2008 Consumer Electronics Show Report (Part 2 of 3)

Cambridge Audio introduced two new products at the top of their stereo range, the Azur 840E Preamplifier ($1499 US) and 840W Power Amplifier ($2199 US) to match the 840C CD Player ($1499 US). These components punch well above their weight -take a look at the innards of the 840E - these guys are serious!

Sister company Mordant Short has a new range of speakers - the Mezzo 1, 2, 5, 6 and 9 which bring much of the quality of the up-market Performance range at very attractive prices. Shown here is a Mezzo 5.1 speaker array. The Mezzo 1 bookshelves are $499 US a pair, Mezzo 2 standmounts are $699 a pair, Mezzo 5 Centres are $499 each while the Mezzo 9 subwoofer is $999.

Monster Cable throws a huge bash at CES for their dealers to which the press is always invited. Past shows have included Santana, Stevie Wonder and Rod Stewart - this year's headliner is Mary J Blige.

Tash Goka from Kitchener's Reference 3A stands proudly next to his new offering, the outstanding Episode speaker ($5500) featuring a Murata Exciter (Supertweeter) and two in-house drivers. This high efficiency speaker sits between the Veena and the Grand Veena and features a directly driven bass/midrange driver which does wonders for the immediacy of the sound. Reference 3A exhibits at T.H.E. (The High End Show) which runs concurrently with CES at the Alexis Park and St Tropez hotels.

$36,500 US will buy you a pair of Krell's Modulari Duo speakers, but you can buy the top part only (good for surround speakers) for just $10,500 a pair. The cabinets are made of aluminum, as are the cones on three big woofers. Build quality is to die for. Each of these limited edition speakers is signed by designer Dan D'Agostino.

Luxman is making a big return to the North American market, showing a range of products with exquisite finish starting from the L-505u integrated amp ($3,500 US) to the B-1000f monobloc amp ($46,000 US) capable of continuous output of 2000 watts into 1 ohm. Shown here is the elegant DU-80 Universal Player ($9,400 US). The drive mechanism is mounted in a special 8 lb mechanical grounding housing. Two different DACs (Shannon and Fluency) are included. Even the loading tray is painted with a special damping material specially chosen for its sonic properties and the whole shebang weighs 46 lbs.

Click here to read Part 3 of this article.