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Antipodes K50: $19,000

The made-in-New Zealand K50 works with Roon as both server and player, Roon as a server with Squeezelite or HQ Player as the player, or Squeeze as a server and Squeezelite as the player. It offers Ethernet, USB, I2S, AES3, and S/PDIF outputs, though the manufacturer doesn’t recommend using USB. JVS found that the Squeeze server and Squeezelite apps were not as user-friendly as Roon, but using them to transmit the audio data via single AES3 to the dCS Rossini DAC “delivered the most transparent, detailed, color-…

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Bel Canto E1X-DAC: $6800

The Roon Ready e1X DAC/Control Preamplifier offers AES3, coaxial and optical S/PDIF, digital inputs, and USB and UPnP/DLNA-compatible Ethernet ports. (The USB and Ethernet ports support MQA-encoded data and DSD data in the DoP format.) There are also line-level and MC/MM phono analog inputs, these converted to digital so that they can be adjusted with the DSP-domain Tilt, Bass EQ, and volume controls. The e1X features line outputs, a headphone output—the Tilt and BassEQ controls are not operative with this output—and a…

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Audio Research Reference 6SE: $22,500

An updated version of the discontinued Ref 6, with changes in capacitors and wiring, the fully balanced, tubed ‘6SE impressed JVS, who noted that when he installed the Ref 6SE in his system, his speakers “poured forth some of the most polished, transparent, and arresting sound” he’d heard from his system. Longer-term listening, however, indicated that the Audio Research preamplifier was sensitive to setup issues. Once he had optimized everything else in his system—cables, footers, stands, AC supply—JVS could…

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Accuphase A-300 monoblock: $49,950/pair

“The more I listened to the A-300 monoblocks, the more I wanted to listen,” wrote JVS about his time with a pair of these powerful amplifiers. (It is specified as delivering 125W into 8 ohms, 250W into 4 ohms, 500W into 2 ohms, and 1000W into 1 ohm.) The MOSFET output operates in class-A up to 125W into 8 ohms, 62.5W into 4 ohms, and 31.25W into 2 ohms. The A-300 has both balanced and unbalanced inputs; the gain and XLR polarity can be adjusted; and an operation-mode switch facilitates bridging…

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ampsandsound Bigger Ben: $5600

This single-input, single-ended, triode-wired, no-negative-feedback tube amplifier drives both loudspeakers and headphones. It offers approximately 8Wpc into 8 ohms and 5Wpc into 32 ohms (when equipped with a solid state rectifier and KT88 output tubes). With 6L6GC output tubes, when it maxes out at 3Wpc, the Bigger Ben powered Zu Soul Supreme speakers “to greater levels of transient and timbral exactitude … than most any other amp I’ve tried,” wrote HR. With DeVore Orangutan O/93s, HR found the…

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Audiovector R8 Arreté: $76,500/pair

Optional grounding cable adds $3850. (Vol.44 No.9 WWW)

Bang & Olufsen Beolab 90: $150,000/pair ★

(Vol.40 No.1 WWW)

Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature: $55,000/pair

(Vol.47 No.3 WWW)

Dutch & Dutch 8c: $14,950/pair (stands necessary) ★

(Vol.42 No.8, Vol.43 No.4 WWW)

Dynaudio Confidence 30: $24,000/pair

(Vol.44 No.8 WWW)

EgglestonWorks Viginti: $46,998/pair ★

(Vol.41 No.6 WWW)

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JL Audio CR-1: $3500

The CR-1 crossover has continuously variable high- and low-pass filters built around two banks of precision Linkwitz-Riley filters that can be set for 12 or 24dB/octave via. Front panel switch. Upon encountering the CR-1, LG "wondered where it had been all [his] life;" he's been using it ever since. "It's beautifully made, sonically transparent, performs a critical role in the optimal setup of subwoofrs, and has ergonomic bypass and mute functions that let you immediately hear the sonic iprovements of good bass…

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ampsandsound Bigger Ben: $5600

See “Integrated Amplifiers.”

Audeze LCD-5: $4500 ($22,950 with headphone amplifier)

The open-back LCD-5 is the successor to Audeze’s well-regarded LCD-4 and, like its predecessor, uses planar-magnetic drive units, which feature proprietary, single-sided Fluxor neodymium N50 magnet arrays and a voice-coil concept called Parallel Uniforce. The idea is to vary the width of the conductor to match, or counter, variations in the magnetic flux to achieve uniform force across the…

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Dynaudio Focus 10: $5500/pair (stands necessary)

Class A rating is as a Complete Audio System; class B (Restricted LF) as a regular loudspeaker. See Loudspeaker Systems. (Vol.46 Nos.2 & 11 WWW)

JBL 4329P: $4500/pair (stands necessary)

Class A rating is as a Complete Audio System; class B (Restricted LF) as a regular loudspeaker. See Loudspeaker Systems. (Vol.46 No.10 WWW)

Klipsch The Nines: $1499/pair (stands necessary) $$$

Class A rating is as a Complete Audio System; class B (Restricted LF) as a…

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Merging+Hapi MkII: $8411 with 2 DA8P D/A cards

See Digital Processors. (Vol.47 No.1 WWW)

StormAudio ISP Evo immersive sound preamp/processor: $18,999–$22,999 depending on channel count and digital format

See Digital Processors. (Vol.47 No.3 WWW)

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Arvus H2-4D multichannel Dolby ATMOS® digital processor: $4990

The H2-4D combines HDMI and word clock inputs with 16-channel digital (AES3), balanced analog, and LAN outputs. It decodes and renders all extant varieties of Dolby (…