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Details: Written by Barry Jones Barry Jones; Category: Reviews Reviews; Published: 01 November 2024 01 November 2024

dCS Lina Network DAC and Master Clock

When peering into the stratosphere of DAC technology one quickly meets dCS, who provides a range of exquisitely crafted and engineered ‘listening experiences’. At the pinnacle lives the recently released Varèse, along with Vivaldi, Rossini, and Bartok, products upon which dCS has built its reputation (and rumour has it a new flagship Varèse SACD/CD transport is around the corner). And now, Lina, a relative newcomer in as little as one, or as many as three pieces (Network Streaming DAC, Headphone Amplifier and Master Clock) which dCS claims represents a new frontier in music playback. I had the Lina Network DAC and Master Clock for evaluation as the subjects of this review.

Details: Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer; Category: Reviews Reviews; Published: 01 November 2024 01 November 2024

ZenSati #1 Cable Loom

I first came across ZenSati cables at CES in Vegas many, many moons ago. There, at the Venetian, that year, company founder Mark Johansen exhibited a full line of his cables in a system which was one of the standouts. Naturally, I ended up spending quite a bit of time in that musical oasis. I got to know Johansen, whose passion for music was evident, as was his enthusiasm for its accurate reproduction. While, of course, the sum of the components was the ultimate manifestation of the excellent sound, it was the system’s musicality which drew me to consider the interface between each piece of kit. Being such honestly neutral conduits, ZenSati cables were toll-free highways to a musical destination. Through the subsequent years, I went on to review many of the company’s products, with the crowning bunch being the sublime sILENzIO range. Now, ZenSati has produced a new design, a more attainable model in the company’s Hash Tag range, which is crowned by the voluminous #X. Enter the new, and sparkly-silver #1.

Details: Written by News Editor News Editor; Category: News News; Published: 30 October 2024 30 October 2024

Boulder Amplifiers 1151 Mono Power Amplifier

The new 1151 monoblock is the latest addition to Boulder Amplifiers’ range and expands the Colorado company’s exalted 1100 series high power amplifier selection.

Details: Written by News Editor News Editor; Category: Features Features; Published: 25 October 2024 25 October 2024

McIntosh Laboratory Announces PS1K Powered Subwoofer

Following the release of McIntosh Laboratory’s flagship PS2K subwoofer system, the company now announces its more affordable PS1K powered subwoofer sibling.

Details: Written by News Editor News Editor; Category: News News; Published: 23 October 2024 23 October 2024

Musical Fidelity Releases M6xTT Turntable

Musical Fidelity’s new M6xTT turntable capitalises on technologies and engineering trickled down to it via the M8xTT flagship vinyl spinner.

Details: Written by News Editor News Editor; Category: News News; Published: 23 October 2024 23 October 2024

Skyanalog Cartridges Landed in Australia

Skyanalog, OEM maker of high-end cartridges for a number of high profile companies, expands its business with a range of its own branded handcrafted cartridges, which are now available in Australia.

Details: Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer; Category: Features Features; Published: 22 October 2024 22 October 2024

‘High-End Audio Innovators’ Event at Audio Connection, Sydney

On Friday evening, 18 October, industry luminaries from Denmark, Sweden and the UK gathered at Audio Connection, one of Sydney’s premier hi-fi retailers, courtesy of distributor and sister company Advance Audio. Each representative would host a presentation with an emphasis not just on providing insights into specific products, but to also instil a deeper understanding of their company’s vision.

Details: Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer; Category: Features Features; Published: 18 October 2024 18 October 2024

StereoNET Hi-Fi & AV Show 2024 – Standout Rooms

It’s now become a tradition. That breezy 90 minute flight from Sydney to Melbourne in October. Mind you, after driving nearly two hours to the airport from the Blue Mountains. Then, a soft-landing at Tullamarine Airport. Soon, I’ll be taxiing the runways of Australia’s largest audio show. That’s the StereoNET Hi-Fi & AV Show at its traditional home at the Pullman Melbourne Albert Park. I arrived mid-afternoon on kick-off Friday. Checked-in. Then, by the show’s entrance, a bombardment of low frequency shell-shock pulses. Audio PTSD. But hey, with a full-metal-jacket SD card magazine locked and loaded, itchy shutter trigger-finger, scrawly notepad and battle-scarred backpack at the shoulder, the campaign to move forward through the show began. Onwards and upwards.

Details: Written by Vedran Simunovic Vedran Simunovic; Category: Reviews Reviews; Published: 15 October 2024 15 October 2024

DS Audio DS-E3 Optical Cartridge

Phono cartridges are a finicky lot, and especially the magnetic ones. If you want to make a mark in that area, you have to invest in the finest materials, meticulous assembly processes and eons of human expertise bordering on black magic. DS Audio dispensed with most of these complications by devising a line of optical cartridges that works in a completely different manner, follows completely different rules and achieves sound quality on a completely different level. The DS-E3 is DS Audio’s newest product and is a grand entry point to the company’s optical cartridge line-up.

Details: Written by News Editor News Editor; Category: News News; Published: 07 October 2024 07 October 2024

Cyrus 40 Series Products Landing in Australia

Cyrus just launched the new 40 series products featuring four components and with a view to expand the line-up with a matching stand-alone phono stage in early 2025.

Details: Written by News Editor News Editor; Category: News News; Published: 04 October 2024 04 October 2024

Linn Drops 119 and 150 Compact Loudspeakers

Based on past triumphs, Linn’s new compact 119 standmount and 150 floorstanding loudspeakers are destined to perform way beyond their modest dimensions.

Details: Written by News Editor News Editor; Category: News News; Published: 03 October 2024 03 October 2024

Focal Announces Diva Utopia, Company's First Active Wireless Loudspeakers

The just-launched Diva Utopia are French specialist Focal’s affirmation of a bold new direction, with the active, connected and wireless loudspeakers representing an important milestone in the company’s history.