Product-related news items of general interest should be accompanied by a formal press release with basic descriptions, finish options, pricing, a photo 598px or wider and a valid web link. Event news should have venue, date, ticket and registration information plus a logo and website link. We only publish product news on items you can actually buy now. We won't publish product news about items a manufacturer promises to build if enough people pre-pay (crowd funding).

Ugly but swans – Austin AudioWorks feel that behind brick-like no-frills exteriors, their Black Amp headfi amp [$1'849] and Black Swan phono stage [$1'649] are snow-white purist swans. Where Bakoon and Enleum have long promoted high-impedance current drive for headphones, designer Barry Thornton now adds to that proven recipe class A bias, fully balanced operation and zero feedback. The MM/MC phono stage puts all the adjustments on its utilitarian front then pursues the same general circuit topology groomed for wide bandwidth and low noise. Check their website for the brand's genesis story and details. Whilst new it packs a lot of prior experience at other brands.

Voyager – It's Burson's top Soloist pre/headfi amp implementation with up to 10wpc in dual mono pure class A of 80-watt idle current [£2'774 or £3'329 standard or deluxe]. It runs dual buffered Muses 72320 volume controls, three levels of hardware crossfeed, three power levels and even packs a mono subwoofer output. Discrete op-amp rolling is part of the fun as are drive-anything chops. Remote control completes creature comforts in preamp mode. i/o are 2/ea. RCA/XLR in and single RCA/XLR out whilst the front has 3.5mm, 6.3mm and XLR4 headphone ports. The 24V/5A power supply is external.

Gold Note's new CDP – The CD-10 [€2K] completes the half-width range in the Tuscan portfolio around a Stream Unlimited slot loader. Coax/Toslink i/o are complemented on the analog side by RCA/XLR outputs. In typical Gold Note fashion, the optional external PS-10 Evo inductive dual-mono power supply upgrade awaits via multi-prong umbilical. D/A conversion is via AK4493, defeatable volume control is digital. Black, silver and champagne finishes apply as does the firm's multi-function remote control. Recordable and rewritable CD media are supported.

Get yer German move on – With Lindemann's new Move [€3'200/pr], you will. It's a port-loaded spider-less Mark Audio widebander augmented by mini AMT in a monitor sized HDF enclosure with aluminium baffle. Claimed bandwidth is 40Hz-36kHz, sensitivity 87dB. Dimensions are 35x17x30cm HxWxD, weight is a svelte 6.5kg. The grills attach magnetically, the optional low-mass stand costs €295/pr. The only crossover is a super-tweeter high pass.

Mama Moya – Vivid's Moya 1 isn't your usual Mama Mia. Its vertical stack of four 9" woofers on either side of the central 4-way array adds beaucoup cone area to Vivid's previous flagship whilst reducing excursion requirements. The upper mid and tweeter sport a diamond-like coating on their membranes and more powerful motors than earlier Giya generations. The 13-driver Moya 1 rocks 93dB sensitivity, 5Ω nominal impedance, a -6dB bandwidth of 19Hz – 42kHz, measures 166 x 66 x 121cm HxWxD and weighs a colossal 346kg/ea. What the shipping company will drop off at your door thus weighs 1'084kg or slightly in excess of a tonne. The debit to your account could be £400K. Happy days!

Take Heed Helikon is here. It's Heed Audio's newest preamp/mono set "sold as a matched trio first limited to a special 30th Anniversary production of 30 units using NOS very special matched output devices and the now discontinued and much coveted Nichicon Gold coupling capacitors in a fully-balanced latest implementation of their Nexus topology. That employs a bridge-mode of their proprietary mirrored dual circuits which produces four times the output power of the basic circuit in each of the monoblocks. Price for the Helikon set will be $27'500." Thus sayeth the brief press release.

Support System One – It's not Airforce One but Node Audio's new isolation footer, the SST 1. It includes magnetic and resonance absorption plus offers the shown add-ons to morph into a cable lift, penetrate carpet on 5 spikes or ride the struts of a Spider rack.

A foxy trotter – It's the new Genesis 7 Foxtrot [$13.8K/pr], the largest passive speaker in the G7 range. "To maintain Genesis bass quality without servo-controlled active woofers, we use two 8" woofers in an isobaric configuration to achieve tight, articulate and dynamic bass. It doesn’t look as impressive because one woofer is completely hidden but sounds better than two forward-firing woofers and can fit into a much smaller cabinet." The enclosure material is bamboo ply. The photo shows the size comparison to a rear-aimed Minuet. The 88dB Foxtrot's bandwidth is published as 49Hz-40kHz ±3dB. It features front/rear ring-radiator 'ribbon' tweeters, a 5.5" titanium midrange and the isobaric bass array. Its brightness control has a range of ±4.5dB. The speaker measures 53 x 14 x 16" HxWcD and weighs 86lbs.

Sublimate separation pains – You can with Sublime Acoustic's new K235 active crossover [$1'200, lower intro price]. It allows for 2-way or 3-way operation with 4th-order or optionally 2nd-order slopes. It's a pure analog design executed with Burr-Brown opamps, metalized poly-film and metal-film resistors and Alps metal-film pots. Filter values are set with pluggable cards. The sub channel has mono summing, the subsonic filter sits at 15Hz/4th-order. There's also a baffle-step compensation control. All signal paths are available on RCA and true balanced XLR. The max allowable input voltage is 5.5V, gain adjustments per leg are -9dB to +8dB. The internal power supply is linear. Available filter cards cover 30Hz-100Hz in 5Hz increments, 110-200Hz in 10Hz increments, then 250/275/350 and 450Hz, then 300-4'000Hz in 100Hz steps and 4'500-16'000Hz in 500Hz. The chassis is available with/out rack ears.

Deliricum? – Meze's 2nd-gen Liric is a closed-backed headphone which asks that question with "performance enhancements, a new striped ebony finish and more modularity for easier upgrades. The sonic profile has been tuned up to offer a compelling blend of clear accuracy with a touch of warmth for added depth. A new quarter-wavelength resonator mask of a precision-crafted metal plate strategically covers select openings in the driver frame to attenuate high-frequency peaks above 7kHz for smoother listening. The Liric 2 has also been warmed up with the replacement of the original leather-clad earcups for durable hardwood." The Liric 2 is a 61Ω 100Db load with claimed 4-92'000Hz bandwidth and 427g of weight.

Active Swiss – Goldmund have the new Asteria [80K Swiss], Rhea [125K Swiss] and Theia [250K Swiss]. The smallest Asteria 9" 3-way shown is powered by 600 watts of class AB Telos power, with 175 watts each to the tweeter and midrange and 250 watts to the woofer for a claimed 34.5Hz to 25kHz – 6dB bandwidth. 24/96 DSP handles the crossover, room correction and time correction code. Connectivity is wireless or via digital coax. Dimensions are 35 x 110 x 35cm WxHxD, weight is 70kg.  Rhea's woofer scales up to 12", Theia becomes a 4-way which splits Rhea's 7" midrange into 4" and 6" drivers and increases weight to a whopping 200kg.

Mix yer own – You can with the new Purified 4 speaker from the Netherlands' Sunaudio. Available in black or bloodwood starting at $3'200/pr, this two-way in a non-resonant aluminium sphere combines a 4" Purifi mid/woofer in three different options with a 25mm or 34mm dome tweeter in five options including silk, aluminium-magnesium and beryllium. Where things go further off the usual rails is that we must provide our own crossover. Check out their website for more details.

Genuinely Genuin – It's the new Audio Drive [€19'900] from Germany's Genuin Audio, an all-in one vinyl solution that even puts a top-quality phono stage with dip-switch bays inside the turntable plinth. This hides the triple belts which drive the aluminium sub platter from view. The 22kg enclosure combines aluminium, ply, acryl, POM and CDF. The power supply is external.

Exposure's CDP – Adding itself to the brand's 3510 range now is a CD player with PCM 1704 DAC and top-loading transport with sliding lid and magnetic clamp. For pure transport duty digital outputs are on coax and Toslink

Pimp yer LAN – You can with Computer Audio Design's new Ethernet Control [$1'250]. It's a compact inline RJ45 isolation-transformer based filter. It promises extra galvanic isolation across broader bandwidth than standard such parts. The associated circuitry embeds in an acrylic black case and the load connection is via captive high-quality RJ45 plug to eliminate an extra CAT5/8 cable.

Bigger dog, louder bark – It's KEF's new KC92 subwoofer [£2'499] whose nomenclature indicates dual force-cancelling 9" woofers which run off dual 500W class D amplifier under DSP oversight and come in gloss black or white and can take the optional KW1 wireless module. What's more, the company also rolled out its new Kube MIE line of sealed subs with single front-firing woofers sized from 8" [£599] to 15" [£1'149] with pit stops at 10" [£749] and 12" [£849]. Get yer rumble on? Subwoofers aren't just for movie mayhem. It's why KEF have complex DSP and automated boundary EQ settings to insure low distortion and linearity in a variety of setups. It's why the KC92 even features a selectable high pass to filter the speakers for best frequency integration. What its bigger enclosure doesn't need is the sleeved Uni-Core voice coils of the KC62 so these woofer magnets can classically butt up against each as shown.

Borea not borealis – It's Triangle's active speaker range which launched two new class D-powered models with built-in DACs. The BR02 [£549] and BR03 Connect [£649] offer 50/60wpc respectively and are intended for 20-35m² rooms. "Each benefits from the latest Bluetooth 5.0 APTX HD low-latency technology, Toslink and coaxial inputs, ARC for immersive theatre, CEC-enabled TV connectivity via HDMI and a USB-B input." There's also built-in phono, a dedicated subwoofer output and RF remote.

ClearConcept upgraded – It's Clearaudio's new Concept Signature turntable [£1'200 nude, £2'223 package]. In full package mode with arm and cartridge, all key parameters are pre-set for instant plug 'n' play satisfaction. A new speed controller tracks belt tension, platter friction and temperature changes in real time plus performs automated calibration at each restart. For £250, the standard MDF plinth can become "solid wood layers bonded under high pressure". The top layer is high-tech satin plastic either way. The 30mm platter sits atop a high-density aluminium sub platter. The bearing is a polished tempered steel spindle in a sintered bronze bushing, running on a Teflon thrust pad. The platter is driven off a resonance-damped decoupled DC motor via flat belt.

 

Strike the X pose – If this stumps selfie takers, consider Exposure Electronics' first-ever turntable the 360 [£1'300]. This 5.2kg low-mass affair was outsourced to a "leading British turntable manufacturer" to add a new product category to Exposure's portfolio. The plinth is foamed polyurethane between thin high-pressure laminate. The platter is dual-layer glass, the bearing brass with an aluminium collar. The 24V motor connects via belt. The power supply is external with push-button speed selection. Mechanical isolation is via santoprene rubber footers.

Herr Erco the Second – It's the next-gen DAC/headfi deck from Poland's ferrum. Erco II [€1'795] gets new firmware to move closer to Wandla so now supports 768kHz, DSD512 and Wandla's digital filter options for improved DAC performance including MQA. The current-to-voltage converter too is updated based on Wandla's R&D. Owners of the original Erco can upgrade to gen 2 specs at the factory or local distributor which will perform a deep overwrite of the operating firmware.

Times One – It's the new Børresen monitor in the X Series. The X1 [€5K/pr] is a 4½" triple rear-ported 2-way with the company's signature thin-film tweeter and custom carbon-composite mid/woofer. The matching HDF stand [€1K/pr] is the recommended companion. Available finishes are gloss black or white. The X1 measures 42 x 20 x 39cm HxWxD, the stand adds 113cm of lift. Combined weight is 23.7kg, bandwidth 50Hz-50kHz, sensitivity 86dB, impedance above 6Ω. Throwing my glove into the review ring, I learnt that the entire 1st production had already been allocated and flown the coop either to dealer/distributors or magazines. So in due time, look elsewhere to learn more.

Sapphire, Micro or Nano? – Carbide Audio's vibration isolation options just mushroomed. The Base Sapphire in the same body as the original replaces the optional Diamond insert's ceramic/diamond races with diamond-like carbon over hardened stainless steel. The smaller Base Micro [$175/ea] comes with either Sapphire [$275/ea] or Diamond [$475/ea] triple ball-bearing inserts like the big Base. Nano's single bearing does away with all viscoelastic decoupling and comes in standard [$199/3, $249/4] and diamond executions [$599/3, $749/4, left]. The latter adds a heat-treated manganese-copper nipple as vibration damper between component bottom and isolator. All these vibration isolation footers are height adjustable and made in Llano, Texas. The weight-rated so interchangeable viscoelastics of the Micro and Base can support a fully loaded heavy equipment rack; or be down-rated to individual lighter components. Either way, they add vertical isolation to the lower and upper ball bearings' horizontal isolation. Nano is primarily intended as a component-level add-on where a rack or isolation platform has already established a base level of vibration attenuation. With the two smaller new models and their respective options plus the Sapphire insert for the big Base in lieu of the costlier Diamond insert, the Carbide Audio workshop now has a solution for all scenarios and budgets.

Sweet & vigorous? – Actually, the initials S + V are for Storgaard and Vestskov, a Danish design team with currently two models. The smaller one is this Frida monitor, a classic rear-ported two-way with 38mm soft-dome tweeter and 5" mineral-injected woven mid/woofer crossed at 2'750Hz via 2nd-order slopes executed with Milfex and Jantzen parts. The cabinet walls use 5-layer 26mm carbonized bamboo, the baffles aircraft aluminium. Claimed in-room bandwidth is 32Hz – 38kHz and sensitivity 87dB.

Solo your G-spot – It's Linn's new flagship Klimax Solo 800 [£37.5K/ea.]. It's a class AB mono amp with adaptive bias control for each of its sixteen output transistors. With 400W/8Ω, 800W/4Ω and 1.2kW into 2Ω, this climax is no sneeze yet runs cool thanks to an efficient 2kW switch-mode power supply. Get hot and bothered in black or silver. Check for more details on the website.

Polish power – It's JCAT's new €3'500 Ultimo linear power supply for 5V or 12V components like their own USB/LAN cards or master clock. Other likely kit could be LAN distributors, small phono stages or DACs currently powered by wall warts.