Sunday, May 19, 2013

Black Pearls Audio



 Black Pearls Audio
Birth 100 integrated amplifier









 



Black Pearls Audio is a new Greek audio company  and Birth 100 is it's first product. An intagrated amplifier capable of delivering 70wpc/8oh given by a highly capable design of high grade audio parts.


Features



  • 70Wrms @ 8Ω, 110Wrms @ 4Ω
  • 90KΩ input resistance
  • Slew rate 14.9V/us
  • Zero local and global feedback
  • Separate toroidal transformers for the pre-amplifier and power stage for each channel (4 in total)
  • Class-A single-ended pre-amplifier stage
  • Audio grade power MOSFETs
  • Complementary power stage deeply biased for class-A operation
  • CE compliant (LVD 2006/95/EC & EMC 2004/108/EC) 









Saturday, May 18, 2013

TLA Athena preamplifier Overview

TLA
(True Life Audio)

Athena preamplifier Overview








Audio Tubes:2 x 6H30 sovtek
Rectifier tube:EZ 81
Five Line Level Inputs:4 unbalanced RCA and 1 balanced
Record Output:Unbalanced RCA jacks, unbuffered
2 Main Outputs:1 unbalanced RCA and 1 balanced
Gain:12dB
Input Impedance:100 kOhm
Frequency Response:flat from 8 Hz - 180 KHz
S/N Ratio:typically 94 dB
Input Impedance:100kOhm
Output Impedance:48 Ohms
RF Remote Control:optional
Power Consumption:60 Watts
Dimensions:W=42cm, L=37cm, H=15cm
Shipping Weight:25 kg



Friday, May 17, 2013

Mytek Digital Stereo192 DSD DAC



Mytek Digital  Stereo192 DSD DAC





Many words have been  spoken and written about this device creating big noise around it. The last couple of years D/A Converter have claimed a strong position in the audio market among the audio friends, being indeed of the most popular products being produced, in the new age of computers claiming the role of Hi-end audio sources. But first lets speak some words about Mytek.  Mytek is an American audio company being specialized in digital audio interfaces in professional level. Its high quality products have won a place in many professional mastering studios in the United States pushing aside many established audio firms and taking their place!  Its professional personality is also strongly present in the looks, mentality, sound and architecture of its home audiophile products, which were presented the last couple of years. So, Mytek went home audiophile also to continue its success, among audiophiles. 

The nationality of the device is clear from the moment you look the device. High build quality with minimal looks, stating its professional origin. Well equipped with inputs and outputs, making it able to support a wide range of connectivity option allowing us, to fully take advantage of the device and technology capabilities. It also comes with a firewire input which proves to be the best connection method in order to listen to music from our personal computer.  With 192/24 bitrate support, DSD bitsream support, excellent internal clock and upsampling, the device promises flexibility and an excellent investment in terms of format options support.  High grade audio parts compose a high quality circuit board with attention also to the pre amp stage making clear that Mytek is serious all around the implementation of its products.


Lately I had the chance of auditioning Mytek thanks to a friend of mine who owns it. After a communication we had, we arranged a meeting in my place with the popular Mytek digital D/A Converter.  This happened a Saturday evening. Mytek was in my place and with it came also a Macbook equipped with a special firewire cable, with Audirvana software installed to manage and play digital audio files. My friend also brought a lot of DSD material plus high resolution flac and wav files, plus my own digital library with flac and wav files.
Listening sessions started after carefully installing the device in my audio system, using my cd player source as transport to check the device’s behavior-capabilities as a DAC of red book standards. Mytek was set to upsample and reclock the incoming digital signal of the cd player using the coaxial spdif input. The first thing I noticed from the first seconds is the 3D capabilities of the converter and the excellent imaging of the musicians. Holographic imaging across the tree dimensions of stereo image, with rich information of recording space-room. Each recording had 100% its own character with no interventions concerning its character. Tonally the converter was neutral but not clinical at all leaving the music to breath without removing or adding anything in the original signal. High level analysis presenting all the information being stored in the 12cm aluminum discs or cd’s.  Across the whole session of the auditioning through the cd player I had the clear sense that I was listening the character of the my digital source, it’s sonic personality, better said, making me wonder for the high level capabilities of Mytek. It was surprising to me think that I have in front of me a converter that can even reproduce the characteristics of sonic identity of the transport, thinking before that it’s something impossible maybe….  But after this came the computer audio listening sessions… And then, came the real surprise. Something like ‘ladies and gentlemen please fasten your seatbelts; we are ready for take of’.  First song was the kings version of ‘fever’ (Elvis Presley). Holographic presentation of Presley’s voice and instruments wit realistic dynamics. The instruments and music were transparent enhancing the analysis and richness of detail.  Tonally the device was again natural but music flow was more constant and more cohesive.  I would never suggest this device to someone who is not a fun of neutrality. The professional mentality of this devices is defined by a reproduction that never adds or removes anything from the recording and brings on surface anything, from detail, to digital reading errors or artifacts. So, medium quality recordings will be exposed. Not in excess but in way that Mytek shows you the real fact. But in good recordings you just forget yourself in music.  As for High resolution playback and DSD format the converter shows its teeth! It really is a high skilled representator of the new digital age. As for the price? For my opinion is at least modest!
If you want to invest in a serious digital to audio converter without spending a fortune Mytek Digital 192/24 is simply, solution!  If you are interest in investing on a source that respects itself and music, carrying out the mission of reproducing the music respectively in terms of tonality and recording characteristics Mytek is of the best choices out there. If you like extra sauce, salt or pepper, look somewhere else.
Only for purists!