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CES Report; Day Two-Neil Gader on Electronics under $15K

CES Report; Day Two-Neil Gader on Electronics under $15K

One of the standouts during Day 2 was the new integrated amplifier from Perreaux. The respected New Zealand brand is in the midst of a stateside resurgence with the Audiant integrated amp leading the way. Equipped with a 24-bit/96khz USB/DAC it outputs 80Wpc into 8 ohms courtesy of MOSFET output devices driven by Class A signal stages–it was driving the redoubtable Harbeth HL5 loudspeaker, and it’s sound was engaging, honest and dynamic. It’s rear panel I/Os reflect the current trend toward digital inputs including coax, a pair of optical and USB. There’s also a pair of analog inputs, a home theater bypass as well as a phono input. Look for a full review of the Audiant later this year. On the drawing board are a CD player and a digital streamer but don’t expect either of them to ship prior to Q4. Price: $2995

Hegel Music Systems has gone definitively upmarket with its new separates, the P30 preamplifier ($7500) and H30 monoblock amp ($15k each). Both incorporate the latest version of Hegel’s unique Next Gen technology as well as its patented real-time, correction circuitry know as SoundEngine. The P30 retains the look of the model it replaces but moves beyond its predecessors by adding a more robust power supply and vastly more precise volume control. There are only a pair of FETs in the signal path and all components are carefully hand-matched. The H30 monoblocks are massively built  and massively powered with 1100 watts at 8 ohms on tap. Totally separate networks within the amp reduce noise and distortion to ultra low levels. The damping factor is >1000 so bass control shouldn’t be an issue. While the H30 has been designed as a monoblock it can be easily reconfigured for stereo use– and alternatively, biamping.CES Report; Day Two-Neil Gader on Electronics under $15K

Neil Gader

By Neil Gader

My love of music largely predates my enthusiasm for audio. I grew up Los Angeles in a house where music was constantly playing on the stereo (Altecs, if you’re interested). It ranged from my mom listening to hit Broadway musicals to my sister’s early Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Beatles, and Stones LPs, and dad’s constant companions, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. With the British Invasion, I immediately picked up a guitar and took piano lessons and have been playing ever since. Following graduation from UCLA I became a writing member of the Lehman Engel’s BMI Musical Theater Workshops in New York–working in advertising to pay the bills. I’ve co-written bunches of songs, some published, some recorded. In 1995 I co-produced an award-winning short fiction movie that did well on the international film-festival circuit. I was introduced to Harry Pearson in the early 70s by a mutual friend. At that time Harry was still working full-time for Long Island’s Newsday even as he was writing Issue 1 of TAS during his off hours. We struck up a decades-long friendship that ultimately turned into a writing gig that has proved both stimulating and rewarding. In terms of music reproduction, I find myself listening more than ever for the “little” things. Low-level resolving power, dynamic gradients, shadings, timbral color and contrasts. Listening to a lot of vocals and solo piano has always helped me recalibrate and nail down what I’m hearing. Tonal neutrality and presence are important to me but small deviations are not disqualifying. But I am quite sensitive to treble over-reach, and find dry, hyper-detailed systems intriguing but inauthentic compared with the concert-going experience. For me, true musicality conveys the cozy warmth of a room with a fireplace not the icy cold of an igloo. Currently I split my time between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Studio City, California with my wife Judi Dickerson, an acting, voice, and dialect coach, along with border collies Ivy and Alfie.

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