CES 2016

The 2016 CES was the North American Debut of the BSC's L5 Reference multi-chassis remote controlled class A line stage ($15,900).

GTT's Paul Vataj was demonstrating the Kii Audio Model Three speakers ($13,900/pair), designed by class-D expert Bruno Putzeys. This product is amplifier and DAC intensive. Its small cabinet—the size of a 2-way monitor—is stuffed with 6 drivers (1 tweeter, 1 midrange unit, and 4 woofers, two on the front, two on the back), 6 DACs, and 6 channels of NCore amplification.

I first encountered Levinson's new No.526 preamplifier ($15,000) when I visited the Mark Levinson Engineering Facility on September 30, 2015. The company embargoed any mention of the product until CES, so I went over to the Harman exhibit at the Hard Rock Café to take photos and get information. I was greeted by Levinson's Director of Engineering, Todd Eichenbaum (left) and Jim Garrett, Director of Product Development (right). They walked me through the design of the No.526. Jim presented the inner circuitry as a layer cake, with identical digital control board and DAC digital boards to those in the No.585 Integrated amplifier that I had reviewed in December 2015.

The Pandora is a tube-based DAC with one USB and three SPDIF inputs, which also forms the basis for the Romulus CD player that I reviewed favorably a couple years back. Aesthetix has now updated both products with what they call Eclipse upgrades, which include StealthCap capacitors, improved chassis damping and isolation, and upgraded grounding design in the power supply. The Pandora DAC is now $12,000 with the Eclipse updates.

Pictured here is the tiny, almost pocket-sized digital recorder from NAGRA, the Seven 2 channel Digital Recorder, which lists for $4999 in the US. The Seven can record PCM files up to 192 kHz and has been designed as the successor to the Nagra LB, ARES-C, ARES-BB+ and Nagra V recorders. It has one digital input and two analog inputs equipped with traditional Nagra microphone preamplifiers which include phantom +48V microphones for condenser mics.

First shown at Rocky Mountain in October, the soulution 760 DAC was again on hand and is now expected to ship at the end of January for startling $72,000. I say startling not only because this is pre-owned Aston Martin DB-9 territory but also because soulution tends to go with a minimilist esthetic with their casework. So the focus is on what's inside, not the fancy metal.