Jon Iverson

Sort By: Post Date | Title | Publish Date
Ayre Codex Preamp/DAC/Headphone Amp
CES 2015
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 16, 2015  |  1 comments
Ayre has been getting major exposure for their work with Pono, but have also been working on their own breakthrough device which grew out of that project, the Codex. Due to hit retailers in March for $1,500, inside will be an ESS Sabre ES9018 DAC chip that will handle PCM up to 32/384 and DSD128.
Continue Reading >
Ayre DX-5 Universal Player
CES 2010
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2010  |  First Published: Jan 08, 2010  |  33 comments
Here's Ayre's Steve Silberman holding the new DX-5 universal player that can handle not only SACD, CD and DVD-Audio, but also DVD and Blu-ray discs. Think of it as an Oppo BDP-83 on super steroids. In fact the company starts with an Oppo drive and MPEG processor and throws everything else out, adding in a new power supply and all the important digital bits. Wrapped up in a beautifully machined package and retailing somewhere around $10,000, pre-orders begin next week, and deliveries should happen sometime in the first half of February.
Continue Reading >
Ayre QA-9 ADC
CES 2012
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 11, 2012  |  1 comments
First shown at RMAF last year and making its CES debut, the QA-9 is intended for audiophiles wishing to transfer their LPs and other analog sources to hard drive. It features two XLR left and right inputs that can run both balanced and unbalanced and has only a single USB output (up to 24/192) to your computer.

The QA-9 should be shipping in late February or early March at $3,950. An optional Word Clock Input Board upgrade is $800 and will allow the QA-9 to be synced to a master clock in a recording studio environment.

Ariel Brown (Ayre's senior engineer) also hinted at a new DAC at some point that would include both USB and SPDIF inputs.

Continue Reading >
Ayre QB-9 DAC and QA-9 ADC Adds DSD
CES 2014
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 15, 2014  |  3 comments
This year has seen Ayre add DSD capability to both the QB-9 DAC ($3250) and QA-9 ADC ($3950). Older QB-9s can be upgraded for $500 (makes everything sound better they say), and the QA-9 gets a free firmware update.
Continue Reading >
Ayre's QB-9 USB DAC Revealed
CES 2009
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 10, 2009  |  24 comments
Saturday morning Ayre held a press conference at the top of the Venetian to reveal their latest products, which include a new USB DAC, the QB-9.
Continue Reading >
B&W Redefines Its State of the Art
News
Jon Iverson  |  Jul 01, 2001  |  0 comments
In 1991, British loudspeaker manufacturer B&W celebrated its 25th birthday with the introduction of the John Bowers Silver Signature loudspeaker (see review). Not the largest or most expensive speaker on the company chart, the John Bowers Silver Signature, named after the company's late founder, still prompted John Atkinson to write that its performance was the best he'd heard for its modest size in his listening room.
Continue Reading >
B.M.C. Audio PureDAC Digital-to-Analog Converter
CES 2013
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 12, 2013  |  1 comments
In an age of rectangular components, adding a large round object to your product is a way to set it apart. Witness the Dan D'Agostino amplifier gracing this month's Stereophile cover for example, and add Germany's B.M.C. Audio to the list as evidenced by their new PureDAC Digital-to-Analog Converter. Speaking of round, the company is also known for its BDCD1.1 belt-drive CD player which has an acrylic "turntable" for your disc to rest on inside.

Retail price for the DAC will be somewhere under $1,600 (which is inexpensive by B.M.C. standards) and will feature all the usual inputs including asynch USB as well as volume and input switching. There is also a headphone jack with its own dedicated volume control.

Continue Reading >
B.M.C. PureDAC
CES 2014
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 17, 2014  |  0 comments
First seen last year at CES, the PureDAC has now been released and the company claims to have sold more than 1,000 units since August of 2013. Price is $1,690 and it handles up to 32/384 PCM, both DSD 64&128 and has a separate volume control for room and headphone listening. Designed in Germany, built in China.
Continue Reading >
Back of the Sooloos Control 20
CES 2009
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 08, 2009  |  0 comments
S/PDIF, Meridian Speakerline, Comm S, 12 volt triggers and assorted connectors on the back of the Control 20.
Continue Reading >
Bang & Olufsen America's Retail Bet Appears to have Paid Off
News
Jon Iverson  |  Sep 24, 2000  |  0 comments
We reported last year about the new direction that Bang & Olufsen America has taken in distributing its products: the company has recently opened a series of branded BOA stores around the US. The strategy seems to have paid off. The company reports increased sales of more than 60% in the first quarter of its current fiscal year, and claims that individual shops reported an average sales increase of 20%.
Continue Reading >

Pages

X