News
New Media Sponsors for the Luxury Living & Home Entertainment Show
Prestigious high-end magazines Lusso and UPStreet have been announced as media sponsors at the forthcoming Luxury Living & Home Entertainment Show, which takes place 19 and 20 April at Branksome Place near Haslemere.
Upstreet
will launch its new Palladium magazine and put on an exhibition by French
naïve artist, Jean Wallis while Lusso
has promised to bring along a selection of supercars. One of the title’s
contributors has a £800,000+ Bugatti Veyron on order and we’re hoping it
will be delivered in time for the event.
Lusso is promoting the show in its April edition, while Upstreet will be featuring the show in its Parisian February edition and in the first UK edition of Palladium, which will be on sale just prior to the show and available at Luxury Living.
It is still not too late to take space at the show, so if you are interested in reaching high end customers please contact Philippa Steward on 01428 717400 or Dennis Poole on 07872 127054.
Naim Partners with Bentley
Naim Audio has for the past couple of years been secretly working to develop the "world's best in-car audio experience" for Bentley. The 'experience' consists of a bespoke speaker system powered by what's said to be the world's most powerful in-car production amplifier.
The amplifier is quite an achievement being an incredibly compact multi-channel design capable of delivering 1100 Watts into up to 15 speakers, the number depending upon the model. The amplifier has no cooling fans. Despite this, it still meets full Bentley requirements for thermal management and has been tested in ambient temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Celsius up to 70 degrees Celsius.
Naturally, though, its main claim to fame is to provide the sound quality for which Naim is renowned in the luxury of Bentlet's sumptuous in-car environment. A prototype installation the editor heard last year did not disappoint.
Digital One's Demise Doesn't Mean DAB is Dying
GCap Media has announced that it will "become a leaner and more dynamic company focused on maximising the revenue and profit potential of five key brands on FM and broadband, the platforms that we believe consumers want and which offer the greatest growth opportunities." Fru Hazlitt, the company's Chief Executive said: "We plan to dispose of our interest in Digital One, reflecting our view that DAB is not an economically viable platform for the Company.”
PURE Digital, the UK's leading DAB manufacturer, reported that it remained "fully committed to DAB despite the announcements made by Gcap Media, which it described as “something totally out of sync with the ongoing trend towards digital – a glitch.” Marketing director, Colin Crawford said: “There is a continued and sustained demand and enthusiasm for DAB that we see and hear from both retailers and consumers on a daily basis. Today’s announcement has nothing to do with the long-term health of DAB digital radio; it is the result of an individual radio group’s reaction to its adverse business conditions and we fully expect 2008 to be a positive year for DAB. PURE is also looking to the future and working on exciting new products and developments that will start to take DAB forward significantly and show the real power that the digital age for radio will bring.”
PMC + Legends Get The i
PMC has announced the launch of the i series, a range of loudspeakers that directly replaces the legendary DB1+, TB2+, GB1, FB1+ and OB1 models and their centre channel derivatives.
The PMC R&D team has introduced three major technical upgrades in the new models. First, a new precision built SOLONEX™ soft dome tweeter with a custom dispersion plate, which has been born out of a collaboration with the Norwegian acoustic specialists, SEAS. Detail, power handling and superior off axis response are the main attributes of the unit.
To keep pace with the enhanced top end performance the mid/bass units have also improved with the introduction of the new PMC designed drivers displaying higher power handling and a flatter, lower distortion mid range. The hand-built and matched high order crossovers that feature French SOLEN capacitors have also been optimised for the introduction and integration of the new drive units. The combination of these technical innovations produces a greater soundstage with a more tangible vocal character and faster, cleaner edged bass.
To reflect the increase in sonic performance the hand-finished exterior has also undergone an extensive makeover with the cabinet veneered on all surfaces and a deeper and finer sheen level applied to the timber portion as well as the plinth. To complete the sumptuous finely honed look and feel, the i series sports a solid, metal hand-polished badge, which would be equally at home on an exotic supercar – if it were manufactured by PMC. [More information]
New Epos range
Epos Ltd has announced the release of a new range of Epos speakers to replace the current M series. The new series is designated Mi the ‘i’ representing ‘improved’. The range consists of the M5i, M8i, M12i, M16i and M22i.
The speakers have been more than a year in development and although the changes are not dramatic, they are nevertheless extensive.
Cosmetically, while not losing their classic appeal, the speakers have undergone a 21st century makeover. This truly is a very elegant range, and the classic lines of the Mi speakers will be equally at home in a traditional or contemporary setting. [More information]
Tangent Cinque CD/DAB Table Radio
Tangent
radios from Denmark, are noted for their excellent sound, clean styling
and wide choice of finishes. Currently four ranges cover DAB, Internet,
FM and Clock radios.
The Cinque is the fifth model in the range and the first to incorporate a CD player, using a neat, slot-loading CD drive that will also play most computer music files. iPod and MP3 players can easily be integrated too.
Pricing ranges from £189.99 for the Cinque, which features a heavyweight contoured wooden cabinet in a choice of four colours. The difference in performance is said to be noticeable, especially when the Cinque is compared to radios with plastic cabinets. [More information]
UK debut of Harbeth’s new monitor
After taking Las Vegas by storm, Harbeth’s new reference model, the Monitor M40.1, will make its UK debut at the Heathrow High Fidelity Show on 29 and 30 March, 2008.
The new three-way builds on the very best of the original Monitor 40 which became an audiophile icon around the world.
“The Heathrow event will be the first chance for a UK audience to see and hear this new top-of-the –range model”, says Harbeth MD and designer Alan Shaw. It will be on show in the Stereonow room. [More information]