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more than the sum of their parts
In our listening room, we have assembled a collection of audio components
that we have juxtaposed by virtue of their exceptional sound quality.
Here is a sampling.
Audiomat
Audiomat,
established in 1986 by Denis and Norbert Clarisse, makes
a line of elegant vacuum tube amplifiers and DACs. These fine components
produce music that is both responsive and detailed, supporting a wide
range of listening environments.
Changes to the product line are rare, arising from qualitative improvements
in sound. Resisting the vagaries of the "fashionable," the design
philosophy underlying the Audiomat product is one of quality, reliability
and affordability.
Including:
- Audiomat Arpège Référence integrated amplifier
- Audiomat Prélude Référence Mark II integrated amplifier
- Audiomat Maestro D-to-A converter
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Audio Note
Audio
Note was founded in 1975 by Hiroyasu Kondo. In 1988, Audio Note introduced
the first single-ended, no-feedback, directly-heated triode amplifier.
Since then, Audio Note has become the most noteworthy purveyor of this
type of amplification in the world.
In order to capture the organic integrity of music, Audio Note has sought
to preserve its color, texture and proportion at each stage of amplification.
Through purity of materials and simplicity of design, Audio Note components
retain the configuration of the original musical signal to the greatest
possible degree. Audio Note's designs are characterized by durable, super-linear
amplifying devices using minimal circuitry. In addition, Audio Note has
pioneered the use of silver throughout the signal path, resulting in music
reproduction that is unsurpassed in the audio industry.
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Da Vinci Audio
Da Vinci Audio Labs of Switzerland is founded on the simple principle of its creator,
Peter Brem: "Only the music matters." From this philosophy, Da Vinci has created a
line of components of unparalleled precision dedicated to analog reproduction.
As with
the celebrated Grandezza tonearm with its elegant, double-gimballed ruby bearing and
arrestingly musical sound, the Da Vinci designs also reflect the Keatsian ideal,
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty."
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Equi=tech
Balanced AC power eliminates electrical noise and interference that prevents
audio equipment from performing as it should. The Equi=tech equipment features a perfectly
balanced isolation transformer that address four critical areas affecting sound reproduction:
noise rejection, acoustical noise, in-rush current and current response. By introducing an
Equi=tech product into an existing system, the music becomes more open and explicit than before.
Including:
- Model Q650 balanced power transformer
- Model 1.5 Q balanced power transformer
- Model 2 Q balanced power transformer
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Murata
A few years ago, Murata, a Japanese manufacturer of ceramic electronic components, developed a spherical tweeter
that has an exceptional and unexpected sonic effect. Although the Murata Super Tweeters produce ultra-high
frequencies (well above those discernable by human hearing), they contribute a striking detail to the overall sound.
When paired with high quality loudspeakers in a well-tuned audio system, these Super Tweeters, not only create greater
dimensionality and presence in the high-frequency response, as would be expected, but also benefit the mid-range and
bass as well.
Including:
- Murata ES-105A "Suono" Super Tweeters
- Murata ES-103 A Super Tweeters
- Murata ES-103 B Super Tweeters
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Rega
Founded in 1973, Rega initially made turntables that rapidly gained a reputation for quality and performance at an
affordable price. More recently, Rega has expanded their product line to include amplifiers, CD players, and loudspeakers,
all of which remain true to their singular design philosophy.
Including:
- Rega Planar 9 turntable
- Rega Apollo CD player
- Rega Saturn CD player
- Rega Brio 3 integrated amplifier
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