Apple began its Apple Music Classical service today. It uses technology developed by Primephonic following Apple’s buying of the Amsterdam-based streaming service in 2021. The app runs on iPhone iOS 15.4 or later and needs an Apple Music (but not Voice) subscription. At the time of launch, the service is not in China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Taiwan and Turkey.
Apple Music Classical links with Apple Music. It recognises how classical music fans access music differs from other audiences. It can search by artist or even catalogue number and includes curated playlists. The service provides expert filters such as ‘period’, ‘choir’, ‘ensemble’ and others under a ‘Catalog’ tab. Apple claims to stream over five million classical albums in up to 192kHz, 24-bit Hi-Res Lossless format. Also, those with Dolby Atmos-enabled headphones and IEMs can hear albums in spatial audio.
Apple Music Classical: no shuffle, no problem
Apple turned off the shuffle function. You cannot download albums directly but add them to a playlist. You can download albums on that playlist to Apple Music.
Primephonic’s custom information about artists, composers, conductors and recordings is here. The service includes profiles and other information about crucial works, creating a less ‘surface’ environment than other services.
Classical music will still appear on the standard Apple Music app. The Apple Music Classical support document claims, “Recordings, works, and composers won’t appear in the Apple Music app and can be accessed only in the Apple Music Classical app.” While both apps work together, this might isolate classical music from its regular audience. Many will not download the app and are now at one remove from Apple’s classical inventory. This could create a ‘walled garden’ of classical music.
iPhone only
In addition, the iPhone-only nature of the service is a worry. Many older listeners will not – or cannot – view classical music on a smaller screen. Users with Apple Music on other devices must use an iPhone to access many classical recordings. The larger iPad is an obvious choice; the service can run on an iPad. However, it does so with an iPhone-like screen size and aspect ratio.
Apple Music Classical (like Primephonic before it) ‘gets’ music in a manner a classical audience understands. The terrible state of streamed classical music shows why this service must happen. However, as it stands, this will not force other streaming services to improve.
Enter the ecosystem
Apple Music Classical must play on more devices, including those within Apple’s ecosystem. However, I applaud Apple for not simply burying the services provided by Primephonic. It’s good that the music is in Hi-Res, Lossless from the outset. Making the service a part of Apple Music rather than another subscription service is excellent.
You can see much more on the Hi-Fi+ YouTube Channel, such as products from Warsaw Audio Video Show and Capital Audio Fest, as well as Tea Time with Alan and Pete.
Hi-Fi+ Editor Alan Sircom and Publisher Pete Collingwood-Trewin talk about what’s happening in the high-end audio world, and reveal the 2022 Product of the Year.
Tea Time with Alan and Pete is just one of several new series on the Hi-Fi+ YouTube channel designed for audiophiles of all levels.
Another series is History of Audio, which aims to teach viewers a little about the History of Audio, which might be a trip down memory lane for many. It also hopes those who watch will learn from the varying experiences of other audiophiles through their trials and tribulations with different equipment.
Soon, you can find reports from manufacturers at audio shows from around the world. You can see the likes of Aurender, Focal Naim, AudioThesis, Schiit Audio, and Magnepan, just to name a few. Right now, you can see what debuted at AXPONA 2022 and a bit from the Texas Audio Roundup, including background on the Magnepan LRS+. You can also see videos from Pacific Audio Fest in Seattle, CEDIA 2022 in Dallas, and Capital Audio Fest.
You can also see additional product reviews as well as more from the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, Florida International Audio Expo, and Capital Audio Fest on the hi-fi+ YouTube channel coming soon.
Kent, England, 27 March 2023: Chord Electronics will be demonstrating both its digital and analogue proprietary expertise at AXPONA 2023, as it showcases its recently introduced ULTIMA-technology amplifiers, accompanied by its flagship digital front-end (Suite 664).
The British company, which has been designing, engineering and building in Kent, England since 1989, will be showing its latest preamp, the all-new ground-up design ULTIMA PRE 3, complemented by the 180-watt ULTIMA 5 stereo power amplifier.
Source components from Aurender are set to benefit from the advanced upscaling capability of the Hugo M Scaler and the renowned D/A conversion of the DAVE DAC at high resolution; loudspeakers are from Spendor Audio and cables from Chord Company.
Chord Electronics’ range will be available courtesy of the company’s US distributor Sound Organisation (Suite 664). AXPONA 2023 runs from 14-16 April, 2023.
Images
ULTIMA PRE 3 here; ULTIMA 5 here; Hugo M scaler here; DAVE DAC here
Chord Electronics Ltd is a world-leading manufacturer of high-performance hi-fi and audio products. Since 1989, from its spectacular riverside base in Kent, England, Chord Electronics has been creating some of the planet’s finest hi-fi, home cinema and professional audio equipment. A technology-driven innovator, Chord Electronics continues to deliver excellence through exemplary audio engineering, cutting-edge design and a true aesthetic understanding.
Chord Electronics is trusted and admired internationally and its global customer base includes: Metropolis Studios, Abbey Road Studios (London); Sony Music Studios (New York), Skywalker Sound (California) and more. www.chordelectronics.co.uk
In 2017, dCS offered owners an upgrade with an entirely new set of mapping algorithms for their Ring DAC. It was software-based, highly effective and free. It lifted the performance of the Vivaldi DAC I was using notably and was very well worth having. It also gave an indication that dCS were going to continue to expand the musical possibilities of their equipment through their Product Development Department and that owners could look forward to future upgrades as technologies moved forward. A few years have passed and now dCS are offering a new and much more profound upgrade, only this time it is hardware-based and it costs. But what a step forward it is!
It’s called The Ring DAC APEX hardware, or just APEX for short. The latest production versions of relevant products now carry the APEX suffix. But it is also offered as a comprehensive upgrade in the form of a new main board as found inside the Vivaldi DAC, Vivaldi One plus the Rossini DAC and the Rossini player.
The Ring DAC (now around 30 years old) plus its controlling software are at the centre of the revisions, though the analogue output stages have also undergone development. This is the very heart of the system so although the DAC upgrades are essentially the main APEX feature, knowing dCS I doubt they let the opportunity to work on other details pass them by. They would probably call it ‘housekeeping’. But the results are truly fascinating and beyond what I was expecting.
Conception and implementation
Director of Product Development at dCS, Chris Hales and his team began their work well over a year ago with an intense look at existing performance parameters. This involved developing new, bespoke tools to analyse through precise measurement where improvements might be made. But when you consider the enormous complexity of both the Ring DAC and its accompanying software support systems it’s not hard to understand how a base point was an essential starting place. The greatest journeys begin with a single step. As the performance of the Ring DAC already exceeded the capabilities of conventional measuring equipment, Chris says that designing and implementing new measuring platforms was critical. Adding to that was a familiar dilemma, perhaps related to The Observer Effect, where the measuring device itself had to be of such a standard that it would not itself introduce distortions, noise or bandwidth limitations to give the engineers misleading information. So, what might seem a relatively straightforward proposition of making improvements now takes on new multiple levels of complexity and indeed potential jeopardy. The analogue output stage of the DAC has always been available in both balanced and single-ended configurations with switchable output levels to suit various preamp input sensitivities. I have always preferred single-ended and the 6V output. In fact I tend to take the single-ended option whenever it is offered over the years as I usually find it more open. Also I have always preferred including a preamplifier instead of driving the power amplifier straight from the DAC. The APEX has challenged both of these views. Work has been done on the 2V output too to bring it closer to the more powerful and punchy 6V option, my choice for its drive and rhythmic freedom. Post APEX, I am now happily settled on the balanced outputs.
How does it sound?
In a word, fantastic… and yet curiously different to what I was anticipating. For a couple of months prior to the APEX upgrade becoming available and in anticipation of its arrival I had use of a Vivaldi One, the limited edition single box SACD player/digital hub. A more perfect synthesis of digital components in a single compact space, it’s hard to imagine. In a word, it is a magnificent way to access digital music.
Now, at this stage of the review it is vitally important that I establish that the Vivaldi One in standard trim had already set the bar very high. Yet, within the first couple of hours I understood that APEX had pushed back the boundaries by defining a whole new level of musical performance. In no way were these the small detail improvements I was expecting. This was a new style and shape of sound and the change is not subtle.
Since the Vivaldi and its stablemates have arrived the dCS sound has always had the ability to bring you closer to the music. But this whole APEX-effect is something else entirely. Close to the music has become face to face with it and the stories and perspectives that flow out of the APEX-based products are in a new world for dCS.
There can be few real upgrades that don’t retrospectively suggest lower background noise and APEX is no different. But the sense of black nothingness that lies deep within the production of so much music and against which the recordings exist is absolutely striking. This must be in some way part of the reason why the pure depth of the available musical stage seems to have expanded in all dimensions. This beautiful re-arrangement of recorded perspectives is thrilling. The physical distances between the lower-level content and the solo contributions certainly surprised me at first and a few months and several thousand songs later, they still have that power. The musical layering that the APEX brings is superb. Now, close-miked vocal or the up front soloist moves sharply across the room to within touching distance. When you hear the pure depth and contrast between the background or ambient instrumentation that just happens way in the distance and set against the blackness of nothingness, it brings a whole new interest and intensity to listening. The soundstage has been radically expanded. But the bass grabs you immediately. It is cleaner, has an intensely focussed leading edge and is very powerful. It just drives through time and space with enormous agility and carries the rest of the music along with it.
Musical boundaries
It makes me think that I can no longer hear the musical boundaries that in a sense are the system’s limitations of time and space. I thought I knew my Wilson Duette 2’s a lot better than I apparently do. Listening to Bailero from Songs Of The Auvergne, a piece I know passably well was a revelation. It was one of the very first pieces I asked the APEX to unravel for me.
Satin smooth rendering of tonal colours and shading added to a feeling that the instruments were gliding in space with perfect projection and a gentle motion against this sea of silence. Then the vocal emerged, magnificently moving, yet sympathetic to the orchestral colour wash as that ebbed and flowed mysteriously somewhere in the distance. It was a subtly changing and nuanced expression of an orchestral tonal palette. As the system spoke I was loving not only how different it was but just how beautiful the piece had grown. I always admired it but now it was so musically ethereal and quietly powerful. It commanded my complete attention, drew me in and invited me to listen ever more intently. I couldn’t tear myself away from it. As it ended I noted down that, bearing in mind this was the first piece I had listened to through the APEX, it was just about the best musical debut I had ever heard. The fact that it wasn’t even run-in filled me with anticipation.
As the days passed and the music flowed I began to grow ever more fascinated and intrigued. There was no limit to the APEX’s ability to connect me to whatever music I was playing either on CD or streaming through the excellent dCS Mosaic app. Peter Ostroushko’s Heart Of The Heartland delivered its traditional homespun, plaintive country melody with a painfully poignant beauty. The sympathetic gentleness and restraint of the orchestra led by his immaculate Mandolin playing encouraged me to stop listening to the APEX comparatively and just let the colourful waves flow over me. This is what audio really should be about. Trusting the system enough to connect emotionally with the music, letting it in and listening to what it has to say.
Instrumental comparisons?
Ask any musician. There’s something about playing a great instrument as opposed to merely a good one. You like one but you love the other and want it because you sense that it has the power within it to inspire you. You want to release something within yourself through it and you know that you will always be able to tap into its moods. Great instruments are not unlike great audio systems I think. They both make demands of you. A great instrument talks through you about feelings, details and emotion. Small changes are so much more meaningful and profound. It tells a story every time you play it. The closer you listen, the more intense the melodies are. The pure tonal colour and resolution that the APEX draws from the music, the greater your understanding and awareness of musical eloquence through phrasing becomes. Open yourself to its influences and it will tell you stories in a way you have never heard before. This is precisely what I have been hearing through the APEX and is the main reason why it is that much better than the older version.
Sob Rock by John Mayer is an interesting album and ‘Shouldn’t Matter But It Does’ is one of those break-up songs that you sense John has put quite a bit of himself into. As it began, the APEX, not for the first time, caught me unawares. Something different was happening here it seemed as suddenly the gentle but atmospheric background synth that I hadn’t really noticed before pointing the way through the chord changes. Now it was a much more serious song with the synth a brilliantly judged counterpoint sweetener for the acidity of the track. More bile and bitterness there I thought.
Lone wolf
Drifting through the streaming world of new experiences while looking to satisfy my general taste for the unusual and obscure I found myself in the company of Sinnika Langeland and her album Wolf Rune. This is an ECM release and I’ve always had a soft spot for Manfred Eicher’s often dark, brooding musical view of the world of sound. This I discovered, was no different. Spacious, mythic music set in sharp relief against endless, barren Nordic landscapes. Classic Manfred for sure and compelling stuff sung in a language I don’t understand, which has its own attractions. Not much in the way of foot tapping here so just let it happen and go with it. It’s mysterious and overflowing with small surprises and delights. The Scandi-noir of music perhaps? APEX paints expressive pictures in sound right in front of your ears and they tell of a world, unlike ours, where anything is possible and musical conventions and recognisable tempos are of little consequence.
A brilliant upgrade
APEX is a brilliant and totally worthwhile upgrade to the dCS range and if you already own a compatible product you are going to want it. I’d go so far as to say that you need it. I could provide so many more examples of how it worked its magic on me but It speaks for itself musically and also for the people within the company who I think deserve huge congratulations for both designing and delivering it. But, in another sense, the biggest beneficiaries are the artists and producers who make the music we love to listen to. APEX has certainly given them greater freedom of expression and translated their ability to talk to us of many things by expanding the vocabulary of their music and our inner connections to it. It really is that significant I think because emotionally, music has no boundaries and APEX walks that particular path with ease.
Prices and contact details
Type Upgrade for existing dCS owners (new dCS buyers will have APEX hardware fitted as standard). Factory fit upgrade only
Specifications as per existing dCS platform, typically 12dB greater linearity and lower noise against previous dCS model
Ring DAC APEX Hardware is available for owners of the Vivaldi DAC, Vivaldi One, Rossini and Rossini Player.
NOTE: Since this review was produced, the APEX upgrade is now available for the dCS Bartók DAC. This will be the subject of a later review
Shunyata Research’s Everest 8000 power distributor is ideally designed to work in lock-step with the company’s Omega XC power cord. But we’ll save the pythonesque (as in ‘like a python’ and not ‘My hovercraft is full of eels’) power cord for a later date; the conquest of Everest is hard enough for one issue!
Shunyata Research’s designmeister general Caelin Gabriel has a very particular set of skills. Skills he acquired over a very long career. Skills that make him a nightmare for noise. When Gabriel stopped designing [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] [REDACTED] for the [REDACTED], he turned his attention to civilian life. His uniquely well-engineered products became noticed by record producers (delivering cleaner power to lower noise, thereby making the recording more precise and your music sound better) and cardiologists (delivering clean power to lower noise, thereby making medical imaging more precise and patients more likely to survive). At the same time, Shunyata Research was building a commanding reputation as audio’s chief noise-buster.
Peak performance
As the name suggests, the Everest 8000 is the peak of Shunyata Research’s line. It’s a synthesis and distillation of all the best bits of what has gone before. Sometimes, this means adding more of the same; for example, there’s three times the amount of the company’s patented QR/BB modules that act like a power reservoir, compared to the already excellent Denali 6000/T tested in issue 162. Others have been significantly improved, such as the CCI (Component to Component Isolation) combo of zoning and filtration, the monolithic construction of the design, the use of the company’s patented ArNi VTX ‘virtual hollow tube’ wiring throughout (even in the bus connectors).
It’s very easy to get wrapped up in the technology and patents, but they are all directed toward two long-standing Shunyata Research goals. The first is a recognition is that a lot of what we think about power is wrong; we think those power ‘nasties’ come from the miles of cable leading up to the system, but in fact, Shunyata Research argues the culprits are the system itself as each power supply in your system generates its noise. By recognising that noise goes both ways and the more important way to treat this is to limit the pollution of one power supply on another, Shunyata takes the road less travelled in audio, and the Everest 8000 is perhaps the finest proof of concept you’ll hear on the subject.
Instant power
The other big concern is to ensure there is enough instantaneous AC power on tap for a system. This is a problem that plagues power conditioners and distributors; yes, the signal is cleaner, and clarity is improved as a result, but if it comes at the expense of the dynamic range and rhythmic ‘bounce’ of a system, for many it’s too big a compromise. This is why many audiophiles eschew the benefits of a power conditioner or distributor, even when the need is significant. In fairness, this is a problem that most power companies are addressing.
Still, few have ‘nailed it’ like Shunyata Research; the company has developed its measurement protocol to test what it calls DTCD (Dynamic Transient Current Delivery) and applies the measurement system to everything from plugs to whole devices like the Everest 8000. The net result is devices that leave the dynamic range entirely uncompromised, but that depends on the use case. When it comes to the Everest 8000, that use case is the whole of audio! That might be overkill if you are using a comparatively small system with relatively small loudspeakers that don’t deliver massive dynamic swings. Still, the Everest 8000 offers benefits over and above that to justify its use in high-performance metropolitan systems.
Why You Can’t Have Nice Things!
Shunyata Research’s Everest 8000 comes supplied in a range of power connection options, to suit US, EU, UK, Asia and Australian plug systems. If you are reading this from the US, the Everest 8000 includes a figure of eight ‘Cable Cradles’ that each hold a pair of power cords in place. UK plugs are larger than US ones, and such strain-relief holders are not available here. The sockets must be angled because most UK plugs have pins at 90° to the cable.
And ‘it doesn’t suit right-angled plugs for the fashion-conscious’ is the nearest you’ll get to a criticism of the Shunyata Research Everest 8000. It’s a remarkable performer in so many ways, far more so than the clichéd ‘reduces the noise floor’ epithet that’s applied to every power conditioner and distributor, ever. Yes, it does that, but it also gives the audio electronics permission to deliver sound as intended. Individual notes have a more clearly defined ‘space’ around them, both in terms of dimensionality but also in attack, decay, and release. You hear the most subtle of reverb tails (whether applied naturally, electronically, or digitally… and you can often hear the difference in small-scale recordings).
Further into the mix
So far, so ‘audiophile’. We love a bit of additional ‘microdynamic shading’ and the ability to reach ever further into the mix for additional hard-to-find details. And if the Shunyata Research Everest 8000 did that and that alone, it would be deserving of high praise. But there’s more. Stopping all those power supplies from clashing with one another makes them get out of the way of the sound in some surprising ways. Bass lines aren’t just cleaner. They are funkier and more menacing when (and only when) required. You hear more of the body of the instrument and the player behind that instrument too. This creates a more lithe and natural performance. Even when those instruments are electronic, you get more sense of musical order and verve.
I’ve long played the get-out card with power conditioners and distributors; I live in London! Houses polluting the mains and radio frequency environments surround me. Your Mileage May Vary. But no such weasel words are needed with the Shunyata Research Everest 8000 power distributor. It makes your system sound better no matter the system and regardless of where you live. It’s a game-raiser and a game-changer in one. To quote a tagline from a well-known UK supplier of double-glazed windows “Fit the best: Everest!”
Technical specifications
Type power distributor
Maximum Continuous Current 30A (US), 16A (UK, EU)
Maximum Current/Outlet 20A (US), 16A (UK, EU)
Maximum Transient Protection 40,000A @ 8/50µs
Isolation Zones 6 (across eight sockets for US/EU, seven for UK)
Expanded range of JAVA Hi-Fi audio components delivers a deeply immersive listening experience.
JAVA Hi-Fi’s new six-strong lineup of pre-amps, integrated and power amplifiers employ breakthrough technologies and unique circuit designs.
The result is exceptional audio quality, designed to cater to the demands of the most discerning audiophile.
The JAVA integrated amplifier is the world’s first integrated amplifier to use GaNFET (galliumnitride) transistors, and is the world’s first amplifier to include LDRs (light dependent resistors) and GaNFET transistors in the same circuit.
When combined, the LDR and GaNFET technology reproduces music with extraordinary realism. Subtle new details are revealed in familiar pieces of music and the listener is enveloped in a tone-rich soundscape that brings them closer to the heart of the musical performance.
The LDR technology used in JAVA’s pre-amplifiers and integrated amplifiers works by isolating the signal path from other control electronics, providing the delicate audio signal with the shortest, cleanest possible path from input to output. Meanwhile,the GaNFET-based modules used in the integrated and power amplifiers provides a giant leap forward in Class D sound, with vanishingly low IMD (inter modulation distortion) and THD (total harmonic distortion).
Design aesthetics also plays a major role in the new JAVA Hi-Fi amplifiers, with customisable casework and front panels available across the entire range. Casework finishes are available in mid-century modern notables like walnut and copper, classics such as black on black or minimalist options such as white and silver.
The full range of JAVA Hi-Fi amplifiers are available in Single Shot and Double Shot strengths. Customers can create their own bespoke designs on the JAVA Hi-Fi website, using the online configurator.
JAVA Hi-Fi products are designed and assembled in New Zealand and are shipping worldwide now.
Triangle Acoustics shows off their Magellan 40th Anniversary line, including the Duetto and Cello loudspeakers.
For more information on these products, click here.
You can see much more on the Hi-Fi+ YouTube Channel, such as products from Warsaw Audio Video Show and Capital Audio Fest, as well as Tea Time with Alan and Pete.
Hi-Fi+ Editor Alan Sircom and Publisher Pete Collingwood-Trewin talk about what’s happening in the high-end audio world, and reveal the 2022 Product of the Year.
Tea Time with Alan and Pete is just one of several new series on the Hi-Fi+ YouTube channel designed for audiophiles of all levels.
Another series is History of Audio, which aims to teach viewers a little about the History of Audio, which might be a trip down memory lane for many. It also hopes those who watch will learn from the varying experiences of other audiophiles through their trials and tribulations with different equipment.
Soon, you can find reports from manufacturers at audio shows from around the world. You can see the likes of Aurender, Focal Naim, AudioThesis, Schiit Audio, and Magnepan, just to name a few. Right now, you can see what debuted at AXPONA 2022 and a bit from the Texas Audio Roundup, including background on the Magnepan LRS+. You can also see videos from Pacific Audio Fest in Seattle, CEDIA 2022 in Dallas, and Capital Audio Fest.
You can also see additional product reviews as well as more from the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, Florida International Audio Expo, and Capital Audio Fest on the hi-fi+ YouTube channel coming soon.
In this video, hi-fi+ Editor Alan Sircom reviews the Revival Audio Atalante 3 loudspeaker.
For more information about this product, click here.
You can see much more on the Hi-Fi+ YouTube Channel, such as products from Warsaw Audio Video Show and Capital Audio Fest, as well as Tea Time with Alan and Pete.
Hi-Fi+ Editor Alan Sircom and Publisher Pete Collingwood-Trewin talk about what’s happening in the high-end audio world, and reveal the 2022 Product of the Year.
Tea Time with Alan and Pete is just one of several new series on the Hi-Fi+ YouTube channel designed for audiophiles of all levels.
Another series is History of Audio, which aims to teach viewers a little about the History of Audio, which might be a trip down memory lane for many. It also hopes those who watch will learn from the varying experiences of other audiophiles through their trials and tribulations with different equipment.
Soon, you can find reports from manufacturers at audio shows from around the world. You can see the likes of Aurender, Focal Naim, AudioThesis, Schiit Audio, and Magnepan, just to name a few. Right now, you can see what debuted at AXPONA 2022 and a bit from the Texas Audio Roundup, including background on the Magnepan LRS+. You can also see videos from Pacific Audio Fest in Seattle, CEDIA 2022 in Dallas, and Capital Audio Fest.
You can also see additional product reviews as well as more from the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, Florida International Audio Expo, and Capital Audio Fest on the hi-fi+ YouTube channel coming soon.
Isabel Whitley from Computer Audio Design shows us the CAT – Computer Audio Transport.
For more information on these products, click here.
You can see much more on the Hi-Fi+ YouTube Channel, such as products from Warsaw Audio Video Show and Capital Audio Fest, as well as Tea Time with Alan and Pete.
Hi-Fi+ Editor Alan Sircom and Publisher Pete Collingwood-Trewin talk about what’s happening in the high-end audio world, and reveal the 2022 Product of the Year.
Tea Time with Alan and Pete is just one of several new series on the Hi-Fi+ YouTube channel designed for audiophiles of all levels.
Another series is History of Audio, which aims to teach viewers a little about the History of Audio, which might be a trip down memory lane for many. It also hopes those who watch will learn from the varying experiences of other audiophiles through their trials and tribulations with different equipment.
Soon, you can find reports from manufacturers at audio shows from around the world. You can see the likes of Aurender, Focal Naim, AudioThesis, Schiit Audio, and Magnepan, just to name a few. Right now, you can see what debuted at AXPONA 2022 and a bit from the Texas Audio Roundup, including background on the Magnepan LRS+. You can also see videos from Pacific Audio Fest in Seattle, CEDIA 2022 in Dallas, and Capital Audio Fest.
You can also see additional product reviews as well as more from the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, Florida International Audio Expo, and Capital Audio Fest on the hi-fi+ YouTube channel coming soon.
“Fashion is ephemeral, dangerous and unfair.” Admittedly Karl Lagerfeld didn’t have the world of consumer electronics uppermost in his mind when he made this statement, but it nevertheless applies. Sennheiser certainly seems to think so.
As of right now, it’s hard to think of a less fashionable sector of the hi-fi market than that of wired in-ear monitors. Mainstream consumers gave up on them a while ago – at almost exactly the same time as smartphone manufacturers gave up on headphone sockets, in fact. You might be forgiven for thinking wired headphones are the preserve of airlines who want you to enjoy the in-flight ‘entertainment’ but don’t want you to be tempted to make off with their headphones after landing.
Wired beats wireless
Those who take listening seriously, though, know that for sound quality a wired connection beats the wireless equivalent 99 times out of 100. These are the people who know a portable digital audio player wipes the floor, where sound quality is concerned, with even the most capable and least compromised smartphone. And these are the people Sennheiser has squarely in its sights with the IE600 wired in-ear monitors.
As with its IE900 wired in-ear monitors we reviewed back in issue 197, Sennheiser intends the IE600 to deliver a superior on-the-go listening experience. Unlike the IE900, though, the IE600 are merely very expensive rather than eye-wateringly pricey.
But despite what Sennheiser would no doubt describe as a ‘affordable’ price, there’s next-to-no evidence of corners being cut or pennies being pinched. The IE600 may be necessarily small, but they’re very big indeed on specification.
TrueResponse
Inside each tiny, lightweight (4g) housing, Sennheiser has found room for a 7mm ‘TrueResponse’ transducer to do the audio business. The company is adamant that a single, full-range driver is preferable to the multiple-driver-plus-balanced-armature alternative many self-proclaimed ‘high-end’ alternative designs utilise – as long as it’s properly implemented, that is. Given that Sennheiser is claiming a frequency response of 4Hz to very nearly 47kHz, its assertion that the driver fitted here is ‘full range’ seems difficult in the extreme to argue with. And given that Sennheiser is claiming the most accurate channel-matching and the lowest unit-to-unit variations anywhere in the industry for its drivers, thanks to a manufacturing operation that includes precision cameras to monitor the process, ‘properly implemented’ seems to be covered too.
Also inside each earpiece is Sennheiser’s ‘D2CA’ technology. In layman’s terms (which are, let’s face it, the terms with which we’re all most comfortable), there are two tuned resonator chambers inside the nozzle of each IE600 – they’re designed to mitigate the ‘masking’ effect that can manifest itself at lower volumes. When similar sounds occur simultaneously in a piece, it’s tricky for human hearing to resolve – so D2CA captures and attenuates these frequencies, allowing uncolored and naturalistic reproduction. The non-layman’s explanation is way too long to go into here.
3D Printed
The earbuds themselves are the result of engineering that’s no less involved and no more compromised than that of what’s inside them. The housing is formed using metal-powder-based 3D printing, meaning all necessary chambers and channels are created with no milling required. And the zirconium alloy from which they’re formed has triple the strength and flex-resistance of (suddenly antiquated) high-performance steel – it features in the drilling head of NASA’s Mars Rover, which bodes well for its chances of standing up to a stint in the departure lounge followed by a long-haul flight. After a thorough cleaning, steel-shot blasting, polishing and surface treatment (this last, admittedly, in the name of aesthetic appeal only), the housing is complete and ready to resist corrosion and scratches no matter how careless the eventual owner.
The IE600 are supplied with a couple of paramid-reinforced cables – one’s an unbalanced cable with a 3.5mm termination and the other a balanced 4.4mm alternative. They connect to the earbuds using gold-plated MMCX (micro miniature coaxial) connections that are recessed into the housing for optimum stability. The cables themselves have integrated, flexible and pliant earhooks to help achieve a comfortable fit – and Sennheiser provides six pairs of eartips (three foam, three silicone) to the same end. A hard, compact carry-case and a rather self-important ‘certificate of authenticity’ complete the package.
Painstaking engineering
In order to do some justice to this overtly painstaking engineering, the IE600 are connected to both the 4.4mm output of an iFi iDSD Diablo DAC/headphone amp attached to a 2020 Apple MacBook Pro and and the 3.5mm output of an EarMen TR-Amp DAC/headphone amp linked to the same laptop – though not at the same time, obviously. Surely no one is going to drop £600 on a pair of in-ear monitors and then just hook them straight into the headphone socket of their computer, after all. Are they?
And then to double down on all the high-end high-quality good taste that this listening session seems to be all about, the first listen is to a DSD64 (5644.8kbps) file of Stevie Wonder’s mighty Living for the City [Tamla]. The results are predictable, but no less enjoyable and engrossing for it.
The sound of the Sennheiser IE600 is absolutely saturated in detail – it drips from every element of the recording, no matter how minor or how deeply buried in the mix. The soundstage the Sennheiser establish is prodigiously broad, absolutely rock-solid in the way it’s focused, and so cleanly separated that no facet of the recording can’t be located and individualised. No transient is too short-lived to escape the attention of the IE600, and the powers of organisation on display here are such that the unity and coherence of the overall performance isn’t so much hinted at as made blindingly obvious.
Remarkable Extension
Down at the bottom of the frequency range there’s remarkable extension – perhaps not down to the 4Hz Sennheiser is claiming, but certainly the low frequencies dig down to a level where no sunlight can reach them. To complement this prodigious depth, bass sounds are fanatically straight-edged, attacking and decaying with absolute certainty – when the left hand reaches down to the far end of the clavinet’s keyboard, the alacrity of the IE600 response is almost startling. As with the rest of the frequency range, the Sennheiser give the low stuff all the detail (of tone, of texture, of timbre) to make every note an individual occurrence – and they have the dynamic potency to differentiate one key-strike from the next with real positivity.
The midrange, though, is the star of this recording – very few singers push their voice as far forward in the mix as Stevie Wonder, but then very few singers have the purity and character of tone to get away with it. The IE600 are alive to the tiny contributions made by inhalation and palate noise, and consequently build a vocal performance that’s thrilling in its immediacy.
The spaces, silences and pauses for breath apparent throughout the recording are all given due consideration too, and even though this song is generously overdubbed the IE600 present it as a lucid and consolidated whole. Only the top of the frequency range, which extends as gratifyingly far as it does at the other end, sounds the mildest of alarms – there’s an almost subliminal edginess to the way the Sennheiser serve up treble sounds. As far as this recording is concerned, the shine and wolfish bite aren’t problematic – but give the IE600 a toothy recording or attach them to an unsympathetic source of music and they could be.
Power Struggle
And there are, it turns out, limits to these monitors’ powers of resolution. ‘Girls in Their Summer Clothes’ by Bruce Springsteen [Columbia] is a narrow, congested pea-souper of a recording, with competing elements piled on top of each other – and despite their best efforts, the IE600 can’t open it up or spread it out. The listener can almost sense a power struggle going on, as the monitors attempt to force some distance between the horns, the percussion, the piano and the voice. Still, that’s more about the recording than the Sennheiser IE600.
Having enough money to buy premium in-ear monitors and attach them to a high-quality audio player doesn’t automatically mean you only listen to glossy, high-fidelity recordings, of course. But as long as you’re aware of the limitations of the IE600 where the silk purse/sow’s ear interface is concerned, there’s very little else that should dissuade you from trying them out.
Technical specifications
Type in-ear monitor
Drivers 7mm dynamic driver
Frequency Response 4Hz–46.5kHz
Impedance 18 Ohms
Noise cancellation none
Distortion < 0.06% at94dB / 1kHz
Sensitivity not quoted
Accessories 6 × silicon/foam eartips; hard case; MMCX‑terminated 2.5mm and 3.5mm cables
The Forte is one of the most popular and recognisable turntables in the EAT (European Audio Team) brand’s line-up. It has been in that catalogue for more than a dozen years and for a good reason, the turntable delivers the goods at a very keen price. So, when hi-fi+ got a chance at looking at the new Fortissimo, which is effectively the already substantial Forte writ large, we jumped. Well, maybe ‘jumped’ isn’t the right word; ‘braced for impact’ is closer. In its crate, the Fortissimo weighs in at a hefty 86kg or 190lbs. Put another way; this turntable weighs as much as undefeated Post War heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano did throughout much of his career. The temptation to say the Fortissimo ‘pulls no punches’ is too great.
The Forte and Fortissimo models allow the user to opt for an EAT-designed tonearm or supply their own – 12” – arm. In the case of the Fortissimo, it came supplied with the new F-Note tonearm and the company’s Jo No 8 cartridge as a complete package. Like the Forte line, there is also a smaller Fortissimo S, which moves the power supply and motor into the main chassis. You could call this a ‘smaller’ design, in the way Saturn is a ‘smaller’ planet to Jupiter; in other words, the ‘little’ Fortissimo S is still bloody big!
Heavyweight similarities
The Forte connection is worth mentioning a lot because the similarities between the two heavyweight turntables are readily apparent. They are more than family resemblances, especially since the EAT family is both relatively large and diverse. The Fortissimo is plainly ‘inspired’ by the Forte. But that doesn’t mean this is simply a Forte with a bulkier price tag. Similarly, EAT could have made the seemingly logical step to make the new Fortissimo either a sleek and wispy thing or a grotesquely over-muscled super-high mass box, and the fact it retains the substantial but not bloated lines of the Forte is a feather in EATs cap. In effect, the Forte showed the audio world that high-mass turntables need not look agricultural and the Fortissimo continues that concept even though it moves the ‘high-mass’ needle.
The oversized (16in, 400mm) platter is perhaps the most noticeable thing on both Forte and Fortissimo models and the most striking difference between the two are 12 brass inserts around its periphery. In fact, the platter also features a central brass hub to the main platter, which ups the total mass to an impressive 22kg. The two-part platter is a mix of harder alloys in the outer part and a softer alloy for the inner section, with judicious use of Sorbothane damping to keep resonance at bay.
Girthy and floaty
Despite being a ‘girthy’ platter, it’s in part magnetically suspended, with a series of neodymium magnets along the bottom half of the platter. This isn’t to ‘float’ the platter like a suspended design, but more about offsetting the pressure of all that platter mass on the inverted bearing, which means an order of magnitude less rumble. And it’s the bearing where the big changes happen between Fortissimo and Forte; this time, the shaft surface is treated with Movic low-friction coating. Movic is a graphene-based material developed by NASA, and it reduces friction levels by a factor of six over the previous version. It still uses a ceramic ball tip with a Teflon plate as a bearing mirror/cup.
The rest is very much in line with the existing Forte model, with its unique stand-alone, twin AC motor power block, and two relatively short silicon string belts, designed to reduce wobble (not that wobble is much of an issue with a platter of this mass, and the substantial nature of the bearing block.
Not an F-bomb
You can use almost any 12” arm on the Fortissimo, but EAT’s own £6,998 F-Note is a perfect partner. Like the deck, it’s a high-mass design, with a low-friction bearing, but EAT has redesigned the four-point bearing system to overcome the need for a more ‘glacial’ bearing to wrangle the mass of the arm. VTF and VTA are both easily adjustable without the need for additional tools. This sits on its massive base, and the whole arm looks cool in chrome. Finally the £2,998 Jo No 8 cartridge – with its nude Shibata stylus profile and boron cantilever, its TPE suspension and 8N pure copper wire –completes the package
There’s a temptation for manufacturers to overstate the design criteria of a turntable in its sonic presentation. In particular, high-mass designs are often ‘big’ and ‘solid’ sounding, often to the detriment of the performance itself. EAT is different; it’s almost understated by comparison, and that’s its biggest strength. It’s got all the strengths of high-mass designs (excellent speed stability, strong, clearly defined bass) without the weaknesses (hard-sounding treble, slightly constricted midrange, lack of rhythmic ‘bounce’) making for a turntable of great poise and honesty. The only strong character of high-mass that shines through is the sense of grace and poise it imparts to the music, which puts it more toward the traditional expansive high-end sound than the light and fast ‘Pace, Rhythm and Timing’ presentation that remains popular in some circles.
Get funky
That’s not to say the turntable can’t get funky; I played ‘Mr Wiggles’ from Motor Booty Affair by Parliament [Casablanca] and that funk-meets-disco proto-rap laid down a beat as infectious as it was precise and deep. However, even this album highlighted the size and precision of the soundstage. This is a track that starts with a reverberant vocal but is then cut back to a tight rhythm section playing between the speakers almost as background music to the DJ. Here, that sound was bursting to get out from between the speaker cabinets. Having heard the Forte (admittedly some time ago), the original deck had the same expansiveness of sound, but the Fortissimo brings greater precision and snap to that staging. The Forte does not make a vague image, but the Fortissimo brings the sound to an even sharper focus.
This becomes important when playing larger-scale classical works and more complex prog-rock pieces. I haven’t played ‘Roundabout’ on Fragile by Yes [Atlantic] for years in part because it’s so multi-layered that it can sound confusing; lighter, faster-sounding turntables stress the sophisticated rhythms and bigger decks just go for the clarity of instrument and voice. Few get the balance right, and it’s a mark of the poise of the EAT Fortissimo that you can enjoy both the Squire/Wakeman/Bruford classic backline and the refined noodling of Howe and Anderson, all in a cohesive, coherent whole.
Audiophile standard
‘Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me’ on This One’s for Blanton! by Duke Ellington and Ray Brown [Pablo] is something of an audiophile standard. Still, on the EAT Fortissimo, it’s not simply due to the scale and imaging, but that it shows the recording’s playful side beautifully. This was Ellington in his twilight years, but what his piano playing might lack in energy, it more than makes up for in sophistication and effortless fills and vamps.
That record encapsulates what the EAT Fortissimo does so well; it does all the audiophile things you expect of it, and then goes the extra mile by making the music enjoyable, unforced and unfussy. This is a very approachable sound.
The Full Package
I’ve described the Fortissimo as a complete package and not broken out the F-Note or Jo No 8 for a reason; there’s no need to do so. Sure, you can swap out both to get the last scintilla of performance if you throw money at the front end, but you’d be looking at a lot of money to substantially improve on this bundle. Especially as they dove-tail so well on the turntable; I’d struggle to think of an arm that’s a better match to the Fortissimo that isn’t a Graham Phantom Elite (which doubles the cost) or a cartridge that isn’t something that wasn’t in the £5,000-£9,000 price bracket
I don’t like using the B-word in audio. Officially, there are no bargains in high-end audio by definition; high-end describes a set of products that are luxury goods and not the kind of things you might find filed under ‘Middle of Lidl’. That all being said, the EAT Fortissimo is a substantial flagship turntable in a market where similarly-specified ‘flagships’ can cost an order of magnitude more. Couple that with the F-Note arm and Jo No 8 cartridge and you have a package costing just over £20,000 that will easily see off many turntable systems costing twice that… possibly more. Put simply; this is a true reference grade, high-end flagship turntable without the flagship price.
Technical specifications
Type two-box high-mass turntable
Electronic speed change 33.3/45.11rpm
Speed variance ±0.09%
Wow & Flutter ±0.008%
Signal-to-noise ratio -73dB
Dimensions (W×H×D) 70 × 25 × 44cm
Weight 68kg
Finish Black, Makassar, Leather Black
Price from £10,500 (depending on finish, arm, and cartridge combination)
There are times when it seems as though the ‘approved’ canon of audiophile-quality recordings stopped around 1974. This is particularly the case at hi-fi shows and demonstration sessions, where the same old slabs of vinyl are slipped out of their sleeves again and again. Don’t get me wrong, they sound great, and there are some crackers in there, but it can be soul-destroying.
It doesn’t have to be this way. There are lots of well-recorded, expertly produced albums available to listen to and enjoy. Many of them recorded since the turn of the millennium. Plus, and this is the good bit, a lot of them are excellent in terms of music as well! They are things you would choose to listen to… for pleasure… which is, after all, the whole point of this passion of ours.
Okay, let’s be frank, a lot of popular music has over the decades been shoddily recorded, poorly mastered, and mixed with all the loudness turned up so that it sounds exciting on the radio – yes, we’re looking at you Oasis and Metallica. Still, there are many, many more culprits.
That terrible habit hasn’t infected the whole industry though, and there is still enough well-recorded music available to satisfy people of all tastes. And the odd thing is, it doesn’t seem to be a matter of money or success that leads to the creation of a great recording. In fact, as you’ll see from this list, a lot of the gems here are relatively unknown artists, with albums that wouldn’t have troubled chart compilers. There are, however, producers and labels that have a habit of continually creating great-sounding music. People like Steve Albini – whose own creative output would most certainly not have suggested audiophile – and labels such as Secretly Canadian, which has released some of our favourite recordings over the years.
Another positive is that there are also many more ways to enjoy audiophile-quality recordings than a decade ago when CD was the dominant force in the music industry, with MP3 as the young – terrible sounding – pretender to the throne. Vinyl has made a welcome return, and together with the raft of new releases on the format, record companies have also seen the opportunity to make some more money with new versions of recordings from their back catalogue. Okay, so we can all take a cynical look at this, but if it means I can now purchase a 180g half-speed master for £30 of a recording that would have set me back the price of a small car previously then I’m all for it!
And then of course there is streaming. We’ve come a long way since we were limited to the horror show that was the MP3 revolution. Now, most streaming services offer high-resolution audio files. We could argue all day about what service is best – possibly a debate for another feature – but what can’t be ignored is that we now have high-quality access to more music than ever before. And a lot of that music – sadly far from all – is well recorded and sounds fantastic.
So here we have our curated pick of some of the best-sounding albums of the past couple of decades. This feature deals with the turn of the century to the middle of the noughties, and there are some absolute crackers in there. We hope you enjoy it and discover some future favourites there. They are all streamable in high-resolution from one service or another, and much of it is available on good-quality vinyl.
Boards of Canada
Music Has The Right To Children (Warp, 1998)
Where to start with this epic slice of ambient experimentalism? This is the best album in a sector that includes a lot of great albums from talented artists – Eno anyone? Music Has The Right To Children is a heady mix of electronica, field recordings and drones, with the help of sumptuous beats. Then there’s the sound: the bass is low and thudding, samples crisp, and the atmosphere airy and roomy.
Dr. Dre
2001 (Aftermath/Interscope, 1999)
We take Dr Dre opening this album with the THX ident as a statement of intent, and he doesn’t disappoint. Whether it’s one of the numerous bangers contained within its 70-minute running time or the more soulful duets with the likes of Mary J Blige, 2001 rewards you with a sensational listening experience. Voices, beats, orchestration – every part of the recording is delivered in all its glory.
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
I See A Darkness (Domino, 1999)
Will Oldham’s first Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy outing saw him move from Lo-Fi to Hi-Fi, with the absolutely beautiful I See A Darkness. The trick here is, as is often the case, simple music from primarily acoustic instruments, well recorded. The result is an album that sounds fantastic, providing you a front-seat view inside Oldham’s troubled soul with this collection of darkly humorous or simply dark tunes. Not an easy listen, but an enormously rewarding one.
Songs: Ohio
The Lioness (Secretly Canadian, 2000)
There were several Songs: Ohio contenders for this list, including the Steve Albini produced Magnolia Electric Company, but there is just something special about The Lioness that keeps us coming back to it. It’s so clean, clear, and crisp. As the opening ‘The Black Crow’ begins you can immediately sense the band members poised to join in after the opening refrain. And when Jason Molina’s pained vocals take centre stage it all comes together beautifully.
Björk
Vespertine (One Little Indian, 2001)
Björk is famed for her passion for experimental audio; she chooses her collaborators with great dexterity and obviously hates the idea of sitting still. Vespertine is a fantastic example of how those desires come together and deliver a genuinely expectational recording. It’s complex, multi-layered, and constantly interesting and every single detail is faithfully revealed in this excellent recording.
Low
Things We Lost In the Fire (Kranky, 2001)
Low’s fifth album was recorded at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio studios in Chicago. A hold-out for analogue techniques and ‘natural reverberation’ from the rooms themselves, the studio acts as an extra member of the band here, playing a massive part in the sound. Things We Lost In the Fire catches Low at their, er, height, with an epic drum sound and beautifully rendered double-handed vocals.
Lambchop
Is A Woman (City Slang, 2002)
This is a wonderfully simple album, primarily piano-led, with occasional guitars and minimal percussion. Kurt Wagner’s incredible voice is always at the centre of things and sounds goosebump-inducingly close at times – he seems to whisper in your ear. The overall effect is one of intimacy, with the performers close at hand, but it’s well-recorded enough to never get oppressively claustrophobic, with fine separation and sound staging throughout.
Johnny Cash
American IV: The Man Comes Around (American Recordings, 2002)
We’ve chosen the fourth album from the swansongs of Johnny Cash because of the release date and the quality of the songs, but it could have been any one of them. The last album he released in his lifetime, American IV once again sees Cash delivering primarily sparse covers, sensitively helmed by Rick Rubin. The result manages to be both heart-warming and heart-wrenching and is a sensational listening experience.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Yanqui U.X.O. (Constellation, 2002)
This album is the one that divides fans of a band that divides critics. However, if you enjoy well-recorded brooding menace and sudden dynamic explosions of drums and guitars, then this is a place you will feel very comfortable. Yet another Steve Albini-produced post-rock classic, Yanqui U.X.O. was Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s third offering, and their last for a decade, and we love every moment of it.
Audioslave
Audioslave (Sony, 2002)
Who doesn’t like a bit of straight-up, in-your-face, well-recorded, expertly produced rock featuring Chris Cornell and most of Rage Against The Machine? Helmed by Rick Rubin, the eponymous Audioslave just sounds BIG with its monster drum sound, gut-thumping bass and Tom Morello’s excellent guitar work. But it’s the sadly departed Cornell’s vocals that are the star of the show.
White Stripes
Elephant (Third Man Records, 2003)
Recorded in London’s Toe Rag Studios, the White Stripes’ fourth album Elephant marked a back-to-basics approach for a duo that was already basic – and we mean that positively. The result is occasionally stark in its simplicity. Yes, it’s rough, and yes, it’s raw, but that’s because it was supposed to be! If the opening one-two of ‘Seven Nation Army’ and ‘Black Math’ doesn’t immediately grab you, then we’d suggest checking your pulse.
Joanna Newsom
‘Ys’ (Drag City, 2006)
Joanna Newsom’s breakthrough album is a breathtaking work of musical maturity. Its recording process is a who’s who of left-field quality, with Van Dyke Parks producing and arranging, Steve Albini recording and lo-fi legend Jim O’Rourke mixing. Newsom’s distinctive vocals, backed mainly by her harp and strings sweep you away to sonic vistas you never know you wanted to visit. It is dynamic and lush in equal measures, but 100 per cent engaging.
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