We at the SoundStage! Network are big fans of
Amphion speakers, especially the Argon2 Anniversary minimonitor, shown above right, a SoundStage!
Reviewers' Choice. Amphion thought it a good idea to grow this popular speaker to the
floor, and the result is the brand-new Argon3 L, a two-way floorstander with Amphion's
well-known waveguide used for the tweeter. The Argon3 L is priced at $3990 per pair.
Available later this year from Thiel is a
fully active and adjustable version of the company's SCS4 speaker that's aimed squarely at
the professional market but will certainly find its way into some audiophiles' systems.
Pricing for the SCS Pro 1, as this forthcoming speaker is called, has not yet been set.
Available very soon from Thiel and its
development partner BICOM is the zöet system, which is billed as "the first truly
plug-and-play, multi-room, premium-quality distributed audio and home-theater system"
that "anyone can have...up and running in under an hour." The system consists of
the dB1 distribution processor and a pair -- or more -- of self-powered IP-addressable
speakers that function together via a single Ethernet connection. HDMI and wireless
versions are in the works. The zöet system can also integrate a Thiel subwoofer, and
channel steering and mixdowns are automated as well. For example, when you play a
5.1-channel soundtrack on only three front speakers, zöet knows and automatically remixes
the channels. As with the SCS Pro 1, the pricing for zöet is not yet available.
Upgrading all eight models of its SST
amplifier topology, Bryston has nonetheless not raised the amplifiers' prices -- a rare
feat. The new SST2 amplifiers feature extensive changes: a redesigned balanced
input stage, a new power-supply circuit board, new output chokes, a new soft-start
circuit, and a redesigned power-supply transformer. The 14B SST2 pictured above
remains $7995.
Usher Audio debuted two new speakers with beryllium tweeters: the Dancer Mini Two (left
speaker in left picture, $5775 per pair) and the Dancer Mini One (left speaker in right
picture, $3850 per pair). Both use the same treated-paper-cone midrange/woofer and are
said to be 90dB and 87dB sensitive respectively.
The Cable Company's Robert Stein showed off
the new and aptly named Audiodesksysteme Vinyl Cleaner ($3495), which cleans LPs
mechanically with a pair of microfiber pads as well as ultrasonically. The Vinyl Cleaner
uses no vacuum; it air dries each LP with a pair of built-in fans. Cleaning is hands-free;
just insert the record and start the Cleaner's cycle. [www.fatwyre.com]
