As you know and as you can see in VUmètre No. 63 (FR) with the review of the new Dela S50 and the start of a special feature on network processing, we now consider the switch to be almost as important as network transport when it comes to listening to digital music.
Among the lesser-known switches, we highlight this new product from Axxess, a brand of Audio Denmark Group alongside Børresen, Ansuz, and Aavïk. With an affordable price tag of 950 €, this device weighs in at 6.65 kg despite its compact dimensions and aims to provide a real barrier to improve the RJ45 connection.
Like all audiophile switches, the Axxess Switch, as it is simply called, is to place between the Internet box and the transport or network player and consists of an external lacquered steel chassis, reinforced with composite materials on the inside. Supported by four optional Ansuz Dark or Axxess Noir anti-vibration feet, the external part of the chassis is mainly used to resist mechanical vibrations and electromagnetic interference, while the internal treatment is designed to dampen unwanted oscillations in electrical signals.
Currently lacking SFP ports, this switch has an EIC power socket, relayed by two aerospace-grade anti-resonance coil filters from Ansuz (AARC) on its SE version. It offers five RJ45 ports, the first of which is used to feed the signal from the router or box, and the others to various streamers. LED indicators to show when the power is on and when the Ethernet ports are active are the only minor additions to the product, which is otherwise easily identified by the X on the front panel, which is also embossed on the sides.
With the holiday season barely over, many labels are announcing their vinyl releases for 2026. And to start the year off right, ECM revealed four new titles from its Luminessence series a few days ago, to be released in the first half of the year.
The duo of bassist Gary Peacock and guitarist Ralph Towner (who passed away earlier this year ; album reviewed in VU#64 FR) and the album Oracle, released on vinyl for the first time, will kick things off in January. Originally released in 1994, the record immortalizes the meeting between these two legends, in a delicious mix of composed pieces and more daring improvisations.
In May, it will be the turn of Tomasz Stanko’s cult classic Balladyna, which will be reissued on vinyl for the first time since 1976. The album is an addictive blend of lyrical beauty and controlled tension, a veritable open space for gentle melancholy with subtle and haunting melodic lines.
The beginning of summer will see the release in June of Bill Connors’ Of Mist and Melting, originally released in 1978 and now being reissued on vinyl for the first time since 1980, followed in July by Mick Goodrick’s In Pas(s)ing, also being reissued on vinyl for the first time since its release. While the former is a classic in the ECM repertoire, with superb atmospheric jazz masterfully orchestrated by Jack DeJohnette (drums), Gary Peacock (bass), and Jan Garbarek (tenor saxophone), the latter is an affirmation of Goodrick’s talent as a leader, offering a powerful electric jazz fusion ensemble with almost free contours.
In a limited edition of 300 pairs, the ATALANTE Grande Réserve has the same dimensions as the ATALANTE 5, but seeks to surpass the 7.
With its smoked oak finish found in the feet dedicated to this model, the Grande Réserve evokes the world of French fine wines. Numbered and engraved on a gold-plated aluminum plate on the back, this speaker uses two WBT speaker terminals and updates all the components of the ATALANTE 5.
The 28 mm (1.1“) tweeter and 75 mm (3”) midrange driver use RASC™ membranes in the Evo version, combined with the 30 cm (12″) BSC™ woofer, redesigned for this model. They are integrated into a patented StrataBaffle™ multi-layer front baffle that combines solid oak on the front, a UDF core, and MDF reinforcements, with chamfered edges to optimize rigidity. The cabinet has been redesigned internally and houses a completely revised crossover, with Mundorf components and van den Hul Skyline cables, to cross over the drivers at 400 Hz (bass->midrange) and 2,000 Hz (midrange->treble).
With a nominal impedance of 4 ohms and a sensitivity of 89 dB, this new Revival Audio model boasts a frequency response of 26 Hz to 24 kHz. It retails for 9 890 €, including wooden feet. Perfect for enjoying fine wines or cognacs while listening to wonderful music!
At the end of the year, Blue Note unveiled the upcoming titles in its flagship Classic Vinyl Series and Tone Poet series for 2026.
CLASSIC VINYL SERIES 2026 Supervised by Cem Kurosman and still mastered from the original analog tapes by the prolific Kevin Gray, the Classic Vinyl Series continues its exploration of the vast Blue Note catalog with titles spanning many eras and styles across the legendary label’s eight decades of history. The newly announced titles begin on January 23 with two swing classics from the 1960s: Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers’ Free For All and Joe Henderson’s Our Thing. Other highlights include two remarkable albums from the 1990s that are being reissued on vinyl for the very first time: John Scofield’s Meant To Be(pressed directly from the original analog tapes) and Medeski Martin & Wood’s Tonic, as well as bebop classics from the 1500 series by Thelonious Monk (Genius Of Modern Music) and J.J. Johnson (The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson); albums by the organ-guitar-drums trio of Jimmy Smith (Softly As A Summer Breeze) and Grant Green (Street Of Dreams); the contrasting 1969 albums by Eddie Gale (Black Rhythm Happening) and The Three Sounds (Soul Symphony); and hard bop classics by Blue Note legends including Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Lou Donaldson, and many others.
TONE POET 2026 As with the Classic series, the tracks for the Tone Poet series have once again been selected by Joe Harley and mastered from the original tapes by Kevin Gray, but manufactured by RTI on 180-gram vinyl and presented in deluxe sleeves with session photos by Francis Wolff. Once again, the lineup will revisit rare gems, bold and underrated recordings, and, of course, beloved titles from the Blue Note catalog that some have been eagerly awaiting, such as Jimmy Smith’s The Sermon and Sonny Rollins’ Vol. 2. Also included are albums from other labels under the Blue Note umbrella, including Pacific Jazz and Jazz West. The new titles announced will be released starting January 9 with the release of Hank Mobley’s album Hank, recorded in 1957 with his sextet, Tyrone Washington’s little-known gem Natural Essence, recorded in 1967, and the quarterly Tone Poet Society Exclusive Blue Mitchell album Boss Horn (1966). This last is limited to 1,000 numbered copies, adorned with a gold Tone Poet Society Exclusive stamp and accompanied by a lithograph of a photo by Francis Wolff. Joe Harley has even announced a few carefully prepared surprises that are sure to delight the label’s most demanding fans.
These are wonderful promises that are sure to satisfy the musical thirst of jazz enthusiasts, music lovers, and audiophiles.29/01/2026
The Romanian manufacturer Meze has just updated its range of closed-back headphones with the 2nd generation 99 Classics, closely followed today by the new Strada, which inherits the chassis of the larger Liric model.
Distinguished by the green color of its ear cups, covered with natural Macassar ebony wood on the sides, the Strada maintains the brand’s commitment to comfort. To achieve this, it offers ear cups made of fine leather on the outside and Alcantara on the inside, which are detachable and therefore very easy to replace thanks to a magnetic connection to the ear cup.
A small metal rod connects the ear cups on each side to the headband, which has a fabric lower section and a symmetrical design with four shock absorbers, designed to limit pressure on the top of the head. The magnesium frame reduces the weight, bringing the total weight of the headphones to 332 g, excluding the cable.
The 50 mm diameter dynamic transducer is derived directly from the recent 109 PRO open model, slightly revised to suit a closed design. The central dome, made of cellulose composite, is reinforced with carbon fiber.
The dome contour is made of a semi-crystalline polymer coated with beryllium, applied by physical vapor deposition (PVD).
The structure of the membrane is reinforced by grooves around the entire circumference, positioned at a 45.5° angle to the central part, in order to provide the fastest and purest sound response possible. A copper-zinc alloy contour allows for precise maintenance of the diaphragm with the chassis.
With an impedance of 50 Ω, the Meze Strada offers a very wide frequency response from 5 Hz to 30 kHz and a sensitivity of 111 dB. The two 1.8 m OFC copper cables covered with Kevlar are also easily detachable. They connect to the headphones via two 3.5 mm jacks, the first with a 4.4 mm balanced jack and the other with a 3.5 mm unbalanced jack, combined with a 6.3 mm adapter. Available now, we will be testing these headphones soon. They retail for 799 €.
