COPPER

A PS Audio Publication

Issue 123 • Free Online Magazine

Issue 123 Opening Salvo

Learning to Fly

Learning to Fly

Every day is an opportunity to learn something. Even when there are days when we feel like we’re wading through molasses, we can still expand our knowledge, even if it’s just learning how to get better at wading through molasses. Being obsessed with all things audio, and lacking a degree in engineering or acoustics, I’ve spent a lifetime learning from others and by exploring, experimenting and doing stuff.

One aspect of this is putting together each issue’s “Audio Anthropology” column. In the process, I look through old audio and electronics textbooks and find information I didn’t know before. It’s a reminder that if we want to expand our horizons in audio, or music, or anything, the journey is never-ending. Yogi Berra noted, “life is a learning experience, only if you learn.” Keep an open mind and open ears. Because of scheduling conflicts (in other words, there aren’t enough hours in a day for everyone concerned), the conclusion of our interview with Walter Schofield of Krell will run in the next issue.

In this issue: Wayne Robins has a must-read review of Bruce Springsteen’s new album, Letter to You. Larry Schenbeck considers musical prize winners. Dan Schwartz tells what he’s been up to. WL Woodward has a review of the upcoming Zappa movie. J.I. Agnew gives perspective on the Loudness War. Tom Gibbs looks at new releases and reissues from Japandroids, the Replacements, Blue Note and Khatia Buniatishvili. Roy Hall visits distilleries in Scotland and Alón Sagee journeys to Mongolia. Rich Isaacs turns us onto 10 more great guitar solos.

John Seetoo contributes Part One of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) virtual Fall 2020 show. Steven Bryan Bieler considers Glenn Danzig covering Elvis. Don Lindich interviews Tom Hannaher of ZVOX Audio, a company with an individual approach to sound and hearing, and I ponder hearing loss and the need for high-end audio. Jay Jay French gets to the soul of guitar tone. Anne E. Johnson has two shining articles on Earth, Wind & Fire and the Judge, bassist Milt Hinton. Ken Sander goes on the road with British prog-rock band Renaissance. Adrian Wu asks: truth or dare? Ray Chelstowski collects cassettes and James Whitworth's character worries about them. Finally, in Audio Anthropology we have twice the fun and our Parting Shot finds B. Jan Montana under an Arizona sky.

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#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 #234 Rags for Solo Piano and a Dog: David Chesky's Ragtime Music for the Modern Age by Frankly Speaking Sep 07, 2026 #234 HIGH END 2026, Vienna: Here to Stay by Carsten Barnbeck Sep 07, 2026 #234 From The Audiophile’s Guide: The Two Main Types of Loudpeakers – Box and Panel by Paul McGowan Sep 07, 2026 #234 Letting it Slide by Frank Doris Sep 07, 2026 #234 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff Sep 07, 2026 #234 Long Playing by Peter Xeni Sep 07, 2026 #234 La Mer by B. Jan Montana Sep 07, 2026 #233 A Report From The Total Hi-Fi Experience Show SoCal 2026 by B. Jan Montana Aug 03, 2026 #233 Bluegrass Meets Country, Folk, Jazz and More in All That We Carried by The Squid City Slingers by Frank Doris Aug 03, 2026 #233 Corey Glover and One Tribe Nation: A Variegated Musical Collective by Ray Chelstowski Aug 03, 2026 #233 Excursions with Clive: The Late Clive Davis, A Personal History by Wayne Robins Aug 03, 2026 #233 AI, Art, and Music: A Conversation With Synthography Art by Joe Caplan Aug 03, 2026 #233 New American Symphonies: A Rediscovered Gem and a Vital Contemporary Work by Frank Doris Aug 03, 2026 #233 The Vinyl Beat: Genesis, the Dave Clark Five, Antonio Carlos Jobim and More by Rudy Radelic Aug 03, 2026 #233 How to Play in a Rock Band, 26: When It's Time to Record Your Music by Frank Doris Aug 03, 2026 #233 More From T.H.E. Show 2026, and the People Who Made it Happen by Harris Fogel Aug 03, 2026 #233 Underappreciated Artists, Part Three: Icehouse by Rich Isaacs Aug 03, 2026 #233 The Surprisingly Rich and Varied Music of Somalia by Steve Kindig Aug 03, 2026 #233 A Remarkable Discographic Legacy: The LP Recordings of the Basel Symphony Orchestra by Stephan Haberthür Aug 03, 2026 #233 From The Audiophile’s Guide: The Importance of Loudspeakers by Paul McGowan Aug 03, 2026 #233 From Swimming Pool to New Listening Room: A Conversation with Norman Varney of AV RoomService by Gilles Laferrière Aug 03, 2026 #233 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff Aug 03, 2026 #233 Audio Jewelry by Peter Xeni Aug 03, 2026 #233 Enrich Your Life by Frank Doris Aug 03, 2026 #233 The Searcher by James Schrimpf Aug 03, 2026 #232 What came first: Art or Music? A Conversation With Artist Jose Acosta by Joe Caplan Jul 06, 2026 #232 Blow By Blow: The Jeff Beck Story: An Insightful Book About a Guitar Icon by Ray Chelstowski Jul 06, 2026 #232 Creed Over Camaraderie? by B. Jan Montana Jul 06, 2026 #232 Chronicles of a Sound Pilgrim at the 2026 Montreal Audiofest by Hugues Morin Jul 06, 2026 #232 The Vinyl Beat: Summer Grooves by Rudy Radelic Jul 06, 2026 #232 Hibbing Hillbilly Dylan's Acoustic Rock by Wayne Robins Jul 06, 2026 #232 Quad Quads and Plasmatronics Tweeters: An Extraordinary System Comes to Life by Frank Doris Jul 06, 2026 #232 In Praise of Live Music, Once Again by Ted Shafran Jul 06, 2026 #232 Allnic Audio’s L-9000 Preamplifier: Design and Engineering Innovation by Howard Kneller Jul 06, 2026 #232 “Best Of” Lists and Rage Bait: Enough Already by Frank Doris Jul 06, 2026 #232 Quick Takes: Bud Shank, Paulo Almeida, Jakob Dreyer, Tim Eriksen and Peter Irvine by Frank Doris Jul 06, 2026

Learning to Fly

Learning to Fly

Every day is an opportunity to learn something. Even when there are days when we feel like we’re wading through molasses, we can still expand our knowledge, even if it’s just learning how to get better at wading through molasses. Being obsessed with all things audio, and lacking a degree in engineering or acoustics, I’ve spent a lifetime learning from others and by exploring, experimenting and doing stuff.

One aspect of this is putting together each issue’s “Audio Anthropology” column. In the process, I look through old audio and electronics textbooks and find information I didn’t know before. It’s a reminder that if we want to expand our horizons in audio, or music, or anything, the journey is never-ending. Yogi Berra noted, “life is a learning experience, only if you learn.” Keep an open mind and open ears. Because of scheduling conflicts (in other words, there aren’t enough hours in a day for everyone concerned), the conclusion of our interview with Walter Schofield of Krell will run in the next issue.

In this issue: Wayne Robins has a must-read review of Bruce Springsteen’s new album, Letter to You. Larry Schenbeck considers musical prize winners. Dan Schwartz tells what he’s been up to. WL Woodward has a review of the upcoming Zappa movie. J.I. Agnew gives perspective on the Loudness War. Tom Gibbs looks at new releases and reissues from Japandroids, the Replacements, Blue Note and Khatia Buniatishvili. Roy Hall visits distilleries in Scotland and Alón Sagee journeys to Mongolia. Rich Isaacs turns us onto 10 more great guitar solos.

John Seetoo contributes Part One of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) virtual Fall 2020 show. Steven Bryan Bieler considers Glenn Danzig covering Elvis. Don Lindich interviews Tom Hannaher of ZVOX Audio, a company with an individual approach to sound and hearing, and I ponder hearing loss and the need for high-end audio. Jay Jay French gets to the soul of guitar tone. Anne E. Johnson has two shining articles on Earth, Wind & Fire and the Judge, bassist Milt Hinton. Ken Sander goes on the road with British prog-rock band Renaissance. Adrian Wu asks: truth or dare? Ray Chelstowski collects cassettes and James Whitworth's character worries about them. Finally, in Audio Anthropology we have twice the fun and our Parting Shot finds B. Jan Montana under an Arizona sky.

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