News

Nagra USA: The Kudelski Group has announced that Nagra USA, Inc. has appointed John R. Quick of Tempo Sales & Marketing its national sales manager for the United States. Quick was formerly national sales manager for Aerial Acoustics and has experience in high-end A/V sales, system engineering, project management, and control systems integration.

Nagra's press release on Quick's appointment said that the company's decision to market its product line through its established US subsidiary "is part of a global move by Nagra to get closer to its customers. ... The company believes that working with customers directly through its US subsidiary will improve customer service and allow Nagra to be more responsive to market trends and offer more favorable pricing."

John Quick can be contacted at Tempo Sales & Marketing, PO Box 541443, Waltham, MA 02454. Tel/Fax: (617) 314-9296. Email: High-end.usa@nagra.com.

Peak Consult's Zoltan: Peak Consult has just announced that it will debut the Zoltan floor-standing loudspeaker at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Signals LLC's Chris Sommovigo described the Zoltan as "inspired by and trickled down from the El Diablo project, packing an extraordinary amount of power and resolution into a compact, floor-standing loudspeaker cabinet no larger than The Empress."

Priced at $35,000/pair (ash, oak, rosewood) or $37,000/pair (Italian walnut), the Zoltan employs twin custom-made woofers to reach 20Hz (in-room spec), as well as "tightly-arranged custom midrange and modified Revelator tweeter to create the most lucid, deep, wide soundstage filled with stunning inner detail and three-dimensional imaging." Sommovigo also described the crossover architecture as "exquisite" and is proud that Stereovox silver wire is used throughout.

The Zoltan's world premiere will be in room 1607 at the Alexis Park, January 5–8, 2006.