We're always adding new products to our list of quality offerings.

Here are a few tidbits to temp you further...

Cardas price increase coming 5/15... order now!

CONVERGENT AUDIO TECHNOLOGY: Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, the first of the new Renaissance preamplifiers has arrived! Replacing the revered Signature line, the Renaissance borrows the circuitry and main board from the top of the line Legend preamplifier. Though the Legend includes pricey Black Gate capacitors and a more exotic attenuator, the fact that the same circuitry is used in the the Renaissance, at half the price, is quite a feat indeed!
         If past performance is any indication, this one promises to be a real stunner! Give me a call in a few weeks for a complete rundown. Prices will be $7995 for the line stage and $9995 with phono.

SALAMANDER: Salamander is expanding the Chameleon product line with 3 new styles in all finishes, making a total of distinct styles within the line. From contemporary to traditional, the Chameleon line offers furniture-look solutions to stowing your audio and video components. Unlike equipment cabinets from traditional furniture manufacturers, Salamander products are designed from the audiophile’s perspective. Robust materials provide a solid, non resonant foundation for equipment. A variety of options insure the Chameleon furniture can be customized to suit any application.

AKG: Reviewed by virtually every audiophile publication on the planet, the AKG K-701 have been ranked as one of the best dynamic headphones available today. These cans use a revolutionary flat voice coil and patented two layer diaphragm to work their magic. The diaphragm's thickness varies from 80 µm in the center zone (to provide an accurate and linear pistonic motion for well-balanced HF response) to 40 µm at the perimeter for high elasticity to accommodate the increased excursion required for accurate midrange and LF reproduction.
         Wes Phillips writes in Stereophile: "Still: the AKG K 701s are the best-sounding headphones I've heard—and not for the money, and not for picking apart a recording or playing gotcha! with recording engineers. The K 701s just flat-out sound more like music as I hear it than any other headphones I've ever heard. I love 'em and I won't be sending 'em back. They're mine, all mine! Bwah hah haha haaa! Go buy your own."
          Click on the link below to check out out our killer introductory price!

HERRON: The very latest creation from Keith Herron has just arrived! The new VTSP-3 was debuted at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in January, 2008, but their suite was packed each time I went by and wasn't able to give it a listen. Now I can have one all to myself!
        The VTSP-3 is a highly refined advancement over the VTSP-2 with the addition of a precision non-resonant plate voltage controller, two front panel selectable gain modes for system matching and improved tube circuitry for increased resolution.
         It's not nearly broken in, but I hear some really great things so far! Check back soon!

BELLARI: The new VP-530 tube-based phono preamp from Bellari mimics the musicality and richness of their VP-129, but adds a USB output for direct connection to a computer.
        The VP-530 employs a sophisticated Burr-Brown PCM2901EG (16 bit 44.1khz) chip in a smartly designed Bellari circuit. This gives you a digital datastream that is output through USB. Using audio editing and recording software you can record this datastream to your hard disc.
        As an added plus, the VP-530 also has a headphone output allowing monitoring while recording or for dedicated headphone listening.

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GINGKO AUDIO: Two new isolation platforms from Gingko have been introduced. The Cloud 9 for the Scout or Scoutmaster is a very basic design that eliminates the top platform found on other Gingko products; the turntable sits directly on the isolation balls. The advantage here is cost. At only $299 this buy is a no-brainer. The amount of improvement you'll hear when installing a Gingko under your VPI is amazing.

The new Cloud 12 products match perfectly with the Super Scoutmaster and Aries turntables. The 12A ($699) is used with the Aries and the 12S ($599) partners with the Super Scoutmaster. Both feature separate motor platforms which effectively isolate motor vibration from the turntable.

AUDIO INTELLIGENT:  There’s quite a buzz regarding the Audio Intelligent Vinyl Solutions record cleaning products. Enthusiastic comments from both audiophiles and reviewers have brought these products to the forefront, making them the fastest growing line of record cleaners on the market. Their unique enzyme based formula is both safe and effective. It's one of the few solutions that removes mold and mildew and inhibits re-growth.
        The Premium One-Step Formula No. 6 is a good choice for everyday cleaning. It’s a safe and gentle approach that returns outstanding results whether using a vacuum record cleaning machine or manual methods. $25 quart.
         As good as the Premium One Step is, A.I. also offers two and three step processes that will scrupulously clean your most treasured discs.
         What the reviewers are saying: "Vinylphiles have intense brand loyalty for the products they use to clean their precious LPs, and I'm no different. I plan to use these AIVS products from this point forward, which makes them literally a Reviewer's choice. Marc Mickelson, Soundstage!
         "Trust me, once you hear what Audio Intelligent Vinyl Solutions can unleash from your records, you’ll be hooked too.  I’ve never heard anything better  …period!”, Greg Weaver, Positive Feedback Online
         …the Audio Intelligent solutions has proven itself to be the best cleaning system I have tried to date (and I have tried most) and, on most LPs, gave me a quieter blacker background, less pops and ticks as well as improved dynamics. Add to that, the fact that it is reasonably priced and you have an audio bargain of the highest magnitude.” Stereo Times Senior Editor Frank Peraino.  Audio Intelligent has been awarded a Stereo Times “Most Wanted Component”
        "Audio Intelligent — an intelligent way to clean your records,” by Roger S. Gordon, Positive Feedback

        We also offer a Manual Cleaning Kit for those who want to enjoy the advantages of the Audio Intelligent solutions. Our Complete Manual Record Cleaning Kit includes everything you need to make your records sparkle - one quart of Audio Intelligent Premium One Step No.6, four high quality micro fiber towels, a MoFi applicator brush and detailed instructions.

FURUTECH: Unveiled in our Winter 2007 Newsletter (CES issue), the dStat from Furutech is an interesting tool devised to eliminate static from LPs. The thing really does work and has been proven effective by readings taken with a gauss meter before and after treatment. Its sonic impact has been verified by John Crossett in Soundstage! who writes: "It gave me a better view into each recording, and I can’t imagine living without it now that I’ve heard the improvement it can bring. Anyone can enjoy the deStat..." It’s something (static) that, until it’s gone, you’ll never know you’re listening to. You’re so used to hearing it that you listen around it. But once its absence is heard it’s hard to go back. I now consider the deStat a mandatory accessory for any self-respecting audiophile who wants to extract the best from his music. It brought improvements to both digital and analog media in equal proportions. I plan to keep it around my house so I never have to wonder what I might be missing with any kind of disc I spin."
        Quote from a customer: "Galen, This is indeed a incredible piece of tool. Every LP I played after the treatment made a huge improvement. It really is a mandatory product!"
        It's a simple ten second process to remove static from an LP with the dStat. The unit is equally effective and removing static from other media including CD and DVD. Furutech also touts the unit’s effectiveness at removing static charges from equipment, power cords, interconnects, speaker cables and the like.  $395

Introductory special - $340

EMM LABS:  Now with upgraded transport mechanism! We've been inundated with requests for the EMM Labs digital equipment, especially the new CDSA-SE CD/SACD player. Interest has been high for this piece for some time, but has just doubled thanks to the recent 2007 Golden Ear Award from Harry Pearson in the Absolute Sound. HP comments: "Quite simply, the best two channel CD (and two channel SACD) playback device of the many, many we've tested in Sea Cliff over the past year...The Ed Meitner design comes closer to that goal than any other player I've heard, and does so to the point that you can listen with pleasure, and for hours and hours."  Download the pdf and read the entire TAS pre-review. Also check out the Positive Feedback review.
           The CDSA-SE is unique in that it upsamples CDs to SACD resolution, taking the 44.1kHz signal to an astonishing 5.6448MHz!  That's double the SACD sampling rate. It's way cool, guys. Line up, we've got them in stock!

QUICKSILVER: An all new amplifier makes it's debut. The only amplifier of it's kind in their lineup, the new model runs in triode configuration. The aptly named Triode Amplifier uses a pair of KT-88 tubes producing 50 delicious triode watts, enough to drive a wide range of speakers.
        Designer, Mike Sanders believes in solid engineering and proven concepts over current fads. His amplifiers are simple in design, conservative in execution and constructed using the time honored concept of point to point wiring - all by hand, and 100% made in the USA. It’s this no nonsense approach that has earned him the respect of many and established a large group of devoted fans.
        No question, the new Triode Amp will further his reputation!
        The on-board meter makes setting bias a snap and allows for quick verification at the touch of a button. We think you'll like this one! $3595 pair.

Home Theater

Recently there have been questions regarding the reliability of posted speed/bandwidth rating of HDMI cables. Wireworld has maintained strict adherence to testing procedures to certify their HDMI cables meet  or exceed their published spec. We received the following information from Wireworld cautioning purchasers about the problem.

HDMI Standards Organization issue word of caution

In recent months we have seen improbable and dramatic claims being made by various manufacturers and distributors of HDMI cables both from UK and overseas.
         The claims were all vague and were not supported by any substantiated measurements of specific models or their length.
        At WireWorld we elected instead to provide full disclosure of our testing results, and in addition clearly marked each cable variant for its performance capabilities since 2005.
        We therefore welcome the latest clarifications that were posted by HDMI international licensing body last week.
        Extracts from: What do Speed Ratings on HDMI Cables Measure? News from the HDMI Standards Organization, March ‘08
         “A Standard HDMI cable is tested to support a throughput of 2.23 Gbps, and can reliably transmit an     uncompressed 1080i signal at 60Hz.”
         “A High Speed HDMI cable, by contrast, has been tested to the full 10.2 Gbps bandwidth of the most current HDMI standard, and is capable of transmitting uncompressed 1080p and beyond.”
          “One word of caution. Do check to make sure that the speed rating indicated on the package applies to the actual length of the cable. Cable performance deteriorates over length, so any speed rating should apply to the actual length of the cable in the package.”
                                  Read More: Tech Alert--Speed Ratings on HDMI Cables
         We sincerely hope that in future both the press and retailers will take a more cautious approach towards performance claims made by manufacturers of HDMI cables and ask factual information rather than relying on creative marketing material.
 
Visit the Wireworld website to see how they rate their cables: www.wireworldcable.co.uk