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News Journal
Welcome to the Audio Note Singapore's online news journal. This is where all future news, product updates and event announcements will be placed. We decided on this format instead of periodical newsletters so that we can get the news out faster to you and keep things fresh all the time. [Bookmark this page.] Last updated: 29 Jan 2010
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AC Enacom by Harmonix - small in size, big on value 22 January 2010   Some of the above images have larger
versions, please click over the images. A little story related by Mr. Kiuchi goes like this (if memory serve me well): A couple visited a HiFi show, the man wanted to buy the AC Enacom but wanted his wife's approval. "If you want to buy then just buy" said the wife in that special tone which many male audiophile may be familiar with. The man did buy the AC Enacom eventually. Next day, Mr. Kiuchi saw the wife at the queue of the HiFi show, and asked her what brings her back. "I've come for the AC Enacom" she replied. Mr. Kiuchi then queried "oh, you like music too??" "No, no" replied the wife. " Then why are you buying the AC Enacom?" asked Mr.Kiuchi, "ohh, I plug it next to the fridge and it's quiet now!!" exclaimed the Wife. I guess we can expect housewives coming in to pick one up too! The AC Enacom might get paased over by serious audiophile who might think that such a cheap product cannot make any significant improvement. That can't be further from the truth, as our experience and countless customers all over the world knows. The AC Enacom is one product that punches above it's weight and can bring improvements for the budget audiophile as well as for mega-bucks system. Related Links: |
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The Raven 10.5 tonearm – coming soon! 22 January 2010       Some of the above images have larger
versions, please click over the images. Said to reflect the same philosophy as TW Acustic turntables, it is a pivoted design of 10.5” length (as the name suggests) and with bearings that are machined to the tightest tolerances possible. Each arm is individually hand-assembled and adjusted in the assembly process to eliminate any interference in the pick-up process through friction and other negative forces. Each Arm is supplied with two different polished stainless steel counterweights as standard, allowing any cartridge with an operating weight of between 5g and 20g to be perfectly counterbalanced. Other interesting features include VTA adjustment during play, and cartridge azimuth adjustment. This means that any cartridge mounted on this arm can be adjusted in every important parameter! Pre-production trials that compare it with almost every top rated arm in the market have been very promising and we believe that the Raven 10.5 will eventually be ranked as one of the greats’ in the tonearm market. So hot is it now that our first shipment (not even arrived) has already been sold out! In the meanwhile, we have provided some photos of it here for the rest of us to admire the precision engineering that only the Germans (and some Swiss) can achieve. Related Links: |
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Introducing the new Raven 0.5 turntable 18 January 2010       Some of the above images have larger
versions, please click over the images. It spite of its much lower price, the 0.5 retains the same commitment to perfectionist quality and ultra tight tolerances that epitomizes the higher models. Thus the plinth and platter uses the same proprietary materials that are used in the higher Ravens. The platter drive is provided by the same precision 3 phase DC motor, and even the shape of the plinth is almost similar to the Raven One. The Raven 0.5 can accommodate any tonearm up to 10 inches in length. It is supported by 3 custom designed and height-adjustable footers made of the same material as the plinth and platter. As for the sound quality, it definitely shares a family sound with its bigger brothers. Lively, dynamic, punchy and above all, superbly musical and involving! You probably wouldn’t know that anything is lacking at all, unless a side-by-side comparison is done with its bigger brothers. In case anyone is wondering about the tonearm that is partnered with it in the pics, that’s the entry-level Helius Aurora – a tonearm that in my opinion is highly under-rated and certainly deserves more attention. Listen to the music it makes with the Raven 0.5 and you’ll know exactly what I mean! Look out for more comments on this over-achieving combo on our blog shortly. Related Links: |
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Shunyata Products In The news Again 11 January 2010    Some of their latest models have now been included in the shortlist of products in The Absolute Sound magazine’s annual buyers’ guide. Another worthy feather in their caps! We reproduce excerpts of the comments here, for those of you who have missed out on Issue 197. Shunyata Hydra 8 V2/V-Ray Reference V2/Hydra 2 USD 2995/USD4995/USD495 When used as a complete system with the Hydra 8 on the front-end components and hydra 2 on the power amps, along with Shunyata’s AC cords, the improvement in sound quality is nothing less short of spectacular. The improvement in low-level resolution alone is worth the price of admission. But the Product of the Year and Golden Ear award-winning Shunyata system also renders a huge increase in soundstage focus, size and depth, and midrange and treble liquidity. Note that the new “V2” versions slightly improve on all of Shunyata’s traditional strengths, but greatly increase dynamics, bottom-end punch, and rhythmic expression. This is particularly true when coupled with Shunyata’s new CX-series power cords. One of the two best AC-conditioning systems RH has heard. Shunyata Python CX power cord USD1095 With the Python, expect greatly improved transparency, soundstaging, tighter focus and air, “fostering a greater impression of hearing an actual instrument in acoustic space.” New CX series improves performance across the board, particularly bass and dynamics. Related Links: |
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Analogue Products featured in Absolute Sound 7 January 2010      Some of the above images have larger
versions, please click over the images. We are therefore honoured to have a number of products that we represent included in this exclusive listing. I present excerpts of comments on some of these products under the Turntable, Tonearms and Cartridges category. Some comments are paraphrased to make the article more concise and yet still easily understood. TW Acustic Raven One/ Raven AC-3 USD 6500/USD 18,000 Recently improved, the single-motor Raven One is arguably the finest value in quality record players. With its superb speed stability, detail, low noise floor, and highly involving sound, this beautifully made German design is so good that you have to spend a lot to do a lot better. The best value in a high end ‘table that WG knows of. The 3-motor AC 3 is an unsuspended table made from very high-quality materials, including spectacular bits of copper. Every part of this black beauty has been machined to the highest possible tolerances. The result of all this labor and ingenuity is a ‘table that reproduces the duration of notes – from starting transient through lingering decay – more completely than any other. ...the AC-3 is, says JV, perhaps the most purely “musical” high end ‘table on the market. Ortofon 2M Red/2M Black …the entry-level 2M Red uses a tipped elliptical, while the 2M Black wields a formidable Shibata diamond stylus – the same as used on the vaunted MC Jubilee. NG feels that the 2M Black has a lighter feel and pulls the trigger faster than competition. The Black’s greatest attribute is its transparent window on the world of micro-energies and its ability to unravel the complexities of orchestral music. Though a little dry in the treble…, the 2M Red is still one sophisticated cartridge for the money. Ortofon MC Winfeld USD 3750 …if you value high neutrality and high resolution, low colouration and low distortion, and tracking ability to rival the best moving magnets, then this outstanding new moving coil is for you. …What it will give you is the closest approach to what Ortofon promised the moment it up with its name: the correct sound. …PS’s new reference. Air Tight PC-1 Supreme USD 9000 As good as the Air Tight PC-1 is, this new considerably pricier moving-coil from AT is substantially better in every way. Killer good on transients top to bottom, with phenomenal grip and definition in the low bass, the Supreme is also exceptionally lifelike in the midband, with even more gorgeous density of tone colour, high resolution, and superior soundstaging that made the original PC-1 one of JV’s MC references. Along with the Grandezza and the Goldfinger, the Supreme is in JV’s opinion, the best MC on the market. Related Links: |
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All information in the news articles is valid at the stated dates of the news articles and in local context. Some information may not be relevant at the current time, please contact us for more information. Photographic images taken by Audio Note Singapore are copyrights and properties of Audio Note Singapore. All product names and trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.
© 2005 Audio Note Singapore. All rights reserved. [ 33798 ]
© 2005 Audio Note Singapore. All rights reserved. [ 33798 ]
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