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For Wayne E. Goins, Booker T. & the M.G.’s “Green Onions” wasn’t just a hit—it was a hypnotic childhood soundtrack. But the real treasure? Side B’s smoldering sleeper, “Behave Yourself,” where Booker T. shines unfiltered.
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In a playful dialogue with his younger self, Jonson Lee explores how sound quality deepens music’s magic—while cautioning against losing joy in the endless quest for upgrades. The message? Savor the music, now.
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For under $1,500, the Zu Audio Omen and Magneplanar LRS offer two thrilling yet wildly different sonic paths—one bold and dynamic, the other refined and immersive—both delivering serious high-end sound without a high-end price.
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One of the leading music business stories of the 21st century is the continued discovery, sonic restoration, and release of previously unknown recordings—either from the studio or the stage. As the constant advance in digital technology has reclaimed live tapes once thought to be sonically inferior, and refreshed forgotten or leftover studio recordings, record labels,…
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For Wayne E. Goins, Carole King’s Tapestry isn’t just an album—it’s a life marker, from teenage homework sessions on a beloved console to rediscovering its soul-stirring power decades later on a high-end setup.
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Though a digital listener, Jonson Lee argues vinyl’s tactile rituals, emotional resonance, and enforced focus offer a deeper musical intimacy—likening analog to a meaningful kiss, and streaming to a noisy crowd ruining the moment.
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Veteran music editor Robert Baird reflects on high-end audio’s tribalism, from gear vs. music purists to loudness wars and streaming woes, vowing to spotlight artists who value both sonic integrity and musical impact.
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Tracing disco’s roots back to slave songs, chain gangs, and swing countercultures, the article shows how rhythm evolved into a movement — one made possible not by concerts, but by records and multitrack recording.
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In this short video, Gilles opens up about his life and reveals how his passion for music and audio helped bring him back from the brink.
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Dragged along to T.H.E. Show by chance, Jonson Lee’s wife — a professional pianist — helped crown Heavenly Soundworks’ active speakers as the event’s best, praising their astonishing clarity and bass, all powered by just a $500 streamer.
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Faced with underwhelming SACD and BD playback, Tom Gibbs ditches discs for a digital setup that rips and streams native DSD—revealing astonishing sound quality and a future where optical drives are obsolete.
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As Apple, Amazon, and Spotify shift to lossless audio, smaller services like Tidal and Qobuz may face extinction. Mario St-Laurent warns this seismic change risks squeezing out artist royalties and playback freedom in favor of big-tech ecosystems.
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A recent article by PMA Magazine editor Robert Schryer got me wondering about when I began to think of music and audio — and, specifically, of myself as an audio hobbyist. The answer to “when” can’t be clearly defined by a single moment; it’s scattered across a handful of events that took place over a…
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As music lovers, we strive for the best possible sound quality. They say all roads lead to Rome, but we still need to contend with our needs, our path, our budget, and the time available to us to get there. Across my next columns, like a travel guide, I will try to recommend memorable places for…
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I’ve been pursuing good sound quality for decades. Along the journey, I learned about various elements that make up a good audio system. And one important lesson I learned is this: Sometimes, those small, seemingly less important elements turn out to be game changers. In an audio system, we pay most of our attention to…
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With our trip canceled due to the pandemic, what to do at home with the money we saved? Build a basement studio, of course! We have two rooms that were storage spaces, recently emptied, because we had time to clean them! We also made a playroom for the little one. He got the big room,…
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Nearfield listening reveals hidden stereo depth and clarity by minimizing room interference—a technique once limited to studio engineers but now common among desktop audiophiles using compact speakers near their screens.
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I have a friend who listened only to classical music. One day I had him listen to the music of John Coltrane, a jazz giant. And in honor of the saxophonist’s Giant status, the track I had my friend listen to was “Giant Steps”. As he was listening, I was trying to decide what I…
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Whoever said “the best things in life are free” obviously never dabbled in high end audio. That’s not to say you can’t improve the sound of the system you already have with some judicious tweaking.
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The High-Fidelity Scene Recording technology revolutionized how music is produced, played, and experienced. From the perspective of experiencing it, to the old model of attending a live concert was added the option of listening to a recorded performance. In this new model, the listener’s role and situation were profoundly transformed; with recordings, listening has been…