Isotek Elektra Mains Conditioner $2000

(4.1h, 17.7w, 13.7d, Black or Silver)

Isotek has taught us that Mains Conditioners can IMPROVE OUR SOUND!

Up until about 2014, every conditioner I ever auditioned actually HURT the sound- but did provide AC line protection that we needed. The electronics in play did so in a heavy handed fashion and stole resolution and dynamics in the process.

Isotek has proven that WITHOUT A DOUBT your music is veiled if you’re not using a top flight conditioner. And if you lose information by not having a great conditioner at the start of the equation, you can’t get it back later!

Do you remember when we had snow in our analog TV reception? That is exactly what is happening with the AC sludge coming into your hi-fi gear. Isotek will remove the snow so you can hear resolution in the music that would otherwise be obfuscated by the line hash.

Elektra V5

Elektra is Isotek’s new $2000 product entry. It is an attractive looking component that logically sits at the bottom of your equipment stand. It has six outlets. Two are high current for power amps or subwoofers. Four are lower current for other components.

There is an isolating filter for EACH of the six taps. Consequently there is no back wash among the products plugged into Elektra. Each component is immune from the debris of the wall and any back splashing companions.

Elektra’s main purpose is to CLEAN UP your sound. Listening with Elektra vs without, you’ll hear faster transient response. You’ll hear more delineated percussive action on a drum kit. You’ll hear faster attacks with a pick against a guitar string. You’ll hear the vocal POP to the front of the recording as opposed to laying back in a two dimensional, mundane blend.

Elektra does also provide the PROTECTION you need from electronic spikes or belches.

Isotek upgraded Aquarius to V5 in the fall. It’s a fantastic conditioner that we highly recommend it for $3k. Yet if you’re not up for $3k, you’ll find Elektra will make a significant improvement in your music system for a grand less.

Hegel H95 Integrated Amp, $2200 (60×2)

Are you looking for a magnificent sounding integrated amp with no bite or sizzle?

Most of us simply DON’T NEED the body slamming that the audio magazines are gushing about every issue. Issue after issue of the rags espouse why we need a $30-60k amp. Really?

I’m sure the 445 pound, $100k Gryphon Apex power amp will do plenty of slamabama along with a bag of chips. But seriously…do you need to play at jet aircraft volume? I know a few of you do. May heaven help your hearing!

Do you actually want the volume in your music system to be similar to that of a concert in a baseball stadium that seats 50,000 of your closest friends? Is it even a good idea?!

First of all, if you buy the right speakers, you CAN play at 100dB with the Hegel H95. The Klipsch Heritage models are all 99dB SPL on up. You can blast your brains out with H95. But I’m recommending H95 because of its musical beauty instead of a Joe Frazier left hook.

H95 is actually three products in one. It has a great DAC, preamp and power amp all in one box.

The DAC is Hegel’s SYNCHRO DAC, which converts the native source. It doesn’t bugger it up with upsamplling processing.

The preamp is discrete, made with hand matched transistors in Oslo. The discrete preamp brings more nuance and character to the music than using chips in the preamp section. The power amp section uses Hegel’s patented SoundEngine2 circuitry, which eliminates the harsh edge we expect from solid state designs with mismatched output transistors. The damping factor is 2000, which allows your speakers to start and stop on a dime. Check out the damping on any competitor.

Maybe… 250.

Great TV Sound: No, Don’t Buy A Sound Bar!

Let’s do it right. Think Amphion speakers.

Start with a GREAT set of speakers that are tremendously articulate and not BRIGHT sounding. If you get a lightweight soundbar or speakers from the far east, your ears will get sunburned fast. They’re all voiced to grab your attention and will wear you out in no time.

Start with highly resolving Amphion speakers, made with TLC in Finland.

Here I’m showing the Helium 410s which run a grand per pair. Amphions are not harsh or grainy. They disperse in a cardiod pattern that largely eliminates the highly resonant characteristics of your listening room. Or do you have the perfect listening acoustics?

Mate them with the dynamite STEREO receiver from Marantz, NR-1200 ($800, 75×2). The Marantz has all the right inputs to shake hands with video as well as audio sources. For under $2k you’ve got the answer to audio that’s more than up to par with the high quality video of today’s flat screens.

Jimmy Buffet Isn’t Always In Margaritaville

Did you know the talented singer/guitarist is also a pilot and owns six airplanes?!

Our manufacturers like to capitalize on the buying frenzy of the holiday season. Since you’re buying for other people, ya might wanna treat yourself too.

We have two auspicious intros for you. Audio Emporium is carrying two of the hottest speaker introductions in the great wide world of hi-fi!

The Magnepan LRS+ is in house right now. LRS+ is an upgraded model from the company’s legendary LRS. If you’re looking for precision detail with a tremendous image for a grand, you can’t beat LRS+.

The MoFi SP10 has just arrived! MoFi hired Andrew Jones about two years ago and took the leash off. SP10 will be Andrew’s first MoFi speaker. I’m tremendously impressed by early impressions of this clear, dynamic and powerful speaker. I predict it will OWN its price class for the foreseeable future!

Both are fairly priced and offer cutting edge technology. We’re spoiled to have these high performance speakers under one roof for you to audition.

MoFi SP10 Speakers $3700 Per Pair

(22.5h, 14.5w, 16.6d, 47lbs, 8 ohms, 91dB SPL, Walnut or black ash)

Speaker designer extraordinaire Andrew Jones joined MoFi in 2020. Andrew was brought in to design an innovative line of speakers for MoFi. The speakers feature Andrew’s latest thinking and deliver high performance at attainable pricing.

Andrew’s goal is to produce speakers that eclipse traditional hi-fi expectations. He’s confident SP10 will provide “hear through” resolution to allow a closer emotional connection to your music. He is going after performance comparable to what a mastering studio would require, vs just making another hi-fi speaker.

In his most recent designs for Elac, the speakers were fatter and darker. SP10 is a very transparent and dynamic speaker which gives you a more vivid picture of what’s on your recordings.

Andrew had free rein to create the best speakers he could. All the decisions were in his court. The first model is the SourcePoint Ten, or SP10 as its friends will call it. SP10 is a 10” Concentric 2-way design.

SP10 sounds just as good when used horizontally as it does vertically. Center ch?

Driver: A 10” Concentric Two Way

Per Andrew’s predilection, SP10 starts as a 10” cast frame, Concentric driver. It uses his new Twin-Drive high flux neodymium magnet system. It minimizes distortion in the drive unit’s motor structure. He has created a corrugated, multi-roll surround and uses a pulp fiber cone.

The tweeter is a 1.25” silk dome design with extra wide surround, coupled to the 10” Concentric to act as a wave guide. Note- the 1.25” design is a quarter wider than his previous work and yields superior detail, imaging and power handling.

It is imperative to minimize long throw movement in the 10, so it doesn’t disrupt the tweeter’s performance. SP10 has outstanding, uniform off-axis dispersion. You can easily locate instruments in the mix, regardless of the type of music. SP10 is placement friendly as a result of Andrew’s choices.

All New Cabinet Design

SP10’s cabinet uses dual rear ports and is very solid. The front baffle is 2” MDF. All other cabinet walls are 1” MDF. SP10 has dual internal bracing walls which contribute to its impressive bass response. The cabinet employs a faceted front baffle with wave guide pattern for the driver. The faceted cabinet construction minimizes baffle diffraction problems to provide excellent imaging characteristics.

Unique Crossover- Easy Drive

The tweeter is crossed over at 1.6kHz which is significantly lower than the industry norm. Most tweeters come in at 3-5kHz and yield a brighter sound as a consequence. Andrew favors 6dB slopes which are less intrusive than steep filters. The impedance of SP10 judiciously never falls below 6 ohms. THIS is a huge deal. You can drive SP10 with a garden variety amp until you can get a high performer. Since speakers matter more than amps, start with the SP10s and upgrade your electronics as your wallet allows.

Stands $250 Per Pair

Stands are optional. They’re made of steel. They’re $250 and 22” tall. Since they’re made of metal they’ll hold up better than wood if you ding them with your vacuum. The top plate is 8.5 x 8.5”. Soft pads are included for the top plate. Spikes are included and add 1.25” for carpet use. The size of the base is 11.52w by 14.62d.

Magnepan Speakers

Magnepan speakers project a large, lifelike musical image in your living room. The panels are tall and produce a cohesive, linear image. Yes, they take up some space in your room. SO WHAT?!

If you love music, Maggies are worth the real estate they require.

The speakers consist of a Mylar diaphragm that is about as thick as a human hair. Strips of foil are adhered to the diaphragm to create a voice coil. A steel plate with magnets is put in close proximity. When the signal goes through the foil, the panel vibrates to create music.

The panel barely moves. It is similar to the motion of a snare drum’s head. The speed and definition of Magnepans is as good as it gets.

The panels are 4-6 feet tall, depending on the model. The music comes towards you as a large linear wave, the size of the panel.

As you listen to a vocal or acoustic instruments, the sheer size of the music is quite convincing. Sounding more like the real thing, is more FUN! It’s especially enticing to hear great singer standing right before you. Samara Joy anyone?

Larger models produce more bass. They also move from two ways to three ways. Some have a more advanced TRUE RIBBON tweeter as opposed to a QUASI.

Magnepans are built in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, just up the road.

LRS+ $1000 Per Pair

(48h, 13.5w, 1.5d)

Matching Stands $289 Per Pair

Raise the height 3.5”

Magnepan has just shipped its new LRS+ speakers for $1000 Per Pair. They strongly recommend you buy the matching stands, $289 per pair, to get maximum performance.

The LRS was a highly revered Maggie model for three years. LRS+ is even better- especially in terms of deeper bass response. The matching stands help imaging quite noticeably!

The reviews on LRS+ are OVER THE TOP. And to think you can buy them for only $1289 including the stands!

Great Mono Recording

There are zillions of great contemporary recordings. But did you know we have incredible mono recordings of artists who were in their prime before stereo was common? Here’s an example.

Open your iPad, pull up Tidal, and search out Ella Fitzgerald singing “My One And Only.” It was recorded by Decca in mono, 1950, and will make goose bumps rise if you have a pulse!