Accessories Archives - The Absolute Sound https://www.theabsolutesound.com/category/reviews/accessories/ High-performance Audio and Music Reviews Tue, 24 Jun 2025 15:05:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 Crystal Cable Infinity Power Cords and A.R.T. Electro-Magnetic Treatments https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/crystal-cable-infinity-power-cords-and-a-r-t-electro-magnetic-treatments/ Tue, 24 Jun 2025 15:05:12 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59656 To let the cat out of the bag at the […]

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To let the cat out of the bag at the start, the two items I’m about to review aren’t for everybody. Indeed, they aren’t for anybody who can’t pony up $34,000 for a two-meter length of power cord (and $5500 for each additional half meter) or $800 to $12,500 (depending on the size and number of “layers of refinement” employed) for nondescript rectangular mats that sit atop your electronics or in $11,500 clamshell versions enclose interconnect, power cord, or speaker-cable terminations like hinged boxes. 

While neither of these, alas, exceptionally pricey items is a genuine “black magic” tweak (okay, the A.R.T.s are more mysterious than the Infinities), both use technologies that are esoteric enough to require some explanation. More importantly, both are audibly effective enough at what they’re designed to do to justify their seemingly exorbitant prices.

Curiously, each aims at doing the same thing: lowering the noise floor of your system so substantially that, instead of sounding slightly or markedly vague, hashy, or ill defined, low-level (and high-level, for that matter) pitches, tone colors, durations, and dynamics become as clear as a blue sky on a bright winter day. Both products seek to make your components sound as if their signal-to-noise ratios have been drastically improved—and both succeed. While the technologies that allow these two products to achieve this remarkable leap in clarity and quietude are different, they share a common thread: Each uses rare and expensive metals to lower noise and heighten resolution, though they use them in very different ways.

Let us—or at least those of you who haven’t already nodded off—begin with Crystal Cable’s Infinity power cords (production currently limited to 200 pieces). Nobody who listens with his ears rather than with an ohm meter in one hand and an ABX box in the other would ever accuse Siltech/Crystal’s genius CEO/CTO Edwin Rynveld of dabbling in the black arts. He is a world-renowned engineer, with unrivaled experience in metallurgy—the first audio designer of note to use high-conductance silver wire in cables. 

Indeed, the Infinity power cords also use solid-core silver conductors made from Rynveld’s latest and purest metal—a single “infinite crystal” variety of the element, devoid of internal boundaries and contaminants—surrounded by two braided layers of infinite silver and silver-gold alloy. (The cost of all this treasure helps explain Infinity’s price.) There are nine of these coaxial conductors per power cord—three each for positive, neutral, and ground—woven into “a perfectly symmetrical matrix that maintains absolute geometrical consistency.” Rynveld claims that this complex construction, which combines the benefits of solid and stranded conductors, and the use of his most advanced silver formulation within it “reduce RF distortion and keep magnetic interference out of the system.” Together, they create an “ultra-low-loss superconductor with almost zero resistance and vanishingly low source impedance”—thus, the increased clarity and depth of background quiet.

I first heard Crystal’s Infinity with Vitus Audio’s sensational Signature Series Class A electronics—the SM-103 Mk.II monoblock amplifiers and SL-103 linestage preamplifier—and the sonic difference a trio of these pcs made took me by surprise. It was immediately apparent that the Infinities were not just offering up a more appealing aural “flavor” (as so many wires do). Everything about what was already a standard-settingly rich, powerful, continuous, three-dimensional presentation was improved, without any loss of the tonal density (this was the polar opposite of a thinned-down sound), unaccented durations (no sharpening of transients at the expense of steady-state tone and decay), effortless dynamics, and remarkable holism (the expansive soundstage and the 3-D sonic images that populated it were, if anything, more expansive, dimensional, and continuous-sounding) that made the Vituses reference-quality components. Plus, thanks to the shocking reduction of pixel-like background noise, previously hard-to-parse musical details were suddenly clarified. With the Infinities in play, the densely intertwined lines of Tobias Tautscher’s double bass and Maximillian Djokic’s cajón on Hans Theessink’s great cover of Tom Waits’ “Down in the Hole” from Jedermann Remixed—The Soundtrack [Blue Groove] were suddenly unraveled, as were the individual lines and ensemble harmonies of Szymon Goldberg’s violin, Nikolai Graudan’s cello, and William Primrose’s viola in the Festival Quartet’s rendition of Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 1 [RCA].

It was hard to believe that this new depth of clarity and silence could be made even deeper. Which is why, coupled to their high cost and my previous experience with passive “tweaks,” I wasn’t all that eager to try Audio Realignment Technologies’ “electro-magnetic treatments.” But, as you can probably gather, I was wrong.

First, although their looks—relatively flattish placemat-like pads with no apparently active parts or connections to anything else in the system—rather scream “Black Magic,” turns out the A.R.T.s were created by “scientists and engineers.” How the A.R.T.s work is, nonetheless, a bit mysterious. Said to be filled with electromagnetically charged layers of a “proprietary compound of rare earth metals” (I know, I know), the A.R.T. mats are “designed to absorb, control, and minimize the negative audible effects of electronically induced noises (EMF, EMI, and RFI) in sound systems.” 

ART 9x

A.R.T.’s electro-magnetic treatments are available in several sizes and configurations. When laid atop (or placed beneath) both solid-state and tube amps and preamps, their proprietary multi-layer magnetic technology is claimed to produce “tighter, faster, deeper, and more impactful bass with lower distortion, increased detail and resolution, greater clarity and dynamic range, much more natural and cohesive midrange and highs, a warmer tonal character with a darker (quieter) background, highly accurate imaging, and a greater overall sense of the three-dimensional space within the soundstage.”

Short of giving them a listen (which I encourage you to do), you’re just gonna have to take my (and my boss Tom Martin’s—see theabsolutesound.com/ articles/2024-capital-audio-fest-tom-martin-reports/) word for it: The inner workings of these passive tweaks may sound a bit like mumbo-jumbo, but sonically the A.R.T.s do precisely what they claim to do. Even with the highly effective Infinity power cords already in the system, the A.R.T.s deepen background silence (the first products I’ve heard, aside from the Infinities, that actually produce what could reasonably be called a “black” backdrop), allowing everything ahead of it to stand out with higher clarity and contrast, richer color, tighter focus, stronger sock, fuller dimensionality, and more continuous imaging and staging. A.R.T.’s claims about improvements in the bottom end, for example, are easily confirmed. Just give a listen to Ray Brown’s double bass (and the lower octaves of the Duke’s piano) on This One’s For Blanton [Pablo/Acoustic Sounds] with and without the A.R.T.s and tell me which setup makes both instruments sound more complete—more near-visibly there. The A.R.T.s reveal every nuance of Brown’s oh-so-accomplished playing, not simply by clarifying starting transients but also by showing how subtle changes in attack affect steady-state tone and decay. And as for the latter, listen once more to Ellington on Duke’s Big Four [Pablo/Acoustic Sounds] and revel in the way the Infinity/A.R.T. combo tracks the long, sweet decay of his piano and the slow sizzle of Louie Bellson’s cymbals right down to inaudibility. 

While silence may be golden in more ways than one when it comes to these two pricey items, it is still something well worth paying for in a high-end audio system, provided that the products lowering the noise actually work. These do. I promise you will be as pleased as I was to hear how Crystal Cable’s Infinity power cords and Audio Realignment Technologies’ electro-magnetic treatments augment what you were meant to hear by greatly reducing what you weren’t. 

Specs & Pricing

CRYSTAL CABLE
Edisonweg 8, 6662 NW
Elst, The Netherlands
crystalcable.com
Price: $34,000/2m

LUXURY AUDIO GROUP (Global Sales Agent)
(725) 772-4589
aldo@luxuryaudiogroup.com

AUDIO REALIGNMENT TECHNOLOGIES
630 Quintana Road
Suite 260
Morro Bay, CA 93442
(805) 400-4096
aldo@luxuryaudiogrooup.com
audiorealignment.com
Price: $800–$12,500 (depending on configuration)

JV’s Reference System

Loudspeakers: MBL 101 X-Treme MKII, Magico S3 2023, Metaxas & Sins Czar, Magnepan LRS+, 1.7i, and 30.7
Subwoofers: JL Audio Gotham (pair), Magico S Sub (pair)
Linestage preamps: Soulution 727, MBL 6010 D, Siltech SAGA System C1, Vitus Audio SL-103, JMF Audio PRS 1.5
Phonostage preamps: Soulution 757, DS Audio Grand Master EQ
Power amplifiers: Vitus Audio SM-103 Mk.II, JMF Audio HQS 7001, Soulution 711, MBL 9008 A, Siltech SAGA System V1/P1, Odyssey Audio Stratos
Analog source: Clearaudio Master Innovation, Acoustic Signature Invictus Neo/T-9000 Neo, TW Acustic Black Knight/TW Raven 10.5
Tape deck: United Home Audio Ultima Apollo, Metaxas & Sins Tourbillon and Papillon, Analog Audio Design TP-1000
Phono cartridges: DS Audio Grand Master EX, DS Audio Grand Master, DS Audio DS-W3, Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement v2.1, Air Tight Opus 1, Ortofon MC Anna, Ortofon MC A90
Digital source: MSB Reference DAC, Soulution 760, Berkeley Alpha DAC 2, Kalista Dream Play XC
Cable and interconnect: Synergistic Research Galileo SRX (2023), Crystal Cable Art Series da Vinci, Crystal Cable Ultimate Dream
Power cords: Crystal Cable Art Series da Vinci, Crystal Cable Ultimate Dream, Synergistic Research Galileo SRX 2023
Power conditioner: AudioQuest Niagara 5000 (two), Synergistic Research Galileo SX
Support systems: Critical Mass Systems MAXXUM and QXK equipment racks and amp stands
Room Treatments: Synergistic Research Vibratron SX, Stein Music H2 Harmonizer system, Synergistic Research UEF Acoustic Panels/Atmosphere XL4/UEF Acoustic Dot system, Shakti Hallographs (6), Zanden Acoustic panels, A/V Room Services Metu acoustic panels and traps, ASC Tube Traps
Accessories: Audio Realignment Technologies (A.R.T.) electro-magnetic treatments, DS Audio ES-001, DS Audio ION-001, SteinMusic Pi Carbon Signature record mat, Symposium Isis and Ultra equipment platforms, Symposium Rollerblocks and Fat Padz, Clearaudio Double Matrix Professional Sonic record cleaner

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IsoAcoustics’ New GAIA Neo Range Drives Growth of OEM Division https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/isoacoustics-new-gaia-neo-range-drives-growth-of-oem-division/ Tue, 17 Jun 2025 15:10:58 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59608 Markham, ON (June 17, 2025) — Following the world debut […]

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Markham, ON (June 17, 2025) — Following the world debut of the GAIA Neo range at HIGH END Munich 2025, IsoAcoustics—a global leader in acoustic isolation solutions for the professional, home audio, and OEM sectors—announces major new partnerships with JBL, Marten, and Innuos, and shares new insights into the company’s growing OEM division.

A Brief History: IsoAcoustics’ OEM Division

Although primarily known for its award-winning isolation technology for the home and professional audio markets, IsoAcoustics has a long-established and highly regarded OEM program that integrates its patented acoustic isolation technology into the designs of third-party audio brands. From the engineering brilliance of Sonus faber’s $750,000 Suprema system, to the widely sought after sounds of Perlisten’s Limited Edition S7, PSB’s Synchrony Series, Gershman Acoustics’ Black Swan, and Lyravox’s Karlmann Monolith, IsoAcoustics plays a critical role in helping these brands and many more achieve sonic perfection.

All OEM products are collaborative adaptations of IsoAcoustics’ home audio offerings, which eliminate the conduction of unwanted vibrations and reflections that can otherwise smear or distort sound quality. By effectively managing the boundary condition between the speaker and its supporting surface, IsoAcoustics’ isolation technology helps deliver a more open, natural soundstage with enhanced spaciousness and depth. To date, IsoAcoustics has collaborated on approximately 125 OEM projects with over 55 OEM brand partners. These numbers continue to grow year-over-year with additional OEM partnerships scheduled for announcement later this year.

GAIA Neo Drives Major New Industry Partnerships Unveiled at MUNICH High End

Building on the quantum leap in acoustic isolation technology achieved by the original GAIA series, the newly announced GAIA Neo series represents a further refinement in the design. Notable developments include integrated height adjustment, simplified installation, and improved performance characteristics, making Neo ideal for both home and OEM applications.

True to IsoAcoustics’ home-to-OEM philosophy, GAIA Neo not only meets everyday user demand, but it expands the company’s OEM offerings. This growth has quickly led to major new partnerships with industry powerhouses JBL and Marten.

At HIGH END Munich 2025, JBL launched its expanded Summit Series featuring three new flagship models: Summit Makalu, Summit Pumori, and Summit Ama. Each model incorporates JBL IsoAcoustics™ isolation feet—a low-profile, height-adjustable adaptation of GAIA Neo—ensuring that sound remains as pure as the mountains that inspired them.

“We are excited to partner with IsoAcoustics on a custom adjustable isolator foot for use on our flagship JBL Summit Series loudspeakers. The acoustic and mechanical performance offered by their innovative design, combined with a luxurious aesthetic, is the perfect complement to our new loudspeakers,” said Jim Garrett, Senior Director, Product Strategy and Planning at HARMAN.

Sweden’s iconic Marten unveiled their new Coltrane Supreme Extreme—extraordinary €950,000 speakers featuring a 400 kg dual-cabinet design with independent bass and mid/upper-range cabinets that are built on GAIA Neo’s isolation technology to maintain the clarity and performance of this remarkable system. This represents the latest evolution of IsoAcoustics’ long-standing partnership with Marten, where their custom isolation feet have become a brand signature.

Innuos Nazaré Launch

Also debuting at Munich, Innuos introduced Nazaré—a new flagship streamer featuring integrated GAIA IV technology. This collaboration demonstrates IsoAcoustics’ versatility in serving not only loudspeaker applications but also high-end audio equipment, expanding the company’s reach across the entire audio landscape.

Home-to-OEM Design Philosophy

IsoAcoustics takes a unified approach to product design by developing solutions that deliver uncompromising performance for audiophiles and music lovers and then adapting them to meet the application and aesthetic needs of their OEM partners. This philosophy enables IsoAcoustics’ patented isolation technology to have a growing impact on new product development across the audio industry, supporting everything from personal audio setups to the most advanced loudspeaker systems in the world.

“People have often asked, ‘If IsoAcoustics’ products are so effective, why don’t manufacturers use them?’” says Dave Morrison, Founder of IsoAcoustics. “Our growing OEM program is the answer. We’re now working hand-in-hand with leading brands to integrate our patented isolation technology directly into their designs.”

A New Industry Standard

The GAIA Neo is the latest addition to IsoAcoustics’ expanding portfolio of products designed for both discerning audiophiles and seamless OEM integration. With its technology now being adopted by some of the industry’s most respected brands, IsoAcoustics is setting a new standard for acoustic isolation—one that is rapidly redefining expectations across the audio world.

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The VIABLUE Rocket cable lifter system briefing https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-via-blue-rocket-cable-lifter-system-briefing/ Sat, 10 May 2025 12:40:46 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59150 In this briefing I cover the VIABLUE Rocket cable lifter […]

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In this briefing I cover the VIABLUE Rocket cable lifter system. I’ve been using these for several months now and have found them quite useful and enjoyable. Let’s find out why.

VIABLUE is a cable and accessories manufacturer, located in Germany. As a reviewer, I am constantly wiring and re-wiring my reference system and when I saw the Rocket XL and Rocket lifters I had the feeling they might work for my application. Reviews aren’t about the reviewer or the reviewer’s tastes however, so let’s examine the idea here so that you can determine if the Rocket or Rocket XL might work for you.

The idea of the Rocket is simple: build a metal stand with two O-rings and a rubber base. The stand moves the cables off the floor, and the O-rings allow cables to be separated into three levels. Building the stand from metal gets some mass into the equation, and limits (but doesn’t prevent) the tendency of the stands to fall over.

The O-rings are surprisingly easy to detach and re-attach, an operation that can be done with one hand. I found this useful when cables were located in difficult-to-reach areas.

The stands are available in 3 colors: black, charcoal grey and silver. You can see all the colors here, though I suspect a normal installation would be monochromatic. I also found that using the Rocket’s different O-ring levels made the most sense for cables that are not working at the same time (e.g. cables from different phono preamps or different line inputs like CD and streamer). For speaker wiring or other cables operating together (e.g. a preamp output and a DAC output), dedicated lifters made sense to my brain.

The Basic Idea

The main thing is Convenience. Audio reviewers, and some consumers, change components or wiring frequently. Some find that having the wiring spaced with greater distances makes it easier to re-route cables needed with new configurations. And this routing can support more secure connections at each termination, especially with heavy cables.

Some people also feel careful routing looks nicer. You could accomplish some of what the Rockets do with homemade items, so the investment in a manufactured product is at least partially aesthetic (and partly for ease of use).

Additionally, engineers who know more about signal integrity than I do suggest that cable spacing can matter for electrical performance in some systems. So, before we go any further, I should say a word about why cable separation might matter. Readers and viewers have asked for some explanation of why manufacturers claim things do things. Specifically, some readers want there to be a mechanism that makes claims about performance seem more or less reasonable (only a partial explanation is requested because a full explanation often involves calculus and extensive knowledge of electrical engineering and mechanical engineering and materials science; readers generally cannot follow nor can we produce these). I should also note that manufacturers could address this issue more directly with some measurements, and to this end a few limited tests are cited in the appendix.

Apologies for the length and complexity of what follows.

The Question

Manufacturers of cable lifters suggest that cable separation can help reduce external (environmental) noise sources corrupting the signals carried by cables. Now, I must repeat this: I don’t know if cable lifters work to improve signal integrity. As a reporter and reviewer, I keep an open mind, however.

The null hypothesis that cable lifters cannot under any circumstances be beneficial is asserted as true by many consumers. That seems possibly correct. It also seems open to question.

  • It seems open to question given the research papers and electrical principles involved (see notes at the end in the appendix).
  • It seems open to question because both pro and consumer audio use balanced cables at times, and the understanding of these is that they help reduce environmental noise conducted in cables, so we might assume from this practice that environmental noise is an issue.
  • It seems open to question because shielding is used in some cables, and shielding is thought to reduce environmentally borne (i.e. from outside the cables) noise in cabling.
  • It seems open to question because extensive effort is made by printed circuit board designers to carefully lay out wiring traces to limit noise from adjacent lines and components.
  • It seems open to question because many audiophiles have had the experience that proximity between devices and cables can at time cause high-level audible noise.

It seems logically odd that we accept the above conditions as worth addressing but then declare inter-component cable proximity to be absolutely immaterial. The fierceness of the null hypothesis may, of course, simply be a statement of frustration that “we’ve done so much to reduce noise, surely there can’t be more to do!” Or it may be reasoning from simplicity: “something so mundane can’t possibly work!” Or it may be an indirect assertion that there are effects, but that they aren’t audible (more on that a bit later).

To address the reader request, what follows are simply the mechanisms provided by manufacturers for why there might be benefit. You can decide if these mechanisms, and the supporting research cited, are credible or sufficient for you to do something about it.

Cable Lifters, Wire Dressing and Signal Integrity

Note: before reading this, it may be helpful to abandon the idea that electricity flows in wires like water through a pipe, if that’s what your learned in high school physics. It is more complex than that, for example with magnetic and electrostatic fields being generated and not contained by the wires. If you look at Maxwell’s equations and Ampere’s Law and Faraday’s Law, you will see that electromagnetism is at work in signal transfer. There is more in the references below.

Here are some simple effects offered by engineers for why cable lifters and cable dressing may be helpful:

Electromagnetic waves produced by currents in two wires can interfere with each other, leading to effects like crosstalk where a signal from one wire affects another.  It may or may not be a big deal, although when audiophiles are attending to >120 db signal-to-noise ratios, we can be talking about signals at, say, 1 microvolts as important. There are measurements listed in the appendix that show much worse than -100 db crosstalk (e.g. -31 db), for cable spacing from 2 inches to 6 inches. Note that the test conditions are not identical to audio usage.

The field that is less discussed but potentially more important is the electrostatic field.  This is said to matter greatly as this is how most radio frequency (RF) noise is induced into a cable and modulates (distorts) the low-level signal. Thus, a pressing issue may be induced RF noise that is capacitively coupled into a cable (the electrostatic field).  That will create a modulation or masking effect that reduces resolution of low-level signals. We have had the experience of RF coupling into line cables driving amplifiers into thermal overload. Proper shielding should prevent this but note that shielding only measures as reducing interference by 20-60 db (it is a filter).

We talked to cable makers, and they said “for most of cables, around 5” to 6” from each cable to any solid surface such as a floor or cabinet will reduce the coupling.  One needs to be practical, but these are technical ideals.” There is a paper at the end suggesting minimum 2” separation between cables as a rule of thumb.

The issue with the floor, even when conductive pipes and other materials aren’t present is the relative ease of a dielectric insulation material like wood, marble, stone, brick, or carpet to couple RF noise directly into a cable, versus suspension of said cable in air, the latter having far greater electrostatic resistance. Thus, it is said, coupling of induced noise is greatly diminished.

Static electricity can also affect signals in cables, sometimes causing issues like signal dropouts or reduced data transfer speeds. Static electricity, also known as Electrostatic Discharge (ESD), can disrupt or even damage electronic components. This can happen when static charges build up and discharge through cables, especially in environments where static is prevalent.

As I said, this is not proof; these are possible mechanisms supported by some measurements. These mechanisms are what engineers working on cables and electronics point out can happen. You can decide if these mechanisms are worth attending to.

Value

I will mention, in case it is helpful, that the set of changes that may make small audible differences, like cables, cables lifters and isolation, and better connections seem to add up. And they may be more significant as system sophistication increases. It helps, in my experience, to understand that these adjustments aren’t like switching speakers, where you go from one set of large errors to another set of large, easily noticed errors. That, however, doesn’t automatically mean the differences with cable products aren’t useful. The differences tend to show up in the ability of a stereo system to resolve small details and timing information. You may or may not find these to be audible, and if you are still working on voicing your system, cables and cable lifters are not likely the most effective approach. On the other hand, if you are investing in high-end cables and don’t have cable lifters some suggest you may get sub-optimal results. A similar bit of logic could be applied about budgets. Spending $2k on cable lifters, even assuming that lifters work, for a $10,000 system is probably not good budget management.

Summary

I found that the VIABLUE Rocket and Rocket XL cable lifters worked as I wanted and as I imagine you would want. They are easy to use, make re-wiring easier, and I found them attractive. The Rocket and Rocket XL may be appropriate for well-developed systems and could be considered necessary for some.

Test references on cable interactions:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334630266_Analysis_of_Several_Typical_AC_Power_Cable_Crosstalk_Simulation_Tests

This shows a crosstalk level of -21 db to -31 db for cable spacing of 2-6 inches. Test signal is AC, 115v, 400 Hz. Coupling cable is unshielded.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320829869_Analysis_and_simulation_of_cable_crosstalk

General references on cable interactions:

https://www.signalintegrityjournal.com/blogs/12-fundamentals/post/3441-how-interconnects-work-anatomy-of-crosstalk

https://www.flukenetworks.com/blog/cabling-chronicles/cable-testing-101-cross-talk-near-and-far

https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/21675/what-should-i-know-about-interference-between-wires-in-a-multi-conductor-cable

https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/1451-4869/2019/1451-48691903311B.pdf

And here are books outlining how the effects mentioned are suggested by Maxwell’s equations, Faraday’s Law and Ampere’s Law:

* J.D. Jackson, *Classical Electrodynamics*, 3rd ed. (Wiley, 1998)

* David J. Griffiths, *Introduction to Electrodynamics*, 4th ed. (Cambridge University Press, 2017)

* F. Terman, *Radio Engineers’ Handbook*, McGraw-Hill (1943)

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Introducing GAIA Neo and GAIA Titan Neo: IsoAcoustics Expands Range of Award-Winning Series of Acoustic Isolation Feet https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/introducing-gaia-neo-and-gaia-titan-neo-isoacoustics-expands-range-of-award-winning-series-of-acoustic-isolation-feet/ Tue, 06 May 2025 12:30:40 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59094 Markham, Ontario (May 6, 2025) — IsoAcoustics, a global leader in acoustic isolation […]

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Markham, Ontario (May 6, 2025) — IsoAcoustics, a global leader in acoustic isolation solutions for the OEM, professional, and consumer audio sectors, is pleased to announce two new ranges within the critically acclaimed GAIA Series of high-performance acoustic isolation feet made for speakers and home hifi systems: GAIA Neo and GAIA-TITAN Neo.  The Neo ranges elevate the GAIA family with new features including seamless height adjustment, simplified installation, and refined aesthetics, providing users with greater flexibility and ease than ever before.

The GAIA Series: Four Ranges, Unlimited Possibilities 

 The first GAIAs—threaded isolation feet designed to replace factory-installed feet or spikes— were launched in 2016. They quickly amassed awards and industry accolades for their patented acoustic isolation technology, which instantly improves the sound of any hifi system by reducing vibration, resonance, and interference between hifi equipment and the surface it sits on.  GAIA helped to put IsoAcoustics on the map.  Nearly 10 years on, IsoAcoustics has added new ranges to the GAIA family to fill a variety of user needs, including the GAIA-TITAN range, and now GAIA Neo and GAIA-TITAN Neo.

Following the same tiered product structure as sibling ranges, GAIA Neo and GAIA-TITAN Neo each come in three model sizes, differentiated by size and weight capacity to accommodate a wide variety of speakers and components. The weight capacities should be carefully followed to ensure the best possible performance.

Neo comes in two visually striking finishes—black and dark chrome. Refined versions of their siblings, the Neos offer new technology and design features for a flexible and easy user experience.

 

Key Features: GAIA Neo and GAIA-TITAN Neo

 

  • Enhanced Isolation for Superior Performance: Neo builds on IsoAcoustics’ industry-leading technology, providing even greater isolation and sonic clarity.
  • Seamless Height Adjustment:  The new Neo design features a lower rotating ring that allows for easy height adjustment. By simply rotating the ring, the isolator can be raised or lowered without affecting its on-axis alignment.
  • Refined Aesthetic & Simplified Installation: The new models eliminate the need for lock nuts, offering an easier installation experience. The top of the isolator housing sits flush against the bottom of the speaker, with an integrated O-ring that compresses for a secure fit while maintaining proper alignment.
  • Floor-Sliders for Easy Positioning: Floor-Sliders make positioning large speakers a breeze. Once the Neos have been installed, simply slide the speakers into place before tilting one side at a time to remove the Sliders. Floor-Sliders will be made available to support seamless installation.
  • Most Common Thread Sizes Included: Each GAIA Neo model includes the three most common thread sizes to fit a wide range of speakers and components. These sizes accommodate the vast majority of applications, and alternate thread sizes are available as required.

 

“GAIA Neo makes it easier than ever for audiophiles and hi-fi enthusiasts to unlock the full potential of their systems,” said Dave Morrison, Founder of IsoAcoustics. “GAIA is the standard in isolation performance for the audio market and we’ve worked very hard to make this outstanding product line even better.  Neo is the culmination of this exploration.”

Choose the Right Neo with IsoAcoustics’ Online Product Selector

IsoAcoustics’ Online Product Selector makes it easy to find the right isolation solution for every application. By following a series of simple prompts, this intuitive tool accurately recommends the appropriate isolator based on speaker or equipment type and specifies the required thread size.  In anticipation of the GAIA Neo launch, the Online Product Selector will be updated ahead of its retail launch, making it easy for customers to select the right model and adapter with confidence.

Embraced by OEM Sector

IsoAcoustics works with some of the most respected audio brands in the world, integrating its patented acoustic isolation technology into speakers made by Sonus faber, Marten, PSB Speakers, Perlisten, and Gershman Acoustics, to name just a few.  Each OEM collaboration draws from IsoAcoustics’ acclaimed consumer products, which are widely available for purchase and offer the same technology and performance benefit that is customized to meet the unique design requirements of each partner brand. GAIA Neo is already making a huge impact on IsoAcoustics’ OEM sector and has inspired several major new partnerships, including two world-class speaker brands that will reveal new flagship creations at the HIGH END Munich show, each built on the advanced OEM integration of IsoAcoustics’ GAIA Neo and GAIA-TITAN Neo isolators. Announcements will be made at the show.

HIGH END Munich 

GAIA Neo and GAIA Titan Neo will make their worldwide debut at HIGH END Munich, May 15-18, 2025, at MOC in Munich, Germany.  IsoAcoustics will be exhibiting in Room A 4.2 F210, where attendees can learn more about the GAIA Neo and GAIA-TITAN Neo and the exciting details about these new collaborations with premier speaker brands. Visitors will also have the opportunity to experience the IsoAcoustics difference firsthand through A/B testing of the new GAIA Neo versus factory spikes.

Pricing & Availability

The Neo range will be available for purchase in Q3 of 2025. Pricing is TBD.

Please refer to the IsoAcoustics.com for more information and to find a local dealer.

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Stillpoints ESS Ultra Equipment Stand https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/stillpoints-ess-ultra-equipment-stand/ Fri, 11 Apr 2025 18:06:24 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=58773 Contrary to the Beach Boys, there are no good vibrations, […]

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Contrary to the Beach Boys, there are no good vibrations, at least when it comes to an audio system. Whether it’s a turntable or a CD player, preamplifier or amplifier, vibrations can exert a deleterious effect upon the reproduction of music. Manufacturers like Magico or Wilson Audio, to name just a few, have gone to Herculean lengths to try and dampen vibrations by constructing inert cabinets, while others such as Sonus faber take a diametrically opposed approach, maintaining the cabinet can be tuned, in effect, to sing along with the music.

Small wonder, then, that there are also divergent theories about how best to construct an equipment stand. For a long time, the belief that mass is your friend has prevailed. When I constructed my first stand several decades ago, I filled it up with a mixture of sterile sand and bags of lead shot that I procured from a local gun shop. But the Wisconsin manufacturer Stillpoints sees things differently. It does not believe that vibrations should be damped or expunged. Instead, it pursues an audio version of the Hippocratic oath—first do no harm.

Stillpoints believes that trying to dampen vibrations puts a, well, damper on audio playback. Indeed, according to Bruce Jacobs, a director at the company, the focus should not be on trying to deaden vibrations but to filter them out. What’s more, he maintains that Stillpoints is the only product that addresses micro-vibrations beyond 20kHz and that its stand functions as an ultra-wideband filter.

How much stock should you put in such audacious claims? The high end is rife with black-magic products promising sonic nirvana, whenever and wherever possible. But in this instance, my own experience with Stillpoints suggests that its products are not audio voodoo but the real deal. The company’s new black ESS Ultra rack, which retails from $24,000 to $80,000 depending on its composition, is no exception.

Stillpoints ESS detail

For a number of years, I’ve used a pair of the company’s standard 42″ ESS racks, which resemble an erector set. Each ESS has two pillars on each side to support the rack in an open-frame construction. I always liked the way it makes audio equipment look like it is hovering in air, as well as the fact that it doesn’t occupy a lot of floor space. But nothing stands still in the audio industry, whether it’s amplifier technology or racks. So, when Jacobs suggested that I might want to try the company’s latest offering, I was game.

The ESS Ultra rack does not mark a complete break with its forerunner. The stand’s legs rest on four large Ultra 7 isolation feet. It continues to use the same internal frame of crossbars supported by aircraft wires each having a load capacity of 2200 pounds. According to Jacobs, “the lack of mass means you have no air transfer of vibration.” At the top of each mast under the top shelf are Stillpoints Ultra 6 v2 feet, which isolate audio gear, as far as possible, from the rack itself. And the shelves remain infinitely adjustable—you can slide them up and down the length of the four internal aircraft wires to situate them as you please.

But there the similarities end. The new Ultra rack features (gasp!) four towers to support it rather than the previous two. Jacobs explains that with the emergence of a number of super-turntables weighing several hundred pounds, it became necessary to construct a rack that could easily support them. Another difference between the two racks, Jacobs explains, is that “we’ve taken all the aluminum out of it. It’s all stainless steel with constrained-layer damping for the top plate, and it’s cryogenically treated. Everything is cryoed. It eliminates ringing.”

It does require a bit of dexterity to situate equipment safely in the rack without scratching or denting it, as you need to hover any gear over the isolation feet as you maneuver it toward the rear of the rack. It’s also the case that it’s probably best if your local dealer sets up the rack itself. The aircraft wires are installed at the factory and require no adjustment by the dealer or customer. I found that with minimal care, the Ultra was simplicity itself to use.

Stillpoints ESS detail 2

When I substituted the new Ultra rack for the older Stillpoints one, I heard an audible improvement in the sound of the four-stack dCS Vivaldi Apex CD/SACD playback system that I have used for the past 12 years. It wasn’t that the old rack sounded “broken” or any other hackneyed phrase that often gets employed when moving from one piece of equipment to another. But there was a discernible drop in the noise floor that allowed instruments to emerge with greater dynamic force. This translated into a more lifelike sound on both pianissimo and fortissimo passages. Take the Brazilian Guitar Quartet’s Delos CD of Bach’s four orchestral suites. This beautiful recording contains innumerable musical subtleties that offer a revealing window into the performance of a piece of audio equipment. With the Ultra rack in place, I was able to discern the location of the four guitarists more clearly. The transient accuracy of soft passages, not to mention the sonority of each guitar, emerged with greater realism. The longer I listen, the more I’m convinced that the ability to play quiet passages lucidly contributes to an overall impression of greater dynamic contrasts. In other words, to play loud you also need to be able to play softly with feeling.

Another recording that brought this home was one of the remarkable German trumpeter Matthias Höfs playing a melody by the 19th-century composer Oskar Böhme called “Entsagung” or renunciation. This melancholy snippet of music emerged with remarkable clarity on the Ultra stand, achieving a gossamer-like quality in the strings that I would not have thought possible. Add in the unwavering final note that Höfs tenderly holds for what seems like an eternity before it fades into the distance, and you can color me impressed.

The stand exerted a salutary influence on a number of other recordings as well, ranging from the Rolling Stones’ exuberantly brash Sticky Fingers to Shostakovich’s monumental Eighth Symphony, the “Stalingrad.” I regularly heard deeper into the soundstage with the Ultra when contrasted with the standard ESS that I had previously employed. The big stuff, in other words, sounded bigger. But in the end, it was the small details which the Ultra helped excavate that I kept returning to and focusing on. In this regard, I was captivated by a Deutsche Grammophon recording of Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin, the first true song cycle of the 19th century. The Ultra rack helped stiffen the reproduction of Daniel Heide’s accompanying piano, particularly in the bass regions that almost sounded as though they were emerging from the netherworld. These octaves are routinely the most difficult to reproduce, but obtaining a realistic sense of them helps to create genuine concert air and ambiance. Also quite striking was the nuance of Andrè Schuen’s singing on “The Beloved Color,” which the Ultra rack helped to underscore.

Most recently, I placed the reference dCS Varèse music system on it. The sound and looks of this combination are most enticing. Put bluntly, the Ultra rack is a winner. In my view, it helps perform the essential function of effacing, as far as possible, the nasty vibrations that distort audio playback. Having employed several Stillpoints products over the years, ranging from spookily effective Aperture 2 acoustical panels to isolation feet, I feel no hesitation about recommending the company’s new stand.

Specs & Pricing

Stillpoints ESS Ultra rack: $40,000–$60,000 depending upon specifications
Ultra 6 v2 isolation feet: $1079 each
Ultra 7 isolation feet: $1299 each

STILLPOINTS LLC
573 Co Rd A #103
Hudson, WI 5401
(651) 204-0605
stillpoints.us

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Salamander Designs Unveils Manhattan Media Cabinet – A Bold New Look for Modern Spaces https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/salamander-designs-unveils-manhattan-media-cabinet-a-bold-new-look-for-modern-spaces/ Fri, 14 Mar 2025 21:15:03 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=58484 Bloomfield, CT — March 12, 2025 — Salamander Designs, the recognized leading […]

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Bloomfield, CT — March 12, 2025 — Salamander Designs, the recognized leading provider of premium quality A/V technology furniture for residential and commercial markets, today introduces the Manhattan Media Cabinet, a striking new addition to the company’s renowned, award-winning Chameleon Collection. Designed to meet the evolving décor of modern interiors, this cabinet blends sophisticated style, high functionality and premium craftsmanship—a true statement piece for today’s entertainment spaces that’s in step with current trends in home interior design.

The Manhattan Media Cabinet offers broad, satisfying appeal with its refined materials, rich finishes and intricate detailing, making it the perfect fusion of performance and aesthetics. True to Salamander’s legacy, it also offers state-of-the-art equipment storage, wire management, ventilation, customization and other options that Salamander Integrators and Clients seek.

The Manhattan Cabinet caters to diverse style preferences with two elegant finishes. First is Walnut – a warm, timeless colorway that radiates classic appeal, and second is Maro Ebony – a deep, sophisticated tone with delicate striations that add depth and dimension. With two premium top options, integrators and designers can further expand its utility. The Black Glass Top provides a sleek, gloss surface for a clean, modern aesthetic, while the all-new Taupe Etched Glass Top delivers a soft, matte, non-reflective finish offering warmth and understated sophistication.

In keeping with Salamander’s philosophy and company mission, the new style offers uncompromising craftsmanship and versatility. Designed with meticulous attention to detail, the Manhattan Media Cabinet features a vertical groove texture, a subtle pattern that enhances its intrigue and contemporary allure. Available in multiple Chameleon configurations, it adapts to almost any layout and media need. Beyond entertainment, it serves as a versatile furniture piece, seamlessly integrating into media rooms, home theaters or even as a sophisticated bar and storage unit.

“Our mission has always been to create premium furniture that’s as beautiful as it is functional,” said Scott Srolis, president of Salamander Designs. “This addition to our Chameleon Collection brings that mission to life, blending contemporary design with the superior craftsmanship that our customers expect. Whether for home entertainment or any other sophisticated interior, the new Manhattan offers a truly fresh, stylish solution that can be delivered quickly from our solar-powered, USA manufacturing facility.”

“Our team’s passion for design and innovation drives us to stay ahead of trends in furniture,” said Salvatore Carrabba, founder and CEO of Salamander Designs. “By constantly researching, listening to our customers, and understanding their evolving needs, we’re able to create forward-thinking solutions that bring aesthetics, versatility and performance together in our furniture pieces to not only add to AV systems — but transform them.”

The new Manhattan Media Cabinet is now available to residential Integrators and their Clients. Also, in Spring 2025, the exciting new style will be available to Salamander Designs Commercial Integrators, AV/IT Teams, Interior Designers and Businesses.

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Screen Innovations Expands Mindshare and Get 100% Intimate with Partners Bringing Technical Sales, Support & Design Services In-House to Better Serve Their Rapidly Growing Window Covering Business https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/screen-innovations-expands-mindshare-and-get-100-intimate-with-partners-bringing-technical-sales-support-design-services-in-house-to-better-serve-their-rapidly-growing-window-covering-business/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 14:54:36 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=57309 Austin, Texas (December 03, 2024) — Screen Innovations (SI), the […]

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Austin, Texas (December 03, 2024) — Screen Innovations (SI), the AV industry’s most innovative brand for projection screens, window coverings, outdoor shading and screen solutions for commercial and residential markets, announces restructuring to strengthen its dealer support for its growing shade/blinds/drapery and screen business.
Screen Innovations is transitioning from an exclusive projection screen company to a projection screen and window covering business. SI’s window coverings expansion is necessitating a shift in its high-touch support approach. New products such as Origami Angular, Kaos outdoor high-wind solutions, Drapery and Romans, and Niño™ are considered high-touch, specified products. It is essential for SI to be fully engaged to properly specify, sell, and support every detail related to these high-level projects.

With SI’s doubling of shade units sold annually and the addition of new categories, SI aims to expand its design services, which now cover more than 80% of all indoor and outdoor shade projects. SI will also invest in technical sales managers to help train, specify, measure, install and support dealers throughout the project.

SI also improves its support teams and technology by integrating ZenDesk®, which provides insights into recurring problems that can be addressed to prevent repetition. In addition, AI within ZenDesk® will serve as a valuable tool that allows dealers to quickly access all SI instructions on their mobile phones on the ground without having to speak to anyone.

Effective January 1, 2025, Screen Innovations will direct service all SI US dealerships for sales, bids/proposals, technical support and customer service. SI would like to sincerely thank its sales representatives for the time, diligence and hard work they have put into the success of Screen Innovations.  Many of these companies have been part of our business for many years.  This loyalty and work are recognized and thoroughly appreciated.

“It was business-critical that we make changes to bring our outside sales and dealer support in-house, complex changes that are necessary as we strengthen our infrastructure to control and manage our growth,” said Kim Parker, CEO of SI. “It is difficult to let your friends know they will no longer be needed, but we are confident this is the best way to take our window covering business and organization to the next level. It is not only about our amazing range of products, but also about developing deeper relationships with our business partners by providing the best service and support. Our priority is to strengthen our brand and make our dealer partners the heroes of what we do.”

Screen Innovations inside sales personnel and technical support staff will be added with the transition and expansion of each product category.

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HumminGuru NOVA Ultrasonic Record Cleaner Review https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/humminguru-nova-ultrasonic-record-cleaner-review/ Thu, 17 Oct 2024 19:11:00 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=56915 Adrian investigates the NOVA upgrade to HumminGuru’s ultrasonic record cleaner.

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Adrian investigates the NOVA upgrade to HumminGuru’s ultrasonic record cleaner.

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The Promise and Peril of Hi-Fi Shows https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-promise-and-peril-of-hi-fi-shows/ Tue, 01 Oct 2024 18:49:53 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=56778 The high-end audio show, once an occasional event in the […]

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The high-end audio show, once an occasional event in the U.S., has recently become a mainstay of the audio scene. Today you’ll find consumer-oriented shows in Chicago, Washington DC, Dallas, Tampa, Seattle, and two(!) in Southern California, to name a few. This increasing proliferation of shows wouldn’t be happening unless attendees were showing up and manufacturers, distributors, and dealers made the calculation that exhibiting at a show is worth a substantial investment in time and money.

The audio show is a double-edged sword for consumers and the industry. On the plus side, it’s an opportunity for music lovers to get first-hand experience over a weekend with a much wider range of equipment than they could see in years of visiting dealers. Showgoers can often meet the designers, discuss their systems with experts, and discover new music. Shows also get music lovers more engaged with their hobby. But more than that, a hi-fi show is a communal celebration of music and the equipment that brings it to life. It’s an opportunity to be among like-minded people who “get” what our passion is all about.

The downside—and it’s a considerable downside—is that the sound in the exhibit rooms rarely comes close to realizing the performance of which the products are capable. Stuffing a pair of huge speakers and monoblock amplifiers into a hotel room, powered by an overtaxed AC power system, with only a brief set-up time, isn’t a recipe for showcasing high-end audio at its finest. It’s like saying to a potential customer, “Here, test drive this car with four flat tires.” I wonder how many people come away from a hi-fi show disillusioned by what they heard and decide that the pursuit of high-quality sound isn’t worth the money and effort. The notoriously poor to mediocre sound at shows is exacerbated by the tendency by exhibitors to play their systems way too loudly. At the recent AXPONA, I estimated that 70% of the rooms I visited produced unpleasant—or even painful—sound-pressure levels.

Nonetheless, there is some good sound at shows in the stand-out rooms. It’s always a surprise and delight to sit down in a room with excellent sound, where the exhibitor is playing good music at a moderate level, and everyone in the room is respectful and listens rather than talking loudly in the back. It’s even better when the person in the sweet spot offers to share the prime seat with other showgoers. The best show experience is when several people in the room share the same musical tastes, and everyone offers track suggestions. An equipment demo suddenly, unexpectedly, and delightfully becomes a shared musical journey of discovery.

As much as I appreciate discovering a fabulous sounding cost-no-object product at a show, what gratifies me even more is chancing on a great-sounding room with affordable gear and eavesdropping on a young couple who thrill at discovering great sound they can afford. On many occasions, I’ve listened in on young people excitedly discussing buying the system being demonstrated—one of the few systems at the show that fits their room and budget. After seeing and hearing room after room of gear they can’t afford, their excitement at finding great sound that is within their reach is wonderful to witness.

Speaking of the prices of gear, there’s an unfortunate tendency among show exhibitors to demonstrate their flagship models rather than their entry- or mid-level products. I suspect that the lower-end products sell in greater numbers and generate more revenue than the cost-no-object products and would be more relevant to showgoers, but the manufacturer’s ego gets in the way. If a company makes six-figure monoblocks as well as a lower-powered integrated amplifier, the company brings the monoblocks in the belief that they need to strut their high-end bona fides in such a public setting. Consequently, most of the people at shows can’t afford most of the gear on display. The industry would do well to put one-upmanship aside and focus on a wider range of price points.

Showcasing gear that’s attainable by a larger segment of music lovers is increasingly important as shows start to attract a more diverse audience. I’m delighted to see more young people, women, and couples at U.S. shows. AXPONA has done a great job of attracting attendees of all ages and more families. That’s a trend I hope continues. The European and Asian shows bring in a huge attendance of couples and families, so there’s no reason we can’t emulate that success in the U.S. If the industry is committed to putting on a large number of shows, we need to expand the outreach beyond traditional audiophiles. That’s when the hi-fi show will realize its potential. 

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Announcing the release of BACCH-ORC for the BACCH-SP https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/announcing-the-release-of-bacch-orc-for-the-bacch-sp/ Mon, 16 Sep 2024 03:15:13 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=56648 September 15, 2024 – BACCH-ORC is the most advanced room […]

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September 15, 2024 – BACCH-ORC is the most advanced room correction technology today. It relies on quick in-ear (binaural) acoustic measurements, millimeter-resolution head tracking, and cutting-edge algorithms derived from years of psychoacoustic research at Princeton University, to produce optimal room correction (ORC) filters that elevate any stereo loudspeaker playback system to its ultimate level of transparency

Click here to learn more about BACCH-ORC

As of September 6, 2024, BACCH-ORC is available as an optional module that can be uploaded remotely to the BACCH-SP (Mk III version of the Grand, adio and dio units). As a one-month promotion to mark its release, the price of the ORC module will be $2,000 until October 6, 2024, for all MkIII BACCH-SP units purchased by that date.  To take advantage of this offer please contact your authorized BACCH-SP dealer. If you purchased your BACCH-SP directly from Theoretica, please contact us at info@theoretica.us.

If you have recently purchased a BACCH-SP and pre-ordered the BACCH-ORC module, please contact us at info@theoretica.us to schedule a remote walkthrough session during which our tech support will install the BACCH-ORC module remotely, and show you how to use it.

 If your BACCH-SP unit is the older Mk II version (purchased before May of 2023) it would need to be upgraded to Mk III before it can run the new BACCH-ORC module. This upgrade involves upgrading the BACCH-SP’s CPU (which brings new functionality and several improvements to the BACCH-SP) and requires shipping the unit back to Thoeretica.  To learn more about this upgrade, please contact us info@theoretica.us.

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Audio Tools https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/audio-tools/ Fri, 05 Jul 2024 19:55:26 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=55970 “They’re not accessories, they’re tools”: thus said J. R. Boisclair, […]

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“They’re not accessories, they’re tools”: thus said J. R. Boisclair, principal owner of WAM Engineering, politely but firmly, when I asked him if I might include the WallySkater and WallyTractor analog set-up devices in a piece I was writing about accessories. I believe his distinction far from factitious. My Meriam-Webster defines accessory as “an object or device that is not essential in itself but adds to the beauty, convenience, or effectiveness of something else.” This definition surely applies to the Wally, Hagerman, and Riverstone Audio devices under consideration here, but they obscure an important difference. What we commonly think of as audiophile accessories are things that play an active (by active, I don’t mean electronically active only) role in the reproduction of sound, whether they’re tips, spikes, pods, stands, pads, mats, weights, clamps, ad infinitum, and they are typically in use when music is being played back. Tools are nothing of the sort; they never become part of an audio reproducing chain and cannot in and of themselves give you lower noise and distortion, better imaging, or greater transparency. An alignment protractor can’t stabilize a tonearm any more than its intrinsic design permits; a stylus-force gauge can help you set tracking weight accurately, but it can’t make a pickup hold to the grooves any better than its design allows. Tools, instead, exist to (1) fix things that are broken, (2) assemble things that come unassembled, and (3) facilitate or otherwise help optimize the setup of things that require at least minimal adjustment.

wally skater

WallySkater and WallyTractor

WAM Engineering was founded in the early nineties by Walenty Malewicz, a gifted mechanical engineer with a passionate love for recorded music, particularly vinyl. In 1994, he introduced his first product, the WallyTractor, a device that allowed for precise horizontal alignment of the stylus in the groove and correct stylus overhang. As Malewicz was a gentleman who seemed far happier in the lab or listening to music, the business end of his company suffered, unable to keep up with the demand for its products. A beloved man and mentor, he passed away in 2018. Not long after, J. R. Boisclair bought the company and together with Malewicz’s son Andrzej relaunched Wally’s company as WAM Engineering LLC. Boisclair has since invented six more devices that address key aspects of phono pickup and tonearm setup. Now the effective face of WAM and its principal product developer, he also instituted a program of services including microscopic analysis of stylus and cantilever, in-home system setup, electroacoustic room/speaker tuning, and custom-made shims for achieving correct stylus rake-angle and azimuth.

On a recommendation from Michael Fremer, I acquired the WallyTractor, a considerably improved, more sophisticated and versatile protractor than the Malewicz original, and the WallySkater, a new device that checks tonearm bias and friction and assists in the setting of correct antiskating. These are the only Wally tools I’ve used, though on the basis of their effectiveness, I plan to investigate several more. In the remarks that follow I shall eschew physical descriptions of these devices and how they work on the principle that a thousand words is nowhere near worth a picture, to say nothing of the several detailed instructional videos on the WAM website.

The WallySkater costs $260 in its standard version, $310 in the Pro version. The greater control the Pro’s hanging mechanism exerts over the plumb bob and arm threads, to say nothing of its convenience, is easily worth the extra $50 (if you already have the standard, the Pro hanger is available for $60). The Tractor costs $395. If that seems a bit pricey, bear in mind it includes an etched spindle ruler and jig for measuring tonearm length; an articulated lighted magnifying glass (not strictly necessary, but trust me, once you start zeroing in on overhang, offset, and cantilever alignment, you’ll be glad it’s included); and the most precise protractor disc I’ve ever seen, with arcs etched into the mirrored surface to cover different arm lengths and catering to the two most popular alignment formulae and protocols; and personalized support (Boisclair makes himself available for anyone who needs assistance with the tools or remedies for some of the problems they might uncover in specific setups).

Boisclair recommends beginning with the Skater, because it allows you to check your tonearm for friction, freedom of movement, and any biases that might interfere with aligning your cantilever. His experience suggests that physical bias owing to arm wiring, careless routing of wires in the arm, perhaps misaligned, loose, or faulty bearings is more prevalent than you may think; these can cause lateral displacements of the arm, which misalign the cantilever one direction or another during the subsequent critical cantilever-alignment process, thus rendering correct orientation of the stylus in the groove “a mechanical impossibility.” If your measurements indicate such a condition exists, Boisclair says there are fixes and/or workarounds to address it; this is where the personal service comes in, the manual recommending contacting him at WAM. (If I were a dealer specializing in record-playing equipment, I’d have a WallySkater on hand if only to ensure the arms I sell are free from physical bias and excessive friction.)

Another issue is static horizontal friction, AKA stiction, which results in a condition whereby the stylus in effect pulls the arm across the record, which can cause asymmetrical loading of the delicate cartridge-motor’s damper. It also means, again, that it’s a mechanical impossibility for the stylus to stay in proper geometric relationship to the groove because as soon as an arm so afflicted starts to move across the record, it invariably pulls the cantilever out of alignment.

Once you’ve ascertained your arm has none of these issues, you’re ready to turn to the WallyTractor, which does what all other alignment protractors do only with far greater precision and exactitude: ensure proper stylus overhang with respect to arm length and proper offset with respect to optimizing the closest possible tangency a pivoted tonearm can manage to the record groove as it traverses the LP (radial arms are also accommodated). This protractor is rather daunting the first time you remove it from its cloth sleeve. LP-sized with a mirror finish, it’s divided into two halves, one labeled “Older Record Collections,” the other “Newer Record Collections.” Measurements Boisclair’s made of more than a thousand LPs revealed that those from 1990 forward “show a significant increase in innermost groove radius versus pre-1990 records.” The choice allows you to optimize your setup to get the best out of your collection. (“If you aren’t sure,” the manual says, “stick with Older Record Collection arcs!”)

Each half of the protractor contains 29 arcs for arms ranging in pivot-to-stylus lengths from 222 to 356 millimeters—in pairs. Why pairs? One for Baerwald alignment, the other for Löfgren. A center line through the spindle has crosshairs for the null points and for aligning the cantilever. First, you determine the pivot-to-stylus distance of your arm. If the arm’s manual doesn’t provide this information, the included ruler-jig lets you measure it yourself. Then you lock in overhang, offset, and cantilever alignment—the most time-consuming tasks. Next comes antiskating, for which you reemploy the Wally- Skater. I’ve tried all sorts of methods for adjusting antiskating, including test records, grooveless LPs, and the built-in gauges or dials on arms (which values are in my experience almost always too high); regardless of what I tried, in the end I’ve always wound up setting it by ear, using my most difficult-to-track LPs (but not test records, which introduce problems of their own). I once discussed this whole matter at length with the late A. J. Conti of Basis Audio, who was more fanatical about this sort of thing than anyone I’ve ever known (at least before Boisclair). A. J. recommended the grooveless record but readily conceded it was a compromise that almost always requires subsequent tweaking by ear. With the six pickups I’ve installed since using the Skater, I’ve never had to tweak a setting once I’ve locked it in.

As with all these operations, Wally’s online videos are invaluable, taking you through the processes step by step. How much effort and time are required? Well, I won’t lie—you must be willing to work slowly, patiently, and methodically at first. But the learning curve is fairly easily scaled and mastered; and bear in mind that assuming you don’t change arms, once the WallySkater has established yours is free from any serious bias or friction issues, if you change pickups, you can proceed directly to the antiskating, which is pretty quick. The WallyTractor adjustments are inevitably more time consuming because more minute, therefore painstaking, but after the first few setups, the time it took me dropped by half and lower, the most recent one dispatched in about 15 minutes.

Let me say straight off that with all the LPs I regularly use to check tracking, these two Wally tools let every pickup/arm combination I tried, which was several, perform better than with any other setup tools I’ve ever used, including the Dennessen Geometric SoundTractor (alas, long discontinued but heretofore my go-to). In sonic terms, the improvements include but are not limited to cleaner tracking, lower noise and perceived distortion, greater clarity and resolution, a more confident overall presentation with greater precision and solidity of imaging, more securely focused instruments and performers within the soundstage, and an impression of greater control and stability.

In a recent issue I reported on one of Ortofon’s latest vintage SPU variations, the Synergy G, outfitted with an elliptical stylus for better tracking. Based on a design introduced over 60 years ago, tracking was satisfactory to excellent much of the time, very good some of the time, and merely okay or not so good with really difficult-to-track records. Among the things it could not track without audible distress is the police whistle that puts an abrupt halt to the rumble depicted in the opening Prologue on the 2021 West Side Story soundtrack—until I set it up using the Wally tools, particularly the Skater. Afterward, the tracking was uniformly excellent, rarely less than very good. No, it still didn’t track that whistle and some other problematic LPs quite as cleanly as my Shure V15 V/Jico (reviewed in Issue 334)—even many modern pickups struggle with several of them—but the Synergy now comes very close, no longer breaking up, no longer causing me to tense up as the moment approaches. And speaking of the formidable Shure V15 V/Jico, which tracks superbly even in a relatively careless setup, when I got alignment and especially antiskating dialed in using the Wally tools, its tracking went from superb to superlative, the presentation more confident, more together, more controlled, more exciting yet paradoxically more effortless.

But at $655 for the pair, are the Wallies worth the expense and effort in the grand scheme of things? That I can’t answer for you or anyone else. One of the glories or ironies—depending on your point of view—of vinyl is that it’s a very forgiving medium. As anyone my age surely knows, millions have hugely enjoyed vinyl before or without the tools we now have to enable greater exactitude in setup or the components that allow for a considerably more faithful reproduction of what is in the grooves. It all comes down to priorities, I guess. I am not the sort to get obsessive over battening down every last hatch of pickup/arm/table setup, I do not tweak endlessly after I’ve done the best setup I can, and I don’t say the sonic improvements I’ve described here are life changing. But if my investment in pickup, arm, and table were only, say, a couple grand or less—and mine is far more than that—then the improvements I hear easily justify the Wally tools’ eminently reasonable pricing, let alone the modest effort required to master the use of them.

Hagerman Audio Labs Frybay3

Hagerman Audio Labs Frybay3 and FryCorder2

Hagerman Audio Labs, headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, and founded in 1994, is a small direct-sales company focused on the design and manufacture of value-driven audiophile-grade electronics, handcrafted in the USA, with a 10-year warranty, 30-day trial period, and free shipping within the USA. That’s a paraphrase from the home page of the company’s website, written, I assume, by its founder Jim Hagerman. Most of the products have to do with phono preamplification and equalization, including a very reasonably priced phono preamp, called the Archiver, “designed to replicate any known equalization curve (36 in total), from 78rpm shellacs up to the modern era” (Google “Fremer Hagerman Archiver” for Michael Fremer’s review), and another, called the Bugle, billed as “arguably the best phonostage under $500,” the current price as of this writing being $249, including both mm and mc capability. (I love that “arguably”: How many under $500, let alone $249 phonostages are there for people to argue about?)

The two products under review here Hagerman calls accessories, though by my definition they are plainly tools. The FryBaby3 Compact Burn-In Generator ($289 regular, now $259) is designed specifically to speed up the burn-in of interconnects and speaker cables, but it can also be used to burn in linestages, phonostages, and amplifiers. Through a combination of wideband noise and variable-frequency amplitude modulation, the signal it generates exercises “both low- and high-frequency characteristics of conductors and insulators.” A three-position switch varies the output level among moving coil, moving magnet, and line, while two modes of burn-in, voltage and current, each requiring a different connective configuration from the other, are recommended for maximum effectiveness. The mm and mc modes include a reverse RIAA filter for proper phono equalization.

All this is clearly laid out in the manual, which suggests 24 hours for voltage burn-in, 48 hours for current, doubling those numbers for silver conductors. RCA jacks come standard, while XLR terminations require an adaptor ($49) that also allows for burn-in of headphones. Interconnects of either termination can be burned in together by daisy-chaining them. (In an email, Hagerman advised keeping the length under 30 meters!) The FryBaby3 also burns in speaker cables, one side at a time; BNC jacks and a set of binding posts are standard (if needed, additional sets costs $39 each). For burn-in of electronics, only voltage mode is used.

The FryCorder2 Power Cord Burn-In Generator ($189) is exclusively for AC line cords. Only one can be done at a time, recommended burn-in time four to five days.

Most of my regular readers know that I am about as far from a wire junkie as it’s possible to get. Over two decades ago, Neil Gader and I did interconnect and speaker-cable surveys, as a consequence of which I vowed I’d never subject myself to such an experience again—nothing to do with Neil, one of my closest friends and always a joy to work with, rather the objects of the surveys themselves. One reason is that there seems to be no consistent philosophy, paradigm, model, or comprehensive theory as to the hows and whys wire makes a difference, at least none upon which any two or more manufacturers can agree. Instead, there’s a veritable Tower of Babel of competing ideas and “explanations,” most of which I find tentative, incomplete, sometimes bewildering, occasionally nonsensical. Saying which, let me add that I’m perfectly willing to admit it’s my shortcomings in experience, education, intellect, and brain power—slow, I grant, but redeemed, I’ve always felt, by a certain doggedness in the pursuit of understanding—that prevent me grasping what many of them are talking about. Then there’s my subjective experience, to wit, that most of the claims made for improvements said to be wrought by changes in interconnects, cables, line cords, and conditioners are to my ears usually exaggerated, sometimes little or even no improvement at all, merely a noticeable difference, occasionally worse than before the swap. In order to forestall a barrage of angry emails to our overworked editor, please note that I do not say the differences are unobservable or insignificant, particularly to those for whom they are significant, merely to my mind overstated.

All of which begs the question, what the hell am I doing reviewing a pair of devices like these Hagermans? Fair enough. Well, first, despite the diatribe of the previous paragraph, I actually do use quality wire throughout my two main systems and have done for the past 40 years. The brands of interconnects, speaker cables, and AC power products include—the listing is alphabetical, so read no ranking in the order—Audience, AudioQuest, Benchmark, Cardas, Crystal, Hovland (along with the later mentions of Sumiko and Peterson, this now-defunct brand dates me, I know, but my Hovland interconnects are still among the very best I’ve ever used for very long single-ended runs), Kimber, Monster, Peterson (remember them?), PS Audio, Siltech, Sumiko (from the days when David Fletcher was still there), and Wireworld. Second, from time to time I do investigate wire products, either owing to what some reviewer I find reliable has to say about this or that one or because of a trusted audiophile friend’s recommendation I have a listen to something borrowed or newly purchased.

More recently, an audio-journalist acquaintance who had left writing to join the industry asked me if I’d like to try some of his company’s newest products, which had been getting lots of good press these last few years. Before I knew it, several interconnects, line cords, and a pair of power conditioners landed at my front door. There was no way I could reasonably begin to evaluate any of this unless I could cook them in fast, for which the only device I know for this is the Cable Cooker, which I don’t own. It was then that my good friend Dan Meinwald of EAR Imports told me about Hagerman Labs. A phone call followed, and less than a week later both FryBaby and FryCorder were deposited at my door.

They worked as claimed, reducing what might likely have been a several weeks’ break-in to a few days. For the purposes of this review, I’m limiting myself to my experience with AC line cords. Among the products sent by the wire company in question—it shall go unnamed, as I do not want disputes about brands to obscure the points I want to make about burn-in—were two identical samples, each two-meters in length, of one of its upper-end, read more expensive, line cords. I opened the first sample, connected it to the FryCorder2, and let it cook for five days. I then plugged it into the line conditioner (by the same company) and played music for another week or so. One day I cued up Impex’s Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra remastering and listened for about a minute or so. Next, I substituted the unburned-in cord, which until then I had not even unpacked, and played the same passage at the exact same volume (my preamp has a numerical read-out of the level) for the exact same period of time, about a minute, though I certainly did not need that long.

The difference left me slack-jawed—this from someone who has often been deeply skeptical, if not positively cynical about the whole break-in, burn-in business. With the burned-in cord Sinatra’s voice was warm and rich, with as much dynamic range as the technology of the time allowed, full of life and vitality, with marvelous body and dimensionality. With the unburned-in cord the sound was pinched, thin, and edgy. So, the first thing I did is what I usually do when confronted with something like this—called in my wife Danielle. Now Danielle’s no audiophile, but she listens well and astutely, and her responses are untainted by typical audiophile predilections, prejudices, and pomposities. I started with the burned-in cord at exactly the same level and played the recording for the same length of time, around a minute. Then I told her I was going to play it again, but without letting her see what I was doing, adding that she might not hear any difference at all. Not 20 seconds elapsed before she said, “This is not subtle,” and proceeded to describe the differences she observed in more or less the same or closely analogous terms as I did. “What did you do?” When I showed her, she asked, something most of have at one point or another exclaimed in our audiophile odysseys, “But how can that make any difference—it’s just electricity!”

Reassured I wasn’t hearing things, I performed another experiment. I ordered a pair of 2-meter 3-pronged IEC cords from Amazon basics (they’re sold two to a package) and put them through the same steps I did the audiophile cords. One was broken in with the FryCorder2 for five days, the other left unopened. I then substituted the burned-in Amazon for the audiophile one. I did this at the beginning of the day, after the system had been left on all night, but without listening to music, as I didn’t want the sound of the audiophile cable in my head immediately before listening to the burned-in Amazon. Same piece of music, same duration, same levels.

Here’s what I observed. First, with the Amazon pair there were clearly observable differences between the burned-in and the unburned-in cords, except they were not so pronounced as with the audiophile brand. Second, the burned-in Amazon reproduced the Sinatra LP the way I am used to hearing it: lively, warm, rich, rounded, dimensional, etc. etc. etc. The unburned-in cord sounded dull and lifeless. Next, I substituted the burned-in audiophile cord for the burned-in Amazon. This produced a bit of surprise. The audiophile cord was observably superior, but not by nearly so much as I had expected, being a little livelier, more dynamic, more transparent—the usual litany of welcome characteristics. But the Amazon was by no means humiliated, the biggest difference to my ears the firmer bass line of the audiophile cord. Danielle wasn’t around for this experiment, but a close friend corroborated my findings.

What conclusions can be drawn from my little experiments? Frankly, not many of a general nature that I’d be willing to place much stock in without a far greater variety of source material, more numerous comparisons, much more time spent in the listening, and a wider sample of cords and brands. But the one thing that is clearer to me than ever before is the importance of burn-in, so much so that henceforth I shall never trust my impressions of any wire product auditioned immediately after it’s been removed from factory-sealed packaging. And I shall never again disparage the necessity of burning in wire products.

All this begs the same question as the Wally tools: Do you, if you’re a “typical” audiophile, need burn-in tools? Almost certainly not if your system doesn’t change much and you’re not into sampling new electronics and wire products on a regular basis. And even if you are, can’t you accomplish the same thing with ordinary music or a burn-in CD? Yes, you can, but it takes a lot longer, and it’s probably less effective than the broad-band signal developed by Hagerman, which reduces burn-in to a few days, which in turn certainly facilitates the reviewing process. My policy reviewing electronics is not to use fancy aftermarket AC cords or interconnects, at least not initially. I want to hear them as the consumer who buys them will hear them, with whatever comes in the box. So, while the FryCorder2 burns in the supplied AC cord, the FryBaby3 burns in the circuits in the unit itself: win-win every which way.

Finally, the most overlooked burn-in category in audio is tonearm wiring and phonostages and transformers. So low are phono signals, whether mm or mc, that Alan M. Krafton, who manufactures the Cable Cooker, has expressed doubts whether arm wiring ever gets fully broken in. Thanks to products like his and Hagerman’s, this no longer need be a concern (though it would be useful if Hagerman followed Krafton’s example and provided an adaptor so arm pickup-leads could be easily connected to the Frybaby3).

Oh, one thing more, just to drive us all a little crazier. Designers, technicians, and some audiophiles who are deep into the wire rabbit hole, e.g., Krafton and Garth Powell of AudioQuest, now tell us it’s from time to time necessary to re-burn-in interconnects, speaker cables, and line cords. For the life of me I can’t understand how a piece of wire that is in regular use manages to become unburned-in, but I’m not going to lose any sleep over that one. In the meantime, Hageman’s tools, like the Wallies, are staying put chez moi.

Riverstone Audio Record-Level Turntable Stylus Tracking Force Gauge/Scale

Do you need a vertical stylus-force gauge? If you change phono pickups only when absolutely necessary and your dealer does all the work, no. Even if you do your own setups and your tonearm has reliable built-in stylus-force measurement—more on this in a moment—then you can get along without one and probably have been for a very long time. However, if the vinyl bug really has bitten you, you doubtless have more than one pickup, perhaps several by now, maybe more than one table or a table that’ll handle two (or more) arms, and before you knew it you purchased an arm that requires an aftermarket vertical tracking-force gauge because the arm itself lacks any means of measuring VTF.

There are other reasons why you might want one. If the VTF mechanism on your arm is of the spring-loaded variety, you might find it advisable to check it from time to time because the springs can go out of adjustment. Truth to tell, one of the best kept secrets in the vinyl sector of high-end audio is that the built-in VTF measurements on most arms, even very expensive and highly reviewed ones, are notoriously inaccurate. (The excellent Jelco arm on the equally excellent Luxman PD-151 turntable is off by half a gram!) That is one reason why a number of the better arm designers skirt the issue entirely by requiring end users to equip themselves with a reliable after-market gauge.

Some audio reviewers and vinyl enthusiasts also like to use small variations in tracking force to make minute adjustments to vertical tracking angle, while others seek to resolve subtle differences in the sound with incremental adjustments of downward weight within the pickup’s recommended range. Those are two rabbit holes I’ve never elected to go down—I always set VTF at the middle to upper end of the specified range—but as a reviewer and an audiophile who began with vinyl and has remained committed to it for over half a century now, I change pickups, arms, and tables frequently, so a reliable VTF gauge is a necessity. Recently I realized a long-held dream of converting my garage to a home office; when it finally happened, in the spring of 2022, the space turned out to be commodious enough for a lovely second listening room with a second reference system. Before I knew it, I had need for a second VTF gauge, as whenever I wanted to change a pickup in one system, the gauge I already had was invariably in the other room. And much as I love the Clearaudio, I really didn’t want to spend $300 on another gauge. I tried several reasonably priced digital ones from Amazon and other sources, none of which was worth a damn for accuracy, repeatability, or reliability. Then, a friend told me about the Riverstone VTF gauge. Available from Amazon for less than $33—cheaper than some manual gauges—it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for, with some great features, including one I’ve seen on no other such device.

Google “Riverstone stylus force gauge video” for an instructional video of how to set up, calibrate, and use it, all of which are baby simple. Unlike many digital VTF gauges, the Riverstone comes with a pair of weights, one 20 gram, one 5 gram, for calibrating the scale (use the latter for VTF calibration). This is important. The delicate sensors on most digital VTF gauges sometimes give incorrect measurements for what appears to be no reason at all (the instructional video suggests that breathing heavily on the scale or a light breeze can adversely affect measurement). I’ve not had this happen so far with the Riverstone, but the friend who recommended it to me says he has, albeit very infrequently. This does not indicate a defect, merely that the scale needs to be checked and recalibrated. The process takes mere seconds (literally), which is why I do it every time I commence a new setup.

The other feature of the Riverside, which is unique to it and accounts for the “Record-Level” in the nomenclature, is that you can adjust the scale so that the VTF is measured at or extremely close to the surface of the LP. Depending on where the center of gravity of the arm is and how the counterweight is configured, if the tracking force is not measured at the height of the record surface, then the value as indicated on the display might not be the actual downward force when the record is played. Inasmuch as the vast majority of phono pickups specify a range of tracking forces, not one specific weight, this is hardly a cause for excessive concern. But if you want to eliminate it as a source of worry, the Riverstone is unique in my experience in making it possible.

Reliable, repeatable, easy to use, adjust, and maintain for exact accuracy, well made, and an extraordinary bargain to boot, an enthusiastic recommendation is a no-brainer. Like the WallySkater and WallyTractor and the Hagerman burn-in devices, the Riverstone is now a permanent part of my audio tool kit.

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TIDAL Audio Adds New Dealer to Network https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/tidal-audio-adds-new-dealer-to-network/ Wed, 28 Feb 2024 16:09:14 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=54751 [Hürth, 27/02/2024] – TIDAL Audio, the world renowned manufacturer of […]

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[Hürth, 27/02/2024] – TIDAL Audio, the world renowned manufacturer of luxury high-end audio speakers and electronics, is delighted to announce the addition of a prestigious new dealer to its family.

The newest member of the TIDAL Audio dealer network, Audio Ultra, located at the West Coast, now joins the esteemed ranks of Artisan Fidelity as an Authorized Partner and The Voice That Is as TIDAL Audio’s US Premium Partner. This distinction underscores TIDAL Audio’s dedication to collaborating with top-tier dealers who share a passion for delivering exceptional audio experiences and uncompromising quality to customers across the United States.

“We are happy to welcome Audio Ultra to the TIDAL Audio family, alongside our esteemed partners The Voice That Is and Artisan Fidelity,” said Jorn Janczak, CEO at TIDAL Audio. “Their expertise and commitment to excellence align perfectly with TIDAL Audio’s values, and we are excited to work together to bring the ultimate listening experience to more discerning music lovers.”
Customers can now explore TIDAL Audio’s exquisite range of products at Audio Ultra’s showroom, where they will receive expert guidance and personalized service to help them choose the perfect audio solution. Whether seeking the finest speakers or electronics, customers can expect some of the best from TIDAL Audio and its esteemed partners.
The Voice That Is (TIDAL Premium Partner)
Broomall, PA 19008
https://thevoicethatis.com/
Artisan Fidelity (TIDAL Partner)
Saint John, IN 46373
https://www.artisanfidelity.com/
Audio Ultra (TIDAL Partner)
Sumner, WA 98390
https://audio-ultra.com/
For more information about TIDAL Audio and to find a dealer near you, please visit https://www.tidal-audio.com.

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