Reflections

Reflections


  • Bose Before Noise: The Amar Bose Story

    In the heart of Philadelphia, amid the echoes of American history, Amar Gopal Boseโ€™s journey into the world of sound and acoustics began on November 2, 1929. His childhood was a tapestry woven with threads of intellectual curiosity, inspired by his father, an Indian freedom fighter, and his mother, with her French and German heritage.…

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  • Echoes of Apollo: The Music of Ancient Greece

    In this sweeping exploration, the article reveals how ancient Greek musicโ€”revered by thinkers like Plato and embodied in the lyre and aulosโ€”shaped education, theater, philosophy, and even divine worship.

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  • Black Sabbath’s Debut Album

    On a cold February day in 1970, the world was introduced to what would become the cornerstone of heavy metal: Black Sabbathโ€™s self-titled debut album. Born in the industrial heartland of Birmingham, the albumโ€™s raw power and dark themes resonated with a generation yearning for something more profound than the prevailing pop and rock sounds.…

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  • The International Sweethearts’ Story

    Amid WWII and deep segregation, the International Sweethearts of Rhythmโ€”an all-women, racially diverse jazz bandโ€”rose to fame, defying racial and gender norms while electrifying audiences and outshining male counterparts across the nation.

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  • Sivga Luan Open-Backed Headphones Reviewed

    Audio Appraisalโ€™s reviewer praises Sivgaโ€™s open-back Luan headphones for their superb craftsmanship, warm midrange, and relaxed sound signatureโ€”delivering impressive value, though not bass-heavy or ideal for communal listening.

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  • The Room Acoustics Series: Reflecting on Sidewall First Reflections

    Sidewall reflections can make or break a soundstage, but when their delays fall under 10ms, as in this case, treatment is optional. Kevin Fielding favors angled plywood over absorption to maintain openness and spatial realism.

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  • Katana & Keynotes: A Samurai’s Discourse on Sound

    In a tranquil garden, Master Tekashi guides his student Daichi through the art of sonic balance, likening cables to katanas, DACs to bows, and room acoustics to battlefield strategyโ€”where the path to audio mastery mirrors the samurai’s eternal quest.

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  • Simple Acoustics, Complicated Spouses

    Caught between honesty and harmony, Guild president Jim Tonne navigates tricky audio evaluations and acoustics advice with wit, a spectrum analyzer, and a firm belief in room treatmentโ€”despite the inevitable aesthetic compromises.

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  • Prince’s Purple Rain: A Melody that Defined a Decade and Beyond

    The 1980s: a canvas painted with a kaleidoscope of sonic hues. Amidst the dazzling array of musical moments, one anthem casts a resplendent purple shadow even today โ€“ Princeโ€™s โ€œPurple Rain.โ€ Released on September 26th, this piece by the virtuoso, Prince Rogers Nelson, encapsulated the spirit of the โ€™80s with its melancholic yet enchanting tune.…

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  • DALI EPIKORE 11 global launch in September

    4ยฝ-Way Floorstanders with Ultra-Low Distortion SMC Gen-2 Technology.

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  • “No, I have the best system in the world!” #12: An Audiophile’s Tale of Passion, Loss, and Resurgence

    After decades in hi-fi retail and personal loss, Greg from Boise rekindled his passion for audio with a system built for emotional connectionโ€”not status. Now, it’s music, not specs, that moves him.

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  • Where did my music go? Signal loss, Pt 2

    Paul Bowes dives deep into the invisible threats to audio purityโ€”EMI, phase distortion, and vibrationโ€”offering hands-on tweaks, from copper shielding to Tranquility PODs, to extract maximum musical fidelity from your hi-fi system.

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  • Where did my music go? Signal loss, Pt 1

    After a decade-long journey optimizing his system, Paul Bowes claims 30โ€“40% of sound quality is often lost due to factors like poor source components, room acoustics, EMI, and subpar cablesโ€”but that much of it is recoverable.

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  • Interview with an audio trailblazer: Norman Varney, on room acoustics, Pt 2

    In Part 2, Norman Varney dismantles audiophile mythsโ€”from misunderstood power upgrades to the flawed logic of spikesโ€”arguing that true sonic improvement begins with the room, not the gear.

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  • 3 Things I Learned Aboutโ€ฆ Speakers

    Based on three key insightsโ€”room acoustics, system synergy, and installationโ€”Jonson Lee argues that speakers account for just 12.5% of your systemโ€™s sound quality, challenging the conventional wisdom and prioritizing smarter investments.

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