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Album ReviewsShort Cuts
Short Cuts, Vol. 20: Elemental’s Motown Reissue Series Rolls On With 140g Virgin Vinyl Offerings of Popular Period LPs by The Temptations, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight & The Pips, and Eddie Kendricks
Mark Smotroff  |  Jan 31, 2025

There is something incredibly compelling about Elemental Music and UMe’s ongoing, affordably priced, and generally well-made reissue series of classic Motown titles. Read Mark Smotroff’s latest Motown Short Cuts combo review to see which of these 140g 1LP editions of classic LPs from The Temptations, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight & The Pips, and Eddie Kendricks belong in your collection. . .

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Analog Gear News
Grimm Audio PW1 Phono Preamp
Mike Mettler  |  Jan 30, 2025

The Wizard has spoken — or rather, Grimm Audio co-founder Peter van Willenswaard has stepped forth to unveil his latest design triumph, the PW1 phono preamp. Read on to see all the specs and features of Grimm’s “Phono Wizard” PW1. . .

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Features
The Reel-to-Reel Revival, Part 2: The Format’s Sonic Advantages, Some Major Players, and Why Threading Tape Is a Ritual Worth Learning and/or Revisiting
Leslie Shapiro  |  Jan 28, 2025

In a world of endless Spotify playlists and 24-bit streaming, why are people flocking back to reel-to-reel players and tapes, a format invented nearly a century ago? Read Part 2 of Leslie Shapiro’s insider series (featuring Revox, Ballfinger, Metaxas & Sins, Recording The Masters, and more) to find out exactly why reel-to-reel remains as vital as ever. . .

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Features
The Reel-to-Reel Revival, Part 1: A Brief History of the Format
Leslie Shapiro  |  Jan 27, 2025

There’s a whisper in the world of audiophiles, a spinning rumble that digital audio is out, and analog is back in a big way. Amongst the spinning of vinyl and the hum of tube amps, another important analog medium is rolling out of the past and right into the hearts of the modern-day sound purist — the reel-to-reel tape player. Read Part 1 of Leslie Shapiro’s in-depth reel-to-reel report to learn more about the history of this important analog format. . .

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Analog Gear News
AVID Altus V2 & Nexus V2 Tonearms
Mike Mettler  |  Jan 24, 2025

AVID is in the midst of celebrating their 30th anniversary, and the notable British company is embracing the fete full force with a pair of updated tonearms — namely, the Altus V2 and Nexus V2. Read on to see the key upgrades and specs for these two arms. . .

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Interviews
David Lynch on the Twin Peaks of His Creative Passion for Both Music and Film, and How He Intersects With Them on Vinyl
Mike Mettler  |  Jan 23, 2025

The legacy of David Lynch, the inimitable audiovisual pioneer who passed away a week ago on January 15, 2025, at age 78, lives forever on — not only onscreen, but also on vinyl. In an updated historical interview with AP editor Mike Mettler, Lynch discusses the first singles he ever bought, the differences between “objective” and “subjective” science when it comes to album sequencing, and the specific way his hard-of-hearing Twin Peaks character Gordon Cole would want to listen to music. . .

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ALBUM RELEASE NEWS
Buena Vista Social Club Offers Membership to 180g 45rpm 4LP Edition From Analogue Productions on February 14, Plus First-Ever Reel-to-Reel Release
Mike Mettler  |  Jan 22, 2025

To this news, we heartily say, muy bueno! Analogue Productions have just announced that a deluxe reissue of September 1997’s groundbreaking multicultural phenomenon known as Buena Vista Social Club will be forthcoming on February 14, 2025, and it will be available in two primo editions: 1) 180g 45rpm 4LP black vinyl, and 2) reel-to-reel tape, the latter of which represents the first time this storied recording will appear in that format. Read on to see all the details about the new Buena Vista reissue. . .

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Turntable Reviews
Cambridge Audio Alva TT V2 Turntable
Ken Micallef  |  Jan 21, 2025

Legacy British company Cambridge Audio fully embraces vinyl playback with their latest offering, the Alva TT V2 turntable. Read Ken Micallef’s review to see how the Alva TT V2 table tracks in terms of how it handles detailed resolution, dramatic impact, and performance nuances alike. . .

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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
Miles Davis’ Birth of the Blue 180g 1LP Set From Analogue Productions Is an Astounding-Sounding Companion to His Seminal 1959 LP, Kind of Blue
Ken Micallef  |  Jan 17, 2025

As noted in our coverage of the press event that happened in NYC back in December 2024, Miles Davis’ Birth of the Blue assembles, “in a single release, music recorded in 1958, one year prior to the landmark Kind of Blue.” Read Ken Micallef’s review to see if this AAA 180g 1LP release from Analogue Productions lives up to its advance billing. . .

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Interviews
Tony Levin on Getting Down to His Signature Low-End Business on Stunning New 2LP Solo Set Bringing It Down to the Bass, Plus Revisiting 1980s King Crimson With the Four-Man BEAT Collective
Mike Mettler  |  Jan 16, 2025

For many of the interesting, innovative, and forward-thinking, progressive-leaning recordings of the past half-century-plus that we live for and love on vinyl, Tony Levin has been both their heartbeat and anchor. Whether it’s with King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Paula Cole, ABWH, Stick Men, or scores of other artists’ albums that number well into the 500s, Levin’s signature bass tones immediately let you know, “Now, this is going to be a rewarding listening experience.” In a recent Zoom interview with AP editor Mike Mettler, Levin discusses the ongoing wonderment that comes with flipping over LP sides, what his first vinyl recording session was in the 1950s, and the “complicated” decision behind when to sing, or when not to sing. . .

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