High-End Audio / High Fidelity Audiophile Industry News

  
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10 / 30  To  11 / 1

Enjoy the Music.com's November Review Magazine Is Now Available
Enjoy the Music.com's November Review Magazine features our RMAF and CanJam coverage plus interviews with the legendary Roger Waters and recording engineer genius James Guthrie. We continue our Special 20/20 Awards within this month's magazine by featuring incredible high-end audio preamplification. We also have reviews of the McIntosh MC75 monoblock tube amp & C22 tube preamp, Acoustic Signature Thunder three-motor turntable & TA-1000 tonearm, and a very special world premiere of the SST Son Of Ampzilla II power amp & Thoebe II preamp! We're also giving you a preview to the remarkable Markaudio-Sota loudspeakers that combine Italian flair, British design, Hong Kong resources, and Japanese flavors. TAVES consumer electronics show is next weekend and we'll be there diggin' all the gear gear and manning our mic telling you what we saw and hear. Lastly, we're giving away $598 in prizes within our GIK Acoustic contest! These excellent room acoustic devices professionally improve the sound of your listening room. See our November Review Magazine by clicking here.

10 / 29 / 15

Amadeus' Very Innovative Philharmonia 24-bit/96kHz Loudspeakers
French professional and high-end audio manufacturer Amadeus, renowned for live, installed, and custom studio sound reinforcement systems, have announced their new Philharmonia speakers are shipping. The new speakers were initially created specifically for the Philharmonie de Paris recording and mastering studios, which were built to capture performances by the world's most prestigious symphonic orchestras. The new speakers were designed by Michel Deluc, Amadeus' Director of Research & Development, along with world-renown architect Jean Nouvel, who designed the new Philharmonie de Paris concert hall. The Philharmonia features a curved structure that is both simple and complex, consisting of 547 wood veneers accurately machined and assembled, offering a distinctive look and volume. It features a unique hybrid laminar port using progressive termination. Michel Deluc reveals "The distinctive construction technique of Philharmonia helps neutralize standing waves affecting sonic clarity and low-frequency definition, through an extremely complex internal structure using a combination of interlocking panels arranged in two perpendicular planes, each hosting several tuned notch resonators. The new Philharmonia two-way, self-powered speakers feature a 28-mm soft-domed tweeter and a custom 8-inch woofer, and boast analog and digital inputs with a customized integrated DAC and an amplitude linearity range (+/-2dB) from 43 Hz to 22 KHz. The high-frequency driver features very low dielectric losses and high thermal conductivity, loaded behind a fast exponential waveguide machined in wood, which yields exceptional control over spatial dispersion. Philharmonia is bi-amplified using two dedicated very high resonance digital custom-built amplifiers, each amp delivers 700 Watts under 8 Ohms. These proprietary PPM-PWM fixed frequency Class-D amplifiers are equipped with a high-efficiency switched mode power supply. Each speaker channel is under control by a powerful, 64-bit digital processing unit capable of a 118 dB dynamic range. Each of these on-board DSP units include a module dedicated to managing core system parameters including system EQ, time alignment between sections, limiting, transducer thermal protection. This level of control makes Philharmonia fully protected and able to operate at the full extent of its abilities. With line-level XLR analog input, Philharmonia lets users choose their own DAC, while at the same time, given that digital-to-analog conversion should happen at the latest possible stage in an electro-acoustical monitoring system, Philharmonia also integrates two digital inputs/outputs conforming to the AES3 digital audio data transfer standard. These are coupled with a high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz converter placed as close as possible to the electronic amplifiers, thus working together in perfect combination. The speakers also feature an RJ-45 network input allowing remote control of its DSP processor for optimal adjustment via dedicated software to match the speakers to the acoustical properties of each listening space. The software is an app that runs on Apple Macintosh and iPad, and Microsoft Windows computers. The cabinets are custom manufactured from layered Birch and stand 1.6 meters tall, the casing contains the electronics inside the lower part of the speaker enclosure. Each speaker is comprised of 547 wood veneers, accurately machined, aligned and glued, yielding a look that's both simple and complex, and yet timeless. They also feature a unique hybrid laminar port using progressive termination for reproducing low frequencies. Machined into the wood material along the full height of the speaker system, the very low velocity port yields optimal linearity for the lowest possible distortion. Analog input connectors are balanced XLR whilst digital input connectors are XLR AES/EBU. Dimensions are 1613mm x 320mm x 465mm (H x W x D) and weigh 141.53 lbs.

10 / 28 / 15

Aries Cerat Collatio II DHT OTL Vacuum Tube Amplifier
Aries Cerat is redefining OTL (output transformerless) amplifier design with their new Collatio II (€20,000). As the company's statement cost-no-object approach on OTL tube amplification, Aries Cerat began by analyzing and testing many vintage and modern OTL circuits that are the norm. By re-inventing this vacuum tube topology, the Collatio II OTL Series is a special project on how they feel a true SOTA OTL amplifier should sound. The Collatio II OTL amplifiers are single-ended current-output amplifiers, which is contrast to push-pull OTL amplifiers that operate in Class AB. The Collatio II operates the vacuum tubes in Class A, with the amplifier producing 20 wpc in stereo or as an 80 watt monoblock. There are 20 power tubes in parallel per channel, which are loaded by four massive chokes, and AC coupled to the output terminals using an exotic film capacitor. The capacitor is designed to be able to surge 20,000 Amperes peak. These capacitors are said to have ESR and ESL specifications "an order of magnitude lower than any audio capacitor, film or electrolytic, thus the capacitor is virtually a single wire at audio frequencies, at the same time protecting your speakers from any mishap" says Aries Cerat. The Collatio II amplifier is biased at 2.6A per channel. There are double output stage power supplies with double choke filtration and six high current, high speed capacitors. The driving stage is DHT (directly heated triode) 814 vacuum tube. All heater and filament supplies have their own power transformer and are double filtered using chokes and high speed capacitors. To ensure full reliability, the output stage is AC coupled to ensure there is no DC at any time at the speaker terminals. Full power output bandwidth is an impressive 6Hz to 110kHz with a signal-to-noise ratio of 110dB. The complete vacuum tube compliment includes two 814 and forty 6c19p-v. Dimensions are 455mm x 590mm x 480mm (WxDxH) and the unit weighs 120 kgs.

TAVES Consumer Electronics Show 2015 Begins October 30th
TAVES Consumer Electronics Show 2015, October 30th through November 1st at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel & Suites in Canada, will feature many high-end home audio and video exhibits plus advanced technologies including 3D printing, robotics, etc. TAVES Consumer Electronics Show presents a great opportunity for industry professionals to connect with manufacturers, distributors and retailers. With hundreds of high-end audio and video brands under one roof, TAVES 2015 virtually guarantees an immensely enjoyable experience with a broad range of incredible state-of-the-art products. Designed to attract a larger, more diverse and younger audience to the show, TAVES 2015 will feature high-technology and innovation, wearables, home and portable audio, home theater, plus a variety of gadgets. Enjoy the Music.com will be reporting on TAVES 2015 at this link.

10 / 24 / 15

The Delian Mode
Delia Derbyshire Documentary

10 / 23 / 15

Acoustic Signature Thunder Three-Motor Turntable And TA-1000 Tonearm
Thunder turntable with three motors is an amazing bit of analog kit.
Review By Wojciech Pacula

Record And Playback In DSD Using Korg's New DS-DAC-10R ADC/DAC
Korg's new DS-DAC-10R both plays back and records in 1-bit DSD and can serve as a USB-DAC for 24-bit/192kHz audio. KORG was among the first to embrace the potential of high-resolution DSD audio with its MR Series of rack-style studio recorders, portable solutions, and hand-held devices. In addition, their complementary AudioGate software works with all the latest audio formats. Korg's DS-DAC-10R is said to be a professional-grade analog-to-digital converter and is even equipped with phono inputs for archiving your vinyl records. As a USB 2.0 DAC, simply connect the DS-DAC-10R to your computer to enjoy high-resolution audio playback. The DS-DAC-10R supports the 5.6 MHz and 2.8 MHz DSD format for both playback and recording, with PCM formats up to 192kHz/24-bit also being available. The MM phono inputs provide a direct connection to your record player. Your records can be quickly turned via DSD into high-resolution data files. In addition to the standard RIAA curve, five other curves are also supported. Phono equalization can be applied as you record, or when playing back an un-equalized DSD recording made from your vinyl sources. There is also a line level input jack for reel-to-reel, cassette decks and other devices. AudioGate software allows you to easily manage your music library. Inside the Korg DS-DAC-10R is a TI PCM4202 AD converter, with the internal pre-stage circuit of the phono amp using high-performance parts such as the TI OPA1662 and thin-film polymer multi-layer capacitors (PMLCAP made by Rubycon). For the DA conversions, Korg chose the Cirrus Logic CS4390. The elegant diecast body of the DS-DAC-10R emanates precision construction and craftsmanship. Sleek and uncluttered, the front panel provides simply a headphone jack and a volume control. Korg's DS-DAC-10R is 6.10" x 7.29" x 1.93" (WxDxH) and weighs 2.65 lbs.

10 / 22 / 15

YouTube Red And YouTube Music Subscription Service Coming Soon
Many people enjoy using YouTube for music discovery or watching their favorite music video, yet the commercials and in-video pop-ups can get annoying. YouTube's new Red $9.99 per month subscription service seeks to provide commercial-free videos. According to YouTube, "On October 28, we're giving fans exactly what they want. Introducing YouTube Red -- a new membership designed to provide you with the ultimate YouTube experience. YouTube Red lets you enjoy videos across all of YouTube without ads, while also letting you save videos to watch offline on your phone or tablet and play videos in the background, all for $9.99 a month. Your membership extends across devices and anywhere you sign into YouTube, including our recently launched Gaming app and a brand new YouTube Music app we're announcing today that will be available soon. YouTube Music is designed to make discovering, watching and listening to music easier than ever. Any song or artist you choose on YouTube Music will start you on a personal journey through one of the richest music catalogs; just sign in, tap a track you love, and see where your music takes you. And as a special bonus - YouTube Red works with Google Play Music, so subscribe to one and automatically get access to the other." Another interesting twist is, like Netflix and Hulu services, starting in early 2016 YouTube Red will offer member-only access to new, original shows and movies from some of YouTube's biggest creators. Those within the United States of America can try YouTube Red for free with a one month trial beginning October 28, with YouTube Music being unveiled for the public soon. As YouTube offers video up to 4k resolution, the audio quality is also capable of being quite impressive and is why we're including this news items within our industry news page.

CANADA HiFi's Latest Edition Now Available For Free Download
Enjoy the Music.com has just posted the latest issue of CANADA HiFi. This issue features the upcoming TAVES 2015 show, an interview with Bryston and Skogrand Cables, plus reviews of the Cambridge Audio CXN upsampling network player & CXABO integrated amplifier, Monitor Audio Gold 300 loudspeakers, and Thales TTT slim turntable with Easy Arm tonearm. Within his editorial, Suave Kajko says "Hello and welcome to the first special edition of the CANADA HiFi magazine - featuring an augmented reality cover, an experience developed by a marketing company called Arvuu Inc., based in Markham, Ontario. I'm delighted because this cover combines my passion for audio and fascination with technology in general. To experience this cover in augmented reality all you need to do is download the free AREnginePRO app on your Apple or Android device and scan the cover using the app. How's that for a cool new experience? This special edition cover is of course perfectly aligned with the TAVES Consumer Electronics Show, coming this Friday, October 30th through Sunday, November 1st at the Sheraton Parkway Hotel in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Augmented reality is just one of the many technologies and innovations you'll be able to feast your eyes upon at the show. Staying true to the roots of the original show, TAVES will also feature a great number of hi-fi demonstrations -the largest concentration of hi-fi companies under one roof at any Canadian trade show in fact. I invite you to read Marc Saltzman's sneak peek at this year's largely expanded show in this very issue. My team and I have spent an extraordinary amount of time preparing this year's TAVES and I hope that most CANADA HiFi readers will be able to check out this year's show!" See what's within this issue of CANADA HiFi and you can download it for free at this link.

10 / 21 / 15

McIntosh MC75 Monoblock Tube Amplifier And C22 Tube Preamplifier
McIntosh's latest re-introduction of their classic audio components.
Review By Anthony Nicosia

Gato Audio PWR-222 Mono Power Amp Features TwinFET Technology
The new Gato Audio PWR-222 mono power amplifier is the culmination of development work started back in 2008 with the Gato Audio AMP-150 integrated amplifier. The company spent the past seven years developing their TwinFET push-pull technology to now deliver 250 Watts @ 8 Ohms. It features a 700W low noise toroidal power transformer, 44,000uF of RIFA capacitors, two 500 Ampere MOS-FETS and WBT NexGen terminals. Gato Audio's PWR-222 mono amplifier also has a low noise input stage and the carefully optimized PCB design enables a signal-to-noise ratio of more than 115dB. The mechanical dial display has three settings; to act as a VU meter, indicating output and clipping level, to show the current temperature of the amplifier or it may be turned off completely. Inputs include both unbalanced RCA and balanced XLR. Frequency response is from 2Hz to 100kHz (-3dB), dimensions are 12.8" x 4.1" x 15.7" (WxHxD) and it weighs 35.3 lbs.

Sonos Adds Amazon's Prime Music To Their Supported Music Services
Sonos, the world's leading multi-room music distribution system, had added Amazon's Prime Music to the long list of streaming music providers currently available. "Amazon shares our quest for the everyday simple," says Sonos. "Prime members already enjoy seamless shopping, the ability to magically make any product on Earth show up at your door in two days or less. Sonos speakers and software are designed to blend into our lives, leaving just the simple everyday pleasure of music everywhere. Now in Beta on Sonos, Amazon Prime members can magically stream more than a million songs into their home, in an instant, for free. If you're sick of making decisions, let Prime Stations create the soundtrack for your day. Prime Stations are ad-free — you can even pause, replay, or skip as often as you would like—so sit-back, relax and go 'All Acoustic' or have a 'Top Pop' dance party; there are hundreds of stations for every musical mood you may have. You can even find that perfect Station catered to your favorite artists like Janet, Taylor, Calvin, Kanye, Katy and some Stones that gather no moss." Sonos users can try this new service in beta. Simply add Amazon Music from the Music Menu and enter your Prime account info. If you're not a Prime member, Amazon offers a free 30-day trial at www.Amazon.com/prime.

Industry News 10 Years Ago
Enjoy the Music.com Offers High-End Audio's First RSS Feed
Enjoy the Music.com now offers an RSS feed to instantly keep music lovers informed with news, information, and reviews! An RSS feed allows easy syndication of top news events and information to Web sites all around the globe without any cost to information providers plus audiophiles with RSS readers can easily keep informed of news as it happens. Steven R. Rochlin, Editor of Enjoy the Music.com, said "Our new RSS feed will be updated many times each week to ensure the latest headlines are available to information providers. New technology has always been embraced by Enjoy the Music.com as years ago we were the only Web site to provide a Channel that was fully supported by Microsoft for desktop delivery of data. Today we offer the audiophile industry's only customized Web site browser for home computer users so they can find information concerning audio equipment and music. We also have a WAP site, used by millions of portable devices, that is updated on a regular basis. It brings me joy in announcing Enjoy the Music.com's RSS feed to further our reach to millions of people worldwide. As an added benefit for RSS users, today we offer a sneak peek at an upcoming review via our RSS feed 10 days earlier than it will be released to the public within our Review Magazine on November 1."

10 / 19 / 15

Bryston Adds New MM & MC Phonostages Plus Step-Up Transformer
Bryston has announced the introduction of four high-performance compact analog solutions for vinyl enthusiasts — three phono stage preamplifiers and a matching outboard power supply. Bryston's BP-2 MM features a moving-magnet phonostage whilst the BP-2 MM/MC adds moving coil in addition to moving magnet ($800 and $1750 respectively). Bryston's TF-2 is a step-up transformer for very low output moving-coil cartridges and the PS-3 is an external power supply for the new active phonostages ($1500 and PS-3 $1000 respectively). The new phono preamplifiers all feature Bryston's legendary 20-year warranty. Both the MM and the MM/MC units require an outboard power supply called the PS-3, also constructed in a matching small chassis. Bryston customers who currently own a BP-26 preamplifier with the MPS-2 power supply can use the MPS-2 (instead of the PS-3) with either compact phono stage. The TF-2 step-up transformer requires no outboard power supply. The BP-2 MM has four settings (100-400 pF) to match the output of any moving magnet cartridge, and the TF-2 can be ordered with either 20dB of gain (for cartridges less than 45 Ohm) or 31dB of gain (for cartridges less than 5 Ohm). "We have spoken to so many consumers out there who bought a quality A/V receiver and would now like to start playing records — but they have no phono stage," Says Bryston Vice President James Tanner. "This lineup of analog solutions addresses every possible need, delivering audiophile performance designed to fit on just about any A/V rack or shelf."

10 / 18 / 15

Neil Young Writes About The Current Situation With Pono
Musician Neil Young has just posted an announcement concerning Pono. We've shared it within our Facebook page and are curious about your thoughts. Neil Young says, "Pono is a labor of love. Not just for me, for everyone in and around our small company, producing Ponomusic players and offering millions of Hi Res music files for well over a year now. At our core, manager Elliot Roberts, attorney Ricky Cohen, manufacturing head Phil Baker, and myself have done everything we know how to do to keep Pono alive. It has not been easy but we are doing what we love to do: making music sound GREAT. We are a little company doing what only one giant corporation has been able to do before. And we are doing some things they have not done. We are serving Hi Res master files of your favorite music. We have an engaged and thriving online community. With no advertising we have put tens of thousands of players and hundreds of thousands of tracks in the ears of music lovers. We do this by working with many companies who help us to provide the quality we serve. In addition to the recording companies themselves, we have eight business partners enabling us to deliver hi res proven provenance Pono music to our customers. WMG, Sony Music, UMG, and the Independent record companies have provided us with their best quality product and continually upgrade their offerings to take advantage of Pono's great sound. Our PonoPlayer plays back all quality levels of digitally stored masters of your favorite music better than any other portable player...". Read the entire post by Neil Young and share your thoughts within our Facebook page.

10 / 17 / 15

TAVES Consumer Electronics Show 2015 Begins October 30th
TAVES Consumer Electronics Show 2015, October 30th through November 1st at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel & Suites in Canada, will feature many high-end home audio and video exhibits plus advanced technologies including 3D printing, robotics, etc. TAVES Consumer Electronics Show presents a great opportunity for industry professionals to connect with manufacturers, distributors and retailers. With hundreds of high-end audio and video brands under one roof, TAVES 2015 virtually guarantees an immensely enjoyable experience with a broad range of incredible state-of-the-art products. Designed to attract a larger, more diverse and younger audience to the show, TAVES 2015 will feature high-technology and innovation, wearables, home and portable audio, home theater, plus a variety of gadgets. Enjoy the Music.com will be reporting on TAVES 2015 at this link.

10 / 16 / 15

Aurender N10 Caching Music Server/Player Includes 4TB of Storage
Aurender, a leader in award-winning, high-resolution audio products, introduces their N10 Caching Music Server/Player ($7999). Designed to be used with high performance digital-to-analog converters (DACs), the Aurender N10 Music Player supports on-the-fly precision DSD to PCM on S/PDIF and AES/EBU outputs with user-selectable choice of 88.2 or 176.4 output sampling rate. This means you may enjoy DSD audio files even if your DAC isn't capable of native DSD playback. With NAS capability and a generous 4TB (two 2TB) of internal hard disk drives plus one 240GB solid-state drive cache for playback, the N10 is an excellent solution for even the most extensive high-resolution music collections. By caching songs to the solid-state drive for playback, electrical and acoustic noise resulting from spinning disks, moving heads and motors are also completely eliminated. The Aurender N10 is equipped with various S/PDIF outputs (BNC, AES/EBU, coaxial, optical) and one dedicated USB Audio Class 2.0 output. The dedicated USB Audio Class 2.0 output is designed to deliver an exceptionally transparent audio signal free of noise, and is shielded from outside electronic interference. When not in use, the power to the USB Audio output can be shut off depending on the USB DAC's requirement. For network connectivity and file transfers, the N10 comes with one a Gigabyte Ethernet port and two USB 2.0 data ports. Oven-Controlled Crystal Oscillator (OCXO) provides for long-term jitter reduction. OCXO provides high reduction of possible jitter and are among the most accurate and stable clocks in use today. In conjunction with the OCXO is a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based All-Digital Phase-Locked Loop system precisely times the digital data transmission reducing jitter to near immeasurable levels. An All Digital Phase-Locked Loop system (ADPLL) incorporating Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) with OCXO clocks precisely times digital audio data transmissions and minimizes jitter to below negligible levels. Aurender's App is packed with Convenient features for full-function control and works with an iPad or Android (Lite Version) device. All settings and functions of the Aurender Server/Music Player can be easily accessed through the app's Settings menu, and the Aurender App comes with extensive features to make managing, viewing and playing high-resolution music collections — including TIDAL — a breeze. Aurender's N10 Caching Music Server/Player is available in either silver or black and dimensions of the unit are 16.93" x 3.27" x 13.9" (WxHxD).

Voxtok & DiDiT High-End Team Up For Uncompromised Music Experience
Voxtok, designing high-end Hi-Fi connected devices and solutions, and DiDiT High-End, specialized in creating high quality audio products, announced today their technological partnership to combine their experience, passion and R&D to bring outstanding innovations into your living room. Voxtok will focus on providing its current and next range of product based on its Voxtok Music services and advanced software for Audio and TV, along with its expertise in designing powerful processing electronic boards for embedded systems. DiDiT High-End will be responsible for adding their knowledge on high quality audio, novel electronic design as well as hardware design. The combined expertise of Voxtok and DiDiT High-End enables the delivery of beautiful and innovative media streaming devices, bringing music to the living room in a way never achieved before. Since its CES Honoree Award beginning of the year, Voxtok has pushed its AudioCapsule product to higher levels at every stage: a simple but beautiful improved interface that can be accessed through all connected devices including TVs, state of the art Cloud services for simple backup, seamless integration of streaming and online services. Everything is integrated in the Voxtok's high performance electronic design. "From the first day we met with Voxtok we knew we found our soul brothers," said Rients Steenbeek, CEO of DiDiT High-End. "We share the same drive, passion and ideals to do things differently. Together we will continue our quest in improving the musical experience. Together we will reinvent audio all over again!" Joel Reboul, CEO of Voxtok, said "We are thrilled about this partnership with DiDiT High-End. Our goal is to offer the best possible music experience, and this partnership will clearly make our products stand out by combining the quality of DiDiT High-End electronic design with Voxtok's advanced technologies and music services." This collaboration will take Voxtok's products to another level by adding incredible precision and accuracy in music reproduction to Voxtok Music management thereby bringing the music experience to a whole new standard. Voxtok will showcase its AudioCapsule and Voxtok Music products at Festival Son et Image this October and at CES 2016 in Las Vegas. See our exclusive video from CES 2015 below.

10 / 15 / 15

Live Stream: David Chesky's Jazz in the New Harmonic At Lincoln Center
With live streaming taking the forefront of nearly every major event, David Chesky's Jazz in the New Harmonic at Lincoln Center concert will be live streamed this evening at Jazz.org. With tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson, trumpeter Tim Hagans, drummer Billy Drummond, bassist Peter Washington, and pianist/composer David Chesky, this all-star jazz musicians fuse 21st century classical harmonies with the city's rhythms to create a new genre of jazz. The album Primal Scream, which features the same band set to appear at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, received tremendous reviews for its provocative and cerebral approach to the classical/jazz blend. Chesky's patient, angular harmonies are elevated by a solid groove in the group's foundation, relying on heavy bass vamps from Peter Washington and a steady pulse from drummer Billy Drummond. If you're looking for something new and refreshing, or a jazz set with cross-genre appeal, listen to the live stream from New York this evening at 7:30 and 9:30 PM.

10 / 14 / 15

GIK Acoustics Alpha Wood Series Room Acoustic Panels
Leading acoustic treatment manufacturer GIK Acoustics has introduced the GIK Acoustics Alpha Wood Series ($340.00 per box of four), which is a line of acoustic panels and bass traps with a wood face which has a mathematical sequence of slots for one-dimensional scattering / diffusion. The Alpha Wood Series beautifully combines absorption with diffusion and enhances any room both aesthetically and acoustically. First in the series is the 4A Alpha Panel constructed as a 23.75" x 23.75" x 4" wood-framed panel filled with rigid fiberglass absorption material. The core is made from 100% recycled materials so is environmentally friendly without any formaldehyde or urea formaldehyde. The panel is then wrapped in fabric and finished with a blonde veneer wood face which is designed for even, one-dimensional scattering. The wood face also allows low frequency waves to pass through to the fiberglass panel for better low end absorption. "I am thrilled to bring the Alpha Wood Series to our customers" says Glenn Kuras, company founder and President. "Not only is the Alpha Wood Series one of the most attractive product lines we've introduced, but they are more effective than similar products on the market. They're made with the quality and high performance standards that our customers have come to expect. The Alpha is truly a game changer for GIK and for the industry."

10 / 13 / 15

Audience Offers 'O' And 'X' Upgrades To Their Power Conditioners
Audience, formed in November 1997 by John McDonald and the late Richard Smith as a design and production company focused on building the best possible audio and video equipment, has new 'O' and 'X' upgrades for their Adept Response AC power conditioners. The optional upgrades are available on all Audience Adept Response standard and TS series power conditioners. The 'O' part of the upgrade designates the use of OHNO oxygen-free continuous cast copper (OCC), and six-nines purity mono-crystal wiring throughout. This is Audience's top-of-the-line AC power wire design specifically applied for the internal wiring of Audience power conditioners. It is said to yields improved resolution, greater musical speed and immediacy and better soundstaging. The 'X' designation indicates the use of new rhodium plated copper internal contacts in the AC outlets. The copper contacts provide very high conductivity and the quality rhodium plating prevents oxidation of the copper. Further, all new Audience power conditioners now have gold plated copper forks to connect the power conditioners' filter capacitors to the AC duplex outlets. This construction replaces the previous tin plating-over-copper forks. Audience says that this provides a noticeably more refined musical presentation. "When it comes to obtaining the very best performance from a power conditioner we have found time and again that no detail is too small, and the OX upgrades are proof," said John McDonald, President of Audience. "We are tremendously excited about the improvements in resolution, soundstaging and overall musical refinement that the O and X upgrades provide. Music is reproduced with a noticeably higher degree of resolution and simply sounds more natural and involving with greater tonal richness."

10 / 12 / 15

Tell Us About Your Fave Preamplifier... We Might Choose Yours!
Enjoy the Music.com is choosing our Special 20/20 Awards for preamplification, which will appear within our November issue of the Review Magazine. Come join the conversation within our Facebook page and let us know what you'd choose as the best preamplifier during the past 20 years? Come see what we've already chosen for turntables/cartridges, digital audio and amplifiers at this link.

November HiFi Show In The Philippines
The November HiFi Show is the Philippines premier audio and home theater exhibition in the country. Now in their 12th yearly event, on exhibit are some of the leading names in high-end audio and a gathering of the finest homegrown vacuum tube amplification and loudspeaker design. Also on hand are numerous vinyl merchants selling used and brand new LPs. This year will see a focus on Hi-Res Audio like PCM 192kHz/24-bit and DSD whilst portable audio and headphones will also have a strong showing. The Show will be held at the Citadines Serviced Apartments Salcedo Village on November 14th and 15th. Entrance is free. They can be reached at +63 2 813 6651 and have a Facebook page at this link.

New York Audio Show 2015 At The Hilton Westchester Hotel
Chester Group's New York Audio Show 2015 will be held at the Hilton Westchester Hotel, located in the Rye Brook New York, and takes place from Friday November 6th to Sunday November 8th, 2015. Attendees may enjoy high-end audio systems and accessories with the opportunity to meet the designers, creators, editors and guest speakers from the industry. With over 40 demo rooms filled with leading audio manufacturers, there will also be live music events as well. "Some may be surprised that after three previous years in New York City we have moved to Westchester," said Roy Bird, Chairman and founder of the UK based Chester Group. "Upon finding that our last venue in Brooklyn would not be available due to renovation, we simply could not find an appropriate in-city alternative. Either the rooms were too small or had acoustic issues; the hotel was not receptive to a show; logistics and costs would be a nightmare; or other issues would not offer our exhibitors and attendees the favorable experience that we deem necessary for a successful show." Ticket pricing of Chester Group's New York Audio Show 2015 is $30 for a single day and $55 for all three days. Children 16 and under are free when accompanied with a paying adult. See Enjoy the Music.com's New York Audio Show 2014 in Brooklyn at this link.

Industry News 15 Years Ago
NMPA And RIAA Form An Agreement Concerning Music Via The Internet
In a huge breakthrough helping to pave the way for music delivery through the Internet, the National Music Publishers' Association, Inc. (NMPA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) have come to an agreement regarding procedures for licensing and distribution via the Internet. While this new agreement differs from the RIAA's SoundExchange program that was created by a joint venture of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the American Federation of Musicians, the RIAA and other industry representatives. To quote the press release "The agreement, to be implemented in transactions between RIAA member record companies and a wholly owned subsidiary of NMPA, The Harry Fox Agency, Inc., (HFA), sets forth streamlined procedures under which musical works may be licensed expeditiously through HFA. These procedures will substantially reduce the time and effort required to clear music publishing rights for the electronic delivery of sound recordings to consumers." Cary Sherman, senior executive vice president and general counsel of RIAA said "Record labels have been putting more and more of their content online, but securing licenses from the various rights owners has been time-consuming as well as an administrative burden. The new arrangement with HFA will expedite licensing for digital downloads very substantially, enabling our companies to make more music available to consumers more easily and more quickly." Edward P. Murphy, President and CEO of NMPA said "This opens a new era in the licensing of music on the Internet. Broad utilization by distributors of the licensing resources of HFA will make getting licensed music into the hands of the consumer that much easier. The arrangement will also enable accurate identification of Internet music files, a critical requirement for copyright owners and their songwriter partners."

10 / 10 / 15

Enjoy the Music.com RMAF / CanJam 2015 Awards
Rocky Mountain Audio Fest & CanJam 2015

Enjoy the Music.com RMAF / CanJam 2015 Awards

Wavecor 8.75" Mid/Woofer And 1.5" Full-Range Driver
The first ever Wavecor 8.75" mid/woofer is now available. It is launched in 4 Ohm as WF223BD01 and in 8 Ohm as WF223BD02. Wavecor's 8.75" transducers were designed as high performance bass/midrange units for monitors and high-end hi-fi speakers. They offer deep bass performance and dynamic and detailed midrange. Ideal for three-way constructions, they additionally offer designers the rare opportunity of working with 8" two-way solutions if paired with a suitable tweeter like for instance some of the Wavecor 30 mm units. Key features include a balanced drive motor structure, copper cap on center pole, cone made of a paper/glass fiber mix, rigid die cast alu chassis with extensive venting plus a vented voice coil former and center pole with dual flares. This driver uses a large motor with 1.5" voice coil and built-in alu field-stabilizing ring plus low-loss suspension. Loudspeaker wire terminals are gold plated to ensure a reliable electrical connection. Wavcor's 1.5" FR040 is now in production as is their smallest 'full-range' driver from Wavecor is now in production. Samples are available from stock and orders are shipped with Wavecor's usual lead times and available as FR040WA01 (4 Ohm) and FR040WA02 (8 Ohm) versions. These driver's were designed especially for high quality multimedia and lifestyle speakers, and for personal audio products. They also are said to work well as a midrange/treble transducer in small speaker products in combination with a small subwoofer unit. Key features include on-axis output from around 150 Hz to beyond 20 kHz, dual neodymium magnet structure, copper cap on center pole and black anodized alu cone. The vented polymer chassis and vented voice coil former plus black fiber glass voice coil former drive the large motor with 16 mm voice coil. Speaker wire terminals are gold plated to ensure a reliable connection. Wavecor is expanding their sales and marketing efforts and will for a first time participate as exhibitors during the CEDIA Expo at booth 7324.

10 / 09 / 15

emm labs Reference DA2 DAC Has Fully Discrete 16xDSD/DSD1024
emm labs has showcased their new DA2, the successor to the much beloved DAC2X ($25,000), as their next generation flagship DAC. "Re-designed from the ground up, Ed Meitner has once again created a DAC that significantly moves the bar in terms of transparency, accuracy and overall sound quality" says Director of Sales Mr. Shahin Al Rashid. Ed Meitner has improved the analog stages whilst emm labs' MDAC is now the world's first true fully discrete 16xDSD/DSD1024 D/A converter. Completely built in-house at their manufacturing facility in Canada, their MDAT2 DSP technology has also been refined and updated to synergistically work with the new 16xDSD MDAC. The new MDAT2 DSP does real-time transient detection, processing and up-conversion of all incoming audio, PCM and DSD, before sending it to the new 16xDSD MDAC circuitry. Special proprietary hardware includes galvanic isolation for the USB audio interface. Every other system from its proprietary jitter removal MFAST to its super accurate clock, MCLK has been carefully revised for better sound within the new emm labs DA2 DAC. Inputs include XLR AES/EBU, USB, two S/PDIF, and two optical TosLink. Outputs include XLR balanced and unbalanced RCA analog outputs (both can be used at the same time). The DA2 will be shipping in late fall 2015 with a standard finish is as pictured there is also a limited edition TX2 SACD/CD transport ($25,000) that goes with the DA2. Standard finishes are silver with titanium insert and buttons as pictured with black color and black insert / buttons. A very special premium finish with plated inserts/buttons of 24K gold, nickel/silver and custom finish being available on request.

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless Upsamples To 24-bit/192kHz
Bowers & Wilkins, after many years of success with their original Zeppelin, has now launched their newest generation called the Zeppelin Wireless ($699). Its sweeping contours command aesthetic appreciation while also producing room-filling sound. For the Zeppelin Wireless, Bowers & Wilkins chose to employ carefully calculated special material and shaping of the subwoofer with a larger 6.5" driver and an ultra-long voice coil to allow deep bass to be played at impressive volume levels driven by a 50 watt amplifier. Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless has decoupled double-dome tweeters and FST midrange drivers produce clean, dynamic audio, and each one being driven by a dedicated 25 watt amplifier. A new reinforced cabinet has been redesigned with a front fascia that is 50% thicker than the previous version, while specially designed glass fiber ribs strengthen the cabinet in order to produce high sound quality. With Digital Signal Processing (DSP) twice as powerful as its predecessor, Zeppelin Wireless also has inputs that are upsampled to 24-bit/192kHz resolution. Zeppelin Wireless includes Airplay, Bluetooth aptX and Spotify Connect whilst a Control App has been updated and is available via iOS, Android, Mac and PC.

10 / 08 / 15

Hegel HD30 Reference DAC Employs The Latest AKM4490 Chipset
Hegel's new HD30 DAC ($4800) uses the newest AKM4490 chips in a dual mono configuration plus the company has gone to great lengths to build special discrete clocks to reduce phase noise to an absolute minimum. Handling both 24-bit/192kHz and DSD 64/128, digital inputs include AES/EBU, BNC, coax RCA and three optical TosLink plus USB. Analog outputs include balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA. Hegel has develop new test routines for their Audio Precision instruments to get to the goal of top-quality digital audio playback. The HD30 is the first full size DAC from Hegel in creating an absolute market reference in terms of low noise, low jitter and lifelike sound. Hegel's H30 includes a further improved Apple AirPlay ability and upnp-streaming. With careful layout, separate power supplies and distancing the transformers, they have achieved a noise floor approaching -150dB according to the company. A reduction of phase noise is done by re-developing their master clock with careful matching of transistors and the clock crystal. Dimensions of the Hegel HD30 are 2.4" x 17" x 12.3" (HxWxD) and it weighs approximately 19 lbs.

Amplifier Technologies, Inc. (ATI) 4000 Series Multi-Channel Amps
Amplifier Technologies, Inc. has added a new series of amplifiers designed by their president and chief engineer, Morris Kessler. The 4000 series amplifiers, available with 2 to 7 channels, share the design philosophy and circuit sophistication of ATI's award-winning 6000 Series amps with power output reduced to 200W RMS per channel at 8 Ohms and 300 WRMS at 4 Ohms. Furthermore, their "signature series" designation with a facsimile of Kessler's signature on the main panel attests the special nature of these amplifiers. ATI's 4000 series uses a fully balanced, differential amplifier design with two output stages per channel but with only a single input stage. The advantages of balanced designs are retained and noise is further reduced by 50%. Current feedback, instead of the more common voltage feedback, is employed to achieve a faster slew rate. Another development is that unlike traditional designs where external diodes attached to the heat sink track the amplifiers operating conditions to adjust bias, Thermaltrak devices are used to have the diodes in the same package as the transistors so bias is optimized in real-time. Other design features include dual DC servos per channel to control DC offset and dual toroidal transformers with independent secondary windings. All the amplifiers in the 4000 series are rated at 200 Watts RMS from 20 Hz to 20 kHz with no more that 0.03% THD at 8 Ohms with all channels driven and 300 Watts RMS at 4 Ohms under the same conditions. Signal-to-noise ratio is typically 126dB referenced to full output. All ATI amplifiers are available in standard 17" and rack-mount 19" chassis and are covered by ATI's 7-year transferable warranty. Models within ATI's 4000 series include:

AT4002 Stereo Signature Amplifier $2995
AT4003 3-channel Signature Amplifier $3595
AT4004 4-channel Signature Amplifier $4195
AT4005 5-channel Signature Amplifier $4795
AT4006 6-channel Signature Amplifier $5395
AT4007 7-channel Signature Amplifier $5995

10 / 07 / 15

Enjoy the Music.com Exclusive!
An Interview With Roger Waters
Beyond The Quad Wall
Interview By Mike Mettler

Enjoy the Music.com Exclusive!
An Interview With James Guthrie
Perfect 5.1 Sense
Interview By Mike Mettler

10 / 06 / 15

Pass Labs New INT-250 And INT-60 Integrated Amplifiers
Pass Labs new INT-250 and INT-60 utilize advanced circuitry of the Point 8 amps, including their advanced power supply and output stages ($12,000 and $9000 respectively). Based on the lauded INT-30A, the 60-watt INT-60 Integrated Amplifier provides wattage with all the acclaimed finesse and delicacy surpassing its predecessor. Pass Labs' INT-60 can easily handle difficult loudspeaker loads such as electrostatics or planars and employs the same power supply and output stages, along with the iconic glowing meter, as found on Pass Labs' Point 8 amplifiers. The new model features Direct Access buttons for the four inputs on the faceplate, a digital level display, plus a Volume Control knob and Mute button. On the back are four line-level inputs, a line-level output, and two pairs of Furutech speaker binding posts. Pass Labs new INT-250 produces 250 watts per channel and has been optimized for greater versatility with loudspeaker loads of 86dB/W/m efficiency or less. Like the INT-60, the INT-250 features the same power supply and output stages, along with the iconic glowing meter as found on Pass Labs' Point 8 amplifiers. It too features four line-level inputs, a line-level output, and two pairs of Furutech speaker binding posts. As with the INT-60, there are Direct Access buttons for the four inputs on the faceplate and a digital level display, in addition to a Volume Control knob and a Mute button. 

HiFiBerry Audio DAC+ Light And HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro
HiFiBerry Audio expands their Raspberry Pi based product range with two new boards. HiFiBerry DAC+ Light and HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro ($24.90 and $44.90 respectively) use the same physical design as the well-known HiFiBerry DAC+ and with fit into all existing case solutions. Both boards increase the possibilities for setting up Raspberry Pi audio solutions. The DAC+ light uses a different DAC chip (from ESS instead of a Burr-Brown model) that allows the company to offer it at a lower price point, yet still have very good sound and 192kHz/24-bit playback. There is no integrated EPROM and no integrated volume control on the DAC+ Light. Users need to connect the DAC+ Light to an amplifier with integrated volume control or use so-called software volume control. The latter one is supported in many - but not all - applications. HiFiBerry's DAC+ Pro features an integrated dual-domain clock circuit, with two separate clocks for 44.1/88.2/176.4 and 48/96/192kHz sample rates plus on-board ultra-low-jitter clock generator. The board can be modified to allow external power supply for the analog part of the board. Also, you can connect external I2S DACs. These features need soldering on the board though keep in mind this will void warranty, but real hardware hackers have no problems with this.

Industry News 15 Years Ago
DVD-Audio Brings High Resolution 24-bit/96kHz Music
Great news as it seems the Warner Music Group (WMG) is the very first major label to release a true blue DVD-Audio disc. DVD-Audio offers much higher resolution audio reproduction over the Compact Disc (CD) plus multi-channel capabilities and much more! Planned to be released on November 7^th WMG will take advantage of DVD-Audio's multi-channel capabilities (also using Advanced Resolution) of Beethoven's Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5, conducted by Daniel Barenboim with the Staatskapelle Berlin. Also scheduled to be released at the same time is Core by Stone Temple Pilots; Tigerlily by Natalie Merchant; Johann Strauss in Berlin, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt with the Berlin Philharmonic; Brain Salad Surgery by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Hommage a l'Orchestre Lamoureux: Chabrier's Espana & Ravel's Bolero, with Orchestre Lamoureux conducted by Yutaka Sado; and The Bedroom Mixes by the Jazz At The Movies Band. Of course new music, and reissues as well, will be made available on a monthly basis. "With the concurrent introduction of DVD-Audio and download music releases, WMG is aggressively utilizing new technology working with music retailers to expand the market for our music while offering consumers a wider variety of listening experiences," said David Mount, Chairman and CEO of WEA Inc. "Because our DVD-Audio discs include a Dolby Digital mix able to play in existing DVD-Video players, we're confident that a significant market for these discs will develop very quickly." Not to worry you non-DVD-Audio player owning folks as the albums being released from WMG will also offer the flexibility of playability in three ways: first, in Advanced Resolution surround sound; second, in Advanced Resolution stereo; and third (for those not owning a DVD-Audio player) DVD-Video. The last feature, DVD-Video, will enable the new DVD discs to be enjoyed in the approximately 10 million DVD-Video players currently in U.S. homes. There is more than just better audio my friends as the DVD-Audio discs will provide many additional features such as brief DVD-Video quality music videos and artist commentary while on a DVD-Audio player there will be interactive visual menus with remote navigation (see our Frankfurt Germany 2000 Show report to learn more from the Emmerson, Lake and Powell screenshot) and other goodies such as a photo gallery of still pictures, artist bios, discography and credits or song lyrics (viewable during Advanced Resolution playback). Other artists whose work is already in development for future releases include Barenaked Ladies, Barenboim conducting Beethoven's complete symphonies, Buena Vista Social Club, Tracy Chapman, Alice Cooper, The Corrs, Olu Dara, Miles Davis, Deep Purple, The Doors, Firesign Theatre, Bela Fleck, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Fourplay, Philip Glass, Kronos Quartet, k.d. lang, Zubin Mehta conducting Orff's Carmina Burana, Mehta conducting Mahler's Symphony No. 2, Metallica, Pat Metheny, Luis Miguel, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Rod Stewart and Take 6. Warner Music Group (WMG) is home to many leading record companies such as The Atlantic Group, Elektra Entertainment Group, Rhino Entertainment, London-Sire Records and Warner Bros. Records Inc.

10 / 05 / 15

HIFICRITIC
Arcam FMJ A49 Stereo Integrated Amplifier
Chris Bryant is well surprised by the sparking performance of Arcam's new top-of-the-line amplifier.
Review By Chris Bryant

HIFICRITIC's Latest Issue Is Now Available
Enjoy the Music.com has just posted HIFICRITIC's latest issue featuring reviews of the McIntosh MHA100 headphone amplifier, Triaxiom 12-incher, Naim Statement amplifier, Vertex AQ Aletheia DAC-1.5, Miyajima Madake phono cartridge, HiFiMAN HE1000 & HE400S planar headphones, Arcam FJM A49 stereo integrated amplifier and more. Within his editorial titled The Hi-Fi World Has Become Fragmented, Paul Messenger says "The hi-fi world has become fragmented, and the dividing line seems to be related to the prime music source being used. That in turn seems to vary according to the age of the individual reader and customer. Those born before the mid-1960s will probably have accumulated a fair amount of vinyl before CD became the dominant carrier in the late-1980s. (It might have started in 1983, but took some years to get going.) Barely a decade later, file-sharing began to erode the primacy of CD as the most universal music storage medium, even though the widespread use of MP3-coded material was well short of hi-fi (or for that matter CD) quality. However, MP3 filesharing helped home computers get their foot in the music door, which has had huge implications. The continuing development of both computers and the internet constantly increases the range of possibilities." You can see what's in this issue of HIFICRITIC here

CanJam 2015 @ RMAF Show Report
Rocky Mountain Audio Fest & CanJam 2015

CanJam 2015 @ RMAF Show Report

10 / 04 / 15

RMAF 2015 Show Report
Rocky Mountain Audio Fest & CanJam 2015

RMAF 2015 Show Report Day 2

10 / 03 / 15

RMAF 2015 Show Report
Rocky Mountain Audio Fest & CanJam 2015

RMAF 2015 Show Report Day 1

10 / 02 / 15

Hi-Fi+'s October Issue Is Now Available Online
Enjoy the Music.com has just posted Hi-Fi+'s October issue online. This issue has show coverage of the CanJam London 2015 event plus reviews of AURALiC, Gamut, YG Acoustics, Audio Research, Lindemann, ProAc, Electrocompaniet, Nordost and many more! Within his editorial, Alan Sircom says, "We are performing something of an experiment with this issue. Alongside our usual collection of standalone component reviews, we are trying out complete system features. We have selected several complete front-to-back systems, at prices ranging from the (almost) mild to the distinctly (wild), all put together to sound good. One of these systems came from a single distributor. One came from a dealer who pieced together the system with care. One came from balancing out products with very different sonic properties, and one was highlighting the return to the UK of an outstanding loudspeaker brand, and wrapped a highly successful system around that launch. All are pieced together with great care and attention, rather than thrown into the ring by virtue of lowest possible price." You can see what's in this issue of Hi-Fi+ here

Consumer Electronics Luminary Len Schneider's Memorial
It deeply saddened us to announce the passing of an expert within our industry, Len Schneider. He was an amazing man and always a mensch in every way. In his early years, Len ran an electronics repair shop and helped a friend launch a company that manufactured subwoofers, electronic crossovers, and amplifiers before joining Sony as National Training Manager for hi-fi products. He did product development stints at Onkyo, Marantz, and Adcom and has a list of award-winning components to his credit. Len Schneider also wrote the training book for Rotel and many of Enjoy the Music.com's hi-fi glossary definitions were written by, or augmented by, Len Schneider. On the editorial side, he's reviewed products for Audio Magazine and authored technical articles for The Perfect Vision, served as senior contributing editor for Play and later for eTown.com. Len Schneider was a lifetime member of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and, in his own words, "admits to writing four books, some of them even readable". Editor and Creative Director of Enjoy the Music.com Steven R. Rochlin says, "Having known Len Schneider for nearly 20 years, he was warm and welcoming to everyone. His knowledge was shared with others and he helped train many people concerning high-end audio and video. As a close friend, we spoke often over the years and knew he was nearing this moment. Len will always live on within my heart." Len is survived by a wonderful girlfriend and two children. Len's memorial is Saturday, October 3rd at 11:00 am followed by a light lunch at the Rutherford Congregational Church located at 251 Union Avenue (cross street is Prospect) in Rutherford, NJ 07070.

Rocky Mountain Audio Fest And CanJam 2015 In Denver
Enjoy the Music.com is proud to celebrate our 12 years of reporting on the highly popular RMAF event (Rocky Mountain Audio Fest​)! RMAF & CanJam have teamed up once again and will feature high-end, high fidelity audio equipment and portable audio at the Denver Marriott Tech Center Hotel from October 2nd through the 4th. Enjoy the Music.com will deliver to you many special surprises during our show report! The RMAF and CanJam 2015 show will feature an abundance of products sure to resonated with everyone. While two-channel high fidelity audio (audiophile) will take center stage, there is a special CanJam headphone and portable media players (PMP) section for music lovers on the go. Everything from planar magnetic and dynamic driver on and over the ear headphones to in-earn monitors (IEM) can be heard within the CanJam section. See Enjoy the Music.com's RMAF 2015 report here and our CanJam 2015 report here.

Mytek The Brooklyn DAC Includes MQA Decoding Capability
MQA (Master Quality Authenticated), a technology created by Bob Stuart that enables adaptive high resolution streaming audio, will have products by Pioneer, Onkyo and Bluesound plus has just been enabled within Mytek Digital's The Brooklyn DAC ($2000). During this weekend's RMAF 2015 will be the world premier of the new Mytek The Brooklyn — a USB2 DAC, preamplifier and headphone amplifier. Mytek's The Brooklyn employs the latest in decoding technology allowing the listener to experience the latest high resolution music offering available, including MQA. The Brooklyn integrates digital and vinyl high-resolution audio playback for both headphones and home audio systems. On September 9th, 20015, Enjoy the Music.com reported that portable audio is heating up like an inferno as Pioneer is offering their XDP-100R digital audio player (£499 including VAT) that handles all major digital audio files types up to DSD 11.2MHz and 384kHz/24-bit and is the world's first portable unit to include MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) support.

Channel D Releases Their Pure Music 3 Software
Channel D, developers of the innovative Pure Vinyl and Pure Music computer audio software for Apple Macintosh computers, has released a major update to its Pure Music software. The new Pure Music 3 software includes nearly 50 new features and performance enhancements. Channel D's Pure Music 3 includes extensive optimizations, user interface and performance enhancements, including noticeably faster start-up and greatly improved smoothness and responsiveness, including improved integration of its Streamthrough feature, seamlessly and automatically transitioning between streamed audio and disk-based audio file playback. "This is the culmination of a year of intensive and painstaking re-examination of the application code, hand in hand with careful ongoing testing, and it shows," says Channel D's Director of Engineering and creator of the product Rob Robinson. "Rather than making this a feature-laden update, we focused on improving performance and usability. This is, by far, the best Pure Music ever."

Noble Audio K10U Universal Fit In-Ear Monitors
Noble Audio now offers their Kaiser 10U ($1599) universal fit in-ear monitor (IEM) that employs a new aluminum-chassis with 10-drivers inside. Noble's aluminum IEMs have been designed and manufactured in conjunction with experts in California whose clients include Louis Vuitton, Dior, Marc Newson and Holly Hunt. Despite this advanced level of engineering and construction, the new K10U aluminum will not see any price premium over its acrylic predecessor and thus maintain their pricing. With each unit being precision-made in California, it features a top half in stunning gloss-red anodize finish and a bottom half sporting a striking satin-finish that is clear anodized. The K10U aluminum is a ten-armature, low-impedance four-way design. Each IEM has two precision-tuned bass drivers, two mid-frequency drivers, two mid and two mid/high and two super-high frequency drivers. This four-way design has an impedance of <35 Ohms. Other features include a detachable two-pin cable and supplied accessories are a Pelican 1010 case, a black velvet soft pouch, and 12 pairs of ear tips (four types in three sizes), two Noble Audio bands or amp bands, a cleaning tool, plus a Noble cable and an ownership card.

10 / 01 / 15

This month we have world premiere reviews of the 64 Audio A12 custom in-ear monitors (CIEMs) with their impressive ADEL modules plus legendary electronics designer David Berning licensed technology for the Linear Tube Audio microZOTL 2.0 headphone amplifier. Another legendary amplifier designer focus is Nelson Pass with his Pass Labs' X250.8 solid-state stereo amplifier that brings very high-end sound to your audio system. ifi Audio has done it once again with their very reasonably priced $349 iDAC2 digital to analog converter with headphone amplifier and line output that greatly improves your computer's audio for both personal listening and within your home audio system.

The feedback from you, our loyal readers, has been tremendous towards Enjoy the Music.com's Special 20/20 Awards. We've already highlighted digital audio and cartridges / turntables during past issues, with this month's Review Magazine showcasing positively phenomenal high-end audio amplification! Both solid-state and vacuum tube amplifiers are featured of course. Prices of these award-earning amplifiers range from the being quite reasonable to having no price constraints. As an added bonus, we remove the 20 year limit for two legendary, reaching nearly mythical status, amplifiers that make the grade within our Special 20/20 Awards.

Enjoy the Music.com's staff are at this very moment preparing to travel to Denver for this weekend's wonderful Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF) and CanJam shows. Each day we'll be posting updates, with our in-depth coverage appearing online shortly after these events. We'll bring you the low-down about the great gear in Denver and what outstanding products deserve special attention. Because you love to seeing special gear in sharp focus, our fantastic photography gives you the opportunity to see many products in full screen (and perhaps more) resolution! Of course we recommend you attend RMAF and CanJam in Denver, yet for those who can't make it there or may have missed some key products, sit back and relax as we give you key info about the many outstanding products being showcased.

Within his Senseless Rambling, Editor and Creative Director Steven R. Rochlin writes about music for the next generation and notes that, "Perceptual (MP3) coding was impressive for its time, yet how are we to not just to prove that there is more audio content within higher than CD resolution FLAC, DSD, etc, but to also find a way to hear the difference and the added benefits. And if we're willing to eschew the science and choose another route, what would it take to get humans to learn and accept a new (to them) digital audio format so that it is taught to the next generation? What benefit does this new skill set offer over the previous one already widely adopted by Third Generation MP3 users?"

You can enjoy our October Review Magazine at this link. As always, in the end what really matters is that you...

Enjoy the Music,