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High-Performance
Audio Gear Reviews,
Music News, Show Reports, Articles & More!
30 Years Of Service To Music
Lovers.
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December's Holiday Soundtrack:
Ultimate Gift Guides, Exclusive Reviews & Toronto + CAF 2025 Show Reports
Give better sounding gifts this holiday
season thanks to our curated guides.
Enjoy the Music.com's December Holiday issue continues our 30th anniversary celebration with a curated mix of seasonal features,
in-depth equipment reviews, and comprehensive show coverage from Toronto Audiofest and Capital Audiofest 2025. This issue combines expert holiday gift guides, thoughtful essays on the emotional and physical benefits of music, and historical retrospectives that invite readers to revisit
top-rated gear and landmark articles from decades of high-end audio journalism. Featured reviews and buying advice include a
world-premiere evaluation of the sculptural MC Audiotech TL-8 floorstanding loudspeakers, the compact Nirvana Audio Chronos Optimizer, and the
value-focused Hegel H150 streaming amplifier, each tested for design, sonic signature, and
real-world listening performance. With our Great Audiophile Gift guides, this December issue is both a definitive reference for serious audiophiles and a seasonal resource for holiday gift shoppers for their music lover. As always, in the end what really matters is that you... enjoy the
music!
---> December's Holiday Soundtrack: Ultimate Gift Guides, Exclusive Reviews & Toronto + CAF 2025 Show Reports!
Inside Capital Audiofest 2025: Exclusive Show Report & Latest Gear
New high-end audio trends, top hi-fi gear, plus audiophile insights and
cutting-edge innovations.
Welcome to
Enjoy the Music.com's comprehensive Capital Audiofest 2025 show report. Capital Audiofest (CAF) 2025
took place from November 14th to 16th at the Hilton Rockville in Maryland, continuing its legacy as the East Coast's largest and most beloved high-end audio show. The event
was open for all music lovers from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, offering three full days of immersive listening experiences, gear demos, and community engagement. Founded in 2010 by Gary Gill, CAF
continues to grow from a grassroots gathering into a cornerstone of the North American audiophile calendar, drawing enthusiasts, engineers, and manufacturers from across the
globe. Our Capital Audiofest 2025 show reports are now online and being
updated through December. Be sure to read our exciting, exclusive,
and expanded coverage of CAF 2025!
---> Inside Capital Audiofest 2025: Exclusive Show Report & Latest
Gear.
Hi-Fi+ December 2025 High-End
Audio Magazine
Editorial: The Sound Of A Milestone As hi-fi+ Achieves 250 Issues
The hi-fi+ 2026 Awards
Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Signature Stand-Mount Loudspeaker
EMM Labs DA2i Digital-To-Analog Converter
DeVore Fidelity O/Bronze Large Stand-Mounted Loudspeaker
Marantz Model 10 Stereo Integrated Amplifier
Nordost QNET 7 Network Switch
Happy 250th! Celebrating 250 Issues Of hi-fi+!
Issue 250 And Beyond... We Look To The (Near) Future Of Audio.
Meet Your Maker: Trilogy Audio Systems
...And Much More!
---> Hi-Fi+'s
December 2025 High-End Audio Magazine.
Music Lovers Rejoice Online As Holiday Sales Surge
With many music lovers sourcing their rare music and high-end audio hardware online, online sales surged significantly this Thanksgiving, with total online spending over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend (Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday) reaching a record $44.2 billion! This is an impressive 7.7% increase from the previous year. On Thanksgiving Day alone, online sales hit a record $6.4 billion, up 5.3% from 2024. Black Friday also saw record online spending of $11.8 billion, an increase of 9.1% year-over-year. Around 152 million U.S. adults planned to buy tech products between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, and 59% of U.S. adults plan to purchase tech devices this holiday
season. Online retail sales jumped sharply during this past week’s holiday shopping period, with some retailers reporting
double-digit traffic gains and strong Cyber Week spending that outpaced many
forecasts. Retailers and analytics firms reported that ecommerce dominated the
Thanksgiving-to-Cyber Monday window, with online sales climbing across categories as consumers shifted more of their holiday shopping
online.
---> Music Lovers Rejoice Online As Holiday Sales Surge. 
Warner Music Group And Suno
Next-Gen Licensing AI Music Platform
As human musicians continue to take a back seat to
technology within popular music and movies, Warner Music Group (WMG) and AI music startup Suno announced a landmark partnership recently to develop
next-generation licensed AI music tools that the companies say will expand computerized audio creation possibilities. Human music creators hope WMG will protect and compensate artists and songwriters for their efforts, which is why using AI brings financial benefits to music labs as it reduces the payout to humans. The agreement pairs
Suno's generative technology with WMG's artist development expertise and resolves prior litigation between the two firms, setting the stage for a coordinated push into AI-driven music creation and discovery. Both companies claim the collaboration will prioritize human artist rights and monetization, giving creators control over whether and how their names, likenesses, voices and compositions are used in
AI-generated works.
---> Warner Music Group And Suno Next-Gen Licensing AI Music Platform. 
Inside CAF 2025 Luxury
Hi-Fi Show Part 1 — Capital Audiofest's Top Floors With 84 Rooms
New trends you need to know
about, the latest audio gear, and not to be missed rooms!
Capital Audiofest 2025 Show Report By Rick Becker
After driving down to Rockville from
Rochester, NY, on Thursday afternoon, I got a fresh start on Friday
morning to report on the Capital Audiofest 2025 luxury high-end audio
show for Enjoy the Music.com. I figured I would need all three
days to cover the entire show, but was able to spend the last couple of
hours on Sunday doing a final sweep of the most prominent rooms. My
Capital Audiofest 2025 show repot Part 1, seen here, covers the 84 rooms
on the 8th, 7th, and 6th floors, and Part 2 (coming soon) will cover
everything on the 3rd (ground floor), which includes all the large rooms
and a hallway full of sleeping rooms, plus the Atrium. As with my
extensive Toronto Audiofest 2025 report for Enjoy the Music.com
of the October show, I will not be covering each room in as much detail
as in previous years. Hopefully, I will give you enough clues so you
will be able to dive deeper into the internet, or simply contact the
companies directly.
--->
Inside CAF 2025 Luxury Hi-Fi Show Part 1 — Capital Audiofest's Top
Floors With 84 Rooms.
PureAudioProject Trio15 Horn1 Open Baffle Design
Speaker Review
A trip down the rabbit hole.
Review By Paul L. Schumann
First of all, let me be totally upfront with you my dear
readers, this is the first review I've written in a long time, so if I come off
as an old curmudgeon, I apologize. In the business of high-end audio, the
one constant is change. So when Steven asked me to review the Trio15 Horns,
I knew I'd be in for a challenge. After so long, could I still use the
reviewer part of my brain? Before you continue reading this, I would recommend you read
Rick Becker's excellent review of the PureAudioProject Trio Horn1's sibling, the
first generation of the Trio15 with TB driver. Rick does an excellent job
of going through the assembly process of these early and more DIY speakers. I
have to honestly say the Trio15 Horns that arrived at my humble abode were the
latest generation, with Aluminum Frame and almost completely assembled. All I
had to do is put in the horns, add capacitors to the crossovers, connect the
drivers and was ready to go.
--->
PureAudioProject Trio15 Horn1 Open Baffle Design Speaker Review.
Winter Tweakfest 2020
(2025 Update)!
Featuring many Great Audio Tweaks Including:
Audio Magic CE Generators (Donuts)
Captive Power Cord Conversion Male AC Plug
Herbie's Audio Lab Way Excellent II Turntable Mat
Soundeck Record Weight
Block Audio C-Lock Duplex Outlet Cable Support
Furutech NCF Clear Line Mini Power Conditioner
Review By Rick Becker
With the 2020 election behind us and the
challenges it brought, here's a small 2025 update. From what I heard from
manufacturers back in 2020, many audiophiles have turned to
music to fill their isolation and the audio industry had not evaporated. In
fact, many high-end companies are doing quite well. Those individuals who have
maintained their professional careers in one form or another have continued to
upgrade their equipment, even in the absence of new product introductions at
shows that never materialized in 2020. Those working from home and minimizing
social interactions and errands have likely saved thousands of dollars in travel
expenses. In my case, we've downsized from two cars to one with little
inconvenience. Those who have had to make greater sacrifices, especially
musicians, have my sympathy.
---> Rick
Becker's Winter High-End Audiophile Tweakfest Review.
World Premiere Review!
Stunning Design And Mind-Blowing Bass: MC Audiotech TL-8 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review
This sculptural speaker is a must-hear conversation starter for true music lovers.
Review By Bob Grossman
I have had the MC Audiotech TL-8 floorstanding loudspeakers within my home for the
past two months, allowing me to experience them thoroughly, given my experience
with many recordings in a variety of genres, as well as comparisons between CD
and LP sources. As I sat in my living room writing for Enjoy the Music.com,
I felt like I was out on the lawn enjoying a concert under the stars in Saratoga
Springs, the Mann Music Center, or Bravo Vail outdoor theaters. Few people look
for speakers that capture the unique sound of an outdoor performance. But my
brother Michael pointed out that the Grateful Dead hated studio recording and
rarely did it, instead preferring that fans enjoy live outdoor performances. Then Michael was captivated by the sound of the TL-8s speakers
and said he felt transported back to San Francisco in the 1970s.
--->
MC Audiotech TL-8 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review.
Nirvana Audio Chronos Optimizer Review: Big Sound In A Small Package
If you value sensational sound, the Chronos delivers delightful audio.
Review By Rick Becker
One
of the reasons I like to visit every room at audio shows is the possibility of
discovering a truly outstanding new product. That's exactly what happened when
I ventured into the Nirvana Audio room on the 5th Floor at AXPONA
2025 this year.
Here is what I wrote in Part 7 of my show
report: The name Nirvana struck a chord because of the American rock
band, but I couldn't picture any audio components with that brand name. When I
entered the room and saw some familiar gear hosted by a pair of Asian gentlemen,
I still could not connect the dots. As I took a seat during my show report for Enjoy
the Music.com, among the others in the room, it became apparent that the
room was dedicated to a comparison listening test. But what? Eventually, I realized the little dark item on the counter at
the right edge of the photo was the Chronos Optimizer pictured on the scrim in front of
the window.
--->
Nirvana Audio Chronos Optimizer Review.
Luxury Sound That Won't Break the Bank: Hegel H150 Streaming Amplifier Review
A great value for audiophiles and a smart buy for music lovers.
Review By Paul Schumann
Last
year, I was lucky enough to review the Hegel H400 Streamliner, an integrated
amplifier with a built-in streamer. It was a well-designed piece of equipment
that sounded great. When I was offered to review its smaller sibling, it was an
easy yes for me. The H150 Streaming Amplifier is Hegel's newest integrated
amplifier on loan here at Enjoy the Music.com. The very clever engineers
nicknamed it "The Prodigy" because, while being an entry-level product, it is
loaded with features normally found on more expensive units. Hegel's H150 Streaming Amplifier is quite a
bit smaller than their H400, with a footprint of only 17" x 13.8" and weighing in
at 21.4 lbs. This meant it easily fit within my stereo cabinet, and I didn't have to
bust a gut to get it there. An added plus! It has the same elegant design as the H400, and the
fit and finish are superb.
--->
Hegel H150 Streaming Amplifier Review.
Discover more hi-fi reviews and expert articles within our Review Magazine.
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