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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#231 Piano Prodigy Jude Kofie Releases His Debut Album On Octave Records by Frank Doris Jun 01, 2026 #231 Underappreciated Artists, Part Two: City Boy by Rich Isaacs Jun 01, 2026 #231 Music and the Art of Creation: Talking With Saxophonist Rob Scheps by Joe Caplan Jun 01, 2026 #231 How to Play in a Rock Band, 24: Further Adventures at the 2026 Montauk Music Festival by Frank Doris Jun 01, 2026 #231 Courtney Barnett: Creature of Habit by Wayne Robins Jun 01, 2026 #231 Angine de Poitrine: Interstellar Guitar Rock Saviors Headed for Late-Night TV Pop Stardom? by Mark Lepage Jun 01, 2026 #231 My Impressions of AXPONA 2026, Part One by Frank Doris Jun 01, 2026 #231 2026 La Jolla Concours d'Elegance: Another Aesthetic Feast by B. Jan Montana Jun 01, 2026 #231 Country Music Icon Jo Dee Messina’s Bridges: A New Beginning by Ray Chelstowski Jun 01, 2026 #231 The Luxury Dispatch Hosts a Video Podcast With Ken Kessler by Ken Kessler Jun 01, 2026 #231 The Vinyl Beat: Tracking in the Motor City by Rudy Radelic Jun 01, 2026 #231 Lots of Fun With DSP: The Ferrum Audio WANDLA DAC and Its Tube Mode by Frank Doris Jun 01, 2026 #231 From The Audiophile's Guide: Digital Source Components and Streaming Audio by Paul McGowan Jun 01, 2026 #231 Onkyo’s Monster M-510 power amplifier by The Staff at Just Audio Jun 01, 2026 #231 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff Jun 01, 2026 #231 Naming Convention by Peter Xeni Jun 01, 2026 #231 Les Invisibles by Frank Doris Jun 01, 2026 #231 Wildlife Scene by James Schrimpf Jun 01, 2026 #230 Camaraderie by B. Jan Montana May 04, 2026 #230 AXPONA 2026: A Family Gathering by Paul McGowan May 04, 2026 #230 Pianist Ryan Benthall Explores Jazz Realms and Far Beyond With Divine Sky by Frank Doris May 04, 2026 #230 The Vinyl Beat in AXPONA-Land by Rudy Radelic May 04, 2026 #230 Teddy Thompson’s Musical Growth Deepens With Never Be the Same by Ray Chelstowski May 04, 2026 #230 More Fun in the Sun: Florida Audio Expo, Part Two by Frank Doris May 04, 2026 #230 CanJam NYC 2026 Show Report: Heady Sound, Part Two by Frank Doris and Harris Fogel May 04, 2026 #230 Sonic Youth On Murray Street by Wayne Robins May 04, 2026 #230 Graffeo Coffee: A Symphony of Sensory Experience by Joe Caplan May 04, 2026 #230 The Saul Authority: The Story of Hi-Fi Pioneer Saul Marantz by Olivier Meunier-Plante May 04, 2026 #230 How to Play in a Rock Band, 23: Encounters With Famous Musicians, Part Two by Frank Doris May 04, 2026 #230 An Outlier in the Rack: A Vintage BIC Beam Box by The Staff at Just Audio May 04, 2026 #230 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff May 04, 2026 #230 A Cautionary Tale by Rich Isaacs May 04, 2026 #230 Reel-to-Reel Roots, Part 33 (Revised): Ken Kessler Reports On the 2026 (British) AudioJumble by Ken Kessler May 04, 2026 #230 Text Messaging by Frank Doris May 04, 2026 #230 The Audiophile Rat Race by Peter Xeni May 04, 2026 #230 On the Rocks by Rich Isaacs May 04, 2026 #229 The Earliest Stars of Country Music, Part Three by Jeff Weiner Apr 06, 2026 #229 The Healing Power of Music and Sound at the Omega Institute by Joe Caplan Apr 06, 2026 #229 CanJam NYC 2026 Show Report: Heady Sound, Part One by Frank Doris Apr 06, 2026 #229 Florida Audio Expo 2026: Warming Up to High-End Audio, Part One by Frank Doris Apr 06, 2026 #229 Quick Takes: Anne Bisson, Sam Morrison, The Velvet Underground, and the Stooges by Frank Doris Apr 06, 2026 #229 The Vinyl Beat: New Arrivals, and Old Audio Show Demo Scores to Settle by Rudy Radelic Apr 06, 2026 #229 Harvard Gets a High-End Audio Education by Frank Doris Apr 06, 2026 #229 No Country for Old Knees by B. Jan Montana Apr 06, 2026 #229 How To Play in A Rock Band, 22: Encounters With Famous Musicians, Part 1 by Frank Doris Apr 06, 2026 #229 The Soulful Grooves of Guinea-Bissau by Steve Kindig Apr 06, 2026 #229 Four-Hand Piano Performance at Its Finest by Stephan Haberthür Apr 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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