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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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April 2026
Review Magazine: World Premiere Gear And Show Reports
Flagship reviews, Montreal and Florida show coverage, plus an insightful buying guide.
The issue opens with high-end audio's diverse equipment offerings with A Buyer's Guide For 2026. It emphasizes how the market has evolved into specialized ecosystems that include hi-fi separates, music streamers, portable
high-res players, and explains why manufacturers may optimize products for listening context rather than
one-size-fits-all solutions. Our equipment section leads with world premiere reviews, including the impressive Børresen T1 Silver Supreme Edition (SSE)
stand-mounted loudspeaker with Dr. Bump's detailed listening and technical analysis, the Heartsound Audio Holostage review by Rick Becker showcases a
hands-on evaluation of an affordable sonic enhancer. The fun and fantastic MooVu DIY loudspeaker kit showcases how doing it all by yourself can be lots of fun! As always, our April issue also means a couple of humorous articles for your reading
pleasure. Beyond gear, April's coverage includes major show reports and industry commentary that map current trends. Detailed reports from Montreal Audiofest 2026 and the Florida International Audio Expo 2026 capture the scale of recent shows and the resurgence of immersive,
luxury-level demos.
---> April 2026 Review Magazine:
World Premiere Gear And Show Reports.
Montreal Audiofest 2026
Luxury Hi-Fi Audio Show Report
The ultimate audiophile and
music lover experience.
Montreal Audiofest 2026 (Salon Audio Montreal)
returned March
20th through 22nd, bringing Canada's premier high-end audiophile event to the city. Organizers
enjoyed welcoming thousands of music lovers and audiophiles eager to listen, see, and handle cutting-edge audio gear, with over
luxury 300 brands showcased under one roof. The three-day festival was designed for audiophiles, videophiles,
immersivephiles, and curious music lovers seeking modern immersive, hands-on
experiences. As the largest audio event in Canada, the event gathered top distributors, manufacturers, and retailers from the
high-end consumer electronics industry. Attendees joyously explore dedicated demo
listening rooms, vendor booths, and curated exhibits that highlight the latest in
luxurious loudspeakers, top-rated amplifiers, precision Hi-Res Audio DACs, turntables, immersive
headphones & portable audio, plus home A/V systems. The show's scale and industry presence
made it a
must-visit for anyone tracking trends in premium sound and home cinema.
---> Montreal Audiofest 2026 Luxury Hi-Fi Audio Show Report.

$1B Verdict:
Supreme Court Shields ISPs From Piracy Liability
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 9–0 decision in Cox Communications versus Sony Music Entertainment, reversing a lower-court ruling that had held the internet service provider liable for
subscribers' music piracy and overturning a jury award that exceeded $1 billion. The Court held that an ISP cannot be treated as a copyright infringer solely for providing internet access to the public, rejecting the theory that mere knowledge of user infringement is enough to impose contributory liability. The dispute began after music companies used
third-party monitoring software to trace alleged illegal uploads and downloads to IP addresses assigned to Cox subscribers and sent the ISP more than 163,000 infringement notices over the period at issue. Sony and other rights holders sued, and a jury awarded statutory damages that together topped $1 billion; the Fourth Circuit later affirmed a finding of contributory infringement, prompting Cox to seek Supreme Court
review.
---> $1B Verdict: Supreme Court Shields ISPs From Piracy Liability.
Part 2 — 2300 And 2400 Hallways:
Montreal Audiofest 2026 Show Report
High-end audio gear reviews, in-depth
hi-fi technical details, and exhibit room listening notes.
Montreal Audiofest Show Report By Rick Becker
I've almost missed Room 2326 before, and I did this time,
too. As you come up the stairs from the hallway with the duck pond, it is tucked
down the hallway immediately to the right. It's the only Audiofest room in
that hallway. Sarah needs to hire a School Crossing Guard to direct people to
it, as it is often one of the most interesting rooms at the show. Fortunately, I
recognized my oversight and dropped in on my sweep of the show late on Sunday. The speaker company is O/ Audio. Sorry, I don't have a Greek
keyboard on my computer. I found a couple of Phi Audio companies on the
internet, but not this one. After searching the Harmonia Distribution
website, I found them in Norway, so I guess the company is O Audio, as in "Oh,
what an unusual name." I saw a nail-driving competition at Capital Audiofest
that suggested something Norse about them. And there was buzz about them at the
show, which was pretty good.
---> Part 2 — 2300 And 2400 Hallways: Montreal Audiofest 2026 Show
Report.
Hi-Fi+ April 2026 High-End
Audio Magazine
Editorial: Streaming Versus Local: When A Music Server Still Wins
CH Precision 10 Series Digital Replay System
Franco Serblin Accordo Unica Floorstanding Loudspeaker
Holborne Analog 3 Silver Turntable And Tonearm
Innuos STREAM3 Music Server
LUMIN P1 Min Streaming Amplifier
Kuzma SAFIR 12 Turntable Tonearm
Synergistic Research Voodoo Music Server
SV-Audio Gro Floorstanding Loudspeaker
Stack Audio AUVA SW Subwoofer Feet
...And Much More!
---> hi-fi+
April 2026 High-End Audio Magazine.

World Premiere Review!
Restoring Music To Its Reality: Børresen T1 Silver Supreme Edition Stand-Mounted Loudspeaker Review
In-depth listening test, technical analysis, and
real-world setup tips for audiophiles and music lovers.
Review By Dr. Michael Bump
Giddy. (adj) The emotional response I have developed to
the musical instruments that are Børresen loudspeakers. In my crossover life as both a professional musician and
high-end audio writer and reviewer, I have grown acquainted with a handful of
select audio designs that, from my perspective, serve as true musical
instruments – creations that express sonic art in ways that reach into
the human heart, corporeally moving both body and soul in ways that defy words.
Before we get to my Børresen T1 SSE (Silver Supreme Edition) monitor
loudspeaker review, here's some background. It was six years ago from my first
encounter with Børresen loudspeakers, when, upon first listen, they revealed
those same visceral qualities I am all too familiar with when on stage creating
live music. In the Spring of 2019, I was privileged to pen the U.S.
Premiere review of the Børresen 01 Series stand monitor, the cornerstone of
what was then the newly established Børresen Acoustics loudspeaker company of
Michael Børresen and co-founding business partner, Lars Kristensen.
--->
Børresen T1 Silver Supreme Edition Stand-Mounted Loudspeaker Review.
How High-End Audio Broke Into Ecosystems: A Buyer's Guide For 2026
Why purists, streamers, and convenience seekers buy different kinds of high-fidelity.
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin
High-end audio's
market structure in 2025 and 2026 shows concentrated growth in premium segments,
even as the mass-market hi-fi segment also expands. Am humbled to find that our
global consumer audio market was valued at about $58.9 billion in 2025, with
hi-fi sound systems and premium headphones growing faster than commodity
categories. What may look to some like fragmentation is actually a move towards
specialization: manufacturers and boutique builders optimize for listening
context rather than a single universal product. That may yield better-fitting
systems for critical listening, living-room convenience, and portable use. Like Enjoy
the Music.com, our part of the overall consumer electronics sector is doing
better than ever! For purists, the separates ecosystem—standalone
loudspeakers, amplifiers, preamps, phono stage, and DACs—remains the gold
standard.
--->
How High-End Audio Broke Into Ecosystems: A Buyer's Guide For 2026.

MooVu DIY Loudspeaker Review — Big Bass, Easy Build, Great Value
Construct, listen, love — a gateway to DIY audio'phile hobbying fun.
Review By Brett And Dylan Rudolph
Last
year at the Capital Audio Fest, I saw Vinh Vu, principal at Ginkgo Audio,
sitting at his booth with his MooVu speakers. I was fascinated by these $815-ish
Do-It-Yourself (DIY) speakers, which he explained to me were his latest
brainchild. So, while I had no real time to do more than look at them, we
chatted a little longer and then put a pin on it, thinking we would come back to
it later. There is one thing that you need to know about
Vinh, and it is absolutely to his credit: he is very organized. Shortly before
the end of the year, he called to ask if I was interested in reviewing the MooVu
speakers. While I have many strengths in this world, one of them is not the
ability to work with my hands, which, coupled with my current vision issues,
leaves me unable to review things such as this; however, my son Dylan was
absolutely thrilled to help with this review. So, we set up for the second
weekend in January for Vinh to come and show us both how to build speakers and
put the MooVus together.
---> MooVu DIY Loudspeaker Review — Big Bass, Easy Build, Great
Value.

Discover more hi-fi reviews and expert articles within our Review Magazine.
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