Daily Coverage -
June 1st
All prices are quoted in euros unless
otherwise noted.
1 € is approximately 1.18 US dollars at time of report.
This year was the first time Transparent Audio
represented itself at Frankfurt's High End show. They used the opportunity to showcase
their newest cables, including the latest version of the MusicWave Ultra speaker cables.
This updated model features new conductors (photos show the older model with the new one
below), as well as new sculpted network boxes made from acrylic instead of aluminum. The
price of the new MusicWave Super is $2500 USD for an eight-foot pair.
Black Forest Audio showed a "natural demagnetizer."
Constructed from wood and using the precise angles of pyramids, the device reportedly
demagnetized a showgoer's CD on the spot.
Every year Germany's Audio Physic seems to
debut a new loudspeaker at this show. This year they unveiled the
3900 €-per-pair Padua loudspeakers, featuring a 1" hand-coated silk-dome
tweeter and dual 8" long-throw woofers. They seem to be an especially good value.
 
One of the more interesting speakers we saw
was the 12,000 €-per-pair Donald North Audio (DNA) Sequence. The company uses
four precisely mounted midrange drivers to attempt to control the off-axis response of the
loudspeaker to improve in-room performance. Also worth noting is that the speaker includes
a tube-based active crossover with bass equalization.
The 1490 € Dynavox DynaStation CD
player is actually based on Sony's PlayStation and features a tube output stage using
EL34s.
We enjoyed the sound in the Fink Audio
Consulting room. The speaker and subwoofer shown are actually nameless prototypes that
showcase the company's technology and were on display to gauge public response. The system
is fully active and the speakers are described as "unipole" designs that attempt
to control the dispersion to their rear. The woofer is a conventional cone type, but the
midrange is a ribbon, and the top-mounted tweeter is based on NXT technology.
Finland's GamuT showed the new D-2
preamplifier, a dual-mono design featuring a laminated plate between channels for improved
separation. The D-2 retails for 5000 €.
Known for their speakers, Tawain's Usher Audio
displayed the new P-307 preamplifier, which they claimed has exceptionally low distortion,
and includes a separate power supply. The price is 1700 €.
Under the stack of CDs, DVDs, and marketing
literature lies the new Krell KAV-400xi integrated amplifier. Touted as the replacement
for the KAV-300il, the $2500 USD 400xi is said to output 200Wpc into 8 ohms and 400Wpc
into 4 ohms.
Closing out the day's show coverage, we came
upon one of the most attractive-looking turntables at the show. The D.Klimo La Musicalita
turntable package -- which includes the Tafelrunde turntable, Lancellotto tonearm, Gestell
support, and Ertanax cartridge -- weighs over 30 kilograms. The La Musicalita system is an
air-bearing design intended to function without a base, which, according to the company,
reduces resonance. The price of the La Musicalita is 14,000 €. |
