Home  High-End Audio Reviews  Audiophile Show Reports Partner Mags  Hi-Fi / Music News

  High-End High-Performance Audiophile Review Magazine & Hi-Fi Audio Equipment Reviews

  High-Performance Audio Reviews
  Music News, Show Reports, And More!

  Celebrating 30 Years Of Service To Music Lovers

 

Enjoy the Music.com

Hi-Fi Plus Magazine --  Hi-Fi+

July 2025

 

Making High-End Audio Gear Bigger
Newer products vastly perform better than the older ones.
Editorial By Alan Sircom

 

Hi-Fi+ July 2025

 

  The Loudness Wars of the first years of the 21st Century are, thankfully, largely behind us. The days of 'everything louder than everything else' and '3dB of dynamic range equals a hit single' are mostly a thing of the past. However, the excesses of that time highlight a maxim that is so easily forgotten in all walks of life, including good audio; just because you can do a thing, doesn't mean that you should.

 

 

High-end audio, like its counterparts in many luxury goods markets, has yet to find its price ceiling. I don't think it's possible to build a system that exceeds the five million mark yet (be that Pounds, US Dollars, or Euros), but we're getting very close to that price point. Doubtless, a couple of years from now, we'll be pushing the eight-figure barrier. But... should we?

Audio enthusiasts want to build a system out of the best sounding products and that creates a 'Top Trumps' world where pinnacle performance rules. But a loudspeaker with a frequency range from DC to light or an amplifier with reservoir capacitance that could jump-start an aircraft carrier might be overkill even in the largest listening rooms. And simply spending the sort of money that could fund an insurrection isn't the answer, unless you spend that money wisely.

 

 

The problem with creating systems built out of a series of statement pieces is they engender more statement pieces at the expense of more down-to-earth products. OK, 'down-to-earth' is not the right term when discussing systems potentially costing hundreds of thousands in the context of systems costing millions, but maybe 'some' sanity is required.

 

Hi-Fi+ July 2025

 

In some markets, 'make it bigger' is a driving force, and those markets do sell pinnacle products to extremely wealthy clients. And there's nothing intrinsically wrong with pushing the envelope. But audio buyers can be an oddly demanding lot, and many of those who bought 'the best there was' a few years ago are now upset they can only buy 'the best they can afford' today. Even if that 'best they can afford' tops a quarter of a million. To some, it no longer matters that the performance of the newer products vastly exceeds that of the older ones.

 

 

I don't know if there is a solution. Perhaps a more realistic way of approaching the best audio is looking at your listening room – and not your wallet – as the ultimate limitation on your system. And maybe, if we not only treat the room as the defining factor in audio, but treat the room to be as acoustically good as you can make it, we'll build better systems.

 

 

Errata: Our review of the Telos Macro G in Issue 244 neglected to mention its UK distributor: Air Audio +44(0)149 629 629). Our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

 

 


Alan Sircom, Editor hi-fi+

 

 

 


Subscribe To Hi-Fi+
Click here to subscribe to hi-fi+ magazine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

Premium Audio Review Magazine
High-End Audiophile Equipment Reviews

 

Equipment Review Archives
Turntables, Cartridges, Etc
Digital Source
Do It Yourself (DIY)
Preamplifiers
Amplifiers
Cables, Wires, Etc
Loudspeakers/ Monitors
Headphones, IEMs, Tweaks, Etc
Superior Audio Gear Reviews


Show Reports
HIGH END Munich 2025
Lone Star Audio Fest 2025
AXPONA 2025 Show Report
Montreal Audiofest 2025 Show
Southwest Audio Fest 2025
Florida Intl. Audio Expo 2025
Capital Audiofest 2024
Toronto Audiofest 2024
UK Audio Show 2024
Pacific Audio Fest 2024
...More Show Reports

 

Videos
Our Featured Videos


Industry & Music News

High-End Audio & Music News

 

Partner Print Magazines
audioXpress
hi-fi+ Magazine
Sound Practices
VALVE Magazine

 

For The Press & Industry
About Us
Press Releases
Official Site Graphics

 

   

 

Home  |  High-End Audio Reviews  |  Audiophile Show Reports  Hi-Fi / Music News  About Us  |  Contact Us

 

 

All contents copyright©  1995 - 2025  Enjoy the Music.com®
May not be copied or reproduced without permission.  All rights reserved.