“We are reaffirming our status as a luxury pioneer in audio with this new launch. We invite listeners to experience sound with…
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Devialet has launched Phantom Ultimate, a two-model update to its spherical wireless speaker line introduced in 2015. The collection comprises the flagship Phantom Ultimate 108dB at $3800 and the Phantom Ultimate 98dB at $1900, in Light Pearl and Deep Forest finishes, plus an Opéra de Paris edition with 22-karat gold detailing. Devialet says the 98dB is available now; the 108dB is open for preorders through Devialet stores, premium dealers, and online.
TEAC announced the PD-507T, a next-generation CD transport for its Reference 500 Series, positioned as a digital-only companion for external DACs, including TEAC’s UD-507. The company says it employs an in-house, high-quality CD mechanism and focuses on “pristine digital output” rather than onboard D/A conversion. Availability is slated for Q4 2025. MSRP: $1699.99 (USA), €1299 (EU), £1299 (UK).
At the core is TEAC’s CD-5020A transport, long used in broadcast applications, combined with a semi-floating mounting structure and a dedicated drive circuit. TEAC states that this pairing yields…
Spotify began rolling out lossless audio to Premium subscribers September 10, delivering streams up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC format. The feature arrives in select markets first, with broader availability expected through October.
The streaming service will notify Premium subscribers when lossless becomes available in their region.
The initial rollout includes Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the United States, and the United Kingdom, with expansion to more than 50 markets planned.
"We've taken time to build this…
HEOS, the multiroom audio platform used by Denon, Marantz, and Classé, is adopting a new identity: “Powered by HEOS.” The rebranding accompanies a redesigned app interface and expanded platform capabilities, marking a decade since the platform's 2014 launch.
The platform now powers more than 5 million products across more than 50 Denon, Marantz, and Classé models.
"HEOS isn't a closed ecosystem. It is the wireless engine inside products by brands people already know and trust," the companies stated in their announcement. The name change aims to clarify that HEOS functions as a…
Monarch Systems Ltd., B.audio’s distributor for the U.S. and Canada, announced an optional phono stage module from the French manufacturer. The add-in board adds a turntable input to select B.audio components.
B.audio says the module lets users connect a turntable directly to the Alpha One integrated amplifier or to the company’s DAC-preamplifiers, eliminating the need for a separate phono preamp.
According to B.audio, the design uses a low-noise input stage with matched transistors and two-stage passive RIAA equalization.
The module supports both moving-magnet (MM) and…
Power Amplifiers:
A (SOLID STATE):
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 and…
Phono Preamps/Moving-Coil Step-up Devices:
A+:
CH Precision P1 Phono Stage: from $31,000. As reviewed, $48,500 ★
Built with a sleek aluminum-alloy case with no screws visible on any of its surfaces, the Swiss-made CH Precision P1 is no less sophisticated inside. This solid state phono preamplifier offers multiple inputs, two of which address current-amplification circuits—an approach that, according to MF, produces “the best signal/noise ratios” and does not require cartridge loading to achieve flat response. For use with its voltage-amplification inputs, the P1 offers a menu-…
Phono Cartridges:
A:
Aidas AG-CU series Malachite Silver: $7025
Aidas CU-series Durawood: $5700
These hand-built, low-output moving coil cartridges from Lithuania use the same basic generator, boron cantilever, AlNiCo5 magnet, and nude MicroLine stylus, but differ in the wire used to wind the coils and the material used for the cartridge body. The Durawood uses copper wire and a body made from multilayered wood; the Malachite uses silver-plated copper wire and a heavier, green, Tru-Stone body. The first thing that struck MT about the Durawood was how quietly this cartridge…
Preamplifiers:
A:
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 systemcables, footers, stands, AC supplyJVS could report that…