| Audio Emporium
Newsletter
New Catalog!
Dated 11-08 If
you go back to our home page and click on the graphic of the catalog, you can download the
new issue! It has updated pricing on flat panels and includes new models from all of our
favorite companies. Of
special interest, B&W has introduced two new series of speakers designated the CT-700
& CT-800 Series. You’ll see them on p3. On p13 you’ll see new models of the
CM Series- soon to arrive. On
p9 Bryston has a stand alone DAC that includes a USB input- arguably the finest DAC out
there to make your CD player or computer files sound their best. Rotel
has a number of new items coming in late October. They’re listed in p14&15. Marantz
has some great new pieces on p16&17. Peachtree
and ERA are on p 20 along with computer music products. Zu
Speakers are on p23. There is a bookshelf and center model to add to the Druids. Also
on p 23 are some dynamite new interconnect cables from Black Velvet. They feature unique
wiring and AMP SAVING connectors that make them among the finest interconnects out there-
smooth sound at a fair price!
ERA Speakers ERA
speakers are designed and built by Signal Path. Signal Path also manufactures the
Peachtree Audio products (Decco integrated amp/DAC). Aerial’s Mike Kelly has designed
the drivers. We’ve
had great speakers in B&W and Paradigm for many years. We still do! But the niche of
ERA is a little different. ERA is about high quality and muy mini cabinetry! The
ERA D4 in particular, is a beautifully finished little guy with top notch drivers. The
cabinet is 9 3/4h, 5 3/4w, 6 7/8d. D4 runs $700pr in Cherry or Rosenut. They run $760pr in
Gloss Black. The
4” Cast Mid/Woofer is mated to a high quality 1” soft dome tweeter. You never
see this quality of driver in such a tiny speaker. Most companies make plastic or tin
cabinets of this size to try to achieve a saleable cosmetic- but they don’t treat the
sound seriously. They assume because you want small, you’ll accept any sound. When you put flimsy stamped drivers in a
plastic enclosure, the result can’t sound good. But ERA doesn’t do that. D4
has 1” thick MDF wood and nonparallel walls. The cosmetic finish IS in real wood. The
D4 has excellent binding posts on the rear. It is not VOICED for the mass market. It
doesn’t have that endemic 80Hz thumpa/bumpa. It goes fairly deep and stays lean.
Hence the voice stays clear. Singers don’t take on that DJ or chesty sound. They
don’t sound boxy. D3
is truly the little brother (7 7/16h, 4 11/16w,
6 1/2d). It has the same drivers and the same
cabinet finish. The binding posts aren’t as good and the enclosure walls are
parallel. D3 is $400pr in Cherry or Rose, $440pr in Gloss Black. D4
is downright impressive! When you hear a speaker this small, cast a large, open image
without being aggressive on top, it’s a treat! D3 is nice, and a good choice when you
need the size. But D4 will spoil you for anything less! The
finish alone warrants consideration. The real cherry wood is elegant. The gloss piano
black is striking- in diminutive speakers at a fair price! Clean Your
Flat Panel! $20 We’ve
got a nice kit with a cleaning gel and cloth. It’s made for Plasmas, LCDs, DLPs,
Laptops and portables. Beethoven Piano Concerto Cycle Perhaps the best LVB piano concerto cycle of them all has just been released on DG. Maurizio Pollini, one of the finest touring pianists on the circuit today, has a 3 CD set for under $40 with Claudio Abbado conducting the Berlin Phil. These are live recordings with excellent sound and the “energy” you only get from a live recording. While there have been numerous fine recordings of the LVB Five, this one takes the cake!
If you get to see Pollini live, as you can in |