Marantz's KI Pearl gear gets coffeetable book, SACD

Last month, Marantz announced its upcoming KI Pearl line of high-end audio equipment. The SA-KI Pearl SACD Player and PM-KI Pearl Integrated Amplifier were created to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the company's European brand director, audio designer Ken Ishiwata. Both the SACD player and the amp have all the hallmarks of special, limited-edition product releases: limited quantities, a unique "silk pearl" finish, and a formidable price tag ($2,999 for the SA-KI and $3,599 for the PM-KI). Now, Marantz has announced a series of collectibles to go with these limited-edition components.

The company will release a hardcover coffee table book ($30) and a dual-layer SACD ($50) that, like the KI Pearl components themselves, focus on the work of Ishiwata. The SACD is the most notable item, with a dozen jazz tracks chosen by Ishiwata and featuring the work of singer Katelijne van Otterloo. It was recorded with entirely acoustic instruments with a small sound stage, to emphasize Ishiwata's aural aesthetics.

Both the book and SACD will be available from Marantz retailers later this summer. The SA-KI Pearl SACD player is already available at Marantz retailers, and the PM-KI Pearl will ship in September.

— Will Greenwald

The Shire goes green with Bag End Minima One amp

I know, it's the second Lord of the Rings reference in a week, but this one was just begging for it. Bag End Loudspeaker Systems has announced that its Minima One amplifier has become greener and minima-er, thanks to its new smaller size and lower power consumption.

According to Bag End, the new Minima One amp weighs just 5 pounds and is "80-84% power efficient," which lets it put out 500 watts at 8 amps or 1,000 watts at 4 amps while consuming less electricity than the previous Minima One. The amplifier's new smaller size also makes it more environmentally friendly to store and ship, requiring less packaging and fuel.

Bag End hasn't yet released pricing or availability information for the Minima One, but the new amp will likely ship this summer, with pricing comparable to previous Minima One models.

— Will Greenwald

Klipsch sells Aragon (the amps, not the ranger)

Klipsch just announced that it has sold Aragon and Acurus, two high-end brands of amps, pre-amps, and processors. The two product names have been sold to two former Klipsch employees for development and marketing.

Indy Audio Labs, founded by former Klipsch engineers Rick Santiago and Ted Moore, will take control of the Aragon and Acurus brands. Not only will it develop any new Aragon or Acurus products, but it will also take responsibility for service and support for existing models. Starting May 18, when consumer call the Aragon or Arcusus tech support lines ((866) 781-7284 and (914) 693-800, respectively), they will immediately be transferred to Indy Audio Labs'.

— Will Greenwald

CEDIA: McIntosh's 3-Channel Power Amp

The MC303 is McIntosh's first-ever multi-channel amplifier with Autoformer coupled output stage technology. The MC303 is a 300-watt, three-channel power amplifier and Autoformer allows each channel to deliver maximum power into 2-, 4- or 8-ohm loads. Also onboard is Power Guard to deliver high fidelity at high power levels, and Sentry Monitor to provide short-circuit protection.

The unit sports a premium 1/2-inch thick glass face plate and mirror-polished stainless steel chassis and of course, the triple bank of power reading wattmeters provide the classic McIntosh look.

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