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    The Computer Audiophile

    By The Computer Audiophile •

    CES 2012 Show Notes

    P1000753-thumb.jpgWireless was everywhere. Music servers were everywhere. DACs were everywhere. CES 2012 was good for computer audiophiles and those looking to take the next step in high performance audio playback in the home. New Xeo wireless powered speakers from Dynaudio were among several wireless and/or powered speakers at the show. Audioengine showed its engineering prowess with its D2 wireless DAC at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Music servers from Weiss, Bladelius, and Merging Technologies showed much promise and the usual suspects from Apple running OS X and Microsoft Windows 7 were literally everywhere. Magico also debuted its $165,000 Q7 loudspeakers. I'm not sure there is a better loudspeaker on the market today.

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    On my trip to the Las Vegas Convention Center, where 99% of the show resides, I stopped by the <b>Audioengine</b> booth to speak with Dave, Brett, and Brady. The new <b>D2</b> $599 24 bit / 96 kHz wireless DAC not only impressed me with its features, but amazed me with its ability to keep a wireless connection in a convention center full of more wireless networks than most people have ever seen. There's no more hostile environment for wireless data transmission than a convention full of wireless technology demonstrations. Yet the D2 did not suffer from audio dropouts during the show. I have a D2 on the way for review. It should perform just fine in my dual wireless network home environment.

     

    <a href="http://audioengineusa.com/">Audioengine</a><a href="http://audioengineusa.com/"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/ca/icons/ex.png" style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 3pt;" alt="link"></img></a>

     

     

     

     

    Also at the LVCC I talked to the guys from <b>Synology</b>, manufacturer of great Network Attached Storage (NAS) products. The Synology operating system has been updated to version <b>DSM 4.0</b>. By the time readers finish this article the 4.0 update should be available on the Synology website. Among the improvements are much easier app / package installation and the new Cloud Station feature. Cloud Station works just like Dropbox but one's data is never placed in the hands of another company and there are no fees for the "service." Synology's Douglas Self explained to me that software is where all the real advances and engineering are when it comes to NAS devices. He said all the NAS manufacturers use the same hardware and to separate themselves from the other guys Synology has put extensive effort into the DSM software interface and features. Look for a Synology NAS review in the next couple months here on CA.

     

    <a href="http://www.synology.com">Synology</a><a href="http://www.synology.com"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/ca/icons/ex.png" style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 3pt;" alt="link"></img></a>

     

     

     

     

    Back at the Venetian <b>Magico</b> debuted its <b>Q7</b> and <b>S5</b> loudspeakers. The much less expensive $28,000 S5 speaker looks great in all its colors but was simply overshadowed by the new flagship 750 lbs. each Q7. The Q7 features dual 12" drivers a single 10" midbass driver, single 6" midrange driver and a 1" Beryllium tweeter. A very cool part of this speaker is its 94 dB sensitivity. The ability to drive a flagship Magico speaker with almost any amplifier of reasonable power is extremely attractive to potential customers. I wish I was a potential Q7 customer :~) For the most part I don't comment on sound quality at shows. Once in awhile credit must be given where credit is due. The sound in the Magico room was awesome. Period. I wish all manufacturers would take things to the Magico level when it comes to room setup and dedication to great sound at audio shows. The combination of a stunning loudspeaker and appropriate room setup leads to wonderful sonic memories.

     

    <a href="http://www.magico.net">Magico</a><a href="http://www.magico.net"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/ca/icons/ex.png" style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 3pt;" alt="link"></img></a>

    <center>Click To Enlarge</center>

    <center><a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/1920px/P1000702.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="CES-2012-Magico"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/100px/P1000702.jpg"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/1920px/P1000705.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="CES-2012-Magico"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/100px/P1000705.jpg"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/1920px/P1000707.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="CES-2012-Magico"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/100px/P1000707.jpg"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/1920px/P1000711.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="CES-2012-Magico"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/100px/P1000711.jpg"></a></center>

     

     

     

    Daniel <b>Weiss</b> showed up at CES this year with two goodies for CA readers. First, the <b>DAC202</b> now has an <b>asynchronous USB</b> option. The USB implementation uses the XMOS chip and supports up to 24/192 on OS X without additional software. Support for rates over 24/96 on Windows requires installation of the now commonplace Thesycon drivers. Second, Weiss demonstrated the new <b>MAN301</b> music server. This version of the Weiss server is 100% better than last year's prototype. The iPad user interface has improved greatly with a very usable and unique method of track selection and playback. The server will come in two versions, one with ($11,730) and one without ($8,670) the DAC202 built-in. Volume control on this server is the usual Weiss coarse analog / fine digital. The server also features word clock in/out, disc ripping, playback from NAS or USB drive, SSD for OS and database only, and user profiles for separate playlists per user. In an effort to eliminate UPnP network issues the MAn301 can be connected directly to the NAS drive's Ethernet port. Control and Internet access is then available via the MAN301's wireless interface. Weiss Engineering hopes to ship the MAN301 in the next couple months.

     

    <a href="http://www.weiss-highend.ch">Weiss Engineering</a><a href="http://www.weiss-highend.ch"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/ca/icons/ex.png" style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 3pt;" alt="link"></img></a>

    <center>Click To Enlarge</center>

    <center><a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/1920px/P1000671.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="CES-2012-Weiss"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/100px/P1000671.jpg"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/1920px/P1000672.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="CES-2012-Weiss"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/100px/P1000672.jpg"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/1920px/P1000674.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="CES-2012-Weiss"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/100px/P1000674.jpg"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/1920px/P1000675.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="CES-2012-Weiss"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/100px/P1000675.jpg"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/1920px/P1000676.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="CES-2012-Weiss"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/100px/P1000676.jpg"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/1920px/P1000677.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="CES-2012-Weiss"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/100px/P1000677.jpg"></a></center>

     

     

     

    <b>Dynaudio</b> launched its <b>Xeo</b> self-powered wireless speakers this year at CES. I listened to each pair on display for a few minutes. The sound was really good, but with all the people walking around and talking fairly loud a real sonic assessment was not possible. I hope to get these in my system for a true evaluation as I love the concept. The <b>Xeo 3</b> and <b>Xeo 5</b> were demonstrated several times throughout each day of the show. The Xeo systems include a wireless transmitter that connects via USB or optical to a computer or analog RCA to any analog source. The wireless receiver is hidden inside the Xeo loudspeakers. Analog sources are converted to digital for transmission to the wireless speakers. Wireless transmission is not via 802.11 or any other crowded home networking protocol. The speakers and receiver connect directly to each other without any need for setup on a network. According to Dynaudio USA's Mike Manousselis the Xeo speakers can transmit CD quality audio to three different zones. Pricing for the Xeo speakers is $2,300 for the Xeo 3 and $4,500 for the Xeo 5. Addition speaker pairs can be purchased for $350 less if another transmitter is not needed. Look for the Xeo speakers in Black or White this March.

     

    <a href="http://www.dynaudio.com/">Dynaudio</a><a href="http://www.dynaudio.com/"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/ca/icons/ex.png" style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 3pt;" alt="link"></img></a>

    <center>Click To Enlarge</center>

    <center><a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/1920px/P1000750.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="CES-2012-Dynaudio"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/100px/P1000750.jpg"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/1920px/P1000751.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="CES-2012-Dynaudio"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/100px/P1000751.jpg"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/1920px/P1000753.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="CES-2012-Dynaudio"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/100px/P1000753.jpg"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/1920px/P1000757.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="CES-2012-Dynaudio"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2012/0115/100px/P1000757.jpg"></a></center>

     

     

     

    Other notable CES products include:

     

    <b>Adam Audio</b> - ARTist Series (Pictured Below) of powered loudspeakers featuring analog and USB digital input up to 48 kHz. On display were the Artist 5 at $600 each and Artist 3 at $400 each.

    <a href="http://www.adam-audio.com/en/multimedia/products/artist-5/description">Adam Audio</a><a href="http://www.adam-audio.com/en/multimedia/products/artist-5/description"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/ca/icons/ex.png" style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 3pt;" alt="link"></img></a>

     

    <b>Cambridge Audio</b> - DAC Magic 100, USB up to 24/192, $399.

    Stream Magic 6, $1,149.

    DAC Magic +, $599.

    Azur 851A & 851C (DAC with Transport), USB up to 24/192. (All Pictured Below)

    <a href="http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/global.php">Cambridge Audio</a><a href="http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/global.php"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/ca/icons/ex.png" style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 3pt;" alt="link"></img></a>

     

    <b>CH Precision</b> - C1 DAC, $30,000 (Pictured Below). USB and Ethernet are options, DLNA optional. USB uses XMOS and supports up to 24/192. Volume control is coarse analog / fine digital. Ships February 2012.

    <a href="http://www.ch-precision.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=6&Itemid=8">CH Precision</a><a href="http://www.ch-precision.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=6&Itemid=8"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/ca/icons/ex.png" style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 3pt;" alt="link"></img></a>

     

    <b>Burmester</b> - 113 Bluetooth / USB DAC (Pictured Below). USB up to 24/192, APT-X Bluetooth. Galvanic isolation. $5,995

    <a href="http://www.burmester.de">Burmester</a><a href="http://www.burmester.de"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/ca/icons/ex.png" style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 3pt;" alt="link"></img></a>

     

    <b>Micromega</b> - Aria AirDream $4,995 (Pictured Below).

    <a href="http://en.micromega-hifi.com/airstream.html">Micromega</a><a href="http://en.micromega-hifi.com/airstream.html"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/ca/icons/ex.png" style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 3pt;" alt="link"></img></a>

     

    <b>Audio Research Corporation</b> - Digital Media Bridge / Reference DAC, $15,000 (Pictured Below).

    <a href="http://www.audioresearch.com/">Audio Research Corporation</a><a href="http://www.audioresearch.com/"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/ca/icons/ex.png" style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 3pt;" alt="link"></img></a>

     

    <b>Paradigm</b> - Shift series powered bookshelf speakers (Pictured Below).

    <a href="http://www.paradigm.com/shift/products/powered-speakers/index.shtml">Paradigm</a><a href="http://www.paradigm.com/shift/products/powered-speakers/index.shtml"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/ca/icons/ex.png" style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 3pt;" alt="link"></img></a>

     

    <b>Meitner Audio</b> - MA 2 cd+ (Pictured Below).

    <a href="http://www.meitner.com">Meitner Audio</a><a href="http://www.meitner.com"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/ca/icons/ex.png" style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 3pt;" alt="link"></img></a>

     

    <b>Peachtree Audio</b> - 220 Class D Stereo Amplifier, $1,399. 220 watts into 8 ohms, 440 into 4 ohms. RCA and XLR inputs (Pictured Below).

    <a href="http://signalpathint.com/">Peachtree Audio</a><a href="http://signalpathint.com/"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/ca/icons/ex.png" style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 3pt;" alt="link"></img></a>

     

    <b>Bel Canto</b> - uLink ($795) asynchronous USB to S/PDIF converter (Pictured Below).

    <a href="http://www.belcantodesign.com/">Bel Canto</a><a href="http://www.belcantodesign.com/"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/ca/icons/ex.png" style="padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 3pt;" alt="link"></img></a>

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    <center>Click To Enlarge</center>

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    barrows

    Either of you guys, or anyone else at CES get a chance to listen to the Rockport Aviors?

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    ted_b

    But where have you compared them; on what DAC that plays both and has both identical masters??<br />

    <br />

    DAC makers like Playback Designs, Antelope, CH Precision, dCS, Meitner, Mytek, E.A.R. and many others are all telling us that they have DSD playback in production, in their near future, next plans or on the drawing board. It has momentum, for whatever reason. :)

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    agentsmith

    I have so far ripped hundreds of SACDs bought with my own hard earned money, to hell with illegality. <br />

    <br />

    Ever since I got the PS3 ripping solution, with a little help from a friend in this forum, I have reactivated my buying binge and bought a few dozens of new SACDs already.<br />

    <br />

    So yes nowadays people go through hoops to donate money to the labels and rip hires music from SACDs into their computers, despite the greedy labels' efforts to destroy their own business. And yes they are mostly not perfect pure DSD music, but we still prefer to have something to hold in our hands in exchange for our hard earned money. And no we do not care if the labels still think we are crooks. The feelings are very much mutual.

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    labjr

    Oh I agree about having the physical disc. But I just want to see one format prevail so there's not so much confusion. And maybe the record companies will start releasing more material. Since PCM sounds at least as good and easier to manipulate, why have two formats? I'm starting a debate here. Just don't see a reason to have two totally different formats. I don't think it's good for business to not have one standard for high resolution music.<br />

    <br />

    I'm was just stating that technically it is illegal to rip the discs. And you need to find a piece of obsolete equipment to do rip the files. So everyone probably shouldn't count on the DAC industry doing DSD over the computer to support something relatively few will use.

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    elcorso

    I know I'm out of thread, but I didn't bring the discussion here.<br />

    <br />

    Why you Americans are mortified all the time by 'legality' issues? It could be a good business for lawyers.<br />

    <br />

    Illegal could be to share my DSD rips, and even worst to sell it or play it on a public play like a club or disco for commercial business, but never for mi own storage and personal use, if I already bought the physical SACD or DL.<br />

    <br />

    The only problem I see, thanks to the 'DSD fever', is the stratospheric prices some out of print SACDs went after this.<br />

    <br />

    Regarding to have one standard for high resolution music, it could be boring, since I believe diversity is a nice solution for this sometimes standard boring world.<br />

    <br />

    Roch<br />

    <br />

    PS/ I can read from SACD back cover and/or booklet the same as on a regular Redbook CD: <i>"Warning: All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable Laws."</i> And I guess this apply for commercial duplication only.

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    ted_b

    it is technically illegal to "break a proprietary code" not duplicate for personal use, per se. This affects DVD-Audio discs (MLP is proprietary) and SACD. I talked with Sony and they don't care about personal use regardless. They just don't want to see these on pirated sites; the labels will not like it.<br />

    <br />

    Let's take these DSD vs PCM, and DSD ripping issues off Chris's CES topic please. Labjr, please start a debate topic if you want, but not here.

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    labjr

    Sorry ,I meant to write, I'm "not" starting a debate here.

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    Priaptor

    but I think you are in your "legal" rights to rip an SACD and use the data for your own purposes. Kind of like the "license" you enter into when you purchase software. Obviously some software vendors secure the license more than others. However, I think you are in your legal to rip an SACD and use it yourself.<br />

    <br />

    Obviously, the license would be violated, like other CD, downloads, etc. if you were distributing it to others. <br />

    <br />

    Enforcing such license laws is quite another issue.<br />

    <br />

    However, the real question, is why the real interest in DSD? I personally can't believe it is to feed the desire of audiophiles who are purchasing now out of date PS3 machines looking to rip their SACDs. I would think there would have to be some legitimate interest by recording companies in releasing DSD music.

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    The Computer Audiophile

    Hi Barrows - I didn't personally hear the Aviors, but a colleague who I respect heard them and was very impressed.<br />

    <br />

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    barrows

    Chris. I am big fan of the Rockport "sound", what I would describe as highly resolved, dynamic, but still with a lot of body and real musical warmth. Someday I will be able to afford a pair of these speakers, somehow...

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    VT Skier

    It is perfectly legal for anyone in the US to copy anything they own for their own "personal use", regardless of what one may have read, heard or been told to the contrary. <br />

    <br />

    I also heard good things about the Avior from a friend whose judgment I trust, but probably not the same person to whom Chris refers.

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    babybear

    Hi Barrows,<br />

    <br />

    I did do an extended listening session (almost an hour) in the VTL room with the Rockport Aviors. This was one of my favorite sounding rooms at this years CES. Your description of the Rockport sound is exactly how they sounded in this room. Of course, the VTL gear driving them is also excellent - the VTL 7.5 Series 3 preamp with the VTL S400 Series 2 stereo amp. When I was there I listened to mainly vinyl (I think the table was a Spiral Groove with a mid level Dynavector cartridge) and the phono stage was the VTL 6.5 phono stage. Just great sound!

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    Rob McCance

    Awesome wrap up, almost like I was there, but without having to wade through all the home security and other uninteresting nonsense spread about everywhere.<br />

    <br />

    I went to a CES as an exhibitor many moons ago, stayed in the then pretty new Bellagio, and it was an experience to say the least.<br />

    <br />

    Just discovered your site recently and love it. Nice work.

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    Rob McCance

    Wowza the profit margin on the Weiss stuff has got to be astronomical!<br />

    <br />

    An embedded controller, probably running a tiny version of Linux, with a DAC and some software.<br />

    <br />

    Thank god for audiophile doctors and lawyers!<br />

    <br />

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    guitarspro

    Every musician knows that you can find great deals on guitars by hopping on the internet and doing their shopping via a website.Welcome to Guitar pro online store ,Here you can find the best selection of Classical Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Electric Guitars, Epiphone, Guitar amps to DJ equipment... Free online guitar lessons, view guitar sheet music and guitar tablature and learn to ... <a href="http://guitarspro.com/">Guitars Pro</a>

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    dmagnus1

    You can drop the "doctors" from your statement. With managed (mangled?) care, Obama care, mandated Medicare cuts, and a prohibition against collective bargaining, we're all looking just to buy a B&W Zeppelin off of eBay and call it a day...<br />

    <br />

    Nevertheless, its still fun to dream...

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    Priaptor

    politics into it, the door has already been opened by the other poster, who obviously has some preconceived notion about doctors.<br />

    <br />

    I don't believe there has been one segment of the population more vilified than doctors, particularly by our great leader. Not too long ago, Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head (got treatment no mere mortal would get) and doctors were being hailed as heroes. <br />

    <br />

    Of course this was just weeks after Obama was accusing doctors "If that same diabetic ends up getting their foot amputated, that's $30,000, $40-$50,000, immediately the surgeon is reimbursed." OR the absurd remarks about "pediatricians making much more money for doing tonsillectomies"<br />

    <br />

    You are exactly right, the number of "Audiophile Doctors" are less and less as the class warfare in this country continues to escalate.<br />

    <br />

    "That's All I Have To Say About That"<br />

    Gump

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    pwfletcher

    I've been using Synology's DSM 4.0 for a while now and it is definitely ready for prime time. I really want to hear those new Dynaudio Xeos ...

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    Norway audiophile

    Hi,<br />

    <br />

    I am planning to connecting my MacBook Air running Amarra/iTunes to my Bryston DAC, and I am looking for a no hassle asynchronous USB to SPDIF converter (will actually use balanced AES output). The Berkeley Audio Alpha USB seems like a good candidate. My question is this: do anyone have any thoughts on how this will compare to the upcoming Solution 590? Or are they both just nicer looking versions of the better priced upcoming Bel Canto $795 uLink?<br />

    <br />

    Some background:<br />

    I currently have a Bryston BDP-1 connected to a Bryston BDA-1. It all sounds very good indeed, but I am not at all satisfied with is user friendliness: transferring files over the network to the attached storage is very unstable and the Coverart are nowhere to be seen on the remote app, even if the unit is setup according to the manual. I may at a later stage upgrade to another DAC, but for now the iTunes interface is really what I am looking for for everyday convenience. <br />

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    barrows

    Alpha USB has the advantage of a separate power supply for its clocks and SPDIF output-I am assuming the bel canto uses USB power only. a separate power supply as used by the Alpha is a real advantage and is worth paying more for.<br />

    The Soulution, is an unknown, but there are already plenty of reports on how good the Alpha is, and Chris C's review is also forthcoming.

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    bleedink

    Just curious if there was anything on the software front that either looked interesting or was just cool. Maybe some fantastic DLNA software or something like that? New music players? Content managers? ect?

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    MarkS

    In response to inquiry, the Rockports indeed sounded superb and, in my view, compared favorably to the Sasha and YG. I understand they are about a month from release. I only heard one speaker in it's (very very) rough price range that was better in my view (Magico Q3), but that may also be because I cant fit the Aviors in my room.

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