Norway's Hegel Music Systems is set to launch their new top-of-the-line DAC, the HD25, at CES 2013 in January. Hegel says that the HD25 incorporates similar features to the company’s HD11 and HD20 DACs, as well as the DAC in their new integrated amplifier, the H300, but also has new features that are unique to it. They say that this "hybrid" approach was taken to offer advanced performance at a reasonable price.
According to Hegel’s press release on November 8, the HD25 will feature: 24/96 plug’n’play and 24/192 (using a third-party driver) support, selectable with a rear-mounted switch; multiple digital filters that can be selected with the supplied remote control; galvanically shielded USB inputs; silicon-germanium transistors for lower noise; analog attenuation for no loss of digital resolution; and improved re-clocking for increased accuracy. The HD25’s price in Europe will be €2000, while its price in the United States will be $2500.
The SoundStage! Network has launched SoundStage! Daily for widespread beta-testing today. SoundStage! Daily is a next-generation portal site that will help audiophiles find websites, reviews, and news stories from around the globe. The reason that the site is being tested before its official launch is because it contains many cutting-edge features, such as the Mega-Feed, which allows readers to see the latest updates from audio-based sites across the Web with just a single mouse click. According to the SoundStage! Network’s founder and publisher, Doug Schneider, “SoundStage! Daily presents information in a brand-new way to the audiophile community, so we want to make sure everything is working properly before we consider this new site complete.”
The SoundStage! Network is optimistic about the site’s launch, feeling that it will become the world’s number-one resource for up-to-date audiophile-based information in very little time. But they also expect their fair share of criticism because the site’s concept is so different compared to anything that’s been done before. According to Doug Schneider, “We have no doubt that SoundStage! Daily will thrill most readers because of its usefulness and relevance, but it will also confound some, mostly because we’re providing a vast array of links to our competitors’ sites, reviews, and news stories, which will undoubtedly help them be discovered and guide more traffic to them. Some might wonder why we’re willing to do that. But once they start using the links and realize how valuable having worldwide access to the latest audiophile information on a single website can be, they’ll also realize how valuable a site like this is and why we feel it will be a cornerstone in our ‘network’ of audio-based sites, which is a concept we pioneered in the ‘90s and is being mimicked by other publishers today. SoundStage! Daily will help others grow, but it will help us grow, too.”
SoundStage! Daily is available for testing right now.
Electrocompaniet of Norway is launching their new Prelude PI 2D integrated amplifier/DAC on November 1. The PI 2D is rated to deliver 100Wpc into 8 ohms, 165Wpc into 4 ohms, or 220Wpc into 2 ohms, making it powerful enough for most home stereo systems. The PI 2D has one set of balanced and four sets of single-ended analog inputs (including a home-theater pass-through), as well as a 24/192-capable digital section with five inputs: two coax, two TosLink, and one USB (asynchronous). Electrocompaniet claims the PI 2D’s THD+N is less than 0.005%, its output impedance is less than 0.03 ohm, and its channel separation is greater than 120dB. The PI 2D is priced at €3150 in Europe (est. price in North America: $3995 USD).
Germaine Scott & Friends has partnered with Sanch Electronix to market and distribute a new CD entitled Charming Trinidad, her third fundraising project in a series entitled Happy Times. Sanch’s managing director, SoundStage! Network contributor Simeon Louis Sandiford, is a lifelong audiophile and recording engineer. Simeon’s latest venture, Pan in Education, is his vision "to create a globally competitive structured music industry that emanates from the classroom." His goal is to raise money for music education in his home country of Trinidad and Tobago.
According to Sandiford, "When Germaine suggested that Happy Times 3 could be used to supplement the initiative, I readily agreed. Furthermore, since the CD would be produced on the Sanch label, listeners would become aware of the mechanical and aesthetic quality that could evolve from small facilities utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and technology for their productions. Additionally, international orders including 24-bit high-resolution digital downloads could be fulfilled from my newly established online shopping facility called The Sanch Marketplace."
The repertoire is a "gourmet selection of timeless melodies" -- vocals and instrumentals in swing, bolero and honky-tonk modes with old time calypso jam sessions rippling with endless nostalgia. "Tico Tico," "C’est Ce Bon," "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," "Danny Boy," and "Blue Bayou" fit cosily into Germaine’s 16-track, concert-length eclectic brew that also includes six tantalising medleys. Trini hits of yesteryear -- The Mighty Terror’s "The Monkey" and Lord Kitchener’s "Ol’ Lady," blend harmoniously with one of the world’s great Calypso bards, Andrew "Lord Superior" Marcano, doing a rendition of a Cabral original, "Charming Trinidad."
Germaine Scott invites you to audition Charming Trinidad, which was launched two days ago on the island. Three of the selections including the title track were composed by her grandfather, George Cabral, circa 1953. He was a former mayor of Port of Spain, the capital city of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF) is the largest consumer-based high-end-audio show in the United States. It takes place annually at the Denver Marriott Tech Center in Denver, CO, USA. RMAF 2012 runs October 12-14 and the SoundStage! Network is currently there covering it. All coverage appears on SoundStage! Global, the SoundStage! Network's special site devoted exclusively to event coverage and company tours.
RHA, an electronics company based in Glasgow, Scotland, is making its first North American product launch with two headphones: the in-ear MA450i and the on-ear SA950i. Both units are covered by an impressive three-year warranty. The headphones will be available at Apple stores in North America, timed to coincide with Apple’s recent release of the new iPhone 5 and iPod Nano.
The noise-isolating in-ear MA450i ($49.95 USD) is machined from solid, aircraft-grade aluminum. The 10mm drivers are housed within unique, “aero-phonically” designed earphones engineered to produce outstanding audio. The MA450i, available in black or white, comes packaged with seven sets of dual-density rubber ear tips and a 1.5m fabric-braided cable equipped with an Apple-specified three-button inline remote.
The on-ear SA950i ($59.95) features 40mm titanium-coated drivers and neodymium magnets in a compact supra-aural design to produce “studio-quality sound” in a portable size. The lightweight SA950i headphones also use contour-forming earcups attached to adjustable chrome sliders for a secure and comfortable fit, and have a 1.2m detachable, fabric-braided cable with inline remote.
The MA450i will be available through Apple Online in mid-October. The SA950i is launching in Apple retail stores at the end of October.
Portland, Oregon-based Aperion Audio has announced the availability of the ARIS wireless speaker for Windows 7 and 8. Aperion claims the ARIS is the first speaker system that is certified compatible with Windows 8. Using the Windows Play To feature, users can select and send music wirelessly from any Windows PC, tablet or smartphone connected to their home network.
According to the Aperion press release: "Today, music is stored on a variety of digital devices in the home including desktops, laptops, notebook PCs, network storage drives, tablets and smartphones. ARIS connects to all of these sources of music on the home network and eliminates the need to move music files between devices or plug and unplug cables to hear specific tracks. Using Windows 7 and 8 on PCs or tablets and controller apps on a Windows, Android, or iOS smartphone, music lovers can send music from any source on the network to an ARIS speaker located anywhere in the home."
Aperion says the ARIS includes six internal drivers and four amplifiers that provide a total of 100W of audio power and a maximum SPL of 105dB. The unique extruded, black-anodized aluminum enclosure measures 6.5" high by 14.75" wide. The ARIS is equipped with an adjustable and removable red steel stand for precise angling to enable optimal placement in any room.
According to Aperion, the key features of the Aperion ARIS are:
The Aperion ARIS speaker with ARIS wireless card for Windows is priced at $499 USD.
Britain's Bowers & Wilkins announced the release of the Panorama 2 soundbar, which they say is considerably better than the original Panorama model. According to the company's October 3 press release: "Panorama 2 is the result of intensive research by Bowers & Wilkins' renowned engineering team at its UK Research and Development division in Steyning, West Sussex. It includes technologies originally developed for high-end speakers such as the 800 Series Diamond, and uses them to bring a new level of performance to soundbars.
"Panorama 2 features completely new Bowers & Wilkins engineered drive units, which deliver a dramatically enhanced acoustic performance. The new low-frequency drivers have improved linearity for greater dynamic performance and lower resonance for deeper extension. The midrange drive units have wider dispersion characteristics, which helps to improve the virtual surround performance. The tweeter has been improved, too, for smoother integration with the midrange. The overall result is significantly improved acoustics on a product that already set the standard for audio performance from a soundbar."
The Panorama 2 has three HDMI inputs, one HDMI output, one 3.5mm connector that can be configured for analog or digital sources, and one 3.5mm mini-jack input for analog sources. It comes with a remote control, TosLink adapter, wall bracket, small and large feet, and a cleaning cloth. The Panorama 2 will sell for $2200 in the United States when it's released later in October.