hifi How does a vinyl record work? Loyal readers will have picked up by now that I believe that understanding the key principles underpinning broader knowledge is essential. It's not that I'm not pragmatic - I'm as
Loudspeakers Understanding Decibels It used to be a common occurrence that people would come into the shop, particularly when I worked in London, and would poke at a loudspeaker, and then ask: "
Digital An Introduction to Roon One of the biggest problems with digital music, especially streaming, is that it deprives us of the sense of ownership. We long for the days of gatefold LPs, with stunning
hifi Why Hifi Reviews Are Worthless! Ah, the hifi reviews. Stars. Pros and cons. So much data out there, so easy to make an informed decision. Do your research, make a short list, and either pull
Philosophy Why do I Work in the Hifi Industry? I had an interesting conversation with a customer who came into the shop yesterday. After a career in sales, he retired, and now spends most of his time painting. He
hifi First Cartridge Upgrades Frequently I encounter people who have taken the plunge, and bought themselves a decent turntable to enjoy their growing vinyl collection. Some bought them this time last year, and are
Progressive Rock Five Bridges I'm particularly interested in music which represents crossovers. I like to see musicians trying to incorporate ideas from other traditions, blending approaches, and producing a fusion of sound. My article
A Brief History of Christmas Songs It's still more than a week until Christmas, so I think I can safely venture another post on seasonal music. This time, we turn our attention to that staple of
Classical Music The Three Kings: 20th Century Poet meets 21st Century Composer The musical life of Portsmouth Cathedral is busy, varied, and a wonderful source of ideas and inspiration. Two of my children are choristers there, and master of choristers David Price
Multiroom Sonos vs Yamaha MusicCast: Which is the best wireless home sound system? When I started in the industry, independently selected and controlled music in every room was the preserve of the very rich. I designed and built some incredible systems (including for
Record Collecting In praise of Ultravox Occupying pride of place in my record collection are the four studio albums released between 1980 and 1984, by 'New Wave' band Ultravox. Frequently, music from one's childhood and early
hifi SACD is not dead! Super Audio CD (SACD) was jointly launched by Sony and Phillips in 1999, with the promise of offering better quality sound than CD, and multi-channel audio. Although widely considered a
hifi Just say no! Why cheap turntables destroy your records One of the side-effects of the so-called "vinyl revival" is the proliferation of "budget" turntables from high street and online retailers. Brands such as Crosley, Steepletone,
Classical Music Advent Music Part Two In Part One I introduced six pieces of seasonally relevant music to savour. Ranging from the slightly obscure second symphony of Krzysztof Penderecki to the glorious but obvious Bach Christmas
hifi Hifi Demos: Blind or Sighted? One of my most frequently performed tasks, as the owner of a hifi shop, is to help people choose between different hifi components, or systems. In industry speak this is
Jazz Thread Pulling: Jazz, Jazz Fusion and Free Jazz, via Soft Machine One of the great things about my line of work is that I come into contact with different types of music every day. Sometimes a client will bring a record
Electronics An introduction to Digital to Analogue Convertors (DACs) Earlier in this series I talked about an essential component in the analogue signal path - the phono stage or phono preamp. In this article I'm going to introduce the
Classical Music Six of the Best: Advent Music Ideas This time of year can be painful for a music enthusiast. The nights start to draw in, chimneys are swept, children start thinking about presents, homes and streets are bedecked
Record Collecting The 10 Funniest Classical Album Covers Ever Let's take a break from the more serious stuff! Today I give you.... the ten funniest classical album covers ever!
hifi Phono Stages: What are they and why are they needed? There's a lot to say about phono stages, so I won't try to tackle it all at once. Today, we'll focus on the what and the why. In a subsequent
Progressive Rock Pictures at an Exhibition This afternoon's record selection is the excellent "Pictures at an Exhibition", by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Recorded in March 1971 at Newcastle City Hall, it's an audacious re-working
