Jason Victor Serinus

News T.H.E. Show 2022

Margules i-240 integrated and MS-01 prototype server meet Raidho's TD3.2 speakers, RSX Tech and DH Labs cabling and more

Jason Victor Serinus Jun 12, 2022

AV Luxury Group International, based in Las Vegas, unveiled a system that stood out for its speed, openness, and impressive range of colors. A case in point: O-Zone Percussion Group's "Jazz Variants," that did a fine job of evoking the system's well-controlled deep bass and striking highs.

News T.H.E. Show 2022

Next Level HiFi's Major Step Up: Aavik, Ansuz, Børresen

Jason Victor Serinus Jun 12, 2022

Jumping to the top level for the models whose entry-level brethren were demmed in Next Level HiFi's other room, the Wayne, IL-based dealer joined forces with Audio Group Denmark to display the Børresen B01 Silver Supreme Edition standmount loudspeaker ($60,500/pair with stands); the Aavik U580 class-D integrated amplifier ($35,000; 300Wpc into 8 ohms), which includes a DAC that does, over USB, PCM up to 32/192 and DSD128 as well as MQA; and the Aavik 5580 Streamer ($25,200). The entire 580 series utilizes external titanium supports for extreme mechanical resonance control and a copper-lined internal chassis for electrical noise control.

News T.H.E. Show 2022

Next Level HiFi's Aavik, Ansuz, and Børresen System

Jason Victor Serinus Jun 11, 2022

Now consolidated under the Audio Group Denmark umbrella, Aavik electronics, Ansuz cabling and accessories, and Børresen loudspeakers made an impressive showing in several rooms on the Hilton's 5th floor, sponsored by Next Level HiFi of the greater Chicago region.

The first (for me) of Next Level HiFi's rooms was dominated by Børresen Z1 Cryo monitors ($14,500/pair; above), Aavik's U180 class-D integrated amplifier with DAC ($10,800) and S180 streamer ($7200;), and Ansuz cabling.

News T.H.E. Show 2022

The New Graham LS5/5f

Jason Victor Serinus Jun 11, 2022

Because its sound proclaims "major significance," our coverage starts with the show premiere of Graham Audio's LS5/5f loudspeaker ($24,995/pair). Unveiled in Munich, albeit only in passive display, the speaker was designed by Derek Hughes, son of the late Spencer Hughes, founder of Spendor.

T.H.E. Show 2022

T.H.E. Show 2022 Begins in Long Beach

Jason Victor Serinus Jun 10, 2022

In just a few minutes as I write these words, T.H.E. Show returns for another installment at the Long Beach Hilton. Rumored to offer approximately 40 exhibit rooms plus untold stands in the Marketplace and Headphonium, it has drawn exhibitors from all over the United States and beyond.

Music and Recording Reviews

June 2022 Classical Record Reviews

Jason Victor Serinus, Stephen Francis Vasta Jun 10, 2022

Bruckner: Symphony No.7, Shostakovich: Symphony No.7, "Leningrad", Jonathan Berger, Harriet Scott Chessman: Mỹ Lai and Terry Riley: Autodreamographical Tales.

Munich 2022

Hearty Thanks to You, Munich High End 2022

Jason Victor Serinus Jun 06, 2022

Thanks to the customary high level of organization that has made Germany's High End Society such a central part of the audiophile industry, Munich High End 2022 was a resounding success. The industry-organized show attracted 19,767 visitors to the 28,000 square meters of halls and atriums it occupied in Munich's sprawling MOC Event Center.

Digital Processor Reviews

Meitner MA3 Integrated D/A processor

Jason Victor Serinus Jun 03, 2022

Music lovers (and reviewers) long for those listening moments when their entire being lights up with joy. For me, that divine spark surfaced unexpectedly one February afternoon when, late for an appointment, I dashed into the music room, searching for my keys. That's when I heard a bit of the 24/96 WAV files of this issue's Recording of the Month, conductor Andris Nelsons's mammoth survey of the complete orchestral works of Richard Strauss, which I'd cued up on repeat to help Meitner's MA3 integrated D/A converter ($10,500) settle in.

Interviews News

John Atkinson to Receive the LAOCAS Founder's Award

Jason Victor Serinus Jun 02, 2022

The Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society (LAOCAS) has chosen John Atkinson, former editor-in-chief and now technical editor of Stereophile, as the winner of its 29th annual Founder's Award.

Munich 2022 News

Wilson-Benesch's Omnium Loudspeaker Dances with Audionet's Stern Preamp, Bohr Phono Preamp, and Heisenberg Monoblocks

Jason Victor Serinus May 29, 2022

There are no accidents, eh? A chance meeting with Wilson-Benesch's Luke Milnes, followed by several email and WhatsApp check-ins, led me to my final exhibit at Munich High End. There, in a system that also featured Audionet products, reigned the 308lb Wilson-Benesch Omnium loudspeaker ($169,000/pair), second in command in the company's reference Fibonacci Series. Containing three pairs of isobaric-loaded woofers, two additional bass drivers, one midrange unit, and the Fibonacci tweeter, this hardly diminutive loudspeaker utilizes new bio-composite technology that replaces the carbon-fiber Monique enclosure technology Wilson-Benesch pioneered in 1994.