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Details: Music Everywhere

April 2022

Rad Bennett, a writer for the SoundStage! Network for the better part of two decades, passed away in Harper’s Ferry, VA, on March 10, 2022. A versatile reviewer, Rad covered movies, music, and equipment. He was the kind of writer who could take a $79 Bluetooth speaker through its paces and craft an article from it that was both compelling and accurate—a rare skill in this industry. Rad’s main focus, though, was entertainment—Rad was an expert on classic films and classical music, and wrote authoritatively on both. His many writings can be found on multiple sites throughout the SoundStage! Network.

Details: Music Everywhere

April 2022

The model-designation number of the Flip 6 tells us that this popular speaker has been around for quite a while. And this time, it appears that JBL is turning over new models fairly rapidly, as I just reviewed the Flip 5 last August. At first glance, this new version looks much like the previous one, but there are in fact quite a few differences and upgrades. At $129.95 (all prices USD), the Flip 6 is still a bargain, even when you consider that the price of the Flip 5 has been reduced to $109.95. Is the Flip 6 worth the extra $20? I think so, but a lot depends on the needs of the buyer.

Details: Art+Tech

Note: for the full suite of measurements for the Monitor Audio Bronze 100 loudspeaker performed in the anechoic chamber at Canada’s National Research Council, click this link.

April 2020

As revolutionary as the popular music of the 1960s was, some things didn’t change. When that decade ended, artists were still expected to be from somewhere rather than remaining regionally based.

Details: CD music

April 2022

Jammin’ Colors 73374
Format: CD

Musical Performance

Sound Quality

Overall Enjoyment

Miles Davis was a firm believer that music is colorless. Despite having been an outspoken champion and defender of Black artists and their creative output, the trumpeter recognized that music transcends the petty political stances and systemic racism dominating life in Western democracies.

Details: Blu-ray movies

March 2022

Stylized Mob Characters in a Film with Memorable Set Pieces

The Criterion Collection 1112
Format: BD

Overall Enjoyment

Picture Quality

Sound Quality

Extras

Joel and Ethan Coen’s Miller’s Crossing was released in 1990, the same year as Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, the movie many regard as the ultimate gangster flick. While Scorsese’s film aims for exaggerated realism, Miller’s Crossing embodies a highly stylized romanticism. But despite its memorable set pieces and earnest acting, it doesn’t seem to tell a story quite as well as its flashier competition.

Details: Art+Tech

Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click this link.

March 2022

A couple of months ago, 2021 was capped off for me by the arrival of NAD’s C 700 BluOS streaming amplifier, which I wrote about in the January edition of “Art+Tech.” As I always do, I turned to the manufacturer’s website to see where the C 700 sat in the company’s product line. I couldn’t help but linger over the description of the Masters M10 V2, the C 700’s grander sibling.

Details: CD music

March 2022

Melissa Aldana: 12 Stars

Blue Note Records B0034596-02
Format: CD

Musical Performance

Sound Quality

Overall Enjoyment

Details: Music Everywhere

March 2022

For the past seven months, I’ve been on a bit of a roll reviewing portable Bluetooth speakers with light shows—LEDs that dance to the music. The latest of these is the Anker Soundcore Flare 2, another cylindrical design that’s shorter than most JBLs and other brands of Bluetooth speakers, yet provides pretty good sound along with a user-adjustable light show. At $79 (all prices in USD), it’s a strong contender if you’re looking for a really small speaker with decent sound. And you can usually get your hands on one for far less than the list price if you shop around.

Details: Blu-ray movies

February 2022

Netflix Film about Child Soldiers Gets Superb Blu-ray Treatment from Criterion

The Criterion Collection 1091
Format: BD

Overall Enjoyment

Picture Quality

Sound Quality

Extras

Cary Joji Fukunaga has been making quite an impression lately as a director with vision and one who values diversity. He directed the first season of True Detective for television, and it was a doozy. In Beasts of No Nation, adapted from the novel of the same name by Nigerian-American author Uzodinma Iweala, he tackles the story of a child soldier. Its main character, Agu (played by impressive discovery Abraham Attah), is a young, upbeat boy living in a village in West Africa, who spends his time playing games of fantasy and make-believe with his friends.

Details: Art+Tech

Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click this link.

February 2022

Five decades ago, many leading jazz musicians were at a chaotic, crowded crossroads.

Details: Download music

February 2022

Blue Note Records B003473002
Format: 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV download

Musical Performance

Sound Quality

Overall Enjoyment

This year marks a milestone anniversary; I’ve been writing about music on a regular basis for 30 years. Over that time, it’s likely I’ve encountered pianist Ethan Iverson more than any other artist, with the possible exception of trumpeter Dave Douglas. I caught Iverson with The Bad Plus many times during his tenure with the trio, sat on a panel discussion with him at the Portland Jazz Festival, shared the pages of DownBeat with him in his guise as a part-time music critic, and interviewed him for insights on topics as disparate as the late Andrew Hill and the state of jazz education. I’ve even seen him sit in on drums, fuelled by numerous martinis, at a jam session.

Details: Music Everywhere

February 2022

I confess I knew little or nothing about Furrion before starting this review, but after doing a little research, I discovered that they’re a huge corporation based in Hong Kong that makes a wide variety of products. In entertainment, their focus seems to be outdoor equipment, and their product lines include a vast selection of marine gear and outdoor televisions. The LIT is their only Bluetooth speaker, and it’s available (in black or white) as a standalone product, but the Adventure Kit throws in some interesting mounting equipment at considerable savings. Furrion lists the LIT and Adventure Kit at $140.95 (all prices in USD). The speaker alone is $119.95. If you bought the accessories separately, it would add up to $48. It’s an interesting design that will appeal to many outdoor enthusiasts—with one big caveat.

Details: Blu-ray movies

January 2022

Definitive Video of a Classic on Criterion 4K

The Criterion Collection 44
Formats: BD, 4K Ultra HD

Overall Enjoyment

Picture Quality

Sound Quality

Extras

The Red Shoes has long been a staple of the Criterion Collection. Although the image quality has always been fairly decent, the company’s release of the 2009 restoration blows all previous efforts away. The new Blu-ray and 4K UHD discs, both included in the package, reveal a movie so chromatically intense, it virtually defies description.

Details: Art+Tech

Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click this link.

January 2022

Over the first year of this “Art+Tech” column, I’ve explored some intriguing new pieces of equipment and listened to a lot of great music in the process. I’ve mentioned some of the music I’ve most enjoyed in 2021 along the way; but not all of it. And of all the terrific gear that passed through my office, the piece that really caught my eye—NAD’s C 700 BluOS streaming amplifier ($1499, all prices in USD)—has only recently landed on my desk. That’s perfect timing for revisiting my ten favorite albums of the past year and seeing how the C 700 treats them.

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In Memory of Rad Bennett

JBL Flip 6 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker

Re-evaluating ZZ Top’s "Rio Grande Mud" through Monitor Audio Bronze 100 Bookshelf Speakers

Various Artists: "Black Lives: From Generation to Generation"

"Miller's Crossing"

Stylized Mob Characters in a Film with Memorable Set Pieces

Brawling with Vintage Charles Mingus and the NAD Masters M10 V2 BluOS Streaming Amplifier

Culture and Flow: Three Saxophonists Who Transcend (Melissa Aldana, "12 Stars"; Roxy Coss, "Disparate Parts"; Julieta Eugenio, "Jump")

Melissa Aldana: 12 Stars

Anker Soundcore Flare 2 Bluetooth Speaker

"Beasts of No Nation"

Netflix Film about Child Soldiers Gets Superb Blu-ray Treatment from Criterion

Cecil Taylor Dances Out of the Vault and into the Emotiva BasX TA1 Stereo Receiver

Ethan Iverson: "Every Note Is True"

Furrion LIT Bluetooth Speaker with Adventure Kit

"The Red Shoes"

Definitive Video of a Classic on Criterion 4K

Revisiting the Best of 2021 with the NAD C 700 BluOS Streaming Amplifier