SoundStageAustralia.com

Details: Written by Josh Givorshner Josh Givorshner; Category: Reviews Reviews; Published: 01 February 2018 01 February 2018

Yamaha NS-5000 Loudspeakers

Japanese conglomerate Yamaha is a company that to most would need no introduction. Now with over 20,000 employees and holding the position of the world’s largest manufacturer of musical instruments, it is a far cry from its relatively humble beginnings. If it wasn’t at first obvious, the three interlocking tuning forks encapsulated in its logo are an obvious reference to the musical beginnings that have subsequently followed the company from its inception as a piano and reed organ company dating back to 1887.

Details: Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer; Category: Reviews Reviews; Published: 01 February 2018 01 February 2018

Nordost Sort Kone BC Resonance Control System

While I've been a music lover for as long as I can remember, I've also been into audio equipment for many moons, from an over-zealous enthusiast in teenage years, to subsequently morphing into an ardent audiophile to, for over 15 years, the ever-passionate professional reviewer for a number of publications. In that time, I’ve come across all-manner of audio accessory. From the tweaky to the freaky. Some made noteworthy differences and others were… well, either ineffectual or just not copacetic with my system or biases at the time. But I’ve never held staunch close-mindedness about ‘tweaky’ accessories – I was always prepared to give stuff a go despite snake-oil-ish claims made about what are sometimes near-whacky products. But then other products are based on science, despite their seemingly tweaky nature, and promise worthwhile gains within the context of a revealing audio system. Enter the Nordost Sort Kone Resonance Control System.

Details: Written by News Editor News Editor; Category: News News; Published: 31 January 2018 31 January 2018

MSB Technology Announces Two More Affordable DAC models

California’s MSB Technology, a company specialising in high-tech analogue and digital technologies since 1985, has just dropped the news of the soon-to-be-available lower price-point digital-to-analogue converters in the ‘Discrete DAC’ and ‘Premier DAC’.

Details: Written by News Editor News Editor; Category: News News; Published: 29 January 2018 29 January 2018

How Fun! Fundamental Audio Launches with New Appointments

New Melbourne-based distributor Fundamental Audio has announced the acquisition of distribution rights in Australia for Germany’s Vincent Audio and Italy’s Solidsteel racking systems.

Details: Written by News Editor News Editor; Category: News News; Published: 25 January 2018 25 January 2018

Microphase Audio Design SAT Mk.II Loudspeakers

Inspired by Jean-Marie Liere’s original French SAT design back in the mid 1980s, the SAT Mk.II is now reanimated with new bespoke drivers, a meticulously updated crossover, a reinvented cabinet and a rebirthed location in Sydney Australia.

Details: Written by News Editor News Editor; Category: News News; Published: 16 January 2018 16 January 2018

DS Audio's New DS-W2 Cartridge and Equalizer

DS Audio has just upgraded its highly-acclaimed DS-W1 cartridge to the new DS-W2 which now features a number of design improvements said to make for better information retrieval and all-round performance enhancements. The DS-W2 is claimed to be a comprehensive improvement over the DS-W1 – now to be phased out – which was heralded as the ‘world’s best cartridge’ by two German audio publications – Stereo and Audio magazines.

Details: Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer; Category: Reviews Reviews; Published: 15 January 2018 15 January 2018

Vinnie Rossi LIO Modular Integrated Amplifier

As audio system complexity grows in relation to our rising demands for a wider choice of music listening alternatives, manufacturers have had to make product development decisions based on either product integration, additional stand-alone offerings or a mixture of both. As an example, you may have an integrated amplifier – itself, an amalgamation solution – which may present the option of a factory-fitted in-built phono stage or an independent unit which could be acquired when convenient when funds allow. Another method of providing multiple functionality, added features and diverse playback options is by way of modular design. This method requires particular design attention and presents its own engineering challenges but, when done right, a modular design can provide extended functionality, simplicity in terms of component count and, importantly, potential performance benefits by way of eliminating added componentry and interconnecting cables. Vinnie Rossi’s LIO integrated amplifier takes this extremely clever and challenging-to-implement concept to its full potential.

Details: Written by News Editor News Editor; Category: News News; Published: 09 January 2018 09 January 2018

Qutest DAC

Chord Electronics has been making high-tech digital-to-analogue converters with proprietary FPGA circuitry for quite some time and, in fact, may have been among the first to do so. Another signature theme of the company is a design aesthetic that tends to blend superb build quality with ever more diminutive form factors. Enter the new Qutest, Chord’s tiniest DAC packed with the company’s ever-evolving digital technology.

Details: Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer; Category: Ed Comment Ed Comment; Published: 02 January 2018 02 January 2018

SoundStage! Network's Products of the Year 2017

True to the meaning of the word Network, back in July 2017 the SoundStage! Universe expanded to include this land Down Under. Since our ‘Big Bang’ six months ago, our Australian team reviewed a stellar list of gear covering all areas of audio reproduction. And while the product coverage has been all-encompassing, it nevertheless would be remiss of us here at SoundStage! Australia to hold our own POTY Awards based on such a brief – yet highly productive – life span.

Details: Written by News Editor News Editor; Category: News News; Published: 20 December 2017 20 December 2017

Massive Musical Fidelity Australian Pricing Restructure

Audio Marketing, Australia’s distributor for Musical Fidelity, has managed to build a very high profile and a respected reputation for the UK manufacturer over three decades of uninterrupted representation in this country. Now, in an effort to offer extraordinary value to Australian customers, Musical Fidelity’s wide product range has been reinvented at the retail level to slot into never-seen-before price points.

Details: Written by News Editor News Editor; Category: News News; Published: 18 December 2017 18 December 2017

Big Boulder – Boulder Amplifiers’ New 1110 Preamplifier

Boulder Amplifiers has announced the perfect mate for the recently released 1160 power amplifier; the all-new 1110 full-function preamplifier joins the stable of 1100 series products from the Colorado-based company.

Details: Written by Scott Campbell Scott Campbell; Category: Reviews Reviews; Published: 15 December 2017 15 December 2017

Bowers & Wilkins 705 S2 Loudspeakers

Bowers and Wilkins. Yes, B&W... A name familiar to almost every audiophile that ever obsessed over their bits, bytes or tonearm balance. From the almighty Nautilus, an absolute landmark of a speaker, the DM6 and its unusual shape, the mighty 801 and 808 which are coveted, collected and admired to this day.