T.H.E. Show Newport Beach 2012

The Home Entertainment Show 2012
Report By Steven R. Rochlin

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  NAT Magma monoblock single-ended 450TH amplifier produces 160 wpc ($45,000) and has both balanced and unbalanced inputs. Toooobes!!!

 

Triangle Art Reference turntable ($14,000) made its appearance here at T.H.E. Show Newport Beach 2012.

 

The always groovalicious Zu Audio room had their Definition Mk.IV ($12,500) floorstander. Can you dig it? The center tweeter is the Radian 850 and has a great extended response. They told me soon Zu Audio will have a new 100dB/W/m design, yet will set ya back only $1600 per pair. Sweet!

 

High value for the dollar Emotiva had a new Pro DAC ($699) that handles 24-bit/192kHz via USB, BNC, AES/EBU, TosLink and has an analog input. Volume adjustment is analog and there are two headphone jacks so you and your loved one can enjoy the music together.

 

Mjolnir is the new unit be Schitt ($749) headphone amp is solid-state and seen here in prototype form.

 

Von Gaylond had an entire new system that includes their Uni monoblocks and The New Legend speakers ($17,000 and $13,000 respectively). Very sweet and smooth sounding but not sappy. What i mean is, the music had a wonderful sense of ease as it flowed, thus filling the room with natural sound.

 

This Antelope Audio setup was switching between live and an analog source (Technics 1200mkII turntable) and its output chain...  and that same analog source, playing real-time, captured via 24-bit/192kHz sampling. This happens before being converted (by Eclipse 384 AD/DA Mastering Converter) back to analog and played out through the studio monitors. Compare live versus encoded/decoded.

 

ESS model Transparent harks back to Oscar Heil's original design ($20,000). This speaker includes a powered woofer whilst the middle custom made driver is a special dipole design. Very different and yet sounds really effortless, smooth with impressively extended highs.

 

Peachtree Audio was showcasing their Decko 65 ($899 on up depending on finish), which uses the Sabre DAC 24-bit/192kHz and includes a headphone amplifier. It is also a preamplifier with 6N1P tube for that magic glow. Speakers are Dynaudio DM2-6 $800 per pair, so you can easily have an under $2000 system all ready to go.

 

Harbeth M30.1 speakers were easily being driven by LFD NCSE integrated amplifier and Palmer turntable with Dynavector cartridge ($6495, $6295 and $11,000 with tonearm). Gotta love that British sound. The stands are made by the company Resonant Woods in New Hampshire, USA.

 

Wyred 4 Sound's mINT ($1499) integrated DAC/Pre/Amp is a 24-bit/192kHz DAC and produces 108 watts @ 8 Ohms. Fear not vinyl junkies as it also has analog in and out. Very solid sounding (meaning full range, great tight bass support and PRAT for you British types reading this).

 

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