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Author Archives: Art Dudley

Rupert Neve Fidelice Precision DAC, Phono Preamplifier, and Headphone Amplifier, Rosson Audio Designs RAD-0 Headphones, Focal Stellia Headphones, Massdrop x Sennheiser 6XX Headphones

Rupert Neve Designs, the legendary pro-audio maker of recording studio consoles and other equipment for concert halls and beyond, has expanded its product offerings for the home-audio market—ie, music lovers and audiophiles—with its new Fidelice series, including a full-featured DAC/controller with Neve’s analog circuitry and an AKM-based DAC chip inside, a phono preamp, and a headphone amp. The three Fidelice components share a retro-modern look with matte aluminum casings with inlayed mahogany wood on top, red-accented control dials, little throw switches, LED lights, and tiny text that reminded me a bit of my first piece of gear, an oldie-but-goodie Advent 300 receiver. Their form factor is distinctive too: trapezoidal with rounded edges, with the DAC housed in a larger chassis.
Fri, 02/14/2020

Endow Audio T35 Speaker, Hegel H590 Integrated Amplifier, VAC Sigma 170i Integrated Amplifier

Offering a “sneak preview” before the official debut at AXPONA 2020, Endow Audio introduced the latest iteration of its speaker, the piano-black T35 ($19,900), a two-way with a patent-pending Point Array and a 12-inch woofer. It may be rather otherworldly in appearance (grilles are included) but rather unique in its approach. Basically, it consists of an array of nine full-range 3″ drivers configured with a single 8″ loading driver to create a point source. The woofer takes over frequencies at 100Hz (and below) via an inboard passive crossover. The T35 also contains patent-pending Passive Signal Processor (PSP) technology.
Fri, 02/14/2020

AMG Giro Turntable, DS Audio E1 Optical Phono Cartridge System, Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III Integrated Amplifier, Magnepan .7 Speakers, Wireworld Cables

On Sunday morning I eased into my rounds with the Musical Surroundings folks: In conjunction with local dealer Sweet Home Audio, they presented a sweet-sounding, straight-up analog setup that featured several products at (relatively) more affordable price points than is sometimes the case.
Thu, 02/13/2020

Credo Audio EV Reference One Speaker, EMM Labs MTRX/2 Monoblock Amp, DV2 DAC/Pre, Reference Stereo Preamp, and NS1 Streamer, van den Hul Grail SE+ Phono Stage, VPI HW-40 40th Anniversary Turntable, Wolf Audio Alpha 3 SX Audio Server

AudioShield, now the distributor for Credo Audio of Switzerland, partnered with Florida dealer House of Stereo to introduce the Swiss maker’s EV Reference One speaker ($40,000/pair) in a system driven by a full suite of EMM Labs high-end electronics, with EMM’s DV2 integrated DAC with preamp stage and volume control ($30,000) and NS1 streamer ($4500) and Wolf Audio Systems Alpha 3 SX Audio Server ($9895) as digital sources. A van den Hul Grail SE+ phono stage and a VPI HW-40 40th Anniversary turntable served as the analog front end.
Wed, 02/12/2020

Zesto Leto Ultra Preamplifier, Bia 12 Stereo Power Amplifier, and Andros 1.2 Phono Stage, Vimberg Mino Speakers, Merrill Williams REAL 101.3 Turntable, Tri-Planar Tonearm, Benz Micro Gullwing SLR MC Cartridge, Cardas Clear Beyond Cables

Zesto Audio presented the third generation of its Leto preamplifier: an Ultra version that offers a slew of new features, from upgraded all-analog circuit topology and a new 12DW7 tube configuration to the addition of three gain options (3dB, 6dB, 9dB) that can be saved for different input sources. Full remote control capabilities have also been added for on-the-fly adjustments of input, volume, gain, mono, and muting.
Wed, 02/12/2020

Black Ice Audio Fusion F11 and Fusion F22 Tube Integrated Amplifiers, F360 Tube Preamplifier, Glass FX DSD WiFi, and Fusion DAC Transport

A sub-brand under the Jolida marque, Black Ice Audio used the Florida Audio Expo to introduce the final production models for some new amplification components. (Prior versions seen and heard at previous shows were late-stage prototypes, I was told.) The Black Ice Fusion F11 and F22 integrated amplifiers were shown in striking glass and carbon-fiber chassis with relatively small footprints, which is particularly desirable for the European and Asian markets.
Tue, 02/11/2020

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