Day 3 of the 2000 CES
Digital perfectionists Meridian obviously pulled out all the stops on their new flagship speaker product, the DSP8000. Checking in at $45,000/pair, the eight-driver Digital Active design is expected to hit the market sometime in March. Meridian claims the three-way powered speaker has a 24/96 digital input on the back and processes the digital signal internally with two 100MHz DSP engines operating with 24/192 resolution. Also on display were the new DSP33s, also Digital Active but more modestly priced at $4500/pair.
dbx Founder David Blackmer Dies
We were saddened to learn of the death of inventor and audio engineer David Blackmer. The founder of dbx and Earthworks">http://www.earthwks.com">Earthworks Audio Products, Inc. died at his home in Wilton, NH on March 21. He was 75.
DC-Area Dealer Event Next Saturday
Viva Hifi (Vienna, VA, near Washington, DC), is holding a special Technics Open House Saturday, December 5, from noon7pm. The featured guest will be Gregg Lee, Training Manager for Technics, who will be presenting and discussing Technics' new C700 Premium Series components (above). This series features a D/A integrated amplifier, a network player and CD player, as well as the new, linear-phase, point-sound-source SB-C700 loudspeaker, which is enthusiastically reviewed in the forthcoming January issue of Stereophile.
dCS Purcell Promises Hi-Rez Playback from 16/44 CDs
Ultra-high-resolution audio formats like the Super Audio Compact Disc and DVD-Audio are just around the corner, but music lovers' CD collections will never be obsolete if companies like dCS have anything to do with it. The British electronics company, noted for its high-quality D/A converters, has introduced a 24-bit/192Hz upconverter that is claimed to elevate the performance of ordinary 16/44.1 CD to near DVD-Audio level.
dCS, d'Agostino, Clearaudio, and the Wilson XVX at Excel Audio in Newport Beach, California
On November 23, 6–9pm: Excel Audio in Newport Beach, California, invites everyone to join us to experience Wilson Audio’s latest, the Chronosonic XVX, driven by D’Agostino electronics with digital by dCS and vinyl played on the Clearaudio Statement turntable.
De-Crackle, De-Pop, Burn
Bringing old albums out of the vaults and onto the market as CDs is a pretty standard process these days. First you get the licensing straightened out, find the original cover art, and locate the first-generation master tapes. In a pinch, the safety copies of the masters can be used, but if these also can't be located, what next?
Dealer Event in Chicago Saturday
On Saturday, December 8, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm, Gryphon Audio Designs' new Zena preamplifier will be demonstrated at Kyomi Audio, 4454 West Berteau Avenue, Chicago, IL 60641. The demonstrations will be conducted by Philip O'Hanlon of Gryphon's US Distributor, On A Higher Note, and by Kyomi Audio's George Vatchnadze, a noted concert pianist and recording artist.
Dealer Event in Connecticut Saturday
Saturday April 1, 25pm, Take 5 Audio (105 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510) is hosting an event featuring products from Bryston and Zanden Audio.
Dealer Event in Florida Thursday Evening
Thursday March 1, 6pm8pm, Suncoast Audio (7353 International Place, Unit 309, Sarasota FL, 34240), is hosting an event featuring presentations by Walter Swanbon, the US Harbeth distributor, Vince Galbo from MSB Technologies, Kevin Hayes from VAC, and Jett Logan from AudioQuest. Suncoast will be raffling off a free pair of Harbeth speakersmust be present to winand products being demmed and discussed will include the MSB Select II DAC and new MSB Reference Transport, the new AudioQuest Storm Series Power Cables, and the 40th Anniversary Edition Harbeth Monitor 40.2 speakers driven by VAC Signature 200iQ monoblock amplifiers.
Dealer Event in Montreal Friday & Saturday
Friday, August 7, 59pm, and Saturday, August 8, 10am7pm: Yamaha and Fillion Électronique will participate in the OSM Classical Spree Music Festival, to be held at Place des Arts (1600 Saint-Urbain Street, Montreal).