| October 08 - Phonetics -"Cable Research Lab, Inc. announces the Phono Cable after many years of research and evaluation by Art Almstead. Extra efforts have been made to include shielding to prevent microphonics. The cable contains small-gauge solid-core copper conductors that are hand-assembled and terminated. Incorporated into each cable is Teflon over polyethylene insulation and braided shielding and a unique conductor designed to reduce crosstalk. The phono cables are all built to order and they can be terminated in three different configurations to accommodate various turntable and tonearm specifications. |
"They are offered with RCAs, DIN to RCAs and DIN to XLRs. The DIN connector can be built straight or at a 90-degree angle. The CRL phono cable uses only the highest quality connectors from Bocchino Audio and Cardas." |
| October 08 - Wood -"Response Audio / Bella Extreme is debuting the new Musica Bella Purity Extreme linestage at RMAF 2008. The Purity Extreme is a full dual mono, 100% hardwired balanced tube linestage with transformer coupled balanced inputs and outputs. Analog output stage utilizes a single 12AU7 dual triode per channel. Among the first manufactured products to be constructed of 100% hardwoods. No circuit boards are used with each of the dual mono analog boards being constructed of 1/4" Baltic Birch Ply. The Purity Extreme is a zero feedback design and has a very wide bandwidth and is voiced to provide unprecedented detail, resolution, speed and transparency from a vacuum tube linestage. The feedback from only the first day of the show already has us ramping up for larger production runs. Price TBD." |
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October 08 - Airbearing turntable from Denmark - Bergmann Audio is a Danish manufacturer specialized in airbearing turntables and linear-tracking airbearing tonearms. "The airbearing technology has, via frictionless and noiseless bearings, some incontrovertible advantages. Bergmann Audios' philosophy and ambition is to optimize the airbearing principle and to produce an exceedingly user-friendly turntable at the same time so users can utilize their time for the enjoyment of the vinyl collection, not worry about complicted setup rituals! The turntable consists of as few parts as possible to minimize sound-related causes and those few parts are assembled in a simple and timeless design which Denmark is well known for.
"Our first model Sindre is a truly high-end turntable, a traditional airbearing turntable/arm combination. The platter floats on a thin air film centred by a spindle and is mounted with a linear tracking airbearing tonearm. Sindre is extremely simple to adjust and operate. The quiet air supply can be placed in the listening room. Our reference model Sleipner, the turntable that forms the basis of Bergmann Audio, will be released in January 2009. The goal was to develop the ultimate turntable in a simple and pure design. The bearing on Sleipner is the ultimate in bearing technology. The platter is supported and centered by air, a bearing without any noise or friction whatsoever. The Sindre retails for €13.000 including the linear tracking airbearing tonearm." |
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October 08 - RWA phono - Red Wine Audio's Vinnie Rossi reports a phono stage in the works whose prototype version is expected to make an appearance at RMAF: "Here are some features:
- MC / MM input with hi/lo gain settings
- Adjustable load settings + a "custom" position for a custom-installed load resistor
- Discrete, class-A gain stage (similar to what we use for our DAC's output stage) followed by the same tubed output stage as the Isabella.
- SLA battery operation, SMART module
- Similar enclosure as the Isabella, with sliding glass window on top for easy tube rolling
- Estimated price will be around $4k"
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| October 08 - Integra Blu-Ray - Integra has introduced its first Blu-ray disc player, the DBS-6.9, which includes 1080p Deep Color capable video and bitstream output of the latest high-resolution audio codecs. The DBS-6.9 delivers full 1080p video at 24 frames per second, the native frame rate for most original motion pictures and HD content. It features an HDMI v. 1.3a output, and is fully compatible with the Deep Color™ standard for over 1 billion possible colors. The HDMI connection also delivers bitstream output of both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio™ codecs for decoding in compatible processor or receiver, such as Integra's DTR- series of AV receivers, or the recently introduced DHC-9.9 preamplifier/processor. |
The DBS-6.9 includes a front-panel SD card slot, necessary to take advantage of the Bonus View™ picture-in-picture capability, giving consumers access to the interactive content available on many Blu-ray discs. It is compatible with legacy DVDs as well as Blu-ray discs, including internal video upscaling to 1080p. It is also capable of playing CD, Video CD, CD-R/RW, DVD±R/RW, DivX, WMA, JPG and even MP3 encoded discs.
The DBS-6.9 is currently available at a suggested retail price of $600. |
October 08 - Virtual audio consultant - Quarter Note Press releases Get Better Sound, the reference set-up manual that guarantees better sound from any home audio system. Eight years after introducing his 31 Secrets to Better Sound—received by over 15,000 audiophiles around the world—Jim Smith has written a reference manual for setting up home audio systems. When he wrote 31 Secrets, Jim's company—Avantgarde-USA—was the North American importer for Avantgarde Acoustic Hornspeakers.
During the period from January 2000 CES through January 2004 CES, Jim's set-ups at shows garnered over seven 'Best Sound of Show' audio press comments for Avantgarde-USA, with many more similar mentions in smaller publications and message boards. The voicing techniques (and more) that Jim employed to win those 'Best Sound of Show' awards are now available to audiophiles in Get Better Sound.
Jim Smith explains: "An unexpected discovery became the basic motivation for this set-up manual. The thing that became the driving force for me arose from the incredible number of systems that I heard in audiophiles' homes in the past eight years. Not just with Avantgardes, but with a host of other high-end components.
In all of those visits to audiophiles—to my great surprise—I never encountered one system that was performing anywhere near its potential. In fact, very few were performing at even half of the performance of which they were capable!
And yet, the common denominator among their owners was the question, "What about upgrading to the XYZ component?" It was clear that they thought that buying another amp, CD player, etc. was the path to audio nirvana.
But their priorities were misplaced. There was no need to spend another dime on components until they had gotten their system optimized to be able to 'play the room.' |
In instances where I was able to address the voicing issue for someone I visited, it took a relatively small amount of time (as compared to a large amount of money being spent on some new component) to get the system to an entirely new level.
Buying a new component without getting from it what you should be getting is about the same as throwing money out of the window. As a lifelong audiophile, I'm in favor of upgrading components, but believe in doing it from a foundation of performance. So this manual is part of my mission to change all that - for audiophiles everywhere!" |
| October 08 - Feastrex amp? - Like the worst of teases, Joseph Cohen, US importer for Feastrex and other fine lines, submitted this photograph of their forthcoming 811SE amplifier while leaving out all accompanying commentary. We decided not to be the only ones to suffer information starvation... |
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| October 08 - ClaraVu - Vinh Vu "introduces the Gingko Audio ClaraVu 88 monitor speakers handcrafted in the USA from the finest parts. During a 3-month introductory period (October to December 2008), the ClaraVu speakers in any standard finish are available for $3995 including a $750/pr of stands. There also is a 30-day money back guarantee (you pay shipping). If you are not completely satisfied, just return them undamaged for a full refund, no questions asked. A combination of 89dB sensitivity and 8-ohm minimum impedance means the ClaraVus are easily matched with a wide range of tube or solid state amplifiers. They are available in three beautiful finishes: maple, cherry and gloss piano black. There are also three choices of speaker baffle: brushed aluminum silver, dark brown textured wenge and matte black. A simulated leather baffle finish is also available as a special order. Effectively, the user has 12 finish options to fit any décor. Matching piano black stands complete the ensemble." |
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| October 08 - Denon statement headphones - According to the headphone geeks at HeadRoom, Denon's new AH-D7000 sealed cans have the best bass extension of any 'phone they've listened to yet. Considering that they've probably heard most everything the market has to offer, that's quite the statement. At $1,000, the 7000s are statement efforts and built like luxury items. Check out the link for the skinny. |
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| October 08 - New Mark & Daniel models - Designer Daniel Lee announces the premium + Series of models which include the Mini+, Diamond+ and forthcoming Maximum+ monitors. A new Kapton foil for the air-motion transformers has significantly lowered their moving mass and broadened useful bandwidth such that the previous high-pass filter frequency of 900Hz could be dropped to 700Hz in the Diamond+ shown. A new magnet array on the SX woofers in the + Series increases their linear excursion to give the small monitor shown an F3 of 42Hz under high SPLs. All + models are visually identified by the additional lower facets on the front baffle. Pricing for the new + models is $2,650/pair for the Diamond+, $1,400/pr for the Mini+, with the Maximus + specs and pricing TBA. In the next two month, M&D will also be introducing their Muse subwoofer. |
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| October 08 - John Blue AudioArt amp - The company's founder Tommy describes his single-ended tube amp as follows: "The amplifier is point to point wired without the use of any PCB. The output transformer is hand-wound by Mr. Lee, inventor of the famed Litz winding technique. Unlike current mass-produced equipment on the market that is predominantly nade in China, all of our TL66 mono tube amplifier's innards employ an eclectic mix of audiophile-grade German, American and Japanese parts and the amps are hand-made in Taiwan. Compared to equipment that comes supplied with standard current-production Chinese or Russian tubes, our amplifier uses NOS OTK 6L6 (circa 1980s) for its power stage and NOS Sylvania 6AU6 driver tubes for the pre stage. The TL66 retails for $1.860/pr." |
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September 08 - iPhone tunes - "The new Chordette Gem delivers true high end sound from mobile phones, PDAs and PCs to any hi-fi system - wirelessly or via a USB input. The Gem is a derivative of Chord's new $6,000 QBD76. The Gem is not as feature-rich as the QBD76 but it includes all the same wireless and USB connectivity technology at a consumer-friendly $895.
"Modern phones, PDAs and personal computers now have the ability to transmit high quality audio using the Bluetooth Advanced Audio Distribution Profile or A2DP for short. Chord engineers worked with the originators of Bluetooth in Finland to design a custom Bluetooth receiver which is able to extract and decrypt the normally unused digital audio information from any Bluetooth A2DP enabled phone, PDA or personal computer and input this directly into a high quality digital to analog converter.
"Chord's new DACs are the world's first to utilize the superior digital output from Bluetooth. Connection is a breeze thanks to a very simple pairing procedure and, with a range of up to 100 feet, you can select your music and control your stereo from your phone, PC or PDA from anywhere in or outside you home. |
"The addition of a USB port also allows direct streaming of audio from a hard drive. The USB port can be connected to a personal computer and will seamlessly appear as an audio device by the operating system. Any music played on the computer will be digitally decoded and then converted to a CD-quality signal for playback. The Bluetooth input and USB can be selected using a simple switch on the rear of the device. Audio outputs connections are made via two gold plated RCA phono sockets. The Gem is available in silver, black, red, green, yellow, purple and blue. "
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| September 08 - Yamamoto digital - After 15 years of serving analogue sound with tube amplifiers, preamps, cartridges and phono preamps, Shigeki-San introduces his YDA-01 D/A converter to "add grace to digital". To keep the circuitry simple, it eschews tubes and instead joins the current output of a PCM 1794A chip into the emitter of a single PNP transistor in true dual-mono fashion, with a CS8416 digital processor on the input. |
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September 08 - 16-layer disc - "Pioneer Corporation has succeeded in developing a 16-layer read-only optical disc with a capacity of 400 gigabytes for the first time in the world. Its per-layer capacity is 25 gigabytes, which is the same as that of a Blu-ray Disc (BD). This multilayer technology will also be applicable to multilayer recordable discs. This development has bolstered Pioneer's confidence in the feasibility of a large-capacity optical disc, which is expected to become necessary in the near future.
"For multilayer optical discs, it has been difficult to obtain clear signals from each recording layer in a stable manner due to crosstalk from adjacent layers and transmission loss. Utilizing the optical disc production technology that it has developed in the DVD field, Pioneer solved these problems by, among other things, using a disc structure that can reduce crosstalk from adjacent layers, resulting in a 16-layer optical disc that can playback high-quality signals from every layer. |
"As for the read-out system, Pioneer achieved stability in the playback of recorded signals by employing a wide-range spherical aberration compensator and light-receiving element that can read out weak signals at a high signal-to-noise ratio in the optical pick-up mechanism. Since the optical specifications of the objective lens, such as NA (Numerical Aperture), are the same as those for the existing BD discs, it is possible to maintain compatibility between the new 16-layer optical disc and the BD discs.
"The 16-layer optical disc technology, capable of storing much more data than the conventional discs on one disc, will greatly reduce the number of discs to be used and therefore contribute to the conservation of resources." |
September 08 - ModWright amplifier - Reports Dan Wright that "the KWA-150 (Kimmel Wright amp) has taken longer than expected to complete but will be used at RMAF. The overall dimensions are 8" H x 18" W x 17" D. Packed weight is 75lb. The amp bears a strong family resemblance to the LS 36.5 and PS 36.5 in of overall build quality, with some slight aesthetic differences that I believe will be welcome by all.
"Inside, the unit is all dual mono and fully differential, with RCA and XLR inputs which both operate fully balanced within the unit. The design is transformer coupled at the input and fully differential and direct-coupled past that point. There are no capacitors in the signal path. Of course MWI caps are used for PS decoupling. We utilize two power transformers installed in a specific and unique noise-cancelling geometry, with discrete input and output circuits and discrete capacitor power reserve banks of 80,000uf per channel. |
"Each channel features towering blue-anodized custom heat sinks, sized to handle the heavily Class A biased state-of-the-art Thermal-Track output devices. The proprietary input stage uses all discrete devices and is dubbed the 'Solid State Music Stage' by designer Alan Kimmel.
"All external hardware is Cardas' best and since the unit is bridgeable into mono, there's a third set of binding posts." |
| September 08 - Aqua Audio - Odez Raz reports on his $530 Head MkII headphone amp as being "based on a dual-mono topology in one case. Special care was taken with the output stage to work even with very demanding headphones like the low-efficiency AKG K340. The Head MKII comes with an external transformer and has an internal dual linear regulated power supply highly filtered. A two-layer high-quality PCB with carefully designed ground planes on both sides, ferrite bits on the power lines, internal shielded wiring and an aluminum enclosure assure high rejection of RFI & EMI interference. Each amplifier is hand-crafted and tested for 100 hours and carries a 5-year warranty. Specifications include a frequency response of 7Hz-100kHz (-3dB), max output power of 2 watts into a 120-ohm load, noise of -115dB and an input impedance of 50K. The input is a gold-plated Teflon-insulated high-quality pair of RCAs, the power jack is a 4-pin MIC type with locking ring and the output a 6.3mm PL socket. 115 and 230VAC versions are available." |
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| September 08 - A100 - Gerald Huepfel of Austrian Hornmanufaktur announces this new model in his Akusmatik range which presents a 16-ohm nominal 101dB load to the amplifier. Finished in any European wood veneer, the speaker measures 117 x 42 x 52cm HxWxD and concealed magnets to fasten the grill don't mar appearance when the grills aren't used. |
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| September 08 - New phono stage - Steve Monte at Quest for Sound announces a new phono stage. "The SQ-PH1t tube phono preamp is MM/MC switchable, has variable gain, can be used to drive mono or stereo power amps directly and is adjustable to work with any cartridge. List price is $1,595." |
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| September 08 - French omnis - Frenchman on staff Frederic Beudot submits this link with the following teaser info: "New designs from France, pretty creative (pricey too I believe). The Stupa particularly is a neat 3-way omni with 25cm bass driver, 16cm mid and a compression tweeter of unspecified size. Frequency response is 38Hz to 20KHz +/- 3dB, sensitivity 91 dB/1W/1m, nominal impedance 8 ohms and the weight is 52kg per speaker." |
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September 08 - Virtue Audio - David Kan on staff was solicited by Seth Krinsky for a T-amp review as follows: "Almost 3 years ago, I caught the Tripath bug and against the wishes of everyone who loves me, bought up as much of the new old-stock of the TC-2000 and TC-2001 controllers as I could afford. Virtue Audio was born and so began a very expensive odyssey to replicate the success of Bel Canto/Red Wine at a price point mere mortals could afford.
"We consulted with many people in the early days. However, the real breakthrough came when we were sourcing Auricaps for an early prototype. Roger Sheker, who had hopped up a T-Amp in his ongoing quest as lead engineer at Audience, LLC, knew that something really special could be done. We formed an engineering partnership with Audience, who supplies the hookup wire and caps in all of our amplifiers.
"Starting in late October, we're going to be selling the Audiophile.ONE, our most important product, for $249, both direct and through distribution. The unit will do more than 80 wpc RMS cleanly on the bench @ 30v, although we're shipping with a 65watt, 24v supply standard that gets you out of the gates at around 30 wpc into 4ohms. |
We'll sell the 30v supply @ 90w for around $50 extra and you can use them as monoblocks if you like, capturing full power in one channel.
"Architecturally, you'll find our unit most similar to the Winsome Mouse, although we've added tons of stuff in there to support a subwoofer out as well as a 5v jack for future expansion (wireless receiver + fan for hop-ups). Also... Roger's secret sauce and a new Audience cap called 'VirtuCap' which was developed for this unit (and will soon be available to others)!"
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| September 08 - Typhoues - "Beware the god of all storms - Typhoues." That's how Peak Consult announced their new loudspeaker. Ar 495lb each, this ported 3-way in a glued sandwich enclosure covered by 1" solid acrylic sets its crossover points at 180 and 3450Hz and presents the amplifiers with a 92dB 4-ohm linear load to 30Hz. "The tweeter is a triple magnet 1” soft dome with a non-resonant aluminium chamber. It features a multiple camber with low compression and a machined aluminium faceplate. The dual 5” Audio Technology midranges are hand-built specifically for optimal behaviour in the Typhoeus enclosure. The dual 9” Audio Technology woofers also are hand-built and specifically designed for this speaker. The Typhoeus includes an acoustical fully compensated second-order crossover in the tweeter/midrange section's own dual sealed department. The bass filter employs exclusively oiled/wax foil inductors from Duelund Coherent Audio." |
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| September 08 - DIY DAC - A regular reader submitter of news items writes: "Dear friends, this DAC board is said to be one of the best for the DIY audio comunity and has many fresh and new techniques employed to reduce jitter and arrive at a surprisingly analog-facsimile sound. The price is around 375 Euros without power supply - just the PCB assembled. The quality is far superior to anything the Asian builders have to offer. It's for advanced audiophiles who do not want to spend $15,000 on a factory-built exotic DAC with gold chassis an ultra claims from the corrupt magazines and sites." |
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September 08 - Comp cable - "Wireworld has introduced a new flagship audio interconnect cable featuring Composite Dielectric Technology (CDT™) and the world’s first molded carbon fiber connector housing. This cable represents a new addition at the top of the brand's line, rather than an upgrade of an existing model.
"Over the years we've come to realize there is no one perfect insulating material," said David Salz, President of Wireworld. "Each has advantages and disadvantages. By applying composite materials technology, we've managed to formulate a proprietary dielectric that exceeds what we previously believed was possible. This is easily the finest interconnect cable we've ever heard."
"Wireworld's Platinum Eclipse interconnect marks the first use of molded carbon fiber in a cable connector. By eliminating the eddy currents and stray field effects generated by conventional metal connector shells while still providing effective shielding, these unique plugs reveal finer details and natural acoustic ambience in the sound. The connectors also utilize silver-clad OFC contacts and Wireworld’s patented silicone rubber tensioning device to provide the lowest contact resistance available.
"The Platinum Eclipse interconnect’s four flat conductors are made of Ohno Continuous Cast solid silver of the highest purity available, 99.99997% (6N). The internal design is the DNA Helix geometry utilized by the other interconnects in Wireworld’s Eclipse series, however its flat conductors contain substantially more silver than the lesser models, and they are also thinner, which reduces phase shift. |
"The Platinum Eclipse interconnect also utilizes a new innovation that we call Composite Dielectric Technology, which utilizes a proprietary mixture of specialized materials to minimize noise and dielectric interaction more effectively than any conventional insulation material. CDT improves low-level resolution, focus and micro-dynamics to levels beyond the capability of conventional insulation materials.
"The Wireworld Platinum Eclipse interconnect line will be available in October, in both RCA unbalanced and XLR balanced configurations with prices starting at $2,995 for a one meter pair." |
September 08 - New 'n' improved Music Vault - Reports Neal van Berg: "Since your review of the Modwright Truth-Modded Transporter and Music Vault we have changed the operating system on the Music Vault from Linux to Windows Home Server. You can now use the Transporter or Squeezebox Classic as a wireless bridge between your home network and the Transporter. This means you can have a cat 5 cable between the Transporter and the Music Vault and the Music Vault goes to the Internet through the Transporter this is the wireless route you were looking for, or you can attach it the same way you did when you had it with an Ethernet cable to your router.
"Ripping is nearly twice as fast now and it can be used to automatically back up the entire network if you want to, wireless communication is now 5 times as fast with our new wireless card. |
"The new Music Vault II also allows a person to add additional storage or back up by just adding USB hard drives. This is very simple to do and you get to specify when you add a drive how it will be used. We have the only such device with a drive to rip and its own wireless network. In addition, when you open a remote desktop on a networked computer." |
September 08 - Chord math - "Chord Electronics has once again produced the world's most technologically advanced DAC. Building on the success of the DAC64, the QBD76 now takes D/A conversion to a new level of performance not available in any other product. In addition a unique Bluetooth digital audio receiver allows users to stream high quality music wirelessly from a Bluetooth enabled phone, PDA or PC. Instead of simply using the best off the shelf DAC chip, Chord designed their own using the newest Xilinx field programmable gate arrays. This state-of-the-art development platform provides Chord engineers with a staggering 1,250,000 logic gates with which to design their DAC. The best DAC chips available today use only 30,000 logic gates. Thus, with over 40 times the development power, Chord engineers were able to control every aspect of their DAC's design and performance. As a result, the QBD76 is capable of resolving 40dB more data. With its new design and updated WTA algorithm, the QBD76 achieves a signal to noise ratio greater than 120dB, a dynamic range of 122dB, and, remarkably, less than 3pS clock jitter cycle to cycle. The QBD76 has astounding resolving power and is better able to reconstruct transient edges. This results in substantial improvements in: timing, imaging, soundstage depth, pitch reproduction and bass definition.
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"Usability has been improved with the addition of a display and control via a microcontroller circuit. Input selection, phase and RAM buffer settings can all be changed using three buttons on the top panel. Configuration is clearly visible via the magnified display. There are two coax, two AES, two optical, one USB and one Bluetooth A2DP input. US retail price is $6,495 with an introductory special of $5,995 until November 30, 2008." |
| September 08 - Thorens Jubilee - The Thorens Jubilee world debut at Heathrow is just a few days away. "Conceived and designed to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the most famous and established name in analogue high fidelity, the Thorens Jubilee turntable makes its debut at the 2008 Audio and AV Show (former London Sound & Vision Show) at the Park Inn Hotel, Heathrow Airport, London. From 19th-21st September, the Jubilee will be unveiled for the first time ever with the renowned high-end Thorens electronics range. The Jubilee is one of the highest performing turntables ever designed and will be a landmark product in the history of audio. Attendees will be able to experience the Jubilee and Thorens electronics system in room Syndicate 10. We hope to see you there!" |
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| September 08 - KingRex PREference - The new KingRex PREference preamplifier includes a phono stage with adjustment facilities underneath its top-facing door. For the analog line-level outputs, gain is switchable from 6 to 12 and 18dB. S/N is given as better than 126dB, crosstalk at -110dB at 1kHz and -91dB at 10kHz, THD+N better than -126dB. The phono stage circuit produces 24dB of gain for low-gain MM, 43dB for low-gain MC and adds 20dB for high gain. Input impedance and capacitance are switchable. The US launch is timed for RMAF 2008. |
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September 08 - Esoterically, USB. Wireless. - "Esoteric demonstrated wired and wireless transmission for uncompressed linear PCM audio data into a digital to analog audio converter. The demonstrations took place at CEDIA 2008. To be offered in the future as an option for the D-03, or as an optional and incremental upgrade for existing D-03 owners, linear PCM audio can now be routed through Esoteric's D-03 - D/A converter. Production models of the optional kit will transmit data with sampling rates of 24/96 for wired USB connections and up to 16/48 for wireless transmission. The D-03 then up-converts the audio signal to 176.4kHz.
"This new Esoteric add-on kit includes one USB input board to enable wired and wireless connections. The kit also includes a wireless USB transmitter for connection to a PC. This allows compressed or uncompressed high resolution audio playback thorough the D-03's dual mono,D/A converter. Converter outputs can then be connected to any audio system with a line level input. Availability for the kit is planned for early 2009. Cost of the 2 part kit is tentatively priced at $1400 including installation. |
And, Esoteric drops prices: "Through the recent amortization of R&D expense, Esoteric's MG-10 monitors experienced a price drop to now retail at $3000 per pair. Optional anti-resonance stands are available. The Model MG-20 now retails at $7000/pr. The MG-20 pricing includes anti-resonance stands." |
| September 08 - New Swiss turntable - Da Vinci Audio Labs' In Unison turntable employs "completely silent magnetical bearings, the same motor and motor control unit as the AAS Gabriel/DaVinciAudio turntable, an absolutely stable power supply and height-adjustable feet developed by DaVinciAudio. Export price is CHF 24.2000, a Ferrari Red version is CHF 25.400." |
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September 08 - Veloce Audio - "The simplest buffered tube gain stage is tied to a flexible dead-quiet stepped attenuator. The power for the audio circuit is provided by batteries - pure DC at 240 volts – thereby isolating your precious audio signal from the AC mains. Challenging design goals yields a play time of over 100 hours! Bespoke build quality lends a timeless air and collectors feel to a product that will stand the test of time. This is not a trivial product but is powerful and serious in a way all audio gear should be. It is something we are and you will be proud of!
"The LS1 is a two box design with charger and supply separated from the all important main unit by a detachable umbilical cord.The main unit houses all tube circuits and the batteries. All panels on the unit save the top and bottom clamshell are made from stress-relieved 6061 aircraft aluminum. The front panel is two piece affair comprised of a high polish front bar mounted to a grained and anodized back plate.Manual switches and a remote control (volume/mute/input select/on-off) make up the user interface. The back panel includes an array or single ended and XLR inputs and outputs. MSRP is $12,500 ." |
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| September 08 - Palmer Audio - The e-mail header read "A new UK turntable manufacturer". It continued: "The Palmer turntable features an 80mm thick platter that overhangs the huge bearing. This dramatically lowers the centre of gravity and provides an extremely stable platform for the recording. The drive system is a very low torque AC synchronous motor that inputs only the necessary power to rotate the platter at a constant speed. This helps to remove the negative impact of the drive system on the turntable and tone arm by reducing vibration and cogging. Precision engineered components made from materials such as Welsh slate, Granite, acrylic, and non-magnetic stainless steel provide the control we demand for our turntables." - Jon Palmer |
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September 08 - NaimNet - NaimNet USA has been appointed as the exclusive US distributor for these new distributed audio products. NaimNet USA was created in 2008 for the sole purpose of bringing the NaimNet audiophile-grade custom installation product range to market in the US. "The NaimNet system is unique in its offering; as it not only provides an unrivalled quality of music distribution throughout the home, but it is also compatible with lighting, heating and security systems all easily controlled from a range of touch panels and handsets.
"NaimNet USA's roots are derived from two veteran industry sources: Custom Installation industry consultant Mitch Witten, (center) who has held executive sales and marketing positions with companies such as Sonance, Kaleidescape, and NetStreams has joined forces with Naim USA, which was formed in 1986 and has served as the exclusive US distributor for Naim two-channel audio products for 22 years.
"The NaimNet suite of products are unique in that they achieve audiophile-grade performance in a distributed audio-over-IP format and maintain the legendary Naim Audio long-standing tradition of upgradeability" said NaimNet USA who will begin the rollout of the first NaimNet products in October 2008." |
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| September 08 - A perfect 10? - Celebrating his 10th anniversary, Marten Design founder Leif Olofson is releasing the Black Pearl in a limited edition "of our classic model Coltrane.The front of this exclusive model is finished in high gloss piano laquer black for a sleeker silhouette. Coltrane Black Pearl has the premium build of Coltrane with these performance-enhancing features: Available only as a limited edition of 10 numbered pairs each personally measured, checked and signed by chief designer/founder Leif Olofsson; extraordinary Jorma Prime internal wiring as used in the Coltrane Supreme; optimized crossover design with larger foil coils, silver/gold-in-oil foil capacitors and Supreme resistors; tube/OTL friendly load (impedance between 5-12 ohms) due to new bass drivers; optimized cabinet design with enhanced damping; double Black Diamond Racing pucks for enhanced performance regarding coupling/isolation to the ground; WBT Nextgen speaker terminals, fine silver conductors." |
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| September 08 - Rack it - Liedtke-Metaldesign of Germany adds the Revolution model to their growing range of stands. Each 30kg steel tier uses 20mm granite shelves on three couplers and the Revolution stands are designed purely to order to accommodate custom requirements. Pricing begins at €449 for a single shelf and commands €1799 for a 4-tier unit. |
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| September 08 - Stack it - Reports Italian Bassocontinuo: "We would like to bring to your attention to our business. We are a new company that produces hifi tables and loudspeaker stands. We'll present our catalogue during the next TOP Audio in Milan 18-21 September 2008 (Andromeda Hall - Stand AN19). Each product has a captivating design and the structure is made from solid stainless steel decoupled by rubber o-ring. The customer can personalize the product with our on-line configurator by choosing different sizes and materials. Please find herewith enclosed the picture of one of our tables, the model Accordeon S with 3 MDF shelves lacquered soft-touch black." |
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September 08 - Tick, tick, Tikandi - Our man from Oz Edgar Kramer attended a pre-launch meet and excitedly reports the following: Legend Acoustics has released its new range-topping speaker in conjunction with digital mavens DEQX. The two Australian leading-edge companies have teamed up in an all-out effort to bring the many advantages of active and DSP-controlled speakers in an attractively-styled and reasonably-sized package to be known as the Tikandi. Of course this continues Legend Acoustics tradition of including the letter K and using the Aboriginal language to name its products. Tikandi means live in the indigenous language and it was seen as the most appropriate word to summarize the new speakers intended sonic presentation; that of a live performance in the home.
Similar in principle to Legend Acoustics' Kumbar Wirri (see review here), the Tikandi is a fully active package that includes DEQX's latest generation preamp/processor, the HDP-3. Apart from preamplification, the HDP-3 performs active crossover, room correction and driver correction duties with more user-friendly functionality than previous versions. Two DEQX HAD-3.4 4-channel amplifiers (100 watts into 8 ohms for each Tikandi driver) are also included. The amplifiers have been conceived by one of Australia's foremost single-ended designers with the aim to emulate and combine the tonal qualities of tubes with the power, reliability and bass control of a solid state design. |
Finally the Tikandi speaker itself is a two module per channel design that uses a truncated pyramid-shaped satellite speaker with a modified 1-inch ceramic-coated aluminium tweeter and a 5.25-inch Magnesium alloy with solid copper phase plug midrange driver. The bass enclosure includes two 10-inch/250mm long throw heavy-duty drivers (one per side face) that can produce bass down to a claimed 20Hz. The Tikandi is at this stage only available in piano gloss black and is priced at AUD$25,000. |
| September 08 - Pounding Glow - No sooner had the ink dried on my NuForce S-1 review saying it needed a sub that Patrick Tang of Glow Audio alerted me to the pending launch of their 9" cubed miniature sub with matching speakers. The sub is in production now, the speakers will be in 2 weeks. This has the makings of an audiophile desktop system par excellence which, given the Amp One's precedent, hopefully won't cost an arm and a leg. Seeing I've been solicited for a review, I expect we learn a lot more about this system in due time. Until then and until NuForce releases their own sub, this subwoofer could be tailor-made for their S-1 miniature speakers too? Since I still have the pair in the house, I might just try that combination... |
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| September 08 - Acoustic treatments from the UK - Writes Shaun Snaith: "Advanced Acoustics is a company dedicated to crafting acoustic treatment. We are a well known company here in the UK and we are growing in Belgium and Norway and actively seeking distributors in other countries. We supply to both studios and High End listening and cinema rooms to help turn rooms in which music is to be enjoyed into a space that works in harmony with the Hi-Fi equipment instead of working against it. An interesting product is called the Echo-Stick and is an innovative and unique design that is both acoustically very effective but also domestically acceptable with a choice of over 40 different colours." |
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| September 08 - Planetary realignment - Duevel's Planets get a minor cosmetic makeover in how their spheres attach. |
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| September 08 - Vacuum State power - "A new big tube amp—the monoblock dpa150. Our dpa300B amps sound amazing but their 18 to 25 watts are not enough for many speakers and/or bigger rooms, so development work on this amp is progressing. With a unique circuit topology and zero negative feedback, it’s been designed from the ground up to deliver 150 watts of wonderful music into any speaker in Class AB1—or switchable to 50 watts in Pure Class A1 differential mode like the dpa300Bs—and to enjoy driving such difficult loads as one ohm (!) Apogee Scintillas, complex multi-way "cones in boxes" such as Wilson', or full range electrostatics like the new Martin Logan CLX! The prototype amp shown here used EL509 output tubes but they have proved to be unreliable and difficult to source, so we will be using four of the legendary and incredibly linear EL156 output tubes. A completely no-holds barred amplifier, available later this summer, at a price not too much higher than the dpa300B." |
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| September 08 - Target? Alexandria - "Focal is about to launch the new Utopia III family of products." Reports Frederic Beudot on staff through some French friends of his who attended a meet in France last week, "price for the new 4-way bass reflex flagship is 130,000 EU/pr. The woofer is a 40cm diameter 25kg unit with an electromagnetic motor, the midbass is a 27cm affair, the mids are 16.5cm in diameter and the tweeter is a 27mm inverted Beryllium done. Frequency response is 18Hz to 40kHz (± 3dB, 14Hz at -6dB), sensitivity 94dB/2,83V/1m, impedance nom./min. 8/3 ohms, max recommended power 1500 watts. Dimensions are 201,2 x 65,4 x 88cm and weight is 260kg. The crossover has apparently 1458 combinations of levels and slopes to tailor the sound to each room. There are apparently 2 smaller beasts in the line, a 3-way floorstander at 20,000 euros and a 2-way stand-mounted at 8,000 euros.The announced target for the big beast is the Wilson Alexandria – nothing less." That's the intel Frederic managed to unearth thus far. We're sure there's a lot more to learn though... |
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| September 08 - Go Pro - AKG's new K-702 headphones "feature besides its professional detachable cable a revolutionary flat-wire voice coil technology for accurate sound and transient response for professional use as well as around the ear headphones for personal use. The sound clarity is enhanced with the patented Varimotion 2-layer diaphragm, which produces clear highs and accurate bass response. The AKG K 702 headphones feature audio bandwidth of 10-39,800Hz, efficiency of 105dB SPL/V; max. input power: 200mW, rated impedance of 62 ohms and a light weight of just 235g." |
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| August 08 - Ocellia improvements - Reports Samuel Furon: "We have just introduced the Signature revision for all our speaker models. This includes cabinetry that is 3cm deeper; higher wood quality; an upgraded front panel design with brown leather trim; improved wood structure of the front and rear panels; improved driver coupling to the rear panel; new biwire and ground terminals; better varnish quality; and finally, 2.5-meter runs of silver biwire Signature speaker cables are included in the speaker price and connected directly to the amplifier without any terminals (other cable lengths are available by request of course)." |
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| August 08 - Kensai smiles - Simon Ashton: "I am just about to launch a new product for AudioSmile, one that I have been working on for quite some time and am very excited about. It is a top quality luxury mini speaker. I will be launching it at the Audio & AV show end of September. The Kensai are the latest offering from AudioSmile. These speakers are reference class luxury micro-monitors, each one assembled from start to finish by me, their designer. They are made to the highest specifications using customized components like an isoplanar ribbon tweeter and hand-made cabinets featuring solid walnut or beech and leatherette." Frequency response is given as 48Hz to 26kHz, with a low 83dB sensitivity, an aperiodically loaded slot port and a 2.2kHz 4th-order network. Pricing is £1799/pr incl. VAT. |
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| August 08 - Gryphon Mikado - Gryphon Audio Designs' new Mikado Signature CD player combines a modified Philips CD-PRO2 transport with 32-bit/192kHz processing via four stereo DACs for a dual mono fully symmetrical balanced architecture with separate regulated power supplies to create optimal conditions for digital and analog circuits. Retail is 12,600 euros. |
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| August 08 - Rogue Apollo - Mark O'Brien continues to raid the Greek pantheon to name his components. "Boasting 250wpc, Rogue Audio's new flagship amplifier pair is ready to rock the audio industry. The Apollo's ability to reveal the finest musical details combined with seemingly unlimited dynamics mark this as a new benchmark in reference level amplifiers. Three pairs of KT88/KT90 output tubes are driven by a pair of 12AU7' and a 12AX7 input tube. The Apollo has both balanced (XLR) and two sets of RCA single-ended inputs. Weighing in at 100 pounds each, these amplifiers contain massive LCR type power supplies inside their exquisitely machined aluminum exteriors. Suggested retail price is $9,995/pair." |
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| August 08 - GMA - Green Mountain Audio completely overhauls its website design. |
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August 08 - Natty design - "NAT Audio's new Symbiosis Se Reference integrated amplifier design features:
- DC coupled circuit (without capacitors or inter-stage transformers im the signal path).
- hybrid pure single ended type (unique construction)
- 100W of pure class A (@4ohms and @ 8ohms, set on rear panel)
- zero feedback configuration
- dual mono with over 200,000uF/channel of capacity
- four (4) special designed chokes in power supply
- full stabilization for tube driver
- 6N23P-EV long life tube with input N.O.S. ECC85 for driver purposes
- custom designed power transformer of 1,400VA
- separate transformer for digital control
- full blue color dot-matrix display
- remote control made from two separated pieces of aluminum
- adaptive bias (to control degeneration of the output stage)
- WBT output terminals
- relay attenuation network for volume control
- all aluminum modulated chassis
- Unit weight is over 62Kg (over 137 lbs) & dimensions are 19“W x 11“H x 23“D
This is a single-ended design that uses two tubes per channel (over 10,000 hours of life) + four industrial grade hex-fet transistors without any capacitors or resistors or inter-stage transformers in the signal path.
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| August 08 - 15 years and going strong - Yamamoto Sound Craft of Japan celebrates its 15th business anniversary this month. Congratulations to Shikegi-San and his team! |
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| August 08 - Revised website - Allen Wright, founder and CEO of Vacuum State GmbH in Switzerland's Schaffhausen announces a complete revamp of his web presence. |
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| August 08 - Mystery feet - Ron Hedrick of Marigo Audio reports availability of his new Mystery Feet. "I have spent 2 years on this product's development and have done serious R&D creating and testing 120 prototype sets. The final product is exceptional." |
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August 08 - Vinyl blog'zine - "Big Black Disk launched its vinyl-specific website, covering news about the resurgence of vinyl records in popular culture as well as publishing reviews of new music being published to vinyl records. Calling itself a Blog'zine,Big Black Disk aims to combine elements of popular media together to create an interesting and informative site.
"Although audiophiles and record collectors have often been cited as the foundation for vinyl's new found life, the site is focused primarily on speaking to the younger vinyl set: college students and teens. "It would be a mistake to think that the older generation is the driving force behind vinyl's return," says Chris Sommovigo, BBD's founder. "Teens and college-age adults have always been the most significant factor in a music format's viability, and there's no mistaking that they are the driving force behind the resurgence." Sommovigo points to the variety of new records being released as evidence of the young demand: 'There is more new vinyl coming our from new bands and artists, indie labels and majors alike, than there has been in the past 10 years or more. And while I'm sure the reissue market is thriving, I'm thrilled to note that there are new releases from bands as small as Liquid Limbs to rock-establishment types like R.E.M. and Beck." |
"Sommovigo has made the case for vinyl records being the best value in music commerce, and his logic is difficult to argue with: "Let's just look at what you get in exchange for your investment -if you buy a vinyl record nowadays, you're usually given a companion CD with the entire album in digital form - or a coupon for a one-time download of the whole album as an MP3 compatible with your iPod. It's a 'eat your cake and have it, too' proposition. But if you spend your real money on virtual property, you have nothing but a file which loosely translates to an extended rental. You can't sell that file like you might be able to sell your record."
"Aside from the difference in sound, often noted as being warmer or more organic sounding, the record as collectible is one of the draws bringing CD-age listeners to the vinyl format. Noted are the easier to read liner notes and lyrics and the large format of the artwork, as well as the high quality sleeves - often gatefold - making the entire object desirable for collectible reasons. It's hard to argue the collectability point with vinyl afficionados, one look at eBay reveals records being sold for over $1,000 with fair regularity." |
| August 08 - Music Image - Proving that hi-end audio demoed in proper environs is still a practiced art, Ongky informs us that his new soundroom in Jakarta is open for business. |
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August 08 - Lumination - Joseph Cohen of Lotus Group USA: "We are proud to present to you the work of our good friend Bob Spence and his partner Johan van Zyl. Five years in the making, the Maxxhorn Lumination loudspeaker is the culmination of an exhaustive effort. While they had a clear concept of where they wanted to take this design from the beginning, to fulfill its ultimate promise they had to wait to discover the Feastrex driver.
"We presented Maxxhorn in one of our rooms at the Rocky Mountain show last year and were mightily impressed with their first iteration of the Lumination using the Feastrex D5nf driver. While at the show, Mr. Teramoto, the designer of Feastrex drivers, intuited that the D5 Monster Alnico driver might be better suited to their design. We traded out drivers at the show with spectacular results. Bob and Johan then worked with the driver over many months to fine tune the Lumination.
"The design that Johan settled on is best described as a tractrix flair with subtle tweaks. The forward-firing driver is mounted on the side of the horn, that is, not loaded at the beginning of the horn, but part way down, like a flute player blowing into a tone hole. The Lumination delivers effortless bass and high frequencies. In fact, the bass from this enclosure is far beyond what one would expect is remotely possible from a 5" driver. If I had to pin down what the MaxxHorn Lumination does better than anything else, it would be transparency. In the midrange, I haven't heard a more revealing speaker. It had the same quality as classic electrostatics, but without the power limitations, thereby revealing dynamics that stats can't." |
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August 08 - TopDog - From Olivier Mischon: "Dynatone is a high-end company located in Switzerland. After 3 years of R&D and 30 prototypes later, we are proud to introduce our new high-end/ultra-fi speaker - the TopDog. Our new offering is a two-way dipole/waveguide speaker with a 10" dual-cone wideband unit and an 18" woofer with a fully activated crossover and extremely high output and +100dB efficiency producing a flat 35Hz-21kHz listening experience. 1600cm2 of combined drivers surface easely accommodate output from real instruments and deliver an extremely realistic and lifelike presentation. The speakers are ideally suited for bi- and quad-amping. TopDog works extremely well with bi- or quad-amped 1-watt triode-amplifiers all the way up to 2kw monsters, thus being capable to make an SPL of 115dB or better at 0.12% averaged distortion. Distortion measurements at 90db/w/m drop below measurement threshold. Designed as high 4-ohm load, TopDog safely works together with every amplifier.
"Periodically we release free maintenance crossover data through our site that download with two mouseclicks to the system - keeping the TopDogs a safe investment that gets better and better over time. Hardware updates for TopDog will create an ever more efficient system over time as technology progresses. TopDogs are designed as an ecological product with low power requirements, ultra long product life, use of recycled high-quality materials and eco-harvested veneers and leathers. Chemically inert materials, wherever possible, make your living room a safer place to be." The TopDog, exclusive of shipping and handling, retails for USD 8.245/pr, Euro 5.549 or Swissfrancs 8.900. |
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| August 08 - Lotus Group additions - The Lotus Group announces that it now represents fo.Q, makers of highly advanced damping materials including Phone Art, a significant upgrade for ear buds and headphones; and Audio Replas, makers of highly sophisticated accessories for AC delivery, vibration control and analog devices. |
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August 08 - Aussie king - Australian custom loudspeaker specialist Aslan Acoustics has just released its flagship speaker. The state-of-the-art Reference 1 (R1) is a monolith that incorporates 3.2 kilowatts of amplification, high quality drivers, laptop-adjustable active digital crossovers/filters and equalisation, and potential for direct-digital input. This innovative design features design elements based on principal Andrew Ward’s thirty years of speaker-building experience.
Referred to as a “subwoofer and main system” single box design, the driver configuration includes a massive 15-incher directly driven by its own 1000 watt amplifier, handing over to a D’Appolito array based on flanking twin 10-inch drivers, twin 6.5-inch midrangers and the centrally-mounted outstanding Mundorf Air Motion tweeter. All drivers are mounted on a classy brushed aluminium-accented baffle and are contained within their own individual chambers. The digital equalisation is based on a 14-band parametric EQ per driver with crossover slopes up to 48dB per octave. EQ and crossover adjustments are conducted via direct laptop connection into USB inputs on the speakers’ rear panel.
The massive 275kg enclosure is sharply angled and tapered so as to aid dispersion and is a three-layer construction with an inner chassis encased in solid hardwood. Aslan Acoustics quotes a superb frequency response of 15Hz to 35KHz at a +/- 1.5dB.
Reportedly, during a brief audition, our reviewer Edgar Kramer was impressed by the system’s sheer brute force, overall accuracy and stunningly powerful bass. The R1 is made to order and is priced at AUD$79,995. |
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| August 08 - Undigitize - First there was copying CDs to black discs to improve the sound. Then came EAC. Then the absolute polarity pundit George Louis. Now there's Undigitize. What separates this new outfit is their pricing. A single CD treatment is $50 - which requires you send 'em your CD. And their site is loaded with legal disclaimers. See what you make of it. |
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| August 08 - Amadeus - Reader Martin forwarded a link to the Well Tempered UK importer's website to direct our attention at William Firebaugh's new table. Martin further said that "it now replaces all previous Well Tempered models and Bill considers it to be superior to any previous Well Tempered design. Having had some time to play with it, I think it's rather special. After the initial 'what... is... that' feelings have worn off, its design really starts to grow on you. Well, it did on me!" Check it out at Pear Audio's link. |
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| August 08 - Of the rack bespoke - Anything from Shale Audio Design is manufactured to order and specific requirements, meaning lead times of 2-8 weeks. The company works its equipment supports in real wood and employs inset resonance-absorbing custom slabs of constrained-layer materials. |
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| August 08 - Acuhorn updates - Wojciech Unterschuetz of Poland "would like to present the 96dB Acuhorn Nero 125 loudspeakers. This is a model from our Modern Music line. Its first version was granted Product of the Year 2004 Award in Poland. Today it is equipped with the latest iteration of our Acuhorn neodymium driver in newly acoustically reengineered enclosure with additional bass chambers sourced from its older sister, the Acuhorn Rosso Superiore 175". |
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August 08 - Feastrex - Joseph Cohen of The Lotus Group imports Feastrex drivers from Japan among other items. He reports: "New from Feastrex is the Nf 5ex Naturflux field coil driver. The Nf 5ex delivers all of the pristine glory and purity of its more expensive bretheren. The Naturflux spherical yoke was a groundbreaking innovation. Coupling it with Feastrex's field coil technology was a stroke of brilliance. The higher priced D5e Type II that I have been living with (very happily) delivers a bit more bass energy, however, the Nf 5ex ranks as one of the cleanest and purest drivers I have ever heard. What we have with Feastrex is an embarrassment of riches: Choose any of their drivers and you will have deep fulfillment. Each driver is like a living creature. Each has its own unique character and energy. The Nf 5ex is a thing of rare and subtle beauty.
The Feastrex Lineup includes:
D5nf 5" Naturflux in black or gold finish
D5 5" Monster Alnico
Nf 5ex 5" Naturflux Field Coil
D5e I 5" Field Coil Type I
D5e II 5" Field Coil Type II
D5e III 5" Field Coil Coil Type III
D9nf 9" Naturflux
D9 9" Monster Alnico
D9e I 9" Field Coil Coil Type I
D9e II 9" Field Coil Coil Type II
D9e III 9" Field Coil Coil Type III
PB-9 9" Passive Radiator
Available upgrades include machined phosphor bronze framework and Urushi Lacquer coating for framework and phase plug." |
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| August 08 - Peak Consult Dragon - "The Dragon boasts an extremely linear frequency response, on-axis as well as of-axis." This 3-way ported design uses 180Hz and 3750Hz crossover points and covers a frequency range of 18 - 45,000Hz -3dB in room. Impedance is said to be 5-ohm linear to 30Hz, with 94dB sensitivity. Dimensions are 57" x 15.4" x 27.6", and weight is a colossal 225kg ea. Drivers are a 1" ScanSpeak ring radiator, twin 6" Audiotechnology mids and dual 11" Audiotechnology woofers. Crossover parts are Dual Peak foil capacitors, silver carbon resistors and oiled/waxed Duelund Coherent inductors. |
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| August 08 - Cardersound in the US - "Nat Distribution is proud to announce that we are the new USA and Canadian distributor for Cardersound speakers." Following up this announcement, I took a look. Cardersound whose speaker enclosures are designed by Scott Lindgren of the UK, specializes in Fostex widebander designs which, cosmetically, recall the work of the late Terry Cain of Cain & Cain. Like him, they eschew MDF in favor of real wood enclosures; use wooden discs to mount the drivers in certain models; stepped transitions for inner corners; and wooden outriggers to broaden the footprint. |
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August 08 - CBM - Writes Peder Beckman, the US importer: "The Clearaudio Emotion Turntable is now available with CMB bearing. The Clearaudio CMB (Ceramic Magnetic Bearing) is a result of long-term research and development and based on a Clearaudio patent. Two aligned opposing magnetic fields are perfectly aligned one on top of the other, thereby rejecting each other. The magnetic fields are completely shielded from the outside through the careful application of very sophisticated materials. A high precision ceramic vertical axle fits perfectly into a bronze bearing. This perfect fit is essential and can only be achieved through the highest precision hand polishing. High-performance synthetic oil is used for lubrication. The combination of these carefully selected components produces the effect of the platter floating by itself on an air cushion, and not on a ball bearing or bearing point. The results of this magnetic bearing are one of the lowest frictions in turntable bearing design and until now, un-reached rumble measurements and an unbeatable new standard in speed accuracy.
The CMB as a upgrade kit for an existing Emotion turntable is $400 and as a complete Emotion CMB $1500 and Emotion Color $1700." |
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| August 08 - Wyetech Labs rustles - "There's definitely something rustling behind your curtain." (Max to Adolf in the movie Max.) The same is true for Roger Hebert of Wyetech who has been quietly working on his Ruby statement monos. While not ready yet, he's a lot closer - and shared that they'll use 4 x 211s or 300Bs per side in a unique parallel/series single-ended configuration "never attempted before to my knowledge". A 5687 voltage gain stage and 12B4 triode driver stage will be common to both models and as final specs and photos become available, we will update this listing. |
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| August 08 - Phono - Audia Flight, manufacturer of high-end solid-state electronics is pleased to announce the introduction of its newest member in the lineup called Phono with 77dB gain and 16-step each MC & MM selectable impedance with one more input for custom impendance. MC impedance ranges from 6,9 to 47000 ohm, MM impedance is selectable from 47 to 597pF. The user can order one MC input and one MM input, two MC inputs or two MM inputs. RIAA is passive and the phono stage is fully active sans step-up transformer, with an external twin transformer power supply. Analog outputs are RCA and XLR, MSRP is $6,100. |
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| August 08 - From Blue to Black - Explains the US importer that the Italian BlueNote brand name is now split up into 'GoldeNote' (all the classic BlueNote products) and 'BlackNote' which is the new brand name under which they are developing some very interesting digital-only products. The new CDP300 is a 6922-based CD player which outperforms the Stibbert Tube". There are also flash-memory "digital static source" players with 15 and 30GB storage to eliminate transport-based jitter issues and read errors; 32-bit AKM-based DACs; "Natural Speed" transports which slow down digital transport speeds to near analog turntable specs; and more. |
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| August 08 - Croatian cables - Reader Nenad Grakalic points us at Sumic Audio and the hand-made cables fabricated there for the last eight years by engineer Damic Sumic. "All our cables use a spiral geometry and ultra-short crystal silver conductors of dissimilar diameters that have been heat treated and then polished. Larger Teflon tubes create a mostly air-dielectric environment while shielding protects the signal against HF contamination. We use WBT silver solder for terminations of WBT and Audioquest plugs and connectors." |
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| August 08 - Cheap 'n' cheerful - And small. That's the recipe for class D integrateds. Add the 50 EU Kama Bay. For once it's not a Tripath-based design but relies on the YDA138 D-3 chip by Yamaha. With dimensions of 152 x 113 x 41mm (WxHxD), a colossal 480 grams and 10wpc, the Kama Bay is aimed at PCs but the maker also means to see it used in serious Hifi applications. Standard trim includes gold-plated RCA sockets, speaker terminals, a swappable fascia (black or silver) and a matching power supply. |
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| August 08 - Valve Audio whispers -"Great news! The first batch of Valve Audio Whisper RIAA phono preamplifiers rolled off the (hand) production line. Their new owners are very much impressed with the long awaited product being finally a reality - it has been more that 13 years in development. Features include: hybrid preamp stages; front panel cartridge loading at the touch of a button; top model features both MM and MC stages on a single chassis, each channel fully independent from the next both electrically and mechanically; oversized, regulated power supply unit; rugged construction with standard 19" front-panel width; top quality components, top quality craftsmanship; each unit assembled by hand with most parts also individually hand-made or finished." - Dewald Visser (I am not affiliated with Valve Audio in a commercial manner. I am a very pleased customer.) |
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