Shelter proudly introduces a new cartridge, the Model 9000. The 9000 is their new top of the line cartridge. New cartridge design technology results in a significant improvement in realistic dynamic range reproduction. This model is a complete departure from the current line of Shelter cartridges. Newly designed body, high rigidity, improved front-yoke, larger diameter PC-OCC lead wires wound around the redesigned bobbin. These new concepts and design philosophy allow the Shelter 9000 to achieve new levels of dynamism and quietness for a smooth and effortless sonic presentation.

Positive Feedback Review of the Shelter 9000
Everything the 90X is known for is there, the same frequency integration and coherency, the same warmth, but the two little fissures in the 90X’s personality have been repaired: the slight dynamic reticence, the slight vagueness in imaging. The 9000 sounds BIG. With it on the SME 312 arm, the space in the front of my room is entirely filled in. This guy has powerful, yet composed, attacks: if we were talking about amps, I’d say it’s like the 90X with a lot more watts. It makes the precursor seem polite…Treble extension is just as high and now flesh is continuous. Piccolos are just as piercing, but without a hint of shrillness. Channel separation and resolution are enhanced-I’m learning more about each instrument. With a lighter tonal balance than the 90X and tight, articulate bass, the 9000 has better PRAT. The low-end doesn’t monopolize the sound or muddy the beat…Guaranteed, you will be hearing more about this cartridge – a lot more as word gets out. Stunning performance.

The Duevel Planets are a small floorstanding omni directional loudspeakers, but don’t let the size fool you – the Planets play BIG, with an expansive sound that’s difficult for any traditional design speaker to beat – available in a choice of six colours. Creating truly high performance speakers on a strict budget is no easy task and Duevel delivers a perfect solution.

Casting aside typical box speaker design, we have broken through a new sound/price barrier. Combining years of design experience and great success in the field, the Planets are nothing short of remarkable.

Utilizing a 5″ woofer and a 1″ horn loaded tweeter, simple and ingenious crossover technology, reflective spheres and a finely tuned bottom ported cabinet results in a speaker which performs well beyond the imagination. Deep taught bass notes, midrange glow and clarity, fast transparent highs provide the listener a rare musical experience at a highly competitive price point.

Hear real, live, room filling sound from any source like an iPod docking station, to high quality analog or digital music and film players. Stunning speakers for 2-channel music and home theater playback, the Planets orbit around any lifestyle and fit into any room.

www.duevel.com

The Plinth

The new plinth whilst being slim and attractive, offers high levels of rigidity by using phenolic resin laminates, with a high quality edging. It is a considerable improvement over the current P2.

High performance motor

The P3 – 24 uses the same very high quality low vibration motor, which is used in the P5 & 9 turntables. The clever controlling circuitry can be adjusted for phase angle of the motor coils resulting in very low vibration levels from the complete motor assembly.
This design change gives a considerable performance increase over the P3 2000.

The TT PSU first developed for the P7 turntable is a high quality outboard power supply; the TTPSU can be used as an affordable upgrade with the P3 – 24 turntable. Offering increased musical performance, by conditioning the electrical supply with a synthesised low distortion crystal controlled ac input. This also gives the added convenience of electronic speed change control.

Main bearing platter

The same high quality drive belt/main bearing and glass platter are carried over from the cast P3 2000.

RB301

The famous RB300 has been modified to improve production and give a higher musical sound performance. An improved vertical bearing housing has been used, which gives improved rigidity in the tonearms mounting, reducing the stresses in the main 13mm bearings. This assembly is topped off with the improved RB700 bias housing phono cable.

The P3 – 24 will also have the option of being available with the Rega Elys cartridge fitted.

www.rega.co.uk

Completely assembled by hand in Canada, in limited series, the Opéra Référence honors its well-deserved reputation of reliability and resilience that characterizes all Audiomat products. The Opéra Référence is a different breed of electronics and quite a departure from anything on the market. According to specs, less powerful than many amplifiers, it is nevertheles more lively and dynamic than most. With it’s realistic and natural sound, it’s tight and fast bass, this Audiomat will shock the tube fans and even more, the detractors of this technology. The design of this amp, based on the use of three 5965 tubes in the input stage, is the result of extensive studies. They replace the 12AX7 and the two 12AU7 found in the original Opéra. Another up- grade over the Opera is the improved power transformer.  This new configuration allows the Opera Reference to drive much more difficult loads. It can easily drive a 38 cm Altec Lansing boomer.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Type Tubes
• Driver stage 3 x 5965
• Power stage EL34 (4)
• Configuration Stereo
• Frequency response  20 Hz to 80 kHz @ – 3 dB
• Sensitivity 300 mV for 30 W
• Inputs (RCA) 5 unbalanced
• Speaker connectors 4 (biwiring), options 4 or 8 ohms
• Power rating @ 8 ohms 30 watts per channel, in pure class A
• Volume control Motorized ALPS
• Input switch Lucas mechanical switch
• Internal wiring Shielded high end wiring
• Available finishes Brushed aluminum

www.mutine.com

To some audiophiles, another DAC is certainly no big deal, but to those familiar with REGA, you know that Roy Gandy gets things done at his own pace and only when he is happy with the results. This new DAC uses the Wolfson chipset (similar to what is used in their Apollo and Saturn CD players) and a buffer circuit similar to the one employed in their flagship Isis CD player. As with their other digital products it is substantial, both from a physical standpoint (this little box is very hefty when you pick it up!) and the amount of functionality it offers. The DAC has a pair of RCA SPDIF digital inputs, a pair of optical digital inputs and a USB digital input.

www.rega.co.uk

One of the first commercially available DACs to deploy the exciting new ESS 32-bit ‘Sabre Buffalo’ chip that set the DIY community alight a few years ago, Wyred 4 Sound’s all-new DAC1 redefines the capabilities of a sub-£1K DAC, genuinely competing with converters twice the price. At this price, it’s untouchable.

The ES9018 chip at the heart of the new DAC1 and DAC2 is noted for it’s astonishing dynamism and resolution: whereas most low-end digital-to-analog converters suffer from what has been described as ‘conservative voicing’, or a subjective sense of ‘digital-ness’, the DAC1 promises to open up a whole new world of vividly pure musical experience.

Dual optical, dual coaxial and single 24/96 USB inputs are present on the DAC1, along with single-ended and balanced outputs. Internally, a carefully designed linear linear power supply and all-new Time Domain Jitter Elimination stages ensure that the the 500kHz oversampling 32-bit chip is liberated to fulfill its potential.

• ESS Reference audio (ES9018) 32 bit DAC
• W4S proprietary discrete output stages for optimum sonics
• ESS Time Domain Jitter Eliminator®
• Automatic oversampling for precise output filtering
• Fully balanced design with balanced and unbalanced outputs
• Upgradable Digital, Output, and USB boards (designed for future improvements)
• Oversized toroidal transformer for solid and noise-free power
• LCD display for input and sample rate viewing
• 2x Coax inputs
• 2x Toslink inputs
• 24-bit 96kHz USB input
• Factory selectable mains  115/230VAC
• Compact size (8.5″W x 4.125″H x 13.5″D)
• 15 lbs.
• Covered by a 3 YEAR WARRANTY
• Does not include remote or have the capability to use one

www.wyred4sound.com

The UK’s favourite hi-fi brand has now turned its attention to the iPad and has engineered what it believes to be the most technologically advanced dock yet. The iD100 adds a huge leap in convenience to transform the iPad into a true audiophile device as well as delivering epic results from the iPhone and iPod. Taking a digital audio feed revolutionises what’s possible from an iPad and the iD100’s carefully considered design allows maximum extraction of every last drop of data from the world’s favourite tablet. Supporting all Apple file types including lossless, bit-perfect low jitter digital data is then fed to an external DAC (such as Cambridge Audio’s DacMagic) or AV Receiver using its digital input for the best possible digital to analogue conversion. It’s not just about music either, the iD100 is designed to support the growing number of users who store or stream video on their devices allowing enjoyment of portable content like YouTube, iTunes, iPlayer and much more on the big screen. And as listening shifts from stored to streaming services, the iD100 maximises the quality of music streaming Apps like Spotify, Pandora, Rhapsody, Last FM and others. For the ultimate in convenience, the iD100 is supplied with a full remote enabling armchair control of iPod content, activation of iTunes syncing and even charging of the connected iPhone, iPod or iPad. By switching off charging, any possible interference between the Apple device and hi-fi system is completely eliminated. Like all Cambridge Audio designs, the iD100 is an object lesson in design simplicity. Constructed from solid aluminium and available in elegant black or silver finishes, the iD100 will be right at home within any home entertainment system and is designed to complement other Cambridge Audio products. The iD100 can accommodate virtually any iPod, iPhone or iPad. It also features an environmentally friendly low power (<1w) standby circuit.

www.cambridgeaudio.com

A network music player and multi-room controller that let you listen to and control the digital music on your computer and the Internet in any room of your house. You’ll enjoy crisp, clear sound through your home stereo or powered speakers thanks to 24-bit DAC, advanced audio rendering technology, and digital outputs. You can play songs from your personal library, tune in to thousands of Internet radio stations, or connect to online services such as Pandora^® and Rhapsody^®.*

www.logitech.com

The iPair 5 ain’t your daddy’s hi-fi. All systems are hand-crafted but with the iPair 5 they go a step further. They hand-tune them to produce perfect sound imagery. Hand-built with special acoustic wood cabinets, bulletproof kevlar woofers, natural silk tweeters. The result — truly exceptional sound quality.

www.kantospeakers.com

REL Acoustics R-Series represents the perfect intersection of style, performance, and size. R-Series is intended to provide its owner with a high performance platform that outperforms the competition, yet provides a level of fit, finish and thoughtfulness long absent from the category.

Details, details! It has been said that “God lives in the details”; if that is so then the engineers at REL should consider themselves in good standing. Consider the previously challenging detail of adjusting performance parameters of a sub bass unit. On most competitors’ models, this requires bending over the unit whilst attempting to read the labels on the rear panel upside down! In contrast, the exquisitely crafted control box –sited just below the main body of the R– allows for easy adjustment. Simply remove the thick frosted safety glass security panel (a full 8mm thick), make a few simple adjustments and you’re done.

No phony computers! No fussing about with a microphone and alleged optimization programs that attempt to crudely approximate real world performance for REL. We offer simple, finely calibrated instrumentation-grade controls that make intuitive sense and are easy to operate. Need a higher volume level? We suggest turning up the control cleverly labeled “Hi-Lo Level”. Crossed over just a tad too high for your tastes? Turn down the control labeled “Crossover”. It really is that simple. Many owners report that it took longer to extract the unit from its excellent packing than to set-up their REL.

www.rel.net