Music Direct__Catalog_Web 2016 | Page 48

ALL-TUBE ANALOG FROM LUXMAN JAPAN “Remarkable sound. Each note becomes an anchor— an important musical event!” –Michael Fremer, Stereophile A ESOTERIC E-03 MM/MC Phonostage It’s time for a rendezvous with inspiration. E-03 is focused on the re-creation of analog music in its purest form. You’ll experience rocksolid imaging, sublime transients, and consummate bass. With easily adjustable loading, E-03 accommodates both MM and MC cartridges. It also includes a built-in cartridge demagnetizer. Dripping with warmth and musicality, this is a reference-level component. Read more on our Web site. A “Gets you closer to the music embedded in the grooves!” –Jeff Dorgay, TONEAudio $5,990 B MOON BY SIMAUDIO 110LP MM/MC Phonostage MOON’s 110LP is an incrediblesounding compact phonostage. Special attention is paid to parts spacing and layout, resulting in a much shorter signal path and vastly improved signal-to-noise characteristics. Dynamic, extended, supremely musical: It’ll put you over the moon. B “One of the best analog values I know of!” $650 black, silver –Michael Fremer, Stereophile C MOON BY SIMAUDIO 310LP MM/MC Phonostage Stunningly quiet noise floor? Check. Vivid, airy midrange? Here. Deep, extended bass? Present. Seemingly limitless highs? Extant. An optional power-supply upgrade available for $1,399? Indeed. Coupled with single-ended and balanced outputs, plus easily adjustable loading and impedance options, 310LP is a price-to-performance knockout. $1,900 silver, black C D E CLEARAUDIO Nano v2 MM/MC and Smart Phono v2 MM/MC Phonostages You could mistake these petite aluminum-clad phonostages for decks of cards. But don’t be fooled. Despite weighing less than 1.5 pounds each, Nano v2 and the higher-performance Smart Phono v2—each with a subsonic filter, headphone amp, MM/MC capability, and gain controls—deliver the sonic equivalent of a full house. Nano v2 $450 $700 Smart Phono v2 D 44 PHONOSTAGES E 800.449.8333 MUSICDIRECT.COM NEW LUXMAN EQ-500 Vacuum-Tube MC Phonostage You’re allowed to drool over Luxman’s first new phonostage in more than a decade. We can’t stop staring at it, either. But it’s the sound that’ll really leave you breathless. Expressive and powerful, the full-featured vacuum-tube design engenders thrills with tonal splendor and pointillistic detail. Mundorf “audiophile series” capacitors, four MC step-up transformers, low- and high-cut filters, balanced and single-ended outputs, three separate single-ended inputs, a mono/stereo switch, vacuum-tube rectifier, and front-panel adjustments give you everything you need—and more—for optimum analog performance. ALSO AVAILABLE : E-200 MM/MC Phonostage $1,499 $7,490 OUTSTANDING VINYL PLAYBACK BY REGA REGA Rega Aria MM/MC and Fono MM Phonostages An all-analog design with a wideopen signal path, Aria incorporates two separate high-performance MM and MC phonostages. Both claim separate input sockets and input preamp circuitry. Just need MM ability? Bestowed a Best Phonostage Award by What Hi-Fi?, the all-discrete Fono MM satisfies with punchy sound and bottomend power that belies its size. Aria $1,495 $395 Fono MM TUNE IN THE PERFECT CARTRIDGE LOADING SOUNDSMITH MCP2 MC Phonostage Peter Ledermann is an analog genius. His Soundsmith cartridges are world-renowned instruments. But what leaves us speechless is his circuit design for the unassuming, terrific-sounding MCP2. The continuously variable loading knob allows you to fine-tune the load by ear. Turn the knob until the image pops into focus and the sound is just “right.” Like we said, genius! MADE IN USA $999 60-DAY SATISFACTION GUARANTEE* PHONOSTAGES 45