April 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.
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.
Florida International Audio Expo
2024 Show
Report
Florida's Fantastic International Audio Exposition
In Tampa.
The
funtastic Florida International Audio Expo 2024 took place from February 16th through 18th at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore Hotel. Attendees enjoyed their experience on 12 floors' filled with great luxury sound gear produced by the world's leading premium
high-performance audio
brands. As their exciting fifth annual Florida International Audio Expo,
this was the opportunity for audio and music aficionados to discover this sensational
showcase of products that includes home and desktop stereo systems, record
players / turntables, headphones, loudspeakers, digital audio music streamers, Hi-Res Audio DACs, cables, amplifiers and
more!
---> Florida International Audio Expo 2024 Show Report.
How To Buy A Violin... Or Something Like
That
Laying out money for music.
Article
By Roger Skoff
It's
only been about a century since, if you wanted to hear music, you either had to
play or sing it yourself or get somebody else to do it for you. Sure, the first
music recording was made back in 1860, by a Frenchman, Edouard-Leon Scott de
Martinville, and, sure, the phonograph (but not in a form we'd recognize it
today) was invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison, but it wasn't until 1925 that
electrical recording came along and made buying a record for an evening of
listening a practical reality. And it wasn't until the 1940s that even any
attempt was made to record and reproduce what we now call "High Fidelity" sound.
Before then, if you wanted to listen to music at home, you
either had to make it yourself or invite people over to make it for or with you.
--->
How To Buy A Violin... Or Something Like That.
Let's Talk About The Body Shop
The brands we once loved might not be the brand we still love
today.
Editorial By Alan Sircom
Although the brand lives on and stores worldwide will continue, The Body Shop in the UK has gone into administration and its future is uncertain. This might seem an odd opening gambit in an editorial about audio, but there are lessons to be
learned. The Body Shop was the brainchild of the late Dame Anita Roddick. Starting in 1976, Roddick launched the first Body Shop in Brighton, on the coast of Southern England, using locally-sourced skin care products in recyclable bottles and with minimal hype. The concept took off and quickly became a national and international
success. The Body Shop's failure in the UK speaks of many things that plague audio companies. The company suffered greatly after the passing of the founder. It became part of a larger brand, was spun out to venture capitalists and lost its identity. And perhaps most importantly for the brand, it traded on past
glories.
---> Let's Talk About The Body
Shop.
Doesn't Look Like It
The disruption will come from technology.
Editorial By J. Martins
While researching for this year's Earbuds and Hearables State of the Industry Market Update — a category that converges pure listening enjoyment and communications with hearing assistance and augmentation — I had to carefully review the results thus far from the much propelled over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid policy, which was supposed to drive down costs, increase access, and open up a market space for innovation in hearing aids. And unfortunately, it seems that companies are basically using that ruling to launch products that are more basic hearing aids that allow self-fitting but still look like hearing aids, and do less than the
"medically prescribed" hearing aids. A few exceptions from innovators such as Eargo made us believe that something could change,
gradually.
---> Doesn't Look Like
It.
Yin Yang Labs Graphametric
Paralyzer Review
Superb mastering engineer quality, yet
wish the Talent knob was more effective.
Review By Steven R. Rochlin
Audiophiles worldwide have long
been looking for a way to enhance the enjoyment of their music. This has lead to
inevitable upgrades in various parts of their music reproduction system. This
piece will enhance the transparency of lesser recordings, or reduce them if you
are tired of hyper-reality. Like your system's transparency, the imaging can be
tuned to fine Zeiss-like focus, or into a blur. For those using older solid-state
devices or push-pull amplifiers, the harmonics know may be the key for those
looking for that zero feedback single-ended tube sound! For me, the most important adjustment the Yin Yang Labs
Graphametric Parlyzer can achieve is in adding real talent to those pop
music recordings.
---> Yin Yang Labs Graphametric Paralyzer
Review.
Subatomic String Tuning Device
Review
The ultimate in resonance tuning!
Review By Steven R. Rochlin
Many audiophiles worldwide are
firm believers in resonance tuning devices. While there are various theories
concerning how these products work, a new upstart company, Subatomic Conger
And Magic (S.C.A.M.) feels that all other companies have ignored the most important
aspect. Namely, in careful attention to the basic molecules at work within all
matter. For many years the scientific community has debated string
theory. As seen above, basic atoms are made up from other smaller objects.
Those smaller objects are said to adhere to what Einstein refers to as the unified field theory.
In fact this then new discovery decades ago began a 30-year crusade!
Both the strong and weak forces (gravity and
electromagnetism) were felt by Einstein to really be part of one grand underlying principle.
As the decades past and new scientists furthered his work, today we have a
better understanding of it all.
---> Subatomic String Tuning Device Review.
Exotic Automobile Manufacturer Offers 'The Audiophile Car'
Audiophiles no longer need to
hibernate at home!
Review By Steven R. Rochlin
For decades audiophiles have been stuck to
the confines of their homes to reach musical bliss. In these, usually, darkened
rooms they would toil away tweaking and tuning looking for the next nirvana. It
brings me great joy to announce the very first auto manufacturer to satisfy the needs
of audiophiles worldwide. This next generation vehicle will suit both those
looking for style and substance. It is no secret that home audio is doomed from
the beginning with lackluster alternating current. This problem is exacerbated with
the use of dedicated power lines, power filters, regenerators, and balancers.
The Audiophile Car, or TAC for short, removes this entire exercise by being 100%
battery powered!
---> Exotic Automobile Manufacturer Offers The Audiophile Car.
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.
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.
World Premiere Review!
AGD DUET GaN-Power Monoblock Amplifier
Review
Defining your artistic sensibilities.
Review By Dr. Michael Bump
Professional musicians have a first love, and it's usually not
their mother or high school sweetheart, but rather the instruments they surround
themselves with throughout their lives. Sometimes this serves a nostalgic
purpose, though in most cases, it is because the instrument's sound defines them
(The Harry Potter analogy of "the wand chooses you" comes to mind). Theirs is a
uniquely personal relationship. We all identify John "Bonzo" Bonham through his
style of drumming and the sound of his Ludwig drum kit. The size, tuning, shell
material, cymbals, use of timpani, etc. were his calling card, inspiring his
touch / gesture, helping define him, and in turn, helping define Led Zeppelin. For
almost his entire career, Pablo Casals performed on but a single instrument –
a cello crafted around 1700 by the Venetian luthier, Matteo Gofriller. And of
course, who can imagine listening to Willy Nelson's music without the voice of "Trigger,"
his faithful Martin N-20 nylon-string guitar, on which he's been performing and
recording for over 55 years.
--->
AGD DUET GaN-Power Monoblock Amplifier Review.
Eminent Technology LFT8c Loudspeaker Review
Dipole done well.
Review By Jules Coleman
If you are not familiar with Bruce Thigpen,
it's time you were. Bruce has been among the more creative and innovative designers in the audio industry over the past forty years. He began his career by working on what was to become the Infinity turntable, which he followed with the classic and much-admired ET 2 linear tracking tonearm (parts and updates are still available for the model 1, ET-2 and ET- 2.5), before turning his attention to magnetic planar loudspeakers. Beginning with the full-range planar LFT3, he ultimately shifted focus to hybrid designs featuring planar mid and high-frequency drivers mated with traditional cone drivers to handle the lower frequencies. The shift in focus led to the development of the LFT-8 introduced in 1989 and then widely distributed beginning in 1990, the transformative version of which, LFT-8c, is the subject of this
review.
--->
Eminent Technology LFT8c Loudspeaker Review.
Vinshine Audio Denafrips Arce Hi-Res Music
Streamer Review
Streams music without obstructions or interfering with your favorite tunes.
Review By Neven Kos Of HiFiMedia
After Alvin Chee, the owner of the company
Vinshine Audio,
searched for the past year and a half on his YouTube channel for the best
streamer for Denafrips D/A converters, Denafrips introduced its music streamer
called Arce (twin sister of the rainbow goddess Iris in Greek mythology). The
primary focus in the design of this streamer was the quality of playback, so at
Denafrips they developed their computer platform instead of resorting to
existing ones, such as PC platform, Raspberry Pi, or something else already
existing. The computer part of the streamer is based on the Quad-Core
ARM Cortex processor, high-precision oscillators, and a power supply built after
the 60VA toroidal transformer. There are also low-noise and fast linear
regulators, and unlike many others that resort to existing and available
solutions or use standard computer solutions and operating systems, Denafrips
has also developed its operating system optimized precisely for music playback.
--->
Vinshine Audio Denafrips Arce Hi-Res Music Streamer Review.
Listener Magazine The Intro
Editorial By Art Dudley
By the time you read this my daughter
will be four years old. This morning I took Julia to preschool, but when we got there I realized
I'd forgotten to bring her lunch, so I told the teachers I would return with it later
on. I went back at noon, brown bag in hand, and walked into the classroom just as everyone was settling down on the big
story rug for a big story. When Julia saw me her face lit up and she shouted, "Daddy!" She jumped up and ran to me
and gave me the biggest hug ever, in history. While she was hugging me she continued to say, "My Daddy! My Daddy!,"
and patted me on the back the way she does lately. All you parents out there know what I'm talking about, don't
you? It's hard to stay worried about skating or ringing or jitter or other distortions with vaguely
Christmas-y names when you've got something like that going on.
---> Listener Magazine The Intro By Art Dudley.
Audio Note Ongaku
Article By Hiroyasu Kondo-san, Audio Note
The 211 creates a formidable impression because of its shape. But
the 211 may appear old-fashioned and unsophisticated to high-brow maniacs for audio equipment. Perhaps this is the reason why there
are only a few amplifiers that employ the 211 tube today. This type of amplifier is a challenge from the viewpoint of the
manufacturer. The power supply circuit cannot be normally designed, since the supply voltage required for the 211 tube must be approximately
1000V. In manufacturing the amplifier, we must pay utmost attention to moisture-proofing the chassis and proper insulation of
the wiring so as to prevent hands from getting electric shock if one reaches into the
amplifier. However, it is only large triodes like the 211 that provide the best performance that vacuum tubes can
offer.
---> Audio Note Ongaku Article By Hiroyasu Kondo-san.
Home Theater, 50% Style
Article By Dan Schmalle
Well, you guys who missed the last meeting are really gonna kick yourselves. You missed Rick and
Tina cutting a rug at our vintage disco. The meeting was obviously quite informal.
I had managed to scrounge the proper parts to repair one damaged crossover in time for the meeting so
we got to hear the A7's in stereo. Attendance was light so we pushed back the chairs and cranked 'em
up and danced. Now I don't like horn speakers as a rule, but these A7's aren't bad.
With the Stereo 70 the tweets seemed a bit harsh and throaty. I later adjusted the crossover for 6dB
attenuation and they really smoothed out. The real surprise was how nice
the triode amp I've been putting together sounded with them. I am now willing to concede that triodes
and horns can sound very good. Thanks to Mike for inspiring me to try 'em.
---> Home Theater, 50% Style.
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.
A Primer: Attending An Audio Show
Plus a few tasty bits of insider
info you need to know.
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
Hi guys and gals in AudioLand.
With all these show reports contained within the Enjoy the Music.com
pages, i felt you would be interested in what it takes to cover shows as
a humble writer looking to get scoops on all the groovy gear. First comes making
all the arrangements. The airline tickets, the hotel reservation, the rental
car... Nothing hard with that except being a bit strenuous on your wallet. Have
you seen what these hotel rooms cost? Almost 300 sheckles for the 'phile
City show... each night! Hmmm, being short on cashola i guess it will be fun
staying at the YMCA for me again this year....
--->A Primer: Attending
An Audio Show.
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.
Gryphon Audio Essence Preamplifier
And Essence Stereo Power Amplifier Review
Blown away by an amazing musical performance!
Review By Tom Lyle
The
Gryphon Essence preamplifier and Gryphon Stereo power amplifier are gorgeous
looking and beautiful sounding Danish high-end audio components. Those who can
afford either or both of these components will not only enjoy stellar sound
quality but most likely will also be able to enjoy the fact that they are the
epitome of audio equipment that has a look and "feel" of luxury goods. Gryphon
founder Flemming E. Rasmussen was responsible for the stunningly beautiful
exterior of the rather large (and heavy!) Gryphon Essence preamplifier and
Stereo Essence power amplifier. Good looks and operational refinement are
especially true of the Gryphon Essence preamplifier. Its weighty
infrared metal remote was only one indication of this Danish audio manufacturer's
recognition of many audiophile's appreciation of the intangibles that are
available on many preamps.
--->
Gryphon Audio Essence preamplifier & Essence Amplifier Review.
Pass Laboratories XP-22 Line Pre & XP-27 Phono
Pre Review
Colossal soundstage and the pinpoint imagining prowess!
Review By
Tom Lyle
I began to assemble my first "real" audio system while still in high
school. I made it chiefly from DIY components and other "vintage" gear
I could scrounge from friends and family. At that time, I don't think I heard
anyone use the term "audiophile." All I knew was that I wanted to hear
music at home on a better system than the mass-market stuff sold at department
stores. This was also about the same time I discovered a
high-end audio showroom near my parent's suburban home. Every once in a while, I
would quietly enter their store. There was no way I would have been able to sit
in the comfy chair in front of one of the active displays and listen to a
system. But I did walk among the array of components on display, and when no one
was looking, turn the knobs up and down and flip the switches on the front
panels of a component or two while it was muted or its power was off.
--->
Pass Labs XP-22 Line Pre & XP-27 Phono Preamplifier Review.
Ayon
Audio CD-35 II CD Player And USA Labs RS9 Music
Server Review
Two very versatile, and impressive, performers.
Review By Bob Grossman
The Ayon Audio CD-35 II as reviewed here, is the latest introduction to a long lineage of CD players that have
been well regarded going back to the various models in the 3 and 5 series, along
with ideas derived from their special edition CD35HF. But the CD-35 II is more
than a CD player – it is also a fully functioning preamplifier and DAC. It is
a single-ended triode pure Class A design using a 6H30 and a 5687 tube for each
channel, and a GZ30 tube as a rectifier for the power supply. It is also a zero-feedback
design. Ayon Audio's CD-35 II built-in DAC can be used to play music files
from your computer via the USB connection. The DAC also has a coaxial RCA input
for S/PDIF, I2S, BNC, AES/EBU, and three other BNC inputs for DSD. For this
review I also evaluated the USA Labs RS9 music server to coordinate streaming of music
from Qobuz.
--->
Ayon CD-35 II CD Player And USA Labs RS9 Music Server Review.
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