Audio Research Arrives!

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Our three new reference Audio Research systems continue to settle in, turning heads all the while. Both ours and our customers; a notably different sonic presentation. Different, yet more familiar by the day. Very revealing, rich, and smooth. As if these very musical systems have always belonged.

Our Wilson Audio Sashas are paired with Audio Research's Reference 5SE Preamplifier, the new Reference DAC Digital Media Bridge, Reference 2SE Phono Stage, and the stellar Reference 150 tube amplifier. The SME 20.3 turntable has never sounded so natural.

The Reference 250 tube monoblock amplifiers are driving our Wilson Alexias in the back room, paired with the Reference 10 Preamplifier and the new Reference CD9. A VSi75 Reference Tube Integrated Amplifier powers a pair of Dynaudio Confidence C1 monitors. No compromise in this integrated amplifier. It is designed from the ground up (rather than merely an update to the VSi60) this should be on the short list for anyone looking at a top-flight integrated.

Crafting high-end electronics since 1970 in Minneapolis, Audio Research is one of the oldest manufacturers of American audio. Forty years of passion, dedication, and continual improvement has produced a product built to last and exhilerating to own.

 

REL: Britain's Premiere Manufacturer of Subwoofers

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Since 1990, REL Acoustics has crafted some of the finest subwoofers in the world. Recently on active display with our Dynaudio Confidence C1 loudspeakers, we have been very pleased with our REL Serie T-9's performance. Very clean, precise bass perfectly blended with the incredibly musical C1's.

 

The 2013 Consumer Electronics Show

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Wilson Audio's Alexia joined the family for a photo at Wilson's private CES suite. As always, David Wilson and Jerron Marchant were gracious hosts. Peter McGrath played an assortment of his favorites on a pair of Alexias and the Dan D'Agostino Momentum mono amplifiers - awfully similar to our own display system, no?

Dan's new Momentum Preamplifier turned quite a few heads as well. What a great time Dan must be having; his Momentum amplifiers populated several systems at CES while snagging the February Stereophile cover. Congratulations Dan!

McIntosh Labs displayed several new products. Their entire integrated amplifier line will receive a refresh, including onboard DACs. The C2300 tube preamplifier will see a DAC update as well. Keep an eye out shortly for a dedicated newsletter for McIntosh's newest lineup.

Boulder Amplifers is in the middle of designing their newest reference stereo amplifier, the massive 3060. At 450 pounds the 3060 Stereo Amplifier certainly doesn't qualify as 'portable' - but it does provide 1500 watts of Class A into any speaker load. Hard to imagine the Boulder 2060 can be improved upon..but Jeff has done it. This will be an exciting listen.

Ayre Acoustics' trade show demonstrations are always a blast. Incredible products, engaging music, a carefully designed environment. Especially since Joe and Dave were fortunate enough to meet Miss Alabama in the Ayre room. Thanks, Alex!

We knew about the new AX-5 Integrated Amplifier, but their latest stereo amplifier was a surprise.
The 175wpc VX-5 Stereo Amplifier shares the same circuit as the AX-5, leveraging a larger power supply. Shipping now, this major improvement over the V5-Xe retails at $8,000.

After knocking the ball out of the park with his overachieving wireless XEO loudspeakers, Dynaudio's Wilfried Ehrenholz swung his attention to his reference Evidence line. The remarkable result arrives as the Evidence Platinum loudspeakers. This is their first Evidence series speaker to leverage the incredible Esotar2 tweeter (which you may have heard in our floor model Confidence C1s).

There is anything 'entry level' about Harmonic Resolution Systems's RXR Audio Stand. Though their most affordable solution, this gorgeous wood-based frame delivers nearly the same benefits of the billet aluminum SXR. The audio industry's vote of confidence coudldn't be more apparent; at least twenty-eight HRS stands shouldering active displays across 13 exhibits. Our second RXR floor model arrives in the coming weeks.

Harmonic Resolution Systems received strong support from its hifi peers' CES displays, but Shunyata Research's Hydra power conditioners seem to have been provided by the hotel. We quickly lost count - the Hydra power products filtered juice for over half of the rooms we visited. We have several Shunyata power conditioners for loan - discover for yourself what dozens of exhibitors already know. Thanks, Grant!

 

Wilson Audio: The Choice

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The Choice explores a simple question: Is there intrinsic merit in accomplishing a task to the best of one's ability? Certainly this idea pervades the culture of Wilson Audio and is rooted in the character of its founder. It finds expression in the daily efforts of the craftsmen who thrive in this environment, precisely because they love the challenge of doing their best work. And it is manifest in the myriad detailed ways Wilson products themselves exhibit the dedication to excellence for its own sake, and for the sake of people who would feel untrue to their nature if they consciously built something less than their best.
 

 

Evaluate Shunyata Research In Your Home.

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In an industry known for hype and rhetoric, Shunyata Research's A/C power conditioners can offer a real improvement in resolution. Now, you can find out what it can do for your system with our in-home audition program.

A few weeks ago Shunyata loaned us two power conditioners, a Hydra Triton and a Hydra Talos, along with a full complement of power cables. Always skeptical, we burned them in for a few days..and the rest is history. JS Audio is now a Shunyata Research dealer.

We first evaluated the Triton on our Wilson Sasha/D'Agostino Momentum/Meitner DAC1/Meridian Sooloos System. The sonic improvement was not subtle-and it was most certainly an improvement. The rich tones of violin improved dynamically, piano notes floated and decayed a bit more effortlessly. This was no mere coloration of sound; more information was clearly conveyed. The violin in particular spoke volumes more than it had previously.

Interested in an in-home audition? We have a Hydra Talos and a Hydra Triton, one each, ready to spend a week in your system. Call us today at 301-656-7020 to see what Shunyata's conditioners and power cables can do in your system.

 

Sony 4K Projector On Display

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Four Times the Resolution of HD 1080p? This isn't just a new projector-this is a brand new category of product. There is no consumer projector available under $100,000 that delivers this level of clarity and color. Simply stunning.

Click and read more about 4K and the new Sony VPL-VW1000ES..or stop by and visit ours, on display at the store. The image quality is truly stunning- a true resolution revolution.

 

Wilson Audio: The Observer and the XLF

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From his earliest days as a loudspeaker designer, Dave has been transfixed by this observation: Why don't loudspeakers sound more like live, unampflified music? The Alexandria XLF project was launched as the most unrestrained effort to date to close the distance between live and reproduced sound.

Watch as Dave Wilson discusses his application of the scientific method while developing his newest creation:

 

 

Wilson Audio: Provenance of an American Legend

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Wilson Speakers build some of the most beautiful and exacting pieces in the industry-truly, form meets function. A soulful expression of artists that have spent their life in pursuit of their craft.

In their new video, Wilson explores the elements of their work that have propelled the product to lofty heights:

   

Harmonic Resolution Systems Now In Store!

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What an improvement.

At long last, we've added the full Harmonic Resolution Systems line of audio stands and resonance control accessories to the store. Having already installed a few for customers over the last month, we already had a good idea of what to expect from these products.

Build quality is on par with or exceeds anything else in the industry; you really know where your money is going. The reference MXR stand rivals the best hand crafted furniture available, with several exotic wood finishes to choose from (we ordered ours in an amazing Clustered Walnut Burl). Their customizable SXR audio stand is a real statement; sweeping curves and columns of billet-machined aircraft aluminum has all the grace and poise one imagines of a fighter jet. But performance? Every HRS audio stand we had experienced previously was in a new system. These new stands went into store systems we are very familiar with. What an improvement. A top of the line M3X Isolation Base tightened our Boulder 2060/Wilson Maxx 3 system up considerably. Immediately and shockingly apparent. Improved clarity in the bottom end really stood out. A full MXR Reference stand on our Wilson Sasha/Boulder 1060/Sooloos/Meridian 808.3 system is no less impressive. This is the first system most who visit us experience, as it channels Rhapsody stations and high-resolution music throughout the store all day long. Rhapsody and high-res alike conveyed much more space and dimension..all the more stunning given how close one sits to the Sashas in that room.

MXR Under Construction	Our Demo MXR Audio Stand..	...and SXR Audio Stand.

 

HRS's Nimbus and Damping Plate Accessories

All of this, and we haven't even begun to talk about the various accessories HRS provides for resonance control. Heavy Damping Plates are designed to sit on top of each component. Pairing their Nimbus couplers underneath your component provides a very elegant system for dissipating the component's natural tendency to vibrate.



We've sold out every shipment of their Nimbus couplers and Damping Plates that we've tried to order for our demo systems. Here is the way it works: We loan them to our customers. They come back two days later, sans pucks and plates, and order enough to complete their system. Truth is, one customer DID return with plates; however, as we had sold out of Nimbus couplers to loan him he only had a half solution. He'll be back!
 

We also had one of HRS's ADL Analog Disc in stock. Had. We loaned it to an excellent customer of ours, who just stopped by the store to buy it as I write this. An avid lover of LPs, he recently purchased a very high end turntable to match his new reference Ayre MXR monoblock amps and Wilson Sashas. So as to avoid understating his enthusiasm, I asked for a quote: "It added amazingly clear definition of various instruments..perked up my system superbly and immediately...by far, the best two hundred dollars I've ever spent in my life."

A bit of background about founder and chief engineer Michael Latvis. First and foremost, you can tell he not only loves his work..he loves music. Technical yet accessible explanations seamlessly intertwine with his clear passion for all things musical. You'll have the chance to see for yourself, as we look forward to having him visit the DC area very soon. Michael earned his chops working with nuclear power systems, helicopter rotor/stabilization systems for the Army and Navy, and vibration-isolation systems for commercial aviation.  His audio stands are just as serious.

Audition the Nimbus pucks, Damping Plates, and ADL Record Weights in your home today..but call ahead to make sure we still have loaners on hand!

 

Daniel D'Agostino, Wilson Audio, and the Momentum

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Wilson released a very cool video recently about Dan D'Agostino and David Wilson's long time friendship over the years. Enjoy a candid look at the working relationship of two extremely passionate masters of their complimentary crafts:

Dan's new stunning new Momentum monoblock amplifiers recieve quite a bit of face time...and they look even better in person than on camera. As you might expect, the new Momentum monoblock amplifiers pair very well with Wilson's speakers and will be on display in the next few months.

 

 

Meridian Sooloos Media Core 200: Just Add iPad

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The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month showed off a veritable cornucopia of hifi music components. Certainly one of the most compelling was Meridian Audio's newest addition to the Sooloos family, the screenless Media Core 200. This all-in-one Sooloos system will hold 1000 lossless-quality CDs in its onboard 500GB hard drive. Its upright design allows it to stay cool without a fan-the MC200 is a seriously quiet piece. The Control 15's slimmed-down little brother creates several new ways to enjoy the Sooloos experience. Have a new 861v6 or 808.3, and want to add a media server? This unit alone will give you access to the powerful Sooloos system, complete with Rhapsody integration. Have a Sooloos system already in one system, but have others in your home? Adding the MC200 to your other system gives you Sooloos access (adds another 'zone') while adding more storage.

Meridian offers several ways to control this screenless Sooloos server, including iPad and iPhone apps as well as programs for your Mac or Windows PC.  We find the iPad app to be the most useful, with its large display and inherently mobile usage.

Outputs include Speakerlink to an ID40 card or Meridian's DSP speakers, S/PDIF, and single-ended analog. That being said, if you do want to go the analog route-we still highly recommend pairing this piece with the Media Source 600 to enjoy its phenomenal D/A converter and signal processing. Certainly, this versatile Sooloos addition will quickly become one of our best sellers.

 

Wilson Audio and Customer Service

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When choosing to invest in something as personal as high-end music and film systems, excellent customer service plays no small part. At JS Audio, we work with the manufacturer to provide you with the very best support. It can be so seamless, you may not be aware to the great lengths our impressive manufacturers often go. Check out this new video from Wilson:

Meet Trent Workman and Jerron Marchant, the virtuosos of Customer Service at Wilson Audio. Trent and Jerron, like the rest of us, have been on the receiving end of both good and bad customer service. Armed with that experience, they are fanatical about providing their own customers with only the most empathetic and helpful kind of support. An approach that obviously wouldn't work unless it was upheld by the company they work for. The B139 in question? That's the discontinued driver used in a discontinued loudspeaker that Wilson Audio scoured the globe for several years ago so that there would always be enough in stock to service their WAMM owners anywhere in the world.

 

Drive your new Meridian Sooloos Music Server with a free iPad, courtesy of JS Audio.

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Meridian Audio recently released its fabulous new Control 15 and Media Source 600. As an added incentive to bring this seamless system into your home, we are offering a very special offer: Every new Sooloos Control 15 and MS-600 we sell will include a free iPad 3! The Control 15 embodies all three of the functions that define a Meridian Sooloos Digital Media System – storage, playback, and control – in a single unit. We are certainly enjoying the product in the store; this excellent update further cements Meridian's dominant execution in the media server field. We now have three systems, wired and wireless, throughout the store. Get the most out of your by using your new iPad as a rich wireless controller. The new Meridian Core Control app lets you take full advantage of your Meridian Sooloos digital media system to store, manage, browse and play the highest quality audio in multiple zones around your home.