We must be crazy to review analogue HiFi components like phono stages, arms, cartridges and stuff like that. Almost everyone else in the World is just waiting for the next perfect sound forever digital format, DVD-Audio or SACD, it doesn't really matter. It will be perfect. Ha!
In the meanwhile we just sit down and wait, buying new analogue components (I've recently bought a hi-end playback system for my beloved LP's) and reviewing them.
Yes, probably we are retro-grouches but it shouldn't be a mere coincidence almost every reviewer here at TNT-Audio owns top-class analogue gear.
So, the bottom line is we love LP's. But we're not alone, thanks God.
Other sites/mags still pay attention to analogue: how can I forget Steve Rochlin's Enjoy the Music or Gary Markowitz's Vinyl Zone?
Even some World renowned HiFi magazine reviews analogue stuff from time to time and recently there's been a wide-spread interest in good-sounding cleverly-priced phono stages.
Following the famous Black Cube we've been proud to review when nobody knew it (well, almost), we've also proposed a solid-state DIY phono stage called TNT Solidphono.
But! There's something new these days on the Net for all you analogue-addicts: it is a site called Groove Noise by Andrew Chasin. You may already know Andrew, as he was former co-editor and co-publisher of the US e-zine Audiophilia.
When he decided to quit his collaboration with Audiophilia he certainly had one idea in mind: to create a new online magazine entirely devoted to analogue audio!!!
So here it is, a nicely built site where you'll be able to find products tests, LP's reviews, reportages from HiFi Shows focused on analogue etc.
Why am I talking about a "competitor"? Oh well, first of all because we don't have real competitors, not because we're the best around (as someone may suggest :-)) but just because we don't have advertising while everyone else has. Andrew Chasin's site doesn't have advertising yet, but I guess he's hunting for it. I hope the analogue-oriented Companies will trust him and support his nice and useful project.
Secondly, I like guys with NEW ideas, brave enough to start a whole new editorial project all alone, plenty with enthusiasm and Passion.
Third, I like Andrew's attitude: the site seems to propose a different attitude to HiFi, after all this is a toy for old children, as I always say.
And like Oscar Wilde once said: "the difference between the man and the boy is the price of his toy". I like that. HiFi can be boring if viewed as a set of schemes, measures and technical data.
So, while I strongly invite you to visit Groove Noise, let me suggest to start thinking about listening your old LP's in the best way is possible.
Nowadays good analogue gear is affordable and worldwide available. Even LP's are not so hard to find. You may discover that the "perfect sound forever" was neither perfect nor doomed to last forever. Matter for thought, I think.
Open your eyes and close your wallets when the marketing people try to sell you the next best digital format. I don't know about yours, but my monthly income is pretty hard earned.
Get into the groove!
© Copyright 2000 Lucio Cadeddu