THE HI–FI HEADLINES
Duntech Senator. Duntech holds a very special place in the heart of many Australian audiophiles. Not only were they undisputedly one of the finest speakers ever built, they were designed and manufactured here in Australia. Unfortunately the company folded late last century and the name languished for some time, until local speaker manufacturer Kiat Low from Orpheus Loudspeakers acquired the company in 2008, and spent many years improving on the original design. Kiat has produced something special with his new Duntech Senator.
We are not sure what impresses us most about this speaker. They are in every way worthy of carrying the Duntech badge. Just as impressive is the price – the Duntech Senator sells in Australia for $20,000 the pair, this is a remarkable speaker for the price. When you compare them to many ‘name’ speakers at the same price the difference is more than considerable. To top it off the build quality and finish would be one of the best we have seen at any price.
The only downside is availability. The first two (sizeable) production runs were sold out to overseas markets. Hopefully by the time you receive this the third production run will be available, but if not there could be short delay in supply. We have been promised a pair for our floor though, so feel free to come in and have a listen.
Halcro Eclipse. One of the finest amplifiers ever built was from Australian company Halcro – in 2002 Stereophile carried the DM58 on its cover, calling it ‘The best amplifier ever’. Unfortunately, despite such worldwide acclaim, following a take-over in 2008 the brand disappeared.
In 2015 Halcro was acquired by Adelaide company Magenta, and under the watchful eye of the original founder, Bruce Candy, Halcro have spent the last few years on further research and development of this fabulous amplifier.
We have been promised the first Halcro Eclipse pair of mono-block power amplifiers (pictured right) to come off the production line, and should have them in store well before Christmas. Keep an eye on our social media and website – we will be shouting from the rooftops when they arrive. The Halcro Eclipse amps will sell for $126,000 the pair.
Brigadiers Mu.2 Special Edition. Another notable Australian speaker manufacturer is Serhan+Swift – previously BrigadiersOneAudio, the company responsible for the Brigadier Mu.2 we have been enthusing over in previous newsletters. Serhan+Swift have just released a Special Edition version, with a new crossover utilising more exotic components, and cabinets finished in hand-oiled timber veneer has elevated what was already a remarkable compact speaker to an even higher level. If you are in the market for a high quality bookshelf speaker you should have a listen to these – they don’t come much better.