Finding your groove: getting into vinyl with Audio-Technica
I’d like to think that I could’ve been friends with the late Hideo Matsushita, founder of Japanese Hi-Fi powerhouse Audio-Technica. If I could, I’d travel back in time to 1960’s Tokyo, where a young Matsushita curated “vinyl listening sessions” at the Bridgestone Museum of Arts, exposing visitors to the sounds and possibilities of high end audio and the warmth of vinyl records. I imagine sitting with him in a mod coffee shop, listening to the stories of what he witnessed in those sessions, the conversations he had with visitors, and what ultimately motivated him to head back to his small apartment above a ramen restaurant and start an audio company of his own. In the histories I’ve read regarding AT’s humble beginnings, Matsushita’s motives seem clear. Produce high end audio at affordable prices, bringing audio excellence into spaces and to customers that simply didn’t have access to it before. His first two products, the AT-1 and AT-3 phono cartridges did exactly that, and...
Dec 6, 2023
This past year, I wanted to see if I could find some IEMs that were newer and "better" than my Sonys, so I did some hunting and found the Lker i8s. I was pretty skeptical of the no-name Chinese-made earphones, but after listening to them for the first time, I was blown away. They ARE bassy-er than I was used to, but because of the balance and clarity in across the mids and highs, I quickly became accustomed them, and they have grown to be my favourite pair so far. I wonder if anyone here has come across them as well..?
Another notable mention is a cheap $15 pair of Philips IEMs that my wife had. I had forgotten my IEMs at home so I settled for borrowing hers. I scoffed at the thought of using cheap earphones and prepared for the worst, but I was surprised at how clear they were! They obviously weren't amazing, but the mids and highs had a crisp, clear sound to them that did a decent job of carrying vocals through.
Anyways, would love to hear your stories of your great finds!
Lker i8