CES 2013 Preview & T.H.E. Show Preview  2013
   
CES & T.H.E. Show Preview 2013

MC - Music Culture Technologies will be exhibiting at T.H.E. Show 2013 in Las Vegas in conference room E on the 4th floor with their new mc1010 ($4,995) music server! Based on the excellent Vortexbox Engine, MC's new server will feature up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD DoP v1 playback. This unit will be compatible with a wide variety of bit and sampling rates, file types and has an output via the SOtM USB card, S/PDIF. An optional internal DAC board is also available. The 2TB of internal storage may be controlled via free iOS / Android app. Also at T.H.E. Show 2013 Las Vegas will be MC's mc501A high definition CD / USB dual player. Building on the exceptional performance, sound quality and construction of the mc501 player, MC added an asynchronous USB input capable of playing up to 24-bit/192kHz files. The new "A" version also adds extended shielding of the power supply module, D/A board and analog output section as well as a gold plated grounding plate to minimize interference. As a result, the new mc501A has an improved S/N ratio resulting in an extended, dimensional sound stage. Of course show attendees can also hear MC's other award-winning Elegance line of components and speakers as well as their Reference line components mc331 speakers and mc811 monoblock amplifiers.

 

Lamm Industries CES 2013 suite 35-309 at the Venetian Hotel will have many world premieres and a total system setup costing $414,055! The gear list includes:

Lamm ML2.2 single-ended amplifier $37,290/pair ($74,580 total) (two pairs used in a bi-amping mode)
Lamm L2 Reference line-level preamplifier (preamp and power supply) $15,790/set
Lamm LP2 phono pre, deluxe (1) $7,790/each
Verity Audio Lohengrin II S speakers (pair) $120,000/pair
Tech DAS AirForce turntable (1) $79,500
Graham Phantom Elite tonearm (12 inch option) (1) $8,500 (Nordost licensed cables included)
Tech DAS AirForce + Graham Phantom Elite - $83,500
ZYX UNIverse II cartridge (1) $8,495
ZYX Omegacartridge $4,995
Tech DAS D-7i DAC (1) $7,600
Mark Levinson model 31.5 transport (1)
Kubala-Sosna Elation series Interconnects and Speaker cables - $6000 first meter/$1200 add’l meter
  Power cords -- $1800 first meter/ $500 add’l meter
  Speaker cables, 3m pair (2) $16,800/two pairs
  Phono interconnects (for tonearm), 1.5m $3,000/each
  Interconnects (for phono preamp), 2m $7,200/pair
  Interconnects (for D/A converter), 1.5m $6,600/pair
  Interconnects (from preamp to amp), 12m $19,200/pair
  Link cables (for bi-amp'ing) 2m (2) $7,200/each ($14,400 total)
  Digital IC S/PDIF, 1m $2,7000/each
  Digital IC AES/EBU, 1m $2,700/each
  Power cords (for amps), 2.5m (2) and 3m (2) $2,550/each ($10,700 total)
  Power cords (for front end & preamps), 2m (6) $2,300/each ($12,000 total)
Total for Kubala-Sosna components: $95,300

Lamm Industries CES 2013 suite 35-305 will have a total system cost of $534,565 and include:

Lamm ML3 Signature amplifiers (pair) $139,490/pair
Lamm LL1 Signature line-level preamplifier (pair) $42,790/pair
Lamm LP1 Signature phono preamplifier (set, pictured here, preamp + two power supplies) $32,790/set
Wilson Audio Maxx3 speakers (pair) $69,500/pair
NeoDio NR22T transport ($12,700) + NR22D DAC ($12,000) $24,700/set
OR
NeoDio NR32D “Origine” (1) $27,000 Kronos turntable (1) $32,000
ZYX UNIverse II cartridge (1) $8,495
Graham Phantom II Supreme 12-inch tonearm (1) $6,000
MAXXUM precision component support system $67,800
($5,650 per component, 12-component rack)
MAXXUM precision amplifier stands $22,600
($5,650 per component, 4 components)
Total for CMS components: $90,400
Kubala-Sosna Elation series Interconnects and Speaker cables - $6000 first meter/$1200 add’l meter
  Power cords -- $1800 first meter/ $500 add’l meter
  Speaker cables, 2.5m pair $7,800/pair
  Phono interconnects (for 2 tonearms), 1.5m/each $3,000/each ($6,000 total)
  Interconnects (for 2 phono preamps), 2.2m/each $7,200/pair ($14,400 total)
  Interconnects (for D/A converter), 2m/each (2) $7,200/pair ($14,400 total)
  Interconnects (from preamps to amps), 12m $19,200/pair
  Digital IC S/PDIF, 1m $2,700/each
  Digital IC AES/EBU, 1m $2,700/each
  Power cords (for amps), 2.5m (2) $2,550/each ($5,100 total)
  Power cords (for front end & preamps), 2m (7) $2,300/each ($16,100 total)
Total for Kubala-Sosna components: $88,400

 

Wells Audio will be at T.H.E. Show 2013 with their new Innamorata amplifier. This very simple, unbalanced, push-pull, dual mono solid-state design uses very little feedback to achieve sonic beauty. It is rated at 120 watts into 8 Ohms and 200 watts into 4 Ohms. The manufacturer said, "It is an extraordinary and unique combination of resolution and sonic beauty. The Innamorata has been described as the most musical component in high end audio today. It is a remarkable and magical accomplishment that must be heard."

 

Simaudio Ltd. CES 2013 room at the Venetian Towers suite 30-139 will have the new MOON 610LP Phono Preamplifier. This sibling to the multi-award winning 810LP is more affordable and offers the "exact same flexibility of its big brother, while incorporating almost all of the exact same technologies" says the company. Other new models at CES 2013 include the MOON 740P Preamplifier, whish is a dual-mono balanced differential design based on the MOON 850P reference. It is housed in a single chassis with all the Evolution series features. The MOON 860A Power Amplifier produces 200 watts per channel into 8 Ohms and stable down to 1 Ohm. This dual-mono differential amplifier can driver virtually any loudspeaker and the new MOON 860A replaces the MOON W-7. Also new for 2013 is the MOON 870A Preamplifier that produces 300 watts per channel into 8 Ohms and stable down to 1 Ohm. This is a dual-mono differential amplifier.

 

Bluebird Music's CES 2013 Venetian suite 30-308 will have the new Chord Electronics DSX 1000 ($13,000) Music Streamer and much more! The DSX 1000 includes both fixed and variable outputs and the same very high quality analog volume control used in Chord's reference preamps. Thus the Chord streamer is said to be free from the problems and low-level distortions normally associated with digital volume controls. Of course the unit can be connected directly to a power amplifier for true high-end sound. The DSX 1000 streamer includes Chord's brilliant proprietary QBD76 DAC technology. The QBD76 can resolve 40dB more information than the most DAC chips on the market. Chord's legendary DAC expertise and proprietary circuits are what separates this truly state-of-the-art streamer from all the ordinary ones. It's not just another streamer! Value priced at $13,000. Also at CES 2013 will be Chord Electronics $14,000 new SPM 1200 Mk II stereo amplifier. Bluebird Music will also have the Peak Consult InCognito XII ($26,000) and Van den Hul 3T crystal free revolutionary cables.

 

TEAC America /Esoteric will be exhibiting new products at the CES 2013 in the Venetian Hotel in suite 29-111. Products being shown at CES 2013 include the Esoteric G-01 Master Clock Generator (M$22,900) with the newest rubidium controlled master clock. This top-of-the-line product features an accuracy of +0.05 parts per billion (0.00005 ppm) this new Master Clock Generator brings precision clocking to even more products in the music playback world. Most notably – more rubidium controlled output frequencies to allow its use with music servers, computerized sources, GPS systems and virtually any device accepting a master or word clock. Esoteric's G-02 Master Clock Generator ($5,750) is an improved replacement for their mid-level master clock, the G-03X. It uses a newly designed Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator or "OCXO" with an accuracy of the output clock signals of +0.01 ppm, 10 times more accuracy than its predecessor. This new clock adds several new clocking frequencies, as does the G-01 above, including 10 MHz, 22.5792 MHz, 24.576 MHZ allowing synchronization of nearly any computerized music playback system. The Esoteric K-05 Black CD/SACD and DAC ($8,300) is new at CES 2012 in a black version to satisfy the demand for all-black components by some audiophiles. They have also released the K-05 and K-07 in a beautiful black finish similar to the older X-05, discontinued a year or so ago. The main system on active display include items from Esoteric, Cabasse and M2Tech.

Esoteric P-02 TRANSPORT $ 23,500
Esoteric D-02 D/A CONVERTER $ 23,500
Esoteric CLASS "A" STEREO AMPLIFIER A-03 $12,900
Esoteric C-03 DUAL MONO PREAMP LINESTAGE $10,900
Esoteric G-01 RUBIDIUM CONTROLLED MASTER CLOCK $22,900
M2TECH VAUGHAN BATTERY POWERED D/A CONVERTER $7,999
M2TECH JOPLIN A/D CONVERTER $2,499
M2TECH PALMER BATTERY POWER SUPPLY FOR THE JOPLIN $1,100
Esoteric E-03 DUAL PHONO STAGE $5,500
TEAC AI-3000 CLASS A/B STEREO INTEGRATED AMP $2,999
Cabasse BALTIC EVOLUTION 3-WAY COAXIAL LOUDSPEAKERS $17,700/pr
WITH CABASSE SANTORIN 30 1000W SUBWOOFER W/ROOM CORRECTION $4,725
Cabasse PACIFIC 3 THREE-WAY LOUDSPEAKER $15,998/pr
All wire and cables by WireWorld

 

Audiophiles looking for retro fun might like to see @ CES' iLoung Pavilion the iHome iP4 re-imagined boombox! The iP4 brings the classic retro style stereo boombox with intriguing updates for your iPhone and iPod. The iP4 features SRS TruBass digital signal processing technology and five band EQ. Driver compliment is a pair of 4" carbon composite woofers and pair of 1" ferrofluid cooled tweeters. Besides the normal operations, FM radio and aux line-in jack provide even more usability. The iP4 operates on six D batteries or via the included AC adaptor.

 

Producer of handmade premium audio cables WyWires will be debuting at CES 2013 Venetian Hotel and T.H.E. Show's Flamingo! The Power Broker AC Distributor features 8-NEMA outlets housed in a beautifully crafted exotic wood box. It also includes a new high current power cord, Juice HC, integrated into the box itself. The new WyWires Power Broker AC Distributor is a collaborative effort between Daedalus Audio for woodworking and WyWires for design engineering and unique cable technology. The new Juice HC power cord extends WyWires’ existing Juice II cable architecture to a cord suited for high current applications. The Power Broker AC Distributor and Juice HC Power Cord will be available for distributors/dealers by February 1, 2012. WyWires continues to offer Blue, Silver and Gold Series cables (Gold Series cables incorporate Bybee Slipstream and Quantum Purifiers.) All components and materials are sourced in the US/EU. All WyWires products are handmade in Los Angeles and customized to the user’s system.

Price: Power Broker AC Distributor, $2899 for basic version, $3999 for Bybee-enhanced version. Juice HC Power Cord, $899 for Silver, $1999 for ByBee-enhanced Gold version. WyWires Gold cables start at $899; Silver cables start at $499; Blue cables start at $249. CES The Venetian with Cary Audio Design and Tannoy, 35-209. T.H.E. Show Flamingo
with Zesto Audio, TAD Labs room 4024, with Voce Audio, MSB Technologies, One World Audio 4th floor, Conference Room C, and with Voce Audio, Wells Audio, ByBee Room 4036.

 

Pass Laboratories will be introducing the Xs Preamplifier, which is Pass Labs' new flagship of its preamplifier line, at the Venetian Tower suite 34-209 during CES 2013. The Xs Preamp is entirely new and designed to complement the ultimate performance standards of Pass Labs' Xs-300 and Xs-150 amplifiers. The Xs Preamp is quieter than the XP-30 and has an improved power supply. In appearance, it resembles the Xs Amplifiers and features two large chassis built with a true dual-monaural topology. Pass Lab's Xs preamplifier has several circuit boards fabricated from materials sourced in many cases from the military and high-speed computer sectors for their superior performance. Pass Labs has optimized each circuit board through an arduous trial-and-error process for top performance in each of the functional areas for which a board is employed. Circuit boards for power supply circuits have different requirements than ones for gain stages. In the Xs Preamp, each board is optimized for its specific use. Each of the two channels has its own power supply board, each with a refined circuit design and layout. Their 100,000-microfarad (uF) capacitors are optimized for low noise and high performance through the use of a variety of materials, from highly reliable electrolytics to a custom polypropylene. Newly available silicon carbide semiconductors further heighten performance by dropping noise below the level of Pass Lab's XP-30 preamplifier. The circuit boards for the gain stages have been completely redesigned for maximum sonic impact. They employ a direct-coupled (DC), ultra-symmetric gain path with high-bias Class A circuitry, and feature auto bias and DC-compensation to maintain peak performance. An extra large, high-definition display addresses listeners’ desire to know a music system’s status even from across a brightly lit room. The 20-character display is easy to read and dimmable. The Xs Preamp comes supplied with a remote control. Its rear panel includes 6 inputs, a tape loop, dual-power input connections, dual balanced outputs, and variable outputs for bi-amp'ing and use with multi-room systems.

 

Stella Inc. will be exhibiting its TechDAS Air Force ONE turntable in The Venetian's Genesis Advanced Technologies suite 29-119. The TechDAS Air Force ONE is the brainchild of the CEO of Japanese premier distributor, Stella, Inc. and ex-Director of Micro-Seiki, Mr Hideaki Nishikawa. He worked with a team of engineers and technicians from the old Micro-Seiki, and the technicians and engineers in Stella, Inc. who had for years been servicing and supporting various brands of turntables that they distributed in Japan. The result is a technological tour-de-force that encompasses the best, and is claimed to overcome every weakness of all of the turntables in their collective hundreds of years of experience. The TechDAS Air Force ONE features a massive 30kg (66 lbs) two-part platter that incorporates both vacuum hold-down and an air bearing using silent, ripple-free air pumps. Two crystal-locked 50W power amplifiers and an AC synchronous motor ensure absolute speed stability that can be varied for pitch control. The chassis and superstructure is engineered to eliminate all internal vibrations and resonance and be immune to external vibrations. The result is an amazing level of signal to noise ratio and speed stability that used to be impossible in conventional turntables.

 

EgglestonWorks will be at CES 2013 Venetian Hotel suite 30-203 to unveil new models. New models on display will include the world debut of the Nine Signature as well as the new Isabel Signature speakers($18,900 and $6,500 per paid respectively). The company will host special seminars by Darcy Proper and Ronald Prent of Wisseloord Studios where they currently uses a five-channel Savoy system in both of their mastering studios for both stereo and multi-channel mastering sessions. Darcy Proper began her career at Sony Music Studios, moving to Galaxy Studio in Belgium and finally to Wisseloord where she is Director of Mastering. Darcy has been honored with two Grammy awards and 8 nominations working with artists such as Steely Dan, The Eagles, REM, and Donald Fagan just to name a few. Ronald Prent began at Wisseloord almost 30 years ago as an assistant engineer. He is now considered one of the most accomplished mix engineers in the world working with artists such as Rammstein, The Scorpions, Simple Minds, Live and many others. Ronald was also a "test pilot" for Sony and Philips DSD/SACD format working on projects for Guano Apes, Kane and Herbert Grönemeyer. "We feel that coming to CES this year is important to show support for EgglestonWorks and the fine work they are doing," says Darcy Proper "particularly after the tremendous amount of support they've shown us in getting our Wisseloord Studios project off the ground. Oddly, the worlds of "pro audio" and "audiophile" rarely intersect. It takes a special product like the EgglestonWorks Savoy's to bridge the gap between the two disciplines and we feel that's something worth showing off to the world." The EgglestonWorks line currently consists of models ranging in price from $3150 to $135,000, with most of the line on display at the show.

 

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