7digital App Streams Hi-Res to Google Cast Products – 7digital is now the first provider of hi-res playback thru Google Cast and has announced support for Android Auto in-car entertainment systems. Music, including hi-res FLAC audio files, can now be streamed from phones and tablets to any Google Cast-enabled speaker or Chromecast-connected TV or streaming device. 7 digital’s music store hosts millions of CD-quality files and hundreds of thousands of 192/24 studio quality hi-res files. They have close to 40 million tracks. Other compatible products are LG Music Flow speakers, Denon HEOS, the new Nexus phones and various Sony products. 7digital says hi-res streaming will soon be the standard.
New McIntosh C47 Hi-Res Digital Preamp – The preamp (£4000) includes a hi-qaulity phono stage, has 12 inputs and support hi-res audio. The headphone stage uses the firm’s proprietary Headphone Crossfeed Director technology, plus four digital inputs. All DSD formats up to 352.8kHz are support and two optical and a coaxial input can decode up to 192/24 audio. Connecting to the McIntosh SACD/CD transport via the MCT input, optimum SACD playback is assured.
New Sony Hi-Res Digital Walkman with Ear Buds – The NW-ZX100 comes with XBA-300AP BAlanced Armature in-ear headphones, plus a new hi-res audio compatible digital noise cancelling function. MP3 files are enhanced using DSEE HX technology, and it has S-Master HX, which performs full digital processing of the audio to support hi-res sound. A new audio technology called LDAC (low latency codec) allows high quality wireless audio via Bluetooth. It has a 45-hour battery life and 128BG of internal memory plus a microSD card slot. The ear buds has both full-range and tweeter drivers, adapting the symmetric armature and direct-drive structure to the woofer. The ear buds have a double-layered housing to bring about high rigidity. It is about £500 and should be available in the U.S. next month.
Denon 9-Channel Amp – The AVR-X6200W has 205w per channel and supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and 4K UHD. It has a monolithic design with custom Denon High Current Transistors to help provide a sound with “astonishing clarity, power, detail and depth.” Denon’s proprietary Dynamic Discrete Surround Circuit High Definition is also onboad, completed by AL24 Processing Plus and hi-quality DACs. The unit can support 7.2 channels as is and 9.2 with an additional two-channel power amp added. A later free firmware upate this year will bring support for DTS:X and DTS Neural:X upmixer, as well as Auro 3D sound processing.
