海外ニュース速報 [World]
Miracord 90 Anniversary – ELAC revisits a golden era with a turntable to mark its 90th birthday.
Ninety is the new thirty, as we say at ELAC, and we are celebrating the occasion by saluting the early decades of the company’s history when our turntables reigned supreme. Memories of these times live on, and not just within our factory walls in Kiel: Dealers and customers are constantly asking when the ELAC loudspeaker family will finally include a turntable. Vinyl is popular among audiophiles and ELAC Miracord remains an iconic name from the era of the long-playing disc.
The ELAC Miracord 90 Anniversary draws on this legacy and meets the highest standards in terms of sound quality, workmanship, and mechanical precision. Designed to deliver the same user experience as our speakers, it is a carefully thought-out and systematically executed concept that combines superlative engineering, exquisite workmanship, and premium materials.
The 5.5-kilogram MDF chassis rests on specially developed silicone feet that decouple the deck completely from the surface on which it is placed. The aluminum platter weighs 6.5 kilograms and sits on a sub-platter whose hardened steel axis rotates on a ruby ball for minimal friction. The axis is mounted using high-quality sintered bronze bearing bushings.
The motor is double-decoupled from the chassis and, therefore, from the tonearm. Along with the rubber damping, the suspensions employed here use materials that have proven themselves ELAC speakers. The newly developed tonearm made of carbon-fiber forms a perfect symbiotic relationship with the drive mechanism. The pickup with its MicroLine stylus was developed specifically for ELAC in cooperation with Audio Technica and comes as standard with each model.
The Miracord 90 Anniversary proves not only that turntable expertise is very much alive in Kiel – aided by the know-how of engineers from the golden era of the Miracord – but also that we understand the needs of vinyl fans. By revisiting the legendary chapter in the history of ELAC, we are sending a clear signal to the market as to what it can expect from Kiel in the near future: an expanded product range and, above all, a fascinating addition to the brand.
海外ニュース速報 [World]
CONCENTRO – the new ELAC flagship marks the anniversary on High End 2016 in Munich.
After ninety years in business, the time has come to make some noise. And by “making noise”, ELAC is certainly not referring to the sound of the new Concentro flagship model, but to raising the profile of its high-end products from northern Germany. Time and again, customers and retailers around the world have described this innovative loudspeaker manufacturer as a best-kept secret. “You are the best”, they say. “Why not prove it once and for all – with a truly awe-inspiring product?”
The Concentro is ELAC’s emphatic response to this challenge. And just one glance leaves the viewer in no doubt – this is a self-assured product with clearly articulated ambitions to achieve high-end supremacy. The striking oval shape, an imposing silhouette that is almost 1.70 meters high, and the gleaming surfaces combine to create a spectacular yet graceful and almost sculpted figure. The monolithic speaker cabinet weighing 140 kg rests on a 25-kg stand milled from a single block of aluminum.
With its oval design, the Concentro is a dramatic departure from the more traditional cabinet designs used by ELAC to date. The front and rear sides are finished in high-gloss lacquer – in a virtually unlimited range of colors. Dark side panels create contours that give the upwardly tapered cabinet a more slender appearance. High-end ambitions are reflected in every detail. This is a speaker that simply commands admiration – which will certainly be forthcoming from ELAC fans worldwide.
The striking design with a baffle that appears to flow in three dimensions was dictated to a certain extent by the exceptional acoustic demands, which called for smooth forms with large radii. This motif is continued in the oval that encloses the two tweeter/midrange and low/midrange drive units on the front. This central highlight further emphasizes the underlying concept behind the Concentro: full concentration on the center, the ideal point source.
The four newly developed 10-inch woofers set into the sides operate in a push-push/pull-pull configuration and give the Concentro unprecedented dynamic power and effortless reach into the lowest octaves.
And when it comes to peak performance – the culmination of many decades of innovation in loudspeaker technology – the Concentro brings together many of the technologies that made ELAC a legend across the globe: the JET-5 tweeter, Aluminum-Sandwich membranes, AS-XR cones, and Long Linear Drive (LLD) drivers. The bass and low/midrange drive units employ ELAC’s patented crystal cones, which incorporate the company’s tried-and-tested proprietary Aluminum-Sandwich technology. The letters “XR” stand for “eXtended Range” – which refers to the extra octave that this innovation adds to the transmission range. The ELAC JET tweeters are possibly the world’s most famous – for their brilliant and lifelike reproduction of high frequencies. The position of the VX-JET can be adjusted to fine tune the sound dispersion characteristics in the middle to high-frequency range. This alters not only the tonal balance, but also the relationship between the direct and diffuse sound arriving at the listening position.
Naturally, only the finest materials were used for the wiring and frequency crossovers. The cabinet can be customized to individual preferences. For instance, the side sections are available in carbon-fiber, wood veneer or even leather finishes.
Legendary technology presented in bombastic style – with this new flagship model, ELAC is laying down a clear marker for the years leading up to its centenary celebrations.
海外ニュース速報 [World]
dCS VIVALDI 2.0 SYSTEM
Vivaldi Transport and DAC： 2016 4月予定
Vivaldi Upsampler： 2016 ５月予定
Vivaldi Transport： 2x DSD upsampling ＊ Firmwareのヴァージョンアップ
Vivaldi DAC： a new Ring DAC mappers, improved clocking, and a new DSD filter
＊ Firmwareのヴァージョンアップ
Vivaldi Upsampler： isolated Network and USB hardware, new Playback and Control App,
2x DSD upsampling, TIDAL, Airplay, Spotify 対応
＊Network・USBボードのアップデート、Firmwareのヴァージョンアップ
dCS LAUNCHES NEW FLAGSHIP VIVALDI 2.0 SYSTEM
dCS announces its new Vivaldi 2.0 series – bringing a comprehensive package of improvements to what many regard as the best digital music source in the world.
The original Vivaldi was launched in late-2012 to widespread critical acclaim. Music industry professionals and audiophiles alike declared it to be the finest sounding digital front end on sale.
Comprising the Vivaldi Transport, Vivaldi DAC, Vivaldi Upsampler, and Vivaldi Master Clock, this cost-no-object flagship system pushed the boundaries of what was then possible with digital replay. Vivaldi processed practically every digital format and offered a vast array of input and output configurations. At its heart was a new generation of the dCS Ring DAC™, a unique, bespoke-designed digital-to-analogue converter that offered superlative sound quality and technical performance.
As with every dCS product, subsequent firmware updates have improved Vivaldi’s functionality and performance since its introduction. Now though, dCS has made a number of landmark hardware and software improvements to the system, warranting the 2.0 suffix. The changes are designed to make Vivaldi even easier to use, more flexible, and even better sounding.
The improvements 2.0 comprise include double-speed DSD upsampling in the Transport, while the DAC gets additional gain settings, a new mapping algorithm, and a new DSD filter. The Vivaldi Upsampler adds the option for double-speed DSD upsampling and a new, galvanically-isolated Network and USB interface board that improves performance and adds support for TIDAL, Airplay, Spotify Connect, plus a new control and music playback App.
The new mapping algorithm (mapper) is a milestone in the development of the dCS Ring DAC™, which forms the heart of the Vivaldi DAC. Taking over a year to model and implement in software, the new mapper greatly improves on the very technology that makes dCS unique. The 5-bit binary music data obtained after the oversampling and digital filtering stages is assigned, or mapped, onto forty- eight latch outputs at the core of the Ring DAC™. These outputs drive balanced current sources which are mixed, filtered, and amplified to produce the analogue output signal. The new mapping algorithm has been developed to run at higher speeds while better avoiding mismatches that occur between outputs, further reducing any errors correlated with the signal. The results are superior linearity, even at very low signal levels.
This sophisticated mapper functionality is implemented in the Vivaldi Ring DAC™ through dedicated FPGAs, offering dCS the power to improve and change these fundamental algorithms through software updates. This unprecedented flexibility also allows the user to choose their desired mapper from a simple menu item. Version 2.00 software allows for two new mappers, together with the original for comparison. Subjectively, both new mappers bring more detailed, expressive, tonally-complete, and full-bodied character over the original, but each offer subtle differences in sound that users can choose between, depending on their preference and ancillary equipment.
The new, highly optimised DSD filter fitted to the new Vivaldi DAC was created to provide better impulse response than previous DSD filters and has virtually no ringing. High frequency noise has also
been better suppressed outside the audio band to be more universally amplifier friendly. These improvements manifest themselves in a more dynamic and dimensional sound across the entire audio band.
Vivaldi Upsampler’s new network interface board and control App lets listeners manage their music playback experience from virtually any source – whether CD/SACD, iRadio, USB, traditional digital, streaming services, or UPnP – in an elegantly simple way, and all from one control point. It has built-in TIDAL, Airplay, and Spotify Connect functionality and is firmware-upgradeable to accommodate future music services. The new, galvanically-isolated Network and USB interface that comprises part of the Upsampler upgrade results in a quieter, more natural sound while using these inputs.
Vivaldi DAC and Transport owners can update to version 2.0 by requesting software update discs from their authorized dCS retailer. Vivaldi Upsampler owners wishing to upgrade to Upsampler to version 2.0 will need to arrange for their unit to be sent to an authorized dCS service center to perform the hardware and software upgrade. Please contact a dCS retailer or dCS Americas for more information and upgrade pricing.
Once the new version 2.0 software has been installed, as with all dCS products Vivaldi’s software and network firmware can be easily updated in the future- via CD, USB, or with new internet download and update functionality- to add new features and to improve performance over its lifetime.
Availability: Vivaldi Transport and DAC – April 2016
Vivaldi Upsampler – May 2016 Summary: • Vivaldi is dCS’ flagship digital playback system, widely regarded as the best in the world
• The new dCS Vivaldi 2.0 range is a major step-change in technical and sonic performance
• Vivaldi Transport gets 2x DSD upsampling
• Vivaldi DAC gets a new Ring DAC mappers, improved clocking, and a new DSD filter
• Vivaldi Upsampler gets new, isolated Network and USB hardware, new Playback and Control App, 2x DSD upsampling
• Vivaldi plays music from virtually any digital source and is compatible with nearly all formats
• Designed and built in the United Kingdom with superlative, cost-no-object quality and finish • Vivaldi is firmware-upgradeable for future functionality and performance upgrades
• Prices: Vivaldi Transport ($41,999), Vivaldi DAC ($35,999), Vivaldi Upsampler Plus ($21,999), Vivaldi Master Clock ($14,999)
