Nagra Classic DAC II, PSU Power Supply, And VFS
Review
Bringing tears of joy when listening to special songs.
Review By
Tom Lyle
In January 2021, I was fortunate to review Nagra's
Tube DAC and Classic PSU power supply. In my review, I said that the
owners of this vacuum tube Hi-Res Audio DAC will be able to appreciate the "sonic glory"
of this "high-performance component." So, I was not surprised that the
Nagra Tube DAC and its PSU power supply were awarded Enjoy The Music.com's Best
Of 2021 Award. After I finished the review, I was not psyched to
return the $40,900 package consisting of the Nagra Tube DAC, Classic PSU power
supply, and VFS Classic base to the distributor. I was captivated by the sound
quality this digital front end contributed to my system. My reference DAC, an EMM
Labs DA2, is no slouch, but this Nagra Tube DAC package costs twice as much.
It was not twice as good as the EMM Labs converter; it doesn't work that way, but
the improvement in sound quality was significant. I jumped at the chance when I
was offered the subject of this review, the relatively new Nagra Classic DAC II
/ PSU / VFS combo.
--->
Nagra Classic DAC II, PSU Power Supply, And VFS Review.
Avantgarde Acoustic UNO SD Hornspeaker Review
The luckiest I've ever felt was when reviewing the UNO SD speakers.
Review By Tom Lyle
In the mid to late 1990s, I heard
a pair of Avantgarde Acoustic horn loudspeakers (hornspeaker) for the first time at a local high-end audio
showroom. I don’t remember the model of the speakers I was hearing, but I do
recall that they were powered by a pair of Single-Ended Triode (SET) monoblock
amplifiers. I assumed that these amps were a perfect match for these sensitive
speakers. Sadly, I was not impressed with what I heard that day. The
speaker's biggest sin was an exaggerated midrange, epitomizing the "cupped
hands" sound. Fast-forward to 2024, when I was offered a pair of Avantgarde
UNO SDs for review in Enjoy the Music.com. I was skeptical, fearing I
would experience something similar to what I had heard at that local dealer many
years ago. Before these speakers arrived, I shared my experience with
Avantgarde's North American distributor, American Sound of Canada, about my
experience with their horn speakers.
--->
Avantgarde Acoustic UNO SD Hornspeaker Review.
May's
Incredible High-End Audio
Review Magazine
Plus SWAF, Montreal, AXPONA, HIGH END, And More!
This month we feature industry news, gear reviews, plus think pieces, though it is our extensive show coverage that shines brightly. May marks
Enjoy the Music.com's fifth show coverage during 2025 (five separate shows). During 2025, we have posted extensive show coverage of the Florida International Audio Expo, Southwest Audio Fest, Montreal Audiofest, AXPONA, and soon HIGH END and a special surprise along the way. Reporting on high-end audio shows offers a range of benefits, whether you're a journalist, industry professional, or passionate audiophile.
Enjoy the Music.com gives you access to information on cutting-edge audio technology. We feature the latest advancements in sound reproduction, providing you the benefits of our firsthand expert experience with groundbreaking reference loudspeakers, both vacuum tube and solid-state amplifiers, Hi-Res Audio DACs, turntables, cables, tweaks, and other equipment before they reach your local high-end audio store.
---> May's High-End Audio Review Magazine Plus
Audiophile Show Reports And More!
HIGH END 2025 Munich Audiophile
Show Report
The HIGH END 2025
audiophile / immersivephile event is an internationally renowned audio exhibition that will take place from May 15 to May 18, 2025, at the
M.O.C. Event Center in Munich, Germany. This event is a must-visit for anyone passionate about high-quality audio technology, as it brings together
manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and in open to consumers from over 40
countries. The HIGH END 2025 exhibition will feature hundreds of exhibitors showcasing their latest innovations in
consumer electronics technology, including hi-fi audio, high-end video, home theater, and bespoke entertainment
solutions for millionaires and billionaires alike. Visitors can expect to experience groundbreaking trends, technological advances, and exclusive world
premieres. This year's brand ambassador is the Norwegian singer Anette Askvik, who embodies the event's motto "Passion for Music". Her hypnotic sound and deep emotion perfectly reflect the passion for promoting audio technology that the HIGH END
2025 exhibition aims to convey.
---> Enjoy the
Music.com's HIGH END 2025 Audiophile Show Report.
AXPONA 2025 High-End Audiophile
Show Report
AXPONA 2025 (Audio Expo North America) is set to take place from April 11th through 13th at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center in
Illinois. This annual event is for audiophiles and features a wide range of high-fidelity,
high-performance audio gear. Over 200 rooms will let you listen and assess the equipment being presented.
An extensive AXPONA 2025 show report for longtime Enjoy the Music.com enthusiasts
will showcase the latest and greatest audio equipment from top audio brands. For personal audio, the Ear Gear Experience (akin to CanJam shows) is a dedicated area for headphones and personal audio gear, including open-back, closed-back, and in-ear monitors (IEM). There's also an Expo Hall & Record Fair that will have stereo hi-fi audio accessories, vinyl LP turntables / record players, various cable manufacturers, and more.
---> Enjoy the Music.com's Extensive AXPONA 2025
Show Report.
Montreal Audiofest 2025
Audiophile Show Report
The Salon Audio Montreal Audiofest
2025 took place from March 28th through 30th with more than 5000 visitors
expected who desired listening, seeing, and touching over 300 brands of high-end
audiophile products
all under one roof. As the largest show in Canada, attendees experienced
the very best high-end audio and video / videophile industry distributors, manufacturers, and retailers in Canada.
Within each listening room, exhibitors were overjoyed 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 was celebrating its 36th edition
in 2025 and remains the must-attend event for audiophiles, high-end audio gear
enthusiasts, and music lovers. This long-standing
event has become a tradition in showcasing the very latest advances in high-technology,
high-fidelity audio equipment in Canada. More than 300 brands will present their latest
innovations from music streamers and high-quality headphones to cables, tweaks,
loudspeakers, turntables, and much more!
---> Montreal Audiofest 2025 Audiophile Show
Report.
RIAA Says Human(?) Creators Are Essential To Economic Growth
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) annual Special 301
Report provides a brief review of intellectual property (IP) enforcement and protection globally. While the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), an organization that advocates for recorded music business, the 2025 report highlights concerns in various countries regarding counterfeiting, piracy, patent protection, and trade secrets. While the music business continues to sample, copy, and produce AI-generation songs, the RIAA also wants to ensure IP protection for the audio products sold by the music business they represent. According to the RISS, "USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer stresses that US creators are essential to our economic growth, competitiveness and jobs. Strong copyright protection is critical to protecting American dominance, preventing theft of creative works and defending US national economic
security."
---> RIAA Says Human(?) Creators Are Essential To Economic Growth.
Dolby Atmos Immersive In-Car Audio Entertainment
With IASCA (International Auto Sound Challenge Association) custom high-end audio competitions being featured at various audiophile shows, the consumer electronics industry
recognizes Dolby Laboratories as a leader within their field. During the recent Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (Auto Shanghai 2025), the company showcased their next-generation of in-car entertainment experience powered by Dolby Vision HDR imaging and Dolby Atmos immersive sound.
"Dolby's growth in automotive continues to accelerate," says Dolby's press release. "At Auto Shanghai 2025, many auto makers announced new vehicles to support Dolby experiences, including those debuting their first model that features Dolby. With this latest progress, the number of auto makers supporting Dolby experiences has reached 25+, doubling the number from 12 months ago. With cars evolving from mere transportation tools into dynamic living spaces, consumers have unprecedented enthusiasm and expectations for high-quality in-car entertainment."
---> Dolby Atmos Immersive In-Car Audio Entertainment.
HIGH END 2025 Audiophile Show
Report & Info
The HIGH END 2025
audiophile / immersivephile event is an internationally renowned audio exhibition that will take place from May 15 to May 18, 2025, at the
M.O.C. Event Center in Munich, Germany. This event is a must-visit for anyone passionate about high-quality audio technology, as it brings together
manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and in open to consumers from over 40
countries. This year's brand ambassador is the Norwegian singer Anette
Askvik, who embodies the event's motto "Passion for Music". Her hypnotic sound and deep emotion perfectly reflect the passion for promoting audio technology that the HIGH END
2025 exhibition aims to convey. The HIGH END 2025 exhibition will feature hundreds of exhibitors showcasing their latest innovations in consumer electronics technology, including hi-fi audio, high-end video, home theater, and bespoke entertainment solutions for millionaires and billionaires alike.
---> Learn More And See Enjoy the
Music.com's HIGH END 2025 Show Report.
Shure Celebrates Their 100th Anniversary
Shure Incorporated is celebrating their special 100th anniversary! With a century of research, development, innovation, and desire to achieve the best audio possible, Shure continues to offer industry-leading products to recording engineers, musicians and music lovers alike. "S.N. Shure started the Company in downtown Chicago in 1925 selling radio parts kits. In 1932, Shure became one of only a few U.S. microphone manufacturers with the introduction of the Model 33N microphone. Since then, the Company has grown into a global technology leader, offering a diverse portfolio of game-changing wired and wireless microphones, conferencing and meeting solutions, and personal and professional listening products. Over its 100-year history, more than 50,000 different electronics products have been developed by Shure. Shure products are now sold in more than 120 countries, and through the decades, they have been trusted and used around the world by such luminaries as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Elvis Presley, Nelson Mandela, The Beatles, and other
icons.
---> Shure Celebrates Their 100th Anniversary.
Doing What's Best For The Luxury Audio Community
A heart-to-heartfelt wish as there's much work to do!
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin
Since
it has been quite some time since writing an article, I'd like to first thank
all our readers for your patience in product delivery over the past year. Supply
constraints combined with various factory closings globally over the past year
have been a challenge for many of us. While many of us stayed home, we took much
joy, and a careful listen, to our luxury audio systems. With many of your
wanting to upgrade your gear, there were many companies I spoke with who were
simply inundated with orders. As someone who gives close attention to the luxury
goods market for decades, the health of the industry also rests on the used
marketplace. Am sure many of you have seen the rise in asking prices for
pre-loved gear. This, imho, reinforces the value of high-end audio products.
--->
Doing What's Best For The Luxury Audio Community.
The Future Of Our Audiophile Hobby Part
4
Concerning the things to come… and what will make them
better!
Article
By Roger Skoff
In Part 1 of "The Future Of Our Audiophile Hobby",
more in
Part 2 of The Future, plus Part
3 last month, the necessarily lengthy articles about our hobby and the
industry that serves it, I told about how our hobby was once what computers and
cell phones are today: the state-of-the-art, the thing that everybody knew
about, loved, and had to have. I also wrote about how it has, since then, fallen
from glory, and become, for most people, at best a curiosity, and at worst, a
sort of utility (everybody uses water, gas, and electricity, but nobody gets
excited about them), and that the problem has gone so far that – even though
they are constantly surrounded by music of some sort and some quality at
practically every turn, many people don't even know what the words "hi-fi" or "stereo"
mean. To a very great degree, I wrote, our hobby has become
one for a declining number of old men and is in current and specific danger of
following the electric train....
--->
The Future Of Our Audiophile Hobby Part 4.
World Premiere Review!
Trilogy Audio Systems 914 Preamplifier And 994 Monoblock Power
Amplifier Review
Conveying musicality, engagement, and emotional connection to your favorite music.
Review By Chris Beeching
Trilogy Audio Systems, that small
but perfectly formed UK audio electronics company turns 35 this year.
Brain-child of Nic Poulson, Trilogy has brought highly engaging and musical
products to the public's ears with critical acclaim for three decades.
Something new coming from this stable, where new products are something of a
rarity (and whose legacy products still command decent price tags) is a rather
special event. Like so many smaller entities, Trilogy has been quietly bringing beautifully styled and highly listenable products to market in a resolute but unassuming way. Never one to shout loudly about what they do, they have earned an enviable following, and consistently produce amplification which, in a very understated way, produces far more (in every respect) than the seeming sum of their parts. Just coming to market this month are the Trilogy Audio Systems 914 preamplifier and the partnering 994 monoblock power amps.
--->
Trilogy Audio Systems 914 Preamplifier And 994 Monoblock Power Amplifier
Review.
Stereo
Wars Of The 1970s!
The hi-fi receiver wars of the 1970s.
Video By Lenny Florentine Of Just Audio
One of our 'next door
neighbors' tipped us off to this excellent video featuring the stereo wars of
the 1970s. According to Lenny Florentine of Just Audio, "Join us for our adventure into the past when we visit the Receiver Wars of the
1970s. See how stereo brands competed with each other to be the biggest and the
best! "We did our best to get you the most accurate information possible. Forgive any mistakes :). We also ask for your opinions and thoughts on the war and what your favorite vintage stereo's were! Enjoy!"
---> Stereo Wars Of The
1970s!
More reviews & articles within our Review Magazine.
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