Creek Destiny 2

The Destiny 2 is considered the most highly specified model ever made  by producer Creek. It has a solid, slim, quite heavy though very smart external design due to the intelligence use of brushed aluminium.

Inside you will find a large transformer and heatsinks for generous power rating. There are also a decent number of capacitors in the idea that ten small capacitors in parallel make a more ideal component than one single unit of ten times the value

Details :

Name: Creek Destiny 2

Origin: UK

Weight:  10 kg

Dimensions: 430x80x355 mm

Features:

• ·         Inputs: 6 line level
• ·         Optional phono stage (replaces one line in)
• ·         Preamp output
• ·         Dual switched speaker outputs
• ·         Headphone output
• ·         Nominal output  100W

 

Onkyo P-3000R and M-5000R

Returning to the market after an almost 20 years absence and when everyone thought they’re only to be seen on collectors homes, Onkyo is back in business.  The company’s flagship hi-fi’s are the M-5000R power amp and the P-3000R preamp.

The M-5000R is the more conventional of the two units. It achieves 80 watts into eight ohms using a Class A/B layout even though in many recent stereo amps Onkyo uses Class D. This return back to conventional technology suggests that Onkyo feels that classic is not yet dead.

The M-5000R can only be used in stereo mode with unbalanced RCA inputs, but a single XLR input is fitted allowing use as a monoblock. The VU meters can be used at two different sensitivity or can be switched off.

The P-3000R preamp is rather unusual in comparison to the competition. It has six digital inputs, as well as three line inputs , a tape loop and a MM phone stage.

Details :

Product: Onkyo P-3000R preamp &

                M-5000R power amp

Origin: Japan/ Malaysia

Type: Analogue and digital preamp, 2channel class A/B power amp

Weight: P-3000R 11kg/ M-5000R 23,5 kg

Dimensions: 435x99x333.1 mm/ 235x87.5x432.5 mm

Features:

• ·         Preamp with moving magnet phono stage, 3line inputs and digital board
• ·         2x preouts
• ·         DIDRIC Distortion reduction circuitry
• ·         6 digit inputs : 1xAES, 1xUSB, 2x coaxial and 2x optical
• ·         Front panel display
• ·         80 w stereo power amp with symmetrical internal layout

Antelope Zodiac Plus

Bulgaria is to be put on the map of audio world thanks to Antelope Audio who brings on the market a new cutting-edge DAC/preamplifier. The models’ name is Zodiac Plus and it is an innovative compact cube that has, as one of the main features, digital, analogue and USB inputs, a volume control on the outside and a 25 bit/192kHz convertor inside. Due to the company’s past experience in digital clocking the Zodiac Plus has dual headphone sockets on the front panel and complete set of XLR sockets on the back.

Details: 

Product: Antelope Zodiac Plus

Origin: Bulgaria

Type: Digital to analogue convertor/preamp

Weight: 2kg

Dimensions: 165x112x190 mm

Features: 

• ·         Digital inputs: 2x Toslink, 2x coax, AES/EBU, USB
• ·         Digital outputs : AES/EBU,S/PDIF
• ·         Analogue inputs: RCA phono, TRS balanced
•  
•       Analogue outputs: XLR balanced, RCA phono

Primare R32

The new R32 is one of the biggest phono stage in this price range on the market.  Size is not necessary a plus in such devices but here are benefits: getting a component that matches the rest of your rack and extremely well built.

To ensure a low-noise design the producer used polypropylene caps and an R-core transformer with separate windings for left and right channel power supplies. The R32 also uses Tantalum and low-impedance caps in the amplifier most important parts.

The Primare R32 is build in superb quality. The aluminium case is the best and attractive you can get at this price range. Overall the R32 is beyond competition from any perspective being the best of it’s kind.

Details :

Product: Primare R32

Origin:Sweden/China

Type: MM/MC phono

Weight: 8,5 kg

Dimensions: 430x95x380mm

Features:

• ·         Impedance settings :10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 47 k Ohm
• ·         MM gain: 41.5/46.5 dB
• ·         MC gain: 62 dB
•  
•      Color options: black, titanium

Old school : Vamps

For those of you who thought that vamps are only to be seen in museums may want to think again. Not only that their not some old glass tubes that you saw in grandpa's old radio in your childhood, but their still used by some electronics producers in hi-fi's like amplifiers and even CD players.

They give an artistic, retro look and give us a reminder about the old days when we need so little to feel so good. The pictures you see need no comment...