SUPER NATURAL AUDIO ROOM AT NWAS 2024

Northwest Audio Show 2024 – Super Natural Audio Room

Super Natural Audio (SNA)

Danny Baty of SNA will be launching an entry level integrated digital to analogue converter and line level preamplifier (a DAC-Pre).  The digital section has USB, SPDIF (coaxial) and Toslink (optical) inputs and utilises the latest AKM DAC chip (implemented in the non-oversampling (NOS) configuration) which supports up to 32 Bit / 768 kHz PCM and Quad DSD.  The output of the DAC is fed into the line driving section (which has a minimum of two line-level inputs – further inputs can be added at extra cost).  The line driver is based around an ECC88 dual triode valve (one per channel) and has a cathode follower output and plenty of gain to match any power amplifier or active loudspeaker system.  The sale price will be from a shade under £1000, depending on whether further line inputs are needed.  This new DAC-Pre combines the essential elements of the highly regarded SNA DAC and the SNA line level preamp at a considerably lower price than the separate items. 

CML Music – Etude Loudspeakers

Chris Liauw of Etude Loudspeakers will be showing his Etude 5 loudspeaker which have already garnered a five heart HiFi Pig review by Chris Baillie.  The design goal was to develop a loudspeaker with a narrow frontal form factor which has similar acoustic presentation to a full range electrostatic or planar magnetic design.  The speaker is based on a directly driven linear array of four 85 mm balanced mode radiator (BMR) drive units which is augmented in the low bass (below100 Hz) with force cancelled 200 mm bass units and in the high treble (from 6 kHz) by a 25 mm ring radiator tweeter.  The BMR array and bass units share the same transmission line – our Common Time Base Transmission Line concept.  The cabinet is finished in real piano lacquer applied by Shackleford Pianos of Macclesfield.  The BMR drive units are mounted in a stainless steel / polyethylene-cellulose film / CNC machined aluminium sandwich baffle insert.  The sale price of the Etude 5 is £13000/pair.

We will also be reintroducing the entry-level Etude loudspeaker, the Etude 1 which is a 10 litre infinite baffle design with two 85 mm BMR drive units.  The lower unit has a shunt capacitor across it to reduce high frequency output and sharpen the stereo image – an approach recommended by Graham Bank the designer of the BMR drive units used.  The prototype got an excellent review in HiFi Critic from the late, great Paul Messenger.  The Etude 1 has a 12 mm Corian / butyl rubber / MDF sandwich baffle, the cabinet is MDF critically braced with solid beech and steel elements.  The finish is satin epoxy lacquer.  We will be offering these ex-demonstration units for £680/pair.  

Due to the quantised bending wave operation of BMR drive units at high frequency, special attention needs to be paid to drive unit mounting in order to dissipate the radial bending wave energy – due attention is paid in both designs.

Clipaudio

Chris (Clip) Harrison will be showing his Dolomite turntable which is the product of 25 years of development – a new level of unforced realism and musicality has been achieved from a re-imagined combination of classic ingredients – all hand made in the UK.  The Dolomite is a suspended design which utilises adjustable elastomer band suspension in conjunction with tuneable silicone fluid damping.  The chassis and sub-chassis are in machined and hand polished 20 mm cast acrylic, the platter is machined from 45 mm clear cast acrylic.  The standard finish for the chassis and sub-chassis is high gloss white self-colour acrylic.  Clear and black acrylic can be selected at no extra cost.  Great attention has been paid to bearing design – the bearing housing is machined from bronze and is 61 mm in diameter, this effectively mass loads the suspension and reduces bearing noise well below audibility.  An AC synchronous motor with flat belt transmission have been selected on the basis of sound quality.  The motor PSU and one-touch microprocessor speed controller are housed in a bespoke contoured polished white (or black) acrylic box which compliments the turntable aesthetics.  

The Dolomite was originally designed around the classic Alphason HR100S tone arm.  The new Alphason HR200S tone arm (with Ortofon Cadenza Bronze cartridge) will be used at the show.  The Dolomite can also be used with Clipaudio’s own Nine-Wave tone arm.  Other tone arms can also be accommodated on request.

The direct sale price for the Dolomite is £5500.  The Alphason HR200S tone arm is £4795.

The Clipaudio Mute Point isolation platforms will also be used in the show system – the Mute Points use an elastomer band suspension system and cast acrylic platforms.  Ground / structure-born isolation and isolation of vibrational energy from the audio components is absorbed by the combination of the elastic and lossy components of micro-deformation of the elastomer bands.  The level of damping can be increased by the addition of silicone fluid filled dashpots.

Mute Points are available directly from Clipaudio: £1200 / pair for loudspeakers, £800 each for source and amplification components, from £1200 each for a Mute Point isolation platform fitted with silicone fluid dashpots.