$5K AUDIO SYSTEM

AMC Weltronics
XIA-150 se

$1,700

Integrated Amplifier

150W/250W @ 8/4

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Black

$2,150

Music Streamer / Server / DAC

1TB HDD

Linear PSU Upgrade

TOTAL

$5,650

Before Discount

Discount - 5%

- $280

$5,370

NET INVOICE

ABOUT THE $5K HIGH END SYSTEM ... yes, it is HIGH END

So how did we get here ? A High End system at $5K, really ? And, its made up of finished branded components, and not DIY parts or exceptional vintage gear ?

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THE REVOLUTION IN THE MAKING

Well, this did not happen by mistake, and we owe it to a few wise, very talented and insightful people who only very recently decided to break rank with what was heretofore a pretty cynical market ... a market that was infatuated with up-selling us on everything from Voodoo Cable to Voodoo Accessories. When it came to components, it was all about peddling the "last mile" ... extreme bass or high frequencies, unbelievable resolution and detail, the promise of "you-are-there", or sometimes "they-are there" soundstages, bling-bing-bling aesthetics, fancy product names that conjure up phantasmagoric imaginary powers. Boxes crammed with really cool functionality ... all to please our lazy-butt life-styles. What a word ! ... right ? ..Note the second part of the word -- "style"... as though this had anything to do with Music. Uber-functionality is fine by me as long as I GET MY MUSIC please, and don't need a PHD in Computer Science to use it, or need to bribe a 10 year old to help me, or feel an extreme urge to kick the S__T out of the box :=)))

Sadly, however, it worked...we drank the Kool-Aid. In other words, "if it did not bling, there was no ka-ching$$$.

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All this Misery is about to come to a screeching halt. Although a "disruptive revolutionary movement" has been brewing for about 4 years, it finally gained Critical Mass in 2018. Its about time we, as Dealers, could offer and stand behind REAL Value again ... as opposed to LA-LA-LAND Value, cloaked in false promises or justified by peripheral non-essential distractions. ENTER THE TERMINATORS :

Andrew Jones and Peter Madnick at ELAC, the venerable folks or LP recording fame at Mobile Fidelity, the folks at AMC Weltronics, Tim de Paravicini at QUAD, Thorsten Loesch at IFI & AMR Abbingdon, and Nuno Vitorino at INNUOS. All of these folks have one thing in common : They are DISRUPTING the Status Quo with a Bang, and their timely arrival finally vindicates and validates the insufficiently appreciated and recognized efforts of those few lonely Purists that have for so long believed in Value, such as Graeme Holland at AUDION [ formerly at Audio Innovations and AudioNote ].

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But hold on, and before we go any further, you may be asking what we mean precisely when we refer to VALUE ? For us, VALUE means a high Musicality-to-Investment Ratio, whether the system costs $1.5K or $75K. Systems that sound like they should have cost much more than what you actually paid for them.

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THE $5K SYSTEM

This particular $5K system is comprised of three key components ... Wharfedale's award-winning Linton Heritage 85 loudspeaker [finished in cherry or walnut], AMC Weltronic's equally impressive - XIA-150 se Integrated Amp, and Nuno Vitorino's INNUOS Zenmini MK3 "PLUS" Music Server / Network Streamer / DAC.

The Wharfedale LINTON 85 represents one of the most iconic models in the long history of Wharfedale loudspeakers. A model that embodied the Wharfedale pioneering research through the 60s, 70s and 80s, with a bloodline dating back to 1965, LINTON has always been manufactured according to the Wharfedale principles of quality and value for money. The new Wharfedale LINTON further exemplifies these two edicts, balancing fine craftsmanship, natural sound quality and affordability inside a beautifully proportioned loudspeaker that has been bought in its millions right across the globe through its various incarnations. The original LINTON was well known for its warm, rich and natural sounding character and the new Wharfedale LINTON retains that standing but imbues it with an open, detailed performance that will entice you to explore your whole music collection, once more.  

The AMC XAi 150se Integrated Amplifier, offers more power than the AMC 2100 MKII power amp (note : 2100 MKII when in stereo mode) and more massive current capability as well ! In stereo mode it kicks out 150W RMS into 8 ohms with clean dynamic peaks of 255W into the same 8 ohm load. RMS power into 4 ohms is 250W. Its integrated package includes a fully functional preamp stage, a very competent headphone stage, and a selectable MM/MC stage.​

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Bottom Line : a really bad-ass power stage that will do Jazz and Classical on the fly, but that just loves to "rock".

Their Goal ? : BEST-VALUE-IN-A-BOX ... not surprising really. Its in their Scandinavian DNA.

So what do their products sound like ? Not surprisingly, their sound is liquid and crystalline, unembellished, dynamics and scale are in balance, no nasties anywhere ... nothing that would color, or render unnatural a really good recording. This may lead some to describe the sound as neutral. This is actually true, but also very good, because this allows all the color and excitement in good music to be heard, as it was recorded. 

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Then, we incorporated the INNUOS ZEN MINI MK3 PLUS, a Music Server from one of the very best Music Server Brands available - INNUOS. INNUOS is gaining a reputation as the GO-TO server in terms of both functionality and superb sound quality ... and these qualities are present across their entire line, starting with the ZEN MINI MK3. All INNUOS servers include, a CD drive for Ripping, their own proprietary motherboards, sophisticated linear power supplies, all manner of gremlin-killing filtration and shielding ... in brief, an all out declaration of war on all the known perturbations  plaguing DIGITAL, this in as far as retrieving, ripping, storing, and "serving up" digital media to the next critical digital component in the chain, the DAC. This one however includes its own very competent on-board DAC, along with USB and S/PDIF Digital out connectors for use with other DACs.

Amongst many other functionalities, the super-intuitive InnuOS software allows the user to select between UPNP, ROON Core or ROON Server. Innuos' new multi-platform SENSE app provide really user friendly "Command and Control" capabilities.

The ZEN MINI MK3's character -- YES IT HAS ONE -- is very PRaTy, rhythmic and engaging. Compared to the ZEN MK3, it is more playful and wistfully entertaining in a Mozart-ian sense. The ZEN MK3 has a slightly more laid back Brahms-ian presentation, which is larger and more serene. The Zen Mini MK3 in this system configuration has 1 TB of HDD storage and also includes the "PLUS" linear PSU housed in a chassis identical to the one used for the Standard unit. Not only is this ROON / UPNP server incredibly easy to set-up and use, it is blissfully musical, throwing a super-quiet soundstage and all the detail retrieval one can possibly expect.... The INNUOS servers are truly exceptional front ends. We incorporate these into almost all of our systems.

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This system is suitable for rooms up to 16ft x 25 ft.

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Have a Turntable ? The AMC XIA 150 se offers a on-board MM / MC phono stage.