Audiophiles have held Rockport loudspeakers in high esteem, the Mira II is now on demo at the store. Driven with Karan amplifiers with either the new Marantz SA11 S3 cd player, Kuzma or Walker turntable, the Mira II is one loudspeaker you must experience if you are in the market for a pair of high performance loudspeakers!

Marantz continues its premium line up with another update – now in S3 guise.

The two model range includes an SACD player, the SA11S3 and integrated amplifier, the PM11S3. The integrated amplifier is rated at 100 watt rms and in conjunction with a massive 950VA power supply, it comfortably delivers double the rated output at 4 ohms. It offers balanced and unbalanced inputs, a pass through stage should you wish to use this amplifier to drive the main speakers in the context of a home cinema system. For ultimate sound quality, the PM11 S3 uses proprietary Marantz discrete Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Module or HDAM instead of Op Amp ICs. The chassis is copper plated for optimal shielding while the dual base construction isolates the transformer from the rest of the amplifier to prevent vibration from affecting low level circuits.

The matching SA11S3 now offers a USB-B input for your digital sources eg a PC. A front panel USB-A input allows connection to an iPhone, iPod or iPad for playback and charging. For optical discs, the SA11S3 employs a new SACDM2 mechanism and plays SACDs as well as conventional Red Book CDs, using a high performance Burr Brown DSD1792A D to A conversion chip. Marantz claims this chip offers high current output than any chip used in previous models of the SA11 with better dynamic range and lower noise floor. The SA11 S3 offers two different 24 Bit digital filter – providing optimal filtering for both SACD and CDs. The SA11 S3 offers both unbalanced as well as balanced analogue output. Like the PM11S3, the SA11S3 uses a copper plated chassis with resonance control to minimize distortion and interference to your digital playback.

On demo at the store now.

First Sound Presence Deluxe Preamplifier

First Sound first came out with a very high performance passive preamplifier more than twenty years ago. Emmanuel Go the man behind the company stunned the audiophile community about the merits of a passive preamplifer, not to mention the price tag for which is nothing more than a box, a selector, some wires and a volume pot. Passive means no amplification stage and no amplification means no distortion added. The success of passive preamps such as the First Sound preamps led many manufacturers to take another look at their own preamplifier designs – reducing the gain stages to just one, use premium internal wiring, chassis damping, stepped resistor potentiometers and selector switches, which contributes to a superior sound quality.

First Sound now offers a range of active preamplifiers. Acknowledging many audiophiles still prefer an active rather than a passive preamp, Emmanuel designed a new active preamp wit just one gain stage using a triode vacuum tube with a tube rectified power supply.

From the entry level ‘Presence’ series to the Paramount series and finally the top end Statement preamplifiers, Emmanuel’s objective is to create the same musical qualities of his passive design but with the benefits of an active line stage.

To this end, he employs a common construction using a damped copper plated chassis, full dual mono construction, one or more separate power supplies, premium audio grade internal wiring, premium selector switch and resistor pot potentiometers using Holco, Cadock or Vishay resistors depending on the grade of the preamp.

First Sound is now available at Jay Audio.

Soul Note - a new name to take notice!

When the Ex-Marantz engineers were laid off from the merger of Denon and Marantz, they did not sit around waiting - from the ashes rose a new phoenix - Soul Note. 100% Made in Japan, the new components are musically engaging to listen to. Four models are offered - a CD player, a DAC, a preamp with a good built-in headphone amplifier and an integrated amplifier. New products in the horizon includes a couple of power amplifiers and even a USB DAC is on the way. WE have the first four on demo in the store now. Do drop by for an audition with ProAc loudspeakers.

Walker Audio have just updated its Proscenium Black Diamond turntable - Walker have found that lowering the air pressure to yield enormous sonic benefits. More important is achieving the perfect pressure for isolation, rigidity and resonance control. The results is said to be as much as 50% improvement to the sound of the Black Diamond. The upgrades can be retro fit to any Black Diamond. Call us now for more information of check out Walker's webpage for additional information!