Jason Victor Serinus

Munich 2025

dCS: Two New Reasons to Listen

Jason Victor Serinus May 31, 2025

The Munich unveiling of dCS’s Lina DAC X network music player ($15,500) drew significant attention from lovers of the Lina DAC ($14,400). The debut occurred alongside a static display of the top-of-the-line Varèse transport, due in June.

Munich 2025

Accustic Arts: Powering Up the V Factor

Jason Victor Serinus May 31, 2025

Over three years ago, when I reviewed Accustic Arts’s AMP V stereo power amplifier, I called it "the most intelligently designed hunk I’ve ever put my hands on, and one of the finest and most musically satisfying amplifiers to ever enter my system." I wish it were still here so I could reevaluate it with my current system, which has become exponentially more revealing.

Munich 2025

A Major Stand from Norway: Electrocompaniet Electronics and Ø Audio Speakers

Jason Victor Serinus May 31, 2025

You gotta love press releases. “This May in Munich, history won’t just be written—it will be heard.” Thus opened the invitation to a joint press conference of “two Norwegian powerhouses” whose system “doesn’t whisper innovation—it roars it.”

Munich 2025

Constellation's Big Switch: Smaller, Smarter Power

Jason Victor Serinus May 30, 2025

The big news in the Constellation room was not the Revelation 2 Series, complete with its special Constellation Switch-Mode Power Supply (C-SMPS)—we’ve reported on it previously, including at AXPONA 2025. Rather, it was the chance to glimpse prototypes of the higher-level Performance 2 stereo amplifier and preamplifier, both due later this year.

Munich 2025

Class-A Act: Gryphon’s Antileon Revelation Arrives

Jason Victor Serinus May 29, 2025

Gryphon's long-awaited pure class-A Antileon Revelation amplifier, the successor to the Antileon EVO, will hit dealer shelves late August in both stereo ($39,800) and mono ($45,500/each) versions. We used to say, “It will arrive late August if the creek don’t rise;” these days, we replace creek with tariffs.

Munich 2025

MBL's Marvels Make Munich Magic

Jason Victor Serinus May 29, 2025

A year without an MBL fix is a year incomplete. Hence, off to the spacious MBL suite I went, to experience a complete MBL Reference Line system ($750,000; price approximate, converted from Euros).

Munich 2025

A Net Win: Nordost Improves its Ethernet Switch

Jason Victor Serinus May 29, 2025

The big news in Nordost land was twofold. First, the company has upgraded its entire entry-level Leif line to the new Leif 3 series. The latest offerings, presented by PR representative Meredith Gabor, include Blue Heaven 3 digital interconnects, Ethernet and USB 2.0 cables, and (soon) a White Lightning 3 tonearm cable.

Munich 2025

Moonriver Show Off Its 606 Integrated, Due in Q4

Jason Victor Serinus May 29, 2025

Moonriver brought a prototype of its forthcoming 606 integrated amplifier to Munich. Due in the fourth quarter, with a projected, tariff-dependent price of approximately $12,000, the unit will offer optional modules for phono, DAC, and streaming.

Munich 2025

What a Few Million Bucks Buys: Wilson Audio and D’Agostino Team Up, Aided by dCS and Stromtank

Jason Victor Serinus May 27, 2025

Audio Reference of Hamburg, in collaboration with many of its distributed brands, set up a mind-blowing system at Munich High End, valued at well over $3 million.

Munich 2025

Truth from the Lyre: Orpheus Lab With Wadax and Kroma

Jason Victor Serinus May 26, 2025

Drawn by the lyre emblem on the faceplate and the promise of Swiss engineering, I took note in early April when longtime distributor Jay Rein of Bluebird Music was named exclusive North American distributor for Orpheus Lab. My interest deepened when I learned about Orpheus Lab’s five Absolute components ($12,900–$22,900/each) and the brand’s newer Heritage Opus II lineup.