audioXpress February 2023 Now Available! What Do You Want to Hear?

audioXpress February 2023 focuses on the small devices in the increasingly larger market of MEMS Microphones and Voice Pickup Sensors. The Market Update on this topic is complemented by Erica Yorga's article on the principles of Nureva's Unified Coverage Map. Ethan Winer offers the first of a primer on modern PC board design, there's a review of the Arylic Audio Up2Stream Amp V4 board, an inside story on how Crestron adopted AES67, and a High-Performance Tube Hybrid Preamp DIY project.

We looked at the popular articles of 2021 in audioXpress.com (including selected articles from audioXpress and Voice Coil magazines), and we created this Top 10 list of news stories and online articles. Once again 2022 expanded slightly on the record-breaking year that was 2021 for audioXpress.com, in terms of number of visits and regular users of the website. Visitors from all over the world returned more often to read the more than 8.650 stories available. Which of the topics and stories published online in 2022 were the most popular? Here are the results!

In this review of the GaN Systems amplifier evaluation kit, Stuart Yaniger shares his explorations of the features and benefits of GaN (gallium nitride) power semiconductors, and explains why the technology is not only enabling great sounding audio amplifiers but is also bound to completely disrupt the Class-D segment in high power ratings. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2022.

Read audioXpress July 2022 to learn the latest about Audio Amplification technology, an interesting perspective on audio bandwidth measurements, and read the AXPONA 2022 report. On DIY audio, this issue offers a solid-state, modular preamplifier project by Bruce Heran, the Egg Speaker Amp and System by Reinhardt Metz, and how to achieve a triode sound by Richard Honeycutt. And Ethan Winer describes the input stages for his Guitar-Controlled Synthesizer project.

Hypex Electronics announced a new and improved iteration of its popular NCORE Class-D amplifier technology and unveiled the NCx500 OEM, the first of a new NCOREx family of modules to be launched. According to the Dutch company, the new technology will afford at least 2x better performance compared to original NCORE products. Hypex will introduce the new NCOREx technology at the ISE and High End shows in May 2022, paving the way for future OEM products.

It's time for the Glass Audio/Tube Focus edition of audioXpress. In this issue, Michael Boele shares his long-term review of a pair of 2021 new production Western Electric 300Bs, Merlin Blencowe explains how to add Bluetooth to a Tube Amp, and Alan Kimmel introduces us to the possibilities of the Pentriode. There's also a Market Update report on vinyl sales and the latest trends in turntables and cartridges, as well as a review by Stuart Yaniger of the latest Orchard Audio Starkrimson Stereo Ultra GaN-based amplifier.

The April 2022 issue of audioXpress offers an overview of voice for true wireless stereo earbuds with contributed articles from Knowles and Fluent.ai. Stuart Yaniger reviews the possibilities with GaN amplifiers, and Steve Temme explains the evolution of Rub & Buzz measurements and the latest perceptual algorithms. Ethan Winer designs a sample & hold circuit for a guitar-controlled, all-analog synthesizer project, Richard Honeycutt explores the meaning of “frequency response” as applied to rooms, and Mark Driedger explains why and how to test tubes.

Stuart Yaniger shares his impressions and measurements of the Phonitor One d Headphone Amplifier System, designed by SPL of Germany. This product uses the company’s unique 120V circuitry, and also features an acclaimed AKM premium USB DAC and balanced stereo line output, effectively enabling it to function as a combination DAC and preamp. An interesting design also because of its Phonitor Matrix, a unique feature designed to electronically create a crosstalk signal and generate something similar to the effect of acoustic crosstalk around our head when listening through headphones. This article was originally published in audioXpress, November 2021.

GaN Systems, the GaN (gallium nitride) power transistor specialist, announced an updated version of its Class-D audio amplifier evaluation kit, allowing evaluation for high-efficiency audio reference designs. Evolving from the original evaluation kit introduced in 2020, GaN Systems released the GeN2 amplifier and companion switched-mode power supply reference design today, shrinking the size and increasing its capabilities for Class-D audio designs.

We looked at the most-read articles of 2021 in audioXpress.com (including selected articles from Voice Coil magazine), and we created this Top 10 list of news stories and online articles. 2021 expanded slightly on the record-breaking year that was 2020 for audioXpress.com, in terms of number of visits and regular users of the website. Visitors from all over the world returned more often to read the more than 7,700 stories available. Which of the topics and stories published online in 2021 were the most popular? Here are the results!