Happy 50th birthday to Pick Up records shop 💫

 

One of my most beloved records shop, in lovely Bassano del Grappa, Italy.

Marco, Antonio e Gino are always kind and supportive to all and every music-related requests.

Thanks, folks.

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L’Impitoyable 💫

 

This (apparently) simple audio rig allows a special, deep introspection into the grooves of vinyl discs, as played by the Garrardzilla through Misho Myronov’s Audio Antiquary Phono Stage > Luxman AT3000 Ultimate passive line stage and Kaufmann 5998 power amp.

Ruthlessly like a true “impitoyable” magnifying tool, yet still extremely pleasing to ears and soul.

The Quad II/22/ESL’s combo, which I only very recently put on pause, was very musical and forgiving, in a sense: superb recordings were unbelievably good and average ones still quite enjoyable!

The Gotorama 2.0 is more selective and fussy, clearly “showing” any recording flaws… right or not, I find this ruthlessly intriguing, pushing me to search even more for the ultimate recordings and most carefully executed fine-tuning, as truly everything matters.

This amazing, awesome ECM’s - with its combination of extremely low-end, shimmering highs and church-like ambience - is paramount in better understanding the “direction” and - for example - the most correct ✅ crossover levels, for best overall results.

I’m very, VERY satisfied!

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Happy 100th birthday to Sir David Attenborough

 

💫🙏🍀💫🙏

Cat Stevens’ “Mona Bone Jackon” mastertapes 💫

 

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If Barbie was an audiophile…

 

… this would be her turntable of choice.

Thanks to my pal Roberto for sharing this… weirdo.

🖖

Keith Jarrett at home 💫

 

Keith Jarrett at the piano in his detached studio at home, part of a rural New Jersey farmhouse, a few years ago.

Such a lovely picture.

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Viole da Gamba 💫

 

A viola da gamba built by Jean-Baptiste Salomon in Paris in 1741, and its cousin, built in 1746 by Boivin.

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Using an old iPhone as a cheap music source 💫

 

My previous iPhone is on duty with Spotify Lossless Premium and ain’t bad for background music.

Instead of sadly staying - unused - in a closet.

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Wilson Audio “Autobiography”

Autobiography is the top of Wilson's line, although the WAMM remains available until the limited run has finished. Sensitivity is 89dB, and the modulus of impedance suggests that it is easier to drive than the WAMM or XVX. The speaker stands 83.5" tall.

Retail price is USD 788,000.00.

 😳

Happy birthday, Maestro 💫

 

Keith Jarrett is 81, today 🥂🍀🥂

Exploring 💫

 

Yesterday I swapped the passive line-stage after recently swapping the power double triode from my little amp: so, to recap from Audio Consulting “Silver Rock” and ‘65 Telefunken 6080 to Luxman AT-3000 Ultimate and ‘40s Kauffman 5998 and the Gotorama is performing like a magnifying lens… better: a telescope!

The 5998’s 4,5W p.c. (instead of the 6080’s 2W per side) gives more mojo and cojones to overall result, fortunately without loosing the 6080 heavenly sound character.

🤭

A quite promising and utterly prophetic title, indeed 😉

Every little, also the tiniest adjustment in tilting single drivers/horns and whole arrays is easily perceptible, a dream!

Tubes, cables, SACD or vinyl records, using this or that clamp on Garrardzilla… every little variation is immediately recognizable.

Enjoying!

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Sylvia Courvoisier & Mary Halvorson - Bone Bells (2026)

 

What a wonderful disk!

I’m quite partial to Mrs. Halvorson’s music, but this freshly published CD is on a class of its own: not jazz, not classical but a bit of both, the angular soundscapes transmit a sense of “old world”, like two young, gifted musicians at a Conservatory of Music that duet secretly from the professor who left the classroom to drink a coffee. 

Cleverly composed and played, it’s a joy for the ears.

Looking forward to meeting Mrs. Halvorson in a few days after a concert she’ll perform at the Vicenza Jazz Festival.

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A one of a kind crossover from Japan 💫

 

Seldom seen outside Japan… I remember I spotted a sampler of this at HiFiDo Akihabara, Tokyo, exactly nine years ago.

Thanks to Alex for sharing and congratulations: your Onken horn system will fully blossom with this laboratory-grade piece of gear.

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Late Franco Cerri’s Gibsons’ (and my humble one) 💫

 

On his sofà, a picture of his instruments taken by his son.

… and here below, here is my 1976 Gibson L5CES

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The Ultimate Grateful Dead’s Europe ‘72 box-set 🤟

 

Steeeeeep-priced but soooooo coooool!

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