LATEST ADDITIONS

Anniversary edition of the Reference five splits into two boxes for improved performance Released to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the company’s Reference preamp, the Anniversary Ref 5 promises to address the few solutions not available in its recently unveiled single-chassis version. This two-chassis model sees the valve power supply relegated to a box of its own and, being a true dual-mono layout, two fat umbilical cords connect it to the chassis. Under the lid can be found an all-valve, zero feedback, pure Class A circuit employing four 6H30 triodes per channel, again dual-mono, while mounted on the bottom of the main board are four massive custom Teflon coupling capacitors, weighing around a kilo apiece. Each valve is fitted with a now-familiar damping ring; the main circuitry is fitted to a large mother board; daughter boards deal with the front panel and the socketry.

The latest Levinson product is a consummate music maker New electronics bearing the Mark Levinson badge don’t appear too often. When they do, the world of high-end audio expects them to be exemplary. In producing its first switching amplifier, the ML design team has been able to scale things down to (almost) manageable proportions. The benefits of Class D amplifiers include increased efficiency enabling greater power output while requiring less heat dissipation in smaller, lighter and more affordable packages.

Limited to a mere 30 pairs, is this the world's ultimate loudspeaker? This flagship design will be limited to 30 pairs. It stands 1. 7m tall and weighs a staggering 305kg. There are five main drive units: a 15in subwoofer with a sandwich cone made by Audio Technology of Denmark.

Dan D'Agostino returns with a product half amplifier, half sculpture, all genius With his new company’s first product, the Momentum Monoblock Power Amplifier, Dan D’Agostino hopes to re-write the rules of solid-state amplifier design. Most notable is a concern for green issues, by addressing the amp’s power consumption when not in use. It’s a claimed 1W – not bad for a 300W amp that thinks it’s a kilowatt. Running in Class AB, and merely warm to the touch after a long session reflects a cooling system which provides much of the Momentum’s visual presence: solidcopper bars (venturis) that form the amplifier’s flanks.