New Products

Klipsch Debut Carbon Walnut Turntable
Where it ends nobody knows, but Klipsch is expanding yet again beyond the iconic horn-loaded home speakers it has been building for 70 years—this time into turntables with help from the experts at Pro-Ject Audio Systems. Described as “vintage-inspired,” the belt-drive table features a handsome walnut veneer base designed to match Klipsch’s Heritage Series speakers, a cork slip mat embossed with the original Paul W. Klipsch signature logo, and a hinged dust cover.
Strong Arm: The Debut Carbon includes an 8.6-inch carbon tube tonearm fitted with an Ortofon 2M Red phono cartridge. Its power supply uses a DC-driven AC generator to maintain speed stability (the same one used in Pro-Ject’s Speed Box), and a TPE (thermo plastic elastomer) suspension system supports the motor while minimizing vibration. Price: $449

Klipsch • klipsch.com

Fern & Roby A/V Credenza
If the bright red sliding doors or industrial design didn’t catch your eye, the story behind the Credenza might do the trick. The brainchild of Richmond, Virginia–based design house Fern & Roby, this minimalist A/V cabinet is made from reclaimed steel and mixed hardwoods with iron legs cast at a local foundry. The doors slide open to reveal an interior component shelf with plenty of space below for LPs and components.
Go Custom: If you find red to be a bit too bold—or not bold enough—custom colors are available. Finish options extend to the wood (heart pine, rock maple, or wormy chestnut) and legs (cast aluminum, bronze, or iron). The cabinet is 30 inches tall, 20 inches deep, and between 60 and 72 inches wide. Price: $6,500 plus shipping.

Fern & Roby • (804) 233-5030 • fernandroby.com

Sony XBR-Z9D Ultra HDTV Series
From the brand that brought us the Trinitron TV nearly 50 years ago comes a new flagship UHDTV that combines the highly refined full-array backlight technology Sony calls Backlight Master Drive with the new “4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme.” The latter is hailed as 16 times more precise when processing high dynamic range content and 64 times more precise with standard-def video. The result: brighter whites, darker blacks, and a wider color gamut.
Get Real: Sony’s object-based HDR Remaster circuitry ups the ante by individually analyzing every object in every frame to remove noise without sacrificing detail. The 65-inch XBR-65Z9D supports only HDR10 processing (no Dolby Vision) and is equipped with the latest version of Sony’s Super Bit Mapping, which uses frame-by-frame processing to minimize visible banding. Price: $6,000 (also available: 75-inch, $10,000; 100-inch, price not available)

Sony • sony.com

Pioneer Elite SC-LX501 A/V Receiver
The latest addition to Pioneer’s Elite lineup, the 7.2-channel SC-LX501 supports 5.1.2 and 5.2.2 Dolby Atmos surround configurations and automatically compensates for the phase shift that occurs when Atmos-enabled speakers are used to reflect height information off the ceiling. Rated to deliver 7x120 watts (at 8 ohms with 0.08 percent THD), the receiver can be updated via firmware to decode DTS:X soundtracks and handles 192-kHz/24-bit Hi-Res Audio files. On the video side, the SC-LX501 supports 4K/Ultra HD resolution and upscaling (60p/4:4:4), an expanded (BT. 2020) color palette, high dynamic range (HDR), and HDCP 2.2 copy protection on three of its seven HDMI inputs and one of its two HDMI outputs.
Cast Away: Google Cast is supported for streaming music (or podcasts) from your mobile device and controlling it via a Cast-enabled app. Price: $1,000

Pioneer • (844) 679-5350 • pioneerelectronics.com

1More iBFree Bluetooth In-Ear Headphones
Audiophiles turn up their noses up at Bluetooth wireless, but it has its place with active-wear headphones where a dangling, flapping cable is an annoyance at best and a hazard at worst. Ever mindful of natural and balanced sound quality, even at a budget price, 1More opted for Bluetooth 4.1 and AptX in its iBFree in-ears, along with a patented dual-layer driver using PET polyester for the bass and titanium for treble. They even got Grammy-winning sound engineer Luca Bignardi to help voice the sonics.
Get Wet: A lightweight aluminum alloy body (in any of four colors!) ensures IPX4 water resistance for running (or singing) in the rain, and the angled design and short behind-the-head cord keeps the ‘phones firmly planted; three sets of sport grip/ear tips are included. An inline control and mic are compatible with iOS and Android phones, and you get 8 hours of play time or 240 hours standby on a full charge. Price: $60

1More • usa.1more.com