NAD M12 Preamp/DAC
Sorry I don't have a better photo of this handsome component, which is at the top of the stack. Available now for $3,500, the M12 handles up to 24/192 PCM via USB as well as several card slots on the back for further options. One of those options is a $450 network card that enables the BluOS, aptX Bluetooth, WiFi and Ethernet. Control is via the Bluesound app which looked very nicely done. I hope to play with the M12 a bit more and see what it can do.
Naim SuperUniti b and UnitiQute 2 All-In-One Streamers/Amps
Naim has updated both the highly touted SuperUniti and UnitiQute this year adding Bluetooth and Spotify as well as other tweaks. The SuperUniti (above) is a just-add-speakers product that includes UPnP networking, wireless streaming, and digital and analog inputs for $6,495. The smaller 30 wpc UnitiQute is below and retails for $2,395
Naim's Super Lumina Cabling
Naim's new Super Lumina range of high-end interconnects and speaker cables was developed in parallel with its new, ultra-expensive Statement amplifiers.
Naim’s Magical Mu-so
Every CES show reporter I bumped into would start the conversation with, "So, Herb what have you seen that you liked?" Or, "What's the coolest new product?" The second I walked it the Naim room, I knew the answer to both questions.
Neil Young: Pono is here, DSD to Come
Neil Young, the great man himself, paid a visit to the hi-res exhibits at CES to herald the arrival of his righteous hi-res music file player, Pono. Among the announcements: Pono is now available at something like 80 retail outlets, as well as in 35 Fry's Electronics locations. Among the stores selling Pono are In Living Stereo in NYC, Audio Consultants in Chicago, The Audio Salon in LA, Audio Element in Pasadena, Audio Vision SF, Music Lovers in Berkeley, Definitive Audio in Washington State, Amoeba in SF and LA.
New Amps from Rotel
Rotel previewed three new "best ever" models at CES. Although the passive display allowed for little more than photo and note taking, I learned that the brand new RC-1590 DAC/preamplifier ($1749), which ships in March, promises to be "the best stereo preamplifier Rotel has ever made."
New Cables from Synergistic Research
Synergistic Research has just introduced four levels of its new, hand-fabricated Atmosphere interconnects ($695$2500 for a 1m/pair, depending upon level) and Atmosphere speaker cables (approx. twice the price). Non-active, which means that they don't need to be connected to an external power supply, albeit actively grounded, the cables come complete with blue and red tuning bullets specifically designed for this new "passive" cable line.
New Cables from Viola Audio Laboratories
With a major nod to ZenSati, who designed the cables, Viola Audio Labs' president and technical director Paul Jayson happily displayed the company's new cable line.
New GoldenEar Goodies
That was the subject heading of an email that I received from GoldenEar's Sandy Gross back in November.
Nola’s Studio Grand Reference Gold
"Here is a recording that should never be played on this small speaker," said Nola's Carl Marchisotto, as he cued up Reference Recordings choral spectacular, John Rutter's Requiem, to play on Nola's new $19,800/pair Studio Grand Reference Gold loudspeaker.