Category Archives: Analogue

Beware the expert

There are advantages to old-fashioned analog music, according to some audiophiles. “There is a fuller sound to it, and more depth to the sound,” said Ryan Holiday, the New Orleans-based marketing director for American Apparel. He’s a new devotee of … Continue reading

Posted in Analogue, Testing, Vinyl | 1 Comment

All Hail … Analog?

My brother kindly pointed me an article in the Wall Street Journal by Francis Fukuyama, entitled ‘All Hail Analog?’. Fukuyama is best known as a kind of historical analyst, generally of a conservative bent. In the late 80s and early … Continue reading

Posted in Analogue, Audio, Video | 8 Comments

Everything online all the time

The Gadget Guy reports that 200,000 pre-WWII recordings have been donated by Universal Music to the US Library of Congress, which will convert them to a digital format and make them available for free online. I reckon this is a … Continue reading

Posted in Analogue, Audio, Music | Leave a comment

Wobbling grooves

Years ago I wrote a post in which I mentioned my long search for a good recording of Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor. In the end I found a Telarc one with impressive bass. I suggested in that … Continue reading

Posted in Analogue, Vinyl | Leave a comment

Crappy turntable could be cool product

Got to say, when I first saw this product, my immediate reaction was that it was a pity such a thing existed. The cartridge doesn’t look good, and would probably do some damage to LPs, and to use broadcast FM … Continue reading

Posted in Analogue, Vinyl | Leave a comment

Looking into the black box

A young man of my acquaintance was given a very special present for his 21st birthday: a good quality stereo turntable and an amplifier. I wasn’t there, but I heard a lovely story about it. While they were trying to … Continue reading

Posted in Analogue, Vinyl | 1 Comment

Silly audiophile claims … 2

Once I went into a hifi shop, which shall remain nameless. The owner was one of those who believed analogue to be clearly superior to digital. The same shop, at another time, insisted that a high quality composite video cable … Continue reading

Posted in Analogue, Audio, Mysticism, Rant | 3 Comments

Silly audiophile claims … 1

I’ve been into HiFi since I was a callow youth, well before digital audio was even being recorded by the major studios, let alone made available as a consumer format. I was thrilled with the introduction of the compact disc. … Continue reading

Posted in Analogue, Audio, Mysticism | 7 Comments

Old, old music

Got a yen to hear some acoustic recordings? That is, music from the early decades of the 20th Century when musicians sat before a horn attached to a cutting stylus. No electricity involved, except possibly to power the motor of … Continue reading

Posted in Analogue, Misc | Leave a comment

Resurrecting Polaroid, but don’t knock digital

The Wall Street Journal has a fascinating article about how an enthusiast has acquired the last Polaroid factory in Europe and started producing instant film again (monochrome now, colour to follow). Great stuff. But I would note that the piece … Continue reading

Posted in Analogue, How Things Work | 2 Comments