The concept may seem contradictory, given that it converts the analog sound from your vinyl records into a wireless digital signal, but more and more manufacturers are bridging the gap between these two key features for the younger generation.
Denon is therefore entering this market, which includes for example the ProJect T1 EVO BT (499 €), the Technics SL-40CBT (790 €), and the Dual CS 529 BT (999 €), with its own Bluetooth turntable, the DP-500BT, priced at 849 €.
Mechanically, a belt drive rotates the die-cast aluminum platter, above which sits an S-shaped tonearm with a removable headshell and a matching MM cartridge (not specified; we have requested this information). This semi-automatic turntable also features an auto-stop function that stops playback and raises the tonearm when a record ends.
Inspired by the DP-3000NE in terms of design, the DP-500BT adds a preamp section as well as aptX and aptX HD Bluetooth connectivity via a latest-generation Qualcomm chip. Since these features are switchable, it can easily be used as a standalone turntable and connected to an external phono preamp or the phono stage of your amplifier.
And if you’d like to use it in a connected setup, particularly with the recently released Denon Home speakers, you can also integrate it into the HEOS ecosystem via this app and your smartphone. Ultimately, products like this offer you every possible listening option.
In a product lineup that could be slightly streamlined –at least among its dozen or so amplifiers– Vincent Audio is revitalizing its product line with the solidLine2.0 series, consisting of just two electronic devices: the SV-600 integrated amplifier and the CD-600 CD player.
SV-600 The new integrated amplifier, featuring visible VU meters, uses a differential amplification stage with field-effect transistors (FETs) combined with a common-base transistor DC amplifier, for a total of 16 transistors. It stands out for its symmetrical circuit design, following the power supply—which is handled by a single, imposing shielded toroidal transformer located at the center of the unit.
Once filtered by capacitors totaling 40,000 μF, the SV-600 delivers 200 watts per channel into 8 ohms and up to 306 watts into 4 ohms. Thanks to its 8 terminal blocks, it can power two pairs of speakers or support biwiring.
It can also be used as a standalone power amplifier by bypassing its preamp stage, thanks to a pair of XLR inputs and a pair of RCA inputs. Alternatively, its analog stage allows it to accept up to six sources: five via RCA and one via XLR. A pair of RCA outputs can also route the signal directly from the preamp stage to another power amplifier or a subwoofer.
As a truly modern amplifier, the SV-600 is not only analog but also features digital-to-analog conversion via an HDMI ARC port, an optical input, a coaxial input, or Bluetooth. However, it does not include a built-in streamer or phono stage. This substantial unit, weighing 21.9 kg, is available in silver or black for 3 190 €.
CD-600 To complement it, the CD-600 player joins the same solidLine2.0 series, featuring a Sanyo disc mechanism and a Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC. With its monochrome display on the front panel, this player sticks to a very classic design to do what it was built for above all else: play compact discs.
To that end, it proudly displays its front-panel tray and a few control buttons, while offering three analog outputs on the rear panel: two unbalanced RCA pairs and one XLR pair. And if you prefer to use only its digital output, an optical port and a coaxial port are also available. Conversely, its DAC can be directly integrated via another coaxial or optical input port—for example, to connect a network transport. The sampling rate is limited to the already impressive 192 kHz/24-bit, with an excellent signal-to-noise ratio, reported to be over 93 dB.
Also available in black or silver and with a remote control, the CD-600 retails for 1 890 €.
Never short on innovation, Rega aims to demonstrate that it’s still possible to produce affordable turntables manufactured entirely in the United Kingdom.
It was this commitment –along with a desire to appeal to younger generations– that gave rise to the Replay. Building on the idea of a skeletal base that first appeared with the Naiad concept and was later adopted in the high-end line starting with the Planar 8, the Replay upholds the manufacturer’s principles of lightweight construction and minimizing the number of components in the chassis that can vibrate. The laminated plinth is therefore both very lightweight and highly rigid thanks to its MDF core.
Mounted on this black base, supported by three shock-absorbing feet, are a phenolic resin platter and the Rega RB110 tonearm (well known from the Planar 1). The belt is an EBLT model, as used on Rega’s higher-end turntables, with the 33 1/3 or 45 rpm speed controlled by a low-noise 24 V synchronous motor, powered by a Rega PS2 power supply.
Despite the modest price of £279 (approximately 330 € in Europe, to be confirmed), the latest Carbon cartridge, along with an RCA phono cable with ground and a dust cover, are included in the package. The first units are expected to arrive in Europe by the end of the year. And having heard it at the factory during our visit this summer, we can already tell you that this Replay lives up to all its promises!
After the Carmel, it’s time for the Vesper at YG Acoustics, judging by their new speaker from the Reference series.
Drawing inspiration from the Carmel 3’s sleek design, the Vesper 3 (the number indicating that its components are, of course, part of the 3rd generation) retains its aesthetic in a slightly larger cabinet, which offers greater volume to accommodate the addition of a woofer. This results in a height and width that are 4 cm greater (107 cm and 27 cm), but more importantly, a maximum depth at the base of 40 cm, compared to 31 cm on the 2-way model. It’s worth noting that these dimensions are still more compact than those of the Vantage 3 (112 × 33 × 54 cm).
In its three-way design, the Vesper 3 features the 26 mm (1-inch) aluminum Lattice tweeter found throughout the series, as well as the 18.5 cm (7.25-inch) aluminum cone with a neodymium magnet from the Carmel 3. But whereas the Carmel 3’s crossover occurred at a single point at 1.75 kHz, the Vesper 3 not only crosses over at 1.71 kHz between these two drivers but also adds a second, very low crossover at 92 Hz, thereby incorporating the Vantage 3’s third 22 cm (8.75-inch) driver with a very high-field-strength motor.
With its new crossovers –still featuring a phase alignment of ±5° and utilizing the best available components, including pure metal-foil capacitors and resonance-damped Litz inductors– this version gains 1 dB in sensitivity compared to the two other models. Its sensitivity thus rises to 88 dB, while the average impedance drops to 4 ohms—matching that of the Vantage (rather than the Carmel’s 6 ohms). It also becomes significantly heavier, weighing in at 71 kilos per unit –31 kg more than the Carmel 3.
Scheduled to arrive in Europe starting in November, the Vesper 3 slots in between the two aforementioned speakers, priced at 55 000 €. We hope to tell you more about it as soon as possible!
For the No. 35, a 7.7-kilo (17-pound) toroidal transformer enables the amplifier circuits to deliver 900 watts of power through a 12-inch (305 mm) carbon-fiber cone with an inverted center cap, integrated into a die-cast alloy chassis.
Weighing 59 kilograms, this subwoofer can extend down to 17 Hz (at -6 dB) and features a dual parametric equalizer, as well as compatibility with line array systems should you wish to stack multiple units on top of one another for each channel. Numerous XLR and even RCA connections are located on the rear panel, and each subwoofer can be used individually or paired in stereo. The European price is 10 990 €.
Reference No. 36
Weighing 91.8 kilos, the No. 36 makes an even stronger impression with its 74.3 cm width, in an enclosure that, like that of the No. 35, retains a certain softness thanks to its rounded rear corners –whereas all the manufacturer’s other models are cubic or rectangular.
On this model, the carbon-fiber diaphragm measures 15 inches (38 cm) and the transformer weighs 8.8 kilograms (19.5 pounds). The lowest measured frequency drops another 2 Hz (to 15 Hz) and can be delivered with 1,000 watts of power. The feet are just as robust as the chassis, to which a wire grille can be added to cover the front panel.
The price is 12 990 € per unit—multiply that by two to install a pair… and by six to create a Line Array system.
