DeepCore – Lumin's new X2 flagship gains the brand's first in-house designed dual discrete DAC, femto clocking with a new algorithm, a new output buffer with Swedish Lundahl output transformers, an external linear power supply with dual toroids, SFP optical network support, PCM768 DSD512 compliance at 32-bit processing, Leedh's no-loss digital volume control and more. Click the link for all the details.

Zen – Pal Nagy of Lifesaver Audio has issued the icOn Zen as the latest of his autoformer volume controls which drives down the ask to €2'590 ex VAT well below the icOn 4Pro and 5 hence is limited to a Year's End edition of 10. It has two RCA inputs and outputs and one XLR i/o. There's not just remote-controlled volume but balance control as well. There's even a bonus surprise for the first two buyers. To learn what it is, click on the link.

Reborn – I didn't know that Meze's 99 Classic had died but here is its new Gen2 incarnation [€349]. The model's 10-year life span now reflects in 10 improvements. The tuning is said to be more balanced and neutral. Driver matching is better, ear-cup sizing enlarged for greater comfort. There's better sealing and a new bass port integrated with the jack shell. The grill geometry has been revisited as has the ear-pad shape with new clip-in attachment. The input socket is now 7mm long to interface with more cables. The stock cable has become a 1.8m dual-twisted Kevlar-sheathed affair. Finally there's a USB-DAC/amp dongle included to be off to the races even with sources sans headphone port. Otherwise the driver remains a 40mm dynamic for 15Hz-25kHz response with 16Ω impedance and 103dB sensitivity. The ear cups remain solid Walnut and weight is a low 290g.

10th Anniversary fête – It's Linear Tube Audio's new fully differential Century monaural all-valve amplifier [$28K/pr] which packs 110/144 watts into 8/4Ω. Three 7063 handle the input and voltage-gain stage, a pair of EL84 are the drivers for the quad of 6JN6 compactron beam-power pentodes. Like all David Berning circuits, RF "ferrite impedance cores" replace classic output transformer and promise broader bandwidth, lower phase shift and zero hysteresis. Three-stage adjustable negative feedback sets bandwidth from 44 – 90kHz whilst output impedance ranges from 0.8Ω in high feedback to 5.2Ω in low. There are switchable RCA/XLR inputs and twinned binding posts for bi-wiring. Each amp weighs just 12kg, features auto biasing and global voltage acceptance from 100-260VAC to suggest a switch-mode power supply.

Bridge – It's what Broen means in Danish and what ferrum call their new headless streamer powered by Volumio for full support of all the Connect services, AirPlay, UPnP/SLNA, AI-powered SuperSearch and more. Without any display, Broen relies on the small screen of its Wandla stablemate or an app. There's an internal SSD slot and an SFP entry for optical transmission. There's dual-band WiFi, USB 3.0 A & C, HDMI video out, coax, Toslink, AES/EBU and configurable I²S over HDMI

Honey, I shrunk the Dutchies – The result in the dryer is the 6c [€9'950/pr] from Dutch & Dutch, 6S extension module [€21'550/pr] to follow. As the name implies, the 6c scales down the firm's existing 8c to a 6-inch driver whilst the 'c' suffix indicates the same cardioid dispersion pattern. Amplification builds in as does streaming, room matching, Spotify Connect, Roon and BACCH spatial processing. Tidal and Qobuz integration TBA. The end result measures 38 x 22 x 30.8cm HxWxD and weighs 14kg. World premiere this weekend at the Warsaw show. The cardioid speaker scene for home users is heating up with other radiation-shaped models from GGNTKT, Kii, Sigberg and Silent Pound. How does the 6c work? Vertical slots on the flanks release the mid/woofer's rear wave to cancel the in-phase front wave that wraps around the cabinet. The rear-firing woofer is intended for close-proximity coupling with the front wall to help support a dispersion pattern which aims most the acoustic output at the listener so we hear more of our music and less of our room.

Polski Noir – Unlike Nordic Noir, it's not a Scandinavian crime film but Fram's new Arte Noir [€21'525/pr] styled like a classic theatre spotlight which won the final Good Design award, the country's most important industrial/utility design competition. This three-way with rear-firing passive radiator combines a full array of SB Acoustics Satori drivers on the front so a 29mm soft-dome ring radiator, a 60mm soft-dome midrange with neodymium motor and a 240mm woofer with neodymium. This speaker is intended for rooms up to 100m² and to ease setup rocks ±2dB compensation switches for both high and low-frequency output. Sensitivity is 91dB, nominal impedance 4Ω. Dress code is either full-on black or with gold trim around the central woofer and gold on the wing nuts. Included are tripod stands in metal or natural oiled oak. Whilst no weight is published, vertically layered aluminium construction makes for a very solid dense cabinet.

30th lecture? – Not quite. This is the Ancient Audio Lektor30 Anniversary, a simplified top-loading CD player with CD-Pro8 transport to lower the flagship Lektor Joy's ask to €7'000. So it omits extra inputs and the full-metal cab, downscales to one power transformer and a stereo not dual-mono converter but the drive, DAC chip and analog preamplifier/output stage as well as control module, display and remote are the same. The enclosure combines aluminium and tempered mineral glass whilst the firmware controlling the Austrian transport is written in-house and the mechanism, display and DAC all run off the same 16'9344MHz clock to eliminate jitter. Installing the brand's Digital Speaker Processor is optional. The variable outputs allow for a purist amp-direct connection.

Staccato power – No longer just a Polish provider of discrete op-amp modules, the Staccato brand now has its own power amplifier called the BU-01 short for Black Unique [€14'9909], a dual-mono class A 6-input integrated with pre-outs that claims a whopping 300wpc single-ended not push/pull and is available in ten different colours. The power supply uses both capacitive and inductive filtering and a metal remote is included.

No stinkin' sturgeon – Mola Mola's new Ossetra monos go after the huevos so luxo caviar. A further evolution of Ncore's most current Trajectum class D tech, there's 350/900wpc into 8/2Ω, switchable 22dB/28dB class A voltage gain, fully balanced operation, 200kΩ input impedance, RCA/XLR DC-coupled inputs which auto-insert a capacitor if needed, new shunt regulators for even lower noise and sub 0.002Ω output impedance, 130dB S/NR, bandwidth better than 100kHz, Furutech posts and internal Kubala-Sosna hookup wiring. Moolah Moolah is $25.1K/pr.

Three apples tall – It's Neodio's first micro speaker, the Lilli 4-inch two-way rear-ported monitor produced entirely in France. A frontal profile of 15.4cm wide by 21cm tall houses Kartesian drivers wired with 2nd-order filters and Neodio's Fractal 8 cabling. The 27cm deep cabinet's cheeks sports stainless steel dampers with viscoelastics. There's an optional 3-point MDF stand which can accommodate the brand's Harmony footers. At 82dB, Lilli's low efficiency promises 50Hz bandwidth from its high-excursion mid/woofer. Pricing is €4.5K/pr. Add €800/pr for stands, €600 for six footers.

Up to 9.4V – That's what Exposure's new DAC can deliver in XLR variable mode via 99-step digital attenuator to direct-drive amplifiers or active speakers. It's a 32/768 and DSD256 affair on USB, 192kHz on its S/PDIF ports. The power supply is linear, the adjustable display an OLED  type, a remote included and power-on volumes are programmable. Available in black or silver for £2'500.

Raidho rebooted – Not the brand, just their X2t on the occasion of their 25th Anniversary. It's a limited edition of 100 pairs with upgraded Mundorf crossover parts, Furutech terminals and exclusive finish options in burled Walnut, emerald green or dark blue burl all in high-gloss piano lacquer. Otherwise it remains a 2½-way compact tower with planarmagnetic tweeter and dual 5¼" dynamic ceramic cones with Tantalum coating to push first breakup to 15kHz. Pricing is €21K/pr for the natural Walnut, €23K/pr for the stained versions.

Achema – It's Italian speaker house Albedo's new entry-level speaker in the new middle Raffaello Collection, a 2½-way transmission line with impedance above 11 ohms to be an easy load. The TL mouth is on one side terminated with a ribbed exit. Filter components are Mundorf, the drivers ceramic diaphragms from Accuton, so a 1" tweeter, 6" midrange and 7" half-way woofer. Filter frequencies are 300Hz and 2.6kHz with 1st and 2nd-order slopes, sensitivity is 85dB, claimed bandwidth 44Hz – 22kHz. Dimensions are 105cm tall, 30cm deep and 23.2cm wide. Weight is 38kg/ea and available finishes are gloss black, grey or ruby red lacquer.

Signed: Yours, avidly – It's Avid Audio's newly updated 2-box Celsus preamp with RK50 remote control. This is a fully balanced affair which integrates the Pulsare II phono stage plus four line-level inputs. More the press release didn't have…

Lab of Co – It's not a new brand but the Vinshine X range of collaborative efforts. The first two were the SW-10Pro network switch in collaboration with LHY; and the Tai Hang power enhancer with Kinki Studio. Coming up is the 33kg Dazzle, a 300/560wpc into 8/4Ω integrated with 3 RCA, 2 XLR inputs, six lateral Exicon Mosfets per half wave per channel and twin power toroids. It will bow at the upcoming Singapore hifi show. The image is from the domestic Chinese version. The export Vinshine version might have slightly modified cosmetics. Price TBA. Here are some more photos and details.

LampizatOr's new afro – It's the brand's new flagship DAC, the Aphrodite [€88K]. It weighs a colossal 48kg thanks to four EI transformers three times bigger than the iron in previous models; and fully balanced circuitry. The glass on deck consists of two rectifiers, four active pentode anode loads and four overspec'd  gain/converter pentodes from the KT88/6550 family. In addition to the usual digital inputs there is PS Audio's I²S standard and XDMI for the Taiko Olympus streamer. There's a limited trade-in scheme for current LampizatOr owners and sales will begin in December. Unlike the previous Horizon 360 flagship, the volume control and preamp circuitry have been eliminated but there is a new metal remote control and smart display with four modes and a zoom function to briefly enlarge the font during sound adjustments like digital filter, modulator and absolute phase choices. The digital converter engine is new as are other aspects detailed in the link; and the options to roll tubes enormous.

Gallic phono – It's B.audio's new MM/MC module which can build into their B.dpr one, B.dpr one EX, B.dpr, B.dpr EX or Alpha One. Based on matched transistors and two-stage passive RIAA correction, there are 38/50dB and 58/70dB gain options for MM and MC respectively plus four loadings for MM and five for MC.

Loaded pocket rocket – If it were an Italian sportscar, it might be an Alpha-Romeo 4C Spider? As a portable headamp from Italy, it's Audma's Brioso PHPA1. What makes it loaded is packing the company's proprietary crossfeed circuity called Elisa for Electronic Loudspeaker Imaging Simulating Amplifier which builds in adjustable time delay and gain for the counter-phase injection. Those controls including bass compensation sit on elegantly retracting pots. Push on them to spring free, adjust, push in flush. Analog inputs are on 3.5/4.4mm, digital uses USB-C allied to a combo of AKM AK4499EXEQ and AK4191EQ. 32Ω headphone power is 2wpc which doubles into 64Ω and still swings 2.7wpc into 150Ω. Headphone ports are 3.5/4.4mm and voltage gain is switchable in 8dB increments from 0-24dB. The rechargeable 1'600mAh/7.4V battery is claimed to run up to 5 hours. Permanent power comes via dedicated USB-C power inlet. This portable amp measures 8.1 x 1.9 x 13.8cm and weighs 240g.

What's this Fosi fuss? – It's the i5 [€549], an open 97mm planar-magnetic diaphragm over-ear headphone of 28Ω impedance, 550g weight and 98dB/1mW sensitivity. Magnetic drive of 44 neodymium slugs is balanced so two-sided. The sliver cup is American Walnut, the outer grill aluminium. The 150cm cable terminates 3.5mm on the headphone and 3.5mm or 4.4mm at the amplifier, the latter balanced termination for a €20 surcharge. The magnetized pads are synthetic leather, the voice coil on the 2µm diaphragm is a 3-layer 1.3µm nickel/cobalt affair surrounding pure silver applied via advanced magnetron sputtering. The cosmetic similarity with HifiMan can't be coincidental?

Watts up, Wattson? – The Streamer [€4'995] from Swiss brand Wattson Audio is what, a now single model in light or dark gray with "high-current composite" power supply included. The current Lounge Edition will phase out and The Streamer in previous LE specification take over alone on the throne. Also coming is the Madison Power S shown here beneath The Streamer.

Ovolution – Forget pregnancy. This one's out of the oven. It's the Fezz Audio Ovo Evolution [€3'495] with €299 expansion slot for Bluetooth, MM phono or S/PDIF digital. It's a one/each RCA/XLR i/o pre/headamp with 4.4mm, 6.3mm and XLR4 headfi ports. Gain comes from EL84 configured for single-ended triode mode with Toroidy output iron. Finish options are seven deep and include silver, champagne, black, grey, burgundy, green and dark brown. 1.5wpc can be configured in three steps to optimize impedance between 16-600Ω. 32Ω claimed bandwidth is 16Hz-120kHz -3dB. The EL84 are auto biased and driven by a single 12AX7 twin triode. There's remote control and 10.5kg of substance.

Vermillion – It's Virtual Hifi's new interconnect terminated with WBT NextGen silver RCA [€694/1m/pr] or Viborg silver XLR [€707/1m/pr] using Mundorf 1mm solid-core silver/gold alloy beneath an asymmetrical copper shield with silicone tube for mechanical damping. Worldwide shipping is included, sales are studio direct from Poznan/Poland.

Charybdis goes gold – From Blaz Erzetic in Slovenia comes a new limited-to-20 edition of the Charybdis headphone [€4'500] which plates the aluminium bits in 24-karat gold, improves the height adjustment and includes PixelCables' Grandioso premium wiring.

Z-Bass² – With Germans pronouncing 'th' like 'zee', Voxativ's new Z-Bass² [€4'900] in effect becomes The Bass². Should that seem a bit fresh, consider the market gap it fills. It's a 500-watt self-amplified standalone RiPol subwoofer with a custom 10-inch driver specifically designed for H-frame applications housed in a cab of 60mm panel thickness with an internal 10mm steel frame. For why RiPol bass is fundamentally different to classic sealed/ported bass, read Dawid Grzyb's latest review of Voxativ's Alberich². If that rings your bell, now ask yourself what options you have to pursue active RiPol bass as an add-on to your existing speakers. Voilà, for the right punter the new Z-Bass² is quite the problem solver.