by Michael

Kharma news from Munich 2010

[Neli is still torturing me. But eventually she will relent 🙂 From the snippets I have heard – Kharma now has 2 speakers above the old (~$260K) Grande Exquisites and one immediately below.

Kharma has indeed added some new loudspeakers to the Grand Exquisite line. Above the Grand Exquisite are the Grand Exquisite Extreme ($390K), and the Grand Exquisite Extreme, Limited Edition 25 ($520K), the ultimate realization of the Grand Exquisite.

Kharma has also introduced the Midi Grand Exquisite ($145K), smaller cabinet suitable for a (somewhat) smaller room. These were the ones shown in Munich.

Kharma now makes their own ceramic drivers, the Black Label series (and so no longer use the old Accuton/ Thiele & Partner ceramic drivers – which have been exceedingly hard to come by lately). These new drivers have membranes that are black in color.

This fall, Kharma will introduce the new Elegance line. One of the smaller Elegance loudspeakers, configuration similar to the 3.2.2 CRM, is shown below. These use a new Kharma-designed and developed carbon fiber driver and a new (also Kharma-designed and developed) beryllium tweeter. Pricing for the new Elegance speakers is still being set.

Corrections to this summary, and pricing, and labeling of the photos will be forthcoming… right Neli? :-)]
A quick note on pricing. Kharma’s pricing in Euro has remained remarkably stable over the last years. Prices here are based on a conversion rate of 1.30 USD / 1 Euro, which is either … an insane opportunity, or the new normal.

Looking into the Munich show room from the outside …

wish we were able to attend, we are so happy to have these pictures sent to us from Kharma …

First glimpse inside.

These are the Midi Grand Exquisites, with the Exquisite Sub (active, 18″ long throw driver) and the new Exquisite MP-1000 mono power amplifiers.

Side view of the room, RixRax Grand Hoodoo and a pair of Exquisite Mini with the new black label drivers (more below).

Kharma owner and chief designer, Charles van Oosterum, with the new Elegance 3.2.2, with the grille on. Grilles are now mounted magnetically.

Rear of the Elegance 3.2.2, in Aubergine. The port is reminiscent of the Exquisite Mini. Note the removable back panel.
These loudspeakers can be made active by changing the binding posts to signal cable connectors (XLR/RCA) and mounting one of the little Matrix amplifiers inside.

New Kharma beryllium tweeter and carbon fiber mid/bass driver.

‘Elegance’ series badge on the side. Cabinets and cabinet finish look quite similar to the CRM 3.2/3.2.2.

Streamlined Elegance series stand with floor protectors.

This is a nice reminder that we should always level our loudspeakers …

Another nice view of the big Munich system with the Midi Grand Exquisites, the new MP-1000 mono amps ($52000), and the Exquisite sub ($32,500).

Closeup of one Midi Grand Exquisite. Makassar veneer with piano black finish. Nice view of the dual diamond tweeters, and of the new black-label ceramic midrange drivers.

Even nicer view of the Makassar …

Beautiful view of the Exquisite Mini (what a lovely, lovely loudspeaker, sonically even more than visually), with standard Walnut trim and the new black label drivers. Since the speakers are not playing, the diamond tweeters have got their little magnetic protective grilles on.

The MP-1000 with carbon front panel.

Best view of the front end. Top shelf, Metronome CD transport. Second shelf, prototype/beta version of the new Kharma PA-1000 preamplifier (expected $39000), third shelf is a DAC from Audio Note Japan (thanks Metralla) KSL-DAC. And, on the bottom shelf, what I think is the power supply for the Metronome.

Happy listeners ….

in High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Kharma / News 11 comments
 by Michael

Brinkmann News out of Munich 2010

The new 9.6″ tonearm bears a close resemblance to the 10.5 tonearm. Various component parts that have performed perfectly in our previous tonearms like the arm tube with the special hard ceramic surface, the headshell, the tonearm lift and also the mounting socket are also used in the 9.6 tonearm. Therefore the 9.6 can be mounted in the same tonearm bases pre-drilled for the 10.5 or 12.1. Will ship in August, retail $3,990

The new Pi MC cartridge seen here mounted in the new 9.6 tonearm on a gorgeous Oasis with a makssar (ebony) plinth.

On the Pi Helmut Brinkmann chose a microridge stylus, which has the best resolution in fine recorded detail, while offering proven reliability. The stylus is mounted on a boron cantilever which in turn drives a copper voice coil. The utmost attention was given to the rigidity of the magnetic circuit to prevent eddy currents which would corrupt the low level output signal.

After eight years in development, the Edison phono stage will ship next month, it has three inputs, each of which’s loading & gain can be adjusted by the remote control. The settings can be stored in memory. It uses vacuum tubes both for the first gain stage as well as for the balanced implementation. Retail $12,990

Finally, Brinkmann have finished their cartridge & tonearm alignment Protractor. This is a precision piece of engineering and while not cheap, should prove very useful. I have seen Helmut use this to set up tonearms and its a doddle. Retail $600

[‘a doddle’ must be ‘Brit’ nomenclature for ‘awesome’ :-)]

in Brinkmann / High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / News 0 comments
 by Michael

I am NOT mr. doom and gloom…

… no matter what Neli might say,… 🙂

Look, I see it like this.

At one time you HAD to have a home stereo if you wanted to hear music at home.

Then there was the transistor radio, boom boxes, home theater, digital homes, and now ipods.

Lots of competition.

Unless we become ‘popular’ again – like the World Wrestling Federation, choppers, lime green indoor painting, etc. – it will be only the audiophiles and music lovers with lots of money who have home stereos.

Oh, wait, we are there now.

In fact, this is one of the reasons we got into audio on the business side – everybody in this hobby [for the most part] really loves it. They are not just ‘getting some music for the home’ they are pursuing their love of music, of technology, of their inner selves… whatever.

The software industry used to be like this, and then it grew and now there are all sorts of people who do not really care for it but who of course have to pontificate about it to everyone they meet [yep, still some people like this in audio too, huh?].

With the high-end audio consumer becoming fewer but more passionate and demanding, and the general public going elsewhere, audio manufacturers are able to make higher quality products. To a fewer number of people overall, yes, but I think it is the Polk and Monitor mid and low-fi home audio folks who have to worry – not the high-end.

But of course, this high-quality, and complete lack of economy of scale, drives the prices higher…

As a related note, I think the desktop computer’s days are numbered in a similar manner. The general public will have no need for them in 5 to 10 years – having moved to tablets. So… what does that mean for computer audiophiles? It means that expandable computer boxes, which will still exist [for gamers, CAD workers, programmers, etc], will be much more expensive – given as how the economy of scale which makes them cheap now will no longer exist.

So all these changes are just what is – not gloom, not doom – and they are no where near as bad as getting old and going bald and gray.

🙂

in High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Sounding Off 0 comments