COPPER

A PS Audio Publication

Issue 150 • Free Online Magazine

Issue 150 Opening Salvo

Milestones

Milestones

This is the 150th issue of Copper! We are thrilled to have reached this milestone. It would not have been possible without our exceptional staff. I am honored and more than a little humbled to be working with such a talented group.

Putting out a magazine every two weeks isn’t easy. Well, our writers and artists are the ones who make it possible for us to keep Copper rocketing ahead, and you, the readers, are the ones who inspire us. I am continually delighted at what our writers contribute, at the covers by Cartoon Bob D’Amico that give Copper such a distinctive visual identity, at James Whitworth’s and Peter Xeni’s wry cartoons, and the images taken by our Parting Shot photographers.

Naturally, credit has to go to Paul McGowan, our enabler-in-chief, along with previous editor Bill Leebens and editorial superwoman Maggie McFalls, who were gracious beyond words in helping me climb aboard more than 50 issues ago.

You might have noticed that Jay Jay French has been absent the last few issues. That’s because he’s on a promotional tour for his new book, Twisted Business: Lessons from My Life In Rock ‘n’ Roll. Jay Jay will be back and rocking these pages again soon.

In this issue: Rudy Radelic asks: what’s in a number? 150, that is. In The Mindful Melophile, Don Kaplan offers 150 of his favorite recordings, and I list my favorite 150 rock and pop albums. Steven Bryan Bieler looks at a ranking of the best 150 albums made by women. Anne E. Johnson considers 150 years of Aida, and has an overview of multifaceted rocker David Bowie. We have two Capital Audiofest 2021 show reports from Harris Fogel and Steve Kindig. Tom Gibbs finds a new attractively-priced DAC. Ray Chelstowski interviews Don Airey of Deep Purple about their new Turning to Crime album, and I talk with saxophone master Frank Catalano.

Adrian Wu continues his series on exceptional analog recordings. Tom Methans has a conversation with Shannon Parks about the ultra-flexible Parks Puffin phono preamp. John Seetoo concludes his series on Christian music innovator and super-guitarist Phil Keaggy. Russ Welton asks which is better when it comes to speakers and subs: large or small? New contributor Jack Flory remembers when he was a boy fascinated with all things audio, and Stuart Marvin has a fond look at the 1960s musical magic of the Fillmore East and other New York venues. Ken Sander sets the wayback machine to two San Jose, California music festivals. B. Jan Montana rides ahead. J.I. Agnew concludes his series on the dazzling direct-metal-mastered DMM Dubplate, Vol. 1. We wrap up the issue with a rotating Staar, a cheesy situation, some vinyl aeronautics, and magnificent mesas.

Staff Writers:

J.I. Agnew, Ray Chelstowski, Cliff Chenfeld, Jay Jay French, Tom Gibbs, Roy Hall, Rich Isaacs, Anne E. Johnson, Don Kaplan, Ken Kessler, Don Lindich, Tom Methans, B. Jan Montana, Rudy Radelic, Tim Riley, Wayne Robins, Alón Sagee, Ken Sander, John Seetoo, Dan Schwartz, Russ Welton, WL Woodward, Adrian Wu

Contributing Editors:
Ivan Berger, Steven Bryan Bieler, Jack Flory, Harris Fogel, Robert Heiblim, Steve Kindig, Ed Kwok, Stuart Marvin, Andy Schaub, David Snyder, Bob Wood

Cover:
“Cartoon Bob” D’Amico

Cartoons:
James Whitworth, Peter Xeni

Parting Shots:
James Schrimpf, B. Jan Montana, Rich Isaacs (and others)

Audio Anthropology Photos:
Howard Kneller, Steve Rowell

Editor:
Frank Doris

Publisher:
Paul McGowan

Advertising Sales:
No one. We are free from advertising and subscribing to Copper is free.

 – FD

More from Issue 150

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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

Milestones

Milestones

This is the 150th issue of Copper! We are thrilled to have reached this milestone. It would not have been possible without our exceptional staff. I am honored and more than a little humbled to be working with such a talented group.

Putting out a magazine every two weeks isn’t easy. Well, our writers and artists are the ones who make it possible for us to keep Copper rocketing ahead, and you, the readers, are the ones who inspire us. I am continually delighted at what our writers contribute, at the covers by Cartoon Bob D’Amico that give Copper such a distinctive visual identity, at James Whitworth’s and Peter Xeni’s wry cartoons, and the images taken by our Parting Shot photographers.

Naturally, credit has to go to Paul McGowan, our enabler-in-chief, along with previous editor Bill Leebens and editorial superwoman Maggie McFalls, who were gracious beyond words in helping me climb aboard more than 50 issues ago.

You might have noticed that Jay Jay French has been absent the last few issues. That’s because he’s on a promotional tour for his new book, Twisted Business: Lessons from My Life In Rock ‘n’ Roll. Jay Jay will be back and rocking these pages again soon.

In this issue: Rudy Radelic asks: what’s in a number? 150, that is. In The Mindful Melophile, Don Kaplan offers 150 of his favorite recordings, and I list my favorite 150 rock and pop albums. Steven Bryan Bieler looks at a ranking of the best 150 albums made by women. Anne E. Johnson considers 150 years of Aida, and has an overview of multifaceted rocker David Bowie. We have two Capital Audiofest 2021 show reports from Harris Fogel and Steve Kindig. Tom Gibbs finds a new attractively-priced DAC. Ray Chelstowski interviews Don Airey of Deep Purple about their new Turning to Crime album, and I talk with saxophone master Frank Catalano.

Adrian Wu continues his series on exceptional analog recordings. Tom Methans has a conversation with Shannon Parks about the ultra-flexible Parks Puffin phono preamp. John Seetoo concludes his series on Christian music innovator and super-guitarist Phil Keaggy. Russ Welton asks which is better when it comes to speakers and subs: large or small? New contributor Jack Flory remembers when he was a boy fascinated with all things audio, and Stuart Marvin has a fond look at the 1960s musical magic of the Fillmore East and other New York venues. Ken Sander sets the wayback machine to two San Jose, California music festivals. B. Jan Montana rides ahead. J.I. Agnew concludes his series on the dazzling direct-metal-mastered DMM Dubplate, Vol. 1. We wrap up the issue with a rotating Staar, a cheesy situation, some vinyl aeronautics, and magnificent mesas.

Staff Writers:

J.I. Agnew, Ray Chelstowski, Cliff Chenfeld, Jay Jay French, Tom Gibbs, Roy Hall, Rich Isaacs, Anne E. Johnson, Don Kaplan, Ken Kessler, Don Lindich, Tom Methans, B. Jan Montana, Rudy Radelic, Tim Riley, Wayne Robins, Alón Sagee, Ken Sander, John Seetoo, Dan Schwartz, Russ Welton, WL Woodward, Adrian Wu

Contributing Editors:
Ivan Berger, Steven Bryan Bieler, Jack Flory, Harris Fogel, Robert Heiblim, Steve Kindig, Ed Kwok, Stuart Marvin, Andy Schaub, David Snyder, Bob Wood

Cover:
“Cartoon Bob” D’Amico

Cartoons:
James Whitworth, Peter Xeni

Parting Shots:
James Schrimpf, B. Jan Montana, Rich Isaacs (and others)

Audio Anthropology Photos:
Howard Kneller, Steve Rowell

Editor:
Frank Doris

Publisher:
Paul McGowan

Advertising Sales:
No one. We are free from advertising and subscribing to Copper is free.

 – FD

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