Phono: Silhouette SXV2 Phono Preamplifier available now

SXV2 Phono Preamplifier

Perreaux has a long history of designing and producing phono preamplifiers. Throughout the 70’s and 80’s LP and 45 records were the only viable method of producing stereophonic music. The quality that it offered was taken for granted. Naturally Perreaux was also active during this time, producing preamplifiers such as the SM2 and SM3 that incorporated excellent phono preamplifier input stages. Many of these products are still in use today.

During the 90’s the compact disc gained ascendancy and our focus turned to this new format. Phono was largely forgotten, but lived on - on account of the vast amount of LPs that remained in circulation.

Things have stayed this way for some time, however in more recent years phono has been enjoying somewhat of a renaissance with audiophiles and a new group of night club DJ users.

It has always been undeniable that a well set up phono system will offer superior levels of fidelity to listeners that can be achieved with CD. CD offers a limited bandwidth and resolution whereas LPs don’t suffer the same fate.

Some years ago we brought out our first new generation phono preamplifier the Silhouette Series SXV1. We were very surprised at the high level of uptake for this product and based on this positive experience we vowed to bring out a superior product when we had time.

Well it turned out to be quite a challenge as the difference between good phono preamps and great ones can often be measured in minute degrees.

Development of the new Silhouette SXV2 has proved to be a bit of a problem child and went through no fewer than five revisions, each time as a result of extensive AB listening tests in New Zealand and with experienced international Perreaux distributors. The good news is that the extraordinarily long wait has been worth it and we have now perfected the product and are extremely excited to announce its release.

Please click on the links below to find out more about this truly exciting phono preamplifier. Definitely the best phono preamplifier we have ever offered in our more than 30 years of hi fi audio development.

View the SXV2 Phono Preamplifier Product Page, the SXV2 Phono Preamplifier Owners Manual (855kB) or the SXV2 Phono Preamplifier Brochure (352kB).

SXP2 & SX60m Review: German 'Höererlebnis' magazine reviews Silhouette pre/power

Höererlebnis Cover 59

Wolfgang Vogel recently reviewed the Silhouette SXP2 Passive Preamplifier and SX60m 60W Mono-Aural Power Amplifier in issue 59 of German hi fi magazine 'Höererlebnis'.

The Silhouette pre/power combo inspired these words from Monsieur Vogel:

"...you really enjoy simply to listen to it and to be submerged in the creator’s cosmos of thoughts who wrote this musical event."

"That infernal trio has as much impact as the legendary one Asterix after having taken the magical drink."

SM6 MkII & 350 Review: 'Image HiFi' magazine of Germany reviews Prisma pre/power

Image HiFi

The latest, Issue 75, from German magazine 'Image HiFi' features a review by Michael Vrzal of the Prisma SM6 MkII Balanced Stereo Preamplifier and 350 Stereo Power Amplifier.

Michael had this to say about the Prisma combo:

"Kann es sein, dass Perreaux gerade mächtig durchstartet? ...und sich dort etabliert hat, wo es hingehört: unter den Besten der Transistorzunft."

"Perreaux is established, where it belongs: as one of the best solid-state products."

Purchase a copy of Image HiFi to read the review for yourself, if you can read German of course...

Carbon: a simple element with complicated compounds

Carbon Element

Open the newspaper, switch on your television and chances are you’ll find something on 'global warming'. According to a consensus of the majority of international climate scientists, global warming and its potentially catastrophic side effects is going to prove the biggest headache for mankind in the years ahead.

So where does carbon come into the equation. Vast quantities of carbon compounds are currently being created and released into the atmosphere through combustion. From the time of the industrial revolution onwards there has been an exponential increase in this activity.

Carbon combines with oxygen during the combustion process to form carbon dioxide (CO2). This has been identified as one of the major damaging greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases form a thin insulating layer high in the earth’s atmosphere, effectively trapping in heat from the suns rays. Global warming and climate change is the resulting phenomenon.

Under normal conditions most of the Earth’s carbon would remain sequested in a state of suspended animation so to speak. It has remained locked up in vast underground deposits in the form of coal, oil and gas. Our insatiable demand for energy, increasing population, rapid globalization and industrialisation has taken place largely at the expense of environmental destruction. Demand for fossil fuels such as oil, coal & gas is at an all time record high. Our indigenous forests are also being burnt like never before in the history of mankind.

All indicators point to a pending environmental tragedy of unimaginable proportions in years to come.

If we take New Zealand as an example of a modern nation. We appear to be no better or worse than others. Global warming knows no boundariee... it will effect all of us.

There is currently no serious discussion in New Zealand about the need to reduce energy consumption. The current focus centers around renewable energy such as wind powered turbines to make up future predicted shortfalls in energy demand. In addition to this New Zealand plans to plant trees. In my view the problem is not being taken seriously enough and the fact remains that New Zealand’s per capita production of CO2 remains recklessly high and if we are to treat the issue seriously, drastic steps will need to be taken to reduce our huge per capita carbon footprint. New Zealand and the majority of countries will act only when a global consensus is created such as a revised version of the Kyoto protocol, thereby legitimizing the difficult decisions that governments must all make in the years to come.

And while we are on the subject... we are no cleaner or greener than anyone else. It is just that we happen to live in a pristine environment called New Zealand. This came about through the coincidence that this country was virtually uninhabited 200 years ago and remains one of the most distant outposts on the planet to other centers of population. Long may it remain?

On account of damaging greenhouse gas emissions it is unlikely that New Zealand will ever build another coal fired power station. Our government is perfectly comfortable however to export well in excess of one million tonnes of high grade coal each year to other countries so they can burn it. It does tend to make you wonder sometimes.

The world’s industrialised nations are not going to allow themselves to get too excited about these increasingly shrill warnings. This is because an immediate reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will tip the world into a massive recession and spell the death knell for civilized life as we know it.

The current hope is that the leading industrialised nations can make rapid technological improvements thereby enabling reductions to take place in an orderly and profitable manner. Personally I’m somewhat skeptical of this concept - still, what are the alternatives?

At the forefront of any change will be a massive reinvestment in nuclear, wind and solar power generation. Unfortunately the nuclear option is the only large scale option on the table. All the wind and solar generation will at best only satisfy approximately 20% of current demand.

In years to come we will inevitably be faced with actually having to reduce energy consumption. Europe has already started this process by enacting legislation that will severely restrict the amount of CO2-per-kilometre-travelled that a vehicle will be allowed to emit. Under this scenario we will still be able to drive cars; it is just that they’re going to have to be very environmentally friendly versions of the vehicles that we use today. This is just the beginning of a very intensive search for a technological solution.

Keep an eye out for increasingly shrill warnings from the earth’s climate scientists, much hand wringing, big international meetings, new treaties and huge taxes on energy use.

Global warming will probably be handled in the west much like the way smoking was dealt with. You want to have a packet of cigarettes... just hand over $10.00. That’s $2.00 for the manufacturer and $8.00 for tax. It tends to dampen ones enthusiasm after a while.

Under this scheme you will probably still be able to drive your V8, its just going to cost you a bucket of money each time you turn the key.

Recommended Listening: must hear albums

Supertramp - Even in the Quietest Moments (1977)

Supertramp - Even in the Quietest Moments

While there had been McCartney-esque pop elements in Supertramp's accessible brand of art-rock from the beginning, Even in the Quietest Moments represents a definitive shift from proggier tendencies towards a more commercial approach. Coming as it did before the band's major commercial breakthrough, Breakfast in America, it foreshadows that album's straightforward pop-rock approach, while still retaining a touch of the early artiness. While 'Fool's Overture' has a bit of the weightiness one ordinarily associates with 1970s prog, the fragile, contemplative title track and "From Now On" betray a fondness for the softer side of '60s Britpop. 'Give a Little Bit', which would become one of Supertramp's signature songs, is a sunny, acoustic-guitar-driven tune that would sound at home alongside almost any '70s Los Angeles folk-rock act. The band's big crossover was just around the corner, but all the earmarks of their breakout can be heard here.

Visit the Supertramp website, see it on Wikipedia, read a review or buy the CD.

Kraftwerk - Autobahn (1974)

Kraftwerk - Autobahn

Germanic in approach and delivery, this record gets under the skin and infuriates as you find yourself compelled to hum the melodies. A significant record in the development of electronic music, and not to be confused with other "kraut rock" efforts from the school of mid-70s prog, this is the album from which countless bands borrowed riffs - passages of the Cure, Depeche Mode, Joy Division, and New Order are to be found among the five lengthy tracks. Don't be fooled: Kraftwerk were there at least five years in advance. Great for driving on the motorway in Europe, incidentally!

'Autobahn' is the landmark 1974 album by the forefathers of electronica. The album's title track was a staple of FM radio in the 70's and forged inroads around the world for acceptance of something different in the hard rockin boogie realm.

Visit the Kraftwerk website, see it on Wikipedia, read a review or buy the CD.

Recommended Viewing: must see DVDs

Running Scared (2006)

Running Scared

For over a decade Joey Gazelle (Paul Walker) has successfully juggled his conflicting roles as loving family man and low-ranking mobster. However, when Joey ignores the mob`s explicit instructions to dispose of the gun used in the fatal shooting of a corrupt cop during a bungled drugs operation, he unwittingly puts his loved ones in danger. Joey decides to stash the weapon in his own basement, just in case he should need some future collateral against his employers. Unfortunately, Joey`s 10 year old son, Nicky (Alex Neuberger) and his best friend, Oleg (Cameron Bright), stumble across the hidden gun. Worse still, Oleg decides to use it to shoot his physically abusive stepfather who also happens to be connected to the Russian Mafia. Thus Joey is forced to embark on a nightmarish 18-hour journey to find Oleg and the gun before his own gang, the Russians or the bent cop (Chazz Palminteri) hell-bent in profiting from the missing weapon, get there first.

Visit the official website, read a review or buy the DVD.