Wow!, I thought. This WiSA thing is the future of home…
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Flashback: It was 2012—or maybe '13. I was in a small hotel room in midtown Manhattan. An array of five chunky black speakers teetering on tripod mounts almost filled the room. Every corner held a subwoofer, each with a tiny, unmarked box on top. On the coffee table sat an AVR, a disc player, and another, similar unmarked box connected to the AVR. No cables linked the coffee table stuff to the (powered) speakers and subs. But music was playing! In 5.1 at 24/96 with very low latency and absolute synchronization among the speakers.
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Before beginning any measurements, I powered up the WiSA transmitter/hub, installed the SA Cockpit app on my iPad mini, connected the app to the hub via my Wi-Fi network, paired the hub with one of the speakers, and connected my MacBook Pro's USB port to the hub. Apple's AudioMIDI utility revealed that the USB port accepts 16- and 24-bit integer data sampled at all rates from 44.1kHz to 192kHz. The USB Prober app identified the WiSA hub as "Stereo Hub HT" from "Hansong (Nanjing)" and indicated that the USB port operated in the isochronous adaptive mode…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Floorstanding, active, wireless four-way loudspeaker. Frequency response: 20Hz–25kHz ±1.5dB. Drive units: two 5.5" 15/6 Legend glass-fiber diaphragm woofers, one 5.5" Legend 15/4 glass-fiber diaphragm midrange unit, and one 25mm Legend DXT soft-dome tweeter. Crossover frequencies: 200Hz, 2.8kHz. Analog input: balanced (XLR). Wireless input: WiSA HT. Power: 300W, four channels. Standby power consumption: 2W.
Dimensions: 7.5" (190mm) W × 36.6" (930mm) H × 10.4" (265mm) D; 12.2" (310mm) W × 37.6" (955mm) H × 11" (280mm) D with grille, base, and feet…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Streaming D/A processor. Inputs: Ethernet, asynchronous USB-B, two S/PDIF on RCA, two optical S/PDIF on TosLink, AES3 on XLR, HDMI-eARC, McIntosh MCT HD. Outputs: One pair each line-level XLR balanced, RCA unbalanced. DAC chip: ESS ES9028PRO. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, ±0.5dB; 5Hz–60kHz, +0.5/–3dB. THD: 0.005%. S/N ratio (A-weighted): 100dB. Dynamic range: 100dB. Output impedance: 100 ohms, balanced and single-ended. Fixed output level 2.0V RMS single-ended, 4.0V RMS balanced. Adjustable output level 0–8V RMS single-ended and 0–16V RMS balanced…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I performed a full set of measurements on the McIntosh DS200 using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system then repeated some of the tests with the magazine's higher-resolution APx555 analyzer. The coaxial S/PDIF, optical TosLink, and AES3 inputs all accepted data sampled at rates up to 192kHz. Apple's AudioMIDI utility revealed that the USB port accepted 16- and 24-bit integer data sampled at all rates from 44.1kHz to 768kHz. The USB Prober app identified the DS200 as "MSA5500" from "McIntosh" and indicated that the USB port operated in the optimal isochronous…
Efficient and focused like the brand he represents, Technics business and development manager Bill Voss arrived in Hasbrouck Heights with a full array of Technics offerings including the direct-drive Technics SL-1210GME Master Edition turntable in a world debut ($TBA) and the recently released SL-50C compact turntable ($899).
The SL-50C compact turntable.
Available in limited quantities, the SL-1210GME Master Edition turntable (bundled at T.H.E. Show with a Nagaoka MP-700 cartridge) includes a new twin-rotor, coreless direct-drive motor for stable rotation; a ΔΣ-Drive (…
The first thing to know about T.H.E. New York International Audio Show is that it’s not in New York. The inaugural event was held Oct 24–Oct 26, 2025 at the Hilton Hasbrouck Heights, a New York bedroom community accessible from Manhattan by train, taxi, Uber, rental, or personal vehicle. There were no directions shown on T.H.E. Show’s website—though that's hardly a problem in the Google Maps era.
T.H.E. Show was slow to complete the website for this show; locating the online press portal was a challenge. At the event itself, signage was subpar: Demo rooms were somewhat scattered, some…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: Custom Intel/Win11 music server running JRiver Media Center v34, Roon 2 and DiracLive-ART, Merging Devices Hapi MkII DAC. QNAP TVS-873 NAS. Oppo Digital UDP-103 universal disc player.
Power amplifiers: Benchmark AHB2 (3).
Loudspeakers: KEF Blade 2 Meta with IsoAcoustics GAIA II feet (3). KEF LS60 (2); KEF KC92 (2) and SVS SB 2000 Pro subwoofers.
Cables: Digital: Mogami Gold AES TD DB25-XLR0 snake. Analog interconnects: Mogami Gold AES TD DB25-XLR snake, in-wall analog and digital wiring per AES72 via CAT6 and Thomann the sssnake…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: dCS Bartók APEX streaming DAC, Oppo UDP-203 universal disc player.
Preamplifier: Benchmark LA4.
Power amplifier: Benchmark AHB2.
Integrated amplifier: McIntosh MA6500.
Loudspeakers: Bowers & Wilkins 808, Amphion One18.
Accessories: Butcherblock Acoustics equipment rack, various cables and connectors made by Belden, Canare, Mogami, Switchcraft, ITT-Cannon, Neutrik.—Tom Fine