Hifi Pig

IsoTek has unveiled its successor to the multi award-winningGII Titan power conditioner: the “radically updated” EVO3 Titan.

Designed to deliver clean power for power-hungry amplifiers, mono-blocks, active loudspeakers and subwoofers, IsoTek’s original GII Titan was built to provide optimum high current filtering in a compact design.

The new EVO3 version retains the same bijou size, but manages to pack in a raft of “technological enhancements”. Several of these have trickled directly down from the extensive research that went into the Titan’s ‘big brother’, IsoTek’s flagship Super Titan. The new EVO3 Titan takes the circuit from the Super Titan and reconfigures it into a more compact form.

The Titan’s proprietary Direct-Coupled© circuit topology has also been upgraded in two subtle but significant ways. The first is a doubling of the copper component (to a weight of 2oz) before 24-ct gold plating.

Secondly, the circuit design is a fully optimised ‘KERP’ equal resistance path. KERP© (Kirchoff’s Equal Resistance Path) is a technology specifically developed for IsoTek’s EVO3 generation of products. KERP ensures equal resistance and equal power delivery to all outlets.

The EVO3 Titan’s internal wiring has also been upgraded to IsoTek’s newly-developed UP-OCC (Ultra Pure Ohno Continuous Cast) high purity copper solid core internal wire, which is silver plated before being insulated with Teflon. A fine Teflon strand is wound helically around the wire before a secondary Teflon tube is extruded over the top, creating an air gap between wire and insulating tube and forming a virtual air dielectric (VAD) which has virtually no capacitance.

“When we launched the original GII Titan in 2005, it was designed to be the very best high current power conditioner we could make, and was a huge improvement on our earlier isolation transformer based designs,” says Keith Martin, IsoTek’s founder and managing director. “We then went all out and pushed the boundaries still further with the flagship Super Titan. We’ve now given our original Titan a radical update using technology from the Super Titan to deliver the new EVO3 Titan. For us, it’s a revelation. It delivers cutting edge ultra-low impedance high current power conditioning – but still in a beautifully compact form.”

The Chord Company has added a new high-speed HDMI cable to its collection.

The Active Resolution HDMI V2 has a new high-performance chipset designed to bring improvements to both picture and sound quality when used in good-quality audio/visual systems. Key to the new cable’s design is an improved conductor: the Active Resolution HDMI V2 now features heavier gauge conductors for all critical signal paths, employing high-quality silver-plated oxygen-free copper 26 AWG conductors.

The Active Resolution HDMI V2 is fitted with a die-cast gold-plated HDMI plug with a metal body to improve shielding.

Further features include low-loss gas-foamed polyethylene insulation, with all critical signal conductors protected with high-frequency-effective shielding.

Active Resolution HDMI V2 is now available in lengths of: 0.75m; 1.5m; 2m; 3m; 5m; 8m; 10m; 15m and 20m. Prices start at £150 for the 0.75m version.

Following on from the success of their original GT2 USB cable, Japanese cable manufacturers Furutech now introduce their higher specified GT2 Pro.

Featuring 24k gold-plated non-magnetic USB 2.0 connectors and Furutech’s new  Alpha* OCC (Ohno Continuous Cast) silver-copper alloy conductor, the GT2 Pro has been designed with the audiophile in mind.

Furutech’s GT2 Pro USB cable is formed around special Alpha* OCC silver copper alloy conductors with high-density polyethylene insulation/dielectric. It features three-layer shielding and specially engineered 24k gold-plated USB 2.0 connectors with a 24k gold-plated copper alloy EMI shield incorporated into the connector. “The cable wrap includes excellent damping and insulating materials, selected to deliver improved frequency extension and tonal balance. A carefully engineered clamp improves grip and keeps both mechanical and electrical distortion at bay” says the Furutech press release.

1.2m is £180 but other lengths are available.

As we reported recently on Hifi Pig, McIntosh Laboratory has launched a dedicated headphone amplifier for the first time in its history. Here’s a bit more information.

The new MHA100 headphone amplifier has four digital inputs, remote control,  and was first unveiled in January at CES 2014, Las Vegas – it’s now available in the UK from Jordan Acoustics, McIntosh’s UK distributor.

The MHA100 employs a new adaptation of McIntosh’s unique autoformer technology which offers three selectable headphone impedance ranges: 8-40; 40-150 and 150-600 ohms. T.

It also features McIntosh’s new Headphone Crossfeed Director (HXD) technology, which allows high-quality recordings played through headphones to image like conventional speakers. “HXD improves the sound localisation for headphone listening and restores the directionality component of the spatial sound stage normally experienced with loudspeaker listening” says the company’s pres release.

The internal McIntosh Digital Engine, offers four digital inputs (coaxial, optical, balanced digital AES/EBU and USB), allowing decoding at up to 32-bit/ 192kHz resolution and upsamples digital signals to 192kHz with 32-bit resolution, before the D/A process begins. Two analogue inputs (including balanced) have also been appointed.

Electronic input switching is also included. The preamplifier uses logic circuits controlling electromagnetic switches on all inputs and operating functions.

The MHA100 is also perfectly suited to computer-based systems and desktop working say McIntosh and compared to McIntosh’s other amplifiers, the MHA100 is considerably more compact and fits neatly on a desk or anywhere else in the home.

The MHA100 is more than just a headphone amplifier, too: 50-watt stereo speaker outputs (with less than 0.005% distortion) are included for use with loudspeakers.

The power amplifier uses ThermalTrak1 output transistors for lower distortion and cool operation and McIntosh’s patented gold-plated output terminals deliver high current output and accept large-diameter wire and spade lugs. Loudspeaker listening is automatically switched off when headphones are connected.

The MHA100 also benefits from four forms of protection. McIntosh Sentry Monitor power output stage protection circuits. The Sentry Monitor also protects headphones in the event of an impedance mismatch. Built-in thermal protection circuits guard against overheating, and direct current detection and protection is provided for both headphones and loudspeakers.

Further features include tone controls plus McIntosh’s Power Guard® technology: a waveform comparison circuit that continuously monitors both input and output signals, dynamically adjusting them when necessary, in order to avoid potentially damaging clipping.

The MHA100’s multifunction OLED display indicates source selection, volume levels, trim settings and set-up functions and the famous illuminated power output meters are peak-responding, indicating the output level. A remote control is also included.

Specifications

Headphone power output: (high) 1W; (normal) 250mW

Headphone output impedance: 8-40; 40-50; 150-600 Ohms

Power output per channel: 50 watts

Speaker impedance: 8 Ohms

Rated power band: 20Hz to 20kHz

Total harmonic distortion: 0.005%

Dynamic headroom: 1.5db

Frequency response: +0,-0.5dB 20Hz to 20kHz; +0, -3dB 10Hz to 100kHz

Sensitivity (unbalanced): 300mV

Sensitivity (balanced): 600mV

Input impedance (balanced/unbalanced): 25K/25K

Damping factor: >150

Preamp output: 3V (8V max)

Preamp output impedance: 500 Ohms

Voltage gain: 36.5dB

Power Guard: <2% THD with up to 16dB overdrive at 1kHz

Digital audio specifications

Coax input sample rate: 16-bit, 24-bit  32kHz to 192kHz

Optical sample rate: 16-bit, 24-bit  32kHz to 192kHz

AES/EBU sample rate: 16-bit, 24-bit  32kHz to 192kHz

USB sample rate: 16-bit, 24-bit  32kHz to 192kHz

Connectivity

Headphone output: 1x ¼”

High level inputs unbalanced: 1 stereo

High level inputs balanced: 1 stereo

Digital USB input: 1

Digital coaxial input: 1

Digital optical input: 1

Digital AES/EBU input: 1

Preamp output: 1 stereo

General specifications

Tone control: five-step bass boost control: 0 to +12.5dB (in 2.5dB steps) @ 40Hz

Power control in/out: Yes/Yes

Dual-layer chassis and output meters

Output autoformer (headphones)

Standby power requirement: <0.25 watts

Dimensions (WxHxD): (29.2cm) x (14.1cm) x (45.7cm)

Weight: 12kg

Price and availability

The MHA sells for £4,995 and is available now.

Graham Slee contacted Hifi Pig to tell us about a series of road shows they’ll be putting on. “Because few demonstration facilities of Graham Slee products exist in dealers shops, we decided to take our own demo facilities on the road to be nearer to you”. Said Graham Slee.

This first ever Road Show is at “The Academy” Holiday Inn in Weston Turville, Aylesbury on May 29th where there will be two demo rooms: the Olivier Suite and the Christie Suite with the rooms being intentionally small to be in keeping with the room sizes you may have in your own home.

In the Olivier Suite you can hear music played through a pair of Stirling LS3/5A V2’s and the company’s own products and in the Christie Suite there’ll be the company’s range of headphone amps on demo using a number of stereo sources.

They say you can bring along your own headphones, a CD, a vinyl record or USB file-based music but the number of places is limited with admittance by pre-booked pass only… so you need to book your place in advance. There will be four one and a half hour sessions in the Olivier Suite and the event starts at 10am and finishes at 5pm.

Cyrus Audio’s bespoke control app has been released for use on Android with their all-in-one Lyric Series products. Cadence was previously only available for Apple devices, so this launch allows a huge swathe of Cyrus customers to access the app for controlling their Cyrus products.

Initially only for the Cyrus’s Lyric Series, Cadence will be rolled out for the company’s second generation music streamers in June this year.

Cadence allows the user to control all of the inputs of their Cyrus streaming device. Full playback control allows the user to completely replace a remote control with the app.  Cadence also allows users to save music in Favourites lists.

Lyric series products will need a small firmware update in order to work with the new Android app.

Naim announced yesterday their long expected and awaited home music system, Muso. Muso is a wireless music system “designed to transform your music into incredible sonic experiences” say the British company who have recently won the Queen’s Award for Export.

“The product brief was simple: the system, then codenamed ‘Project Eagle’, had to offer incredible, class-leading sound quality whilst being beautiful and elegant, using premium quality materials. It was to be simple to install and control whilst creating the intense and emotive musical experiences on which Naim has built its reputation. After an intensive development period drawing on all the expertise and experience of Naim’s award-winning engineering and design team, Muso was born” the company continued.

Muso has six 75 watt digital amplifiers driving six custom-designed Naim speaker drivers. It’s an integrated wireless music system and can deliver music from a variety of sources including USB sticks, mobile phones and MP3 players. It can work as a stand-alone system or be part of a Naim or AirPlay multiroom system.

Muso can be controlled via the supplied remote control, the touch panel volume control or via a Muso control app for iPad, iPhone, iPod and Android.

Muso will be available in September 2014 and will retail at £895 inc VAT.

Linn has extended its Exakt platform into its Akurate range and the Akubarik loudspeaker is the latest product to benefit from this new technology.

“Exakt eliminates the sources of loss inherent in the traditional analogue hi-fi chain by transferring the lossless digital signal all the way to the speaker. This means that a Studio Master file, or any other music source, is now transmitted perfectly into the speaker” says the Linn press release.

Using Exakt technology, launched in Linn’s flagship Klimax Exakt System in September last year, the Akurate Exakt System comprises an Akurate Exakt DSM and Exakt Akubarik loudspeakers.

Inside Exakt loudspeakers is a digital platform that enables a range of “performance-enhancing capabilities” and the ability for a Linn Specialist to optimise the system to the customer’s home. “This ensures the best possible sound no matter the unique characteristics of the customer’s room or their preferred speaker positioning.Exakt eliminates magnitude and phase distortion that is inherent in traditional passive crossovers. So what you hear is a more faithful reproduction of the music as it was recorded” the release continued”.

Exakt Link

In order to deliver the digital signal “losslessly” to the speaker, Linn has developed a new protocol — Exakt Link. “Exakt Link achieves what no existing standard could: accuracy of data transmission with the ability to losslessly transmit 8 channels of 24-bit 192 kHz Studio Master; exceptionally low jitter to ensure perfect musical timing; and extreme precision synchronisation between speakers”.

Up to thirteen sources can be connected to the system via the Akurate Exakt DSM with inputs including HDMI, Toslink, S/PDIF, XLR and RCA phono available. Linn commented “Even vinyl sounds better – there’s no better way to preserve the signal from an LP12 than Exakt. New ADC technology converts the delicate analogue signal digitally and sends it losslessly to the speaker”.

The six-channel amp module houses the Exakt capability alongside Akurate quality DACs and Linn’s patented Chakra ‘silent power’ amplification, all mounted within a “special and effective passive cooling chimney” which draws the warm air up and out of the electronics without requiring a fan. Great care has also been taken to isolate the electronics from the cabinet to minimise microphony. 

Finished by hand, Exakt Akubarik is available in a range of stunning finishes, including six high-grade real wood veneers in standard or high gloss options. A stunning range of 200 bespoke, high gloss colour finishes are also available.  Exakt Akubarik can be further personalised through the choice of polished chrome or black finishes for the chassis of the 3K array.

Available to audition from late April at Linn Specialists nationwide, the Akurate Exakt System will be priced at £25,500. Upgrade options are also available for existing Akubarik owners.

D&M Holdings, a global operating company in the consumer and professional audio and video business, has announced that it has entered into a partnership with US-based Sound United for the distribution of its Polk and Definitive Technology audio products in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria and the Benelux countries. 

“Polk and Definitive Technology are leading the U.S. loudspeaker market with a combined share of more than 30 percent,” said Terry O’Connell, President Sales and Marketing, D&M Europe. “Both brands will perfectly complement our Denon and Marantz portfolios to deliver the best in music and home theatre for the demanding consumer in Europe.”

“We are excited to work with D+M, as the company is a great fit for distributing our audio products to the European market with proven success,” said Kevin Duffy, President of Sound United. “With its robust portfolio of brands and distribution expertise, we look forward to building a long-term partnership with D+M as we continue to expand our business internationally.”

D&M will start distributing selected Polk and Definitive Technology products in Europe beginning in May.

Teufel Audio’s recent collaboration with hülsta has given us an interesting concept that we at Hifi Pig thought was rather cool in its design and concept.  Basically this is nice looking furniture that has the audio already built in to it.  The new designs are called Scopia and Xelo.

“Our cooperation already began in the product design phase,“ explained Teufel CEO Edgar von Velzen. “The Teufel components were custom-designed for the hülsta furniture units and imperceptibly integrated without acoustic compromise.” 

“When developing the furniture, we took the acoustic and technical requirements into consideration and worked them into the design without compromising the overall look,” hülsta’s managing director Heiner Goossens added. “In this way, the inherent qualities of both hülsta furniture and Teufel sound were mutually promoted.” 

The complete sound system in the SCOPIA and XELO media lowboards are concealed behind a fabric front. So while you won’t see the audio technology within, you’ll hear a “true-to-source, natural sound with movies and music”.

All of the high-end micro speakers are positioned in such a way that they create a perfect sound image at the listening position. A compact, high-performance subwoofer brings “amazing precision and dynamics” to the lower range. An integrated control unit for a Blu-ray player, game console, or other playback device has been mounted on tracks so that the user can easily access a total of nine connections. With contemporary features for 3D video and high-resolution audio formats, the control unit makes the system compatible with all standard playback devices and future-proofs it against new developments.