It's really about the music

Despite all the great gear I have and get to review, sometimes I have to remind myself that it is all for nothing without the music. I am reminded of this tonight after reading a bio of the great Rory Gallagher, and realizing from this how many of his albums I own and how important some of them once were to me: Live in Europe, for example, was rarely off my table during certain teenage years.


So, of course, I have to go looking for what is out there from Rory in this new, re-released, newly remastered, never-before-heard-age. Are those 180g audiophile-approved Rory LPs really any good? Let's see.....I'll be back.

Kickstarting a turntable?

Not quite as the title suggests but you've got to admire the passion behind a project to launch a new table via the Kickstarter site. The Orbit by U-Turn Audio  has got to be worth supporting. Check this out:

Dec issue of HiFi'Zine now issued

My review of the wonderful Von Schweikert VR22  kicks off the Dec 2012 issue of HiFi'Zine, which also has coverage of the RMAF and the Australian AV/Audio Show, and lots more. The VR22s are an easy-recommend, and deliver great, lively, room-filling sound in your home for under $3k. 

RHB announce teflon capacitor patent for audio

RHB Sound Dezign, an amplification modification company run by Bob Backert, argues that even some of the best gear in the world uses cheap electrolytic capacitors in the audio chain, driven by cost savings. They offer a series of upgrades to better capacitors to improve sonics, and hopefully saving you some money over the cost of a new amp. This week, RHB announced they have been awarded a new patent for a power supply using only teflon capacitors, apparently a world's first for audio amplification. The teflon design is said to greatly improve linearity and dynamics in the audio signal. Progress, it seems, comes even in the most traditional of audiophile products. I also hear the company will be producing it's own tube preamp in 2013, so I'll be keeping my calendar open for a review sample.