Please forgive the blurry photo—not that the Piccola is a visual stunner— but this little box is packed with tech and is particularly useful for those using Channel D's Pure Vinyl™ digital RIAA compensation for vinyl ripping to high resolution digital.
Atomic Audio Labs gets the RMAF "Extravagant Performance Enhancement Claims" award for the startling number of benefits said to derive from resting a Mac Mini on one of the company's' Mac Mini Platforms.
PS Audio's recently announced $1895 NuWave Phono Converter, combining a DSD capable A/D converter and MM/MC phono preamp was demoed at RMAF and is now in production.
Imported from Taiwan by Mockingbird LLC, which also imports the Jakutis turntable, the Zorin TP-S3 is an A.C. synchronous motor, belt-drive turntable with an acrylic platter riding on a polished ceramic bearing.
The $3750 'table, which weighs 29 pounds, features a polished stainless steel-aluminum alloy base incorporating the arm mount system.
The arm is the $2070 Zorin Music PUA-12, a 12" gimbaled bearing tonearm featuring a stainless steel arm tube and brass plated titanium counterweights. The patented headshell allows for overhang, zenith angle and VTA adjustability. The carbon fiber mat adds an extra $300+ to the total price.
The $9500 Jakutis belt-driven Black Stork from Lithuania includes aluminum and acrylic sandwich platter and integral stand. The wooden-tubed unipivot tone arm costs $1755. Save 20% when bought with the 'table.
Keith Monks Audio Works debuted at RMAF 2013 the Discovery One record cleaning machine, based upon a Chinese-made "replica" of a Technics SL-1200 turntable.
Odyssey's new Suspiro MM/MC phono preamplifier is based upon two independent gain stages using wide-bandwidth FET op-amps and hand-matched to less than 0.5% in the RIAA network. Gain is switchable 40, 46, 54 and 60dB. Loading via dip switches is 50-100-1K-47kohms.
VPI introduced the production version of its new direct drive turntable. It features a three phase AC induction motor with computer controlled platter speed. The platter of aluminum weighs twenty two pounds. Speed accuracy is claimed to be 01% or "5 sigma" (a standard deviation statistical term) at both 33 1/3 and 45rpm.
San Francisco based Pelotone has been named the new American Koetsu cartridge distributor. The company will also handle all Koetsu re-tipping. Shown is the $10,950 Koetsu Azul. Mounted on a top of the Pro-Ject line Signature turntable, driving Doshi electronics and a pair of Wilson Alexia speakers, the Azul produced some of the sweetest, yet most detailed sound heard at RMAF 2013.