While most people know Avantgarde Acoustic for their hornspeakers, for many years they have also made electronics. Seen here is their new Model 2 (8000€ or thereabouts) phonostage, which is a dual mono design that can be powered by electrical or batteries. The battery compartment is seen at the front (black) while the power supple is underneath the chrome 'cage' to the left. There are three symmetrical inputs, an adjustable impedance and is only for MC. The reason it is for only MC cartridges is that a special technology sends DC through the cartridge, the cartridge modulates it, and that is how the signal is extrapolated. Of course the gain is adjustable and there is a memory for gain setting for each input. All inputs are balanced (XLR) and output can be balanced or coax (RCA).
Speaking of their hornspeakers, read my reviews of their Uno
seen here and Duo is
here.
KEF's new Reference 209 subwoofer ($15,000) is a monster 1000 watt with digital signal processing done by their in-house engineers. The cool thing is that there is an upper left display on the front of the speaker and scripts along for the users to easily tune-in the unit to your listening room. The long-throw 18-inch woofer goes down to 15Hz and up to 250Hz with tremendous SPL levels. The lovely wood cabinet is offered in many colors including lacquer high gloss or flat finished.
While i have covered ADAM's large floorstander at last year's show, here we have their Tensor Delta (4800€ each) that includes the company's ribbon tweeter, a ribbon midrange and dynamic driver woofer. On the rear panel, you have many adjustments that control the appropriate driver. There are three 250-watt amplifier, one for each driver.
Elac had a very interesting circular (360 degree) round 4PI Plus 2 (1200€ in high gloss black or 990€ in titanium each) ribbon tweeter that has two adjustments. The output can e adjusted for +4/+2/0/-2/-4 dB and another for the crossover frequency at 10/12/15 kHz. It is transformer loaded.
While word has gotten out that Pass Lab's designer Nelson personally builds the First Watt line of low watt stereo amplifiers, i feel the need to give it coverage here as this is truly some amazing sounding amplification. Seen here is the model FS (2900€) that produces 50 watts per channel. Yes, Nelson truly does build every one of these as a type of 'hobby', when he is not busy designing the Pass Labs line of outstanding products.
As for reviews, Enjoy the Music.com has quite a few including
their
First Watt Model F1 (with follow up seen
here), the Pass
Laboratories Class-A X250, and Aleph
X2.5 preamplifier.
The new Pro-ject Classix turntable (2500€ with 9-inch carbon fiber arm to upwards of 4125€ with the Ortofon 309 12-inch tonearm). This belt driven turntable handles 33.3/45/78 rpm adjustable from a top controller. The
company's knowledge starting from the RPM10 helped them to realize sandwiching MDF and metal sands makes for a very low resonance plinth, which is incorporated here. An inverted magnetic bearing helps the main bearing is said to produce zero rumbling noise. The platter is made from a sandwich of metal and two sheets of vinyl to produce a very inert design. Getting to the bottom of things, the new feet are magnetic as well for isolation from resonances.
Reviews on Enjoy the Music.com include the Pro-Ject
1 Xpression and Speed Box, the Phono
Box SE and Tube
Box.
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High-Performance Audio Reviews
