⌈ Founded in 2012, the Singapore-based company DENAFRIPS is known primarily for their digital-to-analogue converters, featuring discrete D/A converters. It is a solution difficult to implement, but yielding great results. They are implemented even in the cheapest devices of this company, also in the ARES model we tested. ⌋ igital-to-analog converter (D/A converter, DAC) is a name referring to two different items. One of the meanings refers to a circuit, most often integrated, which included the actual converter, and the second to the entire device featuring the aforementioned circuit. So writing about this type of products sometimes leads to funny situations, when we say something like this: "The D/A converter from company XXX features the D/A converter from XXX brand". And yet, we usually understand which meaning should be applied in particular situation. The other term associated with DACs - discrete - is far less intuitive. In technical terminology this word is used to describe the type of system in which the individual components are separate, as opposed to integrated circuits. A gain stage in DAC's output can be discrete, or in preamplifier's. We deal with discrete circuit when transistors are used instead of integrated circuits. Such solution is relatively often used. | R-2R We hear much less about another type of discrete circuit, namely converters. The technical term describing it brings the Star Wars movies to the mind, the R2-D2 character to be specific, because they are called R-2R. It's just a description of their design. The first digital-to-analog converters were built of resistors switched by transistors. With time, they got smaller and smaller, and finally they were integrated in the integrated circuit. The digital recorders by Nippon Columbia (Denon) and Soundstream from the 1970s featured discrete A/D and D/A chips (more HERE), but also today one can find this solution in D/A converters from, for example, dCS and TotalDAC. | ARES I have never seen such solution before in a product from the price range one finds Ares in. The company explains its decision in the manual as follows: The architecture uses the most primitive R-2R DAC technology, it is probably the most suitable architecture to reproduce music. Despite the test results of various measurements and parameters of the conventional R-2R DAC are usually not as good as the mainstream integrated DAC chip, but the sound of R-2R DAC, is often filled with emotion, comfort, high fidelity, transparency, and additive musicality that most of the common mainstream integrated DAC chip cannot match. But this is not the end of surprises. Looking at it from the outside, the Ares seems to be a standard, although particularly well-made, digital-to-analogue converter, equipped with five digital inputs: USB, two RCAs and two optical Toslinks. The first of them supports PCM signal up to 24 bits and 384 kHz as well as DSD up to DSD256 (11.288 MHz), and the RCA inputs and optical ones support PCM signal up to 24 bits and 192 kHz as well as DSD64 (2.8224 MHz). As you can see it is a very modern device. The USB input utilizes a high quality Amanero Technologies chips, optimized by Denafrips. As I said, the PCM signal converter is a discrete one. What is surprising is that it's a 20-bit converter with upsampling. Why not a 24-bit one? Engineers agree that the best D/A chips achieve a real resolution of about 20 bits, so maybe it was about making the best use of the available signal. If we send a 20-bit signal to Ares, it has to be downsampled in the input filter. There's something else - the DSD signal is decoded in a second 6-bit stage with 32 cascaded FIR filters. It also features separate analogue filters in the output. The D/A converter is fully balanced and made of ultra-precise resistors with a 0.01% tolerance. ZHAO BING RAN Owner, designer WOJCIECH PACUŁA: When did you start DENAFRIPS? ZHAO BING RAN: DENAFRIPS incorporated in year 2012, focus in developing high end audio equipment at a very affordable price. Throughout the years of intense Research & Development, and continuous improvement of the product lines, DENAFRIPS had finally settled with the current product range equipped with R-2R ladder DAC technology. The reason behind this is the designer strongly believe that R-2R DAC is the best way to reproduce music. What does DENAFRIPS stand for? The name, DENAFRIPS, stands for: D-ynamic E-xquisite  N-atural  A-ttractive F-idelity R-efined  I-ntoxicating  P-ure  S-ophisticated This means a lot and it is the house-sound of all DENAFRIPS products. What was your first product? The first product was a DAC, uses BB PCM1704K R2R DAC Chip. We sold dozens of them but realized the need to develop our own R2R technology as these R2R DAC chips were obsolete.  What is the most important part of D/A converter and why - how you do it? Power supply, Digital Signal Processing, and DA converts. We believe R2R is the best way to reproduce music with density, details, and most important, draw the listener to the music. How about streaming - is it comparable with locally-stored media? Streaming has its own limitation. But it's evolving very fast. We still believe in CDs, and locally stored music files. ▪ The Ares housing was made of thick plates and a thick aluminum front. It features nicely composed push-buttons for input selection, absolute phase and muting the output. They are accompanied by red LEDs. It's a very elegant design. User is not given information about the length of the input word, but are informed about the sampling frequency. This was achieved using an old, proven method, with two LEDs for a given frequency. One indicates one of the two sampling basic frequencies - 44.1 or 48 kHz - and the other a multiplier. For example, sampling of 96 kHz is indicated by turning on a diode indicating "48 kHz" and the other indicating "x2", and for 88.2 kHz the "44.1 kHz" and "x2" LEDs will light up. It may seem complicated at first but it really isn't. The device does not feature a headphone amplifier, Bluetooth, or volume control - there is also no remote control. This is a classic, "clean" DAC. It does feature both balanced (XLR) and non-balanced (RCA) outputs. The voltage of the output signal is 2.2 Vrms for RCA, and 4.4 Vrms for XLR, so it is slightly higher than the standard for CD Players, which are 2 and 4 V. | HOW WE LISTENED TO IT The test was ran as an A/B comparison. As my reference devices I used: Ayon Audio CD-35 HF Edition SACD player, Lumïn T1 file player and the file player/digital-analog converter Mytek Brooklyn Bridge. The source of signals was also my laptop, HP Pavilion dv7 (8 GB RAM, 500 GB SSD + 1 Tb HDD, Windows 10, JPLAY). For the test I used CDs, files played from SSD and files streamed from the Tidal. The signal to the converter was delivered using the Acoustic Revive RCA1.0 Triple-C FM (1.8 x 1.4 mm) digital cables from the Ayon and Lumin digital outputs. The tested converter was powered using the 聖 Hijiri SM2R „Sound Matter”. It used its own feet, but I put a passive EMI/RFI Verictum X Block filter on its top. Recordings used for the test (a selec- tion) | Compact Disc Art Pepper, Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, Contemporary Records/JVC VICJ-42524, K2 CD (1957/2006) Halina Frąckowiak, Geira, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/GAD Records‎ GAD CD 095, Master-CD-R, (1977/2019) QOPE, Nocturnal, trptk live TTK 0024, CD (2018); Reyna Quotrunnada, Passion, Master Music MMXR-34001, XRCD24 (2018) Siekiera, ”Nowa Aleksandria”, Tonpress/MTJ cd 90241, 2 x CD (1986/2012). Suzanne Vega, Close-Up. Vol.1, Love Songs, Amanuensis Productions | Cooking Vinyl COCKCD521, CD (2014) | Tidal Ella Fitzgerald, Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Duke Ellington Song Book, Verve Records/Tidal, MQA 24/192 (1957) Madeleine Peyroux, Secular Hymns, Impulse! Records/Tidal, MQA 24/96 (2012) Madonna feat. Swae Lee, Crave, Tidal, SP, FLAC 16/44,1 Mary Komasa, Degenerate Love, Agora S.A./Tidal, SP, FLAC 16/44,1 (2019) Nat King Cole, After Midnight, Capitol Records/Tidal, MQA Studio 24/192 (1957) Norah Jones, Begin Again, Blue Note Records/Tidal, MQA 24/96 (2019) P!nk, Hurts 2B Human, RCA Records/Tidal, FLAC 16/44,1 (2019) Roberta Flack, First Take, Atlantic Records/Tidal, MQA Studio 24/192 (1969) Tame Impala, Borderline, Modular Recordings/Tidal, SP, FLAC 16/44,1 (2019) [REKLAMA5] The latest issue of the Stereophile magazine from June 2019 is the first one for which John Atkinson is no longer the editor-in-chief. He was replaced by Jim Austin. It is also the last one edited and proofread by his friend Richard Lehnert. This is a huge change, because Atkinson was an almost monumental figure, an institution. In the same issue, I found something equally interesting - a comparison of the first ever Digital-to Analogue converter in the history of the PS Audio, the Digital Link from 1989 with the latest flagship of the company, the Perfectwave Directsream model. The comparison is really interesting, but I was intrigued also by something else – a question asked several times by the author of the text, Herb Reichert: "how the digital music should sound like?". It's an absolutely legitimate question, especially if we take into account that it was still a period of CD format infancy, and on the other hand a totally false one, suggesting that it is known how an analogue music should sound like. And yet, as I have pointed out many times and what you can read in the report from the 120th meeting of the Krakow Sonic Society, the “analogue" sound is as enigmatic as the "digit" one. An analogue master tape is something very different from a "test pressing", that differs from a LP record and also from a cassette tape. And all of them are something other than a real live event. However, Herb Reichert was right about one thing - there is no single, valid digital sound model. It has changed over time, it is also understood differently by different designers, and yet differently by music lovers. In an ideal world there would be no discussion about analog and digital sound, but only about the real sound. However, it doesn't work this way and it never will. Welcome to the real world! In the real world, the performance of audio devices is a result of an engineering and artistic creation. A creation which resulted in Ares from Denafrips is extremely convincing. This is a sound that just a few years back one wouldn't have been able to buy for that kind of money. Though the device overlays its point of view over the music, it does it in a sophisticated way, which allows us to forgot that we listen to a "digital" music and as result we can concentrate on listening to the "music" without any adjectives. The main advantage of Ares is how unbelievably fast it is. It's not about any kind of exaggeration but rather about the real dynamics and microdynamics - the signal buildup is immediate, making the percussion from the Art Pepper's Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section fantastically "present" and full, the piano from the QOPE live track Nocturnal having a realistic voicing, and finally causing good quality files, including those from Tidal, not being particularly slow – which is often the case with music files. The resolution of this device was equally surprising feature of this device. You see, the tested DAC gives music its own signature, correcting the frequency response a bit and accentuating some elements – I'll get back to that in a moment - and yet it is incredibly transparent. I kept asking the same question again and again – how could it be to make a DAC at this price with such a great insight into the nature of the recordings. I started listening with the Halina Frąckowiak Geir album. Andrzej Poniatowski, who was responsible for the mastering of this album for GAD Records, sent it to me on Master CD-R - both the material he received from Warner Music Poland, copied from the master tape, and the result of his work (review coming soon). The results are remarkable! Anyway - Ares showed his work in a great way, well pointing out that the sound was opened and devoid of a muddy patina. It was easy to hear that not only the timbre, but also the dynamics and location of the instruments changed. It worked in similar way with files played from Tidal, because I could clearly hear differences between the Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Duke Ellington Song Book, the First Take by Roberta Flack and the Madeleine Peyroux Secular Hymns. Although all featured fantastic vocals, they were recorded in very different ways. The Ella Fitzgerald's album has the most natural ambiance, and her voice is slightly emphasized. And on Roberta Flack's album featured high noise and dynamically stifled but full and dense instruments. Madeleine Peyroux sounded in the most pleasant way. The converter from Singapore does not exaggerate the differences, does not extract details, does not "cut" into the recording like a laser. And yet, probably due to its high resolution, it is able to accurately present the right ambiance, timbre and dynamics. High tones were also surprisingly well presented. The metal cymbals had a proper weight and density known from much more expensive devices. Therefore, the noise accompanying older recordings was a bit stronger, but in the lower part of treble band, which created an impression of listening to an analogue tape, not the noisy recording. Bass was even more fun. It was well-extended, powerful, with an emphasized mid-bass range. It gives recordings some character. What's the cost of all these advantages? First of all, reverb shortening and focusing on what is happening in the foreground. The soundstage is a large semi-circle, so the vocals are not very tangible, they are placed a bit farther away from us. At the same time one can hear sounds coming from the edges of the stage more clearly – these elements are dense and warm. The midrange though is not really warm - I would say it is clear instead. There is no problem with brightness, but its upper part is slightly harder. And, therefore, the lesser quality recordings are not as pleasant as the best ones to listen to. What we can hear is still fun to listen to, but you should expect the truth about such productions as Madonna feat. Swae Lee and Crave, P!nk and Hurts 2B Human, and even the Begin Again by Norah Jones that does not offer same quality as previous albums by this artist. | SUMMARY The Ares by Denafrips is a surprisingly refined device available for a small amount of money. It is very accurate in extracting from recordings their true character, it offers a natural, low bass and rich treble. It is not perfect, but its lesser qualities do not disqualify it. This is not a completely versatile DAC, because it is suitable mostly for listening to not very compressed discs, without overemphasized top. It does, however, offer a beautiful bass, which will balance the shortcomings of the sound engineers in this area. It is well-made, very good sounding device regarless of which digital input is used that can be used in a more expensive system than its own price seems to suggest. Hence, a well deserved RED Fingerprint. The Ares is a digital-to-analog converter with a classic external design and equally classic functionality. It features an extremely solid, very well designed and made housing. The device sports four aluminum cone feet with soft silicone pads that prevent it from slipping on slippery surfaces. Front and rear | The front is made of aluminum, just like the buttons placed in it. They allow user to select an input, change the absolute phase (0/180º) and use the "mute" function. A separate button is used to turn the power on and off. All buttons are accompanied by red LED indicators, really nice ones. They are not too bright, but bright enough to perform their functions. The rear panel hosts solid, soldered RCA sockets - two digital inputs and a stereo analogue output. There are also optical and USB inputs, as well as stereo analog output on XLR sockets - the device is a balanced design. There is also an IEC power socket there with an integrated main power switch. Between them sits a fuse that can be replaced with a higher quality one. Inside | The electronic circuits are assembled on one large printed circuit board, supported by two smaller ones. The signal from the USB input goes to the Atmel chip supported by a second chip, Xilinx. Together, they create a USB signal decoding circuit and convert it to an I2S form. It is a module by the Amanero Technologies company called Combo384 Module, sold as OEM component. It is sold on a small PCB, but Denafrips utilized it in its own way and integrated it with other circuits on its own board. In turn, the S/PDIF inputs feature a great AKM AK4118 receiver. As we read in company materials, it is currently the receiver offering the smallest jitter. Next to it are two very nice oscillators - one for input circuits and one for D/A converter stage. The latter occupies most of the PCB. There are dozens of microresistors with 0.01% tolerance, switched in, placed next to them, logic systems. The whole is controlled by a large Altera Max II DSP chip. The DAC's output sports simple analog filters. The power supply is quite impressive. Next to the IEC socket there is a small PCB with a discrete double Pi filter, and the voltage goes to a large toroidal transformer. The voltage is filtered in capacitors, but not a few large ones, and 72 small ones. The manufacturer chose this solution because it allowed him to achieve a much lower ESR = Equivalent series resistance, faster charging and discharging as well as reduced inductance. And these are all good things for the sound quality. Let me remind you that the German company ESR uses the same thinking in their Emitter amplifiers. It is a high quality design both, mechanically and electrically. ■ Technical specifications (according to manufacturer) Supported formats: • RCA/Toslink: PCM up to 24/192 | DSD up to DSD64 • USB: PCM up to 24/384 | DSD up to DSD256 Frequency range: 0 Hz-70 kHz (-3dB) THD+N: ≤0.004% (1 kHz, A-weighted) Nominal output voltage: • RCA: 2.2 V RMS (1 kHz, +/-10%) • XLR: 4.4 V RMS (1 kHz, +/-10%) Nominal output impedance: RCA – 625 Ω | XLR – 1250 Ω S/N: 115 dB (RCA) | 114 dB (XLR) Dynamic range: >119 dB (RCA) | >120 dB (XLR) Stereo crosstalk: ≤ -124 dB (RCA) | ≤ -130 dB (XLR) Power consumption: < 30 W Dimensions (W x H x D): 215 x 230 x 45 mm Weight: 3.5 kg [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/denafrips/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

⌈ The HIGH END SHOW's roots go back to the snowy end of 1981, when in Alzenau, in Spessart-Germany, thirteen small companies met to set up a road map discuss the way to best promote the audio industry. The impulse came from a journalist, Mr KLAUS RENNER. The first event took place on two floors of the Interconti hotel in Düsseldorf (today it is called Scandic Crown), it was attended by twenty exhibitors. A year later it was moved to Frankfurt, to the Kempinski hotel. Due to the unusual growth of the event in 2004, the show was moved again, this time to Munich, to the exhibition center called M.O.C. (Munich Operating Center). ⌋ his years the Show's ambassador was Steven Wilson. It was a great choice, because he's not only a musician, but also a sound engineer remastering and mixing the most important albums of progressive music, including King Crimson and Yes. The queue to the table where he signed his newest concert album was longer than to popular YouTubers. And the organizer, the HIGH END SOCIETY Service GmbH, noted another success, as all the numbers in Excel tables saw yet another increase. One of the atriums – a space between rooms The numbers for the High End Show A.D. 2019 are as follows: 551 exhibitors from 42 countries, a 3,8% increase, 21 180 visitors, a 6,5% increase, 8208 business participants from 72 countries, 8,6% increase. The only thing that hasn't change is the total exhibition surface – simply there is no more space to use. Also 508 journalists from 37 countries visited the Show. In other words – a huge success. It's just that in my opinion, the show froze in a pose of self-satisfaction and satiety. The only new element was the SOUNDS CLEVER campaign, that was about preparing a complete audio system costing less than 5,000 euros. However, for such a large exhibition – it is just not enough. The more so that debutantes, small companies, were packed into a tiny space, while a year ago they had at their disposal a spacious passage in the middle of the hall. The event is ritualized, freezing in the "audiophile" poses, no one expects anything new anymore, participants need to be there to confirm their presence on the market. Companies are doing what they can to attract attention to their products, but the size of the show is overwhelming and does not allow for a non-rushed tour. To see anything - really anything - you have to have a strict plan and stick to it, otherwise it won't work. Plan will let you see only some small part of the High End, but at least you will actually see it. One of the most interesting initiatives this year – Dynaudio set up a portable recording studio, where it recorded local artists. The recordings were then played on systems featuring the company's newest loudspeakers. Therefore, sticking to these guidelines, for the first time the High End showed me a completely different face than usual. I have seen almost nothing, I have not heard much, and spent the whole stay participating in meetings and presentations. It was extremely nice, I was invited to them all, I had a great time. However, this does not change the fact that I did not use the most basic offer of the show, i.e. I did not see much of what the manufacturers had to show. Well, maybe I saw something and I listened to some presentations (I brought over 700 photos) but the number was much lower than usually. Therefore, the short coverage I would like to share with you has been planned by me a little differently than usual. Let me invite you to re-meet the people I met with and to read about what I was heard during those presentations I managed to attend. By the way we will show you our friends - people and companies with whom we have special, friendly relations. We marked their rooms with special stickers with the anniversary (15 years) "High Fidelity" logo. In order to keep with a long tradition, we also awarded Best Sound awards. René Laflamme NAGRA is a giant of electronics, both for professional and consumer markets. For several years, they have been developing their top HD system, with its latest addition being the HD DAC, about which - as the first magazine - we wrote last year in our factory tour. René Laflamme, company's representative in the USA and Canada, took care of our sticker. He's also an owner of the 2xHD record label. The sound of a system based on 2xHD tapes, Nagra electronics and amazing YG Acoustics speakers was outstanding! nagraaudio.com Nagra system featured remarkable YG Acoustics Sonja Jr. speakers, consisting of two models, supported by a huge InVincible subwoofer. Company calls it: „hyper-high-end sub-bass”. Dirk Sommer and Dr Roland Dietl, hifistatemen.net journalists Dirk Sommer, chief editor of the HIFISTATEMENT.NET magazine, participated in the SOUNDS CLEVER initiative. It's goal was to prepare complete audio systems at total price below 5000 EUR. Dirk with his crew used laptop turned into a music server with JRiver Media Centers 24 software, USB iFi Purifier3, Mytek Liberty DAC, IOTAVX PA3 amplifier, Dynaudio Emit20 speakers, Velodyne Impact 12 MkII subwoofer, Audioquest cables and Isotek power products. They took care even about details because on top pf the devices they place heavy elements normally used to keep the door from closing, the speakers and the subwoofer were toed in, and a sandbag was put on the subwoofer. The sound was extremely dynamic, fast and detailed. I lacked some richness and warmth in it, but it is about my preferences, not a problem of the system. hifistatement.net Gabi van der Kleij-Rijnveld CRYSTAL CABLE, the company, run by Gabi van der Kleij-Rijnveld, celebrates its 15th anniversary this year - just like "High Fidelity". At the gala dinner I sat among others with Doug Shneider, chief of the Canadian magazine "SoundstageHiFi.com", as well as the editor of the German "Fidelity", that gave us a chance to exchange the latest news and gossip :) And Gabi celebrated the anniversary with the latest cable, Future Dream. It is accompanied by a special fund-raising campaign for talented children who can not afford to go to the right school - you can participate too by clicking on the appropriate button on the Crystal Cable website. Let me add that in the special publication released on the occasion, in the Friends section, you will find a few words from me. crystalcable.com The latest Crystal Cable interconnect – Future Dream – it will take place between Absolute Dream and Ultimate Dream models in the lineup Dr. Stefan Schwehr, the new owner and CEO of Audionet Between the last year's and this year's High End Show lot happened in the AUDIONET company, not all of them good. First, we heard that the company went bankrupt. It turned out that one of the managers went all the way in, spending tones of money for advertisements, meetings, etc., which plunged this excellent company. Fortunately, some time ago, a few people working there bought the company. Mr. Stefan Schwehr became the new owner and CEO, and Mr. Jan Geschke became the sales manager. During the Show thy presented a new model from the top series, the Humboldt integrated amplifier. I have recorded a short interview with them, I hope that I will have a chance to share it with you. audionet.de The Audionet system featured Humboldt integrated amplifier and Dynaudio loudspeakers from the new Confidence line, the ‘50’ model; Plank CD Player with external power supply was the main source in the system. Dynaudio Confidence 30 with Moon electronics – we listened to, among others, music recorded a day before in a mobile studio. One of the most interesting premieres of this year's High End Show was prepared by DYNAUDIO. During press event we could listen to the speakers from the new Confidence series, the '30' model. The system included Moon electronics. Also this Canadian company's room featured Dynaudio Confidence 50 speakers. I must say that it is probably the best design from this company that I have ever listened to. I know and value their previous models, but with the new series we get something that I always postulate and what I love my Harbeths for – a human element, that is, depth and saturation. I talked about it with Tomek, a member of the Sonic Society, who has an older version of these loudspeakers in his system and we agreed that Dynaudio had never shown something like before. Bravo! Mr. Roland Hoffman, chief of the Dynaudio Academy, presents the way this brands speakers are measured. dynaudio.com Syuzou Ishimi-san, CEO of the SPEC One of the most cordial greetings that I was given in Munich happened in the SPEC CORPORATION room. We exchanged hugs with Syuzou Ishimi-san, the founder of the company and then with Yoshua Hontai-san, who represents the company outside Japan, and finally with Tsutomu Banno-san, the chief engineer. It was one of the longer meetings I had in Munich and one of the nicest ones. In addition to the exchange of observations regarding the new amplifier, we also talked about the new version of the company's loudspeaker filters designed to honor the 15th anniversary of the "High Fidelity". In Munich, the first copy was shown - it was beautiful, It is hand-finished by a well-known artist with urushi varnish and gold paint. Each unit is therefore slightly different. spec-corp.co.jp System composed of the SPEC RPA-1000 amplifiers, SPEC's turntable and Leben's devices, including the CS600X integrated amplifier. The latest Chord amplifier, Ultima 3 If I had to choose three most innovative audio companies the British CHORD ELECTRONICS would definitely be one of them. It has kept surprising us for years with its unique digital sources, and amazing amplifiers. This time, they presented two amplifiers from the Ultima series, the Ultima 2 and Ultima 3. The Ultima technology was introduced in October 2018 in the form of top monoblocks. The new 750 W Ultima 2 is the immediate successor of the SPM 600 MkII and becomes part of the Reference series. The smaller 480W Ultima 3 replaces the SPM 1400 MkII amplifier. Both new Ultima amplifiers have a front designed by John Frank. Chord's press conference was one of the most crowded ones in Munich.. Mr. Goetz M. von Laffert, chief of the Lyravox Gerätemanufaktur We have been writing about the German company LYRAVOX GERÄTEMANUFAKTUR every year, regularly awarding their room with the Best Sound awards. What distinguishes their speakers from others is advanced DSP systems that controls amplifiers for individual drivers. The amplifiers used in the new models belong to the 3rd generation of these devices. I liked the speakers from Karl series most, which looks extremely classic and yet are technologically advanced. This model includes room acoustics, phase and frequency response of loudspeakers correction systems. The only thing we need is a digital source. Lyravox Gerätemanufaktur loudspeakers, Karlina on the left, Karlos on the right; both featuring DSP, digital crossovers and amplifiers for each speaker. Hans-Ole Vitus – i nie tylko… Hans-Ole Vitus is a person known not only to audio journalists. Always smiling, big guy who has achieved huge success that most audio manufacturers can only dream of. This time he presented a new integrated amplifier VITUS AUDIO SIA-030. This powerful device weighing 63 kg and measuring 268 x 435 x 530 mm is equipped with an adjustable power supply, also for the output section, developed originally for the Masterpiece MP-M201 amplifier. The device can be equipped with either a DAC or phonostage module. vitusaudio.com The latest Vitus Audio amplifier, SIA-30, in orange. Ultimate HQCD presentation – in the middle Hiroshi Ihara –san. A very interesting presentation prepared by the MEMORY-TECH CORPORATION. Its representative, Mr. Hiroshi Ihara, showed the differences between classic CD and their version of Ultimate HiQualityCD. You probably already know what I am going to say, don't you? - Once again the differences were huge. What further helped the presentation was the fact that all the presented releases were first presented using Master CD-Rs, from which the masters and finally the matrices were made. One could also see all the stages of CD production, along with glass masters. The consecutive stages of the glass matrix production, from which the metal matrixes are made used for pressing Ultimate HQCD. memory-tech.co.jp Gerhard Hirt and Bartosz Pacuła unisono :) Gerhard Hirt, the owner of AYON AUDIO, presented in Munich a completely new version of the S-10 MkII player. It features a SSD drive, where the files are first loaded to before being played. As he said, the difference is huge. What once again proves that we have much to learn about audio files playback. The S-10 MkII can be configured in three different ways, depending on the user's needs. The new version also sports a revised DAC section. ayonaudio.com The system consisted of two-box Playback Designs MTP-8 + MPD-8 SACD Player, SPA-8 power amplifier and Stenheim Alumine Five loudspeakers. The files were also a leitmotiv of the PLAYBACK DESIGNS http://playbackdesigns.com presentation. In the system there was a two-box SACD player and the world premiere, SPA-8 power amplifier, belonging to the Dream Series. This is a beast that must be carried by four big guys, capable of delivering 500 W output @ 8 Ω and 1000 W @ 4 Ω. The presentation was special because it included an audio-video presentation, with the video recorded in the 8K resolution. The most exciting part however, was the fact that the video was synchronized with the DSD256 (Quad DSD) sound Until now, synchronization between the video and DSD sound was impossible. The head of Playback Designs, Mr. Andreas Koch, one of the architects of the DSD format success, has developed a special controller that enabled that. The sound, provided by the excellent STENHEIM speakers, was extremely precise and natural. I can only guess only how much space these recordings took up on HDD :) It was the first presentation of the results of the cooperation of Playback Designs and the Yarlung Records, and the recording was made during the Yuko Mabuchi Trio concert in Los Angeles. playbackdesigns.com A monster – Playback Designs SPA-8 | HiFiDeluxe 2019 hifideluxe.de Mr. Laurent Fusilier, owner of the JMF Audio, with Patricia Barber's album For years, next to the very expensive and business-oriented High End, there has simultaneously been also another show at the Marriot Hotel. This is where you can find the best sound of the show and the most expensive systems. And that's where JMF Audio held its presentation. I wrote about it on several occasions as a phenomenon - they prepared their own version of a CD/DVD-A/BD/SACD transport, which looks remarkable! Writing about it on the occasion of an article concerning physical media, I did not know that it would have such an impact - Patricia Barber commented on it, and as a result of the collaboration between the artist and the JMF Audio, a Pure Audio BD recording was made with the material from Something Cool. More about the JMF Audio company HERE. A to człowiek, który zaprojektował napęd BDPM1, używany w odtwarzaczu Transport DMT3.7, pan Arnaud Fusilier, prywatnie brat Laurenta. Guys from TRPTK – Bart Koop, pianist who played on the beautiful Qope's Nocturnal album, and Brendon Heist, the chief and sound engineer. Next door I came across my friends from the TRPTK label. They had just released their first vinyl record, cut from the PCM 32/384 hi-res files. The album was recorded by Douwe Eiseng and it is entitled For Mattia. Next door, I listened to its CD version, on the system with KROMA AUDIO loudspeakers, BRICASTI DESIGN electronics, as well as CEC CD player. It was a fantastic combination of scale with intimacy, warmth with openness - if you can, buy this album now. A system that played the latest release by TRPTK included the CEC TL0 3.0 transport, Bricasti Design electronics: the Platinum M21 DAC, M12 preamplifier and M28 monobloks that drove Kroma Audio loudspeakers, Norma (bigger ones) and Mimi (on the stands). After visiting the Marriott, we went to the amazing BMW museum and then to the Old Pinakothek (Alte Pinakothek), where we wanted to see a painting by Leonardo da Vinci entitled Madonna with Vase, also known as Madonna with Child. Let me remind you that this year we are celebrating the 500th death anniversary of this genius. We were not disappointed, the painting is beautiful, although it is located in a no so grand corner. Much more impressive, however, was the Self-portrait in fur (Self-Portrait with Fur-trimmed Robe, another title: Self-Portrait at Twenty-Eight) by Albrecht Dürer - is simply amazing. Next day returning to the second day for the Show, I wanted to visit one room in particular: the so-called "Polish" room. Lot of people talked about it during the Show - even Panagiotis Karavitis and Marc Philips from the "Part Time Audiophile" who accosted me in the press lounge. mentioned it. Messrs. Łukasz Lewandowski (hORNS by Auto-Tech), Robert Sikora (J.Sikora) and Janusz Sikora (J.Sikora) The aforementioned system included the J.SIKORA turntable with the new KV12 Kevlar tonearm. It is yellow, but upon request of one of the distributors also a black version was prepared. But, as Mr. Sikora said, it does not sound as well as the unpainted one. The preamplifier came from the same company, but the integrated amplifier was the new ENCORE 7 product, the TanQ model. Another element attracting attention were the loudspeakers by the hORNS by Auto-Tech, the Symphony model. System featured also ALBEDO cables. Last but not least, I'd like to mention one more presentation that was extremely interesting, gave me a lot to think about and was a great starting point for many conversations throughout my stay in Munich. Less than a month before the start of the Show, Mr. James Walerych from Ash Communications, who collaborated with PMC on the one hand and the CAPITOL RECORDS label on the other, contacted me. He invited me to something that for a stereo fan and even a mono one - I think of myself – would be almost an insult - a presentation of recordings encoded in Dolby Atmos. In any other case, I would thank him politely, and then I would immediately forget about it. This time, however, it was about music by MILES DAVIS. PMC has come up with a way to get around the problems many music lovers have with their rooms acoustics and at the same time to present two classic Davis albums - Kind of Blue and Sketches of Spain in a completely different way. The project envisaged a new remaster of analogue master-tapes – three-track ones - in such a way that the three front channels reflected the arrangement of the instruments on these tapes, and the remaining channels - side, rear and ceiling were re-recorded. Front channels were played by top PMC speakers, the Fact fenestria, and the ceiling, rear and side channels were played by flat Wafer speakers. Instead of manipulating the signal in the computer, a very traditional way was chosen, resembling analog reverberation systems from the 1940s and 50s. In the studios in which these albums were originally recorded (these are different studios) loudspeakers were placed that played these three channels. The recorded reverberation of the room(s) was then encoded in the rear Dolby Atmos channels. The result exceeded my wildest expectations. I had an impression of being in real rooms, the walls of the small room where the listening session took place disappeared, and the sound was extremely "analog". But it was no accident that it worked this way. During the presentation the engineers responsible for the new remaster were present - the three times Grammy nominee STEVE GENEWICK, Senior Engineer at Capitol Studios, who worked with: Diana Krall, Chris Botti, Neil Young, George Benson, Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, Paul McCartney, etc. . as well as DAVID RIDEAU, Grammy winner and four times nominee sound engineer, who worked with: Sting, Janet Jackson, Alexander O'Neal, Brenda Russell, Earth Wind and Fire, George Benson. Founders and bosses of The Miles Davis Foundation, Messrs.: Vince Wilburn Jr. (in the middle) and Erin Davis. What's more, and it was particularly touching, we were accompanied by two founders of The Miles Davis Foundation, an organization managing the legacy of Davis and licensing re-editions of his records, gentlemen: VINCE WILBURN Jr., producer and drummer in the Miles Davis band, and privately his nephew, and ERIN DAVIS, musician, and privately son of the great trumpeter. Let me put it this way - I do not intend revolutionize my home audio system and I will keep my stereo one. But if you already have a multi-channel home theater system at home, you simply MUST have these two albums in new versions. Thanks to people from PMC, I was able to conduct interviews with both engineer responsible for the remastering and both Davis' relatives. Stay vigilant – you will find them soon in the future "High Fidelity" issues. High End is completely different show from the Audio Video Show in Warsaw. It is primarily show for business and press. But it is also visited by several thousand "mortals", and professionals also are sometimes able to find a moment to talk about life. And by such conversation I will remember this trip the most. I was sitting at a table set up in the atrium lobby, sipping a beer and eating something, when someone asked if he could join me. All the other tables were completely occupied, so I said: of course, and only then turned to the man. It turned out to be Mr. Roy Hall, founder and owner of the Music Hall. We started to talk about the state of politics in the US and Poland - we were absolutely in agreement with our diagnoses - after which Mr. Hall looked at me and said "you know, I had my DNA studied recently and it turned out that I am 75% Jew. " And then he added, "my parents come from Cracow region." Mr. Roy Hall on his break at the table with yours truly. After something like that we could not just get up and go separate ways, we had to talk about history, the present and the meaning of life ... Yes, that's what I am going to remember this Show for, not for any devices or presentations. ⁜ I'd like to thank all the people I had a chance to meet, and apologize to these I didn't meet – see you next year! ■ [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/35.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/35.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/35.jpg" desc="MSB Technology is an American manufacturer specializing in discrete digital-to-analogue converters. The photo presents theirs top transport – The Reference Transport – capable of playing Blu-Ray, DVD, CD discs, as well as audio files including DSD."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/36.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/36.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/36.jpg" desc="Cessaro system with electronics that looks a lot like Kondo products."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/37.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/37.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/37.jpg" desc="New and less expensive products from Mark Levinson – No. 5101 SACD player and No. 5805 integrated amplifier featuring a MM/MC phonostage and D/A converter with support for PCM files up to 32/384 and DSD512."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/38.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/38.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/38.jpg" desc="So far Verity Audio specialized in loudspeakers. In Munich they presented also a two-box PRE-2 preamplifier and class A AMP-60 mono amplifiers."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/39.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/39.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/39.jpg" desc="The latest box from Mobile Fidelity – „One Step Pressing”, Bill Evans Portrait in Jazz."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/40.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/40.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/40.jpg" desc="It’s an outstanding turntable by Schick, presented in Munich with their tonearms and cartridges. "] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/41.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/41.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/41.jpg" desc="Two remarkable devices by Nagra from the HD line – the HD PRE preamplifier and a novelty - HD DAC."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/42.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/42.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/42.jpg" desc="At first glance, it is a classic Nagra IV-S tape recorder. But only the transport section has been utilized and the signal from the head is sent using RCA cables to the electronics below. René Laflamme said that in this way he achieved an unprecedented reduction in noise."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/43.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/43.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/43.jpg" desc="New products from Furutech, the FI-48 (R) and FI-E48 (R) power plugs."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/44.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/44.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/44.jpg" desc="A successor of the McIntosh MC275, the MC2152 – it’s still based on KT88 tubes in the output, but their number doubled."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/45.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/45.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/45.jpg" desc="As usual, chic and, as always, impressive - Avid HiFi products with the new EVO loudspeaker series in the foreground."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/46.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/46.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/46.jpg" desc="Musical Fidelity and Music Hall room – far in the middle, Roy Hall."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/47.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/47.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/47.jpg" desc="Edwin van der Kley, on the left, this year presented new flagship Siltech loudspeakers, the mighty Symphony."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/48.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/48.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/48.jpg" desc="Siltech Symphony."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/49.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/49.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/49.jpg" desc="One of the most interesting presentations - the Nordost room, and in the the QSOURCE, a linear power supply used to power the QPOINT, a device emitting a small electromagnetic field; it should be placed under devices."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/50.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/50.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/50.jpg" desc="Another pair of mighty loudspeakers, the Goebel Divin Noblesse. The system included Goebel cables and Engström’s electronic - the MONICA preamplifier and ERIC power amps. The whole system was powered up by PC-4 EVO+ power conditioner with LS-2 EVO power cable and another conditioner PC-3 SE EVO+."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/51.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/51.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/51.jpg" desc="The FinkTeam Borg speakers we reviewed recently accompanied by Slovakian electronics by Canor."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/52.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/52.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/52.jpg" desc="Canor CD Player, the CD1.10."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/53.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/53.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/53.jpg" desc="Mr. Karl-Heinz Fink without sticker :)"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/54.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/54.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/54.jpg" desc="The latest SACD drive by Esoteric, model VRDS Atlas."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/55.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/55.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/55.jpg" desc="Two channels of the discrete Esoteric D/A Converter. "] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/56.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/56.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/56.jpg" desc="La Diva – top-loader CD transport by Italian company Aqua."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/57.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/57.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/57.jpg" desc="SACD top-loader by Metronome Technologie with a large touch screen."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/58.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/58.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/58.jpg" desc="A precise presentation by Japanese company Nihon Onkyo Engineering with their room acoustic treatment system called ANKH."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/59.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/59.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/59.jpg" desc="New integrated amplifier by Engström, called Arne."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/60.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/60.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/60.jpg" desc="Creme de la creme - owners of the top audio companies (from the left): Lars Engström (Engström), Scott Berry (Computer Audio Design), Frederik Berefelt (Bibacord) and Paweł Skulimowski (Franc Audio Accessories)."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/61.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/61.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/61.jpg" desc="finite elemente came back with shelves made of carbon fiber, designed for their racks from Master Reference series – the photo presents pagode Edition."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/62.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/62.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/62.jpg" desc="A very nice presentation in EAR Yoshino’s room – they played a direct-to-disc LP and at the same time the vocalist, Ms. Lyn Stanley, sang using exactly the same microphone as during recording, on the right Mr. Tim de Paravicini."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/63.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/63.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/63.jpg" desc="Lyn Stanley’s album on two 45 rpm records."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/64.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/64.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/64.jpg" desc="Ken Kessler from „Hi-Fi News” and his iconic LP-shaped earrings :)"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/65.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/65.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/65.jpg" desc="One of the most important premieres of the Show – Mr. Heinz Lichtenegger talks about the new Pro-Ject CD Player and…"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/66.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/66.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/66.jpg" desc="...about new X1 turntable series."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/67.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/67.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/67.jpg" desc="Hifideluxe Show: The first analogue record in trptk’s history – Douwe Eisenga For Mattia."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/68.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/68.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/68.jpg" desc="Hifideluxe Show: Another novelty, TotalDAC’s power amplifier amp-1 – AB class solid-state."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/69.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/69.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/69.jpg" desc="Hifideluxe Show: A very interesting presentation of a D/A Converter by ROHM Semiconductor. It’s a company manufacturing their own DSPs with D/A converters."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/70.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/70.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/70.jpg" desc="Hifideluxe Show: ROHM Semiconductor a PCB for their top DAC chip, the BD3431EKV."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/71.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/71.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/71.jpg" desc="SPEC’s filters finished with urushi – a pure beauty!"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/72.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/72.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/72.jpg" desc="Mr. Shirokazu Yazaki, owner (on the right) and chief designer, Mr.Banno Tsutomu. And our sticker :)"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/73.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/73.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/73.jpg" desc="Russian Zavalinka Records’s stands with their master-tapes."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/74.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/74.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/74.jpg" desc="Some samples of Zavalinka Records tapes."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/75.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/75.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/75.jpg" desc="Great looking turntable by a Taiwanese company TIEN Audio."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/76.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/76.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/76.jpg" desc="The latest transformers by Lundahl."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/77.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/77.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/77.jpg" desc="A fantastic tonearm, the Sorane SA1.2."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/78.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/78.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/78.jpg" desc="Nice, right? – It’s Quattro „Rush” turntable by Aemilia."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/79.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/79.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/79.jpg" desc="Marin Ostapowicz presented his products, including his new music server."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/80.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/80.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/80.jpg" desc="JCAT and a new music server"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/81.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/81.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/81.jpg" desc="A mighty, weighing over 100 kg rack by Polish company Stacore used for presentation of the top-high-end electronics by Ares Cerat."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/82.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/82.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/82.jpg" desc="A cross-section of the leg of the latest Stacore rack."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/83.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/83.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/83.jpg" desc="Colorful finish of Pylon Audio loudspeakers attracted a lot of eyes. "] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/84.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/84.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/84.jpg" desc="Fezz Audio presented their latest SET 2A3 amplifier, Mira Ceti."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/85.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/85.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/85.jpg" desc="The Western Electric 300B taken apart. "] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/86.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/86.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/86.jpg" desc="Western Electric 91-E amplifier."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/87.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/87.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/87.jpg" desc="TenToGra turntable Oscar with a unique, on-the-fly VTA adjustment."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/88.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/88.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/88.jpg" desc="Mr. Yutaka "Jack" Miura, son of the Air Tight’s founder, Mr. Atsushi Miura – now he runs the business."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/89.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/89.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/89.jpg" desc="Air Tight’s system with beautiful ATM211 monoblocks."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/90.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/90.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/90.jpg" desc="Mr. Janusz Sikora – it’s obvious what is he so proud of (a hint - the new KV12 tonearm)."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/91.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/91.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/91.jpg" desc="Octave system with new 300B monoblocks with three tubes per channel."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/92.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/92.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/92.jpg" desc="The new version of Ayon’s S10 streamer, simply called the „II”."] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/th/93.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/93.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/monachium2019/93.jpg" desc="A beautiful new turntable by Lithuanian company Reed, called Muse 1C."] [/hfgallery]

⌈ MYTEK DIGITAL is a firm that was set up in 1992, but I get the impression that we do not know most facts about it and we still underestimate its contribution to the success of the Polish HEM company. I hope that the interview below will change that, at least to some extent. The meeting took place on March 26th 2019 in Cracow. ⌋ YTEK DIGITAL is the brainchild of MICHAŁ JUREWICZ, a Polish engineer who used to work as a technician in New York recording studios. His devices are known both in the pro world and in the domain of home hi-fi, and are highly rated for their excellent sound, high-class engineering and moderate pricing. However, not too many people know that Michał Jurewicz is only one element of the puzzle – the other one is the Polish HEM company and its founder – MARCIN HAMERLA, while almost all Mytek company products are now manufactured in Pruszków near Warsaw. HEM is now quite a large engineering company employing 20 people, including 7 engineers. The firm is entering a new developmental phase with the Brooklyn Bridge model, so I asked Marcin for an interview and he came to me with PAWEŁ GORGOŃ – the engineer who first co-designed the Brooklyn DAC+ and then the Brooklyn Bridge model. We had enough time to talk and to listen to music in my system with my SACD player, and then with a Mytek file player. You can read the interview below. Marcin Hamerla (on the left) and Paweł Gorgoń (on the right) Marcin Hamerla and Paweł Gorgoń are being interviewed by Wojciech Pacuła. WOJCIECH PACUŁA: Let us start with a fact that most people are probably not aware of, i.e. that HEM is a firm that has contributed to the success of the Mytek company – is that correct? MARCIN HAMERLA: I think that HEM is quite well-known in Poland, but not so much outside Poland, even though all Mytek products have the “Made in Poland” label. However, if someone disassembles one of the devices, they always see my name on a plate :) It was like this: Michał set up the Mytek company in 1992 in New York. Back then, he was working as a technician at a recording studio and designed a device to be used there, to aid group recordings – one called Private Q or simply PQ, a headphone distribution system that we are still manufacturing today, although we thoroughly redesigned it a few years ago. He later designed a few analog-to-digital converters that were quite simple and not too many of them were sold. In 1998, Michał was working on the D-Master project that did not take off in the end. | THE BEGINNING So, you both met then? MH: Yes, we met to talk in the same year. After we drew up a contract, I started working on the devices that Michał had worked on earlier and I finally completed the work – it was a complementary pair of multichannel converters, 8x96AD and 8x96DA. Right afterwards, the production of these devices was moved to Poland and then I started preparing new devices for Mytek. So, since 2000, all its devices (except for the AMP amplifier) have been designed by me and, recently, by my people. The HEM company has also been manufacturing them since then. So, which of the devices have been recently made? MH: The Brooklyn DAC+ is a result of teamwork. PAWEŁ GORGOŃ: Yes, the DAC+ has been created by the team, but we worked fifty-fifty on the Brooklyn DAC. What does the process of model exchange look like in the Mytek company? Who comes up with the idea – you or Michał Jurewicz? MH: We have recently been coming up with ideas, earlier it was Michał. At the moment we are such, let’s say, spiritus movens. It started when I was to write software for Michał and after all the years we are responsible for the whole R&D and production, we finance the whole thing, provide support and deal with distribution. So, what is Michał’s role? MH: Michał is the key person. We all see him, as he is responsible for PR and product promotion, but this is not everything. We are now coming up with product ideas, although the Manhattan and Amp were invented by Michał, but the way of manufacturing, the final arrangement, etc. – it all has got to be approved by him and he must like it. For example, Michał suggests which chips or DACs we should use. It is cooperative work each time. PG: It is very important that Michał listens to and approves everything. Though we know how to do the job, we ultimately try to translate what Michał would like to achieve into a circuit. Are changes made sometimes? MH: Sometimes, after a device is sent to the US, Michał suggests some changes – like in the case of the Brooklyn. When it comes to the Bridge, however, he made no remarks. PG: Michał added a phono stage to the Brooklyn, one that we – he and I – have made together, in the end. It was also very important that Michał introduced the MQA decoder into the system – it is a big thing. The first version of the Brooklyn DAC PCB was without the MQA and Michał brought this idea to us directly before the production stage, so we had to start everything from the beginning :) However, such things happen and, as a result, we got one of the first DACs in the world with the MQA decoder. | STEREO192-DSD DAC And it was not known at that time if the MQA makes any sense at all, was it? MH: It is still not completely certain where it is all going, but judging by the number of products equipped with the MQA decoder, it has probably caught on – even the new DAC ESS has the decoder. Thanks to Michał, Mytek had it already at the very beginning. When did projects start to originate in Poland? MH: Starting in 2000, production was moved to Warsaw, in the sense that we started designing and manufacturing everything in Poland, and then we also began to deal with distribution. Since then, we have started to develop faster. Our next project was the eight-channel A/D converter that was quite popular all over the world. Still, these were all “pro” devices. These devices were becoming more and more popular at recording studios, but some of them were also sold on the “hi-fi” market. In 2008 or 2009 – I do not remember exactly – we started designing a device that finally took on the form of the Stereo192-DSD DAC. We spent a lot of time discussing what it would look like and what it would have inside, and we finally decided to decode DSD signal, which hit the bull’s eye. I remember that right then, at the end of the work, Michał made the dream of his life come true, i.e. he went on a sailing trip across the Atlantic and I would sit and work days and nights to finish the converter :) We started production in 2011 and the device was a huge success. We sold a lot of units and the company grew threefold thanks to that. With such a successful product, it is probably hard to come up with the next step, isn’t it? MH: Of course. At the beginning we did not really know what we might do next. We started by changing the inner company structure. We had few engineers and quite a lot of technicians back then. PG: I came to work for Mytek at the end of 2012 and that was the moment when the number of HEM employees changed rapidly, and the structure of the company also changed, i.e. the R&D department grew. MH: We wanted to sustain our company development, so we needed new ideas and people who would be able to bring them to life. The three of us used to design together – I was responsible for the hardware, i.e. electronics, Adrian Żugaj – the head of production – made mechanical drawings and Michał Rzepczyński was our programmer. We talked a lot to Michał Jurewicz then and we even quarreled a lot, as Michał wanted the device to be 1/3 rack wide and I wanted to make it ½ rack wide, as I assumed that it was impossible to put it all into such a small housing. In the end, we followed my idea :) Then, it appeared that we needed to have more people in the Research and Development Department. The company started undergoing transformation – there were fewer and fewer technicians, and more and more engineers. PG: If we look at this from a broader perspective, the number of people stayed the same, but the company changed its percentage composition, if I may put it that way. In what ways is a technician’s job different from working in R&D? MH: A technician oversees production and is responsible for running machines. The whole production process is quite complicated and we commission automated stages to external contractors, while the assembly of the final product takes place at our company and is performed by assemblers. At this stage, an almost ready device is created – it only has not got a cover and, naturally, it is not turned on. Then, it is given to technicians who connect it to a power supply and check if everything starts correctly, upload software and then test the operation of all the functions. Sometimes they also eliminate assembly errors. PG: In R&D, work mainly consists in developing the design of such a device – starting with the housing design, the selection of elements, design of the motherboard, up to writing software. It is software that takes the most work, as everything is now focused on software. So, it is the year 2012, there are changes within the company – and what’s next? MH: In 2012, I went to Warsaw University of Technology, my Alma Mater, in order to meet my former supervisor, talk to him and also hang some notices informing that we were looking for promising students. Paweł Gorgoń with the Brooklyn Bridge in his hand PG: There was such a notice and I still remember where it was hung, although I did not come to the company that way. MH: We then employed one or two people and I thought we did not need anyone else. However, we received a call from Paweł, a student of Warsaw University of Technology at that time, additionally recommended by his professors. I told him we did not need anyone anymore, but he kept on coming and reminding of himself for so long that… PG: …that they finally employed me :) My adventure with audio started quite early, i.e. on the second year of my studies. That was a coincidence, as I enrolled in a typical course in electronics, not really connected with audio. However, the lecturer was very nice and I talked to him once. I asked him whether there were any companies in Poland – companies, not small manufactures – that dealt with audio equipment production. I had always been interested in that – I am also an amateur musician. I was lucky, as the lecturer knew Marcin was looking for someone. In this way, I found a useful contact. Unfortunately, Marcin had already hired someone – a person with more experience… Which faculty were you studying at? PG: It was the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology. I did my MA studies and got my engineer’s diploma at the Electroacoustics Division. However, on my second year of studies I still did not know what I wanted to do in the future. Marcin did not really want to hire me. Some time passed and I tried to contact him at the beginning of the third year, and it came to nothing again. After the next six months, at the beginning of December 2012, I got the job of my dreams – with HEM. And it was right before the Christmas celebrations :) Marcin, tell me how Paweł convinced you to hire him. MH: He used his personal charm – I am not kidding :) Paweł, did you have an idea of what you wanted to do in such a company? PG: I liked its profile. I liked sound as such, electronics and programming – and here I had it all together. HEM is not only an audio company, but also an engineering company. It is exactly what I had been looking for. | BROOKLYN ADC • BROOKLYN DAC In 2012 you had already experienced the success of the Stereo192-DSD DAC, but you still did not have the Brooklyn? MH: No, we had not talked about it yet, but were only thinking about what was next. We started carrying out our test project and came to the conclusion that we needed to make a good analog-to-digital converter, something like the Stereo ADC, an earlier product of this type offered by Mytek. The project was mainly, but not only, carried out by Paweł Gorgoń and Przemysław Górny, currently the head of our R&D Department. PG: It is now worth telling you something more about Przemek. He has made a big contribution to the company development, organization and planning. These are the areas that we had to master while the company was growing and his input has been invaluable. This was, of course, happening in the meantime, when we were already working on the ADC. MH: At some point, somewhere after we have carried out half of the work, I joined the team to supervise the transformation of some of the elements – this was the last project that I influenced to such large extent. In this way, we created the Brooklyn ADC, i.e. an analog-to-digital converter designed for recording studios. We have mainly been selling it in the USA. It is an excellent converter and our mutual friend, Dirk Sommer from hifistatement.net and Sommelier du Son, has also been using it. However, while designing the device, we always had the thought in mind that it would be transformed into a digital-to-analog converter, the Brooklyn DAC. Changes consisted in replacing the ADC circuit with the DAC ESS Sabre 9018K2M and designing the analog section, to some extent based on the one from the Stereo192-DSD DAC. We also had to develop stronger power supply, appropriate for a headphone amplifier that simply was not part of the ADC. The Manhattan model PG: It is worth mentioning that the design of the A/D converter was very important to us, as we implemented a lot of our technologies and ideas in it. We developed the digital section from scratch, including USB transmission, the use of color displays, safe software update and communication with the control application that we also had to develop. This required a lot of work. The most important thing is that this section is entirely “ours”, i.e. we designed and programmed all the elements. MH: If someone would like to see what sound engineering is all about, it is enough for them to disassemble our device and a device made by any good manufacturer from Japan. Even a little technical knowledge will allow them to appreciate what they will find in Mytek devices. What I have in mind is, for example, systems integration – we have one board with all sub-systems integrated already at the design stage, which simply results in better technical parameters and sound. In other devices we often have a tangle of wires and a lot of PCBs that are attached to one another like LEGO blocks. PG: What is important to us is engineering effectiveness – what we make must be elegant and sound well. One can buy ready-made solutions from subcontractors, but the problem lies in their proper integration. Such a project cannot be transformed later on. We were only able to do it from start to finish starting from the “Brooklyn” project. | BROOKLYN DAC+ • BROOKLYN BRIDGE However, in your latest product, the Brooklyn Bridge model, you have used a module “from the outside” – the file player module. PG: Yes, of course – but this is how it goes, this is how we learn. We wanted to add something extra to the converter, something that we had not dealt with before. It is easier like this. But this is just the beginning… However, first there was the Brooklyn DAC+. MH: The Brooklyn DAC was a huge success and the sales were really high. After two years we came up with an idea that we can largely transform the device at a low cost. The thing is that a few talents started developing within the company and having impact on it: Jarek Jabłoński, Rafał Bednarski and Arek Sęk. What is more, Michał Jurewicz suggested using the new ESS Sabre ES 9028 chip. The Brooklyn DAC+ was created right after we moved to our new seat, at the end of 2017. The digital section remained almost the same as in the basic Brooklyn DAC model. We changed the chip used in the DAC and the analog volume control circuit which is much better now, and improved different smaller elements. We also thoroughly upgraded the analog section. The components are the same, but we changed the topology of the circuit. The analog section was created thanks to the ideas invented by the people that I have mentioned. As I am saying – we significantly improved the operation of the analog section using simple methods. At the moment, it appears to be better both in terms of measurements and listening tests. PG: We also improved the power supply of the analog section and the converter. However, the main changes consisted in redesigning the topology. A few small adjustments were also made in the software that is being developed all the time. A useful function is the Triger signal input and output, which makes it possible to control turning on the whole system. MH: The device sold very well for the next year and a half. In mid-2018 we came to the conclusion that it might be worth creating a streamer based on the Brooklyn DAC+. It was during the exhibition in Munich. PG: We decided to use the module that we have in the expansion board for the Manhattan DAC II, but we will build it in as an integral element of the device. Streamer is quite a complex thing – in fact, it is a microcomputer. At the moment, we are using a module “from the outside”, but we are already working on our own solution. In what ways is such a solution going to be better than the module you are currently using? MH: It will be better in terms of engineering – and this is always our starting point. The most important element will be better integration of the components, thanks to which all the elements will better co-operate with one another. Such a circuit uses less power, because of which we get less audible interference. It is always about interference. Paweł is making the final setting adjustments in the Brooklyn Bridge So, your next project is the integration of a file player with the Brooklyn? MH: Yes, exactly – it is our plan for the time being. Is it still going to be the Brooklyn, or some new product? PG: We are not able to answer this question. We will see, as now we are at the planning stage. We need a lot more time to turn this into a product. PG: We will surely be able to deal with more formats – I do not know which ones exactly, but it will definitely be better than now. We have had experience with USB that we design ourselves and we would like to have the same thing in our player. However, let us remember that the streamer module can be used for PCM 24/192 and DSD signal, which is enough in 99% of cases. It is even more adequate, as streaming services do not offer music characterized by better parameters. If they do, it is just the absolute margin. Anyway, it is also important what is done to signal and signal itself is not the only thing that matters, right? PG: Exactly. Digital filters are an important element, for example. In the Bridge we have a selection of seven different filters for PCM, but they only work when we turn off the MQA module. If it is turned on, it also constitutes a digital filter for PCM signal. If we want to use the remaining seven filters, including the apodization filter, MQA has to be turned off in the Bridge’s menu. When the MQA decoder is turned on, some operations are performed inside it and some are carried out in the converter. The latter, however, are specifically adapted to what is done in the decoder. That is why there is no filter selection. That means that the decoder also does something for signals that are not MQA coded. In my opinion, the effect is positive. This cannot be omitted, as it results from the principle of operation. It can only be completely turned off and then signal is transferred directly to the converter where one can select filters. MH: The idea of MQA filters was that each A/D and D/A chip spoils something and one must correct it using filtration at the digital stage. Coefficients are selected for the chips and the decoder in such a way that they compensate each other. So, is the main role of the Bridge to convert digital signal to analog signal? PG: I am not sure if we can put it this way. It seems to me that network functions are most important in it. It can perform almost all the functions of the Brooklyn DAC+, but without the AES/EBU input and clock inputs. We gave up these in order to include a LAN and USB input for a USB flash drive, at the same adjusting to standards used in home appliances. MH: In my opinion, the advantages of what we did in the Bridge result from the fact that we are experts in the domain of constructing digital-to-analog converters. There are many companies all over the world that make good file players but have no idea of digital signal conversion. We do :) We think of the Bridge as of a streamer which has a real DAC inside. Marcin Hamerla and Paweł Gorgoń listening to the Brooklyn Bridge in the “High Fidelity” reference system PG: We used a module manufactured by the Conversdigital company in it. It makes it possible to play files both from LAN and a USB flash drive. The circuit also allows you to play music from streaming services, such as Tidal and Spotify, and it is also compatible with Roon. It is controlled using a dedicated application called MConnect control for Android and iOS. It is worth mentioning that there are two versions of this application – for phones and tablets (an HD version). Signal from the streamer module gets to an XMOS chip with an MQA decoder. It is a programmable circuit which is most often used for USB inputs – we have our own circuit for USB and upload the software of an MQA decoder into XMOS. The logical heart of the whole device is an FPGA chip which controls the transmission of digital signals – and we write software for it. Can we choose between analog and digital volume control? PG: There is a selection of analog and digital volume control, and it is true for all the outputs. In fact, separate control for headphones and line outputs is carried out on the logical level, while physically it is done digitally in a converter (ESS) or in a dedicated analog circuit. Only at the last stage a choice is made whether to supply signal to the front or to the back output. By the way, the digital controller in the converter is very good, as it is put in the part of the path where signal is converted anyway into a form suitable for conversion. One of the names that you use in press materials is “Femtoclock” – what is that? PG: Femtoclock is actually a very good quartz generator which is used to clock only the converter circuit – the ESS chip itself. We have been using it since the original version of the Manhattan. It has improved the location of sources a little, at least from what I remember, as the selection was made quite a long time ago. You know what it is like with sound. A lot of small changes result in an enormous difference in the final effect. The analog section of the Bridge is balanced, right? PG: Yes, it is a balanced system, but it works a little different than usual, i.e. signal is send symmetrically from the beginning to the end, but it is desymmetrized on the way, in order to make use of the advantages of such a circuit, regardless of the type of the receiver. This is why signal on RCA outputs is simply taken from one signal half and it does not need to be desymmetrized (a symmetrical circuit is similarly understood by the Accuphase company – Editor’s note). It makes it possible to use the whole circuit, both for XLR and RCA outputs. I also have a question regarding the components. I can see through-hole Wima capacitors here, but the whole rest is surface mounted. Is there a huge difference in quality between different resistors, let’s say? MH: Of course! However, we get the impression that Vishay is the only resistor manufacturing company nowadays … We used to buy resistors from Beyschlag, Philips and Draloric. Anyway, we use the type of resistors called the MiniMELF (Metal Electrode Leadless Face), as we think they are very good. They do well both in terms of measurements and listening tests. I selected them a long time ago when we started cooperating with Mytek. PG: There are a few advantages of using surface mounted components – only this technology allows you to use better operational amplifiers. Through-hole circuits are slower, as there are also leads in the system, introducing delay and other types of distortion. Using more professional engineering terms, each hole introduces parasitic inductances, etc. When it comes to capacitors, through-hole elements are better, but only SMD is good for integrated circuits and resistors. Companies often choose THT, as they do not have the technology to produce SMD in place and not because it is an objectively better method. But… There are people in our company who would be able to manually assemble a whole such converter, even though most of the elements are surface mounted here. Sometimes we assembled prototype units for Michał in this way, or even of-the-shelf products, if we needed to supply a few quickly. MH: Exactly – in this way we assembled the first Brooklyn unit, as we were in a great hurry. It took my boys two days. | THE FUTURE Is HEM planning to do new things? MH: At the moment, the HEM company manufactures all devices for Mytek, but not only. We also produce industrial electronics which we, perhaps surprisingly for some people, export in large quantities to China. In the future, we will also make other things for the industry. When it comes to audio, we are mainly experimenting with the analog. The changes we made before in the Brooklyn yielded such good results that we want to take this forward and make something even better. As I am a “headphone” type of a person and I pay a lot of attention to headphones, we intend to improve the headphone amplifier. I think it is very good at the moment, but we would like to make something even better. However, it is still going to be done within the scope of a new DAC with a file player. The form will probably remain the same. Thank you! MH: We also thank you! PG: See you! ■ MYTEK in “High Fidelity” TEST: Mytek BROOKLYN BRIDGE | Digital-to-analog converter/headphone amplifier/line preamplifier/phono stage AWARD: BEST PRODUCT 2018: Mytek LIBERTY DAC | Digital-to-analog converter/headphone amplifier TEST: Mytek LIBERTY DAC | Digital-to-analog converter/headphone amplifier TEST: Mytek BROOKLYN DAC+ | Digital-to-analog converter/headphone amplifier/line preamplifier/phono stage TEST: Mytek BROOKLYN DAC | Digital-to-analog converter/headphone amplifier/line preamplifier/phono stage TEST: Mytek MANHATTAN | Digital-to-analog converter/headphone amplifier/line preamplifier/phono stage AWARD: BEST PRODUCT 2013: Mytek STEREO192-DSD DAC | Digital-to-analog converter/headphone amplifier TEST: Mytek STEREO192-DSD DAC | Digital-to-analog converter/headphone amplifier

WORLD PREMIERE ⌈ GERHARD HIRT knows the audio world like the back of his own hand. He works with many well-known technology companies, is the owner of a part of the former TESLA factory, manufacturing electron tubes, and privately he is a great fan of vinyl records. And he loves tubes. He founded AYON AUDIO in 1999, but already since 1995 he worked with another well-known tube company - Vaic, which he bought in 2001. Today, Ayon Audio offers electronic tubes (triodes), tube amplifiers, digital sources (with tube output) and loudspeakers. ⌋ ne of the oldest AYON AUDIO products is the Spirit integrated amplifier, launched in 2004. It was the first Ayon Audio's push-pull design - earlier, only single-ended amplifiers, had been produced by Gerhard Hirt and his engineers, and they manufactured tubes for their products too. The idea for this device came on the one hand from Ayon customers, and on the other from distributors, who - as disclosed on the You Tube interview asked him to develop a "more universal and affordable amplifier." That is how the Spirit (I) was born. Spirit | It is a mid-size integrated tube amplifier with a semiconductor power supply with the KT88 output tubes operating in a push-pull mode. The power tubes operate in class A and there is a switch allowing user to choose between two operating modes - pentode and triode. The KT88 is a beam tetrode, but its mode of operation is defined as pentode. Three double 12AU7 triodes were used in the preamplifier and as drivers. The device featured a high-class aluminum housing, which was still new for Ayon - earlier its amplifiers looked different – see 300B (HF | № 50). The appearance of the Spirit model was in line with what is currently a standard for this class of devices – input and driver tubes in the front, behind them power tubes, and in the back, output and power transformers. In the Austrian amplifier, this array was slightly modified in such a way that the power tubes were positioned on the sides of the input ones, not behind them. After minor improvements – ultimately there were four tubes in the input stage, not three, and the KT88 operating mode switch was moved forward - the new version - Spirit II was launched. We had to wait much longer for the Spirit III, that is until 2010. In 2013, we tested its improved version III (New). It took Gerhard nine years to develop the Spirit V model. However, it seems it was worth the wait. GERHARD HIRT Owner, designer WOJCIECH PACUŁA: V is the fourth version of Spirit. GERHARD HIRT: Yes, there is no number „IV” in the series because the number 4 is associated with death in Asia. How and when did this project start? If I remember correctly Spirit was first introduced to the market in 2004. So roughly 15 years ago. The design is still similar to that of the first generation? No, not really. We started with power amplifier featuring a standard manual bias adjustment. It was a very simple circuit utilizing very simple technologies. We started to develop this product in 2003. It was our first non-SET amplifier. And our SETs were quite successful. Yet, the pressure from American market forced us to develop a simple, affordable, push-pull integrated amplifier. That's how it all started. Three Spirit generations – I, II and III. Spirit I was an immediate success. Some 3-4 years later we replaced it with second generation, the Spirit II. The design got a little bit more complex. Also this version was successful. And only then we began developing the Spirit III, that we based the latest model, Spirit V, on. And it was the III generation that was a true breakthrough for us. First of all, because in this version we introduced the Auto-Fixed-bias solution with accompanying protective circuits. It took us whole five years to develop it, as there was no information how to make such circuit in any textbook. This solution was a true engineering breakthrough also because none of this circuit's elements operate in signal's path. We've been selling the Spirit III for nine years! That's why you based the latest model on the Spirit III? Exactly. Several solutions we had developed for it turned out to be so good, that we could use them also for the new Spirit V. Obviously we looked for elements that could be further improved. But, to be honest, it was really difficult to do that. Considering the price range and the level of performance it was hard to find ways to improve this design further. We were not looking for ways to change the sound – that would be another story – but to improve it. And achieving real positive changes to the sound cost us years of hard work. We had to consider every tiny detail, prove-check every idea and ask ourselves, whether an improvement we achieved was actually good enough for the new model. Let's take, for example, output transformers - we have invested over a year working only to develop new once for the Spirit V. We had dozens of prototypes that we listened to one by one. And then each next step was equally tedious. The driver stage - we included in its design all our knowledge of tubes. But it is obvious that each section must work well with the ones surrounding it - the driver must match the input section, the output tubes, and even the output transformers. You can achieve proper results only in one way, by countless listening,sessions. Because measurements are only one side of this equation. One day you finish measuring and sit in front of the loudspeakers, asking yourself - what kind of sound moves me, what's working for me? And only then you start making real changes, and more and more changes. This amplifier was a real challenge for us. However, after all these years, after the success of the Spirit III model, we think that it will be a new milestone in this price range. It features two separate power transformers and the power supply is 50% bigger. Output transformers are the very core element of this amplifier, a milestone. When building the V model, we thought about it the same way we think when developing our single-ended amplifiers. The volume control has also been changed. We have slightly improved the bias control system, and we have also slightly changed the grounding system. There are a lot of such small changes. Once you've listened to it, you'll see that it sounds more like a SE amplifier than a push-pull. This is easy for me to say now, but getting these was extremely difficult. I hope that this amplifier will be part of our lineup for the next seven-eight years, maybe even nine :) Simply, considering its price, we've hit the wall with it. I don't think I could improve this design anymore. ▪ | SPIRIT V The Spirit III was a very good amplifier. As I wrote in its 2010 review (for "Audio" magazine), it was a solid, reliable device that deserved “B+”. Its successor (New), however, changed the game - its design utilized some solutions originally developed for the more expensive Triton III amplifier, and for the Eris preamplifier. In retrospect, however, it seems that something else was much more important - an improved version of the "Auto-fixed-bias" system and an advanced system that protects tubes. The III generation featured its fully automatic, new version for the first time. The Spirit V is based on it, taking from the III model everything that was best in it, adding to it some solutions from the most expensive amplifiers introduced to the lineup in the meantime and combining all these elements it into a new whole design. Let me say it again, as it is important - Spirit from the beginning was a very good amplifier. With time, its sound, reliability and functionality were improved. However, I always felt that Gerhard made it by putting together elements taken from more expensive amplifiers. It produced great results, but it has always been a product with a kind of flexible "suspension" between the individual modules. It worked great, but it was always sort of a "puzzle" put together of elements taken from other project. When I saw the Spirit V, when I touched it, turned it on, when I learned what was changed in it and how, when I finally listened to it, I knew that a certain stage had ended – it is a compact, well-thought-through design at every level - mechanical, electric, functional and - if I may say so - product's philosophy. Just a masterpiece. Front | Spirit V looks a lot like its great-great grandfather, the Spirit (I). Its chassis is made of solid aluminum panels and quarter-sides that form the sides. In the front there are two knobs - volume and input selector. You can notice the first difference right away though - the alphanumeric display is gone and instead there is a red LED on the knob indicating its position. Let me put it this way – an electronic (analog) volume control is a great, solid solution. But - Gerhard came to this conclusion based on numerous listening sessions - it can not replace a classic potentiometer. So he returned to the solution used for Models I and II, but in a newer version. And the LED? Its incorporation into the knob required many hours of designing work and many prototypes before the silicone sleeves of the power cables began to flex noiselessly and without getting damaged in a longer run. Also the input selector features a switch, not relays - it is another modification resulting from the listening sessions. Next to it, there are LEDs indicating a selected input, selected "Triode" or "Direct" mode, i.e. a direct power-in, bypassing the preamplifier tubes and potentiometer. Why would anyone need it? Gerhard mentions two possibilities - to use an even better external preamplifier in the future or to use the volume control in the SACD player (CD). Auto-fixed-bias | In the middle, between the knobs, there is a backlit company's logo. It is used to indicated the turn on and turn off phases – during them it blinks and the input signal is cut off. At that time the amplifier automatically measures the parameters of the output tubes and adjusts the anode and bias voltage for them. This is one of the advantages of the proprietary Auto-fixed-bias (AFB) solution, that Ayon Audio developed in-house. This is an advanced system that should be calibrated after purchase in customer's room as the amplifier must "learn" the voltage value feeding the amplifier and determine the tubes power supply parameters in relation to it. The point is that tubes operate at 85% of their current capabilities, and not - as in other amplifiers - at 75%. In order not to overload the tubes, they must be constantly monitored - which is what AFB ensures. An additional benefit is that the sound does not change as the tubes age. So the Spirit V is much more convenient to use - this is one of the things that I would like to particularly emphasize. Why? Because there are many people who love music, for whom listening to it is an important part of their life, who would like to try out a tube amplifier, feel its "magic" (real or imagined - this is another matter), but they are afraid of practical aspects of using tubes. They are not sure of their reliability, there are afraid of operation challenges, and a need of tubes replacement. These concerns are completely justified, but in this case pointless. When choosing a tube amplifier one makes a significant change, similar to the transition from audio files to vinyl records - it's about a completely different thinking about audio. And the Spirit V offers us an opportunity to make such a transition as painless and even joyful as possible. Rear | The rear panel of the amplifier looks like an audiophile's dream. First thing you may notice are high quality, easy to use WBT Nextgen speaker terminals, but after a while you will also notice elements that are quite rare in amplifiers - buttons, switches, and also an alphanumeric LED display. The latter placed in the front would presents volume level, and here it indicates the current operation and waiting time for Auto-fixed-bias and protection circuits. If one of the tubes has been damaged or if one of them is worn out, its number will be presented on the display. But I also mentioned switches. One of them, described as "Ground" allows you to choose the type of grounding of the amplifier, ie how the chassis connects to ground. This solution is taken from recording studios, I also use in the Spheris III preamplifier. Since in recent years the usage of "artificial" ground increased, the amplifier is equipped with a suitable socket. There is also a second switch - it is a novelty – one that allows user to adjust the amplifier's operation to the speakers one uses. Gerhard does not say exactly how, but only that that it changes output's damping. Let me remind you that a very similar solution, although in loudspeakers, was used by Mr. Karl-Heinz Finke - in the Borg. The switch in the Spirit V has three positions, one of which is for loudspeakers with impedance of 3 and 4 Ω, the other for those that drop below 3 Ω, and the middle setting does not make any changes to the output. Tubes | I've discussed the most important changes that you will find in the V model. But the first thing that strikes you is the output tubes. All previous versions featured KT88 tubes, while the version III (New) allowed user to also use more powerful ones, KT120 and even KT150. "Allowed" did not necessarily mean the it was "worth it". While the KT120 was operating within the range of the amplifier's parameters, the KT150 would have required a much more massive power supply. And that's what the latest version received. Gerhard says that the level of energy the amplifier is capable of delivering increased by 50%,, among other things due to the use of two large toroidal transformers in the power supply section. The power supply is so efficient that it required using a special system that would protect other devices in user's home against it, for example during a storm. So Ayon came out with proper protection circuit. The KT150 tubes come from the Russian company Tung-Sol, because it is their only manufacturer. Gerhard had access to them already one year before the official premiere and at that time he knew that this was the real successor of the KT88, and not - not so good, in my opinion - KT120. The preamplifier stage features the 12AX7 tubes, which is a big change - from the very first generation of the Spirit the 12AU7 tubes were used. As drivers for output tubes Ayon now uses twin NOS 6SN7 triodes, as opposed to previously used 6SJ7. The unit we received for test featured Russian tubes from 1966, the 6H8C (6N8S). | HOW WE LISTENED TO IT The amplifier was brought to me personally by Gerhard Hirt, the owner of Ayon Audio - he brought, calibrated the tubes and discussed the amplifier with me. He smiled at the sight of so many Ayons on my Finite Elemente rack - in addition to the Spirit V, there was also the CD-35 SACD player HF Edition (№ 1/50), a two-box Spheris III linear preamplifier and the HE-1 two-box headphone amp - and only the latter did not participate in the test. The Spirit V was compared directly to the "High Fidelity's" reference system consisting of the aforementioned preamplifier and the Soulution 710 power amplifier. Both amplifiers - tested and reference ones – drove the Harbeth M40.1 loudspeakers through the Siltech Triple Crown speaker cable. I also listened to Ayon on the using the Western Electric WA310 NOS cable and I have to say that it sounded really good. The tested amplifier was placed on the top shelf of the Finite Elemente Pagode Edition rack and was powered using the Hijiri SM2R "Sound Matter" cable. It was tested in both modes - pentode and triode, but the description of the sound concerns the triode mode. I included the differences between them in a separate frame. AYON AUDIO in "High Fidelity” Headphone amplifier TEST: Ayon Audio HA-3 – headphone amplifier Integrated amplifiers TEST: Ayon Audio CROSSFIRE III – integrated amplifier, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio SPIRIT III (NEW) – integrated amplifier, read HERE KRAKOW SONIC SOCIETY: Meeting No. 79 – the Ayon Audio KT88sx tubes, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio ORION II – integrated amplifier, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio SPARK DELTA – integrated amplifier, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio MERCURY II – integrated amplifier, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio 300B – integrated amplifier, read HERE Preamplifiers TEST: Ayon Audio Spheris III Linestage – line preamplifier TEST: Ayon Audio ORBIS – line preamplifier, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio Spheris II Linestage – line preamplifier, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio Polaris II – line preamplifier, read HERE Power amplifiers TEST: Ayon Audio SCORPIO MONO – power amplifier TEST: Ayon Audio ORTHOS XS – power amplifier, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio VULCAN II – power amplifier, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio TRITON MONO – power amplifier, read HERE Digital sources SPECIAL AWARD | HIGH FIDELITY – AYON AUDIO CD-35 – Super Audio CD player KRAKOW SONIC SOCIETY | Meeting No. 110: AYON AUDIO CD-35 HIGH FIDELITY EDITION – Super Audio CD player TEST + KRAKOW SONIC SOCIETY | VOL.2 | Meeting No. 105: AYON AUDIO CD-35 – Super Audio CD player TEST + KRAKOW SONIC SOCIETY | VOL.1 | Meeting No. 105: AYON AUDIO CD-35 – Super Audio CD player TEST: Ayon Audio SIGMA – digital-to-analogue converter, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio CD-3s + NW-T –CD player/DAC/preamplifier + audio file transport, read HERE KRAKOW SONIC SOCIETY: Meeting No. 80 – Gerhard Hirt and his S-3 (Ayon Audio), read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio SKYLLA – digital-to-analogue converter, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio CD-2s – Compact Disc player, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio CD-5s Special – Compact Disc player, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio CD-1s (in a system) – Compact Disc player, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio CD-1 – Compact Disc player, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio CD-3 – Compact Disc player, read HERE TEST: Ayon Audio CD-07 – Compact Disc player, read HERE Miscellaneous INTERVIEW: Gerhard Hirt, Ayon Audio – owner, read HERE Recordings used for the test (a selec- tion) Fusion. Best Sound Selection, sel. Yoshiro Obara, Stereo Sound SSRR-12, „Stereo Sound Reference Records”, SACD/CD (2019) Alexis Cole, A Kiss in The Dark, Chesky Records JD366, CD (2014) Halina Frąckowiak, Geira, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/GAD Records‎ GAD CD 095, Master-CD-R, (1977/2019) Pat Metheny Group, Offramp, ECM/Tower Records PROZ-1095, „ECM SA-CD Hybrid Selection”, SACD/CD (1982/2017) Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus , Prestige/Analogue Productions CPRJ 7079 SA, SACD/CD (1956/2014) Tame Impala, Currents, Universal Music Australia/Hostess 4730676J, CD (2015); The Beatles, Rubber Soul, Parlophone/Apple/Toshiba-EMI TOCP-51116, CD (1965/1998) Voo Voo, Za niebawem, Wydawnictwo Agora 5903111492953, CD (2019) [REKLAMA5] Let's see: the Spheris III preamplifier costs PLN 139 900, its power cable - the Acrolink Mexcel 7N-PC9500 - another 20,000 PLN, the interconnect connecting the preamplifier and power amplifier – the Acoustic Revive Absolute FM - adds to this amount 39,900 zlotys, and the whole amplification part of my system includes still the Soulution 710 amp that adds another PLN 130,000 (when it was sold). I will not even mention the anti-vibration platform and feet used under the Ayon preamplifier. In total it is, give or take, 330,000 zlotys for the amplifier itself. And the contender, the Spirit V costs 24,900 zlotys. How did it make me feel? First of all, I did not feel that I was losing something, I could not live without. The difference in sound was obvious, clear, immediate, but it was not even close to the absurd price difference. What's more - the character of the presentation that I have in my reference system was preserved. Not that the new Ayon amplifier pretended to be something that it wasn't, or that Gerhard Hirt tried to simulate the sound of the "High Fidelity" system in order to get a better result of this test (and it was planned as the official world premiere). If that were the case, if Gerhard did it "for me", my ego would grow to the size of an Olympic pool, and I could probably retire. However, this wasn't it. It's just the sound - I mean the sound understood in absolute terms – with the 'V' it is so good, so convincing that you need to listen to the more and more albums, it's a sound with high aesthetic qualities and, in addition, incredibly believable. Is it realistic? - This is a philosophical question, because the sound replayed mechanically is never truly realistic. In this sense, it is also not realistic in this case. It can be credible though, just like with the Spirit V. The sound of the new amplifier from Gratkorn in Austria is outstanding, not only in its price category. The device made a great impression on me, just like the Leben CS600X tested just a month before. However, it sounds different enough from the Japanese master that it will be easy to decide which device meets our expectations. I would also like to add that the Austrian integrated is much more versatile compared to the 600X. The sound of the Spirit V amplifier is very saturated. It's more and more often that I mention this quality in my reviews. But there is more to the Ayon - it offers a sound saturated in a beautiful, wise way. This is the thing I usually look for in the devices at the beginning, because it shows the capabilities of the device in terms of resolution and sound richness. Without it, we can only talk about "presentation", but certainly not about a "credible presentation." This is something that has been changing the fastest in high-end devices in recent years and it is an indicator of progress. It has also been changing in Ayon Audio devices - both digital and analog ones. So we get a very resolving and saturated sound. For beginner music lovers and audiophiles, one surprising thing is that at first it seems that the amplifier is not particularly detailed. Although in pentode mode it shows more details, you can still talk about "dark" sound. One in which everything has the right proportions, and the details do not attract attention to themselves. What's more important is the kind of "story" we get with consecutive albums, not the way of telling it. One listens to this story with real pleasure. Mainly because it is a warm, dense and smooth sound, and such comfort makes listening better, deeper, allows a deeper experience. Nothing distracts listener from music, neither the mechanical side of music reproduction or anything around us. But, unlike with the Leben, warmth and smoothness are only one side of the story, because the other is the high dynamics and perfect bass that we get with the Spirit V. The sound attack in the lower range is slightly rounded, but - to be honest – I liked it. Yes, in comparison with the Soulution 710 I could hear that it was after all a tube amplifier and one of not particularly high output. On the other hand, however, the differences were not large, I would say that within the conventional boundaries of "correctness" it is closer to my amplifier than many other devices. This is something really rare. The bass I'm talking about is deep and full. It allows for comfortable listening to a wide spectrum of music. It beautifully showed the acoustic bass on the Pat Metheny Group album entitled Offramp on the Tower Records SACD. It equally well presented the momentum, fullness and "width" of music from the Tame Impala's Currents, and this is just a regular CD release. The thing is that the low range is beautifully combined with a lower midrange. The amplifier doesn't artificially add weight to the bass, and yet it does impress from the very first moment. The midrange is very natural. I could say that it is "warm", but I do not know if it would be fully justified. Because this is true for the Leben's CS600X - it's a characteristic feature of this Japanese amplifier - and Ayon plays "wider", both in terms of timbre and dynamics, and thus focuses our attention on the midrange in lesser extend. Nothing here is presented closer to the listener or added weight to. The small, shown from a distance, Halina Frąckowiak's vocal from the Geira remaster remained quite small, it was not artificially enlarged, nor pushed closer to me. On the other hand, Ayon never brightens up the sound. Even in the Nowhere Man from the Rubber Soul by The Beatles, where the vocals were recorded quite high, and additionally in one channel, which made them quite “screamy”. The amplifier showed this feature, I could not listen to it very loudly, but after reducing the volume level to a reasonable level everything "clicked" into place and listening wasn't annoying anymore. The reviewed amplifier simply did a good job playing the track in an accurate way which was later confirmed by the Girl from the same album - air intake was natural, had a musical sense and did not jump out from the rest. | Trioda * tetroda In one of the tests of the Ayon amplifiers, one of the older models, the author declared that he didn't see the point in offering the tetrode mode, because the triode one was so good. I've never agreed with this attitude. I believe that excessive, artifact softening of the sound, adding weight to it by boosting the bass and midrange, as well as the rounding the attack at the top of the band are flaws, not advantages. And that's how many amplifiers modify the sound in triode mode. It was no different with Gerhard's amplifiers. In my opinion, they sounded better, in a more natural way in the pentode mode. This time it is different. The triode mode in the Spirit V is better balanced and more natural. It doesn't come at the cost of overly soft sound. The pentode mode offers a better control of low bass, stronger metal cymbals and also improves the contouring of the sound. This way it can handle difficult loudspeakers better or larger rooms - and this is an advantage, not a flaw. But if everything in our system is well organized, coherent, thought out, then the triode mode is the right one. It does not lack power, dynamics or passion. There is everything in there one can dream of. And there is no sense of the sound slowing down, or getting too hard. There is also a nerve, a strike, and a blow. It's just that everything is shown here as part of something bigger, within the framework of music. The pentode mode emphasizes these elements, which is why we start to pay attention to them. Let's get back, however, to the lack of brightness. Similarly, it is in an absolutely balanced and professional way, the voice of Alexis Cole from the A Kiss in The Dark was presented. This recording was made using the "artificial head", as binaural, on the so-called "hundred". To keep the right balance between the instruments and the vocalist, the instruments were moved further into the room, and Cole was positioned exactly in front of the "head" with microphones. The sound from the center is therefore small and fairly quiet, and the instruments, especially the saxophone, are presented as richer and fuller because there are long reverbs there too; the vocal is also much drier. Ayon presents such nuances effortlessly, does not make us focus on some single element. Drawing a full panorama, it put all the information in it, which allows listeners to create a complex picture in their heads. This is a very high level of performance, usually associated with advanced high-end devices. Because Spirit V is a high-end amplifier. It may not cost as much as other amplifiers in this group, but it has everything that they do: resolution, fullness, density, dynamics, and above all, it plays music in such a way that one can listen to it in a great comfort. Plus-minus | What can you expect, by going up the price list? The reference system sounds more focused and at the same time even more natural and soft. By focused I mean that the instruments have a more pronounced "bodies” that are more three-dimensional, while the Ayon slightly – but only sightly, compared to the much more expensive reference system – blurs them. My system also better conveys everything what happens deeper in the stage. Ayon is excellent in this respect, it is very good, but it can be done in an even better way. My three-box amplification has even more breath, even more internal peace, you can't have that for less money. | SUMMARY The reviewed Spirit V from Ayon Audio offered a high quality, refined performance. If someone tried to force me to choose between it and the Leben CS600X I would not be able to do it. On the other hand, it is the Spirit V that seems to me a much more versatile device, which while preserving everything that we get with Leben, adds even greater momentum and better dynamics. What's more, it is also more differentiating. And - it's important - it has much better protection for the tubes, which gives users exceptional comfort. As always, you will have to decide for yourself. This device offers a beautiful sound - in such cases as this one, one can see that progress in audio is real and that it is true that newer products are better performers than older ones. What you get here for PLN 25,000 is a true high end device. RED Fingerprint is a must in this case. To emphasize what Gerhard and his team managed to achieve this time, we decided to add a golden crown to it :) | DESIGN Mechanical design | Most details of the mechanical design, appearance and functionality have already been described. Now I shall add that knurled, large knobs look really cool and you should appreciate them - they are expensive to manufacture, that's why manufacturers are reluctant to use them. The idea for a placing a LED in the knob is not new, it is one of the oldest methods of indicating the volume, but an almost forgotten one - due to the usage of integrated resistor ladders, the manufacturers use displays to present information regarding volume level. And again - such a diode is a big technological challenge, which is why it is reluctantly used by producers. Electric design | But it's time to tell you more about the electric design of this amplifier. The entire amplifying stage is made up of tubes operating in class A, triodes and beam tetrodes operating in triode mode (one of the grids is grounded). The power supply is a solid-state one, but it is one of the secret ingredients of this amplifier; the other is the automatic bias system and control of tubes parameters. The base of the power supply are two, very large toroidal transformers, placed one above the other in a large housing behind the tubes. After rectifying the voltage, it is filtered in a classic Pi-type choke, consisting of capacitors and chokes - power tubes and a preamplifier section feature separate chokes. The heating voltage is rectified and regulated - again both, for the preamplifier and for the power amplifier. All power supply is controlled by a microprocessor. The company gave the name to this solution "Intelligent Auto-Fixed-Bias" (AFB). This is the Ayon Audio's crown jewel. If I say that almost the entire interior of the device is one big power supply with protection systems, it won't that much of an exaggeration. The power supply is based on two large toroidal transformers, enclosed in a housing outside, and they are supported by two, chokes hidden inside. The AFB occupies several small PCBs, among them there are also PCBs with relays that switch on the individual voltages for the input and output tubes. All systems have been assembled on printed circuit boards - but not on a few large ones, and on many small ones, separate for each subsystem. It makes servicing job (if necessary) easier, but also physically separates individual sections. The amplification circuit itself is relatively small. From the inputs signal goes to a small PCB with relays, then to the Alps potentiometer in the front panel and from there to the input tubes. The signal is transferred via SoundKlang microphone cables. The individual stages are coupled with small Mundorf propylene capacitors from the MCap series. The design of this amplifier is complex, but the complication applies mainly to the power supply section. The amplification circuit itself is relatively simple. There are a lot of cables, PCBs and circuits there - the whole has been arranged in a very good way. Remote control | The RC-4A remote control can be used with several Ayon devices – my Spheris III preamplifier included. It is small, made of aluminum, and it sports just five buttons. Two of them allow you to adjust volume level, one is for mute function, and the other two are used to select a sort of device one wants to use the remote with. ■ Technical specifications (according to manufacturer) Frequency range: 10 Hz – 60 kHz (-3 dB) Output: • pentode mode: 2 x 65 W • triode mode: 2 x 40W Input sensitivity (@ full power): 500 mV Input impedance (1 kHz): 100 kΩ NFB: 0 dB Volume control: Alps pot Remote control: yes Inputs: 3 x RCA, 1 x XLR, 1 x Direct In Outputs: 1 x Pre out Dimensions (W x D x H): 480 x 370 x 250 mm Weight: 33 kg [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/ayon/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/ayon/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/ayon/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/ayon/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/ayon/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/ayon/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/ayon/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/ayon/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/ayon/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/ayon/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/ayon/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/ayon/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/ayon/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/ayon/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/ayon/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/ayon/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/ayon/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/ayon/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1906/ayon/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1906/ayon/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1906/ayon/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

am sometimes ashamed of how little we know about audio, how little we understand about it. We fly to the Moon, we are getting ready to fly to Mars, we have quite good knowledge of how the universe is changing and what its structure is, we have found thousands of planets that are similar to the Earth and we have finally “seen” a black hole, but we still cannot comprehend what (often) negative or (sometimes) positive impact a little wire, a piece of wood or aluminum foil, etc., have on the sound of recordings. Perhaps the problem lies in our pride. Engineers “know” exactly what has impact on sound and scientists perfectly “understand” how an audio circuit works. So, they do not have to make any more effort, as the knowledge that has been delivered to them is enough. Audiophiles look down on both, as only they really “know”. Fortunately, there are still both engineers and scientists who have decided to confront the knowledge with reality. What is more, when confronted with such unbelievably rich spectrum of possibilities offered by the world of perfectionist audio, they look for new ways and fresh solutions. Many of them finally find jobs with the best companies offering high-end products. | QPOINT There are quite a lot of such companies in the market, although it is not instantly noticeable how they differ from other firms that are equally reliable but use rather proven or, one might say, conventional solutions. Nordost is a shining star among them, attracting our attention by a fantastic match of reliable scientific knowledge with equally reliable knowledge of audio. So, from time to time it comes up with solutions that would never cross the minds of other people and that seem weird even to seasoned audiophiles. The company’s latest product is the QPoint, a small device placed under or on top of an audio device, designed to eliminate electromagnetic noise: The QPOINT Resonance Synchronizer emits a subtle field which manipulates all electromechanical resonances within its immediate proximity so that they resonate in unison with each other. By syncing these resonances, the QPOINT eliminates internal electrical noise, enhancing the coherency and timing that is typically lacking in even the most high-end audio systems. www.nordost.com/qrt/qpoint-resonance-synchronizer.php What is the QPoint? | To cut a long story short, it is an electromagnetic wave generator, although the company name is “Resonance Synchronizer”. Wave frequency, intensity and distribution have been selected on the basis of measurement and then listening sessions. The theoretical basis is scarcely given by the manufacturer and, as I understand it, it is part of “knowledge protected” from copying. However, it would be useful to have something like a white paper that would give us more information. We can find a few tips online at the company’s FAQ page, but it is not the same as a scientific paper. Anyway, the QPoint is a small (127 mm D x 26 mm H) aluminum cylinder with an acrylic top, powered by an 5 V DC external wall power supply. It is not the first device of this type available in the market. Let me remind you that the Acoustic Revive company has for many years been offering the REM-8 model (2,390 PLN), a battery-powered generator that is placed under the transformer. It has been used for many years by Janusz, the host of Krakow Sonic Society meetings. The Synergistic Research company also offers its own version of an active circuit of this type, the Tranquility Base platform. The QPoint is a more complex product, however. In order to make it possible to use it in all commercially proposed audio devices, including transistor, tube, digital and analogue ones, and even to match the effect to the needs of an individual user, the system has two operational modes – I and II – emitting unique types of an electromagnetic field, lowering the noise level in different ways and thus emphasizing different elements in sound. The company describes it in the following way: “these modes make it possible to emit fields of two slightly different kinds (bpms)”. A user can switch between them and have influence on sound in this way. In Mode I, a blue micro LED light is illuminated at the front, while in Mode II – a green one. Workmanship | The device is beautifully made of sandblasted anodized aluminum and nicely packed. Attention has been paid to such details as the connection between the power supply unit cable and the device itself – it is an excellent, probably the best connection (plug and socket) available in the market, manufactured by the Swiss LEMO company. Taking the QPoint out of the box is a real pleasure – as it can be seen, some audio companies have done their homework “thrown” into the audio world by Steve Jobs and know how important it is what the product looks like, as well as are aware of the fact that we, clients, want to feel special, as if we were being given a gift. The QPoint belongs to a family of products that has been called QRT by the Nordost company – it is a modular system. It means that we can start with one product, e.g. the QPoint, and then add more of the elements to the system. The first step towards reaching this aim might be buying one, two or even three more QPoint devices. The next step will consist in replacing the included inexpensive power supply units with the QSource, a line power supply unit designed for six receivers. Next, we can connect artificial ground, a product called the QKore, to the ground terminal in the QSource, using special QLine ground wires. Finally, we can place the QSource and QKore on Sort Kone anti-vibration feet. Such a system was used during the High End 2019 exhibition in Munich (a photo below). | THE WAY WE LISTENED The device is perfectly made. A round leather mat is included. We can place the device on it, if we do not want to scratch the surface below. I did not want to, so I used it during the test. We can read in the user manual that the company suggests we first place the device on or under a preamp (or an integrated amplifier). Going down the hierarchy, there are digital sources, then an analogue source and, finally, an integrated amplifier. Attention is paid to the fact that the effects may differ depending on the specific system, so it needs to be experimentally tested. One can also use a few QPoint devices under one product – the effects will add up. As we are testing the Nordost device as part of our special edition devoted to CD players, I investigated how it works with my digital source, the SACD Ayon Audio CD-35 HF Edition (№ 1/50) player placed on the pneumatic Acoustic Revive RAF-48H platform, the platform standing on the upper shelf of the Finite Elemente Pagode Edition rack. I checked how the QPoint operates in both modes. NORDOST in “High Fidelity” TEST: Nordost LS PURPLE FLARE | speaker cable TEST: Nordost WHITE LIGHTNING | analogue RCA interconnect Recordings used for the test (a selec- tion) Bogdan Hołownia, Chwile, Sony Music Polska 5052882, „Pre-Mastering Version”, Master CD-R (2000) Chet Baker, Baker’s Holiday, Verve Records B0003279-16/SUHD 009960, Test Press SACD (1965/2004) Depeche Mode, Construction Time Again, Mute/Rhino Records | Reprise Records | Sire, “Collectors Edition”, Promo CD-R+DVD-R (1983/2007) Nat ‘King’ Cole, The Nat King Cole Love Songs, Master Tape Audio Lab AAD-245A, „Almost Analogue Digital”, Master CD-R (2015); Polish Jazz Quartet, Polish Jazz Quartet, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/Warner Music Poland, „Polish Jazz | vol. 3”, Master CD-R (1965/2016); [REKLAMA5] The impact that this small device has on sound is obvious, in the sense that one can hear quite well that sound changes. However, it is less obvious how the QPoint does it. It is neither a product that introduces dramatic changes, nor one that transforms a system with problems into one without problems. According to what I hear, it is a product designed to complement and give the finishing touch to what is already good. If we approach it this way, the QPoint may appear to be one of the most valuable improvements to our system, even something indispensable. When I placed it under the Ayon player, sound became more noble. Not that I had missed anything in this respect before – on the contrary, I think that nobility is something that my system does not lack at all. However, with the blue (I will return to this later) Nordost LED light shining from under the player, the sound of the piano from Bogdan Hołownia’s Chwile… album was much deeper and softer. It was softness resulting from the natural sound of the piano played with strong emphasis on the pedal and suppressed – the QPoint showed it better than it was shown when the device was not in the system. The nobility that I have recalled is born where sounds come into contact with each other, not within sounds themselves. The QPoint does not change sound as such, i.e. we will not get more bass, treble, dynamics or space (name anything that your system lacks) with it. The device has impact on how sounds sound together, how they interact. However, because of this, it seems that there is more of everything and that everything is more ordered than before. When I got used to the sound of my player with the QPoint, each time I switched it off, the sound became more chaotic, smaller and brighter. After I had placed the device under the player, the sound of the system was more mature and tranquil. I am not talking about tranquility that is devoid of emotions, but tranquility that is full of anticipation. I was sitting in front of the speakers and listening to music, and it was simply a more pleasant and nicer experience with the QPoint. It seems to me that this is mainly about quieting something that had earlier been present “under” sound – some “anxiety” that had made the background a little blurred and dominated by the events in front of me. The American device changed it in a way that enabled me to hear better what was behind the instruments – reverberation on Hołownia’s album or the orchestra behind Nat ‘King’ Cole’s large vocal from the Love Songs album. The most interesting modification, however, pertains to tone color. I have just said that the QPoint does not change sound – and it is really so. However, it changes the way we perceive sound. It is perfectly audible that the musical message with the Nordost device in the system is darker, but at the same time clearer. “But what does that mean?” – you will ask. Well, it means that sound becomes deeper and the sound attack is less emphasized, yet differentiation is better. So, on the one hand, sound becomes darker and, on the other hand, more open. I would say this is an effect similar to what we get when we replace an ordinary power cable with a better one, with a good conductor material, screened, with decent plugs. Everything becomes instantly darker and denser with a specialized cable. It may seem to us for some time that we have lost the dynamics somewhere, as the new sound seems to be calmed down and to lack sparkle. After some time, when the detox starts having an effect, we will notice that what we had regarded to be dynamics was simplistic battering, while what we had thought of as detail was simple clamor. Very similar changes, though on a slightly smaller scale, take place in a system where the QPoint is placed. Sound becomes more serious, deeper and more nuanced. The treble is more fluid, darker, but much better articulated – we do not have to listen too carefully to distinguish small elements in the musical message. It was like this with the beautiful recording of the Baker’s Holliday album and with the music that, as it may seem, does not recognize such nuances, i.e. Depeche Mode’s Construction Time Again. In both cases, I could hear the role of reverberations applied onto the vocals better, while instruments in the treble sounded silkier. Finally, there is space. It is a thing that we will probably pay our attention to at the end, but it is one of the most important areas for this product. It is because the QPoint brings order into the world of recordings, introduces some kind of tranquility into them, but this is tranquility based on certainty and not on being asleep. What is shown on the sound planes further away from us, like the orchestra behind Cole’s vocal, Gahan’s and Gore’s voices, or the percussion from Hołownia’s album – it was all yet further away with the QPoint, but at the same time more distinct and clearer. As the Nordost device also improves bass focus, the sound stage seems larger and more solid. Mode I vs Mode II The QPoint offers two operational modes, intended to help us adjust it to a given device. One can hear the difference between them – after hearing what the QPoint did to the sound of my player, I have not doubted that even for a moment. Despite that, I was surprised with the scale of these differences. It is because (beware!) in Mode II, i.e. with the green LED light on, the sound became more subdued, as if someone had put a compressor on the whole thing. It is obvious that I am exaggerating, but only because these differences were enormous for me. The sound was even darker then, even more elegant, but not dynamic enough. So, the whole test was carried out in Mode I. However, it may be exactly the opposite with you – there is no “good” or “bad” setup here. There is setup that is “compatible” with our device and setup that is “incompatible” – outside the domain of good and bad. | Conclusions A little over 3,000 PLN for a product that belongs to the “accessories” category is a lot of money. We could buy a very decent integrated amplifier, a nice turntable or cool loudspeakers for it. However, if we all thought this way, there would be no progress and we would still deal with the basic problems, being afraid of “what people would say”. Fortunately (I am being honest here), there are companies such as Nordost that risk and show us new ways – paths that we can follow to escape such vicious circles. So, I treat the QPoint as a fully fledged device, as valuable as anti-vibration feet, a power strip, platforms, etc. These are not “additions”, but as important elements of the audio system as any other ones. If we think about the Nordost generator in this way, it will appear that life is not possible without it. I have got used to it and to what it does to the sound of my player so fast and so strongly that I experienced physical pain when I was putting the device back into the box. Do not do it – if you have a really great system, borrow one QPoint with a strong resolution to buy it. And then buy yourselves another and yet another one. Finally, replace their power supply unit with the QSource. In this way, you will build a parallel system that will “condition” your devices – one that will survive each and every change to your main system. It is a beautiful example of rational engineering serving music and for that, it gets the red (as red as the passion that constitutes the driving force for these activities) REDFingerprint. ■ [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/nordost/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/nordost/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/nordost/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/nordost/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/nordost/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/nordost/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/nordost/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/nordost/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/nordost/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

⌈ GRYPHON is a Danish company, a „child” of Flemming E. Rasmussen. It was founded in 1986, and its first commercial product was a „head amp” for MC cartridges. The products are quite characteristic and all belong to the top-high-end category. What catches the eye is not only an extremely solid made and finish but also a beautiful logo – a griffin, a mythical creature with a body of a lion and a head and wings of an eagle. ⌋ RYPHON is one of the few audio companies with a perfectly refined aesthetics of their products and press materials. Even less often we can read about them from illustrated monographs - and this is the case with this manufacturer: Albert L. Jones, Gryphon Unplugged. 25 Years of Gryphon Audio Designs (2010). For Flemming E. Rasmussen, form and content constitute an indivisible whole and only together they create a finished product, something really valuable, which will carry this value over time and will not let it fade. The reason is as simple as it is complicated: Rasmussen's career is not a typical career of a technician, manager, etc. He is a graduate of Aarhus Art Academy, has a diploma in painting and photography, and after graduating he taught graphic, painting and photography students. His next job combined his graphic and business skills - he became the head of the design department of the largest Scandinavian company producing clothes for athletes. After being promoted to the position of factory director, he quit his job and devoted himself to audio as a distributor. In an interview titled An Oral History of the Gryphon he said: "I've never been involved in reasonable matters and common sense has no place in high-end." This year, Gryphon's owner celebrates his 70th birthday. This company's devices cannot be mistaken for any other product. They are made with the precision that we usually expect from the best components from Japan or Switzerland. They also have a vivid artistic design and a form that others can only envy. These devices resemble modern sculptures, which only by accident are also top products for playing music. Scorpio S, Compact Disc player is one of them. | Scorpio S Scorpio S had unique predecessors. It all began with the Tabu CDP-1 model from 1998. It was a huge player with 24/88.2 synchronous upsampling - it was something that changed later. In subsequent generations of players Danish manufacturer always used asynchronous upsampling. Nominally, it was not a CD player, but an HDCD, because it was equipped with this type of decoder. It was the first integrated CD player featuring upsampling in the world. The next step was the model released in November 2001 in which the company used 24/96 asynchronous upsampling. As a result, separate clocks were used for the drive and the digital section, which made these sections independent of each other. After refining this technology, the Mikado model (September 2003) appeared, in which 32/192 upsampling was implemented and which was a top-loader player with a characteristic, large lid. Its artistic photo was later featured on the cover of the monograph I mentioned. The next step was the special version of this device, Mikado Signature (September 2008). In January 2009, that is a year later, the company proposed a slightly cheaper Scorpio model. It just so happens that in Gryphon's lineup there was always only one CD player, being de facto a reference player. So for the first time we were dealing with a new situation, because the company offered two models - the flagship Mikado Signature and Scorpio. In 2017, AKM stopped the production of AK4397EQ D/A converters, and this model was designed around them, and therefore a newer version was developed based on AKM AK4490EQ chips - that's how the Scorpio S model was created. This is a large, solid device, made of aluminum plates, with an acrylic front, under which there is a display and touch buttons controlling the device. Unlike previous players, the Scorpio S features a classic drawer as it is not a top-loader. It stands on four, high feet that give him a predatory look. The device is to visually match the Diablo and Atilla amplifiers. In describing his designs, Rasmussen emphasizes several main assumptions. These include: class A operation, dual-mono design, selected components, wide frequency response and signal amplification in balanced systems. That's why the Scorpio S has only one pair of analog outputs - the XLR ones. Next to it there is a S/PDIF digital output, but a BNC socket, not an RCA one. It is preceded by a matching transformer, which ensures that the link has a nominal impedance of 75 Ω, i.e. required by the S/PDIF standard. As it reads in the company materials, Scorpio S inherits most of the DNA from the Mikado Signature model. Its full name is: Scorpio S Upsampling CD Player, because the 32/192 upsampling is an important part of its digital system. Cirrus Logic CS8421 was used for this - it cannot be turned off. It works with four AKM AK4490EQ stereo chips, connected in parallel to reduce distortion and noise (by 3 dB). The device features also a nice, handy remote control – similar to the one offered by another, Swiss company Soulution. | HOW WE LISTENED TO IT The Gryphon Scorpio S player was compared to a reference device costing more than twice as much, the Ayon Audio CD-35 HF Edition (№ 1/50). The was placed on the top shelf of the Finite Elemente Pagode Edition rack and was powered using the Hijiri SM2R "Sound Matter" cable. I conducted a separate test comparing it to a two-box system, consisting of a CEC TL2 N transport and a digital-to-analog converter and file player in one, the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge. In the "High Fidelity" reference system other components are almost always tested using an unbalanced RCA connection. My observations show that it almost always gives better results. I use three RCA cables: Siltech Triple Crown, Crystal Cable Absolute Dream and Acoustic Revive RCA-1.0 Absolute. This time I couldn't use them because Gryphon only has XLR balanced outputs. I used Acoustic Revive XLR-1.5 Absolute cables to connect the reference player and the tested player. It was an A/B comparison with the A and B known. The music samples were two minutes long, but I also listened to whole albums. GRYPHON in “High Fidelity” REVIEW: Gryphon DIABLO | integrated amplifier Recordings used for the test (a selec- tion) | ‘80. Depeche Mode, Speak&Spell, Mute/Sony Music Labels SICP-30535, Blu-spec CD2 (1981/2014) Enya, Enya, BBC Entertainment BBC CD 605, CD (1987) George Michael, Faith: Special Edition, Epic/Sony Music753202, 2 x CD + DVD (1987/2010) Michael Jackson, Thriller. 25th Anniversary Edition, Epic/Sony Music Japan EICP-963-4, CD+DVD (1982/2008) | Jazz Art Pepper, Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, Contemporary Records/JVC VICJ-42524, K2 CD (1957/2006) MAP feat. Krzesimir Dębski, Groovoberek, AC Records ARC 012, Master CD-R (2019) Nat ‘King’ Cole, The Nat King Cole Love Songs, Master Tape Audio Lab AAD-245A, „Almost Analogue Digital”, Master CD-R (2015); The Poll Winners, The Poll Winners, Contemporary Records/JVC JVCXR-0019-2, XRCD (1957/1988) | All the rest Miracula. Medieval Music for Saint Nicholas, wyk. Ensemble Peregrina, Agnieszka Budzińska-Bennet, Tacet 213, CD (2014); Leonard Cohen, Popular Problems, Sony Music Labels SICP-4329, CD (2014); Radiohead, Amnesiac, Parlophone/EMI 5327672, CD (2001) Royal Blood, Royal Blood, Warner Music UK/Warner Music Japan WPCR-15889, CD (2014); [REKLAMA5] I divided Gryphon's listening session into three parts. In the first one I wanted to hear how it will handle the lower quality material. I chose albums from the 1980s, recorded on multiple tracks, usually highly compressed, with not quite convincing, contemporary remasters. In the second part I focused on high quality jazz recordings. Here, I meant to determine what the player does with the material when there are no excuses. And finally I listened to various recordings, quite randomly, to find myself in a situation typical of a classical music lover. | ‘80 Gryphon's sound is not easy to define. Understanding it comes with time, and with time you can start to evaluate it. And this is because it combines several features, usually found in various products and - seemingly - mutually exclusive. It was particularly clear with recordings from the 80s. You see, it wasn't a particularly good time when it comes to recording technique, and on the other hand the music that shaped me comes from this period. The sound from this period is usually bright and irritating. Not always, but it often is - especially in the CD version. The Gryphon player played these discs without trying to eliminate these problems. I mean - it showed them as they were. It was faithful to the signal it read and I did not have the impression that it was trying to manipulate me, modifying it so that I "liked" it, so that it was "pleasant". So there was a tonal balance shifted up on George Michael's Faith, a hard attack on Michael Jackson's Thriller and clear details on Depeche Mode's debut album Speak & Spell. It's just that Scorpio S did something with these discs that made me listen to them with curiosity, interest, and then - when I turned off the "reviewer" mode for a moment - also with pleasure. At first I didn't know what was going on. The "naked truth", that is, how usually the disadvantages of these recordings are exposed, if the device can not put them in context, is deadly for them. The Danish player did a trick, which I know from devices directed towards music, not technique: it did not bring out problems, and civilized them. This is not a device with some outstanding resolution - in which it resembles the dCS Rossini - and it is focused rather on the music as a whole, not necessarily on the details. Despite this, we get an open and rhythmic sound with it. Photographic from the Depeche Mode's album, Billie Jean from Jackson's, or One More Try by Michael had a beat, power, rhythm. The treble was strong, clear, not foggy, which gave them a glow. On the one hand, its sound is open, and on the other, it seems to show us the better side of these recordings by rounding the sound attack, by sweetening it. Along with this there was also high dynamics, which is rare when an attack is “polished”. You will never get bored with this player. This smoothing, which I could compare to the transition from standard aluminum discs to gold ones, however, resulted in a smooth, pleasant presentation. It was full, clear and slightly soft sound. It turned out great with Enya's music from her debut album (which was released in the same year as George Michael's Faith). I got a wide perspective with it with the stage expending deep behind the speakers. | Jazz Everything I wrote about above repeated when I listened to jazz. First of all, I received the rhythm as convincing as with previous recordings. This is especially important when we are dealing with the best drummers in the history of popular music, because problems in this respect mean cutting out half of the emotions from this type of music. The Gryphon makes the music vibrate, in the sense that it saturates it with small emotions that make up the sound that "pulls" forward. The tonality has also been very well preserved. This is smooth, very smooth sound with an open treble. Now I could however hear better that it was "gilded" and smoothed. The The Polly Winners album was recorded with a lot of noise, which Alan Yoshida remastering the material for the XRCD release, fortunately, did not cut out. Gryphon presented this feature, but slightly withdrawn. There were still strong cymbals, a lot of air, but it was also easy to understand that this is a device that tries to show a better world than it really is. without being pushy, without imposing its perspective on us, but still proposing it. I assume that the thing is how the leading edge is shown - it is slightly smoothed, and the lower the band, the softer, more pleasant it is. The player sounds open on one side, which was perfectly demonstrated by Art Pepper's album entitled Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, with an explosive treble, on the other hand, sounds soft and forgiving, which was again confirmed by listening to the Master CD-R with Nat 'King' Cole recordings. The vocal was large and full on it - as I expected, and the orchestra was slightly warmed up and smoothed, which made it work well with the voice. Three-dimensionality with lots of air – that's what comes to mind after few days of listening to the reviewed component. At the same time, it preserves a large volume of sound and perfectly shows the strong foreground – like on the aforementioned Cole - it also offers an excellent sound stage, deep and wide. The size of the instruments is preserved really well and only the most expensive players do something more, showing the body of the instruments better, going into details more without taking them away from the main sounds. | All the rest Gryphon turned out to be a very coherent device - it plays all types of music in the same way. It does not choose and uses its measure both with jazz recordings and strong rock under from the Royal Blood, and with electronics by Radiohead from the Amnesiac, and even with the classical music. It shows a great rhythm, has a deep, full sound and builds deep soundstage. The whole has a low center of gravity, although it does not go very low in the bass. This range is dense and warm rather than tight. The tonal balance is captured really well, it's just a nice sound. | SUMMARY Although with the Gryphon we do not get the deepest bass, like with the dCS Vivaldi player or reference player, you can't really hear it - due to a slight lowering of the midrange and smoothness of all subranges. These are well-chosen features that result in a beautifully presented music. Without being to analytical, that is, without going into details, and yet offering us a full satisfaction. This is an extremely well made and beautiful sounding device from a man who combined art and engineering. In a unique form - it will be the ornament of any system, both in terms of sound and appearance. The Gryphon Scorpio S Compact Disc player is a product by Flemming E. Rasmussen, no doubts about it. It is black, massive and looks "militant". Made of aluminum plates, the chassis is reinforced from the inside with additional aluminum panels (bottom) and a screen that separates the display and its logic circuit from the audio systems. Front and rear | The front is made entirely of acrylic plate in an aluminum frame. There are no manipulators anywhere, and this is because all of them are hidden under the acrylic – there are touch buttons and the information can be read on the VFD (vacuum fluorescent display) display with four lines and twenty characters. In the middle, quite low, you can see a CD drawer. It is retracted relative to the front and has a characteristic ribbed reinforcement – the idea was to lower the center of gravity of the drive and strengthen this part of the housing. The back is almost empty. There are only the analog XLR and BNC digital outputs, both sourced from the Swiss company Neutrik; XLR pin 2 is hot. On the other side, as far away as possible, there is an IEC power socket integrated with the fuse. The mechanical power switch is placed underneath, at the front edge - just like in my Ayon. Inside | The device features beautifully made, thought-out electronics. The drive was placed in a part of the chassis that is lowered in relation to the rest. As I said, I assume that it was on the one hand to shield the electronics that is underneath the drive, and on the other to lower its center of gravity, which always has a good effect on mechanical stability. The drive was prepared by the Austrian specialist StreamUnlimited and is exactly the same as the one in the dCS Rossini. This is the JPL-2800 SilverStrike model, in which the body is plastic, but was fastened with a metal shield. What's more, the drawer tray is cast and has steel pins on the sides that stiffen the whole and move inside Teflon guides. The rigidity of the tray is crucial, otherwise it vibrates and interferes with the signal reading. Mechanics come from the Taiwanese company ASATech. All electronics, including the power supply, are mounted on one PCB. The company says it uses plates with a very thick copper layer. After reading the signal from the disc, it is sent to the upsampler section. You can see here the Cirrus Logic CS8421 chip and two beautiful, mechanically and thermally stabilized clocks. The PCM 32/192 signal prepared in this way is sent to four AKM AK4490EQ stereo D/A chips. This is the top chip from this manufacturer, belonging to the "Velvet Sound" series. And there are four such chips because they work in parallel, reducing quantization distortions and noise. This type of solution is found from time to time in high-end products. What's interesting, however, is that in Scorpio S the signal is not added up right after the DAC section, but is processed in eight separate runs and is summed up only at the very end, before the outputs. The I/U conversion, gain and filtration are performed in transistors operating in class A, without feedback. The output features a simple, 1st order analogue filter. The transistors, although surface mounted, heat up a lot - so a large heat sink was installed especially for them. The system also features very good capacitors, for example, silver-plated, polypropylene Wima. The power supply is based on three toroidal transformers from the renown Noratel company. Two of them feed the analog part, one the digital and the drive. The power supply of the analog section is provided separately for the left and right channels, thus creating a dual-mono system. You can see there are fast Shottky diodes and a lot of capacitors smoothing out grid ripples. There are also separate, advanced power supplies for a display, drive and upsampler. Remote | I have already mentioned it - it is a handy unit. Access to the buttons is convenient. In addition to the basic commands, the remote also controls the brightness of the display and can also control the amplifier of this company. Great job! ■ Technical specifications (according to manufacturers) Nominal output signal: 4 V Nominal output impedance: 20 Ω S/N (A-weighted): < -107 dB THD + N: 0.0035% Frequency range: 0-96 kHz (-3 dB) Power consumption: standby 5 W | max. 40 W Weight (W x H x D): 480 x 135 x 453 mm Weight: 9.6 kg [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/gryphon/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

⌈ The Japanese company C.E.C. Was founded in 1954, hence this year it celebrates their 65th anniversary. For many years it was primarily an OEM manufacturer, supplying various turntable components such as motors, bearings and suspensions for other brands, for example for SME and Oracle. In 1991 however, it presented an invention that defined it for many years to come – a belt mechanism for a Compact Disc drive. For this review we received the latest product, TL2N CD Transport. ⌋ he Compact Disc Transport itself in 2019 could seem like something from a different era, even more anachronistic than - a one hundred years older - turntable. It could but it is not. Life is unpredictable and just like the vinyl record was rehabilitated in a moment when it almost disappeared from the market, a CD transport suddenly returned too when most music lovers crossed it off already. As a result of the new trend, this type of transport is offered by companies such as Pro-Ject, Primare and Cambridge Audio, known from their complete or integrated low to mid-price level CD players. The reason for this resurrection is quite unexpected: most of the integrated amplifiers are now – no pun intended - integrated with D/A converters, and usually also with audio file players. This is because we are witnessing a shift in the interest of audiophiles from computers as audio sources towards file players. Manufacturers can therefore propose a "pure" transport from which one can send a signal directly to such an amplifier or to external D/A converter. And, I think, it also turns out that the Compact Disc format is in most cases competitive even with hi-res files in terms of sound quality, and usually even outperforms them. You can say I'm crazy or delusional, but that's how I see it. | Belt Drive CD A Compact Disc is a plastic or glass disc in which so-called "pits" are extruded. A layer of metal reflecting the laser beam covers the surface of such disk. Unlike in case of the LP standard presented by Columbia in 1948, the beginning of the disc is located on the inside of the disc (earlier records groove could start from outside or inside the disc). The more important difference, however, concerns the reading speed - the LP disc spins at a constant speed, and thus the signal reading speed decreases as the disc center approaches. CD read speed is constant - Constant Linear Velocity; CLV - therefore the disc must spin the slower the closer we are to its end, i.e. the outer edge. Therefore, one of the most important tasks of a CD transport is to determine the precise rotational speed at each point of the disc and for each of these points it is different. Apart from C.E.C transports, all other CD transports are of the so-called "Direct Drive" type. The disc is placed in them on a plate that is mounted directly on the axis of the drive motor. This is a proven, reliable solution, but it has a disadvantage - the vibrations from the motor are transferred directly to the CD, and the electromagnetic noise is transferred to the optical reading system. Most engineers will say that it doesn't matter because the error reduction systems implemented in the CD standard do not allow mechanical and electrical interference to affect the signal. I will quote the classic: "whoever has ears, let him find out for oneself." C.E.C. Cut teeth on turntables, primarily on their drive systems. The idea of stable disc rotation was, therefore, no stranger to it, and the company employed engineers with open minds and eager to experiment - even if they seemed to go against the current dogma. So they assumed that reading a digital signal from a CD is essentially a process similar to reading a signal from vinyl record. And if so, a significant improvement in sound would be achieved by using a belt drive similar to what we know from turntables. Because, the vast majority of top turntables feature this type of design. This is how a Belt Drive CD was created - a transport in which torque from the motor axis is transferred to the axis on which we place a CD using a drive belt. In the top TL0 3.0 transport, but also in the tested TL2 N, the optical module is also moved by means of a belt. Since in such a system a much more powerful motor can be used than in classic players, the axle is a part of a large shaft, delivering torque, and the disc is pressed with a heavy CD stabilizer. And this again sends us back to the gramophone technique. The first player in which the CEC used the belt drive was the TL1 transport - today a cult device. | TL2 N The TL2 N model is still the latest product of this company, despite the fact that two years have passed since its premiere. The next one to come is a matching digital-to-analog converter. This is a top-loader with a manually operate lid; that is made of darkened plastic. When the device was introduced one special feature was pointed out - although it is a model from the '2' series, it features drive with two belts, same as the top transport '0'. Apart from this, the device looks like any other CD transport. On the front there is a small display, as well as five control buttons and a sixth to turn it on and off. Next to the display, information on the device's operation are illuminated in blue. Two of them relate to upsampling. The digital signal available on three outputs - RCA, TOSLink and AES / EBU - can be upsampled to 24 bits and 88.2 or 176.4 kHz. Upsampling | Why not 96 and 192 kHz, as others do? It's a half technical and half philosophical choice. Technically, this choice is justified by the fact that we sample the signal from CDs, i.e. with a sampling frequency of 44.1 kHz, and 88.2 and 176.4 kHz are simple multipliers, by 2 and by 4. In this case we are talking about synchronous upsampling. Philosophical, because other engineers think it is better to upsample the signal asynchronously. To carry it out, you need complicated mathematical algorithms and each company has its own, which is why each upsampler sounds different, but technically it can be reasonably justified by the need to overclock the signal. The choice between both methods depends more on personal preferences and accepted optics - also in technology, choices are everyday life. Superlink | On the rear panel of the device, in addition to the aforementioned digital outputs, there are four BNC outputs, forming a so-called Superlink. This is another solution borrowed from the top series '0'. In this case it is a link composed of four BNC cables, with a separate clocks for the left and right channels, a signal connection and a separate one for "master" clock from the DAC, that is used for transport. If this is not enough, one can also use an external 44.1 kHz reference clock. Many companies, including Esoteric and dCS http://highfidelity.pl/@main-3205&lang= , offer them. | HOW WE LISTENED TO IT TL2 N interested me in the context of other devices, not necessarily CEC. So I used its RCA and AES / EBU digital outputs and Acrolink Mexcel 7N-DA6100II digital cables. The number one converter was the tube DAC in the Ayon Audio CD-35 HF Edition (№ 1/50). The DAC number two was Mytek Brooklyn Bridge. For comparison I used transport sections of my Ayon and Gryphon Scorpio. I powered CEC using Hijiri SM2R „Sound Matter” and placed it on top shelf of the Finite Elemente Pagode Edition rack. C.E.C. in „High Fidelity” REVIEW: C.E.C. DA5 | digital-to-analogue converter BEST SOUND AWARD 2016 | STATEMENT AWARD: C.E.C. DA0 3.0 - digital-to-analogue converter REVIEW: C.E.C. DA0 3.0 - digital-to-analogue converter REVIEW: C.E.C. CD5 - Compact Disc Player, see HERE BEST SOUND AWARD 2015: C.E.C. TL0 3.0 - Compact Disc transport, see HERE REVIEW: C.E.C. TL0 3.0 - Compact Disc transport, see HERE REVIEW: C.E.C. ASB3545WF Wellfloat – anti-vibration platform, see HERE REVIEW: C.E.C. DA 3N + TL 3N - digital-to-analogue converter + CD transport, see HERE REVIEW: C.E.C. CD 3800 + AMP 3800 - CD Player + integrated amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: C.E.C. DA53N - digital-to-analogue converter, see HERE REVIEW: C.E.C. TL53Z + AMP53 – CD Player + integrated amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: C.E.C. TL51XR – CD Player, see HERE REVIEW: C.E.C. TL1N/DX1N – CD transport + D/A converter (world premiere) , see HERE REVIEW: C.E.C. AMP3300R - integrated amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: C.E.C. AMP6300 - integrated amplifier, see HERE Recordings used for the test (a selec- tion) Audiophile Reference IV, First Impression Music FIM029 VD, HDCD (2005) Art Pepper, Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, Contemporary Records/JVC VICJ-42524, K2 CD (1957/2006) Camel, Moonmadness, Janus Records/USM Japan UICY-40048, Platinum SHM-CD (1976/2014) George Michael, Faith: Special Edition, Epic/Sony Music 753202, 2 x CD + DVD (1987/2010) John Coltrane Quartet, Ballads, Impulse!/Universal Music LLC (Japan) UCCU-40001, Platinum SHM-CD (1962/2013) MAP feat. Krzesimir Dębski, Groovoberek, AC Records ARC 012, Master CD-R (2019) Radiohead, OK Computer. OKNOTOK Edition, XL Recordings/Beat Records XLCDJP868, 2 x Ultimate HiQuality CD (1997/2017) Royal Blood, Royal Blood, Warner Music UK/Warner Music Japan WPCR-15889, CD (2014); White Stripes, Get Behind Me Satan, V2 Records 63881-27256-2, Reference CD-R (2005) [REKLAMA5] When writing this test, I decided to eliminate terms such as "vinyl-like", "analog", "turntable-like" etc. It seemed to me that I should refrain from cliches such as: "If this is a belt drive, then it "must" sound like a turntable, right?" And yet you have to prove first that it does "sound" in any way since "zeros" and "ones" are nothing more but "zeros" and "ones". I started writing this way and it wasn't going bad at all. However, I quickly found myself censoring myself in this way and that these key words keep coming back, and they actually gave the whole a proper meaning. Because IT IS an "analogue" sound, associated with the warm and saturated sound of a turntable. The differences between TL2 N and Ayon and Gryphon drives are clear, easy to define even by an untrained ear - each of these mechanisms sounds differently (using the term "sounds" I mean "modifies the signal"). And the CEC drive does sound like a turntable. I intentionally do not use the term "analog source" because it is not so, but a "turntable". We get large, strong and even saturated virtual sources with it. This is the thing that distinguishes most turntables from most CD and some SACD players. And only some of them can saturate the sound so that we do not have the impression of dryness. I would say that the TL2 N directs the performance toward what we know from DSD files, and rather those with a higher sampling frequency than basic DSD64. It works in a very similar way, by lowering tonal balance and emphasizing slightly the mid part of the bass range. Which in turn results in large phantom images, momentum and power. We will quickly come to the conclusion that the CEC transport saturates the sound with something, modifying it so that it is almost "tangible". With recordings that are highly saturated themselves, like those from the First Impression Music Audiophile Reference IV sampler, like Ballads by John Coltrane Quartet on Platinum SHM-CD, as well as with phenomenal MAP album featuring Krzesimir Dębski titled Groovoberek, with all these discs the sound was super-rich. Right away, from the first tones of the Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section I could clearly hear that the tested transport also lowers the sound by slightly withdrawing the treble and upper midrange. That's why everything sounded with it in such a three-dimensional, cool way. Even George Michael's Faith from the 2010 reissue, which I don't consider to be particularly good. It was with CEC that the vocals were just pleasant on it, without the annoying, high reverberation and sibilants. On the other hand, with dense percussion, mainly on jazz recordings, this withdrawal did not bother me at all. The cymbals were strong, vibrant and had a lot of weight. All this resulted in a dynamic, natural sound, with a low center of gravity, a sound close to us. This is the case where you can talk about "tangibility" and "performers within a grasp of your fingers" without being ridiculous. The TL2 N goes exactly in the same direction as turntables that deliver a warm, dense, saturated sound with a strong foreground. Let's add - the sound in the foreground is really dynamic. | UPSAMPLER The sound of TL2 N transport is very characteristic. However, it turns out that it largely depends on whether we us an "original" signal or whether we sample it. This is not as big a change as when switching to another transport, but it is still an important one. The sound I described above was obtained using 24/176.4 upsampling. When we turn it off, we'll get a bit thinner and not so saturated sound. On the other hand, with upsampling on, the sound is warmer, denser, stronger - in my opinion simply better. The only advantage of an "original" signal is that it is slightly better differentiated. But this differentiation did not affect the fact that the music sounded in a more natural way, on the contrary - as if we were technicizing it a bit. The least interesting option to me seemed the 24/88.2 setting. The sound was warm with it, but dynamics and tonality seemed somewhat dampened. I think this description will apply to any type of connection. I heard the same changes both with the DAC section in the Ayon Audio player and with the Mytek DAC. This is important because Ayon converts the input signal to DSD256 and only then sends it to the DAC section, and Mytek sends the signal directly to the chip (provided that we turn off the MQA filter). I told you at the beginning that I was comparing this transport to a good turntable in my mind, while escaping the use of the word "analog". This is because the CEC modifies the sound in its own way - in exactly the same way as it is modified by turntables, not by reel-to-reel tape recorders. It zooms in on the foreground, enlarges it, and pulls back layers of the stage closer, making the presentation appear larger than with other transports. In a direct comparison it simply plays louder, stronger, which confirms that digital transports cannot be treated as "without any own properties". This approach works best with jazz music, vocalists, as well as small and medium ensembles in classical music. It gives them weight, sense and density. But CEC also shortens the decay and brings the deeper layers closer, so the sound is always just as pleasant and soft. Which bothered me when I listened to stronger rock, like from Royal Blood album Royal Blood and White Stripes from Get Behind Me Satan. It's “dirty” playing, with distorted vocals - I mean mostly the Royal Blood - and distorted guitars, which played by CEC sounded nice, pleasant, but a bit without proper fire. | Summary CEC transports cannot be confused with any others. They sound in an incredibly pleasant way, with a sound referring to what good turntables do - let it be, for example, Kronos Pro Mk.II. It's an immersive, tangible sound with a low, dense bass and a warm treble. It's very, very addictive. It is not the most precise and differentiating sound, and the perspective is approximated in it. Because it is a device that offers direct contact with the performer, which is at your fingertips. And what it does, it does perfectly. That is why the RED Fingerprint is fully deserved. CEC devices are always extremely solid - they are also heavy. This is influenced by both the rigid housing and the weight of the drive itself. The chassis is made of thick, bent sheets, and the device features aluminum feet. Front and rear | On the outside, the TL2 N looks like many other CD players and transports. It is distinguished by a glass, sliding top-loader transport lid, but also not enough to make it a big deal of it. The front of the device is made of 5 mm thick aluminum plate, in which a window was cut out covered with a transparent plate. Underneath there is a small, not very readable display known from devices from the 90s - this is called conservatism. Next to the display, we can highlight other indicators. Two of them relate to upsampling frequency. The next one informs you whether the TL2 N has been connected to the D/A converter via the Superlink. At present, only the DA0 3.0 and older DACs are equipped with such an input, such as DA3 and DA1. And finally there is information about whether the transport is clocked by an external clock. On the back there are four BNC sockets, or so-called Superlink, but also classic outputs such as: RCA, TOSLink and AES/EBU. There is also a IEC power inlet. Inside | The considerable weight of the device - 12 kg - comes mainly from the fact that its bottom has been stiffened up with an additional steel plate. However, the mechanism itself also adds to total weight. Mechanically, it is a rigid and heavy structure. The bottom layer is an aluminum base bolted to the bottom of the housing via brass spacers. Both motors are mounted on curved "leaves". Similarly to turntables, also here the shaft on which the disc is placed is decoupled from this part. Along with the optical system, it is bolted to a thick, aluminum plate decoupled from the base using four elements resembling silicone rubber - two on the front have a different color than the two on the back, so I assume that they also have different mechanical properties. The CD Stabilizer weighing 380 g is made of brass. Control circuits and outputs are mounted on the board behind the drive. A NEC systems deal with the control. You can see the upsampler system at the S/PDIF and AES/EBU outputs - it's Burr Brown SRC4382. This is a fairly old system, introduced to the market in 2006, originally intended for professional applications - for example in broadcasting systems. Its purpose was to convert 16/44.1 asynchronous signal to 24/96 or 24/192, but CEC engineers reprogrammed it so that it worked synchronously, upsampling the signal to 24/88.2 or 24/176.4 . The power supply is based on a medium-sized toroidal transformer from Bando. Two secondary windings come out of it, and thus there are two separate stabilized power supplies. They feature Rubycon filter capacitors. Remote | The remote control is newer than the display, but still quite old. Still, operating the transport with it is quite efficient. In addition to drive control and upsampling, functions also available from the front of the device, the remote control can also dim or turn off the display and backlight information, as well as loop the track or whole disc and program its playback. ■ Technical specifications (according to manufacturer) Drive System: Double Belt Drive // Spindle & Pick-up Playable Discs: Audio CDs & Finalized CD-R/RWs Power Supply: AC 230/120 V, 50/60 Hz CD Stabilizer: Diameter; 120mm, weight; 380g (brass) Digital Output: SUPERLINK x 1: 2.5Vp-p/75 ohm (BNC x 4); AES/EBU x 1: 2.5Vp-p/110Ω (pin2=hot); COAXIAL x 1: 0.5Vp-p/75ΩJ; TOS x 1: -21 ～ -15dBm EIAJ Word clock: BNC x 1: 44.1kHz Up-sampling: 24bit / 88.2kHz, 176.4kHz Dimensions: 435(W) x 335(D) x 111(H)mm Weight: 12 kg Color: Silver or Black [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cec_lt2/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

⌈ CAMBRIDGE AUDIO is a British company specializing in audio and audio-video electronic components, whose distinctive feature is a particularly good value for money of their products. The Edge anniversary series launched a year ago seemed to change this approach. And yet ... Cambridge Audio has just launched a new, cheapest AX series. Designed in the UK by its engineers, it uses innovative techniques sourced from the higher CX and Edge series. For this review we received the Compact Disc player - AXC35.⌋ lthough it is hard to believe, the Cambridge Audio AXC35 Compact Disc player costing less than PLN 1500 is the more expensive of the two players in the new XA series from this manufacturer. Below in the price list you can find another model, the AXC25, for PLN 1090 (all prices in Poland). Both belong to the latest and cheapest XA series: Today Cambridge Audio introduces the AX series, a brand new range of hi-fi separates. Designed and engineered in the UK, AX has something to offer every music lover, hitting the perfect balance between performance and affordability. Consisting of a CD player, an integrated amplifier and two stereo receivers, the AX range takes design and innovation cues from Cambridge Audio's CX and Edge hi-fi ranges. Like those award-winning products, it uses the company's 50-plus years of audio engineering expertise to deliver what Cambridge Audio has dubbed its "Great British Sound", a pure, unfiltered audio experience reflecting the artist's intentions - nothing added, nothing taken away. source: Cambridge Audio, press release, June 5th 2019 There are four levels in this series: ‘25’, ‘35’, ‘85’ i ‘100’. The ‘25’ includes the AXA25 integrated amplifiers and the AXC25 Compact Disc Player, than there is the AXA35 integrated and AXC35 CD Player, and two stereo receivers, the AXR85 and AXR100. Although it may seem that budget devices are the easiest to design and sell, in reality it is completely different. If we are dealing with a specialist company and not a big concern, which is exactly the case of Cambridge Audio, the device must meet many pre-conditions, without which the company would not sell them with its logo. And that means costs - good sound always costs, regardless of what price range we are talking about. And if we increase the costs, we have to calculate the final price very carefully and balance everything so that it makes sense to make and sell such device and at the same time to offer a good sound. By introducing new devices Cambridge Audio did seemingly impossible: they managed to keep the price from ten or even fifteen years ago. Because, let me remind you, the offer of budget audio components was divided into several price categories, used also by specialist magazines. First, there was a range of up to around PLN 1,000, then from PLN 1,000 to 2,000, then from PLN 2,000 to 4,000, etc. I don't know how they did it, but it worked - AXC25 belongs to the first category if we turn a blind eye to 90PLN, and the AXC35 would be exactly in the middle of the second one. It's not every day that entry level devices hit the market - at least not in present times. The introduction of the XA series is therefore an important event that - hopefully! - will initiate a similar trend for other manufacturers who have not yet lost themselves in the price madness. So I took the opportunity and invited two Cambridge Audio sales managers, Mr. Steven Bowers (Head of EMEA Sales) and Pete Dixon (International Sales Manager) to my place. We had enough time to talk about the new series and listen to music – using the AXC35. STEVEN BOWERS | PETE DIXON Cambridge Audio Steven Bowers (closer) and Pete Dixon in front of the „High Fidelity” reference system WOJCIECH PACUŁA: XA is a brand new, affordable series. It's not easy to develop such product – how did you manage it? STEVEN BOWERS: Well, a lot of the costs of developing the AX series have been saved, because to some extent it is a series based on the older Topaz series, that included CD5 and CD10 players. Above, there was the Azur series, but - as you said - the production costs at that time significantly increased, which caused us to lose money. The days when many inexpensive devices were sold are gone, but something started to change about four years ago. We also did. We focused on what we call the Great British Sound and turned directly to people who love music, to audiophiles. At the same time home cinema died, didn't it? (Laughing) Almost completely, it was a dead end. We can talk about it someday, but now it is enough to say that it actually ceased to interest us for several reasons. First of all, because everyone at Cambridge is a true music fan. When you look at the back of our business cards, you will see that each of us has our favorite tracks named there (in Steven's case it was Deadmous and I Remember (Vocal Mix) - ed.). Almost all engineers in London play some instrument and we even have our own band. So we can say that we are audiophiles and music fans. So which instruments do you play? No, we don't play any… And you said all of you did :) (Laughing) Not exactly – I was talking about engineers, we prefer to listen to the music :) PETE DIXON: Let's say that we appreciate others playing music and do not want to spoil it :) Anyway, the AX series was a result of such thinking. We think it's a good way to enter the hi-fi world, to start your adventure with music. Of course, it can be done by listening to music using Bluetooth speakers, such as YoYo, from a smartphone, but we wanted to show people that it can be done much better, and that you can experience music in a deeper way. That is why it is very important for us to have such an affordable series in our offer. SB: In the last few years, we've also changed, to some extent, the way the devices are designed, which accumulated in the Edge series, which you probably know. One of the external manifestations is the Luna Gray finish, which we introduced with it. It took us two or three years to develop it, and the engineers had no restrictions - we said they were to prepare devices that they would like to have at homes themselves. So they spent a lot of time on research, and the results of their work were also used in the AX series. Based on this work, we want to go further and replace the CX series in the near future, which will also be available in Luna Gray. I have to admit that I love this color. Just have a look how good your product look in a company of much more expensive components in my system. I totally agree. We wanted all our products to have a common feature, something that can be described as "Cambridge Look". Everything is thought out here - the place where the name is, the arrangement of buttons, the whole form. Description of the artistic project takes over 150 A4 pages ... So we are trying to "internally" unify our entire lineup, and at the same time keep an attractive pricing, so that people who are just entering the hi-fi world can afford them – whether it is a phonostage, amplifier, or even a CD player - still a lot of people have lots of CDs. That's right – is it why you have decided to prepare a CD Player, or actually two of them? – Even though we live in a „streaming era”, right? Sales of CDs are decreasing, that's right, in favor of streaming. But also many people still have large collections of CDs. Anyway, I'm a good example of how it works now. I listen to most of the music using streaming - through Spotify or Tidal - but when I really like an album, I buy it on CD or vinyl, I want to have it in physical form. There is also a lot of music that is not available in streaming services. In addition, many people have secondary systems in their offices and often listen to CDs there. PD: Let me remind you of the CXC series, that also includes a CD transport. When the series entered the market, we had only a 50% chance that transport would sell, no one in the company knew how the market would react to this device. It turned out that its sales increase every year. As you can see, people still want to listen to Compact Discs. What are company's future plans? SB: We have been changing the direction for some time. Earlier, we operated as a classic company of this type - we introduced new products regularly, every six months. The new versions had a slightly changed appearance, different functionality, slightly improved sound. Now we want to slow down a bit and we will offer less products. We want to offer devices that respond to the needs of customers - we want to be close to them. Thanks to this, we will be able to focus more on quality. One more question – do you plan to add a streamer to the AX series? We have been talking about it, even have made some plans, but we still have to deal with several issues. I think the streamer will be introduces to the market later this year. And it won't be expensive :) ▪ | AXC35 Although inexpensive, the new player looks very nice, stylish. Its front panel is made of aluminum and anodized to the color that Cambridge calls "Lunar Gray". The sides, top and bottom are painted black - these elements are made of steel. Giving up two traditional front colors - black and silver - may seem unnecessary, but - that's my opinion - gray rules! The device has a classic look for Compact Disc players from, say, ten years ago. In the middle there is a disc drawer and below there is a display. The latter is not very legible and you will not find information about the repeat and random modes being turned on. But this is an element where they could save some money in order to invest it elsewhere. On the side there are the drive control buttons, and on the left the standby button with a white micro LED in the middle. The front is made in such a way that there are no feet there, and the device rests on a fragment of the front panel – an element borrowed from the more expensive CX series. I have already mentioned that the Player features a classic drive here, not a slot one - this is a conscious choice of the Cambridge Audio engineers. It is a transport optimized to work with CD-DAs (Compact Discs), but which also allows you to play also CD-Rs with WMA and mp3 files. However, do not expect CD-Tex. It's a "gapless" player, which means it is able to play music constantly (without dividing it to individual tracks), which will be useful, for example, when listening to concerts and compilations. The player features a stereo RCA analog output as well as a RCA digital output, their sockets are not gold-plated. There aren't any digital inputs. Some money was also saved by using an "eight" power socket, not IEC. In accordance with the latest guidelines of the European Commission, this is a low power consumption device, because after some time without an output signal, it automatically "standby", and in this mode it consumes less than 0.5 W. The remote control is another stop for an accountant, so do not expect fireworks. But it is not bad either - it is a system remote control in which the buttons controlling the drive are quite sensibly placed. | HOW WE LISTENED TO IT The AXC35 player, although inexpensive, should be treated seriously - it is a specialized product, for people who have broken free from the smartphone bubble. So it was tested like any other audio component, i.e. in the "High Fidelity" reference system, and compared to reference player - Ayon Audio CD-35 HF Edition (№ 1/50), costing 80,000 PLN. But apart from it I also listened to the twice as expensive Pro-Ject CD Box DS2 player and the CD/audio files player Primare CD15 Prisma. I also tested the AXC35 by using it to deliver digital signal to the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge. The Player was powered using the 聖 Hijiri SM2R „Sound Matter”, using a proper adapter, I also placed Verictum X-Block passive EMI/RFI filter on top of it. CAMBRIDGE AUDIO in „High Fidelity” REVIEW: Cambridge Audio ALVA TT | turntable REVIEW: Cambridge Audio AZUR 851D | D/A Converter/headphone amplifier REVIEW: Cambridge Audio Azur 751BD | multi-format player REVIEW: Cambridge Audio AZUR 651A | integrated amplifier REVIEW: Cambridge Audio DACMagic | D/A Converter REVIEW: Cambridge Audio Azur 840E | linestage REVIEW: Cambridge Audio Azur 840C | Compact Disc Players REVIEW: Cambridge Audio Azur 640P | phonostage REVIEW: Cambridge Audio Azur 340A | integrated amplifier Recordings used for the test (a selec- tion) Audiophile Reference IV, First Impression Music FIM029 VD, HDCD (2005) Dire Straits, Brothers in Arms, Vertigo/Universal Music Ltd. Hong Kong 5483572, XRCD2 (1985/2000); Fisz Emade Tworzywo, Numer 1, Art2 Music 5902860140665, 2 x CD (2018) Jean-Michel Jarre, Planet Jarre. 50 Years Of Music, Columbia | Sony Music Entertainment Germany 5833792, 2 x CD (2018); Leonard Cohen, Popular Problems, Sony Music Labels SICP-4329, CD (2014); Maroon 5, Red Pill Blues, 222 Records/Interscope 6705300, 2 x CD (2017) Radiohead, The Best Of, Parlophone | EMI Records 227 5882, 2 x CD (2008) The Poll Winners, The Poll Winners, Contemporary Records/JVC JVCXR-0019-2, XRCD (1957/1988) [REKLAMA5] Taking advantage of the fact that I had people from Cambridge Audio at home, I offered them a listening session with their player in the HF reference system. First we listened to a dozen or so tracks using AXC35 only, and then compared them with how they sounded from the Ayon Audio CD-35 HF Edition player. I must say that we had a good time :) After finishing I asked both gentlemen for a short comments. | Cambridge Audio & Cambridge Audio PETE DIXON | Although our player costs a fraction of what the whole system costs, I am very happy with what I heard with the AXC35. I didn't pay so much attention to the difference between our player and Ayon for 20,000 euros, because our player just sounded really nicely. There was not such a huge difference between these two, it wasn't at all like listening to AXC35 was unbearable - on the contrary, our player sounded really well in such a unique system. Which makes me very happy :) STEVEN BOWERS | Our player did really well, I agree with Pete. It fits well with the rest of the system, even though it's not at the same level or even close. You can't really expect that such an inexpensive device as the AXC35 will offer a similar level of performance as the Ayon, but this it was really good one, I am very happy. This is not a system that will be offered in an audio store to a customer with our player :) But it really sounds good! And you could hear how important the role of the source in the system is - what you get at the beginning is then only processed. If the CD player does not properly read information from the disc, then it can't be repaired in following components. PD: We usually listened to this player combined with other components from the AX series, sometimes with the CX series, that's why it's a great pleasure for us to listen to it in such an environment. And even bigger one, because it sounded so well. ▪ | Cambridge Audio and me Knowing price of the English player, it can be easy to throw it into a "whatever" compartment. But think again - this is a device prepared by a specialist who knows what he;s doing, and it was prepared in times when there are new CD players are a rarity. And this means that they cannot hide behind the backs of others and they must face the challenges themselves. What's more, they also have to face music played from computers. Knowing this, I took his test absolutely seriously, the same as the tests of players costing 50,000 or even 100,000 PLN. It was both about the appropriate test methodology and my expectations. It is good that I did so, because I learned quite a lot about how the evolution of digital audio players, mainly file players, has affected the world of physical media. The AXC35's sound is open, dynamic and powerful. This is full-blooded, powerful presentation. The player does not hide details, does not try to influence emotions by appealing to the romantic side of a listener, but simply delivers music in a neutral and uncolored way. It seems that it is about showing as much information as possible in the most orderly way possible. The tonal balance of the device is set so as not to add too much or subtract too much, which would confirm the comments from the manufacturer's press release. It is not exactly so, because the both extremes of the band are slightly favored, but this is not clear and with little effort, say selection of slightly warmer speakers and cables, this feature can be offset. But you don't have to do it, it can be left as it is, because due to it the sound is so open and dynamic. And the dynamics is really great, which I heard with the Dire Straits Brothers in Arms album, with the Red Pill Blues by Maroon 5, as well as with the Jean-Michel Jarre's Planet Jarre. Fortunately, this is not a particularly emphatic sound. Compared to the reference player, it could be heard that the attack is rounded and some part of the midrange withdrawn. But this is normal, it comes with resolution, which for that money simply has to be limited. In turn, the selectivity is excellent - this is something that many music fans will appreciate. Individual instruments could be heard, there were separate layers of the stage, nothing melted together, nothing was not masked - at least not more than I expected. | AXC35 as a CD transport After the introduction of the Compact Disc format in 1982, for many years CD players were integrated devices with analog outputs. Everything changed in 1984, when Cambridge Audio introduced a four-box CD player with a separate transport and D/A converter. Soon, other companies proposed external D/A converters, and everyone began to equip their players with digital outputs. In this way, a completely new category of audio products was created. AXC35 can also be upgraded by connecting an external DAC to it. It turns out that its drive is quite sensible and actually allows you to improve the sound. Combined with the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge DAC I received a detailed and clear sound with high dynamics - apparently these features come from the drive. There is not much saturation there, do not expect fireworks. But such a set can offer a decent, good sound and allow user to play any kind of music. It was surprising how well the player differentiated recordings. You see, while preparing for this test, I tried to choose discs that aren't necessarily audiophile's dreams. I wanted to experience what people just starting their adventure with high quality sound have a chance to hear, I was looking for the sound they would find on ordinary CDs bought at Empik, found on sales and bought for pennies online. And ultimately I found myself listening to the best discs I had on hand - XRCDs, HQCD and Master CD-R. This is because the Cambridge Audio player responds well to signal quality improvement - the better the recorded material, the better the release quality, the better it sounded. First of all, the tonality improved, now the more saturated and warmer, fuller. The treble was a bit weaker now, which made the presentation more vivid. With the AXC35 they are not annoying even with ordinary, highly compressed discs intended for listening in the car, like the aforementioned Maroon 5 or Jarre, but with good, jazz XRCD discs it was as if I had changed the player to twice as expensive one. And at the same time the high dynamics and nice, strong bass were still there. | Summary This probably what this device will let you do – upgrade or improve the sound. The AXC35 allows it, and even encourages it, elevates the system's performance. In its basic function, it works great. We get an open, strong, spatial presentation with a slightly emphasized band's extremes. There will be no problems with bass, but it is worth paying attention to the treble - the system should not sound dry or clear. But over time, we'll start looking at higher quality CD releases - and that's good! The player will sound even better and we will not have to replace it with a more expensive one. This is good engineering! And that's the RED Fingerprint. From the outside, the AXC35 player stands out for its modest elegance. It's an inexpensive device, we know it, and yet it doesn't seem "cheap". And this is due to the nice design and color scheme - I like the gray color of the front. Most of the design features have already been discussed in the introduction, so let's just add information about what one finds inside. It turns out that there is a lot of space there, thanks to which the individual sections could be placed far apart, so they interfere less with each other. Drive | The drive is located in the middle. It's a nice mechanism that Sony designed and used years ago. When the company gave up the production of full-size audio devices, it also abandoned the production of CD drives. Fortunately, after a short break, companies from Taiwan and China undertook the production and from there, I think, all the drives used by Cambridge Audio come from. The specimen in AXC35 was bolted not to the bottom part, but to the stiffening C-profiles. The drive control circuit is placed on a single PCB together with a digital-to-analog converter section. It's a highly integrated system, custom made for Cambridge. The mechanics is a specialized CD drive, but thanks to the controller, DSP ALI M5671A1, it also decodes data from CD-Rs. And drive control occupies the largest part of the board. DAC | On the side you will find the D/A converter chip from Wolfson Microelectronics, model WM8524. It's a complete, inexpensive circuit that converts and amplifies the audio signal. It works with signals up to 24 bits and 192 kHz, it also has a built-in I/U converter and analog filters with a buffer and a driver. Its output delivers a ready signal for the RCA output. The board is SMD except for capacitors, which are threaded. Power supply | Also the power supply was custom made for CA and especially for XA series CD players. This is a switched mode power supply with two separate power sections - for the drive and the audio section. There are a lot of filtering and voltage stabilizing circuits. All three sections are connected to each other using flat ribbons. ■ Technical specifications (according to the manufacturer) DAC: Wolfson Microelectronics WM8524 Analog filter: 2-pole Butterworth THD (1 kHz, 0 dBF): [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/cambridge/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

⌈ THE EDITORS is a cycle of interviews with audio magazine editors from all over the world – both those in charge of printed publications, as well as online magazines and portals. It started on January 1st 2012 and 26 interviews have been published since then – the one below is No. 27. Our aim is to familiarize our readers with the people who usually hide themselves behind reviewed devices. It is the “WHO IS WHO?” of specialist audio press. ⌋ came across Marc during the High End 2019 exhibition in Munich, in a room dedicated for the press. He was having coffee with his colleague, Panagiotis Karavitis, and as we talked, it appeared we had known each other, although only virtually. I could not let such an opportunity go by and, after returning to Poland, I emailed both gentlemen, asking them to join the group of editors whose life and work we write about. We are starting with MARC PHILLIPS, the managing editor of “The Occasional Magazine”, a PDF quarterly. It is a rare form of online publications – we previously encountered it while interviewing Jeff Dorgay, the Editor-in-chief of “TONEAudio” magazine. “The Occasional Magazine” is an addition to “Part-Time Audiophile”. It is going to be the 27th meeting of “The Editors” cycle. WOJCIECH PACUŁA: To start with, tell us something about yourself. MARC PHILLIPS: I’m Marc Phillips, the Managing Editor of “The Occasional”, which is the quarterly PDF “magazine” for “Part-Time Audiophile”. I’ve been a writer for most of my life and I even have a degree in Literature, but I started following my passion – writing about high-end audio – when I started writing a vinyl/LP column, “The Vinyl Anachronist”, for the NYC-based underground magazine “Perfect Sound Forever” in 1998. (Yes, I still write a bi-monthly column for them after more than 21 years.) I’ve written for many magazines: “Ultimate Audio”, “TONEAudio”, “AudioENZ”, “Positive Feedback” and “Part-Time Audiophile”, and from 2011 to 2018, Colleen Cardas and I ran Colleen Cardas Imports, which was the US importer and distributor for Unison Research, Opera, Pureaudio, Brigadiers Audio, Les Davis Audio, Axisvoicebox, REDGUM Audio and The Wand. Colleen and I live outside of Rochester, New York, with our miniature schnauzer Lucy (Colleen Cardas was the CEO of Cardas Audio for twenty years and helped her father, George Cardas, to develop and expand the company – Editor’s note). Is “The Occasional Magazine” a magazine, portal, or yet something else – how would you describe it? While “Part-Time Audiophile” is an audio website and a sort of the parent organization for us, “The Occasional” is the quarterly PDF magazine we produce – it looks like a print magazine with beautiful hi-res photography – we have a professional art director named Denise Herninko who is incredible. Our goal is different than that of “Part-Time Audiophile” – we don’t want to be an audio magazine, but a magazine that covers other lifestyle topics that audiophiles love – watches, wine, cigars, music, and more. Who came up with “The Occasional”? “The Occasional” was the brainchild of my predecessor, Rafe Arnott, who left “Part-Time Audiophile” a couple of years ago after doing a year’s worth of issues. His successor, John Stancavage, unfortunately passed away before he could truly take over from Rafe, so “The Occasional” was in limbo for a year. I took over last fall, when PTA publisher Scot Hull was waiting patiently for me to phase out my importing/distribution, so that I could return to my true love, writing. What are the strengths and weaknesses of online magazines? Their strength is the ability to reach a much wider audience than with print formats. Their weakness is that we keep on asking: “Who are these reviewers?” and: “Why should consumers trust them just because they have a website?” Trust your ears first, not the reviewers. How about print magazines? Their strength is that I still prefer to read from physical formats, while their weakness is that they are too expensive to produce anymore. What audio magazines do you read? I started reading “Stereophile” in 1985, but have not read it so much in the last few years. Until I officially came aboard “Part-Time Audiophile”, I was a huge fan. I also like “Positive Feedback”. Do you have another hobby, or are you completely absorbed by audio? My other hobby, which many people know, is smoking premium cigars. I’ve been writing a cigar column, “The Smoking Jacket”, for PTA for many years.  What would you include in your “dream system”? My dream system is one where I no longer “listen with a clipboard”, which is my term for listening critically without really being hypnotized by the music. I imagine my final system will be vinyl-based, where I can quietly listen to my favorite LPs for the rest of my life without needing “more”. I’ve come close to that many times, most recently with the Fern & Roby Raven loudspeakers run by Linear Tube Audio amplification. What is the most important component of a system? Outside of the listening room and your ears, I’m a big believer that the most important part is the signal source, according to the rule garbage in, garbage out. A great turntable with a modest pair of speakers usually sounds better than a modest turntable with a great pair of speakers. If you were to choose the signal source, would it be a digital or an analogue one? And if digital, then SACD/CDs or streaming? I’m a dedicated vinyl guy, but I listen to CDs since I still have a big collection. I’ve gotten into streaming over the last couple of years, and now I’m addicted to Qobuz and Roon. How about the amp/speaker combination – low power/high sensitivity or the other way round? I’ve done both, but I lean toward low-powered tube amps and high-efficiency speakers. I once had a 2Wpc Yamamoto Sound Craft A-08 45 power amplifier and I still miss it. Do you think that active speakers will become mainstream in audio? Not really. They’re just another choice for audiophiles – some will like the convenience, others will still want to experiment with amplification. But as we lean more toward lifestyle products in high-end audio, one box less will be a preferred approach. Is there any new technology that has attracted your attention? I’m old-fashioned when it comes to audio – LPs first, but I have been streaming with Qobuz and Roon lately, and I’ve finally embraced the sound quality without reservation. What you think about DSP-based room correction – is it a solution for the audiophile world? I’ve only used products with DSP on a very casual basis, but I’ve been pleased with the results. As a former trade show exhibitor, I can say it could have been a godsend for some really troublesome hotel rooms in the past. I haven’t used it too much in the context of a review or in my home system, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to. I look forward to exploring DSP more in the future. Tell us please about 10 audio albums that “High Fidelity” readers should buy. I am very eclectic when it comes to music – I’m able to review all genres. I always balk when I’m asked to talk about my favorite music, because I’ve spent too many years exploring everything. I grew up listening to classic rock (The Beatles, The Who, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd), but when I entered college in 1980, I became fully immersed in New Wave and punk. By the time I left college, I was listening to a lot of jazz and classical music as well. I used to say that I loved everything but metal, country and rap, but in recent years I’ve fallen in love with performers such as Tool, System of a Down, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, Public Enemy, OutKast and more. Since you have pressed me, however, I will give you a few titles that I could especially recommend: Sonny Rollins, Way Out West It is the best-sounding LP I own and one of the greatest jazz trio performances in history. Dean Martin, Dream with Dean It is because Dean Martin is right there, in front of you! London Proms Symphony Orchestra, Clair de Lune This RCA Living Stereo LP contains beautiful music from the beginning to the end. Dead Can Dance, Into the Labyrinth This is unbelievably hypnotic and beautiful music. Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington, Recording Together for the First Time It’s a magic moment in time. Nina Simone, Little Girl Blue It’s the best thing I’ve heard in the last two years. Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio, Midnight Sugar Everything you’ve heard about the original Three Blind Mice LPs is true. Sera una noche This MA Recording of Argentinian folk music has an incredibly warm and realistic sound. Tinariwen, Elwan Political music from the Sahara mixed with Mississippi delta blues that will blow your mind. Anything from 2L Recordings. This Norwegian label is at the forefront of both recording technologies and interesting, challenging music. Thank you and see you! See you! ■ “THE EDITORS” Series KARI NEVALAINEN  | “INNER” ⁜ Finland, Editor-in-chief JOHN E. JOHNSON, Jr., Ph.D. | ”Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity”, USA, chief editor YOSUKE ASADA | “Net Audio”, “Analog” HERE, JAPAN, chief editor DANIEL BREZINA | HIFI-VOICE.COM, CZECH, editor-in-chief (Šéfredaktor), see HERE EDGAR KRAMER | „Audio Esoterica”, AUSTRALIA, editor-in-chief, see HERE MICHAEL LAVORGNA, „AudioStream”, USA, editor-in-chief, see HERE MICHAEL LANG, “Stereo”, GERMANY, managing editor (Geschäftsführender Redakteur), see HERE SRIDHAR VOOTLA, “Hifitoday.com”, INDIA, journalist, see HERE STUART SMITH, „HIFI PIG Magazine”, FRANCE (BRITTANY), see HERE SCOT HULL, “Part-Time Audiophile”, USA, editor-in-chief, see HERE ART DUDLEY, “Stereophile”, USA, editor-at-large, see HERE HELMUT HACK, “Image Hi-Fi”, GERMANY, managing editor, see HERE DIRK SOMMER, „HiFiStatement.net”, GERMANY, chief editor, see HERE MARJA & HENK, „6moons.com”, SWITZERLAND, journalists, see HERE CHRIS CONNAKER, “Computer Audiophile”, USA, founder/chief editor, see HERE MATEJ ISAK, "Mono & Stereo”, chief editor/owner, SLOVENIA/AUSTRIA; see HERE 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, “Enjoy the Music.com”, USA, chief editor; see HERE STEPHEN MEJIAS, “Stereophile”, USA, assistant editor; see HERE MARTIN COLLOMS, “HIFICRITIC”, GREAT BRITAIN, publisher and 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; see HERE [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/wywiad/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

he history of the Krakow Sonic Society meetings with various types of Compact Discs is quite long. Almost as long as the list of technical studies intended to improve the process of reading signal from these discs. Already in May 2009, as part of the 64th KSS, we discussed new (for us) patents of EMI Music Japan, i.e. HiQualityCD (HQCD) and Sony Music Japan, i.e. Blu-Spec CD. Both, together with the Universal Music and JVC patent – the SHM-CD - were launched in 2008 In July 2013 (meeting #89) we looked at all these proposals, along with K2 HD and XRCD discs. Later we also talked about XRCD, MQA-UHQCD and Platinum SHM-CD. Finally, in December 2018, I prepared a cross-sectional article entitled COMPACT DISC - obviously! But what kind?, in which I tried to present differences between various types of CDs. So it seems that we've looked at almost all of them. The presentation that I witnessed during the High End Show 2019 in Munich, prepared by the Memory-Tech company, reminded me that we haven't really discussed the latest version of CD proposed by this Japanese specialist, the Ultimate HQCD. And maybe I could give it a rest, after all there are many other topics that are asking for our attention, if not for what I heard there. | Ultimate Hi Quality CD On April 17th 2015 Memory Tech on its website released following information: We would like to announce a new high quality Compact Disc type, the “UHQCD (Ultimate Hi Quality CD)” UHQCD is a new standard by newly developed process to reproduce the faithful sound more master than conventional high-quality disk. memory-tech.co.jp, accessed: 17.07.2019 With this step, the Memory-Tech referred to the newer Blu-spec CD version of Sony, i.e. BSCD2 announced in September 2012, and Platinum SHM-CD from Universal Music and JVC from September 2013. It was the UHQCD (Ultimate Hi Quality CD; with optional spelling Ultimate HiQualityCD or Ultimate HQCD). The corrections introduced by both competitors were important, but more cosmetic than groundbreaking, because the solutions used in the original versions have passed the test of time. It was different with the Ultimate HQCD - compared to HQCD they introduced far-reaching - and expensive! - changes. Let me remind you that the novelty in HQCD was primarily the material from which the disc was made. In a classic CD it is polycarbonate, a type of plastic, spread on a metal matrix by a fast rotary motion. Its advantage is low cost and speed of replication - the material hardens almost immediately. However, the speed in question is a problem. The plastic hardens so quickly that it cannot fill the pits of the matrix accurately. Even more problematic are the uneven transitions between pitas and lands - and it is at the transitions that the logical state changes from "0" to "1" and vice versa. As the measurements show, it is a big problem for a reading system, which must work harder, and thus generates a higher level of jitter. Memory-Tech then developed a process in which instead of polycarbonate it used a different type of plastic used to produce precision LCD displays. It corrected errors of the classic material because it was more fluid, and thus better filled cavities, and also gave better transitions between pits and lands. Even more important was that this material turns solid under UV light, and not by cooling, which makes it possible to calculate very precisely when it should be solidified. This extended the production process, but the measurable results were excellent. Although we didn't know that, Memory-Tech was already working on an even better technique. The solution to the problem in question has been known in the industry for years. It's just that it was reserved for professional activities, such as testing and calibrating factory reading systems, as well as a benchmark for calibrating CD-ROM drives for industry. For these activities, Memory-Tech made individual calibration glass discs using machines developed for the Laser Disc technique. A fluid material was applied to the metal matrix, pressed with a crystal glass plate. After pressing, the material was irradiated with UV rays and then solidified. After separation from the matrix, a gold layer was applied to the plastic layer. This is a very expensive technique, but it was decided that it was worth offering it to customers. This is how Crystal Disc discs were created, costing between PLN 6,000 and 8,000 per item. Ultimate HQCD benefits from this solution directly, though without reaching for the glass plate. The beginning is the same as in Crystal Disc: a photosensitive polymer, UV-solidified, is applied to the metal matrix. And only on top classic polycarbonate is applied, adding rigidity to the disc. As a result a disc with much lower jitter than regular CDs is obtained. The difference is shown both by measurements and listening tests - because in this way the manufacturer checks his solutions. You will learn more about this technique from the movie The secret of UHQCD , prepared by Memory-Tech. | HOW WE LISTENED TO IT I admit that I am a fan of the Japanese approach to audio - both in its vintage edition and high-tech. This is the only country where these two exist in parallel, supporting each other rather than fighting each other. Thanks to this, we get, on the one hand, Kondo and Leben amplifiers, use NOS tubes and cables, and on the other we play music using SPEC amplifiers and from Platinum SHM-CD, BSCD2 and Ultimate HQCD. The listening session I prepared was based on two samplers: the Ultimate HQCD Series Highlights (Warner Classics WPCR-136633) available to the public and Feel the Difference. UHQ CD vs Standard CD (Memory-Tech UHQCD-SAMPLE2) that I got from Mr. Hiroshi Ihar, head of the Memory-Tech sales department in Munich. In both cases, identical material was pressed on two discs: a classic CD and an Ultimate HQCD. A separate listening session was devoted to comparisons between HQCD and SACD discs - to "calibrate" and recall the sound of HQCD - and finally we listened to the comparison between UHQCD and CD: Herbie Hancock, Maiden Voyage, Blue Note/EMI Music Japan TOCJ-90039, HQCD (1965/2008) Herbie Hancock, Maiden Voyage, Blue Note/Universal Music LLC UCGQ-9009, SHM-SACD (1965/2017) HQCD JAZZ Selection, EMI Music Japan TOCJ-90010, CD + HQCD (2009) Fusion. Best Sound Selection, sel. Yoshiro Obara, Stereo Sound SSRR-12, „Stereo Sound Reference Records”, SACD/CD (2019) Native Son, Native Son, Victor Entertainent VICJ-77016, K2HD Pro Mastering, Ultimate HQCD (1979/2016) Radiohead, OK Computer. OKNOTOK Edition, XL Recordings/Beat Records XLCDJP868, 2 x Ultimate HiQuality CD (1997/2017) Radiohead, The Best of, Parlophone EMI Records 5099922758828, 2 x CD (2008) And another interesting fact - the logo and the name Ultimate HQCD (UHQCD, Ultimate HiQualityCD) can be found on the Warner Music group discs. But the patent for the logo and for this technique are the property of Memory-Tech. This type of discs will also be released with logos of other labels, for example Nippon Columbia (Denon), but on the cover we will find a fairly simple UHQ CD logo. | SOUND |1| HQCD vs SHM-SACD Herbie Hancock, Maiden Voyage ⌈ We listened to the first disc using it as a way to calibrate our hearing. We listened to one of the first HQCD releases and a new DSD transfer from 2017 from a SHM-SACD. ⌋ Tomek | When I listened to the HQCD, it seemed to me that something was wrong with this recording – it was somehow unpleasant at first. But - to be clear - it didn't sound too good with SACD either. With SACD, the sound was definitely darker and more natural. However, I think that this is not a good recording in itself, so it wasn't a good sounding one in either version. So the differences didn't matter much to me. Marcin | I agree with Tomek - SACD sounded better, but still not very good. In the first version, i.e. with HQCD it was very bad, and with SACD only bad. But it was a matter of some part of the band, that made me feel as if something was resonating in my ears. Maybe we just played it too loudly. Wiciu | The HQCD version sounded more aggressive and I did not like the first sounds from the piano and cymbals - they were distorted. With SACD the same fragments seemed smoother, quieter to me. The cymbals sounded better. But it wasn't spectacular enough for SACD. Janusz | My two cents - first of all, a word about the recording. It was one of my first jazz albums. In the 1970s I was crazy about it. But I was terrified of how bad this album sounded. Blue Note discs from the 1960s sound many times better, and the Maiden Voyage - one of the best jazz albums in general - is tragically bad recorded. Secondly - I can hear what SACD brings, because now I listen only to this type of discs, and I have to say that the SACD version sounded better. Bartosz | I agree with Tomek and Marcin and Janusz – the sound quality was hopeless. I was a bit afraid that I would sound foolish because I was a bit prejudiced against Hancock - his concert in Krakow, in the ICE hall, was probably the worst concert I've ever been to. It was a bad musical experience, and even worse in terms of sound quality. Tomek: Because you didn't go to Diana Krall at Tauron Arena… Marcin: The sound was really good, I sat directly in front of her in the sixth row on the balcony. I was only surprised by the low volume level. Tomek: They played so quietly because the sibilants were hovering around the hall so much that if they played a bit louder, everybody would have left. I was sitting downstairs on the ground level, in the thirteenth row. After the first song, as Krall coughed, I knew there was something wrong. I read on the internet that she was sick, but I didn't know it was that bad. After the third song she joked about the drinking vodka in the evening that could cure her - but she barely lived. Bartosz | To finish up my thought – I was afraid you'd take me for a hater, and additionally I simply don't like this album. But I can see I'm not alone in my assessment – if I had to chose one version it would be the SACD. HQCD was annoying and too loud. |2| CD vs Ultimate HQCD Ultimate HQCD Series Highlights ⌈ During the second part we perform a blind test listening to the same track twice. We used: • ANTON BRUCKNER, Symphony No.7 in E Major (Nowak Edition), Allegro Moderato (Fade Out), perf.. Franz Welser-Most • IGOR STRAVINSKY, The Firebird – Suite (1919), Finale, perf. Carlo Maria Giulini ⌋ The FIRST track was from CD, the SECOND from Ultimate HQCD. The listeners found out which was with after they assessed both versions so whenever they refer to no, one or first they mean CD, the two or second means Ultimate HQCD. ║ANTON BRUCKNER, Symphony No.7 in E Major (Nowak Edition), Allegro Moderato (Fade Out), Tomek | The first version we listened to was definitely better. The other one was more dim, bland and I didn't like it. Marcin | In my opinion the first version sounded darker, richer, there was more going on in it. The second one sound „light”, so to speak, bland – I didn't like it. Wiciu | This is quite an old recording and the cellos seem distorted to me, in both cases. The difference is minimal for me. But if I had to choose, I would choose the second one. It is less aggressive and therefore better. Rysiek B. | This is a bit about the recording philosophy. If we think that the recordings should sound "studio-like", this is how the first version sounded. However, if you refer it to live concerts, the second version is definitely closer to what you live - and I think I liked it better. This is a concert recording anyway. That's how I would hear it sitting in a good spot and listening to a good orchestra. It's a matter of taste: do we want to have the sound from a studio, or the impression of listening to music in a real concert hall. Tomek | But that would confirm that we should not go to classical concerts because recordings sound better. Janusz | No doubts, the first one was better. Bartosz | I agree – number one. ║IGOR STRAVINSKY, The Firebird – Suite (1919), Finale, perf. Carlo Maria Giulini Tomek | I can repeat myself – I choose the first version, even though I have no idea what we are listening to. Marcin | I also liked the first version better. Although… The second version is more lively than before. But still the first version was better because it was richer, more massive. Wiciu | This time I also prefer the first version, because the second one was more aggressive. Rysiek B. | Now I know for sure that I prefer the second version. The instruments breathed, there was nice space, layers, I didn't feel like all instruments played in my face, forward, without differentiation of actual positions on the stage. I wouldn't like to listen to the fist version at home. Janusz | Number two. Wojciech Pacuła | OK, but elaborate please :) Janusz | I heard it really strongly now - I perceived the second version same way as SACDs - less aggressive and, interestingly, more spacial. I can't really say why. At first I thought that the number one sounded better. With each beat, however, I had the impression that my sensitivity was shifting, that the second version sounded better and better. And there is nothing to discuss - the difference is very big. Bartosz | I liked the number one better. The second version for me was more aggressive, so I obviously heard it differently than Janusz. |3| CD vs Ultimate HQCD Feel the Difference. UHQ CD vs Standard CD ⌈ Again it was a „blind” comparison. This time FIRSTLY we played music from Ultimate HQCD, and SECONDLY from a CD. The listeners found out which was with after they assessed both versions so whenever they refer to no, one or first they mean Ultimate HQCD, the two or second means CD. ⌋ Janusz | One! Definitely! Rysiek B. | Two, no doubts :) The presentation was musical, spacial, airy – it was a true music. The first version offered just hi-fi, simply unbearable. Wiciu | I agree with Rysiek. I even wondered for a while whether both used the same mastering, but we know in both cases they used exactly the same material – the second version was wider and deeper. Marcin | I also liked the second one better. It was deeper, the orchestra was bigger. The first version sounded as if they played using instruments for kids. Tomek | For me the difference was minimal. But I was to say something it would be exactly opposite to what Rysiek said :) Bartosz | Both sounded bad, but if I had to choose I'd say: two – it sounded in a more elegant way. |4| CD vs Ultimate HQCD Radiohead, OK Computer. OKNOTOK Edition ⌈ Finally, we reversed the situation from the beginning of the listening session - we listened to the new, remixed version of the Radiohead disc on the Ultimate HQCD disc and the earlier remasters of several songs from CDs. Finally, I asked everyone if they could point out any common feature in the UHQCD sound. ⌋ Janusz | First of all today I listen to Ultimate HQCD discs for the first time. For me, the UHQCD plays "wider". My impressions were similar when for the first time at home I listened to SACD disc in my system. The CD in this comparison was suppressed and compressed, and the SACD opened the sound. And that's how Ultimate HQCDs sound like. Which does not mean that it is better, but it delivers strong, big, energetic and resolving sound. These are recordings that attract attention. Rysiek B. | I've made only one mistake. But I can say that for four sessions, I liked the Ultimate HQCD version more three times. It was more musical, gentler, more fluid, rich in colors, saturated and unrestricted. Tomek | I would be far from drawing far-reaching conclusions as to what Wojtek asked about, that is, whether there is any common denominator for UHQCD recordings. It seems to me that there isn't one or there is but inconsistent. If someone had a disc recorded in HQCD, then they should not necessarily replace it with UHQCD, because the differences are unpredictable. It's nice that the Japanese have perfected something, but it is definitely not a breakthrough invention. Janusz | Let me add something - if I didn't have SACD, I would definitely buy Ultimate HQCD. I would not focus on comparing UHQCD to SACD, but on comparing CD and UHQCD. And in this perspective we get something better, it is a step forward and it is a considerable one. Marcin | I agree with Tomek. I think that there was no pattern here, there are no common elements in every recording, as is the case with Platinum SHM-CD. There were tracks that I liked more from the UHQCD and others that sounded better with SACD and CD. It depends on what the material is. Bartosz | In my opinion, each time the CD played calmer, this is its characteristic. UHQCD sounds brighter, more aggressive. But for me, it is also a failure of this solution. When comparing Blu-spec and Platinum SHM-CDs with their CD counterparts, they almost always sounded better than CDs. Marcin | True, you buy any Platinum SHM-CD release and be sure it will sound better than a CD. Bartosz | That's it - if we allow the possibility that the CD version is better than something straight from Japanese laboratories, then something is wrong. But, interestingly, when we listened to the same discs at the Munich show, the difference in favor of UHQCD discs was clear. They were much more similar to Master CD-Rs with the same material - that is, to the discs from which the glass matrix was made, from which the metal matrix was created and only from which both versions were made – the UHQCD and CD. Wiciu | No, no, I wouldn't see it that way. For me this is a great lesson - now I know that each such version needs to be listened to, because some will sound better than CDs, and others will be worse, too aggressive. | SUMMARY, or what comes of it From the listening session from which you read the report, some interesting observations came. First of all, Ultimate HQCD does not change the sound of discs in the same way. With some, the change is positive, with others not necessarily. Secondly, the changes introduced by this solution are strong enough to polarize the recipients. Unlike all other "inventions", i.e. HQCD, Blu-spec and SHM-CD, it is worth to check before buying a UHQCD disc, whether these changes goes in a desired direction. But there is something else there. In the article titled COMPACT DISC - obviously! But what kind? I too hastily threw HQCD and Ultimate HQCD into one bag, assuming that because they come from the same manufacturer and one technique seems to be an improved old one, the result should be similar, although slightly better. I was wrong. It turns out that UHQCDs are completely different not only from HQCD, but from all other discs. I got the first hint in Munich - comparing UHQCDs with CD-R masters showed that they are very similar. First of all in terms of resolution. But they often sound brighter and sharper than their CD counterparts. As if the recording studios released the material slightly shifted towards the treble, slightly hardened, hoping that at the production stage, when copying a CD, the sound will warm up. It would be exactly the same as with the "lacquer" cut for the LP - "lacquer" sounds much brighter than the master tape on one side and brighter and sharper than the finished LP. And it is the mastering specialist who has to anticipate and plan these changes. So the UHQCD is a step towards the "master" disc, and thus the master material that leaves the mastering studio. They lack the warmth and richness of SACD. But when it comes to resolution and precision, they are - next to Master CD-R, Crystal Disc and Platinum SHM-CD - master discs. But not always and not for everyone. ■ [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/kts121/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/kts121/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/kts121/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/kts121/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/kts121/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/kts121/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/kts121/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/kts121/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/kts121/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/kts121/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/kts121/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/kts121/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/kts121/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/kts121/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/kts121/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

⌈ PRIMARE is a Swedish company founded in 1985 by Bo Christensen. It specializes in CD and audio files players and amplifiers. The latest addition to their lineup is a new series with three lines ‘15’, ‘25’ and ‘35’. It features modern technical solutions and special attention was paid to composing the most efficient system consisting of a signal source and an amplifier. ⌋ don't know if I read it correctly, but it seems to me that Primare, with the new series 'x5' - '35', '25' and '15', entered the market with new impetus and energy. New ideas, a wide lineup, well-designed functionality - these are the features of the new "opening". The new series is extremely well thought out. It includes integrated amplifiers, digital sources and phono preamplifiers. That's nothing new. What makes a difference is the well thought-out modular design, enabling the connection of amplifiers and digital sources in various ways. Modules | The element around which everything revolves here is the Prisma module. It's a streaming platform developed by Primare in 2017, compatible with the Roon system, based on Google Chromecast. This is a network card featuring Bluetooth, AirPlay and Spotify Connect. It also offers the multi-room/multi-zone option. It is a small DSP board plugged into either Primare amplifiers or its CD players. A user can therefore choose where the central element of the system is located. The modular design of this company's devices offers a possibility of equipping them with two elements. It can be a file player and Bluetooth receiver module or a digital-to-analog converter. In the basic configuration we have a classic amplifier and CD transport. If we add a converter to the amplifier, we get an amplifier with a built-in "DAC", and if we mount it in transport, we get a CD player. And finally after adding the Prisma module we get - respectively - an amplifier with a file player and a "DAC", as well as a CD and files player. Therefore, user can decide where the digital center of this system will be and does not have to buy a device whose advantages will not be fully used. If he equips his amplifier with a DAC, all he needs is a CD transport - DD35 or DD15. In turn, if it moves all "digital" components to the signal source, which results in a CD player combined with a streamer, all he needs is a classic, fully analog integrated amplifier - I35, I25 or I15. Each of these configurations has its advantages and disadvantages, although I personally prefer the version in which all the electronics related to the digital signal processing are in one device, and the amplifier does what it was designed for - it amplifies the signal. | CD15 Prisma The Prisma CD15 player is such a device. In its basic configuration it is a CD transport. After adding the Prisma module with a D/A converter, it becomes a complete digital source. Let's add that in this case there is no third option, i.e. no CD player without a streamer module. The CD15 Prisma differs from the '25' and '35' models in size - it is a 'midi' device, i.e. with a front panel with a width of 3/4 of „standard 'rack' ('rack' - common name for the standard of 19'' cabinets, racks and industrial equipment (48.26 cm) Until recently, companies considered this type, i.e. smaller devices in their offer as less valuable than the "main" offer; Obviously it does not apply to Cyrus and a group of manufacturers for whom small size product are standard ones. A change has occurred recently and gradually, and its cause was, I think, the proliferation of file players from LINN, Auralic, Lumïn and others that have such proportions. It makes the CD15 Prisma look simply cute, I can't find any other more suitable term. However, this is not a toy sweetness – definitely not... This is the same kind of sweetness that we can find in Vespa scooters, Mini Cooper cars, in small bottles of expensive alcohols. Interestingly, Primare has achieved this effect using solutions known for years, i.e. optically and mechanically separating the front panel from the main body, with a clear, nice OLED display and putting everything on three feet. The tested device is a CD player and a streamer in one. A Philips slot drive is used to play physical discs, and a Prisma module to play files. The former is controlled by buttons on the front panel and on the remote control, and the latter by the Prisma application for mobile devices. The application is quite nice, although with my iPod 2 mini, which is already an old model, it worked with a slight delay. Files to the player can be sent from an external NAS disk - via Ethernet cable or wirelessly via Wi-Fi - or from a thumb drive. An audio signal can also be sent via Bluetooth. The device has a Chromecast built-in certificate, it is also a so-called "End point" for Roon and supports streaming services compatible with Chromecast, for example Spotify. | Chromecast built-in Chromecast from Google is a device introduced on July 24th 2013, that allows the transmission of a streamed signal, for example from a computer or smartphone, to a TV. Currently, this software is called Google Cast, and it is its trade name, used in consumer devices - Chromecast built-in. It allows you to control streaming from mobile devices to audio (and video) players. However, the transfer does come from the control device, but directly from the Internet. Chromecast uses Wi-Fi connectivity. The device features a stereo analog output with RCA sockets. In the menu, we can determine whether this is a fixed level output or adjustable one. The volume control operates in digital domain in the DAC chip. The CD15 Prisma can therefore be connected directly to active speakers, bypassing an external amplifier. The menu is much more complex - we can set the time after which the device should switch to standby mode, dimming the display, output signal level when turning the device on, maximum level and even balance between channels. | How we listened to it The reviewed player was compared to two components: Ayon Audio CD-35 HF Edition (№1/50) SACD Player and Mytek Brooklyn Bridge streamer and it was powered using the 聖 Hijiri SM2R „Sound Matter”. I listened to Compact Discs and audio files – both from NAS and thumb drive. It was an A/B comparison with A and B known, using short, 2 minutes long musical samples from CDs or files. For most of the test I used LAN (cable) connection. PRIMARE in “High Fidelity” TEST: Primare I25 | integrated amplifier TEST: Primare I21 | integrated amplifier TEST: Primare R20 | phonostage Recordings used for the test (a selec- tion) | CDs Audiophile Reference IV, First Impression Music FIM029 VD, HDCD (2005) Art Pepper, Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, Contemporary Records/JVC VICJ-42524, K2 CD (1957/2006) George Michael, Faith: Special Edition, Epic/Sony Music753202, 2 x CD + DVD (1987/2010) Paul McCartney, Kisses on the Bottom, Universal Music/Universal Music LLC [Japan] UCCO-3038, SHM-CD (2012) Radiohead, OK Computer. OKNOTOK Edition, XL Recordings/Beat Records XLCDJP868, 2 x Ultimate HiQuality CD (1997/2017) Royal Blood, Royal Blood, Warner Music UK/Warner Music Japan WPCR-15889, CD (2014); | Files Vangelis, Blade Runner, soundtrack, reż. Ridley Scott, Atlantic Records/Audio Fidelity AFZ 154, „Limited Numbered Edition | No. 2398”, DSD/rip SACD Art Pepper, …the way it was!, Contemporary Records/Mobile Fidelity UDSACD 2034, DSD/rip SACD Dead Can Dance, Spiritchaser, 4AD/Beggars Japan WPCB-10078, „Audiophile Edition”, DSD/rip SACD Dire Straits, Brothers in Arms, Vertigo/Mobile Fidelity Labs UDSACD 2099, „Original Master Recording, Special Limited Edition | No. 1808”, DSD/rip SACD Komeda Quintet, Astigmatic, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/Warner Music Poland 4648860, Master WAV 24/88,2 (1966/2016) Lars Danielsson & Leszek Możdżer, Pasodoble, ACT Music ACT 9458-2, FLAC 24/88,4 Nat ‘King’ Cole, Love is the Thing, Capitol/Analogue Productions CAPP 824 SA, DSD/rip SACD Norah Jones, Come Away With Me, Blue Note 7243 5 81880 0 4, FLAC 24/192 [REKLAMA5] The CD15 Prisma, although small in size, offers a very serious sound. This is an extremely competent player that does not allow you to treat music just as a background for other activities. I mean, sure you can, but be get ready for a temporary suspension of other activities, because every now and then you will hear something interesting that will catch your attention. This device has no clearly defined character. Its sound is characteristic, it can be described, but it does not have a "character" in the sense that it does not force it on recordings it plays, it does not reduce them to a common denominator. Its sound combines several tendencies usually found separately in different devices. An element I should point out right from the start is the well-captured tonality. It is flat, without clearly emphasizing any narrow sub-ranges or broader bands. After a few discs we will hear features such as strong treble and lots of energy in the upper bass. But it will still be a "feature" rather than a "coloration". This is a feature that is very nice in CD15 Prisma. We get a strong treble, clear metal cymbals, there is a beat and the sound is very open. But it is not sharp nor bright. Because the treble attack is rounded. In a case of a different device, we would say that what I've just described means that the sound gets warmed up - but not here. Because Primare does it in its own way. The player's sound is therefore strong and open, which makes jazz compositions from the Audiophile Reference IV and Art Pepper's from Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, rock from Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits, and electronics - it was especially spectacular! - from the Blade Runner, have all this power and energy, but at the same time the presentation was slightly sweet. The other sub-ranges could be described in a similar way, but attention should be paid to the great bass energy. It does not go as low as in Mytek, not to mention Ayon, but it has a nice color and compactness. The scale of the Vangelis electronic landscapes was easily conveyed, the recordings from George Michael's Faith were well reproduced, without brightening them on one side, but with a good bass foundation on the other. The device is not the most resolving digital source in the world, but in its price category it is really fine. Its differentiation allows one to notice different ways of recording vocals on the Kisses on the Bottom by Paul McCartney, as well as different sampling frequencies. What's more - switching from 24/96 to 24/192 files (we are talking about the same recording), and even from DSD64 to DSD128, resulted in noticeable changes in the sound. The higher the resolution of the file, the more relaxed the sound, more natural and more vibrant. With hi-res files we also get something else - a beautiful, wide and deep sound stage. The CD was not bad in this respect, but the hi-res files surprised me with their momentum. I got something with them that doesn't happen so often with files - credibility. There was something good, powerful in this sound, something that allowed me to explore NAS resources and play them from USB Flash cards. The sound was not as resolving as from CDs, but the difference was smaller than what I can usually hear - especially when using devices that are not top high-end. In turn, the Compact Disc was more precise, richer in the middle of the band, and had a better extended band in both directions. Both ways of playing music shared some features - on the one hand they round the treble attack, which resulted in a "golden" glow, and on the other a slight hardening of the upper bass, which introduced an element of rhythm to the sound. But it is certain that it is the physical medium that offers something more - precision, density, dynamics. The thing to consider in both cases are reduced reverberation and room acoustics, and focusing listener's attention on the foreground. The Primare doesn't bring artists closer, it doesn't push them in front of the line connecting the speakers. It does something different - it extinguishes what behind the basic sounds, which makes them the most important for us. We get music composed of many sounds, but without a strong "background". So do not expect fireworks in this area. | Summary The CD15 Prisma is a device that plays virtually any music in an equally immersive way. It does it thanks to the combination of smoothness and "golden" treble, rich midrange and rhythmic, strong bass. It's an accurate, good sound that works with both CDs and files. Don't expect high resolution, but selectivity can surprise you. The device features a solid mechanical design, nice electronics and handy control. It's a rare combination of several features, offering a really nice sound and it's fun to use too - bravo! It is mentioned in every review of Primare devices, so I have to include it too: they are built extremely robust and with taste. The housing is made of thick, bent steel sheets painted black, and the front is separated from the main body by a narrowing, in which the electronics controlling the display and the buttons are located. The front is available in one of two colors - black or titanium; we're testing the latter. The device features three aluminum feet, with two in the front. Front and back | A thick aluminum plate forming the front hosts a CD transport slot and the window under which the OLED display was placed. It is nice, legible and offers a lot of information displayed with signs of different sizes. When it switches to double-line mode, however, they are too small to be read from a distance of more than a meter. Next to the display there are three small polished steel buttons to turn on the power and to control transport. It's a stylish artistic design. On the back there are analog RCA (unbalanced) and digital outputs - TOSLink and RCA. There are also Ethernet and USB ports. Connection with home network can be established via an Ethernet cable or via Wi-Fi - two antennas are used for this. With their help, the device also connects via Bluetooth. On the right, next to the IEC power socket with a mechanical switch, there are sockets that facilitate player control in custom systems. Inside | One of the novelties, compared to the previously known CD players of this manufacturer, is the use of a switching power supply in the CD15 Prisma. It is placed on a separate circuit board together with a filter for the AC power line - in this case it is more about protecting other devices around, not the player itself - switching power supplies generate a lot of high frequency noise. In standby mode the Primare power supply is completely switched off. The device's design is based on several guidelines that the company follows - they have the common name - Practical Design Approach. One of the elements is the shortest possible signal path. This is why Primare primarily uses SMD (surface) mounting, and double-sided printed circuit boards have two or four layers. As we read in the so-called "White paper": Ultimately, this results in fewer, higher quality parts for a reduction in associated distortions and an increase in overall electrical efficiency. CD15 Prisma Design Brief, accessed: 24.07.2019 To such a large PCB, two smaller PCBs are plugged in - the Prisma file player and the digital-to-analog converter. There is also a digital output, preceded by a matching transformer, and an analog output with a relay; RCA outputs are not gold plated. The streamer circuit is connected to the main board via multipin sockets. As it turns out, it is a ready-made solution from Libre Wireless Technologies, model LS9AD-AC11DBT. This is a kind of "kit", i.e. a basic set with software that is modified by contractors. In this case, Primare has programmed them themselves. The D/A converter circuit is based on the AKM AK4490EQ chip. This is a modern, two-channel 32/768 PCM converter supporting also 11.2 MHz DSD, belonging to the Japanese manufacturer's "Velvet Sound" series. On the analog side, both channels are placed far apart, which helps to achieve low crosstalk. This section is based on chips from three different companies: Burr Brown OPA2134, Texas Instruments LME49990 and Comlinear CLC2059. Next to it you will find Wima capacitors. And finally the mechanics. This is a Philips CDM-M10 slot CD transport. To decouple it from external vibrations and prevent it from affecting the electronics and power supply, it was bolted to a steel frame, and the latter, through lossy washers, to the next frame. And only then, the whole was screwed to the bottom of the housing - also by lossy elements. Remote | C25 remote control looks good and it is quite handy. I think that ‘start’ and ‘stop’ buttons could be better separated as as they are the can be easily confused with others. ■ Technical specifications (according to manufacturer) Finishes: black or titanium Drive: Philips CDM-M10 DAC: 1x AKM AK4490 Output signal: 2.2 V Output impedance: 50 Ω THD + N (20 Hz – 20 kHz): 80 dB (AES17) Supported files formats: WAV, LPCM, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, WMA, OGG: up to 192 kHz/24 bits MP3, MP4 (AAC): up to 48 kHz/16 bits, VBR & CBR 320kbps DSD: up to DSD128 (5.6 MHz) Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth, AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Chromecast built-in, DLNA/UPnP WLAN: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; 2.4/5GHz b, g, n Power consumption: standby 0.5 W | operation [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/primare/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/primare/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/primare/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/primare/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/primare/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/primare/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/primare/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/primare/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/primare/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/primare/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/primare/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/primare/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/primare/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/primare/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/primare/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/primare/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/primare/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/primare/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/primare/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/primare/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/primare/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/primare/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/primare/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/primare/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/primare/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/primare/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/primare/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1908/primare/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1908/primare/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1908/primare/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

PREMIERE ⌈ WK AUDIO is Witold Kamiński's company, founded in 2017 in Plichtów, near Łódź. By profession, he's an architect, but also a music enthusiast, author of columns in "High Fidelity" regarding broadly understood culture, he offers record clamps, anti-vibration platform and three AC power cables. For this test we received the latest power cable, that happens to be also the most expensive one, THE AIR model. ⌋ ower cables have become an element of an audio of equal importance as a sound source, amplifier and loudspeakers. Although just a few years ago such a sentence in my tests was rather a postulate, colliding with the wall of disbelief, and often even aversion, today is a widely accepted state of affairs. And that's good, the audio system is becoming an increasingly balanced structure in which the individual components work together, rather than interfering with each other. It's still a terra incognita, a "magical area". However, there is less and less magic in it, and more and more knowledge, which is good for all of us. However, you must know that this equation will never be without the unknowns. If it is to be a really good product, and not just an average "work", in the end man hes to step in with his highly imperfect and at the same time wonderful sense of hearing and decide what to give up, and what he doesn't want to sacrifice at any price. Audio will always remain at the interface between science and art - because only art can complete science. | THE AIR THE AIR cable by WK AUDIO was developed in a similar process. The company is run by WITEK KAMIŃSKI (we have known each other for years so I can call him that). We have already tested two of its cables in the High Fidelity - The One and – covered in a micro-test - the Two, I was also impressed by his Pure Piano Black anti-vibration platform. All these products were connected by the creator's passion, idea and aesthetic make and finish. Each of these products featured a small element in it, which allowed it not to be yet another, ordinary audio product. The Air cable is distinguished by a red, leather, fastened strap with a metal plaque with the company logo and the name of the cable attached to it. This is a nice workaround for the problem that every small manufacturer has to face - you can't put this information on the cable itself in any reasonable. One solution is to apply a heat-shrink with logos, but not everyone likes it. So Witek chose a more expensive way, more elegant in my opinion. WITOLD KAMIŃSKI Owner, designer WOJCIECH PACUŁA: It seems quite thick… WITOLD KAMIŃSKI: Yes, but it is because inside there are three, independently run wires, which are intertwined in a proprietary braid. Each of the wires is separately isolated, each has anti-vibration layers, etc. It's quite a complex system, because all the "playing" with this cable's design was based on its mechanics. In retrospect, I can see that the power cord is more a mechanical device than an electrical one. Hmmm… Well, it is true. That's another cable we prepared together with Roger (Roger Adamek, the owner of RCM a distributing company and RCM Audio a manufacturer – ed.). Whenever I come up with something new I visit him in Katowice and he tells me what he thinks about it. If we both think something may come out of it we work on it together until it fulfills our expectations. We've spent almost 18 months working on this cable and almost all our work was related to its mechanics. So - geometry, form of braid, form of twist, elements added between individual wires. Over the past year and a half, we met almost once a week. What you see is a result of around a hundred small changes from the moment I brought the first project to Roger, and the electrical side of the project was ready back then. OK, so how do you start a new power cable project? An idea comes first. That's how you do it in an architecture. It's not like you sit down and "force" a project. If this happens, it is an "engineering work" - we sit at the desk for eight hours and do something. I work differently. If I have a project to do, I nurse it in me first, I work it out in my head. I can ride a bike, talk, do dozens of other things, and I'll be thinking about the project at the same time. That's exactly how it looked like with this cable. I had a general idea of what I wanted to do, it ripened in my head and at some point I just knew I was ready to sit down and start to work on it. So what exactly was the first idea for The Air? The idea was that I wanted to run three wire bundles in parallel, completely separate, like three TheOne cables in one ... I had no idea about their future geometry and design - but that's the idea I had. First, I ran them in parallel, but Roger with toothpicks proved to me that they did not have to be parallel - he waved them and the cable sounded better. The next step was the braiding. But it is not so obvious that the braided cable sounds well. In the case of a power cable, the most important variable is the electromagnetic field and how these three runs interact with each other. I don't know if anyone measures it, and if they do, it's the internal knowledge of large companies. Besides - the measurements alone don't say much. What you see on the oscilloscope, spectrum meter, is purely technical. The human ear, however, is better, it is the most sensitive human organ - we are still small mammals that run from a predator, we have evolved in such conditions for millions of years. But some measurement is necessary, right? If you really need it, sure. However, each measurement must be complemented with listening sessions. Each audio product is, in a sense, a piece of art. For me, audio devices are not engineering "lockpicks". In each of them engineering is the basis, it's obvious, as in architecture. One must have some technical knowledge to have a foundation for such project. All the rest, however, is an intuition of the architect, each creator, his sense - this is, in my opinion, what distinguishes a real work from an ordinary utility object, which can be both a building and audio component. And audio and architecture are related fields for me. Unlike many people imagine, in all "professional" professions knowledge accounts for about 40%. You use it like pliers, it is a tool. But you have to be able to use it, add to it this strange, irrational brain "defect" called intuition. So without the listening element, without this - say - "soul", there no good sounding devices. ▪ The Air is quite thick - in the blue PVC braided sleeve there are three separate wire runs, each individually isolated, which results in a large overall diameter. The wires are twisted together, and between them - in strategic places selected during listening sessions - elements were placed that separate them from each other. A similar arrangement you can find in, among others, Argento cables, Flow Master Reference model, LessLoss from the DFPC series, and KBL Audio in the Synchro Master Power. However, each company applies its own solutions. Although they look similar, they give different effects. Their shape in The Air is a result of the analysis of processes occurring in the power cable during its operation. All three runs are "twisted" into a special proprietary braid with selected geometry. In total, there is as much as 13 mm2 of copper there. It is OFC copper of high purity, which comes from the Polish and Italian factories. Before the product bought from manufacturers is used in this cable it undergoes special, proprietary processes aimed at its further refinement and only then it is used in the cable. The assembly process involves as many as 134 activities that must be performed in a strictly defined order and with a strictly defined force. Work on each unit from the moment one takes a single run in one's hand until the whole cable is finished takes up to four days. The Air is terminated with Furutech I-E50 NCF (R) and FI-50 NCF (R) NCF plugs - it is a plug with rhodium plated contacts and a housing made in the Nano Crystal² Formula technique. Let me remind you that this Japanese company uses a special crystalline material in them, with some special "active" properties. First of all, it generates negative ions, eliminating static electricity. Secondly, it converts kinetic energy into infrared radiation. So it is a piezoelectric material that directly converts vibrations into heat. As Witek says, the cable from the start was to be paired with these particular plugs: It is very important to make such a decision at the very beginning of the project! The plug used for an audio cable is its integral part and has a fundamental effect on the sound of the cable. Unfortunately, sometimes "better" plugs cause particular cable to sound worse! Sometimes using the best plugs actually exposes defects, deficiencies of the cable. The cable is packed in a nice wooden box with a metal plaque. | HOW WE LISTENED TO IT The reviewed cable powered my Ayon Audio CD-35 HF Edition (№ 1/50) player during the test and was compared to my reference, the Siltech Triple Crown, also to Acrolink Mexcel 7N-PC9500 and Acrolink 8N-PC8100 Nero Edition (№ 1/15). It was an A/B/A comparison with A and B know. I used short, two minutes long music samples from each disc. Taking advantage of the fact, that Witek brought his cable to me personally, we had one session together comparing The Air to Siltech, and later I performed the second part of the test comparing it to all three aforementioned power cables. WK AUDIO in „High Fidelity” TEST: WK Audio PURE PIANO BLACK | anti-vibration platform TEST: WK Audio THE ONE | power cable AC Recordings used for the test (a selec- tion) Depeche Mode, Home, Mute Records LCDBong27, „Mastered by Nimbus”, maxi-SP CD (1997) Dominic Miller & Neil Stacey, New Dawn, Naim naimcd066, CD (2002) Mark Knopfler, The Trawlerman's Song EP, Mercury 9870986, EP CD (2005) Pat Metheny Group, Offramp, ECM/Tower Records PROZ-1095, „ECM SA-CD Hybrid Selection”, SACD/CD (1982/2017) Sting, The Soul Cages, A&M Records 397 150-2, CD (1991) Tomita, Clair De Lune. Ultimate Edition, RCA Red Seal/Denon COGQ-59, SACD/CD (1976/2012) Wes Montgomery & Wynton Kelly Trio, Smokin’ At The Half Note, Verve/Analogue Productions CVRJ 8633 SA, SACD/CD (1965/2013) [REKLAMA5] | The AIR with Witek WK: In my opinion, compared to Siltech, The Air introduced more order to the soundstage. I have the impression that Siltech tries to show everything at once and "in parallel". At first it seemed to me that my cable is quieter. But it happened precisely because it began to present sounds in a more spacious way. With Siltech everything is presented more in the front, and my cable presents the sound more in the back, behind the speakers. I also have the impression that the Air is better in terms of organizing the sound stage. WP: I hear it differently. I mean, I can hear what you hear, but I tend to interpret it differently. But that's why I prefer the manufacturer to hear it himself, at least we know how we are different :) I think it is all about the fact that every product tested in my system is a "foreign" element. I like to think of my system sounding “right”. And I immediately hear the differences, i.e. what differs from what I look for, what I expect. In turn, the manufacturer hears above all his product and it is also the reference point, base for him. WK: I must add that this cable is simply too good for my system. Of course, I use it at home, I can't use anything else anymore, but here I heard exactly the same things as in other reference systems. I mean every time the sound gets more spacious and more orderly. On Enya with Siltech I had the impression that the bass is somewhere on the edge of breaking out of control. With my cable it wasn't that it didn't go as deep, but I didn't hear this “on the verge of control” effect anymore, it was more in check. This is the biggest difference for me. The Air sounded more like a “gentlemen”. Only with jazz my cable sounded worse. ▪ | THE AIR and me This year, many special events have been prepared in many places related to the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci. One of the cities that considers the master as "his own son" is Milan, where he spent eighteen years, during which he painted, among others, the Lady with an Ermine (and Italians seem extremely jealous of us having it) and the Last Supper. Especially for this occasion, something special was prepared in the city that no one except Italy has - you can again admire the fantastic decoration of one of the apartments at the Sforza Castle, a room called Sala delle Asse (Board Room), which da Vinci was the author of. This year, the restoration of this masterpiece, which lasted since 2012, was completed. It was one of the main events of our visit to the city this year. But inspired by the multimedia presentation, we just needed to see more. We did not have to look long - not far from the castle, in the Ambrosian Pinacoteca, one can see one of his last works, the Musician, as well as cards from the Atlantic Code with his sketches. Among them there are also sketches of the canals – Da Vinci was employed by the Sforza not as a portraitist, but as an engineer, specialist in fortifications. One such canal, Naviglio Pavenese, was built later by Napoleon. Right next to it there is the older water route, Naviglio Grande, where the cruise ships sail, and on its banks one can find several great antique shops, music shops and comic book shops. Since I didn't have space for LPs in my suitcase, I left one of the second-hand music shops with two CDs bought for pennies: The Soul Cages by Sting, an Italian version with an additional mix of the title song, as well as the promotional version of the maxi-single Home by Depeche Mode. I really like this Sting's album. It is interesting not only because such musicians as Dominic Miller on the guitar, Branford Marsalis on the saxophone or Manu Katché on the drums participated in its recording, but also because it is the second and last album of the former Police vocalist, encoded in the QSound system. It allows you to play stereo sound as if you were using a multi-channel system. Witek Kamiński's cable showed the space on this disc splendidly. The sound was wide coming out towards the listener, spread out on the sides, and when needed - like a bass passing in the Mad About You (in the left channel), or the saxophone in the right, were very clear, far on the side and slightly in the back. Interestingly, The Air also showed more strongly the special feature of the Italian version of this song, namely that the background was presented in a bit quieter manner than in the original, and the vocals were more powerful. What does it mean? Well it means that it will deliver a presentation with a highly differentiated sound in terms of contrasts. The Polish cable owes its extraordinary spaciousness to a slight shift in the tonal balance towards the upper part of the band. Manu Katché's percussion cymbals were heard more strongly with him, Martin Gore's vocals on the Depeche Mode disc were also clearer. I have it since its release, even before the Ultra album it comes from was released, but the version found in the Milan second-hand shop I simply "had to" have, because, first of all, it has a sticker on the box saying that it is a promotional copy, and secondly, that this album was pressed by the British company Nimbus, one of the best companies of this type. The single sounded strong, dense and low, which is how it should be. It also showed well the shift I am talking about - the bass was strong, but not as low as with Siltech and Acrolink '9500', but it reminded me of what the '8100' from the latter company offered. The cymbals were more open than with all three reference cables, and the upper midrange was more pronounced. The sound wasn't brighter, though. Neither with the highly commercial Sting, nor with the Depeche Mode, I had any problems with sibilants, nothing was hissing or shivering there. What's more, the treble was vibrant and dense, but it was "sweet" rather than "metallic". And just because of a slight emphasis in the upper part of the band, on the sound attack, the presentation is vivid, clear, transparent, resolving. This is not the same resolution as with Siltech or Acrolink's '9500', in the presentation there is simply less sounds, so in a short comparison you may get an impression that The Air has a better structured sound. But with the '8100' model it could compete above all in terms of midrange and treble. It also helps in building dynamics, which is really unique with The Air. Drum transitions on the Pat Metheny Group's Oframp, I'm thinking about the track called Eighteen in particular, the guitar strings on the New Dawn by the Dominic Miller & Neil Stancey, everything rocked, pushed forward. In fact, this cable sounds a bit like the Furutech plugs it comes terminated with. It's a special combination of opening and richness. In poorly configured systems this creates an impression of sound getting bright, in good one it brings resolution. This is not a cable that would hide anything, sweep bugs under the carpet. It does not "throw" everything in your face, but it also does not hide anything. Comparing it with many cables from a similar price range, and even more expensive ones, we will hear the music as if it played for the first time, as if it had been played from under a blanket before. And this is due to the open treble, resolution, but also something that could be described as "accuracy". This is an accurate and reliable cable. But also different than the ones I use in my listening system. If I were to compare it to a some loudspeakers, and I mean in terms of timbre and dynamics, it would be the fantastic YG Acoustics Carmel II, while both, the Siltech and Acrolink '9500' would be equivalent to Harbeth M40.1; if Siltech were a 300B tube, the WK Audio would be KT150. Both of these ways of playing music have advantages and disadvantages, but both are excellent in their class. The advantage of The Air, which many other manufacturers can only dream about, is that it brings life and vigor to any system without brightening it. The presentation with it will be a bit lighter than with darker cables, you have to know that. But not lighter because of the lack of bass, there is a lot of it, but by stronger emphasize of its upper range and lighter its lowest range. It will also have a slightly less saturated midrange, which could be heard with the vocal of Mark Knopfler from the The Trawlerman’s Song EP, as well as with the Wes Montgomery guitar of from the Smokin at the Half Note in the Analogue Productions version. However, these are not disqualifying differences, I'm just talking about comparisons to the best power cables I know, many times more expensive than the reviewed one. However, there are few power cables that could match Witek's in terms of space presentation. I started this test with it and I would like to finish with it. We get a wide panorama with it, with precisely-located elements in both planes. It shows sound sources without blurring them, although it does not try to cut them out of the background, which is a huge advantage, because no sound exists in isolation from others. With both the Sting's album and the Clair De Lune by Tomita in the SACD version I heard a huge, expansive panorama with well-shown layers, but always with clearly indicated instruments. | SUMMARY The Air is a high-end cable that fully deserves its name. It is immediately obvious that was developed by people who know what they are doing. However, this is a cable with its own sonic signature, and thus not entirely versatile, which can be said about any high-end cable. The Air focuses on transparency, space and arrangement of all sounds into one, compact whole. It presents advantages of good recordings, and is rather mercifully for the lesser ones. But it doesn't go deeper into their DNA to show what's good about them. For a cable costing PLN 11,000, it is more than one would expect. A cable that lets air into the system, literally and figuratively, with such a polished sound for such (relatively) reasonable money? You just have to try it out in your systems. It will not replace the best ones, so - as it happens - the most expensive power cables available on the market, but this was not the point, it doesn't work that way. It seems to me that it was supposed to prove – and it did - what a good system can do, when you add to it the "something" that causes listening to the beloved music to give you shivers your back. ■ [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/wk_audio/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

PREMIERE ⌈ ROGOZ AUDIO is a company specializing in anti-vibration components. It is one of those Polish companies that are well-known not only in Poland but also abroad. It sends its products almost all over the world - the recent delivery was sent to Israel. We test its latest product, the top FINALE / BBS anti-vibration platform. ⌋ OGOZ AUDIO doesn't introduce new products too often. What's more, most of those that were presented in 2007, when the company was founded, and in the following years, are still offered to customers. The company started with anti-vibration platforms and later added anti-vibration racks, cable stands as well as anti-vibration feet. Following the development of this brands over the years, I could appreciate further improvements, corrections, minor changes thanks to which its "company" sound has evolved and refined. As far as I remember, these were never big changes, but rather a slow evolution, it was about slow but constant improvement. Interestingly, the company's proprietary solution hasn't really changed – it is still the patented BALANCING BOARD SYSTEM (BBS ). That is why names of some of its product series are two parts – first comes the proper name, for example 'Finale', and than the abbreviation BBS: 'Finale / BBS'. | BALANCING BOARD SYSTEM The BALANCING BOARD SYSTEM (BBS; Patent P.404137) 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. source: company materials Also the materials their products are made of are classic ones - today they use almost exclusively different varieties of MDF and HDF. There are no super-hi-tech materials, no overly complex decoupling systems in them. It was a conscious decision of Mr. Janusz Rogoż, the owner and chief designer, who wanted to utilize what these materials had to offer - and, as he says, they offer a lot. The company's products are distinguished by simple, i.e. non-fancy forms and solid workmanship. The Finale / BBS is a 600 x 460 x 50 mm three-level anti-vibration platform. The basic level consists of three feet - two at the front and one at the back - with threaded (and thus adjustable) spikes made of high-carbon steel alloy. The intermediate (or middle) element is made of carbon polymer. A spike with the cap rests on a large diameter "metal" bowl fitted into the milled hole in the shelf above. Because subsequent layers are just two shelves of the same size, one placed above the other, separated by another BBS system. The shelves and feet of the Finale / BBS platform are sandwich designs that combine three different versions of MDF and HDF boards, differing in density and thickness. The idea was for these layers to differ in density, and thus vibration damping characteristics. The company usually uses boards with a density of 500, 700 and 900 kg / m3. The thickness and density are calculated individually for each project. These layers are glued together under pressure, i.e. pressed, thanks to which the heterogeneity of mass distribution in space and high attenuation of the standing waves in the shelves are achieved. Individual elements – feet and shelves - are made of the same kind of boards, but used in different proportions. The shelf we received for the test was finished with high gloss white varnish, but other types of finishes are also available. The sides are rounded in almost the same way as chassis of Ayon Audio devices are. This reminded me the style of Art Deco furniture, and furniture from the 1950s. JANUSZ ROGOŻ, Owner, chief designer WOJCIECH PACUŁA: What is the symbol of the new platform? JANUESZ ROGOŻ: The platform doesn't have a symbol, but rather a name – the Finale / BBS. BBS is the acronym for our proprietary anti-vibration system. It started with a series of racks called Trio / BBS, Quartet / BBS, and so on. So from now on all platforms will have names instead of symbols? For sure, product lines that already have names - such as the latest racks - will be continued. The names of the last series of racks referred to the number of musicians in a band. In the case of platforms, their names will be referring to a part of a music piece – in this case it is Finale. I don't know yet how we will call the next models. It might be difficult to trump Finale… (Laughing) Yes, it is not going to be easy, but I will come up with something :) It does not mean that we will never have an even better platform, but for now it is our top model. How does Finale differ from previous Rogoz Audio models? It differs primarily in the fact that the BBS system is doubled. It consists of independent elements - each feet is also independent. The middle board is placed on those feet and it is already movable. In turn, this board is the basis for another BBS system - it is a work top. So there are two levels of lateral movement. The thing was that the previous top platform featured only one level, as in the racks. And while in racks one doesn't need more, it is quite sufficient, because the top shelves are high above the vibrating ground (floor), in the case of a platform the top shelf might be sitting quite close to the ground/floor. It's not really that two BBSs are better than one. But the specifics of the platform's operation required smoothing its resonance characteristics. As I say, this is not an issue for racks, because the tops are placed far away from the source of vibration (floor), but the platform does not have this first “stroke” buffer from the surface on which it is set. When we measured the racks and compared them with a platform in an extreme situation, i.e. when the platform was placed on the floor, close to full-range speaker capable of producing dynamics at the level of 100-110 dB for low frequencies of 16-20 Hz, it turned out that the rack tops were a bit less energy-laden with vibrations generated by the speakers than platforms. The use of the second BBS system does result in twice as small load distribution, but it is more important that the phase characteristics of the resonance response changes. Both tops move horizontally, but depending on which one receives the vibrations - i.e. stroke – first it will move in a different phase than the second one. The phases of these vibrations will not match, thanks to which we get even greater smoothness of the resonance rise edge. And this is, in fact, the only difference between a single BBS and a dual one. What do you measure in anti-vibration platforms? We measure each rack and platform during standard tests using accelerometer - it is about measuring the acceleration of vibrations. Each material has its own resonance response characteristics. In the measurements we can see it as a main resonance, for example in the range of 500-800 Hz, which looks similar to the measurement of the impedance of loudspeakers as a function of frequency - there is one peak and a slight peak and then fall. Wherever there is a flat characteristic, within 5 dB range, there is the most effective damping and vibration dissipation by the platform. Where the material's own resonance is activated, we can see a reduction in its effectiveness. Individual materials differ from each other in the resonance response spectrum. The shape of the resonance build-up curve changes, which can be presented on a frequency graph as a function of volume level. The higher the curve and the sharper its shape, the more narrow the band and the more annoying it gets for a listener. However, if the vibration amplitude is relatively low, more widely distributed in the band and with a gentle slope inclination, then the vibrations interfere less in the musical signal and interfere less in the physiological sensitivity of the listener - they simply get less tiring. The point is that the build-up of the resonance should be as smooth as possible, i.e. the characteristic should not be full of by peaks and "holes". This is related to the vibration phasing, i.e. how they are distributed in the structure of the material and in the whole structure of the product. These are many variables that need to be combined in a project. Are you more of a technician or a music lover? When I work I become a scientist - methodology is the most important for me, both in terms of measurements and in relation to listening tests. I am a fan of a methodology that is called 'well-established methodology'. It was invented in the 1960s by Anselm L. Strauss, and in Poland it was Krzysztof T. Konecki who introduced it to the humanities. It is an induction methodology. The point is that we don't develop a project and only then wonder why it sounds one way or the other and using deduction we find out what contributed to it, and then we go back and change the parameters to improve the final result. In grounded methodology, we come to the effect by induction. In small steps, slowly. At each stage there are auditions and measurements, as well as falsification of projects and this way we reach the final product. We build a "house" not from prefabricated elements, but from foundations, layer by layer. This is what grounding is all about - if you put a foundation, it needs time to fix, then you build a brick wall, which again needs weeks and months to dry, etc. Falsification is carried out on many levels. I am the author of the project and I can say that it is a process of long and arduous listening and testing. The deduction method is easier and faster, but it doesn't give you confidence, you can't use it to build over a longer distance. The effect is obtained quickly, but is individual. So, to answer your question: I like to think of myself as a scientist, but I surely am a music lover. So first comes idea, then measurement and finally listening sessions? The measurement stage is only for checking the results of our work. Only a few basic parameters can be measured, and there are many times more variables that we do not know. These are things that don't get measured. Of course, you need to make measurements at each stage to see if you stick to the assumed parameter, but then there is time to work on it - this is just grounding the theory. Due to the fact that we have been operating this way from the beginning, projects that were created several years ago are still good, we can still be proud of them. I have withdrawn three or four early projects, but that's it. Sometimes we introduce some changes and the product get upgraded to the "MkII" version, but these are cosmetic changes. Since our working method is time consuming, we introduce new products very rarely. ▪ | HOW WE LISTENED TO IT The Finale / BBS platform was compared to the platform the Ayon Audio CD-35 HF Edition SACD player (№ 1/50) is usually placed on, that is the Acoustic Revive RAF-48H. It is a pneumatic wooden platform with a low profile. The comparison consisted of moving the player from one platform to another, so it was an A / B / A comparison with the A and B known. I devoted a separate session to comparing the player's sound on the Rogoz Audio platform and when it was placed directly on the top shelf of the Finite Elemente Pagode Edition rack. Both platforms during the test were placed on the tops of this rack. I also took advantage of the fact, that Janusz Rogoz personally brought the platform for testing and we listened to several CDs with and without Finale / BBS together. ROGOZ AUDIO in „High Fidelity” TEST: Rogoz Audio TRIO/BBS | anti-vibration rack TEST: Rogoz Audio 5SMX12/BBS | anti-vibration rack TEST: Rogoz Audio 4SG50/BBS + BW40MKII | anti-vibration platform + anti-vibration feet AWARD | BEST PRODUCT 2014: Rogoz Audio 3RP1/BBS | anti-vibration platform TEST: Rogoz Audio 3RP1/BBS - anti-vibration platform | RED Fingerprint TEST: Rogoz Audio 3T1/BBS | cable stands COMPETITION 10/10 | PEOPLE, COMPONENTS, WINNINGS: Rogoz Audio – anti-vibration rack COMPETITION 10/10 – CLOSE UP: Rogoz Audio - anti-vibration rack TEST: Rogoz Audio 3SG40 | anti-vibration platform Recordings used for the test (a selec- tion) Aquavoice, Silence, Zoharum ZOHAR 168-2, Master CD-R (2018); recenzja Frank Sinatra, Nice’n’Easy, Capitol Records/Mobile Fidelity UDCD 790, „24kt Gold Collectors Edition”, Gold-CD (1960/2002) John Coltrane, Coltrane’s Sound, Atlantic/Rhino R2 75588, „Atlantic Jazz Gallery”, CD (1964/1999) Pat Metheny, What’s It All About, Nonesuch Records/Warner Music Japan WPCR-14176, CD (2011); Polish Jazz Quartet, Polish Jazz Quartet, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/Warner Music Poland, „Polish Jazz | vol. 3”, Master CD-R (1965/2016); Ariel Ramirez, Misa Criolla, José Carreras, Philips/Lasting Impression Music LIM K2HD 040, K2HD Mastering, „24 Gold Direct-from-Master Edition UDM”, CD-R (1964/2009) [REKLAMA5] | Finale/BBS and JANUSZ ROGOŻ The changes that took place after placing the player on my platform were exactly the changes that were to occur. You have to start with the fact that you can describe changes in the system that has some disadvantages, or in an ideal situation, when we have control over all variables and the sound is of a reference level. I like tuning this system very much. The situation here is perfect for me – there is a base exactly on the line connecting loudspeakers and phase building reaching very far in and very close in the front, in approximately the same proportions. So if something withdraws in the negative phase behind the base of the speakers, then at the same time the sound can appear directly in front of me, and even behind me. So there is an effect of a spheric sound, and this is important, because in nature we deal with point source sound, which should propagate in the form of a sphere. This effect is preserved here. For such a close listening field, as in this system, the acoustics are very well balanced. I can hear here a slight emphasize of the 110-120 Hz to 250 Hz range, but the overall sound balance is so good that it is a difference – I think - of 1.5 dB in relation to the rest of the band. And the rest of the band is perfectly linear for my ear. So the reference sound as such is a very good base for comparison. What you have here is an exceptionally full-range sound, the bass can be heard evenly here (i.e. without weakening the energy) down to 30 Hz, and probably lower. Any such system is usually "anchored", i.e. there is a coupling between the speakers and the equipment that induces the energy generated by the speakers. This is a so-called positive acoustic coupling - a phenomenon where the end signal of the music system (sound produced by the speakers) appears again at the input of the system (in the source, amplifiers, cables, etc.). The vibrations generated by the loudspeakers are transmitted through the floor and ceiling to the electronics, and then added to the original signal thus changing it. This is based on the principles of microphonics and the conversion of mechanical vibrations into electrical vibrations through capacitive and induction processing at all stages of electrical signals processing, wherever we deal with the movement of charged particles, regardless of whether they are electrons in cables and transformers, or ions in inertial elements (capacitors, coils). In this system, this feedback is virtually inaudible. Despite this, some “sound sticking” to the speakers occurs here because it occurs everywhere. This cannot be eliminated by any anti-vibration system. The only reference point is a quick comparison with headphones, because there is no such feedback. My platform did such a thing to a minimal extent, I have the impression that the sound sources were a little more detached from the speakers while maintaining exactly the same or very similar tonal balance. At first, it seemed to me that nothing changed in the extension of the sound, its tonal balance, harmonic density, etc. On the other hand, some of the effects related to space were more surprising - the platform caused something that made me feel a bit like I was listening to the music using electrostatic headphones, because the sound, perhaps, was slightly less associated with the speakers. It seems to me that the level of resonance of the system has not changed at all, which is a really good sign for the original track - this is a beautiful system and I am very happy with how my platform fitted in it. | Finale/BBS and me The influence of the Rogoz Audio platform on sound is quite easy for me to describe, because I know this system in and out and for me every change seems of an almost cosmic proportion. It is a platform that modifies the sound towards its completion, richness and smoothness. It is probably only the second time after the Stacore Advanced pneumatic platform – that something happened in my system me that doesn't happen often – I realize it's a product that is better than the one I use every day, i.e. the Acoustic Revive RAF-48H pneumatic platform. Not in every respect, not always unambiguously, but overall the tested platform pushed my system in the right direction. Its sound (I am talking about modifications it introduces, but for simplicity I will talk about "its" sound) is saturated and has a low center of gravity. After switching from Acoustic Revive, the presentation became more fluid, more creamy. The upper parts, like the cymbals on the Coltrane’s Sound, were presented a bit more further behind, which does not mean that they were quieter. I believe that they fit in better with the whole soundscape, they were no longer dominated in the right channel - this was a classic recording for those years: left-center-right - and they also allowed the piano's full decay, which was placed there by Tom Dowd, who was responsible for this recording. The microdynamics also improved, although this feature may not be so obvious, not immediately. Because the improvement I am talking about was manifested in a better drum hit, better double bass clarity and better saxophone phrasing. Each of these things would seem to come from a different "space" of sound, and yet they were treated together, made more important through the better microdynamics. And the latter results directly, I think, from better resolution. Maybe I should have started and finished this test with it, because it means that the platform fulfills its role and there is no reason to beat the bush around it. And yet ... The resolution is only one of the elements, maybe the basic one, but related through a network of connections with the entire cosmos of changes that are taking place in this case. Because the better resolution translates into better phrasing, fluidity and silkiness - it is an incredibly smooth sound - but it also leads to a slight weakening of "avidness" of the presentation. This is a trait defining the attack, a kind of temper of the sound but under control. In this respect, the Japanese reference platform is better, although maybe a bit more "raw". With more powerful music material, for example with rock, pop placing the player on Janusz Rogoz's platform will be on the one hand a step towards a slight withdrawal of the attack, smoothing its edge, which in such music is not always a good thing, but also - and it has to be said - a step towards a more “cultural” sound. Because it is a “cultural” and orderly sound. The detachment of sound from the speakers that my interlocutor mentioned earlier is obvious. It results, as I see it, from the very good separation of stage layers, great differentiation. And yet, at first glance, it may seem that these elements are not as good here, because everything is calmer and smoother. However, those who had a chance to listen to some high-end components will appreciate this change, it will be something that will make this presentation sound more like natural sound. The platform also showed large, stable phantom images on the axis, whether it was a John Coltrane's saxophone or Frank Sinatra's vocal, or - finally - the Pat Mehtheny's guitar, the favorite musician of the designer of the reviewed platform. His baritone guitar from the What's It All About sounded deeper, cleaner, but also more natural, softer with the platform. The reverbs that placed the instrument in a large, spacious room were presented in a fantastic way, but without blurring it. I noticed it already on the first album, but this feature was even more evident with the Sinatra's voice, which had more space behind it, was better separated from the orchestra, and was bigger, stronger. My impressions were exactly the same when I listened to Metheny. His instrument sounded deeper and was more resonant. This is a feature that results from stronger sound saturation in the whole band - from top to bottom. Because also the low, electronic sounds from the Aquavoice's Nocturn, prepared by Tadek Łuczejko, were stronger, smoother and simply clearer with the platform. Which is a paradox, because it is a smoother presentation, with a slightly withdrawn treble. | SUMMARY Looking at the latest Rogoz Audio platform, it would be difficult to say what is special about it. Yes, it is pretty, yes, it is very well made and – a third yes – it is based on a well-documented patent. Still, it just looks "normal". In its normality, however, there is something more, something beyond it, knowledge and experience that cause the classic materials and simple solutions result in a different performance league in this particular case. The Finale / BBS platform improves resolution and differentiation, “darkening” and smoothing the sound. This is a high-end feature of the best high-end components and systems. The higher the resolution, the less clear are the details, and at the same time the more information we can hear – it's a paradox but a good one. That's what the Finale / BBS has to offer and that's why it deserves recognition and appreciation as well as our RED Fingerprint. ■ Technical specifications (according to manufacturer): Overall height: 194 mm Overall width: 600 mm Overall depth: 460 mm Leg profile: sandwich MDF+MDF+HDF 70 mm thick Top shelf: sandwich MDF+MDF+HDF 600 x 460 x 50 mm Bottom shelf: sandwich MDF+MDF+HDF 600 x 460 x 50 mm Maximum load: up to 150 kg [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1909/rogoz/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]