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Analog Gear News
Nagra HD PHONO Phono Preamp
Mike Mettler  |  Nov 06, 2023

Nagra is making a bold statement with their all-caps HD PHONO preamp. Read on to see all the specs of the high-end Swiss manufacturer’s flag-planting phono preamp. . .

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Interviews
Phil Manzanera Has All the Time in the World for LPs Thanks to a Score of New Projects on Vinyl, Including Roxy Music Bandmate Andy Mackay Collaborations AM PM, Roxymphony, and Christmas, Plus a Limited Edition 3LP Set With Tim Finn
Mike Mettler  |  Nov 03, 2023

Phil Manzanera is quite the worldly musician. Lately, the guitarist/composer has been on a tear with his Roxy Music bandmate, saxophonist Andy Mackay, with three LPs en route: AM PM, Roxymphony, and Christmas — plus a fourth with Tim Finn, a limited edition 3LP set. During a recent Zoom interview with AP editor Mike Mettler, Manzanera discusses how AM PM instinctually came together, the differences between composing instrumentals as opposed to music accompanied by lyrics, and which Roxy Music album he feels is perfectly sequenced for vinyl playback. . .

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Short Cuts
Review Explosion, Short Cuts Edition Vol. 9: ECM Mines Fine Vintage Catalog Entrants for New Analog-Centric Luminessence 180g 1LP Reissue Series
Mark Smotroff  |  Nov 02, 2023

ECM has just expanded their vinyl reissue campaign under the new Luminessence banner, a series that purports to have accessed analog masters for these new 180g 1LP editions. Read Mark Smotroff’s Short Cuts combo review of four key Luminessence titles — from Naná Vasconcelos, Kenny Wheeler, Gary Burton, and Old and New Dreams — to see if any or all of them belong in your collection. . .

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Features
Table Toppers, Take 1: A Truly Terrific Three-Turntable System in Portugal
Mike Mettler  |  Nov 01, 2023

Back in September, we asked you, the AP faithful, to “show us your turntables!” for an all-new feature section titled Table Toppers — and did you ever respond in full. Since then, we’ve been sifting through a cavalcade of your many great submissions, and we figured what better way to kick off the month of November than with the debut installment of Table Toppers — namely, a truly terrific trio of ’tables owned by Diogo Alfaiate of Lisbon, Portugal. Read on to see a score of cool pics of Diogo’s amazing system, plus get his firsthand account of his lifelong love of vinyl. . .

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Turntable Reviews
SOTA Quasar Turntable
Ken Micallef  |  Oct 30, 2023

As one of the oldest turntable manufacturers in America, SOTA has the rare vantage point of both understanding what U.S. customers want while also addressing a large international following. Their latest offering, the SOTA Quasar turntable, ups their game considerably. Read Ken Micallef’s review to find out if the Quasar immediately belongs on your own turntable-obtainment radar. . .

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News
The Last Beatles Song, “Now And Then,” Is Coming November 2; The Beatles’ 1962-1966 (‘The Red Album’) And 1967-1970 (‘The Blue Album’) Collections Expanded, Mixed In Stereo & Dolby Atmos For 2023 Edition Releases Out Via Capitol/UMe November 10
Mike Mettler  |  Oct 26, 2023

The last Beatles song, “Now And Then,” will be released worldwide om November 2. Then, on November 10, The Beatles’ 1962-1966 (‘The Red Album’) and 1967-1970 (‘The Blue Album’) collections will be released in 2023 Edition packages by Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe. Read on for all the details, shared directly from a Beatles/UMe press release. . .

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Album Reviews
First All-Original Rolling Stones Studio LP in 18 Years, Hackney Diamonds, Delivers the Goods Musically, But How Good Does It Sound on Vinyl?
Mark Smotroff  |  Oct 24, 2023

The Rolling Stones have just released their first studio album of all-new material in 18 years, Hackney Diamonds. Naturally, it begs the question: Will Hackney Diamonds ultimately become a classic Stones album? We don’t know that answer for sure just yet, but read Mark Smotroff’s review to find out if the 180g 1LP vinyl edition of Hackney Diamonds and/or its litany of variants are worthy of many a repeat spin. . .

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Analog Gear NewsRecord Cleaning Tips
CleanerVinyl ProXL Record Cleaning System & UC-3360 Multi-Frequency Ultrasonic Cleaner
Mike Mettler  |  Oct 23, 2023

People always like to talk about spring cleaning, but we here at AP like to do it year-round — especially when it comes to making sure our records are as clean as they can be before we put them on our turntables. CleanerVinyl has a similar philosophy, and the company’s flagship ProXL record cleaning system and UC-3360 multi-frequency ultrasonic cleaner are clearly tailor-made for this all-important LP maintenance task. Read on to see how CleanerVinyl may have the literal solution for your own regularly scheduled record cleaning needs. . .

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Album ReviewsShort Cuts
Review Explosion Short Cuts Edition, Vol. 8: VMP’s The Story of Cadet Records Almost Entirely AAA 180g 8LP Box Set Anthologizes Rare LPs From the Likes of Muddy Waters, Etta James, and Ramsey Lewis
Mark Smotroff  |  Oct 21, 2023

Created with direct input from label founder Marshall Chess, VMP’s The Story of Cadet Records almost entirely AAA 180g 8LP super deluxe box set is a welcome addition to the analog fold. The eight albums offered herein — including rare titles from the likes of Muddy Waters, Etta James, and Ramsey Lewis — are a healthy cross-section snapshot of the expansive sounds Cadet was pursuing as the mid-1960s exploded both socially and musically. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why The Story of Cadet Records is worth the investment. . .

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Analog Gear News
Pro-Ject The Dark Side of the Moon Special Limited Edition Turntable
Mike Mettler  |  Oct 19, 2023

Pro-Ject has staked a claim for coming up with some truly amazing Artist Collection turntables in recent years, and their latest offering under this signature series umbrella is a clear beauty: The Dark Side of the Moon limited edition turntable. Read on to see how this visually striking ’table ties in quite symmetrically with the ongoing 50th anniversary celebration of one of Pink Floyd’s most seminal albums. . .

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