Audiophilia

A new Audiophilia feature, the brainchild of our resident Aussie, Andy Fawcett. Andy and other Audiophilia writers will adding to the 09/10 list regularly. It will reappear at the top of the page as new releases are added.

[The CD title is linked to our affiliate, Amazon.com - Ed]

Recommended New Releases (27/08/10)

John Sheppard – Media Vita [70:16]
Stile Antico
Harmonia Mundi SACD HMU807509 (2010)

It took about 10 seconds of Stile Antico’s debut disc, 2007’s “Music For Compline” (featuring works by Tallis, Byrd, Sheppard and others), to establish that a major new force had arrived on the Early Music scene. The record buying public have responded similarly, propelling their later “Song of Songs” disc to the top of the classical charts. Sheppard is one of the lesser-known figures of the English Renaissance, the details of his life largely obscure; here, a selection of rarely performed works accompany his monumental antiphon Media Vita, a haunting 25-minute plea for long life that, for Sheppard himself, went sadly unanswered. Its slow tempo beautifully showcases the density of the six-part harmonies and the ethereal purity of Stile Antico’s singing, finely recorded in a glorious acoustic. Even the more potentially uplifting pieces, though, seem infected by the title work’s solemnity, and I missed the more outgoing, sunnier aspect of the Compline disc. Nevertheless, highly recommended. AF

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by Roy Harris

While waiting for the Eastern Electric Sabre DAC, the subject of my next review, which was held at customs in NYC, the importer, Morningstar Audio, suggested that I review another product. I believe he based his assessment upon the fact a customer who borrowed the product, “refused to give it back”.

Its goal is to “improve” the sound of CDs. It is a catalyst in the process and its method of operation is simple. Place the CD on a spindle, which becomes illuminated for 5 seconds. Then, remove the disc and play. Its effect lasts for 82 minutes. It is battery driven by 2 aaa batteries.

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by Anthony Kershaw

Sandra Mogensen is a Canadian concert pianist at home both as a solo artist and accompanist. Here, she takes center stage in the first of two volumes of Grieg’s much underrated solo piano music.

Mogensen studied in her home province of Ontario as well as the Mozarteum in Salzburg and The Royal Danish Conservatory. To add to her to excellent credentials, Mogensen received extensive training at the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. As such, she is much in demand as a vocal coach. And this intimate knowledge of the voice imbues this disc with the most magical singing style.

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by Andy Fawcett

“It seems to me I am trying to tell you a dream – making a vain attempt, because no relation of a dream can convey the dream-sensation…” Joseph Conrad

There’s nowhere quite like New Zealand; surely the world’s most beautiful country, and an unforgettable experience for any traveller. Now cemented in the popular consciousness as the location where Middle Earth sprang to life, its picture postcard terrain is home to a greater number of sheep than humans (feel free to insert your own joke, but if those critters ever get the vote there’ll be some changes …). Yet you must now cast from your mind those widescreen images of snow-capped peaks and circular front doors – for we are headed instead to the North Island metropolis of Auckland, there to catch up with one of the most intriguing audio companies anywhere on the planet.

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Press release from NuForce [Full disclosure -- NuForce is a longtime sponsor of Audiophilia] High end gear from NuForce with a small footprint and well priced.

Milpitas, California, August 3, 2010. NuForce, Inc., a California-based manufacturer of consumer audio products, announces the release of its Icon-2 and uDAC-2 desktop audio components. Together with the recently released high-end Icon HDP and Icon Amp, this series completes a Modular Systems approach for bringing high-end audio to the mass-consumer market. Built on the highly successful Icon platform, the full NuForce line of 24bit/96kHz audio components offers heretofore unattainable performance levels for desktop or other computer-based music environments.

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by Martin Appel

Hephaestus is an interesting and unusual choice of name for an amplifier company. Named after the Greek mythological god of fire, technology, metalwork and craftsmanship, Hephaestus was busily working away on his forge, satisfying the demands, of the Olympian Gods. Joey White, the head honcho and designer of today’s technological marvel, the HMA-1000, must have been inspired by the Gods to pursue such lofty goals and to try and satisfy the even greater demands of the Audiophile. Although, audiophiles can not physically throw lightning bolts at the designer, they will voice their displeasure with pointed barbs on blogs and websites, and can almost be equally destructive or constructive.

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