Premium
Home And Portable Audio Equipment Reviews
Luxurious Music And Sound Experience For Your Lifestyle
High-End Audio / Audiophile
/ Immersivephile Show Reports
October
2023
Hi-Fi And Music Industry News
Essential high-end audio news you need to know.
Enjoy the Music.com posts audiophile news virtually every day.
Do You Really Need To Buy A Bugatti?
How expensive our hobby doesn't need to be.
Article
By Roger Skoff
As I understand it,
Bugatti's latest-model car costs something like $4,500,000, goes well over 200 miles (320kM) per hour, and costs – at least the earlier Veyron model did – about $23,000 just for one of its regularly scheduled oil
changes. I might be wrong, though; I haven't done any serious Bugatti shopping lately, and I
don't ever intend to. I did, once have a super exotic car, though – a 1953 Siata factory team race car that had been built for that
year's Targa Florio road race. I was just a kid, then, no more than about nineteen years old, and, frankly, although something more practical would certainly have been a far better choice, I
didn't know any better. The car was extremely beautiful, very fast, and VERY prestigious: Everywhere I drove it, it was the center of attention, and I could enjoy the hope that, as its driver, I must be something special,
too.
--->
Do You Really Need To Buy A Bugatti?
UK Audio Show 2023 Report
This year's very special UK Audio Show will once again take place at the Staverton Park Hotel on October 7th and 8th, 2023. With four established events, plus a new one, and the return of an old
favorite, let's raise a glass to the Chester Group and the enterprising UK industry. Manufacturers and distributors can now cover the whole of the UK, and local dealerships benefit from local promotion and
sales. Once again the Staverton Park Hotel will expand further, with brand new and unique attractions and the enduring support of the their team. According to the show
promoter, "Sales now ahead of last year... and even more unique attractions mixed with many exclusives!"
---> The UK Audio Show 2023 Report.
Toronto Audiofest 2023 Show Report
The Toronto Audiofest 2023 show, held from October 20th through 22nd, features one of Canada's best luxurious premium high-technology home audio and video showcase. The Toronto Audiofest is an acclaimed consumer electronics (CE) exhibition. It brings together hundreds of audio brands featuring top rated audio and video equipment from around the globe. Attendees may hear, touch, and compare various sound systems within many floors of demo rooms ranging from 240 to 2400 sq. ft. It is the perfect place to experience the ultimate in sound quality. If considering acquiring a complete sound system or only a new piece of equipment, the Toronto Audiofest 2023 is the place for
you! Virtually all visitors share one thing in common, they have a deep passion for music! While some are longstanding audiophiles, many others are music lovers and/or just curious to discover the benefits of better sound quality.
---> Toronto Audiofest 2023
Show Report.
World Premiere Review!
Art Audio Opus 4 And Carissa Vacuum Tube Amplifier Review
Two amps from Art Audio and two pairs of speakers from Quad determine ideal combinations.
Review By Bob Grossman
My musical listening times have
been quite active and busy over the past couple of months as I have mixed and
matched various combinations of two vintage Quad speaker models along with two
new beautiful amplifiers from Art Audio based in Nottingham, U.K. I have been on
a year-long listening and learning pilgrimage revisiting memories and prior
experiences from hearing Quads decades ago. I acquired restored Quad 57 and 63 speakers from the renowned
specialist Sheldon Stokes of SDS Labs in New Hampshire, USA as the starting
point for understanding and hearing both electrostatic models designed by Peter
Walker. The focus of this review project is the Art Audio Carissa stereo amplifier and
the Art Audio Opus 4 monoblock amplifier pair. Both amplifiers
were used in rotation for both pairs of speakers.
--->
Art Audio Opus 4 And Carissa Vacuum Tube Amplifier Review.
World Premiere Review!
Margules Audio U-280SC 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Vacuum Tube
Amplifier Review
Realistic sound with extended frequency extension... plus tube rollers can rejoice too!
Review By Tom Lyle
Margules Audio is a high-end
audio company that produces a full line of components. It is headquartered in
Mexico City, Mexico, and although the Margules Audio U-280SC 30th Anniversary
Limited Edition vacuum tube stereo amplifier review you're about to read is
brand new, the company has been in business since the early 1980s. The Margules
family – now including third and fourth-generation members – has been
involved in audio in one way or another since the early part of the twentieth
century, when Mr. Jacob Margules, a European engineer. He also contributed to
the building of radio stations and electrification in Mexico as they
manufactured wind-up gramophones, followed by tube radios, plus they distributed
industrial parts too.
--->
Margules Audio U-280SC 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Vacuum Tube Amplifier Review.
Alexandria Audio Monitor Loudspeaker Review
Road to Bali, or Bali high-mids and lows... from a surprising newcomer within Indonesia.
Review By Ric Mancuso
I like reviewing audio playback offerings from other
countries. A few generations of gear have come from other lands that have
matured and demonstrated worthiness to be top contenders in the High-End
markets. I received on my doorstep two crates that seemed to come from an Indiana
Jones movie. Was there an Arc of the Covenant inside them in two pieces,
snakes, monkey heads, or loudspeakers? SNAKES! I hate snakes! Not. I think
snakes are cool and mysterious creatures. Audio equipment can be mysterious and
unpredictable creatures as well. I got my cordless drill with a Phillips drill
bit armed for the unexpected. It took me some time to unpack the secure contents
revealing a pair of Alexandria Monitor loudspeakers.
--->
Alexandria Audio Monitor Loudspeaker Review.
World Premiere Review!
Coherent Audio Trim Tens Floorstanding Loudspeaker
Review
Shining a spotlight on the music.
Review By Paul Schumann
After
my first year of college, I inherited my Dad's Dynaco ST-70 amp and PAS preamp.
The Jensen drivers in the speakers he built before I was born had fallen apart
and he wanted a simpler system to listen to music. Over the summer I worked at a
sandwich shop and saved my money to buy a new pair of speakers. When I finally
socked away enough dough, I went to the audio salon I had been haunting for
nearly a year. Surprised I was going to actually buy something, I got the royal
treatment. Looking back, I'm amazed at the wide variety of
transducers I listened to that day. I'm not going to drop any names, but a lot
of famous early 1980s speakers were in the shop at that time.
--->
Coherent Audio Trim Tens Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.
Danacable Lazuli Rhapsody Headphone Cable Review
A direct connection.
Review By Gary Alan Barker
Seven
years ago I reviewed the Danacable Lazuli Reference Headphone Cable
(as well as the standard Lazuli cable), which was indeed my first cable
review for Headphone.Guru. That is not to say that I was new to cables at the
time, I had been testing and using high-end cables since the eighties, I even
developed my own cable back in the eighties that I still use for certain
applications. But the upshot was that I was floored by the performance of the
Danacable Lazuli line. Now Danacable has produced a new variant, the Danacable
Lazuli Rhapsody Headphone Cable, and like then, I will be testing them with
HIFIMAN headphones, in fact, I have three pairs to choose from and plan to test
with all three beginning with my reference headphone the HIFIMAN HE6se.
--->
Danacable Lazuli Rhapsody Headphone Cable Review.
Gold Note DS-1000 EVO Streaming DAC Review
A fine streamer / DAC / pre that is a worthy addition to high-performance digital audio.
Review By Alan Sircom
The Gold
Note DS-1000 EVO has been one of the company's mainstays in its
higher-end electronics line. It's a wireless streaming DAC, making it
essentially your complete digital source component in a post-physical digital
age. However, given it also has extensive digital connections that a
disc-spinner might use, it's also likely to be a digital hub for CD transports
and other traditional digital audio devices. It has an optional XLR and RCA line
inputs if you wanted to use the DS-1000 EVO as a line preamplifier (which is
called the DS-1000 EVO LINE and is the model tested here), and a 1/4"
headphone socket too. In the past, Gold Note eschewed the notion of discussing its
chipset, taking the very admirable line that suggests its a Gold Note product,
rather than someone's chipset in a Gold Note box.
--->
Gold Note DS-1000 EVO Streaming DAC Review.
Métronome Technologie Le Player 4+ DAC / CD
Player Review
The persistence of memory.
Review By Maurice Jeffries
In
an act of musical and marketplace bravery, the esteemed French electronics firm
Métronome Technologie has taken the bold step of offering music lovers still
wed to physical media a device many long ago consigned to the dustbin of audio
history: a dedicated CD player. When Toronto, Canada-based audio distributor /
dealer Wynn Wong of Wynn Audio and our Creative Director Steven R. Rochlin
contacted to gauge my interest in reviewing Metronome Technology Le Player 4+ CD
player / DAC, I thought that they both must be crazy. What sane manufacturer
would dare to offer a dedicated (and pricey) CD player in a market dominated by
digital servers, streamers, music streaming services, and outboard DACs to that
most fickle of consumers, the modern audiophile?
--->
Métronome Technologie Le Player 4+ DAC / CD Player Review.
World Premiere Review!
Rogue Audio Stereo 100 'Dark' Vacuum Tube Amplifier Review
Musical purity and natural ease bring out the very best in your loudspeakers.
Review By Ric Mancuso
Rogue Audio's designer Mark O'Brien has been on a tear lately
with updated and new models that are setting the bar higher for the competition.
I recently wrote about the new Rogue Audio Pharaoh II and the Sphinx Model 3 before
the Stereo 100 Dark as reviewed here. You might say, they all came first under the checkered
flag. Mark is a high-performance car and motorbike enthusiast, along with being
driven — no pun intended — by his passion for premium audio high-end sound.
I guess you could call him a gearhead. Hey, aren't we all at some level? Funny,
how speedy motorbikes are a thing with other audio designers in the industry. To
name a few, EveAnna Manley of Manley Audio, Sean Casey of Zu Audio, and Mark O'Brien
of Rogue Audio. I have an exercise bike.
--->
Rogue Audio Stereo 100 'Dark' Vacuum Tube Amplifier Review.
Vivid Audio Kaya 25 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review
A very special two-way, two-driver paradise for those on a 'budget'.
Review By Dr. Matthew Clott
Vivid
Audio is a loudspeaker line I've known for some time, yet never taken serious
interest in. Not because I was unimpressed, but because other than shows I never
really had the opportunity to absorb what they can do in a proper room. I do
know that many of my fellow reviewers hold Vivid in high regard and my interest
has always been there. Recently, Bill Parish of GTT Audio took over import
responsibilities and invited me over to experience the entire line at his place.
Fortunately for me, Bill is 33 minutes away (about 14 miles) and an easy
highway-free saunter west into rolling hills and gentle farmland (not sure what
made it gentle, but it was gentle dammit!).
--->
Vivid Audio Kaya 25 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.
House Of Marantz And Interview With President Joel Sietsema
We join The Listening Chair's Howard Kneller as he attends Marantz' 70th Anniversary celebration.
Photos And Videos By Howard Kneller
Within these two videos, Howard Kneller, co-founder of
The Listening Chair, takes us along on his two-day visit to the House of Marantz event, which was held in July of this year to celebrate the
company's 70th anniversary. For almost the past twenty years, Howard has worked as a reviewer, columnist, and/or photographer for a variety of audiophile
publications. Last year, Howard joined forces with well-respected audio
journalist Colin Saunders to start an audiophile YouTube channel called The Listening Chair with Howard
Kneller. Since that time, they have been joined by numerous other reviewers based around the U.S. and world, including industry veteran Kemper
Holt.
--->
House Of Marantz And Interview With President Joel Sietsema.
The Intro
Editorial By Art Dudley
Is Tony Rice the "best" guitarist in
bluegrass music? Before you scold me for looking at the world that way
— stuffing artists into neat
little pigeonholes and ranking musicians the way most people rank baseball players
— bear in mind that I don't do it half as
much as I used to. And since kids can be forgiven for thinking like that, I have let
myself off the hook for all those nights I drove around town with my pals, arguing
over whose guitar heroes were the "best," like some adolescent McLaughlin Group in
plaid flannel shirts. (John McLaughlin: "Who's heavier, Jeff Beck or Jimmy Page?"
Jack Germond: "I think it's Jimmy Page." John McLaughlin: "Wrong
again. Pat Buchanan, who's heavier...?"). But the title of this month's music feature is a deliberate, and hopefully thought-provoking, reference to the fact that a great
many fans, fellow musicians, and critics all consider Tony Rice to be the best in his
field.
---> Listener Magazine The Intro By Art Dudley.
A Homebrew Horn For Dual Concentric Loudspeakers
Article By Roy Hilsley
I consider myself to be very lucky. My father introduced me to hi-fi when I was a teenager.
That was over forty years ago! In those days audio electronics and hi-fi was very much an
experimenter's hobby and my father loved to put electronic components together to make all
manner of things. He built our amps, tuner and speakers — first for mono and then stereo. He
even built our first TV set!
The early hi-fi shows in England were held at the Hotel Russell in London and we would visit
to look, see and hear the latest audio innovations. My father was a music lover and could
play the piano. He knew what sounded natural. At one of the shows he was so impressed
with the sound made by one particular manufacturer that he ordered a pair of the speakers
at the show.
---> A Homebrew Horn For Dual Concentric Loudspeakers.
Tech Tips And Other Unsolicited Advice
The 75 Minute Restoration
From VALVE Magazine
Bill called a couple Saturdays ago to tell
me that he had traded a Mac 1700 (a hybrid receiver, with tube tuner and solid-state amp) for a Scott 340 receiver. The
person he traded with acknowledged a greater value for the Mac than the Scott and offered to pay a set amount for
service by yours truly to balance the deal. Would I be available this weekend to do check it
out? I asked Bill if it ran and he said yes. Knowing that the weak point on Scotts
was their coupling caps, I suggested he run it for a while, constantly monitoring
the output tubes for red plates. He called back a bit later and said that one tube's plate had started to glow red,
at which point he turned the 340 off. I said bring it by and I'd get it going.
---> Tech Tips And Other Unsolicited Advice.
Is The Music BUSINESS Working Against Music Lovers
Do mastering engineers / music suffer at the hands of
the lowest common denominator?
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin
Have been trying my best to stop writing about music and audio
gear, yet there's a voice inside of me saying you should, make that must,
speak your truth. It's no secret that I read an abundance of industry
inside information. This is not just high-end audio, it also pertains to
musicians, recording studios, FOH / live performance, and mastering engineers
(to name a few). What I find very interesting is that those who dare to speak up have
many of the same concerns we audiophiles do!
--->
Is The Music BUSINESS Working Against Music Lovers?
Forget The Specs
Roger Skoff writes something that could change your mind completely.
Article
By Roger Skoff
Until
not very long ago, "spec sheets" were an important part of our audio hobby. You
know what I'm talking about – those single-sheet write-ups that showed a
picture of a product, gave a description of its features and qualities, and set
down in detail such things as frequency response, measured distortion,
signal-to-noise ("S/N") ratio, and so on. People used to pick them up at Hi-Fi Shows as reminders about
products that had particularly caught their attention, or they would ask for
them, supposedly "to show the Little Lady", as "get-out-of-the-store
without-buying-anything"
passes, when they'd auditioned something at their local HiFi dealer and either
didn't want, or weren't yet ready, to buy them.
---> Forget The Specs.
Gingko Audio Sextet Speaker
System Review
Enjoying everything the Gingko Swarm has to offer with many options available too!
Review By Brett Rudolph
Over the
years, I have had the opportunity to review several different speakers and
speaker systems. Each one has the character that sets it apart from the next.
So, when you can audition speakers and have the designer help set them up and
explain them to you, it aids in giving a full review. Therefore, when the
opportunity presented itself late last year, I jumped at the chance. Usually, the first contact is a brief discussion on the
product and a time to work out logistics. However, Vinh Vu from Gingko Audio,
and I spoke more about the Sextet system's potential.
---> Gingko Audio Sextet
Speaker System 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.
Kronos Discovery
Turntable Review
Drive-by reviewing at Long Valley.
Rick Becker
Investigates A Treasured Turntable.
It
was supposed to be a nearly five-hour trip but my wife missed a turn on the
shortcut and took the Shooting Brake through an all-terrain parking lot to buy
lunch at Subway. Then there were accidents on I-80 to slow us down.
Nevertheless, Bill Parish was all smiles, as usual, when we pulled into GTT
Audio to get a listen to Louis Desjardins' latest masterpiece, the Kronos
Discovery turntable. Bill had sent me his GTT video newsletter
with a pow-wow after David W. Robinson, Editor in Chief and Senior Writer
Maurice Jeffries of Positive Feedback had spent an afternoon listening to the
new turntable. Emails flew and Louis sent me a copy of Alan Sircom's review in HiFi+
magazine. I emailed Louis and told him I thought it was a very good
review. He replied that he thought it was an Excellent!
--->
Kronos Discovery Turntable Review.
LampizatOr Amber 4 Stereo DAC /
Preamplifier Review
It's hard to imagine a more musical DAC in its price.
Review By Rick Becker
A decade
ago LampizatOr was not yet on my radar. My review of the LampizatOr Amber 4
stereo DAC / preamplifier, as seen here, is a testament to their efforts over
the years. It wasn't until the New York Audio Show in 2014 that I first heard
one. The
rig was totally comprised of gear that was new to me. The only familiar thing
was Lyle Lovett singing "North Dakota." I didn't have much to say about the
sound quality, which is neither good nor bad. Spring forward to November,
at the Capital AudioFest 2021
and there were more than a handful of their various
DACs on display. LampizatOr has become a top brand, and while they are best
known in the US for their DACs, they offer four levels of "turnkey" systems in
which everything, including cables, is made by LampizatOr. Their speakers
feature open baffle midrange and tweeters with enclosed woofers, much like the
early Tekton Design speaker I found so delightful back in 2009. Today, I dare
say they are at the leading edge of DAC design.
--->
LampizatOr Amber 4 Stereo DAC / Preamplifier Review.
Previous Issues
2023
January
February March
April May
June
July
August September
2022
January
February March
April May
June
July
August September
October November
Great
Audiophile Gift 2022 December
2021
January
February March
April May
June
July
August September
October November
Great
Audiophile Gift 2021 December
Note: We have magazine issues dating back to 1999.
See our archives section for thousands of reviews.
Have
Your Voice Heard!
We have thousands who've joined us on social media and you're invited too!
Come join the conversation on Facebook
and Instagram
to meet like-minded music lovers. For our business partners, be sure to
join and follow us on LinkedIn
for important business updates, event information, and much more. As always...
enjoy the music.
High-End Audio And Audiophile Review Magazine.
