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December
2023
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.
A Musical Joy To The World
Ways to spread holiday cheer to music lovers.
Article
By Roger Skoff
Christmas,
Chanukah (or Hanukkah), and Kwanzaa plus other celebrations are fast approaching and, if you
haven't already decided who on your holiday gift list gets what, from where, this year, try giving
music. Everybody loves to hearken to the herald angels singing and, if the stories are true, old Wenceslas really was a pretty good king. We also love to hear about merry gentlemen resting without dismay; about how Jimmy Dodd saw his mommy kissing Sana Clause; and how, even despite the
Grinch's efforts in a different story, the light from Rudolf's nose saved Christmas
eve. Some of us even like to remember that old dreidel we made out of
clay... or new fuses for our audio gear.
---> A Musical Joy To The World.
It Is Show Season... Again
Are we entertaining new clients?
Editorial By Alan Sircom
The Show Season is upon us. As soon as the first leaf turns golden-brown, people in the audio world start instinctually packing. Journalists pack their notepads and cameras. Manufacturers break open the flight cases.
It's now possible to be in a different country every weekend, attending a show. Sometimes there are two shows on the same weekend, spread
worldwide. It's logical that as the nights draw in, people turn their attention to listening to music in the home. And
it's equally logical that people who want to buy new audio equipment will get interested from September to April, when the Northern Hemisphere gets a little darker for
longer. However, is the number of shows really sustainable?
---> It Is Show Season... Again.
A Cautionary Tale About Perceived Value
And how corner-cutting aesthetics can be sacrificed for the greater good.
Editorial By Becky Roberts
There's no two ways about it; perceived value counts for a lot. No matter how well something performs,
there's every chance it'll be disregarded by some in favour of something that looks better. The PMC Prodigy 1 loudspeakers I recently tested with some colleagues (review on page 14) could well fall victim to such misfortune, but for the sake of
PMC's efforts and anyone in the market for ~$2,000 standmounters, I really hope it
doesn't. When comparing their build to KEF's class-leading LS50 Meta, I politely used the Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy metaphor for their differences in stature (the PMCs tall and slim, the KEFs shorter and stockier), though I
could've also made a Beauty and the Beast one (the PMCs being the 'Beast') to communicate the gulf between their aesthetic
attraction.
---> A Cautionary Tale About Perceived Value.
Ten Years More Of Everything
audioXpress is committed to serving the enthusiasts and global audio engineering
community.
Editorial By J. Martins
Even though my involvement with
this publication started earlier, it was in November 2013 that audioXpress received
a facelift, signaling a new life for this publication. We expanded the content
and increased our focus on audio research and development (R&D), product
design, and acoustic science while maintaining our roots in DIY audio and audio
electronics. Over the years I have constantly re-examined those directions and
more importantly worked tirelessly to expand our authors' network in line with
the technology evolution and constantly evolving audio industry trends. As is
always recommended on editorial projects, every year we have re-examined our
mission and what was achieved, reflecting both our audience's interests and
readership expansion across product and market segments. I confess that I was surprised with the positive response we
received in certain technology fields....
---> Ten Years More Of Everything.
Enjoy the Music.com's
Great Audiophile Gift Guide 2023
We're here to help you discover great
gifts for your premium audio music lover.
Article By Enjoy the Music.com Staff
Welcome one and all to
Enjoy the Music.com's exceptional 18th annual Great Audiophile Gift recommendations! We all love gifts, yet
we also know that getting something special for your passionate music lover can be quite
a challenge! Our annual Great Audiophile Gift wish list brings you some truly spectacular ideas for music lovers. There are
many wonderful products we can recommend to our longstanding loyal readership,
and below you will see many excellent recommendations. We know this year has
been a challenge for many, and so all recommended gifts this year are reasonably priced to be kind to your wallet. We have gifts that will make your vinyl junkie smile, plus a few surprises along the
way! Everyone here at Enjoy the Music.com wishes you and yours a prosperous, joyous, and healthy holiday
season. And now, on with our Great Audiophile Gift 2023 suggestions we know you'll
love!
---> Enjoy the
Music.com's Great Audiophile Gift Guide 2023!
Capital Audiofest (CAF) 2023 Show Report
CAF 2023 premium luxury audio event coverage.
Capital Audiofest (CAF)
is the Northeast's favorite audio show! CAF started out in 2010 as a very casual show and has evolved into a well-organized and well-attended event that most everyone in the audio industry knows
about. CAF is recognized as a fun, friendly and family-oriented show, where you often see families strolling from room to room listening to music, auditioning gear and browsing the multiple bins of vinyl records, CDs and accessories in the Atrium Marketplace. In the evenings we have live music in the bar and special live performers in the Theater, and local distillers offering
tasting. During the
event will be wonderful live music plus Enjoy the Music.com in once
again sponsoring the
Thursday night vendor / press party with live music and free drinks!
---> Capital Audiofest (CAF) 2023 Show Report.
Enjoy the Music.com Exclusive!
Métronome Technologie Launches Their World-Class Kalista
Mantax DAC
Musical revelations in Vienna!
Coverage By Greg Weaver
Thursday morning, November 16th (2023) found myself on an
airplane bound for Vienna, Austria. I had been invited to the private launch
event for the new flagship Kalista Mantax DAC, to be held at the Adagio Vienna
City Hotel on Saturday, November 18th. The Adagio Vienna City sits just south of the
Donaukanal, an
arm of the nearby Danube River, and just immediately west of where the Wiental
Kanal flows into it, bordering Vienna's city center. This places it just inside what is known as "The Ring," the
popular name given to a series of wide tree-lined boulevards that encircle
nearly the entire center of the city. "The Ring" is about six and a half
kilometers long (~ four miles) and arguably offers more historical sights lining
its edges than any other road in the world.
--->
Métronome Technologie Launches Their World-Class Kalista Mantax DAC.
World Premiere Review!
LampizatOr Pacific 2 DAC Review
One of the best values for a high-performance DAC.
Review By Dr. Matthew Clott
When LampizatOr came out with
their state-of-the-art $49,000 Horizon assault on DAC'dom, they had a larger
plan in mind. The Horizon was the first in an entirely new redesign of
LampizatOr's take on building a digital-to-analog converter. Everything learned
from their first Big7 through the Golden Gate to the Pacific, was a foundation
upon which the next generation of LampizatOr would be based. Somewhere during
the past few years, it became apparent that they had taken their current designs
and engineering schematics to the limits of what those circuits could yield. To progress and advance LampizatOr into the future, a
completely new engine, circuits, power supplies, and enclosure would be needed;
and the Horizon was born. Moving forward, all of their new products will benefit
from design principles inherent in the Horizon.
--->
LampizatOr Pacific 2 DAC Review.
Aric Audio Transcend Push Pull Amplifier Review
An enlightening listening experience!
Review By Bob Grossman
In today's machine-driven, highly commoditized world, the sheer number of
hand-crafted artisanal products appears to be ultimately going the way of the
dodo bird — heading toward extinction. Thankfully, the Aric Audio Transcend
Push Pull amplifier from the genius of Aric Kimball is an exception to this
rule. Another exception that comes to mind is Rolls-Royce. While it now exists
under the corporate umbrella of parent company BMW, Rolls defiantly maintains a
great level of independence, continuing to offer buyers an unusually wide array
of customization options to satisfy each buyer's unique desires. And so it goes with Aric Audio. Based out of a small suburb in
western Massachusetts, for more than 15 years Aric Kimball has specialized in
custom, hand-built, superbly crafted audio gear. Fortunately, due partly to
Aric's direct-to-consumer business model, one need not have a Rolls-Royce budget
to afford the luxury of such exceptional quality audio components. This is a
high-value proposition indeed.
--->
Aric Audio Transcend Push Pull Amplifier Review.
North America Premiere Review!
Bowers & Wilkins 603 S3 Floorstanding Loudspeaker
Review
The truth, and nothing else but the truth.
Review By Ron Nagle
Like the ravens at the White
Tower, I cannot think of a more iconic audiophile symbol of England than Bowers
and Wilkins. That's of course if you happen to look at the world through audiophile
eyes. John Bowers and Roy Wilkins met during World War II while both of them
were serving in the Royal Signal Corps. They began business as a radio and
electronics retail shop located in the town of Worthing England. Bowers &
Wilkins was founded in 1966 in Worthing, West Sussex, England. John Bowers
started the business we now know as Bowers & Wilkins. At that time he was no
longer involved with the retail shop. The first speaker production line was
established in the retail shop's backyard. In 1970 Bowers decided to develop a loudspeaker wholly built
in-house. The sizeable DM70 from 1970 combined electrostatics mid-and-high range
drivers on top of a traditional bass unit. The distinct shape of the loudspeaker
won a British Industrial Design Award. Good press reviews allowed the company to
prosper.
--->
Bowers & Wilkins 603 S3 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.
World Premiere Review!
Finalé Audio F-6 Hommage EF86 Edition
Vaccum Tube Integrated Amplifier Review
How low can you go?
Review By Paul Schumann
Sometime
in the mid-1990s, I was in a music store and noticed an audio magazine on the
rack I had never seen before. It was Issue 12 of Sound Practices. I
flipped through it and was fascinated by its retro take on audio, so I made the
purchase. I read every article, but Herb Reichert's Causal Reactions
column struck me to the core. This was back during a time when Herb Reichert was
an arts school teacher and his vacuum tube efforts were dedicated towards DIY. His basic
argument was this: the best way to evaluate an audio system is how it allows you
to feel the emotions in your music. All other criteria are secondary. I know I've reduced a beautifully written article
into a simple statement. But this statement leads the reader to the next
question: What kind of system allows you to do this?
--->
Finalé Audio F-6 Hommage EF86 Edition Review.
World Premiere Review!
LCH Audio B1610 Subwoofers
Stack Audio Auvo Isolators
Synergistic Research Vibratron
An audiophile special ménage à trois.
Review By Rick Becker
Actually, neuroscience has come a
long way since Schrodinger's day, and audiophiles might be able to offer some
suggestions, too. Let me tell you about three innovative items that helped those
old songs move me even further. In typical audiophile fashion, I'm always on the lookout to
improve the sound quality of my system in search of more musical delight. A
pattern that has emerged over the past two decades is that my speakers always
seem to get better when I improve the components and add ancillary tweaks to the
rig. Funny how that happens. Many people would sooner go out and buy a new
speaker. But I've developed somewhat of a reputation for adding tweaks rather
than spending huge sums on major components. The opportunity to explore Axpona earlier this year turned up
two products in particular that I wanted to review and a third opportunity
subsequently came my way from Great Britain.
--->
LCH Audio B1610 Subwoofers, Stack Audio Auvo Isolators, And Synergistic Research Vibratron Review.
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: The Heart Of Our Hobby.
The Core Issues: Choosing A Power Transformer
Article By Michael S. LaFevre Of MagneQuest Transformer Company
From Sound Practices Issue 1, Summer 1992
The Core
Issues examines the
function, construction, design, and
operation of magnetics for audio applications. This series will combine
practical advice in the form of useful "rules of thumb" with enough pure
theory to give us some concept of how
these magnificent devices work. This
column is not an academic engineering tutorial but rather a guide to
becoming an informed consumer. This begins with a look at the theory
and operation of the power transformer.
Power transformers are relatively uncomplex devices compared with output
transformers and are often given only the most
cursory attention by audiophiles. More of-
ten than not, they are treated generically. "Oh, all you need is a transformer that will
supply, say, 360-0-360 VRMS @ 200 mils
for the plates, a 6.3 VCT @ 4A filament
winding, and 5 volts at 3A for the rectifier
tube."
---> The Core Issues: Choosing A Power Transformer.
Discovering The Lowther Acousta
Article By Doug Grove
From VALVE Volume 2 Number 9
What do I say when a fellow hi-fi
enthusiast calls and asks if I know anything about Lowther speakers. He had just picked up a pair of Lowther Acoustas at a garage sale. Being totally unfamiliar with Lowther speakers I called Dan at VALVE who filled me in on the Lowther Voigt article in the Winter 94/95 (this is the current issue/) issue of
Sound Practices. I had to see (and hopefully hear) what these obscure English loudspeakers were all about, so I went over to my friend's house for a look. The cabinets were scratched and dented, but still in one piece. The foam surrounds on the drivers had dissolved long ago. The cones had punctures, rips, and creases. The voice coils were distorted and scraping in their gaps. A resistance measurement of 10.5 Ohms indicated that restoration might be possible, if the voice coils were still intact. I left,
disappointed that I could not hear them.
---> Discovering The Lowther Acousta.
Kronos Discovery
Vinyl LP Turntable Review
Drive-by reviewing at Long Valley.
Rick Becker
Investigates A Treasured Turntable.
It
was supposed to be a nearly five-hour trip but my wife missed a turn on the
shortcut and took the Shooting Brake through an all-terrain parking lot to buy
lunch at Subway. Then there were accidents on I-80 to slow us down.
Nevertheless, Bill Parish was all smiles, as usual, when we pulled into GTT
Audio to get a listen to Louis Desjardins' latest masterpiece, the Kronos
Discovery turntable. Bill had sent me his GTT video newsletter
with a pow-wow after David W. Robinson, Editor in Chief and Senior Writer
Maurice Jeffries of Positive Feedback had spent an afternoon listening to the
new turntable. Emails flew and Louis sent me a copy of Alan Sircom's review in HiFi+
magazine. I emailed Louis and told him I thought it was a very good
review. He replied that he thought it was an Excellent!
--->
Kronos Discovery Vinyl LP Turntable Review.
Audeze LCD-5 Flagship Headphones Review
As good as it gets!
Review By
Peter Pialis
I have been a big fan of
Audeze's headphones throughout the years. Since their initial release of the venerable LCD-2 over a decade ago, Audeze has become a world leader in planar magnetic technology and has produced some of the very best headphones on the planet. Well, never to let the grass grow under their feet, the engineers at Audeze have certainly been quite busy this past year with three significant new releases: LCD-R (ribbon-based headphones, and CRBN Electrostatic (their first foray into electro-static headphones), the
LCD-5's round out this amazing trifecta of great new products. The original LCD-2's wowed the world of personal audio with truly some of the best performing headphones ever released a decade ago. Their relaxed and natural tone was a stark contrast to the many brighter sounding headphones previously released like the AKG K701,
Beyerdynamic T1 and Sennheiser HD800.
--->
Audeze LCD-5 Flagship Headphones Review.
Hear It Again, Sam
Roger Skoff writes about joys perhaps forgotten.
Article
By Roger Skoff
When
my daughter was growing up, we used to play a game called "Call it". The rules
were simple: When a piece of classical music was on the radio or being played on
the system, I would say "Call it", and she would try to tell me as much as she
could about what she was hearing. That could be just about anything, but the
closer she got to completely identifying the music, the more "points" she got. For example, she could get points for as little as just
knowing that what was playing was a concerto – simple enough, if there's
a soloist playing with an orchestra that's either continuously in the background
or ready to come in after a cadenza. Or she could get them for knowing
that a small group of instruments playing together was chamber music. The most points of all, of course, came when she successfully
identified a particular performance of a particular piece of music by a
particular player or conductor with a particular orchestra....
---> Hear It Again, Sam.
Audience Hidden Treasure In-Wall AC PowerCable
And High Definition Wall Receptacle Review
Like a buried treasure that pays huge dividends in musical enjoyment!
Review By Rick Becker
If you're
reading this review, you're either considering the installation of a dedicated
line in what is likely your dedicated listening room or perhaps your home
theater... or maybe the video rig in your family room if you're seriously into
watching TV. Or possibly, you've already installed a line and are wondering if
this new Audience cable might be a worthwhile upgrade. In any case, I suspect
you're already convinced that "everything matters" in high-end audio, especially
cables. Keep reading. Audience is one of the most respected cable manufacturers and
my ears perked up when I saw the ad for their new In-Wall AC cable. It's been 20
years since I reviewed Joe Skubinski's JPS Labs Power AC In-Wall cable.
He's sold miles of it and "Big Red" has remained my reference dedicated line
ever since. What's taken so long for the competition to arise?
--->
Audience Hidden Treasure In-Wall AC PowerCable And High Definition Wall Receptacle Review.
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