Record Shopping In Barcelona

David Millar, freelance blogger, recently travelled to Spain and did some extensive vinyl shopping in Barcelona. Check out his account of his experience on his blog: Barcelona Record Buying Bliss.
 

Update on Neil Young's Pono Music Service

Pono Player in use at The Audio Saloon Pono Session

Further to the original 2012 announcement of Neil Young's new Pono Music Service, last week at The Audio Salon, was the first time many consumers had the opportunity to hear the PonoPlayer and Pono music. Pono CEO John Hamm was on hand discussing where Pono has been, where it's at now, and where it's headed. It seems to have been Unanimously agreed that Pono sounds great. Read the full article (and see photos of the event) at Computer Audiophile: The Audio Salon Pono Event Wrap-up.
   

Uncrating Focal Stella Utopias

Just recently I changed careers, and now work in the Hi-Fi Retail industry. Yesterday at our showroom we unpacked a pair of Focal Stella Utopia III EMs - this is the first time speakers of these quality and value have been publicly available in New Zealand in a retail setting for people to view and demonstrate. So here's a little video of us unpacking one of them...
   

   

A is for Amber Rubarth & Amy Rigby and B is for Barbara Belloni

Amber Rubarth's "Sessions From The 17th Ward" (2012) is an album I have in 24-bit 192kHz resolution - and in my opinion is a very stunning recording - this is one of my favourite acoustic singer/songwriter performances (along with Stephanie Schneiderman "Live At The Old Church") and is simply a wonderful album. For the Audiophiles it's also a stunning recording done in pristine quality!

A Meeting With Devialet

NZ Devialet Conference, May 2014 - Day 2 Workshop

Devialet (pronounced Dá ve-a-lay or pretty close to that - they don't seem to be too concerned if you get it right or not) is a French company that is taking the Hi-Fi world by storm - their radical new technology and approach is without doubt the future of Hi-Fi appliances. Last weekend I was lucky enough to be involved in a Devialet Conference & Workshop held here in New Zealand with Andy Kennard, Devialet's General Manager for Asia-Pacific.

Nickel Creek, Sea Oleena, & Ian Anderson

Some recent new music purchase have included the following: Nickel Creek's "A Dotted Line" in 24-bit/96kHz resolution; Sea Oleena's "Sea Oleena" & "Sleeplessness" EPs from Bandcamp (in 16-bit/44.1kHz resolution), and Ian Anderson's "Homo Erraticus" in 24-bit/48kHz resolution.

Go Lorde! Congratulations!

Awesome result for Lorde at the 56th Annual Grammys! Fantastic effort on winning the "Best Pop Solo Performance", and with co-writer Joel Little "Song Of The Year"! Royals was certainly the song of the summer when I was in the USA in September & October, and I've really enjoyed listening to "The Love Club EP", and now the subsequent album "Heroine". The former is still my favourite at this stage.

  

Congratulations Ella Maria Lani Yelich-O'Connor. Will be great to see where she goes in the future - she looks to be a true individual, and someone to watch for something different and original!

  

"Trauma" by Cœur de pirate

My newest album addition a week or so ago was "Trauma" by Cœur de pirate (Béatrice Martin) which is available on Bandcamp as a 16bit 44.1kHz download in FLAC or ALAC; its also available in VBR MP3 or AAC lossy files, or Ogg Vorbis format. You can also access it using Bandcamp's free mobile access. Released on 14 January 2014 I believe this is Cœur de pirate's only album since Blonde (here second album released in November 2011), so it's been a while coming...

  

This is an album of covers - which a slightly eclectic selection of songs, but very much in keeping with the atmosphere the album is intended to generate (see below), and nevertheless something I'm finding enjoyable and just a little different from Béatrice Martin's other work.

Amanda Palmer's New Album

Amanada Palmer has announced the release of a new album (An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer) with Neil Gaiman. The 40-Track album (equivalent to 3 CDs) is available through Bandcamp (from US$10) and can be downloaded in FLAC (ALAC, MP3, or other formats), and contains a mix of her older material and some new songs, poems, and more.

"Recorded live in 2012, and initially released as a limited edition set to Kickstarter backers, Neil and Amanda now bring the experience to you for your listening pleasure. Enjoy Neil and Amanda performing audience favorites, duets, cover songs, poetry, short stories, and more!"

Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H6 Headphones

I've picked up a pair of the fine looking Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H6 Headphones - thanks to some loyalty reward points - the question will be do they sound as good as they look stylish (I must confess the do look stylish but sound may not match appearance)?

"Designed by Jakob Wagner the BeoPlay H6 is crafted from luxurious materials and makes a bold statement in terms of design. It’s a perfect match for the style-conscious consumer who refuses to compromise quality in sound, design or craftsmanship. The ear pads are made from soft lambskin, and the headband from the more rugged cow leather, a combination that ages well and only looks more beautiful with use."