Innholdsfortegnelse for July - August 2018 i Australian HiFi

Vitus Audio has released its RI-101 integrated amplifier, which Vitus claims that although being based on the now eight-year-old RI-100 is greatly improved, due to the use of a more efficient 1kVA transformer and a new input stage. ‘Although the printed circuit boards look almost the same, there are many differences,’ said Hans-Ole Vitus of Vitus Audio. ‘In order to lower the noise level below that of the RI-100, and to further enhance the level of resolution and blackness, we now use a completely balanced preamplifier stage, powered by a much more complex and lower-noise regulated power supply.’ Another change is the volume control, with the new RI-101 using the same high-resolution volume control used in the Vitus Audio SL-103 and MP-L201. Vitus rates the power output of the RI-101…

McIntosh has introduced a new SACD/CD player, the MCD600. It features a newly-designed digital circuit at the heart of which is an 8-channel, 32-bit PCM/DSD DAC that’s used in Quad Balanced mode, with four channels allocated to each of the left and right audio channels, and all PCM signals are up-sampled up to 32-bit/384kHz before processing. McIntosh is at pains to point out that the MCD600 doesn’t just play back SACDs and CDs, but can also play back music files burned to CD and DVD data discs as well as from USB flash drives. Most file formats are accommodated including AAC, AIFF, ALAC, DSD (up to DSD128), FLAC, MP3, WAV (up to 24-bit/192kHz) and WMA. The McIntosh MCD600 has both fixed and variable balanced and unbalanced outputs; the variable outputs…

You have to keep your head down and focus at High End, held annually at MOC in Munich. If you don’t, the sheer amount of over-the-top, over-priced shiny hi-fi can make you snow-blind and the good stuff goes unnoticed. Luckily I had packed my bling blinkers and managed to filter out most of the madness of the world’s biggest high-end hi-fi event. The halls and atria of the MOC exhibition centre were possibly more crammed than usual with a large contingent of brands from Eastern Europe and no shortage of companies from further afield. One of the most extraordinary systems was shown by ESD Acoustics out of Hangzhou, China. This company has developed its own range of field-coil compression drivers, built carbon-fibre horns to go with them and created solid-state,…

If your tastes lean to the unusual and the exotic, and you’re in the market for a pre-power combo, you need to investigate Nagra’s ‘Classic’ Series… in particular its Classic Preamp and Classic Power amplifier. They’re a world away from looking mass-produced, because they’re not. They’re hand-built in Switzerland to exacting standards—which you might have guessed simply by looking at the photographs above of them—and they combine the magic of valve sound with the might of solid-state. NAGRA CLASSIC PREAMP Nagra’s ‘Classic Preamp’ is a hybrid valve/ solid-state design that uses a pair of 12AX7 dual triodes and a 12AT7 high-frequency twin triode. These are miniature valves with a very long service life, so will rarely need replacement. And, when it does come time to replace them, you’ll have no…

Newport Test Labs first measured the frequency response of the Rega Exact moving-magnet phono cartridge, using two different measurement techniques. The result of the first technique, which uses wideband pink noise, and is an incredibly difficult task for a phono stylus because it’s forced to reproduce all frequencies in the audio spectrum simultaneously, is shown in Graph 1. The overall frequency response (the black trace) is excellent, extending from 25Hz to 20kHz ±3.5dB. Channel separation (red trace) is also excellent, measuring 23.5dB at 1kHz, but is very good right across the audio bandwidth, most notably at low frequencies. You can see that most of the ±3.5dB variation in the response is caused by the roll-off in the Exact’s frequency response above 2.5kHz, where it rolls off to –3.5dB at 6kHz…

There is no doubt about Yamaha consistently striving to stay ahead of the market. They are in the process of launching their new range of ‘Aventage’ receivers – the ’80 series. This is their ninth version of this impressive and popular range, and while in many ways there is little difference between this release and the previous one, there is an important addition: voice control. Yamaha have teamed up with Amazon to add voice control to their receivers – in fact they have gone one better. To make life easier they will be supplying an Amazon Dot with every Aventage ’80 series receiver. Yamaha have also introduced a new technology – Surround:AI. Experience has shown that many users are overwhelmed by the surround options available, particularly when you throw in…

It is great to see Panasonic getting the recognition that it so fully deserves, particularly as they are currently celebrating their 100th anniversary. While the brand has always been highly regarded, we now find an increasing number of people asking specifically for the brand – already convinced that their screens are the best on the market, something we also believe. Panasonic are in the process of releasing a complete new line-up of televisions. Everything that we carry, with the exception of their 32” model, will have 4K UHD screens. As always, and somewhat infuriatingly, this is a staggered process with different ranges being released over the coming months. We have already received some of the new models, but it is their new generation of OLED screens which are generating all…

While we have put together a number of cinemas with incredible specialised projectors worth $50,000 to $100,000, the reality is that most of the home theatres out there cannot outlay this sort of investment… no matter how good the quality. Even $20,000 for a projector can be a stretch. Yet consider, the latest 77” OLED TV (see p11) comes in at just under $20k. And there is no denying the level of colour and contrast it delivers. But how would you feel about an image TWICE this size? For the same kind of money, the Sony VPL-VW760ES Laser Projector delivers one of the finest images we have ever seen in the store, even comparing with some of those $50k models. Some customers may question the need to spend this much…

Meridian continues to release interesting new products. The 271 Digital Theatre Controller is just such a product – it can be connected to any analogue or digital theatre processor allowing Meridian active speakers to be incorporated into the system, and is capable of being expanded to up to 60 channels of audio for those ‘over-the-top’ theatres. Also recently released is the 258 eight-channel power amplifier. This low profile amplifier outputs 70-watts/per channel into 8 ohms. It generates very little heat, and as there are no fans the unit runs silently, and can be rack-mounted.…

Naim has announced an update of their network players, with all three models being upgraded between now and the end of September. The first will be the new version of the NDS, called the ND 555, which will hopefully be on the floor by the time you read this. Late July we are we are expecting the NDX 2, the replacement for the NDX. Late September we will see the replacement for the NDS XS, called the NDS XS2. Final pricing is yet to be confirmed. Naim has also announced the impending release of the Apple AirPlay2 upgrade to their range of streamers. AirPlay 2 provides an effortless way for people to stream music from their iPhone, iPad or Apple TV – including Apple Music or other streaming services, Podcasts…

Digging out your smart phone or finding your iPad is not always the most convenient solution when all you want to do is turn your Sonos system up or down. We believe that the iPort xPRESS is an excellent addition to any Sonos installation. This simple and inexpensive keypad can be hand-held, mounted on the wall or even attached to your fridge via the inbuilt magnet. It is battery operated and will allow you to change tracks, toggle through sources or playlists, and adjust volume. While this does not allow as much control as the App, it is ideal for that quick, simple alteration on the run. Priced at $169.…

One of my goals during my recent trip to the High End Munich show (see page 18) was to find a new supplier of quality audio racks. I found it ironic to travel halfway around the globe to find that one of the best manufacturers of audio racks is based here in Australia. The pursuit of quality that drives SGR Audio is to be admired. I understand that the company spent three years searching for a supplier who could provide the level of perfection that SGR demanded for the anodising of the stand supports, only to eventually build their own plant. SGR started life as a loudspeaker manufacturing company (something they still continue to do) with the decision to diverse into rack manufacturing being made in 2010. They enlisted the…

Parasound’s new Halo JC 5 power amplifier is said to be essentially ‘two JC 1 monoblocs on the one chassis.’ ‘Our customers would often tell us they loved everything the JC 1 offers, but wondered if we could deliver comparable performance in a no-compromise stereo amplifier, and save them money and space,’ said Richard Schram, the president and founder of Parasound, ‘so we challenged John Curl to distil the essence of two JC›1 monoblocs into a single chassis, and the result has exceeded everyone’s expectations.’ John Curl designed the Halo JC 1 monobloc 16 years ago and since it became available it has been on Stereophile magazine’s ‘Class A Recommended Component’ list for fifteen of those years—the longest of any audio component—and also picked up an ‘Amplifier of the Year’…

The Melco D100 Optical Disc Drive, built by the audiophile division of the leading Japanese computer peripheral company, Buffalo Technology, is now available in Australia. The D100 Drive ($1,850) is an external optical drive that can play CDs or export CD data via USB to your existing Melco music library or to any other audiophile music storage system. ‘Rather than use inferior data drives designed for IT applications, Melco has introduced a specialised optical disc drive specifically optimised for high-quality audio playback and data transfer,’ said Mark Gusew, of BMC Wholesale, which distributes Melco in Australia. ‘There is a huge difference in the sound quality that comes from this approach. This allows for high-integrity bit-perfect CD imports/rips of your favourite music. Effectively it’s archive quality.’ The D100 CD Drive uses…

British engineering and specialist high-end audio company SME has announced that its long-awaited Synergy turntable, which comes complete with a magnesium tonearm fitted with a moving-coil cartridge and a built-in phono stage, will be released in October. The turntable is completely new, but the arm is the highly-acclaimed SME Series IV, the cartridge is an Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti, and the phono stage is made for SME by Swiss manufacturer Nagra. The SME Synergy’s main chassis is machined from a solid billet of premium grade aerospace aluminium that is supported by four large polymer isolators inside adjustable feet which allow for quick and easy levelling. The main spindle is 19mm in diameter and machined from high-chrome tool steel. It is machine-ground, super-finished and supported in a sealed housing with individually…

Chord Electronics’ Qutest DAC, which it claims ‘sets a new technical benchmark for a small, home system digital-to-analogue converter’ is now available in Australia. The Qutest is based on the latest proprietary FPGA technology developed by Rob Watts for Chord Electronics’ Hugo 2 DAC/headphone amp, and includes user-selectable frequency-shaping filters and input selection controls, available via two fascia-mounted spheres. Unlike the Hugo 2, however, the Qutest lacks a headphone amplifier, rechargeable Li-on batteries and crossfeed circuitry… three reasons it retails for considerably less than the Hugo 2 despite the shared circuitry. ‘The new Qutest is the latest evolution of Chord Electronics’ most affordable standalone DAC, the multi-award-winning 2Qute, which it directly replaces,’ says Chris Strom, of Radiance AudioVisual, which distributes Chord Electronics in Australia. The Qutest has galvanically isolated USB-B,…

First things first. Is the new Planar 6 a potential race-winner at all? Rega’s entry-level turntables —currently Planars 1, 2 and 3—have consistently been a top choice for those re-entering the vinyl world on a budget. The company’s latest turntable, the Planar 6, offers a jump to a higher level. You might view this as a halfway house to Rega’s reference offerings, the RP8 and RP10. But in fact it seems from the new technologies and materials here that Rega intends the Planar 6 to lead the way, rather than merely offering middle-ground for upgraders. THE EQUIPMENT Philosophy first. You might think this looks a fairly bare-bones kind of turntable for the price of $1,999 without cartridge. Some rivals offer large and solid plinths, following the thinking that high mass…

This issue of The Hi-Fi Headlines marks the 40th anniversary of Len Wallis Audio. So far it has been an interesting ride. Along the way we have made many friends, both from within the industry and with our clients. In some instances we are now dealing with the third generation of customers, people who have grown up surrounded by quality music. We have enjoyed fabulous support from the industry itself and I have been fortunate to have always had a fabulous team of staff. Many have spent decades with the company, and some have moved on to make their own marks within the industry. We have witnessed some dramatic changes over the years – admittedly not all of them for the better. In 1978 a typical system comprised of a…

There is a growing demand for quality subwoofers, both for Hi-Fi, and in particular for high-end Home Theatres, which are rapidly increasing in popularity. This led to our research into a brand that would sit above the Sunfire range of subs, which has been a favourite of ours for many years. The obvious choice was JL Audio, out of the US. This is about as good as subwoofers get. The first sub we auditioned was the Fathom f112v2. Now at $6,500 this is not a cheap sub, but you can really see where the money has been spent. I think the online publication Secrets of Home Theatre and High Fidelity summed them up perfectly in their conclusion: “What are they, exactly? I can’t answer that in a nutshell. Not if…

When Len Wallis Audio was asked to do a dedicated cinema for this beautiful home, Alberto Vangi (LWA senior sales consultant) took on the project to ensure that the room was really special. And what made this project exceptional was the customer’s own personal involvement, where the owner provided us with her ongoing feedback. This ensured that we worked together to deliver an amazing space, with her own personal choices in the colour scheme and preferred finishes. The result is precisely how a cinema should be. Bringing such a special cinema room together required lots of planning from very early on in the project, with Alberto first working closely with the owners to determine the best solution for the room. Starting from the available space – 6.7m long, 4.1m wide…

High End Munich 2018 lived up to its name for yet again this year. There is not another event in the world that pulls together such an array of exotic and bewildering audio-based products as this one, and it did not disappoint. While most of the well-known manufacturers were represented (there were over 500 exhibitors and thousands of brands on display), there was a considerable number of new companies on show, some that are destined to become the well-known brands of the future, while I am sure some others will simply disappear. As to be expected turntables were everywhere – and the bigger and the more expensive the better. Turntables that would sell for $100k+ in Australia were commonplace, while one had an asking price of €270,000 – and I…

When looking at the role of products in an audiovisual system, none is more misunderstood than the projection screen. Far too often the screen is seen as a necessary accessory devoid of any technology, and as a product where any solution will do. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, there are a multitude of cheap screens out there that simply employ off-the-roll materials without any form of engineered optical properties – just as there are cheap speakers assembled from non-descript components that no one would consider installing into their system. The role of the projection screen is to present a flat planar surface and direct the projected light back towards the viewing audience, while itself getting out of the way. A quality projection screen should act as a…

The product provides “viscoelastic layer damping for audio equipment” – quite a mouthful!! You might wonder how these little silver discs work but the technology used is a proven one, called Constrained Layer Damping (CLD), used most notably in the aerospace industry. It involves sandwiching a viscoelastic material between two layers of a stiffer material. Place two of these under each foot of all audio components that generate and/or store mechanical and electrical energy, including your lap-top if it is part of your system (I kid you not) . The pack sells for $99.00, and contains enough discs for two pieces of equipment. Plus we are happy to back this product – if it does not work, bring the pack back for a full refund.…

The Kubrick DCX turntable, manufactured in Serbia by Soulines, is the company’s flagship model, whose name is said to be because its design was inspired by the space station in the Stanley Kubrick film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The Soulines Kubrick DCX is a belt-drive model with an acrylic platter driven by a low-torque d.c motor. It was designed by Igor Gligorov of Soulines and uses the same inverted main bearing machined from solid brass and stainless steel and acrylic platter (40mm thick and weighing 3.2kg) that he developed for the company’s Hermes DCX turntable. As you can see from the photograph, the structure resembles a skeletal-style body in which three ‘legs’ of unequal length extend from a central point, which is where the space station analogy comes in. The…

IFi-audio, the sister company of Abbingdon Music Research (AMR), has released a new version of its d.c. power device, with a new version called the DC iPurifier2. Designed to turn noisy d.c. power into quiet d.c. power, you simply insert the DC iPurifier2 in the power line between the supply and the device it’s powering and Ifi-audio says all noise on the power line that’s between 1Hz and 5GHz will be reduced by a factor of between 316 and 100,000×. ‘The Ifi-audio DC iPurifier2 is a ground-up, ultra-wide band design that leaves no stone unturned,’ said George Poutakidis of BusiSoft, which distributes Ifi-audio in Australia. ‘Though it’s effective from 1Hz all the way up to 5GHz, the strongest performance is in the audible range of 20Hz to 20kHz, thanks to…

NAD Electronics has updated one of its most popular amplifiers. The result is the C 316 BEE V2, which now has a MM phono input. The inclusion of a phono input on the NAD C316 BEE V2 means that over the last two years, NAD has not only updated its five most popular integrated amplifiers (the others being the C328, C338, C368 and C 388) but has also added its low-noise RIAA phono stage to all five models. ‘NAD did this in recognition that many music lovers have rediscovered vinyl,’ says Geoff Matthews, of Convoy, which distributes NAD in Australia. ‘It’s no ordinary phono stage either, as it’s based on the company’s highly-acclaimed RIAA eq circuit which combines low noise with high overload margins to virtually eliminate noise and distortion…

Danish high-end manufacturer Gryphon Audio Designs has released its Sonett Phonostage as a stand-alone product, it having previously been available only in modular form for optional installation into Gryphon’s Diablo 300 and Diablo 120 integrated amplifiers. The Gryphon Sonett is a fully-discrete, d.c.-coupled phono stage that in addition to precision RIAA equalisation, offers six primary switchable load impedances for moving-coil cartridges (10 , 20 , 80.6 , 100 , 200 and 402 ). These primary options can be combined to enable other load options, so that, for one example, a load of 45 can be achieved by activating both the 80.6 and the 100 DIP switches. The load for the moving-magnet input is fixed at 47k /200pF. ‘Ultimate LP playback was the inspiration for our very first product, the now-legendary…

French manufacturer Devialet has increased the peak power of its White Phantom powered speaker at the same time as local distributor Interdyn has reduced the price. Devialet says it has increased the peak power of the entry-point White Phantom by 60 per cent by upgrading its firmware, which means any existing owners will also be able to increase the peak power of their units, using the Devialet Spark app. (The continuous power output, of course, remains the same.) At the same time, Devialet’s Australian distributor, Interdyn, has reduced the price of the White Phantom to $2,690 (it was previously $2,990). ‘Devialet has turned the world of audio on its head once again,’ said Sam Encel, Director at Interdyn. ‘The Phantom now sounds more impressive than ever, and the brand has…

David Wilson may not have invented the high-end speaker, but his designs did much to define the category Dave Wilson, the co-founder of Wilson Audio, arguably the world’s most famous loudspeaker manufacturer, died on Saturday May 26th , 2018, aged 73, after a long battle with a rare metastatic bone cancer. David co-founded Wilson Audio Specialties in 1974 with his wife Sheryl Lee in Nova-to, Marin County, California. The two also co-founded Wilson Audiophile Definitive Recordings. Following the success of both ventures Dave and Sheryl Lee relocated to Provo, Utah, where they continued to build loudspeakers and make hi-fi recordings, and raise four children, one of whom (Daryl), was appointed President and CEO of Wilson Audio in November 2017. David A. Wilson II was born on September 8, 1944 in…

The frequency response of the Revel F-208, as measured by Newport Test Labs, is shown in Graph 1 and you can see that it’s flat and extended, particularly so at the low-frequency end of the audio spectrum. Overall, it extends from 42Hz to 26kHz›±3dB. Note also that there’s no spectral skew on the response that would indicate a particular portion of the audio spectrum is dominant—the ±dB variations are fairly evenly distributed across the frequency response. You should particularly note the spectacular smoothness and linearity of the response between about 120Hz and 15kHz. The response almost tracks the graph line up to 1.2kHz, so is effectively ±1dB, then there’s a small dip between 1.2kHz and 3kHz, the lowest part of which is 2.5dB below reference, after which the response is…

• Technical Brain EX Pre and Power amplification (2 sets) • Wadax Pre One Ultimate Phono and DAC and the Wadax Atlantis DAC • Trinity Electronic Design, PC drive, DAC, Phono preamp, Golden Reference Preamp and Power Supply and Trinity Amplifier and source power filter • Robert Koda K15 EX preamplifier • JMF Universal Blue-Ray Audio Transport • Vertere Absolute Reference RG1Turntable, RG1 Tonearm and Stage 1 vibration reduction system and stands • Zensati Silenzio, Zensati Seraphim and Zensati Zorro cables and power cords, Trinity, Black Cat Indigo Series, Vertere Pulse HB cabling and power cords. • Wilson Sasha speakers with Sopranino electrostatic on top • Townsend speaker podiums under the Wilson Sacha • Evolution Acoustics MM2 speakers • Van Den Hul Extenders above speakers (above MM2 and Sasha) •…

Tivoli Hi-Fi has been an institution on Melbourne’s hi-fi scene for years. Forty-five years, in fact, the last 36 of them at the same address at 155–157 Camberwell Road in Hawthorn, the exterior of which hasn’t changed all that much in all those years. This means that if you haven’t been inside Tivoli Hi-Fi in the last few weeks, you won’t have realised that everything inside it has changed. It’s not the same store it once was. ‘It may be the same address, but it’s now a whole new destination,’ says Store Manager Geoff Haynes. ‘We’re moving with the times, becoming more modern and in touch with today’s trends, while at the same time maintaining the original guiding principle of Tivoli’s founder, Philippe Luder, which is that of ‘experts helping…

At the recent High End show in Munich it was announced that one of our long-standing favourite brands has been sold. Antony Michaelson, the founder of Musical Fidelity, has (semi) retired, and the company has been purchased by Audio Tuning, the owners of turntable manufacturer Pro-Ject Audio Systems. While the announcement caught us by surprise, it was obviously a deal that has been in the works for some time. The new owners have already announced some major changes including the introduction of a new lower priced M2 Series amplifier and CD player (November release), and the re-release of some of their recently discontinued models, including the M8 Series. We will see the re-introduction of these models during the coming months. Audio Tuning have also announced that they will be moving…

In our previous newsletter we announced the re-positioning of Krell pricing, bringing prices back to parity (or better) with pricing in the US. This has proven to be a popular move, resulting in a significant increase in demand for the brand. Spied in Munich at the High End Show (see also page 18) was the prototype of a new integrated amplifier, the K300i (an obvious salute to the fabulous S300i of yesteryear). We do not have definite delivery dates, but we know it will be available this year. Pictured above, it is rated at 150 watts/channel, and will incorporate Krell’s unique iBias circuitry. Krell also recently announced that their amplifiers are now ‘Roon Ready’ and Spotify Connect compatible, making the Vanguard ($6,500) and Digital Vanguard ($7,995, below) even more attractive.…

Project is reputably the largest selling turntable manufacturer in the world – they certainly make one of the widest and most diverse ranges. One of the stars of their range is ‘The Classic’, a traditional looking belt-drive manual turntable which performs way beyond its price category (and which co-incidentally looks very similar to another all-time favourite of ours). The Classic features include: • Belt drive with manual speed control between 33/45rpm; • Height-adjustable decoupling feet; • Precision-balanced TPE-damped aluminium-platter with felt mat; • Metal/MDF sandwich chassis floating on TPE suspension; • 9” carbon/aluminium tonearm with MM & MC capability (this is similar to the arm that Pro-Ject manufactures for the $5,700 Linn Majik turntable); • Integrated central vertical cable outlet for unhindered arm movement; • Ultra-low friction Zircon pin-point cardan…

The Linn Majik LP12 turntable (pictured) has proven very popular, particularly in recent years with the resurgence of vinyl. At $5,695, this has been an economical way for many to start their Linn Sondek journey. One of the great aspects of the Linn Sondek turntable is that it is upgradable, allowing you to improve the suspension, power supply, arm, cartridge etc. The only complaint levelled at the Majik LP12 has been that the arm could be improved on, so Linn have now released the Linn Akito. This is the same as the Majik LP12 other than replacing the Pro-Ject 9cc tonearm with their Akito arm. It still comes complete with their Adikt moving magnet cartridge, and sells for $8,695.…

Sonos have added their third soundbar to their stable – the Sonos Beam. The Sonos Beam is a compact version of their Playbase, measuring only 65cm in width. Despite its smaller footprint this unit is packed full of goodies with four elliptical mid/bass drivers, three passive radiators and a high performance tweeter. It is also the second speaker in their range to feature voice control via Amazon Alexa. At $599 this is an ideal solution for smaller rooms such as bedrooms, study etc. The other news from Sonos is that in July they will be adding AirPlay2 via a free software upgrade. This will be available for the Sonos Beam, Sonos One, Playbase and Generation 2 of the Play:5.…

The Tivoli Model One has been on the market for almost 20 years, and it is still going strong. However technology moves on, and Tivoli have released an additional range of products (the Art Collection) to reflect these changes. What has not changed is their commitment to producing some of the best-sounding radio-based products on the market. Model One Digital Loosely based on the Model One this unit has DAB+, FM, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It merges the simplicity and user-friendly features that Tivoli Audio’s classic line is known for, but with a tech refresh. Orb This wireless speaker can be configured to offer mono, stereo (two Orbs) or multi-room audio playback. It can be free standing, or you can hang it on the wall. There are multiple finishes available. MusicSystem+…