The Latest
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- Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer
- Category: Features Features
- Published: 15 June 2024 15 June 2024
Factory Tour – Marten and Jorma Audio
Sweden; Popularly famous for Volvo, ABBA, and Ikea. Fun fact: it’s home to the longest urban underground art gallery in the world. Did I mention Spotify, the biggest streaming platform? Yep, Swedish. Alfred Nobel? Ingmar Bergman? Saga Norén (IYKYK)? Yeah, all Swedes. Oh, let’s not forget those delicious meatballs in mushroom cream sauce. Talking loudspeaker design, Sweden has yet another notorious child via the specialist simply known as Marten. Marten has steadily escalated its endeavours, becoming a high ranking global player in the high-end space. Plus, the company recently acquired fellow Swede Jorma Audio, a cable manufacturer with its own successful track record. Marten and Jorma Audio already had a proven symbiotic relationship through product synergies; now, it’s a cemented partnership. We visited Marten HQ recently and were struck by the dynamic ‘Band of Brothers’ leadership and the dedication of the company’s workforce. The formula, evidently, is a winner… read on.
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- Written by Barry Jones Barry Jones
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 15 June 2024 15 June 2024
Naim Audio Uniti Nova PE Streaming Amplifier
I’ve long been a fan of Naim audio, having owned a plethora of products over the years, beginning with what could be considered as one of my first serious systems. That was the NAC 150, NAP 150 and CD 150X running a pair of Sonus faber Concerto speakers. That system had many friends and visitors in awe whenever I spun their favourite tunes. Realising this was only the entry point to the Naim sound, I thirsted for more and quickly contracted the upgrade bug… from those early days, the audio voyage now sees me once again enjoying the music making skills of a Naim product: the new Naim Uniti Nova PE.
Honouring Legacy, Embracing Evolution: Wilson Audio Remasters The WATT/Puppy
Wilson Audio’s iconic WATT/Puppy, a product which became synonymous with high-end audio loudspeaker design, returns after a short hiatus bearing the company’s latest technology.
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- Written by News Editor News Editor
- Category: Features Features
- Published: 05 June 2024 05 June 2024
SoundStage! Talks Australia Video: Marten's Martin Dunhoff on Crafting Ultra-High-End Speakers in Sweden
In this video, SoundStage! Australia editor-in-chief Edgar Kramer talks to Martin Dunhoff, the global sales manager for Marten, a Sweden-based maker of ultra-high-end loudspeakers. Edgar discusses Marten's approach to designing speakers, including using drivers comprised of differing material types, as well as how Martin Dunhoff feels about joining this unique brand, since starting at Marten only three months before this interview was conducted.
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- Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 01 June 2024 01 June 2024
Gryphon Audio Designs Diablo 333 Integrated Amplifier
Large amplifiers… yeah, digital amplification notwithstanding, high-end amps tend to be bulky. Think Oscar Wilde’s “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess” – that phrase sums up most top-tier high-end integrated amplifiers. As big and bold integrated amplifiers go, there are only a few units mixing it up with Gryphon Audio Designs’ monumental Diablo 333. It’s the Danish company’s newest, and by gosh, meanest-looking integrated amplifier. Yet paradoxically, it combines brutal brawn build with industrial design elegance. It’s a Helluva statement piece… now, beyond its magnetically charismatic aura, how does the Diablo 333 sound?
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- Written by Barry James Johnston Barry James Johnston
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 01 June 2024 01 June 2024
Microphase Audio Design SAT MK3 Loudspeakers
In the ever-evolving landscape of audio excellence, the Microphase Audio Design SAT MK3 loudspeakers emerge as a beacon of true passion and craftsmanship. Crafted by the visionary Australian-based, French speaker designer Jean-Marie Lière, these bookshelf loudspeakers stand as a testament to his dedication to pushing the boundaries of sonic artistry. With a blend of technical precision and artistic flair, the SAT MK3 speakers promise to captivate audiophiles and music enthusiasts alike.
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- Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer
- Category: Features Features
- Published: 21 May 2024 21 May 2024
SoundStage! Australia’s Favourite Exhibits at High End Munich 2024
Over the last few High End Munich shows, my modus operandi has been to visit as many of the exhibits as possible, there were 500 this year in total, in order to compile a list of standouts. It would be an exercise in abstract futility to even attempt to cover the entire 30,000 square meters single-handedly. No way no how. Not to mention SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and I, preferring the personal touch, had to schlep a bunch of annual award trophies to hand out to company principals and designers including Vivid Audio, Mission, Lyngdorf, Monitor Audio, T+A, Technics, Pro-Ject, Stenheim, Wilson Audio, Totaldac, VYDA Labs, etc. So, with that out of the way, I went on to seek out the best in-room experiences. Oh, and check out our combined social media platforms – SoundStage! Network and SoundStage! Australia IG and FB – which also provide further insights into the in-room hustle and bustle. So, which rooms reigned supreme?
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- Written by Tom Waters Tom Waters
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 15 May 2024 15 May 2024
Hulgich Audio Nina Statement Loudspeakers
When the box arrived, I thought… this is a company that cares about product safety and presentation. Two speakers were contained in one reenforced wooden box, very neatly made and finished, with subtle but effective company labelling on all sides. There were strong straps around the box as well. You could easily get the speakers out through the side labelled “front”, without removing the straps. Inside, the box was padded with thick Styrofoam that cradled all sides of the speakers. Each speaker was then in its own padded bag. So, who goes to all this effort before you even get to listen? With the new Nina Statement loudspeakers, Hulgich Audio does.
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- Written by News Editor News Editor
- Category: Features Features
- Published: 08 May 2024 08 May 2024
High End Munich 2024
Step right up folks! Get ready for the most spectacular audio show on the planet. We’re hitting the pavement with a four-strong team of SoundStagers, arriving from the North and from Down Under. Over the next few days, we’ll be bringing to you a torrent of new product announcements covering all aspects of high-end audio. Right from the trenches!
Microphase Audio Design Tower 3 & Tower 4 Loudspeakers
Renowned acoustic designer Jean-Marie Lière has augmented Microphase Audio Design’s acclaimed SAT series standmounts with the new Tower 3 and Tower 4 floorstanding loudspeakers.
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- Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 01 May 2024 01 May 2024
Soulnote A-3 Integrated Amplifier
What do you get when high-level ex-Marantz, Philips and NEC personnel, with a combined experience into three-figures, join forces with a fervent desire to penetrate the higher echelons of high-end audio? You get Soulnote, that’s what, a Japanese company HQ’ed in Kanagawa, Japan. Soulnote has hit the market with a stream of analogue and digital components featuring innovative engineering, a mature design language, and world-class build quality. The company is highly revered in its home country while also receiving high praise, and increasing interest, from audio enthusiasts around the globe. Yeah, it’s also earning some sideways glances from high-end competitors, I’m sure. So, here, I present Soulnote’s top-tier, solid-as-a-brick A-3 integrated amplifier.
- Details
- Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer
- Category: Features Features
- Published: 15 April 2024 15 April 2024
Australian Hi-Fi Show Sydney 2024 Report
The Australian Hi-Fi Show Sydney 2024, or the “Sydney” show, as local audio enthusiasts like to call it, was again held at the Sydney Central Hotel, Haymarket (previously the Novotel), a convenient location just a breezy five-minute walk from Central Station. Off the cuff, as a short preamble, I found it gratifying to see a cornucopia of homegrown produce from brands who over the years have garnered international prestige, right across to emerging, smaller concerns. Overseas readers will, no doubt, marvel at the ingenuity and individuality of the many Aussie brands mentioned below. Well, as is my usual modus operandi, the coverage will follow my semi-random meanderings through the venue across the three days I attended. So, let’s hit the mosh pit, shall we?
