Copper
High-End Audio Luminary Michael Fremer Produces...
Michael Fremer needs little introduction to Copper readers. He’s been a stalwart of the high-end audio industry for decades, and is currently the editor of The Tracking Angle and editor...
The Kinks: The Journey – Part 2: Wrapping Up a ...
I’ve never made a secret of the fact that I’m a Kinks fan. I’m in good company – they’re one of the most beloved and important bands to come out...
200 of Your Editor's All-Time Favorite Songs
For the 200th issue of Copper, here are 200 of my favorite songs. These aren’t all of my most-liked – that would take up a decent chunk of an iPod Classic’s hard...
Flaunt the Audio Imperfection
With a tip of the hat to China Crisis for inspiring the title. I think we can all agree that no audio system is perfect. Perhaps the biggest challenge in...
A Tract About Cataracts: Staving Off Retirement...
I’m no stranger to the optometrist. I’ve been nearsighted since I was in elementary school. My father thought I was a lousy athlete – well, I am – because I...
Frankie Goes to Hearing Aids: Staving Off Retir...
What’s an audio professional’s biggest fear? Losing their hearing. After all, we depend on it to make sonic evaluations, whether we’re an audiophile, equipment reviewer, front-of-house engineer, component designer or...
USound and MEMS: Making High-Quality Micro-Spea...
At Copper we’re always interested in new audio technologies. The growing presence of ultra-small MEMS speakers (MEMS stands for micro-electromechanical systems) is bringing new design and performance possibilities to devices...
A Chat About Audio Writing
The other week my friend Ed Burki contacted me and told me he’d caught some kind of bug and was bored sitting around the house, so he’d decided to try...
Remembering Copper’s Dan Schwartz: A Friendship...
I and his friends knew the day would come, but when it did, it was no less of a shock. Copper contributor, bassist extraordinaire and audiophile Dan Schwartz passed away...
The Kinks Begin a Retrospective Journey
I’m going to say this right up front: I consider the Kinks’ Ray Davies to be the greatest pop/rock songwriter of all time. Yep, I know I’m putting him at...
Impex Records Invites Me to Patricia Barber’s N...
I’ll admit, I was late to get hip to Patricia Barber. Sure, I was aware of her, as her 2021 album Clique! has become a deserved audiophile favorite for its...
Impressions of AXPONA 2023
I’m calling this “Impressions of AXPONA 2023” rather than “AXPONA 2023 Show Report” because this time out, I didn’t get to walk the show floor much. I was based in...
Dave Rusan of Rusan Guitarworks: Builder of Pri...
Dave Rusan is the proprietor of Rusan Guitarworks of Bloomington, Minnesota. He built the iconic “Cloud” guitar for Prince and is also an audiophile. His clients include the Rolling Stones, Sheryl Crow,...
Dave Rusan of Rusan Guitarworks: Builder of Pri...
Dave Rusan is the proprietor of Rusan Guitarworks of Bloomington, Minnesota. He built the iconic “Cloud” guitar for Prince, does a brisk business in guitar repairs, and has many stories to tell....
Confessions of a Record Collector, Part Three
We record collectors are a compulsive bunch. I talked about some of the not-quite-rational lengths to which we will go in order to acquire vinyl in Issue 137 and Issue...
Even More Rock Album Mini-Reviews
In Issue 150 I listed my 150 desert island favorite rock albums, and followed up with a selection of reviews from that list in Issue 151 and Issue 166. I...
The Grand Opening of the Long Island Music and ...
Long Island has always been a fertile musical breeding ground, and after almost 20 years of seeking a home, the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHoF) has...
Talking With Elliot Goldman of Bending Wave USA...
Elliot Goldman is a partner in Bending Wave USA, distributor of Göbel loudspeakers, Wadax digital electronics, CH Precision electronics and other ultra-high-end products. He’s been in audio retailing and distribution for decades....
Talking With Elliot Goldman of Bending Wave USA...
Elliot Goldman is a partner in Bending Wave USA, distributor of Göbel loudspeakers, Wadax digital electronics, CH Precision electronics and other ultra-high-end products. He’s been in audio retailing and distribution...
Talking With Dan Mackta of Qobuz
Streaming and downloading audio service Qobuz specializes in delivering high-resolution audio up to 24-bit/192 kHz. Founded in 2007 in France, Qobuz launched in the US in February, 2019 and now...
Confessions of a Setup Man, Part 15: Avoiding B...
We’ve all experienced burnout in one form or another, exacerbated by living in the COVID-19 era. Merriam-Webster defines burnout as “exhaustion of physical and emotional strength or motivation usually as...
Talking With Larry Jaffee of Making Vinyl, Part...
Copper contributor Larry Jaffee is the co-founder of Making Vinyl, an industry organization dedicated to fostering cooperation among those in the record-manufacturing industry. Larry is also the author of Record Store Day: The...
Talking With Larry Jaffee of Making Vinyl, Part...
Copper contributor Larry Jaffee is the co-founder of Making Vinyl, an industry organization dedicated to fostering cooperation among those in the record-manufacturing industry. Larry is also the author of Record Store Day: The Most...
150 Favorite Rock Albums: More Mini-Reviews
In Issue 150 I listed my 150 desert island favorite rock albums, and offered a first batch of mini-reviews in Issue 151. I got a range of comments and e-mails, from complements to derision...
How AXPONA Got Its Groove Back, Part Three
Part One and Part Two of this report appeared in Issue 162 and Issue 163. Once again, I’ll note my usual show report qualifiers: it was impossible to cover everything even in three days,...
How AXPONA Got Its Groove Back, Part Two
Part One of this report appeared in Issue 162. To recap my usual caveats: it was impossible to cover everything even in three days. I never make definitive judgments about sound...
How AXPONA Got Its Groove Back, Part One
One man. More than 150 rooms and 200 exhibitors. 25 seminars. 22 hours. AXPONA 2022. There’s a reason why audio-show coverage is almost always incomplete: no one person can cover...
Copper and PS Audio's WL "Woody" Woodward: In M...
It was the kind of message you never want to get. On March 16, 2022, Paul McGowan informed me that Copper writer and PS Audio director of operations WL “Woody” Woodward had...
Confessions of a Setup Man, Part 14: The Reluct...
I don’t think I really have the temperament to be an audio product reviewer. That’s because I don’t like saying bad things about products or people. Even if they deserve...
The Spreckels Organ: A Historic Musical Treasur...
In Part One (Issue 154) we looked at the history and the technology behind the remarkable Spreckels Organ, the world’s largest pipe organ in an outdoor venue. It was built...
The Spreckels Organ: A Historic Musical Treasur...
The Spreckels Organ is a remarkable musical instrument: it is the world’s largest pipe organ in an outdoor venue. It was built in 1914 in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, commissioned by...
Who Decides What’s Good or Bad? And, Some Mini-...
In the process of putting together a list of 150 favorite albums for Issue 150, the thought struck me yet again: what determines whether music is good or bad, anyway? I think...
From Rock to Schlock: 150 Desert Island Albums
Most “desert island” record articles make the assumption that you can only take a handful of discs with you that you can’t live without. Well, since the concept of being...
Jazz Lives: Saxophonist Frank Catalano Ascends
Last summer I had the honor of playing on a bill with tenor saxophonist Frank Catalano and his quartet, at the Port Palooza festival in Port Jefferson, New York. I’d...
Confessions of a Setup Man, Part 13: Engineerin...
I’m not a degreed engineer. True, I understand and can write about complex concepts. In fact, I’ve edited and rewritten articles by engineers, some of whom are way better at...
Twisted Business: Jay Jay French’s Lessons Lear...
Jay Jay French was the lead guitarist and is the business maven behind Twisted Sister, one of the world’s most successful rock bands with more than 20 million records sold....
Seeking Clarity About Transparency
Back in the 1980s or maybe earlier, “transparency” became the buzzword in high-end audio. Harry Pearson of The Absolute Sound was a big proponent of the term, and soon many reviewers and sycophants jumped...
Confessions of a Record Collector, Part One
I wonder if a lot of Copper readers are record collectors. Well, I suppose that’s like asking if dogs like bones. Record collecting can be fun or frustrating, cheap or expensive. Finding...
Copper Listens to Copper: Stockfisch Records’ D...
Stockfisch Records is an audiophile label established in Germany in 1974 by owner/producer/engineer/Günter Pauler. The label has been releasing recordings on vinyl, DSD, SACD, Blu-ray and other formats and their artist...
Cliff Chenfeld: From Razor & Tie to Kidz Bop an...
We are proud to have Cliff Chenfeld as a Copper contributor. You may not know that along with Craig Balsam, he was the co-founder of indie label/music publishing company Razor...
Art Dudley: A Tribute
On July 11, 2021 at Brown’s Brewing Company in Troy, New York, a memorial event was held to celebrate the life of Art Dudley, who passed away on April 14,...
Confessions of a Record Collector, Part Two
In Part One (Issue 137) I noted that many of us have made the transition from mere purchasers of record albums to hopelessly hooked vinyl collectors. For example, my friend Alex, who...
Living With Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity: D...
Electromagnetic fields (EMF) are all around us. We’re constantly bombarded by low-level EMF from computer screens, Wi-Fi, cell phones and other devices. However, since EMF is invisible, most of us...
Confessions of a Setup Man Part 12: Failed Expe...
Many audiophiles are tinkerers. We’re constantly striving to squeeze the last iota of performance out of our audio systems, or we just like to putz with stuff, or we’re obsessive-compulsive....
Talking With Andrew Hoffman of Audiophile Archi...
Audiophile Archive and Grading Services (AAGS) is a vinyl record-grading and archiving company. They clean, inspect and grade records, certify their grading and record a high-resolution digital audio backup, among other...
Will A Perfect Audio System Ever Exist?
As a hard-core audiophile, I’ve spent the better part of my life working on improving my audio systems. I’ll admit – mostly because of selfishness. I want to hear music...
EveAnna Dauray Manley of Manley Labs, Part Two
In Part One (Issue 129), EveAnna talked about her early musical influences and career, the origin of Manley Laboratories and Vacuum Tube Logic (VTL), and she how she came to...
EveAnna Dauray Manley of Manley Labs, Part One
EveAnna Dauray Manley is the president of Manley Laboratories, Inc., makers of high-end consumer and professional vacuum tube audio equipment. The company’s audiophile products include the Steelhead RC and Chinook...
Hanging With Les Paul
Les Paul was a tremendous influence not only on guitar players but anyone who’s ever listened to music recorded after around the late 1940s. Aside from being a dazzling guitarist...
Confessions of a Setup Man 11: Can A System Be ...
As audiophiles, we are on what can sometimes seem a never-ending quest for better sound from our systems. After all, the better the sound, the closer we are to the...