EVERY good system begins with a solid MAINS CONDITIONER. We’ve chosen Isotek as our supplier of these devices because the performance and pricing are OUTSTANDING.
Polaris $500
Isotek’s Polaris is a 6 outlet bar that reduces line hash by 30dB. It comes with a great power cable called Initium. Initium is $100 a la carte. To be clear, $500 gets you the Polaris AND and an Initium that comes from the wall, in to Polaris.
It is vital that this first link from the wall to the mains conditioner is properly shielded- which of course, Initium is. It is a thick, green, polyethylene shielded cable. The cable’s pins are made of nickel. Initium improves your performance over the basic black cables that come with audio gear and power conditioners. Even if you have a decent conditioner from brand X, if you use a $10 black power cable from the wall into IT, you’ve just lost performance.
I’m sorry to tell you that your basic black power cables do you no favors. They attract, rather than resist, RFI. There is a sonic benefit when running an Initium, so long as you have a Polaris in your system. It is imperative that you use an Initium and Polaris to give your system a fighting chance.
We have found that even respectable brands like Panamax/Furman actually DULL your sound- while protecting you from line spikes. Polaris definitely improves your sound (transparency and dynamic contrasts) AND simultaneously protects you. The VDR technology Isotek uses was employed in about 2014. So please, feel no shame if you purchased something before that time – that doesn’t measure up.
The sonic benefit of Polaris is a distinct improvement in resolution of 15-20%. It cleanses the bass sludge from your system, making bass fiddle and drum kit transients delightfully more clear. The vocals POP more from your speakers. Guitar and piano attacks are delineated to a higher level. They sound downright muddled if you go back to a Home Depot bar after hearing Polaris.
For a video equivalent of what Polaris does, think back to the snow we saw when watching analog TV back in the day. The snow masked detail in the picture. Polaris strips the debris from the wall, which obfuscates the clarity of our musical experience. So, do not pass GO until you buy a Polaris from us!
Package 1
NAD C368 Integrated Amp $1100 (80×2)
C368 is a wonderful integrated amp. It sounds clean and smooth, even if you kick it in the keister. C368 has a built in MM phono section, a 24B DAC, and allows you to triple your power if you buy the companion C268 amp ($950) and run 300w bridged.
NAD Bluesound Node Streamer $600
There is no better streamer value in our business! At very reasonable money, Node allows you to run analog or digital into your preamp or integrated. You can stream Tidal or a wide array of other services.
NAD C538 CD Player $380
Yep, I need a CD player! I’m fine with streaming. But I have thousands of CDs. Many are not available on streaming services. Further, sometimes, if not most times, I like to choose the disc, put it in the player, and listen to the entire program, cover to cover.
Package 2
Marantz Model 30 Integrated Amp $3000 (100×2)
Model 30 is Marantz’s new, INCREDIBLE, fully analog integrated amp. Its sound is smoother and warmer than anything you can buy for a grand. It is, and should be, a nice step up from virtually anything less. It’s a very special piece that you’ll have to double your money to beat.
Marantz SACD-30n CD/SACD Player With Built In Streamer $3000
My new, favorite source component on the planet is SACD-30n. If you’re like me with thousands of CDs (and maybe 100 SACDs), you need a great disc player. This is it!
SACD-30n doesn’t use a standard DAC. Designer Ken Ishiwata created his own MMM (Marantz Music Mastering). Virtually everyone else in our industry buys a DAC chip from a vendor and employs it in its design. That DAC chip has a certain sonic signature. Some companies get more out of a given design than others.
But my experience is that MMM delivers a lighter, sweeter and more airy musical experience than Burr Brown, AKM, Wolfson or whomever.
And oh yeah. There is a hi-res streamer built into this amazing piece as well. While the Model 30 integrated is a great match for SACD-30n, we’ve already sold loads of SACD-30n’s to customers with all sorts of associated gear.
Make no mistake, SACD-30n is a game changer and one of the best things to happen to high end audio!
Package 3
OK, full disclosure, I’m upping the ante. In our last package here, we’re going for edge of the art (maybe even state of the art!) resolution. We have to bump up a couple of pieces to get there.
Isotek Aquarius Conditioner $2000
As much as I love Polaris, and I do (!!), Aquarius is better. Aquarius has 60 dB of isolation and has six filters (vs 30 dB and one filter). Each of its six outlets has it own filter. There is no backwash among components connected to Aquarius. Aquarius has two dedicated high power source outlets for amplifiers in particular. Aquarius achieves an improved level of black background, elevated transient response and dynamics, that even Polaris can’t reveal.
Aquarius comes with a superior power cable called Premier ($195 a la carte). To be clear, $2k gets you a Premier from the wall, running to Aquarius. Premier uses silver plated pins and a Teflon dielectric. This is a vital start to a truly top end system.
We’re not saying competitors like Audioquest, Shunyata and the other guys are no good. We are just bragging up what a STEAL Aquarius is! For $2k, you have a magnificent conditioner AND power cable. You don’t have to buy the cable a la carte. You should consider running Premiers on your associated gear, since you were smart enough to get an Aquarius at the head of the stream.
Moon River 404 R Integrated Amp $5000 (50×2)
Moon River Audio is hand built in Sweden. It has been in biz since about 2016 and has now made its way to the states. 404R’s vocal and instrumental texture/flavor… whatever you’d like to call it, is to die for!
Every person has a unique voice. When that person can SING, well, now we really care about hearing that voice to its fullest appreciation. If you love the uniqueness of each singer, or distinct flavor of a Strad, Steinway or your favorite drum kit, that’s when you should consider opening your ears to Moon River Audio. 404R will give you character and emotion to a greater degree than anything less. Call if you’re interested in the nuts and bolts. It has been an immense pleasure to partner with Moon River Audio. When mated with SACD-30n.. I can’t imagine a superior front end. Just add speakers!
Marantz SACD-30n $3000
Please see the description in Package 2 above. SACD-30n is my favorite source component on the market. Considering it plays all my silver music discs and streams Tidal, I don’t need to spend more!