Search results for 'bronze 50'

This is the recently released version of PS Audio's CD Transport. And what sets this unit apart from anything that PS Audio has done before and also anything that's been done before by any other HiFi company, is their galvanically isolated output stage. That means that the data is being transfered from the input stage to the output stage via a type of very focused short wave radio frequencies. Any vestiges of interference that inevitably occur when these stages are hardwired, are completely eliminated.

Input and output stages have their very own board and power supply to keep them completely separated as well. FPGAs (Field-Programable Gate Array; if you'd like to learn more about these very handy devices see Paul McGowan's video here) is utilised to ensure clocking and data buffering are spot on. 

The best way to use this unit and unleash its full potential is to use the I2S output or the HDMI out put to a DAC (like the PS Audio DirectStream) that can handle it. In this respect you can hear a complete Raw DSD file...and that truly is another experience. A DSD file is what makes an SACD an SACD. Instead of sampling at a determined fast rate (bit rate) the sine curve of the musical file, a DSD file samples the whole sine curve. These raw files are bigger and have to be compresesd to even push it out of a transport. But not with this unit and the I2S...full blown raw DSD files streaming into your speakers. Heaven.

Of course you can still use this unit without the I2S and it's still devastatingly good. A pair of BNC connectors will double a normal DSD output to make it DSD128 and this connection is particularly scintillating with a Chord Dave...

Read theaudiobeatnik review of the unit here (he uses the I2S connection with a non PS Audio Dac with superb results)

The PS Audio website has some extra reading on this unique product too

This will be the last of the made in England Naim amplifiers as the factory is moving to Eastern Europe. Everything made in the Salisbury factory will instantly become a classic. Stock available now while they last.

Naim Nait 5Si is the latest iteration of an amplifier 30 years in the making. Naim is an iconic british HiFi brand that continues its 40 year legacy of design and manufacture in Salisbury, U.K. The very first NAIT amplifier was built at a time when Mr. Tiefenbrun of Linn Acoustics was proclaiming that all that matters in a HiFi system is your source, namely your turntable. For the purest reconstruction of pace, rythym and timing one needed to perfect the source of the electronic signal path and then keep everything as simple as possible through the amplifier and speakers which inherently (according to Tiefenbrun) don't have much impact on the sound.

At this time, there was an effort to frame the amplifier in a marketable sense as just something that outputed current but wasn't part of the HiFi craftmanship and nuanced engineering that really created a true HiFi experience. 

Although I'm appreciative of how much of a difference fantastic source material makes to a HiFi system (I even own a Linn Sondek Turntable) my experience and those of countless other HiFi shoppers would indicate that the amplifiers and speakers control an enormous amount in terms of what one hears musically out of a system. And given in this day and age when many of us own multiple HiFi sources (Turntable, CD player and streamer), switching between them and keeping our amplifier and speakers constant, it's more important to get your amplifier and speaker combination right.

And Naim sought to redirect this discourse, marketing the NAIT as a delicate piece in the HiFi system capable of transforming your musical experience. They even went so far as to refuse to publish the output values of the amplifier in an attempt to get people to think about the musical qualities of a unit rather than merely to compare its Watts with another unit. Alas, we still cling to comparing each amplifier by its rated watts which can be a wholly unhelpful exercise - that is an essay for another time!

But I digress, we should be talking about the Nait 5Si! A faithful and timeless amplifier that it is, it delivers a crisp sound that's not full of colouration but will add excitement and a sense of immediacy to the music. 

Naim products bought from us, a genuine approved Naim dealer, include the full 2 year warranty.

Once upon a time twenty five years ago we sold a loudspeaker called the Krix Lyrix ... all Krix speakers have to end in "ix" by the way ... it's a peculiarity they are allowed after being a successful business for forty years.

The Lyrix was a fantastic D'Appolito floorstanding loudspeaker in an era of humdrum "system" speakers. When they were released most speakers purchased in Australia were essentially hollow chipboard boxes with arbitrary drive units intended as furniture for colourful system packages.

The Lyrix were a speaker that a serious enthusiast could appreciate. I recall how very good the wood finish of these speakers would smell when we unpacked them.

The Phoenix is the Lyrix evolved for the second decade of the 21st century with bass presence and detail that is outstanding in its price class. A great all rounder for medium and large room music and cinema reproduction, and they still smell good ...

 Krix Phoenix official page 

As the reference and the three way floorstander of the SOnus Faber Lumina range, the Lumina Vs have a deeper more commanding sound than the others in the Lumina series. 

The same Dampened Apex Tweeter provides the Sonus faber singing quality in the treble that doesn't sound harsh or brittle. The natural fibres in the mid and bass drivers are a light and accurate material and another typically Sonus Faber feature that you see from their $200,000 speakers right down to their $1595 speakers.

The Lumina's are finished in a real leather wrap and a wooden front with inlay details that feels and looks super classy. Italian style combined with the highest calibre engineering and HiFi prowess will make a striking addition to any lounge room.

The bigger bookshelf design in the Sonus Faber Lumina range. Retaining the 'voice of Sonus Faber' with their Damped Apex Dome tweeter that you'll find on all of the Sonus Faber current range. The Lumina is Sonus Faber's entry level speakers that unlike previous entry level ranges from the Italian brand, they are made directly alongside their more expensive counterparts in the Italian manufacturing facility outside of Vincenza.

Because of this, the sound is rich and warm yet precise where you'd expect as well. 

Some clever design atributes, mean these Lumina speakers are perfectly designed to sit right up against walls or actually in Bookcases. Would you believe it, but most 'bookshelf' speakers are not designed to perform well placed into a bookcase. That's because their rear firing bass port will produce a soundwave reflection off a back wall or surface when placed too close to it. As a listener, you'll hear that reflection as distortion. With a front firing speaker, this eliminates this effect and beautiful music can still be heard when speakers are placed onto bookshelves.

The speakers also have a quality finish and styling. A real leather wrap and wooden finishes on the front baffle with lovely inlay details.

Superb Italian design and manufacturing in a compact package to suit the most discerning of buyers.

Ex-demo unit in perfect condition ready to go. An opportunity to secure a brilliant TV for exceptional value.

Loewe started manufacturing Televisions in 1923 and actually made the first commercially available Television. After a few years of being manufactured in other European countries, they're now back being produced and headquartered in Kronach, Germany's heartland.

I visited Kronach and the Loewe factory in 2015. Kronach is a tiny town for German standards and its industry and in fact it's whole economy has been dominated by Loewe for generations. Most people who live in Kronach work or have worked in the Loewe factory. When I was there, there were multiple generations of the one family working side by side to exacting standards on the Televisions. All of this in what is a Storybook looking town with old wooden houses and a medieval castle on the hill.

Loewe Televisions, like premium German made motor vehicles, contain a workmanship and attention to detail above their Asian made counterparts. Machine engineered alloy bezels, cable management systems, intuitive remote and interface and swivel stands that come as standard are the details that don't come with other Televisions.

The Bild V is elegant, yet solid and robust to out live most of its contempories.

The picture quality, as you'd expect with a Television of this calibre, is bold and expressive without ever seeming artificial. Although it's pitched at replacing the old Bild 5 units, the Bild V has the same panel as the higher end Bild 7 and in substance is much closer in spec to those. 

Expect this Television to out perform generations of other Asian made units because of the picture and build quality. An expectional Television. 

Loewe started manufacturing Televisions in 1923 and actually made the first commercially available Television. After a few years of being manufactured in other European countries, they're now back being produced and headquartered in Kronach, Germany's heartland.

I visited Kronach and the Loewe factory in 2015. Kronach is a tiny town for German standards and its industry and in fact it's whole economy has been dominated by Loewe for generations. Most people who live in Kronach work or have worked in the Loewe factory. When I was there, there were multiple generations of the one family working side by side to exacting standards on the Televisions. All of this in what is a Storybook looking town with old wooden houses and a medieval castle on the hill.

Loewe Televisions, like premium German made motor vehicles, contain a workmanship and attention to detail above their Asian made counterparts. Machine engineered alloy bezels, cable management systems, intuitive remote and interface and swivel stands that come as standard are the details that don't come with other Televisions.

The Bild V is elegant, yet solid and robust to out live most of its contempories.

The picture quality, as you'd expect with a Television of this calibre, is bold and expressive without ever seeming artificial. Although it's pitched at replacing the old Bild 5 units, the Bild V has the same panel as the higher end Bild 7 and in substance is much closer in spec to those. 

Expect this Television to out perform generations of other Asian made units because of the picture and build quality. An expectional Television. 

The new Audio Research i50 integrated amplifier is the new entry level offering from US tube manufacturer, Audio Research. 

Audio Research is the sort of brand that hardened audiophiles lust after, drool over and buckle at the knees for...myself included. The sort of effortless, unadultered, rich sound that keeps us back late at night playing tracks that we've heard thousands of times before because they suddenly sound so real with Audio Research. 

Aesthetically, Audio research has a timeless elegance to it not only because of the valves but also the brushed aluminium finish. There's no plastic add ons with this brand or ostentatious flashing, multi-coloured lights...

Like a German piano from the early 20th century, you lust after them because they're beautiful pieces of furniture but also because their sound is rich & warm yet clearer and more natural than others.

For many people, like myself, Audio Research is an aspirational brand, something we hope, with a bit of luck will grace our living rooms one day. But with the new offering of the i50, we hope that day will come sooner for us all. 

Audio Research has spent years perfecting this design so as not to compromise on their stingent standards of quality and tone but to nevertheless offer something at a more modest price level. You can opt out of a built-in phono stage or DAC module depending on your needs as well. Learn More

This is where power get serious. 9 power outlets delivering perfect AC sine wave to your precious HiFI. 

Sonically this can be a bigger difference than getting a new amplifier. We've had many HiFi enthusiasts blown away by the detail and the largeness of the sound that this delivers. 

And so many cool features to play with as well. You can measure the distortion and the improvements that the unit makes, you can set timed switch on and switch off sequences for your gear, measure output voltages, switch on/off certain zones. The geek in us all does a little happy dance with all the options.

But the real selling point is the sound. You don't realise how much of the power supply you hear through your speakers until it's not there anymore. 

This little unit is specifically designed for Audio Visual applications rather than 2 channel stereo of the other Isotek products. Great for Televisions and projectors. Touted to give your units a longer lifespan by protecting them from sudden electrical surges but also improving them visually!

A handy product for the AV enthusiast.

Anthem AVM-70 is capable of 15.2 channels of processing. That's a hefty amount of processing perfect for serious high-end residential theatres. It comes with everything you'd expect of a modern surround processor: 4K/60Hz pass-through (8K pass-through will be an upgradeable option), HDR10, Dolby vision, apple Airplay, Bluetooth & Google Chromecast.

It's a great option for a full 15.2 channels worth of processing that sits at a slightly better price than the Marantz AV8805.

Read more about this unit at Anthem's own website here.

Power, power and more power. When you want headroom and supreme control over even the hardest to drive loudspeakers, the Rotel RB-1590 is your Beast of Burden dressed in elegant finery of the royal cavalry.

A true work horse that also has a depth of character and refinement. Having so much power driving your system is an unrivalled experience. 

We have the RB-1590 on demo now ready to play with. Come down and have a listen. 

The Sony VPL-XW7000 is on demonstration here at Carlton AV and it is indeed a special projector ...

The new reference for pure image quality in home video projectors. The dynamic range of colour and brightness allied to a very natural image feel makes this XW7000 the home cinema aspirational projector of the moment.

Sony Australia VPL-XW7000ES official site

”What Hi-Fi” reviews the Sony VPL-XW7000ES

A remarkable technical achievement for Sony that breaks new ground in the marketplace. It has been a long wait to get one on demonstration and supply issues will plague this very high demand device.

Between this and the new Epson LS12000 there are some serious advantages for a consumer of good home cinema to consider an upgrade to these products honed by fierce competitive evolution.

Sony XW5000ES official site

StereoNet Australia reviews the Sony XW5000ES

"Expert Reviews" on the Sony XW5000ES

Aurender is the new kid at Carlton Audio Visual. The choice for digital streaming options in the realm of real HiFi has blossomed over the last couple of years and for the uninitiated the nuances and the differences between a good digital front end and an incredible digital front end get lost in a lot of computer terminology.

Like a caching server. What is caching? And whiy is it useful in a streamer?

Caching is a temporary storage of information using certain drive and memory chip hardware. Having this caching server on board the streamer means the music files are stored right there at the streamer once selected so data is handled at dramatically increased speeds. It also eliminates annoying drop out problems from sub optimal internet connections.

This all means a better musical experience.

And more than the caching server, the Aurenders examine all the detail within the circuitry and connections in their units to reduce or eliminate noisy electronic componentry corrupting the musical signal. This means quieter noise floor, more detail and soundstage...in essence...more Music, less noise!

We are offering the PS Audio FR30s Ex-Demo for a very special price.

Now on demonstration in a dedicated space in Carlton Audio Visual.

Hi Fi News Verdict:  "The waiting is over, and the aspen FR30 speakers are nothing short of remarkable, setting new standards of focus, openness, weight and control at this price and well above. The build and finish are as immaculate as the sound, the unusual styling works remarkably well in the room, and the listening experience is a revelation. If you're in the market for speakers in this sector, listen to them - they're a bargain."

The Big Reds are a no compromise design by Dr Rod Crawford. With amplifiers built in that perfectly match not only the speaker but each individual driver. Normally, when we build up HiFi systems that use a separate amplifier to power each driver, you're looking at a price tag of 10s of thousands of dollars. In this case you can get all of those benefits and more.

These Big Reds also boast an active crossover design that is handled by a separate box, the DEQX. This smart little box also adjusts for any discrepancies of each individual driver as well as those inherent in your listening room.

In whatever situation these end up in, they are sure to astound!

The Joey bookshelf speakers have been a favourite of Carlton AUdio Visual since Dr Rod Crawford made his first set many years ago. For a speaker that is just under $1000 per pair, they have a clarity of tone and precision that is simply unrivalled.

Adding to that, these are hand crafted here in Australia and finished off with real hard wood Aussie veneers.

Rod, not only uses the best parts available in his speakers, he also knows HOW to use them. He was Linn Acoustics head speaker designer for many years and has degrees upon degrees from the best universities in the world. On top of that he has a deep passion for sound and music. You'll often catch Rod at classical music concerts up and down the East coast of Australia or chatting about the intricacies of speaker design to anyone who is interested. 

His passion results in a speaker that is much better than it's meagre price point.

You'll need a good amplifier to bring out the most of these. But when you give them the kind of power they deserve, they will reward!

 These are available in Jarrah, Light Oak and Black

The SP stands for Special Production or as we like to put it, Scottish Production as these are the sets not only specially designed with extra goodies but made in the U.K. in the Scottish factory. 

Unlike the ordinary F501s, these have the IsoFlare Drive. A dual concentric driver that delivers incredible detail and responsiveness. You can see in this driver design the influence of Tannoy where many of the designers came from. Back in the day when Tannoy was completely Scottish owned and made. Tannoy also used Dual Concentric Drivers.

Additional features over the F501s are upgraded crossovers and an aluminium sandwich plinth. All features of the pricier F700 series.