I recieved an ipod for xmas, and so have been looking at all the neat accessories that are available and found this stereo system. Which is just really sexy, so I had to share (plus I haven't seen it linked anywhere else.
If it sounds as good as it looks, there may not be a need for a full on audio system anymore. Sweet. Jeni
Concertina is not cheap (over $4,000) since the Euro is killing the dollar, but it does offer - or claims to offer - the best sound around, due to the use of transistor tubes and flawless German engineering. It is also cute and white. Their pitch:
Because until today, nothing compares to the unique and charming spectrum of tone colours of a tube based audio equipment. Once you get used to the richness of tone of a tube amplifier, you will disdain the synthetic, cool sound of a transistor for the rest of your life.
MGR
It seems to me that if you can hear the difference between a vacuum tube and a well-processed transistor you wouldn't be listening to your music as mp3s in the first place.
I agree with AP in practice, that compressed audio isn't well suited for a high-end audio unit (would you show 320x240 video on a 1080p HDTV?), but the difference between tubes and solid state equipment--any audio system really--is pretty evident to the ear. Just hard to tell in Best Buy with 80 tvs and 20 stereos running. This to make you believe the sales kid who says "This one's better"? Don't believe it? Then why buy a $4k 2-Channel-Ina-Box?
The iPod will do lossless compression that compares favorably to uncompressed CDs. Tubes aren't necessarily better than solid state; the output transformer in tube systems has a large effect on sound quality and good transformers are very expensive.
You could do a lot better with a system from Meridian for somewhat more money.
Of course, audio snobbery can come with a high price. One could spend $875,000 for a few digital sources, a few analog sources and a pair of speakers. At this level, the electronics would likely be solid state. It would also not suck.