Copper
Moscow
“Please list every single foreign trip you have taken.” This was just one of numerous ridiculous questions on the Russian Visa application form. Russia is the most bureaucratic place I...
Everest
This year, so far at least, eleven people have died on Mount Everest, and most of us have seen the photograph of the ridiculous “traffic jam” of climbers in a...
Empire, Part 3
[Previous installments on Empire were in Copper #84 and #86—Ed.] It’s ironic that I’ve ended up writing articles about audio history, as I always found school courses in history incredibly boring. The standard presentation was that...
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Renova...
My current audio system consists of the following— and there is a reason that I’m telling you this: Turntable: VPI Avenger Reference W/12” 3D printed VPI tonearm Cartridges: Dynavector XV1-S/EAT No. 5...
Where I've Been, Part 1
If you’ve been interested (and I’m not saying you ought to be…), you’ll have noticed that for the last year, I’ve frequently been missing from these pixels, and Copper has rerun older...
THE Show 2019, Part 1
It was difficult to convince members of the San Diego Music and Audio Guild to attend the THE Show this year. [THE Show is a sorta-acronym, for “The Home Entertainment Show”. The...
Django, Act 2
[Act 1 of the Django Reinhardt story appeared in Copper #86.] The Manouche poultices and remedies had kept Django alive but his mother Negros realized he was not recovering. Negros and friends took...
Objective/Subjective: Here We Go Again
“Seeing as ‘objective review’ is an oxymoron, ‘subjective review’ is moronic.” My contentious friend Michael Lavorgna—late of Stereophile and AudioStream, currently of his own site, Twittering Machines— recently posted that statement on Facebook. Michael often mocks...
Dianne Reeves: Eight Great Tracks
When Dianne Reeves went with her Denver high school big band to the National Jazz Educators’ Convention in 1974, she probably didn’t expect her career to suddenly take flight. But...
Billy Joel
He hasn’t made a rock album since 1993, but he sells out Madison Square Garden every month. As of this writing, 70-year-old Billy Joel has performed at MSG for 64...
Munich, Part 3
Ready for another day at the Munich High End, looking rather worse for wear. In past years we’ve seen a variety of Porsches and Bugattis at the show, put on...
363 Days in Vietnam, Part 4
[Previous installments from Michael’s book, 363 Days in Vietnam, appeared in Copper #84 , #85, and #86—Ed.] Day 301 Our mission at Tra Bong was never clear – it seemed like the powers that be were...