New Products

Legacy Audio Powerblock² Amplifier
“Incredible performance in a small package…at a fair price” is how Legacy Audio describes the Powerblock², the company’s first amplifier in more than a decade. Assembled in Legacy’s Springfield, Illinois factory, the amp is a dual-mono design boasting an ultra-wide 1.5-Hz to 70-kHz bandwidth and healthy power output of 2 x 325 watts into 8 ohms (or a rip-roaring 2 x 650 into 4 ohms).
Ice Ice Baby: The low-profile Powerblock² is built around ICEpower Class D technology featuring self-oscillating closed-loop architecture and a robust power supply capable of supplying peak current of 30 amps per channel. High damping factor (1,000 <1 kHz) and dynamic range (117 dB) are cited as key characteristics along with low distortion (0.005% THD at rated output). Balanced XLR and unbalanced inputs are provided. Price: $1,600
Legacy Audio • (800) 283-4644 • legacyaudio.com

BDI Corridor 8172 Audio Tower
Once upon a time, the audio rack ruled the home stereo scene, but we’ve never come across one that looks this classy. The A/V furniture gurus at BDI have completely reinvented the traditional component rack, giving it a hardwood louvered door, hidden wheels, levelers (to compensate for uneven flooring), cable routing channels, and a removable back panel with ventilation. There’s even a power-strip compartment below its tempered glass top (perfect for a turntable).
Room to Spare: Standing 45 inches tall, the cabinet has room for six components or a mix of electronics and media. Four of the five shelves are adjustable, and three are sturdy enough to support large components; the lowest shelf can be removed to accommodate media (album dividers included). Available in chocolate stained walnut or white oak. Price: $1,699
BDI • (703) 803-6900 • bdiusa.com

Puro Sound Labs BT5200 Bluetooth Headphone
Forget that the BT5200 is wireless. Yes, it’s awesome that you don’t have to mess with wires, but what makes this headphone special is a microprocessor that monitors volume and lets you know when things are getting out of hand—volume-wise, that is. (Watch for an alcohol detector in next year’s model...kidding.)
Light Show: An LED lights green when the volume is safe (85 dB or less), yellow when you cross into the danger zone (85 to 95 dB), and red when it’s time to dial back the volume to avoid the risk of permanent hearing loss (over 95 dB). Bluetooth 4.0 and aptX coding are supported, and the BT5400’s 1.5-inch custom drivers are tuned to “re-create the natural sound produced in a perfectly tuned listening room.” Rated battery life is 24 hours. Price: $130
Puro Sound Labs • purosound.com

Chord Mojo Portable Headphone Amp/DAC
Chord is quick to point out that Mojo stands for “mobile joy.” Ah, how sweet. Translation: The palm-sized amp/digital-to-analog converter (DAC) uses proprietary processing to bring “studio-grade sound quality” to smartphones and other devices. Connect one of its inputs (USB, coax, optical) to your phone/music player/laptop, jack in your (hopefully awesome) headphones, and let its 35mW amp (600 ohms) and custom DAC take over. There’s even a second minijack for listening with a friend.
Play a File, Any File: Most music formats, including DSD 256, are supported, and the power button changes color to indicate sampling rate (red for CD-quality 44.1 kHz, orange for 48 kHz, green for 96 kHz, white for DSD). Mojo will run for up to 10 hours per charge. Micro USB-to-USB cable is included. Price: $599
Chord • (416) 638-8207 • bluebirdmusic.com

Panasonic TC-65CX400U Ultra HDTV
The top model in Panasonic’s new “value-priced” CX series, the 65-inch 65CX400U boasts an LED-backlit LCD screen with four times as many pixels as a standard HDTV, but it’s also a smart TV with built-in Wi-Fi. How smart? The set has a Web browser and comes preloaded with apps for Netflix, YouTube, Vudu, Pandora, AccuWeather, and Toon Googles, a repository of on-demand entertainment for kids.
Out-of-Box Experience: Panasonic says default picture settings have been “pre-optimized” to eliminate the need for calibration (watch for our upcoming review for our take on that). Connections include three HDMI inputs, two USB ports (one USB 3.0), and an optical audio output. The 0.5-inch bezel framing the screen is available in black or silver. Price (panasonic.com): $1,650; the CX line also includes 50- and 55-inch models at $883 and $1,060.
Panasonic • (800) 211-7262 • panasonic.com