Copper Magazine · Issue 90 · A free PS Audio publication
Issue 90 Opening Salvo

Happy Landings!

Happy Landings!

Welcome to Copper #90!

By the time you read these, the 50th anniversary of the moon landing will have come and gone, and my landing in Oakland for the California Audio Show will also have come and gone. Next issue I'll bring some of the highlights from the show. I'm afraid I don't have anything to say about the moon landing that hasn't been said a million times before.

In this issue: Dan Schwartz looks at how we all shine on; Richard Murison notes some observations from his most recent trip to the UK; Jay Jay French expresses his appreciation for the Dave Clark Five; Roy Hall visits a totally unglamorous place, for once; Anne E. Johnson’s Off the Charts brings us hidden gems from Spandau Ballet; Woody Woodward continues his in-depth piece on Django Reinhardt with Act 4; Anne’s Something Old/Something New looks at recent recordings of works by Guillaume de Machaut. I examine the perils of overabundance of music in The Audio Cynic, and in Vintage Whine, we look at the short-lived '70s high-end brand, Quintessence. You may not know the brand, but it's a very interesting story.

I'm happy to bring you the first Revolutions Per Minute column from J.I. Agnew; this piece starts with the basics of record-making.

Remember Ken Fritz, who told us all about how he built an enormous listening room and five channels of mammoth speakers, all from scratch? Well, Ken needed a turntable to complete his system---and it probably won't surprise you that he devoted just as much attention to the 'table as he did to everything else. This amazing story will take a few installments to tell. We've got Part 1 in this issue.

Copper #90 wraps up with Charles Rodrigues as the life of the party, and a distinctive Parting Shot from our friend Rich Isaacs.

Finally, a sad note: music and audio industry veteran Jeremy Kipnis passed away recently in a drowning accident. Jeremy was the son of keyboardist/music critic Igor Kipnis, and grandson of the legendary operatic basso Alexander Kipnis. Jeremy was also a contributor to Copper, having written "Records as Time Machines", which appeared in Copper #76, and was reprinted by the German magazine Fidelity in their English-language edition. Jeremy and I had been in touch recently regarding an article he was writing for us about his grandfather, and I'm sorry that we won't be seeing that.

The greater loss, of course, is that of Jeremy himself. He was unique: talented, knowledgeable, and passionate, and yet--- a total goofball, with the energy and enthusiasm of a tweenager.

He will be missed by many---including me.

Leebs.

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#236 Magic Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Live and Rediscovered by Frank Doris Nov 02, 2026 #236 The Great Rhythmic Divide: Composer David Chesky Asks, Why Doesn't the Symphony Orchestra Groove? by David Chesky Nov 02, 2026 #236 More Record Reviews: Roni Eytan’s Microtonal Harmonica, Jane Ira Bloom, and a Frank Zappa Freak Out by Frank Doris Nov 02, 2026 #236 An Album of Inviting Beauty: Goodnight Moon from Acoustic Eidolon, And an Interview With the Artists Who Created it by Frank Doris Nov 02, 2026 #236 Never Ignore Your Inner Voice by B. Jan Montana Nov 02, 2026 #236 Composer Joseph Bertolozzi Uses Bridges, Structures and the World as Musical Instruments, Part One by Joe Caplan Nov 02, 2026 #236 Transmission: A Powerful Horn-Loaded Album from the Huntertones by Ray Chelstowski Nov 02, 2026 #236 Les Quatre Saisons du Québec: a New “Four Seasons” on Tour and on ATMA Classique by Robert Schryer Nov 02, 2026 #236 From The Audiophile's Guide: A Glossary of Terms for Today's Audio Systems, A – M by Paul McGowan Nov 02, 2026 #236 From The Listening Chair: An Introduction to Audiophile Tweaks by Howard Kneller Nov 02, 2026 #236 The Vinyl Beat Grew Two Inches Since October! by Rudy Radelic Nov 02, 2026 #236 How to Play in a Rock Band, Part 29: Figuring Out How to Play the Songs by Frank Doris Nov 02, 2026 #236 The Return of the Residents: Eskimo is On the Road by Wayne Robins Nov 02, 2026 #236 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff Nov 02, 2026 #236 The People Who Make Audio Happen – Fun In Las Vegas at…CES 2026? by Harris Fogel Nov 02, 2026 #236 The Forms of Things Unknown by Frank Doris Nov 02, 2026 #236 Prophetic by Peter Xeni Nov 02, 2026 #236 Here's Looking at You, Kid by Rich Isaacs Nov 02, 2026 Favorites From T.H.E. Show SoCal 2026 by Cam Martin Oct 05, 2026 #235 Singer/Songwriter John David Schrader: On the Need to Create, Part Two by Joe Caplan Oct 05, 2026 #235 A Life in High-End Audio: The Roy Hall Interview, Part Two by Frank Doris Oct 05, 2026 #235 Grammy-Winning Producer, Songwriter, and Guitarist John Leventhal Goes Instrumental With National Drift by Ray Chelstowski Oct 05, 2026 #235 From Swimming Pool to New Listening Room—to Founding an Accidental Audio Company by Gilles Laferrière Oct 05, 2026 #235 The Vinyl Beat’s Size Matters Edition by Rudy Radelic Oct 05, 2026 #235 The Sublime Complexities of Nature by B. Jan Montana Oct 05, 2026 #235 How to Play In a Rock Band, 28: Growing Older and Dealing With It by Frank Doris Oct 05, 2026 #235 Young Rascals: From Bar Band to Stardom by Wayne Robins Oct 05, 2026 #235 Duncan Sheik: In Memoriam by Ray Chelstowski Oct 05, 2026 #235 From The Listening Chair: The Meze Audio 105 Silva Headphones by Howard Kneller Oct 05, 2026 #235 Checking Out Some NOLA Loudspeakers – and Some Thoughts About Audio Writing by Frank Doris Oct 05, 2026 #235 The Kanazawa Phonograph Museum: Music from a Time Capsule by Sebastian Polcyn Oct 05, 2026 #235 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff Oct 05, 2026 #235 From The Audiophile’s Guide: Making the Most Critical Choice by Paul McGowan Oct 05, 2026 #235 Evolutionary Growth by Frank Doris Oct 05, 2026 #235 Speed Racer by Peter Xeni Oct 05, 2026 #235 Happy Halloween! by James Schrimpf Oct 05, 2026 #234 A Life in High-End Audio: The Roy Hall Interview, Part One by Frank Doris Sep 07, 2026 #234 Jason Greenlaw Offers His Personal Perspective on Jazz Guitar in Vantage Point by Frank Doris Sep 07, 2026 #234 Transcendent Phoenix: Lucina Yue Brings the Ancient Konghou Into Modern Times by Frank Doris Sep 07, 2026 #234 We Must All Follow Our Bliss by B. Jan Montana Sep 07, 2026 #234 How to Play in a Rock Band, 27: Leveling Up by Frank Doris Sep 07, 2026 #234 Ross Valory: Traveling Into New Musical Territory With All of the Above by Ray Chelstowski Sep 07, 2026 #234 Singer/Songwriter John David Schrader: On the Need to Create by Joe Caplan Sep 07, 2026 #234 The People Who Make Audio Happen: More From T.H.E. Show SoCal 2026 by Harris Fogel Sep 07, 2026 #234 The Vinyl Beat Digs Into the Gadget Box by Rudy Radelic Sep 07, 2026 #234 The Rolling Stones: Foreign Tongues Spoken Loud by Wayne Robins Sep 07, 2026 #234 Musical Moments by Rich Isaacs Sep 07, 2026

Happy Landings!

Happy Landings!

Welcome to Copper #90!

By the time you read these, the 50th anniversary of the moon landing will have come and gone, and my landing in Oakland for the California Audio Show will also have come and gone. Next issue I'll bring some of the highlights from the show. I'm afraid I don't have anything to say about the moon landing that hasn't been said a million times before.

In this issue: Dan Schwartz looks at how we all shine on; Richard Murison notes some observations from his most recent trip to the UK; Jay Jay French expresses his appreciation for the Dave Clark Five; Roy Hall visits a totally unglamorous place, for once; Anne E. Johnson’s Off the Charts brings us hidden gems from Spandau Ballet; Woody Woodward continues his in-depth piece on Django Reinhardt with Act 4; Anne’s Something Old/Something New looks at recent recordings of works by Guillaume de Machaut. I examine the perils of overabundance of music in The Audio Cynic, and in Vintage Whine, we look at the short-lived '70s high-end brand, Quintessence. You may not know the brand, but it's a very interesting story.

I'm happy to bring you the first Revolutions Per Minute column from J.I. Agnew; this piece starts with the basics of record-making.

Remember Ken Fritz, who told us all about how he built an enormous listening room and five channels of mammoth speakers, all from scratch? Well, Ken needed a turntable to complete his system---and it probably won't surprise you that he devoted just as much attention to the 'table as he did to everything else. This amazing story will take a few installments to tell. We've got Part 1 in this issue.

Copper #90 wraps up with Charles Rodrigues as the life of the party, and a distinctive Parting Shot from our friend Rich Isaacs.

Finally, a sad note: music and audio industry veteran Jeremy Kipnis passed away recently in a drowning accident. Jeremy was the son of keyboardist/music critic Igor Kipnis, and grandson of the legendary operatic basso Alexander Kipnis. Jeremy was also a contributor to Copper, having written "Records as Time Machines", which appeared in Copper #76, and was reprinted by the German magazine Fidelity in their English-language edition. Jeremy and I had been in touch recently regarding an article he was writing for us about his grandfather, and I'm sorry that we won't be seeing that.

The greater loss, of course, is that of Jeremy himself. He was unique: talented, knowledgeable, and passionate, and yet--- a total goofball, with the energy and enthusiasm of a tweenager.

He will be missed by many---including me.

Leebs.

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