Loxodrome desgned: www.loxodrome.nl

Yes it's for more. One size fitz all

Music: what it = all about

Different approach to room acoustics that result in an aesthetically enjoyable space with excelent acoustics. No big ugly absorbers etc. www.6moons.com/audioreviews/acousticsystem/resonators

Acoustic System manufactures five different resonators, in five different materials. Every music system can be improved by using one or more of them in six easy steps.

The resonators are activated by sound waves in the room and produce overtones – subtle overtones, which also define the sound colour. This colouring is often lost during the recording process, and when replaced always improves, and never worsens, the sound experience. Every listening room affects the music with its own specific audio characterics, and from this point of view it can be said that the resonators by Acoustic System simply modify the acoustic properties of the listening room. In a very sophisticated way, of course.

Also of importance is the well seasoned wood employed in the manufacture of the pedestals. As in the case of musical instruments it is the skilled combination of materials which leads to perfection, and depending on the type of resonator metal, a harder or softer variety of maple is used for the base.

The resonator elements are fixed to walls or furniture using a permanently elastic material, which allows residue-free removal from practically all surfaces. Bases can also be finished to customer specifications.

Line Level Integrated Amplifier. Last EL84 design by Bill Beard before his retirement in 2002. Left/right independent power supply in a separate chassis. This amp is extremely rare and for the Beard connoisseur an absolute collectors jewel. Arguably the best ever EL84 design of Beard Audio. The BB 101 is powered by two David Elrod EPS 3 sig. power cables, has HiFi Tuning gold plated equipment fuses, 2 matched Telefunken ECC81 NOS, 6 matched General Electric 5814A NOS, and 3 matched quats EI "philips" EL84 valves. All valves have Duende Creatura Valve Dampers. Contacts are Xtreme Quicksilver GOLD treated. I currently use 3 Shun Mook M'pingo's on the amps chassis and two Franck Tchang Diffusors. Speaker cables are the Purist Audio Design Venustas. The Beard is positioned on 3 Goldmund Cones. The Apollo equipment rack is modified with different shelves made from 50mm Oak for the Onix, 50mm black acrylic top for the Bow Technologies ZZ-8 and 2 shelves of 30mm clear acrylic top for the Beard 101. For further fine tuning the Beard will be up-dated by deJong Systems from The Netherlands to take it to the next level.

supurb sound, supurb looks. Now even better with a Purist Audio Dominus Power Cord, designed for poweramps but works wonders with the power sensitive ZZ-8

CD laser and Harmonix tuning bases

Very rare very fantastic. Stereophile had the BWD1 rated a B component, judged very good sound, in 1989. Positioned on the Shun Mook Ultimate Diamond Resonators and with the Elrod EPS 2 sig. the Onix is now an absolute class A reference.

photo of the inside

Excelent

The inside

Manual

If there is a speaker that has earned his reputation as a reference speaker it is bound to be the Ceramique 3. The upgraded Reference Monitor version has won many a price and award. Yes, they look beautiful; they should. The cabinets are assembled in Holland, shipped to Italy for finishing and then returned to Holland. What you don't see is that those cabinets are CNC machined out of High Density Fiberboard instead of the more common MDF and the entire interior is treated with a expensive, proprietary anti-vibration polymer. Some of the goodies lurking inside include pure silver coils in the crossover along with top-of-the-line Kharma Enigma internal wiring (this gives it the E in the FE model designation, as in Focal Enigma, which is standard on all 3.2s sold in the USA.) Coils and wires are assembled, cryogenically treated, and a layer of that anti-vibe polymer is applied. The driver complement is a 7-inch midrange sourced from Thiel and Partner (known as Accuton in the USA) and a Focal 25 mm inverted dome Titanium tweeter, both of which receive further tweaking after they arrive at the Kharma factory. Jonathan Valin called this "…ceramic mid/woof the best dynamic midrange…" he's heard (TAS 140). He lavished similar praise on the Focal tweeter. Then there's the SDSS stands made from aircraft-quality aluminum with their cross brace and heavy-duty spike feet, which look like they're up to military spec, and finally the new Kharma binding posts. The whole assemblage is scrutinized to insure zero susceptibility to resonances (note that this is accomplished without mass damping—each speaker weighs in at 70 lbs.) So you see, getting the best parts is only the beginning—everything is subjected to mods at the Kharma factory. The fixation on quality is relentless. Now you have an idea of the extent of this assault at the pinnacle. You can see the lack of coloration is no coincidence. OK, so what do they sound like? Some people may find their purity a little on the dry side. The feel of the 3.2 is a kind of dry warmth, not cool, but not wet. Some people may find them too energetic on top. Yeah, that's possible. This will depend greatly on your associated components. Keep in mind they were voiced with the Lamm ML2 mono-block amplifiers—they do like the characteristic Single Ended Triode treble and rich body. Also mind their very high, built-in resolution. Unlike other speakers, you won't have to work to get resolution—it comes with the package. More than likely, you'll be taking out many tried and true tweaks—they'll be overkill with the 3.2s.

These tubes are usually characterized by an impressive open "air" at the top end. The soundstage is large, even in mono applications these tubes have a great 3-D image. The midrange is ruler flat, and the bass is tight and accurate. These tubes have a fine sense of dynamics, and most are impressively quiet. These are not "warm" tubes, and to some ears their lack of midrange warmth may be heard as bright. I tend to think of them as accurate, and their clean, focused sonic image is astonishing. My personal favorites.

This is a military spec tube. Sometimes the vintage GE versions may be labelled JG-12AU7WA in white and have 5814 etched into the glass. These are all low microphonic thanks to their rigid mica supports. Older versions have a third mica spacer near the top. These "triple mica" versions are in great demand today. The broadcast versions of this tube are the GE 5-star, and the RCA Command series. These vintage tubes have just started to become a hot item, as NOS stocks of the West Europe types become harder to find. These tubes can withstand many on-off cycles and mechanical shock without a problem.

Matched quads, best EL84 I ever came acros and I'v tried them all including the Mullards and Telefunkens. Top Low-End, supurbe mid's and sparkling Hi-End. Supurbe 3D and soundstaging. I use them with Kharma CRM 3.2FE speakers so you can bet I'll be able to tell the difference.

a classic but not the best. In my sytem it is the EI EL84 NOS. Mullard EL84 tubes were made in both the old "shield" logo in white ink, and later the IEC/Mullard logo in white. They are rarer than Amperex, but worth seeking out. Mullard made these for GE, Raytheon, Admiral, and many other USA brands. They can be spotted by the seams on the top of the glass, "Great Britain" in white at the top or bottom, and the "B" code for the Blackburn factory at the bottom. Like the Amperex tubes, Mullard tubes are burned in at the factory, so even new ones have small "sooty" looking spots near openings in the plate. Just a few hours of use will make Mullard tubes get large sooty patches inside the glass. This in no way affects the life or sound of the tube.

The Sovtek EL84M's are matched quads, cryo treated -315F by Cryogenics International from Scotsdale AZ

pre-amp valve

Music

On the zz-8

On the Onix

New experiment on the Boz Technologies ZZ-8 works wonders. The zz-8 is apparently over sensitive for power supply chain and the PAD Dominus PC, designed for poweramps works real wonders with the ZZ-8. No more stress at fortissimos, real 3d and a fantastic bass fundament.

IEC plug on PAD Dominus. Direct gold (GX and 079): luxurious....rich....soulful....an extraordinarily deep and wide soundstage....speakers disappear.

EPS on the Van Medevoort powerline conditioner. These cords are what we should have expected from David Elrod, whether we wanted that or not! They are large—nearly twice the diameter of the Signatures to make room for the larger ribbons used in the Statements. Being large, they are somewhat of a pain in the petoot to manipulate, though they will take the full 90 degree bend near the ends to accommodate cramped space requirements. I am told they take a "couple of months" to break in (DE). Again, my samples had a good deal of time on them when they arrived. They are expensive, prohibitively so for many, unless they are, as I have rationalized, considered a part of your amplifier. A whole system full of Statements is a project for the very few and the very well-to-do. All of this said, they are significantly better than the Signatures in fundamentally musical ways, unless you are addicted to relative lightness and lyricism in all things. Like the rest of my system as it has evolved over the past year or so, they move the presentation away from being charmingly and even eloquently about the music toward simply being the music. As we know, though we often say differently, not everyone wants that. An awful lot of audiophiles—unbeknownst to themselves, of course—are closet Platonists, yes? But until you actually hear a system take a giant step toward the thing itself, you really don't know what high-end audio is capable of. With the Statements in our house over the past week, I have been dragged out of the closet and made to face that. It has been an extraordinary experience, which makes me grateful to the gods, David Elrod, and my editors for making it possible.

On the Onix BWD-1 Soap 2 power supply

2 x EPS on the Beard BB 101 amp's power supply, left and right channel.

The Shunyata Python Helix cables combine the latest design concepts, patented materials and techniques, to produce and absolutely outstanding performer. The unique and patented Helix braid technology brings the vital sonic elements of timing, pace and rhythm to the fore while maintaining a balanced tonal perspective. Speed, resolution and detail; all qualities that make the Taipan Helix a very special cable. The Alpha Helix is designed for use with all analog sources while the Vx Helix is intended for use with digital gear

Two from the Fusebox to the two poweramp dedicated wall sockets and one to the powerline conditioner dedicated wall socket

On the Beard BB 101

On the zz-8, positioned on ART Q-dampers

On the Kharma CRM 3.2FE who does not realy need them.

Under the Onix BWD1 tuner & soap2 power supply

Mandatory, the best

POSITIVE FEEDBACK ONLINE - ISSUE 30 xtreme av QuickSilver GOLD™ Audio and Video Contact Enhancer as reviewed by John Mazur JOHN MAZUR'S SYSTEM LOUDSPEAKERS Decware RL 3s, Atelier First Horns with B9 subwoofer. ELECTRONICS Eastern Electric Mini Max preamplifier with N.O.S. tubes, Eastern Electric M520 tube integrated amplifier, one pair of Amplifier Technologies Incorporated (A.T.I.) AT1502 amps, bridged running in monoblock configuration, First Watt F1 amplifier, Great American Sound (G.A.S), Thoebe and Thalia preamps, G.A.S Ampzilla II, Son of Ampzilla, and Grandson amplifiers, Golden Tube Audio SE40 tube amplifier, Artemis Labs LA-1 tube linestage preamplifier. SOURCES Burwen Bobcat USB DAC and software, Sony VAIO laptop hard drive-based digital source, Magnum Dynalabs MD90T FM tuner, analog - 1901 Edison Home Phonograph. CABLES DNM Reson interconnects and speaker cables, Virtual Dynamics David interconnects, speaker cables, and power cords. ACCESSORIES PS Audio Humbuster and P300 power regenerator with Multiwave II, VansEvers Cleanline Jr., Room Tune Echo Tunes and Corner Tunes, Godar Model 1 FM antenna, Vintage Tube Services Original Mini Tube Dampers. Here is quick little ditty about a product that is sure to make an improvement to your system performance. QuickSilver GOLD is a silver-based contact treatment from Brian Kyle and his company—Xtreme AV LLC. Brian is an enthusiastic guy looking to bring sonic and video enjoyment to the next level. The product seems similar to other silver contact enhancers. Brian makes sure there is no confusion here and points this out on the website. The product comes in a kit with a small container holding the QuickSilver GOLD, a small, retractable brush, 10 cotton-tipped applicators, and a small bottle of Deoxit D100L contact treatment. You will need to provide your own isopropyl alcohol and abrasive pads for final cleaning of contacts or QuickSilver GOLD removal. My experience with QuickSilver GOLD was limited to two-channel audio so I cannot comment about the product’s performance in video applications. However, Brian offers a 30-day, money-back guarantee and he claims no one has yet returned it. Some cable manufacturers even include it with the purchase of their products. Testimonials on Brian’s website attest to his product’s claims. The website also has a wealth of information with instructions and test results to back up the claims QuickSilver GOLD Print Friendly Information . I went through my system treating all the AC power connections, fuses, interconnects and speaker cables right up to the tube pins of my line stage preamp. The process is tedious especially if you clean the surfaces beforehand as I did. Make sure you have a well-lit work area to ensure all areas of the cables intended to be treated are, and those that are not to be treated are not. Problems and possible equipment failure may result if incorrectly applied. There are some things I will strongly caution on before using QuickSilver GOLD. Before treating the pins of vacuum tubes, make sure the warranty will not be voided on the equipment. Second, do not get too liberal in the amount of QuickSilver GOLD that is applied-a little goes a long way. At the same time however, make sure the surface is covered evenly. Third, I have to disagree with the instructions concerning male pins on RCA cables. The instructions call for treating the male pin 1/2 to 2/3 of the way down the length of the pin. I did that and when I inserted the treated interconnects back into the equipment it caused problems. The tight clearances of the female RCA connections on my gear scraped the QuickSilver GOLD down the entire length of the pin causing a small conduction bridge across the positive and negative legs of the RCA jack. The result being that I experienced the center image steering to the left. I suggest that only the very tip of the male pin on RCA cables be treated since that is the point where the connection is made. Fourth, once you get the system treated, leave it alone. If you are the type who always changes equipment, cables, or tubes, this product may not be for you. The instructions say that you can break the connection twice in the first 30 days. However, Brian recommends ideally when any cable is removed or any connection broken, that you should clean the connection to remove any QuickSilver GOLD and apply a fresh coat. Since I was doing cable evaluations and trying new gear, I just caused frustration for myself. Once I was clear of trials the product was used again. This may not be a product for equipment reviewers. Once I did settle down and let the QuickSilver GOLD do its’ job, everything was as advertised. On first listen when all contacts in the system had been treated, I was a bit put off at first. It sounded like early digital with edge and stridency. As I let the system play-in, the edge disappeared and I was left with better detail, definition, and clarity. I always listen to Mapleshade CDs when I perform critical listening and the same was true here. On Mapleshade’s Sunny (05932), track 5 starts off with bassist, Keter Betts counting time to himself as he plays and pauses. This was now clearly more evident after the QuickSilver GOLD treatment. J Street Jumpers’ CD, Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby on the same label (05452), has a highly entertaining, engaging quality to it. After treating the system, musical notes had more weight, more density, and color. The presentation just seemed to be more vibrant with better snap to transients and more toe tapability. And to think this was a CD that I previously thought was so dynamically lifeless and slow that I threw it in the drawer and never thought about it again. As my system has gotten faster through the progression of changes, this CD has brought me much enjoyment. The QuickSilver GOLD just upped the jump factor another notch. To make a comparison to better illustrate what QuickSilver GOLD did for the sound, I liken it to the experience I had when I installed the Nelson Pass-designed First Watt, F1, current-source power amp. That amplifier has an iron-fisted control over speaker cone movement that results in more detail, nuance and subtleties of the music being exposed. It was much the same with QuickSilver GOLD. As time went on and the QuickSilver GOLD settled in, I was able to listen into the music more, with ambience retrieval being a smidge better, and everything seeming to be more sure-footed and focused. As I had the system treated for about one month when the review was written, Brian said it was only about 85% broken-in and that it continues to get better about 3 to 4 months out as the dielectric carrier becomes fully polymerized allowing more natural micro-detail information through. I can recommend without any doubt QuickSilver GOLD Audio & Video Contact Enhancer. Usually when it comes to tweaks, I become the guy where the products don’t work as advertised. Not the case with QuickSilver GOLD. If your heart is aching because you want to move up in cables or try that new MK II version, give this a try before you do. You should be rewarded with all the benefits provided you follow the instructions carefully and take my advice into account while doing so. John Mazur QuickSilver GOLD Retail: $159 per QSG Kit, Sale Price: $134 per QSG Kit Xtreme AV LLC 33331 Ocean Hill Drive Dana Point, CA 92629 web address: www.quicksilvergold.com email address: [email protected] POSITIVE FEEDBACK ONLINE © 2007 - HOME BACK TO TOP

Mandatory if you want to have god in the details

On the binding posts ot the Kharma CRM3.2FE's

Not tried? Not knowing what your system can do

Not tried? Do not know how cd can sound.

Mandatory

In Europe a must have.

AHP or Hi-Fi Tuning? depends on equipment but I gues the Hi-Fi Tuning is a bit more ballanced

What's the fuss about lately, I've got them for more then two years.

Now available in a MkII version with copper endcaps that are goldplated. The improvement is significant. Order from: www.audiophiles-hifi.de

On the Kharma SDDS Enigma stand

on the CRM 3.2 FE

Transformational Enhancement and Protective Treatment for Polycarbonate Optical Discs

For many years, the original JENA Labs Esoteric Mist was universally regarded as one of the most effective and popular treatments for audio CD’s, and with very good reason. It worked great!

JENA Labs is excited to announce the release of a new generation Esoteric treatment. This phenomenal new compound is significantly superior to anything currently on the market.

Esoteric–3D-X is a quantum improvement in enhancing and protecting your precious CD’s, SACD’s, CD-R’s, CD-R-W’s and Digital Versatile Disc's (DVD's). More on that below.

State of the Art Chemistry – Enhances and Protects Your Precious Discs!

Based on current aerospace chemistry, the new Esoteric-3D-X is specifically formulated for polycarbonate and is designed to dramatically enhance surface transmittance and refractive characteristics as well as protecting delicate surfaces from common contaminants (oils from your hands, accidental contact with water).
When you treat an optical disc with Esoteric 3D-X you have created an optical coating that does something like what the lens coating of a fine camera does.
Laser light is matched better to the difference between the refractive index of air and the refractive index of the plastic. Look at it after treatment... The rainbow effects are visually very pronounced. That is not scatter, that is transmission. The laser optics of the player or recorder

Read the review, it works

FM antenna, apparently one of the best sounding

Dario Pegoretti first acquired his framebuilding knowledge and expertise from legendary Gino Milani. Milani was never famous to the cycling world at large, but he was one of the most brilliant framebuilders of the 1970's. His work was a major influence on every high-end framebuilder of the time. Since 1987 Pegoretti has honored the Milani legacy by going beyond the limitations of standard tubing to build unique, world-class frames. Pegoretti is synonymous with innovation. He was the first in Italy to use TIG-welding techniques. For over a decade he worked side-by-side with Dedacciai to design and develop new tubesets. The DynaLite and Radius tubing so popular with Italian framebuilders throughout the late 90's were direct products of Pegoretti. From 1991 to 1997, Pegoretti built frames exclusively for pro road teams. Everyone wants to know who, when, where, and how, but unfortunately a lot more folks don't want you to know. But we'll put it like this -- think of any major rider of the 1990's and you can more or less guess that they rode Pegoretti frames decaled otherwise. Name a major bike race, and it's been won on a Pegoretti. Since 1997 Pegoretti has designed and created frames carrying his own name. In 1999 he moved to Levico Terme, a beautiful resort in the Dolomites. It has several times been home to mountaintop finishes in the Giro d'Italia. Since he moved to Levico he redesigned his frames, working on the assumption that an all-round tube profile offers the best compromise between lateral strength and torsional stiffness. It is a deliberate choice made to exploit the benefits of oversized frame tubing. It's not an overstatement to claim that no other Italian framebuilder has been so instrumental in bringing about the wide use of aluminum in road frames, and that none other had more input into the design and fabrication of the tubing itself. Given that Pegoretti has had a long association with the Italian tubing manufacturer Dedacciai -- in fact, throughout the 90's Dedacciai entrusted Pegoretti with the job of building prototype frames from their new tubesets to provide them with detailed feedback about their buildability -- it took many by surprise going into 2005 that Dario began building his steel frames exclusively out of Columbus Niobium Spirit tubing. Why Columbus for steel? Because as Dedacciai pushes the alchemistic envelope with the most modern alloys out there -- Scandium, Magnesium, and Aluminum -- Columbus (like Pegoretti, and like many of our customers) still believes in the viability of steel as a race-quality frame material. They're just as committed to refining the quality of steel as Dedacciai is to non-ferrous alloys. In fact, all of the Niobium tubing Pegoretti uses is one-off. He insists that Columbus take the extra step to heat treat the tubes for him. While the stock version of the tubes has very good elongation qualities and thereby provides a nice bit of shock damping, heat treating them gives them a considerable increase in responsiveness under a load. Think of it this way: While a spring is springy by nature, a heat treated spring rebounds from compression far more quickly. In other words, a heat treated Niobium Spirit frameset will provide superior elasticity, making a Pegoretti feel like it's gliding on a lousy road surface to an extent unmatched by other tubesets. Beginning in 2007 Pegoretti strayed from Niobium just a bit: He released his Responsorium model made from Columbus' new stainless steel XCr tubeset. It reflected Pegoretti's unceasing commitment to building the most advanced steel framesets in the marketplace. One aside about Pegoretti sizing: Pegoretti frames 58cm and larger have dropped top tubes. 57cm and smaller frames are measured as center to center, but on the larger frames Dario drops the top tubes and extends both the seat and head tubes to compensate. The amount of drop varies with frame size, as do the extensions on the seat and head tubes, but ultimately this allows him to build larger frames both lighter and stiffer without compromising positioning on the bike.

Miss van Moorsel...World champ in biking. Hand build in Levico Terme, a beautiful resort in the Dolomites.

The Marcelo continues Pegoretti's relentless quest to build the ultimate steel frame. Made from TIG welded Columbus Niobium Spirit steel, the Marcelo weighs just a few ounces more than 3 lbs. We consider it to be Pegoretti's ultimate steel race bike. It forgoes the stiffening plates and gigantic chainstays of the Big Leg Emma, but it has a beefier rear triangle and dropouts than the Duende and the Palosanto. The tubing selection of the Marcelo is intended to give it stiffness without harshness, lightness without a hint of flimsiness. In our minds -- and in the minds of Marcelo owners worldwide -- it's something spectacular. An editor of ProCycling magazine reviewed Pegoretti's skill with steel and found that....

Don't get excited it's just an unpractical fast Italian car. Life is good: I'm bombing through the Italian countryside south of Modena in a Ferrari Challenge Stradale, the track-tuned version of the 360 Modena, which wasn't exactly a slug to begin with. The scenery is straight out of a travel brochure, the sound is straight off a racing MP3, and my "job" is to flog the car as fast as I feel like until returning to Fiorano for a three-course meal and a drive on the Ferrari test track. Life gets better: Approaching a hillside hairpin, I punch the Race button on the carbon fiber center console and pull back on the F1-derived shift paddle. In the normal Sport mode, the electrohydraulic transmission downshifts like a standard-issue manu-matic. But now, thanks to slick new transmission software, the downshift is punctuated by a crisp, authoritative blip of the throttle that gloriously blasts off the low stone walls. It sounds like the hair-raising bark of-forgive me, Commendatore!-a Cosworth DFV circa 1972. If motoring fast is your thing, then it's hard to imagine improving upon the Challenge Stradale. New for 2003, the roadgoing rocket ship is a cross between the 360 Modena production car and the competition version that races in the Ferrari Challenge series. As such, it's more café racer than 250GTO. But with the exception of the essentially unobtainable Ferrari Enzo, with which it shares several exotic components, the Stradale may be the world's most impressive and exhilarating street car. "Our challenge," says project leader Patrizio Moruzzi, "was to put race-car technology into the road car." Of course, the Stradale is more than an exercise in technology transfer. Instead, the impulse for its creation was primarily mercenary. Ten to fifteen percent of all 360 Modena owners already use their cars for track events, so there was a ready market for a street machine with competition credentials. Convinced that there were buyers who were willing to pay through the nose for a unique mix of performance, practicality, and exclusivity, Ferrari went for the full Extreme Makeover treatment. The five-valves-per-cylinder 3.6-liter V-8 was massaged to increase power from 400 to 425 horsepower. Meanwhile, the liberal use of carbon fiber, titanium, aluminum, and Lexan trimmed nearly 250 pounds of fat to reduce the curb weight to 2822 pounds. Upgraded dampers and springs improved cornering adhesion by eight percent, while carbon-ceramic brakes featuring gargantuan fifteen-inch front rotors reduced the stopping distance by five percent. Throw in 50 percent more downforce, and you're looking at a 3.5-second improvement in lap times around Ferrari's Circuito di Fiorano. Nevertheless, the racetrack still isn't the Stradale's preferred habitat. Its specially formulated, nineteen-inch Pirelli P Zero Corsas, which manage a remarkably happy compromise between grip and compliance on the road, seem a bit squishy on Fiorano's faster curves. Frankly, if lap times are the yardstick, you can do better than a Stradale at a fraction of the cost in a relatively ratty SCCA race car. But so what? The Stradale isn't designed to be a race car; it's meant to feel like one, showcasing the pleasures of a competition thoroughbred without inflicting any of the pains on the gentlemen drivers behind the wheel. Thus, the exhaust was tuned not to optimize performance but to produce the coolest sound imaginable. In fact, since the engineers were able to dial out resonances, the Stradale sounds even better than a race car. Especially when the tranny does that amazing down-shift thing. From the moment you drop into the deep, enveloping racing seat and wrap your hands around the steering wheel with its brushed-aluminum shift paddles, you can't help but feel like Michael Schumacher belting in for a lap at Monza. The door panels and center console are trimmed in carbon fiber. The floors are flat and bare. The pedals are drilled. Owners who want the full Phil-Hill-at-Tertre-Rouge experience can opt for sliding Lexan side windows instead of the more sensible electric jobbies. Punch the red Start button, and the Stradale sparks effortlessly to life. At low speeds, the car is as mild-mannered as a choirboy. But as the needle sweeps past 5000 rpm on the screaming yellow tach, the engine goes into thrash-metal mode, with a 0-to-60-mph romp taking 4.0 seconds and top speed maxing out at 186 mph. Luddite that I am, I still think a manual transmission would be more rewarding than the clutchless semi-automatic. But the Stradale's sequential box switches ratios far faster than a human being could-a mere 150 milliseconds per gearchange-and you don't have to lift to shift. Is the Challenge Stradale worth $200,000-a twenty percent premium over the "stock" 360 Modena? Only your financial advisor knows for sure. But if price is no object, then life gets no sweeter than in a Stradale.

Best Tweek of them All.

Remember the boss and his dog?

music

TV:Sony, DVD-Rec:Sony. On Swiss made USM furniture

Loxodrome and Kharma's first cooperation: A High-End Sound System in the auditorium of a multipurpose education building in Roosendaal, The Netherlands. The system uses Kharma Matrix-4 active loudspeakers and subwoofers. Imagine: MP-150 amps, Kharma designed Accuton ceramic units and Kharma/Focal HF units to create music and speach in an auditorium of a grammarschool !!!!!!!!! Some would go for less. This schoolbuilding type, developed by Loxodrome architects & planners, has been adopted by the Dutch Ministry of Education as a conceptual pilot project for future grammarschool concept layout. www.loxodrome.nl www.kharma.com

Matrix M4 The Matrix is the new paradigm in sound architecture. This speaker anticipates on the request for a high-end Home Cinema speaker system in a complete new way. The main point for this design was to use the possibility to aim sound. Several studies have been done on how to create a system that could fill up any room with high-end sound. This resulted in a hanging speaker almost completely made out of aluminum. Its direction can be adjusted by rotation over a vertical and over a horizontal axis. The height (or more accurate: depth) of the speaker can be adjusted by changing the length of the rod the speaker hangs on.

Detail, grammarschool in Roosendaal the Netherlands