Daily Coverage -
March 29th
All prices are quoted in US dollars unless
otherwise noted.
Seeking the title of the ultimate small
minimonitor, Acoustic Energy's AE-1 III ($3300/pair) has a baffle machined from a single
billet of aluminum. The speaker is also lined internally with steel.
Blue Circle Audio is the new Canadian
distributor of Audiomecca digital products, the newest of which is the Obsession CD
player/transport ($1900). [www.bluecircle.com]
Known mostly for its superb integrated amps
and CD players, Arcam has released its first preamp in years. The C 30 ($1995) has new
matching mono amps in the Arcam product line.
The new Revelation Audio speaker lineup looked
especially well made. From left to right are the Lyra 5 ($3495 CDN/pair), Lyra 7 ($4995
CDN/pair), and a pair of Lyra 3s ($2495 CDN). The Lyra 5 sounded open and powerful driven
by Shanling amplifiers.
New from Song Audio is the SA-34 SB SET
integrated amp ($1600 including silver-conductor power cord), which uses pairs of 12AX7
and EL34 tubes to produce 3.5Wpc. According to Wes Phillips, the SA-34 SB sounded
"like a leisurely saunter" driving Loth-X Lowther-based speakers. [www.songaudio.com]
Made from aircraft-grade aluminum, polished
granite, and custom-formulated elastomeric polymer, Harmonic Resolution Systems'
isolation/damping products looked exceptionally well made. Prices range from $20 to almost
$2000.
New from Foundation Research are the NL1 RFI
filters ($417/pair), which are used at amplifier binding posts and speaker terminals.
Angstrom's Sequence series speakers use
dynamic drivers in cabinets that are much more shallow than expected -- and have
upward-firing ports. Prices range from $600 to $960 CDN per pair
 
Interesting new products abound at Son &
Image each year. Featuring an upward-firing woofer in a two-piece cabinet, the Audio
UFOria Nova ($5995/pair) claims a very tube-friendly 9-ohm load and 95dB
sensitivity. |
