10 Australian Hi-Fi ˹˹˹ƖŘˁʊǒǔǞƖƋɁȧ
HESCHL | CANTON
HESCHL AUDIO LABS HAL 350
Australian company Heschl Audio Labs has released its Hal 350 ampli-
fier/DAC, which was designed by local Australian designer Rod Harris.
So-named because of its rated power output (350-watts into 8Ω) the
Hal 350 is said to be completely stable into loads as low as 2Ω and able
to deliver 600-watts
per channel into
4Ω loads while
maintaining a fre-
quency response of
2Hz–250kHz (–3dB).
The DAC section of
the HAL350 uses a
custom DAC based
on a discrete R-2R
sign magnitude DAC
design, with FPGA
based FIFO buffering/
reclocking and cus-
tom digital filters. It
can process up to 24-bit /384kHz data from the HAL350’s USB input and
upto192kHzonthecoaxial(S/PDIF)andoptical(Toslink)inputs.‘The
DAChasa lowjitterdigitalcontrolledoscillator,datais sentthougha short
FIFOandtheFPGAanduCmeasureincomingbit-rateandadjusttheclockas
needed,’ saysHarris.‘Basicallyit’sa digitalPLLwithveryfastlockandvery
slowfiltering.So,theDACitselfonlyneedsserialdata,wordclockandbit
clock...nomasterclockrequired:it willsyncto whateveryoufeedit.’
‘The Heschl HAL350 Integrated DAC Amplifier is our flagship product,
and is the result of many years of research, prototypes and perseverance,’
said Simon Garcia, of Heschl. ‘We can confidently promise you some-
thing that is both state-of-the-art and of audiophile-quality that will give
you music listening
enjoyment for years
to come. It has been
designed as a long-
lived device—all of
the amplifiers Rod has
designed over the past
twenty years are still
going strong and still
sounding awesome.’
All amplifier control
is accomplished
via a single multi-
function control on
the front panel, or
via Bluetooth using an iOS/Android app. Available now, the Heschl
HAL350integratedamplifier/DACretailsfor$24,999(RRP).For more information, contact Heschl Audio Labs via its website
at http://www.heschl.com.auCANTON SMART SOUNDBOX 3
Canton has released its Smart Soundbox 3 powered wireless loud-
speaker, which is multi-room capable and has Chromecast and Spotify
Connect built in, plus Bluetooth 4.0 (apt-X) and WiFi. It can be used
alone, as a mono source, paired with a second Smart Soundbox 3 for
stereo, or integrated as a part of a larger multi-room system using
other models in Canton’s ‘Smart’ series. ‘The Smart Soundbox 3 leaves
nothing to be desired in terms of sound and plays big,’ says Paul Riachi
of Indi Imports, which distributes Canton in Australia. ‘This small,
powerful streaming wonder can be easily set up via WiFi with the Google
Home App and provides your smart home with music in the best transmis-
sion quality. With a system power of 120-watts and versatile connection
options, this active, smart loudspeaker is well-suited for any application you
can think of.’
The integration of Spotify
Connect means the speaker
can be controlled quickly and
directly via the Spotify App via
smartphone, tablet or computer.
The control buttons on the
top of the speaker allow you
to save your favourite playlists
on three buttons, so you don’t
need a smartphone in your
hand to access your favourite
music directly from the device.
Because Chromecast is also built
in, you can easily stream music.
Simply select the cast icon in
your favourite music app and
start playback from the Smart
Soundbox 3. The speaker can be
controlled directly from your
mobile device, no matter in
which room you are at home, and all without interrupting your music:
You can use your smartphone to make phone calls, play games, or
send text messages any time during music playback.
Canton specs the frequency response of the Smart Soundbox 3 at
40Hz–30kHz, delivered from a 95mm diameter aluminium-coned bass/
midrange driver that crosses to a 19mm aluminium dome tweeter
at 3kHz. Bass is augmented by two auxiliary bass radiators, each
measuring 100×57mm. All this from a cabinet that measures just
120×210×120mm(WHD)andweighs2.0kg.For more information, contact Indi Imports on (03) 9416 7037
or http://www.indimports.com