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NEWS RELEASE 5/18/13 High-performance manufacturer MIT Cables, announces a broad line of new products. Known for nearly 30 years for its top-of-the-line Reference interface products, MIT is launching a new range of StyleLine high-performance products utilizing many of the same patented features, but using advanced manufacturing techniques to miniaturize the networks and bring the cables to much more affordable price points. By listening to feedback from its long-term dedicated customer base, MIT found that many wanted the benefits of MIT's acclaimed Reference products, but desired cables that were more user-friendly and at more affordable price points. MIT responded by investing in a long engineering process, redesigning the StyleLine series from the ground up, developing a completely new product line for the audiophile and music lover, with a fresh new look and enhanced performance at entry-level prices. A comprehensive StyleLine catalog will offer cables for both single-ended and balanced interconnects plus speaker cables, all in a variety of performance levels. USB and HDMI cables will round out the initial offerings. In many cases, the miniaturization achieved enables the passive networks to actually fit inside the RCA and XLR connectors rather than needing large network boxes in the cable. In models where too many Poles of Articulation are utilized to fit within the connector, completely new and much smaller enclosures are mounted in the middle of the cables rather than at the ends, making them easier to manage within a system. StyleLine Interconnects: SL3 (starting at $199/1m pair for single-ended, or $299/1m pair for balanced) feature three poles of articulation, providing classic MIT Cables performance through optimizing bass, midrange and highs. SL6 (starting at $299/1m pair for single-ended, or $599/1m pair for balanced) use six poles of articulation, yielding more sophisticated performance through better-controlled bass, more natural midrange, smoother and more extended highs, and a lowered noise floor. SL8 (starting at $499/1m pair for single-ended, or $1199/1m pair for balanced) grow to eight poles of articulation, offering a greater taste of MIT's signature sound through even deeper bass, enhanced image and focus, and an overall greater clarity. StyleLine Speaker Interfaces: SL5S (starting at $499/8 foot pair) feature three poles of articulation, providing classic MIT Cables performance through optimizing bass, midrange and highs. SL9S (starting at $799/8 foot pair) use eight poles of articulation, yielding more sophisticated performance through better-controlled bass, more natural midrange, smoother and more extended highs, and a lowered noise floor. SL12S (starting at $1199/8 foot pair) grow to eight poles of articulation, offering a greater taste of MIT's signature sound through even deeper bass, enhanced image and focus, and an overall greater clarity. The SL9S and SL12S also feature MIT's patented iConn connectors with interchangeable banana and spade ends to best meet your system's needs. Each StyleLine model is available in several standard lengths from stock, as well as custom lengths made to order. All versions carry a limited lifetime warranty, and are available for immediate shipment from MIT Cables Rocklin, California factory. NEWS RELEASE 5/13/13 Marking one of the most significant product introductions in the company's history, Audience will debut its all-new WavePower mono power amplifier at T.H.E. Show: Newport in California (May 31 - June 2). The WavePower amplifier incorporates newly developed Ncore Class D technology from Hypex Electronics and a host of Audience refinements to offer a genuine breakthrough in amplifier performance. Audience will also be demonstrating the production version of its ClairAudient 1 + 1 loudspeaker as part of a complete audio system incorporating the WavePower amp, Audience Au24 SE interconnects and speaker cables and other components. Audience will be exhibiting at the Atrium Hotel: Orange County Airport, Irvine, CA in room 326. The Hypex Ncore technology at the heart of the Audience WavePower represents a completely new, proprietary implementation of Class D amplifier technology to deliver greater retrieval of sonic information and extraordinary resolution, with extremely low THD, IMD, noise and output impedance. The WavePower amp also incorporates a matching Hypex switching power supply, an Audience-designed input amplifier, new Audience-exclusive AIT1 input transformers and new Audience "SE"-class custom-made XLR and RCA connectors. It delivers 650 watts into 4 ohms, 1,200 watts into 2 ohms. Additional features include all-Audience Auric OFCC point-to-point internal wiring, built-in Audience TS-class power conditioning, WBT NextGen binding posts, a Neutrik® powerCON connector and other refinements.
"In all my years of designing and listening to
electronics, I've never heard anything like this new amplifier, which delivers
absolutely immaculate, pristine audio quality," said John McDonald, president of
Audience. "I'm tremendously excited about the WavePower and I think anyone who
hears it will know it's something special." T.H.E. Show: Newport will be open to the public and will feature internationally acclaimed live concerts, fine wine, gourmet food, a classic car show and more in addition to more than 200 exhibitors. About Audience Audience was formed in November 1997 by John McDonald and the late Richard Smith, as a design and production company focused on building the best possible audio and video equipment. To pass the Audience test, each product must truly make a significant contribution to the reproduction of audio and/or video. Audience offers loudspeakers, electronics, cables, power conditioners, high-resolution capacitors and the Auric Illuminator optical disk resolution enhancement. Audience's commitment is to develop the very best products possible, and the company is committed to unexcelled customer service and product support. All Audience cables have an unconditional lifetime warranty and power conditioners have a ten-year warranty. For more information visit www.audience-av.com. NEWS RELEASE 5/13/13 DIA-250 and DIA-400 Integrated Amplifier with DAC and digital inputs The all-new Gato Audio DIA-250 and DIA-400 Class-D Integrated Amplifiers are designed and built to a vision of combining techno-logy, power, sonic performance, connectivity, versatility, stunning looks and compact design. Both amplifiers feature built-in D/A converters with electrical, optical and USB inputs. High quality analogue input is via RCA connectors or via XLR connectors for true balanced signals. Both balanced and unbalanced line outputs are provided. Even the least powerful DIA-250 offers 250 watts per channel into 8 ohm loads, and the DIA-400 no less than 400 watts per channel. Both amplifiers double their power output into 4 ohm loads. Modern Class-D technology enables extremely high efficiency, thereby providing both enormous power and huge voltage swing. Besides the obvious benefit of having this much power, the huge voltage swing from these powerhouses gives effortless dynamic headroom without clipping, all in the service of bringing you stunning musical performance. More info about DIA-250 can be found here, and for DIA-400 click here. The DIA-250 and DIA-400 are available from June 2013 and we offer three different design variants: High gloss black, white and walnut. Retail prices start from 3.250 EUR. NEWS RELEASE 5/13/13 Peachtree Audio's new Bluetooth Speaker, deepblue, is a one-box music system that produces room-filling sound and shockingly deep bass from a very small footprint. The sealed elliptical enclosure contains five custom-made speakers, including a 6.5" bass driver, two 3" mid-range drivers, and two 1" soft dome tweeters to form a true three-way speaker. The speakers are powered by a 240-watt five-channel amplifier - double the amount of power found in most wireless speakers. Featuring a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) fine-tuned by Peachtree Audio's award-winning design team, deepblue is more than your average Bluetooth speaker. It's a high-performance home audio system that sounds great in any size room, works with your favorite mobile devices, and is very simple to operate. “The technical challenge was creating big sound out of a small box with the deep bass and output that much larger systems have - while not making it a cost-no-object product. deepblue uses the most powerful amplifier in its class and overbuilt custom speakers to produce a surprising amount of sound. People's faces light up when they hear deepblue. Our engineers exploited the laws of physics and tweaked the Digital Signal Processing to produce a level of sound quality that is unlike any other wireless speaker currently on the market.” - Jonathan Derda, Director of Training for Peachtree Audio While deepblue is loaded with a lot of technology in its compact box, Peachtree Audio also focused on making it easy to use. With only three buttons on deepblue, and only 12 on the included remote, anyone can use it to its fullest capability within seconds. Bluetooth sources with AVRCP, like the iPhone, can be controlled from the remote for functions like track skip and play/pause. deepblue also features a four-step digital bass equalizer, providing adjustable bass for the best sound in any room and for any song. A 17-step volume control allows you to adjust volume to exactly where you want it, while the DSP adjusts frequency response to maintain rich and clear sound at any volume. deepblue connects wirelessly via Bluetooth or wired with a 3.5mm stereo connection to virtually any smartphone, tablet, music player, or computer. iTunes, Pandora and Spotify are just a few of the familiar apps that are easily streamed wirelessly, thrilling anyone in ears' reach. deepblue will be available for $399 from peachtreeaudio.com and select retailers June 2013. http://www.peachtreeaudio.com/deepblue-bluetooth-music-system.htm
About Peachtree Audio NEWS RELEASE 5/13/13 MIT Cables is pleased to announce the release of two new high-performance USB cables for the computer audiophile, StyleLink Digital and StyleLink Digital Plus. Part of the new StyleLine family of price-conscious audio interfaces that feature much of the same technology that has made MIT famous for the past 29 years, these new USB cables offer superb performance and value. Utilizing all premium materials and carefully designed construction, these two USB cables will retrieve all of the data in your digital music files and transmit it as an error-free high-speed data stream. Both models feature 24 gauge Oxygen-Free Copper (OFC) center conductors that are triple-shielded to eliminate extraneous noise from entering the system. Contacts in both models are 24 karat gold-plated for optimum conductivity and corrosion resistance, giving you the best possible signal over the lifetime of the cable. The StyleLink Digital Plus cables add silver-plating to the OFC center conductors for even better high-frequency response, along with a rugged braided outer jacket for increased protection. Both cables meet or exceed all USB 2.0 specifications, assuring you of hearing all the music in your library at its very best. StyleLink Digital models carry prices of $79/1 meter, $99/2 meter, and $119/3 meter cable. StyleLink Digital Plus models are priced at $149/1 meter, $189/2 meter, and $229/3 meter cable. All versions carry a limited lifetime warranty, and are available for immediate shipment from MIT Cables,Rocklin, California factory. NEWS RELEASE 5/13/13 Simaudio Ltd. proudly introduces the MOON Neo series. Pronounced "knee-o", every aspect of this new series was conceived to remind people of our flagship Evolution series, but at a fraction of the price. Using aesthetics from the much more expensive Evolution series, the Neo series models incorporate a variety of circuit enhancements to noticeably improve sound quality. Neo is destined to give customers many years of musical enjoyment and complete satisfaction. Neo takes the place of most models previously available in the MOON series. Existing MOON series model numbers will not change. However, the new ones will be identified with the word "Neo". Beginning with six models, this series will grow in the very near future. MOON Neo Models: 380D Digital-to-Analog Converter with 32-bit architecture 250i Integrated Amplifier (50 watts/channel) 340i Integrated Amplifier (100 watts/channel) 350P Preamplifier (with optional DAC & Phono) 330A Power Amplifier (125 watts/channel) 400M Power Amplifier (400 watt mono) The MOON Neo series will be available in May 2013 NEWS RELEASE 5/13/13 Alpha Design Labs – creates innovative, smart-looking components for computer-based systems as well as personal and portable electronics. Tokyo-based ADL by Furutech™ aims high using the best materials and innovative design for an expanding line of Japanese designed precision products that includes the superbly comfortable H118 Headphones and now the X1 USB DAC/Headphone Amplifier. The X1 has Landed! • Goes Anywhere • Stacks Easily • Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery • Digital Inputs for iDevices or Computer-Based USB • Superb Sound • A Perfect Match with ADL H118s • At Your Desk or On the Go! Headphone listening is an intimate sonic experience and most enthusiasts use headphone amplifiers and a good pair of headphones – like ADL's H118 – to get even closer to the musical experience. Headphone amplifiers determine the quality of sound in hand with the headphones so both must be technically capable and offer fine sound as well. And in that department the X1 reigns! The X1 is small, discrete but highly specified with inputs supporting iOS digital at up to 16/48 via APPLE MFI-certified USB cable for iPod, iPhone and iPad devices. The X1 also runs 24/192 SPDIF with high resolution files from MAC and PC via USB. There's an analog line-level 4-pin 3.5mm input and a 4-pin 3.5mm output for headphones in the 12~600 ohm range. The 4-pin input supports 3.5mm Remote and Mic Earphones. The 3.5mm TOSLINK optical output delivers SPDIF up to 24/192. There's a convenient GND TRRS switch making it easy to change from one 4-pin set of ‘phones to another. No drivers are needed with Mac computers while a single standard driver is available for Windows computers.
H118 Headphones... It's All In Your Head!
Alpha Triform Contour Earcups™ The ADL H118 is balanced in a completely audiophile way, a very Furutech way. Rich tonal colors and textures with intimate and close harmonic interplay, a sense of space and quiet backgrounds are the key. It's an involving emotional experience when you're THIS CLOSE to the music.
Learn More About the Fabulous X1 USB DAC Headphone Amplifier NEWS RELEASE 5/13/13 New Spendor D7 Now Shipping Hear them at their North American Debut: THE Show Newport Beach The Spendor D7 is an elegant, modern, medium-size, 2.5 way, floor-standing loudspeaker. The D7 delivers music with a fresh vibrant realism that conventional loudspeakers cannot match. This new level of performance is the direct result of important Spendor innovations. Spendor's new Linear Pressure Zone tweeter achieves linear acoustic output across a wide frequency range, which in practice is extremely difficult. The result is perfect focus, uninhibited sound transmission and a very wide listening window. The D7 receives a new advanced EP77 poylmer cone for superb clarity and vanishingly low coloration. The D7 low frequency drive unit has an ultra-rigid two part bonded Kevlar composite cone assembly for accurate powerful low frequency response. The benefits of Spendor Linear Flow port technology have been well proven in the Spendor A-Line. They deliver deep articulate bass with natural timing, even in small rooms or close to a wall. Spendor's new fifth generation Linear Flow Port incorporates an aerodynamically profiled central baffle to create a tapered twin-venturi port. The result is evenly balanced acoustic pressure eliminating port noise and spurious mid-band radiation. Timing is fundamental to the musical experience. Spendor's unique Dynamic Damping system converts any spurious energy in the cabinet into inaudible heat. The result is a silent rigid cabinet and naturally fast engaging sound. 90dB efficiency and an easy to drive 8 ohm load ensure complete compatibility with a wide range of amplifiers and cables. With substantial power handling the D7's can play very loud without sounding compressed. At low replay levels the sound is always clear and transparent. "A superb floorstander, one of Spendor's best boxes ever." - HiFi Choice, April 2013, Five Star Award Winner The D7 looks as good as it sounds. Two new premium finishes perfectly complement today's on-trend interiors. US retail price is $6,495 for standard finishes and $7,495 for premium finishes. All Spendor loudspeakers are designed and manufactured in the UK. Hear the new Spendor D7 at its North American debut: THE Show, Newport Beach, CA - May 31-June 2, 2013 NEWS RELEASE 5/13/13 Rutherford Audio Inc. Distributor of a portfolio of fine Hi-Fi brands announces the appointment of Norm Steinke of Denver, Colorado as its President of Sales for USA. “I am very pleased to have Norm join our team as our president of Sales in the USA” said Mr. Robb Niemann, CEO of Rutherford Audio Inc. “I have gotten to know Norm over the past three years as a friend and a resource with a great history and a wealth of industry knowledge that will help Rutherford Audio continue to grow at an accelerated pace.” “Norm fits in very well with the high profile product lines that we currently take care of in North America” said Niemann, “Burmester, ELAC, Genesis, Vertere, Thorens, Yacht Audio Speakers, April Music, Schroers and Intercore are all fantastic product lines that represent value and sophistication for the Hi-Fi dealers.” “I am pleased to join the team at Rutherford, I have been watching them for the past three years collect Luxury brands with long heritages both in the USA and in Europe. It is an exciting time for both Rutherford Audio and myself as I will begin setting up a rep network and distribution network for the brands in the USA. I look forward to connecting with my dealer friends around the country and introducing them to a group of brands with clean distribution that they can partner with.” Mr. Norm Steinke said. “Rutherford has a solid history and I look forward to growing its market in North America.” Steinke formerly served as COO of Blunote Audio Video in Denver and for 17 years prior as VP of Sales for Meridian America Inc. Steinke will be based out of Denver, a central location allowing him to be able to respond quickly to the needs of customers. About Rutherford Audio Inc. Rutherford Audio Inc. is a leading distributor of Hi-Fi products in North America, brand representation includes: Burmester, ELAC, Vertere, Genesis, Yacht Audio Speakers, Thorens, April Music, Schroers, Intercore, Plinius*, Primare* & Integrita*. Rutherford delivers components, tools and systems to music lovers in North America through a network of dealers, with a commitment to quality in product, service and performance. * Canada only For more information please contact: Rutherford Audio Inc. • 14433 33a Ave St • South Surrey, B.C. V4P 3N5 • voice: 604-542-0904 • info@rutherfordaudio.com • www.rutherfordaudio.com NEWS RELEASE 5/3/13 Benchmark Media Systems is proud to announce the immediate availability of the DAC2 D, its newest digital-to-analog converter. The DAC2 D is ideal for audio engineers or home enthusiasts who want to have the same top-of-the-line performance as the DAC2 HGC but don't need its analog inputs or the 12V trigger. The DAC2 D brings the same award-winning performance as the DAC2 HGC - at the competitive price of $1,795.00. The DAC2 D shares many high-end features with the DAC2 HGC, including: Sabre32 Reference eight-channel 32-bit audio D/A converter (ES9018) 24-bit/192kHz PCM, as well as native DSD conversion Sample rate and word length display UltraLock2™ jitter attenuation Asynchronous USB Audio 2.0 Polarity switch, home theater bypass, digital inputs, digital pass-through, and high-efficiency low-noise power supplies The brand new DAC2 D will be shipping worldwide today, and will retail in the USA for $1,795.00. It will be available with both black and silver faceplates. Benchmark Media Systems and any of their authorized dealers are accepting orders. For more information about Benchmark's DAC2 D visit: http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/dac/dac2-d For more information about Benchmark's current products visit: http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/products NEWS RELEASE 5/3/13 Teresonic is announcing Clarison Digital, a new line of high-end digital cables designed for high-end digital audio systems. High resolution digital music can now be transported between Digital-to-Analog Converters (DAC) and Music Servers using fully shielded Clarison Digital cables via S/PDIF and AES connections. Clarison Digital cables feature pure OFC “Litz” wire which consists of multiple strands each individually silver plated. A military-grade shielding provides triple signal protection from electric, magnetic, and mechanical interferences. Digital cables are more demanding than analog cables requiring higher bandwidth – so all Teresonic cables are designed and tested at over 200 MHz to accommodate rapid transitions in digital signal and to minimize “jitter” and other distortions. Two S/PDIF (75 Ohm) digital cables are being introduced: Clarison Digital RCA cable 1.5m retails for $395, and Clarison Digital BNC cable 1.5m retails for $395. Also, a fully balanced AES (110 Ohm) Clarison Digital XLR cable 1.5m retails for $445. Other lengths can be special ordered at $95 per 0.5m. Customers get a 30-day Total Satisfaction Guarantee and a full three-year warranty. The new Clarison Digital will be demonstrated at T.H.E Newport audio show (May 31 – June 2) in Atrium hotel room 218. Please contact me for review samples. NEWS RELEASE 4/15/13 Positive Feedback Online announces the launch of their new audio buy, sell, trade and discussion site Positive Feedback Exchange. PFE is an embracing, friendly, helpful community in which to buy, sell, trade and discuss audio gear. It's In Our Genes A healthy dose of PFO Classic Values distinguishes PF Exchange from other sites. Positive Feedback, just as its name implies, has always been about nurturing an open and sharing audio community. PF Exchange will help you make more informed buying (and selling) decisions based on helpful, carefully-moderated forums. We'll all share our passions but no flame wars will be allowed to fulminate! We'll all be on PFE to help each other find happiness and lasting satisfaction with our audio systems. It's In Our Code Believing a lower-cost alternative to present-day pre-owned audio selling sites would be beneficial to audiophiles everywhere the Positive Feedback Online team assembled a project group to produce PFE. It's coded from the ground up with a fresh approach to online buy/sell/trade/discussion groups. Under development for most of the past year PFE is now in public beta test mode allowing users to create accounts, list audio gear for sale, purchase audio gear and participate in interesting and informative discussions. We encourage user feedback; the PFE team is working to incorporate as many improvements as humanely possible in 2013. It's In The Price You'll be happy to hear there's no charge for creating an account at PFE. During the beta session—slated to run until June 1st—all sales listings are free. And you'll also be delighted to hear that once beta testing is over user accounts will continue to be free to create at PFE. After beta listings of items for sale costs a flat fee of USD $4.00 per item per 30 days with no additional percentage charged for items sold. This encourages audio lovers who are selling as well as those who are browsing for sale items to find one another. Those interested in the terms and conditions of use for PFE will find the "Rules of the House" at https://exchange.positive-feedback.com/cms/termscondition. If you're interested in advertising at PFE contact Advertising Sales Manager Bryan Gladstone at bgladstone@positive-feedback.com See you online at http://exchange.positive-feedback.com NEWS RELEASE 4/15/13 Race Day at the Formula One Shanghai Grand Prix: The excitement mounts. Second only to the incredible spectacle of the cars is the intense sound, as the air fills with the roar of engines. It's a meeting of sound, vision and passion. Reflecting this unique fusion, Infiniti Red Bull Racing and Sennheiser are joining forces for the 2013 racing season. The audio specialist has been named as the first Official Audio Supplier, supplying professional audio solutions for the Factory debriefs, driver interviews and powering the DJ booth in the exclusive Paddock Club. The cooperation will be kicked off at the Shanghai race with a special DJ set from Chinese superstar DJ, Jamaster A, and the creation of an exclusive edition of Sennheiser MOMENTUM headphones. Infiniti Red Bull Racing has dominated the Formula One World Constructor's Championships for three years, has the car to beat and a red-hot pairing of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Innovation, precision engineering, a passion for excellence, and a determination to be the best – Infiniti Red Bull Racing has epitomized these qualities. So too has Sennheiser, which has maintained its supremacy over 65 years at the forefront of high quality sound. While Infiniti Red Bull Racing takes winning performance to the track, Sennheiser will take premium sound backstage as the first ever Official Audio Supplier to the Racing team. Sennheiser audio equipment will be used by Team Principal, Christian Horner, during his Team debriefs. Meanwhile, Sennheiser will also be helping fans get even closer to the action, with the wireless 2000 microphone series used for Paddock Club driver interviews. A great start is all-important in Formula One: Sennheiser and Infiniti Red Bull will be launching the new relationship in style at the Shanghai Grand Prix, 11 - 14 April. Sennheiser will be wowing crowds with a very special DJ set by Chinese superstar, Jamaster A, who will perform for race visitors at the site entrance, equipped by Sennheiser. Later the party gets exclusive, as Jamaster A lays down the grooves for VIPs backstage in the prestigious Paddock Club, taking to the decks in the Sennheiser-powered DJ booth. At the European Races starting in Barcelona on 12 May, special guests of the Infiniti Red Bull Racing Team can enjoy professional sound additionally in the popular Red Bull Energy Station, which will be equipped with a Sennheiser wireless microphone system. Throughout the season, the companies will be working together on a number of exciting projects that will take the sounds and sensations of Infiniti Red Bull Racing even further. The first development to be announced is the creation by Sennheiser of a very special Infiniti Red Bull Racing edition of its acclaimed MOMENTUM headphones, featuring the colours and logo of the F1 team. Part of Sennheiser's Style Selection, the MOMENTUM combines high quality, luxury materials with incredible sound quality that draws on the audio expert's longstanding expertise in high performance audio. This limited edition will be available to the teams and its very special guests. The MOMENTUM and additional Sennheiser flagship products such as the HD 800, HD 700, IE 800 headphones and the 9000 wireless microphone series will be on display in the Paddock Club at selected races.
"Sennheiser is used to delivering champion
performance in sound through our commitment to excellence and innovative
technology. Working with Infiniti Red Bull Racing is a real privilege and a
great way of reflecting what Sennheiser means today," says Paul Whiting,
President of Sennheiser Global Sales. "Just as with Formula One, Sennheiser's
new MOMENTUM headphones match an aspirational, fashionable style to an
unrelenting pursuit of high performance. They represent the same purity of
purpose that underpins champion teams such as Infiniti Red Bull Racing",
explains Peter Callan, President of the Consumer Electronics Division at
Sennheiser. Describing the relationship with Sennheiser, Christian Horner, Team
Principal at Infiniti Red Bull Racing said: "Innovation, passion and performance
are constant drivers in everything we do. Sennheiser's shared commitment to
these same values has advanced the science of sound for over 65 years and they
continue to push the boundaries. That's why we're really excited to be working
with the audio specialist." NEWS RELEASE 4/15/13 Salamander has also broadened the line of available accessories for both their Synergy and Chameleon product lines to accommodate the diverse storage requirements of today's home entertainment center. These new accessories can be retrofit into any Salamander Synergy or Chameleon cabinet purchased in 1998 or later, and can be installed in any location and/or any combination. "We have created two broad lines future-proof A/V furniture that can change as your needs evolve," Carrabba added. All new Salamander accessories are available now and include: Mobile media and laptop charging and storage tray provide a tidy location to charge cell phones and other devices Universal media storage for audio and/or video media Multi-function pull-out shelves support turntables, printers and more Pro audio rack mounting rails can be added to any cabinet, facilitating the secure look and feel of a professional A/V rack installation Infinitely adjustable vented shelves accommodate A/V components of any size while also maintaining proper air flow to keep equipment at optimal temperature Active cooling fan kits keep air circulating through the cabinet to keep all A/V gear cool Cabinet LED lighting system is an integrated solution that provides long-lasting LED lighting where you need it, replacing light bars and light strips with a more elegant and energy efficient lighting solution that also adds an attractive ambience to your entertainment center. Salamander's lighting accessory can be timer and/or remote controlled. Both dealers and consumers will benefit from the vast design capabilities of Salamander's new website slated to launch June 1st. "Our new website will make it easier for our customers to see everything that Salamander offers, enabling them to select products and accessories best suited to their unique application," stated Carrabba. About Salamander Designs Salamander Designs, Ltd. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of furniture for the Consumer Electronics and Audio/Visual markets. Its versatile, advanced product lines feature a high level of configurability and customization that allow consumers to define specific product configurations to meet their needs. Salamander's A/V furniture lines include the Chameleon Collection, with a wide array of styles and configurations, the Archetype System—a unique open shelving system, the modular Synergy System that enables consumers to create an almost limitless number of possible product configurations, and a handsome Home Theater Seating line that can be similarly customized with a variety of materials, styling options and accessories. Salamander also makes a wide variety of accessory products such as accent lighting, cabinet wall mounting systems, pull-out media drawers, cabinet footings and mounting systems for flat-panel displays. In short, Salamander can accommodate almost any design preference and A/V requirement. www.salamanderdesigns.com NEWS RELEASE 4/5/13 Join us at the New York Audio Show at the New York Palace Hotel April 12-14th! Cary Audio is partnering with KEF showing three complete systems. Come visit us in Suite 926 and experience some of the best sound at any price. We will also be debuting our brand new Cary Audio DAC-100 24/192 hi-resolution USB DAC and a complete Audio Electronics setup including the new Lighting 24/192 USB DAC. Our main system will consist of our reference products, such as the SLP-05 tube preamplifier, SA-500.1 500 watt solid-state mono blocks, DAC-100 hi-resolution USB DAC and the spectacular KEF Reference 207/2 floorstanding loudspeakers. The second system will include the CAD-120S MkII tube amplifier, SLP-03 tube preamplifier, and CD-303t CD player/DAC driving KEF's new R-Series speakers. Last, but in no way least is a system that brings new meaning to terms affordability and musicality! This system is made up of the new Audio Electronics by Cary Audio direct product line. The Constellation tube preamplifier, Hercules tube power amplifier, Lighting solid-state hi-resolution DAC and the incredible new KEF LS50 monitors will WOW those who get in front of it. As a bonus, this entire system will be available for purchase at a substantial discount for those attending the show. We look forward to seeing you there! About Cary Audio A manufacturer of high-end audio and video electronics, Cary Audio is known for delivering innovative, no-compromise high-end audio and audio video designs to owners worldwide. Cary Audio's award winning product lines have received accolades from many influential audio enthusiast magazines. Visit www.caryaudio.com for complete product specifications and additional information. NEWS RELEASE 4/5/13 Abyss Headphones came about from the need for a superior way to listen to music. We have been working for nearly 5 years on our first model of headphone, with much time spent experimenting with existing diaphragm and magnet materials to ultimately decide we had to make our own. Abyss has developed an in-house method of manufacturing an extremely low mass diaphragm with a conductive trace optimized as a unique planar magnetic transducer. The goal was to reproduce music as well as the finest two channel systems available, and we believe we have achieved that goal, and then some. In our opinion, these are the finest sounding headphones available, limited only by the quality of electronics and source. We are excited to say Abyss Headphones will be showing the final production model AB-1266 at the New York Audio Show April 12-14, 2013 in the New York Palace Hotel. High resolution music will play through a brand new Cavalli Audio fully balanced headphone amplifier named Liquid Gold (LAu) designed specifically for high resolution headphones with higher power requirements such as Abyss. The Abyss AB-1266 Headphone package sells for $5495 in the USA and begins shipping in May. NEWS RELEASE 4/5/13 Merrill Audio and Sanders Sound Systems to demonstrate their approach to reproducing live music for the first time. The combination of Merrill Audio VERITAS Monoblocks and Sanders Sound Systems Model 10c ESL will demonstrate how detailed, musical and fast, an audio system can be. To achieve the crack of a snare drum while still being able to provide the nuance of the cello breathing, a system must have the finesse, speed and be very neutral. Add deep bass with a punch to this and you are about center stage Carnegie Hall. Maintaining a neutral sound, the Merrill Audio VERITAS Monoblocks and Sanders Sound Systems Model 10c ESL is a unique combination of speed, power and remaining musical. When the bow runs across Yo Yo Ma's Cello playing rosewood or Eleanor Rigby on the cell by Musica Nuda, feel like you are there. Hear crystal clear Japanese New Year drums that will shake the roof. The realism so effortless played. Merrill Audio and Sanders Sound Systems will show case the Merrill Audio VERITAS Monoblocks driving the Flagship Model 10c Electrostatic Speakers from Sanders Sound Systems in a bi-amp configuration. This will be demonstrated for the first time at the New York Audio Show from April 12th to the 14th. The VERITAS Monoblocks deliver a stunning 1,200 Watts at 2 ohms, with an amazing amount of detail that is very musical and yet effortless powerful. The VERITAS Monoblocks, based on the Hypex NCORE NC1200, are engineered to provide the most musical, detailed and fastest transients that the music will seem live while removing microphonics that to give a very precise and accurate image of the stage. The VERITAS design and components are engineered to have the most neutral sound and still be very musical, detailed and powerful. The Model 10c Electrostatic Speakers from Sanders Sound will play at concert hall levels and can be used with multi-thousand watt amplifiers without arcing or damage. No protective circuitry is used or needed. It will reproduce the full dynamic range of any music without strain. The woofer system has been specifically designed to stop and start faster than other woofers so that perfect integration with a massless ESL finally is achieved. Electrostatic speakers are known for precision, being musical and being very fast, showing every minute detail of the music. The Model 10c will make it sound live with no effort. See this demonstration at the New York Audio show Room 1003, from April 12th to the 14th. You will want to take it home with you. You won't believe your ears. NEWS RELEASE 4/5/13 YG Acoustics will be present at the New York Audio Show to be held April 12-14 at the New York Palace Hotel. We will have our products represented in two rooms at the show along with a special event to be held after the show. We are honored to be participating with GTT Audio in rooms 1021 and 1022. This year, GTT will be showing in two smaller rooms with modest priced systems. System 1 will highlight the YG Acoustics Carmel speakers along with the new Soulution 530 integrated amp and 540 SA-CD Player, all connected with Kubala•Sosna cables. System 2 will feature the newly introduced YG Acoustics Kipod II Signature speakers with Passive Bass modules connected to the Veloce Audio Litho series amps and preamp with a Luxman DAC Streaming DSD files. The wonderful Kubala•Sosna cables will complete the system. You may be wondering if YG Acoustics will be exhibiting the new Sonja speakers! In order to afford the Sonja's a proper room size a very special event will be held. The U.S. Consumer Premier of the Sonja speakers will be conducted at GTT Audio on Monday April 15th. Here is your chance to experience them firsthand and chat with YG personnel. This special event will be conducted by appointment and it is kindly requested that you RSVP to 908-850-3092 or av@gttaudio.com. Space is limited and four time slots are available: 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 4:00 pm, and 6:00 pm. Members of the press will be in attendance and are requested to RSVP as well. NEWS RELEASE 4/5/13 The R-528SE by REL Acoustics Ltd. is a "Special Edition" version of the current R-528 and was conceived to provide the user with reference-level sub-bass performance, but in a much smaller enclosure, and at a lower cost. Embodying many of the performance attributes of our legendary flagship model, the Gibraltar G-1 Sub-Bass System, the R-528SE delivers extraordinary performance for the space challenged home theater enthusiast or two-channel audiophile. This fresh design approach offers superiority in all regards over the standard issue R-528, through improved amplification, upgraded cabinet bracing and driver design. R-528SEstill features both an active front firing and a down firing passive radiator, but using the same custom design carbon fiber 12" active drive unit employed in the G-1. The 12" ABR passive radiator is also of a carbon fiber design. Together, this driver complement produces the equivalent of a 16" driver in an even larger cabinet. All in all, the R-528SEexcels in drive, extension, ease and musicality wherein its speed mixes with greater body and heft to produce an altogether more profound musical event.Each R-528SE is available in a stunning hand-rubbed gloss piano black lacquer with gloss white available on special order. To further distinguish it from the standard version, the top and side name badges as well as the massive support feet are coated in nickel-plated chrome for a sophisticated high-style appearance. The R-528SE will be available for shipment in early March 2013. NEWS RELEASE 4/5/13 Bluebird Music today announced a substantial price reduction on the ultra-high end Peak Consult loudspeakers. According to Jay Rein president Bluebird Music, the US importer for Peak Consult: "Thanks to the strengthening US economic recovery, foreign exchange rates are extremely favorable. We know Peak is a very special product and we know, if we can get the brand noticed, US consumers will fall in love with the sound. Therefore we decided to create an extremely aggressive pricing strategy. We've leveraged the strong US dollar with a very substantial promotional discount. This makes Peak Consult speakers the most compelling buy in the ultra-high end market and simply irresistible. We don't promise prices will remain at these levels beyond the end of 2013, but for the next eight months US customers can take advantage of this aggressive growth strategy and acquire a pair of these wonderful speakers at incredible value." The most musical speakers on Earth are now the best buy in the ultra-high end market! Below is a sample of models and the new prices: Princess V now only $11,900 InCognito XII now only $19,900 Empress VII: now only $29,900 El Diablo V: now $69,900 Why Peak Consult? Peak Consult speakers feature the very best materials and components available, including: ultra-low compression custom made drive units by world renowned Audio Technology, no compromise internal components from Duelund Coherent Audio, and 3 to 4" thick laminated high mass composite cabinets hand made in-house by some of Denmark's finest craftsman.
Peak speakers let you hear the true tone, texture
and colors of the instruments and voices. Peak's state-of-the-art cabinets
deliver the music with absolutely no box noise or coloration whatsoever. Thus
you hear all the inner detail, subtle nuances, layers of music and harmonic
structure with pin-point imaging. Add it all up and that's why we say today's Peak Consult speakers are the most musical speakers on Earth. You simply must hear these speakers to appreciate just how good they really are. NEWS RELEASE 3/17/13 With only three months to go, T.H.E. Show Newport, now in its third year, is predicting another successful event and is expecting to sell out of exhibit space early. Currently, occupancy levels are exceeding 2012 figures, and exhibit space in the Hilton is already official sold out. Exhibit space is still available at the Atrium hotel, adjacent to the Hilton, but is filling up fast. Richard Beers, President of T.H.E. Shows Newport and Las Vegas, anticipates that 2013 will be another year of tremendous growth for the biggest West Coast Consumer Audio Show. "Bob Levi, President of the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society (LAOCAS), deserves a lot of credit," says Beers. "Bob is relentless in his support of T.H.E. Show, and, working together, LAOCAS and T.H.E. Show have grown at a staggering rate. T.H.E. Show will be HUGE for 2013, and the LAOCAS has gained 500 new members in the past two years, making it the largest Audio Society on the planet, as Bob would put it. The LAOCAS and T.H.E. Show make a great team—helping to promote all the virtues of the great high-end audio industry. It's all about trying to bring awareness levels to a wider and more discriminating audience, and we seem to be succeeding." Of course, Beers also attributes the tremendous growth of T.H.E. Show Newport to the exhibitors and visitors. "Obviously, says Beers, "we couldn't do this without the great support of our exhibitors and the abundance of serious, curious high-end audio buffs. We had over 7,500 attendees last year; with increased advertising, networking, social media, and simple word-of-mouth enthusiasm, we expect to increase that number significantly." More new and exciting events are planned for 2013! Two enormous ballrooms have been added, one dedicated to vinyl, the other to the burgeoning headphones industry. The vinyl exhibit booths will be coordinated with the help of Jim Kaplan of Record Collector magazine, which will bring in record dealers from all over Southern California. Michael Mercer, of The Daily Swarm, Positive Feedback, Enjoy The Music, HP Soundings, and more, is helping to put together exhibits of the best in high-end headphones. Mercer joins Nicoll Public Relations to provide the industry's absolute epitomes of social networking, advertising, and promotions. Also returning with more exotic delights are the Gourmet Food Trucks—many of which sold out of food last year. "And, of course, the popular Car Show will grow," says Beers. Under the guidance of Rick Reuss, of Reuss Sound Systems, the Car Show will be held in a new, more appealing, more accessible location, and will include such high-end masterpieces as the Saleen S7, Porsche Carrera GT, Ferrari 458 Spyder, Bentley Mulsanne, Mercedes SLS and many, many more. T.H.E. Show Newport is also pulling out all the stops for exhibitors, and will feature a lounge exclusively reserved for exhibitor meetings, dealers, distributors, and the press. "T.H.E. Show Newport has become a place for exhibitors to debut new, exciting lines, and we want to make sure our exhibitors see the people they need to see," says Beers. "We are making extra efforts to invite industry notables." Music Nonstop entertainment for all! Concerts included with the entry fee will be held Friday and Saturday starting at 6:30 p.m. Mike Garson, jazz legend and pianist for David Bowie, among many others, will perform once again, joined by Tierney Sutton (Friday) and six-time Grammy nominee, Nnenna Freelon (Saturday). The Atrium Hotel courtyard will offer continuous live entertainment during the day—poolside will be the place to be. In the evening there will be DJ entertainment at the Poolside Bar, and not to be missed will be the vinyl and headphone exhibits in the expanded ballroom. "This will be a tremendous event for all audiophiles—new and old," says Beers. "With over 150 active exhibits and hundreds of exhibitors participating, this is definitely an event not to be missed." T.H.E. Show Newport will be held at the Hilton Irvine and Atrium Hotels in Orange County, California, May 31st and June 1‑2, 2013—the weekend following the Memorial Day Holiday. Opening Day is Friday, May 31, beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 1-2, T.H.E. Show will open at 10 a.m. Exhibits are open till 6 p.m. daily, with continuous entertainment. For more information about T.H.E. Show Newport and to pre-register, go to www.theshownewport.com. The website also includes discounted hotel rates and links. Tickets at the door are: $40 for all three days, or $15 per day. Discounts are available online by joining the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society. T.H.E. Show is located directly across MacArthur Blvd from the Orange County/John Wayne Airport (SNA). NEWS RELEASE 3/17/13 Bryston, LTD (www.bryston.com) has announced the introduction of a complete line of high performance loudspeakers engineered for both music and home theater applications. The line will consist of eight models including the floorstanding Model T, Middle T and mini t along with a powered subwoofer called the T sub, two center channel offerings, an in-wall and an on-wall loudspeaker. Bryston's James Tanner has led the design initiative for the loudspeaker project, developing proprietary drivers, crossovers and enclosures while spearheading a rigorous testing regimen. The Bryston loudspeakers were born from the challenge to construct a reference quality loudspeaker that could reproduce real world dynamics while minimizing distortion and compression. The engineering team at Bryston has devoted countless hours to innovative driver design, enclosure vibration analysis, crossover refinement, anechoic chamber measurements, and blind listening tests. The first model to reach completion, the Bryston Model T, was subjected to over 200 separate anechoic measurements during the design phase to ensure the highest level of accuracy and refinement. Bryston loudspeakers have also been engineered to reproduce the most difficult dynamic transients—to play very loud passages of music or movie soundtrack information without the distortion common to competitive products. "I think we met with a degree of skepticism when we first announced the loudspeaker project—and rightfully so. There are a lot of speaker companies already in the marketplace," reported Bryston's James Tanner. "But we set out to create an affordable reference quality loudspeaker and went to great lengths to achieve an end result that separates us from the competition—we are confident that these products will be quite well received," Tanner concluded. BRYSTON LOUDSPEAKER MODELS Model T (MSRP $6495 pair) shipping now Model T Signature (MSRP $7495 pair) shipping now Model T Active (MSRP $9495 pair—requires 6 channels of amplification not included) shipping now Middle T (MSRP $4600 pair) shipping May, 2013 mini t (MSRP $2695 pair) shipping now TC1 Center (MSRP $3200 each) shipping now TC1 mini Center (MSRP $2200 each) shipping May, 2013 T Sub (MSRP $4195 each) shipping now T IW (in-wall) (MSRP $560 each) shipping Q3, 2013 T OW (on-wall) (MSRP $560 each) shipping Q3, 2013 The 52.5-inch tall three-way floorstanding Model T is available in three formats—the standard speaker with an internal passive crossover network, the Signature model with an external passive network that utilizes custom-made components including air-core chokes and Bryston-proprietary film capacitors, and a flagship Active version that comes with a Bryston 24-bit digital electronic crossover (instead of a passive network) enabling tri-amplification of the system. All three versions of the Model T utilize three 8-inch woofers, two 5.25-inch midranges and two 1-inch titanium dome tweeters. The Middle T is a smaller floorstanding three-way loudspeaker utilizing two bass drivers, a midrange and a tweeter. The mini t is a smaller version of the Middle T using a single bass driver also in a three-way configuration. Both the TC1 and TC1 mini are three-way speakers providing center channel options of different sizes. The T Sub utilizes three 8-inch woofers powered by an internal 600-watt amplifier. Both architectural models—the T IW and the T OW are three-way sealed enclosure designs. Bryston loudspeakers come in three high-tech vinyl-wrapped standard finishes—Black Ash, Natural Cherry, and Boston Cherry. Optional hardwood veneers. NEWS RELEASE 3/17/13 SVS, a worldwide leader in high performance home audio products, proudly announces availability of the Ultra Bookshelf Speakers. Handsomely styled with a swept back profile and striking edge treatments, the Ultra Bookshelf draws design cues from the flagship Ultra Tower speaker with sonic-enhancing wedge-shaped front baffle and flush-mounted drivers, proprietary SVS drivers and the intelligent SoundMatch Crossover Network. When engineering the Ultra Bookshelf speaker's design, SVS envisioned a two-way monitor that would fill small to medium-sized rooms with an encompassing, coherent soundstage; deep, dynamic bass; and sparkling mid and high-frequency details, whether they were being pushed to extreme volumes or played at moderate levels. A combination of premium build materials, FEA optimization, cabinet innovation and careful selection of crossover frequencies brought this vision to life. For low to midrange-frequency performance, the Ultra Bookshelf features a hefty 6.5-inch composite glass-fiber cone woofer which produces an excellent stiffness to mass ratio for high sensitivity and maintains pistonic behavior well beyond the pass-band of the driver. The Ultra Bookshelves are also equipped with SVS' SoundMatch two-way crossover network. Premium-grade capacitors, air-core inductors and heavy-trace printed circuit boards work in harmony to ensure pure signal transmission and radiation of total sound power to a generous sweet spot. "Listening with eyes closed, it's easy to convince yourself the sound produced by the Ultra Bookshelf is coming from a speaker twice the size and price," said Gary Yacoubian, SVS president and managing partner. "$1,000 gets you a pretty phenomenal audio experience and from a value perspective, these are already being discussed as among the most highly-regarded two-way monitors on the market." The Ultra Bookshelf speakers weigh 19 lbs. each and are available in premium-grade piano gloss black and real black oak veneer finishes with a rated bandwidth of 45 Hz - 32kHz (+/- 3 dB). SVS sells online, direct to the end user, and via select retailers. Pricing for the SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers is $499 each. Since audio tastes are as distinct as musical tastes, SVS offers a risk-free 45-day in-home trial as part of its SVS Customer Bill of Rights, with free shipping both ways whether purchased online or at retail. Sampling in the home is ideal because assessments can be made based on the unique sound identity of a listening room, not a noisy and distracting showroom environment. For more information, please visit www.SVSound.com or like them on Facebook.
About SVS NEWS RELEASE 3/17/13 For a decade now Morel's Octave line has been a class leader in the high performance mini monitor speaker category. Now the new Octave 6 takes it to the next level, inspired by the company's reference speaker, the fat lady. Following Morel's latest design principles, the Octave 6 has been transformed completely both visually and technically to recreate the excitement of live music whilst preserving tonal accuracy and dynamics, thus elevating the status of integrated floor-standing and bookshelf speakers. The new aesthetic for the Octave 6 is the embodiment of Morel's uncompromising attention to detail and creativity, all in the service of phenomenal sound. The new gently curved MDF cabinet architecture maintains key existing attributes but with an up-to-date modern look. It is painted and hand-polished with six layers of lacquer, to a high-gloss piano finish, and complemented by the near acoustically transparent and stylish Lotus grilles*. "Our R&D team set their goals high, developing side by side both the cabinet and drivers to create a speaker that could integrate in the living space, enabling listeners outside the centre 'sweet spot' to also enjoy the performance," explained Morel's Executive Vice President, Oren Mordechai. For the Octave 6 Morel's engineers took on a serious and simultaneous design process wherein the drivers were developed alongside the enclosures to meet very specific objectives, as opposed to simply trying to force components to work together. Like the innovative cabinet concept used in the fat lady, and similar to musical instruments, the Octave 6 is void of internal damping materials. Through the course of exacting research, Morel found the solution to avoid a boxy sound: a new vertical baffle with acoustic apertures placed within the enclosure to break up standing waves. This allows the cabinet to vibrate along with the drivers output in a highly controlled manner, resulting in a remarkably transparent speaker performance and natural open sound. "The special transducers engineered for the Octave 6 are the heart and soul of the new series. Based on Morel's most advanced technology, the new mid-bass unit employs an oversized 3-inch aluminum voice coil over a titanium base, encapsulating our powerful Hybrid motor, while the tweeter features the company's renowned 1.1" Acuflex soft dome. Borrowed from our reference loudspeaker, the fat lady, the innovative crossover topology preserves the life and dynamics of the original sound like in a live performance," said Mr. Mordehcai. In addition, the new Octave 6 series was also designed to be "amplifier friendly" so it is able to work with tube as well as solid-state amps. As with any speaker, the real test is in the listening. Expect new insights within familiar recordings; don't be surprised to find listening sessions lasting longer as the desire to hear "just one more track" proves irresistible. For more information, visit www.morelhifi.com or call +972 8 930 1161. In the US call Morel America toll-free at 877-morel-11. You can also get the latest Morel related news by following us at http://facebook.com/MorelHiFi, http://twitter.com/MorelHiFi and http://youtube.com/MorelHiFi. * The Lotus grille is a registered design protecting Morel's intellectual property. About Morel Morel, an international leader in speaker components and systems since 1975, manufactures handcrafted, award-winning speakers and audio drivers for the mid to high end OEM, home and car audio markets. Its products are sold in over 55 countries worldwide. With its high standard for technological innovation and design excellence, Morel audio speakers are the choice of many of the biggest names in the music industry. NEWS RELEASE 3/17/13 Audio-Technica U.S. mourns the passing of company founder and executive emeritus of Audio-Technica Corporation, Hideo Matsushita, on March 5, 2013. Hideo Matsushita passed away of natural causes at the age of 93. In accordance with his family's wishes, a private wake and funeral service were held on March 8 and 9. Phil Cajka, Audio-Technica U.S. President and CEO stated, "Hideo Matsushita was a wonderful person and a true visionary, laying the foundation for Audio-Technica to grow over the past 50 years. He exemplified true leadership, with commitment to and passion for music and an unmatched work ethic. His loss is felt not only by everyone in the A-T family, but also by the entire music industry." On the eve of A-T's 40th anniversary in 2002, Hideo Matsushita reflected on the company's early beginnings: "How it all started: I came to Tokyo at age 32, and, thanks to an introduction by my uncle, went to work for the Bridgestone Museum of Art. At the urging of the museum's director, I began organizing LP concerts. These were much more successful than anyone imagined. After a decade at the Bridgestone Museum, I struck out on my own and established Audio-Technica in 1962." He continued, "The company immediately launched its first product, the AT-1 Stereo Cartridge. At that time, we were headquartered in a rented one-story barracks in Shinjuku. We started out with three employees, but quickly grew to 20. We worked late each night, stopping only for dinner at the ramen shop in front of the premises." Decades of successful growth followed, and in 1993 Hideo Matsushita took the position of Chairman, and his son, Kazuo Matsushita, became President of Audio-Technica Corporation, a position he still holds today. With their combined leadership, Audio-Technica has continued to experience steady growth, carrying on the legacy and vision of Hideo-san into the new millennium. NEWS RELEASE 3/7/13 MIT Cables is pleased to announce its live sound presence for AXPONA Audio Expo North America 2013. MIT Cables will be providing a live sound demonstration in cooperation with Colleen Cardas Imports in Room 817 comprising the following components: Speaker Interfaces: StyleLine 9 Speaker Interfaces (Sonofia integrated will be connected to UPower Booster Amplifier via 1pr SL9 Speaker Interface) Interconnect: StyleLine 8 Interconnects Integrated Amp: Unison Research Sinfonia Integrated Amp/Booster Amp: Unison Research UPower Booster Amplifier CD Player/DAC: Unison Research Unico CDE CD Player with dual mono DAC Upgrade Speakers: Opera Quinta MIT Cables is pleased to support high end audio exposition returning to the greater Chicago area. MIT Cables' International Sales Manager Steve Holt will be on hand demonstrating MIT Cables' new StyeLine series of audio interfaces. The StyleLine series features a modern, sleek and ergonomic appearance, designed with the modern audiophile in mind. The StyleLine series continues MIT Cables long-standing practice of "trickling down" performance from its high end products to entry-level price points. Axpona Audio Expo North America will be taking place March 8-10, 2013 at the Doubletree By Hilton O'Hare Hotel, located at 5460 N.River Rd., Rosemont, IL 60018 NEWS RELEASE 3/7/13 Gingko Audio is proud to introduce a new line of audio cables, DanaCable, at AXPONA on March 8-10 in Chicago. DanaCable consists of several models of speaker cables, interconnects, and digital cables. A retail price list of the full line is attached. Also attached is a Design Approach paper describing our design philosophy. The full line can be seen at our booth on the Mezzanine Level at AXPONA. Our Sapphire speaker cables and Sapphire Reference interconnects can be heard in Room 926, Purity Audio. For more information, please visit www.gingkoaudio.com. NEWS RELEASE 3/7/13 Walker Audio, one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-end audio products, introduces the new Proscenium Black Diamond V turntable. The Proscenium Black Diamond V (PBD V) features improvements to the air supply, record clamp and motor base assembly…and the company's newest discovery! A specially-treated, fine-grained crystalline material, that reduces static build-up and cancels the effect of virtually all EMI, RFI and microwaves, is employed at strategic locations in the turntable's operation. This dramatically reduces the noise floor and prevents distortion from ambient electrical noise being introduced into a system's electronic components. The PBD V turntable is friction-free due to the air-bearing arm and platter, resonance-free due to its adjustable air suspension, electrical-noise-free due to the PBD V upgrades and the linear-tracking arm plays records exactly the way they're made, eliminating tracking errors. The result is the most accurate, realistic-sounding turntable ever made. The sound is amazing with the blackest of black backgrounds, transparency is crystal-clear, dynamics are explosive, soundstaging is expansive and the bass is profound. Many considered the previous PBD turntable to be the best turntable in the world, but the new Proscenium Black Diamond V is an uncompromised work of audio art that has to be experienced to be believed. "Most people don't realize the amount of music that can be found in the grooves of an LP," says president Lloyd Walker. "It is our goal to extract every detail, every nuance of the music from the LP and reproduce it with realism and clarity that captures the passion of the performance. Nothing can do that like a well-recorded LP and no turntable can do it better than this one. Analog playback is still superior to every other technology, and with this turntable it has taken a quantum leap forward. Music lovers owe it to themselves to hear the PBD V." Walker Audio has received more than 85 industry awards for its audio and video components and accessories. All previously-purchased Walker Proscenium turntables can be upgraded to the Black Diamond V specs. The Proscenium Black Diamond V turntable is priced at $105,000.00 USD. For more information visit www.WalkerAudio.com NEWS RELEASE 3/4/13 WA-Quantum GMBH to debut in North America at THE SHOW - Las Vegas (Flamingo Hotel - Red Rock Ballroom). WA-Quantum GMBH is a manufacturer of high technology products including a line of "Chips" operating at a subatomic Quantum level, which improve the efficiency of current flow and signal transmission in audio devices including fuses, capacitors, phono cartridges and tonearms, transformers, transducers, and audio cabling. Special chips are also available for use with both electronic and acoustic musical instruments. In each case the Chip is mounted on an adhesive backing which can be attached to the device. The Chips are "programmed" for their specified applications. The importance of Quantum Theory has increasingly found acceptance in high performance audio. Because these are in fact theories, rather than facts, about the behavior of subatomic particles and the energy inside the atom, while "cause" and "effect" can be identified (in other words if you do this, the sonic result is that), the mechanism that causes this result can at this point only be theorized. But in high end audio hearing is believing, and WA-Quantum will stand behind the results that will be achieved by using their chips with a 30 day money back satisfaction guarantee for end users. Note: these are affordable upgrades with prices beginning at less than $10 for the "quantum chip" needed to upgrade any component fuse. WA-Quantum is distributed worldwide by HiFi-Tuning of Berlin, Germany, and in North America by Ultra Systems, Inc.
NEWS RELEASE 3/2/13 exaSound Audio Design announces today's launch of the e20 Mk II - the first high-end DAC capable of achieving DSD playback at sampling rate of 11.2896 MHz (DSD 256). exaSound's DAC's have always stayed ahead of the curve, and the latest e20's DSD 256 capability not only goes beyond the capabilities of all other DAC's on the market today, it is ahead of current recording technology. This ensures that audiophiles will be enjoying studio master files the way they were recorded – without down-sampling or down-conversion – well into the future, without equipment upgrades. In addition to offering the highest digital audio resolution, the e20 DAC has jitter, distortion and noise levels that are vanishingly low, creating an astonishingly clean and analog-like sound – the difference is obvious, even with an ordinary CD. Detailed measurements, specifications and subjective impressions are available at exasound.com. MSRP is $2499 CN. For further information, check out http://www.exasound.com/e20DAC/e20DACOverview.aspx NEWS RELEASE 2/23/13 The magic of high performance audio takes center stage at the New York Audio Show, April 12 – 14, 2013 at the New York Palace Hotel. Along with demonstrations from more than 75 companies, the show will host a number of special events including the exclusive sneak preview and private screening of Last Shop Standing - the official Record Store Day Film for 2013, and the Classic Album Sunday listening experience. Produced by the Chester Group, this second annual show is designed to share the wonder of music through quality audio. "Our inaugural U.S. event last year confirmed that there is a strong desire in the New York area to experience music beyond mp3 players," said Roy Bird, Chairman of the Chester Group. "We are building upon that success with special events that will create even more excitement and we are thrilled that the New York Audio Show has been selected to preview the Last Shop Standing." Receiving critical acclaim upon its release in the UK in September, the Last Shop Standing, tells the story of the rapid rise of independent music stores in the 60's, 70s and 80s and the impact and influence that the best sellers chart, the demise of vinyl and the introduction the CD and other new technologies had on music stores. The movie features interviews with more than 20 record store owners and music industry leaders as well as musicians including Paul Weller, Johnny Marr, Norman Cook, Billy Bragg, Nerina Pallot, Richard Hawley and Clint Boon who share their stories about how these stores became and still are a part of their own musical education, places to cherish and discover new bands and new music. The movie was recently selected to be the official Record Store Day 2013 film. NEWS RELEASE 2/23/13 UltraAnalogue Recordings. Dear Fellow Tape Lovers, I just want to let you know I've just posted 2 new tapes on the UltraAnalogue Web site. The first of these is the Rossini Duo for Cello & Double Bass, & Gliere Four Pieces. This recording features Rachel Mercer, Jeff Beecher & Vanessa Lee. Jeff is the bass player in YoYo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble & tours regularly with him. The second recording is the Bach Suite for Solo Cello No. 6, BWV 1012, with Sietse-Jan Weijenberg. These 10.5" 15 ips half-track open-reel tapes are available for purchase at our Web site listed below. http://www.ultraanaloguerecordings.com NEWS RELEASE 2/18/13 Audio Electronics by Cary Audio has teamed up with Audiogon, a marketplace for online sales of high performance audio products and accessories, to be an online sales destination for the Audio Electronics brand. Founded in 1997, the Audiogon marketplace reaches a worldwide community of over 350,000 high fidelity enthusiasts, offering used, demo and manufacturer-direct products for sale. Audio Electronics by Cary Audio highlight the simplicity and elegance of the initial products launched under the Audio Electronics Supply moniker in 1993 yet improve upon the build quality and sonic performance by using more modern design parameters and carefully selected premium parts. The new Audio Electronics preamplifier, power amplifier and headphone amplifier will provide reference quality playback and represent a strong value as well. The new models include: Constellation Preamplifier MSRP $1495 Hercules Power Amplifier MSRP $1895 Nighthawk Headphone Amplifier MSRP $1195 The Audio Electronics by Cary Audio line has been designed at the company's factory in North Carolina and is manufactured by hand there as well. "One key to re-introducing the Audio Electronics brand is to let consumers know on a broad scale that these high performance, value oriented products exist," explained Cary Audio President Billy Wright. "What better way to get this message out than to partner with a company like Audiogon, which is known and respected in the industry and throughout the world for bringing customers together to experience the best in electronic components," Wright concluded. "In conjunction with Cary Audio, we felt that this particular manufacturer-direct line would be a good fit to sell to the Audiogon community," explained Audiogon CEO Steve Clay. "Our goal for 2013 is to help support the industry by driving consumer enthusiasm and sales for both manufacturers and dealers throughout our marketplace and readership. "We understand that supporting our members, manufacturers and dealers are key components to increasing the visibility of the high performance audio industry," Clay added. About Audio Electronics by Cary Audio A product line designed and manufactured by Cary Audio, Audio Electronics has a long history of delivering high-end performance products at very modest prices. The Audio Electronics products are built in the Cary Audio factory in North Carolina and proudly wear the Made in USA label. Visit www.aebycary.com for complete product specifications and additional information. High Fidelity Cables is now in production for their new CT-1 Speaker Cables. Featuring the same 'Magnetic Conduction' technology as found in the much talked about interconnects, the connectors are a custom ground up design that houses the unique circuit. Both spade and banana configurations are available. Prices are $2400 for 1m and each additional 0.5m is $400. High Fidelity Cables recently has been granted U.S. Patent No. 8,272,876. www.highfidelitycables.com NEWS RELEASE 2/18/13 THIEL Audio (www.thielaudio.com) winner of over 60 prestigious awards for loudspeaker design and performance since 1978, has appointed Stephen DeFuria as National Sales Manager effective immediately. DeFuria had been most recently employed by Tempo High Fidelity as the North American Sales Manager for Musical Fidelity, a UK-based audio electronics manufacturer. For over ten years beginning in 2001, DeFuria was the National Sales Manager for NAD Electronics, where he worked closely with newly appointed board member and THIEL Interim COO Bob Brown. With NAD, DeFuria was responsible for all aspects of sales and marketing in the United States including direct management of independent reps, US market pricing of all NAD products, training initiatives and trade show management. Earlier in his career, DeFuria was the principal of Audio Vision, a Boston-area high fidelity retailer that he acquired in 1984 and then continued in audio retail for some 19 years. "I sold THIEL for 15 years and it was a very critical part of my product mix," DeFuria stated. "I have enormous respect for the company's heritage and long legacy of high performance loudspeakers. The challenge of helping THIEL navigate this new era of music delivery is a tremendous opportunity," concluded DeFuria. "When we worked together on the manufacturing side of the business, I found Stephen's market instincts invaluable on many levels including product direction," stated Bob Brown. "In his retail career, DeFuria was a very significant THIEL dealer. It's hard to imagine someone more uniquely qualified to lead the sales and marketing initiative for this storied brand." "THIEL's board of directors and ownership group felt that a full time national sales manager would be one of the best investments we could make for the company at this time," stated THIEL CEO Bill Thomas. We feel very fortunate to have someone with Stephen DeFuria's experience joining THIEL to lead our domestic sales initiative moving forward," Thomas added. NEWS RELEASE 2/18/13 Krell Industries, LLC, the leader in high performance audio and home theater systems are excited to announce that worldwide shipment of S-550i Integrated Amplifiers will begin this week. Building on the success of the award winning S-300i integrated amplifier, the S-550i Integrated Amplifier boasts the sound quality and power output capable of driving any loudspeaker to its maximum performance. Delivering 275 watts of output, the S-550i Integrated Amplifier is a robust power source for any speaker and only occupies a fraction of the space typically required for a system delivering this performance. The S-550i Integrated Amplifier is outfitted with balanced and single-ended inputs, iPod dock, and Theater Throughput™ mode. Developed by Krell, Theater Throughput™ simplifies integration into home theater systems. For custom integration applications, 12 Volt triggers, RS-232 connectivity and rack mount ears are included. Operational parameters can be customized via the menu system that is accessible from the front panel or the included brushed Aluminum remote control.
Preamplifier Highlights
Power Amplifier Highlights The S-550i Integrated Amplifier retails for $5,000 and is available now in silver and black finishes.
About Krell Industries NEWS RELEASE 2/18/13 THIEL Audio (www.thielaudio.com) winner of over 60 prestigious awards for loudspeaker design and performance since 1978, has announced that consumer electronics senior executive Bob Brown has been appointed to the company's board of directors and will take over as interim COO effective immediately. Brown, recently named to CEDIA's board of directors, brings a rich legacy and successful track record in the performance audio category to THIEL as the former President and CEO of Lenbrook America, which distributed NAD Electronics and PSB Speakers. Brown was also President and COO of Tivoli Audio and currently serves as the international sales manager for ZVOX Audio. Brown's role with THIEL will be to provide the company's new ownership with a complete analysis of the existing operation, including manufacturing, domestic and international sales as well as marketing. "THIEL is a brand with a very rich history and my goal will be to provide the guidance and market awareness necessary to maximize opportunities going forward," Brown stated. "It's important that as we adapt THIEL's domestic and international sales processes as well as its product development direction to contemporary business ideals, but that we do so very mindful of the brand's legacy. This ownership group seems acutely aware of this necessity and appreciative of the pitfalls that have characterized other investor-led high-end audio acquisitions." added Brown. THIEL currently offers floorstanding, architectural and bookshelf speakers as well as subwoofers manufactured at the company's longtime headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky. "We are very excited to be able to leverage the vast resources and depth of knowledge that Bob Brown brings to an energized team here at THIEL," commented CEO Bill Thomas. "We are committed to bringing innovative high performance audio products to market and we feel confident that Bob can provide critical direction toward meeting that objective," Thomas added. THIEL Audio Products Company of Lexington, Kentucky is a privately-held, engineering driven organization that performs research, design, and manufacturing of loudspeakers for the highest quality music and video sound reproduction in the home. The beauty of THIEL loudspeakers can be traced back to design concepts born from powerfully innovative thinking. For over 30 years, THIEL has woven a nearly magical synergy between engineering brilliance and an unfailing passion to create the most lifelike reproduction of recorded music. Along this quest for sonic perfection, THIEL's customers, music aficionados, and audio press from around the world have lauded THIEL's loudspeaker designs as some of the best ever conceived. THIEL manufactures ten individual products ranging in price from $1090 each to $14,700 per pair. www.thielaudio.com NEWS RELEASE 2/18/13 Bryston, LTD (www.bryston.com) has announced that award-winning studio designer Carl Tatz has selected the Bryston 4BSST² stereo amplifier to power the control room monitors in a studio designed for multi-Grammy®-winning engineer Bob Bullock. "I brought the first Bryston 4B to the Nashville studio scene in the '80s. It has since become the world standard for pro studio amplification. When budget permits, I always spec Bryston for its effortless performance, high resolution sweet top and unmatched low-end muscle," reported Carl Tatz. The 4B is the most popular of the Squared Series amplifier and delivers 300 watts into 8 Ohms or 500 watts into 4 Ohms (900W into 8 Ohms (Bridged Mono). The 4BSST² features balanced and unbalanced inputs, selectable gain (23 or 29dB) all in a convection-cooled fully aluminum chassis requiring no noisy cooling fans. All Squared Series amplifiers from Bryston are available with silver or black faceplate (3U + .55") and in 17-inch width (without handles) or 19-inch (with handles). A rack-mountable Pro Edition is available in black. "Bryston first unveiled the 4B amplifier back in 1976. The 4B, (and all its successors up to the 4BSST²), have been adopted as the among the most popular studio reference amplifiers of all time. We are excited that both a respected designer and an esteemed engineer chose Bryston for this pioneering project." Chris Russell, CEO of Bryston, LTD Bullock's control room is the first to employ the Carl Tatz MixRoom™ concept, which was designed to emulate the look and performance of the Tatz's award-winning custom control room designs at a fraction of the cost. It leverages the Carl Tatz Signature Series™ family of control room acoustic modules and Tatz's PhantomFocus™ System monitor tuning protocol, which is a multi-step process for monitoring optimization that includes system damping, speaker decoupling and isolation mounting, laser-calibrated speaker distancing and angle alignments, proprietary high resolution digital processing for crossover points and slopes for pass filtering, EQ and much more. "I am blown away with the evolution of Carl's work in this second room he has designed for me," quotes multi-Grammy®-winning engineer Bob Bullock. About Bryston: Bryston (www.bryston.com) first opened for business in 1962 as a manufacturer of medical equipment. The company was purchased in 1968 by John W. Russell, an ex-NASA engineer. Together with sons Chris, Brian and John D., they first started exploring the field of accurate, reliable audio amplification in the early 1970s. Since that time Bryston has become legendary for their hand-built quality, superb performance and dependability under load in the home, professional and commercial markets. Bryston amplifiers are used in some of the world's most renowned recording studios and owned by many discerning music professionals. Bryston applies precision manufacturing techniques and materials in the assembly of their electronic equipment that are more typically utilized by the military and aerospace industries. Bryston is based in Peterborough, Ontario Canada, northeast of Toronto, and is sold through over 150 dealers in North America and 60 countries worldwide. About Carl Tatz Design: (www.carltatzdesign.com) is an award winning studio design firm offering design and consulting services to homeowners and entertainment industry professionals in areas of: Recording Studios, Monitor Systems, Home Screening Rooms, Dedicated Listening Rooms, Acoustic Analysis, Tuning, and Sound Isolation. Carl Tatz is also the inventor of the industry acclaimed proprietary PhantomFocus™ System (PFS) monitor tuning protocol. CTD's many resources combine knowledge, experience and expertise in sound, picture and design to serve its clients worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.carltatzdesign.com.
NEWS RELEASE 2/18/13
Krell Industries, LLC, the leader in high
performance audio and home theater systems are excited to announce that
worldwide shipment of S-550i Integrated Amplifiers will begin this week.
Building on the success of the award winning S-300i integrated amplifier, the
S-550i Integrated Amplifier boasts the sound quality and power output capable of
driving any loudspeaker to its maximum performance. NEWS RELEASE 1/28/13 After years of award winning products, Purity Audio Design has officially released its Series 2 line of vacuum tube preamplifiers. The new Series 2 has been enhanced with a new circuit optimized to run with either 6SN7 or 12AU7 tubes. Power supplies now utilize high current toroidal transformers, choke filtering and 100% polypropylene capacitor filter banks. New all aluminum chassis have been designed to accommodate our international dealer network. Models are available from $3,500 to $53,000 to accommodate every level of audiophile. Soon to be released is Purity's world class 18 watt Parallel Single Ended 300B mono blocs with first of its kind output transformer technology as well as new "Magnetic Conduction Technology" by Magnetic Innovations LLC. Look for these new amps and the Series 2 Silver Statement linestage to debut at Axpona 2013 in Chicago. NEWS RELEASE 1/28/13 Tokyo-based ADL by Furutech™ aims high with an expanding line of Japanese-designed precision products including the superb sounding and unimaginably comfortable H118 Headphones making their official debut at CES along with a prototype of the Alpha Design Labs by Furutech X1 Portable Headphone Amplifier and new upgrade cables for some of the world's top-selling headphones brands.
It's All In Your Head! The flared headband and tapered over-the-ear transducer shape make the H118 Headphones supremely comfortable, an observation everyone makes before suddenly being captured by the sound, upon which they fall silent! The ADL H118 is balanced in a completely audiophile way, a very Furutech way! Rich tonal colors and textures with intimate and close harmonic interplay, a sense of space and quiet backgrounds; the resonance of music itself creates an involving emotional experience when you're THIS CLOSE to the music! Now shipping at $299. Pair H118s with Alpha Design Labs Esprit or GT40 USB DAC/Preamplifiers, the Stride and Cruise Portable Headphone Amplifiers, or any other quality headphone playback system and become intimate with your music again. New ADL cables at CES include the iHP35 series 3.5mm stereo connectors, 3.5mm-to-MMCX, and 3.5mm-to-mini-XLR. The other star of the show was the prototype of the X1 USB DAC. It goes anywhere, stacks easily for travel, and has a long-lasting Li-ion battery. It's small, discrete highly specified with inputs supporting Apple's iOS and Android digital at up to 16/48 for iPods, iPhones and iPads. The X1 also runs 24/192 SPDIF with high-resolution files from a PC. There's an analog line-level 4-pin 3.5mm input and a 4-pin 3.5mm output for headphones in the 12~600 ohm range. The 4-pin input supports 3.5mm Remote and Mic Earphones. The 3.5mm TOSLINK optical output delivers SPDIF up to 24/192 as well. There's a convenient GND TRRS switch making it easy to change from one 4-pin set of 'phones to another. On the go or in your stereo the X1 delivers stunning sound. Furutech Co., Ltd. Tokyo Japan NEWS RELEASE 1/28/13 UltraLink/XLO Products, an innovative manufacturer of award-winning audio and video interconnects, cables, power products, speakers and personal audio accessories introduced the diminutive USub™ for UCubes™ or other audio/video 2.1 systems, MicroFlat™ HDMI® and a full line of Caliber™ Series cables at CES.
Respect the Power™ The USub is housed in a substantial yet sleek, space-saving high-gloss black-lacquer cabinet that that fits in anywhere. Once you have a USub you'll probably want desktop speakers to match... like UCubes! Incredible sound in a small package, UCube speakers on their included brushed aluminum stands fill the listening space with vibrant sound. While the USub has an amazing effect on UCubes they can be used with all compact speaker systems bringing astounding bass to desktop, laptop, audio and 2.1 home theater systems for greater impact and dynamics with music, video and gameplay. $199.99 for the USub and $349.99 for a UCube/USub combo 2.1 system. Everyone at CES was buzzing about UltraLink's MicroFlat™ slimmer-than-slim HDMI cable with small yet robust connectors. MicroFlat delivers amazing flexibility creating cleaner, less obtrusive, easier to complete installations, and at the very same affordable prices as current UltraFLAT cables! It's an obvious class winner and available in popular 1, 2 and 3m lengths, 1m $30.
The Caliber series is finely-engineered and
constructed for a mid-level line and outperforms competitive brands costing much
more offering amazing performance for the price. It's a natural fit for any home
theater system especially when long-lasting quality and performance count.
Stunning video coupled with open, detailed audio featuring wide, deep imaging
and concussive bass slam make Caliber a worthy addition to any home
entertainment system. Starting at half-meter, 1m $40. Ultralink Products NEWS RELEASE 1/28/13 UltraLink/XLO Products, an innovative manufacturer of award-winning audio and video interconnects, cables, power products, speakers and personal audio accessories announced introduce the new UltraPLUS line of cablesthe latest and most advanced versions of the popular Ultra™ Series.
Introducing UltraPLUS
UltraPLUS USB Cable
UltraPLUS AC Power Cords
The review line starts here! Ultralink/XLO Products NEWS RELEASE 1/10/13 Resonessence Labs are proud to announce that DSD playback capabilities are now available on our flagship product INVICTA. Units that ship after the 14th January 2013 will be equipped with Version 4.0.0 of our software and this includes DSD playback over USB and via the SD card reader. Existing users my download version 4.0.0 via our website after this date. In addition to DSD our latest software upgrade includes a number of new features most of which have been implemented following feedback and requests from our customers. DSD playback capabilities follow a long list of new features that have been added to INVICTA since it's release in 2011. Earlier updates included FLAC playback capabilities via the SD card reader, support for SDXC Card formats and the addition of 7 user selectable filter options. The next software release, which is scheduled for later this month, will include on screen Asian character display for our customers in the Far East and the option of Balanced Headphone outputs. These new features demonstrate our commitment to keeping our products current and future proof. It is also a testimony to our initial design philosophy of creating a system that is both state of the art for today and flexible for future field upgrades. Mark Mallinson, President Resonessence Labs NEWS RELEASE 1/10/13 Stillpoints, the equipment support technology company, has been appointed US distributor for the LeadingEdge Acoustic Panels and Entreq grounding boxes and cables and will also be representing LeadingEdge in Canada. LeadingEdge Acoustic Panels are a uniquely versatile, wide bandwidth acoustics solution. Unlike the vast majority of room treatment products, they function in the velocity domain, affording several significant benefits. Placement is simple (even portable) which, together with their proven technology and self-compensating approach makes them extremely effective. At last, an acoustics solution that really delivers. www.leadingedge-audio.org Entreq specialises in the provision of standalone signal ground solutions for high-quality audio systems. Their range of dedicated grounding boxes and cables offer dramatic and cost-effective improvements in system noise-floor and transparency – even if you already employ a dedicated external ground! www.entreq.com Stillpoints will be exhibiting both brands as well as introducing two new products: the Grid support system replaces the acrylic shelves in the ESS rack, while there is also a new Long Spindle version of the LPI record weight, for 'tables such as the VPI Classic. The LeadingEdge and Entreq products mean that Stillpoints are now in a position to offer a total infrastructure solution, embracing all aspects of the system's physical environment - the listening room, equipment supports and AC supply. You can see this solution in operation at T.H.E. SHOW, Red Rock VIII on the ground floor in the Flamingo Hotel, providing superior support for a system from our show partners WADAX, Audio Power Labs, Kaiser Acoustics and Fono Acoustica. About Stillpoints Stillpoints is a US manufacturer of high-technology audio racks and the Ultra range of equipment supports. Employing only the highest-grade stainless steel, aluminum and ceramic materials, Stillpoints products are distributed to over 28 countries worldwide. Stillpoints www.stillpoints.us NEWS RELEASE 1/10/13 Red Wine Audio Relaunches Complete Line of Hi-fi Components Red Wine Audio, manufacturer of battery-powered purist hi-fi products, begins shipping their newly revamped product line. This new lineup increases the company's value proposition for delivering reference-level sound at cost-effective price points. A fresh new look Renaissance Edition product enclosures fuse traditional with modern design elements and feature hand-finished maple, cherry, or walnut solid-wood front & side panels, resulting in a timeless and organic look. "We've always received excellent feedback for how our products sound. But often a glowing review or even an industry award has been accompanied by a comment about product styling," says Vinnie Rossi, Owner of Red Wine Audio. Adding, "…yes, it's clean looking and functional, but understated black enclosures don't top everyone list for style." The Renaissance Editions are anything but plain. "With the revamp, our goal was to create products customers will find beautiful, to both their ears and their eyes," says Rossi. Improved sound Almost all internal circuit boards have been redesigned for the Renaissance Edition release. That includes the Tube Stage, SMART board, amplifier stage for the company's popular Signature 15, plus others. The company has even updated Isabella, their flagship preamp, to use the highly regarded 6H30 "super tubes". "In terms of changes to each product, the details can be found on our website. The takeaway is that every component in our line sounds better under the Renaissance Edition nameplate, and that says a lot," adds Rossi. Expanded options With the new lineup, customers gain flexibility on two fronts… First, every component with a tube stage now affords customers the choice of two families of tubes (6922 and 12AX7) — giving customers more 'tube-rolling' options to season the sound to taste. And the biggie: "We worked long and hard in the redesign to provide additional options for customers to integrate multiple component modules in a single enclosure," says Rossi. As an example, the revised Signature 15 Integrated (now called Signature 16) can be ordered with optional headphone support, with the same single-ended headphone stage found in any of Red Wine Audio's Renaissance Edition headphone amplifiers. "This is a great option for anyone into reference headphones. One box — supporting both speakers and headphones — all running on pure LiFePO4 battery power," says Rossi. Adding, "…this makes for a great value!" Pricing and availability Shipping for most components begins this week. The same applies to customer upgrades. Complete details for pricing and product availability can be found at redwineaudio.com, or by contacting the company. Lead-times are subject to backorder based on customer demand. About Red Wine Audio Red Wine Audio is the leading manufacturer of a full line of battery-powered stereo hi-fi components, meeting the needs of discriminating audiophiles and avid music lovers since 2005. The company leverages the benefits of high-current, low-impedance battery power so their entire line of components run off-the-grid, resulting in an effortless and emotionally involving musical presentation.
Red Wine Audio • 800 Main Street, Suite 125 •
Holden, MA 01520 • USA NEWS RELEASE 1/10/13 Eddie Current, LLC, a high-end audio company specializing in hand-crafted, vacuum tube amplifiers has released a new electrostatic headphone amplifier, the Electra, designed specifically to drive most electrostatic headphones. The fully balanced, input-to-output headphone amplifier combines vacuum-tube technology with coupling magnetics bringing a richness to the lively, transparent soundstage associated with electrostatic headphone listening. Features of the Electra include custom-made Eddie Current headphone sockets, one for the standard 580V bias and the other user defined; polished top plate; laser-etched nomenclature; and a separate, compact power supply unit. Electra specifications are: Vacuum Tube with coupling magnetics and a single poly-propylene capacitor in the signal path. Fully Balanced Input to Output Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20KHz +/- 0.4 dB Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 80dB un-weighted (Broadband) below 100 VRMS out and 95dB below 100 VRMS A Weighted Total Harmonic Distortion: Less than 0.25 % @ 300 VRMS out. Less than 0.1% 100 VRMS out. Gain: 1125x / 61dB SE Input (RCA) 400X / 52dB Balanced (XLR) Equivalent sensitivity for 100 volts out from the single ended input - 90mv Equivalent sensitivity for 100 volts out from the balanced input - 250mv Tube Compliment: Input and second stage tubes are 6SN7 Only. Output tubes are EL34 or 6L6GC Input Impedance: 10K ohms Output Voltage: 525VRMS / 1485V peak-to-peak Inputs: SE-RCA or BALANCED-XLR Outputs: 2 STAX style headphone jacks Pro with 5 pins Bias Voltage: 580 Volts – Pro.(Other voltages may be accommodated with accessory adapter. Overdriving certain type headphones may damage them.) The introductory price is $3500.00 and includes 4 Mullard EL34 tubes, and 4 Tung Sol 6SN7 tubes. Upgrade option are Jentzen silver caps, which replace Wima caps, for an additional $50.00. The Electra joins Eddie Current's line of distinct, vacuum-tube technology audio gear by Craig Uthus. For more information, visit www.eddiecurrent.com. For reviews or an opportunity to listen to the Electra and other Eddie Current products, contact Craig Uthus at cuthus@charter.net or (818) 224-3782. Eddie Current, LLC, 23658 Clover Trail, Calabasas, CA 91302, Phone (818) 224-3782, website www.eddiecurrent.com NEWS RELEASE 12/18/12 Beauty Of Sound, a new high-end shop located just outside of Albany, has become the exclusive U.S. Distributor for Ikeda Sound Labs analog products. We are happy to announce the release of the Ikeda 9TT, a low-output moving coil cartridge that employs a duralumin pipe cantilever that exhibits very low resonance and coloration. The cartridge also features a line-contact stylus, permalloy core, low impedance coils, and strong neodymium magnet that helps to render a layered, three-dimensional sound. The 9TT is also available in a mono version. Ikeda has also just introduced the flagship KAI low output moving coil. The cartridge is made by hand, one by one, using a single piece of aluminum alloy. The generator unit is made of titanium, the stylus is a micro-ridge profile which will trace the groove accurately into the super-high frequency range. It also features a boron cantilever, low impedance coils, ideally shaped magnet yoke, and a samarium-cobalt magnet for the generator. The sound of these new products is in keeping with the legendary sound that Ikeda is known for. Pricing for the 9TT is $4,600; the KAI is $10,000. Please visit the Beauty Of Sound website at www.beautyofsound.com, or contact us at wdemars@beautyofsound or 518-852-9183. NEWS RELEASE 12/18/12 Emotiva Audio Corporation, the company that delivers reference quality performance at prices people can afford, is redefining the cost of entry for a true audiophile quality home theater with the introduction of the new UMC-200. This 7.1 channel home theater preamplifier and surround sound processor delivers superior high-end audio and video performance, and lightening fast video switching capable of satisfying the most discerning aficionado, while being affordable to just about anyone who enjoys home theater. "The UMC-200 has everything you could ask for in a state-of-the-art audiophile-quality home theater processor and preamp," said Dan Laufman, President of Emotiva. "Beyond offering reference quality video and audio performance, we've included the widest variety of audio connectivity and surround sound decoder compatibility imaginable. We've even included a high quality AM/FM tuner, and the EmoQ™ Gen 2 calibration process is completely automatic, so just about anyone can enjoy perfectly balanced surround sound without a fuss." Emotiva's new EmoQ™ Gen 2 enhanced multi-channel automatic room correction automatically adjusts your home theater system to match room acoustics for easy setup. Just plug in the included calibration microphone and let EmoQ set up the system. For true tweakers, all adjustments can be set manually too, including a flexible quadruple bass management system, eleven user programmable fully parametric equalizers per channel, and configurable speaker crossover points and slopes. There are outputs for both balanced and unbalanced subwoofers, and the ability to bi-amp the main front channels. With four HDMI inputs each equipped with Xpressview™ quick switching technology, changing digital A/V sources takes as little as one second. A Video-On-Standby feature can send audio and video to a TV even when UMC-200 is switched into standby mode (kids can watch cartoons without having to turn on "the big system"). Last Video Memory lets users continue to view the last selected video input while listening to an audio-only source. The UMC-200's extensive 7.1 multichannel surround sound decoder capabilities include DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS Neo:6, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, and Pro Logic IIz. Audio connections include four pairs of stereo analog inputs and a separate 7.1 channel set of pure analog direct inputs for connecting an SACD player or external surround source, plus a full assortment of digital audio inputs (including two Toslink, 2 Coax S/PDIF inputs and 24-bit/192-kHz decoding). An optional Bluetooth module, which includes support for the latest apt-X™ high-quality audio CODECs, facilitates wireless connectivity too. Audio outputs on the UMC-200 include a full set of 7.1 main outputs, a balanced subwoofer output, a separate stereo down-mix output, and two fully assignable stereo zone outputs. It all adds up to a high performance nerve center for even the most demanding home theater applications, at a fraction of the price an enthusiast would expect to pay. The UMC-200 is available now for $699 ($599 during the holidays), exclusively at www.emotiva.com. Upgrade Forever All original Emotiva Generation 3 processor (UMC-200, XMC-1, and beyond) owners are automatically registered in Emotiva's new Upgrade for Life ™ program. As an Upgrade for Life member, consumers receive a 25% off discount on all future processor purchases from Emotiva for life. Commented Mr. Laufman: "Thanks to emerging technologies, home theater processors are sometimes quickly outdated. We want our customers to stay current with new technologies by making it affordable to upgrade to a new processor when they're ready." Complete details on Emotiva's new Upgrade for Life program can be found at http://emotiva.com/faq/processor_upgrade. About Emotiva Audio Corporation Emotiva Audio Corporation (www.emotiva.com) is a designer, manufacturer and marketer of high performance audio and video products. Outstanding performance and impeccable customer service has helped build a strong, dedicated following among the most demanding music and movie lovers. NEWS RELEASE 12/18/12 Class D has never been this good. Come to think of it, neither has class A. The Mola-Mola Power amplifier is based on the world's most sought after class D technology: Ncore. Designed by Bruno Putzeys, this circuit packs 20 years of design experience and research into non-linear control theory. Its audio performance runs rings around linear amplifiers of any description. Lower distortion, lower noise and lower output impedance combine into what scores of enthusiastic users unanimously describe as "no sonic signature at all". Just music, glorious music. The days of compromising power efficiency for audio performance are finally over: the Mola-Mola power amplifier deliver definitive audio performance with power efficiency thrown in as a bonus. The Mola-Mola Preamplifier is modern analogue design at its best. Five inputs are switchable between XLR (AES48 compliant!) and RCA connection, and all can be internally routed through optional processors such a an MC stage. The sixth input is reserved for the optional DAC board. Internal operation uses a little known strategy called "single-ended drive differential". Rather than merely doubling up the signal path, this eliminates common-mode noise at every stage in the circuit. Used with good quality balanced interconnects, this structure insures a high degree of immunity to things like mains quality and cabling. All stages in the Mola-Mola Preamplifier use discrete amplifier modules. The potentiometer is arranged to control the gain of the output stage directly. This arrangement has lower distortion than a relay-based attenuator followed by a buffer stage. Optional phono stages can be added that feature adjustable impedance load, gain, EQ, mono / stereo & phase from the convenience of your iPad. A detailed approach to innovative DAC design. The critical ingredients of a DAC are well known: the current reference, the I/V stage, the reconstruction filter and the clock. For the Mola-Mola DAC, all four were redesigned from the ground up. The variable bandwidth PLL achieves immediate lock but then gradually reduces loop bandwidth down to the microhertz region. After a minute of operation, jitter rejection is for all intents and purposes absolute. The crystal oscillator is a class A Pierce circuit with gain feedback. This eliminates phase modulation of the oscillation frequency by amplifier noise and insures that phase noise is solely determined by the crystal. The I/V converter and filter are, uniquely, rolled into one circuit which has better performance than either function alone. The current reference is a discrete, LED-biased regulator that replaces the on-chip voltage reference. The on-board DAC will deliver state of the art performance not only with PCM up to 24/192 but also with DSD and double DSD signals. Bruno's digital designs at Grimm Audio are extremely well thought of in the professional arena. NEWS RELEASE 12/18/12 Bryston LTD (www.bryston.com), builders of the world's finest audio electronics and celebrating 50 years in 2012, has announced the introduction of the BP17, a state-of-the-art analog/digital stereo preamplifier derived from the preamp portion of the B-135 integrated amplifier. Basing a component preamplifier design on existing architecture enables Bryston to deliver unusually high performance and legendary build quality at an affordable price. The BP17 will be available in December, 2012 with an MSRP of $3550. The BP17 employs Bryston's most advanced analog circuitry, power supply design and isolation techniques, providing audio aficionados with an ultimate performance preamplifier that delivers outstanding sonic performance. Much of the technology in the BP17 required over two years in engineering and development resulting in major advances to the analog circuitry derived from the company's SP-3 processor platform. The BP17 utilizes a software controlled motorized analog volume dial and integrated balance control, enabling the preamp to be operated remotely while still adhering to fully discrete analog circuits, delivering perfect channel balance and near zero noise or distortion levels. "We have reduced Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) levels in the BP17 by utilizing buffer amplifiers optimized for wide open-loop bandwidth and low open-loop THD," explained Bryston CEO Chris Russell. "These carefully selected components essentially eliminate the increase in THD with rise in frequency exhibited by almost all op-amps, giving the BP17 phenomenal detail and complete lack of grain in the sound field," Russell added. "The BP17 also features a brand new balanced action volume control, eliminating another source of distortion while maintaining channel-to-channel tracking within 1/10dB over the full range of control," Russell concluded. The Bryston BP17 can be ordered in four configurations—in its standard form, with an optional moving magnet phono stage, with a high resolution internal DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) or fully loaded with both the DAC and phono stage. The BP17 includes provisions for 6 stereo RCA inputs (4 with DAC option), 1 stereo RCA output, 1 stereo tape loop and a headphone output. The Bryston BR2 remote, made from a machined aluminum block, is available as an option. Ultimate Quality: Bryston applies techniques and employs custom materials in our everyday manufacturing of electronic equipment that are more typically utilized by the military and aerospace industries. Such techniques ensure unit-to-unit consistency that is vastly superior to mass production. Bryston's adherence to the use of proprietary parts, sophisticated construction, and refined testing techniques guarantee superb performance and long-term product reliability. About Bryston: Bryston (www.bryston.com) first opened for business in 1962 as a manufacturer of blood analysis equipment, and was named (as an acronym) for its three founders, Tony Bauer, Stan Rybb, and John Stonborough. In 1968, NASA engineer John Russell, Sr. relocated himself and his family to Canada from the US and bought the company, where his son Chris set to work designing the first Bryston amplifier. The Pro 3 made its debut in 1973, and since that time, Bryston components have become legendary for their hand-assembled build quality, performance and reliability in both the pro audio and consumer audio market segments. Bryston amplifiers are utilized in some of the world's most renowned recording studios and owned by many discerning music industry professionals. Bryston applies manufacturing techniques and materials in the everyday assembly of their electronic equipment that are more typically utilized by the military and aerospace industries. Bryston is now based in Peterborough, Ontario Canada, just northeast of Toronto, and sold through over 150 dealers in North America and 60 countries worldwide. NEWS RELEASE 12/18/12 Emotiva Audio Corporation, the company that delivers reference-quality performance at prices people can afford, introduces the new XDA-2 combining audiophile quality DAC, digital preamp, and high-current headphone amplifier into a single, stylish component. Focused on today's digital audio consumers, the XDA-2 will satisfy the most discerning music lover, while being affordable to just about anyone who takes sound seriously. With six optical and coaxial cable digital inputs (2 coax, 2 Toslink, 1 USB, 1 AES/EBU) and full support for 24-bit/192kHz sample rates on all digital inputs, the XDA-2 ($399.99) is ready to elevate listening to digital audio sources to a higher level of enjoyment, while serving as the nerve center for a home audio system. "The XDA-2 will enhance the sound quality of any high performance audio system," said Dan Laufman, President of Emotiva. "No matter the digital source—or sources—the XDA-2 is ready, with its multiple inputs, its Differential Reference™ topology, an asynchronous sample rate converter to remove jitter, and the convenience of a front-panel alphanumeric display and a full-function machined aluminum remote control. There's no better value in DACs today." The XDA-2 connects directly to an Emotiva power amplifier for a complete home audio system. Intended also for high performance headphone listening, without a separate amplifier, the XDA-2 incorporates an ultra low noise discrete design headphone amplifier with a 0.1-ohm output impedance to give you audiophile quality sound with all standard headphones. The headphone amp features a 105dB signal to noise ratio, and sounds great with sensitive headphones and in-ear monitors. The XDA-2's digital to analog converter (DAC) provides a significantly higher level of precision than is typically built into a PC or many other devices, with conversion circuitry built around the Analog Devices AD1955 multi-bit delta-sigma DAC for exceptional performance and superior audio quality. Another high-end Analog Devices integrated circuit, the AD1896 asynchronous sample rate converter (ASRC) provides almost total immunity to jitter. The XDA-2 preamp features Differential Reference™ balanced design utilizing OPA 2134 precision op amps. For audio enthusiasts who enjoy listening at relatively low volume levels, the XDA-2's analog resistor ladder volume control in precise granular 0.25dB steps, and delivers flawless channel tracking down to -100dB attenuation. The XDA-2 high-end features and audiophile performance reinforce Emotiva Audio's reputation for delivering superb audio performance at attractive prices. The Emotiva XDA-2 is available now for $399 with free shipping and a 30-day in-home trial exclusively at www.emotiva.com. NEWS RELEASE 12/18/12 November 2012 sees Linn launch five new limited edition Digital Music Collections. The brilliant value, no-hassle collections collate the latest digital albums released in the premium digital format - Studio Master. Each collection is expertly put together, with all artwork included and embedded, ready to enjoy in a choice of ALAC or FLAC. And, as if having the best ever digital music isn't enough, Linn also includes the CD Quality and MP3 versions of each album as well, should customers wish to burn to a disc or listen on an iPod. Customers can choose from one of five specially compiled Digital Music Collections, then sit back whilst a wealth of music is pre-loaded onto a portable USB hard-drive and shipped direct to them. 2012 Top 50 Studio Master Collection 2012's top fifty best selling Studio Master albums; a taster collection specially selected from the greatest albums of the year. All-time Top 50 Studio Master Collection Our top fifty best selling Studio Masters of all-time. The perfect choice to get your Studio Master collection off to a flying start. Linn Bestselling Classical Top 50 Studio Master Collection The strength of Linn's classical catalogue saw the label crowned 'Label of the Year' by Gramophone in 2010 and this magnificent collection comprises fifty of its bestselling classical recordings. Including 'Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique' by the award-winning SCO / Ticciati, plus Linn's bestselling classical album of 2012, 'J.S. Bach: Cello Suites' by Richard Tunnicliffe and seasonal favourite 'Handel: Messiah' by the Dunedin Consort. Complete 2012 Studio Master Collection Bring your Studio Master music library right up to date with over 200 albums released on Studio Master in 2012. Enjoy The Great American Songbook from Claire Martin, beautifully crafted folk from Emily Barker, toe-tapping blues from John Verity, melodic electronica from Marconi Union, award-winning Debussy from Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and Nordic jazz from Randi Tytingvag. The Ultimate Studio Master Collection This Digital Music Collection contains not just Linn's own award winning titles but entire catalogues from our partner labels too. That's over 500 albums! Available to purchase exclusively at www.linnrecords.com NEWS RELEASE 12/8/12 Daber Audio is proud to introduce it's new Daber Audio Monitor 2. Sticking to owner Stephen Brown's original company vision of offering exceptionally high value to price ratio, the Daber Audio Monitor 2 was designed with one goal in mind - to be the highest performance 2 way monitor on the market under $1,000. "After a year of testing various components, I was approached by a driver manufacturer about a new made-in-America ceramic dome tweeter. The gentleman had shown me the data on the driver. It seemed too good to be true at the price point. I asked him to send me a sample. The samples tested better than the data he had shown me." said Brown. From that point forward, all previous designs for the Monitor 2 were scrapped. After 8 months of testing and tweaking, the Monitor 2 is now in full production. The cabinets are solid MDF with Cherry or Maple veneer, or Piano Black lacquer finishes. The cabinets are rear ported with fluted ports to virtually eliminate turbulence. The 6 1/2 inch woofer has a powerful motor system coupled to a finite element analysis-designed suspension system, containing a linear spider design and rubber surround. The motor incorporates an aluminum shorting ring that reduces coil inductance, extending frequency response performance and reducing second harmonic distortion. A cast aluminum basket provides high structural rigidity, heat-sinking capacity for the motor, and additional ventilation under the spider that in combination with a vented cone neck reduces air compression effects. The hand assembled, made-in-the-USA 26mm tweeter is made of high purity, molded AI203 Alumina ceramic material and features a high flux double magnet design, an underhung voicecoil with 1mm of linear excursion, pure sterling silver binding posts, and frequency response to beyond 24khz. Each pair of drivers is matched to -/+ .75 db. In addition to using very high quality drivers, the internal parts are on par as well. Binding posts are heavy duty, high current five way posts. Internal point to point wiring is comprised of 99.999% oxygen free copper. "I am confident that at no other point in time, has a speaker ever been introduced to the market at this price point that uses components of this caliber, or that performs at this level. We have achieved the design goal, and that was simply to offer a product that nearly any audiophile, from a seasoned veteran to a newcomer, will enjoy. Most importantly, it's a product the newcomer can afford and get many years of enjoyment from. We are very proud to introduce this new speaker" Dimensions: 14"h x 8.5"w x 12"deep, 22 pounds Frequency Response: 38hz - 24khz, (within 3db) Sensitivity: 90 dB 1w/1m
Power Handling; 140w RMS
Price: $969 USD plus shipping
Warranty: 1 year on driver defects, 10 years otherwise
Daber Audio
NEWS RELEASE 12/8/12 Audiophile's Dream: First Power Supply Ever To Use Today's Best Capacitors Receives U.S. Patent. RHB Sound Dezign's power supply gives audiophiles improved dynamics, speed, soundstage and more. GreenForce™, the first music signal power supply in the world that can be built using only Teflon film capacitors, has been patented by Bob Backert of RHB Sound Dezign, an electronics modification firm serving audiophiles around the world. Mr. Backert's power supply is used primarily in RHB's preamplifier modifications, also referred to as preamp mods. It is the first major advance in linear power supply design since the 1930s. Bob Backert has been modifying and improving amplifiers for decades. His tubed amplifier designs are all hand-built, and never use negative feedback. "For me, it's all about live music," said Mr. Backert. "When you walk into a restaurant or club, you can tell right away if the music is recorded, or live. I wanted a power supply that would deliver the same speed, accuracy and powerful dynamics as live music, so it would be much harder to tell if the music were recorded. GreenForce is the realization of that dream." Why are capacitors important to music? Your home's wall outlet provides AC power, but your preamplifier requires DC to operate, which is generated by its power supply. Specifically, your preamplifier receives DC power from a part in the power supply called a capacitor. A capacitor looks, and functions, like a battery. A poor-quality capacitor will not deliver power to your preamplifier exactly as required by your music. For example, loud drum hits and bass pulses require more power than soft violins and flutes. All music requires very specific, exact power delivery to sound live. Inaccurate power impairs the tone and dynamics, and smears the timing, the "feel," of your music. What are the best capacitors? The best category of capacitors is "film and foil". Some of the best film and foil capacitors use polypropylene film. Many believe that the very best capacitors are those made with Teflon film. So, the best preamplifiers have the best capacitors in their power supplies. Right? Wrong. Surprisingly, not a single preamplifier in the world has all Teflon-film capacitors in its music signal-producing power supply. Until now, with GreenForce™. Even more surprisingly, many preamplifiers, even the most expensive, use a fairly low-quality type of capacitor. These, called "electrolytic" capacitors, do not respond accurately and exactly to the power demands of your music. They age over time, further impairing sound quality. And they sometimes burst open, leaking destructive chemicals onto your preamplifier's circuitry. Film and foil capacitors have none of these problems. Why aren't the best capacitors used in the power supplies of the best preamplifiers? Like a flashlight using "D" batteries that won't work with "AAA", the power supplies in today's preamplifiers simply require more power than a Teflon film capacitor can deliver. For example, a linear power supply that produces music signal might require capacitors with 50 uF (a tubed preamp) or 5,000 uF (a solid-state preamp). But Teflon film capacitors are much smaller. The largest size made by the popular V-Cap brand is 3.3 uF. Just one of these retails for $699.99. Clearly, it is not practical to use Teflon film capacitors to meet a 50 uF or 5,000 uF power supply requirement. How does GreenForce™ power my preamplifier using only the best capacitors? The patented GreenForce™ power supply requires only about 0.5 uF in a tubed preamplifier. This makes either Teflon or polypropylene film capacitors easily affordable. In a solid-state preamplifer, GreenForce requires only about 10 uF, which allows the use of high-quality polypropylene capacitors, a significant upgrade over the stock electrolytics. How does GreenForce™ sound? What does it cost? The GreenForce™ power supply gives your preamplifier improved dynamics, and noticeably better, more swinging rhythm. Bass has faster attack, soundstage expands, and music becomes more tonally accurate. Orchestras and bands sound more cohesive, while solo instruments and vocals become more immediate, compelling, and "right there." RHB Sound Dezign can install the GreenForce™ power supply for less than $1,000 in most preamplifiers, phono preamps, some sources such as CD players, and some power amplifiers. For more information on preamp mods, power amp mods and phono preamp mods, visit RHB Sound Dezign's website (below). Customer testimonials about Bob Backert's modification work are on RHB's Testimonials Page.
RHB Sound Dezign
"Teflon" is a registered trademark of E. I. du Pont
de Nemours and Company (http://www.dupont.com).
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