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03 / 30 / 07

Jamo C Series Loudspeakers  Jamo has unveiled their C 80 series of premium loudspeaker that features innovative technology and aesthetically pleasing Danish design. The company's newest technologies include Decoupled Tweeter Technology (DTT) featuring silk dome tweeters mounted in a waveguide faceplate for even sonic distribution. The hard conical cone woofers design is claimed to not suffer audible breakup at working frequencies and have a center phase plug for a more responsive and stable sound at high volume levels. Of note is their "Active Impedance Correction," a technique that is said to be responsible for enhanced midrange clarity. Jamo's C 809, C 807 and C 805 floorstanding loudspeakers feature a double bass-reflex port system to augment the bass and midrange frequencies. The top of the range, 3-way C 809 boasts two 7-inch woofers, a 7-inch midrange unit and a 1-inch tweeter. The C 803 bookshelf 2-way bass reflex loudspeaker has a 7-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter and has Jamo's unique Convex Tapered Vent, which reduces unwanted port turbulence and virtually eliminates port noise. Lastly, Jamo's C 80 SUB subwoofer is a front and rear firing subwoofer equipped with two 10-inch aluminum cone woofers at opposite ends of a closed cabinet. At the heart of this sub is a 1800 watt BASH amplifier and electronics that include comprehensive selection of controls - all mounted on the front panel for ease of access - includes boundary gain compensation and Motional FeedBack circuitry.

 

03 / 29 / 07

Murano Audio P-1000S PLUS ICEpower Amplifier  Murano Audio's new P-1000S PLUS ICEpower amplifier produces 1,000 watts into 4 Ohms ($899 each, $1,798 per pair). The amplifier is based around the Bang & Olufsen ICEpower 1000ASP module, which pairs a switch mode power supply with a PWM output section. A Lundahl input transformer is utilized for very low noise/wide bandwidth/high dynamics while the metalwork enclosure is well finished with gold RCA for unbalanced, gold XLR for balanced inputs. Other touches include gold loudspeaker binding posts and cone feet. The 1,000 watt output is rated at 0.01 percent THD+N while the unit has a claimed dynamic range of 118dBA. Frequency response extends to 38kHz.

 

03 / 28 / 07

KRK Systems VXT Series VXT8, VXT6, and VXT4 Monitors  KRK Systems, a leader in studio monitors for the professional audio market, has releases their VXT Series model VXT8, VXT6, and VXT4 ($799, $599 and $399 each respectively) recording monitors. Created using stringent design philosophies similar to KRK's flagship close-field monitor, the Exposé E8B. The VXT Series includes new proprietary woofers and tweeters, a newly designed curved face plate for excellent imaging, a new cabinet design that provides low resonance, improved structural integrity and extended low-end and slotted ports that greatly reduce port turbulence. KRK claims the curved cabinet and faceplate provide excellent imaging characteristics and a wider sweet spot. By using ABS structural foam as the cabinet material, excellent damping characteristics and extended low end due to more internal volume was the result. ABS foam also absorbs shocks so the cabinet is extremely impact resistant. KRK's new dome tweeter is comprised of true silk, as opposed to cloth, which translates to fast transient response, excellent imaging and extended frequency response. The new woofer design has improved transient response over their previous models by using a stiffer, lighter cone that provides very low distortion and extended low-end.

 

03 / 27 / 07

McIntosh Laboratory MVP871 Universal DVD Player  McIntosh Laboratory now offers their MVP871 Universal DVD Player that features high-end audio and video performance. With the ability to play multi-channel DVD-Audio, SACD, CD, HDCD and MP3. For enhanced playability of damaged discs, the MVP871's transport mechanism spins CDs at 4 times the normal speed and DVDs at 2 times the normal speed and stores data into a large buffer memory. McIntosh paid close attention to the digital decoding and analog stages. Three 192kHz/24-bit PCM/DSD stereo DACs help process the signal while the highly-regulated power supplies provide the low noise necessary to achieve top quality sound. Multi-channel out is via RCA connectors while stereo purists can enjoy balanced-line XLR connectors that get their signal from differential D/A converters. The McIntosh MVP 871 also features loudspeaker calibration that optimizes different sized loudspeakers, changes channel level and delay time. In addition to its HDMI interface, the MVP871 has both coaxial and optical digital audio outputs for an external decoder. On the video side, the 12-bit 216MHz video DAC is available as 480i and 480p on the Components output, and up to 1080p on the HDMI output. Both NTSC and PAL video formats are supported. Audio/video enthusiasts will surely take advantage of the unit's HDMI connectivity, which simplifies connection to other audio/video equipment, and its ability to simultaneously output HDMI, component-video, S-video, and Composite-video will prove ease of installation. An RS232C port supports AMX, Crestron and other integrated control systems.

 

03 / 26 / 07

Vintage Audio World Ancient Kauri Tonewood Record Weight  Vintage Audio World's new Ancient Kauri Tonewood Record Weight is manufactured using the rarest of all Ancient Kauri, 'Whitebait' grain timber. Radio carbon dated as being 40 to 50 thousand years old, a certificate of authenticity is supplied with all their products. Measuring 55mm high by 82mm diameter and featuring a beautiful paua shell inlay, the clamp will bring the benefits of Ancient Kauri Tonewood to high-end audio systems and Vintage Audio World claims they may be destined to become collectors items of the future.

 

03 / 23 / 07

Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) in-car audio Jaguar XKR  With more auto manufacturers looking for true high-end automobile sound, the Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) in-car audio experience as previously announced within their Jaguar C - XF concept car (see news report here) is now officially part of Jaguar XKR production vehicle. The audio system includes key B&W elements, including improved-dispersion Kevlar midrange drivers and extended high-frequency performance aluminum tweeters. Unlike more conventional driver designs, B&W's Kevlar unit dispersion is much more uniform across the frequency range. As a result, clearer sound than previously offered by Jaguar is heard as is more fine detail. The loudspeaker company worked closely with jaguar on driver mountings, angles and final system tuning. The end result is said to offer a "high standard of audio experience which Bowers & Wilkins is known for throughout the world." Martin Lindsay, Senior Business Development Manager Automotive at B&W, said "Consumers have come to expect the same high-quality audio experience in their cars that they enjoy in their homes. We're delighted to be able to achieve this milestone in premium sound performance."

 

03 / 22 / 07

  Various news concerning the downward spiral of hard format (CD) music sales, the increase in costs for online radio stations, the estimated cost of Digital Rights Management (DRM) for online content delivery, and how musicians are now taking matters is their own hands. Nielsen SoundScan, an information system that tracks sales of music and music video products throughout the United States, has reported that album sales have recently declined 7.5 percent from the previous week, reaching a 23 percent drop as compared to the same week last year. To date, 2007 sales are down 16.1 percent for the same period as 2006. Meanwhile, online music sales have grown an outstanding 54 percent. It could be said that consumers are no longer looking to purchase hard formats, or perhaps do not want 'filler' songs found in albums and prefer à la carte.

With lawyers at hand and ready to file complaints against the Copyright Royalty Board ruling, an organization which more than doubled royalty fees for streaming music online about two weeks ago, it now appears the Copyright Royalty Board may be willing to compromise. They are listening to various companies who feel this more than doubling of fees is outrageous and may put some online music stations out of business.

In what must be one of the largest wastes of money, Insight Research Corporation claims that the cost to implement Digital Rights Management (DRM) could exceed $9 billion over the next five years. The costs stem from the desire for content owners to protect their data and the inherent software and hardware needed for implementation. Insight Research Corporation claims that "by the close of 2007, total worldwide spending on DRM will reach just over $1 billion, and by 2012 business spending is forecasted to grow to nearly $1.9 billion, according to the new research study." This reporter wonders if these companies realize that nearly every DRM can easily be removed using widely available software. Thus DRM makes little sense when virtually anyone can remove it, thus making content files totally unprotected and freely available to use and share.

Music.comGood news for musicians looking to take control of their own destiny and enjoy a very equitable 80 percent of the money as Music.com  has launched their services. Members of the site can build their own profile page and create favorites lists. Normally musicians get pennies per dollar from the major recording labels while Music.com offers 80 cents per $1 download back to the musicians. As a musician and music lover, it is great to know there are alternatives to the major recording labels. Now if we can just eliminate Clear Channel, a company that controls a large quantity of terrestrial broadcast (FM) radio stations. "Music.com is here because music is central and essential to our lives." And to that i say "Amen."

 

03 / 21 / 07

Sound Performance Lab (SPL) Passeq Passive Equalizer  Sound Performance Lab (SPL) Passeq ($5,200) passive equalizer is heralded as the world's most powerful passive equalizer ever made. With a staggering 144 passive filters (72 per channel) in one EQ, this may be the ultimate passive unit ever conceived and built, yet is also filled with top-grade parts. Single core coils, Supra-OPs with 150dB dynamic rage and 200 v/ms slew rate, Lundahl transformers, plus potentiometers from Elma and ALPS only hint at the high-end parts count. Individual design and components were specified for each filter to ensure precise operation and maximum sound quality. Each channel is divided into three Cut and three Boost bands, each offering twelve switchable frequency ranges. The Cut and Boost ranges are not identical; crossovers are designed to work with like a precise mechanic cogwheel so as to allow users access to the largest possible number of optimal, wide-band S-curves with variable slopes. Individual sonic adaptation of each inductive filter, through separate coil/condenser/resistor combinations, truly optimize each network and allows for the widest possible range and tonally appealing sound color palette available from any passive EQ. The central component of the PQ is discrete, custom made Class A audio operational amplifiers which run on a 120V operating voltage (+/- 60V). This amounts to over three times the operating voltage found in most high quality audio gear (+/-15-20V) and about twice as much as the highest voltages used in the best units currently available. This extremely high voltage allows the circuitry to process at a dynamic range of 150dB, have extremely low phase shifting and THD, and a frequency response up to 100kHz.

 

03 / 20 / 07

Apple TV  Apple Inc.'s Apple TV ($299) provides wireless audio and video streaming to Mac or PC. This Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n wireless unit includes a 40GB hard drive and wireless remote control. Apple TV will automatically grab the existing digital media from a computer and make it available, plus the unit automatically updates whenever something new is added to your computer media files. Apple TV supports widescreen (16:9) high definition television (1080i, 720p, 576p and 480p) with an HDMI, DVI, or component video input. Audio outputs include TosLink optical and analog RCA stereo audio for such formats as AAC (16 to 320 kbps), protected AAC (from iTunes store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV.

 

03 / 19 / 07

Role Audio Sampan FTL Loudspeaker  Role Audio has introduced a new product, the Sampan FTL ($995 per pair) in its Skiff series of ultra small loudspeakers. The Sampan FTL measures a mere 8" x 4" x 9.5" (HxWxD) and uses a single 3.5-inch driver and a folded transmission line design to produce sound that is said to be full range, effortless, neutral, and musical. Frequency response is from 40Hz to 20kHz (+/-3.5dB). The Sampan FTL employs the latest transducer technology – a cast aluminum frame, neodymium magnet, and underhung motor design. Its crossover-less design and flat impedance curve. Rated sensitivity is 87dB/W/m and has an impedance of 8 Ohms. Available finishes include satin black, cream white, and silver.

 

03 / 15 / 07

Audiophile Reviews  Enjoy the Music.com's midmonth Review Magazine update features the Bella Extreme 3205 Signature vacuum tube amplifier. "Frequency wise, the Bella Extreme 3205 Signature is very balanced, but those who generalize that all tube amps are light on bass, and loose and flabby with what bass they do have will be in for a shock," says reviewer Nels Ferre. "Spinning on the SOTA as I write this is "Mrs. Vanderbilt" from the 1998 reissue of Paul McCartney and Wings Band On the Run. I've listened extensively to this album since I bought it years ago, Paul's bass work keeps tearing me away from the keyboard. Far from thin and flabby, it is very full and extremely tight, succinct." Read the complete Bella Extreme 3205 Signature review by clicking here.

 

03 / 14 / 07

Netgear EVA8000 Digital Entertainer HD  Netgear now offers their EVA8000 Digital Entertainer HD ($349), which is the world's first wireless receiver with HDMI for streaming high resolution music, movies, iTunes music, etc. A highly intuitive user interface and powerful search capability provides ease of use for both Windows and Mac computers, network storage devices and USB media devices. Controlling the EVA8000 from the Internet is easy to use via included software, so users can visualize the status of the unit via, control it, etc. Using the included wireless remote, consumers can search their entire media library by multiple criteria including title, actor, date, genre or thumbnail images (from photos, album art or DVD covers). A High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port displays video resolution up to 1080p on big-screen TVs and optical digital audio output (TOSLINK) transmits full digital surround sound to your digital audio receiver. Windows Media DRM (WMDRM10) support allows playback of protected downloaded content from major online services. USB flash drives, digital cameras, iPODs, or other like-device plug directly into the Digital Entertainer HD and instantly access stored digital media. Multiple Netgear EVA8000 Digital Entertainer HD receivers can work in concert throughout a house. Using "Follow Me," consumers can pause a song in one room and resume it in another. While in "Party Mode," music can by synchronized for whole home listening. And for the geeks and tekkies out there, the digital media receiver decodes many leading audio formats (MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, M4A, AAC, AC3), purchased music from iTunes on Windows (M4P), video formats (MPEG1/2/4, WMV, XviD, H.264) and image formats (JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF). Playlist Formats suported include WPL, ASX, WAX, WVX, PLS, M3U, and RMP. The unit integrates a 10/100Base-T Ethernet controller, support for 802.11g wireless networking, and two USB 2.0 ports (front and rear) for additional connectivity with flash memory, iPods or other portable music and video players. It also supports multiple interoperability standards, including Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP AV), Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) and emerging digital rights management technologies such as Microsoft Windows Media DRM 10 for Network Devices. It also supports several security standards including WEP, WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK.

 

03 / 13 / 07

Infinity Classia Series Loudspeaker CMMD Drivers  Harman Consumer Group's Infinity brand of loudspeakers now offers their Classia Series that provide excellent styling and features at high value for the dollar pricing. All drivers in this series incorporate Infinity's Ceramic Metal Matrix Diaphragm (CMMD) drivers, a manufacturing process where by anodizing alumina, a ceramic compound, is applied to both sides of an aluminum core. This technique is claimed to produce driver diaphragms of ultra low mass and ultrahigh rigidity, yielding exceptional resolution and transient response, with the inherent resonant frequency 'breakup mode' of the driver moved well outside its operating range. Tweeters in this line have a frequency response that extends to 40kHz. All models are available in two stunning finishes, high-gloss black and cherry-wood veneer, both accented by silver and black trim and complementing grille colors. Models in the Infinity Classia Series include:

• C205 2-way bookshelf (1-inch tweeter, 5-1/4-inch woofer) $329 each
• CC225 2-way wall-mountable center (1-inch tweeter, dual 5-1/4-inch woofers) $499 each
• C336 3-way floorstanding (1-inch tweeter, 4-inch midrange driver, three 6-1/2-inch woofers,
bi-wireable) $899 each
• C255ES 2-way wall-mountable surround loudspeaker with selectable monopole/bi- or di-pole dualspeaker operation (dual 1-inch tweeters, dual 5-1/4-inch woofers) $499 each

 

03 / 12 / 07

Kimber Kable Select KS-1036 Interconnect  Kimber Kable's new top-of-the-range Select KS-1036 (Uk pricing at 0.5m £1090 and 1m £1700) analog interconnect utilizes the company's 'Black Pearl' silver conductors. This no compromise interconnect from the well-respected and legendary cable company Kimber features 50 percent more conductors than their KS-1030 plus proprietary X38R central core compound to ensure that the conductors are locked in place and precise cable geometry. The increase in conductors is said to reduce the resistance within the cable and enhances Kimber's braided geometry design that reduces the effects of RF interference. Also new is WBT's 0102 Ag nextgen RCA connectors with 'passivated' pure silver conductors. The plug is machined from a solid block of platinum coated brass to provide electromagnetic shielding and are the finest WBT plugs produced to date.

 

03 / 09 / 07

Skywire Audio 1200 Series Cable  Skywire Audio's two new cable series, the 1200 and 1400, are designed by Don Palmer of Highwire Audio and have "unique RF suppressed and patented Highwire designs." This new series are improved over the company's silver plated copper cables due to claimed increase in RF and ringing suppression over their 700 and 1100 series. The cable features encircling the signal conductors with an efficient electromagnetic RF absorbing material. Another feature is what the company calls their patented Standing Wave Suppressors. RCA and XLR interconnects, digital cables, and loudspeaker cables are available with the 1200 Series staring at $330 per one meter pair and the 1400 Series at $545.

 

03 / 08 / 07

HiDiamond X1 Power Strip and Filtering Unit  Italian manufacturer HiDiamond, which has earned many Top Audio Video awards, has announced the availability of their X1 multi-plug power strip and filtering unit. This special unit provides ten electrical outlets, satellite coax plus telephone cable filtering. Aimed for the European market, HiDiamond's X1 offers protection from electrical spikes and EMI/RFI filtering. Work voltage is 250V/16A with maximum spike being 6.5 KV while having the ability to dissipate maximum energy of 420 joules. Clamping voltage reaches upwards of 500V at 30 A with a response time of < 1 nanosecond. EMI/RFI filtering frequency range is from 500kHz to 30MHz with an attenuation of 10dB to 35dB.

 

03 / 07 / 07

The Absolute Sound  Our world first sneak peek into the April / May 2007, issue 171, of The Absolute Sound is now online! See the complete table of contents and read this issue's editorial by Robert Harley titled High-End Audio Comes in From the Cold. In it Robert writes, "...an unprecedented press conference held before the official opening of the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), organized by the CEA (see our full report this issue). Led by Gornick and Kimber, the CEA put on an event promoting to the mainstream press the idea that there's a world of sound quality far beyond MP3 and home-theater-in-a-box audio systems that consumers are simply unaware of — and that they would embrace if they only knew how much better their favorite music could sound." See the April / May 2007 issue of The Absolute Sound by clicking here.

 

03 / 06 / 07

Audience Adept Response aR6p Multi-Outlet Power FIlter  Audience's new Adept Response single outlet aR1p and multi-outlet and aR6p ($495 and $2,600 respectively) offer a host of technologically advanced benefits to provide clean power to audio and video system. Adept Response power conditioners are designed to present the lowest possible impedance power path while providing wide bandwidth noise reduction. Features include hand-wired 10-gauge internal wiring, ultra-high efficiency filter components on every outlet, and double filtering between outlets for maximum component-to-component isolation (in multiple outlet models). The new aR1p Adept Response power conditioner is a single outlet model and the aR6 is a six-outlet system solution (pictured here).

 

03 / 05 / 07

Digital Music Forum East  The big news in the music world is the Digital Music Forum held in New York City last week. Hosted by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Digital Media Wire, and Billboard, with some of the sponsors being Motorola, Speakerheart, Whiteblox and others, this was the event for discussing developments concerning many facets within the digital music industry. During this event was a panel discussion titled "Device and Format Wars" with panelists being David Pakman (President & CEO, eMusic), Robert Khedouri (Co-Founder, MusicGremlin), Jason Reindorp (Director, Microsoft/Zune), David Card (VP & Senior Analyst, JupiterKagan, Inc.) and others, this was a full-on roundtable concerning Digital Rights Management (DRM) and other topics of concern. With the recent letter posted on Apple Computers' website by Steve Jobs asking the RIAA with the major music companies to open DRM (see very detailed editorial on this topic by clicking here), the debate was indeed of great interest. During the opening conference Steve Job's comments concerning DRM-free music was considered "insincere" and a "red herring." Of course Apple representatives refused to make a comment concerning these issues.

While arguments can be made that Steve Jobs is simply protecting his company from the ongoing and losing legal battles in Europe concerning Apple's DRM, eMusic's CEO David Pakman asked during the panel discussion to why not just drop DRM?" At stake is around $1,000 Million dollars in revenue current generated by digital music sales and subscriptions, which has been on double-digital growth yearly. The industry's fear of doing away with DRM is peer-tp-peer (P2P) free for all as experienced in years ago with Napster. Of important note is that various computer programs are already available to remove DRM.

During the first day of the conference the audience, consisting mainly of top management and employees of various companies including e-music, the RIAA, Zune, etc.) it was reported that 73.2 percent agreed that labels will refuse to drop DRM any time soon. During the New York event Ted Cohen, managing director of music consulting firm TAG Strategic, said "We're running out of time. We need to get money flowing from consumers and get them used to paying for music again" at The State of the Digital Union meeting.

 

On a related note, Sound Taxi is a program that easily converts DRM-protected music files and various audio files to unprotected MP3, CD, iPod, etc. SoundTaxi unprotects and converts music files from iTunes, Napster, Zune, Yahoo Music, MusicMatch, MSNMusic, Virgin Digital, Sony Connect, and many others. Now with just a few mouse clicks anyone can enjoy music they have rightly paid for or subscribed to without any restrictions or DRM protection. While users can select the compression level, the software preserves ID3 tags for artist, album, title names etc. A very convenient batch mode and the drag & drop function for folders and files allow to convert and unprotect large music collections with just a few mouse clicks.

 

03 / 02 / 07

Harman Consumer Group JBL ES Series Loudspeakers  Harman Consumer Group's JBL company has announced their new ES Series of loudspeakers. As the successor to their Northridge E Series, the ES Series of loudspeakers utilize technologies employed in the company's professional recording studio monitors to achieve higher sound quality. This new range of models include the ES10 wall-mount/bookshelf monitor; ES20 & ES 30 compact bookshelf loudspeakers, ES80 & ES90 floorstanding towers, and ES150P & ES250P powered subwoofers. Pricing ranges from $349 to $1,098 per pair. Advanced technologies include a new ultrahigh-frequency transducer and a titanium-laminate tweeter both mounted in waveguides that delivers the same frequency response off-axis as they do on-axis to upwards of 40kHz. ES Series midrange and woofer drivers feature cones made from proprietary PolyPlas
polymer-coated-cellulose-fiber cone material, which is claimed to combine the sonic neutrality of paper yet have added rigidity and damping. The woofers incorporate JBL's HeatScape motor structure, which provides efficient heat dissipation for accurate driver performance. JBL's Straight-Line Signal Path (SSP) crossover network employs a minimum of parts to ensure sonic purity. The tapered enclosures, a unified center section, and a front baffle that curves into the top surface blends classic and contemporary design elements while a choice of finishes include black with a platinum center section, beech with a charcoal center, and cherry with a charcoal center.

 

A look back at news from... CES 2007 Pre-Show Report

JBL Project Everest DD66000JBL has earned the prestigious CES Innovations 2007 Award for the company's Project Everest DD66000 loudspeaker that will also appear at the upcoming show. Marking the company's 60th anniversary, the Everest DD66000, the successor to their previously released DD55000, is a 4-way unit easily suitable for large listening spaces. Combining horn-loaded drivers for the upper range and a pair of cone woofers for bass, this high-sensitivity design is JBL's most extreme statement piece to date. Each unit weights in at just over 300 lbs.

Added Information
The Project Everest DD66000 is designed and manufactured entirely without compromise to set a new standard in audio reproduction. The DD66000 excels in every sonic respect, with authoritative bass, detailed midrange and extended high-frequency response beyond 50kHz. The DD66000 combines the superlative dynamic range and transient response of horn-loaded compression drivers with three-dimensional soundstage and articulate low-frequency impact provided by dynamic drivers. The DD66000 is available in an elegant rosewood finish as standard, with premium wood finishes including ebony, cherry and maple as an option. The Project Everest DD66000 incorporates a host of innovative loudspeaker technologies. Its 045Be-1 ultrahigh-frequency driver uses a 1-inch beryllium diaphragm and 2-inch neodymium magnet to produce frequency response beyond 50kHz. The 476Be high-frequency compression driver utilizes a 4-inch, pure-beryllium diaphragm with a 4-inch aluminum edge-wound voice coil, and JBL’s rapidflare, coherent-wave phasing plug. A high-efficiency neodymium-magnet motor structure features refinements such as a pure-copper-sleeved polepiece that maintains maximum magnetic-gap flux and delivers superior sound quality at any volume, with exceptional clarity and resolution. These leading-edge transducers operate in conjunction with Bi-Radial horns that are made from dense and inert SonoGlass material, eliminating unwanted sonic colorations. The horns are shaped to provide optimum dispersion in the horizontal and vertical planes, for smooth frequency response and precise imaging. Lastly, JBL's 1501AL 15-inch woofer utilizes an Aquaplas-treated-pulp cone that preserves sonic neutrality while damping internal resonances and providing controlled and articulate bass response. The crossover network is designed to allow the woofers to operate in different frequency ranges, a configuration that provides optimum directivity and high output. The crossover network employs a DC battery bias system that keeps the capacitors operating in Class A mode, yielding maximum sonic purity. A front-mounted control panels enables precise tuning of low-frequency and high-frequency level to achieve maximum sonic performance in any system and room. Crossover components include polypropylene foil capacitors, and wire-wound and metal-oxide resistors and air-core inductors. Extensive internal cabinet bracing provides additional rigidity to eliminate unwanted internal resonances. Suggested retail price of $30,000 each for rosewood finish, with premium wood finishes retailing at $35,000.

 

03 / 01 / 07

Superior Audio Equipment Review Magazine  Enjoy the Music.com presents our tribute to conrad-johnson's 30th anniversary within the March edition of Superior Audio. Highlights include a company background, special factory tour with photos plus reviews of c-j's CA200 control amplifier, CT6 preamplifier, MV60 stereo amplifier, and Premier 17LS preamplifier. The March edition of our Review Magazine is jam packed with articles including Traveling Tunes, AA Chapter 89 and The Nearfield. New equipment reviews consist of the Aperion Audio Intimus 632-LR & 634-VAC, Lowther America Alerion and AV123 Rocket Strata Mini loudspeakers. Also featured are the Onix (Melody) SP3 integrated tube amplifier, Decorating For Music Part III, plus Oppo Digital DV971H, DV970HD and DV981HD digital disc players. See the March issue of Superior Audio by clicking here and our Review Magazine by clicking here.


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