A running collection of things that live beside the sound. Records we keep coming back to, things we're curious about, ideas worth chasing down, and the occasional rabbit hole.
The Power Supply: From AC to Amplification
An audio amplifier is often defined by its tubes, circuit topology, or output transformers. But behind every stage of amplification is another system doing equally important work: the power supply....
The Power Supply: From AC to Amplification
The Power Supply: From AC to Amplification
In Rotation: The Nightfly — Donald Fagen
There’s something funny about The Nightfly. It sounds like the future imagined by someone who still trusts the radio. Released in 1982, Donald Fagen’s first solo album looks backward to...
In Rotation: The Nightfly — Donald Fagen
In Rotation: The Nightfly — Donald Fagen
Impedance: What Your Headphones Are Asking For
A little history, a little electricity, and why ohms matter Look at the specifications for a pair of headphones and you'll find a number followed by a symbol that looks...
Impedance: What Your Headphones Are Asking For
Impedance: What Your Headphones Are Asking For
The 12AU7: A Small Tube With a Long History
Some tubes have a reputation for being the star of the show. Others spend decades making the show possible. The 12AU7 belongs to the second group. It isn't especially large,...
The 12AU7: A Small Tube With a Long History
The 12AU7: A Small Tube With a Long History
In Rotation: Wishbone Ash - Argus
There are records you listen to for the songs. There are records you listen to because the musicians are extraordinary. And then there are records you put on because the...
In Rotation: Wishbone Ash - Argus
In Rotation: Wishbone Ash - Argus
Built by Hand: A closer look at the work behind the work
“Handmade” can mean a lot of things. It can mean assembling individual components, shaping materials, making connections, or simply taking the time to pay attention to the details that are...
Built by Hand: A closer look at the work behind the work
Built by Hand: A closer look at the work behind the work
Push-Pull Topology: Then and Now
A look at the history and enduring appeal of push-pull tube amplification. Push-pull amplification has been part of the history of tube audio for nearly a century. The basic idea...
Push-Pull Topology: Then and Now
Push-Pull Topology: Then and Now
In Rotation: Pete La Roca’s Basra
There are records you put on because you want to hear a great song. Then there are records you put on because you want to spend some time somewhere. Basra,...
In Rotation: Pete La Roca’s Basra
In Rotation: Pete La Roca’s Basra
Cryo, by Design: A look behind the process
At Coffman Labs, we use a liquid-nitrogen (LN2) cryogenic process to treat selected conductors and components used in our products. Cryogenic treatment is a materials process that exposes a material to...
Cryo, by Design: A look behind the process
Cryo, by Design: A look behind the process
The Transformer: Where Power Meets Sound
In a tube amplifier, some of the most important work happens in a component you may never see. The output transformer sits between the amplifier’s output tubes and your speakers...
The Transformer: Where Power Meets Sound
The Transformer: Where Power Meets Sound
In Rotation: Cowboy Junkies — The Trinity Session
A record that leaves room for the music to happen. Some albums seem to arrive fully formed. Others let you hear the choices that shaped them—the space between the musicians,...
