High-End Audio / Audiophile & Music Industry News

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11 / 30 / 23

Kronos Discovery Vinyl LP Turntable Review
Drive-by reviewing at Long Valley.
Rick Becker Investigates A Treasured Turntable.
It was supposed to be a nearly five-hour trip but my wife missed a turn on the shortcut and took the Shooting Brake through an all-terrain parking lot to buy lunch at Subway. Then there were accidents on I-80 to slow us down. Nevertheless, Bill Parish was all smiles, as usual, when we pulled into GTT Audio to get a listen to Louis Desjardins' latest masterpiece, the Kronos Discovery turntable. Bill had sent me his GTT video newsletter with a pow-wow after David W. Robinson, Editor in Chief and Senior Writer Maurice Jeffries of Positive Feedback had spent an afternoon listening to the new turntable. Emails flew and Louis sent me a copy of Alan Sircom's review in HiFi+ magazine. I emailed Louis and told him I thought it was a very good review. He replied that he thought it was an Excellent!
---> Kronos Discovery Vinyl LP Turntable Review.

Audeze LCD-5 Flagship Headphones Review
As good as it gets!
Review By Peter Pialis
I have been a big fan of Audeze's headphones throughout the years. Since their initial release of the venerable LCD-2 over a decade ago, Audeze has become a world leader in planar magnetic technology and has produced some of the very best headphones on the planet. Well, never to let the grass grow under their feet, the engineers at Audeze have certainly been quite busy this past year with three significant new releases: LCD-R (ribbon-based headphones, and CRBN Electrostatic (their first foray into electro-static headphones), the LCD-5's round out this amazing trifecta of great new products. The original LCD-2's wowed the world of personal audio with truly some of the best performing headphones ever released a decade ago. Their relaxed and natural tone was a stark contrast to the many brighter sounding headphones previously released like the AKG K701, Beyerdynamic T1 and Sennheiser HD800.
---> Audeze LCD-5 Flagship Headphones Review.

11 / 29 / 23

Harman Acquires Popular Roon Music Streaming Software
As many music lovers know, Roon is an audiophile-grade music aggregation, connectivity and streaming technology company. Harman, owned by Samsung Electronics, is now free to leverage the popular and flexible Roon service to their automotive, consumer electronics, and vast enterprise markets. According to the press release, "Roon is a music player platform for music enthusiasts, which features a rich interface for browsing and discovering music, compatibility with almost any audio device, and a playback engine designed to deliver the best possible sound. Roon is available for all popular operating systems and manufactures a line of hardware server appliances called Nucleus."

"Roon will operate as a standalone Harman business with its existing team," says Harmon, "All Roon operations will stay in place and continue to be dedicated to serving and growing Roon's community of device partners and customers, under a joint mission to deliver engaging and personalized audio experiences across a universe of products and platforms. Aligned with its ‘work with all' strategy, Harman is committed to growing Roon's open device ecosystem which includes collaborating with more than 160 other audio brands, delivering audio to more than 1000 high-performance devices. Roon's dedication to its loyal community and its exceptional UI/UX design expertise will continue to expand and flourish with the acquisition."

Cruisin' 'Round The Capital Audiofest 2023 Show Report
CAF 2023 was an amazing event!
CAF 2023 Show Report By Bob Grossman
The show circuit is expanding and growing in a big-time way with new and larger events occurring around various regions within the USA. The Capital Audio Fest (CAF) has expanded by 30% with well over 100 vendors in converted hotel rooms spread over four floors along with nearly 40 vendor booths crowded around the huge, large open floor of the Atrium. This weekend-long event also included many presentations and discussions from industry representatives covering topics about equipment designs, audio company developments, record production, and turntable setups. The range of products and displays ran the full gamut from beginner entry and budget types of affordable systems to extreme state-of-the-art presentations with massive sizes of speakers and myriad racks of dazzling equipment.
---> Cruisin' 'Round The Capital Audiofest 2023 Show Report.

11 / 28 / 23

Capital Audiofest 2023 Show Report / Chronicles Part 3
The 7th Floor Part A
Show Report By Rick Becker
Percy Chase — remember that name — drifted into Capital Audiofest just like "A Sheep Out On The Foam" with a couple of prototype speakers that defy his background. I probably saw him in the room, but never suspected he was the Ultra-DIY person behind these two speakers that looked ready for Prime Time. I'm not sure I even heard them play. I have no video notes and no spec sheet for the room. I snapped a couple of shots and picked up a slick brochure, pressing on without even looking at it. As I read it over in my office I'm thinking "Good grief! Who is this company?" There is no website, address, or phone number. But these were not speakers built out of the back of a van. Each is a two-way design, though all the drivers are different. One has a soft dome tweeter, the other an "accordion-type" diaphragm driver.
---> Capital Audiofest 2023 Show Report / Chronicles Part 3.

11 / 27 / 23

Visual Capitalist's 50 Years Of Music Industry Revenues
Visual Capitalist, a company focused on topics including markets, technology, energy, and the global economy, has posted their 50 Years of Music Industry Revenues, by Format. According the them, "For the seventh year in a row, recorded music revenues in the United States rose, hitting a record high of $15.9 billion. The graphic above uses data from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to chart the music industry's evolution over the last 50 years." Everything from the vinyl LP to Vinyl to Cassettes to the latest in digital music streaming is accounted for.

"Because of the significant jump in capacity and audio quality compared to cassettes," according to Visual Capitalist, "the compact disc (CD) quickly became the leader in sales, peaking in 2000 with global sales estimated at around 2.5 billion. CDs would stick around well into the 2000s. But by this time, the first MP3 players were already making their mark, making the idea of strolling around with a disc containing just 10 or 12 tracks feel outdated. Amid the growth of digital music, ringtone and ringback revenues also reached an impressive $1.1 billion in 2007, constituting 10% of the music industry's earnings for that year. At the same time, digital music allowed consumers to purchase cheaper individual songs instead of full albums, and made piracy easier and more widespread, cutting into sales." Learn more at their website.

11 / 24 / 23

The Complete Guide to High-End Audio Sixth Edition
Price: $39 (and worth EVERY penny!!!)
In this newly updated version of Robert Harley's epic The Complete Guide to High-End Audio, it now features the latest in cutting-edge audio equipment including how to choose the best audio equipment on a budget, how to get the best sound for the money, and how to set up a system for maximum performance. Revised and expanded to include all the latest audio technologies, this book is packed with expert advice how to make speakers sound up to 50 percent better at no cost, avoid the most common system set-up mistakes, and how to choose the one speaker in 50 worth owning. Among the new topics covered are streaming audio, computer-based music servers, music-management apps, wireless streaming, high-resolution digital audio. A short course on listening-room acoustics is presented and additional information on audio for home theater, multichannel audio, system set-up secrets, and what each component's specifications and measurements mean is also provided.
Available from Amazon, and yes we make a teeny tiny bit of commission on this must-have reference book.

11 / 22 / 23

Capital Audiofest 2023 Show Report / Chronicles Part 2
The 8th Floor Part B
Show Report By Rick Becker
Rounding 2nd Base was Room 833 which was the second AV Luxury Group room at the show. Bayz is based in Hungary, but manufacturing is done in Denmark. I've raved about the design before and mentioned that only the solid granite base of their speakers is the heavy part. It is not as difficult to install as it may seem. This is maybe the fourth show where I've seen it and I've grown accustomed to its unique presence. It is as much a piece of sculpture as it is a loudspeaker once you've become accustomed to it. As an omni-directional speaker (the sound radiates from the ultralight tubular tweeter that connects the ends of the large tube, right where the two woofers are mounted. So basically, this is just a two-way design with a very high-tech tweeter and exceptionally fast woofers. As you would expect from an omni design, the listening is good throughout the room. And the room need not be humongous as was proven here.
---> Capital Audiofest 2023 Show Report / Chronicles Part 2.

11 / 21 / 23

IAA's 2024 Listener's Choice Awards
The nominees are in for the fourth edition of Immersive Audio Album's annual Listeners' Choice Awards. Thanks to recording studio quality lossless hi-resolution technical innovations, modern immersive audio is a three-dimensional approach musical artists can now employ to create an enveloping sonic landscape of their choosing. While most audiophiles are locked into their stereo system, and thus only get hints of immersion if they sit within a single central location, there are benefits in using more than two loudspeakers. By having four, seven, or more loudspeakers can create a virtually seamless soundscape for all listeners within a room. As we know, for years these modern music enthusiasts are called Immersivephiles^TM, though stereo will of course continue it's now nearly 100 year old journey. According to Immersive Audio Album, "As the end of 2023 approaches, it's time to look back on fan-favorite releases from last year in surround sound and immersive audio. The Grammy Award for Best Immersive Audio Album, formerly Best Surround Sound Album, was first awarded in 2005. Since then, the Recording Academy has always annually recognized the best of the best in surround sound and immersive audio experiences. As music formats have evolved and expanded over the years, so have the audiophile fans - so much so that IAA wants to make sure your voices are heard."

"To acknowledge the difference and impact of different formats in which artists now release their music," continues the IAA, "we are hosting two distinct categories: one for the best immersive audio album you streamed in 2023, and one for the best immersive audio album you downloaded or purchased on physical disc." Discover the nominees for the 2024 Immersive Audio Album Listener's Choice Awards at this link.

11 / 20 / 23

Florida International Audio Expo 2024 Show In February
The funtastic Florida International Audio Expo 2024 is set to take place from February 16th through 18th at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore hotel. Attendees will enjoyed their experience in 12 floors' filled with great luxury sound gear produced by the world's leading premium audio / hi-fi / stereo consumer electronics brands. As their exciting fifth annual Florida International Audio Expo, this is the opportunity for audio and music aficionados to discover this sensational showcase of products that includes home and desktop stereo systems, record players / turntables, headphones, loudspeakers, digital audio music streamers, Hi-Res Audio DACs, cables, amplifiers and more!

The Florida International Audio Expo, with many floors filled with exhibit spaces, will deliver plenty of great sound, plus various exhibit room will feature never before seen new products! Show attendees are the world's first to experience many of the best new high-performance audio products. With an outstanding 12 floors of demonstrations to explore, attendees can experience luxurious premium audio electronics, loudspeakers, turntables, and high-end audio headphones produced by manufacturers from all over the world.
---> Learn More About The Florida International Audio Expo 2024 Show.

11 / 18 / 23

Capital Audiofest 2023 Show Report / Chronicles Part 1
The 8th Floor Part A
Show Report By Rick Becker
Wednesday night before the show I finished my nominations of Best Rooms at the Toronto Audiofest that had taken place just three weekends earlier. Thursday morning I loaded my CD player and an old Counterpoint amp into the Shooting Brake and headed south for Rockville at noon. By 6 p.m. I was in heavy traffic driving into Frederick, MD, and by 7 p.m. I was at the Hilton looking for the open bar sponsored by Enjoy the Music.com. Well, the bar at the Hilton was obviously too sedate for anything sponsored by Enjoy the Music.com. I asked around and learned the party was at a local bar about 100 yards to the east of the Hilton in a little strip mall. I walked over....
---> Capital Audiofest 2023 Show Report / Chronicles Part 1.

11 / 17 / 23

audioXpress' December 2023 Issue
Editorial: Ten Years More Of Everything
Improving GaN With Digital Control
New Ways To Measure Noise Cancelling... In Headphones And Earphones
Optimizing Variable-Frequency Tone Controls
JFETs In The Variable-Resistance Mode And Their Applications
eDD — A Direct-Drive Amplifier For Electrostatic Speakers
Multiroom Audio: From Wired To Wireless
Conference Room Acoustics
Tubes, BJTs, JFETs, MOSFETs, Or ICs?
And Much More!

Within his editorial, J. Martins says "Even though my involvement with this publication started earlier, it was in November 2013 that audioXpress received a facelift, signaling a new life for this publication. We expanded the content and increased our focus on audio research and development (R&D), product design, and acoustic science while maintaining our roots in DIY audio and audio electronics. Over the years I have constantly re-examined those directions and more importantly worked tirelessly to expand our authors' network in line with the technology evolution and constantly evolving audio industry trends. As is always recommended on editorial projects, every year we have re-examined our mission and what was achieved, reflecting both our audience's interests and readership expansion across product and market segments."
---> audioXpress' December 2023 Issue.

11 / 16 / 23

SouthWest Audio Fest Launches In March 2024
The SouthWest Audio Fest arises from the partnership of Gary Gill (Capital Audiofest) and Lou Hinkley (Pacific AudioFest / Daedalus Audio) and their success with the Pacific Audio Fest event, which is destined to be an annual event for high-end audio in the Pacific Northwest serving the entire Pacific region. We are pleased to announce a new industry-operated show for another underserved part of the country... the SouthWest Audio Fest in Dallas in Texas. They worked for over two years to secure a contract with an amazing event hotel, which is very safe, family friendly, and great weather in March too! The Hilton / Anatole in Dallas will host the inaugural show that is slated for March 15th through 17th, 2024, and initially we are focusing on a small but solid regional show. Both Gary Gill and Lou Hinkley are confident that this show will grow and the Anatole has all the room a premium audio event needs.

With over 17 million people and exceptional wealth in this corner of Texas, the local demographics could not be better for high end audio. The location is also very safe and an easy ride from the airport. Couple that with two major hub airports and the ability to get a non-stop flight to Dallas from almost anywhere in this country and beyond, they have reserved an ideal location for a major high-end luxury audio show. Spring in Dallas is beautiful, the music and clubs amazing and the show venue, pure luxury. You can learn more at the SouthWest Audio Fest website.

Hear It Again, Sam
Roger Skoff writes about joys perhaps forgotten.
Article By Roger Skoff
When my daughter was growing up, we used to play a game called "Call it". The rules were simple: When a piece of classical music was on the radio or being played on the system, I would say "Call it", and she would try to tell me as much as she could about what she was hearing. That could be just about anything, but the closer she got to completely identifying the music, the more "points" she got. For example, she could get points for as little as just knowing that what was playing was a concerto – simple enough, if there's a soloist playing with an orchestra that's either continuously in the background or ready to come in after a cadenza. Or she could get them for knowing that a small group of instruments playing together was chamber music. The most points of all, of course, came when she successfully identified a particular performance of a particular piece of music by a particular player or conductor with a particular orchestra....
---> Hear It Again, Sam.

Audience Hidden Treasure In-Wall AC PowerCable And High Definition Wall Receptacle Review
Like a buried treasure that pays huge dividends in musical enjoyment!
Review By Rick Becker
If you're reading this review, you're either considering the installation of a dedicated line in what is likely your dedicated listening room or perhaps your home theater...  or maybe the video rig in your family room if you're seriously into watching TV. Or possibly, you've already installed a line and are wondering if this new Audience cable might be a worthwhile upgrade. In any case, I suspect you're already convinced that "everything matters" in high-end audio, especially cables. Keep reading. Audience is one of the most respected cable manufacturers and my ears perked up when I saw the ad for their new In-Wall AC cable. It's been 20 years since I reviewed Joe Skubinski's JPS Labs Power AC In-Wall cable. He's sold miles of it and "Big Red" has remained my reference dedicated line ever since. What's taken so long for the competition to arise?
---> Audience Hidden Treasure In-Wall AC PowerCable And High Definition Wall Receptacle Review.

11 / 15 / 23

Enjoy the Music.com's Great Audiophile Gift Guide 2023
We're here to help you discover great gifts for your premium audio music lover.
Article By Enjoy the Music.com Staff
Welcome one and all to Enjoy the Music.com's exceptional 18th annual Great Audiophile Gift recommendations! We all love gifts, yet we also know that getting something special for your passionate music lover can be quite a challenge! Our annual Great Audiophile Gift wish list brings you some truly spectacular ideas for music lovers. There are many wonderful products we can recommend to our longstanding loyal readership, and below you will see many excellent recommendations. We know this year has been a challenge for many, and so all recommended gifts this year are reasonably priced to be kind to your wallet. We have gifts that will make your vinyl junkie smile, plus a few surprises along the way! Everyone here at Enjoy the Music.com wishes you and yours a prosperous, joyous, and healthy holiday season. And now, on with our Great Audiophile Gift 2023 suggestions we know you'll love!
---> Enjoy the Music.com's Great Audiophile Gift Guide 2023!

11 / 14 / 23

Universal Music Group Q3 2023 Financial Results
Universal Music Group (UMG) third quarter and nine months (through September 2023) shows that revenue total €2.752 billion, an increased of 3.3% year-over-year, or 9.9% in constant currency. The growth is said to be driven by healthy constant currency growth in all segments. Revenue grew 4.1% year-over-year, or 10.6% in constant currency as we do need to account for the difference in currency values shifting lower over time. While recorded music subscription revenues grew 6.7% year-over-year (13% in constant currency), streaming revenue shows a decline of 1.4% year-over-year (increased 5% in constant currency). As you can see, a global currency's perceived value over time play a major role in profit / losses in large global companies.

Top sellers generating large profits are no surprise and includes Taylor Swift, Seventeen, Morgan Wallen, Olivia Rodrigo, and King & Prince. "Our performance this quarter was marked not only by continued growth across our businesses but also by strong progress on our long-term strategy," said UMG's Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge. "We remain laser-focused on driving sustainable value creation for the company and its stakeholders: identifying and capitalizing on new revenue streams for UMG and our artists, responsibly advancing new technology, and expanding our global footprint."

11 / 13 / 23

Australian Hi-Fi November / December 2023
Editorial: A Cautionary Tale About Perceived Value
PMC Prodigy 1 Bookshelf Speakers
Airpulse A200 Active Monitor Speakers
OAD UP1 Phono Stage
Hi-Fi Primer: Dolby Atmos Music
History Of Portable Audio: Part 2
Best-Produced Record Albums
Top Picks For Music
Sound Travels
And Much More!

Within her editorial, Becky Roberts says "There's no two ways about it; perceived value counts for a lot. No matter how well something performs, there's every chance it'll be disregarded by some in favour of something that looks better. The PMC Prodigy 1 loudspeakers I recently tested with some colleagues (review on page 14) could well fall victim to such misfortune, but for the sake of PMC's efforts and anyone in the market for ~$2,000 standmounters, I really hope it doesn't. When comparing their build to KEF's class-leading LS50 Meta, I politely used the Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy metaphor for their differences in stature (the PMCs tall and slim, the KEFs shorter and stockier), though I could've also made a Beauty and the Beast one (the PMCs being the 'Beast') to communicate the gulf between their aesthetic attraction."
---> Australian Hi-Fi November / December 2023 Issue.

11 / 10 / 23

Best Of Toronto Audiofest 2023 Awards Show Report
Best Rooms At The Toronto Audiofest 2023
Show Report By Rick Becker
In my usual manner, I nominate a variable number of Best Rooms rather than select a First, Second, or Third place. This levels the playing field for sponsors of all rooms, large and small. Gives the guys with smaller, more economical rooms a shot at recognition. Big, expensive rooms don't impress me as much as rooms where the music moves me emotionally, though often there is a strong correlation. I made three cuts from the 49 rooms at the show, though there were more systems than that since several rooms had more than one presentation. And in some cases, speakers and amplification were swapped which would have given a few more unique presentations.
---> Best Of Toronto Audiofest 2023 Awards Show Report.

11 / 09 / 23

Toronto Audiofest 2023 Show Report
Part 5... Lobby Level And Lower Level
Show Report By Rick Becker
With Capital Audiofest coming up later this week, I am going to have to speed through this final part. Put on your speed reading glasses as there was a lot of good gear in these two levels. As you enter the lobby at the front entrance the registration desk is just up ahead on the left. Signage made it more obvious this year that there were rooms straight ahead up a small flight of stairs. I completely missed those rooms last year as it looked more like a restaurant up there than an audio show. It was a welcome change. However, most people approached the hotel from the parking lots behind the building. Signage encouraged them to circle the building to the right and enter from the front door, but savvy veterans entered directly from the door at the back of the building. From this direction, the Atmosphere North room was easily visible and marked with more signage. So let's dive in!
---> Toronto Audiofest 2023 Show Report Part 5.

11 / 07 / 23

Toronto Audiofest 2023 Show Report
Part 4... The Second Floor Booths And Rooms
Show Report By Rick Becker
Sunday morning was like an early fall day, on the cool side with an early morning rain, but nothing to deter the faithful from coming to enjoy the show. I downed my breakfast food, packed my bags, and cleared out of the room so I could work the second half of the show without interruption. The second floor had a mix of enclosed rooms as well as booths at tables positioned around an atrium that was open to the Lobby Level below. Some of those rooms were converted sleeping rooms like the floors above, and some were conference or meeting rooms that ranged in size from small to large. You could take either the stairs or the elevators to reach the Lobby Level; at different times throughout the show, I took either one. Starting clockwise from the top of the stairs as I recall from my photos, which is different than the map in the program.
---> Toronto Audiofest 2023 Show Report Part 4.

11 / 06 / 23

Capital Audiofest (CAF) 2023 Show Is This Weekend
Capital Audiofest (CAF), taking place at the Twinbrook Hilton (Rockville Maryland) from November 10th through 12th, is the Northeast's favorite audio show! CAF started out in 2010 as a very casual show and has evolved into a well-organized and well-attended event that most everyone in the audio industry knows about. CAF is recognized as a fun, friendly and family-oriented show, where you often see families strolling from room to room listening to music, auditioning gear and browsing the multiple bins of vinyl records, CDs and accessories in the Atrium Marketplace. In the evenings we have live music in the bar and special live performers in the Theater, and local distillers offering tasting.

During the event will be wonderful live music plus Enjoy the Music.com in once again sponsoring the Thursday night vendor / press party with live music and free drinks! In 2022 CAF had 92 listening rooms and over 50 booths spanning more than four floors of amazing audio gear, which was the largest CAF to date! CAF opened up many new floors during 2022 to make room for over 150 exhibitors representing hundreds of premium luxury audio brands from around the world. There may also be over 50 Atrium Marketplace vendors including at least two dozen vinyl/LP sellers, making the show a veritable Record Fair. Qobuz may once again set up a Listening Lounge in the Plaza II Ballroom, for show-goers to sample streaming and turntable set-ups with headphones, and just hang out and chill, with free Wi-Fi. Learn more and see our Capital Audiofest (CAF) 2023 Show report.

11 / 03 / 23

Hi-Fi+ November 2023 High-End Audio Magazine
Editorial: It Is Show Season... Again
Meet Your Maker Special: Franc Kuzma
English Acoustics Stereo 41c Tube Amp
dCS Lina Streaming DAC, Clock, And Headamp
Metronome AQWO 2 CD/SACD Player/DAC/Streamer
AURALiC ARIES G2.2 Digital Music Streamer
B.Audio B.amp Mono Power Amplifiers
Larsen Model 9 Floorstanding Loudspeaker
Perlisten S4b, D12s, And SSLR-HGB
Ansuz Mainz8 D3 Power Distributor
Final ZE8000 In-Ear Monitors (IEMs)
Synergistic Research PowerCell SX Power Conditioner
And Much More!

Within this month's editorial, Alan Sircom says "The Show Season is upon us. As soon as the first leaf turns golden-brown, people in the audio world start instinctually packing. Journalists pack their notepads and cameras. Manufacturers break open the flight cases. It's now possible to be in a different country every weekend, attending a show. Sometimes there are two shows on the same weekend, spread worldwide. It's logical that as the nights draw in, people turn their attention to listening to music in the home. And it's equally logical that people who want to buy new audio equipment will get interested from September to April, when the Northern Hemisphere gets a little darker for longer." See what's within this issue of Hi-Fi+ magazine at this link.

11 / 02 / 23

Toronto Audiofest 2023 Show Report
Part 3: The Industry Dinner And Lifetime Achievement Awards
Show Report By Rick Becker
As I started to browse the booths on the walkway surrounding the Atrium on the 2nd Floor, I faintly heard a sound. It grew louder. Wait! Can it be? Yes... it was Lyle Lovett singing....

FiiO BTR7 Portable Bluetooth Headphone Amplifier Review
The shape of things to come.
Review By Paul Schumann
When arriving at the University of Texas at Austin as a freshman, I didn't have a lot of stuff on hand. That's because I flew down from New York and could only listen to music with the Pioneer tape deck I recently purchased and a pair of headphones. While I did have some tapes that were recorded back home, if I wanted to listen to any new music, I would have to buy them as pre-recorded cassette tapes. While enjoying those tapes and their limited sound quality at the time, after a few years they had disintegrated to the point of no return. I never got around to replacing them with vinyl later on, so the albums purchased during that time are closely associated with my freshman year of college. I think what intensified that association was listening to them using headphones, which is a more intimate experience for me. After receiving the FiiO BTR7 Bluetooth Amplifier I was reminded of those times.
---> FiiO BTR7 Portable Bluetooth Headphone Amplifier Review.

Premium Luxury Audio Fall Foliage Tweakfest 2022
Featuring the Bybee Clarifiers and Massif Record Weight / Cable Risers, plus Synergistic Purple Duplex Outlet, MiG 3.0 Footers, and Carbon Tuning Discs.
Review By Rick Becker
Well, audio tweaks are not exactly history-altering inventions like the printing press.... Thus, my annual Tweakfest of small, but significant products, has drifted into fall, just in time for the November issue and foreshadowing the Holiday Gift Guide. The cognoscenti of audio forums have probably christened me a fanboy of Synergistic Research, but I've been continually impressed with the creations from the mind of Ted Denney. His major products are cables and power conditioners, but once he makes a discovery it is frequently spread throughout a multitude of smaller products and occasionally gives birth to a new tweak. I'll cover three such items, plus a few more, in this Fall Foliage Tweakfest.
---> Premium Luxury Audio Fall Foliage Tweakfest 2022.

11 / 01 / 23

Enjoy the Music.com's November Premium Audio Review Magazine
Shows, shows, and more shows! This month's Review Magazine features three show reports, a world premiere review of Bella Sound's sensational Hanalei monoblock amplifier, and our expert assessment of AGD's amazing Audion Mk III monoblock amplifier. Senior Editor Greg Weaver shares his expertise and discusses the benefits of using the MDS Audio ES-001 Vinyl LP Eccentricity Detection Stabilizer. Other videos include the Nagra SN reel-to-reel tape player / recorder, Record Safari: Digging In The Crates Of America documentary, and StereoNET's Mark Gusew interviews Melbourne Audio Club President Laurie Nicholson. All this and more within our November issue. Be sure to join us for more fun and bonus content within our Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter social media pages. As always, in the end what really matters is that you... enjoy the music!

Capital Audiofest (CAF) 2023 Show Report
CAF 2023 premium luxury audio event coverage.
Capital Audiofest (CAF) is the Northeast's favorite audio show! CAF started out in 2010 as a very casual show and has evolved into a well-organized and well-attended event that most everyone in the audio industry knows about. CAF is recognized as a fun, friendly and family-oriented show, where you often see families strolling from room to room listening to music, auditioning gear and browsing the multiple bins of vinyl records, CDs and accessories in the Atrium Marketplace. In the evenings we have live music in the bar and special live performers in the Theater, and local distillers offering tasting. During the event will be wonderful live music plus Enjoy the Music.com in once again sponsoring the Thursday night vendor / press party with live music and free drinks!
---> Capital Audiofest (CAF) 2023 Show Report.

Toronto Audiofest 2023 Show Report
The Toronto Audiofest 2023 show, held from October 20th through 22nd, features one of Canada's best luxurious premium high-technology home audio and video showcase. The Toronto Audiofest is an acclaimed consumer electronics (CE) exhibition. It brings together hundreds of audio brands featuring top-rated audio and video equipment from around the globe. Attendees may hear, touch, and compare various sound systems within many floors of demo rooms. It is the perfect place to experience the ultimate in sound quality. If you are considering acquiring a complete sound system or only a new piece of equipment, the Toronto Audiofest 2023 is the place for you! Virtually all visitors share one thing in common, they have a deep passion for music! While some are longstanding audiophiles, many others are music lovers and/or just curious to discover the benefits of better sound quality.
---> Toronto Audiofest 2023 Show Report.

UK Audio Show 2023 Report
This year's very special UK Audio Show once again took place at the Staverton Park Hotel on October 7th and 8th, 2023. With four established events, plus a new one, and the return of an old favorite, let's raise a glass to the Chester Group and the enterprising UK industry. Manufacturers and distributors can now cover the whole of the UK, and local dealerships benefit from local promotion and sales. "I enjoyed the UK Audio Show 2023 immensely," said Enjoy the Music.com reporter Clive Meakins. "Thank you to Chester Group for once again putting together another great show and thanks to all the exhibitors for being so very helpful."
---> The UK Audio Show 2023 Report.

World Premiere Review!
Bella Sound Hanalei Monoblock Amplifier Review
Captivated by the music, and more than impressed by the sound quality.
Review By Tom Lyle
Bella Sound's offices and factory are in Northern California, about 25 miles south of San Francisco. They design and manufacture amplifiers, power conditioners, and AC power cables. The subject of this review is their Hanalei monoblocks, which have an output rating of a substantial 700 Watts into 4 Ohms. Bella Sound offers one other amplifier, their Kahili stereo amplifier, rated at 400 Wpc, not as powerful as the Hanalei monoblocks, but still a considerable amount of power. Both amplifiers that Bella Sound manufactures have enough solid-state power that one might not be faulted for assuming that both their amplifiers, especially the subject of this review, are made with a Class D circuit.
---> Bella Sound Hanalei Monoblock Amplifier Review.

AGD Audion Mk III Monoblock Amplifier Review
Art deco style with an emotionally engaging, tonally rich, and high-resolution sound.
Review By Rick Becker
It was love at first sight when I discovered the new AGD Audio at Rocky Mountain Audiofest back in 2019. My review came out in the February 2020 issue and it was awarded a Best of 2020 Blue Note Award. Now, four years later, it still puts a smile on my face when I turn it on. It's priced at $7850 per pair in a satin finish and $8600 in full polish, a modest price increase from the $6800 in satin and $7500 in polished when first introduced. Given how quantitative easing to deal with COVID-19, along with supply chain disruptions and opportunistic suppliers has led to inflation, this is sadly understandable. Factoring in the increase in sound quality brought first by the Mk II, and now the Mk III, well, that's what this review is all about.
--->AGD Audion Mk III Monoblock Amplifier Review.

MDS Audio ES-001 Vinyl LP Eccentricity Detection Stabilizer Review
How it is built, what it addresses, and why it works.
Video By Greg Weaver (a.k.a. The Audio Analyst)
Last spring, I finally got a chance to hear what a difference the remarkable DS Audio ES-001 Eccentricity Detection Stabilizer could impart to LP playback, and I was completely shocked. The first thing most people say when I mention its name is, "What is eccentricity?" Well, if there is any deviation from or LP having a perfectly circular rotational path around the turntable spindle, any deviance or aberrations from the perfect revolution around the spindle contribute to, and are measured as, eccentricity. In this episode, I take a dive into how it is built, what it addresses, and why it works.
---> MDS Audio ES-001 Vinyl LP Eccentricity Detection Stabilizer.

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