WINTER	2006
Page Four

DAY-SEQUERRA: A name long associated with ultra-high quality FM tuners, Day-Sequerra has been absent from the audiophile arena for quite some time. It’s good to hear they’re back and they look poised to shake things up at the top end of the market.

            The company has a rich background in the professional broadcast industry, their products are used in studios around the world. Without a doubt, they have more experience building broadcast reference quality FM/AM tuners than anyone.

The new releases are focusing on HD Radio. Haven’t heard of HD Radio? HD Radio AM and FM broadcast technology represents the industry's biggest leap forward since the introduction of FM more than fifty years ago and will usher in radio's digital era with unsurpassed sound quality - FM delivering CD-level performance and AM matching today's FM stereo - plus new features, such as integrated wireless data that displays information as text or rich media directly on the faceplate of the radio. The CD quality sound that will knock you off your feet. HD Radio is to FM as High Definition TV is to the visual experience.

There are a good number of stations already broadcasting in HD, with many more coming on line. Several manufacturers offer HD Radio receivers, but expect many more to be added soon and will include home, portable and automotive applications (BMW and Mercedes offer it as an option). At this point, Day-Sequerra is the only manufacturer offering a true broadcast quality HD Radio receiver.

            The Day-Sequerra demo was interesting: a digital output from an EMM Labs transport was sent to an actual HD Radio FM radio transmitter located in the next room. That signal was received Day-Sequerra M1 Broadcast Reference Tuner and played back through a really high-end system (featuring Avalon speakers), with truly amazing fidelity. This is radio? Wow, give me more!

            There is lot’s more to HD Radio than I can tell you here. I suggest you visit the HD Radio website for a full explanation. www.hdradio.com. There’s also a full listing of stations currently broadcasting in HD.

OK, so now you know the M1 Reference is a broadcast quality HD Radio receiver, but that’s not the half it. Let me turn the show over to Day Sequerra quote from their press release.

Day Sequerra’s Model M1 continues the tradition of benchmark performance, in a breakthrough modular package, and combines it with the digital broadcast revolution of HD Radio. Depending on configuration, it can simultaneously receive and distribute up to 10 audio and video signals including HD Radio, HDTV and UHF/VHF TV, as well as existing AM and FM. The modular architecture permits almost unlimited flexibility, for example, one HD Broadcast Reference could be configured to house 3 HD Radio modules and five HDTV modules, thereby functioning as a five zone video server providing HDTV and cable-ready TV foe each zone, as well as three independent channels of HD Radio, AM or FM with near CD quality and 5.1 surround (if transmitted).

CES served as a coming out party for Day-Sequerra. A good deal of information regarding details and availability of some of the modules was unavailable at this writing. Over the next months we’ll have more specific information and I invite your calls. The M1 Broadcast Reference is priced at $4995. 

CABLE TOWERS: - For years audiophiles have known that isolating cables from the floor improves performance. We're not sure exactly why the practice is beneficial, but there are a number of probable explanations, focusing on the areas of vibration, static electricity and magnetic fields.
         A number of designs have been offered over the years, each with its own combination of strengths and weaknesses. The new Cable Tower support brings together the best qualities of its predecessors while adding new beneficial features of its own. Unlike other competing products, the Cable Tower support has been specifically engineered for audio/video applications. Its unique construction is unlike any other cable support to date and has four patents pending.

The 4.5” high Plexiglas “A” frame gives ample separation from static charges on the floor. An exclusive feature is the tensioned elastomer band at the top which isolates the cable from mechanical vibration. A set of four is only $99 and they are available in both black and clear (I think the clear is the best choice, making them hardly noticeable). 

ISOLCLEAN: Here is a one-of-a-kind product for you. From Isolclean, a company that produces a wide range of cables and connectors, offers an audiophile breaker panel. The Isoclean Main Breaker is designed as a sub panel and can be connected through an existing breaker panel or  wired into a dedicated feed from the utility. The breakers are all to code and UL rated, but from what I understand the box itself has not been rated.

The 80 A master breaker is made by Merlin Gerin and the nine circuit breakers are manufactured by Siemens, each is rated at 32 A. All the internal contact parts are high purity copper with 24k gold plating. The bus bars are solid copper with 24k gold plating, and the internal wire is heavy gauge high purity copper.

It’s cool, and it’s pricey, but if you can afford it, I’ll bet the sonic improvement would be dramatic. I want one! $3950