John Atkinson

Naim's iPad App
SSI 2011
John Atkinson  |  Apr 06, 2011  |  0 comments
Naim's line of Uniti network-enable music servers . . . er, renderers . . . er, digital music players, can be controlled by a uPnP app runing on iPads and iPhones. Doug Graham's iPad doesn't seem disturbed by his frantic handwaving as it hung in mid-air! New at the Show was the UnitiQute player, which combines a preamplifier with two analog inputs, five 24-bit/192kHz-capable digital inputs, a USB port, and WiFI and Ethernet network connections.
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Burmester Phono Preamplifier 100
SSI 2011
John Atkinson  |  Apr 06, 2011  |  First Published: Apr 07, 2011  |  1 comments
On display in the Burmester room at SSI was the new Phono Preamplifier 100 ($16,995–$22,995), which, with its polished mirror finish, was almost unphotographable. The 100 features two inputs for MM or MC cartridges, and offers a wide range of gain and impedance settings. An optional onboard A/D converter allows owners to digitize their LPs and a unique auto-balance feature equalizes the two channels, to compensate for imbalanced cartridges.
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Affordable Excellence—Dynaudio & T+A
SSI 2011
John Atkinson  |  Apr 06, 2011  |  0 comments
If the Legacy Whisper was an example of a superb speaker ill-marched to the size of the room in which it was being demmed at SSI, the combination of Dynaudio's new DM37 tower ($2000/pair), driven by T+A's new E-Series Music Receiver ($4200) vis Ocos cable, showed what could be achieved from a more modest system, well set-up in a suitable room. The 160Wpc (into 4 ohms) Music Receiver includes an Apple-approved iPod dock, which takes the digital music data from the iPod and also has a USB port and three Toslink S/PDIF digital inputs. There is also a high-quality FM tuner and T+A’s Streaming Client board allows Internet radio stations to be played.
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Oracle's Tonearm in Close-Up
SSI 2011
John Atkinson  |  Apr 06, 2011  |  0 comments
The Oracle tonearm, shown here in Art Dudley's photograph, starts life as a ProJekt arm, to which is adding additional damping.
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The Oracle Cartridge
SSI 2011
John Atkinson  |  Apr 06, 2011  |  0 comments
This time it's Jacques Riendeau's hand on show, showing off the one-piece aluminum body for the new Oracle MC phono cartridge.
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Pepper pepper pepper pepper pot!
SSI 2011
John Atkinson  |  Apr 06, 2011  |  2 comments
As at previous Montreal Shows, parts and drive-unit distributor Solen Électronique had a room to show off their gear to DIY enthusiasts. But even anachrophile Art Dudley was puzzled by the center of this whizzer-cone fitted drive-unit sitting in his hand.
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Nordost–Simaudio–Joseph
SSI 2011
John Atkinson  |  Apr 05, 2011  |  First Published: Apr 06, 2011  |  0 comments
Nordost's dem system comprised a Simaudio Moon 750D CD player, Simaudio Moon 700i integrated amplifier (favorably reviewed by Fred Kaplan in March), a Quantum system conditioner, Joseph Audio Pulsar stand-mounted speakers ($6999/pair), and, of course, Nordost cables.
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Totem's Elements
SSI 2011
John Atkinson  |  Apr 05, 2011  |  0 comments
Totem was demonstrating its new Element series loudspeakers with the Classé CA-M600 600W monoblocks that I enthusiastically reviewed in the March issue of Stereophile. The three Element models—the Fire stand-mount at $5995/pair, the floorstanding Earth at $8995/pair, and Metal at $12,995/pair—all use a new 7" woofer designed and manufactured in-house. But what's with the tie around the guy's head in the wall-sized photo?
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Everyone was Buying Vinyl
SSI 2011
John Atkinson  |  Apr 05, 2011  |  0 comments
Not just the public attendees made for the Aux 33 Tours room at SSI. Seen here browsing the jazz LPs (in denim jacket and deshabillé hair) is Graeme Humfrey, one of the proprietors of Montreal high-end retailer Coup de Foudre.
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The Upward Price Spiral
As We See It
John Atkinson  |  Apr 01, 2011  |  First Published: Mar 30, 2011  |  3 comments
On January 5, 2011, I was flying to Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show (footnote 1). On January 5, 1914, Henry Ford announced that he would pay a minimum of $5 to eligible employees who worked an eight-hour day. (At that time, a good wage was $2.50 for a workday of 10 hours.) Ford was not being altruistic; he wanted to motivate his employees both to become more productive and to stay loyal to their employer. And there were strings attached: A Ford employee "must show himself to be sober, saving, steady, industrious and must satisfy . . . staff that his money will not be wasted in riotous living." But Ford also wanted his workers to be able to afford the products they made. It was Ford's action, I believe, that triggered the rise of the American middle class, and it was that middle class's combination of disposable income and increased leisure time that fueled the growth of high-end audio.
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