High End Audio News:  At Helsinki’s 2023 AES Convention a workshop is scheduled to examine research in auditory perception and its relationship to high fidelity sound reproduction. HIFICRITIC contributing author Milind Kunchur, Joshua Reiss President of the AES and Hans van Maanen will present for examination the premise “Toward an Objective Understanding of High-End Audio”.

Clarity is an audio industry body which encourages and supports higher standards in audio retail, to better inform, support and serve customers.

Held at the Dolby Screening Room, Soho Square, Clarity Chairperson Elizabeth Gould began the meeting with a request to share a 1 minute silence to remember those in our industry who have sadly succumbed in the intervening years, mainly due to Covid. 

Elizabeth then began proceedings, outlining the meeting events to follow. With its aim to inform and train audio dealers (Demcraft),  to further the cause of quality audio, arrange beneficial  deals on finance and logistics amongst other services, Clarity clearly remains a force for good in audio retail. 

​At the recent return of the Bristol HiFi Show 2023:  Clarity hosted the four industry awards

Noting some controversy on the web over the sound quality of the dCS Bartok here is a reminder of the HIFICRITIC findings.

The last year or so has seen the emergence of a new generation of high-quality open-reel tape decks, of which four are investigated here. As the price span ranges from £500-£600 for the Sony and Revox models to £850 for the Technics and £950 for the basic Pioneer assembly, these units are not strictly comparable, although their relative performances are nonetheless interesting.
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All four recorders subscribe to the 'professional' format, namely a 26.5cm diameter maximum reel capacity with at least two high speeds (19 and 38cm/sec), and a two-channel half-track format on 6.25mm (¼in) tape. However, strictly speaking they should be called 'semi-professional', as although they are essentially capable of master quality recordings, they do differ from true studio machines in several respects. For example, the input and output connections of professional machines are generally balanced-line with Cannon or similar type sockets. In contrast, the review models are all unbalanced, with phono and DIN-type inputs and outputs, plus lower line levels.

It was sad to hear that Chris Barber, the jazz trombonist and band leader, died aged 90, on 2 March 2021. He was very influential in developing a version of New Orleans jazz in the 1950s which led the way to skiffle, British blues, the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. 

A few years ago I had lunch with the late Harold Pendleton and his wife Barbara. Harold was a chartered accountant with a love of jazz, and he told me when he arrived from Southport in 1948 to work in London, the first thing he did was to go to Dobells Record Shop at 77 Charing Cross Road. Harold was thumbing through the jazz racks and got talking to another customer. He was Chris Barber. They became acquainted and Harold became the manager of Chris’ band and a lifelong friend. Harold went on to open the famed Marquee Club in 1958, and with his wife Barbara organised the National Jazz and Blues festivals held in Windsor and later Reading.