High-End Audio / Audiophile & Music Industry News

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02 / 02 / 23

Watch The Vinyl Nation Documentary
Thanks to 1091 Pictures, we can all enjoy experiencing an inspiring documentary about the vinyl LP.
Thanks to 1091 Pictures, we can all enjoy seeing the recent vinyl revolution. Not that the vinyl LP was ever a dead format, far from it! With that said, "dig into the resurgence of vinyl records, the diversification of vinyl fans, and the connective power of music. The vinyl record renaissance over the past decade has brought new fans to a classic format and transformed our idea of a record collector: younger, both male and female, multicultural. This same revival has made buying music more expensive, benefited established bands over independent artists and muddled the question of whether vinyl actually sounds better than other formats.
---> Watch The Vinyl Nation Documentary.

02 / 01 / 23

Enjoy the Music.com's February Review Magazine
This month we feature two World Premiere reviews! From vacuum tube amplifiers and floorstanding loudspeakers to a turntable cartridge, desktop monitor speakers, and more! We have a wonderful issue for you this month. In a few weeks, Enjoy the Music.com will be reporting from the fantastic Florida International Audio Expo 2023 show. All that and more within our February Review Magazine. As always, in the end what really matters is that you... enjoy the music!

Limitless Musical Pleasures
Roger Skoff writes about technology and music.
Article By Roger Skoff
When performers or recording engineers talk about "cutting a track", those words can be the literal truth. Making a phonograph record – the first kind of sound recording – has always meant using some kind of a sharp object (most recently a heated cutting stylus), to cut a groove into the surface of some suitable material, and to wiggle that groove right, left, up, down, or, for stereo, in all of those ways, diagonally at the same time, for the purpose of recording sound. The recording material has ranged from Edison's beeswax to a special lacquer, and the finished recording has been everything from a wax cylinder through, currently, a heat-stamped vinyl disc, but the process, itself, has always remained essentially the same. It's always been to cut a groove into something, to modulate that groove analogously to the changes in air pressure at the recording microphone....
---> Limitless Musical Pleasures.

DALI Kore Floorstanding Speaker Review
Danish loudspeaker giant DALI had promised a state-of-the-art loudspeaker at the press event in Munich's MOC.
Review By Michael Lang
After the presentation of the DALI Kore, in a rare moment of complete agreement, the guests left the room with a big smile on their faces. HIGH END audio show, May 2022, Munich, Germany – for someone from the press, this equates to four hectic days, a race against time to discover as many exciting new products as possible, to have them explained to you and to get hold of at least a couple of short listening sessions from a suitable sitting position. Despite these circumstances, the DALI showroom was packed with press representatives when CEO Lars Worre and his team explained the background and aspirations of the Kore. This was quite necessary, considering that DALI is known for a down-to-earth pricing of its loudspeakers.
---> DALI Kore Floorstanding Speaker Review.

World Premiere Review!
Wells Audio Looking Glass II Level II Power Conditioner Review
Feeling as if you can step into it and become part of the performance.
Review By Ron Nagle
If you are like me then you live in a multi-story apartment building, then you are contaminated with junk in the trunk-line. More than likely you are listening to your neighbor's dishwasher, air conditioner, foot bath or God knows what. As a consequence have you ever thought your expensive audio system has bad days when the sound is not so good? This is why some of us audio guys prefer to listen in the wee small hours late at night. Unfortunately, I have no choice, either fix my power source or become crepuscular like my cat. Fire up your computer and do a search, you will find Power Strips, AC line Conditioners, Surge Protectors, Re-Generators, and Noise-Canceling devices.
---> Wells Audio Looking Glass II Level II Power Conditioner Review.

Soundsmith Zephyr MK/III ES Phono Cartridge Review
Unveiling the masterworks!
Review By Paul Schumann
Back when I was starting to get serious about audio equipment, a long-time audiophile friend of mine offered me his collection of back issues of The Absolute Sound. I was a fan of TAS and eagerly accepted. For the next few months, night after night, I read, from cover to cover, all of those issues in chronological order. It was a fascinating dig into the early history of high-end audio and the culture that developed around it. One of the important discoveries made by Harry Pearson and his minions, was the sonic superiority of the old RCA "Shaded Dog" and Mercury records. The acquisition of pristine copies of these discs became an obsession for many audiophiles because, with the exception of a few reissues by MoFi, the audiophile vinyl business wasn't in full swing yet.
---> Soundsmith Zephyr MK/III ES Phono Cartridge Review.

More reviews & articles within our Review Magazine.

01 / 30 / 23

AES Conference On Audio Archiving, Preservation & Restoration
The Audio Engineering Society (AES), founded in 1948, is devoted to audio technology. The AES unites audio engineers, creative artists, scientists and students worldwide by promoting advances in audio and disseminating new knowledge and research. Their 2023 conference concerning audio archiving, preservation, and restoration presents a remarkable opportunity to bring researchers and practitioners together for three days.
During the June 1st through 3rd conference at the US Library Of Congress they will discuss critical preservation issues and focus on strategies, that will support and encourage collaboration and interoperability between industry and the preservation, restoration and archiving communities.

Proposals describing work in any area of audio archiving, preservation, and restoration and related sciences will be considered for inclusion in conference sessions. These include digitization and restoration of historical obsolete disc formats. Optical capture of obsolete media and preservation and digitization of analog and digital multi-track recordings will also be discussed. Another important factor is the handling and storage of analog audio carriers plus physical/object based preservation , material science, and new trends in material research that help maintain /restore legacy analog and digital audio equipment. One thing we're sure Enjoy the Music.com readers appreciate is the AES discussing the best practices for metadata creation and capture. This ensures when you are seeking certain relevant data concerning the music you love, is it easy to find via detailed and organized metadata.

01 / 27 / 23

Fun Music Friday! David Chesky Trio At Lincoln Center
For this week's Fun Music Friday here on Enjoy the Music.com we're featuring the David Chesky Trio performing a song from The Great European Songbook. Recorded in December 2022, Jazz at Lincoln Center is a wonderful way to hear talented musicians performing at their very best. With David Chesky on piano, Peter Washington on acoustic bass, and Billy Drummond on drums, we're sure you're going to enjoy the music.

01 / 26 / 23

LampizatOr MM2 Moving-Magnet (MM) Phono Stage Review
Beautiful to behold and a joy to use.
Review By Brett Rudolph
Turntables have always been one of my favorite sources for my playback system. They are highly customizable, straightforward to use. They tend to offer a great bang for the buck, especially on the entry-level ones. In fact, you can purchase a more expensive turntable, start with a reasonably inexpensive cartridge that sounds great and move into higher performance ones over time, if you wish. Of course, there is a downside. They do require a bit more care and feeding than their digital brethren. The two main types of cartridges on the market are moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC). They both have their advantages and disadvantages. However, as a rule, moving magnet cartridges tend to be less expensive to date.
---> LampizatOr MM2 Moving-Magnet (MM) Vacuum Tube Phono Stage Review.

DS Audio DS-E1 Optical Phono Cartridge / Phono Energizer And DS Audio ION 001 Vinyl Ionizer Review
New heavyweight contenders!
Review By Maurice Jeffries
My first encounter with DS Audio's fascinating line of optical cartridges and matching phono energizers (the term that DS Audio uses to describe the outboard power supply/phono equalization units supplied with each cartridge) occurred at the 2020 Florida Audio Expo Show, held last February in sunny Tampa, Florida. Musical Surroundings distributes DS Audio's growing line of products here in the United States. In the Musical Surroundings suite, company head honcho Garth Leerer and his team put together a swell little system headlined by the affordable and overachieving Maggie .7 speakers, a stem-to-stern suite of Rogue electronics, Wire World cables, an eye-catching cobalt blue AMG Giro turntable, and matching arm, this fronted by an entry-level DS Audio DS-E1 optical cartridge and matching phono energizer.
---> DS Audio DS-E1 Optical Phono Cartridge / Phono Energizer And DS Audio ION 001 Vinyl Ionizer Review.

01 / 25 / 23

CEPro Says 2023 Home Audio Market Will Continue To Soar
"It may not be 1976 and the golden era of home audio anymore, but 2023 certainly looks to be a banner year if you love the category," says CEPro's Robert Archer. "Taking a brief look at how the home the market looks, home theater continues to surge with immersive audio driving consumer interest to new heights, while two-channel or stereo remains strong thanks to technologies such as streaming and wireless. Branching out from single-room systems, whole-house audio through the influx of wireless networking technologies, as well as streaming and traditional line level connectivity also remains strong within the residential technology market."

"One other important note about the whole-house audio category, digital technologies from the commercial markets continue to make inroads," continues Robert. "Whether its AV over IP solutions, or digital audio platforms such as Dante from Audinate or the Avnu Alliance"s AVB (Audio Video Bridging) protocol, whole-house audio is in position to grow not only in size to accommodate the largest installations, but it is also ready to transition into a market driven by standards-based digital technologies." You can read the entire article at this link.

01 / 24 / 23

The UK Audio Show 2023 At Staverton Hotel
The UK Audio Show 2023 is set to take place on October 7th and 8th at the Staverton Hotel & Conference Centre. As the UK's premier Autumn show, it is open to the public, manufacturers, distributors, and of course dealers. With a very easy to access central location, the UK Audio Show by the Chester Group includes the County Suite for a big increase in show attractions. There was a record breaking exhibitor count in 2022, and 55% take up already for their 2023 event. They expect excellent press and trade attendance and a superb Hotel team. This all adds up to an expected great show, with glowing compliments from visitors.

The Chester Group will be welcoming everybody back to the UK Audio Show for another great event. According to them, "There are very few consumer shows around the world that provide such pleasure, and uniquely support one specific consumer product such is the attraction of High End Audio & AV reproduction and presentation. The main thing is our Venue will continue to be the Staverton Hotel, as it met so many of our objectives and was fronted by such a friendly and helpful team. With its spacious corridors and two easily accessed levels it proved near perfect for such a busy show. But in addition and due to the show's popularity we've now increased the amount of individual demonstration rooms and increased trade stands too. Look out for some very special announcements as the UK Audio Show celebrates their UK event in the fall."

01 / 21 / 23

Happy Lunar New Year!
Enjoy the Music.com wishes everyone happiness, good fortune, and a prosperous Lunar New Year 2023.

01 / 20 / 23

Warning! Extreme Bass! The Hi-Fi Collective
The Audiophile Society is the brainchild of composer, pianist, and audio pioneer David Chesky. While widely known for his record label Chesky Records, this new label will focus on bringing even more realistic three-dimensional recordings to market with their Mega-Dimensional Sound. That is the Audiophile Society's name for their unique two-channel 3D audio that can play on all existing two-channel stereo, while showcasing emerging artists working in a multitude of genres. The ultimate goal of The Audiophile Society is to change the way you hear music. The Hi-Fi Collective is a collective of young groove players bringing EDM, DJ, and Chill Electronic Music to a new standard of sound. With the addition of The Audiophile Society's 3D Mega-Dimensional Sound, the music has height and a soundstage that is outside of the speakers.

This release features extreme bass, maximizing the capabilities of your subwoofers and making them come alive. And, since this music was conceived to be heard in one's home, this release was mixed to turn your home speaker system into a virtual club venue. "These recordings are compatible with your home and portable systems and can be played back on anyone's home speaker system or headphones without the need for buying any other audio equipment. Our Mega-Dimensional audio is more than some application. It is a process that is thought out from the ground up on each recording," says David. "When you hear our new Audiophile Society recordings on speakers, you should feel like you are in the space with the musicians. The sound of our music is not stuck to the speaker grills like a normal recording but should float up before you. You should experience a sense of height and a wider and deeper soundstage. It should be a more enveloping realistic experience."

01 / 19 / 23

Meze Audio Elite Masterpiece Open Back Headphones Review
Meze's Elite headphones are a heavyweight champion in performance!
Review By Frank Iacone
Antonio Meze leader designer and founder of Meze started ten years ago with a simple headphone design that took the country by storm. The year following they began working with Rinaro Isodynamic located in Ukraine whom for over 30 years had been working on completing their hybrid array technology. Meze's Empyrean was the first to use the technology and received worldwide awards for best-sounding headphones when it hit the market. Priced at $2999, and still available, it is regarded as one of the best sounding and most comfortable headphones. Three years in development the Elite has many of the same features as the Empyrean with a more refined and new Rinaro designed driver.
---> Meze Audio Elite Headphones Review.

Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Standmounted Monitor Speaker Review
The latest generation of the British company's flagship speaker series is here; Ed Shelly has set about the smallest member of the range to see what makes it tick.
Review By Ed Shelly
The 800 Series has long occupied a unique place in high-end audio. Such is the market share that Bowers & Wilkins has of the total sales of speakers in this price category that the models that result enjoy both a ubiquity and economy of scale nothing else can really match. Insofar as a 'normal' member of the public can envisage a high end speaker, it's generally the 800 Series that springs to mind. For those more familiar with the high-end category, the 800 Series still holds considerable interest as a demonstration of design features Bowers & Wilkins will no doubt trickle down its range in due course and are likely to influence other manufacturers, too.
---> Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Monitor Review.

01 / 18 / 23

Luminate 2022 Year-End Music Report
Luminate seeks to be a trusted source for entertainment data in this ever-evolving world. Their 2022 Year-End Music Report seeks to provide an in-depth look at consumption trends and audience research insights. The Consumption Renaissance While streaming continued to grow in 2022, with U.S. on-demand audio streams hitting the trillion mark for the first time ever in a single year in late November, that is only part of the year's music consumption story. Looking at the landscape over the past year, specifically how different artists across different genres engaged with audiences to launch successful album campaigns, there's a bigger picture to take into account when it comes to consumption methods. The year saw new albums earn No. 1 positions on the Billboard 200 upon their debuts, but each artist achieved the No.1 spot through a different mix of consumption means. While Bad Bunny did it with 100% digital offerings (streaming and digital albums) for his album Un Verano Sin Ti, only 55% of the first-week consumption numbers for Beyoncé's Renaissance were digital and only 38% the first-week consumption numbers for Taylor Swift's Midnights were digital. Notably, Swift's physical product offerings made up 62% through multiple vinyl and CD offerings for fans, and Midnights sold 575,000 vinyl products in its first week, breaking a record previously set by Harry Styles in May.

Of note is that Generation Z (those born in the late 1990s or the early 21st century) is becoming more and more powerful, influencing the market with their consumption habits, all eyes were on their behaviors this past year. According to Luminate's Fall 2022 Music 360 Research Report, Gen Z music listeners in the U.S.A. spend +21% more time weekly with music than listeners from any other generation. Much of that time is spent discovering music on streaming services like Spotify, Apple, and YouTube and on short-form video platforms and apps like TikTok. In fact, Gen Z is more likely to discover music on both sources than the average listener by 13% and 19%, respectively. Gen Z's consumption behaviors are only just a part of their story. They are also willing to spend money to support their favorite artists, especially when it comes to merchandise as they expressed a desire for their favorite artists to offer more products as an opportunity to show support by +30% more than the average music listener in the U.S.A. And overall, they spend +18% more money on music monthly than the average U.S.A. music listener, fueling sales for vinyl record-breaking weeks by Harry Styles and Taylor Swift this year.

01 / 17 / 23

Audio Engineering Society Celebrates 75 Years
The Audio Engineering Society (AES) is the only professional society devoted exclusively to audio technology. Founded in the USA in 1948, the AES is now an international organization that unites audio engineers, creative artists, scientists and students worldwide by promoting advances in audio and disseminating new knowledge and research. There are more than 12,000 members affiliated with over 90 AES professional sections and 120 AES student sections around the world that provide members valuable opportunities for professional networking and skill and career growth. The Society's vast contributions to the art and science of audio engineering are being recognized as the Audio Engineering Society begins its 75th Anniversary year in 2023.

In March of 1948, a group of notable engineers committed to improving audio quality held the first meeting of the Audio Engineering Society in New York City. Now, in its 75th Anniversary year, the AES has grown from a charter membership of 37 to a global community of more than 10,000 members affiliated with hundreds of local sections worldwide. The goal of those pioneering members, to share knowledge and advance the science of audio and its application, has been realized in a thriving organization that facilitates communication and collaboration, and unites audio engineers, researchers, content creators and students. In 2023 the Audio Engineering Society will continue its mission with events planned around the world throughout the year, culminating in the 155th AES International Convention in New York in October.

01 / 16 / 23

audioXpress' February 2023 Issue
Editorial: Where Do We Want To Go Next?
Arylic Audio Up2Stream Amp V4
On the Subject of Standards
Modern PC Board Design Practices Part 1
Power Transformer Parameters, Selection, And Testing Part 4
The Pre-5: A High-Performance Tube Hybrid Preamp
What Do You Want to Hear?
Unified Coverage Map
Suitability Of Venues For Various Events
And Much More!

Within his editorial, J. Martins says "Among the biggest technology stories of 2022, it's impossible not to reference OpenAI. This artificial intelligence (AI) research company from San Francisco, CA, founded in December 2015, has focused on artificial general intelligence (AGI) applied to augmenting and outperform human skills. OpenAI cleverly made its efforts accessible to the general public as a way to simultaneously promote AI and improve it with actual human interaction — which in turn helps to reveal boundaries and usage restriction needs. Among OpenAI's most interesting efforts is a trained model for human interaction through text input called ChatGPT. Its proven uses span from helping us to debug code to answering questions, to writing essays about any topic and in any given suggested style."
---> audioXpress' February 2023 issue.

01 / 14 / 23

Enjoy the Music.com Wants To Hear From You Concerning Shows
We are asking the industry for their input, as have been hearing complaints over the years and want to hear your thoughts. We all work together during shows, from the promoter to load-in staff and exhibitors doing their best to provide an exceptional experience for attendees.

Have posted on our social media and LinkedIn page asking about well-established manufacturers who year after year freeload at shows. Please post your comments.

Instagram.com/enjoythemusic/

Facebook.com/EnjoyTheMusiccom/

LinkedIn.com/company/enjoy-the-music/

Please feel free to share this with fellow exhibitors / show attendees / your friends as would love to have their comments too. If there are other subjects you feel as an industry that needs to be discussed, I'm all ears (pun intended). Thank you as ALL help is ALWAYS appreciated.

As always, in the end what really matters is that you...

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

01 / 13 / 23

Enjoy the Music.com Sponsors Florida International Audio Expo's Industry Happy Hour
Enjoy the Music.com, high-end audio's celebrated online site for 28 years and a leader in providing industry news, gear reviews, and show reports is pleased to announce that we're sponsoring Florida International Audio Expo's Industry Happy Hour during their 2023 event in Tampa. Exhibitors and members of the press are invited to join us for complimentary food and beverages Thursday night at the hotel lobby. Since 1995, Enjoy the Music.com has been a major resource for information about consumer electronics, including the high-end premium luxury audio industry and high-resolution / streaming music. We are deeply honored for the opportunity to support the Florida International Audio Expo 2023 show, and in teaming up to benefit our outstanding premium audio industry exhibitors and many members of the press.
---> Enjoy the Music.com Sponsors Florida International Audio Expo's Industry Happy Hour.

01 / 12 / 23

World Premiere Review!
Dynamic Sounds Associates Amp I Review
Class-A tour de force!
Review By Greg Weaver
I've had the pleasure of writing about Dynamic Sounds Associates gear for over 16 years now, with my first take on the original Phono-ONE phonostage appearing back in November of 2004! Since that time, I've reviewed, or used as reference, the superb Phono II phonostage (with the Phono III coming on deck soon!), the exceptional Pre I Linestage, and now, I am privileged to bring you the world premiere review of the exceptional Amp I monoblocks. The engineering mind behind all these fresh and exceptional designs is one Dr. Douglas Hurlburt, whom I first met while living in southern Maryland during the early to mid-nineteen nineties.
---> Dynamic Sounds Associates Amp I review.

Nagra Tube DAC And Classic PSU Power Supply Review
Sonic glory... worth it!
Review By Tom Lyle
Nagra is a Swiss audio equipment manufacturer that has been in business for over 65 years. Their professional portable tape records were an industry standard for many decades, even appearing as props in many films and television shows. Their reputation was rock-solid even before they started manufacturing high-end audio equipment in the 21st Century. Because of this, and because of the fine high-end audio components they've been designing and manufacturing since 2012, I suppose there are many audiophiles, and plenty of non-audiophile, who might add the Nagra Tube DAC and its matching Classic PSU power supply to their systems without an audition, or without reading reviews on the subject.
---> Nagra Tube DAC and Classic PSU Power Supply.

01 / 11 / 23

AXPONA 2023 Show In Chicago
AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) 2023 takes place from April 14th through 16th at the The Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center. The three-day experience features multiple hotel floors packed with over 190 listening rooms according to the show promoter. The Expo Hall featuring The Record Fair, The Ear Gear Experience, and seminars. Whether you're a serious audiophile, a newcomer to high-end audio or simply a music lover, you'll find everything you need to immerse yourself in your favorite sounds. See and hear the world's top audio brands reveal their latest and greatest gear in many listening rooms. Experience your music like never before! Learn more at Enjoy the Music.com's AXPONA 2023 show report page.

01 / 10 / 23

Capital AudioFest Chronicles 2022
3rd Floor Meeting Rooms, Atrium, Plus The Best Rooms At CAF 2022!
CAF 2022 Show Report By Rick Becker
I've heard Acora speakers at RMAF, Axpona, Montreal, Toronto, and the previous Capital Audiofest and in most (if not all) instances they've been among the Best Rooms I've awarded at each show. Valerio Cora has done a very nice job of mixing up the rig and selecting which of his three speakers to present according to the size of the room he was in. At Axpona earlier this year the rig was over half-million dollars. Here at the Capital Audiofest 2022 show, it was toned down considerably. And while it was a very fine-sounding room, it seemed to fall below his normal excellence. This was one of the four big rooms and I felt none of them were outstanding. From my past exposure to Acora speakers, I have no doubt the room was the culprit.
---> CAF 2022 3rd Floor Meeting Rooms, Atrium, Plus The Best Rooms!

01 / 09 / 23

Hi-Fi+ January 2023 High-End Audio Magazine
Editorial: Hi-Fi+ Welcomes A 2023 System Re-Evaluation
Conrad-Johnson ART88 Line Preamplifier
dCS Vivaldi One APEX CD/SACD Player/Streaming DAC
Hegel P30A/H30A Line Preamplifier And Mono/Stereo Power Amplifier
Soulnote A-2 Integrated Amplifier
Gershman Acoustics Studio II Stand-Mount Loudspeaker
Innuos Statement 'Next Gen' Music Server
Design Build Listen Wand 14.4/Wand Plus Turntable And Tonearm
Moon By Simaudio Voice 22 Stand-Mount Loudspeaker
Focal Bathys Wireless, Noise-Cancelling Headphones
And Much More!

Within this month's editorial, Alan Sircom says "It's 2023 at last and most of us are glad to see the back of 2022, and perhaps a little trepidatious about what the New Year will bring. In the UK at least, as we haven't had a new Prime Minister in several weeks (at least, at the time of writing), we are looking forward to a year of hopefully fewer bumps in the road. The start of a year traditionally comes with New Year's Resolutions, that everyone is almost guaranteed to break sometime in early January. Even when I decided to game the system in my 20s and said my resolution was to drink more whisky, I quickly lost interest... and a couple of weeks. Fortunately, I'm no longer that guy." See what's within this issue of Hi-Fi+ magazine at this link.

Previous High-End Audio News
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