POLK / RESERVE SERIES: News

They write ….. With the custom transducers from Polk’s flagship Legend Series and new Polk innovations in cabinet and port design, Reserve delivers flagship music and movie sound.  Designed by Polk for the flagship Legend Series, the Pinnacle Tweeter features a finely tuned waveguide that dramatically improves the dispersion of high frequency energy, ensuring a […]

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MoFI ELECTRONICS: News

DRIVEN TO ACHIEVE INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE The heart of the SourcePoint 10 is the innovative Twin-Drive high-flux neodymium magnet system. It is not enough to simply optimize the frequency response of the woofer and tweeter. It is also critically important to minimize distortion in the motor structure of the drive unit. If the motor has distortion, […]

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ORACLE AUDIO / PARIS MkV HSP TURNTABLE: News

They tell us … While re-thinking the new MkV we felt it was very important to maintain the design signature of the original Paris turntable. Everything else is a total redesign! The Oracle mechanical design concepts are always intimately linked to the overlapping of different materials interacting within a same assembly for an optimal control […]

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CONRAD JOHNSON / TEA2: News

They say: TEA2 Phono Equalization Preamplifier The TEA2 triode equalization amplifier is a vacuum-tube phono stage offering an extraordinary degree of musical accuracy at a moderate price. The audio circuit of the TEA2 is comprised of two cascaded single-ended triode amplifiers. The circuit is a zero-feedback design, to eliminate the temporal inaccuracies that negative feedback […]

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BRICASTI DESIGN: News

WHAT HI-FI? write … M3 DAC So, here’s a bit of background. Bricasti Design is a small, Massachusetts-based high-end company that specialises in digital and amplification components for both studio and home use. Founded in 2004, it’s still relatively young, but the people behind it have a great deal of experience in audio having worked […]

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STABLE 33.2 Mk2 TURNTABLE: News

After years of hard work and development, we are pleased to present our brand new analog turntable, the STABLE 33.2 Mk2. This turntable is inspired by our state-of-the-art high-end model STABLE 33.1. By staying true to our values, we achieved the little miracle of creating a high-quality analog turntable. The STABLE 33.2 Mk2 is a […]

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LEMAY AUDIO / HOMMAGE DAYTON WRIGHT ELECTROSTATICS: News

The new Lemay Audio Hommage Electrostatic loudspeaker is a complete rethinking of the famous Dayton Wright XG-10 loudspeaker introduced in 1975 by Michael Wright. Only original restored ultra high-performance electrostatic cells and audio transformer are retained. The rest is completely reinvented for the ultimate music lover . No crossover, no box resonance, no electrostatic sound, […]

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PS AUDIO: No matter what your speakers or your tastes in music are, a big amplifier – and I mean really big – will always set your system apart

Take for example the BHK600 monoblocks. Now there is a BIG amplifier. Big enough that not that many people are able to have one. But for the few that are able to enjoy the best in class, there’s simply nothing that compares. And that’s an elusive statement because how does one make such a comparison? For me, […]

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ACORA ACOUSTICS / SRC-2: News

We are told … SRC-2  2.5-way Floorstanding Loudspeaker  As you listen to the Acora Acoustics SRC-2 loudspeaker, you will hear immersive space and imaging. You will hear deep, authoritative yet articulate bass. You will hear fine detail and depth.  Acora loudspeakers will reveal many things you simply haven’t heard before. What you won’t hear is the enclosure. Acora Acoustics loudspeakers […]

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PS AUDIO: There is no doubt in my mind that an audio or power cable whose conductors are made from silver rather than copper will sound better.

After reading what I just wrote, I am certain that the hairs on the backs of many necks just popped straight out. Standing hairs and raised eyebrows aside, time and again, I have been convinced that my silver-based cables outperform their copper-based brethren. Why that would be is a mystery. Yes, I have read about […]

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KIMBER KABLE / 8PR: News

HIGH CURRENT BRAIDED LOUDSPEAKER CABLE 16 strands of 19.5 AWG OFE (oxygen free electrolytic) copper with industry leading conductivity. (102% IACS). Aggregate combination of 8, 19.5AWG strands≈10AWG per +/- leg. Polyethylene dielectric. Black/Red LOW series induction design: 0.14 uH / meter Polyethylene dielectric 16 wire counter opposed helix VariStrand copper conductors Nitrogen assisted hand soldered […]

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PS AUDIO: Lighter than air

PAUL McGOWAN Here’s something crazy. The mass of the FR30 and FR20’s tweeter and midrange diaphragms is less than the air being moved. Compare that with the heavier mass of even the best diamond-encrusted tweeter in the world, and, at least for me, I experience a moment’s pause. A pause for two reasons. First, I never thought […]

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PS AUDIO: What and how

In any endeavor, it’s important to be clear about what you hope to achieve and then worry about how you will get there. Here’s a good example from two recent recording sessions at Octave Records. Both sessions used the Steinway piano in Octave’s tracking room. The first was a solo classical music piece while the second was a group pop track. Does […]

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UNDERSTANDING: Impedance

PAUL MCGOWAN … For those with a clear understanding, this is a good post to skip. For those still unclear about what it means when we speak of high and low impedances, this might be right up your alley. The simplest way to think about impedance is to consider it an opposer. The higher the impedance […]

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UNDERSTANDING: Op amps vs. chips

I wince when people equate op-amps with chips. An op-amp describes a topology, not a chip. Yes, the op-amp topology is often built onto a silicon wafer, but we should be careful not to forever bind the two together unless we’re clear about the difference. (If you’re technically minded there’s a great paper describing in […]

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