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January 2026

Celebrating Our Spectacular 30th Anniversary!
Honoring Enjoy the Music.com's exceptional articles and reviews.
During 2026, Enjoy the Music.com will feature historic audio gear reviews and articles during our past 30 years. As always, in the end what really matters is that you... enjoy the music!

 

 

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.

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.

 

 

Get Ready Audiophiles And Music Lovers, It's Coming!

Get Ready Audiophiles And Music Lovers, It's Coming!
Hmmmm... what we can expect from 2026?
Editorial (Mainly) By Roger Skoff, With Slight Additions By Steven R. Rochlin
Happy New Year from all of us here at Enjoy the Music.com! This is going to be a great year! After a fitful 2025 now in the rearview mirror, both the music industry and our own luxurious high-fidelity audio industry—the companies and people who bring us the audiophile gear we use to enjoy the music—are poised to reach new highs and to reach more people than at any recent time! We live in interesting times, CDs are back, reel-to-reel tape thriving, vinyl LPs... and an abundance of true lossless Hi-Res Music (20-bit/88kHz and higher) digital streaming to everyone in the world. Change is in the air. Can you hear it? The music business enters 2026 with a kind of renewed energy it hasn't felt in a long while. Streaming is still the engine, but it's no longer the only story. When it comes to profits, physical media and merch provide an excellent return on investment. Subscription numbers for streaming services continue to climb, and even the ad-supported side—after uncertainty through much of 2025—seems to have found its rhythm again.
---> Get Ready Audiophiles And Music Lovers, It's Coming!

 

 

Passport To Sound: An Invitation To What The Audio Show Can Become Bringing fun and education to young music lovers and future audiophiles. Editorial By May Anwar

Passport To Sound: An Invitation To What The Audio Show Can Become 
Bringing fun and education to young music lovers and future audiophiles.
Editorial By May Anwar
Every Saturday morning of my childhood began with Beethoven. The Appassionata Sonata or Symphony No. 5 spilled from my father's turntable at a volume that stirred my heart before I was fully awake. The turntable sat on a heavy wooden credenza, its glass lid closed like a museum case. We children could admire the record collection stored inside but were never allowed to touch the equipment itself. The system was sacred. Surrounded by music, I assumed I understood it. Years later, I realized I had only been granted access to listen but had never truly learned what made a system sound good. When I received my first cassette player as a teenager eager for independence, I traded quality for freedom and never looked back. By college, I had forgotten what music was meant to sound like. I listened to compressed, flattened tracks through cassette players, then MP3 players, and eventually voice-activated devices that made listening even more casual.
---> Passport To Sound: An Invitation To What The Audio Show Can Become.

 

 

Hi-Fi+ December 2025 -- The Sound Of A Milestone As hi-fi+ Achieves 250 Issues

The Sound Of A Milestone As hi-fi+ Achieves 250 Issues
The ever-evolving landscape of high-end home audio gear as we enter 2026.
Editorial By Alan Sircom
We made it! 250 issues of hi-fi+. And the stars aligned to make this celebratory issue our annual Awards... just in time for Christmas, too. It doesn't get much better. OK, so perhaps the free Rolls-Royce with a glove-box filled with Patek Philippe watches for every reader we were hoping to give away this issue might have been a little better, but only a little! Keen calculating types might point out that 250 monthly issues would put the first issue of hi-fi+ back in February 2005, and yet the magazine was launched back in 1999. So what happened? For the first ten years of the magazine, hi-fi+ was a true periodical. The magazine was a quarterly at first, then moved to a bi-monthly, and only became a monthly magazine in January 2013. From the outset, the magazine set a high standard. We maintain that audio is a luxury product and, if you are reading about it, then it's best to do so in something that looks and feels luxurious. Alongside the high design values, by-product of high-quality paper gave us the reputation of being 'the best smelling magazine in the audio business.' Sadly, some of the olfactory boons of the past have stayed in the past, as print stocks change over time, but we have tried as much as possible to keep the luxury touches.
---> The Sound Of A Milestone As hi-fi+ Achieves 250 Issues.

 

 

audioXpress January 2026 Ypu Had One Job Editorial

You Had One Job
Consumer electronics show promoters should look at trends carefully.
Editorial By J. Martins
The audio industry events calendar is looking busier than ever for 2026. At the time of writing for this issue of audioXpress, we are looking at a busy CES and NAMM Show, even with clouds of uncertainty hovering above both events. The surprising part is that, even with Trump tariffs and the erratic US administration policies, China is returning to CES in force. The Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) will reopen its doors in full after extensive multiyear renovations, and remarkably, the South Hall ground level is already fully booked by manufacturing and design suppliers from China. The South Hall upper level will not be used for this edition, but CES exhibit numbers are still impressive considering the economic and political climate. The LVCC North Hall is again a vibrant space for connected, smart devices, AI, language translation, mobility, and sustainability. The Central Hall will return to the traditional Gaming and Audio and Video hub, with China taking over 50% of the area, replacing the dominant position once held by Japanese and Korean brands.
---> You Had One Job.

 

 

Inside Capital Audiofest 2025 (CAF): Exclusive Show Report & Latest Gear New high-end audio trends, top hi-fi gear, plus audiophile insights and cutting-edge innovations.

Inside Capital Audiofest 2025: Exclusive Show Report & Latest Gear
New high-end audio trends, top hi-fi gear, plus audiophile insights and cutting-edge innovations.
Welcome to Enjoy the Music.com's comprehensive Capital Audiofest 2025 show report. Capital Audiofest (CAF) 2025 took place from November 14th to 16th at the Hilton Rockville in Maryland, continuing its legacy as the East Coast's largest and most beloved high-end audio show. The event was open for all music lovers from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, offering three full days of immersive listening experiences, gear demos, and community engagement. Founded in 2010 by Gary Gill, CAF continues to grow from a grassroots gathering into a cornerstone of the North American audiophile calendar, drawing enthusiasts, engineers, and manufacturers from across the globe. Our Capital Audiofest 2025 show reports are now online and being updated through December. Be sure to read our exciting, exclusive, and expanded coverage of CAF 2025!
---> Inside Capital Audiofest 2025: Exclusive Show Report & Latest Gear.

 

 

Must See Best Hi-Fi — Best Of Capital Audiofest 2025 Blue Note Award Winners

Must See Best Hi-Fi — Best Of Capital Audiofest 2025 Blue Note Award Winners
Capital Audiofest 2025 Part 3 showcases the finest luxury home audio gear, plus notable honorable mentions.
Capital Audiofest 2025 Show Report By Rick Becker
Enjoy the Music.com's highly desirable Best Of Capital Audiofest 2025 Award is not a race, with first, second, and third place finishers, but rather a celebration of the heights achieved by the industry at a given show. Shows are a place to improve your listening skills and learn what products and tweaks push the envelope of what is possible at many price points. Moreover, since your own listening room at home does not likely resemble the rooms at a hotel, you have to translate what you've heard at a show to fit your own room and the lifestyle implications for your particular situation. I reviewed my findings from almost all the rooms at the show and made a list of 44 impressive rooms I considered contenders. That's over a third of all the rooms and a good reason to celebrate the vitality of the industry. Hopefully, the economy will reward the efforts of so many manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in the coming year.
---> Best Of Capital Audiofest 2025 Blue Note Award Winners.

 

 

Vitus Audio SIA-025 Mk.II Luxury Hi-Fi Int. Amp — The Definitive Review

Vitus Audio SIA-025 Mk.II Luxury Hi-Fi Int. Amp — The Definitive Review
A masterful and musically satisfying experience that had me magically mesmerized.
Review By Dr. Matthew Clott
Caveat: Yes, the Vitus Audio SIA-025 Mk.II solid-state integrated amplifier, as reviewed here, has been out for many years. So why review it now? Well, for starters, wouldn't you say yes if you were asked to review it?!? Secondly, I think that with the introduction of some new similarly-priced integrated amplifiers and a new interest in truly reference high-end audio performance at this level, it would be irresponsible of us here at Enjoy the Music.com not to remind you that the new stuff is not always the best. Sometimes we must look to the established to reinforce what our references actually are. Thirdly, sometimes a review after a unit has been out for some time helps to re-evaluate its place in the market as its price matures with the flow that has represented the high-end audio world in recent years. Vitus Audio's founder, Hans-ole Vitus, fell in love with music at the ripe old age of 12. That passion developed into a lifelong obsession with audio perfection as he matured.
---> Vitus Audio SIA-025 Mk.II Luxury Hi-Fi Int. Amp — The Definitive Review.

 

Reaching Into The Life Of Music: Esoteric K-01XD SE SACD / CD Player & DAC In service to music, and to experiencing a life fully lived.

World Premiere Review!
Reaching Into The Life Of Music: Esoteric K-01XD SE SACD / CD Player & DAC Review
In service to music, and to experiencing a life fully lived.
Review By Dr. Michael Bump
"Practice makes perfect." As with performing music, audiophilia is a practiced art, defining a very personal journey through a sequence of inspired choices and construction. Perhaps better stated, "Practice develops awareness." It is why musicians and audiophiles make for natural bedfellows. The art of reproducing recorded music at the highest levels is every bit a practice, fluid through expanding awareness and knowledge, at once governed by the absolutes of science, yet is subjective to artistic freedoms and interpretations. Many audiophiles ascribe to a practice of recreating the live musical moment as faithfully as possible, while others favor a specific aural character that defines a personal aesthetic. Ultimately, the jury lies not with the court of public opinion, but with those personal values honed through enlightenment, education, experience, and preference.
---> Reaching Into The Life Of Music: Esoteric K-01XD SE SACD / CD Player & DAC Review.

 

 

Pure Power, Pure Pleasure — Pass Laboratories X600.8 Mono Amplifier Review  Quietly powerful, exquisitely precise sound that delivers recording-studio clarity.

Pure Power, Pure Pleasure — Pass Laboratories X600.8 Mono Amplifier Review
Quietly powerful, exquisitely precise sound that delivers recording-studio clarity.
Review By Tom Lyle
The Pass Laboratories X600.8 monoblocks did not simply arrive — they announced themselves. Two Pass Laboratories X600.8 monoblocks for review here at Enjoy the Music.com, each a 123-pound monument of metal and circuitry, crossed my threshold and turned the upstairs listening room into a battleground for gravity. Their bulk filled the doorway, their presence and proportions, and for a moment the house felt like it had been claimed by something far more serious than furniture. Furthermore, I needed a little help getting them into position within my listening room. Besides being quite heavy and quite large (19" x 21.5" x 11" WxDxH), my listening room is on the top floor of our home. On their website, Pass Labs says that the Pass Laboratories X600s can "...effortlessly drive the most demanding loudspeakers to musical nirvana." With 600 Watts under the hood, it should be obvious that these monoblocks can drive just about any pair of speakers one can think of....
---> Pure Power, Pure Pleasure — Pass Laboratories X600.8 Mono Amplifier Review.

 

 

SVS' SB-5000 R|Evolution Will Not Be Televised — It will be Felt! Deep bass with exceptional musicality, bass speed, and a potent 2000 Watts! SVS SB-5000 R|Evolution Subwoofer Review By Rick LaFaver

SVS' SB-5000 R|Evolution Will Not Be Televised — It Will Be Felt!
Deep bass with exceptional musicality, bass speed, and a potent 2000 Watts!
SVS SB-5000 R|Evolution Subwoofer Review By Rick LaFaver
If Santa missed the mark on giving you the gift of deep, room-shaking bass this year, meet the SVS 5000 R|Evolution SB-5000 sealed subwoofer — the sub that transforms your music listening experience (it's not only for movie explosions). Within this review, Enjoy the Music.com tests the SVS SB-5000 active subwoofer with 2000 Watts from a real-world stereo perspective, showing how a high-performance subwoofer can do more than boost LFE at 80Hz: it fills the gap where your speakers naturally roll off, adds authoritative low-end detail, and restores the rhythm, weight, and physical deep bass connection to your favorite tracks that have been missing… until now. The SVS subwoofer was tested alongside my reference Vapor Audio Cirrus loudspeakers and go-to Arte Forma amplifier, aiming for a musical, real-world setup. I tried the preamplifier output so the SVS could receive a full stereo analog feed and make the most of its 295 Hz Analog Devices DSP and the SVS app's fine-tuning.
---> SVS SB-5000 R|Evolution Active DSP Subwoofer Review.

 

 

Stunning Design And Mind-Blowing Bass: MC Audiotech TL-8 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review This sculptural speaker is a must-hear conversation starter for true music lovers.

World Premiere Review!
Stunning Design And Mind-Blowing Bass: MC Audiotech TL-8 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review
This sculptural speaker is a must-hear conversation starter for true music lovers.
Review By Bob Grossman
I have had the MC Audiotech TL-8 floorstanding loudspeakers within my home for the past two months, allowing me to experience them thoroughly, given my experience with many recordings in a variety of genres, as well as comparisons between CD and LP sources. As I sat in my living room writing for Enjoy the Music.com, I felt like I was out on the lawn enjoying a concert under the stars in Saratoga Springs, the Mann Music Center, or Bravo Vail outdoor theaters. Few people look for speakers that capture the unique sound of an outdoor performance. But my brother Michael pointed out that the Grateful Dead hated studio recording and rarely did it, instead preferring that fans enjoy live outdoor performances. Then Michael was captivated by the sound of the TL-8s speakers and said he felt transported back to San Francisco in the 1970s.
---> MC Audiotech TL-8 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.

 

 

Nirvana Audio Chronos Optimizer Review: Big Sound In A Small Package

Nirvana Audio Chronos Optimizer Review: Big Sound In A Small Package
If you value sensational sound, the Chronos delivers delightful audio.
Review By Rick Becker
One of the reasons I like to visit every room at audio shows is the possibility of discovering a truly outstanding new product. That's exactly what happened when I ventured into the Nirvana Audio room on the 5th Floor at AXPONA 2025 this year. Here is what I wrote in Part 7 of my show report: The name Nirvana struck a chord because of the American rock band, but I couldn't picture any audio components with that brand name. When I entered the room and saw some familiar gear hosted by a pair of Asian gentlemen, I still could not connect the dots. As I took a seat during my show report for Enjoy the Music.com, among the others in the room, it became apparent that the room was dedicated to a comparison listening test. But what? Eventually, I realized the little dark item on the counter at the right edge of the photo was the Chronos Optimizer pictured on the scrim in front of the window.
---> Nirvana Audio Chronos Optimizer Review.

 

 

Luxury Sound That Won't Break the Bank: Hegel H150 Streaming Amplifier Review A great value for audiophiles and a smart buy for music lovers.

Luxury Sound That Won't Break the Bank: Hegel H150 Streaming Amplifier Review
A great value for audiophiles and a smart buy for music lovers.
Review By Paul Schumann
Last year, I was lucky enough to review the Hegel H400 Streamliner, an integrated amplifier with a built-in streamer. It was a well-designed piece of equipment that sounded great. When I was offered to review its smaller sibling, it was an easy yes for me. The H150 Streaming Amplifier is Hegel's newest integrated amplifier on loan here at Enjoy the Music.com. The very clever engineers nicknamed it "The Prodigy" because, while being an entry-level product, it is loaded with features normally found on more expensive units. Hegel's H150 Streaming Amplifier is quite a bit smaller than their H400, with a footprint of only 17" x 13.8" and weighing in at 21.4 lbs. This meant it easily fit within my stereo cabinet, and I didn't have to bust a gut to get it there. An added plus! It has the same elegant design as the H400, and the fit and finish are superb.
---> Hegel H150 Streaming Amplifier Review.

 

 

Our Verdict Is In: IsoAcoustics GAIA I Neo Series Isolation Feet Review An evolutionary product that has been gaining traction over the years.

Our Verdict Is In: IsoAcoustics GAIA I Neo Series Isolation Feet Review
An evolutionary product that has been gaining traction over the years.
Review By Rick Becker
In a time long ago, well, it was the early 1990s, and audiophiles in greater numbers were accepting that cables and power conditioners could really make an improvement to sound quality. "Perfect sound forever" was coming to the realization that even with digital music, improvement was necessary, giving birth to the stand-alone DAC. Reviews on tweaks like the IsoAcoustics GAIA I Neo isolation feet / footers and such were rare, though now here on Enjoy the Music.com. And back then, Tiptoes were the solution to improving the resolution of components, while floorstanding loudspeakers had spikes to keep them anchored in the floor and drain vibrations from the cabinets while limiting vibrations coming up from the floor... or so the story went. After a decade of being a novice audiophile, covering the Montreal shows from the mid-1990s on, and finally becoming a valuable product....
---> IsoAcoustics GAIA I Neo Series Isolation Feet Review.

 

 

How A Vinyl Record Is Made We tour Quality Record Pressings / Acoustic Sounds vinyl LP pressing plant.

How A Vinyl LP Record Is Made
We tour Quality Record Pressings / Acoustic Sounds vinyl LP pressing plant.
Vinyl LP Pressing Plant Tour By Steven R. Rochlin
Enjoy the Music.com and Enjoy the Music.TV invite you behind the scenes for an exclusive tour of the Quality Record Pressings (Acoustic Sounds) vinyl LP pressing plant. This special presentation takes you into the heart of a facility dedicated to preserving the art and craft of analog sound, showing how passion and precision come together to make the records collectors and audiophiles cherish. On the factory floor we join plant manager Gary and owner Chad Kassem as they walk us through each stage of production. From the initial mastering and lacquer cutting to the creation of metal stampers and the actual pressing of vinyl, they explain the purpose of every step and the reasons each detail matters. Their hands-on approach and decades of experience make the technical process accessible and fascinating. Guiding the tour is Steven R. Rochlin, Creative Director of Enjoy the Music.com, whose commentary ties the factory's methods to the listening experience. He highlights how choices made during production—materials, temperature control, and quality checks—directly influence the final sound.
---> How A Vinyl LP Record Is Made.

 

 

Tube-Powered Perfection: Nagra Tube DAC + Classic PSU Power Supply Review Nagra's vacuum tube DAC & Classic PSU = Luxury listening & modern music magic!

Tube-Powered Perfection: Nagra Tube DAC + Classic PSU Review
Nagra's vacuum tube DAC & Classic PSU = Luxury listening & modern music magic!
Review By Tom Lyle
Nagra is a Swiss audio equipment manufacturer that has been in business for over 65 years. Their professional portable tape recorders 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. They might not even discuss this purchase with anyone else, other than perhaps their significant other. Less than two years ago I reviewed Nagra's most current linestage, the Enjoy The Music Legendary Performance award-winning Nagra Classic Preamp.
---> Tube-Powered Perfection: Nagra Tube DAC + Classic PSU Power Supply Review.

 

 

Audio MusiKraft Polished Lithium Nitro 2 Cartridge Review

Unleashed! 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. One beneficial advantage of this cartridge is the ability to be adjustable to any system, which was evident after listening to this innovative tunable cartridge for nearly a year on various pieces of equipment. Audio MusiKraft Lithium Nitro 2 cartridge, as reviewed here, is gorgeous looking in the metal shell and interior wood casing.
---> Unleashed! Audio MusiKraft Polished Lithium Nitro 2 Cartridge Review.

 

 

Glowin' n' Groovin': DS Audio DS?E1 Optical Phono Cartridge + ION 001 Vinyl Ionizer Review If you crave sonic purity, silky textures, and jaw-dropping dynamic scaling, the DS-E1 delivers!

Glowin' n' Groovin': DS Audio DS-E1 Optical Phono Cartridge + ION 001 Vinyl Ionizer Review
If you crave sonic purity, silky textures, and jaw-dropping dynamic scaling, the DS-E1 delivers!
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. Although there wasn't much bass on offer (the little .7s only dip down to about 50Hz or so), where this impressive system played, it played with a conviction, resolve, and momentum that commanded my undivided attention.
---> Glowin' n' Groovin': DS Audio DS-E1 Optical Phono Cartridge + ION 001 Vinyl Ionizer Review.

 

 

Art Dudley Listener Magazine Editorial Intro

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." Why is this so? Where's the root of this passion for these sounds and this gear?
---> Art Dudley's Intro Article From Listener.

 

 

Try A Screen Driven Driver Stage -- Sound Practices Magazine

Try A Screen Driven Driver Stage
Article By Rikard Berglund
Some output tubes (211 and 845) need a very high drive voltage with low distortion. Some tube freaks have used the 300B tube as a driver but it is very expensive. Others have tried to use a triode connected EL34 but it is not linear enough. A pentode driven on the screen grid is very linear. I have tried this concept in a new driver stage, as shown on the accompanying schematic. The first two tubes V1 and V2 form an asymmetrical mu-follower. V3 is a screen grid driven pentode. Adjust the potentiometer R9 to 350V DC at the plate of V3. You can use many different tubes for V3. I made distortion measurements for some different tube types with the results given in table 2. EL36 and 5881 are the two best tubes. The linearity of these two tubes in this "enhanced" mode is even better than for a 300B tube used as a driver. The sensitivity of this driver stage is so high that it can be used direct with a CD player. Use an 100k ohm pot as volume control.
---> Try A Screen Driven Driver Stage.

 

 

Rare Birds: Listening impressions of some collectible equipment.

Rare Birds
Listening impressions of some collectible equipment.
From VALVE Volume 2 Number 6 June 1995
There, I hope that helps keep anyone from getting to upset, because I'm going to be honest about what I thought of some very highly touted equipment. Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to audition a Marantz 7 preamp and 8 power amp which were consigned to me. Both pieces were in excellent electronic shape and very good to excellent cosmetic shape. The preamp had been checked out and a new filter cap installed by Audio Classics, the guys in New York who sell all the Mac stuff for huge prices. Both units had been freshly re-tubed with ARS tubes, and were driven daily by their owner, a high end audio dealer. The output tubes in the amp appeared to be relabeled GE 6CA7s, but I won't commit to that. So I got the stuff home and listened to it. I used the Magnepans so as not to taint my impression with my yet to be debugged. Both Ways speaks. Sources were a Kenwood L-07T tuner, a cheap Technics CD, and a Thorens TD160 with Grado MC+ moving coil....
---> Rare Birds From VALVE Magazine.

 

 

Bowers & Wilkins 603 S3 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review

North America Premiere Review!
Bowers & Wilkins 603 S3 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review
The truth, and nothing else but the truth.
Review By Ron Nagle
Like the ravens at the White Tower, I cannot think of a more iconic audiophile symbol of England than Bowers and Wilkins. That's of course if you happen to look at the world through audiophile eyes. John Bowers and Roy Wilkins met during World War II while both of them were serving in the Royal Signal Corps. They began business as a radio and electronics retail shop located in the town of Worthing England. Bowers & Wilkins was founded in 1966 in Worthing, West Sussex, England. John Bowers started the business we now know as Bowers & Wilkins. At that time he was no longer involved with the retail shop. The first speaker production line was established in the retail shop's backyard. In 1970 Bowers decided to develop a loudspeaker wholly built in-house. The sizeable DM70 from 1970 combined electrostatics mid-and-high range drivers on top of a traditional bass unit. The distinct shape of the loudspeaker won a British Industrial Design Award. Good press reviews allowed the company to prosper.
---> Bowers & Wilkins 603 S3 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.

 

 

Finalé Audio F-6 Hommage EF86 Edition Vacuum Tube Integrated Amplifier Review

World Premiere Review!
Finalé Audio F-6 Hommage EF86 Edition Vacuum Tube Integrated Amplifier Review
How low can you go?
Review By Paul Schumann
Sometime in the mid-1990s, I was in a music store and noticed an audio magazine on the rack I had never seen before. It was Issue 12 of Sound Practices. I flipped through it and was fascinated by its retro take on audio, so I made the purchase. I read every article, but Herb Reichert's Causal Reactions column struck me to the core. This was back during a time when Herb Reichert was an arts school teacher and his vacuum tube efforts were dedicated towards DIY. His basic argument was this: the best way to evaluate an audio system is how it allows you to feel the emotions in your music. All other criteria are secondary. I know I've reduced a beautifully written article into a simple statement. But this statement leads the reader to the next question: What kind of system allows you to do this?
---> Finalé Audio F-6 Hommage EF86 Edition Review.

 

 

AGD Productions SOLO Limited Edition GaN-Power Monoblock Amplifiers And Andante Mk II Preamplifier / DAC / Phonostage / Music Streamer Review

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

 

 

Wells Audio Innamorata III Stereo Power Amplifier Review

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

 

 

Musical Joy To The World! Ways to spread holiday cheer to music lovers.

A Musical Joy To The World
Ways to spread holiday cheer to music lovers.
Article By Roger Skoff
Christmas, Chanukah (or Hanukkah), and Kwanzaa plus other celebrations are fast approaching and, if you haven't already decided who on your holiday gift list gets what, from where, this year, try giving music. Everybody loves to hearken to the herald angels singing and, if the stories are true, old Wenceslas really was a pretty good king. We also love to hear about merry gentlemen resting without dismay; about how Jimmy Dodd saw his mommy kissing Sana Clause; and how, even despite the Grinch's efforts in a different story, the light from Rudolf's nose saved Christmas eve. Some of us even like to remember that old dreidel we made out of clay... or new fuses for our audio gear.
---> A Musical Joy To The World.

 

 

Enjoy the Music.com Exclusive! Métronome Technologie Launches Their World-Class Kalista Mantax DAC Musical revelations in Vienna! Coverage By Greg Weaver

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

 

 

 

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