In the Hi Fi world there always seems to be this habit of updating a product without really updating it. No intention of actually improving the product for the sake of improvement, but rather for the sake of change. I have always disagreed with this as customers can easily see through the tactic and become disillusioned with any "progress" that is made.
However there is always that rare designer out there who isn't interested in improving the product by a small, almost immeasurable margin, but rather strives to make a significant improvement that reflects the respect they have for the original design without being completely tied down by it. One of these rare men is Vinnie Rossi from Red Wine Audio. Every step he makes is for the benefit and improvement of the product.
His latest round of upgrades bring not only a performance step forward but they also bring a convenience for main stream users of his battery powered amps and DAC's.
As soon as I mention battery powered amps and DAC's to some people I can see their eyes glaze over and interest is lost. Why? I guess people see batteries as unreliable and not powerful enough to be used in a great sounding amp. And yet they seem to forget that they start their car with a battery everyday or that you have the ability to weld sections of steel together with the power that batteries can posses. We have been told so often that more power in an amp equates to better performance and sound that we have lost all perspective on what really matters. Articulation, accuracy, realism, tone, current delivery -these are the things that matter in good amp design. Coupled with reasonably sensitive speakers and you have a match made in heaven. In fact, for the cost it can become very difficult to beat indeed.
With the introduction of upgraded batteries, a new SMART charger and a valve for buffering purposes, Vinnie is striving to push the performance of his products to an all-time high.
These improvements are one of the reasons I enjoy promoting and selling his product. I can be confident that he is doing the right thing for future customers while offering an upgrade path for previous customers. For me this shows the greatest of respect for everyone involved. And respect is what it is all about, without respect in this business we have nothing. I just wish more people had the drive and vision that Vinnie has to keep people interested in great audio.The new range of amps and DAC's is now available at no extra cost. That's right, no extra cost for significant improvement in usability and performance. Now that is what I call respect.
You can read all about the technical upgrades for the Red Wine Audio products at http://www.redwineaudio.com/
