by Michael

Withdrawn: Harmonic Resolution Systems (HRS) MXR equipment rack (demo) gloss black

Harmonic Resolution Systems (HRS) MXR equipment rack (demo) gloss black automotive finish. Mint.

Our very well-loved MXR is no longer actively up for sale . The gloss black is AWESOME looking. The MXR is going out of production soon.  Yes,  we want to make room for the newer, better, more expensive, and more configurable HRS VXR rack. But after offering this at a really good price for some number of months, and after unpacking it and setting it up in our main listening room … we decided that we’d really rather not let it go.

If this is your dream equipment rack, give Neli a call or send an email or text and make us a reasonable offer.

MXR-4V-1921 (4-shelf capable, priced without shelves) NEW $22,000 with the special gloss black car paint [now unobtanium at any price].

Solid Brace Inserts (used to support an isolation base with more than 4 feet, shown (below) on the top shelf of the MXR) New $1,500 (pair).

We had a few demo M3 and M3x-1921 platforms as well, but they have all now moved to happy new homes. If you do need isolation bases, just ask and we can go through the options with you.

We have a lot of experience with HRS products (dealers since 2003). Send us an email (mike+neli@audiofederation.com) or give Neli a call 303-546-6503 if you have any questions about the MXR, or any of HRS’ other pieces.

For those unfamiliar with this rack, maybe you have read about some turntable or another, how great it sounds because of some kind of special vibration isolation technology it uses. And make no mistake, turntables are way ahead of most other components when it comes to these technologies. But with the MXR, you can have BETTER vibration isolation than that turntable is able to provide, and with YOUR turntable, not just the latest and greatest $$$ table of the week. AND, of course, your other components are going to enjoy being protected from those nasty vibrations just as much as your turntable. The thing about the MXR that clinches it for us is that the benefits are consistent across different gear and changes to the system. Some other racks kind of improve things for that particular component on the second shelf, but the third shelf, nothing sounds good on THAT shelf. And the fourth shelf only sounds good on Tuesdays. And if you get a new component, everything changes. Some of the more expensive racks are really kind of like that, even though I am making fun here to get the point across. [These kind of unpredictable performance enhancements drove us crazy back-in-the-day – they were yet another thing for us to worry about].

The MXR… the equipment rack that helps you to relax…. 🙂

 

Without solid brace inserts

The pair of solid brace inserts

They are heavy

One solid brace insert installed [they just smoothly fit over the cups where the HRS platform feet usually go]

Two solid brace inserts installed.

in HRS / Specials (sold) 0 comments
 by Michael

SOLD: EMM Labs XDS1 v1 CD / SACD player

SOLD.

We are selling our demo EMM Labs XDS1 v1 CD / SACD player. Minty fresh condition.

XDS1 V1 NEW $25,000. Our DEMO $10,500 OBO.

Still one of the top players in the world, or you can upgrade to the recent V3 version for $7500 if you insist on the very best anywhere near this price range. [The V1 to V3 upgrade replaces the back panel and much of the internal circuitry].

We have a lot of experience with EMMLabs products (dealers since 2004), send us an email (mike+neli@audiofederation.com) or give Neli a call 303-546-6503 if you have any questions about the XDS1, or any of EMM Labs’ other pieces of exceptional high-end audio gear.

KEY FEATURES:
 One gain stage from DAC to output with fully discrete Class A circuitry
 MDAT™ signal processing technology
o Provides 2x DSD upsampling for SACD and PCM playback
o Preserves phase, frequency and dynamic integrity of waveform
 MDAC™ discrete dual differential D-to-A conversion circuit
 MFAST™ technology for instant signal acquisition, jitter-free performance
 High-isolation resonant mode power supply for silent, green operation
 Exclusive aerospace-grade composite laminate circuit boards
 Silky smooth Esoteric™ drive
 Sculpted, brushed aluminum chassis
o Low resonance, internally braced design with thick, machined sole plate
o Available in silver or black
 LCD display with four brightness levels and a display-off setting
 New precision-machined aluminum multifunction infrared remote control
 Remote-controllable polarity inversion performed in the digital domain
 PCM inputs via AES/EBU and Toslink
XDS1 CD/SACD PLAYER
Digital inputs: AES/EBU, TOSLINK
Digital outputs: AES/EBU, EMM Optilink
Stereo analog outputs: XLR and RCA
Output voltage: XLR outputs: 5V
RCA outputs: 2.5V
Output impedance: 300 ohms balanced (XLR)
150 ohms unbalanced (RCA)
System inputs: USB Port for software upgrades
Wired RS-232
External IR
Dimensions: W x D x H: 435 x 400 x 145mm
Weight: 17kg
Power consumption: max. 45 W

in Emm Labs / Specials (sold) 0 comments
 by Michael

Stupid Audiophile Troll Tricks #2 – “You have no business being an audiophile if you do not have perfect ears”

Stupid Audiophile Troll Tricks #2 – “You have no business being an audiophile if you do not have perfect ears”

This troll takes several forms:

“Since people start losing their ability to hear high frequencies as they age, they have no business listening to fine audiophile gear they can’t appreciate (i.e. if they can’t hear to 20K Hz)”

With this logic males have no business having sex after the age of 18 and no one over 30 can appreciate a sports car [their reflexes not being what they used to be].

So, bad logic, obviously, but a more important point is how this does not take into account how being better educated / skilled / experienced adds to the level of appreciation of many things in life compared to experiences when one is ignorant of the subtleties and nuances.

What a true audiophile is able to hear, whatever the range of frequencies, whether it be limited by their ears or by the playback equipment, far surpasses what the unskilled listener can hear.

If you spend years and years and years studying and practicing something, whether it be listening carefully or yoga or mathematics or a popular sport, whatever, you get much, much better at it than someone who hasn’t.

Some people are experts at, say, sports statistics and trivia. Just because they are old and their memory has been declining for decades do we tell them that they have no business being an expert? No we do not 🙂

[I use this ‘sports trivia’ expert quite often in my hypothesis when I try to place people in context. Everyone is a genius at something, but often people do not realize this about themselves. One of the first examples of this I encountered in my life was someone who thought themselves stupid by was a whiz at sports trivia, statistics, sports psychology and other related skills. At this this person was pure genius]

An ongoing series of posts where we debunk common comments made by trolls. Because trolls are quite unimaginative, this will not be a very long series of posts. I use the world ‘stupid’ to be charitable – these trolls are bullies seeking attention through their aggressiveness and they just so happen to choose audiophiles to pick on.

in Audiophile 101 0 comments