Amplifiers, CD, D/A Converters

DartZeel - CTH-8550 Integrated Amplifier

darTZeel is proud to introduce the new CTH-8550 full featured integrated amplifier.
This new product combines in one casing most of the good things musical lovers found in our flagship NHB series. The CTH-8550 features newly designed power output stages which include on board regulated power supplies for a very compact global layout. This new circuit brings outstanding transparency, speed, yet delicacy, giving a maximum listening pleasure. With no less than nine inputs in total, the preamplifier section is dual-mono - one dedicated circuit per channel - with a minimal footprint which allows for very short signal paths. No doubt that this newcomer is a truedarTZeel machine.

Creek Audio

Creek products have been an integral part of the British hi-fi industry for well over twenty years. During that time, the company has not deviated from its original philosophy to produce a high quality yet affordable range of amplifiers, tuners and CD products. Value for money is at the core of the company's thinking.

Over the years Creek Audio has built up a loyal following in all corners of the globe and its products are currently available in more than 43 countries. One of the great strengths of the company is that it knows what it does best and focuses on those areas. Creek Audio has held firm in its decision not to diversify beyond its traditional markets simply in an effort to win over as many customers as possible. Short term gain has never been the motivating factor – maintaining customer loyalty by offering new and innovative products backed by exemplary service is of the highest importance.

And the result? As new products emerge they serve to further enhance the company’s reputation with the buying public who understand that when they purchase a Creek product, they can be guaranteed of the highest quality in a product that will last a lifetime.

The Classic 5350SE is constructed in a modular way, with separate power amp, pre-amp and remote volume control circuit boards, connected with computer grade flat cables, plugs and sockets. It features a passive pre-amp circuit, providing no additional gain to the source signal. Although not strictly necessary, it can be configured with an active pre-amp if required, by plugging in an optional gain board which can be configured in steps of 3, 6 or 9 dB. An optional MM or MC Phono pre-amp can also be plugged in to further increase the flexibility of this fine integrated amplifier.

Creek’s Classic CD player has evolved from the CD50mk2. There has been a change in the design of the casework so that it better matches the Classic 5350SE integrated amplifier.

One of the great strengths of Creek Audio through the years has been the ability to produce exceptional tuners. The Classic T50 carries on that tradition. Styled to complement the Classic range of integrated amplifiers and CD player, and released in 2006, this tuner is the perfect match. Yet it will also sit perfectly well with the older 53 and the new Destiny series, providing the ability to mix and match.

Available through My Kind of Music

GM-50 is the most recent GRAAF creation, an integrated amplifier born to complete our production of the highest class. GM-50 includes in a single frame the features and the level of performance that in the past were an exclusive of GRAAF preamplifiers and power amplifiers. Construction qualities, sound performance and the highest finishing level are joined with the lower cost and the ease of use of an integrated amplifier. The "GM" monogram on the front panel is a synonimous of the greatest sound quality, until now exclusive for top level electronics like GRAAF GM-200 power amplifier and GM- 13.5 B preamplifier. The goal of GM-50 is to establish new quality standards between top class integrated amplifiers.

As usual for GRAAF electronics, GM-50 aestethics are very accurate even in the slightest details. They rely on the coupling of a massive 15 mm aluminium panel with a transparent crystal that allows the vision of the internal circuit. Led indicators show through the crystal the source selected by the user, making the front panel even more attractive. Large rotary knobs give a comfortable access to listening level control and source selection. They look solid and sturdy; the pleasant feeling given by their use is quite what the most demanding audiophile can expect of a GRAAF electronic.
The careful manifacturing and the plentiful sizing of the most critical components are suggested by a frame depth of almost 50 centimetres. GM-50 has also a remote control for on/off switching, source selection, listening level control and mute switching. The amplifier can manage up to six line sources: two of them with balanced outputs, the others with single ended ones. Two tape outputs are provided as well.

High quality binding posts allow the connection of a couple of loudspeakers. Elegance and refinement, joined with versatility and ease of use are just a preview for the exclusive GM-50 internal features. They have been considered with the greatest care in the aim to reach new limits for sound and quality in top-class integrated amplifiers. To attain this object some of the solutions typical of the OTL Series electronics, conceived by Giovanni Mariani, are used. The fully balanced configuration from input to output is between them. Its realization concerns the complete doubling of the electronic circuits, the only acceptable solution for the GRAAF quality standards, until now used only for very few electronics of higher cost. At the power switching, GM-50 enters in mute condition, until tubes reach the operating temperature.
The project of GM-50 integrated amplifier is based on a lay out of great simpleness, an essential rule to obtain the best sound quality. The first stage, for gain and impedance adjustment, serves the level control, in order to reach the most correct operation. Audio signal then enters a stage made of two differential circuits in cascade, with the second of them that works as the actual driver for the output stage. At this point the signals are compared each other and subject to a further level gain. Output stages are made from a push pull of KT 88 tubes, biased for A-AB Class operation. Each tube has its own automatic bias control system, a choice that allows to obtain the best performance in any operating condition. Another exclusive feature of the output stage regards the use of transformers with ground connected central end in the secondary windings. Such a solution is to have a true balanced configuration for the output stage. Also, this allows to obtain a balanced configuration for the feedback circuit. Usually, in audio amplifiers, the feedback circuit brings back to the input only a part of the output signal, in a point defined as comparison knot. With this solution GRAAF GM-50 has two comparison knots for each channel, allowing to have a balanced feedback net, more linear, precise and stable in its correction purposes. GRAAF GM-50 has a feedback rate limited to 6 dB only. http://www.graaf.it

The current capacity of the CTA405 power supply and output transformers is fully sufficient for a 100 Watts output power. However, with operation conditions set for
minimum variation of plate and screen current in the output stage, excellent performance is obtained with very low feedback at 2x 50 Watts per channel.

The output transformers are specially made for this amplifier. Employing a high quality silicon ion core and perfect symmetry of the segmented windings, a frequency
response from 5 Hz to 100 kHz is obtained with low distortion and high stability over the entire audible frequency range.

The system remote supplied will also control the Copland CD players. http://www.copland.dk

A New Purist Tube Line Pre Amplifier
Artemis Labs LA-1

The Artemis Labs LA-1 Line Pre Amp combines the clean, accurate sound of a purist single-triode line amplifier with the convenience and reliability of a solid, well-built product. Special care is taken with all parts in the audio path, from the Goldpoint™ stepped attenuator to the Swedish output chokes by Lundahl. The sonic clarity and detail are outstanding.

http://www.artemislabs.com/LA-1-vacuum-tube-preamp.html

Artemis Labs PH-1 Phono Pre Amp

The Artemis Labs PH-1 Phono Pre Amp is the result of several years of perfecting a simple yet extremely high quality tube-type preamp. High quality parts are used throughout and the design is rugged and reliable. The sonic qualities: tonality, detail, smoothness, and presence are outstanding. The PH-1 is optimized for medium- to high-output cartridges, either moving coil or moving magnet.

http://www.artemislabs.com/PH-1-vacuum-tube-phono-preamp.html

LSA VS.1 MKII Signature Amplifier

The signature version takes the legendary sonic performance of the VS.1 Reference MkII to a new level of musicality. Every design element has been addressed to offer only the best in parts quality. The music is set against a pitch black background with incredible transient performance, sweeping synamics and lush free flowing ease in the midrange frequencies; making the VS.1 Signature MkII a world reference.

Audio Aero

AUDIO AERO, created in 1997, is the high end audio equipment division of Mazères Aviation Group, started in 1977. This group includes now 5 high-tech companies with main activities in aeronautics and racing industries.
The company is based in Toulouse (south-west of France), the “silicon valley” of aeronautics, located just near Airbus office and Aérospatiale plant.
AUDIO AERO products are enjoyed in more than 30 countries.All Audio Aero products are manufactured in our facilities by people with aeronautic certification to ensure quality and reliability.
AUDIO AERO has at it's disposal aeronautic industry testing equipment and we own complete audio specific testing devices (Audio Precision ATS2, Neutrik A2D)

"Passion for music is the reason why AUDIO AERO exists, while our slogan “Fly to the music” summarizes our area of France and our way of living, mixing art and aerospace industry."

Click here for specifications on the popular Prestige Monobloc amplifier

Orpheus Labs

After designing the ORPHEUS ONE digital to analogue converter, the ORPHEUS TWO multi-channel pre-amplifier and the ORPHEUS THREE mono and stereo power amplifiers, Orpheus Labs is working on extending the Orpheus Laboratories line. Expect to see new innovative and high performance products soon.

Available through My Kind of Music; for more information visit the manufacturer's site: http://www.orpheuslab.com/

E.A.R.

E.A.R. amplifiers are unequalled in their ability to deliver a pure rendition of the signal fed into them, free from the colorations and distortions of most amplifiers. Tim de Paravicini has been instrumental in investigating the role of ultrasonic resonances in amplifier circuits and their effect on transient response. He has also undertaken significant original research on the subjective effects of distortion. This research has not only facilitated the interpretation of amplifier measurements, but has shed light upon the correlation between measurements and sound quality. The results are easy to appreciate - E.A.R. amplifiers are among the most accurate amplifiers ever made.

http://www.ear-yoshino.com/products.htm

QUAD Classic

The history of Quad is one of technical achievement in the field of sound reproduction. It is a story that began with the Quad 1 amplifier which brought the benefits of 15 years and experience in professional audio and industrial products to the task of making the most accurate domestic audio amplifier of it's age.

A few years later, the product which set the standard for amplifiers was the Quad II Power Amplifier that was introduced in 1953, the year of Queen Elizabeth's Coronation and the year in which Mount Everest was finally conquered. This amplifier pioneered the principal of cathode coupling through the output transformer to reduce harmonic distortion to almost negligible levels. Such was it's clear superiority that this model remained in production for 18 years.

Three years later in 1956, Quad demonstrated the first true full-range electrostatic speaker. This remarkable product (know later as the ESL-57) used a virtually mass-less plastic film as a moving diaphragm between two charged plates. Compared to the loudspeakers of the time, the ESL free of unwanted colourations and distortions. This landmark product remained in production, virtually unchanged, for 28 years.

foundation research V6

The foundation research V6 is a tube line stage preamplifier, a single ended triode tube design much like that of the V5. The same painstaking attention to detail is apparent through it's musical integrity that belies it's deceptively simple appearance and raw elegance. The primary objective is to recreate the art of a musical performance: the V6 will undoubtedly exceed your expectations.

foundation research is a Canadian company that manufactures an impressive line of audio components. Among these products are the LC1 (ACPower Line Conditioner), the NL1 (Noise load), and other fine products like the V5 single-ended tube phono stage. The V5 uses extremely high-quality components and hand selected matched valve sets. The phono stage can accommodate both MM and MC cartridges. The V6 Linestage Preamp is an all tube linestage from foundation research.

Available through My Kind of Music

McCormack Audio Corporation of Virginia

SACD and DVD Audio Players, featuring the MAP-1 audiophile quality 6 channel analog preamplifier. Now you don't have to degrade musical performance with a surround sound processor.

Adjustable gain phono stages, stereo amplifiers, 3 channel amplifiers, Line drives, and more!

Available through My Kind of Music; for more information visit the manufacturer's site: http://www.mccormackaudio.com/index2.html

Gamut Audio - The Entire Range of Musical Notes

The real test of a High End amplifier is listening pleasure. During the development, we have enjoyed listening to many types of music ranging from opera to HipHop music, to make sure our Gamut amplifiers will bring you many years of enjoyment. We use the term Natural Dynamics to describe the ability of the Gamut power amplifiers to keep different levels seperate in a complex musical passage. It does allow loud notes and soft notes to be present at the same moment in time.

The performers are almost physically present. You feel, that you can reach out and touch them. You will be pleasantly surprised to discover how much unknown musical information that actually exist in your CDs and LP records.

Available through My Kind of Music; for more information visit the manufacturer's site: http://www.gamutaudio.com/