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News 2006 : Soundscape HiFi : Page 2
News 2006 : Page 1	News 2006 : Page 2	News 2006 : Page 3

May 25, 2006

The My Sonic Lab Eminent MC cartridge from Japan has been reviewed again, this time by Hi-Fi News magazine, together with another high-end Japanese cartridge from Audio-Tekne. Never heard ? Well, we first heard about Audio-Tekne from a Thailand customer who has over 10 high-end turntables (some folks have all the luck :)). Incidentally, the Hi-Fi News 2004 and 2005 best phono stage winner Graham Slee Era Gold V + Elevator EXP phono stage was used in the review of the My Sonic Lab Eminent cartridge.

If time permits, we will have the My Sonic Lab Eminent on demo at the Singapore hifi show, Aug 11 - 13 2006 ... with other goodies ... mark your calendars. We strive to offer only high-performance thoroughbred products, recognized by those who know about high sonic quality. This reminds us of a walk-in customer who did not know any of the brands we carried ... well, we fully understand, after all, most folks think Rolex is the high-end in watches for example, and a brand like Patek Philippe, Panerai, or Hublot would not ring a bell :) At any rate, we are here to enlighten clients on finer audio products.

Rising Suns : A review of Japanese high-end cartridges : Audio-Tekne MC-6310 and My Sonic Lab - Eminent

"My Sonic Lab ? clear stereo separation, wide bandwidth, crisp incision and a galloping dynamic range - alongside the less easily described attributes of 'musicality'. The reviewer's glossary can be tossed out of the window when you find a cartridge this good, which just sounds 'right' ! "

...

"While the Audio Tekne MC-6310 gives a traditional mellow, sweet euphonic sound that can beguile, reminiscent of smooth moving-coil classics, the My Sonic Lab Eminent takes the art of vinyl reproduction a step beyond what many will have heard, balancing power, dynamics with incredible resolution and musicality. This is a cartridge that comes heartily recommended."

Read more about My Sonic Lab Eminent cartridge

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And incoming for the Singapore hifi show on Aug 11 - 13, the return to Singapore of a high-end audio company whose products are the stuff of legends, where a reviewer once wrote about one model : "I got a glimpse of heaven ... Vocal definition was frighteningly realistic."

May 22, 2006

For our Malaysian customers, the award-winning Graham Slee product range can be purchased at EAudio, Kuala Lumpur. Likewise, Cain & Cain high-efficiency speakers can be purchased from them. For more details and contact information, please refer to their new website at http://www.cg-global.com.

For our Indonesian and Philippine customers, the Graham Slee product range can be purchased from the following dealers.

Indonesia		Philippines
Haven Sound Jalan Manyar Rejo III no. 9 Surabaya - 60118 Indonesia Ph : +62 (031) 5946554 Fax: +62 (031) 5946553 Email : homancer@rad.net.id		Sounds N Images Contact: Ferdinand LuDo 2nd Floor MLD Building Banilad Street Cebu City, Philippines 6000 Tel: 0917-321-2079; 261-2980 E-mail: fld@mozcom.com

May 19, 2006

The Graham Slee Jazz Club Switched EQ phono stage has been reviewed again, this time by Hi-Fi News magazine.

"...be prepared to question the concept of progress!

...

I enjoyed the air and space around the images, not to mention their three-dimensionality, and the colours and textures of sounds. I was also impressed by the speed and agility of the music. Timing had a greater sense of precision than either my faithful EAR 834P or the Michell Delphini; it wasn't rushed, but had a vibrancy and energy that made its pace seem more natural"
- Tony Bolton in Hi-Fi News, June 2006

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Also in the same issue is a review of the Hadcock GH 242 Cryo tonearm. More review information soon.

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Jan Allaerts cartridges reviews ? Well, like Schroder tonearms, a review is the last thing they need due to the limited production and high demand. One can instead find comments on these products at the better hifi forums.

Read some comments about the Jan Allaerts cartridges at the Audiogon forum.

May 14, 2006

The dps turntables will also be exhibited at the Munich High-End show from May 25th to 28. Get to meet Willi Bauer and know more about his brilliant designs.

Together with the Scheu Analog range, these three brands sonically represent the crème de la crème in high-performance German turntable brands, and all will be at the Munich show.

May 12, 2006

Living Voice loudspeaker owners and others interested, check out the Living Voice factory tour by sixmoons.com reviewer Edward Barker. Several insights, and check out their massive collection of vinyl :) SME V owners can read the sidebar on how to improve their tonearms.

Start the factory tour of Living Voice and Definitive Audio.

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More photos and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section has been added to the Cartridge Man Conductor tonearm page. View and read more about the Conductor parallel tracking air bearing tonearm by The Cartridge Man.

Read additional notes regarding use of the HiFi News Producer's Cut Test record's bias setup bands (anti-skate).

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For those who will be in Germany, check out the new Scheu Analog turntable models at the upcoming Munich High-End show from May 25th to 28. Meet the very nice lady Ulla Scheu, owner of Scheu Analog.

For our Singapore customers who have ordered these new models, we will keep you updated on the deliveries. Production will soon start in full, just a bit more wait as the production process is finalized. In this respect, we are pleased to announce that you will have the very first final production Das Laufwerk No. 1 and Das Laufwerk No. 2 (60er) models ever made, thanks for your patience.

View our updated Scheu Analog Das Laufwerk webpage.

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Our last batch of Lavardin Technologies amplifiers are all sold out, except for our demo piece. Watch this space for updates on new deliveries. Feel free to listen to our demo at the showroom. Small in size and light in weight, but outstanding musicality.

One customer wondered why one will need to break one's back with 50++ kilogram amps and get only respectable sonics. We have had huge, and famous, high-end monoblocks and bi-amped power amplifiers replaced by the 12-kg Lavardin Technologies Model IT integrated amplifier.

There is a load of magic in low power, properly designed of course, and matched. Low watt power, by the way, does not always equate with driving power. Discover the magic if you can, check it out, genuine high fidelity high end.

Apr 25, 2006

Check out the Hadcock 242 Integra tonearm (used to be called Hadcock 242 SE), on display at our showroom.

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View new customer system posting.

Apr 20, 2006

The Graham Slee Era Gold V to Era Gold Reflex update has been delayed because of the ROHS ruling in Europe. ROHS is a new rule in Europe where products will not be allowed to be sold in Europe if it contains certain hazardous substances. There are some exceptions, but consumer audio / video products are not exempt. Examples of hazardous substances are lead used in solders, other substances used in capacitors, etc. However, many of these component manufacturers took their time to get their products ROHS-compliant, at the last minute, and of course audio manufacturers using these components had to wait.

Graham Slee Ltd. is very particular about ROHS-compliance as it changes the sound of all hifi. For example, a CD player before ROHS will not sound the same after ROHS. Refusing to just slot in ROHS-compliant components without listening, Graham Slee has tenaciously spent considerable time to get the same great sound that their products are known for (before ROHS), and has succeeded. Kudos to Graham Slee for resolutely refusing to release substandard products. It's only a matter of time now, and the upgrade will be released. Watch this space.

We are currently listening to the new ROHS-compliant Era Gold Reflex, and it is a superb upgrade over the Era Gold V. More refined with more inner detail. But for us, the most significant improvement is in the timbre - string, drum, and bass notes have a much more natural tone, with more heft and body as well to complement the tonal palettes. It is guaranteed to make you rediscover your music collection. It is amazing how Graham did it with only a small price difference from the Era Gold V, the Era Gold Reflex truly represents genuine high-end value. Indeed, it just demonstrates that a great phono stage is mandatory in building a great analog system.

Some articles on ROHS:

ROHS Chills Electronics Companies - Stereophile, April 2 2006 - American high-end companies are freaking out about the new RoHS standards

ROHS directive heralds requiem for church organs - EE Times, Mar 20, 2006 - ROHS can silence famous church organs too

From The Editor's Desk - Stereophile, Aug 23 2005 - "It's not just it doesn't work as well, it doesn't sound as good!"

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The Cartridge Man Conductor Parallel Tracking Air Bearing tonearm has been reviewed. It is a well-written assessment with insights on the Conductor's setup and use as well.

For those interested, we will have the Conductor production model on display at our showroom from Apr 21, 2006.

"The density and tonal richness, the sheer amount of detail the arm digs out of the initial transient and the body of the note, its fundamentals and its harmonics both above and below the note itself are something to behold. Anyone who has a reasonably developed system will know how hard it is to get an audibly and quantifiably better sound from their system. So often we start thinking "well yes, there's more detail" only to realize it's actually a midband dip artificially boosting the transients or instruments like cymbals. Not with this arm. It seems to be actually delivering the real thing."

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The Audio-Technica AT33-PTG phono cartridges are back in stock, limited quantities, SGD 550 this time. Price varies due to Japanese exchange rate fluctuations, where the AT33-PTG can be SGD 600++ at certain times. The AT33-PTG is a cartridge meant only for the Japan market, but we occasionally bring these in as we find them excellent value in relation to their sonic performance. This is our preferred cartridge in its price range, to be matched with the right arm in well-balanced systems.

Apr 16, 2006

Harbeth and Lavardin Technologies a good match ? Without a doubt, superb. View our new customer system posting.

Apr 14, 2006

In last year's UK Bristol 2005 hifi show, the Living Voice room was a favorite of TNT-Audio UK's reviewer Maarten van Casteren. In this year's UK Bristol 2006 hifi show, he found that the Living Voice room was once again exceptional, as always.

"Vinyl replay on this system was absolutely breathtaking and left digital far behind ... In the end it's just so involving and musical that you forget about the system and are just swept away by the music."

* The Living Voice rooms, for those who value a system's music-making capabilities more over just sound, have always been a benchmark of excellence year after year in UK shows (with tube gear), as well as in Singapore (with solid-state gear).

Apr 12, 2006

The Lavardin Technologies amplifiers are on now demo, driving the Living Voice Auditorium 2 loudspeakers.

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The Living Voice Mystic Mats are also available now, while stocks last.

Apr 2, 2006

The Lavardin Technologies amplifiers will be back soon by April, truly among the best in the world pound for pound (regardless of price, or weight :-)), without spending serious money. Even some of our equipment suppliers agree, and choose the Lavardins over their own countries' offerings for their own home use. Watch this space for arrival.

Nov 2005 :

Lavardin Model IS Reference Integrated Amplifier The Lavardin Model IS Reference integrated amplifier receives the most famous audio award in France, the DIAPASON D'OR (the Golden Diapason), from Diapason magazine.

"Listening is essentially an experience of an elegance and subtlety out of the common run " ... "One integrated exceptional of smoothness, agility and nimbleness, nuances and transparency."

Are you looking for an amplifier that is true to the music's rhythm and pace, the speed of the underlying pulse (the beat), yet with superb rendition of musical instruments' timbre ? A very rare combination, and the Lavardin amplifiers are among the very select few that deliver.

We have heard systems with cavernous soundstages and powerful drums, for example, yet ultimately lacklustre and boring when non-audiophile or more complex music is played, as well as lacking in the quality of the musical note (timbre), one of the fundamental aspects of music, and of high-quality high-fidelity stereo as well.

One can certainly pick out from hifi systems the acoustic guitar from the national steel guitar, or the snare drum from the kick drum. But the real difference is that Lavardins are one of the rare hifi that reveal the quality of the note very well. The Lavardins give justice to instruments, a Martin D-28 or Gibson J-200 guitar will not sound like just another acoustic guitar, or a Pearl or Ludwig drum set will not sound just like another drum set. Instead, these high quality instruments will be rendered with very high fidelity to their tone and associated subtleties, whether the music is heavy metal, jazz, classical, etc... and all delivered with the emotion intact. This is one aspect that separates Lavardin from the usual amplifier offerings, regardless of price.

And from a company that understands rhythm, speed, attack, and timing, Lavardin Technologies has introduced in March 2006 their latest cable version, the Model CLR83-DIN, dedicated to sources using the DIN output plug, especially Naim Audio CD players and tuners. More details to be announced soon.