What's New

 

finite elemente Audio Furniture Now On Display

Joe doesn't add new products often-as many of you know, part of our 'special sauce' lies in new line selection. Superior build quality. Established, strong manufacturers. Products both aesthetically pleasing and sonically stunning. Distribution limited to only the most discerning retailers.

Without a doubt finite elemente meets these criteria, and we couldn't be more pleased to show their products in the store.



We currently show three of their Pagode Signature Amplifier Platforms, seen on the right in the picture. Both Canadian Maple and Walnut finishes are on display; and seven different wood finishes are available. Grain and character are simply spectacular.
The stands don't just look the part; finite elemente pieces are engineered to dampen internal and external component vibrations, lowering the noise floor and delivering a purer sound.

Full stands will be displayed in the future, built using the same exacting standards, functional noise isolation, and beautiful wood-finished build quality exhibited by the amplifier stands.

These platforms could be just the Christmas present your system has been asking for- visit the store for a look!


 

Wilson Audio: Provenance of an American Legend

Wilson Speakers build some of the most beautiful and exacting pieces in the industry-truly, form meets function. A soulful expression of artists that have spent their life in pursuit of their craft.

In their new video, Wilson explores the elements of their work that have propelled the product to lofty heights:


   

Harmonic Resolution Systems Now In Store!

What an improvement.

At long last, we've added the full Harmonic Resolution Systems line of audio stands and resonance control accessories to the store. Having already installed a few for customers over the last month, we already had a good idea of what to expect from these products.

Build quality is on par with or exceeds anything else in the industry; you really know where your money is going. The reference MXR stand rivals the best hand crafted furniture available, with several exotic wood finishes to choose from (we ordered ours in an amazing Clustered Walnut Burl). Their customizable SXR audio stand is a real statement; sweeping curves and columns of billet-machined aircraft aluminum has all the grace and poise one imagines of a fighter jet. But performance? Every HRS audio stand we had experienced previously was in a new system. These new stands went into store systems we are very familiar with. What an improvement.

A top of the line M3X Isolation Base tightened our Boulder 2060/Wilson Maxx 3 system up considerably. Immediately and shockingly apparent. Improved clarity in the bottom end really stood out. A full MXR Reference stand on our Wilson Sasha/Boulder 1060/Sooloos/Meridian 808.3 system is no less impressive. This is the first system most who visit us experience, as it channels Rhapsody stations and high-resolution music throughout the store all day long. Rhapsody and high-res alike conveyed much more space and dimension..all the more stunning given how close one sits to the Sashas in that room.
 
MXR Under Construction Our Demo MXR Audio Stand.. ...and SXR Audio Stand.

 

HRS's Nimbus and Damping Plate Accessories

All of this, and we haven't even begun to talk about the various accessories HRS provides for resonance control. Heavy Damping Plates are designed to sit on top of each component. Pairing their Nimbus couplers underneath your component provides a very elegant system for dissipating the component's natural tendency to vibrate.



We've sold out every shipment of their Nimbus couplers and Damping Plates that we've tried to order for our demo systems. Here is the way it works: We loan them to our customers. They come back two days later, sans pucks and plates, and order enough to complete their system. Truth is, one customer DID return with plates; however, as we had sold out of Nimbus couplers to loan him he only had a half solution. He'll be back!
 

We also had one of HRS's ADL Analog Disc in stock. Had. We loaned it to an excellent customer of ours, who just stopped by the store to buy it as I write this. An avid lover of LPs, he recently purchased a very high end turntable to match his new reference Ayre MXR monoblock amps and Wilson Sashas.

So as to avoid understating his enthusiasm, I asked for a quote: "It added amazingly clear definition of various instruments..perked up my system superbly and immediately...by far, the best two hundred dollars I've ever spent in my life."

A bit of background about founder and chief engineer Michael Latvis. First and foremost, you can tell he not only loves his work..he loves music. Technical yet accessible explanations seamlessly intertwine with his clear passion for all things musical. You'll have the chance to see for yourself, as we look forward to having him visit the DC area very soon. Michael earned his chops working with nuclear power systems, helicopter rotor/stabilization systems for the Army and Navy, and vibration-isolation systems for commercial aviation.  His audio stands are just as serious.

Audition the Nimbus pucks, Damping Plates, and ADL Record Weights in your home today..but call ahead to make sure we still have loaners on hand!

 

Daniel D'Agostino, Wilson Audio, and the Momentum

Wilson released a very cool video recently about Dan D'Agostino and David Wilson's long time friendship over the years. Enjoy a candid look at the working relationship of two extremely passionate masters of their complimentary crafts:



Dan's new stunning new Momentum monoblock amplifiers recieve quite a bit of face time...and they look even better in person than on camera. As you might expect, the new Momentum monoblock amplifiers pair very well with Wilson's speakers and will be on display in the next few months.

 

 

Blue Meters-a-Plenty from McIntosh Labs

It was our great pleasure to spend time with Charlie Randall and the rest of the McIntosh folk at CES. Awash in bright blue glow, their room showed off some of the latest and greatest-including their colossal new MC601 Monoblocks, the AP1 iPhone/iPad Audio Player, and the MCD1100 SACD/CD Player with built-in DAC.


Check out all of the blue in McIntosh Labs's room at the CES show:

Our new MC601 Monoblocks just arrived in our store today. They make a real statement stylistically, with a larger LED blue meter and the same new polished sidebars. Rated at 600 watts, the MC601's are a modest bump from the venerable MC501 line they replace. More on these as we spend time with them in the store.

The AP1, McIntosh's new iPhone and iPad app, brings the blue meter to your Apple device. Here's a number we heard at CES this year: 28,000. That is the number of downloads their music player app had..in the week before it was on the app store and before it was announced. It is truly amazing how much good will sixty-two years of passionate devotion to stellar products can generate.  Download the new app here!

McIntosh's MCD1100 SACD/CD Player represents one of the finest and most versatile components at JS Audio. Unlike the other pieces we saw at CES, we have already had a fair bit of experience with this one. We were one of the first stores in the country to receive a demo unit.
Sonically the MCD1100 outperforms its baby brother, the MCD500. SACDs play back flawlessly, standard Red Book CDs convey beautifully.  The DAC is an interesting addition to this piece.  Coupled with the USB input, the MCD1100 is an excellent way to link computer audio to your system.

The MCD1100 has been selling itself, as our very first order came in the day after we set it up.  In the market for a new transport?  Stop by and listen for yourself!
 

 

New in the store: Weiss DAC202

Stop by the store often? You'll always see components in motion-recently, loading our fabulous new Sooloos, testing McIntosh's new MCD1100 SACD player with different speaker configurations, new Nordost Valhalla power cables on our Boulder 1060s, so on and so forth. Since we carry the most high-end 'menu' of audio and video components around, we get to play with all sorts of compelling and unique configurations.

From time to time, we find something new from a line we don't carry-something very special that complements the fine components in the rest of the corral. Over the last six weeks, that has been the Weiss Engineering DAC202.

The DAC202's influence on any system we've integrated it with has been immediately apparent. The presentation is very clean and distinct-especially with high-resolution recordings, the soundstage seems very precise. Not clinically so, though; the sound conveys very naturally.

Primarily we've been testing it with two separate systems, paired with the MCD1100 SACD transport. Currently the DAC is on a Boulder 810 Preamplifier/Boulder 850 Monoblocks/Wilson Sophia 3 stack. It has spent almost as much time on a McIntosh C50 Preamplifier/McIntosh 302 Amplifier/Wilson Duette system. While each system is clearly superb, the DAC202 improves our audible enjoyment of both. We were also fortunate to meet Mr. Daniel Weiss at CES, where we were played several early jazz recordings from the early 1900's over the DAC202 from a laptop-these older recordings really shined as well.

In all honestly, we haven't even had a chance to test other areas where the DAC202 likely shines. For those of you that enjoy using your computer as a source, its Firewire input should make this DAC a fantastic option. Reviews of it as a headphone amp have been phenomenal.

The Weiss DAC202 belongs here at JS Audio-it appreciably improves the listening experience and is just easy to use. We are proud to add it to our menu of high-end audio components, but judge for yourself; as always, please stop by with some of your own music for an audition.


From the manufacturer:

The DAC202 is a reference class Firewire D/A Converter with a IR remote control for volume control, absolute phase and input source selection. Features of the DAC202:

  • Digital Inputs: AES/EBU or S/PDIF on 1 XLR, 1 RCA, 1 Toslink, Firewire
  • Digital Outputs: AES/EBU on 1 XLR, 1 RCA, Firewire
  • Main Analog Output: 2 stereo analog outputs, one on XLR one on RCA
  • Headphone output on 1/4" Jack

 

 

Meridian Sooloos Media Core 200: Just Add iPad

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month showed off a veritable cornucopia of hifi music components. Certainly one of the most compelling was Meridian Audio's newest addition to the Sooloos family, the screenless Media Core 200. This all-in-one Sooloos system will hold 1000 lossless-quality CDs in its onboard 500GB hard drive. Its upright design allows it to stay cool without a fan-the MC200 is a seriously quiet piece.


The Control 15's slimmed-down little brother creates several new ways to enjoy the Sooloos experience. Have a new 861v6 or 808.3, and want to add a media server? This unit alone will give you access to the powerful Sooloos system, complete with Rhapsody integration. Have a Sooloos system already in one system, but have others in your home? Adding the MC200 to your other system gives you Sooloos access (adds another 'zone') while adding more storage.

Meridian offers several ways to control this screenless Sooloos server, including iPad and iPhone apps as well as programs for your Mac or Windows PC.  We find the iPad app to be the most useful, with its large display and inherently mobile usage.

Outputs include Speakerlink to an ID40 card or Meridian's DSP speakers, S/PDIF, and single-ended analog. That being said, if you do want to go the analog route-we still highly recommend pairing this piece with the Media Source 600 to enjoy its phenomenal D/A converter and signal processing. Certainly, this versatile Sooloos addition will quickly become one of our best sellers.

 

Wilson Audio and Customer Service

When choosing to invest in something as personal as high-end music and film systems, excellent customer service plays no small part. At JS Audio, we work with the manufacturer to provide you with the very best support. It can be so seamless, you may not be aware to the great lengths our impressive manufacturers often go. Check out this new video from Wilson:

Meet Trent Workman and Jerron Marchant, the virtuosos of Customer Service at Wilson Audio. Trent and Jerron, like the rest of us, have been on the receiving end of both good and bad customer service. Armed with that experience, they are fanatical about providing their own customers with only the most empathetic and helpful kind of support. An approach that obviously wouldn't work unless it was upheld by the company they work for. The B139 in question? That's the discontinued driver used in a discontinued loudspeaker that Wilson Audio scoured the globe for several years ago so that there would always be enough in stock to service their WAMM owners anywhere in the world.


 

 

Announcing a Limited In-Home Audition: Odin and Valhalla cables from Nordost

What to say about these cables? Nordost manufactures some of the most coveted high-end power cords, speaker cables, interconnects, and digital cables available. Critics rave about their innovative design, distinct solid-core strands, low noise floor, and stunning musicality. Best in class, beautiful design-just the right line for JS Audio to bring to the Washington DC area's discerning audio enthusiasts.

In this economy, the last product Joe thought he would bring into the store is the most expensive high-end cables available. The good people at Nordost sent us some of their cables, and we were all shocked after introducing a set of Odin interconnects into our Boulder 1060/Wilson Sasha system.

It clearly sounded as though we upgraded the amplifier.

We've taken great pride in assisting many of you assemble your incredible high-end audio and media systems. Given the profound impact these exquisite cables can have on such systems, Joe wants to bring these cables to you. For a limited time, JS Audio is pleased to run a limited home evaluation program for our most loyal customers.


A direct quote from Joe:

Be prepared. The results will astonish you... this could be the most significant advancement you've ever made in your system.

 

 

Must be Heard: Wilson Audio's Sophia 3

When it debuted, the Wilson Sophia 2 was one of the most widely acclaimed loudspeakers on the market. Critics around the globe enthusiastically embraced its outstanding tonal accuracy relative to much more highly priced offerings. When we brought in our first demo pair last year, it was hard to expect a significant improvement in sonic fidelity.  Then, we listened.

The very last person who needed a new set of Sophia 3's was Joe, the JS in JS Audio. He was stunned with their impressive aesthetics coupled with their seamless transition between upper frequencies and low end- so stunned that he ordered a pair for himself in the special order Wilsongloss Macadamia Metallic finish.  If you love the Wilson MAXX-3's but size is an issue, we recommend you audition their little brother, the Sophia 3.



From Wilson Audio:

Dave Wilson once observed that, when the original Sophia was launched in 2001, it was inevitably described in the audio press as Wilson Audio's "entry-level" floor-standing loudspeaker. While Sophia remains Wilson's most affordable floorstander, focusing on price obscures an important fact—which was that price was incidental to Sophia's actual design objective. What Dave and the Wilson design team set out to create was a loudspeaker that—unlike its siblings at the time, X-1 GrandSLAMM and WATT/ Puppy— was less demanding of rooms and electronics. Sophia was designed to be a product easy to drive, easy to own, and one that invited its owner to just relax into the enjoyment of music.

Nevertheless, Sophia's true magic is that a speaker designed to sound so good with modest electronics will still reveal the nuance and detail of state-of-the-art gear. Impressive sales aside, it is Sophia "cult status" among audiophiles which speaks to the success of the original vision. It is not uncommon for Wilson customers who could easily afford the company's more expensive loudspeakers to choose Sophia—just because they love the sound.

 

 

 

Drive your new Meridian Sooloos Music Server with a free iPad, courtesy of JS Audio.

Meridian Audio recently released its fabulous new Control 15 and Media Source 600.

In recognition of this accomplishment, we are offering a very special offer until the end of the year: Every new Sooloos Control 15 and MS-600 we sell will include a free iPad 2!


The Control 15 embodies all three of the functions that define a Meridian Sooloos Digital Media System – storage, playback, and control – in a single unit. We are certainly enjoying the product in the store; this excellent update further cements Meridian's dominant execution in the media server field.

Get the most out of your by using your new iPad as a rich wireless controller. The free Meridian Sooloos app lets you take full advantage of your Meridian Sooloos digital media system to store, manage, browse and play the highest quality audio in multiple zones around your home.