High-End Audio / Audiophile & Music Industry News

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07 / 26 / 24

IASCA And Florida International Audio Expo 2025
The International Auto Sound Challenge Association (IASCA), the longest running global high-end car audio competition organization, is celebrating their special 35th anniversary in 2024. The Florida International Audio Expo (FIAE) has announced an exciting new partnership between three popular car audio entities: IASCA Worldwide, Florida Sound Quality, and SQOLOGY. This will provide an amazing car audio showcase that will include an invitational sound-quality (SQ) competition, demonstrations, and seminars. The 2025 FIAE show will take place February 21st through 23rd at the Sheraton Tampa Brandon Hotel.

Bart Andeer, FIAE's Director of show operations, joined forces with Travis Chin, President of IASCA Worldwide, plus SQ Competitor and Florida Sound Quality community leader Angie Landis and SQOLOGY podcast host and event promoter Klifton Keplinger, to announce this new partnership. SQOLOGY is an organization dedicated to the promotion and advancement of sound quality in car audio through competitive meets. Florida Sound Quality is a Facebook community dedicated to all sound quality enthusiasts who share a passion for high-fidelity audio and vehicles that deliver exceptional sound. "We are proud to bring together like-minded enthusiasts who are passionate about sound quality," Bart Andeer said. "Whether you listen at home or on the go, there are many options for a wide range of budgets."

07 / 25 / 24

Crystal Cable Monet Power Cable Review
A very pleasant surprise!
Review By Marshall Nack
When the Monet power cables from Crystal Cable were offered for review, the first thing I went online for a look-see. The photos suggested a slimmed-down cable with no surplus parts, nothing more than the elemental hardware required for the task at hand. The Monet is the thinnest power cables in the new Art series and features the company's latest generation of pure silver conductors. Putting these data points together — minimum hardware, slim appearance, silver conductors — I jumped to conclusions and replied back to Gabi Rynveld, founder of Crystal Cable, "Might they sound a little light-weight?" She assured me, "Absolutely not! Well, then, bring them on!" I was enthused and so, about a month or two later, the samples arrived.
---> Crystal Cable Monet Power Cable Review.

Pass Labs X260.8 Monoblock Amplifier Review
Prestigious power, glorious grace, and terrific transparency.
Review By Dwayne Carter
Pass Laboratories, Inc., is a name that most audiophiles utter, after describing a product that comes close to perfection. "XXX amplifier almost sounds as good as the Pass Labs XXX model". We've all done it. Fortunately, "as good as" will have to wait. Thanks to the good people at Pass Laboratories; I get the real thing. As the world was on pause, my listening room entertained a pair of Pass Labs X260.8 monoblock amplifiers. In full disclosure, I would like to admit that I have been a fan of Pass Labs products for many years. I've never owned or reviewed any of their products, so I was looking forward to this delivery.... The Pass Labs X260.8 monoblock amplifiers require two people to move. I know most amplifier manufacturers recommend this, but this is the first time I heeded their recommendation. Luckily, my good friend Michael was able to help me wrestle these beasts into place.
---> Pass Labs X260.8 Monoblock Amplifier Review.

07 / 24 / 24

Tokyo International Audio Show 2024
The Tokyo International Audio Show 2024 will be held at the Tokyo International Forum from July 26th through 28th. A total of 33 companies are planned to exhibit. Attendees may enjoy the charm of high-performance audio equipment with unique features from over 200 excellent brands from all around the world. Note that admission is by registering for admission on the day you plan on attending. You will be given a pass card in exchange for filling out the admission registration form at the reception desk. Registration begins at 12pm each day. Only those with advance reservations will be admitted in the morning. High-end audio / audiophile brands will have active stereo systems setup for attendees, so be sure to bring your favorite music to the show.

07 / 23 / 24

Audio Advice Live In Raleigh August 2nd Through 4th
Audio Advice, founded in 1978 and now have showrooms in Raleigh and Charlotte, is one of the USA's largest home theater, home and portable stereo, headphone, and video / television events open to the public. Taking place at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Raleigh, NC, attendees can experience many top-of-the-line world-class audio and video gear. As the nation's largest High-End Home Audio & Home Theater Shows, industry experts and audio enthusiasts will enjoy three days filled with movies, music and fun! With over 60 experience rooms and dedicated home theater rooms, attendees can immerse themselves in music and video like never before.

This three-day event is the nation's largest high-end home audio and home theater show catering to consumers, offering a unique opportunity to meet face-to-face with industry experts and more than 80 of the world's top consumer electronic brands. The event features experience rooms full of top-notch speakers, projectors, electronics, headphones, and audio/video gear from the biggest names in the industry including Sony, JVC, Samsung, McIntosh, Sonus Faber, Bowers & Wilkins, JBL Synthesis, KEF, Klipsch, Focal, Anthem, and many more. You can learn from industry pros as Audio Advice Live features five industry expert panels discussing the newest trends in home theater audio & video, streaming, high-performance stereo systems, and turntables. Leading industry experts and influencers will also be talking to attendees and visiting demo rooms throughout the event.

07 / 22 / 24

UK Audio Show 2024 At The Staverton Park Hotel
The UK Audio Show 2024 will be held at the De Vere Staverton Estate, in the Northamptonshire countryside and will take place from October 5th through 6th. During this event you and your family / friends can enjoy the best in high-performance audio sound and see many accessories so your home and travels have a glorious soundtrack. Surrounded by 150 acres of peaceful parkland, De Vere Staverton Estate is a wonderfully stylish retreat within the heart of the Northamptonshire countryside. The Chester Group's UK Audio Show 2024 will showcase the many pleasures in the special unique luxury of aural art and science within High-End Audio & AV reproduction and presentation.

With its spacious corridors and two easily accessed levels, this event proves a near perfect location for a busy show. Tickets are now on sale so be sure to get your 'Super early bird' prices to save money. Due to the show's immense popularity, "Syndicates, Suites and Function spaces now increased to 60, extended County Suites + Terrace and Staging, and exclusive Grand Show Entrance. The most extensive 'Fusion' of Audio/Musical interests ever organized for a UK Audio Show: New and dedicated section for Pro-Audio, Audio Auction, Live v Recorded, HiFi Riff Live, In Car, Entry Level Audio, Vinyl Zone, Start Up section, Signature Album Sessions, Headzones, Streaming, Made in Britain, and we are not stopping there," says the show promoter. We look forward to seeing you there!

07 / 19 / 24

Pacific Audio Fest 2024 Show In September 2024
The Pacific Audio Fest (PAF) returns to Seattle for their third great year! From September 6th through 8th, you can experience the very best in high-performance high-end audiophile gear at the biggest and best audio show on the Northwest coast of the USA! With over 200 exhibitors showcasing great audio gear, there will be millions of Dollars is audio gear, from very reasonably priced to cost-no-object, to hear and enjoy. Taking place at the Doubletree-Hilton Sea-Tac / Seattle, PAF is the USA's very best Northwestern premium audio event.

Scheduled for the Pacific Audio Fest 2024 is live music on Friday and Saturday nights, with NW regional wine and beer tastings, and ~100 rooms of quality audio, Marketplace, Record Fair, HeadZone and much more! The Pacific Audio Fest show is located at a top tech hub and one of the fastest growing communities in the USA, plus it is a vacation paradise in the summer months. The Seattle area has great demographics for the audio industry too! Reserve your place for PAF 2024 now before they sell out! Plus every ticket purchase enters you in a raffle to win high-performance audio gear! Get your PAF 2024 tickets here. You definitely want to stay in the venue!" Please contact PAF if you have any problems booking a hotel room and they will assist you in taking care of it. Learn more at Enjoy the Music.com's Pacific Audio Fest 2024 show report page.

07 / 18 / 24

FiiO R7 Music Server / Streamer / Headphone Amplifier Review
The solution....
Review By Gary Alan Barker
For quite some time now I have been using my FiiO M11 as my music server for burning in products and more recently since I changed computers, for running my reference system as my tube amp picks up noise from the computer's USB out. The drawback of this is the M11 is not a desktop device so it doesn't have a direct power-in (meaning I can either use the single USB port to charge or drive my DAC, but not both at the same time), and it is not fully ergonomic for desktop use. Enter the new FiiO R7, a fully functional streaming music server that can run on either AC or DC, has two USB ports (so I can connect to my hard drives and DAC at the same time), its own ES9068AS DAC built in, connected to two THX AAA 788+ Headphone Amplifiers for both single-ended and balanced output....
---> FiiO R7 Music Server / Streamer / Headphone Amplifier Review.

Triangle Art L-200 MK2 Stereo Vacuum Tube Preamplifier Review
It is Triangulicious!!!
Review By Dr. Matthew Clott
The fascinating thing about reviewing Triangle Art's L-200 MK2 vacuum tube preamplifier is that it's a tube pre-amp…  and that I know, when I agree to review it, that this review will not get half the readership to click on it because it has the word "tube" in it. And I will lose even more because Triangle Art is not a mainstream name and many do not recognize it. So, for the 20% to 30%-ish of our readership that made it this far, you will be rewarded by learning about a pre-amp that everyone should know about! The Triangle Art L-200 MK2 is a $25,000 tube preamp that can compete with a $40,000 preamp (tube or solid-state), built by a company that has a creative philosophy similar to Porsche. Take a design and just keep making it better (think 911 of the 1980s and today); they call it, "Think it out."
---> Triangle Art L-200 MK2 Stereo Vacuum Tube Preamplifier Review.

07 / 16 / 24

audioXpress' August 2024 Issue
From the Editor's Desk: Generating Sound
AXPONA 2024: The Biggest And Best Yet
IK Multimedia ARC Studio
Automotive Audio Bus (A2B) Part 2
Low-Pass And High-Pass Notch Filters
The American Wire Gauge Standard And π
The Super Transformer
An Active Approach For Great Acoustics
Active Acoustic Enhancement Systems
Leo Fender And His Legacy: 1940s And 1950s
And Much More!

Within his editorial, J. Martins says "The audio industry is truly fascinating for the wide variety of perspectives and disciplines that ultimately converge around the same phenomenon that is sound. At audioXpress we address this from a broad perspective of the many applications of audio technologies, products, and market segments, from consumer to professional applications, from recording and reproduction, creation and manipulation, simulation and auralization. While sound is inherently associated with noise, vibration, hearing, perception... and acoustics. As we never get tired of saying, acoustic science is where everything starts, determining how sound and audio systems behave in practice. Acoustics is an integral part of audioXpress' mission, together with every other critical discipline in audio development and product design. In our mission to truly reflect the evolution of audio technology I personally attend events dedicated to many of these disciplines of audio and respective application segments."
---> audioXpress' August 2024 Issue.

07 / 11 / 24

World Premiere Review!
Metronome Audio Le DAC 2 Review
The Spice must flow.
Review By Paul Schumann
It's no secret that Hollywood has become the land of the sequel. Nine of the top ten grossing movies from 2022 were sequels. I excluded The Batman because it technically wasn't a sequel, but it was a reboot, for goodness' sake. Now I'm not going to bash sequels out of hand. I watch a bunch of them myself. My big complaint is when a sequel is done by a different set of writers and a new director and is so different from its predecessor in tone and theme that about halfway through I throw up my hands and ask, "Why am I watching this?". One sequel I'm looking forward to watching is Dune: Part 2. While they call it a sequel, it's more of a continuation of the first movie with Denis Villeneuve and his team completing the task. Even though I've only seen 2.5 minutes of it in a trailer, I am incredibly hopeful that this crew will bring the ship safely into the harbor. Yes, I could be wrong, but like Fremen, I believe.
---> Metronome Audio Le DAC 2 Review.

Let's Talk About Luxurious Premium Audio Shows
Hi-fi shows and what they ought to be.
Article By Roger Skoff
If you're an audiophile, you've almost certainly either been to a high-fidelity audio event (Hi-Fi Show) or wanted to go to one. Back in the days before I got into the industry, every time CES – the Consumer Electronics Show – came around (There used to be two of them – Las Vegas and Chicago), I would always ask my industry friends if they had gone to it; how they liked it; what had been the hit of the Show; and what new great stuff I should hunt down and buy for myself. Invariably, the answer I got was that they had been too busy working their own exhibits to actually go and see or listen to anybody else's; and that they had effectively seen or heard nothing. NO FUN! That was back years ago, when hi-fi was – following the great hi-fi boom of the late 1950s and 1960s when stereo LP records were first introduced, and the second boom in the 1980s, when CDs came along offering "perfect sound forever," a common interest....
---> Let's Talk About Luxurious Premium Audio Shows.

07 / 10 / 24

T.H.E. Show Announces Venture With Lone Star Audiofest
This just in from T.H.E. Show: Lone Star Audiofest and T.H.E. Show, America's longest-running hi-fi show, are excited to announce a landmark cooperative venture. This collaboration will culminate in the premiere of a new event, "T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest, sponsored by T.H.E. Enterprises," is set to take place in Austin, Texas, in late spring 2025 (May 2nd through 4th). T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest aims to create a brand new unparalleled experience for audiophiles, industry professionals (both budding and seasoned), amateur hobbyists, and music enthusiasts alike, focusing on introducing the industry and community to the very best in the next generation of new, bespoke hi-fi designers, DIY-builders, artisans, and engineers. Combining the rich heritage and extensive network of T.H.E. Show with the dynamic and innovative spirit of Lone Star Audiofest, this event promises to be a major milestone in the audio industry.

Bespoke and DIY exhibitors at the previous Lone Star Audiofests and T.H.E. Shows include JWM Acoustics, Raven Audio, J. Porter Studios, Black Ocean Audio, Infigo Audio, Pi Speakers, Austin Acoustic, AudioKinesis, GR-Research, Audio Crafter's Guild and more. T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest 2025 looks forward to renewing exhibits with brands from previous years as well as bringing in brand new audio designers. This new venture will offer a unique opportunity for exhibitors and attendees to explore the latest in high-fidelity audio creation, discover groundbreaking products, and engage in insightful discussions with like-minded creators and attendees. T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest is poised to become a key destination for audio designers, creators, and enthusiasts from around the world.

07 / 08 / 24

Hong Kong High-End Audio & Visual Show 2024
The annual Hong Kong High-End Audio & Visual Show (HKAV 2024) will be held from August 9th through 11th at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Both local and worldwide audio brands will be showcased, plus visitors will enjoy hearing a nearly endless array of audio equipment and music software. Also planned are special live shows that will cater to attendees, dealers, distributors, and manufacturers. As the show grown, there are more brands from Asia, Europe, and the USA exhibiting this year. There's a special headphone and personal audio section so visitors may try before they buy. Those who visit the Hong Kong Hi-End Audio Visual Show 2024 will have the golden opportunity seeing all the latest audio / visual products and enjoying price discounts at the same time.

07 / 05 / 24

Hi-Fi+ July 2024 High-End Audio Magazine
Editorial: Tidal Drops MQA And Sony 360 Reality Audio
Stenheim Alumine Two.Five Floorstanding Loudspeaker
SME Model 60 One Of One Turntable And Tonearm 
HSE Masterline 7 Phono Preamplifier
Russell K. Red 50Se Stand-Mount Loudspeaker
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature Floorstanding Loudspeaker
AVID Accent Integrated Amplifier
Heed Audio Lagrange S Integrated Amplifier
Audience ClairAudient 1+1 V5 Stand-Mount Loudspeaker
NAD M66 Streaming Preamplifier
And Much More!

Within this month's editorial, Alan Sircom says "As we went to press this month, streaming giant Tidal announced that it was officially dropping all its MQA and 360 Audio recordings as from the 24th July this year. These recordings will be replaced with FLAC files (for stereo) and Dolby Atmos files (for surround). While there are still some hold-outs, this announcement has been touted as being the end of MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) as a going concern for music replay. Or is it? Recently, Lenbrook (the parent company of NAD, BluSound, and PSB) acquired MQA in late 2023. It has now joined forces with HD Tracks to provide its own MQA (and PCM) streaming service. Less than six days after the Lenbrook/HD Tracks press release, Tidal announced that it was withdrawing its support for MQA. While Tidal and HD Tracks have very different business models, I can see this as a potential lifeline for the beleaguered MQA format." See what's within the July 2024 issue of Hi-Fi+ magazine.

07 / 01 / 24

July High-Performance Audio Review Magazine
With our HIGH END 2024 show report now complete, our July issue features Roger Skoff's editorial, The Spirit Of Music, which visits the ancient Asian belief of good kamis and how it is a part of their high-fidelity audio culture. Creative Director Steven R. Rochlin's editorial showcases popular recording studio engineer and musician Rick Beato, with his recent videos concerning the music business and why music promoted by the profit-driven major recording labels and streaming services is getting worse.

The July issue of Enjoy the Music.com's Review Magazine also features World Premiere gear reviews of the Backert Labs Rhumba Extreme 1.4 Preamplifier, Raven Audio Osprey MK3.1 Integrated Amplifier, and the Raven Audio Corvus Reference Monitor loudspeakers. We also feature a review of Class D Audio's Mini GaN 3 amplifier, plus an expert assessment of TAD's Evolution C1000 Preamplifier and TAD M1000 Power Amplifier combination. Have a wonderful fun-filled July and as always, in the end what really matters is that you... enjoy the music!

The Spirit Of Music
Good kamis that bring out the Spirit of the Music.
Article By Roger Skoff
The ancient Greeks had a story about Pan, the horned and goat-legged God of the Shepherds, who fell in love with a beautiful wood nymph named Syrinx, who, sadly for both of them, couldn't return his interest and, instead, ran into the woods to be away from him. He gave chase and, as they ran, Syrinx found herself cut off by a river and, rather than be caught by him, she called out to her sister's spirits, begging them to find a way to hide her. They responded by transforming her into a bunch of river reeds – hollow stemmed cattails, lilac reeds, or something similar – which, when he got to them, Pan embraced, and when he breathed across them, he found to make a sweet and haunting sound. According to the story, this pleased Pan so much that he cut and bound them to make a new kind of musical instrument which he called the Syrinx, but that we are more likely to know as the panpipes.
---> The Spirit Of Music.

Professional Musician And Recording Studio Expert Rick Beato Speaks
Music lovers, audiophiles, and the world need to realize the music business....
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin / Videos By Rick Beato
As a classically-trained musician since the early 1970s (at the age of 8), over the decades questions about why I walked away from the music scene decades ago occasionally pop up. During high school there was a touch of studio time, and here is where my eyes were open to the reality of recording music. As a percussionist and drummer, yes my set was a bit more expansive than the average, yet within my head were tones, textures, and sounds... upon seeing my percussion/drum set was immediately bumping up against recording studio effort and time (and their desire to properly mic up such a kit). Sadly, the apparent lack of concern, with one studio then saying I should just use their kit within a small boxed room and dead / lifeless drum heads. Am recalling this story not for any ego or other overly-inflated.... Yet to let musicians nowadays know, am talking about true musical artists who have a vision... you intrinsically know who you are.
---> Professional Musician And Recording Studio Expert Rick Beato Speaks.

TAD Evolution C1000 Preamplifier And M1000 Power Amplifier Review
Two top-notch solid-state components.
Review By Tom Lyle
TAD (Technical Audio Devices) is a high-end audio manufacturer based in Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of the sizable mass-market audio manufacturer Pioneer. Although Pioneer produces some fine, mostly affordable gear, TAD works independently of Pioneer, designing and manufacturing much more upscale high-end audio products. In 1975, the Tokyo-based Pioneer Corporation began TAD to develop high-end speakers for professional use. In 2007, TAD became an independent subsidiary of Pioneer and has been designing and manufacturing all types of high-end audio products primarily focusing on speakers and amplifiers for home use. Previously, my only experience reviewing TAD products was two years ago, when I reviewed their $20,000 Evolution Two (TAD-E2) floor-standing speakers. These 2.5-way speakers impressed me both in their visual appearance and sound quality.
---> TAD Evolution C1000 Preamplifier And M1000 Power Amplifier Review.

World Premiere Review!
Raven Audio Osprey MK3.1 Integrated Amplifier And Corvus Reference Monitors Review
Classic designs refined.
Review By Paul Schumann
I grew up listening to music through my dad's Dynaco ST70. My Dad was a DIY guy; it was the best kit available in 1960. I inherited it and the matching PAS preamp my sophomore year of college. I then bought a pair of ADS L620 speakers to go with them. That kept me happy for 20 years. I eventually replaced my ailing Dynaco gear with a Jolida JD202 integrated. The Dynaco and Jolida were very similar, using EL34 pentodes in an ultra-linear configuration. A little later, the ADS speakers made way for the Thiel CS1.5s. These were both two-way bass-reflex speakers. In the last few years, my interest in lower-power amps and high-efficiency speakers has led me away from the pairings I had so long, but I will always have warm memories of listening to music with them. While attending the inaugural Southwest Audio Fest, I took an interest in the Raptor horn speakers I heard in the Raven Audio room. About one week after the show, I reached out to Dave Thompson of Raven to make arrangements for a review. Dave put me in touch with James Connell.
---> Raven Audio Osprey MK3.1 Integrated Amplifier And Corvus Reference Monitors Review.

World Premiere Review!
Backert Labs Rhumba Extreme 1.4 Preamplifier Review
An outstanding preamplifier with excellent connectivity for the music lover who desires more.
Review By Rick Becker
Backert Labs has seemingly come out of nowhere. Their first review appeared in 2015 and Enjoy the Music.com reviewed the 1.3 version of the Rhumba Extreme in 2019. This micro-manufacturer specializes in tube-powered preamplifiers, with a tube phono stage being a logical extension of their focus. All of their manufacturing and assembly is done in the USA. I had heard the buzz on the brand only one other time before my audio buddy, Tom, informed me that he had ordered a Rhumba 1.2 on US Audiomart that had been upgraded to a 1.3. Listening to his familiar system, I noticed an impressive improvement. When the 1.4 series was announced I contacted Andy Tebbe, the President and frontman of the company, and was promised a premiere review when the design was finalized. I waited, and waited, until finally, I met Andy at the Capital Audiofest. He explained that Bob Backert, the designer and CEO of this company kept coming up with incremental improvements that slowed final release.
---> Backert Labs Rhumba Extreme 1.4 Preamplifier Review.

Many more reviews & articles are within our Review Magazine.

06 / 28 / 24

Australian Hi-Fi May / June 2024
Editorial: Defining The 'Right' Hi-Fi Sound
Halcro Monoblock Amplifier
Topping DX9 Pro DAC
Adcom GFA-5705 Multi-Channel Power Amplifier
Audio Solutions Figaro M2 Loudspeakers
Australian Hi-Fi Show 2024 Report
History of Portable Audio: Part 5
Pressing Plants Interview
Vinyl & Music Docos
Music Reissues: Best Of Bruce Springsteen
And Much More!

Within her editorial, Becky Roberts says "There are very few absolutes in hi-fi today, and what certainly isn't one of them (and never will be) is what defines the 'right' hi-fi sound. Ask a room of music and hi-fi enthusiasts for their thoughts on the matter and things would all too soon erupt into the kind of pandemonium that would derange a digital-cable convention. (Just probably not as quickly.) The die-hard rockers might throw out words such as "powerful", "atmospheric" and "bassy"; those who instinctively request Norah Jones at hi-fi shows may advocate the one that delivers the lushest vocals (midrange); the greatest lovers of life – the bon vivants – could say anything that makes music fun to listen to. Those deliberating quietly in the corner, including myself, would champion the most transparent-sounding system – the one that communicates the music as close to the recording as possible, stamping little of itself on it. We would all be right, and all be wrong... depending on the ears of the beholder."
---> Australian Hi-Fi May / June 2024.

06 / 27 / 24

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

10 Questions For High-End Audio Manufacturers
Featuring Dan D'Agostino Of Dan D'Agostino MAS
Enjoy the Music.com's 25th Anniversary special feature!
During Enjoy the Music.com's very special 25th Anniversary we're asking various high-end audio manufacturers to answer the same ten questions. Their answers may surprise you! This month we're featuring Dan D'Agostino Of Dan D'Agostino Master Audio Systems. Perhaps no name is more closely associated with high-end audio amplifiers than that of Dan D'Agostino. During his career of more than 35 years, D'Agostino pioneered countless advances in the design of amplifiers, preamplifiers, CD players, and surround-sound processors. He is known as the audio industry's most passionate promoter of high-quality, high-powered amplification. Makers of the world's finest loudspeakers rely on D'Agostino-designed amplifiers for their most important demonstrations.
---> 10 Questions For Dan D'Agostino Of Dan D'Agostino MAS.

06 / 26 / 24

Cirrus Logic CS4308P, CS4304P, CS4302P DACs Plus CS4282P CODEC
Cirrus Logic has just released their new additions of Hi-Res Audio Professional CS4308P, CS4304P, and CS4302P Digital-To-Analog converters (DAC) and CS4282P CODEC. Their latest ultra-high performance audio CODEC is said to set a new standard for audiophiles, prosumers, and professional audio markets. Bring extreme accuracy of recording and playback at high-resolution bit depth and sampling rates, plus DSD, studio engineers, musicians, and music lovers benefit from transparent audio converters, which ensure high-performance recording and playback without any compromise / lossy sound quality. With Cirrus Logic focusing on producing superior analog functionality and digital integration, these new chipsets are said to provide exceptional performance, have minimal power requirements for longer battery life and lower power use, plus very innovative features such as hybrid gain control and addressing what Cirrus Logic feels are longstanding audio challenges within the industry.

Cirrus Logic says, "Designed with ease of use in mind, the Cirrus Logic Pro Audio 8-channel DAC CS4308P, 4-channel CS4304P, 2-channel CS4302P and CODEC CS4282P seamlessly integrate within a wide range of audio equipment. These new devices offer configurable advanced digital filters allowing our customers to define their signature sound. Cirrus Logic designs the devices with users in mind, making them as simple as possible to integrate and extract their full potential. The Pro Audio family also offers industry-leading power efficiency at 10 mW/ch for the 8/4-channel DACs, underlining Cirrus Logic's longstanding commitment to bringing energy-efficient products to market. These new devices are 32-bit offering sample rates of up to 768 kHz, providing 129 dB of dynamic range for the CS4302P/CS4282P and 123 dB for the CS4304/8P. THD+N for these devices are all -114 dB or lower."

06 / 25 / 24

Home Audio Market Will Grow By ~$19B Globally
According to a recent report, "The global home audio equipment market size is estimated to grow by USD 18.96 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 12.34% during the forecast period. Rapid adoption of home audio equipment is driving market growth, with a trend towards microphones segment... The home audio equipment market is experiencing significant growth due to the increase in remote work and learning, as well as the rise in TV productions and content creation."

Technavio says the home audio equipment market is very much thriving with a wide array of innovative technologies and devices. We all know that consumers are looking for high quality, high-fidelity sound quality, and for those with portable audio devices also desire longer battery life. Simply said, people want higher sound quality and to enjoy the music for longer periods of time. With true lossless Hi-Res Music of 24-bit/88kHz and higher now widely available via the best music streaming services, we expect the new Immersive Audio format to also being it's climb upward as legacy stereo will be with us for many generations to come. Music lovers desire Hi-Res Audio devices within their life. According to Technavio, consumers today also "demand for Dolby Atmos technology in home theaters is on the rise. Overall, the home audio equipment market is witnessing significant growth and innovation."

06 / 24 / 24

Capital Audiofest (CAF) 2024 In November
As Washington DC's premier high-performance audio event, the Capital Audiofest (CAF) is set to take place at the Hilton Rockville (Maryland) from November 8th through 10th. Capital Audiofest started out in 2010 as a very casual show and has evolved into a well-organized and well-attended event, while also being recognized as a fun, friendly, and family-oriented high-end audiophile show. Families can casually stroll from room to room listening to music, auditioning gear, and browsing many bins of vinyl LP records, CDs, and hi-fi accessories. During the evenings, CAF 2024 will have live music in the bar area. See Enjoy the Music.com's Capital Audiofest 2023 show report. 

Capital Audiofest, held at the Hilton Rockville in Rockville, MD, is a beautiful venue and conveniently located next to a metro station. This provided quick access to Washington DC. With over 35,000 square feet of flexible conference space, the Hilton Rockville offers plenty of room for exhibitors and attendees to explore the latest audio products and technology. Plan ahead as discounted sleeping rooms are now available only to Capital Audiofest 2024 attendees. See the Capital Audiofest website for more details.

Previous High-End Audio News
For previous high-end audio and music industry news click here.