July 09 - Phono the AMR way - "After years of extensive in-house development and close collaboration with recording engineers and archivists from the BBC; the British Library Sound Archive; The Institut fürRundfunktechnik GmbH1 and Sveriges Radio AB2, AMR is pleased to announce it has commenced shipping of the PH-77 Reference Class Phono Equaliser.
"The PH-77 is the only phonograph source able to lay claim to exclusively feature a comprehensive catalogue of 22 equalisation (EQ) curves. Every LP record ever made may now be replayed using the one and only correct equalisation curve.
"Together with 8 levels of gain; 64 steps of load; 3 inputs for unprecedented flexibility in cartridge choice/matching and an onboard 24bit/96kHz DAC, the PH-77 also is a pure single-ended, Class A, zero negative feedback design. All low-level signal connections including the cartridge are coupled directly. Overall, only two coupling capacitors are employed: one is a custom-made silver foil capacitor that follows the equalisation block; and the output capacitor is the same German-made film and foil capacitor used in the CD-77 CD-Processor.
"The PH-77 uses sonically superior valve-based rectification with 2 x NOS EZ80 and double C-Core 20H choke filtering implemented fully dual mono. Instead of traditional regulators, the PH-77 employs a far more elaborate set of 4 virtual battery supplies, characterised by zero negative feedback and lowest possible noise. These are followed by a further 28 stages of passive power supply filtering, 8 of them utilising costly large value film capacitors.
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"All of the following functions are completely adjustable in real-time either on the front panel or from the included aluminium remote control.
- 8 levels of gain 72, 66, 60, 54, 48, 42, 36, 30dB for complete cartridge compatibility.
- 64 steps of load for pinpoint resistive and capacitive loading.
- 3 switchable inputs to select the desired cartridges and tonearm combination: be it elliptical or spherical stylus cartridges; stereo or mono cartridges; fixed or flexible (linear tracking or pivoted) tonearms; with Moving Magnet or Moving Coil cartridges.
- 32 steps for Moving Coil, 32 steps for Moving Magnet.
"The worldwide recommended retail price of the PH-77 is EUR7,800 (excluding VAT)."
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| July 09 - From the Vega constellation - Althea Musica announces the Vega Masterpiece turntable at €33.330, with distribution to be developed. Until then, interested customers can be served factory-direct."Music is a transferred energy and this can be registered by audio components but only partially by measuring instruments. Harmony, emotions and meditation are ideally suited to well-being just as is music when it is spontaneously registered to reach that state of quiet relaxation and dialogue." |
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July 09 - Diffuse in style - Handcrafted in Germany, the Thomas Labusga Sonic Diffuser is "the ultimate expression of science and art. Uniform scatter of sound waves is achieved with complex algorithms and is presented with an elegant design that enhances even the most luxurious of listening environments.
"Following the success of the standard diffuser, which is available in a choice of luxury wood veneers or custom leather, Thomas Labusga is proud to introduce the visually stunning stainless steel version.
"Being first and foremost a room calibration tool, the acoustic properties of stainless steel dictate carefully considered modification of the original design in terms of size. To ensure identical performance, the dimensions of the stainless steel diffuser are more modest than that of the wood diffuser.
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"Whilst bringing the Sonic Diffuser to a more easily accommodated size, the net result is the same – unrivalled performance with aesthetics to match. For clients based in the UK, Thomas Labusga is pleased to announce that amplitune has recently been appointed as the sole UK distributor of Thomas Labusga products." |
July 09 - 500 - April Music introduces the new Stello 500 Series components. "Featuring cool contemporary modern styling, extensive connectivity and advanced performance, Stello 500 products will bring storied April Music technology to an entirely new population of music fans who seek the ultimate blend of high style, reliability, technical excellence and extreme musicality in both sound and artistry."
"Incorporating technologies found in our other CD players, the Stello 500 Series CDP uses highly advanced circuitry to produce an astounding level of sonic performance with no equal in its price range. With features including a fully customized CD mechanism, an easy-to-read display and luxurious industrial build quality, the Stello 500 CDP will provide many years of listening pleasure.
"The Stello 500 series integrated amplifier delivers audiophile performance in an affordable and elegant audio component. Designed with numerous convenient features, this integrated amplifier too will provide many years of musical enjoyment."
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June 09 - Go Quad! - "Once a year Quad friends from all over Europe celebrate the QUADfest in the German Eifel highlands. As last year the QUADfest will be held during two days at QUAD Musikwiedergabe GmbH. If possible please drop us an amail or give us a call to let us know you will attend.
"Those of you who visited the QUADfest last year know that one will get the latest news concerning QUAD and much information about the history and ideas behind the famous QUAD products. One can also compare different electrostatics incl. a stacked ESL57.
"The QUADfest will be held on September the 5th and 6th from 10am till 6pm. If you contact us in advance by phone (+49 2654 987977) or email (Quad-GmbH@t-online.de), you will get further detailed information. |
QUAD Musikwiedergabe GmbH, Brunnenstrasse 57, 56751 Gering, Germany." |
June 09 - 75 is the new 10 - From Chris Sommovigo: "The time has finally come to introduce the XV-Ultra. This cable is a derivative trickle-down of what we're going to be doing (for a lot more money) in the Tombo line, which will be introduced to the world this fall and called Trøn. You might call this new XV-Ultra the 'Trøn Lite' as it incorporates some but not all of that cable's performance-enhancing attributes and RF suppression.
Digital cables by Chris Sommovigo (a timeline):
1992: ILLUMINATI DataStream Reference is developed and sold as the world's first precision 75-Ohm digital cable. Manufactured from pure 75 Ohm semi-rigid microwave transmission cable, it also utilized a very novel RCA plug to lessen the effects of the impedance mismatch between the cable itself and the RCA interface most DACs were sporting at the time.
1994/'95: ILLUMINATI Dataflex Studio (re-named D-60) is introduced to replace the DataStream Reference with a more flexible cable that remained as precise as Kimber Kable becomes the global distribution agent for Illuminati products. The D-60 soon becomes one of the best selling digital cables of all time.
1995-'97: ILLUMINATI "Orchid," DV-75, and V-21 introduced for AES/EBU, entry-level digital/video, and coaxial (composite) video solutions, respectively. Illuminati digital cable Intellectual Property sold to Kimber Kable, making KK the manufacturer and global distributor of these designs.
2003: STEREOVOX HDXV, a descendant of the D-60, is introduced. Revolutionary in that it mates precision 75 Ohm performance with the budget market. Many excellent reviews reveal the cable to be a high-end player.
2005: STEREOVOX XV2 advances the precision performance of the HDXV further with increased precision and leakage control.
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2009: The REFERENCE XV-Ultra
XV Ultra: 75-ohm Digital Cable
The essential cable form has not been changed. It's the most electrically precise 75-ohm cable we know of. From its Mil-Spec silver-plated copper solid core conductor to the precision applied low-density cold-process air articulated Teflon™ tapes, to the metal foil + woven shields - the core of this cable emulates the exacting electrical environment of "semi-rigid" microwave cables without introducing the practical problems (and short work life).
In this new iteration we've introduced long-cycle cryogenic treatment, not only to the raw cable itself but also to all the connectors and adapters. This has the effect of altering the temper of the crystal lattice matrices in all of the metals used to create the cable. Cryogenic treatment has become one of the most well-regarded treatments for cables as well as other audio parts and devices over the last decade or so.
Lastly, we've incorporated an RF absorbing layer of pure woven carbon fiber and an overall jacket that expresses minimal dielectric effect. 75-ohm BNCs mated with proprietary BNC:RCA adapters.
Projected Retail: 0.5m $350, 1.5m $500, 2m $650, 2.5m $800."
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| June 09 - Hardware supplier - HuiLing Precision Moulds Co. Ltd. is "a Chinese enterprise specialized in the design and production of stamping molds, precision plastic injection molds and parts." While their solicit to 6moons didn't match our needs of course, certain audio manufacturers reading this page could be interested. |
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June 09 - In-wall sub - Atlantic Technology has begun shipping a new passive in-wall subwoofer. The IWTS-28 Sub uses dual 8-inch woofers, features a flexible set of connection and integration features and is ideal for retro-fit installation in standard 2x4 wall cavities. An optional outboard monoblock amplifier, the 180 Watt SA-180, is available to power the new subwoofer.
"Retro-fit in-wall installations are notoriously challenging when it comes to deep-bass performance," said Atlantic Technology Marketing Director Steve Feinstein. "While there are extremely capable in-wall subwoofers available such as our SUB 8e system, they're usually designed for new construction projects where you have complete access to the wall framing. The new IWTS-28 SUB is designed specifically for retro-fit installs yet still delivers a level of performance comparable to our acclaimed freestanding subwoofer models."
The Atlantic Technology IWTS-28 SUB is currently available for $475 plus $75 for the GFR-626 grille/frame assembly. Total combined retail price is $550 for a complete speaker and mounting assembly. The optional Atlantic Technology SA 180 outboard is a class AB monoblock amplifier conservatively rated at 180 watts RMS. It features a switchable EQ circuit, automatic on-off function and a front-panel phase control all in a compact chassis measuring just 2 inches tall x 8 ½ inches wide x 12 ½ inches deep. It is currently available at a suggested retail price of $350.
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June 09 - NaimUniti - Naim's engineering team has "created extreme audio in one sleek chassis, which means high performance with minimal wiring and space requirements. Now shipping, the much-anticipated, all-in-one package includes an integrated amplifier, CD player, FM tuner, internet radio, iPod dock, digital-to-analog converter, music file player and network stream player.
"The range of audio files handled effortlessly includes MP3, Windows Media, AAC, Apple Lossless (from an iPod), FLAC and WAV formats. Inside the NaimUniti beats an analog heart. The integrated amplifier derived from the Nait 5i features 50-watts per channel with ten inputs. The system's iPod interface is extra powerful, thanks to the specially designed iPod n-Link cable. Once connected the NaitUniti system takes control and immediately displays content on the front control panel. It even charges the iPod battery when connected."
The NaimUniti selling price is $3,750; the n-Link interconnect for Apple's iPod costs $150. |
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| June 09 - $399 mono - Ben Webster's Lil' Doosey is a "monoblock amplifier with both differential and single-ended inputs, a ground lift, EMI filtering on the mains input, user accessible fuse, gold-plated everything, machined aluminum enclosure, powder coat finish and a custom wound torroid for a dedicated linear power supply. The circuit is based on a National LM3886 that we run in the sweet spot. A real 20W RMS @ 8 ohms and 40W @ 4. The size of the enclosure is 5" square and 3.75" tall. Completely fabricated and assembled (by me for now) in Canada. All of this for $399 USD each. I know..." |
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| June 09 - Hungarian widebander - Sonido's Aion runs a single 20cm full-range driver into a line that first swoops around the bottom, then fires upwards into the ceiling. With a claimed 96dB sensitivity and 10-ohm impedance, this speaker could be a dead ringer for 45-type amplifiers. |
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| June 09 - Kondo successor? - "Contained in a triple chassis, the Takumi K-70 [$35,000] is our flagship model and our vision of the ultimate amplifier. Incorporating vacuum tubes and transistors, this unit shares no similarity sonically or electrically to either technology. Instead, the K70 reaches into the ether and delivers a sweeping sound of universal beauty and unbounded complexity. At a total weight of some 80kg, the K-70 is surely one of the planet's most substantial 70-watt amplifiers... Each channel uses 32 power transistors, each rated to 150W giving a total capacity of almost 10KW for the system! These devices are designed for exclusive use in linear amplifiers but not custom to us. The total array of devices are configured to give an astonishingly low output impedance of some 0.07 ohms across the audio bandwidth without the use of negative feedback. Actual power dissipation of each part is restricted to about 10W. With the generous heatsinking, this ensures minimal thermal cycling to aid both sound quality and part longevity." |
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| June 09 - Acoustic Zen sub - Robert Lee of Acoustic Zen is proud to announce their new Allegro subwoofer. A 1,000 watt mono class T amplifier provides the power to a pair of down-ported 10" subwoofers with under-hung ultra linear motor system. The 150lb. subwoofer is rated from 20Hz to 150Hz (+/- 3dB). |
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| June 09 - Esoteric transports - After seeing an SOS post by an owner of two Peychev-modified Esoteric machines about malfunctioning transports, I contacted Mark Gurvey, Esoteric's US liaison. He got in touch with Esoteric's Kato-San, the chief engineer of all their digital transports. Gurvey reported that modifications to the clocking circuit will affect the control logic of their otherwise bullet-proof transports. Replacing a transport that malfunctions for this reason won't solve the problem which isn't mechanical but electical. Buyers should be aware of this liability when modifying these machines' stock clocks. |
Owning such a modified UX-1 myself, I was naturally concerned but have personally encountered no such issues. Esoteric's laboratoy reportedly runs samples of each their transports on automated non-stop duty cycles to track ongoing reliability and the company is understandably unhappy about reports to the contrary when it concerns after-market effects. Esoteric Japan might not be able to remedy modifier errors and owners of such malfunctioning machines must contact the modifier for satisfaction. |
| June 09 - LessLoss Signature - The new DFPC Signature is an upgrade to the company's DFPC Original and features Oyaide's model 079 power plugs from Japan, proprietary FlowFlux technology, a total cross-sectional conductive area of 20.5 square mm or about 4-gauge and a tight bend radius of only seven inches. Retail is $1,149. |
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| June 09 - Tabla trills - Lorenzo Belloli and Paolo Schreiber of Bassocontinuo Audio Systems introduce the Tabla, a floorstanding speaker decoupling shelf "that uses inert marble granules supplied in a special scratch-resistant black or white paint. The attached graph was generated with a Clio FW system and Ach-01 accelerometer to show that Tabla can reduce measurable resonances by 8dB." A pair of tabla plinths is around €575. |
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June 09 - Audiophile Fusion - "AMR's Gold Fuse was developed after lengthy testing and auditioning. The Gold Fuse has been independently tested in the audio and visual fields against leading brands and proved to be one of, if not the best, fuse currently available to the performance-minded consumer.
To an audio or visual system, the AMR Gold Fuse will bring the following improvements:
- Fuller body, better definition and detail
- Reduced distortion
- Extended dynamic range
AMR Gold Fuse specifications:
- Silver alloy fuse wire, non-spiral, low-inductance design
- Special non-magnetic, shock-resistant anti-resonant ceramic body
- Gold-plated end caps (gold does not oxidize like silver, hence better long-term reliability)
- 0.125A/0.25A/0.5A/1A/2A/5A/10A (further values to follow)
- Approval: UL SA PSE CE CCC
The worldwide recommended retail price is €35 (excluding VAT) for a pack of 3 fuses."
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June 09 - Virtue invades Kiwi and Down Under - Coem Audio proudly announces local availability of the Virtue Two amplifier in Australia and New Zealand.
Coem Audio will sell it in four finishes - black velvet, brick red, snow white and robins' egg blue. It can be purchased with 65w, 90w (standard) and 130w fully regulated switching power supplies. Prices start at $595AUD (incl. GST and shipping) and quantities are limited. |
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| June 09 - Senn cords - "The Silver Dream Sennheiser Upgrade Cable uses the same 4-way Teflon-coated pure silver braid we already use in our established Silver Dream interconnect cables but here is covered in expandable protective sleeving because headphone cables inevitably take some knocks. The plugs at the headphone end are a premium design made by Cardas and the headphone jack is a superior Neutrik. This cable harness is suitable for the Sennheiser models HD-650, HD-600, HD-265, HD-525, HD-535, HD-545, HD-565, HD-565 II, HD-580 and any others that use the Sennheiser two-pin connection system. The cable is two meters long and has an introductory price of £149." |
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| June 09 - Minusculicious - Derek, director of business development of MiniWatt, would like to introduce "the world's smallest 4-tube stereo integrated amplifier." This munchkin measures all of 13 x 10cm , weighs 1.5kg but combines a classic UL single-ended circuit with military-grade 6J1 and 6P1 with a switch-mode power supply to achieve 2.5wpc with less than 0.8mVac residual noise and universal voltage of 85-132 or 176-265Vac. The R&D team for this amplifier is in mainland China, the head office in Hong Kong. Retail of the MiniWatt is $229 with a flat-rate postage fee of $40 and six designer colors are available. |
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June 09 - Trendy - Trends Audio launches the TA-10.2P Class-T power amplifier. "We've experienced unprecedented sales growth during the global financial crisis because many audiophile and music lovers are looking for high-end but not high-priced audio products" says David Ho, the Marketing Director of Trends Audio. "After the release of our Trends PA-10 tube headphone/preamp last December, we had huge demand for a matching power amplifier."
With the Trends Audio's TA-10.2P, "we put much effort and applied proprietary techniques into the circuit design, components matching, sound tuning and even the case grounding and shielding. Additionally, we applied audiophile electronic components, an aluminum case (light, stylish, good shielding from interference), standard gold-plated sockets and a high-quality AC power supply. Parts include Trends MKP capacitors and Rubycon MCZ series tank capacitors." The Trends TA-10.2P will be available in the middle of June with a suggested retail price of US$179 including the AC power adaptor. |
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June 09 - All made up - Musical Laboratory* is pleased to offer a preview of its top-of-the-line mono-block amplifier says Malcolm Hyde. "The Maedeup is our cost-no-object project, which uses the Bosangwha internals as a starting point and builds from this. Some very exotic and rare passives are used in the transformation process, and the whole project is finally window-dressed in luxury wooden casings decorated with images of cranes (a national symbol of Japan) and child-proof locks, which are decorated with traditional Korean macrame knots.
"The design brief for the Maedeup was clear: The Maedeup should offer the absolute transparency, detail and soundstage capability of the Bosangwhas. However, the Maedeup will also be voiced to include certain sought-after artifacts normally associated with single-ended triode designs such as bloom and body. At ML* we are known for continually striving to push the musical envelope in terms of what is possible. Che Meadeup is due for release later this Summer. The cost will be 3900 USD. Power output 38W PC." |
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| June 09 - Esoteric's new site - Esoteric just gained its own dedicated website separate from the TEAC server. Shown is the new A-03 50-watt class A stereo amplifier which can be bridged to 200 watts mono. |
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| June 09 - Jack of all trades - Raysonic Audio's new Quartet tube integrated amp combines a high-quality CD player, tuner, dedicated iPod input and amplification with remote control in one single chassis. |
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| June 09 - Diversion - CryoParts "is proud to introduce the Sonicweld Diverter USB to SPDIF converter. This is one of a very few select USB to SPDIF devices that can pass bit perfect 24/96 files via USB. Other devices on the market that do either require a special driver or are licensed technology from a very large company [does that make it questionable? - Ed]. This product is different and needs no special drivers or software nor is it licensed from the same company that others are using. This is a unique and elegant solution that will allow computer audio aficionados to get one step closer to the live music experience." $1,299, special intro offer $999. |
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June 09 - More spherical sound - Morel's new spherically designed SoundSpot Music Theatre 1 (MT 1) 5.1 speaker system is now en route to high performance showrooms. "Morel made its sphere satellite speakers strong and lightweight by using advanced metal processing. With tough 1mm casement walls, the results are 'big' speaker performance from a very small satellite speaker. The SP-1 60W satellite speaker is 4.3 inches in diameter, weighs 2.3 pounds and runs a 3½" woofer and a half-inch soft dome tweeter with a liquid-cooled voice coil.
"The SoundSub PSW8 8-inch powered subwoofer packs a 100W punch and rounded footprint in an attractive fiberglass resin cabinetry. The SoundSpot MT 1 5.1 System includes five 3.5-inch satellite speakers (model SP-1) and one PSW8 Subwoofer and retails for $1,300. in the third quarter, the reference SoundSpot MT 2 5.1 system will include five 4-inch satellite speakers (model SP-2) and the PSW8 sub for $1,900. Both systems are available in black, white and metallic champagne piano finishes." |
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June 09 - New and better site - The Naim Label has a new website, a new name -- Naim Label -- and a new URL. "The new site is designed to be easy to navigate and to deliver the triple whammy of more information, simple CD purchase and of course downloads at everything from high quality MP3 (320kbps) to 24Bit 96kHz encodes of the original True Stereo analog recordings. If Ken Christianson recorded the music, Ken also oversaw the analog to digital conversation."
- 100+ CDs available for purchase
- 30+ Hi-Res 24/96 or 24/88.2 downloads available
- Hi-Res downloads increasing weekly
- No upsampling for specmanship
- Music from the Naim Label and its imprints: Naim Jazz, Naim Classical and Naim Edge
- Downloads available in WAV, FLAC and 320k MP3 formats
- Real music with audiophile quality recording.
- Downloads also available in standard CD format for backwards compatibility
- Full artwork and cover art downloadable
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| June 09 - Glow news - Patrick Tang of Glow Audio submitted photos of his forthcoming stand for the Voice One speakers which will allow its use as a freestanding rather than desk top speaker lifted to the proper height and bolted securely via the threaded inserts of the removable stock footers. |
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| May 09 - New Yamamoto amp - Shigeki Yamamoto announces the A-06-3 which he designed around Emission Lab's new AD1 triode, with C3m drivers and one AZ4 rectifier for 4 watts per channel of direct-heated class A triode power. |
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| May 09 - Fi to the people - Don Garber strikes again in his trademark architectural flourish, this time with two preamp models in various config options. The one-box Evolution is $3500 with phono and $3000 without it. The one with external power supply is $5800 for the line stage, $7000 for the MM phono full-function and $7800 for the MM/MC version. |
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May 09 - LSD, UcD - Universal class D is Bruno Putzey's trademark for his Hypex modules and Kevin Haskins of DIYCable is gearing up for some serious UcD-ing: "I'm updating my UcD product line. Basically I've bitten off the capability to machine all my own chassis in-house. I bought a CNC mill, CNC lathe, vibratory tub, buffing equipment and a low-volume andodizing line. I've had enough trouble outsourcing chassis work that I figured if it was going to be done right, I was going to have to do it myself.
"The product I'm developing is going to be further upscale from my current products but I'm projecting fairly reasonable prices in comparison to the big boys. The chassis are all going to be machined out of 1/4", 1/2" & 3/4" 6061 aluminum so they are fairly chunky designs. My UcD400 monoblock has about 8lbs of aluminum in it so that is a few beer cans. I'm also experimenting with some solid wood accents for a nice contrasting machined aluminum/natural wood finish. It is a work in progress.
"The electronics are not earth-shatteringly different from what I'm doing now except I'm moving over to the Hypex SMPS to keep size down and have easy univeral voltage. Jan-Peter claims it sounds better than the linear supply. It is pretty close either way. I have a sample and I cannot tell the difference between the traditional transformer/cap/rectifier supply and the SMPS. The efficiency is >90% which I find attractive for ecological reasons. |
"The entire platform is fairly green since all the materials minus the circuit board could easily be recycled, the amps are high efficiency and the standby power is <2W which would qualify it for the Energy Star Program. Everything is made on-site at my location in Port Angeles Washington, minus the Hypex parts and the rear-panel PCB that I have populated at on a place that does such things more efficiently than I.
"I expect to have the following models selling this year, with the UcD400 monoblock selling by the end of summer.
- UcD400 Monoblock Around $2K/pr with a "SuperCharged" option for those who just cannot handle a base version of anything.
- UcD400 Duceblock $2K approx (two UcD400s, one SMPS400 power supply in one chassis)
- UcD400 Integrated 2-channels with John Chapman remote/source selection (doubt if this one will make it before the end of the year)."
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| May 09 - Bronze your spikes - Liedtke-Metalldesign now carries M8 50mm long spikes with a slightly blunt tip in bronze, an alloy of copper and tin. Each spike is €18.50. |
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| May 09 - Nordic Tuna - Electrocompaniet is proud to introduce the ECR 1 Tuner for FM/RDS/HD/Internet radio. "A full-fledged 192kHz/24bit DAC section with sample rate converter is included to allow analogue conversion of the digital radio. Three digital inputs are also provided letting the ECR 1 be used as a standalone high-end external DAC. Optional plug-in modules are available to include HD Radio and/or internet radio. A USB interface will also be made available." |
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| May 09 - Beresford - Jeff Tomerlin and Eric Underwood have founded Beresford North America to distribute the TC-7520 DAC/headphone amp, a 24/96 DAC via Toslink/RCA and a 16/44.1 unit via USB inputs. The TC-7520 performs oversampling but not upsampling and sells for $249 with free shipping to the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The Beresford is designed in the UK by Mr. Stanley Beresford and built in Taiwan. |
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| May 09 - DSPre - Reader Bo Albrechtsen from Denmark discovered the DSPre1 from Holm Audio and thought our readers might be interested. Take a gander. |
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| May 09 - Headphone DNA - Donal North reports: "I have developed a new vacuum tube headphone amplifier named the DNA Sonett. It's pure single ended triode using the 6H30 with transformer loadin. Power supply is tube rectified using the 5AR4 and choke filtered. The audio circuitry uses no coupling capacitors or feedback and is hand wired point to point. The output transformers are custom made to DNA's specification in the USA. Measured frequency response is very flat and extended while distortion is very low. Selectable on the output are 2 different output impedances: 120 ohms following the IEC standard and a low 28 ohms. I'm offering it in 2 versions, traditional 1/4" stereo jack and dual XLRs for balanced drive. The 2 versions are electrically identical up to the output transformers where the balanced version uses different secondary windings. Price is $1200 for either version. About the Sonett name: I'm a Saab car enthusiast and remember they made a coupe in the 60s & 70s named the Sonett, phonetically the same pronunciation as the Swedish phrase så nätt meaning "so neat". I thought this would be an appropriate name for this amplifier." |
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| May 09 - Audio Aficionado - Perhaps because of the format change at Audio Circle, another audio forum has sprung into existence as reader Brian Kane brought to our attention. This site bills itself as the "friendly forum for high-end audio". Let's see how much moderation that will require to maintain. |
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| May 09 - Sweden racks it - Reports Kenneth Ekelöv from Rock Solid Audio: "We can proudly present a new series of hifi racks to the public. The last two years we have been testing and listening to different materials for our new high-end racks. Made of high class aluminium, stainless steel and specially selected plywood, it's become a very good platform to launch the music from. All product development and manufacturing take place locally in southern Sweden." |
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| May 09 - Carboton Maitresse - This 3-way bass reflex speaker from Bärnbach in Austria is crafted from monocoque carbon fiber as a seamless structure that's finished in gloss black unless ordered in different colors. The price for the hi-tech enclosure makes this a luxury product at €36.000/pr but the implementation appears to be genuinely unique for loudspeakers in that the carbon fiber isn't applied as a partial or panel solution (Morel uses a fiber-glass core for its Fat Lady for example) but makes up the sole building block. The remainder of the parts (transducers, socketry, network, wiring) is said to come from the most prestigious makers. Once the website lists further details, we'll be able to learn more about this intriguing project. |
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May 09 - Munich launches - Furutech Co., Ltd "is delighted to unveil at the 2009 Munich Highend Society Show their Analog Pure Transmission technology for your valued vinyl. Furutech will also be taking the cover off three new Pure Transmission power distribution units and the CF-Series carbon fiber and nonmagnetic stainless connectors."
Finite Elemente announces a hi-tech rack system with "brand revolutionary resonance damping technology; a new look for the classic pagode Master Reference; the 2nd generation Resonator 1000Hz with higher efficiency and better sound: the modul LS loudspeaker; and Projekt 3 Klang, a marketing cooperation between finite elemente, Silent Wire and Trigon."
Naim is set to launch a new speaker, Thorens the Tri-Balance Turntable. |
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May 09 - Right between the ears - HeadRoom aims to prove again that dollar for dollar headphones outperform speakers. "This time they're aiming straight for the top of the mountain. HeadRoom has brought the technologies of their now discontinued Max flagship models into their smaller Desktop product line with the introduction of the Balanced Ultra Desktop Headphone Amp and Ultra Desktop DAC.
"The BUDA includes our now famous class-A biased Max electronics module with OPA627s and Jung Diamond Buffer discrete component headphone amplifier electronics. The BUDA can drive two regular pairs of headphones or one pair of balanced headphones and will accept both balanced and single-ended audio inputs. $1,699.
"The UDAC is a stand-alone digital to analog converter with the amazing ESS Technology Sabre 9008 oversampling/dsp DAC at its heart. It will accept S/PDIF digital signals on coax and Toslink optical connections, and digital audio from a computer with the amazingly easy-to-use USB connection. It has both balanced and single-ended outputs. $1,299. Save $150 on the pair at $1,849." |
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May 09 - PreWyred - Cullen Circuits' new Wyred4Sound STP Preamp is an actively dual FET-buffered, fully balanced passive (no-gain) preamp until the volume control setting exceeds unity gain to automatically switch in gain. The power supply combines a 25A Schottky bridge rectifier connected through 164,560+uF of capacitance with a "Triple-Ripple-Reduction" circuit of which two filtering stages use premium Nichicon bipolar Muse capacitors. The optically encoded volume control combines discrete relays and Dale rn55d precision resistors for "exceedingly accurate channel to channel level matching (+/- 0.05db) and isolation (>106db). Maximum attenuation of 128dB will quiet the loudest of sources and as little as 0.5dB steps allow for the finest control."
The STP offers 2 x XLR i/o and 3/2 RCA i/o ports. Balance and polarity can be adjusted from the remote and the VFD diplay. Max voltage swing is +/-9V. Dimensions are 17" W x 4" H x 13" D and weight is 22 lbs. The STP preamp retails for $1.799. |
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May 09 - Silver & quick - The new $3,900 Quicksilver Full Preamp "achieves maximum sound quality with minimal signal paths, minimal switching and no transistors, regulators or circuit boards. Its massive power supply is housed in a subchassis within the main preamp allowing tremendous dynamic range and transient attack without the limitations of a separate power supply. The output impedance is so low that it will drive a 30-ohm load without the use of solid state devices or transformers. the internal phono stage provides analog enthusiasts state-of-the-art disc playback from a circuit that uses both active and passive RIAA eq."
Bandwidth 0.01Hz to 300KHz +0, -3 db, 10K load
IM Distortion less than 0,02% at 2 volts output
Harmonic Distortion less than 0.02% at 2 volts output from 10 Hz to 40KHz
Gain Line - 18.5dB
Phono - 41dB at 1KHz
Input Impedance: Line - 75 Kohm
Phono - 47 Kohm
Output Impedance 1.5 ohms
Output Polarity Line - inverting
Phono - noninverting
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Maximum Input 30 volts RMS 20Hz to 2 KHz
aximum Output 60 volts RMS 20Hz to 20KHz
Hum and Noise ess than 10 microvolts RMS
Tube Complement Line: 2-12AX7, 2-6H30
Phono: 1-12AX7, 1-6N1P
Dimensions 5.25"H, 11"D, 17"W
Front Panel 19" x 5.25"
Weight 28 lbs.
U.S. Warranty 3 years parts and labor
Tubes 90 days |
| May 09 - TACful discs - Subsidiary of the same Vincent Audio brand that just got the fab review from Stereophile's Michael Fremer, T.A.C. or Tube Amplification Company has released their C-60. This VAM1202 top loader combines 6Z4 tube rectification with cathode-follower 6922EHs in the output stage (a front-panel switchable transistor output is also available) while a PCM1792 handles 24-bit 8x oversampling conversion. The signal is processed fully symmetrical without coupling capacitors and a BB2804 op-amp handles I/V conversion. Output voltage is 2.5V RMS, output impedance 600 ohms, dynamic range >100dB, weight is 12kg, outputs are RCA and XLR analog and the machine is finished black and silver as shown to match the firm's earlier V-60 8xEL34 integrated with Blöhbaum Systems' adaptive bias. The Vincent brand meanwhile introduces the RC-572 touch-screen learning master remote that's preprogrammed for all Vincent and many other machines and allows macro and stream function coding. |
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| May 09 - Wifi - Because my team knows I miss things if they don't look out for me, they routinely supply news items. Here's one from Frederic Beudot: "New brand of wifi thingies. Now hold your breath for the prices of those beautifully repackaged Apple Airports. Price: €1,395 (Alpha), €2,795 (Beta), €3,995 (Beta+), €5,995(Omega), €6,995 (Omega symétrique), €10,995 (Pi). And if I am not mistaken, you still need a DAC after that. Ouch! Cheers, Frederic." Before your impressions are further influenced by Frederic's, check things out for yourself. There certainly can't be much argument about the pricing. |
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May 09 - Munich novelties - Cor Dekker of Benelux import house Musical Reality announces a number of world-first sightings for the Munich show: "Von Schweikert Audio introduces their UniField-line. Their UniField Model II, a very intelligent monitor speaker with extreme musicality and realism, will be starring in the main system. VSA is also introducing their new line of cables. The Unifield will be connected with the VSA master-built biwire.
"KR Audio presents their VA 880 Anniversary and introduces their new Kronzilla DXL, a very powerful set of 150-watt monoblocks. Eera introduces a new line of CD players with the Integral as their top model. We will present two music systems placed on Radius audio furniture from Solid Tech and connected by single-crystal wire from Harmonic Technology." |
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May 09 - Teo drops his drawers - Teo Audio, builders of the Runa loudspeakers and Liquid Cable, the world's first liquid metal alloy audio, video and digital cables, is proud to announce two new series of Liquid Cables to go along with their MHD-1 series of cable products.
"Priced significantly downstream of previous incarnations, the PDL (Performance Delivered for Less) and Super PDL take full advantage of significant breakthroughs achieved to provide performance above their previous flagship cables at roughly half their price!
"This same R&D has improved all sonic aspects of performance of current flagship models by a subjective 50%." For more information, please contact Brian Kurtz, sales director, at 512-377-2834 or via email at sales@teoaudio.com. |
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May 09 - Conservative dress code for Zu - Aiming to win markets where its present matte or gloss colors and lacquers didn't go over, Zu Audio just added natural Cherry veneer to its skin options for the new Essence model. Walnut too is available (closeup below) and the driver mount ring and plate and the plinth can be black as shown or clear-anodized (silver) aluminum with silver lacquer for the plinth. More choices equal more potential customers...
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May 09 - Perreaux at Fidelis - Kiwi brand Perreaux appoints Walter Swanbon of Fidelis AV in New Hampshire as their exclusive distributor for the United States.
"We are very excited about our partnership with Perreaux and look forward to bringing an increasing number of their products onboard starting with the éloquence 150i and 250i integrated amplifiers." Swanbon is no stranger to the brand, having sold Perreaux electronics throughout the 1980s from his audio shops in Arlington, MA and Nashua, NH. Perreaux will be offered to established high-end dealers across the country and joins the company's other product lines including Harbeth, LFD and Gradient. |
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| May 09 - Indra is dead, long live Sakra - Not exactly. Audio isn't teenage super hero stuff. But Serguei Timachev did announce his new top-line analog interconnect at $10,000/pr which again uses an amorphous-metal ultra-thin conductor in a 'distributed Litz' array but adds a Helium gas dielectric in conjunction with porous Teflon. The outer para-vacuum tube is a hermetically sealed flexible tube filled with Helium. This gas is approximately 15 times lighter than air "and therefore its energy storage properties are extremely good: about equal to that of a 15-fold vacuum. Helium is inert and has no ozone or other ionized molecules, thus there is no electrical leakage of any kind inside these Helium filled tubes. Being surrounded by inert Helium, the wires will never oxidize or deteriorate. The Helium pressure inside the tubes is exactly the same as the atmospheric air pressure for nothing to force our Helium to leak..." |
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| May 09 - ASL goes Nottingham - Nottingham Analogue Studios high performance turntable manufacturer of Nottingham, England announced today the appointment of U.S. based ASL Group as their marketing and distribution partner for Canada. "ASL Group has been Nottingham Analogue's U.S. distributor since 2001 so it will be a natural for us to cover the Canadian market with our in-house Nottingham Analogue sales and support team in place. We represent Qsonix music management systems and Burmester Audiosysteme in Canada as well." |
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| May 09 - Raysonic news - The SP10 is a 14wpc integrated push/pull tube amplifier with 4 x 2A3, 2 x 6SN7, 2 x 12AU7 and remote control in a black or silver chassis with four inputs. New from the company are also the SP66 and SP200 integrateds which use 8 x 5881 or 8 x KT88 UL for 50 and 100wpc respectively and otherwise duplicate the appearance and general functionality of the SP10 model shown. |
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| May 09 - Graphite footers - Jerry Chang of Weizhi Precision in Taiwan announces his Gold Glory graphite isolation feet made from a German-sourced copper-injected graphite and a G20 Zirconia ball bearing. Dimensions are 55 x 55 x 47mm WxDxH and weight is 720g each. These devices are sold in quantities of 3 or 4 per box. |
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| May 09 - Cheap silver cables - Artisan Silver Cables launch a new entry-level pure silver interconnect for the introductory price of £99/pr. Called Silver Star, it claims 85-90% of their Silver Dream performance. Artisan Silver Cables can be ordered direct from their website. While the word 'cheap' and hifi rarely ever go together ('affordable' also sounds classier), company owner Alister has no such compunctions. Blame it on the recession. Or thank poor economics for hifi manufacturing getting creative... |
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May 09 - Octave News - Elke Speidel of Octave Audio announces the V40SE successor to the company's popular entry-level V40. "Only a little bit more expensive than the V40 integrated with a fantastic sound, it is fitted with all the important modern features like front channel and pre-out, now upgradable with the optional (Super)Black Box power supply capacitance increase for driving more difficult speaker loads and running with the trendsetting ecomode, a green feature to reduce energy consumption. The V40SE is outstanding in his class.
"The new Phonomodul is upgradable from a menu of five choices: 1 - MM unbalanced; 2 - MC unbalanced; 3 - MC balanced; 4 - regulated output; 5 - transformer balanced output."
Octave was recently selected by Dynaudio USA to be their new exclusive import brand of German vacuum electronics to the American and Canadian markets. |
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May 09 - WLM Stella - WLM's new entry-level range is called Stella and comprises a stand-mount and slim-line tower with down-firing port. Both models adopt the paper-cone tweeter of the La Scala models but shrink the latter's mid/woofers to 5.25 inches. Cherry, Ash or Black real wood veeners, biwire terminals and rear-mounted tweeter contour controls are standard features. These new models will debut at the upcoming Munich HighEnd 2009 show.
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May 09 - Beverly Hills iPod dock - Art.Suono was developed by David Wiener Ventures (DWV) for the DW Collection, a luxury line of audio and entertainment furnishings and fashion offerings "combining stunning design, innovative technology, top performance and exclusivity. DWV, its creator, is an internationally acclaimed design and innovation studio, founded by President & CEO David Wiener, that has designed numerous advanced products and collaborated with some of the world's great brands. Radically original, Art.Suono is both a Limited Edition audio instrument and an elegant sculpture. It wirelessly transmits and enhances music from any audio source -- including a computer, a CD player, satellite radio and an iPod or MP3 player -- to any audio system or speaker, including DWV's Ferrari Art.Engine Music System.
"Art.Suono's proprietary DWC-APHEX circuitry, developed by APHEX Systems for the DW Collection, makes recorded music sound more 'alive' by restoring the harmonics lost in compressed music files. The Art.Suono's DWC-Wireless transmission harnesses Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) to maintain a constant connection and eliminate drop-outs. The Art.Suono consists of a compact 5-pound transmitter, designed to rest on a table or desk next to the user, and a compact receiver housing the DWC-Aphex circuitry and styled to be displayed or hidden. Each Art.Suono serves up to two receivers so that multiple music systems may be used in a home or office. Both elements are fabricated to the highest standards with machined aircraft-grade aluminum, carbon fiber accents and fine detailing and finishes. The Art.Suono features iPod-docking and charging for any iPod (in addition to other audio sources via a plug-in jack), a distinctive red Engine Start power button, a Shift input signal switch, a concealed input signal jack, LED indicators and a convenient volume control." |
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| May 09 - 6C33C space heaters - Navison Audio's flagship OTL monos from Vietnam run eight 6C33Cs per side to produce a whopping 150 watts of output-transformer-less class A triode power. Input sensitivity is 2.5 Volt for full output, input impedance 100K, voltage gain 21dB and claimed frequency response 10Hz to 25KHz. Power consumption is 400 watts minimum and a colossal 1300 watts max. Dimensions are 27.17D x 14.96W x 9.05H inches and weight is 61 lbs. The remaining tube complement consists of two 6SN7s for the first stage, four 6SN7s for the second stage. Rives Audio handles US distribution. |
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| May 09 - Musical Life goes global - Peter Steinfadt of the Frankfurter Hörgesellschaft, already the worldwide representative for Crayon Audio, has now acquired the global distributorship for the German Musical Life analogue gear which includes several tuntable models, tonearms and accessories. The entry-level Jazz turntable shown sells for €1,398 without tone arm. |
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| May 09 - Astintrew in America - Nat Distribution announces that they have been named the new USA and Canadian distributor for the Astintrew Line of audio gear from Britian. "We have limited stock now and will be fully stocked in about 2 weeks. Consider the wonderful AT3500 tube CD player for $2500 and the matching class A hybrid integrated AT2000 for $3000." |
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May 09 - John Potis Memorial Fund - From Vinh Vu of Gingko Audio: "As you may know, John Potis, a reviewer for Soundstage, 6moons and PositiveFeeback, passed away recently at the age of 49 and is survived by a wife and 2 daughters age 12 and 9. A Potis Family Relief Fund has been established for contributions to help his family.
Cash contributions can be made by sending a check or a money order to:
Potis Family Relief Fund
13510 Blenheim Rd N
Phoenix, MD 21131
Contributions can also be sent through PayPal to id john.potis@comcast.net
Donations in kind also can be made by contacting:
Eric Luebehusen
Phone: 202-720-3361
Email: cheric@comcast.net
Donations in kind will be auctioned on Audiogon and the entire proceed will go to the Potis Family Relief Fund.
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| May 09 - USB Cary style - Dennis Had announces the Xciter 32-bit/192kHz DAC with USB input. Upsampling is selectable for each of the four inputs (RCA, BNC, Toslink, USB). Conversion is handled by AKM's AK4399, input receiving by AK4115 or CM108 chips for S/PDIF or USB. "The soul of the Xciter D/A are the National Semiconductor metal case TO-99 current feedback model LME4970NA op-amps direct coupled to the model LME49713 TO-99 final output devices. The USB 2.0 input receives a 24-48kHz data stream which bypasses the receiver chip and is sent directly to the CM-108 device. This stream is then stripped as the bus separates the clock and data signals, resulting in a connection with an extremely low noise floor where jitter is almost nonexistent. This re-clocked stream is directed by the on-board software to the main AK4399 32-bit/192kHz processor chip." |
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| May 09 - KingRex conquers Scandinavia - Moiz Audio is proud to launch a dedicated promotional and commercial website for Kingrex Technologies in Norway and Sweden. Adds Mujtaba Hussain: "We hope that the website will attract audiophiles in Scandinavia and beyond, and we will provide excellent service and help. The Kingrex T20u and UD-01 have enjoyed great sales in little Norway and feedback from customers refer to your excellent reviews on 6moons." |
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| May 09 - New Turkish Internet magazine issue - Chief editor Hakan Cezayirli announces that Stereo Mecmuasi's new issue is called "Memories of Istanbul" and includes 70 photos about dealers from the Istanbul/Turkey area and impressions of listening sessions conducted there. This issue is now ready for download from the Stereo Mecmuasi website. |
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May 09 - Ypsilon Iron - The Ypsilon BC1 transformers are used for converting an unbalanced signal to balanced for use with any kind of unbalanced source like CD players, phono preamps, line preamps etc. They can also be used for breaking ground loops in a system, lowering the total noise floor and improving the interface between equipment by providing galvanic isolation.
Each BC1 has two inputs, one RCA Nextgen connector and one female XLR Neutrik connector and a Cobalt based amorphous core material of very high permeability shielded with mu metal and potted in 10mm soft iron with a nickel coating. Outside magnetic field interference is kept to a minimum. US retail price is $3,600 pair.
The MC transformers were developed in conjunction with the Ypsilon VPS100 phono preamp. They can be used with most moving coil cartridges. The MC10 provides 20db of gain, the MC16 24db and the MC20 26db. When terminated in 47k, the equivalent input impedance is 500, 200 and 140 ohm respectively. If additional loading is needed, it can be done through the parallel input RCA connectors.
The MC series transformers are large-size single C-core double coil transformers using a proprietary amorphous core material shielded with mu-metal and potted in 10mm thick soft iron nickel coated enclosures for immunity to outside magnetic fields and quiet and noise free performance. US retail price is $2,700 each. |
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| May 09 - Audio Nemesis upgrade - Fabio Camorani reports that his DC-1 DAC "despite its circuit topology seemingly common to many other converters especially from China sounds very different from similar products in this price range. Our audio circuit has many original features rare also in high-priced DACs. In December 2007, we started offering an upgrade thanks to new, better and more expensive parts and important modifications to the audio circuit as well as to the shunt regulators. Now AudioNemesis decided to offer a new version called DC-1 Upgrade Edition with pre-installed modifications. The Mundorf Supreme output capacitor option has been superceded by custom-made AudioNautes units and the standard DC-1 will be discontinued starting May 2009. The AudioNemesis DC-1 Upgrade Edition has a retail price of €566.70 + VAT." |
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| May 09 - New Tape Transfers - High Definition Tape Transfers now offers two new releases, the Prokovief Violin Concerto No.1 & Glazunov Concerto for Violin in A minor (Josef Sivo violin, Horst Stein conducting the Suisse Romande Orchestra) coupled to the Prokovief Chout Suite with the London Symphony under Claudio Abbado; and a Bach collection including"Jesu, der du meine Seele", Cantata for the 14th Sunday after Trinity, BWV 78 (Munich Bach Choir · Soloists Ensemble of the Bach Festival Ansbach · Karl Richter, conductor) and various Bach Arias for Voices and Instruments (Bach Aria Group · William H. Scheide Director).
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| May 09 - WLM Minueta - Hannes Frick of WLM Loudspeakers dispatched these teaser photos of first production on his new Minueta EL84 triode/UL switchable 3-input integrated amplifier (top left next to the EL34 Sonata integrated) and the new Sonata stereo amp with input transformer and remote-controlled 5-input Linea tube line stage (lower left and right). His first shipment in time for the Munich show even includes a gold-trimmed Sonata (middle) to demonstrate an optional finish requested by Russia and Asia. |
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May 09 - Invisible Speakers - Sonance introduces the Invisible Speaker Series using flat-panel driver technology developed by Sonance in three new models, two of which utilize improved planar technology. The SA3 [$1.400/pr] and SA1.5 [$1,000/pr] combine "unique, variable-thickness planar flat-panel midrange/tweeters with conventional, round dynamic woofers. The Invisible Series SAW [$1.000/ea.] is a subwoofer featuring conventional drivers. In all three models the surface of the finished unit is covered with a perfectly flat, acoustically transparent vellum overlay that can be painted with a water-based finish, wallpapered, or covered with textured wall coverings without significantly impeding performance, while leaving a single, continuous, unblemished surface."
The flagship SA3 mates a 48-square-inch planar-diaphragm driver with an 8-inch conventional cone woofer while the SA1.5, pairs the same planar unit with a 6.5-inch woofer for similar performance with slightly less bass extension but a mounting profile reduced by one-half: 16x12 inches versus the SA3’s 16x24 inches. The SAW subwoofer has dimensions identical to the SA3, with dual 8-inch low-frequency drivers optimized for use with Sonance’s Sonamp A800 subwoofer amplifier.
All three Invisible Series models require just 3-7/8 inches of depth and can be installed in any conventional 2x4-studded construction. All three incorporate new MDF baffle structures that ease installation while improving acoustical performance. All three also include integral, supplied metal back-boxes that ensure their specified low-frequency performance regardless of wall-structure details and dramatically reduce adjacent-room spillover. |
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