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海外ニュース速報 [World] 新製品速報
Munich HIGHEND Show, May 18, 2017 — At Pass Labs, we don’t change our products unless we feel that the changes are significant improvements over previous versions. Because of this we see typical product life spans of seven to eight years.
We are constantly working on and listening to new things and increasing our knowledge of circuits and components on sound. Eventually we find some things worth putting into production because they are significant enough. That time has come with a new series of preamplifiers.
The XP-12: Single Chassis Line Level Preamp
The new XP-12 starts with a new power supply. It uses an efficient toroidal design with both an electrostatic and Mu metal shield, along with vacuum impregnating and epoxy fill. This gives us a very quiet transformer both electrically and mechanically.
The power supply circuitry itself is also lower noise and has additional filtering; perhaps a little more complicated, but worth it.
The XP-12 uses the single stage volume control borrowed from the Xs line preamp. This gives us one hundred 1 dB steps with lower noise and distortion, while removing some signal path parts.
The gain circuitry continues to use our favorite transistors from Toshiba, but has a larger, higher biased output stage like the Xs preamplifier’s auto bias. This makes longer and multiple cable runs easier to drive and provides the advantage of simplifying our single-ended output circuitry while increasing performance.
Overall this makes for a quieter, more neutral, musical and versatile control center for your system.
XP-12 Specs
Power consumption 50 Watts
Gain 9.3dB Balanced
Frequency response: +/- 0.05 dB 10Hz to 20KHz, -1dB @ 100KHz
Crosstalk > 100dB
Residual Noise 15uV 10 – 30Khz
THD < 0.001 @ 1V 1Khz
Double shielded low noise toroid
Dimensions: 17” W x 12.5” D x 4” H
MSRP: $5,800
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The XP-17: Single Chassis Phono Preamp
The XP-17 uses the new-shielded low noise toroidal and input filter module, like the XP-12. The power supply has an extra stage of RC filtering, allowing for lower radiated and mechanical noise.
The XP-17 has an all new input circuit that is symmetrical and lower in noise and distortion, with greater drive capability. Noise being the most prominent part of THD+N in the first section of a phono stage; by lowering noise we get better resolution and dynamics.
It was designed with a split EQ network, like the XP-25 and XI Phono, that is more accurate and can handle greater signal levels. The secondary stage runs a higher bias output stage with auto bias.
The numerous loading options from the XP-15 are all still available, plus three gain settings to accommodate low output MC to MM cartridges.
XP-17 Specs
Power consumption: 40 Watts
Gain: 76, 66, 56 dB balanced 70, 60, 50 unbalanced
Output impedance: 110 Ohms RCA; 220 Ohms balanced
Input impedance: 10 – 47K Ohms more than 200 values
Capacitive loading: 10 -750 pF
RIAA curve accuracy: +/- .1 dB 20 – 20 KHz Passive / Active EQ
Distortion and noise: .004%
Quad-matched low noise symmetrical JFET input.
Double shielded low noise toroidal transformer
Dimensions: 17” W x 12.5” D x 4” H
MSRP: $4,300
About Pass Labs
Founded in 1991 by legendary audio designer Nelson Pass, Pass Laboratories, Inc. markets its unique amplifiers and preamplifiers. The company is based in Auburn, California, and is universally regarded as one of the most innovative audio brands in the world. It’s critically acclaimed Aleph, X and XA-Series products have won numerous awards, and Founder Nelson Pass holds numerous audio patents. His achievements include developing the first dynamically biased Class-A amplifier circuit, developing a fully cascode audio power amplifier, and developing the Stasis amplifier in 1977. He helped popularize solid-state, single-ended Class-A power amplifiers, and developed the very successful Aleph series of products, and the Super-Symmetry™ circuit, which achieves exceptionally low distortion and noise levels.
海外ニュース速報 [World] 新製品速報
constellation Leo
A music system unlike anything else.
Leo reimagines what a music system can be. To create Leo—the first in Constellation’s Dominion line of innovative SmartAudioProducts—our engineers and designers started anew. We carefully considered how today’s music lovers listen to and access their music, then sought out the technologies that would let us deliver truly extraordinary sound from a design and form factor welcome in any home—and that are friendly enough for anyone to use comfortably. The result is a music system unlike anything else in audio.
No existing product category seems adequate to contain Leo. Leo embodies the same no-compromise spirit that inspired our original Reference Series components—hailed by many experts as the finest ever created—yet it fits into environments that could never accommodate a traditional audio system. Leo blends many approaches to audio: ultra-modern digital audio processing and amplification technologies, combined with traditional design philosophies and techniques refined through decades of experience.
The end result of our work with Leo more than meets the goals we set for the Dominion line: To create music systems that suit any situation and any lifestyle, yet deliver the breathtaking musicality and realism of much larger and costlier systems.
Leo Top
Compact design.
To describe Leo in concrete terms, it is a tri-amplified stereo sound system that delivers inspiring performance from any source, be it a moving-coil phono cartridge, a networked computer, an Internet radio station, a high-end music streamer, a CD player or even a smartphone. All of this is controlled through the familiar, friendly interface of a smartphone or tablet, with only the most essential controls—power, volume, input selection and play/pause/track skip—on Leo’s front panel.
Leo is so compact that it needs no accommodation greater than a sturdy shelf or table to work its magic. It doesn’t necessarily require any cables except its own AC power cord. Thus, Leo can deliver extraordinary sound practically anywhere, from a large living room to a bedroom or office.
Leo is Room Ready.
The core of Leo is a self-powered high-end stereo speaker system. Reproducing the bass are two 6.5-inch high-sensitivity woofers in an opposed parallel arrangement that cancels vibration. Each is driven by its own 140-watt amplifier. The front grille conceals two 2.5-inch midrange drivers, each directly connected to its own 70-watt amplifier. Two 0.75-inch tweeters, each driven by its own 70-watt amp, reproduce high frequencies.
Surprisingly, Leo has a purer signal path than even many of the world’s most revered audio systems. Its Class D amplifiers use a special topology with ultra-high-frequency 600 kHz switching that eliminates the need for filtering of the amplifiers’ output; the inductance of the speaker drivers themselves is enough to filter the PWM output of the amplifiers to produce the cleanest of analog waveforms. There is no passive crossover, and thus nothing between the amplifier and speakers other than a cable. Audio can’t get any purer than this.
Leo side view
This direct connection is made possible through Leo’s multichannel digital signal processor, which performs all crossover functions and also tunes the performance of each of Leo’s six speaker drivers to perfection. The precision of this arrangement far exceeds what would be possible using traditional inductors and capacitors, the best of which tend to have tolerances in the plus/minus 5 percent range.
We built Leo to embrace everyone’s listening habits, whether they prefer streaming the latest hits from the Internet or spinning classic vinyl from half a century ago. We included an internal DAC that accepts signals up to 24/192 resolution (24/96 through Toslink) and is also MQA-compatible. Leo is Room Ready, so music lovers can enjoy the enlightening experience of what is incontestably the world’s finest playback interface. Leo accesses networked audio sources through Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast, and these technologies also allow synchronized playback of multiple Leos in one home. We included a phono preamp that lets you connect a turntable, and that accommodates moving-coil cartridges as well as moving-magnet cartridges. And for those times when someone just wants to stream something off their smartphone, it includes Bluetooth 4.2 capability.
We have yet to mention Leo’s visual aesthetics because the images say it all—except that it’s available in your choice of deep black or light grey finish.
Leo is what music lovers have long awaited: a compact smart music system that delivers the audio you want, any way you want it, without the slightest sacrifice in sound quality, convenience or style.
Leo horizontal and vertical positions
Smartphone/tablet controlled
One of our key goals with the Dominion SmartAudioProducts line was to use the friendly, familiar interfaces of smartphones and tablets as much as possible, and to keep the controls on the unit as simple as possible. To this end, Leo’s front panel has only the most essential controls: power, volume, input selection and play/pause/track skip.
Stereo three-way speakers
Leo achieves the sound quality of much larger systems because it is two complete high-end stereo speakers in one enclosure. Each channel has its own 6.5-inch woofer, 2.5-inch midrange and 0.75-inch tweeter, for as much acoustical power as many traditional speakers. The woofers are mounted in an opposed parallel arrangement that cancels about 90 percent of bass vibration.
560 watts of amplification
With 140 watts of power for each woofer and 70 watts for each midrange and tweeter, Leo easily delivers the same volume levels of a typical high-end stereo system—perhaps even higher than many.
Phase-coherent performance
Performing the crossover functions in the digital domain allows the six drivers to function in precise synchronization without the power handling and dispersion problems that analog phase-coherent speakers often exhibit. Careful driver placement and subtle DSP algorithms give Leo the expansive, open, spacious sound one would demand of the world’s most elite audio systems.
Filter-free, state-of-the-art Class D amplifiers
Leo’s amplifiers run at a switching frequency of 600 kHz, more than double that of typical Class D amps, and the amplifiers’ PWM circuitry operates at five different levels rather than simply on and off. Thus, the natural inductance of the speaker drivers is enough to produce a clean analog waveform, and no additional filters are needed between the amps’ output transistors and the speaker drivers.
MC/MM phono stage
Almost no compact music systems offer phono input, and we cannot recall seeing any that accommodate signals from MC cartridges. Leo is compatible with any turntable and cartridge.
Chromecast, AirPlay and Bluetooth
No matter what your preference in wireless sound technology, Leo stands ready. WiFi, Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay are all built in, so you can stream losslessly from any networked computer and you can use multiple Leos throughout a home. For times when simplicity and universal compatibility are required, there’s also Bluetooth.
Stereo pairing
For a bigger stereo soundstage and higher playback volume, two Leos can be wirelessly paired so one functions as the left channel and the other functions as the right channel.
Roon Ready and MQA
Roon’s ultra-friendly interface and MQA’s extraordinary fidelity have entranced audiophiles around the world. Leo will play both.
Analog and digital inputs
To accommodate traditional source devices, Leo includes a stereo analog RCA input and a Toslink digital input.
Specifications
Inputs:
Toslink optical digital with 24/96 capability Analog stereo RCA or switchable MC/MM phono Ethernet 100 Mbit
Power output:
140 watts x 2 (woofers)
70 watts x 4 (midranges and tweeters)
THD+N:
0.016% @ 20W
Weight:
30.9 lb / 14.0 kg
Dimensions (W x H x D):
21.5 x 14.8 x 7.1 in (w/d/h)
54.5 x 37.5 x 18.0 cm (w/d/h)
Internal DSP resolution:24 bit/192 kilohertz
Power consumption: 10W typical, standby 4W, sleep 0.5W
Power requirements: 90 to 264 VAC, 127 to 370 VDC, 47 to 63 Hz
Streaming compatibility: Roon Ready playback, MQA, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay
Wireless capability: WiFi dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2
Finishes: black anodized with black grille , grey anodized with grey grille
Drivers:
6.5-inch woofers (2)
2.5-inch midranges (2)
0.75-inch tweeters (2)
Leoプレスリリース
海外ニュース速報 [World] 新製品速報
The Stromtank makes your dreams come true.
Audiophiles are always looking for clean, undisturbed grid power to achieve the next level of music quality with their hifi systems.
One of the most important facts to hear the excellent quality of your audio-components is the purity and stability of the grid signal. Daily routine equipment like PCs or microwave influence the grid. Everyone is connected to the same dirty grid polluted with DC voltage, high level and frequencies. All interferences manipulate audio-quality and even the best power conditioners are not able to eliminate the disturbances.
Audiophiles were waiting until deep in the night for a less-disturbed AC-grid to get good sound.
Don’t wait until midnight to get the best sound!
Independent power source – the perfect addition for your audio-setup
The Stromtank offers the unique possibility to separate your hifi-system completely from the grid.
The Stromtank is a high-power battery pack with integrated pure-sine wave converter power supply – totally disconnects your audio system from the grid. With the Stromtank you can enjoy up to 8 hours listening to music before it connects uninterrupted and automatically with the grid to recharge. During the recharging process you can listen without any interruptions.
Premium home theatre equipment quality will improve both visually and sonically with the Stromtank.
Boost-function when connected to grid
Even when the Stromtank is connected to the grid, the current pulses are not taken directly from the grid – they are absorbed by the battery. In the AC-connected mode the Stromtank creates a stable AC-supply (amplitude and frequency) and has less interaction between the grid and your audio- / video-setup.
Specifications
specifications_S2500
海外ニュース速報 [World] 新製品速報
McINTOSH ANNOUNCES TWO NEW PRODUCTS AT HIGH END 2017
Binghamton, NY – May 18, 2017 – McIntosh, the global leader in prestigious home entertainment and ultimate-quality audio for over 65 years, is proud to announce two new products at this year’s HIGH END Show in Munich: the MA8900 Integrated Amplifier and MCD350 SACD/CD Player. Each product combines the best-in-class audio performance of the legendary McIntosh Reference System with the latest in technological development.
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MA8900 Integrated Amplifier
McIntosh MA8900 McIntosh MA8900 McIntosh MA8900 Shipping anticipated in June 2017
The first of our next generation line of integrated amplifiers, the MA8900 Integrated Amplifier offers 200 Watts per channel and combines many new features with our legendary amplification prowess and preamplifier capabilities into one all-encompassing unit.
The MA8900 is the first product to feature our new McIntosh Monogrammed Heatsinks™. They are made from high quality materials with excellent thermal conductivity properties and are so efficient at dissipating heat that they warrant bearing the McIntosh “Mc” logo. Besides helping the MA8900 run cool, they’ll also help it look cool thanks to our new finishing process that results in a higher quality appearance. They are connected to advanced high current output transistors that eliminate thermal equilibrium lag time so that the first musical note played sounds just as good as songs played later in the listening session.
To keep up with the ever-changing world of digital audio, all the digital inputs are housed in our new DA1 Digital Audio Module. The DA1 can be replaced by future modules to easily keep the MA8900 current with all the latest digital audio formats and technologies. The DA1 comes with an upgraded 8-channel, 32-bit DAC used in Quad Balanced mode and has 6 digital inputs. The USB input accepts signals up to 32-bit/384kHz and supports up to DSD256 and DXD 384kHz. Analog stereo inputs include 1 balanced and 6 unbalanced plus 1 each of Moving Coil and Moving Magnet. All inputs can be given custom names for user-friendly system control and configuration.
The MA8900 includes many other updates including new, more powerful control microprocessors to improve overall system operation and some of the latest audio-grade circuit components to allow the MA8900 to deliver the best sound possible.
At 200 Watts per channel, the MA8900 has enough power to properly drive virtually all loudspeakers. And the renowned McIntosh Autoformer guarantees your speakers will always receive the full 200 Watts regardless if they have 2, 4 or 8 Ohm impedance. Other McIntosh features included in the MA8900 are:
•Power Guard® that monitors and adjusts the sound wave at the speed of light to prevent harsh sounding distortion and clipping that could damage your speakers
•Sentry Monitor™ is our fuse-less short-circuit protection circuit that disengages the output stage before current exceeds safe operating levels and then resets automatically when operating conditions return to normal
•Home Theater PassThru that allows for seamless integration into a home theater system
•High Drive headphone amplifier with Headphone Crossfeed Director (HXD®) which can bring an added dimension to headphone listening
•A discrete, five band tone control that permits manual analog adjustment of your favorite recordings
•Gold-plated speaker binding posts that prevent corrosion to ensure a quality signal is sent over your speaker cables to your speakers
The entire unit is wrapped in the timeless McIntosh aesthetic with blue watt meters, a black glass front panel, control knobs, illuminated logo, aluminum end caps and a beautiful polished stainless steel chassis.
MCD350 SACD/CD Player
McIntosh MCD350 Shipping anticipated in July 2017
The MCD350 SACD/CD Player delivers a pure playback experience from SACDs and CDs. It features a balanced 2-channel, 32-bit/192kHz DAC. Fixed analog stereo outputs are available in both balanced and unbalanced offerings; a coax and optical output are also available. All analog outputs plus the digital coax outputs are gold plated or superior corrosion resistance. The MCD350 features 2x read speed so that all discs placed in its rigid aluminum die-cast tray are read at higher speeds, allowing their data to be stored in a buffer memory for a better error correction and tracking. A twin laser optical pickup uses a single objective lens with two laser units each employing different wavelengths that are optimized for SACD and CD playback. The classic McIntosh black glass front panel with an illuminated logo and aluminum end caps complete the unit.
海外ニュース速報 [World] 新製品速報
Laurels aren’t for resting on
We still surprise ourselves. Some people might be content to sit back and be complacent about their successes after 40 years of constant innovation. We aren’t. In fact, we only get hungrier for new techniques and technologies.
That’s why we developed the Special Forty: we wanted to revisit those innovations and see what we’d do differently this time.
What you won’t find here is anything revolutionary. Instead, you’ll discover a look at our past – along with some special sneak-previews of the future.
The Special Forty is classic Dynaudio: all the craftsmanship, attention to detail and total love of authentic sound you’ve come to expect. It’s the connoisseur’s choice – a simple pair of passive hi-fi speakers. But it isn’t about looking back, misty-eyed, at past glories and leaving it at that. It’s about using those glories as a platform from which to launch our next set of breakthroughs.
Greatest hits… reimagined
We do compact speakers really well. We always have. So, as a nod back to classics including the Special One, the Special Twenty-Five, the Crafft and the Contour 1.3SE, we kept the Special Forty pure – if incredibly advanced.
Of course, it wouldn’t be an anniversary speaker if it didn’t include some of our greatest hits. But we haven’t just got the old band back together to trot out the same old stuff, unchanged. We’ve remixed, remastered and rearranged things to bring those old favourites into 2017 – and beyond.
That’s why it has one of our classic first-order crossover designs, incorporating our unique Phase Alignment and Impedance Alignment technologies. The crossover expertly marshals the input signal between the woofer and the tweeter – so each driver gets only the frequencies it’s supposed to, and can perform at its very best. Its specially selected components handle the impedance optimisation and, because both drivers have extended frequency ranges for even better overlap and integration, that performance borders on the mesmerising.
The song remains the same
The Special Forty uses our proprietary MSP (Magnesium Silicate Polymer) material for its main driver. MSP delivers precisely the right combination of rigidity, damping and stability for the most faithful sound reproduction. And, unlike other cone materials, it doesn’t change over time – so your Special Forty speakers will still be singing just as sweetly come our next anniversary.
The cone itself uses a painstakingly developed symmetrical excursion for even better midrange performance. Behind it sits our asymmetrical spider – our passive harmonic rectifier. It minimises upper harmonics to further tighten the performance and make it possible not only to pick out individual parts in a piece of music, but even individual instruments in an orchestra. (So now, finally, the Third Violin section can have its day in the sun.) And, like all our other MSP cones, it’s a one-piece design (you can tell by the special balance ribs around the central dust-cap). This gives it an incredibly solid connection to the voice-coil, as well as stabilising its form – which is crucial when you decide to turn it up to 11.
It all sits in our special AirFlow Basket – the bit that holds the whole driver motor securely in place in the cabinet. Its development was one of those ‘Eureka!’ moments our engineers seem to get a few times a week in Dynaudio Labs (you can often hear them cheering from across the road in our factory). We asked them to reduce internal reflections and increase air movement without compromising the basket’s stiffness or stability, and this genius design is what they came up with.
Airflow is king
The new Esotar tweeter takes air-movement to another level. It moves the air in typically sweet fashion in front of the DSR (Dynaudio Secret Recipe) precision-coated soft-dome, of course, but there’s a lot of engineering going on behind it as well.
Take the new pressure conduit. It’s a shaped vent in the back of the hybrid magnet system that allows more space in the rear chamber. That space lets us pack in more damping material and reduces back-pressure, while the shape itself optimises airflow coming backwards from the rear of the dome.
Then there’s the outlet; the aero-coupled pressure-release system. It sits underneath the voice-coil and reduces unwanted pressure build-up that could affect its movement. Stopping those pockets of air from forming reduces resonance – and less resonance equals even greater potential for detail.
Flux optimisation and beam control
We love playing with the laws of physics. Physics wins in the end, of course (usually), but we almost always manage to bend it to our will along the way. Just like we have with our magnet systems.
The magnet turns electrical energy that flows from your amplifier into the voice-coil, into the physical back-and-forth movement of the driver diaphragm. These movements are very small and very fast (especially in the tweeter), so they need a lot of finesse if you want to hear all that luscious detail and emotion in your music.
Behind the woofer
In the woofer, we’ve achieved that finesse in two ways: by placing the magnet inside the voice-coil, and by playing with magnetic energy itself.
Other manufacturers typically put it around the outside edge, leaving the voice-coil hollow. Putting the magnet inside keeps the magnetic energy (or flux) in the optimum position for getting itself wrapped around the voice-coil – where it should be. That means we can use more of its power for a given weight. It also reduces internal reflections because there’s less material for sound to bounce off inside the driver.
Second, we use a hybrid magnet for even greater control over the flux and voice-coil movement. An incredibly powerful neodymium rare-earth magnet provides the muscle and flings flux around with abandon, while a ferrite magnet tempers that enthusiasm by gently moving the flux back to exactly where it’s needed most. The result? Symmetrical excursion, a reduction in second-harmonics, and an even more accurate, authentic sound.
Box clever
And then there’s the finish. Whichever veneer you’ve gone for , the Grey Birch or the Red Birch, our designers have given you a treat. We’ve always pushed the boat out on our special anniversary speakers – from the luscious bird’s-eye maple of the Contour 1.3 SE to the Special Twenty-Five’s stunning burled birch and the Sapphire’s amazing Mocca, Bordeaux and Ivory veneers. The Special Forty takes that to a new level. We pushed our team to come up with something different to the kind of thing we’ve done in the past, and they took that to heart. That’s why they’re raw; visceral; striking. We wanted the Special Forty to look as authentic and honest as the music they’re playing sounds.
Product highlights
Esotar Forty
The new Esotar Forty tweeter maximises airflow for even more refinement, while its low resonant frequency smooths the transition to the woofer
17cm woofer
Our best 17cm woofer yet. It’s based on what you’ll find in the Confidence and Evidence ranges, and uses a sophisticated hybrid magnet system for lower distortion and higher power.
First-order crossover
Phase Alignment and Impedance Alignment technologies keep this classic Dynaudio crossover topology firmly on top of its game.
Special finishes
The Special Forty’s exclusive High-gloss Grey Birch and Red Birch finishes are as striking as they are beautiful – and are unique to each speaker.
Features
Cutting-edge acoustic technology in a classic Dynaudio design
The Esotar Forty tweeter
This DSR precision-coated 28mm soft-dome tweeter is unique to the Special Forty.
Our best 17cm woofer yet
The ultimate incarnation of our legendary 17W75 MSP woofer, with an AirFlow Basket and hybrid magnet system.
Classic Dynaudio crossover
This is a variant of the first-order crossover used in our other classic two-way speakers – and its performance borders on the mesmerising.
Special finishes
Striking Grey Birch or vivid Red Birch? Either way, your eyes are in for a treat.
Aluminium terminal plate
Five-way binding posts and the 40th anniversary logo: we care for the bits you don’t see too much, too.
Made in Denmark
Designed and engineered in Dynaudio Labs, and built across the road in our factory… all in Skanderborg.
Technical specifications
“Quote from Mark Thorup here”
Mark Thorup, VP of Innovation
Specification sheet for Special Forty
Sensitivity:86dB (2.83V / 1m)
IEC power handling:200W
Impedance:6Ω
Frequency response (+/- 3dB):41Hz – 23kHz
Box principle:Bass-reflex rear ported
Crossover:2-way
Crossover frequency:2000Hz
Crossover typology:1st order
Woofer:17cm MSP cone
Tweeter:28mm Esotar Forty
Weight:8.1kg / 17.9lb
Dimensions (WxHxD):198 x 360 x 307mm / 7.8 x 14.2 x 12.1in
Dimensions with feet/grille (WxHxD):198 x 360 x 322mm / 7.8 x 14.2 x 12.7in
Finishes/grilles:Grey Birch/Black, Red Birch/Black
海外ニュース速報 [World] 新製品速報
Evo stands for evolution…
Since 2008, when Utopia III was launched, Focal’s technological heritage has grown enormously.
Therefore it was essential to integrate the most recent innovations. The mid-range register becomes clearer and more dynamic thanks to NIC motor (Neutral Inductance Circuit) and TMD suspension. Maestro Utopia Evo now offers bi amplification, just like Grande Utopia EM and Stella.
The bass register of Maestro Utopia Evo is very consistent but it still retains its characteristic dynamic range and punch. Scala Utopia Evo remains compact with its exceptional musicality.
Details are also so important for the sound clarity… The best components from their generation have found their way into the Utopia III Evo line: cables made in France, double terminal boards and separate crossovers.
Utopia III Evo カタログ
maestro_utopia_evo_specification_sheet
scala_utopia_evo_specification_sheet
海外ニュース速報 [World] 新製品速報
British loudspeaker company, Harbeth, continues the celebration of its 40th anniversary this year with the launch of a new model at the High End Munich Show.
The next generation of Harbeth’s M30.1 model; the M30.2, makes its glorious debut at the show. Available in an exquisite iridescent silver eucalyptus veneer, the M30.2 will feature; the latest WBT-nextgen binding posts, a new-look tweeter with silver hex grill, British-made audio grade poly capacitors, and Harbeth’s 40th anniversary ultra-pure OFC internal cable.
Harbeth’s flagship model, the M40.2, will also be available in this stunning limited edition veneer as part of the brand’s milestone anniversary.
Alan Shaw, Designer and Managing Director, says – “This is a very significant year for us as a brand and as part of the celebrations felt the time was right to update our M30.1 model. We’re passionate about designing products that not only ensure you enjoy your music to full effect but also feel very special, hence the exceptional silver eucalyptus veneer and features chosen for this next phase of our 40th anniversary. What better place to launch this than at one of the biggest hi-fi shows of the year”
The High End Munich show runs between Thursday 18th – Sunday 21st May, where Harbeth will be co-exhibiting in the impressive Atrium room 4.2 E213 with German Harbeth distributor, Input Audio, Skylan stands, Magnum Dynalab and Martina Schöner, who will showcase her impressive turntable. The M40.2 40th anniversary model in walnut will be on demo whilst the M30.2 will be on display in Hall 3 N08.
海外ニュース速報 [World] 新製品速報
Primare
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We are announcing three exciting new Prisma products during Munich High End 2017: the I35 Prisma integrated amplifier, CD35 Prisma CD player, and I15 Prisma integrated amplifier – each product incorporating new key Primare technologies.
Each of the new products features Prisma, Primare’s new whole-home, high-fidelity control and connectivity solution. “As a prism provides a complete spectrum of colors from a single point of light, Prisma provides a complete spectrum of system management from a single point of control,” explains Terry Medalen, Primare Marketing. Prisma features network playback from stored and streamed media, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® connection, as well as multi-room/multi-zone connectivity and control, all managed through the Prisma application, allowing Prisma system management from any mobile device.
I35 Prisma
The I35 Prisma integrated amplifier [4 500€ MSRP] is the latest iteration of Primare’s now iconic 30 Series integrated amplifiers and is the first to use the new UFPD 2 power system, a radical reworking of Primare’s award-winning UFPD all-analog Class-D technology. States Bent Nielsen, Primare Engineering, “Primare will only bring out new product when we feel we can substantially improve upon existing models, and now with UFPD 2 we feel we have a power platform that realizes the full potential of Class-D technology.” Providing 150 watts at 8 ohms of absolutely linear amplification across the entire audible bandwidth, the I35 Prisma delivers naturally fast, clean and agile sound with an unprecedented ability to bring music to life. In addition to fully balanced analog input options, the I35 Prisma includes a full-featured DAC stage enabling PCM 768kHz and DSD 256 conversion, as well as Prisma connectivity and control technology.
Also available – I35, analog only inputs, without DAC or Prisma [3 500€ MSRP] and I35 DAC, analog and digital inputs, without Prisma [4 100€ MSRP].
CD35 Prisma
A state-of-the-art TEAC cd drive and Prisma connectivity and control technology combine to create in the CD35 Prisma CD player [3200€ MSRP] a complete digital music source. The all-new DAC stage, utilizing a superb-sounding ESS Sabre chipset for conversion of music files up to PCM 384kHz and DSD 256, feeds a finely tuned balanced analog output stage. “Each component part of the CD35 Prisma – the drive, the DAC, the output stage, and Prisma connection and control – contributes to what is the best CD player Primare has ever offered,” states Kalle Nordehammer, Primare Product Development.
Also available – CD35, CD player only, without Prisma [2 800€ MSRP].
I15 Prisma
The I15 Prisma integrated amplifier [1 750€ MSRP] is a compact, full-featured system control and power center, providing 75 watts of power per channel, digital to analog conversion with PCM 768kHz and DSD 256 capabilities, as well as complete digital media access and system management by way of the Prisma connectivity and control technology. The I15 Prisma continues a Primare tradition of delivering astonishing performance from compact and elegant devices for easy installation into virtually any living environment. “With the three-quarter-sized cabinet of the I15 Prisma, even greater possibilities open up for providing the highest quality music performance and access to any and every room in the house,” says Siemen Algra, Primare Sales.
I35 Prisma and I15 Prisma
All models above include the all new C25 Primare system remote control, are available in Black and Titanium finishes, and are scheduled to ship third quarter of 2017.
海外ニュース速報 [World] 新製品速報
AURALiC The G Series
HighEnd – Munich Germany – 18th May 2017 – In an era of unprecedented technological development throughout the world of high-end audio, AURALiC LIMITED is striking a new path with the introduction of its G Series premium audio components. Built around AURALiC’s foundational Lightning Streaming framework and introducing Lightning Link, an advanced proprietary communications protocol, the G Series family of digital audio devices applies the best of modern materials and engineering for top-of-the-line performance.
2017 will see the release of four G Series products: the ARIES G2 Streaming Transporter, the SIRIUS G2 Upsampling Processor, the VEGA G2 Streaming DAC, and the LEO G2 Femto Reference Clock. “When working together, G Series components become a pioneering sonic network, a uniquely integrated streaming digital audio system fit for the most discriminating music lovers,” says AURALiC President & CEO Xuanqian Wang. “ARIES G2 and VEGA G2 retain elements of the innovative engineering that made their predecessors standouts in their categories, but that’s where the similarities end. Enhanced resources, original approaches to isolation, expanded functionality, and groundbreaking levels of control and communication put the ARIES G2 and the VEGA G2 in a class of their own.”
2017 will see the release of four G Series products: the ARIES G2 Streaming Transporter, the SIRIUS G2 Upsampling Processor, the VEGA G2 Streaming DAC, and the LEO G2 Femto Reference Clock. “When working together, G Series components become a pioneering sonic network, a uniquely integrated streaming digital audio system fit for the most discriminating music lovers,” says AURALiC President & CEO Xuanqian Wang. “ARIES G2 and VEGA G2 retain elements of the innovative engineering that made their predecessors standouts in their categories, but that’s where the similarities end. Enhanced resources, original approaches to isolation, expanded functionality, and groundbreaking levels of control and communication put the ARIES G2 and the VEGA G2 in a class of their own.”
ARIES G2 Streaming Transporter
The ARIES G2 Streaming Transporter wirelessly connects your home audio system to all your diverse sources of digital music, from networked and USB-attached storage to lossless Internet streaming services and Internet radio. Install any 2.5” solid-state or hard drive and the ARIES G2 becomes a fully functional music server in its own right with on-device hosting of your digital library. Feature-rich and lightning fast, the ARIES G2 incorporates cutting-edge galvanic isolation engineering and ultra-clean power control for impeccable care of the digital signals it handles. Dual Femto Clocks and an EMI-shielding chassis machined from a single billet of aluminum are among the features that make the ARIES G2 destined to set a new standard of quality in digital audio streaming.
At its core the ARIES G2 is a device that unites disparate sources of today’s highest resolution music files and delivers that source material to your DAC, reliably and precisely, via output options including AURALiC Lightning Link, High-Speed USB Audio 2.0, AES/EBU, digital coaxial, and TOSLINK. The processor at the heart of the ARIES G2 is 50% faster than the original ARIES Streaming Bridge, with twice the system memory and data storage of its predecessor. That means even easier handling of resolutions up to DSD512 and PCM 32bit/384K, and increased protection against dropouts.
The use of AURALiC’s Lightning Streaming infrastructure lets the ARIES G2 make those connections with your music files possible over your existing Wi-Fi network, and brings with it added features like On-Device Playlists, Memory Caching, Gapless Playback and Bit-Perfect Multi-Room functionality. It’s all controlled via the AURALiC custom iOS app, Lightning DS – or access Lightning setup through the new web interface on any smart device at all. In addition to compatibility with AirPlay, the ARIES G2 is a certified Roon Ready endpoint for seamless integration with Roon software, making it one of the most flexible streamers available in hi-fi.
The ARIES G2 Streaming Transporter retails for $3899 in the US, and €4199/£3899 in Europe (local VAT included) without internal storage. Customers may install any 2.5” solid-state or hard drive or order the ARIES G2 with a pre-installed solid-state drive for on-device music storage.
VEGA G2 Streaming DAC
The VEGA G2 Streaming DAC is a DAC with the power to flawlessly process all of today’s highest-resolution digital music formats, up to DSD512 and PCM in 32bit/384K. But the VEGA G2 is also a fully-functional streamer, capable of connecting directly to your digital music sources. Compared to the original VEGA, the VEGA G2 has a completely re-designed structure, utilizing AURALiC’s Tesla Platform to buffer, process and carefully regulate delivery of the source signal to a customized DAC chip. For the first time in the audio industry, it’s a DAC that operates independently of the source signal’s frequency: VEGA G2 buffers data in such a way that it has no need to lock on to the frequency of its source signal. Never before has a DAC been able to entirely govern timing with its own clocking – in this case those extremely precise Dual 72 Femto Master Clocks. Freed from outside limitations, the VEGA G2 delivers completely jitter-free performance.
At the heart of the VEGA G2 is the AURALiC Tesla Platform, sporting a Quad-Core A9 chip, 1GB DDR3 memory and 4GB of storage for calculation speeds 25 times faster than its predecessor. Add brand-new Galvanic Isolation that permits data transmission between primary circuits that are entirely separated physically and ultra-clean power from Dual Low-Noise Linear Purer-Power units, and it’s clear this DAC strives for an analog signal that’s as pure as it is loyal to the music.
Fully Passive Volume Control is another new feature appearing in the VEGA G2. It’s based on a unique resistor ladder attenuator network built by AURALiC, and draws exactly zero current once it’s set. Zero current equals zero interference, and it’s one more innovation under the hood of the VEGA G2 that reflects an obsessive attention to detail. Together with AURALiC’s ORFEO Class-A Output Module, inspired by classic analog designs, the end result is an incredibly faithful level of musical presentation.
Incorporating AURALiC’s Lightning Streaming technology, the VEGA G2 takes on all the streaming functionality and connectivity of a dedicated streamer. When connected over Ethernet to a home network, all of Lightning Streaming’s features become available. User control is at provided via the AURALiC custom iOS control app Lightning DS, and Lightning Server setup for the VEGA G2 is made easy with universal access to the new web interface from any smartphone, tablet, or computer. The VEGA G2 Streaming DAC is a certified Roon Ready endpoint too, for seamless integration with Roon software.
The VEGA G2 Streaming DAC retails at $5699 in the US, and €6299/£5499 in Europe (local VAT included.)
An Integrated Family of Products
Still to come in the G Series are the SIRIUS G2 Upsampling Processor and the LEO G2 Femto Reference Clock. The SIRIUS G2 is a powerful digital audio processor compatible with most DACs, but its impact is greatest when working in consort with other G Series components like the ARIES G2 and the VEGA G2. The SIRIUS G2’s job is to apply the best technologies available to the most demanding signal processing challenges out there, such as upsampling and room correction. The LEO G2 addresses the complex world of signal timing, and when communicating with other G Series products using Lightning Link it provides the temporal foundation for the industry’s lowest jitter and close-in phase noise performance, literally helping your entire system get in sync for a new level of sound quality.
G Series components are designed not only to provide standout performance individually, but to play vital roles in the most tightly integrated series of components ever offered by AURALiC. The true potential of each piece is met when they are joined using the new AURALiC Lightning Link communications protocol, maximizing the benefits of each component’s technologies and creating the ultimate digital audio system.
The ARIES G2 Streaming Transporter and the VEGA G2 Streaming DAC will be available through the AURALiC dealer network by September 2017. The SIRIUS G2 Upsampling Processor and the LEO G2 Femto Reference Clock are targeted to ship by the end of 2017.
About Lightning Link
Lightning Link is a low-jitter, bi-directional 18Gbps coupling that takes advantage of high-speed HDMI-type hardware connectors to provide a superior level of transmission control, making today’s ultra-high resolution digital music shine like never before.
Different from the other HDMI-based I2S connection, the bi-directional Lightning Link opens the door to jitter-free operation of all the devices in your system connected via Lightning Link. For example, clocking information from destination devices such as the VEGA G2 can drive the ARIES G2 timing for perfect data synchronization. Lightning Link also carries system control data for everything from volume control to processor engine setup, allowing all linked AURALiC devices to appear in a single, unified control interface.
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