Copper
Down the Rabbit Hole of SACD Ripping and DSD Ex...
I’m a firm believer in fair use when it comes to audio media — if you bought it, you own it, and you’re free to do with it as you...
From SACD Bust to Native DSD Boom With the Topp...
In Issue 186, I told you about a device I’d gotten that was reported to allow an SACD player’s HDMI output to send a native DSD signal to your DAC....
An Exciting and Inexpensive Device to Improve S...
Early February I was sitting around, surfing the net, and happened to come across a Facebook post from a group I belong to, SACD, DVD-A, & Blu-ray Audio Audiophiles. This...
A Visit to the Florida Audio Expo 2023, Part Two
During the Florida Audio Expo (FLAX), I basically live-posted capsules on Facebook from notable rooms I visited each day. Little did I know when I posted about Focal/Naim’s room that I was...
A Visit to the Florida Audio Expo 2023, Part One
This was my third consecutive trip to the Florida Audio Expo (I’ll call it FLAX for short), and the overall experience was the best yet. The show was completely sold...
Highway 61 Revisited — And a New Beginning In t...
I have a long history with the Charleston, South Carolina area, beginning when my high school best friend Steve’s dad bought a fixer-upper 35-foot sailboat and had it towed to...
An Unexpected Return to the Dungeon
When I last checked in (in Issue 170), most aspects of my upcoming move to South Carolina were still in complete flux. To say that the entire experience has been...
The Times They Are a-Changin’!
I’ve been absent for a couple of issues, and I wanted to let everyone know that I haven’t completely faded away…at least, not yet! In previous issues of Copper, I’d...
Saturday Night in San Francisco on 180-Gram LP ...
In the mid-seventies, Al Di Meola was a young, hotshot jazz fusion guitarist with Chick Corea and Return to Forever. But he’d also developed a deep understanding of Latin music,...
XTC: Steven Wilson Remix/Remasters on CD and Bl...
This follow-up to Part One in Issue 165 covers the last of the currently-available Steven Wilson XTC catalog album remix/remasters in 2-disc CD/Blu-ray sets — well, almost. I’m still missing the pseudo-XTC...
XTC: Steven Wilson Remix/Remasters on CD and Bl...
You probably all realize by now that I’ve been trying to grab as many of the Steven Wilson-remixed/remastered CD/Blu-ray/DVD-A sets as possible. Having come somewhat late to the game, I’ve...
Nick Drake’s Albums in 24/96 Digital Sound
In Issue 162, I talked about Nick Drake, the artist and musician, and the myriad of mysteries surrounding his brief lifetime here on earth. This go-around, I’d like to touch on...
In Search of the Real Nick Drake
Who exactly was Nick Drake? Nicholas Rodney Drake was born June 19, 1948, in Rangoon, Burma, where his father Rodney served as an engineer with the Bombay Burma Trading Company....
Outstanding Digital Downloads, Recently Added t...
This issue, I’m taking a listen to some digital downloads I’ve recently acquired. These include some interesting catalog albums that I’ve either never had on compact disc or any digital...
All You Need Is Love…and Maybe a Shiny Suitcase...
Recently I picked up my four-year-old grandson Henry after preschool, and upon getting him buckled securely into his car seat, we headed off to our lunch destination. My car stereo...
The Mystery of the New York Acoustics Nova 1 Lo...
Roy Brunjes was a petroleum engineering graduate of Penn State University, and worked for thirty years with Texaco, including a ten-year stint in England as part of the North Sea...
The Florida Audio Expo 2022 – A Bold Step Towar...
My second trip to the Florida Audio Expo (FAE) in Tampa was one that was marked with a certain amount of uncertainty and anxiety on my part. Initially, I was...
AudioEngine's New S6 Subwoofer with the HD4 Hom...
In Copper Issue 149 I talked about how my personal circumstances could soon be changing fairly dramatically in about a year and a half (you can read about that here)....
The Importance of Keeping Your Audio Connection...
Back around 1980 was when I first started having some awareness of the importance of good audio connectivity. Of course, any of the mid-fi-ish equipment I typically had bought prior...
What Music Do You Play to Show Off Your System?...
Courtesy of Tom Gibbs. In the last issue of Copper, I highlighted some of the many tunes I listen to for both pleasure and for equipment evaluation (see my article in Issue...
What Music Do You Play to Show Off Your System?
On NewYear’s Day, my daughter and her family came over to help ring in the new year. A couple of days earlier, my son-in-law had called and asked me if...
Improving Digital Streaming with a Gigabit Ethe...
I’ve been involved in digital music streaming for around eight or nine years now, but have only truly taken a really deep dive in the last few years. Recently, I’ve...
Further Analysis: the Gustard X16 and Stellar G...
In Copper Issue 150, I shared my review of the Gustard X16 digital-to-analog converter as used in my main audio system, and the results were nothing less than spectacular. My intent was...
Gustard’s X16 Digital-to-Analog Converter – My ...
In Copper’s last issue, I talked about possible upcoming changes to my lifestyle and living arrangements that might require me to rethink my large(ish) home stereo setup. In particular, whether...
A Meditation on Ditching My Large Audio Setup w...
AudioEngine makes some darn fine powered loudspeakers. Brady Bargenquast, AudioEngine’s director and chief of marketing, is a heck of a nice guy, and has always been very accommodating in terms...
Johnny Cash - Bear’s Sonic Journals: Johnny Cas...
Once again, I’m focusing on a single outstanding record; this time it’s a 1968 Johnny Cash live date in San Francisco that never saw the light of day prior to...
King Crimson - Red (40th Anniversary Steven Wil...
I know, I’m pretty much late to the party with regard to the Steven Wilson remix/remasters of classic rock and prog titles, many of which have been out for a...
Bob Dylan – Springtime in New York: The Bootleg...
This issue, I’m focusing on a single release, Bob Dylan’s Springtime in New York: The Bootleg Series Vol. 16/1980-1985, a new five-disc box that covers Dylan’s return to form following his...
An I²S Follow Up…And More Steven Wilson Remix/R...
In my article in Copper Issue 141 I talked about my new setup using a Douk Audio USB digital interface to get an I²S output signal fed to my PS Audio GainCell...
More SACD Reviews of New Releases
The Doobie Brothers – What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits I’ve always had this kind of love/hate relationship with the Mobile Fidelity record label, and that goes all the way back...
An Exploration Into Digital Audio File Compression
I first got into digital file streaming about eight years ago at the insistence of my brother, who wouldn’t shut up about it until I got somewhat involved. Of...
Newly-Released SACD Discs Worth Checking Out
I’ve been on this converting SACDs to DSD files binge as of late, and in addition to the 400 or so discs I currently have in my library, I’ve been...
Classic Yes in High-Resolution Digital
Now that my digital music system has been hitting on all cylinders for several months, I’ve suddenly become interested in high-resolution releases of Yes albums again, and have been on...
Classic Yes in the Digital Age
My love for the band Yes goes all the way back to my early teen years; the small town in Northeast Georgia I grew up in had two AM radio...
Ditching the Digital Disc Player and Embracing ...
I do intend to get back to the normal record review format of this column, but I felt compelled this go-around to continue talking about how my DSD-ripping experience has...
Dreaming...of Effortless DSD Streaming!
Last issue I wrote about finally figuring out how to break through the seemingly impenetrable barriers of the SACD format in order to rip the DSD layer, to enable relatively...
Streaming Digital Audio Via the I²S Connection
I’ve talked a lot in recent articles about ditching the digital disc playback model and moving towards a strictly streaming-based setup for all my digital playback. I haven’t gotten rid...
Down the Rabbit Hole of SACD Ripping and DSD Ex...
I’m a firm believer in fair use when it comes to audio media — if you bought it, you own it, and you’re free to do with it as you...
Two Classic Albums from Jazz's Elder Statesmen,...
Charles Lloyd & the Marvels – Tone Poem 83-year-old saxophonist Charles Lloyd has actually had several careers as a musician. Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, he grew up surrounded by blues,...
Black Sabbath Mark II: Deluxe Edition Reissues
My experiences with Black Sabbath go all the way back to my pre-teen years, and most of their classic music has been ingrained into my psyche throughout most of my...
Three Excellent New Albums By Bands That Had Fl...
Mogwai – As The Love Continues Mogwai is a Scottish band that formed in 1995 in Glasgow; founding members Stuart Braithwaite and Dominic Aitchison first toyed with forming a band a few...
New Releases: One Disappointing, One Overproduc...
Steven Wilson – The Future Bites When Steven Wilson released his EP The B-Sides Collection late last year ahead of this new LP, The Future Bites, for me it was easily among the best...
Two Cool EPs and a Sad Tribute to a Fallen Son
Death Cab for Cutie – The Georgia EP Seattle-area band Death Cab for Cutie started in 1997 as a solo project for singer/guitarist and keyboardist Ben Gibbard, but those plans were...
Crate Digging — 2021 Style
Once again, we’re at that time of year where there isn’t a great deal out there in terms of notable new releases, so I’m focusing on some recent finds I’ve...
A Cool Remix, and Three Interesting EPs
This is the time of year when traditionally there aren’t too many new releases, but there are quite a few new ones on the horizon. The artists I’ve chosen for...
A Classic Reissue and Three Great New EPs
Booker T. & the M.G.’s – McLemore Avenue (50th Anniversary Edition) Booker T. & the M.G.’s were basically the house band at rhythm and blues label Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee,...
Two Big Hits...and a Definite Strikeout!
Smashing Pumpkins – Cyr Smashing Pumpkins was one of my favorite bands of the nineties; Gish and Siamese Dream are still in regular rotation in my listening room and in my car, and are among...
Two Outstanding New Releases…and a Repackage of...
Joni Mitchell – Archives – Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967) Joni Mitchell is one of the rare folk artists from the late sixties whose first few albums eschewed covers of...
Four Classic Holiday LP Reissues From Sony Legacy
We’re taking a break from the usual new release record review format this issue to focus on some holiday classics, just in time for the holiday season. My wife (heretofore...
Four Great Albums - One Just Sounds Terrible
Japandroids – Massey F*cking Hall Japandroids is an indie/post-punk duo from Vancouver, Canada; the band consists of Brian King on guitars and lead vocals and David Prowse on drums. The band...