A PS Audio Publication
Issue 228 • Free Online Magazine
On February 24, Manhattan’s West 8th Street was officially co-named Jimi Hendrix Way. It’s where Electric Lady Studios, which began as Hendrix’s personal recording space, is located, and a fitting tribute to the man who changed electric guitar playing forever.
Your editor returned from Florida Audio Expo 2026 right before this issue’s deadline, so a report will appear in the next issue. The show was loads of fun and filled with very interesting gear.
In this issue: Jeff Weiner continues his series on the earliest stars of country music. John Volanski visits NAMM, the world’s biggest music industry trade show. B. Jan Montana shares a story about an unexpected thrill seeker. Your editor has a bone to pick with streaming audio. FIDELITY magazine takes us on a tour of Sweden’s exceptional Marten loudspeaker factory. Wayne Robins has a vinyl love story. Octave Records’ latest, Serita’s Black Rose Duo, offers a funky take on classic 1970s covers and more.
Frank Doris talks with singer/songwriter extraordinaire James Lee Stanley about life on the road, and reviews the new book, Listening to Prestige, about the history of the storied jazz label. Ray Chelstowski blasts off with blues legend Duke Robillard. Rudy Radelic and The Vinyl Beat cover LPs from Donald Byrd, Wes Montgomery, Frank Sinatra, and more. The Listening Chair takes us on an extended visit to the Nagra factory. Paul McGowan looks at the history of stereophonic sound in The Audiophile’s Guide. PS Audio earns 2026 Editors’ Choice awards. Ken Kessler gets back to his reel-to-reel roots with…high-tech reels. We conclude the issue with pure distortion, 90-degree stereo, and the keys to art.
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Contributors to This Issue:
Ray Chelstowski, Frank Doris, Rich Isaacs, Ken Kessler, Howard Kneller, Markus "Mansu" Manthey, Paul McGowan, B. Jan Montana, Sebastian Polcyn, Rudy Radelic, Wayne Robins, Ingo Schulz, John Volanski, Jeff Weiner, Peter Xeni
Logo Design:
Susan Schwartz-Christian, from a concept by Bob D’Amico
Editor:
Frank Doris
Publisher:
Paul McGowan
Post-publication Nitpicker:
Rich Isaacs
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– FD
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Introduction Originally called hillbilly music, country music began to come of age in 1927 as a result of a set of recordings made by the Victor Ta...
Stereophonic sound creates an illusion of location for various instruments within the original recording, in the same way that stereoscopic images...
Streaming audio can be a wonderful thing. Having instantaneous access to millions of songs and albums is something that, if you really think about ...
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Copper has an exchange program with selected magazines, where we share articles between publications. This one, a look at Swedish loudspeaker manuf...
This cartoon has been previously published.
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