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Features
Some of My Best Sounding Records Discussed In These Ken Micallef Produced and Edited Videos
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 19, 2020  |  27 comments
Stereophile reviewer Ken Micallef visited (mask on) recently to pick up a turntable for review. He asked if I'd do a video with him showing some of my best sounding records. I agreed and picked a bunch out that I show in these three videos shot during his visit.

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Analog Gear News
SME Introduces New Model 6 Turntable With M2-9 Arm
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 19, 2020  |  9 comments
From the press release:

"The Model 6 brings the legendary SME engineering excellence and craftsmanship to a wider audience than ever before. The turntable chassis is CNC-machined from a high density polymer resin, providing high mass with a small footprint; the result is superb resonance absorption and the musical, dynamic sound quality for which SME is famous.

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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
Smetana's "Má Vlast" Direct-to-Disc Produces A Sonic and Musical Spectacular
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 17, 2020  |  15 comments
“I have to admit that this (D2D) recording technique was completely unknown to me before. When I ultimately realized what it entailed, I had mixed feelings at first.” So admitted Jakub Hrusa, the Bamberg Symphony’s 39 year old Czech-born conductor, who joined the orchestra in 2016. Based on the stunning musical and sonic results it was well worth whatever trepidation resulted from the decision to proceed with the recording of Czech-born Bedrich Smetana, which took place July 2th/26th, 2019 in Bamberg, Germany’s Joseph-Keilberth-Saal concert hall. (please forgive the lack of proper accents over the names).

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News
High End Munich Moves Show Dates To September 2021
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 17, 2020  |  5 comments
High End Press Release:

Good news for the HIGH END 2021: the audio show, which was planned to take place in mid-May, has now been moved to the late summer, namely from 9th to 12th September 2021. By choosing these later dates, the organiser of the event, the HIGH END SOCIETY SERVICE GmbH, is taking a huge step towards a successful relaunch of the trade show and also increasing planning reliability for all parties involved.

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Features
“The New Orleans Collection”— Newvelle’s Crescent City Excellent Adventure
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 15, 2020  |  5 comments
In mid-January, 2020—just as the Covid-19 pandemic began its stealthy American death grip— the subscription based vinyl-only Newvelle Records embarked on an ambitious four LP New Orleans recording project at spacious Esplanade Studios, formerly the Third Presbyterian Church in the Treme neighborhood, destroyed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina.

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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
A Coltrane Review "Two-Fer"— Verve's New A Love Supreme and Ballads
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 12, 2020  |  14 comments
One ferocious and one mellow, these two John Coltrane albums dropped last month by Verve in association with Acoustic Sounds serve as both a great intro for the unfamiliar and as possibly the best sounding versions of both and of course affordable too.

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News
Thorens Introduces New TD124DD SPU Turntable
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 10, 2020  |  28 comments
Using what it calls "modern approaches", Thorens just introduced a new limited edition TD124DD SPU turntable that has the look of the original classic but the company says has been "massively improved upon", beginning with a switch from the original's friction wheel and belt to a new "High Precision" Direct Drive motor.

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News
A "Live From Van Gelder Studio" Concert November 14th You Can "Attend"!
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 06, 2020  |  3 comments
Live From Van Gelder Studio presents a Hank Mobley tribute concert Saturday November 14th at 9PM EST starring Ron Carter, Joe Lovano, Isaiah Thompson and Kenny Washington.

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Turntable Reviews
Pro-Ject T1 Phono SB Turntable—Born of Frustration
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 05, 2020  |  22 comments
Pro-Ject’s Heinz Lichtenegger pulled me aside at High End Munich 2018. He appeared agitated—not the usual easygoing (but intense) demeanor of a guy who in the early 1990s bet the farm on analog and won—bigtime.
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Book Reviews
"sittin' in"—Jazz Clubs of the 1940s And 1950s (2 photos added)
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 03, 2020  |  5 comments
While others tossed, self-described music executive, historian, collector, archivist and memorabilia dealer Jeff Gold (an accurate though woefully incomplete description, by the way) was one of those prescient individuals who, as a young man, saw the intrinsic value in most everything physical related to the wondrous post World War II growth of music both as culture and as business.

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