Month: November 2016

“With the popularity of Matisyahu, a Hasidic reggae rapper, interest is growing in other Jewish Reggae music. Many of these Jewish Reggae albums are hard to find, but I predict that it will become easier soon, as record labels begin to realize the value of these fine musicians and make their albums widely available. So […]

The DPMC is a phono MM MC preamplifier with a level control. It uses 4 ECC83 in the preamplifier and to correct the RIAA stage. A tube regulated power supply ensures stability. This unit is ideal for connecting an integrated amplifier of a phono stage. More information HERE

Paul Rigby writes ….. Each speaker features 184 wooden blocks with criss-cross grain to lower resonance. Each is cut, each segment is hand positioned and then brushed with four layers of natural wax, then polished. The cabinet is shaped as a droplet (no parallel planes are present inside the cabinet).   The shape of the […]

Frank Berryman writes …..   Mytek Digital, the second MQA licensee after Meridian to ship an Audiophile DAC with MQA™ technology, will be showcasing the MQA-capable Brooklyn DAC, and showing an advanced prototype of the more upscale MQA-capable Manhattan II DAC to be shipping in August 2016. MQA is a revolutionary end-to-end technology that captures […]

They tell us ….. It features high current discrete power transistors on all seven channels, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, with dual antennas and dual band supply for a robust connection (even in Wi-Fi crowded areas), support for AirPlay or Spotify Connect, Internet Radio, local network storage drive access and a bit more. The NR1607 comes with […]

From the desk of Frank Berryman: Rotel Electronics, widely acknowledged for 50 years as a leader in affordable high-end electronics designed for serious audiophiles and home-theater fans, has introduced the RA-1592 stereo integrated amplifier built upon the award-winning Rotel RC-1590 preamplifier and RB-1582mk2 power amplifier in a sleek, single chassis design. While home theater is […]

  They tell us ….. An integrated amplifier, uses op-amps (operational amplifiers) mounted on discrete, voltage-stabilised circuit boards plus a two-stage volume control based on a ALPS potentiometer. A Flat switch is present, which entirely removes the tone controls and Loudness function from the signal path.  The PA 1000 E is equipped with balanced and […]

Paul Rigby says ….. Wilson Benesch has declared that it has produced the world’s first loudspeaker constructed using coloured carbon fibre composites. In partnership with Hypetex (noted Formula 1 Engineers) the new A.C.T. P1 Monocoque will be available in ‘Enzo’ red, with a number of other motor sport-inspired colours in the pipeline, reflecting the F1 racing origin […]

Paul Rigby says ….. A new PCM- and DSD-capable DAC, pre-amplifier and headphone amp that includes USB (UAC2 over USB 2 or later), Coaxial RCA Phono (supporting S/PDIF and AES3-id or AES3 with suitable adaptor) and S/PDIF OPTICAL equipped digital devices. For analogue audio outputs, Callia offers both balanced XLR as well as unbalanced RCA phono connectors […]

Frank Berryman writes ….. Magico, the leader in high performance loudspeaker design and manufacture, is pleased to announce the new M3. The 2014 release of the M-Project provided a glimpse of the innovative designs and advanced technologies that were being developed at Magico. Since then, we have continued to develop and refine the concepts and […]

They say ….. The hi-res unit will be MQA-enabled via a free update to its native Music app making it one of the world’s first MQA-enabled portable digital audio players. MQA is a revolutionary end-to-end technology that captures and delivers master quality audio in a file that’s small enough to stream or download. And because […]

They say ….. Emotiva Audio Corporation, the company that continually proves high-end audio doesn’t have be high-priced, introduces the BasX line of audio components, including powerful multizone amplifiers and versatile stereo preamp/tuners, engineered to work together to reproduce flawless sound, with the most intuitive operation in audio. “A central part of Emotiva’s mission is been […]

They say ….. A set of headphones with a sealed over-ear design and custom 50mm drivers, the same as the company’s own Mo-Fi headphone. Blue’s default headband design features a four-point multi-jointed linkage system and pivoting arms that allow the headphones to stay parallel at all times. Lola furthers this design with a new slimmer […]

They say ….. The TR-5 S2 focuses around a new crossover and an improved internal layout. The crossover uses improved and modified electrical components and large low-impedance air core voice-coils on a double-sided PCB. Meanwhile, the cabinet internals have been re-designed and feature a high-absorption internal damping material. The TR-5 S2 retains the same drivers […]

Paul Rigby writes ….. Known as the Direct Power Stereo Moving Coil Cartridge, it is Audio-Technica’s new flagship design. Direct Power System means that it places the moving coil directly on top of the stylus tip meaning that the signal transmission from the stylus diamond to the moving coil is direct and therefore not transmitted along […]

They tell us ….. Karma-AV has announced the UK launch of Revel’s Concerta2 Series loudspeakers. The six-model Concerta2 range includes the M16 bookshelf monitor, two floor-standing tower speakers the F35 and F36, the C25 centre and S16 surround speakers and the 800W B10 active subwoofer. Concerta2 Series loudspeakers employ a 1-inch aluminium tweeter with an […]

Canada Hi-Fi has posted a review of the ArtVibes Audio DaVinci loudspeakers ($26,999). His conclusions: “The ArtVibes speakers adorned by established artists makes for a great conversation piece to be sure. It also helps them stand out from other speakers, especially at audio shows. Look at it this way; you are not only getting a […]

  Marja and Henk have posted a review of the nvoaudio ISA-2 integrated amplifier (€9000) at 6moons. Their conclusions: “Depending on the recording’s fidelity (lack of we-correct-it-in-the-mix trickery), the musicians behaved more like humans and less like sounds that had been spliced together to act like music. This came with great driver control which persuaded […]

Trevor Butler has posted a review of the Manger P1 loudspeakers (€8400/pair) at The Ear. His conclusions: “This full-range drive unit is supplemented by a dedicated woofer in the p1 simply because the transducer can move only a certain amount of air below about 80Hz, and people expect a design of this size and price […]

They say ….. With the completion of the HDMI input module, Boulder Amplifiers is pleased to announce the full release and shipment of the 2120 D/A Converter. The original 2000 Series was in continuous and unchanged production since 1996. The replacement 2100 Series is Boulder’s highest performing, continuously produced product line, encompassing the latest technology […]

  Robert Harley has posted a review of the Constellation Audio Altair II preamplifier ($9000) and Hercules II monoblock power amplifiers ($180,000/pair) at The Absolute. His conclusions: “The Constellation Audio Altair linestage and Hercules monoblock amplifiers in their updated version maintain their status as world-class references. They are a convergence of beautiful design and build-quality, […]

Hans Wetzel has posted a review of the JL Audio Dominion d108 subwoofer ($799) at SoundStage! Access. His conclusions: “JL Audio’s Dominion d108 is a truly musical subwoofer with enough refinement and control to keep up with a top-flight minimonitor, and is ballsy enough to provide robust output down to 30Hz.” You can read the […]

  Jeff Fritz has posted a review of the Soulution 560 DAC ($35,000) at SoundStage! Ultra. His conclusions: “Overall, the 560 easily produced the best sound I’ve heard in my system. It made me forget the debate of analog vs. digital, and encouraged me to just explore my music collection and forge ahead to discover […]