High-End Audio Industry News

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11 / 30 / 12

  HDtracks has many new albums to offer you this week and all are available in ultra-high resolution sound quality. Bat Out Of Hell by Meat Loaf is one of the bestselling albums in music history, having sold over 43 million copies worldwide. It is included on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and has been certified multi-Platinum. It reached #1 on Billboard's Top Pop charts and features the exhilarating singles "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" and "Paradise By The Dashboard Light." A special HRx Sampler 2011: A Classical and Jazz High Resolution Spectacular! from Reference Recordings is also now available. This release highlights Reference Recording's recent accomplishments and features a track from each of their renowned HRx series, plus a never before available bonus track. Celebration Day by Led Zeppelin is an exhilarating tour de force of the band's signature blues-infused rock n' roll, a sound that instantly became part of the legend of Led Zeppelin. John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant were joined by Bonham's son to perform sixteen landmark tracks including "Whole Lotta Love," "Rock And Roll," "Kashmir" and "Stairway To Heaven." Tapestry by Carole King is one of the bestselling albums of all time, with sales exceeding over 25 million copies worldwide. It spent fifteen consecutive weeks at #1 and features the massive hit singles "I Feel The Earth Move," "It's Too Late," "You've Got A Friend" and "So Far Away." The album is #36 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and is one of the fifty recordings chosen by the National Recording Registry. You can get these albums and much more at HDtracks by clicking here.

 

Electrocompaniet's new EDC2 is proof the company wants to cater to more people who trust storage and playback of their favorite music to digital sources like computers, iPod’s and streaming devices. With ECD 2 the company has combined modern digital audio electronics with state-of-the-art analog circuitry based on Electrocompaniet's design principles. The result is extremely low levels of distortion, noise and jitter while still maintaining the warm and open Electrocompaniet sound says the company. The ECD 2 has a asynchronous USB interface supporting HD audio up to 192kHz/24-bit. Connect your computer directly to the USB input and enjoy playback directly from the computer, Spotify or other online sources. Connect your media center or TV/satellite decoder to any of the S/PDIF inputs to experience HD audio playback. Electrocompaniet's ECD 2 has built in volume control for direct connection to a power amplifier and volume and input source is easily controlled from the included IR remote control. Analog output is via either unbalanced RCA or balanced XLR, with digital inputs being two TosLink, two S/PDIF and one USB jack.

 

TGIFMUSIC
Have a great weekend everyone and as always.... Enjoy the Music :)

 

11 / 29 / 12

  Krell Industries announced that the 2014 Acura RLX will be the first-ever automobile to offer a premium audio system produced in collaboration with the company. After decades of serving home audio enthusiasts, Krell Industries was able to replicate the same high-end performance in the luxurious interior of the 2014 Acura RLX. Each component of the premium audio system has been designed to ensure that the system has the power and range to meet the demanding needs of the automotive environment. The system's most important main amplifier channels feature the same robust, high quality bipolar power transistors used in flagship Krell home amplifiers. The result is an amplifier that has claimed to be 1/3 less distortion than a leading competitor's flagship luxury car amplifier and power and headroom to meet the obstacles that the road will throw in its way. Krell's tweeters are composed of lightweight magnesium cones that create musical detail and extended high frequencies. The system's six mid-bass drivers are made from Zylon - the world's strongest super fiber. This very rigid material is perfect for speaker manufacturing. Rounding out the speaker complement is a carbon fiber composite subwoofer with dedicated 100 Watt amplifier.

 

THIEL Audio has been acquired by Nashville-based private equity firm, with an upcoming major boost in engineering resources as new products ship to dealers worldwide. New THIEL CEO Bill Thomas has indicated that the brand focus will continue to be on premium quality phase and time coherent loudspeakers, with long time THIEL employees Brad Paulsen, Gary Dayton, Lana Ruth and Rob Gillum all remaining onboard. New product categories will also be explored for THIEL; with an expansion of the architectural series an immediate priority serving to further establish the brand as a leading supplier of premium distributed audio solutions.

 

11 / 28 / 12

  Enjoy the Music.com would like to congratulate none other than Gordon Rankin of Wavelength Audio and USB DACs for their over 30 years of excellence in research, development and application of technology as it pertains to audio. To quote their site celebration, "Ok it's been 30 years now since November 28, 1981 when I started Wavelength Audio... so what was it like 30 years ago? First product PH1, if anyone has a real one please send me pictures! The PH1 was a discrete solid state phono preamplifier with tons of gain and really low noise. Here is one of the prototype boards I made (seen right), one channel populated. This was a two sided board which we laid out with two color tape. My first business card designed by Ric Snodgrass was influenced by the large Tek tube oscilloscope I had in my Mount Adams apartment at the time. Since then I have a ton of reviews on my SET Amplifiers and DACS." It was over 20 years ago when editor of Enjoy the Music.com's Steven R. Rochlin first came upon the Wavelength Audio Cardinal 300B monoblock tube amplifier, which was in its original form and sold via small in-home dealers at the time. Single-ended tube amplifiers were still not even on the radar with mainstream media, who at the time were still in the solid-state 'dollars per watt' fiasco. As we all know, today Gordon is the genius behind asynchronous USB and his work in both the analog and digital domains has secured his legacy within high-end audio. So today I'd like to personally thank Gordon Rankin for his decades of hard work and still listen to my Cardinal (now in X1 form) to this day, nearly 20 years after originally purchased.

 

Music Industry News 10 Years Ago
Sony's protected music discs have been causing problems with various consumers in the form of not just being able to share their music, but also in the ability to play their music within their computer's DVD/CD-ROM drives. In an answer to said consumers, Sony has introduced the proprietary "Label Gate" technology within their music discs. This new format can only be heard by having Sony's IBM-compatible Magiqlip software loaded within their computer. At this point in time there is no MAC software available. Decoding of the music on the disc is at no cost via Internet authentication and can only be performed once. Subsequent decoding will be at an additional cost of approximately $1.64 for each song. Magiqlip does allow for copies to be made of the disc, yet a special "key" is needed from Sony Music Entertainment to restore such data.

 

11 / 27 / 12

  According to the Associated Press, figures show that online sales increased greatly on Thanksgiving Day while on Cyber Monday preliminary sales figures show an increase of 28.4% according to IBM Benchmark (reaching $1.5B) year over year. This makes it the biggest online shopping day of the year according to comScore, which started tracking online shoppers since 2001. Sales from consumer electronics mobile devices such as tablets rose 10.2%. "Online's piece of the holiday pie is growing every day, and all the key dates are growing with it," said Forrester Research's Sucharita Mulpuru. "The Web is becoming a more significant part of the traditional brick-and-mortar holiday shopping season."

 

Audience, formed in 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 released their newly upgraded Au24 SE RCA interconnect cables. These cables offer what the company feels is a significant step forward in sonic performance. Prices begin at $1190 for a one-meter pair and owners of the Au24e and Au24 interconnects can have them upgraded to Au24 SE for $220 per pair. The new Au24 SE have been improved from previous interconnects with ultra-low-mass, high-purity copper connectors that are said to enable the passage of more low-level information in both phono and line-level applications. "The new Au24 SE interconnects improve upon the resolution of our already acclaimed Au24e to offer an even more compelling and involving musical experience," noted John McDonald, president of Audience. "With the Au24 SE you can now hear much more decay and subtle reverb cues for instruments and vocals, a greater sense of the room environment and dimensions on a recording, and a richer sound throughout the frequency spectrum."

 

11 / 26 / 12

  Enjoy has just posted Hi-Fi World's Volume 22 Number 11 (January 2013) edition including the complete editorial and table of contents. This issue includes what the Hi-Fi World team says they want for Christmas plus reviews of the KEF R500 floorstander, Furutech ADL Esprit DAC, Thomas Audio Magic Rack 2, Chord Sarumaray top of the range digital cable, Revox B77 classic open-reel recorder and more! The editorial by Noel Keywood says, "Innovation doesn't stop it seems. The hi-fi business continues apace to produce a stream of fascinating products and this is the time of the year we have to decide which ones were the best. How do you choose between a £99 special like the Epiphany E-DAC and a £1500 tour-de-force NAD M51? Both do their job extremely well and have some great properties. The NAD in the end pipped it for its unique technology, range of facilities and breadth of application" See the complete January table of contents and editorial of Hi-Fi World by clicking here.

 

According to the Associated Press, latest surveys found a staggering gain of 17.4% in online sales while retail sales at brick and mortar stores this 2012 holiday season fell 1.8% from 2011 numbers. This decline is double damaging as real inflation is approximately 3% during 2012, thus a 4.8% decline in real terms. The Wall Street Journal's Market Watch said that mobile shopping -- tablets, smartphones, etc -- jumped up as 24% of consumers used a mobile device to visit a retailer's site, this is up from 14.3% last year. ShopperTrak's report shows consumers spent $11.2 billion at physical stores within the USA, which is down 1.8 percent from 2011. IBM said online sales rose 17.4 percent on Thanksgiving and an outstanding 20.7 percent on Black Friday as compared to their 2011 figures. Black Friday online sales topped $1 billion for the first time ever as more people use the Internet do their early holiday shopping according to comScore Inc. Even though foot traffic increased 3.5 percent at physical stores/malls, there is no denying a 1.8% decline in actual sales at physical stores. Naturally American consumers have had their confidence swaying as the fiscal cliff, additional taxes, currency devaluation (inflation) and other factors continue taking a strong foothold strangling the USA economy. Online sales have been on an amazing double-digit increase as more consumers avoid the long lines and security problems at physical stores to enjoying shopping from the safety and comfort of their home via online sites and mobile applications for their tablets and smartphones.

 

Following the successful Rome hi-end 2011 & Milan Hi-End 2011 events, they have now organized the Milan Hi-End show that will take place in The Milan City. The Milan Hi-End 2013 will take place in March 2nd and 3rd 2013 as the Roma event is scheduled for December 1st and 2nd 2012. The Roma event takes place at the prestigious Jolly Hotel Midas. This two channel stereo only even showcases high-end audio gear and in 2011 had over 5,000 visitors. According to the press release, "The Milano Hi-End organizers are proud to announce this 13th edition of this HiFi-Only Show. As an established tradition, the organizers have paid attention to the quality of the sound into the rooms, using acoustic corrections so to get the best results out of any HiFi system. Also, thanks to the fact no Home Theater rooms will be allowed, your listening tests won't be disturbed by dinosaurs or Tom Cruise's walking near you."

 

11 / 23 / 12

  The new Acuhorn giovane85 (€3300) is the company's latest in their superleggera line of of the fine audio speakers. By using a purposefully light driver suspended between a hand crafted wooden enclosure, the Acuhorn giovane85's driver employs a highly effective neodymium engine. Internally, the speaker is wired with silver cable by Siltech and loudspeaker binding posts and high quality Nextgen WBT-0708. The giovane82 joins the Acuhorn rosso superiore175 (€9000) and nero125 (€5400) as the new more financially accessible model. Impedance is 8 Ohms and sensitivity is a high 96dB/W/m. Each speaker weighs 22 lbs, is wrapped in natural wood materials and measures 20 x 29 x 85 (WxDxH in cm). Enjoy the Music.com has reviewed the Acuhorn Nero 125 at this link.

 

11 / 22 / 12

SneakPeek
As a holiday gift to our Facebook and Twitter users who have friended Enjoy the Music.com we present to you an advanced look at our review of the Chord Electronics' Chordette QuteHD DAC. Phil Gold's careful assessment shows that this DAC offers great value and performance for the money! See the review days before our December issue of the Review Magazine! Within his review, Phil Gold says, "When it came down to the listening tests it quickly became apparent I would need all my powers of observation and some very high performing components around to partner the QuteHD because it was clearly immensely capable. So out came the sound pressure meters, the Valhalla cables, a truckload of test CDs and reference level recordings and off went the air conditioning and all possible distractions." Join us now to see the complete review days before others by clicking the links below.

Twitter.com/EnjoyTheMusic             Facebook.com/EnjoyTheMusic5

 

On this Thanksgiving Day, the results of the 17th Annual Summer Against Hunger fundraiser for CARE results are in. This year contributions from The Cable Company and their vendors, customers, and an anonymous donor totaled $35,555. This is a wonderful 15% increase from last year. CARE has arranged 5:1 matching funds from the European Union (thank you!) yielding total program donations of $213,332. The Cable Company, Enjoy the Music.com and many other high-end companies want to thank those who generously participated in this fundraiser by spreading the word and making a purchase in August. For every one dollar someone spent with The Cable Company in August, even on used products, at least $.60 was being donated to CARE. For purchases of our sponsoring vendors' products, it is actually $1.20. Yes one dollar for your audio purchases in August gets a $1.20 contribution for humanitarian causes - well done! Contribution this year are earmarked by CARE to support a a community-based program for disaster preparedness and response in Bangladesh in the vulnerable floodplains of three major rivers. This area is particularly susceptible to disaster.

 

11 / 21 / 12

  Von Schweikert Audio just shared information and a photo of their upcoming flagship line; the VR-100XS ($145,000) which sits comfortably between the VR-9 and VR-11 products in price. Shown here is the new VR-100XS with the UniField 2 for scale. Weighting in at over 225 kilograms per tower due to the massive build specifications, this line source array actually has a fairly modest footprint given the scope of design (180cm tall, 38cm wide and 69cm deep). In addition, the two towers are accompanied by two independent 15" subwoofers powered by 1600 watt Class D Channel Island Audio digital amplifiers. All drivers are custom built and are all made from magnesium/aluminum/Mylar/ceramic sandwiches; even the new ribbon tweeters are sandwich designs using magnesium/aluminum strips with a Mylar backing to eliminate metallic ringing. The new sandwich drive units have a transient response that is claimed by Von Schweikert Audio to be superior to any other driver they have tested. The drivers employ Alnico and Neodymium super high output magnets with a linear magnetic field with shorted-turn voice coils for a 10x reduction in motor distortion. At this time the company is busy patenting their Low Frequency Alignment that features flat bass response in the room, down to a 1.5dB tolerance no matter where you sit or stand. This requires DSP correction in the subwoofer amplifiers and the utilization of four woofers with adjustable phase rotation and time delay. The VR-100 main towers are dipoles, but offer adjustable level controls for the rear signal above 1kHz. There are two rear drivers: a 1.5" dome midrange and a 3" ribbon tweeter, both adjustable with a level control for Ambience Retrieval.

 

Magico's new S-Series of loudspeakers now has a matching center channel speaker, the SCC ($16,800). The purpose-built SCC is designed to bring to the center channel of the home theater experience the same level of resolution, clarity, and emotional engagement that Magico loudspeakers have been bringing for the past 15 years. With its ability to play loud, the SCC was set out to be a dedicated center channel that delivers the timbral accuracy, explosive dynamics, low distortion, and wide dynamic range which are the hallmarks of Magico speakers. In common with all Magico creations, the SCC has been designed using advanced computer-aided technology along with our own customized software to minimize diffraction effects and internal resonance, while determining the ideal damping requirements. Meticulously crafted from 16-inch diameter extruded aluminum with half-inch thick walls similar to the S5, the curvilinear enclosure of the SCC provides the rigidity and mass necessary to ensure optimum performance from its four driver, three-way acoustic suspension enclosure. The driver complement consists of two newly-designed 7" woofers, Magico's proprietary 5" Nano-Tec midrange, and a Beryllium diaphragm tweeter. Included with the SCC to provide additional support is an integrated, yet removable, base with a svelte curved form that complements the speaker itself. As with all S-Series loudspeakers, the SCC is available in a variety of finishes, including Magico's own satin M-COST and high gloss paint to fit in a wide variety of living environments. Sensitivity is 89dB/W/m, impedance is 4 Ohms and overall frequency response is from 22 Hz to 50 kHz. Dimensions including integral stand are 19.9" x 25.5" x 14.2" (HxWxD) and it weighs 160 lbs.

 

Music Industry News 10 Years Ago
Those looking for eight audio zones of Linn sound via hard disc storage can look to their new Kivor Index music library. Linn's easy to install, high-performance eight zone hard drive source component designed for high fidelity distributed audio applications in both Linn and non-Linn multi-room systems. The Index comes in two configuration to provide either 250 hours ($10,000) or 500 hours ($12,500) of audio storage on hard disc. An increase of tenfold is achievable depending on the compression scheme chosen by the user while recording their music on to the Index system. Ease of installation and usage is aided by Linn's Linntek PC utility. Interfacing into a system upwards of eight zones is via the Linn Knekt system via Linnk or standard third party control via RS-232 and Ethernet. The Linn Kivor Index system is available in either black or silver finish and dimensions are 177 x 482 x 505 (HxWxD in mm).

 

11 / 20 / 12

  GIK Acoustics new breakthrough option to their line of absorption products now includes the built-in Scatter Plate feature. Customers can add scattering / diffusion to all of their broadband bass traps and acoustic panels by selecting the Scatter Plate, which is a wooden plate crafted with a mathematical sequence of slots that add one-dimensional scattering / diffusion. The Scatter Plate is built-in between the fabric and the absorption material on GIK Acoustics' 242 Acoustic Panel, 244 Bass Trap, Monster Bass Trap, Tri-Trap or ArtPanel. The concept of the Scatter Plate follows that of professionally designed control rooms which utilize wooden slats along the walls in front of broadband absorption to give an even balance of absorption, diffusion, and scattering. GIK Acoustics' broadband bass traps and acoustic panels offer high performance with an attractive price, and when coupled with diffusion and scattering can give your room a completely balanced sound without over-dampening high frequencies. The GIK Acoustics Scatter Plate sequence prevents periodicity, while giving great scattering from 2.5 kHz up to and above 10 kHz.

 

IMPEX Records, a recoding label with over 20 years of experience and has released over 150 titles, has released their last title for 2012. Specifically, the Thelonious Monk Monk's Dream. Mastered impeccably by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes with the help of Robert Pincus, this record is limited to 2500 units and is pressed at RTI in Camarillo. Originally released in early 1963, this reissue of Monk's Dream celebrates the artist's first album for Columbia to join the likes of Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck. This album solidified Monk's works for Columbia during the next few years. Tracks on this album include:

1. Monk's Dream (Take 8)
2. Body And Soul
3. Bright Mississippi (Take 1)
4. Blues Five Spot 3
5. Blue Bolivar Blues (Take 2)
6. Just A Gigolo
7. Bye-Ya
8. Sweet And Lovely
9. Monk's Dream (Take 3)
10. Body And Soul (Take 1)
11. Bright Mississippi (Take 3)
12. Blue Bolivar Blues (Take 1)

 

11 / 19 / 12

  Check your e-mail as this weekend Enjoy the Music.com, in concert with over 35 prominent manufacturers of high-end audio equipment, have drawn the winners of our $89,750 High-End Audio Contest! Winners were sent an e-mail this weekend and many have already replied and claimed their share of the winnings! This exciting contest was 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. The contest ended November 15th and we have already received many winners posting their good luck within Enjoy the Music.com's Facebook page!

 

11 / 16 / 12

  Online high resolution digital music download site HDtracks has proudly announced that the Sony Legacy label has been added to the mix! According to company's co-owner David Chesky, "And to start off we are releasing six of music's biggest titles from the Sony Legacy Catalog, presented in audiophile quality for your listening enjoyment. These are cherished albums available now in breathtaking studio master quality." Albums set to appear on HDtracks in high resolution audio includes Michael Jackson Bad, Carole King Tapestry, Billy Joel The Stranger, Janis Joplin Pearl, Willie Nelson Stardust and Herbie Hancock Headhunters! Many of these albums have #1 hits and sold millions of copies. You can download some of these titles right now at HDtracks' website by clicking here.

 

TGIFMUSIC
Have a great weekend everyone and as always.... Enjoy the Music :)

 

11 / 15 / 12

  Award earning high-end audio turntable manufacturer VPI Industry's very own Mat Weisfeld, son of company creator Harry Weisfeld, was interviewed on Bloomberg's "Taking Stock" with Pimm Fox yesterday. As vinyl sales are surging in growth to the tune of double-digits in the past years, it makes sense for Bloomberg business channel to feature an American family owned company that manufacturers turntable in the USA. The below interview takes us from the company's inception by Harry to their newly expanded facility, incredibly popular and well-received Traveler turntable and beyond.

11 / 14 / 12

  Now available at HDtracks is the Rolling Stones GRRR in 24-bit/88kHz high-end sound quality! This Greatest Hits collection spans five decades and includes many top hits from the band. This release features fifty tracks in 24-bit master-quality high resolution from Grammy award-winning band Rolling Stones. This collection highlights the career of one of the greatest rock n' roll bands in the world. Only the very best selections from Exile on Main St., Goats Head Soup, Made in the Shade, Black and Blue, Emotional Rescue, Tattoo You, Undercover and more are in their best of release and includes the number one hits "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Sympathy For The Devil," "Highwire," "Mixed Emotions," "Start Me Up," "Paint It, Black," "Brown Sugar" and more. As a bonus, there are two brand new studio recordings ("One More Shot" and "Doom And Gloom"), marking the first time Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood have all been together in the studio since completing A Bigger Bang in 2004. Get the Rolling Stone GRRR right now at HDtracks by clicking here. Track listing includes:

Disc 1 Not Fade Away It's All Over Now Little Red Rooster The Last Time (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction Time Is On My Side Get Off Of My Cloud Heart Of Stone 19th Nervous Breakdown As Tears Go By Paint It, Black Under My Thumb Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow? Ruby Tuesday Let's Spend The Night Together We Love You

Disc 2 Jumpin' Jack Flash Honky Tonk Women Sympathy For The Devil You Can't Always Get What You Want Gimme Shelter Street Fighting Man Wild Horses She's A Rainbow Brown Sugar Happy Tumbling Dice Angie Rocks Off Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) It's Only Rock 'N' Roll Fool To Cry

Disc 3 Miss You Respectable Beast Of Burden Emotional Rescue Start Me Up Waiting On A Friend Undercover Of The Night She Was Hot Streets Of Love The Harlem Shuffle Mixed Emotions Highwire Love Is Strong Anybody Seen My Baby? Don't Stop Doom And Gloom One More Shot

 

11 / 13 / 12

  This is the last few days to join Enjoy the Music.com, in concert with over 35 prominent manufacturers of high-end audio equipment, $89,750 High-End Audio Contest! 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. Since the contest ends November 15th, make sure you enter our contest at this link and also join and SHARE the contest from on your Facebook page and/or RETWEET it via Twitter.

 

11 / 12 / 12

   Enjoy the Music.com, an industry leader in consumer electronics information plus equipment and music reviews for approximately 17 years, is pleased to announce our official media partnership with AXPONA, The Chester Group's New York Audio Show, T.H.E. Show Newport Beach and the R.M.A.F. events. As the industry's leader in reporting on high-end audio consumer electronic shows, with over 130 online to date, Enjoy the Music.com further expands our role at supporting these major North America events.

Our extensive and exclusive pre-show reporting is joined with live daily coverage during each event. This greatly benefits our readership worldwide as they learn about exciting new equipment and technology faster than any other type of media distribution. Those who have smartphones and tablets will find Enjoy the Music.com's site perfectly fits their screens and loads quickly to ensure a very satisfying mobile experience.

"Today marks a special occasion when the Internet's leading high-end audio information site is among the first to bring together four major shows all operated by truly outstanding and separate organizations" said Steven R. Rochlin, Editor and Creative Director of Enjoy the Music.com. "With our longstanding commitment to the industry of consumer electronics in the field of high-end audio, mobile audio devices, digital music downloads and more, our readers continually benefit from our ongoing strength in market positioning. As the industry's technology leader on the Internet since 1995, our dedicated mobile apps for smartphones and tablets, RSS feeds and customized Internet browser ensures quick and efficient delivery of the information our readers crave. Since we are at the forefront of ever-changing technology, Enjoy the Music.com always seeks to develop and deliver new and exciting ways to present timely information to our vast worldwide readership."

AXPONA
"AXPONA and its entire staff want to thank Steven R. Rochlin and Enjoy the Music.com for the many and varied parts they have played at our four shows and we are looking forward to having them resonate with the fifth" said Stephen Davis Managing Partner Audio Expo North America. "AXPONA Chicago is poised to begin a new era in audio shows for the city. Chicago (The Windy City) is the home of the Great American Audio show dating back to the 1960's. Many of the great companies and their designers formulated the future of music playback here and we hope to channel everything audio from these great masters. AXPONA will feature over 100 exhibit rooms with over 400 unique products. The Music Direct marketplace will occupy over 50 table displays and great musical entertainment is on the schedule. Seminars and panels by the industry leaders from recording, writing, designing and marketing will run daily."

New York Audio Show
"The Chester Group is pleased to announce that Enjoy the Music.com has signed on as a Media Partner for the New York Audio Show 2013" said Roy Bird, Chairman of The Chester Group. "We are always looking to expand the scope and reach of our shows, so we are excited when new media partners come on board. As The Chester Group is a leading international show organizer, it is fitting that we partner with Enjoy the Music.com, a leading online audiophile publication that reaches an enormous online audience through its comprehensive coverage as well as audiophillia aggregation. We are confident that this partnership will ensure increased traffic to and awareness of this exciting event."

T.H.E. Show Newport Beach
"As always, T.H.E. Shows Newport Beach welcomes back Steven R. Rochlin and the entire Enjoy the Music.com crew" said Richard Beers, President of T.H.E. Show. "Over the years, we have always found Enjoy the Music.com to be on the cutting edge of technology with knowledgeable, precise and unbiased news and reviews. Keep up the good work!"

R.M.A.F.
"It brings me joy to announce that the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest and Enjoy the Music.com are media partners for our 2013 R.M.A.F. show" said Marjorie Baumert, Director, Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. "R.M.A.F. 2013 will be the 10^th year of this consumer show and Enjoy the Music.com has been an integral part of show coverage since our first event in 2004. We look forward to working together in 2013 to create the best show yet!"

To learn more about each event, please see the full press release at this link.

 

Enjoy the Music.com's part 5 coverage of the Toronto Audio Video Entertainment Show (TAVES 2012) event is now online! Come see over 20 new photos of exciting products that spans two pages, with lots of great listening notes and information too! This is Rick Becker's final part of his outstanding and in-depth report. You can see Enjoy the Music.com's first edition (2011) of TAVES at this link and the compete TAVES 2012 coverage at this link.

 

11 / 09 / 12

  HDtracks is helping you save money on high resolution digital music downloads as now on sale ($3 off) is the Aerosmith Permanent Vacation album and a special price on the Doors L.A. Woman album! Reaching #11 on the Billboard 200 album chart, with singles "Angel" reaching #2 and "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" achieving #4, this album marks the band continued success. Permanent Vacation, Aerosmith's ninth studio album and represents a pivotal outing in their illustrious career. The group, one of America's bestselling rock acts, has earned multiple Grammy wins and holds the record for most gold and multi-platinum albums by any American rock band. This seminal classic has been deemed by fans and critics as the band's "comeback album" and includes the massive hits "Rag Doll," "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" and "Angel." Permanent Vacation would eventually become one of the band's most successful works, selling over five million copies in the United States. The album also saw milestone success overseas, becoming the band's first album to reach both Silver and Gold status in the United Kingdom. The Doors album L.A. Woman is the iconic masterpiece from The Doors and the final album to include Jim Morrison. The work is a blues-oriented affair that features Morrison's piercing vocals. The album includes the memorable standouts "Love Her Madly," "Riders On The Storm" and "The Changeling." L.A. Woman is one of the band's finest works and a pivotal release from one of music's most influential bands. Download these albums and many others in high resolution on HDtracks by clicking here.

 

TGIFMUSIC
Have a great weekend everyone and as always.... Enjoy the Music :)

 

11 / 08 / 12

  SVS Ultra series of full-range loudspeakers are designed to provide uncompromised audio performance and build quality at a price that the average audio consumer can afford. With over fifty years of combined experience headed by lead designer Mark Mason, the speakers were constructed with many parts being custom tooled exclusively for the Ultra series while further development was conducted at the world-renowned National Research Council (NRC) facilities. Final voicing was performed in the NRC's IEC 268-13 standardized listening room. The company's top line model has a unique SoundMatch 3.5-way crossover designed so that only the top of the two 6.5-inch composite glass-fiber midrange drivers crosses over to the tweeter, while the bottom midrange driver works to ensure that off-axis performance is smooth and even, with a wider sweet spot and a more consistent sound across the entire room. The Ultra Tower also employs SVS's proprietary ForceFactor woofer array, with two 8-inch drivers horizontally opposed to eliminate cabinet vibrations, for reduced distortion and cleaner, tighter bass response. The Ultra Tower's trapezoidal shape results in non-parallel surfaces, which serves to reduce standing waves within the cabinets themselves. Every other speaker in the Ultra series has been designed to complement the performance of the Ultra Tower, with flush-mounted drivers to reduce diffraction and improve on-axis high frequency response. They also have rear-mounted bass reflex ports (on the Tower, Bookshelf, and Center) for extended bass output. SVS sells online, direct to the end user, and via select retailers. Pricing for the SVS Ultra Tower $1999 per pair; SVS Ultra Bookshelf is $999 per pair; SVS Ultra Center is $699; and lastly the SVS Ultra Surround are $1199 pair. The Ultra series speakers will begin shipping on November 20.

 

Music Industry News 10 Years Ago
Feeling kind of blue? Then you may want to quickly grab the new release by Classic Records as they have released only 100 copies of Miles Davis Kind of Blue on 200 gram blue vinyl (CS-8163-BV). According to Classic Records "We were trying out a new Blue Vinyl formula and Kind of Blue was on press so we pressed a few and they look too cool in Blue on our new profile. This 200 gram pressing is of the correct speed side A and B. These are the only Kind of Blue pressings we ever plan on pressing on Blue Vinyl. There are less than 100 copies and we're afraid to speculate on how much these will be worth in a couple of years."

 

11 / 07 / 12

  Electrocompaniet is launching their PI 2D integrated amplifier (€3150) with a built-in DAC as part of the company's Prelude range. The amplifier is based on the PI 2 amplifier with two channels each producing 100 Watts. Users can connect up to five digital sources to the PI 20 and enjoy 24-bit/192kHz sound quality. The five inputs are two S/PDIF coax, two TosLink and one asynchronous USB. Analog sources can be connected via balanced XLR input and there are four unbalanced RCA inputs, for a grand total of ten inputs. The unit's overall frequency response is from 1 Hz to 225 kHz, THD + N is a low < 0.005% and channel separation is greater than 120 dB. Enjoy the Music.com has reviewed the Electrocompaniet PD 1 and Optional EMS 1 Music Streamer and Electrocompaniet's AW180 monoblock power amplifier.

 

11 / 06 / 12

  Parasound, a San Francisco-based manufacturer of high-end audio components, just introduced their Zdac 192 kHz DAC ($475). The unit is designed to provide consumers the high sound quality when playing digital music files from computers via USB, CD transport, Sonos, or other digital media players via optical or coaxial digital connections. At the core of the Zdac's design is a method to eliminate jitter invented by Holm Acoustics in Denmark. It is claimed to preserves the source signal in bit-perfect form, while completely restoring the timing information in the stream of the original recording. All timing errors introduced and accumulated during the transport phase are removed for S/PDIF and Optical as well as USB. The Parasound Zdac accepts 24 bit word lengths and all sampling rates up to 192kHz on S/PDIF and Optical and 96kHz on USB. Signals are reclocked and then upsampled to 422kHz for reproduction. All of this quality is available at both unbalanced gold-plated RCA jacks and balanced XLR outputs. The Zdac headphone output is driven by a low-noise/high current amplifier that will drive nearly any high quality 32 to 600 Ohm headphone. The Parasound Zdac is available in the traditional Z-Series black rack-mount configuration and the new Z-Series silver finish without rack tabs. Dimensions are 9.5" x 10" x 2" (WxDxH) and weight is 5 lbs.

 

11 / 05 / 12

  iFi is a brand new line of electronics with trickle-down technology licensed from AMR and aimed primarily at the future, 'Computer Audio Generation'. All iFi products boast Class A analog circuitry with no DSP and the signal stays 'Bit Perfect' throughout. How a product looks and performs matters, but so does its impact on the environment. That is why nearly every iFi product and its packaging are made from highly recyclable materials like aluminum, paper, recycled plastic and why they refuse to use harmful toxins in their components. Priced in the $200 to $400 range, the pricing and performance is expected to draw the burgeoning iPod and current two‐channel audio generation alike. Using trickle‐down technology licensed from Abbingdon Music Research (AMR), the first four products in the micro series are the iDAC, iCAN, iUSBPower, and iPhono. The iDAC ($299) is an ESS Sabre HyperStream 24-bit/192kHz USB DAC with line and headphone outputs. This unit has Asynchronous USB, Bit-Perfect and ZeroJitter Lite technologies licensed from AMR. It is even portable. iFi's iCAN ($249) is a powerful Class A TubeState ‘Tri-brid' headphone amplifier with adjustable XBass and 3D HolographicSound system to suit each headphone and every recording. The iUSBPower ($199) is the company's revolutionary USB power supply with IsoPower and IsoEarth technologies that replaces the noisy USB power from the computer. It sits between the computer and DAC and said to be quieter than even a dry-cell battery. Lastly, the iPhono ($399) MC/MM phono stage has a gain from 40 to 66 dB and has six different EQ curves. This unit amplifies the signal via iFi's Class A TubeState 'Tri-brid' technology.

 

Music Industry News 10 Years Ago
Interested in hearing more classical music on your local National Public Radio (NPR) station? Many local NPR stations have cut back on classical music programming because of their perception of a lack of listener interest! How do they determine the degree of interest? Very simple according to a sales-marketing representative who chooses to remain anonymous. Interest is automatically credited to the program being broadcast when the pledge is received. If you were listening to their classical music broadcast while driving to your office and call in a financial pledge a bit later while a talk show is on, your interest and pledge is automatically attributed to that talk show - no matter what. Call in your financial pledge while classical music programming is on air - not while any news or talk show is on (even if you tell them your pledge is for music programs). It is also possible that if you (and get others to follow all this simple advice) tell them you will double your pledge if they add any more classical music programming. Then back up your words with deeds if they do change. I was reminded of all this while currently on vacation in an area where I am able to listen to two NPR stations, one of which has much more classical music programming than the other and use that fact to help promote themselves.

 

11 / 02 / 12

  Enjoy the Music.com has just posted the November edition of Hi-Fi+ (Issue 93)! This issue includes reviews of the Naim Audio NDS network streamer, Audio Research LS27/REF 75 valve line preamp/power amplifier, Reference 3A Veena MK II floorstanding loudspeaker, Elac FS 509 VX-JET floorstanding loudspeaker, REL T-Zero active subwoofer and much more. Within Alan Sircom's editorial he says, "Every audio show I have ever attended has had a disproportionate number of middle-aged men with bad haircuts and poorly fitting clothes, even before I joined those ranks. Time changes, but audio remains an older man's sport. Expecting an army of twentysomethings to start buying highend audio is folly because they never did before. However, at the last few shows, there have been some newcomers looking at what our little world has to offer with keen eyes. Granted, not many, but numbers seem to be slowly growing." You can see the complete table of contents and editorial of Hi-Fi+ by clicking here.

 

TGIFMUSIC
Have a great weekend everyone and may Love, Reign O'er You And Me... Enjoy the music!

 

11 / 01 / 12

  Enjoy the Music.com's November Review Magazine is now available and features many new equipment reviews including a world premiere plus more TAVES and our complete and extensive RMAF coverage! Enjoy the Music.com's November Review Magazine can be seen by clicking here.

 

Daily News: Audiophile news updated each weekday! 

BAS Speaker
Why Bother? A very frank article about digital audio.
Article By Barry Blesser

Sound Practices
Casual Reactions...
Article By Herb Reichert

VALVE Magazine
A Few Words About 78 RPM Cartridges And Styli
Article By Dave Dintenfoss

TAVES 2012 (Toronto Audio Video Entertainment Show)
Parts 1, 2, 3 and just posted part 4 of our TAVES 2012 report!

RMAF 2012 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest Show
Our Complete Show Coverage Now Online!

Paris HiFi & Cinema 2012
France's largest audiophile event!

In This Issue.... These Are My Confessions...
The high-end audio industry need a good 'civil war'!
Article By Steven R. Rochlin

Audiolics Anonymous Chapter 156: Fall Cleanup
Time to get your system clean and happy plus continued words about the Smyth realizer and the Darbee Darblet.
Article By Dr. Bill Gaw

An Inside Look At Von Schweikert Audio
Interview with chief designer Albert Von Schweikert
Plus VR22 Design Introspective.

Blu-ray Music Concerts
Includes un-compressed audio, bit-for-bit identical to the studio master recording!
Article By Bob Rapoport

  World Premiere!
Von Gaylord Audio Legend Speakers IV
Deep and wide soundscape coupled with rock solid imaging make for an inspiring listen.
Review By Ron Nagle

  JE Audio VM60 Monoblock Power Amplifier
A truly superlative amplifier that provides hours of listening pleasure.
Review By Dick Olsher

  Talon Thunderbird Subwoofer
And Rives sub-PARC Amp-Crossover-EQ Combo Unit
Without a doubt a truly exceptional pairing!
Review By Tom Lyle

  From Our First Year...
Sony SCD-XA9000ES SACD Player
Is this a Krell killer for $1000 less?
Review By Alvin Gold

Carnegie Acoustics CST-1 Leaning Transmission Towers
A very tantalizing $2k two-way speaker.
Review By A. Colin Flood

Valvet E1r Monoblock Power Amplifiers
The perfectly hot package!
Review By Clive Meakins

From Our First Year...
Sound Alignment System
Use laser technology to setup your listening room.
Review By Steven R. Rochlin

From Our First Year...
AH! Tjoeb 99 CD Player Revisited
Dick Olsher follows up in his previous review.
Review By Dick Olsher

From Our First year...
Avantgarde Acoustic Uno Hornspeaker
The more that things change, the more they stay the same.
Review By Steven R. Rochlin

On Loudspeaker Directivity Part 2
Article By Jeff Poth

Classical Music
Flavors of Scotland and Normandy in Hyperion's piano series.
Review By Joe Milicia

Delightful waltzes and mazurkas from Mexico — who knew?
Review By Joe Milicia

Jazz / Bluegrass / Etc.
Sam Bush Circles Around Me
Review By Steven Stone

Steep Canyon Rangers Deep In The Shade
Review By Steven Stone

Diana Krall The Girl In The Other Room
Review By A. Colin Flood

Larry Sparks The Coldest Part Of Winter
Review By Steven Stone

Rock, Techno, House, etc.
Dream Theater Chaos In Motion 2007-2008
Review By Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck 

David Foster & Friends Hit Man David Foster & Friends
Review By Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck

 

See the November Review Magazine by clicking here.

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For previous high-end audio industry news click here.

     

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