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High-Performance
Audio Gear Reviews,
Music News, Show Reports, Articles & More!
30 Years Of Service To Music
Lovers.
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Flagship
Audio Gear, World Premieres, & Show Coverage — July
High-End Audio Review Magazine
In-depth listening notes, not-to-be-missed
world premiere hi-fi reviews, plus HIGH END Vienna and Southwest Audio Fest 2026.
Great news for music lovers and audiophiles alike as our July
Review Magazine is out and it's loaded with hands-on looks at top-tier amplifier, two interesting loudspeaker designs, world premieres, and more! Think long listening sessions, gear that makes you smile, and plenty of great gear pics for your next system upgrade consideration. If you love discovering what really moves the music, this issue is a treat. What really makes this edition buzz is the
world premiere coverage — first listens and debut reviews of gear you may not have heard about anywhere else. Charney Audio Kit-1 300B tube amp, efficient Maestro XL speakers, the unique PERFECT8
Cube-S with Sub, and Merrill Audio's exciting reference-class Element 116MX
amplifier. There's also show coverage from HIGH END Vienna 2026, with special news as we're once again sponsoring the Southwest Audio
Fest luxury audio event! You'll be seeing our lanyards once again, bringing our joyous orange signature color to Dallas. For the kids and newcomers, there's the
Passport To Sound booklet. If you've not heard about this incredible resource, be sure not to miss this month's
editorial!
---> Flagship Audio Gear, World Premieres, & Show Coverage — July High-End Audio
Review Magazine. 
Enjoy the Music.com Sponsors
SWAF 2026 Show Lanyards & Passport To Sound Booklet
High-end audio's leading online hi-fi publication once again shows its strong support for the industry and assists music lovers, too.
Southwest Audio Fest
2026 returns to the Sheraton Dallas Hotel from July 23rd through 25th, and this
year's show arrives with an exciting partnership: Enjoy the Music.com, one of
the industry's most respected online publications for over 30 years, is the
official lanyard sponsor for the three-day luxury high-end audio
celebration. Their support ensures every exhibitor and member of the press
receives a premium lanyard the moment they check in. For youthful and aspiring
music lovers, Enjoy the Music.com is once again providing the
critically-acclaimed educational booklet Passport To Sound. Written by
scientist and higher education instructor May Anwar, Passport To Sound is the
industry's foremost publication to help both inquisitive adults and youthful
enthusiasts about the fundamentals of the high-fidelity world. Southwest Audio Fest (SWAF) 2026 is expected to host many exhibit
rooms, featuring flagship sound systems, class-leading turntable showcases,
top-level headphones, and product debuts from global manufacturers. The
lanyards—worn by many throughout the weekend—serve as a unifying visual
element while highlighting Enjoy the Music.com's ongoing support and our
many years of giving back to the high-end audio community.
--->
Enjoy the Music.com Sponsors SWAF 2026 Show Lanyards & Passport To Sound
Booklet.
Capital Audiofest 2026 Returns As The Northeast
Coast's Premier Luxury Hi-Fi Experience
Capital Audiofest 2026 is set to take over the Hilton Rockville in Rockville, Maryland from November 13th through 15th, reaffirming its status as the Northeast
Coast's most anticipated luxury home audio showcase. Now in its 16th year, the high-fidelity home audio festival continues its evolution from a regional gathering into a nationally recognized celebration of
high-end audiophile sound, immersive listening, and community-driven audio culture. With expanded exhibitor participation and a growing audience of seasoned audiophiles, newcomers, and families, the 2026 edition promises to be the most ambitious yet. The
show's hallmark remains its room-to-room exploration format, where attendees can audition
cutting-edge loudspeakers, amplifiers, DACs, turntables, and streaming systems across a wide range of price points. Exhibitors representing boutique artisans, global luxury brands, and innovative newcomers will transform the
Hilton's floors into a multi-level sonic playground. Visitors can expect meticulously tuned listening rooms,
world premiere product unveilings, and hands-on demonstrations designed to help listeners translate specifications into
real-world musical engagement.
---> Capital Audiofest 2026 Returns As The Northeast Coast's Premier Luxury Hi-Fi Experience. 
Southwest Audio Fest 2026 Ignites Dallas With Luxury
High-End Sound Systems
Southwest Audio Fest 2026 returns to Dallas from July 23rd through 25th with a sharpened
three-day schedule designed to maximize energy, attendance, and high-end listening opportunities. Organizers have officially dropped the traditional Sunday session in favor of a Thursday–Friday–Saturday format, responding to
longstanding industry feedback about slow final day traffic. The new structure opens Thursday from 2
pm to 8 pm, followed by full days Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 6
pm, creating a more focused and efficient show experience for exhibitors and attendees alike. Hosted at the Sheraton Convention Center in downtown Dallas, the 2026 edition offers expansive demo rooms, proximity to the Arts and Historic Districts, and easy access to restaurants, museums, and cultural attractions. Exhibitors will include major manufacturers, boutique builders, dealers, and independent designers presenting everything from floorstanding loudspeakers and reference turntables to
cutting-edge DACs, streamers, and room treatment solutions.
---> Southwest
Audio Fest 2026 Show Info & Report. 
audioXpress'
July 2026 Issue
Editorial: Audio Human Extensions
Born To Be Connected: Why Passengers Finally Get To Have Fun Too
A Software-Defined DAC Using Delta-Sigma Modulation
EPC9192 Reference Design For EPC2307 eGaN FETs
Designing the Dynaco ST-70 Series 3: It's All About the Bass
FC-100: A JFET Testing And Matching Device
MPEG-I Immersive Audio The Standard for Realistic VR / AR Sound
The Challenge Behind Believable XR
Building Flexible Immersive Home Audio Systems
Reintroduction Of The 90s Mesa Triple Rectifier Solo Head
And Much More!
---> audioXpress
July 2026 Issue.
Immersivephiles Enjoy Pure Audio Streaming On Apple TV As
Next-Gen Immersive Audio
Pure Audio Streaming (PAS), a lossless immersive music platform, is officially coming to Apple TV and marking a major step forward in
high-fidelity (hi-fi) home entertainment. The expansion, slated for Q3 2026, brings
PAS's uncompromising, studio-grade audio formats—including immersive, binaural,
high-resolution multichannel, and lossless stereo PCM—to Apple's popular streaming device, widening access for audiophiles and
home theater enthusiasts alike. Pure Audio Streaming says the move is driven by a surge in demand for immersive music experiences across both consumer and professional markets. With standards like RP22 and new
open-source formats such as Eclipsa making immersive playback more accessible, the company sees Apple TV as a natural next step for delivering
reference-quality immersivephileTM-quality sound in more homes. With Broader platform support, it further strengthens the ecosystem for audiophiles, music lovers, and
listeners. Apple, meanwhile, is quietly preparing its own audio upgrades. With tvOS 27, Apple TV 4K will support
Hi-Res Lossless audio up to 24-bit/192 kHz, a major leap from the previous
24-bit/48kHz ceiling.
---> Immersivephiles Enjoy Pure Audio Streaming On Apple TV As Next-Gen Immersive Audio.
July 2026 High-End Audio Review Magazine — Celebrating Music, Community & The Gear That Brings Us Together
A passionate editorial for music lovers, audiophiles, and our global hi-fi Family.
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin
This issue of Enjoy
the Music.com's high-end-audio Review Magazine arrives at a moment
when the global audiophile community feels more connected—and more
energized—than ever! Over the past 30+ years, our publication has served music
lovers with high-performance audio reviews, show reports, industry news, and
heartfelt editorials that celebrate the musical art of listening. This month, we
continue that tradition with renewed purpose: to honor the people, the gear, and
the shared passion that make high-fidelity audio not just a hobby, but a
lifelong pursuit of beauty, discovery, and both human and emotional connection.
As the Old Guard is now retired, and we thank them for their decades of service,
it is time for fresh faces to take charge as new ideas within the world of
modern hi-fi audio move us forward. This issue is written by music lovers
for music lovers. Our well-respected musician contributors are not distant observers of music—they
play it. We are
honored to have musicians as part of the same global family of listeners who
obsess over authenticity, realism, tone, texture, timing, and truth. Like you,
we stay up
late into the evening, sometimes into the early morning, (re)discovering
favorite albums; debating the merits of solid-state, vacuum tubes, hornspeakers,
planars, cone drivers, digital formats, phono cartridges, tweaks....
--->
July 2026 High-End Audio Review Magazine — Celebrating Music, Community & The Gear That Brings Us
Together.
World Premiere Review!
Merrill Audio Element 116MX Review: High-End Monoblock Power Amplifiers With Exceptional Clarity & Dynamics
Our exclusive In-depth listening tests reveals the 116MX's exceptionally low noise floor, expansive immersive soundscape, and reference-level transparency.
Review By Tom Lyle
In this review, I will describe and sonically examine Merrill
Audio's Element 116MX monoblock power amplifiers. Given the number of Merrill
Audio reviews I have written over the past decade, I suppose some may accuse me
of favoritism. I'm often chosen to review their components simply because I
live close to their factory. As a bonus, they can deliver their products
personally and then help me set them up, rather than simply shipping them to me.
The Element 116MX is Merrill Audio's newest component, and the most powerful
and most pricey amplifier I've reviewed from them. It is a significant upgrade
over their earlier
Element 116 (sans MX), which Dr. Michael Bump reviewed in the summer of 2019
in Enjoy The Music. In this very positive review, he remarked that the Element
116 "delivers some of the best amplification anywhere." Merrill Audio claims that the Element 116MX "offers greater
clarity, detail, and dynamic range."
--->
Merrill Audio Element 116MX Review: High-End Monoblock Power Amplifiers With Exceptional Clarity &
Dynamics.
World Premiere Review!
Charney Audio Kit-1 300B Vacuum Tube Amplifier & Maestro XL
Loudspeakers: World-Class 300B SET Power Meets Voxativ Precision To Deliver Extraordinary Musical Realism
A deep-dive listening review of Charney's new 300B amplifier and Maestro XL musical loudspeakers featuring Voxativ AC-2.6 drivers.
Review By Paul Schumann
When I first walked
into the Charney Audio room at Southwest Audio Fest 2025, I was greeted by this
charming song by Victor Wooten. It was being projected into the room by a pair
of Lumica VI loud speakers. Despite being a single-driver design, the Lumica VIs were
pressurizing the room with their enormous rear-loaded horns. I was intrigued.
The room was super busy at the time, so I snapped a few pics, moved on, and made
a note to myself to swing back later. When I came back a couple of days later, "The Loneliest
Monk" was once again playing, which I thought was an odd bit of synchronicity.
I sat and listened to the Lumica VI speakers and was impressed by how they
filled the room with just a pair of Voxativ AC-2.6 drivers. After taking some
notes, I talked to Brian Charney about reviewing a pair of speakers. After
describing my listening room to him, we decided that none of his speakers would
perform their best there.
--->
Charney Audio Kit-1 300B Vacuum Tube Amplifier & Maestro XL Loudspeakers
Review.
Discover more hi-fi reviews and expert articles within our Review Magazine.
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