July
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.
The Spirit Of Music
Good kamis that bring out the Spirit of the Music.
Article
By Roger Skoff
The ancient Greeks had a story about Pan, the horned and goat-legged
God of the Shepherds, who fell in love with a beautiful wood nymph named Syrinx, who, sadly for both of them,
couldn't return his interest and, instead, ran into the woods to be away from him. He gave chase and, as they ran, Syrinx found herself cut off by a river and, rather than be caught by him, she called out to her sister's spirits, begging them to find a way to hide her. They responded by transforming her into a bunch of river reeds – hollow stemmed cattails, lilac reeds, or something similar – which, when he got to them, Pan embraced, and when he breathed across them, he found to make a sweet and haunting
sound. According to the story, this pleased Pan so much that he cut and bound them to make a new kind of musical instrument which he called the Syrinx, but that we are more likely to know as the
panpipes.
---> The Spirit Of Music.
Professional Musician And Recording Studio Expert Rick Beato Speaks
Music lovers, audiophiles, and the world need to realize the music business....
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin / Videos By Rick Beato
As a classically-trained musician since the early 1970s (at the age of 8), over the
decades questions about why I walked away from the music scene decades ago
occasionally pop up. During high
school there was a touch of studio time, and here is where my eyes were open to
the reality of recording music. As a percussionist and drummer, yes my set was a
bit more expansive than the average, yet within my head were tones, textures,
and sounds... upon seeing my percussion/drum set was immediately bumping up
against recording studio effort and time (and their desire to properly mic up such a kit).
Sadly, the apparent lack of concern, with one studio then saying I should just
use their kit within a small boxed room and dead / lifeless drum heads. Am recalling this story not for any ego or other
overly-inflated.... Yet to let musicians nowadays know, am talking about true musical
artists who have a vision... you intrinsically know who you are.
---> Professional Musician And Recording Studio Expert Rick Beato
Speaks.
Defining The 'Right' Hi-Fi Sound
Taking advantage of DAC filters, tone controls, EQ tools, and more.
Editorial By Becky Roberts
There are very few absolutes in
hi-fi today, and what certainly isn't one of them (and never will be) is what
defines the 'right' hi-fi sound. Ask a room of music and hi-fi enthusiasts for
their thoughts on the matter and things would all too soon erupt into the kind
of pandemonium that would derange a digital-cable convention. (Just probably not
as quickly.) The die-hard rockers might throw out words such as "powerful",
"atmospheric" and "bassy"; those who instinctively request Norah Jones at hi-fi
shows may advocate the one that delivers the lushest vocals (midrange); the
greatest lovers of life – the bon vivants – could say anything that
makes music fun to listen to. Those deliberating quietly in the corner,
including myself, would champion the most transparent-sounding system – the
one that communicates the music as close to the recording as possible, stamping
little of itself on it. We would all be right, and all be wrong... depending on
the ears of the beholder.
---> Defining The 'Right' Hi-Fi Sound.
Making Music Louder
Maximizing and optimizing everything to create something that stands out.
Editorial By J. Martins
I doubt many of our readers have a deep understanding about how music is
"made" these days. Yes, a lot of music elements are still fundamentally recorded in studios where everything from microphones to preamps, to dynamic processors, and well-treated rooms are vital. Human voice remains one of those key elements, but even the
"voices" we hear are far from what was recorded. A lot of the music we listen to today is done from pre-existing sound elements that are either sampled or synthesized, often overlayed with actual recorded parts.
There's hardly any long section of music that relies on a continuous recorded element that stays true to what was recorded. Basically, everything is transformed, stretched, pitch-manipulated, then sequenced, and heavily processed, before being mixed. Many times, multiple mixed elements are further sampled, inserted in the sequence and
remixed.
---> Making Music Louder.
The Passing Of Milan Karan And Andrew Singer
Our thoughts and sympathy as both will be greatly missed.
Editorial By Alan Sircom
As much as I try to avoid the Editorial becoming an Obituary page, sadly, sometimes there is no other option. This month, the audio industry lost two big names; one in the high-end amplifier world, and another at one time the high-end
audio retailer. High-end amplifier designer Milan Karan of Karan Acoustics fame passed away just before the AXPONA Show in Chicago. I spoke to
Karan's close friend Branko Bozic of Audiofreaks, "On the 10th of April this year, the high-end audio world lost a precious and gifted designer and artisan when Milan Karan left us at an early age of 58 in his native Novi Sad (Serbia) after a relatively short and ruthless illness. And, much more than that, the world in general and I personally have prematurely lost a good fellow human being, long-standing and close Friend and brother in arms. Instead of Living (Only) Twice, we just live only
once... or less.
---> The Passing Of Milan Karan And Andrew Singer.
HIGH END 2024 At Munich M.O.C. Show Report
High End Society's HIGH END 2024 Event In Munich Germany
From May 9th to 12th, 2024, the 41st HIGH END
trade show in Munich will once again shine a spotlight on luxurious
premium music reproduction systems, inspiring listening enjoyment and
exquisite audio technology. HIGH END continues to be one of the most
important marketplaces and trading rendezvous for the audio industry,
with many international trade visitors from around the world. Music
lovers from over 90 countries visit Munich to discover high-performance
audio industry trends, exchange views, learn the latest news, plus
network and do business. For industry experts, audiophile enthusiasts,
and music enthusiasts, the HIGH END four-day event in Munich will once
again be a spectacular event.
---> HIGH END 2024 At Munich M.O.C.
Show Report.
Siltech Launches Master Crown Cables
New flagship from Holland's premiere cable manufacturer.
Launch Event Coverage By Greg Weaver
Siltech
recently launched a new, flagship series of audio cables called Master Crown. As
with everything they do, the launch would be a first-class event. With the help
of US Siltech distributor, Monarch Systems, based in Englewood, CO, a press
event was held Friday, June 20th to introduce and demonstrate the advantages of
this new product to the audio press. Monarch Systems was founded by two audio industry veterans,
Jon Baker and Rich Maez, and with the assistance of their Marketing Manager,
Jaclyn Schnirring, they played host to seven members of the press in a spacious,
beautiful home in the gated community of Las Campanas, to the west of the heart
of old Santa Fe, at a location they call La Casita. We were also honored
to be joined by Siltech's own engaging, conversant, and well-informed Gaby
Rynveld, who led much of the day's ceremonies.
--->
Siltech Launches Master Crown Cables.
TAD Evolution C1000 Preamplifier And M1000 Power Amplifier Review
Two top-notch solid-state components.
Review By Tom Lyle
TAD (Technical Audio Devices) is a high-end
audio manufacturer based in Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of the sizable mass-market
audio manufacturer Pioneer. Although Pioneer produces some fine, mostly
affordable gear, TAD works independently of Pioneer, designing and manufacturing
much more upscale high-end audio products. In 1975, the Tokyo-based Pioneer
Corporation began TAD to develop high-end speakers for professional use. In
2007, TAD became an independent subsidiary of Pioneer and has been designing and
manufacturing all types of high-end audio products primarily focusing on
speakers and amplifiers for home use. Previously, my only experience reviewing TAD products was two
years ago, when I reviewed their $20,000 Evolution Two (TAD-E2) floor-standing
speakers. These 2.5-way speakers impressed me both in their visual appearance
and sound quality.
--->
TAD Evolution C1000 Preamplifier And M1000 Power Amplifier Review.
World Premiere Review!
Acora Acoustics QRC 2 Floorstanding
Loudspeaker Review
First-class sound quality in a luxurious form factor.
Review By Rick Becker
Val Cora must have spotted my
press pass when I first encountered their SRB two-way stand-mounted monitor at
the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest show back in
2019. He encouraged me to take a
closer look and listen as I didn't seem particularly interested. It was my
subconscious fear of tipping over heavy stone or aluminum speakers that I later
traced back to a childhood trauma incident. Fast forward to 2023 and I've become one of Acora Acoustics' biggest
fans, typically including them among the Best Rooms awards in my show reports.
Not so much because I like them as because they're so damn good. Val has been a
master of setting up rigs in a wide variety of rooms supported by a diverse
selection of amplification and front ends. That he consistently features
different top-level turntables and phono cartridges has been a particular
delight, though he also showcases digital front ends. I fear that since he
recently acquired Audio Research, his presentations may become more restricted
to their products.
--->
Acora Acoustics QRC 2 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.
World Premiere Review!
Raven Audio Osprey MK3.1 Integrated Amplifier
And Corvus Reference Monitors Review
Classic designs refined.
Review By Paul Schumann
I grew up
listening to music through my dad's Dynaco ST70. My Dad was a DIY guy; it was
the best kit available in 1960. I inherited it and the matching PAS preamp my
sophomore year of college. I then bought a pair of ADS L620 speakers to go with
them. That kept me happy for 20 years. I eventually replaced my ailing Dynaco
gear with a Jolida JD202 integrated. The Dynaco and Jolida were very similar,
using EL34 pentodes in an ultra-linear configuration. A little later, the ADS
speakers made way for the Thiel CS1.5s. These were both two-way bass-reflex
speakers. In the last few years, my interest in lower-power amps and
high-efficiency speakers has led me away from the pairings I had so long, but I
will always have warm memories of listening to music with them. While attending the inaugural Southwest Audio Fest, I took
an interest in the Raptor horn speakers I heard in the Raven Audio room. About
one week after the show, I reached out to Dave Thompson of Raven to make
arrangements for a review. Dave put me in touch with James Connell.
--->
Raven Audio Osprey MK3.1 Integrated Amplifier And Corvus Reference Monitors Review.
World Premiere Review!
Backert Labs Rhumba Extreme 1.4 Preamplifier Review
An outstanding preamplifier with excellent connectivity for the music lover who desires
more.
Review By Rick Becker
Backert
Labs has seemingly come out of nowhere. Their first review appeared in 2015 and Enjoy
the Music.com reviewed the 1.3 version of the Rhumba Extreme in 2019. This
micro-manufacturer specializes in tube-powered preamplifiers, with a tube phono
stage being a logical extension of their focus. All of their manufacturing and
assembly is done in the USA. I had heard the buzz on the brand only one other
time before my audio buddy, Tom, informed me that he had ordered a Rhumba 1.2 on
US Audiomart that had been upgraded to a 1.3. Listening to his familiar system,
I noticed an impressive improvement. When the 1.4 series was announced I
contacted Andy Tebbe, the President and frontman of the company, and was
promised a premiere review when the design was finalized. I waited, and waited, until finally, I met Andy at the Capital
Audiofest. He explained that Bob Backert, the designer and CEO of this company
kept coming up with incremental improvements that slowed final release.
--->
Backert Labs Rhumba Extreme 1.4 Preamplifier Review.
World Premiere Review!
Class D Audio Mini GaN 3 Amplifier Review
It is a great amplifier at an amazing price!
Review By Paul Schumann
I am a
science teacher by vocation. One of the things I love teaching is the history of
the periodic table. In 1871, Dmitri Mendeleev published his first version of his
periodic table. One of the key features of his table was the blanks he left for
elements that had yet to be discovered. Two of the elements he predicted were
eka aluminum and eka silicon. They were in the spaces directly above Al and Si.
In 1875, eka aluminum was discovered spectroscopically and isolated by the
French chemist Paul-ÉmileLecoq de Boisbaudran. The fact that Mendeleev had
predicted it grabbed the attention of chemists worldwide and paved the way for
the acceptance of his table. Lecoq named the new element gallium. Gallium is cool because it will melt in your hand. But an
even cooler property of gallium is when it is chemically bonded to nitrogen to
make gallium nitride, it can be used to make semiconductors well-suited for
high-power transistors. The use of these GaN transistors in high-end audio has
gained popularity in just the last few years.
--->
Class D Audio Mini GaN 3 Amplifier Review.
North America Premiere Review!
Simaudio MOON 641 Integrated Amplifier And 681 Network Player / DAC Review
Stereo sound system synergy plus MOONLink technology.
Review By Tom Lyle
Last year, I had the pleasure of reviewing MOON's 250i V2 integrated amplifier. Even though its output is "only" 50 Watts per channel, I praised it, concluding, "I felt a connection to the music that passed through this integrated amplifier, as it belied its price." The Simaudio MOON 250i V2 is priced five times less than the integrated amp reviewed here but with a third less output power. The MOON 641 integrated amplifier and the 681 network player/DAC are both part of MOON's NOŘTH Collection. From reading about them on the MOON website, I've learned that they are not simply new audio components but "a testament to MOON's commitment to pushing the envelope of audio technology. They are designed to deliver an unmatched listening experience in clarity and
depth." Simaudio's MOON 641 integrated amplifier features their Distortion-Cancelling Amplifier (MDCA) technology. It is used exclusively in North Collection components of MOON. This feature has an independent circuit to perform signal correction to lower noise and distortion. The MOON 641's dual-mono configuration "fills the room with rich, immersive
sound."
--->
Simaudio MOON 641 Integrated Amplifier And 681 Network Player / DAC Review.
Editorial: The Intro
Editorial By Art Dudley
Passions run high among music lovers. We vilify
"bad" musicians
(the ones we dislike), and we elevate marginally functional savants with a couple of 2-minute singles and some album
filler under their belts. When it comes to more unique and productive figures like Phil
Spector, Jimi Hendrix, Wilhelm Furtwängler, John Cage, or [insert your own heroes and
villains here], music fans either revere them as gods or dismiss them as meaningless.
Sometimes there are shades in between, but perspective is at a premium. This tendency to paint things black or white spills over to the equipment we use
to play back our favorite recordings. i've seen the cognoscenti dismiss people on the
basis of no more information than their choice of power amp, though I suspect few
of us are quite so one-dimensional in truth. Anyone with an internet connection can
publish broadsides proclaiming their love for equipment and music and aim verbal
barrages at their musical "enemies."
---> Listener Magazine By Art Dudley: The Intro Editorial.
Forgetabout Amps!
Article By Vincent Gallo
I just finished reading a copy of the famous
new magazine Sound Practices Number 2. I got my copy yesterday, the same day my agent informed me that I brown nosed myself
another job acting in a Hollywood movie. She told me I was cast along with Jeremy
Irons, Meryl Streep, Glen Close, and Wynona Rider — so I figured I deserved MILLIONS. I had to spend the whole day
on the phone with my agent and their lawyer. I told them The Gallo doesn't work for
less than a million a film. They offered 10,000. I took 15 K-that's $2,985,000 less
than each of the other actors was getting. With all this Hollywood-style schmoozing
to do, I couldn't just relax and sit around reading my new SP #2. The thing is that as soon as I got the job I started to worry. I've worked as an actor for
12 years but I still get it in my mind that I don't know what the hell I'm doing, and I
probably don't. I always imagine all the other actors are going to think that I stink and
that they will hate me.
---> Forgetabout Amps!
This Month's Meeting @ VALVE
Editorial By Dan Schmalle From VALVE
Magazine
September's meeting was another
of our small and therefore very informal
meetings (which are among the
most pleasant we have). Dave and Steve supplied the audition
pieces, a PAS 3 stereo preamp, a
Fisher 50C mono preamp, a McIntosh MC40 monoblock, and a wacky Hungarian bookshelf speaker made to look like
a book, called the Musical Encyclopedia. The PAS 3 was brought In response
to the requests for a tube
preamp to use Instead of my Apt/Holman. In an NB comparison of
Beethoven's Violin Concerto on vinyl,
the two sounded pretty close, with the
expected results of a slight sweetening
of the strings with the PAS and a slight
increase In detail and transient clarity
with the Apt. I must say that this was the first
PAS that I liked, and I have listened to
several this year, getting the same impression
of wiryness to the highs.
This PAS 3 was stock, as were
the others, so I don't have an explanation
for the lack of wire this time....
---> This Month's Meeting @ VALVE.
Crystal Cable Monet Power Cable Review
A very pleasant surprise!
Review By Marshall
Nack
When the Monet power cables from
Crystal Cable were offered for review, the first thing I went online for a
look-see. The photos suggested a slimmed-down cable with no surplus parts,
nothing more than the elemental hardware required for the task at hand. The
Monet is the thinnest power cables in the new Art series and features the
company's latest generation of pure silver conductors. Putting these data points
together — minimum hardware, slim appearance, silver conductors — I jumped
to conclusions and replied back to Gabi Rynveld, founder of Crystal Cable,
"Might they sound a little light-weight?" She assured me,
"Absolutely not! Well, then, bring them on!" I was enthused and so,
about a month or two later, the samples arrived.
--->
Crystal Cable Monet Power Cable Review.
Pass Labs X260.8 Monoblock Amplifier Review
Prestigious power, glorious grace, and terrific transparency.
Review By
Dwayne Carter
Pass Laboratories, Inc., is a name that most audiophiles
utter, after describing a product that comes close to perfection. "XXX
amplifier almost sounds as good as the Pass Labs XXX model". We've
all done it. Fortunately, "as good as" will have to wait. Thanks to the good
people at Pass Laboratories; I get the real thing. As the world was on pause, my
listening room entertained a pair of Pass Labs X260.8 monoblock amplifiers. In full disclosure, I would like to admit that I have been a
fan of Pass Labs products for many years. I've never owned or reviewed any of
their products, so I was looking forward to this delivery.... The Pass Labs X260.8 monoblock amplifiers require two people to
move. I know most amplifier manufacturers recommend this, but this is the first
time I heeded their recommendation. Luckily, my good friend Michael was able to
help me wrestle these beasts into place.
--->
Pass Labs X260.8 Monoblock Amplifier Review.
FiiO R7 Music Server / Streamer / Headphone Amplifier Review
The solution....
Review By Gary Alan Barker
For
quite some time now I have been using my FiiO M11 as my music server for burning
in products and more recently since I changed computers, for running my
reference system as my tube amp picks up noise from the computer's USB out. The
drawback of this is the M11 is not a desktop device so it doesn't have a direct
power-in (meaning I can either use the single USB port to charge or drive my
DAC, but not both at the same time), and it is not fully ergonomic for desktop
use. Enter the new FiiO R7, a fully functional streaming music
server that can run on either AC or DC, has two USB ports (so I can connect to
my hard drives and DAC at the same time), its own ES9068AS DAC built in,
connected to two THX AAA 788+ Headphone Amplifiers for both single-ended and
balanced output....
--->
FiiO R7 Music Server / Streamer / Headphone Amplifier Review.
Triangle Art L-200 MK2 Stereo Vacuum
Tube
Preamplifier Review
It is Triangulicious!!!
Review By Dr. Matthew Clott
The fascinating thing about
reviewing Triangle Art's L-200 MK2 vacuum tube preamplifier is that it's a tube
pre-amp… and that I know, when I agree to review it, that this review
will not get half the readership to click on it because it has the word
"tube" in it. And I will lose even more because Triangle Art is not a
mainstream name and many do not recognize it. So, for the 20% to 30%-ish of our
readership that made it this far, you will be rewarded by learning about a
pre-amp that everyone should know about! The Triangle Art L-200 MK2 is a $25,000 tube preamp that can
compete with a $40,000 preamp (tube or solid-state), built by a company that has
a creative philosophy similar to Porsche. Take a design and just keep making it
better (think 911 of the 1980s and today); they call it, "Think it
out."
--->
Triangle Art L-200 MK2 Stereo Vacuum Tube Preamplifier Review.
World Premiere Review!
Metronome Audio Le DAC 2 Review
The Spice must flow.
Review By Paul Schumann
It's no
secret that Hollywood has become the land of the sequel. Nine of the top ten
grossing movies from 2022 were sequels. I excluded The Batman because it
technically wasn't a sequel, but it was a reboot, for goodness' sake. Now I'm
not going to bash sequels out of hand. I watch a bunch of them myself. My big
complaint is when a sequel is done by a different set of writers and a new
director and is so different from its predecessor in tone and theme that about
halfway through I throw up my hands and ask, "Why am I watching this?". One sequel I'm looking forward to watching is Dune: Part 2.
While they call it a sequel, it's more of a continuation of the first movie with
Denis Villeneuve and his team completing the task. Even though I've only seen
2.5 minutes of it in a trailer, I am incredibly hopeful that this crew will
bring the ship safely into the harbor. Yes, I could be wrong, but like Fremen, I
believe.
---> Metronome Audio Le DAC 2
Review.
Let's Talk About Luxurious Premium Audio Shows
Hi-fi shows and what they ought to be.
Article
By Roger Skoff
If
you're an audiophile, you've almost certainly either been to a high-fidelity
audio event (Hi-Fi Show) or wanted to go to one. Back in the days before I got into the industry, every time
CES
– the Consumer Electronics Show
– came around (There used to be two of them
– Las Vegas and Chicago), I would always ask my industry friends if they had
gone to it; how they liked it; what had been the hit of the Show; and what new
great stuff I should hunt down and buy for myself. Invariably, the answer I got was that they had been too busy
working their own exhibits to actually go and see or listen to anybody else's;
and that they had effectively seen or heard nothing. NO FUN! That was back years ago, when hi-fi was – following the
great hi-fi boom of the late 1950s and 1960s when stereo LP records were first
introduced, and the second boom in the 1980s, when CDs came along offering "perfect
sound forever," a common interest....
--->
Let's Talk About Luxurious Premium Audio Shows.
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High-Performance Audio Reviews
