Audiophilepure

Yes, if you really wanted to put in the work, you could build your own streamer for a fraction of the price of the Rivo Plus. But your time is also worth something, even if you have the skills to do it. And that homemade streamer would not have the high-performance digital output stage with all the format options the Rivo Plus has. I was very impressed with the Volumio Rivo Plus. It does just what it says it will do, with admirable build quality, looks, and software polish. There are only a few small bugs to continue to work out with the software, but it’s already very good.

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0425/Class_D_Audio_Premium_GaN_60_Balanced_Amplifier_Terry_Audio_EI30A_Balanced_Power_Review.htm

When it comes to chill, nothing may top K.D. Lang’s Ingénue [Sire – 9 26840-2]. This is a giant album that made K.D. a household name and does a tremendous job of showcasing her effortless singing style. While Ms. Lang had been considered a country artist, Ingénue was a genre-warping effort that refused to be categorized. That’s why it sounds just fresh now in 2025 as it did when it came out in 1992. As soon as I hit the play button, I knew I was in for a special treat. I remembered it being a good-sounding album, but I was immediately blown away by Ingénue’s spectacular sound. One track that stands out is “Wash Me Clean”. Listening to it with the Premium GaN 6.0, K.D.’s vocals were beautifully rendered with effortless dynamics. The acoustic guitar also sounded incredibly natural and the bass was deep and tuneful.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/why-hi-fi-prices-have-risen

High prices for hi-fi are nothing new. Prices have risen incessantly for at least a couple of decades, especially at the highest-priced end of the hi-fi market—and that’s got nothing to do with tariffs. What we’ve seen isn’t inflation exactly, or not mainly that. Companies have discovered that there’s a market for ever more expensive stuff, so they started making it. There’s a story about Swiss watches that may be apocryphal: A poorly edited ad for a very expensive watch added an extra zero to the price, and the watch sold out in days. I get the feeling that even companies themselves are surprised sometimes at how much people are willing to pay for this stuff.

Why is it happening? I’m no economist, but one answer seems obvious: There are more rich people than ever, and they’re riche