High-End Audio / Audiophile & Music Industry News

11 / 30 / 22

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

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

11 / 29 / 22

Spotify Reports Q3 2022 Earnings
According to Spotify, "The majority of our key metrics surpassed guidance in Q3 2022, led by Monthly Active Users (MAU) and Subscriber outperformance and healthy Revenue growth. Similar to last quarter, MAU growth saw notable acceleration, with net additions reaching a record Q3 high of 23 million, while Subscribers came in 1 million ahead of guidance. Gross Margin came in below expectations, mainly due to an unfavorable adjustment to prior period estimates for rights holder liabilities. We also saw a margin impact due to slower than forecast advertising growth given the challenging macro environment. Free Cash Flow was a positive €35 million in the quarter. Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, we are generally pleased with our overall results."

"We remain focused on delivering against the objectives we shared at our 2022 Investor Day while maintaining a strong balance sheet profile," says Spotify. "MAUs grew 20% Y/Y to 456 million, 6 million above guidance. Net additions of 23 million represented our largest ever Q3 growth. MAU strength across all regions led by Rest of World and Latin America as a result of successful marketing campaigns and OEM strength. Premium Subscribers grew 13% Y/Y to 195 million, above our guidance, aided by promotional intake and household plans. Total Revenue grew 21% Y/Y to €3.0 billion while Premium Revenue grew 22% Y/Y to €2.7 billion. Ad-Supported Revenue grew 19% Y/Y to €385 million." Note that operating expenses grew 65% Y/Y (or 51% constant currency), largely reflecting various growth initiatives that were greenlit toward the end of 2021 and the impact of recent acquisitions.

11 / 28 / 22

The Capital Audiofest 2022 Fab Five
My selection of the Top Five best sounds of CAF 2022.
Capital Audiofest 2022 Show Report By Greg Weaver
Welcome to the reveal of my Fab Five, the five most accomplished, most musically engaging systems that I encountered at this year's Capital Audiofest. Have you ever wondered criteria I use to make these selections? Well, it comes down to a symbiosis of many attributes. I listen for faithful replication of instrumental tonality, is it presented with vibrance, color, and texture? I listen for the level of authentic dynamism that a system can recreate, how well can it convey subtle nuance and shading in the most tranquil of passages, and by contrast, how faithfully is it able to portray realistic scale and dimension on the most energetic. Then too, there is the importance of resolution and the resultant transparency that it affords.
---> The Capital Audiofest 2022 Fab Five.

11 / 25 / 22

Capital AudioFest Chronicles 2022
Fine music on the 5th floor Part A.
Show Report By By Rick Becker
Jarred Dunkerson of Black Ice was in when I visited and this year he was running his Black Ice gear with Klipsch Forte IV speakers, a popular speaker among entry-level audiophiles who are likely to aspire to the Black Ice gear. Last year I was particularly impressed with the Fusion F360 preamp which has controls for the spatial imaging of the soundscape. The Foz Phono Stage below it has individual adjustments for left and right channels as well as a bypass. His new introduction was the black Aries headphone amp with built-in DAC projected to be $2500 to $3k, with two phone jacks that will appear early next year.
---> Capital AudioFest Chronicles 2022 5th floor Part A.

Deutsche Grammophon STAGE+ Classical Music Service
Deutsche Grammophon, a division of Universal Music Group and longtime prestigious name in classical music since its foundation in 1898, has announced the launch of STAGE+. STAGE+ is a new classical music subscription service offering live streams, a huge video archive, and new audio releases all on the Deutsche Grammophon platform. According to their press release, "This new streaming service has been designed to place audiences at the heart of what happens on stage. Subscribers will be brought closer than ever before to Universal Music Group's roster of world-class artists and beyond, via a wide range of content – including exclusive live premieres; long-form concert and opera programs; music videos; documentaries and behind-the-scenes interviews; new audio releases, as well as albums from the legendary Deutsche Grammophon and Decca catalogues."

STAGE+ offers a rich array of content in the highest possible quality according to their press release. Music formats include Hi-Res Audio and Dolby Atmos. Thanks to partnerships with leading international opera companies, orchestras, concert halls and festivals, STAGE+ will be able to showcase the best new performances every week. STAGE+ represents a step change in the audio/visual presentation of classical music online. "We are about to enter an exciting new era for streamed classical performances," says Deutsche Grammophon's Vice President Consumer Business, Robert Zimmermann. "STAGE+ will explore the limitless creative and curatorial possibilities that digital technologies have to offer to bring the creative work of DG's artists – and beyond – closer to their audience."

11 / 24 / 22

The Wrong Thing
Hi-fi and the sound of real music.
Article By Roger Skoff
For many years, imaging and soundscaping have been my primary criteria for judging the sound of recordings and the equipment we play them on. I can remember being thrilled and truly excited about the (Avalon) speakers I was listening to and about the room that I was listening in when I first heard the original cast recording of 42nd Street [RCA CD RCD1-3891]. I was sure, sitting there, that I could not only hear and physically "place" the sound of each tap of the heels and toes of a whole chorus line of dancers.
---> Read Roger Skoff's The Wrong Thing editorial.

Binaural Beats
What are they, and how can they help you to feel good?
Article By Becky Pell
We humans have a range of different brain wave states and speeds, each relating to a different state of consciousness, be it waking, sleeping, or somewhere in between. Binaural beats are a phenomenon whereby we can voluntarily create different brain waves using external sound sources, thereby inducing the associated mental state. First, let's take a look at the different states of consciousness which we most commonly experience.
---> Read Becky Pell's Binaural Beats article.

11 / 23 / 22

IFPI Engaging With Music 2022 Report
IFPI, representing the recording industry business worldwide, today released Engaging with Music 2022. This is a global report on how people around the world enjoy and engage with music. Based on the responses of more than 44,000 people in 22 countries, the report is the largest music study of its kind. Music fans are listening to more music today than ever before, spending on average 20.1 hours listening to music weekly (up from 18.4 hours in 2021). More than 45% of fans choose paid subscription services – 46% of respondents use subscription audio streaming services, which offer uninterrupted and on-demand access to millions of licensed tracks. Music is integral to people's mental and physical well-being according to their report. While 69% of people say music is important to their mental health, 68% say that music is important when they exercise.

According to the IFPI, "There are more ways than ever for people to engage with music today – More than three-quarters of those surveyed enjoy music in multiple formats – the highest on record. On average, people across the globe use more than six different methods to engage with music – ranging from video streaming to terrestrial radio, television, film, gaming soundtracks, creating short-form videos and much more. Music is central to people's engagement with short form video apps – 63% of people agreed that music plays a central role in the time they spent watching videos on short form video apps. People listen to diverse range of music genres – Alongside popular genres such as Hip-Hop, Rock and Pop, more than 500 different genres were identified by at least one respondent – including "Sertanejo", "Samba", "Disco-Polo" and "Dangdut" – contributing to a rich mixture of local and global music available to music fans across the globe."

11 / 22 / 22

Capital AudioFest Chronicles 2022
Rick continues with the 6th floor Part B.
Show Report By Rick Becker
Here a Margules I-240 tube integrated power amp ($6k), operating in Class A, produces 25 Watts into 8 Ohms per channel to drive a tall Scansonic speaker nicely with good resolution and very nice bloom. Below that was a Margules DAC or streamer. An RSX Max Power Cord ($1850) was identified, but the information was sparse. The Scansonic speaker, a more affordable sub-brand of Raidho from Denmark, seemed to be their flagship MB6 B model. In the next AV Luxury Group room was a Raidho Acoustics TD2.2speaker driven by a Jeff Rowland 1500 WPC Daemon Super Integrated amp. That was a beautiful Oracle CD player on top of an Aurender n20 streamer and on the shelf below that was Berkeley Audio Design Alpha DAC Reference Series 3 that was running with a USB re-clocker behind it.
---> Capital AudioFest Chronicles 2022 6th Floor Part B.

The Audio Analyst's Capital Audiofest 2022 Show Report
One of the best shows on the calendar, and remarkably successful too!
CAF 2022 Show Report By Greg Weaver
Well, the 2022 Capital Audiofest is in the history books, and what an exceptional show it was! I got in Thursday night in time to catch the Exhibitor's Welcome Party at Olive's, the restaurant at the Twinbrook Hilton where the event is held. Enjoy the Music.com sponsors this gala annually, and for several shows. Attendance and spirits were high, hors d'oeuvres went quickly and the alcohol flowed steadily, as did the remarkable conversations and discussions. I was able to take part this year and enjoyed chatting with many manufacturers and colleagues I'd not seen face to face since before the Pandemic lockdowns of 2020!
---> The Audio Analyst's Capital Audiofest 2022 Show Report.

11 / 21 / 22

YouTube Surpassed 80M Music / Premium Subscribers
YouTube, an extremely popular destination for enjoying music, now has over 80,000,000 music / premium subscribers. Furthermore, between July 2021 and June 2022 YouTube paid over $6,000,000,000 ($6 billion) to the music business. There's be incredible growth for YouTube as this is a 30 million member increase from the 50 million the company announced last year. "YouTube's twin engine of revenue – subscriptions and ads – is the real deal," says YouTube's press release. "In September, we announced a $6B revenue contribution to the music industry, with 30% coming from user generated content, and now we've reached this 80+ million milestone by building a subscription service with the music industry that puts fans FIRST. Hopefully these milestones demonstrate our commitment to becoming the #1 contributor of revenue to the music industry.

According to YouTube, "YouTube Premium is all of YouTube and YouTube Music, ad-free and available to play in the background or offline, on your mobile device or your TV. And now we've leveled it up even further with features like afterparties, which grant exclusive access to livestream content (like the in-person premiere of Adele's music video floating down a lazy river drinking wine), plus access to discounts on the latest hardware and services from Google.... Since the launch of YouTube Music and YouTube Premium, we've built partnerships with companies like Samsung, carriers like SoftBank (Japan), Vodafone (Europe), and LG U+ (Korea), and Google services such as Google One. These partners were critical in helping us reach this 80 million subscriber milestone and will continue helping us enhance the music experience for fans around the world."

11 / 19 / 22

Capital Audiofest 2022 Photofest
Ron Nagle photofest featuring over 100 pics!
CAF 2022 Show Report By Ron Nagle
We owe thanks to Enjoy the Music.com's Ron Nagle for taking many CAF 2022 pics. Ron loves to visit shows and chat with many of his industry friends and fans alike. He has many years of experience as a reviewer and we're happy to have his photo report of the Capital Audiofest 2022 online. With over 100 photos spanning an impressive 10 web pages, we're sure you'll see something you love. As always... enjoy the music.
---> Capital Audiofest 2022 Photofest.

11 / 17 / 22

Capital AudioFest Chronicles 2022
Rick Begins... 6th Floor Part A
Show Report By By Rick Becker
A year ago there were maybe 45 rooms at Capital Audiofest and almost everyone wore a mask. Then Gary Gill quit his day job and helped organize the Pacific Audio Fest in Seattle that occurred in August. This past weekend, Capital jumped up to the league occupied by AXPONA and featured around 92 rooms. It was a big-league show, at least by North American standards. Enjoy the Music.com sponsored an industry get-together on Thursday night for the people who toiled that day setting up their rigs. I rolled into town, arriving an hour late for the event after making two wrong turns without the aid of GPS or a co-pilot. Gary offered me several tickets for drinks. I picked one and the bartender set me up with a Fat Tire. I milled around, bumping elbows, and snapped a few photos.
---> Capital AudioFest Chronicles 2022 Rick Begins... 6th Floor Part A.

Legendary Performance Awards 2020
Enjoy the Music.com celebrates our 25th Anniversary!
Enjoy the Music.com's Legendary Performance Awards 2020 celebrates the incredible achievements by high-end audio manufacturers since we've been reviewing gear for over the past two decades. Unlike our annual Blue Note Awards, Enjoy the Music.com's Legendary Performance Awards is a once every 25-year event, so you know it is something very special indeed! We tasked our extensive staff in choosing products they felt earned an extra-special mention, which in turn shows the greatness of these legendary pieces of high-end audio equipment.
---> See Enjoy the Music.com's Legendary Performance Awards.

Gingko Audio Sextet Speaker System Review
Enjoying everything the Gingko Swarm has to offer with many options available too!
Review By Brett Rudolph
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to review several different speakers and speaker systems. Each one has the character that sets it apart from the next. So, when you can audition speakers and have the designer help set them up and explain them to you, it aids in giving a full review. Therefore, when the opportunity presented itself late last year, I jumped at the chance. Usually, the first contact is a brief discussion on the product and a time to work out logistics. However, Vinh Vu from Gingko Audio, and I spoke more about the Sextet system's potential.
---> Gingko Audio Sextet Speaker System Review.

11 / 16 / 22

audioXpress' December 2022 Issue Is Now Available
audioXpress' December 2022 Issue Features:
From The Editor's Desk: Wireless And Wired
The Proof Is In The Testing
An Approach To Designing RIAA Networks
The LNA-100 Low Noise Amplifier With Filters / Voltmeter
Power Transformer Parameters, Selection, And Testing
Unusual Vacuum Tubes
Installation, Distributed Audio, And Multiroom
Improving Wireless Audio Part 2
Using Ultra-Wideband Technology
And Much More!

Within his editorial, J. Martins says "Although unintended, this issue of audioXpress offers a very interesting comparison between the thriving installation market and the complexity of consumer mainstream technologies, while also revealing the convergence trends. From wired to wireless, the two Market Updates featured in this issue detail technology evolving and adjusting to different requirements at its own pace. In the process that will eventually lead us to a world of Wireless Audio, many efforts and even companies that pioneered the early streaming audio and multiroom systems have been left behind. And sometimes evolution serves up strange twists. Due to the mighty power of the mobile industry and the spectacular rise of smartphones, Bluetooth technology ended up being perceived by consumers almost as synonymous with wireless audio — even if wasn't designed for that and barely handles it."
---> audioXpress' December 2022 issue.

11 / 15 / 22

Enjoy the Music.com's Great Holiday Gift Guide 2022
Welcome one and all to our extraordinary 17th annual Great Audiophile Gift recommendations! We all love gifts, yet getting something special for a passionate music lover can be quite challenging! Our annual Great Audiophile Gift wish list brings you some truly spectacular ideas for music lovers. There are so many wonderful products we can recommend to our longstanding loyal readership. All recommended gifts this year are reasonably priced to be kind to your wallet. We have gifts that will make your vinyl junkie smile, plus a few surprises along the way! Everyone here at Enjoy the Music.com wishes you and yours a prosperous, joyous, and healthy holiday season.
---> Enjoy the Music.com's Great Holiday Gift Guide 2022.

KL International AV Show 2022 Report
Kuala Lumpur International AV show is back and better than ever!
Show Report By Christopher Tan
Back after a three years hiatus, KLIAV Show 2022 was highly anticipated by exhibitors, and their response was so great, the organizer had to open an additional floor of rooms at the InterContinental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. The event took place from October 28th through 30th (2022). The exhibition space comprises over four floors of the hotel and was a warm welcome for music lovers in Asia. The first floor comprises three halls and the entry counter for the show.
---> KL International AV Show 2022 Report.

11 / 14 / 22

Fraunhofer LC3plus Hi-Res Audio Wireless
Fraunhofer Institute, for decades a leader in codec research and development that is widely accepted as a global standard, has announced their LC3plus codec. The new LC3plus has received the highly valued Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification as issued by the Japanese Audio Society (JAS). They are an independent organization that is said to guarantee that sound is reproduced as accurately as possible, even when listening over a wireless connection like Bluetooth. Fraunhofer's LC3plus codec was developed as an open standard and is published as ETSI TS 103 634. It features a dedicated High-Resolution mode, which provides best-in-class Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and Total Harmonic Distortion plus Noise (THD+N) performance. The codec operates in its sweet spot between 125 and 250 kbps per channel while allowing seamless bitrate adaptation up to 500 kbps per channel.

Their new LC3plus codec system provides noticeably lower energy consumption, while also making the connection very robust and less prone to errors that can occur in wireless environments. LC3plus High-Resolution meets the criteria set by JAS, in particular the support of a 96 kHz sampling rate, at least 24 bits per audio sample, and the ability to reproduce frequencies of 40 kHz and above. Implementing LC3plus High-Resolution as the codec of choice for wireless transmission. The Fraunhofer IIS technology combines best-in-class performance at extremely low energy consumption with the benefits of an open audio standard.

11 / 11 / 22

Live Nation Entertainment Q3 2022 Report
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV), the leading live entertainment company comprised of Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Media & Sponsorship, has reported outstanding revenue that is up 63% to $6.2 Billion in Q3 2022. This was also the highest quarterly attendance with over 44 million fans across 11,000 events (89 million fans attended 31.000 events year-to-date). Per fan spending growth was up 30% through September 2022 at USA amphitheaters, with more than 115 million tickets sold.

According to Live Nation Entertainment, "Fans around the world continue prioritizing their spend on live events, particularly concerts. Despite varying economic headwinds including inflation, we have not seen any pullback in demand, as on-sales, on-site spending, advertising and all other operating metrics continue showing strong year-on-year growth. With this demand, revenue was up over 60% relative to Q3 of 2019, with each division up at least 30%. Operating Income was up 95% to $506 million, with all divisions up at least 60% and AOI was up 45% to $621 million, with all divisions up at least 25%."

11 / 10 / 22

Tonight: Join Enjoy the Music.com's Party @ CAF 2022
Enjoy the Music.com is sponsoring tonight's Capital Audiofest's 'Happy Hour'. Vendors and members of the press will join us for complimentary food and beverage from 6:00 pm through 8:00 pm at the Hilton Hotel Olive's Restaurant / Bar on Thursday night. We look forward to seeing you there!
---> Learn more and see our Capital Audiofest 2022 show report.

Great Audiophile Gift Ideas For 2020
Enjoy the Music.com celebrates our 15th annual gift ideas!
Enjoy the Music.com proudly presents our 15th annual Great Audiophile Gift recommendations! We all love gifts, yet getting that something special for an audiophile can be quite a challenge. Enjoy the Music.com's annual Great Audiophile Gift wish list brings you some truly spectacular ideas for music lovers. There are so many wonderful products we recommend! All recommended gifts this year are very reasonably priced too! We have gifts that will make your vinyl junkie smile, plus a few surprised along the way!
---> See Our Great Audiophile Gift 2020!

11 / 09 / 22

Toronto Audiofest 2022 Show Report Part 4
Lower level rooms and ground floor in part 4.
Show Report By Rick Becker
Coming down from the Second Level I stepped off the elevator and went to the KEF display near the registration area. I admired this presentation numerous times in passing during the show. Three pairs of colorful KEF speakers and a KEF subwoofer stood in front of a digitally created backdrop that was pure eye candy. As you can glean from the photo, the displays in this area were busy and the mezzanine to the immediate right looked like an extension of the restaurant with virtually no one there, even at this early afternoon hour. The grey KEF LS60 wireless floorstanders ($7000 USD) were the tight ends on this offensive line and I was caught off guard by their diminutive size.
---> Toronto Audiofest 2022 Show Report Part 4.

11 / 08 / 22

Capital Audiofest 2022 Is This Weekend
Capital Audiofest (CAF) started out in 2010 as a very casual show and has evolved into a well-organized and well-attended event. CAF is recognized as a fun, friendly, and family-oriented show where you often see families strolling from room to room listening to music and auditioning gear. You can also browse the multiple bins of vinyl LP records, CDs, and hi-fi accessories in the Atrium Marketplace. During the event there is wonderful live music plus, for the second year in a row, Enjoy the Music.com is sponsoring the Thursday night vendor / press party with live music and free drinks!

CAF has opened up many new floors during 2022 with over 150 exhibitors representing hundreds of premium luxury audio brands from around the world. There may also be over 50 Atrium Marketplace vendors including at least two dozen vinyl/LP sellers, making the show a veritable Record Fair. Qobuz may once again set up a Listening Lounge in the Plaza II Ballroom, for show-goers to sample streaming and turntable set-ups with headphones, and just hang out and chill, with free Wi-Fi. We look forward to seeing you there this weekend.
---> Capital Audiofest 2022 show coverage by Enjoy the Music.com.

11 / 07 / 22

The Absolute Sound's December 2022
The Absolute Sound's December 2022 issue features the following:
Editorial: How Could He Betray Us?
TAS' High-End Audio Hall Of Fame
SME Model 60 Turntable And VA Series Tonearm
Triangle Art P-200 Phonostage
Burmester 159 Monoblock Power Amplifier
Metronome DSC Network Player
dCS Vivaldi Apex DAC
Theoretica Applied Physics BACCH-SP Adio Stereo Purifier
Rogue Audio Cronos Magnum III Integrated Amplifier
Synergistic Research SRX Series Of Cabling 
...and much more!

Within his editorial, Robert Harley says "A few months ago, I was speaking on the phone with a manufacturer who was pitching me on the idea of the magazine reviewing the manufacturer's ambitious new product. After learning about the product during the call, it was obvious that Jonathan Valin was the ideal reviewer. Jonathan has extensive experience in, and enthusiasm for, the category; he has a large reader following; and his writing ability and style would perfectly fit with this potentially groundbreaking product. But when I proposed Jonathan for the review, the manufacturer balked. Why? Because Jonathan had favorably reviewed another product in the same category. The manufacturer assumed that Jonathan had some sort of allegiance to the other manufacturer. In the manufacturer's mind, his product simply couldn't get a fair shake."
---> See what's within this issue of The Absolute Sound.

11 / 04 / 22

Toronto Audiofest 2022 Show Report Part 3
Musical magic while listening on Level 2.
Show Report By Rick Becker
Level 2 was comprised of a hallway of hotel rooms, a bunch of conference rooms, and a walkway around the atrium where there were a variety of tables with either silent or headphone displays. Stepping off the elevator, there was a table with a cable vendor in either direction. One was for Audio Sensibility — very familiar to me as I've very favorably reviewed many of their products since they first began. And the other was Neotech, a relatively quiet company on the high-end scene. It turns out Steven Huang of Audio Sensibility is now doing the importing and marketing for Neotech in Canada. Audio Sensibility bulk cable is built to his specifications by the same large Taiwanese cable company that owns Neotech (and also does OEM production for a number of big-name cable companies in the industry).
---> Toronto Audiofest 2022 Show Report Part 3.

Hi-Fi+ November 2022 High-End Audio Magazine
Hi-Fi+'s November 2022 issue features the following:
Editorial: The Golden Age Of Hi-Fi
Meet Your Maker David Steven / Chris Hales Of dCS
Burmester 217 Turntable, Arm And Cartridge
AURALiC ARIES G1.1 Wireless Streaming Transporter
Constellation Audio Andromeda phono stage
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G floorstanding loudspeaker
Raidho TD2.2 floorstanding loudspeaker
Neat Acoustics Petite Classic stand-mount loudspeaker
Meze Audio 109 Pro open-backed dynamic headphones
Audeze LCD-X planar-magnetic headphones
...And More!

Within this month's editorial, Alan Sircom says "It's almost a clich้ for editors and writers in today's audio world to proclaim it a 'Golden Age', but it's said for a reason. While that first Golden Age of Hi-Fi saw the birth and proliferation of stereophonic sound in the home and that second Golden Age was the start of that 1970s underground movement that became high-end audio, today's audio world is one of huge scope; you can carry your entire your hi-fi system (and your music collection) in your pocket, or you can devote whole rooms to playing and storing your music. And people happily do both!" See what's within this issue of Hi-Fi+ magazine at this link.

11 / 03 / 22

North America Premiere Review!
Kronos Discovery Turntable
Drive-by reviewing at Long Valley.
Rick Becker Investigates A Treasured Turntable.
It was supposed to be a nearly five-hour trip but my wife missed a turn on the shortcut and took the Shooting Brake through an all-terrain parking lot to buy lunch at Subway. Then there were accidents on I-80 to slow us down. Nevertheless, Bill Parish was all smiles, as usual, when we pulled into GTT Audio to get a listen to Louis Desjardins' latest masterpiece, the Kronos Discovery turntable. Bill had sent me his GTT video newsletter with a pow-wow after David W. Robinson, Editor in Chief and Senior Writer Maurice Jeffries of Positive Feedback had spent an afternoon listening to the new turntable. Emails flew and Louis sent me a copy of Alan Sircom's review in HiFi+ magazine. I emailed Louis and told him I thought it was a very good review. He replied that he thought it was an Excellent!
---> Kronos Discovery Turntable Review.

Silversmith Audio Fidelium Loudspeaker Cables
A new paradigm in speaker cables.
Review By Greg Weaver
I first met the engaging Jeffrey Smith, founder and design engineer of Silversmith Audio and recently retired Navy Commander, some nineteen years ago during his third CES, in January of 2002. To save space here, as there is quite a bit to cover, I'd refer you to his "About Us" link at the Silversmith Audio web page to see his remarkable story. He was showing his then flagship silver ribbon interconnects and speaker cables at the Alexis Park paired with gear from Pass Labs including their X0.2 linestage and X600 amplifiers driving the EgglestonWorks Andra II speakers.
---> Silversmith Audio Fidelium Loudspeaker Cable Review.

11 / 01 / 22

Enjoy the Music.com's November Reviews
Plus Our Toronto Audiofest 2022 Report
This month's magazine features our extensive Toronto Audiofest show report, with our Capital Audiofest show coverage coming soon! We also review an outstanding reference preamplifier, two reference floorstanding loudspeakers, a music streamer, cables / various tweaks, personal audio, multiple videos.... All that and more within our November Review Magazine. As always, in the end what really matters is that you... enjoy the music.

Dynamic Sounds Associates Phono III Preamplifier Review
Exceptional performance, and versatility to match.
Review By Greg Weaver
I first met Dr. Douglas Hurlburt, the incredible force behind Dynamic Sounds Associates, in the mid-1990s when I moved to Southern Maryland to manage a chain of Fitness Centers. At that time, he was a member of my newly discovered local listening group, and his home was in Potomac, MD, some 15 miles NW of D.C. My first visit to his home with our listening group was more than merely memorable. Not only had he just finished a major revision of his KEF CS5 speakers, resulting in the publication of a paper in the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society (Vol. 48, #3, March 2000, pages 147 through 167) that revised and expanded the theory on passive radiator loudspeakers originally published by Richard Small in 1974, but he drove his newly rebuilt KEFs with a set of remarkable mono amplifiers, the precursors to his amazing Amp I, each the size of a small end table, which he had designed and built himself.
---> Dynamic Sounds Associates Phono III Preamplifier Review.

World Premiere Review!
Audience Hidden Treasure In-Wall AC PowerCable And High Definition Wall Receptacle Review
Like a buried treasure that pays huge dividends in musical enjoyment!
Review By Rick Becker
If you're reading this review, you're either considering the installation of a dedicated line in what is likely your dedicated listening room or perhaps your home theater...  or maybe the video rig in your family room if you're seriously into watching TV. Or possibly, you've already installed a line and are wondering if this new Audience cable might be a worthwhile upgrade. In any case, I suspect you're already convinced that "everything matters" in high-end audio, especially cables. Keep reading. Audience is one of the most respected cable manufacturers and my ears perked up when I saw the ad for their new In-Wall AC cable. It's been 20 years since I reviewed Joe Skubinski's JPS Labs Power AC In-Wall cable. He's sold miles of it and "Big Red" has remained my reference dedicated line ever since. What's taken so long for the competition to arise?
---> Audience Hidden Treasure In-Wall AC PowerCable And High Definition Wall Receptacle Review.

FiiO BTR7 Portable Bluetooth Headphone Amplifier Review
The shape of things to come.
Review By Paul Schumann
When arriving at the University of Texas at Austin as a freshman, I didn't have a lot of stuff on hand. That's because I flew down from New York and could only listen to music with the Pioneer tape deck I recently purchased and a pair of headphones. While I did have some tapes that were recorded back home, if I wanted to listen to any new music, I would have to buy them as pre-recorded cassette tapes. While enjoying those tapes and their limited sound quality at the time, after a few years they had disintegrated to the point of no return. I never got around to replacing them with vinyl later on, so the albums purchased during that time are closely associated with my freshman year of college. I think what intensified that association was listening to them using headphones, which is a more intimate experience for me. After receiving the FiiO BTR7 Bluetooth Amplifier I was reminded of those times.
---> FiiO BTR7 Portable Bluetooth Headphone Amplifier Review.

Enjoy the Music.com Sponsors Capital Audiofest 2022 Happy Hour
Enjoy the Music.com, high-end audio's celebrated online site since 1995 and a leader in providing industry news, gear reviews, and show reports is pleased to announce that we're sponsoring Capital Audiofest's 'Happy Hour'. Vendors and members of the press will join us for complimentary food and beverage on Thursday night. Enjoy the Music.com loves luxury premium audio, and so we're inviting both exhibitors and members of the press to join us from 6:00 pm through 8:00 pm at the Hilton Hotel Olive's Restaurant / Bar on Thursday night. We look forward to seeing you there!
---> Enjoy the Music.com Sponsors Capital Audiofest 2022 Happy Hour.

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