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Album Reviews
Polish Progressive Rock Band INDUKTI's Debut Gets Double 180 Vinyl Release
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 05, 2014  |  6 comments
Not being heavily steeped in progressive rock, I can't say in what esteem the Polish group INDUKTI is held but thanks to the persistence of one young man, who I met at last year's Newport Audio Festival and his Sunspot Record label (not to be confused by the Washington, D.C. Reggae label of the same name that shuttered in 1994), the band's debut album S.U.S.A.R. ((Suspected Unexpected Serious Adverse Reactions) has gotten a double 180g vinyl release.

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Album Reviews
Volto! Aims to Tear Your Woofer Cones From Their Surrounds
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 04, 2014  |  23 comments
The late Rick Griffin's mischievous rodent cover art isn't the only retro aspect of this prog-rock/jazz fusion recording debut by a group that's been together for more than a decade. (Griffin is best known for his Grateful Dead work including the Aoxomoxoa cover).

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Album Reviews
Chasing the Dragon : A Man and His Microphones
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 04, 2014  |  2 comments
Recording engineer Mike Valentine produced and recorded an old-fashioned audiophile demo disc using 50 year old Neumann tube microphones and a high resolution Nagra digital recorder all connected together with ZenSati cables from Denmark. One track was recorded using a 1/2" Studer analog deck running at 30 IPS.

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Phono Preamp Reviews
The DSA Phono II MM/MC Phono Preamplifier
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 31, 2014  |  11 comments
I reviewed Dynamic Sound Associate's $12,000 solid-state phono preamp in Stereophile's "Analog Corner" October, 2013. It was a "Class A" product all the way other than a few "burps".

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Phono Preamp Reviews
Reite Audio PS-1 MC Phono Preamplifier and PSU-1 Power Supply
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 30, 2014  |  20 comments
Reite Audio is a relatively new company created by electronics designer Bob Reite and musician Ed Sheftel. Sheftel first imported to America and distributed the Welsh-made Tom Evans Audio Design line of electronics. One of its products, The Groove phono preamp had, at the turn of the century, what could fairly be described as a “cult following”.
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News
Ernst Benz R.I.P.
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 29, 2014  |  7 comments
Ernst Benz founder of moving coil cartridge manufacturer Benz Micro passed away on July 5th, 2014 in his Neuhausen-am-Rheinfall, Switzerland home at age 82, surrounded by his family.

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Turntable Reviews
The Audio Technica AT-LP120-USB Turntable Shames the Plastic Competition
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 22, 2014  |  52 comments
Off the audiophile pedestal and into the “real world” we go, with a review of Audio Technica’s easy to set up $250 AT-LP120-USB turntable.

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News
Mats Unmasked!
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 21, 2014  |  42 comments
Thanks to all who downloaded and listened to the same track played using 8 different mats. That's a great deal of heavy lifting, hopefully made somewhat lighter by Mike Valentine's excellent Decca tree recording of a nimble performance of Vivaldi's "Concerto For 2 Mandolins". I hope you downloaded and enjoyed the "gift" track too.

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News
"Redbook" 16 bit/44.1K Version of Vivaldi Track Added to Mat Test
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 18, 2014  |  2 comments
Analogplanet.com readers requested we post the "rebook" version of the Vivaldi Mandolin piece so there's a reference at the same sampling and bit rate as the "needle drops".

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Playback Accessory Reviews
The Big Brush Off! Three Dry Record Brushes Compared
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 17, 2014  |  69 comments
This is hardly a scientific comparison, but I spent a few days comparing, in order of price, the Audioquest carbon fiber brush ($24.99), the AcousTech The Big Record Brush ($36.95) ($52.95 with grounding wire) and the Levin Design ($335 appx.).

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