his type of companies is usually referred to as a "family firm." In the picture further below to the right you can see four members of the Kaiser family: Hans Kaiser (right) with his sons Florian, Martin and Hans-Jürgen (from left to right). Hans and Hans-Jürgen are managing directors of Kaiser GmbH. The company is located in a charming location near the Alpine town of Untergriesbach in Bavaria, in south-east Germany. It was founded in 1948 as a wood-based engineering company. Soon, it began to offer complete solutions in the field of room acoustics. When you look at the next picture, showing the company's showroom, you will see that they had to be good at it. The room looks great, professional and pretty. If I remember correctly, the company first drew my attention about three years ago, at the High End show in Munich. Actually, not the company as such, rather than one of the largest Duelund coils and capacitors that I'd seen in my life. They turned out to be the components of external crossover networks used in the Kawero! Classic speakers. The crossovers were as big as powerful monoblock amplifiers. A great attention to detail can be seen in every part of speaker designs from this manufacturer. The Chiara is the smallest standmount speaker in the three-model Kaiser Kawero! range. Kaiser Acoustics technical director is Rainer Weber, who is based in the city of Regensburg, located 140 km from Untergriesbach, and who holds a senior position as an acoustical engineer in Continental AG, an automotive component specialist. This gives him access to all kinds of new interesting technologies and materials. The Chiara’s cabinet is made of the same type of material that was previously used, for example, in Clearaudio turntables. It is a high density plywood modified under high temperature and pressure, with rigidity equal to that of steel. Hence, its name: Panzerholz (‘tankwood’). In order to suppress vibration, the cabinet is made of a tankwood, rubber and glass fiber sandwich. The enclosure avoids any parallel surfaces and its shape somewhat resembles a diamond cut. The stand is integral with the speaker and is made of the same material. There are different types of finish available, including a carbon fiber front panel. Wooden components are finished with a fantastic looking high gloss Italian lacquer (10 layers). On a closer look, the rear edge of the stand base features beautiful speaker terminals that I have seen before in the Soulution 530 amplifier (see my review HERE). The Chiara employs design solutions that are older than myself, but applied in a modern way. It might seem that what we have here is a three-way design, with two drivers on the front baffle and a third one in the rear. Actually, a large diaphragm on the back panel is a passive radiator, without a magnet, used in place of a classic reflex port. Its presence makes the Chiara similar, in terms of design concept, to one of the icons of loudspeaker technology, the Sonus Faber Extrema. Unlike the latter, however, the treble is handled here by a different type of transducer, Dr. Heil’s AMT (Air Motion Transformer), invented 40 years ago. I have discussed it in my review of the GoldenEar Triton, but let me do a quick recap. AMT Air Motion Transformer The AMT transducer was invented in the early 1970s by Dr. Oscar Heil, a German electrical engineer, and is now used by many companies under various proprietary names: Precide (Switzerland) - Air Velocity Transformer (AVT) ELAC (Germany) - JET ADAM (Germany) - Accelerating Ribbon Technology (ART) EmotivaPro (USA) - Airmotiv MartinLogan (USA) - Folded Motion Tweeter (FMT) Burmester (Germany), which uses the name of Air Motion Transformer GoldenEar (USA) calls it High-Velocity Folded Ribbon Tweeter HVFR German Mundorf uses the original name AMT. Transducers of this type for the first time applied in their columns American company ESS (Electrostatic Sound) already in the 1972. Actually, it needs to be mentioned that before he was even Peter Walker (of QUAD fame), who in the years 1952-1953 developed the Quad Corner Ribbon Loudspeaker, with a horn-loaded ribbon folded transducer. Often called, erroneously, “ribbon” tweeters they are actually "Folded Ribbon" as the diaphragm is not flat. The air is compressed and expanded in something that resembles, from the outside, accordion bellows. A small, 25 mm tweeter has an active surface equivalent to that of an 8-inch transducer. And it boasts a faster response than a small dome. The downside is the high cost and the need of a careful, professional application. Although currently almost every manufacturer, except ADAM, uses it as a tweeter, Dr. Heil also developed a mid-woofer version of the driver. The speaker reviewed today is full of interesting design concepts and ideas. While it may not alter the course of audio history, it makes intelligent use of what has already been invented by big players in the industry. On top of that, it adds perfect workmanship and fantastic looks. No idea can substitute that. Albums auditioned during this review Billie Holiday, Billie Holiday, Clef/UMG Recordings UCCV-9470, „David Stone Martin 10 inch Collector’s Selection”, CD (1954/2013). Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie,Bird & Diz, Mercury/UMG Recordings UCCV-9466, „David Stone Martin 10 inch Collector’s Selection”, CD (1952/2013). Diary of Dreams, Elegies in Darkness, Accession Records A137, “Limited Edition” CD (2014); Diary of Dreams, Panik Manifesto, Accession Records EFA 23452-2, CD (2002). Diary of Dreams, The Anatomy of Silence, Accession Records, A 132, CD (2012). Frank Sinatra, Sinatra Sings Gershwin, Columbia/Legacy/Sony Music Entertainment 507878 2, CD (2003). Frank Sinatra, Where Are You?, Capitol Records/Mobile Fidelity UDSACD 2109, “Special Limited Edition No. 261”, SACD/CD (1957/2013). J.S. Bach, The Complete Golberg Variations 1955 & 1981, wyk. Glen Gould, Sony Classical/Legacy S3K 87703, 3 x CD (1956, 1982/2002). Kenny Burrell, Soul Call, Prestige/JVC JVCXR-0210-2, XRCD2 (1964/?). Kraftwerk, Live on Radio Bremen, Philips 2561971, “Bootleg”, CD (2006). Niccolò Paganini, 24 Caprices for solo violin. Op.1, wyk. Mayuko Kamo, BMG Japan BVCC 40003, “RCA Red Seal”, CD (2009/2012). Patrick Noland, Piano Gathering Light, Naim naimcd011, CD (1994). Waylon Jennings, Waylon Jennings, Stockfisch SFR 357.4801.2, “Analog Pearls Vol. 1”, SACD/CD (2014). Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] Digital technology was in its infancy in 1981, when Gould recorded Bach’s Goldberg Variations for a second time. The claim that digital recordings were on the fine edge of fidelity, with a completely flat range from 20Hz to 20K Hz, was technically true, but the recorders were using digital circuits rather than the ever-improving conversion chips that we use today. As a result, digital technology delivered a very clean, quiet sound – free of tape hiss and LP surface noise – but it was also brittle, compressed, and not quite “musical” to many listeners’ ears. But digital technology was new in 1981 so everyone wanted to use it – including Glenn Gould, a known technology aficionado. […] While Steve Berkowitz, Tim Page, Richard King, Andreas Meyer and I were auditioning the session tapes for this package – listening to out-takes that could be interesting to include – we used the analogue reels for their easy handling. Soon after this process began it became apparent to us all – the analogue tapes sounded far superior to the digital tapes. […] And we knew that we had to use these never-before-heard analogue tapes for this special release. LOUISE DE LA FUENTE, From digital to analogue: technical notes on the 1981 Goldberg Recording [in:] J.S. Bach, The Complete Golberg Variations 1955 & 1981, Glen Gould (piano), Sony Classical/Legacy S3K 87703, 3 x CD (1956, 1982/2002). The world of audio is full of such twists and turns. Each new technology, idea or design solution seems to be the answer to its ills. Many of them are a step in the right direction. But it is usually just the first step and it often takes years to bring the idea to a level where its advantages outweigh the drawbacks. In the case of the Compact Disc format, it has been about thirty years. However, there are solutions that still have something unique to offer, for example paper cones in midrange drivers and tweeters, or AMT transducers. It has taken the latter forty years to reach the position they are in today. Or, actually, not them but the people who had to learn how to manufacture them and to find the right application for them. I have referred above to the story of the famous Gould’s recording and his second take on Bach’s masterpiece with a clear thought in mind: I had not heard such piano in a long time. So well recorded piano, that is. I do not know why the three-disc release from 2002 is the only one where we can hear Gould’s recording from 1981 transferred from an analog tape, so called "backup tape," which is usually made to be used "just in case." All other releases use a PCM digital tape, including the Glass CD version that costs around $3,000, and which won our hearts during the auditions at the Krakow Sonic Society (see HERE). Hence, imagine this: the Chiara showed the piano on Gould’s CD made from the analog tape in such a way that made my hair stand on end. Compared to Gould, Diary of Dreams seems to be not just poles apart but distant arms of a spiral galaxy. Both in terms of composition, music, performance as well as recording. I will not dispute that as it would be pointless. All I want to say is that in the vast musical universe there is also room for this kind of music. As long as it fulfills its role, i.e. evokes emotions, effects changes in us or even simply makes us feel good, its existence is justified. In my eclectic record collection there is therefore place both for Gould and Diary of Dreams. The German members of DoD record their albums quite well, although they use a rather high compression, focusing more on rhythm and beat rather than on rich tonality of vocals (for more information on the difference between a collection and a set see HERE). That was true until their album The Anatomy of Silence. Being a kind of interlude between regular band releases, it included acoustic versions of songs selected by the band leader, Adrian Hates. I knew that a different approach to the recording, giving rid of the ubiquitous deep compression and the need to emphasize the vocals resulted in a much higher quality sound. This experience translated into tangible results during the recording of the next "regular" DoD album, Elegies in Darkness. Here, too, the vocals, although not as brilliant as on The Anatomy…, were good enough to justify talking about a new Hates’s approach to sound quality. When I played one, then another and another track from the acoustic album, I had a flashback of what I’d experienced with Gould: shivers up and down my spine and enchantment. The secret of speakers from Kaiser Acoustics is a perfect integration of all three transducers. You do not hear not only the place where the paper dynamic driver is crossed over with the AMT tweeter, but it also difficult to identify the range handled by the passive radiator. The Chiara sounds like a single extremely resolving full range driver. In the first reaction, we find the sound to be delicate, well groomed and refined. Until something in the recording does not disrupt this perspective. Like Hates’s multi-tracked vocals on the acoustic Diary of Dreams. I'd never heard them played back so well, in terms of tonality, and yet so well differentiated. My Harbeth M40.1, so far a champion in this area, showed them slightly more homogeneous. I think that this is largely the result of excellent AMT driver. I have already pointed out its qualities in my review of the affordable GoldenEar Triton Seven that uses a modified version of the driver. They include smoothness, resolution and differentiation. The lack of any aggression and roughness is simply shocking. The transition from a classic tweeter to the AMT driver evokes in the listener the impression of a smoothed out sound. But when they listen to the piano, with its unprecedented attack and sonorousness, or to a recording that usually somewhat offended (compensated by the music itself, but still), like DoD recordings, then this impression disappears, replaced by calmness. The AMT is not absolutely transparent, as there is simply no such driver. It is not capable of building up so-blooded and solid, three-dimensional bodies as the best silk domes, for example Dynaudio in the Sonus faber Electa Amator II. It is closer in this respect to beryllium and ceramic domes. They are all forgiving rather than (overly) discerning. It's easier to discern Chiara’s own character when we talk about the lowest range. The passive radiator is characterized (for me) by slightly soft sound, a nice extension, but without focusing sound and drawing big plans. And it is the bass that is the foundation of a good soundstage; it creates the size of phantom images and their volume. The driver used in the Chiara does not stray too far from this description. It is thanks to it that the German speaker sounds so "friendly" and so fantastically "inviting." In contrast to many other solutions, for example those used in the said Tritons, it differs in its dynamic capabilities. Seemingly quiet and performing best in the reproduction of the human voice, the Kawero! can sound powerful, dynamic and with "oomph." Bass extension is not especially deep, after all it is not a big enclosure. But when you play something that requires low bass, high dynamics and good differentiation, like Diary of Dreams Panik Manifesto or Kraftwerk’s concert from 1971, you will "see" a grand-scale presentation, with big sound and depth. There is no getting away from Miracles, however, and they differ from large loudspeakers with their dynamics where the lowest sounds play an important role. Even on Gould, in the passages that are played harder by the pianist, and his left hand is louder, the dynamics was slightly flattened, and the sound was not as dazzling as to where the band was narrower, for example Japanese reissues of recordings originally released on 10-inch discs. A common audio stereotype is that standmount speakers are excellent in building up the soundstage and "disappearing" from the room. There is a grain of truth to it, as to every stereotype, but no more than that. As a matter of fact, I heard more floorstanders with great imaging than stand mount speakers. It is better to build the stage and arrange the columns with a large front panel (wide baffle) than narrow. And, as I’ve said, the key to a good soundstage is bass coherence and extension. This is where monitors are lacking. The Chiaras could, however, be an example of that on anything but the stereotype is built. Just as the Raidho D1 I once auditioned, which sport an equally well executed bass, and the Sonus Electa II referred to earlier, so too the German speakers build up a very large and expansive stage (see HERE). The D1 showed it in a more focused way, with further layering. The Chiaras are equally good in focusing the on-axis elements, like human voices, but they bring in the musical events to our room, in which they resemble other excellent monitors, the JBL Studio Monitor 4429. The Harbeths and the Raidho, for example, move the listener to another musical space. It's hard to say which creation (because a creation, not a re-creation) is more appropriate. I enjoy both of them, as long as they are so well executed as in all the above mentioned speakers. Conclusion I am not sure if it came out that way, but the |Chiara is one of those speakers that make a great impression. Its ability to differentiate while maintaining a dense and smooth sound is top notch. Great dynamics, as long as recordings are not based on the lowest bass, beautiful treble and dense midrange are something that we expect of good monitors and that we get here. The Raidho D1 from a similar, very high price range are on the same shelf, quality-wise. Yet they sound different. Their bass extension is deeper and is coherent down to the very bottom end. The Chiara rolls it off slightly; the deeper, the more. On the other hand, the German speaker better differentiates the midrange and more accurately show the tonal shades in the treble. It also nicer conveys the shades of dynamics. The difference is not large, but it gives you the ability to decide what is more important to you. An important characteristic of the speakers under review is that they require a powerful amplifier with high current output capability to maintain the dynamics and frequency range extension. This is one of those speakers that I would be happy to keep. Maybe not to replace the Harbeth M40.1, because they do not have the frequency range and dynamic of the latter (although they do have the smoothness and depth; maybe even better), but as something next to them. Hence, I am incredibly curious what would the flagship Classic model sound like, with external crossovers. If it added to the Chiara everything that is lacking in the latter, it could become my reference speaker. A few simple words from… RAINER WEBER, technical director I am head of the NVH department and Senior Technical Expert at Continental AG. I studied physics and electronics. I am 46 years, married with one child. I built my first pair of speakers when I was 11. Keiser GmbH currently employs 21 employees, and its CEO, Hans Jürgen Kaiser, belongs to the third generation of people working there. We have three powerful CNC machines: one 5 axis, two 4.5 axis and one 3-axis. Thanks to our machine park and the workers we are at present one of the most advanced wood-based engineering companies in the whole of Germany. In conventional designs, dynamic intermodulation back into the driver motors becomes a significant factor smearing the time domain, and RFI intermodulation with the complex signal severely modifies the tonal content of the output. To prevent this, the enclosure is built from special material called Panzerholz in German ("tankwood"). It is well known for its extremely high density (it sinks in water), high strength (it is used in place of metal) and for being bulletproof. Measurements show that Panzerholz belongs to the group of materials that have the best vibration damping characteristics. Moreover, the value of Young’s modulus is different in each of the three dimensions, while the density is the same. This gives it a surprising property - the velocity of sound propagation in Panzerholz varies in each direction. Another trick I use a stand permanently attached to the speaker. The Chiara is doing substantial work when the music is in full flight, draining signal-related ‘real time’ energy down into the stand labyrinths from both the drivers and the crossover, and the EMI treatment is killing the signal/RFI intermodulation products too. We installed Panzerholz-made bracing in the labyrinth, thus damping vibration. Ultimately, it’s about achieving good behavior in the time domain, fighting against intermodulation products. If we made exactly the same speaker with MDF and without all the anti-vibration components from Vertex AQ, we would certainly have the same frequency response, but the sound would collapse as energy levels build. This technology is so revolutionary that at first it’s not obvious why it’s there. But it’s the major key to a big sound out of a small speaker (less harshness, more clarity, improved dynamic range). This is really why the speaker behaves like it does – time domain coherence and the ability to keep a stable and detached image (phase accuracy), as energy levels increase, is the differentiator here. A two-way speaker design can look differently. This may be a classic two-driver loudspeaker in a sealed enclosure, like the LS3/5A (in KEF’s version reviewed HERE) or two-driver ported design, either stand mount or floorstanding, and others. The inexpensive Triton Seven from GoldenEar Technology, with two mid-woofers, a tweeter and two passive radiators, is one of the more complex two-way designs currently available on the market. The Chiara is somewhere "in between", with a tweeter, midwoofer and passive radiator. The latter is mounted to the rear panel, exactly the same way as in the legendary Sonus faber Extrema speaker. The German speaker, however, employs a completely different tweeter, the transmitter AMT Heil, in a Mundorf version, with a large, rigid front panel. The 150 mm midbass driver comes from the Scan-Speak Illuminator series, and features a sandwich paper and carbon fiber cone. It is a great driver with a diecast basket and massive magnet. The ABR (Auxiliary Bass Radiator) is custom made for Kaiser Acoustics. The crossover is a good example of how attention to detail translates into the end result. This expensive approach, but in the high-end otherwise you cannot. It sports expensive CAST Cu passive components from Duelund. They are assembled point-to-point, with no circuit board. The individual components are fitted to the enclosure and secured from vibration. The cabinet is made of the Panzerholz plywood sandwiched with rubber and fiberglass. There are no parallel surfaces throughout, and the enclosure has an internal advanced vibration control system. The speakers are integral with the stands that do not use spikes, but soft pads instead. A single pair of binding posts is mounted to the stand base, just above the floor. Sheer perfection. Specification (according to the manufacturer) Frequency response: 40 Hz – 30 kHz (± 3dB) Sensitivity: 87 dB/2.83 V Impedance: 4 Ω Crossover point: 3100 Hz Recommended amplifier output: 150 W Dimensions: W 295 mm x D 470 mm x H 1160 mm Weight: 34 kg/each [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/keiser/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/keiser/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/keiser/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/keiser/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/keiser/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/keiser/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/keiser/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/keiser/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/keiser/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/keiser/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/keiser/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/keiser/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/keiser/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/keiser/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/keiser/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/keiser/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/keiser/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/keiser/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/keiser/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/keiser/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/keiser/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/keiser/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/keiser/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/keiser/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/keiser/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/keiser/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/keiser/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/keiser/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/keiser/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/keiser/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/keiser/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/keiser/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/keiser/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/keiser/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/keiser/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/keiser/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/keiser/th/17.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/keiser/17.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/keiser/17.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

uring interview for “Forbes” Sandy Gross asked himself a question: „Why have you founded your third company instead of just retiring?”. And he answered: I think I'm a serial entrepreneur. I simply love to be busy creating wonderful products while having fun with many friends I gained over 40 years in this industry. The satisfaction that come from first imagining some new product and then a year or two later seeing it with my own eyes is incredibly exciting. Geoffrey Morrison, 12 Questions For Sandy Gross, The Co-founder Of Three Legendary Audio Companies, “Forbes” 12/3/2014, see HERE. These three companies Sandy mentions (starting from the oldest one) are: Polk Audio, Definitive Technology and GoldenEar, whose speakers are subject of this review. To be clear both previous companies still exist and are doing well. Sandy Gross graduated from John Hopkins University in 1972. Initially he studied engineering but then switched to sociology and behavioral sciences. After graduation together with some friends he founded Polk Audio in, as he said, a garage. In 1990 Definitive Technology came to life. In both companies Sandy was responsible for creating new products, for sales and marketing, and ultimately in his second firm he became a CEO and General Manager. GoldenEar, where he also acts as CEO and General Manager, was founded in 2010 and he did it together with his wife Anne Conaway and Don Givogue, a friend from Definitive Technology. No wonder GoldenEar and Definitive Technology products are quite similar. Both companies offer mostly floor-standing speakers covered almost completely with a black fabric. The top series, Triton, sports active bass. The model under review called Seven seems to be an exception among otherwise similar speakers. The treble/midrange section is an example of D’Appolito Configuration, with two identical woofers and a tweeter between them. Such a configuration is a way of correcting the inherent lobe tilting of a typical mid-tweeter (MT) configuration, at the crossover frequency. What is special about Seven is a tweeter – there is no classic dome but rather Air Motion Transformer. It was invented by a German engineer Dr. Oscar Heil, and has been used by many companies, although each of them has given their solution own, proprietary name: Precide (Switzerland) - Air Velocity Transformer (AVT), ELAC (Germany) – JET, ADAM (Germany) – Accelerating Ribbon Technology (ART), EmotivaPro (USA) – Airmotiv, MartinLogan (USA) - Folded Motion Tweeter (FMT), Burmester uses the name Air Motion Transformer. GoldenEar also gave its own name to Heil's transducer calling it High-Velocity Folded Ribbon Tweeter (HVFR). This particular type of driver was used for the first time by American company ESS (ElectroStatic Sound) already in 1972. Although one has to remember about Peter Walker (QUAD), who during 1952-53 period developed a driver called Quad Corner Ribbon Loudspeaker, which was a horn-loaded hybrid ribbon driver. It was often mistaken with a regular ribbon tweeter but in fact it sported a „Folded Ribbon” not a flat one. Air is compressed and decompressed in something that looks like an accordion. A small 25 mm driver is an equivalent of a classic 8” driver. But at the same time it is much faster than any smaller dome. There are also some downsides – first of all price, as it's really expensive, and secondly application is quite tricky if one want to get required effects. And there is one more thing that differentiates Triton Seven: the way low- middrivers are loaded. If you take a look at the photo you'll see that there are only small drivers on the front baffle and that these are the only ones in this particular model. But at the side there are two others that look like large membranes, what are they? The first drivers ever worked in an open/infinite baffle. They were installed into flat panel and that was it, that was a loudspeaker. The next step was folding this baffle in a way that created two side walls but the back still remained open. In 1930 Albert L. Thuraz from Bell Labs applied for a patent for a bass-reflex. Driver was installed in closed enclosure with a hole (holes) where a short tunnel (pipe) was inserted which enhanced low frequency reproduction. The real revolution though came with an acoustic suspension loudspeaker presented by Edgar Villchur in 1954. His invention (one of many as he invented also dome driver and spring suspension for turntable subchassis) improved bass response for smaller cabinets. Each of these solution has its pros and cons. Over the years designers worked hard to maximize the former and minimize the latter. They came up with new solutions like bass woofer loaded with a transmission line (PMC, Castle) or with a passive radiator. And the latter is used in Triton Seven. So the membranes one can see at the side are not drivers but passive radiators, that are moved by the air moved by the back side of small drivers placed on the front baffle. This gives sonic results of something in between bass-reflex cabinet and a sealed one. Recordings used for this test (a selection) Artur Rojek, Składam się z ciągłych powtórzeń, Kayax Music 071, CD (2014); Black Sabbath, 13, Vertigo/Universal MusicLLC (Japan) UICN-1034/5, 2 x SHM-CD (2013). Daft Punk, Homework, Virgin 8426092, CD (1996). Daft Punk, Random Access Memories, Columbia Records/Sony Music Japan SICP-3817, CD (2013); David Sylvian, Sleepwalkers, P-Vine Records, PVCP-8790, CD (2011). Dead Can Dance, Anastasis, [PIAS] Entertainment Group, PIASR311CDX, "Special Edition Hardbound Box Set", CD+USB drive 24/44,1 WAV (2012); Deep Purple, Now What?!/Now What?! Live Tapes, EAR Music 0209064ERE, 2 x CD (2013). Electronic, Electronic, Factory Records/EMI Records 5099990743122, “2 Cd Special Edition”, 2 x CD Eric Clapton, Journeyman, Warner Bros. Records/Audio Fidelity AFZ 180, “Limited Edition No, 0281”, SACD/CD (1989/2014). John Coltrane, Lush Life, Prestige/Universal Music (Japan), “Jazz The Best. Legendary 100, No. 55”, CD (1961/2008). Nirvana, In Utero, Geffen GED 24536, CD (1993). OMD, English Electric, 100% Records/Sony Music Japan SICP-3810, CD (2013); Radiohead, Kid A, Parlophone/EMI 27753 2, CD (2000). Radiohead, The King of Limbs, Ticker Tape Ltd., TICK-001CDJ, Blu-spec CD (2011). Randy Brecker, Włodek Pawlik, Adam Klocek, Night in Calisia, Pawlik Relations, CD (2014). Thom Yorke, The Eraser, XL Records/Beggars Japan WPCB-10001, CD (2006). Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] At some point I had an idea to base this whole review on impressions of listening to just one recording - Night in Calisia by Randy Brecker, Włodek Pawlik and Adam Klocek, who were rewarded a Grammy 2014 for it. Why? Because in the middle of my time with these speakers I attended a live performance of this recording that took place in Jagiellonian University Auditorium Maximum in Cracow and I was able to experience this beautiful, might music „personally”. It was amazing! What a power, what a swing! Brecker's trumpet live sounded absolutely fantastic and the gentleman himself proved beyond any doubt that age did not matter! The guy on a bass – he's my guru at moment. The drummer – the same. Simply – that was an outstanding ensemble of remarkable musician. Plus there was also the Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Adam Klocek and I didn't think I'd seen them playing so well ever before. Maybe because they simply loved this music? They rocked their heads, tapped their feet together with the audience. And you have to remember – there were the people that by trade play music written by composers that were (mostly) long gone. I wanted to use this single recording because it combines it all – lyricism and power, subtlety and wild energy bursts, improvisation and following a script. This one recording precisely shows what these speakers can do well and what they can't and it gives a hint about the intentions of their designers. No, it actually shows clearly what they managed to achieve! Triton Seven exhibit clear „preferences”. I know that purists believe that speaker, or rather whole system, should play every genre of music equally well. They are right, a neutral sounding product isn't „picky”, doesn't have „preferences”. When it does it mean that it's not that good. They are right, but not quite. I mean they are are in theory. In practice every designer has to compromise while trying to achieve his own vision of a perfect sound – let me repeat: HIS vision and not some non-existing actual one that could be recognized by everybody. Some designers following their visions can achieve amazing results. During the course of this test I verified and changed a list of recordings I wanted to use (that initially was the same as the one used for Pro-Ject CD Box RS + Pre Box RS Digital review). It didn't take me long to start picking many new albums I wanted to listen to. The reviewed speakers actually played them all in a very nice, pleasant fashion, without any irritating elements, without anything that would actually spoil a pleasure of listening to the music. But there were some recordings that sounded better then others and it's not about the quality of recordings but about some kind of music. So anybody who wants to spend this kind of money on speakers and spends most time listening to rock music, especially its heavier flavor plus musicians like: Vangelis, Jarre, Yorke, Rojek, Clapton, Knopfler, and bands like: Radiohead, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, should look no further as these are loudspeakers for you. Because Triton Seven are capable or creating a wonderful spectacle that is based on a powerful, heavy bass. The upper treble is slightly rolled-off which allowed me to listen without any fatigue to even the less-than-perfect metal recordings (played mostly from vinyl). I simply didn't put any attention at all to any technical downsides of these focusing my entire attention on how rich and powerful electrical guitars sounded and how involving the whole presentation was. This last element might be most interesting for you. These are not „perfect” speakers, I'll get back in a moment to what they can't do. But within compromises and choices designers made, I think Triton Seven are perfect. Speakers sound very coherent meaning that all drivers are very well integrated together. Passive radiators are unique tools that allow to „shape” the sound and very few designers really know how to use their potential. Seeing two of these in an inexpensive speaker was kind of a warning sign for me for so I had to start with assessing their input to the sound. If you check the manufacturer's specification of this speaker you'll find a very optimistic 29 Hz as the lowest reproduced frequency. Well, that's rather a wishful thinking of course, but unlike on many other similar occasions this time it was not that obvious when I actually started to listen to them. The lowest guitar string plays 42 or 41 Hz (depending on chosen tune). When played with Tritons Paweł Pańto's bass of Night in Calisia (a reminder – my guru!) was nicely differentiated, fast, punctual, no delays, no artificial suspense. This fact alone already made these speakers worth attention. But an even more important fact was that while these speakers couldn't really convey that much energy as others that really played 30Hz, it didn't bother me at all. Everything that was happening at the same time in higher frequencies sounded so good, so involving attracted so much attention that I didn't care about lowest tones. I'd even say that these American speakers deliver such a huge sound in such an effortless way that they could make many other large speakers sound, in comparison, as those have some limitations in bass reproduction. I read some reviews that stated that Tritons delivered bass that made listener think there was a subwoofer in a room. I agree in terms of amount of bass and its extension but other than that this bass has nothing to do with so called “subwoofer bass” that is usually separated from the rest of range and that pumps crazy amounts of air just to convey the last detail of dinosaur's step. This richness of the sound I mentioned makes Deep Purple, Black Sabbath on one side and Radiohead and Rojek on the other really “breath”. These speakers create so called black background and throws colors on it including gentle, but amazingly tuneful treble. The AMT (Air Motion Transformer) driver's performance is simply fantastic. It offers very open sound but yet smooth, non-offensive and forgiving (if recording needs it). It's like attack was at the same time very distinct but rounded. I have no idea how it is possible but that's exactly how I perceived it. Tritons offer than a “tender beat”, without any sharpness or harshness. There seems to be bit less energy in the treble than in my Harbeths, but still it's the British speakers that sound warmer. Everything I wrote about treble is important but still the most important element of Triton's presentation is midrange. There is a slight emphasis here and it's there in quite a wide range. This part of range is not so dynamic as bass, nor so “gentle” as treble. Resolution is also not among the best I know. So if you listen so some sophisticated music like Coltrane's for example it will sound quite good. But it won't give you the same level of pure fun, enjoyment as Tritons generated playing Black Sabbath, or the depth of presentation they delivered playing Vangelis. Simply they can't differentiate dynamic and timbre shades in the midrange as they can in bass and treble area. Summary As I said before I initially wanted to base this review on a single recording. And while I changed my mind eventually still the Night in Calisia was the main “star”. Simply these powerful, energetic pieces were conveyed by American loudspeakers in a very convincing way. The orchestra supporting the band was also presented in p[roper scale with proper dynamics. I have no doubts that designers of these speakers love exactly this kind of music and that's why it is conveyed in such a wonderful way. Surely these speakers would do also very well in a home cinema system but these are not just front speakers for such a system. Manufacturer's literature says: An interesting and little-known fact is that although our loudspeakers have often been praised as being the absolute best available for home theater, our engineering team, along with Don and myself, have always devoted most of our listening time to music. This is true more than ever at GoldenEar because exceptional performance on music is more important to us now and, additionally, is the real key to home theater excellence as well. We have found that the qualities that allow a speaker to excel in the reproduction of music and home theater are clearly easier to refine to an ultimate level when working with music. That's not just marketing talking – it's the truth that is confirmed with every recording delivered by these speakers. Richness, depth, air, subtlety, somewhat forgiving nature, power and energy – these would be the tags I'd use for these speakers. Main features of these speakers were described before. These are: D’Appolito array, Air Motion Transformer tweeter, two passive radiators. These are quite large speakers one knows what one paid for. They look differently than most speakers as they are covered almost completely with some sort of black fabric that is acoustically transparent. It's a sort of grill sock that is fastened on the top of the speaker and this element is hidden under plastic cover. A plinth that speaker sits on is also made of plastic. One can use spikes or rubber feet under it (manufacturer delivers both). Enclosure is made of MDF baffles reinforced (inside) with braces. Triton sport 3 drivers: 2 x 143 mm (5 ¼”) low- midrange woofers, with a heavy, cast-basket and a polypropylene diaphragm, plus Dr. Heil's ART tweeter. These woofers manufacturer describes as:: „5.25˝ High-Definition Bass/Midrange Driver specifically designed for exceptionally long-throw, for tremendous dynamic range and extraordinarily deep bass response. The HVFR sports a stiff, cast front with company's logo on it. Two woofers are supported by two 200 mm passive radiators, made of MDF plate with vinyl layer. Their rubber suspension is quite soft. Speakers are equipped with a single pair of gold-plated binding posts. A complex crossover is mounted on a small PCB and it sports air and core coils, polypropylene and electrolyte capacitors. The inside of the cabinet is filled with artificial wool. Speakers seem to be quite an easy load -with 8 Ω nominal impedance and 89 dB efficiency. Frequency range, according to manufacturer, covers impressive 29 Hz - 35 kHz. Recommended amplification allows to use both low-power amps (from 10W) up to powerful beasts offering up to 300 W. During this test I places Tritons on Acoustic Revive RST-38H platforms and they were toed-in so that my ears were in axis with drivers. Any other placement resulted in some anomalies in midrange and treble area. Specifications (according to manufacturer) Driver complement: 2x High-Definition Cast-Basket Mid/Bass Drivers 5 1/4˝ 2x Planar Sub-Bass Radiators 8˝ 1x HVFR™ High-Velocity Folded Ribbon Tweeter (ART Dr. Heil) Recommended amplification: 10-300 W Efficiency: 89 dB Frequency response: 29-35 kHz Impedance: 8 Ω Dimensions (height is with base installed, no spikes ): 146 (W, front) x 184 (W, back) x 279 (D) x 101 (H) mm Weight: 14,5 kg Polish Distributor: AUDIOFAST ul. Romanowska 55E, 91-174 Łódź os. Zielony Romanów, pasaż handlowy, lok. 7 e-mail: info@audiofast.pl www.audiofast.pl [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/golden/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/golden/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/golden/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/golden/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/golden/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/golden/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/golden/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/golden/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/golden/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/golden/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/golden/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/golden/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/golden/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/golden/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/golden/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/golden/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/golden/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/golden/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/golden/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/golden/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/golden/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/golden/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/golden/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/golden/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/golden/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/golden/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/golden/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/golden/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/golden/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/golden/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/golden/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/golden/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/golden/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

enor Audio, a tiny Canadian manufacturer that has merely a few products in its lineup, is best known for its hybrid amplifiers with a solid state output stage that works as a buffer instead of amplifying the signal (a unity gain configuration) and a tube-based gain stage. However, Tenor’s history began with completely different products: OTL tube amps. As François Lemay, head of sales, recounts in his interview with Mike Malinowski, it all began very innocently, with a meeting with Robert Lamarre in 1998 during an audio show in Montreal where Lamarre was selling his speakers (see the whole interview HERE).. Six months later it turned out he only lived a few blocks away from Lemay – a fortunate coincidence. At the next occasion Lemay showed his newly-made friend an OTL-type amplifier, which was quite a discovery to Robert who had been strictly a SET guy up to that point. François Lemay knew the right people, including Michel Van den Broeck who had performed a few updates in his amplifier. Lemay suggested to Lamarre that they should hire Michel and have him design and build a 15-watt OTL monoblock amplifier. And that’s how Tenor Company was started. They did their first show in 1998, with a static display of the new 15-watt OTL designed by Michel, because the unit was not yet finished. The working prototype was shown in 1999 and 2000. In the same year, “Ultimate Audio” magazine reviewed the amp in what turned out to be their last issue. Lemay says that it was 2000 that was really the beginning of Tenor operation. That’s when they hired a cabinetmaker and Michel was designing and producing their first OTL amps. A year later, the company proudly introduced the OTL75 amp at the CES. Their first hybrid amp was designed in a record time of nine months – to put it in perspective, it took over three years to design their first OTL prototype. They planned to showcase it at the CES in 2003. Unfortunately, one of the amps along with an OTL was stolen. François still doesn’t know how they managed to get $500,000 worth of orders on the amps although no one had yet heard the hybrid. The only problem at that point was to keep up with all the orders. They did the best they could to catch up on production, but at the same time the money was not pouring in as quickly. Around that time they introduced the amps at $28,000 retail. The problem was that they were selling them below actual production costs, which was a mistake. The second problem was that the US dollar began to drop, and the price list of the Canadian company was in United States dollars. It did help somewhat that Canada has a law that rebates some of the R&D costs back to the manufacturer. Since Tenor had huge R&D costs at the beginning, this rebate was essential for the company’s cash flow. In 2003, due to a minor technical glitch in the process the government failed to refund their R&D money. The same problem recurred in 2004 and, what’s worse, the company weren’t even get an answer or explanation why the rebate was refused. And we’re talking about $340,000 by that time. Although there were lots of orders pouring in, the start-up debt combined with the government’s failure to refund the money resulted in a very difficult cash flow position. Together with a few other minor unfortunate events, it forced the company to declare bankruptcy in December 2004. Up to that time Tenor had manufactured 85 pairs of OTL monoblocks, 26 pairs of the 300 amplifiers and 18 of the 150s. The company’s papers were extremely well-organized, every single penny was accounted for and nothing had been hidden – the bankruptcy receiver said never to have seen such an honesty in his life. The same day they went to their creditor bankruptcy meeting, François and Robert met Martin Labrecque who was interested in amplifiers. One thing led to another and the gentlemen came to the conclusion that with a product this good and with such a great designer like Michel Vanden Broeck, the company should continue. With the help of Martin, along with three other new investors: Jim Fairhead, Tom Moynihan and Jacques Pilon, they were able to buy back the Tenor assets. That’s how a second stage in the company’s life began, under the name Tenor Audio. Jim Fairhead became the company’s president. Developing a new business plan as well as new research and development took two years. The new owners were able to give Michel additional equipment and funding to complete his research and to hire Jean-Pierre in 2005. The next year saw a new generation of Tenor Audio components, including the 350M monoblocks and the 175S stereo amplifier, although the commercial version of the former wasn’t presented until 2007, when they were showcased at the Rocky Mountain Audiofest in Denver. The stereo amplifier that we have reviewed was displayed a year later, at the CES 2008 in Las Vegas. The preamplifier had to wait for its premiere another few years. The Line1/Power1 was designed from the start as a reference product. And it has a corresponding price tag – it’s one of the most expensive line stage preamplifiers on the market. The twin-chassis design concept is used to separate gain circuitry and power supply. The whole preamplifier is big, heavy and powerful. Its aluminium chassis and wooden elements both play an equally important role. The electronic circuit is based on General Electric NOS 6463 double triodes. A look at the preamp’s rear panel reveals another thing: a headphone jack from Neutrik, with a clasp. We’ll come back to this in the audition section. The 6463 tube had been designed to work as a computer switch, so it can be expected to offer good performance characteristics, reliability and long-term stability. However, the original technical documentation provided by Philips states that the tubes shouldn’t be used in circuits susceptible to microphony, hum and noise. Michel Vanden Broeck has treated this warning very seriously and used a few design ideas as a preventive measure. Vibration control includes multiple stages of decoupling via wood and rubber, internal board mountings, suspensions and dampening material. The main audio board suspension is designed for a resonant frequency of 20 Hz to isolate floor borne bass vibration and microphony effects. The chassis is very rigid, and the presence of wood helps to absorb vibration. There are special accordion-like rings placed on the tubes to protect from RF and EMI radiation, as well as help reduce vibration. Hum and noise has been minimized by moving the power supply to its own enclosure, separating the power supplies for the left and right channel, as well as using five separate power supplies per channel. Plate voltage is rectified in ultra-fast F.R.E.D diodes and filtered in a 4th order filter with two inductors and two banks of capacitors. Although the Tenor’s heart operates on tubes, a 19th century technology, its microprocessor control is straight from the end of the 20th century. The microprocessor, which allows the user to change many settings in the menu, can be updated – there’s a USB port available on the board. The preamplifier is operated with a neat remote control. Tenor Audio in “High Fidelity” REVIEW: Tenor Audio 175S – power amplifier, see HERE Albums auditioned during this review Le Jeu des pèlerins d’Emmaüs, Ensemble Organum, Marcel Pérès, “Musique D’Abord”, Harmonia Mundi HMA1951347, CD (1990/2014). 2 Plus 1, Greatest Hits Vol. 2, Sonic Son 115, CD (1997). Alan Parsons Project, I Robot, Arista/Sony Music Japan SICP 30168, 2 x BSCD2 CD (1977/2013). Bajm, Ballady, Pomaton EMI 8 55988 2, CD (1997). Billie Holiday, Billie Holiday, Clef/UMG Recordings UCCV-9470, „David Stone Martin 10 inch Collector’s Selection”, CD (1954/2013). Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie,Bird & Diz, Mercury/UMG Recordings UCCV-9466, „David Stone Martin 10 inch Collector’s Selection”, CD (1952/2013). Czesław Niemen, Spodchmurykapelusza, Pomaton/EMI PTROMO CD 435, SP CD (2001). David Gilmour, On An Island, EMI Records 3556952, CCD (2006). Diary of Dreams, The Anatomy of Silence, Accession Records, A 132, CD (2012), Electronic, Electronic, Factory Records/EMI Records 5099990743122, “2 CD Special Edition”, 2 x CD (1991/2013). John Coltrane, Expression, Impulse!/MCA Victor MVCZ-39, “Master of Jazz”, K2 CD (1967/1996). Klan, Nerwy miast, GAD Records GAD CD 016 (2014). Marek Biliński, Wolne loty, Polton LPP-026, LP (1986). Maria Peszek, Jezus Maria Peszek, Mystic Production MYSTCD 214, CD (2013). Nina Simone, Silk & Soul, RCA/BMG UK & Ireland 2876596202, CD (1967/2004). Pery Como, Como Sings, RCA/BMG Japan BVCJ-37258, “RCA. 100 Years of Music”, K2 CD (1959/2002). Sohn, Tremors, 4AD/Hostess CAD3403CDJ, CD (2014). The Allegri String Quartet, Shubert, Haydn, Ravel, Naim naimcd012, CD (?). The Cure, Disintegration, Fiction Records 8393532, CD (1989). The Pat Moran Quartet, While at Birdland, Bethlehem Records/Victor Entertainment VICJ-61470, “Bethlehem K2HD Mastering Series, No. 20”, K2HD, CD (1957/2007). Yello, Touch, Polydor 27194851, FLAC 16/44,1 (2009). Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] I come back to this like a drunk to a bar, but I just can’t help myself: the audition of the TechDAS Air Force One turntable, and particularly the way it played the album Teatr na drodze (“Theatre on the road”) by the Polish band 2 Plus 1, was nothing short of a revelation for me (see HERE). I thought I knew how an audio system should sound like, as I had heard more outstanding systems than I could remember, but what I heard at home on that day was like an epiphany. I had no idea that the album recorded by the Polish band in 1978 sounded so damn good - mea culpa. My thinking had been based on many years of passionate listening to the band’s subsequent album, Video, released in 1985. I bought it in a tiny bookstore in Bobowa, where I lived at that time, and since then I've listened to it hundreds of times. I got used to its problems, and I loved everything that was good about this music and sound. But if we take analog album releases as a reference point, digital releases of 2 Plus 1 (alternatively 2+1 and Dwa Plus Jeden - the band used several types of spelling) are junk. In fact, the only CD release that I can recommend with good conscience is a reissue of a concept album with music dedicated to Zygmunt Cybulski, a well-known Polish actor who died tragically in 1967, titled Aktor (1977). In addition to the original material, the reissue also features a song recorded and sung by Justyna Steczkowska (see HERE). The album has been remastered by Mrs. Anna Wojtych who worked for some time as a sound and mastering engineer for DUX (by the way, this Polish label regularly advertises in a major British magazine dedicated to classical music, "BBC Music"). I was able to talk to her about her approach to remastering; our conversation can be found HERE. What I'm getting at is that digital album releases from this group (only two original albums and countless compilations) sound dynamically flat, are devoid of color and dynamics. However, if we play any of the compilations, for example Greatest Hits Vol. 2 digitally remastered by Sonic, on good audio equipment, the magic returns. It's still only an approximation of the quality offered by vinyl originals, but it is acceptable. On the best systems, or those whose sound is shaped in the right way, it sounds very, very good indeed. And even if in the back of my head I still keep what I once heard from Mr. Hideaki Nishikawa’s turntable, playing it back on a quality audio equipment gives no less fun. The biggest problem of this type of reissues is a "thin" tonal quality. It seems that the material lacks saturation and harmonics, and what’s left is just the basic tone. This often leads to brightness and one-dimensional, lifeless presentation. On the other hand, if a system or one of its components is characterized by the exact opposite set of characteristics, we receive an added value, as I’ve said before. An example of such a component is the Tenor Audio Line1/Power1 preamplifier. The primary role of the preamplifier in the audio path is that of volume control. All other functions, like input switching, DAC, signal buffering or amplification, are secondary. Hence, the simplest possible preamplifier can be reduced to an ordinary potentiometer, and this type of device bears a misleading name: "passive preamp." Sonically, it is very characteristic: ultra-precise definition and envelope, and no added coloration. Nearly all such preamps, including those using attenuator transformers, usually sound just like the digital 2 Plus 1 releases I’ve mentioned above. Not all of them, but some 99.99%. The Canadian preamplifier is on the other side of the rainbow. I have very rarely come across an audio component of such an intense, so clearly defined sound - clearly in the direction of body and mass. The preamp creates the kind of tonal quality the audiophiles dream about at night, never heard by sound engineers in good recording studies, unless it was while listening to live music. This is a powerful presentation with a clearly favored, fairly broad bass range. We get a sound that defies interpretation or assessment. Not because it is not impossible to do it, as it’s actually quite easy, but because there is no such need. If that’s what we are looking for, it will be our kind of sound for life. It is completely satisfactory, because the unit disappears from the equation, leaving us alone with the music. In its own interpretation, of course; that much should already be pretty clear. The music is good and velvety, with a powerful foundation at the bottom end. We don’t pay attention to individual instruments, but rather to the way they correlate with the others. Vocals suddenly appear in front of us, and if it weren’t for the fact that they are soon followed by an extremely well differentiated, powerful bass, we would have been left dumbfounded. Resolution, just like selectivity, does not seem too high. While this is true in the case of selectivity, as the preamplifier relies on tonal differentiation rather than on "drawing" phantom images, it is not so about resolution. The latter can be characterized as the amount of information we get. Not the amount of "detail"; this is different than detailness. Resolution means density and naturalness, warmth and "flow". The Tenor has plenty of it all. Its presentation is focused on the "here and now." Reverb and room acoustics, including that added in the studio, are in the shadow of the main sounds. It seems that the vocals and instruments are transferred to us, to our room. This happens in a very cultured manner, without attacking us with a close sound or popping-up before the speaker line. Actually, this line is only symbolic and there is no feeling that the sound is closed in any particular body or shape. Thanks to an active bass, especially the midbass, the presentation has a hell of momentum. The volume of sound is large, helped by a strong lower midrange. The tonal quality is based on those two components, with the addition of a slightly rounded attack transient. The latter is so delicate that it does not feel as a lower dynamics. Yes, the sound is calm, but this is a result of internal warmth and overall "concord." It is beneficial to albums that often sound too flat, like The Alan Parsons Project I Robot, or David Gilmour’s On An Island. The latter was recorded with the help of Polish musicians: Zbigniew Preissner wrote the orchestration and Leszek Możdżer played the piano on two tracks. The orchestra was conducted by Robert Ziegler, a conductor born in the United States and living in the UK, who collaborated on a joint project with Krzysztof Penderecki and Radiohead guitarist, Jonny Greenwood. This album was released by EMI in 2006, the final year when the record label still used copy-protection. Hence, it is a Copy Control Disc rather than Compact Disc and that is unfortunately audible. That's why the vinyl sounds so much better. Still, it sounded remarkable with the Tenor in the audio path. Dense guitars and a huge space, in which ship's siren decayed long and dark, as in the fog. To treat the Tenor as a line stage preamplifier is normal and understandable, since that’s its main task. Moving the headphone jack to the rear panel only seems to confirm that. This time, however, the decision was based something else. I assume it was an aesthetic consideration. Listening to the Tenor working as a headphone amplifier it is hard not to get the impression that someone did a great job on it and that it is not just an additional feature but its integral component. It was not difficult to find out that Tenor’s sonic character is simply amazing on headphones. A strong bass, emphasized lower midrange and delicate treble, combined with excellent resolution provide lots of fun with selecting the headphones and then listening to the music. Headphone amplifiers usually work best with particular headphones, and can sound poor with others. Top headphone amps, such as my reference Bakoon Product International HPA-21, allow any attached headphones to speak with their own voice. The Tenor Audio does the same. The Ultrasone Edition 5, the most expensive headphones I own at the moment (almost $5,000), sounded open and incredibly spacious, with a very good bass. The emphasized part of the midrange that is responsible for the spatial aspect did not dominate the presentation, but it was palpable. Precision, resolution and the quality of treble, however, were unbeatable; better than from the Ultrasone paired with the Bakoon. The sound was tighter, more accurate and closer with the HiFiMAN HE-6. Bass was better focused and the midrange emphasis completely disappeared. But the sound was inside the head and didn’t have such good decay. It seems to me, however, that the performance created by the Sennheiser HD800 with Forza Audio Works cables deserves the highest recognition. Although neither as precise nor as tight or spacious as the two previous headphone designs, it was the Sennheisers that showed the most diverse sound tonally-wise, with the prettiest characteristics. With the Line1 we also get a reference headphone amplifier, and we won’t need any other. The only remark that I have concerns voltage gain. To really get the HE-6 going you need to set the gain to "High" and, preferably, switch off all other outputs, except for the headphone output (in the menu). It turns out that other headphones, including those less demanding, also behave better in this mode. In systems such as mine, where the preamp worked best when set to "Low", starting a headphone listening session will require changing the settings. Conclusion There is no hiding the fact that the Canadian preamplifier modifies the signal. It would be even more difficult to hide the truth that all audio products do exactly the same. What’s really matters then is how they do it. The Line1/Power1 makes for an easier listening. It will make each record sound at least interesting, of course as long as the music is interesting. The unit offers an exceptionally well-differentiated tonal quality. Hence, it does not replace every album with one and same disc, nor does it make recordings sound similar to each other. While the bass is strong and we will often hear it where we don’t expect it, it is very well differentiated, both in terms of pace and color. The top end is rather sweet and recessed. The Takumi K-15 from Robert Koda, reviewed some time ago, is quite different in this respect (see HERE). A similar sounding treble is offered by the Soulution 720 preamplifier. The Ayon Audio Polaris II and Spheris II would be somewhere in the middle. Audio Research preamps sound similar, except that the Tenor does everything better and is more dynamic and colorful. It has its own distinct character. It makes recordings sound interesting, not tiresome. At the same time, it doesn’t break them down to their constituent parts. The unit sums up what it receives from the source rather than analyzes it. It is a top high-end with a human face, without pretending that "neutrality" is possible in audio. The message it sends is clear and easy to read: the world is beautiful! There is one main reason behind two-piece audio components, whether digital players, preamplifiers or power amplifiers: to separate sensitive audio amplification circuits from the power supply. This is done, for example, by Ayon Audio, Ancient Audio, Audio Research and others. The American VTL goes even further, additionally moving a microprocessor to its own separate enclosure. Tenor Audio uses the classic division: one enclosure houses amplification circuits and the other one is a power supply unit. The Line1/Power1 is a tube-based line stage preamplifier and headphone amplifier in one. It is very big, heavy and looks like a solid power amplifier. Its enclosure design is characteristic for this manufacturer. A rigid enclosure is built by bolting together thick anodized aluminum and wooden parts. Front panels are made of thick, beautifully finished solid wood. The front panel of the amplification module sports a blue VFD display in the center. It shows the volume, currently selected input and output. The unit has a fairly extended menu where you can change all the settings. This is also where you can select the voltage gain: 14 or 21 dB. The display has a rather low contrast. Under the display there are four small buttons, the same as in the remote control unit, which is also largely made of wood. More important, however, seem to be two large knobs on the sides, also acting as buttons. They can be used to change the volume and select inputs, but also to move around the menu. The front panel of the power supply unit also sports a window in the center, but only with LEDs. They indicate power-on (red), plate and filament voltage (blue) and control (green). The two modules are linked with two multi-core umbilical cords, terminated with extremely solid Amphenol plugs with gold-plated pins. Each channel has its own cord. The amplification circuit is tube-based, with four General Electric 6463 (CV5304) dual triodes per channel. Originally designed for use in computer systems, they sport accordion-like heat sinks with rings made of carbon fiber and mica for additional vibration damping. At the input you can see huge, really massive polypropylene MKP capacitors from Epcos. These capacitors can be seen in other places, too, for example in cathode bias circuits. The main audio board is decoupled with soft rubber suspension grommets. This is one of many steps used for vibration control. The output circuits seem to be housed on separate boards, mounted to the sides. You can see large shielded transformers, which seems to be output coupling transformers. Input connectors are soldered to a board mounted to the rear panel. Input switching is via relay switches. The whole interior looks great, but the attenuator is a real treat to the eye. It is a huge motorized potentiometer with a microprocessor-controlled stepper motor, mounted vertically on an isolated board away from the main circuit. I saw a similar potentiometer used in the best preamplifier I've heard so far, the Octave Jubilee Pre. The Octave potentiometer was not motorized, though. The entire Line1 remote control circuit was built by Tenor in-house. The same board also sports more coupling transformers - could inputs also be coupled in this way? The majority of internal wiring uses silver-plated copper wire in Teflon insulation, terminated with ultra-precise connectors used in microwave applications. You need to be careful when moving the power supply unit as its center of gravity is near the front panel. The reason for that is that this is where four EI type 100 W power transformers are located, shielded in heavy steel cases. They are separated from the rest with a thick plate. There are also four inductors. On a large fully populated board you can see five voltage regulator circuits per channel. Each of them has a slightly different rectifier diodes and capacitors. It looks as if they have been selected for sonic qualities. Specification (according to the manufacturer) Preamplifier Type: Dual Mono/Dual Chassis Voltage Gain: 14 dB or 20 dB (selectable) Rated Input: 12 Vrms Rated Output: 30 Vrms S/N Ratio Reference: > 120 dB Frequency Response: 2 Hz-100 kHz (+0 dBA; -0,5 dBA) THD + Noise: < 0,06 % Channel Separation: > 90 dB [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/17.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/17.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/17.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/18.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/18.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/18.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/19.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/19.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/19.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/20.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/20.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/20.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/21.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/21.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/21.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/22.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/22.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/22.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/tenor/th/24.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/tenor/24.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/tenor/24.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

ot that long ago products coming from China were regarded as chip and mostly offering a mediocre quality (at best). And that „label” was used not only in regard of audio products but all of them. Since „HighFidelity” is an audio magazine lets focus on what has happened on this market during past few years. And what happened changed, or at least started to change our perception of Chinese products. Today most audiophiles can name at least few Chinese brands that offer truly high quality and high performance devices. Examples? I'll name only those I've dealt with personally: Lumin (yup, that's HongKong, but that's China now), HiFiMAN (with headquarters in USA, but it is a Chinese company), AudioGD and surely some other I simply can't remember at the moment. Nobody associates these brands with „cheap, poor quality” product. I'd even say that they earned respect of audiophiles around globe because of the quality of both: workmanship and performance. Few months ago a fellow reviewer, Dawid, told me about another such brand called Questyle. What we had in common with Dawid was how we both loved the current mode Bakoon HPA-21 headphone amplifier. This beautifully made and wonderfully sounding amplifier had but one downside (from our perspective obviously) – its price. In Poland it costs bit more than 13.000 PLN which, for headphone amplifier is a lot (although I realize that is not the most expensive headphone amp on the marker). So in fact both of us hoped we could find some other product with similar performance but much more friendly pricing. Whole credit goes to Dawid who found out about Questyle Audio, contacted them and negotiated sending the first review sample to Poland. And the review Dawid wrote was raving about CMA800R and after that he was kind enough to offer me a listening session so I knew that he might had founded what we'd been looking for. It so happened that representatives of Questyle Audio attended this year's Munich High End Show, which gave me a chance to meet Mr Alden Zhao, Questyle's Oversea Sales Manager. During the Show they presented not only CMA800R (two actually), but also D/A Converter CAS192D and Q192 – a single device combining DAC with headphone amp. What caught my eye immediately was a presentation of two CMA800Rs working in mono mode and driving... yes, of course my absolute favorites Audeze LCD-3. Don't get me wrong – it doesn't mean that I disregarded other product, but I'd been looking for optimal and yet not too expensive (like other favorites: Bakoon HPA-21, and Sugden Masterclass HA-4) amplification for my cans for quite a long time. I just had to try this system immediately (with Questyle DAC as a source) despite far-from-perfect show conditions. These conditions didn't let me fully assess the performance but what I heard was enough to talk to Alden about a review of a pair of CMA800R. As it turned out he also was an Audeze fan, which made my getting two units for review easier. All I had to do was to wait for review units to come. Maybe five minutes after I left Questyle's stand I (very happy indeed) I realize one „slight” problem. To conduct such z 'review I needed a special cable for my LCD-3, terminated with two 3-pin XLR plugs. Such a cable doesn't belong to standard Audeze equipment (I mean there is a balanced cable but with a single 4-pin plug) and you don't really see many of these also among after market cables. My first idea was to ask Forza AudioWorks to make one for me, but that would not be a standard model for them so after the test they would be left with an almost unsaleable product. Solution came from unexpected side. Maybe a month before HighEnd Show I contacted Alex Sventinsky from WyWires. That's an American cable manufacturer that made a lot of fuss (mostly) on American market over last few years. There are lot of raving reviews, but also many comments from satisfied customers. All of them praising outstanding performance of cables that cost less, or much less that more famous competitors. We exchanged couple of emails and Alex wrote that he'd be attending Munich Show so we could meet there. For me WyWires owner's presence in Munich was a clear indicator that company was strongly interested expanding overseas. We met and knowing that a lot of people praised also a headphone cable Alex offered I asked him if he'd be interesting of preparing a cable I could use for Questyle review. He agreed to make and deliver 3 m long cable with 4-pin XLR termination and another 1m extension cable with two 3-pin XLRs for my Audeze LCD-3 cans. Obviously in this way I would have a cable I could use not only for this review but also for any other headphone amp with a 4-pin balanced output. This RED Headphone cable costs in US 299 USD (for 1,5 m but one can order any length adding another 35$ per additional feet) and can be ordered for Audeze, HiFiMAN and Sennheiser cans (although versions for HD700 and 800 cost more – 349$ - because of more costly plugs). One can order it with jack or XLR, an extension cable is also an option. After delivery I could finally find out for myself that this was on one hand quite an inconspicuous cable (as it was rather thin) on the other eye-catching due to its beautiful red color. What was more important make and finish were of a high quality and the cable itself was very flexible and light – something that headphone users would surely appreciate. Alex used also high quality Neutrik plugs so Red Headphone Cable seemed like a solid contender which was to be confirmed in the course of this test. It's time to get back to Questyle. CMA800R is not a particularly large device – which is a welcome feature for headphone amp. It sport a nice aluminum enclosure that is nicely made and finished. On a front panel there are three headphone outputs: two large jacks (6,3 mm) and one 3-pin XLR. The latter works in mono mode. There are also three toggle switches – (starting from the left-hand side) on/off switch, input selector (as there are two inputs, balanced and unbalanced), and a work mode selector. Even the volume control knob is made of aluminum and works smoothly. Five blue LEDs (not too bright which is great!) indicate functions currently used/active. These working modes are what makes CMA800R different from hundreds if not thousands of competitors. Each Questyle can work as a regular, stereo amplifier, but all it takes is just one flip switch and you can use it as a monoamplifier. Well, OK – you need a second unit obviously, and a balanced source plugged into separate inputs, and a special cable for your cans (with two 3-pin XLR plugs) – but hey, what other amp gives you this rare opportunity? On the back you'll find above mentioned „regular” analogue inputs (RCA and XLR), IEC socket, pre-out (RCA) and a single XLR input that is used in mono mode. I started this text mentioning that together with my colleague we'd been looking for an amp that would perform at similar level. We'd figured that it also should be working in current domain (like Bakoon and unlike 99% of amps on the market). Questyle works in current domain although Chinese engineer claims that it is a lot different from Bakoon's design. Let's get to listening! Recordings used for the review (a selection) Joe Satriani, Time Machine, Sony B000002BWJ, CD/FLAC. Miles Davis, Tutu: Original Recording Remastered 2011 Deluxe Edition, Warner 081227976873, CD/FLAC. AC/DC, Live, EPIC E2 90553, LP. Georges Bizet, Carmen, RCA Red Seal 74321 39495 2, CD/FLAC. Rodrigo y Gabriela, 11:11, EMI Music Poland 5651702, CD/FLAC. Wycliff Gordon, Dreams of New Orleans, Chesky B0090PX4U4, CD/FLAC. The Ray Brown Trio, Summer Wind, Concord Jazz CCD-4426, CD/FLAC. TREME, soundtrack, Season 1, HBO 0602527508450, CD/FLAC. Lee Ritenour, Rhythm sessions, Concord Records CRE 33709-02, CD/FLAC. Kermit Ruffins, Livin' a Treme life, Basin Street B001T46TVU, CD/FLAC. Pink Floyd, Wish you were here, EMI/EMI Records Japan TOCP-53808, CD/FLAC. Dead Can Dance, Spiritchaser, 4AD/Mobile Fidelity MOFI 2-002, 180 g LP. Miles Davis, Sketches of Spain, Columbia PC8271, LP. Dire Straits, Communique, Vertigo 800 052-2, LP. Carlos Santana, Shaman, Arista 74321959382, CD/FLAC. John Lee Hooker, The best of friends, pointblank 7243 8 46424 26 VPBCD49, CD/FLAC. Buddy Guy, Blues singer, Silvertone 01241-41843-2, CD/FLAC. Muddy Waters & The Rolling Stones, Live At The Checkerboard Lounge, Chicago 1981, Eagle Rock Entertainment B0085KGHI6, CD/FLAC. Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] CMA800R +Hd8000 Bakoon HPA-21 is (not only in my opinion) a perfect partner for Sennheiser HD800. Well, I'd rather say that it makes them sound much better than any other amp but it still doesn't make my first choice of cans. After his session Dawid, an owner of HD800, told me that Questyle allowed these cans to perform as well, as they did with Bakoon. So even though I don't have these headphones myself Dawid insisted on letting me have his for the time of this review (he did the same when I'd reviewed HPA-21). I had to try them with CMA800R (with a single unit I mean – no proper cable to try them with monoblocks). Well, maybe to amplifiers are not enough for ultimate conclusion but I would still risk one. It seems that these cans truly benefit from being driven by current mode amplifier. I don't mean to start any war here – I know that there many happy users of HD800, but I'm simply not one of them. These are highly analytic cans offering tones of details, fast, with a rather bit bright and sometimes even slightly harsh treble. They allow to analyze sound material giving user a very good insight. I appreciate all that, I really do but that's not what could convince me to use them every day. Using them I don't feel such a close, intimate contact with music as is usually provided by Audeze, HiFiMAN, FAD and many other cans. HD800 bring, in my opinion, at least in a long run sort of fatigue and I don't mean physical comfort as these are the most comfortable cans to wear I know. But soundwise they kind of force themselves on a listener with abundance of very distinctive details that seem to be important by themselves instead of being a part of a greater whole. They also seem a bit „nervous”. And surely they don't offer such a slam as Audeze or HiFiMan, nor such a richness, fullness of sound as those, and while spacing is really good, all these elements offered by HD800 don't combine, again – in my ears – into... fluid, coherent music spectacle as I would like to hear it. Unless, of course, you drive them with Bakoon's current output, or, as I just found out, to current Questyle's output because then it becomes quite a different story. With other amps both range extremes seemed to dominate midrange a little but with CMA800R it wasn't a case anymore. There was finally a rich, smooth midrange, there was some slam in the bass, and even treble seemed smoother, more liquid while still open and sparkling. Yes, I'd tried HD800 with other amps before like with above mentioned Sugden, or M2Tech Marley, and these, while being impressive class A products, had not worked with these cans that well, I mean – I hadn't liked none of these setups that much. It changed when I started to drive Sennheisers with CMA800R – I finally enjoyed listening to the music, and not just high quality sound, if you know what I mean. For my personal use I would still chose Audeze, HiFiMAN, and even FAD cans, but with Questyle in play the choice would be so obvious anymore. So if you are a fan of HD800 give Questyle a try – you might find out that your cans can still do better than with any amp you're using now. I know that it won't be easy as there is still no distributor in Poland (from what I heard maybe soon there will be one) but if you really try you'll find a way. Of course you can try with Bakoon – also a great, but much more expensive partner for these cans. Your cans will still be fast, detailed, transparent, but improvements in bass extension and slam, richness of midrange and smoothness of treble should be also to your liking. CMA800R + FAD Pandora Hope VI I was really looking forward to listening to Pandora's with Questyle but I had to do my sessions with HD800 first as I knew I had to return them to the owner. Again I had to perform a test with a single CMA800R because I lacked proper cable to drive Japanese cans with two amps. As I mentioned in my Pandora Hope VI review I liked these cans more and more with almost every session and when review was finished it was really hard to part with them. That's why now I have my own pair and my respect for these headphones hasn't ceased to grow. They simply don't fall that much behind top Audeze models as price difference would suggest. Combining them with Questyle proved to be an excellent idea and showed that there was still some potential in some ares to be discovered. What this setup introduced to otherwise already well know sound of Pandoras was more lively, more open sound, I mean these are features I didn't complain before but only improvement allowed me to realized that there was even more potential in them now delivered thanks to Questyle amp. CMA800R also gave bass bit more weight and slam while taking care of proper control and definition – with that pace&rhythm became almost perfect. Obviously there were some things that even Questyle couldn't „create”. Bass extension still wasn't as great as with for example Audeze, but a better control, definition, more taut and more energetic presentation simply shifted my attention to these aspects and made me forget about any shortcomings. This dense, smooth midrange became even more subtle, sophisticated if you will, also more transparent which resulted in a better insight into deeper layers of music. Treble, slightly dark before, now started to shine and sparkle while still being detailed and open as before. CMA800R seemed to be a very clean, transparent sounding amplifier and these cans benefited from it greatly. What was great about this amplifier was that unlike many similar devices it was not sounding bright nor lean and the session with HD800 proved that it was capable of doing quite the opposite – make their presentation fuller, richer, smoother. So after session with so differently sounding cans I could tell that this was quite an all-rounder, that would sound great with (most likely) almost any headphones. Surely it matters what source will you use with it. I loved the sound when CMA800R was partnered with Lumin T1 – a smaller, less expensive but equally great sounding brother of famous A1 model, It offered an involving, warm but detailed, open and resolving sound. I enjoyed Questyle a lot when my TeddyDAC was a source, or Accoustic Arts system (Tube DAC II i Drive II), or turntables (including my TransFi and Zontek). Have you already spotted a pattern here? Yes, in my opinion such a fast, transparent, clean sounding amplifier benefits most from some very musical, dense, rich sources, as they together offer a complete, outstanding presentation – analytic but musical at the same time, fast, detailed, resolving but also very smooth, rich, involving. Obviously the choice is yours if you decide to purchase CMA800R and it will depend on the final effect you'd want to achieve. But from my point of view, considering my preferences combination of this amp with one of the above mentioned sources was all I needed. Now I still had to do was to check these combinations with my favorite cans from Audeze. CMA800R + Audeze LCD-XC i LCD-3 Considering how thrilled I had been after my review of LCD-XC I simply had to try these also with Questyle. To be honest – I was able to do that because distributor still hadn't picked those up after the review – nice of him! These were the first cans I could plug into two CMA800R, as they used same cable as LCD-3. That gave me also a chance to compare the sound of LCD-XC driven by one and by two Questyles, although comparison wasn't perfect as I had to use different cables (single Forza Audioworks, and double WyWires). When I talked to Alden in Munich he told me that they had tried many cans with 2 CMA800R and the ones that benefited most from such amplification were Audeze LCD-3. But since I'd loved LCD-XC so much why wouldn't I have listened to them too?! Listening to closed-back Audeze with Chinese amplifier only confirmed everything I already new about these cans, about how outstanding piece of audio equipment they were. On one hand it proved that CMA800R did equally great job as brilliant Sugden Masterclass HA-4 had before, on the other hand it showed that XC did not benefit much, or even almost at all, from being driven by two monoblocks. Let me be more precise – already one Chinese amp changed the character of sound of American headphones to some degree. While Sugden had put an emphasis on features like: richness, smoothness, tunefulness and so on, Questyle shifted accents towards: speed, transparency even better details reproduction. Let me underline that for you one more time – CMA800R shifted and not changed sound completely, nor even significantly. These were two outstanding amplifiers presenting a slightly different way to achieving outstanding sound quality. Listening to any of them I couldn't really point out anything I thought had to be improved. Only when I compared them directly I realized that maybe Sugden could be just a bit faster and more transparent and it wouldn't have moved it to the group of “cold sounding, analytic devices”. On the other hand Questyle could offer slightly richer, even more smooth and palpable midrange and that wouldn't have made an “overly warm device” of it. These were simply two amazing headphone amplifiers offering outstanding, although slightly different performance. And I loved them both equally, as they both allowed me to enjoy the music in a fabulous way. So when I finally hooked up LCD-XC using WyWires cable to two CMA800R, to be honest, I was slightly disappointed. Not because they didn't sound great, as they still did (!), but because they didn't sound even greater than before. I mean – after some time I noticed a slightly better dynamics, and it seemed that also control and definition of low end gained a bit. These were quite small, although absolutely positive changes but simple the extension of them wasn't as great as I'd expected. So finally I arrived at creme de la creme of this review - Questyle with LCD-3. In my recent reviewed of LCD-XC I admitted that I liked them even more than my own LCD-3, although with one reservation – my LCD-3 pair was almost 2 years old, meaning no FAZOR on board nor any other improvements Audeze had introduced over this time. So one of the questions I wanted this test to answer was this: would CMA800R restore proper hierarchy among Audeze cans – LCD-3 was a top model after all. Already the first session with single Questyle amp proved that this unit was a very good match for somewhat dark sounding LCD-3. This incredibly dense, creamy midrange obviously benefited in terms of speed and transparency, and the low end became even more taut, more punctual and even more energetic. But it were changes in treble that made a real difference. It was treble that caused many people to call LCD-3 (at least this older version) dark sounding cans. There was plenty of details, it was resolving and open but it wasn't as vibrant, as sparkling as many competitors and it took a top notch very transparent and resolving amp to appreciate Audeze in full. One of such headphone amplifiers that did this sort of job very well was Schiit Audio Mjolnir. It was capable of “lighting up” the treble (not make it brighter but lighten it up, meaning giving better insight, making it more vibrant and adding some sparkling but without making it harsh or bright) and thus changing significantly this “dark” signature of Audeze. CMA800R did the same thing but I thought (couldn't be really sure as it'd been more than a year since Mjolnir's review) that it did even better job. It seemed that LCD-3 sounded even more “lively” and more transparent. As far as I could tell differences weren't huge but noticeable. So the last thing to do was to hook up my LCD-3 using beautiful Red Headphone Wire from WiWyres to two CMA800R units working in mono mode, to finally check by myself whether that was the best way to drive my favorite cans and if buying two of them would really be worth it. Let me make it simple for you – the answer is: YES! Ever since I got LCD-3 I'd been repeating again and again that these were the best cans I knew, offering most complete. Most natural, sore sophisticated sound than any other I had a chance to listen to (at least the best ones that were still in production). But still plugging them into two CMA800Rs proved there was still some previously uncovered potential in them. The sonic signature of LCD-3 remained the same, and the improvements were more or less the same as with a single Questyle unit but what changed was the extent of the changes – these were no longer just “noticeable” but simply significant, bringing these amazing cans to a new level of performance. I'd never heard these headphones delivering such incredibly dynamic performance, with such a deep but amazingly well defined and controlled bass, and a slam that one would have thought cans could never convey. This system was able to convey even organs in a very convincing (I mean for headphones), powerful way. I was amazed how deep LCD-3 were able to go. Just for fun of it I listened also to many drum solos just to contemplate and admire dynamics, slam, speed and the outstanding way this system differentiated both low and high tones. As for treble an exceptional differentiation was one thing, but finally listening (via LCD-3) to sticks hitting cymbals I could hear “sparkles” flying, as the strike was so strong, so well defined, but also a response of metallic cymbal was which in turned offered rich, powerful sound with a very nice decay. Other improvement, although not to such extend, was in term of spacing and imaging that seemed more precise which lead to even more realistic performance. I couldn't check how would HD800, FAD Pandora Hope VI perform driven by two Questyle amps, so it is sort of speculation here, but basing on the information from Alden and on my experience with LCD-XC I would risk a claim that it is the LCD-3 that benefit most from a system based on two current mode CMA800Rs working in mono modes. For LCD-XC, that are easier to drive, I would suggest a single CMA800R – that should be enough to create a fantastic system. But when it comes to LCD-3 two Questyles really make a difference. Obviously two units mean price x 2, but if one wants a top notch system that's a price one has to pay for it. Is it worth to buy two amps (not only double price but add a special cable to it) that's a question each potential buyer has to answer himself. I have no doubts it is worth it if you want to have reference system with Audeze LCD-3 cans. Since I couldn't directly compare WyWires Red Headphone cable to any other I can't say for sure that it is the best possible choice, but what I can tell you is that this is a damn good cable that together with two CMA800R allowed LCD-3 to shine like they never had before. That means that it does all I expect from any cable – it allows the system to perform at its best. That's the best recommendation cable can get from me. Summary Having already great experience with current mode devices from Bakoon I expected a lot of current mode Questyle CMA800R. This test has provided me with a confirmation that current mode amplification is a way to go and I wonder why so few companies use this solution. A single CMA800R is a damn good headphone amplifier, one of few best I had a chance to listen to so far. It offers an amazingly clear, transparent sound, detailed, resolving and fast. But at the same time it is far from sounding “dry” or lean – with proper cans it creates rich, musical, convincing and involving presentation. It's also a nice all-rounder as such a different sounding cans as Sennheiser HD800, FAD Pandora Hope VI, and Audeze cans – they all benefited from what Questyle offered. There are a lot of very good headamps on the market but only few of them would sound that good with such a different headphones. Two of these amplifiers working in mono mode with a very smooth, rich and (if only possible) balanced source (like a Lumin player for example) and Audeze LCD-3 with WyWires cable create a reference system that only few could compete with. These brilliant cans seem to come really alive in such setup with enhanced dynamics and even more vivid, transparent presentation. The most evident “gain” comes in treble area that is lit up by Questyle, that isn't dark any more, that make treble sparkling, shining, and give even better insight. All that makes LCD-3 sing as I've never heard them before. Outstanding dynamics, deep, powerful but also very well controlled and defined bass, rich, creamy midrange more transparent, clearer than ever, but still palpable, offering very close, intimate contact with music. And finally the one thing some complained in regard to LCD-3 about – treble that is surely slightly darker than offered by most cans on the market (that are, in my opinion, simply too bright). With CMA800R nobody should complain any more about “dark” treble – it is open, sparkling, but also rich and smooth, no signs of any harshness, any grain or whatsoever. Sound is amazing fluid, coherent and there is this combination of features that is offered by high end devices – amazing clarity, and a sound that is detailed and resolving but at the same time very rich and smooth, what we can hear is impressive in terms of dynamics, of the amount of energy that is conveyed but it is also subtle and coherent. If you ask me – that's what high end sound is about! Questyle CMA800R is a current mode headphone amplifier. Lets start with its looks. Questyle sport a nice, not too big aluminum casing with a regular rectangular shape. Fit and finish is very good although there are some detail that in my opinion could still be improved (more about that in a moment). Thick front plate sports 3 toggle switches – (starting from left-hand side) on/off switch, input selector, and mode selector. Between first two there are four blue LED indicators (with user-friendly brightness). Than there are two (current) large jack headphone outputs, one 3-pin XLR balanced mono output, and a smoothly working, aluminum volume control knob. On the backside, next to the IEC socket, there there two stereo analogue inputs: RCA and XLR (and thus an input selector on the front), a single, balanced mono XLR input, and unbalanced (RCA) pre out. The whole casing is supported by 3 or 4 (user can chose one setting over the other) solid, aluminum feet with additional rubber o-ring. The mode selector, XLR headphone output and mono XLR input are used when two CMA800R units are used as mono amplifiers. One unit serves as right channel the other as the left one. I am not sure if there is any other headphone amplifier on the market that could work as both, stereo or mono amp. Woo Audio offers monoblock headphone amplifiers but these work as monoblocks only so one needs to buy a pair. Let me get back to those little things concerning the looks and functionality that Questyle could do better (or improve in a future version). First of them actually concerns the case when two CMA800R are used – as both sport independent volume controls it would be helpful if there was some sort of a scale that would allows user to use exactly the same setting for both units (channels). As foe aesthetics – as the fit and finish of the whole casing is really good, the way top cover is fixed could be surely done better as these 8 not so nicely looking screws surely don't help. I've started with information that this amplifier works in current mode – eve its name suggests that: CMA is an abbreviation for Current Mode Amplification. What does current mode actually mean? One should understand it pretty literally – signal delivered to amplifier, a voltage signal, as all source deliver this type of signal, is converted to a current one and then processed/amplified in a current stage and not like in most devices available on the market in a voltage one. The Current Mode Amplification consists of an Input Buffer, Current Transmitter, Trans-impedance Amplifier and Output Buffer, each section makes up a TransLiner (TL) loop circuit. CMA technology is traditionally applied in high speed communication and video processing fields but Questyle used it for audio and has patents for its proprietary solutions. Not unlike in voltage mode amplifiers this one also used transistors in a gain stage but these work in a bit different way. In Current Mode amplifier there are capacitors between each two transistors which affects speed and bandwidth working in a low impedance resistance. As the Manufacturer claims RC value is ultra-low, so it can easily achieve amplification with much broader bandwidth and ultra-low distortion plus it lowers TIMD (Transient Intermodulation Distortion). The parameters CMA800R provides are impressive – 0,00038% ultra-low distortion, 650KHz wide frequency and 114dB Signal to Noise Ratio. Even for the best solution to work properly one needs to use high quality components and that's exactly what Questyle does. They use large toroidal transformer with few secondary windings that is made for this particular device by a Canadian company Plitron. Power supply section includes 22 pieces of high quality Nichicon Fine Gold capacitors, 1000 μF each. There is a 115/230V voltage selector which means they make same units for different markets. Volume pot is Alps 337G 50KAX2. Relay switching is via three Takamisawa, the two large Wima caps are MKP4 series 2.2uF 250V units. Gain stage includes high quality OPA627. Voltage signal is delivered via analogue inputs and than converted to current signal by VCCS (Voltage Control Current Source). Then current signal goes to gain stage and only after that is converted back to voltage signal, as only in this form it can be delivered via output to any headphones. Specifications (according to manufacturer) Gain: 15,5 dB Maximum output power: • 180 mW (7,5 Vrms) @ 300 Ω, stereo mode • 710 mW (15 Vrms) @ 300 Ω, mono mode SNR: 114 dB, stereo mode, 118 dB mono mode THD+N: • 0,00038% @ 1 kHz, 300 Ω stereo mode • 0,00026% @ kHz, 300 Ω mono mode Frequency response: DC-200 kHz (+0, -0,3 dB); DC-650 kHz(+0, -3 dB) Input sensitivity: 1,2 Vrms Impedance: 47 kΩ Inputs: XLR stereo, RCA Stereo, XLR mono fully balanced Outputs: 2 x large jack 6,35 mm, fully balanced single 3-pin XLR, pre-out (RCA) Work status: pure class A Power consumption: 13 W Dimensions: 330x300x55 mm [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/questyle/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/questyle/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/questyle/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/questyle/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/questyle/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/questyle/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/questyle/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/questyle/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/questyle/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/questyle/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/questyle/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/questyle/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/questyle/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/questyle/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/questyle/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/questyle/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/questyle/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/questyle/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/questyle/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/questyle/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/questyle/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/questyle/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/questyle/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/questyle/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/questyle/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/questyle/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/questyle/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

he start of July was pretty much insanely hot in Poland. It wasn’t quite your 40ºC Turkish or Spanish summer, but to the inhabitant of a Central European country used to mild temperatures in summer and rather low ones in winter, it was nearly tropical. At 32ºC outside my window and little less indoors, testing and reviewing audio components turns into something out of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose (Il nome della rosa, 1980). Goodness – if I at least used D-class amps, like the ones offered by Pro-Ject! But no – my powerful Soulution 710 power amp, the tube-based Ayon Audio Polaris III preamplifier with an outboard tube power supply, and more tubes in my Ancient Audio CD player. Things could only get worse if I had large tube monoblocks or solid state amplifiers working in class A. When opening the nice-looking, classy products from the Box Design series, (the CD Box RS transport and Pre Box RS Digital, DAC and preamplifier in one), I could count on the fact that at least the source and preamplifier would generate less heat than those in my reference system. This idea had a sensible basis, even if I knew previously that the converter’s output operates in class A. But I opened the boxes while being aware of the fact that the DAC has two parallel amplification circuits in the output: a solid state one and a tube one. And both of these products are so small and stylish! While bigger than the ones from the DS range, not to mention the lower ranges, they remain light and fresh thanks to Heinz Lichtenegger, a visionary and owner of one of the best-recognized audio companies, the Austrian manufacturer of turntables and “mini” electronics: Pro-Ject. The nearly square in shape (72 x 206 x 200 mm) CD transport and DAC with preamplifier are the newest additions to the flagship RS series. Showcased for the very first time during last year’s High End 2013 in Munich, they had to wait a whole year to be officially launched for sale. Only this year’s audio show in the capital of Bavaria brought the ready-made products – the same ones that the delivery man brought to my house some time later. I’ll start with the transport and not only because it’s the first link in the chain, but also because its presence was a surprise to me in the first place. It’s a Compact Disc transport, after all, and not a music file player. The company has offered the latter for the past two years, if I’m not mistaken. The second surprise was the unit’s design. Although it’s small, it’s a classic top-loader with a special chamber for the disc. In this type of product there’s no tray – the disc is placed directly on a platter attached to the motor’s axle, made secure with a clamp and closed with a lid. In terms of concept they look quite similar to the CD players from another Austrian manufacturer, Ayon Audio. The CD Box RS has a slightly confusing name. It’s just a transport, not a fully-fledged player. Additionally, it can play CD-R/RW discs containing hi-res FLAC files, up to 24-bit and 96 kHz. It’s equipped with several digital outputs, out of which I2S is the most interesting one, made on a JR45 (Ethernet) link, similar to Ayon. Here, however, the designer decided to make a full use of the advantages of the well-known, valued and probably no-longer available BlueTiger 100 mechanism manufactured by the Austrian company StreamUnlimited. Heinz doesn’t have to travel far to get in touch with those people, because both companies have their offices in Vienna. It’s a CD-ROM transport with an interesting system of signal transmission. If along with the I2S you connect the master clock via a digital cable (from the DAC to the transport), you can use a special system called “Sonic2” that employs the Sonic Scrambling technology. This technology aims to minimize jitter. In this mode the output signal has a 88.2 kHz sampling frequency. Sonic Scrambling, as engineers say, is especially useful when you use D/A converters of the sigma-delta type, linearizing their work at lower levels. Nowadays nearly all converters work this way. The active Sonic2 state is indicated via a corresponding message on a large LCD screen on the transport, as well as a blue micro-LED in the DAC. The latter obviously has an I2S input as well as master clock output. Other than that, it also has eight other digital inputs: AES/EBU, 2 x RCA, 4 x optical, USB, as well as an analogue input, for a phono stage, for example. In addition to digital to analogue conversion, the Pre can also “manage” the signal, including volume control: it’s a classic analog preamplifier. If that wasn’t enough, the front of the device has a large 6.35 mm headphone jack with an output impedance selector. The USB is special. It accepts a PCM signal up to 32-bit and 384 kHz (meaning DXD), as well as DSD signal (DSD64 and DSD128). The remaining inputs accept PCM 24/192 signal. Another one of the unit’s properties is associated with the USB input – the presence of two different digital-to-analogue converter chips. To be honest, this is the first time I’ve seen anything like it. The basis is a Texas Instruments PCM1792. It handles signals up to 24/192, although after configuring it correctly it’s possible to feed it with a higher sampling frequency signal. The company suggests to use it for all signals up to 24/192. Then there’s another Texas Instruments DAC on board – perhaps not as good, but newer. The PCM5102 is capable of decoding, in full resolution, a 32-bit signal at 384 kHz sampling frequency (DXD). It’s a DAC chip with integrated analog filters and an output buffer, which doesn’t require any extra components in the signal path. You can switch between these two converters using a little toggle-switch on the front panel. Toggle switches are also used to select a desired digital filter and output circuit. The former is known in many other products, because a vast majority of modern DAC chips implement two filters – with a steeper roll-off characteristic and with a softer one. I have also come across two separate output stage circuits, but this isn’t common. The user of the Pre Box RS Digital can choose between two output buffers: a solid stage one or tube-based (6922EH). You switch between them with another toggle switch. In my opinion, the toggle switches look fantastic and are one of the best and most unique parts of this series’ visual design. I have not yet seen a transport or a CD player controlled this way before, though. A few simple words with… HEINZ LICHTENEGGER, CEO Wojciech Pacuła: What, in hell’s name, inspired you to come up with a CD transport? In the 21st century?! (OK, I am a staunch CD supporter and have my doubts about audio streaming, but still...) Heinz Lichtenegger: Firstly, the CD is going to be a niche product for audiophiles and Pro-ject has always been a niche player on the global hi-fi market. Secondly, there are many CDs out there and many CD players unfortunately break down. So somebody who has had a real audiophile CD player, which is broken, will not spend 5000 euro on it, because he is already into Hi-Res streaming. So he searches for an audiophile solution which sounds great but does not cost a fortune – hence our CD transport. Finally, since most audiophile today own a high-end DAC, they don’t need a complete CD player with another built-in DAC but they need a perfect transport. Please describe two main functions of your transport - Sonic2 and 88.2. Sonic Scrambling technology is a data distribution technology that improves linearity in multi-DAC designs. The idea behind Sonic Scrambling is to provide highest quality D/A conversion using two DACs per channel in differential mode. However the key is that signals sent to both DACs of a given channel (DAC+ and DAC-) are identical. They are exact sign opposites of each other with a (low level) random biasing signal which is added to DAC+ and DAC- respectively in order to de-correlate the signal’s LSBs from its content. By doing so, low level signal linearity is enhanced as these signals reproduced by the DAC will be of random nature, thus spreading possible signal related distortion effects. In fact it is a mathematical algorithm, which uses dual differential DAC in order to dig more from CD format. 88.2 is simply an internal oversampling of the 44.1 kHz signal. When is the separate master clock active - only with the I2S? Correct, the Sonic2 I2S requires 8 wires and we have the RJ-45 connector for it; the master clock must be separate and we use a BNC connector for it. Will your transport be capable of sending signal via I2S to Ayon's DAC? Good question. The CD Box RS uses unbalanced I2S with a standard TTL level. So if the Ayon or another DAC uses unbalanced I2S with the TTL level and in the same time you have a cable which fits in both products it should play. The CD Box RS transmits SD, BCK, LRCLK.  Please tell us a little more about the two DACs inside the Pre Box RS – what are they for? The basic one is the DAC using two PCM1792 in differential mode. Such circuit is necessary for Sonic2, but it also has benefits for other inputs. It can lower the noise floor and extract more detail. Its dynamic range is up to 132dB. The PCM1792 is a monolithic CMOS integrated circuit that includes a stereo digital-to-analogue converter and support circuitry. The data converters use TI’s advanced segment DAC architecture to achieve excellent dynamic performance and improved tolerance to clock jitter. The PCM1792 provides balanced current outputs, allowing the user to optimize analog performance externally. The PCM1792 accepts PCM and DSD audio data formats. The PCM5102-based DAC is here mainly for processing audio data from USB with sampling frequency higher than 192 kHz (up to 384 kHz) and bit depth up to 32 bits. This DAC doesn’t support DSD playback. Of course, it can be used for all the inputs, except for Sonic2, if its sonic character better suits listener’s taste than the PCM1792-based DAC. Who exactly designed these products? Each product has its own design engineer, doesn’t it? Of course – these two have been designed by our engineer, Marian Mlčoch. Why is there no single remote control for both units? We will work on a stylish, metal remote as a separate item. Pro-Ject in “High Fidelity” • REVIEW: Pro-Ject 1XPRESSION CARBON CLASSIC + Ortofon M SILVER - turntable + phono cartridge, see HERE • REVIEW: Pro-Ject Box CD SE + DAC Box FL - CD player+ D/A converter, see HERE • REVIEW: Pro-Ject ART-1 (+ Denon DL-A100) - turntable (+ phono cartridge), see HERE • REVIEW: Pro-Ject RPM6 SB + PRO-JECT PHONO BOX SE - turntable + phono stage, see HERE • REVIEW: Pro-Ject 2XPERIENCE - turntable, see HERE • REVIEW: Pro-Ject RPM5 SUPERPACK - turntable, see HERE • REVIEW: Pro-Ject HEAD BOX MkII – headphone amplifier, see HERE • REVIEW: THE PROJECT SAGA, PART I, see HERE • REVIEW: THE PROJECT SAGA, PART II, see HERE Albums auditioned during this review Anita Lipnicka, Vena Amoris, Mystic Production MYSTCD 244, CD (2013). Billie Holiday, “Billie Holiday”, Clef/UMG Recordings UCCV-9470, „David Stone Martin 10 inch Collector’s Selection”, CD (1954/2013). Branford Marsalis, Hot House Flowers, Sony Records (Japan) SRCS-9213, „Master Sound”, CD (1984/1997). Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie,Bird & Diz, Mercury/UMG Recordings UCCV-9466, „David Stone Martin 10 inch Collector’s Selection”, CD (1952/2013). David Roth, Will You Come Home, Stockfisch SFR 357.4079.2, SACD/CD (2014). Eric Clapton, Journeyman, Warner Bros. Records/Audio Fidelity AFZ 180, „Limited Edition No, 0281”, SACD/CD (1989/2014). John Coltrane, Lush Life, Prestige/Universal Music (Japan), „Jazz The Best. Legendary 100, No. 55”, CD (1961/2008). Kenny Burrell, “Soul Call”, Prestige/JVC JVCXR-0210-2, XRCD2 (1964/?). Laurie Allyn, Paradise, Mode Records/V.S.O.P. Records MZCS-1124, „Mode Vocal Collection”, CD (1957/2007). Martyna Jakubowicz, Burzliwy błękit Joanny, Universal Music Polska 376 131 8, CD (2013); Nina Simone, „Silk & Soul”, RCA/BMG UK & Ireland 2876596202, CD (1967/2004). Patrik Nolan, Piano Gathering Light, Naim naimcd011, CD (1994). Shamek Farrah, First Impressions, Strata-East Records/Bomba Records BOM2402, CD (1074/2006). ShowBand, Punkt styku, GAD Records GAD CD 013, CD (2014); Soundgarden, Superunknown, A&M Records 3778183, „Deluxe Edition”, 2 x CD (1994/2014). Tangerine Dream, Phaedra, Virgin Records/EMI Music JapanVJCP-68667, CD (1974/2004). The Cure, Disintegration, Fiction Records 8393532, CD (1989). Japanese CD editions are available from [REKLAMA5] Asking Heinz Lichtenegger, why on earth he offers a CD transport in the second decade of the twenty-first century, I did not mean to suggest that he does not know what he’s doing, let alone express my indignation. I was merely interested in the point of view of a man who has done more for affordable vinyl than anyone else, and over the past twenty years made it possible for thousands - hundreds of thousands - of music lovers to enjoy the music. Almost the entire time of the Box series’ existence, except for the initial phase, when they were just turntable "accessories," Pro-Ject lineup included CD players. But when music file players appeared on the horizon, quickly adapted by Pro-Ject to its needs, it might have seem that nobody serious would ever think about a digital physical medium, except maybe myself and a few other madmen. But something's still up. Listening to CDs, one after another, anyone who has a pair of ears and a brain between them should understand what it is. The Pro-Ject system offers a very friendly side of digitally encoded music. Not warm or muddy, but just friendly. While not very precise, this term is very helpful in the description of the sound in that it doesn’t so much depict the sound itself but rather how it is received; it generalizes rather than specifies. "Friendliness" in this case means something like an "invitation" to listening; not just to a short demo but to longer auditions. It also means not being too discriminating in the selection of musical material. The Pro-Ject has it all: you can use it to listen to music for hours and it does not matter what you are listening to, provided that it is something you like and identify with. Still, I feel a little uncomfortable proposing this term, generalizing and thus "marking" the sound for good. The reason for the latter is that in the audio literature the category of "friendliness" is associated with a "tube" and "analog" sound. Both are obvious simplifications and in fact constitute stereotypes. For a start, it is sufficient for our purposes to say that the Pro-Ject sounds neither "tube" nor "analog" in the stereotypical sense, and yet you can listen to it for hours. SETTING UP The number of settings in the transport and DAC is almost overwhelming. The transport can be hooked up via one of several available connectors. But let me say this one thing: it is no coincidence that the company turns our attention primarily to I2S. In addition to word clock being sent over a separate cable, the Sonic Scrambling mode offers a much fuller, smoother and saturated sound. If you have friends who believe that "a bit is a bit", do them a favor and let them try out for themselves. The DAC can work with two types of filters, of which almost every time better sounding was filter No. 2. It basically did the same thing as the I2S link. That was enough. Choosing between the two DAC chips proved more difficult and the choice depended on the type of input signal. In the case of CD, I preferred Texas Instruments PCM1792, mostly because of its superior resolution and differentiation. However, with hi-res signal it was no longer so clear. The choice of output circuit, i.e. solid state or tube-based, will depend on the sonic character of the rest of your system. It is not true that tubes always sound warmer. This is not the story here. On the contrary – it is the solid-state output that is darker and smoother. Hence, it will be a better choice (together with the Texas Instruments PCM5102 DAC chip) if your system has a tendency to sounding slightly dry or bright. This output seems darker, because it is also less sonorous and not as deep as the tube buffer. And it was the way of building up the body (deeper), showing decay (longer) and bottom end energy (higher) that made me carry out the auditions using the tube output. But this was my choice and it should not be considered the only one and "holy." The sound of the system is open and delicate rather than imposing. A proper selection of individual settings makes it also deep and sonorous. It also has its own character, to which I will come back later. Here and now, the most important is that we get a very clear presentation. And this results in "friendliness" and "openness." Things that are usually mutually exclusive not just coexist here on an equal footing, because that would suggest their incompatibility and artificial joining, but simply "work together." Spinning any CD you will hear lots of detail, built up on something greater. The unit is very rhythmical. It does not emphasize the attack, so there is no impression of sound’s hardening or contouring. That could adversely affect its melodiousness, given its open sound. The resolution is pretty good, although the Pro-Ject is not the kind of audio system to display holographic three-dimensional bodies on the soundstage, let alone reveal the hidden secrets of the mixing and mastering engineer. It's more sort of a one-package-sound, even and simply making sense. The density of the sound, which we get with good recordings, results from clarity and low distortion, and not from boosting a certain frequency range. I have mentioned unit’s own sonic character. It shows in a slight emphasis around 600-800 Hz, which is exactly the center of audio frequency range. Since the upper midrange is very nicely shaped, and not imposing, the midrange seems to be the number one player. This was confirmed by John Coltrane’s saxophone on his album Lush Life, sounding very nice, with meaty foundation and plenty of detail. Also, the vocals of Anita Lipnicka and Martyna Jakubowicz on their commercial albums, i.e. those produced (in terms of their recording and mastering) mainly for radio station exposure. They are not at all bad and may be considered nearly reference for this type of projects. Some things, such as gentle reverb and softness, are somewhat lacking, though. The Pro-Ject with filter No. 2, I2S connection, master clock and DAC No. 1, had no problem with that. My point is that these shortcomings did not affect the way the discs were played. Of course, moving over to the wonderful Laurie Allyn showed what real vocals are, but it was not the unit’s fault. The Pro-Ject is not just about midrange, though. While midrange is the first to draw attention, it is not dominant. Midbass is also very, very pleasant. The sense of rhythm I spoke about didn’t come out of nowhere. Of course, it’s most evident with recordings that didn’t seem to show it earlier, like The Cure Disintegration, a rather dark and sonically dirty album, on which the Pro-Ject best showed what it’s so good at: capturing tempo changes and bringing out details that are usually “under the dust.” This can be done quite easily by sharpening and thinning out the sound. The Austrian system does not go that way. It is selective and refined at the same time. Hence, we have a very nice edge and delicate, tasteful body. As I said, it’s easiest to see on this type of recordings. But perhaps what stuck most in my memory was the album I listened to at the beginning of my auditions, and then again at the end: Patrick Noland’s Piano Gathering Light. I have probably already said that, but let me repeat it from time to time, because it's important for me: meeting a person, creator, artist, makes you look at what he does in a quite different way. First of all, it allows to better focus on that. If we know who we are talking about because we met him closer, we are able to devote more time to his “work” or “composition," whatever it is. We can also better understand what he does through conversation or reading. Recently, such important "meetings" for me were Zdzisław and Tomasz Beksiński, on account of reading a book Beksińscy. Portret podwójny (“Beksińscy. A double portrait”), and interviews with John Marks (of "Stereophile" fame, see HERE) and Ken Christianson (Pro Musica and Naim Label, see HERE). The latter, creator of the True Stereo recording system, had earlier gained my attention and respect, as I had a lot of Naim albums that I liked both musically- and sonically-wise. But it was my conversation with Ken and our exchange of emails that encouraged me to calmly audition more albums produced by him, to compare them with other productions and to look again at discs that earlier seemed boring to me. Noland’s Piano… was one of them. I am, at the moment, after five or six full listening sessions and I just can’t get enough of it. This is a very early release from Naim Label (then simply Naim), with Julian Vereker, owner of the company, handling mastering duties. The sound is extremely natural, which makes it so endearing. Soft and reserved, yet as close as within hand’s reach. I immediately started buying early Naim releases available at naimlabel.pl, both jazz and classical music – they’re worth it! The Pro-Ject slightly withdrew the piano, showing a lot of air around it; this is how it builds up the soundstage. It is not the master of background, as it brings closer the events further down the soundstage. But by focusing on the foreground and a slight distance to it at the same time, it gives it breath and perspective. ADDITIONAL ISSUES Describing the Pro-Ject system I focused on the sound of CDs. I think it's normal. After all, the CD transport is its key ingredient. I am, however, aware that the other system component, i.e. the Pre Box RS Digital, is something completely different. It does really well as a preamp. Hooking up the system to the high-end Ayon Audio Polaris III [Custom Version] preamp we get a deeper bass and better focus, but at the expense of soundstage width and breath, which are so important in creating the sound from this system. I would therefore say that in this case an external preamplifier is not a good idea. Headphone amplifier is equally interesting. It has a slightly light sound, which makes the kind of headphones like the Ultrasone Edition 5 or HiFiMAN HE-6 lose some of their great body they show with an external headphone amplifier. But these are extreme examples. With classic headphones from Beyerdynamic and AKG the sound will be very pleasant. Maybe not as resolving as from the analog output, but really cool nevertheless. I'm not sure if an external headphone amplifier from a matching price range, can improve things enough to justify the additional cost. This money can be spent much better, for example on a good anti-vibration platform, power supplies, power cords or isolation boards under the components. It's hard to pass by the USB input. First of all, because it is so modern but also because with the 32/384 signal we can use a completely different DAC chip. I do not have many of these recordings, perhaps three albums from the 2L label. They sounded delicious on the Pro-Ject. But DSD files were even more fun. It confirmed something I’d noticed over a year ago listening to the Marantz NA-11S1. A DSD recording, as long as it’s "native" and not converted from PCM, is so smooth with a good DAC, so clean and unimposing that it reminds vinyl. Here, the USB sounded very well and I preferred to use it with DAC No. 2, which gave a slightly darker, warmer sound. It was not as resolving as with CDs and DAC No. 1, but it didn’t bother me in the slightest. Conclusion The Pro-Ject system is extremely functional. The Pre Box RS Digital is like a "deluxe" version of Swiss Army knife for a Marine officer. It sounds very consistent, clean and deep. The transport is equally interesting, although it is a "closed" system. Connected via I2S, it offers a very credible sound, which you can listen to for a long time without fatigue, but also without falling asleep. Better transports provide lower, more focused bass and better sonority across the whole frequency range. The difference is not large, though, and you will have to pay two or three times more. We get a system that on the one hand is terribly old-fashioned, because the CD is today synonymous with backwardness, but on the other is extremely modern, thanks to the USB input. Give CDs a try and listen to them the way they deserve it, and you will see what you lose ripping every disc that comes your way. In my opinion, there is no comparison and the CD Box RS wins 10:1. The DAC sounds almost as good on well-prepared high-resolution files, offering even more breath and even more delicate phrasing. Focus is not on the same level, though. The Pro-Ject is like a small gift from someone who loves us. Pro-Ject’s aluminum enclosures look perfect. I am not sure if the Boxes are still made in the Slovak city of Prešov, as they once were (in an old Edgar factory), but I have to admit that the finish quality is world class. So well anodized aluminum in such large quantities is a big problem. And yet it is just perfect here. The components are available in silver or in black finish, as the ones under review. Both finish versions sport small, silver toggle switches, often found in professional audio equipment, and for some time in the 1970s also in home audio. The enclosures are made of bolted aluminum panels. The faceplate uses the thickest, 10 mm panel. CD Box RS This is a top-loader type of transport, with the CD disc inserted from the top. The round cutout is slightly too small to operate the disc comfortably. You need some time to master it. The disc is secured with an aluminum clamp and large aluminum lid. The latter might have a slightly different shape for more convenient operation. As I found out just before the publication of this review, all new units come with these components improved – and apparently they look even prettier. Unusually for a CD transport, the front panel sports a large color LCD display, the same as used in the music file players from this manufacturer. It displays time and track number, the type of encoding (MP3, WMA or FLAC), as well as CD-Text information, if available. It’s a pity that it so rarely is. Surprisingly, the newest albums from Martyna Jakubowicz and Anita Lipnicka are CD-Text capable. As are, of course, most hybrid SACDs. The many times more expensive Boulder CD player handles it in a similar way to CD ripping software: it is connected to the Internet and downloads the necessary data during disc playback. The digital signal can be fed out in four ways: via RCA (S/PDIF), TOSLINK (S/PDIF), AES/EBU and RJ45 (I2S) connectors. There is also a BNC input, for external master clock. The unit uses a small external switching power supply. 20 V DC voltage is supplied by cable terminated with a solid mini-XLR connector, similar to that used in AKG headphones. All connectors have gold-plated contact pins. The transport drive and control board are bought from Vienna-based StreamUnlimited. These are the same specialists who had previously worked with similar designs for Philips, to mention the CD-Pro2, for example. The control circuit is based on a large DSP chip from Analog Devices. The drive is mounted in a thoughtful way on an aluminum platform and pressed from the top with another aluminum plate. The mechanism "floats" on rubber absorbers compressed between aluminum discs. The output stage PCB has been designed in-house by Pro-Ject. The transport is controlled with a small and not particularly handsome remote control unit. Since it can also be used to operate the music file player, only a few buttons are dedicated to the CD transport. Interestingly, remote control can be used to change the LCD display color. Pre Box RS Digital D/A converter/preamplifier sports the same little charming toggle switches as the transport. They are used to turn on the unit, change the headphone amplifier output impedance (5-50-20 Ω), and change the DAC input, filter and type of output. In the center we have a small, aluminum volume knob and adjacent to it a 6.35 mm headphone jack. Tiny blue (unfortunately) LEDs indicate the sampling frequency of the input signal, including DSD, as well as the selected input. The latter are described with numbers rather than symbols. You must therefore remember their order. Number 1 is the USB input, and number 2 is I2S. The analog input is number 10. All connectors have gold-plated contact pins. There are nine digital inputs and one unbalanced analog input. There are also two analog outputs - balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA. The power supply is the same as in the transport. The whole unit’s interior is packed with electronics. A large printed circuit board is mounted to the bottom of the enclosure, with no less than six auxiliary boards and two small boards with tube sockets plugged in to it. The first board houses the USB input circuit. The converter is based on the XMOS SK1220L chip. Adjacent to it is a board with two very nice clock oscillators, separate for both sampling frequency families (44.1 and 48 kHz). There is also a separate clock for the XMOS circuit. Next we have two boards with the proper digital-to-analog converters. The more important one uses two stereo Burr Brown PCM1792 chips, one for each channel. The next board houses a single Burr-Brown PCM5102 chip. The latter does not require external I/U conversion and filters, because they are all build in. This makes the work of designers easier, but does not allow to create a higher quality audio path. Such as the one used by the PCM1792. Here, the conversion circuit and filters use NE5534 opamps and polypropylene capacitors. DAC outputs are switched by small relay switches. The preamplifier is built using the same opamps. Signal attenuation is handled by a black Japanese Alps motorized potentiometer (Pro-Ject literature says it’s a blue Alps). Adjacent to it, near the headphone jack, is a large headphone amplifier board. It looks very nice. The circuit is based on BCP52+BCP55 bipolar transistor pairs, working in push-pull class A. There are two different preamplifier output stages. One uses two Electro-Harmonix 6922EH tubes, one per channel; the other one sports IRF510S MOSFETs. A two-track potentiometer already suggested it, but now it can be seen clearly that the circuit has an unbalanced topology. Hence, it is better to first try RCA inputs and then the XLRs. The output coupling capacitors are nice-looking Wimas. It needs to be added that a large part of the interior, including one of the auxiliary boards, is occupied by power supply circuits. Remote control unit is tiny, with membrane buttons. It is used to select the input and change volume level. Specifications (according to the manufacturer) CD Box RS Supported types of discs: CD, CD-R, CD-RW and Hybrid-SACD Digital outputs: • 1x I²S via RJ45 (for use with DAC Box RS or Pre Box RS Digital)) • 1x AES/EBU (XLR) • 1x co-axial (S/PDIF) • 1x optical Toslink External clock interface: BNC (for use with DAC Box RS or Pre Box RS Digital) Outboard power supply: 20 V/3000 mA DC; 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz Standby power consumption: < 1 W Power consumption: 600 mA max/90 mA Dimension H x W x D: 72 x 206 x 200 (240) mm (D with sockets) Weight: 3200 g (without power supply) Pre Box RS Digital DAC: • DAC1 – 2 x PCM1792 24/192 • DAC2 – PCM5102 32/384 Tube complement: 2x Electro-Harmonics 6922EH Digital inputs: • 1 x USB 2.0 Audio 32/384 + DoP-DSD 64/128 • 1 x RJ45 Sonic I2S for CD Box RS in Sonic Mode • 2 x S/PDIF 24/192, 4 x S/PDIF TOSLINK 24/96 • 1x AES/EBU 24/192 Line-level input: 1x RCA Input impedance: 33 kΩ Analog outputs: Pre-out (XLR & RCA), Headphone (6.35 mm jack) Headphone impedance: 5/20/50 Ω switchable Analog input sensitivity: 1.6 V RMS Frequency response: 20 Hz – 50 kHz (+ 0/- 0.1 dB) Signal to noise ratio: -100 dB (IEC-A) THD: 0,005% - solid state output | 0.25% - tube output Master clock output: 16.9344 MHz for CD Box RS in Sonic Mode Outboard power supply: 20 V/3 A DC Power consumption: 300 mA – solid state | 850 mA – tube | 90 mA - standby Dimensions W x H x D: 206 x 72 x 200 mm (210 with sockets) Weight: 1950 g (without power supply) [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/17.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/17.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/17.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/18.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/18.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/18.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/19.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/19.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/19.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/20.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/20.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/20.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/pro/th/21.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/pro/21.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/pro/21.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

PPO is one the most unusual manufacturers in audio industry (audio-video to be exact). A few years back, 2009 or 2010 they introduced their first multi-format player called BDP 83. They had started already in 2007 but their first product was a 169$ DVD Player – not so interesting from audiophile's point of view. The BDP 83 became interesting as it offered not only DVD and Blu-ray playback but also supposedly more than decent audio format playback including not only CD but also DVD-A and SACD and a potential user had to pay only 499 USD for all that functionality. Oppo's approach to creating this product was also quite unusual as they sent out the first batch to a limited number of beta-users and then they actually used received feedback for making their product better. That's why when the final product was released it offered more functions than competitors and it actually worked really good despite its low price. Many people claimed that it could compete, soundwise, with many even more expensive CD Players and DVD-A, SACD and video discs Playback was a clear bonus. Nobody claimed it was a top quality, high-end device but it would be unrealistic to expect that from a 500$ product. There were some companies specializing in audio equipment modifications that realized vast potential of Oppo Player so shortly after it entered the market these companies had their modifications for it ready. One of these companies was ModWright, other was NuForce, and there were some more that I can't remember about right now. Modifications included mostly upgrade, or even replacement of an analogue stage responsible for stereo sound. Dan Wright, for example, used his own analogue stage (and he still does for the successors of BDP83). There were even two versions – a solid-state one and tube based one using famous 6SN7 tubes. This analogue stage used also an external, tube power supply. It didn't take long before OPPO Digital realized that audiophile market has also a nice potential so soon after they released a BDP83SE version, already improved to deliver even better stereo sound and in fact I own this model, with Modwright's tube modification, until today. Oppo's Players were a huge success so this manufacturer has been releasing more advanced new models ever since like: BDP-93 and 95, and recently 103 and 105. Present models not only offer better sound and vision, but also everything that is required from a modern device of that kind – balanced output, streamer/files player function, new video processor, 3D and so on. Prices of Oppo devices today are still competitive and the quality of fit&finish very good which makes their device still very attractive for many customers sought for either good sound, good video quality, or both. Last year Oppo decided to surprise everyone by releasing information that their next products would be headphones and DAC/headphone amp. On one hand it might have seen as Oppo was bit late to the party – headphone and DAC boom had happened few years earlier, but as the story of their Players showed they preferred to release refined, well tested products and that takes time. Anyway headphones and a device including D/A Converter plus headphone amplifier were released to the market this year. I was very happy to hear that Oppo decided to make planar-magnetic cans, because same as many other people I really loved HiFiMAN and Audeze headphone and hoped for another great product. I think that the huge success of above mentioned companies on American market (and outside of it too) might have influenced Oppo's decision to chose this technology. Most of Readers probably know that but for those who don't it is worth mentioning that although OPPO manufactures its products in China, it actually is an American company. OPPO's being bit „late” to the headphone market gave them an advantage of knowing exactly what customers needed. Both HiFiMAN and Audeze entered market with not so easy to drive cans (HiFiMan offered even one of the most difficult ones - HE-6) for a home use. But in fact biggest part of the market is now in more „mobile” solutions – smaller, easier to drive headphones that could be used with DAPs or other portable players. Both Audeze and HiFiMan offer now cans that are much easier loading than their previous models but in fact these are still too big and too heavy for outdoor use. I guess that's exactly what guys from Oppo realized and decided to offer products that could feel the void in direct competitors ranges. The PM-1 model, Oppo's first one is smaller, lighter and and easier to drive despite being based on the same planar-magnetic technology. So, at least in theory, one could used them not only at home/office but also outdoor. Why „in theory”? Well, because these are open-back cans which is less than perfect for an outdoor use. Not only are these quite light and too big headphones but they are also beautifully made and finished which makes them one of the most elegant cans on the market and very comfortable too. They come in a beautiful wooden case, but one will find also a selvedge denim carrying case. PM-1 is equipped with the 6.35 mm terminated headphone cable featuring Ohno Continuous Casting (OCC) construction wrapped in a black fabric sleeve. Manufacturer also offers a balanced cable as an option, and a very nice looking headphone stand. OPPO PM-1’s ear cushions are made out of the highest quality natural latex, The headband and earpads are made of a high quality, delicate lambskin that provides both: luxurious look and feel. When PM-1 the first model (now there is also a PM-2) was released manufacturer also informed about next product coming out soon – DAC and headphone amplifier combined into one unit. It seemed like a natural next step to complete Oppo's offer. The D/A Converter inside HA-1 is based on the everything Oppo learned when creating their successful universal Players. It's built around ESS 9018 Sabre DAC chip and almost identical output stage – if it worked for Players there was no need to reinvent the wheel, right? HA-1 sports a nice set of digital inputs including: Toslink, coax, AES/EBU, and asynchronous USB, that not only accepts hi-res PCM signal (up to 32/384), but also DSD, both 64, 128 and 256 (I can't confirm the latter as I have no such files). The headphone amp, working in class A without NFB offers balanced (4-pin XLR) and unbalanced output (6,3mm jack). HA-1 is a fully balanced device based on discrete elements. Impressive, right? Not enough? OK, lets add analogue inputs (RCA i XLR) and pre-out (also RCA and XLR), which adds a preamplifier functionality with enough gain to drive directly a power amplifier. Still not enough? OK, lets add a separate USB input for mobile devices (Apple compatible), and a Bluetooth connectivity using Apt-X codec for those who want to play music directly from their smartphone. What about HA-1's look? I'd say quite a classic one with one but significant exception. Namely HA-1 sports a high quality 4,3 inch color display and while music is playing, the screen can show a classic VU meter, a modern spectrum display, or detailed technical information about the audio signal. A „vintage” fan like me will always chose a classic VU meter and what is so special about this display is that this VU meter looks like a real one, at least until one looks at it from up close. I must say that I love it! Fit and finish is really good and I personally really liked the design. There is a remote too. What else could anybody want? It looks like guys from Oppo figured that one out. How about headphone stand and a special, very elegant stands for HA-1? Both made of wood (or at least something that looks like wood) and acrylic, both look nice and make PM-1 and HA-1 look even better. OPPO in „High Fidelity” TEST: OPPO BDP-105EU – universal player, see HERE TEST: OPPO BDP-83 by Dan Wright – universal player, see HERE Recordings used during test (a selection) Joe Satriani, Time Machine, Sony B000002BWJ, CD/FLAC. Miles Davis, Tutu: Original Recording Remastered 2011 Deluxe Edition, Warner 081227976873, CD/FLAC. AC/DC, Live, EPIC E2 90553, LP. Georges Bizet, Carmen, RCA Red Seal 74321 39495 2, CD/FLAC. Rodrigo y Gabriela, 11:11, EMI Music Poland 5651702, CD/FLAC. Wycliff Gordon, Dreams of New Orleans, Chesky B0090PX4U4, CD/FLAC. The Ray Brown Trio, Summer Wind, Concord Jazz CCD-4426, CD/FLAC. TREME, soundtrack, Season 1, HBO 0602527508450, CD/FLAC. Lee Ritenour, Rhythm sessions, Concord Records CRE 33709-02, CD/FLAC. Kermit Ruffins, Livin' a Treme life, Basin Street B001T46TVU, CD/FLAC. Pink Floyd, Wish you were here, EMI/EMI Records Japan TOCP-53808, CD/FLAC. Dead Can Dance, Spiritchaser, 4AD/Mobile Fidelity MOFI 2-002, 180 g LP. Miles Davis, Sketches of Spain, Columbia PC8271, LP. Dire Straits, Communique, Vertigo 800 052-2, LP. Carlos Santana, Shaman, Arista 74321959382, CD/FLAC. John Lee Hooker, The best of friends, pointblank 7243 8 46424 26 VPBCD49, CD/FLAC. Buddy Guy, Blues singer, Silvertone 01241-41843-2, CD/FLAC. Muddy Waters & The Rolling Stones, Live At The Checkerboard Lounge, Chicago 1981, Eagle Rock Entertainment B0085KGHI6, CD/FLAC. Japanese CD editions are available from [REKLAMA5] It so happened that I got Oppo set during holidays that I spent away from home. That's why my source have to my laptop with newest version of Jplay on board and I really conducted a review of a set as I had no other cans/DAC/amp laying around. This should not be a problem as it is safe to assume that people who designed PM-1 and HA-1 assured perfect cooperation of these two. I can't tell you for sure that this is exactly what they wanted to achieve but I can tell you that they achieved just that. How can I tell? Well, I had had a chance to listen to PM-1 driven by different amplifiers before. In my opinions they offered a coherent sound, with rich, palpable, slightly warm but resolving midrange, powerful but slightly rounded bass with extension that was not as good as the one delivered by Audeze, an on open, vibrant but gently rolled-off treble. Planar magnetic technology always offers very good spacing and imaging with a lot of air surrounding each instrument but in this case soundstage seemed bit closer to the ears and not as deep as offered delivered by LCD-3, or LCD-XC. Just let me remind you that these two pairs of Audeze cans are my personal references, which means I don't know any other better headphone and each reviewed one is compared to them. I'd listened to OPPO PM-1 before with two great class A headphone amps: Sugden Masterclass HA-4 i M2Tech Marley. These two devices had offered rather slightly warm sound so PM-1 sounded differently than with Oppo's own amplifier. What I'd learned then was that these were good setups but that it might be a better idea to pair these cans with faster, more transparent, but as detailed and resolving system. I'd had some particular setups in mind like my TeddyDAC or Lumin A1 with Schiit Audio Mjolnir for example. Obviously it had been just a theory I'd had no chance to validate. But just a few weeks later I received a complete OPPO system and it seemed it might be what PM-1 needed to shine. Even before that I had a chance to listen to such setup in Munich during HighEnd Show. Listening to open back cans in the middle of crowded hall wasn't what I could call “perfect listening environment” but at least it gave me a hint of how this system sounded like, and it was promising. Now, after few days of listening to OPPO's setup I can tell for sure that these guys again did a great job and create a system that offers something more than just a sum of features of its elements. To achieve required sound OPPO engineers decided to use Sabre DAC chips. It's features (soundwise) are well know and (mostly) appreciated. Also the headphone amp section bases on fast, detailed, transparent sound. So what the final sonic result of this combination? I started with Joe Satriani – his powerful, electric guitar. I must say that PM-1 with other systems (described above) didn't like this type of music that much. Bass was bit to slow and without proper extension and the treble also seemed somehow rounded on the edges. But when in a system with HA-1 OPPO's cans sounded different – faster, with more power, with tauter bass and there was even some “aggression” to the presentation that was a must to deliver hard guitar riffs in a proper way. Presentation seemed also more energetic, vivid and more open. Also treble seemed now more refined with better precision and some sparkling. Next recordings of similar kind by Lee Ritenour, Aerosmith and other confirmed this first observation. Setup with HA-1 caused PM-1 to rock! It introduced more powerful presentation, it conveyed more energy and it was simply more convincing. OPPO's headphones on the other hand took care of proper vocal/midrange presentation – smooth, rich, with texture. The whole setup didn't sound too bright or harsh even though rock recordings are full of such “surprises”. Moving on to more “sophisticated” (one should read that as: better recorded) jazz music it was easy to spot right on how much attention PM-1 pay to properly convey midrange, and the amplifier did (I mean for a device with Sabre on board) quite a good job supporting them. These cans were smooth, rich and palpable and HA-1 added some speed, resolution and transparency that allowed acoustic instruments to shine. In fact they sounded natural and clean and music they played really powerful. The before mentioned „rock-like aggressiveness” came handy when I played some trumpets and trombones. These instruments needed to sound bit rough, that's how they often sound live, but PM-1 kept that feature at certain level so trombones sounded natural, clear rather than bright or too rough. My next stop was, of course, double bass. PM-1 with other amplifiers did a pretty fair job but basses lacked some extension and speed. But when set u with HA-1 they conveyed double basses in a very (I mean for headphones) convincing way, and I finally could truly enjoy Ray Brown and some other brilliant bassists. It's worth mentioning that there was also a very good differentiation that allowed to present this fantastic instrument in its whole glory, with all colors and full spectrum. This presentation could not compare with what proper speakers with large woofers could do, but still as for headphones they did a really good job and I spent a lot of time listening to many recordings of double bass. Last but not least I decided to listen to some wonderful, well known (to me, I mean) vocals. I'd already noticed, while listening to some rock albums, that vocals sounded quite rich and clear which helped me to understand more than usually of what these vocalist were actually singing about. I also had to admit that even those “rock” voices were presented in a sort of nice-for-ears fashion, and not in usual “screamy” one. But to learn more about human voices presentation I had to play some more “audiophile” recordings with distinct leading vocals. PM-1 don't offer as dense, creamy. Liquid midrange as my personal favorites – Audeze cans, but that difference isn't that big at all. They might not sound as rich but sure very clean and transparent, and they are able to convey all the details, timbre, texture and so on. So vocals might not be as enchanting as they are with LCD-3 or LCD-XC, but OPPO gives a very good insight into each voice – one can study texture or timbre without much effort and that makes them one of my favorites when it comes to vocal recordings. It's a little more “audiophile” presentation with bigger focus on clarity, transparency and details but unlike many other “audiophile” systems this one still plays natural sounding music that includes not just every smallest sound detail but also emotions, ambiance and so on. OPPO systems renders all those small details and than uses them to create a beautiful, involving musical experience that is truly enjoyable. That allowed me, while listening to wonderful Eva Cassidy, to lose myself in time and space, to absorb every little piece of emotions she sent my way, to experience them an to realize that album was over when the silence lasted much too long. It it was such a great experience that I wanted more and more of it. That's what makes any audio reproducing equipment worth my attention and not its brand, price tag or any other other irrelevant detail that doesn't participate in creating this sort of experience. With OPPO's PM-1 and HA-1 I observed this not so easy to find effect of synergy that resulted in a wonderful musical voyage. I'd like some more of these, please. Summary It doesn't happen often that first products of their kind even when coming from an experienced manufacturer are really good. Designers learn from their mistakes so usually there is a first product which might be good but the next one is often a better one. OPPO is one of few exceptions from this unwritten rule, simply because they use beta-testers which allows them to release products that are finished and refined. That leads us to a simple statement – the OPPO's first headphones and DAC/headphone amplifiers set the bar really high. PM-1, in my opinion, do not offer the highest sound performance of top models of Audeze or HiFiMan, but they also don't fall far behind. On the other hand these products are surely better than the first ones released by HiFiMan and Audeze some years ago. PM-1 appeal to the people who like nice looking, “cool” stuff. They are also smaller and lighter than any product of above mentioned competitors and hence they might be used outdoor while competitors really can't. We will see if that's true but I might risk an assumption that the way OPPO's cans look might set a new standard for the market, at least for its portable part. And since that's a first product of that kind in OPPO's portfolio competitors should be scared of what will come next (I don't mean PM-2 model already released that is now an entry level for OPPO). HA-1 on the other hand won't find many real competitors within its price range. One would rather have to look among some more expensive units. It a really well sounding device that offers hard to beat functionality (not only DAC and headphone amp in one body but also capable of playing all forms of hi-res audio in both PCM and DSD format, plus USB and Bluetooth connectivity). It seems to be future-proof – you won't find many DSD256 file around today. It's a fully balanced design, with balanced and unbalanced inputs and outputs. I am sure HA-1 will be a very good partner for many different headphones, and PM-1 will be appreciated in many systems, but still I believe that the system that combines PM-1 and HA-1 can offer much more than anybody could expect on this price level. What you get is a complete system (any computer with USB port can be your source) that delivers great performance, wonderful musical experience and it looks really, really good. Give OPPO system a chance – it definitely deserves it. PM-1 are representatives or planar magnetic headphones. What distinguishes them among competitors are smaller dimension, lesser weight (just 395 g), and modern, eye-catching design. They sport not so big, oval pads with latex ear-cushions, that are finished (same as headband) with a luxury lambskin (package includes also velour ones). This combination of perforated black leather and shining silver metal elements is what makes these headphones look so modern and so elegant at the same time. PM-1 sport two mini-jack (2,5 mm) sockets and a 3m long OCC cable terminated with a solid large jack (6,3mm) branded OPPO. Manufacturer offers also a dedicated stand and balanced cable (with 4-pin XLR plug) for these cans. Clamping force of a headband seems to be very accurate – not to strong so it doesn't irritate user after a while, but also not to small so cans stay in place when put on head. I am not sure if the size of ear pads wouldn't be a problem for some people – these are oval and not very big as for circumaural cans so larger earlobe might not have enough space to “breathe”. Manufacturer used an oval planar magnetic driver (85x69 mm) – which makes it quite a big one. Diaphragm has 7 layers of thin materials that, according to manufacturer, provide excellent performance, reliability, and longevity. The construction of the diaphragm ensures that it is very stable under thermal stress and vibration. The diaphragm utilizes a spiraling pattern of flat aluminum conductors on either side of the driver. The double-sided design allows twice as many conductors to be placed within the magnetic field, which leads to higher sensitivity, better damping, and even drive force. Neodymium magnets are used to maximize sensitivity and consistency of the applied force over the driver area. Not only headphones themselves prove to be a luxury design but also their packaging – a beautiful wooden box with glossy finish. For those convinced by a light weight and high sensitivity Manufacturer included also a denim carrying bag that allows to safely transport these cans on short distances. HA-1 is a device that combines D/A Converter and headphone amplifier in one body. It can also act as a preamplifier driving a power amp. It is quite large, weighting around 6 kg device. It's build and finish are impressive. It sports a solid, rigid aluminum casing with a high quality 4,3 inch, color display. While music is playing, the screen can show a classic VU meter, a modern spectrum display, or detailed technical information about the audio signal. I personally really loved the VU meter. To the left of the display one will find an on/off switch, input selector knob (that, when pushed, allows user to navigate menu) and headphone outputs (for 6,3mm jack and 4-pin XLR). To the right there is a large volume control knob and USB port compatible with Apple devices. On the back-end side one will find analogue inputs both balanced and unbalanced, and RCA and XLR pre-outs below. On the right side there are four digital inputs: AES/EBU, coax, TOSLINK and USB, and a power socket below. There is also an additional small socket that can be used to install a Bluetooth antenna, which allows direct communication with other Bluetooth devices and that allows user to play music from such a device wirelessly. HA-1 sports a nice remote control. The DAC section is based on solutions that worked so well for OPPO's universal players. It combines class A balanced output section with potential of ESS 9018 Sabre32 Reference chip. The analog audio section of the HA-1 is a fully balanced design with an emphasis on keeping the audio signal in the analog domain once it leaves the DAC. The HA-1 is anchored by a hefty toroidal power transformer, and linear power regulators and filters with custom made capacitors ensure that the headphone amplifier has a clean power source with plenty of reserve energy. The fully balanced Class A power amplification section uses hand-picked and paired discrete components to ensure symmetry, and a motor-driven precision volume control knob allows for both manual and remote control volume adjustment while keeping the audio in a pure analog audio path. Specifications (according to manufacturer): HA-1 Power consumption: 70 W (operation); 0,5 W (standby) Recommended headphone impedance: 32-600 Ω Headphone output: jack 6,35 mm, XLR (4-pin) Balanced input XLR Input impedance: 15 kΩ Maximum input level: 18 Vrms, +27,3 dBu (0 dBu = 0,775 Vrms) RCA stereo audio input Input impedance: 10 kΩ Maximum input level: 9 Vrms, +21.3 dBu (0 dBu = 0.775 Vrms) Digital inputs: coaxial, optical, AES/EBU Input format: stereo PCM Sampling frequency: 44,1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88,2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176,4 kHz, 192 kHz PCM Word length: 16, 24 bit USB DAC Audio Input (USB Type B) Input format: Stereo PCM, Stereo DSD (DoP v1.1 or native) Sampling frequency PCM: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz, 352.8 kHz, 384 kHz PCM Word length 16, 24, 32 bit DSD Sampling Frequency: 2,8224 MHz (DSD64), 5,6448 MHz (DSD128), 11,2896 MHz (DSD256, only native) Dimensions: 254 x 80 x 333 mm Weight: 5,9 kg PM-1 Acoustic principle: open back Ear coupling: circumaural Impedance: 32 Ω Sensitivity: 102 dB in 1 mW Weight: 395 g (without cable) Driver type: planar magnetic Driver size (oval): 85 x 69 mm Magnet system: symmetric push-pull neodymium Frequency response in free-field: 10-50 000 Hz Long term max input power: 500 mW Pulse max input power: 2 W Polish Distributor CINEMATIC ul. Piotra Ignuta 89 54-151 Wrocław | Polska e-mail: biuro@cinematic.pl www.OPPO-bluray.pl [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/17.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/17.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/17.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/18.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/18.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/18.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/19.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/19.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/19.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/20.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/20.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/20.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/21.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/21.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/21.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/22.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/22.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/22.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/oppo/th/23.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/oppo/23.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/oppo/23.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

t is hard to say what it is about the vinyl to make the technology that was thought to disappear some twenty years ago still very much alive. It is put down to the culturally embedded presence of the turntable or to the fact that vintage is in vogue. Some emphasize the celebration associated with vinyl LP playback, others point out the artistic value of cover art, while still others bring up the superior sound quality. Regardless of how we interpret the triumphant comeback of the black disc to the market, the fact remains that it is again one of the main music formats used by serious audio enthusiasts. Have you noticed that it has become common to use the names ‘analog disc’ and 'analog' interchangeably? The reason for the shift of the semantic field of the latter seems clear: it was intended to provide a clear distinction between digital audio systems, i.e. the Compact Disc, and the turntable. In the late 1980s, when the dominance of the black disc was nothing but memory, ‘analog’ was reduced to that meaning. The cassette tape and the CD were never considered to be on an equal level as sound sources (I'm not saying it's true but merely quoting a common view), and reel-to-reel tape recorders remained used only by the true hardcore fans of analog. I’ve said ‘analog’ because for several decades the name referred both to the turntable and reel-to-reel tape recorder. The latter was invented in the 1920s but it wasn’t before the 1940s that it gained its present form, with a magnetic tape wound on reels. Interestingly, the English Wikipedia entry on the reel-to-reel tape recorder includes a picture of the German Magnetophon from the time of World War II and the ZK-147 from the Polish manufacturer Unitra. By way of interesting coincidence, the September issue of "High Fidelity" devoted exclusively to Polish audio products features an article by Maciej Tułodziecki, assistant professor at the Faculty of Automotive and Construction Machinery Engineering of the Warsaw University of Technology, privately a vinyl connoisseur and turntable technology expert, in which he tells the story of Polish tape recorders, including the Aria and Concert as well as various models from the ZK series (we have previously published his article on Polish turntables, which can be found HERE). Going back to the subject matter, the 'turntable' is actually only part of what constitutes 'analog'. What's more, the sound of vinyl record is not quite like the sound of analog master tape. We discussed that matter at the meeting of the Krakow Sonic Society when we auditioned the Studer A807-0.75 VUK reel-to-reel tape recorder (see HERE). I try to clear this confusion each time I hear that the vinyl is the best music format in the world. Well, it is not. DIRK SOMMER & BIRGIT HAMMER-SOMMER | Sommelier Du Son In recent years, one of the most frequently discussed issues related to the vinyl record has been the sense or absurdity – depending on the view – of pressing vinyl LPs using digital recordings as a source. The person who has been quite vocal about it, calling it a mistake and deception, is Dirk Sommer. We met him before, mainly through my interview with him that was published in "The Editors" series (see HERE). In the interview, we could see him primarily as an audio journalist and long-time editor-in-chief of the German magazine "image hifi" and currently of the online magazine "hifistatement.net". "High Fidelity" has been cooperating with the latter for the last two years, exchanging audio reviews. However, as I found during the conversation we had in Krakow at the restaurant ‘Miód i Malina’ (‘Honey and Raspberry’), sitting over Polish beer and enjoying Polish regional cuisine, running the magazine, even though important, is actually only one half of Dirk’s job. In the case of true enthusiasts, "job" is a rather relative term, because you might as well say "life." The other half of Dirk’s job is currently something that was born on the spur of the moment, out of curiosity: Sommelier Du Son record label. In the restaurant, I wasn’t meeting only with Dirk, as he came to Krakow together with his wife, Birgit Hammer-Sommer. Although you can tell at first glance how much they are in love with each other, Birgit’s role is not limited to accompanying Dirk. As a matter of fact, she is the label’s co-owner and during the time of recordings she does a job that is usually referred to in Poland as a "tape operator." She is responsible for the preparation and further handling of master tapes. As a record label, Mr. and Mrs. Sommer record music, release LPs and recently also work on the remastering of analog recordings. Everything is done in the analog domain. Hence, analog recordings released by Edel proudly bear the AAA logo: Triple A Series. Currently, Dirk is involved in the reissues of the iconic albums from the German MPS label (the rights to its entire catalog have been bought by Edel). I very much enjoyed his recently prepared, fully analog box set with the recordings of Oscar Peterson (ridiculously inexpensive). Hence, I could not miss this opportunity and during the High End Munich 2014 we made the preliminary arrangements for a joint project between Sommelier Du Son and the Krakow Sonic Society. What we had in mind was a meeting, during which we would have an opportunity to listen to master tape copies played back on the Nagra IV-S reel-to-reel tape recorder and compare them to vinyl LPs pressed from the same master tapes, as well as to PCM and DSD files transferred directly from the same master, to which I will come back later. Our plans eventually materialized as a meeting of the Krakow Sonic Society at Tomek’s, the next day after the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Sommer in Krakow and my dinner with them at the restaurant ‘Miód i Malina’. I talked with Birgit and Dirk about many things, for example about the would-be collaboration between Dirk and Charlie Haden that never happened, about the fact that Dirk once had more than 50 percent of all the ECM LP releases, or about the work of Birgit as a kindergarten supervisor and many other things. Below are some excerpts from our conversation to introduce you to the atmosphere of the meeting. Wojciech Pacuła: When did you start Sommelier Du Son? Dirk Sommer: I started Sommelier Du Son together with my wife, Birgit, in 2008. So far we have released three albums: • Dieter Ilg, Bass, • Charlie Mariano & Dieter Ilg, Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, • Michel Godard, Steve Swallow, Live at Noirlac. The fourth album that is scheduled for a release in September is Hans Theessink’s Live at Jazz. How did you come up with the name for your label? It took us a very long time to find a good name, one that we liked. The name covers a number of different things: • A sommelier is a knowledgeable wine professional who offers expert service to wine consumers. • A sommelier of sound, by way of analogy, is someone knowledgeable about the sound – as we believe we are - and uses this knowledge to the production of vinyl LPs. • We prefer the French version of the name; since most of the currently used names are English, we think the French ones sound more elegant. What was your first job related to music mastering or recording? I produced several LPs as an executive producer for the "image hifi" magazine. The first album that I recorded was Dieter Ilg’s Bass. What other labels do you currently work for? In addition to my work as a sound engineer and producer in my Sommelier Du Son label, I also work for Lutz Precision and edel:content. For the latter, I am preparing the Triple A Series (five albums so far) and the reissues of recordings from the MPS label, to which Edel bought the rights in the beginning of this year. Tell us more about the MPS reissues. MPS finished music recordings in the 1980s. Its catalog has been bought out several times, most recently by Edel. I signed a contract with Edel, which makes me responsible for the reissues of all the records. They include albums from Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Pass and Singers Unlimited, which I have already remastered and which will be available later this year. Why analog? I think that in the long term, only two kinds of music formats will remain on the market: vinyl records and downloadable files - mp3 for the masses and high-res or DSD for audio connoisseurs. I personally prefer to have a physical contact with the music medium, to hold it in my hands – e.g. an LP album that I can open. I firmly believe that the vinyl sound quality is superb, as long as the disc is well prepared. I think that the LPs prepared from digital files are a kind of deception. That is why, together with Birgit we haul around a ton of analog recording equipment. Hence, I am sorry to disagree with what you wrote about these discs in your review of the Air Force One turntable… Any last words from you? I was impressed by the serious and knowledgeable discussion at the Krakow Sonic Society meeting and the respect shown for each other’s opinions. We all had a great time. GERHARD HIRT | Ayon Audio Make no mistake when you see Gerhard’s name way down at the bottom of the web page, squeezed in after a long introduction on Birgit and Dirk. I mean no disrespect, nor do I want to belittle his role in the meeting, let alone what he presented to us. It is rather because I treat Gerhard as a friend, almost a compatriot, because we so often see each other in Krakow (see HERE). What’s more, he is an honorary member of the Krakow Sonic Society, which is confirmed by a relevant certificate (another one is hung in the office of Raveen Bawa, see HERE). Mr. and Mrs. Sommer stayed with us for the first (and I believe not the last) time and, actually, we played host to them together with Gerhard. And in Poland guests are given priority. What was presented by our dear friend from Hart in Austria was no less important and interesting than the ​​fun we had with analog. We were the first in the world (yes, it was the world premiere!) to have the opportunity to listen to the Ayon Audio S-5 network player, capable of reading DSD files directly from a network drive, rather than using the DoP protocol. It is a true revolution. As Gerhard said, the problem with the DoP is that the USB audio specification is far from perfect and, additionally, DSD files must be "unwrapped" on the player’s side. Although modern DSP processors are quite capable, the additional processing required adds significant load on them. That extra load results in jitter increase. Recording studios use special DSD transfer protocols, with three BNC 75-ohm links, which are also found in all the D/A converters from Ayon. However, since there are not too many audio components capable of sending the DSD signal in this way, Gerhard together with his colleagues from Stream Unlimited developed a method of direct DSD transfer via Ethernet, similar to using a normal network drive. Let me remind you that they are former Philips engineers responsible, among other things, for the CD-Pro2 drive design, but also specializing in modern audio streaming solutions. Hence, they know more than a little bit about digital audio. The meeting was divided into two parts. During the first one, conducted by Birgit and Dirk, we made the following comparisons: • An analog master tape copy played on the Nagra IV-S vs. an LP, pressed from the same master tape and played back on the Thales TTT-Compact turntable • the same LP played on the Thales TTT-Compact turntable vs. a Mobile Fidelity Gold CD-R burned from the same master tape; the CD-R was played on the Ayon Audio CD-T transport and the Ayon Audio Stratos DAC • the same CD-R vs. 24/192 files played from the Aurender X100L music player, plugged into the same DAC as the CD transport. In the second part, led by Gerhard Hirt, we compared PCM 24/192 and DSD files prepared by Dirk from the same analog master tape, and then we made comparison between DSD64 and DSD128. REEL-TO-REEL TAPE | DIRK SOMMER & BIRGIT HAMMER- SOMMER I. Analog tape vs. vinyl LP Janusz My verdict is clear: the Nagra’s presentation. Why? For me, the most important was my first impression. Listening to the turntable I had the impression that the bass line was somewhat lean and lacking content. I’m not talking here about something that can be remedied with the bass control knob, but about real content. With the Nagra, I immediately saw that the strings were not plucked with a finger but with a pick. Almost as if I saw the pick touch against the string. But the crucial difference concerned the tonal differentiation. It was much richer with the tape, and the bass presentation was clearly different. Vinyl showed a large patch of sound. It was great, too, but did not even come close to the Nagra presentation. Sheer pleasure, almost physiological – the tape and only the tape! I did not expect so much difference! Dirk In preparing a vinyl record we strive to preserve on the disc as much as possible of what we have on master tape. When you transfer the master tape to a lacquer disc, you lose about 10 percent of quality. Much more gets lost on the way from the lacquer to vinyl. Loss of quality is unavoidable. Tomek Somehow, the vinyl didn’t sound right for me… But probably because the Nagra was so amazing. I loved the sound from the tape, it was extraordinary. Rysiek I agree with both gentlemen. What doesn’t make the verdict any easier for me is the fact that I had never heard this instrument before [it was the Serpent - ed. note]. But I have no doubt: absolutely the Nagra. Bartosz G. The sound from the turntable seemed somewhat boomy to me, which may indicate the same issue that was already mentioned by Janusz. The low bass is not fully controlled here, in Tomek’s room, which can lead to unwanted resonance. And it was stronger with the music from the turntable. But at the same time, the lowest notes were very nice. However, the vinyl was no match against the sound from the Nagra. The latter may have lacked some of the sensational bass from the turntable, but in terms of overall presentation the Nagra was clearly the winner. Rysiek B. For me, the vinyl simply sounded poor this time. This may come out as a little bit harsh, but that’s how I feel about it. I couldn’t hear the bass line too well, although there seemed to be plenty of bass. The bass from the vinyl sounded the same and lacked any tonal richness, while it changed every moment with the Nagra and more was happening there. Also, all the reverb and recording room acoustics was more interesting with the tape; there was more of everything. Jarek As you know, I don’t particularly like the vinyl; I am a digital guy through and through. That's why I design and manufacture CD players, instead of turntables. Given that, what I’m about to say may seem odd but I just can’t help it: in my opinion, the differences between these two presentations were not large. I think that you concentrate too much on the small details that made them different from each other. The first impression was that the LP disc sounded sharper, brighter. And that the bass and its differentiation was better with the Nagra. I can fully agree with that. The difference was most notable with the two instruments playing at once, when Nagra’s differentiation was simply better. However, I think that the sonic character of the tape recorder and the turntable/preamp taken on their own was more varied than the differences between the two presentations. Be that as it may, listening to both was great fun and a wonderful experience! Bartek P. I was somewhat startled by the strong position taken by Janusz and followed by Ryszard, because I thought I may have been confused. Fortunately, Jarek’s words reassured me. The truth is that I liked the vinyl. I do not understand this total vinyl bashing. What I liked the most was the sound of the Serpent, and it was with this instrument that I could hear a real difference in Nagra’s favor. The tape offers better differentiation, no doubt about it, hence the Nagra is more pleasing. However, the overall level of both presentations was similar in my opinion. And there is something about vinyl that simply appeals to me. Marcin The Nagra has won in this comparison, as might have been expected. I agree that the differences were probably not too big. They were most notable when both instruments were playing at once, their sounds merging together on the LP. Wiktor As a musician, I know Serpent’s sound from playing in an orchestra. I have to admit that the way the Nagra showed its distinct timbre was fantastic. Even the spatial aspect, which is notoriously difficult to reproduce, was very credible. This is an excellent recording. The LP somehow didn’t sound quite right, it was lacking the same level of excitement. The sound seemed to be magnified and brightened, with a shortened perspective. Wiciu I’m with what Bartek said earlier: I too enjoyed the LP. As I only use CDs, it’s been a long time since I listened to analog in any form, and I was now surprised with its sound quality. Both from the Nagra and LP. Yet it was the vinyl that was more appealing to me. But in all honesty, I also have to agree that the Nagra offered a better tonal differentiation, there was more was going on. For me, however, it didn’t automatically translate into a better presentation. It was simply different. II. LP vs. CD-R Wiciu I’ll repeat what I said a moment ago: I really liked the vinyl. Even though I could hear its "vinylness" as it simply sounded like a black disc and that’s it. The sound was warm, pleasant and spacious. But it also made me realize why I listen to the CD at home. The latter offered more detail that was clearer. Just the way I like it. It's the classic difference between the turntable and the CD player, and for me there was no significant difference in quality between the two. Bartosz G. It seems to me that the CD presentation was not entirely successful. The instruments were not as well balanced and arranged as from the vinyl. For me, the LP simply sounded better, especially in the aspect of tonal differentiation. I think that the difference was similar to the previous one between the Nagra and the vinyl, except that now it was the other way round and it was the turntable that came out on top. Janusz Definitely the vinyl and I see no other possibility. I’m saying this despite the fact that I said goodbye to the LP a long time ago and haven’t had any regrets about that. In this comparison, though, the sound from the turntable was much livelier, more saturated and accurate. The CD sounded darker and because of that somewhat lifeless. I asked to repeat the last comparison, since the wind instruments sounded completely different on one medium and the other, and that was the biggest difference. Let me put it this way: the CD was simply BS and that’s it. The real sound was on the LP. But to not exaggerate, let me add that the difference was not as big as between the Nagra and the LP. Marcin I didn’t notice so much difference. For me, it was the CD that showed more detail, which was a plus. The space seemed to be very similar. But I’m sitting to the side, so I could easily miss something. Rysiek B. In the beginning, the CD seemed to me much better, truly at a reference level. It was a great sound. I have to admit that the CD now sounds excellent in Tomek's system, I just loved it. Until I heard the LP, that is. It turned out that the CD evened out the sound that was not so well differentiated. The LP recording sounded almost like a live concert - bravo! Rysiek S. Congratulations to the owner of the system, the sound from the CD was very nice, beautiful. I was mentally prepared for the superiority of the LP, since it is commonly believed to be the only true music format, and yet this audition showed me that it's not the case. My verdict is exactly the opposite of Ryszard’s. For me, the CD sounded three-dimensional, dense and deep, and it was the LP that seemed somewhat lean in comparison. The CD was vivid, which the vinyl lacked. Jarek I am inclined to go with Ryszard S. rather than with Janusz and Ryszard B. I heard more excitement from the CD, there was more going on there. I don’t know why Janusz thought its sound to be dead. Yes, it was darker, but at the same time deeper and more vivid. What’s more, the CD had more energy and a better rhythm. In turn, the vinyl offered nicer reverb and better acoustics. In this respect, the analog showed its class. Having said that, I would like to add that both presentations were close. I wouldn’t be so melodramatic about trying to distinguish between them. Wiktor Let me first say a few words about the CD – it’s a well recorded album and we listened to it on a carefully matched audio system, clearly set up with CDs in mind. It was evident that the turntable didn’t blend as pretty into the whole as the CD. It seemed to me that the turntable sounded slightly bright here; of course, compared to the digital front end and the Nagra. However, I don’t think the problem is with the turntable as such; it rather indicates that the system has been set up around the DAC. Hence, the CD sounded prettier, deeper and gentler. Andrzej The first two CD auditions were great, indeed. It was hard to find fault with anything and the sound was simply great. But the impression lasted only until we turned on the turntable and the needle landed in the groove. In my opinion, the turntable sounded better in every aspect. Even though we could all hear that the system favored the sound from the CD. The vinyl sounded brighter, which was a downside. But the upside was that everything was livelier than and not as crowded as on the CD. The difference was smaller than the earlier comparison of the Nagra vs. vinyl, but it was still clear. For me, this time the turntable was simply better. Tomek This is a classic comparison of the two formats, the LP and the CD. After the second round of this audition I could easily say that the CD was better. It is obvious that I like this kind of sound, because I’ve taken a long time to set up my system to sound this way, and not another. But I also think that I can look at it objectively. That is why I say that in the third audition the vinyl sounded a little better, because it better conveyed the space and acoustics. It also showed a better rhythm. My final verdict would therefore be somewhere in between the two, with no clear favorite. Bartek P. This time vinyl sounded better. But I must say at once that the differences were smaller than I expected. The CD was great, although the LP was better, especially smoother and more musical. Gerhard I grew up with analog and this is my favorite music source. When we previously listened to the Nagra vs. the turntable, I could not believe that vinyl was so far behind the tape, almost disastrously so. And yet, the LP was carefully prepared and perfectly made by a man who really knows a lot about the whole process. Hence, I was hoping that in this second comparison the LP would make up for it and come out as a clear winner. Well, it did not. The turntable better showed the fluidity and rhythm of sound, and rendered the acoustics more accurately, but the listening experience was not more pleasurable than from the CD. I would even venture to say that the CD sounded nicer, denser and warmer. Dirk The discussion has been really very interesting and I did not expect that you share talk at this level. In Germany, there is no such thing. What’s very interesting to me is how eloquently you describe the sound and how precise you are. And how nicely you talk about the music. For me, however, in both comparisons more important was how the musicians communicate with each other, and how the interaction between them was conveyed. Everything else, for me, is of secondary importance. And in this context, the tape was in a class of its own. The LP sounded better than the CD, but the difference between the Nagra and all other sources was far greater and more important. III. CD-R vs. PCM audio files 24/192 Wiktor Let's be honest, the difference was not that big. We got more micro-detail and slightly more sparkle with the audio files. I remained unconvinced, though. For me, the most important moment was the Serpent’s entrance, when I thought to myself, "Wow, that guy’s f…ing good!" That's why I preferred the CD. It sounded truer for me, even if it may have been slightly lacking in detail, compared to the file. Bartosz G. Instrumental harmonics were better audible from the file, and the sonic "body" from the CD. But I must admit that the CD sound blew me away; it was flawless, really fantastic! Janusz I have been a long-time supporter of the Compact Disc, and I will probably remain that way. The recording seemed louder from the file, even though it wasn’t really so. As if the greater amount of detail translated into a higher volume level. But I loved the CD. Why? Because of its beautiful smoothness and density of sound. The difference wasn’t big, though, and AFTER some more thinking I would say that there was something more in the sound of the file, which wasn’t present on the CD. I’m talking about something "behind" the sound, which makes it credible. Hence, if I had to, I would choose the file. Rysiek B. Sweet Jesus and Mother Mary – only the audio file. That's it. Rysiek S. I understand what you’re saying and I agree with everything. Let’s repeat, however, that we’re talking about a small difference. I would pick up the CD, due to its smoothness and liquidity. It was not compensated by more detail from the file. Jarek I'm always firmly for the CD. But not this time. I couldn’t see any sense in the sound from the CD, compared with the file. Listening to the CD recording, I couldn’t quite tell which strings belonged to which instrument. I had no such problem with the file, due to its better spatial and timbral differentiation. Andrzej A general impression I was left with after playing the file was that of peace. A most positive impression. It was, in my opinion, the kind of presentation where something’s going on. The CD sounded nice and smooth, but it was sort of self-centered and less sensitive to the recording itself. Wiciu I'm amazed with these opinions, because in opposition to my few predecessors I believe that the CD sounded clearly better. There was more of everything, first of all more harmonics, which resulted in an internally rich sound and better tonality. The liquidity of sound was simply brilliant. The comparison reminded me the difference between vinyl records prepared in the 1950s and 1960s – which would be the equivalent of the CD sound in this case – and contemporary vinyl releases, corresponding to the audio file. I choose the former, since I just hate the latter. Marcin I have no idea why but for me the file sounded better. But then I like lots of detail as everything is clearer. Tomek After five seconds of listening to the recording from the file, I started looking for something in the sound that would demonstrate its superiority. That’s usually a telltale sign that something’s wrong. If something’s better, it is simply better and you don’t need to particularly look for it. Hence, after a while I let go and just listened to the music. On this basis, I can honestly say that I preferred the sound from the CD. I could hear more detail from the file, but for me it did not translate into more "music in music." Actually, so much detail interfered with my listening to the music; it was unnatural. Janusz Amen to that. Bartek P. I confirm what Tomek said: the file was richer in detail and there is no point arguing with that. But it was conveyed in such a crude way that it took the pleasure from listening. At least in comparison with the CD, which sounded deeper, more coherent and natural. DSD DIRECT | GERHARD HIRT Audio files: PCM 24/192 vs. DSD The new DAC that Gerhard brought to Krakow was the first and so far only unit of this kind in the world. Soon, all Ayon audio players will come with that functionality on board. I’m talking about the capability of the direct playback of DSD files, but not only, without the need for “wrapping” the DSD audio data in PCM frames and “disguising” it as a PCM stream, which is the idea behind the currently used ​​ DoP transfer protocol (DSD over PCM). Sony, together with Philips, introduced the new SACD format, i.e. optical discs for DSD audio storage, with the same goal that accompanied the launch of CD: to make as much money as possible on the new format, both directly and through license sales. It is a normal, effective business practice. Except that Sony exaggerated with keeping the secret to themselves, as is evident from today’s perspective. The SACD disc came with so many different copy protection methods and DSD signal processing on the computer was made so hard that most record companies and labels, followed by end consumers, turned away from the format. Meanwhile, we arrived in the 21st century when the audio file is to some extent in the public domain, and everyone wants to do with it as one pleases. And even the availability of DSD files for download, first introduced by Linn, has not changed the situation. One of the major shortcomings of the format, at least from the point of view of perfectionist audio, has been the inability to send out DSD data from the SACD player. It is now commonplace for audio enthusiasts to use external DACs. While Esoteric and Accuphase, the well-known Japanese high-end audio manufacturers, have been granted a license to feed the signal out to their proprietary DACs, they use special, secure protocols, incompatible with any others. This has sealed the fate of the format. That is why it took audio companies so much time to find a way to stream DSD files from a computer. The solution turned out to be relatively simple, but it didn’t look so before it was ready. Andreas Koch from Playback Designs, Andy McHarg from dCS and Rob Robinson from ChannelD came up with a new specification called DSD-over-PCM (DoP). The idea is to wrap the DSD data in PCM frames and send it via USB. DSD signal is not changed in any way and remains native DSD, but it is disguised as something else for the time and purpose of transport (a more detailed explanation can be found HERE). Very soon, other companies have adopted the standard as their own (DoP is an open standard) and started producing DSD-capable DACs. Currently, the market sees the launch of audio components accepting DSD256 signal (11.2 MHz, i.e. four times the SACD sampling frequency). Ayon Audio was the first company in the world to launch a music player with a tube output stage that was capable of DSD playback, and then was the first to develop a tube DAC that accepts the DSD signal. As I’ve already said, that was not enough for Gerhard. He knew DSD-capable D/A converters used in professional audio and knew that the process of DSD wrapping and unwrapping introduces significant changes to the signal. Hence, together with the engineers from Stream Unlimited he has developed something that may become a breakthrough: a direct DSD transmission, straight from a NAS drive, via Ethernet cable. We were the first to see the upgraded S-5 network player and had the opportunity to listen to it and compare PCM 24/192 and DSD files, including DSD128. The files had been prepared by Dirk Sommer, using the same analog master tape. We decided to conduct a blind audition, in which the participants did not know what kind of file they were listening to. They’d indicate their preferences and share their opinions and only at the end did they learn which one they opted for. Ten people preferred the PCM files and five of us, including myself, voted for the DSD. In the following paragraphs, the letter next to the participant’s name indicates his choice, with A = DSD and B = PCM file. Janusz [B] The pace wasn’t really consistent in the first presentation, and it’s a key factor in this particular recording. Anything that doesn’t keep a steady pace is a fail to me. There was more happening in the second recording that was lively. I preferred the B presentation. But they were the smallest differences thus far. Rysiek B. [B] I think that the second presentation brought more information, was clearer and livelier. The clarity, image and differentiation seemed better the second time. The differences were small, though. Rysiek S. [B] When I was listening to the A, I actually really liked it. But then I heard the sample B and it seemed better. And it stayed that way even when we moved back to the A. While listening to the B presentation, I was suddenly hit by more string and room acoustics differentiation. Jarek [B] I agree with what Rysiek said; the B had more dynamics differentiation, i.e. you could more easily hear what the musicians intended to do and how they played with one another. The B presentation also had a better gradation of pace and dynamics. I heard a clear difference, like that between the master (B) and apprentice (A). Gerhard [A] As a manufacturer, I invested a lot of money into DSD and I did it for a reason. That’s why I choose sample A, as I know it’s DSD. But for all of it to make sense, the signal has to be transmitted directly, as it was in this case. DoP really flattens the differences. Wiktor [A] The differences in this case were less noticeable than before, and we’re operating at a really high “C” here. The B presentation had a more saturated sound, but the A was more engaging on a basic, musical level. It may have had less detail, but what was audible did make more sense. Wiciu [B] The difference was minimal, and while I’m choosing the B sample, I’m doing it out of necessity, and not because I’m fully convinced. Andrzej [A] The B presentation brought us more information, but it was directed rather than general. The A was calmer, smoother and darker. To me, the A sounded much better. Bartek P. [B] The differences were minimal and it is ridiculous to make a choice. Since I have to, I choose the B presentation. Wojtek Pacuła [A] I decided to throw in my opinion at the end, too, because this comparison was particularly important to me. DSD has huge potential. Version B seemed strongly euphonic to me, with certain parts of the frequency range emphasized. What’s more, it seemed to me that the edges of the range were rolled off. The A, which we now know to have been DSD, was more natural, smoother and sounded more like what I’d heard from the Nagra. And in the high-end it’s the little improvements that we fight for. It wouldn’t make any difference in audio systems from the entry level price range. CONCLUSION 1. Tape rulez. 2. The differences between the reel-to-reel tape and the LP are very large, to the tape’s advantage. 3. The differences between the LP and the CD are clear, but voices are distributed between them, depending on which aspects of the presentation are important for the listener. 4. The audio file and the CD are two different worlds. But not necessarily in the files’ favor. It seems to me that we still need to wait a while before making a binding conclusion. 5. The differences between PCM and DSD files are small and most listeners seem to favor the PCM. It needs to be remembered, however, that it is often those small differences that are most important in the high-end audio. Audio system used during the auditions SOURCES Reel-to-reel tape recorder: Nagra IV-S/Acoustic Revive RAF-48H isolation air board Thales TTT-Compact turntable + Thales SIMPLICITY Mk2 + Thales LEVIBASE, reviewed HERE Phono stage: RCM Audio THERIAA, reviewed HERE Compact Disc transport: Ayon Audio CD-T Audio file transport: Aurender X100L, reviewed HERE SYSTEM Preamplifier/DAC: Ayon Audio Stratos Power amplifier: Accuphase A-70 Loudspeakers: Dynaudio C4 Signature Speaker cables: Acrolink Power strip: Oyaide [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/17.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/17.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/17.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/18.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/18.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/18.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/19.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/19.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/19.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/20.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/20.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/20.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/21.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/21.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/21.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/22.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/22.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/22.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/23.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/23.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/23.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/24.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/24.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/24.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/kts/th/25.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/kts/25.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/kts/25.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

In a year 2003, a not so widely known German company called Ultrasone launched the Edition 7 headphones. It was a limited edition of 999 units. That the company was little known is an overstatement so it would be safer to say that it was unknown in Poland and I had never heard of it. The company was founded in 1991 with its headquarters in Wielenbach, close to German Alps. Their headphones from the very beginning sported unique ideas, which later on developed into well-known and standard technologies of today: S-Logic Natural Surround System and ULE (Ultra Low Emission). The first helps to “free” the sound from focusing inside your head, giving the sense of space without altering the signal. The second one protects the listener against electromagnetic radiation. At first the company was selling their technologies to others, mostly professionals. In 1997 they developed a system limiting the electromagnetic radiation of headphones (of all sorts) which was then implemented in Ultrasone own headphone models, first presented to the public in 1999. The headphones were successful enough to convince the company to devote their resources solely in this area. In 2000 the company went through a series of changes and all research was focused on the headphones known under the Ultrasone brand. I met Dragana Zirkel, head of Ultrasone PR department, a few years later during the High End 2005 show in Munich. Even though she demonstrated more “mundane” models, like the Pro2500, I could not resist the temptation and asked for the audition of the Edition 7. I liked them enough that we arranged for my review of several models from the basic range. That way the Ultrasone brand arrived in Poland. Later they found a distributor that started selling the headphones in our country. The Edition 7 were the first from the whole “Edition” series. In 2006 there came Edition 9 followed by the still available Edition 12, Edition 10 and Edition 8. The latter come in several different finishes. All the models were very expensive. They did not herald, however, what the company decided to do when they added the Edition 5 to the series. Geoffrey Morrison, the reporter from the internet edition of “Forbes”, considers them one of the most expensive headphones in the world (Geoffrey Morrison, 10 Most Expensive Headphones, “Forbes” 11/24/2013, see HERE). On his list they topped the Audeze and HiFiMAN, and are next to the flagship Omega II Stax electrostats and only one step behind the most expensive Abyss AB-1266 (5495 USD) magnetostatic headphones. As a reminder, the Polish Ultrasone prices are: Edition 10 Limited – 8,390 PLN, Edition 12 – 5,490 PLN and Edition 8 – 4,990 PLN. Hence, 14,900 PLN for the Edition 5 is a revolutionary change. As opposed to all the above mentioned designs, the Edition 5 are dynamic headphones. They are a closed design and are limited to 555 units only. Shame they do not have the name of the owner engraved. The ear cups are made of hundreds years old oak and instead of the classic S-Logic Plus we will find its next incarnation S-Logic EX. The innovation directs the sound from the diaphragm downwards through something looking like a reversed funnel. We are then presented with more spatial sound locating phantom images in front of the listener rather than in their head. Soft leather, titanium coated diaphragms and exclusive accessories complement the picture of this ultra-limited edition. Ultrasone in “High Fidelity” REVIEW: Ultrasone Pro990 – headphones, see HERE REVIEW: Ultrasone HiFi2200ULE – headphones, see HERE REVIEW: Ultrasone PROLine 750 – headphones, see HERE REVIEW: Ultrasone PROLine 2500 – headphones, see HERE SHOW: High End 2006, see HERE Albums auditioned during this review Estampies & Dances Royales, Hesperion XXI, Jordi Savall, Alia Vox AV 9857, SACD/CD (2008). L’Amor de Lonh, Ensemble Gilles Binchois, Dominique Vellard, Glossa GCD P32304, CD (2010). Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie,Bird & Diz, Mercury/UMG Recordings UCCV-9466, „David Stone Martin 10 inch Collector’s Selection”, CD (1952/2013). Daft Punk, Homework, Virgin, 8426092, CD (1996). Daft Punk, Random Access Memories, Columbia Records/Sony Music Japan SICP-3817, CD (2013); David Sylvian, Brilliant Trees, Virgin/EMI Music Japan, VJCP-68876, CD (1984/2008). David Sylvian, Sleepwalkers, P-Vine Records, PVCP-8790, CD (2011). Dead Can Dance, Anastasis, [PIAS] Entertainment Group, PIASR311CDX, "Special Edition Hardbound Box Set", CD+USB drive 24/44,1 WAV (2012); Dizzy Gillespie, The New Content, Limelight/Universal Music Japan UCCM-9097, “Immortal Jazz on Mercury. No. 47”, CD (1962/2003). Electronic, Electronic, Factory Records/EMI Records 5099990743122, “2 Cd Special Edition”, 2 x CD (1991/2013). Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Trilogy, Island/Victor VICP-642237, “Victor Music 80”, K2HD CD (1972/2008). Frank Sinatra, Where Are You?, Capitol/Mobile Fidelity UDSACD 2109, “Limited Edition No. 0251”, SACD/CD (1957/2012). Ivie Anderson, Ivie Anderson with Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra, EPM 157352, “Jazz Archives No. 42”, CD (1932-1940/1991). Johann Sebastian Bach, Sonatas & Partitas, wiol. Jaap Schroeder, Smithsonian Collection of Recordings/ADDA 581134/35, 2 x CD (1989). Ludwig Van Beethoven, Piano Trios Op.70 No.2, Op.97 ‘Archduke’, wyk. Alexander Mielnikov, Isabelle Faust, Jean-Gihen Queyras, Harmonia Mundi HMC 902125, CD (2014). Nirvana, In Utero, Geffen GED 24536, CD (1993). OMD, English Electric, 100% Records/Sony Music Japan SICP-3810, CD (2013); Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, Mixed Company, wyk. Theatre of Voices, London Sinfonietta, Paul Hiller, DaCapo Records 8.226114, CD (2014). Tommy Dorsey, Masterpieces 15, EPM 158342, “Jazz Archives”, CD (1935-1940/1995). Japanese CD editions are available from [REKLAMA5] When I listened to the Edition 7, right after they were launched in 2006, I couldn’t quite understand their unique sound presentation. The then breathtaking 1500 USD design was so different from those from the classic range that I didn’t exactly know how to approach the issue. The sound that is reproduced, irrespective of the reproduction method (speakers, headphones) is in a way a “creation” that aims to deceive the listener and convince them that they are dealing with a natural sound. It has very little to do with what is happening on the stage or in a studio. Even though, high quality recordings played back on a high quality audio components press the right “buttons” and cause us to “suspend disbelief” long enough to mentally separate the message (music) from the medium (audio system + sound). It will never cease to be a trick, but a well-intended trick received with a full knowledge of what it is. The Edition 7 that I auditioned during the High End 2006 in Munich, in far-from-comfortable conditions, did not make a great impression on me. I am talking about the sound here because the workmanship, looks and attention to detail were exceptional. I couldn’t get a handle on the sound, though. Fast forward eight years. The Edition 5 cost, considering the inflation rate, almost three times as much as the Edition 7. They are made even better. They make use of the latest design solutions that were still in their infancy in the 7’s. Listening to them for the first time I had an impression of moving back in time and standing once again next to Dragana Zirkel who was telling me excitedly about the care they had put to find proper subcontractors for the various parts of the design and how happy they were to cooperate with them. I can still see her smiling face and the pride radiating from her. But now I finally understand the “why”. he discrepancy between the sound of the Edition 7 and Edition 5 and my previous headphone experiences came from a different expectation priorities. The tonal balance of the Edition 5 is evidently shifted upwards. The lower bass is not meaty or strong. It is interesting that it is still audible even at the lowest tones of the grand piano. However, the sound is not as saturated as that offered by, say, the Audeze LCD-X and Sennheiser HD800 (not to mention other headphones from Ultrasone). Normally that would equal to a brightening or even sharpening of the sound. In other words, a too little and too much of something at the same time. But not so here; this is another case. The German headphones are ones of the best resolving I have ever heard. Including both the incredible, in that respect, HiFiMAN HE-6 driven by the EF-6 amplifier as well as the reference, again in that respect, Stax Omega II electrostats. Their transparency and ability to “disappear” is so remarkable that for a while you try looking for THEIR OWN sound which seems not to be there (at least at this stage I cannot put my finger on it and describe it unequivocally). Next to the headphones from Bavaria, all others sound somewhat colored. Even though the Audeze impress us with the density of the midrange and their low, soft bass and the HiFiMANs enchant us with their high resolution and sonority. Compared to the headphones under review, the sound of both those designs turns out to be somewhat “made up” – in a brilliant, perfect and beautiful way but “made up” nevertheless. The Edition 5 simply disappear and this is probably what threw me off balance in Munich listening to the Edition 7, and that was the reason why the first moments with their successor at my home were so confusing. The key that opened them up for me was the recording of Beethoven’s Piano Trios Op. 70 No.2, Op. 97 ‘Archduke’ performed by, among others, Isabelle Faust, about whom I have written a few times before. The record I am talking about is the recent release featuring the violinist playing the “Sleeping Beauty,” a Stradivarius from 1704 lent to her (indefinitely) by L-Bank Baden Württemberg. I do not mention this recording in order to prove my acquired taste nor do I mention Faust and the violin to show off – I do not have to. But those great recordings and great musicians as well as extraordinary instruments (the grand piano and the cello are also exceptional) open up the world of Ultrasone. Their sound is clear and uncolored. But this is unimportant; it is just a cause. The effect is that the sound is more reminiscent of what we hear live because it is not attached to the transducers, nor is it “projected” inside our head, and it has more air around the performers. Normally, listening to a recording we focus on the “body” of sound, the “structure” of instruments and vocals. The impression of their presence is created by the mass and energy. The Edition 5 sound profoundly lighter with more intensity. The instruments are created by million details, including the surroundings and venue acoustics. That million gives us extra-smooth picture without specific mass. When the bass drum kicks harder, even on Daft Punk’s album, first you hear a splash and then the body. That is how the drums sound in real life. When the sound of Miles Davis’s trumpet develops into a strong phrase, it is first velvety then sharper and finally smooth. It is bit of a shame that I have to dissect the sounds into their basic components but I would like to do my duty the best I can. When listening to those records with the Ultrasone we do nothing of the kind; that is obvious. But those little details add up to create the effect: an unbelievably spacious and clear sound. The spatial positioning is the element that organizes it all, both tonally as well as dimensionally. The sounds are located further than usually, a little bit like during a music concert. Hence, they are not “tangible” and “intense”. The Audeze, for instance, build up the presentation using energy and mass. The impression of being there perceived by the listener is based on “touching” the presentation in the sense that we have a physical impression of being near the sound and consequently (if the sound is of high quality) near the performers. The Ultrasone headphones are nothing of the kind. They do not suggest the “presence” of a specific mass just next to us. In a unique way they present a clear picture, devoid of any unnatural sharpness, edges and coloring, from which there emerges a natural sound, in the sense of being real. Listening to the music through headphones is a compromise build on a compromise. First we have to deal with an unnatural presentation. That is because recordings, except binaural ones, are made with the speakers in mind. Then we have to recalibrate ourselves from the sound that normally comes to us from all directions, with a key role of sounds reflected from the ceiling, floor and walls, to the sound that comes directly to our ears, with the room out of equation. The Edition 5 do that flawlessly in their own way. The space is as good as with the best electronic systems that simulate listening through the speakers, but more natural and clear. We do not have an impression of the sound being processed, which is ever present with electronic systems. The space is incredible. Not only with stereo recordings but with mono as well, which are much more difficult to handle. The sound we get is very coherent and well organized. It is also exceptionally delicate. I have not mentioned the latter before because I didn’t want to tell everything at once, and with the Ultrasone there is no hurry at any stage. But the sound coming from the headphones is very delicate, almost velvety. We usually associate that with smoothness. Here, by saying that the sound is velvet like, I mean something more. It is an equivalent of the sound that does not attract attention with irritating details. Sharpness, harshness, grain or - generally speaking - distortion seem to be on such a low level that we do not hear it (we pay no attention to it). It does not matter whether it is a modern album or a mono recording, for example Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie’s Bird & Diz from 1950, very difficult to reproduce, or modern classical music from the recent album by Theatre of Voices, London Sinfonietta and Paul Hiller featuring the compositions of Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen (OK, OK now I am showing off a little but to a good purpose). Summary The point of a limited edition is that it is… well… limited. The figure of speech is the most appropriate here. “Limited” denotes “restricted” time or amount. The Edition 5 is limited to 555 units and are expensive as hell. Ten years ago nobody realized that we would have such expensive headphones and that they would become such a “normal” i.e. predictable phenomena. Auditioning and reviewing such designs could seem pointless as they will be purchased by rich collectors anyway. This might as well be the case and I am wasting my time here. I would prefer to think that I am exploring the achievements of headphone technology and presenting what a given manufacturer is capable of. Not all of us will drive a Bugatti Veyron, although many would like to read about it, dive into details describing the philosophy behind it, the idea, technical specifications and then the driving experience. Listening to transducers like the Edition 5 is an eye opening experience and proves that headphones are capable of recreating the sound in an unusual way. The closest to what this design offers are the electrostatic headphones from Stax on the one side and magnetostatic HiFiMANs on the other. The electrostats have a similar way of handling the “tissue” of sound, equal balance of reflected and direct sounds. The Ultrasone are much more coherent and delicate. With not even a trace of brightness and sharpening. Magnetostatic planar designs, such as the HE-6 from HiFiMan, the LCD-X from Audeze or the PM-1 from Oppo driven by Oppo’s dedicated HA-1 amplifier/converter, share with the Edition 5 a smoothness and directness of sound. The Ultrasone combine several elements that do not appear in any design I know of. Here, they provide something unavailable with any other design. So, even though listening to classical music was exceptional, due to (hallelujah!) a natural presentation from a distance combined with a clear sound and great focus, listening to Daft Punk made my knees go soft and with Emerson Lake & Palmer Trilogy I had a feeling of live concert. They are great all-rounders that bring classical music to a new level. You have to give them a chance to “recalibrate” yourself. The GOLD Fingerprint award goes to Ultrasone for the Edition 5 and the entire work in the field of headphone design. Closed headphone designs are very rare indeed in the high-end audio. Having in mind the Audeze LCD-XC and Stax 4070, one must say that the Edition 5 from the German Ultrasone belong to a very rare group of headphones of this type and this class. They are “circumaural” i.e. the ear cups completely surround the ears. The cup shape reminds the PM-1 from Oppo, the M500 from KEF and some of the Sennheiser models. It’s a rectangle with rounded corners. The Edition are relatively small and exceptionally light – after the heavy HiFiMANs, Audeze and even Oppo it is a relief. Thanks to well-designed headband and properly adjusted tension they fit the head perfectly with a very low fatigue factor. They are made of plastic, aluminum, steel, leather and wood. Each model of the Edition is made of different wood. Here we have hundreds years old bog oak, with a beautiful grain and great mechanical properties. The wood is laser etched for an aluminum application and has seven coats of varnish. The headband is made of anodized aluminum and headband pad is made of Ethiopian long-haired sheep leather, same as the ear cups. In addition to being a circumaural and closed design, the Ultrasone are also dynamic headphones. They feature ULE (Ultra Low Emission) solution that has been present in headphone designs from this manufacturer since 1999, setting them apart from the rest: MU-metal screen. It protects the listener against negative effects of electromagnetic radiation. After all, the coils and magnets are very close to the head for many an hour. MU-metal reduces 98% of the radiation. The patented S-Logic EX is responsible for the extraordinary spatial positioning effect. It is a development of the former S-Logic, where in front of a transducer there was an aperture with specifically designed holes, to make the sound more spacious. In the EX there is a funnel shaped arrangement oriented downwards to the front. Apart from improving the spatial effect the EX allows a 40% reduction of the pressure on the eardrum (3-4 dB), while maintaining the same perceived volume. The 40 mm diaphragm is coated with titanium. The flexible, detachable cables are made of 99.999 % pure OFC copper. The headphone come with two lengths of cables – a 4 meter cable, fitted with a 6.35 mm jack plug and a 1.8 meter cable with a 3.5 mm mini-jack, both from Neutrik. You also get a box to keep your headphones and a stand made of steel bar. Last but not least, a special pouch protecting from dust when the Edition 5 rest on the stand. Technical specifications Design: dynamic, closed S-Logic EX Technology ULE Technology Impedance: 32 Ω Driver: 40 mm, titanium plated Magnet: NdFeB Frequency response: 5 – 46,000 Hz SPL: 96 dB Weight: 280 g Cabling: 2 detachable cables – a shorter 1.5m cord with angled 3.5mm NEUTRIK plug and a longer 4m cord with 6.3mm NEUTRIK plug Full metal headband, bog oak ear cups, leather earpads and head pad, dark chrome PVD plated ear cup rings [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/05.jpg" desc="Ultrasone EDITION 7 at High End 2006."] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/06.jpg" desc="Ultrasone EDITION 10 in a box."] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/07.jpg" desc="Ultrasone EDITION 5 in a box."] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/17.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/17.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/17.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/18.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/18.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/18.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/19.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/19.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/19.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/20.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/20.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/20.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/21.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/21.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/21.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/22.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/22.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/22.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/23.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/23.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/23.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/24.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/24.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/24.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/25.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/25.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/25.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/26.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/26.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/26.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/th/27.jpg" big="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/27.jpg" src="foto_testy/1408/ultrasone/27.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

he turntable is a relatively simple mechanical design. Its task is to spin the platter with a vinyl disc in an appropriate manner, i.e. at a predetermined speed. The rotational speed should be perfectly stable over time and no external disturbances, including vibration and noise, should be transferred to the platter. In the real world, it is as it is, i.e. despite well over a hundred years since the creation of the first flat discs and the turntables to spin them, we still face the same – by now clearly identified – problems: rotational speed stability and resistance to vibration and noise. The stability, similarly as vibration and noise, is dependent on a system that includes the main bearing, the platter and the drive system (the motor with transmission, or a direct-disc motor), as well as the mechanical properties of the base. Over the years, vibration and noise reduction had been realized in two ways: either via decoupling the platter with the arm from the base, or by minimizing vibration in the base itself (and the platter). The latter method primarily relies on proper material selection and usually involves damping the vibration through a mass loaded design. There is, however, another view on that matter. I could see it as plain as a pikestaff when I was once reviewing the Kuzma Stabi S. Its designer, Franc Kuzma, followed the assumption that in order to minimize the vibration of the base one should minimize the base itself (you can find the review HERE). The Stabi S simply consists of two cylinders connected at the right angle. The effects obtained with this simple trick are very interesting. It is then no wonder that other manufacturers came up with their own versions of this solution. The best known is perhaps the Ingenium from the British company Avid HiFi. A refined variant of the idea is ​​a design from Cardas called the SpJ La Luce, with the Pro-Ject RPM RP-1.3 and Elemental at the other end of the price list. The very idea is of course much older and its most famous, thus far, example is a 1973 turntable from Transcriptors called the Skeleton. Designed by David Gammon, it was produced for a limited period of time, until 1977. It showed, however, that there can be a "third way" in designing a stable base that does not reduce vibration by accumulating it in its high mass. The RP-8 from Rega was a direct reference to this design solution. Brilliant in its simplicity, the idea was to propose a radically new and different approach to the mechanics, without alienating the music lovers with an unusual shape. The base thus consisted of two parts: a proper base, with the arm, platter bearing and motor attached to it, and an auxiliary base to mask the unusual shape of the base proper. After assembly, the turntable looks like a classic Rega, yet it benefits of the advantages of minimized vibrating mass. When I first saw the F-901 Violin from Fonica, I mentally linked it with these efforts. And even when I later saw the information that aesthetic considerations were the main reason for equipping the turntable with a small treble-clef shaped acrylic base, I could not fully let go of that intrusive thought. Regardless of the reasons, the end result remains the same: minimizing the vibration area. The turntable was first presented at the High End 2014 show in Munich. The room where it was playing was visited by Dirk Räke from Transrotor, who then invited Mr. Radosław Łodziato, Fonica’s owner and the man who rescued it from oblivion, to ​​Transrotor’s room. There he introduced him to the chief engineer of Transrotor, Mr. Gerd Weichler. Mr. Weichler said that he knew Fonica very well and that he had visited its manufacturing plant in Lodz in the 1990s, where he saw the turntables that were manufactured by the Polish company for Thorens. "I really felt as if I touched history," says Mr. Łodziato. And so we have gone full circle. In the early 1970s, Transrotor was a Germany distributor of Transcriptors turntables from Mr. John Michell. Shortly afterwards, in 1973, Mr. Jochen Räke, Dirk’s father, asked Michell to manufacture for him the turntable components that he wanted to assemble and sell in Germany. Since it turned out that the production in Germany was going better, even though it was more expensive, Mr. Räke took up the manufacturing of Transcriptors. Soon he founded his own company, Transrotor. And so we have gone from the Skeleton from 1973, through the founding of Transrotor in the same year, to the Fonica Violin that repeats John Michell’s idea, albeit in a modified form. A few simple words from… ANDRZEJ SKOCZYLAS | konstruktor< Well, where should I start? Radek (Mr. Łodziato – ed. note) kept on repeating from the beginning that we need to come up with our own tonearm. That he wants to have everything manufactured in-house by Fonica. We started the work in our office in the back of Fonica’s production plant and for over half a year we drew a lot of sketches in SolidWorks and on paper, we machined various parts on our lathes, assembled them and whatever was not acceptable in auditions ended up in the trash bin. And so on, over and over. Radek wanted an elegant-looking arm that would be as adjustable as possible yet free of unnecessary parts and components that might have any adverse effect on the whole design. In the meantime, we would disassemble and analyze various arms from other manufacturers, including Rega or SME. Once we knew what it should sound like with our '800' that we were using for the auditions, and what kind of materials needed to be used, three versions remained on the battlefield. After two more months of testing the prototypes we finally chose one of them. What was most amazing was that once we applied finish coatings (e.g. anodizing), the arm turned out to sound different again. There was no other choice than to go back to the previous prototypes, apply the same final finish to all of them and only then to pick up the arm that – now in version no. 3 – would be manufactured by our company. And the Violin? It is the result of the need to be innovative and to stand out from other turntables. I am glad that the turntable came out very good sonically, not to mention that it is eye catching and can be the pride of any audiophile system. In the words of Mr. Onufry Zagłoba: "not to be boastful, ‘twas me who did it." The F901’s design draws on the best experiences of our previous models. In its construction we used expensive black acrylic, hand polished to a high gloss finish. The primary material is expensive brass, instead of steel and aluminum, because of its elegance as well as vibration damping qualities resulting from its density. All brass components are coated with gold. The headshell and arm tube is made of scratch-resistant quality anodized aluminum. Since the anodized surface does not conduct electricity, it provides special sonic characteristics. The system of three brass spikes mounted to the turntable base with the help of rubber absorbers provides additional decoupling from the ground. The high quality sliding bearing ensures whisper-quiet operation, vibration reduction and durability. The outer part that supports the platter rests on the ball made of Zirconium dioxide, whose strength is comparable to diamond. The motor is controlled by a dedicated generator that features a modern high-precision circuit to provide an ideal rotational speed. By using a processor with a quartz oscillator clock it was possible to achieve a very precise rotational speed regulation, which has a decisive influence on the listening experience quality. The speedbox design, with its repeated AC to DC and back to AC conversion, additionally provides total protection from any mains power noise or interference and allows the turntable to be easily operated in both 50 Hz and 60 Hz environments. The F-901 turntable uses the F-03 rev3 tonearm designed and manufactured in-house by Fonica. It is the third version of this arm. The F-03 is a "no compromise" design. We use the least possible amount of plastic materials. Hence, the arm is made entirely of brass and extremely hard anodized aluminum. In the process of anodizing, the arm surface hardness reaches nearly 60 Rockwell. Moreover, the arm offers multiple adjustment options for the sake of convenience and full customer satisfaction of the most demanding audiophiles. Internal wiring between the arm and the output connectors is made of high quality materials. The arm differs from the previous versions in its pivot and bearing design. The changes made it possible to increase its overall stiffness, which contributed to the improvement in geometry and provided about 100% greater height adjustment range. It allows the arm to be equipped with the most demanding phone cartridges. Additionally, version 3 of the arm sports an additional copper shielding inside the tube arm, which brings even more positive influence on the sound. The turntable is packaged in a wooden box lined with high-quality foam. Fonica in “High Fidelity” REVIEW: Fonica F-802 + F-03 – turntable + tonearm, see HERE REVIEW: Fonica F-600 - turntable, see HERE COLUMN: Subiektywna historia polskich gramofonów, see HERE TECHNOLOGY: Polskie gramofony – historia od początku do lat 70., see HERE Albums auditioned during this review Breakout, NOL, Polskie Nagrania “Muza” SX 1300, LP (1976). Brendan Perry, Ark, The End Records | Cooking Vinyl | Vinyl 180 VIN180LP040, 2 x 180 g LP (2011). Chico Hamilton Quintet, Chico Hamilton Quintet feat. Buddy Collette, Pacific Jazz Records 1209, LP (1955). Clifford Brown and Max Roach, Study in Brown, EmArcy Records/Universal Music Japan UCJU-9072, 200 g LP (1955/2007). Czesław Niemen & Akwarele, Sukces, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/Polskie Nagrania XL 0390, 180 g LP (1967/2014). Czesław Niemen, Katharsis, Polskie Nagrania “Muza”, SX 1262, LP (1976). Czesław Niemen, Postscriptum, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”, SX 1876, LP (1980). Frank Sinatra, The Voice, Columbia/Classic Records CL 743, Quiex SV-P, “50th Anniversary”, 180 g LP (1955/2005). Freddie Hubbard, Open Sesame, Blue Note/Classic Records BT4040, Quiex SV-P, 200 g LP (1960/1999). John Coltrane, Giant Steps, Atlantic/Rhino, R1 512581, "Atlantic 45 RPM Master Series", 2 x 180, 45 rpm (1960/2008). Morton Subotnick, The Wild Bull, Karlecords KR018, “Limited Edition of 500”, 180 g LP (2014). Thelonious Monk, Solo, Columbia/Music On Vinyl MOVLP843, “Classic Album”, 180 g LP (1965/2014). Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] The materials as well as technical solutions used for the construction of the base are something of a "foundation" that builds up the sound of the whole turntable. They set the framework in which we will later operate. The arm brings in a certain direction and the cartridge completes the whole, and helps to bring out everything that was provided by the base and "refined" by the arm. Hence, I have a deep conviction concerning the sonic properties of the specific materials used in the design. Turntables with wood, metal, glass components behave all different, as do those with acrylic parts. While combining different materials in a sandwich design gives something else still, it usually results in averaging the characteristics of the individual components of the “sandwich.” Acrylic has its own very distinctive "expression." On the one hand, it slightly dampens the sound, rounding its attack and calming down transients, and on the other it emphasizes the upper midrange, offering quite good selectivity. Audio designers use these features in various ways, bringing out one or the other. They all operate within the same limits, though. The Violin is almost exemplary at showing one of the possibilities, which is to make the sound denser and warmer. At the same time, it does not withdraw the treble any more than necessary. The latter seems to be almost on par with the rest of the frequency range, except that it is sweet, dense and sonorous. But its sonority results from weight and depth rather than fast attack. That is why the sound is more reminiscent of what is offered by Scheu Analog in the Classic than, for example, the Transrotor Zet 1 or the Thales TTC-Compact. It would be closer to the Avid Acutus SP and Goldenote Bellavista Signature than to the Dr. Feickert Analogue Woodpecker. Actually, if I had to choose a design that would sound most uniformly similar to the Polish "treble clef", it would be the Viella AMG V12, a turntable made largely of aluminum. This sound can be described in but a few words, and then differentiated further within their scope. Each record has its own depth and "weight." With the Viola, there are no light and trivial discs. It is an obvious homogenizing of the presentation, but what kind of homogenizing it is! With the Fonica, there are no sharp and bright sounding discs. I have no doubt that it means bringing the records to a similar level. At the same time, however, it gives an incredible comfort in listening to even old, technologically inferior discs. Everything sounds smooth and nice. And last but not least, there are no dry sounding discs with the Polish turntable. There is always a strong lower midrange and upper bass. And the whole presentation is based on a deep foundation that has a pretty tonal quality. As I said before, despite a clear warming of the sound, the treble is not recessed. The difference between the treble and the warm midrange is fascinatingly audible wherever it is important musically, as in the cymbal crashes opening Clifford Brown’s album Study in Brown. Or - perhaps even more clearly – at the beginning of the title track from Czesław Niemen’s album Catharsis. The cymbals are beautiful because their sound is strong and dense. Not only here, because they sound exactly the same on Freddy Hubbard’s Open Sesame and Coltrane’s Giant Steps, but in the two previous cases the result was truly electrifying. Although the attack is smooth and rounded and the sound warm, I was not prepared for how much the Violin emphasizes the recordings’ "dark side" (in the sense of "not bright"). On NOL from the Polish band Breakout, as well as on the original pressing of Chico Hamilton Quintet from 1955 the sound was dark, dense, saturated and extremely pleasant. At the same time, I did not feel a lack of anything particular. Although it needs to be said that this is not an especially selective or extremely detailed presentation. It favors big planes rather than detail; the overall picture over micro-events. Nevertheless, the interplay between the musicians during the concert of Chico Hamilton with his friends, which took place on August 4th, 1955, in the Harry Rubin's Strollers club was almost tangible in its band work, harmony and feeling. The recording was made with two Western Electric 640AA microphones, one of them positioned above the whole band and the other above the cello, with the help of the Altec 21C microphone mounted to the double bass. Jim Hall’s guitar was coupled to the guitar amp and mixing console at the same time. This simple recording method resulted in a dark sound, due to a limited frequency range of the microphones and tape recorder. But the sound is incredibly dense and natural. Interestingly, the aforementioned Breakout album, similarly dark and limited in the top end, also sounded very nice. Of course, it lacked an equally good insight into the "event", but the result was at least satisfactory. Conclusion Thanks to all these qualities, the Violin is a very versatile audio source. It offers a kind of "absolution" to the vinyl discs that are played back on it. Music For Vinyl releases, very clean but somewhat drier than the originals prepared from analog master tapes, sounded darker and denser. The new vinyl reissue of Czesław Niemen’s album Success, not particularly convincing (just like the vinyl reissue of his Dziwny jest ten świat…), sounded quite vicious and in parts even interesting. In turn, quality produced records sounded just brilliant. The sound depth was exceptional with each one of them. The same with electronica. Morton Subotnick’s album The Wild Bull, difficult to play back properly, sounded fascinating. The turntable does not overexpose the recordings and is not particularly selective. It corrects the sound in a concrete, easily perceptible way. However, it does it with grace that results from the kind of "it is good that way" conviction. Pops are not very audible, but they do exist and are not clearly separated from the music itself. Well, even such a cool design is not without its limitations. NOTHING BUT THE MUSIC David Roth WILL YOU COME HOME Stockfisch SFR 357.8079.1 2 x 180 g 45 rpm LP The tradition of Stockfisch LP releases goes back to the 1990s. On a 2006 compilation album, the record label claims that vinyl has been its passion for 14 years. Sara K.’s 2003 album Water Falls and a compilation titled Stockfisch Records Vinyl Collection from 2006 still enjoy immense popularity. The latter features the track No Sanctuary Here by Chris Jones that can be heard on most audio shows all over the world. The label flirted with many types of vinyl discs, both of the 33 1/3 rpm and 45 rpm variety, one thing has, however, remained unchanged: the discs are made in the DMM (for ‘Direct Metal Mastering’) technology. A joint effort of Teldec (Telefunken-Decca) and Georg Neumann GmbH, it was developed in the 1980s to win back some of the customers who were "sailing away" from the LP format in the CD direction. In short, unlike conventional disc mastering that uses a lacquer-coated master, DMM cuts straight into a copper master disc. The DMM copper master disc allows for producing the required number of stampers using a one-step plating process instead of the traditional three-step approach. By eliminating two electroforming stages, DMM minimizes – at least theoretically – the risk of introducing noise generated in the electroforming process. Stockfisch has been pressing its records for many years in this way, using ultra-soft copper that was previously unobtainable. Initially, music lovers complained about an unnatural harshness of the sound on these discs. And they were right. However, people at Stockfisch believe that they have been able to overcome these problems and reach outstanding precision, resulting from using special copper with extremely low hardness. One of the conditions necessary for making a proper stamper is the delay of exactly 0.909 sec in one channel. Stockfisch method is to cut the discs using 24-bit digital files, with the necessary signal delay introduced in the digital domain. The digital to analog conversion is handled by the ADC Weiss Engineering GAMBIT DAC1. Currently, the signal on all LPs issued by this label comes from a hard disk drive storing the final mastering, and being an equivalent of the master tape. The latest record mastered and pressed in this way is Will You Come Home by David Roth. This is not the artist’s first black disc on Stockfisch, which previously released his Pearl Diver in 2004. This time we get a compilation album. The four sides of 180g 45 rpm vinyl, feature twelve songs from the whole period spent by the artist under Stockfisch wings and one brand new track. While the other are not new, they have all been recorded again for this release. Hans-Jörg Maucksch has been responsible for the mastering, and the DMM duties were handled by Hendrik Pauler from Pauler Acoustics. Recording and mastering was performed using the Bowers & Wilkins 801D speakers. Digital or not, the vinyl sound from this label is for many an example of the most analog of analog sounds. There is much truth to that. Roth’s vocals are ultra-deep and warm. The songs are gentle, taken at a rather leisurely tempo, which further adds to such reception. The vocals’ scale is immense and phantom images have incredibly large volume, which is hard to forget. All the more so that they are beautifully contrasted with a sonorous acoustic guitar. However, knowing how the guitar sounds in reality and knowing the sound of the human voice, e.g. a vocalist with a deep timbre, recorded through the microphone, we realize that the sound on the album is somewhat souped-up. Part of lower midrange and upper bass has been boosted to achieve this exact effect. It is a "trademark" Stockfisch sound and reaching for a release from this label, especially a vinyl record, this is exactly what we expect. The resolution is nice, as is selectivity - what else can be demanded from a vinyl disc cut from a digital source? I am fairly sure that in the years to come I will have as many chances to hear this record at various audio shows as I once had with Sara K.’s Water Fall. The vinyl has a fairly low surface noise and after cleaning it there is virtually no pops and crackle. My only remark concerns the lead-in. Just as it previously did on Ralf Illenberg’s vinyl, the lead-in here shows rather intrusive pops and crackle until we hear the first album sounds. When you buy your copy, which I highly recommend, try to look at the disc in a good light. There should be no whitish lead-in groove before the first track, as it is in my copy. www.davidrothmusic.com www.stockfisch-records.de Sound quality: 9/10 Various KISSED BY A SONG Dynaudio | inakustik INAK 78011 2LP 2 x 180 g 45 rpm LP Compilation albums prepared by audio companies are nothing new. My collection of samplers and demonstration albums, relegated quite some time ago to the basement, includes discs from ISOTEK, Burmester, Isophon, Audio Physic, KEF, Accuphase and many others. At home, I still keep discs issued by Manger and Thorens, mostly because the music is very cool in parts, but also because they are vinyl discs. Kissed By A Song belongs to this trend of using music material for brand promotion, this time Dynaudio. Two 180 g, 45 rpm discs feature thirteen tracks from such labels as: Chesky Records, Evosound, Vollton Musikverlag, in-acoustics, Diana Panton and Minor Music. All the artists are women vocalists including Christy Baron, Susan Wong, Kasia Lins, Sara K., Carla Lother, Diana Panton and others. It seems that the idea was to select the kind of tracks that would make a good listen but would also be well recorded. The discs were prepared by in-akustik, one of the largest audiophile labels in Germany. Polish readers of "High Fidelity" should be familiar with it, even if due to the fact that it is a distributor of another audiophile label from behind the Oder River, Stockfisch. And it seems to be the work of the same duet: Hans-Jörg Maucksch who has been responsible for the mastering, and Hendrik Pauler from Pauler Acoustics in charge of the DMM duties. In this context, the DMM stamp indicates that the disc was cut from a digital master tape. The album is very nice, has a gatefold cover and varnished cover art. Unfortunately, it lacks any information on the type of remastering of the material used, where it was done and the name of the person responsible. And yet the majority of customers interested in this release are audiophiles who are real freaks when it comes to this kind of information. Despite having the common "fathers" with Stockfisch discs, the Dynaudio album has a different tonal balance. It is brighter and more open. The upper midrange is stronger and shows lots of energy. There is no lower midrange boost, but there is speed and attack. One needs to be careful with the audio system, because if the treble is in any way emphasized, the disc may sometimes sound too bright. The advantage of this kind of presentation is that the individual instruments can be heard deep in the mix. Even if they are in the background, their texture and character can be fairly easily distinguished. The signal level is quite high and the whole sounds better if it is not played too loud. I'm not sure about that, but it seems to me that the individual tracks may have a different provenance in terms of their word length and sampling frequency. Be that as it may, this is surely the kind of sound that will help to sell many a pair of Dynaudio speakers, and not only them. Sound quality: 9/10 www.dynaudio.com The Fonica Violin can be discussed as an example of industrial design. There are good reasons for that, both because of the manufacturer and customers’ reactions. The manufacturer wanted to have in its product lineup a turntable that would have appealing looks and could complement the aesthetic appearance of the room interior. Hence, instead of hiding the frame in a classic base, as Rega did in the RP-08, Fonica brought it to light. Whereas Rega wanted to offer something new without turning away the more conservative customers, Fonica went the other way round and decided to attract the new ones. The base of the F-901 has the shape of a treble clef. The tonearm is mounted in its upper part, where it curves up to form the "head." The main bearing is located in the center, at the line intersection. The motor, in turn, has found its home in the lower swirl "window". Hence the motor, the platter bearing and the arm are located along the same line. The base is made of polished black acrylic. It rests on three brass, gold-plated spikes, and those in turn are supported by small discs. The spikes are tightly pushed into the holes in the base bottom. Rubber absorber rings are used to decouple the turntable from the ground to some extent. The feet are positioned to form a triangle, in such a way that the point of intersection of the perpendicular bisectors to the sides of the triangle coincides with the center of gravity of the whole turntable. The steel spindle sits on the ball made of Zirconium dioxide, whose strength is comparable to that of diamond. The spindle features of a small cylinder with a "flange" to support the platter. The platter itself is made of glass, with a thick felt mat on the top. A heavy record clamp is made of gold plated brass and was previously available as an optional accessory. I do not like this type of mats and I only use cork mats from Pathe Wings or the professional TU-800EX Improved Version mat from Harmonix. The synchronous AC motor is housed in a heavy brass enclosure. It features a large pulley mounted on its axle. It drives the platter by means of a long round rubber belt. The motor is powered from an 18.8 V AC external controller, also housed in a cylinder enclosure. The umbilical cord that couples the two looks very ordinary and is the only part of the whole design I would suggest spending some time on. The controller sports a small on/off toggle switch, a push button and two LEDs. The latter indicate the speed selected by the button: 33 1/3 rpm or 45 rpm. The motor rests on tiny rubber footers, while the controller sits directly on the ground. It might be worth decoupling the latter in some way. The arm is Fonica’s own design. Currently into its third version, it features gold-plated brass and aluminum components. The arm tube is made of hard anodized aluminum with the surface hardness close to 60 Rockwell. The arm is of a gimbaled type and the gimbal bearing sports brass components. Overhang is adjusted by tilting the headshell, rather than pulling the whole arm. VTA adjustment is by means of loosening the screws locking the column and turning a knurled nut. The tonearm differs from the previous versions in its pivot and bearing design. The improvements made it possible to increase its overall stiffness which contributed to the improvement in geometry and provided about 100% greater height adjustment range. It allows the arm to be equipped with the most demanding phone cartridges. The third version of the arm features an additional copper shielding inside the arm tube. The RCA output connectors are located at the bottom of a heavy block. Anti-skating is a classic affair, with the line and sinker. Dane techniczne (wg producenta) Power Consumption [W]: 13.3 Inverter Voltage [V AC]: 18 V Tonearm Length [mm]: 228.6 Tonearm Effective Mass [g]: 12 Overhang: 18.14 mm Signal/Noise Ratio [dB]: -80 Tonearm Shape: straight Belt Drive: YES Platter Diameter [mm] 298 Speed ​​[rpm]: 33 and 45 Dimensions [mm]: 570 x 340 x 142 mm Weight [kg] 10.1 kg [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/05.jpg" desc="The Transcriptor Skeleton turntable."] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/06.jpg" desc="The Cardas SpJ La Luce."] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/07.jpg" desc="The Rega RP-8."] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/08.jpg" desc="The Avid Ingenium."] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/09.jpg" desc="The Pro-Ject Elemental."] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/17.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/17.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/17.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/18.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/18.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/18.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/19.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/19.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/19.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/20.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/20.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/20.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/21.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/21.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/21.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/22.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/22.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/22.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/23.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/23.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/23.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/fonica/th/24.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/fonica/24.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/fonica/24.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

t was with great pleasure that I unpacked the newest isolation board from Janusz Rogoz, which is marked as the 3RP1/BBS. Large and heavy, employing the BBS (Balancing Board System) and nicely done, it is an idea developed by the business owner for quite some time now. I perfectly remember my first contact with the company, which came by way of my review of the CPPB16 board for the Polish magazine "Audio." It was heavy and featured grounding. Each next board I came across, first the 3SG40, followed by the 4SG50/BBS, was better and even more nicely made. Each one of them was also better at shaping the sound of the components it supported. Even before it arrived for a review, the newest board was to some extent already known to me. Mr. Janusz Rogoz, the owner of Rogoz Audio and its designer, prepared for “High Fidelity’s” 10/10 anniversary contest a hi-fi rack that was based on the same design assumptions. It was the official launch of a new product line and I am proud that it took place in "High Fidelity." The four massive feet joined the platforms with its "floating" shelves. The top shelf is decoupled from the lower, fixed base with the Balancing Board System (BBS). It consists of three parts: a high quality steel spike (or cone), a "cap" protecting the spike and a cradle of high-quality steel, in the shape of a large sector of the sphere, to support the cap. In the "competition" version, the latter were made of NZ3 high silicon steel and painted with red gloss paint. Such components were prepared only once for this special unit. In the regular version, they are made of carbon polymer. The idea behind ​​the BBS is that the contact point between the cone and the carbon steel intermediate element prevents any movement of the two elements relative to their own axis, but allow a swinging movement. In contrast, the contact between the intermediate component and the cradle fixed to the tabletop allows limited rolling and sliding motion. The advantages of point support on the cones were thus combined with the effects of vibration damping resulting from sliding and rolling friction. The 3RP1/BBS is a large platform that was designed for large amplifiers to be placed on the floor. In the words of Mr. Rogoz, the platforms as well as hi-fi racks and speaker stands offered by him are highly customized and can be manufactured in any size and finish to meet individual request from distributors, dealers and end customers. The unit sent in for a review had been specially designed to be relatively large, so as not to limit the size of audio components placed on it during the auditions. The owner of Rogoz Audio emphasizes that the board was created not only for large amplifiers to be seated on the floor, but rather as a universal platform to be used both on furniture and on the floor. It was designed for all audio components - digital sources, analog turntables, amplifiers, preamplifiers, power amplifiers, DACs, etc. Because I’d reviewed all previous platforms from Rogoz Audio with audio sources, preamplifiers and small integrated amplifiers, I placed the new model on the Finite Elemente Pagode Edition rack and compared it against my adjacent Acoustic Revive RAF-48H air floating board that had long been serving as my reference point for all other isolation boards. Since the spikes in the Polish construction are widely spread, the pads under them were not in the decoupled (spikes) shelf, and directly on the frame top shelf. To not let the pads slip, I put under them the Acoustic Revive CP-4 chloroprene insulators, made of material that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy, dumped in the form of heat. During the CD player auditions I was using both cases the feet Franc Audio Accessories Ceramic Disc. Speakers involved comparing the A / B / A, where A was the platform Rogoz Audio and Acoustic Revive B platform. The whole set includes: Rhe board Four high-adjustable spikes to level the board BBS system between the shelves Four massive discs to protect the floor Rogoz Audio in “High Fidelity” 10/10 COMPETITION – PEOPLE, AUDIO GEAR, PRIZES: Rogoz Audio – anti-vibration rack, see HERE 10/10 COMPETITION – INTRODUCTION: Rogoz Audio – anti-vibration rack, see HERE REVIEW: Rogoz Audio 4SG50/BBS + BW40MKII – isolation board, see HERE REVIEW: Rogoz Audio 3SG40 – isolation board, see HERE Albums auditioned during this review Vangelis, Spiral, RCA/BMG Japan 176 63561, K2 SHM-CD (1977/2008). Marc Copland & John Abercrombie, Speak To Me, Pirouet Records PIT3058, CD (2011). Carol Sloane, Hush-A-Bye, Sinatra Society of Japan/Muzak, XQAM-1031, CD (2008). Guru Guru, Live in Germany ‘71, Cleopatra Records CLP 6844-2, CD (2011). Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] I have all but forgotten how beautiful Carol Sloane’s album Hush-A-Bye is. I bought it just after it had been issued by Sinatra Society of Japan on HQCD. Since then I have been returning to this record more frequently than to others from that series. Sloane herself is enchanting here, together with her band, as are the compositions, arrangements and flawless execution. While it would have been an exceptional disc even without the latter, the warm, deep and unusually resolving recording helps the instruments to become real and the vocalist to materialize in front of us when played back on a good system. It is an obvious cliché that is usually said in such moments, but this time the cliché “becomes flesh.” The acoustic plays the major role here in building up the sense of “presence”. The vocals were recorded with lots of air, which contrasts with the very closely "snapped up" instruments. Admittedly, the latter do have some reverb, but not as much as Sloane herself. For me, the most impressive has always been track no. 3 titled Guess Who I Saw Today. Composed by Murray Grand, with Elisse Boyd’s lyrics, it is a story of a woman who went out shopping and by chance stepped into a café, where she saw a beautiful couple of lovers by the bar. She found herself looking at them with real pleasure, enjoying their happiness. It is only the final “I saw you” that turns the whole story up-side down. A melancholic, gentle and almost casually delivered song becomes a drama. This song, originally composed for the musical New Faces of 1952 was recorded in a different way than the other tracks. The instruments are shown close up on the far sides of both channels whereas Carol Sloane’s vocals are moved deep into the soundstage as if she sang to a microphone standing a few meters away. It makes us see the scene as if were looking through a window into someone’s house and in the background, maybe in the kitchen or in the living room, saw a woman talking to her husband. Even though the composition has been performed by many a vocalist including such outstanding artists as June Caroll, Carment McRay and Julie London no single other version makes such an impression on me as one on Hush-A-Bye. The high resolution and tonal balance of an audio system is of paramount importance here to properly convey this composition. What needs to be presented are two totally different scenic “situation” of the instruments and the vocalist. Her vocals sounds brighter and higher but it is not over-bright. It simply because of the space between us and (the microphone) vocals that reduces the amount of bass which we tend to perceive as a greater distance. An audio system can behave in various ways to handle it. The Ancient Audio CD player and the AbysSound preamplifier that I auditioned seated on the Rogoz Audio board presented everything larger and slightly closer than on the Acoustic Revive RAF-48H air board. Bringing the perspective closer did not however mean shortening it. “Something good is cooking here” was my immediate reaction. Mr. Janusz’s board brings the planes closer enlarging them and making them more palpable. Sloane’s vocals, hidden deep in the mix, remained distant. At the same time they were stronger and bigger by which they seemed to be closer. Their lower midrange, somewhat thinner with the Japanese board for a more distant presentation, was stronger and more saturated with the Rogoz Audio board under review. This is the first isolation board, maybe with the possible exception of the  Finite Elemente Pagode Edition HD-09 , whose tonality was denser and its tonal balance set lower than that of the air board from Japan, which is my reference. All other boards, even the best ones, lifted the balance which resulted in thinning somewhat the midrange. Given a high enough quality of the board there were certain advantages to that particular effect such as improved selectivity, stronger attack resulting in a more open sound and better dynamics. All these are good. I could get no complete satisfaction, though. It was soon over replaced with curiosity and respect for the designers. Still, the lack of full satisfaction remained. This time the respect was completed with fulfillment. As if I spotted in the weeds scattered on the beach a lump of amber glowing warmly in the setting sun. Fully aware it was not gold I accepted its attraction. The similar things happen to components seated on the 3RP1/BBS. Sloane was an ideal “tool” to assess tonality and perspective. Listening to Vangelis’s Spiral (K2 SHM-CD) I could evaluate the dynamics and bass extension whereas Speak To Me from the duo of Marc Copland and John Ambercobie was a great test of resolution. All these sonic aspects deserved praise and were simply very good. The later album is rather muffled in character and only a quality audio system can bring out an internal chemistry between the musicians. The Japanese board reveals lots of detail and presents planes better than any other retaining the dark character of the recording at the same time. The Rogoz Audio board enlarged phantom images and put the two musicians in the same row both in terms of distance from us and tonality. It sounded great. Still, it was evident that the low level signals were somewhat homogenized. The whole is more important than detail, though. The RAF-48H sounds slightly more laid-back in comparison. Conclusion The music is alive and flowing with this board. It is presented in a unique way, with larger phantom images, unrestrained dynamics and the background where it should be. The background remains stable and well differentiated it is somehow closer to us, however. Rather obvious change in tonality results from more energy in the lower midrange. The sound simply seems to be louder. When the CD player was seated on the RAF-48H I had to increase the output by 1 dB for the subjective volume level to be similar to that on the 3RP1/BBS. It is a really good design and I am very pleased to say that the products from Mr. Janusz Rogoz are getting increasingly better and that the audio evolution in his case produces sweet fruits indeed. The design under today’s review allows for a comfortable listening to both well recorded and exquisitely pressed CDs as well as ordinary editions including bootleg-like concert recordings such as Live in Germany ‘71 by the krautrock band Guru Guru, issued in a beautiful box by Cleopatra Records in 2011. The guitars were meaty the drums had the “oomph” and the weirdly captured vocals were not muffled, even though they sound as if they had been recorded through a thick woolen scarf. This is the best board from Mr. Rogoz I could lay my hands on, not to mention the fact that it simply sounds great. Highly recommended for any audio system! NOTHING BUT THE MUSIC Guru Guru LIVE IN GERMANY ‘71 Cleopatra Records CLP 6844-2 CD, 2011 Our short album reviews under the common title Nothing but the Music present the most recent productions. Not so this time, as I would like to encourage those of you who are into krautrock to get an album issued in 2011. As far as I understand, this is the first official recording of Guru Guru concert from 12 September 1971, made by Papa Bear in Bremen, Germany. Guru Guru is a German krautrock band founded in 1968 as The Guru Guru Groove. The name was later shortened to Guru Guru. Their concerts from the late 1960s and early 1970s were politically charged and verged on anarchy. The band members lived in a commune and, obviously, experimented with hallucinogens. The band was a great success, recorded more than 40 albums that sold in over 500,000 copies. It is worth mentioning that Mani Neumeier, the drummer and one of the original founding members of the band is now one of the organizers of the annual Krautrock-Festival Finkenbach. The album features only three very long compositions: 1. Der LSD-Marsch (23:31) 2. Bo Diddley (22:20) 3. Spaceship (15:46) The band: Ax Genrich – guitars Mani Neumaier – drums Hans Hartmann – bass Concert recordings released many years after rarely meets expectations vested in them. They are usually of mediocre quality in terms of artistic value and production. Were it not the case they would have been released soon after recording. The case of Live in Germany ‘71 is different. I have no idea why the material had to spend forty years on a garage shelf (or so I think) because it is perfect artistically and sonically acceptable. The sound is meaty, dense and most dynamic. People responsible for remastering did a great job indeed. They created a sound with a real “drive”, meaty guitars and strong kick drum. This is a unique concert of a great band. The album comes with my warm recommendation especially that Cleopatra Records put an effort to make it interesting for collectors. The CD comes in a cardboard envelope. The envelope is in a sturdy box where we can also find a poster featuring an article about the band by Dave Thompson. Moreover, there is a black balloon with the label’s logo and a badge with the band’s name known from the Tang Fango album cover (1976). I bought the CD on eBay. Sound quality: 7-8/10 This is a fairly large board capable of supporting components up to 100 kg. Hence it could be an ideal partner not only to front ends and preamplifiers but also to massive power amplifiers. It is 142 mm high measured 600 wide and 560 mm deep. It consists of two main parts to be assembled by the buyer: the base and a “floating” board that supports the components. 30 mm thick top shelf is a sandwich made of MDF and HDF. The base is made of MDF braced from top and bottom by solid HDF beams. It looks like a flattened H letter. The shelf and the beams are coupled with the four S235JR carbon steel bolts. The base is supported on the four high carbon steel alloy spikes and brass locking nuts. They are used to level the shelf. The spikes rest on four, quite large discs. Identical spikes but three in number decouple the base from the board. The “floating” board sports three large sectors of the sphere with spikes in their centers. The spikes have carbon polymer protecting caps on them. The system has the patent pending (UPRP P.404137) under the name Balancing Board System (BBS). The wooden parts are coated in thick high gloss paint looking like a grand piano finish only grey. Specification • Total height: 142 mm • Total width: 600 mm • Total depth: 560 mm • Feet profiles: MDF sandwich + HDF + 4 S235JR carbon steel cores • Top shelf: MDF + HDF sandwich, 460 x 560 x 30 + 30 mm • Maximum load: up to 100 kg [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/rogoz/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

hat do AdFontes and Zontek have in common? Quite a lot actually. First of all both are Polish brands. Secondly, I know that both owners, Mr Andrzej and Mr Paweł know each other – the former supported the latter with his knowledge and experience when Zontek project started. Both manufacture turntables (which might be obvious after point no. 2). Both gentlemen decided that the best way to go for tonearms are really long ones. And finally both these company are in some way related/connected with Audiostereo users (some of them at least). You could say that both projects are „public” ones, described in detail on this forum, and supported by many people with a lot of advise. The latter goes mostly for AdFontes, but also the creation of Zontek was described and discussed lot on audiostereo.pl, the largest Polish audio forum. These brands have a lot in common but there are also many differences between them. AdFontes is more of „people's” turntable, so to speak. It's a great design available at dumping price really, offering outstanding performance. I mean there is no (known to me) popular mass-manufactured turntable model at this price range that comes even close to AdFontes' performance. It is also a constantly evolving design. It's creator keeps working on upgrades, and some of them are also suggested by many happy users. In this regard AdFontes reminds me of my own TransFi Salvation, Terminator/Tomahawk setup. It is also evolving as the designer keeps pushing for better and better performance which is possible partially also due to involvement of users who are not afraid to experiment with their units and then to share their experience with others. When it comes to Zontek the evolution of the project was described on Audiostereo, but the goal of this project was quite different. It was not about offering very good performance at low cost. It was about creating a truly high-end device, no-compromise, cost-no-object (at least to a point) design. So as you can see these two Polish brands have a lot in common but there are also significant differences between their ultimate goals. What really makes me happy is the fact that these two designers help each other instead of just competing which (the latter I mean) seems to be an unfortunate standard in audio industry. I reviewed AdFontes already some time ago (see HERE), now it's time to get familiar with Zontek. The official premiere of Zontek's turntable took place (if I remember correctly) during AudioShow 2012. Surely it was presented also during AudioShow 2013. To be honest – the crowd in Zontek's room during last show did not allow me to have a good listen. But since life is full of surprises I was given few other opportunities to listen to this turntable. The first one was a presentation of a system with my favorite Ardento speakers. It was a very nice event that took place in WUT's Faculty of Architecture Atelier in Warsaw and the system consisted of Ardento speakers, 300B SET amplifier and DAC and... Zontek turntable and Linnart phonostage. Just a few months later another special event took place – this time in Munich, during HighEnd Show. For the first time in Show's history (as far as I know) there was a Polish room there with a complete made in Poland system. Yes, you guessed that right – it included Linnart phonostage and Zontek turntable. And finally on the day of world's premiere of the first three remastered (under Jimmie Page's supervision) Led Zeppelin albums I went to listen to them to Osiecka Studio in Warsaw. The system used again included Ardento speakers and electronics and... Zontek and Linnart. None of these places really offered perfect listening conditions and still I was convinced, especially after „Led Zeppelin” show organized by invaluable Piotr Metz, that I simple had to finally take a closer look at these two great and apparently inseparable Polish products – a turntable with impressive 14,5 inch long tonearm and a tube phonostage made by Linnart. The latter company has been somewhere on the fringe of Polish audio market for many years. It never invested in advertisement nor even offered its products for reviews (with few exceptions), although it participated in AudioShow more than once. I guess most people familiar with this name associate it with tube devices – preamplifiers, phonostages, power amplifiers, headphone amps. Also the P1 phonostage that was used for all presentations of Zontek turntable I mentioned above and now will be reviewed together with it is a tube device. In fact this particular model was created as a partner for Zontek, although it might be used with any other deck/arm setup as long as it is fitted with MC cartridge. As far as I know Mr Mirek builds also highly valued guitar amplifiers, he modifies audio devices and he „saved lives” of many audiophiles fixing their broken audio equipment. I decided to review the whole system – Linnart + Zontek simply because these two devices were meant to work together and each time I had a chance to listen to this system its large potential was very clear to me. Recordings used for this test (a selection) AC/DC, Live, EPIC, E2 90553, LP. Arne Domnerus, Jazz at the Pawnshop, Proprius, ATR 003, LP. Cannonball Adderly, Somethin' Else, Classic Records, BST 1595-45, LP. Dead Can Dance, Spiritchaser, 4AD/Mobile Fidelity, MOFI 2-002, 180 g LP. Dire Straits, Love over gold, Vertigo 25PP-60, LP. Frank Sinatra, Live in Paris, Reprise/Mobile Fidelity MFSL 2-312, 180 g LP. Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard, Gladiator, ORG 050, 180 g LP. Keith Jarret, The Köln Concert, ECM 1064/65 ST, LP. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II, Atlantic 8122796438, LP. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin, Atlantic 8122796460, LP. Metallica, Metallica, 511831-1, 4 x LP. Muddy Waters & The Rolling Stones, Live At The Checkerboard Lounge, Chicago 1981, Eagle Rock Entertainment B0085KGHI6, LP. Muddy Waters, Folk Singer, Mobile Fidelity 180 g MFSL-1-201, LP. Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Friday Night in San Francisco, Philips 6302137, LP. Patricia Barber, Companion, Premonition/Mobile Fidelity MFSL 2-45003, 180 g LP. Pink Floyd, The Wall, EMI 5099902988313, LP. The Oscar Peterson Trio, Night train, VERVE/ORG ORG 029, 180 g LP. The Ray Brown Trio, Soular energy, Pure Audiophile PA-002 (2), 180 g LP. Thorens, 125th Anniversary LP, Thorens ATD125, LP. U2, Joshua Tree, UNIVERSAL UNILP75094, 180g LP. Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] My adventure with Zontek and Linnart system started with the least pleasant part – helping both gentlemen to bring it up to my fourth floor apartment. One might think – no problem, just a phonostage and turntable, right? Wrong! This turntable with Ultra platter (23 kg!!) weights more than 55 kg. And the phonostage with a separate power supply also weights quite a lot. Finally, piece by piece, we brought it all up and the gentlemen could put all pieces together, setup the turntable and then we could start the first listening session. While Mr Paweł was putting Zontek together I could observe few interesting solutions. Let's start with the deck. It might look like Zontek sports a large one piece wooden plinth placed on four, large silver feet. But it takes one closer look to realize that designer came up with an interesting and practical solution. A sandwich plinth with two layers of wood and a special steel plate between them is divided into two separate, independent parts. Let's assume, for the lack of a better word, that these are two triangles that are placed very close to each other but with a small gap separating these parts. Together they make a classic rectangle shape. The smaller part sports high quality precision Swiss DC motor and electronic controlling it. So one might call it a separate, free-standing motor, but the shape and form suggest that it is in fact a part of the plinth. I asked designer about it and he couldn't give me a straight answer – on one hand his intention was to separate motor and electronics from the rest of the deck, but on the other hand he wanted to give his turntable a classic form. So he came out with the idea of this two-piece plinth that did the job perfectly. The smaller part of the plinth has also a sandwich design with two wooden layers separated with a steel plate. The electronic circuit is placed inside lower wooden layer and the steel plate above it shields the rest of the deck from any distortion or noise coming from this circuit. Motor is additionally decoupled from the plinth. What's interesting is a fact that one might use up to three belts if one chooses to, but for the test we used just one. Mr Paweł told me that number of belts is dependent on what kind of belt is used. A pulley is very small in diameter but the platter it has to drive is quite heavy – the motor he used is quite powerful and has no problem getting platter to proper speed within 3-4 seconds but that means an extremely heavy load for a belt. First trials with belts that were not a continuous piece of rubber but rather glued failed as these didn't hold. The option was using three of them – that worked. But finally he found a better option – a single homogeneous belt and that's what we used for this review and what became a standard for Zontek. Same, smaller part of the plinth sports an on/off switch, backlit with a green LED. It turns motor on but to adjust speed or to change it from 33 to 45 r.p.m. one needs to use a small pot placed on the side. Once you get used to it changing speed using pot becomes easy but surely some might complaint about lack of simple speed switch. Changing speed is relatively easy as the platter, the outer part of it sports a classic scale for 33 and 45 r.p.m. so if there is enough light around the turntable setting speed might be really easy. In fact after some time one starts to “feel” how much to dial a speed pot to get to 45 or 33 r.p.m. After that one uses scale (or ears) only to fine adjust the speed. I can tell from experience that it is pretty easy once you get used to it but surely some simple switch would make it even easier. I talked about it with Mr Paweł and he admitted that some customers and distributors already urged him to add speed switch and that he would probably have to comply with these requests despite the fact that, as he said, adding some sort of switch will “disrupt his external design concept”. The larger part of the plinth sports main bearing that sits on the steel plate (so not in wooden layers), and armboard (one as a standard but up to three as an option). The review unit used only one armboard. One of the most distinct features of this turntable is its precisely machined large aluminum platter. A standard version weights 13 kg, and the one used for this test, called Ultra puts on 23 kg! The platter is dynamically balanced and its diameter is increased to provide additional stability and applying a greater gyroscopic effect. This version sports circular weights made of special non-magnetic steel pressed into platter for additional suppression of unwanted resonances. The platter is placed on a precise bearing made of steel and bronze elements, lubricated with an oil developed especially for this purpose. This bearing is supported additionally by a magnet suspension. The standard armboard allows using almost any tonearm of any length. It's a complex design equipped with a micrometry transmission engine VTA adjustments, allowing set up accuracy in steps of 0,01mm (full range available is 15mm). It is another unique design created exclusively for this record player. And last but least the tonearm itself. Mr Paweł told me that in fact he started with this arm and than decided to build a deck that would be best suited to accommodate it. The Delta arm is a GIANT! That's probably the best word for it. What you get is 14,5 inch made by hand of selected black ebony wood, the same that is used for many instruments for its sonic properties. The tonearm tube is made of a single piece of wood and it is hollow – making it is a hell of super-precise, time consuming job. Filling it partially in allows to achieve a proper effective weight for a particular cartridge. What is it filled in with? That's one of trade secrets, a result of many experiments. One of the first things Mr Paweł asked me to do after he put Zontek together at my place was to lift tonearm (gently) up for a second. It was heavy! I mean I've never used an arm that would have come even close to this one in terms of weight. This one was fitted with Miyajima cartridge and filled in accordingly. Then I took a closer look at the quality of craftsmanship, of fit and finish and I was simply amazed by the fact that a small company like Zontek was able to manufacture something so well, so precisely made and so beautiful on the other hand. This arm could come from any top manufacturer in the world and be his pride and joy, like it is for Mr Paweł. As I mentioned before building such an arm by hand is a time consuming process. According to designer it takes up to six weeks to manufacturer one such arm. The black ebony (although now some experiments with different types of wood are conducted) is a main material for the arm and the whole column it is placed in. Some necessary metal parts are made of bronze that, according to customers wishes, could be rhodium or gold-plated. The arm employees a one-sided magnetic suspension system, which does not cause any resistance and allows a smooth and super precise control for anti-skating. It uses miniature worm gear to exert torsional force to the lower part of the arm’s suspension. One might say that this arm floats in the air. The wand ends with a metal headshell. All elements of the arm including headshell and lift are made by Zontek. The arm is simply a handcrafted piece of art although for its designing and tuning its creator used advanced computer software too. Zontek was delivered with MC cartridge Miyajima Shilabe, that according to Mr Paweł is a perfect fit for his tonearm. It's quite heavy, rather low compliance and with relatively high recommended tracking force, and equipped with a Shibata stylus. Zontek offers two additional accessories for his deck – a very nice, wooden record clamp and mat (that can be used also for other turntables). The new Linnart's flagship phonostage P1 is also a very interesting design. All it takes is one look to figure out that this device had to be created as a result of cooperation between Linnart and Zontek. First – check the external design – there is clear resemblance between P1's nice, metal casing and Zontek's plinth – they are both divided in two triangle-like shapes. For P1 these are not two actually separate parts but it might look like they are. There is a common base for both parts and the upper part of the device is divided into two parts with a gap between them that is large enough to hold six E88CC tubes with additional anti-vibration rings/frames. P1 was delivered for test with a set of NOS Philips tube, but as standard it uses some tubes from current production. The unit delivered for test was finished with golden and natural wood elements but it is possible to order another finish (silver or black instead of gold and some other exotic wood for 4 corner columns/legs). The look of P1 is not the only thing that suggests cooperation between Linnart and Zontek. Zontek might sport up to three arms, Linnart sports... three MC inputs. There are few phonostages on the market that have two inputs and even if they do usually one is for MM and other for MC cartridges. I can't really say that there is none, but I can say I do not know of any other phonostage that offers three MC inputs. Each of three inputs is equipped with independent loading adjustment, and you will find and input selector on the front panel. Long story short – you can actually connect three tonearms equipped with three different MC cartridges at the same time and adjust each input accordingly. Many vinyl fans use more than one arm and either they have two phonostages or they have to switch cables each time they want to use the second arm. For them and for those who do a lot of comparisons between arms/cartridges (including reviewers) Linnart P1 will be a blessing making their life so much easier. Also those who always wanted to get the second arm but didn't because they didn't want to or couldn't afford to buy a second phonostage should be happy with P1. This device sports some interesting features too. There are three small switches on the front. Descriptions say: „bass”, „treble” and „midrange”. They allow user to adjust (within small range of 1 dB) to increase level of bass and treble. A switch for midrange has three positions: 0, -1 i 1 (values also in decibels). These switches allow to make small sonic adjustment that might be required especially for some older records. It so happened that at the beginning Zontek and Linnart played in amazing, outstanding “company” and despite huge price difference they didn't bring any shame on their creators. Both gentlemen sat in silence in my room listening to their “babies'” performance in a system that included pair if ones of the best tube amplifiers in the world – Kondo Kagura monoblocks. One of the golden rules of audio says that any system's performance is limited by its weakest link. So to test a particular device, to check its top performance one should use a system that offers even better performance so that the reviewed item would be the weakest link while playing at its best. So I used the unique opportunity and for the first few days Zontek and Linnart played in a system with Kondo Kagura. The first record (honestly – I can't remember which one was it), stylus lands gently in the groove, music starts flowing from speakers and... all three of us react more or less the same: eyes wide open, huge smiles on our faces, absolute silence and focus on the music not to loose even a single note... Yes, obviously a lot of credit had to be given to Kondo, but you know the saying: sh.t in, sh.t out – even Kondo couldn't offer this level of performance had it received a poor signal. One could argue whether the weakest link in this system was the source (Zontek + Linnart) or my speakers, but whatever that was sound was simply amazing and I wish I had as many SUCH weak links in my system as possible! What we heard was purely organic, clear, vibrant, involving sound. Both gentlemen couldn't stay long so we just randomly picked 7-8 records and played one piece from each of them, different music genres, different (but always high quality) pressings and labels. Whatever the music type, regular or 180g vinyl, 33 or 45 r.p.m. - didn't matter that much. Each time it was about fluid, coherent and amazingly musical presentation with no obvious downsides. It was that kind of magic that was to be expected from Kondo system and a single fact that Zontek and Linnart didn't „spoil” it proved how good these two were. Kaguras offered very transparent, detailed sound so were fully capable of showing any imperfections in signal delivered to them. From this first moment until the very last I spent with Kondo I used this analogue system a lot simply enjoying fabulous sound it “extracted” from my record collection. These were few amazing, full of extraordinary musical experience days but I knew that the real assessment of Linnart and Zontek had to wait until Kondo leaves the system and I get back to everyday reality. I probably mentioned that before – reviewer's life is a mixture of fantastic moments, like having a chance to listen to Kondo, and these not so attractive like a day after this extraordinary piece of equipment leaves the system. Going back to reality, even though my own system is pretty good, offers decent sound quality that I like a lot, is hard, needs adjusting. There is one way to get back on horse quickly – I have to start listening to some other amazing device, that plays music in a very natural, involving way. And this time the solution was right there in front of me – it was the reviewed Polish duet (plus Japanese cartridge). Wojtek reviewed most Miyajima's cartridges but I did not really have any chance to get acquainted with any of them before. To be honest - looking at the specification I wasn't particularly thrilled – low compliance and large recommended tracking force (3g) caused some doubts whether it could sound the way I like it. When I saw the cartridge... well I wasn't thrilled either. OK it had a nice wooden body, but the cantilever looked very thick and large – not like something that could offer the level of performance, of sophistication I would require from a cartridge at THIS price level. All it took to change my mind about Miyajima was the first few seconds of the first record still with Kondo in the system, but each and every recording listened after that also proved what an outstanding analogue system was at my disposal starting with cartridge with arm and deck and ending with phonostage. One of the first records we listened to with Kondo was Dead Can Dance Spiritchaser so when I switched to my system same record landed on the platter. Mobile Fidelity did a great job with their pressing of this great album and the reviewed system showed me that even more clearly than any other turntable I listened to this album before on. Zontek is a mass-loader and as expected it delivered powerful, extended and beautifully differentiated bass. Every smallest detail, subtlety was read from a groove and translated into coherent, fluid, resolving and very orderly presentation. What I really liked about this sound was how relaxed it was, how orderly. And by relaxed I surely don't mean that it lacked dynamics, or that dynamics was limited in any way. It's rather about, assigning human feature to a machine, self confidence, absolute certainty that the job will be done in the best possible manner. You won't find any hints of nervousness in the sound, of any limitation or whatsoever. It didn't matter whether I played some fast, dynamic music, or some slow, moody pieces, or anything in between. Zontek and Linnart always delivered a presentation that could be described as: rich, coherent and involving. This setup doesn't cut any corners. If there is a very deep electronic bass on the record it is delivered. Some systems would try to cover lacks in extension by emphasizing mid-bass, but not this one, this one makes you feel the lowest notes that you can hardly hear. My speakers are not the best in the world, far from it, but they can deliver quite a low and powerful bass. That allowed me to realize how much had Zontek to offer in this regard, but also to realize that Linnart's phono wasn't introducing any limitations to bass extension either. At some point I did a head-to-head comparison between P1 and my (solid state) ESELabs Nibiru. The Polish phonostage might not have offered such a taut bass as Slovenian one, but they both went down as deep, and both offered tuneful, well differentiated, dynamic bass. I particularly enjoyed sound of acoustic instruments – double bass or grand piano, but electric and electronic bass sounded also better than via most phonostages I knew. On Dead Can Dance the extended, powerful bass was truly impressive, in this system maybe even best I'd ever heard before, but it never dominated upper part of the range. That's another “native” feature of this setup – sound is truly at level across the whole range. It extracts every last drop of information from a groove and converts it into amazingly coherent presentation. It is impressive when it comes to bass but midrange and treble are as good as the low end. Sound might be called “warm” but it is not about any emphasis in the midrange, or about lack of openness or vibrancy of the treble. Vocals seems so palpable, so expressive, warm, rich, with a lot of texture but also very clean, pure. The live recordings, especially those from small clubs like the famous Jazz at the Pawnshop for example, the holography of the presentation is breathtaking, and since it leads to unparalleled realism it is easy to forget that it's just a reproduction we listen to at home, on our couch. Another wonderful feature of this setup – when live recording were played system not only reproduced the music, it also rendered it in my room together with the ambiance, the atmosphere of a concert, with all those little details, with concert hall's acoustics and so on. All that created more of participation felling than just listening to. I was so involved in the music spectacle that I couldn't help smiling when a phone (on the recording) rang, or I couldn't really listen to this record hungry as too many people there obviously were busy eating and drinking making me even more hungry. I could see the air around instruments, see them breathing – that's what creates in impression of music being made in a space by instruments that have body. Cymbals and other percussion instruments seemed so vivid, so vibrant and yet rich and colorful. Proper recordings show sort of aura around such instruments, or shining/sparkling if you please. Mass-loaders usually aren't masters of spacing and imaging – soundstage delivered by them isn't usually too big. That was not the case here, I guess a lot of credit should go to a tube P1 here. I assessed this feature listening to my favorite Carmen with Leontyne Price on RCA record. I remember few sources able to put wondering choirs even further away (the amazing Air Tight PC-3 on my Trans-Fi for example), but what I heard now gave me no reason for any complaining. In fact if I had no comparison to those few other sources I wouldn't be able to tell, that the soundstage could be even deeper than this one. Again – considering that Zontek is a mass-loader I probably should have had started my test with some rock records. I hadn't but it was because of the above mentioned presentation of 3 classic Led Zeppelin albums in Osiecka Studio. After this event I already knew that Zontek and Linnart were true “rock animals”. So at some point I decided for a “rock” day and played some old rock all day long. There was Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Rush, AC/DC, U2, and even the Black Metallica. There were no surprises here. Power, drive, outstanding control over all events on the stage despite the fact that most rock albums were not something one would call “audiophile recordings”. This was a very energetic presentation with outstanding pace&rhythm – everything was in its place in proper quantities and proportions. These records proved also that the reviewed setup was really good in differentiating recordings. Listening to these first Led Zeppelin albums it was easy to observe how the music and recording techniques got better and better, more mature and of higher quality. Among those records there was one that didn't sound so good – it was the Metallica. I know that I wrote many times that this particular version, a 4 LP album at 45 r.p.m. was the best version I knew. That is still true but Zontek and Linnart proved beyond any doubt that it was still quite a poor recording – great music, but a poor flat, bit lifeless sounding recording. And I think it was this setup that revealed the true face of this record – it seems that other turntables could have been too forgiving for it. On the other hand AC/DC was pure fun. The unlimited raw energy emanating from Angus Young was simply impressive as well as the way this setup conveyed it. My feet were tapping, head was rocking, my throat was hurting from singing along, and some neighbors hate me ever since. Pink Floyd albums proved again how well Zontek and Linnart dealt with spacing and imaging. As all fans know Roger Waters and the band loved playing with spacial effects to surprise listeners with sound coming from different directions. Even this kind of “crazy” wasn't a problem for this setup – each of those sounds came exactly where it was supposed to come from with a perfect timing. Fantastic! Summary Few years ago it was impossible to build a complete high-end system based exclusively on Polish products especially if the system was supposed to include also a turntable. Mr Jarek Waszczyszyn (of Ancient Audio) built a complete system, no doubts a high-end one, but only with a digital source. Today using only products that I already know I could easily build an amazing, top performance Polish system (Polish with one small exception – there are still no Polish cartridges) that would make me absolutely happy for the rest of my life (yes, Kondo would always be there in the back of my head as an ultimate goal, but I could be happy without it). Zontek and Linnart would be responsible for vinyl playback, I would surely get Ardento speakers, monoblocks and preamplifier most likely from Amare Musica, and CD Player from Ancient Audio. There are a lot of high quality racks, platforms and other anty-vibration accessories made in Poland (Rogoz Audio, Base Audio, AudioPhilar, Franc Audio Accessories) and cable brands. I would order Zontek most likely with two tonearms – one with Miyajima, but the other for my absolute favorite among cartridges – Air Tight PC-3. Linnart is not the only Polish high-end phonostage, as there is also The RIAA and Amare Musica is also about to release their product, but as a tube fan I would love to have P1 in my system also considering its very special feature of 3 MC inputs. Long story short – we, Poles, can be really proud – our, still not so big audio industry has produced another phonostage and the first turntable of the top quality that can compete with famous brands in terms of both: performance, build, and fit&finish! Congratulations for both designers are in order! Zontek ZONTEK Zontek is a mass-loader of classic proportions, made of mixture of classic (wood, bronze, aluminum) and very advanced materials (special steel) with a belt-drive. Although it might have a classic look at the first sight it's plinth is divided into two separate parts. Both have triangle-ish shape and placed close next to each other together they create a regular, rectangular shape. Plinth is a “sandwich” design. Two layers of an exotic, seasoned hardwood are separated with a steel plate. The smaller “triangle” contains Swiss DC motor build in the “leg”, and the electronics controlling the motor that was placed under steel plate layer (this way plate serve as a shield for any distortion or noise) in a hollow part of lower wooden layer. On the front there is a button that starts or stops motor, and on the side there is a small pot that allows to change and fine tune speed. The main part of the plinth sport the main precise bearing that is installed in the steel plate layer and is supported also by a magnetic suspension. Large platter is made of aluminum. The standard version weights 13 kg, and the Ultra version, used in this review, weights 23 kg. In both version the size of the platter is the same but the Ultra version sports circular non-magnetic steel weights pressed into it for additional weight and suppression of unwanted vibrations. Zontek offers also additional accessories for its deck including record clamp (used during review) and a mat (not used). The main part of the plinth is supported by three large adjustable feet. To adjust one of the one has to take off a round cap and than, using hex key, adjust the spike that sits in a metal spike base that is connected with the feet with rubber elements. One of the feet (in this particular case, as it could be all 3 feet) hosts an armboard. This particular armboard can accommodate any arm of any length. It sports additional element – a precise VTA adjustment mechanism that includes a metric scale. Zontek was equipped with company's own tonearm called Delta. It's a 14,5 inch arm with magnetic suspension. Wand and the whole column of the arm is made of Black Ebony. Arm sports a metal headshell. Wand is hollow which allows to fill it to some point to achieve required effective mass for particular cartridge. There are also couple of different weights so the proper one can be chosen to fit best a particular cartridge. These weights allow for a precise tracking force adjustment. Metal elements of the arm/column are made of bronze – customer might choose the finish as these could be gold or rhodium plated. All elements of the tonearm including lift and headshell are made by Zontek. The tonearm cable that runs from pins to modified ViaBlue RCA sockets is a silver Van den Hul. For this review turntable was delivered with pre-installed Miyajima Shilabe cartridge ( MC). Linnart P1 The Linnart P1 is a tube phonostage. It sports six E88CC – manufacturer delivered the device with six Philips NOS tubes; but it is sold with tubes that are currently manufactured. P1 sports an external, also tube based power supply, build around EL84 and EF184 tubes. Both elements are connected with multi-pin thick cable. The quality of P1's power supply enclosure is good, although it might not be the most beautiful device I've ever seen. That should not matter as the PS will most likely be placed somewhere behind the rack anyway. Looking at the casing of P1 itself it becomes kind of obvious that it was created as a partner for Zontek – the device is build on one platform but everything built on it is divided into two triangle-like shapes with a gap between them wide enough to accommodate six ECC88 tubes. A rigid, aluminum casing is black but some of its elements might be ordered in different colors. The grid on top of both triangles in reviewed unit was gold but they could be black or silver and the same goes for metal elements of four “legs”. The latter are finished with some sort of exotic wood and that is another element that customer might chose from an available pallet. The phonostage offers three independent MC (RCA) inputs, and one RCA output. Each input sports an independent loading adjustment. Predefined values are to chose from are: 100, 200, 300 and 400 Ω. There are few toggle switches on the front panel. The one on the right is a main switch, the next three allow small adjustment to the level of: bass (+1 dB), treble (+1 dB) and midrange (three options: -1 dB, 0, +1 dB). The are two are: „mute” and input selector. To achieve highest sound quality designer decided to use only high quality elements like: tantalum resistors, or polypropylene and oil capacitors. As an option Linnart offers a more advanced, dual mono power supply for P1, but ordering it involves, of course, a higher price. [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/zontek/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/zontek/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/zontek/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/zontek/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/zontek/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/zontek/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/zontek/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/zontek/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/zontek/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/zontek/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/zontek/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/zontek/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/zontek/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/zontek/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/zontek/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/zontek/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/zontek/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/zontek/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/zontek/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/zontek/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/zontek/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/zontek/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/zontek/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/zontek/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/zontek/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/zontek/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/zontek/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/zontek/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/zontek/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/zontek/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/zontek/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/zontek/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/zontek/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/zontek/th/17.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/zontek/17.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/zontek/17.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/zontek/th/18.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/zontek/18.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/zontek/18.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/zontek/th/19.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/zontek/19.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/zontek/19.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

've been trying to remember how long have we known each other with Mr Eugeniusz Czyżewski and I've realized it's been 12 years already. The Pracownia Elektroniki Przemysłowej ORLIK, as Mr Czyżewski's company was called back then when we met, was just about to change its name to Argos and it was Argos IA-45 Integra, a tube amplifier that I reviewed in September 2003 for „Sound and Vision” magazine. I truly loved this device and not only because of how it sounded, but also because of other features like: reliability, robustness, a solid production plan and its perfect execution, utmost attention that was given user's safety issue, and a design that was created to offer many years of smooth, issue-less operation. One might think that these are all features of any high-end device, it could seem that this is what customer pays his money for, but in many cases it isn't. In fact the reality seems to be quite different – it is mass products that seem to be more reliable and safer to use. Obviously that doesn't have to be true in every single case but it is in most of them. IA-45 Integra, was an „Integrated Amplifier” delivering 45 W per channel manufacturer offered the same device as power amplifier) and if was different than most other products on the market. It didn't look as attractive as many mass products, or even as some audiophile ones. One started to appreciated after taking a peak inside or/and listening to some music using it. It turned out that it would be the first of the whole series of integrated amplifiers to come. Mr Czyżewski was in fact conducting tests of different designs, technologies and topographies. Some had wooden front like the 2005 IA-45 MkII, some had a metal one like 2009 IA-120. The latter was the first fully solid-state amplifier, with external design that became a standard for most products to come – there was a metal casing with a silver element in the front and with wonderful, round VU-meters with warm, yellow back light. Already the first unit using this design was sold under a new brand called Linear Audio Research, that, as you already know, became the one used until today. Not until last year did we see the new company's logo – it was presented together with a second version of tube integrated IA-30T (MkII). In this way, 12 years after I first encountered Mr Czyżewski, his company finally settled with a final name, logo and quite a characteristic looks of its products. Mr Eugeniusz is not a kind of man who rushes things. His experience from his jobs in research institutes and few different industries (including arms) gave him an opportunity to find his own way of getting where he planned to without unnecessary rush. It gave him also a solid engineering base, experience and knowledge. He started his carrier in 1972 in Instytut Metrologii Elektrycznej at Wrocław University of Technology, where he specialized in electronic measurements, and in 1979 was awarded a Doctor of Science title. His reluctance to change things quickly is obvious also if check out company's webpage that hasn't been updated for quite some time, and which reads: For my designs I use both tubes and analogue integrated circuits. My goal is to explore their best features. Manufacturing process uses industrial standards even though my products are made in small batches. IA-120H is the first LAR's amplifier that combines tubes and solid-state elements. It's preamplifier stage was taken from tube integrated, IA-30T MkII, and the design of power stage came from a solid-state amplifier, IA-120. A few simple words… EUGENIUSZ CZYŻEWSKI Owner, designer WHY A HYBRID? I have been thinking about a new integrated amplifier for quite some time now. I wanted to avoid one of the biggest downsides of tube amplifiers – significant heat emission. Using tubes usually means that the warmer they get the better they sound. Using such amplifier during summer might be a real nightmare, unless, of course, one has a listening room with air condition. The solid-state designs usually dissipate much less heat. The problem is that it is only tubes that are capable of delivering natural, warm sound. To solve this issue I decided to build a hybrid amplifier, a one that combines tubes with solid-state elements, and each of them has its role to play: • the first stage sports tubes whose grid is driven directly by input signal, • the volume control is applied right after this first stage, • the output/power stage is a symmetric solid-state design sporting MOSFETs. An input selector based on relays precedes two identical amplification paths. Power supply had to be upsized for this dual mono design. There are two main transformers and two power supplies with quick diodes and large capacitors and auxiliary power supplies for tube input stage, input selector and VU-meters electronics. A special attention was paid to tube's power supply – each triode has its own voltage regulator that ensures the same operating voltage regardless power grid's fluctuations. Choosing a proper tube for input stage wasn't easy. The famous ECC88 doesn't really work too well with high signals, and that's what one gets from most digital sources. It's is also not to powerful tube and same goes for all its “cousins” like: ECC81, ECC82 and ECC83. So I chose large, more robust tube, that was designed for audio purposes and used successfully in many audio devices from BAT, Ancient Audio and AYON. It is 6H30Pi, neutral sounding, linear and delivering enough power to efficiently drive volume control. Transistor's choice wasn't really any easier. Bi-polar transistors would be obvious, easy choice, but these don't guaranty beautiful sound, as they create to many odd harmonics. SO the only reasonable choice were MOSFETs. There are a lot of them on the market by I decided to chose the ones that worked so well in AMPEG's instrument's amplifiers. It is possible to build a design based on these MOSFETs that would sound similar to tube amplifier while offering much better bass control. Take a look inside – you'll find a symmetrical design with transformers and power supplies on side walls, power stages placed on the platform in the middle, tube preamplifier section in a front, and two VU-meters and two knobs on the front panel. One of them allows source selection, the other volume control. Headphone output is placed under left knob. Stick large jack in and the speaker output is automatically cut off and additional loading is put to power amplifiers. While keeping the size and weight at reasonable levels I was able to achieve 120 W output power per channel, a very satisfying sound, and the looks and aesthetics bring IA-30 Mk2 to mind. There are some differences though. This time I used wooden side panels with gloss finish, and the main color is also bit darker. March 31st 2014 This text was originally published as a comment to our 10/10 contest, that we created to celebrate „High Fidelity's” 10th Anniversary in April 2014, see HERE. Ms Elżbieta Więcek won a special version of IA-102H for a short story 10 łatwych utworów na fortepian based on Preisner-Możdżer duet's album. Linear Audio Research in High Fidelity REVIEW: Linear Audio Research IA-30T MkII – integrated amplifier, see HERE INSTALMENT: A short history of IA-30T Mk2 - Linear Audio Research'es new integrated amplifier, see HERE YEARLY AWARD 2011: Linear Audio Research IA-30T – integrated amplifier, REVIEW: Linear Audio Research IA-30T – integrated amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: Linear Audio Research IA-120 – integrated amplifier, see HERE YEARLY AWARD 2005: Linear Audio Research AI-45 MkII – integrated amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: Linear Audio Research AI-45 MkII – integrated amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: Linear Audio Research Nazca v2 – integrated amplifier, see HERE REVIEW: Linear Audio Research ARGUS MMP-02, MkI+MkII – phonostage, see HERE Recordings used for this test (a selection) Aquavoice, Memoris, Generator GEN CD 011, CD (2009). Charlie Haden & Chris Anderson, None But The Lonely Heart, Naim naimcd022, CD (1997). David Crosby, Croz, Blue Castle Records BCR1142-1, CD (2014); Faust, Faust, Polydor/Universal Music LCC (Japan) UICY-75652, “European Progressive Rock Collection, Vol. 1”, SHM-CD (1971/2013). Jean-Michel Jarre, Revolutions, Disques Dreyfus/Polydor CD 837 098-2, CD (1988). Kanaan, Duda, RudĽ, Hołd, Solition SL 380-2, CD (2014). Laurie Anderson, Big Science, Nonesuch 79988-5, “Expanded and Remastered for the 25th Anniversary”, CD (1982/2007). Martin Kratochvíl & Jazz Q, Temné Slunce, soundtrack, GAD Records GAD CD 018, CD (1980/2014). Niemen & Akwarele, Czy mnie jeszcze pamiętasz?, Polskie Nagrania MUZA/Polskie Nagrania, PNCD 1572, CD (1968/2014); Patrick Noland, Piano Gathering Light, Naim naimcd011, CD (1994). Skrzek & RudĽ, The Stratomusica Suite, Generator GEN CD 032, CD (2014). Urszula, Wielki odlot 2. Najlepsze 80-te, Universal Music Polska 378 577 4, CD (2014). Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] Choosing one technology or solution over other seems to be something more than a simple decision about the sound. Most manufacturers would tell you otherwise but I think that it is me who's right. I think that most such choices are based on some believes, some ideology rather than truly technical choice, based on hard facts. In fact in our industry we talk more about believes, ideology than about hard facts. That's why there are some many “audio-wars” where people fight really hard defending their believes that one solution/technology is better than other. And it is not even about any kind of objective truth, of what's really better – any ideology does not accept any other truth than its own. One of such old but still on-going “wars” is the one: tube vs solid-state in amplifiers. Billions of words, millions of pages where written trying to prove one of these outcomes. It has never brought us any closer to one commonly accepted truth. So I think that it does not really matter what will I write about Mr Czyżewski's amplifier – it's will be perceived via it's hybrid topology. Both sides of the conflict usually perceive such designs as an attempt to bring water and fire together, or in other words to combine “softness” of tubes with transistor's “raw power”. I got used to running “missions impossible”. Most of them turned out to regard important, or even turning points of audio industry's history so I'm always ready to take on a challenge like that. That might sound a bit surprising but despite its hybrid design the reviewed amplifier sounds a lot like tube IA-30T. In both cases the designer wanted his amplifier to sound as neutral as possible, without any coloration, meaning without anything added or deducted from the sound. So it is about true neutrality and not just about not “adding” something to the sound, but also about not losing anything. On the other hand it seems that IA-120H has more distinct sound signature, it looks like the designer wanted to to something to clearly deny any stereotypes. This hybrid offers a quite specific sound and one has to consider that when building one's stereo system around this device. One will find a bit richer than usually upper bass and lower midrange, bit conservative upper midrange and quite rich upper treble. It results in a bit warmer sound that one would expect from a solid-state, but also richer, and more open so one has to carefully select remaining elements of the system. In my opinion the most distinct feature of this amp is how amazingly it does differentiate sounds. Maybe not all of them (I'll get back to that in a moment) but comparing this device to any competitors at 10.000 PLN price range this feature stands out most. It offers outstanding bass differentiation. Whatever music one might want to play one thing will always be sure – there will be a proper bass foundation to the sound and it will support perfectly the upper part of the range. LAR does enlarge instruments playing bass tones. Not by much but still and that's why the upper bass seems so powerful. Despite that one can still tell the way bass guitar's sound is conveyed, what sort of attack was chosen for electronic instruments and what sort of reverb was put over them. I had no doubts that bass guitar on the re-issue of Niemen & Akwarele's Czy mnie jeszcze pamiętasz? prepared by Ms Eleonor Atalay and Jacek Gawłowski (who was involved also in Jacek Pawlik's recording that received Grammy Award), was significantly better than in first digital re-issue and also than in the last one that was issued still when Mr Czesław was with us. Its differentiation was better, tonality was nicer and it was surely more energetic. The box re-issue from „Niemen od początku” series delivers a boomy bass, hardly acceptable. At least when played via a fast system that differentiates dynamics in a very good way like a LAR amplifier does. After changing repertoire using different recordings I received a different output. Honoring the great, recently passed Charlie Haden (Aug 6th 1937 – July 11th 2014) I listened to None But The Lonely Heart album he recorded with Chris Anderson. It was recorded by Ken Christianson using True Stereo system (although there is no proper logo on the cover; see the interview with Ken explaining that HERE) and mastered by Naim's chief, also late, Julian Vereker (May 7th 1945 – January 14th 2000), and it's a beautiful, nicely played set. It might not be some innovating piece of music but id I don't think it was ever supposed to be. That's a recording of a meeting of two great musicians who understand each other very well, and have fun playing together. And it was IT that this Polish amplifier showed effortlessly very well somewhere under the layer of beautiful music. The sound at first seemed distant and lacking a bit of a sparkle (that's how True Stereo is usually perceived at first). But with each stronger accent sound became truly vibrant, lively and the sound seemed very natural. That's a characteristic feature of Christianson's recordings that gets listeners truly involved with music. Such a great bass is a fantastic base, foundation for the whole range no matter what music we listen to. Without bass there is no midrange. It helps to achieve a proper volume of sound, including proper presentation of the size of the room where music is performed/recorded. Sound delivered by IA-120H is quite large and agile. It involves a slight roll off in upper midrange. At first sound might seem warm and a bit “closed”. Voice don't “jump” in front of speakers, they even seem a bit infused into the mix. One could say that this is a perfect example of a hybrid design. But it is not so. The upper treble is strong, and well defined. One of members of Cracow Sonic Society listened to LAR for a few days in his system with Castle Knight 5, rather warm sounding speakers, with Cambridge Audio DAC100, a converter offering open sound, and according to him this amplifier was bit too bright for this system. In fact it clearly showed the character of the system. Speakers weren't warm anymore, as they were finally properly driven. That's obviously not a downside of this amplifier – it is its feature. In my system I perceived it as treble being more open. It's bit more crisp, not as soft as IA-30T's, nor in any other “warm” amplifier. I think that it's a treble characteristic rather than how much treble one gets that needs to be evaluated in particular system. IA- was the first amplifier from Kamieniec Wrocławski that offered headphone output. And in fact it was just an option – something for me to “play with” (I think I conducted all first tests of LAR products except for IA-30 MkII, that was reviewed by Marek Dyba HERE). Where the idea of headphone output came from? I think Leben CS-300, a Japanese integrated amplifier used by many people around the world also as headphone amplifier, was the source of this idea for Mr Czyżewski. I also am one of happy users (see HERE and HERE). For IA-30T MkII headphone large jack output was a standard, but it is IA-120H that finally sports this output on the front panel as one of key features. Headphones receive signal from solid-state power amp and not from tube preamplifier. When headphones are plugged in speakers outputs are automatically cut off. Such a setup “forced” me to grab one of the most demanding cans I knew, the HiFiMan's HE6 flagship and plug it in right after I unpacked LAR. So far only Bakoon HPA-21 and HiFiMan's own EF-6 (that I'd reviewed for „Audio”) were able to drive them properly. But as it turned out it was IA-120H that let the HE-6 truly shine. HE-6 often sound too bright or even aggressive, flat, uninvolving, lifeless. I heard them play in each of these ways. Each and every time it was a case mismatch between amplifier and cans, and not a problem with cans themselves. If you have any doubts about HE-6's capabilities try them with IA-120H – you will finally hear what this planar magnetic headphones are capable of. It is not difficult to describe the sound of such a setup. One starts to enjoy it over first few seconds of listening. It's a rich, powerful, dynamic presentation. The presentation of low end is. If one had ever heard these cans too bright or lacking lowest bass, one wouldn't anymore. These cans designed by Mr He offer an amazing sound when combined with IA-120H. Even the spacing and imaging, which are not strongest points of HiFiMan's performance, improve with LAR significantly. It seems that all that is due to unlimited power and dynamics this amplifier provides. Don't let in to the temptation of cranking volume up and up as at some point, especially with classical music and uncompressed recordings some cracks and pups will appear in the sound – it will mean that you definitely went too far with volume pot. So be careful – remember that your ears can only take on so much. HE-6 with IA-120H plays equally well krautrock's electronic music, progressive rock ELP, jazz, and classic music. In fact it doesn't really matter what one decides to listen to. Each time the result will be the same: a smooth sound of amazing depth and dynamics, with extremely smooth treble and rich lower midrange. Leben CS-300XS is considered by many to be a perfect match for AKG K701 and Sennheiser HD-800. I can confirm that as I own all these devices. But Linear Audio Research with HiFiMAN offers even better sound. And I mean in all aspects. Nothing to add here – all should be clear. No, I can't stop here, I have to add one thing: I perceive this setup as iconic as the one created by Peter Walker. I mean, obviously, ESL speakers (ESL-57) and QUAD-II power amplifiers. Sonic signature of the sounds of these two systems is very similar. As any and every system also these two have some limitations. Since I mentioned ESL speakers I'd like to quote a phrase that ends their description in Robert Harley's The Absolute Sound’s Illustrated History of High-End Audio. Volume One: Loudspeakers: As for their [ESL-57 speakers] supposed shortcomings my answer is a paraphrase of famous Randall Jarrell's words about certain fragment of Whitman's: there are limitation to this design but they simply mean nothing. The Absolute Sound’s Illustrated History of High-End Audio. Volume One: Loudspeakers, Editor ROBERT HARLEY, Nextscreen, Austin 2014, s. 22. Summary In my review I focused on how this amplifier creates a bass foundations for the whole sound and how well it differentiates sounds. Not because it does other things in a worse manner but because these two particular elements are something that most audio devices miss regardless of the price range. IA-120H offers impressive dynamics, very tuneful, colorful bass and midrange. Its treble might be bit more specific, so one needs to “digest” it in one's own system and then make a decision whether one likes it or not. If the answer is “yes” than LAR amplifier will reward its owner with a quite mellow music presentation. A slight emphasis on lower midrange creates a specific sonic signature, making them sound rich and more powerful. Soundstage is large in terms of both width and depth but since decay is not sustained too long one wouldn't call this presentation extremely spacious. This presentation might be also called euphonious, but in a pleasant way. And in fact what one has to pay for IA-120H gives one two devices in price of one – a great integrated amplifier and an amazing headphone amp – so in fact one gets one of these amps for free. Front panel sports characteristic (for the brand) round VU-meters displaying level of input signal driving preamplifier. The same VU-meters were used also in IA-30T and its successor IA-30T MkII. But in fact we saw this design for the first time when we reviewed solid-state IA-120 back in 2004. The preceding model, IA-45 MkII, was equipped with rectangular meters that looked like they'd come from 70ties. IA-120H is quite a large device – similar in terms of dimensions to IA-30T MkII. The front panel sports two knobs, a volume control and input selector, that offers also second functionality – it is an on/off switch. Not many modern design use this solution – if you turn the knob extremely to the left it turns off power supply. When you do that there is a single orange LED on, on the front panel, and when you switch of the main switch on the back panel also this LED turns off. When you turn the knob on the front to the “off” position (which is stand by) the backlit of VU-meters doesn't shut down immediately and the light dims off slowly – it looks really cool. There is one more element of the front, that was firstly introduced in improved version of IA-30T: a headphone output. I remember very well when Mr Czyżewski sent me this first version and informed me that as sort of experiment he added a headphone output on the back panel. The standard version wasn't supposed to have one, it was supposed to be only an optional feature. But it turned out that this amplifier was as good integrated as it was headphone amp. The MkII proudly sported headphone out on the front and the same goes for IA-120H. Typically for LAR back panel seems very orderly: a single speakers posts and two rows of RCA sockets: five unbalanced RCA inputs and one RCA pre-out. There is enough space between sockets so even large plugs shouldn't be a problem. Next to the EIC socket there is a mechanical on/off switch. This type of products is often described as „dual-mono”. It means that in single casing there are two separate amplifiers for left and right channel. With IA-120H things get a bit more complicated. There are in fact two independent power supplies for the right and left channel. You can find them on PCB's bolted to the side wall of the casing, placed far away from each other, which helps to reduce any magnetic interference. Next to them there are large toroidal transformers, with couple of secondary windings. But the power amplifier itself is placed on one PCB for both channels – so it is not full dual-mono design. Also because preamplifier stage is supplied by a single transformer – a very good one, shielded with copper plate. Signal is amplified by a single double triode - Sovtek 6H30Π-EB. So you can call this design dual-mono but with some reservations and only if you talk about power amplifier section. There is a sort of frame around tube to make sure it safely stays in its place. This double triode is coupled with the next stage with polypropylene capacitors. There is a large Alps pot for volume control. Power amplifiers use transistors hence the hybrid design of this integrated amplifier. Power stage works in class AB, in push-pull mode, using one complementary pair of transistors per channel, IRFP9240+IRFP240 made by International Rectifier. These are HEXFET MOSFET transistors. These are driven by BD911+BD912 transistors, that are bipolar ones. Transistors are cooled with vertical radiator, although they are not directly bolted to them but rather to additional element that is fixed to the radiators. Individual PCBs are connected with cables that are screwed into sockets. That's a part of Mr Czyżewski's training – safety, reliability, and easiness of servicing come always first. Many audiophile devices look (inside I mean) as a madman's dream – there is chaos instead of order. It still might sound good but it is hardly a finished product. The internal design of Mr Czyżewski's amplifiers is exemplary and others should learn from him. I have to mention also the high quality of mechanical assembly. There is an internal cage made of aluminum bars that supports the whole casing with a thick aluminum plate screwed to it at the bottom. The power amplifier PCBs are bolted to this plate and not to the amplifier's external bottom plate. Side walls are also doubled with aluminum plates. The external panels are also made of aluminum. It seems that Mr Czyżewski is experimenting with the connection between external walls and internal design. This time he used wood elements and it seemed like a very good idea – wood acts as vibration damping element between aluminum plates. There is no remote control. Specifications (according to manufacturer) Output power (@ 1 kHz): 2 x 120 W/4 Ω | 2 x 80 W/8 Ω Peak power: 2 x 180 W/4 Ω | 2 x 120 W/8 Ω Input sensitivity: 0,775 V Input impedance: 47 kΩ S/N: 80 dB THD (8 Ω, 1 W, 20 Hz – 20 kHz): [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/linear/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/linear/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/linear/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/linear/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/linear/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/linear/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/linear/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/linear/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/linear/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/linear/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/linear/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/linear/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/linear/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/linear/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/linear/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/linear/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/linear/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/linear/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/linear/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/linear/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/linear/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/linear/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/linear/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/linear/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/linear/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/linear/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/linear/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/linear/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/linear/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/linear/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/linear/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/linear/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/linear/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/linear/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/linear/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/linear/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

ou have to be some sort of audio freak to create speakers like Eva. Usually they build first pair for themselves, than for their family and friends and finally, providing all goes well, they start to build them for other people. Other audio freaks I mean. These are high-efficiency speakers, so can be driver even by some low-power amplifier, but that convinces mostly a very particular group of audiophile – class A, SET amplifiers lovers. By low-power I mean 2 to 8 W. When you commit to such speakers you need to be sure that you look exactly for what they offer, accepting that there are things they can't provide. One of the key advantages of such loudspeakers is lack of crossover as that is a “loudspeaker's curse” that many engineers and hobbyists have been fighting with from the very beginning of audio history. A crossover introduces phase shifts, muffling some spectrum fragments and emphasizing others. Few drivers in one enclosure means also that such speakers is not a point sound source, it does not spread spherically like it does in reality with an exception of multi-driver coaxial units like KEF's Uni-Q, for example. Problems of such designs are limited extension of treble and bass, limited power handling and dynamics in macro scale; the excursion of wide-range speakers is not too big. If one takes a look at measurements given by manufacturers one would have a problem to realize these limitations, especially in treble area. On a chart it all looks fine, especially in axis. But a short demo will prove that there is some shortage of energy in the treble comparing to classic designs with tweeters. How one will perceive lower end depends more on the driver and enclosure used in particular case. There are many different types of enclosures but the most popular seems to be some sort of: bass-reflex design, horn or labyrinth. These are speakers that will attract attention even of those who normally disregard this type of design. They evoke a lot of emotions, and the people who design them make a very colorful, “noisy” group of enthusiasts. Interestingly it seems that there is a lot of such products made in Poland and „High Fidelity” reviewed most of them. From my perspective Closer Acoustics is the newest addition to that specific group of manufacturers. Company is run by Jacek Grodecki, Lenco turntable fan and a member of LencoHeaven – Lenco's fan-club – check out his blog. He is a great fan of French music and, if I understood correctly, of France in general. So it seems that a choice of drivers that come from Supravox wasn't coincidental. Mr Grodecki became also a Polish distributor of this French brand. Supravox's history is quite long already – it was founded in 1956, but some “roots” go as deep as to before Second World War – and quite eventful. What many people probably know in 1964 Supravox won a tender and supplied RFT studios, i.e. Radio Télévision Française. Speakers with 215 mm wide-range drivers called 215 RTF 64, were delivered to ORTF, RAI, RTL and EUROPE 1 studios. Today Supravox still manufactures and sales this type of drivers, offering several versions. Eva speakers, one of two Closer Acoustics models, sport Supravox 215 Signature Bicone. The enclosure was designed by Mr Jacek, and is made by his brother, carpenter. Maybe that is why these speakers emanate love and passion that was put into building them. These are surely not another “me too” speakers. Evas are large and heavy. They have quite a characteristic shape and surely don't “disappear” in a room. I think it was the idea to give them a distinctive look. A fan of wide-range speakers is proud of them and surely doesn't want to “hide” them; they are not only a tool that delivers music in a favorable way but also a totem, a symbol. So we are dealing here with a serious heavy weight contender – both literally and figuratively speaking. I think that both Grodecki brothers realize that. The way they carried these speakers to my fourth floor proved they it wasn't the first time they had to do it – I guess that they had visited more than one potential customer with these speakers before. And to be honest – they have something to show to customer as the make&finish of these speakers is perfect. One of the problems of new companies is packaging of their products – usually not of high quality at the beginning. But not in this case – custom made boxes wit company's logo on them seem to ensure a safe arrival to the customer. Shipment packaging differentiates firms from FIRMS, boys from men. In this particular case designing and having made proper boxes was even more difficult because of irregular shape of these speakers. A few simple words… JECEK GRODECKI | designer, owner I planned to go back to listening to vinyl records and I ended up with building loudspeakers with my own hand. This one sentence perfectly describes genesis of foundation of Closer Acoustics. Love for music and proper sound quality I inherited from my father, when I was still a young kid. In the late 1970ties we had at home a beautiful, black Radmor 5100, that I, even today, considered one of the most beautiful audio devices ever built. System included also a Daniel turntable, Dama Pik reel-to-reel tape recorder and Tonsil's loudspeakers. I know it wasn't really a high-end system but at this time in Poland it was one of the best system man could get. Time passed by, system changed, music library grew, music media changed. Introduction od CD Players and discs brought a great quality change. It took years to realize that CDs sounded really good, very much more convenient to use than vinyl records, but the truth was that at the time I didn't have any decent vinyl system to compare quality of playback with CD. After years I decided to go back to the vinyl records and more or less at the same time I really got myself into classical music. So I decided to look for a decent turntable. At the beginning I thought I would chose famous Linn Sondek LP 12, but before I made my choice by some improbable chance I came across a classic Swiss idler – L75, or should I say – I learned what could be done with such a drive. Soon after that my audio adventure started. After I finished my first SuperLenco and equipped it with a nice tonearm and cartridge I took it to Beauvechain, Belgium for a Lencoheaven meeting. I met there a lot of true music fans who appreciated not only music itself but also high quality reproduction. It was there where I met a German engineer who came to demonstrate his minimalist system with quite specific loudspeakers using old wide-band Phillips drivers. For me it was some sort of revelation. I always perceived speakers as the ultimate element responsible for what we hear from our system. That led me to an idea of experimenting with my own speaker designs. And since if I take on some sort of a job I have to know everything there is to know about the subject, I started to read everything I could put my hands on connected in any way with the history of drivers, loudspeakers, acoustics and psycho-acoustics. I read many books, the ones written recently but also the older one, even those issued right after Second World War. I took an old-school approach to the problems that were of special interest to me – I built prototypes to measure them and listen to them. Luckily my brother was a carpenter dealing also with antique renovation so I could use his knowledge when building my speakers. I knew exactly was I was looking for. I wanted a lively sound, the one that allows listener to feel the music, instrument;s soul, ambiance and a presence of performers. I was looking for proper wide-range drivers, that would fulfill my expectations. When I came across currently produced Supravox drivers I knew that my search could be over. Why paper cone wide-range drivers? They offer very vivid, lively sound, amazing stereophony and soundstaging, which is due to the absolute coherence of the sound of single driver, which is not the case when multiple drivers are used. When implemented in a proper enclosure this driver can be quite enchanting. So what I needed was this proper enclosure that would expose all advantages of these drivers offering a very natural sound, clear, good quality bass, that also wouldn't decrease sensitivity of these drivers. I had my preferences as for the type of enclosure. Using elements of “vintage” designs with a very modern solutions I designed an enclosure built completely of wood, using no damping materials at all. Luckily I was able to combine technical requirements with an interesting look. After few trials Supravox widebanders I finally heard a sound that allowed me to believe that I was very close to achieving my goal. I put a stop to all other projects and focused my efforts on to projects that after few adjustments to enclosures became Adam and Eva. Today, when I listen to Itzhak Perlman's or Joshua Bell's violin, Witold Rek's double bass, or Mariza or Anna Maria Jopek voice I am a very happy man. I truly enjoy listening to my favorite music composed end of XIX and beginning of XX century. Whether these are a dynamic pieces from Strawinsky, or cameral pieces of Gabriel Fauré, I can easily feel the vibe, the atmosphere of these wonderful musical pieces. I could talk about it for hours. And since many of my friends here in Poland but also abroad shared my vision of sound and supported me in many ways I decided to create a brand for my speakers and offer them to other music fans. I am really proud that these speakers are hand-crafted in Poland. When my friend engineer from Germany, after listening to both Eva and Adam, told me that my application of Supravox drivers was perfect, the only thing left for me to do was to found CLOSER Acoustics. Recordings used for this test (a selection) Paganini For Two, Gil Shaham, Göran Söllscher, Deutsche Grammophon/JVC 480 246-5, XRCD24 (1993/2009). Stereo Sound Reference Record. Jazz&Vocal, Stereo Sound, SSRR4, SACD/CD (2010). Stereo Sound Reference Record. Nobu’s Popular Selection, Stereo Sound, SSRR5, SACD/CD (2010). 2 Plus 1, Greatest Hits Vol. 2, Sonic Records Son 115, CD (1997). Bill Withers, Just As I Am, Columbia/Sony Music Japan, SICP-2633, "Natural Soul Collection", CD (1971/2010). David Gilmour, On An Island, EMI Records 3556952, CCD (2006). Elvis Presley, Elvis is Back!, RCA/BMG Japan BVCM-37088, “Living Stereo”, CD (1960/2002). J.S. Bach, The Complete Goldberg Variations 1955 & 1981, wyk. Glen Gould, Sony Classical/Legacy S3K 87703, 3 x CD (1956, 1982/2002). Jean Michel Jarre, Essentials & Rarities, Disques Dreyfus/Sony Music 62872, 2 x CD (2011). Jean-Michel Jarre, Magnetic Fields, Dreyfus Disques/Epic EPC 488138 2, CD (1981/1997). John Coltrane, Expression, Impulse!/MCA Victor MVCZ-39, “Master of Jazz”, K2 CD (1967/1996). J.S. Bach, Cello suites Nos 1,3&5, wyk. Mischa Maisky, Deutsche Grammophon/Universal Music LC (Japan) UCCG-50085, SHM-CD (1999/2011). Ludwig Van Beethoven, Piano Trios Op.70 No.2, Op.97 ‘Archduke’, wyk. Alexander Mielnikov, Isabelle Faust, Jean-Gihen Queyras, Harmonia Mundi HMC 902125, CD (2014). Mendelssohn & Brahms, Violin Concerto, wiol. Hilary Hahn, "Best Classics 100", Sony Classical/Sony Music Japan, SICC 30088, Blu-spec2 CD (1997/2012). Patrick Noland, Piano Gathering Light, Naim naimcd011, CD (1994). Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, Mixed Company, wyk. Theatre of Voices, London Sinfonietta, Paul Hiller, DaCapo Records 8.226114, CD (2014). Roy Orbison, Lonely and Blue, Monument Records/Sony Music Japan, SICP-3113, “Roy Orbison Paper Sleeve Collection”, CD (1961/2011). Waylon Jennings, Waylon Jennings, Stockfisch SFR 357.4801.2, “Analog Pearls Vol. 1”, SACD/CD (2014); Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] „Using words to describe sound seems impossible. I'll leave that to poets.” – that's what you'll find under „Closer” bookmark on manufacturer's web page. There is no use in discussing this statement – everybody has a right to his opinion. I would only like to point out that if that were true there would be no literature, sculpture, music, architecture, nor any art critics. But as we all know there are a lot of them and they produced a lot of interesting, valuable texts that allow people to find out more about their favorite art. Same goes for audio – our industry has developed quite a good trade language, so most reviewers use similar descriptions and although there is still some interpretation margin readers can usually learn from a review whether particular product could be interesting for them or not. So while not being a poet I shall still try to describe a sound of these Eva speakers for you and I hope that you will understand what I will try to tell you about them. Especially considering that in the field of wide-band loudspeakers these ones offer truly high performance, with relaxed, coherent and forgiving sound. In this type of speakers a quality of treble is defined by a quality of a driver, wiring and speaker posts. They are not influenced by crossover nor any other drivers. To some point they are influenced by the type of cabinet, its shape, and the way it is coupled with the floor it stands on. Room doesn't have any significant influence and the small horns radiate sound waves in a very narrow beam. As you can see there are much less elements that influence treble in this type of design, than there is when it comes to multi-way loudspeakers. That also means that these speakers will show any distortion or coloration provided by a source, amplifier or cable even faster than any other speakers. So despite the fact that as for high-end standards Evas are rather inexpensive they will strongly benefit from high quality system delivering signal for them – the better the system the better speakers' performance. Maybe that is why Mr Jacek, Eva's designer, uses a 300B SET amplifier – in other words quite an uncomplicated design. So when the signal is provided by a high quality system Polish speakers will deliver sound with a dominant element that will be something “behind” the sound itself. I really appreciated a moments of silence between notes, or the “air” behind tones. Each note enters air so smoothly that it all starts to make immediate sense no matter what's the quality of a recording are we listening to. But this way of presenting music promotes certain recordings, especially the ones made in a simple way, without significant post-processing, like Waylon Jennings' album recently reissued by Stockfisch, that was recorded on four-track analogue tape recorder in 1964, like Patrick Nolland's piano, recorded with stereophonic Nagra by Ken Christianson, or John Coltrane's Expression, the last album of a great master recorded shortly before his death. This is a very relaxing presentation. Evas, and any other good designs with wide-band drivers always promote simplicity and high quality. Such speakers don't really appreciate compressed material, reducing scale of such recordings. I'd heard it before and I could hear it this time too. Why is it happening? I think that compression that should in theory be helping drivers with short excursion with hard suspension, as compression means leveling dynamics, actually doesn't. Fine “classic” speakers (the ones with more than one driver) are able to deliver richer lower midrange and they can better differentiate tonality and dynamics than single driver speakers. The latter are faster with better leading edge. But when they received some compressed material the attack is still fast but sound isn't rich enough. So these speakers are able to show only most distinct features of the sound and others, like Harbeths can add something more – maybe without such a precise attack and leading edge, but with more “body”. That's why I really liked more the way Evas played jazz records, Roy Orbison's, Elvis and Bill Withers' than for example Jean Michel Jarre’s, 2 Plus 1 and some others. On the other hand I loved the way albums of Lipnicka, Jakubowicz and Me Myself and I sounded like. There is something to the way voices are presented, something that should fully satisfy fans of cameral and vocal music. The presentation seems quite direct, close, with large volume. Significant size of these speakers translates directly to large sound. Also a large front baffle plays its role here. Other important thing is bass – it's quality, as for a wide-band driver, is really good. The intelligently designed cabinet does its job very well nicely integrating sound coming directly from driver with the one coming from cabinet. Listener “receives” it all at ones and bass performance seems natural, not forced to sound better or different than it really is. And its role is to complete/support midrange. The lowest notes of electronic instruments or bass guitars are compressed and lack the energy so can't really be called “natural sounding”. But I guess nobody hoped they would – that is one of obvious compromises one has to accept when choosing this kind of speaker. Polish speakers present soundstage in an interesting way. They prove that a large baffle offers specific advantages. Soundstage is large and very stable. The part in front of us seems deep and expansive at the same time. The elements at both side are more “attached” to both speakers due to narrow sound beam delivered by a small treble horn. It's not a real problem though, it does not effect comfort of listening. Narrow front baffles of modern speakers improve precision of spacing due to a better definition of leading edge (attack). Wide baffles can't do that but on the other hand they give more body to each phantom image making them more real, more palpable. Summa summarum I personally prefer this type of presentation offered by Evas as it is closer to what I hear in a real world. I wish they offered a bit more detailed images that would help me to find each source of sound in space quicker, more naturally. Both types of presentation are just some approximations of real world and I definitely prefer the one offered by Evas, Harbeths M40.1 and some other speakers coming from a good old BBC school. Summary One doesn't have to be a reviewer to quickly realize that these are not speakers that could be accepted by everybody, or to be perfectly honest that will be accepted by few. All you need is a reason and some knowledge of contemporary audio market. I can tell you a bit about what sort of sound they offer. Those few who prefer a lack of any nervousness in the sound, lack of some sort of muffledness introduced by crossovers in most multi-driver designs will be delighted with the level of performance these speakers offer. It's a very direct presentation with warm vocals, with some emphasis around 2 kHz, which usually is not associated with a warm sound. They offer sophisticated imaging and simply sound really good. Bass does a good job supporting midrange, while being coherent with the upper range and it's definitely not a boomy type. In this particular case a large enclosure was used properly which means not to simulate lower bass, because it's not really possible to achieve it with a wide range driver, but to expand/enforce lower midrange. Sound was somehow similar to what other two Polish loudspeakers had to offer, namely: J.A.F. BOMBARD and Acuhorn SUPERLEGGERA GIOVANE85. Each of them is different, of course, but the level of performance is similar and the target group (of customers) is the same. These Closer Acoustics loudspeakers seems to be perfect for cameral music, single instruments, or music with leading vocals. Any compressed recordings, the ones rich with bass notes, electronic music will sound correctly but won't display Eva's real capability. In other words these a highly specialized, sophisticated tools for playing certain sort of music. NOTHING BUT MUSIC Klan NERWY MIAST GAD Records GAD CD 016, CD Premiera: 23.06.2014 The most important album in this founded in 1969 in Warsaw Medyk club band's history is Mrowisko (SXL 0756 Polskie Nagrania MUZA). It was released in 1971 and it included music written for a ballet spectacle also titled Mrowisko. This album belongs now to Polish rock canon and in fact it was the only music of this band, apart from their debut EP Klan, released in these years with a band in its original cast. By the end of the same year, after a series of concerts, group ceased their activity for many years. They reactivated the band for a short period of time in 1991, but not in original cast, and released a new album a year later, called Po co mi ten raj (CD DIG 129 Digiton, 1992). Their music was usually described as „progressive”, with surrealistic texts. In 2011 GAD Records released an album called Senne wędrówki that included material recorded by the band in February 1971 for Polska Kronika Filmowa. It included new version of band's hits like Z brzytwą na poziomki, Automaty), fragments of Mrowisko (Kuszenie, Taniec głodnego), and previously unreleased pieces. This material was complemented with a tune called Szkoła, that was prepared for a Tomasz Żygadło's documentary Szkoła podstawowa. Recordings for Senne… were remastered by Andrzej Poniatowski – the drummer from band's original cast, but also a valued sound engineer, who worked with groups like Maanam, Budka Suflera, VOX or with Zbigniew Namysłowski. It's the same Andrzej Poniatowski, who remastered two previously reviewed by me Alex Band albums (see HERE), that he also recorded himself as sound engineer. Nerwy miast is a second GAD Records release of Klans music. This time material used for this album was recorded by a band for radio use. It includes the first, nowadays mostly forgotten version of Z brzytwą na poziomki, found after many years Trzeba było mnie nie budzić, early takes of some fragments of Mrowisko, as well as the fragment of the same spectacle that had been cut out of the original release. Plus there are three demo recordings, including one inspired by Blood, Sweat & Tears Winter and Spinning Wheel cover. This material has also been remastered from original tapes by Klan's drummer, Andrzej Poniatowski. Surely also a booklet included in this release is worth noticing – it is truly beautiful and except for some information of pieces included in the album in also includes many many elements from private collections of band's musicians, like, for example, 40 years old letters from fans and pictures of band's photographer, Henryk Kotowski. Even this remastered version could correct many shortcomings of original recording that was made in times of a great deficit and limited resources of tapes, recording equipment and studios. It's “dry”, lean, and “flat”. But on the other hand you can hear and feel the energy, the drive. Recordings come from short sessions giving us a chance to hear how this band sounded during concerts like. It's a documentary and as such it is hardly debatable. When listened to using high quality system it won't offer deep, rich sound, but it there will be proper clarity and purity. For band's fans it is a mandatory position. Sound quality: 6-7/10 When it comes to loudspeakers with wide-range drivers it all comes down to proper application of proper driver. It is as important to choose a proper driver as it is to choose a proper loading for it. Differences between good and poor designs are much bigger than among “regular” multi-way speakers. Mr Jacek Grodecki chose a driver coming from a French company Supravox, 215 Signature Bicone to be exact, that is a changed version of a classic model 215 RTF Bicone, used for speakers used in French radios and televisions in 60ties (RTF = Radio Télévision Française; Bicone = double diaphragm with a treble horn). A 215mm cone is made of paper. The upper suspension is made of impregnated paper. The center of the driver sports a paper horn that improves/amplifies propagation of treble. The linear excursion is of +/- 4mm and sensitivity is of 93 dB. Cones is driven by a heavy ferrite magnet, that together with a cast basket gives this driver a significant weight of 3,3 kg. Signal is delivered to regular speakers bindings. Very short cables come, at least I think so, from Supra. The speakers binding are product of CMC, they are made of copper and gold-plated. Enclosure is made of Birch plywood. Same material is used by companies that have ties to BBC, like Graham Audio for example. Pair delivered for this review was finished with natural teak veneer. Manufacturer offers a possibility to order a special version with some painting on the enclosure. The enclosure Is quite large and its walls are not parallel – the back wall is tilted in such a way that speaker is wider at the top and than enclosure narrows towards its bottom. This particular shaped is used for company's logo. The driver is loaded with sort of labyrinth enclosure. It is not a classic labyrinth, as no damping material was used. The internal walls improve design's rigidness. The output of a labyrinth in form of a narrow gap is placed near the bottom and on the bottom of the speaker. So it is very important to ensure o proper distance from the floor using adjustable, brass spikes. Manufacturer delivered also his spike bases but I preferred SPU8 Acoustic Revive ones. Spikes were made upon order for Closer Acoustics with a sharp tip on one end, and rounded one, for stone platforms/floors on the other. I placed speakers on Acoustic Revive RST-38H platforms and toed them in so that the sound was pointed directly at listener. Sound seemed more coherent when my ears were at level with the treble horns. Speaker posts are mounted on the brass plate. There is another plate with company's logo on the front of the speaker. Fit and finish is very good. Speakers are really heavy which improves their stability, but moving them requires at least two people (even three if you need to place spike bases under spikes). Specification (according to manufacturer) Wide range driver: Supravox 215 Signature Bicone with light paper membrane, no crossover. Impedance: 8 Ω Sensitivity: 93 dB Power: 35 W Speaker posts made of pure copper, gold-plated. Dimensions: 1170 (H) x 305 (W) x 440 (D) mm Weight: 43 kg/piece [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/17.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/17.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/17.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/18.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/18.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/18.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/19.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/19.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/19.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/closer/th/20.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/closer/20.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/closer/20.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

he pictures that accompany “High Fidelity’s” review of the ASX-1000 amplifier show that it is a fairly large, not to say massive, unit. Short of putting the amplifier directly on the floor, I seated it on the Acoustic Revive RST-38H isolation boards. I needed two of them for a firm seating of the amplifier’s feet. In comparison, the ASX-2000 is even more massive. The '1000' was its little sibling, a development version operating in class AB and hence not requiring such large heat sinks. The "2000" is a no compromise design, a direct implementation of the ideas of Mr. Julian Studnicki, who holds a PhD in Physics and was an assistant professor at the Electronics Department of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, a designer, inventor and lecturer. The machine, which I now had to seat directly on the floor (I would have needed four RST-38H boards under it), is an amplifier capable of delivering a whopping 80 Watts (into 8 Ohms) in pure class A, doubling it to 160 Watts at 4 Ohms. It weighs no less than 52 kg and measures 540 x 265 x 540 mm. Even the A-70 stereo power amplifier from Accuphase, one of the audio manufacturers I deeply respect, delivers "only" 60 watts per channel (at 8 Ohms) in Class A, weighs 44.3 kg and measures 465 x 238 x 514 mm. As a counterbalance, let me add that it boasts outstanding other parameters: a signal/noise ratio of 121 dB, frequency range of 0.5 – 160,000 Hz and damping factor of 1000, which is extremely high. The amplifier works reliable even driving loads as low as 1 Ohm, delivering 480 Watts per channel. But I think that the real star of this review, with all due respect to the ASX-2000, is the ASP-1000 preamplifier. Its symbol indicates that formally belongs to the same series, which amplifier ASX-1000. I might as well be confused. He is the first preamp offer of the Krakow producer and perhaps the name has nothing to do with the "series". If the preamplifier under today’s review rings a bell with some of you, you are quite right: a special version of the higher model, the ASP-2000, marked with HF, was prepared by Abyssound for the 10/10 competition to celebrate the 10th anniversary of "High Fidelity". Its proud winner became Mr. Artur Stański who now enjoys its presence in his audio system (see HERE). Externally, the two components are remarkably alike, apart from a unique finish of the "competition" unit. The ASP-1000 is housed in a tank-like, low profile enclosure. The front panel is a thick piece of aluminum that features three knobs to control volume, select gain and mute mode and to switch inputs. The current state is indicated via different color LEDs. The two Abyssound components were reviewed as a one complete system. It was compared to my reference system, i.e. the Ayon Audio Polaris III [Custom Version] tube preamplifier and the Soulution 710 solid state power amplifier operating in class AB. But not only that, as during some of the auditions I swapped the Ayon for the Mark Levinson №52 preamp. The signal was fed to the preamplifier via the Siltech Royal Signature Series Double Crown Empress RCA interconnects, and the preamp was hooked up to the power amp via the new Acoustic Revive PC-Triple C interconnects, also RCA. The preamplifier was seated on the Finite Elemente Pagode Edition rack and Franc Audio Accessories Ceramic Disc Original feet. I used the Harmonix X-DC350M2R-Improved Version power cord for the preamplifier, and the Acrolink Mexcel 7N-PC9300 for the power amplifier. The preamplifier offers three levels of gain. This allows the user to adjust the gain of the whole system (preamp + power amp) to one’s speakers, the size of their listening room and the distance of the listening spot from the speakers. The lower the gain, the lower the noise. Let me remind you that every additional meter away from the speakers means doubling the power output to maintain the same volume level. In my case, the gain setting of '-12 dB' proved adequate. Abyssound in “High Fidelity” REVIEW: Abyssound ASX-1000 – power amplifier, see HERE 10/10 COMPETITION – RESULTS: Abyssound ASP-2000HF – line stage preamplifier, see HERE 10/10 COMPETITION – INTRODUCTION: Abyssound ASP-2000HF – line stage preamplifier, see HERE Recordings used for this test (a selection) Ann Richards, Ann, Man!, ATCO/Warner Music Japan WPCR-25181, “Atlantic 60th”, CD (1961/2007). Cyrus Chestnut, Midnight Melodies, Smoke Sessions Records SSR-1408, CD (2014); Dire Straits, Brothers in Arms, Vertigo/Universal Music Ltd. Hong Kong 5483572SX, SHM-XRCD2 (1985/2011). Fred Simon, Dreamhouse, Naim Label naimcd044, CD (2000). J. S. Bach, Goldberg Variations BWV 988. 1981 Digital Recording, wyk. Glen Gould, CBS/Sony Music Entertainment Hong Kong 88765440092, “No. 0197”, gold-CD (1982/2013). Jim Hall Trio, Blues On The Rocks, Gambit Records 69207, CD (2005). Kanaan, Duda, RudĽ, Hołd, Solition SL 380-2, CD (2014); Martin Kratochvíl & Jazz Q, Temné Slunce, soundtrack, GAD Records GAD CD 018, CD (1980/2014). Niemen & Akwarele, Czy mnie jeszcze pamiętasz?, Polskie Nagrania MUZA/Polskie Nagrania, PNCD 1572, CD (1968/2014). Peter Gabriel, So. 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, Realworld/Virgin PGVOX2, 4 x CD + 2 x DVD + 180 g LP + 180 g, 45 rpm LP (1987/2012). Skrzek & RudĽ, The Stratomusica Suite, Generator GEN CD 032, CD (2014); Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] I did not take too much auditioning of the Polish system to realize a few things. For one, the sound had a different character from the one I had heard from the ASX-1000 power amp. Two, it had nothing to do with the stereotypical perceptions of class A. And three, it was a true high-end. All three worked perfectly together. It was the kind of sound where the most important is tonal differentiation. Just as with flagship Accuphase stereo power amps in class A, the A-65 and now the A-70, but also with class A components from Nelson Pass, the sound was very open and accurate. If some of you are looking for warmth and density, you should listen to the ASX-1000 (Abyssound), the P-6100 (Accuphase) or the Soulution 530 integrated. The both operate in class AB. Here, the sound opens up for a true spectacle of differentiation. The noble class of amplifier’s operation translated into a more accurate imaging, better tonal balance and much better interpenetration of various instruments, while maintaining their individual images and "ontogenetic" textures. The system seemed extremely resolving and selective at the same time – a good, if rare, combination. Even a very dense, complex mix, as that of Peter Gabriel’s So remaster, got taken apart and put back together, but now with the more complete picture of what it's all about. I am breaking it up into two steps, although this division is artificial: the dismantling and putting it back together happens here at the same time. Suddenly, often unprepared, we are struck with the wealth of information, together with the overall structure of the song. Tentatively, we can assume it to be a wealth of detail. The system was certainly not short on detail, all the way from the bottom end to the highest treble. It was clearer and more open in the treble than my system with the Ayon and the Soulution. This method of presentation was closer to that of the Mark Levinson preamp paired with the Soulution power amp, even though the latter duo presented a slightly softer upper treble cymbals’ attack. Not deciding which version was better - none of them is identical with the live music event and can only be its approximation - I have to admit that it was a clear vision and as such was easy to accept or reject. It is worth emphasizing the excellent control the amplifier exercised over the speakers. The Harbeth M40.1, with its powerful 30-cm woofer, is not an easy load by any means. Although I often come across an opinion that it can be driven by low-powered tube amplifiers, the reality is much more nuanced. Indeed, if you find a tube amp with a good, "tight" power supply, if you do not play your music loud, and if you are fine with the lowest bass roll-off, then this may be a match for life. It was proved true by the TRX-M300 Reference Edition monoblocks from the Japanese Triode (see HERE). But you need to keep the limitations in mind. With higher output capable power amplifiers you get something more, especially in terms of more freedom and better control across the whole frequency range. It is of course easiest to notice in the bass department, but it really concerns the whole frequency range. And it is an amplifier of the ASX-2000 kind that makes it clear what it’s all about: everything you hear seems well ordered and revolves around the ultimate goal, which is showing as faithfully as possible what’s on the CD disc (in the audio file). And it doesn’t really matter what kind of music you are listening to and what mood you are in. The system is very consistent and predictable in this respect; it will not cause an unpleasant surprise. With a golden edition of Goldberg Variations performed by Glenn Gould I heard a strong attack and extremely resonant sustain. The pianist’s voice was clearly separate in the sense that it had been differently captured by the microphones, and thus belonged in a different acoustic "reality." It was a crystal-clear sound that Gould must have dreamed of and that this digital recording brings. With Jim Hall Trio, or with Ann Richards accompanied by Barney Kessel on guitar, and finally with Józef Skrzek’s and Przemysław Rudź’s electronic instruments I could clearly hear the complexity of the production and how everything had been set in the mix by the sound engineer. Perfectly clear, and hence more understandable, were tonal differences between various elements of the presentation, as well as texture differences. It was as if some previously hidden, not fully exposed secrets suddenly saw the light of day. Both those simply interesting and those that the engineers and musicians would have preferred to remain silent. Like a slightly rumbling bass in Ann Richards’s recordings, or the emphasized instruments’ attack on Dire Straits album Brothers In Arms. As always, so in this case, the key to success will be matching the system with your expectations and the rest of your audio system. This is not a universal amplifier (and speaking of "amplifier" I mean "system"). What I mean is that it has its own distinct character. Its sound is open and accurate, straightforward even. The bass is well controlled and hence rather contoured. The treble is open and strong, with no veiling. There are also things that are done differently somewhere else, like in my Soulution 710 or the Accuphase A-200, in the Triode monoblocks mentioned above or the Vitus Audio SS-101 power amp. The Abyssound shows a strong foreground with reduced sustain, which does not build up a very deep soundstage. That is why its sound is so striking and precise. But also more "upfront", as they remarked in "Stereophile". There is also no such depth of sound, as in the above-mentioned components. Here, everything is happening right before our eyes. And last but not least, the system is characterized by a slightly relaxed dynamics. This is probably the amplifier’s aspect that is most difficult to define. The sound is tight, rhythmical and clear. But at the same time, what is most important in its presentation is the here and now, without going into the spatio-temporal relations. Conclusion It must have been a long time since I last heard such perfectly conveyed sound attack and so nicely controlled bass on my Harbeth speakers. A similar feat had been achieved by the massive Japanese A-200 monoblocks from Accuphase that I once auditioned for a review in the Polish "Audio" magazine. Tonal differentiation is outstanding as is sound attack, changing in all possible ways, especially in dense mixes. I cannot imagine any speakers that the Polish system could not drive with ease. Its open tonality and favoring the foreground might make one think about properly matching the rest of one’s audio system, as there is little room for any errors, especially in terms of brightening or harshness. The amplifier will simply point it out and emphasize. If anything, it is better to combine it with something warmer and calmer. The Abyssound will handle it just perfectly. All in all, fantastic sound, outstanding performance and excellent mechanical design make for a well-deserved RED Fingerprint award. ASP-1000 The preamplifier has a low profile enclosure and is very heavy. It is a solid state design with an integrated power supply. The faceplate is made of a thick slab of aluminum, optically divided with milled out vertical lines. The center is defined by a large aluminum volume knob. It is attached to a motorized potentiometer. The knob features a milled line indicating its position. It is quite difficult to see, and disappears completely in the dark. If its position could be marked in a clearer way – with a LED or display screen – it would be perfect. Adjacent to it are two smaller knobs. One is used to change to set the preamplifier gain in two steps, -6 and -12 dB, or to mute it completely. The third level, 0 dB, is available via the remote control. To not go back to it later, let's say right now that the plastic remote looks rather ugly and is not particularly comfortable to operate. Such a good preamplifier, showing great design and solid workmanship, deserves something unique and handy at the same time. Each gain level and the mute mode is indicated with a different color LED. There are also LEDs around the other small knob that is used as an input selector. There are six inputs: one balanced XLR, four unbalanced RCA and a "Direct" input for an external processor, for example a Home Theater system. The rear panel with its array of beautiful components makes one’s heart beat faster. The RCA line inputs use excellent connectors with rhodium-plated contacts and Teflon dielectric, which look like WBT connectors. The XLR input is a classic Neutrik. There are three pairs of analog outputs: XLR (Neutrik), and two RCAs (which look like Cardas). Adjacent to them is a ground lift switch and trigger socket. The latter can be used to remotely (via cable) turn on and off an Abyssound power amplifier. There is also an antenna socket; to be honest I do not know what it is for. The preamplifier’s interior is tightly packed with circuit boards and components. For the most part, electronic components are mounted on several PCBs with golden traces, using classic through-hole assembly. All components involved in audio signal processing are mounted on daughter boards that are plugged into the motherboard. Input and output circuitry as well as left and right channels are kept separate – hence there are four daughter boards. Volume control uses a classic Alps Blue Velvet quadruple potentiometer. It thus appears that the preamplifier has a fully balanced design, from input to output. The potentiometer is mounted directly to the motherboard, between the two output channels and is coupled with a shaft to the front panel knob. It looks really great, the more so that the shaft features a Japan-made bearing. The preamplifier employs a number of modules that look like Marantz HDAMs or NAD modules. I am referring to tiny circuit boards with surface mount components. These tiny PCBs are soldered to their corresponding circuit boards. They are coated with thick blue paint (or at least with what looks like paint), which makes it impossible to identify the individual components. That is the whole point, I think. What can be identified are large output MOSFETs that are mounted in pairs to small heat sinks. Each pair of output transistors works with six transistor drivers determining their quiescent point of operation. The output stage operates at high enough idle current to achieve maximum output signal amplitude also for low resistance loads of less than 600 Ohms. The device operates on the basis of a patent called BQVA - bi-quartet voltage amplifier (voltage amplifier with a complementary quartet circuit). Strengthening the BQVA depends on the characteristic parameter of the system, the number of transistors external supply voltage gain controlled output BQVA systems and values ​​of the two resistors (not working as usual in a negative feedback loop). One of them is the load resistor of the voltage amplifier. The other is transmitted (with virtually no loss) input voltage. Thanks to the ultra-linear amplifier preamp overvoltage moves very evenly all the band in the acoustic. To input amplifiers BQVA system does not become overloaded by the large input signals, a system that allows the suppression of gain reduction of 6 dB or 12 dB. In the absence of damping strengthening ASP-1000 is 12 dB or 18 dB. With so-thought solution the maximum amplitude of the input voltage can be above 8 Vrms. The preamplifier operates without a feedback loop. Not using a single operational amplifier in the signal path, which is built entirely based on discrete components. Input signal selection is via relays. All of them are special low-level signal NAIS/Panasonic relays from the TX2SA series. Similar relays can also be seen on the gain stage circuit boards, and it appears that they are used to select the gain level. It is worth mentioning that after changing the gain level or selecting a different input, the signal is muted for a considerable time and comes back only after settling down of signal parameters. Passive components are of the highest quality and include Wima and Evox polypropylene capacitors, and Japanese electrolytic capacitors from Elna. The power supply is mounted on a separate board. The circuit includes a small toroidal transformer, which supplies voltage that is rectified and filtered, and then stabilized in integrated circuits. The filtering circuit includes pretty-looking Nichicon capacitors. Behind the mains power socket there is a small Polish-made filter. The power supply used in the ASP-1000 has a total of 30,000 μF filter capacitance. The use of specially designed filtering circuits and voltage controllers makes it possible to achieve negligible noise. Power to the analog circuits is supplied via 6N pure copper conductors. The PCBs used for both the analog section and auxiliary circuits feature assembly solutions used in professional applications, such as screw terminals instead of standard solder joints to use the effect of diffusion during assembly. This reduces the connector resistance and eliminates the additional silver-solder and solder-gold contact surfaces. The end result is coupling the connectors to the circuit board without using any solder. ASX-2000 Power and authority – that is how I construe this amp. I had already described its enclosure design on the occasion of my ASX-1000 review, so let me just shortly repeat that it most closely resembles the style proposed and promoted by Pass Labs. The front panel only features the company logo and standby button backlit by a blue LED when powered. The rear panel does not overwhelm the user with abundance of connectors, either. It only sports a single pair of WBT speaker binding posts and a pair of RCA input connectors, also from WBT. Apparently the amplifier has an unbalanced design. The connectors are gold-plated. The amplifier embodies all Mr. Studnicki’s patents and design ideas. The basis is its operation in class A all the way up to its rated power output. Another important design principle is the lack of global negative feedback loop. The input stage sports the BQVA circuit, similar to that used in the preamplifier. An original solution is also used in the DC servo circuit. It works using a high-voltage differential integrator. Since the integrator does not feed a DC offset control signal to the amplifier input (as happens in a commonly used solution), it results in no degradation of the audio signal. The unit is powered by a huge 1000 W toroidal transformer placed right in the center. The filtering capacitor bank boasts a massive total capacity of 330,000 μF. The huge capacitors are bolted from the bottom to a metal plate. 100 mm2 and 200 mm2 silver plated copper flat bars are used instead of usual wire to minimize the connection resistance between various power supply components. Due to very high currents involved, a proper coupling to the ground and to the power line as well as to the speaker terminals is critical for the ASX-2000. For this purpose, internal wiring uses a very good quality 6N copper. All critical internal connections use robust screw terminals. From the top you can see nice Jantzen Audio polypropylene capacitors, apparently parallel coupled with large bipolar electrolytic capacitors to improve the latter’s characteristics. The input stage employs the BQVA circuits similar to those used in the preamplifier – tiny boards with SMD components, painted in blue and soldered to a larger circuit board. The output transistors operating in push-pull (10 pairs) are bolted to solid aluminum components, and the latter are mounted to large heat sinks on both sides of the amplifier. The Abyssound heats up like hell and needs lots of space around it. The amplifier includes a microprocessor to control its protection circuits and operating parameters. To minimize RF noise, care was taken for a proper galvanic isolation of the analog and digital sections. The ASX-2000 is the result of 10 years of research and testing. Specification (according to the manufacturer) ASP-1000 Gain: 12 or 18 dB Frequency Response: 3 Hz - 375 kHz (-3 dB) S/N Ratio: 107 dB Input Voltage: 8 Vrms max Output Voltage 12 Vrms max Power Consumption: - During operation: 30 VA - In standby mode: < 3.5 VA Gain Setting: -6 dB and -12 dB Ground Lift Switch to disconnect the ground line from the chassis The "REMOTE ON" 12 V trigger port Zero negative feedback loop All circuits in the signal path operate in Class A ASX-2000 Output Power RMS: 80W/8Ω | 160W/4Ω Input Sensitivity RMS: 1.2 V Gain: 29 dB Frequency Response (1W/-3dB): 7 Hz - 80 kHz THD: < 0.019% S/N Ratio: 106 dB Input Impedance: 10 kΩ Mains Voltage: AC (50-60 Hz) 220-230 V Power Consumption: 1200 VA (max) Dimensions: 540 x 265 x 540 mm (W. X height. X D). Weight: 52 kg [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/17.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/17.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/17.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/18.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/18.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/18.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/19.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/19.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/19.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/20.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/20.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/20.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/21.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/21.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/21.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/22.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/22.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/22.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/23.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/23.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/23.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/24.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/24.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/24.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/25.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/25.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/25.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/26.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/26.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/26.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/27.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/27.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/27.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/th/28.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/28.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/abyssound/28.jpg" desc="Pan Julian Studnicki i jego dzieło – wzmacniacz Abyssound"] [/hfgallery]

ew audio brands emerging on the market have become an everyday experience. Each year I come across new brands, names and designs, the same with new ideas for a product. Less often, one can say scarcely, I come across new business ideas. The transition from a “device” (speakers, accessories, cables etc.) to a product is a long, painful and pricey process. Few can achieve success. Great many manufacturers stop at “civilized” DIY, i.e. an audio component manufactured in a few pieces a year without proper technical documentation, not to mention any safety certificates. The most important factor here is money. The traditional approach is a bank loan or a UE grant, for instance. It is a hard and tough way, and it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, if I may say so, than to get the money from either of the two sources. A more common practice is for the designer to find a sponsor who finances the project. This is exactly how Abyssound came to existence; its owner runs a company that makes measurement systems for various industries. G•Lab has a similar modus operandi (the original name of the company is G•Lab but from now on I am going to use a simplified version, ‘G Lab’). G LAB Design Fidelity is a brand owned by CCI (Comp Innovation Center). The amplifier itself is manufactured by ELZAB. ELZAB was founded in 1969 and now it manufactures cash registers, among others. Both companies belong to the COMP S.A. capital group. The person responsible for venturing into the audio territory is Mr. Julian Kozankiewicz, the executive director of CCI. Here starts the most interesting part of the whole story because things like this do not generally happen in audio industry. Mr. Kozankiewicz noticed Mr. Główka who was a student of Fine Art Academy in Cracow and already had a finished, well thought through design that was to Mr. Kozankiewicz’s liking. Beside the sheer luck, which is always helpful, there must have sparkled something else. Proof? It is enough to have a look at the Block amplifier and see the result of this trilateral cooperation: the machine has a very distinctive look; its simple functional design brings new quality to an audio idiom. At the same time it has pro-audio written all over it as if it was made by a purist designer if he was capable of such a feat. The Block (trademark BLOCK) is an integrated tube amplifier with a solid state power supply. It is divided into several segments, each containing a section that should be separated from others by the longest distance possible. It is notoriously difficult to achieve it in an integrated affair but, apparently, not impossible. The most harm is done by the transformers, including both the power supply and output transformers. Here, the former is housed in a steel cylinder that constitutes the core of the amplifier. The output transformers and a choke used in plate power supply are placed in three of the four cuboids located symmetrically around the center cylinder. A side effect is that the center of gravity, which is often neglected in such design, is very low. Electronics is moved to a separate chassis that is mounted to the top of the cylinder. Thus we have a great design and a well thought through electrical and a mechanical construction. The amplifier’s power output is a modest 5,5 Watts from a single EL34 tube per channel. This power pentode operates here in a triode mode, hence we should make sure to use speakers of more than average sensitivity. The Block is equipped with a MM tube phono preamplifier. The latter employs ECC88 triodes, one per channel. To show me all that and to tell me about the project and about himself, Mr. Mateusz Główka came all the way from Bielsko-Biała, where he lives. A few simple words about… G•LAB DESIGN FIDELITY DIONIZY KONIECZNY PR Konieczny Wojciech Pacuła: Who is the manufacturer and the owner of the brand? Dionizy Konieczny: The owner of G LAB Design Fidelity is Comp Centrum Innowacji Sp. z o.o (Comp Innovation Center Ltd.) and the manufacturer of BLOCK is ELZAB S.A. Both companies belong to COMP S.A. group. Whose idea was to make such an amplifier? Who assembled the design team? Julian Kozankiewicz came up with the idea of making the amplifier – he is an executive director of Comp Innovation Center Ltd. – after reading a note about Mateusz Główka in Wired magazine. He got Dionizy Konieczny (Sales Manager of G LAB Design Fidelity now) interested in this venture, who at first stages of the project gathered all the interested parties and convinced them that this project made sense and could be a source of pride for all. Those two gentlemen are responsible for this great project of Mateusz Główka to come true. Now G LAB Design Fidelity is a three men team. The output tubes work in a pentode or triode mode?  Triode. Which tubes drive the output ones? 6N6P The phono amplifier is a solid state design? Tubes only, no silicon. Are there any plans to extend the series? If yes then what are they? We are currently working on a new project. The team is the same – we count on cooperation with Mateusz Główka and we have a prototype of product that is complementary to the BLOCK. We hope to launch it in May 2015 in Munich. MATEUSZ GŁÓWKA Designer The BLOCK is a dream-come-true for me. The dream of my own project sold from “the shelf”. One of my passions, apart from cars, is music and its impeccable quality. On my third year of studying Industrial Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow I joined the Development of a New Product Workshop. Then I met Mr. Marian Kopecki who worked with students sharing his knowledge and experience. Under a careful supervision of Dr. Marek Liskiewicz there came to existence a project and then a prototype of a tube amplifier. It was important to me to have a fresh approach. It was only logical to put the heaviest elements as low as possible. This in turn created a possibility to separate the sources of noise and distortion, i.e. transformers, from the electronics. Obviously the high requirements concerning electronics set by Mr. Kopecki had to be met: good isolation, the shortest signal path possible and accessibility. With these in mind, the design is a functional one and very modern at the same time. As time went on, the BLOCK still remained somewhere at the back of my head as something yet to be done. One day I published the design on a well-known design website – yankodesign.com. It gained a lot of interest from other sites publishing information about the amplifier so I decided to show it during the Salone del Mobile fair in Milan. The design attracted “Wallpaper Magazine” and then it was published in “Wired World”. One afternoon I got a phone call from Dionizy Konieczny, a man who knows the world of music and is a DJ with a very sensitive ear himself. That was the beginning. It took almost two years to prepare the design for production with all the details. The metallic click of BLOCK’s input switch will haunt me forever. www.glow-design.pl hillsidecardesign.com Recordings used for this test (a selection) Ariel Ramirez, Misa Criolla, José Carreras, Philips/Lasting Impression Music LIM K2HD 040, K2HD Mastering, “24 Gold Direct-from-Master Edition UDM”, CD-R (1964/2009). Art Farmer and Jim Hall, Big Blues, CTI/King Records KICJ-2186, "CTI Timeless Collection 40", CD (1978/2007). Artur Lisiecki Acoustic Harmony, Stone & Ashes, Fonografika, 559040, master-tape copy, CD-R (2010); Ash Ra Tempel, Ash Ra Tempel, MGART/Belle, 101780, SHM-CD (1971/2010). Ashra, Belle Aliance Plus, MGART/Belle, 121914-5, 2 x SHM-CD (1979/2012). Cyrus Chestnut, Midnight Melodies, Smoke Sessions Records SSR-1408, CD (2014). Kanaan, Duda, RudĽ, Hołd, Solition SL 380-2, CD (2014). Martin Krotochwil & Jazz Q, Temmné Slunce, soundtrack, GAD Records GAD CD 018, CD (1980/2014). NEU!, NEU!75, Brain Records/P-Vine Records PCD-93529, “NEU! Story 3”, CD (1975/2001). Patrick Noland, Piano Gathering Light, Naim naimcd011, CD (1994). Pieter Nooten, Heaven, Rocket Girl rgirl92, 2 x CD (2013). Porcupine Tree, Deadwing, Lava 93437, CD (2005). Radiohead, Kid A, Parlophone/EMI 27753 2, CD (2000). Skrzek & RudĽ, The Stratomusica Suite, Generator GEN CD 032, CD (2014). Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto, Getz/Gilberto, Verve/Lasting Impression Music LIM K2HD 036, K2HD Mastering, “24 Gold Direct-from-Master Edition UDM”, CD-R (1964/2009). The Oscar Peterson Trio, We Get Request, Verve/Lasting Impression Music LIM K2HD 032, K2HD Mastering, “24 Gold Direct-from-Master Edition UDM”, CD-R (1964/2009). Japanese issues available at [REKLAMA5] How would that sound on headphones, I wonder, was the first thought that entered my mind just after the first notes of Klan’s Z brzytwą na poziomki reached my ears. The thought had some intensity as the great part of my private auditions, which I have time for only in the evening and at night, is done on the headphones. It is of paramount importance then that the quality is as close as possible to what I can hear during the day via the speakers. I, then, do have a collection of the best available headphones and quite a few headphone amplifiers. The moment I spot a 6.35 mm headphone jack in an amplifier or a preamp, I always first check the sound from this output, not from the speakers. Some of the integrated amps turn out to be really good in that area. The best example is the Leben CS-300 in many of its incarnations, which together with the HD-800 from Sennheiser, the K701 from AKG or the T1 from Beyerdynamic is my reference system. My recent discovery is a hybrid amplifier from Mr. Czyżewski, the Linear Audio Research IA-120H, the missing other half of the HiFiMAN HE-6 magnetostatic headphones that are too demanding for most any other amplifier. The Block wouldn’t be capable of properly driving the magnetostats, either, I have no delusions here, but the Sennheisers, the Ultrasone Edition 5 (my most recent purchase), the Beyerdynamics, the AKGs and perhaps even the Audeze LCD-3 would have been more than happy to have a go at penetrating the little hole of the G LAB amplifier (if there was one, that is). Their happiness would have been based on an exceptionally good sound offered by the amplifier and its great tonal balance. Five and a half Watts it delivers is less than nothing; that much power is usually delivered by ordinary amps in pure class A before they enter class AB, whereas here it is the total power output. And you know what? I would have never guessed it is only a few Watts at work. My Harbeths M40.1 are a very difficult load and even though they sport quite a leveled impedance curve, to achieve their full potential they need a powerful top quality amp like my Soulution 710 or the Accuphase A-200 monoblocks that I happened to review for “Audio,” or like the Octave MRE-220 monoblocks or the amps from Vitus Audio. The speakers do have their weak spot, though, which can be revealed by the best tube amps. This has nothing to do with the specifications provided by their manufacturer because those suggest using small tube amplifiers but real live tests prove to the contrary. I cannot explain this in any way possible, the explanation is probably a trivial one; it is physics, after all, but it still eludes me. The best amplifiers with a tube-based output stage do not have to be powerful to achieve seducing sound. Devoid of many sonic aspects that can only be provided by sheer power, but with some that can be offered only by amps of the kind of the Triode TRX-M300 Reference Edition, the 8 Watts per channel Japanese monoblocks or the even less “power capable” Block. The sound of the Polish amplifier can bring one to one’s knees with its holistic approach to the music material. Any kind of material. We deal here with a design that lends a helping hand to the recordings which we would probably have rejected with many other amplifiers or at least would have found something to complain about, at the same time being dead serious about the best ones that deserve our respect. A good example of the first tendency, i.e. “helping” a recording with less than perfect sound, could be the recent issue from GAD Records, a compilation of radio recordings titled Nerwy miast, by the Polish band Klan. The sound is clean but at the same time light and relatively flat. The amplifier under review presented it in a slightly different way, preserving the “patina” of the recordings from the 1969/70s and showing a nice bass, with convincing kick drum and great, strong guitar. The treble was delicate, and only on the track Z brzytwą… the top end “jumped out” in front of the mix. But this is simply that kind of a recording. The sound was thick and exceptionally vivid. These are all mono recordings and yet the Block managed to fill the space between the speakers showing large, three-dimensional images. Actually, the amp has its own approach to the problem of space in general. The foreground is strong and large, the background is equally large and saturated but is shown closer. This is a modification of which one needs to be aware. The recordings from Naim such as Patrick Noland, for example, presented from a distance and in a slightly dark manner, were shown closer by the Block, almost tangible. The piano from Piano Gathering Light was close and more distinct. But not by overdrawing the edges or contouring, nothing of the kind. The piano’s body was so saturated and thick that one was under the impression of being “there and then”. The space was preserved, though, and it was spacious, with low reverb. The grand piano was simply closer.> There were quite a few such paradoxes and each one of them added to an extraordinary satisfying experience. The high frequencies were strong, with a high energy but there was no sharpening or brightness. In a blind test I might point to the Block as a tube amp, because of its silky like cymbals and natural sounding strings and wind instruments. Surely not because the sound is “warm.” I cannot find any other explanation except that we are dealing here with exceptional resolution. That would also explain extraordinary differentiation. The instruments play together as well as each one separately in their own space, tonality and articulation. And this happens both on Midnight Melodies, a great recording of a jazz concert from the Smoke club and on the great album Neu!75 from the 1956 recording of Jim Hall Trio as well as with the electronica of Krzysztof Duda and Przemysław Rudź on Four Incarnations. The amp gives the music rhythm and swing, and makes it interesting. Even such a boring material as that from the newest Pieter Nooten’s album Heaven (I am his loyal fan so I have that one) was listenable and I could find something of interest in it from time to time. The Block does not attempt to correct the recordings. One might think the other way round from what I have written so far but that would be just a general observation, from a distance. Looking up close, one can exactly see the problems of any recording and identify its weak points. But it takes some effort as they are not exposed. They are sort of hidden behind what is good. And then the rhythm! If someone thinks that to properly show the rhythm amps require hundreds of Watts they do not know what they are talking about. Most of the concerts mean thousands of Watts and most of them is a bang up job as far as the rhythm is concerned. Strong attack is not the same as the rhythm, the edges are not equal to timing. 5.5 Watts from the Block is enough to move the song and turn on its internal atomic clock. Small wattage amplifiers are special purpose audio components. We will not use them to play Soundgarden, Pantera, Sepultra and AS/DC in a way the fans are used to, convinced that it is the only right sound. What I am talking about here is a booming bass, treble going “tsss, tsss” as well as electric guitar strings slicing through the air. Fans usually strive to recreate a concert experience remembered from a live event they took part in. They want to hear again the screeching noise, overdriven sound and ubiquitous thunder. I go to music concerts, including rock concerts, often enough to know that it is a completely different musical reality from the intended sound of those records. The Block will render the CDs we are talking about the way they were meant to and could sound if someone was interested in the sound not just sheer oomph. The only limitation is the volume level (SPL) it is capable of achieving. Even with super sensitive speakers the power limitation will prevent us from rocking the whole street, neighborhood or even our house. As long as we can live with that, we get a sound that suggests a much higher power output. Summary Hell then, we know one limitation of this amplifier. However, it directly results from the technical specification, i.e. from the selected design concepts. The things that cannot be seen are also connected with the choices made. Like selectivity, which is only one-dimensional here. The sound is deep and full with excellent resolution, but the ability to present edges and different planes, and to separate the instruments is not so good. The amplifier shows large planes rather than holography. Lower bass is strong, which is really surprising, and there is lots of it. It also has a very good tonal quality. The tightness of the bass range and its definition are, however, only conventional. It is hard to talk about differentiation of the bass guitars, bass drum or the deeper extension of the grand piano. It is barely audible, though, because higher harmonics are very well reproduced and coherent, which suggests otherwise. This is a common denominator of the great many single ended amplifiers with a single low power output tube and nothing can be done about that, c’est la vie. This is not disturbing, however, and I am pretty certain that had I not written about it most music aficionados wouldn’t give a… The external design is rather daring and bravely does away with traditional “warm” tube amplifier look. It is good, really good that audio can be beautiful not only in its soul (the music) but also in its body (the looks). User friendliness is scarce, the Block does not sport a remote, switching between inputs is reminiscent of the old Taraban radio set from the 1970s and 1980s and there is no indicator light to tell us whether or not it is powered on (green or amber). There is no headphone output either. But there is a tube phono preamplifier on board, which will be a joy for many as it is a nice little addition. A step-up transformer is required for MC cartridges but this should not be a problem. As I have already mentioned, this is a special amplifier directed to special type of users: aware of themselves, their own needs and abilities; mature. Pair it with highly sensitive speakers and have a ride! We give this amplifier the RED Fingerprint award. NOTHING BUT THE MUSIC For quite some time now I have been buying older records from Naim Label, both issued on CDs and LPs. What determines my choice is whether the recording was made by Ken Christianson, ideally in the True Stereo system, and whether the album was produced by Julian Vereker, the founder of Naim. That is what I came up with and I try to stick to it. Each record collection requires some initial assumptions, and in this case I chose these and not others. I also collect albums from other small labels, because I know a lot about them, I like the music they present, and I'm happy with how their discs are recorded. That includes Hi-Q Records that issues XRCD24 discs remastered in the analog domain (AAD), whose producer is Mr. Kazuo Kiuchi, the owner of Combak Corporation (Reimyo, Harmonix, Bravo!). It also includes Esoteric remasters issued in the MasterWorks series on SACD/CD discs, carefully prepared in Japan. Or Gold-CDs and SACDs from Audio Fidelity. And Tacet vinyl LPs. Of course, I also collect albums issued by – relatively – large record labels like ECM, ACT, Alpha and AliaVox. Here, however, the selection is much more judicious because these labels churn out tens or even hundreds of titles each year. That's why I am most interested those labels, whose output I can quietly buy, listen to and evaluate. Rarely do I come across a label that meets all of these premises, and is interesting enough for me to add it to my still growing monthly bill. But sometimes I manage to strike gold. My recent discovery was made through an article in the August issue of "Stereophile" (Vol. 37, No. 8, August 2014, pp. 53-57). In Smokin 'Jazz, Robert Baird described the label that prepares its recordings in the Smoke Jazz Club, located on the Upper West Side (Manhattan, New York). The sessions were initially held during concerts with an audience participation, and more recently also before the opening of the club. The authors are business partners Paul Stache and Frank Christopher. The label is called Smoke Sessions. The Smoke recordings include: Harold Mabern, Vincent Herring, Javon Jackson, David Hazeltine, Louis Hayes, Jimmy Cobb, Cyrus Chestnut, Orrin Evans and Eric Reed. The material is recorded in the digital domain, in the form of 24/96 PCM files on a computer, using Pro Tools. Each month the label issues one title. The albums can also be downloaded as audio files (24/96). The label offers nine CDs and one LP album, which is a compilation of recordings from four albums. It is titled Smoke Sessions Vol. 1 and has been released on 200 g vinyl and has a gatefold cover. The pressing is limited to 500 copies, so it’s worth securing your own. I bought it at Elusive Disc (SSR-1401, No. 193/500). Cyrus Chestnut MIDNIGHT MELODIES Smoke Sessions SSR-1408, CD (2014) Born in January 1963, Cyrus Chestnut is an American jazz pianist, composer and producer. As a pianist he played together with Jon Hendricks, Terrence Blanchard, Donald Harrison, Wynton Marsalis and Betty Carter Trio. The list of jazz musicians with whom he recorded is incomparably longer and includes Freddy Cole, Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Scott, Chick Corea, Dizzy Gillespie, and even Kathleen Battle, an opera diva who also made recordings with Marsalis. We are thus talking about a man with a long history and vast experience, who knows the most important figures in contemporary jazz in the United States. The material included on the disc Midnight Melodies was recorded over two days, 22th and 23rd of November 2013 (there is an error in the disc description that mentions 2014). The sessions were recorded live, along with an audience. The album includes a selection from the two days, which is the only complaint that can be made about this material, as there is no continuity between the tracks that are faded out. Apart from that, everything else is fantastic, from the amazing photos taken by Jimmy Katz, through an interesting interview with the artist on the (four) digipak pages, to the music. And the sound is not bad at all. It has lots of energy, dynamics and honesty. Resolution may not be outstanding and there may be lack of clear, three-dimensional bodies, but that did not bother me during the audition. The sound is open and very addictive, and the presentation shown close to the listener. Sound quality: 8-9/10 I must admit I have never seen something like that, even though it seems to be a simple solution. However, it is the simplest ideas that are most brilliant and we only realize how close they have been to us when someone invents them for us. This solution has been known for years: it involves the separation of the power supply and electronics sections. This is usually done by moving the power supply to a separate chassis, coupled with the main unit using a multi-core umbilical cord. A lot of manufacturers do it this way with good effect. While the manufacturer can deal with the negative impact of additional wiring in the path, the bulkiness of such a system and its dubious aesthetic value remains a problem. Mr. Mateusz Główka, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts, who designed the Blocks enclosure did a great job, together with Mr. Marian Kopecki, responsible for the electronics. They sectioned off individual components and moved them to separate enclosures, combining the latter into one functional, compact unit. The basis is a wide cylinder with solid walls. It houses the power supply, including a large transformer. The lower part of the cylinder also makes for the amplifier’s base, hence there is no separate feet. On top of the cylinder there is a flat cuboid which is the actual enclosure in other amplifier designs. Its top panel features vacuum tubes and other electronic components are assembled on a PCB inside. The signal is amplified in the three tubes per channel: the JJ E88C dual triode (MM phono stage), the 6N6P, another dual triode of Russian production (input stage and driver) and the JJ E34L pentode (output stage). The faceplate sports a large, flat volume knob and four push buttons: one of them turns on the power and the other three are used as input selector. The buttons needs some strength to be pushed, which is a conscious choice on the designer’s part, who wanted such a "physical" feel to it, and there is no visual indicator of the selected input or power-on state. The latter is only indicated by the glowing vacuum tubes’ filaments. At the bottom, the four small cuboids placed in the corners around the cylinder house output transformers and a plate power supply choke. In a single ended triode circuit, the output transformers are key to a good sound as they shape the overall sonic characteristics. The ones used in the Block have been designed by Mr. Marian Kopecki and made in his company MarioVox, just like the whole electronic circuit. It is attested by an appropriate logo that features on the circuit board. Input signal connectors and speaker terminals are located in a deep recess on the back of the unit. It may not be very convenient but one can live with that. It is evident that the designer aimed to shorten the signal path and to separate the different amplifier’s sections. Coupling capacitors are large Wimas and the potentiometer is an ALPS model. Inputs are switched with reed relays, also used by McIntosh, among others. These are top quality components. The Block is a tube amplifier with solid state power supply. Rated power output is merely 5.5 Watts per channel, as the output stage employs a single EL34 power pentode operating in single ended Class A. The amplifier includes a quality power cord that has nothing to do with the plastic crap of PC power supply variety, which often comes as standard. Here we get the Ölflex Classic 110 CY, a thick braided shielded cable from Lapp Kabel. It uses copper stranded wire in the screen of tinned copper. It is equipped with quite solid plugs from Castorama. However, if you really want to use this power cord, you should terminate it with Oyaide or Furutech plugs. The amplifier’s enclosure is made of stainless steel. The machine has a very distinct shape and stands out from all other amplifier designs that I know. Its owners will know that they have something special in their hand, also indicated by special inscriptions on the rear panel, with the signatures of its makers, Mr. Marian Kopecki (electronics) and Mr. Mateusz Główka (external design). Specification (according to the manufacturer) Power Output: 2 x 5,5 W Frequency Range: 30 Hz – 30 kHz/-2 dB Power Consumption: 98 W Inputs: 2 x line level inputs, 1 x phono input (MM) Tube Complement: 2 x E34L, 2 x E88C, 2 x 6N6P Weight: 18 kg Dimensions: 339 x 288 x 208 mm (WxDxH, without tubes) [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/17.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/17.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/17.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/18.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/18.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/18.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/19.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/19.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/19.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/20.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/20.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/20.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1409/glab/th/21.jpg" big="foto_testy/1409/glab/21.jpg" src="foto_testy/1409/glab/21.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

BA started in 1981 with one amplifier and one preamplifier. There were companies with even more humble beginnings. Let’s take QA/12P for example – a power amplifier from the company later known as QUAD. Or McIntosh presented the same year across the Big Pond, which debuted in 1949 with the 50W-1 power amplifier (followed the next year by the AE-1 preamplifier). And a two year younger preamplifier from Marantz sold under the name Audio Consolette. And, of course, Mark Levinson with its LNP-1 preamplifier launched in 1972 (to relate in terms of time to YBA). Today, all of them are classic manufacturers that offer a whole range of products, including digital components. This is also the case with the French company. Although at the very beginning it offered classic, analog audio components, its today’s product lineup includes CD players and CD transports as well. And its preamplifiers feature D/A converters on board. I just wonder whether Yves Bernard André, the founder and company’s “brains,” whose initials gave YBA its name, expected such a pretty outcome… The external factors came to help as well. In 2009, part of the company’s shares were bought by one of the Chinese companies, a manufacturer of many high-end components. In 2011 Jackie Pugh was employed as part of the management team. She had been cooperating with the founder for quite some time. Those actions allowed the company to reappear on the world audio map. YBA’s new face was presented in May 2012. This was when four renewed lines of components went into production, including the Design, Heritage, Passion and the most expensive Signature line. In May 2013 the Genesis line joined the group and the existing products were upgraded. For example, the preamplifier under review now allows to switch off the digital section altogether when using the analog inputs. The Passion line, whose part is the PRE550, now also includes a CD player. The products of this company cannot be mistaken for anything else. Even if the meters on the front panel are nothing special, those on the YBA faceplate look different, somewhat “sharper” if I may say so. The visual design seems to be an important part of the whole concept, as if the creators worked on the premise that a beautiful interior is not enough to satisfy a discerning and picky audiophile. As if they were true aesthetes in the full sense of the word. Mr. Yves Bernard André had worthy examples to follow, too. As he discloses in a 2013 interview for “Mono and Stereo,” in 1981 he used to work for such iconic manufacturers as Swiss Goldmund and French Audax. We learn from the same interview that the audio components can look this and no other way, without costing an arm and a leg, only thanks to the present business model – they are designed in France and manufactured in China, in a factory with lots of experience in manufacturing audio products. Just have a look at the pair under review and tell if it is not beautiful. This is a two-piece amplifier and DAC in one. The digital module is to be found in the PRE550 preamplifier, although its official name “Pre Amplifier” does not implicate that. Even though the company has a lot of experience with digital sound processing, its founder is a hard core analog fan who owns 5,000 LPs. The power amplifier looks traditional, although there are eye catching details like the power output meter on the front panel or the radiators shaped into the company name. I saw similar ones in Italian amplifiers from Pathos. The components rest on three feet; one in front, two in the back, which is also the company’s trademark. Albums auditioned during this review Billie Holiday, Billie Holiday, Clef/UMG Recordings UCCV-9470, „David Stone Martin 10 inch Collector’s Selection”, CD (1954/2013). Charlie Haden & John Taylor, Nightfall, Naim Label naimcd077, CD (2004). Dominic Miller & Neil Stacey, New Dawn, Naim naimcd066, CD (2002). Eric Clapton, Journeyman, Warner Bros. Records/Audio Fidelity AFZ 180, „Limited Edition No, 0281”, SACD/CD (1989/2014). Guru Guru, Live in Germany ‘71, Cleopatra Records CLP 6844-2, CD (2011). Jerzy Milan Trio, Bazaar, Polskie Nagrania “Muza”/GAD Records GAD CD 017, „Polish Jazz vol 17”, CD (1069/2014). Kenny Burrell, Soul Call, Prestige/JVC JVCXR-0210-2, XRCD2 (1964/?). Martin Kolbe, Blue Moment, Stockfisch SFR 357.1021.2, CD (2014). Ornette Coleman, The Shape of Jazz to Come, Atlantic Records/ORG Music ORGM-1081, SACD/CD (1959/2013). Ted Sirota’s Rebel Souls, Rebel Roots, Naim naimcd014, CD (1996). Vangelis, Blade Runner Trilogy. 25th Anniversary, soundtrack, Universal Music K.K. (Japan) 550689 4, 3 x CD (1998, 1991/2007). Vangelis, Blade Runner, soundtrack, reż. Ridley Scott, Atlantic Records/Audio Fidelity AFZ 154, „Limited Numbered Edition No. 2398”, SACD/CD (1982/2013). Japanese CD editions are available from [REKLAMA5] It has been a long time since I last saw any audio components from YBA. My last contact with a view to a review took place in 2005, when I reviewed the Passion 600 preamplifier for the Polish magazine "Audio." And honestly speaking, I only have a vague recollection of that. Reading through my notes and finding references to it in my reviews of other components that have since been published in "High Fidelity", it is not hard to figure out that I made a good impression on me, because I used to often refer to it, and used it as an auxiliary component in several other reviews. One thing that I remember very well from that time was a great organization of the sound, provided by the PRE600. It was a disciplined, very "orderly" sound, in the sense that everything in it had its own place. The PRE550 paired with the AMP650 repeats that experience, if not with a certain "twist," moving the sound in the direction of vividness and fullness. The sound of the combo, mated with KLB mains power accessories and Acoustic Revive cables, seems warm and dense. I would not exaggerate with the "warmth", and will shortly talk about the treble, but the "density" is perfectly spot-on. The components seem to have a boosted lower midrange. I have no doubt about it, especially after auditioning tonally neutral recordings, like Charlie Haden and John Taylor’s Nightfall, but also after listening to albums with electronica, which I know perfectly well from other performances, such as Vangelis’ Blade Runner featuring the soundtrack to the film of the same title. Every aspect of the music reproduced by YBA comes to us "wrapped" in something extra, which gives the effect of sound’s presence and meatiness. It can be best heard in the sound of acoustic and classical guitars. I know New Dawn from the duo Dominic Miller and Neil Stacey through and through; I have had it for years and still listen to it both for pleasure and during my reviews to audition various audio components. The sound engineer (not Ken Christianson this time; the disc lacks any information on who is responsible for the sound) made sure that both musicians’ guitars sound "big," but without exaggerating with their thickness. The YBA followed suit and brought them out of the background even more, with every phrase having its weight and "presence." And "presence" is another thing that distinguishes the French system from others. The sound it offers is at a hand’s reach. But it is not pushed out in front of the speakers, let alone thrown at a listener’s face. The YBA make the instruments materialize in front of us, but if you want to "touch" them, you need to reach out to them, rather than expect the sound to "reach out" to you. Perhaps because of such a character, or for some other reason, most of the time I spent with the YBA system was occupied by jazz recordings that made for a majority of CDs I was fetching from the shelves. Let me emphasize it here that it was not because others sounded worse. It is rather that a specific set of sonic characteristics and certain design choices made by the designers from the French company, make us interested in the sound of albums we know as well as new ones, but mostly within the jazz idiom. I have already mentioned Haden and Taylor. The album of the duo, recorded for the Naim Label by Ken Christianson in the True Stereo system, without any further processing, sounds insanely good. Although I have to admit I was once not too fond of it, and it seemed somewhat. With my increasingly better audio system, perhaps combined with more maturity along the years, I came to like it more and more. Now I listen to it for pleasure much more often than I could have imagined. In any case, the system from France showed both musicians in a ​​reliable space, well communicated with each other (they actually stood close to each other during the recording). The timbre of both instruments was dense and seemed to be "warm." This is the second time I mention the "warmth" of presentation, putting the term in inverted commas, so it is time to explain myself. A fuller lower midrange, which is what we are faced with, sets up the YBA’s sonic texture. The sound is based on proximity and immediacy. What sounds most beautiful is the instruments and vocals located in the middle of frequency range. Except that it happens without limiting everything to just the midrange. The treble has an open, strong character, with plenty of energy in the range corresponding to the higher registers of the vibraphone, drum cymbals, etc. That is why the remaster of Jerzy Milian Trio’s Bazaar sounded so wonderful. The album, with the cover art designed by Marek Karewicz (you can find information about his book Big Beat HERE), recorded by Mrs. Sophia Gajewska, also responsible, among others, for Czesław Niemen’s early albums, with vocals by Ewa Wanat from Novi Singers, is just perfect. No wonder it was released in the prestigious Polish Jazz series. The remaster commissioned by GAD Records has been done with great care. Without trying to overcome the dry sound of the instruments – the sign of the time and place where the disc was recorded - it presents them as sounding pretty and deep. It is a great bonus as all discs are played back with punch, without bringing them down. Such shaped sonic characteristic needs to be paid for with something. It may perhaps be even less audible in the flagship Signature line. However, since there is no such thing as a "transparent" system, even the latter have some special features that probably come to the fore. In the Passion line, the downside is that the instruments are not particularly selective and the preamplifier operates with bigger planes, like the whole instrument rather than its particular sonic details. It is audible straight away and does not need to be verified later on – it is simply that way and that’s it. The question of resolution is therefore all the more interesting. I think that it is the resolution that ultimately gives the whole a kind of imprimatur, opening up a sound that seems to be "warm," with a full-bodied lower midrange. This is a resolution without hyper-detailness, with the kind of detailness that is actually hidden in the shade of larger presuppositions. It manifests itself in the fact that the sound is very vivid and well differentiated at the same time. Moreover, the resolution has a positive influence on the listener’s involvement in a given recording or album. As I have said earlier, we are particularly drawn into jazz. And that is “a chain of events,” in which we select another CD because it has something in common with the previous one. I started my auditions with Rebel Roots from Ted Sirota’s Rebel Souls issued by Naim Label. In the album booklet Ted Sirota, the drummer, refers to Ornette Coleman to explain his choices. And how could I then not listen to the key record of that saxophone player and composer, The Shape of Jazz to Come? Especially if I own it in the form of ORG Music release. And from Coleman it is not too far to, still missed, Charlie Haden who took part in the recording of that CD. I was most impressed, however, with the way the YBA showed the importance of tonal quality in electronica recordings, and how clearly it demonstrated the need for the same approach to remastering this kind of material as to the masterpieces of jazz music. I will refer to only one example, but one that says it all. In the composition Rachel's Song, the fourth track on the music score to the movie Blade Runner directed by Ridley Scott (1982), you can hear a gentle hum at about 0:20. Evidently, the hum is present on one of the mix tracks recorded by Vangelis. Its volume increases slowly so the hum appears gently, but it is there, nevertheless. On the three-disc remaster, issued for the 25th anniversary of the movie, the distortion is barely audible and on a less resolving audio system it could almost be perceived as part of the sound of one of the electronic instruments. That happens because this particular release, while rich musically, has a rather “thin” and dry sound. We know that we deal with a hum thanks to the Audio Fidelity remaster made by Kevin Grey in Coherent Studio. Its tonal balance is set lower and the sound is much richer in emotions, layers and simply deeper. Isolated from the background, the hum is an obvious sound engineering flaw, a distortion. It is, nevertheless, part of the original recording, part of a “document”. The fact that it is clearly audible is the result of YBA’s excellent resolution and ability to differentiate (although within the constraints mentioned above). It is just a trifle but the instruments, vocals and details are presented with the same quality. That makes the presentation much more credible and authentic. One of the bonuses that we receive together with the PRE550 is a complete, fully-blown DAC. As we will soon see, it is a totally independent, complete component, placed in the same enclosure with the preamplifier. And, which can be said straight away, it sounds very nice. The sound is very similar to that offered by my Ancient Audio Lektor Air V-edition. It is therefore open, with a good balance and without sharpening, but it is not withdrawn. That is great, because we get a good, genuine sound both from the computer via a USB cable and from the CD transport via RCAs. It may have slight less vividness and depth and shallower soundstage compared with an external CD player. Yet I would not expect miracles from the built-in DAC; what it does is done very well. Conclusion It is with great ease that the system transfers us into the atmosphere of the recording. Actually, irrespective of the recording, the sound is deep and strong, with great lower midrange and large phantom images. The resolution is particularly good. It manifests itself in excellent differentiation of musical planes and the sonic character of individual instruments, and a good insight into the recording. But without getting overly detailed, because the selectivity is not so exceptional. The lower bass is not as well controlled as in my reference system. But what is above that range, as the bass drum, can be surprising with great dynamics and excellent liquidity. The French system looks great, the workmanship is perfect and it comes from a "cult" audio manufacturer. It employs best quality passive and active electronic components. The preamplifier is a joy to use and it brings in a super-bonus: a DAC with AirPlay. All in all, a dense, "warm" sound with a highly energetic and sweet-sounding treble. The components in the Passion line share the same visual design concept, with a front panel milled in such a way that it seems to consist of two overlapping surfaces. The design is shared by the Signature, Passion and Genesis lines. The Heritage line has its simplified version and the Design line a completely different one. Both components feature a display in the center of their front panel. The preamplifier’s is a pretty OLED screen that displays the name of the selected input and volume level, while the power amplifier sports a power output display screen. The enclosures of both units are made of aluminum. They rest on three feet, one in front and two in the rear. The feet are aluminum cylinders with the semi-circular pads. The ones under the rear feet are made of rubber and the one under the front foot is aluminum-made. The units are available in natural aluminum or black anodized finish. The mains power switches are hidden from sight on the bottom panel, right at the front edge. The machines come with a remote control unit that controls the preamplifier and certain functions of the power amplifier. It can also control the CD players that sport the Philips CD-Pro2 drive, including my Lektor. Moreover, it is the first remote I have come across, which is capable of controlling the output level of the Polish CD player! The remote is made of aluminum, and looks solid and pretty. And it is quite handy. To select the unit to be operated one needs to press the corresponding button. A slight problem, for me, was that the same button is also used to switch off the power. It was therefore necessary to press it in such a way that the component did not "see" it. The remote lets you dim the display screens, or switch them off. You can also set a "base" output signal level that is present on each power on, or to which we can return with another button. It is a really handy feature. This is certainly one of those remote controls that come handy in daily use. PRE550 In addition to the window with the display screen, the front panel catches our attention with two small knobs. One of them is a volume knob, the other one being input selector. The volume knob, although coupled with an encoder rather than potentiometer, moves with a perceptible resistance, as in classic volume regulators. Apart from the two knobs, the only other components on the faceplate are two toggle switches. One is used to absolute phase change, and the other one to mute output. The switches are equipped with accompanying LEDs. The rear panel is solid. It is a combination of a thick aluminum "frame" and polished metal sheet, with all input and output connectors bolted to it. One of the "windows" groups analog connectors: the balanced XLR input and two unbalanced RCA inputs. It also features three preamplifier outputs: one balanced XLR and two single ended RCAs. The other "window" groups digital input connectors: USB (24/192), RCA, TOSLINK, BNC, AES/EBU, USB for the iPod and I2S on the Ethernet (RJ-45) port. CD transports and digital players from Ayon and a transport from Pro-Ject feature the same type of outputs. I wonder if they are compatible with each other. Adjacent to the digital outputs is a small plastic "projection" – it is the AirPlay module. The unit weighs 12.5 kg, which is quite a lot for a preamplifier. Much of that can be attributed to a heavy aluminum "floor", which forms the base for the entire chassis. Quite a lot of weight is added, however, by two really massive transformers. A double-C type transformer powers the analog section, while the other one, most likely toroidal, is enclosed in a shield cup and handles the digital section. Although the PRE550 is called a "preamplifier," these are actually two equal components in one: a preamplifier and a DAC. The latter is mounted on a large printed circuit board, with a plugged in smaller daughter board. The daughter board houses the USB input circuit and the Bluetooth wireless module. The PCB also sports a USB input and a mini-jack socket, so it looks like a complete module designed for a wide use in digital audio components. The preamplifier can be connected to a home Ethernet network. The electrical inputs are coupled via impedance matching transformers, with wooden cubes glued onto them. The DAC circuit employs two Cirrus Logic CS4398 D/A converters, one for each channel. The chips have small wooden tiles glued onto them. The same procedure is repeated by YBA in several other places, including the power amplifier, and is intended to reduce chip vibration. Before the signal is sent to the DAC chips, it is first upsampled to 24/192, regardless of which input it comes from. Upsampling is handled by a Burr Brown SRC43821. I/V conversion, filtering and buffering circuits employ International Semiconductor TL072 opamps. Quality passive components are visible throughout. They include polypropylene capacitors and Sanyo electrolytic capacitors, used in the best digital audio equipment. One can also see characteristic resistors with the YBA logo, looking similar to Dale resistors. The preamplifier circuit is also based on operational amplifiers and integrated resistor ladder networks. The op amps are International Semiconductor TL072, the same as the ones used in the DAC, but here mounted in sockets. Volume control circuit sports two Burr Brown PGA2320 ICs, one per channel. The preamplifier has a fully balanced topology, from the input to output. Near the output are huge polypropylene capacitors from Vishay, most likely used as coupling capacitors. The power supply is extremely elaborate. It is based on a large 190 W Ul-core transformer, suspended on tall rubber pads. The transformer has three secondary windings, separately for both channels and for the microprocessor circuit. The filtering circuit sports no less than 12 large BC capacitors. The power supply circuit also includes polypropylene capacitors from Vishay. A fantastic job throughout! AMP650 Although a power amplifier is usually just a dull box, in this case care was taken to overcome that by equipping the front panel with a power output meter. It is only for decorative use, though, because it is not even scaled. Just a tip moving against an amber background. The backlight brightness is adjustable in four steps with the remote control unit, and can also be switched off altogether. The amplifier’s rear panel sports two pairs of average quality gold plated speaker binding posts (per channel) and five inputs. Two of the inputs are balanced and the other two unbalanced, and they are all used to connect to the preamplifier. The fifth input is balanced only and is used to feed the amplifier with the mono signal when using the AMP650 as a monoblock in a bridged balanced mode. The entire enclosure is made of aluminum, its most characteristic feature being the massive radiators along both sides, in the shape of the YBA logo. The power amp circuits are mounted directly to the radiators, from the inside. The output stage feature transistors in a TO-3 type enclosure, these days rarely seen in audio equipment. These are ON Semiconductor MJ15024G + MJ15025G bipolar transistors. The PCB also sports plenty of quality passive components, such as high-precision low-noise resistors and polypropylene capacitors from Vishay. The latter have wooden cubes glued onto them for controlled vibration damping. The power supply is based on a massive 1000 W Ul-core transformer, which mostly contributes to the amplifier’s considerable weight. The filtering circuit includes eight large capacitors. Specifications (according to the manufacture) PRE550 Inputs: • Digital: I2S, AES / EBU, optical, RCA, BNC, USB, iPod, AirPlay • Analog: 2 x RCA | 1 x XLR Outputs: • Digital: RCA • Analog: 2 x RCA | 1 x XLR S/N Ratio: > 105 dB Frequency response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz (0.5 dB) THD + N (20 Hz - 20 kHz): 95 dB Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz (0.5 dB) Dimensions (W x H x D): 430 x 397 x 178 mm Weight: 25 kg [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/yba/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/yba/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/yba/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/yba/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/yba/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/yba/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/yba/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/yba/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/yba/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/yba/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/yba/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/yba/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/yba/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/yba/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/yba/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/yba/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/yba/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/yba/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/yba/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/yba/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/yba/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/yba/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/yba/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/yba/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/yba/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/yba/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/yba/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/yba/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/yba/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/yba/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/yba/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/yba/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/yba/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/yba/th/19.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/yba/19.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/yba/19.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/yba/th/20.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/yba/20.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/yba/20.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/yba/th/21.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/yba/21.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/yba/21.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/yba/th/22.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/yba/22.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/yba/22.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

ast few years belonged to planar-magnetic headphones. Oppo chose the same technology for its cans which was sort of confirmation for fans of this technology that this was the right way to go. So far in the 21st century this technology was used by small companies that might be called "professional audio enthusiasts". The scale of their production had to be limited, materials used were rather expensive so final prices one had to pay for them placed them among most expensive ones on the market. One has to pay a lot for a luxury product – one of golden rules of free market. But recently it started to change: HiFiMAN developed a new version of their HE-500 model. The design is bit different, some other materials are used and the new model name is HE-560. So today it seems possible that thanks to lower production costs we might see in a near future planar magnetic cans also in lower segments of the market. The history makes a full circle. The beginning of this technology belonged not to small companies but to industry's giants. The first design that today would be called planar-magnetic came from loudspeaker specialist, British company called Wharfedale. Manufacturer named this project: Isodynamic, users called it ID1, and these headphones looked like a product for professional use in studios. They were designed by Oliver Hill and his team, Rank Radio International Ltd. They were introduced to the market in 1972 in a quite attractive price of 20 British pounds. A year later they received a prestigious Design Council Award. While they offered a very good performance and looks they had one significant (especially at the time) downside - a very low efficiency. At 120Ω they required several watts of power to show their true potential. It turned out that the market wasn't prepared for such a requirement and while there were few other attempts like Yamaha's designs or more recent Fostex TR50RP – they never became really popular. The name „isodynamic” didn't last. Today other words used is „orthodynamic”. It comes from a Greek „orthos” („right”, „correct”, „proper”) and „dynamikós” („powerful”). The name „orthodynamic” was created by Yamaha in 1976 for particular type of their headphones. Over time it became a synonym of whole group of products. It's the same story as with words like Xerox, that today is used a any copying machine, or Velcro, or Tannoy that in Great Britain is used for a „PA”. Another word used for HiFiMAN's, Audeze's, Oppo's products is: „planar- magnetic”. „Planar” means „flat” which seems were appropriate considering the type of transducer used in these cans. Each and every of these terms tries to describe the design in its own way. Whatever name one should use the HE-560 design is combined of a flat diaphragm (not cone-shaped like most used in loudspeakers), and the moving element is a very thin, light, flat membrane with metal paths working as coil. Membrane is placed over special frame and placed inside magnetic field that is applied from both sides, or sometimes just from one. The coil works in a homogeneous magnetic field (hence “isodynamic”). The magnetic field might be generated by permanent magnets and than such designs (loudspeakers of phones) are called MAGNETOSTATIC, or by electromagnet and than the design is called ELECTROSTATYC. The movement of a coil is cause by a current flow – musical signal. HE-560 belongs to (if my counting is correct) a third generation of HiFiMAN headphones. The company ran by an American with Chinese origin, Mr Fang Bian, is registered in USA, which offers much latitude in everyday business. Its design office, chief designer Mr He (his name is placed on all headphones), and the factory reside in China. The reviewed model is a sort of new opening in company's history. They sport a different mechanical design and different looks. The ‘560’ are also, at least for orthodynamics, quite light weighting only 390 g. What caught my attention was natural veneer on teak wood ear cups, leather and velour and ear-pads and a double headband. According to manufacturer the ultimate goal was “to offer similar performance to that of HE-6, that was believed by many to be the top headphones currently available on the market”. The new model is delivered in a wooden box with a metal front and HiFiMAN's logo on it. Differences comparing to HE-500: lower weight (- 25%), new ear cups with natural veneer finish, new design of headband with a different adjustment system, new transducers, higher efficiency: + 7 dB. HiFiMAN w „High Fidelity” TEST: HiFiMAN HE-300 – headphones, see HERE TEST: HiFiMAN HM-602 + EF-5 + HE-4 – DAP + headphone amplifier + headphones, see HERE TEST: HiFiMAN HE-500 | HiFiMAN HE-6 - headphones, see HERE Recordings used during test (a selection) Okihiko Sugano Record Collection, Victor Edition/Trio Edition, Audio Meister XRCG-30025-8, 4 x XRCD24 (2012); Vinyl Magic for High Fidelity, sampler, DVD-R, vinylmagic.pl, 16-24-32/44,1, WAV, ripy z DVD-R. Black Sabbath, 13, Vertigo/Universal Music LLC (Japan) UICN-1034/5, 2 x SHM-CD (2013). Brainticket, The Vintage Anthology 1971-1980, Cleopatra | Purple Pyramid Records 57594829, 4 x CD (2011). Brian Eno, Craft On A Milk Sea, Warp Records WARPCDD207, 2 x 180 g LP + 2 x CD + 24/44,1 WAV; Chopin, Waltzes, wyk. Dinu Lipatti, EMI Records CDC 7 47390 2, CD (1950/1986). Cyrus Chestnut, Midnight Melodies, Smoke Sessions Records SSR-1408, CD (2014); Depeche Mode, Soothe My Soul, Columbia/Sony Music/RiTonis, ProXLCDr/P.0006, SP CD-R (2013). Frank Sinatra, Songs For Swingin’ Lovers!, Capitol/Mobile Fidelity, UDCD 538, Gold-CD (1956/1990). Mobley/Cohn/Coltrane/Sims, Tenor Conclave, Prestige/Analogue Productions CPRJ 7074 SA, SACD/CD (1957/2014). Nat “King” Cole, Welcome to the Club, Columbia/Audio Fidelity AFZ 153, SACD/CD (1959/2013). Peter Gabriel, So, Realworld/Virgin SAPGCD5, SACD/CD (1987/2003). Japanese CD editions are available from [REKLAMA5] Knowing almost all HiFiMAN's cans one could say that this company each time when offering a more expensive product tries to offer some advantages over its less expensive predecessor, plus in each case it does result in a better performance, better sound. But here is another thing that is as true as the previous one: despite similarities between HiFiMan's model, the differences are as significant. The same goes for the products from present portfolio (at any moment) as well as for new ones meant to replace older ones. The new HE-560 are a great example as the model that is sort of new opening for HiFiMan. The sound of these cans places them not really above nor below any older model but rather somewhere at the side. Where? That's easy: imagine a 3D coordinate system with dots as reference to quality on a vertical axis, tonality on one of the horizontal ones and a spacing on the other. On quality axis HE-560 would be placed below HE-6 and Audeze LCD-3, but very close to Sennheiser HD-800. On tonality axis they would be close to LCD-3 and AKG K701 rather than to HE-6 and HD-800. And finally on spacial axis they would be close to LCD-3, AKG K701 and HD-800, slightly lower comparing to HE-6, and a lot lower than Ultrasone Edition 5. Can you visualize that? One could full oneself that audio is about simple choices. But in reality it is about choosing, or balancing between many variables, among which these above mentioned three are the most basic ones. But there are also other factors in play – personal preferences, and problems that appear in particular system. One thing that is absolutely clear is that this cans sound differently than any other made by HiFiMan before. They sound more... tenderly, the tonality is more pastel-like. Take any recording and you'll get a nice performance but first of all a relaxed presentation. Even when playing music that always creates some problems like Peter Gabriel's 2003 So album SACD re-issue HE-560 will create a nicely balanced sound without usual aggressive style. This particular issue of a great album isn't really very good – it sound harsh, with hardened attack and without any content “behind” the sound which leaves listener missing something in what he hears. The best CD and SACD players are able to “fix” that without changing sound's structure. They simply soften the attack, and somehow put an ease to this something “behind” the sound that bothers listener not allowing him to enjoy the music. The reviewed headphones were able to do a similar job here. They played So in a “softer” way, because treble was rather pastel, smooth and liquid. I listened to several recording trying to establish whether it was about treble roll-off or not and I didn't think so, it was not the case. It seemed that HE-560 offered even better, more extended treble than dynamic cans like Sennheiser HD-800 and Ultrasone Edition 5. I won't even mention AKG K701, because they belong to these cans with a tonality “modified” to emphasize midrange and thus treble plays only a secondary role there. I'd say that HE-560 sounded more like Audeze LCD-3. This is a very particular design that turned amazing density and lack of aggression in treble into a virtue. The bigger credit goes to Mr He, who designed HE-560 among other cans of this brand! This time customers get quite expensive cans but offering sound that comes close to even more expensive designs. One should not expect any unpleasant surprises in the treble area. When the source already hardens the attack also HE-560 will show it that way. Sound won't be so spacial and treble won't shine so much, but the sound in general will still be on a “sunny” side of things, still enjoyable, relaxing. But time a recording allows it cans will deliver an open, rich, sparking and vibrant treble. Thus it should be easy to hear the differences between PCM 24/192 and DSD files. The latter will sound amazingly well, smooth, rich, and sounding in a more natural way than when played from Hi-Res PCM. The resolution that HE-560 offer might not be among the best I know, also selectivity isn't best, but all changes in tonality, in a way that leading edge is presented are clearly conveyed in a very inoffensive, relaxed way. The whole range benefits from it. Bass is rich and nicely extended, there is a slight emphasize on the midrange but small enough not to introduce any negative consequences. But even more important is what happens “behind” the sound. HE-560 deliver a silky, black background. The HE-6, my personal HiFiMan's favorite model as well as the amazing LCD-3 – they do not present this background in a such a sophisticated way. The reviewed cans present music in a very agile way while still sounding rich and smooth. Whether it was Shubert's Arpeggione sonata in A minor played by Janos Starker with Shuku Iwasaki on JVC special edition disc, or 13 by Black Sabbath, HE-560 played it effortlessly, easily, without assigning any noticeable character to the sounds. I mean there is some sound signature by it is not strong enough to impose itself on the sound that we can hear. It is not about withdrawing from sound, about not being present which could involve missing also some part of the music because of headphones. What I mean is like few professional athletes running in some charity event together with amateurs. It doesn't matter how fast they run, what matters is why they they run. That will make their performance effortless, joyful, as they won't have to prove anything to anybody. And they still will be much faster than amateurs. So their performance will be more of a ballet rather than fight. To realize what HE-560 really bring to the table one has to compare them with the top competitors and even that it will take a lot of effort to find all differences. If one just listens to them one would probably say that they offer sort of silky sound, level across the board and one would probably mention also this special, black background. To define what more the more expensive cans have to offer will be much more difficult. One could point out particular elements but it will be difficult to name them and to figure out why they are actually better. The HE-560 are less selective than all other above mentioned headphones except for AKG. The latter focus on the richness of the sound, on imaging which makes their sound signature similar to the one of HiFiMans. Cans from US offer better tonality balance, better timbre and a nicer treble. HE-6 are able to deliver larger phantom images (instruments and voices), and LCD-3 even bigger ones. The reviewed cans are not able to deliver that at such a high level. The imaging is still very good but not as holographic, not as palpable. They are able to present the interaction between music and room's acoustics, reverberations. That allows HE-560 to offer very good spacing and imaging and the whole presentation seems agile, lively and effortless. But still the images are smaller than when presented by properly driven HE-6 and LCD-3, not so three-dimensional and they tend to be more “infused” into the background. Summary Each new HiFiMAN's headphone model introduced something new, some new qualities to the sound. Switching from HE-500 to HE-560 changes the perspective, the way we look at the music. The former are more direct, more precise, they try to show as much as possible as fast as possible. When you switch to HE-560 you can hear that older model does all that but at the expense of coherency. They still perform very well but new model is simply better in this aspect. Also their treble is more sophisticated, more vibrant, sparkling, they better differentiate even smallest differences in tonality and density, they deliver a proper weight of cymbals for example. Even more expensive HE-6 can not compete in this area and only LCD-3 could still win. The resolution of treble is very good. It's the midrange and bass that are not so rich with information as are to top planar magnetic models. These both parts of the range are rich and dense, but the resolution is that good. One still has to love the sound but some information that is delivered by more expensive cans is missing here. Sennheiser HD-800 seem to perform better in this particular aspect too. There is no smearing of the sound – these are planar-magnetic cans after all, but it doesn't sound tough either. It's a great compromise between what has to be presented in a distinct way and pushing this feature to hard which results usually in a nervous presentation that is simply not correct. It is the first HiFiMAN model sounding like this. These are damn good cans and I bet that whatever this company learned when creating them will be developed, improved and finally used for an even better, and surely more expensive design. A mellow, dense sound with nicely extended bass and impressive treble that's what makes this model special among planar-magnetic kind. That's how HE-560 sound like. When it comes to headphones it is equally important how they sound themselves and how they combined with a particular amplifier. Differences between different combinations of the same cans with various amplifiers are bigger than in a loudspeaker/amplifier setup. HE-560 worked in three systems. The basic setup for this test included Bakoon HPA-21 amplifier and Ancient Audio Lektor V-Edition CD Player. The second system combined tube amplifier Leben CS-300 XS [Custom Version] with RCM Audio Sensor Prelude IC phonostage and PTP Audio Solid9 turntable. And finally the last system included HP Pavilion dv7 laptop with SSD and 8 GB RAM and Windows 8.1. JPLAY player sent signal via Acoustic Revive USB-1.0SP (1 m) cable, with separate runs for signal and power, to a very special product: AURALiC Gemmini 2000. This system allowed me to listen to Hi-Res PCM files (including DXD) and DSD64 and DSD128 files. HE-560 worked very well with each amplifier although I'd rather suggest a high-power solid-state partner, not a low-power tube one. If you prefer tube amplification it should be fine as long as it is able to deliver enough power. These headphone's efficiency is quite high but if you want them to offer a dense, rich sound you will need a lot of power. These cans clearly response to a quality of the received signal but not in a nervous way. Simply the better the amplifier and the source the better performance of the HE-560. The sound of DSD files was simply fantastic, with great dynamics, smoothness and naturalness of the best kind. This system (with Gemmini) offered particularly pleasant listening experience. The magnetostatic designs are also called planar-magnetic or orthodynamic. A large coil is placed (usually) between to magnet arrays and it moves while signals flows through it. The magnets must be placed in such a way that the flow of air on both side is seamless. Surely they will always disturb the flow of air in some way so manufacturers always look to find an optimal shape of magnets. The improvements that Audeze did introduce to their cans actually improved the flow of air. The new element that improves air dispersion is called Fazor. Most models used magnets on both sides of coil to ensure more even magnetic field on both sides of moving membrane. Sometimes companies decide to use magnets only on one side, leaving the side directed on the ear free of elements disrupting air flow. This solution also has its downsides like: necessity of using stronger magnets and unsymmetrical air flow on both sides of the membrane which introduces some distortions to the sound. It's a designer's job to decided which sort of distortion he prefers to fight. When designing HE-560 Mr He decided that he preferred to fight distortions caused by asymmetrical magnet system as these are placed only on one side of the coil. The new cans have also a different headband. All previous HiFiMAN models had earpads integrated with headband that rested directly on users head. That the way used also by other brands like: Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, Ultrasone, Audeze, Oppo and many others. Now there is a separate metal arch and an additional element that directly touches the head. Similar solution is used by AKG and also a new, American company Abbys, AB-1266 model in particular. What's interesting is that Abyss also makes magnetostatic cans with magnets placed only on one side of the coil. I didn't see them myself yet but from a description it seems that they chose yet another solution placing magnet array on the ear side, leaving the “outer” side open. HE-560 look very nice and it seems that fit&finish is even better than in any previous model. It clearly shows that company and designers are aware of what their competitors offer. That's why the outer wooden rings on large, round earcups bring Audeze immediately to mind do Audeze. The nicer look come, I believe, form nicer elements that create the general impression. It is clear that one of the goals was to take off as much weight as possible and that is why some metal elements were replaced with plastic ones, and the headband in very thin (and probably that is why there is this additional element that is placed directly on the head), also some elements of earcups are now made of plastic. Also the pads were redesigned for this model. Instead of even, thick rolls around ears covered with velour the new ones have leather elements on the side and velour on the part that comes in direct contact with ears. The leather part enhances bass reproduction as it doesn't allow low frequencies to “escape” via a narrow opening between head and earcup. The pads are now shaped in a way that angles membranes towards ears. This solution has been used by Audeze and Abyss before. HE-560 are delivered in a nice, wooden box with a 3m long OFC cable. It's quite a good cable but if you want even better performance you should think about replacing stock cable with Polish one from Forza Audio Works or Swedish Entreq. HE-560 are quite different from previous model both sound-wise and look-wise. On one hand they look better and the other design seems bit less solid than previous ones. It's a classic compromise, a decision that was made by manufacturer – they wanted a lighter cans that could interest a wider group of potential customers. It is already clear that this was only a first step that shows the direction, the way the company is going to develop their new products and the other brand new product called HE-400i confirmed that. I think this is the right decision but the HE-6 still are the best cans this company made so far. Specifications (according to manufacturer) Driver: planar magnetic Design: open back Impedance: 50 Ω Sensitivity: 90 dB Frequency response: 15 – 50 000 Hz Cable: OCC 99,997 Cable length: 3 m Weight without cable: 390 g [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/hifiman/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

ost of Poles realize that there are two countries in Europe who's flags are a combination of horizontal white and red strips. One of them is Monaco with red stripe above white one, and the other is obviously the Republic of Poland with white stripe above the red one. Probably much less people realize that there is one more country with a similar flag - Indonesia. Republic of Indonesia is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia and Oceania area with a population of 237.600.00 people (4th largest in the world). It's capitol, Jakarta, itself has more than 8 million inhabitants. Indonesia is in fact an archipelago comprising of 17.508 islands with around 6.000 of them uninhabited. Indonesia gained its independence after the Second World War in 1945 but it derives its origin from the middle age empire called Madjapahit. The 800 years old flag is one similarity with Poland but the national emblem, a golden eagle, a mythical bird Garuda Pancasila, is another as it also looks a lot like our white eagle. The Indonesian cousin holds a scroll in his legs that says: „Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” („Unity in Diversity”) which comes obviously from a great diversity of this country. Among almost 240 million people living in this country there are almost 300 ethnic groups speaking 250 different languages (583 including different dialects). The official language is Bahasa Indonesia. It is a country with its history deeply rooted in the Middle Ages, with large population of extraordinary diversity. The larger, the more diversified population the more creative individuals can be found within it. Despite that fact audio products manufactured there are a true rarity in Europe. Same goes for India, a country with even bigger population. I am pretty sure though that there are many Indonesian brands that are known in Asia. In Poland – I think none. Hopefully my February review of Black Curse IC and speaker cable Red Velvet from Indonesian company Vermöuth Audio will place this country finally on audio map. For it to stay there we have agreed with Hendry, the owner and designer, that when his top cables are ready he will ship them to us. It will allow „High Fidelity” to be one of the first magazines in the world, and surely in Europe and America, to take a closer look at this company's products. Reviewing these cables is always a pure pleasure. Unlike in many other cases of products coming from small manufacturers these are perfectly made and they look really well. Actually make&finish are that good that even some big, famous manufacturers could learn a thing or two (also in terms of the quality of all connections and in terms of durability) from this Indonesian maker. That is exactly the case here with the reviewed item. Black Pearl is quite a thick cable, but also a flexible one. It is built of 591 strands in total of 10AWG UPOCC conductor per channel. It uses strands of varying diameter, grouped into two main runs with air tubes spacers and non woven fabric for extra dampening and protection. Cable is finished with a sleeve but this particular kind is more durable than regular ones. Cables are terminated with company's own plugs made of Tellurium copper and rhodium plated, and finished with with carbon shells. Cables are also solder free – all connections are clamped. VERMÖUTH AUDIO in „High Fidelity” TEST: Vermöuth Audio BLACK CURSE + RED VELVET – IC + speaker cable, see HERE | RED Fingerprint Award Recordings used for this test (a selection): Okihiko Sugano Record Collection, Victor Edition/Trio Edition, Audio Meister XRCG-30025-8, 4 x XRCD24 [2012]; Anna Maria Jopek, Barefoot, Universal Music Polska, “Promo Copy”, CD (2002). Billie Holiday, Billie Holiday, Clef/UMG Recordings UCCV-9470, „David Stone Martin 10 inch Collector’s Selection”, CD (1954/2013). Jerzy Milian Trio, Bazaar, Polskie Nagrania “Muza”/GAD Records GAD CD 017, „Polish Jazz vol 17”, CD (1069/2014). Nat “King” Cole, Welcome to the Club, Columbia/Audio Fidelity AFZ 153, SACD/CD (1959/2013). Patrick Noland, Peace, Naim Audio naimcd065, CD (2002). Vangelis, Spiral, RCA/BMG Japan 176 63561, K2 SHM-CD (1977/2008). Japanese CD editions are available from [REKLAMA5] Testing audio products is all about comparison. One compares their sound to the live music, or to the sound of a different device. There is no other way to find and describe what this particular product introduces to the musical signal and how we actually hear that. If you don't agree with that, well – you don't know what you are missing out, what could your own ears tell you. That's a free country though so anyone can do as he pleases. Me included. In my opinion the more important way of learning the features of a new product is the comparison to whatever reference product of similar kind one has. Cause what audio system does has not that much to do with what was actually played in a studio, it's rather an interpretation of interpretation of interpretation. What we get is sort of copy of music event that was processed, interpreted by many many people on the way between live music in a studio and the recording we have at our disposal. That's why a perfectionist audio is a real art. Tests of cables are no different from any other tests of speakers, turntables, headphones and so on. One has to compare the cables under review to his own reference cables. „Reference” should be understood here in two ways: a reference used in reviewers system (so local reference, products he knows very well and considers good enough), but also an ultimate reference, meaning a product that is as good as reviewer can have at his disposal. In my reference system I use Tara Labs Omega Onyx speaker cable. While it's not the newest product on the market it is still better than any other cable I listened to during last 5 years or so. And in most cases it was much better than any other. Only the Siltech Royal Signature Series Double Crown Emperor seemed to be even more sophisticated but only when a complete set of these cables was used in my system. I guess there are even better cables than mine on the market, even Tara Labs offers more expensive models, but I haven't had a chance to listen to them. Comparing any low or mid-class cable to my reference is a challenge. It's like the contender loses even before the test really starts as it is clearly worse the Tara Labs. But still, basing on my 20 years of experience in both professional and home audio I can tell you that such comparison is the only way to find out the truth about the product I want to test. It must be compared to as good reference product as possible – the higher performance reference product has to offer the more precise, more reliable results come from such a comparison. Readers must know the methodology of the test to make sense of it. What you need to know is that what you will find here is my description of differences between best reference cable I know and the reviewed one. I'm not comparing this cable to its actual competitors from a similar price range, nor to even less expensive ones. So please remember how to interpret this text – that is not just a praise for the reviewed product, it's more like a description of what I heard. Well, as a reviewer I need to describe the sound, but also to interpret my findings and finally to give you my assessment and that's what I'm going to do. Illustrating what I described above is very easy. In my reference system Soulution 710 power amplifier drives Harbeth M40.1 speakers via above mentioned Tara Labs cable that rests on Acoustic Revive RCI-4H cable stands. Hendry’s cable simple replaced Tara Labs in exactly the same system. The sonic differences between these two cables were significant and characteristic. Tara's resolution Is much, much better, and the same goes for its dynamics. Outlines of instruments are more tangible, and the energy of each sub-range, except for the treble, seemed higher. Bass extension was better and the whole tonal balance seemed to be placed bit lower. Despite all these differences the Indonesian cable still presented a lot of class. It delivered nice, relaxed, liquid sound. It's presentation seemed rather “soft” which made sound not so “present” like with Tara Labs. But I have to say that the sound wasn't too soft, nor too withdrawn. This was a sound characteristic that I really liked and appreciated, that was a perfect fit for systems built with elements from 15 000 – 20 000 PLN per piece. It's a quite specific price range as the products from within it offer already a very good resolution and selectivity but they still can't outline each sound source and show the texture so well as more expensive equipment can. So it is quite easy to add more distinct leading edge to such sound which will become annoying. Black Pearl never let that happen. It offers sound with such a level of sophistication that it wouldn't degrade in any way performance of electronics and speakers of this price range but it rather would help to shape the sound in a way that should be more listener-friendly than any other more “distinctly” sounding cables. I mentioned energy of the sound before: treble seemed to be clearer than midrange and bass. The latter sounded in a nice way, with nice timbre. But it was treble that added some air to the sound, that prevented sound from closing in. Janos Starker's cello had body – a nice body and air around it. Also its relation with piano was presented in a proper way. Instruments didn't “fight” each other, they worked together. The very clean treble added some air, some space between these two instruments despite the fact of how close they actually were placed to each other. I don't know how somebody could not like the way this cable presents music. Unless of course somebody chooses a very distinct, detailed sound that is very close to the listener. It is one of possible choices and I could understand it. But me personally I really liked the way Indonesian cable conveyed music. Vermöuth Black Pearl in short – liquidity, smoothness, very good balance across the board and nice spacing. Switching my several times more expensive reference cable for Indonesian one was really painful. Yes, the performance level wasn't that high, but it was still good enough, coherent enough for me to truly enjoy all the music I used for the test. It is really easy to start liking this cable and it brings a lot of joy. It seems to be quite forgiving and relaxing although treble isn't rolled off – it's energetic, sparkling and vibrant. Jazz, vocals, small classic ensembles – they will sound lovely. When it comes to faster music like rock, some electronic music, or large orchestras, the own character of the cable will be more audible. Summary After my review of Black Curse and Red Velvet we started, with Hendry, to exchange emails – I was simply curious of Indonesia. As it turned out he is a very nice, warm man. Finally I asked him if he could send me some coffee as I had never drank coffee from Indonesia before. He sent us a package and both of us, my wife and me we agreed that the taste and aroma of coffee from Bali (where Hendry moved to recently) was very special: smooth but also rich. I couldn't help but thinking that Hendry's cable were exactly the same. Black Pearls look great, fit & finish is exemplary, they are delivered in a nice, carton box with certificate of origin. Oh, yes, they sound great too! Black Pearl is a speaker cable that is finished up to the standard most manufacturers can only dream about. I am talking about the quality I know from the best products around. We need to remember that these cables come from a small company, and they are made for this company upon order. The reviewed cables consist of 591 strands in total of 10AWG UPOCC conductor per channel, 21mm in diameter in total. Manufacturer uses strands of varying diameter, grouped into two main runs with air tubes spacers and non woven fabric for extra dampening and protection. Along the whole run strands are placed in a thick cover that works as vibration damping element. At the very end to separate runs come out – a plus and a minus. The spot where these two runs come out of main sleeve is closed inside beautifully finished black metal element made of anodized aluminum. Despite its complex design and quite large diameter Black Pearl is quite flexible and easy to place in any system. Also the termination is special. Vermöuth not only uses its own plugs for their cables but it sells them also to other cable manufacturers. The Black Pearl sports the newest and most expensive banana connectors. Their pins are made of Tellurium Copper that is plated with Rhodium. Cables are not soldered, nor fixed with bolted but clamped inside. Manufacturer calls the process: „Cold Forging”. The housing that holds the clamping is made of carbon fiber with anodized aluminum finish – similar to, for example, Furutech products. [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/vermouth/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

here are certain inventions, technologies and design ideas that should have disappeared long ago, and yet stubbornly cling to existence. They are only preserved and cherished by people who see some kind of value in them, which seems to be lacking in newer inventions, technologies and design ideas. That is the case with full range drivers and speakers that employ them. The EVA speakers that we reviewed last month should not exist, their production in the second decade of the 21st century is a pure anachronism (see the review HERE). The same is true of vacuum tubes, the active components that should have been wiped out decades ago from the map of audio world by transistors, or semiconductors in general. And what about the vinyl disc? The same story. None of that happened, though. I think that with the start of the new millennium this trend has intensified, and old technologies and audio equipment have recently garnered somewhat of a cult following. This applies not only to be part of the sound reproduction, but also for its recording. As we read on the album cover of Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, an English band comprising the siblings of the Durham family: We took a year to record and mix this album in our back room. Over a period of time we collected a lot of ribbon microphones, tape recorders and ancient sound equipment and eventually built a workable studio inspired by Sun studios in Memphis and Chess studios in Chicago along with the makeshift chaos of Joe Meek’s studio in the Holloway Road in London. Our main objective was to capture the energy of our live gigs A single glance at their list of sound equipment, including the Ampex 300 and 350 as well as the M3 stereo and mono tape recorders, ribbon microphones from Marconi, RCA and others, is enough to understand that this is all for real, not some kind of a joke. The lacquer discs for their vinyl albums are cut in the same room and on the same old Presto 8DG cutter. But this is not everything. Sunday Best, the label run by the Durhams, uses such prepared recordings to release not only classic 33 1/3 rpm stereo LPs, but also 33 1/3 rpm mono discs (which are cut from a separately prepared master) and even 78 rpm mono discs! It is with the latter in mind that they actually started their company. Their second album is available in the form of eight 10-inch 78 rpm discs and costs a staggering 100 British pounds. The fact that it is a real album, which comes with all band members’ autographs, does not make its horrendous price any less shocking. PTP Audio, Peter Reinders’s company, was started for the very same reasons. Peter came to the conclusion that one of the audio technologies from the past, which was celebrating its triumphs in the 1950s and 1960s, namely the idler drive in which the platter is driven by the motor through an auxiliary idler pulley, has certain advantages that both the belt drive and direct drive systems are lacking. The idea behind the idler drive is simple: you take a powerful motor with a long shaft, which drives the platter by means of an auxiliary pulley (the “idler”) pressed to the motor shaft and the platter. The pulley can be pressed to the platter edge horizontally (from the inside or outside), or vertically, from the bottom of the platter. The first method can be found in the Thorens TD 124 and Garrard 301 turntables. Both these designs are currently highly valued and used by prominent audio journalists, like Art Dudley (see my interview with Art HERE). There are also companies that specialize in their restoration, such as Swissonor from Switzerland, which often features in “High Fidelity” reports from the High End show in Munich (you can find our last 2014 report HERE) . A kind of "imprimatur" for the idler drive is a completely new design from only a few years ago, the VPI Rim Drive & Classic Aluminum Platter, in which heavy aluminum platter is driven by a flywheel. The latter in turn is belt driven. A "hybrid" of sorts. And the newest addition to this "family" is the Simone Lucchetti Audiosilente Blackstone turntable from Italy, a classic "idler" showcased at the High End 2014 in Munich. Coming back to Thorens, there are two excellent books dedicated to it: Gerhard Weichler’s Thorens. The fascination of a Living Legend and Swiss Precision by Joachim Bung, whose subtitle The Story of the Thorens TD 124 and Other Classic Turntables introduces the subject of this review. It is quite clear that Joachim is a huge fan of the Thorens TD 124. Describing the turntable and the story behind it, he also makes references to other designs that were its biggest competitors during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The book chapter titled Competitors of the Thorens TD 124 starts with a description and introduction to a design from the Swiss company, Lenco. Founded in 1946 in Burgdorf, a small town near Bern which is considered the Swiss capital (Switzerland officially does not have the capital), it was the result of Fritz Laeng’s fascination with audio components to reproduce sound. By the end of the 1950s the company offered two turntable models, one of which, the L 60, featured the idler drive. The special design of the drive system, with a conical shaped motor shaft allowed for a stepless speed regulation. The first turntable that was included into the hi-fi category was the L 70 from 1960. However, the model that became most successful was the L 75 from 1967. A heavy platter, idler drive and large motor were the basic distinguishing features of this design. In the introduction section I have mentioned the company Closer Acoustic and its Eva speakers that employ the Supravox 215 Signature Bicone full range driver (made in France). It just so happens that the owner, Mr. Jacek Grodecki, is also an avid enthusiast of restored Lenco turntables (his blog can be found HERE). A whole community with its own culture grew around this brand, which is reflected by the blog titled "Lenco Heaven". Its part is also Peter Reinders, whose first ever turntable was a Lenco machine. He joined the movement in 2005 when he built his first turntable based on the original Lenco mechanism. In order to improve it, in 2006 he designed the PTP, i.e. Peter's Top Plate, a massive plate that could form a base or a chassis to mount other mechanical components. The plate is laser cut of 4 mm stainless steel. The motor and the platter bearing are mounted to two separate parts of the PTP plate. This was how PTP Audio was born. The following years brought new versions of the plate. The currently available models are the PTP4 and PTP5. Peter did not stopped at that stage. Persuaded by his friends and acquaintances, he built a complete PTP turntable. The two models that followed were the Solid9 and Solid12, designed for 9-inch and 12-inch tonearms, respectively. They are based on Lenco turntables’ components from the 1960s and 1970s, combined with modern materials and precision manufacturing technologies. The older parts include the motor, idler, platter bearing, the platter itself and platter mat. The modern additions are the base and tonearm. To manufacture the base Peter uses Corian, a material known in interior design industry. It is easily machinable and has very good mechanical properties. It can be finished in any color and contributes to a considerable weight of the whole turntable: 20 kg, of which the platter weighs 4 kg. The arm can be ordered but the review unit came equipped with a great looking arm from the British company Audiomods of the Series Five. It was designed as a modification of the Rega 303 arm, with additional holes to lower the weight and featuring new ceramic bearings. New parts also included a clamp and a mechanism allowing precise VTA adjustment on the fly. Its repeatability is outstanding, and it uses a micrometer scale for readout. The counterweight underwent an even more pronounced change. The new design is a three disc sandwich with steel, high-gloss polished discs on the outside and a thin copper disc in the center. Its total weight can be changed by screwing in the screws (included). For precise weight setting a small cylinder is traveling along a threaded shaft protruding from the counterweight rear. Instead of magnetic anti-skate from Rega we have here a classic solution with the line and sinker. The arm is wired with pure silver cord, also forming interconnect, which connects to a phono preamp (0.9 m). PETER REINDERS Owner, designer Peter Reinders himself. PTP Audio was founded by me, based on my years of experience with audio, mostly including Lenco turntables. I got my first turntable (Lenco!) when I was 10. In 2005, I joined the restoration design and built my first turntable, based on them. From the first moment I was thinking about how to improve it. This brought me to the first PTP, an innovative top plate that was to replace the original one. Anticipating PTP’s success, quite a number of people asked me to design a complete turntable with the PTP. The PTP Audio was my response to this need. The Lenco L78 table from 1970s. In our product lineup we have a unique line of turntables. Unlike 99% of other currently manufactured designs, ours feature the idler drive. This design guarantees incredible musicality and powerful dynamics. To achieve this, we reached for the drive system from the old Lenco turntables, restoring them to their original condition and glory and combining with modern technologies, available today. For example, with an extremely rigid base, laser-cut from stainless steel, and elegant plinth machined of full composite on CNC machines. All the components are custom made and hand assembled by us. The end result is a record player that combines the sonic characteristics of the idler drive design with the 21st century appearance and reliability. All PTP Audio products are custom made for a specific customer. "Phase One”, the first prototype made by Peter. Albums auditioned during this review Meditation – Mischa Maisky/Pavel Gililov, Deutsche Grammophon/Clearaudio LP 477 7637, 180 g LP (1990/2008). Thorens. 125th Anniversary LP, Thorens ATD 125, 3 x 180 g LP (2008). Ben Webster, Old Betsy - The Sound Of Big Ben Webster, STS Digital STS 6111129, 180 g LP (2013). 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). Dominic Miller, 5th House, Q-rious Music/Rutis Music QRM 122-2, 180 g LP (2012). Frank Sinatra, The Voice, Columbia/Classic Records CL 743, Quiex SV-P, “50th Anniversary”, 180 g LP (1955/2005). Freddie Hubbard, Open Sesame, Blue Note/Classic Records BT4040, Quiex SV-P, 200 g LP (1960/1999). Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, Sunday Best SBEST25, 180 g LP (2008). Miles Davis, Miles Davis and The Modern Jazz Giants, Riverside/Analogue Productions AJAZ 1106, “Top 100 Jazz”, 45 RPM Limited Edition #0706, 2 x 180 g, 45 rpm LP (1956/?). Thelonious Monk, Solo, Columbia/Music On Vinyl MOVLP843, “Classic Album”, 180 g LP (1965/2014). Japanese CD editions are available from [REKLAMA5] The Japanese quarterly “Stereo Sound”, which I have been buying for years now, looks like a book when put in the shelf. A pretty solid book, I should add. Printed on art paper, partly in full color and partly in black-and-white, it has a status comparable to the Bible in the country of the samurai. Its editors are a kind of "priests" or perhaps even demigods. I am writing all this with due respect and without any malicious intention or jealousy. The magazine that has been in print for well over 40 years covers all the most expensive audio products it receives for a review before the world even learns about them, and also lots of budget products. An important part of it are music reviews, including audiophile releases, and a reference guide for music collectors. However, the most important are perhaps the descriptions of readers’ audio systems and – from time to time – of the magazine editors. The latter featured in the next-to-last "summer" issue No. 191. I have already written this elsewhere: I do not know Japanese, which I sincerely regret. Fortunately, there are English translations available of the reviews from this quarterly. But, to be honest, it is not them that are most important. The most significant are actually the photographs published alongside the reviews. They are a kind of keyhole through which the Western man, unfamiliar with the language, can peek at the habits and passions of music lovers and audiophiles from the country that is so mysterious and exotic to us, Chopin’s compatriots. Each of the presented systems is distinct and unique. They share a few common features that are recognizable to me. On the one hand, they show extreme modernity and uncompromising pursuit of the goal using the latest, most expensive and technologically advanced products. On the other hand, we can see an almost fanatical devotion to the artifacts from the past, technologies that triumphed in the 1950s and 1960s, and often, as in the case of horn speakers, go even further back. It is therefore not difficult to see systems pitted next to each other, one fronted by an ultra-modern audio file player with an outboard master clock, and the other by turntables, often classic European models. Fans of the latter have a special habit, which is repeated as a kind of leitmotif: in a box, not far from the turntable, we can see removable headshells, mostly from SME, with mounted cartridges. Often there are even a dozen of them, each one dedicated to a different group of recordings, pressings and releases. Every now and then I can feel like a Japanese. Perhaps not a native, but one that thinks of himself that way. When I review products like the TechDAS Air Force One turntable, which fronts Isao Yanagisawa’s system, the Mark Levinson №52 preamp that also features in the same system, the Accuphase C-27 phono preamplifier that working in the system of another “Stereo Sound” editor, or the Jeff Rowland Corus preamplifier that is the foundation of Mr. Nobuyuki Fu’s system, I feel somehow connected with them. I will never be a Samurai, but I think that thanks to the music and audio we can have something in common. But I never felt so close to the people who are the role model for me in many areas, as I did when I was listening to the Solid9 turntable. Firstly, I dealt with an idler drive design - ​​a technology that has been kept alive by a group of enthusiasts that want to preserve some of its advantages, at the expense of other things where other technologies are superior. In Japan, this type of anachronism is characteristic for people who are aware of both the possibilities and limitations of modern audio, and who consciously consider their choices. What was much more important, however, was that when the turntable was spinning my records, I kept changing cartridges quite often, listening with interest to the changes they would introduce to the sound. One or two changes at most are usually enough to determine the direction that I should pursue. This time I could try out classic, heavy cartridges that I really like, and that do not work well with all tonearms and turntables: the classic Denon DL-103, its much more expensive high compliance version DL-103SA, the Miyajima Labs Shilabe with the needle pressure of 3 g, the Kansui from the same company with a greater compliance and lower needle pressure, and above all the ZERO mono cartridge that was sent to me by Noriyuki Miyajima-san, the owner of Miyajima Laboratory, as one of the first users outside of Japan. The described changes were not made for the sake of change. Actually, based on experience and predictions, I try to limit the number of variables in the review. The more time I spend on exploration, changes and fine-tuning, the less time I have to listen to the music. Because there is more good music than I can listen to in my whole lifetime, it would be a pity to waste time on something that further reduces its amount. Of course, without falling into exaggeration, because it takes some effort for the music to sound as good as possible. But still. This time, swapping the cartridges caused changes directly to the very fabric of music. The Dutch turntable with a Swiss heart and English arm invites the user to such introspection. To listen to the next discs with curiosity and excitement. It is not ideal - it's "idlear" instead :). Firstly, there is no ideal audio component and, secondly, there are turntables from a similar price range that do certain things differently, and some of them even better. At the same time, it is a turntable that turns the choices, which helped this set saw the light of day, into a virtue. Its sound is full and dense. It was to be expected, because that is usually the sound of non-decoupled turntables with a large motor. That is also, as far as I can recall from various audio shows and auditions, the sound of idler drive designs. What came as a surprise to me was the intensity of both the fullness and density. 'Authority' is probably the most appropriate word to describe this relationship. Vinyl discs played back on this international combination had power and confidence that was inherent to the presentation. Disc after disc, music kind after music kind, production after production, pressing after pressing, and the effect remained the same: solid music presentation, embracing the listener. The basis of this symbiosis is something that could be called "compatibility". Interestingly, I usually come across something similar in digital components. Mostly those from the top shelf, but only the successful ones. There it results from a low jitter and great phase coherence. I have a feeling that we are dealing with something similar in this case. As if the idler drive, free from the problems of direct drive, i.e. without an analog jitter introduced by the correction circuits, guaranteed to perfectly convey the attack transient, maintaining the rhythm and pulse. It is foundational in music, and without a perfectly drawn attack, ideal coherence and timing, there is nothing but noise. It is difficult to indicate what kind of tonality is characteristic of this set – the turntable with the arm. Each cartridge sounded slightly different, in a way that was characteristic of itself, not of the turntable. The Shilabe was darker and more velvety, the Kansui more open and the ZERO was warmest of them all. The DL-103 had its tonal balance based on the lower bass and dense midrange and the 'SA' version on the midrange. At the same time, however, there was a tendency to lower the tonality and to "ground" the sound. If a large part of turntables sound warm, smooth and maybe even saturated, at the same time most of that majority does not really have a clue about how far the "foundation" of the sound is, on which to build. This obviously includes the lowest sounds of music instruments, further enhanced and lowered by the acoustics of the room in which the recording had been made. Low reverb is something that creates real volume non-amplified instruments. Even if it does not seem to extend really deep, having a reserve and breath at the bottom end help it create a realistic, credible music event. The Solid9 creates just something like that. It is hard to say whether it lowers the tonality, because combined with any of the above cartridges it did not really showed an emphasized bottom end. At the same time, however, we are aware of that foundation; the sound is free and smooth due to the fact that it has something to lean on, instead of "drifting" passively and just making an impression that it knows the direction in which it flows. Here, we have a focused energy; I would even go as far as to say self-awareness. Although I have so far been concentrated on the bass, there are no less interesting things that are happening at the other edge of the frequency range. Since it is a very balanced sound, the last thing I could say is that it withdraws the treble. And yet the top end is served up sparingly and deliberately. While in the midrange we have clarity, openness and dynamics, the treble seems to somehow keep up with it, rather than set the whole direction. Actually, I did not particularly mind it. This was the consequence of a specifically-shaped sound, i.e. a dense midrange and well-defined, deep bass. I did not expect it to be as rich in complex harmonics as the aforementioned Air Force One or the Thales TTC-Compact. I simply assumed that it would be that kind of sound and was sticking to it. The differences between classic, belt-driven turntables and the one under today’s review lie primarily in differently emphasized various sonic aspects. Although they may seem apparently minor, it is actually they that organize the sound. It is difficult to speak in Solid9’s case about various music planes. This is not the kind of resolving sound that is capable of separating the surface noise, pops and crackle from the registered music event. They all arrive together and at the same time. Neither does it have such an insight into the texture of the sound as high-end belt-driven turntables do. It will be, however, very difficult to find a classic turntable that sounds so authoritative and has such a fantastic bass without contouring, i.e. hardening it, which I do not like and which we get, in turn, in many direct-drive turntables. Conclusion The Solid9 equipped with the Audiomods Series Five arm is a special proposal. Not because it sounds weird or different from the norm. In this case, it is easy to say that this is the right kind of sound. There is certain organizing quality to it, and hence good rhythm. While it would be hard to talk about specific coloration, its sound may be perceived as somewhat warm and set lower than usual. It will be difficult to find an equally solid sound, even with expensive mass-loaded turntables. The latter will show an even more disciplined bottom end, perhaps even more powerful, but also somewhat artificial and colored. The bass in the Dutch turntable has perfectly a matched balance between softness and hardness, density and openness. The treble never poses any problem, but due to the fact that the music presentation is a whole together with pops and crackle, care needs to be taken of cleaning and washing the vinyl records. Given that, even badly damaged discs are played back nicely, without annoying interference from pops and crackle. This is a perfect set for the music lovers who do not want to look any further. Equip it with any of the aforementioned cartridges and you will be in for an amazing musical spectacle. If someone thought that the idler drive introduced “audible” distortion to the sound, they should think again. And they would do best to listen to the Solid9 in order to get rid of yet another stereotype. Stereotypes come from somewhere, but they cannot dictate to us what we should think. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart SERENADE IN B FLAT MAJOR KV 361 “Gran Partita Stuttgart Winds Tacet L 209-1, 180 g LP Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Tacet label is the work and love of Andreas Spreer. Founding it in 1989 in Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, this music producer and sound engineer had a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve and of the methods by which he should do it. His pearls in the crown are the two series: Tacet Real Surround Sound digital series and analog, vinyl discs. This time we talk about the latest vinyl release, a few words are due about the analog signal chain. Mr. Spreer is a true analog fanatic. Hence, he makes his recordings, and his frequent guests include Wojciech Rajski and Polish Chamber Philharmonic, on carefully restored reel-to-reel tape recorders. He also uses tube equipment, and some recordings are "Tube Only" projects. In the case of the reviewed album, part of the audio chain was tube-based, as indicated by the appropriate logo on the cover. The recording was made in 2012 using several microphones, including the tube Neumann U 47. The record was made in Half-Speed ​​Mastering technology. The record comes in a gatefold cover, with a commentary in the center and two photographs – one of the band and the other of the master disc cutter head. The white center label on the disc is very tidy, with well-chosen typography. The recording and production was handled by Andreas Spreer. On the photograph featuring the band and Mr. Spreer standing next to it, you can only see the two main microphones, the Neumann U 47. However, from the description we learn that there had been many more microphones. If I did not know that, it would have been hard to find it out. The sound is in fact very smooth and continuous, without any phase problems or soundstage irregularity. The sound is dense and somewhat "tubey" in the sense that it lacks aggressiveness and roughness. Its distinctive characteristic is smoothness. The soundstage is very natural, both in its breadth and depth. You can hear that the microphones had been close to the performers, and this is the only way to find out that the multi-microphone technique had been used. It is a very direct sound in which the room acoustics plays a rather minor albeit clear role. Dynamics is outstanding. You can thoroughly examine your cartridges in this regard. I am sure that some of them have a poorer tracking performance which will result in a slight distortion. The latter is, however, not the record’s problem but rather the cartridge’s. The record is very good, very nicely played and equally well recorded. Sound quality: 10/10 In this type of design, i.e. relatively simple, the devil is in the details, especially in the precision of manufacturing and assembly. The Solid9 looks very – well – solid. Its 400 x 500 x 50 mm base is made of Corian. The material has been invented by the French company DuPont, which also gave us Teflon, and is mostly used in the production of tops and work surfaces with high durability and abrasion resistance. In audio, it is used because of its very good mechanical properties, especially its vibration damping quality. The base of the turntable under review has been finished in black; there is also a choice of white finish included in the basic price. Any colors are available, although you will have to pay extra for it. The base sports cutouts for the mechanical components. The large motor from the original Lenco turntable (on three springs) and the main platter bearing, also original, are mounted to two separate PTP plates. The latter are laser-cut from a 4 mm steel sheet. The idler pulley between the motor shaft and the platter spindle is secured on a long, quite flexible wire. The 4 kg platter is made of polished aluminum. Its top surface features a mat made of aluminum and rubber, which also comes from the original Lenco. The turntable rests on three height-adjustable feet, two in the front and one in the back. The user can regulate the speed by moving a pin adjacent to the platter. To do this, it needs to be unscrewed, slid in the slot and screwed back in. Any speed between 33 1/3 and 45 rpm is available. The motor is powered by AC current straight out of the wall socket. It is turned on with a small push button on the left side of the platter. The IEC mains power connector is located in the center of the rear panel. The turntable came equipped with the Audiomods Series Five tonearm. It is based on the Rega RB 303 arm design, from which the arm tube has been taken, made of magnesium alloy cast. Its weight has been reduced by drilling various diameter holes along the entire length of the tube. The tube is suspended on ceramic bearings, mounted in solid, steel clamps. The manufacturer has equipped the arm with a precise VTA mechanism. It uses a graduated vertical micrometer screw. After setting the VTA the arm must be fixed in place with a smaller, horizontal pin. The latter is not particularly convenient to use because it is located very close to the handle of the lift arm. Internal wiring uses multi-stranded silver wires that go straight outside the chassis without any connectors, thus creating a 0.9 m long interconnect. Each of the parts I have mentioned can be purchased separately as upgrades to one’s Audiomods tonearm. [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/14.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/14.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/14.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/15.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/15.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/15.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/16.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/16.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/16.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/17.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/17.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/17.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/18.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/18.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/18.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/19.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/19.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/19.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/20.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/20.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/20.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/th/21.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/21.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/ptp_audio/21.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]

n 1986, Professor Atsumi Ohno of the Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan, a respected inventor and scientist, after years of research proposed an innovative method of producing a copper wire with unique properties. The main idea is that the wire is cast instead of being drawn. As a result, it is possible to produce cable with ultra-long copper crystals, with the average length of 125 m and diameter of 0.1 mm. This process has been since called Ohno Continuous Casting (OCC) after the name of its inventor. The rights to the invention were subsequently bought from the professor and the university by Furukawa Electric, Japan's largest manufacturer of cables for the power transmission and telecom industries. It was in Furukawa where it was observed that one of the characteristics that define audio signal transmission is distortion and noise introduced to the audio chain by wiring. To put it in proper perspective, let me remind you that it all happened well before the cable revolution that later hit the high-end audio industry. Starting from this assumption, Furukawa developed a process of manufacturing audio cables using OCC wire with copper purity exceeding 99.9997%. The new version of the conductor was patented under the name Purity Copper OCC, or PCOCC. The "Pure Transmission" advert line was also coined around the same time and has been used since 1987 to the present day. In the same year, Furukawa launched to the market the first three audio cables using this type of conductor: the FD-1005 Hi-Fi Audio Cord (37 wires with a diameter of 0.16 mm each), the FV-1005 Hi-Fi Video Cord (7 wires with a diameter of 0.4 mm each) and the FD-2010S Super PCOCC (2 x 37 wires with a diameter of 0.16 mm each). In addition to the first audio cables sold under its own brand, the company also offered bulk wire for third-party manufacturers that did not have the capabilities to produce their own cable wire. Those manufacturers could also order cables in their own choice of wire geometry and dielectric used. Until the year 2000, Furukawa was supplying own-branded cables. Later on, it only supplied cable wire as an OEM. On the March 4th, 2013, a year before celebrating its 130th anniversary, Furukawa Electric announced the end of manufacture of PCOCC conductors: Although many customers have adopted the product as a conductor of acoustic instruments, it has been difficult to maintain the business, with the annual sales volume declining because of the weak domestic market in recent years. Without the prospect of market growth, Furukawa Electric has decided to discontinue the manufacture and supply. We take this opportunity to express our appreciation for the support you have shown this product. You can find the whole text HERE It is worth realizing how big an impact the decision had - and will continue to have to an even greater extent - on the audio industry. It is enough to look at the list of the leading audio cable manufacturers in this beautiful country and their product lineup. The list includes such companies as Furutech, Oyaide, Acrolink, Acoustic Revive and many others, often completely unknown in the West. Life abhors a vacuum, however, and very soon there appeared on the market another, perhaps even more interesting proposition. Interestingly, it came from FCM (Fine Chemicals & Materials), part of the Furukawa Group and its wholly owned subsidiary. FCM proposed copper for audio and video applications, which is obtained in a process similar to forging. As emphasized in the Acoustic Revive company literature, one of the first companies to offer complete cables using this kind of copper, the new process is clear reference to the Japanese tradition of forging swords. Copper wire is repeatedly compressed (struck), which reduces its volume by 70%. The strokes are made at a certain angle and direction, determined through experiments. This process is not so much concerned with removing copper impurities, as these would have been eliminated at an earlier stage, as with achieving the most compact arrangement of individual crystals, bridging the transitions between them, and therefore reducing a diode effect, i.e. uncontrolled electron hopping between the adjacent crystals. The repeated compression of copper also pushes out the air and oxygen molecules present in the material. No, I'm not so smart to come up with this description on my own. It is based on the Furukawa technical materials prepared by engineers, not by audiophiles. The purity of copper obtained in this process may not seem impressive as the FCM website claims the percentage to be 99.996% or more. However, this material has a completely different structure than even the PCOCC copper. The thus obtained copper has been called PC-triple C, from ​​Pure Copper-Continuous Crystal Construction. In the final production stage, the conductors are subjected to an aging process, where larger crystals coalesce with each other, forming monocrystalline areas. The current Acoustic Revive product lineup includes: RCA RCA-1.0 triple C-FM analog interconnect XLR XLR-1.0 triple C-FM analog interconnect PHONO-1.0 triple C-FM analog phono interconnect RCA COX-1.0 triple C-FM digital interconnect AES/EBU AES-1.0 triple C-FM digital interconnect SPC- triple C-FM speaker cable POWER STANDARD-triple C-FM power cord RAS-14 triple C-FM mains filter SPC-REFERENCE-triple C bulk speaker cable To produce their cables Acoustic Revive uses PC-triple C conductors from FCM, but in its own configuration and terminated with own connectors. The interconnects have a semi-balanced design, where the positive and return signal are run in two identical solid-core conductors. The latter have a smaller cross section than those used in the previously offered RCA-1.5PA interconnects and, hence, the new cables are more flexible. Shielding is provided in the form of a goosebump-type copper 'snake', covered with a black mesh. The connectors used are the excellent, rhodium plated RUR-1. But this is not the end of innovations. Mr. Ishiguro has long experimented with components that minimize noise, but here he applied them in his cables for the first time. When we disassemble his RCA plug, we will see inside, on the "positive" conductor, a small, green "roller". This is not an ordinary ferrite ring but rather an expensive component called FINEMET (hence the 'FM' in the cable name). The owner of the patent and supplier of finished products that use this material is Hitachi Metals, Ltd. Finemet is an amorphous metal obtained by rapid cooling of a molten alloy, which comprises Fe, Si, B, and small amounts of Cu and Nb. By heating the alloy to a temperature higher than its temperature of crystallization, the metal changes its structure to nanocrystalline. Also the cross-section of the conductors used in speaker cables is slightly smaller than before, hence they are somewhat more flexible, too. The cable ends, which are terminated with the fantastic RBN-1/RYG-1 banana or spade connectors, look different than those of the previous AR cables. The latter had transparent sleeves, and the new cables use white sleeves. They are, however, still solid-core type of cables. The new cables have not yet been widely tested and reviewed. Mr. Ishiguro has taken care, however, that they are received by Japanese journalists from 14 audio magazines to (anonymously) express their opinions. As appears from the English translation that I have received, their reactions were enthusiastic. To conclude this section, here is the Acoustic Revive cable upgrade list: RCA-1.5PA → RCA-1.5 triple C-FM XLR-1.5PA → XLR-1.5 triple C-FM COX-1.5PA → COX-1.5 triple C-FM SPC-PA → SPC-triple C Acoustic Revive in “High Fidelity” INTERVIEW: Ken Ishiguro – owner, designer, see HERE REVIEW: Acoustic Revive – anti-vibration system, see HERE | GOLD Fingerprint Award KRAKOW SONIC SOCIETY, meeting no. 76: Acoustic Revive – anti-vibration and isolation accessories, system, see HERE REVIEW: Acoustic Revive RTP-4eu ULTIMATE + POWER REFERENCE - power strip + AC power cord, see HERE REVIEW: Acoustic Revive USB-1.0SP/USB-5.0PL – USB cable, see HERE REVIEW: Acoustic Revive RST-38 i RAF-48 – isolation boards, see HERE REVIEW: Acoustic Revive Disc Demagnetizer RD-3, Grounding Conditioner RGC-24, see HERE REVIEW: Acoustic Revive DSIX/1.0 - 75 Ω digital cable, see HERE Albums auditioned during this review Patrick Noland, Peace, Naim Audio naimcd065, CD (2002). Jerzy Milian Trio, Bazaar, Polskie Nagrania “Muza”/GAD Records GAD CD 017, “Polish Jazz vol 17”, CD (1069/2014). Vangelis, Spiral, RCA/BMG Japan 176 63561, K2 SHM-CD (1977/2008). Count Basie, Cheek to Cheek, TIM The International Music Company 204549-202, “Past Perfect. 24 Carat Gold Edition”, gold-CD, (2000). Japanese CD editions are available from [REKLAMA5] Using something on a daily basis, something that is of a good quality and does its job well, and meets our needs, we tend to forget its existence. That is, we are aware of having it yet this awareness manifests in our confidence and peace of mind, directly resulting from the fact of using it. Even driving a luxurious 100,000 USD limousine on an everyday basis, we get used to it after some time and it becomes something perfectly normal. We stop “hearing” how soundproof the interior is or notice its performance, nor are we any longer surprised at how comfortable it is. We take it all for granted. I believe that each one of us, audiophiles and music lovers, could think of at least one audio product that would make for such a “tacit support.” When everything changes in our audio system, when we try to determine this or that new component, our “friend” is still there, it really IS. I do have quite a few such products in my reference system. Actually, come to think about it, they all belong to that category. Using them, I don’t need to worry about anything and I trust them. There are better components on the market, I have no doubt about it whatsoever. Not “much” better, though, but simply “a bit” better and mostly just “different.” And all of them are much, much more expensive. Sooner or later, I will most likely replace the front end, preamplifier, power amplifier, cables and isolation accessories. However, I will have to seriously consider if the change makes sense i.e. whether the improvement of certain sonic aspects will not cost me something I already have. The fact that something is better does not always mean it is better for us. One component of my reference system that does not get much attention, even though I use it each time I review electronics, are Acoustic Revive cables: the RCA-1.8PA interconnect, the XLR-1.8PA interconnect and the SPC-PA speaker cable (the numbers in their names denote their length, respectively). I have owned them for two years now and every amplifier and every source I have reviewed had the chance to meet them. In the footer under the text of the review (“reference system”), I list them as part of the “system II”. My main cables are the Siltech Royal Signature Series Double Crown Empress interconnect and the speaker cable has always been the  Tara Labs Omega Onyx. But there have been countless occasions when the Acoustic Revive cables were much handier and they would then become the “system I.” Despite all that, I have never officially reviewed them. How stupid of me! I should have said all the good things and not hide it from others. I should have praised them more and their part in shaping the sound of even very expensive audio components and systems. I have, however, been given a second chance from fate, or rather from Acoustic Revive, to mend that. The new cables were created out of necessity; they are not a development version of the former models and they open a brand new chapter for the company. This time I will not fail and will try to describe in a few words how they differ from other reference cables – the Siltech and Tara Labs. Mr. Yoshi Hontai, the Acoustic Revive representative, sent me the cables just after the first batch had been completed. That is why this is the first complete review of the Triple-C FM cables in the world and (almost) definitely the first on in English. “In a few words” is a deliberate phrase. Their character, if one knows the former version, is easy to pinpoint and describe. As are the changes they bring into the system. Hence, there is no need to elaborate too much. The sound is more open and more energetic in the midrange and in the treble than with the PCOOC-A cables. The new cables are not brighter, though. We are dealing here with something different than just a change of tonal quality. The new connects are much better resolving and differentiating. The older ones do not seem to lack anything in that department, until we compare them with something far more expensive or with the Triple-C FM. Then you can hear that the sound is covered with a hint of patina. Had they been cables of some lesser quality, I would have said that the sound comes as if from behind a curtain. But we are talking high-end here and the things that, at the first glance of an untrained eye, seem to be one thing, turn out to be something different after “learning” the new sound and after being given time for accommodation and “training”. That is why the word “patina” describes precisely what I have in mind. It is a “noble” and even desirable patina. At the same time, it is not entirely transparent and it affects and changes everything it covers. Surprisingly, even though both the old and new Acoustic Revive cables are so different their sonic texture remains the same. Using any other cable, even the Tara Labs or the Siltech, we can pinpoint the differences in a blink of an eye. They are structural in character, i.e. they influence the perception of the sound as a whole, and of the way we approach the sound. Both the old and new cables from Acoustic Revive seem to share some common “ground”. It has to be none other than Mr. Ken Ishiguro himself, the owner of the company, who made the Triple-C cables a better version of those that used PCOOC-A conductors, at the same time striving not to depart too far from the “blueprint” developed over the years. After all, he uses his own cabling in his numerous excellent audio systems (you can find more information about Mr. Ishiguro’s systems HERE). As I have said, the sound with the new cables is more open. This is a rather big lap and deep change. The new version is more detailed, which is fine with me. In my opinion, the detailness in itself is a sonic distortion and one of the more irritating at that, often to the point of disqualifying a given product. If you play a recording and at first you hear details and only then the whole, it means that you are in a deep s…. Pardon my French but it is better to shake it off here and now than to follow the futile path and waste your life on poor sound and incomplete music. The Triple-C FM brings lots of detail, more than the older version. Details have their role to play and impressing the listener is definitely not the one. They do what they are supposed to do in every good product like the Siltech and the Tara Labs: they build up a rich presentation. The new cables bring “life” to the system, make it change from one CD to the other. In an extremely profound way they change the soundstage depth, which is exceptionally difficult to achieve in audio. Here it is served effortlessly, because we are still talking about the sound that is vivid and “ductile.” The tonality is great. The tonal balance is a bit higher than before but not much. A big energy in the midrange and at the top end results in perceiving the cables as more distinctive and explicit. Certainly not brighter; that is not what I mean. Let us now talk about how the Acoustic Revive are different from more expensive cables and about a few things that were good in the PCOOC-A cables. The former flagship cables from Mr. Ishiguro seemed to sound denser. The new ones do not lack anything but the greater amount of information that they offer causes them not to be so unequivocally silky smooth. Fewer details combined with a slightly rounded attack resulted in a milder and friendlier sound of the previous model. The new cables have something in the sonic “foundation” that makes them easy to fit any audio system. But it is now combined with more precisely defined edges so the system needs to be more “civilized” than before in order not to overemphasize them. My reference cables have a deeper sound and darker background. And a better dynamics. But their character is close to what the cables from Japan show. It is based on the harmony of the opposites, like open-dark or resolving-homogeneous.   The new Triple-C FM cables are not a change for change’s sake. Created out of necessity, they bring in a real sonic improvement, at the same time maintaining the “trademark” Acoustic Revive sound. They are open and distinctive but smooth and dense as well. They have a very natural way of handling the rhythm and incredible dynamics. The bass is not as dense as before but it is audible that previously it was warmer and not as well differentiated, which made it seem larger. That must be one of the most important changes in any Acoustic Revive product I have ever come across. Conclusion I was planning for a few words but it came (turned) out as usual. For the purpose of this review, this time I only auditioned four albums. Over and over again, but there were only four of them. The changes that I managed to isolate were reproducible. Swapping the cables under review in different systems, and with various products, also brought reproducible results. Hence, what I am writing will be equally important in any audio system, not limited to my own. New does not always mean better, although we expect nothing less than that of major audio manufacturers. Acoustic Revive is a company I trust. It has won my trust with its exceptional products and the philosophy behind them. I do not, therefore, look at it as my opponent, which is sadly quite common in the audio industry, or as someone that wants to extort money from me. If Acoustic Revive changes anything, it's because it has something better to offer, which has been approved by its owner, and which he uses in his own systems (several of them). Even if I do not always understand it immediately, I tend not to reject it or rule out on the spot, but rather try to figure out what's going on. That is how trust works and it has never failed me. To find such a company, such a person, is like winning the Lottery. A well-deserved RED Fingerprint Award. [hfgallery] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/th/05.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/05.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/05.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/th/06.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/06.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/06.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/th/07.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/07.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/07.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/th/08.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/08.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/08.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/th/09.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/09.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/09.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/th/10.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/10.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/10.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/th/11.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/11.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/11.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/th/12.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/12.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/12.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [img mini="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/th/13.jpg" big="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/13.jpg" src="foto_testy/1410/acoustic/13.jpg" desc="HighFidelity.pl"] [/hfgallery]