WINTER	2007

NEWSFLASH!

Christmas for Audiophiles has been moved to January!

The Holiday Season is over for “all those other folks,” and it’s time to open our presents. There was a bunch of them at the CES (and I’m going to tell you about the best ones), so let ‘ol Santa (me) know which ones you want under your tree! And, since you’ve been good boys and girls, we’re going to offer you 15% off any product we sell!

(The offer is for Newsletter subscribers only and isn’t valid for products already
 marked down or on pre-owned gear)

2007 CES Show Report

A new venue greeted the high end audio crowd this year. The Venetian hotel/casino is huge, and had no problem accommodating show-goers, but the size proved to be an inconvenience. The rooms were spread out on three main floors and on the 29^th – 35^th floors of the Venetian Towers. Some manufacturers liked the arrangement, most did not. The ones who opted for the larger spaces on the main floors found the acoustics ranged from bad to abysmal; the Venetian Tower suites were better. It was a mixed bag for attendees, with the downside being the long distances between the two main exhibit areas and somewhat confusing layout. This year’s show set new records with over 140,000 attendees and over 2700 exhibitors.

ACOUSTIC ZEN: The Adagio speakers were playing in tune at the Acoustic Zen suite. Three new attractive burl wood finishes were debuted. There’s a Walnut Burl, Golden Burl (honey brown) and Mappa Burl (very light brown). We have the new anthracite (dark gray) painted versions here and they are really beautiful! We’re still experimenting with placement, but they promise great things.
            The Adagio has received universal praise. Did you read the review in The Absolute Sound? It’s an absolute rave! Along the way they picked up the "Editor's Choice Award" from The Absolute Sound, the “Most Wanted Components Award" from Stereotimes, two Positive-Feedback "Writers Choice Awards" from Greg Weaver and Jim Merod and the "Blue Moon Award" (their top honor) from 6-Moons. At $4400, these things are a rollicking good value.
        One thing we thought could be improved was their spikes; once installed they just didn’t give us as solid a footing as we like. We came across a neat product that solved the problem completely. Outriggers to the rescue! See “Outriggers” on page 4 for more information.

ANTIQUE SOUND LABS: ASL debuted the latest incarnation of their Hurricane amplifiers ($6200). Though not in service, one could still appreciate the fresh new look. It’s more of an enclosed design than its predecessor, but the warm glow of the tubes is still quite visible. The amplifiers now offer true balanced inputs and even better performance than before. That’s really saying something!
            Also new, the updated AQ-1006DT ($4500pr) mono power amplifiers. These sweeties serve up 22 Single Ended Triode watts from an 845 output tube. The amps were a real treat driving the wonderful new Reference 3a Grand Veena (see the Reference 3a information further on). Sweet yet superbly detailed, the music flowed! Tash Goka, ASL head man, was ever so proud of their Flora EX DT autoformer based preamp, calling it one of the best preamps available at any price. $3000.
        The use of autoformers isn’t common, so I asked Tash to write a brief paragraph on his philosophy. “Very precise autoformers and multi position switches are used on the input stage as voltage dividers. This avoids resistive loads in the signal path when adjusting input voltage levels. It also maintains the very high input impedance passively thought the autoformers (minimum 100K Ohm). Signal without any coupling devices now enters the only voltage gain amplifier stage with 6SN7 triode tube that is fed by a more linear constant current supply source. A fully regulated power supply is used for this stage and is filtered by a bank of very large polypropylene capacitors (much faster than less precise electrolytic types commonly used). After this very low distortion triode voltage gain stage, and through the only coupling device, signal arrives at specifically designed output transformers. They are configured in balanced mode and passively reduce the output impedance levels to less than 100 Ohms”. 

AUDIO PHYSIC: The all new Avanti V made its debut at the 2007 CES. It was with great anticipation that I parked myself in the sweet spot for a listen. As an admitted Audio Physic junkie, I was predisposed to like the speaker, so I was not surprised they sounded very good indeed. That said, it was clear the Audio Physic demo suffered from one of really bad rooms at this years show. Too bad, because I know what Audio Physic speakers are capable of.
            As with all the Audio physic designs, construction and attention to detail were absolutely superb. Clad in a gorgeous Rosewood skin, the Avanti V was a real feast for the eyes. $14499
            The Scorpio continues to wow listeners worldwide and has become company’s biggest seller. That’s no surprise to those of you have purchased these amazing speakers. $6999

 BASIS: A.J. Conti introduced the Revolution belt. A belt? Yes, and there’s the story behind the product.
        Years of research at Basis have been directed at reducing noise and speed variation. Tighter tolerances, improved machining techniques and new designs have resulted in dramatic gains. The strides had been so great that A.J. felt it was virtually impossible to go further, yet exacting measurements of speed stability revealed irregularities still existed. It occurred to him that the belt itself may be playing a role. He measured a range of the belts on hand, selecting the most accurate (consistent thickness), and found that the tighter the tolerances, the lower the speed variation and better the sound. So how to increase tolerance was the question.
        Basis belts were already made to highest standard in the industry, and their supplier said it just wasn’t possible to reduce tolerances further. So A.J. embarked on a crusade that eventually led him to design his own process and apparatus which grinds the belt and to an astonishing accuracy of one-ten-thousandths of an inch! These belts are now available to all Basis owners (please specify the model of your turntable) for $90. The improvement will startle you!
            There Vector tonearm has been upgraded. In the new Vector Model 4, resonance control has been further improved by incorporating changes in geometry of the pivot system and by utilizing special high modulus and non resonant nickel alloys in both the pivot and counterweight support shaft. I’ve not heard the V4 yet (its only been shipping for a short time), but I’ll report back soon. $2950

BENZ MICRO: Benz has introduced a low output version of their entry level moving coil, the MC-20E. With fewer turns on the coil there is less moving mass and hence a generator assembly that can react faster to the undulations of the groove. The MC-20L has an output of 0.5mV and is priced at $195.
        I just received the new model and do far I'm very impressed. It is quite a bit cleaner sounding than the 20E, and it traces the groove very quietly. I expect it to become a real favorite at this price point. Shopping for a $200 cartridge? If your phono preamp has enough gain, the MC-20L is a great choice.

CAYIN: The Cayin group brought several new offerings to the CES. The H-80A, a tube hybrid integrated rated at 80 wpc into 8 Ohms and 150 wpc into 4 Ohms, runs in pure Class A. It’s a mammoth brute, weighing in at 77 pounds; this no doubt a result of the twin 450VA power transformers inside. Large VU meters and a centrally placed volume control dominate the front panel. Price is yet to be determined.
        The other item that caught my eye was the Phono One. The high gain tube phono stage employs a step-up transformer to add MC capabilities. It’s a bit pricier than I expected at $1695, so we’ll see how it stacks up against the competition.

Have a good pair of high sensitivity speakers? Have you thought about a single ended amplifier? Many people are surprised by the refinement and purity of better single ended designs, especially those using the 300B output tube. A good example is the Cayin A-300B. Reviewed in the February 2007 Stereophile, Art Dudley writes: “The Cayin A-300B is a lovely product: intelligently designed, reassuringly well made, and achingly musical. If a domestic amplifier that sells for $3195 can be said to be a bargain, this is it – and while it’s possible to get a little more by spending a lot more, it isn’t possible to embarrass the A300B in any way, to any extent. You could live with this forever.” Interested?

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