Audio Esoterica Issue 2 - 2020

It would seem that Marantz’s engineers have made the most of the COVID crisis and the factory shut-downs by developing two totally new models which not only have new internals, but also a brand new exterior ‘look’ as well, and it’s a very classy, good-looking look too! The two new models are the Model 30 integrated amplifier ($5,990), which is rated at 100-watts per channel into 8Ω (200-watts per channel into 4Ω) and the SACD 30n ($5,990), which is a Networked SACD/CD player with HEOS built-in that can also operate as a DAC and a Streamer. “The SACD 30n is built to meet all the requirements of the modern audiophile who wants to be able to play back a digital music collection either from disc or stored locally, as well…

It would seem that Marantz’s engineers have made the most of the COVID crisis and the factory shut-downs by developing two totally new models which not only have new internals, but also a brand new exterior ‘look’ as well, and it’s a very classy, good-looking look too! The two new models are the Model 30 integrated amplifier ($5,990), which is rated at 100-watts per channel into 8Ω (200-watts per channel into 4Ω) and the SACD 30n ($5,990), which is a Networked SACD/CD player with HEOS built-in that can also operate as a DAC and a Streamer. “The SACD 30n is built to meet all the requirements of the modern audiophile who wants to be able to play back a digital music collection either from disc or stored locally, as well…

German Physiks loudspeakers, which are still entirely hand-built in Germany, are once more available in Australia. All the speakers in German Physiks’ range are unique because they use a distinctive inverted ice-cream-cone-shaped ‘DDD’ driver that stands vertically, radiates omni-directionally and has an exceptionally wide seven-octave operating range extending from around 180Hz right up to 24kHz. DDD drivers are based on the unique driver invented and patented by Lincoln Walsh in 1969. The Walsh driver acts as an ultrasonic transmission line, such that sound travels through the cone of a Walsh speaker at a velocity higher than that of the sound radiated to the air so that each incremental slant length of the Walsh speaker cone emits inphase sound effectively creating a single coherent and omnidirectional sound source. The first commercial use of…

German Physiks loudspeakers, which are still entirely hand-built in Germany, are once more available in Australia. All the speakers in German Physiks’ range are unique because they use a distinctive inverted ice-cream-cone-shaped ‘DDD’ driver that stands vertically, radiates omni-directionally and has an exceptionally wide seven-octave operating range extending from around 180Hz right up to 24kHz. DDD drivers are based on the unique driver invented and patented by Lincoln Walsh in 1969. The Walsh driver acts as an ultrasonic transmission line, such that sound travels through the cone of a Walsh speaker at a velocity higher than that of the sound radiated to the air so that each incremental slant length of the Walsh speaker cone emits inphase sound effectively creating a single coherent and omnidirectional sound source. The first commercial…

ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST The Rolls-Royce Ghost was engineered for internal silence, with Rolls-Royce’s acousticians tuning interior components to a specific resonant frequency and using 100kg of sound-absorbing material “to create a sense of serenity”. They then added a low ‘Whisper’ to prevent the silence becoming just too eerie. On top of that silence you can enjoy a ‘Bespoke Audio Speaker system’ where the woofers port into the body’s sill section so that “in essence this transforms the motor car into a subwoofer”, says Rolls-Royce. Elsewhere, ‘exciter’ speakers are used to transform surfaces including the Starlight Headliner ceiling into giant distributed-mode speaker surfaces.…

Famous French loudspeaker manufacturer Focal has released the Aria K2 936, a limited edition loudspeaker that combines the classical architecture of the Aria 936 with the dynamic, powerful nature of the K2 cone. “As you’d expect of one of the world’s leaders in loudspeaker technologies, the Focal K2 936 has a very linear response, with impressive dynamics, plus it also features an elegant design and a small footprint,” said George Poutakidis, of BusiSoft AV, which distributes Focal in Australia. “Focal’s French designers intended it to be used for monitoring activities, which of course makes it perfect for audiophiles who are serious about hearing their music exactly as the musicians and their producer intended.” One of the reasons for the elegant design of the new Aria K2 936s is that they have a…