Enjoy the Music.com March 2025 Audiophile High-End Audio Review Magazine, High-Performance Hi-Fi, Luxury Premium High Fidelity, Sound Gear, Stereo System, And Immersivephile

March 2025

Celebrating Our Spectacular 30th Anniversary!
Honoring Enjoy the Music.com's exceptional articles and reviews.
During 2025, 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.

The Future Of Our Audiophile Hobby Part 2
More about things to come and how to make them better.
Article By Roger Skoff
In last month's Part 1 of "The Future Of Our Audiophile Hobby", I wrote that Hi-Fi – our hobby, our industry, and our long-time source of both enjoyment and cultural enrichment – seems to be following the path of the electric train, another once great, "everybody-used-to-have-one" product, into obscurity. I also told you why it was happening: Not many people, nowadays – at least not a significant percentage of the people that I or my friends and other people in the industry have talked to about it – know or can tell you the meaning of the words "Hi-fi", "High Fidelity", or "Stereo", or even know that we, our hobby, our industry, or the products that could potentially add so much to their lives, exist. We have dropped out of sight to the general public, and what is happening is its inevitable outcome.
---> The Future Of Our Audiophile Hobby Part 2.

A Plan We Can All Take Part In
Another crazy idea by Yours Truly.
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin
And what have we as an industry done with this educational opportunity? We've squandered it, that's what! WTF?!?! Of course the idea below is just that, just an idea and frankly while some might like this idea, doubt it'll go anywhere as it requires effort on your part. Go ahead, prove me wrong. Am not going to be a whiney bitch and complain about some gear being incredibly high-priced, as like cars there are Hyundai (very respectable, wife's daughter has one), BMW (wife and my car), and Ferrari (been there, done that, tracked the living daylights out of it until the engine needed a major rebuild). With high-end audio for 'normal people' out there, most music lovers think of whatever is $$$ (not just $$) in the big box stores as 'high-end'. They, you know, normal people, generally, have zero idea we as an industry exist in any true sense...
---> A Plan We Can All Take Part In.

Reflecting Back On High-End Audio....
High-end audio and the music industry experiences impressive growth.
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin
I've spoken to many manufacturers and distributors during 2020, and without a doubt the saying "May you live in interesting times" holds true. While that saying is an English expression that is claimed to be a translation of a traditional Chinese curse, the point is very valid for 2020. On one hand, both high-end audio and the music industry experienced impressive growth. On the other hand, we also missed seeing one another during shows. More hi-fi blogs and YouTube videos have been produced during 2020 than perhaps any other time. So on one hand we have expanding businesses, online sales, reviews, etc within the consumer electronics sector, on the other we have (generally the elderly) dying from... Everyone at Enjoy the Music.com truly feels deep sadness for those we've lost during 2020.
---> Reflecting Back On High-End Audio....

Music And Mindfulness For Stress Reduction
Mindfulness is very real and it provides a powerful change in perspective.
Article By Gideon Waxman Of Drum Helper
Mindfulness is an incredibly liberating practice; one that has exploded as a recent phenomenon in the western world. Interestingly, us moderns are the last people on the planet to uncover the wealth of treasures it has to offer. Music and mindfulness are indeed complementary practices. Music and sounds make a wonderful object of focus for the mind, with mindful listening proven to boost our overall well-being and reduce stress significantly. Whilst mindfulness is still finding its way into mainstream culture, music is universal and plays a prominent role in everyday life for most people. Humans are surrounded by music. It is undeniable that it affects people's moods and emotions, as it engages broad neural networks in the brain. Playing a musical instrument or listening to music whilst encompassing mindful values can transform the experience; creating the framework for a powerful stress reduction and unlocking the full potential music has to offer as it unfolds in the present moment.
---> Music And Mindfulness For Stress Reduction.

How Things Measure
Pretending to represent defendants of science and public interest.
Editorial By J. Martins
As I was walking at an accelerated pace along the Las Vegas Strip for another CES 2025 meeting, while passing in front of Harrah's, the sound of a street musician playing saxophone over a pre-recorded music track inevitably captured my attention. The music was loud enough to mix perfectly with the acoustic sound of the instrument and provided a pleasant background for all those passing by on that cold January morning. As I glanced at his setup, a fairly large battery powered speaker stood out on the floor, still with large, colorful retail stickers proclaiming "2500 Watts!" I couldn't help smiling as I tried to understand the unknown brand logo for the clunky apparatus. Well, the brand doesn't really matter, because there's no lack of 2500W active speakers advertised online, as a quick search will reveal. Likewise, there's no lack of compact, portable Bluetooth speakers advertising 180W. You will need to reach for detailed specifications to learn that this is the "total amplification" resulting from 2x 40W woofers plus 4x 25W for full-range speakers.
---> How Things Measure.

Dynamic Range And Price Range
Is it great audio gear just because it is expensive?
Editorial By Alan Sircom
One of the great joys of good audio is dynamic range. But not necessarily in the way you think. Sure, the ability for a system to reproduce the dynamic swings of a good recording is something sublime to behold. Also, that ability for a system to be able to portray tiny dynamic cues within a larger setting (such as being able to hear mechanics of pressing the pedals on a piano in a concerto) is one of those aspects of audio performance we all look for. They are the subtle details that separate the 'great' from the merely 'good'. There's another dynamic range that is perhaps even more satisfying; the dynamic range of audio products. While many fume over the 'oligarch-fi' prices of ultra-high-end audio, there has been a change taking place across the board. The affordable end of audio has upped its ante, upped its game, and – arguably – lowered its prices. This last is controversial, but holds. Our rose-tinted view of past price tags doesn't take our past salaries into account.
---> Dynamic Range And Price Range.

Florida International Audio Expo 2025 Show Report
High-end audio / audiophiles and music lovers rejoice in Tampa.
The Florida International Audio Expo 2025 takes place from February 21st through 23rd at the Sheraton Tampa Brandon, the event's new, and larger, venue. The Florida International Audio Expo will showcase many floors filled with exhibit spaces featuring the latest in home and portable audio gear. You may enjoy an abundance of great sound from mono to stereo and immersive, plus various exhibit room will feature never before seen new products! Show attendees are the world's first to experience many of the best new high-performance, hi-resolution modern audio products. With many floors and large conference rooms of demonstrations to explore, attendees can experience luxurious immersive premium audio electronics, loudspeakers, turntables, and high-end audio headphones produced by manufacturers from all around the world.
---> Florida International Audio Expo 2025 Show Report.

Southwest Audio Fest 2025 Show Report
SWAF 2025 high-end audio / audiophile event coverage.
Now in their second year, the Southwest Audio Fest (SWAF) high-end audio show by the dynamic duo Gary Gill (Capital Audiofest) and Lou Hinkley (Pacific AudioFest / Daedalus Audio) brings magical music to Dallas. SWAF 2025 follows their sensational success with the popular Pacific Audio Fest event. Attendees may listen to many of the world's top manufacturers who create a wide variety of exciting home and portable audio products. Within this expansive Resort environment, bask in luxurious sounds that caress your ears and bring newfound meaning to many of the songs you've heard many times in the past. The show promoters worked very hard to secure this amazing event venue, which is extremely safe, family fun friendly, and features great weather during March too! All this and more within a curated experience filled with fine art and acres of event space.
---> Southwest Audio Fest 2025 Show Report.

YG Acoustics Hailey 2.2 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review
The middleweight contender....
Review By Phil Gold
Cards on the table. I've owned the YG Carmel and the YG Carmel 2, each of which I've reviewed in these pages in January 2012 and July 2015 respectively. You can read them here and weep. I'm addicted to the ultra-high resolution, low distortion, lightning reflexes, dynamic range and the holographic imaging of the Carmel speakers. They are not for everyone. Due to the particular way they are constructed from billets of aircraft grade aluminum, they cost a lot of money, and due to their relatively small size, they don't reach down all that deep. The sealed box design does provide a superbly fast accurate bass, but while the quality is high, the quantity is limited. Today I'm going to look at the latest version of the Carmel's bigger brother, the Hailey 2.2.
---> YG Acoustics Hailey 2.2 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.

Dan D'Agostino MAS Momentum Lifestyle Integrated Amplifier w/DAC & Audio Streaming Review
Only for music lovers, because that is the MLife's raison d'être – to enable the listener to revel in one's love of music.
Review By Tom Lyle
Many audiophiles are familiar with the name Dan D'Agostino, by virtue of him being the founder, CEO, and chief engineer at Krell which he founded in 1980. The products made by Krell, which included everything from power amplifiers to SACD players and speakers, were some of the best high-end components available. In 2009 he was ousted by investors that he invited into the company because they thought the company should change direction. Almost immediately after leaving Krell, he formed Dan D'Agostino Master Audio Systems. On a personal note, when I first became interested in audio in the 1970s the common wisdom at that time, and for quite a while after that, was that all power amplifiers that measure the same, sound the same.
---> Dan D'Agostino Master Audio Systems Momentum Lifestyle Integrated Amplifier w/DAC & Audio Streaming Review.

Oracle Audio Delphi MK VI Turntable Review
A first-class turntable with incredibly advanced power supplies.
Review By Tom Lyle
My first "real" turntable after years of listening to crummy mass-market contraptions was an AR ES-1. Mounted on its arm-board was a Grace tonearm, but I eventually upgraded to a Magnepan model, which as it turned out was not really an upgrade but merely a move sideways. At the time I was listening to the AR table in my humble high-end system I was also spending lots of my audiophile hours with the now legendary Herb Papier, the maker of the Tri-Planar tonearm. He became, for lack of any other term, my analog and high-end mentor. Eventually he sold me his original version of the Oracle Delphi, which was one of his first "modern" high-end tables that he owned, of which he spent many hours and a good sum of money modifying.
---> Oracle Audio Delphi MK VI Turntable With SME V Tonearm Review.

First Watt / Pass Labs SIT-2 Stereo Amplifier Review
Ten excellent Watts!
Review By A. Colin Flood
On several systems including mine, the SIT-2 did not sound like a tube amplifier. It was better in some respects. Nor did it sound like solid-state either. It was better in many respects there too. The new Static Induction Transistor SIT-2 stereo amplifier from Pass' First Watt company is a plain dark-gray box. Sure, it has signature Pass cooling fins sticking out at an angle like Batman's car, but small, bright blue LED eyes replace the famous big, blue Pass meter. The amplifier doesn't look monstrously powerful. It isn't either. Intended so its first Watt is the best, the SIT-2 amplifier is rated at only 10 Watts output. Designed to sound like tubes, instead the SIT amplifier does not sound like solid-state.
---> First Watt / Pass Labs SIT-2 Stereo Amplifier Review.

Abyss AB-1266 Planar Magnetic Headphones Review
The journey is the destination.
Review By Dave Hanson
The practice of building a home system and tweaking it to perfection is a time-honored tradition among music lovers and audiophiles. And I'm not just talking about buying equipment and is plainly evident within my review of the Abyss AB-1266 headphones and you'll soon learn. It's about perfecting the angle of the speaker. Damping the reflective surfaces of the room. Perhaps even rewiring the electrical sockets in search of that last one or two percent. Few understand this practice better than Joe Skubinski of JPS Labs, a man who has built a name for himself in the world of high-end cables. A close listen to other JPS designs such as the Aluminata Power Cable ($3999) reveals a prodigious level of attention to detail at every stage of the build.
---> Abyss AB-1266 Planar Magnetic Headphones Review.

Aavik Acoustics I-180 Integrated Amplifier, D-180 DAC, And S-180 Streamer / Network Player Review
A symbiotic sonic relationship... for your listening pleasures.
Review By Tom Lyle
The Danish high-end audio manufacturer Aavik was nice enough to send me three components from their entry level-line. I call this gear "entry-level" not because it is a system priced for those new to the exciting world of high-end audio but because they are the least expensive components in Aavik Acoustics' 180 / 280 / 580 line. I did not know the price of these three components when they arrived at my home for review. On looks alone, I assumed that they would cost much more. About halfway through the review period, I peeked inside the cabinet of this integrated amplifier. Its innards looked as if they were constructed by an engineer but also by a visual artist. Its complex yet very neatly arranged interior was impressive. During my audition of all three components, I determined that their display and intelligent functionality belied their relatively low price.
---> Aavik Acoustics I-180 Integrated Amplifier, D-180 DAC, And S-180 Streamer / Network Player Review.

Furutech DF-2 Vinyl LP Record Disc Flattener Review
Plus the system that time forgot.
Review By Ray Chowkwanyun
The test record was Linda Rondstadt's Living in the USA. Hers is a voice that comes along once in a generation. Unfortunately, my LP copy had a warp that comes along once in a generation. Altogether, I had four LP copies of this album. The one with the worst warp sounded the best, naturally. The other three sounded the same as far as I could tell. These three I used as my reference so as not to rely on fallible aural memory. The first test record sounded like the other two references and weighed 128 grams. Furutech says not to treat any record weighing less than 110 grams which is 3.88 ounces. Nor any record made during the oil crisis weighing between 100 and 115 grams.) Naturally, you should clean the record before flattening. I use the first three stages of the excellent Walker system.
---> Furutech DF-2 Vinyl LP Record Disc Flattener.

Pro-Ject X2 Vinyl LP Turntable Review
Easy to set up and very easy to use. You will not be disappointed.
Review By Tom Lyle
As the technology advances, it's only natural for any decent audio manufacturer to take advantage of this new technology. And so, when Pro-Ject was faced with improving upon their Debut and Xpression series of turntables, which are both very successful designs, they decided to, in their words, "improve on the technologies that had already been established". As a result, Pro-Ject introduced their X1 and X2 turntables. The X2, the subject of this review, besides many other improvements, , makes the most of higher quality raw materials to use in its production (even though they are more difficult to source), and also increases the size of the turntable's existing components, which resulted in the chassis, platter and tonearm having greater mass, which made the turntable "heavier, and more robust".
---> Pro-Ject X2 Vinyl LP Turntable Review.

OPPO BDP-105 3D Blu-ray Universal Disc Player Review
I'd call it more of a disc player A/V processor.
Article By Bill Gaw
When you read this I'll be sunning myself during my three- month semi-retirement in the Caribbean. Why do I mention that? Because I'll probably be lying back on a chaise lounge with headphones on listening to this newest and best player that OPPO has produced. There, I've probably ruined the rest of the article for readers familiar with the units from this company. In the past, they've always shown up on lists for best "Product of the Year" especially for the price, and this one is no exception. I do have a gripe with OPPO over the naming of this unit which will become clearer as you read further; thus the parentheses in the title. Over the past several years, I've reviewed just about every one of their top- of- the- line players, and in each case have found them to be equal to or better than products two to three times their price.
---> OPPO BDP-105 3D Blu-ray "Disc Player" Review.

Benchmark DAC1 USB And Bel Canto e.One Dac3 Review
Two digital preamps under careful scrutiny and testing.
Article By Steven Stone
You may well ask, "What defines a digital preamp?" Simply stated, a digital preamp is a two-channel preamp that accepts digital input sources and outputs variable electrical levels of analog signals. It incorporates a fully featured DAC (digital-to- analog converter) so in most cases it can handle not only 44.1kHz red-book CDs but also MP3s and 48kHz on up DVD soundtracks. Such a device can reduce the number of components in a system by at least one (an outboard DAC is no longer needed) and in the case of both the Benchmark DAC1 USB and Bel Canto e.One Dac3, since they both have USB input capabilities, a USB to SPIF converter box also becomes redundant.
---> Benchmark DAC1 USB And Bel Canto e.One Dac3 Review.

Sony VFETs In Push-Pull Class A By Nelson Pass
Common Source Mode, Transformer Coupled
Article By Nelson Pass
This article is the first of a series presenting fairly simple "Do-It-Yourself" audio power amplifiers using Static Induction Transistors. SITs are a rare breed of transistor which have characteristics particularly desired by some audiophiles. They were first developed in Japan in the early 1970's and known then as VFETs. Brought to market by Sony and Yamaha in the 1970's and into the 80's they largely vanished except as a lingering legend among audio aficionados. My hands-on experience with SITs followed the publication of my 2010 piece "The Sweet Spot" where I discussed positioning the operating points of Class A amplifiers for load lines which allowed trade-offs involving the characteristic curves of the devices. One of these, equivalent to the Plate Resistance in tubes, we will call Drain Resistance and it is possible to exploit this for better (or at least different) performance.
---> Sony VFETs In Push-Pull Class A By Nelson Pass.

The Intro: The Heart Of Our Hobby
Editorial By Art Dudley
Apart from reminding Listener's readers how seldom I have been arrested compared to George W. Bush (the score stands at "zero" to "three that we know of"), I vow to keep the following observations as non-political as I can. Today's concern goes to the heart of our hobby. Specifically, what should we, as audiophiles, be doing with our hi-fi gear? Should we use our stereos to lay bare every nuance of sound on our recordings, as faithfully and thoroughly as technology allows? Or should we use them as we would a drug, to achieve a musical bliss-out whenever the fancy strikes us? And: Is it acceptable for us to even think of these as separate goals? The old musical kicks-vs.-fidelity to the master tape argument has been around longer than Goldie Hawn, and it gets trotted out at least every other week on the various internet hi-fi forums.
---> The Intro For Listener Magazine.

Measure Audio Harmonics The Easy Way
Article By Larry Lisle
From Sound Practices Issue 12
Designing, building and tweaking audio amplifiers can be a lot of fun. It can also be very frustrating unless you measure the effect of design changes or parts substitutions. In this article I'll show you an easy way to measure one of the most important characteristics of an amplifier, distortion caused by harmonics in the second, third, fourth and higher orders in the middle frequency range. Every audio amplifier adds some distortion to the signal it amplifies. One type of distortion that's especially important is harmonic distortion. For example, if the input signal is 500 Hz, the output may also contain signals at multiples of 500 Hz, such as 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 Hz and so on in addition to the fundamental frequency of 500 Hz.
---> Measure Audio Harmonics The Easy Way.

Dinkin' Around
Tech tips and other unsolicited advice.
Article By Dan Schmalle
Got an H.H. Scott LT-110 (the kit version of the 350) in the shop last week that was misbehaving badly, just a buzz would come out. After a couple tubes and an alignment of the RF and IF/limiter stages, mono sounded great, stereo wasn't stereo and had a bunch of growlies. When I got to the 19kHz transformer on the multiplex board, there was no signal coming out, and the slugs seemed to spin freely. Ah hah! I said (actually I said Shit!). Opened up the can and realized I was witnessing the work of the Gods. Apparently a previous alignment had been performed by Hercules. Herc had adjusted the transformer with little regard for the fact that kit type tuning coils were apparently set and sealed in place with wax by the mere mortals at H.H. Scott.
---> VALVE Magazine Dinkin' Around.

AGD "The Audion" GaNTube Monoblocks Review
Class D reaches the upper echelon of high-end audio.
Review By Rick Becker
Back at the turn of the millennium you could put together a pretty good audio system for $10,000, and you could listen to many of those components in a local brick & mortar store if you lived in a decent size city. Sure there was some stratospherically priced gear in the $10,000 to $20,000 range you might be able to see if you went to one of the audio shows on the left or right coasts. Then along came "quantitative easing" and the internet. Gear got more expensive, the brick & mortar landscape eroded and major as well as regional audio shows proliferated. Eventually, higher prices seemed to have attracted more well-heeled patrons to the hobby, not unlike what happened to the bicycle industry a generation or two earlier.
---> AGD "The Audion" GaNTube Monoblocks Review.

LampizatOr Baltic 3 Hi-Res DAC Review
A new approach to Noval tube design from Poland.
Review By Greg Weaver
Founded near Warsaw Poland in 2010, while LampizatOr builds electronics and speakers, many are not aware of those offerings, as it was their exceptional tubed DACs that first put the company on the map. Owned and operated exclusively by its designer Łukasz Fikus, after hearing the disarming $17,250 Golden Gate DAC some seven years ago, then the even more engaging $27,000 Pacific DAC at a show during 2018, the reason for their success became apparent. Both these SET-based devices offered a conspicuous step closer to the undeniable naturalness, organic coherence, and space and dimensionality offered by the very best LP transcription systems. Łukasz and LampizatOr North America principal Fred Ainsley have recently announced the launch of the nearly $50,000 Horizon DAC, which I will get to hear at its official launch during the third Florida Audio Expo in mid-February of this year.
---> LampizatOr Baltic 3 Hi-Res DAC Review.

Phillips Design OH-16 Omnidirectional Loudspeaker Review
Giving you all the music you love.
Review By Dwayne Carter
Phillips Design made a bit of a splash at AXPONA in April of 2023, with their inaugural display of the Phillips Design OH-16 Omnidirectional three-way loudspeakers. Unable to attend AXPONA 2023; I was more than pleased with the opportunity to review a pair. These stylish loudspeakers arrived via freight, in a crate much larger than anticipated. Receiving a well-traveled demo pair, it is unknown whether standard production (consumer) speakers will be shipped the same way. Once unlocked, the crate door swings out to reveal both speakers. While well-designed, it still required two people to maneuver the speakers from the crate. Weighing 78 lbs each; while not extremely heavy, the round speakers require careful handling. With wood (usually teak) slats towards the top, and the 12" carbon fiber composite cone located on the bottom; careful handling is a must. Once in place in the Audio Room (thanks for the help, Timmy), the protective cloth covers were removed to reveal the speakers. To say the Phillips Design OH-16 omnidirectional three-way loudspeakers are unique would be an understatement.
---> Phillips Design OH-16 Omnidirectional Loudspeaker Review.

Børresen X2 Floorstanding Loudspeakers Review
Fantastic-sounding sleek speakers.
Review By Tom Lyle
The Børresen X2 is the smallest speaker in Børresen's X-Series. Even though it is Børresen's smallest speaker in that line, it is a floorstanding speaker 3.5 feet tall and weighs 80 pounds. Børresen's website calls the X2 intro-level speaker. At $8,800 a pair, whether one considers this price entry-level is debatable, but everything is relative – compared with the other speakers in Børresen's X-series, the X2 is reasonably priced. And as you'll read in this review (spoiler alert!), I have nothing but praise for the Børresen X2. After unpacking the X2s, I discovered that this slim, stylish 2.5-way floorstanding speaker had quite a small footprint. Viewed from above, the speakers are more or less triangular. The X2's front baffle is about one foot wide, but its cabinet narrows as it reaches its rear panel, which is a mere one inch wide. This narrow rear panel appears slightly wider at points to allow for the speaker's ports, three round cylinders near the top of its cabinet, and three near the bottom. At first glance, I thought that the ports resembled exhaust pipes!
---> Børresen X2 Floorstanding Loudspeakers Review.

Acoustic Sounds Office Tour With Chad Kassem
Enjoy the Music.com and Enjoy the Music.TV presents to you our tour of the Acoustic Sounds offices. We join owner Chad Kassem as he takes us through their impressive offices, including their historic turntable room and incredible vinyl vault! Editor and Creative Director of Enjoy the Music.com and Enjoy the Music.TV, Steven R. Rochlin, mans the camera as we explore Acoustic Sounds main office facility. Quality Record Pressings (QRP), part of Acoustic Sounds, is a vinyl record pressing plant located in Salina, Kansas, launched by Chad Kassem in 2011. QRP is known for its commitment to producing some of the highest quality audiophile pressings available. QRP uses three different types of record presses - Toolex Alpha, SMT, and Finebilt - all equipped with modifications that have never been tried in the record pressing industry. These presses allow for greater control over the pressing process, ensuring consistent quality. QRP focuses on producing records with exceptional sound quality.
---> Acoustic Sounds Office Tour With Chad Kassem.

All Things Must Pass: The Rise And Fall Of Tower Records
Thanks to Gravitas Movies you can now enjoy this special documentary about Tower Records.
For this week's Film Friday Enjoy the Music.com is featuring All Things Must Pass: The Rise And Fall Of Tower Records. Established in 1960, Tower Records was once a retail powerhouse with 200 stores, in 30 countries, on five continents. This documentary, directed by Colin Hanks, is about the rise and fall of this once great retailer. Many music lovers within the world are familiar with Tower Records, the company that advertised its East 4th Street and Broadway New York City location as "The Largest Record-Tape Store in the Known World". This documentary also offers insights into the critical upheavals in the 21st-century recording industry and music business.
---> All Things Must Pass: The Rise And Fall Of Tower Records.

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