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Onkyo Adds C-30 CD Player to Icon Series

Onkyo has introduced the C-30 CD player, the latest addition to its Icon Series of hi-fi components.

The player features Onkyo’s proprietary Vector Linear Shaping Circuit (VLSC), designed to remove pulse noise from the signal path. A 24-bit/192kHz DAC handles digital-to-analog conversion, and the company specifies a signal-to-noise ratio of 107dB. The C-30 also includes a ±10PPM clock intended to improve timing accuracy.

Connectivity options include RCA, coaxial digital, and optical outputs. Supported formats include standard CDs, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3, and WMA.

The C-30 joins…

Aaudio Imports

I hadn't come across the distributor Aaudio Imports for a time—I learned they had moved from Colorado, to California—so it was interesting to see what was new in their world. In a rather large room, Laguna 1, the speakers were striking, even unusual looking. They are from AudioNec, a French brand that Aaudio recently began importing.

The AudioNec Evo 2 speakers ($54,000/pair) are modular, with a wideband array dubbed DuoPole (a dipole variant) that's said to cover 400Hz–10kHz. A supertweeter (10kHz–30kHz) with a ring radiator was positioned above the DuoPole within the same metal…

AudioQuest Introduces Brave Heart Speaker Cable with ZERO-Tech

AudioQuest has announced Brave Heart, a new ZERO-Tech speaker cable positioned below its Mythical series in price but incorporating many of the same materials and design principles.

Brave Heart features a large-diameter construction measuring a mere 0.6mm smaller than the Mythical cables, and includes approximately one-third more Perfect-Surface Copper+ conductor material than prior models in its class. According to the company, the cable’s size and dual-round geometry—separating positive and negative conductors—contribute to improved damping factor over distance and a more stable…

Kimber Kable Carbon Series speaker cable and interconnect, PK10 Palladian power cable Associated Equipment

Sidebar: Associated Equipment

Analog sources: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Keel chassis, Karousel main bearing, Radikal motor control, Naim ARO tonearm, and Lyra Delos cartridge.
Digital sources: Naim UnitiCore network server and S/PDIF source; Roon Nucleus +; Naim ND555 Streamer-DAC with dual 555PS(DR) power supplies.
Phono preamplifier: Naim SuperLine-SuperCap DR.
Preamplifier: Townshend Allegri Reference.
Power amplifier: Naim NAP 250 (2023/4 series).
Loudspeakers: BBC LS3/5a 15 ohm (Marshall), FinkTeam KIM, Wilson Audio Specialties The WATT/Puppy.
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