Resonessence Labs have today announced that DSD playback capabilities are now available on their flagship product
Invicta, which Hifi Pig reviewed here and which won our Recommended Award. Units of the Invicta that ship after the 14th January 2013 will be equipped with Version 4.0.0 of the company’s software and this includes DSD playback over USB and via the on-board SD card reader. Existing users may download version 4.0.0 via Resonessence’s website after this date. In addition to DSD the latest software upgrade includes a number of new features most of which have been implemented following feedback and requests from customers.
DSD playback capabilities follow a long list of new features that have been added to Invicta since it’s release in 2011. Earlier updates included FLAC playback capabilities via the SD card reader, support for SDXC Card formats and the addition of 7 user selectable filter options. The next software release, which is scheduled for later this month, will include on screen Asian character display for users in the Far East and the option of Balanced Headphone outputs.
High-end audio electronics manufacturer Valve Amplification Company (VAC) based in Sarasoto will unveil its new 
Statement iQ Power Amplifier and Statement Series Preamplifiers at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show.
Known for designing audio amplifiers that use vacuum tubes, VAC reveals the “revolutionary” VAC iQ System (patent pending), representing a breakthrough in the application of tube technology.
VAC founder Kevin Hayes states, “The VAC iQ System is the result of 18 years of research and development by VAC, and represents the first time in history that each tube in a vacuum tube amplifier can be held continuously at the optimal operating point, regardless of how loudly or softly the music is playing; it also takes the worry out of maintaining a tube amplifier. We are excited to offer this sound experience for the first time to the attendees at CES this year.”
In addition to unveiling the Statement iQ Power Amplifier, VAC will exhibit the new Statement Line Amplifier and the new Statement Phono Amplifier.
Sacramento based High-end audio manufacturer Light Harmonic has announced they will introduce the Da Vinci Dual DAC at CES 2013. 
Light Harmonic’s Da Vinci DAC utilises unique, proprietary design elements to “set a new standard of fidelity and musicality in digital music reproduction”:
A 384K/32 Bit Asynchronous USB input which accepts 384K/32 Bit pulse code modulation (PCM) digital audio without artificial up-sampling.
3-L Buffering provides a jitter-free, three-layer elastic buffer between the music source and digital sample conversion, completely decoupling speed fluctuations in the source, and enabling Da Vinci to convert music samples using the most accurate core clocks.
3X Clocks provides on-the-fly selection of one of three highly precise -166dB phase-error clocks, according to the sample rate of the input file.
However, a DAC designed for PCM playback will not offer optimal performance with DSD, nor will a DAC designed for DSD extract the best performance from a PCM source.
The new Da Vinci Dual DAC eliminates all constraints in performance by providing completely separate and discrete decoding engines for both formats: one designed and optimized specifically for PCM, one designed and optimized specifically for DSD–hence, the name “Dual DAC”.
The new Dual DAC will be demonstrated in a system featuring components from Dan D’Agostino, Wilson Audio, Pass Labs and MIT Cables.
Another launch announced for CES, this time from German brand T + A. The new range from T+A bears the designation HV = 
High Voltage and will be expanded with a line of products to form the pinnacle of T+A’s solid-state product range. “Created to cater for the demanding audiophile and lover of two-channel music reproduction of the highest possible quality, each product features separate construction for each channel and boasts mirror-image symmetry throughout.”
The PA 3000 HV integrated amplifier (£9,900) is the first product in the series: it has a continuous output of more than 500 watts per channel and an “enormous ability to deliver current”. The output stages are driven at +/- 160 volts – twice as high as normal. The machine is equipped with a large number of top-quality symmetrical and RCA sockets and solid rhodium-plated speaker terminals.
The second product is the MP 3000 HV (£7900), a high-end multi-source player with a CD mechanism, streaming client, FM tuner, Super-DAC and FD 100 remote control with screen.
In mid-2013 these products will be followed by the P 3000 HV preamplifier and the A 3000 HV output stage, which can be used either as a stereo power amplifier generating 500 watts per channel, or as a mono power amplifier rated at 1,000 watts.
Both the PA3000 HV and MP 3000 HV will be available in the UK from February 2013.
Chord Electronics, Britain’s “tech-driven specialist hi-fi manufacturer”, will be showing several of its latest products at CES, 
including the brand new advanced Reference streamer, the DSX 1000 (£7,500). This “cutting-edge” network music player, with its proprietary QBD76HD-based DAC, will be joined by the Red Reference MkIII CD player, in the Bluebird Music suite.
The two Reference-level components will be joined by Chord Electronics’ new SPM 1200 MkII (£8,220) stereo power amp and the Reference CPA 5000 preamp (£11,850), played through Peak Consult InCognito X loudspeakers. Several products from the Chordette range will also be in the suite, including the Index network music player (£990), the QuteHD USB/DSD DAC (£990) and the Scamp amplifier (£990).
A four-strong team from Chord’s UK business will be joining US distributor, Jay Rein, in the Bluebird Music suite. Attending the show will be: Proprietor John Franks; Production Manager Matthew Bartlett; Quality Control Manager John Morley and Sales Manger Colin Pratt.
In early December we announced news that Avid Hifi were to launch a new turntable – the INGENIUM. Today they have 
confirmed the launch of the range of turntables which become their new entry-level product.
Ingenium shares the design philosophy of Avid’s more expensive designs, has “true engineered audiophile quality, utilises key elements of the Diva II and has an exposed minimal design that achieves new standards of style and excellence.”
Avid’s unique sapphire bearing and platter has been retained from the Diva II, with the option of using the company’s unique clamping system, which channels unwanted vibrations away from both the record and platter. The main chassis to which the bearing and arm are rigidly coupled is machined from two and a half inch solid aluminum and allows them to offer different arm fitting options to suit customer’s demands.
Ingenium’s basic package comes complete with a carbon fibre tonearm. Optional models offer standard 9″ SME fitting, 12″ SME fitting and also twin arm options. Other combinations and arm fitting are available upon request. Avid Hifi have employed the same optimised elastomer used in the Diva II giving “excellent mechanical isolation of the playing surface” and using a powerful mains powered motor giving stability and “the huge dynamic sound that is instantly recognisable as Avid.”
The INGENIUM is available now with a UK retail price starting from £800.00
This January at the 2013 CES show, Cary Audio will unveil a number of new products. 
First, they will be showing new digital to analog converters. The DAC-100 will be a completely solid-state design, while the DAC-100t will be a hybrid design with a vacuum tube output stage.
Cary Audio will also be officially launching a new Audio Electronics component, filling out the Audio Electronics line along with the currently available Nighthawk headphone amplifier, Constellation preamplifier, and Hercules amplifier. The Lightning DAC, an all solid-state design, will utilise a new digital input board designed by Gordon Rankin. Inputs include Streamlength USB to listen to computer audio from either MAC or PC, and coaxial and Toslink, all handling up to 24-bit/192 kHz files. On the analog side, they will introduce for the first time at CES a new vacuum tube power amplifier and preamplifier. The Hercules amplifier is a 30 watt/channel class-AB design, with one pair of EL34 output tubes per channel and one 12AX7 input/driver tube per channel. It is a zero global feedback design, is biased heavily into class-A over a large portion of its power range, and uses a cathode-biasing circuit for plug-and-play operation. The Constellation preamplifier is a full class-A triode design utilising a single 6SN7 tube per channel. It has three line-level inputs and a remote-controllable motorized volume control.
Audio4Soul is a new company in 2 channel high-end audio products based in Greece and with a philosophy of bringing 
simplicity in home audio to the masses whilst retaining truly audiophile credentials and sound quality. The company has announced worldwide distribution of Xtreme16 USB, its first product – an asynchronous 24/192 USB-DAC and integrated amplifier plus a media player all in one box.
simplicity in home audio to the masses whilst retaining truly audiophile credentials and sound quality. The company has announced worldwide distribution of Xtreme16 USB, its first product – an asynchronous 24/192 USB-DAC and integrated amplifier plus a media player all in one box.
“The amplifier is a totally unique design, a TRUE digital amplifier overcoming many of the obstacles raised by traditional DAC+PREAMP+
Pricing: €1350 (Xtreme16 USB), €998 (Xtreme16).
Italian high end audio manufacturer Lector Audio has announced the 
introduction of their latest DAC, the Digitube DSD (Direct Stream Digital).
The new DAC is based on the 32 bit Dac from AKM and has an output circuit designed around vacuum tubes (ECC-81/12AT7).
The DAC accepts digital signals up to 192kHz/32bit and 384kHz/32 bit via USB. Also included are a word clock input and a SPDIF output.
T h e d i g i t a l i n p u t s :
– Spdif IEC-958 as RCA connector at resolution 192 Khz 24 bit
– Spdif IEC-958 as BNC connector at resolution 192 Khz 24 bit
– AES-EBU AES-3 as XLR connector at resolution 192 Khz 24 bit
– Opto toslink digital input at resolution 192 Khz 24 bit
– Asyncronous USB PC/MAC input at resolution 384 Khz 32 bit
