High-End Audio And Audiophile Hi-Fi Stereo And Immersivephile Premium Audio Review Magazine By Enjoy the Music.com

High-End Audio / Audiophile / Immersivephile Premium Luxury Hi-Fi Equipment Reviews

June 2022

Music Mixing Console Blues
Roger Skoff gives another view of that thing with all the knobs and dials.
Article By Roger Skoff
Other than a forest of microphones, what do you think of when you think of the equipment for a professional recording session? Chances are it's a mixing console – a big mixing console, filling a control room, with a window right in front of it for watching what's happening in the recording area, a "talk-back" microphone somewhere on it for communicating with the artists, a pair of nearfield monitors properly positioned for the engineer to hear exactly what's being recorded, and virtually every other square inch of its surface covered with meters, knobs, dials, and slide-pot attenuators. Yeah, that's what I thought, too, before I thought about it. And for much of my time as an audiophile, that's what I secretly wished to own.
---> Music Mixing Console Blues.

Greg Borrowman Is Stepping Out As Editor Of Australian Hi-Fi
But fret not, as this goodbye is not a final farewell.
Editorial By Greg Borrowman
Dear reader, this will be my last Editor's Lead-in, as I have retired from full-time employment and therefore stepped down from my position as being editor of Australian Hi-Fi Magazine, one that I have held for almost 45 years. I am enormously pleased to be able to say that the magazine will be in very capable hands, as the new editor is none other than Becky Roberts, a long-time audiophile and a very experienced hi-fi journalist who has been writing news stories, articles and equipment reviews for the UK's What Hi-Fi Magazine for almost nine years, during which time she attained the position of Hi-Fi and Audio editor. Her recent move from the UK to take up residence in Australia was an example of her perfect timing, as well as an extraordinary demonstration of the principle of serendipity.
---> Greg Borrowman Is Stepping Out As Editor Of Australian Hi-Fi.

Driving Audio Innovations
Sound systems inside the car are at the core of all user interactions with the vehicle.
Editorial By J. Martins
This issue of audioXpress focuses on the vibrant segment of automotive audio, which is where a lot of exciting technologies are being explored. Automotive cabin acoustics are not an easy environment but when we combine the latest transducers, amplifiers, and DSP, with careful design and tuning by system experts that now have access to the most sophisticated computer simulation and measurement tools, it's easy to understand why cars are currently at the cutting edge of applications in audio. The transition to electric engines has completely changed the possibilities for car sound, as our annual Market Update details. We are now able to have consistent sound experiences inside the latest cars that the vast majority of people will never be able to experience elsewhere.
---> Driving Audio Innovations.

Many Music Lovers Still Want A Decent CD Player
I suspect many buyers will be happy to hear CD with a modern top chip.
Editorial By Noel Keywood
Buses come along in threes, they say – and CD players come along in pairs these days it seems. We have two for you in this issue. People still want to buy a decent CD player – like the now unavailable OPPO BDP-205D we use as a reference, with ESS ES9038 Pro DAC chip inside. Top analogue-to-digital converter chips like this give superb results with CD but for them steam-punk digital delivered by lasers on sleds is a side issue. That was yesterday; such chips are capable of so much more today – but that means they must be connected to outside sources, not an old silver disc, in order to play high resolution 24-bit digital. All the same, I suspect many buyers will be more than happy to hear CD from a modern player with a top chip, rather than an old cooker – and in this issue we review two interesting ones.
---> Many Music Lovers Still Want A Decent CD Player.

HIGH END 2022 Munich Show Report
World's Largest Premium / Luxury Hi-Fi Event
From May 19th to 22nd, 2022, the 39th HIGH END trade show in Munich shined the spotlight on luxurious premium music reproduction systems, inspiring listening enjoyment, and exquisite high-end audio technology. For many years, the HIGH END has been providing both the big players in the industry and smaller owner-managed companies with their ideal presentation platform as the world's leading audio trade show. It is the perfect place to establish business relationships, expand networks and exchange ideas and experiences with other industry experts.
---> HIGH END 2022 Munich Show Report.

AXPONA 2022 Show Report
Audio Expo North America 2022 Show
AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) 2022 took place from April 22nd through 24th at the The Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center. Sit, relax and surround yourself with the best in high-end audio equipment and gear by visiting AXPONA's 130+ Listening Rooms. Attendees were encouraged to experience rooms by listening and comparing the superbly designed, high performance systems and components from some of the world's most prestigious manufacturers. In all, hundreds of global manufacturers, retailers, and brands gathered at AXPONA 2022 to showcase the newest high-end products and services to attendees.
---> Audio Expo North America 2022 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.

The Association Of International Audiophile Publications
Enjoy the Music.com, high-end audio's celebrated site for over 26 years and a leader in providing premium audio and music industry news, hardware reviews, and show reports, is pleased to announce that we're a Founding Member of the Association Of International Audiophile Publications (AIAP). The AIAP is a voluntary professional organization composed of high-end audio and video publishers from around the world. Framed in 2021, and officially launched in 2022, the AIAP has established an agreed ethical and professional set of principles to which all signatories have committed themselves. The AIAP is composed initially of ten audiophile publications from around the world, all dedicated to a set of ethical and professional standards. These have been organized as a Statement of Principles, which the founding member publications have all agree to adhere to as guidelines for ethical and professional operations at their publications.
---> Read the Association Of International Audiophile Publications press release.

Enjoy the Music.com Sponsors T.H.E. Show 2022 Media & Exhibitor Celebration
Enjoy the Music.com, high-end audio's celebrated site for over 26 years and a leader in providing premium audio and music industry news, hardware reviews, and show reports, is pleased to announce that we're sponsoring T.H.E. Show's Thursday night media and exhibitor celebration! To be held from Friday, June 10th through Sunday, June 12th at the Hilton Long Beach in Southern California, both show exhibitors and members of the press are invited to join us for drinks, music, and good times. For decades, T.H.E. Show has been the must-attend event for Southern California music lovers, audiophiles, and hi-fi enthusiasts alike.
---> Enjoy the Music.com Sponsors T.H.E. Show 2022 Media & Exhibitor Celebration.

Acoustical Systems Aquilar Anniversary Tonearm & Palladian Moving Coil Phono Cartridge Review
The a golden age of analog playback.
Review By Robert C. May
Acoustical Systems Aquilar Anniversary Tonearm, and their Palladian cartridge are exceptional pieces of audio equipment. Beautifully engineered, when mated they present state-of-the-art analog performance, allowing the listener to simply sink into the music. For quite a while now, my good friend, philosophical colleague, and fellow reviewer Jules Coleman and I have been having an ongoing conversation about what we have dubbed, perhaps somewhat pretentiously, but certainly tendentiously, the philosophy of audio. In this branch of the philosophical tree, the philosophical issue that has animated our discussion is this: In what terms can we truthfully and fruitfully describe the experience of listening to an audio system? Jules and I have discussed this question from the four corners of the philosophical landscape, epistemology and metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics, and our conclusion has been maddingly philosophical – it is complicated, and we had better keep talking about it!
---> Acoustical Systems Aquilar Anniversary Tonearm & Palladian Moving Coil Phono Cartridge Review.

Soundastic Reference Stereo Integrated Amplifier Review
From Poland, a passive pre with solid-state output.
Review By Ric Mancuso
The founder, head engineer of Struss Audio and designer; the late Zdzisław Hrynkiewicz-Struss 1951 to 2021, Started up Struss Audio about 40 years ago dating back to the early 2000s. He passed away recently, and the company has reformed under the name Soundastic. Their first product in the line is the model Reference, which is the subject of this review. Struss began his career at the Polish Academy of Science as a specialist in Engineering and Electronics. Zdzisław was inspired by the work of the late Finnish professor and top-notch audio engineer Matti Otali. Matti passed away in 2015. Matti had collaborated with Phillips and other audio manufacturers. The basic designs are based on the concept of a three-part amplifier. Zdzisław and Struss Audio held many patents for amplifier designs, which have been incorporated into the Reference integrated amplifier.
---> Soundastic Reference Stereo Integrated Amplifier Review.

Aavik I-180 Integrated Stereo Amplifier Review
You call this entry-level?
Review By Michael Lang
With the integrated amplifier from the entry-level 180 series, Aavik took a radical turn: leaving behind heavy castles of aluminum in favor of natural materials and shapes derived from musical instruments. Aavik is the electronics side of a company-triumvirate, the other two being Børresen as a loudspeaker brand and Ansuz as a supplier of cables and accessories. Regular STEREO readers might be familiar with Aavik thanks to the impressive U-300 integrated amplifier equipped with a phono stage and DAC. Or maybe also due to the D-180 DAC or R-180 phono preamp, which has already received excellent reviews recently. The device featured here has almost nothing in common with the U-300 – neither the martial exterior nor the idea of amplifiers having to have "everything under one roof" made its way into the here and now. Beyond that, no stone was left unturned either!
---> Aavik I-180 Integrated Stereo Amplifier Review.

Canor DAC 2.10 Digital-To-Analog Converter Review
It don't mean a thing, if you ain't got that swing.
Review By Paul Schumann
One of the things Enjoy the Music.com's Creative Director Steven R. Rochlin and I have in common is that we were both Heathkit kids. Decades ago Heathkit was widely known for offering electronic kits that were, generally, easy to build and of very high quality. I made some simple projects when I was young and then graduated to more sophisticated things like a shortwave radio and electronic timer. Although what I built paled in comparison to my dad, who assembled our first color television, I kept the skills, so later on, I was able to make simple repairs to my JoLida amp and other components. Two years ago, I built my loudspeakers. Last year I started working on a Zen amp clone before I had a bit of a nervous meltdown and halted. (Note to self, never work on a challenging project again during a pandemic and a record snowstorm).
---> Canor DAC 2.10 Digital-To-Analog Converter Review.

Focal Celestee Closed-Back Headphones Review
A wide front row soundstage with little depth.
Review By Gary Alan Barker
It has been a long wait to get a review sample of the Focal Celestee Closed-Back Dynamic Headphone, over a year in fact, due to the extreme popularity of Focal's latest closed-back design, but it has certainly been well worth waiting for. Focal has a long history of designing and manufacturing some of the world's highest-performing loudspeakers and headphones. As a driver designer/manufacturer they have a certain advantage over those who need to outsource their drivers, and it has shown in their delivered product. One constant with Focal headphones going back to the original Spirit is a level of refinement of sound not found in comparably priced headphones, and on this score, the Celestee is no exception. The Focal Celestee Closed-Back Headphones are the latest offering in their closed-back designs, which are unique in that they offer the more open soundstage of open-backed headphones....
---> Focal Celestee Closed-Back Headphones Review.

Rotel Michi X3 Integrated Amplifier Review
More than the sum of its parts. Review By Francisco Duran.
Review By Francisco Duran
This has been one of the hardest reviews I have ever done because the MichiX3 integrated amplifier really surprised me. Out of the box and into my system it performed so well that I was at a loss for words. Not so much as in spectacular audiophile terms, but because it just went straight to work and played music, all kinds of music, and from all kinds of sources in such a relaxed but inviting manner, critique just kind of went out the window. But unless you have been living under an audiophile rock for the last few years, you probably have seen, even in passing, a review of the latest Rotel amplifiers. In fact, I have recently written about their neat A14MK.2. A solid performer, the sound signature of that unit being quite different from its big brother, the Michi X3.
---> Rotel Michi X3 Integrated Amplifier Review.

Chord Mojo 2 Portable DAC/Headphone Amplifier Review
Priced at $845, the Chord Mojo 2 needs to be spectacular to merit a strong recommendation. Does it deliver? In every way.
Review By W. Jennings
If you are a member of the Head-Fi community, Chord has been part of your life for the past decade with its award-winning, and often groundbreaking products. While many of the British manufacturers' products are very expensive, there are a growing number below $1,000 that merit serious attention from both headphone enthusiasts and music listeners looking to assemble a first-class system for either the home or desktop. Products like the Chord Mojo 2 offer a level of technical sophistication you don't see in very many products in the price range or even above it. Chord Electronics was founded in 1989 and spent its early years making amplifiers for the professional market. Today, they still operate out of their headquarters in Kent, but the product line has expanded to include both home systems and portable gear.
---> Chord Mojo 2 Portable DAC/Headphone Amplifier Review.

The White House Recording Library
The forgotten vinyl LP collection.
Featuring John Chuldenko, the grandson of President Jimmy Carter
Video By The 1600 Sessions
A donation from the Recording Industry Association of America to the Nixon White House, the White House Recording Library was comprised of 2000 LPs, and overseen by a committee of scholars, journalists, and musicians. The library was then stored away and forgotten. John Chuldenko, the grandson of President Jimmy Carter, recalls hearing stories of the collection and began his search to uncover the lost music. He shares his quest and discovery with White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin. This video is hosted by the White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin, with guest John Chuldenko, Grandson of President Jimmy Carter.
---> The White House Recording Library.

1967 Gibson Guitars Factory Tour
The more that things change....
Video By Gibson Guitars
In the fall of 2020, Gibson unearthed an unmarked reel while digging through vault archives. Intrigued by the discovery, Gibson TV producers took that reel and had it digitally remastered. Gibson was founded in 1894 and has been synonymous with creating, shaping, delivering, inspiring, and owning the 'share of sound.' In 1906, Gibson realized the benefits and power of music and music education. Instead of using traditional sales-reps to sell instruments, Gibson engaged with teacher agents to get guitars in the hands of students of all ages. Gibson realized early on that getting instruments into the hands of those with a desire to make music is a truly life-changing event.
---> Recently Discovered 1967 Gibson Guitars Factory Tour.

Listener Magazine: 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.
---> Listener Magazine: The heart of our hobby.

History Lessons
Article By Joe Roberts
From Sound Practices Magazine
There is a lot of confusion regarding the cultural significance of vacuum tube audio in general and single-ended audio in particular. All of a sudden, we are confronted with a harvest of new stuff which apparently has a lot to do with very, very old stuff. Some mainstream journalists were quick to dismiss the whole phenomenon as a "retro" movement, a term of pointed disdain in high-tech circles signifying an unnatural preoccupation with an imagined past. "Now is better" is the cry of the old guard rallying in defense against this blast from the past. Well, now is better. But "now" is composed of our collective and individual past experiences and it offers a diverse set of possibilities for the future. The rise of single-ended amplifiers is a NOW thing. You can build one of these so-called "retro" amplifiers with parts manufactured last week and designed after the Intel 486 chip was well on its way to obsolescence.
---> Sound Practices: History Lesson.

Editor's Thing
Article By Dan 'Doc B." Schmalle
From VALVE Volume 2 Number 8
Sitting here writing this in a heat wave. Somehow those pretty fire bottles that keep the basement shop warm in the winter seem like a real liability this 90 degree day. But if this isn't blues weather, I don't know what is. So I pull out Elmore, B. B. and Blind Lemon, and pretend I'm the third Blues brother. Man, after listening to stuff like Living Stereos and Telarcs, this stuff is funky. Makes your system sound like one of those Rockola's (you know, that was really the guy's name) with the tail fins. I love it. This is listening that has nothing to do with the word 'audiophile'. Yes, the Muddy Waters redo has fabulous so nice (by the way, I found the CD and the vinyl very close in quality) but a reissued 1951 Elmore James has the same stuff a 20 year old Bordeaux has, that real warm, soft velvety kind of presentation, that gives you the intensified essence of the thing rather than the clarity of the original offering. Sort of an aural patina.
---> VALVE Magazine: Editor's Thing.

Historic Video: A Dream Of Audio Perfection
Stereo: Three dimensional sound.
The biggest contribution to music since Barnum & Bailey.
Throughout the years, even from the very beginning, there was audio gear... and critics soon thereafter. Audio gear evolved, just as audiophiles carefully adjusted our listening space to accommodate it all. Finding the best recordings can be a challenge, too! Here's a great look back at the beginnings of high fidelity home audio equipment, and the reviewers in hopes of finding gear that achieved sound perfection. Call it what you will, perfect sound forever or the absolute sound, audiophiles seek to reproduce music within homes that is indistinguishable from what was heard during the live event.
---> Watch A Historic Video About Audio Perfection.

World Premiere Review!
Chisto Easy Groove Solutions Review
Concentrate, Virgin Concentrate, Extreme, Enzycaster, Concentrate, Spray & Wipe, Disk Analoguer, and Hi-End Show-Gloss.
Review By Tom Lyle
For the last few years, I've been cleaning my records by using a VPI 16.5 wet/vacuum record cleaner. My record cleaning liquid of choice has been for quite some time a simple solution of distilled water and a surfactant (the surfactant reduces the solution's surface tension, making it spread more easily on the surface of the record). Before the VPI, I used a Nitty Gritty record cleaner, and before that, an Audio Advisor record cleaner. With those machines I've tried countless solutions sold by many different companies. None were worthy of a review.
---> Chisto Easy Groove Solutions Review.

The Music Industry Just Took A Backwards Step On Streaming Pricing... In Glorious HD
Editorial By Tim Ingham
Founder Of Music Business Worldwide
Amazon's Echo Studio launched in Q4 2019 at a $199.99 price point in the US. "In 2019, Amazon launched Amazon Music HD, a high-quality audio streaming offering that is available to customers at a premium price in the United States. We believe the value proposition that streaming provides to consumers supports premium product initiatives." This, from Warner Music Group's pre-IPO filing last year, is a key part of the modern music industry's big sell to investors. Just you wait, it says: streaming is $9.99-a-month today, but tomorrow, oh man, the possibilities for building on this price-point are endless. Today (May 17), those possibilities hit the floor with a thud. A thud captured in stunning HD sound. It was a noise that hurt my ears – and reiterated a troubling power balance between music rightsholders and Big Tech.
---> The Music Industry Just Took A Backwards Step On Streaming Pricing... In Glorious HD.

North America Premiere Review!
Lindemann Limetree Phono II Review
Small package – Big impression!
Review By Clive Meakins
Lindemann is very well versed with digital technology and Class D amplifiers. For some people, they've been "flying under the radar" with their Phono stage. The Limetree Phono II is the successor to the well-regarded Limetree Phono. Being very candid; my initial reaction to the suggestion to review the Phono II was, "another relatively affordable Phono stage – I really hope it stands out from the crowd". What I will say at this point is that I'm very pleased I accepted the challenge! A Phono stage can make or break a vinyl-playing system – it needs to match the deck and cartridge electrically plus be a good match in terms of character. It's not hard to put together a couple of OpAmps with an RIAA correction network in between and voila, you have a Phono stage... but that's not to say it'll be a good one that makes systems shine. I've already hinted that auditioning the Phono II was a good use of my time so rest assured that if you are looking for a Phono stage at around €600, finding out more about the Phono II will be very worthwhile. The Lindemann Limetree range covers the Bridge, Network, Headphone, and Phono II....
---> Lindemann Limetree Phono II review.

The Art Of Listening
The emotional power of sound.
Article By Frederick J. Ampel of Technology Visions Analytics
Original article was aimed at custom installers, yet this information is also beneficial to audiophiles and videophiles alike.
Listening to and experiencing an audio environment is a unique and intense multilevel encounter. Stephen Handel, Professor of Psychology at the University of Tennessee, put it as well as anyone in the preface to his wonderful book: Listening: An Introduction to the Perception of Auditory Events (MIT Press, 1993, ISBN13: 978-0262081795, $62): "Listening puts me in the world. Listening gives me a sense of emotion, a sense of movement, and a sense of being there that is missing when I am [just] looking. I am more frightened by thunder than by lightning, even though I know that thunder is harmless and lightning is deadly. I feel far more isolation living with ear plugs than living with blinders. Listening is centripetal, it pulls you into the world. Looking is centrifugal, it separates you from the world." Let's understand precisely what Handel is saying: If the audio system's re-creation capability is working correctly, it can and should pull the listeners into the presentation with the power to make them believe that they are "there," wherever there might be.
---> The Art Of Listening.

This Is The Best Time To Be A Music Enthusiast
Product development, reviews, and true lossless hi-resolution on the rise!
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin
Over 25 years ago when I started Enjoy the Music.com there was very little info about high-end audio / audiophiles online. Today, that has all changed as we have thousands of websites from the latest and greatest gear to vintage audio, DIY, headphones, etc. In addition, we now have more manufacturers than in the history of our hobby! It is virtually impossible to keep up with it all, let alone report on every new piece of high-end audio equipment. I'd be slapped silly by not mentioning that true lossless high-resolution music, without the 'need' for typical music BUSINESS lossy compressed scams and schemes, is now mainstream and not limited to only a few niche' streaming music players. Without a doubt, this is the best time to be a music enthusiast! Way back when in the 1980s and 1990s there were only a tiny few small digest-sized print publications plus Audio and Stereo Review (to name a few) here in the States. Europe and other parts of the globe had their fave publications. It was like we were part of a super-secret hobby we all love. There was a tribal feeling about it all too!
---> This Is The Best Time To Be A Music Enthusiast.

Crystal Cable Monet Network Ethernet Cable Review
With just a taste of their Diamond network cable as well.
Review By Dr. Matthew Clott
Asking an audio reviewer to review a network cable is sort of like asking a car reviewer to review an alternator belt or a particular gasoline (although gasoline would likely equate more correctly to power cords in this scenario). I might even liken speaker cables or interconnects to tires if I continue the analogy; which have a more direct connection to the signal path, or similarly connect the engine, chassis, and suspension to the road. Under most circumstances, I humbly and politely pass when asked to formally review cables. Not because I don't think they make a massive difference in the system's performance (which they unquestionably do), but because in most cases cables affect an overall sense of voicing and presentation that is personal and subtle....
---> Crystal Cable Monet Network Ethernet cable review.

Furutech NCF Clear Line AC Power Line Optimizer Review
A skeptic gets his comeuppance.
Review By Paul Schumann
If you've read any of my previous reviews, you know that I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to audio. More than one time I've read about some amazing piece of gear, rushed down to the high-end audio parlor (remember those?) to take a listen, and came away disappointed. It's not that it always sounded bad (although, sometimes it did), it just didn't wow me as I was expecting. Where I especially cast a wary eye is an accessory item that promises to improve the overall sound of the system. The Furutech NCF Clear Line is just such a product. So when Steven asked if anyone wanted to review it, of course, I said yes. Okay, full disclosure here, I have been wanting to review a power conditioning device for quite a while. One area I have been remiss in the development of my system is the AC end of things. I've almost bought one a couple of times, but always backed off. Then during the middle of summer, when the AC quality goes dramatically down because of all the air conditioners I start kicking myself. Yet I never seem to pull the trigger on getting one when I have the chance.
---> Furutech NCF Clear Line AC Power Line Optimizer review.