CES 2013

There’s good news for audiophiles who miss the distinctive sound of Edge electronics. They’re back, albeit under another name, with designs updated and prices significantly lower.

Perfected over a period of 20 years by Tom Maker, with the support of his wife Deborah, the designs became the property of the company’s new owners when Maker sold it in 2008. Once the new owners filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April, 2011, rights to the designs returned to Maker. By substituting a laser-cut 304 stainless-steel chassis for machined aluminum, he has managed to significantly lower prices, and incorporate new, more efficient transformers and line filters that output more power for much, much less.

On display were two of Maker’s laser-biased amplifiers. The Maker Audio G9 ($4500) is a single-chassis, 68 lb design with 1.25kVA transformers that outputs 225Wpc into 8 ohm; the Maker Audio NL14+ ($12,500/pair) is a two-chassis, 112 lb, laser-biased monoblock with four 1.25kVA transformers that output 325Wpc into 8 ohms. Both are made in the USA. In the old days, the NL14+ was known as the Edge Signature 1.1, and had a retail price of $57,000. See what I mean about significant savings?