The recent skirmish with Neil Young and his bandmates has brought a new round of discussion about ethics surrounding streaming and streaming services. I’m not interested in re-kindling that arg...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/the-hifi-og%E2%84%A2-part-one-i-still-love-streaming/
To the segment of the high-end audio industry trying to reposition components as luxury goods, I have a message: you’re barking up the wrong tree. To the new entrants trying to create “curate...
Here’s a note to all you Millennials, Gen X, Y, and Z’ers. For as long as I can remember, the generations have been arguing about why we hate each others’ music, why your music sucks and...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/talking-about-myyour-generation/
It’s interesting lately that there are a number of people in the hifi industry complaining about what things cost. My experience has always been that those that can’t afford to play usually m...
I’m always amazed at how many products out there are claimed to be “the best.” What does that even mean? Best for what? Best for who? Whenever this word is used (and I’ve used it REALLY s...
I have a confession to make. There are multiple records in my record collection that I have bought but still haven’t listened to. And there are records in my collection that I no longer love. A...
We’re going on about 10 months of this now… As we put the finishing touches on our yearly “Awards” issue, and everyone in the audio industry is deciding which great audio products are the...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/a-heartfelt-thank-you-to-cardas-audio/
Note I used the word “buy.” You might think that even though I do this every day, I’m over the thrill of finding great hifi. Nothing could be further than the truth. In the last week, I’v...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/i-still-love-buying-hifi-gear/
Can’t believe I just heard the news that Eddie VanHalen, co-founder of legendary heavy rock band, VanHalen is gone. Where were you when you heard “Eruption” for the first time? I was workin...
Now that we are well into our 16th year of publication, it seems apparent that there are still some in the audience that don’t fully understand what we do, why we do it, and what sets us somewh...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/fake-news-and-audio-reviews/
Almost two months into this, the local and global landscape has certainly changed. I’m guessing that all of you have been touched by this now, one way or another. We’ve lost a couple of frien...
In case you haven’t heard the news, we lost one of the industry’s finest writers today. Unfortunately, Stereophile’s Art Dudley is no more. When I heard the news just a few days ago that he...
As somewhat of a self-imposed hermit anyway, I’m keeping my head down, staying out of the traffic pattern, and staying busy. There’s plenty of work to do here, and we will continue to produce...
Just say yes to streaming music at your favorite hifi show. Seriously. Sitting in the airport waiting for the flight home, I’ve just spent the most fun time ever at an audio show. The Florida A...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/an-answer-to-one-of-audios-ultimate-questions/
After 40 years of being an audio enthusiast, consumer (and someone covering this world for the last 17 of those years) I think we have a fundamental confusion in what we’re talking about. To me...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/what-the-hell-is-high-end-audio-anyway/
In 1982 I wanted three things: A Nikon F2 with motor drive, a BMW 320i and a pair of JBL L-100s. I got two out of three. I needed the Nikon to earn a living, and a new 3-series was about 13k, wel...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/the-jbl-l-100-classic/
I’m a hifi reviewer, with an excellent music system at my disposal and thanks to Tidal, Qobuz and Roon, I pretty much have the world’s biggest record store available 24/7. That’s better tha...
A recent TONE Facebook post had a number of people pissing themselves in anger over a $5,300 Louis Vuitton record case that’s not even available anymore. They all screamed “stupidity,” beca...
Today McIntosh announced the release of their new MC252 integrated amplifier, to a wide range of polarizing comments around the world. With an MSRP of $3,500, this is a pretty kick ass little pac...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/mcintosh-announces-ma252-integrated/
I just heard the sad news that Focal’s Gérard Chrétien passed away on Sunday, October 1. I had the pleasure of meeting him the first time about five years ago when I toured the Focal factory,...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/farewell-gerard-chretien/
Cleaning the closets a bit today, I ran across the first issue of The Absolute Sound. From Sping of 1973. Damn, I’m getting old. I remember reading it at my neighbor, longtime friend, and somet...
With all the horror surrounding last months article in The Wall Street Journal, on “the vinyl boom being over,” it appears that records are still being made and records are still being sold. ...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/vinyl-is-better-well-kinda/
The only thing I love more than cassettes is schmaltzy sci-fi movies, and I think most of you would admit that Guardians of the Galaxy, parts one and two are pretty silly. They had me with the Ca...
It’s sad news today to hear of Gregg Allman’s passing. It seems like only yesterday that I saw Allman put on an incredible performance at Portland’s Rose Garden, and we published Jaan Uhels...
I can’t believe that in 2017 audio critics are still whining and complaining about whether analog sounds better than digital. Really? It just seems like such a tired argument. Sure, I still rem...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/digital-vs-analog-tired/
Painting listening room three, and playing Tetris in my head as to where everything is going to go, etc., etc., I subconsciously pick John Klemmer’s Touch on TIDAL and wonder where has the time...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/blast-from-the-past-2/
If you’re subwoofer curious, but not sure which way to turn, you’re not alone. We asked the folks at SVS to share some of their tips with us. Here’s their advice on how to choose the best s...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/choosing-the-best-subwoofer/
The question is often posed, “How do we get more people to engage in the world of high end audio.” Too often this is followed up by a bunch of grumpy old men, sitting in chairs at a hifi show...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/the-new-sonus-faber-homage-tradition-collection/
If you have cable requirements that are slightly off the beaten path, and don’t like the idea of keeping (or losing) multiple adaptors on a regular basis, call the folks at Cardas Audio and get...
Why is the ELAC the world’s best music server? Because it fucking works. And it works right now. I apologize if you are offended by my coarse language, but I have spent nearly a decade screwing...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/the-elac-discovery-ds-s101-g/
Audiophiles love to argue about the subject of power delivery. I can’t say I blame them, a lot of super expensive power products either do nothing, or worse yet, actually degrade the sound of ...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/the-cardas-audio-4181-outlet-yes/
Today, Spotify announced their list of “Top 10 Shagging songs” here: http://www.theladbible.com/now/music-spotify-reveals-the-top-10-shagging-anthems-and-one-lasts-127-seconds-20160804 I agre...
We all suffer somewhat from new product envy, and perhaps a little bit of ADD at times when it comes to hifi gear (or cars, cameras, etc.,etc.) wanting the newer, shinier thing the minute it beco...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/what-youve-got-isnt-rubbish/
The team at Innovative Audio Video is hosting special November events to unveil their fully renovated showrooms, each brimming with fantastic audio components. Kicking off the celebration on Nove...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/a-new-york-november-to-remember/
Do you remember where you were ten years ago? I do. I was rushing frantically to finish the first issue of TONEAudio. We had been working around the clock and were having last minute server issue...
Another year has zoomed by and we’ve had the privilege of listening to a lot of great gear to report on. Choosing a Product of the Year always carries the dilemma as to whether we bestow the ...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/toneaudio%E2%80%99s-products-of-the-year-2014/
In this issue, Sean Brady from Audio Video Choices in Phoenix, Arizona is our guest columnist. Though Brady has been in the hifi world for quite some time, he’s always understood the value of...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/old-school-sean-bradys-vintage-favorites/
In the ten years of TONE’s history, we’ve seen a lot of new products come and go, but a few great ones have stuck. It’s been fun to watch these four companies grow and mature, but it’s ...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/four-favorite-upstarts/
Though Mike Liang is no longer part of our staff, now that he’s gone on to be national sales manager for Woo Audio, he’s still the biggest headphone enthusiast we’ve ever met. Between his...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/10-favorite-headphones-from-hifiguy-528/
While many people argue that speakers are the anchors of an audio system, I will always contest that the power amplifier is just as critical (if not more so) to a system’s overall sound. A grea...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/jeff-dorgays-9-favorite-amplifiers/
As the guy on the TONE staff who covers some of the more “reasonably” priced gear, I am a big fan of trickle-down technology. Amazing things are happening at the high end of the audio food ch...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/seven-cheap-and-cheerful-favorites/
I’ve been meaning to update my 20-year old car, but the love of music, and buying the audio gear that reproduces it, keeps getting precedence. Fueled by a life-long passion for audio, my refere...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/7-favorites-from-rob-johnsons-system/
Motivated by my friend Kirsten Brodbeck-Kenney’s article on the same subject that you can read here, I must say I agree with her, but for some different and more wide-ranging reasons. Having so...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/more-thoughts-on-the-wife-acceptance-factor/
Another Record Store Day has come and gone, with many of my friends and our readers home counting their booty. And yes, some of this shit has gotten incredibly overpriced to the point where it is...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/reflections-on-another-record-store-day/
I write very few actual rants in this space or in TONEAudio‘s publishers letter for good reason: I want this to be fun. I’ve always felt that the minute we bring our personal baggage into...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/why-we-refuse-to-predict-the-future/
I don’t know what your listening habits are… While cleaning my office/studio/listening room, I found a cache of unopened and hence, unplayed records. It gave me pause for a second, perusing...
The two European manufacturers get together for the audio system in the new Quattroporte sedan, a dressed-up pair of 805 speakers, and a global DJ tour. Maserati is far from the first luxury carm...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/bowers-wilkins-partners-with-maserati/
Seriously, how about it? With so many vinyl enthusiasts, new and old excited about this event, Record Store Day is growing to the point where it’s becoming more exclusive than inclusive. Here...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/how-about-record-store-month/
I certainly had a lovely time at this years HiFi Show in New York City… Put on by the Chester Group, the same folks that sponsored last years show, things went incredibly smoothly for the UK ba...
If you happen to be at the New York Audio show this weekend, please stop by and sniff around. And, if you feel so inclined, I invite you to sit in on “The Virtue of Vintage,” a presentation S...
https://www.tonepublications.com/blog/the-virtue-of-vintage/