January 9, 2009 - Series 1

Italy’s Sonus Faber has replaced the Domus loudspeaker line with the brand-new Luito. Shown here are the three-way Luito Floorstander (left, $6000 per pair) and the two-way Luito Monitor ($3000 per pair). Both loudspeakers feature 1" soft-dome tweeters and carbon-fiber midranges in lute-shaped enclosures.

The 75-pound Avalon Aspect ($8495 per pair) represents a new form factor for the Colorado-based loudspeaker manufacturer that unfortunately doesn't appeal to any of our show-coverage team the way other Avalon speakers do. The two-way, three-driver Aspect uses a 1" "proprietary composite" tweeter along with two 7" Nomex Kevlar woofers. The top of the Aspect’s cabinet uses a granite plate for mass loading.

Weiss Engineering showed a prototype of the new Roma, a PC-based music server that features a FireWire output, 1TB  of built-in memory, automated CD ripping, remote-control operation from an iPod Touch or iPhone, and compatibility with 24-bit/192kHz audio files. The company says that the production versions will have the cosmetics of the Minvera DAC, which can be seen underneath and on the right-hand side.

Canada’s Magnum Dynalab debuted two new products. Above is the MD 209 hybrid receiver ($4975) that outputs 125Wpc into 8 ohms and 250Wpc into 4 ohms. It can be ordered with an optional DAC with USB input. Below is the...

...the MD 309 hybrid integrated amplifier ($6975). It is rated to deliver 225Wpc into 8 ohms and 450Wpc into 4 ohms, and it has a front-panel-mounted touch-screen control. The MD 209 and MD 309 feature a tube gain stage, which accounts for the "hybrid" designation.

The Joule Electra LA-300ME preamp ($14,800) memorializes Marianne Barber, wife of the preamp's creator Jud Barber. She passed away a little more than a year ago. New features include upgraded copper and silver signal wiring designed by Elrod Power Systems, and a dozen V-Caps and Mundorf caps used in key places.