Ken Kessler

London, United Kingdom

Writer at Freelance

Senior Contributing Editor at Hi-Fi News and Record Review

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Articles

Audiophile: Digital, November 2024

1 week ago | hifinews.com | Ken Kessler

Steely DanPretzel LogicAnalogue Productions CAPP136SAPredictable for Album of the Month? Of course, but if Steely Dan is one of the default artists for audiophiles, like The Band and The Eagles, it’s because the music is exceptional and the sound superb. Their third album, from 1974, maintained the quality of its predecessors and steered the band on a jazzier course.
Top 20 surround sound albums

2 weeks ago | hifinews.com | Ken Kessler

Top 20 surround sound albumsKen Kessler | May 24, 2025 | First Published: Nov 1, 2024 From Mingus to Mancini, The O’Jays to The Doors, Ken Kessler brings you an audiophile’s A-list of 20 brand-new surround sound albums ready to wrap you in all their 360° gloryParaphrasing Mark Twain when he read his obituary, reports of the death of surround sound are greatly exaggerated.
Was the 1920s the Most Influential Decade in Wristwatch History?

1 month ago | revolutionwatch.com | Ken Kessler

Any student of horology can make a case for any decade, from 1900 onward, as the period which saw the greatest impact on the development, ascent and eventual all-encompassing success of the wristwatch. Throw one at me and I’ll show you how: 1940s? Military watches, sweep-seconds, shock-resistance. 1960s? Automatic chronograph, the Accutron — stop me when you’ve heard enough. For my money, however, the era during which the wristwatch reached critical mass is the Roaring Twenties.
Audiophile: Digital, April 2025

1 month ago | hifinews.com | Ken Kessler

John CaleShip Of Fools – The Island AlbumsEsoteric ECLEC32881 (three discs)Easily the most talented musician from what I consider an overrated band – Velvet Underground – Cale has delivered around 25 solo albums, of which this box set contains three of the best. Following two each for Columbia and Reprise, his trio of releases for Island – Fear (1974), Slow Dazzle and Helen Of Troy (both 1975) – were issued in just over a year, attesting to insane productivity that didn’t sacrifice quality.
Audiophile: Vinyl, April 2025

1 month ago | hifinews.com | Ken Kessler

Patrick LeonardIt All Comes Down To MoodRuudy 6 Recordings (n/a cat. no.; two discs, 180g vinyl)This stunner features immaculate pressings with lacquers cut at Bernie Grundman’s by Chris Bellman, while the mastering was one of the last tasks to be undertaken by the legendary Bob Ludwig before retiring in 2023. The sound quality? Casino Royale level.
Audiophile: Digital, October 2024

1 month ago | hifinews.com | Ken Kessler

Various ArtistsAudiophile Masters Vols IX and XOctave Records OCT-0050/OCT-0051There’s plenty here for those who want to learn how PS Audio’s Octave Music division is contributing to the ‘audiophile albums’ canon. Though not as themed as the Art Of HiFi titles on this page, these come across a bit less like label samplers from the Octave catalogue than most general compilations.
Hi-Res Downloads, September 2024

Nov 25, 2024 | hifinews.com | Ken Kessler

Giovanni Guidi, Et AlA New Day (88.2Khz/24-Bit, Wav)www.ecmrecords.com; Ecm 2808Of late we have been sampling the ECM back catalogue in these pages, enjoying the way recordings getting on for half a century old spiff up in new hi-res digital versions, but here's some brand-new output, recorded in summer 2023 by label head honcho Manfred Eicher.
Audiophile: Digital, September 2024

Nov 25, 2024 | hifinews.com | Ken Kessler

Dr. JohnIn The Right PlaceAnalogue Productions/Atco Capa 006SaWhile many audiophiles have a tendency to default to vinyl if that was the original format, this SACD is so deliciously musical and involving that they'll have to leave their biases at the door. From the opening notes of 'Right Place Wrong Time', the sheer impact of the sound is so bracing that you have to remind yourself it's New Orleans funk and not Metallica with the volume at 11.
Audiophile: Vinyl, September 2024

Nov 25, 2024 | hifinews.com | Ken Kessler

Shelly Manne & His Men At The Black Hawk Craft Recordings/Contemporary Cr00601 (180G Vinyl) 'Who's the greatest jazz drummer?' always boils down to Messrs Blakey, Rich, Roach, Krupa, et al, but I have a soft spot for Manne, not least for his classy work during the sessions which delivered this first of four LPs. Sonically, it oozes valve-era early stereo - the presence of Victor Feldman on piano will trigger memories for fans of 1970s/1980s audiophile vinyl - this sublime album captured when...
Angle poise

Nov 20, 2024 | hifinews.com | Ken Kessler

Acoustic Research launches a range of electronics that aims to combine good looks, useful facilities and fine sound. Ken Kessler hears a selectionFor as long as hi-fi has existed, consumers have been forced to choose between pure sound quality and ergonomic/aesthetic delight. In short, the best-sounding equipment has always been either spartan, ugly, expensive, or simply a pain in the butt to live with or to use.