Enjoy the Music.com December 2024 Audiophile High-End Audio Review Magazine, High-Performance Hi-Fi, Luxury Premium High Fidelity, Sound Gear, Stereo System, And Immersivephile

December 2024

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

It's Holiday Time Again
Greeting the season with glorious celebration music.
Article By Roger Skoff
Now that the Thanksgiving feast has been reduced to leftovers and we're already seeing homes, stores, and even downtown streets decorated with holiday cheer, what are you doing to prepare for what's to come? Have you put together your gift list for Christmas or Hanukkah – either who should be remembered or what to get them? Have you planned the parties or events to throw or attend? If you're going out, where are you going to go? And, with winter on the way, are you prepared to spend more time at home, whether with family, friends, or just by yourself, keeping warm? Either way, you'll likely be spending more time there, so do you know what you're going to do with it, other than such mandatory things as keeping up with sports or watching the ball drop on New Year's Eve?
---> It's Holiday Time Again.

Audiophile Opinions
There's always someone ready and willing to take the contrarian view.
Editorial By Alan Sircom
To get at least three completely different opinions on something, ask two audiophiles. In every aspect of audio performance, there's always someone ready and willing to take the contrarian view, and argue it at length. We've had audio enthusiasts fight over the superiority of tubes over solid-state, LP versus CD, CD versus SACD, horns versus panels versus conventional box loudspeakers, and so on. There are those for whom the last 60 years of audio have become progressively worse, and there are those who think we are living in an ever-improving Golden Age of audio. Although they seldom get physically violent, these fights can be longwinded and fractious. Our sister title The Absolute Sound had two people arguing on a forum thread for several years with no conclusion in sight by the time the forum itself was switched off!
---> Audiophile Opinions.

Wireless Audio Roadmap
New scalable codecs plus increased bandwidth will ensure better sound quality.
Editorial By J. Martins
Wireless audio is truly remarkable. Whenever I use my smartphone to play music on earbuds, in the middle of a busy street or on a plane, and I hear the music, the experience never ceases to amaze me. When I'm not at home, it's likely I'm streaming from a cellular network service directly to my smartphone, and using Bluetooth to stream from that device to two "true wireless stereo" earbuds or to headphones. (I previously downloaded my favorite music, but these days with 5G, most consumers just press play and never stop to think about how the "magic" happens.) In the audio industry, we tend to criticize Bluetooth for being the last link that still forces us to hear music in compressed form, disregarding the fact that the stream was playing from a central repository somewhere on the other side of the continent, or even in another country, and passing through a complex maze of network servers and cellular links until it reaches our devices.
---> Wireless Audio Roadmap.

Capital Audiofest 2024 Show Report
With over 120 exhibition rooms, Washington DC's premier high-performance audio event, the Capital Audiofest (CAF) 2024 is set to take place at the Hilton Rockville (Maryland) from November 8th through 10th. Capital Audiofest started out in 2010 as a very casual show and has evolved into a well-organized and well-attended event, while also being recognized as a fun, friendly, and family-oriented high-end audiophile show. Families can casually stroll from room to room listening to music, auditioning gear, and browsing many bins of vinyl LP records, CDs, and hi-fi accessories. During the evenings, CAF 2024 will have live music in the bar area. Capital Audiofest, held at the Hilton Rockville in Rockville, MD, is a beautiful venue and conveniently located next to a metro station.
---> Capital Audiofest 2024 Show Report.

Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report
The Toronto Audiofest 2024 show, held from October 18th through 20th, is one of Canada's best luxurious premium high-technology home audio and video showcases. The Toronto Audiofest is made available to audio companies who believe that supporting the audio industry and its community, including the many enthusiasts who come to attend shows, is important to the industry's development and overall vitality. These shows represent the only way dealers and manufacturers can meet so many audio enthusiasts face-to-face in one place, people who have come to see, hear, and shop hundreds of brands and products in a festive, quality environment that can't be found anywhere else, and to share their findings with others. The Toronto Audiofest 2024 event brings together hundreds of audio brands featuring top rated high-end audio and video (audiophile and videophile) equipment from around the globe.
---> Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report.

AGD Productions SOLO Limited Edition GaN-Power Monoblock Amplifiers And Andante Mk II Preamplifier / DAC / Phonostage / Music Streamer Review
The apex of musical reproduction in ways no other Class D design has yet achieved.
Review By Dr. Michael Bump
As a classically trained percussionist / composer whose forte gravitates towards modern chamber music, I naturally seek out and explore the most current of musical ideas – Those that delve into sonic territory yet undiscovered. Contemporary percussion recognizes the fundamental responsibility of the percussionist-as-inventor. Indeed, we percussionists are creatures donning many hats, an amalgam of scientists, naturalists, engineers, archeologists, et al, compelled to follow the sonic siren of our artistic goals, unconventional or otherwise, that ultimately shapes our art. We are musicians in search of a sound, whose obsession it is to seek the source and its means of actuation (Yes, in the right hands, everything is a potential musical instrument!).
---> AGD Productions SOLO Limited Edition GaN-Power Monoblock Amplifiers And Andante Mk II Preamplifier / DAC / Phonostage / Music Streamer Review.

Vivid Audio Moya M1 Loudspeaker Review
Vivid Audio's sonic and sculptural masterpiece.
Review By Maurice Jeffries
In mid-September, GTT Audio & Video head honcho Bill Parish invited an enthusiastic cohort of reviewers to his suburban New Jersey digs to hear speaker designer extraordinaire Laurence Dickie ruminate about his, and by extension, Vivid Audio's new Moya M1 flagship floorstanding loudspeaker (LD is the chief designer at Vivid Audio) and listen to the speakers. GTT Audio & Video became Vivid Audio's exclusive North American distributor on January 1, 2023. Bill and the firm that he owns took over representation of the line at the end of Vivid's long-term association with audio distributor On a Higher Note. Standing at over five feet tall and measuring 26 inches wide by a whopping 48 inches deep, the Moya1 M1 cuts an imposing and, in the exhibited gunmetal gray finish, truly intimidating figure.
---> Vivid Audio Moya M1 Loudspeaker Review.

World Premiere Review
Siltech Master Crown Cables Review
A first listen to the paragon in today's world of connectology.
Review By Greg Weaver
During the third week in June, I was invited to attend a limited press event in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The event was sponsored by Monarch Systems, based in Englewood, CO, Siltech's US Importer, to introduce and promote the launch of Siltech's new flagship line of cables, Master Crown. I reported on that event here, at Enjoy the Music.com, on June 29th, with Siltech Launches Master Crown Cables. I also provided coverage on my audio analyst YouTube channel, with E181: Siltech's Master Crown Cable, on June 30, 2024 (video is near the bottom of this review). The company was founded with the inspired efforts of two music students, Hans de Ligt and Michel de Goey. These two were exploring the fabrication of cables, not by chance, luck, or intuition, but by applying science and metallurgical knowledge.
---> Siltech Master Crown Cables Review.

World Premiere Review!
FiiO S15 Music Streamer, Hi-Res DAC, And Bluetooth Receiver Review
The FiiO S15's ease of use and impressive features is matched by its' excellent sound quality.
Review By Tom Lyle
I am a proponent of FiiO's portable digital audio players (DAPs). Since I'm an audiophile practically obsessed with music but cannot sit in front of my main audio system to listen to music 24/7, using a DAP is not an option but a must. I've auditioned many DAPs in the past, and since the spring of 2024, I've been using FiiO's top-of-the-line M17 "Portable Desktop-Class Music Player" daily. It has the best sound quality of any sub-$2000 DAP I've ever heard. When I was offered the opportunity to review FiiO's new S15 Music Streamer / Hi-Res DAC / Bluetooth Receiver, I immediately said "yes." After FiiO began marketing their all-in-one desktop system, the approximately 6" square R7, in early 2023, they decided to continue developing this type of product and now offer audiophiles and music lovers the subject of this review: their component-sized S15, a streamer that can also be used as a preamp, a DAC, and a Bluetooth receiver.
---> FiiO S15 Music Streamer, Hi-Res DAC, And Bluetooth Receiver Review.

World Premiere Review!
Wells Audio Innamorata III Stereo Power Amplifier Review
Incredible voicing, seductive soundscape, and high-performance musical pleasures.
Review By Ron Nagle
As an audio manufacturer and owner of Audible Arts, Jeff Wells is at the very foundation of what drives high-end, high-performance luxury audio. Need proof? Then read the below review of the Wells Audio Innamorata III power amplifier to truly grasp the outstanding nature of this product's design and engineering. Jeff Wells is an old-school entrepreneur who founded a family business in 2014 with only $2600 of spare parts and a great idea. There would be no high-quality audio today without small startups and visionaries who are willing to take great risks. And I say thanks to that group of audio entrepreneurs whose innovations are the lifeblood of our hobby! Let's take a look at the new Wells Audio Innamorata power amplifier.
---> Wells Audio Innamorata III Stereo Power Amplifier Review.

Hegel Music Systems H400 Streamliner Review
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Review By Paul Schumann
One of the rites of passage into adulthood for my generation was the purchasing of an audio system. You saved up enough scratch at some point, went down to the local fi-fi store, and picked out a system. The heart of this system would be the receiver. It had everything you needed: a phono preamp, tuner, tape loop, and power amp. All you needed was a turntable with a pre-mounted cartridge and a pair of speakers, and you were set. If you had some extra cash, you could pick up a cassette deck to record the "King Biscuit Flour Hour" on the radio. That sustained many of us until we were compelled to buy a multi-channel home entertainment system or go into high-end equipment and demote our receiver to the garage. Eventually, dust, humidity, and father time would take their toll and our stalwart would give up the ghost.
---> Hegel Music Systems H400 Streamliner Review.

Triangle Borea BR03 Connect Monitor Loudspeaker Review
No muss and no fuss for only $699.
Review By Ric Mancuso / Bargain Audiophile
Triangle is an audio company based in France and has been developing and manufacturing Hi-Fi loudspeakers for more than 40 years. The BR03 CONNECT speaker system is a lifestyle sound system that incorporates multi-source connectivity offering a simple and elegant way to listen to music. I own a pair of the BR02 passive speakers and use them frequently to introduce myself to electronic pairings with various components. They are used in my stable of speakers, which are of high efficiency and can reveal the nature of upstream components. In an obtuse way, they are the canary in the coal mine. Being the Bargain Audiophile that I am, the customer for the BR03 CONNECT system would be someone(s) who would like a no-fuss way of getting good sound with the ease of set-up and good value.
---> Triangle Borea BR03 Connect Monitor Loudspeaker Review.

Furutech NCF Power Vault, Project V1 Power Cable And AC Duplex Wall Ensemble Review
Elevating the performance of my stereo sound system.
Review By Rick Becker
I opened a promotional email recently for a $12,000 mountain bike. What planet am I living on? And yes, I've seen the drone footage of cyclists hopping along mountain precipices proving their immortality. Or perhaps the drone footage outlives them? But then I reflected on the $7,875 Furutech NCF Power Vault and the accompanying Project V1 Power Cable for $9,550 I had opened up for review moments earlier. Expensive? Yes, for most of us. As we get older our interests in life narrow to what becomes most important to us. My last bicycle ride up Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina was in 2018 when I closed down my retail furniture business. My writing for Enjoy the Music.com, already with a 19-year track record at that point, expanded to fill a void in my life, just as I imagine high-end audio becomes more important to many of us after we "retire."
---> Furutech NCF Power Vault, Project V1 Power Cable And AC Duplex Wall Ensemble Review.

Manley Labs Oasis Vacuum Tube MM / MC Phono Stage Review
Manley Labs vacuum tube Oasis phono stage produces excellent sound quality.
Review By Tom Lyle
My first experience with a Manley component was in the late 1990s. I was working at a well-known recording studio mastering an album when the chief engineer insisted we use their vacuum tube-powered Manley Stereo Variable Mu Limiter-Compressor, which I had no idea at the time was one of Manley's first products which was introduced in 1994. We had the music signal pass through the Manley compressor but kept all its settings on default. This happened quite a long time ago, so I can't recall any specifics about how the Manley affected the album's sound quality other than passing the signal through this studio component made the album sound closer to our goal of making it "sound like a record." Shortly after, I learned that Manley designed and manufactured high-end home-system audio products.
---> Manley Labs Oasis Vacuum Tube MM / MC Phono Stage Review.

Vacuum Tubes Part 1. 2, And 3
Article By Grey Rollins
Passive components are all well and fine, but for audio purposes we need something that will amplify a signal. All sensors, whether they read digital bits or analog recordings, are deficient in both voltage and current when it comes to driving speakers. High fidelity reproduction of music is impossible without amplifying devices. For that matter, electric guitars, keyboards, and microphones also require amplification; so much of current popular music is dependent on amplification, as well. There are scads of devices that can amplify a signal. A full breakdown of the possibilities begins to resemble a fairly dense tree, with branches going this way and that. For most consumer applications, this decision is simple: solid-state. Only. However, music reproduction (and production — just try to tell owners of tubed Ampegs, Marshalls, Fenders, and Mesa Boogies that you're going to take away their amps...
---> Vacuum Tubes Part 1. 2, And 3.

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

Guerrilla Tactics For The Audiophile Home
You find yourself staring at an amazing jumble of audio parts.
The first time you find him in the kitchen wearing your frilly apron and baking a newly spray-painted amp chassis in the oven you think it's kind of cute. You keep an open mind despite the fumes and try to sympathize with his need for a hammered metal look finish. Then on a dark night you stub your toes on that same chassis lying in the middle of the living room floor and you think, not so cute. Might as well face the truth. For every audiophile in the world, there's an afflicted spouse, housemate or friend. And, sooner or later, we all must learn the guerrilla tactics necessary for survival in the audiophile home. Your favorite sewing scissors have once again mysteriously disappeared. You must confront him immediately....
---> Guerrilla Tactics For The Audiophile Home.

My Own Triode Input MK III
Dan remakes a Dyna MKIII to 'juice his lizard'.
A remarkably bad graphic representation of a very pretty amp. Squint to see the Tung-Sol 6550's, new tube arrangement, Vitamin Q caps, new bias pot location, and cool paint job. Some of you may remember that I was so enamored of the Mklll's I modified for Chris that I wangled a pair for myself. As I recall I bought a Fisher 20A, swapped that and some other stuff for a MkIV, and then swapped the MklV and a pair of Ampex monoblocks for the Mklll's. Then I swapped a Philco Model 60 cathedral radio for a quad of Tung Sol 6550 tubes. Then I made my list of parts for the mod. I ordered polypropylene caps and metal film and power resistors from Mouser, and axial electrolytics from Antique Electronic Supply. Mean time Eric scored some 1.0 mfd @ 400V Vitamin Q caps for me on their way to a dumpster.
---> My Own Triode Input MK III.

Kimber Kable Naked Interconnects Review
Let's go skinny dipping... with an impressive leap in cabling technology!
Review By Paul L. Schumann
Ok, we've all done it. We've swum in the water in our birthday suits. It may have been in a swimming pool, maybe in a lake or stream, maybe even in the ocean. I don't want to know your details, and I'm sure you don't want to know mine. But one way or another, we got naked outside and took the plunge. And no matter the outcome, it was a memorable experience. Such as with the Kimber Kable Naked Interconnects. My familiarity with Kimber Kable goes back further than I like to admit. Back then I was still a novice to the world of high-end interconnects. It was 1997 and I just upgraded my CD player. When I got it home and plugged it into my system, my wife and I noticed that it didn't sound right. The tonal quality was pinched and it sounded nothing like it did in the showroom of the audio salon where I bought it.
---> Kimber Kable Naked Interconnects Review.

Pass Laboratories INT-25 Solid-State Integrated Amplifier Review
A fantastic sounding Class A stereo amplifier!
Review By Tom Lyle
Lest one think that this review is simply not only more evidence that I have somehow formed an untoward relationship with Pass Laboratories, I'd build my defense around the fact that every time I reviewed one of their high-end audio components, I was "assigned" the task. Sure, the fact that I use not only the power and preamplifier but also the headphone amplifier I use as references, must not help my case. The next thing I know I'm asked to review their INT-25 integrated amplifier. It's tough work, but someone has to do it. Yes, I'm grateful for my problems. In addition to the fact that it is designed and manufactured by Pass Laboratories, there are quite a few other reasons why the INT-25 is not an average integrated amplifier. Most notably, the INT-25 amplifier circuit is Class A.
---> Pass Laboratories INT-25 Stereo Integrated Amplifier Review.

Naim Audio Solstice Turntable System Review
A great turntable package!
Review By Alan Sircom
It's a little strange that for all its importance in vinyl replay over its first 48 years as a manufacturer, Naim Audio has never made a turntable. Sure, there have been power supplies, phono stages, and even the Aro tonearm, and yes... a heavily modified turntable or two were bounced around the Salisbury-based company's 'skunkworks'. But a company that was one of the two defining vinyl brands for more than a generation of music lovers never made a turntable; until the Summer of 2021. Solstice is that first complete turntable from Naim Audio, a 500 turntable run special edition turn-key package launched – as befits the name – on the Summer Solstice (Naim's Salisbury HQ is precisely 2.5 metric Druids from Stonehenge, and sometimes that rubs off in moments of uncontrollable tie-dye).
---> Naim Audio Solstice Turntable System Review.

Raidho TD 3.8 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review
Wonderfully cohesive and engaging.
Review By Dr. Matthew Clott
The art of weaving pros allows us to convey description, imagery, opinion, impression, and emotion. Yet Raidho's TD 3.8 floorstanding loudspeaker, as reviewed here, lends itself to the elegance of the solitary word; my notes are awash with them.... "Behold, Shimmer, Brilliant, Wow, Delicious, Holographic, Cohesive, Decompressive." I think I made up the last one, but I'll explain later.... Raidho, as a company, has gone through some changes. The Raidho of old has matured, retaining much of the DNA of its' previous incarnation while looking to the future with a redefined path. This metamorphosis has resulted in some voicing changes and a slightly different design philosophy yet retained the passion for physical beauty and all-out audiophile performance without restrictions.
---> Raidho TD 3.8 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.

Enjoy the Music.com Exclusive!
Métronome Technologie's World-Class Kalista Mantax DAC
Musical revelations in Vienna!
Coverage By Greg Weaver
Thursday morning, November 16th (2023) found myself on an airplane bound for Vienna, Austria. I had been invited to the private launch event for the new flagship Kalista Mantax DAC, to be held at the Adagio Vienna City Hotel on Saturday, November 18th. The Adagio Vienna City sits just south of the Donaukanal, an arm of the nearby Danube River, and just immediately west of where the Wiental Kanal flows into it, bordering Vienna's city center. This places it just inside what is known as "The Ring," the popular name given to a series of wide tree-lined boulevards that encircle nearly the entire center of the city. "The Ring" is about six and a half kilometers long (~ four miles) and arguably offers more historical sights lining its edges than any other road in the world.
---> Métronome Technologie's World-Class Kalista Mantax DAC.

World Premiere Review!
LCH Audio B1610 Subwoofers
Stack Audio Auvo Isolators
Synergistic Research Vibratron
An audiophile special ménage à trois.
Review By Rick Becker
Actually, neuroscience has come a long way since Schrodinger's day, and audiophiles might be able to offer some suggestions, too. Let me tell you about three innovative items that helped those old songs move me even further. In typical audiophile fashion, I'm always on the lookout to improve the sound quality of my system in search of more musical delight. A pattern that has emerged over the past two decades is that my speakers always seem to get better when I improve the components and add ancillary tweaks to the rig. Funny how that happens. Many people would sooner go out and buy a new speaker. But I've developed somewhat of a reputation for adding tweaks rather than spending huge sums on major components. The opportunity to explore Axpona earlier this year turned up two products in particular that I wanted to review and a third opportunity subsequently came my way from Great Britain.
---> LCH Audio B1610 Subwoofers, Stack Audio Auvo Isolators, And Synergistic Research Vibratron Review.

Verdant Audio Blackthorn 1 Monitor Speakers
An over-achieving monitor with a musical performance well beyond its' modest size.
Review By Dr. Michael Bump
I first had the pleasure of meeting Scott Bierfeldt, President and Chief Designer at Verdant Audio, at AXPONA 2019 in a by-chance meeting. I was planning on heading out earlier than expected on Sunday, as the snow was starting to come down (attendees may recall), and I was a bit nervous about the six-hour mark. drive home to the cornfields of Missouri. Nevertheless, the rooms beckoned me back for one more quick tour that morning, where I happened to walk by a familiar blue glow within the Verdant Audio room. At the center of a very attractive system were a pair of stunning Art Audio Quartet 845 push-pull monoblocks. I was familiar with Art Audio from an introduction years prior to their 50-Watt SET Adagios, and was aware that Verdant Audio had re-introduced the UK company to the U.S. earlier that year as the sole domestic distributor. Needless to say, my curiosity was piqued stepping into the room noting several examples of Art Audio pieces, as well as the premiere of two monitor designs created by Scott, under the Verdant Audio name.
---> Verdant Audio Blackthorn 1 Monitor Speaker 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 Int Amp, D-180 DAC, And S-180 Streamer / Network Music Player Review.

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