Displaying items by tag: stereo - StereoLife Magazine

In jazz, as in most other forms of popular music, it's women who are bringing the new and much needed energies to the cause of keeping the music relevant and important. Three recent releases, all of which vaguely fit under the moniker of jazz, are striking examples of the artistry and ideas that women are bringing to music today. In 1979, singer songwriter Joni Mitchell famously collaborated with jazz-bass visionary Charles Mingus just prior to his death on a record she called simply: Mingus. Filled with compositions written by Mingus for Mitchell, it remains a highlight of the more experimental phase of her long career. Mitchell herself has long been a frequent source of material for female jazz singers, including Diana Krall, Jane Monheit, Dianne Reeves, Cassandra Wilson, and Holly Cole. The genesis of Both Sides of Joni began in rehearsals in the late Janiece Jaffe's barn in southern Indiana between the singer and her longtime friend, Monika Herzig, both faculty members at Indiana University's world renown music school. After sufficient time to work on the new arrangements by Herzig, the pair played the material live in March 2021 before heading into Airtime Studios in Bloomington, Indiana, to cut these by then well-honed tracks. Given the amount of Mitchell covers already recorded and out there, most singers will try and find a more obscure tune by the prodigious Canadian singer/songwriter to put their stamp on. But Jaffe and Herzig confidently wade right into a Mitchell Best-Of with upbeat versions of "Help Me," "Both Sides Now" and "River", all becoming an unqualified success in their respectful hands. The opener "Both Sides Now" is taken at a leisurely pace with saxophonist Greg Ward, another IU faculty member who has played with Prefuse 73, Tortoise, and William Parker, adding haunting sax solos while Herzig stretches out on piano. Ward returns on "Help Me," providing the mournful opening solo, before a stately, almost marching tempo by Herzig takes over. Jaffe carries the melody, aided by overdubs of her singing trio harmonies. This all adds up to a refreshingly different take on Mitchell's biggest hit.

Some years ago Hegel had to discontinue the highly capable Mohican CD player because key components were no longer being produced. Since then, the company has been working on a replacement that would be even better. The result is Viking - the best CD player Hegel has ever made. In a world full of options for downloading music, sound formats, compression methods, and streaming services, putting on some music can feel overwhelming. What should be easy and enjoyable, suddenly becomes complex and stressful. Playing a CD on the Viking is not. It is only joy. Viking is a true native 16/44.1 CD player developed from the ground up for optimal performance on standard (Redbook) CDs. It is designed to deliver the most faithful sound reproduction possible by optimizing its components to deliver a high-quality output that is true to the original recording.

Joining the 200 Series launched earlier this year, the New Classic 300 Series elements combine perfectly to create a truly bespoke, high-quality system. Featuring cutting-edge innovation, sleek style and Designed and developed by Naim engineers in exceptional sound quality, the 300 Series products England, the New Classic products are at the forefront of innovation and technology, dedicated to the pursuit of incredible sound.

The amplifier is the interface between your signal sources and loudspeakers - whatever is lost at this point is lost forever and conversely, whatever is introduced is also amplified. Amplifiers are also products for everyday use. Some successfully deviate from the conventional, they remind us of the virtue of striving for excellence through original thinking and a desire to push beyond ‘adequate’ to acheive the exceptional. There is a distinctive mood of luxurious puritanism to be found in the appearance of most Copland amplifiers. However, with the CTA407 tube amplifier we have augmented this simplicity, introducing an intelligent complement of electronics to support the audio stages of the amplifier.

Goldring introduces its new flagship E Series moving magnet cartridge - E4. Designed as the ultimate upgrade for any modern budget or midrange turntable, E4 represents the pinnacle of E Series engineering and performance. E4 is designed to be compatible with all medium-to-high-mass tonearms of the type found on the majority of budget to midrange turntables. And because it's constructed using the same high-quality core as the other E Series cartridges in the range, E4 is ideal both for those who wish to upgrade an obsolete cartridge in its entirety or those who want to boost the performance of their existing E Series cartridge by replacing the stylus.

NAD Electronics launched the C3050 stereophonic amplifier. The unit draws upon aesthetic cues from the 1970's while boasting class-leading amplification - a HybridDigital UcD output stage and high-performance Texas Instruments PCM5242 differential DAC work together to deliver wonderful detail, immersive three-dimensionality, and thrilling dynamics. The C3050 also features NAD's MDC2 future proofing technology. By installing an optional module into the MDC2 expansion slot on the rear panel, listeners can add exciting new capabilities like BluOS high-resolution multi-room streaming and Dirac Live room correction.

The Estelon Aura follows the general design philosophy of all Estelon loudspeakers, taking into consideration the environmental acoustics of real-life listening spaces. It provides an immersive and captivating audio experience like no other speaker of this size. Alfred Vassilkov designed the Aura with meticulous attention to detail, incorporating cutting-edge technology and unique features. One of the standout features of the Aura model is its distinctive shape, which not only adds to its aesthetic appeal but also serves a functional purpose. The unique shape of the Aura loudspeaker is technically sophisticated, and its advanced surface geometry results in characteristics that allow for a three-dimensional soundscape. The lack of parallel walls allows only pure and uninfluenced sound to emanate from the high-performance drivers. 

Denon announces the launch of the DNP-2000NE Network Audio Player - a state-of-the-art music player that delivers superior sound quality and versatile connectivity. It is designed to pair perfectly with the Denon PMA-1700NE amplifier, but as well with amplifiers released in the former years like PMA-2500NE and PMA-1600NE or any Hi-Fi system in the need of a high quality audio streamer. Not only available in Black and Premium Silver, but in Graphite Silver as well, so current owners of a PMA-A110 and DCD-A110 Anniversary model can add a matching digital media player to their system.

Astell&Kern introduces the second generation model of its popular and award-winning entry-level player, the A&norma SR25 MKII. Every aspect admired about the original SR25 is retained with the new model improving on the audio performance, adding new features, such as a balanced 4.4mm headphone jack, and tweaking its already eye-catching and ultra-compact design. The A&norma SR25 MKII represents the perfect entry-point into Astell&Kern's unrivalled world of high-resolution music playback on-the-move.

The new 5000 stereo and home cinema loudspeaker series from Q Acoustics redefines how a speaker can look and sound. Showcasing genuine advancement in driver design, the introduction of the leading-edge C3 Continuous Curved Cone profile in the mid/bass driver elevates the 5000 series beyond its class and will form a technical platform for years to come. The series also inherits innovative cabinet and driver technology from the company's flagship Concept range for an exceptional sonic performance. The 5000 series brings sophistication to any listening room with its contemporary and minimalist design lines.