Grace Notes

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Leslie Shapiro  |  Jan 09, 2019  | 
Relative newcomer Edifier is showing off an impressive array of new speakers at CES 2019. As the first serious audio brand from mainland China to make an impact on the world market, the brand is probably making some of the older, more established brands a bit nervous.

Leslie Shapiro  |  Dec 18, 2018  | 
Have you ever wondered how you could get your son or daughter more involved in your love of audio equipment, music, or engineering in general? STEM is an important agenda item, but what can you do, right here, right now to spark an interest in your children? Bose has the answer. Instead of buying your children a pair of headphones or a speaker they’ll open and use, how about you all work together to build them up from a complete kit?

Leslie Shapiro  |  Dec 10, 2018  | 
Go big or stay home is my version of that common saying. If you’re going to go for a hike, make it epic. If it’s a run, make it a marathon. Bike ride? Better be a century. Ultra is in and you need gear that’s up for the challenge. If your legs can take a 14-hour run, why can’t your headphones?

Leslie Shapiro  |  Nov 26, 2018  | 
Who doesn’t love waking up on Thanksgiving morning and turning on the Macy’s Day Parade? It’s a tradition in our house, even as adults. The clowns, the floats, the marching bands, the performers, and of course, Santa. What could possibly go wrong with an almost 3-mile long moving performance that goes on live, with most of the nation tuned in to watch? Well, plenty.

Leslie Shapiro  |  Nov 12, 2018  | 
After checking out the Amazon Echo Sub recently, I thought the sound and features of the new Amazon Echo Plus (2nd generation) deserved a review of its own. It certainly performed admirably when paired with a second Plus and the Echo Sub, but how does it sound as a stand-alone player?

Leslie Shapiro  |  Oct 29, 2018  | 
These days, audiences want movies that are real and authentic. It’s a good thing stars want to make movies that are authentic as well. Here, we take a look behind the scenes and backstage at the fourth reiteration of A Star is Born, this time starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, who also directed. A timeless tale of an aging star in decline (in this case, Bradley Cooper’s Jackson Maine isn’t just an alcoholic, he’s also losing his hearing) crossing paths with Ally, a rising star, played believably by a stripped-down, fresh-faced Lady Gaga.

Leslie Shapiro  |  Oct 15, 2018  | 
It’s about freaking time. Amazon has just released the Echo Sub’ a subwoofer that pairs with a single or stereo pair of Echo smart speakers to finally address the bottom line. It’s a fact: small speakers can’t produce impactful bass, so the Echo Sub does the job. The past few years have seen an influx of small smart speakers that are certainly convenient, but not a single one had a decent bass response. Finally, Amazon has addressed the problem, and in my opinion, hit it out of the park.

Leslie Shapiro  |  Sep 24, 2018  | 
Ever get a pair of headphones that you love for their style or comfort, but you’re just not in love with the sound profile? Sonarworks True-Fi makes it easier than ever to get “reference” studio-quality sound for over 200 headphone models.

Leslie Shapiro  |  Sep 10, 2018  | 
The Maverick from Cavalier Audio is a WiFi/Bluetooth speaker featuring Amazon’s Alexa voice control that seamlessly transitions from the home to portable with an elegant charging base. Alexa, pack your bags. We’re heading outside.

Leslie Shapiro  |  Aug 20, 2018  | 
Next time you’re at a concert, look around. Want to know how to spot the audiophiles? They’re the ones with cotton balls and Kleenex sticking out of their ears. Anyone concerned with protecting their hearing knows how dangerous loud concerts and even movie theaters can be. Usually, the only options were earplugs that blocked frequencies unevenly, making it hard to understand lyrics and dialogue. Want to be a cool audiophile? Check out Decibullz Professional Filters, Earplugs, and Earphones.

Leslie Shapiro  |  Aug 06, 2018  | 
While everyone and their sister is coming out with wireless earphones (thank you, Apple), clearly there’s a need for companies to give themselves an edge in a very crowded marketplace. The new Edge Pulse earphone from Cleer clearly has an edge over the competition.

Leslie Shapiro  |  Jul 16, 2018  | 
And then there was one. Once as ubiquitous as McDonalds, with seemingly one on every block, the once-mighty Blockbuster has been reduced to a solitary store. Our heart goes out to the millions of high-school kids who lost their jobs. If only we had done as they asked, and rewound our tapes.

Leslie Shapiro  |  Jul 02, 2018  | 
Along with a few other changes in categories, the Recording Academy just announced that Surround Sound is out, Immersive Audio is in.

Leslie Shapiro  |  Jun 18, 2018  | 
The Carters, better known as Jay-Z and Beyoncé, have just released Everything is Love, their first joint album, exclusively on Tidal. Jay-Z owns Tidal, and Mrs. Carter is a large shareholder in the music streaming company. While Tidal is facing accusations of late royalty payments, unreliable subscription counts and inflated streaming numbers, the power couple takes a hard stab at Spotify in the new album.

Leslie Shapiro  |  Jun 04, 2018  | 
In honor of its upcoming 35th anniversary, THX hit Twitter with a post that sent music and movie fans alike into a tizzy. THX just released the written musical score of the THX logo theme, satisfying fans and showing us all how wonderfully simple, yet brilliant the piece is. 35 years ago, in time for the premiere of “Return of the Jedi,” Dr. James “Andy” Moorer created the THX musical icon, and it became one of the most recognizable scores in movie history. Now, we can finally see what they were talking about.

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