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Phono Preamp Reviews
Can Aurorasound’s VIDA MkII Phono Preamp Prioritize Clarity and Detail While Also Achieving Precise Imaging and Neutral Tonal Balance?
Ken Micallef  |  Jun 24, 2024  |  3 comments

The veneer wrap of products from the Japanese manufacturer Aurorasound greatly resembles that of a 1975 Lafayette integrated amp — but that’s certainly no reason to discount this fabulous machine of theirs we see here before us today, the MkII phono preamp. Read on to see how well the Aurorasound VIDA MkII fared when our ace reviewer Ken Micallef cued up a number of his favorite LPs in order to hear just what it could do. . .

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Album Reviews
Grateful Dead’s Long-Underrated 1974 LP From The Mars Hotel Is Now Occupied With Vibrant, Fuller Sounds on Its Newly Remastered 180g 1LP 50th Anniversary Edition
Mark Smotroff  |  Jun 21, 2024  |  5 comments

Grateful Dead’s self-released June 1974 LP From The Mars Hotel often polarizes fans, with some considering it an all-time classic while others (sadly) overlook it. We here at AP feel Mars Hotel warrants reconsideration as an ultimate equal in the now-classic trilogy of “indie” Dead studio albums from the 1973-75 time period. Lucky for us, this underrated album has been officially reissued by the Dead and Rhino in newly remastered 180g 1LP form today, June 21, 2024. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why this new edition of From The Mars Hotel belongs in your collection. . .

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ALBUM RELEASE NEWSNews
The Tragically Hip’s 1989 Debut Album Up to Here Gets Deluxe Commemorative 180g 4LP/1BD Box Set Treatment on November 8, and “Nothing” on It Was Mastered From a Digital Source
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 20, 2024  |  3 comments

You gotta do what you feel is real, and The Tragically Hip continue doing just that with the upcoming 180g 4LP/1BD box set commemorating the 35th anniversary of their September 1989 debut album, Up to Here. An expansive collection featuring scores of unreleased tracks, demos, and live material, The Hip’s Up to Here box is set for release via UMe on November 8, 2024. Read on to see what the Up to Here extras are, and glean all the nitty-gritties about the box set’s wholly analog source material. . .

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Analog Gear NewsMunich 2024
High End Munich 2024 Postscript, Part 2: Great New Gear Options From Benny Audio, Supatrac, Levin Design, Vertere, EAT, Vinyl Acoustic Laboratories, Acoustic Signature, AMG, and Nagra
Julie Mullins  |  Jun 18, 2024  |  10 comments

We’re officially wrapping up our Munich 2024 coverage today with the second installment of Julie Mullins’ show report postscript. Read on to see what she found out firsthand about cool new gear from the likes of Benny Audio, Supatrac, Levin Design, Vertere, EAT, Vinyl Acoustic Laboratories, Acoustic Signature, AMG, and Nagra. . .

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Analog Gear NewsMunich 2024
High End Munich 2024 Postscript, Part 1: New Gear From Wilson Benesch, Rui Borges, Kronos Audio, Dual, and Silence
Julie Mullins  |  Jun 17, 2024  |  6 comments

We still have some more to say about what we saw and heard at Munich 2024. Read on to see the first of two postscript show reports from Julie Mullins, who fills us on cool new gear from the likes of Wilson Benesch, Rui Borges, Kronos Audio, Dual, and Silence. . .

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Album ReviewsBeatles
First Official 180g 2LP Release of One Hand Clapping, the Well-Loved and Oft-Bootlegged 1974 Live-in-Studio Recordings by Paul McCartney & Wings, Deserves Much Applause
Mark Smotroff  |  Jun 14, 2024  |  5 comments

It’s been heavily bootlegged over the years, and yet Paul McCartney & Wings’ One Hand Clapping is still something of a holy grail among fans. These 1974 live-in-the-studio recordings find the group firing on all cylinders — and then some. Finally, this vital Macca music has been officially released today, June 14, 2024, by MPL/Capitol/UMe as both a 180g 2LP set and a web-exclusive edition that also includes a bonus six-track 45. Read on to see why Mark Smotroff feels One Hand Clapping offers some of the most rocking Macca & Wings music on vinyl to date. . .

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ALBUM RELEASE NEWSNews
Deluxe Edition of Talking Heads’ Seminal Stop Making Sense Returns in 2LP Black Vinyl and 2LP Crystal-Clear Vinyl Options on July 26
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 12, 2024  |  5 comments

Thankfully, Sense is being made once again — quite literally. What I mean by that is, the expanded soundtrack of Talking Heads’ seminal 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense will be re-released in a pair of 2LP editions by Sire/Rhino on July 26, 2024. Read on to see what tracks comprise the expanded SMS cut, what the two color-vinyl options are, and where you can pre-order your copy (or copies), post-haste. . .

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FeaturesTurntable Reviews
Ode to This Thing I Found: Why I Love My Acoustic Solid Vintage Exclusive Turntable
Shanon McKellar  |  Jun 11, 2024  |  6 comments

It’s a rite of passage for vinyl enthusiasts and audiophiles alike to bring home a new turntable, isn’t it? Read on to see how new AP contributor Shanon McKellar feels about the many wonderful listening sessions she’s already experienced with her current, and clearly favorite, Acoustic Solid Vintage Exclusive turntable. . .

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Analog Gear News
Lehmannaudio Phonolith Phono Preamp
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 10, 2024  |  1 comments

Could there be a better name for a new phono preamp than the Phonolith? Lehmannaudio’s latest phono stage just happens to bear that name, and it combines a phono preamp and headphone amp into the same device, alongside a matching power supply unit. Read on to see more about all the Phonolith’s features and specs. . .

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Album Reviews
Indie-Rock Icons The dB’s Oversee a Quite Welcome and Long-Overdue First-Time U.S. Vinyl Release of Their Highly Influential 1981 Debut LP, Stands For deciBels
Mark Smotroff  |  Jun 07, 2024  |  5 comments

The acclaimed hybrid North Carolina/New York four-piece band The dB’s were on the leading edge of the gradually growing indie-rock movement as the calendar turned to the 1980s. Today, we are celebrating the first-ever U.S. vinyl edition of their highly influential January 1981 debut LP, Stands for deciBels, which is set for release by Propeller Sound Recordings next Friday, June 14. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why Stands for deciBels continues to stand tall as an influence on much of the music we listen to on vinyl today, and why this new domestic LP version belongs in your collection. . .

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