The Bongo Beat – December 2018


Wow, 2018 Went by Fast!!

We can’t believe it’s halfway through December, which means 2018 will be wrapping up soon. If you’re like us, 2018 had some surprises and was way too heavy on the politics. Tuning out the noise and listening to some good music was the way we survived this year.

There were some very good music and good products to review in 2018! So, as we wrap up 2018, we’re sharing our “Best of 2018” awards with you. Congratulations to these manufacturers! 

We also think 2018 has been a breakout year for streaming media, and we are eagerly awaiting the launch of Qobuz early next year. We have a couple of articles here representing different perspectives of the Qobuz launch in the US that we think you will find of interest.

And, as you celebrate the holiday season and welcome in a new year at your house, we wish you the very best. 

Thanks for your support,
Jack, The Audio Beatnik (jack@theaudiobeatnik.com)
Becky (becky@theaudiobeatnik.com)


The Audio Beatnik “Best of 2018” List – Part 1

Some of you may have been waiting for this post. What products made The Audio Beatnik’s “Best of 2018”? The criteria for this list is really pretty simple:

1. Jack had to have reviewed it this year.
2. In his opinion, it is exceptional in design and/or value.

This list doesn’t cover every category, as we really want to include only those products that we have had hands-on and ears tuned to this year.

Congratulations to the manufacturers whose products made our list. Part 2 will be released in a couple of days. Click here for Part 1. 


Qobuz Hi-Res Streaming; Coming to America in Early 2019

So what’s the Qobuz hype all about, and how does it affect you as an audiophile? Maybe not much, especially if you aren’t into streaming or if Tidal or Spotify scratch the sweet spot of your listening tastes. 

If, however, your ears are looking for music beyond the chart-toppers, Qobuz is more likely to introduce you to something of interest, especially classical music and music from lesser-known artists, which have a higher profile on Qobuz than on the other services.

To find out more, we asked David Solomon of Qobuz some questions about the service. Click here to read his answers.


Hi-Res, Qobuz and One Record Label; a Perspective from Cookie Marenco

The streaming trend has been so obvious in showrooms of late that we may look back at 2018 as the tipping point for streaming services, and Qobuz has announced an early 2019 roll out in the US. Cookie Marenco recently announced that Blue Coast Records will be streaming their hi-res recordings on Qobuz.

To read more of what Cookie has to say about streaming in my interview, click here.


Florida Audio Expo to Brighten Up Your Winter Blahs

Yeah, we saw those pictures of ice and snow in most of the Southeast a few days ago, and out here in sunny California, the snow was so bad it closed down a major freeway. If the rest of this winter is going to be like this, by February you’ll probably be looking for someplace warm and sunny to go. The Florida Audio Expo on February 8-10 in Tampa looks like a really good mid-winter respite!

This is a brand new event sponsored by Suncoast Audio, Play It Again Audio and AudioShark Forum. The list of almost 70 exhibitors who’ve already signed up for the expo includes the top tier of companies you would want to see at a major show, so we’re predicting that this event will be a big hit, especially since Florida is really, really nice in February.  Good luck to the sponsors and exhibitors, and thank you for putting a bright and WARM spot on the calendar in February!


The DeVore Super Nines are going to be in the house any day now. I know I’ve been promising a review on them for a while, but the Super Nines have been on backorder and hard to get. The next speakers coming in will be the QLN Prestige Threes. I am also hoping to have the Gershman Acoustics Grand Studios and the Gershman Acoustics Studios in early next year.

I’m really excited about an upcoming review of Linear Tube Audio’s new MicroZOTL 3 Integrated Amplifier. I’m also about finished with my review of the Hana Mono Cartridge. I will also have reviews early this year of new DACs from Digital Amplification Company and from Orchard. And, DS Audio is bringing out a new cartridge at CES, so look for us to have a review.

I also hope to continue my series on Affordable Vinyl Playback, and we will both be reviewing a few albums along the way. 


This list looked a little skimpy to me when I was putting it together, but what’s not listed are the 17 posts covering RMAF. You will find them here on the website if you want to take a look.

Product Reviews:

NEAT Acoustics Iota Xplorer Loudspeaker Review
Meet Tetsuaki Aoyagi, President of DS Audio and the Inventor of DS Audio Optical Cartridges
PS Audio DirectStream Power Plant 12; or Yes, Clean Power Can Improve Your System
Emia Strain Gauge Cartridge with Equalizer Phono Preamp Review

Record Reviews:

Music From Gillian Welch and David Rawlings: Reviewing Two Stellar LPs
Meet Bob Peek, a Bay Area Recording Artist and Songwriter Doing “The Bob Peek Thing”


Happy New Year from The Audio Beatnik!

As we enter a new year, we are especially thankful to you, our audiophile friends who read what we write, allow us to review products, and help us keep doing what we do by advertising with us, including our newest advertisers, DeVore Fidelity, Digital Amplifier Company and Linear Tube Audio. We appreciate your feedback, your Facebook likes and your page views. 

We’ll see you at the shows in 2019!