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High-Performance
Audio Gear Reviews,
Music News, Show Reports, Articles & More!
29 Years Of Service To Music
Lovers.
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Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Stand-Mounted Loudspeaker Review
A sense of performance that gets out of the way of your music.
Review By Simon Lucas
Getting to 'Series
3' of the Bowers & Wilkins 705 stand-mounting loudspeaker has been a rather
more convoluted process than it might seem at first glance. You might imagine
that 'S3' replaces 'S2', which in turn replaced 'S1' (or perhaps just '705') –
but you'd be wrong. Getting to '705 S3' initially required there to be an original
'705', it's true. But after this, the entire 700 range (for reasons no one cares
to remember) became the 'CM' range. 'CM' didn't remain a thing for all that
long, and was replaced by the 'S2' range of 700 models. Then the 705 S2 (and the
702 S2 floorstander) were singled out for the Bowers & Wilkins 'Signature'
treatment – I reviewed the 705 Signature in issue 187 of this very magazine.
These 'Signature' editions ran alongside the 'vanilla' S2 models on which they
were based.
--->
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Stand-Mounted Loudspeaker Review.
McIntosh MP100 Phono Preamplifier / DAC Review
A serious piece of kit for an entry level vinyl setup.
Review By Gary Lea
If you are a reader of this esteemed publication it is not a
stretch to presume you are an audiophile and probably pretty deep into our
wonderful hobby. Having said that, I think you would be hard-pressed to find
anyone amongst us who has not heard of, listened to, or even owned McIntosh
components at some time in our audio journey. Right after college, and I started making reasonable money for
the first time, I moved up from a Yamaha integrated amp to a McIntosh MA6200
integrated unit. Sound-wise it was a toss-up between that and a comparable
Luxman. While Luxman was perhaps a bit more exotic, I just could not resist the
aesthetics of the McIntosh and I never regretted the decision. That was some 43 years ago and was the second phase of my
serious journey down the HiFi Highway.
--->
McIntosh MP100 Phono Preamplifier / DAC Review.
AXPONA 2024 Show Report (Updated
04/16)
Audio Expo North
America (AXPONA) 2024 three-day experience featured a multitude of floors,
with a total of approximately 200 listening rooms. Special showcases include the
Expo Hall featuring The Record Fair, The Ear Gear Experience, and a variety of seminars. Whether you're a
very serious audiophile, a newcomer to high-end audio or simply a music lover, you found everything you need to immerse yourself in your favorite
sounds. The Ear Gear Experience is the place to go to find everything from open-back, closed-back, in-ear headphones and accessories, as well as cables DACs and players. You can also shop audio accessories, turntables, cables and more in the Expo Hall. Plus find new and vintage vinyl in AXPONA's own Record Fair.
---> AXPONA 2024 High-End Audio Show
Report.
Montréal Audiofest 2024 Show
Report
(Updated 04/15)
Canada's Montréal Audiofest 2024 Event Coverage
The Salon Audio Montreal Audiofest
2024, scheduled from March 22nd through 24th, will bring together over 5000 visitors who
desire seeing, touching, and listening to over 300 brands of high-performance audio products
all under one roof. As the largest show in Canada, you may experience
the very best audio/video industry manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in Canada.
Within each listening room, exhibitors are elated to share their passion for music with you by demonstrating some of the world's best sound systems from
$5000 to $500,000. Montréal Audiofest is celebrating its 35th edition
in 2024 and remains the must-attend event for audiophiles and music lovers.
---> Montréal Audiofest 2024 Show
Report.
Southwest Audio Fest 2024 Hi-Fi Show
Report
SWAF's 2024 high-performance premium audio event coverage.
The Southwest Audio Fest
(SWAF) 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.
The show promoters 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!
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.
---> Southwest Audio Fest 2024 Hi-Fi Show
Report.
audioXpress' May 2024 Issue
Editorial: No Truth. Just Joy.
The Neurochrome Story
The Open-Loop Complementary Follower And An Amplifying Stage
A High-Performance 60-Watt Class A Amplifier Part 2
Sustainable Acoustical Absorption
Glass Audio: The TubeSociety 2022 OTL Hybrid Tube Amplifier
A Low-Feedback Triode Amplifier With Zero Output Impedance Part 1
Tube Output Power
Optimizing Single-Stage Dual-Triode Totem Pole Drivers
And Much More!
---> audioXpress' May 2024 Issue.
Record Store Day 2024 Is This Weekend
Record Store Day 2024 will celebrate the many important independent record stores in the USA and internationally on April 20, 2024. Record Store Day was originally conceived during 2007 when a few independent record store owners as an avenue to rejoice and share the love for local record stores. Record store staff, music lovers and musicians come together to celebrate the wonderful diversity of music and the
important local role each store plays at showcasing their local talent and the unique global music
culture. According to the Record Store Day website, "Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, DJs spinning records, and on and on. In 2008 a small list of titles was released on Record Store Day and that list has grown to include artists and labels both large and small, in every genre and price
point."
---> Record Store Day Is This Weekend.
T.H.E. Show SoCal 2024 Discount Hotel Rooms Available
North America's longest running hi-fi audio trade show, T.H.E. Show, is set to take place from June 7th through 9th at the Hilton Orange County Costa Mesa. T.H.E. Hotel Room Block is now available for our attendees at a very special discounted rate so make sure to book your rooms now. With this booking link, attendees will also be entitled to a special parking rate of $20 per day per vehicle (last year it was $28 so they are pleased to offer an even deeper savings). Armed Forces and children under 12 receive complimentary entry (with proof of
service). T.H.E. Club Lounge will be open for members of all audio societies and music clubs! Please bring proof of membership and you will be welcomed in for complimentary beverages, snacks, networking, and relaxation.
---> T.H.E. Show SoCal 2024 Discount Hotel Rooms Available.
HIGH END 2024 In Munich Features Steven Wilson
This just in from the world's most important and largest high-end audio event
globally: Acclaimed musician and producer Steven Wilson will be presenting his most recent album "The Harmony Codex" in immersive audio reproduction at the HIGH END 2024, taking place from May 9 to 12 at the MOC Event Center in Munich. In cooperation with the
organizer of the international audio show and the company PMC, which has exhibited at the HIGH END for many years, Wilson will be holding a series of seminars on all four days of the event, sharing his vast knowledge and experience of mixing in spatial audio with his
guests. At the presentations, visitors will have the unique opportunity to become familiar with the creative use of reference level audio, guided by the Grammy-nominated spatial audio mix engineer and one of the world's leading songwriters and
producers.
---> HIGH END 2024 In Munich Features Steven Wilson.
How To Buy A Violin... Or Something Like
That
Laying out money for music.
Article
By Roger Skoff
It's
only been about a century since, if you wanted to hear music, you either had to
play or sing it yourself or get somebody else to do it for you. Sure, the first
music recording was made back in 1860, by a Frenchman, Edouard-Leon Scott de
Martinville, and, sure, the phonograph (but not in a form we'd recognize it
today) was invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison, but it wasn't until 1925 that
electrical recording came along and made buying a record for an evening of
listening a practical reality. And it wasn't until the 1940s that even any
attempt was made to record and reproduce what we now call "High Fidelity" sound.
Before then, if you wanted to listen to music at home, you
either had to make it yourself or invite people over to make it for or with you.
--->
How To Buy A Violin... Or Something Like That.
Eminent Technology LFT8c Loudspeaker Review
Dipole done well.
Review By Jules Coleman
If you are not familiar with Bruce Thigpen,
it's time you were. Bruce has been among the more creative and innovative designers in the audio industry over the past forty years. He began his career by working on what was to become the Infinity turntable, which he followed with the classic and much-admired ET 2 linear tracking tonearm (parts and updates are still available for the model 1, ET-2 and ET- 2.5), before turning his attention to magnetic planar loudspeakers. Beginning with the full-range planar LFT3, he ultimately shifted focus to hybrid designs featuring planar mid and high-frequency drivers mated with traditional cone drivers to handle the lower frequencies. The shift in focus led to the development of the LFT-8 introduced in 1989 and then widely distributed beginning in 1990, the transformative version of which, LFT-8c, is the subject of this
review.
--->
Eminent Technology LFT8c Loudspeaker Review.
World Premiere Review!
AGD DUET GaN-Power Monoblock Amplifier
Review
Defining your artistic sensibilities.
Review By Dr. Michael Bump
Professional musicians have a first love, and it's usually not
their mother or high school sweetheart, but rather the instruments they surround
themselves with throughout their lives. Sometimes this serves a nostalgic
purpose, though in most cases, it is because the instrument's sound defines them
(The Harry Potter analogy of "the wand chooses you" comes to mind). Theirs is a
uniquely personal relationship. We all identify John "Bonzo" Bonham through his
style of drumming and the sound of his Ludwig drum kit. The size, tuning, shell
material, cymbals, use of timpani, etc. were his calling card, inspiring his
touch / gesture, helping define him, and in turn, helping define Led Zeppelin. For
almost his entire career, Pablo Casals performed on but a single instrument –
a cello crafted around 1700 by the Venetian luthier, Matteo Gofriller. And of
course, who can imagine listening to Willy Nelson's music without the voice of "Trigger,"
his faithful Martin N-20 nylon-string guitar, on which he's been performing and
recording for over 55 years.
--->
AGD DUET GaN-Power Monoblock Amplifier Review.
RSX Benchmark Series Cables Review
You owe it to yourself to try these out.
Review By Brett Rudolph
It's
always an experience when you get the opportunity to review cables. They take a
while to break in, and if they do their job correctly, they should disappear,
leaving you with the ultimate playback system, where everything is perfect. In
reality, of course, no playback system can be perfect — the components and
speakers you use always impact the quality of the sound you hear. However, what
people fail to realize is that, although sometimes subtly, the cables you use
can and usually do impact the sound, as well. It seems like yesterday, but in reality, it was a few months
ago when I first spoke to Roger Skoff, the designer and owner of RSX cables.
Roger was involved in cable design for quite several years. The first brand of
cables he launched was XLO, the brand whose most famous ad was a two-page spread
showing just a loop of cable (no connectors) and, in small type, just the words:
Looks like no other, sounds like no other, sounds like nothing at all.
--->
RSX Benchmark Series Cables Review.
More reviews & articles within our Review Magazine.
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