Highlights Include: Sunfire Signature Subwoofer, Paradigm Titan & PDR-12 Subwoofer, Pioneer Elite PDP-501 MX Plasma Display Monitor, Pioneer Elite DV-09 DVD/CD Player, Linn Classik CD Player/Integrated Amplifier with Linn Kan Mk 2 Loudspeakers and much, much more….

“A year ago the Mammoth subwoofer dominated the cover of our first A/V Almanac, and now we have son of, a smaller powered version that attempts to put essentially the same performance into a smaller package. The essence of the original design was an 18″ electromagnetic driver in an enclosure designed to fully vent the backwave and really move air…”

“This is our first PSB review in a few years, though AIG contributors have been aware of the Canadian brand’s growth and success. For example, contributing editor and columnist Gordon Brockhouse has been proud owner for years of Stratus Gold speakers, and has just upgraded to the newest iteration of these. The Century 300i comes at the other end of the price and size scale, a budget bookshelf model that is a 2-way rear-ported reflex design that uses a 6 1/2″ woofer/midrange and dome tweeter, both appearing to be made or polyproplylene….”

“Bob Carver’s unconventional approach to the subwoofer has been both derided and copied, but most important, it’s also sold like crazy, making a real mark for the little Snohomish, Washington company he founded several years ago after leaving Carver Corporation. The son of Sunfire sub is bigger, but uses the same amplifier and operating principle, with active and passive drivers, the latter mass-loaded…”

“You might think that this is the least expensive speaker model in the Paradigm Performance basic range, but, no it isn’t. The Atom ($199 pr) and the Micro ($169 pr) are below it in price. The last time we auditioned the Titan was in the Summer 93 issue, and then it was an all-wood box. The last time we auditioned the Titan was in the Summer 93 issue, and then it was an all-wood box. But Paradigm has had in-house injection moulding facilities…”

“The DV-09 weighs almost 35 pounds, with a great deal more internal damping, bracing, and shielding than any other player in my experience. In addition to dual composite and S-video outputs, it also provides component video outputs (3 RCA). There are also dual stereo analog audio outputs, and optical and coaxial PCM/Dolby Digital/DTS RCAs, with an additional straight PCM RCA coaxial out…”

“There’s something special about this new top model from Arcam, and that is the DAC, which comes from their Huntingdon, England neighbour, dCS. Having spent the better part of a week this past summer listening to this company’s professional ADC and DAC gear while recording the Chuck Israels Quartet, I was very curious in August to have a chance to audition the Alpha 9 with its dCS Ring digital-to-analog converter…”

“Over the past few years Linn has become increasingly system-oriented, this trend accelerated by their strong move into high end home theatre. It was inevitable, therefore, that they would introduce an entry-level high end audio system, and here it is. Very cleverly, the product designers at the Glasgow company have combined a CD player based on the Mimik with an integrated amplifier based on the Magik I, and redesigned the Kann speakers to go with this new component…”