Displaying items by tag: design - StereoLife Magazine

If someone were to say that the headquarters of one of the most interesting and fastest-growing manufacturers of tube amplifiers and hi-fi components was based not in Munich, Glasgow, or Tokyo, but in a tiny village near Białystok, Poland, many audiophiles would probably raise an eyebrow. This is, after all, the heart of Podlasie - a region that Poles themselves tend to see as beautiful, picturesque, and somewhat removed from the country's main industrial centers and, at least in popular jokes, a little behind the curve of modern life. Internet memes reinforce the stereotype - people are supposedly still discovering electricity there, throwing spears at airplanes, and rolling up the asphalt from the roads at night. A quick search brings up images of R2D2 and C3PO turned into a moonshine still, a long sausage wrapped around a cable reel labeled "Podlasie Fiber Optic", and Fred Flintstone's car presented as a local taxi. And yet it is precisely here, among forests, lakes, and open countryside, that a company emerged, first with small, simple, affordable tube amplifiers, and now delivers beautifully engineered, thoughtfully designed, thoroughly modern components to music lovers in more than thirty countries worldwide.

GIK Acoustics is expanding its low-frequency treatment lineup with three new deep Bass Trap Panels aimed at rooms where excess bass energy remains one of the hardest problems to control. The new additions - the Classic Bass Trap Panel '60Hz', Amplitude Bass Trap Panel '60Hz', and FlexRange Bass Trap Panel '50Hz' - are designed to deliver stronger absorption lower in the frequency range than the company's existing standard-depth models, addressing standing waves, bass build-up, and the kind of low-end smear that can undermine clarity in studios, listening rooms, home theaters, and other acoustically demanding spaces.

Hi-end audio equipment is not only bought but also built by enthusiasts. Often those who used to be in a similar situation and developed their hobbies to such an extent that at some point they decided to build something of their own - better than what's offered in stores. The history of many companies involves a very important input from other people as well. Sometimes it is a friend who decided to help his colleague in developing a small, garage manufacture, sometimes an old lady who bequeathed a nice guy running a music store a huge sum of money, and sometimes a good accountant who can get one of the largest loudspeaker manufacturers out of debt. James Tanner is one of those characters. Perhaps a blind fate that brought James to the right place at the right time. It is known, however, that his contribution to the development of one of the most respected companies making both amateur and professional audio electronics was considerable, to say the least. Today he is Bryston's vice president, but who was he then? A friend of the family? An old lady? Accountant? Well, no. He was a firefighter.

Czech design studio Deeptime unveils the first commercially available audio set made from sand. The limited edition Ionic Sound System combines organic design and innovative use of industrial 3D printing technology. Thanks to the excellent sound quality, the system will appeal not only to design and technology lovers but also to the most demanding audiophiles.

Q Acoustics has been a success right from the start. Its first products, the 1000 Series, shook up the UK loudspeaker industry, received unprecedented praise from reviewers worldwide and scooped prestigious awards. More awards followed with the release of the upgraded 1000i Series, and even more for the 2000 Series. However, not satisfied with merely designing conventional loudspeakers, Q Acoustics' design team introduced Q-AV - the world's first speakers to feature BMR (Balanced Mode Radiator) drive units, enabling for the first time, the whole family to hear perfect home cinema sound, wherever they sat within the room. The Sunday Times predicted that "some day all speaker systems will be like this".

2018 marks the 35th anniversary for Sonus Faber who welcomed the month of May with the launch of our Sonetto Collection - a declaration of "Made in Italy" representing the world of Italian tradition, culture, and craftsmanship. Today, we continue the celebration of this milestone by appreciating our ongoing commitment to constantly evolving while drawing inspiration from the past. For 35 years, Sonus Faber has been a name synonymous with performance excellence, unique product details, and recognizable sound - all of which comes together in our latest creation - Electra Amator III. A re-imagined special edition we hope will be welcomed with the same expectation and emotion experienced through designing it.

KEF has announced the launch of its brand new R Series, a complete, top-to-bottom transformation of what was already one of the world's most acclaimed loudspeaker ranges. Boasting a hefty raft of technological innovations and design improvements, the new R Series draws on acoustic developments originally achieved in KEF's flagship Reference Series, bringing authentically high-end design features and resulting high-performance levels into this category for the first time. No fewer than 1043 individual changes have been made for the new R Series.

Naim Audio set the benchmark for premium wireless and multi-room speakers with the introduction of Muso four years ago. Combining an elegant design with a best-in-class audio performance, Muso continues to be the top performing wireless speaker on the market, offering more music around the home than ever before. Building on the success of the award-winning speaker range Naim is set to introduce a new member of the family - Muso Special Edition.

The closest approach to the original sound - these words have formed the cornerstone of Quad's philosophy for many decades. More than just a slogan, it underlies the company's commitment to producing the finest audio equipment, capable of reproducing all the elements and emotion of a live musical performance. Quad has been responsible for many landmark hi-fi products throughout its history, none more famous than successive generations of the ESL - the world's most revered electrostatic panel loudspeaker, a technology invented by Quad's founder, Peter Walker. To create the ERA-1 - the company's first-ever headphones - Quad developed a planar magnetic driver delivering a fast, open and transparent performance. The resulting sonic realism and fidelity to the source is fully in keeping with the brand's heritage, displaying qualities akin to the famous ESLs.

Cambridge Audio completes their stylish Yoyo range with the addition of the Yoyo L home audio hub. Yoyo L is a Chromecast built-in system that combines the simplicity and convenience of a wireless speaker with the scale and performance of a dedicated home theatre solution.