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Rumors of a new CAT preamp to replace the SL-1 Signature Mk III are true. The new SL-1 Ultimate costs the same as its predecessor, $5950 with phono stage, but includes a number of significant changes. Designer Ken Stevens (shown above) says the Ultimate is "more transparent, dynamic and tighter in the bass" -- an alluring combination. The bad news for SL-1 Signature owners: Because of the many changes, existing units can't be upgraded to the new Ultimate circuitry.
Meadowlark's newest speaker, the Nightingale, is a three-piece transmission-line design with two custom-made 10" woofers to annoy your neighbors and a gold-dome gas plasma tweeter to reproduce every bit of musical nuance. Each speaker weighs 350 pounds, and they cost $15,000 per pair.
Sonic Frontier's first solid-state product, the Channel Five multi-channel amplifier, delivers 250Wpc and is a fully balanced design priced at $5000.
The Revel Performa F30 speakers ($3500 per pair) were put through their paces with a diverse group of musical selections, but they held up with surety nonetheless and had us wondering where the subwoofer was hidden.
The Hovland HP-100 preamp ($3995 to $5095, depending on features) takes over 20 hours to build and caused all of the SoundStagers who saw it to comment on its beauty. Behind its polished and plated faceplate is a cool-blue illuminated panel. The main sections of the preamp are separated and isolated from each other for greater circuit integrity and easy service.
Newcomer Audio Aero is a part of French consortium Mazčres Aviation, makers of everything from aerospace products to audio equipment, with stops at motorcycles and bicycles in between. The Captiole stereo amplifier (in front, $8360) is a 50Wpc class-A design that uses both E34L and 6550C output tubes. The Prestige monoblocks ($20,750 per pair) are 40-watt single-ended amps that feature an "emission triode, doped by a high-voltage pentode." The monoblocks sounded very delicate and open driving Leedh Nazca speakers, also made in France. |
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