I first became aware of Genesis speakers when I was a young man, shortly after they were first introduced in 1991 via the audiophile press. It was tough to ignore the fact that anyone who discussed this brand of speakers never failed to mention their chief designer, the late Arnie Nudell, and his passion for research and development, as well as the use of premium materials, their impeccable design, and, by all reliable accounts, their outstanding sound quality. Genesis introduced their more affordable G7 Series in 2005, beginning with the G7c, also known as the Convertible, a bookshelf speaker designed by Genesis' Arnie Nudell, who sadly passed away in 2017. The G7c speakers were soon followed by other models created by Mr. Nudell's successor, Gary L. Koh, who is now Genesis' Chief Designer and the CEO of Genesis Advanced Technologies. These newer models included the G7p (Petite) and the G7f, a floor-standing model with an active side-firing woofer. Although the G7 Series was discontinued in 2018, it has now been reintroduced.

TIDAL has officially become the first major streaming platform to cut off royalties for fully AI-generated music, marking a decisive shift in how the industry handles synthetic audio content. With the elimination of the controversial MQA music format, this may be another step in the right direction for TIDAL. Announced on June 29th, the policy states that tracks identified as 100% AI-generated will remain streamable but will no longer earn royalties or qualify for direct-to-fan sales, with enforcement beginning July 15. The company will also introduce a visible "AI" badge next to any track deemed wholly machine-made, giving listeners clear insight into how the music was created. TIDAL says this transparency is essential as its catalog has been increasingly flooded with AI-generated submissions from third-party distributors. The platform's leadership emphasized that the move is not anti-technology but rather a protection of human creativity and artist livelihoods. Beyond demonetization, TIDAL is taking a hard stance against fraudulent AI content, including songs that impersonate real artists or mislead listeners.

As we revisit a classic editorial, predicting the future is always a bit of a challenge. Still, some things are faily self-evident. And so.... Modern times bring modern solutions. First came recording audio over 100 years ago using a now-primitive needle scraping wax. Eventually we humans invented the microphone, to eventually amplifying musical instruments to the point of going full-out synthesizing via Moog and others producing 100% electronically-created musical instruments. Music lovers over the generations have gone from the wax cylinder and vinyl LP recordings to today's pure digital Hi-Res Music. What was once a challenge to find that special rare vinyl LP record within your 2000+ collection has become to today's computer search feature that instantly streams your fave tune from the millions of albums available online. How are those 'Classic Audiophile' types going to accept the 'Modern Audiophile' is still yet to be fully grasped imho. Binaural and multi-channel sound within the consumer electronics industry has been around for decades. So has Roland's Q Sound that was developed during the 1980's, which is the aural soundscape cornerstone of Roger Water's breakthrough album Amused To Death....

Music isn't just music. Even in its simplest form, it consists of sounds and silences strung together in a rhythmic pattern. And the sounds can be of varying pitch and timbre and of different loudness and duration, or produced by a single source or any size group of performers, singing or playing different combinations of voices and/or instruments. Even the silences can be different, varying in duration from the briefest hesitation to a complete stop. And that means that the rhythm can change, too, to reflect an infinite number of cultural and/or mathematical origins, or combinations of them, or even combinations of combinations of any of the things just mentioned. The equipment we listen to our music on varies, too, with every part of it, from the individual system components, to the things they're paired with, to the room they're played in varying to produce numbers of combinations – and different sonic characteristics and interpretations – so great as to truly boggle the mind.

Backert Labs has seemingly come out of nowhere. Their first review appeared in 2015 and EnjoyTheMusic.com reviewed the 1.3 version of the Rhumba Extreme in 2019. This micro-manufacturer specializes in tube-powered preamplifiers, with a tube phono stage being a logical extension of their focus. All of their manufacturing and assembly is done in the USA. I had heard the buzz on the brand only one other time before my audio buddy, Tom, informed me that he had ordered a Rhumba 1.2 on US Audiomart that had been upgraded to a 1.3. Listening to his familiar system, I noticed an impressive improvement. When the 1.4 series was announced I contacted Andy Tebbe, the President and frontman of the company, and was promised a premiere review when the design was finalized. I waited, and waited, until finally, I met Andy at the Capital Audiofest. He explained that Bob Backert, the designer and CEO of this company kept coming up with incremental improvements that slowed final release.

It's no secret that Hollywood has become the land of the sequel. Nine of the top ten grossing movies from 2022 were sequels. I excluded The Batman because it technically wasn't a sequel, but it was a reboot, for goodness' sake. Now I'm not going to bash sequels out of hand. I watch a bunch of them myself. My big complaint is when a sequel is done by a different set of writers and a new director and is so different from its predecessor in tone and theme that about halfway through I throw up my hands and ask, "Why am I watching this?". One sequel I'm looking forward to watching is Dune: Part 2. While they call it a sequel, it's more of a continuation of the first movie with Denis Villeneuve and his team completing the task. Even though I've only seen 2.5 minutes of it in a trailer, I am incredibly hopeful that this crew will bring the ship safely into the harbor. Yes, I could be wrong, but like Fremen, I believe.

When I first walked into the Charney Audio room at Southwest Audio Fest 2025, I was greeted by this charming song by Victor Wooten. It was being projected into the room by a pair of Lumica VI loud speakers. Despite being a single-driver design, the Lumica VIs were pressurizing the room with their enormous rear-loaded horns. I was intrigued. The room was super busy at the time, so I snapped a few pics, moved on, and made a note to myself to swing back later. When I came back a couple of days later, "The Loneliest Monk" was once again playing, which I thought was an odd bit of synchronicity. I sat and listened to the Lumica VI speakers and was impressed by how they filled the room with just a pair of Voxativ AC-2.6 drivers. After taking some notes, I talked to Brian Charney about reviewing a pair of speakers. After describing my listening room to him, we decided that none of his speakers would perform their best there.

Pacific Audio Fest (PAF) will return January 15th through 17th, staging a music-first premium audio weekend at the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington in Seattle's Southport. The three-day event promises live performances, immersive listening sessions, and a broad marketplace of premium audio brands, designers, and dealers. Organizers say the move to a new waterfront venue and a renewed emphasis on music aim to reconnect listeners with the emotional power of great recordings. The festival is being shaped as a music-focused audio experience for listeners at every level, from curious beginners to seasoned audiophiles. Attendees can expect demonstrations spanning vinyl playback, loudspeakers, headphones, streaming systems, amplifiers, and complete listening rooms. Exhibits will showcase both budget-friendly starter setups and high-end systems, giving visitors hands-on opportunities to hear how different gear changes the way songs and records come to life. PAF organizers highlight the convenience of moving from listening rooms to evening entertainment and social spaces without leaving the property, making the festival both immersive and easy to navigate.

Editorial: High-End Vienna 2026 Is A Successful New Era For Europe

Magico M9 Floorstanding Loudspeaker

Thales Reference And Magnifier Turntable And Phono / Line Preamplifier

ATC EL50 Anniversary Floorstanding Loudspeaker

Vinnie Rossi Brama Integrated Amplifier

SPL Phonos Duo Phono Stage

Ultrafide Audio DIAS-U8 Power Amplifier

Network Acoustics Muon2 Network Switch

Kii Audio SEVEN Active Stand-Mount Loudspeakers

in-akustik NF-2405 AIR XLR Interconnect Cables

...And Much More!

OK. Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way... Yes, they are glass speakers, and yes, they sound "transparent." OK. Phew. Glad we got that over with! At a high-end audio show in 2015, I met Jonas from Sweden for the first time in a big room on the first floor. All Ypsilon electronics and their The Point speakers. All glass, open baffle design, dual dipole midrange, and a ribbon tweeter, each sitting on a sealed two-driver subwoofer. As the name implied, they were the closest thing to a point source I had ever heard. Tonally spectacular, they threw a massive sound stage forward, backward, sideward, upward, downward, and every other way there is; and absolutely vanished into that big room. I went back time and time again, and decided that I needed to get to know Jonas better and make sure I heard his room at every show I went to. I also remember the speakers were very expensive, so owning them was not going to happen back then; not without a divorce, and although I loved the speakers, I love my wife too much for that option....

This issue of EnjoyTheMusic.com's high-end-audio Review Magazine arrives at a moment when the global audiophile community feels more connected—and more energized—than ever! Over the past 30+ years, our publication has served music lovers with high-performance audio reviews, show reports, industry news, and heartfelt editorials that celebrate the musical art of listening. This month, we continue that tradition with renewed purpose: to honor the people, the gear, and the shared passion that make high-fidelity audio not just a hobby, but a lifelong pursuit of beauty, discovery, and both human and emotional connection. As the Old Guard is now retired, and we thank them for their decades of service, it is time for fresh faces to take charge as new ideas within the world of modern hi-fi audio move us forward. This issue is written by music lovers for music lovers. Our well-respected musician contributors are not distant observers of music—they play it. We are honored to have musicians as part of the same global family of listeners who obsess over authenticity, realism, tone, texture, timing, and truth. Like you, we stay up late into the evening, sometimes into the early morning, (re)discovering favorite albums; debating the merits of solid-state, vacuum tubes, hornspeakers, planars, cone drivers, digital formats, phono cartridges, tweaks....

In this review, I will describe and sonically examine Merrill Audio's Element 116MX monoblock power amplifiers. Given the number of Merrill Audio reviews I have written over the past decade, I suppose some may accuse me of favoritism. I'm often chosen to review their components simply because I live close to their factory. As a bonus, they can deliver their products personally and then help me set them up, rather than simply shipping them to me. The Element 116MX is Merrill Audio's newest component, and the most powerful and most pricey amplifier I've reviewed from them. It is a significant upgrade over their earlier Element 116 (sans MX), which Dr. Michael Bump reviewed in the summer of 2019 in Enjoy the Music.com. In this very positive review, he remarked that the Element 116 "delivers some of the best amplification anywhere." Merrill Audio claims that the Element 116MX "offers greater clarity, detail, and dynamic range."

Great news for music lovers and audiophiles alike as our July Review Magazine is out and it's loaded with hands-on looks at top-tier amplifier, two interesting loudspeaker designs, world premieres, and more! Think long listening sessions, gear that makes you smile, and plenty of great gear pics for your next system upgrade consideration. If you love discovering what really moves the music, this issue is a treat. What really makes this edition buzz is the world premiere coverage — first listens and debut reviews of gear you may not have heard about anywhere else. Charney Audio Kit-1 300B tube amp, efficient Maestro XL speakers, the unique PERFECT8 Cube-S with Sub, and Merrill Audio's exciting reference-class Element 116MX amplifier. There's also show coverage from HIGH END Vienna 2026, with special news as we're once again sponsoring the Southwest Audio Fest luxury audio event! You'll be seeing our lanyards once again, bringing our joyous orange signature color to Dallas. For the kids and newcomers, there's the Passport To Sound booklet. If you've not heard about this incredible resource, be sure not to miss this month's editorial! As always, in the end what really matters is that you... enjoy the music.

I appreciate that Nagra designs many of its components, including the Preamp II-S, to evoke the look and feel of its classic reel-to-reel tape recorders. For example, its front-panel Nagra Modulometer allows users to see left- and right-channel audio levels. The Nagra Audio Modulometer is not only distinctive in appearance but also functional; its needle responds rapidly to changes, making it easy to monitor sound levels. The meter's scale is well-marked, allowing users to easily detect slight volume differences between channels and set accurate levels during setup. While I didn't use the Modulometer daily, it was helpful during setup and troubleshooting. It enabled me to confirm that both channels were receiving a signal and functioning correctly. At times, it helped identify cable issues or signal loss, which I could then address quickly. Plus, it looks cool. Some high-end audio brands share my priorities, and Nagra's latest components particularly resonate with me. Nagra describes its Series II design as prioritizing sound quality while maintaining a compact footprint. I agree that sound quality should be the top priority—even if it necessitates a larger component. However, many will appreciate that the Preamp II-S is only 11 inches wide, making it more practical for contemporary spaces.

The AGD Productions' Allegro stereo integrated streaming / MM & MC phono / DAC is a breeze to set up and configure. There really aren't any fancy setups or configuration options. It is all straightforward on the streaming side. In my case, everything was set up with banana plugs for the Gershman Symphonia speakers, using Nordost Blue Heaven speaker cables at the outset. Additionally, we initially used the RSX Benchmark digital and analog audio cables. Eventually, we switched everything over to Kimber Kabler Select, but that was later and is noted. The biggest "hurdle" with this component was the need for a hardline internet connection. AGD decided not to use Wi-Fi. It supports Bluetooth and USB for most things. For the steamer function, you need a LAN connection. Achieving this is no longer difficult, even in older houses like mine. Newer MESH networking systems let you run a hardline nearly anywhere. That is exactly what I did. It just took a little more thought.

Do you remember the part in the movie Amadeus where Emperor Joseph II, his Kapellmeister, and other music advisory staff, including Salieri, have just heard a part of Mozart's latest work, are less than pleased with it, and the emperor declares that it "has too many notes"? Mozart is shocked and amazed, and, to everyone's horror, openly disagrees with the emperor and his sycophants, saying, instead, that there are precisely as many notes as there needs to be. That was about an opera, The Abduction From The Seraglio, but the same thing could be said of any piece of music – there are neither more nor fewer notes than there needs to be to communicate what the composer is trying to say. I remember hearing a lecture many years ago about Beethoven, where the speaker was analyzing one of the great Beethoven symphonies, note by note, phrase by phrase, and showing that even that great and complex work was composed of just a few simple themes and leitmotifs, layered, interwoven, repeated, inverted, changed in key, and passed from one instrument or instrumental group to another..... ---> Audiophiles: Can There Be Too Many Notes.

The naysayers on internet forums will have a "hey"-day with this review. They complain about reviewers who proclaim that each new product they review is better than the last one. Well, I'm here to plead "guilty" as this is the third power conditioner I've reviewed in the past seven months, along with an incredible 650 photos and 59,000 words in the reviews of the Toronto Audiofest 2024 and Capital Audiofest 2024. Each power conditioner was better than the last, as well as significantly more expensive. Let me give you an overview in case you haven't been following along. My longstanding power conditioner, since July 2017 when the review was published by Enjoy the Music.com, had been the Synergistic PowerCell 8 UEF SE with an Atmosphere Level 2 power cord, a unit that sold for about $2000 at the time.

For youthful and aspiring music lovers, EnjoyTheMusic.com is once again providing the critically-acclaimed educational booklet Passport To Sound. Written by scientist and higher education instructor May Anwar, Passport To Sound is the industry's foremost publication to help both inquisitive adults and youthful enthusiasts about the fundamentals of the high-fidelity world. Southwest Audio Fest (SWAF) 2026 is expected to host many exhibit rooms, featuring flagship sound systems, class-leading turntable showcases, top-level headphones, and product debuts from global manufacturers. The lanyards—worn by many throughout the weekend—serve as a unifying visual element while highlighting Enjoy the Music.com's ongoing support and our many years of giving back to the high-end audio community.

Capital Audiofest 2026 is set to take over the Hilton Rockville in Rockville, Maryland from November 13th through 15th, reaffirming its status as the Northeast Coast's most anticipated luxury home audio showcase. Now in its 16th year, the high-fidelity home audio festival continues its evolution from a regional gathering into a nationally recognized celebration of high-end audiophile sound, immersive listening, and community-driven audio culture. With expanded exhibitor participation and a growing audience of seasoned audiophiles, newcomers, and families, the 2026 edition promises to be the most ambitious yet. The show's hallmark remains its room-to-room exploration format, where attendees can audition cutting-edge loudspeakers, amplifiers, DACs, turntables, and streaming systems across a wide range of price points. Exhibitors representing boutique artisans, global luxury brands, and innovative newcomers will transform the Hilton's floors into a multi-level sonic playground. Visitors can expect meticulously tuned listening rooms, world premiere product unveilings, and hands-on demonstrations designed to help listeners translate specifications into real-world musical engagement.

Southwest Audio Fest 2026 returns to Dallas from July 23rd through 25th with a sharpened three-day schedule designed to maximize energy, attendance, and high-end listening opportunities. Organizers have officially dropped the traditional Sunday session in favor of a Thursday–Friday–Saturday format, responding to longstanding industry feedback about slow final day traffic. The new structure opens Thursday from 2 pm to 8 pm, followed by full days Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, creating a more focused and efficient show experience for exhibitors and attendees alike. Hosted at the Sheraton Convention Center in downtown Dallas, the 2026 edition offers expansive demo rooms, proximity to the Arts and Historic Districts, and easy access to restaurants, museums, and cultural attractions. Exhibitors will include major manufacturers, boutique builders, dealers, and independent designers presenting everything from floorstanding loudspeakers and reference turntables to cutting-edge DACs, streamers, and room treatment solutions.

Perhaps there are some audiophiles that may have only heard of the Danish high-end audio manufacturer Gryphon because they have seen their ads in Enjoy The Music.com. Although, there are probably many more audiophiles and music lovers who have heard of Gryphon Audio Designs because they have been around for more than thirty years and have earned a reputation for making some very nice high-end audio equipment. For those who might not be as familiar with Gryphon as some others, a bit of their history may be in order. Briefly, they were founded by Flemming E. Rasmussen, who holds degrees in painting and graphic arts from the Aarhus Art Academy in Denmark. For about ten years after he graduated he taught, and later he worked for a sportswear company, and then, finally, in the early 1980s he founded 2R Marketing, a high-end audio import company. In 1985 he founded Gryphon Audio, an off-shoot of that company. One thing led to another....

Bryston is a company that has never rested on their laurels. Unlike some companies, Bryston does not release new products every year; just to release "something". Instead, Bryston tends to issue generational releases, marked by a significant incremental improvement in sound and technology. Last year, Bryston introduced their new Cubed Series amplifiers, followed by Cubed Series Integrated Amplifier (Bryston B-1353 Integrated Amplifier), Pre-Amplifier (Bryston BP-173 Preamplifier) and Digital Streamer (Bryston BDP-3 Digital Player). The Cubed Series products were developed with the same patented circuitry developed in conjunction with Dr. Salomie, Ph.D., to "move the listener ever closer to the music with such visceral realism, the experience is most comparable to live performance." Two of the products developed from this lofty goal, are the subject of this review; The Bryston BP-173 Preamplifier and Bryston 7B3 Mono Amplifiers.

Some of the best gear in my house has shown up at the worst possible moments. A Bryston amplifier I once reviewed arrived the same week my refrigerator quit. A Pass Labs piece landed on my doorstep about an hour after I'd injured my back, lifting an amplifier I should not have been lifting alone. So, when the Lyngdorf TDAI-2210 streaming amplifier turned up on a quiet Tuesday afternoon, I should have suspected the universe was about to charge me for the privilege. And it did. This afternoon, I cleared my schedule for the Lyngdorf TDAI-2210. The box glared at me from across the room. I would wait no longer. The unboxing process was relatively easy. The Lyngdorf TDAI-2210 arrived in a heavy box. Upon opening, I found the unit nicely packed and protected. Once everything was unboxed, the microphone stand's quality caught me off guard. This serious microphone stand is easily worth a couple of hundred dollars.

Editorial: Audio Human Extensions

Born To Be Connected: Why Passengers Finally Get To Have Fun Too

A Software-Defined DAC Using Delta-Sigma Modulation

EPC9192 Reference Design For EPC2307 eGaN FETs

Designing the Dynaco ST-70 Series 3: It's All About the Bass

FC-100: A JFET Testing And Matching Device

MPEG-I Immersive Audio The Standard for Realistic VR / AR Sound

The Challenge Behind Believable XR

Building Flexible Immersive Home Audio Systems

Reintroduction Of The 90s Mesa Triple Rectifier Solo Head

And Much More!

Over the past six months of 2025, EnjoyTheMusic.com has taken you on a journey through six luxurious high-end audio events, each one a vibrant celebration of sonic excellence. We began in reverse order with the season's grand spectacle, HIGH END Munich 2025, the largest and most anticipated show, setting the bar high for the industry. Just before that, the more intimate Lone Star Audio Fest 2025 charmed enthusiasts with its unique vibe, followed by a polished series of events including AXPONA 2025, Montreal Audiofest 2025, and Southwest Audio Fest 2025. Each of these events brought its own distinct flavor to the high-end audio landscape. Early February greeted us with the Florida International Audio Expo 2025 — a delightful convergence of world-class audio and family fun, plus after the event your family turns into fun-filled vacationers headed to Disney, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, and beyond.

What has eight woofers, one horn compression tweeter, no crossovers (well maybe a single capacitor, first order high pass for the tweeter. So a filter, not formally a crossover), and a semi resonance tube 'transmission line like' cabinet? You guessed it, the Grandinote Mach 8 XL speaker does. Wow... You're good! And so are they! Although it sounds counterintuitive, the one word that comes to mind when describing these very tall, nine-driver speakers is, "Simple." Massimiliano Magri's design philosophy equates to the K.I.S.S. principle (Keep It Simple Stupid). Reduce resonance in the simplest way possible. Reduce intrusion of capacitance, inductance, and resistance as much as possible by eliminating the use of crossover components. Utilize elegant and simple speaker design to improve performance by implementing a modified transmission line that they refer to as a Semi resonance tube.

When I visit trade shows, particularly those that are not predominantly focused on audio technology as such, I always find interesting examples of successful businesses that have managed to find a market niche, or a product segment where audio technology truly makes a difference. But to understand the reasons why, it's important to look carefully at the opportunity that generated that success, as well as the context, or the environment that surrounds those companies' products. Frequently, product designers are looking at "reversed solutions" that try to find a problem originally created by their own technology or concept. And it is always easy to find marketers amplifying that message as though all their potential customers would approach product acquisition from their own view of the "problem." Understanding the whole layered complexity of the audio supply chain offers a fresh perspective. Automotive speakers are one of the biggest volume categories in the loudspeaker industry, and are the last thing on the mind of a consumer when buying a car. But the automotive industry understood that loudspeakers—and the whole audio system in cars—play an increasing role in helping sell successfully as a category.

Pure Audio Streaming (PAS), a lossless immersive music platform, is officially coming to Apple TV and marking a major step forward in high-fidelity (hi-fi) home entertainment. The expansion, slated for Q3 2026, brings PAS's uncompromising, studio-grade audio formats—including immersive, binaural, high-resolution multichannel, and lossless stereo PCM—to Apple's popular streaming device, widening access for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts alike. Pure Audio Streaming says the move is driven by a surge in demand for immersive music experiences across both consumer and professional markets. With standards like RP22 and new open-source formats such as Eclipsa making immersive playback more accessible, the company sees Apple TV as a natural next step for delivering reference-quality immersivephile(TM)-quality sound in more homes. With Broader platform support, it further strengthens the ecosystem for audiophiles, music lovers, and listeners. Apple, meanwhile, is quietly preparing its own audio upgrades. With tvOS 27, Apple TV 4K will support Hi-Res Lossless audio up to 24-bit/192kHz, a major leap from the previous 24-bit/48kHz ceiling.

This year, a little later than usual, and in a new location, the audio world came together in Vienna for the annual High-End audio show. Two days of business-to-business and two days open to the public, a vast array of audio items were on display across the halls of the Austria Center Vienna – so much so, that the cornucopia of products is all a bit daunting! The main attractions being shown off are of course the audio systems on display. From the relatively modest to the don’t bother to ask the price, there were such a surfeit of choices that limits had to be set to avoid sensory burnout! With literally hundreds of systems, spread out over five floors and four halls, time allowed even those who most astutely surf the displays only a small selection. Nevertheless, for those of us who like listen to audio systems, as a business, a profession or a consumer, the HIGH END show does scratch the audio itch. This year's HIGH END Society luxury audio show moved from its former home in Munich to Vienna, with its Hapsburg heritage, exceptional art museums and Sacher Torte mit schlage.

We are getting ever closer to the goal of ultimate fidelity; where a recording and the live sound are so close to one another that they are functionally identical. However, I experienced a couple of live events recently, and that demonstrated how far we still have to go. I know of at least five members of the UK audio industry who attended the 2026 Teenage Cancer Trust (you can donate here: teenagecancertrust.org) concerts staged at the Royal Albert Hall. Those who think 'RAH' and assume 'classical music'... these were gigs by bands like My Bloody Valentine and Mogwai. They were handing out ear defenders at the door (I brought my own). Regardless, even with enough ear defence that my hearing remained resolutely undamaged, the visceral experience of standing in front of one of these post-rock and shoegazy bands playing at mind-numbingly powerful levels is something that's almost impossible to replicate in the home. Good ear defence notwithstanding, Mogwai made my teeth go deaf for a few days. That is not a live, unamplified event; it's a live event with all the amplifiers. Think of that scene from Oppenheimer, but with sound instead of a nuclear bomb.

I've met Zoltán Bay a couple of times at AXPONA and have always been highly impressed with Bayz Audio speakers. They are an extraordinary omni-directional, C-shaped point-source design with a commanding presence, both visually and acoustically. His Bayz Audio Courante 2.0 loudspeaker was highly praised by Dr. Mathew Clott back in the October 2020 issue, which is worth revisiting to appreciate the context of this review of the Bayz Time Corrector. When Steven R. Rochlin suggested I review the Time Corrector, I was taken completely by surprise. We tend to pigeonhole people, even from just a few encounters, and Zoltán was 'just' a supreme loudspeaker guy in my mind. Little did I know at the time that he was a physicist as well as an engineer. He was featured in a "We Ask 10 Questions For High-End Audio Manufacturers Featuring Zoltán Bay, CEO And Designer For BAYZ Audio" back in 2020. I learned he is also working on an amplifier and has interesting prior design experience that never made it across the Atlantic Ocean.

The Austria Center Vienna proved itself a world-class venue as HIGH END Vienna 2026 made its highly anticipated debut, marking a successful new chapter for the international audio industry. Expectations surrounding the move from Munich were high, yet from the opening moments exhibitors, trade visitors and music lovers responded with enthusiasm. The venue's spacious architecture, abundant natural light and inviting outdoor areas created an atmosphere that was both relaxed and vibrant. Despite strong attendance, the exhibition remained comfortably accessible, with well-attended demonstrations and consistently busy rooms underscoring the event's appeal. In total, 23,106 visitors attended, including 10,603 trade visitors, 11,957 consumers, and 549 media representatives. With guests from 104 countries, HIGH END Vienna 2026 immediately established itself as a premier international platform for high-quality luxury audio technology. The first two days, dedicated exclusively to B2B and press engagement, offered ideal conditions for in-depth discussions and new business relationships. Nearly 500 exhibitors reported high visitor quality and strong commercial interest. Public days saw equally impressive turnout, with a notably broad audience extending beyond the traditional high-fidelity (hi-fi) audio community. The show's modern setting enabled companies to present ambitious brand concepts, while global media highlighted numerous world premieres, product launches and technological innovations that positioned Vienna as the temporary capital of the audio world.

A new city and a new venue meant a challenging two days of orientation for show reporters, but with a lot of schlepping, I found my way around the vast Austria Centre and a couple of satellite events and heard some often expensive, sometimes truly great sounds at this year's HIGH END. Here are the highlights. "Vienna brought a different energy to the show — a blend of imperial elegance and modern precision that set the tone for the systems on display," says Creative Director Steve R. Rochlin. "Exhibitors seemed determined to make a statement, filling their rooms with bold flagship debuts, lavish materials, and engineering that bordered on the obsessive. Crowds were strong from the moment the doors opened, with long lines forming outside the most talked-about rooms as word spread of breakthrough designs and six-figure sonic spectacles. The new venue's sprawling layout encouraged deeper exploration, revealing hidden gems tucked between the major halls and boutique makers showing off handcrafted artistry. Even seasoned showgoers, including seasoned journalists, felt a jolt of excitement as brands used Vienna's debut year to push boundaries, elevate expectations, and redefine what luxury high-end audio can mean. It is clear that HIGH END 2026 in Vienna wasn't just a relocation — it was a reinvention!" 

Cirrus Logic has announced a major expansion of its flagship audio converter lineup, introducing nine new high-performance ADCs, DACs, and CODECs aimed squarely at the fast-growing professional and prosumer audio markets. The new devices—optimized for musical instruments, podcasting gear, active speakers, mixing consoles, and installed AV—arrive as global demand for premium sound in mid-tier products continues to surge. According to industry reports cited by the company, the combined pro and prosumer audio sector now represents a $9 billion market, driven by creators, musicians, and integrators seeking elevated performance without premium-tier pricing. The expanded portfolio builds on Cirrus Logic's existing CS430xx and CS530xx families, giving design engineers a broader set of tools to scale performance across multiple product tiers. The new converters incorporate enhanced analog capabilities, hybrid gain control, and a new voltage output driver, enabling improved noise performance and simplified system design. These engineering upgrades help manufacturers deliver cleaner, more accurate audio while reducing overall system complexity—an increasingly important factor as brands push to differentiate in competitive mid-range categories.

The fascinating thing about reviewing Triangle Art's L-200 MK2 vacuum tube preamplifier is that it's a tube pre-amp…  and that I know, when I agree to review it, that this review will not get half the readership to click on it because it has the word "tube" in it. And I will lose even more because Triangle Art is not a mainstream name and many do not recognize it. So, for the 20% to 30%-ish of our readership that made it this far, you will be rewarded by learning about a pre-amp that everyone should know about! The Triangle Art L-200 MK2 is a $25,000 tube preamp that can compete with a $40,000 preamp (tube or solid-state), built by a company that has a creative philosophy similar to Porsche. Take a design and just keep making it better (think 911 of the 1980s and today); they call it, "Think it out."

Val Cora must have spotted my press pass when I first encountered their SRB two-way stand-mounted monitor at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest show back in 2019. He encouraged me to take a closer look and listen as I didn't seem particularly interested. It was my subconscious fear of tipping over heavy stone or aluminum speakers that I later traced back to a childhood trauma incident. Fast forward to 2023 and I've become one of Acora Acoustics' biggest fans, typically including them among the Best Rooms awards in my show reports. Not so much because I like them as because they're so damn good. Val has been a master of setting up rigs in a wide variety of rooms supported by a diverse selection of amplification and front ends. That he consistently features different top-level turntables and phono cartridges has been a particular delight, though he also showcases digital front ends. I fear that since he recently acquired Audio Research, his presentations may become more restricted to their products.

For a normal, healthy young person, the generally accepted frequency range of human hearing is said to be from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Before the term "Hertz" (Hz) came into use to honor Heinrich Hertz ( the man who proved Maxwell's wave theory correct), sound frequencies were expressed in "cycles" per second, with one cycle being the complete cycle of the air pressures making up a sound wave, from zero to positive peak, to zero, to negative peak, and back to zero again. What that means is that a person blessed with good hearing is capable, because one cycle includes two pressure peaks, of detecting 40,000 pressure changes per second or, to put it differently, of hearing pressure changes that take just ONE FORTY THOUSANDTH OF A SECOND to happen. Even old people like me, who may only be able to hear frequencies an octave or more below the stated human norm—can still clearly pick up sonic differences taking place in times in the range of less than one ten thousandth of a second.

Editorial: Do We Audiophiles Have Too Many Choices?

Linn 360 Active Loudspeaker System With Pistonik Drive Technology

Rega Planar 6 RS Vinyl LP Turntable

Innuos Nazaré Digital Audio Music Server

Analog Relax EX300 Moving Coil (MC) Cartridge

Triangle Capella 2Active Stand-Mount Speaker Streaming System

Allnic Audio ASRA RHPA-7500 Headphone Amplifier And Integrated Amplifier

Eversolo DAC-Z10 DAC / Headphone Amplifier And Preamplifier

Connected-Fidelity CF-1010 Turntable Tonearm

Pro-Ject Flatten-It! Vinyl LP Record Flattener

...And Much More!

It's interesting, isn't it, that retro hi-fi is resurging as listeners crave tactile, (perhaps) warm sound and exceptional craftsmanship, which is driving younger buyers and renewed industry attention. The comeback of luxury home audio is not a nostalgic footnote; it is a cultural and market movement reshaping how people listen, collect, and value sound. Portable CD (SACD) players are back, and there's a new boombox too! What began as a niche fascination among older audiophiles decades ago has broadened into a multi-generational phenomenon: younger listeners drawn to reel-to-reel, vinyl LPs, and compact disc (CD) tactile interfaces, and (perhaps) the perceived warmth of analog reproduction are joining seasoned collectors, and together they are pushing demand for vintage turntables, vacuum tube amplifiers, tape decks, and classic receivers to new heights. This renewed interest is measurable—industry observers report a sharp surge in a booming vinyl record, CD, and reel-to-reel market that has become a serious economic force—evidence that the trend is more than sentiment and is altering market dynamics.

Last year was a big occasion for the high-end audio community in Austin, with the T.H.E. Lone Star Audio Fest having its inaugural show there. Therefore, I was excited that Emiko and company were bringing it back for a second go. I did see some familiar faces, but also some new ones, as this audio show retained its Texas feel. Lone Star Audiofest 2026 (LSAF) returned Memorial Day weekend, running May 22nd through 24th at the Embassy Suites in Round Rock, Texas. The three-day event promised a mix of exhibitor rooms, seminars, and live demonstrations aimed at audiophiles, hobbyists, and industry professionals. The festival highlighted a long tradition of hands-on listening rooms, DIY, and a marketplace atmosphere where both established brands and up-and-coming builders present loudspeakers, amplifiers, turntables, and DIY projects. Demonstrations within exhibit rooms showcased the world's finest hi-fi gear to audiophiles and music lovers alike.

April is a busy month for the audiophile world as it hosts various luxury home audio shows, with many companies releasing their products to enthusiastic music lovers worldwide. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend it this year as planned, but, as luck would have it, something even better came down the pike. AGD announced its first integrated amplifier, the Allegro, and we were lucky enough to get it in-house for a review. AGD Productions, Inc. is a company started a few years ago by Alberto Guerra. His goal, as he puts it, is to bring "emotion" to his customers. I met him a few times at both the CAF and FLAX shows and have always been a fan of his equipment. His designs have always been extraordinarily well thought out and incredibly beautiful. He has always been able to take his lifelong passion and utilize his skills and knowledge to create masterpieces. The AGD Allegro is a new entry for the company. It is their first attempt at an all-in-one system.

HIGHRESAUDIO, the German high-resolution music download and streaming service, released a native iOS app for iPhone and iPad that lets subscribers stream true lossless 24-bit Hi-Res Music and audio wirelessly to any device. The app is available free with any active subscription via Apple's App Store and brings the service's full catalogue and editorial curation to mobile devices for the first time in a native Apple experience. The app's interface emphasizes discovery and personalization: users can access New Releases, Back-Catalogue, Editorial Recommendations, Performance Charts, Multi-Genre Playlists and a Discover Mode. A Personal User Profile (Genre-Mode) lets listeners tailor the service by age, preferred artists, genres and moods; the filter can be switched on or off and edited in account settings. The app also supports digital booklets in PDF format and persistent caching for faster load times. HIGHRESAUDIO highlights uncompromised audio fidelity and broad device compatibility. The iOS app supports AirPlay 2, DLNA / UPnP and Bluetooth, enabling wireless playback to Apple, DLNA and Bluetooth devices....

This review features Nagra's latest preamplifier, the Preamp II-S. I previously had the opportunity to review two other Nagra products for EnjoyTheMusic.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.

Our incredible June issue is a must-read for music lovers who want high-fidelity audio reviews that blend careful listening with storytelling. This edition is packed with editorials and deep equipment tests as we celebrate music and top-rated gear. The issue's editorials explore big trends that matter to listeners today, from the retro resurgence of analog gear to essays on timing and musicality that remind readers why fidelity still fascinates. Features such as Why Retro Is Roaring Back and It's About Time: What Makes Music Music give context to the reviews and help readers connect product specs to real listening experiences. These pieces make this issue become a conversation about how we value sound. And dare we ask, value this publication. What sets this month apart is the number of World Premiere Reviews—first looks at exceptional gear that could reshape your listening room. Standouts include the sensational AGD Allegro (a GaN-powered integrated with R2R DAC, streamer, and MM / MC phono stage), the much-anticipated by the audiophile world Nagra PREAMP II-S vacuum tube preamplifier, and the Bayz Audio Time Corrector that promises temporal coherence improvements. But wait, there's more....

Rogue Audio's RP-9 is the latest flagship preamplifier from the ingenious designs of the American manufacturing workshop of Mark O'Brien.  Having an interest in doing this review of the new RP-9 was a simple decision as a long-time user of the Rogue RP-7.  I have been using the remarkable powerhouse Rogue Apollo Dark Amps for several years as both a sonic and output upgrade to my previously owned Rogue 180 Amplifiers that were used to run Magnepan 3.6 speakers.  I replaced the Maggie 3.6 speakers with their 20.7 models several years ago and needed more powerful amps. I wondered if the increased musical experience of moving further up in the Rogue Amplifier line was going to be repeated with their new preamplifier by going from the RP-7 to the RP-9 model. However, before proceeding and hearing the RP-9, I wondered what was going on since the RP-7 has received numerous accolades, recognition, and rewards. Could designer Mark O'Brien improve upon the noteworthy RP-7 that I have been enjoying?

The Charisma Audio Musiko tonearm had already become part of my reference system back in May 2021. when it was incorporated into my Linn Project — a complete re-make of the fabled Linn LP12 using off-the-shelf, re-engineered parts from several after-market companies. These parts were sourced from Great Britain, Canada, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and Colorado. By the time I finished, the only original OEM parts were the suspension springs and grommets, the belt, the sub-chassis nuts and bolts, and the wood plinth. While there were lots of lovely alternatives, I kept the original wood plinth out of sentimentality. I was quite proud of the results, having greatly improved on the original vintage table — not unlike the way Carroll Shelby made over the British AC Ace into the Cobra sports car, except I did it on a kitchen countertop and never got around to racing it. I nicknamed it the Bard for reasons I'll let you figure out.

NO FAKES Act And The Music Industry: How Washington Aims To Police AI Replicas The bipartisan Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act has been reintroduced in Congress to address the rapid spread of AI-generated "digital replicas" that can mimic a performer's voice or visual likeness without consent. The bill's sponsors frame it as a targeted response to deepfakes that threaten creators' economic and reputational interests. At its core the legislation would establish a statutory right protecting an individual's voice and visual likeness from unauthorized AI replication, defining "digital replica" and creating civil liability for those who create, distribute, or profit from such replicas without consent. The bill text lays out definitions, remedies, and exceptions intended to balance free expression and innovation. Major music-industry trade groups and labels have publicly backed the measure, arguing it fills a gap in existing intellectual property law that was not designed for synthetic media. Universal Music Group, Sony, Warner, the RIAA, the Recording Academy, and major publishers have signaled support, saying the act would help artists control commercial uses of their voices and prevent deceptive releases.

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.

When I was just an ordinary Hi-fi Crazy, not yet having gotten into our industry either as a writer or a manufacturer, I and my buds used to spend hours doing what seems to be standard audiophile practice: When we weren't actually working on our systems, we'd sit around talking about hi-fi gear: About what we owned or had heard someplace; about what we wanted or didn't want to buy; about what we had read a review of or heard about from a friend. We always talked as if we were the world's greatest hi-fi experts, and when we passed judgment on something, it was always absolute and always extreme: The item in question was either "the world's greatest" or "dog meat", with never anything in the middle. When I actually became a reviewer for one of the magazines (Sounds Like…) and editor for a monthly Audio Industry newsletter (Sounds Like…News), all of that changed radically. Instead of issuing high-handed pronunciamentos, as I had done before, when it didn't matter....

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.

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.

Andy Weiderspahn was away at the Florida Audio Expo when news broke of their new Master fuse so Kevin Sample stepped up and obtained permission for me to receive some review samples. Having previously reviewed the Black, Blue, Orange, and Purple fuses over the years I was eager to investigate this new version — especially because of the hype that went along with the introduction. Obviously, it is not named with a color. More alarmingly, it takes a large jump in price over the Purple fuses that grace much of my system. But most importantly, it claims to be such an improvement over the Purple that they recommend using only one, primarily in your source component, two at most. This last point softens the blow of the price jump. The Master is said to work well with lesser Synergistic fuses that may already grace your system.

The Lone Star Audiofest 2026 is set to return Memorial Day weekend, running May 22nd through 24th at the Embassy Suites in Round Rock, Texas. The three-day event promises a mix of exhibitor rooms, seminars, and live demonstrations aimed at audiophiles, hobbyists, and industry professionals. The festival highlights a long tradition of hands-on listening rooms, DIY, and a marketplace atmosphere where both established brands and up-and-coming builders present loudspeakers, amplifiers, turntables, and DIY projects. Demonstrations and seminars will run alongside the exhibit rooms, covering topics that matters to audiophiles and music lovers alike. The festival's venue, the Embassy Suites Round Rock, places the show minutes north of Austin and provides exhibitor rooms open to the public Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees can expect a casual, community-oriented atmosphere—described by organizers as "the Woodstock of high-end audio shows"—with opportunities for one-on-one conversations with designers and hands-on listening

Editorial: A Curated Listening Experience (Car Audio)

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!

The audiophile faithful descended once again on Schaumburg, IL, April 10th through 12th, for North America's largest gathering of high-end designers, manufacturers, and enthusiasts of all levels and backgrounds. AXPONA 2026 is now officially in the books as the largest to-date, with Event Director Liz Smith reporting 12,546 attendees – a 15% jump over 2025. Gen Z, attendance in particular was up 52% - a successfully targeted demographic that signals a tremendous show of enthusiasm and support from our ever-growing community! With 750+ international brands / designers, retailers, and exhibitors and 235 dedicated listening rooms distributed over 12 floors of the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center, this year's AXPONA 2026 high-end audiophile show provided ample opportunity to experience and celebrate some of the finest home audio hi-fi designs in the world. Though the above numbers for this 15th annual audiophile event are impressive, I am continually inspired by the welcoming, tight-knit community that it represents.

Despite the fact that I've been married for years to an audio geek extraordinaire; despite the fact that back in college I owned the mini-component audio system that was the envy of the entire fourth floor of my dorm; despite the fact that I have artfully wielded a soldering iron (okay, so his arm turn in a cast, and mine was twisted behind my back, no matter), I still find that nobody takes me seriously as an accomplished, dues paid-in-full, audio aficionado. I really resent this. All I have to do is walk into a room full of "audiophiles" and the conversation goes something like this, "Yeah, this 655 output to primary voltage resistance is very musical. Oh, hi Joyce, bake anything interesting lately? Great. Like I was saying, try an unfilamented 90LX cap to ground next time and blah, blah...." Okay, so maybe electronics manuals aren't my favorite bedtime reading and maybe I was diagnosed with math anxiety at the tender age of eight. None of this means I don't like music, beautiful, tuneful MUSIC.

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.

In January 2021, I was fortunate to review Nagra's Tube DAC and Classic PSU power supply. In my review, I said that the owners of this vacuum tube Hi-Res Audio DAC will be able to appreciate the "sonic glory" of this "high-performance component." So, I was not surprised that the Nagra Tube DAC and its PSU power supply were awarded EnjoyTheMusic.com's Best Of 2021 Award. After I finished the review, I was not psyched to return the $40,900 package consisting of the Nagra Tube DAC, Classic PSU power supply, and VFS Classic base to the distributor. I was captivated by the sound quality this digital front end contributed to my system. My reference DAC, an EMM Labs DA2, is no slouch, but this Nagra Tube DAC package costs twice as much. It was not twice as good as the EMM Labs converter; it doesn't work that way, but the improvement in sound quality was significant. I jumped at the chance when I was offered the subject of this review, the relatively new Nagra Classic DAC II / PSU / VFS combo.

Many a long year ago a friend of mine asked me what kind of speakers he ought to buy. Complimented by his confidence in my judgment and wanting to be helpful, I asked him some questions to help me figure out what might be best for him. One of the first was "How much do you want to spend?" To which I got "It doesn't matter; whatever it costs." I should have known better – he was the local Maserati dealer, quite well off, and really could afford just about anything I might suggest. Next, I tried "What kind of music do you listen to? " and was told "Everything; I like it all, as long as it's good." Other questions about all the usual hi-fi criteria – imaging, soundstaging, timbre, transient attack and decay, harmonic richness, the whole thing – got equally vague answers until I finally asked him "Is there anything at all that you particularly like or want in the music you listen to?", That's when I hit the "jackpot": "Loud." He said, "I like it really loud!"

Audio Advice Live will return to the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel from August 7th through 9th, bringing together legacy stereo music lovers, modern immersivephiles, movie enthusiasts, and home technology fans for their consumer home entertainment event. Now in its fifth year, the three-day showcase will offer attendees the chance to audition the latest loudspeakers, electronics, projectors, video displays, turntables, and headphones across more than 60 experience rooms and 12 music / movie Dolby Atmos immersive sound systems. Audio Advice Live 2026 will feature a variety of demonstrations from major and specialty brands, giving guests rare side-by-side comparisons of high-end audiophile and mainstream gear. With many manufacturers under one roof, attendees can explore everything from reference loudspeakers and audiophile turntables to the latest projection and streaming technologies.

The Southwest Audio Fest (SWAF) 2026 is scheduled from July 23rd through 25th, and is celebrating their new location at the Sheraton Convention Center in downtown Dallas. This perfectly positions the event between the city's Arts and Historical districts to attract both local attendees and out-of-town visitors. Organizers emphasize a concentrated three-day format designed to increase foot traffic and create a more energetic, festival-style atmosphere. After years of observing many events having slow Sunday attendance, SWAF is among the first to smartly reworked its calendar by moves to a Thursday through Saturday schedule. The change aims to give attendees more flexibility—Thursday's late afternoon opening accommodates professionals and travelers who prefer to arrive the same day, while Friday and Saturday retain full-day programming including many rooms that will host evening and after hours listening events.

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.

Editorial: The Ultimate Goal Of High-Fidelity Audio

Audiovector R 5 Floorstanding Loudspeaker

Accustic Arts PREAMP 1/AMP 1 Pre & Stereo Power Amp

Nagra Compact Player Network Streamer

Bowers & Wilkins 707 S3 Prestige Edition Loudspeaker

Linn 150 Floorstanding Loudspeaker

Isol-8 Powerline Extreme Power Distributor

HIFISTAY MYTHOLOGY X-1 Equipment Support

Editor's Choice: Our Collection Of The Finest Audio Gear

...And Much More!

Lee Scoggins Talks With Acora Acoustics Founder Valerio Cora With the nearly universal consensus of praise and earning many show awards during the Florida International Audio Expo 2023, the Acora Acoustics, VAC, Oracle Audio, Aurender, LampizatOr, and Cardas Audio room was a sound to behold! As one of the best-sounding exhibition room during the recent Tampa show, it brings us joy to showcase a very recent interview by Lee Scoggins as he sits down with Acora Acoustics founder Valerio Cora. They both discuss Acora's relatively recent emergence in the audiophile world. Within this video, you'll discover why using granite as an enclosure plays a big role in the loudspeaker's overall performance and Valerio's beginnings with high-end audio.

Sound has always caught my attention and fascinated me since I was a child. I was born and raised in Italy, in the Florentine countryside. My father is Italian but my mother was from the USA. In fact, she was always playing cassettes and 45 rpm vinyl LPs of the so-called oldies from the 1950s and 1960s including The Beatles. This opened up a huge new world to my eyes and ears to various genres of music besides the classic stuff friends and I were listening in Italy while growing up during the 1980s and 1990s. The different sounds and language had a great influence on my life and musical tastes. Fast-forwarding a few years, during college I finally started to have my musical independence and my own first (crappy) stereo. I slowly started to understand that different gear, especially that of non-famous brands, could open a whole new world of sound quality and engagement....

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.

The May 2026 issue of EnjoyTheMusic.com's luxurious high-fidelity audio Review Magazine celebrates our love for music in all its forms. This issue delivers a broad mix of show coverage, editorials, technical features, and equipment reviews. The issue frames its content around both audiophile heritage and the current youthful momentum within our high-end audio world, as we position historic perspective alongside world premiere product coverage. Our comprehensive show reporting includes dedicated coverage of AXPONA and Montreal Audiofest 2026 that highlights major debuts, listening room impressions, and the music programming that defined each event. The show reports emphasize how live demos and meet-ups remain essential for evaluating flagship systems, spotting emerging trends, and our industry's ongoing growth trajectory. As always, in the end what really matters is that you... enjoy the music!

BMG and Concord have agreed to merge into a single, independent music company operating under the BMG name, creating a combined business controlled roughly 67% by Bertelsmann and 33% by affiliates of Great Mountain Partners, with Concord CEO Bob Valentine named CEO and BMG's Thomas Coesfeld to serve as chairman. BMG and Concord announced a definitive agreement on April 28, 2026 to combine their publishing, recorded-music, theatrical-rights, and digital-distribution operations into a unified company that will operate under the BMG brand while keeping a recorded-music arm called Concord Records. The new company will be headquartered globally in Nashville with a European base in Berlin, reflecting the two firms' existing footprints. The transaction is structured so that Bertelsmann will own about 67% of the combined business and affiliates of Great Mountain Partners will hold about 33%, with the latter receiving a one-time cash payment of $1.16 billion as part of the deal.

 AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) closed its 2026 edition, drawing over 10,000 attendees to the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center and showcasing hundreds of brands from many countries. The three-day event featured dedicated Listening Rooms, an expanded Ear Gear Experience, as Expo Hall and nightly live concerts that helped fuel a 15% attendance increase over 2025 and a notable jump in Gen Z passes. It is great to see the audiophile audience getting younger, breaking what felt like decades of age increase. Organizers and exhibitors described the atmosphere as energetic and generationally broader than in past years. Liz Smith, AXPONA's VP and Event Director, said the show "exceeded all expectations" and highlighted the surge in younger attendees as evidence that high-fidelity audio is reaching new audiences. Days after the show, owners announced a change in stewardship: with little known about Sound & Fury LLC, a company that has acquired AXPONA....

This year's show report is dedicated to the memory of Ernie Fisher, Editor of The Inner Ear, who was one of the first friends I made at the Montreal show when I was getting started. He passed away in the spring of last year, and I wanted to make this dedication in the Montreal report, where our roots are deepest. In 2005, back in the days it was held at the Delta Hotel, and known as Le Festival Son et Image de Montréal, Ernie sponsored a room which earned Best Rooms recognition.... That's the kind of guy Ernie was—seeking out the best, no matter how unknown or unusual a company might be. He was, and still is, an inspiration for me. I hope the music in heaven meets his expectations. Looking back after more than four weeks from the show, it's time to sit down and commemorate the Best Rooms and salute a bunch more as Honorable Mentions. But first, a few comments on the show.

The Lone Star Audiofest 2026 is set to return Memorial Day weekend, running May 22nd through 24th at the Embassy Suites in Round Rock, Texas. The three-day event promises a mix of exhibitor rooms, seminars, and live demonstrations aimed at audiophiles, hobbyists, and industry professionals. The festival highlights a long tradition of hands-on listening rooms, DIY, and a marketplace atmosphere where both established brands and up-and-coming builders present loudspeakers, amplifiers, turntables, and DIY projects. Demonstrations and seminars will run alongside the exhibit rooms, covering topics that matters to audiophiles and music lovers alike. The festival’s venue, the Embassy Suites Round Rock, places the show minutes north of Austin and provides exhibitor rooms open to the public Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees can expect a casual, community-oriented atmosphere—described by organizers as "the Woodstock of high-end audio shows"—with opportunities for one-on-one conversations with designers and hands-on listening.

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.

Editorial: Hear No Evil

Designing the Dynaco ST-70 Series 3 Vacuum Tube Audio Power Amplifier

The Yin & Yang Circuit

Stabilizing Tube Feedback Amplifiers Without Much Math Part 1—Diagnostic Principles

Rediscovering The EF184: A Surprising MM RIAA Preamplifier

Building a KT170 Class-A Amplifier Thoughts On Igor Popovich's Audiophile Vacuum Tube Amplifiers Books

Revisiting An Elegant Idea The Augmented Follower

New Expressions For First-Order Filter Phase Response And Group Delay Part 2

Hermon Hosmer Scott

And Much More!

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.

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?

In Part 5 we tackle the other main hallway on the lower level. which is to the right as you come down the escalator. I'll first go down the Outremont rooms. which are large, but not as large as the St. Laurent rooms. Straight ahead and off to the right as you come down the escalator was the long counter full of Audio-Technica Canada headphones Sorry about the soft focus. I was in a hurry to get a shot off before someone else walked in front of me on this busy thoroughfare between the two main corridors. A large poster listed all of the products on display at the show with Show Special pricing that would save you from $10 to $700. depending on the item. The AT-LPA2 acrylic turntable with dust cover and separate power supply, for example, was marked down to $2000. a saving of $700. making this a very attractive package for the price, even at full markup. As eye-catching as this McLaren sports car was the coffee and snack counter just to the right drew a much bigger crowd.

A Manhattan federal jury found that Live Nation Entertainment and its Ticketmaster subsidiary illegally monopolized the U.S. ticketing market, delivering a landmark verdict on Wednesday, April 15 (2026). A nine-member jury in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York returned the verdict after a five-week trial that featured testimony from dozens of witnesses and four days of deliberations. The case was brought by a coalition of state attorneys general that continued the litigation after the U.S. Department of Justice reached a separate settlement with Live Nation in March. Jurors found that Ticketmaster "willfully acquired or maintained monopoly power" in primary ticketing for major concert venues and that Live Nation monopolized the market for large amphitheaters through exclusionary conduct, including restrictive venue agreements and tying practices that disadvantaged rivals. The verdict form indicated consumers in 22 states and the District of Columbia were overcharged by an average of $1.72 per ticket from May 2020 through 2024.

Record Store Day takes place this Saturday, April 18, 2026, with thousands of indie shops offering hundreds of limited-edition vinyl releases; vinyl LP sales topped $1 billion in 2025. This annual celebration of independent music retail shops returns this weekend, with participating stores opening early for exclusive pressings, live in-store events, and collectible releases. This year's drop includes a wide range of limited runs and reissues aimed at collectors and casual buyers alike. Retail roundups and music outlets highlight more than 350 exclusive titles across genres, from reissued classics and live sets to colored vinyl singles and deluxe box sets; many titles are pressed in small runs and sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Artists from Robert Plant to contemporary pop acts have curated RSD exclusives, and Bruno Mars serves as the U.S. ambassador with a special collaborations compilation. Expect long lines for marquee items and quick sellouts for low-run pressings.

What a start to the year this has been! 2026 is proving to be one of the most exciting times in memory for everyone involved in technology in general, and I don't recall having so many different fronts of innovation in audio to keep us busy as we've had recently. To begin, we had a busy time with three totally different trade shows, starting with CES in Las Vegas, NV, quickly followed by the NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, and Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 in Barcelona, Spain, the largest in history, with a record number of exhibitors and attendees. While CES is focused on consumer electronics and the wider consumer technology space, NAMM offered a fascinating perspective on the practical use of technology by studios, musicians, and live production companies. And, ISE was completely focused on commercial installation systems and residential integration, showing a different side of professional audio. Yet, there was a clear thread of common technology trends and innovation across all these trade shows. One is the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) for the audio industry, with audio at the core of so many application segments, and audio helping bridge AI with the physical world through sensors, transducers, human interfaces, and interactions. And at the core, we have voice and language.

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.

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.

The Southwest Audio Fest returns to Dallas this summer, running July 23rd through 25th at the Sheraton Downtown, with organizers shifting the schedule to a Thursday to Saturday format to replace the traditional Sunday session. This new schedule brings more people in a day early, and gives everyone a chance to pack up and enjoy their Sunday. Programming for the three-day festival emphasizes extended, reference-level listening sessions and curated manufacturer suites, alongside informative seminars and moderated panels. Attendees can expect product launches, evening listening parties, and a vinyl, CD, tweaks, reel-to-reel, etc marketplace aimed at serious audiophiles and music lovers. Exhibitors will span the full spectrum of high-fidelity gear, from floorstanding loudspeakers and boutique amplifiers to turntables, DACs, streamers, and room-treatment solutions, all demonstrated in purpose-tuned rooms to allow realistic auditions. Single-day tickets and multi-day passes are available through the festival site, with advance purchase recommended for popular demos.

AXPONA 2026's weekend days, Saturday and Sunday, was filled with an energy that reminded attendees why this luxury home audio showcase brings a gathering of high-end audio enthusiasts and music lovers. The lively crowd explored the latest innovations in loudspeakers, electronics, analog playback, and digital front ends. From intimate reel-to-reel demonstrations to towering reference-grade systems, the weekend delivered a rich blend of technical excellence and musical immersion. Exhibitors showcased everything from compact lifestyle-friendly designs to six-figure flagship systems, each room offering its own interpretation of what true high-fidelity sound can be. Across the Audio Expo North America 2026 show floor, manufacturers unveiled new products, updated reference lines, and carefully curated system pairings that highlighted both engineering prowess and artistic presentation. This weekend's demonstrations revealed a wide spectrum of sonic philosophies that defined AXPONA 2026.

Friday's photographs arrived with an extra layer of excitement after a quick call from our honorable music professor and reviewer, Dr. Michael Bump, who checked in from AXPONA 2026. He sounded energized and pleasantly overwhelmed by the sheer number of exhibit rooms and demonstrations he's been moving through; each room, he said, feels like a carefully curated listening salon where designers and engineers are showing off months or years of work. Between conversations with fellow musicians and music lovers, Dr. Bump has been soaking up the atmosphere—listening to focused demos, comparing tonal balances, and trading impressions about repertoire and playback techniques. His enthusiasm for meeting people who share his passion for sound came through clearly. Michael's been connecting with exhibitors, asking technical questions, and swapping stories about favorite recordings and playback setups, which has made his time at the expo both social and deeply instructive.

Welcome social — live music, food, drinks. Great fun and networking at the welcome social Thursday evening at AXPONA 2026 (Audio Expo North America); the live music created a relaxed, convivial atmosphere that made it easy to catch up with friends and hear gear in a musical setting. Warm, immediate, and engaging in a social room. Marten Parker Quintet presentation — $49,000/pair; Luxman integrated amp; Jorma cabling; AudioQuest Niagara line filter. The Quintet speakers were presented as a high-end, multi-driver floorstanding design paired with a refined Luxman integrated and premium cabling and power conditioning. Product notes say high-quality cabinet construction, time-coherent driver alignment, and a voicing that emphasizes midrange clarity. Sound quality is engaging and well balanced — natural, forward mids, clean and extended treble, and controlled bass that supports vocals and acoustic instruments without sounding heavy or slow.

Our extensive AXPONA 2026 coverage is now live, bringing you the latest highlights, breakthrough product debuts, and in‑room listening impressions from this premier high‑end audio event. From flagship audiophile sound system showcases to exclusive evening live concert features, we're rolling out fresh reports throughout the show. Dive into today's updates — and check back often as we continue adding new rooms, gear spotlights, and insider commentary.

The weather at Montreal Audiofest is nowhere near as bad as the early years when it was held earlier in the year at the Delta Hotel. Still, it was not surprising to find a coating of snow on the city on Sunday morning. The snow surrounding the pool and the fog above the heated pool make for an enchanting early morning dip. I was hoping this would be the year I'd risk going for a swim, but the need to stay on schedule and get my work done prevailed. Arriving at the hotel restaurant early, finding empty tables, and being seated immediately put me at ease. Charles Kirmuss, the Doctor of Groove, joined me for a glass of orange juice. I had studied his website before coming to the show, and we had an interesting conversation about his record rejuvenating technology. When I see him at his booth, I rarely have time to engage with him, so this was a treat. Montreal is his hometown, so he always makes this show. He's a big fan of Anne Bisson, who is also from Montreal.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reported that U.S. recorded music wholesale revenue reached a record $11.5 billion in 2025, marking continued industry growth driven largely by digital formats. Streaming remained dominant, with streaming revenues rising to $9.5 billion and accounting for 82% of total U.S. revenue for the fifth consecutive year. The RIAA highlighted that this expansion reflects labels' investments in technology and new fan experiences. Paid subscription services continued to power the market: the U.S. is the world's largest paid subscription market with 106.5 million paid accounts generating $6.4 billion, and premium paid subscription revenue grew 6.8% to $5.88 billion. At the same time, physical formats saw notable gains—vinyl sales surpassed $1 billion for the 19th straight year, representing nearly half of global vinyl value and outselling CDs in revenue and units. RIAA leaders framed the results as evidence of a resilient, evolving music economy, noting that label strategies around streaming, vinyl, and responsible AI licensing are expanding creative and commercial opportunities for artists.

Global recorded music revenues climbed 6.4% to $31.7 billion in 2025, marking the eleventh consecutive year of growth, according to IFPI's Global Music Report 2026. The organization credits this rise to strong partnerships between record companies and artists, as well as expanding engagement with paid streaming platforms. With 837 million paid streaming subscribers, streaming now accounts for more than half of all global recorded music revenue. Record companies are also positioning themselves at the forefront of AI innovation. The report highlights their work in developing licensing models that ensure artists are compensated when their music is used in AI-driven tools. IFPI emphasizes that the goal is an ecosystem where human creativity and AI can coexist, with technology enhancing rather than replacing artistic expression. Alongside growth, the industry faces mounting challenges from streaming fraud, where artificially generated plays divert revenue away from legitimate artists. IFPI calls for stronger action across the entire streaming value chain—including platforms, aggregators, and distributors—to detect and prevent fraudulent activity.

In recent years, the industry has gathered on Saturday nights at the Canadian Audiofests for a celebration of camaraderie and to acknowledge the lifetime achievements of prominent people in the industry. On my way to the event at the hotel, I wandered past the rooftop homage to wilderness and found the ducks feasting on fresh strewn corn. The fish were not jumping this early in the season. People were encouraged to dress up in hip attire from the 1990s. Those wearing eye-catching ensembles were asked to pose for photos in front of a decorative marquee. I grabbed a glass of champagne that was offered and slid past this ritual in my suit from that same era. People were eager to sit down this year, as Saturday had been especially busy. There had been a lot of younger people at the show this year, and a noticeable number of women visitors. The same can be said of the crowd at the banquet. Some of the banquet attendees, like this whippersnapper, were considerably younger.

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.

Overlooking lots of loudspeaker reviews from recent years, in order to construct our Editor's Choice pages, something dawned on me. The second-hand market should be more vibrant that it seems. There are reasons for this lull in 'preloved' audio, but not all of them make sense. Stepping away from transducers for a moment, I can get why someone might not want to buy a digital product that might not be supported for too long. Those who still use an original Logitech Squeezebox are finding its functionality severely limited today as MySqueezebox and Squeezebox Radio are no longer supported. I can also understand the reluctance to invest in an older tube amplifier if it uses obscure valves with no stock and limited support. But these are effectively outliers. Most second-hand products don't fall into this 'impending doom' category. Back when I used to work in an audio store, second-hand goods had a two-fold benefit. First, they were a good way of offering a reduced price for loyal customers; it's not quite a discount, but if you know that you get a good trade-in on your existing product you tend to look after it a bit more and stay loyal to that brand.

It was pure chance that I stumbled upon Heartsound Audio's Holostage to review here at EnjoyTheMusic.com. I'm not an avid reader of audio blogs, but occasionally an e-mail with a Weekly Recap of the Audiogon Discussion Forum will slip past my email filters. The subject was actually the Nirvana Chronos, which I had previously heard at AXPONA in 2025 and subsequently reviewed very favorably. People wanted to know if the Heartsound Holostage was similar or as good, since it was considerably less expensive. I fired off an inquiry. Kristine Tetrault, founder of the company in 2021, replied shortly with an offer to send me a review sample. The Holostage is sold in sets of four blocks for $1000. It arrived via Priority Mail from Concord, NH, which is too far inland to catch any scent of saltwater. Inside the Flat Rate USPS box was a black cardboard box of the kind you might expect a gift from Macy's to be wrapped.

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.

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!

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 EnjoyTheMusic.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.

Look, I'll make this preview brief as spy photos and an advanced copy of their upcoming advertisement just hit my desk. While I'm bound to this desktop torture getting this story out fast, your music LPs soon will have a newfound freedom away from their homeward bondage. With vinyl LP sales experiencing double-digit growth, it appears that the LP is once again becoming a major force within the music industry. Furthermore, Rebeat has just announced their new high definition vinyl LPs via lacquers cut with a femto-laser (see March 17th Industry News update). World-renown electronics manufacturer Sozy will soon be selling their Wulkmun battery-powered portable record player. Playing both 33.3 and 45 rpm LPs, the Wulkmun looks to have a specially-developed laser-sensing physics-loading tonearm that ensures the perfect pressure of the needle to the LP surface. Furthermore, we've learned that the Sozy Wulkmun will be the world's first audio component to include the aptX HD 24-bit Bluetooth chipset.

Today I received the most amazing unit to evaluate, the Realistic System 200! New for 1988, this unit represents a new peak of the Tandy / Radio Shack line and continues the tradition of quality and value that makes Radio Shack famous and guarantees their continued success. Their System 200's ingenious design revolves around both sonic excellence and ease of use. Styled in a custom made faux walnut-looking rack with matching speakers, this unit will enhance the style of your living room. Radio Shack has taken the unique approach of enclosing the entire unit within one single chassis. This allows them to invest into their system where it counts, the internal electronics. Radio Shack has eliminated many of the stumbling blocks for the audiophile. Each portion of the unit is specifically matched, thus eliminating the guesswork of matching individual components to see what works well together. Their brilliant engineers have done all the work for you so that the optimal combination of player, amplification, signal processor and speakers has been achieved.

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.

It was an uneventful drive up to the border from Rochester, NY, this year, as I started earlier in the afternoon and the weather was merely grey. Crossing the border on Saturday morning was cordial, and the road into Montreal was dry. For the first time that I can recall, I had to wait in line for an elevator to take me up to the Bonaventure Hotel on the 10th floor. The admission line was orderly, and the Canadiens were patient. Staff and many patrons were sporting bright orange Enjoy the Music.com lanyards. A Press Pass was waiting for me at the last kiosk. Following my usual protocol, I started on the upper floor, aiming to complete the four hallways on Saturday and descend to the lower level on Sunday. The buildings beyond the pool that were under construction last year looked habitable. Traces of overnight snowfall were not unusual for this time of year.

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.

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

Southwest Audio Fest (SWAF) 2026 will convene audiophiles, music lovers, reviewers, and industry professionals in Dallas, Texas, from July 23rd through July 25th, shifting to a condensed Thursday through Saturday schedule to concentrate demos and evening programming. The festival's home provides large demo rooms and proximity to the Arts and Historic districts—making it easy for attendees to combine listening sessions with local dining and culture SWAF show organizers emphasize extended, reference-level listening sessions rather than quick trade-show stops: expect curated listening rooms, full-system demos, and in-depth sessions that let visitors audition complete systems at realistic volumes in treated spaces. Educational programming will include technical seminars, moderated panels, and Q&A sessions covering room acoustics, analog versus digital workflows, streaming and DAC technology, plus evening listening parties and manufacturer product launches. Attendees are advised to buy single-day or multi-day tickets in advance to secure access to popular rooms and special sessions.

AXPONA 2026 is a three-day high-end audio event for audiophiles and industry insiders, running April 10th through 12th at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center just outside Chicago. AXPONA's programming emphasizes education and community: the schedule featured seminars, master classes, live concerts, and after-hours events designed to pair technical deep dives with musical experiences. For attendees planning a visit, organizers and reviewers offered practical tips: plan your route through the many exhibit rooms, use the AXPONA app to track must-hear demos, and expect international brands to debut flagship systems that are best experienced live rather than via specs alone. Over three days, the AXPONA 2026 show combines a sprawling Expo Hall with many listening rooms, a trade pavilion, live musical performances, and specialty areas such as the Ear Gear Experience, and IASCA car audio showcase. Education and community programming remains central to the event's appeal as AXPONA's schedule includes many activities.

The Art of Listening is a documentary film about the journey music takes to reach a listener's ear, from the intent of an instrument maker and composer, to the producers and engineers who capture and preserve an artist's voice. This journey is narrated by intimate conversations with artists, engineers and producers about the philosophy of their work and the intent behind each musical note they create. This film is an invitation for music fans to rediscover the intricacies and details available in the sounds of their favorite recordings. The Art of Listening , as featured by EnjoyTheMusic.com, is the beginning of a conversation of how the quality of our listening experiences define the medium. The Art of Listening (Original Score Soundtrack) is a collection of 10 cinematic vignettes created to color the scenes of the feature music documentary The Art of Listening. As the film narrates the journey sound takes, from imagination and composition into a physical experience, the music embodies a sense of depth and reverence for the creative process.

Imagine a single-ended Class A power amplifier comprising a single transistor, that is devoid of any feedback, and which behaves similarly to a power triode? Does this scenario sound too good to be true? Well, that's exactly what the First Watt SIT-1 is all about. It deploys a unique type of device, a variant of the JFET, referred to as a static induction transistor (SIT). It was invented in the early 1970s by Jun-ichi Nishizawa, a true genius who is considered the "father of Japanese microelectronics." The SIT enjoyed a brief audio career in power amplifiers by Yamaha and Sony, but has continued to evolve since then mainly for UHF and S-band applications in radar and communication satellite systems. It is a voltage controlled device whereby the signal modulates the electrostatic potential barrier produced by the gate – the grid like element of the SIT.

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.

Apple Music recently announced the rollout of the company's "Transparency Tags" within a newsletter to industry partners, framing the change as a "concrete first step" toward clearer disclosure of AI involvement in music. The company says the tags are a new metadata field that record labels and music distributors can begin applying immediately and will be required to use when delivering new content going forward. The new framework covers four core creative elements: Artwork, Track, Composition, and Music Video, and asks content providers to flag any use of AI across those elements when submitting packages to Apple Music. Apple's guidance treats the tags as similar to other metadata like genres and credits, and the company has delegated the initial determination of what counts as "AI-generated" to labels and distributors, rather than imposing a platform-level detection regime. Industry reaction has been mixed: some rights holders and advocates welcomed a standardized disclosure field as a step toward accountability and clearer attribution for creators, while others warned that leaving the definition of AI use to content providers could create inconsistent application and loopholes.

Editorial: Tomorrow Happening Today Three Viewpoints On Sound Reproduction 4th Edition

AntennaWare BodyWave Disrupting The Antenna

Phase Response And Group Delay Part 1—The Impact Of Filters

Phase And Delays Part 3—Measurements And Negative Delay

Designing A Three-Way Column Loudspeaker Using Akabak

Rising Tide—Technology Consolidation In A Transition Year

Audio And Voice Front-Ends

The 6418 Subminiature Pentode

...And Much More!

Montréal Audiofest is celebrating its 37th edition in 2026 and remains the must-attend event for audiophiles, high-end audio gear enthusiasts, and music lovers. This long-standing event has become a tradition in showcasing the very latest advances in high-technology, high-fidelity audio equipment in Canada. More than 300 brands will present their latest innovations from music streamers and high-quality headphones to cables, tweaks, loudspeakers, turntables, and much more!

---> EnjoyTheMusc.com's Exclusive Montreal Audiofest 2026 Show Report.

Writing for this issue of audioXpress always happens when we are immersed in the incredible experience that is the most influential consumer electronics trade show in the world: CES. These days, CES is mostly about the consumer technology supply chain—technology providers and parts suppliers pushing the ODMs and the OEMs to embrace an idea and showcase the best and most cost-effective way to implement it on a real product and the fastest way to bring it to market successfully. When it comes to audio technology, CES allows seeing the most extreme of the equation, from sets of reference designs from where to start, all the way to projects in-the-works, with engineering and technology partners involved in a demonstration. As I often explain in my CES reports, most of the demos I attend are not of working products, but of loose parts of the technology ecosystem required to enable new product concepts and categories. And that can go from wireless speakers to home cinema systems, from gaming equipment to new headphones or hearables with cutting-edge features.

On the last day of every year, the BPI (the British Phonographic Industry) publishes its annual review. While it's often an exercise in finding the positive out of a thin gruel of negativity, this year's trends in music are all up, but perhaps not in the way we expect. The headline figure is that across sales and streaming in the UK, over 210.3 million albums were consumed last year; an increase of 4.3% on the previous year. Streaming now accounts for a whopping 89.3% of all music consumption, rising 5.5% year-on-year. That meant the UK market passed the 200 billion streams point for the first time, with 210.3 billion streams accumulated across 2025. Meanwhile, UK vinyl sales continue to increase, for the 18th consecutive year. However, the growth has slowed to just 1.4% over the previous year. This was also a big year for women in music... and not just Taylor Swift. Olivia Dean, Skye Newman, Lola Young and more have all scored chart success, and not just in the UK. British artists like Sleep Token have scored No 1 chart successes in the US and UK in 2025.

EnjoyTheMusic.com proudly announces the recipients of the this year's rare and prestigious Florida International Audio Expo 2026 Blue Note Awards! These awards recognize exceptional achievement in audio design, presentation, and listening-room excellence, and are given only when a product / room truly redefines the live-show experience. This year's selections reflect both time-honored craftsmanship and bold innovation across loudspeakers, electronics, and system integration. Each EnjoyTheMusic.com FIAE 2026 Blue Note Award winner demonstrated an extraordinary combination of sonic clarity, musicality, and room synergy that made listening feel immediate and emotionally engaging. Audio Note UK impressed with its tonal purity and analog heritage, while UniQue Home Audio showcased system-level refinement and presentation. Focal continued to push driver and enclosure engineering, and Gershman Acoustic earned praise for acoustic excellence that transformed their exhibit room into an immersive listening session. House of Stereo's room stood out as a complete experience, where equipment, room design, and curation came together to create a benchmark demo.

I've been having a bit of an existential crisis the last couple of years over one basic question: Am I a Luddite? As a young man who grew up with a dad who worked for IBM, I felt I was always willing to embrace new promising technologies. During the late 1970s, we had a prototype for a home computer for a few months. If you wanted to do anything with it you had to program it yourself. In my senior year of high school, I built a Heathkit digital stopwatch to time my friends at track meets. In 1986 I bought a second-gen CD player when you could still find only a handful of CDs in the record store. At the same time, however, I stubbornly hung on to the Dynaco stuff I was using. Why? Because nothing I was listening to in the audio stores sounded nearly as good. Well, there was the Conrad Johnson and Audio Research gear, but it was out of my price range. But it seems that through most of my adult life, I've straddled the divide between "they don't make them like they used to" and "new and improved".

Phillips Design made a bit of a splash at AXPONA in April of 2023, with their inaugural display of the Phillips Design OH-16 Omnidirectional three-way loudspeakers. Unable to attend AXPONA 2023; I was more than pleased with the opportunity to review a pair. These stylish loudspeakers arrived via freight, in a crate much larger than anticipated. Receiving a well-traveled demo pair, it is unknown whether standard production (consumer) speakers will be shipped the same way. Once unlocked, the crate door swings out to reveal both speakers. While well-designed, it still required two people to maneuver the speakers from the crate. Weighing 78 lbs each; while not extremely heavy, the round speakers require careful handling. With wood (usually teak) slats towards the top, and the 12" carbon fiber composite cone located on the bottom; careful handling is a must. Once in place in the Audio Room (thanks for the help, Timmy), the protective cloth covers were removed to reveal the speakers. To say the Phillips Design OH-16 omnidirectional three-way loudspeakers are unique would be an understatement.

Stay in the groove with everything happening at EnjoyTheMusic.com — from the latest high‑end audio reviews to show reports, industry news, and music‑loving conversations from around the world. We invite you to join our vibrant community across social media. Follow us, interact with us, and enjoy exclusive content posted daily.

👉 Follow EnjoyTheMusic.com:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EnjoyTheMusiccom

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enjoythemusic/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/EnjoyTheMusic

Be part of the global audiophile family and never miss a beat. As always…

Enjoy the Music!

Live Nation Entertainment said in a company statement that it has reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve an antitrust investigation into its ticketing, promotion and venue operations. The statement frames the agreement as a resolution that will allow the company to move forward while implementing new compliance measures and governance changes intended to address the DOJ's competitive concerns. The company emphasized that the settlement does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing and that it will cooperate with any required monitoring or reporting provisions set out by the agreement. Under the terms described by the company, the settlement will require operational and structural remedies designed to increase transparency and competition in primary ticketing and related services. Those remedies are reported to include strengthened internal compliance programs, enhanced reporting to regulators, and the appointment of an independent monitor or compliance officer to oversee implementation.

Florida International Audio Expo (FIAE) 2026 Show Report By Dylan and Brett Rudolph Saturday dawned bright and early here at FIAE 2026 high-end audiophile show. It was earlier, in fact, because we were staying at the show hotel between exhibit rooms, as everyone was getting ready to meet their weekend music-loving fans. So, by 8am, we were already showered, dressed, and ready for the day. It never fails that going down early morning at luxury home audio events always results in either staying at breakfast too long or wearing breakfast all day, don't ask me why. It turned out that Steven R. Rochlin, EnjoyTheMusic.com's longtime and well-respected Creative Director, had arrived at the show on Friday, unbeknownst to me. So, we spoke for a time, and then we all headed from different directions to the buffet. He and his lovely wife, Heather, had already had breakfast, but while my son ate, we caught up on everything, and the time flew by. Before we knew it, it was already time to start our adventure once again!

The Women In Hi-Fi Seminar was a featured program at the Florida International Audio Expo (FIAE) 2026. It served as a focused forum to highlight, connect, and support women working across the home-audio industry. The seminar brought together industry professionals, advocates, and attendees for a mix of panel discussions, career path conversations, and practical advice aimed at increasing visibility and opportunity for women in engineering, manufacturing, retail, media, and events within the hi-fi community. Organized as part of FIAE's program of expert-led seminars, with Women In Hi-Fi seminar moderated by EnjoyTheMusic.com's Creative Director, Steven R Rochlin, the session emphasized mentorship, networking, and concrete strategies for making the hobby and business of high-fidelity audio more inclusive and accessible.

This article by the legendary high-end audio amplifier designed Nelson Pass is the first of a series presenting fairly simple "Do-It-Yourself" audio power amplifiers on EnjoyThe Music.com using Static Induction Transistors. SITs are a rare breed of transistor which have characteristics particularly desired by some audiophiles. They were first developed in Japan in the early 1970's and known then as VFETs. Brought to market by Sony and Yamaha in the 1970's and into the 80's they largely vanished except as a lingering legend among audio aficionados. My hands-on experience with SITs followed the publication of my 2010 piece "The Sweet Spot" where I discussed positioning the operating points of Class A amplifiers for load lines which allowed trade-offs involving the characteristic curves of the devices. One of these, equivalent to the Plate Resistance in tubes, we will call Drain Resistance and it is possible to exploit this for better (or at least different) performance. If you want some background on the use of SITs, I recommend this quick read.

Editorial: Pre-Loved Second-Hand Hi-Fi Is Today's Gold

Raidho Acoustics X2t - 25th Anniversary Edition Floorstanding Loudspeaker

Sphinx Element 5 Floorstanding Loudspeaker

OePhi Immanence 2 Stand-Mount Loudspeaker

Avantgarde Acoustic Opus 1 Active Floorstanding Loudspeaker

Amphion Argon3X Stand-Mount Loudspeaker

Monitor Audio Studio 89 Stand-Mount Loudspeaker

PMC prophecy1 Stand-Mount Loudspeaker

Audiovector R3 Arreté Floorstanding Loudspeaker

Audio Solutions Figaro M2 Floorstanding Loudspeaker

KEF LSX II LT Active Stand-Mount Loudspeaker

...And Much More!

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.

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 EnjoyTheMusic.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.

Southwest Audio Fest returns to Dallas, Texas, July 23rd through 25th, presenting three concentrated days of high-end audio demonstrations, seminars, and industry networking. EnjoyTheMusic.com notes that the 2026 schedule shifts the festival to Thursday–Saturday, with new Thursday hours set for 2pm to 8pm, plus Friday–Saturday running 10am to 6pm, to maximize attendance and create fuller demo schedules. The show's home is the Sheraton Convention Center in downtown Dallas, chosen for its large demo rooms and proximity to the Arts and Historic districts, giving attendees easy access to dining and cultural attractions. Exhibitors will include major manufacturers, boutique builders, dealers, and independent designers presenting loudspeakers of many shapes and sizes, powerful amplifiers, turntables, digital front ends, and room treatment solutions in real listening environments. Programming at Southwest Audio Fest 2026 emphasizes extended, reference-level listening sessions rather than quick trade show stops: EnjoyTheMusic.com expects to see curated listening rooms, full system demos, and manufacturer suites where attendees can audition complete systems at realistic volumes and in thoughtfully treated spaces.

What does "listening" mean to you? Is it something active or passive? Is sound – including music – just part of life's background, or is it something special, something that holds your attention and that you meet with intent and focus? Given the near-constant flow of noise in our lives – music in every imaginable form, from singing commercials to the music at work, in the office, or in a store (never meant to be listened to at all, but simply to create an upbeat mood), to "elevator" music, to the background music for movies or television, to the "bumper" music for news broadcasts – almost all of us are surrounded by sound nearly all the time, none of which we actively listen to and little of which we actually hear. Even in a seemingly "quiet" room at home, the measured background noise level will usually measure somewhere around 55 dB. What that means is that, for most of you reading EnjoyTheMusic.com, sound – any kind of sound, including music – is simply something that's there....

Friday dawned bright and sunny for music lovers and audiophile enthusiasts here at the Florida International Audio Expo 2026 in February. While most of the U.S. was under now blizzard warnings, here in Florida it was, in fact, quite warm at a glorious 78F. Every major growing publication was here to report on the FIAE. My son Dylan and I covered many exceptional audiophile exhibit rooms for EnjoyTheMusic.com on the first day. There were many rooms to hear and enjoy. Quite a few show attendees might find that each room has a great deal to offer, and that is very true! Each dealer, distributor, and luxury home audio manufacturer offered a variety of sound system equipment from different audio manufacturers. This made the rooms both enjoyable and challenging to synthesize, but we did our best. We here at EnjoyTheMusic.com are sure you'll find a few exceptional pieces of hi-fi gear you'll want to audition within your home audio sound system. With that said, it's time for my exclusive, and extensive, first installment show coverage of the Florida International Audio Expo 2026.

The hobby of high-end audio has always traded in reverence: for rare recordings, for the craft of cabinet makers and tube artisans, and for the slow, patient work of listening. That reverence can be a virtue, but it becomes a liability when it substitutes for rigorous, independent criticism. When reviewers conflate admiration with endorsement, the reader loses a reliable compass, and the market loses a healthy corrective. Commercial pressures are not hypothetical; brands pay YouTube influencers to feature their products. Not too long ago, a YouTuber coerced manufacturers into paying monthly to keep his YouTube videos of their products online. For those curious, we've never monetized any of our YouTube videos. Not even the massive effort to produce the Blue Masters At The Crossroads live stream. That was my free gift to longtime friend Chad Kassem and his mother, who for the first time could not attend the concert. We live streamed it to her... and the entire world using professional studio equipment at our expense of not just currency, in both far more valuable time and immense effort.

Women In Hi‑Fi — Seminar Video Audiophile Junkie recorded an incredible panel at the Florida International Audio Expo where women who design, market, and sell top‑tier audio gear drop serious truth bombs. Moderated by Steven R. Rochlin, Creative Editor at EnjoyTheMusic.com — huge thanks to Audiophile Junkie for capturing this must‑watch conversation.

This issue celebrates the love of music as our exclusive Florida International Audio Expo 2026 show reporting, and multimedia features on our socials, are joined by thought-provoking editorials and great thoughts from our partner publications. There's a world premiere review, a documentary about the art of listening, plus we revisit our interview with the legendary drummer Billy Drummond. Steven R. Rochlin's editorial, "The Cost Of Truth In High-End Audio Journalism," examines commercial pressures, influencer pay-for-play, and why independent criticism matters, while Roger Skoff’s "High Fidelity And The Difference Between Listening And Hearing" explores the deeper purpose of high-fidelity systems and active listening. These essays anchor the issue in both industry ethics and the philosophy of listening. Our audiophile equipment coverage mixes a world-premiere review of Audio Research's impressive I/70 fully-loaded integrated vacuum tube amplifier (including optional DAC and phono stage) with other analog gear.

SVS arrived at the Florida International Audio Expo (FIAE) 2026 with a confident, high-impact presence, anchoring two exhibit rooms—each designed to demonstrate a different facet of the company's expanding Ultra Evolution loudspeaker line and its brand new SB-3000 R|Evolution subwoofers. The result was a compelling one-two aural gut punch: a cinematic 5.2.2 immersivephile-approved Dolby Atmos home theater in Room 285 and a purist-leaning two-channel (stereo) system within Room 350. Both rooms were packed throughout the weekend, even as a (cough) self important (/cough) reviewer for EnjoyTheMusic.com, it was standing room only many times I stopped by. Both systems showcased why SVS continues to be an influential performance-per-dollar brands in the industry. Room 285 was the more immersive of the two, built around a full Ultra Evolution multichannel array.

The Scott Walker Audio room at the Florida International Audio Expo (FIAE) 2026 delivered one of the most inspiring demonstrations of the entire show. I saw someone walk in, they heard a few seconds of music, and immediately whispered, "Wow — what a great sounding stereo system." The room was consistently full, and for good reason. The loudspeakers were Von Schweikert Audio's flagship-class multi-driver towers, a design known for ultra-wide bandwidth, extremely low distortion, and a soundstage that behaves like a point source despite their physical size. In fact, an EnjoyTheMusic.com Senior Editor has had a pair of VSA speakers for quite some time. With frequency extension typically reaching 20Hz to 40kHz, and powered bass modules capable of room-pressurizing output, these speakers delivered bass that was both seismic and controlled.

I knew Tim de Paravicini for over 40 years. My last contact was in late November 2019 when he wrote to me that he wasn't doing so well and just a couple of weeks later, he was gone. As has been mentioned by others Tim was a larger-than-life character. He did not suffer fools (or those he considered so) gladly. In his defense on most subjects, he would express strong opinions he was well informed. From our perspective this of course was especially in all things connected with audio. But television technology, cars, airplanes, and what seems to be a host of other things he did have in-depth knowledge. I don't intend to repeat his biography, which has been ably told elsewhere but just tell a bit about my own experience and friendship with Tim de Paravicini.

Jim Anderson's recordings have won a whopping 11 Grammy awards. His projects have been nominated for another 27, most recently for his role as the Surround Mix Engineer on Gisle Kverndokk: Symphonic Dances in 2020. Jim recently spoke with IAA about mixing this album, teaching at NYU, how he got into immersive music, and more. Added note by EnjoyTheMusic.com: Immersive audio is the three-dimensional approach to audio storytelling that is taking sound to new heights. While traditional "surround sound" exists in a horizontal plane around the listener, immersive sound refers to an expanded sonic field that quite literally immerses the listener in a multi-dimensional soundscape.

The main reference system in the room immediately set the tone for the Florida International Audio Expo 2026, anchoring the exhibit with the commanding presence of the Acora VRC loudspeakers. Displayed in the optional Mari Blue exotic finish, these granite cabinet towers start at $218,000 per pair, and their physical density translated directly into the room's sonic authority. Known for exceptionally low resonance and high rigidity here at EnjoyTheMusic.com, the VRC loudspeaker design allows its drivers to operate with remarkable clarity, producing a soundscape that felt both holographic and immovable. Even before diving into the electronics, it was clear that this system was built to demonstrate what a no-compromise, all-out, high-end, ultra-fi engineering can achieve. Driving the VRCs were VAC Master 300 iQ Mk II Musicbloc power amplifiers, priced at $50,000 each, delivering VAC's signature triode control for the Acora Acoustics towers.

Montreal Audiofest 2026 (Salon Audio Montreal) returns March 20th through 22nd, bringing Canada's premier high-end audiophile event to the city. Organizers expect thousands of visitors eager to listen, see, and handle cutting-edge audio gear, with over luxury 300 brands showcased under one roof. The three-day festival is designed for audiophiles, videophiles, immersivephiles, and curious music lovers seeking modern immersive, hands-on experiences. As the largest audio event in Canada, the event gathers top distributors, manufacturers, and retailers from the high-end consumer electronics industry. Attendees can explore dedicated demo listening rooms, vendor booths, and curated exhibits that highlight the latest in luxurious loudspeakers, top-rated amplifiers, precision, turntables, immersive headphones & portable audio, plus home A/V systems. The show's scale and industry presence make it a must-visit for anyone tracking trends in premium sound and home cinema.

The Focal Naim room at the Florida International Audio Expo (FIAE) 2026 presented a tightly curated range of systems spanning immersive all-in-one soundbar-ish playback, active wireless stereo flagship loudspeakers, outdoor installations, and high-end headfi personal audio gear for isolated listening. You an get something here for $599 like entry-level headphone models up to $69,000 for the fully active Focal Diva Mezza Utopia loudspeaker stereo sound system. This gives visitors at the Florida International Audio Expo 2026 a clear sense of the both brand's breadth and the pairing philosophy. The room emphasized real-world use cases — home theater, two-channel active listening, outdoor audio, and headphone-first setups — rather than a single one-size-fits-most demonstration. At the center of their immersivephile demos was the new Focal Mu-so Hekla soundbar that is said to be a 7.1.2 immersive all-in-one system ($3,600).

Retailer Deep Dive Audio of Florida was at FIAE 2026 with a compact but emotionally potent demonstration centered on the Marten Parker Duo stand-mounted speakers, Zesto Andros Deluxe II phono stage, Pear Audio Blue Captain turntable, and a Norma amplification/DAC backbone — all wired with Jorma cabling and fed by Silent Angel digital front-end components. This stereo system emphasized musical engagement over sheer SPL. The room layout favored nearfield listening, a fave of some EnjoyTheMusic.com fans, that, with careful placement of the Marten Parker Duo stand-mounts and a compact rack of electronics, they can creating an intimate, detailed soundstage. The demonstration prioritized LP playback while also showcasing a modern digital front end for comparison and streaming. The Marten Parker Duo stand-mounts delivered surprising low-end authority for their size thanks to a rear-mounted 9" aluminum passive radiator paired with a 7.5" ceramic midrange / bass driver and a 1" tweeter, which together produce a claimed frequency response from 36 Hz to 40 kHz (+/-2dB).

Before I could even enter Angie Lisi's American Sound Distribution exhibit room, she saw me coming and had a pair of headphones in her hand, insisting that they go onto my head for a listen. Immediately, I recognized the headamp by Synthesis, a company that was first reported in America by EnjoyTheMusic.com while reporting on the Top Audio & Video show decades ago. Letting Angie know we're not headfi specialists, she said that there's a new preamplifier with headamp version, which is perfect for those of us who love enjoying our music (out loud) with our family and good friends. Of course, isolationists and headphone aficionados will also love listening to the benefits of a high-end audio 300B tube amp. Sounded really great!

Suncoast Audio's exhibit room at the Florida International Audio Expo (FIAE) 2026 presented a focused, salon-style listening environment designed to showcase some of the world's best audiophile equipment. The room was arranged with a single primary listening position, carefully placed seating, and acoustic treatments to minimize reflections and let the gear's character come through. As a room that's always a favorite with EnjoyTheMusic.com reviewers, this year was no different. The large floorstanding Clarisys Audio Aria Mk2 ($195,000) consisted of four towers, two dedicated to bass and two for the upper frequencies. The Clarisys Aria is conceived as sonic architecture that delivers the highest resolution, top-to-bottom scale, and tonal beauty. Dual aluminum tweeter midrange ribbons operated in a true bipole configuration. For tech enthusiasts, the ribbons begin at 275 Hz and are said to radiate in perfect phase to create an effortlessly dimensional, holographic soundstage.

The Florida International Audio Expo (FIAE) in Tampa once again included an IASCA-sanctioned Car Audio Sound Quality (SQ) event and Money Round that drew many competitors. FIAE organizers promoted live auditions where attendees could sit in competing cars and speak with certified judges, manufacturers, and installers. This partnership continued the Tampa hi-fi audiophile show's emphasis on both high-end home audio and immersive automotive sound competitions. EnjoyTheMusic.com's Creative Director, Steven R. Rochlin (that's me), was a certified IASCA Sound Quality judge for years. Did you know we have multiple IASCA show reports from our early days, way back in the 1990s. Of note here at FIAE 2026 is that as an Old School IASCA Sound Quality and Installation judge for a few years with the late great Bill Burton.... Bill was the technical editor for the world's leading car audio and electronics review publications during the industry's heyday in the 1990s.

It's all about the people, and music brings people together. With my 40 years of passion within the field of music and consumer electronics, may I humbly say the Florida International Audio Expo (FIAE) 2026 drew in a lively mix of dedicated audiophiles, casual music lovers, affluent home owners, wealthy investors, and industry professionals. From the moment doors opened, Sue Toscano's always-smiling face was there with EnjoyTheMusic.com Press Badges, while everyone enjoyed our lanyards and Sue's exceptional event assistance. For three exciting days, the show floor buzzed with conversation and listening sessions as attendees moved between exhibitor listening rooms to hear new loudspeakers, boutique electronics, and carefully curated bespoke sound system demos.

The Estelon exhibit room at the Florida International Audio Expo (FIAE) 2026 offered one of the most sensually-curved sculptural tower loudspeakers—renowned for their elegant curves and precision-engineered enclosures. They easily filled the room with an effortless sense of scale. At the heart of the system was a full suite of Accustic Arts electronics, beginning with the Acoustic Arts Preamp V, known to EnjoyTheMusic.com as a reference-grade linestage known for its ultra-low noise floor and natural tonal balance. Paired with the Accustic Arts Power Amp IV, the system delivered exceptional dynamic authority, allowing the Estelon towers to reproduce deep bass textures and delicate micro-details with equal finesse. Digital playback was handled by two standout components: the Accustic Arts CD Player II / DAC and the T+A SD 3100 Streaming DAC. The CD Player II provided a refined, analog-like presentation from disc playback, while the T+A SD 3100 brought....

This exhibit room showcased a wonderful high-fidelity home audio system built around Gershman Acoustics Symphoria loudspeakers, whose innovative isolated suspension tweeter-midrange modules perched atop the main cabinets immediately drew attention. The speakers’ sculpted white enclosures and elevated modules not only created a striking visual focal point, but also delivered a remarkably spacious soundscape while also projecting imaging that placed instruments and voices with precision. Driving the system was a carefully matched amplification chain anchored by the impressive Pass Labs XP32 preamplifier and Pass Labs X600.8 mono power amplifiers, a pairing that emphasized system synergy, tight control, and ultimate transparency. The Gershman Symphoria floorstanders articulated micro-dynamics and macro-dynamics with ease, thanks in good part to the legendary Pass Labs amplification.

Welcome my EnjoyTheMusic.com DIY and fun-loving friends as here we have the new, true, duo, that slews high pricing, the MooVu Speaker Kit enters the audio scene as an impressively complete, and dare we say affordable, package aimed at music lovers who want high-performance sound without boutique-speaker pricing. Or maybe you love the whole DIY thing, or building stuff, or sniffing glue. Ok, perhaps not that last part. At just $499, the kit includes everything needed to assemble a capable two-way loudspeaker system: four custom 6.5" midrange/woofers, two 1" soft-dome sweet-sounding tweeters, a pair of crossover boards, some OFC copper wiring, and assembly instructions. For hobbyists, newcomers, or anyone curious about building their own loudspeakers, the MooVu kit strikes a compelling balance between cost, quality, and approachability. What immediately stands out is the thoughtful selection of components, thanks to custom 6.5" drivers that are engineered for smooth midrange performance and controlled bass response....

The Florida International Audio Expo 2026 in Tampa delivered magical music and a listener-first experience that provided practical, real-world product choices. Over the past three days, the FIAE felt compact but energetic, with focused listening rooms that made it easy to compare systems and hear meaningful differences across price tiers and technologies. Attendees found a pleasing mix of established high-end brands and surprising value propositions, and we here at EnjoyTheMusic.com love that the overall vibe favored musicality and thoughtful system matching over headline-grabbing specs and a typical world-record $2,000,000,000,000 world's best, and most expensive, high-end audio stereo sound system you've ever heard or seen. One of the first rooms I heard featured Pass Labs pre-amplification driving a system built around Rogers large loudspeakers, a Rose Music Hi-Res Audio streamer, and the FANtastic First Watt SIT S power amps.

Effortless HiFi was featuring Grandinote electronics and loudspeakers, plus the impressive Kimber Kable cables at the Florida International Audio Expo (FIAE) 2026. This was one of the most visually striking and sonically refined spaces at the show as these large ~75" high loudspeakers worked their musical magic. Anchored by the Grandinote Mach 8 Evoluzione loudspeakers ($128,000), the system projected an immediate sense of authority, plus EnjoyTheMusic.com appreciate seeing exceptional craftsmanship. The large floorstanding loudspeakers' sculptural design and Italian build quality set the tone for a room that clearly aimed for both technical excellence and engagement. Driving the system was the Grandinote Solo Class A integrated amplifier ($22,500), a component known for its Magnetosolid technology — a hybrid approach that blends the tonal richness of tubes with the control and stability of solid-state.

The Gershman Acoustics room with Pass Labs amplification and LampizatOr digital front-end at the Florida International Audio Expo (FIAE) 2026 presented a system that felt less like a demo, and more like a living, breathing, live music performance. Longtime EnjoyTheMusic.com fans know at its heart were the Gershman Acoustics Symphoria floorstanding loudspeakers — $70,000 paired with a LampizatOr digital front end: Horizon 360 DAC — $65,000 and Gulfstream music streamer — $9,600. Amplification came from Pass Labs XP32 preamplifier — $20,000 and Pass Labs X600.8 mono amplifiers — $31,000, with Cardas cabling and power distribution completing the chain. The known component subtotal totaled roughly $195,600 in total. From the very first notes, my wife/Muse Heather and I agreed the system communicated natural musical talent and showmanship. Voices and acoustic instruments had a natural bloom and tonal weight that never felt exaggerated.

The show floor opened today at the Florida International Audio Expo (FIAE) 2026, and first up is a pair of stereo sound systems that demanded attention for different reasons. System 1 combined the flagship Prodigio Audio Vitorlas ($90,000) with a Trinnov Amethyst ($12,000) front end and a Kora TA480 amplifier ($19,999), supported by an Apex Design custom server ($6,000), VIABLUE cabling, Ultrasonic shelving at $2,000 per shelf, and Lorica subwoofers. On paper, for EnjoyTheMusic.com readers keeping track, the known component subtotal came to $127,999, and with a single Ultrasonic shelf the demo rack pushed the visible package to about $129,999+ before accounting for accessories such as room acoustic tuning devices. The Trinnov was used judiciously, which let the system show its strengths without obvious DSP artifacts.

Welcome to the Florida International Audio Expo 2026 (FIAE), Florida's premier audio exposition sponsored by EnjoyTheMusic.com. Today was the final day of setup and our first real glimpse into what this year's show will offer. The exhibit halls and hotel suites were already humming with activity as exhibitors completed last-minute installations, tuned systems, and arranged product displays. The always welcoming Sue Toscano greeted arriving vendors and attendees at registration, handing out badges and answering a steady stream of questions with a practiced smile. She's everyone's contact for getting their name badges as well. Be sure to pick up your EnjoyTheMusic.com orange lanyard too. Exhibitors arrived on staggered schedules: some have been onsite all week, carefully assembling elaborate room systems and demo rigs, while others rolled in this afternoon with compact booths and a few carefully chosen components.

According to science-fiction timelines, 2026 plants us in the middle of several dystopian eras. We're lodged somewhere between Soylent Green, Highlander II: The Quickening and Children of Men. So... Happy New Year! In fact, stepping away from international geopolitics and staying in our audio-enthusiast, music-loving lane, things look a lot better. Spotify is rolling out its lossless service to ever more countries, joining Qobuz and Tidal in delivering quality streaming. Meanwhile, LP leads the field in physical formats once more, but reports of CD's demise are greatly exaggerated, and seeing the re-emergence of tape shows people still love listening to music in any way they can. We're also seeing improvements in good audio equipment across the board, too. While it's easy to focus on the big ticket equipment, it's not hard to find outstanding audio products at every price point. And yet, audio companies keep spouting the same mantra; 'how do we attract a younger audience?'

The Audio Engineering Society (AES) 6th International Automotive Audio Conference will take place July 29th through 31st at Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan, bringing researchers, industry engineers, and audio practitioners together to explore the future of immersive sound within vehicles. With car audio's massive global footprint making it's way into multiple audiophile shows during 2026, EnjoyTheMusic.com's Creative Director Steven R. Rochlin is perhaps the only audiophile publication with years of IASCA installation and sound quality judging experience. The AES conference is organized around the theme Automotive Audio in the AI Era (Sounds of future cars) and promises technical papers, keynote sessions, demonstrations, and workshops that highlight how audio is evolving alongside electrification, autonomy, new ownership, and lossless music streaming models. Conference organizers are soliciting technical contributions across two submission tracks: Category 1 full papers (complete manuscripts) and Category 2 express papers (extended summaries)... Topics span AI and machine learning, system architecture, sound reproduction and tuning, active sound management, spatial audio, and evaluation methods.

Editorial: Simply Better: AI Really Delivers

A Guide For Developers: Evaluating And Testing BT LE Part 4

Phase and Delays Part 2—True Delays

What’s All This Watts RMS Stuff?

Musical Instrument Amplifiers Through The Years

Audio Measurements, AI, And Accelerated Change

Dayton Audio DATS LA Loudspeaker Analyzer

Multiphysics Acoustic Testing With Dewesoft DAQ

Frequency Normalized Distortion

...And Much More!

---> audioXpress Magazine -- March 2026

This month's demo is a very special one. Through the generosity of Eric and Dave we will audition what is to many vintage buffs the ne plus ultra of vintage high fidelity systems, an entire QUAD system. It will be composed of the QUAD FM Tuner, QUAD Multiplex Decoder, QUAD 22 Control Unit, two Quad II Power Amplifiers and two QUAD ESLs. All of these components are in very nice shape and will be set up as originally intended right down to the KT-66 output tubes. Acoustical Manufacturing Company, makers of the Quality Amplifier for Domestic use, was started by Peter J. Walker in London in the late 1930's. The original QUAD components were introduced around 1954. At the time the loudspeakers, while revolutionary in their construction and accuracy, were rather poorly received in an era of horn speakers with giant sized bass response. A very interesting interview of Peter Walker can be found in The Audio Amateur, 3/1978. I won't rehash the entire article here (we do have it in the library), but a few select plums from the article help to explain the design philosophy....

Audio experimenters have uncovered many gaps in the models textbook science brings to bear on electro-acoustical phenomena. This can be a source of bafflement and embarrassment to authorities in the field, but our ears have proven their value as a most subtle evaluation device - one which hears things that can't be there. Many scientists take the comfortable and logical way out and deny the possibility of unmeasurable "new" audio phenomena. For example, in the Spring 1991 issue of The Skeptical Inquirer, Fred E. Davis gave us "Hi-Fi Audio Pseudoscience," an article committing cables, AC cords and conditioners, CD treatments, and novel uses for digital clocks to the shady realms of mysticism and the powers of suggestion. He doesn't claim to have done much listening. Surely not worth the trouble based on mathematical models. Yet most of this study was based on "skimming through three or four audio magazines." Very rigorous method indeed!

Until eight or nine months ago, Listener Magazine rented office space U on the second floor of what used to be the Oddfellows Hall in Oneonta, New York. Our two rooms were toward the back of the building, right next to a spacious and well-equipped kitchen. judging from what we found in the building, hot meals were a key part of every Oddfellows meeting, along with a thoroughly bizarre ceremony involving elderly men dressed like David and Goliath and a skeleton in a black cardboard coffin. (And thus evaporated all mystery surrounding the group's name.) The important thing here is the kitchen, in which we kept a coffeemaker. One day it was my turn to wash it. I had been rinsing the carafe under running water for several minutes when I recognized a sound: Someone was speaking to me, and apparently had been for several minutes. I turned off the tap and there was my then-assistant, Kim Harmer, gabbing away in my direction. I stopped, smiled, and told her I hadn't heard a single word she'd said. Kim started over from the top.

One of the eternal struggles of audiophiles is getting clean power from their AC outlet. Many have gone to great extremes to get that pure AC sign wave. The most extreme example is the Japanese audiophile who installed their own power pole with a transformer in their front yard. At audio shows, I've been blown away by the size of some power conditioning units, which could easily be mistaken for power amplifiers. A few months ago here on EnjoyTheMusic.com, I reviewed an isolation transformer. It worked great, but it was large, heavy, and I had to take great pains to keep it out of my wife's line of sight. After that experience, I started looking for a more elegant solution to power distribution. That's when I landed on the Furutech gear. A few years ago, I reviewed the Furutech NCF Clear Line AC Power Line Optimizers within my system, and I was impressed by how seemingly simple devices could make such a difference in my system. I always wondered if I could unlock the full potential of those cool devices by pairing them with other Furutech gear instead of the generic power strip I've been using for years.

---> World Premiere Review! Furutech GTO-D3 NCF Power Distributor + Origin Power Cord Review — High-End Audiophile Power Solution.

Thousands of music lovers and audiophiles explore flagship hi-fi brands, experience hands-on demos, and learn at expert-led seminars.  The eighth annual Florida International Audio Expo (FIAE) 2026 will draw thousands of visitors for a weekend celebration of the finest high-fidelity audio from around the globe. From Friday, February 20, through Sunday at the Sheraton Tampa Brandon Hotel, music lovers, audiophiles, immersivephiles, and industry professionals will hear music reproduced by the world's leading home audio systems. Beyond headline components, FIAE 2026 offers hands-on demonstrations and a robust lineup of educational seminars that give attendees both demonstrable gear experiences and the context to appreciate what they hear. The Expo's continued growth lets visitors compare loudspeakers, electronics, turntables and reel-to-reel systems, headphones, cabling, and tweaks under real listening conditions, attracting international brands and boutique specialists showcasing new flagships and specialty products.

As a family-friendly event, EnjoyTheMusic.com will present a Passport To Sound booklet designed especially for younger audiophiles by educator and scientist May Anwar.

---> Tampa Hi-Fi Show 2026 — Florida International Audio Expo Sponsored By EnjoyTheMusic.com.

I have something to admit. I am a music lover. No, it's worse than that, I'm a certifiable music junkie. I listen to music at home. I listen to music at work. I listen to it in the car. I even hear music in my head when no music is playing. I'm always looking for new music to feed my addiction. My wife complains that my Christmas list is boring because all I ask for is music. Well, I do throw in a request for a pair of Berning 845 Monoblocks, but that never happens. Oh yes, my wife is a music junkie, also. She's always on the prowl for new music to add to her collection. Our tradition on Saturday and Sunday mornings is to listen to an album all the way through while eating our breakfast. It may be something brand new, or an album we haven't listened to in a long time. Usually, after our meal, we'll share what we think about it. Yes, music runs through our veins.

--->Aric Audio Custom 300B PSET Amplifier Review.

Founded near Warsaw Poland in 2010, while LampizatOr builds electronics and speakers, many are not aware of those offerings, as it was their exceptional tubed DACs that first put the company on the map. Owned and operated exclusively by its designer Łukasz Fikus, after hearing the disarming $17,250 Golden Gate DAC some seven years ago, then the even more engaging $27,000 Pacific DAC at a show during 2018, the reason for their success became apparent. Both these SET-based devices offered a conspicuous step closer to the undeniable naturalness, organic coherence, and space and dimensionality offered by the very best LP transcription systems. Łukasz and LampizatOr North America principal Fred Ainsley have recently announced the launch of the nearly $50,000 Horizon DAC, which I will get to hear at its official launch during the third Florida Audio Expo in mid-February of this year.

I can trace my interest in high-end audio back to the 1970s, long before the internet, and the 1995 launch of EnjoyTheMusic.com. Before we discuss today's review of Audio Research's impressive I/70 vacuum tube integrated amplifier, let us step back to the very beginnings. My first serious Audio Research audio components, as back then, I recall vacuum tubes versus transistors controversy was still raging on. That was when some audio wags predicted the death of vacuum tube audio. I credit Audio Research and the late Harry Pearson as the two stalwarts that fended off the Japanese avalanche of cheaper transistor-powered audio components at the time. And that was the time when the shifting public interest was to transistor audio. Audio Research Corporation (ARC) was founded by William Zane Johnson in 1970 and was originally located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are one of the longest U.S. companies of vacuum tube-powered high-end audio equipment for audiophiles and music lovers still in operation.

---> Sneak Peek World Premiere Review! Audio Research I/70 Fully Loaded Integrated Vacuum Tube Amplifier Reviewed.

StereoNET today announces the launch of the Asia Hi-Fi & AV Expo, a landmark event marking the brand's first major showcase in Southeast Asia. Set in Singapore, the Expo underscores the city-state's role as a regional hub for consumer audio and visual innovation, bringing together manufacturers, retailers, audiophiles, and media under one roof. Organizers say the event is designed to spotlight both established global names and emerging regional brands, creating a concentrated platform for product launches, dealer partnerships, and hands-on demonstrations. With StereoNET's reputation for curating high-quality audio experiences, the Expo aims to raise the profile of premium AV culture across the Asia-Pacific market. Attendees will find a comprehensive range of consumer electronics spanning bookshelf speakers, large floorstanders, turntables, headphones, and full home cinema systems. The show floor will include immersive demo rooms, live listening sessions, and a dedicated Vinyl Record Fair that celebrates analog culture alongside cutting-edge digital formats.

The Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026 returns this year as a focal point for audiophiles, industry professionals, and curious newcomers eager to hear the latest in high-fidelity sound. Operating from Friday, February 20th through Sunday the 22nd at the Delta Hotels Bristol City Centre, organizers promise an expanded floor plan and a packed schedule of demonstrations from established manufacturers and boutique builders alike. Attendees can expect immersive listening rooms, product launches, and hands-on opportunities to compare speakers, amplifiers, turntables, and streaming systems in real listening environments. The event aims to balance technical depth with accessible experiences so both seasoned enthusiasts and first-time visitors leave with fresh discoveries. Exhibitors at the show span global brands and local specialists, with several companies set to unveil new models and limited-edition releases. Demonstration lineups will include both legacy stereo and modern multi-speaker immersivephile setups, headphone audition suites, and dedicated vinyl playback rooms that highlight cartridge and tonearm pairings.

The excitement builds as there is a particular kind of purified electricity that hums through a hotel corridor when a high-end audio show is in full swing: the deep bass, silky smooth highs, and confident amplifiers warm n' happy. From the soft sounds of small acoustic ensembles to bold bands, the quick, conspiratorial exchange of favorite reference tracks between strangers who will leave as friends. For each of the next three months, EnjoyTheMusic.com will be there, meeting our fans, and ensuring you get our expert review assessments & info on the latest and best audiophile gear! Our exclusive 2026 high-end audiophile show reports of the Florida International Audio Expo 2026, Montreal Audiofest 2026 hi-fi event, and AXPONA 2026 audiophile show promise to remind us why hi-fi matters—not as an indulgence for a few, but as a vibrant, life-enhancing practice that sharpens attention, deepens feeling, and re-connects us to the simple miracle of sound. The Florida International Audio Expo, Montreal Audiofest, and AXPONA 2026 events each offer their own flavor of discovery, but together they form a circuit of listening that celebrates craftsmanship, curiosity, and the communal joy of music heard well.

It's coming; Valentine's Day on February 14th, and this year should be something extra special! Sharing your life and love as you warmly show how you feel about her. And while a simple bunch of roses is acceptable— at least where I live — they run close to a hundred bucks! Sure, they're lovely, and they do check the "romantic gesture" box, but, unlike a romantic relationship, flowers, they just don't last. They start drooping in just a day or two. In just a few days more, they're looking tired, and before a week is up, they're ready for the trash. It's a lot of money to pay for something that isn't going to last a whole lot longer than it takes for your tubes to warm up. Why not give her something that lasts longer, shows your feelings more personally, may cost less than the traditional blooms, and carries a bonus no bouquet can ever match? If it's music, she may have to play it on your system! This is also a great opportunity to get her a sound system, too, but let's save that for another Valentine's Day.

Edtorial: UK Music Market: Streaming Surges & Vinyl Resilience

Technics SL-1200 / 1210G Master Edition

Thiele TT01 / TA01 Turntable And Tonearm

JMF Audio PRS 1.5 And HQS 6002 Pre/Power

Linn Majik DSM (5th Gen) Network Music Player

Pro-Ject CD Box RS2T CD Transport Hegel

H150 Integrated Amplifier

ArgentPur Monobloc Mono Power Amplifier

APL DSD-WR Digital-To-Analogue Converter

Viva Solista Integrated Amplifier

...And Much More!

---> See this issue of hi-fi+.

Within my previous article last month, I argued that modes of communication could themselves be sources or initiators of meaning. An example illustrates the point. An artist paints a portrait of a friend whom he knows well. Through a range of artistic choices – pose, color, background, composition, etc. – the artist hopes to capture aspects of his friend's character, personality, the life she's lived, and perhaps his friend's self-conception as well. The portrait may or may not do a good job of realizing the artist's intentions, or may succeed in the eyes of some, but not in the eyes of others. Whatever the artist's or the subject's intention or vision, once complete and available to an audience, viewers are likely to respond to the portrait in the light of their interests in it. Those interests may have little, if anything, in common with the artist's or the subject's goals for the painting.

If you are like me then you live in a multi-story apartment building, then you are contaminated with junk in the trunk-line. More than likely you are listening to your neighbor's dishwasher, air conditioner, foot bath or God knows what. As a consequence have you ever thought your expensive audio system has bad days when the sound is not so good? This is why some of us audio guys prefer to listen in the wee small hours late at night. Unfortunately, I have no choice, either fix my power source or become crepuscular like my cat. Fire up your computer and do a search, you will find Power Strips, AC line Conditioners, Surge Protectors, Re-Generators, and Noise-Canceling devices. Why so many power source line tamers? That's because very few of us (Me) are blessed with a perfectly pristine power source unfortunately, most of us live on some sort of shared power grid.

While many music streaming services are still using lossy or, worse still, pushing non-standard proprietary music formats to increase their own company profits, more top music lovers and audiophiles choose Qobuz for their true lossless Hi-Res Music service. Recently, Qobuz posted "Why We're Taking a Human-First Stand on AI-Generated Music", and to summarize, it says that at its heart, music is about human expression and we here at Enjoy the Music.com very much agree. Music listening to out loud connects, shapes us, and deepens our sense of the world and each other. As fans, it enriches our lives on a daily basis; as artists, it showcases what we're capable of creating. Simply put, music makes us more human. When Qobuz was founded in 2007, they made a promise to honor the artists, voices, stories, and hard work behind the songs you love. Today, Qobuz remain committed to keeping music human as music is in the midst of a watershed moment with an unprecedented number of AI-generated tracks being created and uploaded to various streaming platforms. AI tools can generate hundreds of tracks in minutes from simple prompts.

Integrated Systems Europe returned to Fira de Barcelona Gran Via from February 3rd through 6th, and the residential halls were dominated by luxury and custom home audio innovations that target high net worth homeowners and boutique integrators. The show floor—spanning over 80,000 m²—featured dedicated residential and specialized bespoke audio, which is moving from audiophile hobby to full architectural integration. High-end loudspeaker manufacturers used ISE 2026 to both launch new models, and to showcase custom in-wall and in-ceiling arrays, furniture-integrated subwoofers, and hand-finished cabinetry designed to blend with interior design briefs. Demonstrations emphasized not just raw fidelity but room-adaptive DSP, object-based immersive formats, and networked high-resolution streaming—features integrators say are essential for delivering consistent performance in complex domestic spaces. Several booths staged private listening suites to simulate real living rooms, underlining the sector's shift toward experiential sales.

This was recently posted by Bandcamp: Something that always strikes us as we put together a roundup like this is the sheer quantity of human creativity and passion that artists express on Bandcamp every single day. The fact that Bandcamp is home to such a vibrant community of real people making incredible music is something we want to protect and maintain. Today, in line with that goal, we’re articulating our policy on generative AI. We want musicians to keep making music, and for fans to have confidence that the music they find on Bandcamp was created by humans. Our guidelines for generative AI in music and audio are as follows: Music and audio that is generated wholly or in substantial part by AI is not permitted on Bandcamp. Any use of AI tools to impersonate other artists or styles is strictly prohibited in accordance with our existing policies prohibiting impersonation and intellectual property infringement. If you encounter music or audio that appears to be made entirely or with heavy reliance on generative AI, please use our reporting tools to flag the content for review by our team.

I read somewhere that I praise every audio component reviewed for EnjoyTheMusic.com; after three decades of listening and testing, I can understand why. Advances in engineering mean that many review samples—amplifiers, preamplifiers, and loudspeakers—now deliver exceptional sound quality plus fit and finish. Just taking one look at the new Gryphon Audio Designs' Antileon Revelation stereo/mono amplifier proves this point in 2026. That wasn't true when I began covering high-end audio in the late 1900s, and my blunt critiques back then sometimes led to awkward conversations with manufacturers and distributors. My aim remains to give clear, practical assessments of how gear performs in real rooms and systems so readers can decide whether it's the right match for their setup and budget. However, what matters more than whether I give a component or loudspeaker system a glowing review is whether it fits one's system, room, and budget. My job is to clearly describe equipment traits.
---> Gryphon Antileon Revelation Amplifier Review

The February 2026 issue of EnjoyTheMusic.com is a celebration of music and romance! We feature a wide mix of premiere high-end audio equipment reviews, the FIAE 2026 show preview, and editorial pieces on audiophile culture — key highlights include the North America Premiere review of Gryphon's Antileon Revelation amplifier and a world premiere review of Furutech's GTO-D3 NCF Power Distributor + Origin Power Cord. The issue is dated February 2026 as we celebrate romantic music as a lasting gift and the importance of bringing new listeners into the hobby, with features on how luxury home audio shows (FIAE 2026, Montreal Audiofest 2026, etc) are rediscovering the joy of attentive listening. These thematic pieces set a cultural and community context for the technical reviews that follow. This issue's mix of long-form reviews, editorials, and show reporting makes it useful both as a buyer's reference and as a cultural snapshot of the high-end audiophile scene in early 2026. Happy Valentine's Day music lovers, and as always... enjoy the music!

---> Feb 2026 High-End Audio Reviews — Gryphon Antileon & Furutech Premieres Plus FIAE 2026 Show Coverage.