Julian Margules proudly displays his new
Daleth "5.1 analog digitally steered preamplifier." Featuring a class-A
multichannel preamplifier section, full bass management for the analog inputs, analog
surround-sound processing, and remote control, the Daleth looks like the bargain at $1200.
Expected availability is May 2004.
Penaudio's Sami Penttila was quite happy with the sound of
the Rebel2 minimonitor as it sits atop the Chara woofer system. The two-piece Finnish
system retails for $3995 and is available in birch, oak, or cherry finishes, all of which
look very Scandinavian. [www.portalaudio.com]
The SoundStage! Network does not
recommend driving while wearing headphones (or without your hands on the wheel!). However,
Tyll Hertsens of HeadRoom has never been one to follow recommendations. Here he listens to
his favorite MP3 player connected to the HeadRoom Bithead headphone amplifier ($199). [www.headphone.com]
A first-class home-theater exhibit deserves
first-class transportation. A 20-seat Hummer H2 picked up attendees from .T.H.E. Show for
a quick jaunt over to the Las Vegas Convention Center....
Once the demo began, Lorr Kramer of DTS
treated the audience to a demonstration featuring an Ayre D-1x DVD player, a Taranex
Tantus/Accurate Imaging front-projection CRT video setup, 16 Halcro monoblock amplifiers,
JBL K2 S9800 loudspeakers and S1XES subwoofers, and a TAG McLaren AV192 processor....
Philip O'Hanlon, Halcro's North American
distributor, watches on as Jeff Fritz enjoys the superb video image and dynamic sound. A
system of this magnitude proves that cost-no-object budgets can deliver out-of-this-world
performance when careful setup and product selection are employed.
