Novelties by Lavardin and Avantgarde Acoustics
For the 15th anniversary of the legendary Model IT, Lavardin has concentrated its latest research on an exclusive and rare refined version: the Lavardin technologies Model IT-15. The amplifier is said to feature improved circuitry, resulting of more than 10 years of research, and produces 2 x 47W into 8 ohms. Lavardin claims that Model IT-15 is their greatest amplifier ever showing the same tranparency and micro-dynamics as the Model IT.
More famous for its horn loudspeakers, Avantgard Acoustics has released two heavy-weight amplifiers: XA-preamp and XA-power amplifier. General features include: DC-Flow circuit (patent pend.); Electronic volume control switch (patent pend.); Single ended pure Class A output stage; Zero feedback; Symmetrical inputs and outputs etc. The preamp has a battery power supply and the power amp can do 150 watts. Both units weight more than 40 kg, and the chassis has stunning outlooks.
Three New Loudspeakers in Finland
Sonus Faber is now imported by Hifihuone in Tampere. Among the first models to arrive at Finland are acclaimed novelties Guarneri Evolution and Amati Futura. The Guarneri Evolution is the third edition of the famous Guarneri introduced in 1994, called Homage. The Evolution is a 2-way design on a dedicated stands as before but much of the rest has been changed. This applies to the new lute-shape style, new drivers (a 7" mid/woofer instead of 5 incher), and other new technologies (eg. low spurious vibration optimized suspension, stealth reflex para-aperiodic loading, multilayer cabinet construction with constrained-mode damping, etc.). The 29 mm Ragnar Lian moving coil tweeter is crossed at 2800Hz with Mundorf “Supreme” capacitors, and Jantzen inductors. The frequency response is 40 Hz – 30.000 Hz, sensitivity 86 db SPL (2.83V/1 m), and nominal impedance 4 ohm. Price, including the stands: 15900 € (colour: red and graphite)
http://www.sonusfaber.com/guarnerievolution/en/
AudioExklusiv is a manufacturer of many preamplifier and amplifier models but also an electrostatic loudspeaker P3.1. The P3.1 is a full-range loudspeaker that reproduces the whole frequency range by one foil only without a dynamic subwoofer for best homogeneity, spatial reproduction and resolution. The concept is loaned from its forerunner P3, but according to AudioExklusiv, certain decisive and important points had to be improved. For example, a new complex transformer extends the frequency response one octave downwards. At the same the phase behavious and the distortion characteristics are improved. Completely newly developed panels with a modified foil (a new coating procedure and a greater interspace between foil and stator) have increased the sensitivity, as well as amplifier friendliness. A special circuitry driving the HF-range, mid-range and bass-range improves radiation characteristics. Internal wiring is completely new, and so on. More info, here:
Amphion's new Argon7L is a 2-way vented floorstander in a 6.5" d'Appolito array with a 1600Hz crossover point. 4-ohm sensitivity is given as a high-ish 93dB and claimed frequency response is an ambitious 28 - 25.000Hz. Dimensions are 1160 x 191 x 305mm, weight is 30kg and available finishes are black and white chassis with black or white grill covers and waveguides as well as natural wood veneers. Pricing accordingly ranges from €4.399 to €6.399/pr.
TelluriumQ's new Graphite cables
TelluriumQ has launched a new series of cables - speaker cables as well as interconnects - called Graphite. According to the manufacturer, the cables were made to outperform the Ultra Black, which I'm sure owners of the latter will be surprised to hear given the adulatory response that they've got. No indication is given of the secret of these cables but it seems natural that it has to do with the materials used, although probably not exclusively.
JBL Monitor 4365
JBL's large studio monitors have a dignified history dating back to 1963 when the 'orginal' 4320 monitor was launched. The new member of the family, the 4365, feaures JBL's new compression-driven Bi-Radial horn, first developed for the Project K2S9900, and large-format woofer (15"), engineered for quick, tight bass at all listening levels without suppression. The speaker is said to deliver the bandwidth and dynamics required by the newest digital media.
Low-Frequency Transducer: 380mm (15") three-layer cone with a 100mm (4") voice coil, damped accordion surround and Vented Gap Cooling™ heat-dissipation technology; High-Frequency Transducer: 100mm (4") compression driver with magnesium alloy diaphragm and 38mm (1.5") exit UHF Transducer 25mm (1") compression driver with titanium diaphragm.
Frequency Response: 35Hz - 40kHz (-6dB); Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms; Sensitivity (2.83V @1m): 93 dB; Crossover Frequencies: 750Hz, 15kHz. Dimensions (H x W x D): 1048mm x 597mm x 429mm; Weight: 86.2 kg.
New NAD VISO 1
NAD VISO 1 is a new music streaming dock with an integrated Bluetooth aptX option for wireless play of music from an iPod, iPhone, iPad, or any Bluetooth-enabled smartphone, tablet, or laptop. The NAD VISO 1 is designed to be easy to use. The precision 'ring' allows operation of a iPod in a natural way. A remote handset is also supplied.
At the heart of the NAD VISO 1 is NAD's proprietary Direct Digital amplifier technology (DAC, crossover etc.) - the same technology that is used in their top-of-the-line M2 Direct Digital Amplifier. The NAD VISO 1 plays the iPod in its native digital form, and the processing power of the Direct Digital technology allows the speakers (2 x 2,75" widebandwidth drivers with an aluminium tweeter plus 5,75" subwoofer) to be optimized for sonic performance. The loudspeaker part of the NAD VISO 1 is made by PSB Speakers. The outlooks of the VISO 1 was designed by a New York based design firm DF-ID.
The NAD VISO 1 is available as of January 2012; the price in Finland: 649 euro.
NAD Direct Digital DAC/Amplifier - 35 bit/844kHz, 0.005% THD; Frequency Response - 33Hz – 28kHz (-6dB) Anechoic, 50Hz to 20K; SPL: max 100dB; optical digital input accepts data up to 24/96k from external devices like TV, Disc Player or Media Streamer; Component Video Output sends iPod Videos to HD TV while playing the sound track. Docking Cradle can rotate 90 degrees.
New Year Greetings
Here's a small New Year's greeting from Andreas F. Jienat, Norway. He's performing "Gläns över sjö och strand" by Alicia Tegnér on the Stanley saw (26") accompanied by church organs (23 voices) on the night before Christmas Eve in the church of Skjold.
en&is Megaphone
My personal Award for the most innovative - and coolest looking - audio product in 2011 goes to the Italian (of course) design team en&is' Megaphone. It's a passive amplifier for iPhone made of ceramic. The form is designed to amplify and optimize the best sound output a la the best gramophones. The amplifier is based on a thin wooden frame that allows the object to float off the table. This in order to increase the vibration of the object and to optimize the emission of sound. Designed for the iPhone is perfect for listening music without headphones, for audio conference to hear the person on the phone as live voice. Amazing!
Penaudio's new Sara S
Having launched the flagship Sinfonia just two months ago, Penaudio developed a new version of its Sara floorstander called Sara S (Special). Like Sara, the 2.5-way/4-ohm Sara S is built around 6.5” drivers bridging the gap between 2-way monitors and 3-way floor standers. According to the manufacturer, the reflex loaded Sara S combines positive attributes of Sara with those of Cenya. The speaker is designed to play big, clean bass with the natural openness and liquidness of Cenya. Sara S matches the Sara in width and height but is 2” deeper giving the magnesium coned midrange/woofers more room to play.
The drivers: ¾” ferrofluid cooled textile dome tweeter (Seas), 2 x 160mm (6,5”) magnesium coned midrange/woofer, copper rings above and below T-shaped pole piece, radial reinforced rubber surround (Seas Excel); Cross-over
300, 4500Hz; Frequency range: anechoic responce +-3dB 45-28000Hz, in room 32-25000Hz; Sensitivity: 86dB/1m/2,83V; Nominal impedance: 4ohms.
Jorma Design wiring, WBT 0730.12 (Signature platinum) pole screws, SCR polypropylene capacitors, Graditech air-core inductors, aluminium reflex pipe, custom made finnish birch plywood veneer 22mm / 16mm solid plywood cabinet.
Penaudio Sinfonia - a new flagship
There are several rather competent loudspeaker manufacturers in Finland, especially relative to the size of its population (5 million). Some such as Penaudio have managed to conquer slices of foreign markets, but typically the success has been on the shoulders of the smaller models. For this or some other reason basically no Finnish speaker company has launched a true top-end loudspeaker to compete with others in the super heavy weights (> 20000 euro class).
But now Penaudio's head designer Sami Penttilä has taken the bull by the horn. The result is a new 172cm/72kg tower, a sort of speaker he has always dreamed about. A speaker into which he has loaded all that he has learned directly and indirectly on speaker designing and manufacturing over past ten years. The beauty is called Sinfonia.
Sinfonia is a 3,5 way with two Seas 10" side woofers (for below 80Hz), two Seas 6,5" Excel mid/bass drivers, the one low passed at 200Hz, the other reproducing up to 4500Hz where the Seas Crescendo tweeter is crossed.
The roughly 20000 euro (in Finland) Sinfonia will hold strong resemblance with the narrow/tall Penaudio look, featuring the same ply stripe finish on side panels as other models.The enclosure is made of 19mm plywood (side panels) and 22mm MDF for the front baffle, rear, top and bottom plates. Speacial damping has been used. The cabinet for the mid/bass drives is asymmetrical to lessen internal resonances (also those of the bass cabinet). Other components are familiar from the existing Penaudio models: Jorma Design, Graditech, WBT (including the best 0705 Ag Next Generation), SCR. The world premiere of the Penaudio Sinfonia will take place in Tampere at the end of August.
www.penaudio.fi
David Chesky's new album: Urbancity
David Chesky is well known in the audiophile community for the development of new recording processes, and numerous classical, jazz and world music releases. In 1986, with his brother Norman, David co-founded Chesky Records, known throughout the world as one of the leaders in the advancement of technological research on recording methods, creating new, advanced recording techniques.
Less well known is David Chesky's position as a contemporary classical composer. He has earned great respect for his body of unique, eclectic orchestral work that span jazz and classical genres. He currently holds the position of Composer in Residence for the National Symphony of Taiwan.
David Chesky's new work was released in the album: Urbancity: The Concerto for Electric Guitar and Orchestra. The album features L.A.-based guitar prodigy Bryan Baker, who graduated the Berklee College of Music in 2006 with a degree in Music Synthesis and Performance. Baker is know for a panoramic range of music styles, spanning from rock, electronic, funk, jazz, to blues, indie, punk, soul, and pop.
The album's only real physical instrument is an electric guitar. Every other instrument comprising the Urbancity Orchestra of New York is virtual. Chesky spent many years assembling engineers and programmers to create a computer system capable of playing symphonic works using the "Sibelius composing program". According to Chesky, it took years to accurately replicate tonality, timings, spacial cues, dynamics, phrasing, and the timbre and envelope of each instrument, ... an enormous amount of challenging work, but this technique allowed Chesky to nail contrapuntal and rhythmic textures in a whole new way.
The album is available from HDTracks. Using the following code one can receive a 50% discount on either the 24/48 (FLAC) or 16/44.1 version of Urbancity: compAudioUrban
The piece presents a major challenge to even the best guitarists wishing to perform the guitar parts of this concerto. Chesky is challenging guitarists around the world to test their own ability to perform this rock guitar concerto by making the Concerto for Electric Guitar and Orchestra available as a feature-packed Special Edition download allowing the buyer to study the guitar parts and play along with the concerto’s movements.
The download features the complete album download including Bryan Baker’s challenging guitar playing in CD quality with the full liner notes written by Bill Millkowski; a bonus special mix download of the concerto without the Baker’s work in a music minus one format to allow guitarist the opportunity to test their own abilities to perform the guitar parts of the Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra; the solo guitar parts in standard notation PDF file; the solo guitar parts in Tab PDF file; the full musical scores of the three parts.
The normally priced Special Edition $39.98 is being offered to guitarists up to the challenge for only $9.98 com through July 12, 2011 from HDTracks. The code is: urbanGuitarSE