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The most interesting hi-fi (and head-fi) news stories for Week 33, 2022.
Same outer shell, all new innards. That was reportedly the design brief behind a new integrated amplifier from the UK’s Cyrus Audio, launching this week. The new Classic AMP is an upgraded take on an earlier model but one that features a completely redesigned circuit built using fresh component choices and a new power supply that takes its cues from a 304VA toroidal transformer. The net result is 91wpc into 8 Ohms. However, according to the unit’s back panel, standard banana plugs need not apply. There we note four analogue inputs plus a pair each of TOSLINK and coaxial – that suggest the presence of an internal DAC – as well as an MM phono input and a headphone socket. Price: £1995.
Joining PSB‘s flagship Synchrony series of passive loudspeakers this week is a new TOTL model. The T800 floorstander reportedly sports larger drivers, deliver greater bandwidth and has greater power handling capabilities (up to 300 Watts) than the more junior T600 floorstander and B600 bookshelf. The T800 is a line-array design that uses a 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley crossover to stitch together a trio of 8″ bass drivers and a 5.25″ midrange driver that sits above the 1″ titanium dome tweeter. The low-frequency performance of the T800 is rated as being a mere 3dB down at 21Hz to make it almost a full-range offering. Your choice of Satin Walnut or Gloss Black. US$11,999/pair.
The luxurification (is that a word?) of Bluetooth headphones continues apace with the latest announcement from Klipsch. The storied American brand has teamed up with EAR Micro for a new true wireless IEM called the (*clears throat*) Bespoke T10 Ear Computers. Are you sitting down? Pricing here starts at US$2500/pair. Stateside customers are invited to choose from a range of sustainable materials to apply their own unique style to the protective case. This unique styling is then colour-matched to the earpieces themselves, which are smaller than much more affordable true wireless IEMs, implement Class D amplification and specify the lossy LDAC codec. That’s a pity when lossless Bluetooth audio appears to be just around the corner; a fact unlikely to move customers looking to buy a pair of Bespoke T10 Ear Computers for their bragging rights, lifetime warranty or ease of use.
Brits say “Techniks”. Americans say “Techniques”. The latter hold sway this week with the announcement that Technics is finally bringing its SL-100C turntable to the US of A. The SL-100C is essentially an SL-1500C stripped of its internal phono pre-amplifier and its factory-fitted Ortofon 2M Red cartridge swapped out for an Audio Technica AT-VM95C. The takeaway is that we get a direct-drive turntable with push-button speed control and stop/start action but without all the DJ bells and whistles, all for US$999. I’ve owned an SL-1210GR for two years and not once have I touched the speed adjustment slider or the pop-up light.
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