May
2024
High-Performance
Audio & Music Industry News
Essential high-end audio news you need to know.
Stay up-to-date on the latest audiophile and music industry news.
What Kind Of Music Do You Like?
Roger writes why what you like is what you ought to buy.
Article
By Roger Skoff
Many
a long year ago a friend of mine asked me what kind of speakers he ought to buy.
Complimented by his confidence in my judgment and wanting to be helpful, I asked
him some questions to help me figure out what might be best for him. One of the first was "How much do you want to spend?" To which
I got "It doesn't matter; whatever it costs." I should have known better – he
was the local Maserati dealer, quite well off, and really could afford just
about anything I might suggest. Next, I tried "What kind of music do you listen to? " and was
told "Everything; I like it all, as long as it's good." Other questions about all the usual hi-fi criteria –
imaging, soundstaging, timbre, transient attack and decay, harmonic richness,
the whole thing – got equally vague answers until I finally asked him "Is
there anything at all that you particularly like or want in the music you listen
to?", That's when I hit the "jackpot": "Loud." He said, "I like it really
loud!"
---> What Kind Of Music Do You
Like?
No Truth. Just Joy.
Music and audio is one of the noblest endeavors.
Editorial By J. Martins
My experience of over three decades in the audio sector reinforced a conviction that no matter how hard we try, there is no way to achieve truth in audio, just joy. And that the latter is completely independent of the
former. This is a fundamental principle on my standing about audio technologies. I care about good audio experiences and I believe that our efforts should be focused on eliminating bad sound, not so much about achieving exceptionally great fidelity — that illusive
quest. Do I have a low bar when it comes to audio experiences? I just know when I find joy listening to music.
That's why I admire product designers that manage to create great sounding products that are also affordable. The joy they bring to so many is incomparably more impactful than any $100,000 high-end piece of gear could ever
induce. Of course, I respect the relentless pursuit toward faithful reproduction, ultimate fidelity, lowest
distortion....
----> No Truth. Just
Joy.
New Hi-Fi Gear Is Pushing The Boundaries
Examining the relationship of hardware and software.
Editorial By Becky Roberts
Each and every year, new features and technologies arrive to push the boundaries of consumer electronics further than the year previous. Very few, however, tend to enrich our daily lives immediately, whether
that's because they aren't instantly adopted by the masses or simply aren't useful on such a frequent basis. Thinking about how my listening habits have changed in recent years,
I've realized that one fledgling feature has played more of a role in it than any other: Tidal
Connect. For the uninitiated, Tidal Connect lets you 'cast' the service's catalogue to compatible audio devices from within the Tidal app, with the songs streamed from the internet instead of locally on your device. As Spotify Connect does for, well, Spotify; AirPlay for Apple Music; and Google Cast for Amazon Music (and others). These technologies let you control your music streaming playback from an app
that's familiar to use, meaning you don't have to rely on separate dedicated
app(s) developed for specific streaming products.
---> New Hi-Fi Gear Is Pushing The Boundaries.
Oligarch-Grade Products Will Continue
Time is proving 'interesting times' and that good audio remains in
people's minds.
Editorial By Alan Sircom
Anniversary issues are always a time to look back, but
it's also a good time to look forward and try to predict what the next few years will look like. Such predictions are prone to a lot of guesswork, and there are no spoilers, no giving away secrets, and no Tarot cards were harmed in the making of these dimly lit gazes into the near
future. In the high-end, the trend for oligarch-grade products looks set to continue. Whenever we think audio has reached its price ceiling, someone builds a longer ladder! Most super-high-end systems top out at somewhere around £1m-£1.2m at present. I think in the next few years, we will see several systems that reach £2m, and possibly even
more. Moving out of the stratosphere, there does appear to be some divergence in design between the three main markets of the US, Europe, and Asia. While that sounds like the most sweeping of
generalizations (what holds in one Asian or European country
doesn't hold for them all), the broad trends remain.
---> Oligarch-Grade Products Will
Continue.
HIGH END 2024 At Munich M.O.C. Show Report
High End Society's HIGH END 2024 Event In Munich Germany
From May 9th to 12th, 2024, the 41st HIGH END
trade show in Munich will once again shine a spotlight on luxurious
premium music reproduction systems, inspiring listening enjoyment and
exquisite audio technology. HIGH END continues to be one of the most
important marketplaces and trading rendezvous for the audio industry,
with many international trade visitors from around the world. Music
lovers from over 90 countries visit Munich to discover high-performance
audio industry trends, exchange views, learn the latest news, plus
network and do business. For industry experts, audiophile enthusiasts,
and music enthusiasts, the HIGH END four-day event in Munich will once
again be a spectacular event.
---> HIGH END 2024 At Munich M.O.C.
Show Report.
AXPONA 2024 Show Report
Audio Expo North
America (AXPONA) 2024 three-day experience featured a multitude of floors,
with a total of approximately 200 listening rooms. Special showcases include the
Expo Hall featuring The Record Fair, The Ear Gear Experience, and a variety of seminars. Whether you're a
very serious audiophile, a newcomer to high-end audio or simply a music lover, you found everything you need to immerse yourself in your favorite
sounds. The Ear Gear Experience is the place to go to find everything from open-back, closed-back, in-ear headphones and accessories, as well as cables DACs and players. You can also shop audio accessories, turntables, cables and more in the Expo Hall. Plus find new and vintage vinyl in AXPONA's own Record Fair.
---> AXPONA 2024 High-End Audio Show
Report.
Montréal Audiofest 2024 Show
Report
Canada's Montréal Audiofest 2024 Event Coverage
The Salon Audio Montreal Audiofest
2024, scheduled from March 22nd through 24th, will bring together over 5000 visitors who
desire seeing, touching, and listening to over 300 brands of high-performance audio products
all under one roof. As the largest show in Canada, you may experience
the very best audio/video industry manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in Canada.
Within each listening room, exhibitors are elated to share their passion for music with you by demonstrating some of the world's best sound systems from
$5000 to $500,000. Montréal Audiofest is celebrating its 35th edition
in 2024 and remains the must-attend event for audiophiles and music lovers.
---> Montréal Audiofest 2024 Show
Report.
Southwest Audio Fest 2024 Hi-Fi Show Report
SWAF's 2024 high-performance premium audio event coverage.
The Southwest Audio Fest
(SWAF) arises from the partnership of Gary Gill (Capital Audiofest) and Lou Hinkley (Pacific
AudioFest / Daedalus Audio) and their success with the Pacific Audio Fest event, which is destined to be an annual event for high-end audio in the Pacific Northwest serving the entire Pacific
region. We are pleased to announce a new industry-operated show for another underserved part of the
country... the Southwest Audio Fest in Dallas in Texas.
The show promoters worked for over two years to secure a contract with an amazing event hotel,
which is very safe, family friendly, and great weather in March too!
Both Gary Gill and Lou Hinkley are confident that this show will grow and the Anatole has all the room
a premium audio event needs.
---> Southwest Audio Fest 2024 Hi-Fi Show
Report.
Linkwitz LX521 Loudspeaker Review
I hope you have the opportunity to hear them.
Review By Rick Becker
It
is no accident the Linkwitz LX521 speaker eventually landed in my listening
room. It would have happened much sooner if I had not been so busy. The three Best
Rooms awards you may have seen in their ads have resulted from my very favorable
impressions at AXPONA (2022 and
2023) plus Capital
Audiofest. I've been a big fan of open baffle
speakers since my world premiere reviews of Tekton Designs' OB 4.5,
PureAudioProject's Trio 15 TB, and Treehaus Audiolab's Phantom of Luxury
speaker. Other major proponents of open baffle design include Nola and the
now-named Clayton Shaw Acoustic Lab. And more recently, Songer Audio on the West
Coast, plus a few I've likely missed. I don't normally read other writers' reviews of products I
review. For that matter, I pretty much focus on doing world premiere coverage,
but I wanted to get a first-hand listen to the Linkwitz in my own room.
--->
Linkwitz LX521 Loudspeaker Review.
Nagra Classic DAC II, PSU Power Supply, And VFS
Review
Bringing tears of joy when listening to special songs.
Review By
Tom Lyle
In January 2021, I was fortunate to review Nagra's
Tube DAC and Classic PSU power supply. In my review, I said that the
owners of this vacuum tube Hi-Res Audio DAC will be able to appreciate the "sonic glory"
of this "high-performance component." So, I was not surprised that the
Nagra Tube DAC and its PSU power supply were awarded Enjoy The Music.com's Best
Of 2021 Award. After I finished the review, I was not psyched to
return the $40,900 package consisting of the Nagra Tube DAC, Classic PSU power
supply, and VFS Classic base to the distributor. I was captivated by the sound
quality this digital front end contributed to my system. My reference DAC, an EMM
Labs DA2, is no slouch, but this Nagra Tube DAC package costs twice as much.
It was not twice as good as the EMM Labs converter; it doesn't work that way, but
the improvement in sound quality was significant. I jumped at the chance when I
was offered the subject of this review, the relatively new Nagra Classic DAC II
/ PSU / VFS combo.
--->
Nagra Classic DAC II, PSU Power Supply, And VFS Review.
Avantgarde Acoustic UNO SD Hornspeaker Review
The luckiest I've ever felt was when reviewing the UNO SD speakers.
Review By Tom Lyle
In the mid to late 1990s, I heard
a pair of Avantgarde Acoustic horn loudspeakers (hornspeaker) for the first time at a local high-end audio
showroom. I don’t remember the model of the speakers I was hearing, but I do
recall that they were powered by a pair of Single-Ended Triode (SET) monoblock
amplifiers. I assumed that these amps were a perfect match for these sensitive
speakers. Sadly, I was not impressed with what I heard that day. The
speaker's biggest sin was an exaggerated midrange, epitomizing the "cupped
hands" sound. Fast-forward to 2024, when I was offered a pair of Avantgarde
UNO SDs for review in Enjoy the Music.com. I was skeptical, fearing I
would experience something similar to what I had heard at that local dealer many
years ago. Before these speakers arrived, I shared my experience with
Avantgarde's North American distributor, American Sound of Canada, about my
experience with their horn speakers.
--->
Avantgarde Acoustic UNO SD Hornspeaker Review.
World Premiere Review!
Orchard Audio Starkrimson Premium Mono Amplifier Review
A new personal benchmark for value.
Review By Ron Nagle
It was back
in August 2020 that I reviewed the original Orchard Audio Starkcrimson Monoblock
Amplifiers for Enjoy the Music.com. At the time I was very curious about
their use of Gallium nitride (GaN) transistors. I can recall a time when these
transistors created quite a buzz in high-end audio circles. Since then the owner
and designer of Orchard Audio Leonid (Leo) Ayzenshtat has continued to improve
upon the original TripathGaN monoblock amplifiers. Now in 2024, I see that they
have a new amplifier they call Premium Monoblocks for sale at $1,249.95 each
($2,499.90 per pair). The most obvious physical change from the original is the
amplifier's form factor. The body of the new amplifier is much larger, measuring
6" wide 9" deep, and, 3" high. The premium amplifiers are housed in
slot-vented aluminum cases anodized dark black.
--->
Orchard Audio Starkrimson Premium Mono Amplifier Review.
Aric Audio Super 300B SET Stereo Power Amplifier
Review
To 300B or not to 300B, that is the Question.
Review By Ric Mancuso
Aric
Kimball is an audio component designer and is a self-made audiophile. It is
seldom to come across an audio designer who has eluded the radar among the
audiophile community. His father somewhat inspired Aric to take a journey into
the audio universe. Aric told me that his dad owned a Pioneer Rack system back
in the 1970s that Aric had admired. Aric wanted to own one of his own. That
compass point ignited his passion for ultimately designing his gear — a big
step from the glitzy look of the Pioneer Rack system. I used to sell those in my
previous life as an audio salesperson. Oh, those meters! So, I asked Aric who his mentors were and what components were
his envy. He admitted to me that he had no mentors or any icons of audio that he
worshipped. Here are a few answers to some questions I asked about his audio
formative years.
--->
Aric Audio Super 300B SET Stereo Power Amplifier Review.
FiiO M17 Portable Desktop-Class Music Player Review
An organic-sounding high-resolution music streamer and Hi-Res Audio DAC.
Review By Tom Lyle
Being an
audiophile means that convenience isn't our number one goal. If you are anything
like me, I am an audiophile because I love music and want to hear recorded music
with the best sound quality possible. This is true even when I'm listening to
recorded music when not sitting in the sweet spot in front of my audio system.
This means listening through headphones, often using a portable digital audio
player (DAP). Until the technology advances so that a small Hi-Res Audio DAP sounds as good
as a large one, audiophiles will be listening to devices such as the FiiO M17. Like other top-tier
DAPs, the M17 is a rather large, heavy
digital audio player. It sports a plethora of features, some of which I found
useful and others I found no use for.
--->
FiiO M17 Portable Desktop-Class Music Player Review.
World Premiere Review!
LessLoss BlackGround For Speakers Review
A breakthrough loudspeaker signal conditioner.
Review By Rick Becker
The
original LessLoss
BlackGround 10X Power Base was such a spectacular
product it was an easy choice for an annual Blue Note Award in 2023. Then I
received advance word of the new BlackGround for Speakers. Would that be as
impressive as the original Power Base? Would it be simply an alternate choice?
Or would there be diminishing returns with both of them in the system? Then I discovered there would be both a stereo version and a
larger, more potent monoblock version of the new Speaker Base. How would these
two compare? And while I'm at it, Louis Motek had two power cords above
the base Prime cord that would improve the performance of the BlackGrounds.
Should I try those, too?
--->
LessLoss BlackGround For Speakers Review.
RSX Benchmark Series Cables Review
You owe it to yourself to try these out.
Review By Brett Rudolph
It's
always an experience when you get the opportunity to review cables. They take a
while to break in, and if they do their job correctly, they should disappear,
leaving you with the ultimate playback system, where everything is perfect. In
reality, of course, no playback system can be perfect — the components and
speakers you use always impact the quality of the sound you hear. However, what
people fail to realize is that, although sometimes subtly, the cables you use
can and usually do impact the sound, as well. It seems like yesterday, but in reality, it was a few months
ago when I first spoke to Roger Skoff, the designer and owner of RSX cables.
Roger was involved in cable design for quite several years. The first brand of
cables he launched was XLO, the brand whose most famous ad was a two-page spread
showing just a loop of cable (no connectors) and, in small type, just the words:
Looks like no other, sounds like no other, sounds like nothing at all.
--->
RSX Benchmark Series Cables Review.
Listener Magazine The Intro
Editorial By Art Dudley
Volume two of the Monumental five-volume set of Bob Dylan's
The Genuine Basement Tapes reaches an emotional climax with a plaintive song called
"I'm
Not There" — no mean feat after the brilliant "Going to Acapulco" and three takes
of "Tears of Rage," one in waltz time. "I'm Not There" has appeared before, on
The Great White Wonder and on Volume One of The Newly Discovered Basement Tapes
on Surprise Records (the latter credited to Blind Boy Grunt and The Hawks), and while the version on
The Genuine Basement Tapes is the best sounding of the bunch, you still wouldn't mistake it for
anything other than a bootleg. About a third of the words are unintelligible, and as if that
weren't enough of an obstacle, the recording begins in mid-verse, with no clue as to
how much had been played before the tape started rolling. No way for technology to
fix that, I guess.
---> Listener Magazine The Intro By Art
Dudley.
Fear Of Frying
Or how I learned to stop worrying and love my home audio system.
Article By Joyce
Despite the fact that I've been married for
years to an audio geek extraordinaire; despite the fact that back in college I owned
the mini-component audio system that was the envy of the entire fourth floor of my
dorm; despite the fact that I have artfully wielded a soldering iron (okay, so his arm
turn in a cast, and mine was twisted behind my back, no matter), I still find that nobody
takes me seriously as an accomplished, dues paid-in-full, audio aficionado.
I really resent this. All I have to do is walk into a room full of "audiophiles" and the
conversation goes something like this, "Yeah, this 655 output to primary voltage
resistance is very musical. Oh, hi Joyce, bake anything interesting lately? Great.
Like
I was saying, try an unfilamented 90LX cap to ground next time and blah, blah...." Okay,
so maybe electronics manuals aren't my favorite bedtime reading and maybe I
was diagnosed with math anxiety at the tender
age of eight. None of this means I don't like music, beautiful, tuneful
MUSIC.
---> Fear Of
Frying.
Triophoni: Triode Triumph
Article By Dan Schmalle
This month I will take the opportunity to show off a little
(Oh brother, not again...). I have today been putting the finishing touches on my latest amp
project, a pair of triode output power amps called Triophoni. Since I spent a fair amount of
time writing up a blurb to advertise them I will use excerpts from said blurb to describe them:
6CK4 cathode type triode valves operate class AB1 push-pull as the output tube. This tube exhibits
low drive and plate voltage requirements, allowing for fewer drive stages than the typical triode
amplifier, helping to reduce phase shift. A triode's transfer curve is more linear than that of a pentode. This
helps minimize amplitude, harmonic and phase distortion, resulting in the incomparable
triode sound. The triode also exhibits low effective plate resistance, which
minimizes....
---> Triophoni: Triode Triumph.
Endow Audio T35 Point-Array
Loudspeakers Review
Exceptionally well made with impressive on- and off-axis sound.
Review By Brett Rudolph
Last month I
had the fortune of being asked to review new speakers from Endow, which made
their debut at the Florida Audio Expo
2020. Endow Audio's T35s loudspeakers,
according to the company, represents the same quality at a substantially reduced
price without cutting corners. Indeed, they are certainly visually a sight to
behold.... The engineering itself was fascinating; Endow utilized
multiple drivers in various phases and closed baffle in a very non-trivial
design to allow for a very expansive off-axis listening field.
--->
Endow Audio T35 Point-Array Loudspeakers Review.
Sonus Faber Il Cremonese Floorstanding
Loudspeaker Review
Sonus Faber's Il Cremonese speakers tell a story, and the more you listen, the more you not only get lost in the music, you appreciate and admire both in the story and the telling of it.
Review By Jules Coleman
If there is
anything obvious about obvious truths, it is their truth. Nothing else about
them need be, and often nothing else is. Moreover, some obvious truths are
obvious only in retrospect. Obvious truths – truisms – can be revealing,
insightful and even important. Take what is certainly one of audio's most obvious truisms: an audio system is,
after all, a system! Patently obvious? Yes. Uninteresting or unimportant?
Hardly!
--->
Sonus Faber Il Cremonese Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Stand-Mounted Loudspeaker Review
A sense of performance that gets out of the way of your music.
Review By Simon Lucas
Getting to 'Series
3' of the Bowers & Wilkins 705 stand-mounting loudspeaker has been a rather
more convoluted process than it might seem at first glance. You might imagine
that 'S3' replaces 'S2', which in turn replaced 'S1' (or perhaps just '705') –
but you'd be wrong. Getting to '705 S3' initially required there to be an original
'705', it's true. But after this, the entire 700 range (for reasons no one cares
to remember) became the 'CM' range. 'CM' didn't remain a thing for all that
long, and was replaced by the 'S2' range of 700 models. Then the 705 S2 (and the
702 S2 floorstander) were singled out for the Bowers & Wilkins 'Signature'
treatment – I reviewed the 705 Signature in issue 187 of this very magazine.
These 'Signature' editions ran alongside the 'vanilla' S2 models on which they
were based.
--->
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Stand-Mounted Loudspeaker Review.
McIntosh MP100 Phono Preamplifier / DAC Review
A serious piece of kit for an entry level vinyl setup.
Review By Gary Lea
If you are a reader of this esteemed publication it is not a
stretch to presume you are an audiophile and probably pretty deep into our
wonderful hobby. Having said that, I think you would be hard-pressed to find
anyone amongst us who has not heard of, listened to, or even owned McIntosh
components at some time in our audio journey. Right after college, and I started making reasonable money for
the first time, I moved up from a Yamaha integrated amp to a McIntosh MA6200
integrated unit. Sound-wise it was a toss-up between that and a comparable
Luxman. While Luxman was perhaps a bit more exotic, I just could not resist the
aesthetics of the McIntosh and I never regretted the decision. That was some 43 years ago and was the second phase of my
serious journey down the HiFi Highway.
--->
McIntosh MP100 Phono Preamplifier / DAC Review.
Dan D'Agostino Master Audio Systems Progression S350 Stereo Power Amplifier Review
The Dan D'Agostino S350 amplifier makes each musical selection sound spectacular!
Review By Tom Lyle
Dan D'Agostino Master Audio
products are not the most expensive audio components on the market, but in my
opinion, their audio products are some of the best sounding high-end
audio components I've ever had the pleasure of auditioning. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to review two
D'Agostino Master Audio components in the past. In 2017, I reviewed the
excellent-sounding Momentum
Lifestyle integrated amplifier, which had an onboard DAC and could also
be used as a streamer with its front-panel LCD metadata display. Also in 2017, I
reviewed D'Agostino
Master Audio System's Momentum phono stage, which I was highly impressed
with its outstanding sound quality and very user-friendly front panel controls.
--->
Dan D'Agostino Master Audio Systems Progression S350 Stereo Power Amplifier Review.
Songer Audio S1 Field Coil Point-Source
Loudspeaker Review
Singing a magnificent song.
Review By Bob Grossman
Do you remember as a kid when you
first heard an excellent quality music system? It was exciting, right? That
first time I heard music on a good stereo, I was completely mesmerized as if
real musicians were performing in the room! It was an emotional experience
beyond the thrilling sound. That feeling came back a few months ago at the
Capital Audio Fest when I visited the Songer Audio room and heard the S1
Speakers for the first time. I had been listening to music in many different
demo rooms with my good friend Ken Sternberg. We were also saying hello to
industry friends and taking in the excitement of the festival. Something magical
happened when we went into the Songer Room that distinctly grabbed our
attention, like the first time I heard a stereo 60 years ago.
--->
Songer Audio S1 Field Coil Point-Source Loudspeaker Review.
10 Examples Of How RCA
Was The Apple Of Its Day
Article By Bobby Owsinski
A while back I read a great post on the Daily Beast about how the old RCA company (Radio Corporation of America) was actually Apple way before Apple came into existence. Of course, that means that there were numerous similarities between the company that were pretty impressive. For
instance: RCA founder David Sarnoff was the original Steve Jobs. He willed his company to be the most innovative and technology driven company of its time. When Sarnoff retired in 1970, the company lost its way and diversified into food and real estate, eventually being acquired by GE. Obviously that hasn't happened with Apple after Jobs passing, but you can't deny that Jobs influence definitely made a difference in its
products.
--->
10 Examples Of How RCA Was The Apple Of Its Day.
Avantgarde Acoustic Duo XD Hornspeaker
Review
Blow Up! – With the Duo XD, Avantgarde Acoustic shows what horn technology and a perfectly matched active woofers... are able to do to the sound.
Review By Matthias Böde
Yes, you have read the measurement results
from our lab correctly (in case you checked them): For 94 decibels of sound
pressure at a distance of one meter, this speaker needs just 0.07 Watts of
power. Seven Watts would be somewhat normal, 0.7 Watts already a sensation –
but 0.07 Watts reads like a typo. It is completely true though! This is made
possible by the large horn at the top end of the Duo XD, coming from the
specialist Avantgarde Acoustic, based in a small town in the Odenwald mountain
range in southwestern Germany. This horn is connected directly to the amplifier
without any intermediate crossover and visually symbolizes the phenomenal
efficiency with its huge opening of 67 centimeters.
--->
Avantgarde Acoustic Duo XD hornspeaker Review.
Previous Issues
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Great Audiophile Gift 2023
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2022
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Great
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High-Performance Audio & Audiophile Reviews
