Naim has created a separate line of music server products that will be marketed independently of its component distribution system. On display at CES2008 was the DigiLinX compatible six-stream NaimNet NS01 Music Server ($6200), which has an internal ripping drive, a 400GB RAID 1 array, so data is secure.

The NS01 has network scanning for both PC and Mac, easily accommodates network NAS storage, sports a front panel USB socket (instant iPod connectability), and unique NamNet user and Music Manager interfaces.

Its line level output is 2V RMS and it also sports coaxial S/PDIF (75 ohms), TOSlink. Sample rates of 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 88.2kHz, and 96kHz are supported—all other formats are converted to 44.1kHz.

Its display outputs include S-video, composite, VGA (NTSC, PAL), mouse, keyboard, and USB X-Y touchscreen.

The NS01 is Streamnet compatible, has front panel IR reception and q rear panel 3.5mm remote command connection, and has an RS232 9-pin connector.

Other components in the NaimNet line include the NNT02 DAB/FM tuner, NNP02 Room Amplifier, NNP02-DC Room amplifier with wide-range DC power supply, NNP01 Room Amplifier, NS02 Music Server, and NS03 Music Server.

Additional prices and details to come.

Meridian has completely redone its Signature Reference 808 CD player, now the 808.2 ($14,995). "We've changed its drive, drive navigation software, power supply, DSP, and clocking and buffering. I'd like to say that the only thing we've retained is the case, but we've improved that, too," said Bob Stuart.

Meridian's proprietary Resolution Enhancement system upsamples 44.1/16-bit CD data to 176.4/24-bit with 48-bit internal precision, and applies a newly refined delta-sigma digital-to-analog converter system of reference accuracy. Stuart says that allows the 808.2 "to extract from the finest CD recordings a degree of transparency, detail, and musical life that simply must be heard to be appreciated."

The Meridian Signature Reference 808.2 comes in two flavors: standard and 808.2i. The difference? The standard Meridian 808.2 provides digital audio outputs in two formats, including an upsampled 88.2 kHz output that exploits Meridian's proprietary MHR resolution-enhancement system when connected via a compatible Meridian DSP Loudspeaker or surround processor. It also has two sets of analog audio outputs, which can be either fixed- or variable-level. The 808.2i ($15,995) adds analog and digital audio inputs, so it can function as a basic preamplifier in a simple two-channel system in conjunction with a power amplifier or active Loudspeakers.

It was great to again encounter Andy Payor of Rockport Technologies and hear the stunning 200 lb Ankaa loudspeaker ($26,500/pair). Of all the speakers I heard on the first two days of T.H.E. Show, the Ankaa produced images so large and lifelike that it made other speakers (including several wonderful-sounding models I’ve already discussed) seem like pipsqueaks. I have no doubt that the expensive, neutral-sounding Gryphon Antileon Signature stereo amplifier ($31,000 for 150Wpc) and Mirage preamplifier ($25,000), as well as the debuting Purist Audio Design Proteus Provectus cabling had a lot to do with Andy's triumph. As he rather selflessly noted, "The real reason for a good image lies in the collaboration."

In addition to choosing his partners wisely—more on the Blue Smoke Entertainment Systems Black Box source component in another blog entry—Andy has played extremely close attention to the strikingly good-looking Ankaa's radiation pattern, its crossover—the midrange extends down to 150Hz—and its intentionally rounded cabinet design. What this speaker did with Lorraine Hunt Lieberson’s voice might have reduced my fellow Lorraine lover, Wes Phillips, to tears. On a much larger scale, every note of "Mars" from Holst’s The Planets was handled with equal aplomb. The speaker delivered midrange fullness for days, and true symphonic proportions.

Sooloos' Rob Darling was on hand again this year showing off their elegant touch screen music server system. Stereophile has a review of this system in the works.

In the year since we last met, the company has been busy. They've built an extensive dealer network, signed on some new manufacturer reps and begun rolling out quite a bit of product.

However, the big news was a glimpse at what they have planned for release in March.

Darling described two new systems, the flagship Twin Store system retailing at $10,500 complete and the entry level Ensemble system priced at $7,200.

Both systems include the Sooloos 17" touch screen, all the software to run the system, and the hard disc bays. Where they differ is in the quality in the audio components, how the library back-ups are handled, where you can place the hard drives (which can have a little fan noise) and the ability to duplicate your music library in remote locations (such as your ski chalet).

Obviously the Twin Store system has all of the cool-man stuff. The big advantage being that music library backups are automatically handled and can be remote located. The Ensemble system saves a little cash by having you manage your backup chores.

Another big change for both systems will be that you'll be able to buy your own hard drives (currently at $250 for a terabyte that can store 2,400 CDs uncompressed). You'll need to buy the networked drive housing units from Sooloos, but you can put any drive you want into them. It's cheaper and more flexible this way, says Darling.

And there's much more on the way that they can't quite talk about yet. Keep an eye and ear on these guys.

I was so impressed by the 9" Feastrex drivers designed by Haruhiko "Hal" Teramoto of Japan that I was excited to hear how the 5" Feastrex DF Monster alnico driver sounds in MaxxHorn's new Lumination loudspeaker. The speaker, which also incorporates the Tractrix horn technology developed by Johan van Zyl, is so new—the pair at THE Show had been finished a mere 12 days before—that only the dealer price ($18,500/pair) has been set. All speakers are hand constructed, with 3–5 pairs produced a month.

MaxxHorn's Robert Spence first encountered Mr. Teramoto at RMAF, and immediately realized this was the driver he had been searching for. Since receiving the drivers, Spence has been working 40 hours a week to build the Lumination. They have yet to be tested, and have been optimized solely by ear. In short, what I heard may be further refined in the weeks and months ahead. The speaker, estimated at 102dB senstivity, employs MaxxHorn’s Bassmaxx horn technology to extend the Feastrex driver's low end down to about 45Hz. "We're more interested in detail than extension for the sake of extension," Spence explained.

Paired with Clarity cable (also used to wire the speakers), a Clarity 3D passive power conditioner, ART Audio PX-25 6Wpc amplifier, Gill Audio tube preamp, entry-level Scheu turntable, top-level Shelter cartridge, and mid-level Schroeder tonearm, ART Audio phono stage, Gill Audio DAC, $100 Panasonic DVD player, and Ultrasonic racks, the system's depth and tight bass were exemplary. While LP sound was excellent, the far-from-transparent CD sound undoubtedly had to do with the less-than-stellar transport.

Empirical Audio's Pace-Car Reclocker ($1100—2300, depending on number of clocks installed) is designed to reduce the jitter of any source to "inaudible levels." Empirical's Steve Nugent said the device is primarily intended for USB, WiFi, and network devices such as the Sonos and Squeezebox. "The pace-Car is inserted between source and DAC, it can either provide a master clock to the source or accept the source's data stream and 'bracket' the rate of the stream. No modifications to the source are required."

The Pace-Car uses a FIFO-buffer to store the streaming data. The clock that reads into the buffer is completely independent of the clock that reads the the data out of the buffer. The data is not modified in any way (as is common in reclockers). The Pace-Car's output can be driven by a low-jitter monolithic clock, an Audiocom Superclock4, or an Audiocom Ultraclock.

The Pace-Car is modular, so it can have inputs for S/PDIF coax, AES/EBU, Toslink, or Empirical I²S. Outputs can be S/PDIF, AES/EBU, or I²S. I²S has the lowest jitter because it has separate clock and data streams.

We noticed that the Pace-Car only listed 44.1kHz, 96kHz, and 192kHz. No 88.2kHz? Nugent said, "Who even uses that?"

"Now that you can download 24-bit 88.2kHz files from Linn and a few other online sources, maybe a lot of people," we said.

"It's modular. I can add 88.2kHz and silkscreen a new faceplate. That's the beauty of bespoke audio."

In what has become a tradition, Anton Dotson (aka Buddha on the Stereophile forum) and Michael Alazard set up a room at T.H.E. Show as NFS Audio (Not For Sale), which they describe as "a chill out zone for people tired of the show's relentless grinding down of the human spirit."

What do the good doctors prescribe? "Alcohol and music." NFS runs an open bar all day (and night) and play music: LPs, CDs, you name it. This year Dotson lugged his Ferguson Hill loudspeakers in for the fun of it. "These used to belong to Ray Kimber," Dotson said. "It's a long story."

They always are—and with NFS, they're usually petty good 'uns.

This year, the boys brought a new "tweak": a Laser projector. How is that a tweak?

"The laser stabilizes the air molecules, so they can better interact with the drivers" said Dotson. "Want a drink?"

Well, yes, but we have miles to go before we sleep.

Pictured are Dotson, Alazard, Jon Iverson, and Wes Phillips in the specially "tweaked" air molecules.

Audiophile Rob Smith stopped by to absorb some green dots by the record stacks.

Michael Alazard and pal.

Actually his birthday was yesterday, and fans left plenty of presents.

Thiel wondered if such problems could be reduced by connecting speakers through a network, preferably wireless, without sacrificing the audiophile sound quality that has been a design goal of the company. Arrangements were made to partner with BICOM, a software / information technology company. The resulting partnership developed the plan for Thielnet.

The resulting Thielnet system includes a dB1, IP addressable, digital audio distribution processor capable of running up to 64 loudspeakers with DSP to decode Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II/IIx, and DTS audio inputs. The dB1 can be controlled by a remote, Web browser, or through its front panel.

The Thielnet SCS4D loudspeaker shown in the photo is a key member of this system. This is a full-range, IP-addressable, two-way, powered bookshelf speaker with a digital crossover network, a 6.5" woofer mounted co-axially with a 1" metal-dome tweeter. This is the only loudspeaker I've seen that includes an Ethernet jack and WiFi antennae on its rear panel.

Also presented was the Thielnet SS1D SmartSub subwoofer which has a 10" long-throw woofer; and a dS1-Thielnet IP based digital speaker module that contains the 250W class-D monoblock amplifier, a 24-bit/192kHz DAC, and traditional binding-post speaker outputs. Connectivity between the digital audio distributor processor and powered loudspeakers can be accomplished with Ethernet cabling or wirelessly.

Ekin Binal spent time detailing the flexibility and rear panel connectivity of the dB1, particularly its eight Ethernet jacks. Later, members of the audience asked Jim Thiel, the company's main speaker designer, how the networked connections sounded compared to the traditional speaker cabling. Jim stated that speaker cabling was superior at this time, but the difference was slight, and could not be detected most times. Others asked abou the absence of an HDMI connector, and what were the sources Thiel uses for its DACs and DSP modules.

T.H.E. Show at the Alexis Park reminded us of the new Will Smith movie—the infrastructure was intact, but there were few signs of life.

We asked one exhibitor how show traffic had been. "There's ample parking," he said.

Things were a little busier at the San Tropez, but as we T.H.E. Show, we heard the CEA's official attendance: 143,695. "Nah," said our cab driver later in the evening, "the real count is closer to 150,000—and tomorrow the Adult Entertainment Expo will bring in another 40,000."

"Our Asian and Pacific clients were strongly requesting it," said Mark Levinson's Walter Schofield, VP of Sales and Marketing, "so we designed an amplifier in the older Mark Levinson tradition with external heats."

Sure enough, the large, heavy—try 140 lbs—dual-mono, $15,000, No.532 amplifier had the characteristic, classic, curved black-silver monolithic shape enjoyed by Mark Levinson amplifiers designed in the early 1990s.

"It may have the classic Mark Levinson appearance," continued Walter, "but it enjoys the latest in our technology. Its output levels are matched to within 0.02dB and the signal paths are 35% shorter than any previous Mark Levinson amplifier. It also has our very-low–dielectric Arlon printed-circuit boards. We've designed it to act like a voltage source down to 1 ohm, so the current keeps doubling as you go down in impedance. I think that it will be have terrific sonics."

"Yes indeed," I said, "it will be important to test your claim. Can I have one for review?" Stay tuned!

"I've never seen the rear of an amplifier look like this," I said, pointing how each channel of the Mark Levinson No.532 stereo amplifier formed what seemed to be a peninsula, so that each channel had its own left and right heatsinks."

"Yes," said Walter, "this chassis configuration allows to have smaller heatsinks, but still get the needed heat dissipation."

"Big," I said.

"There's no substitute for size when it comes to designing a subwoofer," JA explained. "A lot of small subs do a lot of things well, but when you want to reproduce truly deep, controlled bass, you need big drivers and a big box."

Wilson Audio Specialties' newest subwoofer, Thor's Hammer, certainly seems to have what it takes. Coming from a long line of serious subs, including the coffee-table-sized WHOW and seven-foot-tall XS, Wilson's newest design stands 59 inches tall, weighs over 400 lbs, features dual 15" long-throw woofers, and, of course, invokes the Norse god of thunder. Whoa.

"For those people who want to move a lot of air around a very large space, Thor's Hammer will do a great job," said Wilson's Peter McGrath.

I believe it. Unfortunately, Thor's Hammer was only on static display, so we couldn't enjoy a listen. "Maybe at the next show," said Daryl Wilson. "We'll have to reinforce the windows."

The striking Vivid Audio Giya G1 loudspeaker ($54,000/pair) is the work of acclaimed designer, Laurence Dickie, who is perhaps best known for the creation of B&W's famed seashell-shaped Nautilus.

Our eyes must have shot open when we walked into the listening room. On A Higher Note's Philip O'Hanlon, distributor for Vivid Audio and Luxman, approached us and admitted, "It's one of those speakers that will polarize people. People will either love it or hate it."

We listened. At the end of a jazz piece, the first row of listeners broke into applause and shouted praise. The sound of the Giya was immediate and detailed. Louis Armstrong's voice was full of grit and lungs and throat, and seemed enormous.

O'Hanlon explained that Dickie's work with the Nautilus didn't simply inform the design of the Giya. Beyond that, the Giya is the resolution of Dickie's work with the Nautilus, the completion of his work with the Nautilus. Which makes the Giya a very special speaker, indeed.

While Day 1 at the Venetian was all hustle and bustle, the atmosphere at the Las Vegas Hilton was something different, was almost contemplative. Navigating the Venetian halls was an exercise in agility. I found myself weaving in and out of massive traffic with a skill perhaps common only to a weary New Yorker, making quick and random stops to chat friends and colleagues. But when I arrived at the Hilton, the silence—as we like to say—was palpable.

Of course, there are fewer audio manufacturers residing at the Hilton, and it was approaching the end of show hours. Still, I was left with the impression that those who decided to exhibit at the Hilton did so to avoid the Venetian's massive traffic. There would be no weaving in and out, no random stops. These things would be replaced by long and silent corridors, some lovely music, purposeful discussion, and a resplendent Las Vegas sky.

Exhibiting at the Hilton may also offer manufacturers the opportunity to provide showgoers with a leisurely tour through several adjacent demo rooms, which is exactly what KEF did on Day 1, when the company celebrated their past, present, and future, and announced their new partnership with Musical Fidelity.

Musical Fidelity products are now a part of the KEF tradition.

"Just so you know," said KEF's VP of Marketing, Paul Egan, "we have no subwoofer attached to this system right now. I want you to keep that in mind while you listen." He began the demo with an instrumental jazz piece featuring a delicious bass solo and followed it up with a female vocal track, also showcasing excellent bass work. I was enchanted.

"Okay," said Egan, "I lied—we actually have four subwoofers hiding behind the screen," he joked.

I wouldn't have been surprised.

In line with the announcement that KEF is now the American distributor of Musical Fidelity products, all electronics in the room, including several powerful Supercharger monoblocks and new A1008 top-loading CD player, carried the Musical Fidelity badge.

"We're really happy about this," said Egan. "We like the synergy between our brands—we share similar backgrounds, a long history of great products, and we're excited about what Musical Fidelity will be doing in the future, too. Especially that CD player. I think it's the best player I've ever heard."

I smiled.

"I'm serious," he said.

I believed him.