call: +64 (0)6 873 3350 email: info@criticalsound.co.nz

Digital & Analog Audio Products

From Specialist Audio Brands where performance and value matter.

We provide comprehensive Information for all our Analog & Digital Audio products - including Video presentations and numerous Reviews. These can be very helpful when identifying the musical attributes you find interesting. Matching components that complement each other ... can be critical. Here again Reviews can be useful, particularly if you can identify with a Reviewer's musical taste, style and sound preferences.

In alphabetical order we represent the following Brands :

Acelec Engineering (Netherlands)

Albedo Audio (Italy)

Audio Art Cables (USA)

DiDiT High-End (Netherlands)

Final Touch Audio (Serbia)

M2Tech (Italy)

Manunta Audio (Italy)

Metrum Acoustics (Netherlands)

Silent Angel (China)

Sonnet Digital Audio (Netherlands)

Streamers-Servers

From budget to High-End Reference Music Servers View Product »

Digital Interfaces

Overcoming the vagaries of USB (Jitter & Clocking) : Starting with the affordable M2Tech hiFace ... migrate to the well priced Manunta Audio EVO DDC3. View Product »

Integrated Amplifier

The New M2Tech Classic - reflecting designs from the past but incorporating 21st Century technology. View Product »

DSD DACS

Price leading Converters from Italy (M2Tech/Manunta Audio) and the Netherlands (DiDiT High-End). View Product »

NOS DACS

Non-Over-Sampling DACS - Class (Price) leading High-End Digital to Analog Converters View Product »

DAC - PREAMPS

Forthcoming DiDiT High-End Mark II DAC212SE (& in-house design Class A/D AMP $7,995 each) - enquiry welcome. Now featuring Twin Headphone outputs ... 2 sets of Phones or Left & Right channel output to one. Also features new LAN input (Server too). View Product »

Power Supplies

EVO Supply TWO - designed to enhance the Evo Two or hiFace Evo Two range ... an affordable PSU. Partner with the top Evo Dac Two Plus for example. Then we have the Van der Graaf ... an Award winning PSU to enhance the EVO + 'Rock Stars'. View Product »

Analogue to Digital

Joplin MkIII 384kHz/32 Bit ADC/Phono : The perfect Analog port for a Digital Audio System with I2S output. Review from Witchdoctor NZ - Vinyl enthusiast Dr. Richard Varey takes Joplin III for a spin. A Video Introduction from "Estatica Italy". Digitise .. View Product »

Phono Stages

M2Tech & Manunta Audio - HFA compare : Manunta Phono 3 & Rock Star 'Nash' : 'Joplin' MKIII is a Nash + Pro Analog to Digital Converter in one - merging Vinyl with File Formats. View Product »

POWER AMPLIFIERS

Simulated Tube S/S Drive Metrum & Sonnet + Class D Power Stage Design from M2Tech View Product »

Headphone Amplifiers

'Uncle Bob's' M2Tech Marley MKII is a Beast - capable of driving any Headphone. View Product »

Passive Standmount

Acelec Engineering's Pro-Monitors with Customised Stands ... are Room resistant. Their performance delighted 6 Moons Reviewer Srajan Ebaen - he couldn't send them back. From Australia M8Audio - Melbourne HiFi Show Room Award winners. View Product »

Pasithea inside lights on

Sonnet Digital Audio

Multi-Award winning Morpheus & Pasithea NOS DAC/PRE's ... are the beginning. View Product »

Adagio Forte

Metrum Acoustics

Music Streamers - R2R NOS DACS (with & without Voltage Volume control) - Tube Simulated Power Amplifier View Product »

Classic Amp side on2

M2Tech Electronics

Italian Style ... & 'Full-Range' Electronics. View Product »

Final Touch Elara Power

Final Touch Audio : Cabling

Indeed ... the Final Touch to your Audio Sytem. View Product »

Audio Art Statement Cable Speaker

Audio Art Cables

USA View Product »

Acelec

Acelec Model One Monitor Speakers

Pro Monitors for Home or Studio. View Product »

Albedo green logo

Passive Floorstander

Albedo Audio's Style Statement ... Aptica will suit any Decor or Room size. They also form part of 6 Moons Speaker References. Axcentia MKII brings almost 100Kg (each) of Italian craftmanship ... to deliver your Music. View Product »

Acelec Studio

Pro Studio & Home Audio Components

'Critical' listening Audio Chains. View Product »

Aptica

Aptica

Aptica has evolved from Albedo's original design concept for an unobtrusive, compact loudspeaker - that 'speaks' exquisite form as well as function ... not just another 'coffin' box. Svelte good looks and sound presentation to match. Created to enhance your living room and Audio System. View Product »

Axcentia

Albedo Audio Axcentia

AXCENTIA MK IIHiFi & Records Germany Report : Review-Albedo-Axcentia-German-Review-Translation.pdf Following on from the HL1.2 and HL2.2, in 2010 a new model appeared - in the form of the range topping HL3.4 ... bearing similar resemblance to the above MkII's.Featuring at Munich High End Show 2011, it offered a linear-phase floorstanding... View Product »

DIDIT 212SE Big Pic 4

DiDiT HIGH-END

The Audio 'High-End' ... in all but pricing. View Product »

Flint inside

Flint R2R NOS DAC

Introducing Flint NOS Dac …Perfect companion to Baby Ambre StreamerDigital $ Progress : In 1989 Martin Colloms (Stereophile) Reviewed a Wadia Digital 1000 Decoding Computer (Dac). It came close to his then ultimate Reference playback System - a Goldmund Reference Turntable (US$27,000 without Arm or Cartridge) System. View Product »

Ambre front big pic

Ambre & Baby Ambre Streamers

Ambre $1995 - Baby Ambre $925 View Product »

Onyx

Onyx NOS DAC TWO

Metrum Onyx NOS DACOnyx fitted with DAC TWO Modules NZ $5,100 with Remote Control.DAC 3 Upgrade $6,295Prices include either USB or I2S factory fitted.I2S Module $170USB Module $205Videos :"Terry Talks : the Metrum Acoustics Onyx DAC review""What difference does a high quality DAC make ? - How is this DAC... View Product »

Amethyst

Amethyst NOS DAC & H/P Amplifier

Audio Creative did not miss MQA ... BUT now it can be an option with direct Amp to Dac Module two-in-one Amethyst. "I already mentioned at the beginning of the story, whoever is searching for a DAC that can do everything, forget the Amethyst. View Product »

Jade

Jade NOS DAC with Digital Volume Control

Metrum JADE R2R NOS DAC - DVCJade with DAC TWO Modules NZ $5,495 with Remote Control.DAC 3 Upgrade $6,595Prices include either USB or I2S factory fitted ... and you read right - Variable Voltage Volume is now free/option to Onyx.I2S Module $170USB Module $205MQA Module $275The 'Baby Flagship' Digital Volume... View Product »

Pavane

Pavane Flagship NOS DAC

Alpha-Audio report on DAC 3 View Product »

Adagio Silver

Adagio Digital Volume controlled Transient NOS DAC

ADAGIODAC TWO or DAC THREE ... that is the question :Below is the latest Video Review comparing DAC Modules.A word of caution - it seems Adagio was only switched on for 48 hours ? This is not enough time to allow for complete run-in/assessment."???"State-of-the-Art-Variable-Gain-DacFollowing in the musically themed footsteps of... View Product »

METRUM AMPLIFIER

Metrum Acoustics Forte Stereo Power Amplifier

Paired with Adagio 6 Moons comment ... "Particularly with loudspeakers like our ceramic-diaphragm Albedo Audio Aptica which will prioritize transient precision and resolution over body and density unless matched otherwise, the Forte's counterpoint hits the nail on the head". View Product »

Aurix

Aurix Headphone (TVC) Transformer Volume Control

A Killer System - Pavane Level II + Aurix + Nighthawks View Product »

Menuet

Menuet Forward Correction NOS DAC : Archived Product

Continuing the 'musical dance' theme attached to the new Transient DAC ONE range . . . Menuet has arrived . . . to fill the gap between Hex and Pavane. At its price point, it offers performance very close to Pavane but is much more affordable. View Product »

hex2

HEX NOS Differential DAC : Archived Product

After choosing Aurix for headphone monitoring, STS Digital also decided to employ Hex - to monitor the entire recording process. Its ability to reproduce an extremely neutral and natural sound, as it comes directly from the recording console (without the intervention of digital sound processing), found favour. View Product »

Transparent front

Musette NOS Mini Dac : Archived Product

Musette impresses at ZMF Headphones, Audio enthusiasts and Reviewers woldrwide - continuing Metrum tradition. View Product »

Octave MKII 2

Octave MK II NOS Mini DAC : Archived Product

The Original Octave rocked the Audio World - a 'Game changing Dac' in fact. Refer Octave Product Page for more information. Rated comparable to esoteric '2 Box devices from Internationally acclaimed manufacturers' but the humble Octave costing a fraction of their prices. View Product »

Octave 1

OCTAVE NOS Mini Dac : Archived Product

Non Over-Sampling Octave is a continuation of the Duo/Quad Mini Digital to Analogue converter. No processing (Resampling) is involved - the D/A chips used, being sourced from the (Non Audio) Medical/Industrial sector. The Game Changer ! View Product »