News

As we enter the week of The Home Entertainment Show (HE2005), you can almost hear the audio industry holding its breath, waiting for the Show's April 28 opening date to announce new products, alliances, and strategies. However, despite the lack of hard news coming across the www.stereophile.com newsdesk this week, we have been receiving almost daily hints concerning the must-hear products and rooms awaiting us at the Hilton New York Hotel.

As long-time fans of the late Douglas Adams' books, we are excited about a free showing of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy at 7:30pm on Saturday, April 30 at the Ziegfield Theater (141 W. 54th St., across the street from the Hilton). Texas Instruments continues its established tradition of free DLP Cinema TM movie screenings with this choice item, and we intend to be seated down front in the center. Tickets will be made available on a first-come, first-seated basis. Pick 'em up in advance at Samsung's room, the Gramercy Suite A.

Sonic Spirits, in partnership with Blue Circle Audio, Focus Audio, and Dodson Audio, will be demonstrating an interesting system in room 1018, consisting of Dodson Audio's DA-218 DAC, Blue Circle's BC3 Galatea mkII tubed preamplifier, Blue Circle's BC202 125Wpc balanced hybrid amplifier, Focus Audio's FS-78SE 10th Anniversary Edition floorstanding loudspeakers, Acoustic Zen interconnects and speaker cables, and Audience's adeptResponse power conditioner and powerChords.

Sonic Solution's Phil Lam also passes on an interesting invitation. Lam is one of the charter members of a new audiophile club, the New York Audio Rave, which holds monthly meetings in members' homes—they also discuss the meetings online at www.audiocircle.com. The NY Audio Rave will throw an informal after-show-hours social hour at 6:30pm on Saturday, April 30 at The Ginger Man at 11 E. 36th St. Fellow audiophiles and over 40 beers on tap. We know where we're going to be if we can't be in the Ziegfield—or, if you're not a Douglas Adams fan, it might make a great Plan A.

We were knocked out by the DeVore Fidelity $14,000/pair Silverback Reference loudspeakers when we heard them at HE2004, so we're eager to listen to 'em again, powered by SimAudio's $9200 250Wpc Moon W-8 power amp, two-chassis $9500 P-8 preamplifier, and two-box $9800 Moon Andromeda CD player. We're sure the sound will be good, but Sim and DVF always pack a bunch of really great music, so we'll probably drop in whenever we overdose on Norah Jones.

One thing that really has us excited is the news that Moscode is back with the hybrid MOSFET/cascode 200Wpc 401HR (for Harvey Rosenberg). We're told to expect big bass and the ability to roll tubes (choices offered include 6H30Pi, 6GU7, 6DJ8, 6922, 6FQ7, 5814, 7730, and 12AU7). The Moscode amplifiers were always fun—and we're big fans of audio fun.

One demo we expect to visit more than once is the Mobile Fidelity/Innersound room, which will be using Mo-Fi's latest classical SACD multichannel audio recordings to feed a multichannel Innersound system featuring all-new electronics and Innersound's hybrid electrostatic loudspeakers. SACD playback will be handled by a Meitner Digital front end. Rumor has it that the Mo-Fi recordings will include some by the audio legend Marc Aubort. You've heard his recordings before, but we're betting none of us have heard them sound like this.

Nor will we miss Ray Kimber's latest IsoMike four-channel recordings, which will feature four (count 'em four) TAD Model One loudpeakers and four Pass Labs stereo X350.5 (one channel for lows and one for highs). Ray will be using his own KS 3038 speaker cables and KS1130 interconnect. Also in the system will be an EMM Labs Switchman III, fed by an EMM Labs DAC8 MkIV converter connected to a Genex 9000 DSD recorder with Ray's KK D-60. Ray is also spanking proud of his new Tascam DV-R1000 DSD disc recorder, which he'll use for "for an occasional two-channel demo." The IsoMike dems are always so good, we save 'em for desert, but you. can go when ever you want—just don't miss 'em.

Speaking of multichannel audio, April Music is following up last year’s introduction of its "ultimate one-box" preamplifier with the debut of a new multichannel preamp/processor that includes a two-channel upsampling D/A converter. The $3995 Stello SP200 can process most popular surround formats, including Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround EX, DTS 5.1, DTS-ES 6.1, MPEG2 Digital Audio, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS NEO6, and MPEG2 AAC. For them what prefers SACD or DVD-A, the SP200 includes a "Direct Analog" eight-input facility that bypasses the processor and D/A converter. There's no video switcher (which April feels negatively affects sonic clarity), but the SP200 features an extensive array of analog and digital inputs and a bypass function for use with outboard preamps. For headphone enthusiasts, the SP200 also includes an audiophile-quality headphone amplifier.

We don't know whether mbl will be demonstrating in two-channel or surround, but we always walk away from the company's demos impressed. Rhapsody Music & Cinema will be putting the German high-end line through its paces, and we'll be there. We know what you're thinking—we can't afford mbl either, but we can dream. Isn't that what the Home Entertainment Show is all about?

Yowsah! Another system that will probably have us buying lottery tickets is the one in the Murray Hill Ballroom, featuring dCS, VTL, Peak Consult, and Stereovox. More specifically, the new dCS 55I CD/SACD player, VTL TL-6.5 preamplifier, VTL S-400 and Siegfried Reference power amps, Peak Consult Empress loudspeakers, Stereovox cables, and Shunyata Research power products. Or maybe we'll hear the Peak Consult Diablo Reference loudspeakers there—we're sure we'll be impressed either way.

Another product we haven't heard yet, but want to, is Continuum's sexy-looking Caliburn turntable with Cobra tonearm. We hear it was designed by rocket scientists, so we'll just cool our jets until the Show starts. And then there's the always impressive BAT/JMlab room and the ever rewarding Manley Labs/Joseph demonstration and....

Come to think of it, it's a good thing the Show lasts three days. We're going to be busy. (We'll be posting stories from the Show Friday through Monday mornings.)