Ideas, Focus, and Innovation, Available with audioXpress November 2017

Discover some outstanding speaker designs in the Midwest Audiofest 2017 Speaker Competition with audioXpress November 2017. In this edition, audioXpress also features one of the most eagerly awaited reviews: the OPPO Digital UDP-205 4K Ultra HD Audiophile Blu-ray Disc Player. Focusing on audio processing, we discuss active noise control for headphones, and we address "Measurement of Audio Devices" that use automatic gain control (AGC). In our "You Can DIY!" article, Dan Joffe describes a 1 kHz oscillator with less than 2 PPM distortion. And much more...

The Dynaco SCA-80Q was an integrated amp that combined a preamp based on the PAT-4 with a power amp based on the Stereo 80. The combination was dubbed the SCA-80 Integrated Amplifier. At some point, the Dynaco Quadaptor function was built in, and the result was the SCA-80Q. Now Dynaco fans have a reason to rejoice. Updatemydynaco announced a kit to replace and upgrade the power amplifier section of the SCA80Q. Building the kit is much easier than trying to repair the original modules, and the result is much improved sound.

Akitika makes high-performance home audio kits, including the GT-101 Stereo Power Amplifier and now the PR-101 Stereo Preamplifier Kit which the company describes as Akitika’s Preamp Platform (APP) because it contains everything needed in a stereo preamplifier, plus three option slots that allow the user to customize and extend it. That makes the APP a platform to build, and to build on.