I have to confess to my customers because this DAC and I did not get off to a good start.  One, I did not realize that it had a definite break-in period, and two, I did not realize that it was sensitive to equipment around it.  I originally had it sitting on top of my Xindac DAC, which as it turned out was the worst spot it could be in.  Once isolated, and played for 70+ hours, this unit really sang.  My reference source now includes this DAC.

How can I describe the sound of this unit?  The words: pin point resolution, musicality, big air between instruments, etc. do not really do it justice.  It has all of this and more.  I am most impressed with its ability to reproduce impact-the snap of a snare drum when hit with a wood stick; the impact of a piano, and more.  Listening to Limehouse Blues on Jazz at the Pawnshop and Willow Weep for Me on Happy Coat makes me drool.  August’s Rhapsody on August Rush puts me in front row center.  Classical is also faithfully reproduced without any clutter-each instrument is clear and tonally on the mark.

In short, this DAC is a steal at $1499.  You can read an excellent review at http://hometheaterreview.com/cary-audio-xciter-dac-reviewed/.

The high end home theater room located in Folsom is undergoing many exciting changes.  Recently added are a full compliment of Revel Perfoma speakers.  On display and available for demo are the Performa F32, C32 and S30 loudspeakers.  The clarity, dynamics and huge sound stage these speakers provide must be experienced.

Also on display in the high end theater room is the fantastic sounding Cinema 11a by Cary Audio Design.  This preamp/processor can handle all the latest high resolution formats, including Dolby Tru HD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, and DTS-HD Master Audio.

Please call for an appointment today.

We are changing the website so you will know what we have to audition and in stock.  Also we will be including more pictures and review info so you can be better informed.  Also we have changed browsers so you can now better communicate with Marihart Audio.  Our goal is to keep you better informed about us and about your future purchase.
Please feel free to ask our opinion on your pressing questions or problems. We also want to thank you for your continued support.

I have been talking to Mike Allen of JoLida, Mitch Singerman, Ralph of Atma-Sphere, and others and they all agree that one needs to watch out when using current production Electro-Harmonix tubes (New Sensor is the distributor).  If you are concerned about your tubes, please don’t hesitate to call me and I can test them on my Hickok 6000.  There has been an increasing frequency of these tubes self-destructing and taking out circuits in the equipment itself.  This is not normal.  So far the tubes identified are the EH 12Ax7, EL34, 6CA7, Genelex, and a few others.  I strongly recommend having them tested, or replacing them with brands like Winged C or Ruby.  I am joining with CE Distributing as a dealer so I will be carrying these brands from now on.   I also can get them within 3 business days if I do not have a specific tube in stock.

Main 2 Channel Sound Room

Many of you are probably wondering what type of system we run here at Marihart Audio.  Our demo system has Atma-Sphere M60 3.1 monoblocks and a Cary SLP 05 preamp; the sources are a Soaring Audio HD Falcon Media Center and a Roksan Radius 5 with a Transfiguration Axia Cartridge, Roksan’s Xerxes Phono cable, the table set on a Mapleshade maple block with isolators.  The Phono Stage is either a Whest model 20 or the Heed Quasar.  Cabling is mostly MIT Shotgun MA and Magnum MA, with some Booth Audio Silver. The main speakers are a choice of Acoustic Zen Adagio’s or Revel F32’s.  Speaker wire varies between Magnan Signature or MIT Shotgun MA, depending if we run different amps as I also have a Cary CAD120 (tubed with EL 34) and an LSA Standard Integrated.

Rear 2 Channel sound Room

We have much more in the back room, such as Level 2 modified Jolida JD 302B and JD102B, Heed Obelisk SI (with augmented power supply), Cary Xciter amp and DAC, also Music Hall Maven and A25.2 Integrated.  Sources for the back room are the Jolida JD 100, Cary CDP 1, Music Hall CD25.2 (Modified by Mitch Singerman), Music Hall MMF 5.1SE with either the Bellari VP 129 or the Jolida JD9 phono stages.  Speakers are the Revel F12, LSA 1 Signature and LSA1 Statement, Canton GLE 403, LSA 1 Standard, and the LSA 2 Signature.

We are presently applying to Dali,  bringing in the Ikon2 and Ikon 6 speakers (the whole line is available)-I will tell you more about that later.  We also have other speakers not mentioned above and other electronics so you need to call to see what we have to demo.  I tune the front and backroom systems by ear to provide a musical, warm yet detailed presentation with a large soundstage and good depth of field.  I demand pinpoint imaging of vocals and instrumentals and strive to get this in all of the systems I present to my customers.  Hope to see you soon.
Dave Marihart

We will be adding some posts in the blog very soon…

Cary Audio Xciter Integrated Amp
Last week I received the new Cary Audio Xciter Integrated Amp and have been playing it on various speakers and headphones for about 100 hours now.  I am really excited about this little amp-really tight, precise, lots of air, and yet very musical.  Not as dark as some of their other offerings either.  On headphones it really sounds incredible, not that it is bad on the Adagio Jr. speakers.  Amazing amount of power for a little amp.  It is rated at 9W Class A triode with 40W of peak power per channel.  Has a GREAT headphone amp that uses the 6L6 power tubes and is stable from 4 to 600 ohms.   I have tried Goldrings and Sennheisers on it and they sound wonderful.  This is the first purpose built headphone amp Cary has built in a while-and they hit a home run.  Associated equipment includes  MIT CVT2 IC and speaker interfaces, Jolida JD100 CD player and Cary CDP-1 player, MIT AVT MA ic’s, MIT Zcords and Gutwire BA-16 powercords, Adagio Jr. speakers, Goldring DR 150, AKG K260, and Sennheiser HD600 headphones.

Xindac and Cary Audio have both just revealed new Digital Audio Converters for 2009.  Both upscale the digital input  from 16bit/44k or better to 24bit/192k or 32bit/192k.

Xindac DAC-8 is a 24bit/192k upscaler that will accept any digital source through USB, optical, or coaxial inputs.  It has a choice of solid state output or tube output (6922 tube).  You also have a choice of 24bit/96k or 24bit/192k outputs.  The interesting part of this unit is that it has a volume control on the output-for you people who want to forgo the use of a preamp.  The sound stage is huge and deep with very good detailing.  I have one in house for you who want to listen to it first hand.  I would also take it to your home for you to hear it for yourself in your own system.  The company is Chinese, but have warranty repair in Oakland, CA.  Also John Tucker of Exemplar can do upgrades on this piece through us.  Retail price is 1299.00

Cary Audio’s new Xciter line includes a new 32bit/192k DAC.  It has 2 coaxial inputs, optical, and USB inputs, switchable from the front.  It also upscales any PCM source (16bit/44k, or other) to 32 bit 192k and sounds really great with a wonderful soundstage and great depth.  It will be shipping soon to the retail market and the target price is 1500.00

We just recieved our first shipment of the Audioengine W1-a Wireless Audio adapter.  It has a 100′ range, and boardcasts very high quality 2 channel stereo.  It will link between any digital source  with a receiver, preamp, or powered speakers with clean high grade audio broadcast.  Trust me, we did an acid test with it using a Shanling CDT-300 Limited as a source and a Burmeister demo CD  with a 30′ run to the speakers.  It sounded great with no loss of staging or depth of the source material.  Admittedly the run could have been longer, but with the wide bandwidth and spread spectrum tech I doubt that it would have made much difference.This thing is a steal for 149.95.

Welcome to our new and improved website. We will be blogging right here on the front page so you can keep up to date on all the recent news in the audio world. Please use the comments feature to ask questions and leave comments. We look forward to having a dialogue with you, our valued customers.