High-End Audio Industry News
Am
glad many readers have been enjoying our content, free of charge, for many
years. Please help support us this holiday season via the retailer links below
and our manufacturer sponsors at the top and side of this page.
12 / 30 / 11
HDtracks, a very popular high resolution music digital music downloading site, offers
O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack and Donald Fagen's Kamakiriad in
24-bit/96kHz. O Brother, Where Art Thou? is the best-selling T Bone Burnett-produced soundtrack and this is the special 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition! It features 12 previously unreleased tracks from T Bone Burnett's recording sessions, and thus makes this a double album worth of music. This blockbuster soundtrack of the Coen Brothers’ critically acclaimed film won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2001 as well as for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
("I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow"), and Best Male Country Vocal Performance
("O, Death"). Featuring performances by Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Soggy Bottom Boys, The Stanley Brothers and more, the album hit #1 on Billboard’s 200, Top Country Albums, and Top Soundtracks charts. NPR’s All Songs Considered included the soundtrack on its list of "The Decade's 50 Most Important Recordings." Donald
Fagen, of Steely Dan fame, album
Kamakiriad was nominated for a 1994 Grammy Award for Album Of The Year. As the second solo album by Steely Dan frontman Donald
Fagen, it made the top 10 of The Billboard 200 and featured the hit
"Tomorrow’s Girls." This 8-song concept work follows the futuristic journey of a high-tech, environmentally friendly car and was produced by Steely Dan bandmate Walter Becker. This high resolution release offers an ideal way to experience
Kamakiriad’s immaculate production, complex songwriting, and jaw-dropping musicianship.
12 / 29 / 11
Enjoy the
Music.com has update our CES
Preview 2012 and T.H.E. Show audiophile event
preview report! Check back multiple times a week as Enjoy the Music.com
is updating our CES Preview show and T.H.E. Show preview often right up until the first day of these events.
Stay ahead and be the first to learn of all the new gear to appear at the show
before others. If you are an exhibitor of either event and want to have your product featured
within the preview, click
here for details.
12 / 28 / 11
Piega
has introduced their Premium 50.2 2.5-way, Coax 70.2 and Coax 90.2 3-way
designs. The new Premium 50.2 floorstanding loudspeaker foregoes Piega's legendary LDR 2642 ribbon tweeter, which has been replaced in a series loudspeaker by the newly designed MKII model. This new system consists of a magnetic circuit with magnetic lenses which focus the force field of the magnets onto the plane of the ultra-thin membrane, thus increasing the drive power. Another benefit is the improved design is more compact and offers improved damping. The new foil material enables Piega to optimize the layout and improve transfer properties. The broader frequency range of the new Premium 50.2 are further enhanced due to producing lower distortion. The design of the Coax 70.2 and Coax 90.2 loudspeakers includes a new housing manufactured from a three ton aluminum block, which is one of the largest aluminum presses in Europe. The result is a high-density loudspeaker housing with exceptional rigidity. This rigid design is improved even further through the use of specially integrated stiffening bars that optimize the acoustic qualities of the housing. This damping system in the housing prevents the occurrence of any intrinsic sound – the quality of this model is therefore very similar to that of a Coax 120 housing. With its coaxial midrange tweeter ribbon, the Coax 70.2 is a single point sound source. Unlike the Coax 70.2, the Coax 90.2 uses the large C1 coaxial ribbon system. All new Piega loudspeakers are provided with drivers featuring the unique MOM technology (Magnetic Optimized Motor). The use of this technology, according to
Piega, "gives the term 'speed' a completely new meaning. Thanks to MOM it has been possible to dramatically increase the transient properties of bass loudspeakers. This revolutionary technology has resulted in perfect harmony with the fast ribbon systems."
12 / 27 / 11
Enjoy the Music.com just received
an HDtracks
15% off year-end personal note from David and Normal
Chesky. Both David and Norman say:
If you think the digital audio converters for playing back high-resolution audio sound good today, you'll be thrilled by some of the new D/A converters, music servers that will hit the market in 2012. One thing about having astoundingly good playback systems, converters, amplifiers and speakers in our listening chain is that all of it counts for nothing if we can't have native high-resolution content to playback through it.
At HDtracks.com we strive to deliver your music with absolutely the best-quality versions of every album offered in our catalog. We believe nothing else available anywhere sounds as good as a Hi-Res download from HDtracks played directly from your system's memory, period. Excellence in music and sound is our passion. It's your passion. We share that with you. We started HDtracks.com to give everyone the best quality possible. It's all about the music and sound!
One thing we never lose sight of at HDtracks.com is that none of this would be possible were it not for you, and as this year comes to an end, we'd like to extend our sincerest thanks for your support, encouragement and important feedback along the way that has helped us to improve our service and grow HDtracks.com.
We'd like you to enjoy your last week of the year with our thanks and show our appreciation with this Year-End Private Sale giving you 15% off everything in our entire HDtracks catalog. Simply
use this code vip15 when checking out with your selections to enjoy the 15% discount off your entire order. The code will expire at 11:59 PM PST on December 31, 2011.
Thank you for a wonderful 2011, and best wishes for an amazing SOUNDING 2012!
David and Norman Chesky
Founders - HDtracks.com
Onkyo's release of two budget audiophile hi-fi components,
the A-9070
integrated stereo amplifier and C-7070 CD player ($1300 and $800 respectively) are armed with technological features and quality
parts. Onkyo's A-9070 integrated stereo amplifier and C-7070 CD player offer state-of-the-art design, rugged engineering, a multitude of connectivity options, and are geared to deliver high sound quality. The A-9070 amplifier offers four discrete modes -- integrated amplifiers,
power amplification, pre-amplification, and split power/preamplifier -- to provide great flexibility when incorporating other components into the hi-fi system. Alone, it provides ample power with a parallel push-pull amplification design, three-stage inverted Darlington circuitry, dedicated Wolfson 24-bit/192 kHz DACs for symmetrically designed L/R channels, and four large 15,000 µF capacitors. To preserve signal integrity, the unit features DIDRC (Dynamic Intermodulation Distortion Reduction Circuitry). Closed ground-loop circuits and vibration-damping construction combine to produce clear sound across a wide dynamic range. An independent headphone amplifier, a phonograph equalizer and gold-plated audio terminals/speaker posts are are part of this design. The C-7070 features vibration-damping brass legs, a 1.6 mm flat base, a full-floating circuit board, a pair of Wolfson 24-bit/192 kHz DACs, and Onkyo’s Dynamic Intermodulation Distortion Reduction Circuitry. Onkyo's C-7070 connects to iPod/iPhone devices via the USB port, and can play music off flash-memory drives. Other desirable features include a three-stage dimmer function, a brushed aluminum front panel, a silent aluminum CD tray, gold-plated audio terminals, and headphone amplifier differential
circuitry.
Rega
has announced a new iteration of their popular Fono Mini phono stage, the Fono Mini A2D ($175). Based on the phono stage as used in the Mira integrated amplifier, the Fono Mini A2D is for use with moving magnet cartridges. However, it adds another layer of performance with its USB interface, allowing the user to easily transfer their vinyl collection to a computer. In order to accomplish this, the user needs only install a free digital audio editing software program on their computer (such as Audacity, etc). This is a simple interface that allows the user to monitor volume and balance while performing the transfer. The user can adjust the levels as necessary using the controls on the front of the Fono Mini A2D, ensuring optimum recording quality. Input sensitivity is 5mV for 500mV output, input loading is 47k + 100pF and output impedance is 100 Ohms.
12 / 26 / 11
Enjoy the Music.com app users get an advanced look
at our January review of the stunning YG Acoustics Carmel floorstanding
speakers plus a holiday bonus of Dr. Bill Gaw's Audiolics Anonymous Chapter 146:
Natural Disasters And Lessons Learned! Enjoy the
Music.com's Android and Windows Phone 7
application users can enjoy this special sneak peek of two articles this
month! The fast growing popularity of the Android
and Windows Phone operating
systems on a wide variety of mobile devices proves that enthusiastic and
tech savvy consumers want devices they can use to get the information
they desire right now. Enjoy the
Music.com is the only high-end audio website offering apps plus a customized
web browser for audiophiles. Android users can download the
Enjoy
the Music.com
Android application
by clicking here. Windows Phone 7 users can download the
Enjoy
the Music.com Windows Phone 7 application
by clicking here.
Music Industry News 10 Years Ago
Genesis Technologies, the brainchild of Arnie
Nudell, has ceased operations due to
bankruptcy. Minority share holder Mark Schifter of Perpetual Technologies
has expressed an interest in reviving the brand once current legal proceedings have run their course. If Schifter proves successful with his vision for a new Genesis Technologies Inc, he plans on transferring assembly of products to China while retaining previous sources for Genesis drivers and other vital parts. Offshore fabrication would lower retail pricing significantly, and, as he has done with his Perpetual Technologies brand, new Genesis products would also become available
on-line.
12 / 23 / 11
HDtracks is now
featuring high resolution digital music downloads with their Classic 50 list plus Mercury Living Presence classical music titles and various artists from the Warner Music Group
(WMG). HDtracks' Classic 50 list of high-resolution recordings is compiled from their most popular artists and genres. These albums represent the absolutely best
recordings available anywhere for download in full master-quality from archival and preservation transfers re-mastered from the original recordings. As all classical music audiophile's know, Mercury Living Presence is special in many ways.
This American company, from the heyday of classical recording, includes some of the most sonically realistic recordings at the dawn of the stereo era. Precious few stereo LPs were pressed when these recordings were
issued and they have became some of the rarest, most collectible classical discs ever. Warner Music Group
(WMG) is a global leader in national and international repertoire and home to some of the best-known labels in the recorded music industry including Asylum, Atlantic, Cordless, East West, Elektra, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner,
Rykodisc, Sire, Warner Bros., Warner Music Nashville and Word. You can
download high resolution digital music from HDtracks by clicking
here.
12 / 22 / 11
Enjoy the Music.com
has just posted Hi-Fi World's
Volume 21 Number 12 (February 2012) edition including the complete editorial and table of
contents. This issue includes reviews of the Fidelity Audio CD Tweak, the B&O 5000, XTZ MH-800 computer audio system, Prima Luna PorLogue Premium valve amplifier, Esoteric K-03 digital source, JoLida JD100 CD
player...
and more! The
editorial titled Computer Audio by Noel Keywood says, "As computer sales stagnate, their use as music sources seems suddenly to be taking off. Shorn of their ability to baffle users with facile failure messages and tasked to cope with one role only, computer based servers like this month’s Aurender S10 show they can deliver amazing
results. Just a few years ago Mac Minis were spewing out masses of jitter, likely caused by poor clock multipliers working in conjunction with an on-board CD based 44.1kHz master clock. Now the CD has gone, the little Mini’s clock source has changed – and improved no end in the process. Here’s another step forward." See the complete
February table of contents and editorial of
Hi-Fi World by clicking here.
TigApp, software developer for Apple mobile devices is now offering their AudioAudit
application. This application is focused on testing different audio systems for home and professional use and could serves as a reference generator of sounds or records for the purpose of setting up, testing and burn-in cables, speakers, headphones and other audio components. This application comes to the
App Store December 23 and will be free for a limited time. The application contains six main
parts:
1. Frequency generator – serve as a generator of sinusoidal frequency
2. Noise Generator – generates different types of noises
3. Adjusting of the stereo base – useful tool for setting a stereo base
4. Indication of inverted phase
5. Records for testing – contains five test records without compression for assessment of audio quality
6. Microphone - easy tool for ambient measurement with graphics precise indicators
Key features of the application:
• Determine the frequency range loudspeaker systems
• Finding the frequency characteristics of the audio set
• Control stereo base, left channel plays on the left and right channel on the right side
• Finding the balance of the right and left channel (play left and right side equally loud?)
• Detection of parasitic resonances and disturbing sounds
• Detection of inverted phases
• Burn-in speakers
• Test the sound quality after adjustment
• All sounds are uncompressed stereo audio files at PCM 16-bit/44.1 kHz
• Sound level can be controlled only by hardware buttons on the device
12 / 21 / 11
ITOK Media Limited's brand Trends Audio
today unveiled its first loudspeakers -- the Trends SA-10 and SA-10R ($265 each). Driver compliment includes a 1" polymer dome tweeter with neodymium magnet for the highs, whilst midrange and lower frequencies are produced by a 5.25"
multi-fiber coated pulped paper cone. The wood cabinet is dual ported to help with lower frequency output. In the rear of the cabinet appears 5-way binding posts for easy loudspeaker wire hookup. Sensitivity is 88dB/W/m and overall frequency response is from 65 Hz to 22 kHz. Each unit weighs 14 lbs and dimensions are 125 x 195 x 300 (DxWxH in
mm). Enjoy the Music.com has reviewed the Trends Audio PA-10 headphone amplifier
and TA-10.1 Class-T
amplifier.
12 / 20 / 11
Canadian high-end audio manufacturer Anthem is now shipping their M1
monoblock amplifier ($3499). The Statement M1 uses Class D technology to produce 1000 watts into 8 Ohms (2000 into 4 Ohms) with THD remaining under 0.1% from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Anthem's M1 enjoys all of the attributes of their award-winning Statement Class AB amplifiers but through exclusive Anthem technologies Anthem says "it goes far beyond the current capabilities of Class A, Class AB and prior Class D amplifiers in the market. The proprietary design employs all of the advantages of a Class D amplifier — high output, high efficiency, compact size — while avoiding the typical Class D limitations such as difficulty driving low-impedance (high-end) speakers, power line contamination, reliability issues and substandard audio quality." A sophisticated load monitoring system includes two 100A Hall-Effect sensors that monitor the output current. A Digital Signal Processor, outside the signal path, is used for power sequencing and to monitor various amplifier and power supply functions including line voltage, output current, ground fault detection, temperature and DC voltage at the output. Overall frequency response is from 5 Hz to 45 kHz and on the rear is both balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) inputs, plus a pair of 5-way gold plated speaker binding posts.
12 / 19 / 11
Ferguson
Hill, a British designer loudspeaker specialist founded in 2003 by former aeronautical engineer Tim Hill, has their new FH009 home theatre horn system (£800). Featuring the company’s classic horn shaped speaker units that Ferguson Hill is renowned for; the system is said to "deliver dynamic, powerful, pin-drop clear sound and brings a unique, elegant design to any home cinema set-up." This minimalist horn setup is beautiful and unobtrusive, yet exudes glamour and sophistication. Constructed from high-quality transparent acrylic, the Ferguson Hill FH009 provides visual styling while producing audiophile sound quality. The FH009’s integrated amplifier (available in white or gloss black) operates in Class A-B and uses high quality copper, along with high spec capacitors to power the speaker’s neodymium magnets. This plug and play system will work with any device with an audio-out line so works with a TV, DVD/Blu-ray player, games console,
MP3 player or wireless base station meaning streaming music from a PC, laptop or tablet device is easy. Overall system frequency response is from 45 Hz to 20 kHz, the integrated amplifier produces 64 Watts for the horns and 64 Watts for the woofer system. Inputs include two
stereo via RCA, a 3.5mm mini jack and USB. Outputs include speaker binding posts and subwoofer via RCA jack.
Music Industry News 10 Years Ago
Gryphon
Audio's Tabu CDP-1 is an integrated CD transport/DAC single-chassis unit with HDCD encoding, true dual differential
24-bit/96 kHz architecture and a slow roll-off, 88.2kHz proprietary upsampler said to "dramatically increased resolution, detail, spaciousness, focus, transient accuracy and harmonic integrity". The TabuCDP1 includes strict dual mono configuration; minimal internal wiring; fully isolated, channel-specific separate power supplies for analog, digital and transport/display circuitry; and exclusive, custom components such as precision crystal oscillators and C-core transformers. The modified drive mechanism incorporates extensive mechanical de-coupling with an effective clamping system to eliminate spurious disc motion.
Specifications are as follows:
Frequency Response: 0Hz to 20 kHz
THD: 96dB
Dynamic Range: 107dB
Signal-to-Noise ratio: 110dB
Channel Separation: >120dB
Maximum Output (0dBFS): 4.0V balanced
Modified Sony Drive Unit with dual digital servo, Fixed Pick-Up Mechanism, Slave controlled master clock from DAC, extensive mechanical suspension and solid clamping of disc.
Dual-differential 24-bit/88.2kHz Digital-Analog Conversion
Direct Digital Output, AES/EBU 110ohm, XLR-Connector
Analog Output, 2 XLR-Connectors
Analog Output, 2 RCA-Connectors
Shipping Weight: 17 kg
Dimensions (HxWxD): 135 mm, 480 mm, 350 mm
12 / 16 / 11
HDtracks is now offering 10% off their Classic 100 albums!
HDTracks presents its Classic 100 list of high-resolution recordings, compiled from our amazing collection of albums featuring the most popular artists and genres in our
catalog. These albums represent the absolutely best available recordings available anywhere for download in full master-quality from archival and preservation transfers re-mastered from the original recordings. The Classic 100 albums include Foreigner
4, Eric Clapton 461 Ocean Boulevard, Vince Guaraldi A Charlie Brown
Christmas, John Coltrane A Love Supreme, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt & Ry Cooder
A Meeting By The River and many, many more. Simply add any of the Classic 100 albums to your shopping cart and
apply the code classic100 to receive 10% off any or all of these classic titles. This one-time use code expires 11:59PM PST December 21, 2011.
Enjoy the
Music.com's CES
Preview 2012 and T.H.E. Show audiophile event
preview report has just gone live online! Check back multiple times a week as Enjoy the Music.com
is updating our CES Preview show and T.H.E. Show preview often right up until the first day of these events.
Stay ahead and be the first to learn of all the new gear to appear at the show
before others. If you are an exhibitor of either event and want to have your product featured
within the preview, click
here for details.
12 / 15 / 11
Enjoy
the Music.com wants to alert our readers to The
Cable Company's 'Twelve Deals Of Christmas' holiday sale. Below are
links to some great high-end audio products at discounted prices. Here are a
fourteen special offers for the holiday season featuring some of The Cable
Company's favorite products. Quantities are limited and offers good only
through December 31 or while special purchase supplies last! Most Cable
Company orders ship free all the time.
Half
off outstanding HDMI from Harmonic Tech.
First
EVER price reduction on Black Cat Cable's VELOCE Digital, now $111!
Special
purchase on Siltech's affordable MXT Series.
Save
$5-10 per fuse from HiFi-Tuning.
$225
special on HiFi-Tuning's disc demagnetizer.
Save
$50 the the Quantum Physics Noise Disrupters: A System
"Decongestant"
Gutwire
Notepad II: Two for $75
Purist
Audio Design: 50% off on "Ultimate" System Enhancer discs - save
$75!
Special
$325/4 with FREE domestic freight on Cathedral Sound Acoustic Panel
"RoomPak."
$38
per piece special offer on RoomTune CornerTunes, EchoTunes and TuneStrips.
Save
$130 per set on Stillpoints package!
Save
$300 on the Synergistic Research Powercell 4 SE!
Two
Special Offers on the Audio Desk Systeme Vinyl Cleaner: save $500 - 1000!
$125
Special on Digistrobo.
12 / 14 / 11
Canadian manufacturer Élan
Monitors new JazzMaster 10CX coaxial monitor ($4990 CDN per pair) is inspired by Altec, Urei and Tannoy vintage monitors of the
1960s. JazzMaster 10CX is an active monitor aimed at professional and audiophile markets, with a cabinet built from CNC machined 25 mm
Baltic birch plywood. The enclosure is loaded with twin symmetrical, structural laminar vents. The
coaxial drive unit is a sub-baffle mounted 10 incher, which follow the high sensitivity of the legendary drive units from the 1960s. Inside the 10" drive unit is a 1.4 inch horn loaded titanium high frequency driver for point-source output. Each driver is individually powered by one of the two 170 watts DSP governed amplifiers (350 watts into 4 Ohms per amplifier). The DSP unit operates at 96 kHz with 24 bit AD/DA conversion, 28 x 28 bit multiplier with 56 bit accumulator and full double precision processing for optimal time and frequency response. The electronic board has a built-in flash memory with 4 factory adjustments (custom settings on request) and electronics are fault protected. Élan' 10CX JazzMaster accepts analog balanced input (XLR) and features an XLR analog output for connection to other powered units (such as subwoofer). A master signal gain adjusts incoming signal from zero to +6dB. Overall frequency response is from 35 Hz to 20 kHz, dimensions are 16 x 16 x 19 (WxHxD in inches) and each unit weighs 45
lbs.
DIY'ers might enjoy The Wand Tonearm
where you can design, build and experience vinyl replay. Tonearms are vital to good vinyl reproduction as the record's groove is less than 0.1mm wide. The music signals are literally microscopic ripples pressed into the walls of the groove. So the arm supporting the cartridge must not move relative to the groove, even at the sub-micron
level... yet the arm must also move with perfect freedom across the record. The newly released Wand Unipivot Tonearm is a change in tonearm design. This
carbon-fibre arm tube is large in diameter and said to be at least four times stiffer than a 'normal' tonearm. The diameter also means that it was possible to ditch the traditional head-shell and bolt the cartridge directly into the armtube. Also solving an ergonomic problem as you ‘queue’ the arm with your finger under the tip of the arm, eliminating parts. The Wand Tonearm is designed so that remaining vibrations in the armtube are carefully terminated in the 'virtual earth' of the body using a mixture of rigid and damped materials. With a solid body made from a 2 inch diameter billet of non-magnetic stainless steel, this rigid piece holds the unipivot bearing. All the while this unit remains a medium effective mass arm at 12.5 grams which suits most cartridges. The Wand is a drop in replacement for Rega style tonearms and can be supplied with dedicated mounting bases for existing SME, FR and Technics style cutouts. Cardas wire and plugs are fitted as standard.
12 / 13 / 11
Sonus
faber's, a longstanding Italian company that specializes in loudspeaker
engineering, design and manufacturing by hand, has just introduced their new Aida ($120,000 in USA and
€80,000 in Europe) large
floorstander. Sonos faber is known for their luxurious cabinetry, and here the Aida does not fail to please. The driver compliment, all specially made by Sonos faber, includes their XTR-06 29mm Regnar Lian dome tweeter and XTR-08 7-inch midrange plus a pair of XTR-12w aluminum-magnesium 220mm woofers for the uppermost frequencies. For the lowermost frequencies, an SW-32 XT-08 subwoofer that is 320 mm in diameter. The tweeter and midrange drivers are within their own front panel section while the pair of woofers are below, with the cabinet being rear-ported to aid in lowermost frequency support. Crossover frequencies are 55, 180, 250 and 3000 Hz. Overall
frequency response is 20 Hz to 35 kHz, it is 92dB/W/m sensitive and presents a 4 Ohms load. Total weight is 725 lbs and dimensions are 67.75 x 19 x 30.75 (HxWxD in inches).
Music Industry News 10 Years Ago
Von Schweikert Audio
announced that its newest model, the DB100 ($9,995), is now shipping.
Enjoy the
Music.com has published an exclusive world premiere
review of the DB100 in its December issue. Part of a new high efficiency series which will also see a smaller forthcoming 2002 model dubbed the
DB99. The DB100 is a dynamic four-driver three-way design with dual 8-inch aluminum woofers loaded into a triple transmission line. This integral bass module is amplified by a Class A/AB 600-watt RMS "current booster" equalized to
20 Hz and connected to a rear-mounted gain control. Since the DB100's design goal was compatibility with low-power SET amplifiers, the solid state bass amplifier takes its signal from the outputs of the main amp to transfer the timbral characteristics of vacuum tube
bass
A 6-inch Audax Aerogel driver made from carbon fiber dust, Kevlar threads and cellulose acetate pulp handles midrange duty and is mated to a 1-inch Scanspeak silk dome tweeter loaded into a short 2-inch horn. A rear-firing dipolar ambience retrieval tweeter is coupled to a potentiometer that allows complete 0 - 100% attenuation. Bybee Quantum Purifier high-frequency blockers are employed internally to filter out RFI and other ultrasonic noise.
The DB100 is optimized for 3 to 50 watts of tube amplifier power and not recommended for high-power solid state amplification. The DB100's construction consists of a 2-inch thick MDF front baffle and 1-inch side and rear panels with 1-inch acoustic foam lining and extensive cross bracing. The stout 200 lbs. cabinets are covered in black grill cloth and finished with dark/light cherry or black ash end caps. Black Corian marble caps are optional. Measuring 54"
x 12" x 22" (HxWxD), the DB100 features an 8/10 Ohm nominal/maximum impedance, in-room sensitivity of
100dB/W/m to match its nomenclature and a claimed frequency response of 20 Hz to
20 kHz
(±2dB). This model from Von Schweikert Audio carries a 10 year parts and labor warranty.
12 / 12 / 11
On August 17th Enjoy the Music.com reported that
"Heathkit, a company long known for their legendary tube audio kits with
audio hobbyists, is back in the kit business! Heathkit will debut their new line of do-it-yourself
(DIY) kits for common around-the-house items. While the kit will be a Garage Parking Assistant (GPA), editor of
Enjoy the Music.com Steven R. Rochlin spoke with the head of marketing
concerning audio kits. As Steven's first job was working for Heathkit
(operating inventory control and their BBS system) when such kits were available, he has
intimate knowledge of the company and the kits themselves and the parts needed
to complete them. After much discussion, the head of Heathkit's marketing, Mr. Wake, told Steven that he is astounded by the demand for the tube kits. We discussed the possibility and why there is such demand for the audio kits. He said to give it a few months to about a year as the company want to get things going first before
delving deeper into Heathkit's deep library of DIY kits. This includes ham radio and other very popular Heathkit devices that are very much in demand to this day. So if you want to see audio kits from
Heathkit, please contact them from their site and ask for them." It seems
your requests have been heard, yet keep them coming, as on Heathkit's site it
says, "For those that want the pure sound from tubes with the latest technology. We are developing new kits now based on your recommendations. Please check back for updates and product launches."
As audiophiles we need to be careful our children protect their valuable hearing, as with the recent Boston Audio Society article concerning tinnitus... Enjoy the
Music.com has also posted many articles concerning tinnitus including Hearing Loss: Noise Induced and Safe Guidelines article by House Ear Clinic/House Ear Institute...
It was just announced that Mizco
International's iESSENTIALS RoboBuds feature five colorful characters earbud headphones designed specifically to ensure the safety of their ears while enjoying their
music. While very inexpensive so don't expect high-end audio sound quality at $9.99, the new, comfortable in-ear RoboBuds line are designed with a volume limiting output of 85 dB (decibels) to protect children's ears. "Our new line of iESSENTIALS RoboBuds provides kids of all ages with a high performance audio accessory that is every bit as safe to use as they are fun to collect and use," said Mike
Mizrahi, Creative Director at MIZCO International. "Parents no longer need to worry about their children hurting their hearing because of unsafely loud music. Our RoboBud earbuds automatically limit output to 85
dB, which means parents can let their children turn the music up as loud as they want but the volume will never rise to a level that hurts their children’s hearing!"
12 / 09 / 11
High resolution digital music download company HDtrack now is offering Stevie Wonder
Innervisions and Kate Bush 50 Words For Snow in 24-bit/96kHz. Stevie
Wonder's Innervisions landmark 1973 release is from one of the most iconic figures in music history.
Innervisions is a testament to Wonder’s musicality and brilliance with this soulful concept album encompassing themes of social and urban issues. Wonder’s expressive and charming funk is showcased on the chart-topping hits "Higher Ground,"
"Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" and "Living for the City." The album swings between fanciful and spacious ballads, Latin-tinged hits and full-blown Gospel numbers. Kate Bush's
50 Words For Snow is the latest release from this British singer-songwriter. She has been cited as a source of inspiration from the likes of Tori Amos and
Bjork. With her multi-octave vocals and eloquent piano playing, Bush delivers another boundary defining album full of lyrical landscape. The winter themed album features seven new compositions and collaborations with guest musicians Sir Elton John, Andy Fairweather Low, Stephen Fry and Steve
Gadd.
Channel D, developers of innovative audio software solutions for Apple Macintosh computers such as their award-winning audiophile-quality Pure Music software, today released a major update to their Pure Vinyl
software. This software optimizes high resolution digital transfers of vinyl and other analog sources to digital files. The new Pure Vinyl 3 is a significant update and
includes over two dozen new features and usability enhancements. The update includes new peak level finder and speedy Preview Output. There are Levels features for setting the optimum signal levels of edited output tracks; with nondestructive, quality-preserving :surgical" pop and click removal. An
extremely innovative feature is a virtual iTunes "Bookmark Tracks" for creating playlists of tracks from LP recordings without needing to save individual music tracks (the Bookmarks simply point to locations in the original high resolution recording). Also included are the Noise Gate stylus drop detection with automatic record and pause, a standard RIAA compensation plus over 60 antique (pre-RIAA) built-in (and customizable) compensation curves plus an adjustable low-cut rumble filter. Of course the
unique and innovative "grab and spin" vinyl track editor featuring realistic “vinyl” cue guide images is included too. High resolution 24-bit/192kHz recordings made from vinyl can easily be converted to iPod or CD compatible
portable formats by using the built-in high performance ultra high quality sample rate conversion feature. The full program can be purchased on the site for $279, but will be offered at the current introductory price of only $229 until January 16, 2012.
Music Industry News 10 Years Ago
Thiel
has announced their new CS1.6 floorstanding loudspeaker. Using a high efficiency aluminum dome 1-inch tweeter and Thiel's innovative woofer, the 1.6 is both time and
phase aligned for accuracy in sound reproduction. Both drivers incorporate short
coil/long gap design with copper stabilized motor system that is claimed to greatly reduce distortion.
"Achieving excellent upper midrange performance presents one of the greatest challenges in a two-way speaker configuration," says product designer Jim Thiel. "One of our solutions for improving the CS1.6's upper midrange response is the design of the new woofer¹s diaphragm and voice coil." The 6.5-inch woofer employs an unusually large, 3-inch diameter voice coil to drive its aluminum diaphragm. "With the coil nearer the outer edge of the cone," says Jim, "the large diameter allows the force from the voice coil to be distributed over a three-fold greater area of the cone rather than being concentrated at the center of the cone. The result is a much stiffer diaphragm that moves unwanted resonances to a much higher frequency (9 kHz) for greatly improved upper midrange performance."
Frequency Response (-3dB): 48 Hz to 20 kHz
Phase Response: Minimum ±10°
Sensitivity: 90dB/w/m
Impedance: 4 Ohms (3.0 Ohms minimum)
Dimensions: 9" x 11.5" x 35.5" (WxDxH)
Weight: 38 pounds
Price: $1,990 per pair in painted black, wood grain finishes available at extra cost.
12 / 08 / 11
The Boston Audio Society (BAS), a longstanding society with industry-leading members, is having their White Elephant Sale Sunday, December 18 at 6:00
p.m.. It will be held at the Boston University Life Science & Engineering Bldg, 24 Cummington St, 1st Floor Conference Room (Room 103), Boston, MA 02215.
Members and the public can bring anything they want to sell: playback equipment, recording equipment, accessories, media, computers, video, electronics, etc. Please tell your friends and pass the information on to interested parties.
A BAS Open Forum and business discussion will precede the sale at 6:00 pm. The public is welcome so come see what the BAS is about! The BAS will compile a list of items you have for sale prior to the meeting date. Table(s) will be set aside for your items if you send us a GENERAL list of items you plan to sale by Tuesday, December 13. Your list will be posted on the second BAS meeting notice. Please send an e-mail to David Hadaway at dbsys2@att.biz with your list of for sale items. No prices please.
Enjoy the Music.com highly encourages their readers worldwide to join the BAS as they
provide a very informative and technically in-depth newsletter. Many examples of their excellent
articles can be found on Enjoy the Music.com at this link.
As an example, in the recent e-Newsletter of
the BAS Speaker it says, "The high-pitched ringing, squealing, hissing, clicking, roaring, buzzing or whistling in the ears that can drive tinnitus sufferers crazy may be a by-product of the brain turning up the volume to cope with subtle hearing loss, a new study suggest. The results, published in the Sept. 21 Journal of Neuroscience, may help scientists understand how the condition arises.
Tinnitus is a disorder of the brain, not the ear, says the study. One convincing piece of evidence: Past attempts to cure the condition by severing the auditory nerve in desperate patients left people completely deaf to the outside
world -- but didn't silence the ringing. Focusing on the 10 percent of people with tinnitus who seem to have normal hearing, they recruited 15 women with chronic tinnitus and 18 women who were free of the condition. Using electrodes they monitored the brain's electrical activity as the subjects listened to loud, rapid fire clicks. There were subtle abnormalities in the women with tinnitus. It suggests that there is more hearing loss in the general population than we realize, and a looming public health risk of considerable magnitude..."
Science News 5Nv 11.
12 / 07 / 11
Legendary amplifier designer Nelson Pass is doing it again
with his First Watt SIT-1 power
amplifier! The SIT-1 is the first of a new generation of power amplifiers using Static Induction Transistors (SIT) in single-stage, single-ended Class A circuits without feedback or degeneration. This is made possible by the unique characteristic of First Watt's custom SIT devices, which combines a square-law input character with a low impedance output to form the only solid-state gain device that behaves like a triode tube. According to Nelson's website, "This character has long been sought as a potential replacement for tubes, but the realized devices have several advantages. The Pass SIT device has higher gain and lower distortion and also conveniently operates at the voltages and currents required by loudspeakers. This means that an output transformer, with all its bandwidth and distortion limitations is eliminated." A specialized circuit ensures the signal is presented at the Gate of the SIT and appears at the output with a voltage gain of about 18 dB. The input impedance is about 47000 Ohms, and the output impedance is about 4 Ohms, or a current gain of about 10,000 to 1. The SIT-1 uses neither loop negative feedback nor degeneration. As a result, the sound of the amplifier entirely reflects the character and
chosen operating point of this single device. The distortion is second harmonic in character, and this is constant across the audio band. Frequency response is flat from 1.5 Hz to 200
kHz. Enjoy the Music.com has reviewed the Pass Laboratories XP-15
phono preamplifier, the Pass Laboratories
supersymmetry balanced single-ended Class A X250 stereo amplifier, the
Pass Labs XA30.5
stereo power amplifier,
12 / 06 / 11
AXPONA, the Audio Expo that offers demonstrations of high-end home audio playback equipment and software, has announced that the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra will be performing
during their event in Jacksonville, Florida from March 9 to 12, 2012. Headlining the expo is a live concert by the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra in a world-class concert hall designed for an intimate and acoustically superior experience. The March 8-10 concert weekend features Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, one of the "A-list" works for the classical audiophile. "We found that there are more people with a genuine interest and knowledge in high-end home audio in Jacksonville than in cities twice its size" said
AXPONA's Steve Davis. "We're also thrilled to include a live orchestral experience in Jacksonville's acoustically superior concert hall." Symphony Executive Director Stacy Ridenour welcomes the collaboration.
"It's not often that hundreds of audiophiles have the chance to sample the world's finest equipment and compare it with the very thing it was intended to reproduce, the emotional power of a live symphony
orchestra," said Ridenour. The Omni Jacksonville is directly across from Jacoby Symphony Hall at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, home of the Jacksonville
Symphony.
XTZ has
released two updated versions of their award winning Room Analyzer XTZ Room
Analyzer II Standard ($299) and XTZ Room Analyzer II Pro ($360). Both models include the hardware (soundcard, microphone,
cabling) and software required to take acoustic measurements. The Standard version has upgraded hardware compared to the original version yet retails at $70 less than the previous version. XTZ's Pro version has completely new hardware with increased microphone accuracy. There is separate software for Standard and Pro versions, with the Pro version providing more functionality. The new software for both versions includes SPL meter; whereas the Pro version also includes a signal generator. XTZ says that the Standard version is best suited for Home theater calibration - set levels with the sound pressure level (SPL) meter and dial in
distance settings with the unique 'delay alignment' tool. The Standard version is also suited for subwoofer integration via high resolution 16 to 300 Hz frequency response and real time analyzer (RTA) modes. The Pro version does everything the Standard version does plus room acoustic analysis including low frequency decay spectrogram measurements as well as full range 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response and 2D/3D waterfalls to analyze reflections and check for flutter echo. The room correction software automatically generates correction filters for room modes, which users can then further optimize using the unique parametric EQ software emulation mode.
Enjoy the Music.com has reviewed the XTZ Sub Amp 1 DSP
and the XTZ Room Analyzer.
12 / 05 / 11
Magico's
new S5 floorstander ($28,600 per pair) marks five years since the Magico V3, which the S5 becomes the successor
to. This three-way, four-driver floorstanding loudspeaker borrows heavily from
the peerless Q-Series' technological arsenal and employs new manufacturing techniques to create, according to Magico, "what is the most value-laden Magico loudspeaker yet."
Whilst there may be debate about high value and an over $26,000 price tag, the S5’s uniquely new curved enclosure utilizes 0.5" thick, 16” diameter extruded aluminum walls. The cabinet design minimizes diffraction effects, internal resonance and damping requirements. Incorporating entirely new dual-10” Magico hybrid
Nano-Tec bass drivers, the S5 is capable of an output of 118dB. Combining an outer cone ring of aluminum and a Magico
Nano-Tec dust cap, the new drivers combine superb power handling in the low bass The Magico S5 M380 midrange is a dual neodymium, underhung motor system with pure titanium voice coil former. The MB30 tweeter is a beryllium diaphragm model. A new neodymium motor system has been customized to match the S5’s dynamic capabilities and power handling. Overall frequency response is from 22 Hz to 50 kHz and recommended power is 50 to 1200 Watts due to its 90/dB/W/m sensitivity as it presents a 4 Ohms load. The paintable exterior offers a shallow profile that will complement a wide variety of end-user living environments and is available in signature black anodized finish plus an array of high gloss and satin M-COAT paint blends. A removable black grille is included – a first for a Magico speaker. Dimensions are 48 x 14 x 15 (HxDxW in inches) and each unit weights 190
lbs.
ATC
has just launched their CDA2 CD/DAC/Preamplifier that just began shipping to
dealers (£2050). The new CDA2 is hand built by ATC Loudspeaker Technology in the UK and marks the company's first source component. ATC's CDA2 comes with digital to analogue conversion and pre-amplification facilities to become a simple to use single unit good for complete
sources component duties. The preamplifier design is taken from the company’s very successful CA2 preamplifier and uses discrete components throughout to give very low distortion and noise and an extremely wide and flat frequency response. There are two line level analogue inputs and two digital inputs. One analogue input is equipped for RCA/phono connections and the second RCA/phono and 3.5mm jack. Both digital inputs are equipped for S/PDIF coaxial and optical TosLink connectivity, thus giving a total of four digital inputs. Fully differential (balanced XLR) and single-ended (unbalanced RCA/phono) outputs are provided for simple connectivity with a wide range of power amplifiers and active loudspeakers. The discrete output stage is capable of driving 9 Volts
r.m.s. (unbalanced) and 18 Volts r.m.s. (balanced) into 100 Ohms. The discrete headphone output is specified to drive a very wide range of headphone sensitivities and impedances. The DAC
utilizes a Wolfson chipset and is compatible with 16 to 24 bit word lengths and sample rates up to 196 kHz. The chassis is constructed from a combination of steel and
aluminum and uses constrained layer damping to control panel resonances. The front panel is machined from an extruded section of 0.5"
aluminum alloy with a brushed and anodized silver finish. Overall frequency response is from 2 Hz to 280 kHz with a low THD of <0.001%.
12 / 01 / 11
Enjoy the
Music.com's December Review Magazine
is now available and features many outstanding high-end audio equipment
reviews plus features a Hannu-Christma-Boxer-Kwanzaa story with mini reviews of powerful gift ideas.
See the December issue
by clicking
here.
Regular
Reading
Daily News: Audiophile news updated each
weekday!
BAS Speaker: The Digital Challenge: A Report
Article By Stanley P. Lipshitz
Sound Practices Magazine:
Forgetabout Amps!
Article By Vincent Gallo
VALVE Magazine:
High Efficiency Speakers
The continuing saga of a search for a loudspeaker for single-ended tube amplifiers.
Article By Dan Schmalle
Viewpoint
In This Issue... Subtle Changes And Great Products Highlight 2011
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
Audiolics Anonymous Chapter 145
Speaker voicing and Jim Smith’s Get Better Sound.
Article By Dr. Bill Gaw
Manufacturer
Articles
The Audio Note Transformer Design Philosophy
Article By Andy Grove And Peter Qvortrup
Episode Audio Loudspeaker System
Providing Improved Off Axis Frequency And Power
Article By Ira Pazandeh
Superior
Audio
Edge Electronics G2 Linestage Preamplifier
Macro-dynamics and bass slam are just a couple of this preamplifier’s strong suits.
Review By Tom Lyle
Naim Audio ND5 XS Network Audio Player
A very impressive digital audio 24-bit-192kHz player.
Review By Malcolm Steward
Totem Elements Metal Floorstanding Speakers
A great speaker for large scale music… and music in particular.
Review By Phil Gold
Weiss Engineering DAC202 FireWire 24-bit-192kHz DAC
Reaping the benefits of computer audio via an asynchronous FireWire DAC.
Review By Jonathan Lo
Leaving Class A
Article By Nelson Pass of Pass Labs
Equipment Reviews
A Hannu-Christma-Boxer-Kwanzaa Story
Mini reviews of powerful gift ideas.
Review By Rick Becker
Dignity Audio's Entry Level PML1 And The Flagship PML2XLR
Two new passive magnetic preamplifiers to rock your world!
Review By Anthony Nicosia
Zu Audio Omen Def Loudspeaker:
The glories of prized cohesiveness.
Review By Dick Olsher
The Soundsmith System: Denon DL-103 and DL-103 Gold Cartridge
Plus The MCP- 2 Moving Coil Phono Preamplifier
Setting a new benchmark for value.
Review By Ron Nagle
D.I.Y
Audio
15" Woofer Survey… A Tale Of Three Woofers
Article By Jeff Poth
Heil AMT1 And The Heil Horn
Article By Jeff Poth
Rollin’s Twin-T Notch Filter
Taming those devious evil lower frequencies.
Article By Grey Rollins
Merrill DCA 4 And The Zigmahornet
Article By Jeff Poth
See the
December
Review Magazine by clicking
here.
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High-Performance Audio Reviews
