Published: 2. March 2013, No. 106 High-end is a specific world. It is a separate entity. It is closed, hermetic. And it is governed by certain etiquette. In contrast to much more "loose" hi-fi, it is focused on things that are not that important in the lower price ranges, or are even understood the other way around. This may be a certain approach to the design process, a philosophy associated with used components, a type of advertising, an understanding of the quality/price ratio (or actually eliminating this category altogether), as well as a method of selling the product. One of the more important determinants is also the frequency of a new product launch. Shortly speaking, the less frequent, the better. That low rate of offer change is conditioned by several factors. One is associated with the fact that real progress at such high level of quality does not happen every now and then, and minor improvements accumulate over a long period of time. Another is associated with the so-called "owner’s pride". The point is that buying an expensive – in other words, good – product we expect it to remain good in a year, two, three or maybe more years’ time. Withdrawing a model after a year or two, for no other apparent reason than to simply refresh the offer, runs contrary to the logic applied in the world of luxury goods. And that is where high-end belongs. And finally, there is a prosaic reason: if the offer of high-end products changed too often, consumers would refrain from buying, waiting for a newer model. From Accuphase E-202 to E-260 MODELDATEPOWER OUT. TRANS.KOL.IND. E-2021974.05100 W/8 Ωbi-polarsilver YES E-2031979.0870 W/8 ΩMOS-FETsilver/gold NO E-2041981.1275 W/8 ΩMOS-FETgoldNO E-2051985.1280 W/8 Ωbi-polargold/blackNO E-2061989.02100 W/8 Ωbi-polargold/blackNO E-2071992.11100 W/8 Ωbi-polargold/blackNO E-2101995.0480 W/8 Ωbi-polargoldNO E-2111998.1090 W/8 Ωbi-polargoldNO E-2122001.1190 W/8 Ωbi-polargoldYES E-2132005.0490 W/8 Ωbi-polargoldYES E-2502008.1190 W/8 Ωbi-polargoldYES E-2602013.0190 W/8 Ωbi-polargoldYES It seems that the range of 3-5 years is optimal. Accuphase is a company that mastered it on its opening line of amplifiers, the ‘2xx’ series integrated amplifiers. Each successor of a previous model is in fact launched every three, four or five years. It all started with the E-202, which was introduced in May 1974, almost exactly two years after the start of business of this Japanese company. The device was based on bipolar power transistors and offered 2 x 100 W / 8 Ω and – interestingly – "adjustable damping factor", in three steps: 50-5-1. Its hallmark was large dual analog power meters. The E-203 from 1979 employed output MOSFETs and had a power of 2 x 70 W / 8 Ω. The analog meters were gone but the unit was available in silver and gold finish. The E-204 had a slightly higher output power (5 W higher) and could be purchased either in gold or black (!). The latter color was dropped in 1995, along with the E-212, only available in gold. The E-205 from 1985 signaled a return to bipolar transistors in the output stage, leaving MOSFETs in the input stage of the power amplifier. That topology was used until 2001, and the E-212, where MOSFETs were replaced by bipolars. As can be seen, the E-212 was a complete revision of previous design principles. The E-205 had a power of 2 x 80 W / 8 Ω, raised to 2 x 100 W / 8 Ω for the E-206 and the E-207. The E-210 was a completely new design, so it is not surprising to see the return to 80 W / 8 Ω, raised again by 10 W in the E-211. The E-212 from 2001 is a return to something that is characteristic for Accuphase – large dual analog power meters. In the latest model, the E-260, they are for the first time joined by an alphanumeric display on LED modules. The E-213 was the first model to have used the MSC circuit that consist in multiple parallel signal paths. Up to the E-250 volume control was via a classic potentiometer. In the said model it was replaced by a sophisticated, analog volume control system called AAVA-II. Accuphase in High Fidelity REVIEW: E-360 integrated amplifier, see HERE INTERVIEW: Jim S. Saito – CEO, Yasumasa Ishizuka – management board consultant, Tatsuki Tozuka – international marketing department; see HERE HYDE PARK: Accuphase – wczoraj, dziś i na zawsze („Accuphase – yesterday, today and forever”), see HERE REVIEW: Accuphase AC-5 phono cartridge, see HERE REVIEW: DP-400 CD player| DP-510 CD player | DP-700 SACD player, see HERE REVIEW: C-3810 + M-6000 preamplifier + power amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: C-2810 + A-65 preamplifier + power amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: C-27 phono preamplifer, see HERE REVIEW: E-250 integrated amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: C-2110+P-4100 linear preamplifier + power amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: A-60 power amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: P-7100 power amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: C-2410 linear preamplifier, see HERE REVIEW: DP-700 SACD player, see HERE SOUND A selection of recordings used during auditions: Random Trip, Nowe Nagrania, 005, CD + FLAC 24/44,1 (2012). Diorama, Cubed Deluxe Edition, Accession Records, A 114, 2 x CD (2010); Gerry Mulligan & Scott Hamilton, Soft Lights & Sweet Music, Concord Jazz/Mobile Fidelity, UDSACD 2017, SACD/CD (1986/2006). Hilary Hahn, Hilary Hahn Plays Bach, "Best Classics 100", Sony Classical/Sony Music Japan Entertainment, SICC 30087, 2 x BSCD2 (1997/2012). Hilary Hahn, Hilary Hahn Plays Bach, Sony Classical, SK 62793, "Super Bit Mapping", 2 x CD (1997). Józef Skrzek, "Pamiętnik Karoliny", Polskie Nagrania/Metal Mind Productions, MMP CD 0535 DG, CD (1978/2009). McCoy Tyner, Inner Voices, "Jazz Next Standard. Spiritual Jazz", Milestone, UCCO-9467, CD (1977/2008). Miles Davis Sextet, Someday My Prince Will Come, Columbia/Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, MFCD 828, CD (1961/?). Norah Jones, The Fall, Blue Note/EMI, 99286, CD (2009). Pat Metheny Group, Offramp, ECM, ECM1216, CD (1982). Porcupine Tree, Deadwing, Lava, 93437, CD (2005). Portishead, Third, Go! Disc/Universal Music K.K. (Japan), UICI-1069, CD (2008). Schubert, Lieder, wyk. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, dyr. Gerald Moore, "Signature Collection", EMI, 55962 2, 4 x SACD/CD. Tadeusz Woźniak, Tadeusz Woźniak, MUZA Polskie Nagrania /Polskie Nagrania, PNCD 1289, CD (1974/2010). Japanese editions available from The least expensive designs from any given manufacturer have no easy life. From the point of view of purists, people willing to spend exorbitant money on their beloved toys, such products are not worthy their attention because there are much more expensive, and hence much more desirable devices. On the other hand, for people still aspiring to the high quality sound set by the manufacturer but not having sufficient cash, the cheapest amplifier – for example – is a kind of lifeline, their only hope to enter the elite club, in this case the Accuphase club. The problem is that the former quickly write off such an amplifier, NOT EXPECTING too much of it, while the latter EXPECT too much. Such was the case with amplifiers from Krell and Mark Levinson, and so it is with the "entry level" integrateds from Accuphase. Amplifiers that often find their way into secondary, bedroom audio systems in the U.S. and Japan are treated almost the same as the flagship products. And that's a mistake. One should not expect of them more than what they seem to offer according to their designers; certainly no “pie in the sky”. With its entry level amplifiers Japanese Accuphase sees an opportunity to reach the people who have not been much in touch with the audio, or those who frequently listen to music and have experience in audio matters and would like to make a longer lasting investment. As I understand it, the E-260, which is the subject of this review, is meant to become a part of home musical universe for a longer period of time. While this may seem insignificant, since it doesn’t matter whether we buy the given product as a quick upgrade or not, it actually is the key to our satisfaction with it, to our – the way I see it – happiness. And to our peace of mind, which is not to be underestimated. Let me then suggest to read this review as I was trying to write it, that is as someone who remains calm and perseveres in looking for his or her musical system, rather than a frustrate wanting at all costs to reach the imaginary and most often deceptive "absolute". Trust me, these are two completely different approaches, yielding two different results. E-260 Accuphase amplifiers have their characteristic "own sound". Its individual components may have changed over time, been modified or sometimes replaced by others, as a whole, though, it can be recognized regardless of the device’s price and year of manufacture. The E-260, although the cheapest on the list, exhibits all these components even after a short listen. The sound is full of passion and verve with very wide bandwidth. Particular recordings remain similar in that the listener’s attention is directed to midrange, yet without sacrificing the top and bottom end. Each album draws its own world before us. The amplifier shows them effortlessly, smoothly, reliably, without falling into a sort of boring routine. And that comes surprisingly easy in the audio. If the device is too withdrawn, if it does not convey emotions clearly and unequivocally, then it sounds just like that – maybe sometimes nonchalant and impressive but without the kind of commitment that is a prerequisite for everything in music. The E-260 is not a champion of differentiation, there's no beating around the bush; incidentally, no integrated amplifier from that manufacturer has ever been. But that is not what its presentation builds on; rather, it is "concreteness". What I mean is that vocals, instruments and acoustics – all these elements are shown in a big, nice, strong way. Not as palpably as they are by expensive tube or solid state amps, but enough to make us listen with interest, seeing the beauty (if the music is beautiful, of course) of what is in front of us, with no special desire to analyze what we hear. I mentioned each album’s particular world – provided the world is compatible with the Accuphase’s, we get something extra, some added value. That was the case with the new album pressing of Hilary Hann playing Bach. The album was just released as Blu-spec CD2, the latest installment of the Sony idea, and it sounds phenomenal. The older release that I have, the Super Bit Mapping encoded original was really satisfying. However, BSCD2 (the official Blu-spec CD2 abbreviation) sounds deeper, much clearer but in a good way, with the more natural violin. I have not noticed that before but the original release is clearly muffled. It has the fullness and warmth offered by the use of SBM, but with audibly truncated higher midrange. The new pressing does not simply have more treble; it is a matter of something more fundamental – better sound texture, consistency and clarity. And that kind of "world" matches the spirit of the E-260. It likes flirting with small ensembles. No matter what sort of music as long as there are several musicians on stage, with no wall of sound. Like the above mentioned Hann, like McCoy Tyner on Inner Voices, like Norah Jones on The Fall or Portishead on their third album, aptly titled Third. As I said, the kind of music does not matter. With these albums I heard something more than I could have expected from a solid state device. There was saturation, depth, large phantom images and momentum. In its preference for smaller ensembles the amplifier does not seem to be underpowered, with compressed or non-existing dynamics. The point is in its focus on individual instruments, in that such ensembles are better portrayed because we can "see" them better. Large orchestral ensembles, stronger rock, electronic music, such as Diorama’s Cubed (it’s worth checking out their latest album Even The Devil Doesn’t Care that premiered on January 25, 2013) will sound as they were recorded, i.e. the Accuphase will present big sound, momentum, punch, dynamics, or whatever else we want. Nevertheless, it will not be as involving as something quieter, smaller. As I said, the amplifier offers good bandwidth extension, both from above and from below. Bass is really engaging, has great color, and is well differentiated in its mid and upper band. The same cannot be said of low bass, which has been a common trait of all Accuphase integrateds in this series for as far as I can remember. It is not sloppy nor does it rumble, but its selectivity and focus is not as good as above. At the other edge of the bandwidth, treble seems slightly warm. It has a nice color, is clean and resonant, which results in an open, not at all muddled, sound. I would be careful to put the E-260 in an audio system rich in treble. The Japanese amplifier shows the cymbals or the trumpet in a slightly sweet way, without aggression but without hiding anything, either. Treble is louder, or at least we perceive it as such because upper midrange where the sibilants reside (2-5 kHz) is withdrawn, smoothed out by the A-260. This gives extra vividness to what’s below, protecting against poorly recorded material that sounds more fun, but it also subjectively raises the volume level of what’s above. Therefore, I would look for a partner for this amplifier among well-balanced speakers that do not have a problem with treble. If there is too much treble, the Accuphase will show it as it is and while its top end is rather mild it will not mask anything. Generally speaking, I would not treat the E-260 as a remedy for anything. Yes, there are situations, setups in which one component’s characteristics, even flaws, can be corrected or actually masked by other’s. Such an action fits the idiom of audiophile system matching, is widely adopted and accepted; it better works, however, in lower price ranges. Like pairing a tube preamp with a solid state power amp to soften the sound of the latter and keep a high-output power amplifier. My two-piece amplification system also has a tube preamp and a solid state power amp, but for a completely different reason; the two components are meant to complement rather than to correct each other, to build on their strengths rather than to mask their weaknesses. It is similar with the E-260 and the source and – even more importantly – the speakers. We will have the most fun when we pair it with something of a similar tonal balance – Harbeths, Spendors or Castles. Dynaudio is naturally worth trying as well since it's quite a common setup. If you do well, with a bit of luck we will get perfectly saturated, focused sound with great momentum. Its resolution will prove surprisingly good, although its selectivity would not indicate that. Understanding a particular recording, experiencing it will be something normal. But even audiophiles will have their fun because, as I said, the differences between various pressings, editions, remasters will be clear and unambiguous. E-260 vs E-250 Differences between components from various manufacturers is something that audio magazines as well as audiophiles get busy with. Their differences, similarities, an attempt to rate or stratify them is what we thrive on. However, much less common is an opportunity to compare a given device to its predecessor. The reasons for this state of affairs may be sought in variety of factors, with the ever popular theme of "conspiracy" between manufacturers, or between manufacturers and journalists, or distributors and journalists, or other, very exotic "alliances". In "High Fidelity" we try to be reasonable and not monkey about. Therefore, I assume that the reasons are quite mundane: when the new model hits the stores, the old one is usually gone from the shelves. Manufacturers arrange their schedule so as not to introduce unnecessary confusion, not to make life difficult for their dealers and for the customers. What happens is that if the potential customer cannot decide facing a not-so-clear choice, he or she ends up not buying anything and is often lost forever for us, for the audio. I rarely have an opportunity to directly compare "descending" and "ascending" devices in the series. I can only compare them by analyzing my notes in terms of how they compare against the reference system. That’s a pity. Listening to the E-250 and the E-260 next to each other allows to appreciate to a much greater extent what the Accuphase engineers have done; what the changes between the previous model and the current one, however minor, translate into. It also makes for a nice way of pinpointing the advantages of the older model, of justifying our earlier observations and realizing what it is we really liked in it. But we can also pick up a change of thinking about the given product, to see what the focus of the engineers is in the given series (and so in the given time). In this case, it is very clear: the main concern has been sound differentiation, resolution and focusing (definition). As I said, the E-260 features a new preamp PCB and the output stage boasts a higher damping factor, though its design has not changed. The power supply has also remained the same. Nevertheless, even such small changes brought about a kind of a new start. The E-250 sounds warm, slightly "bear-like", at least compared with the E-260. The new amplifier has a much better defined bass and is much more focused on individual sounds, instruments and planes. Hilary Hann’s violin with the E-250 occupied much more space between the speakers and seemed to be (but only in comparison!) somewhat dim, as if missing something 'central', as if the instrument edges were blurred. The E-260 does not "cut out" anything from soundstage. If this happens in your system, i.e. if individual voices are sharply visible, have no connection with other instruments and the overall acoustics – you better take it to the pawnshop. Real focusing is to combine the clarity of the sound source with its surrounding context. As the E-260 does. The previous model was not particularly bad in this respect and it made up for it with a strong "body" of the instruments, but once we listen to the new model it remains in our memory as a reference. Resolution and differentiation are two other characteristics we will appreciate in the new integrated. They translate into a better conveyance of emotions as well as higher dynamics. The latter is unquestionably better in the E-260. When half a minute into the track Pewnego dnia o świcie (“One day at dawn”), opening Tadeusz Wozniak’s debut album from 1974, the horns suddenly start out in one channel, with the new amplifier it made me jump up (I did not remember them) – they were so strong, so audibly present and made such a high contrast to the classical guitar playing up till then. Similarly with the title track from Pat Metheny Group’s album Offramp (which I necessarily need to buy in the gold, mini-LP release; it’s one of the best Pat’s albums in my opinion) – the bass was far better focused and the whole seemed bigger and more natural. In a direct comparison the E-250 seemed to sound a bit slower and "wetter". The new amp does not sharpen or contours anything yet it seems to be much more articulate. Conclusion Introducing new models by audio manufacturers is conditioned by various factors. It may be a necessity of a fresh product line-up or a need of better access to components, better profits calculation, keeping up with market changes and with the competition, and finally sound improvement. One cannot take offence in advance at the fact that last postulate is only one of many. As shown by the example of the E-250 and the E-260 the progress is evident and substantial. Its scale and the nature of changes remind me of what I hear moving from European CD pressings to Japanese pressings. Maybe not to the SHM-CD or the BDCS2, but let’s say to the classic mini-LP. While I still like the older model as it enchants with its warm color and certain softness, the new design is clearly a step up, towards high-end. The question of pricing is interesting. For a long time one could buy the E-250 in Poland for 16,000 PLN, which was really low compared to official prices in Germany. Understandably, it was not quite to our Western brothers liking and as a result the current price in Poland has gone up to 19,990 PLN. Against this background, another 1,000 PLN that buys us the new model seems to be symbolic. We need to keep in mind that within the four years that separate these products the cost of materials (e.g. metals) in Japan have increased dramatically, often by 50 or even 100 percent. Similarly, the cost of energy continued to increase. Price increase of products manufactured there has thus been inevitable. In case of the new amplifier it is, however, cosmetic. That is why the E-260 seems like a good investment and would be a reason for buying it. This is an amplifier that can stay with us forever. Fantastic design and manufacturing quality, a legendary brand and extremely low failure rate (at least in comparison with other brands) are its additional advantages. Let me also add that it was a pleasure to listen through the headphones via the amplifier headphone output. It is very rare with solid state amps; the headphone signal is almost always taken from the output stage transistors, which is probably the worst possible solution. Here the HiFiMAN HE-300 that I highly recommend in this connection (see HERE) were a good match for the E-260 slightly raised tonal balance. The amplifier provided great output level, strong, well-defined bass and slightly sweet treble. It can, of course, be done better but you will need to spend an extra 2,000 PLN on an external headphone amplifier (plus cables) and I am not convinced if that makes sense. 20,000 PLN is and isn’t a lot of money, depending on the scale at which we look. In this case, it seems to be just the right amount. Let me repeat: provided we choose appropriate accompanying components, the E-260 may be our last amplifier. TESTING METHODOLOGY The device was placed on the Acoustic Revive RST-38 anti-vibration platform, just like the E-250 it was compared with. Both were powered by the Oyaide Tunami GPX-R power cord. Balanced signal from the Ancient Audio Air V-edition CD player was supplied via the Acoustic Revive XLR-2.0PA II cables and the speakers were coupled by the SPC-PA speaker cable from the same manufacturer. The testing had a character of an A/B/A comparison with the A and B known, using 2 minutes long music samples. The reference point was the two piece Ayon Polaris III [Custom Version] + Soulution 710 amplifier, the Jadis I-35 tube amp and the Devialet D-Premer AIR digital amplifier. DESIGN The differences in appearance between the new and the old Accuphase amplifier come down to a few minor changes. Three of them are, however, essential in my opinion. This is a very solid design, with a thick, gold anodized front panel, two large control knobs on both sides and several smaller ones under the acrylic plate covering modestly sized dual analog meters (actually VU-meters). The left knob is the input selector, with the active input indicated by a red LED, and the right one is the volume control. Even though it has the start and end point, it is not a classic resistive attenuator. While it operates a nice Alps potentiometer, the latter merely serves as an encoder for the proprietary analog volume control circuit and shows the current volume level. For user convenience the new amp sports an alphanumeric LED display panel indicating the volume level in dB. In the E-250 the knobs were positioned slightly differently, as were the buttons. Only one new button has been added to select the absolute phase in the balanced input. This proves very useful as the Japanese still use the "American" wiring with pin 3 "hot", while the whole world uses pin 2. Consequently, when we hook up the E-260 with a device other than a player from Accuphase or Luxman, the phase on speaker outputs will be reversed. That can be corrected with the mentioned switch. Apart from that, the functionality is the same as with the E-250, in other words excellent. The number of connectors is the same in both models but their layout has changed, which is a sign of a redesigned input PCB. The connectors are identical, middle class affair. However, there has been a significant change in the enclosure design. The E-250 had a classic, U-curved metal sheet; here we have a modular design, with dual, stiff side walls and a flat, bolted-on top panel. This is a much better solution taken directly from the more expensive Accuphase models. The interior looks very similar. At the back, there is the input PCB with relays and the volume control PCB. The latter is a proprietary system of analog volume control. The signal is first converted from a voltage into a current by V-I converter amplifiers, gain is adjusted by current switches and the signal is reconverted into a voltage by an I-V converter. The circuit does not introduce a change in impedance at any volume setting and frequency response remains totally uniform. The entire signal processing is carried out in the analog domain and the system is called AAVA (Accuphase Analog Vari-gain Amplifier). Initially it was used only in the most expensive preamplifiers, such as the C-3800; the E-250 was the first in the "2xx" series to use it. It was called there AAVA-II. The E-260 features a bit different solution in that it has a different input. Previously, it was a pair of MOS-FET transistors (per channel) as the amplifier has a balanced topology; now it is built on ICs in the MSC topology with five parallel circuits. Power amplifier assemblies are directly mounted to large heatsinks. The E-250 had the same output stage as the E-260, with bipolar transistors and two parallel pairs of 2SA1186+2SC2837 from Sanken in push-pull, class AB. The new amplifier sports a redesigned negative current feedback loop, resulting in minimized output impedance and twice the damping factor (100 vs. 200), lower noise and significantly reduced intermodulation distortion. Power supply also looks identical – a big 400 W EI transformer in shielding enclosure and two large filtering capacitors. The individual sections are shielded from each other, which at the same time stiffens the whole chassis. We need to mention a possibility of adding option boards. The E-260 provides one slot for an option board on the rear panel. This can be a phono preamplifier, D/A converter (DAC-30), or an additional line input board. It's up to the user. Specifications (according to the manufacturer) Continuous Average Output Power (rms): 115 W / 4 Ω | 105 W / 6 Ω | 90 W / 8 Ω Total Harmonic Distortion (both channels driven, 20-20,000 Hz): 0.05% Intermodulation distortion (IM): 0.01% Frequency response (Line Input and Power Input): 20-20,000 Hz (+0 / -0.2 dB) for rated continuous power; 3-150 000 Hz (+0 / -3 dB) for 1 W output Damping factor: 200 (8 Ω) Tone controls: BASS: 300 Hz/10 dB (50 Hz) | TREBLE: 3 kHz/10 dB (20 kHz) Loudness: +6 dB (100 Hz) Signal to Noise Ratio (A-weighted): Balanced input: 91 dB | Power input: 122 dB Power Consumption: 49 W (idle) | 245 W (max.) Dimensions (WxHxD): 465x151x420 mm Net Weight: 20 kg Distribution in Poland Eter Audio 30-646 Kraków | ul. Malborska 24 | Polska tel./fax: 12 655 75 43 e-mail: info@eteraudio.pl www.eteraudio.pl

Published: 3. April 2013, No. 108 Our everyday life becomes more and more digitized. Nobody is surprised anymore with hybrids (also lingual) like: „Transport CD/DAC”, „DAC/CD Player” and so on. The modern language follows the reality we live in, and it reflects the minds of people using it, regardless of it being a good or bad thing. And the reality of audio world is as follows: a status of physical music carriers degrades in a fast pace while the importance of computer music files grows in a mind blowing rate. So nowadays, when a respected company introduces a new CD Player it means that either somebody in this company went crazy, or that there is some clever strategy behind it. Which one is it – well, that depends on to whom this product is addressed. I still remember very well a conversation I had maybe 3 years ago with Adam Shaw-Cotteril, Sales Director of Cambridge Audio. We met in a very friendly, comfortable surrounding of Bartek Łuczak's photo studio, that same that is responsible for how great „High Fidelity” looks like. We sat, sipped our tea and chatted about new CA products, including their new files player NP30. I remember asking an obvious question then – does this product mean the CA would resign from making CD Players? Adam shook his head and answered: absolutely not, we shall continue to manufacture CD Players as long as customers will listen to CD records. One could think that this is the only correct answer and that there is nothing special about it. But if you take a look at my reviews published under „The Editors” title, you will see, that each audio journalist has his own opinion about the future of Compact Disc. Some of them claim that people will use CDs for many more years, some say that the era of CD is already over. What do I think about it? One thing is obvious to me – the countdown for CD has already started and it will become obsolete sooner or later. In the mid-priced segment of the market CD Player will extinct pretty soon literally „murdered” by so many manufacturers offering some sort of decent files players. It might take longer in the entrance level market segment as until now manufacturers failed to offer some cheap and easy to use (that is very important) products. It looks like the situation in high-end world is quite different though. I think that's where the CD and SACD Players will last longest, 10 maybe 15 years. There are many reasons for that, but the most important one is that only recently we started to experience the real magic of music played from CDs. Only the relatively new generation of players has been able to present the true top performance of what can be obtained from a CD, so it would be difficult to kiss that good bye so quickly. It has been achieved via progress made in the fields of both: players and Compact Discs manufacturing (for CDs I mean new generations of discs like: Crystal Disc, SHM-CD, HQCD, Blu-spec 2, SHM-XRCD24, CD-R copies of master tapes and so on). There is one more factor that discourages owners of high end systems from starting using music files – it seems that even the best labels aren't still ready for preparing files in a proper way, and that goes in particular for hi-res files. Most of them already learned how to produce a very good sounding CD, but music files seems to be still a terra incognita for them, with many traps waiting along the way to a good sound. That's why Audio Research introduced recently a new model of a CD Player, the CD9, that's also why Aesthetix released Romulus – these are high-end devices for high-end systems. What's interesting is that the latter offers its new product in two versions, with and without a CD transport mechanism. If you're not planning on using CDs you can go ahead with a D/A Converter, including USB input, called Pandora, that costs around 24 kPLN. But if you want to keep spinning CDs, that's not a problem either – go with the version with z classic, Red Book CD transport outsourced from TEAC, and that will cost you additional 4 kPLN. In this case what you have is a CD Player and D/A Converter integrated in one box. There is one more option for both models which is a volume control that will cost another 3,4 kPLN. So if you chose all options you'd arrived at the top version which is a CD Player/DAC/Preamplifier kind of device. That's exactly the version we have under review. Some of the particular features of this device are: • TEAC CD transport mechanism, designed particularly for Red Book CD playback, • power supply based on two power transformers, • oscillators (four) – ultra-precise, low jitter oscillators sitting right next to the DAC chip • asynchronous USB input licensed from Gordon Rankin's Wavelength Technologies, digital inputs accept following PCM signals: 32 kHz, 44, 1 Hz, 48 kHz, 88,2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176,4 kHz, 192 kHz, up to 24 bits, • the digital inputs sit in interchangeable slots, • two modes of USB input – one works as USB class 1 (accepting signal up to 24/96, no need for a driver for PC computers), other works in class 2 (24/192, requires a driver) • optional additional USB input, • proprietary digital filters in DSP Motorola DSP56362 chip, • Burr-Brown PCM1792A DAC chips, • analogue section built around tubes: 2 x 12AX7, 2 x 6DJ8/6922. SOUND Recordings used during test (a selection) MJ Audio Technical Disc vol.6, Seibundo Shinkosha Publishing, MJCD-1005, CD (2013). Adam Makowicz, Unit, Muza Polskie Nagrania /Polskie Nagrania, "Polish Jazz vol.35", PNCD 935, CD (1973/2004). Artur Lesicki Acoustic Harmony, Stone & Ashes, Fonografika, 559040, kopia z ta¶my-matki, CD-R (wersja CD: 2010); Bogdan Hołownia, Chwile, Sony Music Polska, 505288 2, kopia z ta¶my-matki, CD-R (wersja CD: 2001). Czesław Niemen, Katharsis, Muza Polskie Nagrania, PRCD 339, “Niemen od pocz±tku, nr 9”, CD (1976/2003). Czesław Niemen, Spodchmurykapelusza, Pomaton EMI, 36237, CD (2001). Depeche Mode, Heaven, Mute/Columbia, 47537-2, maxi SP, CD (2013). Diorama, Even Devil Doesn’t Care, Accession Records, A 133, CD (2013). Frank Sinatra, Sinatra Sings Gershwin, Columbia/Legacy/Sony Music Entertainment, 507878 2, CD (2003). John Coltrane, Coltrane, Impulse!, 589 567-2, “Deluxe Edition”, 2 x CD (1962/2002). Józef Skrzek, Podróż w krainę wyobraĽni, Polskie Nagrania/Metal Mind Productions, MMP CD 0541, CD (1978/2009). Komeda Quintet, Astigmatic, Muza Polskie Nagrania /Polskie Nagrania, "Polish Jazz vol.5", PNCD 905, CD (1966/2004). Lars Danielsson, Mélange Bleu, ACT, 9604-2, “ACT: Nu Jazz””, CD (2006); Lucy Ann, Lucky Lucy Ann, Mode Records/Muzak, MZCS-1121, “Mode Vocal Collection”, CD (1957/2007). The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Time Out, Columbia Records/Sony Music Entertainment Hong Kong, 883532, "K2HD Mastering CD", No. 0055, CD (1959/2011). The Oscar Peterson Trio, We Get Request, Verve/Lasting Impression Music, LIM K2HD 032 UDC, “Direct From Master Disc. Master Edition”, gold CD-R (1964/2009). Tomasz Stańko Quartet, Lontano, ECM, 1980, CD (2006). Wes Montgomery, Echoes of Indiana Avenue, Resonance Records, 195562, CD (2012). Japanese version of CDs and SACDs available at Digital sources built in the last few years offered much more sophisticated sound than those built before. The same goes for D/A Converters, which is rather understandable, but also for CD and Blu-ray Players. At the time of this test I also reviewed multi-format players: Marantz UD7007 and Cambridge Audio Azur 752BD for „Audio” magazine, and I was surprised how 'mature' sound both of them offered regardless of what sort of disc I was spinning, or what files playing. There are many reasons why such a progress has been made in the recent years and one of them was finding ways to deal with jitter, which is kind of a digital distortion. The other key factor was for manufacturers to finally realize that music is not just a group of sounds that need to be delivered in most precise fashion. They finally realized how complex the music was, how many relations between timbre, pace, resolution, selectivity, focus, micro and macro dynamics had to be also reproduced properly to get finally to a really good sound. The interesting thing about the former factor (that is obviously my opinion, not everybody has to agree with it) came strictly from engineering work – problem was measured, recognized and solution was found. Truth to be told these measurements started only after audiophiles complained about their CD Players being not so perfect as expected. The latter factor arrived from listening sessions that helped to understand correlations between elements of music that have to be reproduced in order to make music sound good, natural. That approach, taking into account both – engineering work, measurements and the result of listening sessions allowed manufacturers to arrive at the point they find themselves in now, creating a really good sounding digital sources. One has to be impressed mostly by the improvements in the low price level – that mostly goes for D/A Converters like: Cambridge Audio's DACMagic 100, Arcam's rDAC, even rLINK, or a Cambridge Audio Topaz 5 CD Player. Each of them costs less then any element of my system. It's a real pleasure to find gems like these among really inexpensive devices, and I'm pretty sure it was not easy to make sound like they do. Equally significant changes are happening in the high-end audio. The character of the changes is similar to those already described, but the consequences of these changes are much more complex. But there is still a thing that concerns equally entry level rLINK and herewith reviewed high-end Aesthetix. These are choices that designers must make during designing process. Simply there is no ultimate natural, nor neutral, nor 'absolute sound as such – there is no such thing. What you can achieve is a bit less or bit more natural/neutral sound. And it gets even more complicated – two devices that you would describe as similar sounding in terms of neutrality and/or naturalness of the sound will in general sound very different, day and night different,t like for example the Romulus and M2TECH Vaughan DAC. The sound of this CD Player/DAC/preamplifier might be defined as warm. It is rich. It is liquid. It is pleasant to listen to. All these features of sound reminded me of some other very good players like Mark Levinson No.512 SACD or emm Labs XDS1 Signature Edition. All of them have somehow similar sound signature, that some might define as an 'analogue' sound, which in fact is rather a natural sound, although not necessarily perfectly neutral. You might be surprised seeing that I'm contradicting these two terms: natural and neutral. Strange, right?, as you might think that neutral sound must be also natural, meaning similar to what we can hear in the real life. But the audio world sets its own rules. One of them says that live music is something different from what might be caught on tape (or in file – recorded anyway). That's why neutral doesn't have to mean also natural, it's more a description of choices designers made, and of preferences of a listener. And the Romulus, or I should say, its creators, refer to, or focus most of all on the beauty in music. That's in short what you get when you decide to drive with this device a power amplifier directly. Indeed, in my system I preferred the sound of Romulus driving Soulution from the system even with ultra-minimalistic Ayon Audio Polaris III [Custom Version] preamplifier. It did not change when Soulution was replaced with Dan D’Agostino's Momentum Stereo. With or without preamplifier in a system? This question has been around 'forever', but the answer is still the same – it depends... I'm not trying to avoid giving a clear answer, it truly depends in a particular system on two main factors: what is the class of a preamplifier integrated in a source (that's a situation when you might even think about skipping having a separate preamplifier), and is it capable of driving particular power amplifier. Usually designers of a power amplifier have in mind that it would most likely work with a regular, separate preamplifier, that could offer proper gain, that buffers signal and deals with volume control. So when one decides not to use a preamplifier and thus connect a CD Player with adjustable output signal directly to a power amplifier, one should base such decision on his experience, and on whether or not he likes the sound. And while the intuition might tell us that „less is more”, so skipping one, two, or more gain stages should result in a better sound, in fact usually what we get is quite the opposite. It does work mostly when the whole system is designed to work this way, like the one made by Ancient Audio, for example, which includes a CD Player/preamplifier and power amplifiers. Maybe 10, or 15 years ago a similar sound signature was offered by Wadia players. It was warm, three-dimensional sound, with slightly softened attack, and warm midrange made CDs sound really nice despite problems CD Players had at that time. That's why Wadia was such a popular brand at that time and it was a popularity well earned. But the perception, also of a sound, changes over time. Today Wadia's sound would be perceived as significantly colored. Sure it would be still a very nice sound, but slightly dull, with resolution and selectivity that could not compete with what is offered by presently manufactured digital players. Romulus somehow reminded me of the sound of Wadia 851, but without its 'problems'. It delivers a warm, but not 'warmed up' sound – there is a difference. ‘Warmed up’ means ‘colored’, while ‘warm’ – means ‘rich’, and is opposite to a ‘cold’ sound. This expression doesn't carry so much weight as 'warmed up'. Aesthetix delivers huge, 'free' sound, which reminded me of Ayon Audio CD-5s Special. But it seems that Romulus offers sound with better focus. Bass might not be so well extended, so thunderous, but I don't think anybody will complain about that. The instruments are shown quite up close to the listener, and they seem very palpable. I think it is a question of slightly emphasized lower midrange, but it is really not some obvious coloration. It looks like it is a premeditated choice, because it makes the sound of Romulus what it is – it creates its volume, size and dynamics. A feature that everybody liked so much about old Wadia, and now about, for example, Mark Levinson No.512 and emm Labs XDS1 Signature Edition is how three dimensional they sound was. Romulus joins this club, delivering not only large, but also palpable, „physical” objects throughout the whole frequency range. The picture stays very clear, sharp though. This is a high-end Player in every aspect, including resolution. To verify that, I listened to some CD recordings and compared them with the copies of their master-tapes that I had on CD-Rs. That's how some labels prepare their special formats like UDH - First Impression Music, and T-TOC. Differences between master-tape and 'regular', pressed CD are quite significant and always in favor of CD-R copy. I think this is why such formats like XRCD are so successful – part of the recipe was to shorten the 'path' between recording studio and final product. But even than there are still several stages and each of them might introduce some distortions. Anyway – differences were clear and Romulus presented them nicely without hesitation. It relayed much better dynamics, better focus and simple better, more interesting overall presentation from CD-R. It did it in its own way though. It showed clearly differences between sizes of instruments and the distance between them and listener. This confirmed my early impressions. Changes in dynamics were also clear, although not so significant – a regular, pressed CD delivered 'flatter' dynamics; CD-R more 'explosive' one – both of these features were slightly emphasized by Romulus. The performance of this devices might seem slightly limited as its selectivity is not as good as of some other high-end devices. Recently I had a discussion with Andrzej Kisiel, chief editor in „Audio” magazine, during which he asked me how would I define a difference between resolution and selectivity. He was right to point out to me something, that I maybe subconsciously already knew, that too much or too little selectivity is a always a problem. But on the other hand resolution can't be too good, it is always not good enough. So if we understand selectivity in this way, than when talking about Romulus we should say that there is bit too little selectivity. This is not perfectly clean and clear sound with everything perfectly 'visible'. One could even recognize this sound as less open than what one remembers from other devices with similar sonic signature. And in some way one would be right. Strong, crisp cymbals on Coltrane, Niemen's Katharsis, electronics on new Diorama's Even Devil Doesn’t Care - all that was bit too quiet, it sounded bit too nice. If I remember correctly I used exactly the same words when I summarized a review of Devialet D-Premier AIR. Both devices show the music in a slightly more beautiful way than it really is, they don't allow any harshness, brightness, or any graininess in the treble. Bass is gently softened at the very bottom, but the rest of it is truly taut which creates impression that all of it is equally well controlled. But the impression is not the same thing as a certain fact, so after some intense listening one might arrive at conclusion that one would appreciate a bit more dynamics from a kick drum, for example. That's a trade-off for something else, that's a real life. The most important thing When reviewing a multipurpose device, like Romulus, a reviewer has to consider many things that can be skipped when dealing with other type of device. He has to sort its properties, decide which might be the most important for potential buyer, which were important for its designers, and which are important for him. Yes, for him – in this case, for me. The most important question I ask myself when listening to any device is: do I like it? It seems like a subjective approach? Maybe, but I think it's the only one that makes sense, objective sens. Gathering experience from dozens, hundreds, or even (yes, it's been THAT many years already) thousands of listening sessions with different devices, using all my experience also from other fields, I always try to get to the point, and the point being: the „good” sound, which is as close to what I can hear on live concerts, as only possible, after taking into consideration one, but CRUCIAL correction – I need to remember that recording is a totally different world from live performance, so it can't sound the same. In this particular case I needed to ask additional questions: how does this device perform as a CD Player, as a D/A converter, as a CD Player/preamplifier and finally as DAC/preamplifier. Plus there is one more additional question – how does USB input perform – I know it's a part of D/A converter, but quite a particular/significant part nowadays. The answer to the question no 1 is very simple – I've never thought that a device at this price level could offer such a great performance. That's an assessment of the device as a whole. Another device I reviewed recently that performed so well was Ayon Audio CD-3s, but still Romulus surprised me with its finesse. Tonally Ayon's sound was similar, and it had more to offer in terms of functionality. But it was Romulus that made me spend long nights listening to the music via my headphones. Of course I realized that there was slight emphasis on lower end, and I knew that definition of sounds could be better, but I still loved this sound. The Austrian player delivers bigger, more open sound, which should work in many systems where Romulus might seems too warm sounding, or too restricted. It was no coincident that I compared it to much more expensive players like Levinson and emm Labs (it might also not be a coincident that all three of them come from USA) – they all share similar „spirit”, similar „view” on music, on what's more, and what's less important. All of them present instruments as 3D objects, the acoustic surrounding is nicely presented, but only what's close to the instrument, all the rest is quickly gone. All of them are mostly about sustained part of sound, all put some emphasis on lower midrange which makes the sound even more palpable. Additional pros of Aesthetix are USB input and volume control. It is one of very few digital players that doesn't need an external preamplifier to sound very good. And it is because of its specific tonality. Mine version of Solaris III, reworked by Gerhard Hirt himself, added some more richness to the sound. But after some time I realized that I didn't need that as the definition of sound wasn't as sharp, as without it. System without preamplifier offered better selectivity, but not necessarily less rich sound. I checked that with my Soulution 710, and with Dan D’Agostino's Momentum Stereo, which are two very differently sounding devices. And there is one more thing – an USB input is licensed from Gordon Rankin of Wavelength Audio. Gordon's creation called Streamlength Asynchronous USB, used by Jim White, the owner of Aesthetix, is one of the best solutions on market. Jim simply made a good use of the licensed technology based on programmable XMOS chip. That ensured that Romulus, when used with computer as a source, delivers very rich, colorful, dynamic sound. Sound was even more 3-dimensional as from CD, and the differences between instruments were even clearer. On the other hand dynamics and resolution were slightly worse. In general the class of performance you get from a CD and when USB input is used, is the same, at least as long as the latter is used in a proper way. Summary It doesn't really take me much effort to declare in a short form what I think about Romulus. It's a very simple case, really. Sound delivered by it is enchanting and involving. Its additional functions complement the CD Player perfectly, and I mean both, USB input and a volume control that were both implemented in a clever way. It will not fit into all possible systems though. If your system already lacks a bit of resolution, selectivity, or it delivers plenty of bass than I would suggest looking for some other player, like Ayon CD-3s for example. But if your system is well balanced, or maybe its sound could use a bit of richness/weight, than Romulus might be your Mount Everest, Northern and Southern Pool, your musical nirvana. TEST METHODOLOGY The test was an A-B comparison with the A and B known. Manufacturer used just five, small, rubber feet under it, which seems to call to the future owner to replace them with something better. I used three Finite Elemente CeraBalls, and than placed it on Acoustc Revive RAF-48H platform. I used Harmonix X-DC350M2R Improved-Version power cable. This player was tested in my system with Ayon Audio Polaris III preamplifier, but during most listening session Romulus drove directly either Soulution 710 or Dan D’Agostino Momentum Stereo power amplifiers. It was clear it performed better without an external preamplifier in the system. A Windows 8 computer with SSD 128 GB, 8 GB RAM and Jplay5 software player on board was connected to the USB input with Acoustic Revive USB 5.0 PL cable. DESIGN Romulus from Aesthetix is a very good example of fast growing subcategory of digital sources, that combine in one box two, and sometimes even three different devices, that are usually sold separately. In this case it's a CD Player, D/A converter with USB input, and a preamplifier, a three-in-one device. There is one thing missing that is included in its Austrian competitor Ayon Audio CD-3s – analogue inputs. There is one special thing about Romulus – you can order it with or without CD transport, when it's without it's called Pandora. That confirms that it is truly a CD transport and a DAC put in one box, and not just some marketing line to describe a CD Player with digital inputs. Romulus is quite large, solidly build device, but it differs a bit from other devices. Usually CD players and DACs have their insides closed in all sorts of shielding to protects the circuits from EM and RF noise. When you have a look at Romulus, you'll see that a transport, a microprocessor for a display, and two power transformers are enclosed in shielding cage right next to the front of the device. But there are large slots in the shielding to allow access of air for cooling purposes. The whole enclosure is build of thick aluminum plates, but the top cover has a form of a grid actually, also to allow better heat dissipation. That grid allows you to see through it, so tubes and some circuits are visible from outside. The enclosure is quite large and rigid. The looks is also different from many other devices. Usually the front panel is bigger than the outline of the device, sometimes outline and front have exactly the same size. It looks different here – the front panel rather fits into the outline created but side panels, top cover and bottom. The shape of push-buttons is characteristic for Aesthetix – a triangle, that refers to company's logo. In the middle of the front panel there is a large, blue display that combines alpha-numeric LED modules. It's divided into two sections – the smaller one indicates the time of particular CD track, or the sampling frequency for digital input, and the larger displays number of tracks, number of particular track, or the actual volume. The latter is shown only for a short moment for a CD playback, and all the time, when any digital input is used. The are also some blue LEDs sitting next to display to indicate a repeat mode, phase, and locking the signal from external transport. I guess these would look better if the shade of blue was the same as display's, I also think that they shine too bright. Push-buttons allow you to change active input, to activate 'mute” mode, to switch the display off, and, if you have to, to operate a CD player. Most of us are used to having button opening a drawer placed next to it – Aesthetix decided to place a „mute” button there instead – that's w bit counter-intuitive. The remote control could use some work too – it's not pretty, and not very handy either, although you can use it to control volume, change the phase, and chose which part of the display should be active. The back panel is divided into sections. On the left side there are outputs: balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA ones (it is a balanced device), in the middle there is a power inlet and remote trigger, and on the right there are digital inputs – this layout looked a bit Accuphase-like to me. There are three slots for digital inputs boards, but the reviewed unit had only two used –one with USB input, and the other with AES/EBU, RCA and TOSLINK sockets. All inputs accept signal up to 24 bits and 192 kHz. There is a small switch next to the USB input that allows user to chose between Class 1 USB input that accepts signal up to 24/96, and Class 2 USB accepting 24/192. If you decide to use the latter, for Windows you'll need a special driver delivered by manufacturer. The USB input works in asynchronous mode, which means that signal is buffered in receivers circuit and than re-clocked with DAC's own precise oscillators. The cover is fixed with Velcro – surprise, right? But it makes tube rolling very simple. You can also try to listen to Romulus with top cover off – that changes the sound slightly too. The electronic circuit is divided into three parts. In the front there is a large can with transport mechanism and power supply. The transport mechanism is a Red Book TEAC's CD mechanism It is not very quiet and it's made of plastic, but it works fast and reliable. The rest of the circuit, that is not closed in a can, is divided into two parts with a vertical shielding. The smaller circuit is for digital inputs, the larger for D/A converter. The USB input is based on XMOS chip, with Gordon Rankin's software created for his own D/A USB Wavelength Audio converters. Streamlength Asynchronous USB was so innovative, and worked so well in many different implementations that it became very popular and many brands licensed it to use it in their own products, which Aesthetix did too. The circuit is mounted on a replaceable, vertical board, that might be upgraded/replaced in the future (possibly for a circuit that will process also DSD and PCM 32/384). Other digital inputs deliver signal to AKM AK4118 receiver. RCA and AES/EBU inputs are buffered with impedance matching transformers. Both boards are installed in the larger, horizontally placed motherboard with a large Motorola DSP chip that holds also Aesthetix proprietary digital filters. Also a signal from CD transport goes there. Next to this chip sits its own nice oscillator, and there are four more next to the DAC chips. On the other side of the shield there is a very nice D/A converter section. There is a Burr Brown PCM1792 DAC that accepts balanced current signal. Usually I/U conversion is done inside a chip (very few companies like Ancient Audio for example, do that in a passive way), because it ensures low level of distortions and noise. Aesthetix decided to use tubes for that purpose. Not any tubes, but selected NOS ones (New Old Stock) - Telefunken's E83CCS, that are cooled and shielded with EAT Cool Damper metal dampers. These tubes are coupled with the next section sporting 6922EH Electro-Harmonix, with parallel REL-CAP capacitors. The same, but larger values, capacitors couple 6922s with output. There is a simple volume control section right before the latter. So it looks like quite a complex preamplifier with a buffered output rather than a simple circuit with attenuator in the output. That's an option that is mounted on a vertical board plugged with gold plated pins. Attenuator is not a typical circuit – it's a hybrid design with a chip that executes attenuation in 1 dB steps with a beautiful resistor ladder, with precise, metallic resistors switched with relays in 6dB steps. The power supply is also quite complex. It works continuously, also in „standby” mode, which is indicated with LEDs that are on. Each section has its own regulators, each sports a large number of Nichicon caps. Separate transformers power DAC section, transport mechanism, and digital section. It looks as well made as all other sections of this device accept for a CD transport mechanism. It does its job very well, although it can't match the quality of top drives from Philips or Esoteric. Taking into consideration that one has to spend only additional 4 kPLN for build in CD transport I wouldn't look for an external one – all those cables, distortions and so on are not worth it. Polish Distributor SoundClub Sp. z o.o. ul. Skrzetuskiego 42 02-726 Warszawa tel.: 22 586 3270 | fax: 22 586 3271 e-mail: soundclub@soundclub.pl Webpage: www.soundclub.pl

Published: 3. April 2013, No. 108 ZI assume that most of you know, or at least heard about Polish audio manufacturer SoundArt. If not from some personal experience than surely from Audio Show exhibitions, because this company has been participating in it for many years now (see HERE). If I remember correctly it was the StandArt brand that appeared on the market first, with the product range consisting of some audio stands with oil damping, and spring suspension, and some speaker stands. The designs were based on solid engineering and they did their job very well so many people attracted by the uncompromising designs paid quite a lot of money (comparing to the competition at the time) to get these for their systems. SoundArt is another brand created by two exactly the same guys - Sławomir Lewandowski and Sylwester Witkowski. The design of the devices they manufacture: integrated amplifiers, CD Player, headphone amp polarizes potential customers strongly – some love it, some hate it (it's not just mine opinion, but also of many people I talked about that). But even if the design, the look of these devices might be somehow controversial, their performance was always excellent, allowing them to compete with many foreign, well known brands. At least two reviewers I know (Alek Rachwałd and Paweł Gołębiewski) bought Jazz amplifier for they reference systems (Paweł also had Sarah CD Player) as their need for having very well performing amp out-weighted the vanity each audiophile has in him, that tells us to buy some well known brand rather than even better performing but unknown one. I had a chance to listen to Jazz in systems of both these gentlemen and I could only concur that this was a great choice for a reviewer as it offered great performance, clean, transparent sound that allowed to easily distinguish differences between reviewed products, plus it also had a lot of output power and current to drive even the most difficult loads. Of course the same reasons should be good enough for most audiophiles to buy Jazz for their systems. Such a purchase should stay in most rigs for many years, surviving many changes of other elements, before it would eventually become the weakest link. I considered it for my system some time ago, and what stopped me was its size, as it's really huge (especially the depth is way above average), and it also weights a LOT, which would make it extremely difficult for me to move it around. SOUND Recordings used during test (a selection) Georges Bizet, Carmen, RCA Red Seal 74321 39495 2, CD/FLAC. AC/DC, Back in black, SONY, B000089RV6, CD/FLAC. Etta James, Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson, Blues in the Night, Vol.1: The Early Show, Fantasy, B000000XDW, CD/FLAC. Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio, Autumn in Seattle, FIM XRCD 043, CD. Rodrigo y Gabriela, 11:11, EMI Music Poland, 5651702, CD/FLAC. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin, Atlantic/Warner Music, WPCR-11611, CD/FLAC. Muddy Waters & The Rolling Stones, Live At The Checkerboard Lounge, Chicago 1981, Eagle Rock Entertainment, B0085KGHI6, CD/FLAC. Pink Floyd, Wish you were here, EMI Records Japan, TOCP-53808, CD/FLAC. The Ray Brown Trio, Summer Wind, Concord Jazz, CCD-4426, CD/FLAC. Renaud Garcia-Fons, Oriental bass, Enja, B000005CD8, CD/FLAC. Buddy Guy, Blues singer, Silvertone 01241-41843-2, CD/FLAC. Isao Suzuki, Blow up, Three Blind Mice, B000682FAE, CD/FLAC. Although it took place almost 10 years ago I remember my first experience with Rock amplifier, which was than, and still is, the entry level amp in SoundArt's portfolio. It looked differently then, with tubes not hidden inside casing and with transformers covered with tower-like cans, which made it look like a power plant or space ship rather than integrated amplifier one would want to place in one's living room. So while some customers valued this design for being so exotic, others thought it too extravagant. Obviously no matter what you do, what kind of design you offer there will always be some happy customers and some that will not buy the product because they don't like its looks. Anyway the looks of the first Rock might have been bit too controversial so guys from SoundArt decided to make a new version, that not only would offer a better performance but also different, hopefully less controversial looks. The Rock II gained a new casing, looking similar to the one of Jazz model. It is still not a design that will be liked by everybody, but it is definitely less controversial, more people should like it, and I think much less can now reject Rock only because of how it looks. All SoundArt's integrated amplifiers are hybrid designs with tube preamplifier and solid-state output stage. At the moment three models are being offered: Rock, Jazz i Swing (although the future of the last one is unclear as many of special solutions used initially only in it, have been implemented in the new version of Jazz). For this test I received not only the newest, second version of Rock, called Rock II, but also its special, anniversary version, that was prepared in a short, five pieces batch only. The difference between regular Rock II and the Anniversary Edition is a separate power supply in the latter, and usage of some higher quality elements in the main circuit. The front of the reviewed version looks exactly the same as of the regular one. It's the back panel that tells us the difference – instead of classic IEC socket, there is another multi-pin one. Using a special cable, delivered with the device, one has to connect it with the second box, the power supply. The design of a front panel can't really be confused with any other brand – it is very SoundArt like. Two large knobs close to side edges, and a display that is hidden under a trapezoid-like shaped piece of plastic (acrylic possibly), that is wider on top, and than narrows towards the lower edge. Side walls are in fact radiators, and the top panel includes company's logo that is cut out through the cover but, as a precaution, designers placed a grid there so no one could stick their fingers inside. On the other hand that grid works as a small ventilation window for the circuits inside. On the back panel, apart from already mentioned multi-pin power socket, there are solid speaker bindings, two RCA inputs, and a XLR input. Remote control is another handy feature of this device. The external power supply, even though many will probably hide it away behind audio stand, has its own classy metal casing, with IEC socket on one side, multi-pin to connect it to the amplifier on the opposite, four nice rubber feet on the bottom, and a nice logo on the cover. The power cable that delivers current from power supply to the amplifier is very thick and stiff – that limits a bit a choice of position, where power supply can be placed. Mr Sylwester told me that it was this cable that in fact took the most time and effort to make for the anniversary version of Rock. Looking at my pictures I'm sorry to say that I did not manage to catch the look of this unit properly – actually it looks much better than on my photos. Surely you can't compare it to the golden beauties from Accuphase, but it's surely a solidly build and nicely finished amp, with quite an original look. As I have surely written many times already I'm much more interested in how the device sounds rather than how it looks, but I believe that in this particular case even people with high aesthetic expectations will be satisfied. I've already mentioned my first encounter with original version of Rock, that took place nearly 10 years ago. We had an audiophile's meeting then and were comparing three Polish amplifiers. There was SoundArt Rock obviously, but also one of Baltlab's and Amplificator's (I think) products. It's been some years ago so I don't really recall all the details but I do remember that majority of participants in this particular system preferred Rock over competitors, because of its organic and very dynamic sound. As I remember it there was no huge difference in the class of performance of all three amps, but rather in the way each of them presented music, and it was Rock's presentation that in this particular system most of us recognized as the most „listener friendly”, most natural. As already mentioned it's been almost 10 years and now there is a new version of Rock. Some changes were made and not only about its looks, but also about its circuits, that allowed it to offer twice as much output power. Still, my first impression was similar to the one from 10 years ago – a smooth, natural sound, which might not seem to be what one might expect from an amplifier called „Rock”. I mean, considering the names of two other models – Jazz and Swing – one has to conclude that this „Rock” is about a music genre, rather than a piece of stone. And if so one would expect first of all some stunning dynamics, huge energy, thunderous bass, and maybe a bit offensive sound – everything that one might associate with rock music. Well, it is all there, but these features of the sound were not the first ones I recognized. Acoustic recording I started my listening session with, might be the answer why... The acoustic recording, of my favorite Ray Brown for example, require first of all elements like: smoothness, richness, correct timbre, acoustic surround, decay, sustaintion, and so on, to be presented in accurate, natural way, that could convince, or trick if you will, listener that he's listening to the live music and not just a reproduction. Rock, as one would expect from a 'rock' creature showed its capability in lower range when delivering Ray's bass with proper weight and power, and the bass was properly tuneful, with lots of 'wood' in the sound, with fast attack and long decay. It also allowed bass to breathe which made it's sound even more natural and palpable. To be honest if I didn't know I might have thought I was listening to a tube amplifier, or maybe class A transistor not a hybrid design, as such amplifiers deliver bass with lots of 'body' and weight, and they take a very good care of decay, reverberations and so on. Many inexpensive solid-state amplifiers can't deliver a proper bass as most of them shorten the decay, taking care rather of speed of low frequencies and forgetting that these need also proper body, weight, and when that happens what we get is something closer to an electric bass guitar rather than to an acoustic bass. Rock doesn't make this mistake. It's better if I don't start a discussion whether this is due to its hybrid design, hence tubes on board, but... I think there might be something to it. On the other hand SoundArt, as many rather solid-state amps, delivered amazing piano with its great size, weight and volume of the sound, that was also truly resonant, vibrant . At this price level these elements are usually delivered in a better, more convincing way by transistors. The Rock obviously showed here that it could compete not only with any other amplifier of a similar price, but also with many, as much as twice more expensive ones. The way it presented drums proved that hybrid technology was a good choice as it allowed to combine advantages of both technologies. On one hand there was proper speed, bass extension, very good grip, rock-like power, but on the other each sound was rich, saturated, and nicely differentiated. Moving to the other extreme – cymbals sounded crisp, resonant and properly 'metallic' while having also proper weight, so they never sounded too bright, or too harsh, which happens often to inexpensive solid-states. The reviewed amplifier dealt with soundstage and spacing like... a good tube device – each of three instruments had its own place, 3D shape that maybe wasn't the most precisely drawn, but good enough. The soundstage usually (depending also on the recording) started between speakers or slightly behind them, and developed nicely towards the back. Sound was never offensive, not „reaching out” to the listener. When it comes to just three instruments delivering proper spacing might seem easy, but to do it truly right is a challenge for many amplifiers I know. Why it only seems easy? Because with just three instruments on the stage everything is plain and simple – you can't hide any downsides of the presentation, each aspect must be delivered in the best possible way, because if it's not listener notices immediately. This 12 kPLN amplifier did many things equally well as my own reference Modwright rig (costing twice as much) – that should tell you a lot. OK than, let's move to more 'complex' music, even to the most 'complex' one – let's listen to an opera. Obviously I was going to use the same one, I had often used for tests - Carmen with Karajan conducting The Wiener Philharmoniker, with amazing Leontyna Price as the main character. I like to use this recording during my tests as it contains all elements one would need to assess any audio device. Sure it's a recording from around 50 years ago, but it is still a very special one, better than many contemporary ones both soundwise and performancewise, it's a true masterpiece of RCA Red Label. Let's start from the end, from stereo imaging and presentation of dynamic events happening on the stage. Comparing to my Modwright setup Rock did shrink a bit the huge soundstage, but it did that keeping correct proportions. The depth of the soundstage was somewhat smaller but the proportions of distances between soloists in the front and choirs wondering around in the back were still the same. In fact I felt like I sat further from the stage rather than like the soundstage and everything on it became smaller. What I always look for when listening to this particular recording is how well the reviewed piece of equipment delivers all the movement on the stage as both soloists and the choirs in the back move around a lot. Rock dealt with that bravely being very close to what my Modwright system delivered in comparison. Vocals sounded naturally, with nice presentation of their timbre and texture; there was also w very nice differentiation, and smoothness that made them sound very live-like. Sure, my 300B SET delivers the same voices even in richer, smoother form, which makes them even more compelling, but it comes with some cost in both range extremes. Rock delivers voices in a very natural way, without pushing them forward and without a „cost” of rounded and/or slightly rolled-off upper treble and lower bass. It is the treble and bass in fact, that prove clearly how well tonally balanced Rock is. At the bottom, when it came to this thunderous entry of bass section that I always mention, this time it was truly powerful, dynamic, visceral even, and the attack wasn't hardened. That's what I mentioned already before – acoustic instruments bear some natural softness of their sound so to play them right the system, or any of its elements, must not harden their sound, as many inexpensive solid-state amplifiers unfortunately do. But SoundArt amp played it right – with proper power, kick, but with no hardening. Same goes for treble - when it came to a triangle or some bell these tiny instruments delivered crisp, vibrant sound, that might have almost drilled a hole in my ears, but the key word here is „almost”, as in the real life they never cross this line between crisp and vibrant, and harsh and unpleasant sound. Also in this case Rock II performed very well, delivering very nice, vibrant sounds with a nice, long decay, and these sounds were never unpleasant. Such a 'large', dense recording with soloists, choirs, and orchestra allowed to assess Rock's surprisingly (considering price range) good resolution and selectivity, but also micro and macro dynamics. Putting it as simple as possible – the new SoundArt's integrated amplifier dealt at least well with each and every aspect of the presentation which, again – considering its price, is an extraordinary achievement of its designers. Taking the name of this amplifier into consideration I had to get to rock, but also blues music at some point of this test. What is a must, if you want to play this kind of music, is a proper pace&rhythm, as nor rock, nor blues can sound well without it. There are few elements that contribute to pace&rhythm factor. First of all amplifier needs a very good grip over speakers (which might not be very difficult with Ardento Alter speakers), and that means delivering fast attack, and being able to cut off any sound immediately too, if necessary, and the other important feature is a good timing. I guess that the Rock's designers wouldn't even think about calling it with is current name, if it did not offer all these feature/aspects of the sound. And I have to admit that rhythm is really agile, which comes handy when fantastic Aussies from AC/DC start their rock'n'roll madness, but also when you listen to some psychedelic suite of good, old Pink Floyd, or even when it comes to some slow blues by the King of Delta. It does not matter whether it is about slow or fast rhythm, it always comes with this amazing hypnotic factor, that engages listener totally, making him tap, rock his head, dance or whatsoever. Pace was also relayed nicely – as usually I haven't tried any crazy-pace trash metal, but guys from AC/DC also serve their rock'n'roll really fast, and Rock II kept the pace with them without sweat. You have to remember that AC/DC recordings are surely not 'audiophile quality' ones, so making sure everything is presented in an orderly way is quite some challenge, that Rock dealt with swiftly. And even though I wrote before that in general Rock's sound is smooth, but when there is a need (like in rock) to sound bit rough (electric rock guitars rarely sound sweet) it does that. But again, rough if necessary, yes, but never too harsh, or too bright. While listening to some blues I focused for some time on vocals. I liked these in Carmen, as they sounded rich, smooth and natural. This time I listened to many different voices of some wonderful vocalists like: Etta James, Janis Joplin and Rysio Riedel or John Lee Hooker. Although these vocals might not have been so palpable, so rich, so full of emotions as when played by my 300B SET, but they still sounded better than I expected them to. Nice timbre, texture presentation, lots of emotions and 'feeling' – so everything that is necessary to play the blues was there. Summary The simplest summary from my point of view would be this: if, which is not impossible in this economy, I had to downgrade my system, Rock II would be on a very short list of potential purchases. Why? Because it does everything at least well, or I can put it other way around: it never does anything wrong, it doesn't have any real weaknesses. In some aspects like pace&rhythm, or dynamics Rock is at least as good as my Modwright rig, and in some others like richness of the sound, resolution and selectivity it might be not quite as good, but, as usually in audio business, it is much smaller difference than the price would suggest. Its sound, maybe because of tube preamplifier, or because of both, tubes and MOSFETs on board, is really smooth, coherent and engaging. According to Mr Sylwester Witkowski (I did not have a chance to compare myself so I can only quote him) there is no huge performance difference between regular and anniversary version of Rock II, which means that you can have almost this level of performance at just 9 kPLN (!). I do not know any other integrated amplifier at this price level that would offer similar level of performance. On the other hand additional 3 kPLN for a separate power supply that usually improves performance (when done properly, of course, which, I have no doubts, is the case here) seems reasonable. And at 12 kPLN I still see no competition that could offer such an amazingly good sound. DESIGN ROCK II is an integrated amplified of a hybrid design, with tube preamplifier stage and a solid-state output stage. Unlike previous version, this one has a closed casing, with tubes hidden inside, that looks similar to other SoundArt models. We have received a special version of a Rock II, that was prepared as an anniversary addition in a limited series of 5 pieces. The main difference between regular and anniversary version is a separate power supply in the latter. The front of the amplifier is the same in both versions and it's been already described. Rock II is a dual-mono design, with independent power supply lines for both channels. In the reviewed version, power transformers sit in a separate casing. The tube preamplifier section is build around a double triode ECC83. The circuit uses voltage regulators to deliver DC current to the tubes. The output stage is build around Internacional Rectifier's MOSFETs, It's uses a push-pull topology with negative feedback, and it is working in Class AB. The whole circuit (on/off switch, volume control and input selector) is electronically controlled by a programmable ATMEL microcontroller. Specification (according to the manufacturer) Output power: 2 x 100 W/4 Ω Frequency response: 5 Hz – 90 kHz (- 3 dB) Slew rate: 80 V /µs Damping factor: > 300 Inputs: 3 (1 x XLR, 2 x RCA) Weight: 14 kg

Published: 3. April 2013, No. 108 Standmount speakers are a kind of an aberration. One can go even further and say that they are a denial of the very idea of a speaker – speakers of that type are just asking for such a comment. The whole point about audio playback is to convey as much as possible information recorded on analog or digital tape, or in computer memory. That, in addition to such characteristics as dynamics, color, differentiation, resolution, selectivity and consistency, also means the widest possible frequency response. The latter is inextricably linked to a large speaker cabinet and sizeable woofers. In other words, exactly the two components that are eliminated in the standmount speakers at the outset. A question might be asked, what about a kind of standmount monsters, such as the Harbeth M40.1, the SP100R2 from Spendor, the BB5 from PMC, or the SCM150 from ATC. After all, while these speakers require stands, they are huge and sound better than most large floorstanders, with such bass extension that makes the latter look helpless like a babe in the woods. For talking about ‘standmount speakers’ one needs to dig deeper into the subject. It is known that the term is often used interchangeably with another one: ‘a monitor’. Dictionaries and encyclopedias define the term in different ways, associating it with the navy, with literature (at least in Polish) as well as electronics. We are of course interested in the latter. In this perspective, a monitor would be a device such as e.g. a screen but also a telephone that monitors the incoming signal; meaning, it allows signal observation and control. Theory of measurement specifies that the measuring (monitoring) instrument must be at least an order of magnitude more accurate than the item being measured (monitored). Hence, we nearly arrive at a full definition of the monitor, which might read as follows: Monitor is a device or an instrument used to observe, control; enabling the EVALUATION of the incoming signal. It is a MODEL (reference) device or instrument. That is exactly how the role of a monitor is understood in audio – a monitor, or a standmount speaker, is used to monitoring or to reference presentation of the incoming signal. How does this relate to its limits? How can the "referentiality" and the preliminary restrictions be reconciled? As it turns out, it is possible. Ken Kessler, describing in his book EFC. 50 Years Innovations in Sound the history of KEF speakers, repeatedly uses the word 'monitor' referring to the cooperation between the British manufacturer and the BBC, for many, many years the highest authority in matters relating to sound. He uses it at the same time, as far as I understand, in its original form, i.e. as a synonym for “standmount loudspeaker” ("bookshelf loudspeaker"). Yet when he begins describing the LS3/5A, it is for him a "monitor" in the full sense of the word, which is a reference product. It seems, therefore, that the LS3/5A is an iconic product from which the history of high-end monitors can be derived. Its history can be started in 1997, when a prototype was presented of a speaker, developed at the BBC Research Department in Kingswood Warren, designed to monitor audio signal in outside broadcasting vans (called ‘scanner units” by the BBC). The speaker was tiny, used KEF speaker drivers (see our review of the KEF LS3/5A HERE), and was quickly recognized as one of the most successful monitors in audio history. Its advantages have been low distortion, extremely accurate (at that time) presentation of a human voice and a pretty good soundstage. It seems, therefore, that the following statement is valid: the basic advantage of a 'monitor' as a reference speaker would be its ability of a perfect presentation of these two aspects of audio recordings. If we agree with that, we will finally be able to reconcile the two seemingly mutually exclusive concepts: a “monitor” and a “standmount loudspeaker”. Actually, this might be nicely supported by recalling another meaning of the word “monitor” which, according to Oxford English Dictionary (Second Edition), is “a senior pupil in a school, or (formerly in England and still in America) a student in a college, who has special duties assigned to him, esp. that of keeping order, and who may occasionally (as in some elementary schools) act as a teacher to a junior class " And now I think everything is clear. Sonus faber Guarneri Homage Revolutionary debut of a whole generation of Sonus faber loudspeakers, Guarneri Homage is the first loudspeaker produced by drawing inspiration from the shape of the lute. Defined as “a musical instrument” by the press and expert critics, considered by its lovers “a cult object”, it is considered one of the few projects that influenced the history of high fidelity, so much so that Salvatore Accardo and Uto Ughi are mentioned among its enthusiasts, both of them owning one Guarneri Homage. Sonus faber history, and hence also a chunk of life story of Franco Serblin, the founder, chief designer and owner, begins in a way fairly typical for audio: from dissatisfaction with and dissent against the current situation. According to the story in the company information catalogue, it happened in the late 70s when Franco Serblin along with a friend were coming back from a failed – in their opinion – audio show and at the Milan Central railway station decided to build something better. Thus was born the Snail Project, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci designs. The Snail was a system consisting of two standmount speakers mounted on long wooden extension arms with a subwoofer in the center. Shown for the first time in 1980 at the S.I.M. show in Milan, ten units had ever been manufactured. The Snail Project led to the creation of the Parva stand-mounted speaker - the first monitor from Sonus faber available to the public. For it was the monitors that Franco Serblin came to love more than anything. The above quote comes from a mini-catalogue issued by the company in 2006, shortly after the launch of the Domus series. However, the history of the Guarneri Homage, which defined the legend of the Italian company, goes back much further, as far as 1994. The Guarneri initiated a whole Homage series, which culmination was the powerful, technologically advanced Stradivari. Despite its enormous popularity, as for high-end, the top Sonus faber design from those years never became such a "cult" object as the Guarneri. Sonus faber Guarneri Evolution Despite the passage of years – the next year the Homage project and hence the Guarneri will be celebrating its 20th anniversary – so far the manufacturer decided to introduce their successors only twice: the Guarneri Memento in 2007 and the Evolution in 2012. The latter has been however prepared not by Serblin but by a completely new team. Launched to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the death of master violin maker Giuseppe Guarneri (del Gesù), the Guarneri Homage is a two-way design, with a cabinet consisting of 21 staves of maple wood, a soft dome tweeter and a 150 mm midwoofer. The Guarneri Evolution is also a two-way speaker with a soft dome tweeter and a midwoofer featuring, however, a few new design concepts presented for the first time in the Sonus faber model and then repeated in the Amati Futura. The cabinet is still lute-shaped but it is much larger, with the rear panel having a lower surface area, and the top, bottom and rear are aluminum alloy plates clamping together the actual wooden enclosure. The woofer is also larger – the 150 mm (5 ") driver in the Homage has now been changed for a 176 mm (7") unit. Its loading changed as well – it is now loaded into the Stealth Reflex system. Naturally, the measurable parameters are different: the new Guarneri has a wider frequency range (46-20,000 Hz versus 40-30,000 Hz), lower efficiency (88 dB vs. 86 dB / 2.83 V / 1 m) and custom made stands. SETUP Recordings used during the audition Corelli, Concerto Grossi Op. 6, Naxos 550403, CD (1990) Serge Gainsbourg, Vu de l'extérieur, Universal, 530 118, CD (1973/2012) John Coltrane, Johnny Hartman, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, Impulse!/Universal Music Japan, UCGU-9002, SHM-SACD (1963/2012) Stan Getz & João Gilberto, Getz/Gilberto, Verve/Lasting Impression Music, LIM K2HD 036 UDC, “Direct From Master Disc. Master Edition”, gold CD-R (1963/2009) James Blake, James Blake, A&M Records/Atlas, AYLAS02, CD (2011) Like any iconic product, the Guarneri is a very interesting design. Hence, as soon as there was an opportunity to lay my hands on its latest incarnation and listen to it at a Krakow Sonic Society meeting, I did not hesitate. A wild thought immediately came to my mind of comparing the Evolution to the original Homage owned by Wiciu, one of the KTS companions. The more so as in 2006, shortly after the Guarneri Memento arrived in Poland, we met and listened to them, comparing them both against the Homage and the Electa Amator (I). The audition took place at Janusz’s, a happy owner of the latter. Do not look for the meeting description in the KTS archives; it's not there. Despite our most strenuous efforts, first listening when absolutely sober, then remedied by large quantities of wine, we did not come to like the speakers. Not that they were bad; they were actually very good. However, they offended our ears with a large dip in upper midrange and uneven bass. The sound was muffled and not very resolving. Since Janusz uses a 16-watt SET amplifier on 300B tubes, we considered that it might be a problem of its insufficient power output and low damping factor. The more powerful McIntosh Mc275 Commemorative Edition tube amplifier, however, did not show anything more. Since there was nothing to say, I kept silent. In 2005, Franco Serblin sells his beloved company to Fine Sounds, an Italian investment group, the (current) owner of such brands as McIntosh, Audio Research, Wadia, Sumiko and REL (Sumiko bought the latter in 2006). That kind of consolidation is nothing new, but in the world of audio it had never been seen on such scale. In recent times, apart from Fine Sounds, it also happened with the Naim – Focal deal when Naim was bought by the French company (August 2011) and when Krell was bought by KP Capital Partners (November 2009, in which case it was more of a hostile takeover). The latest change concerns Thiel Audio, purchased in November 2012 by TN, a private-owned company. In retrospect, it seems that it’s the only way for high-end to survive. What’s interesting is the issue related to the so-called "legacy" that is a continuation of earlier designs, or to put it bluntly - the question of who actually designs new products. In Krell these are new persons, in Audio Research some are new, and some kept their positions; in Thiel all staff and employees remained, as they did in Naim. Sonus faber, in turn, witnessed a complete change – its design department is currently headed by Paolo Tenzon and co-operates with two well-known outside consultants: Umberto Nicolao, the owner of the Sound Field Shaper patent, and Joseph Szall. And it is the three of them who are responsible for the new Guarneri Evolution. It might seem that in order to audition the new reference Sonus Faber monitors it would be the easiest and most reliable to do it in the same system as their previous versions, i.e. at Janusz’s. It's just that I perfectly remembered an unsuccessful attempt to listen to the Franco Serblin Accordo speakers, which to be properly driven require a few dozen solid watts of output power (see HERE). Knowing that the Evolution have lower sensitivity than the Homage and are more difficult to drive, I decided to conduct the audition at Rysiek’s S. who owns a strong push-pull amplifier on KT88 tubes, the McIntosh MC275 IV. Carrying the new speakers to the second floor where he lives turned out to be more difficult than we thought – the new Sonus fabers are very heavy, with their wooden cabinets heavy enough not to mention their even heavier stands. However, our effort was rewarded with the pleasure of unpacking them. This is a high-end product and it has been treated by the manufacturer accordingly. The speakers sat on their custom stands as did the Guarneri Homage. The Homage were auditioned first, later swapped for the Evolution. SOUND We pressed “play” on the CD player and for a moment everything seemed OK. The music was floating away from the speakers, we were adjusting to the new sound (we’d already listened for a while to the Dynaudio Sapphire to have some sort of a reference point) until the band played forte and one channel started to distort. We rushed to the system, checking all the connections, sat back down - it was the same. The next step was to take out and re-insert all the tubes, as contact pins and pin sockets get hot and often develop a layer of corrosion, disrupting signal flow. That didn’t, however, improve anything. At this point we swapped input tubes (a mix of Neumann and Create Audio) for the stock ones, bearing the McIntosh logo – again, nothing changed. When even swapping the output tubes, the beautiful EAT (see HERE), did not bring a positive result, we were left with one thing only – to drink wine, talk, have a laugh, to pack everything back into boxes (we were obliged to ship the speaker back two days later) and go home. And that was what we would probably have done, were it not for the fact that to our luck we have in our midst another fan of the McIntosh sound (and let me remind you that this American company now belongs to the same group as Sonus faber), who owns another MC275 Commemorative Edition, with almost identical tubes as those in Rysiek’s S. Incidentally, the owner's name is also Rysiek. One more hour and the new “contestant” arrived, and after it warmed up we sat down, a bit tired, but still very curious about the result of the comparison. Rysiek’s System Power amplifier: McIntosh MC275 Mk IV | McIntosh MC275 Commemorative Edition, see HERE SACD player: McIntosh MCD301 XLR interconnect: Tara Labs ISM The 0.8; see HERE Speaker cable: Tara Labs The 0.8/XLO Limited Power cord (amplifier + player): Acrolink Mexcel 7N-PC9100; see HERE Power conditioner (only for the player): Nordost Thor Speakers: Dynaudio Sapphire Anti-vibration platforms (under the SACD player): Acoustic Revive RAF-48, Isolation feet (amplifier): Franc Audio Accessories Ceramic Disc, see HERE Marcin I really liked the sound of the Evolution, although I missed some decay of treble, which seemed to me a little dull, at least in comparison with the Homage. In the original Guarneri the treble is really great, I liked them. Hence, in my opinion, Corelli sounded better on the smaller Sonus speakers. Other recordings, however, had a nicer color (bearing in mind the treble, naturally) on the Evolution. It was a much fuller sound, with more momentum. The Homage seemed somewhat "small" next to them; you know what I mean. If I were to choose one of them to my home system, no matter the price, I would choose the Evolution. Irek First, let me say a word about where you’ve put me: in Rysiek’s chair that Wojtek wrote about in his last editorial [ed. note: see HERE] – and I feel great! It really is "my place on earth." Speaking about the speakers, however, the Homage were more to my taste, I enjoyed them more - unlike Marcin. Although he too liked the Homage better on some recordings and needed some thought to choose the Evolution. But please bear in mind that I am not a sophisticated music lover - I have at home a nice, but nevertheless inexpensive, JAG amplifier [ed. note: see HERE]. I am really just learning the art of comparison. My opinion is based on the fact that the sound of the Homage, or actually the Homage driven by the McIntosh, was closer to what I've heard at Janusz’s, with his Electa Amator and the Ancient Audio amplifier. And that's why I would rather choose the older Sonus speakers. But, as I say, it's not like the Evolution sounded bad; it’s just that if Janusz’s system is to be some kind of benchmark, the McIntosh and the.Homage were closer to it. Ryszard B. I will be brief, not because you babbled on without sense, but I just know what's going on and I'm sure of my impressions. After all, I know the amplifier in and out, so swapping the speakers is clear for me. In my opinion, we got a better differentiation of color, especially of the bottom and the top, with the Homage. On the other hand, the new model brings exceptionally smooth sound - silky, creamy; nice. Something I did not quite expect. After all, until now it was the original Guarneri that had been a benchmark of a "silky" sound for us. But we can all hear – can’t we? - that in a 1:1 comparison the new speakers sound even more beautiful, more gentle. Janusz I'll start from the end. Both speakers sounded, in my opinion, worse than the Electas in my system. I will say more – the Homage sounded here a lot worse than they did at my place. They were too noisy, lacking saturation. In my system they sounded smooth, sparkling. And for such a tiny woofer their bottom was surprisingly strong. Here, I missed lower midrange. Generally speaking, however, the old Guarneri for me are the "right" Guarneri, the new ones are their clones. Yet ... The more I listen, the more I appreciate what has been done in the Evolution. Maybe I just unnecessarily expected an improved Homage sound. That’s probably not the point here; we rather get a speaker designed according to a different philosophy. And in this particular system it is the new Sonus fabers that, in my opinion, sounded a lot better. First of all, they were better saturated, smoother, without being noisy. Have you noticed how "high" the Homage sounded? Only two years ago we would have sworn that they are the smoothest sounding speakers in the world. The Evolution, however, can do it much, much better. They were not irritating, with any record or any kind of music. And they show a lot more information and have better resolution. This is puzzling to me - even though the Homage are less transparent than my Electas, they are still among the world leaders; I am not talking here about trifles, small, tiny details, but about music presentation, about our opening up to the record, so to speak. And here's a surprise: the Evolution, while sounding lower, with their treble - I agree here with Marcin - withdrawn, show however much more from the recording. Not only because their sound is fuller, more full-bodied, and their bass descends lower, but also because there is more of everything, that "connective tissue" is more pronounced. I am saying this with a heavy heart as I am a big fan of the Homage: the Evolution presentation was better, more homogeneous, and more real./p> Ryszard S. Hmmm ... Indeed, something was “not quite right” here. Neither the one nor the other Guarneri sounded like I’d imagine. Maybe it's the lack of synergy? The only album that came out completely on top was Jobim on UDC. It sounded wildly fun - you agree with me, don’t you? As if the best recordings, their best releases, somehow managed to break through the limit of technology. Wiciu I'm shocked! I don’t know what's going on, but I need to listen to the Evolution at home, or at Janusz’s. I tried to restrain myself from any murmurs and from shouting that out right at the beginning: the new Sonus speakers sound MUCH better! I love my Homage, they seemed to me the speakers that you bury me with, and what a surprise here. I can hear exactly their character; it's not like their sound is all wrong here, against Janusz, but to me the comparison is clear– the Evolution is a better speaker. Now, in this comparison you can hear that the Homage have somewhat raised midrange and strong treble. And that they are generally quite thin. The Evolution sound much more pleasant, but they also show more; they generate a much more real picture - whether with the piano or the orchestra, or the electronic music of James Blake. It did not matter what kind of music we threw at them, every time it seemed to me that the Homage fall behind the Evolution. Although, I repeat, the Homage are my favorite, beloved speakers. I need to hear this comparison once again, elsewhere. Conclusion Indeed - it was not an outstanding sound. I know the Homage from several audio systems, including that of Janusz, and it seems to me that while the McIntosh showed their flaws, it did not pay enough tribute to their advantages. However, one could notice a few things that are independent of the amplifier or the listening room. The Evolution sound lower, are better saturated, and their treble is gentler, better linked with midrange. This is a surprising discovery, because so far we all thought that it is the Homage that are smoothest speakers that convey the most beautiful sound of e.g. the violin. Although this observation is still in force and they ARE a wonderfully sounding design, the Evolution introduce some modifications, taking the sound up to another level. I do not mean here that their sound is fuller and that they handle low frequencies better, thus building a greater volume of sound, because that much is obvious. The evident mismatch of the system, or at least not as good a match as I’d imagined, was something unexpected. On paper, everything made sense: a tube amp (and the Sonus speakers "like" tubes) and a high power output amplifier (I was afraid of not enough power). In practice, it did not work out exactly as I intended. Still, it is of course a valuable lesson and a hint to others. Another audition, elsewhere, was begging to be made. And since we know Janusz’s system best and we listened on it to all the speakers mentioned in the text, namely the Guarneri Homage, the Electa Amator (I) and the Franco Serblin Accordo, another comparison at his place seemed obvious. Janusz’s system Speakers: Sonus faber Electa Amator (I); see HERE Power amplifier (monoblocks): Ancient Audio Silver Grand Mono; see HERE CD player/preamplifier: Ancient Audio Lektor Grand SE; see HERE Power conditioner: Ancient Audio First Generator Rack: Base III Interconnects: Siltech Double Crown RCA, see HERE Power cords: Acrolink Mexcel 7N-PC9300; see HERE Accessories: - anti-vibration platform under the CD player and the amplifier: Acoustic Revive RAF-48; see HERE - Acoustic Revive RIQ-5010 quartz insulators and Acoustic Revive RCI-3 speaker cable lifters/insulators; see HERE - speaker platforms: Acoustic Revive RST-38 As you know, the Ancient Audio amplifier that Janusz uses generates 16 watts per channel. It would seem not enough, but in practice it can drive, of course to a certain volume level, almost any speakers. What comes out the worst is stand-mounted speakers with low sensitivity. However, the current efficiency of the Polish monoblocks, in conjunction with the Takatsuki 300B tubes (see HERE) is truly outstanding. The amplifier can handle the Electa Amator (I) speakers from Sonus faber flawlessly. As it turned out, that was what the Evolution needed. Now, since I was not present during that audition, I interviewed all those who were. Actually, they were more than eager to talk, because the next day I had phone calls from almost everyone. And they all agreed, though it's rare, that the Evolution sounded like a dream. And that the Homage are great speakers, but the new Sonus fabers show something their predecessors never dreamed of. First, however, everybody solemnly assured me that the Homage sounded exactly as they’d remembered them: smooth, saturated, nice. Until they hooked up the new speakers, that is. Then they heard what we had talked about during the meeting at Rysiek’s, but multiplied. It was an exquisite sound that made all heads turn. And even a comparison with the Electas did not change that. Although Janusz did not clearly say he preferred his speakers, it was the first time I heard in his voice a yearning for something else - for something that the Evolution can give. And what about Wiciu, the owner of the Homage? His statement leaves no illusions: if he had the money, he would buy the Evolution right now, immediately. He will probably find the money, sooner or later. Wiciu says that he cannot now listen to the old Sonus anymore; that they sound like broken. Naturally, it’s an exaggeration, they’re still great speakers, but I think there is something more to it than a sudden fascination, infatuation. Wiciu is not the kind of an overly emotional person, especially when it comes to audio equipment. The more so that both Rysiek B. and Janusz now emphasize only the positive aspects of the Evolution sound, without any of the negatives they mentioned after the first listen. Terms like "resolution", "creaminess", "scale", "fullness" run through their statements over and over again. They both admitted unanimously that it is now clear that the classic Guarneri show quite strong, not fully differentiated treble. The Electa Amator are even better in this respect, but they have yet to find a speaker to beat them in this area. It's a rare, very rare ability to show a new perspective in a design which has its own legend. It seems, however, that this legend often overwhelms the listener and does not allow for proper identification. Although the Guarneri Homage are truly iconic speakers, the Evolution shows that they have become more an icon than speakers. It is the latter that show how two-way stand-mounted speakers, the real monitors, should sound. We are saddened to learn that Franco Serblin passed away on Easter Sunday, March 31, at 73. He will be missed. Distribution in Poland Voice ul. Moniuszki 4 | 43-400 Cieszyn tel./fax: +48 033 851 26 91 gadu-gadu: 25790226

Published: 3. April 2013, No. 108 How much should luxury cost? As much as someone who wants to wallow in it is able to pay for it. Pricing of this type of products is a bit like an auction of works of art: their real value is usually hard to measure, so it is determined on the basis of the highest selling price of similar items. Luxury product on the one hand is capital investment, on the other it is prestige - and that for many people is a priceless combination. In the world of audio we deal over and over again with luxury products. And I don’t mean only some astronomically expensive components, speakers or cables, but basically any audio product. Audiophilism is a part of music industry focused on improving only one thing, and an attempt to bring it to perfection: the sound. Like every specialized activity, it costs money. Hence, even an amplifier for three hundred bucks is the pinnacle of luxury for someone who just bought for the same money an entire home theater system with a Blu-ray, a multi-channel receiver, five speakers and an active subwoofer. And you must to take into account that you still need to buy a source for that amplifier, such as a CD player, a pair of speakers and some cables. So now we are talking about a thousand bucks. Spent on audio equipment. That really is a lot of money, no matter how we approach it. Spending money on luxury products, one might even say excess luxury, is actually a matter of one’s decision, not of capability. Whether we do or do not have the money, as long as we really want that something, our "yes" is determined solely by our attitude. To people not into audio, three thousand bucks spent on an audio system seems a very large, not to say a gigantic amount of money. As I said – they're right. Not entirely, we should add, since as usual it is a matter of proportions. If you happen to read reviews in specialist audio magazines, if you visit audio shows, or at least have friends touched by this sweet madness, you probably already know that we are able to spend just that much on a single cable, an anti-vibration platform, or even on a CD album (Crystal Glass, see HERE). And that IS crazy. But no less fantastic at the same time! OK, so how about this: 130,000 euro for a turntable. Without a tonearm or a cartridge. That's correct: over 500,000 Polish zlotys for the turntable to which you need to add another tens of thousands! That is the cost of the Artus FMD from Transrotor, without tonearms or cartridges. Artus FMD On their website, the Germans dedicate to the turntable only a few lines, listing cardanic (gimbal) suspension, aluminum and acrylic build, Transrotor Free Magnet Drive (FMD), special power supply, and platterweight. Not that much. Modest amount of attached pictures (four) does not help much in figuring out what we're dealing with. Even the basic size and weight information: 55 x 55 x 120 cm and 220 kg accordingly, allows only a superficial familiarity with the matter – all we can conclude is that it is not just another turntable, but rather a really big drive system. A few simple words - a mini-interview with Dirk Räke Wojciech Pacuła: Who and when designed the Artus? Dirk Räke: The Artus was designed by my father (Jochen) in 2005. The first unit was manufactured a year later. How many parts does it consist of? Counting everything - from 180 parts. Many of them, however, are made of even smaller components. What were its main design objectives? It was actually the use of the cardanic suspension of the chassis, the large mass and FMD drive, exactly the same elements as in the Argos, which you once reviewed. How many of these turntables sold out? 17 worldwide, of which three in Europe, including one in Poland. Who is manufacturing the aluminum and acrylic components for you? We co-operate with a number of specialists, each in a given area. Some of them cope better with large metal parts, and others with small. We have been working with these companies for more than 10 years and we have been very happy with them. All the Artus components are manufactured within 130 miles from our headquarters. Any additional word from you? The demonstration in Krakow was very interesting, it was really fun and I had a good talk with audio fans; I had a pleasure to see a great record collection and a nice house! I’m not sure if you recall that, but we have already reviewed in "High Fidelity" a product of a similar class, also from Transrotor, the Argos (see HERE). The cost was similar: 600,000 Polish zlotys. Also, the basic design concepts were similar: drive integrated with the base, leveled with cardan suspension and a heavy weight, with magnetic coupling between the sub-platter which is driven by the motor and the platter spinning the vinyl record; with no direct contact between the motor and the record. For many, however, the problem was its modern look, reminiscent of Art Nouveau, geometric household products and furniture. The Artus, which is the subject of the current review, looks much more "classic" in comparison. It has six legs, its outline resembles a truncated ellipse, and the platter is fully visible. The turntable came to Krakow for a presentation at Tomek’s house, who is member of the Krakow Sonic Society. But it was not another KSS meeting - when I was leaving around midnight, there were still new guests arriving. It is not very often that you get a chance to see this type of turntable for yourself - there are 17 of them all over the world, with vast majority located in Asia. What made the meeting even more attractive was the fact that the Artus was assembled right in front of our eyes, personally by Dirk Räke, the son of Jochen, the owner of Räke Hifi/Vertrieb GmbH, the company carrying the Transrotor brand. Jochen Räke’s adventure with turntables began in 1971: for the first four years he was the sole importer to Germany of the British Transcriptor turntables. At one point, inspired by their original design, he decided to design something similar yourself. The result was the first Transrotor AC turntable. Manufactured in J.A. Mitchell factory, ten years later it fell the victim of the expansion of the CD format. Mr Räke had to start his own factory in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. It was there that the Artus FMD was built. A German in Poland Jokes about the Poles in Germany are a plenty. While we are a little guilty ourselves, it is also a result of an innate aversion to strangers, present in every nation, and probably some other factors as well. Similarly, there are loads of Polish jokes about the Germans, especially popular during the People's Republic of Poland era. But I have not heard a single joke about a German working for a Pole. And actually it looked like a film made on such joke script: Dirk, a fantastic guy who I’ve known for years, was working for five hours in a Polish home to assemble the turntable for us. He did everything by himself, because he did not want any of the components misplaced or gone missing. Not because he dealt with the Poles (another joke), but because the sheer complexity of the product design, although seemingly simple, is unbelievable. The unit arrives in seven solid boxes, weighing together half a ton. They need to be unpacked in turn, the components spread on a large, flat surface and only then can one proceed with the assembly. We looked at this and admired the build quality and precision, but also the incredible technology that makes the Artus FMD a unique product. And even if under the skull there was still the nagging thought that we are talking about one hundred and thirty thousand euro after all, which would beg for improbable things, seeing everything it was easier to get used to the thought that a product of such class simply has to cost that much. As Dirk said, the material cost alone, all those special varieties of aluminum, is several thousand euro. Thousands more to machine it and make it fit. Dirk was working, we were helping ourselves to wine and generally sort of "having a party", watching the progress from time to time. Everything was going perfectly almost to the very end. It was when mounting the 12" SME V-12 tonearms and then the cartridges, with everybody bending over Dirk, that material fatigue finally happened - at some point a stylus from the 18,200 PLN Dynavector DRT XV-1s cartridge disappeared. Literally. Then I remembered the most important message delivered by Wally Malevich during his lecture at the Audio Show 2012 (see HERE): the most important thing when aligning the cartridge is peace and calm. If it’s not there, it is better to let go and come back to it at another time. Dirk did not have that luxury, and the stylus went missing; it hasn’t been found to this day. The cartridge was sent to Japan for a repair, which will cost not much less than the cartridge. Indeed, audio is an expensive occupation. The installation of the second cartridge, the Phasemation P-1000, went without any problems and around 22.00 we could finally sit down and start listening to records. The cartridge was coupled to the Phasemation EA-1II phono preamp, and that in turn to the Accuphase C-2820 linear preamplifier. The output stage consisted of two amplifiers, configured as monoblocks, the class A A-45 from Accuphase, driving the Dynaudio Confidence II C4 Signature floorstanding speakers. The cabling, including phono cable, was Siltech Double Crown (see HERE). AUDITION I feel uncomfortable trying to describe the sound. It was not the sound I remembered from my home system when I had the Argos. Any attempt at an evaluation based on an audition made straight after unpacking and assembling the turntable, without the time needed by all the components to properly run in, without breaking in the cartridge or the preamplifier (they were new), in a new listening room, borders on stupidity. On top of all the above, imagine a dozen people present in the room, with some going in and out, and finally a fatigue. We were really exhausted just looking at how Dirk labored. I have no idea how he managed to keep standing after finally aligning the cartridge and not fell to the side like a tree, which is what I would have probably done. Dirk, however, additionally answered endless questions, swapped the records, commented on them. He acted as if he rested all the time while someone else was working – there is power in this man! In any case, the sound was not quite as it should be. Such complex designs need to keep spinning and playing for a few weeks in one place, and only after that time can you try, ever so cautiously, to set about optimizing their sound – be that adjusting the cartridge, maybe replacing it, or adjusting the turntable itself. Here, the first vinyl was spinning on the platter about 5 minutes after Dirk said "finished". His other comment came after some time, when he simply added that he had never listened to such music on the Transrotor - it was Vader with a cover designed by Tomek's friend. A few things, however, were already evident. The first concerned the scale of sound. I've never heard such a volume of instruments. They had real dimensions, without being compressed to the size of the "window" between the speakers. The soundstage was not limited by the room size. But not because the speakers "disappeared", but because the created soundstage had the kind of expansion, not normally present in home audio systems. The instruments were not specifically separated and lacked depth, but it exactly the characteristic that gets "run in" in the course of time. The size of the presentation was incredible, regardless of whether we listened to Verdi’s Choruses from the original LP, or Hugh Masekela from a Hope reissue. The second issue was the dynamics. As I have repeatedly stated, the dynamics of recordings played at home does not have much to do with the dynamics of live music. It is due to the limitations of recording techniques, the speakers and the listening room. These cannot be jumped over. But what I heard at Tomek’s was unique in its naturalness. Still not quite the equivalent of music live, but a very successful attempt to emulate it, nevertheless. The dynamics was powerful, there was breath and there seemed to be no limits, no sound compression. After a careful listen, of course, one would find elements indicating its presence, but the transition from any other, even the most successful system, to this, based on the large floorstanders from Dynaudio and the Artus FMD turntable, will be truly shocking. Dirk repeated several times that in their experience it is only the big and heavy turntables that are capable of such momentum; it can be simulated to some extent in lighter designs, but will never be true DYNAMICS, such as that we have heard. And that's why they tried to combine functionality and exterior design in their turntable, keeping as much weight as possible. Finding a match between all these elements was what took them most of the time and ate up most money - the finished product was preceded by several prototypes and dozens of hours of, often minor, adjustments. Conclusion Our friends and colleagues – “audio laymen” - often ask why audio devices are so expensive. The simplest answer would be: "just because". Luxury is always expensive. That answer actually hits the nail on the head. However, most people perceive audio not as a luxury but some kind of aberration, usurped by snake oil types and crazy freaks. That says more about themselves, about their consciousness and knowledge, rather than the audio, but what is important is that this answer does not satisfy them, either. Then I reach for a comparison with the art: when you buy a graphics, a photography, or a painting – anything really, you don’t ask why it costs so much; instead, you just ask yourself if you can afford it or not and whether you want it or not. The answer to that is usually of the type "but audio is consumer products, not the art itself." And that's also true. Then I need to start a long story, describing the situation of an audio manufacturer and saying that if the product was manufactured in China in hundreds and thousands of units, its price could be a fraction of what it is with production output of a few dozen units. And adding that it would no longer be the same product; that what counts first of all is not so much what the device is made of, but the end result, and that the price is often a reflection of how the device sounds and how it compares to competing products. Last but not least, that the final refinement of a product to the level that we hear is usually the fruit of many years of hard work and that we pay not only for the cost of manufacturing but also for the time spent on the project. And, I must admit, the latter explanation usually works best. High-end, and extreme high-end in particular, is yet another thing: it's a combination of all the above. It is hard work on the design, the cost of component, labor, and maintenance; it is a piece of applied art, an object of luxury. Separately, they all cost a lot of money, and taken together they cost a fortune. Like, for example, 130,000 euro. And that’s it. Distribution in Poland Eter Audio 30-646 Kraków | ul. Malborska 24 | Polska tel./fax: 12 655 75 43 e-mail: info@eteraudio.pl WWW: www.eteraudio.pl

Published: 3. April 2013, No. 108 Dan D'Agostino is an iconic person, a legendary figure, the founder and longtime owner of Krell Industries and, above all, a man full of passion. In 2009, selling his shares in Krell to investors from KP Partners, little did he know that for him it was a "goodbye" kiss; he left the company shortly afterwards. Actually, he did not go alone, but was accompanied by his wife Rondi with whom he started the company in 1970, together with their eldest son Bren, head of technical projects (Jerry Del Colliano, What Happened At Krell and Why The D'agostino Family Is Out, "Home Theater Review.com", December 7, 2009, see HERE) . Financial details are not known, but what is known is that the takeover was not pleasant – literally overnight, the D'Agostino family was turned out from the company they had founded and directed for 29 years, and escorted to the front door. As Jerry Del Colliano wrote in his article What Would Dan D'Agostino Do? (see HERE), everyone wondered what the D'Agostino family would do. While they stayed on the board, they did not have any say in the company. The answer came as early as January 2010, during the CES exhibition in Las Vegas, when the Momentum amplifier was presented by a new manufacturer, Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems. Just as Franco Serblin had done, parting ways with his company three years earlier, in 2007, Dan also decided to immortalize his name in the name of his new company. Incidentally, both the first amplifier that bears Dan’s name and the first speaker available under the name of Franco Serblin hit the stores in the same year, 2010. The Momentum Stereo amplifier introduced a year later than the Momentum monoblocks looks almost identical, except for the power output indicator, featuring two, not one, meters. This is the most distinctive element of the amplifier’s exterior design. Looking like taken straight from a steampunk movie, it is actually a tribute to one of the most important watchmakers, Abraham Louis Breguet, who in 1775 in Paris founded a company bearing his name. Breguet designed the characteristically shaped hour hand which D'Agostino used in your project. The amplifier is surprisingly small but very heavy - it is 40.8 kg of live weight concentrated on a very small surface area, in an extremely rugged aluminum-copper enclosure made of milled flat bars. You will not find here classic aluminum heat sinks, but instead a thick copper plate with through-holes. These have the shape of a double funnel - 19 mm in diameter at both ends and 12 mm in the middle. As thermal conductivity of copper is about 91% higher than that of aluminum, classic heat sink fins are not needed. Although the founder of Krell became famous for his designs operating in class A, the new design is much more eco-friendly - a very important trope. According to the manufacturer, the amplifier consumes only 1 W in idle mode (although the measurements by "Hi-Fi News & Record Review," speak of 99 W) and operates in class AB in the whole range. Its built on ultra-fast transistors, 12 pairs per channel. As head of the company says, the stereo model design is identical to (one) monoblock, apart from a smaller number of output transistors. SOUND Recordings used during test (a selection) MJ Audio Technical Disc vol.6, Seibundo Shinkosha Publishing, MJCD-1005, CD (2013). Adam Makowicz, Unit, Muza Polskie Nagrania /Polskie Nagrania, "Polish Jazz vol.35", PNCD 935, CD (1973/2004). Artur Lesicki Acoustic Harmony, Stone & Ashes, Fonografika, 559040, kopia z ta¶my-matki, CD-R (wersja CD: 2010); Bogdan Hołownia, Chwile, Sony Music Polska, 505288 2, kopia z ta¶my-matki, CD-R (wersja CD: 2001). Czesław Niemen, Katharsis, Muza Polskie Nagrania, PRCD 339, “Niemen od pocz±tku, nr 9”, CD (1976/2003). Czesław Niemen, Spodchmurykapelusza, Pomaton EMI, 36237, CD (2001). Depeche Mode, Heaven, Mute/Columbia, 47537-2, maxi SP, CD (2013). Diorama, Even Devil Doesn’t Care, Accession Records, A 133, CD (2013). Frank Sinatra, Sinatra Sings Gershwin, Columbia/Legacy/Sony Music Entertainment, 507878 2, CD (2003). John Coltrane, Coltrane, Impulse!, 589 567-2, “Deluxe Edition”, 2 x CD (1962/2002). Józef Skrzek, Podróż w krainę wyobraĽni, Polskie Nagrania/Metal Mind Productions, MMP CD 0541, CD (1978/2009). Komeda Quintet, Astigmatic, Muza Polskie Nagrania /Polskie Nagrania, "Polish Jazz vol.5", PNCD 905, CD (1966/2004). Lars Danielsson, Mélange Bleu, ACT, 9604-2, “ACT: Nu Jazz””, CD (2006); Lucy Ann, Lucky Lucy Ann, Mode Records/Muzak, MZCS-1121, “Mode Vocal Collection”, CD (1957/2007). The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Time Out, Columbia Records/Sony Music Entertainment Hong Kong, 883532, "K2HD Mastering CD", No. 0055, CD (1959/2011). The Oscar Peterson Trio, We Get Request, Verve/Lasting Impression Music, LIM K2HD 032 UDC, “Direct From Master Disc. Master Edition”, gold CD-R (1964/2009). Tomasz Stańko Quartet, Lontano, ECM, 1980, CD (2006). Wes Montgomery, Echoes of Indiana Avenue, Resonance Records, 195562, CD (2012). Japanese editions available from The appearance of an extraordinary man in the world, his birth, meant to be heralded by supernatural signs and wonders, and other miraculous events. It could be a comet, a star or other astronomical phenomena, as well as animal behavior, dreams, prophecies, and great historical events. The bigger the event, the more important – by implication – the person associated with it. The arrival of the Dan D'Agostino stereo power amplifier at my home was accompanied by nothing special, excluding a huge effort of lugging the well-thought out (alleluja!) suitcase with the amplifier up to the third floor. It was a day like every day, with another device to test, granted, an interesting one, even very much so, but then I don’t really deal with any others. Fantastic products have become a standard for me. The first surprise, immediately after unpacking it, was the compact size the Momentum Stereo. Its weight is impressive, but its overall dimensions - not so much. Placed next to the Soulution 710 it looked like a beefy, quick-moving agile "fighter" lurking next to a sumo player. Although I’d read about this earlier, I did not expect such a high quality of manufacturing and finish, so well-chosen components, a balance of what is "macho" about audio with non-exaggerated size. Its sound, on the other hand, was not particularly surprising, and I was kind of expecting just that – a top presentation at the level of the Soulution 710, the Accuphase A-200, with a nod to the fantastic Devialet D-Premium AIR as well as the best tube amplifiers. A novelty for me was that I felt a desire to have the device in my system - not INSTEAD OF my trusted Swiss amp, but rather NEXT TO him. On paper, the Dan D'Agostino amplifier offers plenty of power. In the company brochure we will find information that it is 200 W into 8 Ω and 400 W into 4 Ω (and 800 Ω into 2 Ω), suggesting a very high current output, or an ideal current source (in this range). RMS power output measured by "Hi-Fi News & Record Review" (August 2012) is a bit different: 240/390 W (8/4 Ω). The actual power into 8 Ω is therefore higher, but the switch to 4 Ω does not double it. Be that as it may, it is a powerful device, twice more powerful than the 710 from Soulution. That power, however, is manifested in a unique manner in combination with incredible color. Placed next to each other, the two amplifiers behave to a large extent differently – the 710 sound as a professional, stage device, with recordings having momentum and wide frequency response, and a kind of “large church hall” production. The Stereo, in turn, sounds more focused, celebrating each and every sound, as in the case of small music clubs, intimate meetings with the listeners in small concert halls. Kind of like when we sit a dozen feet from the piano, the vocalist, or the guitar. Dan’s amplifier shows the world in beautiful colors. Both the warm (in terms of color temperature) Wes Montgomery recordings from Echoes of Indiana Avenue, the K2HD version of Brubeck’s Time Out, and the album Stone & Ashes by Arthur Lisiecki, recorded with microphones set up very close, which I happen to own in a unique version - on a CD-R copy from the master tape, all those recordings sounded saturated, full, and mature. As I have repeatedly emphasized, the word 'warm' can refer to both coloration and to the lack of distortion and natural presentation. We usually deal with the former in cheaper devices, where it is impossible to obtain such performance as in the top high-end. It is often enough to slightly emphasize lower midrange, add some specific distortion (odd harmonics), cut off the treble a little bit, and withdraw some sound attack to get an incredibly vivid, really satisfying presentation. Still, all the time we know that it's just a trick and that we do not really deal with high resolution, not to mention selectivity. The latter case, gives similar results at first glance - the sound is warm. It's just that we're now somewhere else, almost a galaxy ahead. When we eliminate signal distortion and we use our head doing it, not just simply applying negative feedback, the sound becomes more and more natural, and hence it seems warm to us - by way of reaction. There is really nothing warm about it, however, a point of reference, which in this case is the vast majority of audio equipment, sounds much cooler, more "skeletal-like" and that’s what sets the "tone", becoming the starting point. Such understood warmth is at the heart of what the Momentum Stereo offers. Its sound is incredibly friendly, without losing resolution. Yes, both the Soulution 710, the Accuphase A-200 and the Ancient Audio Silver Grand Mono have even more resolved, more selective sound. The best of them all in this respect is, no surprise here, Jarek Waszczyszyn’s amplifier equipped with Takatsuki 300B. Its power output, however, is low, making it work well with a limited range of speakers in rather small rooms, with no chance of properly conveying the power of the full symphony orchestra. The Soulution and the Accuphase, in turn, show more three-dimensional instrument bodies, further differentiate the textures and dynamics jumps; the differences in distances between the performers. So what, we might say, as it was the American amplifier that proved the most satisfactory of them all (except for the Ancient Audio tube amp, with all the caveats), and closest to what could be described as a "perfect balance", an equilibrium. But it is not nirvana in the sense of "dissolution of the self" and the end of the subjective "I". Music can indeed make "fly high", we do not need any substances for that, just properly presented music. The Momentum Stereo, however, will guarantee a controlled flight. This will be active listening, a "participating" audition. Not really something to do with listening to small flavors, new things, musical consonants; that’s not really the point. The previously cited devices can do that better. Here the music is, however, experienced on a different level - more emotionally, a little less intellectually. Our emotions will come to react with the emotions contained in the recordings; the amplifier is capable of that. These emotions will be evoked in us. I myself am amazed at how all that is possible – after all it is a small (in terms of size) amplifier operating in Class AB, and solid state at that. I heard a similar sonic signature before, in the hybrid, digital-analog D-Premier's AIR amplifier from Devialet, but the sophistication of the Momentum Stereo is indisputable. The quality of treble here is outstanding. Even the Soulution 710, showing the range in an amazing way, seemed to present the events just a little more coarsely. Maybe not everyone will hear it right away, as we're talking about top high-end and very small differences percentage-wise; an experienced music lover will notice them, however, with the cymbals sound on the Coltrane album, and sibilance formation on the album Sinatra Sings Gershwin, and in other moments. It's amazing how much solid state technology has improved, and how similarly this small-dimensioned, solid state amplifier working in class AB behaves to tube amplifiers – something unthinkable until very recently. But what’s most important is the joy that this device brings to our lives - it does so many things so well, and only a handful worse than the competition that it deserves applause. It has been well captured by Jonathan Margolis in his article, posted on "How To Spend It" website, saying, "It’s impossible to measure the pleasure that these amplifiers bring" (see HERE http://howtospendit.ft.com/audiovisual/ 5709-dan-dagostino-amplifiers ). As always, everything remains a function of expectations, taste and our own audio system. In some cases, the characteristics that are weaker here than in other top amplifiers will make themselves felt more prominently. It is therefore good to be prepared and informed in advance - in the end, that’s what we are here for; the critical role of the audio press is just as important as the affirmative. What needs to be mentioned is slightly calmed down dynamics. Without my Soulution 710, the world champion of dynamics, next to it, I would probably not even have paid attention to it with the Momentum Stereo, and would have taken it as it comes. And yet I can hear that everything is just slightly restrained, slightly suppressed. It is a delicate shift in emphasis, creating a slightly different sonic character. The class D amplifier from Devialet and the I-35 tube amplifier from Jadis (see HERE) sounded similar. The ultimatum resolution showed by the Soulution 710 and the Accuphase A-200 on the one side and the Ancient Audio tube amp on the other, is being sacrificed here for the sake of sound consistency and smoothness. Let me repeat: in the end, it was only the Polish amplifier that was able to show both smoothness and resolution, to be both selective and saturated. Dan D'Agostino’s amplifier has its tonal balance slightly lower than all these three amps, but its lowest bass is rather nice than perfectly defined. Conclusion Each and every amplifier misrepresents reality, distorts the signal which is fed to it. The real art is to eliminate as much as possible distortion, noise, interference, and to select all necessary components in a way that results in good sound. Shelling out well over 100,000 zlotys for an amplifier, we are entitled to expect wonders and miracles from it. The Momentum Stereo is such a miracle; we can even say a "little miracle", at least compared to the size of its main solid state competitors. It was designed by a man who is one of the "founding fathers" for high-end and through whom we have all learned a lot. You can hear that he had good fun designing it, starting from scratch and not being burdened by Krell's heritage - the heritage that binds one to a certain path. We get an amplifier that boasts a very tasteful, sophisticated sound that resembles the best tube amps while being better than the vast majority of them. The Momentum Stereo has its own character; this is not some "wire with signal gain", which is just an idea, not even trying to pretend. It does it in its own way that we can only be envious of. Another solid state amplifier, in a very short time, that denies the stereotype of cold, dry, sharp transistor sound. Many tube amps sound much colder, drier and harder. And they are being praised left and right. I will praise Dan’s amplifier and will be honest doing that. TESTING METHODOLOGY The amplifier was tested in an A / B listening test, with the A and B known. The reference was primarily the Soulution 710 amplifier, with the Ayon Audio Polaris III modified by Gerhard Hirt working as a preamp. It was also fed directly from the variable output of the CD players: the Ancient Audio Lektor AIR V-edition and the Aesthetix Romulus. I must say that it sounded best without a preamp, fed directly by the Ancient Audio player. Take care of providing the best possible source – the Momentum Stereo will show any change! During the test, the amplifier sat on the Acoustic Revive RST-38 anti-vibration platforms (two) and not on its own feet, but rather on three Fat Padz from Symposium. It was powered via the Acrolink Mexcel 7N-PC9300 power cord. DESIGN The Momentum Stereo from Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems is an extraordinary amplifier. Small, beautifully finished, stylized on steampunk or watchmaker’s works of art (you can choose), which has already been recognized by everyone in the world. Its enclosure is made of very thick panels. Side walls are copper flat bars with through-holes, acting as heat sinks. As shown by John Atkinson in his measurements of the Momento monoblocks, the heat sink surface area is too small for the amp to work with the quoted maximum power output for a long time (Michael Fremer, Dan D'Agostino Momentum, "Stereophile", February 2013). It is very unlikely, however, that it will ever be placed in this kind of condition. In normal operation, even with very high sound levels, the overheating protection will never get activated and heat dissipation will be perfectly adequate. The rear panel is made of another thick plate, with milled out recess for the required connectors. No screws or bolts are to be seen anywhere, except for the bottom. However, what primarily catches our attention is its output indicator, designed to resemble a ship porthole (that of Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's novel) or luxury watches from some manufacturers. It’s illuminated in green. The power switch is nowhere in sight – it’s found its place on the bottom panel, near the front edge. On the back panel we find an IEC mains socket with an integrated fuse, two pairs of speaker terminals, balanced XLR input connectors and small switches to select the sensitivity of power meters and illumination brightness. Speaker terminals are very close together and I would be very cautious using larger spades with them. One channel output is also very close to the power cord. Detailed measurements in "HiFi News & Records Review" shows that this results in the Signal to Noise Ratio 5 dB lower for that channel; such small difference, however, should not be audible. Inputs are only balanced, but if you want to use the unbalanced preamp (which is popular in Japan, for example), use the adapter supplied with the unit. The unit rests on four feet, pretty solid, but you will be well advised to upgrade them to something better. The manufacturer offers a special stand, lifting the amplifier quite significantly. The distributor, however, sent along something else - three Fat Padz mini platforms from Symposium. Electronic components are assembled "upside down", similarly to tube amps. They are suspended from the top, thickest panel. In order to improve shielding a thick copper plate is bolted to the top panel from the inside. The whole electronic circuit is mounted on a few PCBs. The input section is housed on one PCB, located close to the rear panel. The circuit is fully solid state and employs fantastic quality passive components; everywhere we can see Dale precise resistors, CDM mica capacitors from Cornell Dubilier, polypropylene Wima capacitors and others. This section has its own separate power supply, with a dedicated toroidal transformer. The latter is mounted to an aluminum plate, shielding from the bottom side arguably the widest toroidal transformer that I've ever seen. Power for the output stage is filtered by eight, very good quality capacitors from Panasonic. The output stage PCBs are mounted on both sides, and they feature six pairs of output transistors per channel – these 2SA2223+2SC6145 from Sanken. Here, too, passive components are top notch quality. The whole interior looks beautiful and adds to the pleasure of watching the machine from the outside. Specification (HFN&RR measurements) RMS Output Power: 240/390 (4/8 Ω) Instantaneous output power: 300/550/970/1, 3 kW (8/4/2/1 Ω) Output Impedance (20 Hz - 20 kHz): 0.28-0.29 Ω Frequency response (+0 dB/-1, 9 dB): 20 Hz - 100 kHz Input sensitivity (0 dBW/200 W): 175 mV mV/2470 Signal / noise ratio (A-weighted, A, 200 W): 113.8 dB THD: 0.07-0.1% Power consumption (no signal / full power): 99-690 W Dimensions (WxHxD): 318 x 109 x 470 mm Weight: 40.8 kg Dystribution in Poland FAST M.J. Orszańscy s. j. Romanowska 55e, | 91-174 ŁódĽ | Polska tel.: 42 61 33 750 | fax: 42 61 33 751 e-mail: info@audiofast.pl Website: audiofast.pl

Published: 3. April 2013, No. 108 The idea of a speaker driver called “superleggera” was conceived after completing the “improved audio” project [ed. note: it concerns one of development versions of a broadband Acuhorn driver]. The project focused on systematic research to come up with reference sound. The starting point for new designs were various, already tested, ways of mounting speaker drivers in the speaker cabinet. The next step was the search to find a proper kind of wood and various ways of its lamination in order to obtain the right material for speaker cabinets. The differences are so significant that they make listening to music meaningful. It is what audiophiles like the best, the owners of turntables, super cables and independent 240 V power supply: “better hard than soft, hence metals, plastics, foam, rubber are not good”, but also “too hard – equally bad, all metals ‘ring’ and transform vibrations in their own way”. Other materials damped vibrations in an “unnatural” way, etc. Wood was supposed to be the foundation. In the beginning it was meant to be a wooden box. Acuhorn employs two acoustic chambers. One forms midrange, the other is responsible for bass. I employed the earlier developed, proprietary method of shaping the acoustic wave resulting in precise soundstage and bass response. After initial drawings and considerations it was time to come up with a design. Covering the whole project of a new speakers’ series, I set the PURE direction for the implementation of the acoustic chamber and speaker driver. I wanted a light, no-frills speaker diaphragm, assuming that the only thing that matters is sound. I only kept my neodymium "engine", that is magnets and pole pieces, and the suspension with the diaphragm - a moving mass. And I put it directly into the wooden acoustic chamber. Just as luthiers do it in stringed instruments. They put the strings directly onto the resonant box and support them from the inside with a piece of wood called the sound post or "the soul". Isn’t it a great idea?! The diaphragm rests on the resonant chamber, and the rear suspension on the wood inside, as if on the "soul". The diaphragm and the rear suspension are coupled by wooden components, with vibration only transferred by wood. The end result surprised me - the sound was smooth and detailed at the same time. I have not yet heard such differentiation; moreover, the sound was very textural. Individual sounds now differed more markedly from each other. Arranged in the space, they were tantalizing in their beautiful surface and their shapes and various degrees of coarseness. Praise and thanksgiving to the Creator who has given us wood for our instruments. It's an audiophile acoustic sound dream come true. No, this is not a treatise of a mad luthier from the 18th century but a technical description of a speaker design sent to me by Wojtek Untershuetz, a designer from Acuhorn, concerning new speakers from the Superleggera series. The name should ring a bell with the lovers of exclusive cars, for they should know Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera – a tuned up version of Lamborghini Gallardo. As we learn from the description of that car, its lower weight (by 100 kg) combined with 7 kW more power improved 0-100 km/h acceleration time by 0.4 second compared to the standard model. Does not seem much but in the world of hi-end cars it is a lot! The creator of the Superleggera (Italian for ultra-light) is an Italian master Felice Bianchi Anderloni, the designer of car bodies. After Wojtek’s explanations above everything should become clear now: he intended to build a speaker driver with the lightest possible cone which should translate into speed. Hence the name. The reference to Italian tradition is based not only on cars but on violin-makers as well. The cabinets of the new speakers from Gdańsk are a design part of the speaker driver which does not sport a traditional basket any more – the whole cabinet serves that purpose. The proprietary Acuhorn drivers were fully designed in-house. The speakers are beautifully made; this is high class piece of furniture in the best meaning of the word that just oozes class, class, class. For the review we received the giovane85, the smallest of the series, with a price tag of 3,300 euro (per pair). There are two more models in the series: the acuhorn rosso superiore175 for 9,000 euro and the acuhorn nero125 which will set you back 5,400 euro. Acuhorn in “High Fidelity” REVIEW: Acuhorn ROSSO SUPERIORE175 improved audio 2007 – speakers, see HERE INTERVIEW: Acuhorn – tuba w każdym calu, see HERE AWARD OF THE YEAR 2004: Acuhorn Nero125, see HERE REVIEW: Acuhorn Nero125, see HERE and HERE Also worth reading: REVIEW: New Audio mono3.5 – power amplifier, see HERE ODSŁUCH A selection of recordings used during auditions Adam Makowicz, Unit, Muza Polskie Nagrania /Polskie Nagrania, "Polish Jazz vol.35", PNCD 935, CD (1973/2004). Chris Connor, He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, “Atlantic 60th”, Atlantic/Warner Music Japan, WPCR-25173, CD (1956/2007). Czesław Niemen, Spodchmurykapelusza, Pomaton EMI, 36237, CD (2001). Józef Skrzek, Podróż w krainę wyobraĽni, Polskie Nagrania/Metal Mind Productions, MMP CD 0541, CD (1978/2009). Komeda Quintet, Astigmatic, Muza Polskie Nagrania /Polskie Nagrania, "Polish Jazz vol.5", PNCD 905, CD (1966/2004). The Oscar Peterson Trio, We Get Request, Verve/Lasting Impression Music, LIM K2HD 032 UDC, “Direct From Master Disc. Master Edition”, gold CD-R (1964/2009). This Mortal Coil, HD-CD Box SET: It’ll End In Tears, Filigree & Shadow, Blood, Dust & Guitars, 4AD [Japan], TMCBOX1, 4 x HDCD, (2011). Tomasz Stańko Quartet, Lontano, ECM, 1980, CD (2006). Japanese CDs and SACDs editions available from When I once referred to researchers among researchers, specializing in some narrow field, determined to find their own G-spot, with no regard for what is fashionable at the time, what is considered to be proper and what sells well, I meant exactly the kind of product such as the Acuhorn Superleggera Giovane85. Hooking them up to a classic amplifier such as the Soulution 710, the 530 or, on the other hand, the Arcam FMJ A19, i.e. solid state devices with a high dumping factors and “rigid” power supplies, will be a mistake. The sound emerging from Wojtek Unterschuetz’s speakers will repel everyone regardless of his or her conviction or experience. The sound’s attributes will be flatness, “thinness”, lack of bass or even its reminiscence. There are various wonders that occur in audio world and even though we are still not able to explain many of them and we base our opinions on conducted experiments and tests, i.e. auditions, we have it ingrained somewhere that this is the right path, that organoleptic tests, personal experience is more important than anything else because in the end it is us who will do the listening, not any measurement systems or theories. Even then, equipped with this kind of knowledge, we are rendered helpless faced with a change that will take place when we connect the speakers to a tube amplifier, such as the Leben CS-300 XS [Custom Edition] for instance. With a well matched speakers-amplifier pair we will hear something that is generally hard to find in audio, leaving the money issue aside. Let’s list it: internal coherence of all sounds, complete lack of “tension” introduced by the speakers which in turn exposes the emotional tension in music, the way of creating new space in the listening room similar to what the best headphones do, such as the Sennheiser HD800. In a word, it will be thrilling. It will also be beautiful. We will mention PROBLEMS related to this type of presentation as well. First though, let’s talk about the GOOD aspects and how they manifest in music. The most striking feature of the Giovane85 speakers is creating in almost every case a new reality in the listening room. These are not just instruments, vocals or generally sounds projected in front of us, nicely fitted in the room acoustics where we enjoy the listening experience. The speakers from Gdańsk re-create not only sounds but the whole acoustics that comes with them, the atmosphere of the recording with master-tape noise (if any) in one go, “ductilely”, at once. What we receive is a bubble of new reality very similar to what we hear (I will repeat myself cause it is important) through headphones. The soundstage is as wide as we set the speakers apart and as deep as we deem proper. The latter calls for a short explanation. Full-range drivers present the depth of soundstage and the depth of a given instrument (its body) in a specific way. When we focus our attention on a whole event it seems then that the soundstage is rather two-dimensional and that the speakers do not differentiate the depth. But when we focus on a specific instrument it becomes real, taking on shape, vividness, body. It bears an uncanny reminiscence of a real life concert experience. Listening to Tomasz Stańko’s trumpet from his Lontano album I had very similar impressions to those I’d had two days earlier, sitting in the Krakow Opera House during his concert with the New York Quartet, at least as far as the spatial aspect was concerned. The concert was a part of a tour promoting his double album Wisława. Let me repeat: general focus equals lack of depth, specific focus introduces depth and reality. It is entirely up to us to decide how we will perceive it and how we decide to focus. The way the specific sub-ranges are placed in space helps to that end. In classic speaker designs where each driver reproduces a rather narrow frequency range, cut out from the whole spectrum, higher sounds are usually located higher, on the level with the tweeter, no matter how well it is matched with other drivers. We also experience differentiation here but it is on another plane: high frequencies seem to be closer to us, almost tangible. They are not irritating or detached from the rest of the frequency range but the lower we go the further the instrument seems to be. The whole is incredibly fluid, nothing is “torn”; the impression stays, though. It is impossible to hear that anywhere else; only full range speakers are capable of such a feat. They seem to create a sphere extending towards the listener. The whole is smooth and “coherent” but a part of that sphere with the high frequencies is closest to us. In classic speakers, if high frequencies are dominant and the tonal balance is disturbed we simply end up with brighter sound, with strong cymbals and overexposed sibilants – we all know the phenomenon and (I hope) we recognize it as a basic flaw. Not so with the Acuhorns, though we were first exposed to the elements I am writing about (minus overexposed sibilants). Again, I have to refer to a musical concert. This is how you hear the drums from the distance of about 8 meters. That’s exactly how I heard it, sitting at the above mentioned concert a few rows from Gerald Cleaver’s drum set, and that’s exactly how I remembered it. Incidentally, the speakers brilliantly showed the speed of the instrument, its dynamics. But what was the loudest, the nearest to me, was the cymbals. The reason is obvious to me: the reproduction of the instrument by the reviewed speakers is highly dependent on the way it has been recorded. The main microphones, apart from the kick drum, are set above the drum kit, and the cymbals are closest to their membranes. It is therefore possible that Wojtek’s speakers simply show spatial relations associated with the distance, and hence the objective size of the instrument as "seen" by the microphones (and they have a tendency to downsize the more distant objects and enlarge those close-up) and not only show the changes of sound level, like classic "boxes" do. Well then - the matter of space should be clear by now. Another thing to explain is dynamics. I really wanted to avoid repeating the word 'speed' in this review, but it proved impossible – I just did. I wanted to avoid overusing it, as speed is worthless in itself, it must be in some kind of "service", has something "to do", and not exist just for its own sake. Its effect on the sound, however, cannot be overestimated in this case. The series name immediately suggests the lightning, so to speak. And it really is - you cannot hear any compression resulting from restraining any sub-range, from restraining the whole. Sounds "come to being" in a natural way, not even "immediately" because the phrase suggests the "creating" them. The Acuhorns seem to reproduce sound "beyond" mechanical limits of the speaker driver suspension or its load. It is obvious that this is just an impression resulting from the comparison to classic dynamic speaker drivers, and that "live" sound is even more present and simply just as it should be. Provided there is a good musician, a good instrument and good acoustics. That is how good magnetostats sound; such is the sound of the Radialstrahler omnidirectional speaker from MBL. And of the Acuhorn speaker. And finally, the third issue, perhaps most difficult to interpret: tonal balance. I'd be a fool if I did not notice the problems we encounter with speakers of this type. However, I’d show even more stupidity if that would be my reason to cross them out at the outset. It's a classic either-or situation where we need to make a clear choice and stick to it; we either "get in" or get out, without looking back any more. Wojtek’s Giovane85 have clearly less bass than his nero125 and rosso superiore175. Very little happens below some 100 Hz. The size of the enclosure is the culprit here - we wanted a small speaker so we have to bear the consequences. This lack of bass is not annoying, and even completely negligible, if we know what we want and if we devote a moment to proper positioning and/or amplifier selection. If we know that vocal music is our thing, small ensembles, even electronic music, but rather the Jane-Michel Jarre type than Nine Inch Nails, the Superleggera Giovane85 will be worth our while. But if we listen to a wide spectrum of music, if Wagner is our favourite composer – go look for something else. The Acuhorns do not create large phantom images and lack the high macrodynamics required for proper rendering of a large music ensemble. Overdriven, they lose definition, and “get lost”, falling victim to their own advantages. These are speakers that try to follow even the smallest details, changes of tempo, intonation, and colour. If we feed them with too much heavy-duty information to “process” (after all, it’s a electroacoustic driver), they will “hang up” at a certain level, and we’ll end up hearing less than from classic, multi-driver speaker designs, compressing a large part of the signal. The sound of the reviewed speakers can be modeled to some extent, moving them closer to the back wall. I would even say that – similarly to the Audio Note speakers – they sound best kept close to the wall, maybe even in the corners of a room. The sound is bigger, stronger, and more full-bodied. This can be reached in a different way, but the amp we use needs to have bass (tone) control. Something we do not come across very often in audiophile devices. Except for the oldest and the very latest designs. Examples of the former are most numerous in Japan. Music lovers from this country are used to the strangest combinations, choices, setups, and are only interested in the end result and not in how it is reached. Hence the cult of horn speakers and full range speaker drivers. It has long been recognized that the latter need some help from the amplifier, and we find many devices equipped with some sort of compensation circuit, boosting bass. It is present for example in my Leben CS-300 XS [Custom Version]. I have already written about it discussing headphones, where a slight 3 dB boost of the low frequencies often adds the needed saturation. So it was with the Acuhorns - even with the +5 dB boost I did not hear any distortion, and the sound was much larger. But it is not only the oldest solutions that will work. I think that the ideal partner for the Acuhorn speakers will be, tada, digital amplifiers, such as the reviewed by me two months ago Devialet D-Premier AIR. For once, its sound will fit perfectly with what the Giovane85 need, and two, that it gives us the option bass control in the digital domain. Paired together, they will provide a combination that is difficult to think about when sober, and which, after listening to it, will be hard to part ways with when sober. Conclusion Speakers with full range drivers come as rare as an empathetic politician. But they happen. Their roots go back to the very beginnings of audio and despite the passage of time the idea of feeding the signal directly to the voice coil without the need to split it in the crossover, without the distortion introduced by it (especially phase shifts) proves extremely attractive for some designers, music lovers, and audiophiles. Since nothing is suppressed in this design, the signal flow is very fast. It is aided by the design of the cone suspension, in which the energy is not lost, as in the classic rubber suspension. The cone itself is also ultra-light, and the driver has a high sensitivity. But the problems are equally numerous. Limited frequency range (mainly from the bottom; the Accuhorn driver plays treble surprisingly well and even), limited macrodynamics and low power. As usual, it will be our problem, not the designer’s; ours, because in the end it is our decision. The Superleggera Giovane85 speakers will help us make it on the large part. They are beautifully made – Wojtek Unterschuetz is a master when it comes to styling and attention to detail (another person with a similar sensibility is Eric Smólski, the owner of Eryk S. Concept http://www.eryksc.com ). He’s simply got good taste and can apply it to his products. He’s also a music lover, which can be heard in all his speaker and amplifier designs. His choices, however, are so special that they may not necessarily coincide with what we expect from listening to music. Regardless of our decision, we need to know that the smallest Acuhorn speakers communicate with the customer with exceptional ease, bridging the distance between the speakers and us. They present exceptional microdynamics, very good color (in the context of full range speakers of course) and are a true work of art – because that’s how I treat them – for those who are bored with traditional audio. You can’t get bored with them, considering the possible setups with low-watt tube amps and powerful amplifiers operating in Class D. A true chameleon! Or maybe it’s finally been possible to create a contemporary version of what people had already known 100 years ago? TESTING METHODOLOGY The testing had a character of an A / B / A comparison with the A and B known. The reference was: Harberth M40.1 Domestic stand-mounted speakers on the Acoustic Revive Custom Series Loudspeaker Stands PMC GB1i floorstanding speakers Dynaudio Confidence C1 Signature stand-mounted speakers Speakers were driven by the following power amplifiers: Soulution 710 power amplifier Soulution 530 integrated amplifier Leben CS-300 XS [Custom Version] integrated amplifier Devialet D-Premier AIR integrated amplifier Music samples were 2 minutes long, whole album were also auditioned. The speakers did not have spikes or stands, however, I decided to decouple them from the ground. I used the Acoustic Revive RST-38 anti-vibration platforms and Finite Elemente CeraPuc spacers with ceramic ball. The manufacturer suggests placing the speakers in several ways: 1) on two wooden slats in front and rear (the "Japanese" way), 2) on audio stands (anti-vibration platforms) 3) on "spikes" or spacers/pads (not screwed on). In this case, I also used other than usual speaker cables – speaker terminals located deep and the small weight of the speakers do not allow using thick and heavy cables, such as my Tara Labs Omega Onyx. In such cases, I always use the Acoustic Revive SPC-PA solid-core cables. The speakers were positioned 1 m from the rear wall, with a bookcase against it, and were directed to the listener's ears with a slight bend to the outside. The work best in small spaces and close to the listening position. DESIGN Speakers with a full range driver seem to be very simple designs: one driver, no crossover, just a speaker cabinet. And of course speaker terminals. Problems with a proper design and its implementation are, however, enormous. First of all, one needs to select an appropriate driver. Acuhorn have been experimenting for years with this type of drivers and offers its own proprietary designs, with a paper cone, fabric-made suspension, a small horn reproducing high frequencies and a neodymium magnet. In the speakers of the Superleggera series the designer went even further: the cabinet is actually a part of the speaker driver. The speaker cone with the rear suspension and the magnet is glued to the cabinet in such a way that the front suspension becomes a part of the front baffle. The magnet is supported by a solid metal plate holding it in place. The speaker driver is literally glued into the resonant chamber - there is no trace of screws, driver basket, etc. The front baffle is also the plane of driver front suspension. The second problem with speakers featuring one full range driver is driver load. Wojtek Unterschuetz prefers horn loading. In large speakers such a solution is much easier because we have a large speaker volume and a large area of the horn mouth. The Giovane85 is, however, tiny by the horn standards – it looks like a classic speaker. Hence, its bass extension is limited. Yet, since the horn mouth is located at the rear, we can adjust the amount of bass to a certain extent, positioning the speaker closer to or further apart from the rear wall. The cabinets are fantastically finished with wood veneer, with open pore painting, and everyone at home liked them a lot. The veneer has been selected in such way that the speakers form a proper pair. At the bottom of the front baffle silver letters were pressed into the baffle, forming the name of the company, and the pink "Superleggera" logo was pressed into the side wall. Everywhere else it would look embarrassing, but here it creates a coherent, simply delicious, whole. Finally, speaker terminals, the least appreciated speaker component – quite wrongly! The reviewed speakers sport gold plated terminals that look solid. They do not particularly stand out in comparison to other, good terminals. What’s more important is that they are not mounted to the rear wall, but to a baffle forming the horn mouth, and thus inside the speaker. This allowed to almost completely eliminate the cables connecting the driver terminals and speaker terminals. An interesting fact is the lack of any spikes, spacers, or even sockets into which they could be screwed in. The speakers look professional, they are beautiful and will be the pride of any interior. Together with a tube amplifier and a turntable, but also the Human Audio Libretto HD http://highfidelity.pl/@main-1447&lang= CD player they will make a system others can only dream of. Specifications (according to the manufacturer) Housing: single chamber tube Sensor: Neodymium speaker broadband Acuhorn "Superleggera" Impedance: 8 Ω Sensitivity: 96 dB Weight: 10 kg / Dimensions (W x D x H): 200 x 290 x 850 mm

Published: 6. May 2013, No. 109 Audiomatus – a Polish manufacturer that to me, and I also suspect to most of you, is nearly synonymous with power amplifiers operating in Class D. It is the most legitimate association, as it's exactly such devices that have formed the basis of the manufacturer’s product lineup since its inception. It is worth noting that the company will soon celebrate its tenth anniversary. Audiomatus power amplifiers are based on ICEpower modules and their merit, worthy of the 21st century, is their small (especially when compared with Class A or even AB amplifiers) power consumption. Nevertheless, they offer high power output and can drive most of the speaker designs. And they have another advantage: against their competition in the form of tube or solid state amplifiers, Audiomatus products are inexpensive, not to say downright cheap. I will not comment on their sound, as it’s not the subject of this review, nor do I have much experience with Audiomatus amps. Besides, Class D amplifiers have their supporters and opponents, and I don’t intend to start discussion about the superiority of Christmas over Easter. Power amplifiers, whether stereo or mono, need to be driven one way or another. One option is to use a source with adjustable output level, and the other is to use a separate preamplifier. I will pass the first solution, because only high-end sources implement volume control of sufficient quality not to have a negative effect on the sound. Let me then discuss the second option, of course mainly because it is the preamplifier that is the subject of this review. As I recall, Audiomatus had at one time offered a passive preamp, but it does not seem to be offered any longer [Ed. Note: it was the PP03, see HERE]. From my experience with Class D amplifiers (rather negligible with Audiomatus products, mind you, and not much better with other designs), the best results are achieved by combining them with high-end vacuum tube preamps. Given that I received for review from Mr. Andrzej Matusiak, the owner and designer of Audiomatus, his newest product, the TP-01tube preamplifier, I can probably assume that I am not alone in this belief. This device is even more interesting in that there are not really too many Polish tube preamps on the market, and since one has just appeared, it just needs to be checked out. It’s also worth noting that on receiving the unit, and even during a large part of the review, I did not know its price, which is really a perfect solution, because despite the fact that I always try to be objective, the price is always at the back of my mind and may somehow influence the verdict. Here, there was no such risk – I asked about the price at the end of the review, during which I compared the TP-01 against my ModWright LS100, so most of my notes and remarks below were not in any way 'contaminated'. The Audiomatus TP-01 preamp has been designed to match stylistically power amplifiers from the same manufacturer. The front panel is a solid aluminum plate, silver colored, the rest of the enclosure is black; the whole unit makes a very solid impression. This is obviously not a device that can compete with the beauty of Accuphase designs, but its fit and finish are absolutely impossible to fault. On the front panel we will find four knobs. The two slightly larger, outer knobs are the input selector and volume control, respectively, and the two smaller are the main switch and the balance control. In the center there is the name / company logo, with a single LED underneath, indicating that the device is on. On the rear panel we have 5 line inputs (RCA) and two unbalanced outputs. All the RCA connectors are gold-plated, very solid and, importantly, placed at reasonable distances from each other, so even oversized RCA plugs should not cause a problem. In the version that will go on sale, the unit will be equipped with a remote control, but my review sample has not yet had it. The interior houses two 6N30Pi dual triodes, one per channel, with zero feedback – seemingly a simple design. Except that in the case of tube devices, simplicity is most desirable and generally gives better results than extensive, complex designs. Audiomatus in “High Fidelity” REVIEW: Audiomatus AM400 monoblock, see HERE REVIEW: Audiomatus AS250 power amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: Audiomatus AS500 power amplifier, see HERE AWARD OF THE YEAR 2010: Audiomatus AS250 power amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: Audiomatus PP03 + AM500 R – passive preamplifier + power amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: Audiomatus AM250 ver. R power amplifier, see HERE AWARD OF THE YEAR 2006: Audiomatus AM250 ver. R power amplifier, see HERE SOUND A selection of recordings used during auditions Al di Meola, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucia, Friday night in San Francisco, Philips 800 047-2, CD/FLAC. The Oscar Peterson Trio, We Get Request, Verve/Lasting Impression Music, LIM K2HD 032, CD/FLAC. Beethoven, Symphonie No. 9, Deutsche Grammophon, DG 445 503-2, CD/FLAC. Rodrigo y Gabriela, 11:11, EMI Music Poland, 5651702, CD/FLAC. Marcus Miller, A night in Monte Carlo, Concord Records, B004DURSBC, CD/FLAC. Eva Cassidy, Eva by heart, Blix Street 410047, CD/FLAC. John Lee Hooker, The best of friends, pointblank, 7243 8 46424 26 VPBCD49, CD/FLAC. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin, Atlantic/Warner Music, WPCR-11611, CD/FLAC. AC/DC, Back in black, SONY, B000089RV6, CD/FLAC. Hugh Masakela, Hope, Triloka, 7930185215-2, CD/FLAC. Pink Floyd, Animals, Capitol, B000024D4R, CD/FLAC Before starting the audition I had some concerns, whether the preamp wasn’t “tailor-made” to fit Audiomatus amplifiers and hence wouldn’t work well with an amplifier from another manufacturer. Just a few minutes of listening to it paired with a ModWright power amp was enough for me, however, to know that my fears were unfounded. In recent months, during which I have auditioned a lot of DACs, I developed a habit of writing down my first impression that often very accurately described the most important feature of a given device. Here, I also jotted down a note saying, "what a dynamite!" In the case of tube preamplifiers or amplifiers, dynamics is very rarely the first feature that draws my attention. Smoothness, fluidity, sweetness of midrange – that’s what I expect instead, and what I usually get. Unless, that is, we consider great amplifiers from Gerhard Hirt, say, the Crossfire III; then dynamite indeed blasts from the speakers. But that's a pretty isolated example, additionally concerning an integrated amplifier, and not just a single part of the amplification chain, in this case a preamp. Here, although I know the ModWright amp very well and I’m fully aware that dynamics is not its strongest suit, the Audiomatus preamp added an immediate ‘Wow!’ factor, for the KWA100SE had never before rocked out SO HARD! And it wasn’t even AC/DC that I started the audition with, but one of Marcus Miller’s albums, on which his bass turned into pure TNT. Excellent, strong, tight extension, downright liver-massaging at times and charged with heaps of energy, gave the impression of greater dynamics than in the case of the ModWright. The latter was admittedly a little weightier at the low end, but not quite as fast. With the Audiomatus it was not, however, sound on steroids, artificially inflated, but instead pure, raw energy that the bass guitar doesn’t lack, but its reproductions on home audio systems often does. Each pluck of the string was snappy, transient attack lightning fast, in turn either equally instantly suppressed or long-decaying. Great timing and rhythm complemented the set of features, which made me look slightly different at Marcus Miller’s music, who thus gained a new status of an "uber-dynamic string-plucker" :) Following up, I just had to listen to the Australian rock'n'rollers from AC/DC. Again, I was impressed by the dynamics and energy of this presentation. This is, of course, exactly what that music is like, always dynamic, with constant heaps of energy, which many much younger bands can envy those, after all, no longer youngest musicians. With my LS100, in my speakers there was no such expression, such momentum as that presented by the Audiomatus preamp. At the same time there was no trace of any excessive aggressiveness of presentation, any loss of control of the whole; none of these things. Dynamically – yes, energetically – very much so, clearly, lucidly – exceptionally, yet nil chaos, sharpening, and other negative manifestations of this device’s unique expressiveness. The TP-01 also did very well with older rock music – Floyd or Zeppelin. I would describe its sound as very clean, transparent, which worked perfectly with older recordings because they sounded a bit clearer and more vivid than with the LS100. The ModWright is rather focused on weight and body, hence it sound appears warm, especially in midrange. And this kind of modification affects our perception of sound in a particular way – it seems somewhat less resolved, less transparent. Is it really less resolved? No, it’s not, but our ears are easy to fool. Old rock recordings seem a bit darker than most of current productions, so when the TP-01 springs into action, with its spontaneity, transparency, it brightens them somewhat, in the most positive meaning of the word. This ‘brightening’ results in an apparent higher resolution, simply because it is easier to see all the details, nuances and subtleties. I noticed a similar effect on older jazz recordings, which were also slightly “lightened” by the Audiomatus, gaining freedom, vividness and, not so much higher but rather easier to notice, resolution. The picture was different with more modern audiophile recordings, where a little better saturation and weight in the midrange, offered by the ModWright, resulted in the TP-01 sounding slightly thinner, in comparison. It was not, however, the kind of thinning that might be pointed out as a drawback; it just didn’t do something equally well as (which I only learned later) its more than twice as expensive competitor. Also, comparing e.g. acoustic guitars’ recordings I had to give the nod to the ModWright that offered, above all, better, longer delays than the TP-01. Again, this does not mean that the latter messed it up – there were decays all right, only that I had the impression they were a tad short. The guitar body clearly marked its presence in the creation of sound, played its role, but it was slightly smaller than with my reference preamp. These are nuances, justified by the difference in price, but at this stage I was not yet aware of this pricing discrepancy, so I tried to catch any, even the slightest, difference in the sound. The Polish preamp also built the soundstage slightly differently. Firstly, it was a little further away, as if pushed slightly behind the speaker line. On the same recordings, especially live, I simply felt like I was sitting 2-3 rows away from the stage. This has its pros and cons. The advantage of a slightly deeper perspective in the case of every image, including music, lies in an easier grasp of the whole composition, even after giving it a quick glance, or a casual ear. The ModWright presents the same recordings a bit more "in your face", which makes the listener more focused on what happens in the foreground. With the Audiomatus the foreground of course plays an important, but not as predominant, role. Going back to our discussion of showing the soundstage from a little more remote perspective, it seems obvious that this entails certain consequences – first of all, some details seem to elude us. The point is not even that these details are gone, but rather that they are more difficult to pick up or not as obvious, as when they are shown closer to us. Something for something, as it happens in audio, and it is not a matter of a different class of sound, but rather of a different perspective on the same music and, ultimately, of the listener's preferences. The latter may in part result from the kind music one usually listens to, and in part from how one likes the music to be presented - up close, or rather from a certain perspective. The TP-01 may be a better choice for symphonic music because it makes it easier to "take in" a large ensemble, not to mention the above-average dynamics of the preamp, which can also be of service with large classical music. Unless one is a fan of studying each and every instrument separately, in which case, one may instead prefer the ModWright that shows everything a little closer, making it easier to get into the musical piece. While we are about it, although macro-dynamics is a plus of the Audiomatus, the LS100 has a slightly better micro-dynamics, offering just a bit more nuances, ‘plankton’, which sometimes determines the superiority of one performance over another, or of one release over another. I would prefer the ModWright for small ensembles, or vocal music, because it needs attention focused on the foreground; it is this part of the soundstage that needs to be presented most accurately, most tangibly, the rest being simply background. Both preamps were doing great with accurately placing individual sound sources on the soundstage and properly defining their size; the Audiomatus perhaps even having a slight edge with the latter. Both of them, as befits tube devices, also present the events on the soundstage in a vivid, and hence convincing, tangible way. This includes not only the already mentioned rendering of distance between the instruments, the depth of the soundstage, but also of the acoustic environment, reverb, etc. In these respects, the two preamps went head to head. Conclusion Looking cross-sectionally at these two devices (the reviewed unit and the reference unit), I would say that the Audiomatus offers a slightly more neutral tonally sound with a faster, more energetic, more springy bass, a slightly less saturated, but still very good, colorful midrange, and a slightly lighter, "fresher" and more "joyful" treble. It also offers brilliant dynamics, almost perfect "pace & rhythm", and the purity and clarity of sound that is rarely heard on tube devices. Moreover, the unit is very, very quiet – the thing about tubes is that they sometimes generate a little noise, or a gentle hum; in any case, something usually goes on, at least on high sensitivity speakers. Here, there was nothing but silence from the speakers, and even the unit itself did not "hum", although I’d heard transformers on lots of much more expensive devices. These may seem but trifles, but they prove that Mr. Matusiak attaches great importance to the smallest detail, praise him for it! Briefly, I can simply say that this is another (after the Rock) Polish product that surprised me very positively, although I should not actually be surprised. It has been known for some time that Polish manufactures are capable of making devices that, although a lot less expensive, can easily compete with the recognized global brands. The problem of Polish manufacturers lies in the attitude of Poles who prefer to buy a foreign brand product, because it will be easier to sell in the future. I can understand such a pragmatic approach, yet on the other hand this game is about the sound, after all, isn’t it? May I ask you then to please abandon any prejudices against Polish products, and not assume right away that you will be upgrading your system within a year or two, and please give a chance to products such as the TP-01 from Audiomatus? To be honest, if I were to decide today on a preamp to the ModWright KWA100SE, I would have a very hard nut to crack. The LS100 from the same manufacturer is, to be sure, objectively looking, slightly better sonically (and, functionally, its advantage is clear), but it’s only a tiny ‘slightly’, and the price difference is more than double! Looking from the other side, the Audiomatus does everything at least competently, while its dynamics, transparency, and speed compare favorably with products from an even higher shelf than my ModWright. For less than 5,000 zlotys, I do not see any competition for it, and pairing it with power amplifiers worth tens of thousands zlotys will not be any misalliance. It's simply a great product. DESIGN The TP-01 is a tube preamplifier from Audiomatus. The device is housed in an enclosure stylistically matching power amplifiers from the same manufacturer. Front panel is made of a 12 mm aluminum plate in silver color, and sports four aluminum knobs. The two outer, larger knobs function as the input selector (left) and the volume control (right). One of the two smaller center knobs is the main power switch, the other one is balance control. On the rear panel there is an IEC connector with an integrated fuse, two pairs of line-level outputs (RCA), and five pairs of analog unbalanced inputs (RCA). The very solid, gold-plated, Teflon insulated RCA connectors come from a well-known manufacturer, Vampire Wire. They are placed at reasonable distances from each other, so even large connector plugs won’t be a problem. The rest of the metal enclosure is painted black, and the whole sits on four rubber feet. The enclosure is rigid and makes a very solid impression. The design is fairly simple yet elegant in its simplicity, and the finish is at a very high level. Care was given to such details as a slightly higher than the rest front panel, or the black color of the screws located on the top cover and side panels, which makes them inconspicuous. The interior also makes a very good impression, because of the perfect order it displays. For example, cables are run along the walls and held in place with clips. A shaft extender links the potentiometer located at the rear to the front panel volume control knob – an easy but, I think, the best possible solution. In the signal path of the TP-01 preamplifier we find two 6N30Pi dual triodes, one per each channel. The gain stage employs zero negative feedback (no cathode resistors or capacitors in the circuit). Tube grids are polarized with a long life lithium cell. Anode voltage is stabilized via three-stage voltage controllers with the output impedance less than one milli-ohm (0.001 Ω) over the entire audio frequency range (20 Hz to 20 kHz), and noise floor around two microvolts. Such characteristics make the power supply practically inaudible, which usually cannot be said about many expensive tube devices. To reduce the output impedance, the two triodes in each tube are coupled in parallel. Tube operating conditions have been optimized for a long service life, which according to the manufacturer should be not less than 4,000 hours. The preamplifier voltage gain is 10 dB (approximately 3 x), and the minimum load impedance is 5 kΩ. The TP-01 will therefore work properly with power amplifiers with a sensitivity of 1 to 2V and the input impedance equal to or greater than 10 kΩ. Specification (according to the manufacturer) Frequency Response (CL = 100 pF, RL = 100 k) 2 Hz-230 kHz (+/- 0/-3 dB) | 3 Hz-170 kHz (+/- 0/-1 dB) Input Impedance: 22 kΩ Output impedance (Zs = 100 Ω): 700 Ω Dimensions (with handles, legs and sockets, W x H x D).: 440 x127 x 388 Weight: 10 kg

Published: 6. May 2013, No. 109 A product coming from Germany that bears in its name the letter "V" followed by a digit or a number, carries negative connotations in Poland. Perhaps even more sinister in the UK, because it was on London that most of the V-1 flying bombs and the V-2 rockets were dropped. The “V” in the name of these technological wonders, because they were such, comes from their full name, "Vergeltungswaffe" ("retaliatory weapons" in German). Or should we, Poles, see it differently, and be proud of the fact that it was us, the soldiers of the Armia Krajowa (“Home Army”), who managed to hand over to the British intelligence first the shattered remains of rockets, and then their plans? Or perhaps yet another way: maybe it’s high time to look at it as history and be proud of our times; remembering the past, but thinking about the future? After all, Germany is currently the most important Polish partner, both economically and politically (though it's almost the same thing these days) and our main support in the European Union; our contacts, relations, trade and cultural exchange have not been so good since, let’s think, Otto III and the Congress of Gniezno in the year 1000! Therefore, for my generation, at least for the lovers of music in its full form, i.e. not only as musical notation, but also its implementation (interpretation) and mechanical recording and playback, the letter “V” in the name of German amplifiers from Octave elicits only positive, even very positive connotations – those of reliability, quality and sound at the highest level. After all, it’s "V as Vollverstärker" or as "Vacuum". And we like that a lot. Andreas Hofmann, responsible for the technical design, finish and manufacturing of Octave products, built his first amplifier in 1975. In fact, the company history goes back to 1968, when Andreas’s father founded a factory dedicated to winding the transformers. And transformers are the basis of almost all audio amplifiers. This is, I think, one of the clues in determining the source of the company’s success – a well-made transformer is a genuine treasure, but if you can manufacture your own transformers, according to your own specifications, as pleased - you are at home. The reviewed integrated amplifier bears the number 110. Usually, each higher or lower number (depending on the manufacturer) denotes a more expensive and better model in the manufacturer’s hierarchy. Andreas followed that suit: the least expensive is the V40 SE amplifier, followed by the V70 SE, and topped off by the V80. The V110 should therefore be the best and most expensive. And yet it’s not the most expensive (I have my own thoughts whether it’s the best), being priced between the V70 and the V80 SE. The reason is that in case of Octave the number in the name is associated with output power into 4 Ω, not with the price. At least from now on. Previously, it was true that the more powerful the amplifier, the more expensive it had to be – the increased cost was due to, above all, a better power supply but also larger speaker transformers. Starting with the new amplifier that "conversion" is no longer applicable. The unit has been designed to work with a new type of vacuum tubes, the KT120 beam tetrodes - the latest miracle "child" of tube audio. All previous Octave integrateds also employed beam tetrodes, in the form of two 6550s per channel working in push-pull. This is not the first Andreas’s device with the KT120 in the lead role. He tested the tubes earlier, in the MRE 220 and RE 290 power amps. To drive them he used his long perfected circuit of a preamp and driver, based on the ECC83 in the input stage and two ECC81 as the phase inverter and driver stage. Tube amplifiers are usually associated with limited serviceable capabilities, difficult operation, problem with tubes and everything that we got used to expect of small manufacturers, for which the sound was most important, with the quality of service, user safety and product durability leaving much to be desired. The Octave, however, is a modern device and we find in it almost everything that a twenty-first century amplifier should have, regardless of the employed technology. First of all, it’s a "green" product. It uses a system called EcoMod, switching to standby mode after nine minutes without any signal detected at the inputs. In this mode the amplifier consumes only 20 watts of power and is ready for playback almost instantaneously: after detecting an input signal it activates an electronic "soft start" mode, extending the life of tubes and capacitors. You have to wait a while, but after about 30 seconds you can fire off the music. In case you do not like such "tricks", you can switch EcoMod off. The V110 is equipped with five line inputs, including one balanced XLR (although the amplifier has an unbalanced design) and main-in directly to the power amplifier as well as pre-out. The latter two are dedicated to home theater users - the unit can be used as a power amplifier, and can drive two active subwoofers. But you can also use an external preamp or a variable output player with and/or use bi-amping. Tubes are a delicate matter – both literally and figuratively – and that’s why their protection is extremely important for Andreas. The V110 is equipped with a self-regulating monitoring and protection system to keep the unit safe against components’ aging (e.g. tubes), and user errors. For it to work, however, the user needs to carry out the initial calibration of tubes, adjusting their idle current. Three colored LEDs are used to indicate whether the bias current is too low (yellow), just right (green), or too high (red). It is of course up to the user to set a higher or lower bias setting, the sound will be different, but tube service life may be significantly shortened. Nor will we get the kind of sound that the designer intended for the amplifier. We have his blessing, however, for output tube rolling. There is a switch on the rear panel to let us use KT88, KT90, KT100, 6550, and even EL34, KT77, and 6CA7. Plenty to play with. For the review the stock setup was used, with the KT120s in the output stage. The amplifier can also be equipped with an optional phono preamp, plugged into to the main circuit board. Power supply can also be upgraded – Mr. Hofmann offers optional power supplies (actually, banks of capacitors), named Black Box and Super Black Box. During the review I had a look at the latter. The V110 comes with a solid remote control featuring two buttons: louder-quieter. SOUND A selection of recordings used during auditions MJ Audio Technical Disc vol.6, Seibundo Shinkosha Publishing, MJCD-1005, CD (2013). Charlie Haden, The Private Collection, The Naim Label, naimcd108, 2 x CD (2007). Diary of Dreams, The Anatomy of Silence, Accession Records, A 132, CD (2012). Ella Fitzgerald, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book, Verve/PolyGram, “Verve Master Edition”, 537 257-2, 2 x CD (1997). Frank Sinatra, Nice’N’Easy, Capitol/Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, UDCD 790, gold-CD (1960/2002) Frank Sinatra, Sinatra Sings Gershwin, Columbia/Legacy/Sony Music Entertainment, 507878 2, CD (2003). Jean Michel Jarre, Essentials & Rarities, Disques Dreyfus/Sony Music, 62872, 2 x CD (2011). Kamp!, Kamp!, Brennessel, BRN016, CD (2013). Marc Copland & John Abercombie, Speak To Me, Pirouet Records, PIT3058, CD (2011). Michael Jackson, Thriller. 25th Anniversary Edition, Epic/Sony Music Japan, EICP-963-4, CD+DVD (1982/2008). Michael Rother, Fernwärme, Random Records/Belle, 091546, SHM-CD (1982/2009). Niemen, Katharsis, Muza Polskie Nagrania, PRCD 339, “Niemen od początku, nr 9”, CD (1976/2003). Pat Metheny Group, Offramp, ECM/Universal Music K.K., UCCE-9144, SHM-CD (1982/2008). Radiohead, The King of Limbs, Ticker Tape Ltd., TICK-001CDJ, Blu-spec CD (2011). Richard Strauss, Also Sprach Zarathustra, wyk. Los Angeles Philharmonic, dyr. Zubin Metha, Decca/Lasting Impression Music, LIM K2HD 035, “K2HD Mastering”, CD (1968/2008). Simon & Garfunkel, Bookends, Columbia/Sony Music Japan, SICP-1484, CD (1968/2007). The Oscar Peterson Trio, We Get Request, Verve/Lasting Impression Music, LIM K2HD 032 UDC, “Direct From Master Disc. Master Edition”, gold CD-R (1964/2009). JJapanese editions of CDs and SACDs are available from Wouldn’t you like to have a tube amp with a modern twist? You've been looking for a unit that would sound rather warm without being muddy and having a limited top? You are willing to accept some limitations that go with it? If you are, this review is just right for you. Then, if you are looking for something different, if precision and bass control is your top priority, let me invite you to read other reviews. For this amp is not for everyone. Yes, it is extremely versatile. But no, it will not sound with any speaker the way it should, despite being seemingly powerful enough to easily drive most of the speaker designs on the market, at least in not too large rooms. It is simply a very interesting amplifier. And like any interesting phenomenon it cannot be locked up in a cage of just a few words, and like most mature product it has many "faces", each of which may smile at us. It is up to us, if we smile back. Sonically, the unit is surprising in its careful and proper selection of all elements – a slight shift in either direction would result in something much less interesting. This way, we get a tasty sound, very versatile, that is not limited to, e.g., heavier rock music or large orchestral ensembles. Everything has its place, is carefully thought through and selected – the latter obviously being the key to understanding what this is all about. I will not pretend to KNOW exactly what was going on in Hoffman's mind when he was designing, tuning, fine-tuning, and adjusting the V110. For this review, however, to be meaningful, I must at least try to make some assumptions. Listening to, one after another, such albums as Nice'N'Easy by Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson’s Thriller. 25th Anniversary and The Art of Silence by Diary of Dreams, it is not difficult to notice the common elements of that sound. First of all, a great color. It is also a unique combination of selectivity and resolution, neither of them outstanding on their own. And finally, that something extra, difficult to pinpoint or isolate, that manifests in taste, elegance, and maturity of sound. Let me being my analysis by recalling an album that, at first glance, is not particularly suitable for that, at least from the purist’s point of view, according to which the reference point is unamplified (“unplugged”) live music – Essentials & Rarities by Jean Michel Jarre. The subject of taking the live music as the most important reference point and its alleged epistemic value has been aptly covered in the recent editorial for "Stereophile" (A reviewing Life, "Stereophile", March 2013, see HERE) by its chief editor, John Atkinson, so I will not repeat it here. Let me just say that elevating the live musical event to the status of the only reference point is sheer nonsense and let me point you to my March editorial Just Music. I have chosen Jarre’s album, or actually the disc no. 2, Rarities, due to several reasons. First of all, it’s great music. I've been a Jarre’s fan from the time of his Oxygene and newer albums, yet what he did before not only is any less than a hit, but it is also more interesting formally. Secondly, the recording quality is amazing, as if it were recorded today, on great studio equipment, not semi-home-made, with the Revox B77 reel to reel in the lead role. Or maybe that's exactly why it sounds like that? Because it is pure analog, without any manipulation in the digital domain, any additional effects, software plug-ins or other wonders, except remastering and its final release form - Compact Disc? In any case, these are unique recordings. And Octave perfectly captured their depth and fleshiness. There is something about analog synthesizers that the modern digital instruments fail to emulate, and which comes down to the two above elements. For two nights before I received a review sample of the V110 I had been listening to Jarre evening on headphones - both on my classic setup, with the modified Leben CS300 X and the Sennheiser HD800, and on an absolute surprise: a tiny, portable, tube (!), battery powered Synergy Hi-Fi Continental amp and the HiFiMAN HE-300 headphones. It is really hard to transfer some things audible on high-end headphones over to speakers. The hardest to convey is the tangibility of sound and its immediacy. The Octave had no problems with either of them. Low sounds had saturation and definition, and were shown as the basis of the sound, almost physically pushing, for it wasn’t hitting, the cones of the Harbeth M40.1. It's something that usually gets lost for the sake of precision and ultra-transparency, and which on good headphones, coping well with low frequencies, is so enchanting. And which, let’s add, I miss so much on electrostatic headphones. That sheer "mass", not just its suggestion, something big, noticeable, which is transformed into the air vibration in the listening room, filling it with no holes, without trying to draw attention to something else. OPTIONS .......................................................................................... Super Black Box | wejścia XLR I listened to a variety of albums on the Andreas’s amplifier. All presented an equal, high level. Yet over and over again I returned to certain discs, to some specific instruments, ensembles, unable to get enough of them. The number one for me was electronic music. The older, the better, but generally electronic. Jarre, Niemen (in addition to Catharsis also his brilliant Ideas fixe), Skrzek, Michael Rother on Fernwärme, Amon Düül II - these recordings benefited most from the unique combination of saturated color, strong bass and depth. But also recordings by Pat Metheny, Marc Copland, Charlie Hayden, even Diary of a Dream on their acoustic album Art of Silence with greatly shown vocals, all that caused my excitement again and again. Rhythmic, motoric pop and rock, like the earlier mentioned Jackson, but also George Michael, Kamp!, Radiohead - these albums got something extra behind the notes, so they were not flat or boring. If, however, a large portion of our music library consists of Led Zeppelin, Depeche Mode, or Porcupine Tree, we may need to think in advance about exploring something else or – in case we came to like the character of the sound – about upgrading the amplifier with the Super Black Box (SBB - like the Polish super-group - just a coincidence) outboard power supply. Its addition brings several changes that pull the V110 forward, quite noticeably, in several areas, however leaving its general sonic character unchanged, i.e. not affecting it enough to speak of a significant correction. The first benefit, which I think we all expect from an outboard power supply, is a better bass control. Yes, that's true. Mid-bass on this amplifier is slightly emphasized and the double bass, especially playing the lowest string, may sustain longer than it should (somewhere in the range of 40-60 Hz). To be honest, it did not particularly bother me, but when I heard it again with the power supply added, I appreciated what the SBB was doing. The bass is better controlled, more dynamic and, above all, better differentiated. And it was the differentiation, both of color and of the planes on soundstage, that surprised me the most in this case. A better control of bass, as I said, was something I was expecting; it was clear to me. What was going on in the treble department was something extra that we get “with the package”. The SBB showed cleaner treble, yet without hardening it, without increasing selectivity to excess. Resolution seemed to remain at the same level, but sound definition was clearly better. The amplifier sounds charming even without an external power supply. Adding it, however, makes it even more interesting. Music planes are portrayed better, in that we have a clearer "closer" or "further away"; soundstage is bigger, more expansive. Overall, the sound has better definition. In other words, we get a better amp without changing its character. And we can play albums even more varied stylistically - all in equally enjoyable, satisfying way. The other available option, connecting the CD player via balanced input, did not really send shivers down my spine. It seems to me that the sound served via XLRs is slightly less saturated, does not have such nice, strong bass, and generally there less musical. The differences are not large and will depend on the type of player output (tubes in my case), but I would treat the XLR input as something extra, another functional bonus. It’s similar with the way the amplifier shows high frequencies. Both the bottom end that I already described, and the treble in tube amps are traditionally associated with softening and warming, as well as with low resolution; thinking of a tube amp we primarily think of gentle, warm midrange, in a sense "sacrificing" the rest, a priori, for the sake of something more important. The Andreas’s amplifier actually is actually a lot like that – both edges of the frequency band are warmed and do not seem particularly selective. It's just that there is something more, the amp does not stop with "I don’t give a ...", but pushes further, dragging all that baggage, yet at the same time imbuing it with new meanings. In the end, we end up somewhere that each of these elements can still be identified, but where the whole is more important than the individual parts. Treble is therefore rather warm in the reviewed amplifier. And does not seem selective at first glance. That’s a mistaken perception. I have the impression that the amp does not show something that usually irritates us in the recordings, something that often suggests the presence of high frequencies, without fully realizing that presence. Amplifiers often pretend to play the treble, while they actually only sketch it; convey attack without a real sound. Not so with the Octave. Hence, its sound seems dark. However, when strong cymbal crashes come in, as on the track Epitapium from Niemen’s album Catharsis, they are really strong, present and immediate. We do not ponder if they are this or that, because they create a perfect whole with the recording and are its integral part. When, in turn, there is more of low end in the sound, when the cymbals temporarily disappear, again, we have a sense of a deep blackness, smoothness and lack of treble. It’s not by chance that I refer to an album with electronic music, I know it very well, both from its digital edition, as well as from the original vinyl, and it is rare for an audio product to be able to show its complexity, despite the limited instrumentation. The Octave perfectly conveyed the volume of sound and the richness of treble, built on a solid, mature bass. The cymbals were meaty, had a strong support. It was not a point in space, perhaps even precise yet without "body", but rather something real, "visceral". Dynamics was very interesting, too. Again, the first impression is misleading. The sound seems rather calm. The reason is that nothing speeds up, there is no motoric drive; it is not the kind of amplifier like the Soulution, or even D'Agostino, although it is the latter that the Octave is closer to. With the V110 the pulse is more hidden in the song structure, resulting from changes in the music rather than being imposed from the outside. Although it might seem that the effect should be similar, it is not - it's a kind of hysteresis, where the start and end points are common, but the space between them, while maintaining a similar shape, has at a given time a different value. At any rate, pulse, rhythm, its timing is great, but they are the "face" of the sound. That is, I believe, tangibility. This way I go back to what I said in my analysis of bass and treble. The amplifier makes it possible to bring over a different dimension, a different acoustics to our room. What is "ours" temporarily disappears, and there appears something created - dense, deep, but clearly different from the transparent, open "here and now". Instruments, performers are not thrown onto us, we do not "see" them between the speakers. That sound, therefore, will never compete for resolution, selectivity, openness against, say, the Accuphase E-260, reviewed in “High Fidelity” last month. Actually, it seems to me that it doesn’t even try. It's an absolutely original perspective on the material recorded by someone, on the captured emotions, and magically – for how else to call it, to explain the emotions evoked in us by a mechanically recorded signal? – brought over by the V110 to us, home. The sound is a bit sticky, but in a good sense, that is it has a consistency - both the instruments and that which joins them. This is a mature, deep sound; not for everyone. Conclusion This sound is not for everyone. This amp is not for everyone. I know this is not the best way to recommend the device. I would, however, like to be honest with you and save you disappointment. Audio is not about foisting the same products on everybody; audio is the art of choosing. The V110 will not appeal to those looking for speed and transparency, with a pointy, well-defined bass. Or precise, clearly planned out soundstage – they will not find that in the Octave amplifier. Here the emphasis is on continuity, maturity, on integrating resolution and selectivity. Hooking up the outboard power supply improves most aspects, but does not change the character of the sound. I don’t know how Andreas Hoffman does it, but – in my opinion – he is one of the few designers who "mastered" the KT120 tubes in an exceptional way. I know a lot of other amplifiers based on them. Some, like the Leben CS-1000P or the Audio Research REF 75, are excellent and will be a perfect complement to many audio systems. The V110, however, is not only an integrated, which frees us from having to buy an external preamp, but successfully demonstrates to us what can be done with the high output power of the KT120 without exposing its weaknesses. Earlier, only the Jadis I-35 was able to do something like that. The owner of Octave combined the stereotypical sound of tubes, such as warmth, softness, vividness, with a modern understanding of these amplifying components. I mean great definition, continuity and coherence. This is a strong, versatile, functional amplifier that can be upgraded with an outboard power supply and an optional phono board. Fans of other types of tubes from the KT family, and even the EL34, will have fun with tube rolling – the unit offers such possibility. You can also connect your player with variable output to the V110’s input labeled “Front Ch.”, included as a gift for the owners of home theater. For me it worked best as an integrated amp, but your mileage may vary. In any case, we have plenty of options. What is most important, however, will happen when listening to the first two or three albums, with the stock tubes, no outboard power supply, via the RCA input - it will be sheer magic. TESTING METHODOLOGY The testing of the V110 had a character of an A / B comparison, with the A and B known. The amplifier was originally equipped with rubber feet, so it begged using some high-quality rubber anti-vibration components. I have recently got a few sets of Franc Audio Accessories Ceramic Disc, see HERE anti-vibration feet, whose design with a ceramic ball supporting metal components, similar to what Finite Elemente offer in their products, that work great. The amplifier thus sat on three Ceramic Disc feet - two in the back (where it is heavier) and one in the front. The feet, in turn, were placed on the Acoustic Revive RAF-48H pneumatic anti-vibration platform – which is another ingenious invention, this time coming from Japan (see HERE). The amplifier was powered via the Harmonix X-DC350M2R-Improved Version power cord http://www.highfidelity.pl/ @ main-1287 & lang = en . Typically, to connect the amplifiers to the reference CD player I use Acrolink Mexcel 7N-DA6300 interconnect, RCA version. In this case, however, I wanted to also try out the XLR input, and I didn’t have such version from Acrolink. For both connections, via RCA and XLR, I therefore used Acoustic Revive RCA-1.0PA/XLR-1.0PA II cables. I also used speaker cable from the same manufacturer, the SPC-PA. The audition was conducted with the player connected via RCA input and no external power supply. After the main audition I checked how it sounded with the Super Black Box power supply. DESIGN Every manufacturer aims to develop its own, easily recognizable style. If it manufactures functional objects, it will concern external design, typography, and the logo. In case of tube amps, however, it is a difficult task. Their appearance has been greatly influenced, on the one hand, by amplifier designs from McIntosh and QUAD (currently mostly abandoned, perhaps except Japan – see U-Bros amplifiers), on the other, by Audio Research, resembling solid state amplifiers, and on the third, currently most frequent (with exposed tubes on deck and encased transformers in the back), by an army of manufacturers who turned disadvantages into advantages. Octave amplifiers belong to the latter group. Looking from the back, we first see a large enclosure covering the power and speaker transformers. The transformers are mounted on the top of the printed circuit board and are isolated from other electronic components. Since they are close to the rear panel, the connections to the speaker output terminals are very short. The output tubes are placed next, separated by an aluminum shielding plate (the whole housing is made of aluminum, a non-magnetic material, and hence much better than steel). Such design eliminates the need for long connections between the tubes and the output transformers. Small tubes mounted in one row at the front, including the input ECC83 dual triode, here in the form of the NOS Sovtek “long anode” 12AX7LPS, and two ECC81s from Electro-Harmonix, one per channel, as drivers phase inverters. Typically, small input tubes are exposed on deck, just like output tubes, here, however, they are hidden in the housing. That’s good, as input tubes are particularly susceptible to interference, and that way they are shielded. Finally, the front panel. While usually very low, here it is comparatively high, due to the fact that the input tubes are hidden. The front panel sports two large aluminum knobs – an input selector and a volume control. The inputs are indicated by LEDs (blue in the silver finish version), mounted behind a mid-sized transparent plate. They are soldered onto the circuit board housing other electronics, visible through the window. It looks really interesting. Stylistically very similar, although going even further, is a design from another German manufacturer, ASR (see the review of the Emitter II amp HERE). The display could do, however, with some added lines, dashes, or something like that, as it’s not exactly visible which input is selected. The more so that the knob has two more positions, indicated by LEDs elsewhere on the display. One selects the power tubes bias setting mode (yellow, green and red LEDs), and the other activates the main-in "Front Ch." input, bypassing the input tubes and the potentiometer. The volume knob setting is not too visible, either; an alphanumeric display might be a solution. The power switch is located on the side panel. On the rear, first of all you can see high quality, very convenient speaker terminals (optimized for 4 Ω load), exactly the same as used in their speakers and electronics by Berlin based Burmester. Input connectors are lined up in one row, except for Aux 2, which can be changed by adding an optional board into an MC or MM phono input. Next to an IEC mains socket we can see a very solid, 3-pin, gold-plated, screw-on connector for the Black Box or the Super Black Box outboard power supply. To the far left side we find a small switch activating the EcoMod mode. Specification (according to the manufacturer) Output Power: 2 x 110 W (4 Ω) Frequency Response: 5 Hz - 70 kHz (10 W; -0/-2 dB) Total harmonic distortion (THD): 0.1% (10 W / 4 Ω) S/N Ratio: -110 dB / 90 W Input Sensitivity 220 mV Minimum speaker impedance: 2 Ω Connections Inputs: 5 x line RCA, 1 x XLR; Main-In to the power amplifier Outputs: 1 x Tape, Pre-Out from the preamplifier Power consumption: 160 W (idle); 500 W (full power) Weight: 23 kg Distribution in Poland Eter Audio 30-646 Kraków | ul. Malborska 24 | Polska tel./fax: 12 655 75 43 e-mail: info@eteraudio.pl www.eteraudio.pl

Published: 6. May 2013, No. 109 From a recording studio to a desktop audio system – that's a short story of Amphion Ion+ speakers. It might seem that these are two different worlds, right? But lets think about it again – what really is a modern recording studio? – that's a computer based system with advanced editing tools and multi-track recording capability. And music is recorded on a hard drive, not tape anymore! Nowadays there almost none recording studios using other techniques. Ion+, driven with amplifier integrated/DAC NuForce DDA-100, regardless if used in recording/mastering studio, or in a desktop audio system, are always the same things: near-field monitors. One more thing contributed to the creation of these speakers. Martin Kantola, the owner of Nordic Audio Labs, organizes and runs seminars on microphones he builds. He organizes these in Bruce Swedien's studio who is one of the most famous sound engineers, winner of 5 Grammy Awards for sound, a man who worked on such recordings like a famous Michael Jackson's Thriller. Mr Swedien is also a great fan of Kantola's microphones. Integral part of above mentioned seminars are listening sessions of material picked up by different microphones. To do that Martin had to prepare a dedicated system that could play sound samples via speakers, and the sound was picked up by microphones. In this way participants had their chance to compare different microphones. The key issue in this system were, obviously, speakers. They needed rather small designs but offering perfect phase coherence and minimal distortions – simply some measurement monitors. Ion+ was created to fulfill these requirements and Bruce Swedien himself helped to tune them properly. Now it is his favorite near field monitor. It's a two-way design with bass-reflex, with titanium tweeter and aluminum mid- lowrange driver. Combining Amphion speakers with NuForce electronics is no coincident. A cooperation between these two companies started in 2011, when, during High End 2011 fair, they combined they efforts and presented a system together. DDA-100 is one of the newest additions to NuForce range – it's an integrated amplifier with build-in D/A converter. The full name is Direct-Digital Integrated Amplifier, and it is in fact a digital amplifier operating in class D with digital inputs, including also USB. It is small, but offers quite plenty of power, and it looks really good. We decided to test a system that includes this amplifier and speakers together. Amphion in High Fidelity ANNUAL AWARD 2012: Amphion KRYPTON³, see HERE TEST: Amphion KRYPTON³, see HERE TEST: Amphion ARGON 1, see HERE COVERAGE: Finlandia - w krainie tysięcy jezior i dobrego dźwięku, see HERE SOUND Recordings used during test (a selection) Audio Accesory - T-TOC Records High Quality Data Master Comparison, TDVD-0002, DVD-R (2011), ripy 16/44,1, 24/96, 24/192 FLAC. MJ Audio Technical Disc vol.6, Seibundo Shinkosha Publishing, MJCD-1005, CD (2013). Random Trip, Nowe Nagrania, 005, CD+WAV 24/44,1 (2012); review HERE . SATRI Reference Recordings Vol. 1, Bakoon Products, FLAC 24/96. SATRI Reference Recordings Vol. 2, Bakoon Products, FLAC 24/192. T-TOC Data Collection Vol. 1, T-TOC Records, DATA-0001, 24/96+24/192, WAV, ripy z DVD-R. Al Di Meola, Flesh on Flesh, Telarc, 24/96, źródło: HDTracks, FLAC. Bottleneck John, All Around Man, Opus3, CD 23001, SACD/CD (2013); review HERE . Charlie Haden & Antonio Forcione, Heartplay, Naim Label, 24/96 FLAC. Claudio Monteverdi, L’Orfeo, Ensemble La Venexiana, dyr. Claudio Cavina, Glossa, GCD 920913, 2 x CD (2007). Depeche Mode, Heaven, Columbia, 47537, SP CD (2013); review HERE . Diary of Dreams, The Anatomy of Silence, Accession Records, A 132, CD (2012). Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong, Ella and Louis, Verve/Lasting Impression Music, LIM UHD 045, UltraHD CD (2010). Frank Sinatra & Count Basie, Might As Well Be Swing, Universal Music Japan, UICY-94601, "Sinatra Society of Japan, No. 17", SHM-CD (1964/2010). Frank Sinatra, Nice’N’Easy, Capitol/Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, UDCD 790, gold-CD (1960/2002) Jean Michel Jarre, Essentials & Rarities, Disques Dreyfus/Sony Music, 62872, 2 x CD (2011). Kamp!, Kamp!, Brennessel, BRN016, CD (2013); review HERE . Michael Jackson, Thriller. 25th Anniversary Edition, Epic/Sony Music Japan, EICP-963-4, CD+DVD (1982/2008). Michael Rother, Fernwärme, Random Records/Belle, 091546, SHM-CD (1982/2009). Miles Davis, Tutu, Warner Brothers Records, FLAC 24/96. Pat Metheny Group, Offramp, ECM/Universal Music [Japan], UCCU-9543, gold-CD (1982/2004). Sonny Rollins, Tenor Madness, WAV 24/96, HDTracks. Tori Amos, Boys For Pele, EastWest, 80696, CD (1996). Japanese CD and SACD editions are available at The method called „deconstruction” has lost its value recently, even worse – the misuse of it often lead to results that made almost no sense at all. And that is such a shame, as this is one of the most interesting methods of texts analysis. Not the only one, not even the conclusive one, but simply interesting and helpful in many cases. It is not easy to define „deconstruction” - in simple words what one needs to do is to take some text (or concept), take a really close look at it, and than try to lay it out, to study and redefine each of its components. When one arrives at a collection of small definitions of all components, one has to put it all back together. After such a process one arrives at exactly the same text (or concept), but now bearing different meaning, usually a deeper one, and open to other, often equivalent interpretations. This helps one to form more than just one simple, one-dimensional opinion, or understanding of particular text (or concept). I need this method for one purpose only: to redefine, re-think the sentence written by Srajan Ebaen. It reads: „Phenomenal – show-me-the-money – high-end” and you can find it on Amphion's webpage, or the Ion+ subpage to be exact. This means that this sentence is very important for the manufacturer (you can read the 6moons review of Ion+ HERE). Claudio Cavina is often called „the new Orpheus”, which is a form of accolade for his achievements in the field of presenting the original creations of Monteverdi. The way of singing „historically conscious”, i.e. without vibrato, period instruments, period ensemble and staging – all these elements were honed by Italian conductor and musician. The third concert of Misteria Paschalia 2013 festival, a concert from Claudio Monteverdi's L’Orfeo, performed by Ensemble La Venexiana conducted by Claudio Cavina was a perfect example, a proof that the above mentioned claim was absolutely true. Beautifully conducted, wonderfully sang and played, not too serious, but with proper drama, and not characterized by empty virtuosity – I'm really glad I could attend this performance and experience it. The concert took place on Wednesday evening and it ended at around 22.30. It was too late to do what I had been planning the whole week – to compare live music with the recording. But the next day, at 8 A.M. I was already in front of Amphion speakers, driven by DDA-100 NuForce and I was listening to exactly the same piece of music, performed by the same ensemble – Ensemble La Venexiana, conducted by the same man – Claudio Cavina. Glossa Music double album was recorded in 2006 in San Carlo church in Modena. The Cracow performance was slightly different – the set of instruments differed a bit and their set up too. But it was performed under the same „iron-hand” conductor, in exactly the same way, reflecting the same approach, the same spirit of performance. After a short time I concluded that these were not speakers that could really deliver a true volume of instruments, voices, nor the ambiance of a huge space this performance was recorded in. Bass didn't go too deep – almost nothing was happening below 100 Hz. This could be improved by moving speakers closer against the back wall, but in that case a deeper bass came with the cost – speed and precision of sound degraded, and also the coherence of the soundstage. Long story short - Ion+ driven by DDA-100 (but also by my reference stereo system) had their obvious limitations. They were not capable of recreating a live performance, nor even to interpret it truthfully. It was surely not a „high-end” sound, at least not in a meaning that, as I assumed, a manufacturer described it. So let's forget this „high-end” tag that appears each time you see Ion+. Let try to create our own definition, description for this system with Amphion speakers and NuForce amplifier being the heart of this setup. The first word that comes to mind to describe it is: amazing. The sound delivered by it has some attributes, that are hardly found in any other speakers regardless the price! The key feature of this sound is its incredible resolution. It is an often underestimated element of a performance, often mixed up with transparency and high level of details, while in fact it is a capability of presenting as many „harmonious” sounds over as short time as possible. It is about 'how many sounds are there in the sound”. The reviewed system is capable of presenting so many things in each recording that other speakers sound like broken in comparison. And I'm not comparing Ion+ to other speakers from the same price level, as that would be totally unfair, but to those costing 10.000 or even 100.000 PLN. I was wondering, trying to figure out what was so special about this sound that gave me goosebumps on my back when listening to the golden edition of Pat Metheny Group's Offramp, what mesmerized me so much when I was listening to the Bottleneck John's All Around Man - newest addition to Opus3 portfolio? What made me experience in such a special way Tori Amos from Boys For Pele? Well, I could use some very nice, 'round' sentence like for example: „music is created by details combined together in a greater harmony and pace, including pauses; Amphion speakers driven by NuForce amplifier, although cheaper (even together) that any of power cords in my own system, delivered all those details in a wonderfully orderly, harmonized way”. And that would be OK. But I'd rather elaborate on that. I have no idea how Bruce Swedien and Finish engineers did it – you can't achieve such a great phase coherence by accident. Not even many years of experience in designing and building speakers will guaranty such achievement. It takes even more, something special in ones ears and minds to find a golden mean. That is also why I used Harpia Acoustics Marcus speakers for such a long time (see HERE) – the drivers, crossover and they way they were assembled together delivered great time coherence. Surprisingly the tiny Ion+ with surprisingly inexpensive DDP-100 amplifier delivered even better performance. Phase coherence of both, amplifier, that has been optimized towards that goal, and of speakers, that were designed first of all to achieve that goal, doesn't 'make' a good sound by itself. In this particular case though it helps to better understand music. Everything gets to our ears at the same time, with all the sounds joined by the whole network of connections, interactions that all together create so much more than just a simple set of sounds, as they build up MUSIC. And it is done in a different way that we are used to as the fantastic resolution helps to discover not just details and nuances, but the internal connections and interactions between single sounds, even the tiniest ones. It is why the sound is so rich and harmonics are so natural, so important part of basic sound. They build something „under” the sound, something that creates impression that it is something more than just reproduction, something real, something natural. So when I listened to the trumpets opening L’Orfeo, for a moment I thought I heard a live sound. No, there was no real bottom end, the spacing wasn't realistic either, there was not true 'drama' I heard a day before in Cracow Philharmonic, but still these instruments sounded... credible. The Cracow staging differed from the recorded, Italian one, among other things, by placing trumpets (at the beginning) on the balcony, on the right side of the stage. They started suddenly, without warning, just ripping everybody out of their comfort zones, attracting everybody's attention to the beginning of the L’Orfeo. While listening to the 2006 recording via Amphion/NuForce system I was similarly startled. No, it wasn't about exact copy of live performance, but rather about the sound that jumped over analysis level right to emotional level. After a moment I realized what was missing, I asked where was the depth of the sound, why the dynamics was limited and so on, but all that came after a while, after the first incredible impression, when in fact I was listening already to the next part, which again stroke me with emotions first and only after the first 'shock' allowed me to analyze sound and find differences comparing to live performance, and so on, and so on, until the end of the listening session. The question is: what is high end. Isn't it just THAT? The ability to target listener's emotions first of all, to create a spectacle that allows you to forget any limitations that sound/system might have? Partially, yes. But only partially. Because if that's how we defined high-end it would mean that it is totally depend on the listener, on how experienced and how sensible he is. Probably most of us remember our 'first time' with high quality audio system. That is usually something unforgettable, something we remember as knocking on heavens door or even being in audiophile's heaven. But was this first experience really delivered by some super-high-end system? In most cases – no. Usually it's not really some very expensive, top-high-end system, but rather something relatively inexpensive but really nicely put together. I'd go even further and say that most of those systems had nothing to do with true high-end. High-end must interact with our emotions, that's true, but it has to offer also objectively great performance. Only when these two elements combine together there is a true high-end sound without any 'buts'. When I looked at the reviewed system using that definition I could hardly call it a high-end one. Especially that it showed its limitations from the very beginning. Wait a moment: the „objectively great performance” is also hard to quantify, there is no particular moment/level when it starts. It depends on so many factors. One of them, maybe even the key one, being intended use of particular product. How could you compare high-end headphones with high-end loudspeakers? Both are supposed to do exactly the same job, right? But nobody would ever try to compare them directly, to make them compete. The reviewed system also has its 'intended use': it's a desktop systems for near-field listening, and that means really 'near', like listener sitting 50-60 cm from speakers. These are genuine near-field monitors. Period. And you have to sit really close to them to use their full potential. Change that to the distance of, say, 1,5 m and you loose already a lot, especially in terms of richness and crispness of the sound. While auditioning them, if you have a chance, you could do a little experiment – move yourself very close to the speakers, like 20-30 cm. The closer you get the more focused sound will be, the more „all-in-place” presentation you get. And all it happening while driving Ion+ with quite inexpensive NuForce amplifier, or amplifier/DAC to be exact! For just less than 2.000 PLN you're buying an amplifier with very good resolution and selectivity, and with proper tonality. Surely it has its limitations – it performs best if not pushed to its limits, which in this case means in near-field listening, and its bass is neither very powerful nor particularly rich. But in the system like this one it will perform to its best and most likely you will not even notice that there is something it can't actually do. Summary If you just read what Srajan wrote about Ion+, which was: „phenomenal – show-me-the-money – high-end” and that, without proper analysis, without some sort of preparation you'd go for an audition you could start to wonder what the hell was wrong with that guy. As this sentence taken out of context, and not thoroughly processed is simply not true. There is no high-end without proper imaging, without presentation of proper proportions and relations between instruments, and without delivering proper volume of each instrument. There is no high-end without full range sound – if you can't, for example, hear really well a double bass, or a lower notes of a piano. But for me the audition of Amphion Ion+ speakers and a perfect amplification for them, the NuForce DDA-100, was an interesting and informative experience. If you use this system the way it was intended to, sitting close to the speakers and playing them not too loud, you should be able to fully appreciate it and to say afterwords that it is a true high-end system. I've never heard any system, regardless the price, that would be so good for near-field listening. There was one – with the active Ancient Audio Studio Oslo speakers that delivered somehow similar experience, with even better coherence and bit more extension in the bass, but on the other hand it wasn't so transparent as this one, and it introduced bit more of its own signature to the sound. The resolution of an Amphion/NuForce system is simply amazing and unrivaled. And when you sit close to the speakers you stop noticing their limitations like not so good bass extension, for example. A bass itself doesn't really matter that much, it's the midrange that carries most music. Although truth to be said, if you want a proper midrange it has to be 'backed up' by at least some lower end. Amphion speakers can't offer much in lower area but their sound is so rich with upper harmonics that you don't really notice that something is missing at the bottom. For example when I listened to the piece opening Tori Amos Horses I could perfectly hear piano's pedals working – that is something that usually gets lost in the mix even when played with some really big speakers. I could perfectly hear tape hiss and ambiance caught on the recording. Again – these things separately don't really matter. But when they are elements of a bigger whole, they makes this whole, a sound in this case, better, more real. That's how I perceived this system – real sounding. Does that make make it a high-end one? Well, I think it DOES. TESTING METHODOLOGY Amphion and NuForce have been joining their efforts and presenting their products together for the last 3 years. Now, I finally know why – it seems that both companies have the same goal. It's about using phase coherence, resolution, and internal harmony to build a true sound. The reviewed system is truly inexpensive. But still it can be called a high-end one, as long as you remember that it needs to be used for near-field listening. To learn what this system is about I had to first listen to it in a more traditional way, with my reference electronics, with Amphion speakers on stands placed around 1m from the back wall, and 1,5m from listening spot. This distance is something in between near-field and regular listening and it presented limitations of Ion+: poor bass extension, not too high dynamics (absolute), and their bit 'screamy' character when I pushed the volume up. But even in these conditions they also presented extremely fine resolution, selectivity, no smearing and perfect focus. When I placed speakers on my desk and sat close enough problems were gone, but the strengths were still there. So if you just consider the limitations of this system, and use it accordingly to its intended use, you'll get an extremely useful tool. Although NuForce offers an USB input you should consider using a RCA (S/PDIF) which is clearly better than USB. The latter in not bad but if you use a high quality CD transport and compare its performance against a rip of the same recording played from computer via USB you'll notice that the latter sounds less convincing without clarity and resolution of the former. Surely a high quality CD transport costs a lot so I would recommend to do something else – just buy some nice USB converter and use it between computer and S/PDIF input of NuForce. The result will be a much better sound and you will not be limited to the 96 kHz sampling frequency, as the USB input is. During my test I used two battery powered USB converters: hiFace Evo with hiFace Supply (see HERE) and Human Audio Tabla (see HERE), both asynchronous, accepting signal up to 24 bit / 192 kHz. These are not cheap but offer great quality and the Amphion/NuForce system really deserves as good signal as you can offer to it. Signal was delivered from three different source: Ancient Audio Lektor AIR V-edition, with Philips CD-Pro2 transport mechanism that played CDs, Marantz NA-11S1 player that played music files, and a signal via USB was delivered by Win8, 8 GB RAM, 128 SSD + 520 HDD, JPLAYv5/foobar2000 laptop. I also used following cables: USB – Acoustic Revive USB-1.0SPS, S/PDIF – Acrolink 7N-D5000. The amplifier was placed on the Acoustic Revive RST-38 platform, and it used a Acoustic Revive Power Reference power cord. DESIGN NuForce DDA-100 The integrated amplifier/DAC made by American company NuForce belongs to the category of products called „Power DACs”. It is a digital amplifier, that can receive a digital signals from sources – the D/A conversion is done at the very end of signal's path, in an output filter. Many people consider all D-class amplifiers to be 'digital' ones, which is often wrong, but in this case it is true. Signal can be delivered via one of four inputs: a coaxial S/PDIF (RCA), two optical TOSLINKs and USB. The first three of them accept signal up to 24/192, and USB up to 24/96. The latter works in a synchronous mode. There are two ways to chose an input – you can use a small remote control and push a proper button, or you could use the only knob there is on the front of the device - by pressing it you can toggle between inputs. When you use same knob and turn it, it will operate as a volume control. There is a very nice alphanumeric display next to the knob – in fact there are very small holes in the front of the device, creating kind of a grid, and all the information is presented behind this grid. It looks great, although you can see it very well only when looking straight ahead on it, and when looking from some angle you might sometimes have trouble reading what display says. And what is says is a name of used input (C1, O1, O2, U1) and a momentary volume level. Next to all digital inputs there is also an optical output, speaker binding posts and an IEC power inlet with mechanical on/off switch. A whole electronic circuit is placed on a single PCB. There is a separate advanced switch-mode power supply, with several voltage regulators and filters. Two separate voltages are delivered to the PCB. A signal from a RCA inputs goes via matching transformer. Three inputs (except for USB) use the same digital receiver - AKM AK4113. USB uses another one – NFUSB96S 12W25, a DSP chip with NuForce logo. This chip limits sampling frequency to 96 kHz. When an input is selected signal goes directly to PWM Infineon SAB2403 modulators. These are digital integrated amplifiers upsampling signal to 3Gbps to do PWM conversion. The main concern of designers was phase coherence which they ensured implementing a digital FIR filter. At the output there is an analogue filter, combining a core coil and WIMA polypropylene capacitors. This device sports a solid, rigid casing with four small, plastic feet. It is made in Taiwan. Specifications (according to manufacturer) Inputs: USB, TOSLINK x 2, RCA Sampling rates: - USB 2.0: 44,1, 48, 96 kHz (16, 24 bit) - TOSLINK, RCA: 44,1, 48, 88,2, 96, 176,4, 192 kHz (24 bit) Power output: 75 W x 2 (4 Ω), 50 W x 2 (8 Ω) THD+N : 0,07%/15 W S/N ratio: >95 dB Peak power output: 250 W Frequency response: 20 – 20 kHz (+/- 0,1 dB) Amphion Ion+ Ion+ is a new version of older model called Ion, but in fact there are only two common elements: enclosure and tweeter's diaphragm material. It is a two-way, back vented bookshelf speaker that measures 268 x 134 x 220 mm. It sports a 25mm titanium tweeter with neodymium magnet, that is manufactured in France and was designed in fact for the professional series of Amphion speakers, intended for usage in recording studios, that is introduced to the market right about now. The 120mm, aluminum mid- lowrange driver is made by SEAS company, according to a specification delivered by Amphion's engineer, Mr Corrado Faccione. This driver sports a solid, rigid, casted basket and a permanent phase plug. The writing on it says: L12RCY/KP-AMP. Both drives are phase coherent. In front of the tweeter there is something like a horn, or waveguide which is a part of Amphion's proprietary solution called Uniformly Directive Diffusion. UDD helps to control sound wave dispersion and thus to minimize distortions. The acoustic centers of both drivers lay in the same distance from a listener. Both drivers sport colorful grids that protect them from damage The crossover point is placed at 1600 Hz. Crossover in mounted on a PCB that is bolted directly to speaker posts. It is also very simple – there is a large low resistance air coil, a polypropylene capacitor with Amphion logo on it, an electrolytic capacitor and two grounding resistors. Drivers are connected with quite thin multistrand wires. The inside of the cabinet is slightly damped with some foam on side walls and on the bottom. Single speaker posts are placed in a plastic cap. Bass-reflex port is located on the back of the speaker more or less at the same height as a tweeter. Manufacturer delivers foam plugs you can use to close b-r, but you should use them only if the speakers are placed very close to the back wall. These speakers can be put up on the wall. The cabinet, made of thick MDF plates seems very rigid and acoustically deaf. All the edges are rounded which makes it look really nice. These are available in black or white with almost unlimited combination of exchangeable color grids Technical specifications (according to the manufacturer) Tweeter: 1" titanium Woofer: 4,5", aluminum Crossover point: 1600 Hz Nominal impedance: 8 Ω Sensitivity: 86 dB Frequency response: 52 - 25 000 Hz (+/- 3 dB) Power recommendation: 25 - 120 W Dimensions (h x w x d): 268 x 134 x 220 mm Weight: 6 kg Polish Distributor NuForce: Audiomagic.pl ul. Sienna 61 | 00-820 Warszawa | Polska tel.: (22) 250 1234 | +48 668 478 461 e-mail: pomoc@audiomagic.pl www.nuforce.pl Amphion: Moje Audio ul. Sudecka 152 | 53-129 Wrocław | Polska e-amil: biuro@mojeaudio.pl www.amphion.fi/pl

Published: 6. May 2013, No. 109 In the first April's edition of High Fidelity you could read a text written by Mr Eugeniusz Czyżewski (see HERE), explaining why he created a new version of the amplifier, that Wojtek reviewed some time ago. I read all the reviews of Linear Audio Research products that had been written by Wojtek, including the review of the first version of IA-30T (see HERE), and I had always felt that I would have really liked their sound, if I only had a chance to listen to them. Well, it has finally happened, although truth to be told, probably only because I asked for the new version of this amplifier first. Possibly my boss, Wojtek, is not happy about it, but I already know it was worth it! On one hand if I had listened to the first version of IA-30T that would have given me a chance to compare it to the mk2 and to find out which aspects of the sound improved. On the other hand, knowledge of previous version would create also some particular expectations toward new, supposingly improved version – but now I had none, maybe except for an extraordinary sound. Let's start with how it looks and how it feels. It comes really well packed, and, which is still not a standard, a nice, informative manual is attached. This device looks a lot like its predecessor – in fact it is just slightly bigger – its depth increased by 8 cm. Also the weight has changed – now the amp is heavier by 5 kg, which when it comes to tube devices, is usually a good thing – more weight equals larger/better transformers which leads to a better sound. The LAR's integrated looks... well, very nice. The casing might not be an example of such a wonderful craftsmanship as the other reviewed in April Polish amplifier, the GW Deimos is, but first of all the latter is more or less three times more expensive, and secondly the product of Klimatowo is something else, something very special, created by artists (its external design I mean). These two devices present totally different styling - IA-30T mk2 offers what I call a discrete elegance, while Deimos would look a right thing in a right place among some antiques. I realize how most of you, dear Readers, react when you read a reviewer using: „my wife said...” reference, but this time I shall use it, as my beloved wife usually doesn't care about all the equipment I get for reviews at all, unless something catches her eye. And yes, LAR did. So what makes it so special? The design is quite simple in fact – a black casing, with a slightly different, gray-ish front panel. There is a silver stripe in the middle of the front, with both ends rounded. There are two silver knobs and two VU meters „composed” into it, plus an eye-friendly amber led. That's it, simple, right? But it works, or should I say looks really good. The VU meters in the first version displayed a level of output signal. This time it's an input signal for both channels, so we can see what amplifier gets from a source. An important thing for many potential users – that is a kids and pets friendly tube device – all tubes sit inside casing so no small hands or paws will be ever burned by touching those nicely glowing 'bulbs'. One thing some users might miss is a remote control – there is simply none, but how many top tube amplifiers have one? Very few. Linear Audio Research in High Fidelity COVERAGE: How the new version of IA-30T, the Mk2, was made – a new model of integrated amplifier by Linear Audio Research, see HERE ANNUAL AWARD 2011: Linear Audio Research IA-30T – integrated amplifier, see HERE TEST: Linear Audio Research IA-30T – integrated amplifier, see HERE TEST: Linear Audio Research IA-120 – integrated amplifier, see HERE ANNUAL AWARD 2005: Linear Audio Research AI-45 MkII – integrated amplifier, see HERE TEST: Linear Audio Research AI-45 MkII – integrated amplifier, see HERE TEST: Linear Audio Research Nazca v2 – integrated amplifier, see HERE TEST: Linear Audio Research ARGUS MMP-02, MkI+MkII – phonostage, see HERE SOUND Recordings used during test (a selection) AC/DC, Back in black, SONY, B000089RV6, CD/FLAC. Vivaldi, Four seasons, Giulano Carmingnola, Sony Classical, SK 51352, CD/FLAC. Etta James, The Chess Box, Chess, B00004TS85, CD/FLAC. Antonio Vivaldi, La Stravaganza, Rachel Podger, Arte dei Suonatori, Channel Classics CCS 19598, CD/FLAC. Arne Domnerus, Antiphone blues, Proprius, PRCD 7744, CD/FLAC. Rodrigo y Gabriela, 11:11, EMI Music Poland, 5651702, CD/FLAC. Keith Jarrett, The Koeln Concert, ECM, 1064/65 ST, LP. Luis Armstrong & Duke Ellington, The Complete Session, Deluxe Edition, Roulette Jazz 24547 2 2 (i 3), CD/FLAC. The Ray Brown Trio, Summer Wind, Concord Jazz, CCD-4426, CD/FLAC. Renaud Garcia-Fons, Oriental bass, Enja, B000005CD8, CD/FLAC. Eva Cassidy, Eva by heart, Blix Street 410047, CD/LP. Pepe Romero, Flamenco, LIM, K2HD 022, K2HD, CD. Miles Davis, Sketches of Spain, Columbia, PC8271, LP. Blade Runner, soundtrack, muz. Vangelis, Universal, UICY-1401/3, Special Edition 3 x CD (1982/1991/2007), CD/FLAC. I haven't mentioned one more difference between older and new versions. The headphone output was optional in the version reviewed by Wojtek, and when installed, the port was located on the back pannel. Now it's a standard feature of the mk2, and the output is placed on the front pannel, which is also surely more convenient in everyday's use. Not much a difference? Think again – first of all, as Wojtek discovered during his test, it was a really high quality output, so why not make it one of key features instead of just option? Secondly – the first competitor for this amp that comes to mind is... Leben 300 (the whole family) famous, among other things, for its... outstanding headphone output. So just by changing option for feature, and by moving output from the back to the front Mr Czyżewski made his new product more competitive, as it now can be advertized as integrated amplifier/headphone amplifier. So as I discussed this headphone output so much here I think I should start my assessment with it, that should be only fair, right? IA-30T Mk2 + headphones I don't have a large collection of headphones – I have just two pairs at my disposal. Ultrasone Proline 2500 and my clear favorites, the best cans I listened to so far (to be fair there are many I never had a chance to check out) - Audeze LCD3. So you can easily understand that what I cared about mostly was how capable was LAR to drive these, which by the way is not an easy thing to do. Ever since LCD3 arrived to me from Audeze, I've been looking for the best possible, or should I say: worthy, partner for them. The Schiit Mjolnir (see HERE) was the best candidate up to day, but I still hoped I could find even a better one. That's what we, audiophiles, do – always believe that there is some better amp, source, cable an so on, and we just need to find it, right? I should mention one more thing – during Audeze review I used additionally the Entreq Konstantine 2010 headphone cable, that I truly appreciated then, and I kept it after this test (it sported a 6,5mm jack so I couldn't use it while testing a fully balanced Mjolnir). Per-Olof, the owner of Entreq, has revised range of his products recently and he upgraded headphone cables from Konstantine 2010 to a Challenger 2010, and he was kind enough to upgrade also my cable, so I could use it during this test. I started my listening session with a non-audiophile music – it was AC/DC's Back in black album. That was no coincident – the American headphones, when properly driven, are capable of delivering incredible, powerful bass with the level of energy that allows you to feel it, not only to hear it. Also the pace&rhythm factor is a true advantage of these cans. Lets add on top something that many people perceive as a slightly dark sound, but in my book it's amazingly rich and saturated from the very top to the lowest end (!), which allows even those not so perfect recordings not to sound too bright or too rough. And one more thing these headphones do amazingly well – there is a perfect order on the soundstage – everything has its place (yes, when listening with LCD3 there is a soundstage, different, smaller than with speakers, but still). Each of these features, and all of them together make rock and rock'n'roll music sound damn good, even though nobody ever cared to record this kind of music in a way that would measure up to audiophile's criteria. Under one condition – an amplifier must be able to drive these planar magnetic cans properly, which in other words means, that it has to be able to deliver a lot of high quality current. Having such a great cans, and potentially such a great amp to drive them with I made a rookie mistake – what can I tell you – I'm just a man. What did I do? I turned LAR on, plugged Audeze in and started to listen to AC/DC. I somehow forgot (it must have been a deceiving look of that amp) that IA-30T mk2 was a tube device, so like most of its kind, and most of class A solid-state amps it needed maybe half an hour before it started to really sing. No, it does not mean that each time when you turn this device on you loose 30 minutes – it's not that bad, it is simply not ta its best right after turning it on! At the beginning treble is slightly rolled off, midrange is not so rich as it later gets, and bass lacks a bit of a grip. Truth to be told I had a great expectations, also started with the best cans I knew and with the music that was really effected in a bad way with those initial weaknesses of a cold amp. So I was kind of disappointed at first. But after 20-30 minutes it all changed for better, much better. Taut, powerful, nicely extended (as for headphones, of course) bass with a true slam, great drive, timing, pace&rhythm – long story short – all that was needed to to play this kind of music was now there. Such an involving presentation turned out to be a bit dangerous – Audeze were quite heavy so when I started to swing my head in AC/DC's rhythms cans almost felt off my head which could end pretty bad... But you know what they say – it's better to get in danger than get bored... so obviously I enjoyed this presentation a lot and that's what matters. That's a feature of this new IA-30T version that is worth mentioning – very few tube amps are capable of keeping such a tight grip over bass notes and thus to offer that good pace&rhythm. I believe that Mjolnir delivered even bit lower bass, but in terms of a grip and richness of a bottom end LAR equaled the American, solid-state (!) competitor. There was something I learned thanks to my rookie mistake – I contacted Mr Czyżewski and told him that I wasn't satisfied with what I initially heard on my headphones and in return I was advised that if the amp lacked some juice it could be easily corrected, as the headphone output is fed from a main amplifier. So just an information – if you buy that amplifier and later you find out that it lacks some juice to drive your headphones, you don't need to buy another amp – just contact the manufacturer to learn how to deliver more power to the headphone output. On the other hand, since LAR drove Audeze LCD3 so effortlessly, it should also drive almost any other cans available on the market. Listening to Antiphone blues using that setup was a really interesting experience. You might have noticed that I've been using this recording a lot in my tests. It seems to be a simple piece of music with just two instruments. But it is about which instruments (organs and saxophone) these are, and about the place they were recorded in (a huge church that adds a lot of ambiance perfectly caught on the recording). When you listen to it using loudspeakers that space you can 'hear', or feel is enormous, but of course it's not possible to present it all using headphones. So the question was: if not all of the space, than how much of it would be 'audible'? Would I hear all the reverberations wondering along huge, empty church walls? Would I have the same feeling of the enormous space surrounding me, that I had many times listening to this recording via speakers? Another huge challenge for this setup were organs. That's an instrument that many of, even big, speakers fail to present in a believable way, so how could (any) headphones deal with it? I remembered the power of organs when LCD3 were driven by Mjolnir - they were thunderous. When driven by LAR Audeze delivered slightly less extended bass but still with amazing energy load, with a scale that many other headphone amplifiers failed to deliver before. On the other hand I was amazed by the way this Polish amplifier dealt with space and ambiance recreation. Don't get me wrong – they couldn't do it in the same way speakers could, but the spacious, airy sound gave me at least a glimpse, a hint of that feeling of a small, small man being is a huge, huge church. I couldn’t hear it, like I could with speaker based system, but I could feel the surrounding space. A substitute? Perhaps, but the best one cans could deliver. There were also above mentioned reverberations wondering along the walls further and further away from me and I think it was probably them that gave this presentation some edge over Mjolnir's one. You could say that differences were quite subtle, but I it was LAR that really made me believe that I was sitting in that church, were recording was made. So each of these two headphone amplifiers had some advantage over the other, but what convinced me finally in favor of IA-30T mk2 was the saxophone. It sounded so natural, palpable, with a great timbre, with all the tiny details including musician's breathing. It was so small comparing to organs but its sound was clearly heard, and it was also placed closer to the listener than organs. This literally smallest part in the recording gave LAR some advantage over a very good headphones amplifier, which Mjolnir surely was. I've spent many evenings and nights listening to a lot of different music and with each next album I liked and appreciated this setup more and more. Those of you, who read my review of Schiit Mjolnir might remember that to describe its rare ability I used a photographic comparison – I wrote that it was able to add some light to the sound of LCD3. What I meant was that since the sound of these cans was perceived sometimes as slightly dark, what Mjolnir did was adding some light to it making the sound 'less' dark, more transparent, clearer, but never ever bright. LAR delivered amazingly transparent, crystal clear sound (the previous version did it too, as Wojtek described it in his review) which combined with Audeze delivered similar effect as described above with Schiit. Sound got less dark, more detailed and transparent but was still so incredibly rich, saturated as it always was with these amazing headphones. This clarity and transparency of the sound allows you to fully appreciate fabulous resolution and selectivity of this setup. So combine LAR and Audeze together and what you get is a top quality sound – dense but with great resolution, liquid, fast but very rich, coherent over the whole range, and with both range extremes that nobody would ever guessed come from a tube device, as there is no sign of roll-off. As already mentioned, I don't have vast collection of different cans, as Wojtek does, which prevented me from trying each of them with LAR to make sure it could drive all of them. I had to settle with the two models I had, but since it drove quite a challenging load – Audeze LCD3 – so well, I guess it could deal with most of the headphones equally well. I tried it of course also with much less costly Ultrasone Proline 2500, that also delivered totally different sound – much brighter, sometimes almost rough unless you partner it with a proper amp. IA-30T mk2 supported these with its dense, rich sound, especially in the midrange and treble, where Ultrasone needed support most and together they delivered fast, tuneful sound with a taut bass, very good pace&rhythm, that allowed me to enjoy all the music I threw at this set. So even though I couldn't actually check LAR with wide range of cans I assumed that it was capable of delivering really good performance with at least many if not most of them. I would be interested to check if it could drive properly even more demanding, than LCD3, headphones from Himalayan – the HE-6 model. It's worth a try as these are also fabulous headphones. [I will try to borrow this amplifier from Mr Eugeniusz and check myself as I have HE-6 at my disposal – WP] IA-30T Mk2 + loudspeakers Linear Audio Research IA-30T mk2 is most of all a tube integrated amplifier designed to drive speakers, so it's about time for me to start assessing its primary function. During this test I used two pairs of speakers – I still had the amazing Ardento Alter, that their designer, Mr Tomasz, lent me again for couple of months (thank you again!), and of course my own Bastanis Matterhorn. The former of these two pairs, which is objectively better and surely more difficult to drive, allowed LAR to show its true potential. At the begining I was trying hard to find one, single feature of this amp's sound, that could characterize it, but I couldn't find it. Simply there is no single feature, there are couple of them and only together they make its sound so special. First of all it delivers full range sound, top to bottom equally good – and we have to remember that this is relatively inexpensive tube amplifier, which usually means that the treble is slightly rolled off, and the bottom is at least rounded. Usually when it comes to a tube amp from a price range below 10 kPLN you can easily tell, what's its strongest virtue – it's midrange, that might be even really good, but it comes at a cost. It is usually accompanied with a rounded bass that lacks proper grip, and a rolled of treble that lacks some spark. But not in this case – the frequency response seems to be almost flat top to bottom, sound is coherent, smooth, and rich. The AC/DC album, I started my listening sessions with, sounded in many aspect as good as on Audeze before, but now I was served with even more power, more energy and all that delivered with even more ease. LAR drove and controlled the 15'' woofers nicely, keeping a tight grip over them, producing a thunderous slam when needed, and neatly driving a proper rhythm. This time I noticed also amazing clarity of the midrange, that allowed me to actually clearly understand what Brian Jonson was singing. That guy can sing – no doubts about it, but understanding what exactly is he signing is.. quite a challenge (at least for a non-native speaker). LAR not only nicely delivered the way Brian sang, but also made what he sang an important part of this rock'n'roll ravel (not that I think AC/DC's texts are very ambitious ones, but are often fun). I continued my 'rock adventure' with some Pink Floyd, and Roger Waters recordings only to find out that also in these LAR kept a very good grip over bass, delivering fast attack when needed, but also stopping and damping a note immediately on other occasions. Even though I did not listen to the previous version of this amp but my best guess is that Mr Czyżewski managed to eliminate the weakness Wojtek mentioned in his review when he wrote that LAR's bass lacked some weight and richness. I'm guessing that, because not even for a second I thought about complaining about these aspects of the sound. As I mentioned already bass in this version is fast and taut but it doesn't come at a cost of its richness and weight, which would probably be easy to do (from designer's point of view). Kick drum, for example, has proper slam, you can not only hear but also feel the electric and electronically generated bass, and all that even though LAR doesn't (I think) go as far down with its bass, as some solid-states do. Bass obviously is not the only advantage of this amplifier, but when you get such a good one from a tube device it is bit surprising and surely worth elaborating on. LAR is able to compete in this area with many solid-state amplifiers from the same price range and the complement couldn't get much better than this. Still, great bottom doesn't change the fact that, as expected from tube device, also midrange is outstanding. I was absolutely mesmerized when listening to many vocals that sounded almost like when presented by my own 300B SET – emotional, sensual, pure, with texture and timbre delivered up to every tiny, little detail. All that made most voices so natural and palpable that when I closed my eyes I just saw vocalists standing right in front of me. Each voice had its depth, strength and was delivered with this whole emotional loading that reaches out to listeners soul, touches it directly and makes him forget about everything else except for mesmerizing voice of Etta James, Eva Cassidy and any other. Especially when it came to very powerful, 'huge' and passionate voices like the one of Etta James, or a totally different, but equally impressive one of a the late Luciano Pavarotti, I truly appreciated the ease and the authority and conviction they were delivered with. Etta and Luciano came from a totally different worlds but both had something in common: great passion and great power in their voices, and there are not that many amplifiers capable of showing that in a proper scale. But LAR did – the dynamics and 'ease' were delivered without any limitation, making this presentation amazingly natural and realistic, which of course I witnessed before but usually with amplifiers with couple of more zeros on their price tags. Yes, that was unexpected, and yes I was amazed, as that was a level of performance (in this aspect) of, for example, more than 4 times more expensive Ayon Crossfire (one of my favorite amps), and a device that was clearly, significantly better – the Kondo Souga I reviewed for our 'Japanese' (May) issue, cost more than a very nice car. Fans of acoustic music should not be worried, regardless of which music genre they prefer they shouldn't be disappointed. I truly loved very natural sound of string instruments, all of them – guitar, bass, violin or any other. A perfect example of how well IA-30T mk2 performed was an astonishing, LIM's K2HD issue of Pepe Romero's Flamenco. It's a classic flamenco – just guitars, singing and dancing, which in this case is clearly audible as the vigorous stamping of dancers feet was extremely well caught on the recording. When listening to this album I usually crank the volume up a lot, up to a level when I start feeling, and not just hearing the stamping. It was most impressive spectacle that LAR created together with Alter speakers – on one hand there were very natural, convincing guitars and characteristic voices shown in a precise, palpable way, and on the other there was a 'fire' and 'thunder' coming from under the feet of dancers who danced vigorously on the wooden floor. What is most important when playing this album are the proper proportions between all elements – the sounds of feet stamping on the wooden floor should not overwhelm the sounds of guitars and voice, all these elements create the most impressive presentation only when each of them plays its, equally important, role. And if they do you shall sit in front of your system with your jaw dropped on the floor wondering how your system in your not so big room could deliver such a huge, powerful sound?! I've mentioned in the first part of this text how organic, clear and tuneful the sound of Arne Domnerus saxophone was, but now I also loved the delicacy of Miles Davis trumpet, or a very different, vigorous one of Louis Armstrong. Both were so real, so convincing I could swear I could reach out and touch them. Having such a good sounding amplifier I couldn't miss an opportunity to play my favorite tunes with bass 'operated' by skilful hands of Ray Brown and Renauld Garcia Fons. As you have probably already guessed I loved it! Lively, tuneful, rich sound, well extended at the low end, with fast attack and wonderful decay, with proper amount of 'wood' in the sound – a convincing reminder of why I love to listen to this instrument so much (not that I really needed such a reminder). Another amazing experience was a session with famous Keith Jarret's Koeln concert. I just sat there on my couch and there was nothing in this world that could have distracted me from absorbing each and every note of this fabulous music. The piano was so vibrant, and LAR was able to deliver its full power and dynamic scale, but it did not forget about Keith singing, or rather murmuring, either. On top of all that there was a wonderful reproduction of the concert hall's ambiance that made this presentation simply complete and one of a kind! And last but not least, I listened to some electronic music – the outstanding soundtrack from Blade Runner written by Vangelis, and than also some albums of Andreas Vollenweider. So have I found finally something to complain about, you probably ask? Well... not really. IA-30T mk2 handles this kind of music pretty well too – it easily delivers short, taut bass, which is often used in electronic music, that starts immediately and than it is equally fast stopped and the amplifier has to stop the woofer in a matter of friction of second. It all lead to a conclusion already formed before – there is only one thing I could, if I had to, call some sort of weakness of this integrated amplifier – the absolutely lowest bass. But is it a serious weakness? Only if you are a fan of organ music, or maybe some electronic one. In any other music you won't even realize that something is missing (not missing – gently rolled off at the very bottom). I haven't notice anything missing listening to Vangelis, nor Vollenweider which means you need to try hard to find this weakness, but since I praised LAR a lot I had to add at least one weakness, even if it was rather theoretical one... Summary Linear Audio Research IA-30T mk2 is an amazing device. Not knowing its price, or that it was designed and made in Poland I would have guessed that its price was much, much higher. And even if the price was twice as big as it is I would still claim that it was a bargain (although than it would be recommended to compare it head to head with Leben CS-300 XS). Surely there are better, offering even more sophisticated sound, amplifiers on the market. But what Mr Czyżewski did creating this device that could offer such a coherent, rich and refined sound and selling it for just 9 kPLN is an outstanding achievement! LAR does some things in a way you'd never expect for a relatively inexpensive tube amplifier – both range extremes are nicely extended – there is a taut, slammy bass and there is a grip you'd expect from a solid state, not tube (one condition of course – it has to drive some loudspeakers that are not too difficult to drive), and there is also this vibrant, crisp treble. The description above doesn't mean that manufacturer forgot about tube's prime domain – midrange. It is as good as both extremes – rich, dense, smooth, colorful, but unlike in many other inexpensive tube devices, there is not emphasis on this part of the range. This impressive coherence of the whole range, smoothness, musicality, naturalness of the sound make acoustic music and vocals sound like from a very good SET amp. The fans of rock, or electronic music shouldn't have any reason to complain either – there is an impressive dynamics (in both macro and micro scale), good saturation throughout the whole range, pace&rhythm, tide, powerful bass, openness and vibrancy of the treble and, especially considering the price tag, amazing clarity of the sound. Is there anything you might still want? No? But there is one more thing – equally amazing headphone output fully capable of driving Audeze LCD3 cans. After this whole experience I now fully understand why Wojtek liked the previous version so much, and it looks like this mk2 is even better. If you have some loudspeakers with reasonable sensitivity and rather friendly impedance curve don't hesitate – get LAR for audition, especially if you look for an amp within 15 kPLN range, or maybe even bit higher. There was this popular slogan some time ago, used by many of our manufacturers, that said: „it's good because it's Polish” Well the Linear Audio Research IA-30T mk2 really is, no doubt about it!!! DESIGN LAR IA-30T mk2 is a new, improved version of the amplifier that's been on the marked for couple of years now. It's a dual-mono, tube integrated amplifier, with active preamplifier stage. A solid, rigid casing (except for a front pannel) was made of sheets of a non-magnetic steel. It's bit bigger comparing to previous version – its depth is now 8cm bigger to make additional space for larger transformers. To increase casing's rigidity designer added a crossbar inside, and the top cover is no fixed also to this crossbar. The casing is made of two halfs – upper, which is a cover with a grid that helps to keep the inside's temperature at bay, and a lower one that holds the whole circuit. Another new elements are the side wooden bars, that sit exactly where to top and bottom of the casing come together (although these are fixed to the lower half so the upper one easily goes off after unscrewing some screws). The front of the device is finished with some special lacquer and it looks a lot like in the original version. What makes it different from most designs is a rounded at both ends silver stripe with two VU meters (showing input signal level for each channel) and two knobs (volume control and on/off switch and input selector at the same time) 'composed' into it. The only obvious difference is a headphone output placed below input selector. That is also one of the key differences between older and new version – previously headphone output was optional, added upon customer's request, and now it's a standard feature. One more difference – when headphone output was optional it was installed in the back pannel of the amplifier, now it is a part of a front pannel, which is surely more convenient for everyday's use. The main difference on the back pannel is one input less (4 instead of 5). Mr Czyżewski decided to change RCA sockets for higher quality ones coming from Neutrik, and he also left now more space around each pair, which allows user to connect even interconnects with large plugs. The solid, universal speakers binding are exactly the same as used in the first version. There are no separate outputs for speakers with different impedances. Apart from linear inputs there is also an output (pre-out) that allows to use two separate amplifiers in bi-amping configuration. For those who possess difficult to drive speakers, LAR recommends using IA-30T mk2 to drive midrange and treble, and the other, more powerful amp, IA-120, to drive bass woofers. The pre-out allows IA-30T mk2 to control volume level of both units in bi-amping config. On the right side of the back pannel there is power inlet, with a fuse and main on/off switch. The casing sports four solid, nice looking feet. It is a dual mono design with separate power transformers for each channel. There are two transformer (power and output) bolted to each side pannel – that means there are more of them than in the previous version and that required a larger casing, and that's also mostly behind weight increase by 5 kg. There are also two smaller power transformers feeding input selector, circuit controlling VU meters, and relays that turn the main power supply on. First version sported EL34 (penthodes) power tube. This time Mr Eugeniusz chose to use four 6CA7 (beam tetrodes), two per channel, working in a ultra-linear mode in push-pull configuration. Signal delivered from inputs goes to the first gain stage with two E80CC triodes, that are fed voltage from two solid-state voltage regulators and there are no coupling capacitors here! The Blue Alps is used for volume control and finally signal goes to output stage with 6CA7 power tubes and than to speakers posts. Technical specifications (according to the manufacturer) Inputs: 4 Kind of inputs: unbalanced RCA Sensitivity (at maximum gain): 0,775 V Input impedance: 47 kΩ Gain (maximum): 26 dB S/N ratio: 80 dB Power output (sinus 1 kHz): 2x30 W/8 Ω Non-linear distortions (8 Ω, 1 W, 20 Hz – 20 kHz): less than 1% Frequency response -3 dB (sinus, 1 W): 10 Hz – 40 kHz Dimensions: 430 x 380 x 150 mm Weight: 19,5 kg

Published: 6. May 2013, No. 109 „Confessions of a Part-Time Audiophile” in its article RMAF12: Hot Ayre puts on the Best in Show gave the Ayre’s room Best in Show prize, and the magazine “The Audio Beat” at the same “Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2010” exhibition gave them Hot Product award (see HERE). This was where the new series “5” devices were introduced: the AX-5 integrated amplifier, the VX-5 power amplifier and the DX-5 universal A/V engine. The amplifier looks exactly as Ayre’s “believers” are used to – it has exceptionally “clean” design lines. It is very solidly made and user friendly. Combination of the last features i.e. high quality craftsmanship and the ease of use is unique – Ayre does it in a well thought out, not too flashy, way. One can say without overstatement that the device has been created by sensitive and intelligent people for other sensitive and intelligent people. The AX-5 came to life as a result of an incorporation of a slightly simplified circuit of the KX-R preamplifier (the very top in the manufacturer’s product lineup) and the new Diamond power amplifier. It utilizes zero-feedback and fully-balanced discrete circuitry – these are the trademarks of Ayre. The current, before it reaches the power transformer, is initially filtered of high frequency “noise” in a small circuit borrowed from the Ayre AC power-line filter. If we own more of Ayre components we can connect them with AyreLink communication system cables that help to control them all. When powered up, the amplifier produces considerable amounts of heat because the output stages work with a high bias current and run in class A in a lower power output range, up to several watts. The manufacturer solved the problem in both a very modern way (limiting power consumption) and a purist way – when we desire to cut the power off completely there is a power switch on the rear panel. When our wish is to save the energy and help to protect our planet without sacrificing all that is dear to us, we can use the “Low-Power Consumption” mode. The preamplifier will be fully powered but the power section will not. This way we can return to playing music without the necessity of a long warm up time, consuming not that much power – just 48 W. If we kept the device under full “steam”, then we would heat the air with the full 230 W. Simple? Not for everyone. SOUND A selection of recordings used during auditions MJ Audio Technical Disc vol.6, Seibundo Shinkosha Publishing, MJCD-1005, CD (2013). Bogdan Hołownia, Chwile, Sony Music Polska, 505288 2, kopia z taśmy-matki, CD-R (wersja CD: 2001). Charlie Haden, The Private Collection, The Naim Label, naimcd108, 2 x CD (2007). Czesław Niemen, Katharsis, Muza Polskie Nagrania, PRCD 339, “Niemen od początku, nr 9”, CD (1976/2003). Depeche Mode, Heaven, Mute/Columbia, 47537-2, maxi SP, CD (2013); reviewed HERE. Diary of Dreams, The Anatomy of Silence, Accession Records, A 132, CD (2012). Diorama, Even Devil Doesn’t Care, Accession Records, A 133, CD (2013). Ella Fitzgerald, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book, Verve/PolyGram, “Verve Master Edition”, 537 257-2, 2 x CD (1997). Eno/Moebius/Roedelius, After The Heat, Sky/Captain Trip Records, CTCD-604, CD (1978/2007). Frank Sinatra, Nice’N’Easy, Capitol/Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, UDCD 790, gold-CD (1960/2002) Frank Sinatra, Sinatra Sings Gershwin, Columbia/Legacy/Sony Music Entertainment, 507878 2, CD (2003). Jean Michel Jarre, Essentials & Rarities, Disques Dreyfus/Sony Music, 62872, 2 x CD (2011). Johen Rueckert, Somewhere Meeting Nobody, Pirouet Records, PIT3055, CD (2011). John Coltrane, Coltrane, Impulse!, 589 567-2, “Deluxe Edition”, 2 x CD (1962/2002). Kamp!, Kamp!, Brennessel, BRN016, CD (2013); reviewed HERE. Marc Copland & John Abercombie, Speak To Me, Pirouet Records, PIT3058, CD (2011). Mel Tormé, Hello, Young Lovers, Pacific Delights/Sinatra Society of Japan, “Historical Recordings”, XQAM-1059, CD (2012). Pat Metheny Group, Offramp, ECM/Universal Music K.K., UCCE-9144, SHM-CD (1982/2008). Pat Metheny Group, Offramp, ECM/Universal Music K.K., UCCU-9543, “Jazz The Best No. 43”, gold-CD (1982/2004). Peggy Lee, Black Coffe, “Jazz The Best No. 17”, Decca/Universal Music K.K., UCCU-9517, “Jazz The Best No. 43”, gold-CD (1956/2004). Radiohead, The King of Limbs, Ticker Tape Ltd., TICK-001CDJ, Blu-spec CD (2011). Richard Strauss, Also Sprach Zarathustra, wyk. Los Angeles Philharmonic, dyr. Zubin Metha, Decca/Lasting Impression Music, LIM K2HD 035, “K2HD Mastering”, CD (1968/2008). The Oscar Peterson Trio, We Get Request, Verve/Lasting Impression Music, LIM K2HD 032 UDC, “Direct From Master Disc. Master Edition”, gold CD-R (1964/2009). Japanese editions of CDs and SACDs available from Your Ayre AX-5 offers a significant advance in the musical performance of high-fidelity equipment. The warmth and immediacy of a live performance are apparent from the first listening. The combination of superb resolution and a natural, relaxed quality will draw you into the music, time and time again. (Ayre, AX-5 – Owner’s Manual, p. 2) Are you familiar with the feeling of anticipation, the thrill of unpacking and playing a CD for the first time? You don’t get that feeling from playing audio files, music bought that way (as that is what I am speaking about) is treated with much less respect. It is some kind of psychological reaction probably, manifested in certain indifference to the first contact. It is a completely different matter when it comes to media such as CDs, SACDs or LPs. Our expectations, preconceptions and curiosity – all of this is the reason that the moment of taking the record out of its sleeve (if it’s a Japanese “mini LP”), box or even a classic “plastic” or digipack, is something special, cut out of reality. If we happen to be audiophiles there is one extra layer of expectation – the sound. It is important how it sounds, how its tone, in other words music production, will complete its notes and interpretation. There are several ways in which one can recognize how any given recording was produced depending on the way chosen by the designer to reach the “absolute sound” or rather his conception of the “absolute sound”. It also depends on the effect intended by the music lover, setting up his or her audio system. One can try to extract from the recording each, even the smallest, bit of information, present it selectively and observe how it performs on various records. Or, everything can be presented more homogeneously, the sound sculptured in such a way that it always sounds pleasant, that no record would sound unpleasant enough to lose interest in it. In both cases the common denominator is music but the means to reach the goal are totally different. The two approaches as different as they can be, have their followers pointing (rightly) to the advantages of each method. I fully support both – in the end what counts is the way WE perceive music. Even though there is something called absolute “quality” of any given product, the ways it is reached may vary. It is us who make the choice – we have to decide between accuracy and pleasure. I, myself, lean to the offer provided by the AX-5, though. The opening words of this part of the review come from the Owner’s Manual of the reviewed amplifier. It is one of the better manuals I have read – well written, providing plenty of information and tips. You won’t be buried with slogans about “the best sound in the world”. That is why the opening words are worth to be taken seriously. I suggest to note the phrases: “the warmth and immediacy of a live performance” and “the combination of superb resolution and a natural, relaxed quality”, because they are true. I could write them myself provided I had not read them before. They should be explained, though, otherwise they will be misinterpreted. How do I know this? I have to confess that I had never owned an Ayre product. My observations are based solely on my auditions during audio shows and exhibitions, and on reading various reviews. Terms like “warm” and “relaxed” run through all those texts, which could lead us to think that we really have to do with a type of sound that is warm, peaceful and unobtrusive. Perhaps a little boring but not too difficult, so to say. That would be a mistake, however; that is nonsense, nothing more than catchphrases typical for audio press and not the description of reality. The Ayre amplifier actually does not sound warm, at least not in a sense of certain coloring. Coloring is the last thing I could hear. The sound of the AX-5 is exceptionally pure, you won’t find in it any particular narrow-range coloring, it is not foggy or grainy, either. The sound is open with a tendency to remove any overly irritating elements from the presentation. It is just a tendency; the device has a very good resolution so details are not masked. What I am hitting at is something hidden, eluding – the way of presentation that draws our attention to the music first and then, if we are interested, to its reproduction. As if the “mechanics” of reproduction was a half a step behind the art of performance. Even though the above looks like a description of sound that tends to “beautify” the reality, that would be a wrong conclusion. The biggest, I think, fundamental asset of this particular device is its truly outstanding ability to differentiate recordings. How to reconcile it, then, with what I called “withdrawing” the technical side of the presentation behind the music? Is that not the way to “make it up”? Is that not how we create our own unobtrusive and nice sound? Yes, that is one solution to have a good sound, but only in relatively inexpensive products. High End is about having full information. The reviewed amplifier does it through its exceptional resolution. This is not evident at the first glance, though. At the beginning I mentioned the pleasure coming from unpacking CDs and anticipation that accompanies their first reproduction. Almost at the same time as the amplifier, there arrived several CDs, primarily from Japan: Eno/Moebius/Roedelius After The Heat, Pat Metheny Group Offramp golden SHM-CD version (“Jazz The Best”, No. 17), Mel Tormé on mono material, recorded in 1963 for radio stations, titled Hello, Young Lovers (Sinatra Society of Japan) and Peggy Lee with Black Coffe, gold CD version (“Jazz The Best”, No. 17). I am giving all those details because I listened to the fragments of all of them straight away, driven by curiosity about both the quality of recordings and how the AX-5 would present them. Warm sounding devices favor the midrange, pushing the vocals forward in front of other performers. That may sound great. Here, neither the vocals on The Belldog by the Eno/Moebius/Roedelius trio (listen to that, please; you will realize where Depeche Mode found vocal harmony for their first two records), nor the voice of Mel Tormé were warmer or enlarged. Peggy Lee did sound very organic, intimate, and tangible but that’s exactly how that record had been produced, which in turn was helped by the gold layer of that CD. And yet it is so easy to present the vocals in the foreground by withdrawing both edges of the frequency range. Here, I had something else – the sense of involvement in music. All the CDs sounded in their own particular way; they were different but none failed to involve. The ability to present many things at once, sorting them in such a way that we receive something complete, was particularly evident in the case of Metheny’s album. This is my favorite record from that artist and hence I own several versions of it. Hearing the latest SHM-CD remastering and then immediately the older 2004 version on gold was very instructive, and could be used to compare both technologies. The “golden” version was warmer, deeper, with the foreground closer to the listener. Both ends of the frequency range were subtle and not fully real, i.e. the cymbals were not as open as I hear them live and the bass did not have the openness I hear from the bass amp, either. The SHM-CD at first sounded dark, which surprised me completely. Only after a while it turned out to be a much higher resolution sound, without the warmth introduced by gold. Even though the difference is only in the CD manufacturing technology, the sonic differences were vast, more evident than with different remasters (remastering is carried out on the source material, while the SHM-CD and others have to do with the physical disc; these are two different things). It seems that the “warmth” mentioned in the manual derives from very low distortion. There is no other way that I could explain such an exceptional resolution and organic presentation, devoid of any unpleasantries. I can hear the same coming from the Soulution 710 despite the fact that the latter has a totally different topology. The Ayre has ZERO negative feedback whereas the Soulution relies on DEEP negative feedback. The way this amplifier communicates the differences is very subtle and charming. We can hear what’s going on without any irritation; it speaks to our curiosity as if someone showed as a painting in a different light – we are aware of the difference but we just can’t put the finger on the why. It is just there. The bulk of information comes in midrange. The lower and higher regions are the organic parts of the sound and cannot be treated as separate “beings”, yet they are not what gives the sound its character. Treble is subtly sweet, even though, e.g., the Devialet D-Premier Air had lesser resolution and was warmer in a more ostentatious way. The French Lavardin IT-15, while having a similar sonic character to the AX-5, seemed to be less detailed. The Ayre puts itself somewhere between those two, as it sounds both organic and very informative at the same time. One of the elements that will most likely bias our decision in favor of or against this amplifier is the way it presents the bass. In short, I have met amplifiers that have more control and better differentiation in this region. The AX-5 sounds incredibly synergic so there is no problem to accept the way it presents the bass, yet this is not something that will be everyone’s cup of tea. If we mostly listen to acoustic instruments, we will appreciate a full bodied sound and a superb integration of the sub-ranges of the double bass tone, although we will miss its control, such as that provided by the already mentioned Devialet, or the Soulution. Even the Accuphase A-260 has a tighter lower range. To tell the truth, the sound reminds me what I heard from the Dan D’Agostion Momentum Stereo power amplifier, keeping in mind, of course, the scale of reference. The double bass from albums issued by Pirouet label preserved its characteristic, a little dull sound; it had a perfectly presented size as well as its proper place on the soundstage, although definition was not particularly special. If, on the other hand, we prefer electronic instruments or even the bass guitar, I don’t think any of that will bother us much, maybe not at all. For we will get intimacy, very good dynamics and a deeply saturated low end. It’s enough to listen to something as special as Jean Michel Jarre’s second disc from his Essential & Rarities box, beautifully issued in black plastic (the CD, not the box) resembling vinyl. These are old Jarre’s recordings from the 60s and the 70s, very special when it comes to the sound. The Ayre gave me most of what I had earlier heard from my reference headphone system – immediacy, fullness, and mood. But there are no perfect devices, and this is a “mere” integrated amplifier, not event pretending to be one of the top line Ayre designs. Despite all of this, it is a complete offer with an exceptionally detailed sound, which – paradoxically – seems to be warm and pleasant. I have attempted to prove that there is something more to it than a simple attempt to hide the information under a “sweet” layer. Summary This level of performance has been implemented using the highest level of workmanship and materials. You can be assured that the Ayre AX-5 will provide you a lifetime of musical enjoyment. (Owner’s Manual, p. 2) I couldn’t have written it better! TESTING METHODOLOGY The AX-5 amplifier is equipped with a proprietary "Low-Power Consumption" circuit, to enable a quick warm-up, and thus reducing the time needed to achieve the amplifier’s maximum potential. But to eliminate all the variables, the unit was switched on an hour before the auditions. It’s worth noting the manufacturer's recommendation regarding the initial burn in of the new device – it takes from 100 to as many as 500 hours. I would treat the recommendation very seriously, as Ayre is a manufacturer that does not bluff. The amplifier is equipped with nice feet, but like almost all other audio components, will sound much better with specialized anti-vibration feet. During the review it sat on three (two in the rear, one in the front) Franc Audio Accessories Ceramic Disc feet and those in turn on the Acoustic Revive RAF-48H anti-vibration platform. The testing had a character of an A / B comparison, with the A and B known. Music samples were 2 minutes long. Whole album were also auditioned. The Lektor Air V-edition CD player amplifier was connected to the amplifier via the Acoustic Revive XLR-1.0PA II balanced cable, while power was provided via the Acoustic Revive Power Reference power cord. During the review I also used another source, the Marantz NA-11S1 file player that I was reviewing for “Audio”. You should give it a chance – it’s unique, despite a comparatively low, for high end, price (12,000 PLN). It's probably one of the most interesting current audio file players on the market, regardless of price. Since it has balanced analog circuitry, including XLR connectors, it was a very good match for the AX-5. DESIGN Over the last forty years, since breaking the hegemony of tube devices, we have been witnessing the dominance of a particular amplifier’s external design that has survived largely unchanged until today. We're talking about a body in the shape of a flat cuboid, with a wide and relatively low front panel, sporting all the knobs and switches, and a rear panel with all the connectors. Audio manufacturers have been trying to break that monotony with various ideas – just to mention memorable designs from Cyrus, from the days when it was known under the name Mission, a completely different external design from McIntosh, Accuphase, or Jeff Rowland. But these are still just variations on the basic paradigm. Still, there are things that have changed for the better. More and more manufacturers pays a lot of attention to the solidity of enclosures, in order to ensure the best protection of the interior electronic components against vibration. Another recent novelty is the widespread use of microprocessors, which are amplifiers’ "brains". After the initial obsession with as many knobs and indicators as possible, there has now come time for minimalism and asceticism, promoted mainly by the Scandinavian manufacturers: Copland, Primare, Bladelius, and others. But it is a minimalism in appearance, not in capabilities. The Ayre AX-5, although through and through American, benefits from all these experiences. It is an integrated amplifier, without an included DAC, although the latter has recently become the norm. In return, the manufacturer offers the highly regarded QB9 external USB DAC, which handles the digital to analog conversion. The amplifier has a very clear design line, and its enclosure is made of thick aluminum plates. Although it is possible to identify design elements unique to the U.S. manufacturer, such as specific mills, or the shape of solid, aluminum knobs, one might as well point the aforementioned Bladelius as the "godfather" of the design. The front panel is a very thick, machined aluminum block, with a large blue alphanumeric (LED) display, two knobs and two buttons. The knobs are used to select inputs and control volume. They are not marked with a volume scale or input names, because they only serve as encoders; the selected input and the volume level are indicated on the display. Using the two knobs and the two buttons, we can operate the device menu. And there are plenty of settings. Starting with names, including a custom name, through input gain level, setting it as an input for an external AV processor, switching it off completely, switching off tape outputs, and finally, resetting all the settings. The two buttons are illuminated – the left one in red, and the right in green. The latter functions as "mute" and controls the low-power consumption mode. It is a state similar to the "standby" mode, but not identical. Only the power output stage is powered down, the preamp is still alive. This reduces the warm up time, but also allows for using an active tape recording loop, to which we can connect e.g. a headphone amp (the input selector is operational). The left-hand button (red) activates the tape outputs. The device has a fully balanced topology, with zero negative feedback. Therefore, the most important are the four pairs of XLR connectors. RCA inputs are also available (two pairs), and look very solid, yet their signal is first converted into a balanced signal and then fed to the input stage. Speaker terminals are really great and come from Cardas, like almost all other connectors in this amplifier. Only the XLRs come from Swiss Neutrik. Speaker terminals design allows for perfectly even clamping of spade connectors – the bananas are not really welcome here. According to manufacturer’s materials a large part of the preamp section circuitry has its origin in the top KX-R model. It shows right away, as soon as we look inside: a beautiful, selector from Shallco, used as the volume controller, sporting a stepper motor and ladder belts gears is exactly the same as in said preamplifier. Apart from Ayre, a similar solution, although not as sophisticated, was once used in the Model 5 amplifier by Avantgarde Acoustic. The switch in question has silver contacts and controls the ultra-precise, low-noise resistor ladder, located on the main circuit board. The manufacturer says that this solution differs from others, commonly used, because it controls the preamplifier gain, instead of simply attenuating the signal. A similar design is used by CEC, but it can also be found in higher class mixing consoles. The system allows for 46 different settings, in increments of 1.5 dB. The solution is called Variable Gain Technology (VGT). Before we arrive at the volume control, however, we pass through the input selector. All input connectors are soldered onto small PCBs mounted vertically behind the rear panel. We can see high quality resistors (the company claims it has developed them in house), integrated FET switches and relays. If I had not consulted the manufacturer’s materials, I would have said that the latter switch the signal. Apparently, however, they are used for permanent activation (or deactivation) of the inputs, as the company says that the input selector on the front panel selects inputs via FET selectors. The power amplifier is mounted on large PCBs with golden traces. Unlike most other designs, the PCBs are mounted horizontally, and hence the bolted-on heat sinks are also mounted horizontally. I do not, unfortunately, know from which transistors have been used. Ayre only informs that this is a newly developed output stage called Diamond. What is its novelty, we unfortunately do not know, either. The power supply looks beautiful, too. Its base is very large, great looking classic EI transformer. Power to it is supplied from the IEC socket via a high-quality (a rarity!) power switch, and a core coil, acting as a power conditioner, which the manufacturer mentions in its promotional materials. The rest of the power supply is mounted on a large board near the front panel. Among the components are ten large voltage filtering capacitors from American Cornell Dubilier and discrete voltage regulators for the preamplifier and the drive sections. There are separate secondary windings for each channel preamp and power amp sections, respectively. The whole circuit is controlled by a microprocessor, located on a small PCB near the front panel - the real "brains" of the unit. The amplifier looks exceptionally solid. This is a level known from Accuphase devices, but with much better passive components and an even better enclosure. Amplifier operation is a fairy tale-like. Also the remote control, which can be additionally used to switch off the display, makes a very good impression. It is nice, has a large, easy-to-use buttons and nice illumination. The manual is very well written and is a value in itself. The AX-5 is a device in which everything seems to have been thoroughly thought out, from its looks, the mechanical and electrical design, information and promotional materials, to its functionality. A beautiful example of no-frills high end, without treating the audiophiles like nitwits who just need a black box with an input and output. The device sound has long been, at least for me, the most important, yet only one of the parts that together build a PRODUCT. Ayre seems to understand that perfectly. Specification (according to the manufacturer) RMS Output Power: 125/250 W (4/8 Ω) Gain (Gain): 26 dB Output Impedance (RCA / XLR): 1 M / 2 MW Frequency Response: DC Hz - 250 kHz Power consumption (low-current/normalny mode, no signal): 48-230 W Dimensions (WxHxD): 440 x 480 x 120 mm Weight: 18 kg Distribution in Poland FAST M.J. Orszańscy s. j. Romanowska 55e, | 91-174 Łódź | Polska tel.: 42 61 33 750 | fax: 42 61 33 751 e-mail: info@audiofast.pl audiofast.pl

Published: 6. May 2013, No. 109 Dear Wojtek, I am very glad to hear you after a long time. We keep working on Reed development. As you already mentioned we have new model Reed 3P. This model is different from our Reed 2A/3Q both by sound nature and design. One of the main design innovations is its bearing system – generally tonearm bearing system can be considered as gimbal, but it works like a unipivot one. Reed 3P has also fine VTA adjustment on-the-fly and even unique possibility of adjusting azimuth while playing a record. By the way, Reed 3P won the Red Dot design award in the 2012 Product design contest. Regards, Vidmantas [www.reed.lt] Reading the above e-mail from Vidmantas I felt like I’d found an old friend, as if nothing changed and we’d parted just yesterday. And yet we saw each other at the beginning of 2010 when Vidmantas Triukas with his then business partner, Jonas Jakutis, brought to Krakow their Black Stork turntable and Reed 3Q tonearm for a review in “High Fidelity”. While I had the impression that the turntable was a kind of “finished prototype”, in other words ready to go to production, although still requiring a few cosmetic touches and working out some details, the tonearm seemed every inch (actually, twelve of them) a finished product (see HERE). Designed with a feeling, beautifully made, it was so remarkable that we decided to put it on the cover of our June 2010 issue of “High Fidelity”. And it sounded so well that I ordered one for myself. I keep it stored away and waiting for the time I will have two turntables, one of them designed for a12" tonearm. Since our last meeting, however, much has changed both worldwide and in Lithuania. Turntables.lt, then operated by both men, is no longer the same company, either. It has split into two separate companies: turntables.lt headed by Jonas Jakutis and Reed by Vidmantas Triukas. The former manufactures gramophones, the latter specializes in tonearms. The 3P resembles the tonearms from Swiss Da Vinci. Well, if you are to follow someone make sure you follow the best! The 3P, however, shows a lot of innovation, enough to speak about a proprietary design. As Vidmantas said, the most important is the arm’s support. Both classic gimbal, with its 2-axis arm support, and pivot, where the arm is supported in one place, by a vertical pivot, have their own advantages and disadvantages as well. We can find examples of outstanding as well as completely failed products in each of the two basic categories. Manufacturers have struggled for years to eliminate the drawbacks and maximize the benefits. One of the most interesting attempts is the 4Point tonearm from Slovenian Kuzma, a pivoted arm, yet with four separate points of support. Somewhat similar in concept is what we can see in the Reed 3P – the arm is supported not by a single pivot, but three: one for horizontal motion (vertical pivot) and two for vertical. The arm is magnetically stabilized, featuring a strong magnet at the bottom, stabilizing it and increasing the vertical pressure force on the pivot. I've seen a very similar solution in the Clarify tonearm from Clearaudio. It is called "friction free magnetic bearing." But it is not the same as the Reed tonearm, where we have a classic, though short, pivot, while in the Clearaudio design the arm is suspended via a thin, rigid wire. The tonearm from the Lithuanian manufacturer is very easy to set up. It is equipped with precise VTA control, which can be changed on-the-fly, as well as a unique, adjustable on-the-fly azimuth control. The adjustment is carried out by turning not just the head but the whole arm, which is a much more elegant solution. A short video illustrating on-the-fly azimuth adjustment can be viewed on You Tube. Tonearms manufactured by Vidmantas are available in three lengths: 9.5", 10.5" and 12". That tells us that his main customers are Japanese audiophiles. The basic parameters of each arm are shown in the table below. Effective Length9,5"10,5"12" Mounting distance (mm) 223251,6295,6 Overhang (mm)1715,413,4 Offset angle (deg.)22,920,717,6 Effective massDepending on each armwand material The customer can choose not only the arm's length but also the armwand material. I wrote about it in my review of the Q3 – the Lithuanians working in Reed are professional engineers and select the armwand material primarily on the basis of vibration measurements, subsequently verified via auditions. Accordingly, in all their production models we find a wooden armwand, made of one of several types of exotic wood. Each type of wood vibrates and damp the vibrations differently, and hence “sounds” different. For this review I ordered the "Velvet Bronze Coating" finish of the tonearm’s metal components (one of several available) that looks amazing and additionally was a great color match with the turntable on which the 3P was mounted. The Reed tonearm arrives in a wooden box, disassembled. Along with a detailed instruction, we also get a Certificate of Authenticity that can be framed. Let’s sum up the information on the 3P version I received for this review: Cocobolo wood armwand, Finewire C37 cables with cryogenic treatment, equipped with WBT Nextgen connectors, and Velvet Bronze Coating finish. Effective mass of this version is 18 gram. TESTING METHODOLOGY Testing of tonearms is a cumbersome procedure, requiring a long breaks between auditioning the tested tonearm and the one against which it is being compared. A convenient way out is to use a turntable that can accommodate two tonearms. And I just happened to have one, the Blackbird from Dr. Feickert Analogue. Unfortunately, one of the arms may have the length up to 9" and the tested arm is 12". Consequently, I had to use the same mount. Helpfully, however, Chris Feickert’s turntables are very precisely manufactured and make replacing the arm a simple and repeatable procedure. The testing had a character of an A/B/A comparison, with the A and B known. The Reed 3P was compared against the 12" Jelco SA-750LB tonearm. Despite the same nominal length, the arms differ from each other. The Jelco arm mounting distance is 290 mm and the overhang is 15 mm. For Reed they are, respectively, 295.6 mm and 13.4 mm. The main difference, however, concerns the armwand shape and the material of which it’s made: the Jelco is S-shaped and made of aluminum; the Reed is straight and made of wood. Yet, since I know the Japanese arm very well, having heard it on many different turntables, with various cartridges, I reckoned it would be a good point of reference. After all, 12" is to the Japanese their most favorite tonearm size. For auditioning I used the cartridges from Miyajima Laboratory, the Kansui and the Shilabe that I know very well, and the new Zero mono cartridge (review coming in May). Additionally, I also had the Cardas/Benz Ruby 3 Silver cartridge. I used the TU-800X Improved Version tuning matte from Harmonix and a record clamp from Pathe Wings. Reed products in “High Fidelity”: REVIEW: turntables.lt BLACK STORK + REED 3Q – turntable + tonearm, see HERE AWARD OF THE YEAR 2010: REED 3Q – tonearm, see HERE SOUND A selection of recordings used during auditions Bill Evans Trio, Waltz for Debby, Riverside Records/Analogue Productions, APJ009, "Top 25 Jazz", Limited Edition #0773, 2 x 180 g, 45 rpm LP (1961/2008). Bill Evans, Bill Evans Live At Art D'Lugoff's Top Of The Gate, Resonance Records, HLP-9012, "Limited Edition - Promo 104", 2 x 180 g, 45 rpm LP (2012); reviewed HERE. Czesław Niemen, Idée Fixe, Polskie Nagrania Muza, SX 1570- 1571, SN-770, 2 x LP + SP (1978). Depeche Mode, Heaven, Columbia/Sony Music, 91711, 33 1/3 rpm, 180 g, 12” maxi-SP (2013). Eva Cassidy, Songbird, Blix Street Records/S&P Records, “HQ-180”, 180 g LP (1998/2003). Jean-Michel Jarre, Revolutions, Dreyfus Disque/Polydor, POLH 45, LP (1988). John Coltrane, Giant Steps, Atlantic/Rhino, R1 512581, "Atlantic 45 RPM Master Series", 2 x 180, 45 rpm (1960/2008). Julie London, Julie is her name. Vol. 1, Liberty Records, LPR 3006, LP (1955). Kankawa, Organist, T-TOC Records, UMVD-0001-0004, "Ultimate Master Vinyl", 4 x 45 rpm 180 g LP + CD-RIIα + 24/192 WAV; reviewed HERE . Komeda Quintet, Astigmatic, Muza Polskie Nagrania /Polskie Nagrania, XL 0298, "Polish Jazz Vol. 5", LP (1966/2007). Kraftwerk, Europe Express, King Klang Produkt/EMI, STUMM 305 , Digital Master, 180 g LP (1977/2009); reviewed HERE . Led Zeppelin, Mothership, Atlantic Records, R1 344700, 4 x 180 g LP (2007). Mel Tormé, Oh, You Beautiful Doll, The Trumpets of Jericho - Silver Line, 904333-980, 180 g LP (2000). Peter Gabriel, New Blood, Realworld, 67855216/PGLP13, 2 x 180 g LP + heavy weight 7" SP (2011). Peter Gabriel, So. 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, Realworld, PGVOX2, 4 x CD + 2 x DVD + 180 g LP + 45 rpm LP (1987/2012); reviewed HERE . Stan Getz & Charlie Bird, Jazz Samba, Verve/Speakers Corner, 009 8432, 180 g LP (1962/2007). Wes Montgomery & Wynton Kelly Trio, Smokin’ At The Half Note, Verve/Universal Music K.K. [Japan], UCJU-9083, 180 g LP (1965/2007). William Orbit, My Oracle Lives Uptown, Guerill Studios/Linn Records, AKH 351, 2 x 180 g LP; reviewed HERE . Yaz, Upstairs at Eric's, Warner Bros. Records/Mobile Fidelity, MOFI 1-020, "Silver Label", "Special Limited Edition No. 2044", 150 g LP (1982/2012). The better the sound that Compact Disc offers, the better I understand what’s wrong with vinyl. At the same time, however, I feel more and more admiration for those who worked out a hundred years ago how to make this "invention" produce any sound at all. Even now, so many years later, the turntable is still a champion in the absolute sound quality, even in direct comparisons, with a CD player and a similarly priced analog system consisting of a turntable, cartridge and phono preamp, entering the lists. Even high resolution files, as of now, haven’t changed that yet. Although, probably, in some time they will become equivalent music media. Equivalent! Listen people, the latest developments, DSD and PCM 24/192, will be able, but not yet now, to present a recording equally satisfactory as vinyl, after more than a hundred years of its existence! But, as I say, Compact Disc at its best shows characteristics that even vinyl lacks. It also has its obvious problems that even an inexpensive turntable gets by easily, no doubts about it. But the fact that it shows features that are first created in the vinyl record production and then during its playback, is amazing. The first is the frequency response extension. While unimportant on its own, since it is midrange that is the most vital part of music presentation, it creates a kind of whole that midrange alone can’t even come close to. Higher harmonics, undisturbed phase relations, appropriate bass basis that is needed not just to let the double bass go deeper or the organ shake our room (although that is always welcome), but to effect a large enough volume of sound, to give soundstage a proper momentum and size. Therefore, the top and bottom end are also important. Even more important, though, seems to be sound definition, a little disturbed in the LP format. The first lesson on how the signal is modified on vinyl can be learnt by listening to analog master tapes on a good reel-to-reel tape deck (see HERE and HERE). Any music, really, will do; the conclusion will be that the differences are obvious and clear. And while the best CD players show the sound definition in a very similar way, vinyl has a tendency to round off the attack and to blur its correlation with other sounds. Even the most accurate, best turntables I've ever heard, such as the SME 30/12, the Kuzma Stabi XL, the Transrotor Argos, the AVID Acutus Reference, emulate the homogeneity of attack transients, without really showing their complexity, in that it's not only a hard "wave front", i.e. speed, that matters but rather both fullness and speed; at least not showing it in the same way as reel to reel with master tape or digital studio devices do. Precise turntables, such as the Kuzma, tend to show speed, while those slightly more rounded, such as the AVID, prefer fullness. Yet even the SME, being the best all-rounder in this respect, is not able to show it the way the best digital source can. Let me repeat: vinyl still wins in terms of absolute sound quality, of satisfaction derived from listening. There is, however, no use pretending that it is the "absolute" sound. It's just that when we listen to the best products associated with that format, we ask ourselves, where these 100 years or more of progress can be seen? What has been achieved? The first, immediate answer is simple: playback of vinyl records has been refined; the best contemporary products are light years away from the first attempts. The second one, immediately following, is also clear: introducing the CD first ruined everything only to try to squeeze something out of it for the next thirty years. And when finally the CD let us hear things we have never dreamed of, the project seems to be coming to an end, being replaced by high resolution files. I am convinced that it will take next dozen years to refine them, to refine their recording, mastering and playback before we can say that it is good. The most important, however, is the answer no. 1 – all that time we have been witnessing constant improvement of, ultimately, quite simple things. Such as tonearms, for example. Immediately, after the first few seconds of listening it does not seem fair to compare the Jelco against the Reed. The Japanese arm seems to sound as if it were broken. I exaggerate, of course; the SA-750LB is a good, relatively inexpensive product. It proves great in many turntables and offers a nice sound. Only that the 3P shows it its place. Straight up, with no foreplay. A characteristic feature of the sound we get with the Lithuanian arm is wholeness. The thing almost identified with turntables, yet not quite clear-cut as the vinyl apologists imagine. The Jelco arm, similarly to the SME M2-12 that I also had recently, seems bright and thin. Without a direct comparison one could swear that the Jelco sounds warm, smooth. And it really does, until one listens to the Reed, that is. The second element is sound definition, excellent with the 3P. I noticed something like that only with the SME V-12 and the 4Point from Kuzma. The 3P differs from both – for the worse – being less selective, but – on the plus side – showing an even better insight into the depth of sounds, in their differentiation at low levels. It is of little significance if we listen to original pressings, analog or digital reissues; both these attributes, that is fullness and definition, will order the whole presentation. And it is not easy to show both color and sound structure, with the tangible presence of musical instruments having "body", almost "fragrant", and to differentiate between them to such an extent that we SEEM to be listening to real musicians, not their mechanical playback. Mini-interview with… Vidmantas Triukas Wojciech Pacuła: Vidmantas, could you please introduce yourself to us? Vidmantas Triukas: I have been a radio engineer, working in hi-fi audio equipment field since 1985. Some of my works related to acoustics were rocket science, quite literally: I was working in scientific acoustic and ultrasound area, researching acoustical noise of plasma in long-range ballistic missiles, and have had three patented inventions in this field. In 1987, together with a few friends we built an “audio set”, consisting of a turntable, speakers and an amplifier, and presented it at the USSR’s largest technical achievement trade show in Moscow. For its various innovations (turntable motor automatic speed control, an amp with very low linear distortions etc.) it was awarded a bronze medal in the audio equipment category. After 1990 I started business in another area, however audio was still my passion all these years. In 2007 I decided to start high-end product business and after a year of continuous research, prototyping, design and testing I offered first Reed series tonearm. I have also been a very passionate art lover. In 1980 – 1982 I studied art history in Sankt Petersburg (then Leningrad). A few words about your team? During these five years in business our team grew from three to five people (not mentioning an accountant). Now we have a three-people engineering team headed by me, and two people working with sales and marketing. What are the technical principles behind your 3P tonearm and what’s most important about it in your opinion? The Reed 3P is our latest tonearm model. It has not only a VTA fine adjustment on-the-fly, but also features a unique possibility of adjusting azimuth while playing a record. An exciting thing about the azimuth adjuster is that during the adjustment process the cartridge “swings” around the stylus tip, hence keeping all other tonearm parameters intact. Another 3P’s innovation is its bearing system. Although the tonearm bearing system can be considered as a gimbal, it acts like a unipivot one. However, a major difference from a unipivot system is that instead of a single pivot I have used three pivots and both vertical and horizontal axis magnetic stabilizers. Such a bearing system is as rigid as gimbal, but its friction coefficient is as low as that in unipivot. To say it short, in the Reed 3P you can set up most of the tonearm's parameters (VTA, azimuth, anti-skating) on the fly, and due to its very sensitive bearing system you will not miss the slightest music tones. Why did you split with turntable.lt? According to our mutual agreement with Jonas (turntable manufacturer), we refrain to comment this decision. What are your future plans? We are currently working on a few new products, but unfortunately I cannot tell you more until the beginning of May, when we meet most of our partners at the annual Munich High-End. Please, understand me – I can't present any plans anywhere before announcing them to our distributors and dealers first. Vinyl is associated with a slightly softened sound, or so it seems to me; kind of friendly and "physiological". And rightly so, as it indeed is like that. However, if we deal with a high-end system (I'm talking about relative quality; it can be demonstrated at every price level) it appears that these are secondary elements; although they can be abstracted from the presentation, it is only volitionally, when we are very keen on that. Normally, they remain "under" the music, creating a new quality, characteristic of vinyl. Something many people would pay their last money for. The Lithuanian tonearm does not change the rules of the game; it uses them instead. The Reed 3P offers a big sound, with extremely low descending bass. And although, as I say, after listening carefully we can hear that its attack is rounded, that in the real world the double bass sounds more dull yet better defined, that the bass guitar with a large bass amp has a harder attack, and that the piano is more matte but has a "stiffer" attack transient, we are still left open-mouthed or with shivers on our back (depending on our experience with this type of sound), listening to each record, waiting for what’s coming next and how it’s presented. And after getting used to the presentation, we just listen to music in the comfort and confidence that finally we can hear what the sound engineer could have heard (a figure of speech, naturally, but quite helpful) in the studio. It was true with a digital remaster of Led Zeppelin recordings on the four-LP album Mothership, and with Sinatra’s voice on a mono LP with his recordings from the 1940s. What stood behind it, to a great extent, was coherence. It’s possible to point out to higher midrange, where the attack is slightly hardened, as an element that could be improved (in absolute terms). There's always something you can improve. Sound coherence, however, was so impressive that even this element, usually irritating, here translated into higher dynamics, into an impression of explicitness and emphasis, better selectivity, without the annoying impression that something is not right with the sound. Conclusion Tonearms are only a part of the system that together make up something called a turntable. On the one hand, it needs to be equipped with an appropriate cartridge, on the other it has to be mounted on a high-quality base, whose main task is to spin the platter with the greatest possible precision and the least vibration and noise. The arm acts as a go-between in that trio – in itself it has no direct contact with the record. That is the role of the platter and the cartridge. Yet its impact on the turntable sound cannot be overestimated. It is its quality that defines what kind of sound we get. At the same time it seems that ideally it should "disappear" from the audio path. It is a known truism, repeated about each component of the audio system. There is, however, a lie in such a declaration, a kind of original sin that consists in pretending that something like "disappearance" is at all possible. In reality, each and every component changes the sound in its own, characteristic way. Still, the best ones can do it in such a way as to complement the whole system and to "disappear" by supporting the others and hiding in their shadow. The Reed 3P tonearm has its own sonic character. Its sound is slightly warm in the lower parts of treble and a little harder in upper midrange. However, it has an uncanny ability to "blend" with cartridges and turntables. It highlights their rich tonal palette and dynamics. Its differentiation is outstanding and only the two tonearms I mentioned (the SME and the Kuzma) can do it slightly better. The combination of some softness, or perhaps better to say some culture, and high resolution of the Reed 3P is truly unique. The bass reaches extremely deep and has a very good definition, which has the additional effect of "scale". Although it seems delicate, in its sound there is no deceptive airiness, which is usually nothing more than lightness and the lack of "basis". Here, everything serves the higher goal of neutrality combined with naturalness. The Reed 3P is a wonderful example of a successful marriage of design, technology and sound. You can fall in love with and become addicted to it.

Published: 6. May 2013, No. 109 "What should turntable look like" – have you ever asked yourself that question? I bet that most of you have not. The reason is that into our mind has been encoded its "iconic" shape deriving from the 1970s design, popularized by several companies, including Linn. It is a rectangular, not particularly high plinth, with a tonearm mounted in its back right corner, a platter in its center, and a motor in the left rear corner. Details and cosmetics may vary, but even such a design outline, glanced at in a picture, will tell us what it is. However, audio is an area of research and experiments where everything is permitted, provided it leads to the stated goal: a better sound and/or appearance. Hence, we will come upon a variety of shapes, solutions; different types of sound. Even when it comes to the top products. Or rather, especially in their case. "XL" as in "Extra Large", "Z" as in "Zebrano" - two of the three products listed in this review carry such suffixes. Just add "4Point" to that and we will have a full set. Each of them describes the key design feature of the particular model: the “XL” speaks of the large size and weight of the turntable, the “Z” of the type of wood (Zebrano), of which the cartridge body is made, and the “4Point” describes the four-point, unique way of supporting the unipivot-type tonearm, designed by Franco Kuzma, a Slovenian, the owner of the company bearing his name. The reviewed turntable is absolutely amazing - just one look is enough to get an idea about its external design. It is extremely heavy – no less than 77 kg without a tonearm – and fantastically manufactured. Driven by two synchronized motors, it arrived equipped by the Polish distributor with the 4Point Kuzma tonearm and the Benz Micro Ruby Z cartridge. The whole sets you back over 130,000 PLN (40,000 USD) and is an example of the true pinnacle of turntable technology. Let me stop here; it's time to audition it. Kuzma in “High Fidelity” Kuzma REFERENCE + STOGI REF 313 VTA + KC 2, see HERE Kuzma STABI S + PS + STOGI S 12 VTA see HERE SOUND A selection of records used during auditions Air, Love 2, Archeology/The Vinyl Factory, 6853361, 180 g, 2 x LP (2009/2011). Andreas Vollenweider, ”Caverna Magica”, CBS/veraBra Records, 25 265, “Halfspeed Mastered”, LP (1983). Bill Evans, Bill Evans Live at Art D’Lugoff’s Top of The Gate, Resonance Records, HLP-9012, 45 rpm, 180 g, 3 x LP (2012). Bing Crosby, Greatest Hits, MCA Records, MCA-3031, LP (1977). Brendan Perry, Ark, Cooking Vinyl, VIN180LP040, 180 g, 2 x LP (2011). Buck Clayton, How Hi The Fi, Columbia/Pure Pleasure, PPAN CL567, 180 g, 2 x LP (1954/2006). e.s.t., Leucocyte, ACT Music + Vision, ACT 9018-2, 180 g, 2 x LP. John Coltrane, Giant Steps, Atlantic/Rhino Entertainment, R1 512581, “Atlantic 45 RPM Master Series”, 45 rpm, 180 g, 2 x PL (1960/2008). John Lennon, Imagine, Capitol Records/EMI, 887316, BOX: Imagine + Imagine Sessions, 180 g, 2 x LP (1963/2012). Kankawa, Organist, T-TOC Records, UMVD-0001, “Ultimate Master Vinyl”, No. 102/300, 45 rpm, 200 g, 4 x LP (2010); reviewed HERE. Keith Jarrett, The Survivors’ Suite, ECM Records, ECM 1085, LP (1977). Kraftwerk, Autobahn, Klink Klang Produkt/EMI Records, STUMM 303, 180 g, LP (1974/2009); reviewed HERE. Metallica, Master of Puppets, Asylum Records/Warner Music Group, 49868-7, “45 RPM Series, 180 g, 2 x LP (1986/2008). Miles Davis, Miles Davis and The Modern Jazz Giants, Prestige/Analogue Productions, AJAZ 7150, “45 RPM Limited Edition #0706”, 180 g, 2 x LP (1959/2006). The All Star Percussion Ensemble, con. Harold Farberman, Golden String /First Impression Music, GS LP 001-LE, “First 1000 Pressings”, 200 g, LP (2011). Thelonious Monk and Gerry Mulligan, Mulligan Meets Monk, Riverside/ Analogue Productions, AJAZ 1106, “45 RPM Limited Edition #0584”, 180 g, 2 x LP (1957/?). Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Autumn in Seattle, First Impression Music, FIM LP 004-LE, “First 1000 Pressings”, 200 g, LP (2011). Zakir Husain, Making Music, ECM 1349, LP (1987). "Abandon hope all ye who enter here: you shall pay for it" – I would actually see that kind of inscription above the entrance to any audio salon and on the cover of every audio magazine and each book on audio. Here, you pay for everything, both literally and figuratively. There is no such thing as high-end on the budget, or high end without compromises for that matter. The only difference between the budget and the high end products, both in terms of purchase cost and the cost of selection, is the difference of scale. Everything else is exactly the same. Let us repeat: luxury goods, especially luxury audio products are very expensive. Ideally, all of that is combined with high end sound and manufacturer’s own idea of what it is supposed to be. That is why I was not particularly bothered by the high price tag of the system I was auditioning. I could see its "material" worth, as well as its technological and sonic value. All of that on the relatively small area of my Base IV rack shelf. A classic audiophile cliché says that softly suspended turntables (with decoupled sub-chassis) sound soft, warm, while those without decoupled sub-chassis, ordinary high-mass turntables (since that's still the best way vibration damping) are characterized by a contour sound. Indeed, listening to turntables from Linn or AVID partially confirms that. But what to make of SME products (e.g. the 20/3, see HERE) and the Reference model from Kuzma (see HERE), both decoupled designs, yet sounding nothing like the above associated stereotype? And what about the reviewed system with the Kuzma Stabi XL2 in the main role, which sounds both as a high-mass and decoupled design? It simply has to be carefully, painstakingly described. The very first impression one has listening to the Kuzma, an “anterior” impression, if I may say so, is peace. Have you perhaps ever had a feeling of a weight being lifted off your back, of a situation, music, or a particular person that let you suddenly breathe freely? Without previously realizing that you were weighed down. Colloquially, we say that "a load was taken off our mind" which describes the kind of situation I just referred to. We feel a surge of relief and happiness. And we’re sad that we wasted so much time being weighed down. Listen to music on the Kuzma XL equipped with the 4Point tonearm and the Ruby cartridge is such “taking off a load”. It is peace. Wholeness. Inner freedom. These are not contrived epithets, dug out of the drawer to “let the poetry flow”, but a literal record of what I felt listening first to *Ark** by Brendan Perry, followed by Kraftwerk’s *Autobahn** and other albums, including *Master of Puppets** by Metallica. A breath in the Kuzma’s sound is impressive and addictive. Additionally, coupled with a complete irrelevance of things like travel noise, pops and clicks and other forms of distortion resulting from the Long Play format. All of that is, of course, audible since there is no such thing as a "noiseless" stylus. However, in the best designs these distortions are not directly related to the music. It is very easy to single out which is the microphone noise, which is the noise of air in the recording studio or of master tape, and which comes from the playback system. Their characters differ significantly from each other and that is how we perceive them - as if they were located in other planes. Listening to even old records on the Kuzma does not pose any problem. The turntable does not mask their flaws, although it can be a way to get rid of them. I have heard a few turntables that, starting from it, do more than a simple "masking". The Kuzma shows EVERYTHING; no masking, no withdrawing, no pretending. However, since it does that at such a high level and it’s sound is so incredibly clean, i.e. uncolored and undistorted, it is music information that becomes most important and we focus on it, hearing everything else "in passing" and hence interpreting it as less important, or altogether irrelevant. That is how we perceive that sound on any audio system, no matter whether ultra-precise, or warm; in a listening room that masks the details, or rather tend to show them. I conducted the first listening sessions on headphones, staying deep into the night, trying to adapt to that sound and enjoying to discover things I’d never heard before. Anyone who has tried listening to the turntable in this way knows that cracks and noise can destroy every second of listening and effectively discourage to using headphones. Perhaps that is why there are so few fans of this kind of systems among the "analogue crowd", and so many among the owners of digital sources. With the Kuzma, the comfort of listening on a very selective system with the Sennheiser HD800 and the modified Leben CS-300 XS [Custom Version] amplifier was incredible. I'm not saying as good as with a digital source, because it may have been even better. Both the turntable’s and the cartridge’s individual characters were manifested more clearly than on the speakers, which makes it even more important to answer the question whether it is also our ideal sound and whether we share Franc Kuzma’s opinion about high-end. Audiodesksysteme Gläss Vinyl-Cleaner Vinyl record is – in reality – a large, flat plate made of vinyl with many small grooves. A plate that collects dust better than a vacuum cleaner. Gathering in the grooves, it is the main source of annoying cracks and noise, additionally deteriorating the sound quality. Roy Gandy, the owner of Rega, used to say for years that the best way to get rid of dust is listening to the record; since dust catches hold of the stylus, the latter perfectly pulls it out of the groove and thus cleans the record. Gandy is the source of several other controversial opinions, but this one seems to me the most bizarre. And that's because I know the sound of a record that has not been cleaned, whether old or new, and one that underwent such treatment. There is actually no comparison. To clean the records, for a long time I used the very simple, inexpensive, really cool Okki Nokki from RCM (see HERE). If anyone thinks of a serious listening to vinyl, this is the cheapest, reasonable option. Noisy as a big old vacuum cleaner, time-consuming, and requiring constant attention from us - but it works. However, if we have more money or less time, which tend to go together, we need to think about something else. There is a large selection of products out there and everyone should look for a cleaner for his or her own audio system the same way one looks for the next audio component. It has to fare well in practice, needs to look good and be up to the tasks required of it. The most important task is of course the best possible cleaning of records; others, however, may differ. For me, equally important as the final result were ease of use and time savings. It costs 3,000 euro (which is a lot), is small (which is good), not particularly pretty (one can get over it), almost maintenance-free (Hallelujah!) and gives great results – it is Vinyl-Cleaner from German Audiodesksysteme. My new record cleaner. When in 2006, in my report of Munich High End (see HERE) I wrote about the CD-Sound Improver, a machine for trimming and beveling the CD’s uneven edge, the invention of Messrs. Reiner Gläss and Erich Schrott, I knew it was something special. The idea did not come out of nowhere, and was the result of research of Dr. Schrott, a biochemist by profession. A special blade bevels the CD edge at a 36 degree angle, so that the laser beam is refracted at the edge instead of being reflected back into the body of the disc; trimming additionally reduces disc’s eccentricity. This invention is now used by many record companies to prepare their masters, including the madmen from T-TOC. While one can argue about the results of such treatment, the effects of the other key product from the Germans (they also offer on request Disc Cleaner for CDs), the Vinyl Cleaner, are much easier to understand. Vinyl Cleaner looks like a cuboid positioned upright on its narrow side, with a slot on the top where you insert the record, and a window on the side, showing the amount of cleaning liquid in the tray. You slip in the record, press the button and sit back and relax. The cleaner takes care of the rest: the vinyl is rotated, cleaned simultaneously from both sides, dried, and then exposed to ultrasound. Well, you can’t really say that it’s “just another” record cleaner: the ultrasound treatment eliminates the smallest particles of dust, usually hidden deepest and most difficult to remove mechanically. This is one of the best audio related tools that I have at home. I do not need to spend much time on it or care about anything, and my records are perfectly clean. The only problem is its availability. Polish distributor, Eter Audio, has long tried to buy a review sample – to no avail. All the cleaners straight after arriving have been sent to eagerly waiting audiophiles and there has been no chance of a review sample. Each cleaner is manufactured in Germany for a particular customer and the manufacturer cannot increase production output while maintaining the same high exacting standards. The difficulties in obtaining a review sample from Audiodesksysteme Gläss have also been mentioned by Michael Fremer in his review of the cleaner (see HERE). I was left with nothing other than to order one for myself, after a short demonstration in the Nautilus audio salon, just before the cleaner was snatched by a lucky customer. I waited just over two months and here it is, made especially for me, beautiful; it works fantastic. The Vinyl-Cleaner. The XL has its "own" sound. The idea of the "absolute sound" is maybe pretty, catchy, and fun, yet completely untrue. Actually, it is misleading. For me, the ideal sound is one that is closest to my notion of the live sound in combination and confrontation with my experience of the sound reproduced at home. Therefore, a given product’s “sonic signature”, including ultra-high end products, is something perfectly normal for me. The Kuzma does everything that is expected of a turntable from that level, and does it perfectly. But it does it in its own special way. What may be surprising is that its sound is fundamentally, completely different than that of the Reference. And that it is exactly the same sound as that of the basic Kuzma Stabi S, driven to the extreme. Even though at first it may seem strange, even disturbing, perhaps. After all, how it is possible that the manufacturer offering, for a long time, no more than three models of turntables (at High End Munich 2012 a fourth model, the Stabi M, was shown; see HERE) have not been able to maintain some consistency of its offer? Knowing Mr. Kuzma, knowing his products and the underlying technical assumptions that he followed in his designs, I know that this question does not make sense. And that his concern has always been to use the fullest potential of his each turntable design. What then to make of the Stabi S, a relatively inexpensive turntable, being the prototype for the Stabi XL sound? Thinking more about it, it turns out to be the only possible logic; that starting with some assumptions, using similar materials and bringing it all to a higher level, we get a development of the basic idea. All the more so that the sound of the basic turntable design offered by the Slovenian manufacturer is excellent. For a long time I’ve been thinking to buy it for my reference system. Eventually, after many conversations with various manufacturers, grumbling about a "price mismatch" (what a nonsense, by the way! Each time I ask them which matters more, the price or the sound quality and synergy, they swear it's the latter. And then they ask about the price – you can go nuts! In the end I had no more energy to explain and I just gave up) I decided to get something else. Maybe one day I will come back to this idea. The Stabi S is such an ingeniously simple design, yet so fantastically developed, with the idea behind it so nicely executed that I cannot resist. Maybe one day. Turntables tend to be capricious. Their sound changes, often without any apparent reason, from day to day, often from record to record. Some of them need frequent tweaking and adjustments, in other words they require our time and attention. It's quite cool; after all they are our "toys" and their maintenance is a part of audiophilism. However, I am of the opinion that the more time we spend on the equipment, the less we have it for the music. If I have to make a choice, I always choose the music. Hence, the Stabi XL seemed to me like a dream come true for a maintenance-free, even, always-the-same turntable; a solid turntable. Saying ‘solid’ I mean both the manufacturing quality and the sound. Its sound is very precise. Unlike the Reference model, however, it also has body and bass. Lots of bass, actually. The advantage of mass loaded turntable designs is their ability to reproduce very deep bass, properly differentiated, and thus setting the whole tonal character on a solid foundation. I have only once heard at home something similar to the reviewed turntable, with the six times more expensive Argos from Transrotor (see HERE). Even the SME 20/3, truly unique in this respect, did not sound with such authority, nor had it such "weight" in each tone. Treble is, on the one hand, ultra-precise, on the other it is rich and not thinned out in any way. Similarly to the low notes, the highs are also well differentiated in time, color, and space. They do not draw attention to themselves, although they are not just "complementary" to midrange, either. That is not the kind of turntable that favors midrange. Actually, it does not "favor" anything and I cannot pinpoint any particular element that might seem emphasized. All sub-ranges are very even and precisely delivered. If I were to point to something that "sets" that sound, it would be an ultra-fast transient response and a very clean sound attack. Even the best turntables from other manufacturers, at least the ones I've heard, are not able to deliver that in such a clear way. In a cheap turntable it could turn into emphasizing the attack, at the cost of a thinned out body. I know it and don’t like it. I understand the designers going for this type of sound, because in live music the aspect of dynamics and immediacy of sound is probably the most important; that is what makes us know that we listen to a "live" event. Its 1:1 transfer home is impossible. And when it’s emphasized, the resulting presentation usually comes out dry and devoid of "body". Ugh! The XL sound has fantastic body. The bass has a proper weight, and is differentiated both coloristically and dynamically. There is no question of it being thinned out. Yet it is the attack that has priority. You can hear it in the clarity of sound, its differentiation, in the ability to show the aspects of recordings that often get lost elsewhere in the mass of more important detail and information. Small signals – for that’s what I’m talking about – are in this design as important as large ones. Perhaps that’s why the dynamics of recordings is so deadly, so natural. I know what I'm saying. Listening to the ECM recordings, the label that brought this aspect to perfection, but also the 200 gram vinyl issue of Winston Ma’s album *The All Star Percussion Ensemble** I probably heard for the first time so good transient response in a sound playback device. Almost as good as what I hear when I soundboard live percussion. The attack on home systems is often blurred, indistinct. We got used to it, assuming, perhaps subconsciously, that it should be like this and that’s it. The Kuzma, however, shows that something can be done about it and that the music is mostly a temporary aspect, and if the signal attack is slow, softened, then we have something like – excuse my comparison – analog jitter. It was quite fresh in mind as just a few days before the turntable arrived and was set up at my place (the people from RCM, Polish distributor of Kuzma, do everything for me, I just sit back with folded hands; I like that approach :) I’d soundboarded a small band in Krakow’s Rotunda club; just a keyboard, acoustic guitar, eight singers, violin, bass and drums. In order not to unnecessarily complicate the matters, we decided, together with Martin whom you may know from the Krakow Sonic Society meetings, to mic up the drum kit with three microphones – a dynamic mic for the kick drum and two capacitive mics to pick up the snare, the toms and the cymbals. Normally, each drum shall be captured by a dedicated microphone, but we went for simplicity and the best possible consistency of sound. The sound of snares grabbed by capacitive microphones is excellent. The thing is that they are easy to overdrive, but I have no problem with that as color is more important to me. But it was the attack transients that were shown fantastically. The Kuzma hinted at something similar. And it did it the best of all the turntables I'd heard in my system. Soundstage was unbelievable, too. Large, expansive and well ordered. Nearer – further away, warmer – colder; all depending on how it was set by the sound engineer. Equally important was also the natural size of the instruments, and their volume. Turntables tend to show large phantom images with ease, presenting big vocals, instrument bodies; they, however, often only "work their magic", inflating the sound so it seems spacious. The reviewed turntable showed perfectly defined edges, so there was no "inflating". And yet the records sounded spectacular, making the speakers "disappear" and bringing over the original sound and acoustics to our room. Conclusion The theoretical notion of perfection, defined as "disappearing" from the audio system, both in terms of sound and of appearance, is always tested and modified by reality. Therefore, the best products should be perfectly manufactured, have an interesting, quality external design and what’s more, sound perfect. While the first demand is universal and 'better' will simply always mean 'better', the looks and the sound are the areas subject to all kinds of interpretation. As a high end product, the Kuzma Stabi XL has a strong "personality". It has a well contoured sound, precise, and perfectly differentiated (at all levels). The turntable delivers a strong, deeply extended and exceptionally well-controlled bass, differentiated midrange and full-bodied treble. Discussing particular sonic sub-ranges seems a little far-fetched in this case since everything sounds very even. Resolution and selectivity are at the reference level. My personal ideal is a combination of AVID’s and SME’s sound, hence – again, for me – the Kuzma turntable is a little too controlled, leaving no room for some freedom. A paradox? Well, yes; although in audio we aim to keep all sonic aspects under control, music requires something more; something that while being a departure from the theoretical ideal of perfection, allows to convey more feeling, emotion and mood. The XL does it all extremely well, indeed. Listen to it in a quality audio system, and you will not be able to think of anything else for a long time. However, one should know his or her own expectations, because only then we will get a perfect synergy between the product and ourselves. With Franc Kuzma’s turntable it is simple inasmuch as we deal with an outstanding product, backed by an exceptional man. An XL size man. DESIGN Stabi XL Stabi XL looks like a small turntable, but its weight, 77 kg, says it all. It occupies a small area, being extended vertically instead - it could be a very tasty way to distribute the weight close to the axis of the support plate. An unusual solution is mounting the tonearm on the tower that is mechanically connected with the platter only by means of the surface on which they are both placed. They are usually coupled together as closely as possible. Here it has been effected by the components weight. The tonearm tower is truly massive. Made of brass components, it houses a brilliant tonearm lift mechanism (VTA adjustment), based on an ultra-precise bearing. Height adjustment is via a knob on the side, controlled on an electronic gauge with a 0.01 mm accuracy. The main bearing is seated on the heaviest turntable component, a massive base made of solid brass. It consists of two round slabs – a wider bottom and a narrower top, pressed together so that they look like one. The idea was to keep the mass as close as possible to the platter support. The bearing has an inverted design, with a spindle shaft more than 2.5 cm in diameter, tipped with a ruby ball. A large aluminum sub-platter with an even thicker shaft, about 5 cm in diameter, is fitted snugly onto the spindle shaft. On top of the sub-platter rests the platter. It has a sandwich design, with three aluminum plates separated by acrylic layers, all firmly screwed together and topped with a mat of textile and rubber, being an integral part of the platter. The record spindle is made of steel, with a pointed end. A heavy, brass screw-on clamp perfectly secures the LP and flattens its surface against the platter. The reviewed version is sometimes called the XL2, because it employs two motors. One can also order a four-motor version – its base look slightly different and the motors will extend beyond the platter outline. The two-motor version looks much more shapely. The motor assemblies are nestled into the base’s milled curved cutouts. These are not run-of-the-mill assemblies – they are made of solid brass that perfectly absorbs vibration. Each motor shaft has two stacked pulleys that drive two flat belts. The belts are looped around the sub-platter and the pulleys that tension the belts on both sides. The motors are controlled and synchronized by an outboard power supply. Its front panel sports an indicator showing the selected speed, which can be changed in steps, or finely adjusted. 4Point 4Point is an unusual arm - although it is a unipivot design, it is supported at four points. To increase stability and improve resonance control, horizontal and vertical oil damping has been used. The armwand has a tapered profile. Arm wiring is via a stretch of silver wire from the cartridge clip to the DIN connector. Connection cable is made of the same wire, terminated with RCA Bullet plugs in a silver version. Although the arm has the length of 11", mounting distance is like for 9" arms, which is Kuzma’s trademark. The arm has an integrated great VTA adjusting mechanism that we do not, however, use in this case. The counterweight is made up of two parts, mounted on two threaded shafts. The larger, bottom one is used as the main counterweight, to establish the arm’s basic balance, including the cartridge weight. The actual VTF is set by the upper, much smaller counterweight. Specification (according to the manufacturer) Stabi XL Turntable weight: 77 kg Dimensions: 450 x 400 x 300 mm Rotary Speed: 33/45 rev. / Min Engine: 2 x 24-pin 4Point Effective Length: 280 mm Mounting distance 212 mm Overhang: 14.6 mm Offset: 19.50 ° Effective mass: 14 g VTA adjustment so (on the fly) HTA control: yes Total weight: 1650 g Ruby Z Output voltage: 0.35 mV Diameter of support: fi 0.28 mm Needle: MicroRodge Coil (Cross): core Hybrid Magnet Needle Size: 3 x 60 microns Impedance: 38 Ω Load Impedance:> 400 Ω Weight: 10.6 g Compliance: 15 um / mN Force: 1.8-2.2 mm Channel balance: 0.5 dB Channel separation: 42 dB (measured) Distribution in Poland RCM S.C. 40-077 Katowice | ul. Matejki | Polska tel.: 32/206 40 16 | 32/201 40 96 | fax: 32/253 71 88 e-mail: rcm@rcm.com.pl www.rcm.com.pl

Published: 4. June 2013, No. 109 The whole story began over a year ago, when I was preparing materials for another, perhaps already seventh, annual "Japanese" issue of "High Fidelity" (all previous "High Fidelity" issues are available under the "Archive" tab). I asked for help Mr. Yoshi Hontai, of whom I had once written so there is no need to introduce him. Together with his son Elia, he made a few appointments for me with some completely unknown manufacturers from his home country, still full of secrets. This is how I came across products from Audio Replas, fo.Q, SAEC, Air Cable (Okutsu Denko Co.) and the first classic product from SPEC Corporation, the RSA-V1 amplifier (see HERE). A few months after the review, I received a very nice letter from Mr. Shirokazu Yazaki, chief SPEC designer, in which he thanked me for accurate observations and shared his experiences. He also sent a brief report of a New Year's Eve meeting, during which together with his friends he auditioned his latest design – a tube amplifier of his own design, based on very exotic tubes from Western Electric that he made for his friend (see HERE.) Thus began our e-mail friendship. It is unusual to find a person separated from us by thousands of miles, from a completely different culture, with different professional experience, yet with whom we share a similar sensibility, similar tastes and views! After a while, an idea of a phono reference preamplifier began to crystallize: 31.01.2013 Wojtek-san, I just written how was the New Year's party. I wish if you were there!!! And one more information, we will release a new product, high quality phono-equalizer REQ-77S for our domestic market tomorrow. Please wait for the detail. 12.02.2013 Let me show you some photos of our new product, REQ-77S. For European model, I would like to modify or improve the sound with more rich mid to low range from our domestic model. So the model number should be changed. Please look forward to hearing the sound of the phono-equalizer with very simple circuit and full of desirable parts. 06.04.2013 We improved the sound of REQ-S1 compared to REQ-77S our domestic version because of the sensitive hearing of European people like you. I wish you could find and feel the performer's mind & soul with our S1. About our REQ-S1 I would like to make it clear that we adopted newest devices, ultra low noise and high gain operational amplifiers within very simple circuitry, but the circuit become more simple we are able to hear easily the differences of the passive parts, such as capacitor and resistor. And so we could find the best parts for our target. This fact is just same as our class-D amplifier and RSP-501EX. Put simply, the experiences of development, class-D amplifier and RSP-101, 301, 501EX led to REQ-S1. 20.04.2013 Let me send you our brochure of REQ-S1EX. I suppose you could find another features of REQ-S1EX. About the power supply we adopted newest SIC (silicon carbide) diodes. These diodes, also used in RSA-M3EX at the same timing are free from switching noise and have the excellent sound character such as transparent mid to high end above all rich and powerful mid to low end. Regards, Shirokazu Yazaki SPEC CORPORATION / Engineering The REQ-77S was launched for sale in Japan in March 2013, and its European version, the REQ-1S EX in April of this year. Our review unit comes with the serial number 0001, so we deal with the world premiere. It should be added that at Munich the manufacturer will show its new, mass loaded AP-5 turntable (we are the first to show its illustrations). SPEC in “High Fidelity” REVIEW: SPEC RSA-V1 – integrated amplifier, see HERE SOUND A selection of recordings used during auditions Bill Evans, Selections from Live at Art D'Lugoff's Top Of The Gate, Resonance Records, HLT-8012, Limited Edition #270, blue vax 10” LP (2012). Cannonball Adderley, Somethin’ Else, Blue Note/Analogue Productions, AP-81595, “The Blue Note Reissuses, 45 RPM Special Edition #2468”, 45 rpm, 180 g, 2 x LP (1958/2008). Clifford Brown and Max Roach, Study In Brown, EmArcy/Universal Music Japan, UCJU-9072, 180 g LP (mono). Depeche Mode, Delta Machine, Columbia, 460631, 180 g, 2 x LP (2013). Eva Cassidy, Songbird, Blix Street Records/S&P Records, S&P-501, 180 g, LP (1998/2003). Keith Jarrett, The Survivors’ Suite, ECM Records, ECM 1085, LP (1977). OMD, Dazzle Ships, Virgin Records, 205 295-320, LP (1993). Talk Talk, Spirit of Eden, Parlophone/EMI, PCSDX 105, 180 g LP + DVD 24/96 (1988/2012). The Cure, Disintegration, Fiction Records, 532 456-3, 180 g, 2 x LP (1989/2010). The Montgomery Brothers, Groove Yards, Riverside/Analogue Productions, AJAZ 9362, “Top 100 Fantasy 45 Series”, 45 rpm, 180 g, 2 x LP (1961/?). Tingvall Trio, Skagerrak, Skip Records, SKL 9057-1, “Limited Edition”, 180 g, LP (2006). Tommy Schneider & Friends, The Hidden Port, Kolibri Records, No. 12001, 180 g, LP (2012). Wes Montgomery & Wynton Kelly Trio, Smokin’ At The Half Note, Verve/Universal Music K.K. [Japan], UCJU-9083, 180 g LP (1965/2007). Yaz, Upstairs at Eric's, Warner Bros. Records/Mobile Fidelity, MOFI 1-020, "Silver Label", "Special Limited Edition No. 2044", 150 g LP (1982/2012). Zakir Husain, Making Music, ECM 1349, LP (1987). Shirokazu Yazaki is a man who knows what he wants. He's an engineer, chief designer at SPEC Corporation and in his work he is guided by an ethos of logic he learnt (I assume) at college. However, unlike many of his colleagues, also in Europe, he is not its hostage. Or rather, he is guided by logic adapted to the conditions and the material he deals with. And that is MUSIC, which in turn requires thinking outside the box, going beyond the confines of academic knowledge, often quite dull, I must say, when it comes to coping with the things that are difficult to measure and that need to be worked out with the most sensitive instrument – human ear. In their pursuit of truth, a music truth or an internal logic of tracks played and listened to at home, the designers are doomed to working out compromises and making choices. This is how it was, it is and it will be – no inventions, technologies and techniques will change that. Mr. Yazaki knows this very well. I can hear it using his products, I can feel it listening with their help to music; I can hear and understand it. The reference sound for this Japanese designer are tube devices, including tubes from Western Electric – rather more exotic types, but also 300B. This is how he tunes his class D amplifiers and this is how he tuned the sound of the REQ-1S EX preamp. In absolute terms, if we were to distance ourselves for a while from the music and concentrate on the sound, its sound is quite warm, with limited selectivity. This is not a "tool" to analyze the recordings, various pressings or versions. Although it shows a lot of information, it does it "along the way"; all these elements are in the background. You can hear them, sometimes they even manifest themselves but they do not come to the foreground nor are even comparable to the main presentation. Example? - First that comes to mind: the preamp makes the recordings somewhat similar to each other by rounding the attack and deepening the sound. These two features give the impression of "warming". Yet there is no warmth, really, because it's hard to say that any part of the frequency range has been emphasized. The vocals and other instruments, operating in a similar range, are not brought forward or exposed. The mix is always even and the distance from the listener, the presentation of a given instrument depends primarily on the invention of sound and mastering engineers. Still, despite the fact that in comparison with an RCM Audio preamplifier the SPEC DOES sound warm and not very selective, all through the audition it was obvious that it has an inclination towards, a sort of "weak spot" for the records pressed from analog master tapes, not digital. Even if the latter were recorded in 24/96 or even 24/192 resolution. The difference between them was not clear at first, in that it was not about color, not even a resolution, at least not directly. Good productions of this type, i.e. from digital master tape, such as Making Music by Zakir Hussain from ECM, the new reissue of Spirit of Eden by Talk Talk, and The Doors box set, sound surprisingly convincing. They have a full sound and depth, with no trace of sharpening or brightening that may sometimes happen on an overly dry playback system. But it just takes listening to something analog from A to Z (actually, AAA), like the reissue of Groove Yard by The Montgomery Brothers and Somethin 'Else by Cannonball Adderley from Analogue Productions (45 rpm), or Study in Brown by Clifford Brown and Max Roach and Smokin 'At The Half Note Wes Montgomery, 200g vinyl Japanese pressings, to feel immediately what it is all about. We get a much deeper, smoother, slightly less muffled sound. The muffling I’m talking about doesn’t mean rolled-off, withdrawn treble. Such is SPEC’s nature and we get that with all records. It is something deeper. It is a feeling of "suppressing" the upper registers. I know this from auditioning speakers with poorly crossed over drivers or incorrect amount of damping material inside the cabinet. The vocal delivery of Mark Hollis, Talk Talk’s singer, warm, full, sensual, was shown in a slightly nasal way. Similarly sounded Alison Moyet's voice on the reissue of Upstairs At Eric's from Mobile Fidelity, and then the new, 180-gram vinyl version of Disintegration by The Cure. The same pattern repeated with each of these records: they sounded surprisingly nice, but the depth and the opening of the instruments were limited. However, this is not the only scheme governing that sound. It’s just that this one clearly shows the priorities of SPEC’s designers. Another indicator is the repertoire that is played. One of the axioms of the audio world, but the real audio world, not its part that only aspires to be "for real", is that the audio system should be universal. Audio equipment should sound equally well playing a large symphony orchestra and death metal Behemoth. There is truth in it. The same kind of truth as in the statement that audio equipment should not "interpret" the music and show exactly what was recorded on tape (disc, storage memory). In the real world, as such axioms relate more to the ideal world, the designer can choose between several equally attractive options. On one condition: it must lead to a better understanding of music, to its deeper experience. And so we connect music playback to the people – their preferences and beliefs. That applies both to the designing side – the engineer chooses the path he wants to follow, and to the listening side – the music lover must decide what he looks for in the listened-to music. Reviewing the REQ-1S EX, I had no trouble finding the answer: Yazaki-san is looking for the truth about music performance. To explain that, I must first say a few words about a debate on the superiority of one truth over the other, a debate as old as hi-fi itself. The question one needs to answer is of philosophical nature: should the designer attempt to bring the sound as close as possible to what we know from live performance, or should he rather be concerned with maximal accurate rendition of what has been recorded. Although it may seem otherwise, these are two completely different entities. In the first case, the recordings are somewhat uniformized as the character of audio equipment is "imposed" on them; in the second case we have a great differentiation of recordings, but also more problems carried over from the recording studio to our home. It would be best if the two could be reconciled, and actually in the absolutely top systems we have something of a "cease-fire" – both the one and the other remain in a delicate balance. In every other case, one of the sides needs to be chosen. The Japanese preamplifier joins the "live event" camp. It is best suited for albums relying on acoustic instruments, or electric ones recorded through miked-up guitar/organ amps. What we get then is a brilliant marriage of emotion and technique. The albums sound very smooth and coherent. The muffling of upper midrange, audible on recordings converted from digital sources, here is completely nonexistent. In absolute terms, the highs are rounded and the whole is rather warm. Yet we perceive it as advantages, not flaws. Although live instruments are more open and live soundstage is more expansive, the REQ-1S EX makes listening at home, guided by a different logic than live concert, richer, more "human" than "technical". Conclusion Listening to music through the Japanese preamp is like having a bath in essential oils, resting on silk sheets, sipping caffè latte somewhere in sunny Italy, drinking a mug of Paulaner in a small beer bar in the center of Munich (I have practiced the latter for years ...). An excellent balance between individual components, a conscious choice regarding the sound, clear views on technical matters and, last but not least, a fantastic man behind all that makes listening to music with the REQ-S1 EX in the system like meeting an old friend – a bit of nostalgia, curiosity, but also a renewed sense of security. Sounds modeled by this preamplifier are never unpleasant. It’s an obvious departure from objective neutrality. Nevertheless, they never change the heart of the matter – the presentation of music, its value and naturalness. Thanks to that, all albums recorded and mixed in the analog domain, especially featuring acoustic instruments, come out great. Other sound a bit worse but never bad; their "worseness" is a technical problem of their producer and record label, not SPEC’s or ours. But maybe these discussion are purely academic anyway, arising from the needs of the review concentrated on showing differences. Listened to day after day, the preamp need for comparisons. Yes, it is possible to offer a better resolution sound. I’m just not sure if that’s really what everybody needs. I think most of us would simply like to sit down and forget about the world. If that’s true, let's do it with the REQ EX-S1. TESTING METHODOLOGY The Japanese preamp was compared against the RCM Audio Sensor Prelude IC preamplifier. It was fed signals from three different turntables: the Kuzma Stabi XL2 with the Benz Micro Switzerland RUBY Z cartridge, the Dr. Feickert Blackbird equipped with the Reed 3P tonearm and the Kansui and Zero cartridges from Miyajima Lab, as well as the Dr. Feickert Firebird with the Dynavector DV509 Mk2 arm and the Dynavector XV-1 cartridge. The preamplifiers were placed directly on the Acoustic Revive RAF-48F isolation platform, and the power supply unit on the RST-38. It was powered by the Acrolink Mexcel 7N-PC9300 power cord. The testing had a character of a comparison, with individual tracks and whole albums being auditioned. I devoted a separate session to auditioning the preamp with the Phasemation EPA-007 balanced headphone amplifier and the HiFiMAN HE-6 headphones, running in balanced mode. DESIGN The full name of the reviewed preamplifier is the Designer Real-Sound Audio Phono Equalizer Amplifier REQ-S1 EX. The first part refers to a series of products, the second to a certain, developed technique and philosophy, the third to the type of equipment, and the fourth is the actual name. The unit is split into two enclosures – one houses the amplifying and equalizing circuit (PA-S1) and the other one the power supply (PU-S1). Both show a very meticulous build workmanship and are made of steel plates and a thick aluminum front. Underneath each enclosure is a screwed-on wooden plinth, forming a sort of anti-vibration platform, integrated with the device. Wood has been chosen intentionally; it has been prepared by Oak Village, a Japanese company specializing in wooden products, in keeping with the 1,300-year-old tradition of this country. The platform consists of four parts: a wooden plinth, made from smaller pieces glued together, and three shallow feet. Two feet are screwed on in the plinth’s cut-outs, the third one in the rear in a recess – they are simply differently mounted. It looks brilliant. PA-1S On the unit’s front panel there are four nice, big toggle switches with small LEDs in their tips. The first switch selects the type of phono cartridge (or actually inputs) – MM or MC. The second one activates a subsonic filter, cutting off frequencies below 20 Hz (7950 µs). This is a modification of the RIAA curve from 1972, often referred to as EIC RIAA, introducing to the curve a fourth correction point. The associated LEDs are green. The third switch activates a cartridge degaussing system. When activated, it sends a small current through the cartridge coil to demagnetize it. It is essential to make sure that our cartridge can undergo this process. Finally, near the right edge there is a mute switch. The two latter switches have red LEDs. All connectors that we see on the rear panel come from Swiss Neutrik (although made in Liechtenstein). There are separate inputs for MM and MC cartridges, with two golden-plated cap grounding connectors between them. Both have the same ground potential and we can use either one. Apparently, the designers’ idea was to enable connecting two cartridges at the same time, or – even more likely – a MC cartridge and a step-up matching transformer. Next to the MM input we have an input capacity switch with two positions, 100 pF and 0 pF, and next to the MC input an input impedance switch to select between 20 Ω and 200 Ω. The output can be achieved in two ways – either from unbalanced RCA connectors or from balanced XLRs. The signal to them runs separately via quite long wires, which suggests a balanced topology of the amplifying circuit. As it turns out, this is not the case; the circuit is unbalanced and only the XLR output is balanced and driven by a separate IC. Near the left edge there is one more 7-pin XLR connector to power the unit from the external power supply. All XLR connectors are gold-plated and the RCA connectors are rhodium-plated. The electronic circuit is mounted on a large PCB and a smaller auxiliary board with relays and mute circuit. As mentioned by Mr. Yamazaki, the ultra-simple circuit is based on ICs. The designer believes that only these are capable of matching the advantages of tubes, which is a rather isolated view (although Mr. Friedrich Schäfer from ASR says something similar), but the results speak for themselves. The assumption is that the cartridge should “see” the lowest possible impedance. Hence, the MC input stage is based on op-amps using bipolar transistors, working well with low level, low impedance input signal. The MM input stage features FET input op-amps, optimal for high impedance cartridges. That is why we have separate sections for MM and MC cartridges. The input signal gets to the first gain stage based on one of the two op-amps. The MM input is handled by Burr Brown OPA627AM and the MC by Linear Technology LT1115. The latter, according to the manufacturer, is the lowest noise op-amp currently in production. Then, via beautiful oil coupling capacitors from Arizona Capacitors we get to the equalizing circuit. Up to this point the signal from the MM and the MC inputs is handled independently, with an active input selected by an Omron relay. Frequency compensation is based on a RC circuit. It features the most beautiful resistors I have ever seen in audio equipment, just like the accompanying capacitors, again from Arizona Cap. The latter are manufactured to SPEC specification and bear its logo. They are bypassed with Bennic mica capacitors. The most important seems to be their small tolerance. The final gain stage is built on two more op-amps: International Semiconductors LME49860 and Burr Brown DRV134. The latter is a balanced line driver and it drives the XLR output. The coupling wires to the output connectors are quite long. Let me add at this place that all internal wiring uses Belden cables. There are plenty of them and they are run in bundles. Attention to star grounding is evident throughout. And one more thing: each possible component is wrapped in vibration damping material. Also, the whole inside surface of the top panel is covered with a kind of vibration-dampening mat, doubling as RF noise shielding. PU-S1 The power supply looks just as good as the amplifying unit, featuring the same casing and a nice front panel with the anti-vibration platform to boot. The front sports only one switch but it is one to behold: a toggle switch with locking mechanism. It looks superb! The rear panel features an IEC mains socket, a fuse and a power-out connector – another multi-pin XLR from Neutrik. As visible from the inside, the IEC socket has an integrated simple noise filter. As it might have been expected and as I know from a SPEC amplifier, the power supply is extremely complex. It is mounted on a large circuit board in the form of two separate sections for the left and the right channels. They are powered by a large R-core transformer from Kitamura Kaiden. Next to it is a smaller transformer, powering relays and LEDs in the main unit. The power supply powering the main amplification circuit could easily drive a medium-sized amplifier: it features discrete SIC type Schottky rectifying diodes and two large filter capacitors per channel. They are followed by Elna Silmic II capacitors and voltage controllers ICs. There are more Elna capacitors in the output, bypassed by large oil capacitors from Arizona Capacitors and Mallory. The latter brand is currently owned by Cornell Dubilier, another American specialist whose capacitors are used in components from e.g. Manley. All used oil capacitors are high voltage types (400 and 600 V). Excellent job!

Published: 4. June 2013, No. 109 I was meant to be the first to review this cartridge. I received the Zero from Miyajima Labs soon after it was designed and it was one of the first copies made. Housed in a small box, with a dedication to "High Fidelity" and an own stamp from Mr. Noriyuka Miyajima, it was waiting for a right time and a worthy environment to audition it. I felt safe. That is, until I realized that half a year had gone and I hadn’t even unboxed the cartridge, not to mention reviewing it. What eventually pulled me out of my stupor was a review of the cartridge penned by Michael Fremer and published in the March issue of "Stereophile" (vol.36 No. 3, March 2013). On the same day that I received my copy of the magazine, I organized a review that was finished two weeks later. Thus ends my belief that we have plenty of time; no, we don’t. The Zero is a mono design. It is not the first mono cartridge from Mr. Noriyuki and we previously reviewed the Premium BE. The Zero, however, is supposed to be the flagship model. Quite heavy, weighing 11.8 grams, it has a body made of African Blackwood. It has a different shape than stereo designs as its front is flat. It helps tremendously to set the azimuth which is very difficult with the Kansui, for example. Its design is a reflection of the philosophy of company’s owner, which I wrote about before. The cartridge’s needle pressure is up to us - literally. Manufacturer leaves us a wide margin of freedom, stating a range between 2g – 4.5g. Listening to multiple records it turned out that I got the best tracking, best color and weighing with the pressure of about 3.5g. The 0.7 micron needle is made of diamond and has a conical shape. And what about the name? Certainly, there is some reasonable explanation. Was it meant to refer to the Zero, the brilliant Japanese fighter of World War II? Probably not, but it would make sense to me. The cartridge is available in two versions - for LPs and for 78 rpm. Important: Do not play discs with Zero stereo! Miyajima Laboratory in “High Fidelity” REVIEW: Miyajima Laboratory KANSUI, see HERE REVIEW: Miyajima Laboratory SHILABE, see HERE REVIEW: Miyajima Laboratory WAZA + PREMIUM BE, see HERE. SOUND A selection of recordings used during auditions Billie Holiday, Lady Day, Columbia/Pure Pleasure, PPAN CL 637, 180 g, LP (1954/2010). Chico Hamilton Quintet, Chico Hamilton Quintet, Pacific Jazz, PJ-1209, LP (1955). Clifford Brown and Max Roach, Study In Brown, EmArcy/ Universal Music K.K., UCJU-9072, 200 g, LP (1955/2007). Dinu Lipatti 3, Werke von J.S. Bach und D. Scarlatti, EMI Electrola, 1 C 047-01 406 M, LP (?). Frank Sinatra, The Voice, Columbia/Classic Records, CL 743, Quiex SV-P, 180 g LP (1955/1999). J. S. Bach, Schweight stille, plaudert nicht, Archive Production, „IX Research Period”, ARC 3162, LP (1960). Julie London, Julie is her name… Vol. 1, Liberty, LRP 3006, LP (1955). Louis Armstrong, Louis Armstrong in Prague, Panton, Mono 8015 0075, LP (1980). The Doors, The Doors , Elektra/Rhino, RHI1 74881, “Vinyl Box”, 7 x 180 g, LP (1967-1971/2007). The Jazz Greats, Reeds – Part I, EmArcy, MG-36050, “Giants of Jazz. Volume III”, LP (?). In order to understand the phenomenon of mono cartridges you need to hear one of them. It does not have to be as sophisticated model as the ZERO; the simplest cartridge will do, provided it has been designed from the beginning to the end as a mono cartridge. Let me repeat: you need to hear it. I will try to introduce you to the kind of sound we get with these cartridges and how it differs from similarly priced stereo models from the same manufacturer, but please treat it as a guide, as an invitation to your own auditions. Reviews serve primarily as indicating the direction of search, are supposed to make you sensitive to certain things, the task of the reviewer is to find solutions; reviews, however, will never replace your own auditions. In the case of mono cartridges the matter is even goes deeper, to the more basic aspects. The problem is that few music lovers remember the sound of a monaural system. The vast majority were born in the stereo system era and knows no other reality. But even those whose first albums, first audio systems and hence cartridges were monophonic, and who are still active music lovers, audiophiles, have for years now been using stereo cartridges and – I bet – no longer remember how it once sounded. For we have an "imprinted" picture, a sort of "structure" of the sound played back at home, and this image is a stereo. The first contact with a good mono cartridge on a good turntable is shocking. Suddenly we realize so many new things, so different from what we’ve grown used to, that we can feel overwhelmed by this wealth. Key aspects of such audition immediately stand out but it is hard for us to evaluate them as we are busy with simple categorizing of new experiences. First – the volume of sound. Mono recordings from the 1950s and even early 1960s were the peak of mastery of sound engineers. They were always considered as the most important and were the focus of attention of their producer and recorded musicians. Stereo versions, prepared in parallel if at all, were treated as a backup, as a curiosity. That’s why good mono recordings are extraordinary! Due to their huge volume of sound. One might expect that mono sound played back from two speakers will be focused on axis and auditioning, and will be really tiny. It is not. Such sound fills the space between the speakers and if we play it for people unaware they are listening to a mono record they will not believe us if we tell them about it; so expansive is that sound and so incredibly full. Then – naturalness. The said fullness results in an impression of normalcy, of naturalness. Listening to Cry Me a River sung by Julie Garland on the original edition of her album Julie is Her Name Vol. 1 will leave us dumbstruck. The Miyajima cartridge allows conveying warmth and resolution to such degree that the same recording played back from a good HQCD seems pale, sickly thin. There's something about mono vinyl that just can’t be reproduced on CD. I remember auditions at Janusz’s, a member of the Krakow Sonic Society, when he was very much into vocal jazz from 1950s and I remember the amazing sound of good, mono CDs (almost exclusively Japanese mini LPs). But I have never heard anything like this. Next – dynamics. Vinyl record is considered by its supporters to be the champion in this respect. I have doubts about it as it’s not always the case. What played a major role in the shaping of popular opinion is the fact of psychoacoustic masking effects that occur in the LP format. It is known that mastering for vinyl uses heavy compression, otherwise it couldn’t be stored on the record. At the same time, however, I accept "by faith" what I have over and over again confirmed by subsequent auditions: vinyl seems to sound a whole lot more dynamic than a CD. Most CD players in this comparison sounds flat and boring, unfortunately. The Zero, the work of Mr. Noriyuka Miyajima, would be "Vinyl" in the above comparison and a classic stereo cartridge would be a digital player. I'm exaggerating? Maybe a little, but not too much. I compared head-to-head two versions of The Doors debut album released in a box set by Atlantic Records – mono and stereo. I paid a special attention to the track The End since I consider it the best on the album, but also as the closest track to the disc center it has the lowest linear speed (and thus quality). Stereo version is very endearing. It's just that mono blows it out of the water with its fullness, power and dynamics. The possibility of setting a higher needle pressure results in truly outstanding groove tracking. Classic 1.5g – 2g cartridges are not capable of that. Although good ones hold out nicely and don’t jump out of the groove on sudden transients, they compress the sound, nevertheless. Even the Kansui, which I compared with the Zero. With a cartridge of this quality, however, we get a physical transfer of sudden transients, with superb resolution and definition – these are again advantages of the Zero that I have never before heard in any mono cartridge. For at the end I need to say something about definition. Records released in the 1960s by Archive Production on heavy vinyl, prepared with great diligence, sound very good. With the mono cartridge they sound unique. We get clear imaging and accurate soundstage, even though there is no information about space that we are used to (stereophony is not natural but after adapting to it can convey a very credible soundstage). The sound is very distinct when needed, e.g. at cymbals opening album Study in Brown, and sometimes delicate, ethereal, like on the album by Dinu Lipatti playing Bach; it all depends on how they have been recorded. The ability to show differences between the two is much better with monophonic than stereo cartridges, and it is just brilliant with the Miyajima Zero. Its frequency response is very wide and low bass and upper treble are strong, "physical", more tangible than with stereo cartridges, even the best. Higher harmonics are outstanding and a cleanness of this frequency band is simply shocking even after very good cartridges. Here, there is additionally more depth and solidity of sound. Conclusion The combination of all the mentioned components results in the sound you will never forget. The Miyajima Labs Zero is a tool I would wish to all lovers of good music. It is the best mono cartridge I've ever heard and one of the best in general. It shows things one may have guessed but hardly ever experienced. It conveys a large volume of instruments in a dynamic way, with great definition. It is also incredibly effective in differentiating recordings. That helped me establish a certain hierarchy of pressings, undoubtedly familiar to many music lovers but for me so badly obvious for the first time. The best sounding are classic pressings from the 1950s followed by those from the 1960s. Even if they are a bit worn out, if cracks occur more often than we would like, they are amazing in showing the presence of vocals, instruments, and space. And cracks are not as troublesome as with stereo cartridges as they come only from the axis in front of us, never from the sides! The next in my hierarchy are re-editions by labels specializing in analog remastering, such as Analogue Productions, Pure Pleasure, and others. And at the end, re-editions of mono records coming from the 1970s. Regardless of pressing, the Miyajima offers big sound, meaty, dynamic, focused and well defined. A dedicated long tonearm with this cartridge or even a second dedicated turntable, just for it, seems to me something mandatory in advanced systems. DESIGN The Zero cartridge from Miyajima Laboratory has a unique design. Its inventiveness lies in a novel coil geometry. In most solutions on the market the cantilever with the stylus on one end and the coil on the other connects to the cartridge by means of a thin wire that keeps it close to the magnet behind the coil. Between the coil and the magnet sits a shock absorber made from an elastic material like rubber or silicon. This is not the best solution because the axis of the coil’s suspension and sweep is not in the center of the coil but moved back. The moving coil has to overcome the resistance of the wire which diminishes sensitivity and increases suspension inertia. Moreover, the coil wound around an iron core has to overcome additional attraction generated by the core in a strong magnetic flux. Miyajima champions another solution in which the cantilever is supported on a pin coming from the back magnet and tightened to the front yoke. Here the absorber is placed between the coil and the front yoke. The clear advantage of this solution is the support point for the cantilever. It's exactly in the coil’s axis. This allows for more effective transformation of movement to electric current. This type of suspension does not introduce additional resistance. It also has much lower inertia. The core of the coil is made from resin, which does not interfere with the magnetic flux. This avoids additional distortion. The Zero is a true mono cartridge, and not an adapted stereo design. Mr. Noriyuki Miyajima began his cartridge adventure just from mono cartridges. His first design appeared in 2002 and a stereo cartridge was developed only three years later. Specification (according to the manufacturer) Weight: 11.8 g Material: African Blackwood Needle pressure: LP version - 2.0 g - 4.5 g (3.5 g recommended) 78 rpm - 3.0 g - 5.0 g (4.0 g recommended) Impedance: approx. 6 Ω Output voltage: about 0.4 mV Compliance: about 8 × 10-6 cm / dyne Recommended operating temperature: 20-30° C (most suitable 25º C) Stylus shape: LP version - conical, 0.7 μm Version 78 rpm - conical, 3 μm Distribution in Poland Audio Classics tel.: 600 44 66 64 – sales tel. kom.: 500 291 856 – tech&faq e-mail: biuro@miyajima.pl www: audio-classics.pl

Published: 4. June 2013, No. 109 I am emotionally involved with Leben. Although I have never met its owner and founder, Mr. Taku Hyodo, on some level I feel I am a kind of his “follower”. For years, I have been using his devices, first the CS300 amplifier, then the CS300X, followed by the custom CS300X specially modified for me, which bears his dedication on the back. These are actually not the only Leben components I used, because for a long time the basis of my system had been the RS28CX preamplifier, very warmly remembered by me. As a matter of fact, I have never seen a Leben product that I would not like or would not understand. Naturally, I have my favorites, with my CS300X [Custom Version] leading the pack, however, the CS600P and the CS1000P power amplifiers were so interesting that were it not for space constraints, I would have bought one of them for myself. Leben is a small company. New products from that manufacturer appear relatively rare. The last to have reached us was the CS1000P power amplifier. Until now, that is. Behold, Mr. Hyodo decided to replace his biggest hit so far – the CS300XS, introducing in its place the CS300F. From the outside, it is hardly different from its predecessor: it is still a small device, measuring 360 x 270 x 140 mm and weighing just over 10 kg, with a small power pentode based push-pull output stage. However, while previously they were EL84 (Mullard [Version X] or Sovtek [Version XS]), now they are replaced by long-life General Electric JAN-6197 (6CL6), with low microphonics and very low distortion, designed primarily for use in computers. These particular models were manufactured for the U.S. Army (JAN = Joint Army Navy U.S.). It is a power pentode with 9-pin octal base. In a push-pull class AB, the tubes push 15 watts at 0.7% distortion. Input tubes are also different: in place of NOS General Electric 5751, Leben now employs no less unique 17EW8 (HCC85 equivalent) dual triodes from Hi-Fi, a Japanese company. Therefore, it seems true what we read on the Polish distributor website, that it's really a completely different device, sharing with its predecessor only the general idea and the enclosure. TESTING METHODOLOGY Since I use the CS300X [Custom Version] every day, the most important comparison concerned that model. An obvious problem at the outset is that my custom version is completely different from the stock model. It has been specially designed for the 6R-P15 pentodes from Toshiba, which results in the output power of about 8 W (the "regular" version is rated at 15 W), and it features different coupling capacitors (the V-Cap CuTF); its feet were changed for the CeraBall from Finite Elemente and its fuse for one from Create Audio (see HERE). Finally, Mr. Eugeniusz Czyżewski, owner of Linear Audio Research, made a modification improving the symmetry of the output stage (see HERE). In order to remain “on the ground”, I briefly borrowed a classic version of the CS300XS. The test involved listening both with speakers and headphones. As we know, integrated amplifiers from Leben are also excellent headphone amplifiers; actually, in my system I use it mainly in this way. For testing purposes I used the following headphones: Sennheiser HD800, AKG K701, Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro (600 Ω, vintage), DT770 Pro Limited Edition 32 Ω, HiFiMAN HE-500 and HE-300. Description of most of them can be found on “High Fidelity” pages (in the archive section). The amplifier sat on the Base rack, without extra feet or spacers, and was powered by the Tunami Oyaide GPX-R power cord (see HERE), from a dedicated mains outlet and the Oyaide MTS-4e power strip. The testing had a character of an A / B comparison, with the A and B known, using 2 minutes long music samples. In addition to the Leben CS300X [Custom Version], the reviewed amplifier was also compared against the reference two-piece amplifier – the Ayon Audio Polaris III [Custom Version] preamp and the Soulution 710 power amp, as well as the Ayre AX-5 integrated amplifier. For comparison in the headphone amp mode I used my Leben, the Phasemation EPA-007 and the HPA-21 headphone amplifier from Bakoon Products, which review will be soon published. Leben in „High Fidelity” • REVIEW: Leben CS1000P – power amplifier, see HERE • MODIFICATION: LEBEN CS300XS [Custom Version] – modification carried out by Linear Audio Research, see HERE • FEATURE ARTICLE: Leben CS300XS [Custom Version] – integrated amplifier/headphone amplifier, modification, see HERE • REVIEW: Leben CS660P – power amplifier, see HERE • AWARD: Award of the Year 2008 dla Leben RS28CX – linear preamplifier, see HERE • REVIEW: Leben RS28CX – linear preamplifier, see HERE • AWARD: Award of the Year 2006 Leben CS300 – integrated amplifier; list of awarded components, see HERE • REVIEW: Leben CS300 – integrated amplifier/headphone amplifier, see HERE SOUND A selection of recording used during auditions Bach, Golberg Variations, piano: Glen Gould, CBS/Sony Classical/Sony Music Entertainment Hong Kong, 440092, “The Glenn Gould Edition, No. 0197”, gold-CD (1982/2013). Bach, Violin Concertos, Yehudi Menuhin, EMI/Hi-Q Records, HIQXRCD9, XRCD24, CD (1960/2013). Dead Can Dance, Toward The Within, 4AD/Beggars Japan, WPCB-10077, „Audiophile Edition”, SACD/CD (1994/2008). Depeche Mode, Home, Mute Records, LCDBong27, maxi-SP CD (1997). Diary of Dreams, The Anatomy of Silence, Accession Records, A 132, CD (2012). Eddie Costa Quintet, Eddie Costa/5, Mode Records/Muzak, MZCS-1132, “Mode Paper Sleeve Collection vol. 3”, CD (1957/2007). Frank Sinatra, Where Are You?, Capitol Records/EMI Records, 4969932, “Sinatra. The Capitol Years [Box]”, CD (1957/2008). Frank Sinatra, Where Are You?, Capitol Records/Mobile Fidelity, UDSACD 2109, “Special Limited Edition No. 261”, SACD/CD (1957/2013). John and Vangelis, The Friends of Mr Cairo, Polydor/Universal Music Japan, UICY-9376, “Rock Legends Series. Limited Edition Paper Sleeve”, CD (2003). Led Zeppelin, Celebration Day, Swan Song/Atlantic/Warner Music, 79688-1, 2 x CD + Blu-Ray + DVD (1981/2012). Michael Jackson, Thriller. 25th Anniversary Edition, Epic/Sony Music Japan, EICP-963-4, CD+DVD (1982/2008). Milt Jackson Quartet, Statements, Impulse!/Universal Music (Japan), UCCI-9088, “More Best 50”, No 38”, CD (1961/2001). Pat Metheny Group, Offramp, ECM/Universal Music K.K., UCCU-9543, “Jazz The Best No. 43”, gold-CD (1982/2004). Pinky Winters, Pinky, Vantage/Sinatra Society of Japan, XQAM-1044, CD (1954/2010). Porcupine Tree, Deadwing, Lava, 93437, CD (2005). Sarah Vaughan, After Hours, SME Records/Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), SRCS-9515, “Master Sound”, CD (1955/1998). Wilki, Wilki, MJM Music PL, MJM5236D, „specjalna, dwupłytowa edycja”, 2 x CD (1992/2012). Monteverdi, Quinto Libro De Madrigali, Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Opus 111, CD (2000). Japanese editions of CDs and SACDs are available from Auditioning products from manufacturers that are particularly close to our heart is marked by certain ambiguity. On the one hand, it is savoring the familiar company ethos, its visual design, sound, and the joy of seeing the next product bearing the logo we care about – all that confirming our earlier choice. However, there is also anxiety, inner trembling, a not fully articulated question about what is left of the glory and honor remembered by us – and that introduces into our joy an element of uncertainty or fear. Surely, not everyone reacts so emotionally to audio devices, certainly not to all of them. In the case of Leben and me, it is exactly like that. The news about a new version being designed, the fourth already, of the CS300 amplifier (the former line-up: CS300, CS300XS and CS300S, not counting the limited edition CS300XS [Custom Version] made especially for me), for the first time, however, differing from the predecessors by type of the employed tubes, not their manufacturer. And that means a completely new circuit design and a great unknown concerning the sound. Even though the external differences between the earlier versions and the F are minimal. Straight up, I can say that the CS300F does not disappoint but brings no surprises, either. It does not disappoint, because it's the sound of the same class as the CS300XS, with somewhat differently placed accents and a slightly different expression. It brings no surprises, because despite fear that is what I expected: refined sound. . CS300F vs. reference system One enters the world proposed by Mr. Hyodo gradually. We do not jump straight into the deep end, or get immersed right to the top of our head, or go mad. The closest term to describe what happens to us is "to get soaked in". I think that is, first of all, because the sound of this device seems slightly dark. There is no cascade of sounds and super-selectivity. We get “connective tissue” between the speakers, a saturated sound of which we need to "fish out" the details. Upper treble is realized in such a way that although on the type of recordings like Billy Jean by Michael Jackson, Useless by Depeche Mode from their maxi-single by the same title, or Arriving Somewhere by Porcupine Tree the cymbals were clear and had a proper attack, it was their slight rounding, somewhere at the edge of perception, that gave them greater vividness and protected them from being garish or aggressive. Such problems, resulting in the music losing its meaning and becoming just a collection of sounds, will never occur with the Leben. Although treble is not particularly emphasized, we will not perceive that as a "loss". This is characteristic of the best audio devices in which their designer tries to model the sound in such a way as to exploit their full potential, to implement his vision of the sound, masking the most common problems of recordings. Especially in this regard I listened to a lot of CDs with vocals in the lead role, and one thing we will never say about the CS300F is to call it "problematic". In any sense of the word. This is not a "simple" sound, as we are talking about a refined piece of equipment and a clear designer’s vision of the world. This is an amplifier that tries to protect the listener from the recordings’ elements we usually call "garbage", but at the same time does not force it, nor does it primitivize the presentation, bringing it to a common denominator. One of the main features of the Japanese amplifier is its excellent resolution and, hence, its ability to differentiate. Both have their limitations. But they also take precedence over everything else; even when we get the amplifier to the point of “giving up”, it doesn’t do it abruptly and get unpleasant. We “accompany” it in this problem, as if it was someone close to us – such is the power of persuasion of its designer’s idea. What is more important, however, is its ability to move freely in the musical material, from which it tries to bring out the best. Even from the records we give up on at the outset due to our prejudices. That is how I, initially, assumed the "inferiority" of the 1998 edition of Frank Sinatra’s Where Are You from the Capitol Years box set, and the "superiority" of its recent re-edition from Mobile Fidelity. The comparison was not entirely valid, because the older edition is stereo (it was the first Sinatra’s solo album in stereo), and the new version is mono. However, on the former the first track I Cover The Waterfront is a mono recording (an exception). What did I hear? Both sounded very good. The Mobile sounds clearer and more coherent, with a slightly better resolution. The 1998 digital remaster, on the other hand, has a nicely drawn "body" of the singer who is shown more in the front. Which version is better, which is the right one? Each of them has something valuable, but they both sound worse than the vinyl edition from Mobile Fidelity. The point is, however, that Leben allowed a relatively free migration between them; after several changes their individual sonic characters were clear, yet it did not let either sound bad or even significantly worse than the other. As if it brought out the best of them. The amplifier offers a strong, low bass and a very nice dynamics. Its moderate output power does not even hint at what can be heard from such large speakers, as the Harbeth M40.1. In fact, its momentum, vividness, strong bass that is not loose closely reminded me what I heard from the Ayre AX-5 amplifier, despite the fact that American integrated is a thoroughbred, powerful, solid state design. The tiny Leben can produce a similar volume of strong, saturated, focused sound as a large solid state amplifier. At a short listening distance, of course. Electronic music, here mainly Depeche Mode, also sounded great. There was groove, oomph and superbly-controlled highs. I’ve already mentioned the latter, but each time I’d make the same observation: excellent vividness and balanced color. Dynamics is related to the color presentation – a little dark, but very vivid and differentiated. Glen Gould’s piano was exceptionally fast, but also set in the structure of the song, so much that one could hear his playing technique. Pianist’s humming was shown in a separate plane, although in terms of 3D imaging, enveloping the listener in sound, the CS300F does not show anything spectacular. The sounds come to us from between the speakers and from the sides, only rarely from behind us. Even though we know that the sound engineer placed them there. I think this is due to a slightly withdrawn upper midrange and not as large volume of the sound as, e.g., the CS1000P. This is where you can hear a moderate output power of the device. Gould’s piano had great color, dynamics, was credible, but its size was smaller than with the reference system. The same was with Sinatra’s and Jackson’s vocals. Interestingly, Porcupine Tree recordings were large, expansive - but that's because they were so intended. Their warm color helped in pushing the sound forward. CS300F vs CS300XS [Custom Version] That, how the CS300F sounds on its own, compared to the reference system, other Leben amplifiers, and devices from other manufacturers, is important. One could even say, basic. I am however convinced that for a large group of the readers, at least for those who own previous versions of this amp, an equally, if not more, important is information about how they compare to each other, apart from the absolute quality of the amplifier. Message no. 1: This is the same "chic" – both amplifiers sound dynamic and large, for their power output; they are great in showing the "guts" of the recordings, in their emotional value. In this respect, nothing has changed - there are very few amps for that kind of money that can sound so well with the Harbeths. Message no. 2: the sonic modification within the same paradigm is, however, significant. The CS300F sounds more expansive, closer to the listener. Its bass is bigger (without touching the "bass boost" dial) and seems deeper. Consequently, the recordings sound more powerful. At the same time, however, they are not as communicative, they do not have as well differentiated bass and midrange. I’ve mentioned that the new Leben brings out the best of each recording. It turns out, however, that at the same time it makes them somewhat similar to each other. While earlier the two versions of Sinatra’s album were equivalent for me, now the analog remaster from Mobile Fidelity was more differentiated, had a different emotional temperature; the box set version, in turn, remained all the time on one "tone" and also had a slightly lighter upper midrange – the thing absent in the Mobile version (it is an ultra-smooth sound). Without a doubt, it's part of the sound "setting" in the "F". Here the emphasis seems to be on creating a full sound, one that is pleasant with any type of material. And that is very impressive! Even knowing what it results in (a slight uniformity of bass), each time after returning to the new amplifier from Mr. Hyodo it was a pleasure to sit down and to listen again to the same recordings. The color has changed – it is now set lower, deeper, with a more precisely delineated bass – as well as the presentation of recordings, which is now closer to the listener and darker. The amp doesn’t lack treble, it's not that! The upper midrange is so smooth, and the lower midrange so boosted that it covers to some extent the higher harmonics. They are there, since that is a complete sound, but they have a smaller role to play than with the CS300XS [Custom Version]. CS300F as headphone amplifier I felt very comfortable listening to the new amplifier. It "blended" easily with the Harbeth speakers and I am convinced, or actually I am sure that it was such speakers that it was initially, still a prototype, auditioned with. Anyone who has once heard that pairing (or a combination with speakers from Spendor, the Reference 3A, and with some JBLs) will be enchanted by the sound culture and the capabilities of such a small device. But I cannot deny that for me the Leben CS300 (and all later versions) is primarily a headphone amplifier. I didn’t predestine it for this role, it just came out "in the wash": this is one of the best, if not the best, headphone amplifier I have come across. Sennheiser HD800, AKG K701, Beyerdynamik DT990 Pro (600 Ω) – with the Leben they all show the best they have. The only exception are the planar HE-6 headphones from HiFiMAN, but they need a whole power station to drive them. I will some time return to this subject. The F model sounded with the headphones exactly the opposite of what I heard from the speakers; lighter and clearer than the XS [Custom Version]. The latter sounded deeper and darker. When the record is light, as it often happens, I use the "Bass Boost" knob and everything is fine. I can hear that it's an addition, a manipulation, but I accept it with the benefit of inventory because it's worth it. Adding 3 dB in the F resulted in too much weight of the sound. I assume that the gain level of the selected frequency is the same in both amplifiers, yet the effect is completely different. Boosting the bass in the new amplifier resulted in a boomy sound that goes far beyond the limits of my acceptable compromise. The exception was a really quiet playback - then it was perfect. Unfortunately, I cannot explain this phenomenon. Nevertheless, it is generally still an excellent amplifier with fast, accurate sound and excellent imaging. What was simply good with the speakers, that is showing the bodies and selectivity, with the HD800 headphones was outstanding. The emphasis is on upper midrange, so one must choose the source carefully. If we overdo clarity and selectivity, the vocals will get too light and slightly strained. Everything else, however, is a sheer delight – depth, dynamics, resolution, and Conclusion Both amplifiers come from the same father, which can be seen and heard. I have no doubt that he loves them equally. To someone who doesn’t know them, they will seem very similar. However, if we know the older one, the new design will be significantly different. It offers a more focused, deeper sound with an even more saturated upper midrange. Resolution and selectivity is better with the older version. So is imaging, which shows how the device copes with the rendering of space and components in space. They are still, however, the same emotions, depth, dynamics, and "drive". Low bass, while maybe not quite as selective and not as well differentiated as in my version, has more body and with 99% of speakers, except the most expensive designs, will perform better. The sound with the headphones is lighter, with a nod to upper midrange, but it's still a top headphone amplifier. It would be best to have both amplifiers. The F version delights with purity and clarity, even when playing loud. Owners of the older version should give the new one a listen, to check whether its color would not better integrate with their speakers, especially that the "F" shows the events closer to us, in a more tangible way. If for some reason we do not yet have any Leben at home, then it is necessary to listen to it, to put it on the shelf and to live with it for a while. This is an amplifier that "gets" under the skin. The amplifier receives the RED FINGERPRINTS award DESIGN 1970s in audio can be seen not only in the techniques used back then, but first of all in industrial design. Nobody will mistake Luxman from those years for anything else, just as nobody will do that with Accuphase, Mark Levinson, Marantz and many other companies. Leben makes a direct use of those experiences, showing that the years spent by Mr. Hyodo at Luxman left him with good memories and that he considers those years a "golden" period of tube technology. Although his favorite tubes are KT66 and the circuit known from the Quad II amplifier, it is the small EL84 that brought him international fame. In the CS300 it was a military version of Sovtek EL84, with 5757 from General Electric in the input and driver stages. The CS300XS sported in the output stage a rare version of the EL84 from Mullard (NOS), which made it a limited edition, and the CS300S marked a return to Sovtek, retaining modifications, better components, connectors, and controllers first introduced to the CS300XS. According to the manufacturer, the new amplifier employs a completely different set of output tubes, and thus a completely new circuit design. We learn that for the first time in the history of audio it uses long life, very low distortion tubes from General Electric, the JAN-6197 (6CL6), designed primarily for use in computational systems (logic), in other words - computers. These particular models were manufactured for the U.S. Army (JAN = Joint Army Navy U.S.). The JAN-6197 GE is a power pentode with 9-pin octal base. Working in push-pull class AB topology the tubes push 15 watts at 0.7% distortion. The driver tubes are also different and unique: a pair of 17EW8 (an equivalent of HCC85) low-power dual triodes from Hi-Fi, a Japanese manufacturer. In other words - a complete change. Looking at the unit from the outside it's hardly noticeable. The only change seems to be a different power switch and the fact that we now have one blue LED instead of previous two - green and red - indicating that the amplifier is on. I know that blue colored LEDs are extremely popular in audio, but I do not like them and "blue" for me doesn’t go well with the 1970s at all. Red and green on the other hand do that perfectly. After a closer look, however, we can notice a few other details, seen for the first time. A different color (a shade of purple in place of gold) of the top and bottom walls, a slightly different way of mounting of the largest knob, other RCA connectors (not in terms of better quality, which is still not particularly refined, but of a different manufacturer) and feet. Until now, all Leben amps sported plastic feet with golden rim. The new CS300F has the same feet, but they are now double. This way they resemble the Finite Elemente Cerabase Slimline, but they are not! The amplifier is housed in a classic enclosure, similar to solid state devices. The interior is divided with a horizontal plate, with the tubes and transformers mounted to the top of it. The transformers are very similar to those used in the CS300, except that the speaker transformers now feature a paper label in place of metal plates, and the power transformer is marked PT-305A (previously PT-300A). We also see that there are no additional resistors and a part of power supply section introduced to the XS and left in the S. The quality of the connection terminals is the same as in the XS. Turning the input selector and the Bass Boost knobs we feel that the switches are slightly inferior to the ones in the XS. On the other hand, the potentiometers are the same, good Alps (malachite). A new feature is the screen separating the potentiometers and the switches from the tubes. Earlier versions did not have that. I have not mentioned it yet, so let it be a bonus for those who have stayed thus far: the CS300F hums much less than all the earlier versions. Mr. Eugeniusz Czyżewski, owner of Linear Audio Research, tried to control it through an appropriate modification in my unit (see HERE), but he said that further reduction of hum would be difficult due to the proximity of the power transformer and the tubes. But I can see that Mr. Hyodo was able to take some control over it with the said screen. Wiring, as usually in Leben, is point-to-point without any PCB. High quality resistors and nice, polypropylene coupling capacitors have been used throughout. The cathode capacitors are from Elna (input and driver tubes) and Nichicon Fine Gold (power tubes). Capacitors from the same manufacturer can be found in the anode voltage filter - four capacitors in several serially connected "Pi" filters, and one in the voltage filter. Star grounding is used, and the rectifying diodes (half-wave rectifier) are bypassed with polypropylene capacitors. The whole looks very similar to the previous versions, except that the electrolytic capacitors in the power supply and the rectifier diodes have been changed. A classic layout, assembly, and beautiful workmanship. The amplifier does not come with a remote control. Specification (according to manufacturer): Tubes: JAN-6197 GE x 4, 17EW8 x 2 Output Power: 2 x 15 W Frequency response: 15 Hz - 100 kHz (-2 dB) Distortion: 0.7% (10 W) Input Sensitivity: 600 mV Load Impedance - Speakers: 4/6/8 Ω (selectable) Load Impedance - headphones: 300 Ω Power Consumption: 82 W Dimensions: 360 x 270 x 140 mm Weight: 10.5 kg Distribution in Poland Eter Audio ul. Malborska 24 | 30-646 Kraków | Polska tel./fax: 12 425 51 20/30 e-mail: info@eteraudio.pl www: www.eteraudio.pl

Published: 4. June 2013, No. 109 Japanese manufacturers can be pretty air tight (and I don't mean THE brand). Just have a look at the most important Japanese audio Magazine, issued quarterly „Stereo Sound”, and you will find a lot of reviews and advertisements of brands that nobody outside Japan ever even heard of. Examples? OK, here we go: Tech DAS (although a recent „Stereophile” review makes it less good of an example),Technical Brain (it looks like „The Absolut Sound” is trying to change that), Kripton Japan, Fundamental, U-Bros and many others. The fact is that Japanese manufacturers focus their attention and efforts on their internal market. Obviously there are also giant and well known corporations and brands like Sony, Panasonic, D&M Holding (Denon, Marantz), Yamaha, Onkyo, TEAC (Esoteric, Tascam). But these focus on mass-produced electronics and not on high-end audio equipment. There is also a third category – companies that decided at some point to expand their activities and to sell their products abroad. These are mostly quite small companies, often employing less than ten people. These are brands like: Accuphase, Luxman, Kondo, C.E.C., Furukawa, Oyaide, Leben, SPEC, My Sonic, Miyajima Labs. I think it is fair to include to this group also Phasemation, a brand owned by Kyodo Denshi Engineering Co., Ltd.. There is one problem with this brand awareness/recognition – only two years ago it was called differently – Phase-Tech, and many audiophiles would probably recognize that name. But when the company decided to enter European market they had to face a fact, that this name was already registered here, so they had to pick another one and came up with Phasemation. The core activity of this company is manufacturing cartridges and phonostages. Couple of years ago two more items were added to the offer – a D/A converter with digital K2 filter, and a proprietary master clock. Recently Phase-Tech presented also preamplifiers and power amps. Exclusively for Japanese market company offers also a CD Transport and integrated amplifiers. For our test we have received the newest addition to company's portfolio – a headphone amplifier EPA-007. It's a small, aluminum box that holds fully balanced circuit, with two headphone outputs, that you can use for two pairs of cans with classic big jacks (6,3 mm), or one pair of balanced cans with double plugs. Unlike many other amplifiers this is not a simple design as it gives its user some room for adjustment for particular loading, and some tonal control, although not a classic one. SOUND Recordings used during this test (a selection) Bottleneck John, All Around Man, Opus3, CD 23001, SACD/CD (2013); review HERE. Claudio Monteverdi, L’Orfeo, Ensemble La Venexiana, dyr. Claudio Cavina, Glossa, GCD 920913, 2 x CD (2007). Depeche Mode, Heaven, Columbia, 47537, SP CD (2013); review HERE. Depeche Mode, Delta Machine, Columbia/Sony Music Japan, SICP 3783-4, 2 x CD (2013). Diary of Dreams, The Anatomy of Silence, Accession Records, A 132, CD (2012). Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong, Ella and Louis, Verve/Lasting Impression Music, LIM UHD 045, UltraHD CD (2010). Jim Hall Trio, Blues On The Rocks, Gambit Records, 69207, CD (2005). Martin L. Gore, Counterfeit2, Mute Records, CDSTUMM214/247725, Copy Controlled Disc (2003). Michael Jackson, Thriller. 25th Anniversary Edition, Epic/Sony Music Japan, EICP-963-4, CD+DVD (1982/2008). Michael Rother, Fernwärme, Random Records/Belle, 091546, SHM-CD (1982/2009). Miles Davis, Seven Steps To Heaven, Columbia/Sony Music/Analogue Productions, CAPJ-8851, SACD/CD (1963/2010). Pat Metheny Group, Offramp, ECM, ECM1216, CD (1982/1999). Pat Metheny Group, Offramp, ECM/Universal Music K.K., UCCU-9543, “Jazz The Best No. 43”, gold-CD (1982/2004). Pat Metheny Group, Offramp, ECM/Universal Music K.K., UCCE-9144, SHM-CD (1982/2008). Japanese versions of CDs and SACDs available on We all know a simple rule that tells us that we should find proper speakers that would fit nicely to our amplifier and our room, right? It is simply about finding three elements that could fit nicely together and offer something more than just a simple sum of their features – a coherent, high-quality performance. In theory every well designed speaker should fit nicely with well designed amplifier, but experience proves this theory wrong on many occasions. Sometimes even a high-powered amplifier, with a very good power supply that allows it to deal even with significant impedance dips, and a great damping factor is not enough. It's not about specifications, it's about a good fit. Sometimes you need a low power amp with low damping factor and high output impedance to drive particular speakers properly. You're doubtful? Have a look at an email I received from Srajan Ebaen that was about just that. Hello Wojtek! Tell me, have you really listened to this particular setup [actually he asked about Devialet D-Premier AIR with Acuhorn Superleggera Giovane85 - WP], or your recommendation was based only on assumption basing on your experience with Devialet two months prior to Accuhorn test? The reason I ask is because usually ultra-light drivers, like the one used in these speakers, hate to work with amps with high damping factor. Actually in such a setup bass rolls off much earlier than with tube amps that have high output impedance. You have noticed that yourself when you tried these speakers with Soulution amp. If you wrote that basing on actual experience I would have to reconsider the whole thing, but if you were just guessing … Well, than you made a huge mistake recommending this setup :-) It so happens that this particular problem was a reason for designing FirstWatt F1 amplifier, which is a current source and not a voltage source amplifier. It sports a high output impedance (around 50 Ω), which makes it incompatible with most loudspeakers except for these with widerange drivers as these feature quite high damping themselves. When you hook them up with such an amp as F1 you can expect more bass extension and less restricted, more open sound. Knowing that Devialet has a very low output impedance I can't see how this particular setup could really work. ATB. Srajan Ebaen First thing first: yes, I listened to this setup and actually in a „flat” mode there wasn't enough bass. But Devialet is not a 'regular' amp, it has a tone control so I just added some bass and voilà! But the real point of Srajan's email was: not everything in audio is as it appears to be, so finding a proper match of amplifier and speakers in a particular room simple isn't easy. By contrast headphones seem to be a perfect load. They usually have a high or very high impedance, there is (almost) always a single driver, which means avoiding any troubles with crossover as they don't need any. Usually their sensitivity is relatively high and 1W is all they need to sing. Oh, and one more thing – you don't have to worry about room acoustics. So, piece of cake, one might think. But only until one listens to some high quality headphone amplifiers with different pairs of cans. And suddenly one will realize that different coils used for different drivers, different loadings of particular diaphragms – all that makes it impossible to predict how particular pair of cans would fit with particular amp. And I know only two devices that clearly show the true character of each pair of can while hiding their own character pretty well. But even these two aren't perfectly 'transparent'. These two are: Leben CS-300 XS [Custom Version] and SPL Phonitor 2730. The former is a tube device, the latter is a solid-state. Both have a high voltage applied to amplification elements in common. EPA-007, the Phasemation headphone amplifier, is a third device I know that should offer high performance with any given pair of cans. Of course some setups will be better, and some bit worse, but they will always offer a similar tonal balance, that depends mostly on headphones, and a very good frequency response extension. I had a chance to listen to 8 different pairs of headphones with Japanese amplifier, and the best results – no surprise here – I achieved with two reference pairs of cans: Sennheiser HD800 and HiFiMAN HE-6, meaning two models that worked fine with very few amplifiers so far. Let's start with the latter. This is a top planar magnetic model of this American company. They are a true challenge for an amplifier as they feature low impedance and quite low sensitivity too. Even when provided with high power they often deliver a high pitched, aggressive sound. But not with Phasemation. With this amp HE-6 delivered very transparent sound, with great resolution – which was exactly how planar magnetic cans should have sounded – but also a very rich and consistent one. There was a solid body, and good 3D imaging. Using this setup I listened for the first time to the newest Depeche Mode album, Japanese edition, which allowed me to call off my dark vision of this album, that I delivered when reviewing the first single Heaven (see HERE). Music on DM's album is made mostly by analogue synthesizers and guitars. That translates to particular richness and depth of the sound, and exceptionally wide frequency range of this recording. The Japanese amplifier delivered it all without even smallest issue, allowing also a deep insight into recording. This confirmed, for example, that the Heaven piece was strongly compressed. The key feature of the sound of this device is transparency. While using Sennheiser HD800, and comparing directly to Leben, the latter seemed a bit dull. It's not true, or not entirely true, but it made me wonder. The solid-state EPA-007 delivered treble with better resolution, so after changing a tube CS-300 XS to Phasemation, for some time I was under impression that there was some emphasis in the latter's treble. Sound opened up, I could hear more details, subtleties, it was easier to recover details of the job that was done in recording and mastering studios. It was most obvious when I listened to the older recordings, mono if possible, with a lot of tape hiss. Obviously nobody listens to the tape hiss, but to music, but still a hiss is a part of the recording, it is its merit. And it shows any irregularities in frequency range even easier than music itself. The EPA-007 delivered perfectly flat frequency range, but with bit more of noise than my reference amplifier. There are a lot of such sounding amplifiers, meaning emphasizing treble, probably even most of currently manufactured ones. If you start listening to it after another amp, that offers so rich, dense sound as Leben does, you'd probably start to think that its designer had some issues with his hearing. Each time I hear a strained sound, bright, 'shouty' treble, I turn such a device off and never turn it on again. When I started to listen to Phasemation for the first time, for first few seconds I thought it was the case. But after a short while I realized that it offered quite the opposite. There was a great grip over whole frequency range, tonality was very good – different than delivered by Leben, but at the same, high-end level. It so happened that I finished my listening sessions with Depeche Mode album, but I started it with a Martina L. Gore’s Counterfeit2 solo album, which is his second release, but it was not issued as Compact Disc, but as a Copy Control Disc. I mentioned that on some occasions before but I would like to do it one more time, as such „historical facts” might come handy for many Readers. Copy Control Disc The album of a main author of DM songs was issued in Europe not as a regular Compact Disc, but as a Copy Control Disc. Although you can't tell them apart just by their looks, signal on the latter was written in a bit different way. The CCD system was used since 2001 by two lebels – EMI and Sony BMG Music Entertainment (at the time these two companies worked quite closely together). The last discs with this system were released in 2004 (Sony) and 2006 (EMI). Copy Control did what its name said – it was supposed to prevent discs from being copied. Several methods existed, but the most widely used was the one introducing some incompatible data on the disc that would trick the computer's drive thus preventing it from reading all data on the disc properly. Although in theory this shouldn’t have effected CD Players, it actually did. What a paradox: the manufacturers of audiophile CD Players did their best to protect the process of reading a CD from any distortions, vibrations, radiation and so on, they also invented or at least initiated new ways of making better CDs, while the big labels did quite the opposite at the same time. Since the CCD did not fulfill Red Book CD standards labels couldn't place a Compact Disc logo on them. What's more, the international organization IFPI forced EMI to use a special marking on CCDs plus an information about what kind of devices would be actually able to read those discs. Sony was somehow able to avoid this obligation but they also stopped using Copy Control soon after that. There are two more things worth mentioning. First – this Copy Control System was cracked quickly and discs could be copied using many different software like Nero, for example. Secondly, software called Cactus Data Shield (CDS), that was used to protect CCDs, was created by an Israeli company Midbar Technologies. The sound coming from CCDs is not too good, in most cases it's quite bad actually. The most obvious problem lies in treble that sounds quite thin and lacks definition. On many other occasions there is too much treble and it is too shouty. Since many albums were issued as both CD and CCD in the same countries you easily check that for yourself. The more recent, top transports and decent D/A converters are able to deal with this problem quite well, but the problem still exists and is audible. If you play CCD in a system that includes some device that emphasizes treble already, listening might be very unpleasant. The Japanese amplifier surprised me with its balanced approach to the whole range, not just to treble. What I initially interpreted as emphasis or brightness, quickly turned into richness of details delivered at the same time. Not just details, but also information. I listened to Counterfeit2 without thinking even once that a label did everything in their power to make this album sound as bad as possible. The other range extreme is not very 'mature', not very rich, or at least not as much as with Leben. But it exists in perfect harmony with the rest of the frequency range. Listening to it you don't lack anything – you just perceive sound as a complete whole. What's more, as the attack phase is exceptionally fast, bass is precise, with great selectivity, it seems to be simply accurate. Yes, I missed the richness of my tube amp a bit, but after a few days I came to conclusion, that it was a different way of presentation, but not worse at all. Sound might not be euphonious, as with Leben, but rather has an amazing clarity to it. Another exceptional quality of this amplifier is spacing. It delivers sound surrounding listener, there is no „inside head”, or „between ears” presentation. And it doesn't come from some sort of signal manipulation that is used by some systems to achieve huge soundstage, but from a precision of presentation, that allows to create a large image in a very unforced manner. And who knows – this might happen to be the key feature for many potential buyers. The problem with headphone listening is that sound from one channel goes only to one ear. When you listen with speakers sound from both of them goes to both ears creating one image build basing on information collected by both ears, and it depends also even on the shape of a head, or ears. EPA-007 delivers music with a very good depth and width, but also with nicely defined middle of the stage, voices and instrument. It makes its presentation quite unique. Settings and choices To get such a tonality and spacing we need to use proper settings for each cans. This Japanese amplifier offers three sorts of settings. First of all we need to adjust the impedance for particular headphones. It really works – in each case there was only one clearly best setting. When I listened with any different than 'the one', sound was lacking its palpability, or was somehow muffled. The second setting, general gain, was actually useful only in one case – for HiFiMAN HE-6. The most obvious changes to the sound were introduced by the third setting, called: „Damp”. In fact with all cans at my disposal I preferred the sound with the knob turned left, to the „Soft” position. It delivered most palpable, warm voices, that were reproduced closely to the listener. When I used the opposite position, „Hard”, I heard everything like from bigger distance, bit muffled, bit harsh. I already told you which cans worked best with this amp for me: HD800 and HE-6. But I would add also 600 Ω version of Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro and AKG K271 Studio but only when stock cable was replaced with Oyaide one. The sound of Beyerdynamic and AKG wasn't so opened like with two others, but it was a bit warmer and richer. So actually I I found myself chosing cans for particular music, or sometimes even for my mood. My experience with other headphones, the ones I did not like with Phasemation, was different that usually. Usually if particular cans don't work with particular amp it is quite simple – sound is unacceptable and that's it. But with Phasemation a character of the sound changed differently with each model and for example AKG K701 did not sound warm, nor romantic anymore, and HiFiMAN HE-300 did not offer such nicely extended treble, and soft bass as they usually did. On the other hand AKG didn't sound „plastic”, which happens with some amplifiers. The Phasemation did its best with any cans I throw at it – it never just gave up, it delivered best sound possible in particular setup leaving the decision to the listener whether he liked it or not. Oyaide HPC-X62 headphone cable Headphones were always treated as a completed product, as w whole – starting from a plug, ending with drivers. The reason was simple – in most cases cables couldn't be replaced with others. And for some time nobody really thought that it would be a good idea to give users such a possibility. In recent years of a great headphones comeback, obviously related to still growing popularity of a PC-Audio it had to happen – some companies started to offer alternative cables for popular cans, and in many cases these cables offered better performance than original ones. One of this manufacturers is a Japanese company Oyaide. Their cables are made of ultra-fine PCOCC-A conductors (80μ for a unit), twenty of 0.08mm wires are unified in a unit and the three units are grouped as a conductor which is geometrically-stable. The jack plugs are made in Japan. They are made of RoHS compliant brass. After careful machine barreling, silver (inner) and rhodium (outer) are directly plated on the contact pin. The other end of the cable can be terminated with different plugs. I chose a mini-XLR TRS version used by AKG for their Studio Series. I used it in this particular test with K271 Studio. When selecting headphones for a Phasemation EPA-007 test, after short listening session I decided not to use AKG as they lacked some resolution and the treble was muffled. These cans are not easy to drive and usually they work best with studio equipment (see HERE. But the I listened them again after I replaced stock cable with Oyaide. Most of us agree that cables modify sound, but when it comes to headphones not many people actually try to replace stock cable with some alternatives as they don't believe it would work. You should try! When I replaced stock cable with Oyaide for AKG the sound became clearly better, more transparent, with better resolution. There was more energy in treble – what I mean is that there was more going on in this area. Before it sounded muffled, „plastic”, now it all became more palpable, instrument gained body, depth, that was not really 'visible' before. There is no exaggeration in a claim that replacing cable improved performance so much I could compare it to using more expensive model of AKG cans, while still delivering all that I liked so much about K271 Studio. So the replacement is not an option, it is a MUST! Price: 300 zł/2,5 m www.oyaide.pl Summary In general one could classify all headphone amps into two categories – the ones sounding warm, and the others sounding cold. To the first group I count in products from brands like: Leben, Yamamoto, Heed, Benchmark, Pro-Ject and some others, to the second group: Erzetich Audio, SPL and Ear Stream. In each case designers made some decisions about their products and the result was either warm or cold sound. EPA-007 might seem to belong to the second group. But it can be adjusted to headphones more like the amps from the first group. It offers amazingly clear sound, which describes members of first group, but is able to deliver the depth of each image, like the „cold” amps do. It delivers very fast sound, and both range extremes show a great resolution. Midrange is not as rich, dense, palpable and doesn't have a resolution of my Leben, but no other headphone amplifier ever equaled Leben in these aspects. The resolution can be improved, while keeping the same tonal balance, if we used balanced headphones and plug each channel separately to Phasemation. I tried that with HE-6 and I had to admit that it was the first time ever that these cans delivered sound with selectivity and resolution comparable to the top models of electrostatic STAX. In both cases I lacked some more bass extension and slam, but that's how electrostatic and HE-6 in balanced connection with Phasemation sound like. It is an exceptional headphone amplifier capable of working with any headphones. TEST METHODOLOGY The headphone amplifier was tested in an A / B listening test, with the A and B known. The reference amp it was compared directly to was Leben CS-300 XS [Custom Version] and Marantz NA-11S1, a file player that I reviewed for „Audio”, that was equipped with a very good headphone amplifier. I used three sourced, all with balanced outputs: Ancient Audio Lektor AIR V-edition CD Player, above mentioned Marantz, and Kuzma Stabi XL2 turntable with RCM Audio Sensor Prelude IC phonostage. The amplifier was placed on a Acoustic Revive's Hickory wood platform, a it used a Power Reference power cord of the same brand. Additionally I used Finite Elemente Ceraball that replaced standard feet. To connect HiFiMAN cans in balanced mode I used a Oyaide HPC-X62 cable. At the time of this test an alternative cable from Acoustic Revive was unfortunately not available. DESIGN Headphones amplifiers are usually quite small. Unless of course we are talking about regular amplifiers that drive speakers and are equipped with headphone amplifier or output just as additional feature. As some examples of such amps I would name: Cary Audio CAD-300-SEI, Leben CS-300 XS, Leben CS-600 and Linear Audio Research IA-30T, and with one exception of SPL Phonitor 2730. Other amplifiers are rather small in size – they don't need to produce some huge output power, do they? The Japanese Phasemation EPA-007 fits the profile. It measures 220 x 57 x 234 mm and weights 2kg. The whole chassis is made of aluminum, and the front panel has some extra thickness. Front panel sports three knobs, two toggle switches, and two headphone outputs (for 6,3 mm jacks). The largest knob is a volume control, the smaller ones allow to set: „damp” (Soft-Hard), and adjust impedance for particular cans. For the latter there are three ranges to chose between: up to 200 Ω, from 200 to 500 Ω, and above 500 Ω. One of toggle switches allows to change gain. For cans with impedance below 100Ω we should chose a Low setting, for the rest the: High one. I learned during my listening sessions that for such ultra-low impedance cans like HE-6 the High setting was better. The other switch decides whether signal is delivered to both outputs (for balanced headphones), or only to one of them. EPA-007 is a fully balanced device. And to use its full potential you should use cans with separate cable runs for left and right channel, with 6,3mm jacks of course. There are two sets of inputs - XLR and RCA. I definitely preferred the former over the latter, even with headphones with cable terminated with single jack. You should take into consideration that input impedance of this device is not too high, it's just 10 kΩ, so you need to chose your source carefully. On the back panel there is a IEC power inlet integrated with the main on/off switch. There is a small LED indicating whether the device is on. Amplifier sits on very small, plastic feet, that should be replaced as quickly as possible with something more substantial. Specifications (according to the Manufacturer) Input impedance (RCA/XLR): 10 kΩ/20 kΩ Headphone input impedance: 16-600 Ω Frequency response: 20 Hz – 100 kHz (-0,5 dB) Noise: 50 μV Channel separation: -90 dB Power consumption: 1,5 W Dimensions (WxDxH): 220 x 57 x 234 mm Weight: 2 kg Polish Distributor Eter Audio 30-646 Kraków | ul. Malborska 24 | Polska tel./fax: 12 655 75 43 e-mail: info@eteraudio.pl www: www.eteraudio.pl

Published: 4. June 2013, No. 109 A close encounter with a legend, or an exalted review CAlthough we usually don't put any titles to our reviews this particular one was so special for me that this title just imposed itself on me, so I had to use it... Every year in the May issue of „High Fidelity” Magazine we review only Japanese products. We keep doing it even thought it is more and more difficult to come by some of them in our country. Japan has been having a rough time – the catastrophic events of 2011 – tsunami, earthquake and Fukushima power plant failure only made it worse for Japanese economy since the high exchange rate of their currency had already put their export in troubles over previous few years. As a result less Japanese products have been imported to our country so it's been more and more difficult to score any product made in Japan for a review. So when I was bit desperately looking for something for a review I contacted Mr Wojtek Szemis, even though, to be honest, I did not count for much. But what the hell, why not try? And to my surprise I heard: „Yes, at the moment I have the Kondo Souga amplifier, would be interested in reviewing it?” There was not even one in a million chances that such a dedicated SET fan like me could refuse. I have to admit that every year during AudioShow Mr Wojtek's room is my refuge. Usually I go there many times over two days of the Show to get some rest, to listen to some music. And as long as I can get some nice spot, and Mr Szemis is not playing some very exotic music of his, I just sit and gather my strengths before I continue the run from room to room. To be perfectly honest I love it there especially when a turntable is used as a source – than it always sounds very well despite the whole not-so-good conditions that are intrinsic to the Audioshow (actually, any show in the world). There is one more factor that makes me spend as much time in this room as possible – I am in the same position as the majority of audiophiles – I have no any other chance for listening to the legendary Kondo masterpieces. During the AudioShow last November I was hoping to get a chance to listen to the newest addition to Kondo line-up – their loudspeakers – but unfortunately they didn't make it to the show and I, as many other people, was a bit disappointed. Fortunately I had a chance recently to listen to these speakers during High End 2013 show in Munich (I'll get back to it later) – which was a fantastic experience but made me regret that they didn't come to Polish show even more. Both of us – Mr Wojtek and me – we realized clearly that Souga would not have a truly „worthy” companion in my system, but I counted on an unique experience anyway and I wasn't going to let it slip. Kondo (Audio Note Japan) is a synonym of the top performance tube devices, a dream of most tube fans, a love at first site, but for most of us only a platonic one. These Japanese products are treated as pieces of art, and I personally believe they are, but that also means that they cost like ones. There is no more use of discussing these prices as there would be of discussing why some people pay millions of dollars for some paintings. Some people always try to analyze the cost of used materials, technologies, or to wonder whether any amplifier should cost that much (although they should remember that there are many with more zeros on their price tags...) - but all that is pointless. Such products are bought by a person, who first of all of course can afford it, but also wishes to have something very special, exceptional, something that will touch his/her soul, that will allow him/her an intimate contact with true ART, or, on the other hand, he/she treats such a purchase as an investment. Kondo does both very well – it delivers exceptional performance, the way it plays music will touch a lot of hearts and souls, but at the same time these are ones of few products on the audio market that don't loose their value so quickly. And although the legendary Kondo San moved some years ago to a better place, where, I hope, he still creates his supreme works, the company is doing very well under new leadership of Mr Ashizawa Masaki. And it is not just continuing what was created by Mr Kondo, but designing and building new products. One of these is a new power amplifier Souga, that replaced in Kondo's portfolio an older model called KSL Neiro. I guess I explained already the „legendary” part of the title, and how about „exulted” one? I had Souga at my disposal for little over a week and I spent with it as much time as possible. It was an amazing, breathtaking experience. I took a lot of notes during listening session, or rather mostly between them, but I realized that to try to write a „regular” review I would need some time to cool off, to avoid being too exulted when writing a review. I took some time and well... I failed to write a „regular” review anyway. I couldn't – Souga did touch my heart and soul and left its mark on them – too poetic? Too bad, but that's what happened – obviously experiencing the ART of KONDO does that to a man with a sensitive soul. SOUND Recordings used during listening session (a selection) The Ray Brown Trio, Summer Wind, Concord Jazz, CCD-4426, CD/FLAC. Pepe Romero, Flamenco, Lasting Impression Music, LIM K2HD 022, CD/FLAC. Eva Cassidy, Live at Blues Alley, G2-10046, CD/FLAC. Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington, The great summit, Roulette Jazz, 7243 5 24548 2 2, CD/FLAC. Cassandra Wilson, Travelin’ Miles, Blue Note, 7243 8 54123 2 5, CD/FLAC. Keith Jarret, The Koeln Concert, ECM, 1064/65 ST, LP. Rodrigo y Gabriela, 11:11, EMI Music Poland, 5651702, CD/FLAC. Arne Domnerus, Jazz at the Pawnshop, Proprius, ATR 003, LP. The Ray Brown Trio, Soular energy, Pure Audiophile, PA-002 (2), LP. Patricia Barber, Companion, MFSL 2-45003, 180 g LP. Joseph Haydn, Les sept dernieres paroles de notre Rédempteur sur la Croix, Le Concert des Nations, Jordi Savall, Astree, B00004R7PQ, CD/FLAC. Miles Davis, Sketches of Spain, Columbia Stereo, PC8271, LP. Lou Donaldson, LD+3, Blue Note Stereo, MMBST-84012, LP. Ray Brown Trio, The red hot, Groove Note, GRV-1028-1, LP. As I mentioned before I had realized even before I started this test, that I couldn't provide Souga with truly „worthy” setup – I didn't have any audio equipment that cost 50k EUR. So in fact this time instead of standard assessment of top performance of reviewed element, I could rather try to find out what kind of influence it could have on the system I knew very well. The first setup I listened to was Souga driven directly by Vitus RD-100 – a new D/A converter from renowned Danish manufacturer, that sported not only digital, but also analogue inputs and a volume control. Also when Mr Wojtek brought Kondo to my place I was still auditioning the fantastic Ardento Alter speakers (review HERE). I was pretty sure that around 8W from Souga (around as each amplifier is build individually and individually measured so the power output might differ slightly – customer receives a small book with all information about his amplifier, I mean particular piece, and it includes also results of measurements of this unit) would be insufficient to drive these speakers. I assumed that as I tried my own 300B SET amp (ArtAudio Symphony II with output transformers from Diavolo), and AirTight ATM-300 – both offering 8W per channel, and none of them was able to drive Alters well enough to show their full potential. Both amps delivered wonderful, rich, smooth midrange, and sparkling, crisp treble, but both struggled to drive properly 15'' woofers. So I assumed I would have to replaced them with my Bastianis Matterhorns that were surely an easier loading. Just to remind you – Ardento Alter are open baffle speakers with 15'' paper woofers, Sonido fullrange drivers and Fountek ribbon tweeters. Until this time every experience I had confirmed that for them to show their full, outstanding potential, I needed an amplifier with at least 20W output power. So I couldn't really expect Souga to do what other amplifiers with similar output power failed to. Souga is a stereo power amplifier with twin 2A3 tubes per channel working in PSE setup. It replaced a KSL Neiro in Kondo's portfolio and one of the differences is silver used wherever it was possible instead of copper – the output transformers were manually winded with silver wire, the wiring is of course silver, there are silver foil capacitors, and also RCA sockets look silver. Considering all that no wonder that Manufacturer also recommended his silver cables – KSL-LPz. Mr Szemis was kind enough to bring me a set together with amplifier so I could use both, IC and SC during my test. I received Souga in the evening and to be honest I wasn't ready to replace 40kg speakers with another 50kg ones at this hour. I decided to hook up Alters to Souga taking also into consideration that in the evening I usually listen at quite low levels so I was hoping that Kondo would do at least fine. I placed a Ray Brown Trio's vinyl on a platter, dropped the needle into the groove and... that's how a very long night started. From time to time I receive some products for reviews that make my life, as a reviewer, very difficult as they present music in such an involving way that I can't focus on assessing the equipment while totally involved in musical spectacle. In this particular case all the previous „tough cases” seemed like a walk in a park. Souga, which was to be expected from a high-end tube amplifier, presented music in amazingly convincing way. There were many elements that contributed to that, starting with beautifully three-dimensional, palpable presentation, very truthful, or should I say: convincing (as listening to the recording you can't know if what you hear really is exactly what was played in a studio) tonality, timbre of acoustic instruments, and ending with openness, smoothness, and liquidity of sound. It all came together creating the most amazing, convincing presentation, so when Ray Brown started to play his bass I felt shivers going down my spine (yes, that's a part of this exult I mentioned in the title). To my surprise the bass sounded great even at the very low sound level – that was interesting as usually I needed to play it loud for bass to sound right. Bass was nicely extended, there was a proper share of „wood” in the sound, wonderful decay, fingers sliding along strings and so on – each and every little detail delivered in most palpable, believable way, so I was just sitting there in the dark trying to see this bass, hidden in the shadows but surely there – that's what my ears clearly told me. The only reasonable explanation for a fact I couldn't see it was that the blue glow from 2A3 tubes wasn't bright enough... Another thing that amazed me was, obvious even at this low volume level, that amplifier had a fantastic grip over speakers – fast attack phase, and wonderful decay, unless musician decided to damp a string immediately, than Souga had no problem to do the same. But the real point was that while listening to Soular energy not for a second did I think about any of that. Music started and it just flipped a switch in my brain from „reviewer” position to „music fan”, and there was nothing but music until the end of the record. All that mattered was what brilliant Ray Brown and equally phenomenal Gene Harris did with their instruments. Actually it wasn't really about how brilliant musicians they were, how good their instruments sounded, how well it had been captured on tape, although all that was true! It was more about getting to the bottom of what actually happened in Concord Records studio. There was some sort of special chemistry happening between these two outstanding jazzmen, that with Souga was so clearly audible on this particular album. Although they recorded many more albums together this one was obviously a very special one, and Kondo made it crystal clear. There are some jazz standards on this record from Count Basie, or Billy Strayhorn, but the Ray and Gene's interpretation sounded fresh and very convincing, mostly due to this extraordinary interplay between them. And even though I enjoyed this recording many times, using different systems before, it was Souga that made me feel like I had felt when I discovered this album many years ago – the same emotions, the same rush, the same delight. Then I had listened to it from a CD, using much cheaper, worse sounding system but it was about discovering something new, something extraordinary so it made it straight to my own personal jazz canon and it stayed there for all these years. Now it felt like a new discovery, like I had never listened to Soular energy before, because now I could enjoy not only the music, not only the recording, but this incredible interplay between two brilliant musicians, tons of emotions exchanged between them, and this irresistible impression that these two gentlemen had a great time while recording this album. I guess that's how all the staff in the recording studio must have felt like even sitting behind glass, but experiencing live music and musicians, being a part of this extraordinary event. Please notice that I didn't claim that the sound delivered by Souga was the same as live performance – that's not possible regardless of how good, how expensive system you have, but this particular one, thanks to Kondo amplifier, was able to elicit the same level of emotions, rush that a good live concert usually did. Now, after few days without Souga, I can finally let go at least some excitement, which seems to be a proprietary feature of this amp, and try to focus on some hifi aspects of the sound. What impressed me most, apart from all described above, was a realistic, palpable soundstage. It was so realistic because it was different in each recording – there are many devices that offer, for example, a huge soundstage... regardless of what it is like in the recording. While here, when I played Jazz at the Pawnshop it was obvious that musicians crowded on a small stage of Pawnshop club. Even though each instrument had proper size, proper placement on the stage, distances between instruments were nicely defined, and outstanding selectivity of Souga still allowed me to enjoy a sound of whichever instrument I chose to listen to at particular moment. On the other hand, when I played my favorite Carmen, or The last seven words of Christ on the cross, the soundstage was huge, because both recordings were made in huge halls (the latter in a church to be exact). I was simply delighted with what Souga delivered driven by 'entry-level' Vitus. RD-100 is a novelty from Danish manufacturer and is a member of Reference line, although according to Ole Vitus 'reference' is just the beginning of what his company has to offer – and thus 'entry-level'. Anyway – it sounded very good but there was still a huge disproportion price-wise between RD-100 and Souga, so I had to try something else. I decided to try my own ModWright LS100 preamplifier between Vitus and Kondo. That change sound of a system a bit but it was rather a sidestep than a step forward. Sound got bit warmer, I think also bit smoother, but at the same time it lost small part of its great transparency and clarity. As there was no chance to borrow a Kondo preamplifier, I asked another favor of my friend Jacek (thanks again!), the proud owner of Reimyo system. I asked him if he could come with some of his stuff. Jacek came to me and brought with him a CAT-777 preamplifier, and a DAC and CD transport (see HERE and HERE). Combining these devices with Souga did the old audio trick again – I guess many of you experienced that more than once – you thought that your system delivered already ultimate performance, but when you replaced just one element with another one, you realized that impossible became possible, and performance improved again gaining level beyond your imagination. Now it became clear how well Souga was able to differentiate recordings (not just by the size of soundstage). I am not so much of a connoisseur to be able to tell what piano was used in particular recording, or who made particular violin, or who played it (well, sometime I can tell, but surely not always), but Kondo amplifier clearly presented differences between instruments, between the way different musicians played them, and also between how the recordings were actually made. Ray Brown's bass sounded different on Soular energy, differently on The red hot, and again differently on double CD album Live from New York to Tokyo. Different places, different ambience, other mood – simply different moment in time when music was caught on tape, and thus different sound of the same instrument played by the same musician – sometimes with more verve, sometimes more quiet, leading the band or just playing in the background. On some recordings bass seemed even bigger than it really was, on others it played so gently that it seemed half the actual size. A bass is here just an example, chosen because I love the sound of it, but I could write more or less the same about any other acoustic instrument. Such a way of presentation allowed all jazz recordings, especially the older ones, but also newer ones like Tomasz Stańko's ECM albums, acoustic blues, also classical music to sound in a very special, unique way. Comparing it to some other great amplifiers I had a chance to review – like Soulution, Tenor, Air Tight that offered fantastic sound and before Souga audition I would have said that these devices delivered sound as close to live music as possible, I now knew that it wasn't true, or at least not entirely true. Kondo when assessed in terms of some “audiophile's” standards might not always be better than those competitors – Soulution offered better grip and better bass definition and amazing clarity, Tenor combined best features of tube and solid-state devices offering very dynamic but yet sweet sound, and Air Tight's 211 monoblocks impressed me with very energetic presentation combined with extremely delicate, yet clear and crisp treble – but still it was Souga that gave me a thrill of listening to many outstanding performances like no other amplifier had before. Kondo allowed me to discover new layers of colors, emotions, shades and so on in recordings I thought I knew perfectly already. Other amplifiers allowed me to stop listening for a moment to make some notes, or to leave a room for a short while, but not Souga – I just couldn't afford to lose a single minute of my time with it, especially that I knew that this audition would last too long (I had this amp at my disposal just over a week, than it had to go to potential customers waiting for their chance to audition it). Listening sessions with Souga reminded me watching some brilliant movie, a thriller that keeps you near the screen from the very first till the very last minute – you can't just leave not even to get something to drink or eat, nor to pick up a phone, you just have stay alert not to miss a single thing. Almost each and every recording was like a new, special experience even though I had listened to each of them dozens of times before. Let me use another, this time literary, parallel – listening to well known music was like reading again the same book I had read before, but this time having also read for example the biography of the writer, that allowed me to better understand what he actually meant by this book. That's what also happened here. I use the same albums for tests of different devices and actually it is quite rare that I discover something new in these recording thanks to reviewed items. Souga allowed me to rediscover many recordings, to find new layers of information, that had been buried somewhere under the main course of music, maybe audible but until now somehow irrelevant. Kondo treated all media the same – vinyl, CD, or files – listening to good recordings regardless the media they were played from, was an eye-opening experience. What's most important for me, I discovered new things mostly in musical and emotional layers of all these recording, not in sound per se. That's a huge difference! To be honest I'm under impression that current audiophiles, but also many audiophile companies focus their attention on sound, and not on music anymore. They judge everything by the grip, extension and slam of bass, smoothness and richness of midrange, vibrant treble and so on. I agree – all these elements are important but... these are only means to achieving ultimate goal, and are not a goal by itself. You can have all that but without proper balance between them, without emotions, without the very essence of the music will you really be able to enjoy listening? Trying to analyze the sound of Souga, assuming that after listening to its performance anybody would still want that, you could point out some aspects of sound that could be probably delivered in a slightly better fashion. But still, when listening to the music you don't care about any 'audiophile' imperfections because you sit in front of your system holding your breath and waiting for another surprise, admiring an absolutely unforced manner this amplifier uses to deliver the very essence of each recording. You're under a spell of the most amazing music reproduction you've ever heard, so you don't care whether some other amplifier could possibly deliver bit more slam, or even better transparency – who cares?! Just listen to some recordings of the most talented musicians you know – this person will come even from a remote past to become your friend and to play wonderful music for you. After a short while you start treating it as something normal – one of old friends just came to play for you in your room - Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Tomasz Stańko – they come every Tuesday at 8 p.m. Souga is not a total all-rounder – first of all you need some high quality, relatively easy to drive loudspeakers, because while 8W from this amp seems to have „more power” than 8W from my 300B SET, it is still just 8W and speakers with sensitivity larger than 90dB are surely recommended. Secondly even with proper speakers (like Ardento Alter for example) Souga will not be a first choice of people who listen mostly to rock, metal or hip-hop – for that kind of music you should probably buy yourself a nice, powerful solid-state. It doesn't mean that Souga lacks dynamics, not at all! I enjoyed a lot even quite dynamic AC/DC's rock'n'roll with it. But I realize that this kind of music can be played even in a better, more convincing way. So if that is what you mostly listen to, look for another amp. But if you find most joy listening to acoustic music – jazz, blues, classical (great selectivity and resolution of this amplifier will allow you to enjoy even great orchestral pieces), and so on, than I can't recommend you a better stereo amplifier than Souga – plain and simple. I can't say it's the best in the world, as I haven't heard them all, but it is so good I see no reason to look any further (if you can afford it, of course). If you have managed to get to this point of this exulted text you must have had realized that unlike in other reviews I didn't elaborate much on the „standard” aspects of the sound, which makes this review different than others. But in this particular case I see no point in it. Souga is all about music, not the sound, it is about how closely it can get the listener to the music, to musicians, to the emotions that music is supposed to relay on us, like it does during live concerts. Other high-end amplifiers try to get us also as close to concert-like experience as possible, but rather to its sound aspects, and not to music ones. They try to play loud enough, with proper dynamics, large soundstage, power and so on. What Kondo delivers is the same thrill you can feel attending live concert, an intimate bond with performing musicians, a direct contact with them. You can feel shivers going down you spine when the one and only Luciano Pavarotti sings Nessun Dorma, or the great Miles plays Concierto de Aranjuez. It doesn't matter that recording was done 50 years ago, that there are some cracks and pops from vinyl – it is all about (almost) live contact with wonderful music that touches your soul, eliciting enormous emotions. Well, for me it was a love at first sight, a love that will, considering the price of this amplifier, remain only a platonic one. I bet that many people who had a chance to audition Souga feel the same. This review was first of all an amazing experience for me and secondly it solved one of my future problems – when I become a rich man I won't have to lose time to think which amplifier should I buy first for my own pleasure (as for reviewer's job there might some more appropriate). Post Scriptum Let me add a small addendum to this text – I wrote it after my visit to High End Show in Munich. As you can probably imagine after reading this text, once I got to Munich I had to find Kondo's room there and to spend quite a lot of time in there. In fact this was a room I spent most time in during three days of Show, I came back many times and sat there for long, long minutes. The (almost) complete Kondo system consisted of new Kondo Biyura loudspeakers (the ones that didn't make it to Warsaw AudioShow), driven by new monoblocks with twin 211 in PSE, called Kagura, that probably will be placed above Gakuon model in company's portfolio (or maybe replace it?). There were two source – an analogue one - Kondo Ginga turntable, and a digital one with Kondo DAC and Esoteric transport. Of course there was also a M1000 mkII preamplifier and silver cables. The Kondo crew used mostly jazz and classical music for presentations, mostly selected older recordings, but some contemporary too. And regardless of how old the recording was, or what medium was used system gave me the same thrill as Souga in my system did. Obviously the general circumstances during show are always far from optimal, but still each time I sat in this room I forgot immediately about the noise coming from outside, all that mattered was pure music. In fact once or twice I really lost a track of time because of extraordinary selection of music chosen by Kondo guys. This might not have been an audiophile's dreamed system, maybe not the most versatile one, but surely every true music lover (who often is not the same person as audiophile) must have appreciated absolutely unique feature of this system – the way it connected listener with the very essence of the music and how it allowed him to experience the most thrilling emotions. That's what Kondo did for me, that's all I expect from my dreamed audio system. DESIGN Kondo Souga is a tube stereo power amplifier with twin 2A3 per channel working in PSE (Parallel Single Ended) setup. The set of tubes includes also: 2x 12BH7 and 2x6072 (12AY7), plus a 5U4GB rectifier. Unlike its predecessor, KSL Neiro, Souga is filled with silver elements – silver output transformers, each winded manually, silver capacitors (with silver foil as electrode), silver wiring (natural silk is used and twisted around the silver conductor, it works as an insulating layer between the silver wires and the exterior PVC jacket), and even RCA sockets seem to be made of silver. Chassis is made of copper. Front, side and back panels are black, as well as transformers covers (all four of them) while the top cover has a natural, copper color. The sockets for power tubes and their drivers are placed in top cover in front of transformers, while the rectifier together with few large capacitors is hidden behind them. There are two small knobs placed also on top cover – one is on/off switch, the other allows to use functions like „mute”, and between them there is a red LED indicating that the device is on. In the middle of the back panel there is a power IEC socket, and on both sides a pair of Kondo's proprietary speakers bindings, and RCA input. There is only one set of speaker posts so each customers has to order his unit with either 4 or 8Ω outputs. Output transformers have two tappings so it is possible to change that also later. Specification (according to manufacturer): Maximum output power: 8 W per channel Frequency response: 8 Hz – 35 kHz (+0 dB, -3 dB) Input: 1 x RCA Input impedance: 100 kΩ Tube set: 4 x 2A3, 2 x 12BH7, 2 x 6072 / 12AY7, 5U4GB x1 Power consumption: 130 W Dimensions: 430 x 233 x 314 mm Weight: 34 kg

Published: 4. June 2013, No. 109 Wojciech Pacuła: How did Acoustic Revive start? Ken Ishiguro: Acoustic Revive started in 1997 by launching RD-1 disc demagnetizer which was developed by me. Afterwards, Acoustic Revive developed audio accessories of every kind, and our products won many prizes such as Audio Excellence Award which is the highest award in Japan. For example, we won gold prize in the AEx accessory section 14 years in a row, and won gold prize in the cable section 8 times, including 5 years in a row. Now we feel proud that Acoustic Revive is No.1 accessory&cable brand in Japan. What is the main idea behind Acoustic Revive and its main philosophy? Our philosophy is that audio accessories must not change the sound; they can only remove noise and its adverse effects. Our products remove bad factor such as noise or distortion, but do not spoil dynamics or sound energy. It means that the performance of audio equipment can be shown in 100%. What is the most important thing an audiophile should start with in one's system? A proper mental attitude is important, to not be deceived by a big change of sound. For example, emphasizing treble might give you the impression that the sound became fresh and treble more detailed. Or you might interpret emphasized bass as richness and thickness of sound. However, emphasized high/low range might be just noise or distortion. If that is true, the original information is masked. In addition, some people sometimes take mistakenly such irritant and distorted treble for high resolution and plenty of information. As we can understand easily in the case of video such as hi-vision or 4K, high resolution is not sharp/rough but is smooth. How do you prioritize accessories, I mean, from the most to the least important? I will come back to that question about priority later. Regarding the important accessory, all Acoustic Revive accessories are important. Audio problems are not solved only by one improvement somewhere. We can get ideal audio environment only by taking care of the whole such as cable, vibration, noise and room tuning in equal proportions. Of course, we can never get good sound only by using expensive equipments and speakers. Why large audio manufacturers don't care about such improvements? I think that audio equipment manufacturers and engineers are proud that their equipment is a main factor of sound improvement, and think that cable or accessories cannot significantly improve the sound; they can only change the sound at best. Indeed, cables and accessories change the sound; moreover, truly superior cables or accessories can improve the sound. Even in the case of audio components, their sound changes not only due to different circuit designs but also due to the type of wiring, capacitors, resistors, casing design and its material, etc. What could you advice an audiophile to start with? Coming back to the priority of cables and accessories, in the case of cables we should change them from the top down. Regarding power cords, I suggest the following order: (1) wall outlet → power strip, (2) power distributor → CD player, (3) power strip → amplifier. We can compare electric current to water. If the upper stream is muddy, downstream is muddy too. Moreover, a “downstream” cable might emphasize flaws of “upper stream” cables. Since cables are necessary in any audio system, unlike accessories, we should use good cables. Ideal cable is one without transmission deterioration, distortion, noise and sound coloration. It means a cable that does not change signal quality. As to accessories, it is ideal to start with room tuning. But please note that room tuning might easily make things worse in terms of phase and feel. My suggested order of changes: (1) room tuning, (2) vibration control (boards, insulators), and (3) anti-noise measures. How can we measure changes your accessories bring to the sound? We can measure frequency characteristic by an analyzer, and can measure S/N ratio by latest spectrum analyzers. However, the best measuring instrument is the human ear. Only the human ear can perceive music feel or timbre. We should listen not only to audio equipment but also to live performances, and should appreciate wonderful pictures or read books to refine our sensibility. Manufacturers of audio accessories are often accused of selling snake oil. You, however, from the beginning cooperate with technical universities. Could you give us an example? Acoustic Revive cooperates with Faculty of Engineering, Gunma University. For example, the following analysis was done by Gunma University. (see HERE). I think that changes in sound should be proved scientifically as much as possible. Also in the case of audio equipment, the size of sound changes brought about by different material and structure should be verified scientifically. However, because we need considerable amount of money for a university collaborative research, I think that a joined effort by the whole audio industry is necessary. What do you think about the future of CD format, if there is any “future”? And what about the “old” high-resolution formats – SACD and DVD-Audio? Like vinyl, the CD format may also continue as a minority. The sales of SACDs and DVD-AUDIO decrease. I think the reason is that no audio equipment to pull out maximum performance of SACD and DVD-AUDIO has been developed. The reason why the CD sound quality improved rapidly is that CD data can be sent from the transport to the D/A converter made by another company by digital-link such as SPDIF and AES/EBU. And there are many companies able to develop high quality components of that type, which increases competitiveness. On the other hand, SONY did not allow that with SACD and that seems to have delayed its development. DVD-AUDIO needs 5.1ch home-theater environment. And because a display output from DVD player is necessary to operate, it seems not to have spread as pure audio. In fact, there was no SACD or DVD-AUDIO player exceeding highest separated CD players in sound quality. But recently, dCS flagship SACD system has been launched which exceeds the highest separated CD players. It is good news for audio industry and SACD. Do you think that audio files will replace the CD format? Distribution by means of Internet should become widespread, and files (data) should become main audio source. However, CDs and SACDs will not disappear because there are people who need a tangible object. Some people feel attracted by a package decoration, and some people do not feel the pride of ownership of intangible objects. Since vinyl era, covers have often been attractive as the work art. If CD and SACD covers have similar attraction in the future, disc source will survive by the artistry. Moreover, some people may feel uncomfortable operating a PC or a network player, and may stop listen to music. What about Long Play – is this the best options now? LP should continue to be an indispensable audio source, since analog record is supreme source for audio reproduction. As you know, the sound signal is analog waveform. But digital sources must change analog signal into digital. Though there are some difficulties such as scratch noise and maintenance, analog record is far superior at this point. In fact, the sound of analog record is superior in natural feeling and vitality. The highest quality digital source is DSD 5.6MHz file at present. This seems to promise high possibility, but because such files practically mean offering master sound source quality, major record labels and major artists must refuse to sell them. Also in this respect, I hope that more companies launch supreme SACD players like dCS, and SACD will spread. Please describe your audio systems – from what I know, you have more than one. Indeed, I have six permanent systems… Main system A Speakers: AVALON Diamond | SP Cable: A Revive SPC-2.0PA Power amp: VIOLA BRAVO | Cable: A Revive XLR-5.0PAII DA convertor: GOLDMUND MIMESIS 21 E | Digital Cable: A Revive DSIX-1.0PA Digital Preamp: GOLDMUND MIMESIS 24 ME | Digital Cable: A Revive DSIX-1.0BPAII CD transport: Burmester 979 Analog Player: ROKSAN TMS + GRAHAM MODEL2.2 | Cartridge: LYLA TITAN custom-made (2017S duralumin body) STEREO + MONO | Phono cable: A Revive PHONO-1.2PA | Phono-equalizer amp: CONNOISSEUR 4.0 ADVANCE | Cables: A. Revive RCA-1.0PA All Power Cables: POWER REFERENCE with RTP-ultimate and RAS-14 etc. Main system B Speakers: WESTLAKE BBSM15F | SP Cable: A Revive SPC-2.0PA 2pair Power amp: PASS ALEPH2 4pcs (Bi-amp) | Cable: A Revive XLR-5.0PAII & RCA-1.0PA Preamp: MARK LEVINSON LNP-2L | Cable: XLR-1.0PAII DA Convertor: WADIA PRO | Digital Cable: DSIX-1.0PA BNC) CD Transporter: WADIA21 Analog Player: SPIRAL GROOVE SG2 + GRAHAM PHANTOM Cartridge: LYLA TITAN custom-made (2017S duralumin body) STEREO MONO Phono Cable: A Revive PHONO-1.2PA Phono equalizer amp: GOLDMUND PH3 Cable: A Revive RCA-1.0PA All Power Cables: POWER REFERENCE with RTP-ultimate and RAS-14 etc Home theater&Multi-channel system Main Speakers: B&W 802D 2pcs. Center Speaker: B&W HTM2D Rear Speakers: B&W 803D 2pcs. Subwoofer: B&W ASW15 DA Convertor: GOLDMUND DEGI-MONO SP Cables: A Revive SPC-2.0PA Power amp: GOLDMUND 18.4ME 5pcs. Digital Cables: Acoustic Revive DSIX-1.0PA 6pcs (All digital link) AV(Digital) Preamp: GOLDMUND MIMESIS 30 ME Digital Cable: Acoustic Revive DSIX-1.0PA & Analog Interconnect Cable: Acoustic Revive RCA-1.0PA 6pcs. Blu-ray(Universal) Player: DENON DVD-A1UD Projector: MITSUBISHI 2001(three beam projector) Screen: STEWART SNOWMAT Power cords: Acoustic Revive POWER REFERENCE + Acoustic Revive RTP-ultimate and RAS-14 power strip PC&Network Audio system Speakers: ACOUSTIC ENERGY AE2SIGNATURE | SP Cable: Acoustic Revive SPC-2.0PA Power amp: McCINTOSH MC602 | Cable: Acoustic Revive XLR-1.0PAII Preamp: JEFF ROLAND CAPRI S II | Cable: Acoustic Revive RCA-1.0PA&XLR-1.0PAII DA Convertor: RME UCX UFX etc | Clock Cable: Acoustic Revive COX-1.0PA BNC | Digital Cable: Acoustic Revive USB-1.0SPS with RUI-1 Word Clock: GPS Rubidium | in LAN channel: Acoustic Revive LAN-1.0PA with Acoustic Revive RLI-1 and Acoustic Revive RLT-1 All Power Cables: Acoustic Revive POWER REFERENCE Living Room system Speaker: SONUS FARBER SIGNAM | SP Cable: Acoustic Revive SPC-5.0PA 2pair Bi-wired Pre-main amp: SONUS FARBER MUSICA | Cable: Acoustic Revive RCA-1.0PA CD Player: BOW TECHNOLOGY WIZARD All Power Cables: Acoustic Revive POWER REFERENCE Bedroom system Speakers: Everything But The Box | SP Cable: Acoustic Revive SPC-2.0PA Pre-main amp: AUDIO ANALOG PRIMO | Cables: Acoustic Revive RCA-1.0PA CD Player: AUDIO ANALOG CDP2.0 Acoustic Revive RTP-2ultimate and Acoustic Revive POWER REFERENCE