Mike Mettler

ALBUM RELEASE NEWSNew Wax Wednesday
The B-52’s Span the Rainbow With a Myriad of Color Vinyl Choices for All the Good Stuff That’s in Their 9LP Warner Reprise Years Box Set Coming Out June 20
Mike Mettler  |  May 28, 2025  |  First Published: May 28, 2025  |  9 comments

We duly announce that The B-52’s The Warner Reprise Years 9LP box set is slated for release from Warner Records/Reprise/Rhino on June 20, 2025. All 9LPs in this massive collection, which spans the balance of the pioneering alt-punk band’s kaleidoscopic recording career from 1979 to 1992, have been remastered and repressed on a literal rainbow variety of color vinyl options, so read on to see what those colors are, and how good each LP sounds. . .

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FeaturesNews
Late, Great Music Visionary Herb Belkin’s Amazing Collection, Including Many of His Own Original Rare & Low-Number MFSL Limited-Edition LPs and Box Sets, Is Set for Auction by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries on June 29
Mike Mettler,  |  May 27, 2025  |  First Published: May 27, 2025  |  1 comments

Herb Belkin was one of a kind. A lifetime record executive who was instrumental in taking a onetime field-recording audio company known as Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (a.k.a. MFSL) to the next, audiophile-grade level in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Belkin (1939-2001) also amassed quite the robust collection of vinyl, CDs, LDs, and other music-related memorabilia over the course of his rich life. A good amount of Belkin’s personal archive from the MFSL universe (and beyond!) is coming up for auction at 11 a.m. EDT on June 29, 2025, through Thomaston Place Auction Galleries on Day 3 of their Summer Splendor auction series. Read Mike Mettler and Mark Smotroff’s combo report to see what rare items from Belkin’s vinyl collection are going up for this auction — and also find out what gear he listened to all of it on back in the day. . .

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ALBUM RELEASE NEWSNew Wax Wednesday
Oscar Peterson Trio’s 1964 Jazz Masterwork, We Get Requests, Kicks Off Burmester’s Pure Sound Master Recordings Series With a Truly Special Limited-Edition 12in Lacquer Release
Mike Mettler  |  May 21, 2025  |  First Published: May 21, 2025  |  18 comments

We all have our own pet requests for classic albums we’d love to see reissued in the purest, and most honest, analog capacity as possible — and sometimes, those requests are heeded. To that end, the noted German manufacturer Burmester have just announced their new Pure Sound Master Recordings Series that kicks off with one of the best LPs to do so with — namely, Oscar Peterson Trio’s 1964 jazz piano masterpiece, We Get Requests. Read on to see all the details about this most excellent limited-edition lacquer. . .

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Analog Gear NewsMunich 2025
Wilson Benesch Graviton Ti Tonearm
Mike Mettler  |  May 20, 2025  |  First Published: May 20, 2025  |  0 comments

Presenting another piece of cool gear seen at High End Munich 2025, before we begin sharing all the deep-dive show reports from our fellow editors who were at the big show — namely, the Wilson Benesch Graviton Ti tonearm, which “evolved” (their word) from the version of the arm originally integrated into their flagship GMT One System turntable and seen here on the Dohmann Helix One Mk3 turntable. . .

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Analog Gear NewsMunich 2025
Takumi TT Level 2.1DC Turntable
Mike Mettler  |  May 19, 2025  |  First Published: May 19, 2025  |  4 comments

While we look forward to sharing all the deep-dive show reports from our fellow editors who were at High End Munich 2025 on AP in the coming days/weeks, we do have some cool gear seen at the big show to report on in the here and now — starting with the Takumi TT Level 2.1DC turntable. . .

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Analog Gear NewsMunich 2025
Lenco L-455BK Turntable
Mike Mettler  |  May 16, 2025  |  First Published: May 16, 2025  |  0 comments

High End Munich 2025 is in full swing through the weekend — and, rest assured, we’ll be posting a number of firsthand reports in the coming days/weeks. For now, we wanted to put a spotlight on a new, relatively affordable piece of analog gear seen at the big show that is actually available to consumers now — namely, Lenco’s L-455BK turntable. . .

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ALBUM RELEASE NEWSNew Wax Wednesday
Steely Dan’s 1976 Masterstroke LP The Royal Scam Puts The Fez On for the Final Entry in the Iconic Band’s Historic Catalog Reissue Series on June 6
Mike Mettler  |  May 14, 2025  |  First Published: May 14, 2025  |  0 comments

“It was the hippest of times, it was the squarest of times — mostly the latter.” Ever cleverly dour, that was how the principal members of Steely Dan (a.k.a. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen) opened the three-paneled liner-notes portion of the folded booklet within the MCA CD reissue of their masterful May 1976 ABC album The Royal Scam. Thankfully, the music found therein was much more hip than square — and, now, after a 40-year wait (!), The Royal Scam is finally seeing proper vinyl reissues courtesy separate Geffen/UMe and Analogue Productions editions on June 6, 2025. Read on to see all the royal LP details. . .

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Analog Gear News
Pro-Ject Peanuts Limited Special Edition Turntable
Mike Mettler  |  May 13, 2025  |  First Published: May 13, 2025  |  4 comments

Good grief! While we’re in the deep throes of our imminent full-court High End Munich 2025 press, we couldn’t let another day go by without acknowledging a truly special limited-edition piece of analog gear that may (or may not!) be seen at the big show — namely, Pro-Ject’s Peanuts turntable. Read on to see how Pro-Ject intends to celebrate 75 years of good ol’ Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the Peanuts gang with this cool new ltd-ed table. . .

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Analog Gear News
Nagaoka MP-700 Cartridge: A High End Munich 2025 Preview
Mike Mettler  |  May 12, 2025  |  First Published: May 12, 2025  |  5 comments

Can it be we’re just days away from High End Munich 2025? (That was a rhetorical question, mind you.) As we await Munich 2025’s official start later this week, we’ll be previewing some of the new gear that’s launching/debuting at the big show, including the Nagaoka MP-700 cartridge. Read on to see how this respected Japanese company plans to honor their 85th anniversary with the MP-700 cart. . .

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ALBUM RELEASE NEWSNew Wax Wednesday
New Wax Wednesday: R.E.M. Stations Their Radio Free Europe 2025 EP for September 12 Release
Mike Mettler  |  May 07, 2025  |  First Published: May 07, 2025  |  3 comments

Welcome to our new weekly New Wax Wednesday column, in which we will highlight upcoming new LP releases and/or important vinyl reissues worthy of preordering and spinning again and again once they arrive in prime, direct from doorstep to turntable fashion. What better way to start off this new series than by commencing with a calling out to transit, as the saying goes — as in, sharing the news that R.E.M.’s Radio Free Europe 2025 five-track benefit EP is set for release via Craft Recordings on September 12, 2025. Read on to see what rare tracks and new mixes will appear on this limited-edition 10-inch orange-vinyl EP. . .

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