Displaying items by tag: dac - StereoLife Magazine

Questyle Audio Engineering is proud to commemorate their achievement with the release of their evolution flagship product, the CMA Fifteen. Questyle's patented Current Mode Amplification uses current, instead of voltage, to amplify audio signals, leading to tremendous performance differences when compared to traditional audio amplifiers. The CMA Fifteen takes the already popular CMA Twelve to new heights, becoming the first Questyle headphone amp and DAC to feature the ESS SABER ES9038PRO, the world's highest performance 32-bit DAC available. Featuring unparalleled audio reproduction, brilliantly clear transparency, and massively open sound, the CMA Fifteen chases extreme performance to achieve system-level lossless purity.

The cadence of new Roon Ready certifications has increased tenfold since the start of the pandemic. In 2020, just a handful of new products were certified each month, and in the first half of this year Roon Labs is already announcing over 100 new Roon Ready and Roon Tested devices. Forty new brands have submitted products for certification in that timeframe. This includes key product ranges and new launches from notable audio manufacturers, including Arcam, Astell & Kern, Cambridge Audio, and JBL.

Bryston is one of the companies that use a very logical naming scheme for their products. Thus, amplifier symbols usually contain the letter "B", DACs start with "BDA", network players - "BDP", home theater processors - "SP" and preamplifiers - "BP". They are supplemented with numbers, which may indicate their output power (the B135² integrated amplifier delivers 135W per channel into 8 ohms) or inform us which generation of a given model we are dealing with (the BHA-1 is the first headphone amplifier from the Canadian factory, and the BDP-3 already had two predecessors - BDP-1 and BDP-2). Devices that cannot be assigned to any of the existing categories are scarce. So when Bryston decided to break the current pattern and release a preamplifier that should have been called the BP-18³ (because it is the successor to the BP-17³) but was given the BR-20 symbol, it was clear that this was no accident. The reason for this sudden change turned out to be, unfortunately, very sad. The Canadians wanted to honor their colleague and long-time company president, Brian Russel, who died in his sleep of a heart attack last year. At the time, Bryston's team was putting the finishing touches on the device, which was to be named BP-18³. Members of the design team and executives knew that this model could be a real revelation to many audiophiles - even those using very elaborate, expensive stereo systems. Thus, at the end of 2020, Bryston revealed the new two-channel preamplifier - BR-20.

The history of Norma Audio began in 1987 in Cremona - the hometown of famous composers, such as Ponchielli and Monteverdi, and great violin masters - Stradivari, Amati, and Guarneri. It was a man with an equally Italian-sounding name - Enrico Rossi - who created the apparatus on which you can listen to such wonderful music in the comfort of your living room. The first device manufactured under the Norma Audio brand was the NS 123 amplifier. It was not a spectacular commercial success, but nobody expected that. A completely new chapter in the company's history began when it was acquired by Opal Electronics, a manufacturer of electronic measuring devices. In 1991, Norma's owner started a research project to understand how audio equipment can degrade sound and how this can be avoided. Seven years later, he found what he was looking for. It was certainly not one brilliant solution but rather a collection of rules and general guidelines. Unlike manufacturers who have built their reputation on a particular technical solution, Norma doesn't base its entire business on a single patent. But if you would like to know what you can expect from this gear, Enrico Rossi makes it clear - the sound should be natural, dynamic, and succinct with a very realistic midrange.

NAD Electronics announced the new and improved Masters M10 V2 BluOS Streaming Amplifier, which continues its "just add speakers" revolution of Hi-Fi. The M10 V2 features 100 watts per channel of amplification and BluOS streaming capabilities and adds the capability to expand with Dolby Digital Surround decoding, an enclosed IR remote control, and updated gain algorithms. "The original M10 caught the industry off-guard and made audiophiles and non-audiophiles reimagine what hi-fi can and should be. The M10 V2 continues where the first left off and adds even more versatility as a two-channel or potentially a wireless home theatre system." - stated Cas Oostvogel, Product Manager for NAD Electronics. 

When iFi Audio launched its original micro iDSD headphone amp, preamp, and DAC back in 2014, it raised the bar for small portable, high-performing DACs. It's been lifting it higher ever since. Last November saw the introduction of the nano iDSD Black Label, with a host of new features including support for MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) audio. Now, iFi has excelled itself again with the launch of xDSD - the first in the company's next generation of portable DACs.

Ten years ago, listening to music from the computer was regarded in the audiophile circle as cheap entertainment designed for people not interested in the quality of sound and audio equipment. That way of thinking was popular for a reason. Firstly, the quality of the files. When the high-speed internet was not widespread, music was only available in highly compressed MP3 files. Data transmission speed wasn't the only problem. If someone decided to purchase one of the first portable MP3 players, they probably wouldn't have had more than 32 or 64 MB of space. Secondly, hardly anyone used something more serious than plastic speakers for $10. Using the computer as a signal source was regarded as a perversion. Thirdly, having the audio files meant that they were illegally downloaded from the network, which is obviously unethical.

French manufacturer of digital audio brings new enhancements to its DACs, which benefit from a series of new features under the EX label. These include a network input giving access to streaming functionalities, as well as a USB slot for direct connection of storage media. Additionally, a DSP-based acoustic correction feature offers a wide range of possibilities for adjusting to the listening environment. Extended version of the B.dac, the B.dac EX is a response to many requests for network playback and D/A conversion functionalities in a single product.

Linn launched next-generation Klimax DSM, the ultimate streaming product and the closest you can get to streaming audio perfection. Applying almost five decades of digital technology learnings and expertise, every element has been designed from first principles and is fully optimised for the best musical performance. A complete reimagining of its flagship streamer, the new Klimax DSM introduces an exquisite custom-designed enclosure that provides acoustic isolation along with visual and tactile luxury. Crucially, the enclosure cradles the beating heart of Klimax DSM and its most critical component, Organik DAC - the ground-breaking, first ever, all-Linn digital to analogue converter.

McIntosh introduced the MA12000 Hybrid Integrated Amplifier. This fully loaded, hybrid integrated amplifier is a product of uncompromising audio engineering and expert craftsmanship. McIntosh's most powerful integrated amplifier ever, the feature-rich MA12000 offers 350 Watts per channel of clean, high-performance power that produces a breathtaking home audio experience. You will think your favorite musicians are playing a live, in-person performance in your house.