Watch our Heed Audio video report
This weekend's Bristol Show marks the return to the UK of Heed Audio. We've just been to the company's stand for a demo and got updates on UK specs and prices for the entire range.
Hungary-based Heed Audio is bringing its latest integrated, pre and power amplifiers, CD transport, DACs and power supplies bearing the Oblelisk name back to the country from which they first emerged.
In the 1980s, British electronics engineer Richard Hay was responsible for the design of the original Obelisk amplifiers under the Ion Systems brand.
Unfortunately Ion Systems ceased manufacturing. Now Richard Hay is back at Heed Audio (in Cheltenham) assisting the company with new developments and establishing UK distribution for both new and existing models.
Richard Hay says: "The Obelisk has been a huge part of my life. It has lived in the capable hands of Heed Audio in Hungary, with whom I have had a very close relationship for many years, and I am thrilled to be able to bring the latest Heed products to music lovers in the UK."
30 years since its original inception, the Obelisk Si amp (£1290, above) has undergone several updates and improvements. Delivering 35W per channel, it has five inputs, and can be upgraded by adding the X2 power supply. Other options include the Dact 1.2 DAC card (£265) and Vinyl 1 MM phono card (£145).
It's joined by the Obelisk Pre preamp (£1350) with six inputs and remote control, the 50W Obelisk PS stereo (1350) and 60W Obelisk PM (£1450) mono power amps and optional Obelisk X2 (£730) outboard power supply.
Digital music is catered for by the recently added Obelisk DT CD transport (£1350) with HDCD decoding and Obelisk DA digital-to-analogue converter (£1300) with Wolfson DAC. The latter can handle up to five inputs and 192kHz/24-bit signals, and has BNC, RCA, optical and USB inputs.
Visitors to the Bristol Show can experience the entire Heed range fed from a variety of sources including vinyl (played on a Linn LP12 turntable), CD and streamed high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz audio files, all played through PMC speakers.
Heed Audio is on the third floor of the Marriott Hotel, Bristol (room 322) from February 24th-26th.
