| May 2012 - Vietnam Audio Show -
Scheduled for September 7th - 9th, this recurring event again takes place this year in the Continental Saigon hotel of Hochiminh City.
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| May 2012 - Vaughan's higher face - M2Tech's new statement converter [€6.000] is a 32/384 async USB unit with a plethora of socketry including word clock, ST glass fiber, 2 x coax, 2 x BNC, 2 x AES/EBU, 2 x Toslink, I-squared-S on Ethernet and USB. Outputs are 6.3mm headphone and RCA/XLR. Conversion is via eight DACs (four per channel in mono mode). Dithered 32-bit volume allows preamp usage. The power supply is based on built-in batteries and automated charger circuitry. The company's Marco Manunta reports that first units began shipping.
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| May 2012 - From Greece in Class A - The €12.200 Harmonic Audio Labs SE-100 integrated with remote offers preamp bypass jumpers to run as power amp with 25.6dB voltage gain (the preamp stage has 10dB). The preamp is a single-ended JFet stage coupled by interstage transformers to paralleled single-ended Mosfets. There are 12 regulated power supplies and 4 cap/choke-filtered power supplies. Total capacitance is 600.000uF. There are three power transformers, two of them 500-watt rated. The LCD screen with backlighting shows input and volume setting. 4/1 RCA/XLR inputs plus amp-direct XLR/RCA inputs offer plenty of connectivity.
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| May 2012 - Concrete - Rafael Cichy's Kompatibel Design Thorax participated in HighEnd Munich's pavilion for start-up companies. His is a modular rack of vertical concrete slices. Three base shapes are linked together with bolted couplers to arrive at configurable loft-style hifi furniture. Pigments allow for colorization and finish can be smooth/shiny or rough/matte.
Dimensions are 50x50x8cm and 4cm thickness per €300 slice with couplers which come in 3/4/5cm widths and stainless steel or brushed aluminum. "Three different coupler widths allow not only for adjustment to component footer spacing but also to make a curved arrangement."
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| May 2012 - Femto - Calyx has launched their new 18.5kg Femto statement DAC ]$6.000] with 2 x coax, 2 x AES/EBU, 1 x BNC, 2 x Toslink and 1 x USB inputs. Analog outputs are on RCA and XLR and two transformers are dedicated for the analog and digital circuitry. Built around an ESS9018 per channel with digital volume enabled via 0.5dB steps, there's claimed dynamic range of 132dB, THD of 0.0001% and RMS jitter of 500 femto seconds. Three selectable digital filters and absolute polarity can be changed from the massive metal remote wand. All inputs support all sampling frequencies from 44.1 to 192kHz. USB is limited to 24 bits, all other inputs support 32 bits.
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| May 2012 - AURALiC amp - With a DAC and headfi/preamp already in the catalogue, an amplifier was clearly next for this Asian company. Their new €4.000/pr Merak is a bridgeable 200/400w 8/4-ohm mono amp with class A input stage, class D outputs and linear rather than switch-mode power supply.
Via a special inverted XLR output on the back the Merak's power output can still be doubled to 800 watts into 4 ohms. |  |
May 2012 - Discretely - In the coming weeks Ivo Linnenberg "is launching a new product from our small series. The new €1.190 contender is named u:c:a, a USB/coax amplifier for headphones but also suitable as front end for conventional high-end systems.
Where a combo of our existing udc1 and spa1 may be too costly or lack flexibility, the u:c:a kicks in.
In this niche there are many competitors but solid-state products using discrete parts for the amplifying stages are particularly rare. Burson, SPL and Harmony Design come to mind but the vast majority tries to please the audience with cheap opamp constructions."
The USB input operates in 32/192 asynchronous mode without computer power, the 75-ohm transformer-coupled S/PDIF input sports a digital quartz PLL receiver with <50ps jitter. The converter upsamples to 192kHz regardless of input rate and I/V conversion is passive with 0.1% precision resistors and no feedback.
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Volume control is by blue Alps pot. Power output is 1-watt continuous into a 1-ohm output impedance. RCA outputs allow preamp use. The linear power supply uses a 15VA toroid and high-quality regulators. |
| May 2012 - Boenicke W20 - Commissioned by fellow Swiss manufacturer Colotube for a statement speaker to accompany their 10-watt 300B monos, Sven Boenicke has launched this 95dB three-way model with 40° up-angled widebander which is uniquely decoupled from the massive wooden enclosure whose size was dictated by the target sensitivity. Retail is CHF 45.000/pr.
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May 2012 - Ultimate mini? - KEF's LS50 anniversary model [$1.499/pr] applies advanced predictive computer modeling and trickle-down driver tech from the flagship Blade project to a compact studio monitor 2-way bass reflex box with curved baffle and complex constrained-layer damping.
The model-specific Uni-Q coaxial drive unit combines a vented 25mm aluminum tweeter with Tangerine Waveguide with a 130mm magnesium aluminum alloy midwoofer for claimed response of 47Hz-45kHz -6dB with a 2.2kHz crossover point. Sensitivity is a lowish 85dB, recommended amplifier power is 25-100 watts.
Maximum achievable output is 106dB, nominal impedance is 8 ohms (min. 3.2), dimensions are 302 x 200 x 278mm and weight is 7.2kg. Standard finish is high-gloss Piano black with a rose-gold Uni-Q driver. A unique oval flex port optimizes midband performance.
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| May 2012 - Nagra goes Jazz - "Breaking with a tradition that always saw its machines designated by a combination of three letters, Nagra presents its new Jazz preamplifier as the successor to the PL-P and PL-L units and as a way of paying homage to the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival where Nagra has been an important partner for many years."
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| May 2012 - Fun in the sun - "Sunshine, surf and music are on tap when T.H.E. Home Entertainment Show returns to Newport Beach, CA on June 1-3 2012 for the second year in a row. This year the event takes place in the Newport Hilton and adjacent Atrium Hotel both located across the street from the Orange County Airport. Show attendees will enjoy live music with Mike Garson, Tierney Sutton, Audra Lee, Paul Gormley, Dean Peer and William Artope Jr.; and a variety of educational seminars on audio/video topics moderated by manufacturers and editors. Additional attractions include wine tastings, a cigar bar, gourmet food trucks and even a high-end car show. Richard Beers, show organizer and former reporter/anchor for NBC TV said, 'We are delighted to bring T.H.E. Home Entertainment Show back to Southern CA and we expect it to be even more spectacular than last year. Our expansion into the adjacent hotel enables us to host even more exhibitors for consumers to touch, look, listen and feel the latest in home entertainment today'.” |  |
| April 2012 - More super - JPS Labs retires the Superconductor+ series of cables and introduces the replacement Superconductor V. "Its modern white silver and chrome design is large in girth (12mm/0.5") yet lightweight and flexible. The rhodium-plated custom bananas each have either a clear or blue Swarovski crystal marking polarity. Each cable comes in a crystal clear package to show off its good looks. Available as biwire (3.9mm² x 4) or single (7.8mm² x 2). Priced around $1.749 for a 6'/1.8m/pr in any configuration or termination with available lengths from 1.2 meters and beyond."
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| April 2012 - Tempo - DigiBit and Wadax "have reached an agreement to jointly develop next-generation digital audio systems for the high-end OEM market. In Munich both companies will show the new network audio server Tempo. Developed by UK-based Cloud Audio Ltd, a company created jointly by IIlustrate Ltd (owner of dBpoweramp and RipNAS software) and DigiBit, Tempo also uses proprietary digital Wadax technologies. Tempo is a new network server platform for the hi-end OEM market and won't be available in the open market. Tempo is a complete solution with fully automated error-free ripping and AccurateRip, metadata from 5 databases, support for extended metadata fields compatible with Digibit’s classical music database SonataDB, no moving parts SSD reproduction and compatibility with UPnP/DLNA, WASAPI and DSD and DXD file support (24bit/352.8KHz). Tempo is controlled by iPad™ software and comes prepared to support future cloud services provided by Cloud Audio Ltd."
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April 2012 - New Cypriot valve amps - According to Aries Cerat, all current OTL tube amps are based on SEPP, Circlotronic or Futterman circuits to be push/pull with up to 60dB of degenerative feedback. Their new 20-watt 95kg Collation stereo amp [€15.000] is a single-ended transconductance
OTL whose output stage "is a reactor-loaded parafeed stage with 16 x 6c19p per channel. This small envelope
tube has very low internal resistance and is capable of large current swings. A full 32-tube replacement costs less
than a single high-quality 845. Unlike the typical 200 to 300mA which commercial OTLs use for output bias to generate 25 watts, the Collation is biased at 2.3A. That couples through an 80A peak-rated film capacitor to the speaker terminals. The voltage gain and driver stage is an inverted direct-coupled choke-loaded
Siemens E280F for >150kHz bandwidth. The power supply runs 5 toroidal transformers and 16 chokes for
filtering and loading along with very high-speed capacitors. Full power bandwidth is 15Hz - 110Khz." The new 70kg/ea. Concero [€22.000/pr] is a "30-watt SE mono amp around the 813DHP output tube with an E280F driver that's interstage transformer coupled. Outboard power supplies use 4 x toroidal transformers each for over 1100VA with ground-choke regulation and >4000-joule capacitance. Full-power input sensitivity is 1Vrms, claimed noise floor <-100Bb A-weighted,
THD < -70dB @ 60% full power and bandwidth 15Hz to 80kHz -3dB @ 25W." There's also the new Impera preamp. "A new active component uses a normal triode plate as control grid
and the actual grid as anode. This acts like the equivalent of a step-down transformer with negative gain
but internal resistance a small
percentage of the original.
The output stage uses a bifilar output transformer loading this inverted
tube for 450kHz bandwidth. The input stage is using a direct-heated 828 tube, attenuation is by annealed amorphous core multi-tap input transformer. The weight
of 100kg gives away the massive and complicated
power supplies."
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| April 2012 - Ion + - Amphion's new €999/pr black or white painted 2-way claims a response of 52 - 25.000Hz with a crossover point at 1.600Hz. Sensitivity is 86dB, measurements are 268 x 134 x 220mm and weight is 6kg.
The drivers are a 1" Titanium tweeter and 4.5" aluminum mid/woofer. Amphion's managing director Anssi Hyvonen: "Ion+ combines neutrality with musicality in a lifestyle-proven package. The Ion+ transfers the beauty of music even when recording or file quality are not optimal. Ion + may be the only loudspeaker good enough for the pros and pretty enough for the wives."
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| April 2012 - Type 50 - Emission Labs' Jac van de Walle is launching current production on an improved reissue of RCA's original Type 50 power triode. "When comparing the 50 to the 45, there's some similarity but the 50 can work at higher voltage and dissipation to deliver more output. The EML are higher spec tubes than the original RCA which they're based on. They can be run at the same or higher operating points for a maximum of 6 watts output power compared to the two watts of a 45. These EML tubes are free of grid leakage also at higher power which couldn't be said for the RCA. We will soon also release a Type 81 mono diode, which was originally used to drive the 50. In short, the new EM L50 will give you the famous sound of the 45 with power close to a 300B."
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April 2012 - SM-101Dn - Churning out new models just in time for the Munich show, Trafomatic Audio's newest preamp harnesses the 101D triode which was first made by Western Electric for telephone repeaters between 1921 and 1930. Current production 101Ds have previously been seen in preamps by Supratek and Melody but never as the exclusive output device. The SM-101Dn offers five RCA inputs and 2/1 RCA/XLR outputs. Rectification and voltage regulation are via small-signal tubes.
"The 101D is hell to work with, requiring unbelievably complicated precision work especially on the transformers including mains power. But this sound I've never heard before so it was worth it."
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| April 2012 - Gato goes gator - Not. But the availability of their long-awaited CDD-1 CD player still has major teeth. Outfitted with a top-loading Philips CD-Pro2 transport suspended on a triple stack of Sorbothane anchored with 1kg of aluminum sub assembly, the player offers 24/192 asynchronous USB and coaxial digital inputs and RCA/XLR analog outputs.
Like the matching AMP-150 integrated amplifier, the ultra-modern sleekly Scandinavian cosmetics adopt a speedometer-type central display for all the vital functions of the deck. |  |
| April 2012 - MkII - Purity Audio Design's new Basis Mk2 [$2.500] is a class A zero NFB tube linestage with a single 6SN7 per channel. "It brings to the table a better sense of refinement with better resolution, transparency and detail. The larger power supply means dynamic impact remains intact during even the most demanding passages. We offer upgrade options like a choke-filtered polypropylene power supply, costlier signal capacitors and remote volume." Basic specs are 17dB of gain, output Z of 450 ohms and recommended load impedance of >5Kohms.
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| April 2012 - Kondo in the US - Rhapsody Music and Cinema, exclusive US dealer for Swiss-based Goldmund, has recently become the exclusive US distributor for Kondo of Japan, the heritage-rich creator of the renowned Ongaku SET integrated amplifier. Kondo offers a complete line of preamplifiers, amplifiers, the IO-M cartridge, the Biyura speakers and the Ginga TT. Kondo's latest offering is the Overture, a $40K 32wpc integrated amplifier. Other new product offerings at Rhapsody include the complete line of German Acoustic Signatures TTs and phono stages along with the complete line of products from Franck Tchang's Acoustic System International. The Acoustic Signature Ascona reference turntable and stand is available for audition as well as products from Avantgarde Acoustics, Kubala-Sosna, Studio Electric, Lipinski Audio, Proclaim Audio Works, Grand Prix Audio, Trodt, Avid, Ayon and Savant.
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Rhapsody Music & Cinema is located centrally just off 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan. |
| April 2012 - Rack it - The Artesania Esoteric rack system does away with the usual shelves and instead uses adjustable H brackets which are suspended from rods which themselves are suspended inside a metal exoskeleton filled with resonance-absorbing material. A special oversize turntable shelf is optional and inverted cones become the contact patches between the supported equipment and the H brackets.
This stand system is available in 3 and 4-tier versions and in single or double widths. |  |
| April 2012 - Trafomatic Fusion - Sasa Cokic's new 845 dual-mono stereo SET power amplifier with selectable RCA/XLR inputs and 4/8/16-ohm speaker taps borrows its cosmetics from the preceding 75TL Vilobha monos. Driver tubes here are 45 or 2A3 direct-heated triodes. The public premier of the Fusion amp will be with Zu Audio at the Munich show May 3-6.
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April 2012 - More 32/384 - The exa U2I [$430] is an async USB/I²S interface with DSD64/128 support. "Asynchronous operation is achieved with a fast FPGA control core, 256kB fifo buffer and proprietary ASIO driver. Galvanic isolation of the FPGA's I²S output and USB ground is via giant magnetoresistive digital isolators. Barrier capacitance between board circuits and I²S outputs is 17pF.
The I²S output is powered by the external DAC's power supply and fully independent from USB power supplied to the board.
"Two precision quartz oscillators allow very accurate clocking with minimum jitter for the 44.1kHz and 48kHz sample rate families.
Two voltage regulators with low-pass filters provide low-noise power to the FPGA core and quartz oscillators. This further minimizes jitter and noise.
A custom designed ASIO driver provides automatic sampling rate switching and bit-perfect data transfer. The USB socket is a mini type."
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| April 2012 - Antelope Rubicon - This 384kHz 'digital' preamplifier combines the company's 10M Rubidium clock and 64-bit DSP reclocking. "Housed in a sturdy machined aluminum enclosure with vintage Art Deco design there is a transformer-based ultra-low noise discrete JFET phono preamp, ultra-linear dual-stage headphone drivers and Antelope’s stepped analog volume control with gold-plated relays.
In addition to the 384kHz DAC, Rubicon includes ultra-high sample-rate A/D conversion. Rubicon also offers wireless DLNA streaming capability through an Ethernet interface.
It inherits its D/A conversion technology from the Zodiac Gold and the A/D circuit from the high-end professional mastering converter Eclipse 384." Connectivity includes 1 x phono, 3 x RCA, 1 x HiZ RCA and 1 x balanced /TRS analog inputs, 1 x RCA/XLR analog outputs, 2 x coax, 2 x Toslink 1 x AES/RBU, word clock and Ethernet digital inputs and 2 x dejittered coaxial digital outputs.
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| April 2012 - IKEA to the rescue - "IKEA introduces Uppleva, a completely new range that integrates a smart TV and sound system with furniture. Uppleva brings beauty and functionality to the living room, solving the problem of cable clutter and mismatch between TV and furniture.
You will find Uppleva in Stockholm, Milan, Paris, Gdansk and Berlin in June 2012. By autumn 2012 Uppleva will be available in all of the stores in Sweden, Italy, France, Poland, Denmark, Spain, Norway and Portugal - and during the spring of 2013 in even more countries." A TV of various available screen sizes, Internet connectivity, BluRay player and stereo speakers integrate into one piece of furniture configurable for optional storage and various finishes. The included subwoofer goes wireless to hide elsewhere. A single system remote controls the lot and the sell price includes a 5-year warranty.
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| April 2012 - Engelholm Audio goes solo - The 1770mm tall Solo is a 95dB sensitive line array with a pistonic cone surface of an 18-inch woofer which is divided over nine 6.25" mid/woofers which bracket a six-inch true ribbon tweeter. The bass alignment is vented, frequency response is a claimed 35-40.000Hz and the crossover is said to be "phase intelligent".
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| April 2012 - The Black Knight returns - "OMA's new Black Knight amplifier uses the 807 transmitting tube in triode mode. It is the only push/pull amplifier in the catalogue and produces 10 watts at full output in pure Class A. The 807 is an astonishingly good tube if properly employed and has been overlooked for decades. The BK does not require a preamplifier. A digital front end or phono stage can drive it to full output. In this twin-chassis design, source selection and volume are controlled by phenolic knobs on the signal amp chassis."
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| April 2012 - Apertura Enigma - The French company unveils its new flagship model, the 2-way 3-driver Enigma floorstander.
"Two 2-inch Isotactic matrix drivers are loaded into a hybrid bass-reflex/TL enclosure.
A massive 5-inch professional ribbon tweeter handles frequencies above 2kHz.
The crossover is based on a 'DRIM' structure designed by well-known acoustic engineer Christian Yvon. Enigma combines a stylish design with multi-layer high density molded panels, ten internal braces, a heavy metal plinth and specific internal treatment for standing wave cancellation. Available are four high gloss real wood veneers of cherry, piano black, rosewood and figured maple.
Dimensions are 40.4 x 134.6 x 44.6cm and weight is 76kg."
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| April 2012 - New Esoteric - The K-05 [€7.499] and K-07 [€5.999] decks replace the X05 and SA-50. The K-05 gets a brand-new transport mechanism. Both run on paralleled differential 32-bit AKM AK4392 chips, offer 24/192 async USB inputs and handle SACD. The new D-07x [€4.999] is a standalone DAC i.e. the K-07 minus transport which handles DSD via its XLR input and sports a 22mW/32-ohm headphone output with volume control independent of the line outputs. Also announced are two new master clock generators to replace the G-03X and Rubidium G-0Rb.
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April 2012 - Devialet 5.5.2 -
"We are pleased to announce that we just released the firmware 5.5.2 update for
the D-Premier and Air Streamer app
for both Mac and PC. This is available now for download from our website. These upgrades expand the conveniences of using the Devialet Air by fixing a number of reported router or OS incompatibilities. We invite you to upgrade your D-Premier right away with:
• better tolerance to weak WiFi network conditions (low through-put/high latency
• sample-accurate gapless transition between tracks
• support for 48 kHz-sample rate files
• fixes for all known causes of crashes and unexpected disconnects
• improved security with alternate entry mode for network key via dedicated file without online Configurator supporting both binary and hexadecimal modes
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• automatic hexadecimal WEP and shared WEP especially useful for Ad'Hoc networks created by a Mac computer, 63-byte WPA/WPA2 keys
• fixed IP address allocation (DHCP) issues with some non-compliant routers
• fixed IP mode"
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| April 2012 - New Veloce preamp - Veloce Audio has upgraded its LS-1 linestage to now run 6H30 tubes and a "revolutionary dual mono Lithium DC supply" to take performance to "a whole new level". The company is also introducing its battery-operated valve-hybrid V6 mono amps producing 400 watts per channel and an amazing 40-hour run time from a single charge.
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| April 2012 - Racks - Aaudio Imports introduces to North American the Reference Series racks by Tandem Audio of Greece. "These six racks are fully adjustable, uniquely vibration-free and handmade by expert craftsmen. Both the single- and double-wide models are easy to assemble and level and available in a variety of sizes and veneers.
Each shelf measures 27.5" wide x 19.7" deep x 3.5" thick and supports up to 220lbs. While resembling a single layer of wood resting in a metal frame, each shelf is a complex construct of handcrafted wood veneers around a vibration-absorbing core framed in cast aluminum alloy electrostatically painted silver gray.
The core consists of an aluminum/plywood sandwich filled with a layer of 3.22" ood cubes meticulously glued to each other by hand. An aluminum plate immersed in a low-inertia metal filling is embedded inside each shelf and hand-applied veneers encapsulate the whole. The wood cubes absorb ambient vibrations and transfer them to the aluminum plate and metal filling, which lower their resonant frequency out of the acoustic range. The racks’ support columns are made of the same aluminum alloy and veneered to resemble solid wood posts. Available woods include African and American walnut, dibetou, mahogany, makore, beech, maple and wenge as well as exotic varieties like ebony and palisander and special custom offerings."
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Prices range from $9.200 for a 2-shelf single-width system to $17.100 for a 4-shelf double-width system. |
| April 2012 - Mod right - Dan Wright's DAC board option for the LS-100 preamp is finally ready [$1.150]. "It has coaxial and 24/192 async USB inputs and features a digital input receiver that both buffers data and reclocks all incoming signals with a proprietary precision oscillator circuit. The DAC chip is the PCM 1794. The entire digital circuit is powered via a separate and dedicated power supply.
It uses the tube stage in the preamp as the analog output stage."
| Due to what grew into a separate power supply rather than running off the preamp's existing power supply, the original goal of a plug'n'play drop-in board which a customer could retrofit personally had to be given up. This DAC upgrade option requires a factory install for retro fits whilst new LS-100 units can be ordered with it preinstalled. |
| April 2012 - Kaiser Vivace - This speaker from Germany [starting at $42.500/pr] combines a composite enclosure from Panzerholz and high-density glass fiber/rubber with front- and rear-firing ScanSpeak cone drivers and a Mundorf AMT tweeter. There are "low resistance Mundorf CFC10 copper foil inductors, Mundorf silver-gold-oil capacitors throughout, internal wiring with nano-tech micro vibration control and high bandwidth shielding, custom made Stillpoints Ultra SS vibration control feet and superlative no compromise finishing in a large assortment of exotic veneers fully customizable in your desired color, lacquered wood or carbon fibre combination."
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| April 2012 - New Bryston integrated - The B-135 SST² replaces the B-100 model which had been available for over 7 years. The new design delivers 135/180wpc into 8/4 ohms and "employs Bryston’s most advanced analog circuitry in the preamp section. It adds features and performance but retains the predecessor's $4695 price in its base configuration.
The optional DAC adds $1395, the optional MM phono stage $600. The unit includes 7 high-level inputs, a pass-through, a tape loop and pre-out/main-in. A front panel headphone jack is standard, a full-featured remote optional. Three completely independent custom toroidal power supplies prevent inter-channel cross talk and interference between digital and analog sections.
Bryston’s proprietary ultra-linear input buffer results in the lowest possible noise floor and miniscule distortion levels."
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There are over 30,000uF of filter capacitance per channel, two quick-connect 12V triggers, a new digitally controlled analog volume control, four assignable digital inputs, R232 control, two optical and two SPDIF inputs and a 20-year warranty. |
April 2012 - Druid Mk.V - Zu Audio's relaunch of their classic Druid now in its 5th iteration [$6.495/pr] is an all-out assault at transferring know-how gained in the interim to the original platform. Inheriting Zu's top nanotech drivers from the Definition and Dominance models, the Druid V comes standard in four differently stained Maple or three natural Walnut veneers with a satin top coat; or for a surcharge in a variety of premium and custom finishes including automotive lacquers. A 2" billet 6061 aluminum plinth trickled down from the top models creates the new floor interface. Specifications are a 16-ohm impedance and 101dB in-room sensitivity. The tweeter is a Radian 850-based 2-inch compression driver preceded by a minimalist 1st-order 12kHz high-pass with a Mundorf silver/oil cap. The 10.3" Zu103ND widebander runs wide open.
Two other pending models are the Soul Supreme [$4.995/pr] and Message [$9.995] which continue the theme of nano-driver propagation throughout the Zu catalogue. The Soul Supreme updates the Soul Superfly drivers with the company's best, the Message becomes a Definition IV without the downfiring woofer.
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| April 2012 - Sculpturesque - The Evince from Thomas Scherer Audio is a single-driver speaker loaded into a 5-section rear horn vented out the front. The uniquely modern enclosure combines 22mm Ply construction with 3mm mineral laminates for constrained-layer damping and a clean Scandinavian appearance. Sensitivity is rated as 90dB for a 5w input measured at 2m. Dimensions are 22 x 94.4 x 87.3cm WxHxD, weight is 25.5kg.
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| April 2012 - Sound in the Castle - Klangschloss Greifensee returns to Zürich/Switzerland April 14/15 for the seventh installment. Eight rustic halls have dealers and manufacturers present high-end systems from Magnepan, Quad and Manger to B&W, Focal and Sonus faber. Electronics will be from Naim, Burmester, AVM, WLM and Weiss, PSI Audio and Klangwerk. There will also be legacy exhibits of Revox, Studer and Quad and a relaunch of the Jecklin Float electrostatic headphones.
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April 2012 - Small dog, big bark - Well Rounded Sound Inc. has announced the Jack Terrier 2 [$299/pr], "a petite desktop loudspeaker to be used in conjunction with an external amplifier and optional subwoofer. Advanced full range drivers feature lightweight self-damped cones made from a paper and Bamboo fibers. A neodymium motor with copper ring reduces distortion and a solid aluminum phase plug extends high frequencies beyond 24,000Hz. The result is a smooth frequency response with very natural, open and transparent sound. The eco-friendly enclosure is made from recyclable composite materials finished in plush New Zealand 100% wool felt and natural American Walnut."
Specifications:
Power Handling: 15 watts RMS, 30 watts maximum
Impedance: 8 ohms
Frequency range: 100-24.000Hz
SPL: 88dB 1W/1m
Overall height: 5.5"
Overall length: 5"
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March 2012 - Deep schiit - "This time it's our first-ever balanced components, the Mjolnir headphone amp and Gungnir DAC [$749/ea.] Both offer true 'end-game' performance at a midrange price and both are true 'one and only' products with significant technical advances. Mjolnir is the world's only dedicated circlotron-style headphone amp. Gungnir offers the most advanced clock regeneration system available in any DAC." The Mjolnir uses 18dB JFET-based voltage gain on 90V rails into a cross-shunt push/pull output stage with only N-channel Mosfets plus DC-coupled i/o ports for "8 times the output power and 8 times lower distortion than our Asgard". Output power is 8W RMS into 32 ohms, 5W RMS into 50. Frequency response is a wide 2Hz to 400kHz -3dB. Despite butch power to serve low-impedance planar headphones, the very low noise is said to make the amp equally suitable for all standard headphones. Due to the circlotronic output stage, connections are balanced exclusively. Outputs are on single 4-pin XLR and dual 3-pin XLRs.
The Gungnir [add $100 for async 24/192 USB] runs two AKM 4399 DACs in balanced mode, fully discrete JFET outputs and Adapticlock™ clock regeneration via auto-switching VCXO and VCO oscillators.
The Gungnir has XLR and RCA outputs. |  |
| March 2012 - Hi-rez battery DAC from Hungary - Human Audio's new Muto (Latin for transform/exchange) is a battery-powered 24/192 DAC with two configurable S/PDIF inputs. Those are available as any combination of RCA and BNC. Power comes from two on-board LiFePO4 batteries for a claimed 14-16 hours of operational time. Charging is fully automated. The analog output stage is discrete. Outputs are on RCA. The matching Tabla based on a modified battery-powered M2Tech hiFace module can add 24/192 USB functionality.
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| March 2012 - Audiophilleo goes batty - Philip Gruebele's two USB-to-S/PDIF converter models can now operate with his very low noise PurePower module. That's a rechargeable battery pack which keeps dirty USB power isolated from the twin clocks and S/PDIF output stage whilst USB still powers the ARM RISC processor and USB interface. With up to 15 hours of continuous play time, the PurePower auto-charges when sensing that the converter isn't processing data. A display shows power and play time. Existing owners must return their D/D converters to have a new power connector fitted. New units can be ordered with our without the PurePower option. The upgrade is available for $399. Introductory bundle prices for a new Audiophilleo 1 or 2 plus PurePower are $1.399 or $999 respectively.
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| March 2012 - Danish TT - From Danish music lover Soeren Hartvig comes the Hartvig TT Signature turntable with battery power supply "to ensure incredible reproduction of sound and distinguish itself from digital media as the analog sound is both smooth and reproduces the music down to the last detail."
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| March 2012 - Updated MusiCHI - MusiCHI Suite, "the first application completely dedicated to classical, jazz or other more demanding music genres, has recently launched a more powerful release. Version 3.0 is equipped with many new features addressing the audiophile audience.
MusiCHI Suite now supports WASAPI to bypass the video sound mixer of Windows and achieve bit-perfect digital output. Support of WAV & AIFF files has been added, which can be tagged with powerful tools provided within the software compatible with dBpoweramp custom fields. The suite remains ASIO compatible including ASIO4ALL, having passed bit transparency tests with a Weiss DAC202. It can play FLAC files up to 24/352 with additional support for Ape, MP3, MP4, WMA and M4A.
A volume control with mute was added together with a configurable playing queue. One can add or refresh music folders directly from the player in addition to doing the same from the Library Manager. In the new version’s tagger one can rename audio files with a combination of track number and meta data.
Finally, more composers and performers were added to the Suite’s reference database for classical music, MusiCHI Clean©®, where more than 6000 entries (composers, performers, orchestras, etc.) have been properly corrected and normalized with full respect of their local spelling (umlaut, accents etc.) so that the program is fully Unicode compliant. The MusiCHI Suite can be downloaded through the website. It includes 4 applications (player, ripper, tagger, library manager) where newly introduced fields such as instruments, composition, period, performers and style relevant to music classification can be utilized.
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"MusiCHI operates as only keeper of meta data and a speedy search too. All information resides inside the audio files. We use a database engine that allows virtually unlimited size of libraries.
The software is available in English and French. MusiCHI is designed to run on Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista or 7) but has also been used on Macintosh running either “Fusion” or “Parallel” virtual machines applications.
MusiCHI Suite is available in 3 versions: MusiCHI Studio (€39) which includes the 4 applications; MusiCHI Portable (€19) as a unique application that allows the user to transport and play all digital music libraries on any other PC without any further configuration than plug a USB drive; and MusiCHI Ultimo (€49) which apart from the 4 applications includes the Portable Edition. |
| March 2012 - Pan and tilt - The Ardán Audio Elevation Pro™ speaker platform from Ireland provides decoupling and isolation via synthetic SBR rubber stops and silica-filled tubes and base "across a wide frequency range", rotates ±40° left and right, tilts from 36° back to 15° forward and "is crafted from aircraft-grade materials in Italy". The stand supports up to 20kg and speakers of max dimensions of 390 x 292 x 332mm HxWxD. Global price delivered via DHL is €488, shipment is within 5 days of receipt of funds. |  |
March 2012 - Aussie wires - Announcing new company Vue Cables whose primary
focus is on manufacturing quality USB audio cables to go
between computer and digital audio converter,
"Vue cables are hand built in Australia and offer excellent performance at affordable prices. VU-1 is the entry-level cable which has the 5-volt DC in a foil
shield and a foil shield around each data line. The cable is then
surrounded by a metal braid. VU-2 has the 5-volt DC isolated by a metal braid then for its data
lines uses ultra pure copper cast in the Ohno continuous cast
process and cryogenically treated. A conductive carbon-infused nylon is applied over
the cable to shield it from ultrasonic noise up to 3GHz.
VU-3 is designed like VU-2 but instead of copper uses for its data lines ultra pure silver cast in the Ohno continuous cast process."
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March 2012 - Fidelity for the masses - Canadian-based Mass Fidelity "unveils the first in a line of reference-quality audio products designed to bring 'massive sound to urban space' and officially releases a beta version operating system purpose-built to aggregate and network disparate music collections: stereOS. The Model 1 speaker system [$995 CND] and Model 1 integrated amplifier [$995 CND] are the first in a line of traditional reference quality audio products billed as 'compact high-fidelity power houses'. The Sum'd device [$250] ships with stereOS and is a compact ARM-based computer system with versatile networking capabilities that will allow developers to design exciting applications focused on getting the most out of your digital music collections."
The Model 1 amp produces 50/90wpc into 8/4 ohms and sports a frequency response of 20Hz - 60kHz with 0.05% THD, 47K input impedance and damping factor higher than 4000. The Model 1 speaker combines a 22mm fabric dome tweeter with twin 3.5" aluminum mids and a 5.25" upfiring bass driver with 6dB/octave slopes at 100Hz and 3.5kHz. The chassis is MDF with aluminum grill and 8 finish options include all white, all black and six different 2-tone schemes adding silver, bronze or copper.
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| March 2012 - Hey Liliana - Vinnie 'off-the-grid' Rossi of Red Wine Audio introduces his new 115/230w into 8/4ohm flagship Liliana mono amps [$6.000/pr] which combine a class A tube input stage with a class AB 8 x Mosfet power stage and full battery operation. An onboard microprocessor monitors thermal and short-circuit management and battery charging is handled by another fully automated circuit. A line-out allows connection to another amp for biwiring or to a subwoofer. A removable clear acrylic window on top allows easy access to the 6922/E88CC tube for rolling. Input sensitivity is 0.5V, input impedance 100K. DC offset is +/- 5mV. The on-board battery supply is a 51.2V LiFePO4 unit that provides about 8 hours of operation before requiring a recharge. Dimensions of each Liliana mono are 12 x 14 x 4.5" WxDxH including spikes and sockets and weight is 16 lbs.
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| March 2012 - New Saadhana - Rethm bows its new flagship speaker which pioneers the company's proprietary new 7-inch wideband driver coupled to an isobarically loaded 3 x 6.5" active bass system with active low-pass filter driven from a 210-watt FET mono amp per enclosure. The main driver loads into a 2.2m rear-horn labyrinth and runs filterless. The sealed woofer chamber in its own docked enclosure is 18.4 liters and loads into a 1.4m bass labyrinth. Compound system sensitivity as encountered by the customer's main amp is 102dB with a nominal 8-ohm impedance. This allows the usage of micro-power amps of as little as 2wpc. Frequency response is 18Hz to 20kHz. Dimensions are 104 x 73 x 21cm HxDxW and total weight in four shipping cartons plus palette is 120kg. The Walnut veneer shown was a custom commission for an Indian client. Many different paint/veneer combinations are possible.
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March 2012 - hiFace 2 - M2Tech's next-gen iteration of their popular USB-to-S/PDIF converter incorporates USB Audio 2.0 compliance for 24/192 transfer without drivers for Mac or Linux and a basic driver for Windows. It adds ASIO mode, replaces the prior switching regulators with linear regulators and adds clickless operation even when skipping tracks.
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| March 2012 - Going direct - Acoustic Preference from Slovenia just implemented a direct-sales model for their catalogue of hand-crafted loudspeakers. New price lists as PDF files on their website show the attractive outcome.
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| March 2012 - Siltech amp - "Saga is a complete rethink of the amplifier concept with the goal to make an amplifier as good as Siltech’s top cables. This led to a totally new amplifier concept called Structural Amplifier Gain Architecture. The already introduced C1 battery-powered valve control amplifier will be joined by the V1 and P1. These together form—kind of—the Saga equivalent of a regular power amplifier. The C1/V1/P1 combination offers a dynamic range close to that of our cables. This was largely achieved by evaluating and consequently improving the gain structure but also by using battery power supplies, the best components, a feedback-less design and very sturdy chassis. The Saga concept increases dynamic range by 10dB or more to be spectacularly absent. These electronics do not ‘sound’ since they are transparent to even the smallest detail. They are fast without being harsh, open without being overly bright, have a natural pace and rhythm, perfect timing, a stereo image as foreseen in the recording session and the blackest of black backgrounds. The Siltech Saga V1 and P1 will be first shown at High End Munich in room E213."
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| March 2012 - Mola, not moolah - This new Dutch company is a joint venture between famed class D designer Bruno Putzeys and Jan-Peter van Amerongen who made Hypex a household word. Their first new products will be a 5-input preamp with inputs switchable between balanced and unbalanced operation and room for option boards like a phono stage or DAC. The DAC will use a DSP-controlled crystal oscillator. The mono power amp will be based on Putzeys' 1200-watt NCore circuit.
Brand launch is at the Munich hifi show. | 
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| March 2012 - Über Crystal - Crystal Cable's new top-range Absolute Dream (interconnects, speaker cable, power cords, with USB/Firewire models coming later in the year) combines four coaxial runs which are twisted at 45°. Two coaxes run pure signal, the other two operate in Crystal Cable's patented Bridge setup. Pure mono-crystal conductors show up in both the cores and the braided shielding. The pure silver cores are covered by Dupont's Kapton and Peel dielectrics before two shielding layers (one silver-plated copper, one gold-plated silver) are applied. The final quad braid is covered by a transparent outer sleeve for a unique appearance and terminated with carbon Furutech connectors. Special identification barrels hold laser-engraved serial numbers. The Absolute Dream models will be launched at the HighEnd 2012 Munich show.
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| March 2012 - More Trafomatic - From Serbia comes the new remote-controlled Reference One preamp [€3.600] with 5 x RCA inputs, fixed/variable RCA outputs and one XLR output. The
tube complement is 2x 6N6P-EV, 1x EZ80 and 1 x ECL82. Input impedance is 47K, output impedance is 1K. Gain is 15dB (available also as 20dB). THD is 0.3% @ 1kHz/4Vef, S/N ratio is 85dB, bandwidth is 10Hz (-1dB) – 75kHz (-3dB), size is 420x320x115mm and weight is
9kg.
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| March 2012 - Yamamoto goes USB -
The YDA-02-E [¥28.000]
with variable headphone and fixed line outputs is a driver-less 24/96 device that runs off USB buss power unless an optional +5V/0.5A power adaptor is used. Power over the 6.3mm headphone port is 62.5mW into 16 ohms. The line-out produces 1.6Vrms. |  |
| March 2012 - Small but sassy - The Parasound Zcd [$400] "brings high-performance CD sound, USB and preamplifier features to the company's half-width Z Custom line up. The Zcd plays conventional CDs as well as MP3 files from CD-R. It also functions as basic DAC/preamplifier with a USB input for MP3 files on a flash drive. It has an analog 3.5mm stereo input for portable players and other line-level sources. The Zcd has fixed and variable line outputs as well as coaxial and optical digital audio outputs. The Zcd volume is controlled by an independent analog volume control IC, not digitally inside the DAC. The Zcd uses a 24-bit/192kHz-capable Cirrus Logic CS4353 DAC with a Cirrus Logic CS8416 digital receiver. The circuitry boasts fifth-order multi-bit delta-sigma architecture with low latency digital filtering.
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"It also includes analog filtering and ideal differential linearity along with very high tolerance to clock jitter. The Zcd delivers excellent low-frequency performance without external DC blocking capacitors. The analog circuits are powered by entirely independent analog power supply with its own power transformer." |
| March 2012 - JohnBlue Audio Art - The Bady super tweeter "is made of 7075 aerospace aluminum alloy from a turning process using carbon fiber quality similar to those on Lamborghinis. Each super tweeter weighs 3.9kg. The biggest problem of super tweeters for specific horn speakers by Altec, JBL and TAD is the midrange driver’s high efficiency. It may range from 110-118dB/W. Matching a super tweeter can be difficult. High-end users often attempt to attenuate the midrange but the resultant sound is not pleasant. Our crystal super tweeter uses capacitance to divide frequency and adjust volume into six levels to match various ultra-efficient hornspeakers." Specifications are 8-ohm impedance, 110dB sensitivity, 60-watt power handling, recommended high-pass above 3kHz, dimensions of 122 x 112mm and response of 3 - 25kHz.
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| March 2012 - Triode Wire Labs - Pete Grzybowski, president and owner, introduces his "small boutique company specializing in audiophile power cords. I have been experimenting with power cord development over 10 years and have been in business for about a year. By the end of this month we'll be augmenting our present catalogue with a new product line."
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| March 2012 - 32/384 for Apple - Toronto-based exaSound Audio Design has released Mac OSX drivers for their e18 384kHz/32bit asynchronous USB DAC. "The e18 is the first affordable device capable of playing DXD studio master files at their original sample rate resolution. The e18 DAC is offered with two Mac drivers customized for optimal stereo/multichannel listening experiences. The e18 offers up to 8 channels with remarkable bit-perfect low-jitter accuracy designed for high-end stereo, digital crossovers and cutting-edge audiophile multichannel applications. The e18 uses the ESS ES9018 Sabre32 jitter-cancelling reference DAC chip and features galvanic ground isolation, 17 power cleaning stages and a 017ps master clock."
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| March 2012 - Sablon Audio is "delighted to announce a package of major improvements to our Panatela interconnect. The presentation is now clearer and better defined, with stronger dynamics and musicality. A lower noise floor allows more palpable detail and air yet none of the achievements of the original have been compromised. Notwithstanding this steep change in sound quality, the price remains unchanged at $850 for a 3 foot pair inclusive of worldwide UPS delivery. A comprehensive rebuild program is available for owners of the original design, with preferential rates for existing Sablon customers."
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| March 2012 - High Fidelity Cables - "High Fidelity Cables is a new company fronted by Rick Schultz, formerly of Virtual Dynamics. Magnetic Conduction as used in our first cable, the CT-1 interconnect, is a patent-pending signal transfer method using controlled magnetic fields as the signal pathway. The conductor is a unique and extremely permeable alloy specifically designed for this technology. Our magnetic wave guide technology creates a tunneling effect to focus the magnetic force into the middle of the conductor. This eliminates the cause of skin effect and preserves the time and phase aspects of the signal. A custom 40-part RCA connector contains the magnetic conduction circuit while mechanical vibration decoupling along the cable itself is addressed with multiple conductive plates that are made with a specialized powered material. The cable's core geometry is a dual-shielded coaxial design for superior RFI/EMI rejection." |  |
