New Products

New Speakers from Rockport Technologies and Sonus faber. Network Music Player from Cambridge

We have, for the last few months, been considering these two speaker lines. Rockport is an American company located in Maine. Sonus faber is Italian.
It takes us a long time to examine the value of the product and what it adds to what we already offer our clients. How well does it reproduce music? Do manufacturers meet our standards to be part of The Sound Environment group? Will they be stable and able to support us and our customers? Is the product reliable and consistent? We are not interested in the latest greatest thing. We are interested in true value.

Sonus faber
Gale and Todd recently went to visit Sumiko, the Sonus faber importer and the manufacturer of REL sub bass systems. Gale and Todd have learned a great deal about Sonus faber and the Sumiko approach to speaker set up, which we have incorporated into the approach we have developed over the years. Sonus faber makes speakers from $2498 a pair. The Cremona M floor standing speakers are available for audition but will not be on permanent display. Call to make sure they are available for audition, when you want to come in. We will be bringing in additional models soon. For more information about the Cremona M visit

http://www.sumikoaudio.net/sonus/prod_cremona_m.htm

Rockport Technologies

We finally received our first Rockport speakers and have spent the last couple of weeks doing break-in-and becoming familiar with the speaker placement in our rooms. The models initially on display are the Mira II, Mira Monitor and Mira Center.
The Rockport Mira II at $16,500 a pair is the most musically accurate, vividly convincing speaker we have ever heard regardless of price. It presents an image of being present at the live performance. The musicians’ intent and
expressiveness is easily apparent. Rockport makes four additional models with even greater capabilities. The Mira II offers this superb performance from a diminutive cabinet only a bit more than 8” wide. The smooth rounded surfaces and inclined fascia make it easy to accommodate in most rooms.
As we listened to the Mira II, we came to realize that we had previously only experienced “hi-fi” sound, which can be articulate but obviously artificial. Some speakers have a sound more spectacular, larger than life, some more pleasant but restrained.
I was always somewhat disheartened after attending a concert (mainly classical music – no PA) that the best we could do was just hi-fi not a recreation of the actual performance. Now with Rockport, all that has changed.
After a short break-in period and only approximate positioning, we settled down for an initial listen. We played recordings with which we are extremely familiar several by performers we have heard live. Now, they are with you in the room. Performances were transformed. Those we thought were good but not exceptional came alive. We could easily tell what the performers were trying to do. We could tell what kind of mallet the tympanist was using. We could hear the power and resonance of the double basses. The clarity was amazing. The delivery of the emotional content was astounding.
One of my favorite non-classical recordings is Paul Simon’s Graceland with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. To hear “Homeless” on the Mira II is to hear it for the first time. Ladysmith is incredible!
Please see our website for more on Rockport http://www.soundenvironment.com read more at www.http://www.rockporttechnologies.com. Not all new models are on the site. Contact us for the latest information.
The Rockport Altair was just reviewed in The Absolute Sound July/August issue. There is also a great interview with the designer, Andy Payor, in the same issue.

Robert Harley, the reviewer, says:

“You should audition the Altair at your own risk; once you hear its magical ability to conjure up musicians, right in front of you, your standards will forever be altered. I know that mine have.”

CAMBRIDGE NETWORK MUSIC PLAYER
The Cambridge Sonata NP30 Network Music Player is an example of a new category of product.
What does it do?
The NP-30 has two Basic Functions.
It consolidates and controls access to your music stored on any device residing on your LAN (local Area Network). These can be computers, Network Storage Drives (NAS), even your iPhone with appropriate interface. It also has a front panel port for a memory stick, if you store music that way or a friend would bring music to listen to, you can play it easily. This unification makes access to all of your music very easy. It can all be accessed from front panel controls, an included IR remote or from your smart phone or similar device.
It gives you easy access to all internet radio stations. Twenty that you preselect can each be easily accessed, just press a button as you would on an AM/FM Tuner. In addition it gives you access to on-line music servers such as Rhapsody, Pandora, SiriusXM and others.
In some ways the NP30 is similar to the Sonos system but offers higher performance and has greater flexibility. The NP30 becomes a true component of your system where as Sonos is intended as a music system or Multiroom system. We also offer stand alone Internet radios by Tivoli. We can help you sort out which approach fits your needs.
How much does it cost? How do I hook it Up? It is a particularly good value at only $599. NAD has just announced a unit with FM/AM tuner that sells for $799. Other, higher performance variations from Bryston and Linn range in price from $2,000 to $10,000. More high performance units are coming from such as Wadia.
It is fairly simple to hook up. Just connect it to your LAN (wired or wireless) and connect the outputs to your Receiver, Integrated Amplifier or Preamp/Control-center.
You can get better performance by using a separate DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) or high performance Integrated Amplifier or Preamplifier with built in DAC, or possibly your AVR (Audio Video Receiver) or AVP (Audio Video Preamplifier).
If this is all confusing, don’t worry, we will help you as we always do to understand how to use the NP30, provide the right cables and associated gear or install it for you if you wish.
The bottom line is that the NP30 makes access to you music easier and broadens greatly the music you can access.
Please come in and experience the NP30 yourself.
You can also visit the Cambridge site for more information.
http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=604&Title=NP30+Network+Music+Player

Newsletter Download

Fall 2010 (PDF)
Fall 2009 (PDF)
Spring 2009 (PDF)
Winter 2008-2009 (PDF)
Fall 2008 (PDF)
Spring-Summer 2008 (PDF)
Winter 2007-2008 (PDF)