
Yup.
Paul has always been a whirlwind when it comes to getting more recordings in the can, and at 82 years of age, his solo career is still going strong. But, while I thought I knew most of his recordings, it turns out that until recently I was unaware of The Fireman. While the creative output of The Fireman has not approached the volume of Paul’s other groups, it is a collaboration that has spanned a fair amount of time, beginning with 1993s Strawberry Oceans Ships Forest, followed in 1998 with Rushes, the collaboration with McCartney’s Liverpool Sound Collage in 2000, through 2008’s release of Electric Arguments.

Grant's Guitar Corner Wes Montgomery

Published On 8/23/2024

Wes Montgomery
Down Here on the Ground
by Grant Stoner

My album pick for this month is Wes Montgomery’s Down Here on the Ground, A&M records 1968 vinyl (mono). This record is the CTI division of A&M records. Many jazz purists bemoan Creed Taylor’s (CTI head), adding of strings and extra instrumentation to “sweeten” the sound, and I pretty much agree. I think he did that to dumb down the music to make it more saleable to the easy listening crowd. I would of course prefer to listen to Wes in a standard trio format. But the CTI records are nice testaments to the sound of the era and are kinda timeless classics.

Amythyst Kiah, Wary + Strange

Published On 8/23/2024

During an evening out at the Crystal Ballroom looking forward to seeing Iron & Wine, the audience was hijacked by the opening act. Not all of the audience, many seemed to know this performer and all of her songs. They may have even come just to see her. She’s been around for a while, even receiving a Grammy Award nomination for the Best American Roots Song, on the 2019 album, Songs of Our Native Daughters with Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell, for Amythyst Kiah’s song, Black Myself.

Frank Sinatra's Robin & The Seven Hoods

Published On 7/28/2024

Releases in 1964, The movie Robin and the 7 Hoods was produced by Frank Sinatra, and starred himself, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, and Sammy Davis Jr. (Peter Falk was also on board and attempted – and failed – to sing.) The storyline is... well, mildly entertaining, but this isn’t a movie review. Let me just explain that what we have here are four of the greatest male musical entertainers of the previous century, all of which were arguably at or reasonably near the height of their vocal powers.

Willie Nelson, The Border

Published On 7/23/2024

I last saw Willie Nelson live at the Fillmore in 2003. Willie was old then, but now I am about as old as Willie was then, and he is even older now, obviously. And yet, Trigger, his guitar, is still his musical partner, even though Trigger has looked as if it was ready to disintegrate at any moment for as long as I can remember. But his performance, especially his guitar playing, and his signature vocal delivery stands out in my memory today.

Meara O’Reilly, Hockets For Two Voices

Published On 6/25/2024

And now, for something completely different. No, not music from a Monty Python sketch or film, but “different” this music is.
Hockets were used primarily in vocal and choral music of the 13th and early 14th centuries. They were often found in sacred vocal music and string compositions. However, in the 14th century, this compositional device was most often found in secular vocal music. This secular association (never safe in medieval times) spurred a backlash from the church resulting in laws that outlawed hockets. I could find no information on whether performing hockets resulted in punishment on the rack, or not. Go figure.

Dave Edmunds – Closer to the Flame

Published On 6/15/2024

If there were real justice in the world of rock/pop music, this Welsh guitar giant and record producer would be world-famous and have sold out stadiums. He should at least be ensconced in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame! He was an amazing guitar player, and his picture could reasonably be in dictionaries alongside the entry for rock’n’roll... well, or possibly by the entry for rockabilly.

Grant's Guitar Corner, Emily Remler

Published On 5/26/2024

My album pick for this month is Emily Remler " Firefly " 1981 Concord jazz CD.

Back some years ago, there weren't many female guitarists of note. Nowadays you can find 8 year old girls playing Paganini's 24th Caprice or Van Halen on guitar all over YouTube. But I think Emily Remler was one of the first truly great female guitar players, at least that I know of. And not just like the stupid old saying " pretty good for a girl". She can be mentioned in the same breath as any of the greats like Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Herb Ellis and so forth.

Published On 5/22/2024

Popular Science Magazine discusses an ambitious project aimed at preserving the unique sound of Stradivarius violins. Spearheaded by sound engineer Leonardo Tedeschi and supported by Koritke’s company e-Instruments, the Stradivarius Sound Bank project seeks to digitally capture and replicate the sound of these historic instruments.

Published On 4/29/2024

Whoever thought of the unlikely pairing of trumpeter Al Hirt with singer/actress Ann-Margret on a record album somehow struck gold. These two talents play off of and complement each other to create a musical experience which is greater than at least most of the work either of the two produced separately.

Published On 4/27/2024

Since I released my own album earlier this year, many people have asked what my musical influences were when I was first beginning to compose. That’s a difficult answer to pin down as I can remember so many styles of music being played in my home and my neighborhood from the time I could walk until the time I walked out of my childhood home. But, given that I started to compose in the late teens of this century when I was just out of my own teens, I think I can say that Felix Laband’s 2015 album, Deaf Safari was the inspiration for me to sit down and compile all of the different influences that shaped my musical tastes and try and regurgitate them into an album that reflects my own experience of being alive in these turbulent times.

Grants Guitar Corner Allman Brothers

Published On 4/25/2024

Grants Guitar Corner
In light of Dicky Betts recent passing, I’m reviewing an album most of us have heard many times. The Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East. Capricorn records 1971 vinyl.

Grant's Guitar Corner Triumph

Published On 3/16/2024

Grant's guitar corner
My album pick for this month is Triumph " Just A Game" RCA records 1979 vinyl.

Music Pick- Rufus Reid/Caelan Cardello

Published On 3/15/2024

Rufus Reid/Caelan Cardello - Rufus Reid Presents Caelan Cardello

Steve Earle, "Guitar Town"

Published On 2/22/2024

Music review: Steve Earle "Guitar Town" by Dave Hjortland

Oneohtrix Point Never, Again

Published On 2/18/2024

Oneohtrix Point Never, or OPN is the pseudonym of Daniel Lopatin. OPN first garnered wider notoriety with the release of his 2009 compilation, Rifts, which was named the number 2nd best album of the year by the UK magazine The Wire. In 2014 OPN toured with Nine Inch Nails & Soundgarden and further broadened the publics awareness of their unique style of music which is broadly classified as Experimental Electronic Music, relying largely on MIDI production with Lopatin orchestrating as the composer, singer, and producer. Again is OPNs 10th album.

Published On 1/29/2024

Grant's guitar corner
My album pick for this month is Matteo Mancuso " The Journey" Mascot music productions 2023 CD.

John Stewart, "Airdream Believer"

Published On 1/29/2024

Music review: John Stewart "Airdream Believer" by Dave Hjortland

Lindsey Buckingham by Dave Hjortland

Published On 12/28/2023

Music review

Duane Eddy by Dave Hjortland

Published On 12/28/2023

Music review

Grant's Guitar Corner - Michael Hedges

Published On 12/27/2023

Review of "Breakfast in the Fields"

Published On 11/27/2023

Americana music lost another giant with the passing of Nanci Griffith in August of 2021, at age 68. I haven’t stopped mourning her passing, and doubt that I ever will.

The War and Treaty "Hearts Town"

Published On 10/29/2023

Dave Hjortland's review of the Hearts Town album

Polyphia "Renaissance", by Grant Stoner

Published On 10/26/2023

Music review by Grant

Published On 9/26/2023

Dave Hjortland's review of this album.

Published On 9/26/2023

Dave Hjortland's review of Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shooting Straight in the Dark

Gary U.S Bonds, On the Line

Published On 9/26/2023

Review of Gary U.S Bonds, On the Line

Zone Rouge by Right Hand Left Hand

Published On 8/24/2023

Dave's review of this album

Steve Martin – The Crow

Published On 8/24/2023

Dave reviews this Steve Martin album

John Prine — For Better, Or Worse

Published On 8/24/2023

Dave's review of this John Prine ablum

Steeleye Span – All Around My Hat

Published On 8/24/2023

Dave's review of this album

Strunz and Farah: Mosaico

Published On 8/22/2023

Grant Stoner's review of this album

Published On 7/26/2023

Review of Horslips album.

Peggy Lee, Bewitching Lee!

Published On 7/26/2023

Many audiophiles will have at least a passing familiarity with Peggy Lee (1920-2002), one of the best-known vocalists of her day and deservingly so. This is Lee at her best, a wonderful collection of “Her Greatest Hits,” at least up to the time of its release, that anyone with ears and any appre-ciation for female vocals should enjoy. A classic indeed.

Laura Fygi - "Bewitched"

Published On 7/25/2023

Not nearly as well-known in the US as in Europe, this Dutch jazz/torch/pop singer is a vo-calist to rank with Diana Krall, Holly Cole, and pretty much anyone else in the genre. Her catalog includes about 15 albums, but if you only have one by her this should be it.

Published On 6/30/2023

Since the dawning of the stereo age there have been vinyl test records. These records generally contain special test signals developed for analyzing phono-cartridge performance as well as the phono-cartridge interaction with the tonearm and turntable. To put it succinctly, every audiophile into vinyl should own a test record. It can tell you many things you might not know about your system. Is your tracking correctly set up? The settings are at best a guess. Do you have Inner groove distortion? A test record can help you find the culprit.

Hawaii: Music From The Islands Of Aloha

Published On 5/27/2023

Aloha Larry Deniston.
Larry Deniston is not gone, he’s just moved closer to the live performances.

Hawaii: Music from the Islands of Aloha

Two Feet Momentum

Published On 4/29/2023

I’ll be brief with this recommendation, just like the total length of the four tracks on this EP. At just under 12 minutes, this album should leave you wanting more. And it will, if your system survives the bone rattling bass that Brooklyn-based DIY artist, Two Feet (AKA Zachary William Dess) is famous for embedding in his music.

Etro Anime- See The Sound

Published On 4/27/2023

My album pic for this month is " See the Sound" by Etro Anime 2004 Neurodisc records CD.

Etro Anime is an unusual somewhat electronica ensemble that fuses a lot of elements together. Somewhat electronica as there are a lot of live instruments as well. There's an element of drum n bass. If you don't know, drum n bass is a style of electronic music characterized by fast, complex drum beats and bass lines. Sounds like it would be intense, but as in LTJ Bukem's music, it can be mellow and beautiful. Not sure how that works, but it does. Etro Anime utilizes those programmed beats, but also live drums and bass guitar.

Published On 4/22/2023

My album pick for May is Frank Sinatra & Duke Ellington “Francis A. & Edward K.” From the sultry, luxurious sound of the first track “Follow Me” to the punchy “All I Need is the Girl”, Duke’s band is a great accompaniment to Sinatra’s typical vocalizations.

Time For Three

Published On 3/31/2023

Time For Three
Letters For The Future
Time For Three / Xian Zhang / Philadelphia Orchestra

When it comes to modern day classical music I must admit I’m usually underwhelmed. Sometimes repulsed. But in the case of this Time For Three recording of two Pulitzer Prize winning composers works (written fifteen years apart but both commissioned for the group: Jennifer Higdon’s 2007 Concerto 4–3 and Kevin Puts’s brand-new Contact) on Letters For The Future- I was overwhelmed by how much I enjoyed the music and the recording. A longtime friend alerted me to the album after he played the pieces with the Members of TF3 and the Marin Symphony. Thanks to the miracles of Roon and Qobuz I was able to bring the music up while we were on the phone discussing the performances and the artists. The music was so engaging I told my friend I would have to call him back after I was done listening to the album.

Alphabet Soup "Layin' Low in the Cut"

Published On 3/29/2023

My album pic for this month is Alphabet Soup " Layin' Low in the Cut". 1995 Swan Song records. CD.

Acid jazz is loosely defined as a music genre that combines elements of funk, soul, and hip hop as well as jazz. This album definitely fits that description. Unlike most hip hop, this group is built around an actual band performing on actual instruments, instead of deriving beats from samples, and it's an excellent band at that. I've seen them twice, so I can attest to that.

Madhouse 8

Published On 2/18/2023

My album pic for this month is Madhouse 8 1987 Warner Brothers records vinyl.

Honestly, I bought the album a long time ago ‘cause I liked the cover. The music was cool, kinda funky jazz instrumentals. It wasn't ‘till many years later, looking at Prince's discography, that I found out this was him.

Published On 2/5/2023

Those familiar with the classic Blue Note jazz sounds of the sixties will feel at home with Grant Stewart on tenor sax.

Jeff Beck Music Pick

Published On 1/27/2023

Grant's review of a 2008 Jeff Beck DVD

Published On 12/8/2022

Roy Hargrove and Mulgrew Miller, In Harmony, double vinyl album by Resonance Records, HLP-9060, limited pressing. What a great album that I, more or less,

Poll Winners: Kessel, Mann and Brown

Published On 10/28/2022

Observations on the album "Poll Winners" and buying vinyl on Amazon.

July, 2018 Album Picks

Published On 9/24/2022

This month we have four album picks contributed by Alon, Jay, Larry, and Kevin. Three Jazz and one

Moby – Reprise

Published On 9/21/2021

David's Pick - October 2021

Published On 3/7/2021

Brazilian Baden Powell is one of the finest guitarists the world has ever known… but someone forgot to tell America! He’s released about 30 albums in his career and so far

Published On 3/7/2021

When I first listened to this (2016) album I heard shades of, Procol Harum, Elton John, The Who, early Pink Floyd, and other classic and Prog rock influences. It was like I was listening to an album from the late ’60s or early ’70s that I’d never heard before.

Spirit, “Spirit”, by David Hicks

Published On 3/7/2021

Every couple of years the thought pops into my head that I needed to hear the song, “Fresh Garbage”. Spirit lead off side one of their eponymous debut album with this 190-second track,

Published On 8/26/2019

New Coltrane Album Found

SFjazz Collective, by David Hicks

Published On 11/26/2018

My Music pick this month isn’t a single album, but an entire catalog by the SFJAZZ Collective. My knowledge of Jazz music is far from comprehensive, so I can’t recommend the SFJAZZ Collective’s catalog to you in any way other than to say I like their music.

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