High-End Audio / Audiophile & Music Industry News

07 / 31 / 22

Pacific Audio Fest 2022 Show Sunday Photofest
We get treated to more pics from Enjoy the Music.com reviewer Greg Weaver.
Show Report By Greg Weaver
Thanks once again to Greg Weaver for sending us more sneak peek photos from PAF 2022. We'll have more great pics to come, including Greg's excellent full show coverage shortly. As always... Enjoy the Music!
---> Pacific Audio Fest 2022 Show Sunday Photofest!

07 / 30 / 22

Pacific Audio Fest 2022 Show Saturday Photofest
Enjoy the Music.com reviewer Greg Weaver gives us a look at the show.
Show Report By Greg Weaver
Thanks to Greg Weaver for sending us some great fun first day photos from the Pacific Audio Fest 2022. More to come so check back daily!
---> Saturday Photofest From The Pacific Audio Fest 2022 Show.

07 / 28 / 22

Tonight @ PAF! Drinks And Music Sponsored By Enjoy the Music.com
Enjoy the Music.com, premium audio's highly-celebrated site for over 26 years and a leader in providing industry news, hi-fi gear reviews, and luxury show reports is pleased to be sponsoring the Pacific Audio Fest 2022's Thursday night exhibitor and media party. To be held from Friday, July 29th through Sunday 31st at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport in Washington state, both show exhibitors and members of the media are invited to join us for drinks, music, and good times. This is a must-attend event for Northwestern music lovers, audiophiles, and hi-fi enthusiasts alike who live within one of the nation's tech and music hubs.

Location: Show exhibitors and members of the press are invited to join us for drinks, music, and good times on Thursday starting at 6pm in Maxi's lounge on the 14th floor.
---> Learn more and see our Pacific Audio Fest 2022 show report.

Raidho TD4.2 Floorstanding Loudspeakers Review
Raidho's TD4.2 delivers the meaning of music.
Review By Tom Lyle
I admit it. The pair of TD4.2 speakers that have taken residence in my listening room are the best speakers I have ever had the pleasure of auditioning. They are also the most massive, most substantial, and at $122,000 to $142,000 a pair, the most expensive. It was a bit of a humbling experience unpacking these speakers. This is because getting them out of their crates and into the listening room required hired help — there was no way I could move these speakers into the listening room upstairs by myself. Usually, when assigned the task of moving large speakers, I would enlist a friend or two to help me out, but in this case, if I attempted to move them as I did with other large speakers, there would be no way I could get them into my listening room without damaging the mirror-like, gorgeous walnut finish of this review pair.
---> Raidho TD4.2 Floorstanding Loudspeakers Review.

BØrresen Acoustics 01 Two-Way Monitor Review
An unending oasis of musical reality.
Review By Dr. Michael Bump
As a professional musician and university professor of 36 years, I can appreciate the weight behind Benjamin Franklin's infamous quote. Though people may well forget what you say or present, engaging them holistically – mind, body, soul – often translates into a life-learning moment. Thus the question; Are we involved within the moment and, in turn, an extension of the moment? The power of music, in particular, is a spiritual transfer of learning energy. Whether performing, composing, teaching, or listening, the music never ceases to amaze me as the great communicator in life – a universal awareness toward the greater good. As critical listeners, we audiophiles often toss around the term, involved, as a common (and viable) descriptor. It attempts to express our psycho-acoustic connection to recorded music reproduced through fine audio equipment.
---> BØrresen Acoustics 01 Two-Way Monitor Review.

07 / 27 / 22

Steven Mercurio & The Czech National Symphony Orchestra
The Audiophile Society presents Strauss: Death & Transfiguration, Metamorphosen by Steven Mercurio and The Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Maestro Steven Mercurio and the Grammy-Award winning Czech National Symphony Orchestra celebrate their deep and meaningful musical relationship with an audiophile's dream recording that pairs Richard Strauss' symphonic tone poem, "Death and Transfiguration" with his masterpiece for strings, "Metamorphosen." Mercurio's dramatic, insightful musicianship reveals the emotional dynamism intended by Strauss while the intrinsically beautiful sound of the Czech National Symphony is mixed and fully-realized with The Audiophile Society's Mega Dimensional Sound. The result is incomparable; one of the most realistic orchestral recordings ever made, and, a symphonic sound experience that fully envelops the listeners whether deployed through speakers or headphones.

The Audiophile Society is a new 3D audio record label. The new label will focus on bringing even more realistic three-dimensional recordings to market with their Mega-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 downloads come in a choice of two audio packages: The Hi-Res PCM Package (which includes a 192/24 speaker mix, a 96Khz/24-bit 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 Mega-Dimensional Sound.

07 / 25 / 22

Pacific Audio Fest 2022 Show Is This Weekend!
The Pacific Audio Fest (PAF) is this weekend, so ensure you have booked your sleeping rooms for July 29th through 31st, 2022 at the Doubletree Hilton Sea-Tac in Washington state. PAF 2022 is the first major Northwest USA audio show promoted by exhibitors and music lovers for music lovers and exhibitors. Hosted in Seattle and serving the entire Pacific coast, from Los Angeles to Vancouver, BC, Seattle is a top tech hub and one of the fastest growing communities within the USA. In addition, it is a vacation paradise in the summer months. All of PAF's large vendor rooms are reserved as have most standard rooms and table spaces.

PAF show Director and Founder Lou Hinkley has nearly thirty years experience as an exhibitor in music trade shows and festivals with his company Daedalus Audio. The show collaborators include Gary Gill, Founder of Capital Audiofest, and other notables in the audio industry, together we will make this a fun and extremely high quality event for attendees and vendors all the while keeping this show to a scale that works for everyone. As with all industry-operated shows within the USA and Canada, Enjoy the Music.com is sponsoring the Thursday night exhibitor and press party, so free drinks on us! We look forward to seeing you here! You can learn more and see Enjoy the Music.com's Pacific Audio Fest (PAF) 2022 show report at this link.

07 / 22 / 22

Enjoy the Music.com Features Your System!
This is your chance to share your love of music with our readers. Our longtime follower Brad Rose shared this precious photo with us, which can also be seen within our social media pages too! E-mail us your fun sound system pic, or DM us via our Facebook and/or Instagram pages, and we may feature it within our social media pages! As always, in the end what really matters is that you... enjoy the music!

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07 / 21 / 22

Hi-Fi? What's That?
Roger Skoff writes about our hobby and the non-audiophile world.
Article By Roger Skoff
A woman came to my house yesterday to give me a bid on some planned remodeling. When she came in, she sat on the couch in the living room, in what would be a good spot for listening to that room's sound system and, noticing the large speakers, she commented "Gee, you must like to listen really LOUD." When I responded that "No, I like to listen really good", she gave me a look of frank bafflement and obviously had no idea at all what I meant. Although what that woman said took me aback, it probably shouldn't have. It was hardly the first time I'd ever run across people with not even the slightest understanding of our hobby. One incident that particularly comes to mind is the time, a few years back, when I went to Canada for the Toronto Hi-Fi Show. At the airport, as I was passing through customs, the young lady Customs Agent asked me why I had come to Canada.
---> Hi-Fi? What's That? Article By Roger Skoff.

GTT Audio Visits Rufus Smith Of Enjoy the Music.com
Bill Parish visits a longtime audio reviewer in North Carolina.
Article By Rufus Smith
The week of May 24, 2021, I had the pleasure of hosting two of what I consider two of the giants of the industry, Bill Parrish of GTT Audio & Video and Joe Kubala of Kubala-Sosna Research. GTT Audio has been in business since 1995 and has established itself as one of the top retailers/distributors of high-end audio equipment in the US. GTT is currently the distributor and flagship retailer for Audionet, Kronos Audio, and Mola Mola. In addition, they are a premier dealer for YG Acoustics and Kubala Sosna. Of course, these companies represent just a fraction of the products they carry, and Bill brings 43 years of experience in the audio/music business to share with his clients.
---> GTT Audio visits Rufus Smith of Enjoy the Music.com.

07 / 20 / 22

Bluetooth Core Version 5.3 Provides Lossless Audio Features
One year ago Qualcomm, the world's leading wireless technology innovator, announced their flagship Snapdragon W5+ platform that offers 50% lower power, 2x higher performance, 2x richer features, and 30% smaller size compared to our previous generation. Version 5.3, now making its way into many devices, also enables wearable manufacturers to deliver lossless 24-bit/48kHz audio as an industry standard format. The new ultra-low power Bluetooth 5.3 architecture moves forward those who value their music, and extended battery life too.

Advanced Audio Distribution Profile 1.4 for Bluetooth devices supports high-quality audio distribution. The requirements are expressed in terms of end-user services, and by defining the features and procedures that are required for interoperability between Bluetooth devices in the Audio Distribution usage model. A/V Control Transport Protocol 1.4 describes the Audio/Video Control Transport Protocol (AVCTP), which is used to transport command and response messages for controlling Audio Video features in conformant devices. This protocol enables a device to support more than one control profile at the same time; each supported profile shall define its own message formatting and/or usage rules.

07 / 18 / 22

Lowther Launches Their First New Design In Decades
While Enjoy the Music.com generally relies on our partner magazines for new product announcements, we felt Lowther Loudspeakers announcing their first speaker design in 30 years was of key importance. Long regarded as one of the top British hi-fi designers of all time, Lowther Loudspeakers was born out of a collaboration between Engineer Paul Voigt and O.P. Lowther collaborated on their first project, the Lowther-Voigt Radio, producing a range of high-end radiograms, amplifiers, tuners and loudspeakers offering many different adaptations for home use including custom cabinets. This longstanding British speaker company's new Almira floorstander (£12,000 per pair on up) is the first new release, yet with a modern twist on a classic, preserving the clarity and scale of larger Lowther speaker cabinets.

Said to be beautifully unique, the Almira has been meticulously designed to present equally as well in smaller rooms as they do in larger spaces. The Almira is a 2.3-meter single folded quarter-wave generic Voigt horn with a floor-facing exit based on the quarter-wave Voigt horn with a floor-facing exit. Although designed with Voigt's original principles in mind, the Almira is a slight departure from the Lowther heritage design with the addition of a handmade super tweeter, together with an Almira-specific phase compensation board. The Almiras are designed with Lowther's DX3 drive units and are notably comparable in efficiency and scale of the soundstage with larger heritage cabinets, like the TP2. All Lowther Loudspeakers are handmade to order in Great Britain and sold in numbered pairs. Users can choose from a wide selection of matched veneer sets including the stylish limited edition Rosewood.

07 / 15 / 22

Florida International Audio Expo 2023
The Florida International Audio Expo will soon celebrate their fourth annual event in Tampa. From February 17th through 19th at the Embassy Suites Westshore, this is your chance to explore an exciting showcase of products such as turntables, amplifiers, headphones, hi-res DACs, loudspeakers, cables, and much more! Many exhibitors will offer the curious, newcomers, and longtime enthusiasts an opportunity to enjoy the music! A wide variety of reasonably-priced and premium luxury high-fidelity audio gear will be showcased for you to sample within many suites throughout this exhibition. You'll be able to meet and chat with exhibitors and thousands of music lovers too.

Several headphone and portable / personal audio companies have smartly taken advantage of the Florida International Audio Expo's special rate on suites for their demonstration space. Located at the Embassy Suites Westshore in Tampa, there is scheduled to be an outstanding 12 floors of exhibits for you to explore. Enjoy the sun and fun of Florida, with the perfect location that is only minutes from downtown, the gulf coast beaches, and Bush Gardens (or slightly longer drive to NASA, Disneyworld, Universal Studios, etc). What makes this show fun is the pleasure of sharing great music, and music discovery, with newfound friends. There will be an abundance of things to see and do during the Florida International Audio Expo 2023. We look forward to seeing you there! Exhibitors can book rooms now at the Florida International Audio Expo's website.

07 / 14 / 22

World Premiere Review!
New Horizon 301 Vinyl LP Turntable Review
A vinyl revival!
Review By Paul Schumann
This past year of my audio reviewing has had quite a vinyl flavor. Last summer, I reviewed the TriArt phono amplifier. This past fall, I listened to the Aric Audio Unlimited II Preamp with an included phono stage. The turntable I used with both is the oldest piece of gear I own, a Yamaha P-350 turntable. Looking at that old piece of gear takes me back to a very different time in audio and always makes me realize how much time has passed since I purchased it. Before I bought the Yamaha P-350, my system consisted of my dad's old Dynaco preamp and amp, a Pioneer tape deck, and a pair of ADS L620 speakers. At that time I was listening to prerecorded tapes or ones I recorded on friends' systems. Forgive me, I was only 18. I bought the ADS speakers at an audio salon called Audio Concepts adjacent to the University of Texas campus in Austin. That place was my gateway to what became high-end audio. It was there I was introduced to Klipsch, Magnepan, Theil, and Advent speakers. Their main electronics were Nakamichi and Yamaha.
---> New Horizon 301 vinyl LP turntable review.

Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 Bookshelf Speaker Review
Looking for a pair of affordable high-performance bookshelf loudspeakers? Your journey might end with the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 speakers.
Review By Ian White
Why do people buy bookshelf speakers? I'm not really convinced that a lot of them end up on bookshelves, but the marketing nomenclature rules the day. If you don't have a lot of space and need to place them out of the way on a credenza or bookshelf, there are no shortage of options in 2021 to fulfill that need. Bookshelf speakers are also (with some notable exceptions from Sonus Faber and Wilson Audio) generally on the more affordable side. $500 goes a lot further in 2021 than it did in 2010 when it comes to sonic performance. The $399 Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 loudspeakers are the real deal. Don't let anyone ever try to convince you that you can't purchase an audiophile-quality bookshelf speaker for $500. If that fits into your budget and space requirements – and you love how they sound, that's the only opinion that matters. And make no mistake, the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1's with the right amplifier can deliver far more performance and scale than their size might suggest.
---> Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 bookshelf speaker review.

07 / 12 / 22

Enjoy the Music.com Sponsors The Pacific Audio Fest 2022 Exhibitor And Media Party
Enjoy the Music.com, premium audio's highly-celebrated site for over 26 years and a leader in providing industry news, hi-fi gear reviews, and luxury show reports is pleased to be sponsoring the Pacific Audio Fest 2022's Thursday night exhibitor and media party. To be held from Friday, July 29th through Sunday 31st at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport in Washington state, both show exhibitors and members of the media are invited to join us for drinks, music, and good times. This is a must-attend event for Northwestern music lovers, audiophiles, and hi-fi enthusiasts alike who live within one of the nation's tech and music hubs.

Featuring many of the world's highly-respected hand-crafted luxury audio products, the Pacific Audio Fest 2022 is an upscale event for those who value music within their homes and when traveling the world. Operated by two well-respected luminaries within the audio industry, this event provides a wonderfully immersive experience in listening to the very best high-end premium audio products. Many leading audio brands are exhibiting, plus educational seminars and special features are planned, so this show is for both the curious newcomer and experienced enthusiasts alike. As Seattle native Jimi Hendrix sings, "Are you experienced?"
---> Read the complete Pacific Audio Fest 2022 press release here.

07 / 11 / 22

The Absolute Sound July 2022 Issue
The Absolute Sound's July 2022 issue features the following:
Editorial: Don't Call It Lifestyle
A Heartfelt Tribute To The Late Max Townshend
Stenheim Alumine Five SE Loudspeaker
Hot New Gear at the AXPONA Show
Zesto Andros Deluxe II Phonostage
Audience frontRow Au24X
RSX Tech Max Phono Cable
TAD E1-TX Loudspeaker
Graham LS5/5 Loudspeaker
Gradient 1.4 Loudspeaker 
...and much more!

Within his editorial, Robert Harley says "I recently finished auditioning for review a most unusual product, one that invites an exploration of high-end audio values and the role of a music system in people's lives. That product is the Vantage Live from YG Acoustics, a pair of self-powered loudspeakers with streaming capabilities. Just plug the pair of speakers and a small control box into a wall outlet, run an Ethernet cable (or join a Wi-Fi network), connect a pair of tiny ST-type optical cables, and you're ready to play music via a phone or tablet. Audiophiles have a natural suspicion of a system that is so easy to set up and use; such a system must prioritize 'lifestyle' over sound quality, the conventional wisdom holds." See what's within this issue of The Absolute Sound.

07 / 07 / 22

World's First In-Depth Review!
MC Audiotech Forty 10 Loudspeaker
This could be your 'forever speaker'.
Review By Rick Becker
Call it what you like, but we have to start here. If you can't get past the way the Forty-10 looks, all the praise in any audio journal will be meaningless to you. Straight and simple, it is quintessential Mid-Century Modern design. In terms of where American mainstream home furnishings is today, it is spot on. In terms of the interior design of people that can afford this speaker, well, you may need to adjust. The original Eames lounge chair and ottoman is still available from Herman Miller for $7000 and the knock-off can be had for less than $1300. Many contemporary Scandinavian recliners will also work very nicely. Ekornes is not your only option. If you've got a dedicated listening room (and most people considering a $37,000 speaker will) this should not be a problem. As a two-way dipole, it needs to be 30" to 40" out from the front wall behind it. It will have a definite presence in your room.
---> MC Audiotech Forty 10 Loudspeaker Review.

World Premiere Review!
Verdant Audio Blackthorn 1 Monitor Speakers
An over-achieving monitor with a musical performance well beyond its' modest size.
Review By Dr. Michael Bump
I first had the pleasure of meeting Scott Bierfeldt, President and Chief Designer at Verdant Audio, at AXPONA 2019 in a by-chance meeting. I was planning on heading out earlier than expected on Sunday, as the snow was starting to come down (attendees may recall), and I was a bit nervous about the six-hour mark. drive home to the cornfields of Missouri. Nevertheless, the rooms beckoned me back for one more quick tour that morning, where I happened to walk by a familiar blue glow within the Verdant Audio room. At the center of a very attractive system were a pair of stunning Art Audio Quartet 845 push-pull monoblocks. I was familiar with Art Audio from an introduction years prior to their 50-Watt SET Adagios, and was aware that Verdant Audio had re-introduced the UK company to the U.S. earlier that year as the sole domestic distributor. Needless to say, my curiosity was piqued stepping into the room noting several examples of Art Audio pieces, as well as the premiere of two monitor designs created by Scott, under the Verdant Audio name.
---> Verdant Audio Blackthorn 1 Speaker Review.

Hi-Fi+ July 2022 High-End Audio Magazine
Hi-Fi+'s July 2022 issue features the following:
Editorial: Sounding Off About Big Shows
Munich High-End 2022 Show Report
Russell K. RED 120Se Loudspeaker
Karan Acoustics Master Reference PHONOa
Lowther Almira Floorstanding Loudspeaker
Jadis I70 Integrated Valve Amplifier
Rogers Classic LS5/9 Stand-Mount Loudspeaker
Mission 770 Stand-Mount Loudspeaker
Nordost QNET Audiophile Network Switch
IsoTek V5 Titan Power Conditioner
...And More!

Within this month's editorial, Alan Sircom says "The first big European high-end audio show since COVID-19 was a much needed boost for many of us. While the pursuit of good audio is hardly a team sport, the chance to sit in front of a truly diverse range of systems in a very short time gives one the chance to reboot. And attending such a show after a long break, there's a sentence that sounds horribly impolite but is remarkably useful: Does your system sound good to you?" See what's within this issue of Hi-Fi+ magazine at this link.

07 / 06 / 22

Pacific Audio Fest 2022 Show Report / Update
The Pacific Audio Fest (PAF) is almost here and the hotel is nearly full, so don't be left out! Make sure you have booked your sleeping rooms for July 29th through 31st, 2022 at the Doubletree Hilton Sea-Tac in Washington state. PAF 2022 is the first major Northwest USA audio show promoted by exhibitors and music lovers for music lovers and exhibitors. Hosted in Seattle and serving the entire Pacific coast, from Los Angeles to Vancouver, BC, Seattle is a top tech hub and one of the fastest growing communities within the USA. In addition, it is a vacation paradise in the summer months. All of PAF's large vendor rooms are reserved as have most standard rooms and table spaces.

PAF show Director and Founder Lou Hinkley has nearly thirty years experience as an exhibitor in music trade shows and festivals with his company Daedalus Audio. The show collaborators include Gary Gill, Founder of Capital Audiofest, and other notables in the audio industry, together we will make this a fun and extremely high quality event for attendees and vendors all the while keeping this show to a scale that works for everyone. As with all industry-operated shows within the USA and Canada, Enjoy the Music.com is sponsoring the Thursday night exhibitor and press party, so free drinks on us! We look forward to seeing you here! You can learn more and see Enjoy the Music.com's Pacific Audio Fest (PAF) 2022 show report at this link.

07 / 05 / 22

Hi-Fi World's August 2022 Reviews & Think Pieces
Hi-Fi World's August 2022 issue features the following:
Editorial: What Do Measurements Reveal?
Your Chance To Win £259 Blue Aura
Mission 770 Loudspeakers
KEF LS50 Wireless II Loudspeakers
Cyrus Pre XR Pre & Cyrus 200 Stereo Amp
Martin Pipe Looks At The DBX 3BX Compander
Exposure VXH Phono Preamplifier
Lenco LBT-188wa Bluetooth Turntable
Austrian Audio Hi-X50 Headphones
...and much more!

Within his editorial, Noel Keywood says "The Mission 770 loudspeaker was a ground breaker way back in the 1970s when most loudspeakers had paper or – at best – Bextrene cones. Think heavy, coloured sound – ponderous too. Then Mission appeared with their first product, the 770. Sporting a translucent drive unit pressed from polypropylene, it looked good and sounded good. Using the very latest computer design techniques and measuring equipment – explained to me by designer Peter Comeau – this update aims to be even more accurate and revealing than the original. You can read about it on p10." See what's within this issue of Hi-Fi World at this link.

07 / 01 / 22

Enjoy the Music.com's July 2022 Luxury Audio Review Magazine
With our extensive show coverage of AXPONA and HIGH END now online, we focus on hot fun in the summertime! Within this month's issue, we have a world premiere of the highly-anticipated value-priced LampizatOr Amber 4 DAC / Preamplifier, the extraordinary dCS LINA headphone system, Crystal Cable's Monet power cable, Pass Labs' X260.8 monoblock amps, Critical Mass Systems' Center Stage 2M Footers, the marvelous McIntosh MP100 Phono Stage / Stereo Preamplifier... and more!
---> See this month's Enjoy the Music.com Review Magazine.

A Look Into The Future
Roger Skoff peers into his hi-fi crystal ball.
Article By Roger Skoff
Have you seen what house prices are like recently? I live in California – the State with the highest State Income Tax rate; the highest gas prices (the cheapest near my house is well over $6 a gallon, still cheap by European standards); and, according to Forbes Magazine, the State that has, in terms of 2022 real estate prices, five of the ten most expensive zip codes to live in in the entire United States. And, except for the taxes (which might also increase) all of that is likely to change – not at all for the better – very soon. In an (futile) effort to counter the greatest surge of inflation in more than 40 years, the Federal Reserve, on June 15th, 2022, raised its interest rate by three quarters of a basis point (0.75%). That's the third increase this year, triple the usual rate for such increases, and a strong indicator of more increases yet to come.
---> A Look Into The Future.

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

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

World Premiere Review
LampizatOr Amber 4 Stereo DAC / Preamplifier Review
It's hard to imagine a more musical DAC in its price.
Review By Rick Becker
A decade ago LampizatOr was not yet on my radar. My review of the LampizatOr Amber 4 stereo DAC / preamplifier, as seen here, is a testament to their efforts over the years. It wasn't until the New York Audio Show in 2014 that I first heard one. The rig was totally comprised of gear that was new to me. The only familiar thing was Lyle Lovett singing "North Dakota." I didn't have much to say about the sound quality, which is neither good nor bad. Spring forward to November, at the Capital AudioFest 2021 and there were more than a handful of their various DACs on display. LampizatOr has become a top brand, and while they are best known in the US for their DACs, they offer four levels of "turnkey" systems in which everything, including cables, is made by LampizatOr. Their speakers feature open baffle midrange and tweeters with enclosed woofers, much like the early Tekton Design speaker I found so delightful back in 2009. Today, I dare say they are at the leading edge of DAC design.
---> LampizatOr Amber 4 Stereo DAC / Preamplifier Review.

Read All Articles, Hi-Fi Gear Reviews, Etc.
We have more wonderful high-end audio equipment reviews within this month's Enjoy the Music.com's Review Magazine.

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