Enjoy the Music.com July 2025 High-End Audio Equipment Review Magazine, High-Performance Audiophile Hi-Fi, Luxury Premium High Fidelity, Stereo Sound System, And Immersivephile

July 2025

Celebrating Our Spectacular 30th Anniversary!
Honoring Enjoy the Music.com's exceptional articles and reviews.
During 2025, Enjoy the Music.com will feature historic audio gear reviews and articles during our past 30 years. As always, in the end what really matters is that you... enjoy the music!

High-Performance Audio & Music Industry News
Essential high-end audio news you need to know.
Stay up-to-date on the latest audiophile and music industry news.

Audiophiles May Be The Last Line Of Defense Against The Music BUSINESS
With MIDI, AI, etc, why should the music BUSINESS use (costly and emotional) human musicians?
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin And His AI Assistant
So I asked my AI assistant, "With computers and MIDI, why should the music BUSINESS use human musicians when a performer will be fine?" It replied: Here's why real humans still hold the cards—even in an age of perfect-on-paper MIDI and algorithmic "performers": Emotional Nuance and Imperfection • A live player breathes life into a line: tiny timing fluctuations, micro-dynamics, soft attacks and releases that MIDI CC can only approximate. • Those "mistakes" are often what move us—think of the humanized swing feel in jazz, or a vocalist's crack at the bridge that makes a song unforgettable. True Creativity and Spontaneity • Computers follow rules. Humans break them, riff on the spot, invent a lick that becomes a genre's signature. • In-studio, session pros will suggest chord tweaks, melodic turns, or rhythmic feels that no preset or randomizer would generate.
---> Audiophiles May Be The Last Line Of Defense Against The Music BUSINESS.

It's Sad, But This AI-Generated Band Will Make Some Musicians Give Up
The music is actually pretty good.
Article By Bobby Owsinski
Artist and bands face so much natural competition these days that it's a wonder why anyone even does it all. Not only do you have to worry about the other 120,000 tracks that are uploaded every day, but you now have to worry about AI-generated music as well. Case in point, a presumably AI-generated band called Velvet Sundown, as outlined by Musically. Velvet Sundown has 325,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and 1,500 followers. Everything about this band screams AI. For instance, their bio states, "This four-piece band bends time, fusing 1970s psychedelic textures with cinematic alt-pop and dreamy analog soul" Okay, maybe that's the writing of a clever publicist, but the bio goes on, ""Formed by vocalist and mellotron sorcerer Gabe Farrow, guitarist Lennie West, bassist-synth alchemist Milo Rains, and free-spirited percussionist Orion ‘Rio' Del Mar, the band feels like a hallucination you want to stay lost in."
---> It's Sad, But This AI-Generated Band Will Make Some Musicians Give Up.

It's All About The Music
Thoughts about the state of our hobby as the 1900s are now long behind us.
Article By Roger Skoff
I was invited to my daughter's home for Father's Day. It had been a while since I'd been there, and though we were planning to go to dinner, neither of us was particularly hungry, so we sat around and talked, and eventually watched a movie before leaving for the restaurant. The movie was the more recent version of Mortal Kombat, a kung-fu fantasy action film that was, for whatever it's worth, completely different from the original, but quite thoroughly enjoyable, and blessed with lots of special effects both visual and sonic. And that's where the surprise came in. Her TV set was a 75" monster, which was the biggest that would fit on her wall. Its sound was provided by a four-foot-long soundbar and its associated woofer. Frankly, being unfamiliar with modern soundbars, I had never actually listened to that kind of setup before. Seven decades of Hi-Fi Crazy snobbishness had kept me from ever considering a soundbar for my own home.
---> It's All About The Music.

What Is Essential To Audiophiles
We're relying on digital music more than ever.
Editorial By Alan Sircom
The concept of 'Audio Essentials' is at once controversial and ever-changing. It's controversial because there remains a contingent of audio enthusiasts who dismiss everything in the pages of this issue as nonsense on stilts. And it's ever changing because we keep finding more aspects of the audio chain that can benefit from a spot of care and attention. Care and attention goes beyond simply spending your way out of bad sound; it's about getting the basics right and then seeing what lies beyond. The basics too often seem like a lost art, as indicated by the Gordian Knot of cables that often features at the rear of so many systems. Simply addressing that mess of cables – and getting each component sitting level on a light, yet rigid surface – can make a big difference to even the most humble system. Similarly, ensuring where your loudspeakers – and, for that matter, you – are positioned in the listening room can bring out the best in a good system, and help smooth out the nasties in a bad one. Reading the instruction manual that came with the loudspeakers and using those recommendations as a starting place is a good start. However, often small and incremental adjustments to the relative position to side and rear walls, and the amount of toe-in beyond the basics helps.
---> What Is Essential To Audiophiles.

Mixed Senses And Audio Vocabulary
The law of diminishing returns.
Editorial By J. Martins
Writing about Music is like Dancing about Architecture, someone once said. I did use the sentence a few times, particularly in the years when I was the editor of a music publication and we had to convey in words how a performance or recording made us feel. At the time, I really had to master that art—after all, you want to do justice to artists and their music, and you need to keep readers engaged and wanting to buy the record. When I'm in a position to judge how things sound and I have to write about it, I am fully conscious that I am describing purely subjective impressions that are frequently ephemeral and subject to shift under different conditions, or at another time. Is Writing about Audio Like Painting about Philosophy? Yes, the process of picking words to describe emotions and general sensory perception is a bit like philosophy. It can be systematic, reflect critical thinking, and employ logical analysis, conceptual clarification, and argumentation. Robert Harley (of Absolute Sound fame) uses words such as tone color, and liquidity, to describe sounds, and I get it.
---> Mixed Senses And Audio Vocabulary.

HIGH END 2025 Munich Audiophile Show Report
The HIGH END 2025 audiophile / immersivephile event is an internationally renowned audio exhibition that will take place from May 15 to May 18, 2025, at the M.O.C. Event Center in Munich, Germany. This event is a must-visit for anyone passionate about high-quality audio technology, as it brings together manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and in open to consumers from over 40 countries. The HIGH END 2025 exhibition will feature hundreds of exhibitors showcasing their latest innovations in consumer electronics technology, including hi-fi audio, high-end video, home theater, and bespoke entertainment solutions for millionaires and billionaires alike. Visitors can expect to experience groundbreaking trends, technological advances, and exclusive world premieres. This year's brand ambassador is the Norwegian singer Anette Askvik, who embodies the event's motto "Passion for Music".
---> HIGH END 2025 Munich Audiophile Show Report.

12 Findings From InfoComm 2025—An AV Tech Geek Show Report
And some 'modern breakthroughs' that are shaping the Future of your audio (and video).
InfoComm 2025 Show Report By Steven R. Rochlin
Held within the Orange County Convention Center from June 7th through 13th, InfoComm 2025 was the largest professional audiovisual (AV) trade show in North America. While this is not an 'audiophile show' open to the public, it brings together industry leaders, cutting-edge immersive modern audio and video technologies, and immersive experiences. Attendees explored thousands of products related to audio, collaboration, display, audio / video streaming, control systems, enterprise IT, security, VR, higher education, and live events. For modern technology enthusiasts, the exhibit floor had several dynamic zones, with dedicated areas for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) innovations for immersivephiles, IP communications, and smart building systems. Beyond the exhibits, InfoComm 2025 offers a robust education and networking program that caters to every facet of the industry.
---> 12 Findings From InfoComm 2025—An AV Tech Geek Show Report.

World Premiere Review!
Genesis G7 Samba Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review
You're drawn into the music by its amazing, lifelike sound.
Review By Senior Editor Tom Lyle
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.
---> Genesis G7 Samba Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.

Raidho X2.6 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review
Unlocking the enchanting potential of sonic art.
Review By Tom Lyle
The subject of this review, the Raidho X2.6 floorstanding loudspeaker, is from their newer "X" Series. In its literature, Raidho states that the "X" in this series moniker denotes "eXtreme performance for the price." Yes, their X series features four models that, on average, are priced lower than most of Raidho's other models. Even though these four models in Raidho's X series speakers might have been built to a price point, I couldn't find anything about their X.2 — including their level of technological precision, fit and finish, not to mention their sound quality — that would indicate any cost-cutting measures. On their website, Raidho mentions that the goals of the X2.6 are the same as those of all their loudspeakers, which include low noise and coloration, a "dramatic, energetic" sound with a "vast soundstage," and a detailed sound that doesn't induce fatigue, among other traits. $21,000 might be a low price for a pair of Raidho speakers, but still, any audiophile who spends this amount of money should demand a certain level of quality.
---> Raidho X2.6 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.

Chesky Audio LC1 Bookshelf Monitor Loudspeaker Review
Clean, spacious, and incredible transparent sound.
Review By Ron Nagle
You know, I heard it through the grapevine. Chesky Audio's LC1 Bookshelf Monitor loudspeaker was mentioned in show reports I found online. Many critics remarked how great these inexpensive $996 bookshelf speakers performed. At the same time, I received a shout-out from my friend and colleague Rick Becker at Enjoy the Music.com, and he thought the LC1 would be perfect to audition in my smallish 12' by 19' foot ear cave listening room. Initially, that seemed to make a lot of sense. The old audio adage tells us, small speakers fit in a small room. So I cast my lot and submitted my case on the Chesky Audio web space. It turns out that they were in such demand that there was a serious backlog. The designer, Lucca Chesky, is pretty much a one-man band who is busy 3D printing and finishing them by hand. The backstory has him still in high school when he developed the LC1 bookshelf monitor speakers as reviewed here.
---> Chesky Audio LC1 Bookshelf Monitor Loudspeaker Review.

World Premiere Review!
Defining Audio Excellence: Avantgarde Acoustic Colibri C2 Hornspeaker And C18 Subwoofer Review
Experience sonic brilliance — where dreams sometimes do come true.
Review By Paul Schumann
Let's go back in time a few years ago. It was January 2000, so that's over 25(!) years ago. The world had survived the Y2K crisis. Having recently purchased a couple of issues of Sound Practices, then listening to an amazing DIY system, was starting to catch SET (Singe-Ended Triode) fever. I was also following an audio review website that focused quite heavily on SET gear and high-sensitivity loudspeakers to use with it. That website was, of course, Enjoy the Music.com. That January back in 2000 our Creative Director, Steven R Rochlin, posted a review of the then new Avantgarde Acoustic Uno hornspeakers. They had big blue horns and looked unlike any loudspeaker I had ever seen. You could tell from Steven's Avantgarde Acoustic Uno review that they were something very special. After reading it, I had a bad case of audio envy. However, there was also family with three young children then, so extra funds were diverted to more noble causes. Realistically, even if I had the funds, the Unos were way too big for my small living room. But we all have our silly little pipe dreams, don't we?
---> Avantgarde Acoustic Colibri C2 Hornspeaker And C18 Subwoofer Review.

Best Portables CD Player For The Music Lover On The Go!
We test four retro CD players; the winner will surprise you!
Review By Steven R. Rochlin
As a world traveler, sitting within the "tuna can" for over six hours can be a mind-numbing experience. Other than the lousy airline food and ever-declining quality of onboard service, bringing your entertainment during a trip is a must. Also, those who are allowed to enjoy music at work will find this review enlightening. Portable systems must be just that, completely portable, and therefore mandate the use of headphones. So what is an audiophile to do with all the junk at mass market stores? Any audiophile worth their salt would never choose MP3 or other lossy compression schemes devices. "The iPod" shouts the Apple Dumpling Gang from the back of the room. No thank you. While it is indeed a great mass-market product, its music reproduction abilities are far behind what is truly possible. As for portable DVD units, I tried a few and feel they were just ok with higher resolution digital discs, yet most audiophiles have only one real choice.
---> Best Portables CD Player For The Music Lover On The Go!

Novus... Cleans, Protects and Revitalizes Compact Discs (CDs)
A great way to fix your scratched up optical discs.
Review By Steven R. Rochlin
Since you are indeed a music lover, odds are you have hundreds, maybe even thousands of compact discs in your home. Over the years maybe a few of them have become dirty with fingerprints, or worse, have a few scratches. Could have been due to a rare mishap when the disc fell to the floor, or during that big party when drunk you and the disc fell to the floor. Regardless, many of us have tried Armor All (shame on you) or other proclaimed polishes and cleaners. Enter the professionals from NOVUS. Like Ciag Laboratories who make professional contact cleaners that are used by truly professional technicians, the NOVUS plastic polish is made by professionals, for professionals. Sure i have tried "audiophile" solutions like Finyl, the excellent Optrix and also the mediocre Discwasher solution as well. While the Discwasher may clean some fingerprints, it is a yawner at best. Finyl claimed to make the music on your discs sound better.
---> Novus... Cleans, Protects and Revitalizes Compact Discs (CDs).

The 'ZERO' Audio Autoformer Loudspeaker Impedance Multiplier
Music lovers actively modify and control the amplifier-loudspeaker interface.
Review By Dick Olsher
Paul Speltz is a hobbyist turned manufacturer, who has produced a nifty device that ought to be seriously considered by tube amplifier owners of the output-transformerless (OTL) variety, as well as those fanatical about transformer-coupled, low-power, single-ended triode (SET) designs. No, it's not the Japanese fighter plane that bombed Pearl Harbor. A ZERO is an auto-transformer or autoformer that connects between the loudspeaker and power amplifier and allows the end user to adjust the effective loudspeaker impedance. The impedance seen by the amplifier can be multiplied by up to a factor of four, for example, turning a 4-Ohm loudspeaker into a 16-Ohm loudspeaker. What do you get when you put a ZERO in an exotic, solid-wood, box with Cardas binding posts? The answer: a ZERO Box! Unlike a conventional output transformer with primary and secondary windings, an autoformer uses only a single winding for all connections.
---> The "ZERO" Audio Autoformer Loudspeaker Impedance Multiplier.

Vacuum Tubes Part 1: Let's Build A Vacuum Tube
Let's take a closer look at what's inside a typical vacuum tube.
Article By Grey Rollins
Passive components are all well and fine, but for audio purposes we need something that will amplify a signal. All sensors, whether they read digital bits or analog recordings, are deficient in both voltage and current when it comes to driving speakers. High fidelity reproduction of music is impossible without amplifying devices. For that matter, electric guitars, keyboards, and microphones also require amplification; so much of current popular music is dependent on amplification, as well. There are scads of devices that can amplify a signal. A full breakdown of the possibilities begins to resemble a fairly dense tree, with branches going this way and that. For most consumer applications, this decision is simple: solid-state. Only. However, music reproduction (and production — just try to tell owners of tubed Ampegs, Marshalls, Fenders, and Mesa Boogies that you're going to take away their amps....
---> Vacuum Tubes Part 1: Let's Build A Vacuum Tube.

The Intro: What Is Important To Men And My Readers
Editorial By Herb Reichert
My first wife used to have this Madison Avenue market research job, and her main assignment was to do surveys-to find out what women wanted and what men thought was important. Not surprisingly, she discovered that women desired economic security and status in the community way more than sex or power or even love. Shockingly, sex was usually seventh or eighth on the woman's list. What really surprised me, though, was what men claimed was important to them. I mean, yeah, sex was always at the top (usually number one or two). But incredibly, right there on the top of the list next to sex and way ahead of money or power or even fame was music. I am not kidding you. And this wasn't only in rock-till-ya-wear-dentures America, no sit. This was an international phenomenon.
---> What Is Important To Men And My Readers.

Fashion Is The Devil
Article By Joe Roberts
For a while there, triodes were the biggest craze to hit audio in a decade at least. After years of nothing more exciting than new digital formats, the single ended amplifier exploded onto the local marketplace and captivated the attention of audiophiles and industry gums. It was different, it was new, it was classic, and it was HIP. At first, triodes had the ultimate qualification for hipness going on — you couldn't buy the stuff even if you had the money. You either had to build 'em yourself or import some exotic electronics from a foreign land. What followed the revival of triodes did a lot to reaffirm my faith in the capitalist system. As predicted by the classical models, when there is demand some ambitious producer will rise to meet the challenges. Two years later, there are a dozen single ended amps that you can buy, a few real nice triode kits, and a number of exciting new tubes on the market.
---> Fashion Is The Devil.

Discovering The Lowther Acousta
Article By Doug Grove
What do I say when a fellow hi-fi enthusiast calls and asks if I know anything about Lowther speakers. He had just picked up a pair of Lowther Acoustas at a garage sale. Being totally unfamiliar with Lowther speakers I called Dan at VALVE who filled me in on the Lowther Voigt article in the Winter 94/95 (this is the current issue/) issue of Sound Practices. I had to see (and hopefully hear) what these obscure English loudspeakers were all about, so I went over to my friend's house for a look. The cabinets were scratched and dented, but still in one piece. The foam surrounds on the drivers had dissolved long ago. The cones had punctures, rips, and creases. The voice coils were distorted and scraping in their gaps. A resistance measurement of 10.5 Ohms indicated that restoration might be possible, if the voice coils were still intact. I left, disappointed that I could not hear them.
---> Discovering The Lowther Acousta.

The Music Industry Just Took A Backwards Step On Streaming Pricing... In Glorious HD
Editorial By Tim Ingham
Founder Of Music Business Worldwide
Amazon's Echo Studio launched in Q4 2019 at a $199.99 price point in the US. "In 2019, Amazon launched Amazon Music HD, a high-quality audio streaming offering that is available to customers at a premium price in the United States. We believe the value proposition that streaming provides to consumers supports premium product initiatives." This, from Warner Music Group's pre-IPO filing last year, is a key part of the modern music industry's big sell to investors. Just you wait, it says: streaming is $9.99-a-month today, but tomorrow, oh man, the possibilities for building on this price-point are endless. Today (May 17), those possibilities hit the floor with a thud. A thud captured in stunning HD sound. It was a noise that hurt my ears – and reiterated a troubling power balance between music rightsholders and Big Tech.
---> The Music Industry Just Took A Backwards Step On Streaming Pricing... In Glorious HD.

This Is The Best Time To Be A Music Enthusiast
Product development, reviews, and true lossless hi-resolution on the rise!
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin
Over 25 years ago when I started Enjoy the Music.com there was very little info about high-end audio / audiophiles online. Today, that has all changed as we have thousands of websites from the latest and greatest gear to vintage audio, DIY, headphones, etc. In addition, we now have more manufacturers than in the history of our hobby! It is virtually impossible to keep up with it all, let alone report on every new piece of high-end audio equipment. I'd be slapped silly by not mentioning that true lossless high-resolution music, without the 'need' for typical music BUSINESS lossy compressed scams and schemes, is now mainstream and not limited to only a few niche' streaming music players. Without a doubt, this is the best time to be a music enthusiast! Way back when in the 1980s and 1990s there were only a tiny few small digest-sized print publications plus Audio and Stereo Review (to name a few) here in the States. Europe and other parts of the globe had their fave publications. It was like we were part of a super-secret hobby we all love. There was a tribal feeling about it all too!
---> This Is The Best Time To Be A Music Enthusiast.

McIntosh Laboratory Factory Tour
Gramophone gives us a look at a legendary premium audio company.
Founded in 1949, McIntosh Laboratory offers premium home audio systems that produce an exceptional audio experience. While the company initially focused on stereo system, in modern times they have expanded to offer stereo and immersive audio multi-channel audio products. McIntosh Labs is best known for their signature blue Watt output meter and green logo. McIntosh Labs' products are designed and handcrafted at their Binghamton, New York factory by passionate employees who love music. Furthermore, McIntosh Labs has powered moments in music history and pop culture including the USA's then President Lyndon Johnson's inauguration speech to the first Woodstock music festival. Many also know the company for helping power the now-famous Grateful Dead 'Wall of Sound'.
---> McIntosh Laboratory Factory Tour.

Valve Amplification Company Factory Tour
An exclusive factory tour of VAC thanks to Jay's Audio Lab.
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
Valve Amplification Company (VAC) was launched by chief designer Kevin Hayes with a passion about music realism so it sounds like the real thing within your home. With many awards and positive reviews globally in many publications, VAC products are considered masterpieces as they not only sound incredible, they also look the part too. According to VAC, "The difference between a good amplifier and a great amplifier resides in the details, and in the passion of the designer. One of the reasons for superiority of VAC equipment is that VAC uses vacuum tube technology almost exclusively. After almost 100 years since its invention, the triode vacuum tube remains the most linear (accurate) amplifying element known producing superior sonic performance."
---> Valve Amplification Company Factory Tour.

Klipsch: In 1989 A Fan Visits The Klipsch Factory
Plus a bonus video interview with Paul W. Klipsch!
Enjoy the Music.com is featuring very special vintage videos! The company's self-proclaimed "#1 Klipsch Fan" Kevin visits the Klipsch in Hope, Arkansas back in 1989 and enjoyed videoing a special factory tour. As many audio historians know, the genesis of the company began within a tiny tin shed back in 1946. This is when Paul W. Klipsch designed and hand-built the legendary Klipschorn speaker with the goal of bringing live music into his home. Today, that tin shed is now a full-fledged factory with its own cabinet production line, while Klipsch's headquarters have moved to Indianapolis, Indiana. Getting back to Paul W. Klipsch, it was during his service at the Southwest Proving Grounds that he refined his corner horn speaker design.
---> Klipsch: In 1989 A Fan Visits The Klipsch Factory.

World Premiere Review!
Acora Acoustics QRC 2 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review
First-class sound quality in a luxurious form factor.
Review By Rick Becker
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.
---> Acora Acoustics QRC 2 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.

Words? Music? Both? Neither? What Do You Listen For?
How various people listen to music.
Article By Roger Skoff
I recently saw something on Facebook that caused me to do some serious thinking – not on the subject of music, but that, as I hope you'll agree, is still perfectly applicable to our music listening. It's just one simple sentence: "I never said she stole my money" – but, as the person who posted it pointed out, it can have seven entirely different meanings, depending on which one of the seven words making it up you choose to put the emphasis on: For example, "I never said she stole my money" means something different from "I never said she stole my money", which means something different from "I never said she stole my money", which means something different from "I never said she stole my money", and so on, through the entire sentence, with each new emphasis creating a whole new meaning. Isn't it exactly the same with music? Even with classical music, where every note to be played by every individual instrument is written down and unchanging, isn't every different performance by every orchestra or every conductor still different?
---> Words? Music? Both? Neither? What Do You Listen For?