Gary Steel
SOME OF YOU may remember local audio aficionado Martin Bell’s recent, super-successful crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter for his NZ-created passive preamp, the JAVA.
For those of you who don’t (remember, that is), here’s its description in a nutshell: “The JAVA is an audiophile-quality, passive pre-amp utilising LDR (light dependent resistor) technology in a unique circuit design.”
It also happens to be drop-dead gorgeous, as you can see from this latest batch of photos, revealing the now highly refined pre-production version of both the JAVA Single Shot and the JAVA Triple Shot.
Mmm, feel like coffee! (But I digress…)
Martin reveals in his latest update that quite a few nice tweaks have been made since the original campaign. “Rather than off-the-shelf units sources from China, the JAVA now features 3D printed feet and front panel knobs made from composite aluminium-polyamide (Alumide). We’ve upped the ante on vibration control too, with cork discs on the underside of the feet helping to provide additional isolation from external vibration. We have also added a third casework option – ‘honey oak’ – which sits between natural birch and dark walnut on the JAVA colour chart.”
Possibly even more importantly, “Final adjustments to the JAVA circuit have yielded incremental gains in sound quality, taking the JAVA to new heights of sonic excellence.”
The first production models of the JAVA should be turning up around October. We can’t wait. Just hope all that audio caffeine doesn’t give us the jitters!
