TONEAudio MAGAZINE The Concierge of High End Audio

Imagine controlling ten our even twenty thousand full-resolution albums from your iPad while basking in the comfort of a cozy couch or listening chair. Meridian’s new Media Core App for the renowned Sooloos music server makes it possible. If you’ve played with a Sooloos at a hi-fi show or a local dealer, you know the effortlessness with which a Sooloos presents a large music collection. And if you are a current Sooloos owner, you’ve been dreaming about this marriage since the minute you unpacked your iPad.

Sooloos’ strengths are its speed and ease by which its touchscreen allows users to jump from album to album, and across genres and artists. It simultaneously loads up the music you want to hear at that exact moment, accessing music collections via album covers and you can discover the other albums in a set and by the artist in your collection.  It’s better than flipping through musty record bins.

The cost of a complete system will be a barrier to entry for some, as the Control 15 core (which is essentially a complete Windows PC with an integral touch screen and Smartlink output and has 500 gb of internal storage that still requires external backup) has an MSRP of $8,500.  Those with larger music collections need only add the Media Drive 600, which can be configured to contain about 7500 albums with backup.

Still not a budget music server, the iPad/Media Core 200 dramatically lowers the cost of a Sooloos system and can easily grow with your budget and music collection. Along with more storage, sound quality can also be improved with the addition of an MS 600, 818, or 808.3 digital front end.  MSRP on the Media Core 200 is $4,000.

According to Peter Welikoff, Meridian’s US Director, the average Sooloos user has just under 3000 CDs—meaning that a single Media Drive 600 should satisfy all but those listeners with giant libraries. For the latter, Sooloos is infinitely scalable. Enno Vandermeer, the man behind Sooloos’ architecture, says he’s aware of users with 25,000-disc collections reporting their Sooloos’ perform flawlessly and without loss of speed.

Mind-bending as the system is, holding everything on the iPad screen is almost otherworldly. In addition to providing album-art navigation, clicking on an album image immediately reveals cover art, track listing, and credits. It also allows you to tag music by mood and genre. A music lover’s dream, the app lets you mix your collection at will, and affords instant additions or subtractions should your desires change.  And, you are only one click away from having reviews of these albums, courtesy of All Music Guide, at your disposal.  A welcome feature on the Control 15, but infinitely more enjoyable when perusing from listening position. Any time during your listening session, merely tapping the Meridian logo will display the current track playing, a nice touch.

Other favorite Sooloos features are there as well, focus and swim functions also allow you to concentrate on a particular artist, mood, or genre, taking random play to another level completely.  Want to just listen to 60’s blues, old school rap or string quartets?  Piece of cake, and no other music software allows this amount of control.

Setup is as easy as installing Angry Birds on an iPad. Upon launch, the app seeks the system core and takes about 30 seconds to load the album covers. (While the Sooloos system still claims optimum performance when hardwired to an Ethernet network, the Media Core App works wirelessly with the iPad, so you will need wireless capability on your home network as well.) Once installed and running, current users will marvel at the integration. Provided you have a strong Wi-Fi signal, the iPad controls the Sooloos system as quickly as the Control 15. However, if you do not have maximum signal, you’ll notice a slight lag in page-loading and track selection. This is like going from a manual transmission to an automatic—not objectionable, but not as snappy. Note: Should you be starting from scratch and using a pair of Meridian’s excellent powered loudspeakers, you only need the Media Core 200 and the speakers to make a complete system that can all be directly controlled from the iPad.

To faithful owners, the app is overdue. But the Meridian/Sooloos team wanted to be sure it was fully sorted upon release, and it performs without a hitch. When viewing final beta versions at CES this past January, you could still occasionally crash the iPad. I was unable to trip-up this final version.

As a veteran Sooloos owner, I couldn’t be more excited about this addition to the system. Sure, you can assemble computer-based music server together for much less than the price of a Sooloos. Yet Sooloos remains without peer when it comes to true plug-and-play solutions that seamlessly take care of backup files. Not to mention that it possesses the industry’s most intuitive interface. Bob Stuart makes it clear that the design goal with the iPad was to offer the same level of features and performance as the Control 15 on a portable platform, and it only takes a moment using the app to see that they have indeed.

Bringing this level of functionality to the iPad is beyond brilliant – it sets the gold standard for music servers even higher.  Legacy Sooloos owners take note, the Sooloos moniker will be fading away and new music server products will rolled out under the Meridian nameplate – everything under the hood and on the pad will remain the same.

The app is free now at the Apple App Store, but you will need a Meridian Music Server to take advantage of it.

www.meridian-audio.com

Click here to go directly to the App Store.

Rega’s Apollo-R smokes the dCS Paganini. Okay, it’s not that awesome, but I got your attention, no? In all seriousness, the Apollo-R is a damn fine CD player. Even as computer audio continues to be all the rage, many people still enjoy dropping a CD into a transport and pushing “Play.” Rega is one reason why they do.

The Apollo-R matches the recent Brio-R and DAC in size and form. Rega uses a similar but not exactly the same case for everything—a strategy meant to retain high quality and performance while keeping the price low. However, Rega components sport a smart, stylish, and functional look. Legacy customers will notice the top-loading “spaceship lid” is continuous with that of the previous Apollo. The major difference is that the Apollo-R boasts a “half-size” enclosure akin to the Brio-R integrated amplifier and DAC.

Rega CD players do not take a disproportionate amount of time to acclimate or “break in.” Once unpacked and set up, the Apollo-R sounds smashing, and opens up even more once powered up for 48 hours. While Rega offers an upgraded mains cable with its flagship ISIS player, and extends this approach via the Apollo-R, purchasing an expensive power cord doesn’t jibe with the overall ethos. More improvement is easily had with the Rega DAC.

A Major Improvement

“The Apollo does a fantastic job with the fundamentals. Pace, timing, and tonality—they are all here in great quantity for the price.” That’s what I said about the Apollo in Issue 14. Both generations of Apollo possess a very analog-like quality, but aren’t the last word in transient attack or bone-crushing dynamics. Considering how many CDs are now mastered, such shortcomings aren’t awful.

Still, the Apollo-R adds extension and sock without compromising traits that made the original model so wonderful. That’s progress, especially when you consider the initial unit sells for $100 more. Notably, the advancements have not come at the cost of lost jobs at the UK-based Rega factory. Every product is still handmade by skilled technicians, many of which have labored at Rega for decades.

In Service of the Music

The minute you begin listening, Apollo-R’s signature characteristics spring to the surface. Highly non-digital-sounding, the player excels in peeling back the layers of complex, compressed recordings without instilling harshness. The Afghan Whigs’ Gentlemen is a somewhat-compressed CD that instantly goes south when experienced on a mediocre unit. But the disc reveals a fair amount of texture on a resolving player that straddles the boundaries of resolution and musicality.

On the record’s title track, it’s all too easy for lead singer Greg Dulli’s voice to become buried amidst the growling guitars, doing no service to this 1993 epic. The Apollo-R takes the challenge in stride, keeping Dulli’s vocal track separated from the other musical information. Black Dub’s self-titled debut suffers the same problem. The disc is crunchy and slightly compressed, enough so that it diminishes the overall experience. The Apollo-R tremendously improves the music delivery, again providing requisite separation while locking in the deep bass grooves.

Where the first-generation Apollo claims inherent smoothness, it’s obvious that some of the benefit comes at the expense of air and extension. The bell in “The Wedding” from David Bowie’s Black Tie White Noise showcases more natural decay via the Apollo-R. On the original model, it goes flat and decays too quickly. The new player sounds much more like the $2,595 Saturn and in some ways, better.

The Apollo-R’s greatest forte? The nimble way it navigates tough musical passages without losing its way. Diana Krall’s Live in Paris sounds great on damn near anything, but properly playing back Metallica or Rachmaninoff takes a great CD player. The Apollo-R passes both tests with ease.

Maintains the Pace

If you frequent either UK audio forums or newsstands, “pace” and “timing” frequently appear. These words apply to a hi-fi component (or a whole system) in terms of how well the latter keeps individual players sorted without sacrificing musical cohesiveness. Have you ever heard a band in which the drummer can’t seem to keep time with the rest of the group? That’s pace. Have you ever heard amateur musicians attempting a symphonic piece, and fail at starting and stopping in unison? That’s timing. And while not quite as magnified through a stereo system, music doesn’t adequately lock in and focus if reproduction mechanisms are found lacking.

The better your system, the more cohesiveness will be present. If you listen to a very inexpensive CD player, focus gets lost. As the source quality improves, so does this aspect of musical reproduction. The Apollo-R shines at keeping the pace in a manner that even curmudgeonly listeners will appreciate.

Tonality to Spare

So far, so good. But natural tonality separates great components from mediocre ones. Here, again, the Apollo-R proves sublime. On jazz and classical favorites, piano and violin are reproduced in a highly convincing fashion. This is not a CD player for which you’ll make excuses.

A few years ago, many audiophiles would brag about how a $400 turntable could humble the best CD players. Those days are over. Comparing the Apollo-R to the new Rega RP3 with Exact cartridge results in a much closer heat than I expected. While the vinyl possesses a skosh of midrange warmth absent in the digital player, the latter offers wider dynamic range and impact.

Comparing two excellent pressings of Beck’s Sea Change from Mobile Fidelity verifies these findings. Yet, when one biases the comparison, performing the same experiment with a random copy of Johnny Winter’s Second Winter and Mobile Fidelity’s gold Beck CD, the Apollo-R surpasses its analog counterpart. After hearing a few discs on the Apollo-R, it’s amazing to think about how far digital has come. Such performance would have cost thousands more at the turn of the century.

To DAC or Not to DAC

Rega’s $999 DAC takes the Apollo-R even further. Is it worth an extra grand? If you have a highly resolving system, you won’t be disappointed. Not to mention the upgrade affords five digital inputs and greater system-expansion capabilities—including the ability to play high-resolution files.

The DAC also brings superior smoothness to the overall sound, and when switching back and forth between the Apollo-R’s analog outputs and those of the DAC, graininess appears in the Apollo-R that you wouldn’t notice if you hadn’t comparatively listened to them. The units’ chipset is similar. Yet the DAC enjoys a beefier analog stage, a larger power supply, and the ability for the user to select digital filter options.

Unlike getting a sports car equipped with finely tuned sport suspension, where you sacrifice some ability driving on normal roads in exchange for increased performance, there’s no downside to adding the DAC. If you have an extra thousand bucks, and your dealer is kind enough to let you take the DAC home for the weekend, you’ll have a tough time bringing it back Monday morning.

A New Plateau

Rega has been on a roll for years, introducing a plethora of products in the top, bottom, and middle of its range—all of which share the common goal of striving to be class leaders. Admittedly “the last major high-end company to produce a CD player,” the firm doesn’t release transports just to add a button here or there. Substantial increases in performance are required. A recipient of our 2012 Exceptional Value Award, the compact Apollo-R CD player achieves those feats and more.

Rega Apollo-R

MSRP: $1,095

www.rega.co.uk                                  (UK)

www.soundorg.com                            (US Distributor)

Peripherals

Amplification                          Rega Brio-R, Burmester 011 pre/911 mk. 3 power amp

Speakers                                  Harbeth Compact 7es3, MartinLogan Montis, GamuT S9

Cable                                       Cardas Clear

After dining at an eatery that offered “bite-sized” portions of signature desserts, I realized it’s truly possible to have a small albeit high-quality portion of something you really enjoy. For listeners wanting a solid taste of high-end sound on a limited budget, a few components promise a solid peek into the high end at a reasonable price. The audiophile press deems such modules “giant killers”— a misnomer as well as an overused term. In the end, you get what you pay for, and cost cutting means compromise. Nonetheless, you can cheat the equation in your favor.

Enter Red Wine Audio, known in the hi-fi industry for offering high quality at reasonable prices. The company cuts corners in the right places, benefiting quality-oriented audiophiles that keep an eye on the bottom line. Red Wine Audio’s units sport well-done albeit spartan casework. Features are kept to a minimum and the manufacturer sells direct, eliminating the markup required to maintain a dealer network. No, this business model doesn’t always work. But Red Wine Audio’s small boxes keep to a minimum shipping expenses. The firm also offers some of the industry’s best trade in-prices (sometimes a full 100%) when new models are introduced. These factors, and others, result in a fiercely loyal customer base.

Red Wine Audio’s sophisticated approach to battery-powered gear is its other main calling card. The strategy represents an excellent tradeoff: Instead of sacrificing quality, the company increases it by eliminating the big, beefy power supply present in most amplifiers and replacing it with the high-current Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery pack. Red Wine Audio correctly implements battery power, addressing a number of issues. Massive power transformers are fairly expensive. As are the huge bank of filter capacitors that must accompany a high-capacity power supply. Hence, Red Wine Audio’s method stifles the build costs, saving the user on the retail price and eliminating the need for an expensive power cord and line conditioner. To charge, the $1,500 Signature 15 only requires a connection to the AC power grid.

Proof is in the Pudding

Given the LiFePO4’s presence in the integrated amplifier, what better song to play than Nirvana’s “Lithium” as covered by the Bad Plus on For All I Care. The Signature 15 immediately captures the track’s dreaminess, with lead vocalist Wendy Lewis floating between the speakers, which do a fantastic job of disappearing. What’s responsible for the quiet backdrop permeating the presentation? The battery pack. And what’s blacker than black? The Signature 15.

The record’s next track, “Comfortably Numb,” is even more scrumptious. Lewis’ phrasing includes multiple dead stops and, thanks to the Signature 15’s slight warmth and incredible decay, she and the bassist float off into a super-quiet place. You’d never guess you are listening to a $1,500 integrated amplifier. And that’s exactly what makes the Signature 15 so awesome.

Texturemeister

Thanks to the absence of background noise, instrumental and vocal textures are exquisitely rendered and low-level details easy to discern.  Zooming back through a recent crop of Audio Wave Blue Note XRCDs, I can’t help but notice what a killer job this amplifier does with Johnny Cole’s trumpet on Little Johnny C. Wow. The solo during “My Sweet Passion” makes me feel like I’m back in Kevin Gray’s studio listening to the master tape. The Signature 15 is the antithesis of grain.

Admittedly, the Peak Consult Kepheus speakers give the Signature 15 some help due to their high-resolution capabilities. Yet this amplifier’s “signature” sound plays through whatever speakers with which the unit is paired. If you’ve ever had the chance to listen to a great straight-line-tracking tonearm, you’ll find battery power possesses similarities.  There’s a certain cleanliness, and at the same time, an unmistakably, highly organic sound.

On the Cole disc, the Signature 15 captures the timbre of the horn with lightning-fast acceleration and deceleration, providing the necessary dynamics and furthering the illusion that one is listening to live music. Getting a little funkier, Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters doubles as an obstacle course of acoustic pylons through which the Signature 15 easily weaves. It anchors the bass line while intelligently sorting Hancock’s layers of electronic keyboards.

Metalheads with inefficient speakers will need a different amplifier. 15 watts per channel (yes, it does double into four ohms) and a pair of 88db speakers will not rock you like a hurricane. However, you can listen at moderate levels with lower-efficiency speakers. The 85db Dynaudio Confidence C1 IIs, courtesy of an easy-to-drive first-order crossover, prove a wonderful combination on all but the heaviest music. Indeed, this partnership will come on like a dream to jazz and blues aficionados living in a small space.

Fleetwood Mac’s Blues Jam in Chicago stuns the senses, painting a soundscape that extends past the Dynaudios and all the way to the room boundaries, about 8 feet from the sidewalls. As much as I love big amplifiers, there’s something special about the simplicity a low-powered amplifier brings to the equation.

Nelson Pass and a few other designers often talk about the paradigm of the very simple circuit. It’s time to invite Red Wine Audio designer Vinnie Rossi to the conversation. With the Signature 15, he mines pure gold with an amplifier that expresses the soul of music.

More of What You Need…And None of What You Don’t

If you’re first and foremost a music lover, chances are you aren’t hung up on craving a ½-inch thick front panel, massive remote, or other fancy cosmetics that—while they are nice on the world’s finest components—don’t add to the sound. The Signature 15 is a budget component in price only. Its musical experience is caviar. Logistically, it features three high-level RCA inputs, a pair of solid speaker binding posts, and a buffered line–level output for those needing to incorporate a powered subwoofer. The binding posts and jacks are the same as those employed on my Conrad Johnson Premier 350 power amplifier. Again, Red Wine Audio follows a “quality where it counts” philosophy.

Removing the cover reveals a single 6922 (ECC88 or 6DJ8) tube and tidy layout. Battery and charging circuitry are off to one side, tube preamp/buffer stage on the other, and the AB Mosfet power amplifier hidden inside a red case. The Stock JJ ECC88 provides excellent tonal balance and low background noise. Anyone wanting to tube roll can fine-tune the Signature 15 to personal preferences, and still, the stock tube constitutes an excellent place to begin listening.

While the Signature 15 achieves stadium-rock levels with a pair of Klipschorns, Tannoys, or Zu speakers, achieving these highs isn’t what this amplifier is about. Rather, it hypnotizes via a level of refinement that few products at its price can. Even compared to the 2011 TONEAudio Product of the Year, the Rega Brio–R, the Signature 15 flaunts a purity that eclipses that of the Brio. (In the latter’s defense, it boasts a lower price tag, 50 watts per channel, and a nice built-in phonostage.)

Time and again, at reasonable levels, with the Red Wine Audio Signature 15, you’ll swear you are listening to a much more expensive amplifier. That’s this product’s essence: It’s a single bite of the best chocolate mousse. Yum.

Red Wine Audio Signature 15 Integrated Amplifier

MSRP:  $1,500

www.redwineaudio.com

Peripherals

Analog Source                         Linn LP-12/Shure V15vmxr

Digital Source                          Rega DAC, Sooloos Control 15

Phono Preamp                                    Monk Audio

Speakers                                  Zu Bookshelves, Harbeth Compact 7, Dynaudio Confidence C1 mk. II, Peak Consult Kepheus

Cable                                       Furutech Reference III

B&W began a revolution of sound, style and function in 2008 with the original Zeppelin. Competing with a plethora of cheapo iPod docks that sounded dreadful, B&W created an aural and visual tour de force, functioning much more than an iPod dock, with multiple inputs (line level, USB, Toslink and S-Video) to make the Zeppelin a true compact hifi system.

Past and present models look virtually identical, with only subtle differences between them.  The first generation Zeppelin has a polished aluminum rear face, where the Air sports black.  Around front, the iPod cradle now says “Bowers and Wilkins” where it said “B&W” before, but you won’t really need that cradle anymore.  The cradle indicator LED now glows purple, meaning you are connected wirelessly to your iPhone, iPod or iPad, once you’ve taken a few minutes to enable AirPlay.

While our original Zeppelin survived teenager torture for four years, everyone sighed a huge sigh of relief thanks to AirPlay, knowing there would be no more rough and tumble with the dock.  The wireless connectivity also makes for a ton of fun when friends visit – now everyone can play their music through the Zeppelin Air.

And What a Sound it Makes

The original Zeppelin redefined tabletop possibilities with its 2.1 speaker system, consisting of a centrally located woofer (powered by a 50 watt amplifiers) with a pair of Kevlar midrange drivers and dome tweeters (powered by a 25 watt amplifier per channel) derived from B&Ws 800 series of home speakers.

Those wanting to peruse some cool video clips with in-depth technology assessments can click here:

Everything in the Zeppelin Air has been upgraded.  The internal DAC is now able to play 24/96 files native (through the digital line input) and upsamples everything else to this resolution, along with the ability to grab the digital bitstream straight from the iPod, instead of merely using the line level output as the original model did.

Side by side, comparing the new and old Zeppelin is like comparing the Jaguar XK and XKR – most of the differences are under the hood. The speakers have been upgraded and now each one of the four drivers has its own 25 watt amplifier, rather than each midrange and tweeter pair sharing one.  This is evident the minute the volume climbs above a whisper – and much like the two Jags, you don’t realize how handy that extra power is until you climb back into the lesser car.  The Zeppelin always did an excellent job with heavy music, but now when playing hard rock or heavy hip hop, it provides a thunderous presentation.

The sublime seperaration between the bass line and guitars when playing Tool now makes the Zeppelin a serious metal machine.  With a tiny bit of room reinforcement on the kitchen countertop, “Intolerance” (from the Undertow album) fooled a few dinner guests into thinking the theater system in the other room was on.  And yes, I play metal when I’m cooking.  The increased bass response and power will appeal to those in the latter category as well, the deep synth bass pervading MIDIval PunditZ “Atomizer” had the cutlery rattling in a way the original never could.

Horsepower without finesse is uninteresting (or perhaps a Dodge Viper) and again the Zeppelin Air glides through effortlessly. The piano solo on Bowie’s “Aladdin Sane” from the self titled album was brilliant and hung in the air well in front of the speakers possessing exceptional timbral accuracy.  Whatever secrets lurk in the DSP processing, the engineers in charge should get a pay raise.  If I only had $600 to spend on a system, I wouldn’t even bother with separates.  Those in a compact space will find that the Zeppelin Air makes a great addition to your flat screen TV for a lot less than any number of soundbars now available.

To Dock or Not to Dock

Handy as Air Play is, if the music on your iPod has been stored in Apple Lossless or uncompressed format, there’s a real advantage to plugging in – the new DAC takes the digital bitstream directly from the player, bypassing the one in the iPod.

It will only take a second to make you a believer in the cause of higher resolution.  The Zeppelin Air sounds deflated when you go back to MP3’s – it’s that performance thing again.  Should you be a real digital audio geek, you can import 24/96 files via the optical input and Mac Mini.  The Zeppelin has enough resolution to showcase high res files, and some of my favorite downloads from HD Tracks and the B&W Society of Sound websites were even more exciting than playing from the iPod in 16/44.1 mode.  Miles Davis’ horn on the title track from Tutu, exploded from the Zep, full of life and resonance.

Having both wired and wireless modes available makes the Zeppelin Air easily adaptable to however you’d like to listen.  AirPlay is perfect for casual listening, yet you can achieve substantially higher quality plugging your device directly in.

I’m Neither Dazed nor Confused

I’ve made it all the way through this review without making any reference to that great band with the same name, but my Anti-Zeppelin muscles can only stay flexed for so long.  I wound up the evaluation with “Stairway to Heaven.”  I couldn’t resist, and it was awesome.

Kidding aside, we are proud to award the B&W Zeppelin Air one of our Exceptional Value Awards for 2012.  The worlds best iPod dock goes from marvelous to monstrous and in four years, the price has stayed the same, at $599.  The Zeppelin Air rules.

The B&W Zeppelin Air

MSRP:  $599

www.bowers-wilkins.com

Perusing the Car Configurator on Porsche’s Web site is daunting. Options abound, and prices get wacky in a hurry. Sure, you can get in the game for just under $50k, but the top end of the range demands about $150,000 from your savings. Your first instinct is to get more power—because, after all, that’s the testosterone-fueled thing to do, right? Yet just how much performance does an entry-level car possess? Can you still get the Porsche experience with the base Boxster?

It all reminds me of the time I sat across the table from race-car driver Hurley Haywood and discussed the perfect Porsche for everyday use. He looked me straight in the eye and said, “There are probably eight people in the world that can drive a Porsche 911 to 100% of its capability and you’re looking at one of them.” It’s hard to argue with the man that won the prestigious 24 hours of LeMans for Porsche three times, and secured more endurance racing titles than just about anyone else. “Just get the Boxster. It will do everything you need it to do, with no sacrifices in performance in day to day driving.”

A similar case can be made for the AVID Diva II and Diva II SP turntables. If the company’s $20,000 Acutus Reference SP isn’t in the budget, think of its entry-level ‘tables as the equivalent of a Boxster and Boxster S, incorporating priorities that make the top-end ‘tables fantastic—just in a slightly smaller, more compact packages. Both models embrace a healthy amount of Acutus Reference DNA at a fraction of the cost. The $1,995 Diva II is bettered by the $3,995 Diva II SP, which offers increases in sonic performance concurrent with the price, though each look relatively similar to the naked eye.

Techie Bits

Where some manufacturers begin their product line at the bottom, deriving higher performance by refining initial offerings, AVID takes the opposite approach by utilizing the Acutus as a starting point. Designer Conrad Mas builds as many aspects of the Acutus into other ‘tables as economically possible. All models are centered around a W–shaped sub-platter design, which provides high structural rigidity without extremely high mass. The sub platter is cast with variable density aluminum that acts as a conduit to drain vibration energy away from the tonearm mount and main bearing. The results? A turntable line with a signature sound free of resonance-induced coloration. Resolution and dynamics improve as you move up the range.

AVID’s top ‘tables utilize precisely wound coils for suspension. Yet the Diva versions use elastomers, made from an extremely high-grade Sorbothane that, according to Mas, does not degrade. The Diva II shares the same sub chassis and motor with the SP model, incorporating a DSP-controlled power supply and two-belt drive system. Many belt-drive turntables use a low-torque motor to spin the platter, yet AVID takes an uncommon approach via a high-torque motor, yielding low wow and flutter and great speed accuracy. Both ‘tables measure 33.3RPM out of the box. The Diva II is the only AVID model that does not require a motor swap when upgrading to the SP version.

The platter is the most visible difference between the models. While a cork mat covers each, the Diva II uses a less-expensive composite MDF platter than the massive, machined aluminum edition on the SP. Both ‘tables arrive with the sub chassis pre-drilled for an SME arm.

However, most popular arms (Rega, TriPlanar, Dynavector, and others) can be accommodated with an adaptor plate available from AVID dealers. Comparison listening between the Diva II and II SP came courtesy of identical SME 309 tonearms, each fitted with Dynavector DV20x2L phono cartridges and Furutech ag12 tonearm cables. Feickert Analogue’s Adjust + software assured identical performance from both setups.

With direct comparisons complete, further listening with the Rega RB1000, TriPlanar Vii, and the Funk Firm FX•RII yields excellent results, proving these ‘tables mate easily with the tonearm of your choice. A particularly synergistic albeit decidedly old-school match is achieved with a rebuilt SME 3009 and Ortofon SPU cartridge. The Audio Research REF Phono 2 boasts more than enough resolution to hear the differences between the two ‘tables.
Regardless of the arm, both models can be optimized in less than 15 minutes. Operation is smooth and simple, taking advantage of a machined aluminum clamp to tightly hold the record to the cork platter mats. The large motor also provides quick startup and enough torque to effortlessly work with foam-pad record brushes.

While I’m a longtime fan of SME tonearms, I suggest the Funk Firm for audiophiles more monogamous with cartridge choices. The FX•RII/Diva II SP combination produces some of the most lifelike sound I’ve experienced in the $6,000 range. The addition of a $379 Denon DL-103R equates to a well-rounded package that capably handles all types of music. The SME 309, or another tonearm featuring a removable headshell, will better serve listeners juggling multiple cartridges as well as those that enjoy changing cartridges. (Read my review here for more info on the Funk arm.)

Compare/Contrast

The Diva II and SP share a neutral tonal balance and low mechanical noise prevalent in the Acutus. Theirs is a lively sound, possessing a weighty bottom end that never comes across as overdamped. Listening to acoustic music reveals bass notes possess enough warmth, resonance, and overhang to sound convincing. The opening bass line from “Tea in the Sahara” from the Police’s Synchronicity maintains Sting’s trademark smoothness—and the necessary acceleration to capture the mood. Both ‘tables have a similar weightiness (the SP wins out, however), and the SP is more expressive due to the presence of additional tonal shading.

The two models are most similar throughout the midrange. Should your musical tastes range towards smaller-scale music, you may be hard-pressed to distinguish any differences. Listening to Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 12 in E-flat Major, which lacks huge dynamic swings and major bass excursion, makes it almost impossible to distinguish the Diva II from the Diva II SP. Only when switching to full-scale orchestral music, or Rammstein, does the extra dynamic range become readily apparent.

Speaking of Rammstein, both ‘tables are highly resistant to acoustic feedback when blasting “Ich tu dir weh” at high-volume levels. Yes, the AVID decks will satisfy hard-core metalheads in addition to everyone else, regardless of musical taste. This is not a feat aced by all turntables.

The II SP comes into its own with more complex music by furnishing more detail in all three dimensions. Santana’s self-titled debut showcases pinpoint imaging, with drums and percussion retaining distinct places within the studio-created soundfield. The Diva II does an excellent job decoding spatial cues and placement, and finite characteristics remain closely within the speaker boundaries. The II SP brings Santana’s guitar playing out in front of the imaginary boundary between the speakers, and the smallest percussion bits are more distinct and focused.

While both ‘tables admirably function with some of my best recordings, the II SP’s higher resolution uncovers more treasure on mediocre, densely packed recordings. The II SP also offers a bigger performance gain when paired with a premium arm and cartridge. The gap isn’t as vast with a Rega RB 300 arm as it is with the SME 309 or Funk Firm FX•R arm. I concur with Mr. Mas, who feels like the ‘table and arm are critical to an analog playback system, and that one can achieve better overall performance with a great turntable/arm setup and modest cartridge than the other way around.

The more time I spend concurrently listening to both ‘tables leads me to love the Diva II SP the most. However, in all fairness to the standard Diva II, the difference between the two represents a linear progression. You don’t get 85% the performance of the Diva II SP for half the price in the Diva II. A brief comparison with the $5,500 Volvere SP confirmed the same conclusion; the Volvere experiences a similar increase in performance when put head-to-head with the II SP.

Both decks are excellent. If I were writing the check (and I purchased a Diva II SP half-way through this review), I’d pair the Diva II with something like the Rega RB 250/300/301, leaving the higher-priced arms for the SP. Much, of course, depends on your other components’ performance. More system resolution favors the better table and arm combination.

AVID Diva II and Diva II SP Turntables

MSRP: $1,995 and $3,995, respectively (both without tonearm)

Manufacturer’s Information

www.avidhifi.co.uk

Peripherals

Preamplifier Burmester 011

Power Amplifier Burmester 911 mk.3

Phono Preamplifier Vitus Audio MP-P201

Tonearms SME 309, TriPlanar Vii, Rega RB1000, Rega RB 300, Funk Firm FX•R, SME 3009 (rebuilt)

Cartridges Sumiko Pearwood, Lyra Skala, Grado Signature 1, Rega Apheta and Exact

TONEAudio’s Music Annual
By The TONE Staff

New for 2012!

A complete list of our record reviews for the past year along with a comprehensive
overview of our concert coverage and artist interviews, with an issue by issue listing
at the end. A perfect recap for your record purchases this year! Keep this one on
your tablet or smartphone to jog your memory.

Refinement constitutes the difference between P1 and P6 on the Formula One grid. The same can be said for analog reproduction. While there’s precious little genuinely new under the sun, careful refinement of existing technology continues to extract more information from the grooves of our vinyl collections. And it’s a huge bonus when performance increases do not cost a king’s ransom. Such is the case with the Funk Firm FX•R tonearm.

At $1,995 (with cable attached), the FX•R is competitively priced with its peers, the SME 309 ($2,295) and Rega RB1000 ($1,995). As detailed below, extended listening proves the FX•R as quite the bargain. Reviewed here is the $2,200 model with 5 – pin DIN plug to allow the tonearm cable of your choice.

Some might brush off the FX•R off as another modded Rega arm. But this model goes beyond the traditional rewire and damping treatment supplied by most purveyors. Three versions are available: the standard FX•R, with a mount similar to the original RB300; the FX•RII, with a winged mount like the RB 600-1000 arms possess; and a third model that acts as a “drop in” replacement for the Linn LP-12 arms.

The FX•R provides VTA adjustment and a 5-pin tonearm cable plug. The “simple cartridge mount” is the only feature that throws me for a loop, as it’s still as much work as any other ‘table lacking removable headshells. However, the clips that connect to the cartridge pins are much more robust than the standard Rega items—an excellent upgrade. For a complete technical explanation of the FX•R’s construction click here.

Courtesy of its small diameter and cross-bracing scheme, the arm tube represents the FX•R’s biggest variation on theme. By eliminating several common resonance and vibration issues, the FX•R claims to provide more solid bass response, a more open midrange, and greater low-level detail retrieval than other arms. ABEC–7 grade bearings (the same level of quality used in the SME V tonearm) are substituted for standard Rega bearings. A complete rewiring is also executed.

While I’m not in the habit of performing product shootouts, doing so seemed too intriguing to skip, and with an RB1000 and SME 309 on hand, along with a pair of AVID Volvere SP turntables, I threw down the gauntlet. A pair of Sumiko Pearwood cartridges were used for the comparison, and both ‘tables were optimized with the Feickert Adjust + system. Plugging both ‘tables into the magnificent Vitus Audio MP-P201 phonostage allowed effortless A/B comparisons in real time. Moreover, thanks to its pivoted headshell, the FX•R is quickly brought into alignment, with bias and tracking force set as you would any other Rega arm. The adjustable VTA is most welcome.

Wow Factor

Via the FX•R, Thomas Dolby’s “I Scare Myself” from The Flat Earth and the Art of Noise’s “Camilla: The Old, Old Story” from In Visible Silence each reveal a significantly larger soundstage than to which I’m accustomed. Since they’re heavily processed, the songs certainly don’t tell much about tonal accuracy. Yet their overblown soundstage and attention-to-minute detail handily disclose a component’s ability to reproduce spatial cues.

Acoustic and vocal tracks, especially those with layered harmonies, disclose the efforts made to control resonance on the FX•R. An ideal example comes from Amy Winehouse and Tony Bennett’s “Body and Soul,” a duet on the former’s posthumous Lioness: Hidden Treasures. The singers personify smooth, and the result feels like one is listening to open-reel tape. Both voices hang in the air, filling the room, each taking a very distinct space in front of the listening chair.

Arguably, a violin is the toughest thing for analog to convincingly reproduce. Again, the FX•R impresses. Listening to a young Anne Sophie Mutter play Mozart violin concertos on a 1982 DG release equates to bliss, the music emanating without a hint of screechiness even though DG recordings can tilt toward the bright side.
Most convincingly, the FX•R delivers prodigious bass information—the entire trifecta of weight, detail, and control. This is what separates good tonearms from great ones. On classic Boogie Down Productions hip-hop, omnipresent grunt balances the driving reggae beat in “Bo! Bo! Bo!” (from the group’s Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop) while keeping the percussion tidy. At the opposite end of the aural spectrum, Jaco Pastorius’ self-titled album dishes up an abundance of bass texture and speed, through which the FX•R sails.

Head to Head

Initial excitement gleaned from new components makes it easy to get caught up in the moment and issue grandiose proclamations. Two identical ‘tables, with the only variable being the tonearm and a cache of duplicate titles from Mobile Fidelity, allow for context and streamline the comparison process.

Having spent hundreds if not thousands of hours with the SME 309 and Rega RB1000, these arms with which I’m not only very familiar but very fond. The SME’s removable headshell and easy adjustability are big pluses for anyone with multiple cartridges. Yet the rigidity lost at the headshell-to-arm junction costs a bit of upper bass weight. The RB1000 renders great top-to-bottom response and is incredibly easy to set up and use, especially with a Rega cartridge. However, the lack of adjustability is the price one pays in a non-Rega setup.

Funk Firm’s “Think of [the FX•R] as a Ford Cosworth or an AMG Mercedes” pitch repeatedly comes to mind during listening sessions. With direct comparisons via MoFi’s recent remasters of James Taylor’s JT and Rod Stewart’s Gasoline Alley, the FX•R always digs deeper into the music, not only painting a bigger sound space but rewarding with more decay and bits of information obscured by the other setup. Isn’t this what it’s all about for maniacal audiophiles?

There’s no question the FX•R extracts more music from grooves than the SME 309 or Rega RB1000. Warhorse tracks I’ve heard many times before always bring forth previously unnoticed details. Slayer had more bite, Sonic Youth more grit, and even Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” is again a pleasure.

Makes the Grade

This is all about subtlety, for which one usually needs to shell out big bucks in analog. It’s refreshing to see a component this good that isn’t out of reach of most audiophiles. Even with a modest cartridge, the Funk Firm FX•R sets a new benchmark for what’s possible at $2,000 and still, remains up to task by going beyond the Sumiko Pearwood and moving up to the Sumiko Palo Santos, Koetsu Urushi Blue, and SoundSmith Susurro Paua by taking advantage of these premium cartridges’ additional resolution.

I’m happy to award the FX•R an Exceptional Value Award for 2012. This fine tonearm is now an integral part of my analog arsenal, and I look forward to investigating more of the company’s offerings. Very highly recommended.

The Funk Firm FX•R Tonearm

MSRP: $1,995 (with captive cable)
$2,200 (five pin -DIN)
$2,500 (12″ cable)
$2,600 (12″ sans cable)

Manufacturer’s Information

http://www.thefunkfirm.co.uk

It’s All One Song
By Bob Gendron

January is traditionally a slow time for live shows. Yet soon enough, announcements for spring dates, the excitement associated with South By Southwest, and the unveiling of lineups for destination festivals will put everyone back into a virtual club—or, in the case of Lollapalooza, a virtual lakefront park). Such anticipation prompts reflection on the year that just was.

In addition to reporting for the Chicago Tribune on the three-day fests otherwise known as Lollapalooza, Pitchfork Music Festival, and the Dave Matthews Caravan, and taking in the Montreal International Jazz Festival for TONE Audio, I had the privilege of witnessing more than 60 standalone concerts in 2011. Of the more than 250 artists I saw onstage, here are my ten favorite performances.

1. Deadmau5 at Lollapalooza (August 7, Chicago)
Starting his headlining performance almost exactly at the moment a pounding rainstorm commenced, the Toronto electronic maestro turned Grant Park into the world’s biggest and liveliest mud pit with a scorching light show and nonstop dance beats.

2. Drive-By Truckers at Vic Theatre (February 25, Chicago)
Playing with tremendous purpose and intensity, the always-reliable Truckers delivered a career-spanning set that made a case for the Alabama ensemble being the best live rock band on any given night.

3. Janelle Monae at Aragon Ballroom (May 27, Chicago)
Drawing on everything from golden-era silent films to science-fiction themes, the R&B phenomenon sang, danced, and painted her way through a breathtaking affair teeming with fervent energy and bold vision.

4. Guns N’ Roses at Allstate Arena (November 15, Chicago)
Fans that waited nearly two decades for Axl Rose to channel his old self were rewarded with a marathon extravaganza that, while falling short of the excellence displayed in 1991-92, eclipsed the original band’s 1993 trek. Don’t believe it? Cue up “Estranged” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOzrtr3IsBc.

5. (TIE) Prince at Metropolis; Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman at Theatre Maisonneuve (June 25, Montreal)
On one night, pianist Mehldau and longtime collaborator Redman gave a clinic in pointillistic jazz while, hours later, the Purple One took over a small club with unrivaled showmanship, astounding instrumental acumen, and an enviable way with song.

6. Twilight Singers at Metro (May 17, Chicago)
On his best showing since the Afghan Whigs disbanded, Greg Dulli led his enthusiastic band through an unforgettably soulful show that renews one’s faith in music and prompts them to binge on the performer’s catalog for weeks.

7. Titus Andronicus at Lollapalooza (August 8, Chicago)
Setting a new standard that all Lollapalooza openers should follow, Titus Andronicus blazed through underdog-themed anthems tailor-made for a society mired in economic disparity and social unease.

8. Rihanna at United Center (June 15, Chicago)
No mainstream pop star better understands the secrets to an engaging arena spectacle than Rihanna, who buffeted a balanced blend of costume changes, visual props, and dance routines with a constant stream of contagious hits.

9. Elvis Costello at Chicago Theatre (May 15, Chicago)
The return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook concept found Costello recharged, tearing through five opening songs in less than 16 minutes and accenting older material with avant-garde solos plucked from Thurston Moore’s playbook.

10. Brandi Carlile at Park West (December 1, Chicago)
Blowing away anything she’s put on record, the Seattle-based singer-songwriter went it alone and charmed with a disarming voice and independent streak that suggested Adele-like fame could be in her future if she makes a solo record absent a backing band.

It’s easy to get jaded and confused about today’s analog options. Still, if you have big bucks, the choice is practically made for you given that nearly all of the extremely costly phono cartridges are either low- or medium-output moving coil designs. This also means having to purchase a high-quality phonostage (read: expensive) to extract top performance.

Those with $1,000 budgets face a tougher quandary. Excellent models exist in both the moving coil and moving magnet camps, but the MC requires more to work its magic. Many $1,000-$2,000 preamplifiers feature both MM and MC operation, yet all make sacrifices to accommodate the high gain and variable loading of MC cartridges. Ultimately, something suffers.

The $1,999 Audion Premier phonostage is strictly for MM cartridges. It’s built on a small chassis (think early PrimaLuna ProLogue amps, but smaller) with one set of inputs and outputs optimized for one task—one at which it excels. Lower gain and no switching or jumpers means a simpler circuit, which translates into better sound. If you are a music lover that yearns to reach beyond a basic $500-$1,000 analog front end, but not sell the farm, the Premier warrants consideration.

A peek underneath the chassis reveals a tidy printed circuit board, premium parts, and a well-shielded power transformer. Nothing is overdone on this old-school design. An extremely handy back-panel switch lets you float the ground. Hum is the enemy of low-level phono signals, and it’s not uncommon to still have 60hz enter the picture no matter how careful you are with everything else. This little switch brings you back to absolute silence. I wish more manufacturers would include one.

Let’s Roll—Or Not

The Premier utilizes a pair of ECC88 (6922/6DJ8) tubes. Russian NOS 6H23 tubes are supplied and exhibit excellent all-around performance. On-hand NOS variations on the 6DJ8 prove different but not better in any sense, so I suggest using the Premier with the stock tubes unless you feel inclined to step up to a pair of EAT ECC88s. At $225 apiece, the latter diminishes the Premier’s budget ethos but yields greater transparency and finer detail without sounding harsh or etched.

Optimized for a standard 47k ohm load, with no capacitance spec listed, the Premier works well with all of my MM cartridges, including the Clearadio Maestro Wood, Ortofon 2M Black, and Shure V15mvxr. Because of its easy headshell removal, I extensively utilized the AVID Diva II SP/SME 3009; further listening continued with the AVID Volvere SP/Funk Firm FX•RII combination and my faithful Linn LP-12/Ittok. All provided splendid albeit varied results. I used the Furutech AG-12 tonearm cable on all but the SME 3009.

A Little Warmth Goes a Long Way

Like all tube gear, the Premier sounds best after being powered up for nearly an hour. Yet, even after the first few minutes, it’s three-dimensional quality peeks through. When the clock gets close to the hour mark, a light haze lifts, allowing you to hear further into your records.

This phonostage renders sound in a way that mixes so-called “vintage tube” and “modern tube” sound, all the while adding a bit of tonal warmth you won’t mistake for solid-state. Still, ample low- and high-frequency extension prevents the unit from sounding completely vintage. Overall, it’s an excellent balance. And the modest warmth goes a long way, especially with less-than-heavenly LP pressings.

Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe” from Sonny and Cher’s Greatest Hits tremendously benefits from the extra body on tap. The Linn/Shure/Audion combination proves brilliant with countless 60s and 70s favorites. Then, spinning Classic Records’ remaster of Frank Zappa’s Hot Rats shows off the phonostage’s capabilities with excellent recordings, and may just convert uninitiated listeners to the tube side of the fence.

Having had the opportunity to audition a plethora of $1,000-$2,000 phono preamplifiers, I can unabashedly state that the Premier is one of the most highly competitive models in its class. A few hundred dollars often separates winners from losers, and while all units in the lesser-expensive price bracket lack the resolution, weight, and dynamics delivered by five-figure premium phonostages, the best convey enough enchantment to reward one’s vinyl fanaticism. Along with the $2,300 Parasound JC-3, the Audion belongs at the top of its category. The solid-state Parasound is quieter, with a bit more dynamic range. But the Premier has a more beguiling tonality and midrange bloom that rewards marathon listening sessions.

Regardless of the cartridge with which it’s paired, the Premier adds extra body and sparkle. If you are hell-bent on accuracy, the Premier may not be your idea of perfection. Nonetheless, for the little bit of brilliance sacrificed on my best recordings, the Premier adds palpability to less-than-sonically-spectacular LPs with a remarkable consistency. It’s a trade-off I welcome any day. If I can’t have it all, I prefer things a touch on the warm/romantic/vivid side.

Plenty of Punch

Often, tubes, especially at the lower end of the price scale, conjure thoughts associated with a lack of pace—and warm, gooey sound that has a romantic feel absent any rhythmic drive or snap. The Premier never suffers this problem. A quick spin of Sheep on Drugs’ “Acid Test” from their Greatest Hits possesses the requisite dimensions of altered-reality club music played at discotheque volume levels. Beats hit hard while staying clean and segregated from the piercing synthesizer tracks. Records like this—i.e., those are not audiophile treasures—easily illustrate just how much resolution is available in the grooves. Lesser preamplifiers just let the presentation coagulate, and make the music sound like a big ball of midrange.

A similar small sonic miracle happens with the Shure V15vmxr. While the classic Shure pickup has achieved cult-like status, it’s always left me somewhat cold. I feel that it exhibits too much “just the facts, ma’am” character. Tonally accurate, sure, but rarely involving. Via the Premier, it paints a more three-dimensional picture that has never transpired on anything but state-of-the-art phonostages, all of which are unlikely to be paired with a $300 cartridge.

On the Premier, jazz and vocal tracks are fantastic. In particular, acoustic instruments hang in the air longer than I expect from an MM setup, and the synergy with the LP-12 is nothing less than mind-bogglingly great. More expensive MM cartridges (the Clearaudio and Ortofon) deliver a more transparent, almost modern sound, yet the most enchanting results arrive via the Shure V15 and vintage NOS Ortofon VMS20 Mk.II cartridge. This $100 eBay-procured cartridge, mounted on the AVID Diva II SP/SME 3009 combination, fooled more than one audiophile into thinking they were listening to a much more expensive setup.

While many vinyl enthusiasts equate moving magnet cartridges with entry-level steps, the Audion Premier is a product with which you can happily live and exists as proof that you don’t have to spend five figures to attain lovely analog sound. Mate it with the right cartridge, and you may never get the urge to buy a MC cartridge—it’s that good. But should you be taken with such a desire, Audion makes an MC step-up that needs only to be plugged into the Premier, making the latter fully capable of MC use.

-Jeff Dorgay

Audion Premier MM Phonostage

MSRP: $1,999

Manufacturer Info: www.audion.co.uk
US Distribution: www.trueaudiophile.com

Peripherals

Analog source AVID Diva II SP/SME 309/Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood, Linn LP-12/Ittok LV II/Shure V-15mvxr

Preamplifier Burmester 011

Power Amplifier Burmester 911 mk. 2

Speakers MartinLogan Montis

Cable Cardas Clear speaker and interconnect

Accessories Furutech DeMag, PS Audio P10 power conditioner

Michael Gatenby wins our New Year’s Day giveaway, a pair of Audio Engine 5 speakers.

His winning new year’s resolution was to “eat more waffles…” You have to love that!
We did, and we sent him a pair of speakers.

Stay tuned for more great giveaways at TONEAudio!

And happy new year!

For the fourth consecutive year, something fun showed up on my doorstep as I prepared to head out for CES. And that something is again a CD player. This year’s surprise is Rega’s new Apollo–R. Following a trend set with its award-winning Brio–R integrated amplifier, the company’s Apollo is “half-chassis” size and about 8 inches wide. But unlike its approach with the Brio–R, Rega put a standard-sized IEC AC socket on this unit’s rear panel so that those with a propensity to swap mains cables can have their way.

The rest is straightforward. Apollo–R shares the same Starship Enterprise-shaped CD lid as Rega’s Isis; the dark-red readouts mirror those of the past Apollo. Upon power-up, the Apollo–R is ready to play in about 30 seconds.

We will have a full review in a few weeks, after the Apollo–R has more hours on the clock. My initial impression? Highly favorable. The new model exceeds the old in every way. Yep, if you’re on the fence about trading in your old Apollo for this one, get off and do it. Rega CD players have always had an analog-like smoothness—occasionally even too much so for this writer—but never sound harsh.

Following tradition, Rega drives the cricket ball straight home here, as this model retains its predecessor’s lush midrange yet features more extension at both ends of the frequency scale. A quick listen to Bachman Turner Overdrive’s “Free Wheelin” from Audio Fidelity’s recent Not Fragile remaster conveys real grunt, where, when spun on the previous model, the music comes across as too polite.

On Donald Byrd’s “Say You’re Mine” from The Cat Walk XRCD, drums explode from a soundstage painted between my MartinLogan Montis loudspeakers. The percussion claims speed, texture, and quality I never dreamed possible from a $1,000 CD player. When going back to the original Apollo, everything just sounds smaller.

The original Apollo has always been a favorite to suggest to friends that want a great CD player for about $1,000. The Apollo–R takes such recommendations up several notches. I’m very impressed that Rega made so many improvements while holding the price steady at $1,095. And, while excellent on its own, using the Apollo-R as a transport with the new Rega DAC super-sizes the package and still holds the line on price (to $2,000) for the combination. Stay tuned for a full review.

Unless you earn $2 million an episode, a la Charlie Sheen, $25k is a lot of change to spend on a turntable and tonearm, especially when adding a worthy cartridge and phonostage could easily double the sum. Taking economics into consideration, TONE receives plenty of email from readers with turntables in this range or considering a similar level of purchase. We get substantially fewer communiqués from listeners contemplating a six-figure turntable—now, that’s crazy talk.

To be certain, audiophiles opting to make purchases in these price ranges are well-heeled, yet most seem to be longtime analog lovers that are seeking out that “destination table.” They’ve owned a number of turntables and amassed a fairly substantial vinyl collection. Typically, $25k doesn’t constitute an entry-level price point for many vinyl aficionados; something is often sold or traded (maybe a jet ski or motorcycle) for the down payment, so the sting isn’t quite as severe.

While it’s easy to get carried away with any number of six-figure turntables, $25-$30k represents the sweet spot, and right where the AVID Acutus Reference SP lies. The ‘table itself lists for $19,995 and the SME V tonearm (which arrived pre-mounted on our review sample) bumps the price up another $5,495. The subchassis on comes pre-drilled for an SME tonearm, but adaptors for Rega, Triplanar, and a few others can be purchased from $100 – $225, depending on the version you require. Current Acutus owners can easily upgrade to the Reference SP—which incorporates AVID’s latest-generation digital-speed control, larger power supply, and two-drive belt system—for $6,400.

Save for a sold-out 10th Anniversary Model ($40,000) limited to just ten units, the Ref SP stands for all practical purposes as AVID’s top-of-the-line turntable. In case you’re wondering, AVID stands for “A very interesting design.” And since the Acutus served as AVID’s original turntable design, the SP Reference takes advantage of everything the manufacturer has learned during the past decade. AVID designer and director Conrad Mas explains that, a few years ago, he wanted to take the company and his products to an even higher level. “Rather than say that’s my product, take it or leave it, we listened very carefully to what our customers had to say and, bit by bit, addressed any issues they didn’t feel were best-in-class. We’ve taken this approach all the way to the packaging, with excellent results.”

Everything is Jelly

While the Ref SP is AVID’s premier turntable, the entire line benefits from Mas’ design philosophies. He feels that it is essential for a turntable to get rid of the vibrational energy in the environment as well as that in the vinyl record itself. As he likes to say, “Everything is jelly at a certain frequency; you just can’t see it. The goal is to move the all of the vibration away from the cartridge.”

The subchassis is cast from a variable density, highly granular aluminum, which damps the mid and low frequencies most effectively while even the coating on the subchassis is specifically designed to reduce the skin tension of the aluminum casting, effectively dissipating the HF resonance. Rather than cast from a solid shape the area between the bearing and the tonearm mount looks as if it is folded, giving the shape more rigidity than a solid piece, yet having lighter weight. Mas comments, “This is the most important part of the subchassis, where rigidity is most critical.” The platter takes the same approach. Mas adds: “The chrome plating on the SP Ref isn’t for the bling factor, it’s functional. It does an excellent job at killing HF resonance. We’ve tried a number of different coatings, but when we did the measurements, nothing worked as well as the chrome plating. When we listened to the different finish options, the chrome sounded best by far.” Interestingly, Mas feels that the recent trend of 180- and 200-gram LPs is counterproductive. “What we want to do is evacuate the vibration of the record as far away from the stylus as fast as possible. A 200-gram platter stores more energy that the stylus will read and adds a veil to the sound.”

Most turntables concentrate the majority of the mass in the chassis/subchassis assembly. AVID takes a different approach with its units by making the platter the most massive component. Since there’s no heavy subchassis deflecting the bearing during vibration, bearing noise is kept to a minimum. This is the main reason that the Reference SP has such a low noise floor. In addition, a polymer disc is bonded to the 10kg aluminum platter has a specially designed polymer mat bonded to it which reflects vibration created by the stylus during playback, this being channeled through the bearing that the record is mechanically grounded to.

This differs from plastic platters that store vibration or felt mats that allow the records to vibrate causing mistracking. Mas feels that a suspended ‘table represents the optimum in vinyl playback design because the springs can be tuned to a specific frequency, again effectively isolating the important stylus from outside vibration. In the vertical axis, AVID’s suspension is tuned to 2.5Hz, a factor of two lower than the average cartridge/arm compliance frequency. By comparison, a seismograph, tuned to measure the vibration of the Earth, is at .5Hz.

The Opposite Approach

The main advantage of direct-drive turntables relates to the amount of on-hand torque; by comparison, to minimize the motor’s control on the platter, belt-drive ‘tables rely on wimpy motors coupled to a tiny belt. Flying in the face of convention, AVID utilizes a powerful motor to drive the platter, thus offering more control. Belt-drive owners also likely notice the fairly pokey start-up. Not so the Ref SP. It starts quickly, just like a direct-drive broadcast table!

AVID hand-builds the motors in its factory, where they are then hand-tuned to the individual power supply that will be shipped along with the turntable. In the case of the Ref SP, the power supply alone weighs 42 pounds (19kg.) and features a 1KV power transformer. As I unpacked the box, I honestly thought the company made a mistake and shipped me one of its new power amplifiers instead. Tradition aside, the approach works flawlessly. A cursory check of the speed with the Acoustic Sounds test record and digital multimeter revealed perfect accuracy: 1000Hz on the nose.

Setup

The Ref SP requires some assembly, but thanks to the concise manual, you should be up and running within about 30 minutes, even when working at a leisurely pace. As much as you will want to spin records as quickly as possible, a more metered set-up pace will give you an even greater appreciation for the care that went into the component parts.

Once the bearing ball is inserted and the main bearing gently slid into place, you can mount the 35-pound platter on the subchassis, making mounting and aligning your cartridge a much easier task than doing so with the whole ‘table assembled—a nice touch. This streamlines the set-up process, because you aren’t fighting the turntable suspension when trying to set VTA and such. It allows closer access to the area where the stylus meets the alignment gauge and, again, a higher degree of accuracy. AVID supplies an alignment protractor to help with the overhang alignment. Mas mentions that this step is “absolutely critical.” Which is exactly why the company spent the time and trouble to create its own alignment jig for the SME tonearms. (AVID also produces these for Rega and Linn arms as well as a universal version.)

The last bit of setup involves fine-tuning the suspension and placing the chassis onto a level surface. Once the subchassis is leveled with the supplied tool, the suspension is perfectly tuned to the proper frequency. The final act involves fitting the three O-rings to the suspension towers and attaching the two drive belts, the only tough part of the entire process. First, pause in order to focus your concentration. Fortunately, my chi was in perfect order. I slipped the belts on just right on my first attempt. An $80 syringe of silicone damping fluid that usually comes with the SME V is one lone thing missing from the Ref SP box. It’s not advised. The subchassis’ unique design moves the vibration straight away from the base of the tonearm mount, effectively into the subchassis.

External damping is usually required when using a cartridge with too much compliance in an arm with too much mass, but the AVID’s low suspension frequency and clamping system eliminates the need for its use. “That’s why the SME arms get a bad reputation for wooly bass. Reflected vibration boosts bass and colors the midrange. It’s not the arm at all. And the non-linear damping in the vibration path, making up for the compliance mismatch, kills the high frequencies. Not so with our table.”

Having spent quite a bit of time with SME tables and tonearms in particular (I own four of them, from the vintage 3009 up to the V), I can assuredly state that the Ref SP is a completely different animal. If you didn’t think an SME arm could sound light and lively, guess again. Though I’ve always found SME arms slightly heavy-sounding,
their consistency and ease of setup has always made them a favorite. But with AVID’s ‘tables, there is no sonic compromise. Mas is definitely on to something.

Listening and Comparisons

While it is always difficult to actually describe the sound of any component without putting it into context, the Ref SP reminds me of a combination of my two favorite turntables: the Rega P9 and the SME 30. If you can imagine a ‘table with the weight of an SME 30 that also has the pace, timing, and speed of the P9, that’s the closest anyone can get to telling you exactly what the SP Ref sounds like.

Almost immediately, the Ref SP became the go-to mechanism in my stable of reference turntables. After a few days of comparisons, it was obvious that I could not live without it. It also meant that a couple of other turntables had to go. Its performance with grade A+ pressings was nothing short of amazing. But even with average pressings, like Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s Trilogy—a record I’ve heard hundreds of times since the 70s—revealed new tidbits. Listening to “Abaddon’s Bolero” revealed another layer of very quiet synthesizer playing at the beginning of the track. And as Greg Lake’s bass line entered, there was more texture—and the bass actually had a firm placement in the left channel. Playing the same track with the same tonearm and cartridge combination on my Oracle Delphi V spread the bass out almost evenly between the channels, with a significant loss of pace.

Staying in the classic rock vein and moving to the Classic Records pressing of Alan Parson’s I Robot also yielded a completely new experience. The background chanting in the title track possessed a chilling realism I’d never heard before, as it simply rose up and crept in and out of the forefront. Experiencing acoustic material proved equally great. Listening to Analogue Productions’ recently remastered Bill Evans The Riverside Recordings box set approximated sonic nirvana. “Polka Dots and Moonbeams,” from Moonbeams, starts gently. The ultra-low noise floor of the Ref SP brought the music up out of what seemed like nowhere; the tonality of the piano epitomized perfection. At the beginning of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.1 in F sharp minor, Op. 1, the horns jumped right out of the soundstage in a way that they never have done in my system. Thanks to the additional dynamic range, the overall presentation felt louder since quiet passages were now significantly quieter.

Having performed a number of listening experiments with many turntable/cartridge combinations, I’ve arrived at the firm conclusion that a top-notch turntable with a modest cartridge will deliver more sound than a big-bucks cartridge on an inexpensive turntable. Even when using the Ref SP with the inexpensive Denon DL103R, I was consistently impressed at how much further I could hear into the cartridge’s capabilities. Hence, a device I considered somewhat lackluster in budget turntables turned in a stellar performance with the Ref SP. Moreover, all of the $5,000 cartridges I had at my disposal came across as relatively ho-hum (even when aligned to perfection) when mounted to a budget turntable—again confirming Mas’ analysis of how important every aspect of a turntable design is to playback. The Ref SP does a better job of extracting the music out of vinyl grooves than anything I’ve encountered—a job that is deceptively simple yet incredibly tough.

When listening to familiar records with the same cartridge (in this case, a Lyra Skala) mounted to both the Ref SP and my current reference, the Spiral Groove SG-2, the Ref SP’s additional dynamic punch became instantly apparent on heavy rock music, large-scale symphonic music, and everything in between. The ‘table’s ability to unravel the intricacies of complex recordings is simply phenomenal. What’s more, the rock-solid pitch stability and ultra-low noise floor offer up more than pinpoint imaging, painting tonal images in true three-dimensional space. Who needs multichannel when two-channel is rendered so clearly?

The Rabbit is in Hand

I’ve been chasing the analog rabbit for more than 30 years. I’d come awfully close to catching it in the past, but with the AVID, I finally got the rabbit by the ears. The Acutus Reference SP combines bespoke build quality, ease of setup, and stellar performance in a gorgeous package. What else could you possibly want?

Yes, this is the point in the review where the reviewer often says that they would “buy this ‘table if they could afford it and will really miss it when they send it back.” Not here baby. I love this ‘table; it offers by far the most enjoyable analog experience that I’ve ever had. Not only did I purchase the SP Ref, I bought two AVID tables, having also upgraded my Volvere to a Volvere SP.

The Acutus Reference SP is indeed A Very Interesting Design.

AVID Acutus Reference SP Turntable (tonearm not included)

MSRP: $19,995 (US); £13,500 (International)

Manufacturer Contact:

www.avidhifi.co.uk

Peripherals

Preamplifier Burmester 011

Power amplifier Burmester 911 mk. 3

Phono Preamplifier Audio Research REF 2 Phono, AVID Pulsare

Phono Cartridges Koetsu Urushi Blue, SoundSmith Sussurro Paua, ClearAudio DaVinci, Grado Statement 1

Tonearm SME V

Tonearm Cable Furutech Silver Arrow

Speakers GamuT S9

Power Running Springs Audio Maxim, Dmitri

Cable Shunyata Aurora

Out of Tune With You
By Todd Martens

Budget Gear: CEntrance DACmini CX
By Jerold O’Brien

Journeyman Audiophile: Polk LSiM707 Speakers
By Jeff Dorgay

Box Set Review: The 2011 Collections
By Bob Gendron

Old School: Klyne SK-5A Preamplifier
By Jerold O’Brien

Tone Style

Wino: The Wines of Autumn
By Wayne Garcia

The Range Rover Evoque with Meridian Audio System

Angry Birds T-Shirts

Kindle Fire: A Game Changer

StarWars Stormtrooper DJ Headphones

iHog

Music

Live Music: Girls, Dum Dum Girls, Deadmau5, Fleet Foxes and Shelby Lynne

Current Releases:
Fresh Releases in the Pop/Rock World
By the TONE Staff

Audiophile Pressings
The Smiths, Rush, Rory Gallagher, and Journey
By Jeff Dorgay and Paul Rigby

Jazz and Blues
New releases from Keith Jarrett, Marcus Strickland and Nils Petter
By Jim Macnie

Reviews:

Darth Insidious: The IsoTek Super Titan Power Conditioner
By Paul Rigby

Variation on a Theme: The Verity Amadis Speakers
By Jeff Dorgay

Let It Be: The Pass Labs XP-20 Preamplifier
By Steve Guttenberg

TONEAudio’s Product of the Year Awards

TONEAudio’s Publisher’s Choice Awards

Meridian has just announced that the functionality of their industry leading Sooloos Music Server will soon be available on the iPad. There have been a series of announcements on the web that “something new is coming January 10…”

Now with the ability to have access to your music collection without being tethered to a fixed screen puts the Sooloos system miles ahead of its competitors. They have always had the most user friendly GUI (graphic user interface) with access to metadata, allowing multiple levels of search and sort. The music lovers music server has just gotten better…

Stay tuned for more details.

For those wondering if Regas new Brio-R integrated amplifier would have a matching CD player to compliment it’s small size, the answer is yes – and it’s on the way to us for review right now. Available in black or silver to match the Brio-R, the Apollo-R will have a pricetag of $1,095. Featuring the latest Wolfson DAC chipset and a number of improvements over the previous generation, this should prove to be a very interesting player to put through its paces.

You can read more technical information here, on the Rega site.

Stay tuned…

The New York audio press was treated to the world premiere of Sonus Faber’s latest triumph, the Aida, on Tuesday night (an open-to-audiophiles affair was on Wednesday night). When I arrived for the auspicious event at Stereo Exchange’s NYC showrooms the speakers were cloaked in cloth wrappers. The Aida’s statuesque 68 inch tall presence and imposing 363 pound weight left no doubt: this speaker is a no holds barred effort.

Sonus Faber importer John Hunter hosted the proceedings, and introduced Fine Sounds’ CEO Mauro Grange. Hunter then played a wide range of music over the Aidas, everything from solo acoustic guitar, funky jazz, large orchestral works, before turning up the heat with Yello’s thumpin’ beats.

The Aida uses an “Arrow Point” Damped Apex Dome tweeter, a proprietary cellulose pulp/kapok/kenaf and other natural fibers midrange driver, high-tech syntactic foam core and cellulose pulp sandwich woofers, and a nanocarbon/honeycomb infra woofer. The cabinet is an elaborate “Lyra-shape,” multi-chambered design, outfitted with numerous resonance control measures. The drop-dead gorgeous finish, even by Sonus Faber standards, was simply stunning. Aida was being played with Audio Research electronics, including a Reference 5 preamp, Ref CD8 CD player, and the speakers were biamped with Reference 250 and DS450 amps.

I wasn’t in the sweet spot for most of the auditions, but the sound was big, bold and juicy. I was in the ideal position for Yello, and the Aidas not only threw a massive soundstage, the out-of-phase elements of the mix were projected well out in front of the speakers. The effect was as close to surround sound as I’ve heard from a pair of speakers.

The Aida will retail for $120,000 per pair.

— Steve Guttenberg

It goes without saying that stepping up to the $4,000-$5,000 range in turntables provides a significant boost in performance over $1,000-$2,000 turntables. An increase in resolution, accompanied by a bigger, more dynamic presentation—and the ability to extract more musical information from higher-performance cartridges—are the most obvious benefits. The aesthetically pleasing Unison Audio Giro offers all this and more.

Close inspection reveals similar styling cues to current Clearaudio designs—and for good reason. The Giro is built at the Clearaudio factory. However, it is not merely a rebadge of an existing model. Giovanni Sacchetti, founder and designer at Unison Research, had for years been working on a turntable design. Yet tool-up costs to make a single ‘table remained prohibitive. Approaching Clearaudio proved fruitful. The latter produced the Giro for Unison and maintained the integrity of Sacchetti’s design.

The biggest difference between Clearaudio and the Unison model resides with the latter’s main bearing, which utilizes an inverted steel shaft (coupled with a ceramic sphere) rather than Clearaudio’s anti-magnetic type. The isolation feet are also more complex than the standard Clearaudio designs, and there’s also the presence of wooden sections, oriented via grain pattern to control resonance on the acrylic plinth.

The $3,995 Giro can be ordered with its UN1 MM cartridge for an additional $550. While this is a great way to start, the Giro provides a platform capable of working with more resolving cartridges. Hence, it’s a ‘table you can enjoy for years. You will be able to make significant cartridge upgrades before the Giro becomes the limiting factor in your analog front-end. For many listeners, it will be the last turntable they need.

Assembly by the Numbers

An enclosed instruction manual proves a tremendous help with turntable setup, yet it omits one critical step—adjustment of anti-skate. The Clearaudio Universal tonearm shares the same anti-skate mechanism, modulated by an adjuster that decreases the amount of anti-skate force applied by moving it in towards the turntable pivot. You can download the Universal instruction manual here: http://www.clearaudio.de/download/tonarme/universal_de_en.pdf

The motor electrically plugs into the plinth via a connector that looks like an RJ-45 Ethernet plug. And it’s encased in a separate pod, eliminating vibration caused from being directly attached to the plinth. Everything is hidden by an attractive magnetic cover that enhances the unit’s sleek design.

Aesthetically and sonically, the wood-bodied Sumiko Pearwood II ($2,499) MC cartridge proves an excellent match for the Giro. A second Pearwood II made it easy for me to compare the Giro to two slightly pricier competitors: the AVID Diva II SP with SME 309 arm (about $6,000) and the Rega P9 with RB 1000 arm ($4,995). The fixed tonearm cable on the P9 and Giro was the only minor difference preventing a 100% direct comparison between the three models.

Meanwhile, the Feickert Analog suite of alignment tools kept this trio of turntables perfectly matched to each other. (It’s also worth noting that speed accuracy of the Giro was spot on out of the box, and that changing speed between 33 1/3 and 45RPM was easily changed from a control on the plinth.)

Nimble

The Giro’s very lively presentation jumps right out between the speakers and will never be mistaken for anything but pure analog -it is devilishly quiet, with a silkiness that makes the music feel as if it simply rises up between the speakers. The Giro zips through musical details with a level of finesse that far outstrips anthing in the $900-$1,500 range. There’s more of everything: more weight on the bottom, and a combination of smoothness and resolution on top. This solid performer is worth the asking price. Listeners graduating from lesser ‘tables will experience a fair share of “it feels like I have a new record collection” moments.

“Master Sigh,” from Andrew Bird’s Useless Creatures, immediately showcases the Giro’s prowess for revealing inner detail. Bird’s harp floats in the air with great attack as he plucks his violin, fading out with the right amount of gentleness in the decay. Similarly, Lol Creme and Kevin Godley’s Consequences avant-garde exercise features layers of buried details that are disappointingly rendered on a lesser deck. But here, the multiple vocal overdubs on “Lulu From Honolulu” scattered between the speakers, with even the most infinitesimal sound effects preserved. The duo’s “The Flood” depicts someone running water and brushing their teeth. While an odd choice for a hi-fi demo, the track’s timbre and spatial information are perfectly captured. It seems as if a person is directly located behind the speakers, brushing their teeth and sloshing mouthwash!

A Music Lovers Turntable

Sound effects are great fun, but rest assured, the Giro does a fantastic job with every kind of music thanks to its natural tonality. Herbie Hancock’s piano on the Blow-Up soundtrack is exquisitely depicted, never lost behind Freddie Hubbard’s trumpet or in the way of Ron Carter’s anchoring bass. The title track on Shelby Lynne’s Just a Little Lovin’ reveals the difference between the Giro and the other two on-hand ‘tables. The Giro lends a bit of extra tonal warmth, where the P9 is slightly more neutral, though lacking the AVID’s additional weight and drama. These are not huge differences by any stretch. Think of the Giro as having more of a classic vacuum-tube-like sound; make your system choices accordingly.

Swapping the Sumiko cartridge (also on the slightly warm side of the tonal spectrum) for the SoundSmith Sussurro Paua (which has a faster, somewhat forward tonal balance) instilled a completely different feel to the overall sound—proof of the tonearm’s ability to resolve fine detail. A series of heavy tracks from Megadeth, Slayer, and Audioslave confirms the Giro can play loud rock music with composure and sans acoustic feedback—important when you crave high decibels. My favorite hip-hop 45s can’t even rattle its composure. Rest assured this Italian stunner is not finicky.

Sitting on the rack between the Rega P9 and the Linn LP-12, the Giro possesses warmth of character. Combining German precision with Italian style is brilliant, and while it doesn’t necessarily make the Giro a better record player, the ‘table’s cool factor will tug the heartstrings of those that demand mechanical performance and style points.

The Unison Research Giro

MSRP: $3,995 (without cartridge) UN1 MM cartridge, $550

http://en.unisonresearch.com (factory)
www.colleencardasimports.com (US Importer)

Peripherals

Preamplifier: ARC REF 5

Phono Preamp: Vitus Audio MP-P201

Cartridges: Sumiko Pearwood II Celebration, SoundSmith Sussurro Paua

Power Amp: ARC REF 150

Speakers: GamuT S9

Cable: Cardas Clear

Accessories: RSA Dmitri and Maxim power line conditioners, Furutech DeMag

PS Audio has come a long way since the end of the 90s’ when they introduced their first Power Plant PS300. Where many power line conditioners use extensive filtering schemes to scrub the noise and distortion components from your AC mains, the P10 regenerates new, 120 volt (or 220 for European customers) power, eliminating the noise and distortion from the power feeding your gear. We’ve just finished the photography on the P10 you see here, so watch for a review soon. We will be posting comments here and on our FB page, so feel free to ask questions and interact with us along the way!

TOP TONE: Our Favorites for 2011
By The TONE Staff

Power Amplifiers

Preamplifiers

Integrated Amplifiers

Superspeakers

Small Speakers

Speakers

Subwoofers

Analog – Cartridges

Analog – Turntables

Analog – Phono Preamps

Digital

Accessories

Previews

Verity Audio Amadis Speakers

Ortofon Vivo Blue Cartridge

Reviews:

Dali F5 Fazon Loudspeakers
By Jeff Dorgay

Decware Zen Torii Mk.3
By Jeff Dorgay

Simaudio Moon 310P Phono Preamplifier and
320S Power Supply
By Steve Guttenberg

Grado Labs has always offered a great alternative to moving-coil cartridge technology with their moving-iron cartridge design, a cross between the moving coil and moving magnet design. Other than The Soundsmith, Grado is the only company still producing moving-iron cartridges in quantity, and they have refined their process to perfection.

Their new flagship, the Statement 1, replaces the Statement at the top of their product line, and the price has risen from $2,500 to $3,000. While this is a far reach from the budget Grado cartridges that many audiophiles are familiar with, in the day of $15,000 Koetsu’s and the Goldfinger tipping the scale around $12,000, a $3,000 top-of-the-line cartridge is still considered reasonable by many serious vinyl aficionados.

If you are new to the vinyl game and haven’t heard of Grado, or perhaps you only know about them from the world of headphones, meet John Grado, president of the company started by his uncle, Joe Grado, just over 50 years ago. And in case you didn’t know, Joe Grado is acknowledged as the inventor of the stereo moving-coil cartridge. Interestingly enough, Joe Grado was originally a watchmaker by trade, so he was quite familiar with working on a very small scale before he turned his attention to building phono cartridges.

Grado makes one of the widest ranges of phono cartridges available today, starting with the Grado Black for $60 all the way up to the Statement 1 that we’re looking at here. All Grado’s products are handmade in their Brooklyn factory and their wooden cartridge bodies are all made from Jarrah wood, a renewable resource.

First, the past

All cartridges have somewhat of a “signature sound” and the Grados are no different, possessing a slight to moderately warm tonal balance. For those who don’t approve of this reference, you might consider a Grado cartridge to be richer or full-bodied. One thing is certain, you will not mistake vinyl playback with a Grado cartridge for digital. Considering how many records have been poorly mastered, and how many new LP’s are produced from digital files, I personally think a few drops of warmth goes a long way toward making analog more palatable. As you go up the line with Grado wood-body cartridges, they all look the same, but each model progressively reveals more music.

My past experience with the original Statement has always been great, though that model has some limitations. While the original Statement can be too much of a good thing on certain records, it was also slightly limited in its ability to track complex musical passages with the ease that I’ve come to expect from my other cartridges made by Dynavector, Lyra and even Koetsu. The more of an analog maniac you become, the less chance you have of achieving a “one size fits all” solution to playback.

The Statement 1, just like the Statement before it, requires 47k phono loading, but because of the moving-iron design, Grado claims that is it relatively impervious to changes in input capacitance. A brief experiment with the original Statement, combined with the McIntosh C500 preamplifier (which allows capacitance loading to be made from the front panel) and the current cartridge confirm this.

However, because the Statement 1 has an output of only .5mv, you will still need a phono preamplifier or phono stage capable of fairly high gain.

A quantum leap

The new Statement 1 is miles ahead of the cartridge it replaces in two major areas: trackability and frequency extension, particularly at the upper frequency limit. The best news is that the current model has lost none of the midrange magic of the original, but it has gained additional purity and airiness that none of the other cartridges in the Grado line possess. Grado mentions a new special ellipsoid diamond stylus profile and seven feet of gold wire for the coils, so while the new cartridge looks virtually identical to the original Statement, it is essentially new from the ground up.

Fortunately, I had my original Statement here for comparison and after mounting both cartridges on identical SME 309 arms for side-by-side playback on the TW Acustic Raven TWO, it was easy to tell the two apart. I was also able to make some comparisons to the Koetsu Urushi Blue, the Clearaudio DaVinci and the Lyra Skala cartridges – all somewhat in the price range of the Statement 1. While all side-by-side listening comparisons were done with the Audio Research REF Phono 2, now my reference phono preamplifier, I did use the Statement 1 with a handful of other phono preamplifiers as well: the new Audio Research PH6, which is in the middle of review listening, as well as the Burmester 100 and the new AVID Pulsare. All were an excellent match with the Grado.

The Statement 1 did not need terribly long to break in; it sounded great right out of the box. After a few album sides, it loosened up a bit and by the end of a full day’s worth of LP playback, it was in its groove rather nicely. There was no noticeable change between the 50-hour mark and the 300-hour mark, so this is a cartridge that gets down to business right away.

Defining the sound

This is such a different cartridge from the one that it replaces that I wasn’t quite sure where to start the comparisons. One of the first records that I listened to critically was Brand X’s Moroccan Roll. The last track on the first side, “Collapsar,” opens with a driving fretless-bass riff that collides with drums and percussion. This track a relatively dense musical passage cut near the center of the record, has everything going against it. Where the original Statement struggled, the Statement 1 just glides right through effortlessly, keeping everything in the mix as it should be, in its own space. Another favorite inner-groove torture track is “Jericho” from Joni Mitchell’s Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter. Mitchell’s vocal is recorded hot, and lesser cartridges stumble here. Again, the Statement 1 passed through this track effortlessly. When changing musical style to hard rock, the Statement 1 did a flawless job with the 12-inch, 45-rpm single of AC/DC’s “Let’s Get It Up.” Brian Johnson’s voice was out in front of the wall of Marshall amps, with the backing vocals coming through loud and clear instead of getting lost in the mix.

Trackability is an important part of the analog mix, but it’s not everything. When playing the new Statement alongside the old, the increased dynamic capabilities of the new cartridge is much better, in a full-scale sense as well as its ability to reproduce fine detail. No matter what kind of music you favor, you will notice that the Statement 1 has a sufficiently weighty presentation to play your favorite large-scale orchestral pieces as well as capture the most subtle vocal nuances, which is a tough balancing act to pull off.

Finally, this cartridge has a tonality that will woo all but the coldest of hearts. As mentioned at the beginning of the review, the Statement 1 definitely has a full-bodied sound. But thanks to greater extension at both ends of the frequency range, acoustic instruments sound more lifelike than ever. On many levels, the new Statement 1 “out Koetsu’s” my Koetsu Urushi Blue, having all the warmth while adding more definition to the mix.

Listening to the differences between the plucky guitar style of Michael Hedges and Alex DeGrassi on their early Windham Hill releases was a treat, with the resonant qualities of their instruments coming through in a more distinct way than I had heard before. The extra dynamic capability of the new model also did well with piano and violin, again keeping the core tonality intact, with decay that faded ever so gently into the blackness.

Equally important is the huge, three-dimensional soundfield that this cartridge is able to reconstruct in your listening room. Just as the Statement before it was a glorious match with the ARC REF Phono 2, the Statement 1 enlarges the presentation in all dimensions. While we all know that pinpoint imaging in a three-dimensional space is not really an accurate reproduction of music, rock fans will easily become addicted by the way this cartridge really does place things distinctly across the soundstage.

In the end, balance

In summary, the greatest virtue of the Grado Statement 1 is its balance of all aspects of analog reproduction. There are a few (more-expensive) cartridges on the market that will perform any of the individual tasks better, but I challenge you to find a $3,000 cartridge that does this well handling everything. While I am fortunate to have this cartridge in my reference arsenal, if I were going to live with just one phono cartridge, the Grado Statement 1 would be it. Highly suggested.

The Grado Statement 1
MSRP: $3,000
www.gradolabs.com

Peripherals

Phono Preamplifiers ARC REF 2 Phono, ARC PH6 AVID Pulsare, Nagra VPS, Burmester 100, Boulder 1008

Turntables Spiral Groove SG-2 w/Triplanar VII, Rega P9, TW Acustic Raven Two w/SME 309

Preamplifier Burmester 011, McIntosh C500

Power Amplifier Burmester 911 mk. 3, McIntosh MC1.2kw’s

Speakers GamuT S-9, YG Acoustics Anat II Studio, MartinLogan CLX w/Gotham subwoofer

Cable Shunyata Aurora Interconnects, Shunyata Stratos SP Speaker Cable, Cardas Clear Interconnects and Speaker Cable

Power Running Springs Dmitri and Maxim power conditioners Running Springs Mongoose and Shunyata Python CX power cords

Accessories Shunyata Dark Field Cable Elevators, Furutech DeMag, Loricraft PRC-3 record cleaning machine, MoFi Record Cleaning Products.

Everything Hans-Ole Vitus makes is heavy. Really fucking heavy. Break-your-back heavy. But those who possess the strength to lift his SM-010 monoblocks out of the boxes will be rewarded with fantastic sound. That said, it’s become very popular of late, at least in the United States, to take shots at the wealthy and, in particular, at luxury goods. So if the idea of a $40k pair of amplifiers seems offensive, let fly the invective and take a pass.

While my bias leans towards vacuum-tube gear, the finest Class A solid-state amplifiers (like the recently reviewed Pass Labs XA160.5s) offer equal palpability and don’t require having to regularly forage for tubes. Heat is the only drawback to Class A units. They are power-hungry animals, but wildlife worth feeding.

Vitus gear not only feels powerful, it looks powerful just sitting on the rack. Also available with massive red-, gold-, or black-anodized front panels, our SM-010 review samples were anodized in a stunning shade of dark gray. I’d love to see more manufacturers adopt this trend. Apologies to the Oakland Raiders, but haven’t we had enough silver and black?

Beneath the SM-010’s top panel lurks a masterpiece of modern know-how—a tidy circuit layout revealing clean electrical and mechanical design. Top-grade parts are used throughout. An enormous power transformer, custom designed for Vitus, is a work of art in its own right—and not the usual toroid that exists in most other amplifiers. Individual amplifier boards, connected directly to the circuit boards to keep signal paths as short as possible, are to the left and right of the power supply.
A solitary XLR input, along with the standard IEC power connection and two speaker outputs to facilitate bi-wiring, makes it easy to integrate a pair of SM-101s into any system. These beasts can be used as 100-watt-per-channel amplifiers in Class-AB mode or 40-watts-per-channel amps in Class A mode. With every speaker, save the Magnepan 1.7s, Class A mode yields enough power for all but the most intense listening.

Flick of the Switch

The SM-010s power up in AB mode but can easily be switched into Class A via the remote control or front panel. Yes, my inner Homer Simpson loves any adjustments that can be done from the comfort of a listening chair—it really does make the evaluation process easier. When switched to Class A, the change in the amplifiers’ performance is slightly more than subtle, acting as a tube amplifier does when switching from pentode to triode mode. Unlike all the tube amplifiers I’ve auditioned that offer this function (and make a loud ker-chunk sound when altering modes), the Vitus effortlessly and silently switches between A and AB, making sonic inspections all the more interesting. And while engaging triode mode with a vacuum-tube amplifier usually bestows more midrange lubricity, it comes at the expense of bass control. The SM-010s require no such sacrifice.

Again, like a tube amplifier, the SM-010 needs a solid hour or two for the slight initial haze to dissipate. While not green in practice, if you want to experience the best it has to offer (especially in Class A mode), leave the amps on for a day before you begin critical listening. However, prepare to see a bump in your electric bill the following month!

Listen to This

On “Hear My Train A-Comin’” from Jimi Hendrix’s recent Winterland compilation, the Vitus’ deliver the virtuoso’s distorted guitar in spades and Noel Redding’s bass playing in a way I’ve never experienced. Textures in the latter blend with the distortion, the mix growling as if emanating from the band’s vintage Ampeg amplifiers. Metallica’s so-called “Black Album” offers similar revelations when cranked up. The plucked bass line in “Nothing Else Matters” flaps my pants leg as it does at a Metallica concert. All six of my GamuT woofers work strenuously and, yet, stay controlled. I’ll trade all the string quartets in the world for five minutes of this experience, and the Vitus amplifiers grant my wishes. After a full day of seriously heavy music (that, admittedly, to the disappoint of editor Bob Gendron, did not include any St. Vitus albums), these amplifiers cannot be broken. Moreover, while they got extremely warm, their sonic character did not change.

Big solid-state power normally promises stout bass response, and the SM-010s prove no exception to the rule. Yet these amplifiers’ innate ability to unveil layer after layer of musical performances melts brain cells. If you have speakers as equally revealing as the SM-010s, you’re in for a fatigue-free experience—no matter how high or low the listening level.

Indeed, classical music aficionados will relish the delicacy with which the Vitus’ render string and wind instruments. My GamuT S9s feel like big headphones when I listen to the oboes in the Netherland Wind Ensemble’s Beethoven Wind Music. For me, texture and nuance are the chief characteristics that turn listening sessions into musical events. With the SM-010s in my system, I’m still going to great lengths to listen to records I’ve heard hundreds of times to see if I can mine new aural data.

Great amplifiers also magnify differences between mediocre recordings and standout efforts. Score another victory for the SM-010s. Used extensively in TONEAudio’s Pink Floyd coverage for Issue 40, the Vitus’ exposed subtle nuances between various Dark Side of the Moon pressings as if merely presented with apples and oranges.

Whether in AB or A mode, the SM-010s exhibit dead-quiet backgrounds with zero noise when used in conjunction with the equally silent Vitus preamplifier. When mated with my ARC REF 5 and REF PHONO 2, there’s a slight bit of tube rush—but nothing from the Vitus. This makes for a dynamic presentation, and contributes to the amplifiers always sounding much bigger than you’d expect 40-watt monoblocks to sound. They actually remind me of my favorite amplifiers from the 80s—Mark Levinson ML-2s—but boast healthier depth and detail.

The SM-010s also excel at precise acceleration and deceleration, never blurring transients. Vide, Morris Pert’s lightning-fast percussion runs in “The Poke,” from Brand X’s Masques. The amps’ perfect pace separates the percussion from the rapid-fire drumming, each keeping control of its own space. Such ability to instantaneously start and stop significantly contributes to the SM-010’s non-fatiguing sound.

Other Synergies

Partnered with my reference GamuT S9s, the SM-010s are in many ways the equal of my reference Burmester, Pass Labs, and ARC amps but, nonetheless, retain their own sonic signature. While each amplifier has its own virtues and near-faultless performance, the Vitus amplifiers thrive in their ability to resolve great detail without ever becoming fatiguing—even after full-day listening sessions.

While mixing and matching, I discovered a few synergies to be unmistakably good. For example, the B&W 802 Diamonds are completely different speakers when used in concert with the SM-010s. Normally, the 802 is very revealing and, when married to an amplifier that is either harsh or forward, mirrors the amp’s presentation. With the 802s, the Vitus sounds particularly tube-like in the upper registers, replete with the slam and control you expect from a powerful solid-state amplifier.

Heard through this combination, Keith Jarrett’s Shostakovich: 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87 possesses extra depth and decay, sounding more realistic than I recall—especially on the opening “Prelude & Fugue No. 1 in C Major.” While Shostakovich is traditionally a forceful composer, this piece assumes a wistful delicacy through lesser amplifiers, as Jarrett’s light touch becomes lifeless and flat. The ultimate test? Play the composition at the low volume it demands. The Vitus passes with proverbial flying colors.

B&Ws aside, the oddest albeit most interesting combination I experienced with the SM-010s occurred with the compact Penaudio Cenya speakers. Most people would not mate a $40k pair of amplifiers with a $4,000 pair of speakers, but hey, why not give it a try? The Cenyas sounded supercharged, disappearing in the room as never before, almost as if a subwoofer entered the equation.

Not Just Another Brick in the Audio Wall

Some audiophiles argue that speakers are everything to a system, while others, maintaining the garbage in/garbage out theory, believe the source the most important link in the chain. I feel every part is equally important. But I’ve also seen plenty of astonishing speakers and fantastic source components humbled when lacking proper amplification. Truth be told, I’ve heard modest speakers deliver performances I never thought possible when a standout amplifier drives them. So, at the end of the day, I’m an amplifier guy.

A pair of Vitus SM-010 amplifiers will present no compromise to your system no matter the quality of your other components. These behemoths may even inspire you to make a few improvements once you get used to their abilities. While the price is high, it’s commensurate with the level of build and sound quality. Think of the SM-010s as an ultimate audio destination—desert-island tracks optional.

Vitus Audio SM-101 Monoblocks
MSRP: $40,000/pair
Manufacturer Information: www.vitusaudio.com

Peripherals

Analog Source AVID Acutus Reference SP/SME V/Koetsu Urushi Blue

Phono Preamplifier ARC REF Phono 2

Preamplifier ARC REF 5, Burmester 011, Vitus SP-101

Digital Source dCS Paganini Stack, Sooloos Control 15

Speakers GamuT S9, Verity Amadis, B&W 802 Diamond, Magnepan 1.7

Power Running Springs Dmitri, Maxim PLCs, RSA Mongoose Cords

Cable Shunyata Aurora SP

Accessories SRA Scuttle Equipment rack, SRA Ohio XL equipment bases, Furutech DeMag, Loricraft LR-4 record cleaner

Fresh from the Fed Ex Truck from France, (say that ten times as fast as you can…) the Audion phono stage is here for review. With the trend of phono preamplifiers heading ever upward, it’s refreshing to see a unit that looks this good and sounds this good weighing in at $1,995. While you might think that the MM input leaves something to be desired, there are a lot of great MM carts in the $300-$1,000 range that will probably sound fantastic with the Audion. The investigation has already begun, with great results.

They promised us a few hours on the clock, and out of the box the Audion sounds excellent. With a pair of ECC88 tubes, tube rolling options are plentiful (I’m thinking a pair of EAT tubes), so this will be a fun review. Stay tuned.

Factory link: http://www.audion.co.uk/

US Distributor: http://www.trueaudiophile.com/

Audioengine 5+ (A5+) Premium Powered Speakers deliver audiophile-quality sound and features at a price that continues to set the standard for affordable high-quality audio. Connect your iDevice, computer, TV, or any other audio component for great stereo sound in any room. The new A5+ incorporates the same award-winning design as the original A5 but includes customer-requested upgrades and features.

A5+ features and upgrades
– built-in power amps
– advance tuned cabinet with rear-ported waveguide
– remote control
– dual RCA and mini-jack inputs
– upgraded connectors
– improved thermal management
– variable preamp line out
– new stand-mount threaded inserts
– user-selectable sleep mode

Pricing and Availability
Audioengine 5+ starts at US$399/pair and is available from over 200 authorized resellers or online direct: audioengineusa.com

Does A5+ sound better than the original A5?
Email to request a sample and find out! Also keep us in mind for any upcoming holiday product giveaways or contests.

If you’ll be in Denver this weekend, please stop by and listen to the A5+ and check out our other new products:

Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF)
October 14-16, 2011
Marriott Denver Tech Center, Room 438

We’ve reviewed a pretty big pile of gear in the last six years and it can be tough to wade through it all…

So, we’ve launched our new Review Index, which we will be updating 8 times per year to help you sort
it all out. Feel free to download it here:

Let us know what you think, and if there is anything we can do to make the data more accessible.

New York king of avant-rock Lou Reed and best-selling hard rock band Metallica will be featured as part of the exclusive Bowers & Wilkins Sound Sessions series.

The invite-only Bowers & Wilkins Sound Sessions are part of the company’s experiential marketing campaign in North America designed to engage with audiences directly by offering fans access to VIP-only, listening events with their favorite artists while experiencing the music through the world-class Bowers & Wilkins speakers, Zeppelin Air iPod docks and P5 headphones. Recent Sound Sessions events were held with, among others, Academy Award-winner, Jeff Bridges, in Los Angeles and rock superstars, Coldplay, in Austin, Texas.

“Our Sound Sessions are designed to showcase our best-in-class performance with some of the finest artists in the world across all genres, and we are privileged that Lou Reed and Metallica have agreed to be part of this series to celebrate their new, collaborative release, Lulu,” said Tyler Fairchild, Director of Strategic Brand Development for Bowers & Wilkins.
As fearless musical pioneers of different generations, the combination of Lou Reed and Metallica was always going to deliver something startlingly different and exciting, on visceral and cerebral levels. These two giants of modern music first came together in October 2009, at the 25th anniversary Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame concerts in New York. Metallica – founding members singer/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich plus guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Rob Trujillo – played with the hometown hero Reed on Velvets classics “Sweet Jane” and “White Light/White Heat”. Reed pronounced, “We knew from then that we were made for each other.”

“It’s definitely not a Metallica album, or a Lou Reed album”, offers Kirk. “It’s something else. It’s a new animal, a hybrid. Nobody in our world, the heavy metal world, has ever done anything like this.”

“It’s made us a better band. It’s going to freak some people out”, says Rob. “And that’s good.”

“This,” said Lou, “is the best thing I ever did. And I did it with the best group I could possibly find on the planet. By definition, everybody involved was honest. This has come into the world pure. We pushed as far as we possibly could within the realms of reality.”

The Lou Reed/Metallica Sound Session will be held at the Steven Kasher Gallery in New York City on October 24, 2011.

An Interview with Pink Floyd Drummer Nick Mason
By Bob Gendron

Budget Gear: The NAD C316 BEE
By Jeff Dorgay

Journeyman Audiophile: The BelCanto C5i Integrated/DAC
By Jeff Dorgay

Macro: Six Great Speakers For Your Desktop
By Jeff Dorgay

Old School: The NAD 3020
By Steve Guttenberg

Tone Style

New! The Wino: A Trio of Warm Weather Wines
By Wayne Garcia

The Nike+ GPS Watch

Fiat 500 Sport

SureFit Flashlight
By Kevin Gallucci

Monkees T-shirt

The iGrill

KISS Plushies!