CES 2006 & T.H.E. Show Pre-Event Report
     

 

  Aaudioimports will have three rooms filled to the brim with gear including one room with the Acapella LaCampanella speakers ($26,000), Accustic Arts Drive I CD Transport ($5,800), Accustic Arts DAC I MK-3 d/a converter with 32-bit/384kHz chipset ($6,000). Amplification for this system consist of Accustic Arts' Preamp I MK-2 Balanced ($5,100), Accustic Arts Amp II-AC Balanced High Performance ($11,600) plus various Accustic Arts racks, power stips, cables, etc. Another room will have Einstein's The Last record player MK-2, CDP ($7,490), The Tube preamplifier ($13,850) plus various Isoclean and Acapella products as will the third room.

 

  Furutech will be introducing two Audio, Power, Digital and Speaker cable lines plus their e-TP609 power distributor. The Reference III series cables feature double-shielded Alpha PCOCC, GC-303 Antimagnetic EMI-absorbent modules, rhodium-plated conductor, and special insulation material for lower capacitance. Their Evolution series have µ-OFC Alpha conductor, single shield braided µ-OFC, special polyethylene insulation for lower capacitance plus better mechanical damping, and Furutech high performance gold-plated connectors. For power distribution, the company's new e-TP609 uses a chassis CNC machined from singe-block aluminum, three separate sets of conductors for each of three duplex receptacles to IEC input, special internal wiring keeps resistance low, a resonance damping coating, and Furutech's new Axial Locking System with locking screw anchoring each duplex outlet said to prevent oscillation and enhancing long-term stability. All the above contain wire that has undergone 2-stage cryogenic and demagnetizing via Furutech's Super Alpha treatment.

 

  Edge Electronics will be debuting their new G Reference monoblock amplifiers. With small form factor, a mere 10 x 15 x 3 (WxDxH in inches), the G monoblock can produce 1,150 watts into a 4 Ohm load. Edge's G .5 stereo amplifier is also small, yet has a pair of power supplies that allow the unit to produce 200 watts per channel into a 4 Ohm load. Both units feature both balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) input.

 

  Channel Islands Audio will be introducing their VDA•2 24-bit/192kHz DAC ($599). Traditional DAC designs use brick-wall digital filters, usually followed by more analog filtering to reduce sampling noise, but cause signal degradation in the process. Another approach has been to use no filtering at all, but this adds noise to the analog signal. Channel Island Audio's DAC uses a mild, slow roll-off digital filter to tame sampling noise and no analog filtering. This is claimed to reduced filtering artifacts compared to brick-wall types, and lower sampling noise than filter-less types, resulting in a more analog sound. Digital inputs include Toslink optical or coaxial S/PDIF. Chipset includes the Crystal Semiconductor CS8416 and Burr Brown PCM1794.

 

  Xtreme Cables sister company, Xtreme AV, will debut its new QuickSilver Gold Audio & Video Contact Enhancer ($159). This product is said to enhance energy transfer while reducing micro-arcing noise. While developing QuickSilver Gold, Xtreme Cables tested three types of proprietary conductive flake blends in differing particle sizes to achieve the formula they are now offering. Benefits are said to include increased upper frequency extension, increased midrange transparency and resolution, plus bass will become more extended and controlled.

 

  VMPS (Veritone Minimum Phase Speakers) has announced the development of their Constant Directivity Wave Guide. This technology is claimed to be a specially designed Wave Guide to cause an exceptional improvement in directivity, increasing it to 180 degrees. Sonic benefits include smoother frequency response, a larger listening area, improved off-axis response, and improved 3-D soundscape. VMPS will have a pair of the company's Piano Black RM30 loudspeakers and the model 215 subwoofers, each having a pair of 15-inch drivers. Displaying along with VMPS in this room, will be X-treme Audio Cables.

 

  Genesis Advanced Technologies will be using their new Genesis 3 (G3) full range floorstander. Also at the show will be Genesis' 7p monitors being driven by the company's Genesis I60 integrated tube amplifier. The large G3 has servo-controlled bass, ribbon tweeters and solid-metal cone drivers that has been receiving rave reviews in other designs over the years. Multiple drivers are mounted to the front panel of the G3 while the side-mounted subwoofer allows for a slim front profile.  The 7p is a two-way monitor with a single ribbon tweeter mated with a solid-metal cone midrange/woofer. The cabinet has a wonderful curvature to achieve stunning beauty and  elegant visuals.

 

  Gemme Audio's new Concerti 108 ($4,700 with chrome feet being a $300 option) marks the company's first venture in their True Horn series. With a single full range Fostex FE108EZ driver, the Concerti 108 does not require a crossover and offers high sensitivity for ease of driving with low wattage amplification. The True Horn construction with the aid of CNC machining provides a horn section that follows a continuously smooth expanding curve topology instead of a succession of expanding square cavities. It is said to ensure a constant expansion while minimizing turbulences in the pathway, resulting in a superior reproduction of mid to low frequencies. The 1-inch thick MDF cabinet is coated by acrylic and offered in a high gloss mirror finish outside and inside, with rocklike density. Frequency response is from 42Hz to 23kHz (-6dB) with a 93dB/W/m sensitivity at 8 ohms.

 

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