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The 150Wpc C 375BEE (1399) uses technology found in NAD’s M3 Master Series amplifier and benefits from the company’s “Building Block” design, allowing for the addition of the PP375 phono stage (250) and other affordable options.
Designed to be the heart of a small and stylish music system, NAD’s smart-looking Viso Three is a 50Wpc CD-receiver with USB input, 30 AM/FM station presets, and iPod dock with remote function and song display.
Octave Audio’s pretty RE 290 power amplifier (6900) offers 90 or 130Wpc, depending on which power tubes are selected. A rear-panel switch makes the choice simple, and invites tube-swapping.
The ground floor halls of the M.O.C. contained booths with both static and live demos to resemble something like CES’s Las Vegas Convention Center, but were only infinitely more pleasant, more manageable, better coordinated, and more attractive.
The alleys between booths were given street names such as Joe Cocker Street, seen above.
There was also Dave Brubeck Road, Charlie Parker Way, Benny Goodman Strasse, Via Antonio Vivaldi….
To get to the second floor Atriums, we took one of several easily navigable staircases—incredibly, throughout the entire Munich…
Boston Acoustic’ new A 25 ($300/pair) is housed in an attractive, high-gloss cabinet, uses a 1” tweeter and 5.25” ceramic/glass fiber polymer mid-woofer, and was designed with the help of Karl-Heinz Fink, Kieron Dunk, and Ken Ishiwata—a formidable team.
A review sample has arrived at Stereophile HQ, and I’m looking forward to listening.
Respected designer Ken Ishiwata stands beside the new top-of-the-line A-Series loudspeaker from Boston Acoustics. The speaker’s central drive units are completely suspended from the cabinet for isolation of all vibrations. The system we heard included the Marantz SA-7S1 SACD player, SC-7S2 preamplifier, MA-9S2 power amplifier, and Charismatech cables, all at least partially voiced and designed by Ishiwata for optimum synergy.
“We take a ‘whole system approach,’” Ishiwata said.
“The soundstage is very important,” he continued. “Other aspects of performance are matters of preference…
A look at the complete Marantz/Boston Acoustics system. Toe-in was pretty extreme, helping to create a well-focused and stable soundstage. Listening to this system, it was easy to completely forget about the components and be carried away by the music.
Bergmann’s Magne turntable partnered with large and lovely Impresario loudspeakers, Stage III Concepts cables, and a suite of components from Ypsilon, including the PST100 line preamplifier, reviewed by Mikey Fremer in our July issue. The system matched physicality, drama, dynamics, and scale with delicacy and grace.
Musical Surroundings’ Garth Leerer explained that the success of his company has hinged upon his ability to find and work with great designers. Often these relationships grow naturally over time and depend on the perfect alignment of certain circumstances, as was the case when Northern California designer Michael Yee needed someone to market his Phonomena phono stage: It was too inexpensive for one distributor, too expensive for another, but just right for Leerer; and, so, a long relationship was born.
In the case of the Fosgate Signature phono stage ($2500), Jim Fosgate had been…
Musical Surroundings’ ARCMaster will help you install just about any tonearm in the world. Garth Leerer explained it to me, and, though I didn’t understand a single thing he said, he still somehow managed to make it sound simple.