The Absolute Sound Podcast

In this video, Matt reviews the ES Lab ES-2α electrostatic headphones, which promise a sound experience that feels both realistic and immersive. These headphones are celebrated for their exceptional craftsmanship, comfort, and impressive sound quality, especially in the bass and mid-range. With a design lineage tracing back to the iconic Stax SR-Ω, the ES-2α employs advanced materials to enhance acoustic transparency. Matt also explores their compatibility with various energizers and their standout treble performance, making them a noteworthy option in the electrostatic headphone landscape.

00:00 ES Lab ES-2α Overview

01:30 Design & Craftsmanship

05:00 Sound Quality

12:15 Comparisons

15:00 Summary

What Is The Absolute Sound?

The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube, and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles.

Intro/Outro Music: Backed Vibes Clean - Rollin at 5 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

#hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

Copyright 2026, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved

Eminent Technology has built planar magnetic speakers for several decades. Their designer, Bruce Thigpen, is an original thinker and this is reflected in the design of the speakers. Having heard prior versions I guessed that the latest version LFT-8c might be interesting. And, as it happens, the $5600 per pair price tag falls nicely into my assignment to put together an attractive $15,000 system. I chose the NAD M23 v2 power amp, with new Purifi modules, and the Wattson Madison streaming DAC preamp to go with the LFT-8c. The Wattson and the NAD are each priced at $5000, so my total system fits within the +-10% rule we’ve set for this project. Total price is therefore $15,600. Let’s see what the Eminent Technology speakers contribute.

This video is sponsored by: https://shunyata.com/

Linkwitz Review: https://youtu.be/7vF2r9PQ28o?si=wyN1izwHTTyvijmQ

A3T Review: https://youtu.be/xgOsME15Atk?si=w8uI4Da1ORvhhgcH

00:00 Eminent Technology LFT-8c

02:00 Overview

06:36 Sound Quality

19:34 Comparisons

20:58 Summary

What Is The Absolute Sound?

The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube, and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles.

Intro/Outro Music: Backed Vibes Clean - Rollin at 5 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

#hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved

In this video, Adrian reviews loudspeakers from Master Artist, a company founded by two friends from Memphis, Tennessee. Join him as he explores their unique sound quality and craftsmanship.

00:00 Master Artist Speakers

01:15 Overview

03:45 Craftsmanship & Design

08:20 Sound Quality

12:00 Founders' Journey

15:30 Summary

What Is The Absolute Sound?

The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube, and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles.

Intro/Outro Music: Backed Vibes Clean - Rollin at 5 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

#hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved

In an era where digital-to-analog converters are increasingly defined by computational arms races and hyper-analytical micro-detail, the German engineers at T+A elektroakustik have built something that fundamentally challenges modern digital dogma. They have engineered the DAC 200 to allows the listener to dictate exactly how much mathematical intervention is applied to their music. It can act as a highly sophisticated digital reconstruction engine for compromised signals, or it can step out of the way entirely and act as a perfectly open window. So, settle in while I share my observations on the T+A DAC 200.

This video is sponsored by: https://estelon.com/

00:00 T+A Elektroakustik DAC/Preamp 200

01:53 Overview

07:25 Double Differential Quadruple Converter

10:39 Bézier Polynomial Filtering

14:16 Sound Quality

19:00 Summary

What Is The Absolute Sound?

The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube, and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles.

Intro/Outro Music: Backed Vibes Clean - Rollin at 5 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

#hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound

Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved

This review will be quite a bit different. Here I’m reviewing a system of components from Esoteric. I’m covering the entire electronics chain from source to power amplification, all from Esoteric’s top Grandioso line. The idea is that there may be system synergies from this approach and the only way to get a feel for that is to listen to the system rather than individual components. Let’s take a look at this idea and at the Grandioso system.

This video is sponsored by: https://www.hifiman.com/products/detail/295

00:00 Esoteric's Grandioso System

01:19 Components vs System

04:48 Specs & Features

08:16 Sound Quality

12:04 Insights from SACD

15:46 Comparisons

17:12 Summary