High-Performance Audio Reviews
Music News, Show Reports, And More!
Celebrating 29 Years Of Service To Music Lovers
High-End Audio / Audiophile
& Music Industry News
04 / 30 / 22
AXPONA 2022 Show
Report Part 1 Audio Expo North America 2022
Show Report
Show Report By Chuck Bruce Welome back to AXPONA 2022 in Chicago-ish, a well-attended and fun show that included families and proved that our interest in fine audio and music has not waned. Matter of fact, we are as enthusiastic as ever after our
hiatus. Welcome back to all the folks that make it happen with great boldness and financial commitment. Hats off to the designers, product developers, engineers, manufacturers, dealers, distributors, marketers, and most of all
our music-loving enthusiasts! Just so pleased to see the unquenchable enthusiasm of the attendees and exhibitors
alike. Out of the gate, the attractive new Elac Concentro three-way tower loudspeakers with ribbon tweeters listed at $15,000 per pair were performing admirably with full range and imposing bass while sourced via Alchemy Pre and Power amps. ---> AXPONA 2022 Show Photos By Chuck Bruce.
04 / 29 / 22
MIT Researchers Develop Thin-Film Loudspeaker
Funded in part by the Ford Motor Company and a gift from Lendlease, MIT engineers have developed a paper-thin loudspeaker that can turn any surface into an active audio source. According to
MIT, "This thin-film loudspeaker produces sound with minimal distortion while using a fraction of the energy required by a traditional loudspeaker. The hand-sized loudspeaker the team demonstrated, which weighs about as much as a dime, can generate high-quality sound no matter what surface the film is bonded
to. To achieve these properties, the researchers pioneered a deceptively simple fabrication technique, which requires only three basic steps and can be scaled up to produce ultrathin loudspeakers large enough to cover the inside of an automobile or to wallpaper a
room."
"Because the PVDF layer is so thin, the pressure difference created by the vacuum and heat source caused it to bulge. The PVDF
can't force its way through the PET layer, so tiny domes protrude in areas where they
aren't blocked by PET. These protrusions self-align with the holes in the PET layer. The researchers then laminate the other side of the PVDF with another PET layer to act as a spacer between the domes and the bonding surface. The domes are 15 microns in height, about one-sixth the thickness of a human hair, and they only move up and down about half a micron when they vibrate. Each dome is a single sound-generation unit, so it takes thousands of these tiny domes vibrating together to produce audible sound."
04 / 28 / 22
Radio Shack's Realistic System 200 Review Tremendous features and an
authentic value! Review By Mark Rochlin Today I received the most amazing unit to evaluate, the
Realistic System 200! New for 1988, this unit represents a new peak of the Tandy
/ Radio Shack line and continues the tradition of quality and value that makes
Radio Shack famous and guarantees their continued success. Their System 200's
ingenious design revolves around both sonic excellence and ease of use. Styled
in a custom made faux walnut-looking rack with matching speakers, this unit will
enhance the style of your living room. Radio Shack has taken the unique approach
of enclosing the entire unit within one single chassis. This allows them to invest
into their system where it counts, the internal electronics. --->
Radio Shack's Realistic System 200 stereo review.
Exotic Automobile Manufacturer Offers
The Audiophile Car Audiophiles no longer need to
hibernate at home!
Review By Steven R. Rochlin For decades audiophiles have been stuck to
the confines of their homes to reach musical bliss. In these, usually, darkened
rooms they would toil away tweaking and tuning looking for the next nirvana. It
brings me great joy to announce the very first auto manufacturer to satisfy the needs
of audiophiles worldwide. This next generation vehicle will suit both those
looking for style and substance. It is no secret that home audio is doomed from
the beginning with lackluster alternating current. This problem is exacerbated with
the use of dedicated power lines, power filters, regenerators, and balancers.
The Audiophile Car, or TAC for short, removes this entire exercise by being 100%
battery powered! ---> Exotic Automobile 'The Audiophile Car'.
04 / 27 / 22
World Premiere! Jordan Rudess & Friends
360° Immersive VR Concert
This just in: "Put on your VR goggles and enter the famous Dreamland Recording Studios to take part in an immersive, deep, and emotionally engaging music experience. Three outstanding musicians: Jordan Rudess, Steve Horelick, and Jerry Marotta gathered at Dreamland for a spectacular and singular concert which was captured by multiple 360° cameras and the ZYLIA 6 Degrees of Freedom (6DoF) solution for 3D Audio recording. With the concert in the Oculus application, you will be able not only to listen to beautiful performances of fantastic artists but also switch between several 360° vantage spots and spin around in each of them."
"What's more, the sound you hear will correspond to your position and movement giving you the most realistic impressions possible. Stand next to
Jordan's piano or watch Jerry's drumming in close-up. Look around and admire the majestic space and stunning, colorful glass windows of the former St. John's Church. The result is a truly striking experience that you will long remember. The immersive concert
Jordan Rudess & Friends in 3D Audio is available to watch now on Oculus App Lab for the nominal fee of $14.99. The proceeds from the concert will be donated to the AES (Audio Engineering
Society) – a non-profit organization that unites engineers, creative artists, scientists, and students
worldwide." Enjoy the Music.com feels it is a wonderful gesture to
donate all proceeds to the AES. This is a very important world first as VR
headset owners can, for the very first time in human history, experience a
revolutionary 360° concert from
many positions with positional-matching fully immersive head-tracked audio.
04 / 26 / 22
Elon Musk To Buy MTV And VH1?
It's been said that "Elon Musk Should Buy VH1 / MTV And Start Showing Music Videos Again." Let us know your thoughts on
Enjoy the Music.com's Facebookand Instagramsocial media
pages.
New David Bowie Movie Moonage Daydream Moonage Daydream, officially sanctioned by David Bowie's estate, is a definitive movie of the musician's life. The film was designed as a unique cinematic experience and will be released in IMAX theaters within select markets. According to BMG's press release, "The upcoming documentary is the latest project in
BMG's growing line of music-related films and television projects including DIO: Dreamers Never
Die, which recently made its world premiere at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival; the critically acclaimed Sundance Film Festival selections
David Crosby: Remember My Name – Grammy-nominated for 'Best Music
Film' – and the Joan Jett documentary, Bad Reputation."
"Moonage Daydream is written, directed, edited, and produced by Brett Morgen. Executive Producers are Hartwig Masuch, Kathy Rivkin Daum, and Justus Haerder for BMG; Michael Rapino, Heather Parry, and Ryan Kroft for Live Nation Productions; Bill Zysblat, Tom Cyrana, Aisha Cohen, and Eileen
D'Arcy for RZO; Billy Gerber, and Debra Eisenstadt. The feature is a Public Road Productions film."
04 / 25 / 22
More AXPONA 2022 Show
Photos! With a very successful AXPONA 2022 now within our
proverbial rearview mirror, Enjoy the Music.com's Greg Weaver has chimed
in with a few teasers pics from the show. Greg's full show coverage will be
online in the coming days so check back for more! ---> AXPONA 2022 Show Photos By Greg Weaver.
MusicWatch Research Analyzes Vinyl Music Customers
MusicWatch, a leading U.S. research and analytics company serving the music industry for nearly a quarter of a century, unveiled their study conducted in cooperation with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Music Business Association. Revelations About the Vinyl Revolution offers a detailed look at the current state of the vinyl record market; as well as the preferences and predispositions of the purchasers and listeners to this classic format. Led by former NPD executive Russ Crupnick, MusicWatch has produced syndicated and custom market research solutions for a variety of customers, including the major music labels, digital service providers and technology companies.
An estimated 18 million consumers aged 13 and older purchased vinyl during 2021, a 27% increase over 2020. Among buyers of vinyl over the past two years, 71% purchased new records and 67% bought used ones. Also, 95% of vinyl buyers expect to continue purchasing the format in the coming year. More than one in three buyers (38%) have been purchasing vinyl for more than 10 years and value the authenticity and
"warmth" that vinyl records deliver. Those who began buying more recently also appreciate
vinyl's sound quality, along with the packaging, features and artwork that are part of the vinyl experience. Plus the number of artists embracing vinyl influences these newer buyers as well. Collecting vinyl is also quite popular. 16% of purchasers buy records strictly to own them, while 21% buy them to collect and listen to. Additionally vinyl records have a positive impact on hardware sales. One out of three turntable owners and users say that they intend to upgrade their record player or other audio equipment next year. Vinyl buyers are also engaged in not just vinyl records, but a wide range of music listening and purchasing options, including the latest digital streaming platforms.
Record Store Day 2022 Saturday April
23rd
This Saturday is the exciting Record Store Day 2022! According to the organization, "We feel strongly that stores have learned and adapted in the past few years and are ready to bring back elements of a
'traditional' Record Store Day, bands and beer and fun and people and whatever parts of the party they like, in ways that make them, and their customers, comfortable. We also feel strongly that
it's important to focus on those stores themselves, and celebrate what they do year-round, in their communities."
"Record Store Day was conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1400 independently owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally. The first Record Store Day took place on April 19, 2008. Today there are Record Store Day participating stores on every continent except Antarctica.
This is a day for the people who make up the world of the record store — the staff, the customers, and the
artists — to come together and celebrate the unique culture of a record store and the special role these independently owned stores play in their communities. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day."
04 / 21 / 22
AXPONA 2019 Show Report --
Audio Expo North America As we all look forward to this weekend's show, for
Throwback Thursday Enjoy the Music.com is featuring our AXPONA 2019
show report. This event was held from April 12th through 14th at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center.
The year 2019 also celebrated AXPONA's tenth anniversary, plus it was their largest show to date!
AXPONA 2019 showcased more than 185 Listening Rooms, an expanded Expo Hall featuring the ever popular Record Fair, a
new hall dedicated to Ear Gear Expo, Master Class Theater, robust
seminar schedule, and live music nightly. ---> AXPONA 2019 Show Report --
Audio Expo North America.
04 / 20 / 22
Fair Pay For Musical Artists Is Heating Up
We all know that Neil Young has removed his music from
various streaming music services, as the sentiment of streaming music services not fairly paying is equal no matter the
genera of music. Worst still, record labels have made deals that bring them
record profits while small payouts go to those who create the product these labels are
selling. Enter Snoop Dogg, who recently purchased the controversial recording label Death Row Records. It has been reported that several of the label's very popular albums that include Snoop's
Doggystyle, Dr. Dre's The Chronic and Tha Dogg Pound's Dogg
Food, has been removed from Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify so they can be
exclusively on their own streaming service.
As an added bonus, Death Row Records new streaming music platform will pay the creators of the music product being sold a far higher rate.
"First thing I did was snatch all the music off those platforms traditionally known to people, because those platforms
don't pay," said Snoop Dogg. "And those platforms get millions and millions and millions of streams and
nobody gets paid other than the record labels, so what I wanted to do is snatch my music off, create a platform which is something similar to Amazon, Netflix, Hulu. It'll be a Death Row app, and then the music, in the meantime, will live in the
metaverse." Perhaps it is time many other musicians follow suit until the recording
labels fairly pay the musical artists / musicians who create the product they rely on to
sell.
04 / 19 / 22
The Audiophile Society 3D Audio By David Chesky
The Audiophile Society is the brainchild of composer, pianist, and audio pioneer David Chesky. The new label will focus on bringing even more realistic three-dimensional recordings to market with their Meta-Dimensional Sound, 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. All Audiophile Society audio downloads will include a special dedicated 3D headphone mix.
David Chesky says, "Headphones are different experience from speakers and the mixes should be treated differently. When you hear our headphone mixes you should feel the sounds coming not from inside your head like normal stereo recordings, but you should feel a sense of externalization from the sound. The listener should feel like they are in the venue that the music was performed in." All Audiophile Society downloads come in a choice of two audio packages: The Hi-Res PCM Package (which includes a
192kHz/24-bit speaker mix, a 96/24 headphone mix, & a DSD speaker mix) or The DSD & 48/24 Package (which includes a DSD speaker mix, a DSD headphone mix, a 48/24 speaker mix, and a 48/24 headphone mix), all in Meta-Dimensional Sound. In addition to recordings, The Audiophile Society website will feature audiophile merchandise, videos, interviews, and content.
04 / 18 / 22
AXPONA 2022 Show Report Just A
Week Away
AXPONA
(Audio Expo North America) 2022 will take place from April 22nd through 24th at the The Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center. Liz and Mark from AXPONA say, "We are mindful of the current status of the pandemic and also know things will evolve in the months to come. We also appreciate that
traveling and attending a show in April will not be for everyone and we respect anyone who prefers to stay home. It is encouraging that in this current environment, many well established tradeshows are once again being held on schedule."
"We are committed to holding AXPONA in a safe environment for those who are excited to participate," says Liz and Mark. "Everyone will be required to show either proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event. Details on this process will be communicated in March. Per the current Cook County Department of Public Health, anyone aged two and over must wear a mask while indoors in a public space, except when eating or drinking. If local guidance changes, we will share any updates with you. A full description of AXPONA's current policies and guidelines is available and will be updated as needed on our
website." ---> See Enjoy the Music.om's AXPONA 2022 Show Report.
HIGH END 2022 Show In Munich
Germany
From May 19th to 22nd, 2022, the 39th HIGH END trade show in Munich will yet again shine the spotlight on excellent music reproduction, inspiring listening enjoyment and exquisite audio technology. For many years, the HIGH END has been providing both the big players in the industry and smaller owner-managed companies with their ideal presentation platform as the
world's leading audio trade show. It is the perfect place to establish business relationships, expand networks and exchange ideas and experiences with other industry experts.
The organizer of the event, the HIGH END SOCIETY Service GmbH, is pleased to announce that the HIGH END
2022 is now fully booked, even before the registration deadline at the end of March! After more than a year without events, this is sure to be music to the ears of exhibitors, trade visitors, consumers, media representatives and, of course, everyone involved in the success of the trade show during both the planning and implementation stages. The constant high demand for the sought-after exhibitor areas in the halls and atriums of the MOC Event Center in Munich clearly shows how keen the industry is to finally showcase its high-quality products to a live audience. ---> Learn more about HIGH END 2022 in
Munich Germany.
04 / 15 / 22
audioXpress' May 2022 Issue
Is Now Available audioXpress' May 2022 issue features:
Editorial: The End Of Cheap Tubes
Orchard Audio Starkrimson Stereo Ultra
An Introduction to Testing Vacuum Tubes (Part 2)
Building a Guitar-Controlled Synthesizer
Graphical Analysis Of Class-A Amplifiers
The Enduring Appeal of Vinyl
Western Electric's New Production 300B
And much more!
Within his editorial, J. Martins says
"Every year, when I focus on this Glass Audio issue of audioXpress, I like to dive into the archives and revisit a selection of the issues that Ed T. Dell produced twice a year, beginning in 1988. In 1990, in his column "Valve Views," contributing author Ken Kessler wrote "As you sit there poring over the latest Glass Audio, perhaps a small part of you is wondering: Am I devoted to a branch of hi-fi so obscure it could disappear at any moment? Believe me, such doubts affect us all at times, and not only when you hear of another tube amp manufacturer (or tube manufacturer, for that matter) closing up
shop." ---> audioXpress' May 2022
issue.
04 / 14 / 22
Salon Audio Montreal / Audio Fest
2022 Show Report Montreal Audiofest 2022 show report part
5.
Montreal
Audio Fest 2022 Coverage By Rick Becker Saturday night there
was a gala dinner for the industry instead of the usual informal cocktail
gathering and presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Sarah Tremblay,
the Executive Producer of the show was kind enough to locate some photos taken
by Anik Lemieux to fill in my gap in this coverage. (Thank you, Anik, and
Sarah.) Along with dinner was the award presentation, and
of course, a little entertainment. First, we see Michele Plante, who has been
one of the organizers with his wife, Sarah Tremblay for many years now. Michele
was assisted with an English translation (very loose, I'm told) by Rainbow,
the Drag Queen. I hear that Michele was not the only one laughing. ---> Salon Audio Montreal / Audio Fest 2022 Show Report Part
5.
1. We all work together to inspire people to
enjoy the music to its fullest.
2. We stay happily in our comfort zone, perhaps
never truly reaching our potential.
What spurred me writing this are some personal
realizations. Long story short is that while Enjoy
the Music.com has done so very much for so many, I personally have
failed to achieve my goal. Due to this site I wonder how many people have we truly
reached into discovering the joys of music through higher quality audio
equipment. How many people hear the music as the artist(s) truly
intended when in the recording studio? Hearing music with the same
passion and inspiration as when it was created. ---> My Memo To The Industry.
My Memo To The Industry Part II
www.HighEndAudio.com The future is in your hands.
Article
By Steven R. Rochlin Almost feel like one of those old-timey AM radio announcers from back in the
1920's. As you remember in our last episode of Steven R. Rochlin's 'Jerry
Maguire' moment, it spawned an outline for
bringing high resolution music and the supporting hardware to the
masses... What the hell was I thinking? Needless to say my e-mail inbox and discussions at a variety of high-end audio shows commenced. There were also talks with those who I feel have a very exciting
'chess board'; perhaps the best within this targeted consumer electronics industry! Never one to be a
'one trick pony', let's start yet another discussion shall we? ---> My Memo To The Industry Part II.
04 / 13 / 22
Amazon Music Raises Subscriptions Plan For
2022
Amazon's 2022 music subscription plan pricing is going up, partially due to currencies
declining in value (high inflation rate) and, in hopes (we hope) to more fairly pay the
musical artists who create the 'product' Amazon is 'selling'. According to Amazon, "To help us bring you even more content and features, we're updating the prices of select Amazon Music Unlimited plans.
The Amazon Music Single-Device Plan is changing from $3.99 to $4.99 per month. The Amazon Music Unlimited Individual Plan (discounted price for Amazon Prime members) is changing from $7.99 to $8.99 per month, or from $79 to $89 per year. The updated pricing starts on May 5, 2022. You will begin seeing the new price plus applicable taxes on your first bill after that date."
Coachella 2022 Live Stream On YouTube
This year YouTube is bringing more Coachella to you. Experience more Coachella wherever you are as you can catch the
live stream on both weekends, starting April 15 and April 22 at 4pm PT. Coachella music enthusiasts will enjoy an
exciting digital experience including live chat, in-stream shopping experiences, and exclusive artist interviews only available
on their YouTube
Channel.
MIT: Reversing Hearing Loss With Regenerative Therapy
H/T to The Absolute
Sound's Lee Scoggins for this news update: "Most of us know someone affected by hearing loss, but we may not fully appreciate the hardships that lack of hearing can bring. Hearing loss can lead to isolation, frustration, and a debilitating ringing in the ears known as tinnitus. It is also closely correlated with dementia. The biotechnology company Frequency Therapeutics is seeking to reverse hearing loss — not with hearing aids or implants, but with a new kind of regenerative therapy. The company uses small molecules to program progenitor cells, a descendant of stem cells in the inner ear, to create the tiny hair cells that allow us to hear."
"Hair cells die off when exposed to loud noises or drugs including certain chemotherapies and antibiotics. Frequency's drug candidate is designed to be injected into the ear to regenerate these cells within the cochlea. In clinical trials, the company has already improved people's hearing as measured by tests of speech perception — the ability to understand speech and recognize words. In Frequency's first clinical study, the company saw statistically significant improvements in speech perception in some participants after a single injection, with some responses lasting nearly two years. The company has dosed more than 200 patients to date and has seen clinically meaningful improvements in speech perception in three separate clinical studies. Another study failed to show improvements in hearing compared to the placebo group, but the company attributes that result to flaws in the design of the trial."
Read more at
MIT.
04 / 11 / 22
phonogram.me NFT Platform For Musical Artists
DaHouse, a global audio production company for Ford, Doritos, Kia and more, is bringing their music NFT platform, phonogram.me to realirt. Phonogram.me is the very first of its kind to allow both artists and users to earn crypto on the music they stream. As the first-ever NFT marketplace made only for musicians, they can sell their royalties, tickets for events, backstage passes, artworks, and more. As the creators behind the world's first DJ in the metaverse (WAVE), DaHouse aims to not only merge music and crypto but also revolutionize the music space, and specifically, the royalties collection model.
The phonographic industry moves around billions of dollars every year. Despite being an exorbitant amount, the distribution of phonographic reproduction is still made in a distinct fashion, where only one-third of the profit is destined to the related rights, made up by interpreters, musicians and the phonographic producer who record the phonogram. Seeing a necessity in the market of providing not only recognition but also freedom in ways to monetize the musical sector audience, phonogram.me presents the first music NFT platform in Brazil.
04 / 07 / 22
Hi-Fi+ April 2022 High-End
Audio Magazine Hi-Fi+'s April 2022 issue
features the following: Hi-Fi+: New Look, New Direction....
Meet Your Dealer Reference Audio
CH Precision D1.5 SACD / CD Transport / Player
Aretai Contra 100S Stand-Mount Loudspeaker
Lavardin ITx 20 Integrated Amplifier
Dynaudio Emit 20 Stand-Mount Loudspeaker
PrimaLuna EVO 300 Hybrid Integrated Amplifier
JBL HDI-3800 Floorstanding Loudspeaker
Acoustics Concept 50 Loudspeakers
Audience Studio ONE Cable System
...And More!
Within this month's editorial, Alan Sircom says
"There! We've finally gone and done it! We have redesigned the magazine for the first time since it moved to its A4 size way back in 2009. In fact, if you compare Issue 205 (the last of the older look) with one 120 or so issues earlier, you'll see a very different magazine, in essence the changes to the magazine until today were more subtle evolution than root-and-branch change. We think the new look at once retains what was good about the magazine while also bringing the best of the 2020s... only without the fire tornadoes, murder hornets, global pandemics and escalating conflicts in Eastern Europe."
See
what's within this issue of Hi-Fi+
magazine at this
link.
World Premiere Review! AGD The Audion MKII Monoblock
Amplifier Review The Audion MkII takes this prized monoblock to the next level. Review By Rick Becker To be a
successful manufacturer it is imperative to know when to draw the line on
product development and call it ready for production. The problem is most
designers know the creative process can go on indefinitely. Technology rarely
stands still. What is cleverly called "passion" often can be arguably described
as an obsessive-compulsive addiction to perfection. Those who cannot draw the
line and commit to even small-scale production become artisans of serial, unique
products, no two of which are alike. A clever way to avoid this trap is modular
construction. Alberto Guerra was thinking several chess moves in advance
when he came out with his stunning Vivace monoblock Class D amplifiers with GaN
MOSFET transistors. ---> AGD The Audion MKII
monoblock amplifier review.
T.H.E. Show Launches Their 2022-2023 Ambassador Program
T.H.E. Show welcomes Jiles McCoy of Home Theater Fanatics and Scott Lylander of Audio Acoustic Engineering as Ambassadors for T.H.E. Show's 2022-2023 programming. Between them, McCoy and Lylander bring over 30 years of experience in
hi-fi, audio, and home theater. With their knowledge and passion, they will be an integral part of T.H.E. Show's front-facing personality, bringing T.H.E. Show's mission of an elevated listening experience for all very much to life through the content they create and their respective global reach on social media.
T.H.E. Ambassador Program was born following the major transformation T.H.E. Show underwent in 2018-2019 to keep
hi-fi and audio front and center through their social media platforms, VIP events, web series and award-winning documentary short film,
T.H.E. Human Side. Ambassadors are tasked with being more than tastemakers, they actively build bridges between T.H.E. Show and the audio community by way of advanced promotion, spreading the mission of T.H.E. Show, working to create a culture of inclusion, education, and inspiration for music lovers of all ages, at all evolutions on their audio journey, hosting T.H.E. Talk, being present at T.H.E. Show, and more. Attendees and exhibitors of T.H.E. Show will see McCoy and Lylander at T.H.E. Show
2022 Long Beach CA, this June 10th through 12th connecting with people, creating content, interviewing exhibitors, and
more. Learn more about T.H.E. Show 2022 in
Southern California.
04 / 04 / 22
Hi-Fi World's May 2022 Reviews & Think Pieces Hi-Fi
World's May 2022 issue features the following:
Editorial: Great Articles And Reviews In This Issue
Your Chance To Win £399 Blue Aura 1 Receiver
Q Acoustics M20 HD Active Speakers
Monopulse Model S A Active Loudspeakers
Teac UD-701n Network Player / DAC
Pro-Ject CD Box S3 CD Player
FiiO M17 Digital Audio Player
NAD C 399 Hybrid Digital DAC / Amplifier
Gramdeck: Martin Pipe Looks At A Tape Recorder
Musical Fidelity LX2 LPS
...and much more!
Within his editorial, Noel Keywood says "Difficult to explain why a premium digital-to-analogue convertor should measure badly, especially from top Japanese manufacturer Teac. They don't clearly state what is different about the UD-701N, only listing technicalities such as optional one-bit or multi-bit operation. This doesn't say a lot, even to a digital engineer. Instead you are expected to listen and make up your own mind – not always so easy. Our Rohde & Schwarz UPV audio analyser however showed very clearly what this convertor was doing and how it differed from the norm – as set by ESS and their dominance of the world-wide market. You can find out on p10 about Teac's complex, specialised network DAC, including how it sounds unlike all else."See what's within
this issue of Hi-Fi World
at this link.
Enjoy the Music.com's
April 2022 Luxury Audio Review Magazine A reminder, today is April Fools' Day so have fun with family and friends! We're not kidding when we say our awesome April luxury audio magazine is now online! Be sure to read our Florida Audio Expo and Salon Audio Montreal Audio Fest reports, with more reporting coming online soon! We also pick our Best Of Show too! This issue also features many excellent editorials, hi-fi gear reviews, and a terrific turntable video too! Happy April Fools' Day everyone!
See this month's
Enjoy the Music.comReview Magazine.
Doing What's Best For The Luxury Audio Community A heart-to-heartfelt wish as there's much work to do!
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin Since
it has been quite some time since writing an article, I'd like to first thank
all our readers for your patience in product delivery over the past year. Supply
constraints combined with various factory closings globally over the past year
have been a challenge for many of us. While many of us stayed home, we took much
joy, and a careful listen, to our luxury audio systems. With many of your
wanting to upgrade your gear, there were many companies I spoke with who were
simply inundated with orders. As someone who gives close attention to the luxury
goods market for decades, the health of the industry also rests on the used
marketplace. Am sure many of you have seen the rise in asking prices for
pre-loved gear. This, imho, reinforces the value of high-end audio products. --->
Doing What's Best For The Luxury Audio Community.
Remembering Max Townshend Max long held an ambition to design the whole audio chain. Editorial By Martin Colloms Once encountered, never forgotten, that indefatigable Australian, Max Townshend – who passed away on December 31st, 2021, aged 78 – was a major force in our audio industry for many years. With a long career first in industrial electronics, and then in audio, he could engineer with a broad
brush. Fascinated, even obsessed by music and sound from an early age, he came from a musical family who encouraged his interests, and – aged just 10 – he was helping Guglielmo Marconi's former assistant, Australian Ernest
Wishshaw, by reading colour codes on resistors. Ernest was now manufacturing valve audio amplifiers, which were Max's first experience of high-fidelity sound, and he was immediately hooked. ---> Remembering Max Townshend.
A Fabulous Variety Of Furutech Reviewed Much more than 'just' accessories... and worth every dollar
too! Review By Bob Grossman The focus
of this review is a lineup of Furutech products. It includes interconnects,
speaker cables, and power cords assembled with their bulk cable lines, along
with the PowerFlux-NCF 18 factory-made power cords, the GTO-D2 NCF(R) Power
Distributor, and the GTX DR NCF duplex outlets. The premise of the bulk cables
is to offer a more economical approach for the DIY assembly of Furutech cables
using their wire designs with Furutech termination plugs of your own selection.
Scot Markwell, President of Elite AV Distribution assembled the cables for this
review to the lengths needed for my stereo. While every audio system needs cables to connect components
and power supplies, it can be a complicated range of choices based on cost,
design, and various product lines from the many cable manufacturers in the
market today. --->
A Fabulous Variety Of Furutech Reviewed.
Canton Vento 100 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review Canton's new flagship of the high-class Vento series shows how it's done.
Review By Tom Frantzen Canton's Vento series is something like the manufacturer's
House of Lords. This is where high-tech, quality and nevertheless high
quantities meet. Above that, only the Canton Reference class sits – the Vento
Reference class, mind you. Every few years, the developers from the town of Weilrod
incorporate their Formula 1 technologies, used and proven in the Reference, into
a new Vento series. This trickle-down concept now ensures that the Vento 100
clearly distances itself from the previous top speaker of the old Vento series,
the 896.2. Strictly speaking, the Vento 90 rather serves as the successor to
that one. The new top-of-the-line speaker has undoubtedly grown, and in more
ways than its height. --->
Canton Vento 100 Floorstanding Speaker Review.
Noble Fokus
TWS In-Ear Monitor (IEM) Review Achievement unlocked!
Review By Gary Alan Baker Last
year I gave the Noble Falcon Pro True Wireless IEM a well-deserved Headphone.Guru
2021 Product of the Year Award because it was the most convenient, most
comfortable, and best-sounding True Wireless IEM I had been given the
opportunity to listen to. Now, Noble has one-upped themselves by offering the
Noble FoKus Pro True Wireless IEM, a true audiophile quality multi-driver,
hybrid IEM bringing Bluetooth and True Wireless to a whole new level. Designed by the "Wizard" John Moulton
(AU.D. CCC-A), one
look at the Noble FoKus Pro True Wireless IEM tells you that this is a much more
refined, much higher-end product than the Falcon Pro. --->
Noble Fokus True Wireless In-Ear Monitor (IEM) Review.
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