May 10, 2022 - The leading French brand in the audio sector unveils the 300 ICA6 angled in-ceiling loudspeaker at the ISE (Integrated System Europe) exhibition in Barcelona (10th-13th May). Discrete and easy to install, this versatile loudspeaker joins Focal’s current 300 Series line. By supplementing its range with a product for hi-fi or Home... Read More »
Andover Audio is pleased to announce a new vinyl accessory: the TrueGrain cork record mat. A perfect companion to Andover’s SpinDeck and SpinDeck Max turntables, the TrueGrain mat is precision-cut and finished to achieve a smooth, leather-like surface, adding an extra layer of protection for records while damping vibration, reducing noise, and diminishing static buildup.... Read More »
Following the introduction of the D1.5 CD/SACD player/transport, CH Precision is proud to announce the release of the partnering DAC, the new C1.2. As impressive as the D1.5 has already proved, the C1.2 represents an even bigger advance in musical performance. Four-fold increase in processing power. Revised and refined proprietary PEtER algorithm also introduces fixed-point... Read More »
SCHAUMBURG, IL - Wildly popular among high fidelity audio enthusiasts, due to COVID related cancellations, the annual three day Audio Expo North America—or AXPONA—last showed here in 2019. And now on Day One, it's Friday noon and people have come out in droves. Frankly, I cannot find a parking space at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel... Read More »
Simaudio is well-known for its audio components, but the Moon Voice 22 is its first entry into the loudspeaker category. Find out what it offers. The Voice 22 Bookshelf LoudspeakerThe enclosure employs a unique patent-pending technology called CGD (Curved Groove Damping) to control the panel resonances of the loudspeaker. This allows the Voice 22 to deliver precise... Read More »
Montreal, Canada — May 5, 2022 — Today Focal Naim America, a leading North American importer, and distributor of premium consumer and professional electronics brands, has announced the third playlist for “Mixed on Focal” a new program to highlight the true sound of music as the artist, mix engineer, producer, and record label meant the songs to be heard. All three... Read More »
Qobuz, the French high quality music platform, is now live in Latin America and Portugal. New York, NY, May 4th, 2022. Qobuz, the high-quality music platform, continues its global expansion with the opening of its service in six new countries: five in Latin America and one in Europe, doubling the number of markets covered in two... Read More »
Sumiko Introduces the E1 Series from Pro-Ject Audio Systems Starting at $349 USD MISTELBACH, AUSTRIA (May 3, 2022) - Sumiko and Pro-Ject USA are proud to announce the new E1 line of turntables, designed and produced in Europe. The new collection aims to introduce a new audience of music lovers to the world of vinyl... Read More »
How does the analog become digital? In 2019, Roland Dietl reported about the current version of the Audiophile Optimizer and shortly after about the combination of the new optimizer with Windows Server. The playback of audio files benefited greatly from this operating system variant. Does the operating system also influence the sound of the files... Read More »
Here is an excursion through the Spanish inflected music of southern Europe with a few side ventures to Brazil. It’s a feast for the ears and the heart, with music of Isaac Albéniz, Manuel de Falla, Paule Maurice, Jean Françaix, Heitor Villa‑Lobos, Maurice Ravel, Darius Milhaud, and Kurt Weill. All musicians influenced by the rhythms... Read More »
A very brief note, just before departing on a two-week photographic/church trip to Israel and Jordan: Every now and then I encounter a high-end company that really impresses me with the quality of its work. I could make a pretty long list of such enterprises, but it would go fading off into the sunset, music intermingling... Read More »
Roger Skoff writes about how illusions can sometimes be illusory If I were ever asked what one thing about High-End audio was my greatest turn-on, my answer would have to be "imaging": the ability of a great system playing a great recording in a great room to make you feel as if you could actually... Read More »
This article by Bob Neill originally ran in Issue 3, October/November 2002, so while we call this section "New Old Stock - Articles from Our Days in Print" you are also going to see some articles from our early days of going online. How George Cardas's Neutral Reference speaker cable strikes you and whether or... Read More »
Boyd Meets Girl is comprised of Australian classical guitarist Rupert Boyd and American cellist Laura Metcalf, a couple living in Brooklyn, NYC. This album comes out of the period of Covid-19 pandemic lockdown; and this is where being a married couple pays huge dividends for us as listeners. Able to play together every day, Boyd... Read More »
The Editors is a series of interviews with audio magazine editors from all over the world—both printed and online magazines, and portals. It started on January 1st, 2012, and 33 interviews have been published so far—the one below is No. 34. Our aim is to make our readers more familiar with the people who usually... Read More »
Octave Audio is a German company founded in 1968 by Karl Heinz Hofmann; initially it produced transformers. In 2000, his son, Andreas Hofmann took over the business, and from then on it has been called Octave Audio. We are testing the top Jubilee system. Although the first Octave amplifiers were made in 1975, and since... Read More »
The state-of-the-art Børresen Acoustics 05 speakers and their cables have become perfectly acclimatized in my listening room since my review of their initial installation. (HERE). The system plays even more beguilingly than when I wrote the review. But more interesting than any kind of effusiveness may be the reasons for so much euphony, and Michael... Read More »
Hürth, Germany, April 2022 – Effective Immediately, TIDAL-Audio GmbH is proud to announce the TIDAL Arkas music streamer. The TIDAL Arkas is designed to be the perfect digital music content controller for TIDAL high-end systems. The approach of the Arkas was simple: build the perfect musical data file transport with TIDAL performance and reliability. In... Read More »
Violinist Tosca Opdam is joined by pianist Alexander Ullman to create some delightful chamber music in their new album, Soundscapes, all beautifully and sensitively performed. Included is the world premier recording of a work dedicated to Ms. Opdam by Dutch composer Robin de Raaff. The album is an engaging program of a bit of the... Read More »
AXPONA 2022 was a welcoming next step as we move forward as a high end audio community. Attendance was good, and it will only get better as things settle down and we all get more comfortable. It was wonderful to see old friends and to establish new friendships. After all, this isn't just about evaluating... Read More »
I've written before about legendary Decca recording engineer Kenneth Wilkinson and the extensive collection of his recordings available from High Definition Tape Transfers. Since my original introductory article (HERE), HDTT has released more Wilkinson engineered recordings that are very much worthy of comment. And, I've found a few in the catalog that I'd missed before.... Read More »
Rembrandt Frerichs is a remarkably eclectic and innovative jazz and world musician, synthesizing rhythms and sounds from many cultures. In this thoroughly engaging premier recording of his piano concertos, he collaborates with five string players from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and his long-time partner in The Rembrandt Trio, percussionist Vinsent Planjer. The result is a... Read More »
MISTELBACH, AUSTRIA (April 19, 2022) - Sumiko and Pro-Ject USA are proud to announce the new Phono Box DS3B, Phono Box S3B and X8 Turntable from Pro-Ject Audio Systems. The new products aim to offer listeners a truly balanced experience, resulting in dynamic sound, less noise and improved signal to noise ratios. The Phono Box... Read More »
Seven years in the making, the new TD307MK3 has been designed (and refined) for the modern music lover Kobe, Japan, 20 April 2022: ECLIPSE has launched a new loudspeaker, the company’s first new model in seven years. The new TD307MK3 is a compact, full-range speaker for the modern music lover. Several years in the making,... Read More »
April 20,2022–Youngstown, OH–SVS, leading manufacturer of high-performance speakers, subwoofers, wireless audio, and accessories, proudly announces the SVS Sound Path Digital Optical Cable, a new addition to the brand’s popular audio accessory line bringing reference audio performance to more people than ever. Compatible with standard and high-definition devices with an optical or TOSLINK port, the polished... Read More »
Premium materials, inspired engineering, and a protective five-layer insulation system ensure sonic purity and protection from RF and electromagnetic interference. April 20,2022–Youngstown, OH–SVS, leading manufacturer of high-performance speakers, subwoofers, wireless audio, and accessories, proudly announces the SVS Sound Path Balanced XLR Cable, a new addition to the brand’s popular audio accessory line bringing reference audio... Read More »
Sumiko Introduces the Phono Box DS3B and S3B Plus the Latest Turntable Design in the X Series MISTELBACH, AUSTRIA (April 19, 2022) - Sumiko and Pro-Ject USA are proud to announce the new Phono Box DS3B, Phono Box S3B and X8 Turntable from Pro-Ject Audio Systems. The new products aim to offer listeners a truly... Read More »
April 22 - 24, 2022 This weekend, MOON will be exhibiting a selection of its premium music products at Axpona (Audio Expo North America). Following a successful product showcase at the Montreal Audiofest in March, the MOON team is now excited about meeting more of its North American customers at the Illinois event. For Axpona,... Read More »
Three weeks ago, I had the pleasure of introducing you to the two new KRONOS Resonance Suppression tonearms, the Kronoscope RS and the Discovery RS. In that episode's interview with Louis Desjardins, recorded in his factory in Montreal, he indicated that he would be sending me one of the new Discovery RS arms to install... Read More »
Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble, Couldn't Stand The Weather. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, UD1S 2-007, UltraDisc One-Step, Original Master Recording, 2 x 12" 45 RPM SuperVinyl 180g LPs, Numbered Limited Edition, Remastered, Deluxe Edition Box Set, 2021 First up...the 2021 Mobile Fidelity Ultra Disc 1 Step remaster (UD1S 2-007) as two, 12-inch 45 RPM LPs... Read More »
Gingko Audio has been developing vibration control products since 2000, from the award-winning Cloud 11 platform, which has been on Stereophile’s Recommended Components list since 2004, to the patented ARCH (Acoustic Resolution Clarifier). For 2022, we are introducing our newest solution, the Cloud22™, which uses lamb wool as a vibration control material. The Cloud22 bases complement... Read More »
Kenny Dorham, Matador (Impex Records) Another masterpiece from Impex Records, Matador is a real sleeper. Originally released in 1953 on the United Artist label and now back in print for the first time in nearly 50 years, this title by Kenny Dorham deserves an early nomination for the reissue of the year! Pressed at RTI... Read More »
ThunderBird, FireBird, and Dragon are AudioQuest’s best-sounding, most sonically invisible interconnects yet — category-defining products that establish new benchmarks of transparency and musical pleasure, bringing us significantly closer than ever to our sonic ideal of completely invisible cable. AudioQuest’s 42-year history of designing and refining analog interconnects has been a long, steady climb up a... Read More »
Florida International Audio Expo Feb 17–19, 2023 New name, same venue . . . music, sun, and fun return! Tampa, Florida—April 2022—Back for its fourth year, the newly renamed Florida International Audio Expo (formerly the Florida Audio Expo) will be held Friday–Sunday, February 17–19, 2023, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore hotel. Attendees will... Read More »
Baia Mare, Romania, April 15th, 2022. Meze Audio, award-winning headphone company based in Baia Mare, Romania, announces the launch of ADVAR, the newest addition to the company’s earphone lineup. Powered by a 10.2 mm single dynamic driver, ADVAR stays true to Meze Audio’s endearing signature, delivering powerful, smooth, velvet-like sound that matches a variety of... Read More »
Buffalo, NY, April 13, 2022 --- Bluebird Music, distributor of high-performance audio products since 2000, is pleased to announce the new Vienna Acoustics Liszt Reference loudspeakers. The Liszt Reference is a completely redesigned version of Vienna’s Liszt speaker and joins Vienna’s other new Reference models: Beethoven Baby Grand Reference, Beethoven Concert Grand Reference and Maestro Grand Reference. The Liszt... Read More »
Chord Electronics has incorporated its proprietary Ultima amplifier technology into its smallest amplifier design to date. Anni is the company's first desktop integrated amplifier, capable of delivering 10 watts of amplification to headphones and speakers via 3.5mm, 6.35mm, and banana-type speaker outputs. In a full system, it's ideal for driving headphones, small desktop speakers, and... Read More »
