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If you've wondered what goes on inside KEF's wireless fully active desktop or stand-mounted speaker, this Perspex version had the answers.



That lifestyle is no unspeakable term in the HighEnd was driven home by TAD's proposed new monitor speaker. It is styled to appeal to a different target audience. Final finish details will depend on dealer, distributor and customer feedback.



If you've been to Romy the Cat's GoodSoundClub forum of late, you know how this TechDas Airforce Two turntable from Japan there caused another wildly speculative round of uncivilized forum chatter from people who've never heard or owned one - which is quite typical for that particular site.


The Swedes behind The Lars had their new 'matching' Monica preamp. I placed matching in parenthesis because they didn't attempt to mimic their valve amp's signature glass covers. It's a low-gain circuit with 7dB of amplification and hum and noise of better than -120dB. There's also a headphone socket. The matching phono stage offers 60/80dB of gain for MM/MC respectively.


Germany's Tidal Audio showed a still reasonably compact four-tower system with their own electronics...


... and used a display case to show us an MTM module using the famed Accuton drivers. Diamonds, you ought to know, no longer are just a girl's best friend.



As Absolare had with Rockport so did The Lars with Vivid Audio: prove by example that valve amps and full-range serious speakers can happily coexist. Octave Audio tube gear with big Dynaudio or Triangle Electroacoustique speakers are another perennial show occurrence.


Wolf von Langa had this big open-baffle modular line-source array with an equally outrageous four-column tube amp inbetween to serve as an example of audiophile extremism; or DIY gone pro.