AGD "The Audion" GaNTube
Monoblocks Review
Class D reaches the upper echelon of high-end audio.
Review By Rick Becker
Back
at the turn of the millennium you could put together a pretty good audio system
for $10,000, and you could listen to many of those components in a local brick
& mortar store if you lived in a decent size city. Sure there was some
stratospherically priced gear in the $10,000 to $20,000 range you might
be able to see if you went to one of the audio shows on the left or right
coasts. Then along came "quantitative easing" and the internet. Gear got more
expensive, the brick & mortar landscape eroded and major as well as regional
audio shows proliferated. Eventually, higher prices seemed to have attracted
more well-heeled patrons to the hobby, not unlike what happened to the bicycle
industry a generation or two earlier.
--->
AGD "The Audion" GaNTube Monoblocks Review.
LampizatOr Baltic 3 Hi-Res DAC Review
A new approach to Noval tube design from
Poland.
Review By Greg Weaver
Founded near Warsaw Poland in 2010, while LampizatOr
builds electronics and speakers, many are not aware of those offerings, as it
was their exceptional tubed DACs that first put the company on the map. Owned
and operated exclusively by its designer Łukasz Fikus, after hearing the
disarming $17,250 Golden Gate
DAC some seven years ago, then the even more
engaging $27,000 Pacific DAC at a show during 2018, the reason for their success became
apparent. Both these SET-based devices offered a conspicuous step closer to the
undeniable naturalness, organic coherence, and space and dimensionality offered
by the very best LP transcription systems. Łukasz and LampizatOr North America principal Fred Ainsley have recently
announced the launch of the nearly $50,000 Horizon DAC, which I will get to hear
at its official launch during the third Florida Audio Expo in mid-February of
this year.
--->
LampizatOr Baltic 3 Hi-Res DAC Review.
Florida International Audio Expo
2025 Show Report (Updated 02/28)
The
Florida International Audio Expo 2025 took place from February 21st through
23rd at the Sheraton Tampa Brandon, the event's new, and larger, venue. The Florida International Audio Expo
showcased many floors
filled with exhibit spaces featuring the latest in home and portable audio gear.
You could enjoy an abundance of great sound from mono to stereo and immersive, plus various
exhibit rooms featured never before seen new products! Show attendees were the
world's first to experience many of the best new high-performance, hi-resolution
modern audio products!
With many floors and large conference rooms of demonstrations to explore, attendees
experienced
luxurious immersive premium audio electronics, loudspeakers, turntables, and high-end
audio headphones produced by manufacturers from all around the world.
---> Florida International Audio Expo 2025
(FIAE 2025) Show Report.
March
Audiophile Review Magazine, FIAE, And SWAF Show Reports
As Enjoy the
Music.com continues celebrating our outstanding 30 years of devoted
dedication to music enthusiasts globally, our March 2025 Review Magazine
proposes intriguing ideas for both the high-end audio industry and music
lovers alike. Roger Skoff's editorial continues the industry's ideas for
reaching more enthusiasts. Resonating with Roger, Steven R. Rochlin asks if
the high-end audio sector is being properly represented. We welcome your
thoughts. With more fantastic Florida International Audio Expo 2025 show
coverage being posted virtually daily, we're also preparing for the Southwest
Audio Fest (SWAF) 2025 late this month in Texas. As always, in the end what really matters is that
you... enjoy the music!
---> March Audiophile Review
Magazine, FIAE, And SWAF Show
Reports.
MTV Unplugged Episodes Now Available On Paramount+
Paramount+ has recently added a treasure trove of classic MTV Unplugged episodes to its streaming service. Over 50 episodes from the iconic live performance series are now available, featuring legendary performances from artists like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Paul McCartney, Oasis, R.E.M., Alanis Morissette, Alice in Chains, and Bob Dylan. Note that these episodes have not been available in well over 20 years, and include legendary performances we know
Enjoy the Music.com fans will love. In addition to MTV Unplugged, Paramount+ has also included dozens of episodes from VH1 Storytellers and CMT Crossroads. These episodes feature standout performances from artists such as David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Alicia Keys, and Elton John. Many of these episodes haven't been available for over 20 years, making this a fantastic opportunity for music fans to relive some of the most memorable live performances in history.
---> MTV Unplugged Episodes Now Available On Paramount+.
Warning: Using Active Noise-Canceling Headphones May Cause Auditory Processing Disorder
Recent studies have raised concerns about the potential impact of noise-canceling headphones on brain health. Audiologists in the UK have reported an increase in cases of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), a condition that affects the brain's ability to process sounds despite normal hearing levels. This condition has been observed particularly among young people who frequently use noise-canceling headphones. The theory is that by blocking out everyday sounds, these headphones might disrupt the brain's natural development of auditory processing skills. This could lead to difficulties in focusing on and understanding sounds in noisy environments. In noise-canceling headphones, the anti-noise signal created by the headphones is designed to be the exact opposite of the external noise.
---> Warning: Using Active Noise-Canceling Headphones May Cause Auditory Processing Disorder.
Coachella 2025 To Feature Kraftwerk And Many Others
Coachella 2025 is set to be an unforgettable experience! The festival will take place over two weekends: April 11th through 13th and April 18th through 20th, 2025, at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Featuring an incredible lineup of artists across various genres, headliners include Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone, and Travis Scott. Electronic acts include The Prodigy, Kraftwerk, Above & Beyond, Amelie Lens, Chris Stussy, and Mind Against. For lovers of modern Hip-Hop and R&B, Missy Elliott, Megan Thee Stallion, Charli XCX, and Ty Dolla $ign are planned to perform. Pop and Rock
genres will be Jimmy Eat World, The Misfits, FKA Twigs, Clairo, and Benson Boone. Latin Music fans will enjoy Iván Cornejo, Junior H, and Anitta while the K-Pop will have solo performances from BLACKPINK's Lisa and Jennie, as well as
Enhypen.
---> Coachella 2025 To Feature Kraftwerk And Many Others.
audioXpress' March 2025 Issue
Editorial: How Things Measure
Audio THD With QSPICE
The Analog Engineer Calculator & Pocket Reference
The SL-100 Sound Level Adjuster
Reinforced Speaker Protection
Zoran M. Dukic's High End Tube Amplifiers Designer Tool Box
New Op-Amp For Phono Preamps Part 2
Measuring HDMI Audio
Testing Power Amplifiers
The Early Days of Speaker Acoustics
And Much More!
---> audioXpress March 2025
Issue.
YG Acoustics Hailey 2.2 Floorstanding
Loudspeaker Review
The middleweight contender....
Review By Phil Gold
Cards on the
table. I've owned the YG Carmel and the YG Carmel
2, each of which I've reviewed in these pages in January 2012 and July 2015
respectively. You can read them here and weep. I'm addicted to
the ultra-high resolution, low distortion, lightning reflexes, dynamic range and
the holographic imaging of the Carmel speakers. They are not for everyone.
Due to the particular way they are constructed from billets of aircraft grade
aluminum, they cost a lot of money, and due to their relatively small size, they
don't reach down all that deep. The sealed box design does provide a superbly
fast accurate bass, but while the quality is high, the quantity is limited. Today I'm going to look at the latest version of
the Carmel's bigger brother, the Hailey 2.2.
--->
YG Acoustics Hailey 2.2 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.
Aavik Acoustics I-180 Integrated Amplifier, D-180 DAC, And S-180
Streamer / Network Player Review
A symbiotic sonic relationship... for
your listening pleasures.
Review By Tom Lyle
The Danish
high-end audio manufacturer Aavik was nice enough to send me three components
from their entry level-line. I call this gear "entry-level" not because it is a
system priced for those new to the exciting world of high-end audio but because
they are the least expensive components in Aavik Acoustics' 180 / 280 / 580
line. I did not know the price of these three components when they
arrived at my home for review. On looks alone, I assumed that they would cost
much more. About halfway through the review period, I peeked inside the cabinet
of this integrated amplifier. Its innards looked as if they were constructed by
an engineer but also by a visual artist. Its complex yet very neatly arranged
interior was impressive. During my audition of all three components, I determined that
their display and intelligent functionality belied their relatively low price.
--->
Aavik Acoustics I-180 Integrated Amplifier, D-180 DAC, And S-180 Streamer / Network Player
Review.
Furutech DF-2 Vinyl LP
Record Disc Flattener Review
Plus the system that time forgot.
Review By Ray Chowkwanyun
The test record was Linda Rondstadt's Living
in the USA. Hers is a voice that comes along once in a generation.
Unfortunately, my LP copy had a warp that comes along once in a
generation.
Altogether, I had four LP copies of this album. The one with the worst warp
sounded the best, naturally. The other three sounded the same as far as I could
tell. These three I used as my reference so as not to rely on fallible aural
memory. The first test record sounded like the other two references
and weighed 128 grams. Furutech says not to treat any record weighing less than
110 grams which is 3.88 ounces. Nor any record made during the oil crisis
weighing between 100 and 115 grams.) Naturally, you should clean the record
before flattening. I use the first three stages of the excellent Walker system.
---> Furutech DF-2 Vinyl LP Record Disc
Flattener.
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