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Rotel's new 15-series components show stereo some love
Not everyone has jumped into the multi-channel audio arms race, and the last time we checked, the majority of music was available in two-channel stereo format. Rotel has introduced a new set of 15-series components for just such stereo lovers. At the head of the stream is the RCD-1520 slot-loading CD player with a toroidal transformer and segmented power supply that promise not to gum up the Wolfson DACs with noise. The RC-1550 (pictured) and RC-1580 stereo preamplifiers do their level best (pun intended) to embody the "straight wire with gain" ideal; pair them up with the 2x200-Watt RB-1582 or the 2x120-Watt RB-1552 amplifier. Finally, if you're after all-in-one convenience -- or not into expensive interconnects -- there's the RA-1520 integrated amplifier that wraps a preamp and a 2x60-Watt amplifier in one tidy package. This is Rotel gear, so you know prices aren't cheap; but then again, if you're still chasing after stereo gear, you probably are used to that. Full details -- including an "Engadget-effect" macro shot -- after the break.
McIntosh celebrates 60 years, reissues classic stereo gear from its 1960s golden years
If your idea of a perfect evening involves taking in some classic two-channel stereo recordings while basking in the glow of tubes, get ready for a blast from the past courtesy McIntosh. In celebration of its 60th anniversary, the company is releasing limited edition bundle of its classic C22 preamp and a pair of MC75 monoblock amps. The reissues feature updated circuitry -- in the case of the MC75, reliability is improved while the sonics remain faithful to the original, and the new C22 has been brought up to modern performance standards and an IR remote has been added (because getting up out of your chair is so 1960s). To top it all off, each of the 120 bundles will include a signed copy of McIntosh's For the Love of Music, and in case you were wondering, "McIntosh limited" means pricey -- $15,000. Lucky owners are encouraged to supply their own scotch and smoking jacket.[Via Switched]
NAD's PP-3 digital phono preamp turns vinyl pits to digital bits
Vinyl holdouts have one less excuse for not making the leap to digital thanks to NAD's PP-3 Digital Phono Preamplifier. Turntables with encoding capabilities are nothing new, but if those decks have been beneath your standards then you've been out of luck. The PP-3, however, lets you supply your own deck -- the audiophile-friendly MC/MM phono preamp is RIAA-equalized and passed through a rumble filter before being output as a soft-clipped digital signal (on a handy USB port) courtesy an onboard A/D converter. The PP-3 also has a line-level input that might come in handy for when you decide to tackle your reel-to-reel tape archives. Available now for $199 -- don't you want to hear this MP3 stuff that all the kids are raving about?
Anthem makes a statement with its flagship D2v pre-pro
You did take that money set aside for your next preamp-processor upgrade out of the stock market didn't you? Better hope so if you had your heart set on the Anthem Statement D2v -- the flagship model is now shipping, complete with eight HDMI 1.3 inputs and a pair of outputs, top notch video processing courtesy the VXP silicon, and four DSP cores handling audio duties with support for high resolution audio formats and of course, Anthem's Room Correction (ARC) software. Oh yeah, and a (gulp) $7,500 price tag. Most definitely overkill, but we wouldn't expect anything less from an Anthem flagship. If your heart and wallet are up to it, check after the break for the full press release and a few more pics -- window shopping never hurt, right?
McCormack Audio debuts new amplifier, preamplifier for two-channel holdouts
We don't spill too much ink on 2-channel audio, but it's a mainstay of any music lover's diet. An old name from stereo audio that we had lost track of, McCormack, has recently popped back up with a new LD-2 preamp and DNA-250 and DNA-750 amplifiers. The brand has come a long way since its Mod Squad beginnings and now operates under the Conrad-Johnson banner, but the design (inside and out) sound like pure McCormack -- "Line Drive" architecture on the $2495 RLD-1 and "Distributed-Node" topology on the both the DNA-250 ($3995, 2x250-Watts) and DNA-750 (1000-Watt monoblock) amplifiers. For those not in the know, the McCormack name always delivered great sound (right on par with, Bryston, for example), and we expect nothing less from these components when they ship this month.
Room correction finally trickles down the Anthem lineup
Until now, if you were a "separates-only" sort of person with a yen for Anthem gear, the only way to get room correction for your audio was to spring for a Statement D1 or D2 preamp-processor. And wouldn't you know, the "Statement" name doesn't come with a budget price. But now the Anthem Room Correction (ARC) feature has come downstream to the AVM 40 and D50 preamp-processors. Granted, with Anthem gear "downstream" is a relative term, but we've to figure that if you're going the separates route then pricing isn't the biggest concern for you. One thing we do like seeing is that this new functionality is being made available to all AVM 40 and 50 owners as a retrofit. Now when was the last time your "future-proof" receiver got an upgrade like that?
Parasound Halo P 7 preamp for analog purists in a multichannel world
Parasound certainly has a contingent of audio-only fans amongst its customer list, but even the 2-channel crowd must get curious about all this recent multichannel craze that just isn't fading away. And that must be who the new P 7 preamplifier is targeted at. Either that or the company just really, really wants to define a new product category. In the case of the P7, that would be the "7.1-channel, analog-only preamplifier" category. The back panel tells the story on this unit -- a gaggle of RCA inputs (seven L/R stereo pairs and two 7.1-channel sets), with XLR and RCA outputs. No digital audio goes in, and none comes out. Bass management is done the old fashioned way, in the analog realm. Might we suggest that you spend that $2,000 on a "lowbrow" AV receiver instead? Just put it off to the side of your audio-only rig, right next to the popcorn. Let's face it -- you're slumming it with multichannel anyways, right?
Don't like your pre-amp? Build your own!
If you're big into do-it-yourself electronics, and feeling like your existing off-the-shelf pre-amplifier just isn't cutting it, Hack a day has the plans for you, with schematics and photos of a 7.1-channel pre-amp design sporting RCA, SPDIF, XLR, and USB inputs, and a VFD display to show you what's going on. The design is very professional-looking, and despite the glaring lack of analog tubes, it's sure to please any soldering audiophiles.
