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Shared Dreams At OJAS 2022
A very special audiophile exhibit at Lisson Gallery In NYC.
Article By Danko Suvar
I'm sure many audiophiles would
like to publicly demonstrate their systems to an admiring (if the system is
exotic and expensive) and appreciative (if it sounds good) audience. Devon
Turnbull is a lucky audiophile who did it, he got an invitation to participate
in an exhibition of modern sculpture artists at the prestigious Lisson Gallery,
which has branches around the world, and three galleries in New York. Since his
audio components are a bit like modernist sculptures, and he has been designing,
assembling and selling them to a specialist demanding audience for more than 15
years (as a company OJAS). They were a natural choice for such an exhibition.
When added to the hypnotic fascination with music, eclectic musical selection
including Deutche Gramophon, Blue Note, plus his personal collection, and
finally Brian Eno who sent his turntable and records for that part.
---> Shared Dreams At OJAS
2022.
iFi Go Bar Dongle DAC Review
The iFi Go Bar Dongle DAC is late to the party and $329. Does it offer enough to warrant that kind of pricing? Learn why we think it
does.
Review By W. Jennings
It
may be hard to believe, but iFi Audio have stayed out of the Dongle
DAC frenzy over the past two years; their focus has been on the desktop
side with the high-powered Diablo ($999) and Gryphon DAC/Headphone
Amplifiers. They did introduce the iFi Go Blu DAC / Amplifier which
certainly qualifies as a portable device but it is still on the larger side,
requires recharging, and never really appealed to the USB or Lightning crowd
looking for a true Dongle DAC. The iFi Go Bar Dongle DAC aims to
change all of that. iFi Audio is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2022 and the
British brand now offers more than 50 products in the portable, desktop, and
accessories categories including a number of award-winning DACs, phono
pre-amplifiers, and headphone amplifiers. The iFi Go Bar is certainly not inexpensive at $329 and that
makes it one of the most expensive in the category filled with some excellent
options from Questyle, CEntrance, Cayin, and Apogee.
---> iFi Go Bar Dongle DAC
Review.
Best High-End Audio Gear: Enjoy the
Music.com's Best Of 2026 Blue Note Awards
Honoring the finest audiophile components reviewed during the past year while celebrating breakthroughs in
high-fidelity audio innovation.
High-End Audio
Awards By Enjoy the Music.com
Enjoy the Music.com's
Best Of 2026 Blue Note Awards once again honors the standout achievements of audiophile manufacturers who continue to push the boundaries of
high-end audio and Hi-Res Audio immersive audio innovation. Now in our third decade, the
annual Blue Note Awards represent the culmination of thousands of hours spent evaluating
reference-level components and recognizing only those products that genuinely rise above the rest. Our Best Of
2026 Blue Note Award highlights the finest equipment we've reviewed over the past 12 months — the pieces that delivered exceptional performance, craftsmanship, and musical
engagement. Each recipient is selected only after extensive discussion and careful consideration by our team of seasoned reviewers. Year after year, we witness remarkable advancements across the industry — from analog
and amplification circuit refinement and vinyl playback innovation to cutting-edge DACs, loudspeaker
engineering, and beyond!
--->
Best High-End Audio Gear: Enjoy the Music.com's Best Of 2026 Blue Note
Awards.
Immersive Audio Takes Center Stage at AES Show Nashville 2026
The Audio Engineering Society (AES), the only worldwide professional organization devoted exclusively to
professional high-end audio technology, upcoming show in Nashville 2026 is set to redefine the boundaries of sound from October 30 to November 1 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. This
year's theme, Immersive Audio, promises to captivate professionals and enthusiasts alike with groundbreaking sessions on
multi-dimensional sound design, spatial mixing, and high-end home audio innovation. Attendees will explore how collaboration in immersive music productions is reshaping the creative process. Engineers and producers will share techniques for achieving seamless integration between live and studio environments, emphasizing the emotional depth that spatial sound brings to modern music. The AES
Show's focus on headphone audio enhancement—featuring two transducers and
three-dimensional rendering—underscores the growing demand for personal listening experiences that rival professional playback
systems.
---> Immersive Audio Takes Center Stage at AES Show Nashville 2026.
U.S. Recorded Music Revenue Hits $6 Billion
Mid-Year, Marking Growth Across Every Major Category
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has released its 2026
mid-year revenue report, revealing that the U.S. recorded-music market reached $6 billion in the first half of the year — a milestone driven by broad growth across streaming, physical formats, and emerging platforms. While streaming continues to dominate, the report highlights notable gains in vinyl, CDs, and paid subscription tiers, underscoring the resilience and diversity of
today's listening habits. According to the RIAA, streaming revenue remains the engine of the industry, accounting for the majority of total earnings and showing
year-over-year growth across ad-supported and premium subscription models. Paid subscriptions once again led the category, with millions of U.S. listeners opting for
higher-quality tiers and bundled media services. The report also notes that
ad-supported streaming — including platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and
social-driven music discovery — posted healthy gains as engagement continues to
rise.
---> U.S. Recorded Music Revenue Hits $6 Billion Mid-Year, Marking Growth Across Every Major Category.
HIGH END Vienna 2027 Elevate
Europe's Premier High-Fidelity Audio Showcase
The countdown has begun for HIGH END Vienna 2027, returning to the Austria Center Vienna from May
6th through 9th. As the world's leading trade fair for high-fidelity audio, the event is poised to build on the momentum of its successful Vienna
debut in 2026. With ~ 500 exhibitors representing 1000 brands, plus a
generous 30,000 square meters of exhibition space, the audiophile show promises
a modern expansive, immersive experience for industry professionals and music lovers alike. The Austria
Center's modern architecture and digital infrastructure once again provide the ideal backdrop for innovation, product premieres, and global networking. HIGH END Vienna has long been recognized as the international meeting place for those shaping the future of audio technology. In 2027, the show continues this legacy by bringing together manufacturers, distributors, retailers, media representatives, and passionate audiophiles from around the world. Last
year's attendance of 23,000 visitors and 540 journalists underscored the
event's global reach, and organizers expect even stronger international participation this year.
---> HIGH END Vienna 2027 Elevate Europe's Premier High-Fidelity Audio Showcase.
Switzerland's Sonic Soul: Nagra Powers Montreux &
Verbier's Musical Future
Audio Technology Switzerland SA, maker of the legendary Nagra recording systems, is expanding its cultural footprint with a new technical partnership at the Verbier Festival. The move builds on
Nagra's long-standing role at the Montreux Jazz Festival, reinforcing the
company's mission to preserve and elevate Switzerland's most treasured musical institutions. For
seventy-five years, Nagra has been synonymous with precision recording and faithful sound reproduction — a legacy now deepening across two of the
country's most influential festivals. At Montreux, Nagra's presence spans both archival preservation and immersive listening. The company operates a dedicated listening room inside the Lake House Bibliothèque, where visitors experience curated recordings through the Nagra Anniversary Turntable and PREAMP
II-S. Nagra also powers Montreux Jazz Memories, an EPFL-led initiative capturing more than 1,200 oral testimonies using Nagra VII recorders. These personal accounts complement the
UNESCO-recognized Claude Nobs Collection, preserving not only the music but the human stories behind
Montreux's cultural impact.
---> Switzerland's Sonic Soul: Nagra Powers Montreux & Verbier's Musical Future.
World Premiere Review!
Genesis Simplicity Phono Preamplifier Review — A Glorious Battery-Driven MC Phono Stage With Reference-Grade Sound
Inside the minimalist, ultra-quiet MC phono preamp engineered to rival the very best, yet at
one-third the price.
Review By Tom Lyle
When
I was asked to review the Genesis Advanced Technologies Simplicity, a
battery-powered moving-coil (MC) phono preamplifier, I immediately agreed. This
was because I was very impressed with Genesis's
Premium Platinum phono preamp, which I reviewed in September of 2025. I
was looking forward to hearing what the Genesis designers were capable of with a
lower-priced phono preamplifier. When I spoke to Genesis's Chief Designer and
CEO, Gary Koh, he told me that the Simplicity came about after he challenged
himself to design and build a phono preamp that could sound as close as possible
to Genesis's $23,000 Premium Platinum phono preamp, but at a much lower price. The Genesis Simplicity phono stage, as reviewed
here, was the result. At $7500, the
Simplicity is not an "entry-level" phono preamp. But still, at about a third
the price of the Platinum Premium, it puts a Genesis phono preamplifier within
reach of many more vinyl-loving audiophiles.
--->
Genesis Simplicity Phono Preamplifier Review — A Glorious Battery-Driven MC Phono Stage With Reference-Grade
Sound.
Gershman Symphonia Loudspeaker Review — Reference-Grade Dynamic Loudspeakers With Advanced Isolation & Back-Wave Control
Find out how SASS isolation, resistive bass loading, and tuned venting deliver transparency, depth, and lifelike musical realism.
Review By Brett Rudolph
First,
spending time with the Gershman Symphonia reference
floorstanding loudspeakers at the Florida
International Audio Expo (FAIE) was mind-blowing. I remember thinking
that these things were extraordinary, and that it would be a dream to get
them in-house and do a full-scale review of them myself. So, towards the end of
the show, when my editor and longtime friend, Steven R. Rochlin, helped to set
up the opportunity before the event was over, it felt like winning the lottery!
Of course, nothing comes without a bit of work, and this was no different. The
FAIE occurs every February, and it took until April for us to finally work out
the details and logistics. So, when Ofra and Eli Gershman came to drop off the
speakers in April, I was more than ready. It was one evening, just after
Passover, and they came with two very large crates in tow. These things are not
small. We had a very enjoyable evening, and I learned a great deal.
Eli, the engineer and husband of Ofra Gershman, set up the speakers for me,
which was a great service.
--->
Gershman Symphonia Loudspeaker Review — Reference-Grade Dynamic Loudspeakers With Advanced Isolation & Back-Wave
Control.
World Premiere Review!
AGD Forte Review: Inside the Dual-Mono GaN Amplifier
Redefining High-End Audio Performance Learn how
AGD's latest GaN-based
dual-mono design delivers stunning detail, effortless power, and true audiophile reference-grade
musicality.
Review By Brett Rudolph
AGD Productions is a company that
focuses on bringing out the best possible sound using whatever technology is
available. Alberto Guerra founded the company with this goal and a commitment to
creating the most innovative products possible, without compromise. His work
with GaN tube technology has brought him accolades and made him a leader in the
audiophile world. Recently, I had the opportunity to do the world premiere
review of AGD's Allegro. The newest addition to their product offerings
represented their first integrated amplifier. It built on their already
world-class amplifiers and added an R-2R DAC, streamer, and phono stage. Towards
the end of the review, Alberto approached me and asked if I would be interested
in reviewing their stand-alone AGD Forte. My usual response would be to humbly decline, as it is hard to
review products from the same company. The similarities between these two
products make it even more difficult to keep them straight and to write about
them.
--->
AGD Forte Review: Inside the Dual-Mono GaN Amplifier.
World Premiere Review!
Synergistic Research Holographic Fuse Review — A $249 Upgrade That Expands Soundstage, Dynamics, And Musical Flow
Transforming vacuum tube & solid-state
hi-fi audio gear with greater atmosphere, emotion, and musical bliss.
Review By Rick Becker
This is a rush job. Andy Weiderspahn, President of Synergistic Research, emailed me
on June 22 to inform me that they had just finalized their new Holographic fuse
and asked if I would be interested in reviewing it. It was a natural decision on
his part because I had reviewed their fuses going all the way back to the Black
in 2016. And knowing what I do about their fuses, I immediately jumped at the
opportunity. They've been a mainstay in my rig since those early days. Andy
said they would be ready in about four weeks, as they still had to source the
packaging. The fuses arrived on August 5th while I was in a Zoom class on
Neuroscience at my local Osher Institute of Lifelong Learning. After class, I
started installing them in my Sony CD transport, LampizatOr DAC, Backert Labs
preamp, and the Coincident Turbo 845 SE integrated amp that I had pulled out of
mothballs to try with the outstanding Tiglon White Tiger power cord that is
currently reviewed in the August issue.
--->
Synergistic Research Holographic Fuse Review — A $249 Upgrade That Expands Soundstage, Dynamics, And Musical
Flow.
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.
Nagra PREAMP II-S Review: Swiss Reference Vacuum Tube Engineering Unveiled
First expert listen to Nagra's tube preamplifier with their eye-candy
Modulometer.
Review By Tom Lyle
This review
features Nagra's latest preamplifier, the Preamp II-S. I previously had the
opportunity to review two other Nagra products for Enjoy the Music.com.
My first experience with their Swiss-made Nagra components came during my 2018
review of the Nagra Classic Preamp. Many audiophiles are aware that Nagra has spent
75 years
designing and manufacturing "indestructible, Swiss-engineered, portable, and
industry-standard" reel-to-reel tape recorders. Their first model was launched
in 1953, and by the late 1950s, these recorders had gained considerable
popularity. Nagra began designing high-end audio components in 1997. In the past, I frequently saw journalists and engineers using
Nagra reel-to-reel recorders at music events. These machines were trusted and
gave the appearance that they were built to last. Anyone familiar with location
recording understands the importance of having reliable, high-quality portable
recorders. It's no surprise that music enthusiasts appreciate Nagra's
high-end audio gear for its sonic quality, dependability, and distinctive
aesthetics.
--->
Nagra PREAMP II-S Review: Swiss Reference Vacuum Tube Engineering
Unveiled.
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High-End Audiophile Reviews & Insights
