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High-Performance
Audio Gear Reviews,
Music News, Show Reports, Articles & More!
30 Years Of Service To Music
Lovers.
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January 2026 Review Magazine —
In-Depth Equipment Reviews And Best Of Capital Audiofest 2025 Awards!
Ring in the New Year with
sense-sational sound from your new
hi-fi system!
Enjoy the Music.com's January 2026 issue continues to celebrate the
site's 30th anniversary with a lively mix of forward-looking editorials, in-depth equipment reviews, and an expansive Capital Audiofest 2025 show report — all aimed at both seasoned audiophiles and newcomers exploring high-end sound. Our editorial section opens the issue with a renewed optimism for 2026, noting a resurgence across physical media and streaming that promises broader interest in high-fidelity listening; Roger
Skoff's lead piece frames the year as one of renewed energy for the music and audio industries, while May
Anwar's "Passport To Sound" advocates for audiophile education and outreach to younger listeners. These editorials emphasize that our love for music contributes to a healthier ecosystem for manufacturers and listeners alike, and the issue pairs historical perspective with practical calls to bring new audiences into the
hobby. Luxurious high-end audiophile equipment reviews within Enjoy the
Music.com's January 2026 Review Magazine is both deep and diverse, featuring a world
premiere review and definitive hi-fi gear appraisals.
---> January 2026 Review Magazine — In-Depth Equipment Reviews And Best Of Capital Audiofest 2025 Awards! 
CES 2026 Open In Las Vegas This Week For Consumer
Technologies
While no longer a showcase for high-end audio, there are still a handful of exhibitors
demonstrating high-fidelity audio gear at the Consumer Technology Association's
(CTA) Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026. Running through January 9, and is shaping up as a showcase for AI-driven consumer tech,
next-gen TVs, and mass-market audio rather than boutique audiophile gear, Enjoy the Music.com looks forward to the immersive tech-driven
sound showcases. The opening day in Las Vegas brought a flood of announcements from major
technology manufacturers and startups alike, with the CES 2026 show calendar running media previews from January 4 and public access beginning
today. Many consumer electronics and technology companies aim to set product and marketing agendas for 2026; organizers expect attendees and exhibitors across the expanded convention
footprint. AI integration may be the dominant theme on the CES 2026 show floor, with everything from wearables to smart home devices and
video systems touting on-device or cloud-assisted intelligence as a headline
feature.
---> CES 2026 Open In Las Vegas This Week For Consumer Technologies. 
Coast
To Coast Sound: Southwest, Pacific, And Capital Audiofest 2026
Three major regional audio shows are set to punctuate the 2026 listening calendar, offering audiophiles, industry professionals, and
Enjoy the Music.com, three distinct chances to hear the latest in high-fidelity home audio sound. Southwest Audiofest will convene in Dallas from March 21st through 23rd, bringing a weekend of room demonstrations, dealer rooms, and manufacturer showcases aimed at the southern U.S. market. Pacific Audio Fest arrives on the West Coast in Seattle from September 11th through 13th, promising a mix of boutique home audio equipment, high-end audio listening rooms, live music sessions, and product debuts that highlight Pacific Northwest designers and retailers. Capital Audiofest closes this trilogy of audio events in the nation's capital from November 13th through 15th, positioning itself as an East Coast hub for home stereo sound systems. All events will feature the latest in lossless Hi-Res Audio streaming music and networking among distributors, dealers, and music
lovers. Enjoy the Music.com will be at Southwest Audiofest's Dallas luxury home audio event emphasizing both stereo and immersive room setup, plus hands-on listening, with organizers focusing on acoustically treated demo spaces and curated vendor lineups that let attendees compare speakers, amplifiers, and turntables in real listening conditions.
---> Coast To Coast Sound: Southwest, Pacific, And Capital Audiofest
2026. 
Revealed! ESS ES9291 ADC/DAC: Sabre Codec With +121dB DNR
ESS Technology, a well-respected company that designs and markets Hi-Res Audio devices for mobile, consumer, automotive, and pro / audiophile systems, has expanded its SABRE CODEC lineup with the
ES9291. ESS Technology's ES9291
is a new stereo SMART CODEC that combines analog inputs and outputs with integrated ADC and DAC converters. Positioned for professional audio equipment, the device is aimed at high-end microphones, audio interfaces, live-stream setups, powered speakers, mixers and portable recorders, offering a compact solution for designers seeking premium analog performance. The ES9291 delivers ultra-low noise conversion with a True dynamic range of +121 dB and THD+N specified at –110 dB per channel across both ADC and DAC paths, making it a cost-effective option for applications that demand high fidelity. On-chip features support high sample rates and modern digital audio formats, enabling manufacturers to meet stringent audio quality targets without large external component
counts.
---> ESS Technology ES9291 ADC/DAC Features Sabre Codec With +121dB DNR. 
200
Million Music Lovers: Spotify Wrapped 2025
Spotify's annual year-in-review feature for music lovers, Spotify Wrapped 2025, has achieved unprecedented success and has reached over 200 million engaged users within just 24 hours of its launch! This is a remarkable 19% increase year-over-year and a milestone that represents the platform's biggest Wrapped launch in its decade-long history. Last year's iteration (2024) required 62 hours to reach the same benchmark, making this year's 2025 rapid adoption particularly noteworthy for the streaming giant. This year's edition introduced enhanced features designed to create deeper connections between music enthusiasts and their listening habits, including more layers, stories, and interactive elements than ever before. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek celebrated the achievement on social media, emphasizing how the experience connects users worldwide through shared musical
experiences. Beyond user engagement, Spotify's Wrapped 2025 generated exceptional social media traction, with over 500 million shares recorded in the first day alone—a 41% increase compared to last year.
---> 200 Million Music Lovers: Spotify Wrapped
2025.
Inside Capital Audiofest 2025: Exclusive Show Report & Latest Gear
New high-end audio trends, top hi-fi gear, plus audiophile insights and
cutting-edge innovations.
Welcome to
Enjoy the Music.com's comprehensive Capital Audiofest 2025 show report. Capital Audiofest (CAF) 2025
took place from November 14th to 16th at the Hilton Rockville in Maryland, continuing its legacy as the East Coast's largest and most beloved high-end audio show. The event
was open for all music lovers from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, offering three full days of immersive listening experiences, gear demos, and community engagement. Founded in 2010 by Gary Gill, CAF
continues to grow from a grassroots gathering into a cornerstone of the North American audiophile calendar, drawing enthusiasts, engineers, and manufacturers from across the
globe. Our Capital Audiofest 2025 show reports are now online and being
updated through December. Be sure to read our exciting, exclusive,
and expanded coverage of CAF 2025!
---> Inside Capital Audiofest 2025: Exclusive Show Report & Latest
Gear.
Get Ready Audiophiles And Music
Lovers, It's Coming!
Hmmmm... what we can expect from 2026?
Editorial (Mainly) By Roger Skoff, With Slight Additions By Steven R. Rochlin
Happy New Year from all of us here at Enjoy the
Music.com!
This is going to be a great year! After a fitful 2025 now in the rearview
mirror, both the music industry and our own luxurious high-fidelity audio
industry—the companies and people who bring us the audiophile gear we use to
enjoy the music—are poised to reach new highs and to reach more people than
at any recent time! We live in interesting times, CDs are back, reel-to-reel
tape thriving, vinyl LPs... and an abundance of true lossless Hi-Res Music
(20-bit/88kHz and higher) digital streaming to everyone in the world. Change is in the air. Can you hear
it? The music business enters 2026 with a kind of renewed energy
it hasn't felt in a long while. Streaming is still the engine, but it's no
longer the only story. When it comes to profits, physical media and merch
provide an excellent return on investment. Subscription numbers for streaming
services continue to climb, and even the ad-supported side—after uncertainty
through much of 2025—seems to have found its rhythm again.
--->
Get Ready Audiophiles And Music Lovers, It's Coming!
Vitus Audio SIA-025 Mk.II Luxury Hi-Fi Int. Amp — The Definitive Review
A masterful and musically satisfying experience that had me magically mesmerized.
Review By Dr. Matthew Clott
Caveat: Yes, the Vitus Audio
SIA-025 Mk.II solid-state integrated amplifier, as reviewed here, has
been out for many years. So why review it now? Well, for starters, wouldn't you
say yes if you were asked to review it?!? Secondly, I think that with the
introduction of some new similarly-priced integrated amplifiers and a new interest in
truly reference high-end audio performance at this level, it would be irresponsible of us here
at Enjoy the Music.com not to remind you that the new stuff is not always
the best. Sometimes we must look to the established to reinforce what our
references actually are. Thirdly, sometimes a review after a unit has been out
for some time helps to re-evaluate its place in the market as its price matures
with the flow that has represented the high-end audio world in recent years. Vitus Audio's founder, Hans-ole Vitus, fell in love with music
at the ripe old age of 12. That passion developed into a lifelong obsession with
audio perfection as he matured.
--->
Vitus Audio SIA-025 Mk.II Luxury Hi-Fi Int. Amp — The Definitive
Review.
Pure Power, Pure Pleasure — Pass Laboratories X600.8 Mono Amplifier Review
Quietly powerful, exquisitely precise sound that delivers recording-studio clarity.
Review By Tom Lyle
The Pass Laboratories
X600.8 monoblocks did not simply arrive — they announced themselves. Two Pass Laboratories X600.8
monoblocks for review here at Enjoy the Music.com, each a 123-pound monument of metal and circuitry, crossed my threshold and turned the upstairs listening room into a battleground for gravity. Their bulk filled the doorway, their presence
and proportions, and for a moment the house felt like it had been claimed by something far more serious than furniture.
Furthermore, I needed a little help getting them into
position within my listening room. Besides being quite heavy and quite large (19" x
21.5" x 11" WxDxH), my listening
room is on the top floor of our home. On their website, Pass Labs says that the Pass Laboratories
X600s can "...effortlessly drive the most demanding loudspeakers to musical
nirvana." With 600 Watts under the hood, it should be obvious that these
monoblocks can drive just about any pair of speakers one can think of....
--->
Pure Power, Pure Pleasure — Pass Laboratories X600.8 Mono Amplifier Review.
SVS' SB-5000 R|Evolution Will Not Be Televised — It
Will Be Felt!
Deep bass with exceptional musicality, bass speed, and a potent 2000 Watts!
SVS SB-5000 R|Evolution Subwoofer Review By Rick LaFaver
If Santa missed the mark on giving you the gift of deep, room-shaking bass this
year, meet the SVS 5000 R|Evolution SB-5000 sealed subwoofer — the sub that
transforms your music listening experience (it's not only for movie explosions).
Within this review, Enjoy the Music.com tests the SVS SB-5000 active
subwoofer with 2000 Watts from a real-world stereo perspective, showing how a
high-performance subwoofer can do more than boost LFE at 80Hz: it fills the gap
where your speakers naturally roll off, adds authoritative low-end detail, and
restores the rhythm, weight, and physical deep bass connection to your favorite
tracks that have been missing… until now. The SVS subwoofer was tested alongside my reference Vapor
Audio Cirrus loudspeakers and go-to Arte Forma amplifier, aiming for a musical,
real-world setup. I tried the preamplifier output so the SVS could receive
a full stereo analog feed and make the most of its 295 Hz Analog Devices DSP and
the SVS app's fine-tuning.
--->
SVS SB-5000 R|Evolution Active DSP Subwoofer Review.
Discover more hi-fi reviews and expert articles within our Review Magazine.
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