laughterhouse is the word that I used to describe the High End exhibition in Munich last year. What I had in mind was the fact that the number of visitors per square meter at that time exceeded human perception capabilities. As Kurt Hecker, the Chairman of the High End Society (the organizer of the exhibition), said, the whole exhibition area offered by the Munich Order Center was used then. This year there were even more exhibitors willing to participate in the event. As I had predicted, the only possibility left for the organizer, i.e. the High End Society, was congestion – both in halls and in open areas in the so-called Atria, i.e. areas between rows of rooms on the first floor. If there is demand, it is easier to control supply – by raising prices, for example. This year they rose by 15% for exhibitors. However, no one made any special complaints – the fact was accepted with dignity and/or resignation, because, as an owner of a famous brand told me: “In fact, we have no choice. High End is the most important audio event in the world. We have to be there.” It must be a coincidence, but the rise was accompanied with a change of the Managing Director of the High End Society – during the 36th edition of the exhibition that originated in 1982, Stefan Dreischärf was appointed to replace Branko Glisovic. As we read on the Society’s website, he is responsible for “organizing the High End exhibition and the relationship with our partners and exhibitors” as the “project manager” (The Team [accessed: 22.05.2017]). As I knew beforehand that the two days that I had were not enough for me to see everything, i.e. were enough to see just a little part of the exhibition, I gave up running, barging and hunting – that would have resulted in nothing good, anyway. On Thursday I only went to the presentations and meetings that I had planned to attend, while on Friday I just had a cursory look at the whole exhibition. So, I only saw a fraction of the stands and systems, and I hope you will forgive me that. Then we also awarded the Best Sound High End 2017 awards. PRESENTATIONS Audionet STERN | HEISENBERG I will start with a presentation that I was late for and only managed to take a picture of the Stern model through glass – I am talking about the Audionet Stern preamplifier and Heisenberg power amp. I talked to engineers later and got some literature, so I know something about the devices. They are intended to become top high-end products, embodying all of the company’s knowledge. Apart from a lot of interesting system and mechanical solutions, it is worth paying attention to the design, which almost always constitutes the weakest aspect of audio devices. In this case, the person responsible for the look is Hartmut Esslinger from the Cupertin studio, one of the most famous German designers who had worked for Sony and Apple, among others. It was a good idea – Heisenberg got the National Design Award, one awarded in the USA to the best designs, and then his work was exhibited at the National Gallery of Art at the Smithsonian Institution. The devices look amazing and produce organic, almost warm sound. I must listen to them at my place, but I can already say that they are the current top high-end. Dynaudio SPECIAL FORTY The premiere of the Special Forty speakers, as you can easily guess, was intended to honor the 40th company anniversary. Dynaudio decided to celebrate with speakers that are small, relatively cheap and available to everyone – i.e. it is not a limited edition. The Special Forty are standmount two-way speakers that crown the whole series of such a type of products, with the Special One, Special Twenty-Five, Crafft and Contour 1.3SE in the lead. There are two exclusive finishes available for the speakers: Grey Birch or Red Birch. Veneers are cur cross grain, so they look different than usual. Both the woofer and tweeter were made especially for this model – the former is a new version of a bass-midrange speaker with a diameter of 170 mm and an MSP cone, while the latter is the latest Esotar version. It has a hybrid magnet, which allows more space in the rear chamber, thanks to which more damping material can be packed in. They are connected using a first-order crossover that is complex as it incorporates 6 Ω Impedance Alignment and Phase Alignment technologies. The suspension of the woofer is asymmetrical in order to improve the linearity of membrane excursion, while the AirFlow Basket, i.e. asymmetrical basket arms are to help air flow freely. The speakers were connected to a NAD system, with a file player as the preamp and a D-class power amp. The sound we heard can be described as dark, large, full, dense and detailed. It is unbelievable how fast audio companies have moved from “detail” to “general”, maintaining all the advantages of both reproduction methods. The thing is that high-end sound now is sound which is dark at first sight, until instruments operating in the treble enter, as then it becomes strong and detailed. “Darkness” tells us about minimizing noise that used to create the impression of “openness” and “detail”. It was fake. Real sound reproduced in home conditions and from any medium is, in my opinion, more similar to what I heard in the Dynaudio room than to sound from hypercorrect, hyper-clear systems where you seem to have everything, but the listening experience is just unbearable. The Special Forty speakers produced very big sound. They created a lot of space in a few dozen square meter high-ceiling room, with very low bass (as for standmount speakers). Its lower edge was not clearly controlled, but, in the end, that was an exhibition. Anyway, the Special Forty are beautiful speakers that sound “my” way. dynaudio.com Crystal Cable | THE ULTIMATE DREAM International Audio Holding, the company behind the Crystal Cable and Siltech brands, had two important premieres this year: speaker and power cables from The Ultimate Dream (Crystal Cable) series, and power cables completing the Triple Crown series (Siltech). The Ultimate Dream series is the greatest achievement of the company. Each cable consists of seven different conductors: a monocrystal silver and gold alloy, a silver and gold alloy, a gold-plated one, monocrystal silver on the outside and a silver-plated monocrystal copper screen. The Triple Crown Power is a cable made of monocrystal silver, using the latest Furutech connectors from the NCF series. The CEO of Siltech, Mr Edwin van Kley (a member of the Krakow Sonic Society) and the presenter, Mr Lincoln Cheng, the editor-in-chief of the “Audiotechnique” magazine published in Hong Kong. However, the presentation that I participated in included both cables and electronics (the Crystal Cable Integrated amplifier and the Crystal Cable Minissimo Diamond speakers with a special top, minimizing diffractions) in the background. The sound source was the dCS Vivaldi transport with an external clock. The main theme of the meeting were so-called “glass discs”, i.e. CDs made not of polycarbonate (ordinary CDs) or plastic used for LCD production (SHM-CDs and HQCDs), but of glass. The production of such CDs is very expensive and time-consuming, so they cost a lot – from 2000 to even 6000 PLN per CD! The presenters were: Mr Edwin van der Kley (Siltech) and Mr Lincoln Cheng, the editor-in-chief of the “Audiotechnique” magazine published in Hong Kong, the owner of the CDs. As he told me after the presentation, he has 45 of them... However, it was enough to listen to an ordinary version of a given CD and to its glass counterpart just for a moment to understand the whole thing and see how much is lost between the mastering studio and the consumer. It is a thing that I have been repeating for years, presenting Master CD-Rs burnt at a studio. Glass discs have incredibly filled sound and a very silent “background” – it seems that their sound is velvety and soft, but only because we get plenty of information. In contrast to them, an ordinary CD seems to be very euphonic and colored. All of this was clear and obvious from the beginning, since the Crystal Cable system that we used to listen to music is both characterized by incredibly high resolution and wonderfully “musical”. The latter means that we did not focus on details, but synthesized the overall picture in our heads, without a loss of information or blurring the differences, exactly because of the fact that these differences were so perfectly clear. So, I had no choice and the Crystal Cable & Siltech room received the Best Sound High End 2017 award. crystalcable.com siltechcables.com TechDAS AIR FORCE (almost) ZERO However, in an alphabetical order, the last of the four described presentations, held by Mr Hideaki Nishikawa, the head of designers, opened the whole exhibition. On Thursday, the day intended for the so-called “industry”, at 10 o’clock I sat in the first row next to Michael Fremer (“Stereophile”), with Ken Kessler (“Hi-Fi News”) on the left and Robert Harley (“The Absolute Sound”) behind. The topic of the presentation was supposed to be the latest and the most expensive (two times more costly than the Air Force One) turntable from the Japanese company TechDAS. The presentation was untypical in the sense that Mr Hideaki Nishikawa talked in Japanese, which was interpreted into German by one of his colleagues and from German to English by our friend, Volker Bohlmeier, the owner of the Einstein company and the German distributor of the TechDAS brand. Michael Fremer (“Stereophile”) is trying to hold the upper part of the plate, made of tungsten. It was supposed to be a presentation of the Zero model and it was, but not completely, as only the Zero motor module was delivered to Munich. So, the listening session made use of the Premium model, i.e. an improved version of the One, with the Zero motor. We could learn what the complete Zero is supposed to look like by looking at pictures from a tablet. Not much can be said about details, but it is known that the artistic design is a lot different from earlier TechDAS devices. It is also known that the plate will be the same as in the Premium model, i.e. with the upper layer made of a tungsten alloy. “Tungsten” seems to be one of the new “magical words”, replacing “titan”. The thin thing was so heavy that Mr Nishikawa-san’s assistant (just like Michael Fremer) could hardly carry it in both hands. However, we could see the most important element – i.e. the motor – live and listen to what the Premium model sounds like with it. In fact, the motor resembles a highly advanced turntable, as it has a large-diameter plate floating on an airbag, just like the main plate in TechDAS turntables. The whole thing is large and looks like, let me repeat myself, a small turntable standing next to a big one. The motor got another box with an air pump – the same as the main plate. Pneumatic decoupling is to eliminate speaker vibrations (their impact on the motor) and motor vibrations (impact on the main plate). The turntable operated in a full, top-of-the-line CH Precision system, with enormous Vivid Audio Giya G3 speakers having a brilliant yellow color. It appeared very quickly what the greatest advantage of the new motor is – after a few bars of the first musical piece, one metal woofer grille fell off – the woofer excursion was simply incredible. Then, another one fell off and the remaining two were quickly removed by Mr Nishikawa-san’s assistant. It is all about incredible dynamics. It is a turntable that produces unbelievably clear sound, characterized by almost as good resolution as a reel-to-reel tape recorder. Anyway, dynamics was number one. Takeshi Inomata’s album The Dialogue, released in 1977 by a Japanese specialist in “absolute sound”, Audio Lab Record, was played at the end of the presentation. The percussion sounded live. What I always hear while listening to recordings, i.e. compression and a characteristic “microphone” sound did not exist there. It was real, live percussion – one of its best reproductions I have ever heard. techdas.jp BEST SOUND HIGH END 2017 NAGRA | WILSON AUDIO | KRONOS | TRANSPARENT | AIR TIGHT A visit in the Nagra company room is always an important event. This time, René Laflamme chose top-of-the-range Nagra HDamp power amplifiers and Wilson Audio Alexx speakers. There were four sound sources: the Kronos Pro turntable, Nagra T R2R reel-to-reel tape recorder, Nagra Seven file player and Nagra CDT CD transport. For me, the most beautiful sound was produced by the tape recorder, but it was closely followed by… the CD player. It was coherent, but also incredibly dynamic sound. I did not even hear a shadow of what the Wilson Audio speakers usually sound like at exhibitions, i.e. sterility. What we decided to give our award for this year was this sound from a classic CD. What is interesting, when we were placing our sticker on the door frame, we found a sticky spot that remained there after our sticker from last year was removed :) René Laflamme with our sticker :) Power amplifier: Nagra HD AMP ($82,500) Digital-to-analog converter: Nagra HD DAC ($30,000) Power amplifier: Nagra ClassicAmp ($17,000) Phono stage: Nagra VPS ($7,650) Compact Disc transport: Nagra CDT ($14,000) Reel-to-reel tape recorder: Nagra T R2R Digital recorder: Nagra Seven Speakers: Wilson Audio Alexx Turntable: Kronos Pro http://highfidelity.pl/@main-2968&lang= Cartridge: Air Tight Opus 1 Cables: Transparent Opus; all prices in US dollars LYRAVOX Lyravox, a company with a seat in Hamburg, came across as brilliant when it offered integrated music systems completely different from any other ones (at least at first sight), during the High End 2015 exhibition two years ago. Perfectly made and designed, they were a sort of “soundbars” for people with imagination and money. In systems hung on walls, there was a CD player, a Bluetooth receiver, a set of amplifiers with DSP correction and speakers. The sound was simply charming. This year, when I was going to a meeting with Mr Götz von Laffert, who founded the company with Mr Jens Wietschorke (Wieczorek in Polish maybe?), I thought that he wanted to show me another version of the concept. Imagine my surprise when I saw enormous floor standing speakers at the entrance to the exhibition room. Karl, accompanied by its smaller version – Karlotta, is a technologically advanced active system based on ceramic Acuton speakers and a Scan Speak woofer. The system is equipped with an audio file streamer, eight D-class amplifiers, (500 W each) and a DSP system, correcting the phase, amplitude and crossover filters. Mr Götz von Laffert at the entrance to the Lyravox listening room Of course we know such systems, for example the already iconic Beolab 90 speakers, but Lyravox added sound to technology and design – sound that was surprisingly mature. “Surprisingly”, as we are talking about a company that was set up in 2013 – one that has not had any experience with such projects so far. What a surprise! The sound resembled what we get from high-class tube amplifiers and a good turntable. If this is what digital audio is to look like in the 21st century, we are at home… The system costs €43,000. AEQUO AUDIO | AUDIOPAX | SOUND GALLERIES | TELLURIUM Q | INFINIT! I happen to know almost all the components of this system – except for the server and the rack – from tests in my system. In Munich, the Aequo Audio Ensis speakers produced free, spatial sound with really few colorings at the bottom end, which is a nightmare in all exhibition rooms, especially such ones (with thin walls). It shows how well the bass correction system in the active part of the speakers and the midrange/treble system work. The amplifiers were more than good as well, guaranteeing coherence, a breeze of warmth and density. The Tellurium Q cables prevented speed and resolution from being lost. Gentlemen (from the left): Ivo Sparidaens (Aequo Audio), Paul Rassin (Aequo Audio), Silvio Pereira (Audiopax) Server: Sound Galleries SGM 2015 (€16,000) Preamplifier: Audiopax Maggiore L50 (€18,000) Power amplifier: Audiopax Maggiore M50 (€31,000) Speakers: Aequo Audio Ensis (special copper-plated anniversary edition, €28,800) Cables: Tellurium Q Silver Diamond + Ultra Silver Power Rack: iNFiNiT! (€9,800); all the prices include 20% VAT KONDO | KAISER ACOUSTICS It is another room that we gave our award to for the second time in a row, officially giving our Statement Award 2016 for the Kondo OnGaku amplifier at the same time. It was impossible to do it in a different way. Ongaku electronics in combination with speakers, a rack and Spline diffusers made by the German company Kawero! create a show that is going to be difficult to forget. Beauty, a story, flow – these are the first words that came to my mind. A moment for a selfie with the “High Fidelity” award – Mr Reiner Weber, a constructor from the Keiser Acoustic company (on the left) and Mr Masaki Ashizawa, a constructor and the CEO of Kondo Turntable: Ginga Cartridge: Kondo IO-M Preamplifier: G-1000 Power amplifier: Kondo Kagura Speakers: Kaiser Acoustics Kavero! Classic C3 (Kondo) Rack: Kaiser Acoustics Leading Edge AYON AUDIO | LUMEN WHITE It is not that Gerhard Hirt is able to prepare a system worth awarding the Best Sound Award for each exhibition, at least not in Munich. In Warsaw, however, he seems to have a patent for preparing one of the best exhibition systems. The problem with exhibitions in Munich is a very small room with thin walls. This year, however, everything was very, very pleasant, mainly thanks to “the smallest” speakers from the Silver Flame series. “The smallest” because they are still quite large five-speaker speakers, based on ceramic drivers. Anyway, they are the smallest in the series. The sound was so good, i.e. coherent, dynamic and characterized by very high resolution also thanks to the source – the CD-35 player, the Conquistador preamp and Orthos power amplifiers. However, the speakers themselves let the system sound in such an open and unconstrained way. The Lumen White are one of those constructions characterized by the highest resolution that I know, showing every error on the way. They clearly found nothing in this system. It was interesting, at least for me, that Gerhard placed all his devices on Harmonix decoupling feet. Mr Hartmut Roemer (Lumen White) and Mr Gerhard Hirt (Ayon Audio, Lumen White) Super Audio CD player: Ayon Audio CD-35 ( €10,000) File player: Ayon Audio S-10 (€7,500) Preamplifier: Ayon Audio Conquistador (€60,000) Power amplifiers: Ayon Audio Orthos (€25,000) Speakers: Lumen White Kyara (€48,800/pair) Cables: Ayon Pearl Cables ayonaudio.com lumenwhite.com SOUNDSMITH | VPI Mr Peter Ledermann himself In this tiny room, where the Soundsmith company celebrated its birthday, Mr Peter Ledermann presented the most expensive cartridges incorporating the Strain Gauge technology, using the VPI turntable and the Alto tone arm designed by Frank Schröder, built under a licence by Soundsmith. The sound was presented using speakers designed and built by Peter Ledermann himself. These tiny devices produced fantastic sound. There was everything that I already know from cheaper designs of this manufacturer, i.e. warmth and almost no crackling sounds, with an incredible insight into a recording. All the best! Cartridges: Soundsmith Strain Gauge 810 Signature with the SG6 needle (Schroeder) Soundsmith Hyperion (VPI) Soundsmith Paua Mk. II (VPI) Soundsmith MIMC Star (VPI) Turntable: VPI HRX + VPI JMW 12" + Schroeder Reference Phonostage/Line preamplifier: Soundsmith MCP-2 Phono Power amplifier: Soundsmith HE-150 Signature Amplifier Speakers: Soundsmith Monarch + Dragonfly Cables: Transparent Cable sound-smith.com SFORZATO | FIDELIO | SPEC | HARBETH | SINE The room I am talking about was mainly occupied by Japanese companies, with Sforzato – a manufacturer of top high-end file players and Fidelio – a manufacturer of top high-end servers in the lead. They were supported by the SPEC company whose amplifier was being used, and Harbeth speakers from a new anniversary series. Let me add that the speakers stood on really beautiful Hi-Fi Rack stands. I still have reservations about files played at home (in contrast to files played at a studio from a computer system in which they were recorded or mastered), but if this sounds like in the system with Sforzato and Fidata devices as the sound source, I’m in. That was incredibly communicative and cultural sound – very transparent, with a lot of information, but unbelievably smooth at the same time. There did not seem to be a lot of bass or treble in it, but only until a moment when something hit and rang – then it all sounded almost like from an analog mother tape. Bravo! Panowie Omata Kyochi-san (Sforzatto, CEO) oraz Tomoyoshi Sugimori (Fidata, szef sprzedaży) Audio file player: Sforzato Server: Fidada HFAS1-XS20U Amplifier: SPEC RSA-F33EX (Polish) Speakers: Harbeth 40.2 40th Anniversary sfz.co.jp iodata.jp/ EINSTEIN | TECHDAS | ARTESANIA AUDIO Volker Bohlmeier and Annette Heiss are two sides of the same golden medal: the Einstein company. Volker is responsible for the inside of their devices, while Annette is in charge of the artistic design and the company’s finance. Together, they create something special that I was able to witness during this year’s exhibition. The system that they compiled was very similar to that from the last year, but something must have changed in it, because the moment I entered the room, I instantly heard very good sound on the right. The source in the system was the TechDAS Air Force Two turntable with an Einstein cartridge and arm, an Einstein preamplifier and power amplifiers, but mostly the company’s speakers prepared in cooperation with the creator of the AudioMachina speakers (Polish). It was fast dynamic sound in which an important role was played by warmth given by the amplification system. The bass was excellently controlled, even in such a small room. A perfect duo: Volker Bohlmeier and Annette Heiss Turntable: TechDAS Air Force Two Arm: Einstein Cartridge: Einstein The Pickup Amplifier: Einstein The Preamp + The Silver Bullet OTL Speakers: Einstein The Pure Rack: Artesania Audio einstein-audio.de PYLON AUDIO | FEZZ AUDIO Pylon Audio and Fezz Audio are companies that I tour Poland with, conducting workshops that aim to explain my way of testing, my choices and “biases”. At the same time, I try to talk about how recordings are made, how one is supposed to listen to them and what to look for. So, it can be said that I know the sound of these companies’ products. Each time I hear sound as good as I heard in Munich, I get confirmation that it is possible to prepare an audio system which won’t ruin a home budget, but is absolutely satisfactory – as the one in the photo above. Amplifier: Fezz Audio Mira Ceti Speakers: Pylon Audio Opal 20 CD player: Lector CDP-7T Rack: Pylon Audio Elegance T3 MONITOR AUDIO | ROKSAN At the end of the list of awards given during the High End 2017 exhibition, I have left some space for a big surprise: the new Monitor Audio speakers from the Silver series. I must say that the new series is much better than the previous one, in every respect. First of all, it looks better, but it mostly plays better. It is assisted by electronics from the Roksan company that has recently been bought by Monitor Audio, but, mostly, it is driven by new thinking about sound, which could be felt. The sound is open and fast, but it has depth, good resolution and selectivity. At the time when I was there, the sound source was the Roksan K3 player. Electronics: Roksan K3 Speakers: Monitor Audio Silver 200 Rack: Blok THE WHOLE REST If I were to summarize this year’s exhibition somehow, I would have to refer to a few different trends. On the one hand, it is visible that audio is fashionable again and important in people’s lives. It was possible to see when one looked at visitors, but mostly due to the fact that a lot of money has been injected into the industry. The money comes from a few different sources, mostly from big companies and capital funds, etc. that are buying individual brands – e.g. Samsung that acquired the Harman company, or D+M Holding, i.e. a company which includes Marantz and Denon (among others), acquired by the private fund Sound United, a part of DEI Holdings. This is real money and if there was no development potential in audio, nobody would even think of investing. So, one should expect more acquisitions and a concentration of brands under one “roof”, but also the emergence of new ones. Apparently, banks and investors now believe that it is possible to get a return on investment here. Therefore, many talented engineers are looking for a seat at our table. Good examples of companies that have successfully entered the audio industry are Lyravox and Aequo Audio. I think there will be more such companies in the future – ones with excellently qualified constructors, money and ideas. It is also important to us that their products look great, which differentiates them from 20th century designs. Another strong trend is connected with headphones. Every single manufacturer wants (must) offer headphones, a headphone amplifier or a DAC with a headphone amplifier. On the one hand, the mobile aspect is developing, with the Astern & Kern company in the lead – one that exemplifies a successful combination of audiophile ethos and a pragmatic approach to products. It demonstrates that mobile audio can cost as much as or more than non-mobile devices, which was confirmed by the Audeze company offering magnetostatic “earphone” headphones. Another variation of this trend are stationary headphone systems. It is closely connected with what is happening in classic audio, i.e. audio with a focus on prices. Thanks to it, we get such incredible creations as the HiFiMAN Shangri-La system, the Edition 8 EX Ultrasone headphones, or the new Octave V16 amplifier. They are great, sound excellent and are slowly creating a separate top high-end category in the headphones domain. However, it does not change the fact that prices offered by companies in the lead are growing faster than one could have expected, compared to other firms in the peloton. It is something that was much more visible in Munich when one looked at classic systems – something that could be called “gigantomania”. It is because audio devices are becoming larger and larger, while their prices are also growing. The prices of top-of-the-line audio devices have rocketed with the speed of light and finally left Earth. It is true that many of these audio stratosphere products sound brilliant. However, their price is connected with a new vision of the audio industry as a luxurious niche rather than with companies’ overheads. In the past, one could dream of slowly progressing on the price and quality scale, and perhaps one day reaching the top in a given company’s offer, now “Abandon all hope – Ye Who Enter Here”, it will never happen. How about the source issue? I have been attentively following trends in this domain for years, since it particularly interests me and, as I think, I know something about it. This year I could observe no regularity. CD, SACD and file players, streamers, reel-to-reel tape recorders and turntables were presented on an equal footing. There were a lot of turntables, some of which cost very little. Among the rooms we awarded there were ones where CDs, LPs and files were played, so no ultimate opinion can be formed on this basis. It seems that, at least for now, we are dealing with a plateau, i.e. stabilization of the situation. It is fantastic news for clients – everyone will find something for themselves, adequate to their beliefs and habits. I wonder whether this will change next year – perhaps the exhibition itself will change. As I heard at the backstage, the possibility of moving it to a different venue is being considered, where all willing exhibitors could be accepted. I do not know whether it is going to happen or not. However, I know that the audio industry firmly stands on its feet and, if it does not stumble because of exaggerated prices, it will return to the entertainment mainstream for good. See you next year! [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/005.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/005.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/005.jpg" desc="Our friends from the HiFiPig.com portal – Stuart (hidden behind the camera) and Linette."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/040.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/040.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/040.jpg" desc="The presentation made by Mr Hideaki Nishikawa from the TechDAS company attracted journalists from all over the world."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/050.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/050.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/050.jpg" desc="Mr Hideaki Nishikawa (to the left) and Robert Harley, the editor-in-chief of the American magazine “The Absolute Sound”."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/054.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/054.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/054.jpg" desc="A view of one of the Atriums. Listening rooms are located on both sides, also on the first floor."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/055.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/055.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/055.jpg" desc="Dragana Zirkel, responsible for the promotion of the Ultrasone company, with its Go model. I tried it myself – the Bluetooth connection range is several meters with no signal loss."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/056.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/056.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/056.jpg" desc="People say the most important thing is to leave your own mark somewhere – we left ours on the stairs of Atrium 3."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/061.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/061.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/061.jpg" desc="Enormous Azzolina Audio The Sfera horns and equally big Deutsche Elektronenröhren Manufaktur amplifiers. The latter make use of Elrog triodes."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/065.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/065.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/065.jpg" desc="The Polish company hORNS by Auto Tech prepared completely new speakers that do not look like horn speakers at first sight. Only after a moment one can see the tweeter and midrange driver horns."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/066.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/066.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/066.jpg" desc="Another Polish brand, My Sound, this time with the new Pre preamp."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/067.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/067.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/067.jpg" desc="A beautifully prepared and good-sounding Kharma company room. Number one were the Veyron EV-4 speakers equipped with new Kharma Omega-F drivers. The cables used were the new Enigma Veyron. There were two sources – the Clearaudio Statement turntable and the Vivaldi SACD dCS player."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/074.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/074.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/074.jpg" desc="The new Tri-Planar U-12 arm."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/077.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/077.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/077.jpg" desc="One of the most interesting presentations – Mr Giulio Cesare Ricci, the owner of the record company Fonè in the Blumenhoffer room. Mr Ricci records classical music and releases it on LPs as a limited edition of 496 copies, as well as on tape. The presentation compared the two formats. The speakers in the photo are the Gran Gioia Mk2 model."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/078.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/078.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/078.jpg" desc="One of Fonè productions: “Paganini Accardo”."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/080.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/080.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/080.jpg" desc="Fonè tapes were played using the TEAC A-7300RX tape recorder."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/081.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/081.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/081.jpg" desc="An unexpected novelty: a limited edition (250 pieces) of the integrated dCS Vivaldi One player. The player was created on the occasion of the company’s 30th anniversary. As Raveen Bawa told me, effort was made to include exactly the same components in it as in two-piece elements."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/084.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/084.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/084.jpg" desc="Boenicke is a Swiss company specializing in unusual speakers. The W-13 model is based on a 3” full range speaker and a company’s own 6” midrange driver with a wooden membrane. On the sides there are two 13” woofers with D-class amplifiers."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/086.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/086.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/086.jpg" desc="One of the most important premieres of the exhibition: the Marten Coltrane Tenor 2 speakers. Their characteristic features are diamond tweeters, as well as ceramic midrange drivers and woofers. The housing is placed on special stands. The inner cables were manufactured by the Jorma Design company.  "] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/088.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/088.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/088.jpg" desc="Marten Coltrane Tenor 2 speakers were powered by the Engström Eric amplifier. The sources were: a renewed Thorens TD124, the Nagra IV-S reel-to-reel tape recorder and the MSB Select DAC II."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/095.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/095.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/095.jpg" desc="Such a view is becoming more and more popular among manufacturers and specialists."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/100.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/100.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/100.jpg" desc="The enormous Zellaton Reference ONE speakers and giant YS Sound YS 5-772JP power amplifiers (1500 W per channel…). YS Sound is a company with a seat in Japan."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/113.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/113.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/113.jpg" desc="On top of the Diapason Dynamis speakers there is a special van den Hul supertweeter."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/114.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/114.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/114.jpg" desc="The awaited, smaller version of the Helix turntable, the Helix 2 model, still with the Minus K system."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/116.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/116.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/116.jpg" desc="A novelty from Thrax Audio, a transistor integrated amplifier."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/117.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/117.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/117.jpg" desc="Mr Paul Messenger, the editor-in-chief of the “HiFiCritic” magazine, on the left and Mr Rumen Atarski, the owner of Thrax Audio, on the right. Between them there are new integrated amplifiers – a transistor one on the right and a tube one on the left."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/122.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/122.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/122.jpg" desc="Mads Klifoth with his latest creation, a special version of the Audiovector QR3 speakers. Their housing is finished with a thin layer of concrete (it looks incredible), the tweeter has been replaced with an Avantgarde version, phase correctors are now gold-plated, cables have been changed, etc. The aim was to show what these constructions can do."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/126.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/126.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/126.jpg" desc="An Advance Acoustic system with large X-L1000 speakers accompanied by little devices from the Smart series – the D/A DX1 Blanc converter and power amplifiers that had their premiere in Munich."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/127.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/127.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/127.jpg" desc="A very beautiful Thorens TD 907 turntable – a sentimental return to the past, but in a new form."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/130.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/130.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/130.jpg" desc="A percussion mini-concert with an electronic instrument connected to the Avantgarde Acoustic Trio speakers with six Basshorn subwoofers. To be honest, these horn speakers are among the few ones that can show the dynamics, attack and strike needed to reproduce the right sound of the percussion."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/136.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/136.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/136.jpg" desc="Avid HiFi, a brand that has been known for years only for its turntables, has been producing complete systems for the last two or three years. The photo presents aluminum Reference Four speakers. Behind them there is the Ingenium turntable with a fantastic finish (polished stainless steel)."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/137.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/137.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/137.jpg" desc="Conrad Mass (on the right), the owner of Avid, explaining the advantages of the new electronics to Ed Selley from AV Forums."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/138.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/138.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/138.jpg" desc="Avid HiFi had been using arms manufactured by other companies (mostly by SME) for years and now it offers its own three arms with the most interesting one in the centre. The most expensive of them is 3D-printed and made of titanium!"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/139.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/139.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/139.jpg" desc="At the times when physical media are being given up, such a big CD player – the Gryphon Kalliope – deserves special attention."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/142.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/142.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/142.jpg" desc="The system in the FinkTeam company room, with two sources – the enormous Telefunken reel-to-reel tape recorder at the back and a small file player. Karl Heinz Fink had prepared the WM-4 speakers powered by Octave electronics. The speakers weigh 135 kg and cost €65,000."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/143.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/143.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/143.jpg" desc="The abovementioned Telefunken tape recorder, the Magnetophon 15A model. At the backstage in Juliusz Słowacki theater, where I used to work, we had two such tape recorders with the company’s own stands."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/146.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/146.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/146.jpg" desc="Another CD player, this time from the inside: the Audio Exclusiv P 8. As it can be seen, it uses the Philips Pro 2 CD drive, has got three separate amplifiers and a tube output; the front is made of marble."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/149.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/149.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/149.jpg" desc="The Kronos company did not present a turntable this time, but something based on it – a phono stage called the Audio Reference Tube Phono that it had prepared in collaboration with a Greek specialist, the True Life Audio company (Velissaries Georgiadis). The whole thing constitutes a complete analog source."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/150.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/150.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/150.jpg" desc="A very elegant (as usual) presentation of the Nordost company, using Moon Audio electronics (with a CD player in the main role) and the Audio Physic Avantera speakers. What attracted our attention were the three QX systems produced by the QRT company distributed by Nordost, placed before the main system. Their task is to clean the power network."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/159.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/159.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/159.jpg" desc="Another example of a new (to me) CD transport: the Magnifico manufactured by the Italian company North Star Design. It uses Stream Unlimited CD100 mechanics dampened using Technogel dampers. Signal from the CD is upsampled to DSD256 or PCM 384 kHz and only sent in this form to the DAC (using the I2S connection)."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/165.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/165.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/165.jpg" desc="This year, Soulution surprised us with the cheapest ‘3xx’ series. The photo shows the 330 integrated amplifier. The series is based on solutions used in the ‘5xx’ series. The 330 model is equipped with a 1200 W amplifier and offers 100 W at 8 Ω, and 200 W at 4 Ω. Two ohms? Here you are: 400 W, although only of musical power."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/167.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/167.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/167.jpg" desc="The Swiss De Baer company and its Sapphire turntable with an Onyx arm."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/170.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/170.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/170.jpg" desc="Another CD player presented at the exhibition – one out of three offered by the German company MBL. The photo shows its Reference Line 1621A transport which costs €21,600."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/177.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/177.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/177.jpg" desc="Two McIntosh products that I had not known before: the MP100 phono stage (on top) and the MB50 file player (streamer). The latter is equipped with a headphone amplifier and the DTS Play-Fi circuit which makes it possible to play music from mobile devices, using a home Wi-Fi network."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/178.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/178.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/178.jpg" desc="Another tasteful discreet system with Denon devices and Definitive Technology speakers."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/183.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/183.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/183.jpg" desc="Mr Masaki Ashizawa and me, giving the award for the OnGaku amplifier."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/188.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/188.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/188.jpg" desc="Metaxas & Sons with the Marquis Memento Mori headphone amplifier, this time in different colors."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/193.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/193.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/193.jpg" desc="Many companies offer aluminum milling, while the Taiwanese Telos Audio Design company goes further, offering devices with housings milled out of one copper block. The photo shows a device used to minimize noise from the power grid."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/198.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/198.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/198.jpg" desc="Two looks at the same product: the aged Dynakit Stereo 70 and…"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/199.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/199.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/199.jpg" desc="The Dynaco ST-70x, tube amplifiers."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/202.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/202.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/202.jpg" desc="The Neodio Origine S2 is a CD player. The device weighs 25 kg and is based on a DVD-ROM transport modified by Neodio."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/212.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/212.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/212.jpg" desc="A very beautiful system: the Snail Project – the starting point for the Sonus faber company. Franco Serblin only made 20 pairs of these speakers."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/215.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/215.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/215.jpg" desc="A system with the RD Acoustic Euphoria horn speakers working with the KR Audio Kronzilla integrated amplifier and Polish LampizatOr devices – the Golden Gate DAC."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/217.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/217.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/217.jpg" desc="The Korean HiFistay company presented its anti-vibration feet."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/219.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/219.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/219.jpg" desc="Dr. Hyunc-Min Cho from the Hungry Audioz company and Mr. Naiwon Pyun from HiFistay."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/220.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/220.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/220.jpg" desc="These fantastic shapes are Stark speakers. They cost from €19,900 for the Jane model (on the right) to €98,000 for the Emma model (at the back)."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/222.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/222.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/222.jpg" desc="This year, Mytek offered a new element for the Brooklin series – under the D/A converter there is a Brooklin amplifier. As we can read in the company’s materials, it is to be “a D-class amplifier which sounds like a triode A-class amplifier” – it has the power of 300 W per channel. The device is a little deeper than the DAC. "] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/225.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/225.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/225.jpg" desc="I spotted the Wren phono stage that I had not seen before at Mr. Feickert’s stand."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/226.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/226.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/226.jpg" desc="Mr Chris Feickert himself."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/227.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/227.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/227.jpg" desc="In Japan these are almost iconic speakers, manufactured by the German company Musikelectronic Geithain aimed at the professional market, with coaxially arranged drivers."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/247.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/247.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/247.jpg" desc="The German Volya company and the Bouquet model with ceramic drivers and an incredible finish."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/252.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/252.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/252.jpg" desc="One of the characteristic features of the anniversary Harbeth series (the photo shows the M40.2 40th Anniversary model) is special veneer. The matching stands are manufactured by the Hi-Fi Racks company."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/262.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/262.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/262.jpg" desc="One of the special Pro-Ject turntables, 175 The Vienna Philharmonic model, with an adequate logo on the top."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/263.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/263.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/263.jpg" desc="Another special model; this time – the Essential III Stg. Peppers Drum."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/265.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/265.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/265.jpg" desc="The Furutech company offered heavy, precisely made stands where we place power cable plugs."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/272.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/272.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/272.jpg" desc="The turntable attracted many visitors – Mag Lev Audio had prepared a device with a plate levitating above the base, turning as any other turntable plate!"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/276.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/276.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/276.jpg" desc="Mr Maurizio Aterini, the owner of Gold Note, next to his largest speakers."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/277.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/277.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/277.jpg" desc="The small but interesting Gold Note PH-10 phono stage with a large readable display."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/280.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/280.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/280.jpg" desc="One of the most interesting turntable arms this year: the 5T manufactured by the Lithuanian Reed company. Although it has classic gimballed suspension, the place of support constantly changes, thanks to which the arm pipe is perpendicular to the grooves, similarly as in tangential arms."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/281.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/281.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/281.jpg" desc="SME company merchandise."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/292.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/292.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/292.jpg" desc="Novelties from the Ayre company: the “Digital Hub” QX-8 and the AX-8 integrated amplifier. The QX-8 is a DAC/streamer/headphone amplifier, the successor of the QB-9DSD model. What is interesting, the amplifier also has a streaming function and digital inputs."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/300.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/300.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/300.jpg" desc="Friday, noon, a moment of relaxation with people from Kondo (from the left): me, Mr. Masaki Ashizawa (Kondo), Wojtek Szemis (Szemis Audio Konsultant) and Charles Tse (Kondo)."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/301.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/301.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/301.jpg" desc="Patrick Miller, the CEO of Sugden Audio, next to the company’s iconic amplifier – the A48 from the year 1976. Last year, the company celebrated its 50th anniversary."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/304.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/304.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/304.jpg" desc="Another nostalgic example – the latest incarnation of the classic LS3/5a speakers, this time under the Falcon brand. It differs from the previous versions as it uses exact replicas of the original KEF drivers."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/306.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/306.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/306.jpg" desc="New/old KEF drivers – the Mylar T27 dome, the so-called “stadium” and the B110 with a Bextrene membrane."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/312.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/312.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/312.jpg" desc="One of the professional devices that can find their place in the hi-fi world: the RME ADI-2 Pro. It is a two-in-one AD/DA converter and headphone amplifier. The device makes digital tone adjustment possible and the results are shown on a colorful display."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/318.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/318.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/318.jpg" desc="This is what a disassembled plate of a top-of-the-line Acoustic Signature turntable looks like. The pucks presented in the photo are the so-called “silencers”."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/319.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/319.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/319.jpg" desc="A few years ago, the Acoustic Signature company did not manufacture its own turntable arms, while today it offers 16 different models."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/327.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/327.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/327.jpg" desc="Zu Audio, an American specialist offering speakers, and a classic American look of its stand…"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/333.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/333.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/333.jpg" desc="Townshend Audio seismic pods that serve to decouple speakers."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/334.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/334.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/334.jpg" desc="Townshend Audio also offers the DC47 preamp based on matching transformers and supertweeters."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/335.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/335.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/335.jpg" desc="Mr Max Townshend, the owner of Townshend Audio."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/337.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/337.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/337.jpg" desc="One of the most interesting examples of cooperation between a Polish and a Japanese company – an Audio Philar anti-vibration stand with a color matching the Triode TRV-A300 amplifier."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/343.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/343.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/343.jpg" desc="Mr. Rajmund Stodolny (on the left) and Dawid Dąbrowski, with their new speaker in between – the Germano Acoustics APS AEON 2 that we are going to test in HF."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/346.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/346.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/346.jpg" desc="The little wheeled cupboard is the Hannl Washing Station system which automatically washes vinyl discs."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/351.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/351.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/351.jpg" desc="Mr. Tomoyoshi Sugimori (Fidata, the Head of Sales) and Omata Kyochi-san (Sforzatto, CEO) standing in front of the system that we awarded."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/355.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/355.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/355.jpg" desc="A cross-section of the Monitor Audio Silver 200 speaker."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/359.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/359.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/359.jpg" desc="New speakers in the renewed Silver Monitor Audio series, the Silver 200, Silver 500 and Silver 300 models."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/366.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/366.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/366.jpg" desc="Do you like it? I do – a lot. It is an integrated amplifier based on Art Décco Acoustic KT150 tubes. The company’s name reflects the look of its amplifiers and speakers well."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/369.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/369.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/369.jpg" desc="A new version of the Tivoli Audio classic – the Model One Digital. It picks radio FM signal like the classic Model One, but also digital Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals. It can be used to stream music from streaming platforms, e.g. Tidal."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/371.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/371.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/371.jpg" desc="The Norwegian Hegel company has a rule that any color is good, provided it is black. Introducing silver-colored devices onto the market was a big novelty, but the real breakthrough was the white Röst model. As it can be seen, Hegel amplifiers can now have any color, even the color of copper, providing it is called Jazzy Blue, Signal Yellow, etc. As regards Röst, there is a black version…"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/373.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/373.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/373.jpg" desc="Even though it looks like any other Hegel amplifier from the outside, it is a novelty, believe me! The H90 integrated amplifier offers 2 x 60 W (8 Ω), digital inputs and the DTS AirPlay system."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/379.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/379.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/379.jpg" desc="And this is a novelty from Métronome Technologie, the DSc1 streamer, which is the first device from a whole new series. It offers digital inputs and is equipped with four power transformers, and two of the latest AKM D/A converters, the AK4497 model."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/380.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/380.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/380.jpg" desc="Mr Jean Marie Clauzel, the CEO of Métronome Technologie, next to an enormous new speaker that he designed. This year, the company is celebrating its 30th anniversary!"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/383.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/383.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/383.jpg" desc="A CEC system which includes a novelty – the company’s own speakers. They are special as they are magnetostatic speakers in a closed housing! What is interesting, amplification was provided by amplifiers from the Polish company Amplifon Audio."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/385.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/385.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/385.jpg" desc="One of the novelties, the EAR Acute Compact Disc player by Mr. Tim de Pavaracini."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/386.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/386.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/386.jpg" desc="Another new CD player, this time from the Luxman company, the D-380 model, with the ECC82 tube on the output."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/393.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/393.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/393.jpg" desc="One of the most beautiful amplifiers at the exhibition – the hybrid Absolare Hybrid Mono Amplifier with a lacquered leather finish. "] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/409.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/409.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/409.jpg" desc="A new Transrotor amplifier – the Massimo model. It is powered by two motors and the shape of its base resembles the TechDAS Air Force Three turntable."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/413.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/413.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/413.jpg" desc="Even though they look the same, we are looking at the MkII version of the CD Blu transport and the Chord D/A DAVE converter. They had their premiere in Munich and they will soon be tested in “High Fidelity”."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/416.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/416.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/416.jpg" desc="Totally unexpectedly, Octave presented its first single-ended V16 amplifier. However, they had a very good excuse – it is mainly a headphone amplifier. Even though at the back there are binding posts, it is a secondary function. The amp offers 2 x 8 W power and is equipped with KT150 tubes. The projected price is €8,500."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/421.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/421.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/421.jpg" desc="As it can be seen, Dan D’Agostino also offers its amplifiers in red color – you can see Progression Mono amplifiers with aluminum instead of copper heatsinks."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/422.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/422.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/422.jpg" desc="However, a more important novelty was the new Progression preamplifier. It seems that this is going to be the cheapest one of this manufacturer."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/429.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/429.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/429.jpg" desc="Mr. Kazuo Kiuchi-san with our magazine’s award for the Taku converter."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/430.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/430.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/430.jpg" desc="Reimyo and Harmonix are Mr Kiuchi’s companies. He exhibited his products this year at a Marriott hotel during a complementary High End exhibition – the hifideluxe 2017."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/432.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/432.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/432.jpg" desc="Another presentation from hifideluxe 2017 that impressed me – JMF Audio. "] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/436.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/436.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/436.jpg" desc="The signal source in the JMF Audio system was the multi-format DMT 3.7 player which plays CDs, SACDs and Blu-ray Pure Audio discs. The company was set up by Jean-Marie Fusilier in 1985 and changed its name to JMF in 1996. Congrats on the 30th anniversary!"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/438.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/438.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/438.jpg" desc="The active Kii speakers that we awarded at the exhibition in Prague produced excellent sound again!"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/441.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/441.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/441.jpg" desc="One of the most interesting presentations in Munich, again in a room at Marriott, organized by the FM Acoustics company. The photo shows the reference XS-1 speakers and the 1811 monoblocks."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/444.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/444.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/444.jpg" desc="Mr Manuel Hubner, the CEO of FM Acoustics, explaining how his anti-crackling system for LPs works."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/445.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/445.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/445.jpg" desc="In the FM Acoustics room, one could see the premiere of a CEC product, the CD TL2N transport."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/451.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/451.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/451.jpg" desc="Even though it does not look like this, you can see a complete CD player here – The Stream made by the Italian company Omega Audio Concept: the “bowl” is the CD transport and underneath there is a converter and a power supply unit, everything placed on a unique stand."] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/th/457.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/457.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/highend2017/457.jpg" desc="Another novelty at the hifideluxe 2017 were Totaldac speakers with a small full-range driver at the center of a large wooden horn. Vincent Brient, the CEO of the company, treated us to a herbal liqueur – its power took our breath away for a moment :)"] [/hfgallery]

ic Poulsen seems to be a man in no hurry - this conclusion can be drawn by observing the time line associated with his products. The 925 integrated amplifier tested by us in 2015 was the result of several years of preparation (51.990 PLN with PRC remote). After re-starting the company in 2008, it took him two years to prepare its first product, the 907 phonostage (2010, 13.690 PLN), five years passed before the 933 headphone amplifier (2012, 12.990 PLN) was released and another year for the first "big" product, the above mentioned 925 amp. It's already a second half of the 2017, and only now the 903 preamplifier and 933 power amplifier derived from the integrated arrived on the market. The prototypes were shown last year at the High End Show in Munich. Back then Nic told us that he'd chosen an integrated amplifier, because this design has many advantages for the designer: the signal path is short and he can control the current loops – mind you, not the feedback loop as Nic does not use it. As he said, zero-feedback amplifiers offer better flow of music and one can use them for hours as there is no listening fatigue because the structure of harmonic does not change much under different operating conditions, conditioned by the requirements of the music played. It was also important for him that he could use one less gain stage. However, he did not hide the limitations, mainly regarding the maximum power, resulting from the device's dimensions. The integrated amplifier, same as integrated digital sources, ie CD players and music files players, have many advantages - see above. At some point, however, the designers are faced with a choice between different features and, for example, to gain higher power, to reduce the impact that the power amplifier exerts on the preamplifier, they have to think about separate devices. The result is the 903 preamplifier (33 990 PLN) and the 933 stereo power amplifier (33 990 PLN) created as a development of ideas from 925. The output power of the 903 suggests that it was more about better control of the gain stages, more advance power supply, etc., because at 8 Ω it is capable of delivering 2 x 125 W, while the 925 integrated amplifier offered 2 x 135 W. Additionally this is not a balanced designed as opposed to the integrated. As I say – we get something at the cost of something else. NIC POULSEN Trilogy, ISOL-8 | CEO WOJCIECH PACUŁA: Could you tell me what was the goal of creating a pre+amp combo? NIC POULSEN: Trilogy has become known for highly musical and involving sound. The goal, as always, is not to sacrifice this whilst pushing for greater resolution. Could you describe (shortly) technical highlights? One aspect we have always had in place with our power amplifiers where ever possible, is to have a true “Choke input” power supply for the heavy-current solid state output stage. I know of only one other high-end company that does this. It is very expensive to do and requires a lot of physical space and good design to get it right. However, the results help us achieve our goal. The 993 also has a superior valve gain stage than its predecessor. But for a product to be highly involving and musical, the whole product needs to be balanced (I am not talking electrically here) as a whole. No one single thing is responsible. All technologies, parts and their implementation need to be consonant. What music medium did you use while working on this project – LP, CD, or music files? And why? I have always known how a product will sound as I am designing the circuit. It's intuitive for me. The final listening tests normally end up as just confirmation for me and maybe some minor alterations to the circuit or equally important, the circuit layout are made. We use both CD and vinyl. There is no doubt that vinyl is the best but in our listening tests I have always judged a product over many days or even weeks, never “A-B” tests. This way you can rule out personal biases or moods, temperature and weather (pressure and humidity) variations, mains electricity variations, so CD tends to be favoured here. 903 It seems safe to assume that the separate system derived from the hybrid 925 integrated amplifier. The 903 tube preamplifier looks almost identical to the integrated, and is only slightly lower. Among its characteristic features there is a large, easily readable (hurrah!) display and a large volume knob. There are only three push-buttons on the front which could suggest little functionality. Actually, the preamplifier's functionality is quite impressive. As it reads in manual, the device features an advanced control system that allows user to adapt the device to his needs and requirements. One can name inputs, determine their sensitivity, integrate the whole system via TAS link, use the internal clock to turn on/off the system, etc. One of additional options is also an extremely advanced phonostage with a whole palette of settings: gain, load impedance and capacity (7990 PLN). The device's make and finish is perfect. Its chassis consists of aluminum plates. It features six line inputs, optional, Class A, phonostage module (MM / MC) and three line outputs. User can check out the total operation time of tubes, set the turn-on and turn-off time for the following days of the week, set the volume level at power up and maximum volume, and set gain for the home theater system ("unity gain"). The amplifier is equipped with three outputs - two main ones to connect power amplifiers and the "Send" output. The latter is a tape-out and it remains active also when the preamplifier is turned off. The gain stage uses the 6H6П tubes in a grounded grid configuration that allows them to operate in pure Class A with the highest linearity and the lowest distortion. The output impedance is low for excellent drive capability. The volume is available in 1 dB steps. The preamplifier is supplied with a small plastic remote control RC-B, but a very nice PRC Personal Remote Control (2190 PLN) is also available. One more interesting feature – the preamplifier requires user to input using the knob and display an individual PIN code delivered with each unit. Without it one won't be able to use the device 993 The power amplifier reminded me somewhat Burmester designs, due to the CNC machined radiator, which is also the front wall of the device. This is the only similarity though. The 933 Model is a hybrid power amp using 6H6П tubes, same as the preamplifier, in the input (voltage section) and the transistors in the output (current section). Also here the tube and the first transistor stage operate in class A - a lamp in a grounded grid with zero negative feedback. The power supply of this stage is fully discrete. As Nic said, one of the most interesting features of this design is the application of a choke input power supply for the output stage. The choke is almost as large as a toroidal mains transformer, so it can easily be mistaken for it. Nic explains his choice as a way to eliminate current spikes and much more linear current draw, which reduces noise. Several small FET transistors are used in the output stage, because the owner of Trilogy believes that the first watt of output power is the most important one and he decided to use these transistors for that purpose. When more current is needed large bipolar transistors step in. The amplifier has zero global negative feedback. Same as for the preamplifier, also here high-end components such as Welwyn resistors, custom Mundorf capacitors and copper (gold-plated) speaker terminals were used. Trilogy devices are designed and handcrafted in the UK. Prior to shipment to the distributors, they undergo a 48- hour check procedure. They are delivered with a detailed, very nicely done user manual with Nic Poulsen's handwritten signature. Every element of this project seems well thought-through and refined – a classy product! TRILOGY in “High Fidelity” AWARD: BEST SOUND 2015 | Trilogy 925 - integrated amplifier TEST: Trilogy 925 - integrated amplifier Recordings used for the test (a selec- tion) Czesław Bartkowski, Drums Dream, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/Warner Music Poland 95843571, „Polish Jazz | vol. 50”, Remaster 2017, CD (1976/2017) Dean Martin, Dean Martin, Capitol D 162295, „The Capitol Collector’s Series”, CD (1989) Duda, Kanaan, Rudź, 3C, Soliton SL 719-2, 2 x Master CD-R (2017) Ferit Odman, Dameronia with Strings, Equinox Music & Entertainment/Master Music XRCD24-NT019, XRCD24 (2015/2016) Schubert, Lieder, wyk. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, dyr. Gerald Moore, EMI 55962 2, „Signature Collection", 4 x SACD/CD (1955, 1957, 1958,1959/2012) Schubert, Song Cycles, wyk. Nathalie Stutzmann, Inger Södergren, Erato/Warner Classics 4623701, 3 x CD (2014) Suzanne Vega, Close-Up. Vol.1, Love Songs, Amanuensis Productions | Cooking Vinyl COCKCD521, CD (2014) Takeshi Inomata, The Dialogue, Audio Lab. Record/Octavia Records OVXA-00008, SACD/CD (1977/2001) The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Apple/Universal Music Group 5745530, „50th Anniversary Edition”, CD (1967/2017) Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] I have read recently in some article that women are in commend of many European armies. It stated that they are better prepared for conflict resolution and that they do not take risks without actual need, thus giving more guarantee for peace (and peace of mind). This type of "soft power" was defined by Joseph Nye, an American political scientist and is part of a dichotomous description of two types of state's power: "hard power" and "soft power." The latter is characterized by ability to gain allies and influence through the attractiveness of own culture, politics and ideology. I have the impression that the Trilogy products are exactly like that - as they used to say - a fist in a glove (or maybe in silk). The sound of the reviewed system at first seems very warm, “friendly” and devoid of sharp edges. For a long time it also feels delicate. These are features stayed with me until the very end of my listening session, and they are exactly what so many people look for and can't find in most systems. But over time I redefined a portion of these initial observations, getting to a slightly different place than the "warm" and "sweet" one I thought it was. Trilogy is incredibly dynamic. This is something that is not does not catch the attention at first, unless one knows what to look for. I started listening with two albums where drums played a key role, ie latest remaster of the Drums Dream by Czeslaw Bartkowski (Polish Jazz vol. 50) and The Dialogue by Takeshi Inomaty. They both sounded great, because I got the “meat”, slam, mass, but also very quick attack of sticks and impressive decay. The latter was not over-extended, nor did it have a clearly marked finishing line, and probably these elements were decisive for my first impression. Time spent listening to these albums was enough to understand that this is simply very natural, very "physiological" sound, that better describes the sound of drums, the combination of dynamics and velvetness than a precise slam. As I said, I started listening from these two albums. Each such test relays on a comparison between my reference device and the one under review. During the first phase I listen to one or two tracks using one and then switch to another, listens to the same tracks and then I repeat the whole procedure. And I do that many times until I am sure I have captured the most important features. Then I listen to longer fragments, often whole albums, so that these observations marshaled. It's a proven way that really works. This Trilogy setup did not allow me to focus on such a systematic comparison. I had to make some trips to pick up CDs that I did not use in my comparison. Its sound is so interesting, so addictive and absorbing that when I caught some theme I had to explore it and then move to another one. For me, just after the show of dynamic capabilities of this set, which was more impressive than what many more expensive amps had delivered before, I felt an urge to listen to some vocals appeared. Because everything I'm talking about revolves around the middle part of the band. Not because there is no treble or bass, but because all this softness and power forces everything into its place and listener tends to focus on what is most important to us, as human beings - on human voice. Nic Poulsen's amplifier has mastered the ability to deliver a large volume sound, a warm midrange, and yet the tonal balance is shifted to way down. In Ayon Audio preamplifier and Soulution power amp set the tonal balance is surely set lower! It became clear to me when I listened to something that required a lot of focus, like the old recordings of the 1930s and 40s. The type of amplifier that deliver warm sound make such tracks sound similar to each other and too “polite". In turn, these brightened top have a problem with the upper midrange, because that's where the most energy of the sound is placed. The Trilogy is not as stunningly resolving as my system, which somehow confirms the price difference. The Siltech interconnect which I used to connect the preamplifier and the amplifier from UK cost more than these two combined plus the optional remote control. For their price, however, are delightfully resolving. That is not what their magic is about, though, but rather playing everything with a single stroke in - at last I can say it - a beautiful, stylish way. It is this type of performance, i.e. cultural, but it's a cultural presentation backed with a huge power. Placing this set in a wider perspective, I'd put it in a collection with Kondo OnGaku in the center. The Trilogy would be placed quite close to this center, but in terms of dynamics and power it would be closer to Naim Statement than to Kondo or Vitus Audio. This is an extremely interesting combination of striving for smoothness and the need for slam, speed. This creates a very involving and emotionally engaging sound. It is not possible to listen to this system indifferently, despite the fact that it performs very well used in the background, playing quietly when one does something else. It shares many sonic features with live sound when even a poor wedding band or a firefighter's orchestra playing without any amplification, catches the ear even when one is just walking in the street nearby. This system offers something like that, but it lures with something else. A live sound is very open and bright but never too bright. The Trilogy darkens and warms up this sound – yes, it does that a bit – attracting to its performance with this unbelievable fluidity and naturalness, while capturing attention with dynamics at its best. Although it shows differences, it does not make everything sound just nice, it does so unobtrusively, delivering all details as something less important than the presentation as a whole. Summary Because it's simply a beautiful sound - a little sweet, a bit warm and dense, but above all, naturally soft. These are elements one should realize from the start. But they are actually deceiving listener because it is a system with powerful dynamics and rich, always active bass, which what very clear when I listened to eg the new album by Duda, Kanaan and Rudź Trio 3C. I did not mention the sound stage because it, in a way, "transparent". It means it is always accurate and in the service of tonal balance. It is large, spacious, also out-of-phase micro information are presented accurately. Yet, it never draws attention to itself which could distract listener from what is most important – the music itself. That's what this system is, extremely cultural and polite. The Japanese release of Vader's new album (with additional EP!) will remain unopened for some time. In turn, all jazz, classic, even large orchestral albums, everything that included vocals or guitars was during this test in continuous rotation. It's an amplifier that makes us believe in audio again - if we lost this faith - or confirm it for us. Both Trilogy devices look fantastic! First of all due to the excellent make and finish, but also thanks to a great looking design. Both chassis are made of aluminum, and the radiator on the front of the power amplifier is machined CNC of solid aluminum block. The chassis surface is sanded and anodized. Thanks to the contouring of the fronts by light cuts from the top and the bottom, the devices gain some “lightness”. Not that they look heavy - their dimensions are (H x W x D): 465 x 312 x 106 mm for the preamplifier and 465 x 346 x 106 mm for the power amp. Due to these minor detail, however, they are not just another anonymous products but have a distinctive look. Let me add that the covers in both cases were damped with bituminous mats, and both stand on four small, rubber feet. 903 Front and back The preamplifier captivates with a great, large and clear display – this type of displays should be an audio industry standard, rather than an exception. It is red and is composed of small LED "dots". It delivers information on volume level, and after entering the menu also other information. Next to it there is a large, easy-to-use volume knob, which is also used when navigating the menu. Next to it there are three small buttons – for a device with such advanced functionality their number is surprisingly small. On the side, in the milled cut-out there is a red power LED. The rear looks very nice, due to the robust, high quality RCA jacks. Because this is not a balanced design there are no XLR sockets. User has one phono and fine line inputs at his disposal, one of which can be converted into an “unity gain” input. When the preamplifier is not equipped with optional phono module the first input works as linear one. However, because the signal runs there using additional short wires, I would treat this one only as auxiliary. There are also three pairs of outputs - two with adjustable signal level for connection with power amplifiers and one with fixed signal for recording. The latter is also active when the preamplifier is turned off, which makes it easy to use with an external headphone amplifier. Next to the IEC socket, there is a mechanical on/off switch and six LEDs underneath that indicate the status of the unit. There are also TAS Link (RJ-45) sockets, designed for connection between different devices of this manufacturer. They allow you to turn them on with one button, but also to find out for how long have the tubes been already used in the amplifier, etc. This information is shown on the preamplifier's display. Inside The interior is divided into two parts with a metal shield between them. One hosts a power supply and the control circuits, and the other all audio circuits. The power supply features three toroidal transformers with multiple regulators. Each section has its own power supply - the tube's power supply has been placed on the PCB along with it. In the heart of the preamplifier works a single tube, Russian 6N6П double triode NOS. The volume control is executed in the integrated resistor ladder and the inputs are switched using relays. The signal path is very short, most of the PCB is actually occupied by control circuits and power supply. 993 Front and back The front of the power amplifier is made of milled aluminum. On the side there is a microLED, same as in the preamplifier. On the back there is a power switch, but the standby switch is placed underneath - it's a tiny bulge next to the front foot. The inputs feature the same RCA jacks as the preamplifier - the power amplifier is also not a balanced device. On sides manufacturer placed solid speaker connectors from Mundorf. Their metal parts are made not of brass but gold-plated copper. There is also an IEC power socket and a mechanical breaker as well as two RJ-45 communication sockets for the TAS system. Inside The layout of the sections inside the amplifier is quite untypical. The whole amplifier section is placed on a single PCB bolted to the heat-sink. The rest (which is most) of the space is occupied by an extensive power supply. Its= is built around a very large toroidal transformer and equally large choke. They cooperate with a bank of small capacitors in the input and two large capacitors (per channel) on the PCB with output stages. These are excellent Mundorf M-Lytic capacitors. A separate power supply is provided for the tube – it includes fast Schottky diodes. The signal from the inputs is sent with long interconnects to the front, to a single 6N6П tube, the same as used in the preamplifier. At low power signal is amplified in small FET transistor operating in class A, and with higher current demand, four pairs per channel of Toshiba's bipolar transistors switch on. These in turn work in the AB class in push-pull mode. Remote control The RC-B remote control is small, plastic, not very nice unit. But it works and it's almost identical, but with other buttons, than the one Chord supplies it Blu Mk 2 transport with. With the remote control you change the volume and enter the menu. The optional PRC Personal Remote Control on the other hand is very nice and functional. Although it costs 2190 PLN I would suggest buying it right away. Specifications (according to manufacturer) 903 Input impedance: 50 kΩ Output impedance: < 200 Ω Frequency range: 2 Hz-50 kHz +(/- 0.5 dB) Gain (input to main outputs): 14 dB (+/- 0.5 dB) Film Gain (input to main outputs): 0 dB (+/- 1 dB) THD: 0,05% (A-weighted, at 1 V) Phase: Phase correct (non inverting) Power consumption (max): 40 W Dimensions (HxWxD): 465 x 312 x 106 mm Weight: 10 kg 993 Rated power (8 Ω): 2 x 125 W Rated power (4 Ω): 2 x 200 W Input impedance: 400 kΩ Distortion: Less than 1% A weighted at rated output Frequency range: 10 Hz-50 kHz (+/- 0.5 dB) Input sensitivity: 2 V RMS (@ full power) Standby power consumption: < 1 W Idle power consumption: < 50 W Power consumption (max): 700 W Dimensions (HxWxD): 465 x 346 x 106 mm Weight: 19 kg [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/th/17.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/17.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/17.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/th/18.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/18.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/18.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/th/19.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/19.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/trilogy/19.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

believe that the hottest word recently used by people listening to decent quality music is „Tidal”. Tidal is a paid streaming service offering music files in a lossless 16/44 FLAC quality (high quality CD) and hi-res video; The latest addition is the Tidal Master, which offers hi-res PCM audio encoded in MQA (Master Quality Authenticated). They are streamed in 24/44.1 resolution and they are compatible with any file player/streamer. But there are something more: utilizing clever encoding on the receiver side (assuming the receiver is equipped with MQA decoder) they can be unpacked even to 24/352,8, ie DXD, resolution. It's a revolution because the compressed MQA files are relatively small and contain information comparable to Master Quality recordings. This is related to the music market as such. As Paul Messenger wrote in the Industry Update section of Stereophile magazine, in 2017 the streaming services market has grown significantly; As compared to the previous year, the value of the streaming market increased by 67.5% ("Stereophile" Vol. 40, 2017, No. 5, p. 15). More importantly, at the same time, the value of the online store market, where you can buy and download audio files, decreased by 29.6%. The trend is clear: more and more people prefer to listen to music on demand and do not need to own it stored on some medium. Young people have been doing so for a long time. For those who particularly care about sound quality until recently, the obstacle that could not be overcome was size of files and transmission speed. In order to play 24/96 and 24/192 high definition files, it was necessary to first download them to their device and then play them. Higher download speeds, MQA encoding and, above all, the emergence of streaming services such as Tidal completely changed this state of affairs. I wonder how this situation will develop. Perhaps so that in the entry level and medium price ranges streaming will actually dominate, and will only be supplemented with physical media such as LP and CD. At the same time, at least in my opinion, there will be a large group of music lovers and audiophiles who will, however, want to have files at home, gathered in one place. These enthusiasts are the target group of products such as the Innuos ZENith MkII Std, reviewed by High Fidelity.pl in January or the Japanese Fidata HFAS1-S10U. HFAS1-S10U Fidata HFAS1 is a network audio server designed to let you enjoy high-end audio quality. You should not overlook our efforts to achieve the best possible sound - from the selection of materials for the chassis, to electronic circuits and individual components. This product is a culmination of many prototypes and countless hours spent on listening to them. It allowed us to achieve a unique performance which deserves to be called high-end, offered in a unique form. za: iodata.jp Fidata is a brand owned by I-O Data, a Japanese computer peripheral manufacturer. Founded in 1976 in Kanzawa, the company is known for almost indestructible external hard drives that went unscathed when dropped from a height of 122 cm (4 feet) during tests. In 2000, company designed their first mp3 player, and in 2005 the first DLNA compatible server. In 2012, a project was started with a goal of launching and audio network server. Two years later, the prototype was presented at the Tokyo Audio and Home Theater Exhibition. Another two years passed before the final version was ready. Since 2016 Fidata delivers network audio servers for high-end systems. These servers can be connected directly to the file players using LAN cable (RJ-45). In such case the HFAS1-S10U works as classic NAS (external hard drive). These servers can also work as audio file transports – using USB output they can be connected to any digital-to-analog converter with compatible USB 2.0 input. In this mode, the device must still be connected to the home network; User can than control it using some OpenHome application (eg Linn's Kinsky) or via DLNA. The HFAS1-S10U features a mid-size, low-profile, perfectly crafted aluminum chassis. It stands on specially developed feet – one can use three or four of them. There are two Samsung 850EVO SSDs inside, selected for their speed and reliability. The server is compatible with the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) standard and uses Twonky Server 7 software, a specialized server program modified for this particular manufacturer. The unit was designed by a team of four people: Mr. Yasunori Kitamura responsible for planning, Mr. Akiya Miyamoto responsible for hardware part, Mr. Shinichi Morita who prepared the design, and Mr. Yuji Minagawa – a software engineer. From the photos on the website it is clear that they are young and very young people, which means ones, who “feel” this type of products best. One can find there also comments of each of them regarding this product as well as a wealth of information about its construction. It tells us that the designers were paying attention to every aspect, from the chassis, through power supply and ground guidance, to the word clock and all components. The unit can write and play via the RJ-45 and USB outputs, both 16-bit, 24-bit and 32-bit PCM files with a sampling frequency of 44.1 to 385 kHz, as well as the 2.8 MHz, 5.6 MHz and 11.2 MHz (DSF and DFF) DSD; The RJ-45 output delivers DSD signal in native form mode and the USB output sends it as DoP (ie DSD files packed in "PCM" container). Connection to server is very simple – all one needs is a network cable and LAN (or USB) and without any extra work the server is ready to go. Files on it can be transferred to it either from a pendrive or from a computer - via a home network. The files' player/server Fidelio was tested in both modes for which it was intended. As a file player and server, it worked with the Accuphase DP-560 SACD player. The signal from its USB output was sent to Player's input using Curious cable. To be able to control it from a tablet or a smartphone, one has to connect the device to the router with a LAN cable (RJ-45). I used the Acoustic Revive LAN-1.0 PA with the RLI-1 filter on both ends – the intention was to isolate the tested device (and the whole system) from noise in the best possible way. The same cable was used to connect the Fidelio server to the Lumin T1 file player. The HFAS1-S10U is an exceptionally well designed and made high-end device. That is why it is worth to support it with all the best accessories one has at one's disposal. During the test, I placed it on Pro Audio Bono Ceramic 7SN feet and on the pneumatic Acoustic Revive RAF-48H platform. On top of the device I placed the latest version of the passive Verictum X Block filter. The unit was powered using the Acoustic Revive Power Reference Triple- with RAS-14 Triple-C filter. Moreover, unused LAN and USB sockets I closed with special Acoustic Revive terminators (RLT-1 and RUT-1 respectively). The efforts to ensure as good conditions for this device as possible really pays off! Recordings used for the test (a selec- tion) During the test I used CDs and PCM and DSD files. The files came from HDTracks.com and LinnRecords.com stores, as well as from rips of my own DVD-As and HRx discs from Reference Recordings. I also used DSD and PCM files offered me by so befriended recording and mastering studios. Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] There will be no exaggeration when I say that the Fidata server was the best music server/files player I have ever listened to in my system. I knew that I received a very special product, in which every detail was thought-through, refined, that the product was based on solid engineering, but fine-tuned as a result of numerous listening sessions. In addition, it comes from some Japanese geeks. Still, the sound quality surprised me. For the first time outside the recording or mastering studio I heard things that we get with files only in the top high end. The most important was the size of the instruments and the three dimensionality of their bodies. Immediately behind them came the tone presentation and then the dynamics. These are elements that I still usually have doubts when listening to music files. They are, for me, presented in a much worse way than when music is played from CD, vinyl, or even more so from analogue master-tape. And it does not matter whether I use CD rips or hi-res 24/192 and DSD files (also coming directly from mastering studios) - these deficiencies hurt my ears, not allowing me to break through the layer of technical aspects of the recordings to the emotion layer of music. Fidata server is completely different from almost everything I have heard so far in my system, because it is able to deliver also all these elements in a proper way. The performance of this device - both when working as a server and a file player - was an antithesis of non-involving presentation. It was a full-blooded, incredibly rich performance, reminding me a lot of what I've heard with Kronos Pro Ltd. MkII turntable. It offered me something like "tube" density, lack of any harshness and powerful, always active bass. I was particularly struck by the absolute velvetness of the sound, including that of the background. I listened to Sleepwalkers track by Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Sylvian from the album with the same title – it opens with a strong Sylvian vocal, that in the “wrong hands” can sound a bit rough. Fidata played it like a pro, ie pumping a bit the voice energy, but not exceeding the point where it would be too much. In turn, the voice of Jim Morrison (The Doors) from the title track of their debut album, remastered by Analogue Productions, was presented from a bigger distance, was smaller, but still dark, on spot, exactly the way it should be. And all these were just 16/44,1 rips. With hi-res files everything was much freer and better differentiated. The tone was rather sweet and the bass was warm. And it is the bass that decides about sonic character of this presentation and defines the tested device. On the one hand, the HFAS1-S10U server nicely presents the true nature of played recordings, it does not “overshadow” sonic characters of other devices in the system, file players and DACs. However, on the other hand, these two elements - sweetness and warm bass - appear with any device and with each recording. This is an obvious modification and deviation from the accuracy or neutrality. But, that's my opinion, is a modification going in the right direction. True neutrality does not exist, because we there are always some modifications. In my opinion, the best devices go for richness, darkness, density and dynamics, like Fidata. It is incredible, how well this device represents the volume of sounds and their body – like the best turntables. Similarly, it treats high tones. Compared to what I know from analogue master-tapes they are warmer and less "attacking". But honestly, no device, maybe except for the TechDAS Air Force Premium turntable with the Zero motor that I listened to at the Munich High End Show 2017, with records selected by its creator, Hideaki Nishikawa, can not do that. Fidata handles this in a different way, that is, it presents a big sound, does not flood listener with details, delivering a resolving, deep presentation. There is a fantastic dynamics, thanks to which DSD records, such as Billie Holiday (Body and Soul), Dire Straits (Brothers in Arms), Sunshine Of Your Love by Cream or Abide With Me by Thelenious Monk sounded in an open and fast way, without this characteristic manner in which they are usually played. This manners I mentioned means warming them up and smoothing of the attack, which results from not quite perfect handling of high frequency noise, one of the inherent elements of the DSD system. Fidata plays in such a way as if the problem doesn't exist. Perhaps that is why the DSD files (including DSD128) were not so different from the 24/96 and 24/192 PCM files, as is usually the case. There were some differences I was still able to point out, but they were not decisive, because both types of files sounded as described above. If I were to get really deep into differences I would just say that DSD files played in a more dynamic way, and PCM showed better bass control. But when I played the 24/88.2 files from remasters of the Polish Jazz that I got straight from the studio, I had no problem with their dynamics. Summary More and more comparisons and references come to mind, and other features call for mentioning them too. I do not want to extend this review indefinitely, because the message is simple: it's an excellent device that sounded a lot like a high-end turntable. Its characteristic features are the sweetness of treble, large phantom images, especially vocals and powerful, slightly “voiced” bass. It is a bit soft, but that should not be a problem. The depth of sound is amazing. Thanks to these features, for the first time in my life, I became seriously interested in audio files, recognizing their potential. The soundstage is rendered easily, it never attracts attention - and this is something that may not appeal to those who require precise location, openness and “breathing" – that's something Fidata did not offer. I realized this fact only when writing this text, when I finally tried to get all the sonic features of the described device in order. While listening to the music, I did not pay any attention to it, because everything was so natural, so normal. If digital audio files take this direction, we will finally get a sound source equivalent to the best sources using physical media. Bravo!!! The Fidata HFAS1-S10U server / player receives a “High Fidelity" RED Fingerprint. Fidata HFAS1-S10U may work a server and transport of audio files. This means that it can work like a classic files transport one connects with a USB cable to DAC's input to have a complete audio source. Second possibility is working as a server based on Twonky software. This means that one needs to connect it using a RJ-45 Ethernet cable to an audio player device. Fidata will then work as a classic NAS, but without having to send a signal through the router. One has to connect it to the router so that it can be controlled from a smartphone or tablet. For this purpose one can use any OpenHome software - in my case it was Kinsky from Linn. Fidata's minimalist design was prepared by true enthusiasts. Its enclosure consists of dozens of elements, each of which has been repeatedly examined and "listened to". The upper wall is a 4 mm plate, the thickness of which has been determined by the listening to the device. At the bottom there is a 2.3 mm thick, weighing 2.2 kg copper plate, which shields the electronics. The side panels were made up of four elements. Places of contact are not accidental – the idea of how to connect them was borrowed from the technique used in building Japanese furniture. And finally the feet – these are made of aluminum and you can use three or four of them. The interior is split across with the shield, isolating the hard drives placed in the front from the electronics at the rear. Two Samsung 850EVO SSDs, selected for their longevity, are used in the reviewed version. V-NAND 3D memory chips are integrated into the drives, which minimize the impact of small voltage changes on the drive. The disks can be configured in several ways, eg in RAID mode, where one disk is used for music playback and the other one is used as a backup. Backup can also stored on an external disk. The electronic circuit is powered by two independent power supplies that use a large capacity. They feature high-end low-ESR, electrolytic Muse capacitors from Nichicon. The circuit for audio data is clocked with a vacuum-type oscillator with low phase characteristics. To further reduce jitter, the user can disable using company's app, the LEDs integrated with LAN ports. Ports are separated galvanically from the circuit using matching transformers. The electrical system features an optimized pattern design and a single-point ground configuration. As you can see, nothing was left to chance. [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/fidata/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/fidata/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/fidata/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/fidata/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/fidata/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/fidata/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/fidata/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/fidata/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/fidata/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/fidata/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/fidata/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/fidata/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/fidata/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/fidata/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/fidata/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/fidata/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/fidata/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/fidata/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/fidata/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/fidata/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/fidata/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/fidata/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/fidata/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/fidata/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

ong time ago when I tested the DSS 30 back in 2008, a product of the Italian company Bluenote (now Gold Note), I did not know how to name it. Company's material referred to the Digital Static Source (DSS), a solid-state memory player. Today I would say that it was an audio files player (playing music from thumbdrives and HDDs connected to USB inputs). In spite of the nine years that have passed since then, this type of product still has no one common name. Manufacturers are usually disoriented by it, but from time to time someone is making a use of it and calling their product in a really interesting way. One of the latest examples is the NETWORK BRIDGE, a product of the British company Data Conversion Systems, known as dCS. The most commonly used names for such device today are: "streamer", "renderer", "server", etc. These names have been transferred from the computer industry since music file players are in fact specialized computers, and computer users are the biggest proponents of this kind of music source. In the audio industry we use other names, but - I think - there is nothing to argue about, ultimately it is people who decide about such things, simply by using one or another name. But one should know what these names mean. For the benefit of this test, following "High Fidelity's" practice, I suggest that we agree that the Network Bridge is an audio files transport. It performs an analog function to the optical discs (CD, DVD, Blu-ray) transports, ie it reads the signal from the storage medium and decodes it into a form understood by the digital-to-analog converter. On one end music files go in, on the other PCM or DSD audio goes out. A complete source of digital signal based on music files consists of: An external storage – a thumb drive, USB disk or NAS or / and a network connection that allows streaming signal in real-time, Audio files transport, Digital-to-analog converter. Such system might use separate devices or can be integrated into a single chassis. The most common are audio files players, that is, transport and DAC in a single enclosure to which we attach external storage media or stream files over network (see Lumin). This system can be further integrated by including memory storage device (hard drives, see Aurender A10, in Polish) or even add an amplifier, thus offering a complete audio source (See Lumin M1). NETWORK BRIDGE Since the DSSS 30 Tube, that I mentioned at the beginning, a lot has changed, because now - for example – an Ethernet port is an obligatory feature of any player, as it allows user to stream files from NAS (via router) plus allows him to use a control app installed on smartphone or tablet. The most important change, however, is how people listen to music from files. For a long time, it seemed that music was going to be downloaded on a hard drive, either after buying it in online stores or ripping it from CDs. Last year, however, proved that constantly improving download speed (bandwidth of network connections) and the emergence of several important streaming services led to the situation where only hard-core high-enders keep music locally, ie music on their disks, while most listeners move completely into the virtual world of streamed music. The Network Bridge is supposed to be a "bridge" that connects both streaming and local data carriers to our digital-to-analog converter, and thus the audio system. Although I use the name "transport", there is no “mechanism” on board and yet, it is "transporting" WAV, FLAC, AIFF, DFF and DSF files as well as those using lossy codecs and decoding them to PCM or DSD respectively. The bridge is UPnP compliant (the company calls it "UPnP renderer") and it works in asynchronous mode. It comes with Wi-Fi card allowing user to connect his iPod, iPhone or iPad via Apple AirPlay. But it is also compatible with ROON, which opens up new possibilities for users. ROON ROON is an application that is used to manage music files stored on a server, that supports supports tagging and provides descriptions, and additionally facilitates an integration of various devices, so called "End points". Network Bridge is compatible with Roon, so connecting it to a server working with this application significantly simplifies the use of music resources. What's more, ROON integrates with the Tidal streaming service, facilitating the use of it, enriching the descriptions of tracks, records, artists, etc. Let's say it: ROON is now a "hot" topic, this name is come up frequently in audio discussions. The Network Bridge is a small silver or black device with a micro LED on the front panel. One controls it using an appropriate mobile app. From the signal source side, we connect it using a RJ-45 (Registered Jack-type 45) cable to the router. We can also connect a USB drive to it, but in the future this port will be used as an audio output. dCS supports files with music signals up to 24 bits and 384 kHz, and DSD64 and DSD128 in DoP format. If you use a DAC that does not support high sampling rates, dCS converts PCM and DSD signals down to 176.4 / 192 kHz or 88.2 / 96 kHz PCM. There are three output options. The most recommended is a link based on two AES / EBU (Audio Engineering Society / European Broadcasting Union) sockets, a solution also used by Chord. Dual AES allows transmission of PCM signals up to 24 bits at 384 kHz plus DSD64 & DSD128 in DoP format. However, there are only few digital-to-analog converters on the market able to receive signal in this way. The second option is to use the SDIF-2 interface using two BNC sockets, for left and right channels, and a separate one for the clock, but - see above. So I think that until the USB output is implemented, most user will use the RCA output or a single AES / EBU. In both cases, it will allow the device to output PCM signal up to 24 bits / 192 kHz and DSD64 in DoP. In the near future, a USB port that we can use to connect an external USB drive will work as a USB output with the same parameters as dual AES, ie PCM up to 24/384 and DSD64&128. The audio files transport's (renderer, streamer, bridge etc.) only job is to download signal from an external storage (NAS, USB, Internet), convert WAV, ALAC, FLAC, dsf and dff files to PCM or DSD respectively and send it to an external DAC. That is why I use the term "transport" - it is analogous to CD transport, it is an intermediary between the signal carrier and an external D / A converter. So it is important both how the PCM and DSD signal is decoded, and what source delivers that signal. In the latter case, it would be analogous to the way of preparing different types of CDs - XRCD, UHQCD, Platinum SHM-CD, Blu-spec CD2, all of which are equivalent to different types of external drives. During the test I used both the Synology DS410j / 8 TB NAS disk and the Liksys WAG320N router as well as the Fidata HFAS1-S10U server / file player. I separate part of the test was performed using files stored on the USB drive connected directly to the dCS. The hierarchy was clear: the best sound I achieved with Fidata, then Synology, and finally the USB drive. It is therefore worth devoting more than usual time to the proper configuration of the NAS. The dCS distributor, Audiofast, offers such configuration by equipping us with the ROON software. The dCS transport was connected to the Chord DAVE digital-to-analog converter. Since the Bridge did not output the signal via the USB at the time of this test, I connected it with a DAC using a BNC digital cable with BNC-RCA adapter - dCS features RCA output and DAVE has BNC inputs only. This output allows transmission of PCM signals up to 24 bits and 192 kHz and DSD64. I used Acoustic Revive LAN-1.0 PA cables with the RLI-1 filters on both ends connect dCS with the Fidata server and router. The Bridge was powered with the Acoustic Revive Power Reference Triple-C with the RSA-14 Triple-C filter and was placed on the top shelf of the Finite Elemente Pagode Edition rack. On top of it I put the Verictum X Block passive filter. dCS in "High Fidelity” REVIEW: dCS ROSSINI – Compact Disc/music files Player (in Polish) KRAKOW SONIC SOCIETY: Meeting #101 - dCS ROSSINI IN KRAKOW KRAKOW SONIC SOCIETY: Meeting #100 - THE BEATLES i dCS ROSSINI IN WARSAW | Audio Video Show 2015 KRAKOW SONIC SOCIETY: Meeting #92 - RAVEEN BAWA AND VIVALDI (Data Conversion Systems) | Two guys in Krakow It would seem that - I will repeat what I already mentioned - the players (transports) of audio files should sound the same. After all, their task is to retrieve the signal from an external storage medium, convert the WAV, ALAC, FLAC, dsf and dff files to PCM and DSD respectively and send them to an external DAC. Theoretically, this kind of work should be done perfectly by any computer. In fact, however, the differences between these types of transports are greater than between Compact Disc transports - and these can be awful in some cases and ecstatic in others. Network Bridge is no exception, it clearly has its own sonic character. And to no surprise, it largely resembles what I know from the Rossini and Vivaldi players, keeping proper proportions in mind, of course. Even using a completely different D / A converter, by simply comparing it to a CD transport and other file players, one could quickly and reliably determine the characteristics of the Bridge's performance. The main feature is the intensity of the sound. This is something that, along with the development of this market segment and this type of product is getting better, but in most cases it is still the Achilles heel of file players, not excluding the module that is part of the Rossini. The Network Bridge outperforms Rossini and by a large margin. This is why it surprisingly well presented vocals, both from CD rips and from hi-res files. If the vocal is recorded with a near microphone set, if it isn't later altered during mastering (or remastering), the dCS presents it it in a large, intense, tangible way. It never “shrinks” it, which is often done by other audio file players. DSD files with Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday, but also classic PCM 16 / 44.1, like David Sylvian from Sleepwalkers and Clannad from their last album Vellum sounded very convincing. Even Leonard Cohen from his last but one album Popular Problems sounded in a strong, good way. It was still a poor recording in terms of voice quality - I do not quite understand why some people are so thrilled about it - even though I used the hi-res 24/96 file, but all things considered, it sounded surprisingly good. All the more so, that with the energy and volume (general, subjective magnitude of the phantom images) there was also a quite low set tonal balance. No emphasis in treble not upper midrange, no “audiophile” tricks. The sound was “meaty”, there was commitment, power. To be clear: it's still not the same quality level we are dealing with in recording or remastering studios. Also, in my opinion, it's still not the same level that physical media have to offer. This stage is still ahead of us. But first of all, I do not know any audio file player that would do that, and secondly the Network Bridge performs well enough for me to completely accept and understand those who for some reasons put everything on one card and move to the dark side of power, ie to "network." The feature of this device that distinguishes it among all others is the distinct differentiation of the tone and position of the instruments. The soundstage along with imaging of the instruments – that's what I mean by that - is fantastic, better than delivered by twice as expensive Fidata and incomparably better than when I played the same tracks from my laptop (with J-Play software player). I would say that in the so-called "real" life everything is more connected, even "blended", but ultimately we are talking about a reproduction, a recording, and it is a completely different kind of art than live music. This might be something that will surprise most people at the beginning. Volume, intensity, richness - everything that I mentioned before - will come later. First, we will be struck by the scale of a soundstage and distinct separation of the individual components. This is part of the hi-res files heritage, primarily the PCM ones, something that they bring to audio. CD to some extent flattens this element, at least compared to vinyl. Although transitions between sound sources are clearer with the digital disc, and therefore the differentiation is also better. But Vinyl can make it all more cohesive thus combining all elements in a more natural way into a coherent story. PCM files, but played at this level we talk about in the context of the Bridge, go even farther than a CD, but often too far away, ie the instruments lose connection between each other. The dCS shows them very clearly, but also points to the different tone of the individual elements, which leaves listener dealing not with color stains, but with impressionistic painting viewed from the distance, from which it translates into something more than single sounds, in a coherent message. Which is even more addictive when we play music from DSD files. A slogan displayed on one of the windows at this year's High End show in Munich, in Lindemann's room: "DSD is the new analog" is quite reasonable. dCS clearly showed the differences between these two coding methods, i.e. PCM and DSD. It did not try prove one of them is much worse, did not emphasize their downsides, but also did not blur the differences. And yes: the PCM files sounded in a very precise, clear way with breathtaking panorama, while the DSD sounded smoothly, darker, with layers of the stage combined in a more cohesive way, with naturally presented 3D effect. So I agree that the high-end has finally got its digital "niche" - DSD files - in which it can cherish the "analog" ethos. Finally, the feature of the Network Bridge, which one has to confront with one's expectations, because not always and not for everyone it will be something that one is looking for. The sound of this transport is characterized by far-reaching differentiation between instruments and plans, but within these plans resolution is no longer so excellent, it is simply good. This is something that no audio file player I know - aside from workstations in recording and mastering studios - can do as well as physical media, including CDs. Let's also add that dCS significantly smooths the edges, rounds the attack, giving the impression of "flow", but does not reflect all the nuances that are available with the LP, and even more so with an analogue mother-tape. Despite its high dynamics, the presentation as a whole is rather controlled than "live-like." Summary The dCS Network Bridge is a better audio file transport than the one implemented in the Rossini. This is one of the best transports I know, and only two and three times more expensive ones are able to better reproduce tone and are even more resolving. Everything the dCS does, it does well and some things even exceptionally well, so it can actually be a high-end audio source in a high quality audio system. I have to admit that even on me, a physical formats fanatic with particular appreciation the CD, the Network Bridge made quite an impression. A high quality NAS as a partner will allow you to achieve a great sound - let's not forget this element of the puzzle, because the Bridge clearly shows differences between different types of discs! Although inconspicuous, the Network Bridge is very well built, and it hides a surprise inside. The chassis consists of a steel bottom, aluminum back plate and robust, reinforced with ribs side and upper walls. The latter is damped using a piece of bituminous mat. Such element damping vibration found in a product of people known for their "hard" engineering made me smile, because it turns out that the claim that has been discussed in the audio industry for a long time, that digital devices are extremely sensitive to micro-vibration, has finally been recognized by the mainstream engineering. Only element on the front is a blue LED. If the device is connected to the router, it will be on permanently, when contact is lost – it flashes. On the back there are number of sockets: 2 x AES / EBU, RCA, 3 x SDIF-2, Wi-Fi antenna socket, two BNCs for external clock, RJ-45, USB and power inlet with mechanical switch. The whole circuit is assembled on a single PCB. The player layout comes from Stream Unlimited. The Stream 820 board was chosen because it offers wireless Wi-Fi and cable network connections. This is a newer model than the one used for Rossini – the latter feature Stream 800. The dCS's created their own software for the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Spartan-6. The Stream Unlimited module is plugged in the main PCB prepared by dCS. This arrangement provides several additional possibilities: the signal is additionally clocked, there is also a multi-stage linear power supply, isolating the digital section and the oscillators. This large PCB features the above mentioned FPGA, as well as two beautiful oscillators, mechanically compensated and temperature controlled (they have their own "heating" that stabilizes their temperature). Specifications (according to manufacturer) Dimensions (WxDxH): 360 x 245 x 67 mm Weight: 4,6 kg Digital inputs: - RJ45 | FLAC, WAV & AIFF do 24 bit, 384 kS/s, DSD64 and DSD128 in DFF/DSF, other formats: WMA, ALAC, MP3, AAC & OGG - USB 2.0 in asynchronous mode | PCM up to 24 bits, 384 kS/s, DSD64 and DSD128 in DoP - USB type A in asynchronous mode | PCM up to 24 bits, 384 kS/s, DSD64 and DSD128 in DoP Digital outputs: - 2 x AES/EBU | PCM up to 24 bits, 192 kS/s, DSD64 in DoP. Used as a Dual AES pair, the interface outputs PCM at up to 384kS/s, DSD/64 & DSD/128 in DoP format. - 2 x S/PDIF: 1x RCA, 1x BNC | PCM up to 24 bit, 192 kS/s, DSD64 in DoP - TOSLink | PCM up to 24 bits, 96 kS/s. Analogue outputs Output signal: 2 V or 6V rms, selectable Output impedance (XLR): 3 Ω, minimum loading – 600 Ω (recommended 10 kΩ – 100 kΩ) Output impedance (RCA): 52 Ω, minimum loading – 600 Ω ( recommended 10 kΩ – 100 kΩ) Word Clock I/O on 2 x BNC | 44,1, 48, 88,2, 96, 176,4 or 192 kHz Noise: - 16 bit > -96 dB0, 20 Hz-20 kHz unweighted - 24 bit > -113 dB0, 20 Hz-20 kHz unweighted (6 V output). Cross-talk: > -115 dB0, 20 Hz-20 kHz. Power consumption: 26 W typical | 35 W max. [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/dcs_net/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/dcs_net/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/dcs_net/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/dcs_net/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/dcs_net/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/dcs_net/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/dcs_net/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/dcs_net/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/dcs_net/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/dcs_net/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/dcs_net/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/dcs_net/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/dcs_net/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/dcs_net/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/dcs_net/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

oudspeaker is a sophisticated electromechanical system in itself that additionally works in conjunction with the room. It is true that for a hundred years the main principle it is based on has not changed much. Even the introduction of radical new concepts, such as Distributed Mode Loudspeaker (DML), developed by NXT, did not bring a breakthrough as if the status quo was unbreakable. The basic elements are still: a cabinet, transducers and crossover. There are some variants such as electro- and magnetostatic speakers, but they are only an addition to the mainstream offer. Designers operate using some forms of these three elements by selecting specific transducers, placing them in a specific cabinet using a specific crossover. Sometimes one more element is added to this contact equation – a particular placement of the speakers in a room. The Audio Physic, a German manufacturer whose Tempo Plus loudspeakers are reviewed in this text, has its own original recipe for that. It offers speakers with extremely narrow, leaning back front baffles that they also suggest to place in a room in a special way. The general rules for setting speakers in a room have been known for years. These should form an isosceles triangle, with speakers placed at the ends of the long shoulders and a listener on the vertex formed by them. Discrepancies arise when we ask the manufacturers about how the loudspeakers should be toed-in, i.e. where their radiation axes should cross. The answers could roughly be divided into three groups: a setting with a slight toe-in (or straight forward), with axes crossing at the listening position or with a significant toe-in, i.e. with axes crossing 0.5-1 m in front of the listening spot. Anyone can try out each of these settings at home. However, when one asks some manufacturer for a recommendation, one shall usually hear something like: "in our opinion," because the speakers are measured individually, most commonly in the an-echoic chamber. And yet, the way a couple of them actually behaves depends on a room they are in. Audio Physic has, however, developed its own setting. It stems from design assumptions, which are about the best phase alignment of individual drivers. The loudspeakers of this brand should be set up as wide as possible and pointing directly on the listening spot. This results in an incredibly wide, stable, filled in sound stage that most other manufacturers can dream about. Tempo Plus To achieve this, Audio Physic has developed its own set of techniques/solutions. The Tempo Plus benefit from developments have been introduced over the years for subsequent versions of Tempo - the "Plus" version is the ninth one! They feature a very narrow front baffle, with only tweeter and midrange drivers, while the woofers are screwed on two side walls. All of them are decoupled from the cabinet by means of neoprene washers and a kind of "suspension" - the fastening screws are not tightened directly to the baskets and cabinet but rather through neoprene, resilient bushes. Flat bars stabilizing the entire structure from the bottom are also decoupled. The front baffle is tilted back, which ensures phase coherence between the two drivers. The bass woofers are made for Audio Physic by Tymphany. They feature aluminum diaphragms and extruded metal baskets. Much more interesting are the drivers mounted onto the front baffle. The HHCT III (Hyper-Holographic Cone Tweeter III), a new generation tweeter known from earlier versions of the AP loudspeakers, was used here. It is currently used also for much more expensive Avanti and Codex models. It features a hybrid membrane combining a silk dome and an aluminum cone. Even more interesting is the midrange driver, HHCM II (Hyper-Holographic Cone Midrange Driver II). Like a tweeter it is also custom-made for the AP. Its diaphragm is made of aluminum that is coated with ceramic sinter (a similar solution to the one use by Monitor Audio). The basket features two parts - the exterior of cast aluminum and the inside of a very rigid plastic. They are designed to provide stiffness and proper damping. The diaphragm is driven by twin neodymium magnets enclosed in the heat-sink. In the middle of the diaphragm, where the dust cup is usually located, there is a large aluminum phase plug. The aluminum diaphragms' inherent feature are high-amplitude parasitic resonances outside their frequency range. To prevent this, manufacturers use high-order high-slope crossovers. However, these have their own problems. Audio Physic uses low-order crossovers, so it dampens these vibrations by sticking a silicon rubber seal on the bottom of the diaphragm. This solution is called Active Cone Damping (ACD). The loudspeakers feature an attractive aesthetics and fit nicely into a room. Tilted baffles make their design look dynamic. The cabinets stand on aluminum, black-painted flat bars with spike screwed in them from the top. These can be conveniently adjusted from the top using large handy nuts. The set comes with a small level and a certificate with the serial number and signatures of people responsible for each stage of production. Recordings used for the test (a selec- tion) A Day at Jazz Spot 'Basie'. Selected by Shoji "Swifty" Sugawara, Stereo Sound Reference Record SSRR6-7, 2 x SACD/CD (2011). Frank Sinatra, Sinatra Sings Gershwin, Columbia/Legacy/Sony Music Entertainment 507878 2, CD (2003) Jim Hall Trio & Tom Harrell, “These Rooms”, DENON/Nippon Columbia CY-30002-EX, CD (1988) Jim Hall, Concierto, CTI/Mobile Fidelity UDSACD 2012 SACD/CD (1975/2003) John Foxx and the Belbury Circle, Empty Avenues, Ghost Box GBX019CD, CD (2013) Laurie Anderson, Homeland, Nonesuch 524055-2, CD + DVD (2010); Lisa Gerrard, The Silver Tree, Sonic Records SON212, CD (2006) Livingston Taylor, Safe Home, Chesky Records JD385, CD (2017) Niels Thybo, Bo Stief, Lennart Gruvstedt, Super Trio, Sundance/Lasting Impression Music LIM UHD 047 LE, CD (1998/2010) Peter Gabriel, So, Realworld/Virgin SAPGCD5, SACD/CD (1987/2003) Schubert, Song Cycles, wyk. Nathalie Stutzmann, Inger Södergren, Erato/Warner Classics 4623701, 3 x CD (2014) Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] The Audio Physic Tempo's (and all their subsequent incarnations) main goal was to offer the best possible imaging. I can clearly recall the premieres, shows and presentations of this company I participated - in all of them this aspect of sound reproduction was particularly emphasized. So now we know what to look for, and being rational people we are also aware that this sonic feature has to come at some cost - in (audiophile's) life nothing comes for nothing. So I knew it would be interesting not only to find out what these loudspeakers do really well, but how they deal with the "cost", something designers had to sacrifice to achieve their primary goal. They are quite special in imaging, that much is obvious. This aspect of music reproduction is often referred to as "building a sound stage", "rendering phantom images", etc. These are good terms that are firmly rooted in our industry's vocabulary, with appropriate connotations. It seems, however, that 'imaging' is a broader term, and thus better describing the whole phenomenon that we understand under the term 'stereo'. It does not mean quite the same though. Tempo Plus prove in a fantastic way that imaging is also applicable to monaural recordings. These loudspeakers build clear, distinct bodies, almost the very "instruments" themselves either in the panorama in front of us (stereo), around us (stereo with surround information) or straight ahead of us (mono). This last category is interesting because Audio Physics seem very precise and clean. They also deliver a particularly clear, crisp sound that helps listener to differentiate positions of the instruments as well as a well-marked attack phase, which in turn guarantees a high subjective dynamics. Instruments are, in a word, in a similar fashion to that of a live event. The space is huge and well organized. There are more loudspeaker models that can "throw" a huge panorama in front of a listener, but almost always it seems like an artificial operation, and the sound stage is not just "big" but rather "blown up". The effect seems to be the same, but its reception is completely different. With Tempo Plus it sounds believably, naturally. With them some recordings in which the way of constructing the "presented world" doesn't always work, gain meaning, and one can finally hear what the people responsible for these recordings wanted to achieve with them. A good example is the latest Livingstone Taylor's album, released by Chesky Records. The material on it was registered with a binaural artificial head, and the signal was then converted so that it could also be listened to using speakers (this Chesky series is called Binaural +). Even with Harbeth M40.1, offering perfect imaging, this album seemed to lack some details, it sounded unconvincingly. The space was obviously spectacular, but – let me repeat - unconvincing. The German speakers, however, showed me that there are minor changes in intensity, phase, yielding an abundance of information, richness of the sound, which are obvious when listening using headphones, but not so unambiguous when delivered by loudspeakers, despite the "adaptive" algorithm used for this recording. With Audio Physics this recording made a lot more sense and it finally was convincing. I cited an extreme case but also with mono recordings the ability to create a believable presentation was extraordinary. Sinatra from the 1947 recording, I mean the mono and stereo tracks remastered for SACD releases collected by Stereo Sound magazine on the double album A Day at Jazz Spot 'Basie'. Selected by Shoji "Swifty" Sugawara, classic stereo productions such as Niels Thybo, Bo Stief, Lennart Gruvstedt's Super Trio and Jim Hall Trio & Tom Harrell's These Rooms, up to rock climates by Laurie Anderson and Peter Gabriel recorded using multi-mono (multi-track) techniques – with each of them I was offered a fantastic spacial presentation, ie instruments with accompanying acoustics. It was not about cutting images out of background because it would be idiotic, but a natural "blending" of the event being played back with the listening room it happened in. The space was large, expansive and very accurate. I don't really remember many times with any speakers when the information out-of-phase, both recorded in a special system (eg QSound) and generated for a particular recording (eg Homeland) was so robust, accurate and fleshy as during this listening session. The latter, ie fleshiness, combined with precise imaging was - at least for me – a novelty. It is so because the characteristics I mentioned was achieved by, on one hand precise material and design engineering, and on the other by reducing richness of the midrange and bass. It's pretty easy to simulate precision by filtering out some of the information that is difficult to reproduce. The early Tempo models that I listened to used this method to some extent. Thanks to the proficiency of the designers, these issues were not particularly annoying, but they were always there, somewhere below the surface. Tempo Plus are different. They also have not so rich midrange within the range of - roughly - 600-800 Hz. For the first time though, this decrease of richness did not affect the whole band. The reason for that was a strong bass with a nice, soft character. There is also fleshiness, and richness, and density. These inconspicuous speakers can fill even a large room with a very natural sound. And there is not much difference between albums with “enhanced” spacial effects or mono ones, jazz or rock – each time a presentation was equally convincing and highly enjoyable. The might be a slightly bigger problem with the contemporary recordings featuring strong compression caused by stupidity or used for convenience (which means most modern pop and rock recordings) or for creative purposes (new Ed Sheeran's album) or used to create a special sound effects (John Foxx and the Belbury Circle, Empty Avenues). Compression equalizes dynamics, increases average sound level, but also hardens attack and decreases resolution. That is why mp3s listened using a resolving system sound in an irritating way, as if someone was pounding a sword with a sword. The Audio Physic speakers do not emphasize this problem, they are not scanning through played material in order to find problems to punish the listener. So there is no destruction of the temporary illusion of listening to the real event. But there is a tendency in this direction. The powerful midrange around 1 kHz and above, accurate and open, is not compensated by enriching midrange, which, for example, with Harbeths allows me to enjoy almost every recording. To be clear: both Harbeths and Audio Physics modify the signal, they are not neutral, but Tempo Plus goes in the direction of disclosing problems, and Harbeths prefer to deliberately let them go by. I think that avoiding the “neutrality at all costs” trap, that, at this price level, can not really work, was possible in case of these German loudspeakers because of a rich, dense bass. As in most cases with loudspeakers featuring side-firing bass woofers, bass it is not as “genetically” compatible, as coherent with the rest of the band as it is in high performance classic designs. But I had no problem with that, because it was a delicate indication, not a clear finger pointing. All the more, there was a lot of bass, it was nicely differentiated, had a very nice timbre and a physiological, soft attack. I would call it a "feline" bass, i.e. with visible but hidden claws, with emphasis on soft cushions. I liked its differentiation because the speakers showed changes in positions of bass instrument, their timbre and dynamics, but without emphasizing these elements. The coherence with the rest of the band was very good, taking into consideration what I said earlier. Some advice Although the sensitivity of the tested speakers is quite high, one should pair them up with an amp with good current efficiency. In addition, it should be one with its own strong character. With neutral sounding amplifiers, ie those that do not add much to the presentation and even take something away, Tempo Plus could deliver a bland, featureless performance that I definitely wouldn't recommend. One could choose both, tube and solid state amplifiers. But, for example, Class D amplifiers (Jeff Rowland, SPEC (in Polish), Audiomatus) should be a better match than classic Class AB ones. One could also choose one of many tube or hybrid designs - generally these should be a warm sounding, powerful amp. The German loudspeakers perform very well positioned 0.5 to 1 m from the back wall. The distance from side walls should be as big as possible. In the instruction manual one can find a drawing that suggest both these distances at 0.5 m, but I believe one should treat this numbers as minimum rather than target ones. It is important though that these two distances are different (i.e. the distance from the back and sides wall should not be equal). These designs perform well placed wide apart but close to listener, with their axes intersecting in front of the listening spot. Such a significant toeing-in most often narrows the sound stage. Audio Physics can be placed wide and seriously toed-in – such placement will deliver an incredibly precise and wide soundstage with a very strong center. Summary The Tempo Plus loudspeakers offer everything the Audio Physic products are valued for, but in a more sophisticated form than same money could buy a few years back. There is here huge, well-constructed space, there is also a nice richness to the sound and a strong, pleasant bass. The voices and instruments are big and incredibly concrete, powerful. These speakers are relatively small, but they feature a very good form, so they will complement any well-designed interior without drawing too much attention to them. A potential owner should considering pairing them up with an amplifier with character to achieve a high end performance for relatively reasonable price. And a soundstage that his audiophiles friends will secretly envy him. The Tempo Plus by the German company Audio Physic is a three-way, four-driver floorstanding loudspeakers with vented cabinets. They offer a particular look - they feature a very narrow front wall but their depth is quite significant. The tilted front makes them optically almost disappear from the room. They are also very aesthetically done, with a natural veneer and grills with pins (I think the magnetic ones would be a better choice). The bass woofers grilles are fastened and should stay on during listening sessions. Drivers On the front side there two drivers installed – a tweeter and midrange woofer (custom-made for Audio Physics), plus there are two bass woofers placed on the side walls. The speakers feature a rear bass-reflex ports. The HHCT III tweeter (Hyper-Holographic Cone Tweeter III) is a hybrid design with a 25mm silk dome and an aluminum cone. The driver was decoupled from the cabinet using a special spacer. The HHCM II midrange driver (Hyper-Holographic Cone Midrange Driver II) features an even more advanced design. Its diaphragm is made of aluminum covered with ceramics (as in Monitor Audio speakers). It is mounted on a double basket - cast and plastic which results in improved vibration damping. The driver is powered by a double neodymium magnets and features a large phase cone made of aluminum. To extinguish parasitic vibrations outside of the frequency range, a silicone rubber ring is attached to its diaphragm. This allowed the use of low-order filters in the crossovers. The solution in the company's literature is called Active Cone Damping (ACD). The bass woofers work in phase, in the same chamber, radiating in two directions simultaneously. The bass-reflex port was placed exactly in the middle of rear panel. These are 170 mm Tymphany drivers with aluminum diaphragms and embossed steel baskets. They are driven by classic magnets. All drivers used in these loudspeakers are decoupled using rubber "spacers" pressed into the screw holes. Cabinet The cabinet is made of MDF. It is reinforced inside using numerous crosspieces and damped with two types of materials. One is classic, it's material similar to sheep wool, but closed in something like a bag. The second is more advanced – these are strategically placed open cell ceramic foam elements. The space between the pores is filled in in over 85% with air. The crossover was assembled on three separate boards, one for each section. The cabinet is tilted backwards - both the front and rear walls. Also the side walls are not parallel - they gently coincide towards the front. The WBT speaker posts look very neat and convenient to use. These represent the nextGen series, which mean only a minimal metal content. They were bolted to a rigid, aluminum plate. In previous models the plate was bolted, here was pasted. It is damped using a neoprene spacer; The solution is called Vibration Control Terminal (VCT). Let's add that internal connections are made using a nice Audioquest cable. The loudspeakers are stabilized with two thick aluminum bars, screwed to the bottom of the cabinet. Screws are screwed one through similar springs as ones used for drivers. The whole cabinet stands on steel spikes. They feature large, nice nuts from the top that allow user to easily adjust the speaker's level. Underneath the spikes protrude only a little. I did not find a set of washers in the box, so I applied mine - Acoustic Revive SPU-8. One could also try the Franc Audio Accessories Ceramic Disc Slim Foot for the same purpose. Specifications (according to manufacturer) Sensitivity: 89 dB Frequency range: 32 – 40 000 Hz Nominal impedance: 4 Ω Recommended power amplifier: 20 – 150 W Dimensions: 1000 x 187 x 320 mm Required footprint (W x D): 290 x 430 mm Weight: 20 kg/pc. Polish distributor VOICE Sp. z o.o. ul. Mostowa 4 | 43-400 Cieszyn Poland voice.com.pl [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/audio_physic/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

he Compact Disc player launched some time ago by the Norwegian Hegel Audio company was called the Mohican. It is a clear allusion to The Last of the Mohicans, a novel by James Fenimore Cooper from the year 1826, which shouts: “the Compact Disc format is dead!”, i.e. all digital optical disc formats are the past. A lot of audio companies share this view, getting ready for the supremacy and autocracy of files that is just about to take place. However, Hegel invested money in it. The dCS company is still investing money in it. Ayon Audio keeps on investing, Cambridge Audio keeps on investing, CEC and Métronome Technologie, Luxman, Denon and Marantz keep on investing, just like Accuphase does. It seems that this Japanese company is strongly convinced that optical discs will still stay with us for a long time, which is proven by a group of new players with the company’s logo, starting from the two-piece flagship DC/DP-950 and finishing with the DP-430. The optical disc forever… “Survival strategies” – that is what one may call the actions of many audio companies. Faced with the pervasive wave of streaming, they start to nervously look for solutions that would allow them to surf on it. I get déjà  vu, which makes me recall the moment of shifting from vinyl to digital discs – the same fear and the same herd behavior which make the voice of reason and restraint unheard, and lead people straight onto the wall. That is why a lot of respect is deserved by those who cultivate formats connected with the optical disc, as these formats offer us an incredible amount of music, while the concept of the optical disc has not been fully realized. Accuphase is one of those companies. However, at the same time it secures itself, giving its users devices with very high functionality that are to be the digital centre of an audio system. The DP-560, a model that is second from the bottom in its offer, is not only a Super Audio CD player that reads SACDs and CDs, but also plays optical discs with recorded audio files. Let us have a look at its technical specification and symbols will make us dizzy: CD, CD-R/RW, SACD, DSD Disc (DSF) and Data Disc (CD-R/RW, DVD-R/-RW/+R/+RW: WAV, FLAC, DSF, DSDIFF). It means that we can use one recordable medium from the CD and DVD family to burn WAV, FLAC and DSF DSDIFF files. The decoding of all these formats takes place in the large DSP Xilinx Spartan chip. Similar functions are offered by many Blu-ray players, but I have only once seen a high-end player that could do that: the Boulder 1021, whose prototype was presented in 2008 during the CES exhibition (more HERE [accessed: 17.05.2017]). This is the end of the similarities, however. The Boulder was some kind of a microcomputer (server). After reading a CD or a CD-R/RWor DVD-R/RW with data, it looked for data on it on the Internet and displayed them on a large colorful display. So, it was an equivalent of the modern two-in-one file player and server, which played optical discs. The Accuphase player is different. First of all, apart from discs and PCM files, it plays SACDs and DVD-R discs with DSD files, including DSD128. It does not have a display or CD-Text. So, we need to treat discs with burnt files like classic CDs and SACDs – we get information on them from a booklet. I have to say it suited me a lot, as it returned the responsibility for musical material to me. There is no talking about downloading files like a vacuum cleaner – each disc needs to be burnt and played, which requires attention and engagement. It is similar in the case of vinyl discs. This is what we need now, as we must recall that music is the most important in all of this and an artistic message is closed within the so-called “album” that we are responsible for. Otherwise, music files will not be different from trash. The only disadvantage of playing discs with DSD and WAV files, which I used during the test, on the DP-560 is a lack of the “gapless” mode – there is a short pause between tracks. It will not matter in the case of most discs, but may be problematic when it comes to concerts. A minor difference between these and the CD format is a lack of access to tracks directly from the remote control, one needs to skip between tracks. DP-560 The DP-560 is a player to be used with SACD, CD and DVD-R discs with recorded DSF, WAV and FLAC files. It can also serve as a digital-to-analog converter for external digital sources, mostly for the computer and file player. Using the USB input, we can send PCM files to it (up to 32 bit and 384 kHz), as well as DSD files up to the DSD512 format (11.2896 MHz). We also get a new version of the company’s HS-Link Ver. 2 (the same parameters as the USB, apart from DSD512), a classic RCA (24/192) and an optical TOSLink (24/96). In order to make it possible, the company devoted a lot of time to redesigning the transport, both when it comes to mechanics and software. The damping of vibrations coming from non-centrically made discs has been improved, the “bridge” where the pressure ring is attached has been made stiffer, as well as software has been enhanced, which has additionally dampened vibrations and improved the precision of following a track. The whole transport block is an example of precise engineering. It is enough to see and listen to how the disc tray opens – it operation is absolutely silent and reliable. We will have the feeling of absolute control while listening to this device, as the design of the player is perfect. It has a two-layer housing, a thick aluminum panel at the front, anti-vibration feet made of metal with a high content of iron, a clear multi-part display and a simple but reliable remote control – the whole thing weighs as much as 19 kg. I mentioned the display – it has four segments. It gives us the track number, the sampling frequency of the input signal and bits, the track duration, and the volume. The DP-570, similarly to all other digital sources from this manufacturer, gives us the possibility of changing the level of input signal in the digital domain. The full name of the DP-560 player is the MDS SA-CD Player. MDS refers to a technology that Accuphase has been developing for years – the Multiple Delta-Sigma – and means that a few DACS are connected in parallel. Thanks to this, their quantization errors are minimized and dynamics is improved. At the time when the ESS Technology ES9018S reigns, it is really simple – there are eight DACs in each circuit and they can be used to decode multi-channel signal or be connected in parallel for stereophonic signal; the latter option is used by many manufacturers. Accuphase used to be one of few companies that preferred this solution. However, even today, it does it in its own way – i.e. it does not connect the outputs of converters directly, but connects the outputs of two (per channel) current-voltage (I-U) converters – only then their output is totaled up. To separate balanced XLR outputs and unbalanced RCA outputs, a separate low-pass filter is used at each of them. The solution is called the Direct Balanced Filter. Let us add that this is a 5th order Butterworth filter. ACCUPHASE in “High Fidelity” REVIEW: Accuphase DP-950/DC-950 - Super Audio CD Player AWARD BEST SOUND 2016: Accuphase E-370 – integrated amplifier AWARD BEST SOUND 2006: Accuphase A-30 – power amplifier KRAKOW SONIC SOCIETY, Meeting No. 95: Accuphase DG-58 feat. JIM S. SAITO, MARK M. SUZUKI, ATSUKI TOZUKA, KOHEI NISHIGAWA IN KRAKOW KRAKOW SONIC SOCIETY, Meeting No. 49: ACCUPHASE – digital (Re)evolution REVIEW: Accuphase A-70 – power amplifier | RED Fingerprint REVIEW: Accuphase E-600 - integrated amplifier REVIEW: Accuphase E-470 + DC-37 – integrated amplifier + DAC REVIEW: Accuphase E250 (vs E-260) – integrated amplifier, see HERE INTERVIEW: Jim S. Saito – president of the board, Yasumasa Ishizuka – member of the board, Tatsuki Tozuka – international sales, see HERE HYDE PARK: Accuphase – yesterday, today and forever, see HERE REVIEW: Accuphase AC-5 – cartridge, see HERE REVIEW: Accuphase CD DP-400 CD player | Accuphase CD DP-510 CD player | Accuphase DP-700 SACD player, see HERE (Polish) REVIEW: Accuphase C-3800 + M-6000 - preamplifier + power amplifier, see HERE (Polish) REVIEW: Accuphase C-2810 + A-65 - preamplifier + power amplifier, see HERE (Polish) REVIEW: Accuphase C-27 – phono preamplifier, see HERE (Polish) REVIEW: Accuphase E-250 – integrated amplifier, see HERE (Polish) REVIEW: Accuphase C-2110 + P-4100 – line preamplifier + power amplifier, see HERE (Polish) REVIEW: Accuphase A-45 - power amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: Accuphase P-7100 - power amplifier, see HERE (Polish) REVIEW: Accuphase C-2410 – line preamplifier, see HERE REVIEW: Accuphase DP-700 – SACD player, see HERE (Polish) It is hard for me to recall an optical disc player that would meet so many expectations on such a high level. This technologically and functionally advanced machine gives music lovers attached to physical media, but wanting to use the advantages of hi-res files, tools that they will not find anywhere else. The joy is even greater because the DP-560 is simply an exceptionally well-made CD and SACD player. Compact Disc It produces strong and clear sound but at the same time rounds the attack a bit, because of which it seems we are listening to a device with a tube output. The impression becomes stronger thanks to well-developed large vocals and instruments operating on the listening axis. They are beautiful in their volume and saturation. A relatively highly positioned center of gravity separates them from the so-called “warm sound” – it is not a player that puts more weight to sound. However, while listening to records intended for mass distribution, like Ed Sheeran’s Divide or intended for a smaller but still enormous group of listeners, like Suzanne Vega’s Close-up, but mostly to sophisticated productions such as a Master CD-R with Nat ‘King’ Cole’s recordings, we fully realize that the designers mostly wanted smoothness and a richness of tone. I have not thought that I would ever say this (referring to Accuphase) but one can say that, therefore, the most important range of this player is the midrange. Please consider that I am saying this with reference to Compact Discs, i.e. discs at the very bottom of the hierarchy of “density”. It is with them that I heard what makes it possible for the DP-560 to be the only source of digital signal in a system – it does not need any additions. Apart from excellent sound saturation and open midrange that is closer to “velvet” than to “Teflon”, there is also a well-developed, dense sound stage. Sound is shown close to us, it has a huge volume and tries to come towards us a little. The dynamics is really high, so it is neither sound that would make you sleep, nor is it even romantic. Such dodges, however, are not necessary, since nothing has to be hidden and there is no need to pretend anything. The density results from a multitude of little pieces of information that get combined to form something bigger than they are themselves. A high amount of detail is also good, but it was probably not intended, since selectivity is not too high here. The differentiation of tone, location of instruments and dynamics, etc. are obtained thanks to an elaborate 3D image shown with its own, very convincing acoustics. Each instrument has its own “sizes” and does not merge with others – not only in simple recordings but also in those sophisticated ones, like the abovementioned Cole’s album, with Cole accompanied by an orchestra. Everything is clear, nicely separated, there is no fogging and details are not lost. So, despite the abovementioned pursuit of midrange saturation and slight rounding of the attack, the sound of the DP-560 is clear, rich inside and dynamic. Hi-res So, Compact Discs will be in good hands. However, if we hear what the Accuphase player can do with “dense” recordings – either SACDs or high-resolution files, at this very moment we will be “converted”: if there is a SACD version of a given album, we will try to get it; if there is its SHM-SACD version, we will want it, without paying attention to the fact that it is three times more expensive than an ordinary SACD. It is because such discs sound even more natural than CDs. Without ignoring any advantages of this format (I am its ardent supporter), it must be clearly said that in this case it can be heard why so many record labels that care about sound invest in SACDs and hi-res files. The latter, played through the USB DP-560 input, sound really nice, dense, warm and have good resolution. Copied from a disc, however, they create something more, something complete in its form and content, even if the sound material itself is not too technically sophisticated. It is such recordings that let us hear that higher resolution and a broader frequency response contribute to more natural sound. We accept the weaknesses of recordings or specific choices made by the sound engineer or the mastering specialist more readily, as we UNDERSTAND them better. It was so, for example, with the concert album of the Perfect band recorded in the Stodoła club in Warsaw, released in 1983 and analog remastered in 2016 by Damian Lipiński. To try out new DSD converters, Damian recorded it for me on a DVD-R as a Master DSF with the sampling frequency of 5.6448 MHz (DSD128). It can be heard very well that sound quality of the analog master tape is not too good. However, I immediately got involved in this show created by a lot of little pieces of information, dense atmosphere and excellent dynamics. The voices of the audience were also wonderfully rendered. With the same pleasure, I listened to Reference Recordings released as HRx (WAV 24/176.4) and Polish Jazz WAV 24/88.2 masters once recorded by Jacek Gawłowski for me to compare them with CDs that I reviewed. All these recordings were characterized by pursuit of natural tone and natural dynamics. When listened to next to CDs, they appeared to be an oasis of peace, even though they objectively showed greater dynamics and gave more information both concerning the event and the recording itself. A reference network In order to locate the DP-560 at the right place of the network of digital sound sources, we need to look at what the Accuphase company did earlier in their top-of-the-range DP/DC-950 system and what other companies have done in their top players. The tested device does not create deep sound stage, but emphasizes the foreground. That is why the vocals are so convincing and have a natural size. The width and the building of sounds around us are at a very high level. Low bass is rather restrained here. It would be hard to call the sound of the DP-560 “light” – I do not know whether it is possible at all. However, the two-piece Accuphase device could go lower more freely. When it comes to the way of rendering this range of sound, the tested Accuphase player resembles Ayon Audio, dCS and Audio Research players, with one exception: it pointed out attack better and therefore sound did not go up, nor did it break away from the base. More expensive players are also characterized by higher resolution. It is a thing that was sacrificed in the DP-560 in the name of coherence and volume, i.e. the size of individual sounds and sound as a whole. However, it was this device that sounded exceptionally natural and pleasant with “dense” recordings, thanks to which sound as a whole was so complete and elaborate with it that no comparison made any sense. It was simply very good. Conclusion The DP-560 is an exceptionally robust device which is to stay with us for years. It offers incredible functionality and I have never before dealt with such a versatile source that would at the same time be easy and pleasant to use. For the first time, files played in home conditions (i.e. outside mastering studios) made sense to me, as I could play them like CDs and their sound was much better. But it was the way that the DP-560 plays classic CDs that made me listen to it with pleasure. It is not sound characterized by the highest resolution, but this is not the target here. It seems that the aim was to saturate the musical message without enclosing it in “warm” sound. So, the sound of the player is not warm. It has high energy on the upper midrange, but also seems darker and more organic than in the earlier designs of this manufacturer. If we add a large picture of the foreground, excellent dynamics and incredible tone differentiation, we get a masterpiece. The DP-560 is a Super Audio CD player compatible with recordable discs with WAV, FLAC, DSF and DSDIFF files. It is also equipped with digital inputs, including the USB. The USB input is controlled by one of more recently produced chips, the Bravo SA9227, thanks to which we can use the USB to decode probably all file formats that are currently in use, with DSD signal from DSD64 to DSD512 and PCM signal from 16/44.1 to 32/384. It is a large robust device which measures 465 x 151 x 393 mm (W x H x D) and weighs 18.8 kg. Its front is made of thick aluminum plate, very similar to that used in many previous series, and that is why one needs some experience to recognize which generation of the device it is. The DP-560 can be recognized based on its displays – there is no longer a dot-matrix display, so the player does not display CD-Text or information on tracks recorded on SACDs. The two first displays are used to show the sampling frequency and the number of bits. Alphanumerical displays used here are easier to read and produce less noise, which is conducive to measurements and listening sessions. The front and back This is a classic front offered by the manufacturer, mostly because of the golden anode – now in the pink gold hue. There are amber alphanumerical displays, diodes showing the selected input and a green logo under a glass element. Below there is a metal, aluminum-cast tray and there are buttons controlling the transport and the change of input and layer on hybrid SACDs on the sides. At the back there is a battery of inputs and outputs. The digital section is located on the left and the analog one on the right, which reflects the inner arrangement of boards very well. In the former there are four inputs (HS-Link Ver. 2, USB, RCA and TOSLink) and three outputs (HS-Link Ver. 2, RCA and TOSLink). In the latter there are balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA outputs. As we are talking about a traditional Japanese company, the XLR outputs are cabled according to the old American type also used in Japan, i.e. with a “hot” pin No. 3. In Europe we use a version which conforms with the DIN norm (hot = 2), i.e. today’s EIA Standard RS-297-A . What is interesting, the XLR jacks were designed in the USA by James H. Cannon, the founder of the Cannon Electric company, and are called “cannons” in the pro industry. It means that if we use a balanced cable to connect such a device to another device equipped with reverse cables, the absolute signal phase will be reversed. A lot of (sound) engineers think it is impossible to hear this change, but I have a different opinion. Accuphase has solved this in an elegant way – next to XLR outputs there is a switch which lets us decide which standard we want to use. The inside The housing is made of steel and aluminum, with elements bolted in layers, damped to make them vibrate as little as possible. The whole structure is additionally made more rigid inside, using horizontal and vertical screens that divide the device into a few chambers. At the centre there is a beautiful SACD transport – well, not completely SACD. One might say that it is multi-format, but the DP-560 is not intended for DVD-Video, DVD-Audio and Blu-ray discs. However, it does work with recordable DVDs with audio files. The transport has a low centre of gravity, which can be seen if we look at the bottom – it is lowered where the transport is bolted. The traverse mechanism is decoupled using four rubber dampers and a thin pressure ring is attached to the multi-layer “bridge”. On its left there is the PSU. Voltage is supplied from a shielded transformer with classic EI metal sheets. Separate secondary windings supply voltage to a few power supply units. The section for the analog output is built of discreet components. On the right there is the logic and control board. Audio circuits are at the back, behind a screen. RCA and TOSLink inputs are controlled by the AKM AK4118A receiver, while the USB – by the SaviAudio Bravo SA9227 chip. The DAC itself is the ESS Technology ES9018S circuit. It is a 32-bit, the most expensive Accuphase circuit from the Sabre32 Reference series, made using the Hyperstream technology. It ensures very high dynamics at the level of 135 dB! In one circuit there are eight converters, connected four per channel here. The output is based on SMD integrated circuits, using 5th order Butterworth filters. Separate filters have XLR outputs and separate ones have RCA outputs, which made it possible to separate them and make them independent of one another. The solution is called the Direct Balanced Filter. In the section which converts current to voltage and also in output buffers L47920 integrated circuits are used. The remote control The RC-120 remote control is a classic Accuphase product. It is made of metal, with a plastic battery compartment (classic AA-size batteries!) and rigid buttons that are incredibly comfortable to use, as they have different sizes, colors and, most importantly, they clearly react to user actions. We have direct access to tracks on CDs and SACDs through the keyboard. However, it does not work in the case of DVDs with files, as we only can skip from one track to another. This is an example of a timeless classic of good engineering. Respect! Recordings used in the test (a selec- tion) COMPACT DISC Ed Sheeran, Divide, Asylum 95859015, 2 x 180 g 45 RPM LP (2017) John Coltrane, Expression, Impulse!/MCA Victor MVCZ-39, „Master of Jazz”, K2 CD (1967/1996) Laurie Anderson, Homeland, Nonesuch 524055-2, CD + DVD (2010); Nat ‘King’ Cole, The Nat King Cole Love Songs, Master Tape Audio Lab AAD-245A, „Almost Analogue Digital”, Master CD-R (2015) Suzanne Vega, Close-Up. Vol.1, Love Songs, Amanuensis Productions | Cooking Vinyl COCKCD521, CD (2014) SUPER AUDIO CD Accuphase. Special Sound Collection 2, Accuphase Laboratory | Octavia Records SCD-2, SACD/CD, (2011) Accuphase. Special Sound Collection 3, Accuphase Laboratory | King International SCD-3 (TGCS-8206/TGGS-248), SACD + CD (2014) Charlie Mingus, Tijuana Moods, RCA Records/Original Records Group ORG 174-3, SACD/CD (1962/2015) Count Basie, Live at the Sands (before Frank), Reprise/Mobile Fidelity UDSACD 2113, “Special Limited Edition No. 197”, SACD/CD (1998/2013) Jeremy Monteiro Trio, A Song For You, Karen, First Impression Music FIM SACD 036, SACD/CD (2002) John Coltrane, Coltrane, Prestige/Analogue Productions CPRJ 7105 SA, SACD/CD (1956/2012) Ornette Coleman, The Shape of Jazz to Come, Atlantic Records/ORG Music ORGM-1081, SACD/CD (1959/2013) DVD-R T-TOC Data Collection Vol. 1, T-TOC Records DATA-0001, WAV 24/96+24/192, DVD-R (2011) Dick Hyman, From the Age of Swing, Reference Recordings HR-59, HRx (WAV 176,4/24), DVD-R (1994/2001) Perfect, Live, Savitor/Damian Lipiński Remaster, DSD128, DVD+R (1983/2016) Wybrane utwory z serii Polish Jazz , REMASTER 2016, WAV 24/88,1, DVD+R (2016) Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] Technical specifications (according to the manufacturer) Compatible disc formats: CD, CD-R/RW, SACD, DSD Disc (DSF), Data Disc (CD-R/RW, DVD-R/-RW/+R/+RW: WAV, FLAC, DSF, DSDIFF) Digital inputs: - HS-LINK Ver. 2: PCM 32-384 kHz/16-32 bit | DSD64, DSD128 - RCA: 32-192 kHz/16-24 bit - TOSLink: 32-96 kHz/16-24 bit - USB: PCM 32-384 kHz/16-32 bit | DSD64, DSD128, DSD512 Frequency response: 0.5 – 50,000 Hz (+0, -3 dB)  Signal-to-noise ratio: 119 dB Dynamic range: 116 dB  Channel separation: 117 dB  Total harmonic distortion (THD): 0.0006%  Output voltage: RCA 2.5 V | XLR 2.5 V Output impedance: RCA 50 Ω | XLR 50 Ω Power consumption: 18 W  Dimensions (W x H x D): 465 x 151 x 393 mm  Weight: 18.8 kg  [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/accuphase/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

e all like to read about audio components. Of course, about the music, too, but the products used to reproduce music allowing us to listen to it at home are what interests us most. After all, we are audiophiles. Over the years, we have become accustomed to reading first of all product tests, less frequently columns, reports and interviews. It is something normal for us to test individual products and focus on them. Testing – a real joy A well-prepared test requires from a reviewer to have at his/her disposal a well-known reference system (reference devices). He/she knows their performance well both in this particular system and when paired with many other products. It is desirable for him/her to know and understand how these devices work, to have some idea about how certain technical solutions correct the sound and what to expect of them. The test should be a comparison in which one reference point is his/her own product of the type and the other is a live sound. Based on the comparison he/she creates a description of the performance, which then needs to be interpreted, ie, the reviewer has to try to understand what the established changes to the performance mean, what do they tell us about the tested product, and how these changes should be understood in a broader context. Finally comes an assessment, meaning referring conclusions from the test to the price of the device, competitive products and reviewer's own preferences. The description and its interpretation should be as objective as possible. In turn, the assessment is always “contaminated” with reviewer's own, subjective view. An honest journalist will indicate his personal preferences so that the readers know how to interpret his/her assessment. Although it should be done at the beginning, at the stage of description and interpretation, in the real world, the boundaries between these elements are blurred, and many readers tend to take shortcuts and just confront their needs with the summary of the test. In extreme cases, some reader only look at number of the stars (if these are given by magazine/reviewer). It's a mistake, but it's so common that it's actually trivial. Test – what a beautiful illusion… The test of the product could be compared to taking one piece of the puzzle out and putting another, one that we are interested in, in its place. It is therefore a kind of self-deception. Please look at it this way: if our system is set up to perform well as a system, changing any of its components changes a fragile balance. And on the other hand, there is still a tested product that has to work in a completely alien environment, taken from its own, the one it was designed for. As I mentioned, we got used to it and we silently approve this way of doing things. We throw the reasoning out and do not take the conclusions into consideration. Otherwise there would be no test. Let me explain why. The reference system is the only constant we know. Even the sound of live instruments is just an approximation of what is captured in the recording. Of course, one can imagine a situation in which one receives a complete system for a test that includes the product of one's interest. This type of listening test would tell us nothing really about this product, maybe something about the whole system. And yet, again, we are interested in the description and evaluation of the performance of a particular device (loudspeakers, cables, etc.). If we have enough imagination we can of course go further and think about the situation in which we get a complete system and test the device in that system and then also in our reference system. Let's go on - in the next step we try to match the tested product to other systems that could be recommended to the readers. It will only be an exercise for our imagination, nothing like that will actually happen. Why? Because of the cost that such a test would generate for a manufacturer / distributor, and the cost would be high because firstly it would take a lot of time, and secondly there is a serious downside inscribed in this reasoning – for such a test to be complete, reviewer would have to listen to the product using many systems. What, let's be real, is completely unfeasible. System: Verictum But we already learned a few things. First of all: there is no complete description of the sound, only a partial one. The test is just an approximation and a trial, not a fulfillment. And yet we accept such a test as it is and in most cases this approach works. In order to offer you something more than a theory, I would like to propose to you a test of a complete Verictum system. We prepared it together with Marek Stajndor and Pawel Czubryt. We have been planning it for a long time, but it may be a good thing that it happened only now, because in the meantime Furutech replaced its top plugs with the new I-E50 NCF (R) and FI-50 NCF (R) made of Nano Crystal² Formula (NCF) material. It is one of the most important advancements in the power supply industry in the recent years. The best confirmation of its importance is a list of companies that immediately started to use them includes such names as: Verictum, Siltech, Acoustic Revive and others. The system included products that “HighFidelity” already reviewed in the past but as separate components: power distributor COGITARI; price: 22 800 PLN/pc, power cables DEMIURG (x 4 ); 34 000 PLN/pc, passive ground conditioner X BULK (x 3); price: 4200 PLN/pc, passive RFI filter X BLOCK (x 3); price: 2500 PLN/pc. Since Demiurg cables are equipped with a passive filter, they should be plugged into the system for a few days before critical listening. So I powered up the entire reference system plugging all components into the Acoustic Revive RTP-4eu Ultimate power distributor and the latter into the Furutech wall outlet with a dedicated line going to a separate HPC fuse. The test was conducted as follows. Before replacing cables I listened to several CDs, I repeated it after the cables were plugged into the system, and then a day later. On the day of the actual, three of us listened to HF reference system powered with Demiurg cables. Next we replaced Acoustic Revive power distributor with Cogitari and we listened again to the same recordings, and then we plugged into the distributor a dedicated X Bulk filter. The next step was to connect two more filters - one to the Ancient Audio Lektor AIR V-edition CD player, and the other one to the Ayon Audio Spheris III preamplifier. Finally, we placed X Bulk filters on the preamplifier, its power supply, and the Soulution 710 power amp. After each stage of the test, we sat down at the table and discussed the changes that had taken place. And they were not small. At the end of the test, we summed it up, and on the next day, I listened to the same tracks (alone) without Verictum products in the system. During the test we also used X Bulks in an unusual way, placing them on CDs. You should try it yourself, the effects are comparable to what what is achieved with the Acoustic Revive RD-3 demagnetizer. Participants: MAREK STAJNDOR & PAWEŁ CZUBRYT (Verictum), WOJCIECH PACUŁA („High Fidelity”) WOJCIECH PACUŁA: …where do you manufacture housings for you products, they look really good… VERICTUM: Our carpenter's workshop has a lot of work with them. They must use a machine that works with extreme precision and very slowly. The merbau wood is very hard and brittle, eg the X block housing is cut out of solid blocks, and after processing the walls are quite thin, and the writing is done on CNC - it's really a really slow process. The search for a suitable workshop looked as it always does - a man came to us claiming he could do the job for us, and that there would be no problem with it. I waited for two weeks and didn't hear again from him. I called and he said he'd already done one part, but he had other orders too and he didn't have time for me at this moment. After a month I phoned again and and the guy said that unfortunately he couldn't do it... That's one of few similar situations with carpenter's we experienced. How do you achieve the performance you're after? Our products, in addition to the unique technical aspects and measurement procedures related to the technologies we use, are meticulously “tuned” or “voiced” if you please. During the product development process, we select technical solutions used in the industry and / or developed by collaborating scientists. At this point it should be emphasized that 99% of the technological solutions for the industry, don't work well in audio. These technologies usually degrade sound. That is why only a smart adaptation of these solutions according to specific audio requirements brings desired results. This is a very delicate and difficult process considering the emphasis we put on the painstaking refining of our products. We also pay attention to the smallest details when creating our products, cables, filters, etc. Every detail of product's design is an important element contributing to the final performance. The complexity and number of phenomena occurring in audio goes far beyond knowledge taken from engineering manuals, so we work together with renown scientists who deal with the phenomena we are interested in and achieved significant accomplishments in this field, including patents. We must emphasize that the path of industrial, and therefore mass-production prevents refining product at the highest level of detail needed for tuning it at each stage of production. Only manual production allows for applying unique solutions that allow us to achieve targeted sonic properties. That is why our approach is somewhat similar to the way small, renown Japanese companies, such as Mr. Sakuma's or Audio Tekne's, operate. With regard to the verification and fine-tuning of our products, it takes place in 5-6 different systems. The long-hours listening sessions are performed by several people, including professional musicians who also listen to their own music using our products. Such meetings are fundamental for us as we receive an objective and complete evaluation of the impact that our products have on the sound. We use only listening systems that have been refined, transparent and tonally balanced, in which the loudspeakers do not limit any particular sections of the band, especially the treble where much is happening. Most of these systems are accompanied by professionally prepared acoustic room treatment, which allows us to hear again as much as possible during the meticulous process of fine tuning of our products. These systems include tube and transistor equipment designed by renown foreign and domestic brands. We want our users to be sure that we have taken care of the smallest detail of the performance, so even if at particular stage of development of their system they are not able to hear the full potential of our products, the will not be disappointed later when their system reaches a new, high level of performance. Higher level in audio. Our products are designed to deliver sound as close as possible to what we can hear during philharmonic concerts. That is why go to live concerts at the Silesian Philharmonic in a well-prepared acoustically NOSPR hall, or in the Silesian Opera in Bytom, but not only there. Due to attending such concerts we have a good knowledge of how the different instruments and voices sound, which tonal components are constant regardless of the acoustics of the concert hall, and which are subject to modifications. This gives us an up-to-date reference to how could and should classical music sound when reproduced by an audio system. Live classical music consists of the voices and instruments in a pure form without any amplification system. Classical repertoire is also the most difficult repertoire to reproduce by an audio system, because the orchestra is a complex and huge instrument with a great diversity, rich in colors and harmonics. And there is also the incredible micro-dynamics and dynamics that accompany concerts. For each audio system, it is a challenge to recreate such a large amount of information that should create a coherent artistic spectacle. That is why classical music is an “obligatory” repertoire, a core one for any testing and tuning of our products. During the listening sessions we use a well-known to us repertoire on CDs, which is appropriately recorded and released and possibly closest to what we can hear during live concerts in the philharmonic. The music we use has also been verified in many audio systems. We don't claim that one can hear the symphony orchestra in a 1:1 scale at home, but we can get him very close in terms of tone, micro-dynamics, differentiation, musicians technique, separation, and more importantly, the impression that musicians are present in the room, "talk" to each other through music and induce incredible, unique emotions in listeners while playing a specific repertoire. Of course, we also use another repertoire, but we treat it as an auxiliary rather than the core one we base our decisions on. This is a short version of how we develop our products. This is a path that requires a lot of knowledge, tenaciousness, patience and time, so creating and tuning a new product takes a long time, but it allows us to be sure that the customer receives an uncompromising product from us! When we replaced the Acoustic Revive distributor with yours a lot has changed… Yes. First of all the loudspeakers disappeared from the room and the sound became more pleasant, less mechanical. We know this Japanese power distributor and in our opinion it delivers a very precise, but slightly mechanical, performance. Our distributor added a lot to the midrange presentation. The sound with it was more refined and multi-layered and more resolving, and above all, fluid, "musical", whatever that means. For us the change was significant and unmistakably a positive one. This result was exactly as we intended it to be. We heard the same thing and I could not disagree with you. It was a refined, perfectly smooth performance that really got free from loudspeakers, even though I have never realized before that such an issue existed... But the distributor offered even more – a true connection with something real, close. But we should not pretend that everything has changed for better, right? Yes it's true. Compared to the Acoustic Revive strip, ours without the X Bulk creates some emphasis in the midrange, at least in relation to both range extremes. The bass was not so well differentiated. A dynamic accent, pace, extension – that's where the Japanese distributor performed better. And then we connected the X Bulk Gold to the distributor and… And everything changed. Which was no surprise for us, because our distributor was designed and assessed/fine-tuned using the Bulk Gold. So it's no coincident. Everything became richer, fuller, suddenly differentiation and accent became clearer. The bass, which was not too well controlled before, now became disciplined and differentiated. There was still a characteristic sonic signature, a bit soft one, and yet now I didn't miss any element of the sound anymore. Well, there was more depth and the sound freed itself from loudspeakers. I guess all us sitting here, we do not like sound coming from loudspeakers. With the Bulk we could hear the effect of depth, but without supernatural effects. We pay close attention to the acoustical adaptation of rooms and rooms with proper acoustical treatment are used And what change when we connected additional Bulks? Let's explain that we connected one to CD Player's ground and the other to preamplifier power supply's chassis. Again – a much better separation, better tonal balance, a clearer sound. Eliminating distortion and noise results in a more 3D presentation of instruments' bodies and a palpable presence of musicians in the room. But it's not like the effect of adding Bulks was the same as when we changed the strip, do you agree with me? I mean, when building this system, based on the changes that the distributor introduced first, later we're going in a different direction, as if we were filling the spaces, blanks left out by the distributor. The strip has primarily changed the tone of the sound, made it warmer, and the bodies on the stage were rendered in a more natural, softer way. I was under impression that the addition of the Bulks added more differentiation to this sound. Yes, exactly – the Bulks always influence sound in the same way, not just with our power strip. X Bulks do not have their own tone, because they are absolutely not an equalizer, they are only a filter, and so they deepen the sonic character they find in the system one connects them to. If we connect Bulk to a system that delivers a dry sound, that lacks richness, that is edgy, then Bulk's influence will go in that direction. Lowering the background noise level brings out characteristic features of the sound. There are systems where this purification of the sound actually reveals their problems, which we consider a very desirable effect in the context of smart, conscious development of the system. If we can hear more we can better use this knowledge, we can take another step forward, right? On the other hand, in systems that are as well-balanced as yours, something completely different happens. Sound gets even deeper, more information about tone appears. And the sound stops to be sweet, right? Yes, yes, exactly! The strip alone caused the system to sound too sweet. There are systems where something has to be done with sound that is too mechanical in nature, and your strip will be perfect to change that, but when used alone, without Bulk. They, having some sort of vividness to their disposal can do something about it; But if there is no proper vividness in the system then nothing will happen. The Bulks purge the sound of unwanted elements, “intruders”, leaving only the valuable core of the sound. If the system does not sound vivid, it will remain this way. If it is rich and "colorful", Bulks will highlight that. The strip itself improves the sound, but it does not get into uncomfortable details. That was our goal after all - to free the full potential of the systems from its limitations. Let's be honest, there are not many systems that are so well saturated and rich as this one, with the Harbeths, which deliver also a nicely extended bass, especially with the set of Demiurg cables. Usually we talk about sound that is too dry, too light, not tuneful enough. These types of systems deliver a contoured sound, and the strip adds “physiology”, vividness, color. Without emphasizing the edges of the band, it adds a 3D effect to the sound and it is well perceived. Blocks something even different – when we placed them on devices the result was… …a different sound. It happens that placing a Block, which is a filter placed on components, results in a more significant influence on the performance than the one of Bulk, which is a ground conditioner connected to the device. And that's exactly my impression: adding Bulk to power distributor created a very clear and unequivocal effect. The effect of adding two more Bulks was clear, everything went in the right direction, but the effect was not as spectacular as with the first Bulk. On the other hand Blocks introduced a significant effect. Why? Because Blocks just complement the X Bulks in the fight against interference. The X Bulks will get rid of the components' ground, but that's not all that should be fixed, because only the X Blocks show how much noise is introduced by power supplies, regardless of what device they work in, as we listened to them, among others, with Kondo, and many top-high-end solid-state amplifiers by Krell, Vitus, Gryphon etc. and the effect is always the same. It depends on the size of the mains transformer, its power, how the devices affect each other, etc. It is important, for example, the distance between Block and power supply - more than 15 cm and it is not able to influence the sound anymore – it's pure physics. There is a difference when it comes to bigger, more powerful amplifiers. They feature larger, more efficient power supplies, so the level of noise emitted is naturally much higher, and so Block should work even when placed in a larger distance. It collects interference not only in the beam, but more like an antenna. Therefore, the choice of wood for chassis is very important as we can not shield it. Same with the power distributor - its housing is made of wood, not metal, not for aesthetic reasons - wood simply does not affect the filter working inside. We believe that field induced inside devices, including the strip, if they are shielded, is very difficult to suppress. I remember, years ago, how the "Stereophile" editors started to open components' housings and examining how it affected the sound. It was even studied how the force used to tighten the screws affected the sound – that's what Luxman does nowadays. Back then it seemed pointless to me. As it turned out years later, all that affects the sound and today we are using this knowledge ourselves. So now: Blocks, as I hear it, „freed” the sound. Despite the fact that in my system sound is not “trapped” in speakers. And yet Blocks freed it even further. With Blocks the sound came out to us, surrounded us more than it did without them. The position of the listener in relation to performers changed. Even sitting on the side, that is, with incomplete stereo effect, with Blocks we heard more spatial presentation, we were more "in" it than "in front of it". But that would suggest a rather surprising conclusion that the problem with stereo is not just or even primarily a loudspeakers' problem, but rather of other components, right? Indeed, we noticed that when designing Blocks. During some listening sessions adding the entire Verictum set into the mix completely changed the acoustics. And the owners of some systems claimed they had a problem with the acoustics of a room they could not solve. For example is some the bass got excited/emphasized. We applied our set and boom, the problem was gone, suddenly it seems that the room acoustics was just fine. What's next? Which direction a company like yours, already offering an advanced, high-quality system, will take in future? Will you keep improving your products and there will be some leaps forward? As far as the filtration is concerned, we think our products are already refined and it makes no sense to introduce big changes, at least today. Instead we have made some improvements, for example in X Bulks. We made a correction to the Demiurg power cables because the Furutech introduced new plugs and the cable had to be "re-tuned". We have been working for several months on another uncompromising power cable utilizing our own, proprietary copper conductors. We already offer a high-end Gnosis power strip, but we would like to make one more product of a different type that would fit in the lineup between this model and Cogitari. And we will complete the lineup with power cables made of different materials than Demiurg, which will affect their price. But you will keep using solutions and technologies already developed for your current products? Yes, similar ones We will offer cables with filters, but this time we will use other conductor materials, it won't be a silver-gold cable. We use the metallurgy process that we have developed for this conductor and select an optimal cryogenic processing that is essential and a key factors to provide the best possible sound quality. The cable will also feature a filter specially developed for this purpose. We also want to complement the lineup with standard signal cables such as interconnects and speaker cables. And have you found anything new that caught your attention that you could find a use for? Because, let's be honest, the idea is a key to success, applying it is secondary, although an important stage. In the field of EMI / RFI we closely work with scientists and researches all the time, but at the moment we do not want to talk about our new projects because they are still in R&D phase. Since you've mentioned scientist, I would like to ask where the technology used to for noise and interference reduction comes from and how this can even be measured, ie how could you prove that it is based on science and not woo-do? EMI / RFI interference reduction research is performed both, at universities and by the industry, although industry and science do it differently. They have different goals and consequently different direction of research. We use one and the other, choosing what is best for us. We focus on passive ways of reducing interference, but you have to know that active reduction is also actively researched. However, we believe that for audio applications it is useless, it does more harm than good. Our efforts to use active solutions have confirmed this issue. And yet it is working for the industry applications. Their influence is so strong that instead of improving something it dampens, modulates the sound in such a strong way that it is unacceptable to us. Is there a chance that what we do in audio could be put into some sort of thought, to come up with a coherent system that explains the phenomena in a scientific, technical way? I only ask because many engineers didn't even try out some solutions, assuming that "they could never work". This could be done if scientists took up the perfectionist audio. Unfortunately they do not do it, they deal with industry, which means dealing with completely different type of interference, also where is industry there is money, subsidies, etc. What we can do is to transfer this research to the audio, but with significant modifications. Skillful usage of them often surprises even the scientists themselves, especially when they hear effects that can not be described by any measurements. Industrial solutions can not be directly applied in audio, they need to be adapted for this purpose. Maybe it is necessary to encourage PhD students who are audiophiles to deal with this subject? Maybe we just lack the audio companies that would be able to finance such work? It's an interesting idea, because this field is interesting, but somehow it's hard for us to imagine. It would require simultaneous participation of specialists from too many remote areas of expertise and who would also need to be all advanced audiophiles. I don't want to let this go because it's very difficult to explain to the people from the outside our audiophile world why "it" works. We keep spinning within audiophile world while what we need is a “unifying” theory. This is obviously not magic, in our case it is a simple transformation of two types of energy. But details are quite complex. We miss something like what the Japanese have - they start from the "hard" engineering, combine it with the listening element and thus the sound. They hear and appreciate the potential impact of this type of products on the sound and apply it to their systems, of course. Outside of Japan and parts of Asia things are different. Most people do not understand what is going on in the sound and where it comes from. And even after a preliminary analysis of the available materials, one can conclude that certain actions have to bring positive change. Plus there is a problem of patents and military secrets. From what we have come to know, all the major noise elimination studies are first implemented in the military and then "leaked" to the civilians, always after many, many years. They are used in submarines painted with special paints, to cover planes, to "suppress and mute" for command centers, data centers and so on. These types of solutions are not published, but there are also many things available that are ignored by engineers. And in these materials one can find a lot of hard knowledge. So for now we should not wait for some huge breakthrough? Absolutely not! All the more, considering that if someone spends a lot of money on a device, they count on having a finished, final version of the product. However, the reality is different, and it is only a starting point, an element of a larger system. And why can not these solutions be introduced to audio components? Of course, that could be done, but we would have to work with such a manufacturer from the very beginning, starting with the chassis design, which must be different from the standard ones. The sound would have to be fine tuned. We met one of the producers, but nothing came of it. That is why we have no choice but to use accessories. We have to put the whole system together. It is good that you've mentioned it, because after all we've met to see how the full system works, not its individual components. I will not be a surprise if I say that only the whole system has introduced a qualitative leap - the Verictum power system consisting of the Demiurg power cables and the Cogitari power strip, and the passive X Bulk and X Block filters delivered a better sound than my reference system. Each component offers a good performance, brings some change to the system, but it's become obvious only now that each of them is a part of a bigger project. All elements of this puzzle are tested by the manufacturer and tuned so that together they can offer more than they can individually. And it doesn't work this way only in our system, but in all of them. Classical tests in audio magazines are therefore severely compromised and relative - they present only a small part of this assumption, present especially at the highest quality levels, that excludes any shortcuts and compromises. Sometimes it will work out and show something more, but most often after reading such test we actually know less than before reading it. Taking a component out of context usually causes it to perform worse. If I were a customer, then I should ask for a complete system and if I can not afford it, remove item after item to establish which one introduces the biggest change, am I right? Exactly so, you should check which system components are the most effective in your system and focus on them. But knowing in which direction it takes you, where you could get. Unfortunately, customers are not open-minded, they divide their audio needs between particular components and try combine the best of each king they can afford, forgetting that it doesn't work like that, because even best individual components don't have to match to each other. Such approach may have been shaped over years by tests in which we look at one element of the system while pretending that there is nothing else around it. And you should remember that "stars" won't deliver any sound at all. Nobody pays attention to the fact that adding one new element to the system is an operation still within that system that is not necessarily going to work. The listener often does not even consider how big a variable this new component is and that in order to fully utilize its potential and to develop whole system's performance in the desired direction it would be, for example, necessary to change the placement/setting of loudspeakers, toed them in differently, correct the acoustics of the room, use anti-vibration elements, replace another component that might have a negative and/or limiting influence on system's performance, etc. It happens quite often that in one system the component works very while in another it doesn't. What should one start building his audio system from? Theoretically, you should bring home a full system. What is obviously difficult. But you can start by listening to your friends and acquaintances systems. You should also go to concerts, for example philharmonic ones to "imprint" a natural sound in the head - this is a very important matter. These two things should set your preferences. And the truth is that everyone has to go through a trial and error phase. It is also a way to gain knowledge and experience. Once you get a complete system picked up by someone else you won't have a chance to learn your preferences and how you can shape the sound. So what we miss are sort of audiophile clubs, that would allow its members to do some of that? Yes, we lack culture of this type, which is well-developed eg in Japan. There are no opportunities to meet and to talk to people who have already passed through the "urgent" phase, when they wasted a lot of money. So to finalize our meeting we should encourage people to set up such “audiophile clubs”? We should first of all spend as much time listening to music as possible! But not individually, rather in groups, with friends? Yes, exactly: listen to a lot of music and do it with your friends! What's next? Do you understand now what I meant by "system"? There is a long way ahead for us, reviewers, so that we could listen to whole systems and then to individual devices in our systems, but it is good to know that this how it should look like. For now keep an eye on what devices accompany reviewed products, and try to imagine how they modify the sound of the device being tested (loudspeakers, cables, etc.). And what the reviewer expects from them. This well allow us to get closer to the truth, ans that's what audio is about. VERICTUM in “High Fidelity” REVIEW: Verictum COGITARI – power distributor REVIEW: Verictum DEMIURG - power cable AC BEST SOUND 2015: Verictum X Block – passive EMI/RFI filter REVIEW: Verictum X Block – passive EMI/RFI filter REVIEW: Verictum X Bulk – ground filter [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/magia/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/magia/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/magia/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/magia/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/magia/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/magia/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/magia/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/magia/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/magia/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/magia/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/magia/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/magia/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1706/magia/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1706/magia/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1706/magia/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

encountered the ACOUSTIC DREAM power conditioner for the first time during Audio Video Show 2016. Unlike many other new products of this type, displayed in dark rooms, placed somewhere in a corner, the Ag-1 conditioner was an equal partner component in a very expensive system based on components of the German company T+A. Although its High Voltage Series devices are perfectly made and finished, the Polish conditioner not only did not look worse than German devices but at least as well as them. Acoustic Dream is the "child" of Arnold Marek Piątek, a respected manufacturer, owner of the Marsyl-elektrotechnika, whose regular business are electrical and tele-technical installations, and they specialize "in the field of high and low voltage electrical installations". The company is located in Machowino, 6 km from Ustka. Acoustic Dream is the fulfillment of the ambition and needs of Mr. Piątka and it's based on the experiences gathered via his main business. Acoustic Dream offers power cables, filters and conditioners. As one can read in company materials, their task is to filter out all the noise from mains, to protect the components connected to these elements from "nasty surprises", and as a result also to improve the performance of audio system which results from providing sensitive audio electronics with clean power of appropriate parameters. ARNOLD MAREK PIĄTEK Owner, designer At the heart of our conditioners works a 220-240 V Power Acoustic Dream (PAD) mains filter. Depending on the version, we use the "max" or "standard" variant. The Ag-1 Premium Conditioner is equipped with a PAD3 filter. It is divided into several sections, each of which is isolated in a separate chamber. Magnetic isolation of individual filter elements has a strong influence on its quality and prevents the influence of external sources. The first section is responsible for DC filtering. The second section is a directional rail made of silver. The next stage is the induction-capacitive filter. Section 1 contains a capacitive filter (40000 μF / IR / 100 Hz - 6 A), which filters the unwanted DC component and stabilizes the voltage. Section 2 contains large silver current rails. Carrier's conductivity has a significant influence on the quality of the power. The next step is to get rid of unwanted harmonics and any frequency interference in the range of

he Rogoz Audio website shows no less than 23 anti-vibration rack models and that doesn't include the latest series. Some of them are versions of the same model, a wider one or featuring more shelves, but still, it's a large number. Mr. Janusz Rogoz's company, since 2010, when it was founded, has gone a long way. It is still a small manufacturer, but with a widely recognizable brand, a large production, and present on the international market. The fact that this is already an established company has been confirmed with the latest agreement it has made with the TAD distributor for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Mr Janusz told me: We have designed and will manufacture (based on an agreement with TAD's distributor for Germany, Austria and Switzerland) custom stands for CE1 and ME1 loudspeakers. This cooperation will work both ways – this TAD distributor will also represent us on those three markets. As a part of this agreement we are currently finishing custom order for reference racks that will be used for TAD presentations during numerous shows and in distributors own showroom. A cooperation with such a demanding manufacturer as TAD, via their German representative, is an ennoblement and recognition of quality offered by Polish manufacturer. The whole series of products was custom designed and made for components of this Japanese manufacturer, including the rack we got for this review. This is to be the flagship model in Rogoz Audio lineup. Unlike the technical names of previous products - 4SG50 / BBS, 3RP1 / BBS, 3T1 / BBS, etc. - this was is more user-friendly - Trio / BBS, or, using the full name, Rogoz Audio Trio / BBS – a modular anti-vibration rack. JANUSZ ROGOŻ Owner. designer The racks from the latest TRIO / BBS, QUARTET / BBS modular series, are an evolution of the RP / BBS compact series. The RP / BBS racks are ordered not only by individual customers in Poland and abroad, but also by our domestic dealers and foreign distributors for their own showrooms (e.g. in USA, Israel, Indonesia, Czech Republic). The design of RP / BBS allows them to disassemble them, or add more modules later, but it is a painstaking process due to the way the tension between the legs and the worktops is adjusted. The RP / BBS series, as well as the latest modular series, feature full legs, and in each of them there are four milled channels with four steel metric rods inside that are used to regulate the compression forces. Due to the fact that the legs and tops are separate elements, the RP / BBS racks can be disassembled. On the one hand, it facilitates logistics (especially where the dimensions of shipments are problematic - eg in air transport), and on the other hand it raises problems in the (often frequent) cases when customer want to expand their racks. Disassembly and reassembly are somewhat complicated and require some skill. That's why roughly three years ago we started working on a modular version of the RP / BBS racks. During this work we found out that it is possible to create a structure quite different from the original RP / BBS. The RP / BBS racks are “tuned” as a whole structure, while with the TRIO / BBS the modules are separated from each other. Separation works by compensating vibration filtering. The features of the individual components complement each other by equalizing the acoustic impedance as a function of frequency. This heterogeneity of physical characteristics of solid legs (different density of individual layers of MDF and HDF) makes their proper mass not constant in space and is characterized by selective absorption and filtering of mechanical waves - polarization, rotation of polarization direction and dispersion. The vibrations that find their way to the legs and are suppressed by them are mainly those that have been filtered by steel cones (with increased silicon content) and located in the bushes made of soft brass alloy (these are used to separate modules from each other). The shelves are also multi-layer designs, but they are separated from each other in a different way - by means of a BBS suspension system. The new series premiered lat year during Audio Video Show in Prague and Audio Video Show 2016 in Warsaw. Most racks in our range are designed for high-end devices that often feature unusual shapes and dimensions as a result of refined design concepts. For this reason, many high-end devices have larger dimensions than typical and often also irregular shapes (examples include amplifiers with protruding and getting really warm electron tubes, top-loader CD Players, or analog turntables with several arms and external motors). That is why tables are almost always custom-made based on individual order using dimensions required by particular customer. Most customer order one of the basic models in our lineup, but each order is carefully consulted on the basis of drawings, which customer modifies to fit his individual needs. Of course, it also happens that customer buys a standard rack without asking us for any custom modifications. However, if this is the case, before we start the production, we still consult the buyer and make sure that no changes in dimensions or colors or finishes are needed. This also applies to the TRIO / BBS racks and the whole latest series. Trio/BBS Trio / BBS is the biggest rack dedicated to the audio components that I've ever hosted. To accommodate it in the space between my Finite Elemente Pagode Edition (a double, three-shelves version, Polish) and the right Harbeth M40.1 loudspeaker we had to move the latter slightly away. The Franc Audio Accessories Modular rack, that I reviewed in the March issue of "High Fidelity" (No. 155) easily fitted there. But I guess, that was the point, it is sort of "statement" product, to show the company's ability to develop and produce a rack that perfectly decouples audio devices from vibration and at the same time its fit&finish is also perfect. I have to admit that the Trio looks fantastic. It's form seems "heavier" than those of previous Rogoz Audio racks, but again - that was probably the point. The shelves measure 730 mm x 680 mm and are 30 mm thick (each), and since there are two decoupled shelves on each level, the total height of this element is 72 mm. One can place any device on them, I do not know any that wouldn't fit there. As Mr Rogoz told me, he is not planning on selling individual modules. The whole rack is to be custom-made to fulfill particular requirements. The series opens with the model called the Trio, a three-level rack designed for three standard width devices (no Solo or Duo models). The names of successive models of this series will consistently refer to the number of devices they can host: Quartet, Quintet, Sextet, and so forth - to the Orchestra if necessary. The versions for four or more devices are wide, so the user can place two or three audio elements on each shelf, and the shelves on a single level can also be separated from each other. The minimum number of Trio rack's modules that a customer can order is three. The cost of further expansion of the rack (in the future) using additional modules (placed on top of existing ones), will be individually quoted based on many variables, simply because the racks are usually custom-made so any changes have to be individually priced. Let's get back to make and finish. The Trio shelves are finished with natural veneer and polished to a high gloss finish. Also a high gloss, although achieved using proper lacquer, is the finish of rack's legs. Such large shelves generate problems, because they have a large surface that bends and vibrates. That is why they are so thick. That is also why the legs are so massive. The whole constitutes a significant piece of furniture that may dominate the room. Let's also say in this type of construction, ie with the legs overlapping the front of the table, causes the middle and lower module to have a front edge of 520 mm width, with the rest being hidden behind legs. Each level consists of two top and bottom boards, which are decoupled and the three levels are already encoded in the rack's name ("Trio"). The second part of the name that appears on all tables ("BBS") indicates the decoupling method. Let's refer to the company's description of this technique: The Balancing Board System (BBS) system consists of a threaded, height-adjustable spike made of high-fiber-content steel alloy, on top of which two elements are placed, each with an inner bearing. An intermediary (middle) element is made of carbon fiber and supports another element, a steel bearing inserted into the shelf. Point contact between the steel spike and the carbon intermediary element prevents movement of either element relative to its axis, but it allows pendular motion. Meanwhile, the contact between the intermediary element and the bearing inserted into the shelf allows restricted rolling motion and sliding motion. Consequently, the advantages of spike point support (contact area has been minimized and kinetic energy turns into heat) have been combined with the effects of deadening vibrations owing to to sliding friction and rolling resistance. The BBS system is patented - see UPRP P.404137. In practice this means a spike of a large diameter is screwed from the top to lower board and a large metal “bowl” is fixed underside of the upper board, that is decoupled. The key idea of Mr. Rogoz is to introduce the third element between those metal two, more springy but still quite rigid. It is a cap with a rounded top, and it is placed on top of the spike. There is still a matter of modularity. The idea behind the already mentioned modular Pawel Skulimowski (Franc Audio Accessories) rack is an extension of the idea we also know from the Rogoz Audio lineup, e.g. from the 5SMX12/BBS rack that we reviewed some time ago. It allows user to start small, even with a single platform and expand the rack up and to the side(s) using additional modules. "Modular" in the name of the Trio table means something else. It is delivered ready, assembled, in a large, transport case. It consists of three assembled modules - although one can order more of them - which one places one on top of the other - hence the name. There are three types of modules: the bottom, with short legs with square cross section along their whole length, the middle module, which one puts on top of the bottom one with its legs so undercut that they fit together with the legs of lower module, and finally the upper module, featuring legs that "hide" under the shelf. Stacked together these modules make up a nice, a bit art deco, whole. The TRIO / BBS rack (as well as the other models from this series) can be expanded in the future by ordering additional modules. It is only a prerequisite to purchase a full basic version of particular model before expanding it. It is not possible to order a two-level TRIO , but one can order a three-level version, and in the future order another level (module). The fact that this is a modular rack allows user to adjust it to one's needs and requirements. And also make a choice based on how much space one has in one's room. As soon as this very nice man from Rogoz Audio brought the lower module to my room I realized that the clearance between the shelf and the floor was too small to fit the power strip and the cables that were placed next to my Finite Elemente rack. And I had no other space to place them. In rooms where Trio / BBS will be the main rack, it will not matter, but in my limited space it did. We solved the problem by abandoning the lower module and using only other two – the middle and the top ones, because they have much higher legs, so my entire "power station" easily fitted underneath. The test consisted of the comparison of the performance of the two CD players: Ancient Audio Lektor AIR V-edition featuring tube output and the Philips CD Pro-2 LF transport mechanism and the Accuphase DP-430 with solid-state output and Accuphase transport. The Players were transferred between the top shelves of the Finite Elemente and Trio / BBS racks. I also separately listened to the Accuphase DP-430 with PS-530 power conditioner. The Ancient Audio player on both racks was laced additionally on the Franc Audio Accessories Ceramic Discs Classic with the Acoustic Revive RIQ-510 discs. As you can see Mr Janusz's table was compared to what is currently best in the world of anti-vibration products. ROGOZ AUDIO in “High Fidelity” REVIEW: Rogoz Audio 5SMX12/BBS - anti-vibration rack REVIEW: Rogoz Audio 4SG50/BBS + BW40MKII - anti-vibration platform + anti-vibration feet AWARD | BEST SOUND 2014: Rogoz Audio 3RP1/BBS – anti-vibration platform REVIEW: Rogoz Audio 3RP1/BBS - anti-vibration platform | RED Fingerprint REVIEW: Rogoz Audio 3T1/BBS - anti-vibration platform for cables CONTEST 10/10 – PEOPLE, COMPONENTS, WINNERS: Rogoz Audio – anti-vibration rack (in Polish) CONTEST 10/10 – CLOSE-UP: Rogoz Audio - anti-vibration rack (in Polish) REVIEW: Rogoz Audio 3SG40 – anti-vibration platform (in Polish) Recordings used for the test (a selection) Cyrus Chestnut, Midnight Melodies, Smoke Sessions Records SSR-1408, CD (2014); Louis Armstrong, Louis And The Angels, Verve Records 549 592-2, „Verve Master Edition”, CD (1957/2001) Suzanne Vega, Close-Up. Vol.1, Love Songs, Amanuensis Productions | Cooking Vinyl COCKCD521, CD (2014) Takeshi Inomata, The Dialogue, Audio Lab. Record/Octavia Records OVXA-00008, SACD/CD (1977/2001) The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Apple/Toshiba-EMI TOCP-51118, CD (1967/1998) The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Apple/Universal Music Group 5745530, “Anniversary Edition”, CD (1967/2017) Thom Yorke, Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes, Hostess | LANDGRAB RAB001J, CD (2015) Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] I do not know if it's a coincident or it was a goal, but the way the Trio rack changes the sound seems perfectly matched to the sound of TAD products and I mean that in a broader, better sense, i.e. it does not sound like this brand's components but it seems to complement them (in the test I will use interchangeably the terms "change introduced to the sound by the rack" and shorter "rack's sound/performance"). The Trio adds some “weight” to the sound, activates it. Components placed on it receive something like an energetic "kick", thanks to which the presentation is gaining in size and subjectively perceived dynamics. I mean dynamics as something big, a mass put in motion, not a dry slam - Mr. Rogoz's rack delivers a massive sound. Another feature obvious from the start is some preference, or even a kind of "affection" to the foreground of the soundstage. As soon as I heard the guitar from Takeshi Inomata'a The Dialogue, I knew that I was dealing with something other than the usual sound obtained with other anti-vibration racks. Here there is no “slimming”, contouring of the sound, but rather sound gets richer, more energetic. The aforementioned guitar was presented closer to me than when the player was placed on the Finite Elemente. Its sound was in some way "boosted", as if when recording the sound on an analogue tape recorder someone raised the level by maybe + 3 dB. Maybe even slightly entering the red area, but thanks to the properties of magnetic tape there are no nasty consequences of overdrive, but gaining some "bit" and volume (by the way the The Dialogue was recorded using the Scully 280 tape recorder featuring germanium transistors) . It was even more obvious with recordings where the voice was recorded up close to the microphone, as if the rack was able to extract these nuances. Suzanne Vega on Close-Up. Vol.1, Love Songs sounded as if she was sitting in my room. The reverbs were somewhat shortened, or actually masked by the direct sound, and the voice moving closer to the microphone resulting in enlargement of the image, was "translated" as greater energy and tangibility. Trying to find some reference to the way Trio modifies ("determines") the sound I could say that its influence is as distinct as that of racks with granite, undampened shelves, but it goes in an exactly opposite direction. Where the stone dries and “slimmers” the sound, the Trio expands and enriches it. As with the album, which from this type of presentation gained even more, the new version of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles ("Anniversary Edition") remixed by Giles Martin, son of George Martin. I listened to it with curiosity, because with this rack the desire to show a firmer, more muscular version of this material was rather obvious. The Japanese version from 1998, not only was, in comparison, almost colorless, but also more “dead” (in the time of The Walking Dead it seems one may be not-quite-dead). Interestingly the Trio rack, despite the fact that system placed on it tends to present a nicer version of most recordings, perfectly differentiated these two editions and properly “rated” them, emphasizing the refinement of the "anniversary" version. I loved it. Trio generates large scale sound, also around listener. The effects from Thom Yorke's album titled Tomorrow's Modern Boxes accompanying the sound ahead of me were denser and closer to me with this rack than they were with Finite Elemente. This emotional engagement was present with every recording. And it does not come out of nowhere. In this sound there is a slight emphasis in lower midrange / upper bass area. That is why the vocals are so strong, rich and presented clearly in the front of the stage. With the Trio the sound is rendered close to listener, within hand's reach. In turn, the German rack presents music in a more distant way, building a deeper stage, better differentiating the size of the elements in the individual layers of music. One can also say that the Trio especially cherish the midrange. The lowest bass is not as strong and as well controlled as with Finite Elemente and, as I remember it, with Stacore Advanced platform. Also the upper treble is warmer and sweeter. However, one must remember that it is part of a larger whole, that it is impossible to distinguish individual components and say that one like “this” but not “that”. We are talking about a complete presentation in which all these elements have a role to play and which one must fit into one's expectations. It might not be that difficult since Trio delivers a fantastic sound. And that is why I started writing the “Sound” part mentioning a great fit between TAD components and Rogoz Audio. I should also add that Mr Janusz's rack will be an equally good match for electronics from other Japanese companies such as Accuphase, Marantz, Luxman and Esoteric, and others like, for example, Soulution. It will complement their performance adding some weight to it, pushing the performance towards “tube” and/or “analogue” sound (using stereotypes that are still popular in audio industry). At the same time I would recommend caution when placing already lush, tube sounding devices on it - Trio shall “enhance” these sonic features and this may not be what one expects. Summary An anti-vibration rack is a full-fledged element of an audio system. The Rogoz Audio Trio / BBS is so different in character from the Finite Elemente Pagode Edition that I couldn't ignore it. One needs to choose such rack to fit one's system, or the other way around, so that they complement and not contradict one another. It is a simple choice because the Trio is a great rack with beautiful tone presentation and a strong foreground (of course the tone and soundstage of the devices placed on it, but this simplification allows me to avoid annoying repetitions). The sound with it is always energetic, lively and tuneful. The resolution and selectivity are not the key elements so if that's your priority you should look for some other rack. If, however, you are a fan of a full-blooded, energetic, tangible presentation, the Trio will be one of the best candidates for the role of the main furniture in your room. Right next to a comfortable chair. [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/Rogoz/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

hord begin their Power Point presentation of the Blu Mk II CD transport with a significant feature called WTA filter tap length history (Chord uses interchangeably terms Mk 2 and Mk II; to simplify it for the purpose of this review I shall use the latter). As for the description of a CD transport it is rather surprising. Chord would not be Chord though, unless they were interested primarily in technical excellence of their device based on applying solid-engineering primarily in the digital domain. The mechanical part, the analog section and the power supply are just as important, but let's not pretend here, the real excitement on Chord guys' faces can be seen when they discuss Robert Watts ideas. Robert Watts has been the person behind the most important developments of this type at Chord for years many years. He became well-known in 1999 when this English company presented their DAC 64. It was the first Chord's D/A Converter utilizing a Field-Programmable Gate Array - a programmable logic array. It featured an innovative type of digital filter, that is, an element directly followed by a DAC stage. This filter was named: Watts Transient Aligned filter (WTA). The idea was to minimize the so-called pre- and post-ringing. What is „tap”? This system was built to reconstruct an original analogue signal based on 1024 registers, so-called "Taps". What is "tap"? As Robert Watts explained in an interview for the-ear.net portal, WTA is a type of interpolation filter. The Whittaker-Shannon's sampling theory says, that one needs an infinite number of registers, ie points between one sample and the other, to obtain a perfect signal mapping, ie to reconstruct an original analogue signal. In the early days, they used a delay line to store the previous data samples, and they tapped into this delay line in order to access the stored data. Hence the word taps. source: Robert Watts, Rob Watts on Chord Mojo tech, an interview conducted by Jason Kennedy, the-ear.net (accessed on: June 26th 2017) As Mr. Robert said at the time, to get the perfect sinewave, the number of "taps" should be infinite. In real life this can not be achieved, because the signal would never leave such a system, it would be "tapped" forever. So a reasonable compromise was needed, taking into account the technical capabilities of the systems available at that time. Progress, however, does not tolerate emptiness, so in each subsequent product the number of taps grew: 1024 taps – DAC 64 – 1999, 18 000 taps – QBD76 – 2008, 26 000 taps – Hugo – 2013, 164 000 taps – Dave – 2015. There were 1,015,808 taps in the Blu Mk II transport, which, as Mr. Watts says, is close to infinity from the digital music point of view. This improved WTA system was named the WTA M Scaler and was implemented in a powerful Xilinx XC7A200T. It's a digital chip with 740 DSP cores, 215 360 logical gates and 16 Mb of memory. This system draws 10 A current! COLIN PRATT Chord | Sales Manager WOJCIECH PACUŁA: What are the differences between Blu mkI and II? COLIN PRATT: The Blu Mk1 featured an upsampler, that allowed us to change sampling frequency from 44.1 to 176.4 kHz, which is four times higher, using a smart, mathematical upsampling algorithm. The new Mk 2 uses a completely new solution featuring FPGAs programmed by Robert Watts, that allow us to upsample 44.1 kHz signal to 705.6 kHz. To use this feature one needs two digital BNC cables feeding signal to BNC 1 and BNC 2 inputs of our D/A Converter DAVE. After one second DAVE registers D/Data transmitters and confirms 705,6 kHz sampling frequency. To achieve that one has to move the upsampling switch on the back to lower position, and the dithering switch to upper position The Transport features USB input – usually it's a DAC that sports such input, isn't it? The USB input is active all the time, unless a CD is played. One can connect a source via USB input to Blu Mk 2 Transport to use its upscaler and feed D/A Converter with already decoded PCM or DSD Signal. What is a sonic advantage of larger number of „taps”? Each increase of “taps” number along with improved WTA results in better quality sound. There is a better bass definition, larger soundstage, better separation of instruments and focus, also tone of instruments is differentiated in a better way. Why didn't you use such upscaler in DAVE? Unfortunately, it wasn't possible because of a peak current FPGA draws, also noisy current would generate distortion and noise in DAVE, by corrupting Dave’s ground plane. Blu Mk II The Blu Mk II is primarily a transport, and therefore a mechanical component. Since it has been combined with an upsampler, in Chord's nomenclature "scaler", it is actually an upscaling CD transport. Its full name reads: Blu Mk II M Scaler Technology. Although over the past few years it seemed that mechanical transports were a dying species, it is now clear that the rumors of its death were exaggerated. Chord has used a well-proven solution, the Philips CD-Pro 2 LF transport, which was also used by other brands in various players such as: Vitus, Audio Research, Ancient Audio, Métronome Technologie, Audionet, Ayon Audio and others. The Blu Mk II actually features a slightly mechanically modified transport. The so-called Philips "kit" includes a transport screwed to a cast plate, decoupled using four springs. Chord preserved the springs (while for example, Ancient Audio got rid of them), but two of them do not support the Philips element, but rather a larger plate to which it is screwed. It is a top-loader, ie the compact disc is placed directly on the motor axis. The chamber with the plate is closed, as in Vitus and Audio Research models, and earlier in the Chord Red Reference Mk III. Here it has to be closed manually - it is a heavy, milled element, "suspended" on three springs. Unfortunately, this is not an ideal solution because one has to be careful not to close it too hard. Also inserting and removing discs from the compartment is not very comfortable. The device uses a switched mode power supply - something Chord is known for. Signal can be sent to this transport via USB cable to benefit from the "scaler", but also via S/PDIF cable using BNC input. The device may be placed horizontally or in a special "rack", quite expensive one, that costs 9990 PLN. By combining two such racks one can place the Blu Mk II and DAVE one on top of the other. The Blu Mk II was tested together with the DAVE DAC. The signal was transmitted with two BNC Synergistic Research CuWAg C.T.S. Digital cables. Both units were powered by Acoustic Revive Power Reference Triple-C power chords with RAS-14 Triple-C filters. Both elements were placed on their racks. As a point of reference, I used the Ancient Audio Player AIR V-edition, Gold Note CD-1000 and Accuphase DP-560. CHORD ELECTRONICS in „HF” REVIEW: Chord DAVE - D/A converter REVIEW | „First Step Audio” series of articles: Chord MOJO - D/A Converter / headphone amplifier AWARD: BEST SOUND 2015 | Chord HUGO TT - D/A converter / headphone amplifier REVIEW: Chord RED REFERENCE MKIII HDSD - Compact Disc player REVIEW: Chord HUGO TT - D/A converter / headphone amplifier REVIEW: Chord CPA 3000 | SPM 1200 MkII - preamplifier + power amplifier (Polish) Recordings used in this test (a selection) Czesław Bartkowski, Drums Dream, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/Warner Music Polan 95843571, „Polish Jazz | vol. 50”, Remaster 2017, CD (1976/2017) Dean Martin, Dean Martin, Capitol D 162295, „The Capitol Collector’s Series”, CD (1989) Fleetwood Mac, Tusk, Warner Bros. Records/Warner Music JapanWPCR-17017/9, 3 x SHM-CD (1973/2015) Schubert, Song Cycles, wyk. Nathalie Stutzmann, Inger Södergren, Erato/Warner Classics 4623701, 3 x CD (2014) Takeshi Inomata, The Dialogue, Audio Lab. Record/Octavia Records OVXA-00008, SACD/CD (1977/2001) The Velvet Underground, Loaded, Atlantic | Rhino/Warner Music Japan WPCR-17015, SHM-CD (1970/2015) Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] A two-box Chord CD Player at first glance may seem like an “accidental marriage". The element that made a lot of fuss on the market and that obviously was very important for the company was DAVE digital-to-analog converter. It featured the latest, at the time, version of the WTS digital filter (Watts Transient Aligned) with 164,000 registers (taps), working at 256fs, which means with 264 x sampling rate of the input signal. It also contained a 20-element “Pulse Array” DAC technology with discrete resistors and switching transistors, as well as Chord's own solution, an analog “noise shaper” analogue filter of 2nd order that moves noise outside audible band. Considering all that, the Blu transport, even in the new Mk II version, may seem like an addition to the “main” product, or even a redundant product. In fact, it is the Blu, the inconspicuous CD transport, that allows DAVE to achieve a new level. Pairing Dave with third party CD transports as well as with media players / file servers, worked really well, but it seems that the Blu Mk II + DAVE are the ultimate solution. As if there was an open slot waiting for the new Chord's transport, which when finally closed executed an additional program. Blu Mk II + DAVE The Chord player delivers an extremely focused, deep, dark and resolving sound. This is a high-end performance of a very high level. Its tone, which attracts attention first of all, is thick and dark. The amount of shades within this "darkness", however, is unbelievable. The differences between various types of recordings are presented very clearly, even within one album. This is largely due to outstanding resolution, it's probably clear. The resolution itself without something else, ie something that will take advantage of it, has no meaning, and in extreme cases it can lead to sound being hyper-detailed, which is a curse of our industry. That's why the fantastic sound quality of the newly remastered Czesław Bartkowski Drums Dream album from the Polish Jazz series (vol. 50) was so obvious. Jacek Gawłowski responsible for this new version apparently has a patent for a good sound or he'd already got familiar enough with Polish Jazz tapes so that he was able to prepare one of the best sounding (so far) albums prepared by Warner Music Poland. The point is that the dynamics of the percussion is unique, but it does not cover the tone of the kick drum, cymbals, the trumpet sounds also great, even though it is so different sonically, and here it enters a dialogue with drums, with both instruments taking lead one after another. Chord presented this recording in an unusual way, building tension, filling the space not only with direct sound, but also with reverbs. Right after Bartkowski's album I listened to the Takeshi Inomata Dialogue CD, originally released in 1977 by Japanese Audio Lab. Record label, known for its extremely vigilant approach to sound. Also here drums play a leading role entering dialogue with various instruments. The opening solo was with Chord fantastically dynamic, full and dense. For me, it was even more important, how the English player presented all parties of the dialogue. There was something of the velvety nature of high quality turntables, such as Kronos Pro MkII (Polish), in it, combined with the effortlessness of analogue master tapes. I have to say that although, in this respect, the two-box CEC player consisting of TL0 3.0 transport and the DA0 3.0 DAC, was even better, sounded even more effortless, the Chord was not so much behind and it was the only player except the CEC I had at home, that showed this property of reel-to-reel tape recorders. Its tone is rather sweet and somewhat warm. My reference AIR V-edition Ancient Audio player delivered a somewhat simplified performance, with a stronger attack. Chord's attack is a bit softer, more engrossed in sustain, but that's probably the right way, as that's how live music sound like. The lower end and upper treble are absolutely unique. They have density and weight, they are tangible, but never too heavy or too strong. They complement, I think I can say so, the midrange carrying most information. This is where our attention is focused. And it's more about 'events' than 'sounds'. Listening to Chord, we are well aware that this is a mechanical reproduction of a musical signal, such is the nature of audio devices. But all this mechanics, the machinery behind the recordings is “civilized” by this player. Even if something is not perfect, it becomes its quality, not a disadvantage. Although the differentiation is exceptional and there is no doubt about the differences between such albums as Fleetwood Mac's Tusk and The Velvet Underground's Loaded, when listening we tend to skip these differences while focusing on differences in music. This is something only the best sources are able to offer. In this case, this is achieved because density and focus are supported by outstanding imaging differentiation. Many times in recent years I have pointed to this shortcoming of many CD players, turntables and virtually all file players. Only the full dCS Vivaldi (Polish) system and the above mentioned CEC, were able to do something that had been a feature of my reference player, said Ancient Audio, for years. So many years ago, in his garage, Jarek Waszczyszyn created a player using only the existing technologies, that in terms of soundstaging competed with the best turntables. In fact, all other sources in comparison sounded flat and one-dimensional. Until I heard the TechDAS Air Force One, Vivaldi and CEC. And now Chord. It proved that in this respect it belongs to this elite group. I haven't heard so organic, normal, natural space in a long time. I had both, differentiating elements in terms of tone, which changed when the instrument was further away from me (from the microphone) and in terms of volume. This is very difficult to present and only the best source can do that. The tested system delivers an extremely deep soundstage. The AIR played a little more forward and shortened distances between individual stage layers – that's something I'd never heard before! It's attack seemed faster, but it was an illusion - the impact was clearer, but Chord presented the sound as a whole, which - paradoxically - allowed a longer, more relaxing listening sessions with sound being more natural, meaning with faster attack. Upsampling Upsampling as a technique used to improve the sound quality became popular in the late 1990s. After a while its popularity decreased because of improvements in players and DACs, with allowed to significantly reduce measurable jitter. Since then, most of the D/A chips featured upsampling algorithms and a circuits increasing bitrate. It seemed that the time of external upscalers had ended./p> But listening to the results of Blu Mk 2 transport's upscaler one realizes, that it is not an obsolete solution at all. The transition from 88.2 kHz to 352.8 kHz using a single BNC cable and to 705.6 kHz with a double BNC introduced a major change to sound quality, and it was the latter that delivered the best results. The above text describes what I heard with 705,6 kHz signal. The scaler used in this transport improves the resolution and deepens tonality. There is more information in the sound but it's darker and less distinct, ie they fit perfectly into “bigger picture” without attracting attention to themselves. Without upsampling, the sound was (in comparison) more compacted into a line. This is obviously an exaggeration, because one of the advantages of Chord is a huge sound stage, but only with the scaler I received something that was clearly better than the performance of my Ancient Audio player and at similar level as the best digital sources I know. Transport Although we are testing a set consisting of transport and DAC, I was curious about the class of the transport itself. I compared it with the transport section of my Ancient Audio player – after all they both share exactly the same as the Philips mechanism. The only variable was upsampling permanently enabled in Blu Mk II (88.2 kHz) and the DAC in the player. Differences proved to be significant. They were lesser than between performance with upsampling on and off, as well as between using one or two BNC cables, but still very clear. The Blu Mk II delivers a darker, denser sound. Its tonal balance is set lower than with Ancient. There is also more information about tonality and dynamics. Ancient Audio on the other hand, was able to go deeper into the recording, to present contours of instruments in a more distinct way and place them closer to listener - Chord moves the foreground slightly away. But every time, coming back to Chord felt right, as if I was coming home - it was denser, more natural performance. Summary Of all the top CD and SACD players I've heard, the Chord system is the cheapest. Although the absolutely top-end devices are able to present even deeper tonality, even smoother sound and better differentiated sound layers, the differences are not very large. At a similar price level as Chord only the Audionet Planck with external power supply plays in equally engaging manner. But the English source gives you something extra, ie the feeling of being connected with natural music, with the dynamics known from analogue tapes. This is an outstanding source, a Compact Disc player, which shows that this format can offer an incredible value. A fully deserved, rarely granted GOLD Fingerprint. The Chord Blu Mk II is a Compact Disc transport featuring an upsampler. Upsampling can be turned off but when on it might offer a few levels. When one uses it connected with DAC using a single BNC cable there are three options to choose from: 88.2 kHz, 176 kHz and 352.8 kHz. When connected to DAVE with two BNC digital interconnects, the signal can be upsampled to 705.6 kHz. The second switch can activate dithering. Dithering adds random low noise to the signal, which improves the performance of D/A converters with small signals. Transport's chassis design is typical for the Choral series of this manufacturer, designed personally by the company's director, Mr. John Franks. It is a rigid shell made of two small milled aluminum elements - the device measures 333.5 x 98.5 x 142 mm and weighs 7 kg. It can either be placed horizontally, or at an angle, on a rack specially prepared for Blu and DAVE. On top there is a heavy, hand-locked lid, a small (too small) VTF display and several buttons. There are not too many of the latter which is good – the Mk I was really packed with them. Outputs and inputs are located on the rear panel, There are two digital inputs – USB and BNC – signal from these is treated the same way as from a CD, ie it is scaled up before feeding it to DAC. As for digital outputs there are more of them: two AES/EBU, that can work separately (44,1kHz & 88,2 kHz), or in Dual AES mode (88,2 kHz & 176,4 kHz), BNC (88,2 kHz, 176 kHz and 352,8 kHz), two BNC sockets that my work independently (88,2 kHz, 176 kHz & 352,8 kHz) or in Dual BNC mode (176 kHz, 352,8 kHz & 705,6 kHz). The device uses a modified Philips CD-Pro 2 LH (VAU1254/31 LF) drive. Inside I found SMPS and transformer isolated digital outputs. It's great engineering and make and finish are outstanding. [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/chord/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/chord/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/chord/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/chord/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/chord/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/chord/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/chord/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/chord/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/chord/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/chord/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/chord/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/chord/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/chord/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/chord/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/chord/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/chord/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/chord/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/chord/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/chord/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/chord/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/chord/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/chord/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/chord/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/chord/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/chord/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/chord/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/chord/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

've met Akamai's owner, Mr Maurizio Aterini, years ago. Already in January 2008 I tested the Mini Koala CD Player, branded BLUENOTE. It was a CD and DVD player and was called the Digital Versatile Source. In April of the same year we took a closer look at a product that today is something completely normal, but back then it was an absolute novelty, especially considering its tube output: the DSS30 music file player. Maurizio was one of the pioneers of digital audio, but unlike many other manufacturers he never abandoned the Compact Disc format. The DSS30 was sold under the BLACKNOTE brand, which was supposed to feature devices using the new technology. GOLDENOTE's name came out a few years later and was meant for top-shelf products. The current form of name GOLD NOTE exists since 2012. Despite name changes the core interest of the company remained the same: love for tubes, equal treatment of LP and CD formats, and exploring the capabilities of music files players. The novelty today are high-end loudspeakers and this new, fantastic look of these Italian devices. The reviewed Compact Disc Player CD-1000 presents everything this company has to offer today – great design, make and finish, modular construction, and so on. MAURIZIO ATERINI Owner, engineer WOJCIECH PACUŁA: Why did you choose Stream Unlimited transport for you Player? MAURIZIO ATERINI: Because the Stream Unlimited is in our opinion the highest quality mechanic loader you can find today. There are some "extension" inputs on the back - like “tubes”, “power”, etc. Could you explain what they are for? The 1000 series is a modular line of electronics. All the sources and preamplifiers can be updated with external tube output stages like the TUBE1012 featuring 12 tubes and a massive Inductive Power Supply as well as the TUBE1006 which is an external unit featuring Dual Mono power supply drive 6 tubes. The same for the Super external Power supply and even external Atomic Clock. What was your goal with CD-1000? The CD1000 merges all our experience and skill designing digital sources as we have done during more than 20 years for some major audio company around. We wanted to put in production only one unit but with great virtues and sound quality as it is already as it is. How has your thinking about digital sources changed since, say, Stibbert? What does CD-1000 take from the special project Favard Anniversary? The Stibbert was one unit originally designed for a NYC company Fanfare International, that ordered it. We obviously made all parts for them but the unit was not thought to be sold under any private brand at all though it was a nice sounding unit. We marketed the unit for a while once Fanfare closed because anyway they generated a great business around it having been awarded by Harry Pearson when TAS was one of the most important audio magazines (Harry Pearson for years was a Chief Editor of TAS, and later its editor – Ed.). The Favard is a different story, it is the first real GOLD NOTE CD player. It offered great performance and the CD1000 takes a lot from its legacy. He individual sections of Favard were separated into different units and I always said that if we combine them all together we could achieve even better performance than Favard ever did. From the Favard it gets the 12 tubes and the tube power supply with chokes. The CD1000 features also a better digital section plus the newest and the best BurrBrown digital PCM1792A DAC chip. Tell me something about this beautiful Gold Note logo. When about 5 years ago we decided to adopt a new brand we hired a professional marketing guy Giuseppe Castelli that helped us to move on from our previous stage – being a pure audio design factory specialist (no marketing, no industrial designers, and so on.). He refreshed the logo dividing it into two words GOLD NOTE (using Georgiquas font) and he also came up with the idea of Ancient Roman soldier playing an instrument called buccina, which we found very Italian, classic but nice and original at the same time. With Giuseppe, we also hired a professional designer, Stefano Bonifazi, a famous architect, who prepared designs for our every single product achieving wonderful effect. Giuseppe left the company after 2 years but we we still cooperate with him. Today we have a new professional marketer, Tommaso-Jegh Dolfi. He is 27 years old which is potentially even better because he understands the new generation better, which allowed us to understand their needs and to direct our business towards even more modern areas and technologies, which the high-end audio manufacturers often lack. CD-1000 The CD-1000 looks really great – the shape, the small accents, first-class make and finish of chassis – all that combined creates a unique, astonishing look. This is a Compact Disc player featuring digital inputs, including the USB. The DAC section accepts a PCM signal up to 24 bits and 192 kHz, but no DSD. The key element to any optical disc player is transport mechanism, since there are only few offered on the market. Gold Note team reached for a specialized CD transport used also by dCS in Rossini made by Stream Unlimited. One of the cornerstones of the brand's philosophy is offering customers a possibility to expand the system with new elements when these become necessary. To allow user to safe some money, Italians went for a modular design that are prepared to connect with external components. Usually one can achieve better performance by adding an external D / A converter to one's player. However, Gold Note has another approach. Its engineers believe that DAC should be as close to transport as possible and should be clocked with the same word-clock The CD-1000 in its basic form is therefore an integrated player. There are four possible upgrades to choose from. User might buy a linestage module with XLR input (same as in my own Ancient Audio Lektor AIR V-edition Player). Volume, mute, balance functions can be then controlled by a remote. The Player might be also equipped with one of two Atomic Master Clocks: CLK-1055 (Caesium) or CLK-1037 (Rubidium) – an option similar to that offered by dCS. The Powercone input suggest that user might use an external powers supply. There are two available: PSU-1250 and PSU-1100 (a solution similar to that proposed by Octave). And last but not least one can also use an external tube buffer models – again, one can choose among two models: TUBE-1006 and TUBE-1012 (respectively: 6 and 12 tubes). Each of these options, maybe apart from tube buffer, is available in a variety of other products. But no other product offers them all. In the most advanced configuration, the player has four components with the core of such setup being still the integrated CD player. AKAMAI S.r.l. ib “High Fidelity” REVIEW: Gold Note MEDITERRANEO – turntable REVIEW: Goldenote KOALA TUBE – CD Player, test HERE (Polish) REVIEW: Goldenote S-1 – integrated amplifier, test HERE REVIEW: Blacknote CDP 300 + DSA 150 - CD Player + integrated amplifier, test HERE REVIEW: Goldenote BELLAVISTA SIGNATURE + BETANIA + BALDINOTTI – turntable + tonearm + cartridge, test HERE REVIEW: Blacknote DSS 30 TUBE – music files player, test HERE REVIEW: Bluenote PICCOLO + B-5 Mk II + BABELE – turntable + tonearm + cartridge, test HERE (Polish) REVIEW: Bluenote MINI KOALA – DVD/CD Player, test HERE Recordings used for the test (a selection) Anita O’Day, Anita Sings The Most, Verve/Esoteric ESSO-90144, SACD/CD (1957/2016) w: 6 Queens of Jazz Vocal, „MasterSoundWorks”, Esoteric ESSO-90143/8, 6 x SACD/CD (2016) Ella Fitzgerald, Like Someone in Love, Verve/Esoteric ESSO-90143, SACD/CD (1957/2016) w: 6 Queens of Jazz Vocal, „MasterSoundWorks”, Esoteric ESSO-90143/8, 6 x SACD/CD (2016) Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Missarum Liber Primus, wyk. Coro Polifonico, dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, dyr. Roberti Gabbiani, Fonè 033 3SACD, 3 x SACD/CD (2003) Laurie Anderson, Homeland, Nonesuch 524055-2, CD + DVD (2010); Novika, Tricks of Life, Kayax 013 CD (2006) Röyksopp, The Inevitable End, Dog Triumph DOG013CDW, „Promo | No. 25”, CD-R (2014) Suzanne Vega, Close-Up. Vol.1, Love Songs, Amanuensis Productions | Cooking Vinyl COCKCD521, CD (2014) Takeshi Inomata, The Dialogue, Audio Lab. Record/Octavia Records OVXA-00008, SACD/CD (1977/2001) The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Apple/Universal Music Group 5745530, Thelonious Monk, Solo Monk, Columbia/Sony Music Japan SICP-30247, Blu-spec CD2 (1965/2013) Thom Yorke, Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes, Hostess | LANDGRAB RAB001J, CD (2015) Pliki WAV i FLAC 16/44,1-24/192 Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] The sound of this player prepared by Maurizio is unique. Its performance is so different from what other audio companies have accustomed us to, that it will be very easy for us to decide whether we like it or not. In this respect it reminded me of another exceptional digital source, the Ayon Audio CD-35 SACD player. The CD-1000 is a volcano of energy. It is impossible to stay indifferent to its performance. Even if we listen to something quietly, in the background, after a while, unknowingly, we begin to listen to what comes from the loudspeakers (or headphones). The energy of this sound is absolutely unique and resembles what I know from good turntables such as SME, TechDAS or Avid HiFi. Because in terms of tone the Italian device comes really close to the latter, the sound will never become dry or bright even in the most difficult environment, as opposed to the first two turntables that don't tolerate any problems within a system they play in. Such a rich, saturated sound is a domain of Kondo, Audio Research, and Ayon Audio devices. I think it is not a coincident that the first brands I thought of were those that make wonderful tube-based devices. Maurizio is a member of the same exclusive club, who not only enjoys the tubes, but knows everything about them. Despite the community of beliefs and aesthetics, the sound of his devices, including the CD-1000, is significantly different. Let's start with aforementioned energy of this performance. Everything is interesting here, attracts attention. For good and for bad. There are no boring tracks, because in each one shall find something interesting. This effect was achieved using three elements: outstanding resolution, fantastic tone differentiation, and presenting the foreground closer to the listener. The latter is about something like bringing a vocalist closer to the microphone. In studio such tonality changes we call "proximity effects". It works like that: the closer a microphone is to the source of the sound, the more low tones are in its sound and its volume is greater. You can easily hear that effect, for example, comparing vocals from the 1950s with contemporary recordings (eg Close-Up, Vol.1, Love Songs by Suzanne Vega). The Gold Note player plays as if every element was placed very close to the microphone. So there is a palpable foreground, large size instruments, sound projected towards the listener. But we are talking about a device that phenomenally shows differences in the sound of instruments, distinguishes even the smallest elements. And first of all, it presents their acoustic environment better than most sources I know. Trying to be objective I have to say that it is a little overdone, exaggerated. But music is emotions and if we accept that form of presentation, then all other digital players - or almost all - will appear to us mellow, lacking vitality. And this vitality is what the CD-1000 offers for starters. Here every sound has a meaning, is important. Treble presentation is exceptional. Comparing this performance to such open sounding devices as my Ancient Audio, the AIR V-edition, or the Chord's Blu MkII + DAVE, it was obvious that the Gold Note is sweeter, warmer and yet its highs are stronger, richer, play a bigger role in shaping the whole presentation. Sound never gets too bright, to sharp, and the tonal balance is not shifted up. Something like this rarely happens, and if it does, it's rather when listening to master-tapes (or their copies) played on reel-to-reel tape recorders. One of the elements that should appeal even to those who regard being an audiophile as a disease, is the bass. It is powerful, dense, always present. It has a well-defined contour, so following bass, electric bass, kick drum, etc., is not a problem. After hearing the Italian device's performance even skeptics should be converted and convinced. If they are not it shall mean that nothing can help them anymore. It's a fluid, mature presentation but with a contour. And it is this contour that will not always work. With vocals, classical music, jazz, old rock – I love the 24/96 files from the first Led Zeppelin album! - it will be delicious, because there it is the lower part of the range that emphasizes what's best in such music, increasing layering of the music, adding some color to it. But with electronic albums such as Tom York's Tomorrow's Modern Boxes, or Novika's Tricks of Life, and even the Röyksopp's The Inevitable End, this contouring of bass makes it always sound powerful and clear - but always in the same way. An emphasis in the mid-bass area, so called "kick bass" resembles what we know from concerts and big stage speakers. Because if someone could have something against the CD-1000, and we are living in the world of devices made by man, not in the world of Platonic ideas, then it would probably go like this: this player does not differentiate the emotional side of the recordings, always trying to get the most colors out of them. Even a recording with no additional reverb, as Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Missarum Liber Primus, recorded by Mr. Giulio Cesare Ricci from Fonè, took on some "body", density. And yet I know that it should sound more dry, in a more laid back fashion. Summary I hope it is clear that we are dealing with a unique player. Even excluding the fact that it can be upgraded with several modules, which opens a path for system upgrade without a need to sell the device and buy another one instead, the CD-1000 offers some qualities on a level of the best digital sources I know. It guarantees beautiful colors shown in saturated manner and renders large, solid sound sources in front of us. The dynamics of this sound and its vitality are outstanding. It differs from the most expensive ones with slightly less clearly marked bodies of the instruments and with the bass, which in recordings where bass creates a bit monotonous pulse, may sound a bit like that (monotonous). Nevertheless it is a fantastic digital Player, not only for CDs but also music files, because WAV and FLAC files from the Fidata player connected via USB sounded also very good. CDs still sound better though. It's a “ripe” or even “warmed-up” presentation incredibly colorful - if you like this type of performance this might be your Player for a lifetime. The device looks fantastic. Its design is both, classic and modern, at the same time. It is clearly an Italian product too. Front, top and sides are made of thick aluminum plates, the remaining walls are made of thick steel sheets. The player is quite large, heavy and features four aluminum feet. Front and back The front is very nice - there are two vertical strips fit in aluminum plate. These strips may have color of a raw aluminum - as in the test sample - but they can also be matched to Gold Note loudspeakers' finish. Between these strips there is a very nice, golden company's logo. On the right, one finds a drawer with a display below. The latter has a blue filter, two lines and is very easy to read from even though the numbers and letters are not particularly large. Next to the right there are the drive control buttons and the standby switch. It seems that the “eject” button could be moved to the right - with the drawer open it is hard to operate this button. For the review we received the full version of this player, so the rear panel is filled with inputs and outputs. There are three digital inputs: RCA, TOSLink and USB. All accept PCM signals up to 24/192. Since currently the decoding DSD is a standard for USB input, I assume that in the future Maurizio will replace the corresponding module. There is also a BNC input for an external clock and an RCA digital output. Since this version includes also a linestage module there is also a pair of analogue XLR (balanced) inputs. There are two sets of analogue outputs: XLR and RCA. There are also 5-pin XLR sockets that allow user to feed signal to an external tube buffer. Obviously this impressive set is complemented by an IEC power inlet, a mechanical power switch, and a large, robust Neutrik Powercon inlet for an external power supply. All sockets are very solid, gold plated. Inside Knowing how good this device sounds it comes as a surprise to see the small, neat, compact electronic circuit. First, however, one notices the CD transport mechanism. It has an aluminum die-cast plate tray reinforced with steel spindles on the sides. The rest of the mechanics is made of plastic, but from the top it is reinforced with an aluminum plate. As it turns out, the transport was produced by the Taiwanese company ASATech, and the Stream Unlimited has developed its software. The whole mechanism is called JPL-2580 Stream Unlimited. The drive is bolted to the steel c-beams and those to the bottom of the chassis. The electronic circuits are assembled on a single PCB. The DAC chip is the new Burr-Brown PCM1792AK. It works with integrated Burr-Brown OPA2228 circuits in the I / U conversion and output filters sections. An analogue preamplifier was included on the additional PCB placed above D/A converter section. It was embedded in silicon damping vibrations and covered with an aluminum shielding element. All this part has a separate power supply with discrete voltage regulation (based on transistors) and its own transformer from Talema. The transport section uses the same transformer. The USB input utilizes XMOS chip assembled on a small PCB, shielded from the bottom with a large steel plate. Replacing this PCB with a newer version should be very easy. Inputs and outputs use small printed circuit boards, with long interconnects feeding signal form/to them. Digital connections are separated using transformers. Remote The included remote control looks as attractive as the player. It is very heavy - it's a solid piece of aluminum. The soft buttons allow user to control not only the player, but also the amplifier, the DAC and the preamplifier made by this company. Specifications (according to manufacturer) Frequency range: 20Hz-20kHz (+/- 0.3dB) THD – Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.001% S/N: -128dB Dynamics: 127dB Output impedance: 50Ω Output signal (RCA | XLR): 2 VRMS | 4 VRMS Power consumption: 30W Dimensions: 430 x 135 x 375mm Weight: 15kg [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/golden_note/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

PRAISE OF THE FORMAT: COMPACT DISC lthough the word "digital" in reference to the word "sound" is associated with our modern times, this combination has a much longer history. Research on a transfer of digital audio signal began in the 1930s at Bell Labs. This company developed the digital signal coding known as Digital Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM). As you can guess, it was intended for telephone signal transmission. The beginning The Compact Disc has a diameter of 120 mm and can hold up to 80 minutes of music material. The lower side, as presented in the photo, reflects light - it is an aluminum protected by a layer of poly-carbonate This invention was first commercially used in the 1940s, during the Second World War. Bell Labs engineers developed a system called SIGSALY, which encrypted conversations between London and the Pentagon as an analogue transmission could have been easily intercepted by the Nazis. SIGSALY was not broken and was used until 1946. But it was declassified only in 1976 (Thomas Fine, The Dawn of Commercial Digital Recording, „ARSC Journal” 2008, vol. 39, No. 1). From a technical point of view, that did not matter anymore, because the work on digital sound recording – not only transmission – was being done since 1960s. Although the PCM encoding originated in the United States, the first successful attempt to record such a signal was performed in Japan and again it was not music-related, but intended for use in television. The Technical Research Laboratory engineers, which was a research facility of the state owned NHK television network, already in 1968 built a prototype of a monophonic recorder, and in 1969 they already had a two-channel model. The NHK system sampled signal at 32 kHz with 13-bit resolution (Thomas Fine, p. 3; according to voices.com it was invented in 1967, and it was a 12-bit recorder, more HERE, accessed on June 16th 2017). Number of tracks and their lengths - so called TOC – are encoded on a small strip in the center of the disc; even closer to the center additional information is encoded, such as the record label or disc type - as in this case. To record the signal a video recorder was used – a reel-to-reel tape recorder utilizing a helical scan. To convert signal to a form acceptable for recorders special adapters with A/D and D/A converters had to be used. The idea to use video recorders to record digital signal was so successful that it became a standard for the whole industry for many years. The most commonly used recorders were made by Sony – especially models such as 1600, 1610 and 1630 which used U-Matic ¾ magnetic tape. Later these were replaced by DAT tape and then by CD-R and finally by file transfer. Digital music for the first time The first record label that used this revolutionary idea was the Nippon Columbia, outside of Japan known from the Denon brand. Already at the end of the 1960s, it was working with NHK engineers. Although from today's point of view it may seem strange, they were about eliminating the disadvantages of analogue tape and eventually improving the sound quality. Nobody talks about it, but analogue recording on tapes, even at 36 cm / s speed, is loaded with a lot of problems, such as high level of noise and relatively low dynamics, dropouts and rapid deterioration of treble quality over time. They tried to cope with these problems using noise reducers such as Dolby A and DBX, but these were only half-solutions. In the 1990s in Japan digital singles or Mini CDs - 80 mm optical discs and of 210 MB capacity corresponding to 24 minutes of music - were very popular. Later they were also popularized in other countries, and in the 21st century they began to disappear from the market. On the photo one can see the single added to the special version of the Justyna Steczkowska Dziewczyna Szamana. I would like you to see this moment in the right way: the Denon guys who were responsible for the return of direct-to-disc recordings, who had great funding at their disposal, who knew what a good sound was, were just looking for a way to improve the sound, they wanted something more. All that despite the fact that, as it seems, their analog recordings were among the best in the world at the time. So it was not the pursuit of novelty, nor a need to make some meaningless changes. The only commercially available media for this type of recording was Long Play. This is an analog medium, so digital signal must have been firstly converted by, at the time discrete, D/A converter. In January 1971, the first "regular" (before that there were several test releases) release of Steve Marcus's digital recording, Something was released by Nippon Columbia under catalog number NCB-7003 (more about the early "LPs" in the article Digital technology in the world of analogue. Trojan horse or a necessity?, HF No. 155). Digital music for the second time Already at that time, however, it was obvious that the attempt to improve the parameters in the recording studio was only one half needed to success. Therefore research was launched to create a completely digital medium that would allow to utilize all the advantages of this type of recording. In 1974, the Philips research department combined optical reading and digital encoding to adapt the 30cm optical Analog Laser Disc intended to be used for analog video and audio recording, for digital audio. Because some players were unable to play CD singles, same as most CD-ROM drives, publishers began to release them differently - although the laser reflecting area still had 80-mm diameter, the plastic part had a diameter of a classic CD. The photo presents the promotional single America by Bajm, released in 2003. This was probably coincident, but in 1969, exactly when the Japanese had a working prototype of a digital recorder, Danish physicists, Klaas Compaan and Piet Kramer, working for Philips at the time, developed an analogue reading system that used a laser diode and optical techniques to read signal. In December 1972, the official presentation of the Philips Video Long Play (VLP) took place. In March 1979, the Dutch company presented a Compact Disc in Eindhoven. This could have been a reason for a “war” of formats. Today it would happen with 99.99999% (7N) probability, but then the biggest rival of Philips, that worked on a very similar format, Sony, agreed to cooperate with Philips, and so the Compact Disc format, as we know it today, was born. Let's add that Sony was even more advanced in this research, since the work began in 1975, and a year later the official presentation of the results of this project took place. The official premiere of the Philips / Sony common format, described in a document called the Red Book, took place in 1982, although the first tests at the Polydor Pressing Operations plant were conducted a year earlier. The first CD released by Sony was Billy Joel's album 52nd Street. Compact Disc Today Compact Disc is obsolete, it's a symbol of the past era, at least in the eyes of young people. In the early 1980s, however, it was a cutting edge technology. Its popularity was initially hampered by the high price of CDs, but in the mid-1980s, the "digital revolution" sky rocketed and in 1988 the number of CD sold exceeded one of vinyl records. Based on this standard next ones were further developed: CD-ROM for computer data, recordable versions CD-R / RW and others. CD format offers an option of storing information about album's and individual tracks' titles. Although CD Text has a nice logo, it is rarely used. The photo presents a re-edition of the Papa Dance Poniżej krytyki (remaster by my friend Damian Lipiński), which features the appropriate logo and the re-edition of the Polish Jazz album from 2017, where there is no logo, even though the disc includes information encoded in CD Text. The Compact Disc is a disk with a diameter of 120 mm (4.75 ") and a thickness of 1.2 mm (0.005"). For some time also so-called "CD singles" were produced, or CD singles, with a diameter of 80 mm (3.1"). The CD is made of three layers: a transparent poly-carbonate (plastic), a reflective layer of metal and a transparent protective layer. Top surface of the disc can be covered with lacquer with information about the title. The music signal is written on the metal layer in the form of pits (pit) and lands (flat area), which are digital equivalents of "1s" and "0s". The reading path is a spiral, starting in the inner part of the disc. There is also a so-called TOC, that is data about the number of tracks and their respective times. The centers of adjoining paths are just 1.6 μm apart. Initially, the discs could contain about 74 minutes of music. Later, after tightening the paths, it became possible to record up to 80 minutes on one disc. CD reading is done with low-power laser. When the laser light illuminates the land (the flat surface), it is reflected and captured by the photo-diode, representing the digital "1". In turn when it falls to the pit, it is extinguished, representing the digital "0". This is because light reflected from the bottom of the pith, which has a depth of approximately ¼ of laser beam wavelength (0.78 μm), is not in phase in respect to the adjacent separation path. Such reflected light has a lower value than the minimum needed to activate the photo-diode. Since a fixed linear read speed was chosen, the rotational speed of the disc varies depending on where the signal is read at a given moment and it ranges from 500 to 200 rpm, starting from the center. (more: britannica.com). The digital signal recorded on Compact Discs is pulse-modulated – it is the same Pulse-Code Modulation, I mentioned earlier in this text. The signal is sampled at 44.1 kHz and the word length is 16 bits. Initially Philips preferred a higher sampling rate and a 14-bit word, but it was Sony's opinion that prevailed, because as the intermediary medium, ie the one used to send the material to the pressing plant, they suggested the U-matic tape, invented in the late 1960s for analog video signal recording. The audio signal was recorded on it with 16-bit words sampled at 44.1 kHz. Post-Compact Disc The HDCD discs were released by many audiophile labels, such as, for example, Audio Fidelity. The Deep Purple box includes HDCD gold discs. The limitations of the CD format quickly came to light - both the word length and the sampling frequency. The first describes how precisely a given sample is described, and the other is how often samples are collected, also specifying the upper frequency response limit, that for CD is 22.05 kHz, and in practice it's about 20 kHz. It was not until 1995 that the solution of this issue was introduced - the High Definition Compatible Digital disc, that we know as HDCD. This coding-decoding format, since 2000 owned by Microsoft, was developed between 1986 and 1991 by "Prof." Keith O. Johnson (now Reference Recordings and Spectral) and Michael “Pfash” Pflaumer for Pacific Microsonics so that, on a CD-like disc, playable on any CD Player, one could write a 20-bit word length (44.1 kHz) signal. A custom analog-to-digital converter was created to code the signal. To play this signal Player had to feature the appropriate circuit – the PMD100, which decoded the HDCD signal and worked as a digital filter - for this second feature it was also very appreciated also when using classic CDs. The same year as the HDCD, another format was introduced, which, unlike the Pacific Microsonics' patent, became very popular: the DVD, the Digital Versatile Disc. This type of disc allowed to record digital video and digital audio signals. For audio the stereo and multi-channel signals coded in Dolby became standard, which was sometimes accompanied by a DTS encoded track. Although the HDCD format seems to be dead commercially, still some HDCD releases appear on the market - the photo presents The Best of the Grateful Dead, that Rhino released in 2015. The DVD allowed to record the audio signal alone, uncompressed, with 24 bits and 96 kHz resolution. A few companies, such as Chesky Records, benefited from it releasing a dozen or so titles called DAD - Digital Audio Disc. This simple method for selling high-definition signals (hi-res) was quickly forgotten when the first DVD-Audio disc hit the market in the 2000. The DVD-based disc allowed recording of a multi-channel 24/96 material and stereo 24/192 signals. To accommodate such a large amount of data, the signal was losslessly compressed using Meridian's MLP system. The extension of this idea is today the Blu-ray Audio. None of these proposals, however, were widely accepted And it all changed when the era of high definition files began with PCM files with resolution up to 32 bits and 384 kHz and DSD up to DSD254 (more in this month’s editorial). A STORY OF ONE ALBUM: Nat King Cole Love Songs The CDs are the oldest digital, commercially used music medium. Their technical specifications make them the most “outdated” digital media we currently use. At the same time, however, the Compact Disc is still - in my opinion - one of the best if not simply the BEST audio medium, maybe apart from analogue tape and - under certain conditions - Super Audio CD. It does not mean that it will always be so - I assume that in the future files, especially in DSD format, will be the new "analogue". But not yet. I have come to this opinion during years of contacts with all the known formats, both in the recording studio and in the home audio world. I have never accepted the fact of how much is lost when material from analog tape is transferred to vinyl record. Of course, the latter is a wonderful format, it offers a lot of joy, but it is only an approximation of what is stored on the master-tape. Music files? It's still an immature system that requires a lot of fixes on both sides, on the publisher's and on manufacturers of devices playing them in home audio systems. Introduced in 1995, the eXtended Resolution Compact Disc (XRCD) incorporates a new mastering method, including analogue-to-digital transfer, and particular attention put on the way the glass matrix is made later used to press discs. On the other hand the CD offers a sound quality comparable with any other format. The booklet included in the ABC (Int’l) Records releases reads: Although we are great fans of DSD and vinyl records we believe that if your system is optimized for CD playback you should obtain better sonic results with CDs than with DSD and vinyl. I'll get back to ABC in a moment. Compact Disc, but a better one This is all the more true that work is still being done to extract even more information from it. On the equipment side one needs to point out ever better digital-to-analog converters and ever better digital filters. Signal upsamplers also play an important role (see CD transport Chord Blu MkII). Yet, it's possible that even more important things are happening on the other side, of the compact discs. In 1999, a change was introduced to the recording method of the signal for the pressing plant – for the first time a magneto-optic disc (MO) was used recorded on the Sony PCM-9000 recorder, which stored a 20-bit material. The first attempts took place - this is the third time I mention this date – in 1995. The JVC (Victor Company of Japan, Ltd) presented the eXtended Resolution Compact Disc (XRCD). The XRCD includes both mastering and the method of pressing the disc. Mastering involves encoding an analog signal (later also digital one) in K2 encoder. K2 uses dithering, without resorting to noise shaping. The resulting 20-bit signal is recorded on a MO (Magneto-Optical) disc. This is, today a bit forgotten, Sony's format, combining the magnetic recording on a disc with its digital readout. MOs are very reliable over time, ie they do not change the recorded signal even over a long time. Later improved versions of XRCD have been developed called XRCD2 and XRCD24. Even more interesting is what happens next with such material. The MO disc is then sent to Yokohama, to the JVC pressing plant and there up to 2000 copies are made from the glass matrix that is cut is such a way, that the pits have the greatest possible length. This number was determined experimentally based on matrix degradation results of listening to subsequent copies of the same disc. Do you remember what I wrote about the design of a compact disc? It turns out that the sound quality significantly depends on the precision with which pits and lands are made. Another, for now the latest, version of XRCD is XRCD24; in this process the signal delivered to pressing plant is a 24 bit one. This way we finally get to the discs we have already mentioned many times, ie Compact Discs, but prepared in a better way than before. The idea for their development came from the Crystal Disc, in which the plastic layer was replaced with a glass plate on which the pits and lands were etched, thus replacing the making of glass matrix and pressing the discs. The progress was so significant that Japanese companies, as we are still in Japan, devoted their time and money to finding a cheaper way to improve the pressing quality. Crystal discs cost between 60,000 and 100,000 Yen. That's how the Blu-spec CD and Blu-spec CD2 from Sony, HQCD (HiQuality CD) and UHQCD (Ultimate HiQuality CD) from Memory Tech and SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) and Platinum SHM-CD from JVC and Universal Music Japan (2008) came to life. More HERE. These ideas come from reputable companies for which this part of their activity is nothing more than a small niche. And yet they decided to invest huge amounts of money in developing and promoting them, because they offer a real sound quality improvement. Why? The answer is quite simple, although it is not entirely clear why these particular changes actually affect the sound, theoretically they should not matter much. The latest Japanese „invention” is the Ultimate HiQuality CD. Photo presents the special version of King Crimson's Radical Action… It all comes down to the smallest possible interference to the signal when transferring it from the studio to the final customer. In classic cases, files are sent to pressing plant, where they are uploaded to a computer that controls the cutting of the glass matrix. At each of these stages, the signal changes. To eliminate the impact of the pressing on the disc, all the above listed formats instead of poly-carbonate, a synthetic resin, use a photo-polymer used in the LCD displays. It is more transparent, but even more important is the fact that after it is poured onto the surface and treated with light of specific wavelength, it hardens almost immediately, perfectly filling the matrix. The poly-carbonate needs more time to solidify, thus filling it with less accuracy. AAD: Almost Analogue Digital The Chinese company ABC used to release K2 discs prepared by JVC – photo presents the Joan Baez Diamonds and Trust… – but now it uses new technique, the HD Mastering, disc prepared in Germany – Western Electric album and sampler prepared for Japanese „MJ Audio Technical”. This is how we return to ABC (Int'l) Records. It is one of the most interesting labels, and one of the youngest ones, founded in 2002. It is particularly interesting because it is a Chinese firm. They began pressing of disc in cooperation with JVC – these were discs in K2 format (20 bit Super Coding). Interestingly, neither on the disc nor in the printing included in the release one can find information on the fact that the album was pressed in Japan. The next step was establishing cooperation with the German Golden Ear Studio. Together, they developed a method of producing CDs similar to Japanese ones, ie poly-carbonate was replaced with "High Transparent Material" used for the production of liquid crystal displays. In addition, the lower layer, which in UHQCD and SHM-CD was a classic one, was modified here to better dampen the vibration (New High Damping Coating CD). These discs were named HD-Mastering CDs. The results were excellent, but it still wasn't enough for the ABC. I did not mention that, but for pressing HD Mastering discs they used Master CD-Rs that were digital copies of analogue master-tapes. The music material was not mastered, i.e. no compression or limiter was used. The next step was inevitable: the sale of Master CD-Rs. Since these are real-time copies made directly from the analog master-tapes they are expensive. The AAD disc come in sealed, carton boxes. The source is a modified Studer A80 tape recorder, and the discs are burned on a modified HHB CDR-830 studio recorder. Copies are made on CD-R HHB or Quantegy CDR gold discs. This is discs intended to supposedly store data even for 300 years (nobody checked it obviously). Such discs come in a cardboard box embossed with logos and names, common for discs. Inside one finds a CD-R in a special stiff “socket”, a catalog and a certificate - each copy is checked for block errors - the assumed value is 3, while the industry standard is 200. The signal from the tape is converted using EMM Labs ADC 8 MkIV converter. When I first heard such album, it was Nat 'King' Cole's Love Songs compilation, I was stunned (Int'l Records AAD-245A, Master CD-R, 2015). I know what quality to expect from Master CD-R disc, but almost always these are copies from digital “Master” files, and here this was a copy from the analog master-tape. The sound has an unbelievable energy, large scale, flawless resolution, and above all, it's amazingly natural. Songs compared to the various releases proved that the ABC version sounded much better even than the excellent mono version prepared by Analogue Productions. The stereo versions of the latter present voice in a sharp way. The energy of which I speak is the key to understanding the whole presentation. The amount of information is so big that it saturates the sound so that it almost vibrates. It's not about sound distortion, but about almost supernatural credibility - I've never heard Cole's voice in such a way before. And yet, differentiation is better than on classic releases, except maybe for the best Platinum SHM-CD and Crystal Disc ones. Changes in the recording technique between individual tracks (this is a compilation album) and individual masters are clearly audible. I perceived them as changes, not errors. Listening to this release I wasn't looking for any problems but rather looking forward to the next track. Compared with Master CD-R, the classic releases sounds gray and lifeless. Simply: Compact Disc The Compact Disc format is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. It had enough time to mature and from a popular media to grow into a high-end carrier. What helped this process was a change the professionals approached digital signal, freeing themselves from limitations of purely technical approach, and taking advantage of research conducted both in universities and in research departments of many companies. This is currently the most reliable audio format available. Of course, one must has the right player at one's disposal and high-end releases, same is the case in the analog world. Unlike vinyl, usually the first releases are not the best ones, but rather the special ones. And at the very top there are Master CD-Rs and Crystal Discs.

ne of the most pleasant things about the job that I do – let me remind you, I am a specialist journalist who deals with the aspects of high-quality audio – is contact with people who share my passion for music and its best possible reproduction. These two poles of audio, i.e. music (art) and the method of its mechanical reproduction (technology) are inseparable and, I think, either does not exist without the other. However, in real life, constructors come close either to the former or the latter side of the equation, thus leaving their fingerprints in the product – something that makes them unique. Perhaps this is why people who manage to keep almost ideal balance between these two elements are so interesting and trustworthy. Our friends: Gabi van der Kley-Rijnveld and Edwin van der Kley, who have created the Crystal Cable and Siltech brands together as part of the International Audio Holding BV, are among them. Let me remind you that both of them are members of the Krakow Sonic Society and this is the second time they have attended our meeting. Previously, they came to Cracow with a novelty – the Siltech Triple Crown interconnects and speaker cables (read HERE). This time they visited us bringing power cables representative for both brands. Although both Crystal Cable and Siltech cables are designed by Edwin and manufactured at the same factory, the Crystal Cable brand is traditionally associated with Gabi, while Siltech – with Edwin. They highlight the division themselves, as each presents “their own” brand during exhibitions. What is more, delicate jewelry-like Crystal cables “fit” a women’s hand, while robust Siltech cables match a masculine style. Both brands have their target customers, as well as look and sound different. They share the same designer’s DNA, a similar outlook on the role of cables and the same factory. They differ when it comes to the type of conductors, their structure and sound. POWER x 2 The presentations of new cables representative for both brands: The Ultimate Dream Power (Crystal Cable) and the Triple Crown Power (Siltech) have been the highlight of this year’s audio exhibitions, from CES 2017 in Las Vegas to High End 2017 in Munich. Let me add that a whole new series of The Ultimate Dream cables was presented, while Triple Crown interconnects and speaker cables had been known for about three years. Information on those presentations spread like waves on the surface of water and caused a lot of confusion. I have to admit that it was no exaggeration, but a real SOMETHING, as the presentation of Gabi’s system in Munich brought her the BEST SOUND award of our “High Fidelity” magazine – we gave it to Gabi at the beginning of the meeting. The Ultimate Dream Power is now the flagship Crystal Cable power cable. Although it has a small cross-section, because of which the cable is very flexible, it consists of a set of seven solid-core wires, each in a separate double screen made of gold-plated monocrystal silver and monocrystal silver-plated copper. Six of them are made of silver using monocrystal technology, while the central silver-gold core works as a low-loss drain. A double layer of Kapton and a material called PEEK (PolyEtherEtherKetone) was used for insulation. At their ends, the cables have modified pins made by the Japanese Oyaide company, from its top F1 series. Let me add that the cables are very flexible and come in an elegant box that resembles a small trendy suitcase. The new Siltech power cable makes use of new monocrystal S8 silver in air insulation (pipes with air). The topology is called Air Cradle Construction. It combines conductors having a very big total diameter and Teflon-based insulation of ultra-low density. Such a combination results in very low inductance, resistance and capacity. While research was being carried out on the cables, the company made use of previously conducted experiments examining the behavior of conductors in a magnetic field, also using COMSOL (Multiphysics software) and measurements taken with the help of FW Bell (3D Gauss) and Audio Precision (THD). Although a power cable seems to be a not-too-significant element of an audio system, as “in the wall” and then in “the open air” we have kilometers of ordinary cables, the reality is more complicated. The thing is that magnetic fields generated by the flow of current in a cable are the cause of distortions in a few specific frequency ranges, then induced in all system devices as well as interconnects and speaker cables located nearby. Distorted current may be very high and lead to the saturation of the power cable, which additionally distorts supply voltage. The greatest distortions come from the higher harmonics of the 100/120Hz-450/500Hz frequency. That is why Edwin puts special emphasis on the best possible power supply of the power amplifier or integrated amplifier, as power consumption is the highest there. The most demanding devices are A-class amps with very high current peaks. Such an attitude is exactly the opposite of what we have agreed upon during meetings of the Krakow Sonic Society. We have come to the conclusion that the element which is most susceptible to the change of the power cable is the signal source – e.g. a CD player. Both sides may be right. The audio domain is based on comparisons and that is what we dealt with during our meeting. Power is supplied to Tomek’s system using inexpensive and pleasant Vovox power cables produced by a Swiss company, and we started our listening session with them. As we only had three Crystal Cable cables and there were four devices in the system, we used the Siltech Triple Crown Power cable in the power amp during the whole session. However, we changed three other cables – one used with the CD transport (Ayon Audio CD-T), one with the D/A converter (Ayon Audio STRATOS) and one with the Accuphase C-3850 preamplifier. First, we replaced the Vovox cables with a set of the Acrolink Mexcel 7N-PC9500 and then with a set of the Siltech Triple Crown Power cables. After a break we compared the Siltech cables with the Crystal Cable The Ultimate Dream Power. After the first and the second round I asked the participants for comments, after which we started a discussion. As usual, we did not totally agree with one another, except for one thing: the change of power cables resulted in very big changes in sound. The next part of the article attempts to inform you whether these changes were positive or negative. We listened to recordings brought by the participants. RECORDINGS USED DURING THE SESSION Bob Dylan, Blood On The Tracks, Sony Records Int'l SICP 30492, Blu-spec CD2 (1974/2014) Ed Sheeran, Divide, Asylum 95859015, CD (2017) Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Tarkus, Victor Entertainment VICP-78002, Platinum SHM-CD (1971/2014) Infected Mushroom, Return To The Sauce, HOM-Mega Productions HMCD94, CD (2017) Nat ‘King’ Cole, The Nat King Cole Love Songs, Master Tape Audio Lab AAD-245A, „Almost Analogue Digital”, Master CD-R (2015) Rosemary Clooney, Rosemary Clooney sings Ballads, Concord/Stereo Sound SSCDR-007, „Flat Transfer Series”, CD-R (1985/2016) The Oscar Peterson Trio, We Get Request, Verve/Lasting Impression Music LIM K2HD 032, K2HD Mastering, „24 Gold Direct-from-Master Edition UDM”, CD-R (1964/2009) Magda I would like to emphasize that the choice of recordings did not completely suit my preferences, which may have influenced my personal reception – I had not known either Ed Sheeran’s name, or the presented track and I must admit that this is not the stylistics I like. I had even more problems with Infected Mushroom, as, basically, listening to such music is painful for my ears (sorry, Mr. Tomasz) and, if I can, I instantly run away from it. However, I understand that it is necessary to contrast different styles and ways of recording music for comparison purposes. Besides, participants in the meeting have the right to have their own preferences When it comes to my listening impressions associated with the subsequent cable sets, the first one, based on Vovox cables (i.e. the starting point), seemed quite aggressive to me and offered little differentiation, which I could hear especially clearly when we listened to the Emerson, Lake and Palmer trio’s Taurus – an album that I know quite well. The sound attacked us with chaos, creating dense magma. So, using Acrolink cables instead was a great increase in quality – there was more selectivity and space in all the tracks, although I could hear it most clearly in the case of the abovementioned ELP album. However, when Siltech cables were used, it appeared that what I had considered to be analytical but full sound, had actually created a shapeless mass of sounds, as real selectivity appeared only with those cables. At the same time, strength was not lost, especially in electronic music where tone contrasts became significantly more audible, while the softness and silkiness of vocals increased, particularly in the case of Nat ‘King’ Cole, whose timbre gained even more juiciness and depth. However, on the other hand, I was struck by the colorlessness of the orchestra, which constituted a background for the vocalist, and its clear separation from the vocalist who suddenly “came closer” to the listener, leaving instrumentalists far away at the back. However, in Bob Dylan’s deeper vocal that I have not mentioned yet, the cables twice as powerfully revealed a certain hissing effect with some consonants, which I had not perceived as unpleasant earlier, with Acrolink cables, and which now irritated me a little. Tarkus sounded even more interesting here, there were even more transparent details coexisting in a powerful wall of sounds that did not, however, merge into a “jelly”. Generally speaking, the cables revealed both the advantages and disadvantages of a recording, which may sometimes mean disappointment. However, it appeared that the most surprising change of cables was yet to come: when I listened to Infected Mushroom, or especially Ed Sheeran, Crystal Cable made me feel that this was different music – it seemed the tone changed, sound became darker and reverberation, which must have been present in the recording, could be heard now, revealed by the cable. As we listened to those pieces at the beginning of the session with Crystal Cable and the change brought about such a striking effect, it stayed in my mind during the rest of the “program”, influencing my reception of pieces of Dylan’s, Nat ‘King’ Cole’s and Emerson’s music. It was hard for me to focus on capturing the differences between the present and the previous cable, as music simply gave me so much pleasure that I did not think about why I listened to it. In the end, this is what it is all about, isn’t it? To recap, I would like to stress that, as other participants in the meeting also observed, I lacked a sample of classical music. Although I listen to jazz, I know Dylan’s works and I also often listen to old progressive rock (with electronic elements like on the ELP album), contemporary pop or electronic music (e.g. Infected Mushroom) was a new experience for me. However, despite everything, it would have been even more conclusive to compare this kind of music with what I know best, i.e. the set of instruments of a symphonic orchestra or an orchestra playing early music. That was my only reservation about the otherwise really inspiring experience. Krzysztof As a guest and an absolute debutant at the meetings of the Krakow Sonic Society, I do not feel especially entitled to make judgments in the field of sound, particularly because it is harder for me to evaluate due to a lack of classical music, mostly vocal, which I deal with every day. Despite these limitations, I was could listen to artists representing different epochs, styles and genres, which allowed me to formulate an initial opinion on the topic we were all interested in, i.e. changes introduced by the new Siltech and Crystal Cable cables into Mr. Tomek’s system – changes that were discussed with reference to the highly valued Acrolink 7N-PC9500 cables. During the first part of the listening session we used our host’s cables and I must admit that it came across as the worst, compared to the subsequent sets, which can be illustrated using two examples: the first minutes of the Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s Tarkus suite and Nat King Cole’s But Beautiful song from The Very Thought of You album. In the former case, I got the impression of complete sound chaos, while in the latter the velvety vocal of the American singer seemed to be located too much in the foreground and aggressive, while emphasized sibilants deprived me of the pleasure of listening to this piece. The problem with Nat ‘King’ Cole disappeared when Acrolink cables were connected to the system. They tend to slightly withdraw human vocal and smoothen contours without losing details and selectivity, thanks to which the Gordon Jenkins orchestra accompanying the singer did not sound as harsh as before. Bob Dylan came across equally well in a very beautiful ballad You’re a Big Girl Now, but something was still missing when we listened to ELP, while Infected Mushroom’s trance music seemed less convincing. Tarkus gained life and took on the right proportions only with the Siltech cables. The sound stage was finally ordered and I did not get the impression of chaos. The dynamics was much higher, Ed Sheeran and Infected Mushroom sounded better than before, while Nat ‘King’ Cole and Bob Dylan came across a little different, although it is hard to say if better. In their case, it was not about the difference in sound quality, but something less perceptible that I am unable to properly define after such a short listening session. To sum up this comparison stage, I would say that Siltech won, but scored just a few more points. However, we did not listen to small jazz bands or symphonic music (an additional round would have been useful). After a break we moved on to the last stage, i.e. a direct comparison of the two new power cables, and, in this respect, the participants’ opinions were the most divided. We listened to two additional jazz albums – Rosemary Clooney and The Oscar Peterson Trio, replacing Emerson and Dylan with them. The Ultimate Dream cable surprised me positively, as I had not listened to products manufactured by Gabi Rijnveld’s company before. What is more, it worked really well both in the case of Ed Sheeran’s and Infected Mushroom’s dynamic music, as well as, which is much more important to me, in the case of a small jazz band. The sounds of Ray Brown’s double bass and Ed Thigpen’s drums did not silence or suppress the pianist, which I felt was the case when I listened to this standard with Siltech. Vocal music (i.e. Nat ‘King’ Cole and Rosemary Clooney) appeared to be more problematic. I could hear unwanted elements in the singer’s vocals and in the sound of the accompanying bands, but I got that impression only some time after the meeting ended and I would need to return to that set in order to listen to it again. Jarek Waszczyszyn Ancient Audio I am a 100% engineer, so, for me, the influence of power cables on sound is an experience close to magic or a cosmos with a different space-time curve… However, we could hear what was happening already when Acrolink cables were used. I have known these cables for 10 years and I know what they are capable of. Using an Acrolink power cable can usually be compared to tearing a curtain off. So, I was really interested in the Siltech Triple Crown. And that was IT, to tell you the truth. And the truth is that we are overloaded with false information. This is what CD does – it serves rubbish that disturbs us – hence such admiration for vinyl or tape. The Siltech cable was dark, without artificial trinkets. And then the orchestra from Nat ‘King’ Cole’s album started to swing. I also finally heard the dialog between the left and right hand of Keith Emerson’s keyboard. Between the orchestra and the vocalist. Even the mushrooms were somehow excitingly infected. A great cable. I cannot wait for it to play with my electronics at Janusz’s. This may be remarkable realism. Crystal Cable for dessert. I say this straight away – it has clearly been influenced by a woman. These cables are beautiful! However, I know Crystal from many systems and sometimes I use them myself during prestigious exhibitions. I may agree with my colleagues who think the Crystal The Ultimate Dream power cable is less “real” than Siltech. However, it was the best option for this system! Let me remind you that the CD transport, preamp and power amp cost as much as the cables, perhaps less. Such a system has its limitations, especially when it comes to dynamics. It was Crystal that brought about the effect of a pretty PA entering a meeting of a bank’s supervisory board – everything came to life and gained new colors. Siltech cables may be a better tool for controlling more lively systems. However, in this case – Viva Crystal! Many thanks for the visit! Tomek Krakow Sonic Society I must admit that the Siltech Triple Crown power cables impressed me no less than their interconnect counterparts two years ago. However, as a lot of people attended the meeting, I sat very close to one of the speakers, which made listening more difficult for me. Despite that, I was able to notice many sound features of the new Siltech cables that simply outclassed both my set of cables and the Acrolink cable set as well. I was mostly impressed by the rhythm, energy, the depth of bass and the presentation of dynamic contrasts in the title track from the latest album of the Infected Mushroom duet – Return To The Sauce that I prepared for the listening session. For a moment I felt like during their live performance that I had the pleasure of attending less than a month ago in Milan. When it comes to Ed Sheeran’s latest album chosen by Bartek, the Siltech power cables managed to turn a compressed and colorless (as regards sound) track into an audiophile event. I was not disappointed with the latest Crystal Cable power cables, either. Their sound was a bit different from the sound of the Siltech cables, but the level and culture of sound were equally high. Listening to the cables themselves would have been nothing without the pleasure of having Gabi and Edwin at the meeting of the Krakow Sonic Society for the second time. I think they are the most interesting people that I have ever met, not only when it comes to the audio industry. Edwin’s incredible knowledge and experience, and the natural ability to share them with an interlocutor, combined with perfect English characterized by an accent that is easily understood in our part of Europe, make me want to listen to him for hours. It was very painful for me to disconnect the set of cables after a few days to return it to the owner. In order to reduce the shock, I am only listening to the radio at the moment, to get used to what I will hear when I use my own cables. Rysiek B. Krakow Sonic Society A meeting with co-believers. This time, our 109th meeting was personally attended by Gabi and Edwin van der Kley from the Crystal Cable and Siltech companies. There was a good reason – the debut of their latest and top power cables. What did they sound like? We started with VOVOX power cables that are part of Tomek’s system. When I shared my opinion, I managed to annoy two of my Friends: - Tomek, as I commented briefly: “So, you have a problem”, - Wiciu, when I asked: “Why have you brought such a weak (Dylan’s) album?” However, when we replaced the cables with the up-to-then cult Acrolink 7N-PC9500 cables, I modified the previously formulated opinion, as “A miracle took place and music returned in all the aspects of high-end”. So, I hereby publically apologize to Tomek and Wiciu. When we connected the Siltech Triple Crown cables, a big change took place immediately, but this time within the frames of the same class as above. To cut a long story short, these are different aesthetics, both at the highest level. I instantly recalled the 108th meeting of the Krakow Sonic Society, i.e. the Kondo Ongaku vs the Ancient Audio Silver Grand Mono. Siltech cables stand for maturity, balance, density and great musicality – they show a rich and beautiful world, while Acrolink cables are associated with dynamics, unique richness of tones, clarity, detail and holography – the world may be rich, but not always beautiful. My brothers and sisters in music and High-End – you choose yourselves in your own paradise – only you can judge what you need. For dessert, after “papal” cream pies from Wadowice, we connected Crystal Cable The Ultimate Dream cables for a moment. After listening to Siltech cables and eating the cream pies, it was cool: dynamics, emotions, perfect bass and music from the albums chosen by our younger brothers in faith from the Krakow Sonic Society lifted us to a higher level. Old monks from the KSS were not too excited, but what would Tomek and Bartek say to this? They will probably write about it themselves. Stay with High-End – yours, Rysiek. PS There are certain moments and special people that I am proud to meet, especially if their share our musical values, which is the case when it comes to Mr. and Mrs. van der Kley. Bartosz Pacuła MusicToThePeople.pl | HighFidelity.pl/news | KTS A meeting with the top Siltech and Crystal Cable power cables was, as you may have guessed, a unique experience – not only because I could learn about their capabilities in the special company of the CEOs of both companies. These cables belong to the top and most sophisticated high-end of the audio world, available to few people – not only the rich ones but those who also have a lot of audiophile experience. I will remember the meeting with the power cables for a long time – for two reasons. First of all, I was impressed with the elegant and visually minimalist Crystal Cable design. The manufacturer’s top power cables not only offered excellent sound (dense but not muddled; dynamic but not aggressive), but also proved that all attempts to prove audiophile-cable “myths” wrong are made in vain. In the end, one of the most important “proofs” that cables do not work is the argument of autosuggestion: if the cable is thick and red, it makes audiophiles perceive sound as large and warm. The Dutch cables are incredibly thin and white, and the power of their sound is sometimes unbelievable. I have some more problems with the top Siltech power cables. They are objectively (if we can talk about objectivity in this context) better than the Crystal cables. The sound of the system with the former was more velvety, deeper and filled with various details. The presentation of the soundstage also made a bigger impression with the Siltech cables. However, this is what happens when we play a well-recorded album. It is because, which you must learn, Siltech power cables do not forgive errors. When it comes to badly recorded and/or poorly made recordings, the Siltech cables will treat them mercilessly, cruelly emphasizing their disadvantages. So, it sometimes happens that one simply cannot listen to certain recordings – after their weaknesses are revealed, we will not want to return to them. That is why I, as a person who owns quite a lot of badly recorded stuff in his collection (mainly rock and metal), would opt for the Crystal Cable. I may lose something, but I also will stay calm when I decide to listen to a badly made recording. Janusz Krakow Sonic Society Vovox It is hard to call Vovox a high-end cable. I would actually have a problem with describing it. What comes to the mind, starting with the first sound heard, is high noise and a lack of sound control. Music is so falsely presented (compared to the other two cables) that for a longer while I had the impression that we accidentally played a different recording than we had prepared to test the cables. An additional element which totally eliminates this cable from being used in any high-end system is its surprising tone limitation, i.e.: “it blandly shouts”. I think, or I am even sure, that harm was done to these cables when they were tested with the other two models. Acrolink These are easier to characterize, as I have them in my own system. They are detailed, but not free from all limitations. They are very fast and lively, but also excellently control sound signal. We get the impression of a live performance – “here and now”. This is perfect until… we hear Siltech cables!!! Then we can instantly both literally see and hear what Acrolink cables lack. It is the fullness and incredible density of the musical message. Well, we are probably talking about the best cable regardless the price (not too low in the case of Siltech cables). To sum up, Acrolink cables are great, but one can see or rather hear that things can get even better. Siltech This is easier, as, thanks to the distributor, I was able to listen to it in my system for a few days. It is good or, let me tell you more – very good. There is “darkness” in the presentation and incredible calmness, without additional noise, except for what is actually recorded on the disk. When we start to hear sound, the first undeniable impression is: how different this is! In the case of the Acrolink cables, individual sounds are so direct, clear, audible and sonorous, while here the presentation is a bit different. Shocking? Yes, but not completely. It is a bit like the view of a single color, e.g. white, from the distance of several meters and the same color surrounded by different colors. It is still the same white, but our eyes are also disturbed by colors present nearby. Therefore, Acrolink cables show us certain sounds more clearly, as they do not transfer information about other sounds. Why? Because they are not there. Such sound presentation characteristic for Acrolink cables is more or less typical for virtually all cables - interconnects, speaker or power cables. Of course, the basic difference in all remaining cables is the degree of retaining tonal balance and the presentation of sounds closer to the ones that we know from our experience. No speaker cable that I know offers what Siltech cables provide: maximum saturation and the density of details of the musical message combined with musicality. I will not say too much about the presentation of human vocals through this cable. Let me just conclude that we can hear whether the artist is underperforming or really putting their heart into the performance. Another feature, which is not offered by the competition to such a degree, is the presentation of sounds in a natural size or size that is subconsciously accepted by our memory, known from the live presentation or our vision of it. This is simply incredible. No range seems to be privileged. There is as much of everything as is actually recorded. It is simply good – or even wonderful! Wiciu Krakow Sonic Society After we replaced the Vovox with Acrolink 9500 cables, the sound became more cozy and warmer, with a nicely sounding midrange. I paid attention to that in Bob Dylan’s ballad You’re A Big Girl Now from the Blood On the Tracks album. There are a few acoustic guitars which, together with the voice, seemed more beautiful to my heart, or perhaps ears, with the Acrolink cables. Using the Siltech Triple Power Cord led to the exposure of details of the musical message. The ELP’s Tarkus sounded swift and selective (the sound reminded me of the musical message obtained with the use of the VOVOX cables – at least the philosophy of sound seemed similar to me). I must admit I had not visited Tomek for a long time and I had to get used to the sound of the place and system. As we started comparing straight away, because the listening session started with a considerable delay and there was no time to waste, we also had no time for foreplay. With Siltech, I liked Ed Sheeran’s and Infected Mushrooms’ recordings very much – they were energetic, with a selective, pulsating bass and excellently distinguished components of individual instruments. I gave 3:2 for Siltech, as I liked Dylan’s and Nat King Cole’s recordings more in the warmed-up version with the Acrolink cables. The best part of the program was the comparison of the Siltech Triple Power Cord with the Crystal Cable The Ultimate Dream. The Crystal cable produced more bass and ignored the treble. When we listened to a track from the Infected Mushrooms’ album, it seemed that the membranes of the Dynaudio C4 speakers would get torn away, so I observed them attentively in order to avoid the danger of being hit, just like George Bush Jr. (our older readers may remember the situation with sandals in Iraq). I was afraid that either the membranes would fly away or the coils would burn down, as the bass of the recording was so strongly amplified. I definitely preferred to listen to other tracks (Ed Sheeran or The Oscar Peterson Trio) with the Siltech cables. The difference between these two cables is evident and can be an excellent example for “atheists” that the power cable matters! Mr. and Mrs. van der Kley have prepared a great complementary offer for audiophiles – you can choose between two cables that produce completely different sound. There is no doubt they sound totally different. So, it is oat or hay, not GMO oat or BIO oat, which would confuse everyone. Those who love detail and a broad sound spectrum – choose Siltech, bass or “low kick” lovers – go for Crystal Cable. Post scriptum – I left the meeting unable to decide if the new Siltech cable is a breakthrough compared to the Acrolink 9500, but then I had a short occasion to meet these cables again. A few days later, at Janusz’s, we listened to the Siltech cables connected only to the CD drive with five other Acrolink 9500 cables on other elements of the system, and then the Siltech cables intrigued me – especially when we listened to the poorly made Pergolesi’s recording Stabat Mater performed by Harmonia Mundi with Adreas Scholl as the vocalist. The Siltech cable controlled the characteristic of the recording in a secret, mystical and unexplainable way. We were able to listen to it with this cable. From that moment, I understood that the Siltech Triple Crown Power is a unique cable. It is necessary to have a closer relationship with it, which may mean nothing and end quickly, but it may as well turn into lasting fascination, which is potentially catastrophic in terms of money. Oh, Tomek, I liked both your system and album very much. It is good to have some young blood and different music in the Krakow Sonic Society. I will willingly listen to other proposed recordings. Keep on going!!!! Conclusion, i.e. Wojciech Pacuła It must be admitted that the Siltech cables in this system were much better than the Acrolink cables. Perhaps the former did not outclass the latter, as the Japanese cables offer incredible energy and color, but with the Siltech cables we got more information and the sound was darker at the same time – a basic thing in high-end. Everything became more fleshy and lively. The Siltech cable differentiated between sound planes much better, both when it came to the location of phantom images on the sound stage and to the tone. The Acrolink cables seemed to be too “dense” and not selective enough, although when compared to almost every other cable that I had listened to, the Acrolink cables had been characterized by great resolution. However, this is what comparing and learning is about – what we know is the best, until we hear something better. So, I was very curious to listen to the Crystal Cable cables. Although their price does not differ too much from the price of the Siltech cables, I often meet people who underestimate them, as “they are more like an ornament than a cable”. The truth is different. I think that Gabi and Edwin have intentionally and thoughtfully prepared two products that sound so different. The Crystal Cable cables produce incredibly warm and full sound. They present instruments on a smaller scale than the Siltech cables and do not offer so much resolution or selectivity. However, they will make it possible to achieve the right balance in many systems – and synergy, or whatever we call it, is the most important in audio. I have been using either the Crystal Cable Absolute Dream interconnects or the Siltech Triple Crown for a few years, as there are devices that make it necessary to use the former or the latter in the system. If something in my system irritates or annoys me, is brightened-up, etc., then the Crystal cables will control it very well and turn it into music, staying really high on the quality scale. Some resolution and swing will be sacrificed, but it may appear that the cables will be the element which will allow us to enjoy music without paying attention to technology. How about the Siltech cables? Well – this is the best power cable that I have ever listened to, right next to the Japanese Harmonix X-DC Studio Master Million Maestro which costs 36,000 PLN for 1.5 m. Gabi, Edwinie – tot een volgende keer! SYSTEM USED DURING THE LISTENING SESSION Compact Disc Transport: Ayon Audio CD-T DAC: Ayon Audio STRATOS Preamplifier: Accuphase C-3850 (Polish) Power amplifier: Accuphase A-70 Speakers: Dynaudio C4 Signature Speaker cables: Siltech Triple Crown Interconnects: Siltech Triple Crown (Polish) Power strip: Siltech Octopus [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/kts109/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/kts109/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/kts109/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/kts109/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/kts109/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/kts109/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/kts109/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/kts109/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/kts109/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/kts109/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/kts109/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/kts109/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/kts109/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/kts109/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/kts109/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/kts109/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/kts109/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/kts109/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/kts109/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/kts109/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/kts109/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/kts109/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/kts109/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/kts109/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/kts109/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/kts109/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/kts109/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/kts109/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/kts109/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/kts109/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1707/kts109/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1707/kts109/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1707/kts109/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

t was inevitable, like taxes and falling in love - Daniel Březina, who organized the Audio Video Show Praha 2017, had to become part of "The Editors Series", in which we present selected audio magazines editors from all over the world. It's quite symptomatic that I visited this show only for the first time this year, despite the fact that Czechs are our closest - culturally and geographically - neighbors and yet it is the first time for me interviewing an editor from this country. This is an obvious negligence, but maybe in this way I can, at least partially, make up for it. As I mentioned, Daniel is the organizer of the exhibition in Prague but also the editor-in-chief of the largest Czech (and Slovak) audio magazine, the hifi-voice.com. The difference between a web-zine and an online magazine is not clear, but one may define a 'magazine' as a portal where materials are posted cyclically. Using this definition the Hifi-voice.com is - as it turns out - a web-zine, despite the fact that Daniel calls in a magazine. WOJCIECH PACUŁA: Tell me about your carrier. DANIEL BŘEZINA: Well, there´s not much to tell – I grew up as a child of an author and later the editor of the most important audio / video magazines in Czech republic in 90s, so you can probably say I got audio in my blood since 1985 I was born. I really like music, movies and books and I´m a bit shy – perfect combination to become and audiophile. How did you become an editor-in-chief? I actually worked few years as a web-designer and started a small project for one of my audiophile friends, a small website about hi-fi, some kind of personal blog we can say. That way in 2008. As you can tell from my background, I had some basic hi-fi at home, but purely as a fan of music, I didn't want to get any deeper. But when putting my friend´s articles at his website, I found myself interested more and more in the exploring of a hi-fi sound and world. And since he got bored with the reviews in like 3 months, from the beginning of 2009 I started to take over the website and got more and more involved. In about two years this after-hours project turned a part time job and in another year or two I found myself doing it full time. And here I am now, ten years later, with the biggest audio/video magazine in Czech and Slovak republic. One thing that motivated me in the beginning was also a nonexistence of serious reviews in Czech or Slovak language, it all was too mainstream or even plain advertisement. I just wanted something different... What kind of publication is it – a monthly or weekly released, or do you use some other release schedule? As the magazine is online, I actually don't have „issues", like I would publish every second week or every month. I just do it whenever I have something to say. But I try to do my best to publish at least one industry news every other day and one to two reviews a week. So in the end the website just is updated almost every day – and I feel that´s what people want today. How many readers do you have? It depends very much on the weather outside – during winter with its short days when people stay inside it's up to 55 000 readers / month, during the summer it's usually half of that. How do you choose products for tests? Well, I'm basically opened to anyone interested in being reviewed. I got few regular partners who are guaranteed a one review from their portfolio every month, but the rest is plainly a question of free time – when I have some, I'm glad to review anything anytime. The product has to be in production form (so no DIY) and should be available for purchase in Czech republic (or at least available to be shipped to). How are Czech and Slovak audio markets different from others? Well, both of the markets are small, but the Slovak one is even way smaller, dominated by few brands distributed by big and stable companies; in Czech republic there are small studios, small distributors and so on, that Slovak market lacks. We have about a hundred (!) distributors and dealers with couple hundreds brands (so almost as many brands as consumers you might say ), our dear neighbors have something like ten to fifteen places where to buy hi-fi. That´s the main difference. The taste and the passion for sound seem to be almost the same. Are there any other important audio magazines in Czech Republic and in Slovakia? There´s pretty much a very small amount of magazines – as far as I know, my Hi-Fi Voice is most read (as it's online and free), there´s also the „Stereo&Video” which has existed for almost 30 years and is the only printed one around and beside those two there´s also the Slovak „HIGH&Style”, a very nice printed magazine, but small and published only every three months. The rest people probably take from Stereophile, 6moons, Mono&Stereo and of course especially people in Moravia read your magazine as many of them speak Polish. What are the pros and cons of printed and web-based magazines? The advantage of web is definitely the ability to publish fast, continuously and whatever is needed (like many photos, videos, long texts,....), for publisher it's great that it can be one man show with quite low monthly costs.  The advantage of print I see is that you have something in your hands, nice paper and large scale just feel good. The disadvantage of print is the enormous cost, the fact it does not have to be available everywhere and so on. The weakness of web based magazine is definitely the fact – I think – the readers take it a little less seriously in general because it seems just like some personal blog. But that should change in some time, as new generation will grow up used to web-based reading. Is the technology related to playing music from audio files already good enough to treat it seriously? What a question. I think the best ones are good enough (just look at EMM Labs D/A converter with USB and similar level of equipment from Total DAC to MSB, all great), but I feel there still is a way to go. But the ultimate comfort and easiness of use are a great thing even today. But I believe it´s most important to balance the whole system with the media player – and that´s harder to do than with the turntable or CD player. Is there still a future for Compact Disc? What about vinyl records? For sure. Tubes have future as well. Maybe not as a main thing, but those still have their moments. I think not until the current CD collections will turn to ash (it´s said to be 100 years, isn't it?), people will use them. There´s not everything available online and not everything sounds as nice streamed as from a CD; actually I think especially in the mid-class systems the CD´s still work better. And the vinyl? Well, it just brings you a very different kind of experience, that won´t let you get out of it – you have to be fully focused and every few minutes flip the vinyl, so it will not turn into background playing like it may happen with CD or especially with streaming. It´s the best to have all the options – like sometimes you´re in the mood for silky red wine, sometimes you need whisky and sometimes you want a great home made lemonade, don´t you? So why shouldn't you switch the audio sources as well... Are audio components too expensive? The best audio today is extremely expensive, yes. I´d call it overprices, yes. But you have to have in mind that it´s not just audio – look at the cars or basically any other „toys", everything is getting way more expensive. The problem in audio is the fact there´s not much to change and high end companies are pursuing the very last limitations (like in speakers or even in transistors and so on...), which costs time (and therefor money). I like to say that if quality is a linear curve, the price related to it is at least exponential. Every small increase in sound quality costs enormous amount of money. Do you have any suggestions for people only getting into audio? The basic advice I can get is to find what you like and right after that think 1) about your budget, 2) about the room size (I think most people tend to have too big speakers in their room), 3) about the limits of what you like to listen (metalhead shouldn't probably have too bright and analytical system due to the usual quality of the recordings and so on) and 4) go out and listen before purchase. If you hear „life" inside the sound and you just almost sing with the music, that´s where you should go. And I have an experience that if you stick to one brand, it usually does the trick if you are not ready to „tune" the sound or if the company does not offer complete setups. And you definitely should start spending your time and money at the beginning – the power, the audio source, the amplifier and after that the speakers; what you lose at the beginning will never come back, despite the fact the speakers change the sound character the most, it's the beginning of the chain that makes the real difference. Name 10 albums you'd like to recommend to „High Fidelity” Readers. 10 albums to buy right now – I omit those that everyone has already like Pink Floyd and so on ;) 1. Patti Smith – Twelve, because that´s how life and sparkle should be preserved in every single album, it´s just pure passion and love for music itself 2. Oskar Rózsa – Under My Spell, because it's a great combination of electronic sound and classical music with awesome voice 3. Almost any release by Denon „One Point Recordings" from the 90s, because that´s how classical music should probably be recorded; you have two ears, so they use two microphones and you feel like you're in the hall with musicians and it doesn't matter the resolution is not that obvious as in modern recordings with dozens microphones 4. Aneta Langerová – Na Radosti, because of how intimate it's recorded and how you can feel the life again/p> 5. The Modern Jazz Quartet – Concorde, because it shows how even simple classical jazz can sound great and give you the right feeling about the presence of instruments 6. Mark Isham – Blue Sun, because that´s how modern „chamber" jazz should sound like, those guys just play because they want to and they know how to 7. Lindsey Buckingham – Live at the Bass Performance Hall, because despite it's almost one-man-live-show, it has so much raw energy it's almost unbelievable 8. Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny – Beyond the Missouri Sky, because of how impressive and warm the Haden's double bass sounds, I love the signature of his instrument 9. Mike Oldfield – Amarok, because it can be boring at some systems, aggressive on some others, but if you have really good setup, it will drag you into dozens of layers with unlimited amount of ideas in every second 10. Soundtrack from Pirates of the Carribean, just because of it's pure dynamic and juiciness of the sound Describe your own system please. I actually have three different main systems I use, so it's a little bit complicated. None of it is pure top high-end (simply because of money), but I think all three setups are just easy to listen to. 1. My main system is OPPO BDP-105D (about to be updated to UDP-205) / Naim Nait XS with Naim FlatCap XS (for heights) and NAP 250 (for bass as I prefer bi-amp) / Harbeth Monitor 30; that is a typical British, musical, warm and decent sound you can listen to hours and hours and hours without any troubles. 2. My near-field setup at the office table is Pioneer BDP-LX71 with ASUS Xonar Essence One MUSES MKII DAC (that allows me to use USB from nearby computer), the Norma Revo IPA-70B powers Xavian Premio monitors and when sometimes I feel those are too big and powerful for near-field, I switch to Xavian Perla for more intimate listening. 3. And when I need to relax, there´s a simple setup with excellent budget transport Cambridge CXC with decent Cambridge CXA80 amplifier and Fischer&Fischer SN70, really excellent compact speakers made of very heavy slate. I also use VPI Scout with Jelco SA-250 arm and HANA EH cartridge in my main system, all together with recently addend phenomenal Grandinote Celio phono. And of course I use some IsoTek filters and different cables from pretty low cost to expensive ZenSati as I feel those also make a great difference and you have to choose it as a final spice for each setup. „THE EDITORS” Series: EDGAR KRAMER | „Audio Esoterica”, Australia, Chief Editor MICHAEL LAVORGNA | „AudioStream”, USA, Chief Editor MICHAEL LANG | „Stereo”, Germany, managing editor, SRIDHAR VOOTLA | Hifitoday.com,, India, Chief Editor STUART SMITH | HIFIPIG.com, France, Chief Editor SCOT HULL | Part-TimeAudiophile.com, USA, Chief Editor JOHN MARKS | „Stereophile”, USA, Senior Contributing Editor and Columnist ART DUDLEY | „Stereophile”, USA, editor-at-large HELMUT HACK | „Image Hi-Fi”, Germany, managing editor CHRIS CONNAKER | ComputerAudiophile.com, USA, Chief Editor / founder DIRK SOMMER | HiFiStatement.net, Germany, Chief Editor MARJA & HENK | 6moons.com, Switzerland, journalists MATEJ ISAK | „Mono & Stereo”, Slovenia/Austria, Chief Editor / Owner DR. DAVID W. ROBINSON | „Positive Feedback Online", USA, Chief Editor / co-owner, see HERE JEFF DORGAY | „TONEAudio”, USA, Publisher, see HERE CAI BROCKMANN | „FIDELITY”, Germany, Chief Editor, see HERE STEVEN R. ROCHLIN | „EnjoyTheMusic.com”, USA, Chief Editor, see HERE STEPHEN MEJIAS | „Stereophile”, USA, assistant editor, see HERE MARTIN COLLOMS | „HIFICRITIC”, Great Britain, Publisher, editor, see HERE KEN KESSLER | „Hi-Fi News & Record Review”, Great Britain, senior contributing editor, see HERE MICHAEL FREMER | „Stereophile”, USA, senior contributing editor, see HERE SRAJAN EBAEN | 6moons.com, Switzerland, Chief Editor / owner

PRE-INTRODUCTION human has such a strange feature - he is impossible to clearly define a goal which, from the standpoint of his reality, is the best for him. And it is not about the way of thinking of ordinary John or Smith, this thesis I refer to the whole "mankind". Just look at the history of inventions… The man usually never found what he was looking for, but almost always the “search” resulted something good... We can wrap a ham and cheese sandwich in aluminum foil, not because someone felt such a need and was trying hard to invent it. This aluminum foil appeared only because a few guys flew into the space, so in fact... the foil we know appeared by the way. The same story-magical gel pens, that write even upside down. This is a special invention for cosmonauts so they can write in the weightless state! ...For the American astronauts of course ... because the Russians simply wrote with a pencil. And so on, so on, the examples can be multiplied. These cases may be seen as trivial stories. But it is symptomatic for our "normal", everyday life. We are surrounded by the objects, inventions, technologies which original assignment was absolutely different. When at the end of the 15th century Christopher Columbus sought a shorter (read less expensive) rout/trial to India, he found America and "baptized" the poor indigenous Indians, so native Indians became Hindus. Our brave conquistador sailed to collect pepper and vanilla, but heard the El Dorado fairytale ("EL Hombre Dorado" - a man covered with a gold dust for ritual purposes). Suddenly the gold rush took control over all the Catholic Europe which slaughtered the entire "bad" Indian population because they did not want to say where the gold is. O, I'm sorry, most of them were baptized before they were murdered so they wouldn't go to hell... Love your neighbor as yourself ... The search of a mythic El Dorado started a whole series of the successive expeditions. This became the target and a dream of the average European from the 15th century, like nowadays dreams about Volkswagen car and 60-inch LED TV. Probably 99% of these 15th century dreamers not only did not return rich but did not return at all - they were swallowed by the jungle. They plundered the continent so thoroughly that not to get lost, they drew very good maps and that’s why the Americans (no longer Indians) could elect Donald Trump as the President last year. Although considering that in principle he won only thanks to the electoral voting system, it is possible to risk the statement that the Indians chose him. All because of Columbus. There is also a theory that US citizens thought that they were voting for Donald Tusk, but this is hard to prove ... because they would not be so stupid to vote for Donald Duck ... didn't they ...? But returning to the conquistadors, they didn’t bring the gold, but they brought the potatoes, that were the essential element of the Polish peasant diet for another 500 years. Until today, potatoes garnished by fat, are a part of a typical "healthy" and ... "tasty" Polish meal, served with the salads and burnt piece of meat. Burnt on Polish gold ( Rapeseed oil). And what? Poles are not a goose, they also have their own Eldorado. But let`s return to the conquistadors. That's what you get if you don't respect foreign culture and you don't appreciate it and if you don't want to get to know nothing about it. Then you are blind to another version of truth than the one which you recognize as the common knowledge. The Indians (let's call them so for the needs of the article and not to put the cat among the pigeon) for thousands of years, high in the mountains cultivated an innocent plant, such a "weed" ... I'm talking about a chenopodium quinoa in popular language called Quinoa. Indians were generally pretty wise. Unlike Europeans, they did not think that the earth was flat. They knew astronomy, medicine (for example, they knew about cancer), and they also knew that food was not only to appease one's hunger. They even knew the beneficial effects of Quinoa seeds to the human body. It was their basic diet, especially in the high mountains, where the climate and soil conditions were bad and where they could not afford to eat "fish and chips" daily.... Today's medicine and biochemistry are just discovering the complexity of nutrients in the quinoa's inconspicuous grains and their beneficial effect on human internal organs. I will not write about it here, there are plenty of information on the internet. I will say only one, quinoa and not fattening potatoes, is the basis of cosmonaut diet. But returning again to the conquistadors ... unfortunately they didn't bring 500 years ago the real Inca Gold, as today we used to call quinoa seeds... !! INTRODUCTION And what does my introduction have to do with audio again, after all, I haven't written anything about the "Spanish Inquisition" and "breeding season of moose ..."? Many of our "homies", audio equipment enthusiasts and good sound lovers, behave like the 15th century Europeans possessed by vision of El Dorado ...! In their gold rush, which prompts them to seek better devices, more and more expensive systems, they ruin themselves. They also often forget what really matters. Just like conquistadors did. They simply forget about good room acoustics, good power supplying and anti-vibration protection. And just as the conquistadors overlooked quinoa because it was small and inconspicuous, contemporary audiophiles often overlook the small and inconspicuous, but essential elements of their often large and bloated systems. Ladies and Gentlemen...! I present the audiophile Inca Gold ...! I lead you directly to the fairyland of El Dorado ...! I present to you the FUSE ...! FUSES TESTED: APH 2; 5X20 version „gold” MEETING PARTICIPANTS: Alexandra Sumorok – Ph.D technical sciences, art historian and specialist in the field of Stalinist Architecture and Art of Socialist Realism period. Like most women, she is not interested in audio equipment. With the greatest pleasure she likes to listen to ... silence, which is very rare in our house... ;-). Hereinafter referred to as AS. Mark Moczkowski – IT manager, electronics and short-wave radio fan. With audio equipment he has rather little to do, but he likes to listen. He takes part in my "testing" of a new equipment from the moment when I bought in the 90’s my first CD player. It means from the very beginning! Mark was always "good" in physics; hereinafter referred to as MM. Tom Gucajtis – multi-year DIY device designer, “Audiostereo” forum member, hereafter called TG (Top Gear ... ;-)).. Becik (Swaddle wrap) - the fruit of my loins, he has been listening from the stage of the embryo, because then we did a lot of tests and he had no choice. Now there is no way back for him and he has already his first audio system in his room! Witek Kamiński – architect; hereinafter referred to as WK. Unspecified being called in dead language-Latin "Spirtus" (rctified spirit), located in different concentrations in beverages which man must drink in order to maintain vital functions of the body ... It hasn’t directly expressed an opinion about the sound, but had a definite effect (purely scientific) on ours ... THE SOUND SYSTEM PLICHTOW: SYSTEM I Anplifier LUXMAN L-507s Digital source SACD YAMAHA CD-S2000 Analog source PRO-JECT RPM-5.1/ORTOFON 2M BLUE, Custom Version One Turnable pre-amplifier RCM Sensor SE 10/10 Loudspeakers VIENNA ACOUSTICS Beethoven Baby Grand Power cords WK AUDIO® THE ONE Interconnect (pre-amplifier→ power section) SUPRA EFF-I/NEUTRIK Interconnect (turnable/pre-amplifier) SUPRA EFF-I/NEUTRIK rca/XLR Interconnect (sacd) SUPRA EFF-I/NEUTRIK XL Speaker cables VDH THE REVELATIONS Anti-vibration platforms WK AUDIO® PURE SERIES Power conditioner GIGAWATT PC-3 EVO SE Limited Edition Circuit breaker GIGAWATT GC20A Fuses AHP II gold SYSTEM II Digital source MARANTZ CD-17 Tube head phones amplifier DYI Interconnect VDH D-103 MKII Sennheiser HD 580, modified Power cords WKAUDIO® THE TWO Anti-vibration platforms WK AUDIO® FUSION SERIES Fuses AHP II gold RECORDS USED IN TESTING: Carmen McRay, Live At Birdland West, Concorde Jazz, SA-CD Gustaw Mahler, Symphony no. 3, W.P Claudio Abbado – DG, SA-CD Gustaw Mahler, Symphony no. 2, W.P. Gilbert Kaplan – DG, SA-CD Getz/Gilberto SHM~SA-CD Czajkowski, Symphonie nr. 4, L. F. Jewgenij Mrawinskij, PLATINUM SHM~CD Ray Charles, Genius Loves Company, SA-CD Stephan Grapelli, Live at the Blue Note, TELARC JAZZ, CD Diana Krall, All For You, Impulse!, CD First we listened to sources with unchanged fuses, unchanged fuse was also in the amplifier. Then we changed the fuses to ahp in the sources, and finally in the amplifier, but already with the ahp fuses left in the sources. SOUND PLICHTOW: 1. MARANTZ CD-17 AS: While listening to Tchaikovsky, the sound of standard fuses was practically unacceptable ... !! It was sharp, flat, squeaking, yelling, just a tragedy! After putting in the ahp fuses the sound became more full, had more air, became deeper and thoroughly sounded. In principle, replacing of the fuses allowed me to listen to this record ... On the Ray disc, after replacing the fuses the difference in sound was no longer so great, but for example, Norah Jones vocal became cleaner, more emphasized, more accurate. The sound also got the air. This is the abyss that divides sound before and after switching from standard fuse to the better one! MM: Tchaikovsky with standard fuse just a tragedy! After replacing the fuses on ahp, on both discs I heard a big difference, the sound became softer. The space or the bass didn't change, but the sound became cleaner and better separated from each other. For example, Nora's vocal came out and became more readable. Compared to them, the standard fuses are very sharp and draw like a knife on the glass... It's impossible to listen to the music like that! Replacing the fuses made a colossal and very audible change in favor. It's astonishing that the equipment is sold with such a "junk" like a normal fuse. TG: I'm not generally a supporter of bass in your system, but with ahp fuses it became cleaner and better articulated. Also, Nora's voice became much cleaner and clearer. The vocal came out before the instruments and was just better audible. 2. SACD YAMAHA CD-S2000 Here we did the in the opposite way ... first we listened to the ahp fuse and then put on a standard one. AS: After switching to a regular fuse, there was again a big difference. The sound became like someone had closed it or put a foil on the speakers. MM: In my opinion there was less difference than with Marantz, but after removing ahp fuse the sound became compressed and screeching. Just like you would play the mp 3 file. Nora's voice became flat and seemed to have lost half the tones. Bas has lost its fill and dynamics, but not in terms of loudness, but in terms of ability to show contrasts. For example, in Mahler these silent drums with ahp fuse sounded long and clear and after the exchange they were almost inaudible. With ahp fuse it was nice to hear, it was spatially and clearly. Such a change from better to worse was more severe ...! TG: In Marantz, the differences were harder for me to capture, because in its sound everything bothers me. Here the change was audible for me at once in flash! Everything has lost its fulfilment, it has become lean, like it would start to play in compressed way. It sounds like everything is audible, but some essence has vanished from the sound. With a good fuse you could hear that something is hanging in the air ... and now you only hear that there are just some sounds. 3. LUXMAN L-507s In this case the change of the fuse caused a lot of trouble for some of our listeners. For this we decided to carry out the test in the sequence a-b-a. AS: This is the abyss in sound after replacing the fuse on ahp! Both the Mahler symphony and Diana Krall are definitely better, but perhaps there are more differences on the classical music! The sound has much better color and much more can be heard, some details appeared which so far I hadn't heard. The space and depth appeared in the symphonies, the instruments sounded longer and they were more audible, as if someone had taken off the foil from the sound. On Diana Krall record, you could hear that the instruments were well placed on the stage and well separated from each other. Everything was more dynamic and energetic! Also her voice was better exhibited from the other sounds. Listening to music has become a real pleasure, and for me it means that its reproduction must have the right color without the harshness and sharpness. In this case, replacement the fuse on ahp also added additional detail, accuracy, air, energy and space. So in my opinion the replacement of the fuse brought the desired effects and directed the sound system development in the right direction! MM: I do not know what had happened, but after changing the main fuse in the amplifier to the audiophile one (T4A-editor) the sound on the Ray's record is worse for me. Everything became narrower and a little sanded, dry. I've lost the pleasure of listening. I think that this is different than with the exchange in the source where the improvement was immediate and indisputable. I will say again that I do not know what happened. But after changing the disc to Mahler this time everything is playing better, there are more dynamics and detail. The trumpet at the beginning has more complete sound and it is more realistic, it is not some kind of sound, only a specific instrument embedded in a particular space. Maybe in the case of Ray, it was a matter of bad realization, the error of which showed a better fuse ...? After re-switching to the regular fuse, the music scene became slimmer and the sounds of the instruments became artificial. TG: I do not know which sound I prefer more, with usual fuse or ahp. In my opinion, on the Ray's album the music scene was narrowed down and everything started to play as if it was in the middle. The sound became more massive. In Mahler symphony in my opinion some changes were good and some not. The sound became solid, massive and powerful, but slightly rounded off and it lost such a specific element of "immediacy". It seems to me that a lot depends on what concrete we are listening to. If we put a so-called "normal" CD, which is usually recorded fairly bright and dry, replacing the fuse with ahp will bring a clear improvement. But when it comes to discs, let's call it briefly, "audiophile" the changes for the better are no longer so easily defined. While in the case of sources I had no doubt about the beneficial effect on the sound thanks to the better fuse, that in the amplifier some aspects of the sound before and after the replacement of the fuse had their "advantages and disadvantages". Therefore, I would not be able to make a binding decision right now which option is better. Generally, I could live with ordinary fuses in the amplifier ... POTIUS SERO QUAM NUMQUAM WK: This time I specially excluded myself from the commentaries about the sound changes during joint listening for two reasons. Firstly, because the fuses required to warm up, for my taste several dozen of hours of listening. They were immediately thrown down into my system as soon as they came. They worked there over a week. I know the sound of my equipment and the sound of my discs by heart. I don't have to do myself the a-b, a-b tests to hear something and compare something. I could listen to for a long time and slowly form the opinion about replacing the fuses. This means that at the beginning of the common listening sessions, I had a big advantage over the rest of the participants because I had already made up my decision about it. I didn't want to influence the rest of the participants. Besides, I did not want to base my opinion on short 2-3 minute listening sessions and top 2-3 discs. Such a rigor was a necessity because of the time of fuses replacement. Otherwise nobody would remember anything and couldn't compare. I did not want to play with my co-workers cheated cards. I knew that their task in a certain aspect is much more difficult, because limited in time! In the simplest and shortest way you can say: In my opinion changing fuses in sources brings quantitative change and it's absolutely indisputable. This exchange is also, as the test showed, the simplest to catch. (Please note that simple doesn't mean easy ..!). Immediately we get more of everything. More details, more air, more dynamics, better definition of sound. We also get better color, less dry sound, less sanded, less "compressed" as Marc aptly called it. Simply said, our local pumping station got a better pump and that is why we have better pressure in the tap - more water ...! Everything is different in the case of an amplifier. Here, replacing fuses, in my opinion, is a much more complex process that requires more attention. The exchange doesn't mean more, it means just better! And in this point in the audiophile world is a crack. Because for one "better" means more and for others "better" means simply better ...! And that was exactly what we heard in the discussion! The first "impression" is that the whole sound was lower ... and slowed down! Now, I believe that such an observation is simply misleading. It doesn't mean that we won't hear it in the first moment. It means that it is only an illusion in relation to the phenomenon that is actually happening. And only our brain has so wrongly interpreted it at the first moment...! Right now most of you probably think that I try to equivocate and pass a hot potato ...! Let's visualize this problem by switching the SACD layer to a CD in the player. At the first glance it seems that the CD is more dynamic because it plays louder. Only that, the volume has little to do with dynamics, because greater dynamics means more contrast between the sounds which are quiet and which are loud.. So, a quick switching between the layers can give us a clearly audible ... but also an unambiguous wrong outlook about it ...! The SACD layer is objectively more dynamic, end of story. High tones take on a true, full definition. They stop screeching in a simple and monotonous, compressed and average way. So it may seem to the layman that there are fewer of them, but in fact there's exactly the opposite, there are more of the high tones only that they have better dynamics. Not every second of the recording is loud and has the same frequency! Where, for example, in the sound of the cymbals was heard that they were, now you can hear that they are playing, that their sound is still high but now it contains many components. During the concert in the philharmonic the strings, the trumpets and the cymbals ... after all, they don't always play a high "c". Even most of the time, they move in the area of midrange tones. Does it mean that the live music doesn't have a high tones? Well, no, because when it's necessary they can so pinch that ears hurt...! That's what we call dynamics. The low tones do not play stronger, although it seems to be more of them. This can only seem because the amplifier has just better control over them, so it plays them more accurately. Their definition, depth and diversity is better. Only through this we can get the wrong impression that there are more of them...! Because by their quality we are able to hear them better, they more attract our attention! Mid tones need special attention! I can bet that in many systems they didn't exist until now ...! It is happening because, with a good fuse, the amplifier stops behaving "nervously". The amplifier is starting to be like a Porsche, which goes 200 km / h. You can hold the steering wheel with one finger because for this car this is not an effort at all. I often wonder what is the main determinant of the sound which we can hear in live performance. It seems to me that its main feature is the lack of both: dynamic and tonal compression. It's like the "live" sound simply had no complexes ... and it didn't have to prove anything to anyone. When playing the middle tones, it doesn't have to increase anything, because someone can say that there is no bass, or that there is no high tones and that’s why the sound is lazy. Who cares..? Such are the middle tones after switching the fuse. Non complexes...! They become "beautiful", smooth, flowing, long-lasting. They are simply natural, not increased by higher bass or lower high frequencies. That's why the vocals are so beautiful! They lose their roughness, they get color, become clear and vibrating. And that's why, the participants in the test indicated that replacing the fuse in the amplifier had been good for the sound after the insertion of Mahler's disc. The classical music played on real instruments, in their natural environment which is the historic hall of the Vienna Philharmonic, it's primarily the richness of the middle tones! The whole of the transmission becomes flowing. Sounds are long and thorough. There is no nervousness, rattle sounds and unnecessary rush. All these sound characteristics are wrong interpreted as slowing down the sound or losing the dynamics. In my opinion, they only mean that the fist reaches the nose. Not that someone quickly but ineffectively is waving his hands at the front of us ... SUMMARY Christmas in the audiophile world, in my opinion happens only once. Only once can we get so much for so little, because replacement of the standard fuses is only a drop in the ocean of expenditure on your audio systems. What we get in return is a quantitative change in case of sources and a qualitative change in case of amplifiers. The end result is simply stunning. Full, coherent, accurate and retail sound without the sharpness, with enormous space and breath. As a colleague Tom aptly noted: before the exchange of fuses we heared sounds and after the exchange we feel that something is hanging in the air ...! I'm not sure if the ahp fuses are not one of the cheapest on the market. Despite this, they did a great job in my audio system! I think that they should be an obligatory items on the list of the less affluent, or less experienced audiophiles. In the first case they will be forever, the second they will be the beginning of further search. In my case, fuses stay in the system, somehow I can not imagine listening to music without them ... ;-). AT THE END When we enter a dark room during a sunny day, we feel as if we were blind, we do not see anything. Obviously that does not mean that we are really blind! Simply our eyes just need a moment to adapt to the new lighting conditions. After a few seconds we start to see normally. All shapes, colors, textures and details. Please remember that the ear has the same ability to accommodate as the eye! After switching the fuses in the audio equipment we can immediately hear that the sound is different. Let our ears accommodate to the new perspective. Let them to remind themselves how the sounds really sound without the dazzling sun. The AHP supplied for testing by distributor: Audio Forte S.J. D. Bączewski, A. Wójtowicz Sp. Jawna ul. Rejtana 7/9  02-516 Warszawa  biuro@audioforte.pl audioforte.com.pl PREVIOUSLY:: Close Encounters of the THIRD Kind - The “fishermans” from Lodz to the “miners” in Katowice, close encounters hits the road. LINK Close Encounters of the SECOND Kind - About the black death. LINK Close Encounters of the FIRST Kind - about dogs and cat, or: does the length matter? LINK

he TELLURIUM Q company is different. Different from other audio cables manufacturers. Its goals are different, and it has a completely different way of dividing its products into groups. Here is what they have written about the company's objectives in the product brochure: When Tellurium Q® was set up the focus was primarily on phase distortion and minimizing this problem inherent in all cabling, whoever makes them and where ever and however they are made. The reason it is a problem is simple, all materials (not just cables) in the path of a signal will act as an electronic filter […], whether you want it to or not. This is undeniable. Our focus in: Tellurium Q. Find out how your music can really sound, p. 2 In the same publication we will find a practical guide to the Tellurium Q lineup. And it is very useful, maybe even necessary, because it is prepared in a different way than are accustomed to. Other cable companies build their offer with the so-called: "price shelves". They propose several thresholds, separating the individual series. The quality of the sound is indicated by the price. A brief glimpse at the diagram in this brochure on page 4 in the section entitled How to Read the Colors of Tellurium Q allows you to understand that this company assigned their products to particular series based first of all on sound character and only within those "families" they differentiate cables using pricing. There are three color families: Blue, Black and Silver, and three cable model within each of them. Usually the Blue series would be at the bottom of the price list, then the Black, and Silver on top. Actually, the cheapest Tellurium Q cables are Blue and Ultra Blue cables, but than comes Black, Silver and then Blue Diamond and so on. As we can read in company's materials, the idea was to propose different types of sound at the consecutive price levels, though with all of them fitting within the company's sound signature and using solutions that minimize phase distortion. BLACK II In the beginning there was ... Black. This is the first cable Geoff Merrigan and Colin Wonfor prepared for their company, Tellurium Q. Although it did not look as an expensive product, it did not attract customer with fancy, expensive connectors, it quickly found a lot of fans, which encouraged Geoff and Colin to continue their work. The cable looked inconspicuous because it was a rather thin ribbon with two not shielded runs of copper twins in a "eight" system, popularized by Linn, Naim and DNM Reason. The Black II cable (280 PLN / m) that we review this time is the new version of the original Black. It looks almost identically, apart from the Roman two that accompanies its name. So I asked at the source about differences, and here is what Mr. Geoff Merrigan told me. Geoff Merrigan CEO, designer WOJCIECH PACUŁA: What did you change in new version? GEOFF MERRIGAN: We changed just a couple of months ago  but had been working on it since the Silver Diamond as that gave us the ideas to be able to make the improvements we wanted to in the Black speaker cable. It is not one change. Although the cables look identical there are tiny changes that together amount to more than you would expect which means that our process tolerances during manufacture have become even more critical than ever. Why? What was your goal? We want our customers and business partners to know that they are getting the best that we can give them so when we understood that it was possible to have a better Black then there was no other choice but to develop it. We wanted a tighter "more responsive" bass and better detail. The bass especially we were keen to improve. In fact after the discoveries from working on the Silver Diamond speaker cable it would have been embarrassing not to improve the Black. We are really pleased with the new performance on the Black II. Is this something you can add to other cables from Black line? I think it would be difficult and we have no plans to do any development on the Ultra Black or Black Diamond. The cables arrive in a small, neat box. Their outer sleeving is black. Although they have an "eight" structure they are quite flexible. They are terminated with gold-plated BFA plugs that work great wherever bananas are required. The price given at the beginning of the test, the 280 PLN per meter, includes the installed connectors. The latter are made at the Tellurium Q factory in the UK. One can order any length of cable. The Black II speaker cable was compared to Acoustic Revive SPC-2.5 Triple C-FM (14 900 PLN/2,5 m) and the original Black. It was the A/B/A comparison with A and B known. My reference cables were the “A”, and Tellurium Q were the “B”. I used 2 minutes track fragments. Cables connected outputs of my Soulution 710 power amplifier with Harbeth M40.1 loudspeakers – I wanted to hear their real sound signature and not modified by some other, colored accompanying components. TELLURIUM Q w „High Fidelity” TEST: Tellurium Q SILVER DIAMOND – speaker cable TEST: Tellurium Q ULTRA SILVER – interconnect + speaker cable, see HERE AWARD | Best Sound 2014: Tellurium Q BLACK DIAMOND + BLACK DIAMOND + BLACK POWER - interconnect + speaker cable + power cable (whole cable system), see HERE TEST: Tellurium Q BLACK DIAMOND + BLACK DIAMOND + BLACK POWER - interconnect + speaker cable + power cable (whole cable system), see HERE MICROTEST: Tellurium Q ULTRA BLACK – speaker cable, see HERE TEST: Tellurium Q IRIDIUM 20 – power amplifier, see HERE Recordings used for the test (a sele- ction): Il Canto D’Orfeo, wyk. Il Trionfo del Tempo, Et’Cetera | Klara KTC 4030, CD (2009) Artur Rojek, Składam się z ciągłych powtórzeń, Kayax Music 071, CD (2014); Jackie McLean, Swing, Swang, Swingin’, Blue Note/Audio Wave AWMXR-0018, XRCD24 (1960/2013) Kraftwerk, 3-D The Catalogue, KlingKlang | Parlophone 95873424, 7 x CD (2017) Radiohead, The King of Limbs, Ticker Tape Ltd. TICK-001CDJ, Blu-spec CD (2011) Rafał Sarnecki, Cat’s Dream, Bju Records BJUR 045, CD (2014) Robert Kowalski, bez tytułu, Master CD-R (2017) Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] The sound of the new Tellurium Q cables can be described as well balanced and well thought out. Their main feature is the dense, fluid midrange that catches the attention of a listener and makes him look for recordings that would similarly treat this part of the range, i.e. slightly emphasize it. Like on the Master CD-R with Nat 'King' Cole, or Cat's Dream by Rafał Sarnecki. Highlighting vocals, electric guitars, electronic instruments - all of this is performed in a very "sensitive" way – that's exactly the word that comes to mind. It works in music's favor, it makes it sound better not worse. Even if it means - objectively – moving away from absolute neutrality. I do not think, however, that retrieving every the last bit of information was the gold of Mr Geoff Merrigan and Colin Wonfor. The designers have to work within some targeted budget, balancing between the different aspects of the sound, choosing the ones that best realize their vision. And for the Black II, I assume, they planned a bit dark but also very smooth sound, with a nice, rich bass. If that was actually their goal, it worked out well. The smoothness of this cable's performance is unique. By rounding off the attack and saturating it with the harmonics we get a presentation offering a lot of information about both the recording and the performers, but seen from their better side. We will never be surprised by harshness of the sound (never!), its hardness or any other artifacts, that we had learned to live with, because after all, not all the recording are of audiophile quality, but which we'd rather not hear. Compared to the top Tellurium Q cables, the Black II sounds darker and denser. Its treble is rather withdrawn in relation to lower midrange. Since it is part of a larger whole, which also includes, already mentioned, smoothness and richness, it is easy to assume that it was exactly the intention of its designers, and not an accidental result. But when we realize what price level this cable represents, we might think of it differently because we can't really find such smoothness, fluidity and so beautifully presented colors in other, similarly priced cables. The closest in this respect are products of the Japanese company Mogami NI-2497 + NI-2477. Even compared to these cables, Tellurium Q still may be favored because they present recordings in a way that truly attracts listeners' attention. Although they are not particularly resolving nor selective, they do offer a large and complete musical picture that may remind you of an "analog" sound. This is on orderly. Particularly coherent presentation. Listening to the music with this cable does not spur listener to analyze performance of the system but rather to immerse himself in it. The thing that distinguishes Black II most from the more expensive cables of this manufacturer as well as the reference cables, i.e. Acoustic Revive Triple-C series is the definition. The British cable does not go in the direction of control as they do. It is primarily about the way of the low tones presentation. There is as much bass as needed, it is rich and juicy, but not that well controlled. I would say that the older version of this cable seemed better in this respect, but only because it did not deliver that much extension in the lower region as Black II does, so it did not have to control the lowest tones. With most vocals, classics, jazz, etc., it will not matter, because these music genres are gaining most from this tonal balance. With electronic music featuring with lowest, electronically generated sounds, one can hear that their definition is simplified. Sounds are quickly extinguished, never over-extended, so we do not have to worry about "boomy" bass. I could hear that very well when listening to the recordings that I brought this summer from my holiday, with music composed and recorded by my friend Robert Kowalski - DJ, sound engineer and composer. Robert has a very nice audio system, and he also builds loudspeakers for concert halls. He knows what a very low, well-controlled bass is, and at the same time a great, dense and sweet treble. Black II beautifully emphasized these advantages of his recordings but did not go as low as Acoustic Revive cables. It did not offer equally good definition either. The big price difference between these cables was obvious. Black vs Black II Looking at both cables, not knowing that you need to look for a Roman “double” on a black outer jacket, we would say that they are the same cables. But let’s listen to them with a few songs, it does not take much time to come to the conclusion that really big changes took place between the new and the old version.” The original Black's performance seems more attractive. It has a better developed treble, is slightly more dynamic, and above all the attack is stronger. Compared to it the Black II sounds darker, denser and more "analogue". I intentionally refer to this stereotype, because compared to it the Black I is more chaotic, with a poorly structured sound (in comparison). Everything with it is clearer, stronger, but all elements are presented in a more separate way. The Black II brings everything together, makes the presentation more cohesive. Don't get me wrong, the original Black was not a bad cable. I think it is a very good one actually, with a nice drive, nice colors and good selectivity. It's a good proposal for the money for anyone who wants to have a little bit of this and that. The new Black is, however, a better thought-through proposal, i.e. designers clearly had a target sound they wanted to achieve and managed to realize their vision. Slight emphasis in the midrange, better extended, more powerful bass - Black I sounds clearly “lighter” - resulted in a focused, saturated sound that the vinyl fans should really love. For a moment the Black II may seem less pronounced in such a comparison. It's not true. It is much more communicative and reliable than the older cable. The original version creates an impression of a better pronounced, clearer presentation, but it is actually more dull, less focused. Let me repeat one more time - it is a very good cable, but the new version is clearly better. Even more so, as the Black I will emphasize leanness of the system - if it is there - and the Black II will enrich the sound fixing the problem. Summary The Black II is a completely different cable from original Black. I assume that the changes in the design were not that big, after all, both versions look almost identical (apart from the name). Still, the sound is so different that I it is more of a completely new model rather than a new version of the same one. Those who want to upgrade their Black cable should first listen to II version, because it sounds different. But if you just want a great cable at friendly price, that will appeal to your "analog" side of the brain - buy the Black II. Only those who appreciate highly resolving and selective sound, as well as those who have large collections of electronic music should first try it out in their systems first to determine if its character fits into their system. I believe, however, that many of them will also keep it – this is an extremely versatile cable with beautiful tone. Highly recommended! RED Fingerprint. [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/tellir/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/tellir/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/tellir/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/tellir/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/tellir/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/tellir/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/tellir/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/tellir/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/tellir/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/tellir/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/tellir/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/tellir/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/tellir/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/tellir/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/tellir/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

he SPEC company and its founder, Mr. Shirokazu Yazaki, as well as its main constructor, Mr. Banno Tsutomu, have a special place in my heart. I was the first person from outside Japan to test the company’s products and my relationship with Mr. Shirokazu is especially close. It was no coincidence that he described the history of his career for “High Fidelity”, later copied many times by other magazines an portals all over the world (see: Moja prywatna historia audio (My private audio history)). So, in a way I feel responsible for SPEC. Mr. Shirokazu Yazaki is an extremely experienced person who has worked as the head of the design departments of Teac and Pioneer, among others. He and Mr. Banno Tsutomu value and have profound knowledge of tube amplifiers, including those based on really rare tubes. Apart from that, they value vintage-type cables, e.g. the American Insulated Wire Corporation WE16ga and the Belden 8402, which they use in their private systems (more HERE and HERE). I have been using passive speaker filters developed by SPEC, counteracting the electromotive force that is generated in a woofer for many years – first it was the RSP-101 model, then the RSP-501EX and now it is the RSP-901EX. Although both experts like vintage solutions and NOS, they took a different approach to their products. Their amplifiers, which constitute the heart of the company offer, are based on analog D-class power amplifiers. When we compare mass products to specialized SPEC devices, we can see that technology is one thing and its application is another; the comparison resembles a competition between, let us say, Audi A8 and Bugatti Veyron – the engines are built according to the same principle, they are even similar and use the same fuel, but… RSA-F33EX The tested amplifier is the manufacturer’s top-of-the-range model. It is made as it could be expected from a product manufactured by a small Japanese firm that has the right technology. It has a double housing made of a steel chassis that also constitutes a screen for the impulse circuit inside and from thick aluminum panels. The bottom has been reinforced and decoupled using a wooden oak plate with three wooden feet (two at the front, one at the back). The wood is prepared by the Oak Village company, a Japanese manufacturer of furniture, wooden toys and, for example, barrels for the wine industry. The heart of the device is the PWM International Rectifier IRAUDAMP4 DB modulator. Analog input signal is fed into it and modulated impulses come out of it. It was developed together by Mr. Yazaki and his friend, an engineer working for International Rectifier, Mr. Honda (a younger colleague from Pioneer). It controls FET transistors operating in a bridge. An analog low-pass filter has to be installed on the output of D-class amplifiers, consisting of two elements: a coil and a capacitor – it is an especially sensitive element of the structure. The SPEC company uses sophisticated oil capacitors manufactured by Arizona Capacitors there. These are exact replicas of the WEST-CAP CPV09 0.47 μF/600 V “Hermetic-seal” capacitors, originally manufactured for the American army in 1967. Finally, the amplifier itself: classic D-class amps are powered by impulse circuits that are easy to connect to the amp’s circuit in order to optimize their performance. Still, however, an old and reliable line amplifier with a large transformer has its advantages that are hard to copy in an impulse circuit. And here we have such an amp, with an enormous R-core transformer. In its basic configuration, the RSA-F33EX does not have a remote control, any tone color adjustment, digital inputs, a phono input, or a headphone output. It is a classic product with a “twist” inside. It costs a lot, but I know from my experience that SPEC is one of few manufacturers that propose sound which is very close to the sound of tube amplifiers, but without tubes and with a much higher power at a fraction of the price. A remote control can be bought separately. Its receiver is connected to the amplifier using a cable with a mini-jack, in this way locating problematic circuits outside. The Polish distributor adds the remote control for free. Outside Poland, you will need to pay for it. The amplifier was compared to two points of reference – the Kondo Overture II integrated tube amplifier (134,000 PLN), operating in the push-pull mode with the EL34 power pentodes and a two-piece system consisting of the Ayon Audio Spheris III line preamplifier (112,000 PLN) and the Soulution 710 power amp (not manufactured, 130,000 PLN). Two sets of cables were used in the system – the Siltech Triple Crown and the vintage American Insulated Wire Corporation WE16ga and Belden 8402 cables. The SPEC amp was powered using the Harmonix X-DC350M2R Improved-Version cable. The loudspeakers used were the Harbeth M40.1, placed on Acoustic Revive Custom stands. The SPEC Real-Sound Processor RSP-901EX filters were connected to the speaker inputs of the loudspeakers using the American Insulated Wire Corporation WE16ga cables. Recordings used for the test (a sele- ction) Il Canto D’Orfeo, wyk. Il Trionfo del Tempo, Et’Cetera | Klara KTC 4030, CD (2009) Artur Rojek, Składam się z ciągłych powtórzeń, Kayax Music 071, CD (2014); Chet Baker, It could happen to you, Riverside/ZYX Music OJC20 303-2, „Original Jazz Classics”, Super Bit Mapping CD (1958/1987) Diorama, The Art of Creating Confusing Spirits, Accession Records EFA 23450-2, CD (2002) Dizzy Gillespie, The New Content, Limelight/Universal Music Japan UCCM-9097, “Immortal Jazz on Mercury. No. 47”, CD (1962/2003) Frank Sinatra, Where Are You?, Capitol/Mobile Fidelity UDSACD 2109, “No. 251”, SACD/CD (1957/2012) Johann Sebastian Bach, Sonatas & Partitas, wyk. Jaap Schroeder, Smithsonian Collection of Recordings ADDA 581134/35, 2 x CD (1989) Novika, Tricks of Life, Kayax 013 CD (2006) OMD, English Electric, 100% Records/Sony Music Japan SICP-3810, CD (2013); Polish Jazz Quartet, Polish Jazz Quartet, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/Warner Music Poland, „Polish Jazz | vol. 3”, Master CD-R (1965/2016); Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] It is an amplifier with a personality. It is no use pretending that all devices pursue credibility in the same way and that a given technology does not influence the shape of the musical message. Also the technologies used in the SPEC amplifier leave their fingerprints on sound, but the modifications that I am talking about are used in an especially sophisticated way and connected with one another differently than in other products of this type. As a result, we get a special and unique amplifier which combines the features known from other designs, but ones that are more expensive and different. The RSA-F33EX provides a surprising constellation of their strengths and weaknesses – a collection that decorates the sky of the audio world. As I was testing the Kondo Overture II tube amplifier parallel to the SPEC model, it was extremely easy for me to issue a preliminary diagnosis and to formulate the first conclusions on its basis. It is because what we get from both of them, when it comes to the way of building a musical message and the accompanying emotions, is incredibly similar. The SPEC amp provides unambiguously warm, brilliantly filled sound which has no sharp edges or annoying sharpening. The sound is smooth and creamy. However, the warmth that I am talking about does not affect the building of 3D images of instruments, i.e. does not enlarge those whose energy falls within the midrange. So, it is different than in the case of tube amplifiers of this type that automatically promote vocals, a warm trumpet with a damper, electric guitars having a warm tone color, etc. With this in mind, let us listen to baroque music, for example – I chose Il Canto D’Orfeo performed by Il Trionfo del Tempo – and we will see that something reverse is happening, i.e. vocals located on the listening axis are a bit further away and create a semicircle with other instruments. It was similar in the case of an extremely warm transcription of Chet Baker’s album It could happen to you, on which the vocal is specially warmed up and smooth. The Japanese amplifier demonstrates its warmth on a deeper level and more sensibly, i.e. its sound is “omnipresent” – it is a complete reproduction that orders space in front of us in its own way, with no space for sounds from our own room or acoustics, etc. – there is only the recording. What is interesting, it is true both for sophisticated chamber music – I still have concerts from this year’s Misteria Paschalia festival in my mind – or a jazz vocal, but also for electronic, electro-rock and dark wave music. Definitely “warm” and definitely “neutral” amplifiers have problems with recordings of this type. The SPEC amp surprised me in this respect, even after I had listened to it with other albums and it seemed to me that I already know something about it. OMD from the album English Electric, Novika from Tricks of Life, Diorama from The Art of Creating Confusing Spirits, an album after an album, I listened to this amp with an increasing respect for its constructors, being fully aware of what their point of reference was. In this way, we return to the Kondo Overture II amp. This wonderful representative of the tube world is a close spiritual cousin of the RSA-F33EX. I have no doubt that both brands were established by people with high musical sensitivity – I am thinking of Mr. Hiroyasu Kondo and Mr. Shirokazu Yazaki – and both amps were designed by engineers (Mr. Ashizawa Masaki and Mr. Banno Tsutomu) who deserve the highest respect, as they managed to translate the abovementioned sensitivity, filtered through their experience and choices, into a specific product. I am fully consciously recalling categories connected with beauty, even though it is hard to represent them in the form of numbers, tables and charts. Beauty is connected with engineering filtered through art. These are big words, so I would not like them to be taken lightly, but if it needs to be said, I am saying it: it is an amplifier which has its limitations, produces specific sound and is closer to a created world than to so-called objectivity, but at the same time it is unique and shows the more beautiful face of the world. On the one hand, it is about warmth and density that I have talked about. On the other hand, it is about fantastic dynamics. It was a little weakness of the Kondo amplifier with its power limitations and high output impedance, i.e. a device struggling with the laws of physics. The SPEC amp has high power, so it plays any music in an almost full range. The treble and really low bass are not characterized by such high resolution and as differentiated as in the HF reference system. With good recordings, the amount of highs is absolutely sufficient, but they are quite warm. It is clearly heard that the attack is rounded and polished. It is similar with bass. It is low, deep and beautifully integrated with the midrange. And now: this is a high-power amplifier. It is extremely universal, both when it comes to the possibility of driving loudspeakers, and the type of music and recordings played. So, one need not take the effectiveness of loudspeakers into account, but must consider their impedance. The rule is simple: the higher and more balanced the loudspeakers’ impedance is, the better. However, both parameters must be taken into consideration together and if we listen to music close to loudspeakers or/and in a small room, 4-Ohm loudspeakers should not be a problem at all. Anyway, building 3D images with their acoustics and the space that they require is limited here. Vocals that I mentioned before are not located at the front, but merge into the accompanying instruments. It is one of the features characteristic for D-class amplifiers. Similarly to differentiating the highs and lows, selectivity is also of secondary importance. We will not hear a falling pin, but rather feel a change in acoustics that will indirectly indicate it. So, the enormous, carefully planned and dense sound stage is a great surprise. I admit that I have heard space being shaped around me in a similar fashion in my system only twice before – I am thinking of the Kondo OnGaku and the Einstein The Silver Bullet OTL – the SPEC amp did it in the most spectacular way. It is about the fact that it extracts even small pieces of information about space from signal and assembles them to create more than just changes – an incredibly real, tangible sound “dome” put onto the place where we are sitting. One will need to get used to the fact that the depth of the spatial image on the listening axis, i.e. the depth of the stage will be limited. The amp does not bring forward the foreground to us, but rather moves the whole image closer, surrounding us with the acoustics of the recording (generated or captured by microphones). It is because the warm musical message that we get is not limited to boosting some part of the bandwidth. It is something one level higher – something more valuable, but still belonging to the ‘modification’ category. All these elements contribute to a wonderfully filled, dense sound characterized by a warm tone color. The tangibility of instruments is exceptional and the space around us is outstanding. Considering it is a small amplifier, frequency response is great – only the biggest power amplifiers can show something more. As regards dynamics and specific “drama”, the SPEC amp can be one of the standards for integrated amplifiers. It does it all freely, without tension, focusing on the inner structure of recordings and not on their surface. Conclusions It is a beautiful amplifier that has been manufactured by beautiful people. It costs a lot, but does not look like an expensive device. If we look at it closer, we will understand that it is a perfect product. However, from a certain distance – e.g. on a store shelf, the RSA-F33EX will look like another ordinary amplifier, while it is something incredible – its tone color is close to what is offered by much more expensive, sophisticated tube amps, while its dynamics and the way it “deals” with a large volume is similar to what a very good transistor does. What we sacrifice is differentiation, selectivity and 3D images of sound sources. However, its another advantage is equally good treatment of more badly recorded albums and those perfect ones. As always – the choice is yours. I give Mr. Ashizawa Masaki and Mr. Banno Tsutomu, and their RSA-F33EX amplifier the highest award offered by “High Fidelity”: the GOLD Fingerprint. They deserve great respect and acknowledgement. It is the best D-class amplifier that I have heard in my life. The RSA-F33EX is an integrated amplifier with four line inputs: three unbalanced RCA ones and one balanced XLR input. The gain circuit is symmetrical, so the XLR input is the main one. Front and back There are only three manipulators on the front panel: a large volume control knob, an input selection knob and a toggle power switch with two LEDs – a green one (on) and a red one (mute). The switch is not an ordinary toggle, but one with a ratchet – in order to change the position of the switch, one needs to pull it first. This security measure used in industry, the army and medicine, for example, protects the device against being accidentally switched on or off – here it is only a nice gadget. There is blue background light around the volume control knob, which I know from Marantz and Esoteric devices. At the back panel there is a switch that we can use to reduce the light by 50% or (great!) completely switch it off. The back panel is very simple: there are three pairs of RCA and one pair of XLR connectors, a power socket, loudspeaker connectors and a mini-jack for an external remote control. The connectors look excellent – they are rhodium-plated. The loudspeaker connectors, which I have seen for the first time in my life, are gold-plated and easy to tighten. The housing consists of two layers – a steel and an aluminum one, while the bottom is made of oak wood. It is manufactured for SPEC by the Japanese Oak Village company. The device stands on three feet made of the same wood – two at the front and one at the back. The purpose of using a double housing is, first, to make the whole structure mechanically more rigid and, secondly, to provide screening. Anyway, there are more screens – D-class amplifiers generate a lot of high-frequency noise that needs to be eliminated in some way. The inside The electronic circuit has been assembled on a few PCBs: one for the amplifier, two for reconstruction (output) filters and one for the gain circuit itself. The amplifier occupies most of the inside. Its basis is a very large R-core toroidal transformer cooperating with two high-power rectifiers. Then, there are two very large capacitors which damp power hum, bypassed by oil capacitors manufactured by the Arizona Capacitors company. It seems that each of the amplifier channels has separate power supply. It is also visible that an attempt has been made to distribute the mass of the circuit as well as possible – at a few places there are central points (“stars”) and the mass of the capacitors in the amp is distributed using thick copper bus bars. The whole amplifier circuit is located under a screen placed in the center. The integrated Tachyonix 3310 IR01 ladder operates on its output – it is the International Rectifier Japan version 01 circuit of the CS3310/PGA2310 chip, programmed specially for this application. Signal is then transferred to the PWM  International Rectifier IRAUDAMP4 DB modules converting analog to digital signal. It is an analog circuit, a controller of the output FET transistors. There are also coils on toroidal cores – an element of output filters. Capacitors that cooperate with them are hidden in separate screens. These are circuits similar to what we get with the external RSP-901EX filters produced by the same manufacturer. There are capacitors, including an oil one (Arizona Capacitors) and a few resistors. It can be clearly seen that the aim was to tune the circuit properly. It is an example of a wonderful work, similar in its simplicity to what I know from SET tube amplifiers. Remote control A part of the set is the RSR-1remote control that we get for free in Poland and need to buy separately outside it. There are no infrared receiver circuits that might affect signal in the amplifier. The receiver has the form of a nice box and is connected to the mini-jack connector at the back panel using a cable. The remote control is made of aluminum, minimalist and not as pretty as the amplifier itself. Technical specifications (according to the manufacturer) Output power: 120 W/4 Ω, 90 W/6 Ω, 60 W/8 Ω Frequency response: 10 Hz – 30 kHz ±1 dB (6 Ω, 1 W) Harmonic distortion: 0.02% (1 kHz, 80% output power) Input sensitivity | gain: 300 mVrms | 37.3 dB (at MAX volume, 6 Ω, 1 kHz, RCA input) Power consumption: - without input signal: 15 W - during maximum output: 215 W (8 Ω, 100 Hz) Dimensions (W x H x D): 450 x 130 x 422 mm Weight: 20 kg MAREK POSPIESZALSKI Marek Pospieszalski gra piosenki, które śpiewał Frank Sinatra Marek Pospieszalski MP001 Medium: Compact Disc Date of release: 15th March 2017 A parcel with Marek Pospieszalski’s album was sent from my home city of Cracow. It is modest, released in a digipack without any booklet, with minimum lettering imprinted on the CD and is – let me tell you already now – incredibly bold and exceptional when it comes to performance and instrumental interpretations of songs that were sung by Frank Sinatra. A modest portfolio of the record label does not show (let me foresee the future again) what an outstanding album it is, either. Marek Pospieszalski is a musician and an arranger who mostly plays the saxophone, but also the clarinet, flutes and keyboard instruments. Although the name is known – Marek is from THE Pospieszalscy family – the combination of the name and the surname is not as famous as his brother’s – Jan. Anyway, you know how Marek plays music, e.g. from the albums of bands such as: Śmierć Kliniczna, Maanam, Fisz/Emade, Zakopower, Armia, Tie Break and Graal, as well as Stanisław Sojka’s, Anna Maria Jopek’s  and Janusz Radek’s solo projects. Marek also played in the Voo Voo band and cooperates with the YeShe and 2Tm2,3 bands. Recently, he has been collaborating with Wojtek Mazolewski’s band. When it comes to the reviewed CD, it contains Marek’s own project in which he is the leader. Marek invited his “brother in music” – Maks Mucha – one of the most popular bass players of the young generation in Poland (Maks plays with, among others, Sławek Jaskułke), as well as leading young musicians from Berlin to the band – the pianist Elias Stemeseder (known for, among others, his cooperation with John Zorn) and the drummer Max Andrzejewski.  We can read in company materials that: After many years of gaining experience and gathering inspirations from other musicians, Marek Pospieszalski presents his own project, his own vision of music that takes from the whole goodness of jazz and improvised music, but also from all other creative genres. It mostly contains a huge dose of band music that manifests itself through, among others, experiments with textures and multi-faceted narration. A melodic base is contrasted with sonorism, all without batting an eyelid and hiding behind the mask of a cabaret.  It is frank, intensive, bold and serious music.  RECORDING The recordings were released by the artist himself on a Compact Disc. This is probably the reason why there is no record label name on it. Laser markings next to the opening only have the symbol “MMP01”. The album is incredibly modest and one can see that the aim was to save money: it is a thin digipack without a booklet. The material on the CD is already two years old. It was recorded in one day! It took place in Lubrza, at ResPublica Studios, and Łukasz Olejniczak was the sound engineer. Jacek Gładkowski took care of mixing and mastering. SOUND It is a perfect album in every respect – e.g. musically, as these are outstanding musicians with exceptional material that they are not afraid of, but rather explore it to find what they are interested in – often virtuoso, but always interesting solutions. Music known from Sinatra’s albums comes to life in a completely different way. It is sometimes darker and sometimes “swings” more, but it is always focused on searching. The band was recorded in a way that gives the impression that it plays in a real, rather large room. If the saxophone plays the leading role, like for example in the album’s opening track My Way, it is closer, but usually heard from a little distance, similarly to other instruments including the percussion. It is similar to the way of recording jazz albums from the 1940s and 1950s, when musicians played to one microphone. Here it is rather a procedure which consists in adding appropriate reverberations, but the effect is very nice. The resolution is incredible, rarely found in contemporary recordings (not in Poland but elsewhere in the world). To compare, let us say that albums released within an incredibly interesting series Smoke Session Records contain less information and are less credible sonically than Marek Pospieszalski’s album. Despite the distance from the front line and the location of the band on a large stage, one does not get an impression of “thinness” and a lack of mass – it is full, dense sound. Of course, this is not “tangible” sound in the sense that it does not “come forward” to us, crossing the line which connects the speakers. However, we do not need that at all, as we perceive these recordings very physiologically, recognizing their credibility under our skin. Great music and outstanding sound – this is one of those albums that I would like to get in the form of an expensive version straight from Japan, on a Platinum SHM-CD, in a packaging of the 7 inch mini LP type, or – even better – recorded on a Master CD-R. It would be a jewel in my collection. A well-deserved double “High Fidelity” award: BIG RED Button for the recording quality and RED Fingerprint for music. Sound quality: REFERENCE [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1705/spec/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1705/spec/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1705/spec/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1705/spec/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1705/spec/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1705/spec/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1705/spec/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1705/spec/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1705/spec/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1705/spec/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1705/spec/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1705/spec/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1705/spec/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1705/spec/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1705/spec/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1705/spec/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1705/spec/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1705/spec/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1705/spec/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1705/spec/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1705/spec/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1705/spec/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1705/spec/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1705/spec/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1705/spec/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1705/spec/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1705/spec/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

étronome Technologies is a French company, based in Toulouse, France, founded in 1987 by former engineers of another French company, Jadis. Today is is known mostly due to their digital sources, first of all excellent CD players, although at the beginning they manufactured loudspeakers. The initial 800 pairs were sold immediately, as did the next batch. For many years, however, they have focused on digital sources, including the phenomenal Métronome Technologie DREAM PLAY CD: KALISTA. That is why I understood why during the High End 2017 show Mr. Jean Marie Clauzel, the head of this French company, spoke so enthusiastically of their new, large Ea Métronome Technologie loudspeakers, and right after that he showed me their new CD and music files players. Perhaps only now, this company's lineup is getting there, where its founders dreamed it to be at some point. This reminded me of another company's “conversion” that happened recently – I mean the Avid HiFi, that from a turntable specialist turned into a manufacturer of almost complete sound systems including turntables, phonostages, but also amplifiers, preamplifiers and loudspeakers. I would love to see Avid CD Player... Maybe one day. Or not :) Let me add that in Munich Métronome Technologie celebrated its 30-th anniversary – congratulations! CD8 S One of the attractions of the exhibition, apart from loudspeakers, was the new, anniversary version of the Kalista system. All silver, with a distinctive, golden 30-year logo on the display, it was at the center of the visitors' attention. Next to it there was the inconspicuous CD8 S player, which had been upgraded using some solutions developed while designing the flagship model. Its body reminded me that of the new Audionet Planck, but it is worth knowing that it has evolved independently from the German product. The CD8 S is a top-loader Compact Disc player, so it does not feature a classic disc tray, because it is placed directly on the motor axis. There is a chamber on top of the player, with a heavy, aluminum cover that has to be opened and closed manually. Transport mechanism is, as always in this manufacturer's products, the CDM 12 Pro 2 v. 6.8, with a suspension modified in France and with a clamp. Usually on the motor axis there is a plastic element to which the clamp with magnet is attached. Here there is a metal cylinder made with utmost precision, and one puts a clamp, made of Derlin, aluminum and acrylic with a very weak magnet, on top of it. The device is designed as a digital hub, so it can be used not only to play CDs but also to decode digital signals from external sources, including computers and file players. It features two digital inputs - RCA (S/PDIF) and USB. The latter accepts PCM signals up to 32 bits and 384 kHz, as well as DSD (unfortunately I have not found more specific information about it). This is not mentioned in the company's material, but this player features an upsampling circuit - all signals from digital inputs and CDs are converted to 32/192 and then sent to the DAC. The player is available in two versions - with tube output stage featuring two dual triodes JAN6922 (CD8t S) and with solid-state one, using four integrated circuits - Burr-Brown OPA604 (CD8 S). We are reviewing the latter. You should know that the output stage operates in class A and has a separate power supply, same as other sections, such as, for example, the transport. The player features both, balanced and unbalanced analogue outputs with gold-plated connectors. The appearance and operation of the device is a study of simplicity, provided we can learn symbols used by the manufacturer for drive controls. At first, they seem little odd or unusual. All you have to do is look at them as halves of a classic "play", "pause" and so on symbols, and it should just click for you. The display is a bit too small, but it's part of the "package" that comes with Philips transport. The input selection is performed with a small switch on the front of the device. It also features a nice remote control. And that's it. The player uses three feet - two in the front and one in the back. Each of them features two parts - a flat disc and a cone. JEAN MARIE CLAUZEL General manager WOJCIECH PACUŁA: Tell me about differences compared to original version of the CD8. JEAN MARIE CLAUZEL: CD8 S is based on the Philips CD Pro as was the original CD8. I wanted to have a device that customer could use first as a D/A converter (USB input already existed, but we implemented a supplementary S/P DIF input). I also wanted something ready for high-resolution, and that was the cause of 2 major changes inside the box : USB interface was changed for Amanero device, allowing transfer of DSD files, D/A conversion chip was also changed, remaining loyal to AKM, but upgrading to AK4490 (decoding DSD up to 256). So finally, with the same box as the CD8, CD8 S is a completely new device from electronic point of view. As always the power supply section in you player is quite complex – why? Regarding the power supply, to be simple I would say that power supply makes 80-90% of the quality of a sound system. Further to good components, clever routed PCBs, the power supply is the factor that allows to use the electronics at their best. And this is a big part of our knowledge... It's true for transport section as well as for all parts of the device of course. … I compared this player with two other: my own reference player the CD Ancient Audio Lektor AIR V-edition with tube output and with two-box Chord Blu Mk II + DAVE. I placed it on the top shelf of my Finite Elemente Pagode Edition rack and powered it with Harmonix X-DC350M2R Improved-Version (Polish) power cable. The CD8 S was tested as a Compact Disc Player. MÉTRONOME TECHNOLOGIE in HF AWARD | Statement Award 201: Métronome Technologie DREAM PLAY CD KALISTA - CD transport + D/A Converter TEST: Métronome Technologie DREAM PLAY CD: KALISTA - CD transport + D/A Converter TEST: Métronome Technologie CD ONE T - CD Player Recordings used for the test (a sele- ction) The TBM Sounds!, Lasting Impression Music LIM UHD 048LE, „Limited Edition”, CD (2010) Depeche Mode, Ultra, Mute/Sony Music Labels SICP-30543, Blu-spec CD2, (2007/2014) Laurie Anderson, Homeland, Nonesuch 524055-2, CD + DVD (2010); Mark Knopfler, The Trawlerman's Song EP, Mercury 9870986, CD (2005) Max Roach & Clifford Brown, The Best of Max Roach & Clifford Brown in Concert! - full version, GNP Crescendo/King Records (Japan) KICJ 246, „24 Bit Remastering Series”, CD (1956/1995). Morales en Toledo, Polifonía inédita del Códice 25, Ensemble Plus Ultra, dyr. Michael Noone, „Los SIGLOS de ORE”, Glossa GCD 922001, CD (2005) Polish Jazz Quartet, Polish Jazz Quartet, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/Warner Music Poland, „Polish Jazz | vol. 3”, Master CD-R (1965/2016); Takeshi Inomata, The Dialogue, Audio Lab. Record/Octavia Records OVXA-00008, SACD/CD (1977/2001) Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet, Polka, Agora 6813801, CD (2014); Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] Those who are wondering about the presence of tubes in some of Métronome players probably understand that this company's designers have that hot cathode-heating filament imprinted in their DNA. How else could it be explained that all their products I know play in such a velvety and slightly warm way? Where would such a wonderful three-dimensionality and tangibility of the sound, this soft attack, so natural sound of double bass come from? Even more reason to wonder that considering that CD8 S's output is a solid-state one. So there is the first clue - tubes. It's just a clue, because it's not an attempt to simulate their sonic signature, nor to force it onto the abilities of semiconductor elements. This time it is about something else, about utilizing the knowledge and experience of those who had chosen tubes not for for their "warm" and "soft" sound, because it is a stereotype, but for their other qualities such as linearity, their excellent handling of low signals, and their resistance to overdrive. And that's how this player sounds like: it is soft, slightly warm, perfectly three-dimensional and delivers a fantastic sound stage. I'll start with the warmth. It's not an artificially warm sound, it never has been with this manufacturer. I would say it's a very open sound with slightly highlighted treble and not particularly massive bass. It was perfectly presented when I listened to the Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet's Polka. It was recorded in an analog studio and so mixed which resulted in a slightly warmed up sound and withdrawn treble - such was the artistic idea behind this album. The French player slightly illuminated it, presented bit stronger cymbals than the Ancient Audio player, in a somewhat similar way (as far as quantity goes) as the Chord system. It was also obvious that the midrange is slightly tempered. None of the albums I played sounded harsh or aggressive, although some of them actually were. The CD8 S deliberately masks these problems, winning listeners over with this incredible three-dimesionality of the sound. The soft attack plus fantastic imaging makes everything on stage particularly lively, with proper depth and space. Interestingly, the volume of sounds, i.e. their subjective size, was smaller than with both reference players. This will suit those who prefer the instruments presented further away from them, according to whom a big voice, for example that of Nat 'King' Cole's, is usually enlarged. The tested player does not reduce anything in size, it does not dry anything, it's not the point, but it presents everything from a larger perspective which may create an impression of a smaller volume. It's a bit like pushing a sheet of paper away from your eyes to a larger distance – it seems THE SAME, but it actually ISN'T anymore. All this, however, does not give you an idea of how natural sound that is. I mentioned about it shortly when discussing bass, but the same goes for the whole band. The CD8 S perfectly conveys the sound of acoustic instruments. The double bass had a lot of "wood" in the sound, which is usually lost covered by massiveness of its sound. The way it is presented by this player is closer to what I know from unplugged concerts, and e.g. Ancient presented it more like a concert but amplified not an unplugged one. The natural sound comes from a very good midrange resolution. This part the range, according to stereotype, can be properly presented only using tubes. It's not true, it's more of a stereotype, than dogma. I remember that when listening to the Kalista system I preferred its semiconductor output rather than the tube one for this reason - with all the softness and velvety sound the former was more natural, there was more information there. So there is: naturalness, softness, velvety, high resolution and slight shift of tonal balance up. This is a very good player, but nonetheless different than the best devices of this type at similar price and the more expensive ones. In terms of tonal balance the closet match would be the DP-560 by Accuphase. This is a similar presentation of the texture, tonal balance and so on. In terms of attack, speed and velvety sound the closest matches would be the Gold Note CD-1000 and Audionet Planck. The Ancient Audio was more resolving, it had a better extended, more weighty bass, but it was as natural, soft and at the same time so open in the treble. Chord on the other hand was darker and more resolving and selective at the same time. Summary It seems that the Compact Disc segment of the audio market is still doing very well. We may soon see manufacturers coming up with new drive mechanisms as there is a high demand on the market but a very low supply. For now, the best players feature either the Philips CD Pro-2 transport or Esoteric's SACD one. So actually with the CD8 S, we get the current state-of-the-art drive plus a bonus – a much better clamp system. Along with it goes the skillful use of semiconductors, even in such an underestimated form as the integrated circuit. Together with the D/A converters they form a system that delivers a very natural sound, because it is soft, warm, with an open top. The softness combined with high resolution translates into three-dimensionality and velvety. This is not an aggressive sound, far from it, but not mellow either – the strong, open treble does not allow it, and a great pace&rhythm keeps the sound very lively. It will not offer as large volume of sound as more expensive players, nor so low and as well-defined bass. But remembering the price of the device and knowing how much better it sounds than less expensive competitors, I would not worry too much about it. This is a very good example of the consistency of form with content, the successful combination of art and technology - just as the corporate materials say. The CD8 S is a Compact Disc player featuring digital inputs which allows it to act as a digital-to-analog converter for external digital sources. Its appearance is very elegant and solid. The front is made of thick anodized aluminum with an anodized finish - black or silver. The sliding cover of CD mechanism and its guides are also made of aluminum. The other elements are made of rigid, thick steel sheet. The device features three feet made of Derlin. Each foot consists of two parts: a flat roller and a spike. For this test, however, I used a different solution - instead of Derlin spikes, I used Pathe Wings wooden cones, the PW-VDS 29H28.5/4. Their diameter almost perfectly matches the diameter of the original spikes Métronome Technologies. Is it a coincidence? Front and back The front is divided into two parts - an aluminum frame and a display hidden under an acrylic plate. Considering how much space is there, it is a pity that manufacturer didn't use a bigger display that would be easier to read from a distance. On the same acrylic you will find to small switches - one turns the power on, and the other selects and input. There are two of them: RCA (S/PDIF) and USB. The former decodes the PCM signal up to 24 bits and 192 kHz, and the latter the PCM signals up to 32 bits / 384 kHz and DSD. The connectors are located on the rear panel, next to the analog output sockets - XLR (balanced) and RCA (unbalanced). As one reads in the manual they both offer 2.5 V output signal but with different impedance, as if the main output was the RCA. And that means that when comparing this player with other sources, one needs to adjust the amplifier's volume accordingly. Let me remind you that the standard for a CD is 2 V. Inside Inside, one finds, first and foremost, a very large acrylic plate, part of the decoupling system. The plate is suspended in three places on thick rolls of a soft material with high compliance resembling a micro-rubber. The transport itself, the Philips CD Pro-2 LH (CDM 12 Pro 2 v. 6.8), is screwed to the acrylic plate from the bottom. I found that the manufacturer of the player got rid of the springs connecting the metal cast with the plate below – which means that the connection is "rigid" not soft. The transport itself has a modified spindle mounted on the motor axle - it's a fairly high metal element on which a clamp made of Derlin, aluminum and acrylic is placed. It features a not too strong magnet. Underneath, you can see a large mainboard to which a few smaller ones have been inserted. On the board there is an analog section and power supply one - the latter is extremely elaborate. It is based on three toroidal transformers, separately for the transport, the digital section and the analog section. Each transformer features several secondary windings - together there are as many as 11! There are discrete rectifier bridges, and each diode is decoupled with a capacitor. Power grid ripple attenuation occurs in a battery of countless, identical, small capacitors. Replacing a few large capacitors with many smaller ones has been known for years, and recently Jarek Waszczyszyn has used this solution for his new version of Silver Grand Mono, which I will tell you about some day. Near the rear panel a small USB input board resides, bought from an external supplier. The decoding of the USB signal is handled by the Atmel chip supported with smaller Xilinx's chip. Next there are two very nice word clocks. The DAC sections sits on a separate large PCB. At its heart works the Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM) AK4490EQ chip. This is a high-end D/A converter from Premium series of this Japanese manufacturer. It allows decoding of PCM signals up to 32 bits and 768 kHz as well as of the DSD signal. It uses the proprietary architecture called Velvet Sound. Before the signal is sent to the DAC, it is upsampled to 32/192 in the Cirrus Logic CS8421 asynchronous upsampler. The DAC and upsampler are supported by separate, excellent-looking, mechanically stabilized word clocks with varying sampling frequencies. In the input stage I found one more chip, the AK4118, a digital receiver. The analog circuit seems very simple, though nice at the same time. There are four integrated circuits, two per channel, Burr-Brown OPA604. They are accompanied by Vishay and Wim polypropylene capacitors and precise resistors. The whole circuit is soldered using a classic method. In the output stage you can see the yellow relays, and next to them there are some inconspicuous, but of much higher quality contactors with rhodium-plated contacts. The outputs feature solid, gold-plated Neutrik connectors. Remote The remote control is very nice and quite comfortable to use, we can use it to control both, the CD player and an amplifier. Specifications (according to manufacturer) Transport mechanism: Philips CD Pro 2 LH with proprietary software Digital inputs: - S/PDIF, Toslink (44.1 - 192 kHz) - USB: asynchronous, 32/384 + DSD Analogue outputs: Unbalanced 2.5 V RMS @0dB – 47 kOhms, RCA connectors Balanced 2.5 V RMS @0dB – 600 Ohms, XLR connectors Power consumption: 40 W Dimensions: 450 x 115 x 435 mm Weight: 12 kg [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/metronome/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/metronome/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/metronome/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/metronome/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/metronome/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/metronome/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/metronome/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/metronome/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/metronome/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/metronome/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/metronome/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/metronome/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/metronome/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/metronome/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/metronome/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/metronome/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/metronome/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/metronome/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/metronome/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/metronome/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/metronome/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/metronome/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/metronome/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/metronome/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/metronome/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/metronome/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/metronome/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

WORLD PREMIERE ow and then a test happens that required a long wait. I wrote about it several times. I find an interesting product or interesting manufacturer, collect information about it and apply for a test. I usually get a reply to my email, and sometimes we come to an understanding and the manufacturer sends me his loudspeakers, amplifier, source, or some other product for a review. Often, it takes a some time for the company to get to know me better, sometimes we have to meet first – usually in Munich during the High End Show - and only then, when a trust is built, I get a "blessing" and green light for a review. Never before though, a story like this one happened: I have been waiting for a chance to review Lumen White's loudspeakers for about 15 years. I sent the first email to this small company, quite mysterious one at the time, when I was working for Sound & Vision magazine. As far as I can remember, the answer from this company read something like” thank you for your email but... because: a) there is no distributor in Poland; and b) they are not planning too many tests of their White Flame loudspeakers, they have to postpone the test for an indefinite future. History I do not remember who wrote to me, I mean which of the three owners, but they kept their words – the Lumen White loudspeakers appeared in just a few tests, mostly in Germany. However, something unique happened - this design, the only product of this company, has reached a “cult” status and probably as the only product from a small European manufacturer it was featured on the cover of the Japanese quarterly magazine "Stereo Sound" after receiving the most important Stereo Sound Grand Prix 2002 award with a summary, which read: "One of the best audio components in history". Let's add that in its 150th edition this one of the most important audio magazines in the world named these speakers "one of the best audio components in the history of our magazine". I saw and listened to these loudspeakers numerous times in Munich, but for the first time I could take a closer look in my friend's, Dirk Sommer home that is also his mastering studio. Because Dirk was actually the first journalist in the world to review these speakers in 2001. At the time he was a chief editor of the “Image Hi-Fi” magazine and already back then he was known for his work in analogue mastering studio. As a result of this test, the Lumen White White Flame loudspeakers stayed in his studio as his listening monitors, and he used them while working on a few hundred of remasters and masters of original recordings, almost all of which were released as analogue records. That's how the legend of this brand was born. Lets fast-forward. In 2017, the Lumen White belongs to two gentlemen: Hartmut Roemer, the designer, and our good friend, a member of the Krakow Sonic Society, Gerhard Hirt, whom we know well as the owner of Ayon Audio. Gerhard joins the company to help voicing the loudspeaker, as well as to organize production and sales. Together they form a "dream team". They met years ago under completely different circumstances. Gerhard at the time was still a distributor of several high-end brands in Austria, and a beginner manufacturer (Ayon Audio), and Hartmut was his customer. At that time he liked a lot the Avalon speakers with their distinctive ceramic drivers. Despite their obvious advantages, in his ears, they still lacked something, even the most expensive models. Frustrated, he finally asked Gerhard whether he would be interested in making "the best loudspeakers in the world". He was. And so began the story of Lumen White. The assumptions were, of course in theory, simple: transducers, cabinets, crossovers and components were to be designed, selected and paired in order to obtain precise signal impulses, phase and time coherence, energy balance between successive octaves, controlled rise and setting times, and elimination of the effect of energy building - both in transducers, crossover and cabinets. The theory and practice, however, are half siblings, they sometimes differ dramatically. The theory must be skillfully translated into the language of practice through appropriate techniques, technologies and studies. Cabinet The most important development that was then put into production was the unique cabinet for the loudspeakers. Hartmut had reservations about both the bass-reflex and the closed designs. In the former, bass is assisted by adding to the base signal a narrow band of signal from the back of the diaphragm generated by the bass reflex port - this solution, he says, causes an unnatural bass boost, which in addition is blurred. The latter causes loss of sound energy, because the back of the diaphragm must be heavily damped with dissipative materials such as wool or foam. He proposed a solution he called „driver-, port-, loading- and air-damping”. In general, the cabinet was supposed to simulate an open baffle but without its issues, i.e. limiting the radiation of the low tones. The baffle was thus "rolled" into a shape that, in general terms, resembles a lute, formerly developed and popularized by Frank Serblin of Sonus faber. However, the similarity is only general - the side walls of the LW loudspeakers come together in the rear with their edges bend inward, which looks more like an engine exhaust than the lute. On the acoustics point of view, this design resembles a cabinet with a variovent. On the narrow rear wall there is a narrow, longitudinal opening, which can be reduced by means of plywood strips screwed on if necessary. This is not a bass reflex or a horn design because it is not tuned to boost bass. This is a part of the acoustic system that is supposed to suppress the sound coming from the rear of drivers' diaphragms, but in such a way that will not create any air turbulence or cause any loss of energy. Researching proper solution consumed a lot of time and money, but the effect satisfied Hartmut to such an extent that it is the primary distinguishing feature of all his loudspeakers. The cabinets of Lumen White loudspeakers are build of specially formulated 3cm thick plywood. Curving this type of material is nothing new, because other manufacturers did it before but here a super-precision was required because the internal shape was calculated so that it would work with drivers in a very wide frequency range. Any deviation could result in a failure to achieve the goal. After many years a secret came out that explained a fantastic sound of these loudspeakers. As recently Gerhard told me, the plywood for his loudspeakers is made specifically for LW and it's made using natural glue made of bones, rather than widely used synthetic adhesives. The company never shared this information because there were no other commercially available loudspeakers featuring cabinets made of such plywood. Because this plywood was custom made for their needs, it also had a different construction than commercially available materials - the individual layers of wood, selected for their mechanical properties, differed in thickness. During the study, an optimal pattern of interlacing of thicker, thinner and even thinner layers of different types of wood was established. The wood was machined so that its fibers were not cut, which was equally important for the final result. Drivers The Lumen White loudspeakers' cabinets therefore feature no internal damping, but are internally reinforced with ribs. Working in such an environment is a real challenge for transducers because any problems within the frequency range can not be solved by damping or smoothing impulse, etc. As I said, Hartmut was interested in the loudspeakers made by the American company, Avalon. And Avalon is one of the pioneers and promoters of extremely demanding in application, but potentially excellent transducers from the German company Accuton. Their story dates back to 1984, when Berbhard Thiel, then a Backes & Müller engineer, found a way to produce ultra-thin membranes of "oxide aluminum". A corundum is the aluminum trioxide, enriched with other oxides, often used as abrasive. Sources say that it is one of the hardest minerals in the world, just after the diamond. In short: ceramics. The diaphragms of this type are absolutely rigid, i.e. they behave like a perfect piston and generate a sound with a flat frequency response. Their problem is their own high Q resonance. To remedy this, Thiel drilled whole in the membranes and put Sorbotan inside to damp these resonances. After Thiel founded his own company, that today is known as Accuton, his drivers became available for other loudspeaker manufacturers, such as: Avalon Acoustics and Kharma. Today these drivers are used also by brands such as: Estelon, Tidal, Marten and Lumen White. (More on Accuton's story: Jonathan Valin, Ceramic Drivers in: The Absolute Sound’s Illustrated History of High-End Audio. Volume One: Loudspeakers, ed. Robert Harley, Austin 2013, p. 299-300). The latest series of Lumen White loudspeakers uses the latest versions of these transducers with an extremely distinctive shape: the honeycomb-shaped membrane is convex and not concave. It is no longer pure ceramics, but a 3D ceramic-aluminum sandwich which is surprisingly thick, yet very light and incredibly rigid. For his speakers Hartmut ordered a special version with custom made neodymium-cobalt magnets. These drivers feature the "overhung" coil that ensures very low distortion. There are three bass woofers. Above there is the ceramic midrange driver and a small, also ceramic, inverted dome tweeter. Upon order, it can be replaced by a more expensive version with a diamond diaphragm. Crossover Accuton's new transducers have much better internal damping than their older versions, so their diaphragms have not been modified for a long time. Yet, there are still significant parasitic resonances outside the frequency range, which resembles some drivers with metal membranes. Manufacturers usually deal with this issue by using high-order crossovers - see Isophon and now Gauder Akustik. But do you remember what the company wanted to accomplish and why did they develop this particular type of cabinet for their speakers? One of the primary goals was to preserve the signal's energy. The easiest way would be to use crossovers with a slow rolloff rate. So Lumen White uses only 1st order crossovers with a rolloff of 6 dB per octave and the resonances are suppressed using additional circuits. What else? Hartmut, a man of great passion and musical culture, will add some information for you. Please note that his statement was quoted without capital letter correction. In his e-mails, corporate materials, etc., he just writes this way. I also preserved the original division of his text. Like Lumen White, it is unique. HARTMUT ROEMER Owner, designer hartmut roemer (lumen white) and gerhard hirt (ayon audio, lumen white) during munich high end 2017 actually, there is no extravagant philosophy behind having three models. the idea is simply to make our design and technologies available in three different price - and size - classes, so people with different means and listening environments can acquire and enjoy them. doing so we try to maintain as much of the premium design features in the lower price segments as possible. that's why we do not use mdf or particle boards in our speaker cabinets which are constructed from custom made, variable density, multiple tone- woods based, instrument-grade plywood.  i believe that materials used in the construction of music devices has significant psycho-acoustic impact (a theme we could discuss for hours...) and hence i have researched the sonic impact of countless materials. a key finding from this research: very few artificial materials qualify for balanced spectrum performance and psycho-acoustic "invisibility" ("in-audibility" would be more precise). based on that research, i find properly formulated natural materials acoustically superior to synthetic, metal and most solid wood enclosures due to a superior, balanced resonance-spectrum and a natural, psycho-acoustically benign sonic signature. for decades, premium hollow body jazz guitars used to be carved from solid tone-woods following century old instrument building traditions. it was famous N.Y. luthier sandowski who first build a jazz guitar from instrument grade plywood - and surprise - it sounded more balanced and dynamic than the traditional solid wood versions. basically, the plywood could be composed in such a way, that the resonances balanced out in the most complementary way and the uncut fibres have better energy transfer behaviour than the fibres shortened by the traditional carving method. sometimes basic physics - and the courage to let our listening guide us - beats traditionalism. a principle that has driven lumen white design work from the start. i have heart multiple times so-called "experts" comment on my ideas stating categorically that what i want to do is "impossible".  since 20 years my reply is simply "that's exactly why we research it - because others have not ventured into this territory. and only unknown will yield the new and potentially superior possibilities.  the technical information (attached) on our three loudspeaker models list the various technologies and design- approaches which i have employed in the speakers. there are others which i tend not to mention as protecting one`s know how has become a crucial rule for a smaller brand to succeed in this industry. also, the "mystere" turntable brochure provides further inside into what drives my design work and how far i am willing to go to achieve  "musicality". i consider music a key cultural pillar and boon, in fact a "life-elixir" as it can uplift the melancholic, inspire harmony, peace, joy and laughter. in asia, for thousands of years they even had traditions of applying music as medicine to the human body - seemingly with considerable success. that's just to say i consider music a treasure and quality sonics in playback as essential to reap its full benefits and reveal its full beauty.  an artistic quest and philosophic aspiration in essence. played back properly, even recorded music can make us speechless - and where language ends the essential in life usually starts... these views drive my work in audio design and explains why i by principle don't take "impossible" as an answer.  signal purity and signal-time-coherence, correct and comprehensive overtone-reproduction (a key element in proper psycho-acoustics) and freedom from artifacts (from unsuitable materials and circuit behaviour) are key demands towards this goal and inspire some of my technical choices. Kyara Lumen White currently offers three models of loudspeakers, the Kyara being the smallest. Which does not mean it is actually small: each speaker measures 1190 x 300 x 600 mm and weighs 60 kg. These are floorstanding, three-way loudspeakers, described in the company materials as "studio reference monitors". The 'Monitor' in this meaning refers to the definition used by the BBC, i.e. it defines the intended use of speakers that are to aid in 'monitoring' the music. The speakers feature five Thiel / Accuton drivers: 1" ceramic tweeter (which can be replaced by a diamond one), 5" ceramic midrange driver and three 7.5" woofers with a ceramic / aluminum diaphragm with special, Neodymium-cobalt magnets. Suspension of these drivers is hidden under the diaphragm so that it does not interfere with sound wave propagation. The speaker's bandwidth is split in a crossover, which together with the acoustic load of the speakers creates a 1st order filter (6 dB / octave). The crossover points frequencies are at 350 and 3000 Hz. The cabinet is made of the highest quality plywood, custom-made for Lumen White. This type of plywood is used to build musical instruments. It is composed of layers of different types of wood differing in thickness. Instead of a synthetic glue, a natural one is used, made of animal bones. Veneers are unique - both popular and (at extra cost) exotic veneers perfectly matched for each pair of speakers. The loudspeakers have a unique shape and although quite large, they completely disappear optically from the room. In fact, they seemed to be much smaller than my own Harbeth M40.1 on their stands. The rear wall is hard to see - it has a width of several centimeters. It hosts two pairs of excellent WBT speaker connectors from the latest nextgen series. The manufacturer provides also jumpers made of thick copper braid. A small switch was placed between the jumpers, that allows user to set the lower end of frequency response - 26 or 30 Hz. Accordingly one has to cover or open variovents. To do that one should use plywood strips, which are screwed on using ordinary screws. The loudspeakers stand on three spikes and those on small pads./p> “High Fidelity” proudly presents the WORLD PREMIERE of the Lumen White Kyara loudspeakers! The Kyara require quite a large room to be placed in, but not that big actually. Gerhard, who visited me and my room, gave his blessing for this test and he was probably right. The only thing I would change is the distance from the front of the speakers, which should be more than 3 m. The speakers were driven by the Soulution 710 power amp and the Ayon Audio Spheris III line preamplifier. I used the Ancient Audio AIR V-edition CD player, and the Cantano W / T turntable with the Miyajima Laboratory Madake cartridge, Siltech Triple Crown interconnects and two pairs of speaker cables, interchangeable: Acoustic Revive SPC 3.0 Triple-C and Tara Labs Muse. The loudspeakers were slightly toed-in and placed 240 cm apart (that's a distance between middle of their front baffles). The distance from the listening position was 220 cm, also counting from the front wall. The outlet of the variovents was around 1 m from the rear wall. I have a request: if you have ever listened to any of loudspeakers with ceramic drivers - forget about it. Do not compare them to Lumen White, because it does not make any sense. In general, you can obviously compare any product with whatever you want. But in this case it makes no sense. You would have just wasted your time because Kyaras sound completely different and they reminded me - if I were to find any references - the sound of large horn speakers combined with a single-driver ones. Except, without inherent compromises of such designs. I listened to them during long sessions, because I was very interested - on the one hand, how many of my favorite albums would sound like with these speakers, but on the other, with the music itself. How was it played, recorded and finally released. The Lumen White stimulate listener, make him think, wonder. Sometimes they even force him to re-evaluate certain, it would seem – indisputable views and opinions. But above all, these are loudspeakers that show the truth about recorded music, on every possible level. Calling them "Monitors" is just a precise description of what they are for. These loudspeakers render a powerful image in front of a listener. It is very natural and full-bodied. Its power manifests itself in the perfect adaptation of the speakers to the recording, the music, the performance. In case of electronic components I would call this quality a "headroom", a power reserve. The point is that these loudspeakers scale the events as if they had no limits in terms of dynamics and resolution. These two qualities are the very foundation of everything we hear. So there is this ease of presentation I'd known so far only from large, high-efficiency horn speakers – it's something like the lack of "resistance," which is always there with other speakers. After starting the music the first impression is different - it seems that there is not enough bass. But only until that bass (double bass, piano, organ, etc.) starts to play - then we get as much of it as the producer of the recording/mastering engineer wanted us to. Play a single voice you won't hear what my Harbeth speakers do with it (and that's what I love about them), i.e. the vocal won't be highlighted by being enlarged. Kyaras present the voice in the right proportions and a little farther away from listening position than most speakers do in my room. But they do it always in a way intended by people who created particular recording. In contrast to them it was obvious that my Harbeths have a little bump in the bass, which gives them a unique character, but which makes their performance not that precise. Kyaras were flawlessly aligned, but when it was necessary they delivered a lower, more natural bass. But the most impressive is the scale of the presentation and differentiation of the volume within it. All the other speakers I know firstly "truncate" its upper dimension and then adjust the presentation to it. Kyaras do not seem to have these limitation. If this is the Nat King Cole his vocal will be bigger and deeper, just like the two male voices of Peter, Paul & Mary trio. Because that how they were recorded – using closely placed microphone - and tweaked on the mastering console. But when you decide to play Pet Shop Boys, T.Love, Laurie Anderson, Rosemary Clooney, Enya, or classical music the vocals will be smaller, singers will take a step back behind the line connecting speakers and set in a beautifully defined space. Same will happen with any other instrument. Every signal manipulation, every choice is clearly presented, I would say even as clearly as never before. Because these speakers play the music without beating around the bush, compared to them most loudspeakers sound in a veiled, muffled manner. Even the best ones such as AudioMachina Pure NSE (Polish), or YG Acoustic Carmel 2, are not so open, so free of restrictions. Kyaras seem to be limited only by the signal one provides them with. And one has to be very careful about what we deliver them with. Since these speakers seem to be free of compression and don't need to cover up for any own shortcomings, they act like a "pipe", showing everything that is before them in the system. So I immediately diagnose what the (more expensive) Tara Labs cables do better than Acoustic Revive's, I immediately heard the weaknesses of my AIR V-edition CD Player. Not real weaknesses but rather what could be done even better. These speakers really hate an emphasis of the midrange attack, or impurities and harshness in this part of the band. The tonal balance of these loudspeakers, playing in my room, with my system, was very even, open, with a slightly highlighted upper midrange. Every higher quality component added to the system slightly leveled off this element, but I was never able to eliminate it completely. I know that in particularly unfavorable conditions, such as not well-matched amplifier, this could be unacceptable. I could hear that all the time, but it did not define my perception of music. Perhaps because of this - because there are always two ends of the same stick in audio – the sound was so incredibly transparent and open. The band's extension was remarkable and it allowed me to realize mediocrity of the tweeter dome used in my Harbeths. I mentioned that already a few times when I reviewed some better speakers (in this regard), but earlier it was just an observation. After such a test, I returned to my speakers without any problem, accepting their weakness as a part of the "package" with all of their advantages that still make it one of the best generators of true emotions. I'm sure this time it will be different, that Lumen White's have burned on my hearing's "retina" a mark that will keep reminding me of this flaw of my speakers. The "monitoring" aspect of Hartmut's speakers means also that we stop evaluating the music in "hi-fi" terms. That is, we still can, if we so choose. However, sooner or later we enter another listening mode, where we assess acoustics, tone, attack, playing technique, leaving everything else aside. Whether there is bass or not, it loses its raison d'être because these speakers are like a wide open window in which every recording fit easily. Kyaras simply are not a limiting factor. Also in terms of speed of signal rise. This element was a great advantage of the both previously mentioned loudspeakers, but I have not heard it in this scale ever before. Maybe once, with Sonus faber Electa Amator II, but there with a fairly limited frequency range (after all these are “only” monitors). Here I hear the same ease of reproduction starting from the very low bass up to the upper treble. The treble is highly detailed, resolving and dense. There is a lot of high tones, but not too much. The difference between the Lumen White and other open sounding speakers is the same as between Master CD-Rs and the same material released on CD. Let me explain. I do not know how many of you have participated in one of the workshops of the Pylon: Tour The Pologne where I talk about mastering, speaker placement, and how the recordings are prepared for a release. When I play the Master CD-R disc, and a regular CD featuring the same material, most of the listeners point to the latter version as better sounding one. And it is because only after listening to it several time and becoming accustomed to much more information on the master copy one can perceive a dullness of the commercial release, how harmonically poor it is in comparison. Before that the latter seems more pleasant, safer. Perception of Kyaras will be very similar in comparison to any other loudspeaker. The Lumen White will be more open and communicative, making music sound more natural and more believable. But one has to get used to this type of presentation. Any downsides? It's hard to say because it's more about my system and the room than about the speakers. The only thing I would suggest is to combine these speakers with rather saturated, rich, maybe even a little warm sounding electronics. The midrange is very energetic and even the slightest deviation towards upper part of the band will be painfully audible. The manufacturer claims that the speakers should be paired with a powerful amplifier and I can confirm that. But I must also note that the Polish distributor drove these speakers with 18-watt monoblocks from Phasemation (2 x 300 B SET) and claimed it was a dream combination. I do not know, I did not listen to it, so you would have to check it for yourself, but it is a clue for you if you're interested in these speakers. It's an issue that needs to be clarified in a particular system. Summary It is easy to point out the areas in which the loudspeaker technology has changed most in the last dozen or so years. On one hand, it will be much more common than ever usage of the Dr. Heil's AMT drivers, and on the other usage of drivers with diaphragms made of metal and ceramics. Although all of them - apart from AMT - follow the same principles known for more than a century, starting with the first piston transducer patented in 1874, when Werner von Siemens first described the "dynamic" transducer, the progress in terms of purity, distortion and dynamics is enormous. But the main role of loudspeakers has not changed: they are the last link in a system that converts an electrical signal into acoustical one, and it is them that decide what we actually hear and whether they can (or can not) trigger emotions embossed in music. The Kyara loudspeakers do it just amazingly. They are able to interest listener in music played even from poor recordings, and when played from high quality recordings they know how to wow listener with music's beauty. One does not treat them as "loudspeakers", but rather as an open window, with the whole world of recorded music on the other side, with its flaws and advantages, but above all with all of its beauty. But be warned: these speakers require the best possible system supporting them, as they do not tolerate any shortcomings! It's an open, incredibly resolving sound with a wonderfully extended band from the very top to the very bottom. The latter is not as massive as delivered by the Harbeth M40.1, but is more resolving. There is never any shortage of the bass. An accent is placed on the upper midrange, not tonally but energetically, and this is the only thing that can influence a potential user's decision. But nobody's perfect, right? I do not care about it and I award these speakers with GOLD Fingerprint, an award rarely given and only to the absolute crème de la crème products. For the first time in the history of "High Fidelity" I would like to combine it with the award we give for the best quality recording, i.e. the BIG RED Button. I have the feeling that the combination of these two awards, one for technical accomplishments and the other for musical accomplishments, truly reflects the spirit of the Lumen White Kyara. If we understand beauty as the truth, then these speakers are simply beautiful. Recordings used for the test (a sele- ction) Filia Praeclara, wyk. Ensemble Peregrina, Divox CDX-70603, CD (2008) Ludi Musici, wyk. Hesperion XXI, Jordi Savall, Alia Vox AV 9853, CD (2007) Andrzej Kurylewicz Quintet, Go Right, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/Warner Music Poland 4648809, „Polish Jazz vol. 0”, Master CD-R (1963/2016); Ariel Ramirez, Misa Criolla, wyk. José Carreras, Philips/Lasting Impression Music LIM K2HD 040, K2HD Mastering, „24 Gold Direct-from-Master Edition UDM”, CD-R (1964/2009) Bogdan Hołownia, Chwile, Sony Music Polska 5052882, Master CD-R (2001) Ewa Bem with Swing Session, Be a Man, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/Warner Music Poland 4 64885 1, „Polish Jazz vol. 65”, Master CD-R (1981/2016); Guillaume Du Fay, Diabolus in Musica, wyk. Antoine Guerber, Alpha 908, CD (2007) Hildegarda von Bingen, Canticles of Extasy, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 77320 2, CD (1994) Holst, The Planets, Op. 32, Telarc/First Impression Music FIM UHD 058, CD (1986/2011) Jörgen Leth Quintet | Igor Čaplinski, Jazz Jamboree ’62. Vol. 4, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/Jazzhus Disk JD-7647, CD (1962/2013) Kraftwerk, 3-D The Catalogue, KlingKlang | Parlophone 95873424, 7 x CD (2017) NOVI, Bossa Nova, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/Warner Music Poland 4648858, „Polish Jazz vol. 13”, Master CD-R (1967/2016) Pet Shop Boys, Super, Sony Music Labels (Japan) SICX-41, CD (2016) Polish Jazz Quartet, Polish Jazz Quartet, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/Warner Music Poland, „Polish Jazz vol. 3”, Master CD-R (1965/2016); Shubert, Sonata for Piano in G Major, Op. 78 D894, Fantasie-Sonate, wyk. Valery Afanassiev, Denon Co-78923, „Mastersonic | One-Point Recording”, CD (1994) Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto, Getz/Gilberto, Verve/Lasting Impression Music LIM K2HD 036, K2HD Mastering, „24 Gold Direct-from-Master Edition UDM”, Master CD-R (1964/2009) Suzanne Vega, Close-Up. Vol.1, Love Songs, Amanuensis Productions | Cooking Vinyl COCKCD521, CD (2014) T.Love, T.LOVE, Pomaton 95907372, 2 x CD (2016); The Oscar Peterson Trio, We Get Request, Verve/Lasting Impression Music LIM K2HD 032, K2HD Mastering, „24 Gold Direct-from-Master Edition UDM”, Master CD-R (1964/2009) Jan Garbarek, The Hilliard Ensemble, Officium, ECM Records ECM 1525, „ECM New Series”, CD (1994) Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] Specifications (according to manufacturer) one custom design 1" ceramic or diamond "cell" tweeter  one proprietary "cell" 5" ceramic mid-range transducer,  three 6.6" custom design "cell" ceradome woofers.  precision matched and resonance tuned  frequency response 26hz - 30 kHz/-3db, impedance: 5 ohm  sensitivity (1w/1m) 89.5 db (90.5 db - average value )  recommended amplifier power 30 - 300 watt  port adaptable to 26hz or 30hz for room matching  custom internal wire harness  wbt-nextgen bi-wire terminals  dimensions (h x w x d) each 119 x 30 x 60 cm  weight, each 60 kg  [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/lumen/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/lumen/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/lumen/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/lumen/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/lumen/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/lumen/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/lumen/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/lumen/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/lumen/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/lumen/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/lumen/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/lumen/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/lumen/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/lumen/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/lumen/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/lumen/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/lumen/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/lumen/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/lumen/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/lumen/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/lumen/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/lumen/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/lumen/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/lumen/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/lumen/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/lumen/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/lumen/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/lumen/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/lumen/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/lumen/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/lumen/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/lumen/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/lumen/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

I have no idea how did the courier managed to bring it up to my apartment. The guy was even smaller than me, he carried it for half an hour, but he did it. I was not at home at the time, but the other day, when he saw me through the window of his corporate car, he waved at me – so I guess he still likes me. The box that he carried to my third floor, at first glance does not seem particularly impressive. It's rather big, I admit, but nothing suggests a weight comparable to an iron block. The amplifier called Shinai, that was delivered in this box, weighs 40 kg, and when packed it is even 50 kg. The device is compact in size, measuring just 318 x 196 x 473 mm, and delivers just 37 watts output per channel for both 4 and 8 Ω loading, which is something one might expect rather from a tube amplifier. But its damping factor is much higher at > 160 and distortion is lower. It is made in Italy by Grandinote. I do not know if you remember, but in April I described the Audio Video Show Prague 2017 show, that High Fidelity was a press partner with. Selected systems were awarded the Best Sound Awards. Among them was a system based on an amplifier that now I can tell you about. And there is a lot to talk about. Under the inconspicuous "hood" there is a technology that allows you to control the vast majority of loudspeakers in medium and larger rooms. The company offers both integrated amplifiers, preamplifiers and power amplifiers - stereo and mono. There is also a phonostage and an audio files player. The lineup is grouped into two lines: Magnetosolid and Magnetosolid - VHP; Shinai belongs to the former. The company became quite famous after the German magazine "Audio" rated the Grandinote Demone Mono Block amplifiers at 140 points which a maximum, an absolute top rating, something like the "perfection". During the 45 years of this magazine's existence, the maximum score was obtained only by three (three!) products, including the said monoblocks. Shinai belongs to the basic line of this manufacturer, but it also features all the basic ideas that Massimiliano (Max) Magri, the owner and chief designer of Grandinote, used also in his most expensive monoblocks. The most important technique is called Magnetosolid. What is Magnetosolid? As we read in the company's materials is the name of Max's patented technology, which is a combination of two elements: ferromagnetic and "solid state". Although this may seem mysterious, in fact it is a development of a technique known ever since the audio transistors were first introduced - after the current output stage there are audio transformers, same as in tube amplifiers. Let me remind you that the output transformers used after a semiconductor output is sort of a trademark of the American McIntosh. Grandinote uses a slightly different, patented solution developed by Max: In the past, a well-known American company designed a solid-state amplifier with output transformers. But that was it: a semiconductor amplifier with transformers at the output. My Magnetosolid amplifiers are different: they are actually tube amplifiers with semiconductor components replacing tubes. At their output there is a transformer, because the tube amplifiers must have it in the output. Massimiliano did not stop in his research on developing this solution. He also developed a new type of output transformer offering even better performance. But these are very, very expensive in production. That is why all Grandinote amplifiers are available in two versions: with basic or with more expensive transformers. The latter are called Magnetosolid-VHP, where VHP stands for: "Very High Performances". SHINAI The unusually large weight in such a small chassis comes from the use of ferromagnetic elements (transformers) in it. As it reads in the company materials, it was about combining the advantages of semiconductor and solid state circuits while eliminating their disadvantages. For a user, besides the weight, it does not have to matter though. For him it will be important that Shinai is an integrated amplifier, equipped with two unbalanced RCA inputs and two balanced XLRs. The circuit is fully balanced, so the signal behind the RCA inputs is immediately symmetrized. The gain stages work in class A without feedback. This is a dual mono design, which means that in a single chassis there are two identical mono devices, with two identical amplifiers, with separate power supplies, which amplify the positive and negative halves of the signal. This helps to reduce a crosstalk between channels and thus improves imaging. The channels are completely separated - each of them is powered using a separate power cable, which one should consider when buying this device. But it is also the best possible channel separation in a stereo amplifier. Its chassis features a narrow front and large depth (see Audio Alto). On the front there is a LED display, which makes reading it quite easy. On the sides there are six buttons that change the volume, active inputs, mute the device, and with the sixth one user can enter the menu of the device where he can personalize some settings such as the initial volume level for particular input, "sleep-time" for the display, balance between channels, etc. You can also change input 1 to a line output. The Shinai is delivered with a nice, small remote control. MAGNETOSOLID® TECHNOLOGY An official launch of Magnetosolid by Massimiliano Magri (or Max for his friends), the founder and designer of the company, happened in 1996, i.e. from his first amplifier when he was still a student of electronics. His first designs were based on tubes, because it was easier to achieve a good sound with them, than with semiconductors. From the very beginning, he called his creations Grandinote, even though the company did not exist yet. His adventure with transformers Max had started even earlier - at the age of 20 he bought his first winding machine for audio transformers. Perhaps that is why all of its amplifiers, first using tubes, and now also based on semiconductors, feature output transformers. These experiences and the studies devoted to this subject gave his a solid base for creating the Magnetosolid technology. At the beginning of the millennium, Massimiliano closed the chapter on tube amplifiers, and three years later, in 2003, he had a ready-made amplifier of a new type. As he recalls, it was a pure coincident that already a prototype sounded a lot like a tube amplifier, even though there were none inside ... Unfortunately, it presented also some downsides of this technique - the sound was not controlled well enough and did not have enough energy in it. Still, people listening to this amplifier were "surprised that a solid-state could sound like a 300B tube." The first finished device with Magnetosolid technology was the A Solo model of 2005. In the same year Grandinote company was established. As Max says, when compared his sound to the best amplifiers on the Italian market it was clear to him that only the biggest solid-state amplifiers had more power and better controlled bass than the A Solo. His next mission was to eliminate these drawbacks. The answer was the Prestigio model, which entered the market in 2007, after seven years of research and development of numerous prototypes. A Solo production was halted a year later, and replaced by the Shinai. Then Max did something that no other company would have decided to do - he promised all his customers who had bought A Solo before that if they choose to buy Shinai he would buy their old amps back offering them a decent price. Soon, he had all A Solo models in his warehouse and Shinai models appeared in systems of many of his customers instead. Because, as he says, "one thing matters - sound quality, the rest is not important." Just like twenty years ago, also today his amplifiers feature output transformers – back then he used them in tube amplifiers, today in solid-state ones. The Shinai amplifier was supposed to be placed on the top shelf of the Finite Elemente Pagode Edition rack. I have its classic version, not the HD one, but I reinforced the top shelf by inserting four specially prepared for this purpose, Franc Audio Accessories Tablette feet. Its size, however, ruled out this option - the device is really deep and one need a proper rack for it to give it enough space. So I had to set it up like other big amplifiers - in front of the rack on the Acoustic Revive platforms. Max clearly states in the manual not to do this (not to place this amp in front of the speakers), but I did not have a choice. I felt pretty confident about it since the same placement had not hurt other amplifiers before, such as Vitus Audio SS-101, Abbysound AX-2000, Audiopax Magiore m50, KR Audio Electronics Kronzilla VA680 (Polish), Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems Momentum Stereo, Phasematiom MA-1000 (Polish) and Naim Audio Statement NAP S1 (read HERE or HERE). The only big amplifier that was placed on my rack was the Kondo Ongaku but only because it featured six feet. Shinai was powered using two Acoustic Revive Power Reference Triple-C power cables plugged into Acoustic Revive RTP-4eu Ultimate (4300 EUR) power strip, powered using Acrolink Mexcel 7N-PC9500 power chord (2,5 m, rhodium-plated plug; 17 990 PLN/2 m), plugged into Furutech FT-SWS ® wall socket; The socket uses a separate power line with Oyaide Tunami Nigo, 6 m cable and Hi-Fi Tuning fuse. To maintain synergy, I also used Triple-C Acoustic Revive speaker and XLR interconnect cables. The source was the Ancient Audio AIR V-edition CD player, and the Cantano W turntable with Cantano T arm (worth 70,000 PLN). Shinai was compared to the Ayon Audio Spheris III tube preamplifier (139,900 PLN) and the Soulution 710 power amplifier (130,000 PLN, not produced anymore) that drove Harbeth M40.1 speakers. Recordings used for the test (a sele- ction) Brendan Perry, Ark, Cooking Vinyl/Vinyl 180 VIN180LP040, 2 x 180 g (2011) Kraftwerk, 3-D The Catalogue, KlingKlang | Parlophone 95873424, 7 x CD (2017) Nat ‘King’ Cole, The Nat King Cole Love Songs, ABC (Int.) | Master Tape Audio Lab AAD-245A, „Almost Analogue Digital”, Master CD-R (2015) R-men, I thought about you, T-TOC Records MCDR 3002, „Platinum Gold Sound”, Master CD-RIIα (2010) Shubert, Sonata for Piano in G Major, Op. 78 D894, „Fantasie-Sonate”, wyk. Valery Afanassiev, Denon Co-78923, „Mastersonic | One-Point Recording”, CD (1994) Sohn, Tremors, 4AD/Hostess CAD3403CDJ, CD (2014) Takeshi Inomata, The Dialogue, Audio Lab. Record/Octavia Records OVXA-00008, SACD/CD (1977/2001) Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio, Misty, Three Blind Mice/Cisco Music TBM-30-45, „Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Limited Edition | No. 0080/1000”, 45 RPM, 2 x 180 g LP (1974/2004) Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] When someone talks about "tube sound" or "transistor sound", what I hear is a "colored sound". Of course, I understand the function of the stereotype in the understanding of the world around us and the fact that it has a positive role to play, because it allows us to explain complex things in short words (what is dangerous is keeping it always short without explaining details when they are needed), but in audio terms such as "tube sound” and "solid-state sound" are so strongly connected with emotions that they become more than just stereotypes, they become dogmas. I can not help it though, and with the Shinai amplifier I shall use this type of pick and I will say that this is a perfect example of so-called "vintage sound". Except that it has been transplanted into the 21st century, keeping all of its key elements (advantages) and adding to this more of them based on many developments that were created since 1950s and 1960s. From the "tube sound" it differs in that it is difficult to call it a “warm sounding”, or to claim that treble or bass are rolled-off, or to even think about any problems with macro-dynamics. It is also different from a "transistor sound" because there is no hint of these stereotypical “coolness”, “thinness” or harshness” of the sound. Before I started my assessment, I read that the Grandinote amplifiers easily drove many magneto- and electro-static speakers, but I had to hear it for myself how graciously and easily they drove my Harbeth M40.1 to accept and understand what it's all about. This is the case in which the power given on paper does not feel like what we can actually hear. As if other companies misinterpreted their measurements and simply exaggerated specifications of their products. No, it was not as dynamic and just free-flowing sound as from my 150-watt (at 8Ω) Soulution 710 monster. The difference was, however, much smaller than in the case of many other, according to their specifications, much more powerful power amplifiers and integrated amplifiers that I'd tested. Shinai sounded as if it had several hundred watts at its disposal. But these are "tube" watts, so to speak. Please forgive this inconsistency - I just wrote that this is a dangerous stereotype - but it is a good time to return to this topic for a moment. Especially since we have explained the rules. "Tube" watts are those that do not relate to the hardening of the sound. The problem with powerful solid-state amplifiers is that they almost always have to use many parallel-coupled transistors. And there are no two identical ones. For top devices a lot of time is invested in paring transistors, but even than there is no 100% compatibility. Hence the popularity of solutions using only a single transistor. But they also have their problems and the only constructions whose advantages outweigh the disadvantages - I am talking of the devices I have heard - are the small Nelson Pass First Watt and the TelluriumQ Iridium 20. Shinai is just as good if not better. And that is because I couldn't hear any limitations to its bandwidth or dynamic range, nor could I hear it artificially warming the sound up - and such “warming up”, i.e. a substitute of a "tube sound", is nothing else but coloring of the sound. The Italian amplifier modifies the signal too, but in a more subtle way that affects the music less. It goes towards a slightly darker and rounder sound, moving the selectivity, i.e. isolating the individual sound sources, down the line of its priorities. And at the same time it is perfectly resolving and palpable. And all that is very similar, i.e. going in the same direction, as my, costing over 270 000 PLN two-box system! As I said, the frequency response is very good. The lowest bass is less differentiated than with Soulution, but it is equally well-controlled. Its attack is a bit rounded and decay slightly shortened. But its is rich and saturated, fleshy, dense, simply really very good. Same goes for the other range extreme, the treble. These have excellent density and weight. You can hear all the nuances of good recordings like Takeshi Inomata's The Dialogue. But also the electronic pulsing from the latest Kraftwerk's album 3-D was outstanding. With no album I reached a moment when something sounded too hard, harsh or even slightly unpleasant. Shinai has the rare ability to present the better side of recording without warming it up and without reducing the differentiation. This is a high-end device that, thanks to several "tricks", bypasses the weaker sides of many recordings, without emphasizing the good sides. Unlike - let's go back to it for a moment - most tube amplifiers, it does not hide the “dirt”, it does not swipe them under the rug. And yet, I felt as though there were fewer of them. Perhaps, while not focusing on them, it finally discovers the real face of the recordings, not their artifacts. I listened was wondering how would vocal recordings sound like, because it is the voices that on most recordings sound worst. As I said, the Italian amplifier reminded me in many areas (actually in most of them) my own reference system. It is able to, for example, present the size and scale of the vocals captured by a closely-placed microphone and slightly “tweaked” during mixing and mastering, such as Nat 'King' Cole's from Master CD-R disc by ABC (Int.). His voice was saturated, dense, although it had a slightly smaller volume than when played by the reference system. This is how a little less power manifested itself, not by reducing the dynamics or shortening the bass. This is also how a higher resolution of Ayon and Soulution manifests. With such a huge price difference, however, these are “natural” modifications and surely they did not come as surprise. I could only wonder why these differences weren't much bigger. Shinai is one of few amplifiers capable of combining all aspect of sound together so well that without head-to-head comparison one won't even realize that Naim Statement offers much higher dynamics and so-called "headroom" (a subjective one, because it features a regulated power supply), that the Phasemation MA-1000 power amplifiers deliver even softer sound, and that the Tenor Audio 175S is even warmer and delivers more palpable sound. Summary Such comparisons are not, at least in my opinion, necessary. The Italian amplifier has its own way to present music and its own sonic character. Everything in its sound is well structured, orderly, and some elements such as softness, fullness, density, both range extremes extension and dynamics, are simply delightful. And the "vintage sound" I mentioned at the beginning? It's more of a feeling than specific elements that could be pointed out. Shinai has much to do with Andreas Spreer's recordings from Tacet Audio, with the sound of the Manley Stingray II (Polish), with Siltech Double Crown (Polish) cables. It is about coherence, cohesion of the sound, without emphasizing the treble. The only part of the band that is slightly highlighted is the range of 600-800 Hz, thanks to which the drums cymbals have a strong foundation and energy. Listen to this device with any loudspeakers using any recordings – that won't be a problem as it is extremely versatile. You should listen to it and decide whether you really need a preamplifier in your system, or whether you truly need some huge amp delivering an output of hundreds watts and whether a high selectivity is something you really require. If you don't need these things, or - so to speak - at a low energy level, you should give this amplifier a chance. It's the high-end at its best. And as a bonus you will have a wonderfully spacial presentation with huge soundstage. The amplifier has a longitudinal form, with metal side walls painted black and a separate top panel made of polished steel. You may see your reflection staring at you also from the rear panel. The front is made of aluminum. As I said before, the front features a medium size red LED display and six buttons. On the rear there are two pairs of RCA and XLR inputs and two pairs of single speaker outputs. Below there are two IEC power inlets – one for the left and one for the right channel. Inside you will find two identical vertically placed amplifiers. They are facing each other with large radiators running along the whole depth of the chassis. The top and bottom of the chassis feature multiple ventilation opening and the radiators are very large. This should not be surprising, because the amplifier gets very, very warm during operation – remember to leave a lot of space around it for proper ventilation. All stages of this amplifier work in class A, and the output stage (for each channel) features a single transistor per branch. On the sides there are large toroidal transformers, screwed vertically to the shield separating them from the circuits - one works in the power supply section and the other is the output transformer. Because of the transformer output, the output power is the same for 4 ohms and 8 ohms loadings. Before the transformers there is one output transistor per branch, i.e. two per channel. The entire layout is balanced, so the output stage works in a push-pull configuration. Not only does each channel have its own power supply, but also each branch is powered by a separate secondary winding. This is one of the few cases in which a balanced connection may offer a better sonic results than an unbalanced one. The amplifier is delivered in a professional, Italian-made case made of a rigid, impact-resistant plastic. This case features wheels, which is a welcome addition when you have to move this heavy device around. The remote control reminded me the famous Apple one. It is rather small but handy and functional. Specifications (according to manufacturer) Output: 37W (4 and 8 Ω) Damping factor >150 Frequency range: 2Hz – 240KHz Weight: 40kg Dimensions (S x W x G): 318 x 196 x 473mm Power consumption: 270W [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1708/grandinote/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]