Calyx Audio Femto DAC

The Calyx Audio Femto DAC now available in Australia through Wicked Digital is claimed to have such low levels of jitter that it needs to be measured in femtoseconds.

Designed to be the centre-piece of a modern digital-based system, the Calyx Femto DAC is not just a DAC, but can also be used as a digital preamplifier. It has two optical, two coaxial, two AES/EBU and one BNC input, all capable of 24/192 data rates, plus a USB input that is both USB 2.0 compliant and asynchronous in operation.

Output is via gold plated unbalanced RCA outputs, or fully balanced XLR outputs. ‘Like all Calyx products, construction is exemplary, with all-aluminium billet construction and superb finishing,’ says Steve Lees of Wicked Digital. ‘It also ushers in a new era in digital-to-analogue conversion, offering a new level of digital clock performance measured in femtoseconds (500 femtosecond accuracy) to reduce jitter to astonishingly low levels.

The Calyx Audio Femto DAC uses twin Sabre ESS9018 DACs (8 converters per channel) and dual power supplies, one for the digital circuits and one for the analogue output stage. THD is rated at 0.0003% and dynamic range is claimed to be 130dB. It retails in Australia for $5,999.

KR Audio Electronics VA880, VA900 and VA885 integrated amplifiers

At Munich High End 2012 stand of KR Audio (Halle 4, L04) Kronzilla SX-Eco hybrid power amplifier will be exhibited with the VA880, a stereo integrated KT-88 tubes amplifier at 50 watts push-pull, the VA900, another stereo integrated amp equipped with KT120 tubes for 80 watts push-pull, and the VA885, always an integrated but with four KT-88 tubes per channel, for 120 watts push-pull.

Vitus Audio SL-102 unpacking

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Certon Systems Integrita Music Server

€3500

Release date - HighEnd 2012

Light Harmonic Da Vinci DAC

$20000

Dalby Audio Design Parousia Turntable

Price - tbc

Computer Audio Design Dac

£6900

Computer Audio Design

Soulution 520 preamplifier

Philosophy
A preamplifier should only attenuate the music signal but not change it in any way while meeting highest technical specifications. No distortion, no humm or noise at the same time providing best cross talk and large bandwith performance!

Layout
The unbalanced design ensures the least amount of compnents in teh signal path. Physical separation of the left and right channel provides optimal separation and cross talk performance. High quality relais switch between the inputs, the music signal gets buffered directly at the input. Therefore the preamplifier is an uncritical load for any source component.
An audio grade coupling capacitor prrtects the preamplifier as well as the subsequent amplifier and loudspeakers from potential DC components in the music signal.

Volume control
For the volume control which also controls the balance of the preamplifier, we use only high-precision, low-noise metal foil resistors. To block out switching peaks during the volume control process which may be hazardous to power amps, the 520 preamp is equipped with a second volume control with PGA (Programmable Gain Amplifier), which is only active during the volume control process.
Similar to a potentiometer, the volume can be adjusted without clicking noises. As soon as the new desired level value has been fixed, the unit will simply return to the control via the precision resistors.

Output stage
The output stage is supposed to drive also long cables lossfree. For this reason it was more than sufficiently dimensioned. The multi-stage signal amplification is similar to that of the 720 preamplifier. Thereby we achieve a very fast, ultra wideband (1MHz/-3dB) amplification.

Phono-MC-Preamplifier
Similar to the reference preamplifier 720 the phono preamp of the 520 is also based on a multi-stage amplification concept using highest grade components.

Operation
The 520 preamplifier is operated via its front-panel buttons and rotary control. Quite a number of additional functions allow an optimisation of the entire hifi system and an ideal set-up of the individual components.


Connectors

Analogue Inputs:
2x balanced input (XLR)
2 x unbalanced input (RCA)
1x phono

Analogue Outputs:
1 x balanced (XLR)
1 x unbalanced (RCA)
LINK-System


Input (IN 1 ... IN 5)
Impedance
balanced (IN 1... IN2) 10kΩ
unbalanced (IN 3...IN4) 47kΩ
Phono (IN 5) adjust..

Output
Gain
balanced -83...+16dB
unbalanced -89...+10dB
Frequency response DC-800kHz
THD+N <0.001%
Signal-to-Noise Ratio >120dB
Crosstalk <120dB
Impedance
balanced 10Ω
unbalanced 10Ω

CH Precision C1 ETHERNET_IN board

Sfr3000

Ethernet audio streaming board (renderer) for the C1 Digital to Analog Controller.

Enables bit-exact, low-jitter play-back of high resolution audio files over an Ethernet network.

Beyond Frontiers Audio Tube Dac

$30000

Rogers High Fidelity EHF-200

$11500


Rogers High Fidelity

New Esoteric products

The K-05 [€7.499] and K-07 [€5.999] decks replace the X05 and SA-50. The K-05 gets a brand-new transport mechanism. Both run on paralleled differential 32-bit AKM AK4392 chips, offer 24/192 async USB inputs and handle SACD.

The new D-07x [€4.999] is a standalone DAC i.e. the K-07 minus transport which handles DSD via its XLR input and sports a 22mW/32-ohm headphone output with volume control independent of the line outputs.

Also announced are two new master clock generators to replace the G-03X and Rubidium G-0Rb.

DaVinci Master Reference Virtu tonearm

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EnKlein Amphora Phono Cable

We are proud to introduce our first phono cable. The “Amphora”, constructed of pure fine silver conductors with silver RCA ends and optional Rhodium plated DIN termination. The “Stiletto” construct is derived from the stage 2 assembly used in the Zephyr and Prairie Fire interconnects. The thin film shield and sacrificial ground of 99.999% oxygen free copper configuration creates a passive damper for extremely low capacitance and reactance, targeting the preservation of signals from a broad range of cartridges, including extremely low output cartridges. The Stiletto design was demonstrated at CES 2012 to the delight of many, with a 0.2 mV cartridge.

The Amphora exhibits a low noise floor, revealing intimate full range detail, concise decay, controlled lower octaves and like all EnKlein cables; pace, dynamics, and natural tonality.

Pricing starts at $3,595 USD for the first 1.5 meter.

Dalby Audio Design Vinyl Stabilizer Weight

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Weiss MAN301 Music Server - inside

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