Opinion
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Soundtrack of the Self: Why the Music We Loved as Teenagers Still Moves Us Decades Later
Over the years, I have spent a lot of time listening to music with Mark. I know what you’re thinking… Yes, I’m OK (thank God for therapy). Actually, the real therapy has been the music, a powerful healing medicine in…
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Echo Chambers and Audio Myths: The Hidden Dangers of Relying on Forums for High-End Turntable Advice
In the golden age of information, it’s never been easier to access opinions — and never harder to separate fact from fiction. For audiophiles exploring the world of high-end turntables, online forums can seem like a natural first step. After…
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Japanese Pressings
This is a re-posting of an article appearing on “Vinyl Corner: Made in Japan” (author unknown). It is a great read and very ‘share-worthy’. Thank you to Ricky Brown from Hi-Fi One in California for sharing with us! Japanese pressings…
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Glass half empty or half full?
Back in May 2024, my colleague Mark wrote a very enjoyable thought piece “Why do we like listening to sad music?” (find it in this section). I’ve been thinking about this topic ever since, as I’ve noticed that many music-loving…
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Transfiguration
One of my favourite things to do is to ponder why I love listening to music to the degree that I do. I am aware that I consider music to be very important to me, but WHY exactly? Last night…
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Music & Friendship
I was fortunate to be able to attend the Munich show again this year. In fact, after setting up the room, four days of exhibiting & packing up, I am now de-compressing in the Netherlands with my colleagues and friends,…
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Why do we like listening to sad music?
Hey Doc! What’s wrong with me? Why do I feel better after listening to sad songs? This one is a bit peculiar. Most of my music buddies suffer from the same affliction. No, not the ‘Audiophilus Nervosa’ – the inability…
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Maslow’s hierarchy of audiophile needs
I love listening to different hi-fi systems. I am intrigued by the differences – how we all go on a journey of discovery and find equipment that speaks our sound. I love it when I look at photos of different…
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Journey into the divine muse
John Mellencamp was once being interviewed by an enthusiastic young music journalist about his famous hit song ‘Jack and Diane’. At one point she asked him “John, did you intend to symbolise the experiences of typical teenagers growing up in…
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I’m sorry, you can’t measure emotion in music
I believe that music can be TRANSCENDENT. As with many artforms, if you are sensitive to it, if you are receptive enough, music can affect you on many levels. To someone like me, defining music as pure entertainment is a…
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Music in different languages
Have you ever considered both the freedom and the limitations our language imposes on us and how some languages are better than others for certain purposes? The German language for example, is great at describing scientific objects & phenomena. The…
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Music is a wonderful thing
A few weeks ago, I sat down one night after a long day, turned on the TV and became captivated by a documentary that was exploring the role of music in the treatment of people with various medical conditions. In…
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Are you a measure-ophile?
Can you predict how a car will feel to drive from its spec sheet or brochure? Can you tell if you will enjoy someone’s company by reading their personality profile, or how a meal will taste from looking at the…
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Listening vs hearing
Have you ever been accused by someone of having ‘selective hearing’? “You only hear what you want to hear!” My wife constantly complains that I never listen to her… or something like that… Recently I spent some time with a…
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Are you ‘vinyl’ by nature?
I was sitting around on a Saturday morning playing records with my son who had got some new fresh copies in during the week and the phone rang. Geoff Haynes says “hey I just got a boxed set of Rolling…
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X-Ray audio and bone music
This is a true story of how music has an incredible ability to transcend borders and cultures. What lengths will music lovers go to get their ‘fix’? Have you got any “bootlegs” in your music collection? Have friends ever commented…
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How do you evaluate sound quality?
What is great sound quality to you? Is it defined by a set of measurements or by how it makes you feel? Or both? When you sit in front of a hi-fi system to listen to music, at some point…
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Imaging & Soundstage
If you have an interest in achieving an enjoyable sound in your listening space, then you’ve probably heard of the terms ‘imaging’ and ‘soundstage’ a lot. But what do these terms actually mean and why is there so much conversation…
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Emotional connection is important to me
Have you got someone in your life, whom you know that when they recommend a movie to watch, you make sure that you NEVER see that movie? I do. Actually, I have few of those people in my life, but…
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What’s your audiophile tribe?
There is no ‘absolute truth’ in audio, just perspective. The appreciation of sound quality is a purely subjective experience, meaning it is based on personal beliefs, tastes and opinions that are open to personal interpretation, not facts. This is one…