High-End Audio Industry News

06 / 28 / 13

  High resolution music download site HDtracks now has The Allman Brothers Brothers And Sisters plus Rush's Sector Two five-album set in 24-bit/96kHz. Brothers And Sisters by The Allman Brothers Band was their fifth album and released in August 1973. The Allman Brothers Band had experienced dizzying highs and soul-crushing lows. Brothers And Sisters bested the sales of At Fillmore East and Eat A Peach, spending five weeks at #1 and becoming the first Allman Brothers Band release to gain Platinum sales status. This 40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition features the original recording, a second album of previously unreleased Jams, Rehearsals and Outtakes, in addition to two extra albums that feature the entire live show from Winterland in San Francisco on September 26, 1973. Legendary rock band Rush's Sector Two spans the Canadian rock trio's 1977 to 1981 releases. Mastered by Andy Van Dette at Masterdisk from the original master tapes, Sector Two includes the albums A Farewell To Kings (1977), Hemispheres (1978) the radio-breaking and popular Permanent Waves (1980) and Rush's perhaps most commercially accepted album Moving Pictures. For those who love live albums, Sector Two includes Exit... Stage Left (1981) that features performances of favorites such as "Tom Sawyer", "Freewill", "YYZ" and deeper album tracks such as "La Villa Strangiato".

TGIFMUSIC
On a personal note, guess what extremely popular musical artist is DJ'ing a party the wife and i are attending July 4. Note: This isn't 'audiophile' music as we will be dancing and celebrating. It is great to take an 'audiophile day off' and enjoy music whilst partying and dancing with many young, vibrant people! To my wife Heather, "This Is Love" cuz the DJ got my walkin' on the ceiling!

06 / 27 / 13

  Cardas Audio, after four years of exhaustive research and development encompassing every part of the human hearing system, is now offering their new EM5813 Ear Speaker/In-Ear Monitor ($425). Seeking to help talented musicians bring their art to the world accurately has been the driving force in George Cardas' life, and is the reason Cardas Audio was founded over 25 years ago. To quote their press release, "The human hearing system, musical chords, and the Cardas Audio EM5813 Ear Speakers are reflections of the Golden Ratio - closely related to the Fibonacci Sequence - George Cardas has based his cable and microphone designs on this age old mathematical sequence that naturally occurs in nature, architecture, and art." Cardas Audio's EM5813 Ear Speakers was designed to mirror the human cochlea and the tympanic membrane, thus the shape of the elegant copper plated brass body has been designed to work in symphony with the human hearing system. All parts that make up the custom designed drivers are machined from proprietary solid bar stock metals in California. All drivers are precision hand matched on each pair of Ear Speakers. The Ear Speaker cable is made from Clear Light Headphone Cable, which is a miniature version of the Cardas Audio Clear cable that uses proprietary Cardas copper. Created by company founder George Cardas, the custom designed ultra-thin ear tip ensures a precise and comfortable fit.

06 / 26 / 13

  Cary Audio has just introduced their solid-state DAC-100 and vacuum tube DAC-100t converters ($2495 and $2995 respectively). The American-made Cary Audio DAC-100 and DAC-100t digital to analog converters (DACs) were specifically designed to address this growing segment of computer based storage and playback of digital files. These DACs incorporate the latest USB section for connecting and playing back these files directly from a computer. Utilizing Streamlength technology, the USB section streams data from the computer (PC or MAC) asynchronously, meaning the timing of the stream is handled by the built in XMOS processor and other components to effectively eliminate digital jitter. Both the Cary Audio DAC-100 and DAC-100t are capable of handling native hi-resolution music files of up to 24-bit/192kHz over the USB, two S/PDIF coaxial, and pair of optical TosLink inputs. The difference between the DAC-100 and the DAC-100t is the analog output section. The DAC-100 uses four solid-state hi-speed monolithic non-feedback buffers, whereas the DAC-100t uses two premium 6922 vacuum tubes. Other common features are separate power supplies for the digital and analog sections and include both RCA and XLR balanced outputs. The unit weighs a substantial 21 lbs. and the chassis is 3.5" x 17.25" x 15.5" (HxWxD).

06 / 25 / 13

  High quality music label TACET has released Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Serenade in B flat major, KV 361 "Gran Partita", Fantasia in F minor KV 608 by the Stuttgart Winds (€17.60). The label says "Inspired by Roger Norrington, a group of musicians from the Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart of the SWR recently came together to form the Stutgart Winds. TACET has the honor of being able to show the fruits of this carefree, pleasurable work. As an opening, the Gran Partita, K. 361 of W. A. Mozart was selected - a formidable task in every respect. Twelve winds and a double bassist aim to be attuned to each other, breathe together and emanate the spirit of music that is so natural, simple-sounding and yet so complex. The result is a pure delight! Luxuriantly lyrical passages, intimate dialogues, humorous interjections, rousing dances. The program is completed and rounded off by a transcription of Mozart's Fantasia in F minor, K. 608." Like all TACET recordings, only minimal mic'ing and very high-end recording gear is used to capture this musical performance.

06 / 24 / 13

  Bright Star Audio's IsoNode resonance tuning devices are now available in new Extra Large size. Measuring 1.75" x 0.75" ($50 per set of four), the new extra large IsoNode anti-vibration feet are excellent for larger, heavier components such as speakers, subwoofers, amplifiers, power supplies, AC conditioners, etc. The unique IsoNode polymer rejects a wide range of vibration trying to enter from underneath the component to ensure higher performance from a piece of equipment. The highly compliant IsoNode simultaneously acts as both a liquid and a solid for superior vibration control. Each set of four isoNode Extra Large size holds up to 60 lbs, though users can add more feet if they need more weight support. IsoNode feet have become so popular that they are now available at major Pro Audio retailers such as Guitar Center, Musician’s Friend, Music 123 and many others. IsoNode feet have earned many award and recommendations over the years; with this new extra large size following suit for those with heavy audio equipment.

Music Industry News 10 Years Ago
Warner Music Vision has announced the release of both Donald Fagen's 1993 second solo album Kamakiriad and Chicago's second album Chicago II on DVD-Audio. Donald Fagen's Sci-Fi themed Kamakiriad is encoded in Dolby and DTS 5.1 Surround Sound soundtracks, and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. The eight-song album includes supplementary material including an exclusive behind-the-scenes interview with Fagen and album producer Walter Becker, plus a Photo Gallery featuring 15 photographs, DVD-Rom web link, Song Lyrics and Production Credits. The album also includes the pop videos for the singles "Tomorrow's Girls" (starring comedy actor Rick Moranis) and the futuristic "Snowbound".

Chicago's classic 1970 album Chicago II was produced for DVD-Audio in Dolby Digital 5.1 by by John Kellog and Paul Klingberg (the same production/engineering team responsible for the DVD-Audio 5.1 mixes for Deep Purple's Machine Head, Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Brain Salad Surgery, and Foreigner's eponymous album Foreigner 4). Chicago II was meticulously produced for DVD-A under the supervision of Lee Loughnane (Chicago's founding trumpet player and backing vocalist). The album includes the hit singles "Make Me Smile", "Colour My World", and "25 or 6 To 4". The album is presented in two new Advanced Resolution versions: a 5.1 Surround/Stereo 24-bit/96kHz version for DVD-Audio compatible players. A Dolby Digital Surround track is included for playback on any DVD-Video player plus Photo Gallery and Liner Notes.

06 / 21 / 13

   
Enjoy the Music.com has added new articles within the Review Magazine, including one very interesting and thought-provoking editorial.

Audiolics Anonymous Chapter 164: I'm Baaack! 
Environmental Potentials EP2050 Wave Form Corrector And Intel NUC Mini Computer
Article By Dr. Bill Gaw 

My Memo To The Industry 
In this age, optimism like that is a revolutionary act...
I just want to be inspired.
Article By Steven R. Rochlin 

Skoff'ing Up Food For Thought 
Help; I'm an audiophile and I don't know what that means!
Article By Roger Skoff 

Sonic Satori 
A New Journey into the Heart of the Audiophile Dream
Article By Michael Mercer

See these new articles within our Review Magazine by clicking here.

Enjoy the Music.com has just posted Hi-Fi World's August 2013 edition including the complete editorial and table of contents. This issue includes reviews of the Quadral Platinum M50 loudspeakers, DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core room equaliser, Onkyo TX-NR828 AV receiver, Ming Da Dynasty Duet 300B single-ended integrated amplifier, Canor TP-10 headphone amplifier, ModWright KWI 200 integrated amplifier and more! The editorial High Quality Comes In All Shapes And Sizes by Noel Keywood says, "AV receivers are a technological tour-de-force that I believe no one understands. They are barking mad electronic contrivances – just try and read the Owner’s Manual for Onkyo's TX-NR828 Martin Pipe manfully reviews in this issue! Yes, I've done it and been left wondering if it means anything to a normal human being. But on the other hand big Onkyo receivers like this one are awesome in what they can do, as Martin explains on page 14." See the complete August table of contents and editorial of Hi-Fi World by clicking here.

Bottlehead is now shipping their Reduction vacuum tube D.I.Y. phono preamplifier kit ($369). The new Reduction phono preamp kit from Bottlehead employs the same 6922 based circuit that was in their Seduction. The Reduction is a two stage stereo phono preamplifier (one 6DJ8 tube per channel) with passive RIAA equalization. The solid-state high voltage supply uses fast recovery soft start rectifiers. The heaters are supplied with filtered DC from Schottky rectifiers, which do not exhibit the switching spikes of lesser rectifiers, the supply is shunt regulated, and the heaters themselves are bypassed with wide bandwidth ceramic capacitors to filter out interference. Passive RIAA components are high quality Vishay Dale 1% metal film and close tolerance metallized polypropylene capacitors. Grid and plate stopper resistors round out the RFI filtering that "lets this 6DJ8/6922/7308 based preamp perform without the edginess sometimes associated with this fast, articulate tube". Tube bias is set via Agilent LEDs, a special model that has excellent noise and linearity characteristics for this application. Bottlehead's Reduction phonostage has a gain of approximately 36 dB at 1 kHz and is intended for use with phono cartridges of 2.5mV and higher output, with 5mV output being the design center. The biggest cosmetic changes to the basic kit is that the power transformer is the PT-5 that they use in the Eros kit, and the chassis plate is 8" x 10". Use of the PT-5 is due to it being more quiet EM-wise than the PT-1.

TGIFMUSIC
One song for audiophiles and one for children of the 1980's. It's summertime!!!

06 / 20 / 13

  The RIAA recently announced it will start certifying streaming music as gold, platinum and diamond. Streaming music service Rhapsody has been online for over a decade streaming the hits to enthusiastic music lovers. On February 4, 2004, Outkast's "Hey Ya!" is the first track on Rhapsody to go gold; with it then earning platinum status just six months later. Add to that, we have the popular electronic music craze with David Guetta, Calvin Harris and Skrillex also reaching platinum. The list goes on and on, yet online music sales has grown a considerable rate. Eventually music downloading takes on audiophiles with sites such as HDtracks that cater to high resolution music files. Rhapsody has produced a fun infographic to demonstrate the streaming success of some of the popular artists and songs of yesterday and today, which is available at this link (PDF).

06 / 19 / 13

  Acoustic Signature has introduced their Wow turntable (less than $2000 including Rega 202 tonearm) to the family of their German precision-engineered products. This handcrafted vinyl-spinner is made in Germany and uses the same proprietary 'Tidorfolon' bearing design as used in all Acoustic Signature turntables. Their new Wow also has the same AC motor as used in all Acoustic Signature models plus a 9 lbs CNC-machined platter with leather mat. For main chassis, a total of 30mm MDF with acrylic deck was engineered for best sound quality and anti-resonance. Both 33.3 and 45 rpm speeds are provided via single belt drive and the entire unit weights in at 22 lbs.

06 / 18 / 13

My Memo To The Industry
In this age, optimism like that is a revolutionary act...
I just want to be inspired.
Article By Steven R. Rochlin

  Have had this article in my head for a long, long time. What you are about to read will have one of two outcomes. These consist of:

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...

Read the complete article by clicking here.

06 / 17 / 13

  Goldmund celebrated in 1987 the release of their unique design Apologue speaker, with plans to release their Apologue Anniversary edition ($500,000) in October 2013. Goldmund is paying a tribute to this speaker by issuing a limited series of 25 Goldmund Apologue Anniversary with an exactly identical visual design, yet with all the technological progress made by the company during those 25 years. Whilst the 1987 edition of the Apologue was a three-way passive speaker, the new Apologue Anniversary comes with twice as many drivers and built-in 3600 watts of amplification per pair. Goldmund added the latest signal corrections developed by Goldmund Fundamental Research Department. The company says "it is scientifically correct to say that the Apologue Anniversary is 100% corrected both in amplitude and phase, providing for the first time a 'perfect response' from a pair of speakers...". The signal feeding the Apologue Anniversary is sent exclusively wirelessly, so the two speakers of a stereo system can be presented without any audio cable. The Apologue Anniversary will be available as a standard version with the Goldmund aluminum finish but is also customizable in any desired finish thanks to the services provided by the Goldmund Shop.

06 / 14 / 13

COMING SOON!
The below is just a small sample of the (currently) over 4000 word article to be published in a matter or hours to perhaps a handful of days as final editing is done. 

My Memo To The Industry
In this age, optimism like that is a revolutionary act...
I just want to be inspired.

  Have had this article in my head for a long, long time. What you are about to read will have one of two outcomes. These consist of:

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? Perhaps my goals are set too high, or ambition has gotten the better of me, yet we know about Rolex. And how about Ferrari? Go up to someone and ask them about Ferrari and see how much they know. Rolex may be a bit trickier, yet they at least know the brand and why it is of high quality. Now let us compare this to an entire industry called high-end audio. Go up to someone and ask them about high-end audio or name some 'major' audiophile brand. What happens? So yes, if I am to be honest with myself and look back at my personal ability to create and then reach some form of common knowledge concerning high-end audio to the masses, or at least greatly enhance some minor curiosity about our industry, then yes I have missed the mark.

Full article coming soon!

TGIFMUSIC
Maybe one day we will work together to promote this industry. For just this brief moment, it is time to take a musical break and this goes out to my loving, caring and patient wife who has seen me laugh, cry and rattle my brain trying to write/construct, edit and polish the final version of the above article. Forward 2 minutes into this video for the music. This song is dedicated to my wife Heather....

06 / 13 / 13

  The Toronto Audio Video Entertainment Show (TAVES) 2013 will be at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto from November 1st through 3rd. TAVES is an event for consumers interested in discovering and experiencing new consumer audio and video brands and products as well as other product categories. TAVES also presents a great opportunity for industry professionals to connect with manufacturers, distributors and retailers. At their 2012 event they had some 60 different exhibitors and more than 280 brands under one roof! Audio Video Productions Inc., in turn, has launched their Social Media Campaign with help from social media strategist. During the six months of this campaign, TAVES will run six giveaways through their social network.

Wireless Speaker And Audio (WiSA) Association, an industry group dedicated to bringing reliable interoperable wireless sound audio products to the market, just announced the opening of their first authorized test center (ATC). The ATC will be managed by Simplay Labs, a leading provider of development tools and interoperability testing services and solutions for the global HD connectivity standards HDMI and MHL, with testing centers in the United States, China and Korea. The WiSA ATC is now operational and in the process of receiving, testing, and certifying Association members' wireless products for the home market in accordance with the WiSA Compliance Test Specification (CTS). The ATC is set up to test products ranging from receiving devices like wireless speakers and soundbars to transmitting devices like Blu-ray Disc players, set-top boxes, HDTVs, A/V receivers, gaming consoles, media hubs and other electronic devices. The testing program gives assurance to both the manufacturer and the consumer that the wireless link between the transmitting device and the receiving devices is compliant to the test specification and certifies the devices’ interoperability with other WiSA-compliant products. This significant accomplishment was achieved in only 18 months since the formation of the Association. Credit for the fast tracking of this goal is due to the cooperation and commitment of the Association’s member companies and the industry’s acceptance of the need for compliance testing for wireless home products.

Capital Audio Fest (CAF) will take place from July 26th through 28th at the Sheraton Silver Spring Hotel in Maryland. The 2013 CAF is now located in downtown Silver Spring, MD just walking distance from Washington DC and the Metro Rail. Rooms within this venue are oriented well for most any audio system and will accommodate intimate up to large scale systems. The CAF always includes quality audio ranging from the affordable to the exotic as well as vacuum tube and transistor equipment. Analog and digital playback sources are also well-represented plus food and beverage are available from the hotel and many nearby restaurants and pubs. CAF's schedule is as follows:

Thursday July 25 - CAF Setup
3:00PM - 7:00PM: CAF Event Setup 
(You may be able to access rooms earlier depending on availability)
7:00PM - Closed

Friday July 26
9:00AM - 10:00AM: CAF Event Setup
10:00AM - 6:00PM: CAF Open to Public
6:00PM - Raffle Drawing at Bandstand in Atrium
7:00PM Live Music

Saturday July 27
9:00AM - 10:00AM: CAF Event Setup
10:00AM - 6:00PM: CAF Open to Public
6:00PM - Raffle Drawing at Bandstand in Atrium
7:00PM Live Music

Sunday July 28
9:00AM - 10:00AM CAF Event Setup
10:00AM - 5:00PM CAF Open to Attendees
5:00PM - Raffle Drawing at Bandstand in Atrium
5:00PM - CAF Closed

06 / 11 / 13

  Enjoy the Music.com just posted the June edition of Hi-Fi+ that celebrates the magazine's 100th issue! This issue includes equipment reviews of the Prima Luna Prologue Premium integrated amplifier, Funk Firm little super deck turntable and tonearm, Metrum Hex DAC, Marten Django L floorstanding loudspeakers, Dared RD-1 digital table radio, Lavardin Model IS integrated amplifier and more! Within Alan Sircom's editorial he says, "Welcome to the 100th issue of Hi-Fi Plus. The world of hi-fi – and magazines – has been through some radical changes since that first issue rolled off the presses at the end of the last century, and there have been plenty of 'The Sky is Falling' cries of woe along the way, but now in 2013, we are seeing recovery in all sectors of audio.?" You can see the complete table of contents and editorial of Hi-Fi+ by clicking here.

Audience's new WavePower mono power amplifier incorporates newly developed Ncore Class D technology from Hypex Electronics and a host of Audience refinements to deliver a high-performance amplifier. The Hypex Ncore technology at the heart of the Audience WavePower represents a completely new, proprietary implementation of Class D amplifier technology said to deliver greater retrieval of sonic information and extraordinary resolution, with extremely low THD, IMD, noise and output impedance. The WavePower amp also incorporates a matching Hypex switching power supply, an Audience-designed input amplifier, new Audience-exclusive AIT1 input transformers and new Audience SE-class custom-made XLR and RCA connectors. It delivers 650 watts into 4 Ohms and 1200 watts into 2 Ohms. Additional features include all-Audience Auric OFCC point-to-point internal wiring, built-in Audience TS-class power conditioning, WBT NextGen binding posts, a Neutrik powerCON connector and other refinements.

06 / 10 / 13

  Maserati and Bowers & Wilkins have announced the new 805 Maserati Edition stand-mounted speaker (price TBA). To celebrate the partnership between Bowers & Wilkins and Maserati, both companies are proud to announce the launch of an exciting new loudspeaker that combines the high-performance of Bowers & Wilkins coupled with the opulence of Maserati. The 805 Maserati Edition provides a twist on the highly-regarded Bowers & Wilkins 805 Diamond monitor speaker, by incorporating elements of the luxurious interior of a Maserati car. The 805 Maserati Edition features numerous audiophile-grade technologies, including Bowers & Wilkins' Diamond dome tweeter. Bowers & Wilkins' 805 Maserati Edition is crafted from materials that reflect the partnership: the exquisite bird's eye maple real wood veneer and black Maserati leather reflect the luxurious interior of the brand's cars, and the speaker stand that forms an integral part of the 805 Maserati Edition is finished with the same polished wood veneer and features the Maserati Trident. The Trident has been part of the Maserati identity since 1926, and was designed by Mario Maserati based upon the statue of Neptune in the fountain of Bologna’s Piazza Maggiore. Towards the end of 2013 there will also be a P5 Maserati Edition headphone launched. Both products will be first shown as part of their 'Seven Notes World Tour', a musical exploration of the Maserati engine that visits Dubai, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York and London, plus a special Vogue tribute event during Men’s Fashion Week in Milan. Seven Notes was inspired by the beautiful sound of a Maserati engine, and in an attempt to discover if the engine was truly musical, Bowers & Wilkins commissioned acclaimed musician and producer Howie B (who has worked with the likes of U2 and Bjork) to record the sound of a Maserati engine. Howie B discovered seven notes, which formed a unique Maserati scale, and then used these to create music in the form of Seven Notes.

Channel D, developers of the innovative Pure Vinyl and Pure Music audio software for Apple Macintosh computers, have announced their new Seta Plus Phono Preamplifier Special Edition (from $3799 to $6998 depending on trim level). The Seta Plus Phono Preamplifier represents the continued evolution of Channel D's ultra wide bandwidth Seta 'flat' phono preamplifier. In Model L trim, the bandwidth is DC to 5 MHz (-3dB), which unprecedented for a phono preamplifier. Each Seta includes single-ended RCA and fully balanced XLR inputs and balanced XLR outputs. The output is specially designed for connecting to a high quality analog to digital converter for digital RIAA compensation via Channel D's Pure Vinyl software. For audiophiles insisting on an all-analog signal path, a high precision better than +/- 0.1 dB RIAA and 0.05 dB inter-channel match is an optional internal RIAA compensation module. The Flat and RIAA outputs may be used simultaneously, supporting the best of the Analog and Digital worlds. The RIAA module has balanced XLR and single-ended RCA outputs and uses premium, hand selected passive components including low dissipation Schoopage sprayed-metal contact polypropylene capacitors. It also features a unique, bucking DC servo circuit design that forces output devices into conduction even in the absence of signal, further reducing distortion. Channel D's Seta uses a unique video bandwidth front-end preamplifier module, which is electronically and acoustically isolated as well as kept at a stable operating temperature and environment by enclosing and sealing in a block machined from a solid piece of copper. Because of its ultra wide bandwidth, the internal signal propagation delay is negligible, thus eliminating the drawbacks of local negative feedback and results in ultra low distortion of less than 0.001% THD. The Seta Plus includes an updated, ultra low impedance, low noise rechargeable internal AGM battery power supply based on the original Seta phono preamplifier design. This Special Edition is housed in a heavy, milled aluminum chassis with a glossy red powder coat finish..

06 / 08 / 13

  Enjoy the Music.com's coverage of The Home Entertainment Show Newport Beach (T.H.E Show) 2013 has been updated! Just added over 60 new photos from the event plus an article by none other than industry mover 'n' shaker Michael Mercer! Within Michael's Sonic Satori article 'A New Journey into the Heart of the Audiophile Dream' he says "We have newer and better opportunities to share our collective passion for recorded sound with the world than we ever have. Accessibility to great sound, and the price tag associated with the price of entry has been blown to pieces. I could recommend a dozen personal audio systems under fifteen hundred bucks that provide a level of sonic integrity and musical engagement that would've cost you ten grand in an in-room stereo system a decade ago!" See our T.H.E. SHow 2013 update and Michael's article at this link.

TGIFMUSIC
Maybe one day we will work together to promote this industry. We need a place of neutral territory, somewhere everyone can benefit and be Brothers In Arms. Where we can lay down our selfish desires and stop stressing over what the'other guy is doing. To work together for the good of all. We need peace, love and street passion...

Shit, i'm tired of gettin' verbally shot at
Tired of gettin' chased by the audio police and arrested
We need a spot where we can kick it
A spot where we all belong, that's just for us
Reviewers ain't gotta get all dressed up and be Hollywood
Y'know what I mean?...
That's why we go to thug mansion
That's the only place where thugs get in free and you gotta be a G... at thug mansion.

When Miles Davis cuttin' lose with the band
Just think of all the people that you knew in the past
That passed on, they in heaven, found peace at last
Picture a place that they exist, together
There has to be a place better than this, in heaven
So right before I sleep, dear God, what I'm askin'
Remember this face, save me a place, in thug's mansion

Every corner, every city
There's a place where life's a little easy
Little Hennessy, laid back and cool
Every hour, cause it's all good
Leave all the stress from the world outside
Every wrong done will be alright
Nothin' but peace, love, and street passion
High-end audio needs a thug mansion

06 / 06 / 13

  Gryphon Audio Designs' new Trident II Reference loudspeaker (€97,000) system is a high-power, semi-active, constant phase large floorstanding design. Premiered worldwide within Enjoy the Music.com's Munich High End show report, the Trident II floorstanding speaker was met with universal acclaim including Editor and Creative Director of Enjoy the Music.com Steven R. Rochlin who said "These speakers get my award for Most Desired in My Home". Gryphon founder and CEO Flemming E. Rasmussen elaborates, "Gryphon have never felt the need to constantly replace our product line-up to suit the changing seasons. Our observation has been that most 'Mark 2' versions are simply trivial bug fixes promoted as major breakthroughs. We prefer to expend the necessary effort and resources to get things right the first time. That is why Gryphon products have an exceptionally long lifespan both in the marketplace and in the home." The Gryphon Trident II incorporates specially developed constant phase technologies to ensure that all drivers are in phase at all frequencies at all times. Compared to its predecessor, Gryphon Trident II is housed in a slimmer, taller, massively braced enclosure with precisely contoured baffle and driver surrounds and baffle covering carefully selected and applied to effectively address baffle reflections and eliminate diffraction phenomena. The most crucial upgrade in Trident II is perhaps the implementation of an AMT (Air Motion Transformer) high frequency driver with minimal mass for instantaneous response to the audio signal. Adding power was also key and thus Gryphon Audio implementing a semi-active configuration based on dedicated Gryphon on-board 1000 Watt bass power amplification. This is in conjunction with heavily modified drivers, handmade crossover components, and proprietary Q Control room integration and a non-resonant enclosure. Active bass allows the owner to select the ideal amplifier for the upper frequency range without having to worry about deep-bass power demands. Like every Gryphon product, Gryphon Trident II is designed by Gryphon founder and CEO Flemming E. Rasmussen and manufactured in Denmark. System response is from 16 Hz to 40 kHz and an included remote control allows for Q setting, Bass Level, Mute and Low Cut.

06 / 05 / 13

  Concert Fidelity's new DAC-040BD battery drive tubed DAC ($12,000) follows the designer's ideal of using a battery, a source of pure DC completely isolated from the dirty AC from the wall, to drive the DAC section. After many years exhaustive research by head engineer and CEO Masataka Tsuda, he finally found the right battery (nickel-metal hydride or Ni-MH battery) that sounds good and thus constructed a proprietary charger to make it all work. With the battery powering the crucial DAC section, the other components including the output tubes are powered by the conventional power supply as in the company's previous DAC. The company says that sonic improvements are heard in a lower noise floor, openness, larger soundstage and a sense that a "frame" is removed from the sonic picture. Inputs include S/PDIF coax and output is via a pair of gold-plated RCA jacks. Tube complement is two 12AU7 for gain and a 6CA4 for rectification. You can see Enjoy the Music.com's review of the previous version of Concert Fidelity's DAC-040 by Dick Olsher at this link.

06 / 01 / 13

  Enjoy the Music.com has a very special June high-end audio Review Magazine now online with three show reports and two World Premiere equipment reviews! We have added our Lone Star Audio Fest and High End Show Munich show coverage! T.H.E. Show Newport Beach 2013 report begins this Friday! Add to that, we have launched a new section called Dealer Perspective to join our new Lifestyle & Design articles. Enjoy the Music.com welcomes high-end dealers to chime in about the industry! Music reviews, think pieces and more are now available within our June Review Magazine as seen by clicking here.

 
Regular Reading
Daily News: Audiophile news updated each weekday!

BAS Speaker
The Listening Room

Sound Practices
Homebrew Horn For Dual Concentric Loudspeakers
Article By Roy Hilsley

VALVE Magazine
My Own Triode Input MK III
Dan remakes a Dyna MKIII to 'juice his lizard'.
Article By Dan Schmalle

Show Reports
T.H.E. Show Newport Beach 2013

Lone Star Audio Fest 2013

Munich High End Show Report 2013 High End Society

Viewpoint
In This Issue...
Three Shows, Two World Premiere Equipment Reviews And More!
Article By Steven R. Rochlin

From The Editor's Desk...
Portable Audio Was Terrible Back In The Day!
Ok, perhaps not terrible, but something was indeed amiss.
Article By Steven R. Rochlin

Dealer Perspective
A Hi-Fi Dealer's Perspective And In Being A Brand Ambassador.
Article By Igor Kivritsky of Hi Fi Centre

Lifestyle & Design
Aston Martin's 100th Anniversary CC100 Concept Car
Even James Bond would be jealous!
Article By Steven R. Rochlin

Nervous Squirrel Pyramid Synthesizers
Cool sounds for a retro-futuristic world.
Article By Steven R. Rochlin

Audiophile Equipment Reviews
World Premiere!
AVM Audio's Evolution PA 3.2 Preamp / Tuner, CD 3.2 Digital Player
And MA 3.2S Monoblock Amplifiers
Setting new heights for playback performance and a more three dimensional soundstage.
Review By Brett Rudolph

World Premiere!
Metrum Octave mkII Updated Octave NOS DAC Including USB Input Option
Will this DAC be as highly acclaimed as its predecessor?
Review By Clive Meakins

Peachtree Audio novaPre Preamplifier / DAC
An affordable, attractive, and tubed digital preamplifier.
Review By Tom Lyle

Partner Magazine Reviews
The Absolute Sound
2013 TAS Editors' Choice Awards
Integrated Amplifiers Under $1000

Ayon Orion II Tube Integrated Amplifier
Connoisseur-level audio for those on a budget.
Review By Ron Doering

Hi-Fi+
Conrad-Johnson LP125sa Power Amplifier
Review By Roy Gregory

Final Audio Design Adagio III And FI-BA-SS Earphones
Review By Chris Martens

Hi-Fi World
Astell&Kern AK120 Portable Music Player
Uprated line amplifiers put the new Astell&Kern AK120 portable music player ahead of the field.
Review By Noel Keywood

Naim NAC-N 172 XS Preamplifier
Naim's new NAC-N 172 XS preamplifier is a great sensory experience.
Review By Rafael Todes and Jon Myles

HIFICRITIC
Headphone Shootout!
We review the Bowers & Wilkins P5, Grado PS1000, Grado SR80i, and Grado SR325i.
Review By Martin Colloms

Cypriot Phono Stage
Valves Galore: Some of the components seem to use valves as a token gesture. Not so with this one!
Review By Chris Bryant

DIY Audio
Resistors
Article By Grey Rollins

Music Reviews
Classical Music
Sony gives us an invaluable career survey of Liszt by Vladimir Horowitz.
Review By Joe Milicia

Disappointing Reger and Strauss from the normally superb Marc-Andre Hamelin.
Review By Joe Milicia

Jean Sibelius Symphonies No. 2 in D major, Op. 43; No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 82
Osmo Vanska conducting the Minnesota Orchestra
Review By Max Westler

Rock, Techno, House, etc.
Jimi Hendrix People, Hell and Angels
Format: Vinyl (two 200 gram LP at 33.3 rpm)
Review By Claude Lemaire

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