High-End Audio / Audiophile & Music Industry News

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05 / 06 / 24

T.H.E. Show SoCal 2024 Exhibitor List Released
North America's longest running hi-fi audio trade show, T.H.E. Show, is set to take place from June 7th through 9th at the Hilton Orange County Costa Mesa. T.H.E. Hotel Room Block is available for our attendees at a very special discounted rate so make sure to book your rooms now. With this booking link, attendees will also be entitled to a special parking rate of $20 per day per vehicle (last year it was $28 so they are pleased to offer an even deeper savings). Armed Forces and children under 12 receive complimentary entry (with proof of service). T.H.E. Club Lounge will be open for members of all audio societies and music clubs! Please bring proof of membership and you will be welcomed in for complimentary beverages, snacks, networking, and relaxation.

Additionally, T.H.E. Show SoCal 2024 are excited to share with you all that T.H.E. Women's Lounge is back! We welcome our HiFi Sisters to join us in this special lounge where we will be serving complimentary beverages, snacks, and some special surprises for T.H.E. Ladies. T.H.E. Lifestyle Lounge featuring Steinway Lyngdorf, Sony, Kaleidescape, Crestron, Magnetar, Allegretto Vineyard & Resort, SANS Wine & Spirits, and Atlantic Home Entertainment & Stereo will be on the Banquet 2 Level in Pacific Ballroom IV! Exhibit Rooms are fully booked for the first five floors with more exhibitors being added so make sure to get your tickets and discounted hotel rooms asap. You can downloade the PDF to best plan your visit and maximize your time at T.H.E. Show SoCal 2024.

05 / 03 / 24

Hi-Fi+ May 2024 High-End Audio Magazine
Editorial: Physical Media Music Formats
Audiovector Trapeze Floorstanding Loudspeaker
Reed Audio Muse 1C And 3P Turntable / Tonearm
Acoustic Energy Corinium Floorstanding Speaker
Chord Electronics Ultima Integrated Amplifier
Audiobyte SuperHUB Network Streamer
Michi X3 Series 2 Integrated Amplifier
Sonus faber Duetto Active Streaming Speakers
Ayre Acoustics EX-8 2.0 Integrated Amplifier
Pro-Ject Evo 9 CA Premium Turntable / Tonearm
And Much More!

Within this month's editorial, Alan Sircom says "All physical audio formats are trying for the same success LP had with the 'vinyl revival'. More than just a flash in the pan, the return of vinyl has proved to have true staying power, and has long since outlived the hipster trend that sparked LP's 21st century reboot. We have seen the return of compact cassette at one extreme, and the rebirth of the open-reel professional tape machine at the other. And we've even seen some recent uptick in sales of CD. Physical formats, it seems, aren't going away just yet. But why are they still popular? Someone buying a CD is spending more on a digital file than they would spend streaming a more high-resolution online counterpart. However, the closer you investigate this trend to own physical copies, some fascinating points begin to emerge." See what's within the May 2024 issue of Hi-Fi+ magazine.

05 / 02 / 24

World Premiere Review!
Charisma Audio Musiko Turntable Review
I strongly suspected when listening to the first song with the Musiko that I would buy it.
Review By Rick Becker
The Charisma Audio Musiko tonearm had already become part of my reference system back in May 2021. when it was incorporated into my Linn Project — a complete re-make of the fabled Linn LP12 using off-the-shelf, re-engineered parts from several after-market companies. These parts were sourced from Great Britain, Canada, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and Colorado. By the time I finished, the only original OEM parts were the suspension springs and grommets, the belt, the sub-chassis nuts and bolts, and the wood plinth. While there were lots of lovely alternatives, I kept the original wood plinth out of sentimentality. I was quite proud of the results, having greatly improved on the original vintage table — not unlike the way Carroll Shelby made over the British AC Ace into the Cobra sports car, except I did it on a kitchen countertop and never got around to racing it. I nicknamed it the Bard for reasons I'll let you figure out.
---> Charisma Audio Musiko Turntable Review.

Black Ice Audio Fusion F100 Monoblock Vacuum Tube Power Amplifier Review
Plus a great story about Jim Fosgate's Odyssey circuit.
Review By Ron Nagle
To tube or not to tube? Strange as it may seem, that age-old question is still relevant. Today new materials and innovative designs have taken vacuum tube audio components to a higher level. When I first saw the Black Ice Fusion F100 in room 504 at the Capital Audiofest, they were powered with Russian Tung-Sol KT150 beam tetrodes. This innovative tube is only one type of power tube the F100 can use, each with a different musical voice. This ability has a substantial fundamental advantage. Unlike solid-state amplifiers, you need not be stuck with one solid-state sound. Like a fine wine, the sound of vacuum tube audio components can appeal to many diverse tastes.
---> Black Ice Audio Fusion F100 Monoblock Vacuum Tube Power Amplifier Review.

05 / 01 / 24

May High-Performance Audio Review Magazine
This month we've finalized our Southwest Audio Fest, Montreal Audiofest, and AXPONA show reports. Later this month we'll be posting show coverage from HIGH END 2024 in Munich (our 24th time, we were there in Frankfurt too!). Roger Skoff's editorial 'What Kind Of Music Do You Like?' may answer the question of matching your loudspeakers to your music preferences. Or it could be a trap, you decide!

With so much effort going towards shows, we still found time to review the incredible Linkwitz LX521 loudspeakers. Longtime audio reviewer Rick Becker truly hopes you have the opportunity to hear them. Rick says they were one of the very best rooms at shows! Our much-anticipated review of Nagra's Classic DAC II, PSU Power Supply, and VFS by Senior Editor Tom Lyle is a must-read for those seeing the top echelon of Hi-Res Audio digital audio / music. Fact is, while listening to music the Nagra system, literally, brought tears to Tom's eyes. All this and much more inside Enjoy the Music.com's May 2024 Review Magazine.

Join us for more fun and bonus content within our Facebook and Instagram social media pages. As always, in the end what really matters is that you... enjoy the music!
---> May 2024 High-Performance Audio Review Magazine!

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?

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.

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.

Many more reviews & articles are within our Review Magazine.

04 / 30 / 24

Today Is International Jazz Day 2024
Back in 2011 we welcomed UNESCO's decision to officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day. In hopes of bringing great music while also uniting people globally, International Jazz Day features legendary jazz pianist / composer Herbie Hancock as UNESCO's Ambassador. According to their website, "International Jazz Day brings together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics, and jazz enthusiasts all over the world to celebrate and learn about jazz and its roots, future and impact; raise awareness of the need for intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding; and reinforce international cooperation and communication. Each year on April 30, this international art form is recognized for promoting peace, dialogue among cultures, diversity, and respect for human rights and human dignity; eradicating discrimination; fostering gender equality; and promoting freedom of expression."

Music enthusiasts can look forward to legendary figures of jazz, blues and beyond electrifying the city of Tangier – and screens throughout the world. Led by iconic pianist Herbie Hancock and Musical Director John Beasley (USA), the All-Star Global Concert will feature performances by an international roster of artists from all corners of the globe, including master Gnawa musician Abdellah El Gourd (Morocco). Other confirmed artists include: Claudia Acuña (Chile), Ambrose Akinmusire (USA), Lakecia Benjamin (USA), Richard Bona (Cameroon), Dee Dee Bridgewater (USA), and many, many more. Below is their YouTube video of the event. As always, in the end what really matters is that you... enjoy the music!

04 / 29 / 24

HIGH END 2024 At Munich's M.O.C. Show Report
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.

For many years, the HIGH END show has provided both the big players within the industry and smaller owner-managed companies with their ideal presentation platform as the world's leading audio trade show. It is the perfect place to establish business relationships, expand networks, exchange ideas and experiences with other industry experts. Acclaimed musician and producer Steven Wilson will be presenting his most recent album The Harmony Codex in immersive audio reproduction at HIGH END 2024. The HIGH END show is an international leader when it comes to impressively setting the bar for high-performance music reproduction. The trade show has been providing ideas and inspiration for producers, distributors, sellers, and consumers of high-quality luxurious consumer electronics for four decades. Each year, representatives from the industry get together for four days at the HIGH END show in Munich. From leading global players  to innovative start-ups, exhibitors provide proof of their innovative passion, which they present on an international stage to the global public.
---> HIGH END 2024 AT Munich's M.O.C. Show Report.

04 / 27 / 24

The Big AXPONA 2024 Show Report
The largest, most well-managed, and most amazing show in North America!
Audio Expo North America 2024 Show Coverage By Greg Weaver
This most recent AXPONA (Audio eXPO North America), held Friday, April 12th through Sunday, April 14th at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center for the fifth time (COVID-19 took its toll affecting the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 events), managed to break all its previous records by welcoming 10,391 attendees from 42 states and 31 countries. Liz Smith, AXPONA's Show Director for JD Events shared that this represented a 14% increase over 2023, adding that, "This year our Gen Z pass doubled. It was exciting to see so many attendees ages 15 to 26 discovering the world of high-performance audio." Just how big and amazing was it? This year's monstrous event featured 202 dedicated listening rooms and dozens of displays and booths over its sprawling twelve floors of displays and exhibits crafted by some 600 global manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and brands!
---> The Big AXPONA 2024 Show Report.

Best Of AXPONA 2024 Blue Note Awards
Greg Weaver's Top Five Rooms at AXPONA 2024
Audio Expo North America 2024 Show Coverage By Greg Weaver
Here are my Top Five Rooms, presented in the same order as the main show report is laid out, starting on floor 16 and working down to the ground floor. Keep in mind that, given your personal biases and musical preferences, ANY of these Top Five Rooms might have filled your top honor qualifications. They were ALL fabulous and deserving of such remarkable recognition. Let's literally, "Take it from the top...."
---> Best Of AXPONA 2024 Blue Note Awards.

04 / 25 / 24

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.

04 / 23 / 24

Australian Hi-Fi March / April 2024
Editorial: New Hi-Fi Gear Is Pushing The Boundaries
Sonus Faber Duetto Stereo Speaker System
Dellichord FR6 Loudspeakers
DS Audio DS 003 Optical Cartridge
Richter Wizard Series 6Plus Loudspeakers
Australian Hi-Fi Show 2024 Guide
History of Portable Audio: Part 4
Podcasts for Music Lovers
Top Picks And Reissues
And Much More!

Within her editorial, Becky Roberts says ""
---> Australian Hi-Fi March / April 2024.

04 / 22 / 24

Pacific Audio Fest 2024 Show Report
Experience the best in premium audio gear at Seattle's PAF 2023 show.
The Pacific Audio Fest (PAF) returns to Seattle for their third great year! From September 6th through 8th, you can experience the very best in high-performance high-end audiophile gear at the biggest and best audio show on the Northwest coast of the USA! With ~100 exhibition rooms showcasing great audio gear, there will be millions of dollars is audio gear, from very reasonably priced to cost-no-object, to hear and enjoy. Taking place at the Doubletree-Hilton Sea-Tac / Seattle, PAF is the USA's very best Northwestern premium audio event.

Scheduled for the Pacific Audio Fest 2024 is live music on Friday and Saturday nights, with NW regional wine and beer tastings, and ~100 rooms of quality audio, Marketplace, Record Fair, HeadZone and much more! The Pacific Audio Fest show is located at a top tech hub and one of the fastest growing communities in the USA, plus it is a vacation paradise in the summer months. The Seattle area has great demographics for the audio industry too!
---> Pacific Audio Fest 2024 Show Report.

04 / 19 / 24

audioXpress' May 2024 Issue
Editorial: No Truth. Just Joy.
The Neurochrome Story
The Open-Loop Complementary Follower And An Amplifying Stage
A High-Performance 60-Watt Class A Amplifier Part 2
Sustainable Acoustical Absorption
Glass Audio: The TubeSociety 2022 OTL Hybrid Tube Amplifier
A Low-Feedback Triode Amplifier With Zero Output Impedance Part 1
Tube Output Power
Optimizing Single-Stage Dual-Triode Totem Pole Drivers
And Much More!

Within his editorial, J. Martins says "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."
---> audioXpress' May 2024 Issue.

04 / 18 / 24

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.

04 / 17 / 24

Record Store Day 2024 Is This Weekend
Record Store Day 2024 will celebrate the many important independent record stores in the USA and internationally on April 20, 2024. Record Store Day was originally conceived during 2007 when a few independent record store owners as an avenue to rejoice and share the love for local record stores. Record store staff, music lovers and musicians come together to celebrate the wonderful diversity of music and the important local role each store plays at showcasing their local talent and the unique global music culture.

According to the Record Store Day website, "Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, DJs spinning records, and on and on. In 2008 a small list of titles was released on Record Store Day and that list has grown to include artists and labels both large and small, in every genre and price point. For several years, 60% or more of the Record Store Day Official Release List came from independent labels and distributors. The list continues to include a wide range of artists, covering the diverse taste of record stores and their customers." As always, there will be many very limited edition music titles / LP pressings released on Record Store Day 2024. Please find the participating store near you and contact them directly to find out how they're participating and celebrating Record Store Day 2024.

Previous High-End Audio News
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