MIDLAND AUDIO X-CHANGE LTD

Under the creative leadership of John Roberts, Midland Audio X-change, one of the longest standing quality and high-end audio retail consultants in the United Kingdom, has recently become a very different place for audiophiles and music lovers to visit. Situated in a converted (and seriously adapted) old chapel, MAX presents an unusually pleasant environment to be in as well as see and hear a vast selection of some of the very best audio products available today. Several demonstration rooms are arranged in a manner that enables the consultant to make comparative presentations without sacrificing the sound quality as a consequence of switching arrangements. Not only, every demonstration room has been decorated and set up to replicate domestic acoustic environment as much as possible. The pinnacle of the whole building is the spacious main area where all the very best products MAX entertains are situated. As you can see, both the sight and the sound are nothing short of very good indeed.

While it may be true (to some extent) that the traditional form and shape of the audio industry, including its high-end element, may no longer be developing in the direction many of us have followed and been a part of for a number of years, it is most refreshing to witness the example of Midland Audio x-change as an exponent of continued progress and development of the kind. We look forward to continuing our solid association with MAX for many years to come and wish them every success.

The renowned German manufacturer of audio furniture finite elemente has announced a new range of products to be launched at the forthcoming High-End 2007 exhibition in Munich next month. Being a radical departure from all their existing products so far, the new Modul range addresses, most importantly, the lifestyle and interior decoration aspect of implementation, while , at the same time, not forgetting all the relevant aspects of the quality of sound reproduction required.

Always helpful, creative and succesful in providing solutions, Bernd Brockoff and Luis Fernandes (alpha and omega ^ or possible the other way around ^ of finite elemente) quickly responded to our request in need of a solution. They designed an excellent special platform to accommodate the weight, size and dynamic demand imposed by the Kuzma Stabi XL and, even more so XL-4 version of the same turntable. Elegantly "stretching"; its boundaries right to the outer edge of the HD MR frame, the double-thickness heavy duty platform does the job perfectly and, aside from accommodating the size and layout of the product, improves the sound of the Stabi XL to another, superior, level.

The Stabi XL/XL-4 platform is available only for the Heavy Duty version of the MR stands and the UK retail price for the 600mm width variant is £250 inc VAT.

While the UK and international presence of Karan Acoustics continues to grow, we can announce a number of new products to be joining the existing portfolio in the course of this year. One of the, the new KA Ph2 phono preamplifier is already in production and shipping, while the other two - the KA M 650 mono power amplifiers and the KA L remote line preamplifier will follow shortly (KA M 650 in June and KA L in August).

The KA Ph2 is a serious development of the well known phono stage available as the option within the KA L Reference flagship preamplifier. The essential circuit has undergone a complete revision and has been expanded to a level where the number and quality of components used were not limited by any price considerations. The same has happened to the power supply section of the preamplifier as, being a stand alone component, could have been pushed way beyond the capacity, size and headroom a circuit of the kind would require. The end result is a true high-end phono preamplifier with a still fairly conservative final retail cost The UK list price of the new KA Ph2 has been set at £2300 inc VAT.

KA M 650 will be the new “mini” monoblocks within the Karan Acoustics range and (developing 650W into 8 Ohms and over 800W into 4 Ohms) should offer an almost equally good sounding, but far more convenient and economical alternative to the KA M 1200 top of the range mono amplifiers. Using the more compact chassis of the KA S 270 amplifier, Milan Karan managed to elevate the performance to a level he envisaged while retaining the cost well under that of the bigger model. We expect to be able to market the new KA M 650 amplifier in the UK at a list price under £15000 inc VAT per pair.

Finally, the new KA L remote line preamplifier is a product that will become available in response to all those delighted with the KA S 180 power amplifier and requesting an accompanying control unit of similar quality and price. And this is exactly what the KA L will deliver. Single-chassis with a sufficient number of inputs, single ended and balanced facilities as well as the mandatory remote control - all this will be provided and, once available some time late this Summer, its UK price should not exceed that of its proposed logical partner, the already established KA S 180 power amplifier.