So, it’s time to shop for new speakers.

You set up your wish list of characteristics; Something that can sound great at both high and low volumes, Crystal clear high’s, solid low end, midrange with excellent clarity and accuracy, something that images like crazy, build quality that can last a lifetime, no sun fade, a speaker that can rock out for any party, a speaker that will let high rez files shine through for critical listening and, oh yes, your budget tops out at around $1,000, maybe a little more. Nice wish list. How close can you get these days to a speaker giving you everything you wished for?

Well, you must be quick on the order button and pay attention four days per year. The speaker is the Zu Audio Omen Dirty Weekend. Available to order only four days a year on the first day of each quarter, they sell out fast. Within a day kind of fast. But as I found out, it was worth the wait.

Get out the checkbook

Zu Audio does not provide review samples for the reviewer to request. Get in line with everyone else and wait. After attending numerous after hours events at various audio shows, I was willing to get in line. My choice of upgraded capacitors and Sangria Maple finish meant the final cost would be closer to $1,700 and a three month wait. Keep in mind the base hickory finish and standard caps will run you about $1,100 USD. The Dirty Weekends get about 600 hours of break in at the factory, so when they arrive, the heavy lifting is done. Unboxing and setup are straightforward – installing the footers is an easy task and necessary to provide breathing room for the downward ported main driver. Don’t skip this vital part of setting the Zu’s up.

Build quality on the Dirty Weekends is exemplary. This is furniture grade woodworking and finishing. Sean Casey, Zu Audio’s Founder, indicates they are built for a lifetime of use. You may need to swap out capacitors after a decade or two, but they are indeed built for the long haul. Amazing craftsmanship for $10k, but remember these start at $1,100/pair. Adding them into the system I hooked them up the Audio Research REF160S and REF6SE amp and preamp that were in for review. Source was the PS Audio DirectStream DAC and Memory Player. Vinyl was courtesy of the VPI Prime Signature with Ortofon Cadenza Bronze MC cartridge and the Moon 610LP Phono-Pre. Speaker Cables were the Silversmith Audio Fidelium’s. The DW’s are an easy load to drive at 12 Ohms so the Audio Research REF160S at 140 Wpc was way more than necessary to power them. Now you may ask do you need audiophile reference level electronics to pair with these speakers. No, but it was fun to try the combination!

Queueing up Fleetwood Mac’s Tango in the Night on vinyl, the first track, “Big Love,” the first thing I noticed was how crisp and precise the presentation was. Lindsey Buckingham’s finger style guitar work was direct and immediate. Fingers on strings were tight with the pluck of the string being clear with a delicious sense of realism. Mick Fleetwood’s drums had the well-defined attack you expect from a live performance. The song displayed excellent imaging and spatial boundary. It was a beautiful experience that presaged good times ahead with the Omen Dirty Weekends.

Moving to a digital source I chose The Talking Heads Stop Making Sense soundtrack and “Life During Wartime.” This was a specific choice as I had heard the song at one of the after-show parties as well as having heard the song live at Northrup Auditorium on the University of Minnesota campus in 1982. That was a great concert and while there I expected the balcony to come down as everyone was jumping during that song. The DW’s rocked the man-cave as I cranked the song and let the live recording loose. The energy was powerful, and the song soared. The jumping afro polyrhythms filled the room with a dynamic syncopation framing David Byrne’s vocal. It was a total blast and revealed the trade secret that Zu Audio brings to your listening room, fun! These speakers are flat out fun. Three cubic feet of party in a box.

So, I was now convinced that the DW’s would not embarrass themselves connected to $75k of gear. I had disconnected my Vandersteen Quatro CT’s to move the DW’s in. I now changed out the reference electronics for something closer to the Zu’s price point. I added in a Luxman CL-38uC tube preamp and MQ-88uC class AB tube amplifier that ran 25 Wpc. At $6k USD each these mid-level Luxman pieces are outstanding, and boy did the Zu’s like them! Staying in the vein of fun, I went to Roon and called up Oingo Boingo’s 1985 song, “Dead Man’s Party”. If this song does not get you dancing around the room at high volume, I don’t know what will.  This song has great guitar and a solid bass line that drives the tune on. It also features a great brass section. I love brass, however, at volume on a stereo they can be harsh and strident with poor quality speakers that are being pushed. The DW’s offered up high volume trumpet and trombone with the clear and correct ring of brass. At no point were the instruments distorted or harsh. Peals of tone were strong and clear. It was a great display of sonic execution that I greatly appreciated.

So, what about vocals? I moved on to Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds Live at Luther College. “Deed is Done” has the boys’ guitars working a brilliant tandem while Dave sings. His vocals are clear and immediate as a live album should be. Imaged perfectly not only centered but with a three dimensionality that gave life to the live recording. Guitar strings are plucked and strummed and offered up that live performance feel that separates a studio recording from an event. This is a key point with the Omen Dirty Weekend speakers. If the recording has in it the ability to convey real, the DW’s will bring it. When I first heard “it” (That real sound) during some additional break in time, I did a double take. I have never heard a speaker at this price point nail “Real” the way these do.

Female vocals are also superb. An afternoon listening to Dominique Fils-Aime’s Nameless album proved the Dirty Weekends were more than up to lower volume and nuance.  Critical listener’s will be well served with these astonishing speakers. Everything I tried with them worked. You get the idea from the Zu Audio website, but I spoke to Sean Casey directly about the “entry drug” purpose of the Dirty Weekends. He agreed the hope is after experiencing them you will want to see how far down the Zu Audio rabbit hole you may want to go. Zu Audio will give the buyer a full year full value on trade-in to move up the line. The fact that a company will stand so proudly behind its entry product speaks volumes about what the customer will receive up the line. I encourage anyone in the market for new speakers to take a chance and place an order. At 36” high and 12” square they are easy to place and very forgiving on placement. At 54 lbs they are easy to move and at $1100 they will not break the bank. What is not to like? I recommend getting in line for a pair asap. You will be glad you did.

Additional Listening: Jeff Dorgay

A funny thing happened in the checkout isle. Eric had originally purchased the DWs above, but in the course of his excellent review, decided to make a change in his listening room priorities. We’ve all done it. Being that his pair already had the upgraded finish and caps, I was more than happy to take them off his hands, and back to Washington, the Zu’s flew.

Eric has done a fantastic job describing his experience with the Zu’s and I concur. However, don’t think you need mega gear to enjoy these. While I’m currently using them with the Line Magnetic 805 amplifier we reviewed here, these speakers are one of the most accessible ways to a great system, period, end of story. Going the complete budget route, four highly accessible amplifiers did a cracking job with these speakers. Adding your favorite turntable, DAC, or streamer will have you styling for under $2,500.

Going the vintage receiver route is my first choice. A Pioneer SX-525, Marantz 2215/2220, or Harmon/Kardon 330 will give you 15 or 20 great watts per channel, and that’s all you need to rock with these speakers. Most of these can be picked up for a couple hundred bucks, and re-capped by a pro for a couple hundred bucks more. If you’re a DIY kind of audio enthusiast, way less.

Those wanting a vintage tube sound need look no further than a Dynaco SCA-35 integrated. 18 watts per channel of EL84 power and a decent on-board phono stage (not to mention a tape head preamp) also will provide an incredibly rich musical experience. A nice one, even with a full refresh can still be had for under a thousand bucks.

In the 60s a number of Japanese auto executives came to America to see how we built cars. You know the rest of the story. Perhaps some of the big speaker manufacturers should visit Zu. They do it right. The level of excellence that Zu offers at this price (and I realize that they are making precious little on DWs) is unbelievable. Nothing else I’ve experienced in 40 years of hifi offers up this much music. For many, this is the only speaker you’ll ever need. It’s beyond cool that Zu makes these available four times a year.

A few months later, I’m still totally flabbergasted with these speakers. Big thanks to Bill Griffin, creator of my favorite existential pinhead for conveying my thoughts perfectly!

www.zuaudio.com

Much as I like to dismiss measurements when it comes to the subject of hifi, there’s one that I find intriguing – sound pressure level, which relates closely to dynamics.

Much as I like small Class A solid-state amplifiers, SET tube amplifiers, and small tube amplifiers like the hallowed MC30 amplifiers from McIntosh – there’s no substitute for power. And in this case the new MC1502 delivers incredible dynamic range.

Listening to The System’s hit, “Don’t Disturb This Groove” at a modest level of about 82 db, I’m surprised to see that the sound level app on my phone is recording 112 db peaks. Meanwhile the softest parts of this track fall all the way down to 55 db, with the room going “silent” at 29db. Even with somewhat compressed Motown tracks, Diana Ross’ lead vocal in “Standing at the Crossroads” Jumps up 20db with ease. Switching back and forth between the 1502 and an MC275 feels smaller, significantly smaller, and the MC275 is no slouch. But the meter doesn’t lie. With levels matched, the same tracks hit much lower instantaneous peak levels, even though average levels are exactly the same.

You might be surprised at how much of the music you feel is unlistenable because you find it overly compressed, is actually running your amp and speakers out of power. Your room size, and speaker sensitivity will play a big part in this, but again, 82db isn’t exactly concert hall levels. Even turning the volume down lower to a 76db average level, is still generating 100db peaks on a lot of tunes.  The 150 watts per channel that the MC1502 deliver comes in handy, and at much lower listening levels than you might think.

Racy carbon fiber or traditional Mac?

Anyone digging the matte black and carbon fiber look of the 70^th anniversary MC2152 might still be lucky enough to snag one, albeit at a higher price of $15,000. It offers a slightly sleeker, look and has its controls oriented front to back, instead of side to side, as the MC1502 does. But it doesn’t sound any different. The $11,000 MC1502 is a stone cold bargain at that rate, and if you’re a Mac loyalist, maybe take the change and put it towards a C22 preamplifier. That’s where I’m headed.

Whichever direction you choose, unless you are really buff, get a friend to help you lift it out of the box. Packed, the MC1502 weighs 135 pounds, and unboxed, 118. A discussion with the urgent care doc about being careful nicked $800 out of the C22 fund, so proceed with caution. It’s not the lifting the 118-pound amp that gets you into trouble, it’s the trying to gently wiggle it into the equipment rack that will bite you.

And make sure to have plenty of space above wherever you place your MC1502. 8 KT88 power tubes throw off a fair amount of heat. You’ll notice that the MC1502 arrives with a tube cage in place, holding the shipping foam over the tubes. Throw that stuff in the packing carton and forget about it. You wanna see those tubes in action, which leads us to another nice touch.

For some time now, Mc gear has had green lights behind the tubes, so all the tubes glow green. I think the person that suggested this feature should be punished, but it’s still a free country for a little while. The MC275 requires making a small 1/8” jumper to plug into the remote power socket to disable these green lights and allow you to enjoy the tubes in their natural hue. The MC1502 lets you control this from a control knob on the right side of the amplifier. If the person that added this feature to the 1502 is the same person that came up with the green LED thing, rest easy. I won’t fire you when I am the next owner of McIntosh.

But you know what’s super cool? When the 1502 powers up from cold, the two middle driver tubes light up, then another pair, then another, then the final two. Oh yeah. That’s just vacuum tube awesomeness. Roon somehow senses that this is the time for more cowbell and plays “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” Life can’t get much better than this. The rest of the tube complement consists of four 12AX7 and four 12AT7 tubes. That makes for a total of 16 tubes. That’s a lot of tubes to tube roll if you feel so inclined. Fortunately, McIntosh amplifiers are really easy on tubes, and they sound great with the stock tubes. That being said, the area of my brain often overtaken by OCD behavior knows that the MC275 did reveal even more sound with premium tubes. I’ll leave you to your own madness.

All things big and small

Extended listening reveals that this amplifier is just as good at low volumes as it is pushed to its limit – which it does with tremendous composure. Many of the McIntosh owners I’ve met over the years really like to rock, and this amplifier indeed does that. Our Sonus faber Stradiveri speakers are fairly sensitive at 92db/1-watt, so playing music loud was easy. My ears gave up before the MC1502 could clip to the point where the soundstage collapsed.

Actual component break in was minimal. The MC1502 sounds good straight out of the box, and after about four solid days of listening had opened up the last bit, so this isn’t one of those fussy “needs 600 hours to sound right” amplifiers. Dig in and get to it right away. However, the MC1502 does need a solid hour to fully warm up, stabilize, and give its best performance. The first five minutes are compressed, and for the next hour, it slowly comes out of the fog in a linear fashion.

In addition to sounding great at high and low volumes, the MC1502 handles the most densely packed and technically challenging recordings with ease. Part of this delicacy is just what you get with tube amplification, yet auditioning recordings with a lot of percussion or acoustic guitars gives up that airiness and speed that tube aficionados will enjoy.

It’s always tough to get everything with a tube amplifier, but the MC1502 does an incredible job at an approachable price. There’s those transformers again. If you aren’t familiar with tube amplifiers on a regular, and you’ve heard other audio enthusiasts talk about the “warmth” that tubes provide – some of that is many tube amplifiers lack of control over the lowest bass frequencies. Or a softness in the highest frequencies.

The MC1502 takes charge of the lower register as well as or better than any high power tube amplifier we’ve had the opportunity to review in the past 17 years, and the overall tonal balance is slightly warm, with a moderate amount of tonal saturation as well. Yet there is a high level of resolution, which will allow you to peek way into your favorite recordings. This is not your grandfathers McIntosh – it’s a thoroughly modern amplifier.

Price, performance and heritage

There’s no doubt McIntosh makes great gear. And while they offer a wider range of product offerings than at any time in the company’s history, I submit they still rule when in the domain that put them on the map – building high quality tube amplifiers. Maybe I’m a little biased.

Walking through the McIntosh facility, you’ll make your way to a group of people that wind the output transformers for McIntosh amplifiers. Most of the people assigned to this critical task have been doing it for decades. High quality output transformers are the key to great tube amplifier performance. Most of the companies that make the world’s finest tube amplifiers wind their own, and keep the design parameters, as well as the winding technique top secret. All of these amplifiers have much higher price tags than McIntosh. 70 plus years of manufacturing allows not only an economy of scale, but an economy of process and refinement to manufacturing technique.

As mentioned earlier, the MC1502 has the same form factor that Mc tube amps have used for decades. They feature a polished stainless chassis, with transformers at the rear, and tubes up front, displayed for maximum effect. The front panel shows off the McIntosh logo proudly. A quick look at McIntosh tube amps new and old illustrates just how much refinement has gone into these designs. Long gone is the barrier strip for connecting speakers (making way for the sheer girth of today’s audiophile cables), input level controls, and we see balanced as well as single ended RCA inputs. Those of you with multi components systems can control power up remotely via the 12v trigger port. Inputs and outputs are both on the left side of the chassis, however the stereo/mono switch from the MC275 is absent. This is a 150 watt per channel stereo amplifier. That’s it.

One of the biggest questions

Chatter on the internet suggests you don’t need an MC1502 – you can just bridge a pair of MC275s. You can do that- however the results are different. Kudos to McIntosh for offering you a way to merely add another amplifier, and it’s not a dreadful way to go, but having a pair of bridged MC275s reveals enough of a difference, I suggest selling your MC275 (or just moving it to another room and building another Mac system!) and upgrading to an MC1502.

The McIntosh website suggests this is a better approach, because the new amplifier has a lower signal to noise ratio. Comparing a pair of bridged MC275s to the new MC1502 with a number of different speakers all reveals the same thing. The MC1502 has a cleaner, less cloudy, if you will presentation. The bridged MC275 sound great, until you swap the MC1502 into the system, and the effect is there just as much at low volumes, playing acoustic or vocal music as it is playing heavy rock. Talented as the Mc transformer people are, I doubt the output transformers in the MC275 are matched to a zero tolerance, because most people aren’t bridging them.

Once again, Roon anticipates my mood, playing Hall & Oates “Possession Obsession,” and I’m starting to get a little creeped out. But this is a case where trading up is a great thing. Thanks to the incredible loyalty of McIntosh owners, their products barely depreciate. These days, a nice used MC275 is trading for close to retail price, so you won’t lose much money trading up. Who knows, maybe your local Mc dealer will hook you up? All kidding aside, if you want bigger power, make the jump to the MC1502, you won’t be unhappy. However, as I like to say, I love to spend your money.

Final setup, listening, and tech notes

Once you’ve hoisted the MC1502 into place, the rest is easy. Thanks to RCA and balanced inputs, it will integrate into any system with ease. Again, if you’re all Mac, you’ve already got the rest of this figured out and it’s a plug and play operation. During the course of the review session, we made it a point to use the MC1502 with our reference Pass XS PRE, as well as the Backert Labs Rhumba, BAT REX, the Nagra Classic Pre, and a vintage Conrad-Johnson PV-12. All perfection, and the MC1502 has more than enough resolution and tonal purity to reveal the subtleties between all of these preamplifiers.

Thanks to auto biasing, you’ll never have to mess with setting the tube bias, and thanks to McIntosh’s Sentry Monitor circuity, the amplifier is automatically shut down in the event of tube failure. Should this happen to extreme clipping, or a short in the output terminals, the tubes will go from their standard green or amber to bright red. At this point, shut it off for a minute or two and reboot. McIntosh always runs their tubes well beneath maximum design limits, resulting in long tube life. I suspect that the MC1502 will be as easy on tubes as past McIntosh amplifiers I’ve owned, and with more power on tap, you might not find yourself cranking this one up as much to get the desired effect.

You can get all the specs for the MC1502 here, but this amplifier is quiet. There are plenty of solid-state amplifiers that aren’t this quiet. All the audiophile clichés apply here. Should you have fairly sensitive speakers, you will appreciate this aspect of the MC1502. While working on issue 107s speaker roundup, the 97db/1-watt Zu Dirty Weekends reveal less than quiet amplifiers immediately, and thanks to the ultra low noise floor of this amplifier, delivered a stunning performance.

It never hurts to have about 20 speakers at your disposal for a speaker roundup to really give an amplifier a thorough investigation. Everything in house delivered great results, however the MC1502 delivered amazing results with the new Harbeth C7ES3-XD, and the Harbeth/Mc combination is not usually two great tastes that taste great together. Again, that extra current and bigger power supply equals control, and that almost always equals great sound.

In the end, fantastic

Tube amplifiers aren’t for everyone, but the McIntosh has gone above and beyond expectation to bring us an amplifier that produces plenty of power, sounds fantastic, and is well built. Thanks to the auto bias circuitry and anticipated long tube life, this is as easy as it gets to live with a tube amplifier.

The highest compliment I can give the MC1502 is that I’m selling my beloved MC275 and buying a rack with a bigger lower shelf. It’s a keeper. – thanks to McIntosh Laboratory for additional photos.

www.mcintoshlabs.com

Peripherals

Analog Source Grand Prix Audio Parabolica Turntable/TriPlanar/Lyra Atlas

Digital Source dCS Vivaldi One

Preamplifier Pass Labs XS Pre

Phonostage Pass Labs XS Phono

Cable Cardas Clear

Rotel has been a manufacturer of fine audio gear for decades now, always offering maximum value at a reasonable price. Today, they have joined forces with Sumiko Audio to strengthen their distribution channel. For those not familiar, they have also added a new, premium line – MICHI to their offerings.

Senior management at Sumiko, Rotel and McIntosh Group answered a few of my burning questions about the new partnership, which was announced at 10 a.m. EST today.

TA:  How did this new venture come about? Who approached who, or was this a mutual meeting of the minds?

R/S: Rotel and Sumiko came together because of people. Daren Orth, CTO Rotel, and Jeff Poggi, CEO Sumiko, got to know each other through industry friends. The idea of distributing Rotel by Sumiko emerged naturally as we got to know each other and realize that we shared a common vision. The products, dedication, culture and passion are perfectly aligned. The nearly 60 year of Rotel heritage supported with an array of Audio, Custom Installation and Home Theater products was a natural extension to the Sumiko offerings including Sonus faber, Pro-ject, Sumkio Cartridges and Bassocontinuo.

TA: Was this as a result of the general decline in what’s been happening with Bowers & Wilkins? (i.e. the huge layoffs there)? Rotel mentions an alliance with B&W that goes back decades, will this now be a new chapter in their history?

R/S:  The new Rotel / Sumkio relationship will indeed be a new chapter in the history of both businesses. Sumiko spent 2019 moving their office from Berkeley, CA to Maple Grove, MN and the warehouse to Buffalo, NY. Coming into 2020, the new Sumiko staff was running at full speed with a new ERP system, faster order processing, improved on-time delivery, and more engaging marketing communications. Sumiko was ready to take on a new brand and Rotel was a very complementary brand to add to our distribution portfolio. Rotel has long been recognized as a leader in the audio market for both build quality and value. Rotel is sold through Magnolia, select specialty retailers, and CI dealers. These are the three key channels for Sumiko today. So, it was a very nice fit. The timing of the Rotel / Sumiko venture allows both brands to execute on their collective visions extending service and support to the existing network of dealers and consumers.

TA: Is this partnership/association an attempt at making the Rotel lineup a way to expand the current offerings of McIntosh group to existing dealers? (I think it’s outstanding, because the current brands are at the higher end of the high end, so this is a great way to become “part of the family” so to speak)

R/S:  Rotel’s portfolio of hi-performance 2-channel and home theater products are a perfect complement to the McIntosh Group’s family of brands. For the most part, Rotel’s price points allow us to have a high quality, lower priced offering in all electronic categories – amplifiers, pre-amps, integrated amps, and home theater processors/AVRs. This is complementary to both McIntosh and Sonus faber. And, the addition of the new MICHI by Rotel product line allows us to give dealers a unique exclusive product offering to help them differentiate their assortment. We hope that our dealers will appreciate the increased selection that we have to offer.

TA:  Will that also be a way for dealers to dovetail with the current Sonus faber in-wall and custom offerings?

R/S:  Absolutely. Sonus faber and Rotel custom installation models are well aligned to support this growing category and perfectly matched with respect to price/performance. The acoustic innovations of the Sonus faber in-wall speakers connected with Rotel multi-room and home-theater installations will build on the value of both brands and products.

TA:  Will Rotel be sold on the same sales floors as McIntosh? Considering McIntosh offering some great gear that’s more affordable, the new Michi product is a stunning value in approachable, true high-end gear.

R/S:  Ultimately, we believe that the most successful Dealers love the brands that they sell. We want each dealer to be a strong brand ambassador for our brands. Our strategy is to work individually with each dealer to determine which brands are best for them. We will customize our approach to support the dealer’s strategy.  We will inherit a portfolio of existing Rotel dealers to start on June 1. Many of these dealers already sell McIntosh and/or Sonus faber. Others may sell Pro-ject and/or Sumiko Phono Cartridges. And, some of the dealers are new to Sumiko. So, we have nice mix to build from.

TA:  Will Michi dealers be an exclusive arrangement and sold in a different environment than standard Rotel gear?

R/S:  We are very excited to have the opportunity to build the Michi product line in the US. The Michi products offer a new performance/price position for Rotel and allows Dealers the ability to have a unique product offering to differentiate their business. We plan to sell the Michi products through an exclusive channel of specialty dealers within the Sumiko Rotel dealer network.

TA:  Are the Michi products built in Japan or China?

R/S:  Michi products are built in a dedicated factory-in-factory in the Rotel’s 100,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Zhuhai, China. All Michi staff have been trained and certified for Michi assembly, testing and service ensuring the highest standards of build quality and performance.

This looks like a very exciting time for all parties concerned, stay tuned. We currently have the new Michi preamplifier and stereo power amplifier in for review, and if we’re going on first impressions, this pair is stunning. The S5 and P5 will grace the cover of issue 103 and be our feature story.

www.sumikoaudio.net

www.rotel.com

Even though there is a wealth of streaming options available to music lovers, the CD is quietly making a bit of a comeback. Not everyone wants to be an IT person, and some really enjoy the simplicity of putting a disc in and pushing play. Not to mention, there are some great deals to be had in the used CD bins.

Over the last several years, vinyl’s comeback reinvigorated the love for turntables. Following on the footsteps of this old-school resurgence CDs are experiencing a surprise comeback too. Embracing this trend, Italy’s Gold Note seeks to bring together the best of CD playback and streaming into a single package with the CD-1000 player and DAC. Indeed, the CD-1000 performs admirably in extracting the most from CDs. However, it also features a USB input so the internal DAC can deliver double-duty in decoding high-resolution PCM files. While Gold Note player cannot decode SACD or DVD-A disks, DSD, or MQA files, listeners will enjoy its prowess with a vast majority of their music collection.

Behold gold

After unpacking the CD1000, it’s evident that Italy’s Gold Note puts a lot of effort into the aesthetics of their products to complement the equally-beautiful sound.

The player comes in a variety of finishes. In addition to the gold anodizing reflecting the company’s namesake, Gold Note offers black and silver options to match other downstream components. While some manufacturers anodize only the thick aluminum faceplate to save production cost, the CD-1000 surfaces all reflect the owner’s color choice. Atop the CD-1000, even the ventilation slits prove attractive. It also features a custom-made aluminum CD drawer rather than the cheap plastic ones used in most players. The unit’s heft also reflects serious build quality. The player weighs in at 33 pounds (15kg) with external dimensions of 17 inches wide, 14.75 inches deep, and 5.3 inches tall (430mm X 375mm X 135mm).

The front panel controls offer the expected options for a CD player. Eject, play/pause, track skipping or scanning, stop, and standby buttons integrate gracefully into the faceplate. A digital display showcases the CD track number and elapsed time. There is no button to choose the input selections, however. For that, one needs to use the included plastic remote control.

Owners have a choice of RCA or AES/EBU (XLR) analog outputs. They can also use the S/PDIF coax output to use the CD-1000 as a transport to an external DAC. However, it would take an exceptional DAC to expect an improvement over the one built into the Gold Note.

Input wise, those using the player as a standalone DAC can connect to it from other sources via Toslink, S/PDIF, or USB. Regardless of input choice, the player’s excellent Burr-Brown PCM1796 dual-mono chip takes the reins for decoding digital information.

Designed for upgrades

Gold Note employs a modular design for the CD player. While the internal dual-mono power supply does a marvelous job on its own, an owner can upgrade the player with a choice of two external Class A tube Output Stage Buffers, the TUBE-1012 taps the aid of twelve 6N1P triode tubes, while the smaller TUBE-1006 sibling uses six. Besides are also available two external inductive power supply the 9 transformers PSU-1250 and the 5 transformers PSU-1000.  According to Gold Note, either power supply bests the internal version. These upgrades don’t come cheap, retailing around $7,000 or $4,000, respectively for both TUBE and PSU. Adding that to the $5,000 cost of the player itself represents a substantial investment.

We’ll need to take Gold Note’s word for the sound improvements these power supplies offer since we did not have either on hand from which to base a comparison. For those CD-1000 owners who seek to unveil every sonic nuance from their CD-1000, the upgrade may prove worthwhile. CD-1000 owners who choose to go that route can acquire new-production Sovtek 6N1P tubes for about $12 each. Necessary re-tubing down the road won’t break the bank.

Listening

The Gold Note features a similar sonic voice, whether enjoying a CD or using the DAC for streamed content. However, CD playback is where it truly excels. The sound is exceptionally immersive and it’s easy to get swept up in the music rather than scrutinizing it.

The CD-1000 MkII digs out bass notes in a tight, defined, and concise way. Those who crave heavy bass emphasis may find the player’s voicing a touch polite for their taste. Low frequency, dub-steppy elements heard in Billie Eilish’s “you should see me in a crown” renders with ample punch, though. Listeners pairing the CD-1000 with preamps and amps that excel at low-frequency delivery may find the Gold Note an excellent match.

The Gold Note offers a beautiful midrange portrayal. Vocals seem to take a step toward the listener, exceeding the physical speaker placement. Similarly-impressive is the player’s broad and deep soundstage. Instruments sometimes offer a surprise by appearing to wrap around the edges of the listening space.

On the top end, high-frequency information translates with oodles of detail. The player retrieves nuances that help frame the ambiance around vocalists and various instruments. It layers them in the soundstage deftly. However, that marvelous capability is a double-edged sword at times. When mated with similarly-voiced downstream components, the DAC can introduce a touch of stridency. For example, “Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones comes with a bit of hard edge during her vocal crescendos. For sonic comparison between the DAC and CD functionality, we played the same track using the CD-1000MkII’s DAC only, and then the CD player. The Redbook CD playback sounded a little more rounded, even in comparison with a streamed 24-bit/192KHz native file.

I expect the power supply upgrades for the CD-1000 would enhance all the player’s strengths and diminish the few quibbles. Even without the upgrades though, the Gold Note’s voice is lovely and it’s easy to get immersed in rummaging through old CDs to see what the CD-1000 can extract from them. Those seeking more detail and “life” in their stereo system’s digital playback prowess may find the CD-1000 a great option.

Summing up

The Gold Note CD-100 MkII is an exceptional performer and a marvelous choice for those with an extensive CD collection. However, keep in mind that the player decodes streamed music too. Dividing that cost among the player and DAC capabilities justifies the future-proofed investment. Plus, Gold Note’s various power supplies give a prospective owner an upgrade path. If this review whets your appetite for a new CD player, be sure to audition a CD-1000 MkII and see if it’s the solution you’ve been seeking to complement your other system components.

Gold Note CD1000 MkII CD Player and DAC

MSRP:  $5,000

www.goldnote.it

PERIPHERALS

Digital Sources Roon Nucleus, Simaudio MOON 780D DAC, Oppo BDP-103, Synology DiskStation 415 Play, Tidal and Qobuz streaming services.

Amplification Conrad-Johnson ART150

Preamplification Coffman Labs G1-B

Speakers GamuT RS3i

Cables Jena Labs

Power Torus AVR 15 Plus, RSA Mongoose, and Cardas power cords

Accessories ASC tube traps, Cathedral Sound Room Dampening Panels, Mapleshade Samson audio racks, Coffman Labs Equipment Footers

Listening to the delicacy of Allison Miller’s drumming in Boom Tic Boom, in my living room system, it’s easy to see how this DAC can be the end of your digital journey.

Like every other dCS DAC I’ve owned or reviewed, they always manage to hit a perfect tonal balance, combined with wide dynamic range and a natural presentation that never feels digital at all. Good as their last entry-level piece the Debussy was ($11k about 8 years ago), the new Bartok at $13,500 (and $15,000 with a built-in headphone amp) offers quite a bit more. By comparison, many of your favorite automobiles have gone up in price by a much greater percentage.

The Bartok’s sonic signature is similar to the Vivaldi but the Vivaldi is further refined. The Bartok reminds me much more of my former Paganini in terms of the ease it presents. Much like my reference dCS Vivaldi One, the Bartok just sounds like music. There’s no “pretty good for digital” stuff going on here. dCS’ John Quick had this to say about the similarity of the Bartok in their lineup:

“Bartok and Rossini share the same processing and RingDAC analog boards, so overall, they have the same processing capacity. The differences between the units (that affect their cost and ultimately their overall performance) are literally down to the Bartok having half the power supply and the chassis being far less expensive. The Bartok’s construction overall is less complicated, using thinner metal. It uses a folded metal internal chassis wrapped in aluminum side and top panels; and although the front panel seems like a thick hunk of aluminum like everything else, it’s actually a very thin cap that either includes the punch-outs for the headphone outputs or not.”

A long-term investment

It’s been argued elsewhere that components like the dCS Bartok will only be purchased by the wealthy, in reference to its $13,500 price tag. ($1,500 more, if you want the internal headphone amplifier, and I highly suggest that you spend the extra- you won’t regret it)

However, I submit that $13,500 – $15,000 isn’t out of reach for all but the well-heeled (read my article on “motorcycle money” here). Call me crazy, but I’m guessing you probably didn’t wake up today and say “I’m gonna buy a $15,000 DAC today.” Most audio enthusiasts don’t start there. Some do, but most don’t. Most of us work our way up the ladder. More realistically, you’re probably trading in a $3k-$8k DAC and moving up to what might be your last. dCS’ programmable architecture goes a long way towards making an investment as future proof as digital technology can be.

Over the nearly ten years I owned the Paganini stack, numerous upgrades were only an upload away, giving me a new DAC every time. You can read more about dCS’ approach and technological solutions here at their website.

This is an excellent time to make an investment like this because Roon is well implemented, there are several excellent streaming services available (directly via dCS’ own Mosaic App should you not go the Roon route), and all of the dCS players have proprietary fully-implemented MQA. We could have a dodgeball game to the death about MQA, but if you are a fan, rest assured that dCS has done a fantastic job at decoding MQA. I’ll even put the Nomex suit on and go as far as to say they’ve even outdone Meridan on MQA decoding ability – these files though both of the dCS DACs here, sound more lifelike than they have on any other MQA equipped box we’ve heard.

Just grab your favorite phones

Because the Bartok has already started achieving a lot of fanfare in the headphone world, let’s start here. As dCS’ first entry into this world, they’ve built a brilliant product. The Bartok’s full class-A headphone amplifier drives everything from my Koss Pro-4AAs that I’ve had since high school to the new Focal Utopias to perfection. You’d probably spend more than $1,500on a premium interconnect and power cable to add a headphone amplifier of comparable performance to a Bartok based system, so it’s almost like getting a fab headphone amplifier at no extra charge- and you don’t need to find more rack space. How’s that for justification?

After exhausting auditioning with about 20 different pairs of phones in the $50 – $4,000 range, I don’t need a better headphone amplifier than the one built in the Bartok. A couple of the top choices from Luxman ($4,995) and Woo Audio ($16,000) reveal a little bit more music, but nowhere near enough for this moderate headphone user to ever justify the additional cost. The front panel features a standard ¼-inch headphone jack and a 4-pin balanced jack. While this won’t cover every single headphone out there, all of the premium headphones on the market have one of these two options (if not both) available (and most have detachable cables allowing for adapting to either).

Headphone use couldn’t be more straightforward. Plug into the front panel and switch the Bartok’s output from line to headphone, and then use the knob on the front panel as volume, or control from your mobile device or laptop with whatever app you are using for playback.

Even the most fanatical of my headphone pals came away highly impressed with the Bartok’s performance. Those of you living in tight quarters, tight enough that you can’t afford the space for a power amplifier and speakers right now, would do well to grab a Bartok, a Roon subscription, and a few of your favorite streaming services.

This leads to my only complaint with the Bartok- it would be lovely if dCS would add a single analog input, so those needing just one input could use it as a standalone preamplifier, or those going strictly for the headphone experience, could add a phonostage too. If you’re all digital, the Bartok is pretty incredible.

Tomato/Tomato

Rather than seeing the Bartok as a $15,000 headphone amp that happens to be a remarkable DAC, I see it as a destination DAC that’s a steal at $13,500 and even more so with the addition of the headphone amp. Perspective is everything.

After coming off a year with the Rossini and now nearly a year with the Vivaldi ONE, the only thing the Bartok doesn’t offer that the other two larger and more expensive players in the lineup offer are scale and some ultimate top-end refinement. Some of this refinement can be achieved by adding a dCS external clock.

The sense of scale comes from bigger power supplies, isolation of functions to individual chassis and the added electrical and mechanical isolation that comes with taking core functions to separate chassis. The progress dCS has made here is astounding. Again, Mr. Quick chimes in, offering some more insight:  “We are getting better at trickling down more of the sound of our flagship in our current offerings, and Bartok is really special in that regard. Considering it has 6-7 years of R&D ahead of it from Vivaldi and Rossini – far ahead of anything else we’ve done- versus the 2.5-3 years that separated Scarlatti and Debussy… that definitely made a big difference. Beyond that, where we’ve taken the RingDAC in the latest series is also a primary contributor. We could not have made nearly the same overall improvement in changing the mapping algorithm (as we did in Vivaldi and Rossini v1 versus v2) in the older generation products.”

It’s all about resolution

Having the unique ability to compare the Bartok side by side as the anchor to a very nice $50k system (which is where I suspect most Bartoks will end up) and my reference system, worth nearly ten times this much, illuminates the differences clearly.

In my primary reference system, that has a much broader dynamic capability, more low-level resolution, and a magnificent soundstage, the Bartok makes a great showing. For many analog crazed audiophiles I know that are primarily analog, but would still like digital, this could be an excellent choice.

Regardless of choosing delicate, small ensemble choral music, or the most raucous rock, starting with the Bartok feels just fine. But then switching up to the Vivaldi One shows precisely where the limits of the Bartok lie. Yet going back to the system in my living room, which is unable to resolve as much musical information, the delta between the two is not nearly as vast.

The point here is that the core musicality of the Bartok is highly similar to the bigger boxes in the dCS range, and that’s what I appreciate. Some manufacturers are not nearly as good at delivering a linear increase in performance as you go up the range. The Bartok is at the top of its class for the price asked, as are the Rossini, Vivaldi ONE and full-blown, four box Vivaldi – as it should be. There’s no law of diminishing returns if you have a system capable of resolving the difference.

Versatility defined

The Bartok can accommodate any digital source you’d like to connect, via its RCA, Coax, or optical SPDIF inputs, single or dual AES inputs, USB or network inputs. That’s right, it’s got a fully capable streamer built in that will access your UPnP network and bring files in from your NAS or straight from your network.

The Bartok has a fully balanced, class-A output stage in addition to the headphone amplifier, and there are balanced XLR and standard RCA outputs, that are both variable. More about that in a bit.

Our experience with the Vivaldi ONE, the Rossini, and Bartok is that the best results are streaming music files right from the network. Those not wanting to pony up for a ROON subscription can use dCS’ own app, which works well and sounds excellent, though lacks the ultimate functionality of ROON. It’s also incredibly handy that you can chain another network device through the Bartok. I use a Naim Uniti Core for CD ripping and offline storage in addition to my NAS, so this is a perfect way to keep the Uniti Core close by.

Excellent luck was also had with a variety of different CD players as transports. Those who want to keep it all dCS might consider a used dCS transport for their disc needs, and if you use a Paganini transport with the dual AES connection, native SACD playback is possible. There are no limitations to digital playback with the Bartok. You can even connect to it as an Airplay zone!

Pre or not to pre

The ultimate question for some will be whether to use the Bartok as a standalone preamplifier, forgoing a linestage/preamplifier, or putting one in the system. Conventional wisdom suggests that less is more, but digital volume controls are always a touchy thing. At extremely low listening levels, they tend to lose resolution. Where the Vivaldi One can, in fact, be used without a line stage, if you are only concerned with digital playback, the Bartok is pretty good.

Ultimately, this is the other area where the entry-level Bartok is bested by the top dCS player. In my living room system when playing the Bartok directly into the BAT VK 56SE power amplifier and Focal Kanta no.3s, adding a preamplifier made a slight difference, offering up a little bit more spaciousness and definitely a smidge more warmth at very low-level playback. It was easier to notice the minute level of flatness there at the lowest level after going back to having a tip-top preamplifier in the system, but it will depend on your needs.

However, switching from the Kanta no.3s to the much larger and more resolving Focal Stella Utopia Ems, the jump in performance added by our Nagra Classic Preamplifier was unmistakable, especially in the area of tonal contrast and saturation. And of course, low-level playback is warmer and more full-bodied.

It’s about music

As I’ve said before, the dCS DACs have always deliver supreme musicality, and I have hung my hat on their products, using them as a reference tool for over a decade. However, what I love about dCS is the way they serve the music and not the other way around. This is a player than I can listen to for 12-16 hours a day (and have on many occasions) with zero fatigue.

dCS does an outstanding job at presenting music with a tonality that is dead center in the middle of the scale. Their products (and the Bartok is no exception) are neither warm and romantic nor overly bright, bleached or harsh. Hitting the tonality bullseye is tougher than it sounds, but they manage to pull it off every time.

Every other musical parameter is equally well represented. Rather than go on at length with tracks you may or may not know or like, the best way to see what I mean is to go to your dCS dealer and give the Bartok a listen.

Is it for you?

Returning to our original conversation, you don’t have to be an aristocrat to have a dCS Bartok of your very own. If you love music, and you want a top-quality digital front end that will offer enough performance to stay put, the Bartok is a winner. The performance that it provides more than justifies the price asked. dCS has put a considerable helping of their top technology in a package that outperforms many far more expensive boutique DACs.

Best of all, the customer service and ongoing support that comes with a dCS product assures that this is a digital player you will enjoy for years to come. Highly recommended. And yes, spring for the headphone amp!

The dCS Bartok

$13,500. ($16,250 with headphone amplifier)

www.dcsaudio.com

Peripherals

Preamplifier Nagra Classic Preamplifier

Amplifier Nagra Classic Amplifier

Speakers Focal Kanta no.3 and Focal Stella Utopia EM

Cable Cardas Clear

Audio By Van Alstine produces line stage preamplifiers, phono stages, DACs, and more, the marvelous AVA Vision 400 SET amplifier we review here represents a culmination of Van Alstine’s knowledge applied to music reproduction.

Frank Van Alstine brings over 50 years of experience to his component designs, developing modifications for classic Hafler and Dynaco gear, and of course, focused on his own line of equipment.

Selling direct from his company website, Van Alstine keeps the price low, making his gear more accessible to budget minded music lovers that prioritize performance. AVA’s components offer solid fit and finish, avoiding the audio jewelry approach to case designs. This utilitarian appearance keeps Van Alstine’s production costs down, passing the savings on to his customers. Keep in mind the adages, “What’s inside counts,” and “Beauty is only skin deep.” AVA makes applaudable tradeoffs or the best sound.

In line with this philosophy, the standard version of the Vision SET 400 comes in a basic, powder-coated black case with a simple rocker switch for $1,999. The updated model you see here, featuring a thick, anodized, aluminum panel and push button for the power switch is an extra $200.

The ins and outs

The Vision SET 400 is audio rack-friendly with dimensions of 7 inches tall, 17 inches wide, and 13 inches deep, weighing 38 pounds. Much of that mass results from the beefy toroidal transformer inside; providing the fuel to push 225 watts per channel into eight-ohm speaker loads, and roughly double that into four ohms. No matter how hard we pushed the amp, it never failed in its firm control over various speakers. Driving my GamuT RS3i speakers, the SET 400 never falters, even at high listening levels. The heat sinks jetting from the rear of the unit peak at a temperature so low they fail as a hand-warmer.

The gold-plated, five-way binding posts accommodate speaker cables with spade, bare-wire, or banana terminations giving the owner a lot of flexibility. The amp also sports a pair of gold-plated RCA inputs for connection with a preamp.

The “SET” in the Vision SET 400 solid-state amplifier’s name refers to its Single-Ended Transistor based circuit design. The Vision amplifiers offer a Class A/B topology. However, the biasing maintains pure Class A power at normal listening levels. When pushed, the amp leans on Class A/B at higher power levels.

Listening

The SET 400 needs but a few days to reach full operating potential. As with past AVA designs we’ve used, there’s no lengthy break-in period required. Consider a weekend trip away, with constant music play and you’re ready!

Overall, the SET 400s sonic signature features a lot to love and very little to criticize. Thanks to the amount of reserve power always on tap, Rock and Electronic music is always vivacious, yet there is plenty of nuance to satisfy jazz and vocal tastes.

Indeed, the SET 400 threads the needle with an overall neutrality, yet has a touch of warmth to boot. Never artificially fluffing up the sound, it manages the deft feat of taking harsh recordings and making them far more enjoyable. Even when pushed, the amp seems almost tube-like in its ability to create fatigue-free music which results in long, couch-locked listening sessions. For example, the opening synthesizer notes heard on Portishead’s Roads pour forth with a seemingly-loving embrace. Where some amplifiers portray Beth Gibbons’ voice harshly or stridently, the AVA excels. Van Alstine’s years of designing tube gear presents us with a solid-state amplifier with similar voicing. String instruments maintain their dimension, bass notes carry with appropriate authority, and percussion features a punchy strike combined with fluid decay.

Bass proves another strong suit. The AVA’s high power reserve gets a grip on speaker drivers and refuses to let go. Bass guitar plucks reverberate with realistic tightness, followed by a decay with a palpable presence. The Vision also offers great soundstaging capability. Music emits in all directions beyond the physical speaker bodies, with plenty of separation among musical elements to distinguish each in its own space with little overlap.

One needs a pickaxe and a shovel to dig for criticisms at this price. Comparing the AVA with an amplifier like the Conrad-Johnson ART 150 which is several times the SET 400’s cost, the Vision has a slightly compacted width and depth of the musical performance, resulting in a bit less sense of three-dimensional, organic realism. For instance, the airy spatial cues perceived in a superb recording’s ‘space’ – As heard in Johnny Cash’s cover of “Danny Boy” from American IV: The Man Comes Around– are reduced a bit. However, that’s hardly a fair criticism given the price discrepancy between the two amplifiers. AVA has created something very special with the Vision SET 400.

The combination of the AVA’s sound and power make it an excellent fit for all but the hungriest speakers. Our publisher mentions to all the Magenpan lovers in the audience, that this amplifier did a fantastic job with his Tympani IVs.

Summing up

$2,000 is not chump change for most people. However, in the world of high-end audio, that dollar figure lies at the lower-end of the cost-no-object spectrum. The AVA Vision SET 400 amplifier offers excellent performance and a tremendous value. The AVA never fails to deliver marvelous, forgiving, detailed, and rich sound. Though I remain smitten by my current reference amp, I’m sad to see the AVA depart. While the Vision amp has some small tradeoffs in comparison with amps many times its price, the Vision is one of those few components I could enjoy for many years to come.

After enjoying its voice for a month during our review period, I found myself beguiled by the AVA’s prowess. The amp represents a stellar choice for a budget-responsible system with very few sonic compromises. If you seek an amp in the sub-$2,000 range, the Van Alstine Vision SET 400 sets an extremely high bar and deserves a TONEAudio Exceptional Value Award for 2019.

Van Alstine Vision SET 400 Amplifier

Starting at $1,999

www.avahifi.com

PERIPHERALS

Analog Source SME Model 10 with SME V and Model 10 tonearms. Dynavector 17D3 and Denon DL-103R cartridges

Digital Sources Roon Nucleus, Simaudio MOON 780D DAC, Oppo BDP-103, Synology DiskStation 415 Play

Preamplifier Coffman Labs G1-B

Speakers GamuT RS3i, JL Audio Dominion Subwoofers

Cables Jena Labs

Power Torus AVR 15 Plus, RSA Mongoose, and Cardas power cords

Accessories ASC tube traps, Cathedral Sound Room Dampening Panels, Mapleshade Samson audio racks, Coffman Labs Equipment Footers

Based in Karlsbad, Germany, Octave Audio has produced meticulously designed audio components for over 30 years. Their HP-500 preamplifier, released in the late 80’s, has gained worldwide respect. It’s still manufactured today, although improvements have slipstreamed over the years resulting in the current SE version.

The Octave team never rests on their laurels and continually tackle the challenge of improving on their past designs. Their hard work results in Octave’s latest flagship preamplifier, the mighty HP 700. It’s a sonic marvel indeed.

What’s inside counts

The Octave’s clean and modern look, accentuated with a brushed aluminum exterior, conjures quite a visual impact. At 462 x 130 x 480 mm (W x H x D) and a weight of 10 kilograms there’s no overlooking the HP 700 on an audio shelf. The main unit is flanked by an external power supply measuring 110 x 90 x 277 mm (W x H x D).  While the HP 700’s outward appearance is quite dapper, the unit also embodies the spirit of an old proverb: It’s what’s insidethat counts.

The most impressive quality of the HP 700 is its versatility. Octave’s design approach involves creation of modular gear that can be tailored to best serve its owner. Rather than fill the chassis with a one-size-fits-all complement of inputs and outputs, Octave gives a prospective owner some say in what gets dropped under the hood. Do you need XLR, RCA, or both types of line inputs? Do you need an MC or MM phonostage? Or both? How about an MC phono input with XLR type connectors? What if you need a step-up transformer? Do they offer that, too? With the HP 700, the answer to any or all of these questions is a simple and resounding yes. Octave will help put together the perfect module complement for the new owner’s needs – there are eight different modules available. Best of all, should your system needs change later, you can always add or subtract additional modules. Our HP 700 review sample offers a little of everything, so the TONEAudio team had a chance to test it out with a variety of components on hand.

The Octave is a tube-based preamplifier; and regardless of modules chosen, the HP 700 requires eight tubes, regardless of configuration. The linestage section utilizes three tubes. There’s a single 12AU7 (ECC 82) required, and Octave makes available choices for the other two tubes needed. With the flick of a switch, an owner can choose to socket a pair of EF184 (EF 800) or D3A tubes. If you really want to start experimenting with tube rolling, it’s also fun to note that the switches can accommodate one of each.

The phonostage’s tube complement is a set configuration including one each of type 12AX7, 12AT7, and 6922 (6DJ8). Finally, the HP 700 control unit requires a 6922 (6DJ8) mounted sideways inside the chassis.

Getting ready for a treat

Setting up the HP 700 is simple, with no unexpected challenges. First, connect the umbilical from the external power supply to the main chassis. A notch in the connector prevents the possibility of misalignment. Then simply attach sources to their respective input module connections, choose RCA or XLR outputs to an amplifier, and you’re ready to rock.

The three huge knobs on the front panel control all elements of the HP 700’s functionality. The central volume control is flanked to the right by an input selector. A tiny blue LED indicates the chosen source. On the left side of the unit, a third “mode” knob stands at the ready. Its options require a little more explaining.

Turning on the power supply, the Mode indicator LEDs keep the user notified of progress. An amber LED indicates the start of a two minute warm up cycle during which the tubes are coaxed to operating voltages. In doing so, HP 700 does its best to extend tube life. During this short delay, a Mute indicator simultaneously makes its presence known until the Octave fully ready for operation. Once there, the mute disengages itself. The Mode knob also offers a low, medium, and high gain setting so the owner can best match the preamp to the source being heard. If changing music sources, the gain can be reset on-the-fly with a tiny twist. A final setting on the Mode selector offers the option of home theater bypass, disengaging the volume knob and deferring to the home theater processor’s volume settings.

Yes, a remote control is included with the HP 700. It’s an example of true simplicity featuring two buttons only: volume up and volume down.

Sing to me

It’s difficult pinning down the sonic signature of the Octave when the unit behaves like a sonic chameleon, optimizing any input source and any music genre thrown downstream. No element of the sonic picture seems emphasized or neglected. Music comes out as pure as it did going in. All this creates a fantastic, immersive listening experience.

It’s ironic to imply a $20,000 piece of gear does nothing to add or subtract from the sound, but for many that is the holy grail. There seems to be nothing in the Octave design that adds to, or takes away, from the music. Vocals and instruments flow through with a wonderfully organic quality that conveys all the human cues captured in a recording be it subtlety, passion, force, energy, or anything else the performers exude. Because the sound feels so natural, it is very easy to get immersed in long listening sessions with the HP 700. “Nothing” never seemed so beguiling! Of course, to achieve “nothingness”, the devil resides in the details. It’s much more likely the Octave is doing “everything” behind the scenes, but making such a complex task seem easy and seamless to the listener.

Reaching conclusions about the HP 700’s sonic attributes takes a bit of time and aural adjustment. At first listen, it seems the Octave lacks a bit of bass heft. But the more I listen, the more that initial perception proves wrong. What makes the HP 700 bass response interesting is that it delivers what the music commands it to. No region among the bass frequencies appear accentuated or diminished. There’s no supplemental punch or heft applied. Realistic bass response simply floats from the HP 700 to the amp without coloration or undue emphasis.

Similarly, vocals glide forth with a level of smoothness and realism that brings performers into the room. “Wash me Clean” from k.d. lang provides an immersive experience. Complementing her powerful and silky voice, guitar plucks have an organic texture. Small ambient notes slide forth with delicacy.

Soundstaging prowess is another Octave strength. Performers and musical cues are scattered across a perceived stage that extends well beyond the speakers. Not only does sound extend well behind the speakers, the HP 700 can place vocals so that they project a bit forward of the speakers. Beck’s album Midnight Vulturesincludes various unexpected sounds like a piece of metal pipe dropped on the floor, and an industrial-sounding machine punch. These elements skip across the soundstage as the sound engineer placed them. Even when a listener anticipates those sounds, the level of realism though the Octave creates moments where sound effects generate head turning surprise.

There’s little to criticize about the HP 700, and there’s no question about its overall prowess. Is it perfect? If natural, neutral, sound is what you seek, the Octave HP 700 will serve your ears extraordinarily well. That said, not every audio component is ideal for every audiophile. Those who seek to complement their existing components with a preamp that generates a little extra bass presence, or a warm and laid-back sound, or an extra-detailed and analytical presence will not experience those attributes via the Octave design.

Choices, choices

An audiophile with a budget around $20,000 for preamplification is a lucky individual indeed. For that amount, many world-class components are within reach. The question, of course, is which to choose. Making a purchase decision even more complicated, that same amount of money potentially can be divided to buy separate phonostage and linestage components, making a hard decision even more agonizing.

After listening to the Octave and experiencing the modular approach they take, I have little hesitation suggesting a prospective owner make the decision easy on themselves and take the plunge on an HP 700 configured to his or her liking. First and foremost, the sound is marvelous. Second, the unit can be configured with line and phono stage modules to accommodate any type of input. Buy what you need now, and add other things you need in the future. Third, gain control options help the Octave play very well with all the other components in the audio chain. Finally, the HP 700’s build quality leaves little to be desired.

The Octave HP 700 is a marvelous piece of audio gear, and those who choose to make an investment in one are sure to be thrilled with their purchase for a long time to come.

Further Listening

Having spent the better part of a year with Octave’s flagship tube monoblock power amplifiers a while back and a few of their integrated amplifiers as well, the Octave sound, or lack of it, as Rob describes is indeed wonderful. Upon closer comparison to ARC, BAT, C-J and McIntosh, I’d spot the Octave HP 700 a few molecules more tonal body and richness than the current ARC REF components, a few less than the CJ ACT 2 or GAT preamplifiers, a little less dark than the BAT and not quite as syrupy as the Mc MC1000 or MC500. How’s that?

All of the Octave gear I’ve experienced has come across with a lively, dynamic sound high in tonal contrast and saturation without sounding overly tubey; you won’t mistake one for a solid state component, but it is never tube-like in a vintage tube component perspective.

What has always impressed with Octave components is their teutonic build quality, attention to detail and Bauhaus – like casework. Plenty of German precision here. Like the other well known brands listed, an Octave component is built to last a lifetime, and as you go up the range, the sonics remain intact, yet each component reveals more music than the one beneath it in the lineup. Designer Andreas Hofmann always runs the tubes in his designs well within their limits, contributing to long tube life, another plus – especially for those making a substantial investment in vintage tubes.

Putting the HP700 through its paces with a wide range of sources and power amplifiers, both single ended and balanced reveals no difference in sound quality between outputs, making it an excellent choice for those prone to swapping amplifiers on occasion. Should you have the budget, I’d highly suggest their Jubilee monoblocks, a combination I’ve heard many times with excellent result.

The phono section is particularly good, and is reminiscent of the Octave Phono Module that we reviewed some time ago, in terms of sound quality and functionality. It works well with every MC and MM cartridge we were able to pair it with, and provides a level of sonic excellence that is in keeping with the rest of the preamplifier; vinyl playback is clearly not an afterthought here. Considering rack space is often at a premium, mating the HP 700 with a two tonearm turntable makes for a formidable analog based system with a minimal footprint.

The HP 700 offers some other novel technological goodies, that in addition to the modularity, really make it future proof; another consideration when writing this kind of check. Along with the option of setting gain, you can also set the output impedance to perfectly match your power amplifer and cable length. Precision tone controls are available as well as a stepped attenuator. Additional modules have a cost of between $475 and $2,750.

As far as destination preamplifiers go, the Octave HP700 ranks with the worlds finest. Thanks to their modular approach, it can easily be the last preamplifier you’ll ever need to purchase.  – Jeff Dorgay

Octave HP 700 Preamplifier

Starting at $20,000 depending on chosen modules

http://www.octave.de

PERIPHERALS

Analog Source SME Model 10 with Model 10 and SME V tonearms. Dynavector 17D3 and Denon 103R catridges

Digital Source Mac Mini with Roon music service, dCS Debussy

Amplification Burmester 911 mk3

Speakers Sonus faber Olympica III

Cables Jena Labs

Power Running Springs Audio Haley, and RSA Mongoose power cords

Accessories ASC tube traps, Mapleshade Samson audio racks, Coffman Labs Equipment Footers, AudioQuest Jitterbug

Even at a relatively low background level the massive Sonus faber SE speakers are immersive.

The top to bottom tonal balance is so engaging, it’s tough to write, or even have a conversation while they are playing. These speakers truly take your breath away, even before you turn the music on. Even at a modest level the SEs captivate instantly, as Bos Scaggs’ silky voice slowly folds into the mix of “Harbor Lights,” a track I’ve easily heard a thousand times over the years.

For speakers with such a massive physical presence, the delicacy that they deliver is almost tough to describe, it’s so seamless, effortless and with such gentle gradation when the program demands it, yet equally forceful when that is required. Powered by a full Burmester system, with bridged 909 Mk.5 power amplifiers for each SE (delivering nearly 2000 watts per channel) there are no dynamic restrictions here. And this is only a hint of what is to come.

The Sonus faber website says that the SE “is a limited edition masterpiece, available only by special request from premier clientele.” There’s a handful of Sonus faber dealers that you can purchase the Aida’s from, but if you want the SE, there’s only one place – LMC Home Entertainment in Scottsdale, Arizona. Owner Mike Ware is your steward to Sonus faber’s finest, and one of the top hifi dealers in the world. Ware says that his team will install and setup the SEs anywhere in the US, so you won’t have to worry about trying to move these on your own. Ware and his highly trained staff will leave nothing left to chance.

So, it made way more sense that I get on a plane and head out to see Mike. No one wants to see a pair of beauties like this get a nick, dent or scratch from shipping. Trading Portland for Scottsdale in January is not a bad idea either.

The setup

Having extensive experience with Burmester gear, also having spent time with the Sonus faber Aida a few weeks earlier, LMC’s Mike Ware saved me a ton of setup time. His main room, which measures about 25 x 40 feet, proves a much better venue for a speaker this size than my 15 x 26 foot room. Speakers this big really do need a big room to open up into.

Ware has the SE’s installed in the room about 15 feet apart and about 5 feet from the side walls, with three rows of slightly elevated theater seats. The front row center position is about ten feet back, the next row about a foot higher and the final row another foot or so higher. Because this system recreates such a true sense of scale, and fills the room so completely, depending on the performance played, you can get the immediacy of a third-row orchestra seat, the more diffuse position of the back row, or in between. It’s impressive, the way the stereo imaging holds up no matter where you sit.

Sonus faber speakers have always offered wide dispersion in both planes. Moving back to the middle row offers a slightly more homogenous feel with more room for the bass to integrate, but these speakers disappear in the room so well, it’s tough to not go back to the immersive, giant headphone like feel of the front row. Of course, you will certainly have your own preference, should you install your own pair. The best news though is that these are by no means a one-person, small sweet spot speaker. Sitting right in the center will give obvious dividends, but even sitting on the floor, off to the side, it’s still good.

The real deal

For all the naysayers that a great hifi system can’t put the real thing in your room, I say shut up. There’s something so special about these speakers in a big room, it is possible to close your eyes and be there. A perfect example of this is the “Superman” track from the Crash Test Dummies first album.  The SEs do such a precise job at recreating the performers, I feel just like I’m back at Portland’s Aladdin Theater, and Ellen Reid is resting her head on Brad Robert’s shoulder while singing backup. The spatial recreation is that convincing.

Awesome rarely comes easy and it rarely comes cheap. It certainly doesn’t here. A pair of SEs will set you back a cool $250k. Yeah. And that probably means at least another 250 or more in electronics and wire. We can have the argument till the cows come home whether this is “worth it” or not, but the bottom line is that this is what it costs to get sound this good. The rest is whether you want to play. But what a great playground.

Switching to more dynamic faire, bumping the volume on Aphex Twin’s “Minipops 67” is so much fun, even I want to get up and dance. And that’s not a medium in which I choose to express myself. Though I was given the green light to “turn it up as loud as I needed to,” the Sonus faber/Burmester combination never runs out of dynamic range, never flattening out in the slightest.

The driving bass line in the Aphex Twin tracks leads me to the back side of the SE to see where the “deep low level” setting happens to be. It is on “minimum.” According to the owners manual, this controls the output of the 15-inch, side firing woofer (with 4-inch voice coil) that is crossed over to the pair of front firing 10-inch woofers at 80hz.

Sonus faber lists the sensitivity of the SE at 92db/1 watt, and a maximum power handling of 1000 watts. Ware confirms my suspicions, that like the Aida, these speakers will play with anything, but a reserve of clean, quality wattage helps them deliver everything they are capable of.

Further up the spectrum

These woofers cross to the midrange driver at 250hz, and then again to the Beryllium dome tweeter at 2500hz. There is another one of these facing back with a smaller midrange, as part of what Sonus faber refers to as a “soundfield shaper.” This feeds a bit of the main sound towards the rear wall or corner in your room, and depending on where you set the controls, can go far at expanding the soundstage. Ware had these set on the lowest setting in his room, which makes sense considering the size.

The Aida has a similar setup around back, and when we had them here for review, we found that they helped integrate a large speaker into a smaller room better, but as always, experiment to find the sweet spot to taste.

I’d be lying if I told you I remember all the nuances of seeing the Talking Heads on the Stop Making Sense tour back in 1981, but playing the soundtrack through the SEs feels right. Their ability to reproduce the sheer sound pressure level of the live event, with the resolution, clarity, and nuance of a world class audiophile system is better than live in my book. And the way the audience response is folded in and out of the mix, feels totally real. I found a similar effect when listening to Jeff Beck’s Live at Ronnie Scotts, as I did with a number of other favorite live recordings.

The spatial presentation of these large speakers is fantastic. The energetic presentation they offer confirms a true sense of sonic reality. Sitting in the middle row of Ware’s room, the cues from people in the audience cheering, clapping, and whistling is so realistic it’s almost like listening to a full Dolby Atmos setup, not two speakers. Greg Dulli’s vocals at the beginning of Gentlemen is phenomenal. Im pulled to the edge of the seat as His textured, loud, cyring whisper drains off so gradually when he sings, “It’s in our home, baby, it’s in our bed.” Yet 20 seconds later when he begins to scream, I nearly jump out of the chair. That’s musical realism.

Big dynamics are big fun, but revisiting some of my favorite Beatles, Stones and Dylan records reveals how well the SEs lock down the musical pace, almost like a small pair of studio monitors – but a lot bigger. A LOT bigger.

A different look at detail

For many audiophiles, the word detail means a sharp-edged presentation that cuts into your psyche, often revealing the music in a harsh manner, with a forward presentation. Speakers that have a softer presentation are referred to as laid back, warm, or rounded off.

But imagine combining that level of detail, revealing the maximum amount of musical information in a way that is not the least bit harsh or grating, with a range of tonal scale that feels like a continuous gradation, that’s the sorcery that the SE presents. It’s like sleeping on 2400 count sheets.

The resolution experienced with the SEs is not so much in an ultimate sense, but in the smoothness of gradation. Sounds faded from maximum to minimum in an incredibly linear fashion, and swelled from quiet to loud in the same way. This is the last bit of realism for me.

If I weren’t listening to digital files, I’d feel almost like the music was running a tad slow, but it comes back to the way the music is rendered with such an utmost delicacy. The SEs have the necessary speed to accomplish whatever musical task is required, yet they never feel like they are “attacking the music.” The music merely swells and recedes so quickly and smoothly, there’s never any attention drawn to the speakers.

That’s the highest compliment I can pay the SEs. After a really intense seven hour listening session, I never felt like I was listening to hifi, nor did I have hifi thoughts while basking in their glory. All I could think of was what track to play next, comparing what I heard to what I’ve heard before. There’s nothing that these speakers can’t play. Big, or small, loud or soft, acoustic or electric. No limit.

And that’s part of what $250k buys.

The SEs do it all: they sound great at bone crushing levels, yet even at conversation level, they still sound fantastic. Yet they create a sound field that is so dense and full of musical information, as you slowly advance the volume level it’s easy to perceive the level at which you become totally immersed in the music – the point at which you become the music. The SEs provide a transparency and coherence of your favorite ESL, yet they have the punch of a cone speaker and the weight to convince you.

Because each pair of SEs is built to order, any special finish requirements can easily be accommodated.

The other part of the equation is the level of detail that is paid to every single aspect of all Sonus faber speakers, but even more so in the SE. The level of craftsmanship present here is unmatched by any other speaker manufacturer.

Sonus fabers’ craftsmanship is everywhere, from the leather neatly wrapped around the front and rear panels, all the way down to the suspension and feet in the base. No detail is left unfinished to epic proportions.

Ware informs us that it takes about four months to build a set of SEs, and he has a few pair in stock (in popular finishes) so if the urge strikes, you can take them home today. As mentioned at the beginning of the review, LMC Home Entertainment in Scottsdale is the sole dealer for this speaker in the United States. It’s a great place to visit, so you might want to schedule a vacation around auditioning them. Southwest Airlines is offering some specials right now…

As much as I’ve tried to fill you in on what these spectacular speakers sound like, I still feel my words come up short. Should the SEs be on your radar, it will only take about 90 seconds into your favorite track to fall under their spell. At that moment, you will know everything.

You’ve been warned.

The Sonus faber SE

MSRP: $250,000/pair

Peripherals

Digital Source Burmester 069 CD Player, Linn Klimax DS

Preamplfier Burmester 077

Power Amplifier Burmester 909 Mk.5 (2 in mono block mode)

Power Burmester 948 Power Conditioner

Cable Atlas Asimi

www.sonusfaber.com

www.lmche.com

The conrad-johnson team knows tube preamplifiers, with over 40 years of experience under their belts, building coveted products which improve with each new generation.

The ET7-S2 we review here is c-j’s middle child preamplifier, sandwiched between the GAT series 2reference and their entry-level ET3. For $12,000 the ET7-S2 benefits from many sonic improvements implemented in C-J’s flagship, but at a more accessible price point.

Like all c-j products, this preamp comes with only one faceplate color. Gold. And don’t even try to convince them otherwise. The ET7 features a hefty build weighing in at 19 pounds (8.62 kg), and audio rack-friendly dimensions of 19 inches (48.3cm) wide by 15.375 inches (39cm) deep by 4.375 inches (11cm) tall.

It needs to be mentioned that because of the extensive changes between the original ET7 and the new S2, that it can not be sent back to c-j for an “update.” Lew Johnson told us that the S2 has “an entirely new PC board, and this would be prohibitively costly.”

The ET7 comes with a matching, beautifully anodized remote allowing a user to change volume or source, mute, and alter left-to-right balance from the comfort of a listening seat. The front panel offers the same functionality, with delicate silver buttons and yellow LEDs to indicate user selections.

This preamp’s face features an LED screen showcasing the volume level for each channel. When the numbers are identical, balance is centered. As balance changes, the two numbers diverge from one another.  When changing volume using the remote or the buttons on the front panel, the ET7 has a very audible click accentuating each volume step activated in the digital domain. If you are used to a component with a smooth, silent volume change this sound is a bit jarring. After a few days though, it becomes second nature.

All of c-j’s current preamps employ at least one vacuum tube. The ET7 (like the ET3) taps a single 6922 and calling it a hybrid design is simplifying things a bit too much. Mr. Johnson comments, “the important work is all done by the 6922, which handles all voltage gain. Because the output impedance of a tube voltage amplifier stage is too high for most real world applications, we use a MOSFET device as a buffer. This provides much better performance than a cathode follower (all tube) solution.”

Those who enjoy tube rolling can open the chassis and make the swap. Some tube gear gets quite hot during use, but the ET7 case does not, even when left on for a few days. The ET7 features a standby mode to keep circuitry warm, but not waste tube life when the preamp is not in use. Depressing the power button toggles the component on or off. After powering on, the mute button engages while the tube warms up for a minute. When the mute shuts off automatically, you are ready to rock.

Ins and outs

The preamp features a single-ended topology and offers only RCA connectors. The user has a choice of five sets of pre-labeled inputs, plus two sets of “main outs.” The extra outputs prove especially handy for connecting subwoofers should the owner choose to add them. The ET7 does not include a phonostage, but c-j does label one set of inputs for one if the owner wants to connect an external component there to avoid confusion.

The ET7’s ability to handle home theater pass-through is a welcome feature. While I don’t use any surround sound components in my listening space, I do enjoy the ability to use the preamp’s pass-through capability with a Sonos system. Interconnecting the ET7’s home theater outputs to a Sonos Connect’s inputs, I can extend sound to the rest of the residence with Sonos speakers playing the music from the main rig.

Sound

The preamp includes c-j’s proprietary CJD Teflon capacitors, refined over the last decade. However, they do take some time to break in fully. We gave the ET7 200 hours of operation before making any serious judgments, although it sounds mighty good right out of the box. You will not be disappointed. Its overall character is on the warmer side of neutral, but not mushy or overly-lush. The ET7’s bass portrayal renders low frequencies naturally, with the heft or sustain engineered into the recording.

The preamp’s high frequency process offers a lot of detail too. It renders the harmonically-complex, but the beautifulring from percussive elements like a triangle or cymbal with grace. It also brings a palpable life to soprano vocals and reveals the subtle sonic cues which contribute to the ET7 soundstaging prowess.

There’s a very organic quality about this preamp. The ET7 takes the sting out of edgy recordings, yet still manages to reveal the fine details within. The resulting sonic signature is akin to taking a seat in the tenth row of a concert hall rather than the first.

Soundstaging is equally impressive. Musical elements extend in all directions around the speakers but never bunch up around them. The ET7 also does a very good job placing musical elements front-to-back in the soundstage. Vocals reach forward into the room, even when the sound engineer places multiple instruments – like percussion – in the center of the musical picture too.

After enjoying all genres with the ET7 in the chain, there is little to criticize and a lot to love. Is it right for you? That answer lies with your preferred sonic signature and the gear you want to pair with it. Those who crave accentuation of every note and detail in a song may find the c-j’s smooth presentation a tad polite. A very punchy solid-state amp might be a good match in that case. Those who want to grab a seat on the sofa and dissolve into the bigger musical picture, though, better buckle in for a long listening session and forget about analyzing the music. The ET7’s highly engaging sound is beguiling, and a perfect match for my ART150 power amplifier.

Conclusions

The ET7 series 2 linestage preamp represents an excellent option for those who seek fantastic musical performance. At $12,000 the ET7-S2 represents an investment. However, if you prioritize music in your life start saving your pennies now. Considering the amount of trickle-down technology which the ET7 gains from the GAT design, it can approach flagship performance at half the price.

After several weeks with the ET7 in place, it certainly proved its mettle. Its natural, organic presentation is immersive. Plus, the ET7’s warmer character will help it pair well with most amplifiers – and music — of your choosing.

Yes, there will always be new components that come to market, but newer is not always better. I expect c-j has some tricks up its sleeve for future products to debut as they approach their 50^thanniversary in a decade. But for now, the ET7-S2 represents a marvelous achievement, coupled with a three-year warranty backing it in the unlikely event it should fail. If you seek a preamplifier in the $10,000 range, be sure to put the ET7-S2 on your short list for an audition. You will not be disappointed.

Further Listening: Jeff Dorgay

Having lived with nearly every conrad-johnson preamplifier since the PV-1, it’s been an amazing journey with Lew Johnson and Bill Conrad. (and now new principal, Jeff Fischel, who has taken over after being involved for nearly 20 years)

Their original amplifiers and preamplifiers back from the late 70s to the mid 90s had a sound that was tonally rich and saturated, though criticized by some to be a bit warm and vintage in presentation. Yet the c-j motto “it just sounds right,” won them a legion of loyal fans the world over. Much as a fancy adjective might impress you, that tagline was always the essence of their sound.

When the CJD Teflon caps were first implemented in the early 2000s, it sparked the era of what I’d call the “modern c-j sound.” None of the midrange magic and tonal purity that I’d always loved with c-j components was lost, but c-j components now had an entirely new level of bass extension, dynamic range and lower noise floor.

This began with the ACT2 and ACT2/series 2 preamplifiers, which were my main reference components for many years, then moving on to the GAT and GAT 2. All four of these preamplifiers have received an incredible amount of awards the world over, and many end users as well as audio reviewers have called them the best in the world – for good reason. There’s still something unmistakable about the c-j experience. Few preamplifiers have this level of refinement with no shortcoming. Full circle, “it just sounds right” is as salient in 2019 as it was in 1979. That’s impressive.

Running the ET7 through its paces here, with a wide range of power amplifiers from c-j and others. Though the ET7 uses single ended outputs, it (like the others before it) has no problem driving a 30- foot pair of interconnects to a pair of power amplifiers on the other side of the listening room. Comparing the sound through the 30-foot pair of Cardas Clear interconnects and a 3-foot pair revealed no difference. The design team at c-j has always taken a less is more approach and it has always worked well.

Where there is still a substantial enough difference in sheer scale and resolution to more than justify stepping up to the mighty GAT 2, provided you have the system and can justify the expense, a quick comparison to an ACT 2 shows just how much the design team has learned. Granted some of this could be the difference inherent in the 6H30 triodes used in the ACT 2 versus the single 6922 in the ET7, but the current preamplifier has more refinement, much more. If this makes sense, the ACT 2 sounds a bit brutal now by comparison. It’s like the difference between the power delivery of a late 90s air-cooled Porsche 911 and the current car: the older car had more urge, which grabs you at first, but the new car has a much wider power band and modulation of power that it’s more useful every day.

Considering that 15 years ago, the ACT2 was a killer preamplifier at $13,500, the ET7 is an exceptional value at $12,000 today. Hence, the ET7 gets one of our first awards of 2019, and well deserved. This certainly can be a destination preamplifier for 99% of our listeners. It still sounds right.

Conrad-Johnson ET7-S2 linestage preamplifier

MSRP: $12,000

www.conradjohnson.com

PERIPHERALS

Analog Source SME Model 10 with SME V and Model 10 tonearms. Dynavector 17D3 and Denon DL-103R cartridges

Digital Sources Mac Mini, Roon Music Service, Simaudio MOON 780D DAC, Oppo BDP-103

Amplification Conrad-Johnson ART150

Speakers GamuT RS3i, JL Audio Dominion Subwoofers

Cables Jena Labs

Power Torus AVR 15 Plus, RSA Mongoose, and Cardas Clear power cords

Accessories ASC tube traps, Mapleshade Samson audio racks, Coffman Labs Equipment Footers, AudioQuest Jitterbug, Atomic Audio Labs Mac Mini stand

For their 40^th anniversary, Dynaudio endeavored to make something very special. Their team faced a choice: design a new flagship speaker or make a top-shelf bookshelf at a price point accessible to many more music fans. Fortunately for budget-conscious audiophiles worldwide, Dynaudio chose to pursue the latter. At a price of $3,000 for the pair, the Special Forty speaker defies its modest price tag in every way.

Revelations out of the box

Unpacking the speakers is a joy in and of itself. After digging one’s way through the sturdy cardboard and foam packing materials, a white cotton bag represents the last barrier between the speakers and the new owner’s eyes. What lies underneath is breathtaking. While photos of these speakers showcase the beauty of the speaker finish, they have trouble doing it true justice. The gloss-coated grey birch – or the vibrant red birch finish of our review sample – demonstrate just how beautiful speakers can be.

While largely traditional in shape, the cabinets feature a slight taper from the front to the rear of the speaker, rendering the front face about an inch wider than the ported rear panel. A single set of gold-plated binding posts on the back make connections easy for speaker wires with a spade, bare wire, or banana termination.

As a bookshelf speaker, the Dynaudios require stands putting the tweeters at ear-level. Dynaudio does sell matching stands which are designed to complement the inherent beauty of the speaker cabinets and give the speakers a rigid base to optimize their voice. For those with a tight budget though, a more modest and less attractive pair of aftermarket stands can solve the immediate need.

More than the sum of its parts

Beyond their attractive facades, a lot of new technology lies within these two-way speakers. A newly-developed silk dome tweeter dubbed the “Esotar Forty” offers low resonance and increased airflow. Woofer-wise, trickle-down technology from Dynaudio’s higher-end Evidence and Confidence speakers help lower the Forty’s distortion and increase power handling through their proprietary hybrid magnet system. Unlike any other speaker drivers outside the Dynaudio factory, an in-house developed Magnesium Silicate Polymer material offers the tenuous balance of rigidity and dampening which result in a more organic sound.

Accompanying the advanced drivers resides a freshly-designed crossover too. Design goals included better impedance and phase alignment which help ensure only the relevant frequencies get routed appropriately for tweeting or woofing.

The sum of these elements certainly puts the “special” in the Special Forty’s namesake.

Music to our ears

After many hours of break-in time, the speakers reach their full sonic potential. When they do, brace yourself for a wonderful ride. As a cohesive whole, the Special Forty’s drivers and internals truly sing.

Overall, the Special Forties offer a refined and natural sound on the polite edge of neutral. They are by no means overly-romantic in their musical portrayal, just a tad polite. This deliberate voicing choice gives the speaker a chameleon-like ability to mate with many upstream components.

The silk dome tweeters offer a high level of detail but do not overly-accentuate sibilance or stridency inherent in some less-stellar recordings. On tracks like Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Take Five” the complex harmonics of cymbals render with an organic-sounding strike, shimmer, and decay. Saxophone retains all the woodiness one expects to hear. Piano notes offer a high degree of realism. Both low and high notes seamlessly transition among the Dynaudio drivers creating a single, very cohesive picture.

The combination of drivers creates a convincing soundstage with immense breadth, height, and depth. The sound seems to emit from everywhere around the speakers, independent of the physical speaker bodies. Enjoying Pink Martini’s “Dansez-Vous” the track features a variety of instruments which accompany multiple vocalists. Percussive elements dance around the room contrasting the solidly-imaged saxophone. “Lilly” also showcases the way the Special Forties place lead vocals front and center layered among piano, trumpet, drums, and more. To my ears, various Dynaudio speakers always do a great job with voice reproduction, putting it up front and center. The Special Forties are no exception. They provide China Forbes’ marvelous voice the range and realism it deserves.

One cannot expect a bookshelf speaker to deliver kidney-rattling, low-end bass notes. However, the small Dynaudios do pack a surprising punch. Down to the low end of their audio frequency specification — around 40Hz — bass remains tight and tuneful. Listening to “Bulls on Parade” by Rage Against the Machine demonstrates the Dynaudios’ ability to rock. Rendering of Zach de la Rocha’s voice demands attention commensurate with its edged emotion. Bass, guitar, and drums pull no punches. Sound is dynamic and energetic.

Sampling several decades of Funk music, the Special Forty’s voicing gives Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” Terence Trent D’Arby’s “Dance Little Sister,” and “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars a very engaging quality and overall musically-satisfying experience, making it difficult to sit still in the listening seat.

Summing up

These speakers do so much so well at their price point I am hard-pressed to offer major criticisms. Yes, speakers like Dynaudio’s flagships take the sound experience to another level by offering an increased prowess reproducing musical nuance, refinement, detail, depth of soundstage, and deep bass recreation. Of course, those characteristics and enhancements come with a much higher price tag.

The Dynaudio Special Forty speakers are an absolute bargain for their beguiling looks, great sound, and the pedigree of the company’s 40-year history building stellar speakers. If Dynaudio did not handle every aspect of design and production in-house, the speakers would cost significantly more.

If you seek a new set of speakers in this price range, be sure to put the Dynaudio Special Forty on your audition list. I offer sincere kudos to Dynaudio for putting this level of sonic performance, build quality, and beauty within the financial reach of so many who prioritize music in their lives. Given this benchmark of performance, I cannot wait to hear what Dynaudio has up its sleeve to celebrate their golden anniversary a decade from now!

Additional Listening:  Jeff Dorgay

Most Danes are fairly modest people. This was the experience I had when visiting the Dynaudio factory in Skanderborg, Denmark last fall. While there was much excitement about their new wireless products (which were indeed incredible) new in-wall LCR custom install products, and of course their top range Evidence Platinum speakers, when my attention turned to the small 40^th anniversary model, the Dynaudio personnel were somewhat coy. “Oh would you like to listen to the 40s?” Would I?

Moving them out into the middle of the main listening room which was about 20 x 30 feet, all in attendance were taken back. Except for less ultimate low bass power, they felt like the $100k/pair Evidence models. When they finally arrived here, I did the same, putting them front and center, squarely in the middle of my 16 x 26 foot listening room, powered by a big stack of Pass Labs gear and the dCS Rossini Player/Clock combo.

Watch for another full review in the Audiophile Apartment section shortly, when I’ve had more time to try them with a few different, more reasonably priced amplifiers. I’ll have plenty of time, I bought the review pair. The Dynaudio Special Forty’s set a new standard for me in the $3,000 price point. They’ve got bass response that fools you into thinking you’ve got a pair of floorstanders. My Confidence C1s did the same thing, but they were nearly $10k/pair.

Combine that with a level of delicacy, tonal accuracy and resolution that you’d expect to pay $10k/pair for and you can see why I’m so excited. And happy to award them one of our Exceptional Value Awards for 2018. And, they come in a very cool grey too…

Dynaudio Special Forty Speakers

MSRP: $ 3,000/pair

www.dynaudio.com

PERIPHERALS

Analog Source.         SME Model 10 with SME V and Model 10 tonearms. Dynavector 17D3 and Denon DL-103R cartridges

Digital Sources         Mac Mini, Roon Music Service, Simaudio MOON 780D DAC, Oppo BDP-103

Amplification           Conrad-Johnson ART150

Preamplification     Coffman Labs G1-B

Cables                       Jena Labs

Power                       Torus AVR 15 Plus, RSA Mongoose, and Cardas Clear power cords

Accessories              ASC tube traps, Mapleshade Samson audio racks, Coffman Labs Equipment Footers, AudioQuest Jitterbug, Atomic Audio Labs Mac Mini stand

I became an audiophile during the period when digital playback began to make its first attempts to address the shortcomings plaguing the new medium. Despite the BS “Perfect Sound Forever” marketing hype heaped upon the unwitting music consuming public, we all knew something was wrong-really wrong with digital sound. Audiophile inspired components from companies like Wadia, Krell, Mark Levinson and its protege Proceed rallied to address the lack of musicality as defined by the flat, sterile, and edgy sound of the standard one box CD players of the day.

A Rotel CD player would first take up position to feed a Wadia X-32 out-board DAC. Soon after the krell SPB-32X DAC gave it a try. These add on DACs helped clean up the sound a bit but in retrospect they were really incremental improvements rather than the major musical overhaul we all were searching for. After giving these DACs a shot I moved back to all in one players. The  Krell KPS20i was my first really high end player. But it wasn’t till the arrival of the Linn Sondek CD12 which to my ears was the first high end CD player that delivered a sound that even hard-core analog enthusiasts could get behind. I started to get the feeling there was real hope for digital sound after all.

It’s 20 years down the road from my last out board DAC and boy has digital come a long way. Far better DAC chips are available at lower cost and component manufactures have gained much understanding of how to implement these devices. Along with the advancements in Chip technology came an understanding of the importance of power supplies and over all circuit design when creating a musical digital device. Getting the best from digital has also included exploring Up-sampling rates, differing mastering and decoding schemes ranging from the failed DVD Audio, the withering SACD on to the latest entry, MQA. Up till now I have dabbled in all but MQA and always end up in the same place. Well engineered standard 44.1 kHz Redbook can be very good. As can SACD, as could DVD audio, DSD and HD audio etc. It is all so recording and mastering dependent that it becomes a swiftly moving target when trying to pin an absolute conclusion on why any given version of a recording sounds great, or bad for that matter.

Audio Research has been in the digital game since 1995 with the introduction of the CD1.This CD player has gone through several upgrades and its current form the CD6 has done remarkably well in the market place. With the DAC9, Audio Research serves the Audiophile who has streaming, computer audio and/or transport sources at a price that while not inexpensive, undercuts the reference level components out there that can reach well into the tens upon tens of thousands of dollars.

The DAC9 was fed a stream from the McIntosh MB50 Streamer with Spotify and Tidal providing content. The system includes the Dan D’Agostino Momentum preamp, Pass Labs XA200.8 mono amplifiers seated on the lovely Bassocontinuo carbon fibre and leather amp stands.Speakers included  the Sonus Faber Lilium and Lansche Audio 4.1. All cabling was the outstanding MIT Oracle Reference.

In 20 years of reviewing I have never owned or reviewed an Audio Research component. I have heard them dozens of times be it amps and preamps along the way and have always enjoyed them. With a vivid highly resolved sound, music through Audio Research components can in a couple words can be described as “involving” and “vivid”.

The New Audio Research components enjoy a fresh look from the mind and hand of Livio Cucuzzo, Chief Designer for Audio Research and Sonus Faber. With one foot in the past al-la the sculpted rack mount handles on the face plate and one foot in the future via the large display window and seamlessly integrated flush mounted buttons, The DAC9 still projects a form follows function look while managing to feel totally fresh and modern.

My only concern is the thin perforated metal, highly resonant top cage. This approach bumps up against my love of massive over built chassis elements. Based on the sound however, this may not be as much of a concern as I might have thought. But I still wonder what a more rigid structure would yield.

5 digital Inputs include RCA, AES/EBU, BNC, Toslink, USB. Two 6H30 tubes caress the analog circuitry and you can hear it. Below the display is a row of six pushbuttons: Power, Menu, Option, Enter, Input, and Mute.The DAC9 uses the Burr-Brown/Texas Instruments PCM1792A chip in a quad configuration.

Some components need a little time to open up and ripen to find their voice and blossom. The DAC9 impressed me immediately-as in first note immediately. After about a half hour I had a very good handle on what the DAC9 was all about. While it did get better over time, its essential strengths were there from the beginning. I don’t want to give the impression there is any one or two things that stand out in the DAC9’s performance. The sonic performance of the DAC9 is extremely well integrated and broadly balanced. So in no particular order, here we go. Starting with tonality, the timbre of instruments and voices are so right, so natural and un-diminished in any way, it pleads a very strong case that digital is now neck and neck with analog as they streak towards the checkered flag. Compared to digital of even 5 years ago, that older sound might as well be an exhibit in the museum of sonic history. The DAC9 is the embodiment of thoroughly modern high end digital sound. There is a directness and vividness, a hallmark of Audio Research sound, that by its nature shows how any form of past digi-titus has been hunted down and extinguished. Color, texture, bloom all come together in a seamless singularity representing a recreation of a time and place that is totally believable.

Another amazing quality of the DAC9 is the ability to render layered depth. Images are placed with three a dimensional presence that is surrounded by air allowing for great separation and a front to back precision that keeps individual instrumental timbre distinct and untangled. The accuracy of front to back distances or layering goes back, all the way back with stunning clarity. Orchestras are mapped out to the performer. All the modern studio recordings I sampled benefited greatly by the hologram like presence put forth by the DAC9 and holds true to the reputation Audio Research has earned over the years.

Across the frequency spectrum the DAC9 maintains its great neutrality and natural seamless integration creating a single flowing musical garment. As the music expresses the entire frequency spectrum, there are no holes, no missing mid bass information that connects the bass to the midrange, no anomalies in the upper midrange that sticks out mucking up integration with the treble.  There may be more sheer resolution available in the treble via an ultimate reference but it will certainly come at a much higher price. The same could be said of the low bass. Its power and resolution give away little and always presents the music in a totally believable way. Power and impact are soul satisfying. My torture test remains “I’m Home Africa” from Stanley Clarks East River Side Drive. The driving pounding back beat has been rendered by countless devices over the years and the DAC9 keeps up with the very best I’ve heard. Some have presented the bass with a bit more tightness and sheer slam but that was accompanied by a dryness and lack of color and nuance. Any improvement beyond the DAC9 would surely come at a severe premium. I will lay my reputation on the line and say there is very little need to look further if profoundly enjoying music is your goal.

Late in the game I took possession of the Analog Domain Isis integrated amplifier. With the DAC9 in the chain the sound was just glorious. Tactile yet incredibly smooth. We are really on to something with this combination of the McIntosh MB50, the DAC9 and the Analog Domain Isis integrated . Listening to Aaron Nevilles “It Feels Like Rain”, A track I have heard at least a thousand times on a wide variety of gear, the DAC9 continues to provide such a confident, powerful bass giving the music a stable foundation upon which Aaron’s voice simply soars. The whole soundstage comes to life with the background singers subtle contribution taking on greater significance due to a high level of resolution and low noise floor allowing them to bloom in the mix a bit more. Very compelling.

Testing the upsampling feature was a breeze as it can be selected by the DAC9’s fantastic solid  metal remote. My MacBook Air was tethered to the DAC9 via the excellent MIT Matrix USB cable. With the music up sampled on Boston’s “Smokin’”, I found the upsample a bit smoother on top with a bit a bit less glare. Hard wired with the MIT Matrix, I also found the music a bit more vibrant than the wireless streaming mode. The Hardwire approach is the overall better performer. This conclusion played out over many recordings and was especially welcome on inherently brighter mixes. Listening to Tidal MQA recordings sounded just phenomenal at the CD9’s 384kHz upsample rate. John Coltranes Giant Steps was noticeably fuller in tone and more dynamic with greater body and presence. I could pick it every time in comparison to its down sampled version during a blind test conducted by Josh Dellinger Experience Director of the World Of McIntosh Townhouse.

The DAC9 came to the system soon after the Macintosh MB50 steamer that I found so musically satisfying recently. I stand by my conclusion that all on its own, the MB50 delivers a very satisfying musical presentation.

The question is at what price does finding a substantial improvement of the MB50 come? With the Audio Research DAC9, that answer is exactly $7,500. The addition of the DAC9 makes the music closer, becoming more vibrant and tactile, a quality enhanced by its tubed configuration no doubt. The DAC9 lights up the stage and casts a vivid glow around the images creating full rich sound. Ultimately the DAC9 expands the picture in all dimensions in a way that the musical MB50 can’t quite muster on its own. For a shade under 10K, the MB50/DAC9 is an absolutely killer combo of gear. Throw in a Macbook Air and a great USB cable like the MIT Matrix for Hi-rez digital at its best. This is digital the way it was meant to be. Looking back on when perfect sound forever was just a promise made, With the DAC9 It is finally a promise kept.

The Audio Research CD9

$7,500

www.audioresearch.com

Article and Photo by Michael Corsentino

Record cleaning never looked so damn sexy! Meet the Levin record cleaning brush and its matching case. Handcrafted in Germany using centuries-old brush making techniques, the Levin brushes are made with hand-pulled horse or Chinese goat’s hair, for bristles that remain in place and provide years of use. Models for both wet cleaning and dry dust removal are available in a variety of exotic wood finishes ranging from bog oak, root wood, Karelian Birch Maser, pear wood, walnut or POM. Bristles are also offered in both white or black. I chose the Karelian Birch dry cleaning brush for its visual appeal and white bristles to easily see when they require cleaning. The natural hair bristles are gentle on your records and can be easily washed using soap and a damp cloth as needed.

Not your average brush

Levin brushes range in price from $99 to $175, with cases starting at $79. That’s not cheap, and it took a minute for this vinyl enthusiast to wrap their head around the cost; even a sexy, best in class product like this. I confess I hate spending money on record sleeves, cleaning fluid, brushes, etc. I’d rather spend that money on more records. But these purchases fall squarely into the necessary evil category; I grin and bear it because I know how important it is to take great care of your records.

Once you hold the Levin brush in your hand, the quality and care in its construction is evident. Fit and finish are outstanding. The matching wood and metal case strikes the perfect balance between form and function, calling to mind the goodies you find at the MoMA Design Store. Objet d’art meets record cleaning brush, cool!

Levin claims the combination of natural goat or horse hair, with the wood and aluminum used for the brush’s handle interact with your hand to create an antistatic effect. I concur with the manufacturer, it does as claimed, reducing static as it picks up the day to day dust on records. Even if you are using an excellent record cleaning system, some dust still builds up and using the Levin brush will extend the time between full cleanings.

Every time you lower the inch long bristles onto your records, you are reminded of the quality – there’s nothing flimsy about these brushes. The Levin brush is near twice the size of other brushes I’ve used and easily outperforms the AudioQuest and Mapleshade brushes I’ve used in the past. The Levin is in a league of its own.

The perfect addition to your daily ritual

My record cleaning brush is the one tool I use every day interacting with my record collection and is an essential part of my record care toolkit. It touches every single side of every record that I play. That’s a ton of use. In that light, the value of a great record cleaning brush takes on a new significance. Based on build quality, and the ease of cleaning the Levin brush, it’s a long-term investment that will easily deliver ten years of use, maybe more. The ultimate litmus test for any product, especially one replacing an existing solution, is “does it do a better job than the product it’s replacing?” In the case of the Levin record cleaning brush, the answer is a definitive yes.

There are a few minor quibbles regarding the brush’s case I’d be remiss if I didn’t share. I love being able to store the brush in a dust free environment when not in use, an amenity missing with my other brushes. However, the way case opens makes me a little nervous. The cover, partially clad in aluminum with sharp edges, nests into the base of the case, making operation a bit clumsy; it could easily slip out of your hand and scratch your record or rack.

Rather than being free floating I’d love to see the case’s cover hinged at the corner so that it opened like a straight razor, so open it carefully and away from anything prone to scratching. If you have even slightly oily skin, the finish on the aluminum case cover is a fingerprint magnet, so if you are on the OCD side, be prepared to keep the case clean as well. With cases costing anywhere from $79 to $145 the little things matter.

While not as sexy or “must have” as the record cleaning brush Levin’s offers a companion stylus cleaning brush and matching case which are sure to appeal to completists like me who enjoy owning the entire kit. I ended up buying both – of course!

At the end of the day

The Levin record cleaning brush may not be everyone’s cup of tea due to its cost, but keep in mind that the brush and its companion case may be purchased separately as budget permits. However, if you value the best tools touching your precious records, and you love beautiful objects as much as I do, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better looking or performing record cleaning brush to add to your record cleaning tool kit.

Pricing: Wet & dry brushes $99+, case $79+, stylus brush w/matching case included $79+

www.audioskies.com

Celebrating 40 years in business, Conrad-Johnson released their special edition flagship amplifiers, the ART150, which is a single chassis stereo version and the monoblock ART300s. According to C-J, the amp represents the culmination of all their design expertise to date, and they will produce only 250 of them. For those needing more power, C-J also offers the new ART300 monoblocks. Like their smaller stereo sibling, production is limited 250 pairs.

C-J’s entry-level tube amplifier, the Classic Sixty-Two SE (reviewed here in issue 84) offers marvelous sound and represents an amplifier I could live with happily. That said, the ART150 defies expectations, delivering an extraordinary musical experience that few components in my personal experience have.

Creating a classic

Like all recent C-J gear, the new ARTs are available in gold anodized finish only. All the components reside within a 16.3”D x 19”W x 8.75”H metal chassis, resulting in an overall weight of  80 lbs. The ART’s aesthetics adhere to the style brief set by current Conrad-Johnson designs. As with all C-J products, the ART is a collaborative effort of Lew Johnson, Bill Conrad the rest of the C-J team.

The hefty base serves as the amplifier’s foundation, with custom power and output transformers shielded in a black metal enclosure jetting upward from the rear. A rounded Lucite frame with tube-sized holes in it protects the semicircle of three 6922 tubes up at the front face. Between these two functional structures rests a protective metal cage, with a front panel also made from clear Lucite. The resulting “window” makes it easy to admire the row of four KT150 driver tubes from a distance. The most recent offering from Tung-Sol, the elongated egg shape of the KT150 gives the ART amplifier more of a space age flair.

The front of the ART is a model of simplicity. A single, quarter-sized power button resides toward the right side, illuminated by a subtle amber LED when activated. When depressed the amp warms the tubes slowly, helping extend tube life. You might hear a few pings and pops through the speakers while the tubes warm up, but once the ART achieves optimal voltage and temperature one’s ear must be very close to the woofer or tweeter to detect audible hiss.

Mining for the best parts

As old wisdom suggests, “It is what’s inside that counts.” In the case of the ART150, careful component choices result in staggering performance. C-J sought the best possible parts for the new ART, right down to the type of internal wiring, with the wide-bandwidth output transformers and Teflon capacitors being custom-made solutions. Also under the hood are laser-trimmed metal foil resistors chosen for their high levels of performance in the sensitive signal path. As a single ended design, the ART accepts only RCA interconnects from a preamplifier. The high quality gold-plated input terminals offer both excellent electrical transmission and a secure grip on cables.

A set of metal five-way binding posts on the back of the unit facilitate connection of spade, banana, or bare-wire cable terminations with ease. Spades used in my case secure quickly and very firmly under the posts. For those without muscular fingers, a 7/16-inch plastic binding post wrench fits over the nut correctly, allowing extra leverage. If you elect this route, consider an approach of gentle assertiveness, remembering you are not bolting together a skyscraper’s support beams.

The Conrad Johnson design philosophy has always centered around meticulously executing simple circuit designs – a big part of why they don’t produce balanced circuit designs. Taking the simplification mantra further in this amplifiers, a single pair of KT150 output tubes per channel replaces four KT120 tubes per channel in the original ART amplifier, with the new design producing 150 watts per channel, up from the 140 per channel available in the original.

Swift set up

The tubes are carefully packed inside the tube cage, so this will need to be removed to fit power and driver tubes. Each tube box is wrapped in black tissue paper giving the unpacking process an extra touch of class.

Like every other C-J power amplifier, the user must manually bias the power tubes after installing them. The process is surprisingly easy, using a simple plastic screwdriver included in the ART150 package. After a new set of tubes are socketed, twist the biasing screw just enough to extinguish the small yellow LED next to each tube. C-J suggests doing this again after an hour or so of use, and again every six months to extend the life of the tube set. When re-tubed, the biasing process should be repeated.

The ART requires significant break in due to the custom Teflon capacitors and other electronics within. C-J completes a 5-day burn-in before ART amplifiers leave the factory. During that time, the C-J team can ensure no component inside the amp fails before shipping, and do a listening test. I gave the ART150 another 200 hours of play time to ensure it reached its full sonic potential, and the sound did gain improvement during that period.

It is best to shut down the amp when not using it. Doing so will help maximize valuable tube life. ART warm-up time from a cold start is a scant 15 minutes, so the wait for optimal sound is never a long one. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

Jewelry for the eardrums

C-J’s tagline “It Just Sounds Right” is not just marketing hype. In this case, those four words may comprise the shortest product review ever written. However, quantifying “Right” requires quite a few more words because a lot is right with this amp.

With the ART150, C-J did not just jump over the high bar set by the Classic 62. Instead, it seems they used a ten-foot pole to vault over it. The Classic 62 is a fantastic amp by any measure. However, the ART exceeds the Classic 62’s capability in every way.

With the ART150, my entire listening room becomes part of its huge projected soundstage. Music extends well beyond the left and right speaker boundaries, wrapping around the edges of the space. When music dictates it, spatial cues place instruments and vocals above, below, behind, or well out in front of the speakers. Imaging presented by the ART remains not only precise and defined, but almost tangible. Instruments and vocals layered over one another retain independent space rather than collapsing into one another. The three-dimensional nature of the music experience proves immersive, and time evaporates while listening to song after song. Even with familiar tracks, subtle sound effects are much easier to discern, offering details few components retrieve so exceptionally. Occasionally, music freed by the ART will surprise me, as if sneaking up next to my listening seat before revealing itself. Even older recordings reveal a few surprises. For example, engineered vocal effects in “By My Side” by INXS extend the background voices, well… right by my side. Alternately, the bar chime sounds in Depeche Mode’s “Everything Counts” seem to leap forward to a point a few inches from my ears. To have an audio component capable of detailed projection that catches me off guard like this is equally rare, eerie, and thrilling.

The ART will reveal every nuance of a song for better or worse. Great recordings sound quite realistic. However, on less-than-stellar tracks, the ART exposes any shortcoming too. For instance, listening to Santana’s Supernatural, the level of compression is evident. Cymbals lack both the splash of impact and a lingering decay. In contrast, extremely well-recorded albums like Johnny Cash’s American IV: The Man Comes Around provide the honest illusion of Cash sitting in the room. Few amplifiers I have experienced offer this degree of revelation. The ART represents quite an achievement indeed.

Despite the level of detail, this C-J’s purposeful voicing choices offer organic, natural, and forgiving sound. Even with some strident or sibilant recordings, ear-twitching spikes lose their sting and seem much more refined through the ART. C-J manages to capture every detail within a song but accomplishes the trick of making edgy sonics more enjoyable.

Forget any pre-conceived notion that this tube amplifier might generate watered-down or mushy bass. The ART150 rides the perfect balance between bass depth, punch, and naturalness. Similarly, high notes offer a welcome sparkle. Both male and female vocals glide through this amp’s circuitry, providing the listener a lush and luxurious musical experience as they emerge. Regardless of music genre, the ART never failed to deliver fantastic music, exceeding my expectations for an audio component.

Go for the gold!

Reaching audio heaven comes with a cost. Retailing at $19,500 for the limited edition ART150 and double that for the ART300 monos, either choice represents a significant investment. However, considering the extensive research and design process, no-compromise electronics, and the stellar sound this amplifier produces, one should expect a component of this magnitude to have a price commensurate with its performance level.

Those familiar with any piece of tube gear know they need replacement over time, so unlike solid-state amps, an ART owner should budget for planned maintenance. C-J suggests the ART’s tubes have a longevity of two or three years depending on usage. KT150s cost around $90 each and prices for 6922s can range widely depending if they are modern production or new old stock. Budget at least $500 every few years for a complete re-tube. The ART300 monos, each of which is essentially an ART150 optimized for a single channel, would double that tube cost.

Yes, I am utterly stunned by the ART150’s sonic prowess. Among amplifiers I have had the pleasure of evaluating at home for an extended period, the ART deserves a place on a tiny list of amps I would enjoy for the long haul. We will have to wait and see what C-J creates for their appropriately-golden, 50^th anniversary! For now, the ART earns a place among those scarce components that offer such an outstanding level of performance it could halt one’s long journey in pursuit of better gear. Kick off those worn-down trekking shoes, relax, and just enjoy the music.

I am giving the ART150 amplifier my highest praise: I purchased the demo unit as a reference component. If you are seeking a flagship amplifier to enjoy for many years to come, do yourself a big favor and head to your local Conrad-Johnson dealer for a demo. Like me, you may find you cannot walk away from the ART150. Grab one before these limited-edition units are gone!

Further Listening: Jeff Dorgay

Even though Conrad-Johnson has been refining their designs for decades now, they’ve made some pretty incredible tube amplifiers over the years. Audiophiles the world over still discuss many of their Premier designs in hushed conversations, with reverence.

Not only is the ART 150 one of the most musical revealing amplifiers I’ve heard, the combination with C-Js flagship GAT 2 Preamplifier has me squeezing my adjective gland for some new superlatives. I can not find them. If you already have one of CJ’s top preamps, the ART 150 will take you somewhere rare and special. If you don’t, you’ll be shopping. I won’t taunt Rob with the GAT until he recovers from the ART 150 purchase.

Everything Rob points out about the ART 150, is heightened even further when paired with the GAT 2. It’s worth mentioning that the ART 150 is no slouch with an ACT 2 either, so even if you have one of these on your equipment rack, it is a worthy partner for an ART 150.

As a friend pointed out recently, we are really living in an exceptional period for audio, no matter what your budget might be. With so many of the industry’s top designers benefitting from decades of experience, creating their best work. It’s often said that it takes 10,000 hours to master something. 40 years of refining greatness results in the ART 150 power amplifier. More often than not, tube power amplifiers give you musicality/tonality, inner detail, or massive imaging prowess, but rarely all three. The ART 150 does that and more – adding major dynamic swing and bass control. This level of resolution, delicacy and freedom from fatigue is what makes the ART 150 so special. That is why it is our Amplifier of the Year for 2017.

The Conrad-Johnson ART 150 Stereo Power Amplifier

MSRP:  $19,500

PERIPHERALS

Analog Source: SME Model 10 with SME V and Model 10 tonearms. Dynavector 17D3 and Denon DL-103R cartridges

Digital Sources: Mac Mini, Roon Music Service, Simaudio MOON 780D DAC, Oppo BDP-103

Amplification: Conrad-Johnson Classic 62, Burmester 911 Mk3

Preamplification: Coffman Labs G1-B

Speakers: GamuT RS3i, JL Audio Dominion Subwoofers

Cables: Jena Labs

Power: Torus AVR 15 Plus, RSA Mongoose power cords

Accessories: ASC tube traps, Mapleshade Samson audio racks, Coffman Labs Equipment Footers, AudioQuest Jitterbug, Atomic Audio Labs Mac Mini stand

Five Postcards from RMAF and Beyond:
A first visit to Denver’s audio show

By Gautam Raja, Photo: Brian Von Bork

#1. Wish You Were Hurting

There aren’t many Indian brands in high-end audio, which is why I’m sitting on an orange sofa at the Hotel Irvine, talking to Jacob George, a pony-tailed architect from Cochin, India. It’s 2015 at T.H.E. Show Newport, and Jacob is the founder and designer of Rethm, a company whose single-driver loudspeakers received good reviews in the international audio press. Jacob is in Orange County to show a pair of his elegant Rethm Maarga’s, and is also on the verge of setting up a US distribution network. He has run into an unexpected problem.

A dealer heard their room, and loved both sound and aesthetics of the speakers so much, that he walked the distributor into the corridor to talk business. The dealer had a bevy of high-profile clients with holiday homes at an upscale location in the US, and knew they’d love Jacob’s product.

But the distributor soon returned: no deal. The sound was right. The looks were right. The price was a problem. Too expensive? No, at $10,500, they were too cheap. His clients were expecting to pay about $80,000 for a pair of loudspeakers.

Long dissolve to 2017. The scene is the Davone room at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver. I walk in and look with suspicion at these pretty teardrop-shaped speakers with a beautiful wood finish. And when they play like a proper high-end product, I’m surprised. I make this admission to the soft-spoken Davone designer and founder Paul Schenkel, and while I don’t expect to be the first, I also don’t expect Paul to have no defensiveness or resignation about this, but a simple acceptance: this is how it is.

A little later, I talk to an experienced dealer about Davone, and he says, “Oh yeah, great speakers, but I can’t sell them. Too pretty.”

Please write back and tell me, why does it have to hurt?

#2. Wish You Were Younger. No, Older. No, Younger

In my recent past, I worked as a salesperson at a high-end audio dealership, a brief career unbesmirched by the ugliness of commerce (i.e. actual sales). But hey, I made lots of friends. Many industry reps visited the dealership, and I would ask them the same wide-eyed question: “Who is the new audiophile?”

They’d say, “You. Young people like you, with your USB turntables.”

And I would respond, “Holy crap, how old do you think I am?”

I’m 43, but I’m told I look much younger. (What they don’t tell me, but I know is true, is that I act much younger too.) But, apparently even 43 is young in audio world, and my callow USB-turntable-toting youthfulness was borne out at RMAF at the seminar “Young Guns of Hi-Fi”. It was part-joke that the venerable Steve Guttenberg sat in on the panel, but I don’t think anyone missed the irony of not having enough young guns to go around. Ebullient, ubiquitous Danny Kaey of Positive Feedback and SonicFlare led the seminar, and also on the panel were Rafe Arnott of Part-Time Audiophile, and Sean Casey of Zu Audio. They were all chronically young rather than chronologically—and I mean that in a good way. I guess that was the point.

Perhaps the only truly young people were self-described “older millennial” Jessa Zapor-Gray, vice president of marketing, Intervention Records, and someone I’ll describe as a likely older millennial, Jordon Gerber, manufacturing manager and chief engineer, Bob Carver Corporation.

The main question posed to the panel was the all-important: “How do we bring young people into audio?” The ball was thrown around a bit, but the game didn’t really take off. It wasn’t poor Danny’s fault, but more that these discussions are like lowering cartridge to your favorite record, and expecting the stylus to follow some other path—any other path—than the inevitable downward spiral through a bunch of well-worn tunes, to finish up “and but”-ting into eternity in the run-off groove.

“That was like stabbing myself in the eye,” said one of the panelists afterwards.

The industry seems to universally claim that young people must step in to save it, and yet one of the revelations at the seminar, something everyone on the panel and much of the audience agreed with, was that young people are ignored in rooms by manufacturers, dealers, and distributors. “These are young people with money, ready to buy,” said Rafe.

Again. Why does it have to hurt?

Also, I have never owned, and do not plan to own, a USB turntable.

#3. Wish You Were Hearing

Danny Kaey and I both live in LA, and he has promised to invite me to the next of his famous listening parties. (Hopefully it’ll stand even after he reads this article.) I phoned him for a post-RMAF chat about his seminars and, of course, “the industry”. Those aren’t my scare quotes; Danny had used them in the title of his Sunday seminar ‘Why We in “The Industry” Are All Arguing Over MQA and So Much More’. Again, Danny tried valiantly to kick it off, but the stylus descended, caught the groove, and a familiar album played out, including the famous “Bits is Bits” song. We all know the lyrics to that one, especially when sung by a computer engineer.

Though Danny is a certified gearhead, the three rooms he liked the most at the show were ones that were about music over equipment: Zu Audio, Classic Album Sundays, and Devore Fidelity.

“Shows need to be much less about listening to equipment and much more about a music party,” he said. “They need to make it comfortable, play non-audiophile music, and much less that quasi-controlled environment… it should be a lounge set-up where you can be social.”

Once again, we’re talking about self-induced pain. Stern chairs set up facing an audio system that’s a small skyscrapered city, playing beautiful inoffensiveness in a sea of variables that make it almost impossible to judge the merits of the object of your desires.

“This isn’t an inherently fun experience,” said one of the (truly) young observers at the Young Guns seminar, and most of us laughed. Jessa Zapor-Gray however, didn’t.

“But it is an industry event,” she pointed out.

I pivoted once more, starting to feel like a member of the fickle rabble in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Are shows such as the Los Angeles Audio Show, T.H.E Show, and RMAF marketed as consumer events, but treated and set-up like industry events?

And is this a problem?

#4. Wish You Were Here

Here’s what I felt on my final walkabout at 3.45pm on Sunday afternoon, catching the last of the rooms on my list before the sources started disappearing, and power amps mysteriously powered down in anticipation of the huge pack-up job at 5.30pm. There’s something deeply lonely about truly high-end audio. It’s polished into the liquid finish of speaker enclosures, brushed into the sides of solid metal casework, made manifest in the fanatical detail that bridges the chasm between 98% and 99%. I believe it’s a necessity not a symptom.

But it’s not a necessity to bake this sterility into the marketing. Looking at the advertisements, you’d think a home with $200,000 loudspeakers is a mausoleum with great light and stunning views. Floor-to-ceiling windows, floor-to-ceiling loudspeakers, and no humans to mar the gloss with their fingerprints, nachos, hairy pets, and cables. In these pristine mansions, no children clap their hands and giggle in front of turntables, no couples do an impromptu dance while dinner warms up. There’s not even the stereotypical target-demographic model: an old, white audiophile grinning at the veils being lifted by his new power conditioner.

These are products, the ads tell you, to be locked up in golden-ratioed towers. They celebrate loneliness, and loneliness sells when we’re largely not lonely. Today, we’re too lonely to be seen apex buying—just look at those extroverted little Bluetooth speakers that sing of backyard barbecues, dinner parties, and spontaneous picnics… in France.

So what happens if we start throwing people—you know, like actual human beings: happy families, beautiful friends—into those product advertisements?

I await your response.

#5. Back To the Home Fires

I should state that I’m no young gun, or gently middle-aged gun, or in fact, any kind of cis-weaponised member of the audio industry. I’m the upstart; the arriviste recently crossed over from consumer to industry, who presumes to comment upon the field. I wrote recently (and perhaps optimistically) that I had the tools to be the ideal observer: “I know the language but not the water-cooler gossip. I have the framework, but carry little baggage.”

In the days following RMAF, I reflected that though audiophilia was a huge, rewarding part of my life, I had an ambivalent relationship to it. You can’t come away from loving a $73,000 pair of loudspeakers without the moral fiber fraying a little. Something changes when you talk high-end all weekend with your audio-show buddy (hey, I have audio-show buddies now!), and he goes home to a small Northern California town that few people around the world had heard of; until the evening of October 8, when the firestorms put Santa Rosa on a global tragedy map. I went directly from discussing my friend’s upcoming loudspeaker purchase, to asking if his home was still standing.

I know it’s futile, even unfair, to bring life tragedy or world poverty to a luxury event. As I wrote in the long caption on an Instagram post (@gautamraja): “At shows such as Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, you meet passionate people whose surnames on their name tags match the badging on their highly engineered, beautifully finished products. Depending on the energy you bring to the show, it could be a study in glittering, exclusionary excess, or a moving view of a human yearning for perfection.”

My energy rattled between the two all weekend, but when things went well, as they often did, it was possible to walk through darkened hotel corridors on a clear, crisp Colorado day, and feel proud to be human.

If it’s going to be beautiful, sometimes it has to hurt.

#6. A Post-it Note From the Old Guy – Jeff Dorgay

Like our new guy Gautam, I too am usually confused for someone younger, but it’s because I’ve remained pretty immature, and the fact that I can still clear out a demo room in under ten seconds. With all this gray hair, I usually get mistaken for Einstein, the Doc in Back to the Future, or Nelson Pass. I’m comfortable with either of these. I asked Gautam to walk around, soak it up and give me his opinion on the vibe. I’d say he pretty much nailed it. I’ve been attending the RMAF now for 12 of the 13 years it’s been going on. I’ll always have a soft spot for it, because it’s where the first, 55 page issue of TONEwas launched 12 years ago.

One thing I did notice this year, was a lot higher percentage of rooms with good sound. That’s a big start. If you want people of any age to get excited about what this industry has to offer, the sound has to be compelling, and not just from a single, head in a vice position. This year, the chance with someone random stumbling in the door and hearing great sound was much higher than in years past, and I think that’s necessary to bring more people to our world. And unlike the Barrett-Jackson car auction in Scottsdale, which I’ve been attending even longer, I did see a lot of unfamiliar faces, and that’s a good start.

All that being said, it was a pleasant show. Saw my buds, met some readers and made a few new friends, so life is good.

In closing, I don’t think anyone realizes what a crushing amount of work, show promoter Marjorie Baumert goes through, so I’d like to ask my fellow audio enthusiasts for a minute of silence and praise. I know how tough it is just to coordinate Thanksgiving dinner. I can’t imagine how tough it is to get all the wacky folks in our industry in one place and keep em all happy. Well done, Marjorie. See you next year.

Based in California, E.J. Sarmento founded Wyred 4 Sound in 2007 with a goal of producing stellar audio components at prices within financial reach of many music fans. In the decade since the release of their first amplifier, their product line has grown substantially, now including preamplifiers, music streamers, integrated amplifiers, cables, audio accessories, and more.

Of course, they have also invested significant engineering time honing their digital components like the DAC-2v2 and the DAC-2v2SE (the subject of this review). To commemorate their 10^th anniversary this year, a limited production 10^thanniversary DAC-2v2SE was also released. Since the beginning, Wyred 4 Sound’s gear is designed and built in the United States, and they sell their products directly to the public from their headquarters. Because their production facility remains onsite as well, in the unlikely event a product should fail, a customer can also work directly with Wyred’s team in California to quickly resolve the issue.

Standard versus Special Edition

As suggested by the name, the DAC-2v2 builds upon the sonics of the previous iteration in many ways. First, the DAC chip upgrades to the ESS Sabre 9028PRO.  The green OLED display is not on the 2v2, it is exclusive to the 2v2SE.

The SE version takes things even further with the ESS flagship Sabre 9038PRO DAC. It also offers several internal component upgrades including Schottky diodes and higher-grade fuses supplementing custom capacitors and Vishay Z-Foil resistors. The SE also features an upgraded Femto-grade clock, offering greater precision, corraling the digital bits into an optimal stream, reducing jitter significantly. It also has a green OLED display, which Wyred says is quieter than the regular blue LED display of the default DAC-2v2.

Hefty build

Weighing in at 14 pounds, the small 8.5″W x 4.125″H x 13.5″D enclosure packs much goodness under the hood, combining minimalist aesthetics, with densely packed internals. A deep grey powder-coated surface provides the DAC with a subtle matte finish (black also available), interrupted only on the sides by angled ventilation holes – a W4S trademark. Two black-anodized accent sections placed on the front panel offer some spice to the edges of an otherwise boxy form factor. Between them, a narrow OLED display is flanked by small “up” and “down” buttons on the sides, and a standby power button underneath. In addition to controlling volume, these buttons double as menu navigation tools during DAC setup. For those who prefer making adjustments from the comfort of their listening seat, an included remote control allows changes on the fly.

The rear panel offers all the digital ins and analog outs one might need. Outputs accommodate both balanced and single ended connections. Input options include USB, Toslink, Coaxial, AES/EBU, and HDMI connections. With all these options at the ready, it is a breeze to connect any digital source to the DAC and get the music up and running. A 12-volt trigger and home theater bypass capability offer additional flexibility in a larger home entertainment setup.

Depending on the source material, the unit’s internals can process 32-bit files up to a sample rate of 384 kHz PCM and native DSD files up to DSD256.

Fine Tuning

The DAC 2v2 series offers a few menu items not available previously, including multiple jitter reduction adjustments. Wyred 4 Sound recommends the lowest possible jitter setting for ideal sonic performance. However, that setting does place an additional performance tax on the component. Wyred suggests trying the lowest setting, and edging up from there among the five remaining increments if needed. Following their suggestions, the lowest setting never introduced any stutter in the system, but the sound did become a bit more relaxed and smooth with the jitter-reducer working its magic.

Another handy feature on both the DAC 2v2 standard and SE DAC versions is the variable output. If connecting the DAC to a preamplifier through RCA or XLR interconnects, the DAC allows the user to override its internal volume controls in favor of letting the preamp take on that role. However, for those who listen to digital music only, the DAC allows the user to connect it directly to an amplifier, using the built-in variable output as the system volume control.

Increasing the flexibility of the DAC, Wyred also builds into the menu options seven different digital filters. The DAC owner can experiment with all the options to determine the one that he or she prefers. For those in doubt, the DAC2v2 manual suggests starting with the “Apodizing fast rolloff, linear phase” option, and the small tweak does offer fantastic sound.

If connecting your DAC to a computer via USB, note that both Mac and Linux-based systems have native support. Plugging the DAC into a Mac Mini offered not a single hiccup. The computer recognized it immediately through the Roon interface, providing music in a few minutes. For those with Windows-based systems, a required driver is available from the Wyred 4 Sound website.

Wyred 4 Sound suggests 200 hours of break in time for the DAC, and with several days under its belt, it certainly demonstrated its prowess. For the majority of our testing, the DAC 2v2SE was connected directly to an amplifier, using the variable volume control feature. Reducing the number of components and interconnects gives this DAC the straightest possible signal path between source and speakers. While the digital filters do offer minor variances to the DAC’s overall sound, the Wyred has a general sound signature at its heart. At first listen, the DAC 2v2SE demonstrates a natural, and relaxed presentation. There’s a slight warmth complementing a high level of detail retrieval. Those seeking a DAC that exposes every bit of detail, including of glare or stridency inherent in a recording, may prefer more stark voicing. However, potential owners wishing for a more analog-like interpretation in their audio system will welcome the 2v2SE’s ability to file down the sharp edges ever so slightly in the name of musicality.

Extensive soundstage portrayal is DAC 2v2SEs top strengths. Musical cues extended to the far left, right and rear of the speakers’ imaging limits give a convincing and layered presentation. Listening to albums like Silent Letters from Bliss, the rich soundstage created by the engineers demonstrates the DAC 2v2SE’s ability to ingest, process and share out the digital bits with aplomb, re-creating the subtle details contained within. Cymbal crashes generate a complexity of audio frequency transmissions, offering a solid approximation as if sitting several rows back in an auditorium at a live concert. Similarly, the woodiness of clarinets and the brassiness of trumpets roll forth as dictated by the quality of a given recording.

Both male and female voices are rendered with a natural quality. In the absence of sharp edges to the sound make the DAC 2v2SE a great friend for long listening sessions. Ear fatigue never enters into the equation, giving the listener a chance to settle into the music for the long haul.

Bass-wise, the 2v2SE maintains a solid grip on bass without mushiness or disappointment in impact. The balance of bass with the rest of the audio spectrum does not tilt in favor of low-frequency information through this DAC. Those with a powerful solid-state amp are likely to find the partnership between the two components a welcome fit. Potential owners with tube amplifiers like the Conrad-Johnson Classic Sixty-Two we had on hand for testing, will be delighted equally. The DAC 2v2SE does not appear to modify the sound of any amp it is mated with, it just gives the amp a chance to sing to its full potential.

Summing strengths

This base DAC-2v2 retails for $2,299, and the even more advanced SE edition in this review retails for $3,799. While we did not have the opportunity to compare-and-contrast the standard edition to the SE version, the SE version performs very well at its price point. This DAC combines excellent build quality, understated modern looks, and a confidence inspiring five-year warranty. Wyred 4 Sound also provides a generous trade-in program to those who own older DACs and wish to upgrade to these latest iterations.

Considering many high-end DACs today cost well over $10k, and the marvelous quality of Wyred’s DAC represents a substantial value. Yes, more money can buy a higher degree of refinement and realism. However, the Wyred delivers a lot of prowess for its price point. Because of the variable output capability, this DAC can also function effectively as a preamplifier. For those listening only to digital music, it is a bit like getting two products for the price of one. Additionally, for those who enjoy fine-tuning their DAC’s sound, the on-screen menu options give owners several ways to tailor sound to their liking. Those small tweaks can help an owner to best match the DAC’s sound to the associated gear around it, but bear in mind that the DAC 2v2SE sounds great even with the factory defaults. The core sound adjusted to the owner’s preferences make this DAC a terrific choice for those who may rotate other gear over time. Some things may come and go, but this DAC can hold its own for years to come.

Further listening

At first, I thought I was listening to the anniversary edition of the DAC 2v2SE and was impressed at that point, but finding out that this was a regular 2v2SE was impressive. While my reference DAC is the dCS Rossini with clock (retailing at nearly $40k), I have been very excited to hear just how far digital has come in the context of the DAC 2v2SE.

Truly engaging sound to an analog lover used to take five figures to achieve. Like the lovely Exogal Comet we reviewed recently, the DAC 2v2SE is another addition to the list of highly musical yet reasonably priced DACs that will make you sit back and take notice. Combining major dynamic punch with lifelike tonality and lack of upper register glare has me questioning if I’d even bother with a turntable with an equivalent price tag to the DAC 2v2SE. Especially considering the ease and availability of digital music options.

As Rob mentions, if you are a music lover that doesn’t want to be committed to vinyl, you can build a phenominal music system for $5,000 – $10,000 using the DAC 2v2SE as your core component. While I used the DAC 2v2SE in the context of the system in room two with the PrimaLuna DiaLogue HP integrated amplifier and a pair of Quad 2812s, it was equally impressive with a vintage Conrad Johnson MV60SE tube power amplifier and the Graham LS5/9 speakers. Adding a few bits of Cardas Iridium interconnect and speaker cable brought the whole system cost to just under $10k. If I lost my job reviewing hifi gear, I could easily live with this system for a long time. I’m happy to award this DAC one of our Exceptional Value Awards for 2017 and look forward to sampling more offerings from this manufacturer sooner rather than later.

Publishers note:  Just as we are going live with this review, the guys at W4S have let us know that they will be sending an anniversary model by for comparison…  Stay tuned!

Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2v2SE

Please Click here to visit the WFS site….

MSRP:  $3,799

PERIPHERALS:

Digital Sources: Mac Mini, Roon Music Service, SimAudio 780D DAC, Oppo Sonica DAC

Amplification: Conrad-Johnson Classic Sixty-Two

Preamplification: Coffman Labs G1-B

Speakers: GamuT RS3i

Cables: Jena Labs

Power: Torus AVR 15 Plus, RSA Mongoose power cords

Accessories: ASC tube traps, Mapleshade Samson audio racks, Coffman Labs Equipment Footers, AudioQuest Jitterbug, Atomic Audio Labs Mac Mini stand

Sonneteer is a new name to many, admittedly including me. In the 1980s, college friends Haider Bahrani and Remo Casadei discovered their shared passion for live music and audio recording. After years envisioning products for their own use, and leaning on their backgrounds in electrical engineering, the two solidified their collaboration in 1994 with the founding of UK-based Sonneteer.

Why name the company Sonneteer you ask? In addition to his design skills, Bahrani enjoyed poetry. The name serves as an homage to those sonnet writers who inspired him. As such, their Alabaster Integrated Amplifier received its moniker from 16th-century poet William Alabaster[1] [2] .

Appearance

The Alabaster integrated amp sports a traditional and understated appearance. Our review sample with a black anodized aluminum facade does little to hint at the electronic prowess within. The front panel offers a purist complement of controls, with three knobs managing input source selection, adjust volume, and power. That is it. While the Alabaster may not win any beauty awards for modern elegance, the build quality is solid; with controls and switches that feel substantial when operated. For a very reasonable price around $2,400, this integrated earns a high score for price-performance. Looks are always a plus, but of course, that kind of facelift would drive up production cost. I applaud Sonneteer’s tradeoff, focusing on sound quality over flashy looks.

Weighing 26.5lbs. with dimensions of 12” deep x 17” wide x 3.5” high [3] only [4] hints at the hefty transformer coils, steel bracing, and circuitry within. The unit pushes 55 watts into eight ohms, and roughly double that into four ohms. With a new website on the way, the manual will now be downloadable.

With all respect intended to the straightforward design, the Alabaster has one major functional limitation – the lack of a remote control. Those like me who listen to a variety of artists or songs in a single sitting recognize that music is not always rendered at the same volume without software intervention. Depending on your audio setup, and your tolerance for volume swings between songs, this reality can lead to several tedious trips to the volume knob for small adjustments. [5] As the North American importer is quick to point out, “The Alabaster is good for upping the step count on your Fitbit.”[6] [7]

The ins and outs

The rear panel features a utilitarian look similar to the faceplate. Speaker binding posts at the far left and right of the unit body sandwich in between them a series of five single-ended stereo inputs, plus a set of RCA line outputs. Among the line inputs, the Alabaster comes standard with one MM phono input, giving the owner extra flexibility. Those seeking balanced connections are out of luck, but those with a single ended system will find this Sonneteer a perfect companion for the rest of its brethren residing on the audio rack.

The speaker binding posts meet European safety standards, the plastic shield covers each post ensures stray cables cannot connect inadvertently. Safety is a good thing, and these posts make connections to banana terminations or bare wire easy. Connecting spades requires sliding the cable termination into the shield from the underside. Due to the shield, there is no way to thread spades in from the top, so the Alabaster must sit against the back edge of the audio rack so that spade-terminated cables can dangle downward. If your speaker cables prove problematic in this regard, high-quality banana adapters may prove a saving grace.

The Alabaster’s straightforward connection options make setup very easy, and in a matter of a few minutes, this silver-tongued poet finds itself prepared to speak. When powered on, a small blue LED over the input selector comes to life indicating readiness. As a solid-state design, the Alabaster deserves several days of break-in to achieve the musicality it is designed to deliver.

Sound

Some characterize a “British” component sound as one that is voiced to prioritize warmth over stark transparency, politeness over detail, and relaxation over speed. Yes, those elements do serve well as broad brushstroke descriptors for the sonic signature this amplifier. Music portrayal is forgiving, perhaps akin to that heard several rows back in an auditorium where cymbal crashes and brass instrument blasts lose their bite as part of the bigger musical picture. At the same time, clinging to those generalizations would not do the Alabaster justice. These audible characteristics do make the Alabaster a joy to settle into for long, fatigue-free listening sessions. However, the sum of its sound is not bound to those overly-simplified descriptors. For example, listening to Bill Laswell and Jah Wobble’s dub-inspired collaboration Radioaxiom, the Alabaster reproduces low bass notes with solidity, musicality and drive which create the illusion of control by a more powerful amplifier. Those 100 watts never pull punches when needed.

Through the Sonneteer, the soundstage is substantial, organizing musical elements accurately from left-to-right across the soundstage. The front-to-back layering of musical elements is good, but when a complex array of vocals and instruments litter the soundstage, the Sonneteer tends to compress that picture a bit in comparison with some high-end gear I have experienced. The nitpick is minor, however, since the Alabaster does so much so well.

The complex harmonics of cymbal crashes or triangle strikes, like those captured on Ben Harper’s Burn to Shine, preserve most of the impact, reverberation and decay a listener should hear. Similarly, vocals offer the emotion of the performance without uncomfortable stridency or sibilance. For instance, Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” reveals itself through the Alabaster with the powerful crescendos one wants to experience from her recordings, but without the wince factor that accompanies it on some overly-revealing gear.

While the Alabaster cannot be expected to deliver the sound of separate components many times its price, it certainly offers an incredible amount of musical satisfaction. Higher-end components can exceed the Alabaster’s ability with a broader and better-layered soundstage[8] , a greater sense of realism, and more detailed presentation, especially at the higher end of the frequency spectrum. However, when compared more fairly to components in its price range, the Alabaster’s accomplishments are stellar indeed. The Sonneteer is a component any music lover will be proud to own. The team at Sonneteer deserves some serious accolades for making an amplifier that sounds this good, at a dollar figure accessible to many who prioritize the joy of music in their lives.

Conclusions

Simply put, the Sonneteer Alabaster is a price-performance wonder. For its very reasonable cost under $2,500 USD, it delivers excellent sound. The Alabaster might not unseat single purpose amps and preamps several times its price, may not be ideal for those who prefer a highly-detailed component which exposes every nuance in a recording. However, the Alabaster’s sound is beguiling, and this integrated amp is piece of gear to be enjoyed for many years to come. The warmth of its sonic character will help it mate well with many sources. If a prospective buyer does not require bells and whistles like a built-in DAC, networking connectivity, variable outputs for a subwoofer, or a remote control, this may be the integrated amplifier he or she has been seeking. I recommend it wholeheartedly, and it handily deserves a 2017 TONEAudio Exceptional Value Award.[9]

Sonneteer has a substantial dealer network in Europe, and has a growing number of North American dealers. If the Alabaster piques your interest, be sure to visit your Sonneteer dealer to hear it for yourself. For what it is designed to do, it performs those tasks extremely well. Sonically, it is a flat-out bargain for its modest price tag. Were William Alabaster alive today, I think he would enthusiastically approve of his namesake.

Additional listening: Jeff Dorgay

I couldn’t agree with Rob more that the Alabaster deserves an Exceptional Value Award. This integrated reminds me so much on one level of my reference, the PrimaLuna HP – it’s pure sound quality with basic functionality. With simple yet understated casework, all the value goes into the circuit and for the true music lover, this is a sonic treat.

Where something like the Simaudio ACE offers more functionality, the Alabaster offers a higher level of sonic prowess; if you can get by with 55 watts per channel and have the need for an excellent MM phono stage, it’s one of the best (if not the best) choice you can make.

Staying mostly in the British groove, with a slight detour to France and a trip across the pond to the US, I used the Alabaster with four different sets of speakers. Listening began with the lovely Graham LS5/9s, moved on to the Focal Sopra no.3s in my main system (which cost nearly ten times the Alabaster’s MSRP) and the vintage Klipsch LaScalas written about in this issue before settling back in on the Quad 2812s in room two. All delivered cracking performances.

What I’m the most excited about is the quality of the MM phonostage. Utilizing the new Gold Note Machiavelli high output MC (again, more expensive than the Alabaster) the level of refinement here is astounding, with a level of resolution I wasn’t prepared for.

In the context of some fairly expensive speakers, and using the PS Audio DirectStream DAC and memory player as a source, digital files were just as engaging as analog, and I suspect that a lot of Alabaster users will pair this $2,395 integrated with modest speakers and sources, never really knowing just how damn good this amplifier truly is. If it had thicker, more elaborately machined casework and a fancy remote, they could easliy ask $6k for this baby and you’d still be getting a bargain. So if you are a true music lover that is ever so slightly frugal, the Sonetteer Alabaster is your slice of heaven.

It’s certainly one of my favorites. You must hear one to believe it.

Sonneteer Alabaster Integrated Amplifier

Approximately $2,399 USD

Arcadia Audio Marketing
[email protected]
416-994-5571

PERIPHERALS

Digital Sources: Mac Mini, Roon Music Service, dCS Debussy, SimAudio 780D, Oppo Sonica DAC

Amplification: Burmester 911 mk3

Preamplification: Coffman Labs G1-B

Speakers: GamuT RS3, JL Audio Dominion Subwoofers

Cables: Jena Labs

Power: Torus AVR 15 Plus, RSA Mongoose power cords

Accessories: ASC tube traps, Mapleshade Samson audio racks, Coffman Labs Equipment Footers, AudioQuest Jitterbug, Atomic Audio Labs Mac Mini stand

Gold Note – the Italian High-End manufacturer based in Firenze, Italy has just introduced the XT-7, a new full-range, 3 way speaker with anti-turbulence bass reflex and ribbon tweeter available in Black Glossy, White Glossy, Italian Walnut or Grey Maple.

With a distinctive curved design based on a reinforced chassis in wooden multilayer panels to control resonances and sound, XT-7 offers state-of-the-art solutions: high quality crossover boards with Mundorf and Clarity components and custom drivers developed with SEAS in ultra-stiff woven polypropylene.

The separated cabinets for bass and mid/highs enhance perfect tuning: the bass drivers cabinet side is vented while the mid/highs is perfectly sealed to reduce internal reflections.

Weighing about 50kg each, these massive speakers are completed by wooden swallow tailed stands that features adjustable spikes to guarantees stability.

Gold Note has recently poured all the technical knowledge gained in over 20 years of OEM collaborations worldwide into the new lines of speakers, created to marry perfectly appearance and substance and provide a fulfilling audio experience.

Garlo Certini, Head of Acoustics, developed a deluxe crossover with state-of-the-art components provided by Mundorf and Clarity. The passive Crossover Low-High Dual-Slope cuts at 280Hz & 3000Hz and features a resistive design to enable ultra-linear load that support the work of the amplifiers minimising the stress on power supplies even at a nominal impedance of 4Ω.

The boards are made of thick audio-grade and anti-resonance glass fibre with 70uM gold plated conductors and power a sophisticated triple crossover network and a summing midrange multi-slope design to perfectly integrate the drivers of the array. Midranges and Woofers ultra-linear drivers are developed with SEAS and enhanced with proprietary metal chassis produced by MIM [Metal Injection Molding], and refined with radial reinforced low loss rubber surrounds, custom copper phaser and heavy copper rings.

All this technical features are matched by the impeccable finishes and the quality materials used thanks to the skill of one of the most talented Italian carpenters.

Maurizio Aterini, founder of Gold Note, adds: “We believe that high end audio equipment should always be executed flawlessly in order to really satisfy all the senses because music is complete experience. That’s the reason why we put so much attention and care inside and outside our speakers.”

XT-7 is available worldwide through Gold Note dealers at a MSRP of 13.500,00€ (pair)

For more information, please click here:
www.goldnote.it/xt-7

A relative newcomer to the audio industry, U.S.-based Kanto opened its doors in January of 2007. After working for larger consumer electronics companies for many years, Kanto’s founders put their design discipline to work developing new products to meet their goal of delivering high-quality products at very reasonable prices. Kanto’s latest speaker product conceived in Canada, the Yumi powered speaker, is building a fan base of its own. After putting the Yumis through their paces, I count myself among Kanto’s recent fans.

In The Eye of the Beholder

Kanto speakers are available in a variety of colors to blend in with any home décor or provide a nice contrasting hue. A prospective owner has the choice of matte black, gray and white finishes. However, I’d highly recommend choosing from one of the beautifully executed gloss finish options including black, white, gray, blue, purple, or red.

Kanto deviates from the standard boxy speaker shape, giving the Yumi’s a modern twist. While the front and back of the speakers are flat as you would expect, all the speaker’s side edges are curved. Rather than having defined sides it’s more like the speaker has a “flow” around it.

Tweeting and woofing are handled by a one-inch silk dome, and a five-inch Kevlar driver, respectively. Despite the small dimensions, these drivers prove themselves serious workhorses. To encourage better bass response, each speaker has a two-inch bass port. With the ability to output frequencies ranging from 60Hz to 20 KHz, the Yumi’s cover the majority of the human hearing spectrum. For those craving full range bass down to 20 Hz, the Yumi’s do include one subwoofer output on the rear.

Lots Under the Hood

Within the modern exterior lies the real magic of the Yumis. In Kanto’s design implementation, one of the two speakers is both the brains and brawn of the pair. It houses the control knob, source switching circuits, and the amplifier. Only this speaker must be attached to a power outlet using a standard electrical cord. Each of these elements requires some additional explanation.

The dual-purpose knob on the front not only controls volume but by pushing in the knob and rotating it, the Yumi toggles through various input options. Owners have a choice of connections for music sources including RCA, 3.5mm, Bluetooth, and optical.

Opposite the knob is a small LED that indicates the speaker’s state and source.  White, blue and amber colors – flashing or solid –  show various states of sources and power readiness. In addition to the various inputs, and a power switch on the rear of the speaker, a built-in USB charger is a convenient addition, making it easy to charge a mobile phone or another audio device while using that device to stream music.

Yumi’s are powered by a 30-Watt Class AB amplifier. Putting that much juice in a little speaker enclosure is a bit like packing a turbo charged V8 engine in a Volkswagen Bug… and it’s awesome! While I admire greatly the energy efficiency and sound quality of modern Class D amp designs used in many powered speakers today, there’s still something about the older-school amplifier circuitry that usually generates, to my ears, a more musically engaging and lifelike experience. The Class AB implementation in the Yumi is no exception. When in standby mode, the Yumi amp sips only half a watt, keeping the circuitry warm and ready for use. While the owner can manually put the Yumi’s into standby mode via the remote, the speakers will do it automatically if no source material is detected for a period.

External dimensions of the speakers are a scant 6.9” W x 8.1” D x 10.6” H (17.4 x 20.5 x 27 cm). The Yumi speaker pair weighs in at about 23 pounds. Of course, the passive speaker makes up only 8.8 pounds (4 Kg) of that heft since the heavy amplifier, power supply, and other technology is packed inside the other speaker enclosure.

All in the Wrist

As if all this isn’t stellar enough, the Yumis come with a plastic remote that fits comfortably in the palm of your hand, allowing the owner to control many functions from the comfort of a favorite listening seat. Volume, mute, and source selection are complemented with the ability to control bass and treble. A reset button snaps the sound back to neutral when frequency emphasis isn’t desired. When using a Bluetooth connection, additional buttons control the ability to play, pause, or select the previous or next song.

Sending music from a phone via Bluetooth is incredibly easy, however, in my experience a fair amount of fidelity gets lost with compressed music despite the Yumi’s implementation of the aptX codec created to give Bluetooth better sonics. Using the analog RCA inputs to pipe in music from my reference rig, the Yumis take flight. In every perceivable way, music comes though with a sonic improvement over of the wireless connection. It may be silly to feed the Yumi’s a signal from sources priced much more expensively than the Yumi’s themselves, however, these speakers demonstrate their ability to take great source material and deliver it to the listener in a musically satisfying and very engaging way.

Shocking Sound

These powers speakers deliver impressive sound. Though the Yumi, tracks like “Rotten Apple” by Alice in Chains have a surprising level of texture, emotion and depth which I would normally associate with  larger speakers and more powerful upstream equipment. Similarly, vocal tracks like Cat Power’s “Silver Stallion” reveal the emotion of the performance.

There’s a relaxed naturalness to the Yumis voice. It’s easy to settle into long listening sessions with various music types like electronica, vocals, pop, classical and jazz, never feeling like huge compromises are made. All of the tracks auditioned are delivered with nuance and delicacy beyond the Yumi’s price point. At the same time, there’s a quick-paced liveliness when the music dictates it. These speakers are not one-trick ponies, but chameleons that do well with whatever musical information is thrown at them.

The bass these little babies put out defies expectation. Even a few feet from the rear wall without any bass loading, there’s a good amount of lower frequency heft, and adding a little more is no problem thanks to the tone control options. With any small enclosure, though, there are bass limitations. Those craving heavy and tactile low frequency information can utilize the Yumi’s subwoofer output to augment the monitors.

From a soundstaging perspective, the speakers offer additional surprises. They somehow manage to throw a huge, three dimensional soundstage with ease, as you might expect from a great pair of mini monitors. Musical elements exceed the left and right boundaries of the speaker bodies and there’s a perceived depth of musical cues projected well above and behind the speakers.

The Yumi speakers deserve many accolades. But yes, they do have limitations. Are these tiny speakers going to reproduce spacious orchestral works with the impact, powerful swells and crescendos of a full range floor-standing speaker? Of course not. It’s important to frame perspective here. Let’s just say these Kanto speakers pour forth music, across the frequencies they are capable of reproducing, with ease, grace, and potency.

Given the speaker size and $449 price tag, I can’t criticize something that does so much so well. Some compromises must be decided deliberately by designers in order to satisfy size requirements, manufacturing costs, and future consumer sales. Kanto’s team made took a lot of care to avoid glaring errors that can make modestly priced speakers sound or feel cheap, impeding listening enjoyment. For potential owners living in a small apartment, or who want a set of speakers in a bedroom or den, the Yumis easily offer enough oomph to fill a room with spacious sound. Heck, they did a mighty good job filling my main listening space.

Get ‘Em While They’re Hot!

Right out the gate, these speakers command attention and deliver big, thrilling sound that seems impossible from such an unassuming enclosure. It’s a pleasure to test a product that provides so much quality for a modest price. Over the course of my time with the Yumis, my enthusiasm for them only grows. At the end of the review period, I could not bear to pack up and return these mini marvels, and purchased the demo pair. For all they offer at their price point, we award the Kanto Yumi Speakers a 2016 Exceptional Value Award.

Kanto Yumi Powered Speakers

MSRP: $449

www.kantoliving.com

PERIPHERALS

Analog Source: SME Model 10 with SME V and Model 10 tonearms. Dynavector 17D3 and Denon DL-103R cartridges

Digital Sources: Mac Mini, Roon Music Service, dCS Debussy

Preamplification: Coffman Labs G1-B

Cables: Jena Labs

Power: Torus AVR 15 Plus, RSA Mongoose power cords

Accessories: ASC tube traps, Mapleshade Samson audio racks, Coffman Labs Equipment Footers, AudioQuest Jitterbug, Atomic Audio Labs Mac Mini stand

At TONEAudio, we’ve had the chance to review several GamuT products, including the marvelous RS5 floorstanding speakers. The RS5s certainly set a high bar, and we eagerly awaited the opportunity to test the smallest sibling in the RS line, the stand-mounted RS3. Would the more diminutive Danish beauties blow our socks off like their bigger brothers?

GamuT’s chief designer, Benno Meldgaard, shared his top goals for the company’s flagship RS Series. First, he wanted exceed the capability of their previous “S” series in every way. After poring over every aspect of the design and build, GamuT gave the revised “RS” Superior moniker to the new speakers. Secondly, rather than focusing on charts, graphs, and numbers defining the RS prowess, Meldgaard’s speaker design escaped further scrutiny and tweaking only when the RS voice met the GamuT team’s unanimous agreement in listening tests. Subjective judgements count. Statistics may represent accuracy, but beautiful music is judged in the ears of the beholder.

In my own room, the speakers exhibit a flat frequency response, but the level of musical engagement they provide certainly reinforces the achievement of GamuT’s overriding design mission: delivering great music.

Stunning Surfaces

Twin RS3s arrive together in a single wooden crate, weighing in at about 250 lbs. Our backs certainly were better off because of the attached wheels, allowing ease of movement in our environment. Inside the mammoth crate, a carefully constructed and padded cradle supports and protects the speakers from damage in transit. As with the other GamuT speakers we’ve used, you simply pop the crate out, remove the two bars holding them in place and slide them out. Where a few premium speakers can take hours to get unboxed and in place, this is a five-minute operation with GamuT. Impressive.

The matching stands arrive attached to the monitors, so there’s no assembly required. Some potential buyers might want to use their own stands to cut acquisition cost, but that’s not an option with the RS3. Stands and speakers come as a package deal. The integrated stands serve two purposes: one functional, and one aesthetic. First, they provide a rock-solid base for the speakers, including a metal outrigger stand at the bottom for added stability. Threaded spikes facilitate adjustments necessary for ideal speaker placement. Secondly, the accompanying stands are a stunning part of the overall speaker package. The beautiful wood finish matches the speaker set perfectly, and the cantilevered appearance of the speaker-stand combination offers a stunning visual draw complementing the requisite functionality.

The speakers feature a sloped, time-aligned face placing the tweeter a little further back from the listener than the woofer. Since higher frequencies travel faster than their lower counterparts, this design gives the low notes a head start toward the listener, and all the frequencies arrive at his or her ears simultaneously to achieve the greatest sonic cohesion.

Other than the ruby finish of our sample pair, a prospective GamuT owner has a choice of three other wooden finishes: onyx, ivory, or maroon. Regardless of color choice, the external façade of the speaker is a marvel to behold. Beneath the outer finish, each speaker body is comprised of an amazing 21 layers of wood. Various types and thicknesses of wood reduce cabinet resonance and add rigidity to supplement the internal bracing. Such a hefty build comes with an equally substantial weight. Each speaker tips the scale at 101 lbs. (46 Kg). Dimensions, including stands, are 41.6” (1059mm ) tall, with a width and depth of 8.9” (226mm) and 18” (456mm) respectively. The depth measurement includes binding posts and grilles.

A two-way RS3 design includes a one-inch tweeter assembly, described by GamuT as a ring-radiator, silk cone Neodymium Magnet system. Lower frequencies are delivered by a seven-inch combined midrange/woofer driver featuring a paper cone doped with natural oils. The RS3 front grille features a minimalist configuration, comprised of 10 black elastic-like strands stretching horizontally across the speaker front, and connected to vertical metal bars near the speaker edges. If you have small children who may be tempted to touch the speakers, be warned that the grilles will do little to protect the sensitive woofer and tweeter beneath.

Standing Symmetrically

Every listener’s room is different, so GamuT includes some helpful instructions to optimize speaker placement. In addition to written recommendations, GamuT provides an Excel spreadsheet allowing an RS3 owner to plug in the length and width of their listening space. An immediate calculation returns measurements for ideal RS3 placement. When placed at those coordinates, GamuTs perform their best for imaging and accurate frequency response. This calculator is a real time-saver, giving a new owner a substantial head start toward audio nirvana.

After general placement is complete, two more setup steps must be executed for the best possible sound. These must be completed by ear. First, toe-in adjustments help get the most from the speakers. In my case, twisting the speakers about 30 degrees inward offers the best combination of detail, musicality, and holographic imaging. As a final step, GamuT suggests leaning the speakers slightly forward toward the listening seat for the best possible sound. The outrigger base of the speakers, and the threaded spikes built in, make this process simple using an Allen wrench. Applying the same number of twists to left and right side spikes ensures the speakers remain vertical while the rear is elevated and the front is lowered. As a final check, a carpenter’s level (or phone app) can help ensure the speaker pair are locked in at an identical, forward-leaning angle.

The RS-series speaker binding posts are unique, and frankly, rather frustrating. Thick, knob-like structures conceal a very wide, cone-like post underneath. With this post design, spade-terminated speaker cables are rendered unusable. Banana terminations, or spade-to-banana adapters are necessary. The speakers do not include jumpers either, so be prepared to use your own jumpers or a bi-wired configuration.

Stunning Sonics

Once the speakers start playing, put on your seatbelt. Wow. Just…wow. From the get-go, the RS3s impress. There’s nothing slow, laid back, or overly romantic about the RS3’s sonics. However, there’s nothing strident, etched, or overly accentuated either. There’s simply a high level of realism when voicing a performance. It’s easy to enjoy these speakers for all-day listening sessions without any ear fatigue.

No matter what musical genre is played, the RS3s achieve a miraculous balance of characteristics that leave this listener craving nothing. Sonic chameleons, the RS3s can portray with equal aplomb the warmth of a lush vocal performance, the dynamic swings of an orchestral ensemble, or the punch and speed of a vibrant rock track. Few speakers I’ve encountered seem to excel to this degree with any recording thrown at them.

Specified to reproduce frequencies as low as 34Hz, the RS3s are not quite full range. However, bass is a surprising strength of these monitors. In my own listening space, I find little roll-off at the lower limits of the RS3’s claimed range. Bass is taut, tuneful, and true. Even with the subterranean notes inherent in Bill Laswell and Jah Wobble’s Radioaxiom, the speakers never exhibit strain in producing satisfying bass. Yes, the sofa and kitchen cabinet doors did rumble. That said, those craving the deepest growling bass may desire the addition of a subwoofer, or perhaps one of the full-range speakers in the RS lineup.

Highs are rendered with similar delight. RS3s boast frequency extension up to 60 kHz, well beyond human hearing and into the sonic realm of the beluga whale. Not having any sea creatures on hand, I’ll have to take GamuT’s word for that. The frequencies I can hear, like the subtleties of cymbal rides and crashes, are portrayed with both force and delicacy as the recording dictates. Shimmer and decay float effortlessly into the room. Piano notes render with both a firm strike and ambient reverberation. Soprano vocal crescendos may coax forth a shiver down the spine, but never a wince from stridency.

The upper and lower frequency extremes sandwich an equally beguiling midrange, which frankly left me stunned. Vocals like k.d. lang’s on Ingenue have such a natural and unveiled sound, it’s easy to be immersed in an experience like having a private concert. While each breath a vocalist takes can be perceived due to the RS3’s command of subtle audio cues, that detail never distracts from the bigger-picture performance.

Imaging through the RS3 speakers is among the very best I’ve experienced. When placed correctly, the speakers manage the feat of wrapping audio elements far beyond the speaker boundaries. That, combined with the realism of the RS3’s sound, admittedly caused me on occasion to twist my head in surprise toward a stray, unexpected sound projected into the periphery of the room.

The RS3s blend in with the soundstage so well, with eyes closed and a finger extended, I have difficulty pinpointing the speaker bodies. Sound seemingly floats around the speakers, rather than emitting from them. Sonic elements extend into the distance behind the rear room wall, up to the ceiling, and wrap well into the room. It’s a truly immersive and three-dimensional experience that left me tethered to the listening seat for many late night RS3 listening sessions.

Summing Strengths

To answer the question posed at the beginning of this review: Yes, my socks were blown off by the RS3, landing in a smoldering heap in the corner of the room. The RS3s are among the most engaging speakers I have experienced.

I remain adamant there is no such thing as a universally “best speaker” since listener preferences, upstream equipment, and room acoustics all weigh into the equation. Taking those variables into account in my own case, I have not yet encountered another speaker that achieves such a Goldilocks-like “just right” balance for my own sonic preferences. RS3s offer a perfect combination of detail, soundstaging, speed, realism, and overall musicality. It’s a fantastic achievement.

In short, these speakers are keepers. If you are in the lucky position of having $20k in your speaker budget, I cannot recommend the GamuT RS3 speakers highly enough. Be sure to put the GamuT RS3 on your shortlist for audition. I plan to start saving now for both the RS3s and a new pair of socks.

GamuT RS3 Loudspeakers

MSRP: $19,900

www.gamutaudio.com (Factory)

www.audioskies.com (US Distributor)
PERIPHERALS:

Analog Source: SME Model 10 with SME V and Model 10 tonearms. Dynavector 17D3 and Denon DL-103R cartridges

Digital Sources: Mac Mini, Roon Music Service, dCS Debussy

Amplification: Burmester 911 mk3

Preamplification: Coffman Labs G1-B

Speakers: Sonus faber Olympica III, JL Audio Dominion Subwoofers

Cables: Jena Labs

Power: Torus AVR 15 Plus,  RSA Mongoose power cords

Accessories: ASC tube traps, Mapleshade Samson audio racks, Coffman Labs Equipment Footers, AudioQuest Jitterbug, Atomic Audio Labs Mac Mini stand

Amidst the hectic planning for 2016’s T.H.E. Show Newport starting June 3, General Manager Marine Presson took time out to talk with us about the coming event. Read her advice for first time attendees, planned highlights of the coming show, and Newport’s future direction with the tragic loss of event founder Richard Beers earlier this year.

TONEAudio: How did you first get involved with T.H.E. Show Newport?

PRESSON: I met Richard while working at the Atrium Hotel in 2011 and as the Conference Service Manager during the 2014 show, he was impressed with my work ethic and personable demeanor. Along with others, I believed his graphic advertising could use a touch of class and breathing room so I would always tell him to hire me as his Graphic Designer and shortly after the event, he did! In 2015, that was my ‘official’ role but as we grew closer professionally and personally, he started talking about me taking over and light-heartedly introducing me as the GM to some. Initially, I told him he was nuts! But what I didn’t realize at the time, is he already knew of his failing health and wasn’t joking at all. He saw someone that could do what he did and so he taught me everything possible during that short time. He became very sick immediately after the 2015 show and that’s when I began slowly taking over more and more of his tasks. A few days following the New Year, he was in the hospital incapacitated so I made the decision to take over entirely for the simple purpose of continuing his legacy as I knew that even if he recovered, it wouldn’t be in time to pull off this show.

TONEAudio: What makes T.H.E. Show Newport special compared with other audio events around the U.S./World?

PRESSON: Richard built this Show with a focus on making everyone involved – exhibitors, attendees, press, entertainers, etc. – feel like they were part of THE Show family and inviting all to join; this is why “Open to the Public” is noted on nearly all advertising we do. He was open to feedback and suggestions, always implementing positive changes that would further grow the event making it more successful each year, and keeping everyone happy. As I move forward with his legacy, it is my goal to continue creating opportunities for friendships and business connections as well as making it a fun, high-energy event that people can feel excited for. Essentially, it’s a big family party where business can thrive.

Presson (right) and teammates at T.H.E. Show registration 2015

TONEAudio: Compared with past Newport shows, what makes 2016’s event a must-attend?

PRESSON: First—it will be host to Richard Beers’s official and only memorial so we encourage everyone to join us in celebrating his life on Friday evening, June 3rd in T.H.E. Lounge.  Secondly—we are also putting more emphasis on the personal listening market and expect to see more young faces than ever before, a necessity for the survival of the audio industry in general.

TONEAudio: What advice would you give a first-time attendee?

PRESSON: Purchase your tickets ahead of time and bring your confirmation email to ensure a smooth onsite registration experience.  Utilize the tabs in the event guide to navigate your “show attack” – find exhibitors on our alphabetical listing, or use the maps as you walk the halls to find your favorite companies.  Enter your name in every raffle box and join us for the drawing on Sunday to win big prizes!  Isn’t everything so much more fun when you walk away with a prize?  When you need some down time, head over to T.H.E. Lounge to enjoy some amazing live music, grab a drink and recharge your batteries – or take advantage of the lively energy to network with great people.

TONEAudio: We are all shocked and saddened by the passing of Richard Beers, and understand this year’s event is dedicated to his memory. What is your own favorite memory of Richard?

PRESSON: Everyone knows Richard was rarely on time – I got married just before last year’s show on May 15th and being the loving father figure he was to me, made it a point to be on time for the ceremony. It was very special for me. His humor, intelligence, and down-to-earth personality made for countless memorable conversations late into the night that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

Richard Beers 1949-2016

TONEAudio: What do you think Richard would most like for all of us to remember about him?

PRESSON: Every discussion with Richard involved laughs – no matter the situation, there was always at minimum a good chuckle.  He was a high-spirited, funny, hard working, and generous warrior.  T.H.E. Show was his #1 priority and even through his failing health, he gave it his all. Failure was never option, he was going to take care of everyone as long as he physically could—and he did.

TONEAudio: What do you see as the future of T.H.E. Show? How will it grow or change over time?

PRESSON: There are still a lot of details to consider for the future but the bottom line is, I am dedicated to ensuring Richard’s legacy lives on. I will make every effort to ensure growth in a warm, friendly, and productive manner.  Being of a younger age than many in the industry, I’m fully embracing my advantage of reaching Generation Y, the Millenniums – they are our future and it’s my personal goal to introduce them to the amazing experiences the audio community has to offer.

TONEAudio: What is your favorite part of managing a large-scale event like this?

PRESSON: When Richard first introduced the possibility of me taking over in 2018, I was hesitant because it seemed like an overwhelming lifestyle. When I got my feet wet, and then completely submerged in this lifestyle the last few months, I fell in love with the role. He was right—it’s the perfect gig for me! Why? Because just like him, I enjoy doing a lot and especially in a fast-paced setting (some of us are just crazy like that!). I thoroughly enjoy being challenged on a day-to-day basis, planning and coordinating, and more importantly I love taking care of people and contributing to their successes.  I am the type of person that thrives in these ‘overwhelming’ situations and the rewarding feeling of completing an even successfully is priceless—for lack of better words.

TONEAudio: What do you find the most challenging element?

PRESSON: All aspects are challenging; you’re trying to make thousands of people happy—it’s nearly impossible to please every single person. But the most challenging this year specifically has been the feeling of loneliness. The wondering of ‘who’s here to help me and who’s here to help themselves?’ I’m still learning who the big players are, how everyone contributes differently, and putting together the pieces of the puzzle that were solely in Richard’s head. Next year will no doubt be less painful!

TONEAudio: When you are not working hard on show planning, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

PRESSON: Spending time with my family and pets—a lab mix, puggle, and senior cat keep me busy! My husband, Wess and I moved to Colorado last June to increase our outdoor opportunities—hiking, fishing, and sunbathing to name a few are musts!  Having been born & raised in France, I’m naturally a foodie so I absolutely love dining out and cooking. And lastly—reading is my therapy.

TONEAudio: Is there anything else you want TONEAudio readers to know about the event?

PRESSON: The mission for 2016 is to maintain as much authenticity as possible. We are keeping a lot of the same from vendors to operations and mostly everything in between (with some fixes to efficiency leaks). That being said, as I discover more about the industry and event itself, I will be making whatever changes are necessary to improve the event and I am game for all that will contribute positivity to the audio community—feedback is always welcome and encouraged; it is only through understanding what you want that we can continuously expand on our successes.
Starting early May, we’ll be launching our Exhibitor Spotlight so be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

On a final note, we’d love to hear your favorite memories of Richard, please share them on his guestbook and be sure to RSVP for his official memorial taking place Friday, June 3rd at T.H.E. Show Newport.

Find out more about T.H.E. Show Newport on their webpage

dCS LAUNCHES NEW FLAGSHIP VIVALDI 2.0 SYSTEM

dCS announces its new Vivaldi 2.0 series – bringing a comprehensive package of improvements to what many regard as the best digital music source in the world.

The original Vivaldi was launched in late-2012 to widespread critical acclaim. Music industry professionals and audiophiles alike declared it to be the finest sounding digital front end on sale.

Comprising the Vivaldi Transport, Vivaldi DAC, Vivaldi Upsampler, and Vivaldi Master Clock, this cost-no-object flagship system pushed the boundaries of what was then possible with digital replay. Vivaldi processed practically every digital format and offered a vast array of input and output configurations. At its heart was a new generation of the dCS Ring DAC™, a unique, bespoke-designed digital-to-analogue converter that offered superlative sound quality and technical performance.

As with every dCS product, subsequent firmware updates have improved Vivaldi’s functionality and performance since its introduction. Now though, dCS has made a number of landmark hardware and software improvements to the system, warranting the 2.0 suffix. The changes are designed to make Vivaldi even easier to use, more flexible, and even better sounding.

The improvements 2.0 comprise include double-speed DSD upsampling in the Transport, while the DAC gets additional gain settings, a new mapping algorithm, and a new DSD filter. The Vivaldi Upsampler adds the option for double-speed DSD upsampling and a new, galvanically-isolated Network and USB interface board that improves performance and adds support for TIDAL, Airplay, Spotify Connect, plus a new control and music playback App.

The new mapping algorithm (mapper) is a milestone in the development of the dCS Ring DAC™, which forms the heart of the Vivaldi DAC. Taking over a year to model and implement in software, the new mapper greatly improves on the very technology that makes dCS unique. The 5-bit binary music data obtained after the oversampling and digital filtering stages is assigned, or mapped, onto forty- eight latch outputs at the core of the Ring DAC™. These outputs drive balanced current sources which are mixed, filtered, and amplified to produce the analogue output signal. The new mapping algorithm has been developed to run at higher speeds while better avoiding mismatches that occur between outputs, further reducing any errors correlated with the signal. The results are superior linearity, even at very low signal levels.

This sophisticated mapper functionality is implemented in the Vivaldi Ring DAC™ through dedicated FPGAs, offering dCS the power to improve and change these fundamental algorithms through software updates. This unprecedented flexibility also allows the user to choose their desired mapper from a simple menu item. Version 2.00 software allows for two new mappers, together with the original for comparison. Subjectively, both new mappers bring more detailed, expressive, tonally-complete, and full-bodied character over the original, but each offer subtle differences in sound that users can choose between, depending on their preference and ancillary equipment.

The new, highly optimised DSD filter fitted to the new Vivaldi DAC was created to provide better impulse response than previous DSD filters and has virtually no ringing. High frequency noise has also

been better suppressed outside the audio band to be more universally amplifier friendly. These improvements manifest themselves in a more dynamic and dimensional sound across the entire audio band.

Vivaldi Upsampler’s new network interface board and control App lets listeners manage their music playback experience from virtually any source – whether CD/SACD, iRadio, USB, traditional digital, streaming services, or UPnP – in an elegantly simple way, and all from one control point. It has built-in TIDAL, Airplay, and Spotify Connect functionality and is firmware-upgradeable to accommodate future music services. The new, galvanically-isolated Network and USB interface that comprises part of the Upsampler upgrade results in a quieter, more natural sound while using these inputs.

Vivaldi DAC and Transport owners can update to version 2.0 by requesting software update discs from their authorized dCS retailer. Vivaldi Upsampler owners wishing to upgrade to Upsampler to version 2.0 will need to arrange for their unit to be sent to an authorized dCS service center to perform the hardware and software upgrade. Please contact a dCS retailer or dCS Americas for more information and upgrade pricing.

Once the new version 2.0 software has been installed, as with all dCS products Vivaldi’s software and network firmware can be easily updated in the future- via CD, USB, or with new internet download and update functionality- to add new features and to improve performance over its lifetime.

Availability: Vivaldi Transport and DAC – April 2016

Vivaldi Upsampler – May 2016 Summary: • Vivaldi is dCS’ flagship digital playback system, widely regarded as the best in the world

• The new dCS Vivaldi 2.0 range is a major step-change in technical and sonic performance

• Vivaldi Transport gets 2x DSD upsampling

• Vivaldi DAC gets a new Ring DAC mappers, improved clocking, and a new DSD filter

• Vivaldi Upsampler gets new, isolated Network and USB hardware, new Playback and Control App, 2x DSD upsampling

• Vivaldi plays music from virtually any digital source and is compatible with nearly all formats

• Designed and built in the United Kingdom with superlative, cost-no-object quality and finish • Vivaldi is firmware-upgradeable for future functionality and performance upgrades

• Prices: Vivaldi Transport ($41,999), Vivaldi DAC ($35,999), Vivaldi Upsampler Plus ($21,999), Vivaldi Master Clock ($14,999)

www.dcs.co.uk

Building upon the successes of their DAC1, Benchmark is not resting on their laurels. The release of the DAC2 series of products extends the capability and sonic performance of the product line with several different versions, offering a wide range of functionality to suit different owners’ needs.

While it might be easy to get confused by so many variations on the DAC2 theme, it’s important to note that all contain an improved digital engine. The primary differences are inputs and outputs, headphone capability and home theater pass-through. Two versions of the DAC2 come equiped with headphone outputs: DAC2 HGC and the DAC2 DX. DAC L and DAC HGC incorporate single-ended analog inputs for use as a preamplifier. The DX model we tested for this review includes an AES/EBU digital input, but no analog inputs.

Like its Benchmark ABH2 Amplifier we just reviewed, the DAC2 comes in a small enclosure with a lot packed inside. Measuring a scant 9.5 inches (249mm) wide, 9.33 inches (237mm) depth and a 1.725 inches (44.5mm) in height, the DAC2 is small enough to place anywhere easily, even on the most crowded audio racks. Plus, at a mere 3 pounds in weight, it’s easy to lift with one hand when placing it – a real joy after helping our publisher crate up the 274-pound Boulder 2160 the other day!

Internal Innovations

Under the hood, digital processing prowess is provided by SABRE DAC chips to decode 32-bit PCM and DSD files. Feeding these converters the best possible signal, Benchmark utilizes its new jitter-reduction technology via their UltraLock2™ system – a dramatic improvement over the original version in the DAC1. Focusing on lowering the noise floor and distortion level, the latest changes prove highly effective. The variable output makes the DAC2 more versatile than a DAC without, and makes it easy to become the cornerstone of a compact, yet high performance system, eliminating the need for a standalone linestage.

The back panel of the DAC2 reveals a plethora of connections fit to this tight space. Inputs include USB, two coaxial digital, and two optical connections. For analog output, the options depend on the DAC2 model chosen. All models have two pairs of single-ended outputs, and one pair of XLR balanced outputs. With the analog input equipped HGC and L models, the DAC2 features a HT pass through too.

You might not earn carbon offset points with your stereo system, but as a tree-hugging Oregonian, I appreciate that the DAC2 only draws half a watt at idle.

Snappy Setup

The DAC2 is extremely easy to set up. My Mac Mini instantly recognizes it, only requiring a few quick tweaks in the Mac OS sound settings to be ready to play music. Benchmark promises the same ease on the Windows side. While we did not have a Windows-based system on hand for testing, Benchmark has worked to make that experience just as seamless. For high resolution playback on Windows, an easily downloadable driver is needed.

Tight real estate on the rear panel is the only issue that has always plagued Benchmark DACs. As such a small unit, with so many input and output choices, the DAC2 rear panel is a bit crowded. If you have thick audio cables be aware that you may find it a bit of a stretch to get them connected. Lastly, those utilizing 24/192 or DSD files via USB will need to hold down the USB button on the remote for three seconds (a one-time setup operation) to engage USB 2.0 mode for the best performance.

Locked-in listening

When I’m anchored into my listening seat, the beefy aluminum Benchmark remote proves a couch potato’s dream come true. The ability to change inputs, volume, and mute leaves little need to get up.

After several days of burn-in, it’s exciting to give this DAC a chance to sing. From the first listen, DAC2 provides a treat for the senses with a highly resolving, yet forgiving nature. Regardless of music type, DAC2 performs as a sonic chameleon rocking and rolling when it needs to, but is equally at home with the delicate nuances of jazz and classical recordings.

Cat Power’s Jukebox illustrates how the DAC2 picks up every pluck of the guitar, keeping them appropriately separated from the vocals, which reside in a different vertical plane parallel to the first. The resonance and decay of acoustic guitar notes are easily discernible across several other recordings too, like Elliott Smith’s XO – his vocals retaining a smooth, organic quality. While DAC2 may not recreate quite the level of transparency reproduced by more expensive DACs I’ve heard, I really like the voice Benchmark engineered into the DAC2. Overly transparent and revealing equipment can tend toward stridency, sibilance and a wince-factor that takes away from the musical experience.

The DAC2, on the other hand, allows a listener to dissolve into the music and enjoy big, beautiful sound rather than getting bogged down in the minutia. For example, several songs on Portishead’s album Dummy have a glare that draws attention to those sharp edges rather than the rounded musical picture. With the DAC2, those sonic artifacts are not removed, but the entire album is much more listenable.

DAC2 also throws a huge soundstage and mines a lot of ambient detail from high-resolution recordings. The perceived stage width and depth easily exceeds the speaker boundaries in all directions. Also, DAC2 projects a sonic image that reaches from floor to ceiling. Many DACs I’ve heard do a good job of this, but so far, I have not heard one under $2,000 that does it so well.

Hearing Headphones

Rather than tossing a headphone amplifier into the unit as an afterthought, Benchmark took great care in delivering a high quality headphone amplifier in the DAC2. Those considering a Benchmark DAC for headphone listening should consider taking advantage of the company’s special pricing offer which bundles a reduced-cost set of Sennheiser HD-650 headphones with some versions of the DAC2 . Those headphones are among my own favorites, and a reduced-cost package through Benchmark is an added bonus for a DAC2 owner, not to mention a great place to start your headphone journey.

With a set of HD650s on hand, listening begins with the Benchmark-recommended cans. While very resolving, the Sennheisers are a bit to the warm side of neutral. As expected, the quality of the DAC2’s sound proves revelatory with any music being piped out. Especially enjoyable are the ease and naturalness of the sound. Electronica like Phantogram’s “Black Out Days” has plenty of punch and detail, but not at the expense of the bigger sonic picture. As an older recording, guitar on Albert King’s Born Under a Bad Sign can have some sting, but the DAC2 pulls the best from it.

When I switch to a set of Audeze LCD-X headphones, the DAC2 demonstrates plenty of power to drive them, delivering the bass punch these headphones are capable of producing with the right setup. Sonically, these headphones are like stepping forward several rows in an auditorium, getting up close and personal with every bit of the performance. For me, this action-packed delivery was perhaps too close and personal, and I found myself preferring the Sennheisers for the bulk of my listening. The HD-650s indeed seem a perfect match for this setup, and I can see why Benchmark recommends them.

In the end, excellent

$1,895 is not a small price tag, but in a hobby offering mega-buck DACs, it’s a modest sum for a component of this caliber. The DAC2 is a very easy component to live with sonically and aesthetically. Its versatility takes the value to another level, making me nominate this one for an Exceptional Value Award and give it an enthusiastic recommendation.  -Rob Johnson

Additional Listening

You have to go back almost seventy issues of TONE to our third issue for our first encounter with Benchmark. The original DAC1 was $995 and garnered our first Exceptional Value Award. It was a class leader then and it remains so today.

Staff member Jerold O’Brien still has his DAC1, so it was enlightening to compare it with the DAC2 alongside. Much like what we found comparing the Nagra PL-P to the current Jazz, the compact exteriors, as well as the overall sound, are very similar. Benchmark gear has always been very neutral, and like Nagra, because they supply so much equipment to the studio world, has little room for embellishment.

The trademark lack of sound that is Benchmark comes through instantly, but stepping up to the DAC2 immediately reveals more music and a deeper insight into recorded material, standard or high resolution. Remember, ten years ago we weren’t even talking about high resolution files, let alone DSD, so moving on to that realm is even more enlightening.

I’ve always loved using Benchmark DACs as a linestage and again, the DAC2 does not disappoint. Auditioning it with everything from a 35 watt per channel PrimaLuna ProLogue 4 up to the mighty Boulder 2160 reveals just how good this component truly is. The DAC2 is perfect for a primarily digital user who wants to put the preamp up on the shelf and run some interconnects to a power amplifier elsewhere in the room – the DAC2 drives long interconnects with ease.

So, ten years later, Benchmark continues to create an awesome DAC in a compact case. I’m guessing I’ll have to arm wrestle Mr. O’Brien for it again. -Jeff Dorgay

Benchmark DAC2 DX

MSRP: $1,895

Benchmarkmedia.com

PERIPHERALS

Ryan Speakers may be a new name to many; however, brothers Trevor and Todd started building speakers in the 1980s under the moniker Ryan Acoustics. Their designs, and the tools to optimize and improve them, have advanced in the new century, but the goal of the company remains the same: to make exceptional speakers at a down-to-earth price – and do it all in the United States from their factory in Riverside, California. They have succeeded brilliantly.

There are three different R-Series speakers with common driver designs optimized for each enclosure. The R610 reviewed here is priced at $2,000 and is a two-way bookshelf model. The R620 and R630 are 2.5- and 3-way floorstanding models, priced at $3,500 and $5,000. Multiple veneer choices are available, including walnut, oak and the clear cherry you see here, as well as custom staining options to fit a wider range of décor. I’d expect this flexibility with a much more bespoke (and expensive) product, so kudos to Ryan for being interior friendly.

These speakers instantly impress with their portrayal of Poe’s voice on “Fly Away” easily rendering reverberation heard in the recording, and simultaneously reveals the highly engaging and delicate quality to her voice. As a minimalist song, an accompanying flute remains layered in the distance behind the singer, and a piano locks in position to one side of the stage. The Ryans place all the elements of the performance slightly behind the plane of the speakers, and together this places the performers several rows down from my imaginary concert seat. Focusing on the forest rather than each individual tree, the overall musical picture is a wonderful one. Through the Ryans, a seat in row “J” is just fine with me.

It’s what’s inside that counts

The team at Ryan believes strongly in the structural rigidity that comes with the traditional box shape, reinforced with internal bracing, damping as they see fit. The cabinets are straightforward and understated (helping to keep the cost down), with the goodies on the inside – reminiscent of another highly successful West Coast speaker manufacturer. Even the felt ring around the tweeter is chosen with care, an attitude permeating this speaker’s design ethos.

Described in the product literature as a “bookshelf” design, the R610 leans towards the larger side of that moniker, measuring 16.73 inches (425mm) in height, 8.86 inches (225mm) in width, and with a depth of 12 inches (305mm) including the grille. They are mighty hefty, too, at 33 pounds (15kg) each. Inside is a 6.5 inch (165mm) Nomex cone woofer and a 1-inch (25mm) cloth dome tweeter. These tweeters are placed to the inside of the enclosure and are intended to be used that way as a mirrored pair. Placing the tweeters to the outside of the stereo pair will diffuse the soundstaging, so be sure to observe the manufacturer’s suggestion when placing the R610s. And plan on investing in a good pair of speaker stands to get the most out of the R610, as this is crucial to getting maximum bass extension. According to the team at Ryan, all their drivers are designed in-house at the facility in Riverside, California.

Up and running

The R610s are easy to set up; however the best integration in my room is with 26-inch speaker stands, keeping the tweeters close to ear level, so keep that in mind in relation to the height of your listening chair or couch. The manual included with the R610s provides excellent insight to new or experienced audio enthusiasts, so it is worth perusing as you are putting yours into service. They suggest placing the speakers 6–10 feet (1.8–3.0m) apart, at least 1.6 feet (0.5m) from the rear wall, and at least 2.0 feet (0.6m) from the side walls. This proved an excellent starting point, as did the ten degrees of toe-in, though I ultimately found nirvana with slightly more in my room. Again, this will depend on the exact tonal balance you prefer.

While the R610s serve up bass that is tight and tuneful, extreme low bass is lacking. In my larger listening room, roll-off becomes noticeable at about 80Hz. With test tones descending below that frequency, the drop-off becomes even more pronounced. Those who crave deeper, thunderous bass should consider supplementing the R610s with a high quality subwoofer. Or better yet – if budget allows – try one of the larger Ryan speakers which is designed to integrate all the audible frequencies optimally.

Other than inability to create deep bass, the frequency spectrum doesn’t overemphasize any region that creates an obvious imbalance. With a very neutral profile, these speakers work very well with every genre we throw at them. Experimenting with rock, electronica, classical, jazz, blues, and vocal-centric music, all prove enjoyable. It’s easy to get engrossed in the music rather than analyzing it.

Left to right imaging exceeds the speaker boundaries creating a huge soundstage, never drawing attention to the sound broadcast point, but to the music around them. The Afro Cuban All-Stars “A Toda Cuba le Gusta” illustrates this perfectly, defining and separating the musical elements contained with only a slight dithering of the big picture.

Epitomizing high performance for the price

The Ryan R610s peg the price-o-meter. $2,000 is still an investment for most seeking great sound, but well within the reach of those making a great music system a priority. Their modest form factor makes them easy to integrate into any environment and underlines Ryan’s commitment to research and development. Living with the Ryans for some time, they continue to impress. For all they offer at their modest price point, the R610 speakers certainly earn a 2015 TONEAudio Exceptional Value Award.  –Rob Johnson

Additional listening

There’s something awesome about a well-executed pair of 2-way speakers. Much like a first generation Miata on a curvy road, you don’t always need 500 horsepower to have a great time. Going straight to my small (10 x 13 foot) listening room after photos, the R610s are perfection: powered by the Nagra 300i tube amplifier with 20 watts per channel of 300B power, the Ryan speakers are well-served by the delicacy of the Nagra.

Even with something as cloudy and compressed as Todd Rundgren’s classic, Something/Anything, the R610s do an excellent job unraveling the music presented on a large canvas, beautifully disappearing in the room. Yet with an excellent recording, they take the presentation further, throwing a stereo image that extends way beyond the speaker boundaries, with a tonal purity that rivals much more expensive speakers.

Where the KEF LS-50 is more precise in terms of imaging performance, the R610 is more homogenous with additional weight in the lower register. Taking advantage of room gain in my small listening room was a bonus, and I wouldn’t suggest using these speakers in a room much bigger than 11 x 14 feet if you want solid bass response. I must confess a bias towards a well-executed soft dome tweeter, so if you share this preference, the R610 will thrill you. Should you be more in the ribbon or metal tweeter camp, you may find these speakers a little dull. Choices, choices.

Again, these speakers strike a natural chord, and the only thing they lack that the big bucks speakers have more of is ultimate resolution of minute musical details. Unless you are playing them side by side next to a great pair of $30,000 speakers at high volume, you won’t really notice. While most of my listening was done with the 20 watt per channel Nagra amplifier, substituting higher powered amplifiers of the tube and solid state variety worked well – bottom line, the better your components, the more music the Ryans will reveal.

For all of our readers that freak out when we review mega components, the Ryan Audio R610 speakers are as real as it gets. Buy a pair. I’m going to. – Jeff Dorgay

Ryan R610 Loudspeakers

MSRP: $1,999

www.RyanSpeakers.com

PERIPHERALS:

Many people know MartinLogan for its svelte, even avant-garde-looking electrostatic floorstanding speakers, which have earned the company a large and dedicated fan base. But, like a good scientist at work, MartinLogan does not rest on their laurels, continuing to experiment with new designs, like the Motion 35XT, that give potential customers great sound for the dollar. These speakers are designed to sound great as a stereo pair or with other speakers in the Motion line as part of a home-theater setup.

Under the Microscope

These mini Martins combine the brand’s Folded Motion Transducer tweeter with a more conventional-looking 6.5-inch woofer sporting an aluminum cone and ported out the back. The 35XT specifications state that the frequency response ranges from 50 Hz all the way up to 25 kHz. Into a 4-ohm load, they can handle amplifiers delivering 20 to 250 watts. Each speaker measures 13.5 inches tall, 7.6 inches wide and 11.8 inches deep, including the length of the binding posts. With solid construction and a substantial magnet for drivers, each weighs in at 18.5 lbs, which is relatively hefty for speakers this size.

Appearance-wise, the speakers don’t command the sculpture-like attention that their big electrostatic brothers do; the XT form factor is nondescript by comparison. ML finishes the cabinets in piano black or black cherrywood gloss. The last visual element to consider is the metal perforated grilles, which lend the speakers a look similar to ML’s electrostats, though they are magnetically attached and can be easily removed if desired. (Sonically, I found little difference with the grilles on or off.) But if you have small children who enjoy pushing elevator buttons and doorbells, the exposed center of a woofer cone can look mighty tempting.

Experimentation

As with ML’s ESL speakers, the XT’s manual offers concise setup instructions. Each speaker comes with four adhesive pads for easy grip on a shelf or a speaker stand. Once the general location is determined, ML suggests toeing in the speakers directly at the listener, which works splendidly in my listening room with the tweeters at ear level. The size of your room will determine how close you place the speakers to the side walls to maximize imaging and bass performance.

The speakers are easily connected to an amp, with ML’s oval-shaped five-way binding posts making light work of torquing down the speaker cables without damaging the cable or binding post. Two sets of binding posts allowing for bi-wiring or bi-amplification, should the listener prefer that configuration. The binding posts are offset on the speaker body, which makes this task even easier, whether you choose bi-wire or single-wire operation.

Testing in Vivo

The MLs immediately impress with their ability to disappear into the soundstage and music drifting in all directions around the speakers. The resulting sound portrayal enables a wide left-to-right stereo image complemented by an equally compelling sense of depth. Depending on the recording, there are some instances where musical elements project well in front of the speakers.

The 35XTs uncover a lot of fine detail and nuance in recordings, which contributes to the sense of ambient sound around them. At the same time, they do not lean toward ear-singing fatigue, a testament to ML’s years of ESL design and voicing. In the context of gear at my disposal, female vocals retain a natural, non-exaggerated musical presence, as demonstrated through Pink Martini’s album Hang On Little Tomato. Cymbal shimmer, horns blasts, harp plucks and piano notes showcase the speakers’ high- and mid-frequency extension.

As with most small-box designs, bass has its limits, so those craving deep and powerful bass might consider alternate or supplemental speaker options. Below 50 Hz, bass loses its growl through the 35XTs and a subwoofer like those offered by ML will pick up the slack. But what bass the 35XTs do reproduce comes in tight and tuneful. Like a seat further back in an auditorium, drum impacts sound quite real, but they lack an up-close level of punch and slam. Electronica tracks from Deadmau5 and Armin Van Buuren offer plenty of snap and excitement.

The balance of all these elements proves delightful during long listening sessions. These speakers do offer some surprises, as guitar strums and background vocals spring forth from the blackness and into the periphery.

Perpetual Motion

Though ML is known better for its more expensive ESL speakers, it’s marvelous to see the company price a set of speakers under $1,200, putting them into the reach of many audio enthusiasts seeking high-quality monitors. The gloss-finished wooden cabinets and metal speaker grilles alone give the outward impression of a more expensive design. And of course, fantastic sonics for their price point reinforce that assessment.

Used as a stereo pair, the ML 35XT speakers offer a lot of sound for the dollar. Other than limits to bass frequencies, the rest of the audio spectrum proves very enjoyable. The speakers may even beguile a listener toward couch-lock, repeating the phrase, “Okay, I’ll play just one more song.”

For those who want a stereo pair of speakers now, but are considering a home-theater setup in the future, it’s also great to know you are preserving your speaker investment. If budget allows later for the floorstanding version of the XTs, the smaller speakers can always be utilized as surrounds. In that scenario, a user can also rest assured knowing that the common drivers used in the Motion XT series speakers will offer a perfectly synergistic match. Our publisher has also mentioned that the XTs work very well as rear speakers in a multichannel system with MartinLogan ESLs as the front channels.

By simply filling out the warranty card and sending it to ML within 30 days of purchase, an owner receives a five-year insurance policy against problems with the speaker, which underlines the company’s commitment to its customers’ long-term satisfaction—whether an owner chooses the high-end or entry-level models. With that level of confidence behind the speaker, and the marvelous sound they produce, these ML speakers are a great option to consider.

Martin Logan Motion 35XT bookshelf speakers

MSRP: $1,200 per pair

www.martinlogan.com

PERIPHERALS

New Zealand’s Plinius Audio has a track record of delivering products that offer great sound for the dollar—and its Inspire 980 certainly offers a lot, especially for $4,450. In addition the power and preamp capabilities of a standard integrated, it also features an onboard MM phonostage and an internal DAC. With all those elements built in, this beauty can serve as a fantastic system hub—just add speakers and sources.

As with other Plinius products, the 980 features simplistic aesthetics, despite a wealth of internal capabilities. The smooth, bead-blasted aluminum faceplate is interrupted only by a volume knob and two buttons to toggle source selection. The 980 comes with a remote, but the $7.99 Plinius Arataki app (available on the iTunes store) makes controlling the unit from your listening chair even easier.

The unit’s dimensions are modest—about 18 inches wide, 14 inches deep and 3 inches tall—though the slender frame is somewhat deceptive when lifting the unit. It weighs in at a surprising 22 pounds, a result of its burly transformer and the breadth of electronics its versatile capabilities require. The unit’s Class A/B amplification section delivers 80 watts per channel into 8 ohms and roughly 100 watts into 4 ohms. While I’m used to a reference amplifier offering much more juice, the 980 has no trouble holding its own. It maintains command of the Sonus faber Olympica III speakers and leaves me not wanting for extra power.

Setup? What Setup?

As one would expect from this four-in-one integrated, the setup process is quick. Just plug in sources and speakers and start listening. Its back panel accommodates a turntable, two optical inputs and two single-ended line-level sources. There’s also a set of XLR inputs for a CD player, plus an Ethernet port and a USB input for networking from computer-based audio sources and DLNA-capable devices. As a nice bonus, the 980 also offers a wireless connection option.

I will note that the RCA inputs for the line-level sources are bit close together, making large-diameter interconnects a tight squeeze. My only other complaint is that my spade-terminated speakers wires present a challenge with these biding posts. The spades I use are actually soldered to the rest of the speaker wire, so they aren’t exactly flexible and so they must be inserted from underneath, as the binding posts are at the very base of the unit’s short frame and have very little clearance. I have to place the 980 at the rear edge of my rack so the cables can dangle downward instead of kinking. Of course, using bare wire or non-soldered banana terminations would not present this problem.

Sonic Notes

After the break-in period, the Plinius sounds neutrally voiced, with little glare, grain, or stridency. Regardless of source or the quality of the recording, I find the sound extremely easy to live with. It does not romanticize music or lean towards euphony. There’s just a slightly forgiving and relaxed quality to the sound, which strikes a delicate balance between warmth and stark realism.

With its internal 24-bit/192-kHz DAC employed, the 980 remains very tuneful. Compared unfairly against more expensive dedicated DACs, it offers a little less ambient detail and refinement; however, it does manage to render even poor recordings in a musical and enjoyable way. To my ears, Norah Jones’s vocals on “Don’t Know Why” were recorded a little hot, meaning that crescendos sometimes have an ear-tingling singe. During CD-quality digital playback, this stridency is somewhat diminished, giving the song a greater sense of musicality.

The 980 has no noticeable roll-off among high frequencies. On Hélène Grimaud’s rendition of Rachmaninov’s “Piano Sonata No. 2,” key strikes in the upper region have the requisite plink, ring, and ambient decay. With complementary bass prowess, the 980’s portrayal is deep and punchy with a solid grip on speaker drivers, especially on rock tracks like Electric Six’s “Dance Commander.” The Plinius delivers the full energy of this song with little (if any) compromises.

The soundstage portrayed—front-to-back layering, perceived width, and extension beyond the speakers—also proves excellent. Though I listen to Chris Isaak’s “Go Walking Down There” in regular rotation, I find myself startled by the 980’s portrayal of the cymbals panned to the far left and right of the recording; in my listening space, the sound bursts into the room. While the crash, shimmer and decay of the cymbal strikes may not have all the nuanced resolution of a more expensive and dedicated DAC (like the dCS Debussy, for example), what’s there is nicely rendered.

The phonostage section proves to be another really nice addition, given the price tag of the 980. While it’s limited to MM cartridges and has a fixed loading and gain, it is a wonderful feature to have incorporated in such a compact package. With all the experience Plinius has building great phonostages, like its marvelous Koru, there is undoubtedly some trickle-down technology lending the 980 solid analog playback. (See “Additional Listening” for notes on the phonostage performance.)

A Lot to Love

The Inspire 980 costs $4,450, which is not chump change. But given the quality of all the elements within—amp, preamp, DAC and phonostage—it’s actually something of a value-oriented purchase. Yes, you can get greater realism and refinement from more expensive standalone equipment, like Plinius’s own reference-level products. But from a price-performance standpoint, the 980 is a great option. For those who don’t need wired or wireless home networking capability for music retrieval from a networked drive, the Inspire’s little brother, the 880, offers the same functionality and sonics as the 980, but for $3,650.

If you have limited space to dedicate to your hi-fi system or if you simply want to scale down the number of components in you audio arsenal, this all-in-one component offers a lot to love. The 980 is also well suited as a launching point for prospective buyers who might be looking to upgrade to a larger system down the road. Given all of its capability and versatility, I can easily recommend this component—and I’d even put it on my own short list.

Additional Listening

By Jeff Dorgay

Every Plinius product we’ve auditioned has been fantastic, and the 980 continues that tradition.  As Rob is a MC-only guy, I wanted to spend some time listening to the 980 with the Ortofon 2M Black MM cartridge, which is currently mounted to the refurbished Thorens TD-125 table (courtesy of Vinyl Nirvana) and revitalized SME 3009 tonearm (courtesy of SMEtonearms.com).

As a listener who loves analog as much as digital and as someone about to move to a small space, I will say that the Plinius 980 is a fantastic solution for those wanting to keep sound quality way up and the footprint way down. Streaming music from the Meridian MS200, which is barely the size of a glasses case, and using my turntable makes this a true desktop situation. A 15-foot run of Cardas Clear speaker cable (admittedly worth more than the amplifier) and the Franco Serblin Accordo speakers round out an amazing system in my 11-by-13-foot living room.

Don’t sell yourself short on the MM thing; there are quite a few $600 to $1,000 MM cartridges that, if you aren’t going to drop thousands of bucks on a table, will fit the bill very nicely. I’m partial to the 2M Black, which mates flawlessly with the Plinius. Having spent a lot of time with the massive Plinius Class-A monoblocks, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with the 980. The Accordos perform their best with a lot of current and the 980 delivers the control necessary to really rock these small but mighty speakers.

But most importantly, the phonostage is dead quiet and, like the rest of the amplifier, it does not exaggerate or embellish. The Ortofon 2M has a similar sound, so if that’s your fancy, I can’t suggest this cartridge highly enough. Those wanting a bit more mellow/warm/euphonic sound should consider the Grado Reference Master 1 Moving Iron cartridge. With a 5-mV output and requiring 47K loading, the Grado will add a bit of warmth to your system’s tonality, which is especially useful if your record collection consists of mostly jazz and classic rock.

Whatever your taste, the Plinius Inspire 980 is a fantastic bargain, especially for those utilizing both digital and analog sources. An external DAC and phonostage of this caliber would easily set you back $1,000 each, so it’s like getting an 80-wpc integrated amp thrown in for $2,450—not to mention all that cable you won’t need. Enthusiastically suggested!

Plinius Inspire 980 Integrated Amplifier

MSRP: $4,450

www.pliniusaudio.com

PERIPHERALS

The first thing you notice about the new Benchmark AHB2 is its diminutive size. Even with feet and binding posts, it’s only about 11 inches wide, 4 inches tall and 9 inches deep. And the heat-sink fins account for about a third of that width, making it even more incredible that Benchmark was able to jam so much oomph into such a small body. Regularly lifting amps that leave my back barking for Tylenol, I chuckle with relief when carrying the 12.5-pound AHB2 to my audio rack.

At about $3,000, the Benchmark AHB2 is a substantial investment, and it certainly demonstrates many musical characteristics one would expect at this price point. But the amp’s size makes it appealing when shelf space is limited or when you simply want to minimize your gear real estate. If more power is desired, you can buy a second AHB2 and configure them as monoblocks.

Benchmark offers the unit with a black or silver anodized faceplate and black heat-sink fins. A studio version is also available, with a wider front plate to fit equipment racks. Other than its tiny power button, the front of the amp has no other controls, just a few LEDs to indicate aspects of operation. Each channel has three LEDs to indicate clip, temperature and mute. In the event of an amp overload (which happened once during my testing), the amp shuts itself down and the LEDs indicate the nature of the problem. Powering the unit off, waiting a few seconds and pressing the power button puts the amp back into operational mode.

Setting the Benchmark

As Benchmark products are used regularly in recording studios, all of the AHB2’s connections are balanced. A couple audio designers have explained to me that balanced XLR connections usually prove superior to single-ended RCAs, since XLRs offer inherent noise canceling and they won’t come loose once clicked into place. If the rest of you’re system doesn’t offer XLR connections, Benchmark also makes cables and adapters.

Setup is fairly straightforward: Connect a preamp and speakers, ensure the stereo/mono toggle is set to the desired position, and then set the three-position sensitivity switch to match the signal levels from your preamplifier; the sensitivity switch also optimizes the amplifier’s gain for controlling volume from your preamplifier. Because of the amp’s size, its back panel can get crowed, making connections a little tricky—especially with my speaker cables, which have soldered spade connections that don’t bend. As such, I have to place the amp at the back edge of my audio shelf so the cables can hang below the amp (though I’ve had this same problem with other amps I’ve tested).
The AHB2 also offers twist-lock NL4 ports for speaker connection. Benchmark says NL4s provide lower resistance and higher current handling than connection via binding posts, as well as a more secure connection. As most speakers don’t have an NL4 connection option, Benchmark makes speaker cables with NL4 connectors for the amp side and standard connections for the speaker side.

Once everything is connected, simply push the power button on the front panel to activate the start-up sequence. When configured as a stereo amp, the AHB2 pushes out 100 watts into 8 ohms and double that into 4 ohms. For those wanting a 12-volt trigger for remote power-up, the AHB2 has you covered.

The AHB2 features a Class-AB/Class-H design (hence its name), which facilitates bridging a pair of the amps to use as monoblocks, pushing 380 watts into 8 ohms. This scenario is very useful if your speakers need some extra juice and you want to provide a dedicated amp for each, or if you want to drive a center-channel speaker in a home-theater setup. When using this setup method, consult the manual to ensure the proper connections and settings.

Meeting the Benchmark

Among Benchmark’s design goals for the amp were extremely low distortion and quiet operation. From the get-go, the amp lives up to its design specs by providing a very clean presentation. The Benchmark does a good job of layering vocals and instruments in all dimensions, with each element supported by a solid and convincing image. The amp’s designer, John Siau, is quick to mention that the third goal was to achieve a ruler-flat high-frequency response—and the AHB2 is completely flat all the way up to 200 kHz. Siau says these qualities are vitally important in delivering high-resolution performance.

As desired in a studio setting, the sonics from the AHB2 are neutral, and in my home setup, there is no observable emphasis in any particular frequency range. I would not characterize the AHB2 sound as warm or romantic, though it’s not stark or emotionless either. Between these two ends of the spectrum, the amp leans toward the latter but with a sweeter top end. Those seeking an amp that emphasizes fullness and richness that will augment slightly thin sound from your preamp or source might consider other amp options. But if accurate portrayal is a listener’s goal, this Benchmark does the trick.

When reproducing poor-quality recordings, the AHB2 does a nice job of limiting digital glare. Lucinda Williams’s album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road demonstrates the AHB2’s ability to offer edge-free portrayal of vocals with a very fluid midrange. Her voice resides upfront in the soundstage and it is well separated from the instruments accompanying her.

Regardless of music type, bass through the Benchmark offers a taught presentation with the snap and punch one expects from percussion. Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” is engaging through the AHB2, with all the subtle synthesized sounds popping into position in the soundstage. This makes me curious about running a pair of the amps as monoblocks—which still wouldn’t take up the rack space of a single traditional amplifier.

The Benchmark brings to life the voice of the Martin Logan Motion XT35 bookshelf speakers. Considering its recording-studio applications, it makes a lot of sense that this amp pairs well with smaller stereo monitors. Combined with the speakers I have on hand for testing, the AHB2’s sound flavor profile remains consistent.

In the case of the AHB2, system synergy is an important factor to consider, since no amp is universally perfect for all speakers. For large and demanding speakers, a prospective AHB2 owner may need more power. In the case of the AHB2, you can add another unit and configure the two amps as monoblocks.

Additional Listening

By Jeff Dorgay

I was curious to hear how Benchmark’s design ethos of compact products would translate into designing a power amp. A couple years ago, the Devialet shattered my bias that amplifiers had to be massive to sound good, and so today I find myself much more open-minded to smaller amps like the Benchmark.

My initial exposure to the AHB2 was at this year’s Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, where Benchmark was playing the amp in an all-Benchmark system that included its new mini-monitor speakers. Back in my own listening rooms, the AHB2 did a fantastic job driving the KEF Blades, Dynaudio Evidence Platinums and even my Acoustat 2+2s, which are notoriously tough to drive, though a pair of AHB2s would have been even better for the 2+2s.

As both my reference systems are balanced, I actually prefer the XLR connections of the AHB2. If you’re working with single-ended RCAs connections, the Cardas adaptors are my favorite. I agree with Rob’s conclusions on tonality, etc., and will add that the AHB2 definitely has the bass drive necessary to achieve convincing full-range performance, even from big speakers.

In the end, the Benchmark AHB2 can become a great anchor to your system, offering high performance in a compact box. With an extremely neutral tonal balance, you can use it straight, or warm it up with a tube preamplifier, should that be your preference. Either way, the AHB2 is a stellar performer from a company known for excellence.

Benchmark AHB2 power amplifier

MSRP: $2,995

benchmarkmedia.com

PERIPHERALS