WINTER	2006
Page Five

REFERENCE 3A: CES served as my introduction to the latest speaker from Reference 3A, the Veena.
        I really like Reference 3A speakers. There’s just something very “right” about the sound – tonality, resolution, sound staging, they all come together to make these speakers enjoyable. The single term that comes to mind is “satisfying.” From the moment I walked into the room, the Veena had me hooked, and they kept me seated for quite some time.
        The form factor is a small two-way floor stander speaker. The size, attractive styling and fine finish will make the Veena look right at home in almost any listening room. But don’t let their stature fool you; the Veena throws a huge sound stage. And like other Reference 3A speakers, the panorama is beautifully fleshed out with images that are precisely localized, focused and unwavering.
        A new 7” carbon fiber woofer/midrange driver gives the Veena remarkable bass extension for a modestly sized enclosure. I played a range of cuts and was surprised by its’ capabilities. Short of room shaking, the bottom end was, for me, quite satisfactory. $2995, the pair.

STEREOVOX: – Designer Chris Sommovigo introduced two new interconnect cables at the CES. The Vespa, based heavily on and replacing the HDSE, comes in at $249 for a 1M pair. The HDSE was such an incredible cable I can’t wait to get my hands on the Vespa.
        Maybe even more exciting is the Colibri, the next step up in the line from the Vespa. Available in both RCA (Colibri-R) and XLR (Colibri-X) terminations, the Colibri cables are said to represent a substantial improvement over the Vespa. That certainly sounds enticing! $549 for a 1M pair, with either termination. Both cables should be here by the time you read this so call for my impressions. 

AUDIOPHILE FUSES: A recent tuning tweak, first discovered in Europe and Asia, has proven remarkably effective in improving performance of both audio and video components. It’s been found that replacing power fuses with ones specially designed for the task can be a revelation. What’s that you say, replacing a fuse improves performance?
        A few years back Shunyata recommended changing the fuse provided with their original Hydra to another version, same rating just a different model. Wow! The difference was huge, everything about the performance was instantly better (those of you that made that swap know what I mean). That change was in a line conditioner, so you can imagine replacing that weak link in a component.
        We learned long ago that the “freebie” cables included with electronics of years past dramatically limited performance. By the same token, why would we want to use a 5¢ fuse in a $500 or $5000 component? Don’t believe it would make that much difference? I wouldn’t have either if I hadn’t experienced for myself.
        The fuses are made by HIFI Tuning, a German company. Their Audiophile grade fuses are so far removed from stock fuses that the only shared resemblance is the shape. Inside the ceramic tube is a pure silver filament, precisely calibrated for its rated capacity. The end caps are also made of silver, but with heavy gold plating.
         Why does changing a fuse make so much difference? Beats me, but it does. Give them a try. $29 for 1.25” fuses, $25 for the smaller 20mm size. 

GCA: All components are affected by vibration. Vibration control and isolation will improve performance of virtually every piece of gear in the signal chain. But what about a line conditioner? Though it may not seem like a line conditioner would be sensitive to vibration, I can assure you they are. Shunyata line conditioners in particular, because of their potential performance enhancements, should be given the same consideration as the rest of your gear.
             Ideally you would place your Hydra on an equipment shelf. Many of us, though, don’t have the room, which generally means the line conditioner is relegated to a less than ideal location, often on the floor. Not a great spot, and you are definitely sacrificing performance.
             Cones or spikes are the obvious answer, but how to secure them? Fortunately there are threaded inserts on the bottom of the Hydra, unfortunately the thread size is such that available spikes won’t fit. So we decided to make our own. The design marries a hardened steel spike with a hardwood buffer. Simply unscrew the rubber feet on the bottom of the Hydra and screw the spikes in their place. The spike allows floor or shelf placement and will enhance performance.
           All Hydra models require four spikes, except for the Hydra 6 which requires three spikes. $22 for 3, $29 for a set of 4.

AUDIO AERO: Known for their superior CD players, Audio Aero introduced an Integrated amplifier. The new Prima Integrated shares the handsome faceplate and cosmetics of the Prima CD player. Priced at a reasonable $2750, the Prima Integrated offers 100 watts per channel.
         The Prima tube CD player has become a very popular item here. Sound quality is excellent (very dimensional), construction is solid and finish quality first rate. $2395