Displaying items by tag: amplifier - StereoLife Magazine

In Norse mythology, Thor is known as the god of thunder, lightning, marriage, vitality, agriculture, and the home hearth. He was said to be more sympathetic to humans than his father, Odin, though equally violent. He traveled in a chariot harnessed to goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. Furthermore, he was usually depicted as a mighty man with a red beard and three key attributes - a belt doubling his power, iron gauntlets, and a great battle hammer called Mjolnir (Mjølner). Whenever Thor hurled his hammer, it would unfailingly come back to him, crushing the target of his master's attack ("Mjøl" in modern Norwegian literally means "flour" or "powder," so "Mjølner" can be understood as "a tool for grinding to powder"). The impact of this unusual weapon was to be accompanied by lightning. How valuable this hammer was to Thor can be seen in the song telling the story of what he went to when a giant named Thrym stole Mjolnir, demanding the hand of the goddess Freya for its return. According to this legend, Thor, at the instigation of Heimdall, the guardian of Asgard, was to disguise himself as Freya, shielding himself with a veil. Thinking that the plan had succeeded, Thrym and his companions held a wedding, during which the rightful owner of Mjolnir seems to have forgotten his mission for a while and got carried away by his emotions. He ate eight salmon and an ox, which caused concern among the giants, but Loki explained the phenomenon by saying that the "bride" had not eaten for a week in anticipation of her nuptials with Thrym. At the end of the feast, when, according to tradition, Mjolnir was laid in the bosom of "Freya" to seal the marriage, Thor grabbed his hammer and slaughtered the giants. Not surprisingly, Mjolnir became the most popular symbol used by Scandinavians not only in the Middle Ages but even today, if only in coats of arms and emblems. And what does this have to do with the H600? Let me explain...

Naim unveils Uniti Nova Power Edition, an all-in-one player that drives Hi-Fi loudspeakers with power and musical resonance Uniti Nova Power Edition is the new all-in-one player from Naim, the British brand that excels in the creation of high-end Hi-Fi systems. With 150 W of power, this high-resolution audio player and stereo amplifier is the ideal all-round solution to combine with a pair of powerful, Hi-Fi loudspeakers. It complements Naim's Uniti range, which is hailed worldwide as the range that includes the best all-in-one players on the market.

The creation of this audio component is the result of years of design experience, in-depth knowledge of electronic tubes, and our passion and desire to make unique pieces of great value, in which traditional craftsmanship is combined and integrated with high electronic technology. The New Simply 845 ranks at the top of Unison Research's line of integrated tube amplifiers, second only to the historic Absolute 845. The Simply 845, like the Absolute 845, also employs the famous 845 direct-heated triodes, tubes well known for remarkable durability and extraordinary sonic qualities. The great advantage of integrated amplifiers is the incorporation in a single chassis of the preamplifier and the power amplifier. This makes it possible to eliminate the need for high-cost interconnect cables that are never truly neutral to sound reproduction. It should be noted that in the renewed production of the Simply 845 its size has been reduced by bringing all input and output connectors, strictly gold-plated and of a new type, to the rear of the amplifier.

Marantz introduced two exceptional new products to its portfolio of high-performance hi-fi components. The first is the latest addition to the brand's long-established and widely celebrated heritage as the world leader in CD player design - the new CD 50n Networked CD Player. The CD 50n is perfectly partnered by the new Marantz Model 50 Integrated Amplifier, an all-analog design combining exceptional realism and transparency with a purist approach sure to find favor with vinyl devotees. The resulting combination is a harmoniously designed and contemporary hi-fi system blending timeless elegance and outstanding performance with all the flexibility and cutting-edge technology that redefines modern musical luxury at its price point.

If I didn't know what Fezz Audio and Pylon Audio have in common, I would think they share the same owner. The two brands openly support each other, exhibit together at major industry events, hold joint photo shoots, and have the same distributor in some countries. In reality, however, these companies only share what one would call a path to success. Not easy, bumpy, risky, based on ingenuity, diligence, and young energy drawing on the experience of the older generation. Pylon Audio began as a small carpentry shop making loudspeaker cabinets. Later, it began producing its own loudspeakers, raising the bar pretty much every year. Fezz Audio, on the other hand, is a side project of a family-owned company specializing in manufacturing toroidal transformers, or at least that's how it began. Many experts say that toroids are moderately suitable for tube amplifiers, but the Lachowski brothers had a different opinion on the subject. They developed a transformer that performed brilliantly, and since it was a successful project, they decided to follow suit and build a complete amplifier around such transformers.

The amplifier is the interface between your signal sources and loudspeakers - whatever is lost at this point is lost forever and conversely, whatever is introduced is also amplified. Amplifiers are also products for everyday use. Some successfully deviate from the conventional, they remind us of the virtue of striving for excellence through original thinking and a desire to push beyond ‘adequate’ to acheive the exceptional. There is a distinctive mood of luxurious puritanism to be found in the appearance of most Copland amplifiers. However, with the CTA407 tube amplifier we have augmented this simplicity, introducing an intelligent complement of electronics to support the audio stages of the amplifier.

NAD Electronics launched the C3050 stereophonic amplifier. The unit draws upon aesthetic cues from the 1970's while boasting class-leading amplification - a HybridDigital UcD output stage and high-performance Texas Instruments PCM5242 differential DAC work together to deliver wonderful detail, immersive three-dimensionality, and thrilling dynamics. The C3050 also features NAD's MDC2 future proofing technology. By installing an optional module into the MDC2 expansion slot on the rear panel, listeners can add exciting new capabilities like BluOS high-resolution multi-room streaming and Dirac Live room correction.

FiiO launches the K7 - balanced desktop headphone DAC and amplifier featuring dual AK4493S DACs, dual THX AAA 788+ amp technology, USB/Optical/Coax/RCA inputs, and both 6.3mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced headphone outputs. Building upon the success of previous FiiO desktop amplifiers, the K7 utilises a truly balanced six-stage audio circuit consisting of: DAC, Low Pass Filter, Volume Control, Buffer Amplifier, Pre-Amplification, and Headphone Out. Throughout this signal path, audio signals from each channel are processed separately by the K7, thereby reducing crosstalk, and ensuring the best sound quality possible.

Audiolab has enjoyed an enviable reputation for amplifier excellence ever since the original 8000A arrived in 1982, establishing itself as the classic step-up model from the 'budget' integrated hi-fi amps of the time. This reputation has remained constant through successive product generations, right up to the 6000A and 8300A, both of which have delighted music lovers at their respective price points in recent years. As we approach the end of 2022 - 40 years after the launch of the 8000A - it's time to reveal the next generation of Audiolab amplification. The 9000A is the first component in Audiolab's new flagship range, the 9000 Series. It is also the best integrated amplifier Audiolab has ever made. The 9000A introduces a smart new aesthetic, as befits a new flagship range. Built for sonic excellence, the 9000 Series CD transport - the 9000CDT - is the perfect CD-playing companion to Audiolab's flagship 9000A integrated amplifier.

Electrocompaniet is launching its new flagship power amplifier. Coinciding with their 50-year anniversary and the 25-year jubilee since the legendary AW600 Nemo was first launched, the new AW800M is set to have a big impact in the market. The AW800M is Electrocompaniet's brand new, from the ground up re-engineered flagship power amplifier - an 800 watt into 8 ohms monoblock, that can also be run in stereo mode, as well as a bi-amping mode with the flick of a switch at the back.