Latest News – page 2

The ONIX Zenith XST20 SACD/CD transport has been unveiled, offering what the company claims is the unique ability to play any SACD disc in true DSD quality with any compatible external DAC. The ONIX Zenith XST20 is the start of a new signature product series that will soon consist of three corresponding desktop components, with a digital-to-analog converter and a network streamer to follow soon.

French company Jadis presented the first DAC of a new range, Jadis JS5 - a dual-block digital-to-analog converter of the highest echelon, using a tubes (four dual triodes in the signal path, as well as two pentodes for controlling an external power supply - 2 x ECC82, 2 x ECC88, 1 x EL84 and 1 x EF86).

Soulnote M-3X is a new monoblock power amplifier from a famous Japanese company. The model will replace the Soulnote M-3 amplifier and will offer twice as much current (a 1,600 VA power transformer is used), which will provide significantly better control of the acoustics.

At the upcoming AXPONA show (April 11-13, 2025) in Schaumberg, IL, Audio Research will introduce six new audio components that represent the culmination of 55 years of experience.

Japanese corporation Accuphase has introduced a powerful but compact integrated amplifier Accuphase E-3000 – the new model will replace the E-280 in the company's model range.

In the “golden age” of audio, turntables with automatic mechanisms, when the user only had to put the record on and press a button, the automation did the rest, became the standard. During the vinyl renaissance of the 21st century, attention was focused on sound quality – so automatic mechanisms fell by the wayside. However, now we are seeing the response of automatic turntables at a new level of sound quality – and one of them, the just presented Pro-Ject AUTOMAT A1.2.

Klipsch KLIPSCHORN are one of the most "long-lived" speaker systems on the modern market - they have been produced for more than 75 years. Well, let's meet the new version of the legendary speakers - Klipsch KLIPSCHORN AK7.

The original Klipsch LA SCALA loudspeakers were released in 1963 – the model has remained in production for years and has earned a truly cult status. Well, meet the new version of the Klipsch LA SCALA AL6 – for the first time in many years, it uses a vented box design and significantly expands the depth of the bass.

Rega has introduced the seventh generation of the Brio series integrated amplifier - Rega Brio Mk7. The amp, like its predecessors, is housed in a compact case and offers a power of 2 x 50 W at 8 Ohm load or 2 x 73 W at 6 Ohm. "On board" along with a headphone amplifier (with a 3.5 mm minijack post) and a phono preamplifier for working with both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) pickup cartridges, a digital-to-analog converter module has also appeared.

Audio-Technica has introduced a limited edition of the ATH-CKS50TW2 TWS headphones, designed based on the Star Wars universe. Users are offered stylized versions in the style of the droid R2-D2, the characters Grogu and Mando from the Mandalorian series, and Darth Vader. The technical specifications remain unchanged, but the owners of the headphones now have the opportunity to customize alerts that play unique sounds from Star Wars corresponding to a particular character.

The tube stereo power amplifier Pearl Acoustics 170 SE should go on sale only at the end of 2025 – but the veil of secrecy over the device has already been lifted. We are waiting for a dual mono, single ended design power amp with 0 dB global feedback. The device is based on the inexpensive PSVANE "Horizon" KT150 tubes – which delivers excellent holography, as well as good bass and detail without a significant loss in output power.

The Swiss company Nagra has introduced a new phono preamplifier, the Nagra Compact Phono, offered for a relatively modest price of $4,950 by the company’s standards. The model, housed in a miniature aluminum vibration-controlled case, offers the highest performance and uses circuitry with the shortest signal path to achieve ideal MC correction.

Musical Fidelity has developed a new digital-to-analog converter with headphone amplifier Musical Fidelity M8x DAC. In its development, the company relied on its proprietary approaches that have been developed over the years – such as the use of Class A output stages, the absence of an information display to reduce electromagnetic interference (indication is displayed using LEDs), as well as the avoidance of wireless Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules.

The Greek company Echo Diastasis has released a new phono preamplifier Echo Diastasis PH 79 Reference – based on original circuit design solutions, the development of which lasted for many years. The device does not have global feedback and is implemented in the “dual mono” scheme.

The English company Vertere Acoustics has introduced a new model of the DG-X vinyl record player, which is supplied from the factory in several configuration options – including even a tonearm and cartridge.

German company T+A has introduced a stylish integrated amplifier T+A Symphonia with arrows indicators of the gain level. The model offers a full set of analog and digital inputs, is equipped with a built-in digital-to-analog converter, a full-fledged network streamer and has a built-in phono preamplifier.

Serbian company Dayens has released an ascetic stereo power amplifier Dayens Ecstasy IV Slim – the model uses output stages on two pairs of Japanese transistors and provides (despite the compact slim case) 110 W per channel when working on loudspeakers with an impedance of 8 Ohms (2 x 160 W at 4 Ohms).

Cayin has released an update to its well-known integrated amplifier model – the Cayin MT-35 MK3. In addition to three RCA inputs, the amp received a wireless streaming module Bluetooth (AAC, aptX HD and LDAC) with a fairly powerful built-in digital-to-analog converter based on the ES9018K2M Sabre32 chip.

Ortofon has released a reimagined modern version of the iconic MC A90 cartridge – meet the Ortofon MC 90X! The Ortofon MC 90X uses the proprietary Replicant 100 diamond – with a thin and light profile and a large contact surface, it is designed to be as close as possible to the cutting stylus of the machine used to form the groove in the record. The special shape of the diamond, a special polishing process and the use of a boron cantilever guarantee transparency and precision of sound.

The full premiere of the Ypsilon Electronics PST 100 Anniversary Edition preamplifier will take place at Audio Show Deluxe on March 22-23, 2025, Whittlebury Park Melbourne room, at which time the full technical specifications of the device will be available. But the curtain of secrecy has already been lifted - so, the new preamplifier, released for the 30th anniversary of the company, is a further development of the SE model.