New looks and finishes for the DeVille are being created all the time, for diverse entities like world class vintage horologist Eric Wind - Wind Vintage.

And the upcoming Smith and Mills bar restaurant at Rockefeller Center. Our exhibit at Munich this year will feature Fleetwood Sound speakers including the Excelsior, with the new K5 turntable from OMA, and a new range of acoustical treatments from both companies.

Fleetwood Sound Audio
www.fleetwoodsound.com

An article by Angus Leung
Westminster Labs amplification & audio cables

There are significant advantages to having the power supply separated from the main chassis of electronic components, especially those containing digital circuitry. In addition to a more robust power supply, an outboard supply allows you to locate noise-generating transformers away from sensitive electronics handling the music signal.

With a discrete setup, this all sounds good, doesn’t it?

You get the best of both worlds with one chassis of noisy components doing the dirty work of delivering clean power and then connecting the supply to the second chassis containing delicate, noise-sensitive elements. Yet, one significant drawback of this arrangement is that the connecting cable is exposed to the environment.

A DC cable connecting the external power supply and the main chassis is critical to a system's sound quality. A less-than-perfect connection can introduce unwanted noise and negatively affect power delivery. Think of the power supply as the heart of your engine and the brain as the electronics. No matter how good your heart is, the brain won’t get the energy it needs if the connecting vessels are not clean and wide open.

Most DC cables carry low voltage and high current power delivery. Low voltage noises are relatively large compared to the higher current ones, so resistance plays a significant role. Basic parameters of the DC cable, e.g., resistance, impedance, and capacitance, contribute to the overall power supply output characteristics. By improving the link between the power supply and the unit's control chassis, we can unlock more of the true potential within your system.

Our cable is calibrated precisely for each pin, including the rated voltage, current, power supply, and overall output characteristics. As with all Westminster cables, our DC power cables use our proprietary Autria solid-core alloy. The alloy is hand polished, coated, insulated, finished to exceptionally high standards, and has a unique carbon fiber sleeve.

Aiming high

MSB Reference and MSB Select 2 models are among the best of today’s super DACs. Their class-leading performance and use of a robust external power supply led us to create our top DC cable offering specifically for these exceptional components. The goal was to make an already statement-level product even better.

So naturally, we will let MSB owners judge our success for themselves."

Home demonstrations of the Westminster DC cable for MSB in the US and Canada are available from Gary Leeds of Hear This.

Special offer through March 15: What’s Best Forum members will receive a 20% discount on the DC cable set for MSB Reference and Select DACs.

Totaldac designer and founder Vincent Brent is well known for his superb Ladder Dacs, his speaker models and power amplifier. Totaldac has just launched 3 new Dacs using a new architecture. Here are some words from Vincent:

Totaldac launches 3 new DACs,based on the new Totaldac "unity" architecture.

The "unity" architecture gives more presence, more contrast between the timbre of each instrument, more contrast between the size of each instrument, more clarity at the same time as more body and more dynamic. The sound is more realistic and natural giving you more pleasure and no fatigue. This sound has been adjusted with an analog master tape player as direct comparison and with digital recordings made by Totaldac. Listening tests where made in the new Totaldac auditorium.

The "unity" architecture allows a better clock distribution, a lower jitter, a lower R2R power supply rail impedance and a lower noise in the digital section.

The R2R ladder resistors are still the famous naked Vishay foil.

The output stage is also fully new, in term of components and in term of schematics, and using discrete components exclusively. This new output stage produced a 3.5V unbalanced signal and a 7V balanced signal with low impedance for the best versatility, to be connected to all preamps, all integrated amps and also directly to all power amps.

These new DACs can also integrate the internal streamer board option for a network use. The new "unity" architecture still allows all Totaldac d1-x DACs to be upgraded to this new architecture.

d1-sublime

The d1-sublime is the new flagship DAC from Totaldac. This time about 680 components are upgraded or added to the electronic boards compared to the previous 3-box DAC generation.

The d1-sublime is a new DAC and it also includes several accessories, so it becomes a 4-box DAC composed of:
• 2 d1-triunity DACs in monoblocs configuration
• 1 special reclocker
• 1 3-output large-box live-power power supply
• 2 UP12 AES-EBU cable
• a custom BNC clock cable and a remote control cable This monobloc configuration, proven by the Totaldac d1-twelve DAC, gives even more 3D and more body to the sound compared to the d1-triunity.

d1-triunity

The d1-triunity is the highest end one-box DAC in the range based on the "unity" architecture.

The d1-triunity is a d1-unity but with 3 R2R ladders per channel instead of one, giving a lower noise and the real scale of each instrument.

About 290 components are upgraded or added to the electronic boards compared to the previous DAC generations using 3 R2R ladders per channel.

d1-unity

The d1-unity is the first one-box DAC in the range based on the "unity" architecture, with about 150 components upgraded or added to the electronic boards.

email: totaldac@totaldac.com 
tel: +33 6 18 03 14 08
www.totaldac.com