Tír Na HiFi

Many thanks, Derek, Fran and Adrian, for the very kind words. Simon, an “iron fist in a velvet glove” is the perfect way to describe the Gryphon. The Kharma Exquisite Minis are wonderful speakers but they can be a tricky load and are fussy with partnering amplifiers. I suspect that they are happiest...

Thanks, Simon.

I recently upgraded my Aavik U-380 and Esoteric P-03 CD transport to a Gryphon Diablo 300 and dCS Rossini CD player and matching clock. The Aavik was a wonderful amp which reminded me a great deal of the delicacy and refinement of Constellation Audio’s Inspiration Integrated. It improved significant...

This week, I have been listening to the outstanding new song from The Weather Station, Parking Lot, on repeat. “Is it alright if I don’t wanna sing tonight? I know you are tired of seeing tears in my eyes. But are there not good reasons to cry? I swear I’m alright - maybe you could just let it slide...

One of the more interesting album discoveries for me from 2020. Keeley Forsyth’s Debris was released back in January but only came to my attention a few weeks ago due to its appearance on a number of best of year lists. Adventurous both lyrically and musically, her background in dance and acting is ...

This was an unexpected treat and an early Christmas present. Gwenifer Raymond’s second album, Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain, was released a couple of weeks ago but I only became aware of it this week because of its inclusion in Uncut magazine’s best of 2020 list. I loved her first album and thi...

I heard the solid state Isis some years ago and loved it. At the time I had a Meridian 808.3. The Meridian was smoother with greater levels of detail and refinement but the Rega was superb on tone and timing. It wasn’t as detailed as the Meridian but it was more involving and it seemed to extract an...

Simply wonderful. Three recent live performances by Fiona Apple of songs from her wonderful album, Fetch The Bolt Cutters. Such creative fire channeled with such explosive venom. “I grew up in the shoes they told me I could fill Shoes that were not made for running up that hill And I need to run up ...

This is just exceptional. The new single from The Weather Station, Robber, sees Tamara Lindeman going off in beautiful new directions. There is an urgency about this song, its insistent rhythms and its subtly elusive lyrics, which I find utterly compulsive and quite ingenious. A wonderful video as w...

This is just exceptional. The new single from The Weather Station, Robber, sees Tamara Lindeman going off in beautiful new directions. There is an urgency about this song, its insistent rhythms and its subtly elusive lyrics, which I find utterly compulsive and quite ingenious. A wonderful video as w...