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Features
The 20th Annual Blues Masters at the Crossroads—Evening 1 at Blue Heaven Studios
Michael Fremer  |  Oct 29, 2017  |  2 comments
Friday night at this year's Blues Masters at the Crossroads in Chad Kassem's Blue Heaven Studios featured emcee and blues veteran Doug MacLeod and an outstanding talent lineup: Jontavious Willis, Marquise Knox, Lucky Peterson, Alabama Slim and Robert Finley.

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FeaturesPhono Preamp ReviewsVote
You Should Buy a MM-Only Phono Preamp If You Are Using a MM Cartridge! At Least Based on These Results
Michael Fremer  |  Oct 17, 2017  |  18 comments
First let's all agree that these short clip tests are useful and fun but must be taken as "for entertainment purposes only."

For those joining late, we twice asked the question "Should You Buy a MM-Only Phono Preamp If You Own a MM Cartridge"?, each time offering "blind listening" and voting. The first time was way back in May of 2017 where you could listen and vote for one of eight phono preamps, some MM-only and some MM/MC running in MM.

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Features
Jim Hagerman's Tips To Remove Noise From Your Vinyl Playback System
Michael Fremer  |  Oct 06, 2017  |  7 comments
Phono specialist/electronics designer Jim Hagerman of Hagerman Audio Labs recently published a PDF file containing really useful tips for reducing and hopefully removing from your system hum and other forms of phono playback noise pollution.

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Features
Tour SME With New CEO Stuart McNeilis
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 12, 2017  |  15 comments
Last year, Cadence Group purchased from the Robertson-Aikman family venerable SME, Ltd., appointing as its new CEO Stuart McNeilis. Mr. McNeilis, a veteran of the the aerospace industry, is attempting to maintain SME's exceptional traditional manufacturing quality while moving the company (gently) into the 21st century.

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FeaturesPhono Preamp ReviewsVote
Eight Phono Preamps Identified and Votes Tallied!
Michael Fremer  |  Jun 30, 2017  |  24 comments
AnalogPlanet asked the question Should You Buy a MM Only Phono Preamp If you are using a MM cartridge? and then provided readers with capsules of 8 phono preamps followed by 8 unidentified 96k/24 bit files, asking readers to listen and vote "blind".

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Features
Tour Pro-Ject's New Logistics Center and New Factory
Michael Fremer  |  Jun 28, 2017  |  10 comments
After last May's High End Munich show, Pro-Ject founder and CEO Heinz Lichtenegger invited international distributors attending the show to visit the company's brand new high-tech "green" logistics center outside of Vienna. They also toured the original Pro-Ject factory in Litovel, Czech Republic as well as the brand new factory down the road.

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Features
1996 "High End" Show Kempinksi Hotel, Frankfurt, Germany
Michael Fremer  |  Jun 27, 2017  |  2 comments
You've seen videos here of the world's largest audio show, "High End" Munich. Back in the 1990s, the show, held in Frankfurt's Kempinski Hotel, more closely resembled a sleepy American affair—as this vintage video demonstrates. It was a very "German" show at the time, musically and otherwise, though even then you'll hear "Take Five" and "Belafonte at Carnegie Hall". Today's High End show is an international affair.

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Features
Let's Take a Break From Munich Coverage For This Tune From Sara Gazarek and Josh Nelson
Michael Fremer  |  May 31, 2017  |  11 comments
Let's take a (short) break from Munich High End 2017 coverage and instead play a track from this piano and vocal LP produced and engineered by legendary recording engineer Al Schmitt at Capitol Studios mastered by Bernie Grundman and pressed at RTI.

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Features
The "Audio Porn" Experiment's Details Revealed!
Michael Fremer  |  May 29, 2017  |  4 comments
On March 30th 2017 we posted a story called Audio Porn Experiment Part #1 and #2.
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Features
Audio Porn Experiment Part #1 and #2
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 30, 2017  |  16 comments
The other day, after comparing two power conditioners that produced very different sonic results in my system, and writing a Stereophile review, I decided to conduct an experiment.

Since the sound was so different, could it be recorded? And might people visiting analogPlanet’s YouTube channel hear the differences?

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Features
AnalogPlanet Tours L.A. Area Recording and Mastering Studios
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 25, 2017  |  16 comments
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Features
High Drama at Chasing the Dragon's AIR Studios Direct-to-Disc Recording Session Part 2
Michael Fremer  |  Feb 22, 2017  |  8 comments
The orchestra rehearses downstairs while upstairs the mastering room engineers record and play back a test lacquer.

Finally, it's time for a recorded take of the "Carmen" excerpts with Mezzo-Soprano Rosie Middleton. The tension is palpable in both the control room and upstairs. It's quickly clear that the free-spirited rehearsal has given way to a darker, more constrained performance that satisfies no one, especially Ms. Middleton.

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Features
Behind the Scenes at a Chasing the Dragon Direct-to-Disc AIR Studios Recording Session Part 1
Michael Fremer  |  Feb 21, 2017  |  4 comments
Chasing the Dragon record producer Mike Valentine’s business is underwater but he’s not complaining.

The reknowned underwater cinematographer’s work can be seen in James Bond movies like “Casino Royale” and “Skyfall” as well as in “Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace”, “The Bourne Ultimatum” and dozens of other movies, television series and music videos.

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Features
AnalogPlanet Visits Rega Research Finale (Part 5)
Michael Fremer  |  Feb 18, 2017  |  26 comments
What goes into a Rega drive belt? What does Rega have planned for the new Planar 6? What about the Naiad— upcoming "ultimate Rega" turntable? What does it look like?

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Features
Rega Research Factory Tour Part 4
Michael Fremer  |  Feb 16, 2017  |  12 comments
In this "episode" you will see that Rega's dedication to quality control extends from the top of the line P10 to the very bottom P1.

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