TONEAudio MAGAZINE The Concierge of High End Audio

Having owned a pair of B&W 805 Diamond loudspeakers for the past year, I’m tuned into B&W’s current sound: Powerful, detailed and accurate. The latest diamond tweeter and crossover design combine to produce a very musical speaker that handles nuance with aplomb, yet also rocks at realistic levels when the demand arises.

And yes, the speakers are drop-dead gorgeous. Available in two wood finishes and piano black, they are visual as well as aural works of art. Gino Vanelli once said, “Black cars look better in the shade.” This statement easily applies to speakers dipped in high-gloss black. Much like my neighbor’s triple-black Porsche GT3, it looks breathtaking for about five minutes after it exits the car wash.

Much as I love the black finish on my 805 Diamonds, I let out a sigh of relief when I noticed that the 802 Diamonds that arrived for review were marked “Rosenut.” Being slightly obsessive compulsive, I knew there would be no way to roll the 802D’s around without getting them full of fingerprints. Call me traditional, or perhaps lazy, but just don’t call me Shirley—I’m digging the wood finish of the 802 Diamonds. Derived from the original Nautilus speaker system (still hand-built in small quantities), the wood woofer enclosure nicely contrasts the gloss-black tweeter and midrange modules sitting on top of the cabinets.

A Quick Tour

When I visited B&W’s UK factory earlier this year, I watched the assembly of the speakers in the company’s impressive facility. It employs close to 400 people and takes up almost 60,000 square feet in the seaside town of Worthing. Every aspect of 800 series construction takes place there. The administrative offices are on top of the factory and provide a breathtaking view of the plant, which looks more like an aerospace center than a loudspeaker firm.

Akin to an Eames Lounge Chair, which uses damp wood pressed around a die under pressure to achieve its signature shape, Diamond series cabinets are built from layers of sheets of thin wood, which is visible from the cabinet’s edge. Glued together with high-strength adhesive, this sandwich is placed in a curved die and allowed to dry under pressure. Once removed from the die, the rough cabinet back is trimmed to shape and mated to the front face. But, only after the patented Matrix inner enclosure is fitted, giving the 800 series its famed rigidity and eliminating any seam on the curved back of the enclosure.

Meanwhile, mid/tweeter pods are crafted in a clean-room facility on another side of the plant. Craftsmen wear white suits and matching booties, keeping dust to a minimum. This is also where the bare, molded enclosures (made from Marlan resin, claimed to be as rigid as granite) go from primer coat to final finish, and then off to have the drivers installed. Notably, B&W’s skilled workers utilize the same tools my good friends at Scottsdale’s European Detail Specialists use while buffing multi-million-dollar automobiles for the world-renowned Barrett Jackson Auto Auction.

Speaking of fussy, cabinets are wet-sanded multiple times with abrasives so fine that they almost feel like nothing at all. Then, the cabinets are polished to a mirror-like finish that would make a Dusenberg owner drool. Once everything is completed and inspected, any remaining blemishes—no matter how tiny—are sent back for one last pass. The end result is perfection. Driver production takes place in yet another part of the factory. B&W is one of the few speaker companies that designs and builds all of its own drivers in-house; the engineering offices are down the street in a separate location.

Once the woofer cabinets are joined with the midrange/tweeter pod, drivers and crossover networks are installed, with workers still wearing gloves for most of the process. Each finished speaker is run through a mini anechoic chamber at the end of the assembly line; an operator uses a computerized measurement system to compare each speaker to its master reference. All finished Diamond series speakers must be within .5db of the reference standard or they are sent back for another inspection and rework. During my visit to this part of the factory, the six pairs of 802 Diamonds I observed passed their tests on the first go. A technician with whom I chatted said that because of the exhaustive testing on the individual components leading up to final assembly, “precious few don’t make the cut.”

Finally, the 800 series speakers are carefully packaged for staging in B&W’s immense warehouse, ready for shipment to dealers in 90 countries. The cutting-edge packaging involves substantial engineering. My tour guide smiled and said, “We don’t want them harmed after all this work, do we?” B&W includes packaging assembly instructions on the side of the box, but I suggest shooting video while you unpack the speakers. Should you ever decide to move and repack them, you’ll be glad you did.

Luxurious Feel

Unpacking the 802 Diamonds gives you ample opportunity to get up-close and personal with the speakers, and appreciate the care that goes into their construction. Woofer grilles are wrapped in foam and attach via magnets, as do the midrange grilles, enclosed in one of the two accessory boxes accompanying the speakers. Along with a thorough instruction manual, you’ll also find a microfiber cleaning cloth and pair of jumpers, should you not have speaker cables equipped with bi-wired termination.

I highly recommend always keeping the grille on the diamond tweeter. The diaphragm is vapor-deposited a layer of molecules at a time, and is very unforgiving of fingers and noses. Unlike some speakers’ soft-dome tweeters, these will not survive a dent, pulled out with scotch tape or other methods.

They Really Do Roll…

More manufacturers should follow B&W’s lead and put casters (or, as they like to say in the UK, a trolley) on the bottom of speakers weighing more than 100 pounds (45kg). It saves wear and tear on those squishy disks in your spinal column and simplifies the set-up process. The wheels made it easy to fine-tune placement for the best balance of imaging and bass response. For final placement, B&W offers a set of traditional spikes and set of hard-rubber feet to insert in place of the casters.

Your floor’s surface may determine what method you choose, but the soft feet can also be used to slightly fine-tune the bass response, supplying a bit looser sound than that of the spikes. Your room and ears will be the ultimate judge. While the spikes allow a modest amount of tilt, it shouldn’t be necessary, as the primary purpose of Nautilus enclosure provides for proper time alignment of the drivers. Thanks to wide vertical and horizontal dispersion, I gained nothing from tilting the speakers back. However, in typical nervous audiophile fashion, I ensured both speakers were perfectly level.

The smaller speakers in the 800 series have their “flowport”—B&W’s patented and trademarked name for its bass port, dimpled like a golf ball to provide more controlled air flow and less “port noise” than a standard port—mounted on the front face. But the 800 and 802 Diamond have their downward-facing ports, making them even easier to place. Indeed, precious little jockeying was required to optimize the 802 Diamonds in my listening room.

…And They Really Rock

A prerequisite for a great studio monitor is the ability to play loud without fatigue. The Diamonds excel in this area. If you love to crank up the volume, the Diamonds do not disappoint. Peter Gabriel’s “Lay Your Hands On Me” paints a wide and deep soundstage, combining densely layered vocals with delicate percussion and explosive drums, a challenge for any system. The 802 Diamonds remain firmly anchored, breezing through while maintaining detail in all three dimensions. Mixing it up with a 12” 45RPM single of Van Halen’s “I Don’t Want To Hear About It Later” has the same effect, keeping the explosiveness of both Van Halen brothers in check, yet appealingly separating the backup vocals of guitarist Eddie Van Halen and bassist Michael Anthony.

I easily noticed the differences between the original LP pressing, 45RPM single, and recent remaster of the first Van Halen album via the track “Little Dreamer.” With the Burmester 911 mk. 3 fairly warm to the touch, and my walls thumping, the 802 Diamonds segued into “Ice Cream Man” without missing a beat, capturing the delicacy in David Lee Roth’s vocal stylings. My collegiate swim coach used to say, “Finish hard.” So the volume control took a healthy clockwise spin as “On Fire” closed out the LP at maximum volume. I see why these speakers are the tools of choice in so many recording studios.

But Above All, They Balance

An early pressing of the Talking Heads’ “Heaven” from Fear of Music illustrates the 802 Diamonds’ panel-like ability to keep everything in perspective. Tina Weymouth’s bass line lingers in the back of the soundstage yet maintains the plucky, bright bass tone for which she is famous. Moving directly to The Yes Album, the difference between Chris Squire’s growling Rickenbacker and Weymouth’s Hofner presents a study in tonal contrast, while the beats in LL Cool J’s “Big Ole Butt” have the necessary weight and power. Few speakers in this price range possess this level of discerning bass response.

As much fun as those 1989 beats are, the 802 Diamonds also do an exceptional job of anchoring in place the percussion on LL Cool J’s Walking With a Panther. When blasting hip-hop tracks at club volume, it’s easy for the rest of the information on the record to get lost in the powerful bass grooves. However, the 802s retain their composure and wring out detail, even with meters on my prodigious McIntosh MC 1.2kws almost pegged—sending nearly 1200-watt peaks to the 802 Diamonds, which take it in stride without a trace of distortion.

Your favorite vocalist will reveal a marvelous coherence from top to bottom, the transition between woofers, midrange, and diamond tweeter as flawless as one can expect from a three-way cone speaker. For example, the strings on Roberta Flack’s “Jesse” are perfectly placed, occupying their own space without overpowering the singer.

Quite Cooperative

With a somewhat high sensitivity of 90db, but more importantly, a decidedly tube-friendly crossover, the 802 Diamonds should present a formidable experience regardless of amplification. Tube amplifiers in the 20-50wpc range have no problems driving these speakers to more than reasonable levels. The highly resolving nature of the B&Ws will uncloak whatever tonal character your amplifier might possess. I tried more than a dozen amp/preamp combinations, each with disparate characteristics.

My two top pairs comprised the all-tube combination of the ARC REF 5 preamplifier paired with the Decware Zen Torii, and the all solid-state Burmester 011/911mk 3. A pair of Classe M300 solid-state monoblocks also provided an excellent match, yielding a simultaneously fast, nimble and weighty presentation. The only amplifier in my stable that didn’t achieve symmetry? The Channel Islands D-500II. If you have class D amplification, insist on a test drive, as such amplifiers tend to be more speaker-dependent.

While the 802 Diamonds sound their best with world-class electronics, to their credit, they admirably sync with modest gear, making them easy candidates to stand as anchors of a system that will grow with as your budget allows. The 802 Diamonds proved exciting to hear even when paired with the humble PrimaLuna ProLogue One.

Conclusion

I’m pleased to offer the 802 Diamonds one of our Exceptional Value Awards for 2011.  These are truly a destination speaker at a price well under what one would expect for this kind of performance. I’ve heard my share of speakers in the $40-60k range that can’t compare to the meticulous level of finish this model exhibits, and thanks to a massive worldwide retail network, you’re guaranteed great support.

B&W 802 Diamond

MSRP:  $15,000/pair

www.bowers-wilkins.com

Peripherals

With early-stamper US Mercury pressings of this Rod Stewart classic only fetching $10-$12 and early British Vertigo pressings going for as high as $100, Mobile Fidelity Silver Label’s recent edition gets the good value award.

Comparing the Silver Label LP to the somewhat naff Mercury copy at my disposal proved interesting, even as the Mercury gave a good showing. While not as quiet as the new version, drums on the Mercury claim more texture. Cymbals are also more natural, but the Silver Label LP reveals warmer bass response. Stewart’s voice is solid and clean on both pressings, so the burning question becomes: Do you want a quiet record and squeaky clean jacket, or do you prefer a little more soul in the mix? I’ll take the Silver Label pressing, thanks.  – Jeff Dorgay

Mobile Fidelity Silver Label, LP

If you want to understand Jean-Michel Jarre, then you cannot ignore his teacher of three critical years, Pierre Schaeffer. A French musician and giant of the avant-garde scene, the musique concrète pioneer is largely responsible for the musical structures of modern electronica and hip-hop. Musique concrète takes an acousmatic sound approach—that is, you hear the sound but you might not necessarily know its source. Schaeffer lived to play with sounds, and 5 ētudes de bruits/ētude aux objets serves as a superb demonstration of his practice. Indeed, Schaeffer loves to see how sonics interact and react with each other, and how listeners respond to this sequence of noises. As for melody? What melody?

Effectively two works on a single LP, Side A’s 5 ētudes de bruits stems from 1948 and sounds it. The master is clear and content concise, but you get the obvious impression that it’s an archival piece and demands to be listened to as such. The master’s quality far exceeds the capability of the original recording, which is sometimes deficient and distorted, especially in the upper-mid regions.

The flip side finds material captured in 1959. Now that tape enters the equation (as well as improved studio facilities), the quality dramatically improves, making the subtle and startling effects of ētude aux objets more immediate and engaging. The purpose seems to force bystanders to ask, “What comes next?” A playful and often witty recording, the LP teases the senses. Once it finishes, you might feel like a lab rat in a scientific experiment.

Enter Jarre and his new compilation, Rarities. Presented in an attractive gatefold package, the archival LP takes the listener from Jarre’s leaving of Schaeffer’s classroom to the verge of his breakthrough composition, Oxygene. There’s never any doubt that he’s a Schaeffer disciple. The technology might be more advanced, but the musique concrète style drenches the opening “Happiness Is A Sad Song.” While unusual for Jarre, it’s complete with a vocal track, albeit with unintelligible gibberish. An increasingly nightmarish composition, it gives way to the more melodic “Hypnose,” which follows a krautrock arrangement. Organic instruments add a completely unexpected pastoral vibe. The quality of both the mastering and pressing retains a 60s-style analog warmth.

Jarre’s experimental melange continues as the LP progresses. Dabbling with aural flavors as diverse as the technology of the time allowed, he mixes the organic with early electronica. Tempos and mood vary, and it’s not until 1970’s “Windswept Canyon,” the first track on Side B, that Jarre stumbles upon a settled form. Sweeping synth effects play around the bass percussion and arrive at a soft melodic center; the bones of his now-familiar style coming together. Despite various creative hiccups, Jarre is once again drawn back to this newfound approach on 1972’s “Black Bird” and 1973’s “The Burnt Barns.” As the music moves through the 70s, the vinyl mastering maintains reproductive quality that, over such diverse sources, is equally consistent and appealing.

Oxygene, the first of three popular Jarre LPs remastered on vinyl for the first time since their original release, and mastered by the man himself, stands as the artist’s commercial breakthrough. The 1977 release is deservedly viewed as a classic, but the reissue initially doesn’t hit you between the ears. On the contrary, it sneaks up on you, and takes a few seconds to notice that the new mastering introduces a rich, silky smooth, deep chocolate flavor. Two minutes in, a deep bass sequence provides a more rounded low-frequency response than the original. It soon becomes obvious that the original recording is pregnant with silent distortion—the most insidious of varieties, and the type you only know is there only once it has been removed.

Dynamics are also enhanced, and the upper-midrange far superior, particularly given the newly uncovered synth elements. Sure, you could demand more—clarity, bass structure, pizzazz. But doing so would be a tad churlish. This LP takes its place as the best version of Oxygene on the market, leagues better than the original.

One year removed from Oxygene, Equinoxe continues the former’s bubbling synth washes and complex electronic multi-layering. The original pressing doesn’t sound right, especially in the upper mids and treble areas that, again, seem drenched in distortion—the same sort that hampers Oxygene. However, bass is solid, and for an early electronic piece, the soundstage commendable. On the reissue, bass plumbs new depths, and while the introductory synth work doesn’t extend the soundstage, it certainly makes better use of it. Upper mids offer greater transparency, allowing for a greater flow of information. Attention is drawn to different areas of the mix, making the melodic aspects surprising, fresh, and rebalanced.

1981’s Magnetic Fields, provides many magical moments. The recording is quite aggressive in its upper mids and treble attack, with a steady and persistent undulation that doesn’t offer respite. The original suffers from a forwardness and stumbles due to blundering, bloomy-ridden bass levels.

The new pressing brings a sense of calm—not unlike a mother arriving home to a house full of chaotic children, taking over from a flailing father, to not only control wayward energy but direct and put it to good use. Here, the upper mids and treble are steered to provide often-startling high-frequency effects. Bass is largely mellow and structured. Still, like the other LPs, more work could have been done to tighten here and push the envelope there. Nitpicking aside, the reissued Magnetic Fields is a joy to hear, offering a highly immersive experience, especially at high volumes. — Paul Rigby

For all: Dreyfus 180g LPs

Wilco has always championed a dense aural dynamic. On recordings such as Sky Blue Sky and Summerteeth, LP versions unscrambled the band’s mix better than their CD counterparts. In keeping with tradition, Wilco again includes a full-length CD with the vinyl edition of The Whole Love for just $25. But this time, it’s different. Once you hear the disc, you may never go back to the vinyl. Mastered by Bob Ludwig, the latter is compressed and rolled-off—and not by a small margin. The CD is tipped a shade to the bright side, but at least has air and dynamics.

From the first track, “The Art of Almost,” the soundstage on the CD extends well beyond the speaker boundaries, exuding life, whereas the LP just presents the song as a little ball of sound between the speakers. If you didn’t know better, you’d swear the vinyl was the CD and vice versa. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get any better. Blasé sound infects the entire LP.

It’s unfortunate that, for the first release on its new label, Wilco let the analog quality control slide. Get the deluxe version of the CD that comes with four bonus tracks. This is one instance where the vinyl doesn’t guarantee better sound. —Jeff Dorgay

dBPM/Anti, 180g 2LP

Part of its ongoing James Taylor series, Mobile Fidelity’s remaster of the singer/songwriter’s tenth album is a smash. Each side of the 1977 effort begins with big, radio friendly hits—“Your Smiling Face” and “Handy Man,” respectively. Indeed, JT stands as Taylor’s last great record from both creative and sales standpoints. Only his earlier Sweet Baby James equaled this set’s 3x-platinum status; none of his other studio records, however consistent, generated these numbers. (His 1976 Greatest Hits did sell 11 million copies.)

A side-by-side comparison with a 1A Columbia pressing reveals that while the original possesses a smidge of compression, it has more punch on the bottom end, serving a perfect example of how judicious use of a compressor can make a rock record rock.  Everywhere else, the MoFi gains the upper hand. Considering that a majority of songs on JT are of the slower variety, the audiophile label LP’s sumptuous presentation is a treat. Taylor’s voice is large and breathy, and surrounded by great guitar attack.

In addition, the MoFi edition boasts higher quality in two critical areas, the first being surface noise. Many 70s and 80s Columbia pressings are plagued with noise; this record is no different. Thanks to better vinyl and half-speed mastering, the new JT is extremely silent. My pressing lacks any clicks, ticks, or pops. MoFi’s lower overall level eliminates the original’s compression, which benefits all tracks save for the opening numbers on each side.

Moreover, the remainder of the album yields more low-level detail as well as extra space between notes. Taylor’s acoustic guitar playing offers added resonance and decay, drum fills are better defined, and it’s much easier to pick out Carly Simon’s backing vocals. —Jeff Dorgay

Mobile Fidelity, 180g LP

Since even the very best hi-fi systems rarely sound like real live music, the first question one might ask about the sound of any component immediately becomes: What does it add and what does it take away from the music?

Creating the perfect recreation of live music in the home may have yet to happen, but it’s not totally the fault of the hi-fi. Few recordings are made with the intention of capturing reality; artists, producers, and engineers are usually searching for the sound they think best suits the music. And since music is recorded in an endless variety of venues and recording chains, it’s no wonder that recordings all sound very different from each other.

That said, my favorite systems are those that reveal such differences between recordings every time you change a disc. The less a system adds or subtracts from the sound, the easier it is to really hear what’s going on in the recording. By this standard, Simaudio’s MOON 310LP phono preamp is a winner.

Surprises on the Inside

The MOON 310LP replaces Simaudio’s MOON LP5.3 phono preamp. The new model isn’t a radical rethink of the previous design, but it combines superior parts and a refined circuit to achieve better performance. And for those that invest for the long haul,the MOON 310LP comes with a 10-year warranty.

Taking off the easily removable case cover reveals the MM and MC settings. MC gain has three options: 54, 60,and 66db through RCA outputs, with an additional 6db available through XLR outputs.  Five impedance settings (10, 100, 470, 1K, and 47kΩ) are available for both MM and MC, meaning those with a Grado or SoundSmith moving-iron cartridge can take advantage of the higher-gain settings. Capacitive loading can be set at 0, 100, and 470pf—a bonus for MM users, as it offers more flexibility. The 310LP even offers a jumper setting for RIAA or IEC equalization. While not terribly convenient to access, such functionality isn’t often seen at this price point.

The unit’s rear panel hosts single-ended RCA inputs and outputs, plus balanced XLR outputs. The 310LP is nice and compact, just 7.5″ x 3.2″ x 11.2″ and weighing it at 7 pounds.

Redefines Quiet

Usually, on most phonostages, associated noise occurs when lifting the stylus from the groove at a high volume level. I can often hear such noise from my listening position, which is about ten feet from my Magnepan 3.7 speakers. However, with the 310LP, I only detected the faintest of noise, and only when my ears were pressed right against the speakers—a good sign. Even more importantly, the 310LP sounds cleaner when the music is cranked up, meaning that the contrast between quiet and loud instruments is more apparent than what I’ve experienced from other phonostages in this range.

Richard Barone’s Cool Blue Halo was recorded live at the Bottom Line on May 31, 1987. I was at the show, so listening to the LP is like traveling back through time. I loved that club, and saw hundreds of shows there. Plus, the Bottom Line always had an above-average sound system. However, Barone’s live sound that late spring night wasn’t very good, and it comes through on the LP. Just like the actual concert, there’s too much reverb. But Barone’s vocals sound great, and the Bottom Line’s vibe is there. The 310LP brings it all back to life just as I remembered.

Emotional Rescue, one of the Rolling Stones’ last all-analog efforts, also lit up my speakers. On the title track, drummer Charlie Watts, bassist Bill Wyman, and singer Mick Jagger dominate the mix. Via the 310LP, their pounding groove instantly grabs my attention and connects me to the music. Similarly, “She’s So Cold” transfixes, as I love the way Keith Richards’ rhythm-guitar licks punctuate the beat. I’ve never enjoyed this record more than I do with the 310LP. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ debut possesses even more analog richness than Emotional Rescue. Again, the 310LP helps portray the big soundstage present on this record with ease.

In the female vocal field, Linda Rondstadt’s Don’t Cry Now sounds tighter and more produced—like a recording where every musician is recorded in total isolation from one other. Her take on Neil Young’s “I Believe In You” is simply gorgeous on the 310LP. The latter is undoubtedly a high-resolution design, but one that doesn’t throw detail at you in a way that becomes fatiguing.

On the LP310, some of the better 1950s-era jazz recordings sound more natural to me, perhaps because they have little equalization or studio processing. Clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre’s LPs are so present and tonally accurate that the instruments seemingly appear in the room with me. I didn’t even notice at first that they’re mono recordings!

Back to Basics

Initially, I used the 310LP with the optional 320S power supply, which looks nearly identical to the 310LP. A dedicated and optimized design that only works with the 310LP, it features four stages of DC voltage regulation in a dual-action configuration and a special “pi-type” filter in conjunction with a dual-voltage regulation system to further reduce the 310LP’s already low-noise level.

Fully acclimated to the sound of the 310LP/320S combo, I unhitched the power supply, a change that involves moving a couple of internal jumpers. Listening to the 310LP a la carte, the sound becomes a tad softer. And, in comparison to hearing them via the Simaudio duo, dynamics are blunted, with low-level resolution and air also somewhat diminished.

Those with fairly resolving systems will have a tough time living without the 320S. The device is well worth the money, yet it’s also nice that Simaudio gives you the option to buy into its phonostage one step at a time.

Turn Me On

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing the Red Wine Audio Ginevra LFP-V Edition phono preamp. It’s a battery-powered, hybrid tube/solid-state design. Yet, it’s very tubey in the sense that the sound is rich and velvety smooth, albeit never lacking in detail. It proved a great experience, but the 310LP turns me on in a very different way. The Ginevra’s beguiling sweetness softens the top- and bottom-end response, whereas in these areas, the 310LP is more neutral.

Dr John’s In the Right Place, arranged and produced by the great Allen Toussaint in 1979, yields pure thrills through the 310LP. The Doctor’s mojo fires on all cylinders, and the Sim unit simply lets be the yummy, bold, 3D, and oh-so funky sound. Sure, some of the better and vastly more expensive phono preamps can get you even closer to the music embedded in the grooves, but in its price class, the 310LP is as colorless a device as you’re going to find.

The TONEAudio staff agrees, and hails the 310LP/320S as a recipient of one of the magazine’s 2011 Exceptional Value Awards.

Simaudio MOON 310LP and MOON 320S

MSRP: $1,800/$1,400

www.simaudio.com

Peripherals

Hyundai covers its engines for 100,000 miles. Bryston guarantees its amplifiers for 30 years. Decware guarantees its amplifiers for life. Any way you look at it, offering long warranties takes guts. It also means you better make a damn good product, or you’re going to go broke servicing warranty repairs.

The Decware Zen Torii Mk.3 is a damn good amplifier.

While I hate to use the “b” word (best), the Torii is my favorite power amplifier based on the EL-34 tube, and that’s saying a lot. I’ve always had a major affection for such amplifiers, which possess many characteristics of great single-ended triode amplifiers and yet, have more power and control than an SET can muster.

Think of the Torii as an SET with benefits—namely, increased bass control and dynamics. Unless you have extraordinarily efficient speakers, a few watts per channel just won’t rock your world. But 25 watts per channel dramatically changes the game, and is more than enough to power the Verity Audio Amadis speakers (93db/1-watt sensitivity) to a sufficiently high level on music of any kind. The Mk.2 does a fine job with the Verity Rienzis (87db/1 watt) and B&W 802 Diamonds (90db/1 watt). Still, the Amadis’ added sensitivity is just what’s needed to push the envelope.

Decware owner and chief engineer Steve Deckert claims his amplifier is “the last one you’ll ever want” and should only be used with a preamplifier if you happen to have a world-class unit at your disposal. Fortunately, I have two: An ARC REF 5 (vacuum tubes) and Burmester 011 (solid-state), each reference components, and both excellent matches for the Torii. At the end of the day, with the Verity speakers, I was willing to relinquish the last bit of the ARC preamp’s front-to-back-image depth for the additional bass grip and slam the Burmester provides. With the GamuT S9s, the ARC has the edge.

An optional $150 stepped attenuator on the Torii makes it easy to keep the preamplifiers used within their respective sweet spot, balancing dynamics and the lowest noise floor in the presentation.  While the sound remains excellent when using the dCS Paganini straight into the Torii, via the Paganini’s digital volume control, I feel that a killer linestage brings maximum dynamics to the table.

Deckert warned me that the Torii would require a long break-in period. Yet it sounded good right out of its supplied Pelican Case—another nice option, and one that certainly beats a cheesy cardboard box. Moreover, it keeps improving over time and, if I had to guess even after 700 hours of listening time, still sounds as if it is advancing. Where many amplifiers sound grainy and two-dimensional after only a few hours on the clock, the Torii’s tonal character just keeps ameliorating as the hours rack up.

My review sample has the optional V-Cap upgrade, which adds $500 to the window sticker. It’s well worth the price. A custom wood base is also available, meaning that a completely tweaked-out version fetches about $3,600. Each Torii is hand-built by one person and given plenty of attention from start to finish, not unlike a master engine constructed at Ferrari or Aston Martin. Such care becomes obvious the minute you take your Torii out of the carton; it’s truly a product to cherish. (Decware products are all built to order and only available factory-direct.)

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

The only aspect that might drive you nuts with the Torii? The amount of customization you can bring to its sound by swapping various tubes. This amplifier is what a tennis ball is to a Jack Russell terrier; you can chase it forever and you’ll collapse in exhaustion by the time you’re done. If that’s your idea of fun, you’ll never get bored with the Torii. While every tube makes a difference, the output tubes seemingly make the least amount of difference. I tried several combinations, but the input tubes and voltage regulators provide more sonic variance than swapping output tubes.

Deckert attributes this characteristic to his “Hazen grid modification” that involves substituting a non-polarized film capacitor for the piece of wire that normally connects between the suppressor grid and cathode in the output stage. Deckert also touts another benefit of his modification: The basic push-pull output stage makes it less sensitive to tube type. I must concur. This is great news—especially considering that the price of vintage NOS EL-34 tubes can soar as high as $300 each.

The Torii comes with the most informative owners manual I’ve ever seen. Rather than bore you with paragraphs of tube rolling escapades, click here for the manual: http://www.decware.com/newsite/TORIIMK3Manual.pdf

And the adjustments don’t stop with the tubes. You can choose one of two bias settings, and there is a bass and treble control. Not traditional tone controls, mind you, but two more ways to optimize the speaker/amplifier interface. The treble control rolls off the high-frequency response of the amplifier, but simply shunts to ground so it is not in the signal path. Deckert says the “bass control” actually impacts how the amplifier interacts with the speakers, and that there is no fixed “flat” position for these controls. Hence, they must be adjusted with each speaker. Finally, a 4/8-ohm impedance switch is present and, as with any tube amplifier with multiple output taps, should also be sampled, as often times the best match is not what you might think.

Those who stay focused and have the Zen-like patience to settle on a combination (or two) will be rewarded with a presentation that transports them to a special place. Even if you stick with the supplied tubes, the bass, treble, bias, and impedance controls are worth five minutes of your time. Consider: the Torii might actually save you money if you’ve got a pair of speakers that are too forward or a touch boomy. There’s a good chance that making small adjustments will dial in a speaker you may have considered selling. More money for concert tickets never came easier.

Unlike Any Other EL-34 Amplifier

Whereas a Shindo or vintage Marantz amplifier embellishes the sound in a way in which the music tends to sound warm, romantic, and even a bit slow regarding pace and timing (not that this is always a bad thing for many digital and other less-than-stellar recordings), ultimately laying resolution on a sacrificial altar, the Torii strikes a perfect balance of rendering additional tonal richness without altering the music’s fundamental character.

Via the Torii, Moraine’s “Uncle Tang’s Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” from Metamorphic Rock is an absolute prog freak-out, with layer upon layer of maniacal synthesizers and overdubbed guitars all kept in order with larger-than-life drums. Whatever your taste in complex tunes—be it prog, metal, or full-scale orchestral music—you will find intoxicating the Torii’s ability to maintain musical pace.

Without fail, the Torii consistently digs deep into recordings, uncovering morsels of information you may have never heard before. Montrose’s “Rock Candy” is a classic example of a slightly flat recording that comes alive with this amplifier. Usually devoid of any soundstage depth, drums and guitar became invigorated, assuming their own space while lead singer Sam Hagar’s voice remains front and center. And a phenomenal recording like The Band’s Music From Big Pink takes on a life of its own, feeling as if it’s mixed in surround.

The trick the Torii plays better than most vacuum-tube amplifiers stems from its ability to achieve an astonishing balance between tonal richness and tonal purity. And it does so without sliding down the slippery slope of coloration and euphonic distortion. Acoustic instruments retain correct timbre, complete with a fine-grained decay that seems to fade out forever.

Moreover, while most pure tube amplifiers exhibit tube rush when no signal is present, the Torii has none. Chalk it up to the unique utilization of the voltage regulator tubes. The Torii uses them in series, working as active filters rather than in parallel to regulate voltage. This approach also puts almost no stress on the tubes. Unsurprisingly, Deckert claims the latter should practically last the life of the amplifier. While I still notice modest improvements when plugging in to my Running Springs Maxim power line conditioner, the Torii exhibits less improvement than any other vacuum-tube amplifier I’ve plugged into the Maxim. It’s another test that further confirms Deckert’s claims.

Sure. Watts are watts. But thanks to its robust power supply and proprietary output transformers, the Torii has an abundance of headroom and very gently extends past its peak power output, with barely a hint of clipping. Even when playing the heaviest metal, the amplifier always feels bigger than its modest power rating suggests.

All of this adds up to sound reproduction that is rare with most amplifiers, no matter the price, and a practical miracle at $3,600. Granted, 25 watts per channel won’t be optimum for every speaker and room combination. But within this realm, I can’t think of a more enjoyable amplifier than the Decware Zen Torii Mk.2. I bought the review sample and plan on keeping it long enough to see if it will ever break.

One last word to the wise: Those wanting to put a Torii under a Christmas tree should get on the phone now. Orders are currently subject to a 10 week wait. Deckert told me that they have a backlog of 90 to build right now, and hopefully by spring they will be back to the standard 4-6 week wait.

Decware Zen Torii Mk. 3

MSRP: $2,945-$3,700 (depending on options)

www.decware.com

Peripherals

High-end audio products are often subcategorized by a single factor. For instance, in the mid 70s, many speakers built in California had a “West Coast Sound” characterized by a forward treble and somewhat forceful bass. Meanwhile, speakers from the other side of the country were said to possess an “East Coast Sound” favoring midrange accuracy.

While it’s tough to pigeonhole modern speakers according to such parameters, speakers from Denmark seem to share a natural tonality and an ability to capture the essence of instrumental texture without calling attention to their presence. Dali excels at these aspects. Its new F5 Fazon loudspeaker takes prior achievements two steps further by combining timeless styling with great sound and a small footprint.

Available in gloss black, white, or red, the Dali F5 is gorgeous to behold and will look right at home in the most fashionable of homes. Best of all, at $4,495, the F5s are affordable works of art.

Details, Details

Beautiful woodwork is a Danish hallmark, and Dali has always offered great cabinets. Throwing a wrinkle into traditionalism, the curvy F5s are machined from a block of aluminum. The speaker features an absence of parallel surfaces in order to keep to a minimum any cabinet resonance.

The three-driver complement works in a 2 ½-way configuration, with the crossover points set at 800 and 3200Hz, respectively. Dali maintains that their incorporation of wood fibre mixed into the pulp cones utilized in the dual 5-inch woofers are significant contributors to the model’s natural sound; adding increased cone stiffness and a more randomized structure. It also helps with the inner damping of the cone, a claim that only a few minutes of listening confirms as true. I have a personal preference for soft-dome tweeters; I’m always willing to forgo a smidge of ultimate resolution in the service of timbre. And here, the F5 delivers with a 1-inch soft dome tweeter that, as Ice-T would’ve said before he became a “Law and Order” mainstay, keeps it real.

A pair of banana jacks flush-mounted in the silver bases and a tiny compartment that allows you to completely conceal your speaker cables round out the form-and-function factor. Acoustically transparent speaker grilles magnetically attach; your décor and offspring will decide whether they should be left on or off.

Grilles aside, you should have the F5s playing music in a few minutes. Thanks to fairly wide dispersion, they will not suffer terribly if not aligned just right. If you are in the position to fuss over speaker placement, the F5s yield a bit more bass extension if you can keep them about 18 inches from the rear wall. Since the tweeters rise only 29 inches from the floor, lower seating grants the best imaging performance.

Finally, don’t let the 87db sensitivity frighten you: These speakers are incredibly easy to drive and work equally well with tube, transistor, or Class D amplification. Anything from 25 watts per channel and above should get the job done.

The F5’s Evaporative Nature

The F5’s bass response is solid but not overbearing. At first blush, one might think the speakers slightly thin because the upper-mid bass response isn’t goosed to provide a false sense of thickness. However, when called upon to move air, the pair of 5-inch woofers is mightier than the spec sheet suggests. Sampling Peter Gabriel music, old and new—via Genesis’ Lamb Lies Down On Broadway and his more recent Scratch my Back, respectively—the speakers dispense ample impact. Via the F5s, there’s more than enough oomph on “Back in NYC” to sound convincing and hold at bay any thoughts of a subwoofer. Moreover, textures present in the acoustic bass line of “Heroes” on Gabriel’s latest record affirms that’s what is sonically conveyed is anything but one-note bass.

The F5s often remind me of my favorite mini monitors’ midrange clarity. Yet the former take up a smaller footprint than my Harbeth P3ESRs on Sound Anchors stands. Tracking through Pat Metheny’s new What’s It All About? demonstrates how well these speakers keep pace with the guitar icon’s fretwork and harmonics without becoming lifeless and flat.

Of course, enthralling midrange and ample bass don’t alone make a fantastic speaker. Thanks to the small woofers, the F5s offer the degree of coherence required to effortlessly disappear in a room. The resolution will convince you that something very special is happening—an experience that allows you to ease back in the chair and focus on the musical event. Vide, “I’m a King Bee” from Grateful Dead’s Fillmore East: April 1971. The record boasts a wide range of texture and complexity that challenges the best speakers. Answering the bell, the F5s create a wide soundstage that mimics the Fillmore’s hall ambience.

Fatigue-free Finesse

Many speakers make impressive showings during a 10-minute demo. You know the drill: A salesperson plays some plucky guitar bits, runs through some female vocals, and even spruces it up with a touch of classical music or piano fare. It’s often all presented at high decibel levels. Still, you walk away impressed, perhaps so smitten that you reach for your wallet. But somehow, after a few extended listening sessions, those new speakers lose their luster and you’re right back to where you started.

A natural feel, which might initially make the F5s slightly less exciting, is what will keep you enthralled with them down the road. Even after full-day sessions with the F5s, they never become tiring. As much as a crammed Sooloos music server gnaws at my inner DJ and tempts me to spin singles, I find myself listening to many records all the way through with the F5s—truly the mark of a great speaker. I just want to stay in the groove, whether it’s with yet another version of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon or Girls’ Father, Son, Holy Ghost.

No, the F5s do not present the finite level of “pinpoint imaging” that some more decidedly audiophile speakers possess. However, they throw a full-bodied and three-dimensional soundfield. The wood blocks and triangle in Serge Gainsbourg’s “Douze Belles Dans la Peau” from Chant a la Une illustrate this strength. The triangle sporadically pops in all around the room, while the wood blocks are distinctly left of center and somewhat diffused, sounding just like a pair of wood blocks when I strike them in my listening room.

Dynamics are equally impressive. Although small woofers can only move a finite amount of air, these speakers’ woofers give a gold-ribbon performance when faced with heavier fare. Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and the Who present no problem. But, if your tastes tend towards the heaviest metal, I suggest adding one of Dali’s subwoofers.  AC/DC’s “Back in Black” comes across just fine, but Danzig’s “Am I Demon” requires a stronger push over the cliff. Just as important as dynamics, the F5s retain their open character at low volume levels—not always an easy trick and, perhaps, even more telling of a given speaker’s linearity.

Well? Hello, Dali.

Dali F5 Loudspeakers

$4,495/pair

www.dali-speakers.com (factory)

www.soundorg.com (US importer)

Peripherals

MC Vivo is not the latest hip-hop sensation, but it’s sensational nonetheless. With MC cartridge prices spiraling into the clouds like a missile that lost its ground link to Earth, it’s a relief to hear this aural much value for $400.

Ortofon has manufactured moving-coil cartridges in Denmark since the 50s. While many audiophiles are after the 2M series of MM cartridges, I’m still an MC fan first and foremost. But this cartridge is completely different, made from Lexan DMX (another hip-hop reference!) that reminds me of the MC 20 moving-coil cartridge that in the early 1980s attracted a massive following.

Eschewing pedestrian packaging, the MC Vivo slides out of the standard red-and-white Ortofon box. Mounted to the forthcoming Zu Audio rendition of Technics SL-1200 turntable, replete with techie tricks and a Rega RB-700 arm, the MC Vivo had the Grateful Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie” flowing with ease. Eyeballing the setup with the MoFi GeoDisc works well, and after making any needed adjustments, you’ll be spinning more records in ten minutes. If you have access to better tools (like the Feickert complement at the TONEAudio studio), fine-tuning further improves the performance.

The MC Vivo uses a standard aluminum cantilever with nude elliptical diamond stylus. Seven-nines (99.9999% pure) copper wire is used to wind the coils. Output is .5mv and suggested loading is 500 ohms, the sweet spot with my Pass Labs XP-15 phonostage. Stumped by the specs? You’ll understand them the second you lower the stylus on a record. This cartridge is an excellent tracker, and the stylus profile rides the groove in a manner that doesn’t accentuate groove noise.

While MM cartridges often offer more in the dynamics department, the MC Vivo knocks out even the Clearaudio Maestro via its low-level detail retrieval and grain-free delicacy. Listening to Mobile Fidelity’s recent remaster of Billy Joel’s Piano Man illustrates these strengths. Joel tends to pound the keys, and this record quickly exposes any cartridge lacking in dynamics.

The 45RPM 12-inch single of “The Heart’s a Lonely Hunter,” featuring David Byrne with Thievery Corporation, reveals the MC Vivo provides punchy dynamics and killer bass groves. Moreover, synth riffs that sound like those featured on Mr. Scruff’s “Sweetsmoke” seemingly float around my consciousness, akin to the little pies hovering in the song’s video.

I don’t really care how Diana Krall’s Live in Paris sounds on the MC Vivo, but Doug and the Slugs Cognac and Bologna is awesome. The tom fills in “Soldier of Fortune” go beyond the left speaker’s boundaries, and lead-guitar breaks feature plenty of meat. Should you not have Doug and the Slugs records, any LP rife with multiple layered harmonies and studio trickery will show what this cartridge can do.

Male and female vocals get fleshed-out to satisfactory levels via the MC Vivo. Vide, Amy Winehouse’s posthumous Lioness: Hidden Treasures, which will make you a believer. Revisiting Stevie Nick’s voice on Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours displays her signature breathiness with ample depth and texture; it feels as if a much more expensive cartridge is doing the work. OK, the Meatmen’s We’re the Meatmen and You Suck still sounds terrible, but you can’t win them all, and it isn’t the cartridge’s fault.

Extension at both ends of the spectrum is better than one might expect from a $400 cartridge. Bass response, as well, is excellent, with abundant low-frequency detail accompanying the weight. Just cue up the hard-hitting beats of Run-D.M.C.’s Kings of Rock. Maybe MC Vivo is a hip-hop star after all.  -Jerold O’Brien

Ortofon MC Vivo Cartridge

MSRP: $399

www.ortofon.com

What is it about phonostages? More than almost any piece of audio equipment, they seem to exert a decisive impact upon the sound—at least when it comes to playing analog equipment.

I still remember the day when I fired up my Linn LP-12 and listened to the differences an Audio Research PH-3 made on my Snell E-IV loudspeakers. Suddenly, as if by magic, an enormous soundstage and deep bass emerged. It then became palpably clear to me that a phonostage could expand or crush the sound of a good turntable, and inject air into the soundstage or make it seem lean and emasculated. Much of this probably has to do with the tiny signal that the phono preamplifier sees coming from the cartridge. Over the years, I have never ceased to be shocked at what critical roles phonostages play in making vinyl sing (or not).

Features Are More Than a Curiosity

My experience helps explain why I looked forward to the Monk phonostage with more-than-ordinary curiosity. No, analog’s roaring comeback during the past decade isn’t a secret. New cartridges, ‘tables, and tonearms seemingly appear every week. But the Monk has special qualities that separate it from its peers. For starters, the model possesses no less than five equalization stages, including separate ones for Decca and Columbia LPs. It permits you to adjust the gain up to a whopping 70 dB. With that amount, you’ll never have any troubles driving a black disc to peak levels.

And, not least, it’s equipped with a plethora of capacity and impedance switches. Oh, I almost forgot: It also comes with three phono inputs. If you’re one of those people that own multiple turntables, the Monk might be ideal. Finally, the Monk’s appearance is quite nifty—it’s compact, and can be easily tucked under your arm if you have to move it about. The diminutive size, however, in no way reflects its actual performance. This is a superb unit.

Holographic Width and Depth

A low noise floor, the sine qua non of fine audio reproduction, is the first characteristic that comes to attention. Few things are more obtrusive than a noisy phonostage, the audio equivalent of a flickering television screen. Inevitably, noise, whether hum or tube rush—or, heaven forbid—both at the same time, also masks detail and disrupts the soundstage. Nothing of the sort occurs with the Monk. Instead, while listening to a very well-recorded LP of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4played by the Concertgebouw Orchestra on the Philips label, I’m immediately and most favorably impressed by the soundstage’s depth and width. You can almost hear the string players shuffling their feet or turning a page of sheet music. When noise is banished, there’s a sense of ease. As a piece begins, music emerges from black space in a more holographic way.

The Monk provides a real feeling of space and scale, as well as delicacy. It gives you an idea of the cavernous character of a concert hall, a trait upon which I place a high premium. Stereo systems sound more “live” when you can discern spatial cues. At the same time, the Monk’s timbral accuracy is quite good. On the Mahler Fourth, the strings shimmer and possess a genuine sheen, while the brass sections have the blat only a good phonostage can convey. It’s also easy to discern the different sections of the orchestra. Due to the Monk’s lack of smearing, music does not simply sound like a homogenous blur.

Nor does the Monk falter when it comes to reproducing the Concertgebouw at full volume. Mahler is often hard to duplicate simply because his orchestral works erupt into thunderous, anguished crescendos that overwhelm stereo systems that can’t really handle so much volume and detail. The Monk remains unfazed.

Loud and Clear

This phonostage communicates infectious excitement—it makes you want to listen.The Black Motion Picture Experience features the Cecil Holmes Soulful Sounds and “Across 110th Street,” a cut on which blaring trumpets and throbbing bass provide a clear path to detecting the performance of any piece of equipment in the chain. The Monk does very well indeed.

No, the trumpets are not as distinct as they are my reference Ypsilon phonostage. Nor is the sound quite as natural. But consider the price differential: $3,500 versus $26,000. I’m not missing all that much on the Monk, and what I do lose is more a matter of sins of omission rather than commission. The blunt truth is that the Monk allows the music’s raw, surging power to come through loud and clear.

Such grip and clarity are partly attributable to the fact that the Monk is a solid-state unit. Here, we arrive at the divide between tube devotees and solid-state fans. The differences are well known. Solid-state tends to have more grip and sheer impact, at least in the nether regions. Tubes, by contrast, offer a billowy soundstage and warmer midrange. Are some of the qualities associated with tubes simply colorations? Sure. But then again, tubes seemingly mirror the sound you actually hear in the concert hall.

The Monk lands firmly on the solid-state side; it sounds a shade more electronic in timbre than a tubed unit. On the other hand, tube virtues are firmly in evidence. And the build quality looks impeccable. I’d be very surprised if the unit doesn’t prove ultra-reliable. Best of all, the Monk delivers the musical goods. It never blushes when called upon to deliver full-scale rock or classical works. At the same time, it’s more than capable of providing subtle dynamic gradations. I’m more impressed by what it does than by what it does not, to say nothing of the fact that the price point for excellence keeps getting reduced.  – Jacob Heilbrunn

Additional Listening:

Jeff Dorgay

The desires of the true vinyl enthusiast are diametrically opposed to the desires of the Highlander: there can’t be only one – cartridge, that is.  As your collection becomes more diverse, it will require at least one if not more cartridges in your arsenal to get the maximum listening enjoyment from all of your records.  The Monk Audio Phonostage does this at a much lower price than any of the other affordable multiple input phono stages we’ve reviewed.

Considering the brilliant performance of the Monk, adding a second or third turntable (or tonearm if your table has the option) is simple.  With all the necessary settings on the front panel, you can move between setups at will, and if you possess a table with removable headshells, the possibilities are infinite.  I suggest one highly resolving setup, perhaps one a bit more forgiving and maybe a mono cartridge for those new to turntable polygamy.

The Monk takes a slightly different approach to cartridge loading, offering multiple options for MM cartridges, with a range of 15k to 220k offered.  I’ve never experienced a cartridge requiring a 220k loading, but the ability to go up to 56k was a bonus with my Shure cartridges.  MC step up is via a pair of high quality transformers, and a special hex screw on the case made opening the case out of the question for now to further investigate.  Switching between Koetsu, Denon, Rega and Lyra MC cartridges was no problem.

All the right boxes are ticked with the Monk.  It is extremely quiet, possesses great dynamic range and contrast, remaining highly musical while doing so.  Those longing for even blacker backgrounds can ditch the wall wart power supply and add the Red Wine Audio Black Lightening battery supply for a substantial performance upgrade.

With a second (or third) analog setup at your disposal, you’ll wonder how you ever got by with only one.

Monk Audio Phonostage

MSRP: $3,500

Manufacturer Information:

www.monk-audio.com (mfr)

www.avataracoustics.com (US Importer)

Variations on panel-speaker themes are so widespread, they’re enough to make one’s head spin: magnetic planar, ribbon, electrostatic, and hybrid combinations constitute the bevy of options. And woe to the audiophile that doesn’t agree with one approach. For instance, admitting to a Magnepan aficionado that you like MartinLogan speakers can be the equivalent of treason, sparking reactions that will leave you thinking you just argued with a bunch of soccer hooligans in a pub.

Having owned pretty much all panel types over the years—from the Quad 57 to the mighty Magnepan Tympani to the phenomenal MartinLogan CLX—I love ‘em all. However, they all have limitations that, when minimized, allow for captivating musical presentations one will either adore or despise. Much that of like a single driver/SET system, an ESL speaker’s midrange is positively dreamy. Vocals, in particular, sound amazingly lifelike.

Other than its CLX and earlier CLS, all full-range electrostatic designs, MartinLogan hangs its hat on a hybrid design that mates a dynamic (cone) woofer to an ESL panel. The approach looks great on paper, with the cone woofer bringing the necessary punch and the ESL panel providing the trademark finesse. In practice, however, it’s a tough marriage, as the woofer and ESL panel dissipate sound pressure in different ways, making for a slight disconnect in the frequency spectrum.

Critics of the hybrid approach argue that the woofer doesn’t have the necessary speed to keep up with the ESL panel, robbing the otherworldly coherence that draws us to the design in the first place. So, often like that other marriage of convenience, the SUV, it isn’t always as sporty or utilitarian as some might prefer. I’ve always been willing to excuse a bit panel/woofer integration perfection for weight and slam. I can’t play Metallica on Magnepans, but I can on the MartinLogans.

No manufacturer does a better job of joining a cone woofer to an ESL panel than MartinLogan. It’s for good reason—the company has more seat time with the breed than anyone else. MartinLogan’s constant refinement of woofer and crossover designs (and improvements to the ESL panel) cheats physics rather handily. Enter the $9,995 Montis.

Up and Running

MartinLogan provides some of the best manuals in the business, so you will be rocking out before you can even say “vertical dispersion.” These speakers weigh only 58 pounds each and are easily unpacked by one person. If your room accommodates such a setup, start with the speakers about 8-9 feet apart and with slight toe-in. MartinLogan’s “flashlight” method for setting toe-in works very well and, even though these speakers can nicely when placed close to the side walls of a listening room, the further you can keep them away from side walls results in a larger overall sound field.

When listening to the Montis on both the long and short wall in my 16 x 25 foot listening room, the former gets the nod for producing an expansive stereo image. I suggest moving the speakers apart in 6-inch increments until the stereo image collapses, then back in ever so slightly. The Montis are shipped with hard rubber feet that can be swapped with spikes. The latter results in slightly faster bass transients, but thanks to the great improvements I didn’t hear as much of a difference between spiked and unspiked operation as in past ML models.

The bass control, located on the rear panel, affects the output level of the woofer +/-10db at 100hz. Start at the center (zero) position and optimize speaker placement for the best balance of bass definition and midrange clarity, sparingly using the bass control for best results. Also, the Montis has a lighted “ML” logo on top of the woofer cabinet and a small blue LED on the front face. A three-position switch allows users to choose maximum blue, dim, and off.

Beauty Beneath the Surface

Looking much like the earlier Spire, reviewed very enthusiastically in Issue 20, the Montis uses the same ESL panel as the Summit X and a slightly different 10-inch woofer that crosses over to the panel 10hz higher at 340hz. (It was 330hz in the Spire.)

A new Vojkto-designed 24-0bit DSP crossover enables a far better match between woofer and panel than ever before. With custom slopes on the high- and low-pass frequency segments, the Montis boasts more bass drive than the Spire. Plus, integration improved tremendously. MartinLogan designers never sit still, and as scary as “equalized” sounds in product literature referring to the woofer, the concept works splendidly. According to Devin Zell, MartinLogan product manager, the DSP crossover yields another benefit: consistency. “We were able to achieve much more consistent results within the crossover, holding values to a much tighter tolerance than with passive components. This also provides more consistency from one sample of the product to another.”

Acoustic jazz tracks underscore how far the Montis has come. While the Summit and Spire never struggled in this area, acoustic bass always lacked a bit of texture. No longer. Grant Green’s Idle Moments exemplifies this newfound fluidity. The bass playing here is subtle, seldom taking center stage. Yet the additional texture supplied by the Montis keeps the bass in the center of the pocket, right where it belongs, allowing the listener to forget about it and providing a better foundation for the music.

Whether real or imagined, the increased clarity in the lower register permits more midrange detail to shine through. Grace Jones’ Nightclubbing features a more detached electric bass line that, while great on a pair of Cerwin Vegas, usually sounds somewhat out of place on a high-end system. The Montis nails it, retaining the force albeit tightening up the overall feel.

Tube Friendlier

Many ESL enthusiasts clinging to the notion that tubes are the only way to go with beloved panels forget that hybrid designs are a different animal. Earlier MartinLogan hybrids sport a minimum impedance in the 2-3 ohm range, making them easier to drive than recent models that drop to a .25-ohm impedance at 20khz.

While the Vantage, Summit, and Spire are not amplifier destroyers in the way that my full-range ribbon Apogees are, the high-frequency response nose-dives with practically every tube amplifier, often making for a combination that sounds similar to a traditional dynamic speaker, albeit with a blown tweeter. Happily, the Montis sports a minimum impedance of .56 ohms (with an overall impedance of 4 ohms)—making these speakers much easier to drive with a tube amplifier.

The match with the ARC REF 150 is downright spooky—plenty of high-end sparkle, taut bass response, and a wonderful, airy midrange that one usually associates with the finest vacuum-tube/ESL combinations. This amplifier stands as the one of the best companions for the Montis—the very best I’ve heard yet.

The Montis has no problem being driven by the 25-watt Grant Fidelity SET monoblock amplifiers, which utilize the gigantic 845 output tube. High frequencies don’t roll off; however, a slight midbass hump considerably warms up the sound. Some will welcome the more romantic sound, the pairing sounding more like a pair of Sound Labs or Acoustat 2+2s with more bass drive. Either way, the fact these speakers can be comfortably driven by an SET is remarkable. Listeners whose musical taste leans toward female vocalists should be enraptured by this marriage. Sinead O’Connor’s How About I Be Me (and You Be You?) proves exquisite, yielding the larger-than-life vocals at which ESLs excel.

Equally Adept With Solid-State

These speakers are no slouch with the Burmester 911 mk.3, either. Thanks to the Montis’ resolving abilities, the massive solid-state amplifier brings an equally tasty albeit different flavor to the fore. Whereas the REF 150 has a definite ceiling regarding how loud it can play, the 911 mk. 3 easily drove the efficient (91db/1 watt) Montis to brain-damage levels. Even when cranking the title track from AC/DC’s For Those About To Rock, there’s still plenty of headroom for the parting canon shots.

Fast speed metal, served up via Megadeth, Anthrax, and Motorhead, presents no issue for the Montis when the Burmester amplifier is at the driver’s seat, keeping the sound from the panels clean and controlled. Akin to the Summit, Spire, and Summit X, these ESLs rock—provided your amplifier is up to the task. An amplifier of lesser quality has more trouble driving the panels, a deficit that’s often be mistaken for a woofer/panel coherence issue. The better your power amplifier, the smoother these speakers sound.

Slowing the pace, the acoustic guitar interlude in the middle of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s “Déjà Vu” from the 25^th Annual Bridge School Concerts becomes particularly moving. You can easily discern the sound of each individual guitar in its space and, when the players hit the occasional low string, the additional coherence of the new woofer/crossover keeps you in the groove, never drawing attention to the speakers.

Solid Evolution

Should you trade-in your Vantage, Spire, or Summits for Montis? It depends on your room, system, music, and pocketbook. If you absolutely must have the latest/greatest, snag a pair. Is this speaker a significant upgrade? Unquestionably.

When MartinLogan developed the current Spire and Summit X via crossover advances made on the CLX model, the speakers’ added midrange clarity impressed but the main quibble with the hybrid ESL design still lurked. The Montis makes the biggest jump to date at integrating a cone woofer with an ESL panel. If that’s what you’ve been craving, you will enjoy the Montis.

MartinLogan Montis

MSRP: $9,995/pair

www.martinlogan.com

Peripherals

Looking at speakers at high-end audio shows often gives one the impression that audiophile speakers are designed to exclusively appeal to audiophiles. I’m a card-carrying audiophile, so sure, I think 73-inch tall, 600+-pound Wilson Alexandria X2 Series 2 speakers in “Fly Yellow” are drop-dead gorgeous. But the average dentist, business executive, or banker would probably think they’re monstrosities. Meaning that, even if they could afford to buy a pair, they wouldn’t consider living with them. Few “civilians” subscribe to high-end speakerdom’s form-follows-function aesthetic.

Which is why I smiled when I spotted the Davone Ray speakers at last year’s Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. On stands, the speakers didn’t come up to my waist, and their curvy styling, inspired by the iconic Charles Eames chair, stopped me in my tracks. Since the Danish-made Ray stands out in the overcrowded world of rectangular box speakers, I’m guessing non-audiophiles might be intrigued.

Moreover, the sound did not disappoint. MA Recordings’ Todd Garfinkel used a pair to demo his music, and I was totally smitten. The Rays projected a deep and wide soundstage, and the bass was more potent than I’d have expected from such a modestly sized speaker. I returned to listen again and again, so I was curious about how the sound would hold up at home.

Unique Design

Coming in at just 28.5″ high mounted on its stand, the Ray is small in stature. Granted, its modern styling won’t be a great fit with all decors, but its spouse-acceptance factor should be well above that of most full-range audiophile speakers.

The Ray sports a black cloth grille mounted on a plywood frame—something you won’t find on many speakers. Remove the grille, and you’ll see the front baffle is covered with nicely finished real black leather (the rear panel is leather-clad, too). I asked company founder and aeronautical engineer Paul Schenkel about why he opted for genuine leather. He said he prefers natural materials—not for sonic reasons, but for the quality they impart.

The Ray boasts just one (coaxial) driver, and it’s unique to this design. The driver incorporates a 1″ Illuminator silk-dome tweeter that sits in the center of an 8″ Volt woofer. No wonder the Ray produces a more coherent soundstage than speakers with a row of drivers arrayed over their front baffles. I’m sure other high-end speakers utilize a single coaxial driver, but the only one that immediately comes to mind is the Thiel SCS4. I remember being knocked out by the SCS4’s precise imaging, but the Ray is a more full-range design.

The powdercoat-black-finished solid-steel stands are also works of art. Their curves perfectly complement the speakers, and while I first thought the stands looked too spindly to securely support the Davone, there’s almost no give when I nudge the speaker with my finger.

The Ray’s curved, walnut-veneered, sixteen-ply beechwood cabinet is fitted with medium-density fiberboard front and rear baffles. Impedance is listed at 7.5 ohms, yet it gets down to 4.1 ohms at 20kHz. A Cardas speaker-wire clamp accepts spades, bare wire, and, in a pinch, banana plugs. The backside also sports a large bass port, so don’t even think of placing the Ray near a wall. This speaker needs room to breathe.

The Joys of Cooking

The Ray’s even-tempered balance is its prime virtue, but its big-as-life imaging is what kept me grabbing records. Older 1960s recordings, like the live Modern Jazz Quartet works with Jimmy Giuffre, sound wide-open. There’s a lot of “leakage” between mics on these albums, so when you play speakers as time-coherent as the Rays, you feel like you’re in a huge sound space. The solidity/presence of Guiffre’s clarinet, as well as that of the drums, bass, and piano, is nothing less than thrilling. The Rays more completely conjure the recording venue—not so much in the look-at-me, high-resolution sense—but in a manner that relates to the soul of the music and how live instruments actually sound.

These characteristics account for why the Ray’s midrange glories don’t require agonizing analysis. “Homeless,” from Paul Simon’s Graceland CD, elicits goosebumps. The track is almost a capella, with Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s vocals recorded at Abbey Road Studios. The voices sound strikingly human, an increasing rare quality on contemporary recordings. And on Simon’s  “My Little Town,” from Still Crazy After All These Years, I hear aspects of the mix I’ve never noticed before. Consider the opening solo piano, occupying an actual acoustic space. As acoustic guitar, horns, bass, and drums enter, the tune starts to sound like a standard 1970s multitrack pop recording. Listening over the Rays, you genuinely hear the mix evolve.

By contrast, Leonard Cohen’s Live Songs is a sparsely populated, purely acoustic affair. And Cohen is right there, between the Rays, as live as can be. This illusion is what high-end audio is about. It’s supposed to generate these epiphanies.

Satisfied the Rays can sound sweet, I pulled out the Black Keys’ Attack & Release CD to indulge my blues-rock fantasies. No worries—the Rays can boogie when the urge strikes. But if you live on a steady diet of high-decibel tunes, the speaker will not provide the necessary impact—certainly not like the kind you get from a pair of heavyweight towers.

That said, the Ray easily conveys the Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s meaty, big and bouncy rhythms. The swinging ensemble doesn’t have a bass player; instead, the sousaphone’s blatting bass lines provide the music’s pulse. Lesser speakers gloss over such contributions, but the Ray never misses the beat. Indeed, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s Mardi Gras in Montreux LP could have been called The Joy of Cooking, New Orleans Style. There’s no Pro Tools messing with the sound, so the music speaks for itself.

Truly Original

Listening over the long term, the Rays constantly surprise me, with every record sounding different from the last—always a good sign. All LPs and CDs are recorded under wildly different circumstances, and the Ray made these facts abundantly clear.

There’s a lot to love about this speaker: Its small stature, unique styling, and the way its single driver presents an unusually transparent view of the music. I just wish more speaker companies were coming up with such truly original designs.

Manufacturer’s Information

Davone Ray

MSRP: $7,500 per pair

www.davoneaudio.com

Peripherals

Audiophiles have a habit of prematurely discarding things. In the 70s, a proliferation of low-efficiency box speakers and transistors convinced many enthusiasts to abandon vacuum tubes for high-powered solid-state amplifiers. Listeners were on a quest for “perfect measurements,” only to wonder if they’d made the wrong choice after the fact.

History repeated itself again in the 80s with the compact disc, as many of the same devotees ditched vinyl in favor of “perfect sound forever” and the digital medium’s superior measurements. Fortunately, technology always seems to come full circle and often reaches its development pinnacle years after introduction. The ARC REF 150 power amplifier exemplifies this trend.

Tradition

The $12,995 REF 150 builds on the success of the previous $10,995 REF 110, the consummate one-box solution for audiophiles that don’t require the power of the larger REF 250 and 750 monoblocks. ARC executive Dave Gordon notes: “The REF 110 is a great amplifier. Yet the extra output of the REF 150 is perfect for our customers wanting the REF sound, but don’t want to commit to the space a pair of monoblocks required.” One chassis also has an advantage in that the REF 150 only requires replacing eight power tubes (approximately every 5000 hours) and, subsequently, produces less heat. Tubes are cooled by a pair of back-panel fans that only make themselves faintly known when the music is off. And even then, one must listen intently to hear them.

Looking virtually identical to its predecessor, the REF 150 sports major internal changes. There’s a much bigger power supply, with double the storage capacity of the REF 110, and redesigned output transformers to maximize the capacity of the KT120 output tubes. Past ARC power amplifiers use the 6550. However, the increased dissipation of the new KT120 tube allows for a substantial power increase. Proprietary capacitor technology utilized in the 40^th Anniversary Reference Preamplifier significantly contributes to the new amplifier’s improved transparency. Currently, there’s no upgrade option for REF 110 owners. Still, Gordon mentions that the KT120 tube can be a drop-in replacement for the 6550 in the REF 110 and “provides a bump in power output, close to 20 watts per channel.” Not a bad upgrade for about $600.

Having owned numerous ARC power amplifiers during the past 30 years, I love that the company prefers a path of measured evolution rather than ricochet from one design to the next. This approach keeps high both demand and resale value for vintage ARC gear. Some older models are now worth more used than they were when new. The current hybrid design, featuring low noise JFETs in the first input stage, began back in the late 80s with the Classic 120 and Classic 150 monoblocks. The latter models ran eight 6550 tubes in each channel in triode mode. By comparison, the REF150 utilizes ARC’s patented “cross cathode coupled” output stage, delivering more power from half as many tubes—and providing better overall sound.

Listeners that find the last generation REF 110 amplifier slightly forward in tonal balance and requiring more juice to push will likely feel that the improvements made to the REF 150 a welcome change. ARC diehards, take note: The change in overall sound is almost identical to the improvement between the REF 3 preamplifier and REF 5.  Audio Research achieves a delicate balance of delivering extra, almost-indefinable tonal tube richness while avoiding the common trap of masking resolution with warmth—or speed with an overblown soundstage. In other words, the REF 110 goes to 9.3 and the REF 150 goes to 11.

Compatibility

The REF 150 features a single pair of balanced XLR connections for the input and three output taps (4, 8, and 16 ohm) for speaker outputs. Thankfully, ARC employs quality copper binding posts instead of the awful, plastic-coated connectors used on too many of today’s power amplifiers. Solid connections are important, and these do the job. A 20-amp IEC socket is used for power transfer, as is a heavy-duty power cord.

Integrating the REF 150 into both of my reference systems—one featuring ARC’s REF Phono 2 phonostage and REF 5 preamplifier,  the other comprised of the Burmester 011 preamplifier and Vitus Audio MP-P201 phonostage—proves seamless. Note: the design of the REF series power amplifiers is such that they will not work with single ended (RCA outputs only) preamplifiers.  A balanced preamplifier must be used, or distortion will rise dramatically, accompanied by a substantial decrease in power.  This is due to the omission of the phase inverter stage – a small price to pay for signal purity.  Excellent synergy is also achieved running it direct from the dCS Paganini stack, in effect making the ARC an all-digital control center. No matter your front end, the REF 150 will deliver.

The REF 150 is equally versatile with a wide range of loudspeakers. While it can’t push my power-hungry Magnepan 1.7s to ear-busting levels, it plays them at coherent levels with all but heavy-rock tracks—a major feat for most amplifiers, and an incredible achievement for a tube amplifier. The new MartinLogan Montis speakers make for a fabulous combination with the REF 150, a match previously problematic due to the speakers’ low impedance (.56 ohms at 20kHz), The Montis’ slightly higher impedance combines with the REF 150’s superior drive to play extreme music at any level desired, with no loss of high-frequency information. It all reminds me of the synergy achieved years ago with ARC’s legendary D-79 power amplifier and MartinLogan’s CLS speakers.

Outstanding Impressions

I’m instantly struck by two characteristics: The REF 150 sounds more lifelike right out of the box than recent ARC components, and it possesses colossal bass grip. Those of the opinion that vacuum tube amplifiers can’t produce prodigious amounts of bass weight or control are in for a major paradigm shift. In these respects, the REF 150 amazes.

The Chemical Brothers “Galvanize,” from Push The Button, reveals wet and loose beats that challenge amplifiers to capture their gravitas. The REF 150 aces the test. Sampling everything from Pink Floyd to Stanley Clark shows the amplifier claims immense power and control over lower registers. Regardless of the speakers, the REF 150 goes deep, and yet, stops on a dime with bass transients. No, I don’t believe “tube watts” sound more powerful than “transistor watts.” But there’s no substitute for a well-designed power supply with ample reserve capacity. The REF 150 sounds much bigger and more dynamic than its power rating suggests.

Texture is treated in equal measure, leading me to an old audiophile favorite, The Three, a JVC direct-to-disc LP featuring Shelly Manne on drums, Joe Sample on piano, and Ray Brown on bass. Listening to Brown’s playing on “Satin Doll” is sublime, with every up-and-down movement of his fingers smartly distinguishable.

But man cannot live by bass alone, and the REF 150 excels with practically every other aspect of music reproduction. The amplifier’s ability to hold its poise when pushed very, very hard leaves me stunned. Warner Bros.’ analog remaster of Van Halen’s Van Halen II is no audiophile masterpiece, and the third track, “Somebody Get Me a Doctor,” often collapses into a one-dimensional experience. Yet, even at close-to-concert decibel levels, Eddie Van Halen and Michael Anthony’s background vocals retain distinct separation rather than just sounding like a single vocal.

Imagined or not, electric guitars reproduced through tube amplification represent the proverbial equivalent of an extra push over the cliff. The REF 150’s resolution is particularly tasty when listening to bands featuring multiple lead guitar players; think Judas Priest, Slayer, or Metallica. The title cut to Judas Priest’s Ram it Down personifies the increased power such tracks exert when you can easily discern multiple guitarists in the mix.

For those preferring to twirl rather than bang their head, look no further than Mobile Fidelity’s recent remaster of the Grateful Dead’s Live Dead. Filled with layer upon layer of guitar and keyboard tracks, the LP takes on new life via the ARC, revealing previously obscured tidbits. Consider: Jerry Garcia’s guitar begins as a whisper on “Saint Stephen,” yet when he ramps up the volume, the organ way off in the background doesn’t lose its integrity.

Power and Delicacy

The REF 150 never stumbles, handling the power of a guitar solo or delicacy of a flute passage with ease. Without question, this amplifier roars when required. But thanks to its wide dynamic range and bandwidth, it retains a full-bodied sound at low playback levels. Those subscribing to the “first watt” theory (i.e., if the first watt isn’t great, the rest won’t be either) can rest assured the REF 150 is up to the task.

Rounding out my evaluation with wide range of vocal standards confirms initial impressions. The REF 150 is a very natural-sounding amplifier—never forward, bright, or harsh. Bob Dylan’s Bootleg Series Volume 8 comes off with the depth of a stereo record.

At first listen with any component, dynamics usually woo you into further listening sessions. However, tonal accuracy and overall natural sound are the sonic sauces that keep you on the couch for hours, seeking out “just one more record.” Sure, many Internet pundits complain that recorded music sounds nothing like the real thing. Pish. If your speakers and source components are up to task, the REF 150 will produce such sensations with the best recordings—and amply seduce you the rest of the time. Cream’s “Sleepy Time, Time” from its 1995 performance at Royal Albert Hall splendidly reproduces the venue’s ambience. I feel as if I’m sitting in the center of the 15^th row in this famous concert hall—no surround speakers needed!

If you’re seeking classic tube-amplifier sound that is larger than life and full of romance, the REF 150 isn’t your bag. However, if you desire a modern amplifier possessing musical integrity, timbral accuracy, and wideband frequency response—yet still boasting the three-dimensionality, air, and tonal saturation hallmarks of mighty vacuum tubes—the REF 150 offers emotional engagement few amplifiers at any price can match.

Audio Research REF 150 Power Amplifier

MSRP:  $12,995

www.audioresearch.com

Peripherals

Somehow, the Rocky Horror Picture Show is still going strong after almost 40 years.  Now tame in comparison to half of the stuff you see on Fox News, it still has a sexy, kitchy charm.

Featuring a much younger and larger Meat Loaf as Eddie, a mostly forgettable Brad Bostwick (asshole) as Brad and introducing an incredibly hot Susan Sarandon as Janet, the semi frumpy chick who’s sexuality is awakened by the despicable Dr. Frank-n-Furter (played by Tim Curry) this record will either bring back fond memories, or augment the current soundtrack of your life.

This one won’t win any awards for sound or mastering quality, as the overall recording is slightly compressed from what you’ll hear in a theater with a great sound system, but if cranking the Time Warp doesn’t get you up off the couch to shake your groove thing, nothing will. It’s a must for your record collection.

“I’m a stat guy at heart. I wanted that midrange openness and neutrality,” remarks Mark Suskind, Polk Audio’s VP of Product Line Management, as we listen to the nuances in Ginger Baker’s drumming through Polk’s latest creation, the LSiM707 speakers.

Incredibly, the $3,999 pair of floorstanders is right at home in a six-figure reference system, throwing out a wide soundstage that both extends well beyond the speaker boundaries and claims three-dimensionality—each member of Cream takes up a distinct space in the listening room—that paints a vivid picture of a seemingly in-progress live event. Wait: Polk Audio and a six-figure reference system? What gives? Is this a Fringe episode where in an alternate universe Polk Audio rules the world of high-end speakers and Walter Bishop blasts Cream in his laboratory while he investigates the unknown? Nope. Just another instance of TONEAudio exploring exciting possibilities.

In the early 70s, Polk Audio grabbed the audiophile world’s attention with its legendary SDA-SRS speaker system and has since counted a number of significant milestones. The LSiM707 brings the history full circle by leaning on nearly 40 years of speaker-production knowledge. Yes, these are handsome speakers, available in a Mount Vernon Cherry medium wood finish or Midnight Mahogany a black ash wood finish. Slim, magnetic grilles keep fingers, noses, and prying guests away from the drivers, or you can use the speakers bare and showcase the gorgeous gloss-black front panel.

A Serious Audiophile Speaker in Every Way

When introduced in 2001, the LSi series garnered rave international reviews, proving Polk a solid contender in the audiophile speaker market. And you won’t find a more loyal group of speaker owners; take a cursory look at the Polk Audio Owners Group on the Web.

The LSiM707 constitutes a four-way system with many new features, some of which break new ground and some that refine past processes. A cutaway view highlights the attention paid to every facet of the design—from the Dynamic Sonic Engine that incorporates Polk’s latest ring radiator tweeter and Extended Motion midrange driver to the meticulously assembled crossover network, featuring premium capacitors and inductors. And, there are a few things the naked eye cannot see, such as the aerated polypropylene woofer cones and rigid internal cabinet bracing. For in-depth tech explanations of these aspects, visit the Polk Web site at http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/lsim/index.php.

To ensure the speakers would perform at the top level, Polk made substantial upgrades to its in-house listening room. Visiting the company’s Baltimore office reveals a full complement of Audio Research Reference electronics—amplifier, preamplifier, CD player. No surprise, then, that the LSiM707 yields excellent results when plugged into my ARC REF 5 preamplifier and REF 150 power amplifier.

Setup

Placing the speakers five feet from the rear wall, with the tweeters nine feet apart— combined with five degrees of toe-in and a slight rearward rake—proves optimum in my room. The LSiM707s sound good without critical placement, but taking the time to make adjustments to rake angle results in superior imaging. Sure, the process requires a few minutes per speaker, but it’s made even easier with the iLevel Pro app for the iPhone. Or you can go old-school with a traditional level. Just have both speakers raked back at the identical amount and use the supplied wrench.

I utilized three distinctly diverse systems to audition the LSiM707s. The ARC REF gear and dCS Paganini CD player highlight how the speakers perform in very high-end systems. My recently rebuilt (fresh power supplies and full CJD Teflon cap upgrades for both units) Conrad Johnson MV-50 amplifier and PV-12 preamplifier, along with a BelCanto CD player, makes for a great setup that won’t break the piggy bank yet still renders highly satisfying performances. For budget-conscious music lovers that might make the LSiM707s a foundation on which to build, a vintage Pioneer SX-434 receiver and 563 universal disc player only add $200 to the cost of the Polk speakers.

I’ll Take Polk Audio For $4000, Please

The LSiM707s’ slight out-of-the-box stiffness vanishes after about 50 hours of playing time, unveiling speakers much more sophisticated than what’s intimated by their price. A few snooty local audiophile associates experienced the LSiM707s (albeit with the Polk logos hidden from view) in my full ARC system. When asked to guess the cost of the mystery component, they estimated between $10-$20k, a conclusion spurred on by my spinning of well-known audiophile favorites. After the guinea pigs became convinced they were listening to $20k speakers, I finally dropped the bomb by informing them the Polks fetch $3,995 for the pair. Consider the so-called experts successfully duped.

While listening to a $20k pair of speakers reveals the areas in which the LSiM707s fall short, this review isn’t meant as a shootout. Big bucks gear possesses extra resolution and refinement—and that’s how it should be. Comparing the LSiM707s to speaker favorites in the $4,000-$5,500 bracket is more useful and interesting.

The $4k Penaudio Cenya and the $5k B&W 805D both present more upper-range resolution, but only solidly go down to 50Hz. Also, each requires a pair of expensive stands to achieve maximum bass performance. Meanwhile, the $5,500 Magnepan 3.7s color a more grandiose aural picture but don’t really rock. Plus, to be all they can be, they necessitate a $10k high-current, solid-state power amplifier.

A Serious Music Lover’s Speaker

The 50 watts per channel that the CJ amp provides is great for most listening, but the configuration particularly excels at vocals and mellower music, as illustrated by Mobile Fidelity’s 24K CD of Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever. The album’s multiple layers stay intact, with not only the woodblock in “Face in a Crowd” anchored in space but its timbre and scale sounding exactly right. They seem minor, yet these minute details allow you to forget about the system and concentrate on the music. Gram Parsons’ Grievous Angel and CSN’s Déjà vu supply similar experiences. The LSiM707s unfailingly render subtle shadings without missing the larger dynamic swings.

Swapping the CJ gear for the C500 preamplifier and the 450Wpc MC452 power amplifier, I effortlessly buried the big, blue power meters courtesy of albums from Van Halen, Slayer, and Nine Inch Nails. Todd Martens’ column (on page 88) inspired a maximum-volume romp through The Downward Spiral that left me invigorated and convinced that the LSi707s play at high levels without instilling listener fatigue.

Jazz and classical listeners should be equally enthralled with the Polks. It’s one trick to play really loud, but these speakers possess the necessary finesse to capture the essence of acoustic instruments. With a recent listening session to the mastering of Music Matters’ analog edition of Herbie Hancock’s Empyrean Isles burned in my memory, I eagerly played a test pressing of the LP via the LSiM707s. They did not disappoint. Hancock’s piano and Freddie Hubbard’s coronet blast from between the speakers with great dynamics and zero overhang. Cymbals are natural, and bass is pregnant with texture—no one-note bass here.

Man Up and Grab a Pair

The LSiM707s’ greatest virtue owes to their overall performance level; they have no shortcomings. Honestly. The speakers offer major bass grunt—Polk claims 22Hz-40kHz, with a -3db point at 42Hz. However, when listening to test tones, the 30Hz band remains very solid. Moreover, the smooth high-end is grain-free and the mid-band extremely natural. The well-designed crossover network also provides a top-to-bottom coherence that’s rare at this price.

It would be easy to say that these speakers’ only errors are those of omission, but such a statement sells them short. When used with the ARC REF gear, the LSiM707s easily resolved the differences between the $12k dCS Debussy, $30k TAD 600, and $55k dCS Paganini. Most sub-$10k speakers fail this challenge.

Most importantly, for music lovers on a budget, the LSiM707s still deliver a very musical performance when paired with a garage-sale receiver. No matter with what they’re mated, they put forward such substantial resolution that it will feel as if you acquire a whole new system any time you upgrade your amplification and/or source components. This experience translates to unending fun—and a TONEAudio Exceptional Value Award.

Revealingly, on our way to the airport, Suskind commented that Polk “wants the LSiM707 to be a gateway to the high end on a reasonable budget.” The company accomplished this feat—and much, much more.

Vinyl’s resurgence notwithstanding, none of my twentysomething friends own a turntable. Yet they’ve all got a Mac Mini. And just as my friends like to argue about what turntable/cartridge combo reigns supreme, I’ve overheard younger music lovers debate what music player makes for a superior experience on the Mac Mini—as well as what hard drive sounds best and what memory configuration proves superior.

All of which might explain why these Gen Y listeners were excited to see the CEntrance DACmini CX. Built to the same dimensions as a Mac Mini, this silver box makes a ton of sense for anyone craving high performance in a compact cabinet. If you’d like even fewer boxes cluttering up your living space, CEntrance makes an alternate version that incorporates a Class-D power amplifier. That’s another review for another day.

Versatile Midget

Akin to prior Mac Minis, the DACmini CX is fed via a wall wart. Should you lose the latter, anything will do as long as long as it yields 9-19 VDC (the included supply produces 19VDC). Nice touch. The unit gets up and rolling in 30 seconds, offering USB, Coax, and Toslink digital inputs along with a single analog input—the key to the device’s viability. The RCA/SPDIF digital input accommodates sources up to 24bit/192khz while the USB is, for the moment, limited to 24/96. A headphone jack helps make the box a highly versatile option in a main or second system.

For the main digital source, I used a MacBook Air via an AudioQuest Diamond USB cable and rustled up an old reliable CD player, the Pioneer 563 via SPDIF, to keep within the product’s budget-minded parameters. A pair of Vandersteen 1C speakers and a vintage Adcom 535 comprised the rest of the system; Audeze LCD-2 headphones were employed for headphone listening.

Bad is Good

I waited a full 24 hours to begin serious listening sessions. An old-school audiophile, I remain amazed at what great sound comes from this tiny box. Take the title track from Bad Boy’s Private Party. I’m impressed at the amount of separation that shines through between the multiple lead guitars, particularly given that the record is a marginal remaster. Audio Fidelity’s reissue of Bad Company’s debut presents an even bigger surprise. The opening cymbals on “Ready for Love” fade out with a delicacy that I expect from a fancier digital front-end.

Sticking with the bad bad bad theme, Badfinger’s Straight Up admirably conveys the disc’s analog mastering, showing off harmonies and maintaining spaciousness that otherwise sounds cloudy via budget DACs. Or marvel at the textures in guest singer Wendy Lewis’ vocals on the Bad Plus’ For All I Care. Whether it’s Wendy Lewis or Wendy O Williams, the DACmini CX possesses a realism and tonal richness that always suggests performance in line with that of more expensive hardware. Not that the box can work wonders. Paul Simon’s So Beautiful, So What sucks no matter the conduit. It’s no fault of the DACmini CX; it’s just an awful album.

Jazz standards also signal significant acoustic texture and body, along with smart sense placement within the soundstage. Miles Davis’ Live in Europe 1967? Absolutely riveting. Davis’ signature horn stays way out in front of the speakers, with the rest of the band spread out behind him. This record stands as an excellent test of pace, the rapid-fire drum rolls never getting lost in the mix as Davis hypnotizes. And the bass groove remains thoroughly locked in place.

Hi-Res Reveals More

High-resolution tracks cast the DACmini CX in an even better light. Taking advantage of albums downloaded from HD Tracks and 24/96 files captured from LPs—the latter converted at TONEAudio with the Nagra LB Pro 2 track machine—music came even more alive. HDT’s version of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours simply rocks. Sure, we’ve all heard “The Chain” too many times, but the song epitomizes bass dynamics, and the DACmini CX offers more than enough resolution to easily discern the differences between standard and high-res versions.

Headphone listening is equally enjoyable. The LCD-2s are my go to ‘phones, and there’s more than enough power on tap to drive them to damaging levels. The Grado PS 500s also result in a great match, with smooth tonal balance and plenty of bass grip.  Even the notoriously tough-to-drive AKG 701s do not pose a problem for the headphone section. If you don’t control your whole system with the DACmini CX, it makes for a killer bedroom system, with minimal footprint, regardless of digital source.

As much fun as my new, younger friends had putting this DAC through its paces with myriad headphone and music player combinations, using it as a full-function preamp is where it’s at—along with two turntables and a microphone, of course. It drove every power amplifier with which it was paired.

Go to 11

A tweakophile, I couldn’t resist the urge to connect the DACmini CX to a Red Wine Audio Black Lightning battery power supply. Here’s some advice: For those wanting to take the DACmini CX further, toss the wall wart. It’s always a great idea to keep such little switching power supplies away from your audio gear, and adding the clean power supplied by the Black Lightning enhances the listening experiences. Backgrounds grow even quieter, with more low-level detail—especially on high-res files of acoustic music, giving the overall presentation a more natural, organic feel. Lovely.

Additional Listening:  Jeff Dorgay

Since everyone and their brother seems to make a cheeseball DAC in $500 range, it’s nice to see a company with major engineering talent bring a product like the DACmini CX to market. A digital brainiac, CEntrance principal Michael Goodman has done work for Mackie, Alesis, Harman Pro, and Benchmark, to name a few. He’s quoted in ProSound News Europe as “the one they call in when someone can’t crack a tough problem.”

Popping the top of this unit reveals attention to detail you might expect from a manufacturer such as dCS, or Vitus. The layout is impeccable. I’d love to see better rubber feet on the bottom, similar to those on the Wadia 1, but that’s about it.

I have zero complaints with the sound, and applaud the decision to include an analog input, which elevates the device from merely great to outstanding. Should the urge arise, you can add a phonostage and turntable, which is what I did for half of my listening. Plugging in the Rega RP3/Exact via an EAR 834P functions as a can’t-miss combination through the Conrad Johnson MV-50C1 and Polk Audio LSiM707 speakers. Indicative of its robust output stage, the DACmini CX suffers no fatigue driving a 15-foot pair of cables to the power amp.

The unit’s overall sound is very neutral. And the match with the CJ amp is scintillating—but remember, I prefer things ever so slightly on the warm side. For $795, a budding music lover/audiophile can fit one of these in the budget without going broke. I am proud to award the CEntrance DACmini CX a Publisher’s Choice Award for 2011.  Is there a better building block with which to start a system?

www.centrance.com

Notes From San Francisco features a previously unreleased, decades-shelved 1978 studio album as well as a newly unearthed 1979 live set. Music On Vinyl’s gatefold 3LP edition also features a 36-page booklet plus a download coupon for the Osaka Jam Sessions and bonus tracks.

How does it fare when compared to the digital editions?

The studio effort offers surprising bass strength and punch, competing well with the CD issue. On “Rue The Day,” the LP’s inherent analog filtering provides a more organic presentation, giving the drums that desirable “dead skin” tone. Soundstaging is also more alive on LP, yielding greater presence and depth. Dynamically, the album is not the most exciting on either format, as it lacks the impact that careful studio engineering can provide. Instead, you get more of an authentic live sound (and this is the studio album, mind you).

This collection’s archival nature is made evident by the original master’s distinct unevenness, distinctly revealed on “B Girl,” which sounds far dynamically superior to previous tracks on the same album—and also possesses an open, airy upper midrange. This stark difference, plainly heard on the vinyl version, is not as blatant on the digital edition, confirming the LP’s extra transparency.

Recorded at a higher volume that doesn’t help the dynamics, the live portion of the set showcases an intense sound that struggles to maintain its structure on CD format. Although the mic’ing is a touch eccentric, this is a live album that, on the vinyl version, teems with vibrant energy, passion, and gut-driven rock. Basically, a typically great Rory Gallagher gig, then. — Paul Rigby

Music On Vinyl, 180g 3LP

By bringing popular African sounds to massive western audiences during the 60s, Miriam Makeba became the most important female vocalist to emerge from South Africa. The World Of Miriam Makeba, her third album, features her soon-to-be husband, Hugh Masekela, as conductor of the orchestra.

When compared to the original pressing, Speakers Corner’s newly remastered version stands out for its level of stark clarity. On “Forbidden Games,” a Spanish guitar line sits alongside basic percussion with a quiet precision that exudes textural details absent on the original. Such concentration on informational extraction is enhanced, via this new stereo version, by a broad-brushed soundstage that allows instruments more room to breathe. When a drum solo comes to fore on “Pole Mze,” for example, it resonates with a deep, throbbing sound notable not so much for its resident power but its physical potential. The drum skin’s give is readily apparent.

Vocally, Makeba is clear and concise. A slight hardening within the upper-midrange regions makes itself known but seems more a facet of the original recording. That said, Makeba’s fine vocal performance might challenge brighter hi-fi rigs. Even so, the singing is more enjoyable here than on the original. And on “Umhome,” the new master reveals wide, dynamic improvements with sculpted ambience that reflects the backing instrumentalists’ understated albeit perceptible preparation. You can hear their careful shuffling, breathing, and adjusting.

Featuring admirable reproduction of the original packaging, Speakers Corner’s LP is both faithfully considered and wonderfully enthralling. —Paul Rigby

Speakers Corner, 180g LP

“These things take time,” crooned Morrissey on the Smiths tune of the same name, the B-side to 1984’s “What Difference Does It Make.” How right he was. After more than a decade of pleas from fans eager to clutch the group’s drama as close to their hearts as possible, the Smiths—the iconic, 80s jangly indie-rock group that reigned supreme as the spotty, angst-ridden, back-bedroom touchstone of a generation—are finally the subject of a magnificent, career-spanning retrospective box set that’s among the most-sought after collector pieces of the year.

Contained in a 20” x 13” x 2” box replete with a hinged opening and magnetically sealed lid, Complete (Deluxe Boxset) documents every professionally recorded note of the band’s tenure via eight vinyl LPs, eight CDs, and 25 7” singles. The CDs and the vinyl duplicate the content—four studio albums (The Smiths (1984), Meat Is Murder (1985), The Queen Is Dead (1986), Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)), the live Rank (1988), plus the compilations Hatful Of Hollow (1984), The World Won’t Listen (1987), and Louder Than Bombs (1987).

Visually, a bonus DVD presents all of the band’s official videos. Large poster of the box cover art, a 12”-square booklet detailing the albums, and batch of eight, 12”-square art prints of each album’s sleeve art round out this mammoth beauty that, for those lucky enough to find a copy, will probably tip the scales as the heaviest box set they’ll ever own. More importantly, the sonics justify the expense.

Compared to the original LP pressings, improvements abound. “Reel Around The Fountain,” from the band’s debut, shows enhancements in more expansive soundstaging. Bass is stronger and more forceful, giving the track added presence; upper mids are also more focused, giving the vocals extra impact.

Comparing the box set’s vinyl with Rhino’s 2009 LP reissues proves the most intriguing study. In 2009, the vinyl was remastered from the original master tapes with the help of guitarist and co-writer Johnny Marr and London’s Metropolis Studios mastering engineer, Frank Awkright. Reportedly, duplicate vinyl is included here. However, audiophiles should be aware that this is not the case. The pressings are wholly different in terms of both aesthetics (the center labels are changed) and sonics. They sound much more confident and transparent.

Hence, “The Headmaster Ritual,” from Meat Is Murder, exhibits stronger bass levels and an appreciable reduction in midrange compression, reducing distortion and making Morrissey’s lyrics easier to discern. In addition, the superior soundstage gives each instrument more room to manoeuvre.

The CDs are somewhat disappointing. “Girlfriend In A Coma,” from Strangeways, Here We Come, is mastered too loudly, with compression hardening the upper mids. Digital fans would do well to seek out the original mid-80s CD issues, mastered to lower volume levels that give the ear more clarity and transparency. No matter.

(Complete) Deluxe Boxset is about collectablity and the vinyl. It’s not only to be desired, but is an absolutely essential purchase. Grab one now: Limited to 4,000 worldwide copies, it’s already out of print in several territories. —Paul Rigby

Rhino UK, 180g 8LP, 25 x 7”, 8CD, DVD Box Set

If Journey is at best a guilty pleasure at best, or perhaps a bit of reliving part of your youth during a time when you had just as much hair as these guys did (hopefully you left your shirt buttoned), and your favorite Journey albums are worn and weathered, you might consider this pair of greatest hits collections.

However, if you are a Journey fan looking for remastered treasure that sounds better than the band’s originals LPs, forget these newly issued editions. These LPs are terribly harsh and compressed. Using a Linn LP-12/Shure V15 combo tends to forgive such sonic sins, but not enough to make these LPs palatable. It’s too bad.

That said, the studio albums from which the songs on these two collections are taken can be picked up used bins for between $2-$5 a shot. Go that route. Look for low-stamper copies first, and enjoy one of arena rock’s most successful bands as originally captured. —Jeff Dorgay

Sony/Legacy, 180g 2LP (each)

More than 50 years ago, Decca, the renowned UK recording company, ushered in the stereophonic era with its trademark “FFSS” (or “full frequency spectrum sound”) classical LPs. The Decca Sound is a limited-edition box of six LP reissues selected for their outstanding performances and, well, their sound. Unlike the 140g British-stamped predecessors, these new 180g vinyl heavyweights are minted in Czechoslovakia. Four are analog recordings, while two stem from digital originals and make their vinyl debut.  A souvenir booklet on Decca’s fascinating history of making great recordings completes the box.

The oldest analog recording, The Golden Ring, offers well-known excerpts from Wagner’s operatic ring cycle performed by Sir Georg Solti and the Vienna Philharmonic. I’m immediately struck by the record’s silent surfaces (never one of Decca’s strong points) and brilliant, bright, orchestral sound. The final scene of Das Rheingold, complete with anvil splitting and the gods’ entry into Valhalla, conveys the huge soundstage and dynamic range achieved by producer John Culshaw and his studio magicians. Remember, this excerpt was taped in 1958.

The excellent sonic signature is consistently maintained throughout the other analog recordings. Ernest Ansermet and his Orchestre de la Suisse Romande give a pulse-pounding rendition of de Falla’s Three-Cornered Hat featuring authentic Flamenco effects. Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto, played by Vladimir Ashkenazy and sympathetically supported by maestro Anatole Fistoulari and the London Symphony Orchestra, is as good a reading as this romantic work gets. There is nigh-perfect balance between piano and orchestra; listen to the heart-on-a-sleeve second movement adagio.  The LP also sports the most natural sound balance of the bunch. The final analog entry showcases Lorin Maazel and the Cleveland Orchestra delivering two Respighi blockbusters, The Pines of Rome and Roman Festivals. These evocative images of ancient and modern Rome generate a massive wall of sound without swamping excellent instrumental details.  Superb handling of the dynamic extremes rightly earns the LP perennial audiophile-favorite status.

When Decca went to all-digital recording consoles in the 1980s, it continued to issue LPs cut from digital masters. However, newer technology never guarantees better sound, and many early digital-era LPs suffer from excessive glare, a trait shared by their CD counterparts. Fortunately, the news is better concerning the two digitally sourced LPs here. Riccardo Chailly and the Concertgebouw Orchestra generate a hell-for-leather rendering of Messaien’s massive Turangalila Symphony, with strong contributions from piano virtuoso Jean-Yves Thibaudet.  Young violin star Janine Jansen’s takes on Beethoven’s warhorse concerto and Britten’s modern classic hold their own against stiff competition.

In comparing the contents of the box to the original LPs of the analog recordings and to the CDs of the digital editions, the analog reissues are reasonably accurate facsimiles of the originals. However, their much quieter surfaces enable more detail to come through. The digitally sourced LPs improve upon the previous CD releases in terms of warmth and ambience.

Limited-edition deluxe box sets are all-or-nothing propositions. Should classical lovers drop more than $100 on The Decca Sound? On the basis of the four analog recordings alone, yes. If you don’t have the originals, you would have to shell out far more money to get pristine first-stamper pressings. And even if you already own the original records, they’re not “heavy” vinyl or don’t possess noise-free surfaces. Besides, all of these records offer head-of-the-list performances of works that should be in every classical library.  —Lawrence Devoe

De Falla: The Three-Cornered Hat/La Vida Breve (Ansermet/Orchestre de la Suisse Romande)

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor (Ashkenazy/Fistoulari/London Symphony Orchestra)

Respighi: Feste Romane/Pini di Roma (Maazel/Cleveland Orchestra)

Wagner: The Golden Ring (Various soloists/Solti/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra)

Messaien: Turangalila –Symphonie (Chailly/Thibaudet/Harada/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra)

Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D Major; Britten: Violin Concerto (Jansen/Jaarvi/Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen/London Symphony Orchestra)

Universal, 180g 6LP box set

Damn! This record is what bop is all about. The early Blue Notes don’t capture it and the Rudy Van Gelder CD remasters squelch it. “The Egyptian” gets to business right away, taking up the first side of this two-record set.

More than one engineer has stated that percussive impact is tough to capture, but it’s perfection here. Art Blakey authoritatively slams down his drumsticks on the side of his kit and you can feel the resonance as they bounce off the rim. Meanwhile, Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, and Wayne Shorter battle for the limelight, each coming to the front of the stage, then stepping back while the other prepares to take a shot.  And that’s just the opening cut.

The sonics are larger than life, with Blakey keeping rock-solid time, the glue holding the band together. Surfaces are dead-quiet, yet full of life. Yes, it’s hard to believe these records were made from tapes now more than 50 years old. Music Matters continues to set the jazz standard for aural bliss.  —Jeff Dorgay

Music Matters, 180g 45RPM 2LP

Sade’s debut was all the rage in 1985, grabbing major MTV airplay as well as time on popular and jazz radio stations. Lead singer Sade Adu combined a soulful sound and sexy demeanor to the tune of six-times platinum.

Kevin Gray at Cohearent Mastering took the helm here, and eliminated about half of the original’s top-end crunchiness.  Fortunately, this Audio Fidelity reissue possesses a considerably wider soundstage. The original keeps percussion bits and keyboard fills tightly wrapped towards the center of the speakers, while the presentation here is more relaxed, with low-level details more ethereal. The intro to “Why Can’t We Live Together” is the best cut on the record, with bongos bouncing back and forth beyond the speaker boundaries, and the bass line locked in place as Adu’s voice wafts up from the silence.

Interestingly, there’s a much greater sense of vertical dimensionality in the new pressing. The original rendition of Adu’s voice is more diffuse; here, her voice feels right at microphone height. And the remaining audiophile boxes are properly ticked. My pressing is free of clicks and pops, has a much lower noise floor, and features an exquisitely printed gatefold cover.  A very worthwhile addition to any record collection.  —Jeff Dorgay

Audio Fidelity, 180g LP

Arguably the jazz fusion band’s best album, Heavy Weather is indisputably Weather Report’s most commercially successful effort courtesy of the memorable song “Birdland,” which in the late 70s could be found on a jukebox in just about every fern bar. This is also the Weather Report set on which bassist extraordinaire Jaco Pastorius became fully involved, writing two tracks and playing on all of them.

Columbia made some pretty grotty-sounding records during this era, and Heavy Weather is no exception. Many of the nuances are lost in the original, and my 1A/1B pressing feels like a brick-walled CD, with mids pushed up so far it feels like Wayne Shorter is playing his sax in my lap—quite unnerving. Lest we forget, this is when the loudness wars began, with record companies trying to get better sound in everyone’s cars and on table radios.

ORG’s pressing is silky smooth, the percussion is more listenable and handclaps natural, no longer sounding like someone beating a stick against a wall. Shorter returns to playing with the band, and overall balance is restored. The added dynamics gleaned from spreading the recording out onto a pair of 45RPM discs brings out new feelings of excitement. Pastorius’ bass riffs snarl with authority, Shorter’s sax flows through the soundstage, and the rest of the players’ contributions disclose the presence of a spaciousness this recording never had before. Another triumph from ORG.  -Jeff Dorgay

Original Recordings Group, 180g 45RPM 2LP

Mobile Fidelity did a great job last year resurrecting Carole King’s Live At Carnegie Hall double album. The reissue label backs it up with Music, mining major treasure from the early 70s master tape. While King’s third album failed to match the 11-times platinum success of Tapestry, Music achieved gold status soon after its release. It also contains a handful of hits that were more successful for artists that later covered them than they were for King.

Using an early Ode copy for comparison reveals the original pressing possessing more sparkle on the top end, but more surface noise, too. Thanks to the MoFi edition’s extra resolution, it’s much easier to hear the expressiveness of King’s voice and keyboard overdubs. Listeners with cartridges featuring a more romantic tonal balance might be a bit disappointed. My Koetsu Urushi Blue is too polite for this record, yet the more resolving Rega Apheta is suited to extracting every bit of detail. Both the original and remaster suffer from modest distortion lurking in the loudest passages. However, said offense is nowhere as egregious as that plaguing Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark.

Mobile Fidelity 180g LP

How many times have you shouted, “Play some Skynyrd” at a lousy bar band? Better yet, how many times has this thought crossed your mind when you were subjected to another female vocal track demoed at a hi-fi show? Unfortunately, as much as you may love Lynyrd Skynyrd, most of the band’s albums are not mastered with much care. Flat, compressed, and grainy are the general rules. The recent Japanese/Universal pressings are most unrighteous.

However, Mobile Fidelity again proves that “audiophile pressing” and “fun” can coexist on the same planet. And, it’s pretty awesome that the label includes the now-famous “flaming” cover originally limited to about 5000 copies after several members of the group got killed in an airplane crash only days after the record was released in 1977.

Instead of sounding like a veil is removed, the MoFi pressing is akin to hearing an entire shower curtain taken away, with every aspect of the record greatly improved. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant is now way in front of the mix, and you can actually hear guitarist Steve Gaines right behind him. It all comes together on “That Smell” when Van Zant goes “Awwwwww…” and seemingly fades out forever. The overplayed radio classic takes on new life.

Also, what’s the point of having three guitarists in a band if it all just sounds like one big, fat guitar in the final mix? While a bit of compression sneaks in now and then, it’s glorious to hear all three guitarists distinctly, all with their own individual space and tone. It’s like having a fishbowl full of guitars. Grab a second helping before you put this LP back in the jacket.  -Jeff Dorgay

Mobile Fidelity Silver Label LP

The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other   – H to He: Who Am The Only One   – Pawn Hearts

Prog lovers rejoice! Four Men With Beards label does a super-freaky job with these genre cornerstones. TONE’s resident prog maniac says the original British pressings represent the pinnacle, yet even if you can find them, they run from $200-$350. And the remastered CDs are but mere sonic carcasses of these complex recordings.

Keeping the 4 Men With Beards underground vibe, there’s no mastering information listed. For that matter, 4MWB doesn’t even have a Web site, meaning it’s impossible to know what tapes were utilized. However, these three albums have an equally high quality level—with very quiet surfaces, and overall sound quality that makes it tough to discern if they were made with high-quality digital masters or original analog masters. Considering they hail from 1970-1971, anything is possible.

All three LPs feature a vast soundstage that practically wraps around your head, with plenty of ping-pong stereo effects throughout. Compression is kept to a minimum, and the recordings feel uncluttered and spacious, with a smooth high end. Better-than-average printing remains true to the original artwork, and the $18 price is a bargain.

Four Men With Beards, 180g LP

If you’re looking for an ideal example of the wealth of information available in a record’s grooves versus a high-resolution digital file, this is it. I favorably reviewed the SACD of this set several issues ago, yet the LP uncovers far more sonic treasures.

The additional layers of texture, echo, and spaciousness in the oft-played title track are revelatory. It feels as if MoFi even captures the smokiness conveyed in the tune; such is the degree of piano texture available on this analog version.

Mobile Fidelity, 180g LP

The final chapter in the major Pink Floyd remasters trilogy is the best. While the analog remasters of Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here are okay, they don’t come close to the early-stamper British, German, and Japanese pressings.

Unquestionably, the rare pressings remain tops, yet they’re insanely collectible and accordingly priced. Collector wonks will turn up their noses, but this is The Wall for the rest of us. If you’d like a significantly better edition that what’s available for $10-$20, get on board. Anyone new to vinyl will be shocked at how much better it sounds than any CD version, even on a modest turntable.

EMI, 180g 2LP

Originally recorded at the legendary Blackhawk club in San Francisco on April 21 and 22, 1961, this two-record set captures Miles Davis at an interesting crossroads. Transitioning from the band that produced Sketches of Spain, Davis pairs here with players that would be featured on his following studio album, Someday My Prince Will Come, released in the fall of 1961.

Davis once said he could assemble the ultimate rock n’ roll band, and this effort definitely rocks. The performances are spectacular—and the recording quality equally worthy. The Blackhawk was known for great sound, and the Impex pressing does not disappoint. Via a wide stereo image, Davis’ quintet spreads across the room in lifelike fashion. Kevin Gray takes charge of mastering duties, and if you’ve been subscribing to Music Matters’ jazz series, you know Gray’s track record. LP surfaces are unblemished and perfectly quiet. There’s no hint of groove distortion, even in the loudest passages. The natural timbre may fool you into thinking you are sitting at the Blackhawk, glass of whiskey in hand.

Impex does everything right, from the glossy jacket to the period record label and killer sound. Let’s hope the imprint produces more Columbia titles in this fashion. If you only have the CDs of this masterwork, you owe it to yourself to hear the music as it should be experienced.

Impex Records, 180g 2LP

Like the rest of the hifi industry, it’s becoming increasingly important for the torch to be passed on to the next generation of enthusiasts who will forge its future.

Equally important are the dealers and manufacturers, the lifeline that will provide the products to these future enthusiasts.  Some of today’s top hifi companies have a solid plan of succession in place, while others do not.

Here, we investigate two different companies: VPI Industries, which has been producing turntables in the US for over 35 years now, and SoundStageDirect, a mail order retailer from Philadelphia, that began just over 10 years ago, and has now expanded to equipment sales, albeit only analog related ones.

Mat Weisfeld grew up around turntables, working with his father at VPI, while SoundStageDirect was formed by Seth Frank, a music lover and Rolling Stones fan extraordinaire.  Frank began his career at the legendary Princeton Record Exchange.  Weisfeld is in his late 20s and Frank his late 40s, yet both share an amazing passion for the sound, smell and feel of the vinyl record.  These guys are a big part of analog’s future, both full of infectious enthusiasm, ready to lead another generation to the virtues of the LP.

Mat Weisfeld and VPI: The Manufacturing Side of the Equation

As the son of Harry and Sheila Weisfeld, the founders of VPI, Mat Weisfeld grew up around turntables.  In typical father/son tradition, he would go to work with his father after school.  The younger Weisfeld laughs, saying, “I was the kid always playing in the packing peanuts in the back room. But seriously, I did make almost all of the motor mounts for the HW-19 turntables back in the ’90s.  I thought they were educational toys from my mom!”

Through the formative high school years, Mat worked at VPI more and more, with his parents taking care of his incidentals, more like an allowance/work study. His nimble fingers proved their worth, making him an expert at stringing delicate wires.  “At one point I was wiring most of the HRX motors and I had quotas to fulfill.  Mom and Dad kept me very busy.”

But as fate would have it, Mat would not enter the family business before college.  His dedication to martial arts and training led him to working with a problematic student at his local gym, inspiring this student, who had been written off by others, on to success.  This sparked an interest in teaching, leading him down a path that led to a master’s degree in education.  His mother, also an educator, encouraged this direction, and he finally settled on teaching technology.  Things came full circle years later when one of his best students became an employee at VPI, working on their website and social media campaign.

After Mat’s mother passed away in 2011, Weisfeld senior discovered that Mat wanted to continue the VPI tradition and run the company rather than have him put the company up on the auction block.  The decision became final on the way home from the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show.  Mat originally intended to attend the show with his mother, who had planned to accept an award from Stereophile magazine for the Classic 3 turntable and say her final farewells to all of her industry friends, but fate would have Mat attending alone.  He got the brainstorm for the Traveler turntable on the flight home. Looking back, he says, “I was in with both feet at that point.”

For 2011 and 2012, Mat tried to juggle his teaching career and continue working at VPI, but it proved taxing. By the spring of 2013 he took over full-time as the head of VPI, with his father Harry sticking around as a professor emeritus of sorts, still guiding product development and tinkering.  Weisfeld senior still maintains the main listening room at VPI and is always happy to share a listening session with visitors.  Smiling as he switches to a Lyra Atlas cartridge on a final prototype of their new direct-drive turntable, he says, “I have a lot more time to listen for fun these days.”  Mat is quick to point out his father’s contributions as well.  “Dad is a repository of information on all of our legacy products back to day one.  He and I do a lot of brainstorming on new products, but his knowledge is invaluable to the company.”

While Harry continues to listen, Mat has brought this highly successful company into the 21^st century.  Launching a new ad campaign, discovering a “VPI Girl” and establishing a formidable Facebook presence, they have made tremendous headway connecting with younger buyers, specifically with their Traveler.

It’s clear that Mat is very proud of his contribution to the VPI lineup. “It’s not intimidating and it’s at a perfect price point.  It’s easy to use and easy to set up.  It really helps that dealers are buying them in bulk and keeping stock on hand.  It’s not uncommon for a dealer to buy 10 or 20 at one time.  The Traveler has joined the 16.5 record cleaning machine as one of our most popular sellers, and it’s not uncommon for a customer to buy both at the same time – this pair offers tremendous value for the money.”

He’s also quick to note that many of these new buyers are in their 20s and 30s, many coming from the ranks of their Facebook audience.  “We’ve sold quite a few Travelers to women, so I see this as very exciting.”

Going forward, the toughest challenge facing Mat is “trying to absorb 30-plus years of my dad’s knowledge as quickly as I can.”  VPI has expanded quite a bit into global markets, but the rest of the world is still tough, if for no reason other than the language barriers, but that hasn’t stopped them from going full steam ahead.

It’s clear that VPI Industries has found an excellent steward with Mat Weisfeld.

www.vpiindustries.com

Seth Frank and SoundStageDirect: The New Face of Online Retail

With his signature baseball cap on, Seth Frank looks a lot younger than the age on his driver’s license.  He started his journey towards his own record store, working at the renowned Princeton Record Exchange since he was ten years old, where they let him stock the shelves.  Frank confesses, “It started with my sister’s copy of Tommy. That’s all I wanted to do was work in the record business.”

Frank speaks highly of his mentor, Barry Weisfeld. (owner of PREX and no relation to the VPI crew) “He gave me my work ethic and we still talk weekly.  We’re not competitors at all and I refer people to his store every day.  He’s still one of my best friends after 37 years.”  Frank worked at PREX through college and after an internship at Virgin Records and a brief stint in the telecom industry: “I wore a tie every day and hated it.” He started Sound Stage Direct with $2,000 in the spare bedroom of his house.

Starting with a $660 order of jazz pressings from Scorpio music and a very understanding wife, he jokes, “I bought music I liked, just in case it didn’t sell, and my wife was very cool about the move.  We had a baby on the way and I was giving up a steady job with decent health insurance.”  Up substantially from their original inventory of 50 titles, they now carry over 30,000 titles. It appears that the gamble has worked to Frank’s advantage.  He mentions that they are growing “exponentially” at this point.

Looking back on the early days, Frank’s time spent working in the record industry helped him make the necessary connections to start the ball rolling.  He still remembers the day that Warner Records called and inquired about his getting an open account to further expand his business.  “That was a big day for us.”

In classic American entrepreneurial fashion, SSD grew from the bedroom to the living room, eventually taking over the garage, with a couple of high school kids working a few days a week after school as assistants.  Looking no worse for the wear and tear, Frank says, “I did everything.  In the beginning, money was so tight, I drove to pick up my orders to save on shipping. It was always an adventure – and it continues to this day!”  This careful attention to the bottom line has made their growth possible, and today SSD employs 14 full-time employees.

Three years later, SSD struck gold, when space in the building across the street became available, and today they occupy almost the entire second floor.  A recent remodel made for more inventory space as well as a showroom for their retail operation, which includes three listening rooms for the audio gear they sell.  While the building is in a very safe neighborhood, with a major alarm system in place, the tight-knit community provides an additional line of security.  “My neighbors are great, and keep their eyes on the place when I’m not there.”

Their sales have been brisk since starting the showroom, confirming that this was indeed a good move. Frank makes it a point to say that they expect a lot of future business from the retail shop.  “People trust us enough to purchase via mail order, but many of them, if they are within a few hours, love to come in, give things a listen, and take their purchase home with them.”

And it helps the record business as well.  Often customers who drop in to pick up a turntable or integrated amplifier, leave with a few hundred dollars worth of new vinyl treasures under their arm in addition to their new hardware.  A formidable combination to say the least.  It’s also a great opportunity for longtime mail order customers to stop by, say hello and meet the people whom they’ve been doing business with for some time – and another great way to strengthen the customer/retailer relationship.  Frank is quick to point out that they are “not a stuffy stereo store; we’re a record store full of great employees who share my love of music.”

A visit to the showrooms reveals them set up more like real-world rooms that you might live in, no elaborate room treatments, cables or accessories that might be out of the norm in an average house.  Featuring Rega, Luxman, PMC (to mention a few) and of course, VPI turntables, customers can get a great feel for what this gear might sound like in their own listening room.

The ambiance is definitely a mix of the classic record stores many of us remember from our youth, along with plenty of audio gear to peruse.  With almost 20 paintings and lithographs from Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood and a major gallery of rock memorabilia, it feels a lot more like a Hard Rock Cafe than a hifi shop.  In short, shopping at SoundStageDirect is a ton of fun.  Like a proud father, Frank is quick to point out that “we’ve got a fun staff that enjoys working here.  It makes the job a lot easier for me and for my customers.  We’ve got four full-time sales reps, so you are always talking to the same people when you call to buy hardware or software.”

To personalize things even further, every record shipped has a little note inside that says, “Thank you for keeping analog alive.”  When asked if he will ever expand his line of products to the digital realm, Frank is adamant.  “No digital ever.  I don’t want to go digital. I’m an analog guy and our customers love it that we only sell analog gear.  It keeps us different and helps us to stand out from the herd.”

Like VPI, Frank also sees the major importance of social media. He’s quick to point out that “Facebook and Instagram drive a ton of traffic to our site.”  This has grown so much in the past year that they have recently hired a director of social media to help them expand further.

And what about his daughters, 5 and 9 years of age?  Will they become the third generation of analog?  Frank smiles, “Only if they want to.  But they do help on the weekends…”

www.soundstagedirect.com

Sexy girl, and seductive cha-cha-cha tune sung in French? What’s not to love? Likely produced to cash in on the current popularity of the annual Record Store Day, this $10 EP sounds like one of those plastic records that used to be attached to cereal boxes back in the Mad Men era. Yikes.

Even if you aren’t a fan of the aforementioned hit show that re-birthed this song, this release could have been the audiophile track of the year—if not the decade—had it been done with care, i.e., pressed on the single side of a 12-inch 45RPM disc, as Classic Records did with Dusty Springfield’s “The Look of Love.” A missed opportunity.

Lions Gate Records, 7-inch EP

Available from Music Direct

Recorded in December of 1980 at San Francisco’s Warfield Theater, these three mega guitarists convened to create one of history’s most memorable acoustic-guitar records.  Five of the seven tracks are duos, and the final two feature the trio. Bernie Grundman, the original mastering engineer, returns for remastering duties on this sweet ORG pressing. All the compression in my 1A original is swept away; spreading the music over two discs yields myriad benefits.

If there was ever an acoustic disc that encourages you to crank the volume, this is it. When the applause swells up at the end of songs, it’s easy to close your eyes and be transported to that magical winter evening. Every nuance gets captured; every toe tap, every whack of the guitar body comes alive, and if your system is up to snuff, these guys sound as if they are right in the room. You can almost hear the guitar strings picking up weight as they become coated with sweat as the performance progresses.

The most exciting aspect of this recording, now restored to full brilliance? A toss-up between the rapid attack of the players’ blazing speed and the low-level detail in the quietest passages. It’s a shame unreleased material couldn’t be included; this legendary evening begs for bonus tracks.

ORG, 180g 45RPM 2LP

Available from Music Direct

Originally produced in 1976, arguably when records pressed at Columbia were at their sonic worst, this record now finds its volatile tracks split onto a pair of LPs. What a difference. Spinning Jaco Pastorius at 45RPM rules.

Released at the beginning of the instrumentalist’s tenure with Weather Report, the record includes heavy hitters Lenny White, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter, to name a few. The mix is not straight-ahead jazz, but it’s not fully locked into fusion, either. Some pieces sound like they could have been culled from the outtakes of Hancock’s Blow Up sessions.

Bernie Grundman takes the production helm here and fully utilizes his lifetime of jazz-related experience to give this masterpiece the attention it deserves. Pastorius’ bass is finely depicted, his parts effortlessly gliding through the soundstage. Hancock’s piano soars, liberated from the sonic grunge of the original. My speakers can barely contain this record!

Note: To naysayers claiming today’s remasters lack the vitality of the original recordings, grab this record now and await pleasant discoveries.

ORG, 180g 45RPM 2LP

Available from Music Direct

For anyone that believes great vinyl can’t be pressed from a digital master, look no further than Anne Bisson’s Blue Mind, recorded live with minimal overdubs (only one track, “Dragonfly” features overdubbing) at Reference Studio in Saint-Calixte, Quebec. Vacuum-tube Neumann microphones contribute greatly to the pressing’s enormous, breathy sound.

Bisson breaks no new stylistic or artistic ground, but she keeps the tunes upbeat. Drummer Paul Brochu and bassist Normand Guilbeault helm sparse arrangements that aid in accentuating her fluid voice. Fidelio brilliantly captures this essence, with Kevin Gray extracting every last ounce of dynamic range on LP. The result? It sounds like a master tape. Count on hearing this gem in many rooms at upcoming hi-fi shows.

Fidelio, 180g LP

Available from Music Direct

Put those Patricia Barber and Eva Cassidy albums away, and give something else a try.  For those unwilling to forgo female vocalists as part of their audiophile heaven, Priscilla Ahn’s debut is a good way to expand your repertoire.

Issuing the album on LP for the first time, Mobile Fidelity strips away the merciless compression present on the CD and leaves Ahn unsquashed. The perky, Pokemon-esque singer paints a rosy soundscape, with arrangements often resembling those of It’s a Beautiful Day. Ahn’s purity of tone and delicate phrasing should make vocal aficionados swoon, and while the top end crushes that of the digital version, it’s still slightly on the hot side. This one will undoubtedly score more points with the vintage tube crowd than those that own ultra-resolving systems.

Another bonus: The pressing includes three bonus tracks not on the original CD.  Keeping in character with the rest of the album, yet more sparsely arranged, they possess fairly little dynamic range, allowing seven tracks to fit on a side without compromising fidelity.

Mobile Fidelity, 180g LP

Available from Music Direct

The look and feel of Bang & Olufsen products tells only part of the story.  A trip to the B&O factory in Struer, Denmark, tells the rest.  The hardwood floors that I encountered at the Copenhagen airport underscored the ethos of style and design that permeates the Danish culture. B&O’s corporate headquarters looks more like a museum of contemporary art, or at least a very cool furniture store, than a factory where HiFi gear is produced.  But it wasn’t always that way ...

Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen started B&O in 1925. College friends, Olufsen was the marketing half of the company and Bang was the engineer.  The manufacturing facility began in an unused part of the Olufsen home and farm.  Their first product was called “The Eliminator” because back then, radios ran from lead-acid batteries that emitted harmful fumes in the home, and no one thought it would be possible to power a radio from the AC mains.  The Eliminator showed they were wrong by ditching the batteries for AC current.

A national treasure

Today, Bang & Olufsen is a major employer in Denmark and there is a museum in the center of Struer that documents every step of their achievements.  If you love HiFi and find yourself in Denmark, a visit to the museum is a must.  They have an original Eliminator there as well as every other product that B&O has produced over the years, right up to the current day.

It’s fascinating to see how their product mix evolved. For years, they made microphones, movie projectors, even electric shavers!  But from the 70’s on, they stuck to their core technologies, concentrating on HiFi systems and televisions, and lately automotive HiFi systems.  In Issue 22, we reviewed the B&O sound system in the current Aston Martin DBS; B&O produces the premium sound system in the full line of Audi cars.  I saw a few parts on the factory tour that suggested that they may be producing sound systems for a few other automobiles in the future, but we shall see.

You might be surprised at how traditional some of their products looked at first, but it didn’t take B&O long to develop their distinctive style. I believe this began in earnest in 1939 with the BeoLit 39 radio, which featured a case made entirely of Bakelite.  A somewhat brittle plastic, it was a relatively new material at the time and was deemed tough to mold into complex shapes.  But B&O’s designers pushed for Bakelite, and the engineering staff devised a process.  This design-driven way of doing things at B&O continues to this day.

As we were told by our host at B&O, Jette Nygarrd, “The designers are given free reign here.  It is our job to turn their vision into current products.”  It is worth noting that the designers at B&O are not company employees but contract workers.  The company feels this allows them the autonomy to challenge their vision, which might not be as free if they were worried about pensions and stock options.

Style, performance and precision

B&O puts an equally high priority on the performance of their products and rigorous quality control.  While many audiophiles are curious about sonic testing and specs, B&O takes it way beyond that.  They had numerous labs to measure every electrical parameter possible and two listening rooms where the speakers are hidden behind a transparent screen.

They employ about a dozen people who are their “Golden Ears,” trained strictly to listen to nuances in prototypes and final products in a real environment. These test listeners are asked to make notes and comment on every aspect of the sound on a wide variety of program material. Although in our demonstrations, we had to listen to The Eagles’ “Hotel California” a little more than I cared to!

On a parallel track to what’s going on in the engineering department, there is another department that is trying to destroy their creations.  This is what gives B&O such a high reliability rate.  A worker at one workstation is simulating high vibration, while another repeatedly drops a television set from 10 feet in the air.  Yet another machine pushes buttons in and out, while others bathe their products in heat, cold and humid conditions.  They even have a machine that blows cigarette smoke into the air, which is equivalent to one of their components being exposed to a one-pack-per-day smoker for 10 years.  Remote controls are bathed in the equivalent of human sweat to see how long it takes to wear the markings off them.

One of the engineers told us an interesting story about a man who was complaining about how his remote control had become discolored and the markings had faded prematurely.  The B&O engineers finally figured out that cancer medication he was taking had changed the pH balance of his sweat, and that was something they hadn’t planned on. I came away convinced that there is no torture to which B&O products have not been subjected!

We also got to see a full, working example of a B&O store.  This is where a lot of corporate training is done, and it helped us to get a feel for how B&O works with their customers, as well as seeing all of the latest products.  Unlike other HiFi companies that work through a dealer channel, B&O takes the Apple store route and has all company-branded stores.

Ending with the big screen

We ended our trip with a demonstration of B&O’s spellbinding 103-inch plasma TV that should be in stores right after the New Year. The demo room was very sparse with four BeoLab 5 speakers at the far corners.  Although a $140,000 plasma isn’t for everyone, it again underscored the fact that B&O has the technological capabilities to deliver cutting-edge products.

While Bang & Olufsen is occasionally criticized in the audio press for putting style ahead of substance, nothing could be further from reality. After spending a few days at their factory, it is obvious that while aesthetic appeal is very important, their commitment to technology, engineering and vigorous testing is unmatched in the industry.  Granted, the Danes like to do things their way, but that’s what gives their products soul.  For my money, we could all use a little more style in our everyday lives.

www.bang-olufsen.com

The analog edition of this eminent rock recording follows Mobile Fidelity’s successful SACD release of the same title and raises the bar even higher. A groundbreaking album that combines a wide range of styles and influences, it came after the Band toured with Bob Dylan and recorded The Basement Tapes (reviewed last issue).

TONEAudio collector Tom Caselli says the original black-label Capitol is an excellent original pressing. However, it is tough to find a copy that isn’t warped. EMI’s 100^th Anniversary 180g pressing is rarer and equally good, but great-condition copies now command upwards of $100.

Here, $30 buys you a Super Big Gulp of extra creamy analog. Levon Helm’s drumming, while somewhat subdued, is rich with texture in a way that few digital recordings manage to capture. Multi-part harmonies dominate and come alive across the soundstage, bringing us back to a time in recording history before massive overdubs became the norm. All of which explains why this record stands the test of time, earning the 34^th spot on Rolling Stone’s greatest albums of all-time list.

Space-conscious listeners love integrated amplifiers because they can route and amplify sound signals from a single box. And while audio purists often devoutly believe that separate preamps and power amps constitute the one true path to great sound, the distance between separates and integrateds has audibly narrowed.

Founded by Herman van den Dungen, a CEO with an extensive audio pedigree, PrimaLuna (“First Moon” for non-Italian speakers) entered the tube-gear scene in 2003. It currently merges sophisticated Netherlands design with cost-conscious Chinese production. Now, before you “Chinese audio products suck,” know that van den Dungen and company marketing executive Dominique Chenet demand quality.

Prima la Luna, Poi la Musica

The $2,299 ProLogue Premium integrated amplifier falls between ProLogue and  Dialogue integrateds. The “heft means quality” principle is operative, as witnessed by the 45-pound snatch-and-grab needed to lift the unit out of the triple box carton. Fit and finish are superb. From the silver facade (black is also available) to the attractive cage keeping the hot tubes safely away from curious fingers to the automotive-grade paint job on the transformer covers, this baby exudes class.

The front panel sports a volume control, source selector, and operation lights. A power switch resides on the left-side panel. On the right sits a tube selector switch for EL-34s, allowing 35 watts per channel (per the review sample) or 40 watts per channel with KT-88 tubes. The rear panel hosts speaker terminals for 4- or 8-ohm operation, four line inputs, one home-theater pass-thru, and a power receptacle/fuse holder. A slender but solid remote handles volume, source selection, muting, and playback for a PrimaLuna CD player.

Considerable coolness resides beneath the warm tube sockets housing four EL-34s and four 12AU7s. The Adaptive AutoBias, or AAB, circuit keeps tubes from misbehaving and protects the output stages. Additionally, there’s the BTI, or “bad tube indicator,” that detects tube malfunction, flags the offender, and powers the unit down until said tube gets replaced. A PTP, or “power transformer protection,” stops the party if the output power transformer overheats. This device is coupled with an OTP, an output transformer protection circuit. Given the wing-and-a-prayer security offered by some audiophile equipment, the ProLogue Premium is a component you could surely take into a hurt locker. Plus, for vinyl heads, PL offers an optional easy-to-install moving-magnet phonostage for $199.

Low-Frequency Slam, Dynamics, and More

Plug-and-play equipment is great in concept. Unfortunately, many such high-end adventures resemble trips down the Amazon after the local guide falls overboard and drowns. In this regard, the ProLogue Premium marks a refreshing return to civilization.

After removing the foam surrounds from the tubes, I hooked up my peripherals and speakers, and plugged everything in. Wait. Is that the sound of silence? Not to worry. PrimaLuna subscribes to an aptly named SoftStart feature that powers everything up very safely, but very slowly. Red panel lights give way to green panel lights and, in less than two minutes, it’s ready to go.

For the purposes of this review, the ProLogue Premium drove Totem Mani-2 Signatures, fortified with Nordost Frey bi-wire speaker cable. Sound sources included a PS Audio PerfectWave Transport and Mk II DAC, a Logitech Squeezebox Touch with USB drive, and an Oppo BDP-95 universal player. In my 15’ x 10’ x 8’ room, I settled back in an easy chair about eight feet away from the Totems, which rested on lead-filled Target stands.

After a week of break-in, I popped Mark Levinson’s demo Live Recording from Red Rose SACD into the Oppo. Enter “In a Sentimental Mood” flowing from Chico Freeman’s mellow sax and George Cable’s funky piano. Having sat in the same Red Rose show room where these performances were recorded, I assure you that the ProLogue Premium faithfully renders the music’s immediacy, right down to the reed movement on Freeman’s mouthpiece.

A high-res 96 kHz/24-bit download of Cat Stevens’s Tea for the Tillerman places the visceral guitar from “Wild World” right in my face and exposes the slightly veiled character of Stevens’ distinctive voice. Speaking of vocals, Diana Krall’s well-recorded Live in Paris contains a very, very good rendition of “A Case of You.” Krall’s sensual huskiness comes across convincingly, thanks again to the ProLogue Premium.

Larger-scale music arrived courtesy of a 176.4k/24-bit Reference Recording of Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, performed by Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra. The ProLogue Premium conveys the first movement’s low-frequency slam without running out of gas. Moreover, Bach’s Gigue Fugue, from the ultra-demanding Pipes Rhode Island, more than amply fills my modest-sized room with the dynamic sounds of the English Renaissance organ in St. Paul’s Church in Wickford, RI.

Is it Moon Glow or Memorex?

When comparing the ProLogue Premium with my reference unit, the Class A Pass INT-30A, the worlds of tubes and transistors seemingly converge. The Pass sounds non-solid-state and the Prologue Premium non-tube-like. The evaluation also shows how power ratings can be misleading, especially given the nominal five-watt output difference between the two amps. In recordings with heavier bass passages, like the Rachmaninoff disc, the Pass brings out more low-end oomph and overall space. In voice reproduction, a critical issue for testing audio gear, the ProLogue Premium behaves well, yielding little, if any, ground in warmth to the Pass.

The ProLogue Premium performs well beyond its real-word price tag. A hale and hearty pentode pumper, it’s well up to the task of keeping content my Mani-2 Signature speakers. Of course, before opting for such an amplifier rated on the lower side of the power curve, careful consideration must be given to room size, speaker sensitivity, and listening habits. Remember, 35 watts per channel can’t do everything.

Still, compared with other similarly priced products, the ProLogue Premium is considerably overbuilt. The onboard protection circuitry gives considerable ease to my concerns about tube equipment. Better yet, none of the proprietary protection circuits entered the picture during my evaluation, which should reassure any prospective owner that the integrated claims the reliability of most solid-state gear. Further reassurance against field failures comes via PrimaLuna’s tube selection. On average, the company rejects 40% of manufactured tubes—not due to defects but because they don’t meet the company’s high standards. The ProLogue Premium definitely meets mine.

Additional Comments

By Jeff Dorgay

Attention vacuum-tube amplification newbies and all other concerned parties: My first PrimaLuna Product, the ProLogue One integrated amplifier, is still going strong after almost nine years of constant play. It’s had an interesting trip, going from TONEAudio’s headquarters to our first music editor’s office (where it was rarely turned off) to my niece’s living room, where it still plays eight-to-ten hours a day. Other than a new set of EL-34 output tubes installed in 2010, it has run faithfully without as much as a hiccup.

Where the original ProLogue has a warmer overall sound overall, the Premium features more extension at both ends of the frequency range and more immediacy—thanks to the updated circuit and larger transformers. Having exchanged the EL-34s for KT88s and 6L6s, I prefer the tonality of the EL-34. In a modest-sized room with a great pair of mini monitors (I used the outstanding Penaudio Cenyas for my listening), this amp is all you need to rock the house.  Should your tastes veer more towards Van Halen than Vivaldi, the ProLogue Premium will please you.

Based on my 2004 review for the magazine, the original ProLogue received a Product of the Year Award from The Absolute Sound. The new Premium version costs more, but still offers an audio experience unmatched for the price. I’m happy to grant this integrated an Exceptional Value Award for 2012. Like the legendary tube amplifiers from McIntosh and Marantz, it’s an amplifier you can hand down to your family members through the years.

PrimaLuna Prologue Premium Integrated Amplifier

MSRP: $2299 (USD)

PrimaLuna USA

www.primaluna-usa.com

PERIPHERALS

Anyone thinking the $9,500 Lyra Atlas merely amounts to high-priced audio jewelry that exceeds a fixed point of diminishing returns couldn’t be more wrong. However, to be put in proper perspective, the cartridge must be evaluated in a high-performance audio system alongside Lyra’s other models—the Titan i and the Kleos. Rather than rely on digital captures or, worse, aural memory, we chose to compare the cartridges side-by-side in identical AVID Acutus Reference SP turntables played through the world-class Vitus MP-P201 phonostage.

Jonathan Carr, responsible for all Lyra cartridge designs, points out that the Atlas’ “new angle” technology actually was introduced on an entry-level cartridge (Delos) and carried forward to the Kleos. Unlike all other MC designs that center the signal coils between the magnets when a cartridge is at rest (and with no load from being placed on a record), new-generation Lyra cartridges achieve optimum alignment between magnet and coil when the cartridge is set down on a record under the load of tracking force. Lyra claims the approach equalizes compliance in both vertical and horizontal planes. In practical terms, the Atlas tracks better than any MC I’ve yet experienced.

Following the lead of the Titan i and legendary Olympos cartridges, the Atlas’ body is machined from pure titanium. Asymmetrical shapes on both the inside and outside further set the Atlas apart from the rest of the Lyra line. Just like a room lacking parallel walls, the dimensions diminish resonances inside the cartridge. Carr mentions that the internal shape of the cartridge requires very complex machining as well, which is accomplished via electric discharge machining, a non-contact process.

The Atlas also delivers 12% more output than previous designs, and does so with 22% less wire in the coils—practically cheating physics. These numbers translate to faster transient response and more accurate reproduction of difficult musical passages.  These new coils are now of an X-core design because this gives better channel separation, less crosstalk between channels and lower distortion. Again, Lyra beats the odds with a design that maximizes this design without suffering the loss of dynamics that most cartridges using traditional square core coils.

Speaking fondly of cartridge builder Yoshinori Mishima, who has worked for Lyra for more than two decades, Carr notes: “When I come up with a new design, I like to challenge Mishima to produce something perhaps a bit beyond what he is capable of.  As I show him the final design drawings and design prototypes, we discuss what can be done, and if any slight changes must be made. The Atlas is by far the most difficult thing I have asked him to build.”

The Atlas took two years from conception to build. While one of Carr’s intermediate designs did not make it to fruition, it provided knowledge to flesh out the Atlas. “Producing [the concept] cartridge, even though we did not build it, gave me what I needed to take the Titan i to its destination with the Atlas. Without it, I would not have been able to travel the full distance.”

Easy Albeit Different Setup

Experience with the Lyra Skala, Argo-I, and Dorian cartridges (confirmed by AudioQuest’s Joe Harley, Lyra’s US importer) suggests orienting the tail of the cartridge body slightly down from the front instead of placing it in the more traditional parallel configuration. The latter arrangement comes across somewhat thin and lacking in body, which has fueled comments stating that Lyra cartridges are highly accurate albeit thin-sounding. No. It’s all in the setup.

Initial listening on the AVID Acutus Reference SP turntable was done with the current Triplanar arm. I performed later comparison tests with identical SME V tonearms and matching Furutech Silver Reference tonearm cables. Optimal tracking force proved to be 1.72 grams in both tonearms—exactly what’s recommended. Lyra suggests a loading range of 104-887 ohms; 1000 ohms is he magic number with the ARC Ref Phono 2SE, and 500 ohms delivers perfection with the Vitus MP-P201 and Pass XP-25 phonostages. Perhaps it’s a tube versus solid-state thing.

Lyra hints that maximum performance requires 30-50 hours, after which the sound smoothes out and noise gets reduced. AudioQuest analog gurus Harley and Shane Buettner corroborate the 30-hour limit. But the cartridge sounds damn good out of the box.

Sound Without Limitations

Technical talk aside, the Atlas succeeds at retrieving more music from the groove than anything I’ve heard. While I am a huge fan of the limited-availability Olympos (reviewed in Issue 17), its richer, nearly romantic sound is not Lyra’s specialty. Carr says, “The Olympos was created for a purpose, with a certain sound in mind. I feel it’s within my rights as a designer to occasionally present a different design exercise. That’s the Olympos; it’s very sexy-sounding.”

As I mention in this issue’s review of the Vitus MP-P201 phonostage (page 121), in order to justify its expense, a component at this price level has to take you on an amazing journey while blazing uncharted territory. The Atlas does so and more. Combining it with the Vitus phonostage makes for almost unworldly sensations. It offers everything: rock-solid imaging, unparalleled dynamics, unmatched tonal accuracy, and exquisite low-level detail retrieval, all created inside a galactic soundfield.

Sure, these characteristics are enough to propel Atlas to the top of the super-cartridge list. But its greatest strength lies in its ability to extract more information from all of your records. Literally, every one you spin. Yes, the most fantastic recordings reveal buried sonic treasures. Still, the Atlas does an equally great job with normal pressings. Spoon’s 2007 album Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga is a perfect example of a relatively flat indie-rock record that leaves you wondering if analog is worth the bother. The Atlas brings it to life in a way you’d never think possible.

Bruce Springsteen’s new The Wrecking Ball yields similar riches. The CD is highly compressed, and the LP not much better. Enter the Atlas, which pulls every molecule of detail from the grooves while making an otherwise harsh-sounding record enjoyable. Carr underscores that these sorts of hallelujah moments represent his goal with the Atlas, stating, “A high-performance system should increase the number of records you can enjoy on it.”

Much of the newfound resolution can be attributed to the Atlas’ increased tracking; the cartridge passes every tracking torture test with ease. Delighting in my own nerdiness, I chose my Shure TTR-101 test record, the famous “Audio Obstacle Course.” The Atlas effortlessly tracks the toughest passages, a feat I’ve never accomplished with an MC design. And the Kleos proves no slouch in this area, either.

Think of the aforementioned effects as akin to a Formula 1 car coming in for a pit stop. The best drivers hit their marks exactly, while the lesser guys miss the stop by as much as a foot. Not life or death. But as Michael Schumacher’s pit guys once told me, even a small difference cuts down efficiency. While an F1 championship is certainly not on the line while spinning records, the more precisely a stylus can follow the groove, the more accurately the music is rendered, and, the lower the wear is on records.

Unlike a Ferrari that you will only want to take out of the garage on a sunny day, you will want to use the Atlas as a daily driver. Doing so invokes the dreaded subject of cartridge life. Since the company believes that keeping records meticulously clean and paying close attention to the stylus extends life, Lyra includes necessary tools, a stylus brush, LPT stylus treatment with the Atlas. In addition, lowering the cartridge on to the record as gently as possible dramatically extends cartridge life and puts minimal wear on the delicate suspension.

In a perfect world, the Atlas might last 2,500 hours, give or take a few. So, if you listen to three albums a day, every day of the week, the Atlas will last about four years.  How many audiophiles keep anything for four years?

A Proper Comparison

Of course, you can’t truly appreciate the Atlas until you compare it to the other two high-end cartridges in Lyra’s lineup. Differences illustrated by my reference system with the Vitus MP-P201 phonostage are not just instantly apparent, they’re major. However, when swapping out the reference components for a much more modest system consisting of the Audio Research PH6 phonostage, AVID Volvere SP turntable, Unison Research S6 amplifier, and Dynaudio Confidence C1 speakers, disparities between the three models are minimal.

Note: If you don’t have a system capable of producing incredible resolution and dynamics, consider sticking with the Delos or Kleos. They offer high performance at a much lower cost, with all the same tonal qualities that make the Atlas and the Titan i stellar. Too often, I’ve seen enthusiastic audiophiles grossly overspend on a mega-bucks cartridge, only to sacrifice resolution elsewhere in the system, and therefore, fail to take full advantage of what a cartridge like the Atlas provides.

Atlas vs. Titan i

Listening to Richard Thompson’s The Old Kit Bag instantly reveals the contrast between the Atlas and Titan i. The latter showcases a more forward tonal balance that might be mistaken for edgy and, when using the Atlas as a direct comparison, slightly thin. The acoustic bass line in “Gethsemane” is well rendered with the Titan i, yet a quick switch to the Atlas gives the song extra weight and a lot more texture. It’s much like going from a zoom lens to a prime lens on a camera; there’s more clarity and tonal purity. With the Atlas, Thompson’s guitar playing locks into place with a precision the Titan i can’t match.

Mobile Fidelity’s reissue of James Taylor’s JT exposes another variation between the two fantastic cartridges. The Titan i possesses more edge sharpness than the Atlas, which at first blush gives the appearance of more resolution. Extended listening shows how much further the Atlas goes into the recording. Anyone who works or plays with Photoshop’s unsharp mask command know this feeling. Used sparingly, the increased edge contrast gives an illusion of sharpness, but pushing it too far gives everything in the photo a surreal, embossed quality.

Instrument decay tells yet another part of the story. The acoustic guitar and cymbals on Taylor’s “There We Are” fade out further, and with more levels of gradation, before going all the way to black with the Atlas. The additional contrast provided by the Titan i, making Taylor’s guitar sound pluckier, may appeal to some. Yet Carly Simon’s backing vocals are almost lost on “Looking for Love on Broadway” when the Titan i is at bat; the Atlas projects them. If the Atlas makes sense for your budget and system, the additional weight and image size—combined with the aforementioned tonal qualities—will take you to a very special place, indeed.

Titan i vs. Kleos

Carr points out that there are some areas in which the Kleos will excel when compared to the Titan. Vide, lower surface noise. Both the Kleos and the Atlas are much more like my favorite Koetsus in the sense that the latter maximizes the musical presentation while minimizing surface noise. Most of my records are in excellent shape, but somehow, with the Titan i, one or two pops always surface. (All of my records are cleaned on the Loricraft before major listening sessions, while the Furutech DeMag and the DeStat further reduce surface anomalies.)

On more modern recordings, the edge in dynamics goes to the Kleos. A direct comparison of Mobile Fidelity’s version of Madeline Peyroux’s Bare Bones illuminates the Kleos’ ability to accelerate faster and stop at the end of notes with greater precision. The Kleos does a better job at capturing a drumhead’s “twack” sound as well as the initial strike of piano keys. There’s energy without any acoustic hangover.

Evaluating identical pressings of Brian Eno’s Ambient 4: On Land favored the Kleos and its weightier presentation. The extra bass grunt adds to the album’s ethereal, spooky feel and the Kleos’ ability to minimize background noise is another plus. Densely packed recordings like Mobile Fidelity’s reissue of Santana’s Abraxas favor the Titan i. Its additional edge contrast digs deeper into the cloudy mix.

Shopping Suggestions

The newer technology present in Lyra’s Delos, Kleos, and Atlas represents a major step forward in analog reproduction by giving more resolution, separation, and dynamics than previous designs—and sacrificing nothing. They are incredibly user-friendly and easy to set up and optimize. An hour spent with analog tools and some careful listening is all that’s required.

The more resolution your system (and analog front end, in particular) can deliver, the more you will be able to hear and appreciate the differences between these cartridges.  The Kleos is an excellent model, covering all the bases with a fantastic combination of tonal accuracy and tonal saturation, along with a large presentation and wonderful dynamics. Titan i manages more resolution, adding additional contrast even as it might beget a love/hate situation in certain systems. It also took the most time to set up to perfection. In the end, however, the Atlas is the grail. Once you’ve experienced it, there’s no turning back. – Jeff Dorgay

The Lyra Atlas MSRP: $9,500

The Lyra Titan i MSRP: $5,995

The Lyra Kleos MSRP: $2,995

www.lyraanalog.com

Peripherals

When I was a kid, my friends would be quick to shout out “infinity” when they spotted the coolest bike, baseball glove, or sneakers. Yet as soon as that word was uttered, another voice rose up and declared “infinity plus one!” Decades later, more than a handful of us have faster bikes and fancier shoes. But we often make similar claims when referring to our audio systems. And the stakes are much higher—at least in the sense that “infinity plus one” now costs a lot more.

It is always tough assigning value to things we don’t need. Of course, the biggest question with something like the $60k Vitus MP-P201 phonostage is “how much better is it?” Passing the $10k mark for a phonostage means serious high-performance territory. If you don’t have a mega system with an equally mega turntable, don’t even think of blowing this kind of coin on a phonostage. It’s a waste. Competition at this level is fierce, and there are a number of excellent choices in the $10-$15k category. We’ve reviewed such models from Aesthetix, Audio Research, ASR, Burmester, Boulder, Conrad-Johnson, Naim, and Pass Labs. Plus, there are probably another ten excellent models in this range we haven’t covered.

For listeners wanting to venture beyond the barrier at the boundary of the analog universe, what are the options? Surprisingly, quite a few. The Ypsilon YPS100 tips the scale at close to $30k; the Boulder 2008 is even more expensive. Where does the madness end? A $60,000 phonostage is no more realistic to most audio enthusiasts than a $1.2 million Bugatti Veyron is to someone driving a Toyota Camry. Yet these exotic products have customer waiting lists.

On the bright side, you’ll never need to change oil or replace a clutch in the MP-P201. And you won’t need to hunt down rare NOS vacuum tubes. The MP-P201 is a fully solid-state design that, once experienced, will change your thinking about transistors’ capabilities—provided you have the preconceived notion that glass bottles are the only devices that yield untouchable musical performances.

A Little Perspective

Think of the sound of an ace $1,000 phonostage. Musical notes are reproduced, everything is quiet, and a dollop of tonality and dynamics makes you feel warm and squishy about having upgraded. If you made the leap from a basic $200-$400 turntable to a $1,000 unit with a competent phono cartridge, and everything is properly set up, analog enchantment happens. You evangelize about how vinyl is better than digital. The crusade begins.

The next major jump costs two-to-five times the aforementioned amount and includes added flexibility as well as a substantial performance gain (assuming your system is resolving enough to reveal the difference) and added flexibility. Gain and loading more easily adjustable, and multiple inputs might even be present. You’re moving closer to a more realistic picture of the music on your best recordings. The speakers feel more liquid and natural.

Once you cross the $10k line, in general, your speakers begin to boil like a big pot of water into which you drop delectable pasta. Yummy. Music sounds like it should—timbre, texture, low-level detail, dynamics, and bass weight envelop you, and yep, it’s time to upgrade other parts of your system to keep pace with the enhanced analog front end.

How Good Is It?

Imagine your speakers becoming clouds from which music emerges. Welcome to the MP-P201. Marathon listening sessions with every turntable, tonearm, and cartridge at my disposal reveals la meme chose: beyond-sublime music reproduction. The Denon DLA100 (based on the DL-103r) even takes on a new dimension, with a weighty presentation I’ve never heard from 103 Series cartridges. Mounted on the Funk Firm FX • RII tonearm, and mated with the AVID Acutus Reference SP, the $499 cartridge sounds like one that costs much, much more.

Have you ever ogled the paint job on the winning car at the Pebble Beach Concours de Elegance? Gotten lost in depth that feels so real it could just swallow you?  Again, meet the MP-P201. Whether via the humble Denon cartridge or mighty Lyra Atlas, the Vitus phonostage expands room boundaries to the point where you’ll look for surround speakers. This is two-channel sound at its finest.

I’ve heard too many highly tweaked systems that are so resolving, the owner is reduced to playing 20 perfect recordings and, after spending a small fortune, makes record-buying decisions based on “what will sound great on the system.” The MP-P201 does not force you to make such feeble choices.

This phonostage does not embellish in any way, yet it retrieves information from records at a supernatural level. The joy is twofold: Your best recordings transport you beyond what you ever thought possible, and mediocre LPs lay bare a wealth of information that previously appeared compressed. Run-of-the-mill pressings—whether an 80s classic like The Fixx’s Reach For The Beach or modern offerings such as the Decemberists’ The King Is Dead, neither of which sound particularly open—now come alive and possess tonal shading where none before existed.

As great as the MP-P201 is with average pressings, extraordinarily recorded LPs sound truly amazing. The more time I spend with the MP-P201, the more I suspect it comes equipped with one of the Guild Navigators from Dune—folding time and space every time I play records. Swapping the Denon for the Lyra Atlas and Koetsu Urushi Blue, it’s impossible to decide which is more enjoyable. The latter’s sumptuous midrange and depth lend well to recordings with a slight edge, while the Lyra’s ability to uncover the minutest details hypnotizes the senses.

Pink Floyd albums prove enthralling, especially when enjoying first-stamper German, Japanese, and UK pressings of Dark Side of the Moon. There’s so much more information throughout the spectrum, it’s actually initially arduous to process. The opening heartbeat now feels buried in the floorboards, threatening to burst out, Edgar Allen Poe style, while the alarm clocks feel as if they are duct-taped to my head. Once acclimated to the additional bandwidth in my realm, the navigators take over again; hours melt away.

Classical lovers will marvel at the phonostage’s fathomless quiet—a wonder for rock and jazz, but a necessity for symphonic music. The resultant blackness may even force you to reconsider your test-LP protocol. My preferred classical demo discs include Mercury Russian recordings pressed a few years ago.

Byron Janis’ delicate touch on the piano during Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Flat Major “Triangle” comes off like a once-played master tape. This LP’s air and space will challenge any analog front end, but otherworldly is the combination of the Atlas cartridge and MP-P201, melding the best digital recordings’ inaudible background with the dreamy, fine-grained smoothness that only analog can deliver.

A Fourth Dimension

Regardless of the music, the MP-P201 gives more. There’s more extension at both ends of the spectrum. And even though this phonostage casts more detail on the high-frequency section, cues never become harsh or forward—a tough feat. Whether listening to Audioslave or Miles Davis, the density of information constantly exceeds expectation.

The increased texture now present in all recordings, combined with the dynamics and resolution, makes for a fourth sonic dimension. Music is no longer played as much as it is displayed, in almost hallucinatory form. Spinning the recent remaster of Miles Davis’ Bitches’ Brew casts wildly convincing impressions. Davis seems to lurk in my room, the illusion so realistic, it seems as if I can get up and walk behind him. Trippy and fun.

The Fine Print

The MP-P201 is a two-box design, with power supply and the phonostage on separate chassis, connected by a pair of umbilical cords. Once plugged in, the MP-P201 is ready to play after about two minutes. Akin to any premium component with a massive power supply, it requires a few days to fully stabilize. Since my review sample arrived with hours on the clock, I can’t comment on how long a new unit needs to sound its best.

Chassis and front-panel design mirror other Vitus products. The aluminum front panel is beveled in the middle in order to reveal the control functions behind the black, smoked glass. Removing the vault-like top panels showcases the precise build quality one might expect to see if a Swiss watch was enlarged to the size of a preamplifier. Hans-Ole Vitus redefines meticulous build quality. He heavily relies on custom-made surface-mount modules to guide every aspect of the preamplifier.

Loading can be controlled from the front panel or optional remote.  When I brought this up with Mr. Vitus, he just assumed that anyone buying the MP-P201, would have the remote and not need one. Again, Danish practicality, but he puts my fear at ease, “Of course if you purchase the MP-P201 as a standalone component, we will include a remote at no charge.”  Right on.

Input sensitivity can be set from .15mv to .5mv. With this kind of gain, all MC cartridges can be utilized—even ultra-exotic models with three turns of Martian wire on the core. Sixteen different load settings, with four separate modules, are also available.  While you might think 47k is a useless setting at this price, don’t forget about the moving-iron cartridges out there. They could be a great match.

The MP-P201 features two inputs, one balanced and one RCA. Both work so well, I can’t really tell the difference—even with identical tables, cartridges, and tonearm cables. I experience no loss of fidelity when using the balanced input with XLR-to-RCA adaptors. Balanced XLR and RCA outputs are available.

Perfection?

A $60,000 component should take your breath away, and the MPP-201 does so the second the first record is placed on the turntable. So choose carefully. You will always remember the paradigm shift. After months of listening, I still pinch myself nearly every time I experience this marvel, and remain amazed at how much detail is locked up in those grooves.

MSRP: $60,000

www.vitusaudio.com

Peripherals

The headquarters for Vitus Audio is tucked away in a small industrial park in Herning, Denmark. The company’s soul becomes apparent immediately upon entrance, as a pair of original MartinLogan CLS speakers greet you. Hans-Ole Vitus grins, “I love those speakers.”

Danish to the core, the facility sports a spartan albeit purposeful and highly efficient design. Administrative offices are small. Everything is concentrated on factory and warehouse space, sans the practice area for Vitus’ son’s band, where a drum kit and amplifier stacks sit. As his eyes light up about his latest guitar purchase, Vitus tells me that he, too, stops out here to jam now and then. After January’s Consumer Electronics Show in January, he and his son (also a budding electronics designer) stayed in Vegas to see Tool perform.

A quick tour reveals the Formula 1-level of attention paid to Vitus products during every step of the assembly process. The outlay doubles as a model of efficiency, with ceiling-high shelves containing various electronics and mechanical parts. Modern test gear and strict assembly (and testing) protocols ensure each product is perfect before it goes out the door.

Removing the top of any Vitus product tells a big part of the story. Custom-designed surface-mount modules control every aspect of the company’s amplifier and preamplifiers performance. Vitus even has its own in-house surface-mount machines, a considerable expense often subcontracted out by even some of audio’s top manufacturers. The only aspect farmed out? Metalwork. But even that’s subject to meticulous quality-control measures.

Finished components are then burned in and rechecked before final delivery to a substantial sound room that features a few different pairs of state-of-the-art loudspeakers.  R&D doesn’t stop there. Vitus’ home listening room contains all of his top-line products along with one of the few pairs of Focal Grande Utopia EM speakers on display. Flanked by a Kuzma turntable and barrage of Vitus Class A power amplifiers, this evaluating test bed is absolutely spectacular.

Minutes into our listening session, it becomes obvious that the driving force behind Vitus Audio is never more than a few steps away from music, whether at work or at home. Such musical immersion, combined with a perfectionist approach, makes Vitus Audio products objects of desire for many of the world’s most discriminating audiophiles. – Jeff Dorgay

Forget the long dance. You can quickly cut to the chase when evaluating the ARC PH8 phonostage by playing a familiar piano recording.

Take Liz Story’s minimally miked Wedding Rain, a great demo album recorded on a Studer deck at 30ips. All you hear is Ms. Story and her Steinway. The PH8 captures every performance nuance. Story’s slow, lingering style often fades into the background with a melancholy feel and is punctuated by brief runs up the keyboard. The passages illustrate the lightning-fast transient response characterizing this premium phonostage. And rest assured: Revisiting the rest of your record collection will be just as much fun.

Lyra’s Kleos cartridge, currently in for review, makes for a symbiotic match with the PH8 in an all-ARC REF system. The combination provides excellent tonality, separation, dynamics, and, equally important, a very low noise floor. Utilizing the same FET/tube hybrid design as the top-of-the-range REF Phono 2 (now an SE model), the PH8 affords vinyl aficionados the best of both worlds: virtually nonexistent background noise and the tonal richness of vacuum tubes.

Vide, Bill Lordan’s epic drumming on Robin Trower’s “A Tale Untold” from For Earth Below. His kit is exquisitely rendered in both horizontal and vertical planes, and with plenty of meat, as Trower explodes into a distorted Stratocaster run on the following “Gonna Be More Suspicious.” Equally explosive is Bob Brookmeyer’s trombone on the recent Pure Pleasure release of Kansas City Revisited—another recording featuring wide dynamic swings. It shows how quickly the PH8 responds, from the softest brushwork on the drums to ear-flattening horn bursts.

Birth Order

The PH8 resides in the middle of ARC’s phonostage line, with an MSRP of $6,995. The PH6 (reviewed in Issue 30) is $3,495 and the REF Phono 2 SE (review in process) comes in at $12,995. Living with all three—the PH6, PH8, and the REF Phono 2 (now the SE model)—and playing them side by side through identical turntable/tonearm/cartridge/cable combinations makes it easy to discern the differences.

As with the REF Series power amplifiers, ARC phonostages share a similar physical and aesthetic design, as well as a nearly identical sonic signature. They all exhibit neutral tonality with a hint of tube warmth (albeit not at the expense of pace and timing) and an extremely low noise floor, thanks to their hybrid FET/tube design. Apparent, as well, is a similar level of user friendliness, with all controls duplicated on the front panel and remote control—a feature some may deem frivolous, but highly appreciated once in the throes of cartridge setup.

Moving up the food chain brings an increase in low-level detail and sheer dynamic drive. If you have a no-holds-barred stereo, nothing less than the REF Phono 2 SE will do. But having one means getting an analog front-end and system to match.

Shuffling Andrew Bird’s Break It Yourself between the three phonostages reveals more depth and inner detail in Bird’s violin playing. Yet, because it is not a record with wide dynamic swings or terribly deep bass lines, one could easily be convinced that stepping beyond the PH6 isn’t necessary—or perhaps, not worth the extra cash.  However, upping the game to a full-scale symphonic piece or heavy rock record uncloaks the PH8’s capabilities. A similar effect is realized when going to the REF Phono 2SE.

Whether listening to the bombardment of drums in Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” or unraveling the layers of guitar in Mastodon’s “Blasteroid,” the PH8 possesses the horsepower to get the job done. Moving up the analog ladder means accepting fewer and fewer compromises. The more complex the music, the easier it is to discern the distinctions between the two phonostages.

Perhaps the toughest part to quantify is the realistic timbre the PH8 offers when playing acoustic instruments, another benefit the phonostage offers, along with a larger soundfield. It’s like moving your favorite band from a club to an arena. The sense of congestion that comes with lesser analog front-ends disappears. Easily illustrated by Cream’s live Royal Albert Hall (with half-speed mastering courtesy of Stan Ricker) goes from sounding like it was recorded at Ronnie Scott’s (an intimate jazz club in London), with the performers bunched together, to a proper auditorium.

So while acoustic instruments take on a more realistic, three-dimensional feel via the PH8, even electronic recordings like the Cream set benefit. Guitar enthusiasts can now hear the unmistakable tone of Clapton’s Fender cabinets rather than just generic guitar sound.

Ins, Outs, and Adjustments

The PH8 is a single-ended design featuring a pair of 6H30 triode tubes like the PH6. But where the PH6 uses all solid-state devices in the power supply, the PH8 takes advantage of the same 6550 and 6H30 tubes as the REF Phono 2SE. And while it will require tube replacement at 2,000-5,000 hour-intervals, the additional tonal saturation is well worth the small sacrifice in convenience.

Only one set of RCA inputs and outputs is available, so the PH8 cannot be placed as far from your linestage/preamplifier as the REF Phono 2 in a fully balanced system.  The front panel mirrors the design of current REF components as well as the LS 17 and 27 preamplifiers. Gain is fixed at 58db, and while this level is slightly high for a MM cartridge, it’s doubtful one will employ a phonostage of this magnitude with an MM. The 47k loading option comes in handy should you prefer a moving-iron design, most of which still have 47k loading albeit a lower output of 1mv or less. Also, the Grado Statement 1 is as compatible with the PH8 as it is with the REF Phono 2SE.

The 58db gain spec is misleading—if only in the sense that the PH8 is so quiet, it works fine with MC cartridges having at least .5mv. Whereas a few all-tube phonostages expose the noise floor when is the volume turned up to modest levels, the PH8 hasn’t any problem. You will just need to get used to seeing the volume control turned up a bit higher. Running the PH8 into the ARC REF 5SE preamplifier with the .5mv output Lyra Kleos is effortless. Meanwhile, the .4mv Koetsu Urushi Blue cartridge pushes the limits of what can be expected, and the .3mv Dynavector 17D3 lacks the necessary oomph required to form a symbiotic match.

Finally, loading options are 100, 200, 500, 1000, and 47k ohms. The PH8 doesn’t possess the REF Phono 2SE’s 50 ohm and custom settings, but, again, handles the majority of MM cartridges without issue.

Further Listening

In the owner’s manual, Audio Research mentions the PH8 requires about 600 hours to sound its best. Sure, the unit sounds reasonably good right out of the box, yet you do need to reserve judgment until you’ve racked up serious hours on the clock. You will be surprised.

The more time I spend with the PH8, the more I am convinced of its value. True, it won’t be an impulse purchase for many listeners. But for all but the few that want to step all the way up to REF Series components, the PH8 is a great destination.

While I achieved excellent results with the AVID Volvere SP/SME V/Kleos combination, the PH8 also proves worthy via the AVID Acutus REF SP/TriPlanar combination along with Lyra’s new Atlas cartridge. The model features enough resolution to easily discern the differences between these state-of-the-art cartridges.  – Jeff Dorgay

Audio Research PH8

MSRP: $6,995

www.audioresearch.com

Peripherals

The impedance and capacitance lurking in the short run of cable joining the phono cartridge to the phono preamplifier interface are important albeit often overlooked aspects. Some might argue that breaking the signal path with a connector compromises signal integrity. Yet, if there ever was a link in the audio chain that benefits from a few better strands of wire, this is it.

Analog and its associated tweaks continue to rise, yet, so do the number of users frustrated by the medium. Once the initial fever settles, that new turntable starts to feel like a slightly worn chew toy. The trinket still squeaks, but your tail doesn’t wag like it did when you tore the plaything out of the wrapper.

Relax. It’s not your fault. Audience’s Richard Colburn says the company’s inspiration for the Au24e tonearm cable came from the phono signal, “taking the cable out of the compromise is what it’s all about.” When the interface is compromised, fine detail, high-frequency response, and microdynamics get sacrificed. He also stresses that this approach should not be confused with cartridge loading, which is a “completely different issue. This is optimization for the impedance characteristic of the cartridge itself.”

A Choice of Cables

Three basic Au24e models comprise the line. The Low Z is optimized for cartridges with an internal impedance of 30 ohms or less; the High Z matches cartridges in the 30 to 100 ohms range; the MM is for 47k moving-magnet cartridges. Those using VPI turntables, or another brand with RCA jacks for the phono output, can save a few hundred bones since they don’t require a more expensive (and more labor-intensive) DIN plug. Colburn suggests opting for the lower-impedance version if your cartridge is on the fence at 30 ohms.

The 1m version of the MM version is $479 with RCAs, and $729 with DIN; the MC versions are $1,095 with RCA plugs at both ends, and $1,295 with the DIN plug. All are made by hand and hand-terminated with Audience’s latest Au24e cable, termination, and connector technology. As with all Audience cables, each is cryo-treated upon completion.

Down to Business

I’ve been enamored with the sound of the highly musical Denon DL-103R cartridge and its variants for some time. I currently use the Zu Audio version, potted in a metal body with the AVID Volvere SP turntable and SME 309 tonearm, feeding an Audio Research REF Phono 2.

It’s easy to get lost in cable comparison and freak yourself into thinking that you either hear a much bigger difference than is actually happening or, that you aren’t able to hear anything at all. The miniscule signal present from a moving-coil cartridge only compounds matters. Even listeners with canine-quality hearing can get caught up in swapping a tonearm cable in and out of a system, and there’s always the chance of knocking something out of alignment, corrupting the results. Fortunately. with another identical AVID Volvere ‘table set up on the same rack, it’s simple for me to make meaningful comparisons.

Benefits of Optimization

Switching back and forth between the two decks, the immediacy the Audience cable brings to the ‘table (pun intended) is not subtle. The layer of grain I’ve always found present in the 103 becomes greatly reduced, underscoring the Au24e’s abilities as an incredible transducer.

Vide, the quietest passages in the Egberto Gismoti/Nana Vasconcelos collaboration Duaz Vozes now possess more air and space, and it feels as if the recording studio has grown larger. Both the leading and trailing edges of the attack on Vasconcelos’ percussive excursions sound cleaner and more realistic.  An identical experience comes via “Sun Song” on the Sheffield Labs pressing of Dave Grusin’s Discovered Again.

Listening to other records I’ve spun extensively begets the same conclusion: There’s a level of cleanliness now available that wasn’t present before, and it’s easy enough to go back to the control ‘table and hear enough of a difference to justify the expense.

Remember, a great analog front end is a work in progress and always a cumulative proposition. I’ve found precious few things that are truly transformative, but every step in the right direction adds resolution without sacrificing in other areas. The Audience Au24e tonearm cable belongs in the latter category. Once I spent enough time between the two identical ‘tables to confirm the difference, I moved the cable to a few other arm/combinations with equally positive results.

While this cable is not inexpensive, at $1,100, it’s not crazy money, either. I’m keeping it as a reference in my AVID Volvere SP/Funk Firm FX•R/Denon DL103R combination; it’s that spectacular. Watch for a follow-up on the MM version in the near future.  -Jeff Dorgay

Audience Au24e Tonearm Cable

MSRP:  $479-$1,295 (depending on configuration)

Manufacturer:  www.audienceav.com

Peripherals

With the race on to build bigger, better, more powerful gear, Naim has entered the field with its first standalone DAC. In the past, the company took a closed-architecture approach to digital, with its players claiming neither a digital input nor output. One uses them the way they come from the factory; the only available upgrade is a larger power supply.

If you aren’t familiar with Naim, it certainly follows a different approach than other manufacturers. In the case of its $3,695 world-class DAC, performance upgrades come in the form of more robust, external power supplies. This strategy (also used with its SuperLine phonostage) works well in the sense that you buy the DAC once, getting digital decoding ability along with a top-range product’s input and output flexibility—and the same tonality—for a reasonable price.

When more performance is needed, an external power supply is easily added. Enter the $5,595 XPS and $9,345 555PS. While the uninitiated might pause at the concept of an external power supply costing more than an actual component, we’ve been to this dance with Naim before, and the proof is in the listening.

The Naim DAC provides a great digital experience in standard form, but if you can make the jump, opt for the PS555. Like every other Naim component into which we’ve plugged a massive power supply, it makes for a stunning experience. Once you hear it, you will never go back. For those that keep gear for long periods of time, it’s reassuring to buy the DAC and know the job is done. When you get the itch to upgrade, adding a power supply is a simple task.

Regardless of output or file resolution, the Naim DAC plays flawlessly with every digital source we throw at it. No matter your digital arsenal, the user-friendly nit will improve its sound While Naim would, of course, like to see you purchase one of its music servers, if you have someone else’s server in your system, integrating the Naim DAC with a current setup shouldn’t be an issue. In addition to the Naim HDX, we used the QSonix, Meridian Sooloos, Aurender, and Squeezebox servers with all file resolutions without a glitch.

The DAC proves equally compatible with a wide range of transports. The MSB universal transport works particularly well with the Naim DAC, allowing audiophiles invested in physical media of all types—SACD, DVD-Audio, or even Blu-ray—to play their files from one source.

Different Approach, Similar Sound

Even though the Naim DAC takes an alternative modus operandi to the digital decoding process, the company’s CD555 uses old-school, 16 bit/44.1k architecture. The Naim DAC upsamples incoming data to 768khz, using a SHARC 40-bit floating point processor, which also handles the digital filtering.  Audio data is then dumped into a RAM buffer before going to the actual DAC chips for D/A conversion. For a more in-depth overview of this process, download the Naim white paper here:

http://www.naimaudio.com/sites/default/files/products/downloads/files/dac_white-paper_issue3.pdf

Such methodology is not necessary with the CD555 because it only plays 16 bit/44.1khz files from CD; remember, however, the Naim DAC is compatible with all high-resolution digital formats. Credit Naim’s engineering staff for making the DAC/PS555 combination sound nearly identical to the CD555. Under the hood, the models couldn’t be more different.

The Naim DAC employs a plethora of inputs: a pair of RCA SPDIF, a pair of 75-ohm BNC inputs, and four toslink inputs. A USB port rests on the back and front panels; however, these inputs are not intended for direct connection to a computer. And forget about balanced XLR/EBU or FireWire inputs. Naim believes that a computer via USB doesn’t constitute an optimal way to transfer data to its DAC, so the USB input is for an external drive or memory stick. We found this handy when a friend brought over a few albums for a listening session.

Since the DAC is Apple compliant, you can use an iPod, iPhone, or iPad to stream music (up to 48kHz sampling rate) without the need for an external high-performance dock. Merely connect your iPod via the standard USB cord that goes to your charger, and experience the upgraded sound the iPod possesses when you bypass the onboard DAC. Listeners with multiple iPods will find this method goes a long way towards enticing the rest of their family to share in the hi-fi system fun.

Standard and Super-Size

Listening sessions began with the Naim DAC by itself, and without the external power supply. The former exhibits the same character, or “house sound,” that we’ve experienced with the other Naim players. We experimented with an iPod Touch, vintage Denon 3910, MSB universal transport, Naim HDX, and Sooloos music server, as well as a dCS Paganini transport.

By itself, the DAC proves highly competent and exhibits a very natural tonality. Naim gear always excels in the areas of musical pace and timing. However, that PS555 is like connecting an afterburner to the DAC. While tonality remains the same, dynamics take a major jump with the extra power. The rim shots in Lee Morgan’s “Riggarmortes” from the Tom Cat XRCD are breathtaking. And when Morgan’s trumpet enters, it punches through the mix with authority and more texture, the tune now sounding like a high-resolution file.

Bass weight and control also soar with the PS555. Listening to the classic electronica album, Kruder and Dorfmeister, The K&D Sessions, confirms these findings. “Bomb the Bass—Bug Powder Dust” features a deep, loose bass track that can easily get away from a modest system and overwhelm the diaphanous mix. The Naim combination paints a massive sonic landscape, simultaneously offering potent bass that shakes the listening room but never loses control.

More Power

Aside from reproducing music in a natural way—acoustic instruments played back through the Naim DAC/PS555 possess the right amount of texture and decay to convince you you’re hearing the real thing—the PS555 produces a much larger soundstage. Cue up Frank Zappa’s “Penguin in Bondage” from the live Roxy & Elsewhere album. Listening to only the DAC, Ruth Underwood’s percussion effects are buried in the mix, and the CD feels somewhat compressed. Once the PS555 is engaged, room boundaries expand in all three dimensions, allowing Zappa and his cronies to reveal themselves in greater detail.

The additional dynamics that the PS555 brings to listening sessions are invaluable. As nicely as the Naim DAC/PS555 combination renders top-notch recordings, the additional detail and overall listenability it brings to average-sounding records separates the pairing from lesser DACs. Music lovers whose interests venture beyond the same old audiophile standards will be delighted.

Indeed, after swapping the power supply in and out only a few times, I became convinced the NAIM DAC makes such a quantum leap with the PS555. It’s not to be missed. Sure, there are a few excellent DACs in the $4,000 range, and while the Naim unit is highly capable on its own, the PS555 turns it into something special.

You Might Forget About Your Turntable

If we were comparing the two DACs to phono cartridges, the Naim boasts a sound similar to that of a Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum: robust bass response, great stereo image, and a dash of warmth thrown in for good measure—a characteristic that never hurts digital media. In direct comparison to the similarly priced dCS Debussy, the dCS sounds more like a Lyra Titan i, with a shade more resolution and slightly more forward presentation.

For music lovers that want a digital source that is musical in the manner of an analog source, the Naim DAC/PS555 is the way to roll. Also, if you are a CD555 owner that’s a bit late coming to music servers, this DAC and power supply will provide a seamless experience. For these reasons, the Naim DAC/PS555 combination receives our most enthusiastic recommendation.

The Naim DAC/PS555 Power Supply

MSRP:  Naim DAC, $3,695

PS555 Power supply, $9,345

www.naimaudio.com    (factory)

www.soundorg.com    (US Importer)

Peripherals

Do you have a pair of speakers that have been with you since college? TONEAudio contributor Jerold O’Brien owns a pair of JBLs that have been through hell and back—moved all the way around the world since our tenure at the University of Wisconsin. But they are like a good luck charm to him. One afternoon when we were struggling to adjust the Kugelfischer injection on his BMW 2002tii, listening to Alice Cooper’s School’s Out, he laughed and said, “I still love those speakers. Lots of great memories.”

Philosophers and self-help gurus like to say that getting started is 80% of the battle, and nowhere is this more true than beginning the daunting task of trying to assemble a hi-fi system for the first time. Sage advice says to pick a pair of speakers you like and build around them. After all, whether or not you agree with the concept that speakers most significantly shape the sound of your system, they certainly have the greatest impact on your decor. Chances are you’ll be living with your speakers longer than you will a preamp or a receiver, so getting it right the first time constitutes a bonus.

The inexpensive end of the audio spectrum never ceases to fascinate, only if because every design decision made on a $400 pair of speakers like the Definitive Technology SM45s is so very critical. On many levels, some of the best work in audio is done in this price neighborhood, primarily because it’s ultra-competitive. And much of it sounds dreadful if you’re the least bit used to the good stuff. Finding a great entry-level component feels like robbing a convenience store and getting away with the crime. It only seemed appropriate to play Jane’s Addiction’s “Been Caught Stealing” while un-boxing the SM45s.

It Can Be Done

The SM45s were one of the most exciting products I heard at the Consumer Electronics Show last January. Why? It’s exactly the kind of product that gets people excited about making a hi-fi system part of their lives. Combined with a decent amplifier, or perhaps a vintage receiver, one need only add an iPod to start rocking out.

These Definitive Technology models are tiny, only about 6 x 8 x 12, and can actually be used on a bookshelf. Yes, the concept got carried away in the 70s, eventually yielding speakers that were way too large to fit on even a library’s vast bookshelf. While you can place these small speakers on such a surface, they produce much better results when mounted on 24-30-inch-tall stands, so that the tweeters are near ear level. Your task? Finding a placement option that balances with your decor, and the tradeoff between maximum bass reinforcement and midrange clarity.

World-Class Budget Speakers—It’s Not an Oxymoron

The SM45s present Kathleen Edwards’ “House Full of Empty Rooms” from an honest tonal standpoint while capturing the breathiness and nuance the singer brings to the song, all the while doing a marvelous job of following the pace of the backing acoustic guitar. Admittedly, evident compression emerges when switching to Keel’s The Right To Rock and dialing the volume way up on some Korn, Metallica, and Tool.

While the SM45s would play really loud without distortion or destruction, they need more bass grunt to really come alive at high volumes with harder stuff. Metalheads are advised to invest in DefTech’s ProSub 800 or 1000 subwoofer ($399 and $499, respectively) to flesh out the system. Same thing goes for electronica fans. DJ Krush’s Strictly Turntablized could use a bit more boom to get the message across. But remember, these are $400 speakers. A pair, no less. Music with less than subterranean low notes is easily handled, and test tones reveal solid output to about 50hz.  If you can, move the speakers about 18 inches from the wall to take advantage of room gain.

The SM45s possess more than enough resolution to easily discern qualitative differences between Mobile Fidelity’s reissue of KC and the Sunshine Band on vinyl and the original CD. The nonexistent bass line in “Shake Your Booty” via CD comes through loud and clear when switching to LP, with the woofer cones really pulsing.

Avoiding the parlor tricks of goosing one part of the audio spectrum really makes the SM45s world-class budget speakers. They have incredible overall tonal balance.  Playing solo female vocals or electronica excites the “wow” neurons in your brain, and most inexpensive speakers really suck when the playlist takes a turn towards acoustic fare.

Sure, it’s fun blasting party tracks through the SM45s, and seizing upon the big soundstage they throw. And, you can actually listen to music on these speakers. After hours of torturing them with metal and techno tracks, slowing the pace down to engage Keith Jarrett’s Keith Jarrett at the Blue Note: The Complete Recordings proves a fantastic experience. Jarrett’s piano is reproduced with an abundance of scale and texture. Along with the applause, his signature grunting hangs in the air, each in a separate layer. Even the stand-up bass is finely depicted, but the lowest overtones are absent.

Mixing it up with Miles, Coltrane, and other jazz legends reveals the same findings. Drums are full of dynamics, never plodding or obtuse. Tonality this good would be highly impressive for a $1,000 pair of speakers. It’s out of this world at this price.

Keeping Pace with 2012

Yes, $400 buys a smaller pair of speakers than it did in 1978. However, the value proposition that Definitive Technology’s Studio Monitor 45s offer goes off the chart. A two-way system, the SM45 represents the smallest speaker in Def Tech’s newest StudioMonitor series. With the grille off, the glossy front baffle looks smashing, revealing a 5.25-inch woofer and the same 1-inch dome tweeter featured in the SM55 and SM65. The MDF cabinets are covered in a black vinyl rather than a fancy veneer—a necessary albeit completely acceptable compromise. These babies are still highly pleasing, and it’s great to see that the extra few bucks that could have been spent on a fancier enclosure were instead put into sound-producing components.

Thanks to a 90db sensitivity rating, the SM45 works well with low-powered amplifiers and is equally at ease with solid-state, class D, or tube amplification. Our cache of vintage budget receivers from Pioneer, Nakamichi, and Sansui all turn in great performances with these speakers, confirming that an iPod owner could assemble a very capable system built around the SM45s for about $600.

Whether you’re just entering the world of hi-fi, or building a compact second system, a pair of SM45s is the best $400 investment you’ll ever make. These are speakers you’ll still enjoy in your garage 30 years from now. And think of the cool memories that will go along with the journey.

I like these speakers so much that I want you to have a pair.  Definitive Technologies has agreed to give us three pairs of SM45s to pass on to our readers, so when you have a moment, head to http://www.tonepublications.com/contest/ and follow the instructions.  Perhaps you’ll be one of our three lucky readers that wins a pair!

Definitive Technology Studio Monitor 45 Speakers

MSRP: $399/pair

www.definitivetech.com

No pair of speakers, no matter how good, can perform up to its level without an equal level of amplification. Exposure has been designing and building amplifiers in the UK for nearly 40 years, drawing from its in-studio experience with Pink Floyd and David Bowie to help voice its products. A pair of the 3010S2 mono power amplifiers puts 100 watts per channel into any system for just $2,895.

A standard class AB design, these 30-pound (12kg) monoblocks won’t break your back or bank account. Designed and built in the UK with all-discrete components and robust power transformers, the 3010S2s run cool to the touch under most conditions. A full-power, hour-long heavy metal test will warm them up, but even maximum punishment does not cause a thermal shutdown, indicating solid power-supply design.

Outfitted with black front panels holding just a power button and single red LED indicator, these Exposure models are the essence of simplicity. An unbalanced RCA is the only available input, but the outputs include the less-common BFA jacks with the ability to bi-wire. Bananas, spades, and bare wire need not apply here, so make sure to have speaker wire with BFA adaptors or acquire adapters for your existing cables.

Out of The Box, Running

Listening tests began with my reference Marantz AV7005 preamplifier and Oppo BDP-83SE disc player to get a feel for the amplifiers. While the latter don’t require a ton of break-in, they do need to be left powered on for about 48 hours before they come out of the solid-state fog—just like most any other solid-state amplifier.

Starting with Mobile Fidelity’s CD of Natalie Merchant’s Tigerlily, Merchant’s voice comes across strong and solidly anchored in the center of the room. Just as importantly, it’s free from shrillness and harshness when Merchant reaches to hit a deep note. The vocal top-end is slightly pulled back, just as you might find with a tube amplifier.

A quick swap from the Marantz to the matching Exposure 3012S2 preamp reveals the advantages of an all-Exposure system. Akin to other famous British brands like Naim, Rega, and Linn, Exposure amplifiers deliver the best experience when used along with namesake preamps.

With a full complement of Exposure electronics, the 3010S2s springs to life with tighter, deeper bass and a much more balanced soundstage. Exposure’s touted tube quality manifests itself on female vocals, and lower-octave guitars retain their steely tone.

Revisiting the same tracks I played on the Marantz signifies a complete change of character between the systems. On the CD layer of Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks SACD, music bursts from the speakers rather than settling down behind them. Whereas “Tangled Up In Blue” has too relaxed of a pace and flow via the Marantz, there’s now a raw energy, and the song pulls me in instead of keeping me at a distance.

Sigur Ros’ Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust further shows the system’s synergy. Pounding rhythms during “Inní mér syngur vitleysingur” explode from the speakers. Before, they didn’t have the right preamp to flesh out their character.  Overlapping vocals and instruments bear distinct character and separation, and the soundstage moves from a small recessed area to the whole front of my room.

On Mobile Fidelity CD version of Beck’s Sea Change, the guitars’ metallic sound translates with verve. The soundstage on “Lost Cause” extends to my room’s walls, with Beck and his band locked into place. Bass is strong and tight, with guitar notes feeling full and solid, and yet, never obscuring the sound of Beck’s hand moving over the strings during chord changes. Pace and timing at their finest.

REM’s Automatic for the People shifts effortlessly between arena-filling rock and more peaceful orchestral tracks, which allow one the opportunity to crank up the volume on larger-scale fare.  On “Find the River” and “Nightswimming,” orchestral strings are clear and detailed, and notes linger in the air. “Drive” mixes formal elements with guitars, and the 3010S2s places the strings in the rear while the guitars push forward, confirming its ability to keep the aural elements properly sorted in a complex recording.

The Amplifier Does Make a Difference

Additional listening at the TONEAudio studio via Conrad Johnson, McIntosh, and Simaudio preamplifiers validates the Exposure’s merit. There’s no compromise in tonality or dynamics. Should you not choose the all-Exposure path, try and audition several possibilities in your system—another reason to work with a good dealer.

Playing mix and match with speakers, the 3010S2s’ 100 watts per channel throw enough power to drive everything on-hand save the power-hungry Magnepan 1.7s. All else is fair game. Even the somewhat inefficient Dynaudio Confidence C1 (85db/1 watt) and Harbeth Compact 7ES-3 (86db/1watt) pose no difficulty, and possess plenty of dynamic oomph and control.

Switching to my $399 Epos ELS-3 bookshelf speakers confirms how much more they deliver when powered by high-quality amplification. With the Exposure gear, they throw a much larger soundstage then I’ve ever experienced in my budget system.

The Full Monty

The Exposure 3010S2 mono power amplifiers offer a warm albeit detailed top end and tight, controlled bass, along with an expansive soundstage. One caveat: If improperly mated with other gear, they lack bite and spaciousness. Make sure to evaluate them with your existing preamp to find out how they interact with your system. Once that hurdle is cleared, break out the plastic and get ready to rock.

Exposure 3010S2 Monoblock Power Amplifiers

MSRP:  $2,895

www.exposurehifi.com  (factory)

www.bluebirdmusic.com  (North American Distributor)

If you’ve ever auditioned the Focal Grande Utopia EM loudspeakers, you know what a breathtaking musical experience they provide, from the deepest bass note to the highest high, with a clarity that few other models can muster. Focal is one of the world’s only speaker companies with a full research facility and manufacturing complex under one roof. All of the company’s drivers are made in-house, accompanying all of the necessary research, design, and fabrication that go into every aspect of speaker design.

Audiophiles that inquired about the cost of the Grande Utopias were probably a little bit freaked out at the $180,000 price tag. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend that much money to get a great pair of speakers from Focal. The Chorus 826W retail for $3,695 per pair and epitomize how cutting-edge engineering and design get distilled into real-world products.

Visually and Audibly Exquisite

Unboxing the 826Ws is a sensual experience. The black-lacquered finish is as smooth as glass, and the cabinet quality fantastic. Everything harmonizes with each other, and the “W” logo is engraved into the tweeter baffle. Fit and finish is better than expected at this price category, no doubt the result of utilizing a production facility trained in making the Utopia series. Because Focal also has pro and car audio divisions, it boasts incredible economies of scale that are the equivalent of a small speaker company that purchases off-the-shelf drivers from one place and cabinets from another in order to sell decent $10-$20k speakers. Few compete with Focal in this area.

The second I set the stylus down on Lynryd Skynyrd’s Nuthin’ Fancy, the track’s omnipresent opening amplifier hum instantly lets me know these speakers can rock. Courtesy of a 91.5db sensitivity rating, a 50- to 70-watt amplifier gets the job done with power to spare. For most of my listening sessions, the PrimaLuna Dialog Six monoblocks with EL-34 power were awesome. Unless I was blasting King Diamond, I took advantage of the Dialogs even sweeter-sounding triode mode because of the 826W’s sensitivity.

An inverted dome tweeter is a Focal hallmark. However, the 800 series uses a 1-inch aluminum/magnesium membrane whereas the Utopia system uses a beryllium dome that’s far more costly to produce. The tweeter in the 826W easily resolves ultra-fine musical detail, with low distortion and high speed. And that speed feels a lot like a high-quality electrostatic speaker system with a massive soundstage. W versions of Chorus speakers also boast the same W composite material used in woofers of Utopia models.  Where many speakers at this price rely on off-the-shelf drivers, Focal applies technology from its flagship models. The pair of 6.5-inch woofers is remarkably free of upper bass coloration and lower-bass distortion.

Fans of well-defined imaging will be smitten with the 826W. The piano in the Allman Brothers’ “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” comes in way off to the right side of the sound field, as Duane Allman’s famous slide guitar snakes in from the right and both instruments blend in with the band. Everything on Eat a Peach sounds incredible. Small details abound: A drumstick clicked on the side of the kit here, tiny percussion bits there, and the sound of a guitar slide gently moved across a guitar neck while bongos float in the distance. Such resolution is often unavailable in under-$10k speakers.

At Ease Everywhere

The 826W is equally articulate at low volume; it is not a speaker that you need to blast in order to achieve musical engagement. Even at conversation levels, the speaker’s virtues shine. A few of my audiophile buddies unfamiliar with Focal initially believed these speakers fetched much more than their list price.

Closely concentrating on Neil Young’s Harvest reveals the intricacies the 826W produce, the experience easily rendering the superiority of the 24/192 version of the album. At the beginning of the title track, the piano swells up out of the background to meet the banjo, splendidly yielding an abundance of texture and tone.

A series of test tones reveals solid bass down to 40hz, with worthwhile output at 35hz. A quick romp through a series of discs with deep, low-frequency energy is highly enjoyable. More importantly, whether playing Pink Floyd, Snoop Dogg, or Mahler, the 826 exhibits control and plenty of low-frequency detail as well. The hard-hitting beats of Mr. Scruff’s “Sweetsmoke” provide sufficient, non-fatiguing gut punch when the volume gets cranked up to party levels. Equally sublime dynamics come via the beginning of Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter,” where neither the distorted bass line nor the pounding bass drum overpowers the other.

I even notice a few sonic bits on my favorite Doug and the Slugs album, Cognac and Bologna, I wasn’t expecting. The texture in the tom fills and keyboard riffs are rousing.  Rush’s “The Trees” offers similar surprises, as the Canadian trio is presented with the grand scale it deserves even as the chirping birds at the beginning of the track are rendered in full color.  Moving down in latitude from Canada to California calls for Van Halen. After about an hour of high-decibel use, and switching to the mighty Burmester 911mk.3, the Focals are no worse for the wear.

Environmentally Friendly

Occupying just an 11 1/8 x 14 ¾-inch footprint (282 x 375mm), the 826W physically parallels a pair of compact speakers on a pair of stands but adds the deeper bass response of a floorstander. The 826W’s ported enclosure system is called “Powerflow,” and includes one port on the front face of the speaker and another port that fires downward.

Don’t forget to mount these speakers on their stands, or you will be sorely disappointed with bass performance. Oh, yeah: The stands also receive the Utopia treatment, as they’re produced from stylish cast aluminum and include threaded leveling spikes.

Once securely mounted, the 826W is a breeze to set up. The dual-port design seems to be less sensitive to room placement than many single-port speakers we’ve tried, and because these speakers are not terribly heavy at 56.8 pounds (25.8kg) each, shuffling them to their optimum position requires minimal effort.

Award-Winning Performance

Of course, the 826Ws don’t go as deep or play as loudly as the Grandes, but all of the attributes associated with the landmark latter speaker attributes are represented:  tonal purity, wideband frequency response, and high dynamic range coupled with excellent low-level detail retrieval.

The 826W’s only potential drawback? The high resolution reveals shortcomings in the signal path more than most speakers at this price point. Its inverted dome tweeter is not harsh, but ultra-resolving. After spending a little time with the 826Ws, listeners with budget amplification will be shopping for a new amp.

Given that it incorporates so many features from Focal’s top speaker systems, the 826W could be the best bang for the buck the company has yet produced. The model is more than worthy of our Exceptional Value Award for 2012.

Focal Chorus 826W Loudspeaker

MSRP: $3,695/pair

www.focal.com  (Factory)

www.audioplusservices.com  (US and Canadian importer)

My journey with Conrad-Johnson preamplifiers goes all the way back to its original PV-1, purchased new in 1979. Over the last 33 years, I’ve tried a number of different preamplifiers, yet the CJ sound remains a favorite.

Loyal TONEAudio readers know that I’ve been using the ACT 2/series two preamplifier for many years as a reference component. Just like that PV-1, the ACT 2 has performed without as much as a burp—along with the company’s Premier 350 power amplifier—for upwards of 20,000 hours. During a recent dinner with Lew Johnson, he and his partner, Bill Conrad, laughed and said, “You’ve probably spent more hours listening to the ACT 2 than we have. And we designed the damn thing.”

The ART 3 hit the scene a few years ago, and while I enjoyed listening to it in a few friends’ systems, I was too content with the ACT 2 to let it go. However, the GAT is another story. When I visited the CJ factory last year, Johnson said, “I think we finally have something you’ll want to trade your ACT 2 in on.”

While CJ has always made all-vacuum-tube preamplifiers, the GAT marches to the beat of a different drum. Produced in an edition of 250 units, each $20,000 GAT has a small, stamped serial-number pad on the back face. It is also the ultimate in simplicity. Only one 6922 vacuum tube is utilized as a gain stage per channel, and a low-noise FET transistor serves as an output gain buffer—an alternate approach from models employing the FET as the input stage. The combination works brilliantly, offering low noise and incredible low-level detail.

Under the Hood

Much has been said about the virtues of the proprietary Teflon CJD capacitors transforming CJ electronics from a slightly warm, mellifluous sound that this writer always finds enticing to a current sound that gives up none of the tonal richness from legacy designs, yet now possess a level of large- and small-scale dynamics—along with a transparency unattainable in previous preamplifiers. As they used to say at Weight Watchers, “All the satisfaction with none of the guilt.”

The GAT is full of the aforementioned large capacitors, strategically placed in all critical functions. Those used in the power supply look like emergency road flares, and account for much of the GAT’s explosive dynamics. The rest of the circuit board reveals premium parts; this isn’t an overpriced pretty box.

However, those massive Teflon capacitors take some time to sound their best.  We have experienced the same trait with every component featuring a number of them in their design. Right out of the box, the GAT sounds a little flat and restricted—almost in a haze. But it’s easy to pick up on the exquisite tonality that makes this preamplifier one of the world’s finest.

The GAT exits the fog once 100 hours pass, and makes a substantial jump in clarity around the 300-hour mark. Should you be a jittery, impatient audiophile, resist the urge to abandon the GAT until you get at least 300 hours on the clock, or you will be sorry. Most of this “break-in” finishes at this point; you’ll know it when you power it up and it just sounds a lot “bigger.” From that point forward, it continues to slightly improve over the next few hundred hours.

ACT, ART, or GAT?

The ACT, ART, and GAT all possess their own unique sonic signature, and each appeals to a different listener.  The ACT 2 places you about five rows closer to the musical presentation than the ART 3, yet the latter claims more heft in the lowest register of the frequency spectrum, and possesses more tonal saturation as well. Keep in mind, these are not earth-shattering differences. It’s more like the gradation between high-performance tires on a Porsche or Ferrari, but the preamplifiers do have their own unique flavor.

Regardless of your choice of adjectives, these two models owe as much to the type of tube (four 6H30s in the ACT 2, ten 6922s in the ART) as their inherent circuit design.

Enter the GAT. Imagine an equal mixture of the ART and ACT’s tonality, with greater dynamic ability and a lower noise floor. It’s that basic. The GAT makes for a perfect match for both tubed and solid-state CJ power amplifiers, proving a great dance partner with all the amplifiers at my disposal.

Users Chime In

During the course of the review, a few GAT owners were kind enough to send me their impressions, and we’ve all drawn the same conclusion. Whether previous CJ owners or not, all agree that the price asked for the GAT was “very reasonable” in comparison to other units they auditioned. One user called it a “relative steal.”

The GAT’s high-frequency refinement got the highest marks, with one of our respondents feeling the difference between the GAT and ACT 2 isn’t subtle. “It’s as if CJ has brought back the magic midrange from the Premier 16LS and ART preamplifiers, yet carved away the syrupy part.”

All concurred on the GAT’s superior noise floor and, interestingly, the seven GAT owners/responders all commented on the quality of the stock CJ power cord. One reader sums it up succinctly, stating, “I’ve experimented with a number of power cords, and noticed a marginal improvement. But the stock CJ cord is tough to beat.”

Serves the Music

High-performance audio components are like high-performance automobiles in the sense that they offer overpowering excellence in one area, yet lack in others that are even bested by modestly priced competitors. While the GAT is almost equally good with all aspects of musical reproduction, it is the master at combining high resolution with a complete lack of grain or harshness.

Keith Jarrett’s Shostakovich: 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87 instantly reveals the nuance, texture, and decay the GAT puts at your disposal. Leading and trailing edges of piano notes sound magnificent—almost fragile, not unlike the multicolored light reflection on a soap bubble floating in the air. Acoustic instruments portrayed via the GAT are incredibly realistic.

The GAT also excels in the pace department. The title cut of Frank Sinatra’s Nice and Easy reveals the component’s prowess, as it keeps Sinatra’s vocals out in front of his orchestra while simultaneously painting a Cinemascope-esque soundstage behind him.  At the end of the track, when he snaps his fingers, this bit of fleeting percussion makes it feel as if the man himself is standing about four feet in front of you—unbeatable.

Anja Garbarek’s “Big Mouth” from Smiling and Waving illustrates how the GAT proves equally captivating with female vocals. In this case, Garbarek’s highly over-processed vocals fill my listening room to the point where, at high volume, the doors need to be opened to let some of them out. Yet, at the same time, all of the cool percussion and electronic sounds hover in space. Crowded House’s Woodface offers the same presentation. Even though it’s another studio album full of processing, and an excellent example of “pinpoint imaging,” the GAT bears fruit.

If you are the type of audiophile that loves the latter effect, the GAT will stun you with its massive soundstage and rock-solid imaging—no doubt because of the GAT’s lightning transient speed and freedom from overhang. It stops and starts without going past the mark, providing fatigue-free sound, even after long listening sessions.

Triumph Over Mediocrity

Like any other preamplifier from the top of the mountain, the GAT breezes through pristine audiophile tracks. But those cues aren’t what separate the best from pretty good. As fine as the GAT is with your best recordings, it will endear you with its ability to reveal more music than you thought possible from less-than-heavenly material.

Favorites from Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, and Todd Rundgren (A Wizard, A True Star is particularly nasty sounding) move up from the “terrible recording, but I love the music” to the “sounds pretty good” category. The Rundgren record is particularly splendid when played through the GAT: The bass foundation is better than I’ve ever heard it, along with a few more layers.

I can’t stress the importance of these revelations when it comes to an expensive component. It’s imperative that gear that costs as much as a decent car doesn’t limit the user to five audiophile-approved recordings. This alone justifies the price for this reviewer. Grab a GAT before they are gone.

Conrad Johnson GAT Preamplifier

MSRP: $20,000

www.conradjohnson.com

Peripherals

The biggest issue audiophiles likely face concerns what to do with all the huge and unsightly cables connecting components together. Of course, a faction of audiophilia considers big, beefy cable muy grande macho. However, not everyone wants a massive cable loom lurking in a listening room, which often doubles as a living room.

Attending lectures from various cable manufacturers isn’t much help. Most firms tend to justify their approach. Companies producing large cables try to convince you that a small diameter cable can’t possibly work. Whatever. Physics aside, after spending a lot of time with the Micro Diamond interconnects and speaker cables plugged into a wide range of components and speakers, they not only work brilliantly, they are beautifully executed.

And yes, these actually are cables you’d want your friends to see. Packaged like fine jewelry, they arrive in velvet pouches and inside black boxes—elegantly understated and nicely done without costing a fortune. A one-meter pair of interconnects (RCA or XLR) retails for $850, and is also available as a turntable cable with appropriate termination for $1,000. A 2.5-meter speaker cable set costs $2,950 in bananas or spades.

Crystal Cable director Gaby van der Kley works with the man behind Siltech cables and spent years touring the world as a concert pianist. She’s definitely a designer that knows what instruments sound like.

Going Against The Grain

Most audio cables on today’s market utilize copper or silver conductors, and some are primarily one material with a coating of the other on top. Crystal Cable takes a disparate path, using gold along with a silver primary conductor. Yet the gold isn’t for coating.  Rather, it’s almost impregnated in the silver to fill in molecular gaps in the 1.7mm conductor.

If I had a $20 bill for every talk I’ve heard on cable size, geometry, and the like, I could probably retire. Those subscribing to the “bigger is better” school of thought claim a svelte cable can’t deliver powerful bass response. But Micro Diamond cables are not bass deficient.

Beyond terrific audio performance, Micro Diamond speaker cables offer an interesting feature: scalability. Crystal Cable calls the ends “splitters,” and they can be purchased with a number of different termination options: standard spades or bananas, Furutech carbon spades, or bananas and bi-wired. You can also add another length of cable should you need to reroute your system down the road. Considering the low prices fetched by used cable, this strategy is an excellent way to future-proof your cable purchase and retain your investment.

Listening Sessions

The toughest part of any cable evaluation is trying to determine the sound of the cable. In a perfect world, a cable would add no sonic signature to the signal passing through it. Predictably, some industry folk would have you think all wire sounds the same. However, we believe cable makes a difference in the overall sound of a system and should do no harm to the signal.

While many listeners use cable as the last step in fine-tuning a system—employing cables as tone controls—we view high-quality cable as the way to transfer as much of your system’s performance from one component to another, and finally, to your loudspeakers. More than gross tonal changes, the main difference heard between second- and first-rate cable deals with reducing grain and increasing low-level detail retrieval, not unlike the qualities provided by an excellent power conditioner.

Auditioning Micro Diamond cables in three different systems—small, medium and super-size—achieved good results. The compact setup comprised a vintage CJ amp and preamp, Schiit Bifrost DAC, and pair of MartinLogan Aerius i speakers cabled with various odds and ends. The medium system consisted of a Simaudio 600i integrated amplifier, Wadia 121 DAC, and pair of Harbeth Compact 7-IIIES speakers. The final stereo array (publisher Jeff Dorgay’s standard reference system) involved Audio Research REF components, a dCS Paganini stack, and GamuT S9 speakers cabled with a mixture of Shunyata Aurora, Cardas Clear, and AudioQuest Sky cables.

A majority of acoustic recordings— selections heavy on piano, drums, and acoustic guitars—were played to quickly establish the cable’s proprietary sonics. The latter are highly revealing, with an upfront presentation akin to listening to studio monitors in a near-field configuration. Given Ms. van der Kley’s background, it comes as no surprise that piano reproduction via her cables feels sublime. Whether listening to Herbie Hancock or Beethoven, the instrument’s complex attack and subtle overtones are always maintained and never become harsh or blurred.

If any of your components possess a tonal balance anywhere between neutral and warm/romantic/euphonic, you will be amazed at the additional detail the Micro Diamonds bring to your system’s overall appeal. When utilized with the B&W 802 Diamonds, already a highly resolving speaker with the diamond tweeter and most solid state amplifiers is a presentation that is too forward for some. Still, TONEAudio counts a detail fanatic in its ranks that can never get enough resolution. He loved this combination.

The Micro Diamonds make the biggest improvement in an all-tube system, especially one that leans more towards warm tonality. With the Conrad Johnson PV-12 (recently rebuilt by CJ with CJD Teflon capacitors) and either the MV-50 (same treatment) or PrimaLuna Dialogue monoblocks, the Diamonds’ ability to transfer every bit of information adds a spectacular level of inner detail to this system without compromising musicality in any way.

A similar result can be achieved via speakers ever so slightly on the warm side of neutral. Vide, Harbeth Compact 7s really come alive with Crystal Cables. The sound in our test speakers from Focal, Verity, GamuT, and Peak Consult (all fairly neutral) now boast a different disposition. There’s more resolution, and it’s musically satisfying. What more can one ask?

The Crystal Cable Micro Diamond Cables

MSRP: Interconnect, 1m – $850, Speaker, 2.5m – $2,950

www.crystalcable.com

www.audioplusservices.com  (US/Canada Importer)