This is an integrated ---{capable of being used as a power amp by selecting that option externally}--- Class A, paralleled SET amp, designed & manufactured in Vicenza, Italy by Luciano & Lorenzo Sanavio. Power: 2 x 40 watts Preamp: Two Mazda 6189 "silver-plate" tubes. Drivers: Two Bendix 6900 "gold-pin" tubes. Output: Four WE845 tubes voiced to sound like the Western Electric 284a tubes.

Now being used strictly as a transport with the Audio-gd Reference 7.1 DAC just below... Features: DAC: 24 bit/192kHz using two Russian Voskhod 6H23 tubes. FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 8Hz - 25KHz @ -3dB (though CD top limit tech is 22.05Khz) THD (Total Harmonic Distortion): 0,08% Max. SIGNAL/NOISE RATIO: 80dB DYNAMIC RESPONSE: 125dB OUTPUT LEVEL: 2,5V OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: 800ohm ANALOG OUTPUT: STEREO RCA and XLR balanced outputs DIGITAL OUTPUT: 75 ohms RCA connector SPEED FLUCTUATION: 0,0001% Max. DIMENSIONS: 19in L x 10in H x 18in D WEIGHT: 29 LBs

The DSP-1(V5) digital processor can supports NOS, 2X, 4X and 8X oversampling at customers choice. Fully discrete amp without any OPAs (the OPAs only for DC serve) ,without any couple caps, fully non- feedback. Applied 19 groups non-feedback Class A power supplys. Uses all audiophile grade components, including DALE resistors, WIMA & SOLEN caps , custom order NOVER (UK brand) caps, all audiophile grade input & output sockets and gold IEC socket. ACSS technology ---{similair to Krell's CAST}--- even if it's connected via XLR or RCA output, Reference-7.1 will always operate in ACSS technology, and benefit from ACSS technology. Therefore, whether you're using XLR or RCA output you'll have a definite improvement in sound quality. Ther are four Texas Instruments, R-2R ladder PCM1704U-K are deployed per channel ---{Eight in total}--- Even through RCA output, the eight PCM1704UK DA chips will perform fully. The PCM1704 decoder chip is a curious beast. NOS mode realizes the theoretical sampling frequency of 768khz. When enabled, oversampling is calculated off-chip, in this case by the DSP-1. Kingwa advises the 8x oversampling mode with -130db stopband attenuation to sound best with which the user is restricted to a glass ceiling of 96khz sampling frequencies. Do the math: 8 x 96khz = 768khz. The Reference-7.1 has a total of 21 PSU groups applied. It uses 19 groups of high-quality class A parallel connection PSU with dedicated DC supply double-stage PSU, which can offer very clear DC power for the DAC, producing a very black background and neutral sound characteristic. The double-stage PSU is very important for digital parts. Some designs may have very low jitter in theory, but if the power is supplied by a dirty or low-speed power supply, it will increase the jitter and pollute the data, and degrade the sound quality obviously The Reference-7.1 has four separate digital inputs, AES, BNC, RCA and Optical. Reference-7.1 applies a high performance clock to keep the timing more steady.

The Sachikos are double back loaded horns measuring 72"H x 13.25"W x 18"D This particular pair were custom built for me by Cardersound audio of New Jersey. At my request Rosewood veneer was applied. Since I've received them from Cardersound I've "modifed" them in the following ways: 1) I have replaced what has been refered to as Fostex best wide-range driver ever, the FE208ES-R with the amazing Risploi-modified Dayton PS220-8 drivers. These drivers are capable of playing Prog-rock by YES, Kansas, Magnum, Triumvirate etc. at 100db+ spls without the slightest hint of strain, distortion or shout. Then they can turn around and play chamber music or a small acoustic jazz ensemble with all the delicacy, clarity, harmonic purity & correct tonality one uses the single fullrange driver/Double-Back-Loaded horn combo for! IMHO these are "the" fullrange drivers to beat when using Sachiko horns. 2) I replaced the internal wires with some very nice copper wire from NASA. 3) I added a pair of front panels because the mounting pattern between Fostex's FE208ES-R and the Dayton PS220-8 were incompatable. In addition these front panels helped to dampen any cabinet colorations. 4) I added a pair of what I consider to be one of the best, super-tweeters at anywhere near a reasonable cost, the Fostex T900a super-tweeters! These are crossed in @ approximately 8-10KHz and extend the highend treble response to approx. 35Khz. The Sachikos throw a huge soundstage due to their two horn mouths loading the floor & ceiling while the driver loads the room directly in the middle of them. With the one horn mouth on the bottom the driver in the middle and one horn mouth on the top the Sachiko has the same effect as a d'appolito array would and being almost floor to ceiling in height, it launches a cylindrical waveform like a linesource does. Starting at the bottom the bass is deep enough at around the mid 40s ---{not subwoofer deep}---tight and fast. The midrange has a wonderful, almost palpable sense to it. While the highs are delicate, lightning fast & as airy and extended as I'll ever need. These speakers have the incredible dynamics & lightning fast transient response of a horn. As is typical of a speaker with great transient response, decay is wonderful as well. This is quite noticeable when a piano's note or the cymbol's crash is allowed to fade unhampered. It will decay seemingly forever into the vast blackness of silence. Inner detail & resolution is equal to that of any electrostatic I've ever heard in quality and when these speakers are combined with the Mastersound amp & Goldenote CD player there's a gestalt effect that has to be heard to be believed. I now realize just how wrong all the other speakers I've heard were.

I have to admit that I didn't notice as much of change upgrading to better powercords as I did Interconnects or speakerwire. What I heard was subjectively, a more quiet silence when music isn't playing and the amp seemed a tad more powerful. This was one of the more subtle upgrades

As good as the Mastersound was when I purchased it. It went from Reference to World Class when I upgraded the stock tubes. Afterall EVERYTHING affects an audio system's final sonic presentation. I replaced the stock 12AU7's with Psvane 12AU7-TII tubes, the 5687's with Bendix 6900 tubes and the 845's with the amazing Psvane WE845 tubes. As everyone knows Western Electric never made an 845 tube. So Psvane took a pair of NOS WE 284a tubes and voiced regular 845's to sound like the 284a, hence the WE845. IMHO they sound as good as, "if" not better than NOS RCA 845s do!