LATEST ADDITIONS

Morel's new Octave 6 bookshelf loudspeakers ($2500/pair) employ the kinds of new technologies I believe are leading today's audiophiles into some fresh, open, and I would say newly transparent realms of musical enjoyment. Driven by Hegel H300 amplifiers ($5500), the Morel Octave 6s played with a strength and precision that speakers of even the recent past could not achieve.

I liked the sound of the music in this room. Driven by a Calyx M series music player and a Virtue Audio, "Virtue One" class-T integrated amp ($499), the Well Rounded Sound EXP loudspeakers ($1599/pair) and the WRS SUBST sub ($799) played the joyous hell out a variety of musical selections.

Bryston's latest DAC was on hand, and yes all of those buttons on the front represent the number of input options! In addition to the normal SPDIF, optical and USB inputs are four HDMI inputs for hooking up computer-based, SACD, Blu-ray and other "modern digital sources".

There are four digital inputs on the back including USB and both PCM and DSD files are processed natively before reaching the analog section. In addition to a headphone jack, both balanced and unbalanced outputs are available and the $1,400 HD12 includes a remote control for use as a preamp. Available now.

Though the basic package is still the same, Furutech says it has completely redesigned the insides of the GT40α which now handles 24/192 PCM. The company claims that they've added some "serious shielding" inside to protect noise from getting into the built-in MM/MC phono preamp. There is also a USB output for recording your discs to computer. MSRP is $529 in the US.

The TT ("Table Top") is the new larger sibling to the hand-sized Hugo DAC released last year, which the company says expands connectivity options and improves performance. There are two 1/4 inch headphone jacks on the front panel and a bevy of inputs outputs on the back: SPDIF, USB (up to 32/384 PCM) and optical in, and balanced and unbalanced analog out. DSD64 is available on all inputs and DSD128 via SPDIF or USB. Chord's Rob Watts encourages users to connect with the USB input if possible.

There are two versions of the dsp coming: the dsp for android devices (the red version above) and the i-dsp for iOS stuff (the white version shown below). Both will retail for $69.95 with the i-dsp arriving in a couple months and the dsp here now.