The Absolute Sound Podcast

In this video, Aaron Jenkins reviews the Focal Mu-so Hekla, an all-in-one sound system that promises an immersive audio experience. At $3,600, it boasts 15 speakers, 660 watts of amplification, and support for high-res audio formats. With advanced connectivity options and five listening modes, including Dolby Atmos, Aaron explores its design, performance, and how it fits into everyday life.

This video is sponsored by Fidelity Imports

00:00 Focal Mu-so Hekla

01:20 Overview

03:15 Design & Build Quality

06:45 Connectivity Options

09:30 Sound Performance

12:00 Listening Modes

14:30 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 2026, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved

Instead of forcing you to piece together a complex computer-based setup or manage a noisy network-attached storage drive, Aurender positions this unit as a quiet, central anchor for your digital ecosystem. But at four thousand dollars, does it offer the practical everyday convenience and fidelity that a high-quality audio system demands? Let’s find out.

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

00:00 Aurender ACS100

02:00 Overview

03:20 Physical Connectivity

07:56 First Impressions

09:11 Reference Equipment

09:43 Sound Quality

13:00 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

What would you buy if you wanted one box that does everything and actually looks really dang good doing it is a common question these days, right?

The HiFi Rose RS451 is $3,295, and it's trying to solve that problem, not by cutting corners, by building a streamer, a DAC, and a headphone amp into one aluminum box with a screen that makes you want to really look at this thing. The question is whether it earns that price or if it just looks the part.

This video is sponsored by: https://wireworldcable.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoowpiXj2LBgvcTuRYqBzA1LerFapMSwvxzOn25yhhthD5RcKODY

00:00 Rose RS451

01:17 Specs & Design

04:50 DAC

07:28 Sound Quality

09:11 One Box vs "Stack"

11:09 Is it for you?

12:19 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

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