November
2026
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.
Capital Audiofest 2026 Welcomes Returning Major Sponsor
Enjoy the Music.com
Leading audio publication to deliver extensive Capital Audiofest 2026 coverage, featuring world-class hi-fi systems, immersive audio experiences, industry premieres, and its prestigious Best Of Capital Audiofest Blue Note Awards.
Enjoy the
Music.com, a longstanding leading authority in high-end audio and
luxury home entertainment since 1995, is proud to announce its continued
sponsorship of Capital Audiofest 2026 (CAF 2026), Northeast America's most
anticipated consumer audio event. Taking place from November 13th through 15th,
and celebrating its 16th year, the renowned event continues to strengthen its
reputation as the Northeast Coast's most celebrated gathering for
high-performance audio, bringing together leading high-fidelity audio equipment
manufacturers, passionate hobbyists, and newcomers eager to experience the
latest innovations in music reproduction. Together, music lovers, audiophiles,
manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and members of the international audio
press are excited to once again enjoy a weekend dedicated to exceptional sound
and cutting-edge hi-fi audio innovations. CAF 2026 continues to strengthen its
reputation as the most attended fall season gatherings for high-performance
audio within the U.S.
--->
Capital Audiofest 2026 Welcomes Returning Major Sponsor Enjoy the
Music.com.
The Audiophile Renaissance: Why A
New Generation Is (Re)Discovering High-Fidelity Sound
Affordable stereo sound systems, compact amplifiers, DACs, and bookshelf speakers are fueling a surprising resurgence in hi-fi audio.
Editorial By Roger Skoff
Younger listeners seek better music quality beyond smartphones, Bluetooth speakers, and
soundbars. For years now, audiophiles have been wringing their hands
about the future of our hobby. The forums have been full of Jeremiads (no, not
latest tube DACs); the shows have been full of gray hair; manufacturers have
been worrying and dealers closing. The refrain has always been the same:
kids don't care about sound, nobody listens anymore, it's all earbuds and
Bluetooth. It's been repeated for so long and so often that it's
become a kind of background hiss behind the music, and the simple fact is that,
if you ask the average person nowadays
at least the average person under retirement age—what hi-fi is, or
stereo, the only answer you're likely to get is a blank stare. It's been that way for years, but now something unexpected is
happening....
--->
The Audiophile Renaissance: Why A New Generation Is (Re)Discovering High-Fidelity Sound.
The Audio DSP Universe Expanded
Today's leading platforms are evolving beyond fixed audio DSP into fully adaptive computational audio systems.
Editorial By J. Martins
For a magazine with roots in do-it-yourself audio and inspiration from self-made entrepreneurs and inventors, looking at how modern audio product development teams actually work can change our perspective on products—and on what constitutes good design. And now that perspective is changing again. No matter how tightly engineering and design teams are integrated, audio product development involves multiple disciplines, each with its own priorities and its own definition of
"high quality." Those definitions work well enough within each domain—until the pieces are brought together. Then every design decision has to be considered in terms of its effect on the complete
system. Most audio products today are developed by cross-functional program teams, not by a single
"audio engineering" group. A complex system such as a modern soundbar requires a systems lead or technical program manager to coordinate acoustics, electronics, RF, embedded software, mechanical engineering, industrial design, test, quality, sourcing, and manufacturing. And none of those teams defines the relevant
"quality" parameters on their own.
---> The Audio DSP Universe Expanded.
The Audiophile Divide: Why Great Sound Inspires Some People And Leaves Others
Cold
Discover why exceptional stereo systems captivate some listeners for life, and why welcoming newcomers matters more than technical expertise.
Editorial By Alan Sircom
Listening to a really good audio system for the first time can be a transformational experience. Almost everyone reading this will have, at some formative point in their lives, heard what a really good stereo system can do and was instantly hooked. Sure, for some that becomes a lifelong obsession, and for others
it's a 'dip in/dip out' punctuated equilibrium. But equally, there are some for whom that listening experience leaves them
non-plussed. Why? I don't think either the 'they weren't discerning
enough', 'they don't like music enough' or 'they weren't rich enough to afford these sorts of
system' arguments hold water. I've met people of great discernment in other fields, who are left cold by good audio. Similarly, I know people who buy album after album and are always gig-hopping, but have a distinctly ho-hum system. And as for the
'not rich enough' argument... many of us developed an interest in this hobby in our teens, and we pawed the magazines and pressed our noses against shop windows with no possible way of affording what we dreamed of.
---> The Audiophile Divide: Why Great Sound Inspires Some People And Leaves Others Cold.
Inside Toronto Audiofest 2026 Show Report: The Ultimate
High-Fidelity Audio Experience For Audiophiles & Music Lovers
Exclusive show report, special events, new product debuts, industry panels, and immersive listening sessions at
Toronto's largest hi-fi expo.
The Toronto Audiofest 2026 promises one of Canada's most immersive
high-fidelity events of the year! With more than 100 exhibitors and thousands of
attendees, the show continues its mission of elevating high-quality
sound and strengthening the community of music lovers and audiophiles across
Ontario. Over three days, visitors explored hundreds of brands, auditioning
cutting-edge loudspeakers, amplifiers, turntables, digital sources, and personal
audio gear in professionally tuned rooms. The festival spanned 8,000 sq. ft. of
curated listening spaces designed to showcase the latest innovations in
immersive high-end audio. The venue's reconfigured demonstration rooms offered an
elegant, acoustically optimized environment ideal for serious listening. A major highlight
was EARVANA, Canada's only
dedicated headphone event, featuring top global brands and new product launches.
Attendees tested flagship headphones, portable DACs, and personal audio
systems in a focused, hands-on environment.
---> Toronto Audiofest 2026 Show Report: The Ultimate High-Fidelity Audio Experience For Audiophiles & Music
Lovers.
CAF 2026 Show Report
Coming Soon!
Exclusive Capital Audiofest 2026
Show Report Review —
Highlights & Top Hi-Fi Audio Sound Systems
Comprehensive luxury audio show report covering standout demos, top
high-end audiophile systems, vinyl LP turntable finds, and insider takeaways from
Capital Audiofest 2026.
Welcome to
Enjoy the Music.com's exclusive Capital Audiofest 2026 show report. CAF
2026 is set to take over the Hilton Rockville in Rockville, Maryland from November 13th through 15th, reaffirming its status as the Northeast
Coast's most anticipated luxury home audio showcase. Now in its 16th year, the high-fidelity home audio festival continues its evolution from a regional gathering into a nationally recognized celebration of
high-end audiophile sound, immersive listening, and community-driven audio culture. With expanded exhibitor participation and a growing audience of seasoned audiophiles, newcomers, and families, the 2026 edition promises to be the most ambitious yet. The
show's hallmark remains its room-to-room exploration format, where attendees can audition
cutting-edge loudspeakers, amplifiers, DACs, turntables, and streaming systems across a wide range of price
points.
---> Exclusive Capital Audiofest 2026 Show Report Review — Highlights & Top Hi-Fi Audio Sound Systems.
Exclusive Expert Review!
QUAD ESL 2912X Loudspeaker Review: The Finest Evolution
Of The Legendary Electrostatic Speaker
Peter Walker's iconic design reaches new heights with improved transparency, greater scale, enhanced dynamics, and extraordinary musical realism for discerning audiophiles.
Review By Bob Grossman
Few loudspeakers enjoy the longevity and
devotion of the QUAD electrostatic floorstanding loudspeaker. Since the
introduction of the original ESL in 1957, to today's review of the QUAD ESL 2912X,
Peter Walker's revolutionary design has earned a reputation for
extraordinary transparency, coherence, and natural musicality. While
many manufacturers have radically changed direction over the decades,
QUAD has remained remarkably faithful to Walker's original vision while
steadily refining it. The new ESL 2912X speaker represents the latest
evolution of that philosophy. Having owned and lived with both restored
ESL-57s and ESL-63s for many years, I approached the arrival and
my review of the new QUAD ESL 2912X electrostatic for Enjoy the
Music.com with grand expectations. The question was simple: could
QUAD improve upon a design that was already one of the most respected
loudspeakers ever produced?
--->
QUAD ESL 2912X Loudspeaker Review: The Finest Evolution Of The Legendary Electrostatic Speaker.
World Premiere Review!
Cinnamon Galle DAC Model II Review: A Reference-Level Digital Converter That Redefines Musical Truth
& Seeks To Slay The Giants Of Analog With Next-Gen Digital
Inside the dual-mono, 27-bit resistor ladder DAC engineered to challenge analog supremacy and elevate hi-res streaming to deliver unprecedented tonal color, spatial density, and musical engagement for serious audiophiles and music lovers
alike.
Review By Craig Clark
"For me, it's
really been about bringing the kind of sound to my clients that allows them to,
even if just for a moment, suspend disbelief. To double-check their reality. Do
you know what I mean?" — Colin King, Gestalt Audio, Importer of Cinnamon
products in the USA. Oh, yes, Colin. We audiophiles know exactly what you
mean. Many of us have spent decades (I, personally, have logged five) pursuing
the magical moments to which you allude. And we also know just how elusive this
exalted experience can be, with occasional glimpses the rule and sustained looks
far too rare. We set out on a musical journey, typically from a very young
age, full of hope, aspirations, and a dream of hearing our favorite music
reproduced in our homes with the kind of realism that moves us emotionally, and
in those beautiful moments, connects us at a deeper level with the artists
intent, perhaps even with a greater understanding of our collective selves.
But then, reality....
--->
Cinnamon Galle DAC Model II Review: A Reference-Level Digital Converter That Redefines Musical Truth
& Seeks To Slay The Giants Of Analog With Next-Gen Digital.
Hegel H200 Review: The Connected Audiophile Integrated Amplifier
With Music Streamer, DAC, & Phono Stage
Featuring 150 Wpc, SoundEngine 2 technology, Hi-Res streaming, a MM phono stage, plus premium headphone output, Hegel's H200 delivers an exceptional all-in-one high-end audio solution.
Review By Tom Lyle
The
Hegel Music Systems H200 integrated amplifier is an impressive, feature-packed
integrated amplifier
with a powerful 150 Watts per channel, plus a Moving-Magnet (MM) phono stage,
internet digital music streamer, Hi-Res Audio DAC, headphone output, plus two types of USB
inputs. Norway's Hegel Music Systems released the H200 in 2005, and
it became their first international success. In 2026, they upgraded this
integrated amplifier with additional features, including a DAC, phono stage,
streamer, and more. The newer H200 is officially nicknamed "The Connected"
for good reason. Hegel also released a fully analog sister model, the A200, like
the older H200, now known as "the Classic." Don't bother skipping to the conclusion of this review. This
$4,995, 150-Watt-per-channel integrated amplifier might not be for everyone,
since system matching (and price) always come first.
--->
Hegel H200 Review: The Connected Audiophile Integrated Amplifier With Music Streamer, DAC, & Phono Stage.
World Premiere Review!
WattGate 381 AU evo & 381 RH evo Review — Transformative Audio-Grade AC Receptacles That Elevate Your High-End Audio Sound
System's Performance
How WattGate's gold- and rhodium-plated high-fidelity audio outlets deliver lower noise floor, stronger physical grip, and remarkable musical bliss.
Review By Paul Schumann
Ah,
yes, the lowly AC outlet. It's the least glamorous gadget in our daily lives.
If we need to charge a phone or vacuum the room, their location becomes
critically important. Otherwise, once we plug a lamp or TV into one, we forget
they are there. I'd never thought much about the outlet I use for my system,
so when Brett of WattGate reached out for a review, I was intrigued. We
audiophiles spend large sums on AC cables and power conditioners, so why
wouldn't we care what we plug them into? WattGate, a sister company of Kimber Kable, makes two
audio-grade AC receptacles: the 381 AU evo and 381 RH evo. Brett sent me both to
review. These two outlets are identical in their basic construction. They have
heavy-duty clamps with teeth terminals, heavy-duty triple wipe contacts, and
accept 8 to 12 AWG wire. The housing of each is constructed of polycarbonate,
and all the metals used are non-magnetic. The terminal clamps, mounting strap,
rivets, and grounding strip are made of plated solid brass.
--->
WattGate 381 AU evo & 381 RH evo Review — Transformative Audio-Grade AC Receptacles That Elevate Your High-End Audio Sound System's
Performance.
Tough Nut Audio Footers Are A
Game-Changer Upgrade For Audiophile Hi-Fi Equipment
Affordable vibration control and isolation that may transform your high-fidelity audio sound
system.
Review By Rick Becker
Breaking
into the high end for manufacturers has a fairly straightforward path, although
there are variations on this theme. First, you come up with a product, and then
you present it at a show. There you will meet reviewers and hopefully convince
them to work their magic on your product to get the word out and generate
consumer interest, either by direct sales or a distribution channel. Each of
these steps has its own challenges and pitfalls, but it's a lot easier than,
say, mining for rare earth metals or building commercial or military aircraft
(drones excepted). Witness the large number of manufacturers in high end audio
today, and their global reach. In my audio show coverage, I pay particular
attention to new presenters, not just new products. This review explores a
product from one such company with a growing reputation that I've been
watching closely for several years.
---> Exclusive Review: Tough Nut Audio Footers Are A Game-Changer Upgrade For Audiophile Hi-Fi
Equipment.
World Premiere Review!
LessLoss Jam Gloves Review: A Surprising High-End Audio Upgrade For Resolution And Transparency
Rick discovers how LessLoss Jam Gloves enhance power cable performance, delivering greater transparency, improved resolution, and a more lifelike musical presentation in a reference-level high-fidelity audio system.
Review By Rick Becker
When I received word about the new
LessLoss Jam Gloves, there was very
little information about them, but I've been so impressed with LessLoss
products that I immediately requested review samples. They looked like devices
that somehow kept power cords from drooping or falling out of components or wall
outlets. What a great idea! And surely I could write a review in no time at all.
"If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit." When they arrived (without instructions or anything published
about them on their website), I was perplexed by the grey plug that blocked one
end LessLoss' Jam Glove during my initial review moments. It was firmly affixed to the intricate (and possibly
delicate?) Jam Glove. The last thing I wanted to do was break one. Louis Motek
quickly assured me that it was perfectly OK to push the grey spacer out from
behind with two thumbs or something like a broom handle.
---> LessLoss Jam Gloves Review: A Surprising High-End Audio Upgrade For Resolution And Transparency.
The Intro
Editorial By Art Dudley
By the time you read this my daughter
will be four years old. This morning I took Julia to preschool, but when we got there I realized
I'd forgotten to bring her lunch, so I told the teachers I would return with it later
on. I went back at noon, brown bag in hand, and walked into the classroom just as everyone was settling down on the big
story rug for a big story. When Julia saw me her face lit up and she shouted, "Daddy!" She jumped up and ran to me
and gave me the biggest hug ever, in history. While she was hugging me she continued to say, "My Daddy! My Daddy!,"
and patted me on the back the way she does lately. All you parents out there know what I'm talking about, don't
you? It's hard to stay worried about skating or ringing or jitter or other distortions with vaguely
Christmas-y names when you've got something like that going on.
---> The Intro by Art Dudley Of Listener.
Loudspeaker Matching With Single-Ended Amplifiers
Article By Graham Tricker Of GT Audio
I normally
consider loudspeakers to fall into two categories. These are horn and direct
radiator designs. From a commercial point of view 8 Watts is very limiting unless you have
a market consisting of efficient loudspeaker designs like horns. I have a collection of
vintage hi-fi which includes a matching pair of Voigt comer horns. In my opinion these are
one of the finest sounding classic horns ever to have been made. On the whole, however,
people using horns are few and far between in the UK and Europe. I guess this is due to
the imposing physical dimensions needed to achieve realistic results. Eight Watts does not sound much to the average audiophile, especially when most familiar
well-reviewed valve amplifiers had power outputs greater than 60 Watts. Such high powered amplifiers are required to
drive inefficient and power hungry loudspeakers like the panel, electrostatic and ribbon
designs that have been popular these past decades.
---> Loudspeaker Matching With Single-Ended
Amplifiers.
Editor's Thing
Article By Dan 'Doc B." Schmalle
From VALVE Volume 2 Number 8
Siting 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.
---> Editor's Thing.
Kharma Elegance dB7-S Floorstanding
Loudspeaker Review
Gorgeous looks... and they look as good as they sound.
Review By Tom Lyle
Let's be
clear. Kharma Elegance dB7-S are not the largest or the most expensive high-end
loudspeakers one can buy. They aren't even the largest or most expensive
speakers in the line that they are a part of. But they are gorgeous high-end
speakers that sound as good as they look, and obviously designed, built, and are
intended to be included in the best high-end audio systems that are owned by
those that consider themselves to be discriminating audiophiles. One can place
them into an existing system, or one can build a fine system around these
speakers. Although, in both cases one must keep in mind that if one were to
anthropomorphize these speakers it could be said of them that they do not suffer
fools. In other words, these speakers will reveal both the sonic assets and
flaws of upstream equipment more than most any other speaker I can think of
right now.
--->
Kharma Elegance dB7-S Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.
T+A SDV3100HV Streaming DAC And PDT3100HV Disc
Drive Review
T+A took a giant step forward with its HV series.
Review By Matthias Böde Of STEREO Magazine
Imagine
if you had a free choice on the wheel of fortune. Over and over again. As often
as you want! That's how it feels when you press the mighty volume control on
T+A's brand new SDV3100HV Streamer-DAC-preamplifier, whereupon it jumps into
source selection mode and scrolls through the numerous options in the turquoise
illuminated display kind of like you would on a smartphone. The list seems nearly endless: it starts with
"UPnP/DLNA" for your home network, continuing with the pre-installed
links to streaming services Qobuz, Deezer and Tidal – no Spotify, because you
can't expect anyone to be content with MP3 here. “USB Media" follows
thereafter for sticks and hard drives, to which T+A offers two ports, one of
which is conveniently accessible from the front. "Roon Ready" then
indicates that the ingenious music management software can also be used. Every streamer offers access to the "Internet radio"
with its myriad of programs, which is the next stop while scrolling.
--->
T+A SDV3100HV Streaming DAC And PDT3100HV Disc Drive Review.
Do You Really Need To Buy A Bugatti?
How expensive our hobby doesn't need to be.
Article
By Roger Skoff
As understand it,
Bugatti's latest-model car costs something like $4,500,000, goes well over 200 miles (320kM) per hour, and costs – at least the earlier Veyron model did – about $23,000 just for one of its regularly scheduled oil
changes. I might be wrong, though; I haven't done any serious Bugatti shopping lately, and I
don't ever intend to. I did, once have a super exotic car, though – a 1953 Siata factory team race car that had been built for that
year's Targa Florio road race. I was just a kid, then, no more than about nineteen years old, and, frankly, although something more practical would certainly have been a far better choice, I
didn't know any better. The car was extremely beautiful, very fast, and VERY prestigious: Everywhere I drove it, it was the center of attention, and I could enjoy the hope that, as its driver, I must be something special, too.
--->
Do You Really Need To Buy A Bugatti?
Vivid Audio Kaya 25 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review
A very special two-way, two-driver paradise for those on a 'budget'.
Review By Dr. Matthew Clott
Vivid
Audio is a loudspeaker line I've known for some time, yet never taken serious
interest in. Not because I was unimpressed, but because other than shows I never
really had the opportunity to absorb what they can do in a proper room. I do
know that many of my fellow reviewers hold Vivid in high regard and my interest
has always been there. Recently, Bill Parish of GTT Audio took over import
responsibilities and invited me over to experience the entire line at his place.
Fortunately for me, Bill is 33 minutes away (about 14 miles) and an easy
highway-free saunter west into rolling hills and gentle farmland (not sure what
made it gentle, but it was gentle dammit!). Bill received me, along with Ewald Verkerk (Vivid Audio
representative from South Africa) and I was treated to four rooms properly set
up and beautifully representing the K25, K45, K90, G3 series 2, G2 series 2, and
the spectacular G1 Spirit in Bill's reference room. It was a blast and I walked
away with a solid appreciation for what Vivid can do and an open offer to review
anything I just heard.
--->
Vivid Audio Kaya 25 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.
World Premiere Review!
Margules Audio U-280SC 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Vacuum Tube
Amplifier Review
Realistic sound with extended frequency extension... plus tube rollers can rejoice too!
Review By Tom Lyle
Margules Audio is a high-end
audio company that produces a full line of components. It is headquartered in
Mexico City, Mexico, and although the Margules Audio U-280SC 30th Anniversary
Limited Edition vacuum tube stereo amplifier review you're about to read is
brand new, the company has been in business since the early 1980s. The Margules
family – now including third and fourth-generation members – has been
involved in audio in one way or another since the early part of the twentieth
century, when Mr. Jacob Margules, a European engineer. He also contributed to
the building of radio stations and electrification in Mexico as they
manufactured wind-up gramophones, followed by tube radios, plus they distributed
industrial parts too.
--->
Margules Audio U-280SC 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Vacuum Tube Amplifier
Review.
Aavik Acoustics System Review
High-end audio equipment is made by those who love music.
Review By Tom Lyle
Aavik S-280 Streamer, U-280 Unity Integrated Amp with built-in DAC, Ansuz Acoustics Mainz8 A2 AC Power Distribution Bar, Mainz8 A2 AC Ansuz Power Cords, Speakz Speaker Cables, Digitalz Ethernet Cable, PowerSwitch A2 Ethernet Switch, Darkz C2t
Resonance Control Devices, and Titanium Balls for Ansuz Acoustics Darkz C2t.
The
subjects of this review feature components and accessories from two of the three
brands designed and manufactured by The Audio Group Denmark, which acts as an
umbrella company for Aavik Acoustics, Ansuz Acoustics, and Børresen Acoustics.
The company was started by two Danes, Lars Kristensen, and Michael Børresen,
who first met more than 20 years ago. Aavik Acoustics designs and manufactures many types of
high-end audio components, such as amplifiers, DACs, phono stages, and
streamers. Ansuz Acoustics products consist of what most audiophiles would call
high-end audio accessories, cables, power distribution, streaming accessories,
and resonance control devices.
---> Aavik Acoustics System
Review.
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