High-End Audio / Audiophile & Music Industry News

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06 / 24 / 25

Edinburgh Hi-AV Show 2025 A/V Event In Scotland
The Edinburgh Hi-AV Show 2025 is poised to become one of Scotland's most anticipated audio and visual events. Set for November 8th and 9th at the DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh Airport, the show brings together audiophiles, Audio / Video (A/V) immersivephiles, and industry experts under one roof. Organized by the Chester Group—renowned for their previous successful events—the show marks the second edition since its relaunch after a 17-year hiatus. With a reputation built on delivering great sound and hands-on experiences, the event promises to build on its past success, it offers an exciting preview of emerging trends and technological advancements in audio and visual display.  At the show, visitors will be treated to an expansive array of displays featuring some of the world's finest audio brands. Attendees can expect live demonstrations of cutting-edge equipment ranging from high-fidelity home theater systems to state-of-the-art streaming A/V setups.

The event is set to showcase innovative domestic and international manufacturers The 2025 edition plans to broaden its appeal by expanding the vintage corner dedicated to new and used vinyl records, merging the allure of classic sound with contemporary tech marvels for an all-encompassing audio experience. Beyond the technical showcases, the Edinburgh Hi-AV Show 2025 is designed to be accessible and engaging for a broad spectrum of visitors and audiophile / immersivephiles. Early bird tickets are attractively priced at £10 for both days when purchased by June 30, with prices adjusting thereafter, while children under 15 can attend for free when accompanied by a paying adult. The venue's excellent transport links—being close to the Ingliston Park and Ride and having nearby tram stops—ensure that visitors can navigate the grounds with ease. This event not only celebrates the brilliance of audio and visual innovations, but also serves as a dynamic cultural gathering for those passionate about high-quality sound and immersive experiences.

06 / 23 / 25

Capital Audiofest 2025 Audiophile Show Expands
Capital Audiofest (CAF) 2025 is set to take place from November 14th to 16th at the Hilton Rockville in Maryland, continuing its legacy as the East Coast's largest and most beloved high-end audio show. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, offering three full days of immersive listening experiences, gear demos, and community engagement. Founded in 2010 by Gary Gill, CAF has grown from a grassroots gathering into a cornerstone of the North American audiophile calendar, drawing enthusiasts, engineers, and manufacturers from across the globe. The 2025 edition promises to uphold its reputation for warmth and accessibility, with a family-friendly atmosphere and a strong emphasis on music appreciation. Music lovers will enjoy a CAF record-breaking ~150 listening rooms, each tailored by exhibitors to showcase their latest innovations in audio reproduction. Attendees can expect to audition everything from cost-no-object reference systems to clever budget-friendly setups, with a wide range of analog and digital front ends. The Atrium Marketplace will be buzzing with vendors offering rare vinyl, CDs, accessories, and audiophile curiosities, while the theater and bar areas will host live music performances and special evening events.

CAF has added two large demo rooms at the EVEN Hotel across the street, plus there's two nights of great live music! Exhibitor interest continues to surge, with 2025 expected to feature a record number of brands across categories like loudspeakers, tube and solid-state electronics, streaming solutions, and personal audio. The show's inclusive vibe makes it a favorite for both legacy manufacturers and boutique newcomers looking to connect directly with passionate listeners. With immersive audio gaining traction, some rooms may feature Dolby Atmos and other spatial formats, offering attendees a glimpse into the future of high-fidelity listening. The CAF mobile app will help navigate the venue and flag must-see rooms, while first-timers are encouraged to bring familiar music on both USB and vinyl for reference listening. Whether you're a seasoned audiophile or a curious newcomer, Capital Audiofest 2025 offers a welcoming, hands-on celebration of sound that's as much about connection as it is about gear.

06 / 20 / 25

AXPONA 2025: Inside the 4th-Floor Sonic Playground
Gear, great grooves, and perhaps some juicy gossip too!
Audio Expo North America (AXPONA) 2025 Show Report By Rick Becker
"From Rick's exceptionally detailed report below, AXPONA's buzzing 4th floor seemed like a self-contained city of high-end audio, where every hallway bend revealed another system vying for 'best-in-show' bragging rights," says Enjoy the Music.com's Creative Director Steven R. Rochlin. "From boutique vacuum tube and solid-state amplification to floorstanding and stand-mounted flagship loudspeakers, the rooms here proved that innovation and indulgence can coexist in seriously photogenic style. Let's all dive into Rick's excellent room-by-room report for the gear highlights, sonic surprises, and insider gossip you might've missed!" Rick's report begins with Harmonia Distribution out of LaVerne, California, in conjunction with local retailer Quintesence Audio (who had multiple rooms on the 1st Floor), put together a very nice sounding system with Fyne Audio F701SP stand-mounted monitors in gloss black driven by the Pathos Acoustics InPol Remix MkII tube hybrid integrated amp.
---> AXPONA 2025: Inside the 4th-Floor Sonic Playground.

06 / 19 / 25

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.

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.

06 / 18 / 25

Date Change: HIGH END 2026 From June 4th To 7th
HIGH END 2026 represents the biggest high-end audiophile show's 40-year history: after more than two decades in Munich's MOC, and Frankfurt before that, the world-leading high-fidelity audio event migrates East to the Austria Center Vienna (ACV). The venue's 26,000 m² of newly refurbished, digitally future-proof exhibit space spans multiple levels and purpose-built halls, giving brands everything from intimate listening rooms to cavernous product-launch stages. The High End Society picked Vienna precisely because the ACV's modern acoustics, fiber backbone and modular floorplan let manufacturers push experiential demos far beyond the limitations of Munich's hotel-style cabins—think full Dolby Atmos suites, immersive headphone quiet zones, car-audio test rides inside the complex, plus many spaces for home audiophile stereo sound systems. The relocation also taps into Vienna's musical halo: attendees can spend the evening at the Musikverein, then audition the same Mahler symphony on an immersive home audio rig the next morning. It is, quite intentionally, a love letter to the city that still bills itself as the capital of classical music.

You'll want to adjust your travel dates, though. Originally slated for May 28th to 31st, the inaugural Vienna edition has been nudged to June 4th through the 7th (2026) so it doesn't clash with the Eurovision Song Contest, which will also flood the city that month with ~500,000 people. The extra week not only frees up hotel capacity (and tames the dynamic pricing algorithms) but also restores the show's tradition of opening on a public holiday, handy for German and Austrian retailers who can slip away without shuttering their stores. Expect four days split into two trade-only sessions followed by a consumer weekend, a format that has proved wildly successful in Munich. Early buzz from exhibitors who tested the ACV said the new venue is unequivocally better thanks to sound isolation, more natural daylight, and easier freight logistics than the MOC. In short, HIGH END Vienna 2026 isn't just a change of scenery—it's the industry's bid to future-proof the premier immersive audio showcase for the next quarter-century.

06 / 17 / 25

audioXpress' July 2025 Issue
Editorial: Mixed Senses And Audio Vocabulary
Illusonic IAP 8 Advanced Audio Processor And Preamplifier
Burkhard Vogel Extends Valuable Knowledge On Op-Amps
Beat Tracking Explained
Linearizing Microphones CORE+ By DPA
A Microacoustics Modeling Primer Part 1
Audio Amplifier Power Measurement
Low Frequency, Very Low Frequency, And Infrasonic Annoyance
Instrument Amplifier Effects Loops
And Much More!

Within his editorial, J. Martins says "Writing about Music is like Dancing about Architecture, someone once said. I did use the sentence a few times, particularly in the years when I was the editor of a music publication and we had to convey in words how a performance or recording made us feel. At the time, I really had to master that art—after all, you want to do justice to artists and their music, and you need to keep readers engaged and wanting to buy the record. When I'm in a position to judge how things sound and I have to write about it, I am fully conscious that I am describing purely subjective impressions that are frequently ephemeral and subject to shift under different conditions, or at another time. Is Writing about Audio Like Painting about Philosophy? Yes, the process of picking words to describe emotions and general sensory perception is a bit like philosophy. It can be systematic, reflect critical thinking, and employ logical analysis, conceptual clarification, and argumentation. Robert Harley (of Absolute Sound fame) uses words such as tone color, and liquidity, to describe sounds, and I get it."
---> audioXpress July 2025 Issue.

06 / 16 / 25

Roger Daltrey Has Been Knighted By King Charles III
Sir Roger Daltrey, the 81-year-old co-founder and powerhouse voice of The Who, has been knighted in King Charles III's 2025 Birthday Honors list. The accolade caps more than six decades of boundary-shattering rock—from the microphone-lassoing ferocity of "My Generation" to the operatic ambition of Tommy—and places Daltrey alongside fellow honorees such as Steve Winwood and David Beckham as cultural titans formally recognized for shaping modern Britain's artistic identity. The monarch's citation praises not only Daltrey's musical legacy but his tireless philanthropy: as driving force behind the Teenage Cancer Trust he has helped raise over £36 million (about $48 million) and fund 28 specialist cancer units across UK hospitals. Accepting the honor, Daltrey called it "a dream come true" and dedicated the knighthood to the "unsung heroes" who fuel the charity's work, underscoring how rock-and-roll bravado can translate into life-changing support for young patients.

Beyond the pageantry of Buckingham Palace, Daltrey's elevation to "Sir" crystallizes a life arc that began in a West London council flat, detoured through expulsion from Acton County School, and exploded onto the global stage when The Who detonated their instruments at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Those early years forged an artist who merged raw working-class grit with operatic ambition, pioneering the rock opera format and shaping Britain's self-image as a nation that exports cultural rebellion as effectively as it once exported wool. Today, scholars routinely cite his staccato bark on "My Generation"—delivered at age 21—as the moment British youth culture severed the last umbilical tie to deference; in 2025 the monarchy has, deliciously, bestowed its highest deference right back at him. As honorary patron of Teenage Cancer Trust, Daltrey personally curates the annual Royal Albert Hall gig series, persuading A-listers—from Paul McCartney to Ed Sheeran—to play for a fraction of their usual fees.

Those concerts, raffles, and backstage memorabilia auctions have now generated more than £36 million (~$48 million), underwriting 28 age-specific oncology wards across the U.K.; a sister charity, Teen Cancer America, replicates the model in U.S. hospitals. The knighthood also foreshadows The Who's swan-song tour, "The Song Is Over," beginning at Fenway Park this August (2025) with a rotating cast that includes Billy Idol and Feist.

AXPONA 2025 Part 7: High-End Audio's Fantastic 5th Floor
Great gear reveals and audiophile trends for music lovers.
Audio Expo North America (AXPONA) 2025 Show Report By Rick Becker
Bob opened The Analog Shop in 1992, in nearby Victor, New York, about the time I discovered high-end audio, and we became friends in the ‘90s, bartering furniture for his children's rooms for audio gear. Another passion of Bob's was collecting and reading rare books and first editions. He carried very reputable lines, treated customers fairly, and was a good man. As it says on his website, he wasn't ready, but he went peacefully on April 14, 2025. A good friend asked me why I keep writing about the AXPONA 2025 high-end audiophile event when the show happened two months ago and has been eclipsed by the HIGH END show in Munich. A lot of other websites have hit the high spots for readers and viewers who see show reports primarily as "news." The print magazines lag because of the lead time necessary for publication and distribution.
---> AXPONA 2025 Part 7: High-End Audio's Fantastic 5th Floor.

06 / 13 / 25

audioXpress' 2025 Loudspeaker Industry Sourcebook
The freshly minted 2025 Loudspeaker Industry Sourcebook (LIS) by audioXpress packs the same exhaustive supplier, vendor, and service-provider listings that make it the audio sector's go-to rolodex, but layers on even more editorial firepower for an era when hedging bets and diversifying supply chains feel existential. The book opens with J. Martins' sweeping State of the Speaker Industry report, tracing last year's bull run through Q3 2024. Dan Digre, who has captained MISCO Speakers for 40+ years, dissects what "resilience" really looks like for a U.S. loudspeaker manufacturer with Asian operations, offering granular anecdotes on dual-sourcing, component localization, and the chess game of logistics. Audio Engineering Society (AES) president Gary Gottlieb zooms out, revisiting the Society's 75-year history of standards-setting (think balanced lines, loudness metering, immersive-audio reference curves) and arguing that today's fractured, app-centric ecosystem needs an even stronger AES backbone. Meanwhile, WiSA Association chief Tony Ostrom maps the future living room, where Next-Gen WiSA E silicon, content-aware DSP, and true Hi-Res lossless wireless channels turn the "cable salad" into a clean mesh of intelligent nodes.

True to LIS tradition from audioXpress, the 2025 volume also serves as an industry time capsule. Shure's centennial, MISCO's 75th, Peavey's 60th, Listen Inc.'s 30th, Sensaphonics' 40th, and Menlo Scientific's 40th each get retrospective essays that blend company lore with tech milestones—like Shure's Unidyne-III capsule or Listen's SoundCheck platform—illustrating how historic R&D decisions still ripple through today's product roadmaps. Even relative newcomer Speakerbench earns a five-year look-back, chronicling how Jeff Candy and Claus Futtrup's cloud-based transducer modeler evolved from DIY curiosity to professional staple after its March 2020 launch. Rounding things out, the perennial Q&A spread corrals candid insights from executives at Genelec, K-Array, THX, Eminence, AtlasIED, Renkus-Heinz, Brane Audio, and Dongguan Yuonyunn on topics ranging from metamaterial diaphragms to AI-driven room correction. Whether you crack the spine of the print edition or deep-dive the continuously updated online directory, LIS 2025 remains an indispensable compass for anyone steering R&D, sourcing, marketing, or sales in the loudspeaker universe—and subscribers to Voice Coil, audioXpress, or the Sourcebook itself have just enjoyed seeing their complimentary copies this week.

06 / 12 / 25

McIntosh Laboratory Factory Tour
Gramophone gives us a look at a legendary premium audio company.
Founded in 1949, McIntosh Laboratory offers premium home audio systems that produce an exceptional audio experience. While the company initially focused on stereo system, in modern times they have expanded to offer stereo and immersive audio multi-channel audio products. McIntosh Labs is best known for their signature blue Watt output meter and green logo. McIntosh Labs' products are designed and handcrafted at their Binghamton, New York factory by passionate employees who love music. Furthermore, McIntosh Labs has powered moments in music history and pop culture including the USA's then President Lyndon Johnson's inauguration speech to the first Woodstock music festival. Many also know the company for helping power the now-famous Grateful Dead 'Wall of Sound'.
---> McIntosh Laboratory Factory Tour.

Valve Amplification Company Factory Tour
An exclusive factory tour of VAC thanks to Jay's Audio Lab.
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
Valve Amplification Company (VAC) was launched by chief designer Kevin Hayes with a passion about music realism so it sounds like the real thing within your home. With many awards and positive reviews globally in many publications, VAC products are considered masterpieces as they not only sound incredible, they also look the part too. According to VAC, "The difference between a good amplifier and a great amplifier resides in the details, and in the passion of the designer. One of the reasons for superiority of VAC equipment is that VAC uses vacuum tube technology almost exclusively. After almost 100 years since its invention, the triode vacuum tube remains the most linear (accurate) amplifying element known producing superior sonic performance."
---> Valve Amplification Company Factory Tour.

Klipsch: In 1989 A Fan Visits The Klipsch Factory
Plus a bonus video interview with Paul W. Klipsch!
Enjoy the Music.com is featuring very special vintage videos! The company's self-proclaimed "#1 Klipsch Fan" Kevin visits the Klipsch in Hope, Arkansas back in 1989 and enjoyed videoing a special factory tour. As many audio historians know, the genesis of the company began within a tiny tin shed back in 1946. This is when Paul W. Klipsch designed and hand-built the legendary Klipschorn speaker with the goal of bringing live music into his home. Today, that tin shed is now a full-fledged factory with its own cabinet production line, while Klipsch's headquarters have moved to Indianapolis, Indiana. Getting back to Paul W. Klipsch, it was during his service at the Southwest Proving Grounds that he refined his corner horn speaker design.
---> Klipsch: In 1989 A Fan Visits The Klipsch Factory.

06 / 11 / 25

Musician, Producer, & Singer/Songwriter Brian Wilson Passes
Brian Douglas Wilson, best known as a member of The Beach Boys, was born on June 20, 1942, in Inglewood, California, and grew up in the working-class Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne. A childhood accident left him virtually deaf in his right ear, yet he became enthralled by harmony after hearing his mother sing Gershwin and by studying the sophisticated voicing of the Four Freshmen. Gifted a reel-to-reel recorder at 16, he mastered overdubbing, teaching his brothers Dennis and Carl intricate vocal parts before recruiting cousin Mike Love and schoolmate Al Jardine to form the Pendletones—renamed The Beach Boys upon the 1961 release of their debut single "Surfin'." Wilson quickly emerged as the group's creative engine, penning sun-drenched hits like "Surfin' U.S.A.," "California Girls," and "I Get Around" while serving as bassist, keyboardist, arranger, and producer, an unprecedented level of control for a pop musician of the era.

Between 1964 and 1967, Brian Wilson all but reinvented studio craft, applying Phil Spector's Wall-of-Sound tactics to ever-denser vocal stacks and orchestration. He wrote or co-wrote more than two dozen U.S. Top 40 singles, became the first pop artist formally credited for writing, arranging, producing, and performing his own material, and shepherded the Beach Boys' landmark album and audiophile favorite Pet Sounds (1966), whose emotional intimacy and tape-loop experimentation astonished peers—Paul McCartney famously called "God Only Knows" the greatest song ever written. Its standalone follow-up, the modular psychedelic single "Good Vibrations," broke structural norms with its theremin-soaked, multi-section form, while the abandoned Smile project fueled his legend as rock's tortured auteur. The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper, released a year later, was conceived partly in response, sealing Wilson's reputation as a visionary who expanded pop's vocabulary and ambitions.

The creative peaks came at a steep personal cost. A panic attack on a 1964 flight triggered his withdrawal from touring; by the late-1960s, he spiraled into reclusive bouts of depression, overeating, and substance abuse, exacerbated by an abusive father and a reported controversial / controlling relationship with psychologist Eugene Landy. Officially fired from the Beach Boys in 1982, Wilson rebounded with a self-titled solo album in 1988, the same year the band entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and he later earned Songwriters Hall induction in 2000. Extensive touring between 1999 and 2022—often spotlighting complete performances of Pet Sounds and Smile—reintroduced his genius to new generations. After the 2024 death of his wife Melinda, his family sought a conservatorship due to a major neurocognitive disorder, and on June 11, 2025, the singer-composer passed away at the age of 82, closing one of popular music's most triumphant lives.

Pure Audio Streaming Lossless Immersive Music Service
For modern music lovers and Immersivephiles^TM, Pure Audio Streaming sets out to be the first service that treats immersive music with the same no-compromise reverence audiophiles and music lovers expect from Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Music. Instead of Dolby Atmos's lossy streams or other proprietary lossy formats, Pure Audio Streaming is built around the AURO-3D codec and the Artist Connection back-end. Together, they can deliver uncompressed PCM up to 7.1.4 channels at 96 kHz, plus Hi-Res Audio lossless stereo up to 192 kHz and a true-to-source 48 kHz binaural fold-down for headphone listeners. The catalogue debuts with more than 300 master-grade titles—Grammy-winning releases such as 2L's "LUX" included—that were previously locked to Pure Audio Blu-ray discs; a public demo in AURO-3D's reference room at HIGH END 2025 in Munich proved the stream can replicate the holographic depth of the original discs while adding the convenience of on-demand access.

Two tiered plans keep things straightforward: The "Stereo" subscription for legacy audiophile enthusiasts unlocks 192 kHz PCM stereo and the AURO-derived binaural mix, while the modern music lover "Immersive" plan layers on 5.1 and full 7.1.4 AURO-3D streams—all bit-perfect, all DRM-secure. Early-access slots were sold during the 2025 HIGH END Munich show, and the formal launch is slated for Q4 2025. To hear the immersive tier you'll need an HDMI-capable streamer, a receiver that can decode AURO-3D, and ideally a 7.1.4 speaker array, but even a modest 5.1 setup or a quality pair of headphones reveals the uncompressed heft that others music services still downsample. Pure Audio Streaming's message is blunt: if you've invested in a reference-grade rig, why settle for lossy physical formats or anything less than studio-master fidelity, channel count? Modern Immersivephiles now have access to modern solutions.

Audiophile Insights At AXPONA 2025 Sixth Floor
Exploring next-gen high-end audio technologies.
Audio Expo North America (AXPONA) 2025 Show Report By Rick Becker
Alta Audio teamed up with ModWright to put together this great room with more going on than first meets the eye. As I've said several times before, I really like the Alta speakers with the curved sides when finished in gloss black, and they did not disappoint here. I noticed the absence of spikes in favor of sound-absorbing pads from either Symposium Acoustic or AV Room Service, presumably. The doublewide Solidsteel rack was filled with a confusing array of equipment. Below the blue Pure Fidelity turntable on the right was the ModWright LS 300 Reference tube balanced preamp. Below that was a ModWright power supply and a Pure Fidelity Conductor power supply for their turntable. On the bottom right was the ModWright tube Analog Bridge that fed the digital source signals up to the LS 300 preamp. On the left side of the rack was a SOTA Nova VII ($7k, starting price) turntable with an MM cartridge. Below that was the ModWright Reference PH 150 phono stage handling the signal from the blue Pure Fidelity turntable.
---> Audiophile Insights At AXPONA 2025 Sixth Floor.

06 / 10 / 25

Legendary Singer, Songwriter, And Musician Sly Stone Passes
Sly Stone, born Sylvester Stewart on March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, emerged from a musically enriched family that nurtured his innate talent at an early age. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Stone was immersed in the gospel traditions of his church and learned multiple instruments during his formative years. His early career saw him working as a disc jockey and record producer, which melded with his passion for performance to eventually form the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone. This group, renowned for its unique blend of funk, soul, rock, psychedelia, and gospel, became a cultural beacon in the late 1960s and early 1970s, celebrated for its racial integration and innovative sound that captured the revolutionary spirit of the era.

In later years, while Sly Stone's early artistry helped define an entire genre and inspired countless musicians, his personal life was marred by relentless struggles. His battles with drug addiction and health issues, including a prolonged fight with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, shadowed the latter part of his career and life. Despite these challenges, Stone's musical legacy endured—his pioneering rhythms, socially conscious lyrics, and electrifying live performances resonated with diverse audiences and left an indelible mark on the fabric of popular music. His memoir and retrospective projects further cemented his status as a visionary whose contributions continue to inspire and reverberate across generations.

"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone," said a statement from the family of Sly Stone. "After a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues, Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family. While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come. Sly was a monumental figure, a groundbreaking innovator, and a true pioneer who redefined the landscape of pop, funk, and rock music. His iconic songs have left an indelible mark on the world, and his influence remains undeniable. In a testament to his enduring creative spirit, Sly recently completed the screenplay for his life story, a project we are eager to share with the world in due course, which follows a memoir published in 2024. We extend our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of love and prayers during this difficult time. We wish peace and harmony to all who were touched by Sly's life and his iconic music. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your unwavering support."

06 / 06 / 25

Hi-Fi+ June 2025 High-End Audio Magazine
Editorial: What Is Essential To Audiophiles
AudioQuest Rocket 44, Mackenzie RCA, And Carbon USB Cables
Audiomica Rhod, Dolomit, Europa Ultra... AcouPlex Cables And Supports 
Innuos PhoenixNET And PhoenixUSB Network Switch And USB Reclocker
finite elemente CARBOFIBRE° Statement Equipment Platform
Melco S1 Network Switch
Synergistic Research PowerCell SX Mains Conditioner
Chord Company PhonoARAY Turntable Grounding
Furutech Project V1 Cable System
Entreq Macro Box Kit Magnetic Field Control
JPlay Music Software
...And Much More!

Within this month's editorial, Alan Sircom says "The concept of 'Audio Essentials' is at once controversial and ever-changing. It's controversial because there remains a contingent of audio enthusiasts who dismiss everything in the pages of this issue as nonsense on stilts. And it's ever changing because we keep finding more aspects of the audio chain that can benefit from a spot of care and attention. Care and attention goes beyond simply spending your way out of bad sound; it's about getting the basics right and then seeing what lies beyond. The basics too often seem like a lost art, as indicated by the Gordian Knot of cables that often features at the rear of so many systems. Simply addressing that mess of cables – and getting each component sitting level on a light, yet rigid surface – can make a big difference to even the most humble system. Similarly, ensuring where your loudspeakers – and, for that matter, you – are positioned in the listening room can bring out the best in a good system, and help smooth out the nasties in a bad one."
---> Hi-Fi+'s June 2025 High-End Audio Magazine.

06 / 05 / 25

World Premiere Review!
Acora Acoustics QRC 2 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review
First-class sound quality in a luxurious form factor.
Review By Rick Becker
Val Cora must have spotted my press pass when I first encountered their SRB two-way stand-mounted monitor at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest show back in 2019. He encouraged me to take a closer look and listen as I didn't seem particularly interested. It was my subconscious fear of tipping over heavy stone or aluminum speakers that I later traced back to a childhood trauma incident. Fast forward to 2023 and I've become one of Acora Acoustics' biggest fans, typically including them among the Best Rooms awards in my show reports. Not so much because I like them as because they're so damn good. Val has been a master of setting up rigs in a wide variety of rooms supported by a diverse selection of amplification and front ends. That he consistently features different top-level turntables and phono cartridges has been a particular delight, though he also showcases digital front ends. I fear that since he recently acquired Audio Research, his presentations may become more restricted to their products.
---> Acora Acoustics QRC 2 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.

Words? Music? Both? Neither? What Do You Listen For?
How various people listen to music.
Article By Roger Skoff
I recently saw something on Facebook that caused me to do some serious thinking – not on the subject of music, but that, as I hope you'll agree, is still perfectly applicable to our music listening. It's just one simple sentence: "I never said she stole my money" –  but, as the person who posted it pointed out, it can have seven entirely different meanings, depending on which one of the seven words making it up you choose to put the emphasis on: For example, "I never said she stole my money" means something different from "I never said she stole my money", which means something different from "I never said she stole my money", which means something different from "I never said she stole my money", and so on, through the entire sentence, with each new emphasis creating a whole new meaning. Isn't it exactly the same with music? Even with classical music, where every note to be played by every individual instrument is written down and unchanging, isn't every different performance by every orchestra or every conductor still different?
---> Words? Music? Both? Neither? What Do You Listen For?

06 / 04 / 25

LEGO Idea: Akai Pro-1000 Open Reel-to-Reel Tape Deck
With many music lovers growing up enjoying LEGO, we were especially receptive upon receiving the below email from Zoltan in Hungary. His email said, "I would like to present you my creation from LEGO bricks, the AKAI reel-to-reel tape deck. LEGO has a special 'contest' named LEGO Ideas, where anyone can send his/her creation, then users can vote for it, and if enough supporters reached (10.000 supporters, which is a big number...), Lego will decide to release it as an official product." On LEGO's website, it says, "The Akai PRO-1000 was a semi-professional open reel-to-reel tape recorder deck which was made between 1977 and 1982. The primary market was the United States, Canada, and Japan, with limited availability in Europe. It had separate transport and electronics units which were joined by three cables. This was Akai's only serious venture into the semi-professional market. I am always impressed by these open-reel decks, they are so massive, powerful, and huge while they are also precious and particular. They were a beautiful decoration of the room, and as soon as a person entered, they immediately attracted attention."

"The building process of this built was truly hard and extremely difficult," says Zoltan. "Special techniques had to be used to capture the details, like the quarter distance between tiles, the large reels with holes, the whole inside structure to hold the outside casing, or the driving of the reels and VU meter, all of them needed lots of brainstorming and attempts. The grid on the top is removable, where a Lego battery is placed. The reels are rotating by the motor, and the VU meters are also moving asymmetrically synched with the rotation. The big knobs can be rotated. Reel-to-reel decks are iconic technical devices that mark an era, this format was used in the first magnetic recording systems. The digital age has replaced these now cult-like beautiful analog machines, but with this Lego built, we can relive this bygone era, it could be an impressive object of a room not just for a LEGO fan but also a HI-FI enthusiast." Analog music lovers and audiophiles should help Zoltan. If LEGO makes a Reel-To-Reel deck available, who knows, perhaps in the future an entire high-end audio sound system! Our friend from Hungary, Zoltan, said, "May I ask you to promote my project if it is acceptable for you on your blog? Just a few words and images are more than enough. Sincerely, Zoltan." Your wish is our command, and here's a link to LEGO, please support this wonderful project.

7th Heaven Unplugged: Where AXPONA 2025's Audio Dreams Soar!
Immersing yourself in the magic of music at a high-end audiophile event.
Audio Expo North America (AXPONA) 2025 Show Report By Rick Becker
With a look slightly reminiscent of Crazy Eddie's, the Affordable Audio Room was a bit of a mystery. Neither "Affordable Audio Room" nor "All Elite Audio" was listed as an exhibitor. All Elite Audio took me to their site online for a store opening on May 31st in Timonium, MD. The room was filled with an amalgam of more affordable brands represented by a single component from each brand, likely to be floor samples at their grand opening. My brother-in-law lives in Timonium, so there's a chance I might stop in to check them out. The Audible Solutions room was a wayward sheep from the flock of Playback Distribution rooms up on the 12th Floor. I've been a fan of this speaker brand from Lithuania since I first heard them at RMAF back in 2018 when Oz Turan was the importer. They are a very high-value line, and the presentation here confirmed that. Be sure to check the size measurements of the model that interests you, as they tend to be larger than you would guess, given their prices.
---> 7th Heaven Unplugged: Where AXPONA 2025's Audio Dreams Soar!

06 / 03 / 25

T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025 Audiophile Show Is This Weekend
T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025 is set to be a landmark California event in the high-end audio world, bringing together enthusiasts from every corner of the audiophile community. Scheduled for June 6th through 8th at the Hilton Orange County / Costa Mesa in Costa Mesa, this three-day extravaganza builds on a rich legacy as America's longest-running high-fidelity audio show. With its "Total HiFi Experience" ethos, the event promises an immersive celebration of premium home and personal audio systems, reflecting decades of dedication to high-fidelity innovation and excellence. Attendees can look forward to a meticulously curated space that not only showcases state-of-the-art audio technology but also celebrates the art and passion behind impeccable sound quality. T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025 will feature over 200 premium audio brands displaying a vast array of cutting-edge consumer electronics home audio components and sound systems.

Among its many innovative features, T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025 introduces exciting new initiatives such as the T.H.E. Film Festival, where movie screenings will be enhanced by a state-of-the-art sound system provided by SVS. These additions are designed to captivate both long-time audiophiles and newcomers alike, offering a blend of interactive experiences and live demonstrations that highlight the future of audio entertainment. The seminars at T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025 are designed to immerse attendees in the nuances of audio.

Seminar events open with a technical deep dive into high-fidelity acoustics and vinyl playback. Norman Varney of AV RoomService kicks off the day with "Engineered Acoustics: The Best Value in HiFi," a presentation that reveals how leveraging scientific principles can simplify room acoustics. Shortly after, J.R. Boisclair challenges long-held myths in "Discoveries, Myths and Misdirection in Vinyl Playback." Later, James Connell of Raven Audio discussing "Remastered & Remixed," where his extensive experience in classical and acoustic recording informs an exploration of how modern remastering techniques impact our listening experience. Saturday shifts into Peter Noerbaek of PBN Audio leading an experiential seminar entitled "An Immersive Listening Experience: Exploring 15 IPS Reel, Vinyl, and DSD Playback." Later, Alberto Guerra demystifies the realities behind Class D amplification, and Jak Benardete introduces the comprehensive platform of the Audiophile Directory. Sunday culminates in a festive "T.H.E. DRAWING!" celebration.

06 / 01 / 25

June Audiophile Review Magazine: Expert Insights On High-End Audio Sound Systems
In-depth analysis of the latest hi-fi audio masterpieces, trends, plus two show reports.
Five audiophile shows in the past two months. Re-read that first sentence, let it sink in for a moment. Many longtime friends of Enjoy the Music.com know we've been very, very busy. Of course there's three magazine issues too, including the June 2025 issue we just posted online. This issue of Enjoy the Music.com's Review Magazine offers a dynamic exploration of the high-end audio world, melding in-depth technical reviews with nuanced editorials that challenge the very notion of stereo hi-fi perfection.

This edition delves into the evolution of sound through incisive commentary on performance systems, emerging audio technology, and the contrasting perspectives of today's audiophiles and music lovers. It navigates topics ranging from the intricacies of powerful home audio sound systems to the transparent, uncolored playback most purists champion, inviting readers to reconsider what defines the "right" hi-fi sound. This thought-provoking blend of rigorous analysis and passionate opinion creates an engaging narrative for both industry insiders and dedicated music enthusiasts.

In addition to its critical insights, the issue is replete with feature articles and show coverage that shine a spotlight on the latest innovations and industry trends. It covers everything from pioneering digital high-resolution lossless music streaming solutions to the enduring appeal of classic analog formats like vinyl, offering a comprehensive look at how technology and tradition converge in today's audio landscape. We pay homage to the rich cultural heritage of sound reproduction within your home. This multifaceted approach ensures that every reader, regardless of their technical expertise or age group, finds something that resonates and inspires your personal musical journey.
---> June Audiophile Review Magazine: Expert Insights On High-End Audio Sound Systems.

Integrating New Audio Technologies Into Your Home For Stereo / Immersive High-Resolution Sound
Listening To The Future: An audiophile's AI assistant has this to say...
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin And His AI Assistant
Over the past six months of 2025, Enjoy the Music.com has taken you on a journey through six luxurious high-end audio events, each one a vibrant celebration of sonic excellence. We began in reverse order with the season's grand spectacle, HIGH END Munich 2025, the largest and most anticipated show, setting the bar high for the industry. Just before that, the more intimate Lone Star Audio Fest 2025 charmed enthusiasts with its unique vibe, followed by a polished series of events including AXPONA 2025, Montreal Audiofest 2025, and Southwest Audio Fest 2025. Each of these events brought its own distinct flavor to the high-end audio landscape. Early February greeted us with the Florida International Audio Expo 2025 — a delightful convergence of world-class audio and family fun, plus after the event your family turns into fun-filled vacationers headed to Disney, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, and beyond.
---> Integrating New Audio Technologies Into Your Home For Stereo / Immersive High-Resolution Sound.

A Clarion Call For Audio Today
The best in audio sound very close to one another.
Editorial By Alan Sircom
There can be only one! It was a great tag line for a not-so-great movie (who thought casting someone with a broad Scottish accent as a Spaniard locked in a thousand year debate with a Scotsman with a broad French accent was a good idea?). However, it seems that Highlander is the clarion call for a lot of audio today. Yes, audio converges. The best in audio sound very close to one another compared to a few decades ago. We still have a long way to go, but the differences between Product X and Product Y in audio are not as wide as they used to be. Also, most products in audio today are pretty good. The bad old days when a mediocre product would not only sound dreadful but try to execute you with electricity are long gone. Except for a few very cheap products rarely sold in audio stores that have an alarming records of re-profiling records played on them, modern audio is at least competent, if occasionally, a bit 'Meh!'.
---> A Clarion Call For Audio Today.

Lone Star Audio Fest 2025: The Pulse Of High-Fidelity
High-fidelity heaven at Texas' LSAF high-end audio show.
Lone Star Audio Fest 2025 Audiophile Show Coverage By Paul Schumann
Welcome to the 20th Anniversary of Lone Star Audio Fest (LASF)! For 2025, LASF moved from Dallas south to the Embassy Suites in Round Rock, which is just north of Austin. This year, LASF was brought to you by the good folks who brought you T.H.E. Show in Southern California. The Lone Star Audio Fest 2025 took place from May 2nd through 4th and was a great experience for attendees and exhibitors alike. This year, the festival collaborated with T.H.E. Show, a well-known audiophile event promoter, to create an even bigger experience for audiophiles, industry professionals, and DIY audio enthusiasts alike. High-end audio gear is all about exceptional sound quality, precision engineering, and immersive listening experiences. Whether you're an audiophile, a music producer, a music lover, or just someone who appreciates crystal-clear sound, high-end audio gear makes a huge difference in how you experience music.
---> Lone Star Audio Fest 2025 Show Report: The Pulse Of High-Fidelity.

HIGH END 2025 Munich Audiophile Show Report
The HIGH END 2025 audiophile / immersivephile event is an internationally renowned audio exhibition that will take place from May 15 to May 18, 2025, at the M.O.C. Event Center in Munich, Germany. This event is a must-visit for anyone passionate about high-quality audio technology, as it brings together manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and in open to consumers from over 40 countries. The HIGH END 2025 exhibition will feature hundreds of exhibitors showcasing their latest innovations in consumer electronics technology, including hi-fi audio, high-end video, home theater, and bespoke entertainment solutions for millionaires and billionaires alike. Visitors can expect to experience groundbreaking trends, technological advances, and exclusive world premieres. This year's brand ambassador is the Norwegian singer Anette Askvik, who embodies the event's motto "Passion for Music".
---> HIGH END 2025 Munich Audiophile Show Report.

Raidho X2.6 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review
Unlocking the enchanting potential of sonic art.
Review By Tom Lyle
The subject of this review, the Raidho X2.6 floorstanding loudspeaker, is from their newer "X" Series. In its literature, Raidho states that the "X" in this series moniker denotes "eXtreme performance for the price." Yes, their X series features four models that, on average, are priced lower than most of Raidho's other models. Even though these four models in Raidho's X series speakers might have been built to a price point, I couldn't find anything about their X.2 — including their level of technological precision, fit and finish, not to mention their sound quality — that would indicate any cost-cutting measures. On their website, Raidho mentions that the goals of the X2.6 are the same as those of all their loudspeakers, which include low noise and coloration, a "dramatic, energetic" sound with a "vast soundstage," and a detailed sound that doesn't induce fatigue, among other traits. $21,000 might be a low price for a pair of Raidho speakers, but still, any audiophile who spends this amount of money should demand a certain level of quality.
---> Raidho X2.6 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.

World Premiere Review!
Defining Audio Excellence: Avantgarde Acoustic Colibri C2 Hornspeaker And C18 Subwoofer Review
Experience sonic brilliance — where dreams sometimes do come true.
Review By Paul Schumann
Let's go back in time a few years ago. It was January 2000, so that's over 25(!) years ago. The world had survived the Y2K crisis. Having recently purchased a couple of issues of Sound Practices, then listening to an amazing DIY system, was starting to catch SET (Singe-Ended Triode) fever. I was also following an audio review website that focused quite heavily on SET gear and high-sensitivity loudspeakers to use with it. That website was, of course, Enjoy the Music.com. That January back in 2000 our Creative Director, Steven R Rochlin, posted a review of the then new Avantgarde Acoustic Uno hornspeakers. They had big blue horns and looked unlike any loudspeaker I had ever seen. You could tell from Steven's Avantgarde Acoustic Uno review that they were something very special. After reading it, I had a bad case of audio envy. However, there was also family with three young children then, so extra funds were diverted to more noble causes. Realistically, even if I had the funds, the Unos were way too big for my small living room. But we all have our silly little pipe dreams, don't we?
---> Avantgarde Acoustic Colibri C2 Hornspeaker And C18 Subwoofer Review.

Vacuum Tubes Part 1: Let's Build A Vacuum Tube
Let's take a closer look at what's inside a typical vacuum tube.
Article By Grey Rollins
Passive components are all well and fine, but for audio purposes we need something that will amplify a signal. All sensors, whether they read digital bits or analog recordings, are deficient in both voltage and current when it comes to driving speakers. High fidelity reproduction of music is impossible without amplifying devices. For that matter, electric guitars, keyboards, and microphones also require amplification; so much of current popular music is dependent on amplification, as well. There are scads of devices that can amplify a signal. A full breakdown of the possibilities begins to resemble a fairly dense tree, with branches going this way and that. For most consumer applications, this decision is simple: solid-state. Only. However, music reproduction (and production — just try to tell owners of tubed Ampegs, Marshalls, Fenders, and Mesa Boogies that you're going to take away their amps....
---> Vacuum Tubes Part 1: Let's Build A Vacuum Tube.

Mark Levinson N^o 390S CD Processor Review
Incredible resolving power that breaths like real music.
Review By Alvin Gold
It should be pretty obvious even to the least observant that compact disc players are on the decline. The rate of new model introductions has slowed to a trickle as buyers switch to DVD players which are well on their way to becoming the disc spinners of choice. The reason can be summed up in two inelegant words: increased versatility. Why buy a CD player when you can buy a one that also plays DVD-Video discs, and serves a dual role in a combined hi-fi-cum-home theatre system? And as I write, even this is beginning to look old hat with the latest generation of DVD-Audio and SACD players adding still more grist to the mill. This structural change in the market is not only understandable, it is self-evidently a good idea, or it would be except that DVD player design involves serving two masters - video as well as audio - and inevitably there is a sonic price to be paid. Over time, the CD replay performance of DVD players has improved, and it will certainly continue to do so in the future.
---> Mark Levinson No 390S CD Processor Review.

How To Do A Proper Listening Test
Part 1
Article By Ethan Winer
There are two ways to assess the quality of audio devices: measuring and listening. Measuring is usually the better choice because the results are absolute, and repeatable because they avoid the vagaries of human hearing perception. But when measuring isn't practical or possible, a listening test using a music source is perfectly fine. For example, listening is needed to compare CD quality at a 44.1 kHz sample rate to "high definition" audio at 96 kHz. Both will measure the same if the frequency response is limited to the audible range, but some people believe they sound different. Another example is when comparing MP3 bit-rates, especially higher values such as 256 versus 320 kbps. It's pretty much impossible to "measure" the effect of lossy compression using traditional means because the frequency response changes from moment to moment.
---> How To Do A Proper Listening Test.

Many more reviews & articles are within our Review Magazine.

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