World Premiere Review Esoteric K-01XD SE SACD / CD Player & DAC
January 19, 2026 § Leave a comment
The Esoteric K-01XD SE SACD / CD player and Hi-Res Audio DAC is their latest integrated design offering audio playback accessibility at the highest levels. A synthesis of exemplary versatility, build, and functionality, all elevating the musical presentation to a transformative experience. Beyond the stereotypical artifacts associated with many examples of digital playback, Esoteric K-01XD SE brings forward a presentation at once like butter and crystal – a sheer analog-like fluidity laid forth with visceral realism on a canvas of authentic scale.
In my opinion, and many here at Enjoy the Music.com would agree, the Esoteric K-01XD SE serves as a destination digital front end, particularly for those seeking the finest in SACD / DAC presentation within a compact, single-chassis design. Yes, there are certainly other fine examples of single-box sources at far higher price points (and to acknowledge, $28,500 is not exactly small change!). Few, however, match the integrity and pedigree of Esoteric and their longstanding respect within the audiophile community. We’ve all learned to never say never in this passionate art, yet investing in the Esoteric K-01XD SE would most certainly prove money well-appropriated, providing a lifetime of the most rewarding digital playback experience available within a home hi-fi audio reference system.
Wilson Audio Specialties Sabrina V loudspeaker
January 18, 2026 § Leave a comment
https://www.stereophile.com/content/wilson-audio-specialties-sabrina-v-loudspeaker
When I began to focus, I moved the Sabrinas slightly farther away from my listening chair and placed them slightly closer together. Their final position formed a triangle that was a little more isosceles, no longer equilateral. The sonic result was good frequency balance and a soundstage that was a bit more coherent, especially with the speakers toed in a little.Pleased with their positions, I started to experiment with the electronics. My McIntosh C12000 preamplifier allows me to choose solid state or tubed outputs. At first I felt that the Sabrina Vs benefitted from the Mac pre’s solid state circuits, gaining clarity and detail. However, I later found that I preferred the tubed outputs, as I usually do with my WATT/Puppies. Maybe this too was a consequence of the need to wait for the Sabrina Vs to break in. Amplification in my reference rig is the solid state McIntosh MC462, which is specified to deliver 450W into any load.
PrimaLuna EVO 300 hybrid power amplifier Review
January 18, 2026 § Leave a comment
https://www.hifinews.com/content/primaluna-evo-300-hybrid-power-amplifier
For all the satisfaction the EVO 300 Hybrid provided for this pro-valve listener, I could imagine those diametrically-opposed purist audiophile species – tubes vs trannies – finding grounds for criticism because the two have been weighed equally, exactly as the mission statement required. But perhaps this is an academic debate, for purists of either discipline might not contemplate a hybrid design. For those undecided or who like both, the EVO 300 Hybrid ‘poweramplifier’ is one of the best examples of cross pollination I’ve heard.
If choosing an amp is a matter of tubes-only-vs-solid-state-only-vs-I’m-not-bothered, then your own predisposition will influence your reaction to this remarkable amplifier. Via the RCA input it sounds just like the EVO 300 Hybrid Integrated, but via the XLR – even if you resort to an RCA-to-XLR adapter – the EVO 300 Hybrid ‘poweramplifier’ embraces the hybrid concept, perfectly blending tube colour with solid-state grip. For the undecided, this may well be the best of both worlds.
CanJam Dubai 2026: Our First Look at the Premiere Audio Event of the Year!
January 18, 2026 § Leave a comment
Final Model 15+ Review
January 17, 2026 § Leave a comment
The unique trick used by Final Audio is that the roll-off frequencies for each driver section are determined by the relationship between the width of conductive coating between the driver sections and the assembly’s natural capacitance. Is that clever or what?!
The result is a multi-band speaker with separate sections for low bass, mid bass, midrange/treble, and uppermost treble. The added benefit is that the midrange- and treble sections can be made very narrow, resulting in a wide dispersion to cover a large listening area while providing excellent focus, independent of the precise listening position.
This also allows the creation of very narrow tweeter sections for improved high-frequency dispersion—traditionally a weakness of electrostatic speakers. The various printed sections also have different widths to help distribute and reduce resonances.
Pass Laboratories X600.8 Mono Amplifier $31,460 Review
January 17, 2026 § Leave a comment
The large Pass Labs X600.8 amplifiers also looked very impressive sitting on their amp stands in front of my equipment rack. Their cool blue, large, illuminated meters on their aluminum front panel, and their large black heat sinks, which took up all the room on their side panels, gave the amps a high-tech, industrial-chic look.
At $31,460 for the pair, the Pass Laboratories X600.8 monoblocks aren’t bargain-priced. Nor are they the most expensive monoblocks Pass Labs offers. Simply because the X600.8 monoblocks are worth their asking price doesn’t mean much if one cannot afford them. Still, readers of Enjoy the Music.com realize that audiophiles can get quite crafty when it comes to raising funds, especially when we become enamored of a component and wish to purchase it. Highly recommended? You bet!
BennyAudio Odyssey Turntable Review
January 15, 2026 § Leave a comment
Suffice it to say that if I’ve dedicated half a year of my life working to afford and finally owning the BennyAudio Odyssey, it speaks volumes about its incredible capabilities. Mine is all black, with the engraving painted in a light blue metallic and pearl finish. Other colors are available, including silver and white, and Thomasz is reportedly working on more options.
If you’re seeking the ultimate turntable to elevate your system and ensure decades of satisfaction, the Odyssey should be at the top of your list. Its performance is unparalleled, and I can’t imagine anyone not being fully content for a long time.
However, if you’re looking for a competitive advantage in a spitting contest with your audio buddies, spending a lot more money won’t necessarily translate into a significant improvement in sound quality. As I mentioned earlier, there are turntables that cost much more and have more intricate features, but they often come with unobtainium and can’taffordium bits and pieces that don’t always equal a relative improvement to the sound and add more complexity.
In my opinion, it’s better to save the extra money and invest in more reference vinyl or upgrade the cartridge. That, in my view, would be a more prudent choice. You simply can’t get a better bang for the buck.
Matrix Audio MP1 and MA1 $15,000 Review
January 15, 2026 § Leave a comment
The Matrix Audio components are complementary pieces rather than clones of each other. The voicing of the MP-1 is shaded towards a richer and robust presentation with a dense tonal tapestry that in many ways shares the strengths commonly associated with vacuum tube preamplifiers. This is not to say this preamplifier is a caricature of a tube based component, but rather they share defining characteristics that are appreciated by many audiophiles. In the case of the MP-1, it excels at combining realistic tonal structure while teasing out the fine details embedded in a recording rather than covering them up with an overly warm mid-band voicing. This combination allows the MP-1 to provide a honest and unvarnished portrayal of the music, and hand it off to the MA-1 amplifier where that musical presentation is expanded and filled in. “Conversation With A Ghost” by Ellis Paul is a deceptively complicated song that is challenging for an audio system to unearth the subtle details embedded in this composition, and not lose this detail in highlighting the darkness and languid flow with which the song is recorded with. Many systems can get the richness of sound in this piece, but lose the interplay between Ellis Paul and his vocal partner Mary Black. The Matrix Audio components stay balanced and surefooted through this song, with just the right balance between detail and warmth, and deftly teases out the complicated interplay between the two vocalists.
Audiophilepure 
You must be logged in to post a comment.