The Absolute Sound Podcast

As you may know, there are technical reasons that active speakers can be advantaged, and as a result, I’ve covered a few of these speakers in the last year or so. ATC is also noteworthy as a major pro audio speaker-maker. I have had good experiences with some pro speakers, and active setups are common in that world, so it seemed interesting to try an active speaker from a pro company. The EL50 thankfully skips the industrial cosmetics typical in the pro world, since it has a consumer-only aesthetic. Let’s take a look at the results.

This video is sponsored by: https://silent-angel-audio.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopnyOIgN8kBfCZ3raKqdX4cLI6GwOg6wQy1VkoF8Mc5siNLiEq0

00:00 ATC EL50

01:34 Description

05:42 Sound Quality

12:49 Comparisons

16:20 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

Can true wireless earbuds satisfy the critical ear of a high-end audio enthusiast? In this video, John Quain, a reviewer for The Absolute Sound, puts the Technics EAH-AZ100 earbuds to the test to see if they live up to their "Reference Class" branding.

Priced at $299.99 USD, the EAH-AZ100s integrate advanced driver technology typically absent in consumer-grade wireless audio. John breaks down how these earbuds perform across various genres and technical categories.

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

The Advance Paris A10 APEX integrated amplifier represents an intriguing proposition in the contemporary Hi-Fi landscape. Retailing at $3,499 US, it positions itself as a feature-rich, high-value hub designed to capture the emotional core of analog playback while anchoring a modern digital system. Does it succeed? Find out!

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

00:00 Advance Paris A10 Apex

02:05 Overview

04:24 The DAC

06:11 Phonostage

06:42 Input/Outputs

07:24 Reference Equipment

08:13 Sound Quality

13:08 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

Alan Taffel provides a sneak peek of what's to come from his full review of the 1400 Wpc Goldmund Telos 8800 Monoblock Amplifiers. You'll have to check out the complete review in an upcoming issue of The Absolute Sound magazine.

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

We've all heard of the word trifecta. So I was curious. What's the definition? There's a couple of them. One of them is any situation where three notable achievable are or outcomes occur together, especially if they're all positive. In short, it's a "triple win or powerful group of three". Does the Silent Angel Extreme Trio Stack live up to the name? Let's find out!

This video is sponsored by: https://fidelityimports.com/products/perlisten-audio-d8is-in-wall-on-wall-subwoofer-with-amplifier

00:00 Silent Angel Extreme Trio Stack

01:43 Overview

03:02 Specs & Design

13:35 Sound Quality

14:47 Is it for you?

15:56 Equipment

16:26 Conclusion

Adrian's Reference Equipment:

-VIP Avenger Dual Arm Turn-Table – Ortofon Cadenza Moving Coil Cartridge Stereo -Mono Cadenza moving coil cartridge

-Pass Labs X 22 Pre -Amp

-Pass Lab 260.8 Mono Blocks

-Shunyata Delta X Power Distrbutors

-Mola Mola Lupe Phono Stage

-YG-Acoustics Ascent Speakers

-Bricasti M-21 Dac

-Kimber Kable Carbon Speaker Cables

-Kimber Kable XLR, RCA

-Shunyata Power Cords Alpha X

-Silent- Angle Extreme Trio Stack

-Silent – Angle Z1-Plus Streamer

-Two PS Audio Foundry 12inch Sub-woofers

-Audio Quest VODKA Ethernet Cable

-Dtari – Reel to Reel

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