I may not know a lot about audio technology, but I know what I like when it comes to audio equipment. And I like the Rubicon Atomic AD/DA Preamp from Antelope Audio. (Click the picture for a better view.) Ignoring all its features for a moment, this has to be the most gorgeous piece of audio equipment I’ve ever seen. (Eat your hearts out B&O!) The Rubicon has tons of high-tech features: 64-bit acoustically focused clocking jitter management technology, 384kHz A/D & D/A converters, custom USB 2.0 chip streaming up to 480 Mbits/384kHz with recording option, ultra-linear, dual stage headphone amps, gold-plated stepped relay volume attenuator matched to 0.05dB for all volume levels, Ethernet connectivity – it even has a 10M Rubidium Atomic Clock, providing 100,000 times more accurate reference. I’m not sure what a lot of this means, but I’m pretty sure it means the Rubicon is going to be expensive. There’s no price listed yet for the “world’s first 384 kHz converter, phono stage preamp and headphone amplifier with an integrated atomic clock.” You can check it out if you’ll be at the High End Show in Munich, Germany, May 3-6.
Think how beautiful the Rubicon would look with Orb Audio speakers…
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That’s an interesting combination…and I’d love to try it ripping my best vinyl to digital.
Just looked at the company. That is a focused and specialized venture indeed.