NAD C658 Preamp/Streamer/DAC $1500
Due by Jan 7 is NAD’s new Swiss Army Knife which I predict will REDEFINE the preamp product category. It does so much, so well, that we just have to shake our heads at how lucky we are to be audio addicts in 2019! Here we go- hold on tight!
It’s a stereo preamp with cutting edge DAC
Inputs include MM phono, two sets analog RCA inputs, two OPT inputs, two Coax inputs.
Ouputs include XLR out (YES!!), analog RCA out, and sub RCA out.
It’s also A STREAMER!
That’s right. C658 basically has a Bluesound Node 2i on board! A new, edge of the art DAC
even has MQA decoding (YES!!) built in. You should run the streamer wired, though Wi-Fi may work if your signal is powerful. Nah, run the wire!
It has Dirac Room Correction Built in.
It also has space for up to two NAD MDC modules, in case you want to add something like- HDMI
input for the sound of a cable/satellite box, Apple TV or Roku. C658 doesn’t do video switching or processing.
The most common scenario will be to run C658 into a great power amp like the NAD C268.
Or better yet, why not run TWO NAD C268s BRIDGED?! You read correctly. C658 supports BALANCED and single ended outputs. Oh boy! This is getting to be wayyy fun!
You can, of course, run C658 into whatever power amp you currently have. And, or, you can run C658 into powered speakers, at XLR or RCA mode! Are you joking me?!
Triton One .R
GoldenEar Triton 1.R $6000 Per Pair
We informed you of the arrival of the Triton 1.R in December when it landed. It has made a particularly auspicious impact for such a NEW speaker that isn’t a BUDGET speaker.
Please don’t let 1.R pass your attention as “just another new product.” This speaker is an uncommonly high end performer! As an “affordable high end” speaker, it punches way above its weight.
It will compete with the BEST OF THE BEST in terms of sparkling detail/definition. With its Ref Level Ribbon tweeter, 1.R takes a back seat to NOBODY.
Typical subwoofers come in cube-ish enclosures. They have a driver or two and a plate amp of 300w. Due to the enclosure and sub driver shapes and dimensions, they’re booming machines! Not only do they sound muddy, with all the gol dang vibration going on, like a paint shaker, they literally self destruct the on board amps. We have sadly learned, that most sub amps only last five to seven years because they’re being battered to death.
T 1.R has three oval shaped 5×9 subs, driven by a 1600w DSP amp. They are linked to opposing firing Quadratic radiators which tune the bass and minimize the out of control vibration that
kills the on board amplifier. The opposing radiators cancel the proclivity to act like a paint shaker.
By using a 1600w amp, the subs are under control, instead of flapping in the breeze as the speakers shake, rattle & roll. When the sub amp is 300w or so, you’re stressing it when you hit it hard. With 1600w, you’re unlikely to challenge the amps in the T 1.Rs.
Hence the 1.R not only sounds better, it portends much superior reliability. You’re not over driving the amps, which definitely takes a toll on them. You have more controlled sound from the oval drivers vs the round drivers. You have less cabinet ringing with the opposing radiators- which propels
energy into the sound, instead of losing it into uncontrolled resonance.
Triton 1.R is absolutely taking off!
GoldenEar SuperCenter Reference $1500 (5 3/4h, 35w, 11d)
This new Ref Center has just landed. With improved drivers, cabinet & crossover, SuperCenter Reference is the ideal center for T-Ref or T1.R.
The improved ribbon tweeter gives SuperCenter Reference the same precision detail of
the T-Ref and Triton 1.R. While it has been designed to mate these GE speakers, don’t rule out
the SuperCenter Ref with any number of great towers! For example, if you have Maggies/Logans or any speakers with exceptional detail, this boy at under six inches tall is a likely mate that will up your game in dialog and all things center in performance.
You’ll note it is only 5.75 tall and will fit in many applications where other high end centers will not. Remember, it has GoldenEar’s new, higher performance ribbon tweeter for improved definition.
Isotek Syncro Uni $800
Isotek has made its Syncro for many years. The new Syncro Uni is the same electronic network packaged in a rock solid box. Its task is to eliminate sine wave distortion which yields a distinctly cleaner, quieter sound. You connect an AC Cable in and out of Syncro Uni.
We suggest running a pair of Isotek Premiers, which run $150 each.
The Syncro Uni Premier, provides a bit of a price break as it sells for $1000 with two Premier cables!
You can add Syncro to any mains conditioner to improve its sound. What Syncro does for your sound is tighten up the bass and improve clarity. You’ll note the black spaces in between transient attacks of a guitar or piano more clearly. Since 2012, the improvements in POWER products in our industry has been incredible and fascinating. Little did we know just a handful of years ago, how much improvement our systems could glean by wonderful products like Isotek makes!
Best Selling Billboard Single of All Time?
“Candle In The Wind” by Elton John. Released 9-22-1997. It debuted at #1 and stayed there
fourteen weeks!
Originally released in 1974 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, the lyrics were modified to honor
Princess Diana for the 1997 version.