Here's the all new Technics DVD-Audio player which is capable of 24-bit/192kHz digital audio/music decoding and reproduction. An AC-3 and DTS decoder is also included as well for those who want to enjoy surround sound too. To better explain this new format called DVD-Audio, may i first say that it can not be played on current DVD video players on the market today. This new player is specifically made for the new DVD-A format which is fully approved by the WG4 (unlike the unapproved Sony's SACD format). DVD-Audio can consist of the following audio content (not including the compressed MLP format):

The layers themselves are 0.6mm within the disc itself with the first layer being semi-transparent in a 2-layer DVD-Audio disc. While the 24-bit digital data results in, theoretically, a 144 db dynamic range, there is thermal noise in the digital decoding chips currently in use today that limit this dynamic range to that of a 21.5-bits digital data stream. Well, time to get back to the Milan show report.  Shall we...

Linn was featuring an oldie but a goodie. Their Klassic fully integrated unit is a fully featured CD/Tuner/preamp/amplifier all in one chassis. The Klassic comes in many different colors too! Here is a great kitchen stereo or one to send with your college-aged child. Heck, i say get one for virtually every room in the house!

TAG McLaren racks up another show with their full F3 system which i rarely see in the USA. For those who are not familiar with the basic story, TAG basically bought out Audiolab to create a company "with a technical advantage and access to resources second-to-none".  TAG offers everything from complete separates systems to fully integrated remote controllable pre/amplifier units and also CD players. Maybe it is time i take one of these F3s out for a test drive?

Seen in the C.E.C. room is their portable CD player made by parent company Sanyo. While not belt driven, i can't help but show this approximately $100 USD unit as those with their high-end multi-thousand dollar transport might also want a C.E.C. "to go". Would you like fries with that?

How could any show report be complete without vinyl replay? Seen above is the Rega tables. From closest to furthest we have the planer 3 black, planer 3 in red, Rega 25 in light wood and lastly the p9 in dark wood.

Audio Note gave Ian White of SoundStage! and myself a private listening comparison of the their new DAC 1 Kit. This new kit, like their top-of-the-line multi-thousand dollar DAC 5, uses zero-times over sampling. Of course this is an oxymoron since you can not "over sample" zero times. Basically there is no over sampling used and lemme tell ya dudes, the sound of this pre-production unit was amazing! There seemed to be great musical/tempo freedom like that heard on the best analog rigs while transients came and went very fast. No hanging on here! For what may retail around $700 USD, this may be another Levinson/Krell killer in the making! Maybe it is all this over sampling that is killing the music which many reviewers have been complaining about? Whatever the cause, we shall not need to wait and see for too long as Enjoy the Music.com is going to be one of the first to receive a review sample! Be here or be square.

While for the life of me i can not find my digital photos of the new Clearaudio Tangent linear tracking tonearm which should retail for around $2,000 USD. i bet you dollars for donuts a high resolution analog photo will appear shortly. Until then, please enjoy this photo of their 3-motor equipped Master Reference turntable with golden-colored separate power supply called The Accurate Power Generator (seen right). This power unit claims to clean up the dirty, fluctuating power and turn it into a "ideal, distortion-free voltage and current, galvanically isolated from the grid" power. The result is "a relaxed, realistic soundstage".

Technics were showing off their very Limited Edition gold version of the highly popular DJ turntable model SL-1200LTD. The 1200 has been a DJ fave for what seems like an eternity! In fact i personally used two 1200 tables when DJ'ing back in the 80's! This gold version, a long time ago, was only given to DJs who won special contests. Now it is now available for purchase to the very lucky few who are capable of buying this staple of DJ'ism.  As Beck sings "Where it's at. I got two turntables and a microphone."