Mark O'Brien of Rogue Audio was showing off the new Tempest III
integrated amplifier ($2999). The III (an update to the Tempest II)
offers 90Wpc and comes with a remote control. It also features an
optional 10dB boost of solid-state gain before the signal hits the tube
section, which is selectable on the front panel. Also on the front
panel is a high quality headphone output. Mark was playing the Apollo
monoblock amps in the room's live system, so I did not get a chance to
hear it. Hey Stephen Mejias, might this be the new amp you are looking
for?
Twice this CES, I found rooms that were so striking that I suggested all the Stereophile
brothers go take a look/listen. The first one was the Sumiko/Vienna
Acoustics suite up on the 34th floor (I still can't get over how great
the sound was in that room—you can read Jason's more reserved take on
the room here), and the second, for completely different reasons, was the Resolution Audio room.
Some say all that matters in an audio component is that it sound good.
Period. But good industrial design not only creates great sounding
products, but ones that you enjoy seeing. I realize that not everyone's
taste or style is the same, but in my book, the new Resolution Audio
Cantata is one of the most beautiful audio products built to date.
The first thing you notice is the irregularly scalloped solid
metal top and then the large retro-futuristic display on the front.
Resolution's Jeff Kalt said he worked closely with his metal
fabrication shop until he was able to achieve this look. The photo
above does not do it justice.
So what does it do? The Cantata is a digital preamp/DAC that
includes a built-in CD player and networking for external NAS drives or
computers. Kalt says he has tried to anticipate the most common needs
for a digital system, including networking with computers in other
rooms. For this, since USB can quickly falter at distance, Kalt has
developed the Pont Neuf device to convert the USB to Ethernet which can
then be networked across a house with either a standard cable or
wireless bridge. All controlled with an iPhone/Touch remote app.
Inputs include SPDIF, Toslink, AES/EBU, and USB (up to 24
bit/96kHz). Both balanced and unbalanced outputs are provided with
either a fixed or variable signal. Retail will be $6,000 when released
in February.
Erick Lichte comments: Pictures do not do justice to
this company's elegant and original industrial design. Resolution
Audio's gear reminded me of the Walker Art Museum in my home town of
Minneapolis, except I love the way the Resolution Audio gear looks and hate
the way the Walker looks. Minneapolis needs a building that resembles a
dirty snowball as much as Pittsburg needs a museum shaped like a smoke
stack.
Also playing in the Resolution room was the new Cantata 50
integrated amplifier. The amp puts out 50Wpc of class-AB power,
features two RCA and two XLR inputs, and is intended for use with
high-sensitivity loudspeakers. The Cantata 50 is styled to match the
DAC and sells for $4000.
Close-up of the retro-futuristic display graphics. Yes, they did line
up an entire string of alphanumeric LED displays to match the holes
carefully machined in the chassis.
Havng recently used Esoteric's four-box SACD playback system, with its
dual-mono DACs and the ultra-high-precision Rubidium Clock unit, I
checked out what the Japanese company was displaying in the rooms they
were sharing with cable manufacturer Synergistic Research. My eye was
caught by this beautifully styled one-box SACD player/DAC/100Wpc
amplifier. The RZ-1 is scheduled to sell for $6000 and as well as using
one of Esoteric's highly regarded SACD/CD transport mechanisms, it has
both 192kHz-capable S/PDIF and 24/96-capable USB digital inputs
and—significantly for the way the audio market is going—a phono
preamplifier. The 32-bit D/A section uses an AKM AK4392 chip and offers
both a conventional reconstruction filter, one that resembles
Meridian's minimum-phase "apodizing" filter.
As well as the RZ-1, Esoteric introduced the dual-mono D07 DAC
at CES, which also offers the choice of digital filters as well as a
digital-domain volume control. The D-07 will cost $4800.
"It's really red" I exclaimed, "bright, give-me-a-speeding-ticket red."
Simaudio's Lionel Goodfield and distributor Michael Baskin were both
quick to respond with "is there really any other color when it comes to
special cars? So it is with special audio components."
The company is celebrating 30 years in business with red and
chrome 30th Anniversary editions of both the both the MOON 600i
Integrated Amp and 750D CD/DAC. Production numbers will be limited and
prices have only been approximately set: $15,000 for the 600i and
around $20,000 for the 750D which Simaudio claims includes the first
true 32-bit DAC.
Goodfield says that the numbers are still to be determined, but no more than 50 of each will be made. The units
will also have a 30 year limited warranty and include several minor circuit enhancements.
Chr. R. skrev:jensen skrev:CES er bare ikke hvad det har været, mange siger den bedste messe er den der kommer i maj i tyskland.
Det ser unægtelig ud til, at fokus er på TV i år, og desværre mindre grad hi-fi.
ArtSound skrev:Chr. R. skrev:jensen skrev:CES er bare ikke hvad det har været, mange siger den bedste messe er den der kommer i maj i tyskland.
Det ser unægtelig ud til, at fokus er på TV i år, og desværre mindre grad hi-fi.Hifi og TV er to helt adskildte messer:Hifi hører til på The Venitian hotel og desuden er der den alternative T.H.E Show som i år var på Flamingo Hotel.Hvor TV var har jeg ingen anelse om, ledte ikke .. Men hifi showet på Venitan og Flamingo var af samme størrelse og kvalitet som de andre år jeg har været der.Følelsen jeg sidder tilbage med efter showet: Mindre cd, mere pc
Thomas Sillesen skrev:Hej Otto,
Design er jo delvis smagssag, men jeg er dog ikke enig. Artora tingene er færdigdesignede industrielle designs. Den anden dims, er jo en sammenrodning af flere stilarter.
På hele kassen er jeg enig, men på selve displayet synes jeg det er fedt at det ikke bare er en firkantet serie af huller, det giver et lidt mere "organisk" design at hullerne "fader" ud. Som helhed er apparatet ikke kønt i mine øjne.
Thomas Sillesen skrev:Hej Otto,
Design er jo delvis smagssag, men jeg er dog ikke enig. Artora tingene er færdigdesignede industrielle designs. Den anden dims, er jo en sammenrodning af flere stilarter.
Samtidig tror jeg at man nok bliver rimeligt træt af den efter 1-2 måneder, hvor den ujævne topplade til den tid minder mest om en ruhåret gravhund
Tilbage til HiFi-arrangementer
Brugere der læser dette forum: Ingen tilmeldte og 2 gæster