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Rick Rubin on the Creative Process
Published On 2/19/2023
Rick Rubin seems to be everywhere in the news these days, even on one of my favorite websites, BIG THINK. As one of the most successful and sought after music producers alive, in this article he shares a little about he approaches the creative process when working with an artist.
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Audio Education News: Basic Electronics Class Starts Soon
Published On 11/23/2015
Electronics class announcement
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The Return of the Vinyl Album
Published On 3/30/2015
An interesting article about the resurgence of vinyl from The Verge.
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Announcments

SFAF Rebranding Campaign
Published On 3/19/2024
We are pleased to announce the kickoff of our Audiophile Foundation rebranding campaign.
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Member's System of The Month
Published On 3/15/2024
Member System of The Month

We are kicking off what we hope will be a new monthly feature in our newsletter, namely, a Member System of The Month. After all, this is your monthly newsletter!

We will start this month with Foundation Member Robert Brook’s system. All YOU need to do to get your system featured is create a post on our Member’s System Forum Page. Include a list of the components in your system and as much detail as you would like, room dimensions, cables, tweaks, etc.. And at least one picture.
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John Curl Awards Banquet
Published On 10/17/2023
John Curl Award Presentation

All SFAF members are invited and encouraged to attend!
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Build an EL84 Tube Amplifier Class – San Francisco, by Ed Yang
Published On 11/25/2019
Amplifier Class Announcement
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Michael Fremer Returns to SFAS April 1st
Published On 3/22/2017
It is my great pleasure to announce one of the most exciting events of the year: Stereophile’s senior contributing editor and editor of AnalogPlanet.com Michael Fremer is coming to SFAS!
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System Audition Events (a.k.a. Sys-Hops)
Published On 12/11/2016
This past weekend was the SFAS debut of our System Audition Events, also known as Sys-Hops. I wasn’t sure there would be too much hopping since the five systems available for members to audition were spread out pretty far from each other… well, I was wrong. There was a lot of hopping around the Bay Area!
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Andrew Jones Event SOLD OUT
Published On 11/7/2016
This event is sold out.
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Almost 80 Members for Elite Audio’s Saturday Event!
Published On 7/26/2016
This Saturday, our joint event with Michael Woods at Elite Audio is drawing a lot of attention! Is it the great gear, the audio illuminati attending… or is it his awesome high-end great-sounding coffee bar? Probably all the above.
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Event Postponement Feedback
Published On 5/17/2016
A big “Thank you” to the 40 or so members (so far) who wrote in with comments regarding our postponement of a scheduled event. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, scroll down to the bolded text to read what I wrote to members regarding postponement of our May “budget Audio” event.
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Private: Upcoming Event: The Giant Slayers–configuring superb budget systems
Published On 5/15/2016
Join us for our next event on May 28th:
The Giant Slayers –
At this gathering in Berkeley, we will be exploring and actually configuring budget systems with many components that perform way above their price point.
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Upcoming Event: Music Servers – Understanding, Utilizing and Optimizing
Published On 4/14/2016
oin us on April 30th for an event that will help members find their way through the complexities and potential of Music Servers. This exploration will be led by our newest Executive Team member, Joe Hakim, SFAS’ very own audio engineer and Mad Scientist.
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Upcoming Event! Saturday March 26th SOLD OUT
Published On 3/7/2016
The upcoming Room Correction Event with Audio Engineer, Manny LaCarrubba is currently sold out.
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DAC Smackdown #2 Event
Published On 2/27/2016
Our second DAC Smackdown event was a great success! We had a full house of members, including those selected to bring their own DACs to participate in the fun.
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Our First ‘Deep Listening’ Event
Published On 1/27/2016
Our January 30th event will be all about the music as we listen to the Grateful Dead’s seminal 1970 releases,Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty, on fresh copies of Mobile Fidelity’s recent 45 RPM numbered releases.
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The SFAS Audiophile Educational Events
Published On 9/24/2015
The SFAS Audiophile Education Events are designed to offer all of our members the opportunity to be involved in compelling conversations, presentations and demonstrations directly with our industry’s most innovative thinkers ––
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Turntable Guru Michael Fremer is Coming to SFAS on August 22!
Published On 7/21/2015
If your audiophile journey has taken you through the wet concrete of the mystifying and sometimes tantrum-inducing task of setting up an analog music system, fear not, for help is coming.
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Our First SFAS Analog Event!
Published On 4/2/2015
Our first analog event is a Phono-Stage Smackdown, on April 18th. You should have received the registration invitation last week via email.
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Introducing the SFAS Concert Series
Published On 1/31/2015
The SFAS Concert Series, a collaboration with the SFJazz Center, has hit a chord with our members, so to speak. Our first event on March 1, 2015, a concert with jazz giant Taj Mahal, sold out in 4 hours.
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Audio Day in Wine Country – Sold Out
Published On 10/27/2014
Sorry, this Event is Sold Out.
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First SFAS Event with Albert Von Schweikert Sold Out
Published On 7/13/2014
This event is sold out.
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Upcoming Event: Amp Smackdown with ABX Box
Published On 5/17/2014
Our next event – the third in the BAAS Audio Gear Smackdown series, will be held on Saturday June 14 at 10:00AM at David Levine’s beautiful Belvedere home (I hear the view alone is enough to want to attend).
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ABX Comparator Event?
Published On 5/12/2014
This is a request for direct feedback from you. Yes, this unit is potentially a game-changer for our industry – but unlike previous events, some of the audio gear we would be testing (power amps) may be more physically challenging to bring with you without hiring a moving company!
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2014 Schedule of Events
Published On 3/31/2014
Here are our upcoming events in California for 2014. More may be added as we move through the year. We did our best to also avoid dates that conflict with audiophile events outside California, but no promises there.
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Local Audio Happenings
Published On 3/22/2014
Coming up at Audio High in the South Bay (unfortunately right on my 54th birthday, so I don’t think my wife will be OK with my coming to this event), as well as at Elite Audio in SF, is a great and rare opportunity to meet an industry legend, Bob Stewart of Meridian Audio.
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SFAS Hits a New Record with Michael Fremer
Published On 3/8/2014
Pun intended (more accurately, stolen from a conversation with Michael).

73 attendees at the Michael Fremer Turntable set-up seminar represented the largest gathering of any SFAS event to date. We broke the record (OK, I’ll stop now).
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Local Audio Happenings
Published On 2/20/2014
Elite Audio

This Saturday, Feb 22, Gary Koh, designer and CEO for Genesis Advanced Technologies will be presenting the new Genesis 2.2 & G2jr line source speaker. Discussion to include product design,
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Audio Gear Smack-Down #1: Power Cables - SOLD OUT
Published On 2/16/2014
A BAAS MEMBER EVENT – Saturday, March 8, 2014 ))))) EVENT IS SOLD OUT (((((

Yes, this is the longest invitation sent by anyone,
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Member Feedback

2024 DIY Class Survey Results
Published On 3/31/2024
As part of our ongoing Educational Initiative a survey was sent on February 27, 2024 to our membership to determine the level of interest in future DIY courses offered by the Foundation. This article summarizes the results of the survey.
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Recap of 2024 February Member Meeting
Published On 2/27/2024
Summary of information presented and feedback collected from Foundation members.
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2023 Muse Reader Survey Results
Published On 12/27/2023
Summary results of the 2023 Muse Reader Survey.
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A Wave of Responses From Event Attendees
Published On 8/24/2015
Here are a few of the many responses from members regarding the Michael Fremer event on Saturday.
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Member Feedback: Loudspeaker Event in Boulder Creek
Published On 7/15/2015
Our Loudspeaker event with Albert Von Schweikert at Joe and Debbie Hakim’s home in the South Bay was loads of fun! Everyone I spoke with so far agrees with that. And, as always in audiophile circles, some members loved the sound and some kinda sorta liked it, but not so much. Here’s what some attendees shared:
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SFJAZZ Event: Comments From Attendees
Published On 3/5/2015
Comments from Attendees at our Inaugural Event with SFJAZZ, Sunday March 1st 2015
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Event Attendees Respond!
Published On 11/18/2014
Here are some excerpts of responses from SFAS members who attended Audio Day in Wine Country
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Muse Roger's Corner

A Beginners Guide and Other Thoughts on Audio - Chapter 5: Noise Reduction
Published On 4/17/2024
This month’s Roger’s Corner focuses on a topic very near and dear to Roger. As an audio designer and repair technician Roger certainly had a few pet peeves. However, the one that annoyed him the most was noise. Roger was well known for designing quiet components.
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A Beginners Guide and Other Thoughts on Audio - Chapter 4: Preamplifiers
Published On 2/28/2024
This month in Roger’s Corner we present Chapter 4 of A Beginners Guide and Other Thoughts on Audio. This chapter is dedicated to premplifiers.
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A Beginners Guide and Other Thoughts on Audio - Chapter 3: Amplifiers
Published On 1/29/2024
This month we present Chapter 3 of A Beginners Guide and Other Thoughts on Audio. This chapter is dedicated to Amplifiers.
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A Beginners Guide and Other Thoughts on Audio - Chapter 2: Electrostatic Speakers
Published On 12/27/2023
Chapter 2 of A Beginners Guide and Other Thoughts on Audio. This chapter is dedicated to Electrostatic Speakers
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A Beginners Guide and Other Thoughts on Audio - Chapter 1: Cone Speakers
Published On 11/27/2023
This month in Roger’s Corner we present Chapter 1 of A Beginners Guide and Other Thoughts on Audio. This chapter is dedicated to Cone Speakers.
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Roger's Corner Kickoff
Published On 10/28/2023
First Roger's Corner article
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Articles

How ANALOG TRANSFORMED My Relationship to AUDIO and MUSIC
Published On 3/29/2024
For as long as I can remember I've been drawn to recorded music and its reproduction. My father brought home a Japanese receiver, turntable, reel to reel and a pair of speakers from his military service in Taiwan. Thanks to him, we had music with reasonably good sound in our home throughout my childhood.
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Power Delivery to Components
Published On 10/21/2023
Ori talks about improving power quality at the input of a component.
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The Unheard Symphony of the Planet
Published On 8/27/2023
Using a tiny device called a Raspberry Shake, people around the world are tuning in to the earth’s vibrations.
Jan. 3, 2023

surfacing

Photographs by Peter Fisher
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Philosophical Audiophilia (A NEW Blog)
Published On 7/23/2023
Philosophy is love of Wisdom. Audiophilia literally is love of sound.

My goal is to share my applied physics knowledge and understanding, my listening experience, and common sense with others through this blog to increase their pleasure in hearing recorded music.
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Don Naples, A Profile, by Lory Hawley
Published On 2/19/2023
I have volunteered to be contribute articles to the Muse from time to time, I’ve been thinking about how it would be a great way for me to learn about some of the industry folks by reaching out to them for interviews, and find out a bit about who they are, and how they became involved in their part of the world of audio. In doing so, perhaps I will glean some interesting tidbits that others would enjoy reading about.
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The Perfect Sound, A Memoir in Stereo
Published On 10/7/2022
A book report. The Perfect Sound, A Memoir in Stereo, by Garrett Hongo, poet, professor and audiophile.
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Columbia Record Lable History
Published On 2/9/2022
Review of the history of Columbia Records.
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33 1/3 Questions with Andrew Cartmel, author of The Vinyl Detective Mysteries
Published On 7/24/2019
David interviews author Andrew Cartmel
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Musical Instrument Museum – Phoenix, AZ
Published On 2/26/2019
Kevin explores a very cool museum of musical instruments.
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SFAS Membership Poll Results
Published On 2/25/2019
Review of the 2019 membership poll
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MID-YEAR 2018 RIAA MUSIC REVENUES REPORT
Published On 2/9/2019
Music revenues by format
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CLASH OF THE TITANS: JRiver vs Roon
Published On 1/25/2019
David two digital streaming options.
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Audiophile Society Origins
Published On 1/19/2019
Here's some history about the origins of the audiophile society in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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New Equipment at The Shops at Hilltop
Published On 1/1/2019
Equipment at the Hilltop Mall in Richmond
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Sys-hop – My Visit to Larry’s
Published On 12/27/2018
Dan talks about his listening session at Larry Deniston's comparing the Technics SL-1200G to the VPI Prime turntable.
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Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2018
Published On 11/29/2018
Kevin shares his experience at the RMAF
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Jana Dagdagan Pays a Visit
Published On 11/26/2018
Jana measures David Hick's vintage system
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QoBuz Streaming Service Launch
Published On 9/28/2018
David discusses the launch of the Qobuz streaming service.
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Recording Bloopers on Famous Albums
Published On 2/23/2017
Mistakes found on albums
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Audiophile Wisdom – Ported vs Non-Ported Subs
Published On 12/10/2016
Manny discusses the pluses and minuses of ported subwoofers
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Building Community Through Shared Listening Sessions by David C. Snyder
Published On 10/27/2016
"If you don’t have a shared listening session on your calendar between now and the end of the year, I encourage you to make the effort to set one up."
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So You Think Your Speakers Are Big?
Published On 8/26/2015
Fun pictures of amazing speakers and speaker projects
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Results of SFAS 2014 Member Survey
Published On 2/26/2015
Results of SFAS 2014 Member Survey
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SFJazz, Meyer, and The Signature of Sound
Published On 2/19/2015
Conveniently, a great article was just published by Alex Ross in the New Yorker on Meyer Sound, the company whose products and expertise SFJazz Center used to achieve their unique sound signature. Read and enjoy.
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Is This The Future of Vacuum Tubes?
Published On 1/31/2015
A new, miniature tube has been developed, see story in the link.
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Organizing A Computer-Based Audio Library
Published On 10/22/2014
Dan offers us a good primer on maximizing enjoyment from our computer based music systems. He has some good insights that could help even some of you more seasoned computer audiophiles. Enjoy! Alón
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Berkeley Hi-Fi School Opens in East Bay!
Published On 10/7/2014
In what will be a dream come true for many Bay Area audiophiles, I am happy to report that industry veteran Roger Modjeski has opened a dedicated Hi-Fi School in Berkeley!
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Now Bach to You
Published On 5/11/2014
Bob Walters introduces Bach to Alon
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Digital Tools for Vinyl Addicts
Published On 3/29/2014
Audiophile Streaming Music. An oxymoron if I ever heard one… at least for now. One day, the internet pipes to our homes will be fat enough to provide something more than low rez background music. That said, is there a good reason to subscribe to one of these $10 a month music streaming services? Yes. Because if you’re a avid record shopper, it can save you money. Really. A lot.
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Jared Sacks: DSD Present and Future
Published On 2/23/2014
SACD and DSD champion Jared Sacks, founder of Channel Classics, stopped by Casa Bellecci-Serinus in Oakland for an extended chat about the history of his label, recording in DSD, and his new NativeDSD.com download site. I started our conversation by asking Jared to share his history with music and the industry with Stereophile.
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Can one of the nation’s great musicians cut through the fog of a D.C. rush hour?
Published On 2/14/2014
HE EMERGED FROM THE METRO AT THE L’ENFANT PLAZA STATION AND POSITIONED HIMSELF AGAINST A WALL BESIDE A TRASH BASKET. By most measures, he was nondescript: a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money, swiveled it to face pedestrian traffic, and began to play.
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One Track Mind
Published On 2/13/2014
If you could only pick one track to listen to, what would it be?
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In Memorium

Henry (Hank) Mahler, a true motion picture and television engineering icon, passed away
Published On 10/22/2021
Henry (Hank) Mahler, a true motion picture and television engineering icon, passed away on Oct. 5, 2021 at the age of 84.
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Thoughts on Charlie Watts’ Passing, by Gregory Morgan
Published On 10/5/2021
I am heartbroken. Charlie Watts has died.
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Rest In Peace Jim Forte
Published On 9/16/2021
SFAF member passes
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A. J. Conti of Basis Audio
Published On 10/17/2016
We lost a good one . . .
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Harry Pearson - In Memoriam
Published On 11/11/2014
Mourning the passing of Harry Pearson, one of the founding fathers of high-end audio
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MUSE

Two Ears, One Mind, and My Time With Gordon Hempton
Published On 6/29/2023
I have been thinking about why I love headphones. There are many reasons, including the fact that I don’t have to overcome the acoustic challenges of my room, or disturb anyone while listening to music, but the most sublime reason is the world of binaural recordings.
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Discogs, by Larry Deniston
Published On 12/26/2019
Discussion about the Discogs music database
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Intrument Interactive Frequency Chart by Independent Recording Network
Published On 5/22/2019
Interesting article about how frequencies from different musical instruments interact.
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Muse Intro

April 2024 Intro
Published On 3/29/2024
April 2024 Muse Intro
Part 1.: The Buy

“Improve The Sound of Your Music Without Changing Your Playback Equipment!”
When I first read that I thought it must relate to directions on how to set up your stereo within your room. Sure, the room and how your gear is placed can have the biggest impact on how your stereo will sound, it’s just that I was a bit perplexed about why this was printed on the back of a plain brown paper wrapper covering a vinyl record by an alternative music group.
But, let me back up a bit here…
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Muse Intro by Grant Stoner
Published On 2/19/2024
Is it possible to age gracefully as an audiophile? Maybe. I’m turning 60 next month, and although I don’t think I quite look it, I feel it. I have aches and pains constantly. I used to race bikes, but now get winded just walking up the driveway. I’ve noticed some hearing loss in my right ear, so the prime spot between speakers isn’t quite right for me. I guess those balance controls I always thought were useless, could come in handy.
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Developing Your Music Taste
Published On 9/22/2023
Grant talks about his exposure to different types of music and how he found the music he most enjoys
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An Audiophile Foundation Update and Request for Help
Published On 8/29/2023
An Audiophile Foundation Update and Request for Help
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SFAF On The Road
Published On 6/30/2023
We just returned from the Pacific Audio Fest which was held June 23-25 in Seattle at the DoubleTree Hilton SeaTac. I’d say overall it was a decent show and we would go again next year in September (they smartly moved the date). It was well organized, smoothly run, had good musical performances Friday and Saturday nights and educational sessions.
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Listen In, Listen Out- or Get your Road Trip On
Published On 5/27/2023
Have you noticed? COVID has been delisted as a Global Health Emergency- and Audio Shows are once again teaming with vendors and audiophiles coming to look and listen in rooms filled with electronic gear.
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Jeff's West Coast Audiophile Journey
Published On 4/30/2023
This article covers some of my recent travels to Audiophiles homes throughout the west.

My wife and I are recently retired and moved back to the NW after 25 years in Arizona. Our first grandchild is due this month and that event was a move motivator.

I enjoy visiting like-minded audio people in different clubs, shows, manufacturers, and as many retail stores as possible in my quest for maximum audio exposure.
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April 1st, 2023 Intro
Published On 3/31/2023
Ah, another year, another move. Of this I am tired. But, looking on the bright side, COVID is mostly in our rearview mirrors, and I have new neighbors to introduce to my audio systems while also introducing them to the audiophile cult of higher fidelity.
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Where We're At Now
Published On 2/25/2023
It’s been roughly a year since we started the transition away from the Audiophile Society to the Audiophile Foundation, a long and complicated process. We needed to build the new website, transfer all of the data from the old site to the new site, get everyone signed up with new memberships on the new site, transfer all of the social media, including the Muse articles to the new site, increase the functionality of the new website, build the new app, legally dissolve the old entity, establish new email accounts and working accounts for the Foundation, establish new accounting and banking. The list has seemed endless.
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Adventures at RCA, by Lory Hawley
Published On 1/29/2023
The season when to come, and when to go, to sing, or cease to sing, we never know
—Alexander Pope

I was thinking about how our love of music can take us on surprising adventures. It was certainly true for me, when my love for the music of John Denver coincided with my exploration of the wider world of ideas. Though this story is quite personal in its lessons, I feel it is universal in the sense that music, at its best, both mirrors and guides culture, as well as inspires. us.
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Young Blood
Published On 12/31/2022
Over the years I bought and sold many pieces of audio gear. Most of it is sold locally on Craigslist, especially bulky items like speakers or delicate turntables that I really prefer not to ship for obvious reasons.

And while some of the items have an audiophile appeal and end up in the hands of seasoned and well-informed new owners, some are low-cost and low appeal, and these end up sometimes in the hands of the young and curious.
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Waking To Live Jazz
Published On 11/30/2022
This is a story about how someone (me) who knows almost nothing about jazz groups or jazz, was blessed with the early morning sound of live jazz being played in the home where I was a guest.
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Will immersive audio formats obsolete or compliment the traditional 2-channel audiophile experiences
Published On 9/24/2022
There have been very intriguing art installations and demonstrations of immersive discrete multi-channel audio. For an example, check out the recent SFAF Event write up by Lory Hawley. Such installations are not new, although the technology behind them continues to evolve. I wonder if and how this will eventually achieve wide-spread practicality or popularity with audiophiles.
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The Biggest Bargain Company in Analog Accessories?
Published On 8/22/2022
A discussion of gear that represents a very good performance to cost ratio.
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A controversy is brewing right now regarding MoFi.
Published On 7/15/2022
Should audiophile record companies be more transparent when they claim their records are100% analog from master tapes?
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About the State of the Music Industry
Published On 6/27/2022
Ted Gioia's videos on "The Crisis in Music" inspired me to share this with you. Ted is a music critic, researcher, historian, musician and author, with highly informed perspectives on trends that will be of interest to audiophiles.
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Axpona Audio Show Write-Up, By Grant Stoner
Published On 4/28/2022
Axpona Chicago… a whirlwind of sights and of course sounds. Held at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center April 22-24. The event definitely was a hit even if you judged by the number of attendees alone.
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Broken, by Leslie Lundin & Anthony Chipelo
Published On 3/28/2022
Broken

Leslie:

I’m standing in a room in my house looking at shelves full of memories and emotions. I go into the room every month or so and with the hope that I can engage with them again.
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March 2022 Muse Intro: by Grant Stoner, In The Home of Michael Fremer
Published On 2/21/2022
From The Mind of Grant Stoner
In The Home of Michael Fremer

“Obsession…you’re my obsession, who do you want me to be to make you sleep with me.” Animotion anyone?
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From The Mind of Gregory Morgan
Published On 10/30/2021
As some of you may know, I had to move in the middle of our glorious COVID-19 disease pandemic. As much of a hassle as moving is in general it was made worse by the supply chain problems which prohibited me from getting a number of things that I needed for my new place.
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SFAF Museum Survey and Additional Information
Published On 10/30/2021
Dear SFAS members,

We recently sent out a survey to gather your input regarding the San Francisco Audiophile Foundation’s proposed Hi-Fi museum and the number of responses was somewhat underwhelming.
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October Muse Intro
Published On 9/27/2021
Obsession: an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person’s mind.

Sound familiar?

Yeah, we’ve all been there, can’t get something out of our heads,
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September 2021 SFAS Director’s Viewpoint by Grant Stoner
Published On 8/26/2021
Live Music, remember that? We were just starting to go to shows, and now it seems everything may shut down again.
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August 2021: Digital Now Wins Out Over Vinyl, by David Hicks
Published On 8/1/2021
Am I talking about sound quality? No. Although, I know some people may prefer the sound of digital files over vinyl’s sometimes associated pops and clicks and other surface noise.
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Grant Stoner Musings
Published On 3/26/2020
Well there’s nothing good about the Corona virus, so let’s make something up to cheer us up a bit. The one good thing for audiophiles is it’s “forcing us” to stay home and listen to music. It’s a good time to organize your record collections as well. I’ve been doing a lot of both.
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Music Is Love
Published On 3/5/2020
Jim discusses the benefits of music
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Introduction of Gregory Morgan
Published On 2/24/2020
Muse Intro Introduction of Gregory Morgan
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Some Musings on Power, by Larry Deniston
Published On 2/8/2020
Larry talks about the importance of clean power to your system.
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Muse Industry News

Discogs Makes History with 750 Million Records In Global Collection
Published On 3/21/2024
The Discogs Collector Community just surpassed a new milestone in music collecting. Across a variety of formats, genres, and countries, the global Discogs community, utilizing the Discogs Collection Tool, hit 750 million releases cataloged. In 2021, the global Discogs community reached 500 million records in their collection, equating to 50% growth in just three years.
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Zesto Announces New Phono Stage: The Andros Spirit
Published On 1/30/2024
State of the Art Tube Designs for Music Lovers!
Andros Spirit Phonostage
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Teac - Esoteric Merger
Published On 12/29/2023
“Esoteric Company will merge with its parent company TEAC Corporation in April 2024. The benefits that this merger will bring to the Esoteric brand include the ability to further enhance its technological development capabilities by sharing the parent company’s extensive development and production resources in Tokyo, Japan, and to develop ever more innovative, truly unique products with high musicality.
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These Solid-State Drivers Bring the Future of Portable Sound to Your Headphones
Published On 11/28/2023
New xMEMS’ driver technology is poised to shakeup the world of dynamic drivers for IEMs.
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MoFi Begins to Settle Class Action Lawsuits
Published On 6/29/2023
Is it surprising, or just disappointing, that we have not read about this in the Stereophile or TAS? (full disclosure, I subscribe to both). Comments I've received from members state the obvious; if you are receiving substantial advertising revenue from the accused, you'd do best not to fan the flames of the lawsuit against them.
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Apple Classical, Not Ready For Prime Time?
Published On 4/30/2023
Last month we alerted you to Apples new high resolution Classical Music streaming platform with the largest catalog of Classical Music.
This month we're directing you to a review by Anthony Kershaw in which he states: Apple Music Classical—not ready for audiophile primetime.
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Apple Classical in Hi-Resolution
Published On 3/26/2023
Apple Announces the world's largest classical music library now available in hi-resolution.
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100 YEARS AGO in Audio History
Published On 2/19/2023
From Paul McGowan's PS Audio website we are alerted that "One hundred years ago, three seminal events of 1923 changed the world forever: The first commercial radio station in the United States, KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was launched while in that same year, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) began its radio programs. On the recording side, 1923 saw the Victor Talking Machine Company’s introduction of the first electrical recording process using microphones and amplifiers, setting the stage for every technological advance we have today."
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Streamers Use Playlists to Control the Music Industry (UPDATED)
Published On 2/3/2023
The recorded music market is regaining its former hourglass shape—this time with platforms like Spotify at the center.
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Streamers Use Playlists to Control the Music Industry
Published On 1/27/2023
Streaming and the Music Industry
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The Live Music Industry Is Broken
Published On 11/29/2022
The latest info re the live music industry.
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Mo-Fi Class Action!
Published On 10/23/2022
I'm not sure if there is any truth to the rumor that Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab commonly referred to as MoFi, is planning a One-Step release of Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire by the Castaways. Pretty sure I just made that up.
Great idea though, and maybe they could give away a copy to everyone who signs up for the class action lawsuit against them?
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The Science of Audiophilia
Published On 5/21/2022
I’ve recently read a few articles that offer explanations of why music evokes such powerful emotional and physiological responses. I thought I would share my take-aways with you.
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The Return of Audio Shows
Published On 5/16/2021
Show coordinators are starting to schedule events for this year in a modified post COVID environment. The following shows are being scheduled. Check the websites to confirm whether any change of dates occurs.
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ASC Acoustic Tip of the Week: Room Boundary Materials
Published On 2/5/2020
Art discusses acoustic boundary materials
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What does “high resolution audio” mean?
Published On 9/30/2019
Industry's take on high resolution digital files
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Thousands of Master Recordings Lost in 2008 Fire
Published On 6/22/2019
Terrible loss of masters of albums
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Vinyl Outsells Digital Downloads: Washington Post
Published On 12/8/2016
This article talks about the resurgence of vinyl in the music sales market.
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Muse New Toys

Lory Hawley Wraps Her Ears Around the Stax SR-L500MK2 Headphones
Published On 3/22/2024
Lory Hawley reviews the SR-L500MK2 electrostatic headphones for the magazine Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity
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Information Obscura
Published On 3/17/2024
Don't try this at home.

In 1790, Alessandro Volta (For whome the Volt was named) stuck one end of a electrical circuit into each ear and experienced "a boom within the head," followed by a sound similar to that of boiling thick soup." Given this shocking experience, he never repeated the expiriment, but his observations provided the first evidence that our perception of sound is mediated, in part, by electrical events in our head.

From the book, Coming To Our Senses, by Susan R. Barry
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New Toy Furniture?
Published On 2/20/2024
Can a piece of furniture qualify as a new toy? I think so. Especially if it improves the sound of your audio system, or in my case, improves the sound by letting me walk around the room when I am playing a record.
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Bowers and Wilkins Px8 Headphones
Published On 1/30/2024
The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Royal Burgundy wireless headphones are simply gorgeous. Usually, when given a choice of colors for audio gear, I choose black. Especially for headphones. I want what I wear to disappear; I’m not interested in accessorizing my outfits with audio bling. So, when I was offered an opportunity to audition the new Px8 in burgundy Nappa leather and diamond cut, gold-toned aluminum, I didn’t expect to be wowed.
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HIFIMAN Arya Organic Open-back, Planar-magnetic Headphone Review
Published On 11/27/2023
HIFIMAN, known for its exceptional headphones, IEMs, headphone amplifiers, and portable players, is also known for its path of refinement that continually evolves its products. One of those headphones to recently receive an update is the Arya line of open-back, planar magnetic driver headphones, which are part of their Reference line.
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The Edifier WH950NB Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones
Published On 8/24/2023
Review of noise cancelling headphones
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Kevin's new ViV Rigid Float tonearm
Published On 6/29/2023
Here we go. I bought a new Tonearm for the turntable. Now I have a new toy to talk about. I had to solve a weak link in my system, and I had some money to spend. I wanted something good. But, sometimes I want something weird but good.

I have a Well Tempered turntable and arm and it’s weird and good.
I was tempted to buy another Well Tempered tonearm, but since I already have one, why buy another one. I am upgrading my Jelco 850 L on my Dr. Feickert Venti turntable.
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My new inexpensive Fiber/Ethernet Bridge
Published On 5/29/2023
I first started using and recommending to our music server customers putting in a "Fiber Bridge" (Ethernet > Fiber > Ethernet) in 2005 when I was working with VRS Audio Solutions, So I am well aware of the sonic benefits of isolating the noise that is carried on ethernet. The last one I put in my system was about 5 years ago and I used the cheapest switch/media boxes and fiber I could find ( think it cost me $60). I added a cheap LPS to the switch on the clean side of the network, which did make a small difference at the time. I also use high quality Cat8 cables with Telegartner plugs on every run from my cable router.
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New Toy: Furutech GTX-D NCF (R) Wall Outlet
Published On 7/25/2022
New Toy: Furutech GTX-D NCF (R) Wall Outlet
By: Larry Deniston
As I and many others with more gravitas than I have written, getting good, clean power to your gear can pay big dividends in improving the sound quality of your system. While I had a couple of “decent” wall outlets for my amps and front-end gear, I decided to go ahead and get what could be the best outlets available.
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Iconoclast Introduction and Cable Comparison
Published On 12/30/2020
Review of Iconoclast speaker cables
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Smyth Research Realiser A16, Product Review
Published On 9/23/2020
Evaluation of the Smyth Realiser
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Balanced Transformers for Power Conditioning
Published On 3/29/2020
Review of balanced power transformers
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Audioquest Niagra 1200 by Kevin Olson
Published On 12/1/2019
Kevin reviews his latest power conditioner,
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Pro-Ject Tube Box S2 Phono Preamp, by Grant Stoner
Published On 11/24/2019
New Phono Stage review
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Pass Labs XP-17
Published On 10/2/2019
Kevin reviews his new phono stage
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Copper Weights for Headshells
Published On 9/20/2018
Joe talks about the advantages of proper mass for tonearm/cartridge matching.
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Review: Shelter 501 II mono moving coil cartridge
Published On 12/1/2016
Larry talks about the Shelter cartridge and the challenges and benefits of using a mono cartridge.
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Hardware Review: The USB Disruptor
Published On 8/15/2016
Alon reviews this piece of gear that helps clean up the noise on a USB cable.
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David’s New Toy(s) – ACA Amp Camp 1.8 Class A Amplifiers
Published On 3/23/2022
You may have read the title of this New Toys blurb and thought to yourself, Amp Camp. Sounds like DIY.
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Gregory Goes Shunyata Research Window Shopping at Home
Published On 2/25/2022
I have long been impressed with the power distribution products from Shunyata Research that I have heard in others’ systems and the ones I own. One of the things that has always impressed me about Shunyata Research is that their entry level products have a serious level of trickle down from their high end products.
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Active Crossovers – Following the Linkwitz path, by Larry Deniston
Published On 1/27/2022
As I indicated in my write-up about the Spatial Audio M5 Sapphire speakers, I was very impressed with the Linkwitz open baffle speaker design, but was looking for a simpler solution.
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Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 T CD Transport, by Larry Deniston
Published On 10/21/2021
For those of you who still have their CD collection and want to get the most out of your Redbook CDs, the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 T (https://pro-jectusa.com/product/cd-box-rs2t/) is a great sounding transport for you to consider.
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LSA Voyager GaN 350 Stereo Amplifier Review, by Larry Deniston
Published On 9/27/2021
The Living Sounds Audio (LSA) Voyager GaN 350 is a class D stereo amplifier with Gallium Nitride (GaN) FET output transistors. It’s rated at 350 watts into 8 ohms, 500 watts into 4 ohms and “2 ohms stable” (not sure exactly what that means?).
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High Fidelity Nano Particle Solution NPS-1260 Contact Enhancer
Published On 9/23/2021
The Secret Sauce? A review of High Fidelity NanoParticle Solution NPS-1260 Contact Enhancer, By David Holzman

I have been a happy user of High Fidelity Cables and power cords since they first came to visit our club 4 years or so ago.
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Jay Valancy’s unbeatably priced Cambridge Audio EVO 75 All-In-One Player
Published On 8/10/2021
As the years go by, I have become more and more attracted to my personally modified version of Occam’s Razor: the simplest way is the best way.
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ZEN Stream from iFi Audio, by David Snyder
Published On 6/30/2021
David Snyder blogs about his latest price-friendly streamer!
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The Iconoclast SPTPC Speaker Cable Review by Alón
Published On 5/16/2021
You Don’t Know What You’ve Been Missing Until You Hear It

If you’ve been an audiophile for, say, at least a week, you’ve no-doubt read many reports from reviewers about their experience of being shocked,
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New Toy – Spiral Groove SG 2.2 by Larry Deniston
Published On 1/6/2021
Well, doing as I do, several months ago while enjoying listening to my system, I was also thinking about the next upgrade. Where’s the weak link in the current system?
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New Toy, Spatial Audio M5 Sapphire, by Larry Deniston
Published On 7/25/2020
Spatial M5 Sapphire Speakers

In looking for the next improvement in my system, I started thinking about speaker upgrades and thinking about open baffle designs. I’d heard the Linkwitz open baffle speakers at Kevin’s, Don’s and Linkwitz’ homes and always was very impressed.
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New Toy – UpTone Audio’s EtherREGEN, by Albert Dall
Published On 6/28/2020
Hello SFAS Board and club members! I hope you all are staying safe and sane during these crazy COVID times. Happily, the club has adapted to be as active as ever with weekly Happy Hour Zoom meetings...
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David Hicks’ New Toy – An Awesome DIY Turntable
Published On 6/8/2020
A DIY (with a lot of help) Turntable

I don’t post new toy write-ups very often, if ever, up until now, so I’m going to throw a whole bunch of new toys into this one post.
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New Toy, Soundsmith Sussurro and Blu-Tack, by Kevin Olson
Published On 4/3/2020
Greetings. Sorry we are all stuck at home. With all our music and time to listen! Wow!

Just before things changed I bought a new phono cartridge. I might have an addiction.
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New Toy – Boulder 1008, by Larry Deniston
Published On 3/29/2020
My relatively new toy is a Boulder 1008 phono preamp. It’s a solid state unit with two balanced inputs and two balanced outputs. I’ve installed an XLR junction box on my turntable to facilitate the use of balanced interconnects from the turntable to the phono preamp.
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New Toy: Tripp Lite IS1000HG
Published On 3/2/2020
In a search for clean power for my system, I remembered a suggestion from Vince Galbo of MSB Technologies during a wide-ranging discussion about the MSB Analog DAC and the importance of clean power.  Vince had recommended the Tripp Lite IS500HG, which is a 500 watt, hospital grade isolation transformer.  I opted for the IS1000HG which is the 1000 watt version of the Tripp Lite as I was plugging everything except the subwoofer into the isolation transformer and more is better, right?
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Muse Tech Talk

Improving the connector/plug chain in the signal path
Published On 12/28/2023
Ways to improve the connector/plug chain in the signal path.
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Can soldering improve existing budget products?
Published On 11/27/2023
Definitely an easy weekend DIY project that can be completed in less than few hours.
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Potato Baking for Roon - Make Your Own Endpoint
Published On 5/28/2023
David Snyder presents a new way for you to inexpensively add another Roon endpoint in your system- or maybe your first Roon Endpoint- in this well thought out and easy to follow YouTube tutorial.
Your total investment, not counting your labor, should be around a Ulysses, but your enjoyment will be priceless.
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ChatGPT Compares the difference in Sound Between Two DAC Architectures
Published On 3/31/2023
I asked my local ChatGPT to describe the difference in sound between a R-2R Ladder DAC and a Transistor DAC. What follows is the answer I received.
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Who Knew That Bing knows Larry Deniston
Published On 2/23/2023
In sorting out the search feature for our SFAF website, I had the occasion to give the new Bing Search engine a go.

Using Bing to search for "Larry Deniston articles San Francisco Audiophile Foundation" returned seven articles that Larry had authored. The same search in Google returned one result relating to a survey Larry had sent out.
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One Reason Streaming Doesn’t Sound As Good As The Source Material
Published On 2/5/2023
Streaming vs. source material
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Bass is Always a Problem
Published On 1/27/2023
Norm discusses low frequency challenges in listening rooms.
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Work of Art Preamp
Published On 10/28/2022
Just when you think you've seen it all.
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Do You Know the Definition of Assume?
Published On 10/7/2022
A very interesting story in tracking down an issue in a HiFi system.
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What's the difference between mixing and mastering?
Published On 9/26/2022
Cookie talks about the differences between mixing and mastering and how the process affects the sound quality of the product.
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Vince Galbo of MSB Technology - How to Get a Perfect 10 For The Power to Your Stereo
Published On 7/22/2022
This article describes how to best improve the power quality supplied to your listening room by installing large gauge wire with best practices for the installation.
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The Use of Ferrites, Power Quality and It's Affect on Sound Quality
Published On 6/29/2021
I think my obsession with clean power started with me noticing diurnal variation in sound quality, a fairly well recognized effect: things sound better at night when fewer people and businesses are drawing and corrupting PG&Es 60Hz feed.  I acquired a PS Audio P3 regenerator which largely removed the diurnal variations.
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MQA Data Falsification Highlighted and Lossless Claims Retracted
Published On 5/30/2021
The audio industry is filled with people who will tell you what you should like based upon what they know sounds best. In general, there may not be anything wrong with this. After all, isn’t that, aside from the entertainment value, why we read audiophile magazines?
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MSB Factory Tour
Published On 8/1/2020
After SFAS received a generous donation of HiFi equipment which included an older MSB DAC that needed repair, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit the MSB Technology factory while dropping off the DAC.
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Understanding, Finding and Eliminating Ground Loops
Published On 5/27/2019
Solving ground loop problems
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Speaker Re-Coning 101 (901)
Published On 3/24/2019
Grant shows how to re-cone speaker drivers on Bose 901s
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DIY Pass Labs Pearl II+
Published On 5/10/2022
PEARL II+ Phono Stage by Ori
The original Pearl2 was designed by Wayne Colburn and is still offered as a partial kit from PassDIY.
The Pearl2+ is a culmination of several hot-rod modifications to the Pearl2 kit. I chose to name it 2+ and not 3 out of respect to Wayne, which may one day release the next version and obviously would want to name it version 3. Since it was offered to resourceful experimenters, why not polish up that gem with a few simple modifications that are well within the grasp and budget of the average vinyl lover.
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Muse Past Event Writeups

March Vinyl Garage Sale
Published On 3/18/2024
On March 16th the Audiophile Foundation held its Vinyl Garage Sale. This was a shared event with the California Historical Radio Society (CHRS) at their facility in Alameda California.
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Room Calibration by Manny LaCarrubba
Published On 1/26/2024
On November 18, 2023 Manny LaCarrubba gave a presentation Audio System Calibration. The process of Audio System Calibration that Manny uses is Digital Signal Processing (DSP) to adjust the acoustics of the room in order fix acoustic room problems. According to Manny, a system is not done until it has been calibrated for the room in which it is playing.
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30th anniversary LAOCAS awards banquet
Published On 12/27/2023
SFAF member Oliver Barrett attends the December 3rd, 2023 awards ceremony and recounts events from the banquet.
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RAM School Living Room Series - Binaural Event
Published On 9/30/2023
Description of this listening event
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2023 Sept Member Celebration Party
Published On 9/26/2023
Party in Orinda celebrating the Audiophile Foundation Members
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David Hyman Event Write-up
Published On 8/29/2023
Write-up of the in-person event at David Hyman's home and description of the equipment
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Gordon Hempton, The Art of Listening Zoom Event ​
Published On 8/27/2023
Gordon talked about the audio recordings he made in different locations around the world and played some of those remarkable recordings. Members can check out Gordon's excellent presentation at the following link: View Video
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Andrew Jones/SourcePoint 10 Event Write-UP
Published On 1/31/2023
On January 21, San Francisco Audiophile Foundation members were treated to an in-depth presentation and demo of the new Mobile Fidelity SourcePoint 10 loudspeakers at the home of Leslie Lundin.
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SFAF RAM School-Basic Lab Techniques
Published On 12/11/2022
LOTS OF FUN ON A RAINY DAY, by Ori Mizrahi

Saturday 12/3 was one long cloudy and rainy day. On a day like that you don’t have many choices. You can sit at home and watch the US soccer team knocked out of the World Cup by Holland. Or get on some audio forum where you are sure to get a headache trying to figure out what’s real and who’s a big zero with a very active keyboard… You can watch the Trump Diaries, but that’s a bigger headache yet… Or you could have taken the chance and joined our SFAF class in San Jose.
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SFAF Capacitor Listening Session
Published On 12/11/2022
SANTA ARRIVES, by Ori Mizrahi
It’s the beginning of December, a month of jolly holidays and miracles, and sure enough we had some of that too. Along came our Santa on a long drive from Danville with his 10 years old son. Jeff brought many presents (no, he’s not Greek! – nothing against Greeks of course…) with him.
First and foremost, a few of the caps we tried in the afternoon session were from Jeff’s personal stash, and that by itself would have been a great contribution to the event. But then he lugged with him in the pouring rain a bulky custom tube amp with VHAudio silver/Teflon and copper/Teflon caps and a pair of Legacy Audio very heavy monitors. I would not want to move these so-called monitors too often!
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Listening Session at Phil's House
Published On 11/27/2022
Listening Session at Phil's House
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Arizona Audio Video Club Speaker Palooza
Published On 9/30/2022
See the results of the attendees preferences after listening to 16 different bookshelf speakers.
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Interconnect Shoot Out Event
Published On 9/26/2022
A balanced cable “Shoot Out” was held at my home in Healdsburg, CA on September 17th and again on the 18th, 2022. There was a full house of about 15 people each day.
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GaNfet Follow Up to the Curl Event
Published On 9/26/2022
During the recent educational event about equipment measurements by John Curl (Curl YouTube Event), one of the questions asked of John had to do with the use of Gallium Nitride (GaN) fets in amplifiers. The following information provides some additional information regarding the availability and use of GaNfets.
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Open House with Spatial
Published On 8/23/2022
The fieldtrip to Spatial Inc. was my first gathering with the folks of SFAF. I was thrilled that the event chosen was with a company that has taken the experience of audio into a new dimension.

Based in Emeryville, across the street from the gates of Pixar are the studio spaces of Spatial Inc.
We met with four of the Spatial team; Michael Plitkins, the founding engineer (and Star Wars geek), Darrell Rodriquez, chief operating officer, Ken Felton and Kristin Miltner.
The collective background of these folks is impressive; Apple, Nest, Tellme and Netscape are just a few of the companies these engineers had either done high level work for, or founded.
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How I Conquered DIY
Published On 7/26/2022
This in-person event was held on 7/24/2022. In the short tradition of learn-and-listen, Tony Chipelo conceived a light-weight but very interesting event focused on DIY (or Do-It-Yourself) fans, or future fans. You have to admit it, that there is something very attractive in DIY at all levels. Taking a small pile of parts and making a working musical gear is like creating a living thing. There is that pride of “I did it” and the excitement of experiencing a newborn baby for the first time. This is not gear anymore, it’s a living thing!
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SFAF Phono Stage ShootOut In-Person Event
Published On 5/24/2022
We had six different phono preamplifiers and to cover enough audio and musical tastes we listened to six short tracks on each. Time was the essence and therefore the main instrument in the system was the large atomic LCD clock.
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Don Naples Reveal of the Linkwitz LX521 Reference Speakers
Published On 11/29/2021
On November 6th, Don Naples hosted an SFAS listening event at his home in Healdsburg. Not long ago, but before the Delta variant, Don had hosted a phono stage event at his home. The event’s focus this time was a showcase of the latest iteration of the Linkwitz LX521 speakers that are now being built in Germany.
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Single Driver Speaker Event in San Jose, 10/9/21
Published On 10/25/2021
On Saturday October 9th, 2021, 19 SFAS members got together for a single driver (and open baffle) speaker listening session in San Jose. Mathew from J&J Audio Solutions provided the commercial equipment.
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Cartridge Setup and Phono Stage Shoot Out, June 19, 2021, by Larry Deniston
Published On 6/30/2021
Don Naples was kind enough to host the second post-COVID in-person SFAS event at his beautiful home in Healdsburg on June 19, 2021. We had about a dozen members invited by Don who were able to observe a cartridge setup demonstration by J.R.
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South Bay Open House at Phil’s – June 12, 2021
Published On 6/29/2021
Please find below the note from Phil to the 25 SFAS members who were lucky enough to spend an afternoon listening to his system and enjoying his hospitality:
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SFAS Presents Frank Doris – Editor of PS Audio’s Copper Magazine – June 27, 2021
Published On 6/27/2021
Frank Doris has had a storied career across many facets of the audio world.

Here is a brief intro from Frank: “I’ve been an audiophile since I was a teenager and always interested in sound, although I couldn’t afford any good gear until after college.
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George and Carolyn Counnas of Zesto Audio
Published On 5/16/2021
George (President and design engineer) and Carolyn Counnas (Executive Vice President) of Zesto Audio took SFAS through the design considerations for Zesto Audio products by category.
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Richard Schram of Parasound!
Published On 4/18/2021
Richard Schram returned for another great SFAS presentation to discuss his path from studying music to hi-fi salesman and store manager to Parasound. He also discussed current Parasound equipment and prospects for new equipment that we might being seeing in the future.
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Richie Unterberger hosts the Vinyl Discussion Forum – April 14, 2021
Published On 4/14/2021
Famed rock historian Richie Unterberger was back and brought SFAS a media presentation on A General History of EPs, concentrating on their heyday in the UK in the mid-’60s!
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John Curl & David Gans – April 3, 2021
Published On 4/3/2021
John Curl and David Gans returned for a very special SFAS Zoom program with a discussion of all things Grateful Dead, John’s extensive experience working with the Grateful Dead sound system
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Legacy Speakers with Bill Dudleston & Brice Auxier Presentation – March 20, 2021
Published On 3/20/2021
Bill Dudleston, President and owner of Legacy Audio, joined SFAS along with Victoria Dudleston, Marketing/Project Manager, and Brice Auxier, Sales Technologist. Topics covered included the company’s philosophy and design principles,
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James Romeyn & Duke LeJeune of AudioKinesis Swarm the SFAS – March 6, 2021
Published On 3/6/2021
Duke LeJeune and James Romeyn joined SFAS to discuss the Swarm Subwoofer System, speaker design goals, and other things on their minds.
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Richie Unterberger Discusses The Doors – February 20, 2021
Published On 2/20/2021
At this event Richie spent his time with SFAS talking about musical group The Doors. Richie recently finished teaching an eight-week course on the group including details on the production of their studio recordings.
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Andrew Jones Returns to SFAS on Zoom!
Published On 2/6/2021
Andrew Jones, the man who can design cost no object speakers as well as speakers that sound so good for so little money you’ll want to buy them by the dozen!
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Galen Gareis, Engineer and Designer of Iconoclast Cables – January 23, 2021
Published On 1/23/2021
SFAS enjoyed an interesting afternoon with Galen Gareis as Galen talked about his perspectives on the design of Iconoclast cables. Focusing mainly on speaker cables
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Peter Ledermann, President and Chief Engineer of Soundsmith – January 9, 2021
Published On 1/9/2021
Audio and Computer Industry veteran Peter Ledermann, along with John Toney, Soundsmith’s Director of International Sales and Marketing, fielded questions from members of the San Francisco Audiophile Society.
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John E. Johnson, Jr. – Editor-In-Chief of “Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity” – 12/19/2020
Published On 12/19/2020
In this meeting John E. Johnson, Jr. answered questions from San Francisco Audiophile Society members and conducted a tour of his elaborate music and video system.
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EveAnna Manley of Manley Laboratories – December 5, 2020
Published On 12/5/2020
In a first for the San Francisco Audiophile Society, EveAnna Manley led a video tour of the Manley Labs factory in Chino, CA (“Chino, not China”
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Fremer, Serinus and Reichert – Stereophile Writer Trifecta!
Published On 11/22/2020
The San Francisco Audiophile Society was excited to host Michael Fremer, Jason Victor Serinus, and Herb Reichert together, three of the biggest voices in the Audiophile Kingdom,
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Steve Guttenberg of the Audiophiliac Daily Show on YouTube
Published On 11/7/2020
Steve Guttenberg of the Audiophiliac Daily Show on YouTube visited the SFAS and brought his uniquely New York viewpoints to discuss all things Audiophiliac with our mainly West Coast membership.
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Merrill Wettasinghe of Merrill Audio – October 24, 2020
Published On 10/24/2020
The San Francisco Audiophile Society enjoyed hosting Merrill Wettasinghe, Principal and Founder of Merrill Audio. Merrill Audio is known for their award winning amps, preamps and phonostages.
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David Solomon of Qobuz – October 10, 2020
Published On 10/10/2020
The San Francisco Audiophile Society enjoyed hosting David Solomon, “Chief Hi-Res Musical Evangelist” for Qobuz. He spoke about bringing Qobuz to the US market and making streaming an option for audiophiles.
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Caelin Gabriel, President of Shunyata Industries, September 26, 2020
Published On 9/26/2020
Virtual meeting with Caelin Gabriel, President of Shunyata Research. Caelin and Shunyata are recognized as a leading cable and power product manufacturer in the audiophile industry.
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Mat Weisfeld, President of VPI, September 12, 2020
Published On 9/12/2020
View the afternoon with Mat Weisfeld, President of VPI. VPI has been making high value and highly rated turntables, tonearms and record cleaners in the US for over 40 years.
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System Sunday at Rocco’s
Published On 8/30/2020
For you, the lucky attendees of our most recent System Sunday in San Rafael, it was a very special day indeed. Here’s a note from Rocco,
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Clayton Shaw of Spatial Audio – August 15, 2020
Published On 8/15/2020
Clayton designs and builds his speakers in Salt Lake City, Utah and his current speaker line includes M5 Sapphire, M3 Sapphire, X5 and X3 (https://www.spatialaudio.us/).
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Jason Victor Serinus – August 1, 2020
Published On 8/1/2020
World Famous Stereophile writer/equipment reviewer, whistler extraordinaire, opera critic, author of dozens of other print and online publications. Probably most famous (locally) for his past role as head of the Bay Area Audiophile Society (BAAS).
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South Bay System Hop, June 29, 2019
Published On 7/28/2020
First of all, a splendid time was had by the host, which was extremely important.
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Herb Reichert - July 26, 2020
Published On 7/26/2020
On Sunday July 19, 2020 members were treated to an afternoon with Herb Reichert, Stereophile columnist and equipment evaluator.
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Alex Crespi of UpTone Audio - July 25, 2020
Published On 7/25/2020
On July 11, 2020 SFAS members enjoyed a Zoom meeting with Alex Crespi, founder and president of UpTone Audio. Alex primarily talked about his latest product,
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Nelson Pass - June 20, 2020
Published On 6/20/2020
On Saturday, June 20, SFAS members were treated to an afternoon with the one and only Nelson Pass. Nelson talked about his career,
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Rick Schultz of High Fidelity Cables - Jun 08, 2020
Published On 6/8/2020
We had a great virtual event by Rick Schultz of High Fidelity Cables. Please find a link to the event below:
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Michael Fremer and Malachai Lui- May 31, 2020
Published On 5/31/2020
On Saturday May 2, 2020 SFAS members were treated to a virtual event with Michael Fremer and Malachai Lui. Michael and Malachai took turns reviewing some of their favorite albums and albums of interest.
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April 2020 David Snyder Virtually On Streaming
Published On 5/1/2020
On April 18 SFAS’s virtual event, hosted by David Snyder, was in three parts. For those who have not yet added dedicated network audio transports to their systems or who would like to add more, David demonstrated how to easily make one from ~$50 worth of parts...
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Streaming – A Personal View, by Jim Forte
Published On 3/28/2020
Audio Streaming is taking the world by storm. This will be much bigger than the move from vinyl to CDs.
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Music Streaming De-Mystified – David Snyder
Published On 2/24/2020
On February 22, 2020 at The Shops at Hilltop, David Snyder tackled the many questions and concerns regarding music streaming. The conference room was nearly filled to capacity with over 60 members and friends of SFAS with many new faces and esteemed colleagues from the Sierra Nevada Audiophile Society.
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ELAC’s Andrew Jones Event – January 18, 2020
Published On 1/26/2020
SFAS members were treated to another entertaining and educational event at The Shops at Hilltop in Richmond. ELAC’s VP of engineering, Andrew Jones, speaker designer extraordinaire and truly engaging presenter, gave us his personal insights into the design and development of the Navis active speakers.
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Richie Unterberger Presents Early Pink Floyd
Published On 11/24/2019
On November 2, 2019, Richie Unterberger, rock historian, author and music reviewer, returned to The Shops at Hilltop in Richmond for a review of the music and the band members of early Pink Floyd.
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Michael Fremer Event, September, 2019
Published On 10/23/2019
On September 28, Michael Fremer once again joined SFAS for a program that celebrated the musical fun and endless lore relating to great and no-so-great vinyl.
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SFAS 5-Year Celebration! Aug 30, 2019
Published On 8/30/2019
It’s still hard for me to believe we just celebrated five years as SFAS. If the adage is true and time really flies when you’re having fun.
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Headphone Event Aug 30, 2019
Published On 8/30/2019
SFAS members attending this fun and informative event were able to listen at 10 different headphone stations, which included the following...
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Dutch & Dutch Powered Speaker Event
Published On 7/13/2019
The Dutch & Dutch 8c all-in-one speaker event held July 13, 2019, was latest of the SFAS monthly events and, to my knowledge is the first powered speaker event that SFAS has hosted.
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Roger Modjeski Event
Published On 6/27/2019
On Sunday, June 23, 2019 SFAS members and guests were treated to an interesting and entertaining event with legendary amplifier designer Roger Modjeski. We were also lucky enough to have in attendance John Curl (another legendary amplifier designer), Allen Perkins of Spiral Groove turntable fame and speaker designer Fritz Heiler of Fritz Speakers.
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System Sunday Event at Fred’s
Published On 6/26/2019
SFAS held it’s first System Sunday event June 9, 2019. Our host, Fred von Lohmann, provides his impressions below. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you’re interested in hosting a System Sunday at your home (query@sfaudiophilesociety.com).
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System Optimization – Stirling Trayle, March 23, 2019, by Larry Deniston
Published On 3/29/2019
During one of the regular SFAS board member discussions regarding ideas for events our members might enjoy, Kevin Olson suggested we consider having Stirling Trayle of Audio Systems Optimized come and talk to us. Kevin had such a positive experience with Stirling’s services, we felt it was worth a try.
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Mastering Engineer – Piper Payne, February 23, 2019, by Larry Deniston
Published On 3/28/2019
While the event headlined Piper Payne, Mastering Engineer, we were lucky to have Allen Perkins of Spiral Groove turntables and Joe Markert, CEO and founder of FunctionOne, to make significant contributions as well.
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Phono Stage Shoot Out – January 26, 2019, by Larry Deniston
Published On 1/29/2019
They said, “a shoot out with 10 phono stages? They must be crazy! Who would so such a thing?” Well, we did and by all accounts, it went well. (Actually, we did a similar shoot out with 11 phono stages in June 2015.
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End of Year Party – 2018
Published On 12/23/2018
Time to celebrate a successful year.
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November, 2018 SFAS Event – Parasound Event with Richard Schram and John Curl
Published On 11/29/2018
After last years’ fun and informative Parasound event with Richard Schram and John Curl, we followed up with another enjoyable event with the dynamic duo this year.
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October, 2018 SFAS Event – David Gans Interviews John Curl
Published On 10/27/2018
Once again SFAS members were treated to the type of event that is only made available through the San Francisco Audiophile Society. Two industry greats, David Gans(1) and John Curl(2) came together to share their experience and knowledge of the Grateful Dead and many things rock and roll and Hi Fi with Gans leading the way down memory lane.
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September, 2018 SFAS Event – SweetVinyl and Kirmuss Presentations
Published On 9/30/2018
The September 2018 SFAS event turned into a doubleheader, with presentations and demonstrations by Leo Hoarty and Dan Eakins of SweetVinyl, makers of the SugarCube SC-1 and SC-2 record surface noise reduction systems. Plus, Charles Kirmuss of Kirmuss audio described the science behind and demonstrated his “In The Groove” ultrasonic record restoration system.
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June, 2018 SFAS Event – Richie Unterberberger Discusses David Bowie
Published On 9/26/2018
Our most recent event at the Shops at Hilltop was an interesting and informative presentation on the early works of David Bowie by Richie Unterberger and Alec Palao.
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April, 2018 SFAS Event – Michael Fremer
Published On 9/25/2018
On Saturday April 28, 2018 the SFAS membership had the pleasure of another informative and entertaining presentation by Michael Fremer at our new conference room at The Shops at Hilltop. Presenters include Allen Perkins, Roger Modjeski, Richard Schram and John Curl.
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March, 2018 SFAS – An Afternoon with Roger Modjeski
Published On 9/25/2018
The SFAS event for March was held at The Shops at Hilltop in Richmond featuring Roger Modjeski. This was the first event at held at Hilltop which fulfills the needs of having events dispersed around the Bay Area plus relieving some of the pressure on Leslie’s audiophile garage
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August, 2018 SFAS Event – Critical Mass Systems Racks and Footers
Published On 9/25/2018
SFAS Members were once again treated to a very interesting and informative event at Joe Hakim’s beautiful home in Soquel. This time the presentation covered the Critical Mass Systems (CMS) MAXXUM equipment rack and CMS 0.8, 1.0 and 1.5 Center Stage2 footers by the founder and president of CMS, Joe Lavrencik.
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Audiology and The Audiophile’s Hearing
Published On 2/27/2018
On February 10 this year SFAS members participated in another sold out event at Leslie’s Audiophile Garage in Orinda. Attendees were treated to a very special experience with audiologist Peter Marincovich, PhD., CC-A and his associates Joseph Hardeman, AuD.; and Daniel Park, AuD., extern.
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The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 DTS-X Soundbar System event
Published On 2/4/2018
Nakamichi presented a soundbar shootout at Leslie’s Audio Garage Emporium.
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MAGICO MYSTERY TOUR VISIT, The Sequel. A write up, by Albert Dall
Published On 1/2/2018
This article is to give a recap and impressions of the club tour of the Magico factory that happened on Saturday, December 2, 2017. I was not able to attend the tour from two years ago, so I was pretty excited to see and hear what all the hubbub was about.
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PS AUDIO event write up by Larry Deniston
Published On 10/29/2017
SFAS members who attended the PS Audio event in Soquel were treated to a lively and enlightening discussion with PS Audio’s founder Paul McGowan and regional sales manager Kevin Jackson.
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PARASOUND- Richard Schram & John Curl
Published On 10/27/2017
SFAS members were treated to an interesting, enjoyable, and candid visit with Parasound founder Richard Schram and renowned circuit designer John Curl. Phil Jackson of Parasound also joined the event and presented the new Parasound phono stage, the JC 3 Jr.
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Excellent Dolby Lab’s Write Up, by Larry Deniston
Published On 9/5/2017
On Thursday afternoon August 10 some lucky SFAS members had the pleasure of being treated to a tour of Dolby Labs in San Francisco.
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Wine, Music, & Your Brain Event- write up by Albert Dall
Published On 8/5/2017
In this article I want to revisit the Mother’s Day Weekend event held at Leslie’s house.

Clark Smith, creator and proprietor of WineSmith, conducted a presentation and wine tasting for SFAS. Clark has been working in the wine making business since 1972.
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Event Report: Michael Fremer at SFAS
Published On 4/26/2017
SFAS had the honor and pleasure of having Michael Fremer join us for sessions in the morning and afternoon at Leslie’s audiophile garage.
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Rick Schultz Teaches Magnetic Conduction at SFAS
Published On 3/23/2017
On March 18, 2017 the San Francisco Audiophile Society (SFAS) was lucky enough to have Rick Schultz join us at Leslie’s audiophile garage and provide us with an afternoon of education and interesting discussion about magnetic conduction which is the basis of the High Fidelity product line.
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Event Report: Manny & Leslie on Room Correction
Published On 3/6/2017
For the January 28, 2017 SFAS event, we had the pleasure of having Manny LaCarrubba* as a guest speaker. Among his many talents, Manny is an expert in music and sound recording as well as acoustically treating and setting up listening rooms and home theaters.
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February 11th Event Report: Hi-Fi Sound Mid-Fi Budget
Published On 3/5/2017
The SFAS tried something new for our February 2017 event. We featured budget gear (under $1000) supplied by our members to find synergies and great sounding gear at a reasonable price.
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Event Report: Andrew Jones ELAC by David Hicks
Published On 12/1/2016
November 12th in Orinda this year was a beautiful, partly sunny, fall day. A light breeze slightly cooled the 72-degree temperature, but the day was no less a perfect day for Leslie Lundin to unveil to the world her newly expanded Audiophile Garage and Art Gallery (more on the art later).
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Joe’s Updated Server Event Slide Presentation
Published On 5/16/2016
Here is an HTML version of Joe Hakim’s updated Media Server Event presentation for members to download (as a zip file).
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Amazing Event on Music Servers
Published On 5/2/2016
Wow. SFAS’ Joe “Mad Scientist” Hakim’s debut – spearheading an SFAS event on his own – was a tremendous success. The quality of the presentation and the clear and understandable way he conveyed the fairly complicated material left even the least tech-oriented attendee with a satisfied feeling of having learned a lot.
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Excellent Coverage of Room Correction Event by David Hicks
Published On 4/14/2016
I’m a believer. Even before the March 26th room correction event, I was biased in my opinion that “The Room is King.” In fact, that’s one of my favorite audiophile sayings. I was fortunate enough to discover the importance of “the room” after attending my first two Bay Area Audiophile Society (BAAS) events about a hundred years ago.
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A Day of Audio Magic
Published On 12/9/2015
What a year it has been! Just this past weekend, we broke all attendance records with over 100 SFAS members converging on Magico’s new factory and headquarters in Hayward.
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Von Schweikert VR-55 Event Report
Published On 11/15/2015
The second speaker event of 2015 had us traveling to the South Bay, specifically to Boulder Creek and the lovely home of Joe and Debbie Hakim. Although Albert von Schweikert was the honored guest and spoke at length about his latest creation, what we listened to was Joe’s and Debbie’s system: they own the VR-55 Aktivs and the rest of the gear we heard, except for the two Hypex-based amps we auditioned at day’s end.
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Magnetic Conduction Event with Rick Schultz
Published On 10/20/2015
Although the turnout for Rick Schultz’ presentation of his High Fidelity Cables was not as robust as usual for a SFAS event, that was a loss only to those who didn’t make the show. And what a show it was.
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Channel D Event Report by David Hicks
Published On 7/24/2015
So on Sunday May 28th, Rob Robinson came to Casa Lundin in Orinda (aka The Audiophile garage) to talk to a group of SFAS members about his Mac-based Channel D software product, Pure Vinyl. He also came armed with three different Channel D phono stages, one of which, the Seta Model L, Stereophile reviewer John Atkinson gushed over...
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Loudspeaker Day in Orinda – Review by Laurent Heller
Published On 7/6/2015
It was a warm and characteristically beautiful morning on June 13th, 2015 as I packed up my little Leben CS-300X integrated and bounded out from my house in Berkeley through the tunnel, headed for Leslie’s place in Orinda and the SFAS Speaker Demonstration event. I had been looking forward to this for weeks!
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Dan Rubin’s Phono-Stage Event Report
Published On 6/4/2015
SFAS members listened to 11 different phono stages at Leslie’s house on Saturday, April 18. It wasn’t the 11 products that made this the most ambitious event ever undertaken by SFAS. It was our efforts to do this as level-matched, A-B comparisons.
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SFAS & SFJAZZ First Event Report
Published On 3/4/2015
First of all, let me say, unequivocally, I had a great time going to see Taj Mahal with the 32 SFAS members who attended our inaugural event at the SFJAZZ Center.
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Our DAC Shoot-Out Event Report
Published On 2/26/2015
In the member survey we conducted at end the end of last year, DACs was the most-requested product category for product comparison. So on Saturday, February 21, about 40 of us gathered at Leslie’s place to listen to seven member-provided USB DACs priced from $400 to $5,000. Here they are...
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The Audiophile’s Home Theater – Event Write-Up
Published On 1/23/2015
On Saturday, January 17, a lively group of seventy three SFAS members met at San Rafael’s newest store, Audio Video Integration (AVI), for what felt like our own private mini-CES.
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SFAS Audio Day in Wine Country Review
Published On 11/18/2014
on Saturday November 15th in Healdsburg California, Lavish Hi-Fi’s Craig Allison, (http://lavishhifi.com/), our host for the day, along with Michael Vamos (the owner of Audio Skies in L.A. and the U.S. distributer of Larsen Speakers) pointed a group of about 40 SFAS members in a different direction, a direction that would lavish the music on us from a Hi-Fi system that wouldn’t require you to take out a second mortgage.
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Dan Rubin Reports on SFAS Audio Expert Event with Roger Modjeski
Published On 9/25/2014
This was the second in our SFAS series of Audio Expert events (the first was the marvelous Albert Von Schweikert), this time featuring audio luminary Roger Modjeski, founder of Music Reference (amplifiers) and RAM Labs (tubes), both featured at http://www.tubeaudiostore.com.
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Von Schweikert Event/SFAS Launch
Published On 7/23/2014
The day after Albert Von Schweikert presented his Mr. Wizard Show to an audience of SFAS members (fully-packed in Leslie’s newly renovated, expanded, and very cool listening room), he wrote to say: “Thank you for organizing one of the nicest meetings I’ve ever spoken at!” We’re honored to have had you here, Albert.
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The SmackDown Report: Tweaks, Voodoo and Magic
Published On 5/10/2014
BAAS members met on Saturday, May 3, at Leslie’s excellent digs in Orinda to listen to a selection of audiophile tweaks.
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Digital Mini-Smackdown in Marin
Published On 3/31/2014
Leslie Lundin, Peter Truce and I spent a delightful few hours at Lee Mincy’s in Kentfield on Saturday, March 15. The excuse was a casual shoot-out focused on USB DACs with sidebar consideration of USB cables.
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An Afternoon with Neil Gader, Associate Editor TAS
Published On 3/25/2014
Two of “my favorite things” are music and coffee. Elite Audio Systems offered them both in an inviting and collegial atmosphere this past Saturday. The event, jointly sponsored with BAAS was attended by perhaps twenty-five mostly BAAS members to discuss all issues audiophile. Neil Gader from the Absolute Sound was the cordial guest speaker and we all carried on for the entire afternoon.
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Smackdown #1: Preliminary Recap
Published On 3/9/2014
Well, I haven’t heard of any fatalities, so I assume all attendees survived our first (full, sold out!) Audio Smackdown! Feedback is starting to come in
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Genesis and Linn at Elite Audio Systems San Francisco
Published On 3/2/2014
How often have you encountered someone reciting your obituary? That’s what happened when he of the living dead visited Michael Woods’ aesthetically sensational Elite Audio Systems showroom in San Francisco on February 22
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Muse Video Vault

AronChupa, Little Sis Nora – Hole in the Roof [Official Music Video]
Published On 4/1/2024
Mature humor for the fools of April.

Perhaps NSFW... you've been warned.
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The Neuroscience of Loving Music
Published On 3/3/2024
Humans are musical animals four million years in the making, explained by music expert Michael Spitzer.
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A NEW 4K Tour of Michael Fremer's Listening Room
Published On 2/27/2024
From Fremer: A videographer visited recently to produce this 4K room tour showing my current audio system, including some new products under review, and some records and accessories.
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Happy (Belated) Chinese New Year
Published On 2/26/2024
In celebration of the Year of the Dragon, we present a remarkable East meets West mashup of this familiar cover of an audiophile favorite. Enjoy.
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For all of you Hurdy Gurdy fans out there
Published On 1/30/2024
Not just for bagpipes and medieval folk tunes...
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Inside Las Vegas Sphere…Immersive Audio On ANOTHER Level!
Published On 12/21/2023
Learn about technology that went into the immersive 167,000 loudspeaker system developed for the Sphere.
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Happy Holidays 2023
Published On 11/17/2023
Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year. Cheers from the San Francisco Audiophile Foundation editorial team.
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The Genius of Ringo
Published On 10/28/2023
What made Ringo Star so special? In this video, George Hrab creator and producer of The Geologic Podcast explains, "This video makes the argument that his originality, technique, skill, patience, and influence all add up to making him an unqualified genius of his instrument."
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The Dead South - In Hell I'll Be In Good Company [Official Music Video]
Published On 9/23/2023
Having a bad day? Here's a catchy, whistling, finger-snapping. toe-tapping, foot-stomping romp that you can't get out of your head.
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WSJ, The Science Behind Sound Therapy
Published On 6/25/2023
The Science Behind Sound Therapy,
Some studies show that sound baths can relieve stress and anxiety.
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When You Just Can’t Get Enough Music…
Published On 4/1/2023
So you can take it with you.
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We tracked what happens after TikTok songs go viral
Published On 1/14/2023
This interesting Vox investigative report is more than just a story about what critical role data analytics plays today in how a video becomes viral...
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Listening: A Video Tribute to Art Dudley
Published On 12/8/2022
Listening, an extraordinary video tribute to the late writer Art Dudley's taste, vision, and devotion to music, premiers this month on Stereophile's YouTube channel.
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The Quest For Absolute Sound
Published On 7/30/2021
A philosophical discussion about audiophiles and their search for the best sound.
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The Most Complex Pop Song of All Time
Published On 6/30/2021
Check out this YouTube video – very interesting for musicians and non-musicians alike.
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Jonathan Novick – What Specs Say and Don’t Say
Published On 5/16/2021
Jonathan discusses the nature of technical specifications and what they tell us and don't tell us
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The Art of Listening
Published On 3/5/2018
Documentary on the art of listening.
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SF Old School Analog Recording Studio
Published On 2/6/2017
A mini documentary by John Vanderslice on his all analog recording studio.
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MBL Promotional Video
Published On 12/5/2014
Promotional video from MBL speakers
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How Loudspeakers Work
Published On 12/1/2014
Great video showing how speakers produce sound.
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Science and Music
Published On 11/26/2014
This musical Science Experiment is for real, no special effects are used
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Water and Sound
Published On 10/21/2014
This is a relatively simple experiment showing the behavior of regular tap water when introduced to a certain audio frequency.
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Alon's Video Vault - "Bouncing Music"
Published On 2/19/2014
One of my all-time favorite music videos. It boggles my mind that someone (anonymous so far) actually envisioned this! I’m not saying anything else. Just turn up your volume and click on the image to watch.

Enjoy.

Alón
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Muse Music Picks

Grant's Guitar Corner Triumph
Published On 3/16/2024
Grant's guitar corner
My album pick for this month is Triumph " Just A Game" RCA records 1979 vinyl.
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Music Pick- Rufus Reid/Caelan Cardello
Published On 3/15/2024
Rufus Reid/Caelan Cardello - Rufus Reid Presents Caelan Cardello
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Steve Earle "Guitar Town" by Dave Hjortland
Published On 2/22/2024
Music review: Steve Earle "Guitar Town" by Dave Hjortland
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Oneohtrix Point Never, Again
Published On 2/18/2024
Oneohtrix Point Never, or OPN is the pseudonym of Daniel Lopatin. OPN first garnered wider notoriety with the release of his 2009 compilation, Rifts, which was named the number 2nd best album of the year by the UK magazine The Wire. In 2014 OPN toured with Nine Inch Nails & Soundgarden and further broadened the publics awareness of their unique style of music which is broadly classified as Experimental Electronic Music, relying largely on MIDI production with Lopatin orchestrating as the composer, singer, and producer. Again is OPNs 10th album.
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Matteo Mancuso "The Journey", by Grant Stoner
Published On 1/29/2024
Grant's guitar corner
My album pick for this month is Matteo Mancuso " The Journey" Mascot music productions 2023 CD.
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John Stewart "Airdream Believer" by Dave Hjortland
Published On 1/29/2024
Music review: John Stewart "Airdream Believer" by Dave Hjortland
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Lindsey Buckingham by Dave Hjortland
Published On 12/28/2023
Music review
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Duane Eddy by Dave Hjortland
Published On 12/28/2023
Music review
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Grant's Guitar Corner - Michael Hedges
Published On 12/27/2023
Review of "Breakfast in the Fields"
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Nanci Griffith – The Complete MCA Studio Recordings
Published On 11/27/2023
Americana music lost another giant with the passing of Nanci Griffith in August of 2021, at age 68. I haven’t stopped mourning her passing, and doubt that I ever will.
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The War and Treaty "Hearts Town"
Published On 10/29/2023
Dave Hjortland's review of the Hearts Town album
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Polyphia "Renaissance", by Grant Stoner
Published On 10/26/2023
Music review by Grant
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Carl Perkins- Jerry Lee Lewis- Roy Orbison- Johnny Cash – Class of ’55
Published On 9/26/2023
Dave Hjortland's review of this album.
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Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shooting Straight in the Dark
Published On 9/26/2023
Dave Hjortland's review of Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shooting Straight in the Dark
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Gary U.S Bonds, On the Line
Published On 9/26/2023
Review of Gary U.S Bonds, On the Line
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Zone Rouge by Right Hand Left Hand
Published On 8/24/2023
Dave's review of this album
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Steve Martin – The Crow
Published On 8/24/2023
Dave reviews this Steve Martin album
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John Prine — For Better, Or Worse
Published On 8/24/2023
Dave's review of this John Prine ablum
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Steeleye Span – All Around My Hat
Published On 8/24/2023
Dave's review of this album
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Strunz and Farah: Mosaico
Published On 8/22/2023
Grant Stoner's review of this album
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Horslips - The Book of Invasions, A Celtic Symphony
Published On 7/26/2023
Review of Horslips album.
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Peggy Lee, Bewitching Lee!
Published On 7/26/2023
Many audiophiles will have at least a passing familiarity with Peggy Lee (1920-2002), one of the best-known vocalists of her day and deservingly so. This is Lee at her best, a wonderful collection of “Her Greatest Hits,” at least up to the time of its release, that anyone with ears and any appre-ciation for female vocals should enjoy. A classic indeed.
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Laura Fygi - "Bewitched"
Published On 7/25/2023
Not nearly as well-known in the US as in Europe, this Dutch jazz/torch/pop singer is a vo-calist to rank with Diana Krall, Holly Cole, and pretty much anyone else in the genre. Her catalog includes about 15 albums, but if you only have one by her this should be it.
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Official National Lampoon Stereo Test & Demonstration Record
Published On 6/30/2023
Since the dawning of the stereo age there have been vinyl test records. These records generally contain special test signals developed for analyzing phono-cartridge performance as well as the phono-cartridge interaction with the tonearm and turntable. To put it succinctly, every audiophile into vinyl should own a test record. It can tell you many things you might not know about your system. Is your tracking correctly set up? The settings are at best a guess. Do you have Inner groove distortion? A test record can help you find the culprit.
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Hawaii: Music From The Islands Of Aloha
Published On 5/27/2023
Aloha Larry Deniston.
Larry Deniston is not gone, he’s just moved closer to the live performances.

Hawaii: Music from the Islands of Aloha
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Two Feet Momentum
Published On 4/29/2023
I’ll be brief with this recommendation, just like the total length of the four tracks on this EP. At just under 12 minutes, this album should leave you wanting more. And it will, if your system survives the bone rattling bass that Brooklyn-based DIY artist, Two Feet (AKA Zachary William Dess) is famous for embedding in his music.
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Etro Anime- See The Sound
Published On 4/27/2023
My album pic for this month is " See the Sound" by Etro Anime 2004 Neurodisc records CD.

Etro Anime is an unusual somewhat electronica ensemble that fuses a lot of elements together. Somewhat electronica as there are a lot of live instruments as well. There's an element of drum n bass. If you don't know, drum n bass is a style of electronic music characterized by fast, complex drum beats and bass lines. Sounds like it would be intense, but as in LTJ Bukem's music, it can be mellow and beautiful. Not sure how that works, but it does. Etro Anime utilizes those programmed beats, but also live drums and bass guitar.
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Frank Sinatra & Duke Ellington “Francis A. & Edward K.”
Published On 4/22/2023
My album pick for May is Frank Sinatra & Duke Ellington “Francis A. & Edward K.” From the sultry, luxurious sound of the first track “Follow Me” to the punchy “All I Need is the Girl”, Duke’s band is a great accompaniment to Sinatra’s typical vocalizations.
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Time For Three
Published On 3/31/2023
Time For Three
Letters For The Future
Time For Three / Xian Zhang / Philadelphia Orchestra

When it comes to modern day classical music I must admit I’m usually underwhelmed. Sometimes repulsed. But in the case of this Time For Three recording of two Pulitzer Prize winning composers works (written fifteen years apart but both commissioned for the group: Jennifer Higdon’s 2007 Concerto 4–3 and Kevin Puts’s brand-new Contact) on Letters For The Future- I was overwhelmed by how much I enjoyed the music and the recording. A longtime friend alerted me to the album after he played the pieces with the Members of TF3 and the Marin Symphony. Thanks to the miracles of Roon and Qobuz I was able to bring the music up while we were on the phone discussing the performances and the artists. The music was so engaging I told my friend I would have to call him back after I was done listening to the album.
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Alphabet Soup "Layin' Low in the Cut"
Published On 3/29/2023
My album pic for this month is Alphabet Soup " Layin' Low in the Cut". 1995 Swan Song records. CD.

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Acid jazz is loosely defined as a music genre that combines elements of funk, soul, and hip hop as well as jazz. This album definitely fits that description. Unlike most hip hop, this group is built around an actual band performing on actual instruments, instead of deriving beats from samples, and it's an excellent band at that. I've seen them twice, so I can attest to that.
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Madhouse 8
Published On 2/18/2023
My album pic for this month is Madhouse 8 1987 Warner Brothers records vinyl.

Honestly, I bought the album a long time ago ‘cause I liked the cover. The music was cool, kinda funky jazz instrumentals. It wasn't ‘till many years later, looking at Prince's discography, that I found out this was him.
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The Lighting of the Lamps by Grant Stewart Quartet w/ Bruce Harris
Published On 2/5/2023
Those familiar with the classic Blue Note jazz sounds of the sixties will feel at home with Grant Stewart on tenor sax.
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Jeff Beck Music Pick
Published On 1/27/2023
Grant's review of a 2008 Jeff Beck DVD
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Roy Hargrove, Mulgrove Miller, “In Harmony”, By Larry Deniston
Published On 12/8/2022
Roy Hargrove and Mulgrew Miller, In Harmony, double vinyl album by Resonance Records, HLP-9060, limited pressing. What a great album that I, more or less,
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Poll Winners: Kessel, Mann and Brown
Published On 10/28/2022
Observations on the album "Poll Winners" and buying vinyl on Amazon.
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July, 2018 Album Picks
Published On 9/24/2022
This month we have four album picks contributed by Alon, Jay, Larry, and Kevin. Three Jazz and one
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Moby – Reprise
Published On 9/21/2021
David's Pick - October 2021
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Baden Powell, “Solitude on Guitar”, by Alón Sagee
Published On 3/7/2021
Brazilian Baden Powell is one of the finest guitarists the world has ever known… but someone forgot to tell America! He’s released about 30 albums in his career and so far
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Adult Cinema, “Teaser Trailer”, by David Hicks
Published On 3/7/2021
When I first listened to this (2016) album I heard shades of, Procol Harum, Elton John, The Who, early Pink Floyd, and other classic and Prog rock influences. It was like I was listening to an album from the late ’60s or early ’70s that I’d never heard before.
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Spirit, “Spirit”, by David Hicks
Published On 3/7/2021
Every couple of years the thought pops into my head that I needed to hear the song, “Fresh Garbage”. Spirit lead off side one of their eponymous debut album with this 190-second track,
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A Lost Album From John Coltrane, With Thanks To A French-Canadian Director
Published On 8/26/2019
New Coltrane Album Found
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SFjazz Collective, by David Hicks
Published On 11/26/2018
My Music pick this month isn’t a single album, but an entire catalog by the SFJAZZ Collective. My knowledge of Jazz music is far from comprehensive, so I can’t recommend the SFJAZZ Collective’s catalog to you in any way other than to say I like their music.
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POTUS's (Obama) Playlist
Published On 8/16/2016
David highlights president Obama's playlist.
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