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CES 2016

soulution 760 DAC/Network Player

Jon Iverson Jan 14, 2016

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.

CES 2016

Prism Sound Callia DAC

Jon Iverson Jan 14, 2016

Making good on the prototype that Great Britain's Prism was showing last year, the new Callia DAC will finally be released for retail this month at $1,895. It will handle 32/394 PCM and double DSD via USB, optical and SPDIF inputs on back. There will be both balanced and unbalanced audio outputs with digital volume control along with low-impedance headphone output with sensitivity adjustments on the back panel.

CES 2016

Nagra Seven Digital Recorder and Classic DAC

Jon Iverson Jan 14, 2016

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.

CES 2016

Questyle QP1R Digital Audio Player

Jon Iverson Jan 14, 2016

Questyle's Bruce Ball was on hand to demo the R or Reference version of their player that John Atkinson just reviewed for Stereophile. You can check the review for details, but here are the basics: the QP1R is available now for $899 and essentially offers more internal memory and higher quality components than the regular QP1 ($599). Check out the photo below of all the parts inside the new player. Gorgeous!

CES 2016

Aesthetix Pandora Tube DAC Now With Eclipse Updates

Jon Iverson Jan 14, 2016

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.

CES 2016

Esoteric N-05 Network Player/DAC

Jon Iverson Jan 14, 2016

Though there was scant information, here's a photo of the planned new network player from Esoteric, protected by a plastic box. I was told to ignore the back panel so don't know what connectivity is planned, and in another room, a rep suggested that this prototype is actually one of their products with a one-off front panel attached. Supposed to be here this summer when all gets sorted out.

CES 2016

Mark Levinson Introduces the No.526 Preamplifier

Larry Greenhill Jan 14, 2016

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.

CES 2016

Audio Research's New Products

Larry Greenhill Jan 14, 2016

Audio Research's Director of Marketing, Brandon Lauer, gave me a tour of the company's new value-oriented components, including the $16,000 GSi75 tubed amplifier rated at 75Wpc; $14,000 Reference Preamplifier 6; and the Reference Phono Preamplifier 3. Audio Research has replaced the KT-120 output tubes in all their amplifiers, including the GSi75, with the Sovtek KT-150 because of its superior reliability and longevity.

CES 2016

The Kii Audio Model Three Speaker

Larry Greenhill Jan 14, 2016

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 cabinetthe size of a 2-way monitoris 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.

CES 2016

GTT Introduces the Mola-Mola Makua Linestage

Larry Greenhill Jan 14, 2016

GTT Audio has taken over the US distribution of Bruno Putzey's Mola Mola line and was showing the new, completely optioned Makua linestage. Checking all the boxes when ordering this $11,740 components adds a $2900 phono section, a $6600 DAC, or a $1890 DAC. The Makua can be controlled by the MolaMola App, shown here running on a Samsung tablet.