LATEST ADDITIONS

CES 2007
Sound Electric's Woodie
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 12, 2007  |  1 comments
At CES 2006, Jon Iverson and I were impressed by Studio Electric's $8500 Type One modules, even though the mating $3500 XLR woofer modules weren't operating. This year Studio Electric was showing off a pair of the $15,500/pair Type Two towers, which were pure art deco chromed metal work.
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CES 2007
Single-Ended Ecstasy
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 12, 2007  |  1 comments
We were once again impressed by how un-hi-fi the sound in the deHavilland room was, this time in conjunction with a pair of Tannoy Prestiges. The $10,000/pair 50W deHavilland GM-70 single-ended triode is pure class-A, with zero negative feedback. The GM-70's directly-heated triode vacuum tube is said to be the largest output triode available today. We found the sound sweet, but surprisingly detailed and dynamic. Fit'n'finish were superb.
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CES 2007
Behold!
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 12, 2007  |  1 comments
Behold bills itself as "true digital audio" since it maintains audio as a digital signal up to the amplifier stage. The 600Wpc BPA768 (US price TBD) incorporates 768kHz/24-bit signal processing, a switch-mode power supply, an analog output stage, and an integrated power conditioner.
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CES 2007
Most Enthusiastic Demo of T.H.E. Show
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 12, 2007  |  4 comments
TBI's Jan Plummer is so proud and punched up about his $400/pair Majestic Diamond 1 single driver loudspeakers that he seems to shimmer—as if he's transporting between this plane of existence and another one.
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CES 2007
ModWright On!
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 12, 2007  |  1 comments
After admiring the Redpoint Model A's blueness, we turned our beady gaze to ModWright's blue $3995 LS-36.5 line stage preamplifier. It employs 6H30 tubes, with a 5AR4 tube rectifier. "We've added a phase inversion switch and balanced inputs and outputs," distributor Frank L. Kraus said.
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CES 2007
Blue Redpoint
CES 2007  |  Jan 12, 2007  |  1 comments
Redpoint's Peter Clark says, "Your heart doesn't beat in ones and zeroes—it's analog." That's why he builds turntables, 'tables machined from solid billets of aircraft aluminum and configures the platter, motor, and tonearm platforms on separate support pods on a common platform.
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CES 2007
Some Things You Can Just Count On
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 12, 2007  |  3 comments
Many of the best-sounding rooms at the show employed Ayre's $16,500/pair 300W MX-R monoblock amplifiers. Yes, they look small enough to be class-D amplifiers, but they're pure analog. How'd they do it? The entire enclosure is the heatsink and Ayre's Charlie Hansen designed a special low-rise transformer, used in pairs, to keep the chassis so compact.
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CES 2007
Shiny—As In New
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 12, 2007  |  1 comments
Anthony Gallo has long had a reputation for wresting top dollar performance from small packages, but we've always wondered if he secretly hankered to go big. Anthony Gallo Acoustics' $15,000/pair Reference 5LS certainly answered that question.
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CES 2007
Baby Pictures
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 12, 2007  |  1 comments
The 150Wpc Boulder 865 integrated amplifier (approximately $10,000) is only four days old, so we tiptoed into the room in order not to wake it up. Richard Maez (seen here at the back of the photo) was elated that the 865 had actually made it to the show, but he was even happier to run down the details.
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CES 2007
World First Ambidextrous Remote
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 12, 2007  |  1 comments
"Check this out!" Boulder's Richard Maez palmed the remote that accompanies Boulder's 865 integrated amp and 810 preamplifier. "It really fits in your hand—and unlike most remotes, it fits whether you're using your right or your left hand."
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