CES 2013

The PBN Groovemaster turntable in Macassar Ebony with gold plated brass accents and SME 312S sure looked nice. It will cost you $20,000. I didn't get a chance to hear it.

This is a photo of Touraj Moghaddam's $35,000 Vertere tonearm. You can see the built-in cueing light in the head shell but you can't see the details of the complex machining and unique bearing system that does not use gimbals or any sort of pivot point (s).

Also in the Audio Arts room and making its North American debut was the van den Hul The Grail SB phono preamplifier, that I'm sure contributed to the superb sound produced by the system.

Sound-Smith's Hyperion Moving Iron cartridge features an unusual cactus needle cantilever. The sound was the opposite of this photo: clear, well-focused and loaded with detail. It was being used in many rooms and all who had one were enthused.

Pro-Ject's Expression III turntable now includes an upgraded, one piece carbon fiber tonearm featuring the company's massive "C" bearing structure and a Sorbothane decoupled counterweight.

I don't yet know how it sounds, but Pro-Ject's new Phono Box DS+ MM/MC phono preamp is among the handiest little phono preamps.

This hybrid integrated amplifier from Rogue is beautifully made in America, includes a very good MM phono preamplifier and sells for $1295.