COPPER

A PS Audio Publication

Issue 208 • Free Online Magazine

Issue 208 Opening Salvo

Table of Contents – Issue 208

Table of Contents – Issue 208

We are saddened to learn of the passing of Alón Sagee, Copper contributor and president of the San Francisco Audiophile Society. While I never had the opportunity to meet him in person, I had the pleasure of working with him quite a bit when he was writing for Copper. See my tribute to Alón in this issue.

The process of posting comments on Copper has become more...challenging since going to a new web platform. Here's how to do it:

To comment on an article, you need an account on Disqus.com. You can set up an account with a separate e-mail and password, or you can use your current login and password from Facebook, X, or Google. Below are the instructions for setting up an account directly through Disqus.

  1. Create an account on Disqus by clicking the D for Disqus.  
  2. Click on Need an Account? in the corner.
  3. Enter an e-mail and password for the account.
  4. A verification e-mail will be sent to your e-mail. Click on the link to verify your e-mail.
  5. You can now comment on an article.

Note: If you created an account but are unable to comment, you probably logged out. Click on the D again and enter your email and password to log back in.

Also in this issue: Paul McGowan offers a brief history of the evolution of loudspeakers. Octave Records has released The Art of Hi-Fi Volume 5: Woodwinds, a showcase for reed instruments. B. Jan Montana visits T.H.E. Show 2024. I watch the movie Dare to Be Different about the former, legendary new music station WLIR-FM, and attend a discussion with the director and WLIR DJs. Wayne Robins reviews The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed. I begin a new series that gives advice and tips on playing in a rock band. Ray Chelstowski reports on the return of indie-rock pioneers the dB’s and interviews singer/guitarist Peter Holsapple. Rich Isaacs checks out more test records and demo discs.

Rudy Radelic begins a new column, The Vinyl Beat, that will look at current reissues and some old classics. Harris Fogel photographs people at the 2024 NAMM Show. We have guest articles from AAA magazine for the 70th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, and a piece from FIDELITY that asks: why does music move us? Howard Kneller goes wireless with the Sonus faber Omnia in From the Listening Chair. We re-run a classic Ken Kessler column on revisiting his reel-to-reel roots. PS Audio gets some stellar reviews for the AirLens streamer, StellarGold preamplifier and BHK Signature 300 mono power amplifier. The issue wraps up with console magic, a tasty tweak, and some Las Vegas rockin’.

Contributors to this issue:
Ray Chelstowski, Frank Doris, Harris Fogel, Rich Isaacs, Nick Joyce, Ken Kessler, Howard Kneller, Paul McGowan, B. Jan Montana, Rudy Radelic, Wayne Robins, Hans-Jürgen Schaal, Peter Xeni

Logo Design:
Susan Schwartz-Christian, from a concept by Bob D’Amico

Editor:
Frank Doris

Publisher:
Paul McGowan

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

Copper’s Comments Policy:

Copper’s comments sections are moderated. While we encourage thoughtful and spirited discussion, please be civil.

The editor and Copper’s editorial staff reserve the right to delete comments according to our discretion. This includes: political commentary; posts that are abusive, insulting, demeaning or defamatory; posts that are in violation of someone’s privacy; comments that violate the use of copyrighted information; posts that contain personal information; and comments that contain links to suspect websites (phishing sites or those that contain viruses and so on). Spam will be blocked or deleted.

Copper is a place to be enthusiastic about music, audio and other topics. It is most especially not a forum for political discussion, trolling, or rude behavior. Thanks for your consideration.

 – FD

More from Issue 208

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#227 Seth Lewis Gets in the Groove With Take a Look Around: a Tribute to the Meters by Frank Doris Feb 02, 2026 #227 Passport to Sound: May Anwar’s Audio Learning Experience for Young People by Frank Doris Feb 02, 2026 #227 Conjectures on Cosmic Consciousness by B. Jan Montana Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Big Takeover Turns 45 by Wayne Robins Feb 02, 2026 #227 Music and Chocolate: On the Sensory Connection by Joe Caplan Feb 02, 2026 #227 Singer/Songwriter Chris Berardo: Getting Wilder All the Time by Ray Chelstowski Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Earliest Stars of Country Music, Part One by Jeff Weiner Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Vinyl Beat Goes Down to Tijuana (By Way of Los Angeles), Part Two by Rudy Radelic Feb 02, 2026 #227 How to Play in a Rock Band, 20: On the Road With Blood, Sweat & Tears’ Guitarist Gabe Cummins by Frank Doris Feb 02, 2026 #227 From The Audiophile’s Guide: Audio Specs and Measuring by Paul McGowan Feb 02, 2026 #227 Our Brain is Always Listening by Peter Trübner Feb 02, 2026 #227 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Listening Chair: Sleek Style and Sound From the Luxman L3 by Howard Kneller Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society Celebrates Its 32nd Anniversary, Honoring David and Sheryl Lee Wilson and Bernie Grundman by Harris Fogel Feb 02, 2026 #227 Back to My Reel-to-Reel Roots, Part 26: Half Full – Not Half Empty, Redux by Ken Kessler Feb 02, 2026 #227 That's What Puzzles Us... by Frank Doris Feb 02, 2026 #227 Record-Breaking by Peter Xeni Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Long and Winding Road by B. Jan Montana Feb 02, 2026 #226 JJ Murphy’s Sleep Paralysis is a Genre-Bending Musical Journey Through Jazz, Fusion and More by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 Stewardship by Consent by B. Jan Montana Jan 05, 2026 #226 Food, Music, and Sensory Experience: An Interview With Professor Jonathan Zearfoss of the Culinary Institute of America by Joe Caplan Jan 05, 2026 #226 Studio Confidential: A Who’s Who of Recording Engineers Tell Their Stories by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 Pilot Radio is Reborn, 50 Years Later: Talking With CEO Barak Epstein by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 The Vinyl Beat Goes Down to Tijuana (By Way of Los Angeles), Part One by Rudy Radelic Jan 05, 2026 #226 Capital Audiofest 2025: Must-See Stereo, Part Two by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 My Morning Jacket’s Carl Broemel and Tyler Ramsey Collaborate on Their Acoustic Guitar Album, Celestun by Ray Chelstowski Jan 05, 2026 #226 The People Who Make Audio Happen: CanJam SoCal 2025, Part Two by Harris Fogel Jan 05, 2026 #226 How to Play in a Rock Band, 19: Touring Can Make You Crazy, Part One by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 Linda Ronstadt Goes Bigger by Wayne Robins Jan 05, 2026 #226 From The Audiophile’s Guide: Active Room Correction and Digital Signal Processing by Paul McGowan Jan 05, 2026 #226 PS Audio in the News by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 Back to My Reel-to-Reel Roots, Part 25: Half-Full, Not Empty by Ken Kessler Jan 05, 2026 #226 Happy New Year! by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 Turn It Down! by Peter Xeni Jan 05, 2026 #226 Ghost Riders by James Schrimpf Jan 05, 2026 #226 A Factory Tour of Audio Manufacturer German Physiks by Markus "Marsu" Manthey Jan 04, 2026 #225 Capital Audiofest 2025: Must-See Stereo, Part One by Frank Doris Dec 01, 2025 #225 Otis Taylor and the Electrics Delivers a Powerful Set of Hypnotic Modern Blues by Frank Doris Dec 01, 2025 #225 A Christmas Miracle by B. Jan Montana Dec 01, 2025 #225 T.H.E. Show New York 2025, Part Two: Plenty to See, Hear, and Enjoy by Frank Doris Dec 01, 2025 #225 Underappreciated Artists, Part One: Martin Briley by Rich Isaacs Dec 01, 2025 #225 Rock and Roll is Here to Stay by Wayne Robins Dec 01, 2025 #225 A Lifetime of Holiday Record (and CD) Listening by Rudy Radelic Dec 01, 2025 #225 Little Feat: Not Saying Goodbye, Not Yet by Ray Chelstowski Dec 01, 2025 #225 How to Play in a Rock Band, Part 18: Dealing With Burnout by Frank Doris Dec 01, 2025 #225 The People Who Make Audio Happen: CanJam SoCal 2025 by Harris Fogel Dec 01, 2025 #225 Chicago’s Sonic Sanctuaries: Four Hi‑Fi Listening Bars Channeling the Jazz‑Kissa Spirit by Olivier Meunier-Plante Dec 01, 2025

Table of Contents – Issue 208

Table of Contents – Issue 208

We are saddened to learn of the passing of Alón Sagee, Copper contributor and president of the San Francisco Audiophile Society. While I never had the opportunity to meet him in person, I had the pleasure of working with him quite a bit when he was writing for Copper. See my tribute to Alón in this issue.

The process of posting comments on Copper has become more...challenging since going to a new web platform. Here's how to do it:

To comment on an article, you need an account on Disqus.com. You can set up an account with a separate e-mail and password, or you can use your current login and password from Facebook, X, or Google. Below are the instructions for setting up an account directly through Disqus.

  1. Create an account on Disqus by clicking the D for Disqus.  
  2. Click on Need an Account? in the corner.
  3. Enter an e-mail and password for the account.
  4. A verification e-mail will be sent to your e-mail. Click on the link to verify your e-mail.
  5. You can now comment on an article.

Note: If you created an account but are unable to comment, you probably logged out. Click on the D again and enter your email and password to log back in.

Also in this issue: Paul McGowan offers a brief history of the evolution of loudspeakers. Octave Records has released The Art of Hi-Fi Volume 5: Woodwinds, a showcase for reed instruments. B. Jan Montana visits T.H.E. Show 2024. I watch the movie Dare to Be Different about the former, legendary new music station WLIR-FM, and attend a discussion with the director and WLIR DJs. Wayne Robins reviews The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed. I begin a new series that gives advice and tips on playing in a rock band. Ray Chelstowski reports on the return of indie-rock pioneers the dB’s and interviews singer/guitarist Peter Holsapple. Rich Isaacs checks out more test records and demo discs.

Rudy Radelic begins a new column, The Vinyl Beat, that will look at current reissues and some old classics. Harris Fogel photographs people at the 2024 NAMM Show. We have guest articles from AAA magazine for the 70th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, and a piece from FIDELITY that asks: why does music move us? Howard Kneller goes wireless with the Sonus faber Omnia in From the Listening Chair. We re-run a classic Ken Kessler column on revisiting his reel-to-reel roots. PS Audio gets some stellar reviews for the AirLens streamer, StellarGold preamplifier and BHK Signature 300 mono power amplifier. The issue wraps up with console magic, a tasty tweak, and some Las Vegas rockin’.

Contributors to this issue:
Ray Chelstowski, Frank Doris, Harris Fogel, Rich Isaacs, Nick Joyce, Ken Kessler, Howard Kneller, Paul McGowan, B. Jan Montana, Rudy Radelic, Wayne Robins, Hans-Jürgen Schaal, Peter Xeni

Logo Design:
Susan Schwartz-Christian, from a concept by Bob D’Amico

Editor:
Frank Doris

Publisher:
Paul McGowan

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

Copper’s Comments Policy:

Copper’s comments sections are moderated. While we encourage thoughtful and spirited discussion, please be civil.

The editor and Copper’s editorial staff reserve the right to delete comments according to our discretion. This includes: political commentary; posts that are abusive, insulting, demeaning or defamatory; posts that are in violation of someone’s privacy; comments that violate the use of copyrighted information; posts that contain personal information; and comments that contain links to suspect websites (phishing sites or those that contain viruses and so on). Spam will be blocked or deleted.

Copper is a place to be enthusiastic about music, audio and other topics. It is most especially not a forum for political discussion, trolling, or rude behavior. Thanks for your consideration.

 – FD

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