LATEST ADDITIONS

Album ReviewsShort Cuts
Two Seminal Early 1970s John Cale LPs, Paris 1919 and The Academy in Peril, Benefit From Artist-Approved Reissue LPs From Domino
Mark Smotroff  |  Jan 09, 2025  |  3 comments

Fifty-plus years ago, John Cale effectively drew a line in the sand between his past with The Velvet Underground and his future. Two of Cale’s seminal solo releases from that era — 1972’s The Academy in Peril and 1973’s Paris 1919, both long been out of print on vinyl here in the States — are the subjects of a great new LP reissue series from England’s Domino label, expanded and approved by the artist himself. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see if either/both of these remastered vinyl editions deserve multiple spins on your turntable. . .

Continue Reading »
Analog Gear News
Seen at CES 2025: Victrola Automatic, Wave, Stream Onyx, Harmony, and Journey Glow Turntables
Mike Mettler  |  Jan 07, 2025  |  2 comments

Today, we continue onward with our survey of the analog-centric gear being shown at CES 2025 — and who better to focus our eyes and ears on than perennial CES stalwarts Victrola? Read on to see what differentiates their new Automatic, Wave, Stream Onyx, Harmony, and Journey Glow turntable offerings. . .

Continue Reading »
AAA VinylALBUM RELEASE NEWS
Steely Dan’s 1975 Masterpiece Katy Lied Getting Full 200g 45rpm 2LP UHQR Treatment on January 31
Mike Mettler  |  Jan 06, 2025  |  9 comments

You can see it in their eyes, but is it really any surprise to learn that we are finally getting the much-anticipated 200g 45rpm 2LP UHQR edition of Steely Dan’s rightly acclaimed March 1975 album Katy Lied on January 31, 2025? Read on to see all the UHQR tech/spec details, plus news regarding the companion 180g 1LP edition. . .

Continue Reading »
Analog Gear News
Seen at CES 2025: Lenco LBT-215BK, LBTA-165BK/165WD, and LS-570WA Turntables & TTA-080SI Record Stabilizer
Mike Mettler  |  Jan 06, 2025  |  3 comments

While there isn’t as much analog gear on display at CES 2025 as there used to be, some companies are showing new audio gear of note at the show this year — and the long-respected Swiss manufacturer Lenco is one of them. Read on to see what’s what with their trio of new turntable options and cool light-effect record stabilizer. . .

Continue Reading »
AAA VinylAlbum ReviewsShort Cuts
Short Cuts, Vol. 19: Six Great, Recently Reissued 180g LPs From Blues Giants Albert King, Jimmy Reed, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Skip James, Blind Gary Davis, and B.B. King
Mark Smotroff  |  Jan 03, 2025  |  7 comments

Our first Short Cuts combo-review entry of 2025 covers six recent blues reissues — five from the Bluesville Series from Craft Recordings, plus one archival release issued on RSD 2024 by Deep Digs/Elemental Music. Read Mark Smotroff’s Short Cuts combo review to see how many of these fine 180g LP offerings from Albert King, Jimmy Reed, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Skip James, Blind Gary Davis, and B.B. King belong in your collection. . .

Continue Reading »
Analog Gear News
Musical Fidelity M6xTT Turntable
Mike Mettler  |  Jan 02, 2025  |  2 comments

We here at AP hope everyone had a safe, happy, healthy, and fun holiday season, replete with as much vinyl-spinning as your ears, turntables, and systems could handle! To kick the new year off right, we’re going to look at a cool new piece of equipment that caught our collective eye — namely, the Musical Fidelity M6xTT turntable. Read on to see all that the mighty M6xTT has to offer. . .

Continue Reading »
Cartridge Reviews
Rega Nd3 & Nd5 Moving Magnet Cartridges
Ken Micallef  |  Dec 30, 2024  |  9 comments

When the UK’s largest turntable manufacturer releases new moving magnet (MM) cartridges, analog geeks like us here at AP can’t wait to hear them. Read Ken Micallef’s review to see why Rega’s new Nd3 and Nd5 MM cartridges are both budget bargains worthy of your immediate attention. . .

Continue Reading »
Album Reviews
Jazz Vocal Phenomenon Samara Joy Continues to Impress With Her Latest LP, Portrait
Ken Micallef  |  Dec 26, 2024  |  2 comments

Samara Joy, a mere 25 years old, has ascended to extraordinary heights in the jazz world — and rightly so. Raised in a family of gospel singers but nurtured on a diet of contemporary pop and jazz, Joy’s vocal prowess is astonishing. Her contralto-to-soprano range — soaring from hushed whispers to clarion calls — is as breathtaking as a hummingbird darting from flower to flower. Read Ken Micallef’s review to see how Portrait, her second LP on Verve, showcases her singular vocal talent on vinyl. . .

Continue Reading »
FeaturesThe Gruvy Awards
The Gruvy Awards: AnalogPlanet Selects the Best Reviewed Products of 2024
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 23, 2024  |  2 comments

The Gruvy Awards are back yet again! An annual event, The Gruvys are given to the best products AnalogPlanet reviewed in the most recent calendar year. This time around, the Gruvys honor the gear we tested in 2024 and subsequently found to possess a combination of high build quality, exceptional sonics, and in the case of less expensive gear, provide great value for the money. Read on to see what products made the 2024 AP Gruvy Awards cut, plus which ones gained Honorable Mentions. . .

Continue Reading »
AAA VinylAlbum ReviewsFeatures
AnalogPlanet’s Top LPs of 2024
Mike Mettler,  |  Dec 20, 2024  |  12 comments

Another year of LP acquiring, cleaning, listening, archiving, and spinning, and archiving has come and gone — and not necessarily always in that order, either! — so, naturally, before the big holiday week takes hold of our respective calendars, we here at AP feel it’s the exact right time to determine the best of what we’ve heard on vinyl during the past 12 months. Between the two of us — i.e., 1) Mike Mettler, your intrepid AP editor, and 2) chief LP reviewer, Mark Smotroff — we have listened to multiple-hundreds’ worth of albums on vinyl in 2024 apiece, so read on to see what our 20-plus favorite reissues and new LPs of the year are. . .

Continue Reading »

Pages

X