High-End Audio Reviews / Hi-Fi Audiophile Equipment Review Magazine

High-End Audio / Audiophile Equipment Reviews And Think Pieces
June 2020

audioXpress Is Now Featured On Enjoy the Music.com
Combining great articles, projects, and techniques for producing the best in quality audio, audioXpress connects manufacturers and distributors with audio engineers and enthusiasts eager for innovative solutions in sound, acoustic and electronics. Every month, audioXpress combines excellent educational articles on topics including audio electronics, speaker and headphone design, amplifiers (from vacuum tube to Class D), acoustics, practical test and measurement, audio engineering praxis, and standards.
---> Read Enjoy the Music.com's audioXpress press release.

AXPONA Worldwide Audio Fest 2020
Due to the Coronavirus, this year's event was rescheduled to AXPONA 2021. JD Events found a way to do an excellent job with their Worldwide Audio Fest, which is a virtual (online) show on Instagram. To quote AXPONA, "The Audio World is alive and thriving! With music lovers staying home around the globe, you can virtually experience what is new in high end audio. In two jam-packed days, over 50 of the world's top audio brands will introduce new products, make announcements and interact. You will discover new ideas and technologies and see what your favorite audio brands are up to. This historic festival is designed to bring positivity and awareness to music enthusiasts across generations around the globe during this time when face to face is not possible." Enjoy the Music.com invites you to visit each brand's Instagram page and enjoy their video presentation.
---> See AXPONA's Worldwide Audio Fest 2020 at this link.

Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2020 Report
The first UK show of the year brought the audio industry out of hibernation, with no shortage of new arrivals to temp visitors.
Report By Ed Selly Of HIFICRITIC Magazine
The Bristol HiFi Show is now comfortably the longest-running UK audio show and the 33rd iteration took place in February in the familiar surroundings of the Marriott Hotel in the city centre. After a few years of dabbling in AV as well as two-channel audio, taking the Sound & Vision name, the event Bristol reverted to its roots, describing itself as a hi-fi show, last year. These days two-channel is very much the focus, although there were a respectable number of multichannel demonstrations too.
---> Read our Bristol Hi-Fi 2020 Show report.

Why Hi-Fi Part 4
What Is An Audiophile
Audio Musings By Gary Alan Barker Of HiFiAudio.Guru
A little while ago I read an article by an audio reviewer stating that the audiophile community is perceived as an elitist group of "White Rich Men". Which is true, the perception that is, though I would have added "Old" to the description, and I believe the "Old" was implied by the content of his article. Truth be told, most of the audiophiles I know are non-Caucasian. He went on to lament that there were very few female audiophiles, which is also true. I see two main reasons for this...
---> Read Why Hi-Fi Pt. 4: What Is An Audiophile.

Greg Weaver's The Audio Analyst Videos
Music lover and reviewer Greg Weaver takes you though his life's journey.
Editorial Videos By Greg Weaver
Greg Weaver's The Audio Analyst first appeared during 1988 as the title of a small, high-end audio publication that he founded that same year. Through the years, Greg have maintained and used the name on many of his writings for Positive Feedback, starting in 1996. As many Enjoy the Music.com readers know, Greg Weaver has been involved within the high-performance audio industry for more than five decades.
---> Read more about Greg Weaver and watch his videos.

Go Buy A Song
Roger Skoff worries about the future of music.
Article By Roger Skoff
Before the phonograph came along, if you wanted to hear music, you either played it yourself or with your friends or family; you went to someplace that music was being played (a church, a salon, a party, a fair, a tavern, a concert, or wherever); or you hired somebody to play it for you. (Imagine King George saying to his Court Musician, George Frederic Handel, "Hey, George, the wife and I are going for a boat ride on the 17th, can you and the boys whip up a little something for the occasion?").
---> Read more from Roger Skoff about buying a song.

T.H.E. Show Interviews Steven R. Rochlin
T.H.E. Show (The Home Entertainment Show) recently launched their news series called T.H.E. Talk, which is available on Facebook and other online platforms. This week they interviewed / Q&A'ed with Enjoy the Music.com's Creative Director Steven R. Rochlin. Emiko Carlin asks many great question including budget and cost-no-object audio gear, to streaming music and more!
---> Watch this very special video interview on Facebook.

'Round And 'Round, Having Fun!
Roger Skoff writes about how one good thing can lead to another.
Article By Roger Skoff
When I was a kid, I was a music snob. Other than Doo-Wop (which I still love, even today), I pretty much thought that any music written after the death of Handel (1759) wasn't worth listening to. The exception � the reason I just say "pretty much" about my musical bias � was that, if it was brilliantly and believably recorded, I would listen to and enjoy just about anything! I became a Hi-Fi Crazy...
---> Read Roger Skoff's 'Round And 'Round, Having Fun! article.

The Six Steps To A Successful Online Strategy
Article By Bobby Owsinski
Although you'll find plenty of detailed information about most aspects of your online promotion in the latest edition of my Social Media Promotion For Musicians book, here are the six basic steps you'll need to take in order to prepare for a successful online strategy.1. Make your website your main online focal point. Make sure that all your important information is curated there and is easy for a site visitor to find.
---> Read more about The Six Steps To A Successful Online Strategy.

Marketing Strategies That Will Win
A three-pronged approach to allow your marketing to thrive in the 2020s. Article By Steven Picanza Of Latin & Code
New year... new decade... same old marketing strategies? Regardless of whether you actually kept your 2020 marketing-planning meeting on the books, all isn't lost. The amazing thing is, the impassable mountain called "marketing" that's sitting in front of you is actually an optical illusion; in reality, it's just a bunch of smaller hills.
---> Read Marketing Strategies That Will Win For The New Decade.

Video: Ultimate Stream Live
Featuring AURALiC's Richard Bates and Stereonet's David Price.
Ultimate Stream in a UK-based retailer with a portfolio of products and streaming solutions that suit most music lovers and seasoned audiophiles. This video features them chatting with Richard Bates from AURALiC and David Price from Stereonet magazine about digital streaming and the AURALiC Altair G1 Digital Streamer. Within their Jazz By Request Interview, we meet the multi award-winning jazz vocalist, pianist, and songwriter Ian Shaw.
---> See Ultimate Stream Live with AURALiC and Stereonet.

Historic Video: A Dream Of Audio Perfection
Stereo: Three dimensional sound.
The biggest contribution to music since Barnum & Bailey.
Throughout the years, even from the very beginning, there was audio gear... and critics soon thereafter. Audio gear evolved, just as audiophiles carefully adjusted our listening space to accommodate it all. Finding the best recordings can be a challenge, too! Here's a great look back at the beginnings of high fidelity home audio equipment, and the reviewers in hopes of finding gear that achieved sound perfection. Call it what you will, perfect sound forever or the absolute sound, audiophiles seek to reproduce music within homes that is indistinguishable from what was heard during the live event.
---> Watch this historic video about the dream of audio perfection.

Shoplifting With Chick Corea
Watch as Chick Corea gets caught shoplifting vinyl LPs.
First he raids their record bins, then he reviews his loot. Chick shows us how to handle vinyl properly and reminds us of the importance of not leaving your car unattended when your record collection is on the back seat. From Miles Davis Relaxin' to Issac Hayes' Hot Buttered Soul, Chick Corea takes us through his must-have LP rap sheet, album by album.
---> Watch Chick Corea shoplifting Craft Recordings vinyl LPs.

Shoplifting With Record Producer Scott Litt
Watch as record producer Scott Litt gets caught shoplifting vinyl LPs.
First he raids their record bins, then he reviews his loot. Watch as Scott Litt, longtime friend and producer of R.E.M., gets caught shoplifting at Craft Recordings! First he raids our record bins, then he reviews his loot, sharing insights into his musical heroes, influences and inspirations along the way. From THE Pharcude's Bizzare Ride to John Coltrane's Lush Life, Scott Litt takes us through his must-have LP rap sheet, album by album.
---> Watch Scott Litt get caught shoplifting Craft Recordings vinyl LPs.

Where High-End Audio Missed The High-End Lifestyle Bus
Article By Sandy Gross, GoldenEar Technology
Back in the 1950s and 1960s, Playboy magazine promoted the "Playboy Lifestyle", which sought to define the appropriate lifestyle accouterments for the fashionable, successful man about town. Among these must-haves, including fancy golf clubs, fancy watches and hot cars, was a beautiful high performance hi-fi system, featuring McIntosh components and the like. This was all presented in beautiful full color photo spreads showing the ultimate bachelor pad, or alternately articles focused on the specific areas of interest.
---> Read Where High-End Audio Missed the High-End Lifestyle Bus.

Selling Audio To The "Lost Generation"
Article By Gary Yacoubian, CEO of SVS
I took my teen boys to see the new Avengers movie a couple of weeks ago and it was great for a couple reasons. Not only did it prove that I'm cool enough (barely) to hang out with in a dark theater, it also validated my belief that our younger generation is just as engaged and energized by immersive experiences, such as those in a movie theater, as the rest of us are. But the best part of the experience was when we were driving home and my oldest remarked, "Dad, I like the system we have at home better."
---> Read Selling Audio To The "Lost Generation".

Advanced Record Cleaning On The Cheap
A recipe for building an articulated, weighted brush holder.
Article By Joe Cohen Of The Lotus Group
My good friend Jeff Whitlock got me thinking about the fabulous Clearaudio Double Matrix record cleaner. I mean, who wouldn't love to own one: press a button and it performs a complete cleaning, applying the fluid, brushing, vacuuming and demagnetizing both sides of an LP in 2.5 minutes, automatically!
---> Read about Advanced Record Cleaning On The Cheap.

Speaker Placement In Five Easy Steps
Article By Nordost
Implementing correct speaker placement could be one of the most beneficial changes one can make in an audio system. The slightest shift or rotation in your loudspeakers can completely transform your soundstage, for better or worse. And when even one centimeter could be responsible for transforming the sound system that you have invested so much in, the idea of tackling and perfecting speaker placement may seem daunting.
---> Read about Speaker Placement In Five Easy Steps.

10 Questions For High-End Audio Manufacturers
Featuring Charles van Oosterum, Founder Of Kharma
Enjoy the Music.com's 25th Anniversary brings you a new special feature!
During Enjoy the Music.com's very special 25th Anniversary we're asking various high-end audio manufacturers to answer the same ten questions. Their answers may surprise you! This month we're featuring Charles van Oosterum, Founder of Kharma. Kharma has an endless vision beyond imagination. A vision that has driven all of us from the moment Charles van Oosterum started with O.L.S. in 1982 and founded the brand Kharma in 1993. All the energy you put into this world will eventually make his return to you, is one of our beliefs, which is derived from karma.
---> Read about Charles van Oosterum, Founder of Kharma.

10 Questions For High-End Audio Manufacturers
Featuring Hideto Watanabe, Senior Manager, Home Audio Business, Of Eclipse TD
Enjoy the Music.com's 25th Anniversary brings you a new special feature!
During Enjoy the Music.com's very special 25th Anniversary we're asking various high-end audio manufacturers to answer the same ten questions. Their answers may surprise you! This month we're featuring Hideto Watanabe, Senior Manager, Home Audio Business, of Eclipse TD. Eclipse TD's goal was 'Accurate reproduction of waveforms. Comparing an audio device to a camera lens, the ideal one is transparent, to accurately reproduce the original colors (sound).
---> Read more about Hideto Watanabe, Senior Manager of Eclipse TD.

10 Questions For High-End Audio Manufacturers
Featuring Israel Blume Of Coincident Speaker Technology
Enjoy the Music.com's 25th Anniversary brings you a new special feature!
During Enjoy the Music.com's very special 25th Anniversary we're asking various high-end audio manufacturers to answer the same ten questions. Their answers may surprise you! This month we're featuring Israel Blume of Coincident Speaker Technology. Coincident Speaker Technology was established by Israel Blume in 1993 for the sole purpose of creating a superior loudspeaker.
---> Read more about Israel Blume of Coincident Speaker Technology.

10 Questions For High-End Audio Manufacturers
Featuring Jim Thompson, Owner And Chief Designer Of Egglestonworks
Enjoy the Music.com's 25th Anniversary brings you a new special feature!
During Enjoy the Music.com's very special 25th Anniversary we're asking various high-end audio manufacturers to answer the same ten questions. Their answers may surprise you! This month we're featuring Jim Thompson, owner and chief designer of Egglestonworks. Music is the soul of Memphis: Birthplace of Rock 'n 'Roll and Blues; Home of Sun Records, Gibson Guitars and Stax Records... and Elvis.
---> Read more about Jim Thompson, Founder of Egglestonworks.

10 Questions For High-End Audio Manufacturers
Featuring Lee Taylor, Founder Of Leema Acoustics
Enjoy the Music.com's 25th Anniversary brings you a new special feature!
During Enjoy the Music.com's very special 25th Anniversary we're asking various high-end audio manufacturers to answer the same ten questions. Their answers may surprise you! This month we're featuring Lee Taylor, Founder of Leema Acoustics. Leema Acoustics was originally founded in 1998 as a means of further exploring the fanatical interest in audio reproduction of its two founders ex-BBC engineers Lee Taylor and Mallory Nicholls.
---> Read more about Lee Taylor, Founder of Leema Acoustics.

10 Questions For High-End Audio Manufacturers
Featuring Les Thompson, Managing Director Of Sound Damped Steel And Soundeck
Enjoy the Music.com's 25th Anniversary brings you a new special feature!
During Enjoy the Music.com's very special 25th Anniversary we're asking various high-end audio manufacturers to answer the same ten questions. Their answers may surprise you! This month we're featuring Les Thompson, Managing Director of Sound Damped Steel and Soundeck. Sound Damped Steel is a multi-award winning noise control company launched by Les Thompson in 2003 to develop, manufacture and supply highly damped materials for industrial noise and vibration control applications.
---> Read more about Les Thompson, Managing Director of Sound Damped Steel and Soundeck.

10 Questions For High-End Audio Manufacturers
Bill Dudleston, Founder & Engineer Of Legacy Audio
Enjoy the Music.com's 25th Anniversary special feature!
During Enjoy the Music.com's very special 25th Anniversary we're asking various high-end audio manufacturers to answer the same ten questions. Their answers may surprise you! This month we're featuring Bill Dudleston of Legacy. Bill Dudleston is President and founder of Legacy Audio, a high-performance audio and home theater equipment manufacturer located in Springfield, Illinois.
---> Read more about Bill Dudleston of Legacy Audio.

10 Questions For High-End Audio Manufacturers
Featuring Dan D'Agostino Of Dan D'Agostino MAS
Enjoy the Music.com's 25th Anniversary special feature!
During Enjoy the Music.com's very special 25th Anniversary we're asking various high-end audio manufacturers to answer the same ten questions. Their answers may surprise you! This month we're featuring Dan D'Agostino Of Dan D'Agostino Master Audio Systems. Perhaps no name is more closely associated with high-end audio amplifiers than that of Dan D'Agostino.
---> Read more about Dan D'Agostino of Dan D'Agostino MAS.

10 Questions For High-End Audio Manufacturers
Featuring John Franks Of Chord Electronics
Enjoy the Music.com's 25th Anniversary special feature!
During Enjoy the Music.com's very special 25th Anniversary we're asking various high-end audio manufacturers to answer the same ten questions. Their answers may surprise you! This month we're featuring John Franks, Founder, Owner and Chief Designer at Chord Electronics. Chord Electronics offers a broad range of high-end amplification and digital conversion products.
---> Read more about John Franks of Chord Electronics.

10 Questions For High-End Audio Manufacturers
Featuring Ray Kimber Of Kimber Kable
Enjoy the Music.com's 25th Anniversary special feature!
During Enjoy the Music.com's very special 25th Anniversary we're asking various high-end audio manufacturers to answer the same ten questions. Their answers may surprise you! This month we're featuring Ray Kimber of Kimber Kable. In the mid 1970s Ray Kimber worked at a sound and lighting company in Los Angeles. The first big discotheques were being installed at that time.
---> Read more about Ray Kimber of Kimber Kable.

10 Questions For High-End Audio Manufacturers
Featuring Val Cora Of Acora Acoustics
Enjoy the Music.com's 25th Anniversary special feature!
During Enjoy the Music.com's very special 25th Anniversary we're asking various high-end audio manufacturers to answer the same ten questions. Their answers may surprise you! This month we're featuring Val Cora of Acora Acoustics. At Acora Acoustics, their goal is simple: Engineer speakers that bring your music to life. Their loudspeakers are crafted to let pure sound take the stage.
---> Read more about Val Cora of Acora Acoustics.

10 Questions For High-End Audio Manufacturers
Featuring Tommy O'Brien Of Digital Amplifier Company
Enjoy the Music.com's 25th Anniversary special feature!
During Enjoy the Music.com's very special 25th Anniversary we're asking various high-end audio manufacturers to answer the same ten questions. Their answers may surprise you! This month we're featuring Tommy O'Brien of Digital Amplifier Company. Digital Amplifier Company was founded in 1996 after several years of developing switching amplifiers for audio. Their goal was development of new high performance amp technology.
---> Read more about Tommy O'Brien of Digital Amplifier Company.

MB&F + L'EPEE 1839 Starfleet Explorer
With commercial space flight a reality, it's time to upgrade your desk / table clock.
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
Six years after the launch of the Starfleet Machine, the first clock co-created by MB&F and L'Ep�e 1839, a new expedition is underway. The space station returns in 2020, in a more compact size and enhanced with bright colors, accompanied by a fleet of three small spacecraft exploring the universe; it rightfully bears the name of Starfleet Explorer. Designed by MB&F, the Starfleet Explorer is an intergalactic spaceship-styled table clock crafted by L'Ep�e 1839, the last remaining Swiss manufacture specialized in high-end table clocks.
---> Learn more about MB&F's + L'EPEE 1839 Starfleet Explorer.

Golden Hills Coffee Roasters
An update about a coffee and espresso lovers dream bean.
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
Based in sunny Groveland, Florida, you'll find Golden Hills Coffee Roasters who are a family-owned company roasting custom blends of specially prepared and roasted coffee beans for both Americana and espresso. Their artisan handcrafted micro coffee roasting is done by hand, in the classic method, which allows them to carefully control the process using sight, sound, and smell for every part of the roasting process.
---> Read more about Golden Hill Coffee Roasters

Philips HR2357/05 Pasta Maker Plus
Enjoy tasty, meaty, fantastic freshly-made pasta for pennies!
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
Look, no one has to tell you that freshly made pasta is far better than a box of old, dried up sharp bits you find at the grocery store. Even that 'fresh refrigerator' stuff lacks the true essence of homemade pasta. Anyone who has enjoyed freshly made pasta knows the difference. Another factor is how inexpensive it is to make once you have the right machine. Enter the Philips kitchen appliances Noodle HR2357/05 pasta maker plus.
---> Read more about Philips pasta maker plus.

The Older Person's Guide To New Stuff
Here's a great guide book to the modern world.
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
The world moves pretty fast. Do you feel a bit left behind by modern times and advanced technologies? Fear not, as there' a book with easy to read large print for that. While I could go on trying to describe the technical jargon within this old-school hardcover book, will instead let it speak for itself. So below are a few pages from The Older Person's Guide To New Stuff: From Android to Zoella by Mark Leigh.
---> Read more about The Older Person's Guide To New Stuff.

Tales Of Woe? There's A Violin For That
You can play the world's smallest violin as you listen to others.
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
With Staycation 2020 and CV-19 looming large, many essential workers are busy helping save the lives of many. In fact, my brother's daughter is a first responder EMT, so she's at the front lines. For those staying at home while she works to save lives, you may feel like griping about things. So to go along with your tales of woe, this month Enjoy the Music.com is featuring the world's smallest commercially-made violin.
---> Read more about the world's smallest violin.

Couchmaster CYBOT Ergonomic Lap Desk
Be a Staycation couch potato champ with your notebook computer.
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
Suitable for notebooks up to 17", the Couchmaster CYBOT Ergonomic Lap Desk has a ventilation grille for optimal cooling of your notebook. Made from sustainable bamboo, their patented ergonomics features lateral support cushions to ensure stability. The new Couchmaster CYBOT is a game-changer for all notebook users.
---> Read more about Couchmaster CYBOT Ergonomic Lap Desk.

Porsche 911 Flat-Six Boxer Engine
Keep busy during Staycation 2020, build a Porsche flat six engine!
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
Bored at home during Staycation 2020? Now you can build a fully-functional 1:4 model of an all-time classic motor - the flat-six engine from the Porsche 911. This detailed replica features many excellent details as is found within the real thing. The kit includes a transparent casing so the moving parts can be seen when switched on. Furthermore, it also featured engine sounds.
---> Read more about building a Porsche 911 flat-six engine.

Sigma 200mm To 500mm f/2.8 Zoom Lens
No other lens like it in the world!
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
Some say bigger is better, and with this lens you have (perhaps) the world's most impressive commercially-produced for the general public lens every created by humankind. It's also the largest high speed ultra-telephoto zoom available. Sigma�s APO 200mm to 500mm F2.8 / 400mm to 1000mm F5.6 EX DG, is the first large-aperture ultra telephoto lens to have an F2.8 aperture at 500mm.
---> Read about Sigma's 200mm To 500mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

AudioNec Evo #2 Loudspeakers
These speakers will not be for everyone, and not for every amplifier.
Review By Dr. Matthew Clott
I happen to be one of those audiophiles that are always drawn to eclectic and unusual speakers. Not that I dislike or don't own the 'standard' dynamic box speakers, but planars, electrostatics, open baffle designs, horns, omni-directionals, line arrays, plasma tweeters and the like satisfy my inner physicist and draw me to them like a black hole capturing a photon! Brilliant designers and engineers who take the path less traveled, resulting in sensational designs that sound fantastic and look like the love child of art and science.
---> Read our review of the AudioNec Evo #2 loudspeakers.

Warwick Acoustics APERIO
Electrostatic Reference Headphone System
The master of detail retrieval from Warwick Acoustics!
Review By Frank Iacone Of Headphone.Guru
It's here, the Warwick Acoustics APERIO Electrostatic Reference Headphone System. The headphone division of Warwick Acoustics LTD, as many may remember, was once called Sonoma Acoustic LTD. The parent company, located in the United Kingdom, is a pioneer in electrostatic audio systems designed for automobiles. Warwick's custom designs are known to offer a remarkable listening experience whether you using it for the automobile or in an electrostatic home-based system.
---> Read the Warwick Acoustics APERIO headphone system review.

ATC SCM150ASLT Active Speakers
Active floorstanding speaker test.
Review By Michael Lang Of STEREO Magazine
ATC � never heard of it? Then it's time to change that! Otherwise you might possibly miss the best loudspeaker of your life � as for example the SCM150ASLT active floorstander. You might think our introductory statement to have been rather bold, which, of course is absolutely possible. However on the other hand there is the list of people using ATC speakers, which reads like the Who's Who of worldwide recording studios, musicians and producers.
---> Read our review of ATC's SCM150ASLT Active speakers.

Top Wing Suzaku - Red Sparrow MC Phono Cartridge
Perhaps the last cartridge you will ever need.
Review By Tom Lyle
A few years ago I reviewed the Van den Hul Crimson Stradivarius phono cartridge. I began that review by expressing my love-hate relationship with phono cartridges. The love stems from my love of music, and the fact that I prefer music reproduced by vinyl, and that the phono cartridge converts vibrational energy from the grooves of the records into an electric signal and then this electrical signal is somehow converted into the music that comes forth from our speakers.
---> Read our review of Top Wing's Suzaku - Red Sparrow MC cart.

Simaudio Moon 680D Streaming DAC
Great build quality, great looks, great sound.
Review By Robert S. Youman Of Positive Feedback
Simaudio recently introduced a new streaming digital to analog converter to their Moon product line. The 680D ($9000) streaming DAC slots in somewhere between the 780D v2 ($15,000), and the 280D ($3000). As with many, if not most of the products in the Moon series, the 680D has the same width and depth (18.75 x 16.8 inches) only varying in height. Additionally, it shares other cosmetic touches in industrial design, including the heat sinks on the side panels, height adjustable aluminum feet at the four corners, and a rather massively built chassis with a shipping weight of 38 pounds.
---> Read our Simaudio Moon 680D Streaming DAC review.

HEDD Audio HEDDphone Review
The new and amazing HEDDphones. Yes, I spelled that correctly!
Review By Peter Pialis Of HiFiAudio.Guru
When I first saw their press release in 2019, I was very intrigued by HEDD / Heinz Electrodynamic Designs' new foray into the world of personal audio � the aptly named HEDDphones. I have previously been a big fan of their studio monitors and found them both very balanced and revealing and I was very curious to see how this incredible transparency translated into a pair of headphones. Using their patented and truly unique AMT (Air Motion Transformer) driver technology, these headphones offer the potential for some of the fastest and cleanest audio drivers around.
---> Read the HEDD Audio HEDDphone review.

Rega Aethos Integrated Amplifier Review
Rega moves to fill a key space in its amplifier range with the Aethos, an unusual exercise in 'trickle up' engineering.
Review By Ed Selly Of HIFICRITIC
Over the last eighteen months, the main focus of Rega Research's activities has been its range of turntables, cartridges and phono stages. While hardly surprising, this has but it meant that the range of supporting amplifiers no longer matched the turntables as closely as they once had. In particular, the significant hole between the �1679 Elicit R and the �6399 Osiris was an issue for people looking to partner the Rega Planar 8 or 10 with a matching Rega amplifier.
---> Read our Rega Aethos integrated amplifier review.

World Premiere Review!
exaSound Delta Server For Streaming Music Online
A powerful Roon Core / Server implementation for audiophiles.
Review By Phil Gold
I've been late to a number of parties. I had such a great vinyl collection I was no early adopter of digital audio. When I did dip my toes in it was a Denon 3520 in around 1990, eight years after the launch of the CD, and I continued to favor my Linn Sondek LP12 until I reviewed and bought a very musical CD player, the Meridian G08 in 2004. I've progressed through a series of upgrades since then, culminating in the EMM Labs XDS1 which I use as a transport and the EMM Labs DV2, which is my DAC and volume control, eliminating the need for a preamp in my all-digital system.
---> Read our review of the exaSound Delta Server music streamer.

World Premiere Review!
Chisto Easy Groove Solutions
Concentrate, Virgin Concentrate, Extreme, Enzycaster, Concentrate, Spray & Wipe, Disk Analoguer, and Hi-End Show-Gloss.
Review By Tom Lyle
For the last few years, I've been cleaning my records by using a VPI 16.5 wet/vacuum record cleaner. My record cleaning liquid of choice has been for quite some time a simple solution of distilled water and a surfactant (the surfactant reduces the solution's surface tension, making it spread more easily on the surface of the record). Before the VPI, I used a Nitty Gritty record cleaner, and before that, an Audio Advisor record cleaner. With those machines I've tried countless solutions sold by many different companies. None were worthy of a review.
---> Read our review of Chisto Easy Groove Solutions.

Loudspeaker Mega-Tweakfest
Featuring Synergistic, Bybee, Soundeck And More!
Rick Becker reviews the Synergistic Research Cable Risers, XOT Transducers, HFT Speaker Kits, Plus Bybee Technologies Quantum Clarifiers. Also included are the Soundeck Damping Feet, Synergistic Research Tranquility Pod, and MiG SX Footers.
Review By Rick Becker
As I said at the beginning of my previous review, the Synergistic Research Tweakfest, my original plan was to review a bunch of speaker mods that would negate the need for a $10,000 to $20,000 speaker upgrade. Surely a couple of thousand dollars-worth of tweaks could bring my speakers up to acceptable standards? In light of the crippled economy during the COVID 19 pandemic, what could be a more noble effort � short of making face masks and providing PPE to hospitals and meat processing plants? Given that I can barely pour scotch on the rocks, much less come up with a vaccine, the best I can do is self-isolate and not become part of the problem.
---> Read Rick Becker's Loudspeaker Mega-Tweakfest review.

Synergistic Research UEF Record Weight
Aspired to inspire.
Review By Robert S. Youman Of Positive Feedback
One great satisfaction as a reviewer and eternal romantic is when one discovers something new that significantly enhances the emotional connection to one's music. This can have even a greater impact when that something is simple and easy to implement. No unpacking and backbreaking transport to the listening room. No re-arrangement of racks. No additional expensive cabling. No burn in. No burn out.
---> Read the Synergistic Research UEF Record Weight review.

iFi Audio Aurora Lifestyle System
An audiophile lifestyle system that will play most music well.
Review By Gary Alan Barker Of HiFiAudio.Guru
The iFi Aurora is an audiophile lifestyle system. Funny enough, contrary to popular belief, this is not a new concept; in fact, it goes back to some of the very first Victrolas. And like its many predecessors, the Aurora acknowledges one inescapable fact; a Hi-Fi system is also a piece of furniture, and as such, it must blend in and compliment your d�cor.
---> Read the iFi Audio Aurora lifestyle system review.

Magico SPod Footers Review
After his in-depth exploration of the Mpod footers provided for his review of the company's M2 speaker in this issue, Martin Colloms realizes it's time to reassess the Junior version.
Review By Martin Colloms Of HIFICRITIC
After his in-depth exploration of the Mpod footers provided for his review of the company's M2 speaker in this issue, Martin Colloms realizes it's time to reassess the Junior version. I reviewed these vibration-controlling feet, accessories designed to be fitted to the Magico S5II speakers and also other S series models, within HIFICRITIC Vol 11 No4 Oct-Dec 2017.
---> Read HIFICRITIC's review of the Magico SPod Footers.

Meze Rai Penta In-Ear Monitor
Worth The Wait: Meze delivers an artful and meticulously crafted masterpiece.
Review By Dave Hanson
I first encountered the Meze Rai Penta ($1099) at CanJam SoCal in 2018, and at the time, I found myself absolutely floored by it, noting that it had the potential to be a best-in-class all-rounder. Of course, at that time, it was only an early prototype, but seeing it again and again at subsequent shows over the next year, I always came out feeling the same way � wow, this is the real deal.
---> Read our review of the Meze Rai Penta in-ear monitor (IEM).

World Premiere Review!
Synergistic Research Tweakfest
With the Orange Duplex, Carbon Fiber Duplex Cover, Tranquility Pod, MiG SX footers and Ground Block.
Review By Rick Becker
Originally, I wanted to write an article about turning my aging speakers into a more contemporary version with the addition of some tweaks for tens of thousand dollars less than buying a new pair. I called up Andy Wiederspahn at Synergistic Research and gave him my wish list. Although he was willing to help, he politely twisted my arm and convinced me to first review the quartet of hot new products they have just released. How could I refuse?
---> Read our Synergistic Research Tweakfest.

Xavian Premio Esclusivo Loudspeakers
A gem of a monitor that knows how to sing.
Review By Rick Jensen
My first confession: I had only heard of Xavian Loudspeakers in this magazine before being offered a pair of their Premier Esclusivo (PE) small monitors for review. Brett Rudolph reviewed their Perla Esclusiva monitors in June 2019. Yes, I had not read reviews of the same monitors in other publications. And I will also confess that my first reason for wanting to review a pair was very simple � they looked really good.
---> Read our review of Xavian Premio Esclusivo loudspeakers.

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.
---> Read more about what is important to men by Herb Reichert.

Flashback Editorial: The Intro
When I first heard about the Internet, I thought it was a load of crap.
Editorial By Art Dudley
When I was five years old, grocery stores began selling a product called Happy Nut, which I considered ingenious: peanut butter shaped into quarter-pound sticks, like butter, and filled with a core of grape jelly. With Happy Nut on the butter dish, one did not have to bother opening two jars (or even one!) before enjoying a healthy, satisfying meal: It was a simple and time-saving matter of dipping one's knife, spreading one's spread, and eating. The fact that the Happy Nut logo was a picture of a monkey was icing on the cake.
---> Read Art Dudley's The Intro editorial from Listener magazine.

Casual Reactions
The Need To Party = Potential Difference
Article By Herb Reichert of Eddy Electric
From Sound Practices Issue 3, Early 1993
About ten years ago, I decided to try to learn electronics so I could build my own amps. I bought a book called Electronics Made Simple. A week later, I had to buy a book called Mathematics Made Simple. It seemed I couldn't learn electronics without mastering some math concepts. Woe to a misspent youth! If I could have bought Kenn Amdahl's book There Are No Electrons: Electronics for Earthlings, I would have known that an amateur can understand electronics better than a pro-without doing a single calculation.
---> Read more of Herb Reichert's Casual Reaction.

Joining The Singles Club
Article By Dan Schmalle From VALVE Volume 2 Number 1 January 1995
DHT, 60 years young, still full of life, tired of push-pull relationships, seeks single ended romance. Jazz and classical music lover who can rock in the right environment, particularly fond of female vocalists. I believe in strong emotional involvement, attention to detail, and efficiency. I admit to favoring quiet play, but if you are slightly horny, amply loaded, and interested in coupling in oil, I am sure you would find me still quite hard. Won't someone transform this quiet type into an efficient speaker?
---> Read more about joining VALVE's singles club?

World Premiere Review!
Sound Lab Majestic 545 Full-Range Electrostatic Loudspeakers
The quest for realistic sound from a pair of speakers is likely to end here.
Review By Tom Lyle
The same pair of Sound Lab loudspeakers have been my reference for about 15 years. The reason I acquired them is simple: Back in the day, I heard a pair of Sound Lab A-1's in a friend's large system, and fell in love. To this day, these speakers are the best I've ever heard of any type, as they produce a sonic hologram of the recording that I can visualize with my ears. But I didn't immediately go out and purchase a pair of A-1s. This was not only because they cost much more than I could afford at the time, nor was it because they weighed nearly 200 pounds. It was because of their size. The massive Model A-1's are over 7 feet tall, 3 feet wide, and at their base about two feet deep.
---> Read our Sound Lab Majestic 545 electrostatic speaker review.

World Premiere Review!
Aric Audio Alpha 300B Push-Pull Tube Amplifier
One of the best sounding tube amplifiers you have (probably) never heard of.
Review By Dwayne Carter
Until last week, I had in my possession one of the best sounding tube amplifiers in the world (from my small world view). Even better, I was fortunate enough to have this amplifier mated with a pair of the most recognizable speakers in the world (Avantgarde Uno Fino). On top of that, my wife joined me in the Audio Room for two(!) listening sessions with drinks in hand. It's true what they say: You never know a good thing... until it's gone.
---> Read our review of Aric Audio's Alpha 300B tube amplifier.

North America Premiere Review!
Nagra Classic Preamp Review
For those who have a system that can appreciate its ultra-luculent and musical sound.
Review By Tom Lyle
Nagra is a Swiss company that has a well-established reputation as a leading manufacturer of professional recording equipment. They were founded about 60 years ago, but it wasn't until 1997 that they also started making high-end audio equipment for home use. I was already afflicted with the audiophile bug back when Nagra introduced their first components for the high-end market, and it was then that I knew that I wanted to own one, or, at the very least hear one. I finally have a Nagra component in my system, their very attractive looking Class A vacuum-tube powered Classic Preamp.
---> Read Enjoy the Music.com's review of the Nagra Classic Preamp.

World Premiere!
ZMF X Vibro MK II Headphones
Bespoke craftsmanship and uncompromising sound.
Review By Dave Hanson
One listen to ZMF headphones and it is readily apparent that Zach Mehrbach gets tone. I mean really gets it. So it came as no surprise to me when I learned he cut his teeth building acoustic guitars long before he ever began making headphones. Only first-hand experience can breed that kind of knowledge. In his newest creation, the ZMF X Vibro MK II ($479.99), Mehrbach brings that sweet, musical take on tone to the masses with an extremely capable headphone at a very accessible price point.
---> Read our review of ZMF's X Vibro MK II headphones.

Bowers & Wilkins 800D Floorstanding Speaker
Newly refined design under close scrutiny.
Review By Alvin Gold
Until it was spelt out by the powers I don't think I fully realized how strong Bowers & Wilkins' (B&W) domination of the high end of the loudspeaker has become. Of course there are other brands and many of other individual high-end models out there, but B&W's share of the market with its extensive 800 series is enormous, and this means that uniquely among high end producers, B&W is able to benefit from the economies of scale in a way that is the envy of other producers. Just as an indication of what this can mean in practice. I have here a pair of large, well built loudspeakers with sapphire tweeter domes, which currently cost UK sterling �32,000 a pair.
---> Read our review of Bowers & Wilkins' 800D floorstanding speaker.

World Premiere Review!
VAC Renaissance Preamp Mk V With MM/MC Phono Stage
For serious music lovers living at the cutting edge of what is possible.
Review By Ron Nagle
The letters VAC is not an abbreviation for vacuum, although the VAC Renaissance Mk V does have five miniature twin triode vacuum tubes on board. The company banner is actually an acronym for, Valve Amplification Company. This Mk V preamplifier is something entirely new in the VAC lineup for 2017. There is a basic MkV line stage preamplifier without the phono stage that sells for $9990. That configuration uses just two miniature Dual Triode tubes. The Renaissance Preamplifier Mk V under evaluation contains an optional phono amplifier stage which adds three additional 12AX7 tubes. With the optional phono stage on board the cost increases to, $12,990.
---> Read our review of the VAC Renaissance Preamplifier Mk V with MM/MC phono stage.

SVS SB-2000 Active Subwoofer
A reasonably-priced high quality 12" powered subwoofer system.
Review By Tom Lyle
At times I must come off as some sort of audio-curmudgeon, such as when I became upset when I noted some audiophiles calling a component a preamplifier rather than a line stage. There have been other times, too, that I've gotten upset over someone using what I consider the incorrect nomenclature for an audio component or part. Thankfully, I've gotten over that preamplifier versus line stage episode. But I'm still working on the fact that some sell speakers that they call "subwoofers" yet don't go below 20 Hz.
---> Read our review of the SVS SB-2000 Active Subwoofer.

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