Wes Phillips

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Inside Scoop
CES 2009
Wes Phillips  |  Jan 12, 2009  |  1 comments
This is what the Lamm ML3 Signature looks like under the hood. Clean layout and P2P wiring throughout.
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Give Me a Tenor
CES 2009
Wes Phillips  |  Jan 12, 2009  |  3 comments
Tenor's promised Tenor Pre preamplifier ($40,000) is a hybrid, using tubes for the input stage and MOSFETs for the output. It should be available in two months. As a whole, the Tenor system (fleshed out with Hansen Emperors and Kubala-Sosna cables) was outstanding.
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Why So Expensive?
CES 2009
Wes Phillips  |  Jan 12, 2009  |  1 comments
It belonged to a tenor! (ba-dum-dum) Thank you ladies and gentlemen, I'll be here all week.
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Rough Breathing
CES 2009
Wes Phillips  |  Jan 11, 2009  |  12 comments
Ypsilon was showing a monster of an amplifier—the 120W SE-100 Mk. II($70,000/each). A single-ended hybrid, it uses a 5842 input tube and a row of MOSFET output devices. It's entirely wired point-to-point and sports custom power transformers. Of course, it's stuffed with boutique components.
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Master of Sonic Arts
CES 2009
Wes Phillips  |  Jan 11, 2009  |  17 comments
Nagra's new 60Wpc MSA stereo power amp ($8000) is loosely based on its older "pyramid" PSA amp. This MOSFET stereo amplifier (geddit?) sounds far better than the older one, IMHO. Verity's John Quick played some tracks from Manu Katches stunning Neighborhood and the new guy had better pacing and, more importantly, far better timbre. I heard deeper into the soundstage, especially hearing more of Katche's superlative stick work.
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Esoteric-a
CES 2009
Wes Phillips  |  Jan 10, 2009  |  0 comments
Mutoaki Ohmachi, Esoteric's founder and resident genius, is a man full of passion. At CES2009, he spoke about the importance of music in his life and how hewing true to he sound of music had always been the motivation for Esoteric products.
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Esoteric E-03 Phono Section
CES 2009
Wes Phillips  |  Jan 10, 2009  |  0 comments
Also on display at Esoteric was the nifty E-03 phono section ($5500). It has two phono inputs—MC and one that can play either MC or MM cartridges. It also sports a demagnetizing function, which takes a scant 30 second. It has externally selected impedance and capacitance for each input. The E-03 also has a high-voltage custom power supply. It should be available in March.
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Tri Harder
CES 2009
Wes Phillips  |  Jan 10, 2009  |  0 comments
Triode Corporation Ltd of Japan had a room full of equipment featuring—you guessed it—triodes! The TRV-4SE($2800)) preamplifier has an S/N ratio of 96dB and has an internal MM phono section, Its frequency response is 10Hz-100kHz. The TRV-4SE uses Mundorf and Nichicon capacitors, kiwame precise resistors, and an exclusive Triode Corpration stepped attenuator.
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Criterion!
CES 2009
Wes Phillips  |  Jan 10, 2009  |  3 comments
"What's new?" I asked Jeff Rowland.
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Luxe!
CES 2009
Wes Phillips  |  Jan 10, 2009  |  5 comments
Luxman is another old-school, technology-driven Japanese company. Looking at the 250Wpc B-100F (80th Anniversary Commemoration) ($55,000/pair) is a reminder of the days when the great Asian manufacturers fought for the title "best." The B100F is huge and can deliver 2000W into 1 ohm.
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