High-End Audio / Audiophile
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01 / 20 / 21
Erztich Medousa Fully-Balanced Headphone Amplifier
Erzetich's Medousa (€3500) balanced headphone amplifier is ideal for those that wish to refresh their music experience and enjoy richer, deeper, clearer audio. The amplifier boasts an elegant stainless steel chassis alongside artificially aged wooden sides. Medousa is said by the company to blend the advantages of 'tube' and 'balanced' amplifiers in a single dependable system. The unit features a gain stage with a high-quality Electro Harmonix 12AU7/ECC82 triode vacuum tubes (other NOS tubes are available at additional cost). The tubed gain stage is followed by a solid-state current buffer. The four monoblock modules optimize the symmetry between the four channels. Erzetich's Medousa is sophisticated enough to work with variable loads, regardless of whether high or low impedance headphones are in use, with the power output of 335 mW @ 8 Ohms (326 mW @ 600 Ohms).
The Erztich Medousa headamp's linearity expands over the hearing range of the listener, from 3Hz to 600kHz, thus ensuring music boasts more depth and vibrancy. Optimal performance can be generated when the amplifier is in fully-balanced mode. However, you can use an unbalanced input and/or output if you prefer.
Both unbalanced RCA and balanced XLR input are provided, with outputs being both balanced and
unbalanced. Dimensions
of the unit are 300mm x 110mm x 335mm (WxHxD) and it weighs 4800 grams.
01 / 19 / 21
Tacet Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 9 Op. 70
Tacet's new Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony no. 9 op. 70, Symphony no. 5 op. 47 hybrid SACD features Concerto Budapest / András Keller. According to Tacet, "Pictures while listening to symphony no. 9: A joyful, almost boisterous opening movement. A dreamy, contemplative second followed by a sparkling presto. And then this short fourth movement, the helpless lament of a lonely bassoon, still showing signs of vitality against the stark, unbending, unison brass. A small, tormented individual under brutal state power. Nevertheless, still it laments. The dictator repeats his demand. But the bassoon does not totally lose heart. It starts the last movement with a shy, slightly mischievous dance that becomes gradually more light-hearted."
"Somewhere along the line, the timpani and horns give the signal to rise up, initially very softly. This is the announcement to the dictator: watch out, Stalin, this is it, now I'll make you think with pen and ink! The furious ascent peaks with a grotesque triumphal march that sounds like liberated laughter. The powerless one makes fun of the all-powerful – and then whistles in his face! Looking back, the question arises: who is the one lying as heavy as cold sheet metal in an eternal bottomless pit and who is the one who remains laughing in history? Judging by the music, by the 9th symphony Shostakovich had put the worst of times behind him. Quite different from in the 5th, but that's another story. Another story, by the way, that you can also find in this cinema. Is that just my idea? Or does it come from the fact that the Concerto Budapest and András Keller tell the story in such a straightforward manner? It almost seems as if there are people playing here who are marked by the aftermath of those times." Tacet's hybrid SACD contains a CD-layer, DSD stereo layer, and 5.1 multi-channel track.
01 / 18 / 21
Piega Ace 50, 30, And Center Loudspeakers
Piega just launched their new Ace series of loudspeakers, which
consists of their Ace 50 floorstander, Ace 30 bookshelf, and Ace Center center-channel
speaker (€990, €490, and €590 each respectively). As a successor to their established TMicro loudspeakers, the new Ace series have been equipped with a number of state-of-the-art details. All models feature the AMT-1 Air Motion Transformer tweeter, with its extremely light 24mm x 36mm folded membrane and a powerful magnetic drive made of high-purity neodymium. Piega says this driver "provides airy and detailed sounds" plus it "provides an excellent transient response and the lowest levels of distortion continuing to set standards in its price range".
All models also feature the MDS cone drivers, which have been re-engineered for improved reproduction in the low and mid frequencies and fitted to the new cabinet design. The result is "an impressively powerful, crisp and deep bass combined with a clear and natural voice reproduction." The Ace 50 floorstander is a four driver, three-way system with two 120mm MDS-B, a 120mm MDS, and an AMT 1 driver. Frequency response is from 45Hz to 40kHz and the speaker has a
sensitivity rating of 90dB/W/m while presenting a 4 Ohm load. All Ace models have a silver
aluminum cabinet and a cover in silver fabric. Other options are a black anodized
aluminum cabinet with black fabric cover or white lacquer finish with white fabric cover.
01 / 15 / 21
Mytek Audio Liberty THX Stereo Headphone Amplifier
Mytek Audio proudly introduces their new Liberty THX AAA HPA ($1495), an analog headphone amplifier featuring THX Achromatic Audio Amplifier technology. The patented THX Achromatic Audio Amplifier (THX AAA) is claimed By ytek to be the most linear amplifier technology available today. According to the company, their new headamp provides "astonishing musical accuracy, unprecedented dynamic range, as well as infinitesimally low levels of noise and distortion". Using THX's patented feed-forward error correction circuit topology allows the THX AAA-based amplifier to reach its maximum output power rating of 6 Watts while exponentially reducing noise and distortion levels.
This THX patented feed-forward topology can output a maximum current of 1 ampere and voltages reaching 25Vp-p. As a result, the Liberty THX AAA HPA can drive any pair of headphones available today. With such immense power capabilities, extensive circuit protection is of the utmost importance and the THX-888 module within this device has this fully covered. The amplifier uses the highest quality gold plated connectors and a selection of the highest grade parts, including an oversized
60-Watt toroid power transformer, separate low noise power regulators for left and right channels, and a large bank of low impedance power supply electrolytic capacitors. For inputs, there are four line level inputs, three unbalanced RCA and one balanced XLR. The front panel outputs include a 4-pin XLR and 4.4mm balanced, plus 1/4" TRS and 3.5mm for an in-ear monitor (IEM). Dimensions are 5.5" x 8.8" x
1.74" (WxDxH) and it weighs 4.5 lbs.
Enjoy Reading Your Fave Hi-Fi Magazines Online
Enjoy the Music.com invites you to read the many
excellent articles and reviews by our partner publications. Stay safe, and
remember that our love of music / hobby is one that can be enjoyed within the privacy, and security, of your
home, office, within your car, and on-the-go. We'd like to take a moment to remind our readers that many of our
print magazine partners offer online subscriptions. As always, in the end what really matters is that
you... enjoy the music!
01 / 14 / 21
KEF Creates Maximum Bass With Uni-Core Technology
KEF is releasing their new Uni-Core design, which delivers a completely new take on speaker and subwoofer design for the company. Uni-Core seeks to create a high-level of performance, while reducing the subwoofer or speaker cabinet volume significantly. Between desirable aesthetics and uncompromising performance, the first challenge was fitting two drivers into a compact cube enclosure. Uni-Core uses two dual force-cancelling drivers with concentrically arranged, overlapping voice coils, that are driven by a single motor to provide stunning bass performance from a small
enclosure.
The voice-coils are different sizes and occupy the same physical space within the Uni-Core driver assembly. This allows for an extremely compact physical cabinet with significantly reduced volume when compared to subwoofers that rely on conventional driver technology. The saved space provides the drivers far more excursion than an equivalent-sized, force-cancelling design, unlocking more output and depth from much less space. This patent-pending technology is said to smoothly deliver powerful and deep bass response while removing the space concerns that are often obstacles to premium subwoofer performance. The new Uni-Core technology will be applied in an upcoming KEF product that will be announced this month.
Enjoy the
Music.com's 20 Year Anniversary
We get by with a little help from our friends.
Article
By Steven R. Rochlin
Frankly, 20 years is a short period of time. Has it really
been 20 years? Would love to say it seems like only yesterday that Yours Truly
was this wild four ear piercings, nose ring and dog collar wearing avant-garde
young kid strolling the hallways at shows, yet when it comes to the modern
Internet 20 days ago seems like forever. Knowing that simply offering
basic advice and how-to articles, plus my senseless ramblings, were fun yet the
site also needed to start reviewing gear. Longtime and highly respected reviewer
Dick Olsher and others agreed to join Enjoy
the Music.com back in those early days and we've continued to grow
ever since.
--->
Enjoy the Music.com's 20 year anniversary editorial.
01 / 13 / 21
PerListen Audio S7t Tower And D212s Subwoofer
Perlisten Audio just announced two tower speakers, one center channel, and three subwoofers in the North American market. The reference S7t tower speaker ($7500 per pair on up depending upon choice of veneer) is their top efforts to speaker design. Their first THX Certified Dominus speaker, the four-way S7t, showcases all drivers designed by the company's USA-based engineering team and is said to work well with 6500 cubic feet of space and 20 feet of distance. The S7t achieves the goal of total harmonic distortion (THD) rated below 0.5% at 90dB listening levels. PerListen's patent-pending Directivity Pattern Control (DPC) waveguide is centered by three 28mm
"beamforming" tweeters to accurately control vertical and horizontal dispersion. A beryllium tweeter with expanded bandwidth to 40kHz and a rear absorption chamber reduce internal reflections to the bare minimum.
PerListen Audio's D212s active subwoofer ($5500 on up depending upon choice of veneer) is simultaneously flexible and powerful, with equal emphasis on massive power output and ultra-low distortion low frequency reproduction. The company employs Advanced FEA (finite element analysis) to reach PerListen
Audio's high level of optimization requirements to create two 12" woofers with 60mm peak linear excursion. Proprietary carbon fiber drivers produce extreme levels of bass without sacrificing total harmonic distortion (THD), resulting in bass response that is consistently accurate and powerful. The D212s provides both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA inputs, plus a high-performance 3000 Watt amplifier with 32-bit ARM four-core processor with 48-bit data path DSP. The driver's push-pull design cancels second-order harmonics to further reduce
distortion.
audioXpress' February 2021 Issue
Is Now Available
audioXpress' February 2021 issue features Microphones Get Essential Status by J. Martins, Enabling Voice Capture and Developing for Voice Interfaces by J. Martins, Why Thousands of Virtual Microphones Matter by Erica Yorga (Nureva), Widex Moment mRIC RD Hearing Aid by Brent Butterworth, The Science and Physics of High-End Mic-Preamp Design (Part 1) by Mike Meechan, X-Altra Moving Coil/Moving Magnet RIAA EQ Preamplifier (Part 1) by Andrew C. Russell, and Design Considerations Imbedding a High-Output by Michael
Steffes.
Within his editorial, J. Martins says,
"As the saying goes, "Without Input There Is No Output," and without microphones there wouldn't be audio recordings. Microphones were invented and perfected to serve basic communications and later for broadcasting — essentially connecting people. When Alexander Graham Bell patented the first microphone, in 1876, the concept was part of his basic wire transmission system. Microphone design quickly evolved to serve the needs of telephony, public address systems for concert halls and public events, and even hearing aids. But in fact microphones were almost simultaneously used for sound recording. The earliest known recordings of the human voice (phonautograph recordings) made in 1857, used a basic transducer and a vibrating stylus that generated modulated lines of sound waves on sheets of paper."
See what's within this issue of audioXpress.
01 / 12 / 21
Enjoy the Music.com Celebrates
Adding Ecoustics As Content Sharing Partners
Enjoy
the Music.com and ecoustics are thrilled to announce our new content sharing partnership, expanding the reach of both online publications to a wider range of readers, listeners, and viewers across the globe. With a combined
46 years of online publishing history between the two magazines, both are cornerstones of the consumer
home entertainment media online world and charging into 2021 with a renewed sense of purpose and
direction.
---> Enjoy the Music.com
celebrates adding ecoustics.
01 / 11 / 21
NAMM Believe In Music Digital
Experience 2021
NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants, is a not-for-profit association that promotes the pleasures and benefits of making music and strengthens the $17 billion global music products industry. Their digital experience will take place during The NAMM Show dates, starting on Monday, January 18, 2021 and showcasing content through Friday, January 22. Believe in Music Week is the global gathering to unify and support the people who bring music to the world. The online celebration will feature a mix of comprehensive programming and professional education at BelieveinMusic.tv, as well as an interactive marketplace to connect buyers and sellers – all designed to elevate the innovation and inspiration found across the industry while offering support for those most deeply affected by COVID.
NAMM's Believe In Music event will also offer live music, content and product discovery for all who believe in music, helping connect music makers and enthusiasts across the world. While not The NAMM Show or a virtual tradeshow, the initiative will meet the immediate business needs of NAMM member companies through thought-leader led education for all segments of the industry, networking and AI matchmaking, and business-to-business-focused opportunities to reaffirm and grow business connections, launch new products, share brand initiatives and engage with customers in real-time. Registration for NAMM's digital experience is now available
at this
link.
01 / 08 / 21
KJF Audio SA-01 Solid-State Modular Amplifier
KJF Audio has announced their SA-01 solid-state stereo amplifier ($647 to $884 depending on options) that is based around the Ncore MA-01 amplifiers. With the SA-01, the company has allowed themselves freedom in the design of the case work to bring you something great to look. A high quality sealed switch allows you to choose your preferred connection type of analog unbalanced RCA or balanced XLR. As they would we would prefer no switch within the signal path, KJF have used the best switch they could find for this purpose. You can choose between 8mm milled
aluminum fronts offered in cool anthracite or a choice of solid wood, including Walnut, Sapele, Cherry and Maple to match the decor of your homes.
Built around your choice of Hypex NC***MP modules offering three different power outputs across six different modules. You can configure these as a stereo or monoblock amplifiers. KJF Audio's SA-01 is very flexible as it can be re-configured should the customer decide at a later date. To keep the pricing low, and to make this available to as many customers as possible, the SA-01 will be a direct sales. The design
utilizes the Hypex N-core modules, which appear in some of the most sought-after high-end amplifiers, so absolute sound quality is beyond doubt. They come in a range of power output from 100 to 500 Watts.
Hegel Music System V10 MM / MC Phono Stage
Hegel Music System is proud to announce the launch of the company's
first phono stage, the V10 ($1500). The V10 seeks to achieve the design and sound performance of more expensive unit, yet at far lower costs. Hegel's V10 works with both moving-magnet
(MM) and moving-coil (MC) phono cartridges, plus there's a Subsonic Filter to remove
undesirable ultra-low frequencies and rumble. Eliminating external noise is especially important when using sensitive low output MC cartridges. That is why Hegel Music Systems fitted the MC input with four transistors connected in parallel in hopes of making the input completely silent and stopping any bias current feedback to the cartridge coil.
Analog input from your turntable is unbalanced RCA, with analog outputs being both RCA and balanced XLR.
Hegel's V10 MM / MC stereo phono stage is designed with fully discrete input stages using some very special hand matched pairs of FET transistors. Both for the MC and afterwards the MC stages. This ensures very low noise and zero DC feedback to the pick up. After the FET stages a new bipolar OpAmp stage takes over for optimal amplification. Further, the V10 is 100% dual mono design. It uses an external AC power supply that is specially designed by Hegel for the V10. This power supply has two connectors, one for each channel, plus it features a very low noise floor and aid in
achieving an optimal channel separation. The internal power supplies are also shielded heavily from the gain stages.
10 Questions For High-End
Audio Manufacturers
Featuring David Chesky Of Chesky Records
& HDtracks
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 David Chesky of Chesky Records and
HDtracks. At Chesky Records, their philosophy is simple: to create the illusion of live musicians in a real three-dimensional space. Chesky Records tries to achieve the impression of reality with the most advanced technology available, careful microphone placement, and, most of all, a recording team that pays attention to every minute detail-making your listening experience tangible, pleasurable, exciting, and realistic.
--->
10 questions to David Chesky of Chesky Records & HDtracks.
01 / 07 / 21
Jeep Grand Cherokee Luxury Sound By McIntosh
The new 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee will debut with the auto industry's only sound system made by McIntosh Laboratory. Available first in the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, the MX950 McIntosh Entertainment System is available in Overland and Summit models and comes standard when equipped with the Summit Reserve Package. Customers will soon be able to experience what it is like having a McIntosh Entertainment System with them on-the-go. To ensure McIntosh luxury home audio experience was replicated in the vehicle, engineers from both companies worked hand-in-hand to fuse form and function into the system architecture.
The MX950 McIntosh Entertainment System boasts 19 speakers in 12 optimal locations to deliver precision sound through every inch of the vehicle and a 17-channel amplifier delivers up to 950 Watts of power. The system has LD/HP speaker design to lower distortion and McIntosh Power Guard for unrivaled clarity even at very high-volume levels. The most advanced materials technologies were used to make components lighter, yet stronger, so speakers respond faster in delivering timely sonic reproduction. The occupants are enveloped in a massive sweet spot to hear music with zero coloration, just as the artist intended. Naturally the system incorporates McIntosh's iconic styling cues such as the metal ridged control knobs and backlit logos on the door speaker grilles.
AXPONA Webinar Features Iconic Loudspeaker Designers
Mark your calendar for January 13th at 7pm EST and get ready to gather round your screens to join AXPONA on Zoom for an engrossing and lively panel discussion by some of the most iconic and gifted loudspeaker designers in the industry today! Hosted by industry veteran reviewer Greg Weaver, who writes for
Positive Feedback and Enjoy the Music.com plus has an excellent YouTube video channel called
The Audio
Analyst, webinar panel members include Gayle Sanders of Eikon Audio, Andrew Jones of ELAC USA, Leif Swanson of Von Schweikert Audio, and David MacPherson of Studio Electric. Enjoy a front row seat as they share the challenges they face and how they work to accomplish their ever-advancing design goals in
today's market, with ever improving materials, technologies, and design approaches. Find out why they make the choices they make, and what drives those decisions. We are setting aside time for Q&A, so bring your burning loudspeaker questions and be prepared to learn something
new! Register in advance for
Greg Weaver's loudspeaker designer webinar hosted by AXPONA via Zoom at this
link.
Hi-Fi+ January 2021 High-End
Audio Magazine
Hi-Fi+'s January
2021 issue features reviews of the Audiovector R6 Arreté floorstanding loudspeaker, Magnepan LRS floorstanding panel loudspeaker, ELAC Vela FS 408 floorstanding loudspeaker, Gryphon Audio Designs Ethos CD player, Purelow LO passive subwoofer, Bowers & Wilkins 702 Signature floorstanding loudspeaker, PrimaLuna Evo 100 DAC, AURALiC Vega G2.1 streaming DAC / preamplifier, Karan Acoustics Master Collection LineB preamplifier, Primare I35 Prisma integrated amplifier,
Acoustic Solid Wood MPX turntable, Vertere Acoustics Redline cable system, High Fidelity Cables Orchestral Helix system, Gutwire Consumate interconnect cables, 1More Dual Driver ANC wireless neckband in-ear monitors, and Westone ES80 custom-fit in-ear monitors.
Within this month's editorial, Alan Sircom says,
"Owards and upwards! While 2021 is likely going to be a year of consolidation and picking up the pieces,
it's hard not to see some optimism now that we are unshackled from the horrors of 2020. OK, so
we're still experiencing a lot of aftershocks from the Year of Hell, and likely will do so for some time to come, but maybe 2021 will be the year of
'hope!' to replace the year of 'nope!' In our little world, audio companies have fared relatively well, in part because
we've weathered storms before. Let's face it, though; products that are designed to enhance the home listening experience are always going to perform better than expected during a time when everyone is at home. That advantage goes away as we unfurl ourselves and rebuild our lives beyond those four walls. Maybe we
didn't win the war, but we won some good battles... now audio needs to manage the peace."
See
what's within this issue of Hi-Fi+
magazine at this
link.
World Premiere Review!
PureAudioProject Quintet15 Horn1 Open Baffle
Speaker Review
The pure essence of music at Kipnis Studios
(KSS).
Review By Jeremy
Kipnis
For as long
as I can remember, I've been interested in audio and particularly the qualities
associated with really good Stereophonic music reproduction. And I've often
noted how there are such a myriad of different ways to design a pair of speakers
and still get a high quality sonic illusion that easily communicates qualities
like believable imaging, spatiality, height, dynamics, frequency extension,
sense of immersion, and toe tapping musicality; should they be found in the
recordings listened to in the first place. Apparently, speakers can come in all
shapes and sizes, be constructed of wood, metal, glass, carbon-fiber, concrete,
and even plastic. And they have been in use in telecommunications and related
industries for almost a hundred and fifty years....
--->
PureAudioProject Quintet15 Horn1 loudspeaker review.
01 / 06 / 21
Hi-Fi World's February 2021 Reviews & Think Pieces
Hi-Fi
World's February 2021 issue features your chance to win a pair of Wharfedale Evo 4.3 loudspeakers worth £999. Reviews within this isue include the KEF LS50 Meta loudspeakers, Fyne Audio Fi-5 loudspeakers, Astell&Kern Kann Alpha player, Rotel A11 Tribute amplifier & CD11 Tribute CD player, Longdog Audio Ida P6100m monoblock amplifiers, Atlas Ailsa RCA cables, and Esprit Beta loudspeaker cables. Olde Worlde takes a look at Videologic's DRX-601e DAB tuner. Within their vinyl / analog section,
Hi-Fi World takes a close look and listen to the Yamaha GT-5000 turntable and Keith Monks Prodigy RCM bamboo record cleaning machine, while Classic Cuts
assess Summerteeth, an 1999 album from Wilco.
Within his editorial, Noel Keywood says, "Small loudspeakers get ever larger in ability. And that's just as well because I suspect an increasing number of today's music listeners find large loudspeakers unacceptable in the home. I suppose it is all a case of floor space, of which there is little in the average UK
home. Small speakers are the answer to small rooms and this month we have two of them. One is a successor to the Tannoy marque, from Scottish company Fyne Audio – the beautifully finished F1-5s that you'll find reviewed by John Pickford on p44. Not only is this 'speaker suitable for small rooms, it is a 'point source' where treble fires out from the centre of the bass cone, giving focus and image coherence."
See what's within this issue of Hi-Fi World
at this link.
01 / 05 / 21
UK Audio Show Rescheduled To October 2021
This just in from the Chester Group Exhibitions, "The uncertainties surrounding this years show have continued due to COVID-19, and we could see no point in setting firm new dates for 2021 due to those uncertainties, until now! Dates have now been set which hopefully will provide a realistic chance for the show to take place in 2021. We had already announced our move to the De Vere Staverton Estate which has provided us with considerably more scope and variety of exhibition suites, and that has not changed."
"Initially we tried to plan for March 2021, but that has also been proven to be over ambitious. Our new date does not conflict with any other shows in the UK , and our unique show packaging, that covers all Exhibitors, remains completely unchanged. Our brochure for 2020 remains unchanged apart from the dates, thus all existing bookings remain the same." Chester Group's 2021 UK Audio Show is
planned to take place at the De Vere Staverton Estate in Northants October 9th and 10th, 2021.
01 / 04 / 21
We're entering 2021 with more new content and promotion initiatives.
Enjoy the Music.com is planning to have the highest qty of information and promotion for everyone within this industry as possible on many fronts. We'll be publishing more gear reviews, more educational articles by leading experts within their field, as many show reports as possible, plus expand on our
Facebook / Instagram social media pages too!
NOTE: If you're a manufacturer, distributor and / or representative, please
join our eNewsletter list at this link.
NOTE II: If you're one of Enjoy the Music.com's longtime loyal readers, then
join our e-Newsletter here to receive e-mail once every two weeks or so, plus you'll be entered into our contests too!
As always, in the end what really matters is that you...
Enjoy the Music,
Steven R. Rochlin
Creative Director
HighEndAudio.com
EnjoyTheMusic.com
Review Magazine, audioXpress, Australian Hi-Fi,
Headphone.Guru, Hi-Fi+, HIFICRITIC, Hi-Fi World, HiFi Media,
NOVO High-End, STEREO Magazine, Positive Feedback,
Sound Practices, VALVE... and much more!
Blue Coast Music Completes New Distribution Deal
Blue Coast Music has completed a new distribution deal with Entertainment One (eOne) and will launch 300 HD tracks to DSPs on January 15, 2021. The tracks include never-before-released performances by Alex de Grassi, Fiona Joy Hawkins, Meghan Andrews, Jenna Mammina, Tony Furtado, Garett Brennan, Art Lande, Jenner Fox, and many more, which will be available for the first time through Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Tidal, and other digital music streaming services. Blue Coast Music is known for being the first online digital music store to deliver Direct Stream Digital (DSD) downloads to the consumer. DSD and HD audio offer more detail in the sound than the conventional mp3,
CD, or other lossy file types.
Recently, Blue Coast Music has expanded its services to include distribution on behalf of many labels, including their sister company, Blue Coast Records. Combined with HD expertise, a studio known for high quality recording and mastering, and record labels specializing in acoustic music, the decision to distribute to streaming services through eOne was an easy one. Blue Coast Music was founded by Cookie Marenco, a sound engineer with more than 30 years of audio experience. A sought-after expert in the HD audio engineering field, she has worked for Windham Hill Records, has worked on five Grammy-nominated records, engineered, or produced more than 500 albums, and has and been involved in the early development of digital recording -- from recording to
legacy lossy mp3 and standard HD to modern immersive sound.
01 / 01 / 21
Enjoy the Music.com's
January Review Magazine
Enjoy the Music.com's January Review
Magazine features a variety of gear reviews, think pieces, plus a special
editorial with a newly uploaded video featuring Tim de Paravicini. See Enjoy the Music.com's
January Review Magazine at this link.
Remembering Tim de Paravicini
October 1945 To December 2020
Lecture by Tim de Paravicini in December 2006 as we all celebrate the triode's 100th anniversary.
Article By Joe Rasmussen
It was the year 2006 and the annual European Triode
Festival was looming at the very end of November and into early December. This
was a special year for those into tubes, or valves as some call them. In fact,
Triodes is the very raison de'tre for the annual European Triode
Festival. Mostly for Europeans, but many would come from other parts as well,
all Triode lovers. I have attended a number of times, all the way from Australia
and I am fairly sure I have the record for the most-traveled distance. This was
one year I was not going to miss out. Behind the scenes, Guido Tent and Emile Sprenger
of the organizing committee wanted to invite somebody significant, somebody of
importance.
---> Remembering Tim de Paravicini.
And The Music Goes 'Round And 'Round...
Roger Skoff writes about changing ideas of perfection.
Article
By Roger Skoff
I just saw a picture of a truly remarkable recording studio mixing/mastering
console. It has 48 channels, 56 monitors, 1046 Routing Modules, four bands of EQ on every input, and, for only a little under two hundred grand, it has enough features, knobs and dials, special effects, toys, and goodies, to satisfy even the most control freak engineer or
producer. I loved it! And, when I was a Hi-Fi Crazy kid recording maven, back more than half a century ago, I would have lusted after it as the fulfillment of my every recording
dream.
---> And The Music Goes 'Round And 'Round....
The Right Call:
How To Avoid Poor Equalization Choices
Exploring the matter that how an analyzer is set up can greatly affect the appearance of the results.
Article By Merlijn van Veen
If
you don't know the answer before you start to measure, how do you know you are
getting a good measurement?" – Ivan Beaver, chief engineer, Danley Sound
Labs. If I were to ask you to measure the voltage
coming out of the electrical outlet closest to you using a multimeter or VOM (volt-ohm-millimeter),
you would have expectations. However, should the multimeter's display, for
whatever reason, not show the expected voltage for your specific region, there's
a valid reason to start investigating. Maybe the meter's batteries are dead or
maybe a circuit breaker tripped. Regardless, you were right to question the
outcome because it didn't meet expectations.
---> The Right Call: How To Avoid Poor Equalization Choices.
10 Questions To David
Solomon Of Qobuz
Sharing the joys of Qobuz's lossless streaming music service.
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 and personalities to answer questions about their
love of music. Their answers may
surprise you! This month we're featuring David Solomon, Chief Evangelist for
streaming music service Qobuz. When they formed Qobuz in 2008, their goal was to offer the digital world the aspects of music fandom that audiophiles, those who love music best, have always cherished. For
Qobuz, this meant quality sound, quality editorial, and a freedom of choice that wholly excludes bias. As a result of
their diverse collective culture and musical education, Qobuz' business catered to artists old and
new.
---> 10 questions
to David Solomon of Qobuz.
World Premiere Review!
Dynamic Sounds Associates Amp I Review
Class-A tour de force!
Review By Greg Weaver
I've
had the pleasure of writing about Dynamic Sounds Associates gear for over 16
years now, with my first take on the original Phono-ONE phonostage appearing
back in November of 2004! Since that time, I've reviewed, or used as reference,
the superb Phono II phonostage (with the Phono III coming on deck soon!), the
exceptional Pre
I Linestage, and now, I am privileged to bring you the world premiere review
of the exceptional Amp I monoblocks. The engineering mind behind all
these fresh and exceptional designs is one Dr. Douglas Hurlburt, whom I first
met while living in southern Maryland during the early to mid-nineteen nineties.
--->
Dynamic Sounds Associates Amp I review.
Nagra Tube DAC And Classic PSU Power
Supply Review
Sonic glory... worth it!
Review By
Tom Lyle
Nagra
is a Swiss audio equipment manufacturer that has been in business for over 65
years. Their professional portable tape records were an industry standard for
many decades, even appearing as props in many films and television shows. Their
reputation was rock-solid even before they started manufacturing high-end audio
equipment in the 21st Century. Because of this, and because of the fine high-end audio
components they've been designing and manufacturing since 2012, I suppose there
are many audiophiles, and plenty of non-audiophile, who might add the Nagra Tube
DAC and its matching Classic PSU power supply to their systems without an
audition, or without reading reviews on the subject.
--->
Nagra Tube DAC and Classic PSU Power Supply.
LampizatOr MM2 Moving-Magnet (MM) Phono
Stage Review
Beautiful to behold and a joy to use.
Review By Brett Rudolph
Turntables
have always been one of my favorite sources for my playback system. They are
highly customizable, straightforward to use. They tend to offer a great bang for
the buck, especially on the entry-level ones. In fact, you can purchase a more
expensive turntable, start with a reasonably inexpensive cartridge that sounds
great and move into higher performance ones over time, if you wish. Of course,
there is a downside. They do require a bit more care and feeding than their
digital brethren. The two main types of cartridges on the market are moving
magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC). They both have their advantages and
disadvantages. However, as a rule, moving magnet cartridges tend to be less
expensive to date.
--->
LampizatOr MM2 moving-magnet (MM) vacuum tube phono stage review.
Tekton Moab Floorstanding Speaker
Review
With their thunderous bass complementing a dazzlingly beautiful midrange,
Tekton's Moab full-range speakers stand tall both in appearance and in musicality.
Review By Rogier van Bakel
For
virtually everyone on the planet, this past calendar year brought a range of
challenges and sorrows; 10/10 would not recommend. Hooray for 2021, with its
promise of health, actual instead of virtual hugs, and a return to normalcy. When looking back on our collective
annus
horribilis
(Latin for dumpster fire), I
consider the arrival of a pair of Tekton
Moab speakers in my listening room a welcome ray of light. Like many
audiophiles confined to home by the pandemic, I've found much meaning and
comfort in music these past nine months. With my photography business on the
skids, there was suddenly occasion to burrow into a couple of thousand standout
tracks, old and new. I almost didn't miss the roughly two dozen concerts
I would've attended in a normal year. I think that's in part because, well, if
any stereo speakers I've ever heard sound just like live music, it's the
Moabs.
--->
Tekton Moab floorstanding speaker review.
Audio MusiKraft Polished Lithium Nitro 2 Cartridge Review
Discovering the joys of a new realm in listening enjoyment.
Review By Bob Grossman
Audio
MusiKraft's polished Lithium Nitro 2 cartridge with Ipe wood inserts is a
dramatic enhancement of the classic Denon 103 that performs in a nuanced,
balanced, lively, engaging, musically satisfying way with having a stunning
bejeweled shell. While the cost is way beyond that of the basic 103
cartridge, so is the performance! The MusiKraft cartridge will be
appealing to the most discerning and demanding audiophile and can be the
ultimate tunable piece of equipment for bringing listening enjoyment. Deciding upon a cartridge can be a complex and difficult
challenge for any audiophile. Cartridges are not usually an item that can be
borrowed to easily install at home for a demo evaluation.
--->
Audio MusiKraft Polished Lithium Nitro 2 cartridge review.
DS Audio DS-E1 Optical Phono Cartridge / Phono Energizer
And DS Audio ION 001 Vinyl Ionizer Review
New heavyweight contenders!
Review By Maurice Jeffries
My first
encounter with DS Audio's fascinating line of optical cartridges and matching
phono energizers (the term that DS Audio uses to describe the outboard power
supply/phono equalization units supplied with each cartridge) occurred at the
2020 Florida Audio Expo Show, held last February in sunny Tampa, Florida.
Musical Surroundings distributes DS Audio's growing line of products here in
the United States. In the Musical Surroundings suite, company head honcho Garth
Leerer and his team put together a swell little system headlined by the
affordable and overachieving Maggie .7 speakers, a stem-to-stern suite of Rogue
electronics, Wire World cables, an eye-catching cobalt blue AMG Giro turntable,
and matching arm, this fronted by an entry-level DS Audio DS-E1 optical
cartridge and matching phono energizer.
--->
DS Audio DS-E1 optical phono cartridge / Phono Energizer and DS Audio ION 001
vinyl ionizer review.
Sennheiser HD 800 S Open-Back Headphones Review
Keith Howard continues his adventures in headphones with an in-depth look at this classic design, first
reviewed by Martin Colloms in HIFICRITIC Vol. 11 No. 2.
Review By Keith Howard
When
Sennheiser launched the original HD 800 – of which the S is an improved
version – in 2009, none of us knew just how momentous the next decade would be
for headphones, driven principally by the arrival and rise to ubiquity of the
smartphone and the dawn of hi-res portable digital music players. Before we knew
it, everyone and his dog was making headphones, planar magnetics were having an
unlikely renaissance, speaker manufacturers sought a slice of the action, and
people wore not just earbuds on public transport but large circumaurals too.
With no trace of embarrassment.
--->
Sennheiser HD 800 S headphones review.
Read
All Articles, Hi-Fi Gear Reviews, And 10 Questions
We
have more wonderful high-end audio equipment reviews, think pieces, etc within
Enjoy
the Music.com's January Review Magazine available at this link.
12 / 31 / 20
Metronome Le Dac
Review
...and the Technicolor Dream.
Review By Paul Schumann
Those of you who have read some of my previous reviews know that I am in some ways a throwback, sticking with my compact discs while some audiophiles have moved to uncompressed digital files and others have embraced the vinyl side. I have a lot of CDs, and by God, I'm going to still listen to them.... Sometimes you start to wonder, are those fancy high-end DACs really that much better? A few months ago, I noticed an announcement for a new DAC by a company called Metronome. Appropriately it is called Le Dac. The announcement said that the Le Dac is the new low-cost entry into the Metronome line.
---> Metronome Le Dac digital-to-analog converter review.
12 / 30 / 20
Vinyl LP Sales Reach Peak During In Christmas 2020
According to Nielsen Music / MRC Data, sales of vinyl LPs within
independent record stores reached an all-time high during a single-week in December 2020. Nielsen Music/MRC Data record. Their records show that 1.842 million LPs were sold during the week that ended December 24th (2020). For those curious, the previous sales record was 1.445 million in December 2017. Naturally LP sales are higher than legacy digital Compact Discs (CD, 1.671 million in sales) as streaming true lossless music online offers far higher resolution than the four-decade old digital CD format. Seen above is the RIAA's earlier in 2020 sales chart, as the CD is being easily eclipsed by vinyl LPs.
12 / 29 / 20
Enjoy the
Music.com's Schiit(y) Holiday Giveaway!
Say farewell to 2020 and win a Schiit Lyr 3 with Multibit DAC option valued at $699!
With hopes of bringing great-sounding music (and humor) to cap off 2020,
Enjoy the Music.com's Schitt(y) Holiday Giveaway offers one winner a Schiit Lyr 3
with Multibit DAC option ($699). To improve on the company's Lyr 2, they had to completely reinvent the unit with two key new technologies while also making it a modular design. The Schiit Lyr 3 can be configured with
a DAC as within this contest, or a MM phono preamplifier just like their Jotunheim. Within this contest, we're including Schiit's
Multibit DAC (a $200 upgrade!).
--->
Enter
Enjoy the Music.com's Schitt(y) Holiday Giveaway.
12 / 28 / 20
Chord Company Bridge Shorting Plug
The new Chord Company Bridge (£500) is a high-quality British designed and engineered shorting plug, created to reduce high-frequency noise interference in high-performance hi-fi equipment.
Offering protection from noise for devices with unused power supply upgrade ports, such as Naim
Audio's NDX and NDX 2 audiophile network music players, the Chord Company Bridge shorting plug works by reducing HF noise on the critical signal ground.
Hand-built in the UK, the Bridge offers an instant upgrade over the basic unshielded shorting plugs supplied with audio equipment, introducing a no-compromise, noise-reduced solution for discerning audiophiles. Benefiting from a high-quality heavy-gauge machined aluminium chassis for both acoustic and electrical isolation, the Chord Company Bridge also offers the Wiltshire
company's flagship proprietary Taylon insulation material throughout the internal wiring. Further features include resin-damped internals to further increase acoustic isolation.
Enjoy Reading Your Fave Hi-Fi Magazines Online
Everyone here at Enjoy the Music.com sympathizes with those affected by the recent health issue. Our hobby is one that can be enjoyed within the privacy, and security, of your home. We'd like to take a moment to remind our readers that many of our partner magazines offer online subscriptions. As always, in the end what really matters is that
you... enjoy the music!
High-End Audiophile
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