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High-End Audio / Audiophile
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April 2023
AXPONA 2023 Show Report
Audio Expo North America 2023 Show Coverage
AXPONA
(Audio Expo North America) 2023 took place from April 14th through 16th at The Renaissance Schaumburg Convention
Center. This three-day experience featured multiple hotel floors packed with over 190 listening
rooms according to the show promoter. The Expo Hall features The Record Fair, The Ear Gear Experience, and seminars. Whether
you're a serious audiophile, a newcomer to high-end audio or simply a music lover,
you found everything you need to immerse yourself in your favorite sounds.
---> AXPONA 2023 Show Report.
Salon Audio Montréal Audiofest
2023 Show Report
Salon Audio Montréal Audiofest
2023 Event Coverage
The Salon Audio Montreal Audiofest 2023, scheduled from March 24th through 26th,
brought in more than 5000 visitors who want to hear, see and touch over 300 brands of audio products under one roof. It's the biggest get-together of audio/video industry manufacturers, distributors and retailers in Canada. Exhibitors are eager to share their passion for music with you by demonstrating some of the world's best sound systems from
$5000 to $500,000. Montréal Audiofest presented their 34th edition of its popular annual meeting at the Bonaventure Hotel in Montreal. Located in the heart of downtown Quebec, the recently renovated hotel will once again be transformed into a multitude of listening rooms to accommodate thousands of music lovers and nearly 100 exhibitors, representing more than 300 brands of products from the world of high-fidelity
audio.
---> Salon Audio Montréal Audiofest
2023 Show Report.
CanJam Singapore 2023 Show Report
Large attendance brings long wait times to hear personal audio gear.
CanJam Singapore 2023 Show Report By Kok Chieat Wong
With more countries opening up for international travel, CanJam Singapore 2023 saw more international brands exhibiting. This year, the sixth edition of CanJam Singapore was held at the same venue, Pan Pacific, on the 25th and 26th of March. Many companies will showcase their latest products and innovations in head-fi across all price
ranges. Same as last year, the event took place within the massive Pacific Ballroom, with booths spanking all sides and the
middle.
---> CanJam Singapore 2023 Show Report.
Hi-Fi And Music Industry News
Essential high-end audio news you need to know.
Enjoy the Music.com posts audiophile news virtually every day.
What Do You Listen For?
Roger Skoff writes about one of hi-fi's most basic issues.
Article
By Roger Skoff
A great deal has been written about what music we do or should listen to. And even
more (every record or equipment review, for example) has been written about how
things sound, how we ought to listen to them, or what gear we should listen on.
To my knowledge, though, except for the occasional incidental reference relative
to some other subject, almost nothing has ever been written about what we actually
do or should listen for. The fact is that we don't just "listen". We
couldn't if we wanted to: Even in an apparently "quiet" room, the ambient noise
level – the sound that's constantly going on all around us while we speak with
or listen to others, listen to music, or just sit still, saying or doing nothing
– has been measured to typically average somewhere in the range of 45 to 50
dB. That's hardly a thunderous din....
---> What Do You Listen For?
New Frontiers In Wireless
Working in audio technologies has never been more exciting.
Editorial By J. Martins
Often I find myself explaining why I remain optimistic and enthusiastic about what we do at audioXpress and the audio industry overall, particularly to those who insist that the
"good old, golden days" are behind us and/or that "nothing is as it used to be." At the beginning of the year when I returned from CES full of energy and inspiration, I repeatedly heard the same statements,
"...but, there were hardly any audio companies left at CES!" And that's the reason why I explain—and strongly recommend — not to limit
one's perspectives. That's why I need to get out there, and follow the many professionals in the audio industry who are thriving and living the
"golden days" while others are just starting. Yes, nothing stays the same. Things evolve and in a world of technology,
that's precisely what you would expect>
---> New Frontiers In Wireless.
Pigeonholing Is Still Going On
We remain passionate about all things audio.
Editorial By Alan Sircom
It's strange. While a lot of audio is truly universal in its approach, there is still a lot of pigeonholing going on. Somewhere along the way,
it's easy to fall into the trap where you think one country has some kind of exclusive hold over what is and
isn't good in audio. Often, but not always exclusively, that just happens to be your home
turf. This is (hopefully) not simple xenophobia at work. While the mechanics of our listening mechanisms remain unchanged from country to country, we often grow up in very different musical environments and that can reflect in the audio we choose. That even holds across the years; recent studies suggest those who grew up with heavily compressed music from the
'loudness war' era are struggling to come to terms with the more realistic, less compressed sound of acoustic instruments and voices without auto-tune.
---> Pigeonholing Is Still Going On.
Dan D'Agostino Master Audio Systems Progression S350 Stereo Power Amplifier Review
The Dan D'Agostino S350 amplifier makes each musical selection sound spectacular!
Review By Tom Lyle
Dan D'Agostino Master Audio
products are not the most expensive audio components on the market, but in my
opinion, their audio products are some of the best sounding high-end
audio components I've ever had the pleasure of auditioning. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to review two
D'Agostino Master Audio components in the past. In 2017, I reviewed the
excellent-sounding Momentum
Lifestyle integrated amplifier, which had an onboard DAC and could also
be used as a streamer with its front-panel LCD metadata display. Also in 2017, I
reviewed D'Agostino
Master Audio System's Momentum phono stage, which I was highly impressed
with its outstanding sound quality and very user-friendly front panel controls.
--->
Dan D'Agostino Master Audio Systems Progression S350 Stereo Power Amplifier Review.
Songer Audio S1 Field Coil Point-Source
Loudspeaker Review
Singing a magnificent song.
Review By Bob Grossman
Do you remember as a kid when you
first heard an excellent quality music system? It was exciting, right? That
first time I heard music on a good stereo, I was completely mesmerized as if
real musicians were performing in the room! It was an emotional experience
beyond the thrilling sound. That feeling came back a few months ago at the
Capital Audio Fest when I visited the Songer Audio room and heard the S1
Speakers for the first time. I had been listening to music in many different
demo rooms with my good friend Ken Sternberg. We were also saying hello to
industry friends and taking in the excitement of the festival. Something magical
happened when we went into the Songer Room that distinctly grabbed our
attention, like the first time I heard a stereo 60 years ago.
--->
Songer Audio S1 Field Coil Point-Source Loudspeaker Review.
North America Premiere Review!
Alsyvox Audio Design Botticelli X
Loudspeaker Review
Planar dynamics redefined.
Review By Greg Weaver
The first week of September last year brought a highly
rewarding conclusion to an audio quest that was more than five years in the
making. Since my very first exposure to the Alsyvox Audio Design Botticelli
full-range ribbon loudspeaker — back in May of 2017 in Munich, it has been my
goal to spend some serious time in front of these gorgeous and utterly
remarkable sounding loudspeakers. I was first introduced to the seductive voice of these
remarkable Spanish planar dynamic loudspeakers at the 2017 "apostate" HiFiDeluxe
audio show held at the Marriott München. Just a ten-minute drive south, and
slightly west, of the Munich Order Center, home to the annual "High-End Munich",
the largest annual audio show on earth, this "overflow" audio event runs
coincident with the larger, more established event every year.
--->
Alsyvox Audio Design Botticelli X Loudspeaker Review.
World Premiere Review!
Synergistic Research Master Fuse Review
Take a leap of faith and trust your own ears.
Review By Rick Becker
Andy
Weiderspahn was away at the Florida Audio Expo when news broke of their new
Master fuse so Kevin Sample stepped up and obtained permission for me to receive
some review samples. Having previously reviewed the Black, Blue, Orange, and
Purple fuses over the years I was eager to investigate this new version —
especially because of the hype that went along with the introduction. Obviously,
it is not named with a color. More alarmingly, it takes a large jump in price
over the Purple fuses that grace much of my system. But most importantly, it
claims to be such an improvement over the Purple that they recommend using only
one, primarily in your source component, two at most. This last point softens
the blow of the price jump. The Master is said to work well with lesser
Synergistic fuses that may already grace your system.
---> Synergistic Research Master Fuse Review.
World Premiere Review!
EJ Jordan Greenwich Loudspeaker Review
Twice as much of a good thing from the Lake District.
Review By Paul Schumann
One of the
things I love about audio is all the different ways your music can be delivered
to you. The choices for all the different components in the chain are endless.
Do you want to listen to vinyl? You can go direct drive turntable or belt drive.
What kind of cartridge do you want? Moving coil or moving magnet? What kind of
moving coil, low output or high output? What stylus shape do you prefer? Creators make a myriad of choices when they design an audio
component. The one that fascinates me the most is the venerable loudspeaker. Its
job is simply to convert electrical impulses into sound waves. Yet all you have
to do is peruse the pages of Enjoy the Music.com to see there are many
ways to accomplish this goal.
---> EJ Jordan Greenwich Loudspeaker Review.
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Stand-Mounted Loudspeaker Review
A sense of performance that gets out of the way of your music.
Review By Simon Lucas
Getting to 'Series
3' of the Bowers & Wilkins 705 stand-mounting loudspeaker has been a rather
more convoluted process than it might seem at first glance. You might imagine
that 'S3' replaces 'S2', which in turn replaced 'S1' (or perhaps just '705') –
but you'd be wrong. Getting to '705 S3' initially required there to be an original
'705', it's true. But after this, the entire 700 range (for reasons no one cares
to remember) became the 'CM' range. 'CM' didn't remain a thing for all that
long, and was replaced by the 'S2' range of 700 models. Then the 705 S2 (and the
702 S2 floorstander) were singled out for the Bowers & Wilkins 'Signature'
treatment – I reviewed the 705 Signature in issue 187 of this very magazine.
These 'Signature' editions ran alongside the 'vanilla' S2 models on which they
were based.
--->
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Stand-Mounted Loudspeaker Review.
McIntosh MP100 Phono Preamplifier / DAC Review
A serious piece of kit for an entry level vinyl setup.
Review By Gary Lea
If you are a reader of this esteemed publication it is not a
stretch to presume you are an audiophile and probably pretty deep into our
wonderful hobby. Having said that, I think you would be hard-pressed to find
anyone amongst us who has not heard of, listened to, or even owned McIntosh
components at some time in our audio journey. Right after college, and I started making reasonable money for
the first time, I moved up from a Yamaha integrated amp to a McIntosh MA6200
integrated unit. Sound-wise it was a toss-up between that and a comparable
Luxman. While Luxman was perhaps a bit more exotic, I just could not resist the
aesthetics of the McIntosh and I never regretted the decision. That was some 43 years ago and was the second phase of my
serious journey down the HiFi Highway.
--->
McIntosh MP100 Phono Preamplifier / DAC Review.
OAD Ultrafidelity Vajra Power Amplifier Review
Flawless sound and million dollars looks.
Review By Greg Borrowman
Although
the Australian-made OAD Ultrafidelity brand is new to the country, its founder,
owner and designer, Jon De Sensi, is an old hand in the high-end hi-fi business,
having been designing and building high-end audio equipment for several decades,
most recently under the MusicLabs Australia brand name. He is also well-known
for his willingness to help out other Australian audio designers, such as Redgum's
Ian Robinson, for whom he designed the digital-to-analog stages for the Redgum
RGCD2 CD Player. De Sensi is also well-known for "thinking outside the box", which may very well be why he is using slit-foil capacitors in the Vajra's
power supply (a first for any power amplifier anywhere in the world, he says) as
well as a very unusual transistor topology in the output stage that is rarely
encountered in the world of high-power audio amplifiers.
--->
OAD Ultrafidelity Vajra Power Amplifier Review.
Westone Audio Mach 20, 60, And 70 In-Ear Monitor (IEM) Review
Westone's Mach 20 is a legitimate bargain!
Review By Kevin Venable
I first heard of Westone Audio when I was 30 years old. I was sitting in the
Alley, a courtyard between buildings, at Hollywood California's famous music
school Musician's Institute. My ears were filled with silicon my teeth gnawing
on folded cotton, looking at a pamphlet filled with various custom In-ear
monitors and ear plugs from brands like Ultimate Ears, Shure, and Westone Audio.
It was 2005 and little did I know this company whom I was first seeing mentioned
had helped invent the idea of in-ear monitors (IEMs) in 1985, 20 years prior to
my first ear impressions. I never did buy the IEMs I had the impressions made for as the
auditions I had never panned out into a touring gig and I slowly turned toward
electronic music and started DJ'ing leaving my dreams of playing guitar for a
living to gather dust.
--->
Westone Audio Mach 20, 60, And 70 In-Ear Monitor (IEM) Review.
Radio Shack's Realistic System 200 Review
Tremendous features and an
authentic value!
Review By Mark Rochlin
Today I received the most amazing unit to evaluate, the
Realistic System 200! New for 1988, this unit represents a new peak of the Tandy
/ Radio Shack line and continues the tradition of quality and value that makes
Radio Shack famous and guarantees their continued success. Their System 200's
ingenious design revolves around both sonic excellence and ease of use. Styled
in a custom made faux walnut-looking rack with matching speakers, this unit will
enhance the style of your living room. Radio Shack has taken the unique approach
of enclosing the entire unit within one single chassis. This allows them to invest
into their system where it counts, the internal electronics.
--->
Radio Shack's Realistic System 200 stereo review.
World
Premiere Review!
Sozy Wulkmun High-Rez Audio Turntable
Freeing your music has never been easier!
Review By Nilhcor R. Nevets
Look,
I'll make this preview brief as spy photos and an advanced copy of their upcoming advertisement just hit my desk. While
I'm bound to this desktop torture getting this story out fast, your music LPs soon will have a newfound freedom away from their homeward bondage. With vinyl LP sales experiencing double-digit growth, it appears that the LP is once again becoming a major force within the music industry.
--->
Learn more about Sozy's Wulkmun High-Rez audio turntable.
Interview With Tomasz Zernicki Of Zylia
Boston Audio Society meeting features immersive audio / volumetric recording.
Article by Alvin Foster
Anna Czerwoniec, marketing & sales director at Zylia, introduced Tomasz
Zernicki,
Zylia CEO and co-founder. (Both have PhDs, not often the case in audio.) Zylia
is a new, innovative company supplying tools for video-audio production.
Zernicki's doctorate is in electronics, digital audio processing, and
telecommunications. His specialization is VR (virtual reality) production and
volumetric audio recording. He has made significant contributions in audio
compression standards such as MPEG, mph 3D, 360-degree audio, and music
production. Zernicki was awarded as an outstanding young scientist by the Polish
National Center for Research and Development, and was also selected as an
outstanding innovator by 'New Europe 100: Eastern Europe's emerging
technology stars' (selected by Res Publica, Google, Visegrad Fund, and the Financial
Times.
---> Interview With Tomasz Zernicki Of Zylia.
Acora Acoustics' Granite Loudspeakers
The origins and sound of granite.
TAS' Lee Scoggins Talks With Acora Acoustics Founder Valerio Cora
With the nearly universal consensus of praise and earning many show awards during the Florida International Audio Expo 2023, the Acora Acoustics, VAC, Oracle Audio, Aurender, LampizatOr, and Cardas Audio room was a sound to
behold! As one of the best-sounding exhibition room during the recent Tampa show, it brings us joy to showcase a very recent interview by The Absolute Sound's Lee Scoggins as he sits down with Acora Acoustics founder Valerio Cora. They both discuss Acora's relatively recent emergence in the audiophile world. Within this video, you'll discover why using granite as an enclosure plays a big role in the loudspeaker's overall performance and Valerio's beginnings with high-end
audio.
--->
Acora Acoustics' Granite Loudspeakers.
The Audio Analyst's Conversation With Parasound's
CEO David Sheriff
We welcome new leadership for a highly-respected luxury audio company.
Video By Greg Weaver (a.k.a. The Audio Analyst)
Today we hear from the new CEO of Parasound, David Sheriff. He took the time to outline his thoughts and plans for the future of one of
today's most respected audio manufacturers. Give him a listen and see what the future of Parasound
holds. On December 14th (2022) I received an e-mail from
Parasound's PR representative, Gorden Sell. It announced that Richard Schram had retired and sold the company he had founded in 1981 to an entrepreneur active in product growth and supply-chain management, David
Sheriff.
---> The Audio Analyst's Conversation With Parasound's CEO David Sheriff.
Ayon Audio CD-35 II Signature CD Player / Transport Review
My new reference!
Video By Ana[dia]log
Sound has always caught my attention and fascinated me since I was a child. I was born and raised in Italy, in the Florentine countryside. My father is Italian but my mother was from the
USA. In fact, she was always playing cassettes and 45 rpm vinyl LPs of the so-called oldies from the 1950s and 1960s including The Beatles. This opened up a huge new world to my eyes and ears to various genres of music besides the classic stuff friends and I were listening in Italy while growing up during the 1980s and 1990s. The different sounds and
language had a great influence on my life and musical tastes. Fast-forwarding a few years, during college I finally started to have my musical independence and my own first (crappy) stereo.
--->
Ayon Audio CD-35 II Signature CD Player / Transport Review.
Chad Kassem Shares Some Rare Blues Albums
Our good friend Chad showcases some very rare vinyl LPs.
Virtually every premium audio hi-fi music lover knows who Chad Kassem is. This is especially true if you love vinyl LPs, and moreso for fans of the blues. Our good friend Chad is a workaholic and fearless leader of Acoustic Sound, Analog Productions, and Quality Record Pressings
(QRP). Headquartered in Salina, Kansas, Acoustic Sounds is the world leader in audiophile music. CEO Chad Kassem founded the company in 1986, and since then his company has grown to become a global retailer of the largest selection of highest-quality music in a variety of
formats. Along with LPs, SACDs, reel-to-reel tape, and other forms of high-quality audio recordings, Acoustic Sounds offers turntables, cartridges, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and accessories
— all designed to exceed the expectations of premium audio enthusiasts, audiophiles, and music lovers
worldwide.
---> Chad Kassem Shares Some Rare Blues Albums.
SCORE: A Film Music Documentary
Thanks to Gravitas Ventures we have a great documentary about music within movies and how it 'moves' an audience.
This documentary,
which earns an impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, showcases Hollywood's very
best composers as they give us a peek at the creative process plus the many
challenges of creating film music / scores. According to their website, "SCORE
is inspiring students around the world to pursue careers in music at a time when
funding for the arts is at an all-time low in public schools. An understanding
and appreciation for the arts are essential to a well-rounded education in our
modern media-saturated world, and the SCORE team is working to encourage
students to pursue their passions in music, music education, and film
composition."
---> SCORE: A Film Music Documentary.
The Intro:
What Is Important To Men And My Readers
Editorial By Herb Reichert
My first wife used to have this Madison Avenue market research job, and her main assignment was to do surveys-to find out what women wanted and what men thought was
important. Not surprisingly, she discovered that women desired economic security and
status in the community way more than sex or power or even love. Shockingly, sex
was usually seventh or eighth on the woman's list. What really surprised me, though, was what men claimed was important to them.
I mean, yeah, sex was always at the top (usually number one or two). But incredibly, right there on the top of the list next to sex and way ahead of money or power or even fame was music. I am not kidding you. And this wasn't only in
rock-till-ya-wear-dentures America, no sit.
---> The Intro: What Is Important To Men And My Readers.
Casual Reactions:
The Dream I Want...
Article By Herb Reichert
From Sound Practices Issue 13
Sound Practices is really a lifestyle
publication, like Low Rider or Chevy World and the editor is really a lifestyle consultant.
And you know what? That really is a picture of me in the drawing above my
column. That's me in one of my dream lifestyles. I haven't started wearing a bow
tie but right now I'm sitting here, smoking my pipe and listening to 1/4 track tapes on
a Revox G-36. I want to be the calm poet listening to the voices in the wind. I believe you are what you aspire to be and
the only way to discover your aspirations is to travel a few untravelled roads. Me? I
have chosen to find my future self by following the various paths that music and
art lead me down. Lately, I have been exploring alternative source material like
tape and 78s and I have a good feeling about where it is leading me.
---> Casual Reactions: The Dream I Want....
Cary'd Away
A day with the Cary tube preamplifier.
Article By Dan Schmalle
Gil Loring called Sunday to remind me that he wanted to come by Monday and
audition his Cary preamp on my system, as he was writing a review for Audio Observatory.
Well that meant a day off for me, so I said sure! Busman's holiday, anyway. First we picked an amp and speakers
for our very subjective session. We ran the SE 10 amp thru the Optimus 990's for
a bit, but Gil felt the highs were
a bit rolled off, so we switched to the Triophoni amps thru the Magnepans. As a control we started with my modded Citation 1 in the system. I used a neat thrift find for software, an RCA
Red SeaI from the Prokofieff Series, Symphony No.3 and the Scythian Suite, by Erich
Leinsdorf and the Boston [LSC-2934].
---> Cary'd Away.
Wells Audio Commander Level II Tube Line
Stage Review
The Commander is in a club of one.
Review By Sam Rosen
A little while ago I reviewed the Wells Audio Cipher. I asked Jeff Wells, the
owner of Wells Audio, to tell me more about the Cipher, and he more or less
described it as his preamp circuit, with a single fixed input coming from the
DAC. I was so impressed with the smooth analog nature of his DAC that I asked
him if I could review his preamp. A few months later, a Commander Level II
arrived at my door. The Commander Level II is Jeff Wells' mid-range preamp. The
standard level I, sells for $3999, the level II (my unit) sells for $9000, and
the Level III sells for $18,000. Each version has the same base design and
circuit, and each upgrade introduces higher end and more expensive discrete
parts into the build process. According to Wells Audio these improvements lower
the noise floor, increase the dynamic range, and dramatically improve the
experience.
--->
Wells Audio Commander Level II Tube Line Stage Review.
Noble Fokus
TWS In-Ear Monitor (IEM) Review
Achievement unlocked!
Review By Gary Alan Baker
Last
year I gave the Noble Falcon Pro True Wireless IEM a well-deserved Headphone.Guru
2021 Product of the Year Award because it was the most convenient, most
comfortable, and best-sounding True Wireless IEM I had been given the
opportunity to listen to. Now, Noble has one-upped themselves by offering the
Noble FoKus Pro True Wireless IEM, a true audiophile quality multi-driver,
hybrid IEM bringing Bluetooth and True Wireless to a whole new level. Designed by the "Wizard" John Moulton
(AU.D. CCC-A), one
look at the Noble FoKus Pro True Wireless IEM tells you that this is a much more
refined, much higher-end product than the Falcon Pro.
--->
Noble Fokus True Wireless In-Ear Monitor (IEM) Review.
Doing What's Best For The Luxury Audio Community
A heart-to-heartfelt wish as there's much work to do!
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin
Since
it has been quite some time since writing an article, I'd like to first thank
all our readers for your patience in product delivery over the past year. Supply
constraints combined with various factory closings globally over the past year
have been a challenge for many of us. While many of us stayed home, we took much
joy, and a careful listen, to our luxury audio systems. With many of your
wanting to upgrade your gear, there were many companies I spoke with who were
simply inundated with orders. As someone who gives close attention to the luxury
goods market for decades, the health of the industry also rests on the used
marketplace. Am sure many of you have seen the rise in asking prices for
pre-loved gear. This, imho, reinforces the value of high-end audio products.
--->
Doing What's Best For The Luxury Audio Community.
Kronos Kronoscope RS And Discovery RS Tonearm Overview /
Review-ish
Featuring Louis Desjardins, Bill Parish,
and Enjoy the Music.com Senior Editor Greg Weaver.
Video Report By
Greg Weaver
With
many manufacturers smartly doing their own videos, this month Enjoy the
Music.com is showcasing GTT Audio's Episode 56 featuring Kronos Audio launch of
their Discovery RS and Kronoscope RS high-end audio tonearm. Here we have Louis
Desjardins of Kronos Audio, Bill Parish of GTT Audio & Video, plus our very
own Senior Editor Greg Weaver discussing these new tonearms. I'd be remiss if I
didn't mention one of the audiophile community's longstanding writers, Rufus
Smith, who changed from a VPI top-line turntable to the Kronos Discovery and he's
extremely happy with the sound results.
---> Kronos Kronoscope RS And Discovery RS Tonearm.
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