Sound
Bel Canto is best known for single-ended-triode tube electronics (including the SETi40, a Sam Tellig fave), and despite the fact that there are no thermionic tubes to be found anywhere in the DAC 1, this heritage was apparent in the sound. "Smooth," "musical," "non-fatiguing," and, yes, "analog-like" were some of the descriptors that came to mind. I know that some audiophiles are still inclined to characterize CD playback as harsh, edgy, and clinical, and I've certainly heard these sorts of sounds from digital front-ends in the past—but I don't see how any fair-minded person can…
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Thursday, December 1, 6–9pm: Audioville (4340 Rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, Quebec, Canada) will host a Digital Music Seminar. Guests will learn about the components, applications, and peripherals needed to successfully use a computer as a high-performance media player. AudioQuest's Steve Silberman and Frédéric Pinsonneault will be on hand to answer questions, share new products, and play great music. Featured gear will include the award-winning DragonFly Black and Red USB DACs, JitterBug USB filter, Niagara Noise-Dissipation Systems, and the new AudioQuest NightOwl headphones (above). For more…
As I continue work on a follow-up review of the Next-Gen Power Supply Upgrade to the Innuos Statement music server and streamer ($21,700), Innuos has released its new Pulsar Network music player + USB reclocker ($6899). A stripped-down version of the flagship Statement, the Pulsar lacks both a ripper and internal storage. What it boasts instead is over 130,000µF of Mundorf capacitors, a large high-end inductor, and an audio-grade, 300VA toroidal transformer. The Pulsar favors its optimized USB output with reclocking over its non-dedicated USB, and lacks S/PDIF and AES/EBU outputs.
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MSB Technology S500 Stereo Amplifier, Reference DAC, and Reference Transport with Magico M2 Speakers
A visit to the MSB Technology room yielded a formidable debut, the company's new S500 stereo amplifier, which delivers 500W of power with apparent ease and efficiency, demonstrated with the mighty Magico M2 loudspeaker ($63,600/pair with required MPod bases), which was featured in the February 2020 Stereophile.
The hybrid class-AB amp uses zero negative feedback—which, according to MSB, might not have been achieved before at 500W. It boasts a million microfarads (or one farad) of capacitance in the power supply and a 136dB dynamic range for an extraordinarily low noise floor.
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Angie Lisi of American Sound Distribution exhibited several systems in multiple spaces. Room 1620 showcased gear from Grimm Audio, Wadax, Analog Relax, Avantgarde, Phasemation, and Rethm; Room 1642 offered a more compact setup focused on the latter three brands.
System One featured a Grimm MU2 streamer ($18,000) and a Perpetuum Ebner PE 1010 MKII turntable ($3495) equipped with an Ortofon 2M Red Verso cartridge ($160). These front-end sources fed Avantgarde’s fully active ZERO iTRON horn-loaded loudspeakers ($26,000/pair). The iTRON’s bass drivers are powered by a 500W Class D…
So many music servers and related products appeared at the 2011 CES, that we can now sort them into various sub-categories depending on what is included in the box.
Below is a list of new or upgraded products that caught my eye at the show.
Optimized Music Computers
These are hot-rodded off-the-shelf computers and software packages from Amarra and Pure Music to help you set up your own computer as a high quality server. Couple that with all of those USB DACs now appearing (see below) and a stack of hard drives and you're set:
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Room 525: Sometimes now, when I am walking room to room wearing my Stereophile badge, I feel a lot like "Babe in BoyToy Land"—that felt especially true in the DEQX room. I am listening to a pair of Magnepan MG1.7 loudspeakers powered by a Plinius amp (I am friendly and experienced with both of those products and can imagine what they should sound like together in a normal room), together with JL subs below 160Hz. But wait, what I am really experiencing is the result of the DEQX PreMate+ and HDP-5's digital "witches' brew" of loudspeaker/room calibrations and corrections. DEQX's latest preamp/…
AXPONA Chicago 2016 was, by all accounts, a success. JD Events, who stage the show, report that they sold 5934 tickets, a 16% increase over 2015. Correspondingly, 2015's unique-visitor count of 3626 increased by over 400 to 4,092.
On Sunday, the show's experimental Student Day program, which offered a $5 rate for most college students and free admission for students from two partner colleges, drew 137 attendees. This, it should be added, was on a rare day with high temperatures and skies perfect for sunning on the shores of Lake Michigan. Given a choice between the reportedly popular all…
Editors' Choices of 2014
ATC Loudspeaker Technology SCM19 loudspeaker ($4299/pair)
"In addition to the musical and technical virtues of a competently executed sealed-box design, ATC's SCM19 two-way monitor (reviewed in June 2014, Vol.37 No.6) is big enough to make a major sonic impact in most listening rooms of reasonable size, and small enough not to trip over its own feet. Low distortion, zero fatigue, great looks, fair price. WNTL?"—John Marks
Audeze LCD-X headphones ($1699), VPI Industries Classic Direct turntable ($30,000), DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93…
MSB Platinum DAC: Manufacturer's Comment
Editor: We at MSB Technology have been producing DACs for over 15 years, and frankly were disappointed at the lack of attention paid to the totally unique character of this DAC. This is the first DAC produced by MSB that is an original discrete design. This means that it does not use any commercial DAC chip internally. We designed and produced a novel DAC design with discrete parts, whose performance is unlike any DAC ever measured or listened to by Stereophile.
Many years ago, all DACs were ladder DACs. Then came a new design: the single-…