High-Performance Audio Reviews
Music News, Show Reports, And More!
Celebrating 29 Years Of Service To Music Lovers
High-End Audio Industry News
08 / 30 / 12
The Toronto Audio Video Entertainment Show
(TAVES) will take place between September 28 and 30 at Le Meridien King Edward
hotel. In 2012, TAVES will offer more audio video seminars and demonstrations, while offering double the seating space. According to the promoter, "A number of exciting new show features will also be announced in the coming months." The 2012 TAVES will showcase the latest consumer electronics products and technologies from both mainstream and enthusiast brands. Products on display will range from entry-level components to the high-end and everything in between. A number of exhibitors will present the visitors with the opportunity to purchase accessories, music discs, vinyl albums and Blu-ray discs. You can see
Enjoy the Music.com's first edition (2011) of
TAVES at this link. Naturally our show coverage of TAVES
2012 will be online accordingly.
IMPEX Records, an audiophile label with a great team of personell brought to you by Cisco Music, has many high-end audiophile releases on
vinyl. Jennifer Warnes album The Well is a 3-LP 45rpm box set ($90) that is said to be the definitive version of Jennifer Warnes newest master work. Supervised by the artist and mastered by Bernie Grundman Mastering from Jennifer’s analog master tapes, this is the ultimate expression of
The Well that will ever be made according to IMPEX. This box set includes bonus tracks from Impex’s new gold CD version plus an amazing new recording of Bob Dylan’s haunting
"Born in Time" that marks a graceful coda to Ms. Warnes examination of love and loss in uncertain times and places. Also now available is
Duke Ellington's Indigos ($33) with his all-star ensemble. This set of swinging, romantic ballads are now available for the first time in pristine 180-gram vinyl. For Belafonte fans, IMPEX also has released
Belefonte Sings The Blues 2-LP 45rpm set ($55). As Belafonte's first album entirely of blues songs, it is also his first stereo release. Recorded over four days in New York and Los Angeles by Ed Welker, the power and dynamism of Belafonte's voice is truly amazing, with a cast of top notch musicians providing confident, understated accompaniment. Much like the legendary Belafonte at Carnegie Hall — maybe even more so —
Belafonte Sings the Blues puts one of the greatest voices of the century right there in your living room.
IMPEX Records’ new 45-rpm 2 LP set releases every ounce of sonic purity from Kevin Gray’s stunning mastering and includes full lyrics inside and a bonus heavy stock insert of an historic Belafonte biography, unavailable on any LP reissue.
08 / 29 / 12
German audiophile company Audionet
now offers their Audionet Music Manager (aMM) For Android software. The aMM is Audionet’s new sophisticated software solution for all smartphones and pads with Android operating system. It controls all Audionet network components and manages the music choice and playback. The aMM for Android is also a high-end control application for all UPnP-server based music systems, yet with enhanced functionality for Audionet network systems. A unique range of functions allow for easy operation with minimum effort and maximum comfort. Controls include search by tap and type, bookmarking by tap and type, volume control on demand, control by rotary touch and pinch. There is multi renderer and server
capability that controls all UPnP playback devices (renderer) and servers simultaneously via dynamic menu selection. Users may also simultaneous playback various playlists for different
renderers, mute via double tap, and choose input selection by dynamic menu and tap (for Audionet systems only). The free trial version and the full version of Audionet Music Manager are now available in
Google
Play
Store.
08 / 28 / 12
Sneak peek! Facebook
and Twitter
users who have friended Enjoy the Music.com get an advanced look at
our review of the First Watt model SIT-1 monoblock amplifier by Nelson
Pass days before the September edition of the
Review Magazine!
The First Watt digs deeply into the fabric of music to communicate soul, drama, and passion.
Award earning and longstanding high-end loudspeaker company
Thiel Audio has announced their new CS2.7
floorstander. As Thiel's new three-way floorstanding Coherent Source loudspeaker, it is said to "represent a stunning new benchmark in acoustical performance for loudspeakers". The CS2.7 uses Thiel's star diaphragm coaxial / coincident driver. Both the midrange and tweeter diaphragms are formed of anodized aluminum. The unique ribbed geometry of the midrange is engineered to deliver immense rigidity and clarity. An 8" woofer fills out the lowermost frequencies and
Thiel says it has 1/10th that of typical woofers this size. The magnetic system is a proprietary design with short-coil / long-gap so that the voice coil never exits the ultra-strong and stable magnetic field. The crossover took extensive fine tuning in the laboratory plus many hours within the listening room. Thiel's new CS2.7 replaces the 1 inch thick MDF cabinet walls of previous CS2 series models with much more robust curved plywood. The increase in rigidity prevents the enclosure from vibrating in sympathy with the movement of the drivers, preserving even the most minute details. The cabinet of the Thiel CS 2.7 is available in your choice of fine hardwood
veneer. Enjoy the Music.com has reviewed the Thiel CS2.4SE limited edition floorstander
and Thiel SCS4 monitors
with SS1 SmartSub
subwoofer.
08 / 27 / 12
Channel Islands Audio's new Transient MKII asynchronous USB
DAC converter ($699) easily handles 24-bit/192kHz files and features a conversion via XMOS
processor. The unit also has low-jitter clocks, multiple digital outputs and Wolfson DAC circuit with high-resolution volume control. Multiple digital outputs are available via isolated 75 Ohm BNC (with included 75 Ohm RCA adapter) and two individually buffered I2S outputs. File
conversion to analog is achieved via a Wolfson circuit with a built-in high resolution volume control and 2VRMS output. A microprocessor circuit allows configuration for fixed (line level) output, or
variable volume control. The unit also indicates the sampling frequency of the incoming signal. Internally, extremely
high quality parts are employed such as Nichicon Muse and 2% tolerance polypropylene power supply capacitors, Takman resistors and WIMA polypropylene capacitors for signal circuits. The shielded anti-resonant chassis is 1/8" thick T6061 aluminum with 3/16" thick front panel and all hardware is non-magnetic stainless steel. The new CI Audio Transient MKII is powered by the USB cable so users can plug it into their computer audio and take it on the go. Also
available is CI Audio's VDC-5 MKII upgraded power supply that connects to the DC Input port for
improved performance.
This is the last week of The Cable
Company's 17th annual summer against hunger campaign; with 50% to 100% of the money you spend on your stereo in August can be put to work for humanitarian relief
efforts. Once again this August, when you purchase from special sponsors' products the Cable Company and sponsoring vendors plus other CARE donors will send an amount equal to your purchase to CARE. Purchase all other products from The Cable Company (and
UsedCable.com) and an amount equal to half of your purchase goes to CARE. Here's the math: The Cable Company donates 5% of each purchase to CARE. This amount is matched by participating vendors for sales of their products. An anonymous donor will match this combined contribution from The Cable Company and its participating vendors. When this total amount is donated to a CARE project, CARE will try to secure other donations up to the entire amount of Cable Company purchases. But if other donors cannot be found, our anonymous donor has agreed to contribute to CARE the entire remainder amount of Cable Company purchases up to
$250,000. Enjoy the Music.com
has been extended special thanks from The Cable Company as we have graciously
provided additional ad space to help them promote this great effort.
08 / 23 / 12
According to Nielsen, a global information and measurement company with a presence in approximately 100 countries, radio is still the dominant way people discover music (48%). This is followed by tips from friends/relatives (10%) and YouTube (7%), yet more teens listen to music through YouTube than through any other source (64%). This is followed by radio (56%) and iTunes (53% ) and CDs (50%) according to results from a comprehensive, in-depth Nielsen study of consumer interaction with music in the United States. Data for Nielsen's Music 360 survey were collected via 3000 online consumer surveys using Nielsen's proprietary, high-quality ePanel in the United States.
"The accessibility of music has seen tremendous expansion and
diversification," said David Bakula, SVP Client Development, Nielsen.
"While younger listeners opt for technologically advanced methods, traditional methods of discovery like radio and word-of-mouth continue to be strong drivers. With so many ways to purchase, consume and discover great new music, it’s no wonder that the consumer continues to access and enjoy music in greater
numbers."
The following is a few more stats from the Music 360 report:
Radio is still the dominant way people discover music
48% discover music most often through the radio
10% discover music most often through friends/relatives
7% discover music most often through YouTube
More teens listen to music through YouTube than through any other source
64% of teens listen to music through YouTube
56% of teens listen to music on the radio
53% of teens listen to music through iTunes
50% of teens listen to music on CD
Positive recommendations from a friend are most likely to influence purchase decisions
54% are more likely to make a purchase based off a positive recommendation from a friend
25% are more likely to make a purchase based off a music blog/chat rooms
12% are more likely to make a purchase based off an endorsement from a brand
8% of all respondents share music on social networking sites, while 6% upload music.
Music player apps are most prevalent, followed by radio and music store apps
54% have music player apps on their smartphones
47% have radio apps on their smartphones
26% have music store apps on their smartphones
Males purchase rock music most often, while females prefer top 40
38% of males purchase rock most often
15% of females (compared to 9% of males) purchase top 40 most often
Digital music is seen as a slightly better value than a physical CD
63% of purchasers identified digital albums as a very or fairly good value
61% identified digital tracks as a very or fairly good value
55% identified physical CDs as a very or fairly good value
Younger consumers who do buy digital tracks, are more likely to purchase new music immediately after its release
33% of teens purchased a digital track within one week of release
21% of persons 18+ purchased a digital track within one week of release
36% of teens have bought a CD in the last year; 51% of teens have purchased some kind of music download
18-24 year olds are most likely to attend a music event (among those who attend any type of live event)
7% attending once a week or more
30% attending once a month
Listeners enjoy hearing movie soundtracks over music related TV shows or video games
42% enjoy hearing music via music related TV show
59% enjoy hearing music via movie soundtracks
28% enjoy hearing music via music related video games
Older consumers have decreased their spending the most during the current economy
41% of respondents 55+ reduced their spending to a large degree
39% of respondents 45-54 reduced their spending to a large degree
Only 28% of respondents age 25-34 reduced their spending to a large degree.
08 / 22 / 12
Naim Audio
just released a new software update their streaming products including the NaimUniti, UnitiQute, SuperUniti, NDX and ND5
XS. This update enables full playlist functionality with the new Version 3.16 software. It also allows users to create, save, edit and delete playlists directly from the n-Stream app on their iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. This new update also adds to the expanded music information feature already available at the launch of n-Stream 3.0. The new functionality brings all Naim streaming products into line with the new NaimUniti 2, NDS and NAC-N 172 XS which have operated on Software Version 3.16 from launch. Users can download Software Version 3.16 along with instructions on how to apply it are at
this
link.
Audiophiles looking for a simple and inexpensive stereo amplifier might want to check out the new
Pioneer Elite A-20 ($300). Specifically designed for the true two-channel music enthusiast, the new analog-only amplifier includes six audio inputs via RCA jacks plus front
0.25" headphone jack. The 30 wpc @ 8 Ohm two channel amplifier uses a Direct Energy design that features shorter signal paths and power train to help minimize signal loss that can degrade the quality of audio. There are also strategically placed power supply/output circuit blocks to reproduce a cleaner audio output with reduced total harmonic distortion of less than 0.05%. Unwanted vibration from the transformer is dampened with a trans-stabilizer construction chassis design, resulting in consistent audio performance. Carefully designed 'clean ground construction' ensures low noise and hum. Additionally, the amplifier features aluminum front and side panels for rigidity and stability of the unit for superior sound performance. Inputs via unbalanced RCA include include Phono, Tuner, SACD/CD, AUX and Network Recorder. The Elite A-20 has A/B and A plus B speaker
switching and may be used for bi-amplification. Frequency response is from 5 Hz to 100 kHz (-3dB) and the unit weighs 15.87 lbs.
08 / 21 / 12
Chord Electronics
will be releasing their new DSX 1000 music streamer in autumn 2012. As the company's top range network music player, the DSX 1000 has a
full-color screen and remote control operation via a number of uPnP apps for the iPhone/iPad or Android smart phones. The new music streamer can decode MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, ALAC and FLAC with up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution. Chord has a custom version of the SongBook app to give full control and set-up. The analog volume control circuit, which is the same as in Chord's Reference preamplifiers, accurately tracks adjustments without the problems of low-level distortions and offers both
volume controlled and line-level analog outputs. Analog outputs include both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA phono connections. The DSX 100's streaming engine is coupled to DAC technology based on the QBD76 design as it reclocks all the data and removes unwanted jitter issues.
08 / 20 / 12
Hart Audio
has tipped the scale for the most expensive yet possibly also the first true
'investment grade' speaker as their £3,700,000 (only one pair being made) D&W Aural Pleasure speaker cabinet uses 100 kg
of 18k gold. Also available in silver and bronze (£200,000 with five pairs available and £40,000 with 99 pairs being made respectively), the D&W Aural Pleasure speaker may shock with price, yet the
design is very high-end as the sensitivity is 97db/W/m, it has an impedance of 5 Ohms
and frequency range is from 47 Hz to 37 kHz. Hart Audio's D&W Aural Pleasure uses three drivers including the
top-mounted very high-end super tweeter whilst the
dual-concentric main driver has a tweeter mounted centrally inside the
midrange/woofer cone structure. Careful cabinet design and engineering was used to ensure a very non-resonant structure, thus eliminating
unwanted cabinet resonances. Specially design chrome stands are included in the
price. As of this writing, gold is at $1615/troy ounce and silver is $28.
08 / 18 / 12
FUTUREnews:
A Glimpse 20 Minutes... Or 20 Months Into The Future! Enjoy
the Music.com has a sneak peek look at the upcoming Wilson Audio
Alexia speaker! This floorstander is positioned above the Sasha yet below the Maxx. According to Wilson Audio, the upcoming Alexia "sounds more like a mini XLF than a bigger Sasha." Wilson Audio's Alexia has a form factor that is similar to the Sasha W/P, even sharing its room-friendly footprint. The Alexia is more ambitious and complex says Wilson Audio, as as the Alexia inherits much of its technology and overall sonic personality from Wilson's flagship Alexandria XLF. Alexia's three modules facilitate micro adjustments in the time-domain for all three driver groups, the woofer, the midrange and the tweeter. High frequencies are handled by a revised version of Wilson's newest driver, the Convergent Synergy Tweeter. The critical midrange frequencies are handled by Wilson's midrange driver. For the bass, Wilson developed two entirely new drivers, an eight-inch and a ten-inch. As with the Maxx Series 3 and the Alexandria
XLF, speed, bass extension, and authority are optimized with this carefully tuned staggered-two-woofer approach. Note this is preliminary information as the full full technical details will be included in a press release scheduled for September 15,
2012. See Wilson Audio's YouTube video below:
08 / 17 / 12
HDtracks now offers Stevie Wonder's great R&B album
Talking Book in high resolution
24-bit/192kHz! As a multi-award earning album, Talking Book is included on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list plus reached #1 on Billboard's Top R&B Albums and #3 on the Billboard 200. Number 1 hits include "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Superstition" and won the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song. Released in 1972, Talking Book is Stevie Wonder's fifteenth studio masterpiece. Deemed by many to be his most influential recording, the album is an explosive blend of funk, rock, soul and smooth jazz. The indisputable icon is in complete control, producing and writing many of these definitive classics. The impressive outing is filled with creative keyboard sounds, expressive singing and lush
soundscapes. Get this and
other great music titles in high resolution at HDtracks
by clicking here.
IKEDA Sound Labs new KAI Reference MC
cartridge (NZ$8975 including GST) is the highlight of over four decades of experiences in cartridge
design. The new KAI moving coil cartridge is the culmination of technology and
craftsmanship to now represents his best efforts to date. High quality materials and components include the body unit being crafted from solid aluminum alloy. The base of the cartridge to sustain the generator unit is made of titanium and the cantilever is made of Boron to ensure proper
delivery of oscillation. Highly efficient Permalloy core, low impedance coils, ideally shaped magnet yoke and the generator unit embedded a samarium-cobalt magnet are further highlights of the new IKEDA KAI MC cartridge design. Each cartridge is hand
assembled, precisely aligned and inspected one by one. Output voltage is 0.19 mVrms, coil impedance
is 2.5 Ohms and appropriate stylus force is 1.8 gram (+/-0.2 grams). Frequency response is from 10 Hz to 45 kHz, channel separation is over 27dB and channel balance is within 1.0 dB. (1kHz).
08 / 16 / 12
More analysis is coming in as Futuresource
Consulting is reporting that the global AV headphones market is expected
to grow 20% in 2012 to reach $6 billion. Due to the increase of portable
AV devices including smartphones and tablets, the market for headphones should
have strong growth through to 2016 as portable devices become the primary
music player for a growing number of consumers. To quote the press release,
"In unit terms, Futuresource forecasts anticipate sales in excess of 260
million units in 2012, up from 228 million units in 2011. Positive growth is
predicted throughout the forecast period, with the market expected to top 330
million units in 2016. Soaring portable device ownership, including
smartphones and tablets, as well as a proliferation of digital content for
these devices and multiple ownership of headphones are the key drivers in the
market and will remain so moving forwards."
Music Industry News 10 Years Ago This news
just in from Art Dudley, editor of Listener
magazine: "Listener readers who hold onto their back issues will be happy to know that the September/October issue, which is in the mail now, may be destined for
collectibility. Unfortunately, that status comes at a price: It will be our last issue.
Our owners at Englander Communications have followed the magazine's performance closely in recent months, and while subscription renewals are up slightly, it isn't enough: They have been unable to attract enough new subscribers to ensure profitability and sustain the publication over the long haul.
I would like to say that our three-year relationship with Englander was a good one, and that their circulation expertise in particular helped us to reach a bigger audience than would otherwise have been possible. This may not be an especially happy time for me or my family, but I understand Englander's reasons, and their actions have been honorable and in fact downright classy. I thank them for getting involved with this peculiar little magazine in the first place.
More to the point, I thank all our readers for buying Listener during the eight years we published it. And I'm especially grateful for the many kind letters and words of praise we received during that time. In the words of Renwick
Hoeck: "Memories – eh, Stimpy?" We had a good run, it was a lot of fun, and now it's time to do
something else.
Best wishes to all...
Art Dudley
Editor
Listener"
08 / 15 / 12
Pro Audio
Technology's new quad-amplified seven foot tall SCR-3215sm loudspeaker is now
available. With dual 15-inch, 1400 Watt woofers and a maximum output of a seriously high >130dB; what started as the company's exercise to push loudspeaker performance limits is now a reality. This 350 lbs four-way reference speaker is design by lifelong loudspeaker designer and PRO founder Paul Hales. The dual 15-inch woofers are 102dB/W/m
sensitive and each has a massive 30 pound motor system. With four-inch voice coils, thermal power handling is maximized, allowing the SCR-3215sm to play at live concert sound pressure levels for extended periods of time without fear of driver failure. For upper range duties, the SCR-3215sm's midrange/high frequency assembly is a 41-pound ultra high-output 114dB/W/m compression driver. Its seven-inch carbon fiber diaphragm provides pistonic motion over three and one half octaves. Dispersion and acoustic power transfer are controlled via a constant directivity horn. Upper-mid and high frequencies for the SCR-3215sm are supplied via a state-of-the-art coaxial compression driver utilizing an annular polymer diaphragm for smooth midrange and treble to beyond 30 kHz. This is mated to a large format 18" x 22" horn.
08 / 14 / 12
Quad, founded by Peter Walker in 1936 and now owned by the IAG Group
Ltd, has released the 25L Classic and 23L Classic floorstanding speakers (£1600 and £2200 per pair respectively). Both models feature Quad's down-firing auxiliary bass radiator (ABR) technology. This provides extended low bass response yet without the turbulence inherent of typical bass reflex designs. Quad's 23L is a three-way design with 25 mm fabric dome tweeter, 125 mm woven Kevlar cone for midrange duties and an identically sized driver for mid/bass. The top range 25L uses the same tweeter yet also incorporates a 125 mm drivers to deliver midrange as well as a pair of 165 mm bass drivers. As with Quad's L Classic range, the cabinet construction techniques used in the 23L and 25L use two different wood materials for the cabinet. This cabinet technique reduces the audibility of unwanted resonances. Quad laminates together high density chipboard and
fiberboard in a structure that breaks up the resonant modes into multiple mini-modal frequency bands that lack the strong sonic signature. Top
range Quad 25L has a frequency response from 35 Hz to 23 kHz, presents a 6 Phm load (3.5 Ohm minimum) and 91dB/W/m
sensitivity. Both speaker models are available in Cherry or Rosewood classic veneer plus available is Cherry or piano black lacquered veneer.
08 / 13 / 12
According to Futuresource
Consulting, a specialist research and knowledge-based consulting company, networked home audio devices are expected to greatly increase through to 2016 and
afterwards. "Driving demand for networked audio devices are the significant benefits that streaming to and from audio devices can bring, including multi-room audio and music streaming from smartphones and the
Internet..." says Jack Wetherill, Research Consultant at Futuresource Consulting. Global trade value in the total home audio market rose by 7% in 2011 to hit $9.7 billion. Prospects for 2012 look positive with Futuresource forecasts predicting a further 2% growth in both shipments and value.
Music Industry News 10 Years Ago Vinyl Record Day to be celebrated in San Luis Obispo,
California! Taking place August 17th in the Mission Plaza from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the purpose of this day-long event is to encourage celebrating those good, positive memories associated with great music. All ethnic backgrounds, ages, economic levels, makes no difference. Everyone has a favorite song to enjoy with a good memory. Vinyl Record Day is the brainchild of Gary J. Freiberg, a music enthusiast and patent holder of "The Record Album Frame," an acrylic frame to display album cover art. The frames have decorated the halls of the Smithsonian, the Hard Rock Hotel Orlando; they are the only product of their kind sold at Graceland and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. "The objective of Vinyl Record Day," says Freiberg, "is to remember that, whatever we go through on a personal or national level, life has its goodness. Music is the primary vehicle to our fondest memories, Vinyl Record Day is to celebrate and remember
them. This event will hopefully say, 'Let's remember our favorite music, let's remember fond memories, let's celebrate our good
times" says Freiberg, host of KVEC radio's popular "Financial Fitness" program.
08 / 10 / 12
HDtracks,
founded by David and Norman Chesky of the audiophile-record label Chesky
Records as a service offering a diverse catalog of high resolution digital
downloads, is now offering Diana Krall's The Look Of Love and The Moody Blues'
Days of Future Passed in
24-bit/96kHz! Diana Krall's The Look Of Love is a lush, cinematic collection of ballads and bossa nova tunes as backed by the London Symphony Orchestra. The album features an all-star cast of musicians, including guitarist Russell Malone, legendary percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Peter
Erskine. The Moody Blues'
Days of Future Passed is their legendary 1967 concept album that set a new standard for symphonic rock. It
married the band's early R&B stylings with lush orchestral sounds, complex
songforms, and epic interludes by the London Festival Orchestra. Get these and
other great music titles in high resolution at HDtracks
by clicking here.
Magico, an award winning high-performance loudspeaker designer and manufacturer, has launched their
new S1 floorstander that is said to be their "most value-laden" loudspeaker to date ($12,600 per pair). The S1 features a uniquely contoured cabinet that takes cues from the MINI and M6 speaker. This floorstanding two-way design uses a newly developed M390 7” Magico
Nano-Tec Midbass driver with the same MB30 1" beryllium tweeter featured in the Magico S5. The 7" Midbass dual-neodymium underhung motor system has pure titanium voice coil-former that is very efficient and ensures low in distortion. As with all Magico drivers, the latest custom computer simulations are used to optimize electromagnetic and thermal behavior. Magico's S1 utilizes the world's first monocoque 3/8" thick, 12" diameter extruded aluminum loudspeaker enclosure. This is to minimize diffraction effects, internal resonance, and meet proper damping requirements. At
under 9" deep and available in an array of M-COAT paint blends, the S1 may fit into virtually any listening environment. Sensitivity is 86dB/W/m and the speaker presents a 4 Ohms load. Overall frequency response is from 32 Hz to 50 kHz, recommended minimum power is 50 Watts.
Overall cabinet dimensions are 43" x 8.5" x 9.75" (HxDxW) and each speaker weighs 95 lbs.
08 / 09 / 12
Enjoy the
Music.com, in concert with over 35 prominent manufacturers of high-end audio equipment,
has announced
a high-end
gear giveaway that will see over $89,750 in total prizes in the hands of sound enthusiasts everywhere. This exciting contest is aimed squarely at the growing number of music enthusiasts who realize that popular MP3 music files
simply can't deliver the full sonic potential of today's best artists. The contest
isn't just about prizes, either, as it is equally aimed at educating consumers about the real benefits of high-end audio products.
This comparatively small and performance-driven market segment benefits from the talents of passionate engineers and designers who concentrate on delivering the most accurate and enjoyable sound quality
possible. Make sure you enter
our contest at this link and also join us on Facebook
andTwitter.
Enjoy
the Music.com's ninth annual RMAF 2012 (Rocky
Mountain Audio Fest) show report in only a few months away! The RMAF
2012 will be held at the Denver Marriott Tech Center Hotel from October 12th
through the 14th. The RMAF 2012 highlights the continued grow in
popularity of this show with each passing year. This year will feature around
175 exhibitor rooms, 3 vendor areas, and people attending from many countries
from around the world! While two-channel high-end audio (audiophile) gear
takes center stage, various conferences, seminars and live music entertainment
will be enjoyed by many attendees. Enjoy the Music.com's live show
coverage will began the first day of the RMAF 2012 show. Those of you on Facebook
can sign in now and let us know you are attending at this link.
08 / 08 / 12
dCS, a British company dedicated to the design, engineering and manufacture of the best performing digital audio components, has announced the support of 24-bit/192kHz and DSD over USB in their Scarlatti
range. With the Paganini soon to follow, this new software/hardware ensures dCS products remain up to date with features their customers desire. Their approach is to convert Scarlatti Master Clock into a Master Clock with additional USB-to-S/PDIF conversion similar to their Puccini U-Clock. This approach enables a simple clocking architecture, as Scarlatti Clock will automatically change output frequency depending on the incoming audio sample rate, ensuring the system achieves optimal performance and ease of use at all times. According to dCS, "Adding a clock improves on an already spectacular sound and takes it into an entirely new domain. Images snap into sharper focus, the music displays a substantially greater sense of authority and power as well as, most importantly, offering noticeably higher resolution of detail." All dCS Scarlatti Clocks shipping after August 1st 2012 will be enabled with this functionality. Existing owners wishing to upgrade their system by adding 24-bit/192kHz and DSD over USB functionality please contact your local dCS distributor or dealer as this will require
a software/hardware update to the Clock plus a software only update to the DAC and
Upsampler.
08 / 07 / 12
FUTUREnews:
A Glimpse 20 Minutes... Or 20 Months Into The Future! Von Schweikert Audio just sent out this sneak peek
of an upcoming amplifier design just before they left the office. Von Schweikert Audio has partnered with renowned designer Dusty Vaughter at
Channel Islands Audio to develop a state-of-the-art power amplifier for the speaker company's VR-9 and VR-11 models. The output power on this amplifier is an outstanding 1600 watts and tracks the speed and sound of the main amplifier for perfect coherence. The amplifier has a beautiful brushed aluminum finish. Adjustments and features of the amplifier include speaker level inputs, a
boost setting at 25 Hz, phase adjust from 0 to 180 degrees, low pass frequency from 50 Hz to 100 Hz and of course an overall output level adjustment.
CA Electronics
are working on their upcoming flagship speakers. This endeavor began life as a unique concept and has grown from there. The company is now in the first raw ground coating stage of the design
phase. Notice how you can already can see that the design is based on CA Electronics' AP-10
speakers. The company's AP-10 is fully produced in The Netherlands and uses eco-friendly materials. The construction is designed in that way that the speakers has maximum strength, sanding is done by hand, witch painstaking accuracy. The facets on the front plate do require extra care, as we do not want them to disappear with the sanding and painting process. The finish is high gloss consists of 6 layers of paint, and each layer is naturally dried, to ensure a deep and perfect finish.
08 / 06 / 12
Enjoy the Music.com's coverage of the third annual
California Audio Show (CAS 2012) is now online! This San Francisco Bay area event was held from August 3rd thru August 5th, 2012, at the Crowne Plaza
SFO. Our reporter Anthony Nicosia has attended all three years and bestows his excellent experience and trained ears to
let you know which products shined. Enjoy the Music.com has three web pages filled with over 25 photos
now online and are not to be misses! Go see our California Audio Show report right now by
clicking here.
08 / 03 / 12
HDtracks now offers John Coltrane
Blue Train and Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Rodgers And Hart Songbook in 24-bit/192kHz sound
quality! John Coltrane's album Blue Train is accompanied by its original sleeve notes plus additional photos and newly-written package essays. Mastering engineer Alan Yoshida and Robin Lynn said "In preparing these hi def
remasters, we were very conscientious about maintaining the feel of the original releases while adding a previously unattainable transparency and depth. It now sounds like you've set up your chaise lounge right in the middle of Rudy Van Gelder's studio!". Tenor saxophonist John Coltrane was one of the most innovative, influential and respected figures in jazz history. In 1957, Coltrane created a masterpiece with the release of
Blue Train. The album has been widely regarded by both fans and critics as one of the greatest jazz records of all time.
Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Rodgers And Hart Songbook is packed with great songs. Dubbed the First Lady of Jazz,
multi-Grammy winner Ella Fitzgerald was a celebrated interpreter of the Great American
Songbook. The vocalist showcases her multifaceted talents on this collection from the Rodgers and Hart’s repertoire. The pair was responsible for some of music’s greatest songs with their striking melodies and compelling lyrics. The recording, inducted into the
Grammy Hall of Fame, features the standards "My Funny Valentine," "The Lady Is A
Tramp," "It Never Entered My Mind," "Blue Moon," "You Took Advantage of Me," "Manhattan" and
"Where Or When." The album is confirmation of Fitzgerald’s undeniable genius and a testament to why she is one of music’s greatest
singers. You can download
these and other high resolution digital music albums at HDtracks by clicking
here.
08 / 02 / 12
The Cable
Company's 17th annual summer against hunger campaign has just begun; with 50% to 100% of the money you spend on your stereo in August can be put to work for humanitarian relief
efforts. Once again this August, when you purchase from special sponsors' products the Cable Company and sponsoring vendors plus other CARE donors will send an amount equal to your purchase to CARE. Purchase all other products from The Cable Company (and UsedCable.com) and an amount equal to half of your purchase goes to CARE. Here's the math: The Cable Company donates 5% of each purchase to CARE. This amount is matched by participating vendors for sales of their products. An anonymous donor will match this combined contribution from The Cable Company and its participating vendors. When this total amount is donated to a CARE project, CARE will try to secure other donations up to the entire amount of Cable Company purchases. But if other donors cannot be found, our anonymous donor has agreed to contribute to CARE the entire remainder amount of Cable Company purchases up to
$250,000. Enjoy the Music.com
has been extended special thanks from The Cable Company as we have graciously
provided additional ad space to help them promote this great effort.
Music Industry News 10 Years Ago What
is old is new again as a new company headed by longtime and highly respected
loudspeaker designer Arnie Nudell, Genesis
Advanced Technology, will soon be launched! Continuing the Genesis
line of products, this new venture will soon be releasing new products that
should reach stores worldwide. Many people remember Mr. Nudell from decades
ago as the founder of Infinity (now owned by Harmon). In those days Infinity
was one of the best, and some considered the best, loudspeaker of its time.
While he will be the chief designer of new products, CEO and Managing Director
Gary Leonard Koh will take care of the business side of things. Mr. Nudell
says "We have assembled an awesome team! You will see some of the old
stalwarts; and will also see Genesis bringing new blood into the industry.
I’ve always designed the best loudspeakers I could. With this team now, we
will be able to make performance improvements to existing designs and come up
with completely new ones, knowing all these efforts will be supported by a
rock-solid business base." Mr. Koh has said in a prepared statement
"We have a number of investors who will ensure that the new Genesis has
the financial muscle to regain its position as the makers of the best
loudspeakers in the world. Everyone involved has a passion for the product,
and yet have the ability to bring real-world business skills to the table to
run this as a long-term business." The Genesis 501 full range
floorstanding loudspeaker and 928 subwoofer are being prepared for launch by
Genesis Advanced technology. Meanwhile the APM-1 will be updated and is to be
released within the next six months.
08 / 01 / 12
Enjoy the
Music.com's August Review Magazine
is now available and celebrates our 17 years of bringing you valuable
high-end audio information! Equipment reviews includes the McIntosh MC452
stereo power amplifier, EMM Labs DAC2X stereo DAC, Ortofon SPU Royal N MC
cartridge, Parasound Zphono USB, Wadia 121 Decoding Computer plus much more! Enjoy the Music.com's
August Review Magazine can be seen by clicking
here.
Daily News: Audiophile news updated each weekday!
BAS Speaker
More On The Great Preamp Myth
Witchcraft On Trial
The BAS Speaker Volume 8 Number 1 & 2
Sound Practices
Monsieur Rankin's Euro Selection
Article By Gordon Rankin Of Wavelength Audio
VALVE Magazine
Dinkin' Around: Tech tips and other unsolicited advice.
The 75 Minute Restoration
Capital Audiofest 2012
Washington, DC gets the high-end audio treatment!!
Coverage By Scot Hull
ESS Heil Factory Tour
We get an exciting inside look at Heil's driver designs!
Article By Jeff Poth
In This Issue... Entering Our 18th Year...
Has The Industry Really Progressed?
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
Audiolics Anonymous Chapter 153
XTZ MH 800 DSP Desktop System
Article By Dr. Bill Gaw
Think Piece
Painting, music and the language of sound reproduction.
Article By Jules Coleman
Design Philosophy For Turntables
A Paper From Pierre Lurne Of Audiomeca
The Future Of Audio
Hearing By The United States of America Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
GIK Acoustics
Early / First Reflection Points
Shut Up
And Enjoy The Music
RMAF 2011 Seminar By Steven R. Rochlin
EMM Labs DAC2X Stereo D-A Converter
Pulling out all the stops.
Review By Phil Gold
McIntosh MC452 Stereo Power Amplifier
Legendary performance from a legendary company!
Review By Anthony Nicosia
From Our First Year...
The Parasound Halo JC 1 Monoblock Amplifiers
Review By Wayne Donnelly
From Our First Year...
The Miyabi / 47 Labs MC Cartridge
Review By Rufus Smith
Ortofon SPU Royal N MC Cartridge
Ortofon updates this great classic!
Review By Dick Olsher
Parasound Zphono USB
For the music lover who wants to record their LPs.
Review By Rick Jensen
Wadia 121 Decoding Computer
Amazing sound and good looks at a very reasonable price.
Review By Tom Lyle
From Our First Year...
47 Labs 4706 Gaincard And 4700 Power Humptye
Everything you know is wrong... or... I was fooled by mainstream audio gurus.
Review By Steven R. Rochlin
From Our First Year...
The Complete Guide to High-End Audio -- Second Edition
Book By Robert Harley
Review By Rob Selina
Distributed Bass
A simple execution for the distributed bass concept.
Article By Jeff Poth
Classical Music
Wonderful Shostakovich and Prokofiev string quartets from the Pacifica Quartet.
Review By Joe Milicia
Thrilling performance of familiar concertos by Steven Hough and Roy Chen.
Review By Max Westler
An eclectic, adventurous program from The Knights.
Review By Max Westler
Jazz / Bluegrass / Etc.
B.B. Driftwood casts quite a spell in his new release.
Review By Phil Gold
Various Bluegrass, Blues And Jazz Albums
Reviews By Steven Stone
Rock, Techno, House, Etc. Donna Summer (1948 - 2012)
A Tribute To The First Lady Of Love Part 2
Recommended Recordings By Claude Lemaire
Donna Summer (1948 - 2012)
A Tribute To The First Lady Of Love Part 1
Recommended Recordings By Claude Lemaire
My Dinner With Jimi (DVD)
Producer: Harold Bronson, Director: Bill Fishman, Writer: Howard Kaylan
Review By Steven Stone
High-Performance Audio Reviews
The 
IMPEX Records
German audiophile company 
Twitter.com/EnjoyTheMusic
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Award earning and longstanding high-end loudspeaker company
According to 
Audiophiles looking for a simple and inexpensive stereo amplifier might want to check out the new
Enjoy
the Music.com has a sneak peek look at the upcoming 
IKEDA Sound Labs
More analysis is coming in as 
Music Industry News 10 Years Ago
Magico
FUTUREnews:
A Glimpse 20 Minutes... Or 20 Months Into The Future!
What
is old is new again as a new company headed by longtime and highly respected
loudspeaker designer Arnie Nudell, 
EMM Labs DAC2X Stereo D-A Converter
