During the past decade, consumer demand for vinyl outpaced pressing capacity, resulting in delays of as much as 10 months. But that changed in the past year when existing players on both sides of the Atlantic dramatically expanded volume capabilities by adding machinery, and new plants became operational. Moderator Eric Astor, whose Furnace Record Pressing recently sold a majority ownership stake to Metallica, discusses the topic with pressing newcomer Connie Comeau, COO of The ADS Group/Copycats Media, and two indie label execs jazz specialist Zev Feldman, and Andrew Rossiter, of reissue label Org Music.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2023Audio ResearchFrom the Office of Our CEO: A Message from Valerio CoraMaple Grove, MN: Audio Research gains ground as new ownership makes strides towardaddressing customer questions about what, if anything, will be changing at ARC.First, existing and future customers should be aware that all Audio Research warranties – past,present, and future – remain intact and will be honored.Second, Audio Research has a stable and abundant supply... Read More

Hagerman Audio Labs recently announced aesthetic upgrades to a number of its most popular and popularly priced products including the $589 Cornet MM vacuum tube phono preamplifier pictured above, now upgraded into a metal chassis with optional available wood side panels.Hagerman Cornet "sporting wood"The circuit topology features common cathode class-A gain stages with no feedback, passive equalization, and cathode follower output buffers with constant... Read More

Buffalo, NY, July 11, 2023 -- Bluebird Music, North American distributor for SME is pleased to announce SME M2 Series tonearms are now available for sale. Previously SME tonearms were only available with SME turntables.M2 Series tonearms are precision instruments that feature well-tried SME principles and the design and engineering excellence for which SME is renowned worldwide. By providing a superior platform for your favorite phono cartridges M2 tonearms contribute... Read More

Blue Note and Jack White's Third Man Records have partnered on a series of Detroit-themed releases from the Blue Note catalog chosen by Detroit native Don Was. In a highly unusual move for the label, the original master tapes were supplied to Third Man for cutting at Third Man where the records are also being pressed.Thad Jones Detroit-New York Junction and Donald Byrd Electric Byrd will be available on July 21, followed by Elvin Jones Genesis and Kenny Cox and... Read More

Pacific Audio Fest organizers released this teaser today. At the show KLAUDIO will debut it's new turntable featuring the company's pivoted tangential tracking tonearm, which features a number of interesting set-up innovations.Price was not announced. I'd planned on attending the show, which was really great last year but too much travel in May and early June made yet another trip problematic so it's a no go this year. It should be a really good... Read More

[Minneapolis, May 17, 2023] - We are thrilled to announce that Valerio Cora, Founder and CEO of Acora Acoustics Corporation, will be at the helm of a new independent corporation dedicated to guiding the Audio Research brand toward a future that will grow its strengths and legacy. This strategic vision and process aims to uphold the visionary and uncompromised principles laid down by the esteemed William Z. Johnson, the founding father of high-end audio and the visionary behind ARC.

Maple Grove, MN. May 10th, 2023—TrackingAngle.com Exclusive! Audio Research Corporation founded in 1970 by William Z. Johnson and most recently owned by TWS Enterprises, a company formed by former ARC employee Trent Suggs, no longer exists, but a new Audio Research Corporation has been created that will keep the company running as it has been for more than 50 years and at its current Maple Grove, MN headquarters. For all intents and purposes, customers, dealers, suppliers, employees and everyone doing business with, and loving the old Audio Research Corporation should not notice that anything has changed. The new owners will be announced Monday May 15th

Soundsmith this week announced a series of new products timed for introduction just before Munich High End 2023. After a long hiatus, the company will again participate with a sound booth in Hall 3, stand N06/P07 and show these newly developed products.The picture at the top is of two TI (transimpedance phono preamp compatible) cartridges: the Hyperion MKII ES-TI and Sussurro MKII ES-TI. They are designed got be used with Soundsmith's new MCP-5 transimpedance... Read More

VPI announced today the Titan Direct turntable. Performance and technology are claimed to exceed that of VPI's Avenger Direct Drive with "improved double stack chassis", "magnetic direct drive system", "air suspension isolation" and "additional resonance canceling technology".The new Titan Direct, capable of mounting up to three arms comes standard with Fat Boy Gimbal tonearm and VTA base. VPI expects delivery to commence... Read More

Thorens launches a "New Reference" turntable tomorrow (May 5th). TrackingAngle received permission to make the announcement today. Those familiar with the original Thorens Reference Mk 1 turntable introduced in 1979 will see the design similarities, though this is a thoroughly new, 21st Century undertaking utilizing state of the art vibration control technology.

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On Wednesday April 19th I moderated a MusicWatch sponsored webinar titled "Fundamentals of Vinyl Record Care". The panelists were Spinclean's Mark Mawhinney, Finesound's Jeff Coates and Kirmuss Audio's Charles Kirmuss Each represented one of the three basic record cleaning methodologies: manual wet-vat, "velvet lip" vacuum and cavitation. Finesounds imports and distributes Pro-Ject record cleaning machines. The two others are... Read More

Supersense, Vienna-based purveyors of custom cut lacquer versions of iconic LPs recently announced a new reissue program featuring a "picture disc" on lacquer side one and a cut-from-tape track on side two, in this case Nina Simone's version of "I Put a Spell on You".According to the website:"This edition is super strictly limited to only 99 pieces and comes in a handmade, all analog printed Slim Case, especially developed for our picture... Read More

HiFiction, manufacturer of the X-quisite cartridge line introduced today the new VORO cartridge. As with previous models, the VORO features a one piece patented ceramic/Armco cantilever/coil former. The new VORO features a high-efficiency double-layer iron core. The generator is covered by a skeletonized ceramic sculpture, giving it an "organic" look, according to HiFiction.Other VORO particulars include "4 nines" copper coil wire, a FGS (Fritz... Read More

Due to consumer demand, Technics' feature-packed SL-1500C turntable will in May be available in a contemporary matte white finish. Nothing else about this popular direct drive turntable changes but with turntables now entering the serious mainstream, white fits better than silver or black into many home environments, so why not? The $1299 1500C-W includes a built in defeatable phono preamplifier and comes with an Ortofon 2M Red pre-installed as well as auto lift... Read More