Recently, Mark Schifter announced details of the new X-series of electronics from AV123. While these products were already known to be coming, the announcement contained new details of interest (in addition to renders of what the products are expected to look like). The series contains an integrated amp (x-empower), preamp/DAC (x-hub), monoblock amp (x-amp), headphone amp (x-head) and tone control box (x-tone).
The interesting points about these products are not in the ’speeds and feeds’ as we say in the computer industry, but in some of the other details. Most notably that they will be “Made in the USA (at least for the first 6 months)”, breaking from the AV123/Onix model of production based in China. It certainly raises the question ‘Who is making these?’ along with ‘How do you hit those price points with American labor costs?’. Neither question has an answer at the moment.
Getting into the speeds and feeds, there are a couple of items of interest. First, the x-empower, a 2×50W integrated amp at $99, seems to be sitting directly across from the new Sonic Impact $139 upgraded 2×15W integrated amp, but with more power, two inputs and an optional remote. The amplification tech used in the x-empower hasn’t been made public, but prior statements said that it was not tri-path based and that the amplification differs from prototypes that had a lower power output rating.
Another interesting spec is that the x-amp is no longer the x-ice and no longer based on the ICE module as prototypes had been. It isn’t clear what it is based on, but with a rating of 125W into 8ohm, it will be interesting to learn what it might be.
Physically, they will have aluminum cases with optional color baseplates and accessories to allow stacking of the curved-top boxes.
There aren’t many other details on the products at this point (even the branding is unclear), and inferring information from renders is not productive (although the use of push-buttons for volume controls could lead to some conjecture).
