|
| |
|
 High-Performance
Audio Gear Reviews,
Music News, Show Reports, Articles & More!
29 Years Of Service To Music
Lovers.
|
|
Wells
Audio Commander Level II Vacuum Tube Line Stage Review
The Commander is in a club of one.
Review By Sam Rosen
A little while ago I reviewed the Wells Audio
Cipher. I asked Jeff Wells, the owner of Wells Audio, to tell me more about the
Cipher, and he more or less described it as his preamp circuit, with a single
fixed input coming from the DAC. I was so impressed with the smooth analog
nature of his DAC that I asked him if I could review his preamp. A few months
later, a Commander Level II arrived at my door. The Commander Level II is Jeff
Wells' mid-range preamp. The standard level I, sells for $3999, the level II (my
unit) sells for $9000, and the Level III sells for $18,000. Each version has the
same base design and circuit, and each upgrade introduces higher end and more
expensive discrete parts into the build process. According to Wells Audio these
improvements lower the noise floor, increase the dynamic range, and dramatically
improve the
experience.
--->
Wells Audio Commander Level II Tube Line Stage Review.
Rotel Michi X3 Integrated Amplifier Review
More than the sum of its parts. Review By Francisco Duran.
Review By Francisco Duran
This has been one of the hardest
reviews I have ever done because the MichiX3 integrated amplifier really
surprised me. Out of the box and into my system it performed so well that I was
at a loss for words. Not so much as in spectacular audiophile terms, but because
it just went straight to work and played music, all kinds of music, and from all
kinds of sources in such a relaxed but inviting manner, critique just kind of
went out the window. But unless you have been living under an audiophile rock
for the last few years, you probably have seen, even in passing, a review of the
latest Rotel amplifiers. In fact, I have recently written about their neat
A14MK.2. A solid performer, the sound signature of that unit being quite
different from its big brother, the Michi X3.
--->
Rotel Michi X3 Integrated Amplifier Review.
HIGH END 2024 At Munich's
M.O.C. Show Report (Updated 05/17)
From May
9th to 12th, 2024, the 41st HIGH END trade show in Munich will once again shine
a spotlight on luxurious premium music reproduction systems, inspiring listening enjoyment and exquisite audio technology.
HIGH END continues to be one of the most important marketplaces and trading rendezvous for the audio industry, with many international trade visitors from around the world.
Music lovers from over 90 countries visit Munich to discover high-performance audio industry trends, exchange views, learn the latest news, plus network and do business. For industry experts, audiophile enthusiasts, and music enthusiasts, the HIGH END four-day event in Munich will once again be a spectacular
event. It is the perfect place to establish business relationships, expand networks,
exchange ideas and experiences with other industry experts.
---> HIGH END 2024 AT Munich's M.O.C. Show
Report.
AXPONA 2024 Show Report
(Updated 05/21)
Audio Expo North
America (AXPONA) 2024 three-day experience featured a multitude of floors,
with a total of approximately 200 listening rooms. Special showcases include the
Expo Hall featuring The Record Fair, The Ear Gear Experience, and a variety of seminars. Whether you're a
very serious audiophile, a newcomer to high-end audio or simply a music lover, you found everything you need to immerse yourself in your favorite
sounds. The Ear Gear Experience is the place to go to find everything from open-back, closed-back, in-ear headphones and accessories, as well as cables DACs and players. You can also shop audio accessories, turntables, cables and more in the Expo Hall. Plus find new and vintage vinyl in AXPONA's own Record Fair.
---> AXPONA 2024 High-End Audio Show
Report.
USA Department Of Justice Sues Live Nation / Ticketmaster
According to the Department Of Justice within the United States of
America, "Live Nation-Ticketmaster's Exclusionary Conduct and Dominance Across the Live Concert Ecosystem Harms Fans, Innovation, Artists, and Venues:
The Justice Department, along with 30 state and district attorneys general, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ticketmaster LLC (Live Nation-Ticketmaster) for monopolization and other unlawful conduct that thwarts competition in markets across the live entertainment industry. The lawsuit, which includes a request for structural relief, seeks to restore competition in the live concert industry, provide better choices at lower prices for fans, and open venue doors for working musicians and other performance
artists."
---> USA Department Of Justice Sues Live Nation / Ticketmaster.
Reference Recordings Brahms Reimagined Orchestrations
A new and very imaginative album from critically-acclaimed music label Reference Records,
Brahms Reimagined Orchestrations [RR-152] features three compositions by Johannes Brahms, in an outstanding interpretation from Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony. This very high-quality album features the first recording of American composer and Kansas City native Virgil Thomson's 1957 / 1958 orchestration of Brahms: Eleven Chorale Preludes for organ, op 122. It also features the wonderfully enchanting Black Swan, composer Bright Sheng's orchestration of the Brahms Intermezzo for solo piano, op. 118, No. 2, plus the beloved and spectacular Arnold Schoenberg orchestration of the Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, op.
25. Notes writer Ken Meltzer states: "Schoenberg's orchestration is a respectful and affectionate tribute by one great composer to another. It is also a beautiful and at times thrillingly entertaining piece.
And to the extent it presents both composers at their least inhibited, the
Brahms / Schoenberg Piano Quartet offers a valuable insight into the personalities of two of concert music's most influential
figures."
---> Reference Recordings Brahms Reimagined Orchestrations.
HIGH END 2024 At MOC Reaches New Heights
The High End Society's HIGH END 2024 high-end audiophile show in Munich reaches new heights with a total of 22,198 visitors during the four day event. While the visitor statistics were a touch above last years, with 11,237 trade visitors and was higher than public attendance numbers of 10,373 for the first time. Music enthusiasts
traveled from 108 nations to HIGH END 2024. There were 588 media representatives who
traveled to Munich to discover the latest in high-performance audio gear and immersive music. According to the show promoter, "The HIGH END 2024 saw overwhelming visitor traffic on the first public day, where visitor crowds were so large at times that sections of the atriums had to be temporarily cordoned off to prevent the aisles and rooms from being
overfilled." Space within the MOC covers more than 30,000 square meters in the four halls and three atriums, and HIGH END 2024 visitors experienced fantastic demonstrations of exclusive hi-tech audio and hi-fi
products.
---> HIGH END 2024 At MOC Reaches New Heights.
No Truth. Just Joy.
Music and audio is one of the noblest endeavors.
Editorial By J. Martins
My experience of over three decades in the audio sector reinforced a conviction that no matter how hard we try, there is no way to achieve truth in audio, just joy. And that the latter is completely independent of the
former. This is a fundamental principle on my standing about audio technologies. I care about good audio experiences and I believe that our efforts should be focused on eliminating bad sound, not so much about achieving exceptionally great fidelity — that illusive
quest. Do I have a low bar when it comes to audio experiences? I just know when I find joy listening to music.
That's why I admire product designers that manage to create great sounding products that are also affordable. The joy they bring to so many is incomparably more impactful than any $100,000 high-end piece of gear could ever
induce. Of course, I respect the relentless pursuit toward faithful reproduction, ultimate fidelity, lowest
distortion....
----> No Truth. Just
Joy.
New Hi-Fi Gear Is Pushing The Boundaries
Examining the relationship of hardware and software.
Editorial By Becky Roberts
Each and every year, new features and technologies arrive to push the boundaries of consumer electronics further than the year previous. Very few, however, tend to enrich our daily lives immediately, whether
that's because they aren't instantly adopted by the masses or simply aren't useful on such a frequent basis. Thinking about how my listening habits have changed in recent years,
I've realized that one fledgling feature has played more of a role in it than any other: Tidal
Connect. For the uninitiated, Tidal Connect lets you 'cast' the service's catalogue to compatible audio devices from within the Tidal app, with the songs streamed from the internet instead of locally on your device. As Spotify Connect does for, well, Spotify; AirPlay for Apple Music; and Google Cast for Amazon Music (and others). These technologies let you control your music streaming playback from an app
that's familiar to use, meaning you don't have to rely on separate dedicated
app(s) developed for specific streaming products.
---> New Hi-Fi Gear Is Pushing The Boundaries.
Oligarch-Grade Products Will Continue
Time is proving 'interesting times' and that good audio remains in
people's minds.
Editorial By Alan Sircom
Anniversary issues are always a time to look back, but
it's also a good time to look forward and try to predict what the next few years will look like. Such predictions are prone to a lot of guesswork, and there are no spoilers, no giving away secrets, and no Tarot cards were harmed in the making of these dimly lit gazes into the near
future. In the high-end, the trend for oligarch-grade products looks set to continue. Whenever we think audio has reached its price ceiling, someone builds a longer ladder! Most super-high-end systems top out at somewhere around £1m-£1.2m at present. I think in the next few years, we will see several systems that reach £2m, and possibly even
more. Moving out of the stratosphere, there does appear to be some divergence in design between the three main markets of the US, Europe, and Asia. While that sounds like the most sweeping of
generalizations (what holds in one Asian or European country
doesn't hold for them all), the broad trends remain.
---> Oligarch-Grade Products Will
Continue.
More reviews & articles within our Review Magazine.
Have
Your Voice Heard!
Don't miss out on the conversation! We have tens of thousands who've joined us on social media and you're invited too!
Join us on Facebook,
Instagram,
and X to meet like-minded music lovers.
|
|
|
