Displaying items by tag: amplifier - StereoLife Magazine

I am completely biased when it comes to Hegel gear. I like the brand, I like most of the equipment it offers, I use an H20 power amplifier in my reference system, and I've drunk a lot of beer with the Norwegians, talking about music and hi-fi equipment in general. Most of all, I like the way they think about their work. They're professional but pretty laid back. On the one hand, we are dealing with a company known to everyone in the industry. A company that has dozens of distributors and hundreds of dealers around the world. A company that has won all the most important awards. On the other hand, it's not a corporation with three marketing specialists, two product managers, and four directors per one engineer. It is precisely the opposite. The fact that Hegel's products can compete with the equipment of the big players, often winning this competition when it comes to listening, doesn't mean that it's a cold and calculating machine that only cares about increasing sales numbers. Yes, it does care, but not to the extent that someone sits in spreadsheets at night. Although they have been very successful, the Norwegians remain true to their ideals and manage to maintain a spirit of a small, modest company founded by Bent Holter back when he studied at the Technical University in Trondheim.

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.

McIntosh announced the MC3500 Mk II vacuum tube amplifier. Originally used to power the sound system for Woodstock '69 amongst other formative music events, the iconic monoblock amp was recreated by McIntosh's expert team of engineers and designers to include modern upgrades that celebrate the brand's rich history of powering pivotal moments in music, while showcasing its commitment to technological innovations and acoustic advancements. The reimagined version can be used with a variety of preamplifiers, turntables, CD players, media streamers, speakers, etc. to form a complete home audio system.

NAD Electronics continues its expansion in the "just add speakers" category with the introduction of the C700 BluOS Streaming Amplifier. Housed in a compact and modern design, the C700 was designed with a listener in mind who seeks an uncompromised listening experience with a focus on value. Inside the solid aluminum housing is a powerful HybridDigital UcD amplifier and BluOS Enabled network streamer. Using the intuitive BluOS app, the ability to cue music from a digital library, or stream from internet radio and online services like Spotify, Amazon Music HD, Tidal, and Qobuz could not be easier. The C700 delivers an experience similar to the award-winning Masters Series M10 BluOS Music Streaming Amplifier.

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.

The new Luxman L-595A Special Edition is a premium Class A integrated amplifier built to commemorate Luxman's 95th anniversary. The unique industrial design reimagines the highly regarded L-570 series inaugurated in 1989. "Not many consumer electronics companies can point to a 95-year heritage. The Luxman L-595ASE validates our ongoing commitment to sonic excellence, superb build quality, and timeless design." - said Jeff Sigmund, president of Luxman America.

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.

Chord Electronics has launched its first-ever small desktop integrated amplifier, Anni. Capable of driving both headphones and compact loudspeakers, the Qutest-sized Anni benefits from the company's proprietary Ultima circuit topology and is perfectly positioned to exploit the full potential of today's high-performance headphones, desktop monitors, and high-resolution audio sources. The new Anni desktop integrated amplifier forms part of the Qutest range and seamlessly complements the resolving abilities of the multi-award-winning Qutest standalone DAC and Huei phono stage. As a system, the Qutest components provide an unrivaled desktop audio solution, offering class-leading digital and analog technologies for the modern music lover. The company's compact QSS (Qutest Stand System) modular equipment rack provides the perfect support, too.

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. 

Cyrus is delighted to announce a new rack system, the Hark III, designed for their new XR Series of uncompromising components (amplifiers, preamps, CD players, and more). The Hark III allows audiophiles to proudly display their coveted collection of Cyrus hi-fi gear in an elegant vertical column with built-in cable management. The Hark III features fully adjustable shelf heights, allowing multiple product configurations. Hark III is shipped complete with four shelving units but is able to accommodate up to 8 shelves per rack (additional pairs of shelves are available separately).