Best known for its DACs, Totaldac also offers a range of floorstanding speakers, which will be joined in early 2026 by a brand-new spherical model.
Called Balloon, this speaker uses a single 25 cm (10-inch) coaxial driver in a 2-way bass reflex design. Hidden in the center is a 25 mm (1-inch) tweeter, which allows the 50 cm (20-inch) diameter spherical speaker to respond over a frequency range of 40 Hz to 25 kHz.
Isolated in an internal enclosure, a filter incorporates Mundorf air coils and Claritycap capacitors, connected to each other in a point-to-point wiring design without a printed circuit board.
Manufactured by Vincent Brient in his workshop in Normandy, these passive speakers weigh 13 kg each and come with a dedicated stand. They can be connected to an amplifier via their rear Mundorf terminals, using banana plugs or spade connectors. With a sensitivity of 95 dB and an impedance of 8 ohms, this new model is clearly easy to integrate even with light amplification (e.g., tube amplifiers) and is sold for €15,000 including tax (per pair).
Back on track since last year, Grado continues to innovate and has announced the release of a fourth model in its Signature series this month.
The Brooklyn-based manufacturer’s new range was launched in 2025 with the HP100 SE with metal ear cups and the S950 with wooden ear cups (tests in VU#60 FR). has since expanded at the end of the year with the S750 (test VU#63), which featured a new 50 mm (2 inches) S2 dynamic transducer and a new type of ‘B’ cushions ; two innovations found on the new S550 model.
Even more affordable than the other three models, as it is advertised as being 40% cheaper than the S750 in the United States (note that prices displayed there are always tax-free), this new model features a thin wooden ear cup, which can also be adapted to the S, F, L, and G foam models. It comes standard with a 6-foot (182 cm) detachable and interchangeable cable connected to the headphones via two 3.5 mm inputs and ending in a 6.35 mm plug. For a small additional cost, you can double the length of the cable or switch to a symmetrical 4.4 mm or 4-pin XLR version.
The manufacturer’s specifications for its new model are similar to those of the S750, with identical total harmonic distortion (THD) and nominal impedance, respectively less than 0.2% and 38 ohms. The SPL is slightly lower than 112 dB (compared to 115 dB), as is the frequency range, which is still very comfortable at 6 Hz to 44 kHz, but slightly lower than the 4 Hz-48 kHz of the S750 and even the 3.5 Hz-51.5 kHz of the S950.
We’ll tell you more as soon as we have the European/UK prices and the headphones in hand!
With a new metallic gray finish, the SL-1500CS is a smooth replacement for the SL-1500C.
Like its predecessor, it retains a double-layer construction, namely a die-cast aluminum chassis combined with a glass fiber-reinforced ABS structure. The height-adjustable insulating feet use a calibrated rubber spring system to dampen transmission from the support. Dense rubber is also used to cover the inside of the 332 mm, 2 kg platter, with the rest made of aluminum.
Weighing a total of 9.9 kg, the new turntable retains a statically balanced S-shaped tonearm with an aluminum tube, gimbal suspension, and high-precision bearings. As with the SL-1500C, the tonearm has the unique feature of lifting at the end of playback, allowing you to relax and enjoy listening without having to concentrate on the music. However, this system can be deactivated using a switch on the rear of the turntable. A built-in MM phono preamplifier and a transparent cover are still included as standard in the box, which has been redesigned to be more environmentally friendly.
The Ortofon 2M Red cartridge is also still included as standard with the SL-1500CS. It can be easily upgraded by either replacing the head with a higher-end version from the same series, unscrewing it from the shell, or simply detaching the entire shell and replacing it with another one on the arm’s classic four-pin connector.
But where the SL-1500CS now stands out as a dangerous competitor in its segment is above all in its ΔΣ-Drive (Delta-Sigma) motor control. Introduced in 2023 on the SL-1200GR2 (1 949 €; test VU#53) and then integrated into the SL-1300 G (2 990 €; test VU#56), this process has since been revised on the more ambitious SL-1200GME and SL-1210GME (5 499 €) released at the end of last year.
Now, according to senior product manager Frank Balzuweit, this digital control derived from Technics amplifiers, which improves the motor’s sinusoidal signal and therefore allows the turntables to rotate more smoothly, is even more effective for a lightweight platter such as that of the SL-1500CS. Thanks to Delta-Sigma and speed control provided by a frequency generator across the entire platter, the announced wobble and jitter rates are around 0.025% WRMS.
At 1 199 € including tax, this new model is already shaping up to be a new benchmark in its category.
The Bel Canto E1X series already included the DS1 preamplifier-streamer (5 490 €), the DC1 MM/MC phono preamplifier-DAC (7 990 €), the S500 stereo power amplifier (6 990 €), and the D250 all-in-one amplifier (9 990 €). Now, the A500 integrated amplifier has been added to the range.
Manufactured with the same aluminum chassis as the preamplifiers, and therefore with a large screen on the front panel, this model combines pure analog preamplification with Class D amplification, which has been the Minneapolis-based company’s flagship technology for several decades.
The preamplifier stage is fully symmetrical, designed with precision resistors and powered by a triple-insulated, ultra-low-noise transformer. There are six analog inputs, with two pairs of XLR ports and four pairs of RCA ports. On the other side, for output to subwoofers or another amplifier, there is one pair of XLR and one pair of RCA ports.
On the amplifier side, in addition to an independently amplified headphone output, the Class D stage delivers 2 x 250 W into 8 ohms and 2 x 500 W into 4 ohms thanks to a very high current level. WBT NextGen terminals combined with output buffers deliver very dynamic and pure current to the speakers.
Carefully designed, the E1X A500 stands out with its proprietary SSHA (Single Stage High-Current Amplifier) circuit. This low-noise amplifier with a single-stage folded cascode architecture and a peak current capacity of over 500mA maintains consistently low distortion levels (0.001%). This SSHA module also provides dynamic resolution and contrast with the NCore Amplifier power stage, placed in a vertical modular design that allows for a narrow PCB layout, offering a dynamic range capable of exceeding 130 dB.
In terms of price in Europe, the E1X A500 is 2 500 € cheaper than the D250 all-in-one, but 1 000 € more expensive than the S500 pure stereo power amplifier, at 7 490 €.
Named EL50 Anniversary, even though the brand’s 50th anniversary was in 2024, ATC’s new speaker is inspired by Billy Woodman’s EL 150 released in 2006 and also features a new design with a curved elliptical cabinet.
Reminiscent in some ways of the SCM-70, this new active speaker combines a 350 W 3-channel amplifier with a 3-way architecture. Class AB MOSFET amplification delivers 200 W to the bass, 100 W to the midrange driver, and 50 W to the tweeter for each of the two speakers.
Low frequencies from 32 to 380 Hz are handled by a 9-inch ‘Super Linear’ speaker. The midrange frequencies are handled by a 3-inch super dome, and the high frequencies from 3.5 kHz to 25 kHz (-6 dB) by a proprietary 1-inch (25 mm) S-Spec tweeter. The 4th generation filter is designed entirely on the basis of a very low-noise discrete component circuit.
Weighing 63 kg per unit, the EL 50 Anniversary has an extremely low total harmonic distortion plus noise (THD+N) of 0.0015% and -96 dB, with a relatively compact depth of 35.2 cm, despite a height of 1.42 m. The European price is announced at 59 990 €.
