The 40 PPA phono preamplifier is housed in the same size (220 x 88 x 365 mm) as the four units already presented by Cyrus in its new 40 series.
Compatible for reading MM and MC phono cartridges, the 40 PPA can manage four of them at the same time, to be connected only to RCA inputs, all linked to an independent ground. Each input can be adjusted for cartridge type (magnet or moving coil), and for MC can be adapted the gain in 5dB steps, the capacitance and the load impedance. The information is easy to read thanks to a 5-inch TFT screen on the front panel, which can also be operated by remote control, displaying all the above data as well as two left-right vu-meters for output level.
Already fitted with an ultra-low-noise power supply in the chassis, the 40 PPA can also be connected to the series PSU and can be associated to an amplifier via RCA and XLR outputs. Its internal circuitry is designed to be as silent as possible and to create as little interference as possible in the processing of the analogue signal, based on the RIAA curve. An RJ45 socket and USB port enable regular updates, which also limits product obsolescence.
Already available, the Cyrus 40 PPA retails for 2 499 €.
High-fidelity is now an international success story, but it’s not every day we get to tell you about a new Indian manufacturer, and today we are delighted to introduce you to EBI-Audio.
Created in 2015 by engineer Tariq Shafeeque, EBI-Audio was launched with the Hansdhwani vinyl turntable. To match it, the Carbon Classy arm was offered with or separately, and more recently an MC cartridge.
The first of the brand’s products to be imported by The Vinyl Access (distributor for all Europe), the Khumar is a low-level cartridge with very low impedance, ideal for connection to phono preamps capable of offering signal processing below 20 Ω. Handcrafted in a black ebony shell, it uses a 0.28 mm boron cantilever on which is placed a NUDE shibata III diamond imported from Japan.
Weighing just 8.8 g and with a compliance of 15 μm/mN, the Khumar is easy to use and adaptable to most arms, even if this Indian cartridge comes in a price range that proves its elitist approach, as it is sold in Europe at 2 300 € incl. VAT. We will be listening soon to tell you more!
For the first time in 12 years, British manufacturer Avid is presenting a new turntable. Positioned between the Ingenium Plug&Play and the more massive Acutus Dark Iron, the Relveo uses the principles of the latter in a more compact version.
On three legs, a subchassis cast from large-grain aluminium is decoupled from a main chassis in a structure thought through at length by the company’s CEO, Conrad Mas, to optimise stability and suspension perfectly. The solid aluminium platter weighing 7.0 kg helps to limit vibrations, its rotation being managed by a double-belt system thanks to a motor connected to an external power supply, with a DSP to optimise speeds of 33 or 45 rpm.
Presented to mark the brand’s 30th anniversary, the Relveo draws on all the company’s expertise and can be combined as standard with the Altus V2 arm, featuring micrometric tolerance bearings and a double-adjustable polarisation compensation system. The new turntable is priced at 8 995 € ($10 995 ; £6 900) with the arm (without cell), and 7 495 € ($8 995; £5 500) without the arm, with an adaptor to also use other brands’ products.
As a long-standing partner of the Paris Opera, Devialet is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Palais Garnier with a limited edition Mania.
No technical changes have been announced compared to the classic Mania. Presented to the press in the brand’s showroom at the entrance of the opera house, the 150th Anniversary Limited Edition retains Active Stereo Calibration (ASC) technology, with 4 microphones to detect the position of the portable speaker in its environment. It also incorporates two full-range aluminium loudspeakers for stereo reproduction in a crossover architecture, as well as bass managed by two small woofers and a patented SAM treatment.
With 10 hours of autonomy, you can listen to the mobile speaker either via WiFi with the DOS platform (Devialet), or via the Alexa voice assistant (Amazon), AirPlay (Apple), Bluetooth 5.0 or Spotify Connect. Even bigger than in the “Paris Opera” version (990 €), the Opera logo is featured in the centre of the Mania Garnier and stands out above all for its gilding and its purple colour, which evokes the interior and more particularly the seats and curtains of the place, and is also found on the velvet Cocoon.
Produced in a limited edition of 150 pieces, this Mania is priced at 1 800 € (£1,600; $2,400), double the price of the classic version (890 €), justified by the limited nature of the object, which also includes the Cocoon, otherwise at 99 €.
In a chassis which is the same size as the CD Box S3 and Tuner Box S3, Pro-Ject releases the Uni Box S3 all-in-one.
An integrated amplifier with Class D power of 23 watts per channel at 8 ohms or 40 watts at 4 ohms, the new device uses a Texas Instruments TPA3221DDV amplifier chip, combined with a Cirrus Logic CS4344 digital-to-analog conversion chip capable of decoding files up to PCM 192 kHz/24 bits. Headphones can be connected to the front panel via a 6.35mm jack, and a pair of speakers can be connected via the rear terminals, alongside which are an RCA variable output and three analog RCA unbalanced inputs, the first of which is also MM phono.
The DAC can be integrated directly via optical Toslink (x 2), coaxial or HDMI eArc digital inputs, but can also be used to support dematerialized files via a Bluetooth connection and a wifi streaming module under WiiM OS functionality, with which the WiiM App is obviously compatible. Spotify, Qobuz, Amazon or Tidal Connect are available, so you can enjoy all music services in addition to a turntable or TV sound, all with the Uni Box S3 at the center of the system. Price : 800 €.
