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On the question of what the future holds for audio, Ad's answer was clear: Performance 2-channel and home theater done right. The music video is already in shops everywhere. In Ad's opinion, it will always be accompanied by at least two music channels. When done right, an image can enhance the musical playback experience in the home. Again anticipating a trend, AudioMart has already modified its first BluRay player which they say resulted not only in a better picture -- the raison d'être for BluRay -- but remarkably better sound. After our conversation, we had a grand tour of the extensive premises where we saw the wood, metal and paint departments as well as the squeaky clean and spacious electronics assembly hall. The accompanying pictures in the later Sidebar will fill out that story.

We also had a sampling of Van Medevoort's CD350 and MA350 which are clad in the same modern though timeless guise of sheet metal and aluminum, with the mains switch in the lower left corner and the control buttons along the right side. When powered off, the understated looks don't clamor for attention. Powered on, the modest red illumination is simply helpful and far easier on the eye than the ubiquitous bright blue LEDs en vogue elsewhere. The current Medevoort aesthetic is elegant and modest dimensions of 43,4 x 39 x 10,2cm should be equally becoming in most environs.

The CD350 CDP has the disc tray located left of the display. When the 'open' button on either the unit itself or the remote control triggers the tray, it opens smoothly and quietly. Though all the usual but unnecessary logos are pleasantly missing, the CD350 is happy to play both CD and SACD as well as other CD-based derivatives but is strictly two-channel. The front further houses the six basic controls any such player uses. On the back things also are as basic as can be. Left you have the analog RCA and two digital outputs (one optical Toslink, one RCA coax). Analog XLR outputs are optional. It's obvious that only CDs will show a signal on the digital outputs. When integrated into a vM system, the CD350's remote can be slaved to other components via the remote i/o ports.

Before playing with the CD350, we opened it to see what Van Medevoort has tucked inside. After the heavy steel cover came off, we discovered a Marantz platform. Audioart makes most everything in house but there are limits. Why not start off with a trusted base they have plenty of experience modifying? Audioart swaps the original clock for one much more stable to reduce jitter and reworks the power supply with among other components their signature diodes. When we closed the unit again, we took note that for what's inside, the unit is quite heavy thanks to its steel enclosure.

The stable mate MA350 integrated amplifier basically mirrors the fascia layout of the CDP with six input selector buttons and the attenuator knob. Input 1 accepts XLRs, inputs 2-6 RCAs. There are two outputs, a tape out, a pre-out, plus a main-in to facilitate power-amp only use which requires flicking an internal switch. The loudspeaker terminals are big enough to easily accommodate and hold down any type of spade, banana plug and of course bare wire. The MA350 also has the remote i/o slave ports of the CD350. It is noteworthy that Audioart labels each of their components with a red dot indicating the 'hot' pin of the IEC inlet. This way correct power phase may be achieved if you know the hot wire in your power cord.

From the amplifiers specs one finds a nice input impedance of 50K without a voltage limit. With a 110-watt RMS output into 8 ohms, distortion is 0,003% and the damping factor hovers between 1200 and 1500. To go beyond specs, we opened the unit to right away conclude that Audioart indeed believes the power supply of an amplifier to be a crucial part. Almost one quarter of the available real estate is consumed by a toroidal transformer. Further power supply assistance comes from four well-dimensioned Vishay 4700 µF capacitors. Another detail is the use of relays and sensors to render the amplifier idiot proof. This might explain the long life expectancy of vM products. In order to fight possible compression, Audioart -- like Krell -- follows the credo of a number of smaller transistors in certain of its amplifiers rather than fewer big ones.

We then connected the CDP and amplifier directly into the wall outlets with LessLoss Dynamic Filtering power cables and a set of ASI LiveLine interconnects. Ad van Medevoort had sent us some of their own cables but to minimize variables, we used only the ones mentioned. The owner's manual of the amplifier stated that a period of 30 minutes would be sufficient to reach optimal thermal stability between 35 and 45 degrees C so we respected this.