AKM Launches AK491x
Ultra-Low Noise Op Amps For High-End Audio
Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM) has unveiled the AK491x series, a new line of premium audio operational amplifiers aimed at
high-end audio designers and audiophiles. The company plans to introduce the
single channel AK4911 and two channel AK4912 at the upcoming HIGH END Vienna 2026, where the devices were showcased alongside headphone demonstration boards. The AK491x family targets a gap AKM identified between
state-of-the-art DACs and conventional analog output stages, offering
ultra-low noise and distortion to match modern DAC performance. Measured performance highlights include a noise density of 0.96 nV/√Hz and THD+N of −150 dB at 1 kHz, figures AKM says are unachievable with typical op amps. Beyond headline numbers, the AK491x series delivers robust drive capability with
+/-100 mA output drive, enabling the op amps to maintain low distortion even under demanding loads such as
multi-channel current summing in DAC applications. These electrical characteristics are intended to preserve transparency, spatial cues, and volume balance when paired with
high-performance DACs.
---> AKM Launches AK491x Ultra-Low Noise Op Amps For High-End Audio.
audioXpress'
June 2026 Issue
Editorial: A Curated Listening Experience
A Year Of Significant Expansion
From Microphones To HATS Understanding In-Car
Simulation And Optimization Of Automotive Acoustics
Audio Software Development With Claude: SPLMeter
Questions To Mike Engelhardt About QSPICE
Stabilizing Tube Feedback Amplifiers Without Much Math
The Frequency Limits Of Human Hearing
And Much More!
---> audioXpress June 2026
Issue.
Shanghai International TAS 2026 To Draw Record Crowds With Global Debuts And Immersive Experiences
The 33rd Shanghai International Top Audio-Visual Show (TAS
2026) opens this weekend at the Shanghai International Convention Center and the Oriental Riverside Hotel, marking one of the largest and most influential editions in the
event's three-decade history. Running from May 15th through 17th, the show continues to cement its status as a premier hub for
high-end audio, home theater innovation, and luxury AV technology in Asia. This
year's exhibition may reach a record-breaking scale, featuring many luxurious high-end audio professional listening rooms and
a plethora of impressive function halls—an expansion designed to give brands and visitors a more modern, immersive and comprehensive, experience. Organizers emphasized that TAS 2026 has long served as a bridge between international manufacturers and
China's rapidly growing audiophile community, helping shape the evolution of the
country's hi-fi market. Various manufacturer's globally seek to employ Chinese developments and employ programmers for their digital apps, controllers, and music streamers,
etc.
---> Shanghai International TAS 2026 To Draw Record Crowds With Global Debuts And Immersive Experiences.
Why High-End Audio Transforms Listening Into A Deeply Emotional Experience
How high-fidelity audio reveals new layers of music, deepen presence, and turns everyday listening into a restorative ritual.
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin
There is a quiet
kind of astonishment the first time a familiar song arrives to your ears, and
into your soul, thanks to truly excellent high-fidelity audio gear. The melody
you thought you knew opens like a book you have read a hundred times and
suddenly notice a sentence you had never seen before. That discovery is not
novelty for novelty's sake. It is the music, your favorite tune, finally being
allowed to speak with clarity and space… as recorded using million$ in
recording studio and mastering equipment. High-end audio is not about being
louder in volume or just add 'sparkle'. It 'restores' the intention behind every
musical note. When a recording is reproduced with exceptional fidelity in mind,
not the cheapest route to sound, the small human aural gestures that make music
feel alive becomes audible. A breath before a phrase, the scrape of a bow, the
microdynamics (or the briefest of pauses) of a finger on a string all become
emotional signposts. It is part of being human, not AI.
--->
Why High-End Audio Transforms Listening Into A Deeply Emotional Experience.
World Premiere Review!
Geshelli Labs TORC DAC Review: Does This Value-Priced Compact DAC Deliver Big-League Sound?
We explore how the bargain-priced TORC DAC delivers performance that easily exceeds expectations.
Review By Tom Lyle
Over
the years, I have encountered many audiophiles who are unwilling to go into debt
or spend all their money on high-end audio components or systems. While some of
these individuals are new to high-end audio, others are more experienced, yet
both groups consistently assemble impressive audio systems. What these
audiophiles share is their love of music and the pursuit of sound quality, which
is far superior to that of mass-market audio gear found at Big Box Stores. For
music lovers and audiophiles who are not wealthy, or simply prefer not to
splurge on expensive gear, they, instead, piece together their setups using
pre-owned equipment, budget-friendly components, or both. If one of these types of audiophiles asked me for a
recommendation for an affordable, excellent-sounding DAC... read on. Geshelli Labs designs and manufactures DACs and headphone
amplifiers, and is a family business founded by husband-and-wife team Geno and
Sherri Biscegliana.
---> Geshelli Labs TORC DAC Review: Does This Value-Priced Compact DAC Deliver Big-League Sound?
International Jazz Day 2026: Chicago All-Star Global Concert Marks 15th Anniversary
Global celebrations, educational programs and a
star-studded Chicago concert highlight the 15th anniversary of UNESCO's worldwide jazz
initiative.
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
International Jazz Day 2026 drew global attention on the 30th of April, as musicians, educators, and communities around the world joined a coordinated series of concerts, workshops and broadcasts to celebrate
jazz's enduring cultural impact. The day's centerpiece was an
All-Star Global Concert hosted in Chicago, a city long synonymous with jazz innovation, which served as a focal point for live performances and a hub for simultaneous satellite events. Thousands of local gatherings—from small club sets to large outdoor festivals—complemented the global broadcast, creating a layered program that reached audiences in dozens of time zones. Organizers emphasized accessibility, streaming key segments online and partnering with cultural institutions to ensure the music and educational content reached schools and community
centers.
--->
International Jazz Day 2026: Chicago All-Star Global Concert Marks 15th Anniversary.
Quad PA-One+ Triode Vacuum Tube DAC /
Headamp Review
The quintessential audiophile tube amp for headphones.
Review By Gary Alan Barker Of Headphone.Guru
When
I reviewed the Quad ERA-1 Planar Magnetic Headphone I knew that Quad had made
the occasional tube amp over the years, but considered them to be a speaker
manufacturer, what I didn't know (until I had researched for the ERA-1 review)
was that they had started as an amplifier company, such are the pitfalls of
redefining loudspeaker technology and producing one of the best sounding and
highest respected speakers of all time, the ESL (Electrostatic Loudspeaker). As
fate would have it Quad is, in fact, an audiophile amplifier company who also
designs and builds speakers, hence when I discovered the Quad PA-One+ at RMAF
2018, I agreed to hold onto the ERA-1 until a review sample could be
sent. Then I was informed that there would be a slight delay as a whole new
amplifier was being released the Quad PA-One+.
--->
Quad PA-One+ Triode Vacuum Tube DAC / Headamp Review.
SVS SB-2000 Active
Subwoofer Review
A reasonably-priced high quality 12" powered subwoofer system.
Review By Tom Lyle
At
times I must come off as some sort of audio-curmudgeon, such as when I became
upset when I noted some audiophiles calling a component a preamplifier rather
than a line stage. There have been other times, too, that I've gotten upset over
someone using what I consider the incorrect nomenclature for an audio component
or part. Thankfully, I've gotten over that preamplifier versus line stage
episode. But I'm still working on the fact that some sell speakers that they
call "subwoofers" yet don't go below 20 Hz. "Sub" what? Thankfully, there's no
reason to have any ill will in regards to the SVS SB-2000, since SVS claims that
it reaches down to 19 Hz and might even reach lower depending on one's room size
and its placement in one's room. What makes this SVS SB-2000 subwoofer even
better is that it is rather small, measuring only about 14.5"
x 14.5" x 15.5". The sub's depth is a little greater when attaching its
curved grille, but even still, this is quite a small subwoofer....
--->
SVS SB-2000 Active Subwoofer Review.
Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III Int. Amp. / Phono Stage Review
Excellent build quality combined with the sonic performance of vacuum tubes.
Review By Ron Nagle
The
name Cronus is past down to us from an ancient Greek myth. Krónos was the
leader and youngest of the first generation of Titans.
I did my usual on line peeking and sleuthing and found images of the Cronus, a
very retro looking open frame amplifier. But while all of those pictures looked
like the subject of this evaluation they were actually photos of an earlier
version of the Magnum II amplifier. So these photos were taken before I ever got
my hands on this review sample. This story is about the new extensively upgraded
Cronus Magnum III. When I opened the box and peeled back the packing I lifted
(grunt) an impressive 55 pound amplifier from its cardboard container. Rogue Audio's Cronus is a very serious and convincingly
constructed component; I didn't see any signs of money saving cost cutting
construction anywhere. The Amplifier is shipped with five small triodes in
place. That is three 12AU7 and two 12AX7 tubes.
--->
Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III Int. Amp. / Phono Stage Review.
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