http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2019 HI-FI WORLD 9
NEWS
GETTING IT TAPED
Might analogue tape be due for a vinyl-scale revival? Probably not. Reel-to-reel never really
went away, though; musicians and recording engineers liked its sound (and found that tape-
emulation plug-ins just weren’t the same) while serious hi-fi enthusiasts held onto their
copies of master tapes.
The latter might be interested in New Jersey-based Merrill Audio’s $9,000 PURE Tape
Head Preamp, which is intended for use with an existing deck. The latter is modified, so that
the signals from the playback head are taken off-board instead of being routed to the deck’s
existing electronics. The Merrill preamp covers six combinations of tape speed and equali-
sation characteristic - 9.5cm/s, 19cm/s and 38cm/s with NAB (US) equalization, 19cm/s and
38cm/s with IEC equalization and (for the really serious user) 76cm/s with IEC2 equalization.
Built into an elegant enclosure fitted with Isoacoustics GAIA III feet, the unit is of dual-mono construction and uses XLR balanced connections for
input and output.
Other features include two gain settings (71dB and 65dB), less than 0.1dB of discrepancy between channels, an external power supply unit, a large
LED display with brightness control and remote control. ‘Tape Head Access’ cards for the Ampex ATR 100, 102 and 104 decks are also available.
Contact: Merill Audio, 001 415 562 4434. merrillaudio.net
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
Introducing its B-Series range of earphones, Final (Japan) explained that “each model...has the potential to be someone’s favourite and price
should not influence the decision”. Two Final-developed ‘balanced-armature’ drivers can be found inside each of the £439 B3’s silver-finished
stainless-steel housings. Final is proud of the B3’s “impressive soundstage...top-end extension” and ability to communicate “the most delicate of
sounds”.
Thanks to its use of only one of these single balanced-armature drivers in each earpiece, the “understatedly-elegant” B2 – which Final
reckons is capable of “a clean and neutral presentation” – sells for a significantly-lower £259.
The £599 B1, described as a “hybrid dual-driver earphone”, features a stainless-steel housing finished in “mirrored rose-gold”. Its internal
transducer complement comprises one balanced-armature driver and one dynamic driver – both of which were designed by Final in-house. It
is claimed to deliver a “lively sound,” coupled with “very high resolution”.
The cables of all three models can be replaced – potentially good news for upgraders.
Contact: KS Distribution, 01903 768919. http://www.ksdistribution.co.uk
DA2 DEBUT
Hot on the heels of the McIntosh C49 preamp described in last month’s news is its
bigger brother, the £9995 C53. Described by its New York manufacturer as “highly
versatile” the C53 preamp is the first McIntosh product to feature the ‘next-gen’ DA
hi-res DAC. Replaceable to accommodate unforeseen technologies the DA2 features
an HDMI port with an Audio Return Channel (ARC) enabling, for example, TV sound
to be heard at its best. Dolby and DTS multichannel formats from sources like DVD
and Blu-ray are converted to stereo. The DA2 also features the digital connectivity of
the C49’s DA1 (two coaxial, two optical, one USB and a proprietary link for use with
McIntosh’s MCT-series SACD/CD transports).
Said USB port enables native DSD512/DXD 384kHz playback, courtesy of a
balanced eight-channel (4 sections per channel) DAC with 32-bit PCM resolution.
Naturally, McIntosh hasn’t forgotten analogue. The C53 boasts three balanced
and four unbalanced connections, plus a phono stage with separate MM and MC
inputs. Outputs include three variable balanced and unbalanced connections, along
with one fixed unbalanced connection. Other C53 features include an eight-band
analogue equalizer with each band adjustable by ±12dB, a ‘High Drive’ headphone amplifier with ‘Crossfeed Director’ claimed to “bring an added
dimension to the music”, home-cinema passthrough, extensive control facilities and the ‘classic’ McIntosh look - black-glass frontage, blue meters,
rotary knobs.
Contact: Jordan Acoustics (McIntosh UK distributor), http://www.jordanacoustics.co.uk