Articles Archive - Page 157 of 268

WIN! A VIP tour of the Linn Products factory

We have teamed up with our friends from Linn to bring you an exciting competition for a chance to win a VIP trip to Glasgow including a full-access tour of Linn’s factory. Money can’t buy this kind of experience – living and breathing the Linn experience at its most heady; from the Richard Rogers-designed factory and its sophisticated engineering assembly floors to the luxurious Linn Home that shows what the company can do, and more.

Alan Sircom reviewed Linn’s new Selekt DSM network player in HiFi+ issue 164. The Linn Selekt DSM is the perfect ‘now’ product because of its refusal to be classified. It means if you are starting out, starting anew, simply changing up your streaming source, or refreshing a few products in the chain, this becomes one of the front-runners.

He went on to say, “Between the display and the dial, there are six small fully user configurable buttons… You can assign anything from a single track held anywhere in your musical sphere, through a mounted source component, an internet radio stream, right through to a specific playlist or even a track you love… These are all driven from Linn’s free Kazoo app”.

Details of the prize

Flights to Glasgow for two people from a UK airport.
A day at the Linn factory including a tour, lunch, meet and greet, and listening sessions.
Two nights’ accommodation in a Glasgow city centre hotel.
Dinner at a fantastic Scottish restaurant.
Transfers to/from Glasgow Airport.
A Linn goodie bag.

Competition Question

What is the name of Linn’s free app?

A. Baloo

B. Kazoo

C. Lulu

To answer, please visit Linn’s dedicated competition page at www.linn.co.uk/hifiplus-competition Alternatively, send your answer on a postcard (including your name, address, and contact details) to Linn Competition, Linn Products Limited, Eaglesham, Glasgow, G76 0EQ, Scotland, UK

Competition Rules

The competition will run from January 31st 2019 until April 4th 2019. The competition is open to everyone, but multiple, automated, or bulk entries will be disqualified. The winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries, will be contacted via email (where possible) and their name will be published in the magazine. The Editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Absolute Multimedia (UK) Ltd. is compliant with the Data Protection Act and UK laws apply. Our policy is such that we will not pass on your details to any third party without your prior consent.

AKG N5005 earphones

Victoria Station to Ealing Broadway, on the District Line of the London Underground. At around 9:15 on the evening of Thursday 23rd August, 2018. That was the precise moment I understood why the AKG N5005 is thehigh-end earphone for today. And it’s not just because it sounds excellent.

You see, on that particular moment, I was on a train half full of people, the majority of whom were wearing headphones or earphones. Some of these headphones and earphones were quite expensive, although probably not N5005 expensive. Some were noise cancellers, some were deep-dive earphones used to drown out the clatter of new trains on very old tracks. And as I looked casually from listener to listener, one thing jumped to my attention… only one of them was using a cord between phone and headset. Not one of them was using anything apart from a phone or a tablet, either… Although Digital Audio Players sound like a great idea to the audio cognoscenti, in the neon-lit reality that is the Tube train, they don’t exist.

This might be a sweeping generalisation (drawn from watching people on a train carriage) but such observations on trains and ‘planes around the world shows a correlation. That correlation means that high-end personal audio faces something of a crisis that AKG resolved in the N5005’s box. Because, in the comprehensive package of AKG’s top earphone sits a Bluetooth receiver of pretty good quality. Despite our love for devices like the excellent Chord Mojo and Hugo portable DAC/headphone amp/streamer, I think too many of today’s listeners rely on their phones and – regardless of how good the headphone or earphone – if a product relies solely on a wired solution, prospective buyers will smile sweetly and pass buy. That’s how fast things have changed in the real world of personal audio, and AKG jumped the right way!

Setting aside the Bluetooth device and staying with ‘legacy’ cable (hey pigeons… meet the cat!), the AKG N5005 is a formidable piece of earphone engineering, set in one of the most comprehensive packages in audio. If there is such a thing as tyranny of choice, the AKG N5005 box gets close.

There are seven sets of ear-tips as standard (and there are also Comply tips – not supplied – that provide even greater levels of rigidity of insertion), a de-gunking tool, a 3.5mm standard braided cable, a 2.5mm balanced braided cable, the aforementioned Bluetooth adaptor (eight hours play, two hours charge), the two-pin in-flight adaptor for in-flight systems that haven’t been in use for the last 25 years, a small shell case to carry everything in, and a set of three different filters to gently shape the sound of the N5005. Phew!

The earphone system itself is equally comprehensive, in that it’s a hybrid system that combines a 9.2mm dynamic driver for the bass that sits closer to the outer ceramic section of the earphone, coupled with a four-driver balanced armature array for the mids and highs. After that five-driver system comes the easy to drop-in quartet of filters to tune the sound to your tastes. As standard, the N5005 is fitted with the grey-ringed ‘Reference’ filters, and a supplied card includes a pair each of the black ‘bass boost’, green ‘mid high boost’, and white-ringed ‘high boost’ filters. The most aggressive of the four is the bass boost, the rest being mild variations on a theme. I liked the ‘reference’ and ‘mid high’ filters as they seemed to work extremely well with voices and the mid-high just gave a touch more presence. Even the ‘high boost’ was comparatively mild, and this should be applauded; there is a temptation in many earphone systems to show off just how much detail balanced armatures can resolve by throwing detail at your ears in an unrelenting manner. Even at it’s most forward, the N5005 doesn’t push too far, and that restraint deserves praise. As does the fact the filters are easy to install (some models require the dexterity of a Jimi Hendrix and needle-width fingers to swap out their filters – not so, AKG!). Similarly, the interchangeable cables are easy to switch, but not so easy they fall out. Their over-ear design also helps keep the 11.4g earphone in place.

There are two observations about using the N5005. First, make damn sure you are using the right tips, and don’t be afraid of making the jump to Comply or even experimenting well beyond the norm. With most earphones the difference between tips is a comfort issue, but here it’s the difference between a reasonably OK sounding earphone and ‘wow, that is the best earphone I have ever heard.’ Secondly, although the N5005 is more than efficient enough to be driven by the output of any phone that still has a headphone socket, don’t do it. This earphone demands quality, and quantity when it comes to amps. It’s deceptively demanding.

Observe those two conditions and you are left with one of the best non-custom earphones money can buy. With the right seal from the correct tips, the bass is deep, authoritative, stentorian, and yet incredibly well controlled. And that’s without the bass boost. OK, so without the boost, the N5005 is more about clean depth and texture, and with the boost in place it’s more about weight and slam, but for most audio enthusiasts, the Reference filter has more than enough weight and also has the perfect balance.

Midrange, meanwhile, is lithe and liquid regardless of filter. It’s incredibly detailed and insightful, with the kind of undistorted, accurate vocals that make it sound like you took two or three steps out of the recording process making you closer to the studio. This is ‘pure as the driven snow’ clean, and with a very pure female vocal, such as Feist singing ‘Mushaboom’ from her 2004 Let It Diealbum [Polydor], and you quickly get past the fact it was overplayed at the time and she unwittingly spawned a generation of breathy songstresses with meaningless cover versions. Instead, you hear into the vocals and enjoy the music as if new.

The high frequencies start out a little forward, but soon run in. The Reference filter is, to my mind, the best balance here and it makes the most noticeable difference, but even the high boost filter doesn’t make the N5005 aggressive; rather, just brings back that forwardness. Otherwise, the N5005 has an effortless, almost valve-like tonality and insight into the treble. It’s extended way up into the bat-eared territory, but without harsheness, just with accuracy and honesty. This can be a double-edged sword with some more compressed and pinched-sounding recordings from the early part of this century, but even here I find that intrinsic honesty alluring, except with the most strident and compressed of sounds. In fairness, however, I find those albums (Metallica’s Death Magneticfor example) almost unlistenable no matter what system is being played, so while it doesn’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, neither should the AKG N5005 be criticised for making a sow’s ear out of a sow’s ear!

The overall imaging of the earphones is surprisingly good, given they are earphones and not electrostatic headphones or similar. There is always going to be a significant amount of lateralisation (projecting sounds inside your head instead of the space around you), but the effect is mitigated somewhat by the overarching sense of naturalness to the sound, which gives the listener the distinct impression they are not listening to an electronic device. As this was Proms season, I had the chance to listen to a live binaural recording on BBC Radio Three, and that really showed just how good the AKG N5005’s performance is in this soundstaging respect. It sounded uncannily like the real thing, and made me immediately wish for more dummy head recordings (I drank deep from the Chasing The Dragon catalogue as a result).

Comparisons are interesting, as I put this up against two known benchmarks: the Sennheiser IE800 and the Noble Audio Katana universal fit. The IE800 was perhaps the most coherent of the three, but lacked the extension and dynamism of the AKG, while the Katana went in the other direction; incredible neutrality, but not as deft as the AKG. They really are that good!

Theatre critics have a cliché phrase that’s used for many hits – “Kill to get a ticket!” I’m not a big fan of this phrase as I’m fairly convinced that sooner or later someone will take this as a command in our insane world and start opening fire in a box office. But the sentiment fits. The AKG N5005 – Kill to get a set!

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

System: Hybrid technology
Driver size: 9.2mm + four balanced armature
Dynamic frequency response range: 10–40kHz
Sensitivity: 116dB SPL/V@1kHz
Impedance: 18 ohm
Bluetooth transmitted power: 0–4dbm
Bluetooth transmitted modulation: GFSK, π/4 DQPSK, 8DPSK
Bluetooth frequency: 2.402–2.480GHz
Bluetooth profiles: A2DP V1.2, AVRCP V1.4, HFP V1.6, HSP V1.2
Bluetooth version: V4.1
Battery type: Lithium-ion
Polymer rechargeable battery: 120mA/3.7V
Charging time: Around 2 hours
Music playtime with Bluetooth: 8 hours
Talk time with Bluetooth: 8 hours
Weight: 11.4g
Price: £799.99

Manufactured by: AKG

URL: akg.com

Tel: +44(0)1612 223325

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AudioQuest Niagara 1000 power conditioner

AudioQuest’s Bill Low takes a long-term approach to product development. He’s been in the industry longer than many and seems to have figured out what counts (and what doesn’t) when it comes to creating accessories that people actually want. His last success (in my world, at least) was the Dragonfly USB DAC, a very neat and easy to use device for your PC or smartphone. But some years before that came to market, Bill was looking at the power cable and conditioners on the market to see what he could learn about how to develop one in house. At the time he came to the conclusion that the pro oriented US brand Furman were top of the heap so he approached a designer there called Garth Powell with a view to bringing him over to AudioQuest (AQ) to develop power delivery products for them. Powell was happy where he was at that time, but some years later Furman was bought by Panamax and the emphasis in R&D was shifted from sound quality to ease of integration for smart home applications. This change in direction was enough to get Powell to move from San Francisco to just over 400 miles away to work at the AQ HQ in Irvine, at the end of 2012.

Since that time, Powell has been working on what are being called ‘noise dissipation systems,’ which is Garth-speak for mains distribution products that absorb and reduce AC-borne noise. Noise is a problem of varying degrees for audio components and digital audio is often extremely sensitive. Mains borne noise is all around us, being produced by wireless devices like phones, tablets, and white goods with their switched mode power supplies; one day, these things will be identified as pure evil and abolished, but until then we will need ‘noise dissipation systems’. AudioQuest make three Niagara power distributors of which the 1000 is the most affordable; it’s quite large but not very heavy in a very shiny case that comes with its own cleaning cloth. Five filtered outlets are accompanied by a largely straight through one on the end for amplifiers, which has some DC blocking but nothing else. If you like dynamics that is as much filtering as you want. The outlets for constant current components such as sources and preamps have RF filtering capacitors, ‘18 octaves’ of AC differential filtering (the top Niagara 7000 covers 21 octaves) and AQ’s ground noise dissipation system. The overarching theme of the spec is linear noise elimination.

The Niagara 1000 is not supplied with a mains cable so AQ supplied both their entry level NRG Y3 (£99) power cords and a single Thunder (£629), a beast of a cable with three separate conductors and battery powered biasing for the dielectric. I started off using the Niagara in full effect with Thunder connecting it to the wall and the NRG Y3 cables powering an AURALiC ARIES G2 streamer, Exogal Ion, and Exogal Comet. Switching from direct to the wall, the result of this near £2,000 upgrade was dramatic with a considerable increase in richness of tone and depth of image. The general effect seemed to be a substantiation of the sound, which became more solid and weighty. The high frequencies seem a little shut in however; there is a darkening of the balance which either means some degree of treble roll-off or, more likely, an elimination of noise. I say more likely because the result was more relaxed and easy to enjoy with greater musicality. I have noticed that digital amplification benefits from mains conditioning in the past and that is definitely the case here.

I got similar results with more conventional electronics when I made smaller changes, using the ARIES G2 streamer and VEGA G2 DAC on Isotek power cords. Switching from the wall to the Niagara brought more kick to the bass and enhanced transparency, which in turn increased the separation between instruments. More importantly, timing was not undermined; if anything it was slightly enhanced. It’s not unusual to get lower noise and thus greater resolution with mains conditioning but timing can often suffer in the process; however, the Niagara cleverly avoids that pitfall. I also contrasted it with a similar product in the Puritan Audio PSM136, which looks like better material value for money. Here, using the NRG Y3 to feed the Niagara delivered a slightly more open and well separated result that was better timed and thus more involving, so looks can be deceptive.

When I switched the big ATC P2 power amp from the wall to the high power output on the Niagara, I got a very worthwhile increase in soundstage depth and width, with increased separation between instruments and no sense of dynamic compression; the former was expected, the latter a relief. It also seemed worthwhile to contrast the NRG Y3 with the Isotek EVO3 Premier I usually use on the amp. This did something very similar to the Niagara by calming and adding weight without undermining timing, a perceived reduction in volume level suggesting that distortion and noise had dropped.

The Innuos Zenith SE server should benefit from this sort of power conditioning and the Niagara did not disappoint. A veil was lifted from low level detail which opened up the room and further enhanced musicality, turning a good piece of music into an inspiring one. As a vinyl lover, it was necessary to see if the AudioQuest would improve the sound of my Rega RP8 turntable and Tom Evans Microgroove phono stage. Here the change was more subtle, and it mainly consisted of a slight darkening of the balance alongside a slight calming with quieter backgrounds. There was an improvement but not one that matched the price.

The Niagara 1000 may look a bit shiny but it’s sound is as black as a very black thing. It has a remarkable ability to reduce noise and deliver a calm, musical result that encourages high-level listening. If I could keep it in the system, I would.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Type: AC mains power conditioner.
Outlets: Six outlet 13A UK (inc one high current outlet)
Dimensions (H×W×D): 100 ×120 ×508mm
Weight: 2.5kg
Price: £995

Manufacturer: AudioQuest

Tel: +44 (0)1249 848 873

URL: audioquest.com

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Gold Note Pianosa turntable with B-5.1 tonearm

The Italian company Gold Note has a seven-strong range of turntables, although two are limited edition, made-to-order, super-high-end extravaganzas. Of the five main turntables in the company’s range, the Pianosa hits dead centre, with the two Valore models below and the Giglio and Mediterrano above.

The Gold Note models eschew the hair-shirt approach of many modern audiophile turntable designs. It seems many designers forget that, while the worst excesses of audio ugly can be hidden from view in cabinets and the like, a turntable is almost always on show, so it better look pretty good. It’s also a potential dust magnet, and Gold Note is one of the few higher end brands who supplies a dust cover these days.

The lines are simple, classic, and elegant. It’s a simple poly-vinyl coated platter with a simple arm, on an elegant black lacquered MDF plinth, which sits atop a curvy lower plinth finished in walnut, black lacquer or white lacquer. the metalwork is black as standard, but can be anodised silver if requested. It features a round belt that encircles the platter, with a decoupled motor housing sitting quasi-independently on its own base to the back left of the deck. Speed and start-up are controlled by two buttons on the front-left. The deck sits on three adjustable conical feet and comes supplied with the brand’s easy to use 9” B-5.1 gimballed tonearm as standard.

While its ‘wall-wart’ switching power supply may seem under-sized for a turntable of the Pianosa’s price, there are some very good reasons why it was chosen: the power is generated and handled outside the turntable’s chassis so there are no parts of the power supply placed inside it. The results achievable with a large linear power supply – as featured on other decks of the same price – could theoretically deliver slightly better performance but Gold Note took a ‘smart’ approach: it started designing a frictionless and high-efficiency synchronous motor, then an effective decoupling mount for the motor and finally developed the electronic controls in order to deliver the right amount of torque, power, and stability.

Far from being under-powered, in fact the switching power supply currently used is actually ‘over-sized’ resulting in more power than needed to drive the turntable under optimal conditions. And, while those optimal conditions are the test bench, in reality many turntables lead a sheltered life and will be close to optimal conditions in the home. However, this approach is a different from the standard: Gold Note tailors the motor and the electronics to each turntable’s needs, while developing a standard power supply for all its decks. It’s similar to the philosophy of Alfa Romeo and Lotus: instead of using humongous motors and power, these cars are designed to be efficient and precise. “Simplify, then add lightness,” as Lotus founder Colin Chapman was wont to say.

This also means Gold Note can install all the mechanical/electronic parts on board to achieve a more compact design of the deck (obtaining a much higher density at the same time) by simply moving the power supply away from the deck itself. The motor is decoupled from the chassis through elastomer material thus acting as a floating element, which is also calibrated differently for each turntable in order to perfectly match the materials used for the chassis.

The Italian walnut used on the Pianosa is claimed to offer some unique advantages too, as it is extremely dense but has good damping properties at the same time. When you lift the deck you can feel how its weight comes mostly from the wood. OK, so Panzerholtz it isn’t, but neither is it made from balsa or cheap MDF.

In fact, Gold Note claims only Italian walnut can offer the correct damping effect, in the process providing stabilisation, insulation, and rigidity to the turntable just on its own. However, it is also extremely difficult to work with and it takes a skilled craftsman to create unusual shapes – as on Pianosa – and to treat it properly. It is also expensive and rare.

The shape of the wooden plinth has been developed as an arch. Gold Note industrial designer Stefano Bonifazi used the mathematics behind the catenary curve to solve two problems at once: giving the best support and insulation from the surrounding environment to the chassis while providing the rigidity and virtual mass of a much heavier object.

The spindle/bearing system allows the turntable to achieve higher precision and control over the rotation of the platter. It also increases the overall rigidity of the system and ensures perfect alignment, in axis damping effect, and less potential oscillations. Like the choice of the wood, this long spindle/bearing system requires very precise processing of every single metal part.

The DIN connector used is the German DIN standard and differs from the common – at least for the hi-fi industry – SME model. Gold Note adopted the standard DIN as it feels this is the “real” DIN and in the opinion of the designer it sounds the best, too. Gold Note uses Hirschmann connectors made in Austria, and premium versions of the phono cable are available as an upgrade.

Installation and set-up of the turntable is exceptionally easy, laying to rest the notion that high-end turntables are deliberately opaque in their installation so that the dealer can charge for set-up. It’s Ikea-grade simple to put together, although the manual does come with some helpful installation tips (such as the four-second ‘power chord’ required to switch from start/stop to speed adjustment mode). The arm in particular is extremely easy to use, and unless you are all thumbs, you’ll be fully set-up and running in no time (you’ll need a stylus pressure gauge, but not much more).

In turntable making, once you get past the super-cheap, there’s two or three clear sonic directions that turntable makers follow: ‘detailed’ (as in ‘bright’), ‘majestic’ (as in ‘warm but slow’), or ‘rhythmic’ (as in ‘the no-bass bounce’). The best of them combine two or more of these elements to make a sound that is well-balanced, and it’s this well-balanced approach that is what the Pianosa is so good at providing. There’s no exaggeration or marked emphasis to the presentation (although if you are looking for a sonic disappearing act, keep looking; the Pianosa trades absolute neutrality for a sound you want to listen to, instead of one you want to analyse). It’s an incredibly refined sound, too, the kind you normally associate with very expensive audio equipment. I played the Overture from my now almost worn-out copy of The Pirates of Penzance [D’Oyly Carte, RPO, Decca SXL], which is on the one hand perhaps the LP with the most natural soundstage I possess, and second a damn enjoyable piece of 19th Century operetta. If you find yourself playing air-triangle as I did here, you know you are on to a good turntable system. It’s not the fastest sounding turntable around (the emphasis is on image separation, coherence, and musical interplay) but what it perhaps lacks in four-on-the-floor rhythm is more than made up for in effortless dynamics and the sense of everything being musically connected.

I did find myself more drawn to the classical and jazz ends of my record collection and possibly slightly further from the selection of angular, spiky sounding music from the 1980s. I don’t play records by The Fall that often anymore, but I suddenly felt the need to play ‘Hip Priest’ from Hex Enduction Hour[Kamera] to get that full-on post-punk weirdness, and it showed what the Pianosa does well, and not so well. The random twists and turns of Mark E Smith’s drawl demand endless dynamic range (he often sounded like someone having a psychotic episode being thrown down a fire escape) and the Pianosa does surprisingly well in that respect, but it simply cannot paint the sheer bleakness required. Instead, the Pianosa finds the nice sounds and the happy place where possible, and with The Fall, there is no happy place.

I’m not sure if that’s a benefit or a demerit though. Most music played on the Pianosa sounded lithe and elegant. It’s an easy sound, not a hyper-analytical one, but it still manages to make musical magic.

It’s easy to fall into geographic stereotypes, and if you do an Italian turntable is going to be elegant, seductive, but ultimately insubstantial. The Gold Note Pianosa gets two out of three right, and fortunately it’s the right two. It is an elegant design with a similarly elegant sound, and it has seductive looks. Add to that the simplicity of set-up and this is a turntable that should get lots of attention. It’s easy to use, easy to live with, and easy to love.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Wow & Flutter: 0,1%
Rumble: -77dB
Speed: 33-1/3 and 45 rpm +/-0,1%
Speed changing: electronic with fine pitch control
Transmission: 70 shore rectified belt in poly-vinyl
Motor: 12 Volt High Torque synchronous externally powered
Platter: 23mm Dampened design in poly-vinyl
Platter spindle: GN Split-Spindle™
Platter bearing: 5mm ball bearing in chromed stainless steel with adjustable brass seat
Acrylic Dust Cover included
Finishes: Black, White, Walnut
Dimensions (H×W×D): 42.5 ×20 ×36cm
Weight: 13,5kg
Price: £2,230 (£2,500 walnut finish)

Manufactured by: Gold Note

URL: goldnote.it

Distributed by: Audio Pinnacle

URL: audiopinnacle.co.uk

Tel: +44(0)1420 544140

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iFi Audio Pro iDSD DAC/headphone amp/preamp/streamer

Many of you know the backstory behind iFi Audio. In essence, the firm is a spin-off from the well-regarded British high‑end audio company Abbingdon Music Research (AMR) and iFi’s mission is to make AMR-like technology and sound quality accessible to music lovers through several series of compact and affordable components. As you might expect, there are distinct echelons within the iFi range, starting—in ascending order of size, price, and performance—with the Nano range, followed by the newly launched “X” range, then the Micro range, and, at the very top of the pyramid, the Pro-series range. iFi’s present Pro-series range comprises three models: the Pro iCAN headphone amp/preamp, the Pro iESL electrostatic headphone adaptor module, and the recently released Pro iDSD DAC/headphone amp/preamp/streamer, which is the subject of this review.

Stated simply, the Pro iDSD is far and away the most sophisticated and technically advanced DAC that iFi Audio has ever offered and its features set is so forward looking that it would not seem at all out of place in a DAC selling for, say, ten or more times the Pro iDSD’s price. Technically speaking, there is so much going on inside the Pro iDSD that it’s hard to know where to start with a description, but let me begin with some of the core features of the DAC and then work outward from there.

At the heart of the Pro iDSD is a quad interleaved set of Bit-Perfect DSD and DXD DACs from Burr-Brown for a configuration that, says iFi, “means that up to eight pairs of differential signals can be used and mixed – four pairs of signals per channel”. There are five digital inputs: USB, AES3, S/PDIF (coaxial and optical combo), BNC multifunction (S/PDIF or Sync input), and a WiFi/Network/Mass Storage interface. All inputs are galvanically isolated to minimise noise.

Audio data from all inputs is routed to a memory buffer, where it is de-jittered and then reclocked via a femto-grade Global Master Timing clock whose design is drawn from the clock used in the big AMR DP-777 Digital Processor. Decoding processes for all digital audio file formats is handled by an XMOS X-Core 200 processor, while digital filtering and DSD Remastering (more on this in a moment) functions are implemented through a powerful Crysopeia FPGA device.

By default, PCM files are played in Bit-Perfect (BP) mode, but Bit-Perfect+ (BP+) mode can also be used: neither the BP nor BP+ modes upsample PCM data. However, when users choose one of the Pro iDSD’s three other available PCM filter options—including Gibbs Transient Optimised (GTO), Apodising (AP), and Transient Aligned (TA) filters—PCM files are automatically upsampled to 705.6kHz or 768kHz rates (that is, 16x PCM) depending on the sampling rate of the original file. One further option is to take these PCM files, whether bit-perfect or upsampled and filtered, and to run them through the Pro iDSD’s sophisticated ‘DSD Remastering’ engine, which can output either DSD512 or “studio-grade” DSD1024 files.

Incoming DSD files are also played in Bit-Perfect (BP) mode, except when the DSD Remastering option is chosen. In that case, DSD files are directly converted to 16 X PCM files inside the Crysopeia FPGA, then filtered using one of the options available at 16 X PCM, and finally modulated into high-res DSD512 or DSD1024. What’s fascinating about this process is that you start out with DSD files, convert them to upsampled PCM format so that you can apply the digital filters of your choice, and then converted back into high-res DSD for playback. Note that incoming DSD files at DSD256 or higher levels are always played in Bit-Perfect mode without remastering. The Pro iDSD can move between PCM and DSD file formats with the greatest of ease.

Thanks to a built-in WiFi antenna, and available Ethernet and host USB input sockets, the Pro iDSD can effectively function as its own server or streamer, which can be controlled by the third-party Muzo App, which is available for most popular Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. The Pro iDSD also offers built-in Spotify and Tidal applications, which again are accessed through the Muzo App. Plainly iFi has packed a tremendous amount of flexibility and numerous connectivity options within the Pro iDSD’s deceptively compact half-rack-width chassis.

Because iFi’s Pro iCAN headphone amplifier/preamp and Pro iESL electrostatic headphone adaptor module preceded the Pro iDSD in the marketplace, the natural temptation is to think of the Pro iDSD as the DAC that completes the Pro-Series product suite. However, there’s really more to the Pro iDSD story than that, because it is also a highly accomplished headphone amp/preamp in its own right.

Much like the Pro iCAN, the Pro iDSD’s amplifier section offers three front end configurations: a JFET-based solid-state front end, a General Electric 5670-based valve-powered front end (simply called “Tube” mode in iFi terminology) with low distortion and a moderate amount of negative feedback, plus a relatively low loop-gain/low negative feedback valve-powered front end option (called “Tube +” in iFi speak) that trades slightly higher distortion levels for more pure valve character in the sound. The main amplifier circuit is, says iFi, fully discrete and fully balanced with a “bipolar second stage and MOSFET-buffered bipolar output stage.” Levels are controlled by a 6-track, motorised ALPS rotary volume potentiometer. Power output, though lower than that of iFi’s potent Pro iCAN headphone amp, is nevertheless a very healthy 1500mW @ 16 Ohms (single-ended) or 4000mW at 16 Ohms (balanced).

Premium quality parts are used throughout the Pro iDSD’s audio signal path and power supply sections. For example, the Pro iDSD’s analogue section uses audio-grade Elna Silmic capacitors located, says iFi, “within a few millimetres of the audio circuitry supplied.” In turn, the digital section features a bank of Elna Dynacaps DZ™ ‘Super Capacitors’ collectively offering an impressive 6.6 Farads of capacitance. The capacitors are said to have “400 times lower internal impedance than common grades of super capacitors,” meaning they, “release energy much faster than other super capacitors.” Finally the power supply for the digital section uses six individual TI LDO Regulators with local LC filtering to “provide the final low-noise power for all individual digital sections,” including the clock, S/PDIF input, and the DAC’s digital section. In short, iFi backs up its high-end performance claims with the sorts of high quality parts one might expect to find in far more costly audio components.

The Pro iDSD’s user controls are clearly laid out and straightforward to use, and there is even a small remote control that can adjust volume settings for both the Pro iDSD and the Pro iCAN headphone amp. The only minor word of caution I might put forward is that many of the Pro iDSD’s user controls feature multifunction combo rotary/push-to-engage control knobs, so that it pays to keep the user manual close at hand until you become familiar with what each knob does. It’s also important to understand that many Pro iDSD control functions are to some degree context sensitive. Once again, the user manual is your new best friend.

During my listening tests I used the Pro iDSD both as a DAC/amp and as a pure DAC operated in conjunction with the iFi Pro iCAN and Pro iESL. I also ran the Pro iDSD with a very wide range of headphones and earphones including the HiFiMAN Susvara and Sundara, Abyss AB-1266 Phi Edition CC, Final D8000, Massdrop by Noble Kaiser 10U, and Campfire Audio Comet and Atlas. At each step along the way the Pro iDSD moved from sonic strength to strength, in the process creating an overwhelmingly positive impression.

First, the Pro iDSD proved quiet enough (at 0dB gain) to use with extremely sensitive earphones, yet powerful enough (at +18dB of gain) to drive even very demanding headphones such as the HiFiMAN Susvara. Further, the Pro iDSD proved ready, willing, and able to play digital audio files of all formats and of widely varying sampling rates and resolution levels. What is more, the unit proved able to transition from bit-perfect playback for PCM or DSD files on up to very high level upscaling in PCM format or very high level remastering in DSD format—all of this in real-time and with nary a hitch or glitch. In short, the Pro iDSD invites listeners to make back and forth listening comparisons between file formats, resolution levels/sampling rates, and also the digital filter options selected.

The Pro iDSD offers more resolution than any other iFi DAC I have heard to date (and more resolution than most competitors at or anywhere near its price). Still, this does not mean the Pro iDSD has joined the ranks of the “detail über alles” brigade; in keeping with longstanding AMR and iFi practice, this is still very much a component that prioritises holistic musical integrity over ‘bleeding edge’ resolution at all costs. As a result, users enjoy traditional AMR/iFi musicality, but with a heaping helping of low-level musical information on the side.

The effects of high level PCM upsampling and DSD remastering are both audible and beneficial. PCM upsampling tends, for example, to make music sound less granular and more whole and complete, with one upshot being that everything from 44.1 PCM files on up to 352.8 DXD files suddenly start to display both sharpened focus and more continuous, three-dimensional contours. A great example would be Kleiberg’s David and Bathsheba opera-oratorio [2L, DXD 352] where the result of upsampling and filtering is a superb recording made even better, complete with a striking quality of ‘reach-out-and-touch-the-performers’ realism.

In turn, DSD remastering—especially at the DSD1024 level—tends to take everything you have ever liked about DSD format material and make it better across the board. With DSD1024 remastering applied, the music sounds effortlessly and naturally detailed, with enhanced (but not exaggerated) qualities of spaciousness and three-dimensionality. To hear these qualities in action try listening to the title track of Return to Forever’s Romantic Warrior [Sony, DSD64], where with DSD1024 remastering Chick Corea’s keyboard sounds at once free-flowing yet incisive, Al DiMeola’s guitar riffs exhibit rich textures and blinding speed, Stanley Clarke’s bass(es) sound incredibly rich and full throated, and Lenny White’s percussion anchors the proceedings with great clarity, punch, and compelling authority. The DSD64 version of the track sounds very fine, but the remastered DSD1024 version helps the music find a whole new gear with richness and energy to match.

The Pro iDSD makes it easy to compare the relative sonic merits of BP and BP+ playback alongside its other three digital filters (GTO, AP, and TA), where sonic differences are plainly audible, yet also quite subtle. Each of the filter settings can be beneficial in certain use cases, but the one setting that offered the most sonic benefits in virtually all cases was the Gibbs Transient Optimised filter. This filter yielded clear and articulate transient sounds, pure and natural timbres, realistic attack and decay characteristics, and natural (never special effects-like) three-dimensionality. In short, the Gibbs Transient Optimised filter combines all the best aspects of the Transient Aligned filter with a markedly more natural and realistic presentation overall. I came to these conclusions purely by listening to the Pro iDSD’s various filters over a long period of time, but after the fact I found an iFi tech paper that indicated the firm also has a preference for the Gibbs filter for essentially the same reasons I’ve outlined here. In my view, the Pro iDSD is a terrific performer in its own right, both as a DAC and as a headphone amplifier. In fact, I think many users will find it to be as much amplifier as they might ever need or want. With that said, however, let me observe that there is something flat-out magical about using the Pro iDSD in concert with Pro iCAN amp. Good though the amp section of the Pro iDSD is, the Pro iCAN dials in a few clicks more precision and control, plus substantially more dynamic muscle and swagger for handling power hungry headphones like the HiFiMAN Susvara. By combining the Pro iDSD with the Pro iCAN, users wind up with an absolutely masterful personal audio playback system that has few peers at this (or really any) price point.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Type: Hybrid solid-state/valve-powered DAC/headphone amp/preamp/streamer

Valve complement: twop NOS General Electric 5670 valves

Digital Inputs: USB, AES3, S/PDIF (coaxial and optical), BNC multifunction (S/PDIF and Sync), combination Ethernet/WiFi/Network/USB Host

Supported formats:
PCM up to 768kHz
DSD up to DSD 1024
DXD and double-speed DXD
Upsampling options: PCM to 705.8kHz or 768kHz
DSD remastering options: DSD 512 and DSD 1024
Digital Filters:
Bit perfect
Bit perfect +
Gibbs Transient Optimised
Apodising
Transient Aligned
Analogue Outputs:
Rear panel: Balance XLR and singled-ended RCA
Front panel: 6.35mm single-ended headphone jack, 3.5mm single-ended headphone jack, 2.5mm balanced headphone jack
Gain: 0dB, +9dB, +18dB
Power output:
Balanced: >4000mW @ 16 Ohms
Single-ended: >/= 1500mW @ 16 Ohms
Dimensions (H×W×D):
63.3mm ×220 ×213mm
Weight: 1980g
Price: £2,499 (including VAT); $2,499 US

MANUFACTURER: iFi Audio

URL: ifi-audio.com

UK DISTRIBUTOR: Select Audio

URL: selectaudio.co.uk

Tel: +44(0) 1900 601954

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PMC cor integrated amplifier

When PMC announced the cor amplifier at the 2017 Munich show, you could have knocked me down with a ball peen hammer. Why on earth would a loudspeaker company that distributes two ranges of electronics want to go to the trouble of making an amplifier? The cor reflects the ambition of PMC to enter the marketplace and make an instant impact in the sector. Being purists PMC’s designers didn’t want to make another amplifier just for the sake of having one to sell; they wanted to make something that was at least as good as the loudspeakers they have been producing for over thirty years, which is a pretty big ask.

Those designers more than rose to the challenge. The notionally conventional 2x95W integrated amplifier has a timeless aesthetic that at once looks modern, yet also harks back to classic Armstrong electronics of the 1970s and even the classic fluted plinth that once used to feature on every Linn Sondek LP12 turntable.

The most unusual feature of cor, however, is its tone controls. They allow fine changes in bass and treble output in much the same way as Quad’s much vaunted tilt controls, but add in the fact that they are motorised for remote operation and you can see that things might get difficult. They are based on the sliders used in professional mixing desks using the best parts that are available in order that sound quality is not compromised by their existence; even then there is a bypass switch should you wish to avoid such things. It’s rather nice that tiny LEDs change colour when you shift one of the sliders for tone or balance, white for centred, red for adjusted.

PMC has long been inclined to offer end users a degree of tone control, so that their fact range of speakers have adjustable bass and treble output in order to provide a degree of room matching. But cor goes a lot further, the remote nature meaning you can tweak for specific recordings from the comfort of your Naugahyde recliner or beanbag. Balance control is also provided with a slider and there are mute and mono buttons for those that need them. Mute is actually more useful than usual because the volume control moves quite slowly if you use the remote and it’s a lot quicker to hit mute if the phone rings or a loud recording follows a quiet one. I do like the fine steps that the volume offers however, and most motorised controls are coarser than this one. The handset looks like something PMC may have borrowed from long term ally Bryston; it’s aluminium and has plenty of buttons none of which are given visual priority except perhaps mute itself.

Inputs on one pair of XLRs and four sets of RCAs are named with likely sources, which is fine if you happen to have a CD player or a radio connected but less obvious if your source isn’t one of the names; numbered inputs might have been easier. As well as the volume controlled inputs there is a direct option on RCAs that bypasses the volume and would typically be used for AV processors. A ‘pre out’ pair suggest that maybe a cor power amp might be in the pipeline.

With its bipolar Darlington output stage and relatively low power for the price (95 Watts into 8 Ohms) cor looks like it has some relation to a popular range of amplifiers from Salisbury. The none-more-black finish might also suggest some kind of hair-shirt connection to classic Naim. The presence of tone controls goes against this idea, however, and the sound is completely different, so the similarities are misleading.

What cor sounds like is hard to grasp because it’s so refined, subtle, and transparent, but what you can say is that it’s incredibly open and revealing. PMC have always valued good dispersion in their loudspeakers and when you combine that with an amplifier with the same approach the effect is truly holographic in its image scale and depth. My listening didn’t start out with PMC speakers however; readers may recall the Vivid Kaya 45 reviewed a couple of issues back, and these speakers ideally need a bit more power than the cor can offer. Bass isn’t quite as powerful as it can be in the cor’s hands, but the sense of openness at which this speaker excels is further increased by the PMC. It also does good things for timing which gets a little bit tighter in its deceptively firm grasp. What I really like about the cor however is its ability to reveal so much. Yussef Kamaal’s Black Focus[Brownswood] is a great contemporary jazz album where the emphasis is on the groove; I have played it a lot but never noticed the tape hiss that the cor exposes by digging so far down into the mix. You might not want to hear everything that it uncovers, but it’s good to know that so little is being hidden thanks to this amp’s remarkably low noise floor. The low end sounds particularly good on this and contrasts beautifully with the brightness of the Fender Rhodes keyboard.

I also tried the PMC with one of Bowers & Wilkins’ speakers in the form of the 702 floorstander, it’s unlikely that you will find both products under the same dealer’s roof, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t well suited. Here the impressive resolution of both combined to create a sound that is natural, highly detailed and very, very open. This might give the impression the cor lacks substance, but that would be incorrect. The dynamics on Anouar Brahem’s superbly recorded Blue Maqams[ECM] are exceptional with not a hard edge in sight. The 702 does a fine job of revealing just how relaxed and effortless this amplifier is, the pair delivering impressive image depth on almost any recording without any shortcomings in the timing department. The combination of transparency and coherence is very beguiling indeed and makes it extremely hard to turn the system off. I got quite carried away with Bugge Wesseltoft and Prins Thomas’ new album [Bugge Wesseltoft and Prins Thomas, Smalltown Supersound], delving into the many layers in the mix and being carried away by the imagination of the compositions, especially when Bugge and Jon Christensen take their piano and drums into deep dark territory on the appropriately named ‘Sin Tempo’.

With more familiar material such as John Martyn’s ‘Bless the Weather’ [Bless the Weather, Island], the presentation has so much space it feels like you could walk into it. Then, there’ Danny Thompson’s fabulous double bass, whose rich timbre is perfectly mirrored by the acoustic guitar. Martyn’s voice clearly has some effects on it and some distinct spotlighting but that does nothing to undermine the ability of the piece to engage the heart and mind. As a long time PMC fact.8 speaker user I thought it would be rude not to try cor with this marvellous transducer and wasn’t surprised to find the two were an excellent match. Rarely has Bill Evans’ Waltz For Debby [Riverside] sounded so beautiful. The playing is so subtle that amplifiers with a lesser grasp of timing tend to mask what makes him so well regarded but the cor is nothing if not revealing in all respects including the most important one. So when the piece starts and you hear the audience and the scale of the venue the finesse of the playing just sweeps you off your feet and it made me wonder why I don’t play this more often. By contrast Taylor McFerrin’s Early Riser[Brainfeeder] is a jazz influenced electronica album where there is very little natural sound, but there is a depth of layering and richness of detail that is almost as good at drawing you in as Evans’ trio.

An ultra low noise floor is the key to cor’s success; this is what allows all the richness of detail through, as all the timing and spatial cues are enhanced when their quietest elements are exposed. Cor is a purist analogue amplifier for the digital age; without the super quiet recordings that digital allows its qualities would only be apparent to those with great turntables. It occurred to me rather late in the day that cor has many of the qualities of a first rate Class A amplifier; it has the delicacy of a single ended triode but a lower noise floor and more power. That a loudspeaker manufacturer has achieved this is even more remarkable and I hope it’s not the last piece of electronics from this innovative brand.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Type: Solid-state, 2-channel integrated amplifier with tone controls and headphone output
Analogue inputs: Four single-ended line-level inputs (via RCA jacks), one balanced input (via XLR connectors), one direct input (via RCA jacks)
Digital inputs: none
Analogue outputs: One pre-output (via RCA jacks), headphone output (via 6mm jack)
Input impedance: 25 kOhms, unbalanced >14kOhms, balanced
Output impedance (preamp): Not specified
Headphone Loads: Not specified
Power Output: 95Wpc @ 8 Ohms, 140Wpc @ 4 Ohms
Bandwidth: 20Hz-25kHz ± 0.1 dB, 5Hz – 80kHz ± 1dB
Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.001% rated output power into 8 Ohms
Signal to Noise Ratio: -101dB A-weighted re. rated output
Dimensions (H×W×D): 87.5 ×432 ×401mm
Weight: 12kg
Price: £4,995

Manufacturer: The Professional Monitor Company

Tel: +44 (0)870 444 1044

URL: pmc-speakers.com

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Grand Prix Audio Parabolica turntable

If you have watched a Formula 1 race anytime recently, you’ll have witnessed the strange phenomenon of the safety car in action, the undignified spectacle of one of the world’s most desirable sports cars – the Mercedes GT – looking decidedly plump and wallowy as it scrambles to stay ahead of a field of low, lithe, dartingly agile F1 cars, desperately trying to go slowly enough to stay behind it while the chorus of driver complaints rises and rises in volume. Comparing the Grand Prix Audio Parabolica to more conventional turntables, is to experience the same slightly bewildered sense of absolute superiority. With its sleek, compact chassis and no-nonsense, engineering-led aesthetic, the Grand Prix turntables don’t look or sound like the top-flight competition. At a time when ‘serious’ record players seemed to be the size and weight of a small chest of drawers loaded with concrete blocks, Grand Prix’s original Monaco was little bigger than the records it played and a mere five inches tall. Despite that and in a market where size apparently matters, it took on all comers and vanquished them. Just like the F1 cars its name brings to mind, its diminutive dimensions represented the ultimate distillation of pure performance, a shocking superiority to the run of the mill.

The latest Monaco v2.0 still sits at the top of the GPA tree, still taking on the over-weight and over-priced competition while gaining in engineering sophistication, performance, and price as the years have gone by – although it still represents a serious bargain compared to other high-end offerings. But at the same time, that increase in price has created the opportunity to offer a more affordable version of the company’s proprietary direct-drive technology and its elegant chassis. But there’s much, much more to this turntable than direct-drive and a bit of carbon-fibre. Like everything else in audio, it’s not what you use but how you use it that matters, and in the case of Grand Prix Audio, execution really is everything. The clue is in the name, both of the company and the product itself. Chief designer and engineer Alvin Lloyd was one of the founders of the all-conquering Swift Racing, a company that dominated CART racing in the US, as well as supplying chassis and engineering components to Formula One teams. In this case the Grand Prix moniker is more than just an affectation. That matters because it signifies both a pure performance background and a certain skill-set and experience. These days, making stuff from carbon-fibre isn’t difficult, with the one-time wonder material appearing on everything from iPhone cases to USB sticks. It’s a decorative trend that has undermined the engineering credibility of a material that has almost infinitely configurable properties – if you know what you are doing. Wrapping something in carbon cloth is one thing: Creating a complete component that is fully optimized to deliver specific mechanical and resonant performance attributes – that’s quite another. Enter then the Parabolica, GPA’s more affordable turntable, a product named for the fiendishly difficult curve that graces the Monza circuit, a name that reflects the significant challenge of down-pricing the Monaco without damagingly diluting its performance.

Outwardly the Parabolica is almost indistinguishable from its illustrious older brother: the same shallow platter, bowl shaped chassis and machined billet arm-board extension, the same minimal footprint, carbon finish, and three conical feet. Yet the Parabolica costs less than half the price of the Monaco while giving away astonishingly little in terms of measured or musical performance. Simply using carbon-fibre may not be that clever, but using it (as well as other materials) to achieve this? That’s very clever indeed!

Once you start to look more closely, you can see where the carefully chosen engineering compromises have been made. The Parabolica has a slightly fuller figure than the Monaco, allowing the computer control for GPA’s sophisticated feed-forward speed control system to be housed internally – saving the cost of the external box and cabling. The platter is machined from high-grade aluminium rather than magnesium with a phosphor-bronze flywheel and the feet are simple aluminium cones, although they retain the fine-thread levelling facility of the Apex composite footers supplied with the Monaco (an optional upgrade on the Parabolica). But the real clue lies in the relative weight of the two turntables. The Monaco might be small but at over 18 kilos it is astonishingly dense and inert. In contrast, the Parabolica weighs in at just under 13 kilos, still surprisingly solid, but reflecting the use of a braced carbon-fibre monocoque rather than the constrained layer, polymer damped chassis of the Monaco. Did someone say measurements? Using the 74,000 line encoder disc developed for the Monaco v2.0, together with system specific software matched to the same motor used in the original Monaco, GPA claim speed stability of 0.00011% RMS and peak deviation of less than 0.00015% for the Parabolica. That might not match the Monaco, which reputedly delivers a frankly astonishing further 0.000057% speed error and 0.00008% peak deviation, but it puts pretty much everything else in the shade. For example, the new Technics SL-1000R, which has been widely applauded for its remarkable speed stability, is quoted as delivering 0.015% RMS. I’m not going to get into competing claims and measurement protocols here, but you get the picture. There’s direct drive and then there’s direct drive: there’s speed stability and then there’s speed stability. But the best thing about the Parabolica’s measured performance is that it’s performance you can hear. Put simply, this turntable’s musical capabilities are as engaging as they are smack-you-in-the-face obvious.

Getting down to practicalities just for a moment, the Parabolica is more than just a carefully honed thoroughbred. In this day and age, where serious vinyl users often want to run more than one arm, the GPA’s minimalist dimensions, so effective when it comes to minimising airborne feedback, might put it at a disadvantage. Except that the armboard is precision located by a single, half turn Allen bolt, accessed via a threaded plug in the platter. Swapping pre-mounted arms takes a couple of minutes at most, whilst also maintaining exact geometry, with two additional, top mounted Allen bolts provided for ultimate security. A screw down clamp is provided, along with a range of three different polymer damping rings that fit over the spindle, corresponding to different weight records. A joy to assemble and set up, my one complaint about the Parabolica concerns the on/off switch – a capacitive pad underneath the front edge (one touch for 33, two for 45 and another to stop the deck). Like any touch sensitive control, it is less than positive and at first it is frustratingly easy to double tap it by accident – although you soon learn to use a swipe action that solves the problem. Maybe it’s just my Luddite tendencies and retro bent, but I prefer a nice, positive push-button. There again, there’s nothing retro about the Parabolica.

Listen to a system being fed by the Parabolica and you’ll hear musical poise, clarity, authority and vivid dynamics. What you won’t hear is the Parabolica itself. Unlike almost all other ‘tables it leaves a vanishingly small musical footprint, one that disappears behind the vagaries of recordings and associated equipment. One way or another, record players the world over act to blur, smudge, thicken, or gate the information stored in those vinyl grooves. They feed spurious energy back to the stylus (where it gets added to the signal), they suffer from speed variation (that softens the edges of notes and allows images to wander), and they introduce noise and vertical instability (that limit dynamic range). These are the signature traits of record replay that we have come to know and love – not least because as grievous as they are, they are still less musically intrusive than the vast majority of the alternatives. Until now! Listen to the Parabolica and it quickly becomes apparent that you are experiencing an analogue paradigm shift – one that places the performers and their performance front and centre, the mechanics of storing and retrieving that performance firmly in the background. This ‘table simply subtracts less from the signal and does less damage in the process.

The Argerich/Abbado recording of the Prokofiev 3rd Piano Concerto is a notoriously difficult disc. To hear it at its best you’ll need a phono-stage that offers Teldec EQ or the Speakers Corner 180g repressing. But you’ll also need a record player with the organisational talents, temporal stability, and dynamic and spatial clarity of the Parabolica. With all three options available, what so often descends into a cacophonous riot of jumbled notes was given shape, form, and control. Listening to the fluid, quicksilver playing, vividly dramatic colours, contrasts, and power of the solo instrument and it’s positioning against Abbado’s masterful marshalling of the BPO, it’s immediately apparent why the young Argerich exploded onto the international scene in such spectacular fashion. This performance isn’t just spectacular, it’s a technical and expressive tour de force, the Parabolica anchoring the tempo, the phrases, and the dynamic graduations without apparent effort and with no apparent limitation when it comes to headroom. Free of congestion and confusion, the result is as musically emphatic as it is purposeful, a performance that carries you along and leaves you drained at the final, shattering climax.

But the building blocks of this imposing performance are laid at the opposite end of the scale, the crisp, unforced clarity of Argerich’s Prokofiev echoed in the poised delicacy of Benedetti Michelangeli’s Beethoven, his astonishing grace and lightness of touch, the separation and relationship between his left and right hands, but most of all in their musical exchanges and conversation. This is a sense of musical organisation that extends beyond individual notes and phrases to the composition as a whole – and it’s maintained whether that piece involves one instrument, four, or a whole band. When it comes to recordings, the loud bits can hide a multitude of sins, yet with the Parabolica they don’t and don’t need to. It goes louder and does it with greater clarity than any belt driven or idler drive deck that I’ve used and if this is a direct drive trait, it’s a quality that also reflects the ability of a deck’s structure to cope with spurious energy, whether internal or external. The Parabolica’s excellence in this regard speaks volumes about the completeness and balance of its engineering solutions.

The acid test for any system or component comes with human voice, that most recognisable and subtly inflected of instruments and here the Parabolica reveals its true range. Playing familiar material, the way a singer uses their voice to shape a word or phrase is laid bare, engaging more directly, communicating more clearly. But what I wasn’t ready for was the expressive range the Parabolica revealed. On an album like Janis Ian’s Between The Lines [Columbia], her voice shifts between the fragile intimacy of ‘At Seventeen’ and the snarl of ‘Bright Lights…’, the deceptively open naiveté of ‘When The Party’s Over’, and the steely resolve of ‘Me To You’. It makes an already great album greater still, an effect I’ve experienced before, but only to this extent with GPA’s Monaco v2.0. What surprised (and delighted) me about the Parabolica was just how close it got to its bigger, older brother when it comes to musical expression. Which brings me I guess to the question of just how the two GPA ‘tables stack up? For once the answer is simple, both being cut from the same cloth. The strengths that are so apparent in the Parabolica – clarity, stability, organisation, and above all dynamic range – are taken a step further in the Monaco v2.0, meaning that its superiority is clear if you listen to the two decks side by side. But listen to the Parabolica in isolation and you’ll likely never know what you are missing. Just don’t listen to the Monaco unless you mean it…

In the same way that the Parabolica brings out the individuality and character in a performer, it does the same for matching tonearms. It’s not a fussy deck and its stable platform makes it applicable to any number of different partners: unipivot, gimbal, or linear tracking, it can be relied on to bring out the best in its matching arm, just as it reveals the musical core in different recordings. Most of my listening was with the Kuzma 4POINT/Lyra Etna combination, a pairing where the subtle dynamic and harmonic resolution of the cartridge dovetails perfectly with the power and stability of the arm and the authoritative platform provided by the deck. For me, the adjustable VTA facility of the arm is de rigeur,but for many listeners, I suspect that the Parabolica/4POINT9 combination, with its direct, lively sound, sense of musical intent and versatility when it comes to cartridge matching will represent the value sweet spot. It certainly offers an impressive mix of musical presence and rhythmic sophistication that gives music its own planted, positive, yet unforced pace and momentum. But either way, with a Kuzma or a different arm, it’s a mistake to see the direct drive Parabolica simply as a Monaco-lite or one trick pony. This is a beautifully balanced, agile and musically articulate performer; its pared back engineering is deeply reminiscent of the compact sophistication and purity of the Grand Prix heritage embedded in its DNA. There might be bigger or more comfortable decks; there are certainly those with more padding and (much) higher price tags, but for pure performance (and the purity of that performance) the Parabolica is awfully hard to beat.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Type: Direct Drive Turntable

Bearing: Factory sealed, hydro dynamic

Speeds: 33 and 45

Tonearm Mount: Precision located, quick release

Tonearm Compatibility: Universal – no restrictions on type or length

Weight: 12.5kg

Dimensions: 13” diameter plus armboard extension

Finishes: Gloss carbon chassis, painted finishes to order

Price: £16,500

Manufacturer: Grand Prix Audio

URL: grandprixaudio.com

UK Distributor: Definitive Audio

Tel.: +44 (0) 1159 733222

URL: definitiveaudio.co.uk

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Exogal Comet DAC and Ion stereo power amplifier

It’s refreshing to come across a deeply engineered and well-made product that doesn’t arrive with swathes of sales guff to seduce prospective buyers. Exogal is that rare thing; an audio company that is more interested in the product than the spiel. This is probably not a great approach from a commercial perspective but makes a seasoned audio enthusiast all the more interested. Exogal was set up by industry veterans Larry Jacoby, Jeff Haagenstaad, and Jim Kinne. Jim was a digital audio pioneer and, with Larry, was a founder of Wadia – a former giant of the digital audio scene and one of the first companies to make a CD player that sounded musically compelling. Jim produced the Wadia 27 decoding computer (DAC) and matching 270 transport as well as the rare 790 Power DAC, and if anything he did in the past has influenced his work with Exogal it’s that digital amplifier. Exogal launched five years ago with the Comet DAC/preamplifier; a beautifully finished compact piece of electronics with a small and subtle display. At the time, the company announced the matching Ion power amplifier, but it took a further 18 months of “frying prototypes, speakers, and resistive loads” to turn it into a stable and consistent power DAC.

Having finally managed to develop the Ion, a design that had “been simmering in Jim’s head for 25 years” the company is naturally not keen to divulge it’s secrets. They will say that it’s not a Class D design and that it’s not based on PWM (pulse width modulation) as is the case with NAD’s digital amplifiers. Jeff Haagenstad explained that, “Both of them [Comet and Ion] use multi-core FPGAs to implement custom math processors that take the quantized digital data and take their best shot at recreating the original analogue waveform using complex math algorithms.” Which sounds a little like what Chord Electronics does in the DACs that Rob Watts designs, except here the technology is being used to control power output. It is also used to adjust volume; when Comet and Ion are combined, output level and digital to analogue conversion are performed in the Ion, hence the power DAC appellation. Volume is controlled with DSP in the Ion; it processes signals in the amplitude domain and calculates how much power is required to achieve the desired volume. Conversion to analogue occurs just before the output (at full power), which itself highly unconventional.

The Ion has been created specifically for use with the Comet DAC; its only input is an HDMI socket for the Exonet interface for which there are in- and outputs on the Comet. There are more Exogal components in the pipeline, including a streamer that will share this intelligent connection system. The Ion’s specified power is 100 Watts into eight Ohms with peak power quoted as 150 Watts which, given the size and unventilated nature of the case, suggests very high efficiency.

The Comet has the usual array of digital inputs plus a single pair of analogue inputs in a billet machined case with a headphone socket on one side and an almost unreadable LCD display. It does look cool though and if you get the angle right it’s possible to discern the reflective text and numbers from the matte silver background. The information is pretty basic with the chosen input at the top above the selected output, the latter offering main, Exonet, or headphones, a numerical volume indicator sits below both. A cheap remote control is supplied that can be used to change any of these but the simple app that Exogal has developed is a nicer way to do it. The latter baffled me initially because the Comet has no network connections or Wi-Fi antenna, it does however have a short Bluetooth antenna and that’s how it connects to your smartphone or tablet. Users of streaming sources will realise that this is all fine, but when you are choosing tracks with the streaming app you don’t want to have to switch to another app just to change volume. One answer is to use a second touchscreen device but the remote is probably easiest; that said, the app does make it clear when the output is muted as is the case at switch on, which can save some head scratching. Since its introduction the Comet has had one upgrade and that’s a new power supply; this is a £400 extra in a nice aluminium box (albeit with a power inlet that’s a little deep for chunky IEC plugs) and this was supplied for this review. The Ion also has an external power supply in a less sexy plastic case.

Using Comet and Ion with my preferred PMC Fact8 speakers, the balance was a little on the exposed side – very detailed and open with impressively quiet backgrounds, but slightly too bright. This works with better and warmer recordings, especially where electric guitar is involved because the Exogal pairing has tremendous immediacy, but at other times it could be a just a shade too lean, so I switched to another speaker. The Bowers & Wilkins 702 has a warmer balance and produced a stronger sense of body without conceding much – if any – of the pace that makes these electronics so engaging. Haydn String Quartets [Engegård Quartet, In D, Op. 76, No. 5 – Finale, 2L] on DSD made a good case for the composer’s choice of instrumental line-up, with tremendous vivacity and refined energy.

The more I played through this system the better it got, it’s capable of considerable fine detail and subtlety, exposing the layers in Radiohead songs like ‘Desert Island Disk’ [A Moon Shaped Pool, XL] and a very good proportion of the acoustic around Amandine Beyer’s violin [JS Bach Sonatas & Partitas BWV 1001 – 1006, Zig-Zag Territoires]. Her instrument displayed a depth and guttiness that made it sound very real. I tried two versions of an old favourite, Van Morrison’s ‘The Way Young Lovers Do’ [Astral WeeksWarner Bros]; the regular CD version seemed a bit anodyne and lacklustre, but a 24/96 remaster delivered something close to the energy and engagement of a good vinyl source.

With good recordings it’s easy to play the Exogal system at higher levels than usual. Distortion of the conventional variety is clearly very low because this system has considerable ease when the wick is turned up. I used the Comet in a more conventional arrangement with its analogue outputs connected to an ATC P2 power amplifier; this produced meatier bass alongside a harder edged, less relaxed overall sound that made a very good case for the digital amp. On a Macy Gray track [‘Annabelle’, Stripped, Chesky], the electric guitar sounded more realistic thanks to the extra attack produced by the Class AB amp, but there was less low level resolution. The Ion is a little brighter and produces better depth of image thanks to the quieter background, but perhaps more surprisingly it also delivers better timing.

Out of interest I also tried the Q Acoustic Concept 500 loudspeakers with the Exogal components and these also worked well; the sense of ease was particularly pleasant and the weighty bass on offer from this speaker worked a treat with double bass and drums, not to mention bringing out the acoustic around vocals. The Ion clearly has no difficulty when it comes to driving this sort of load so I pushed the boat out and lugged in some Bowers & Wilkins 802s, a speaker that is fairly efficient but not the easiest of loads. Would such a tiny amplifier be able to control such beasts? In short, the answer is a resounding ‘yes’! Once again the Exogal’s fabulous immediacy came to the fore, giving everything a spacious crispness, but this time with a visceral presence thanks to the bass extension on tap with the 802. It’s fast and tight bass rather than the room-shaking variety, which in my book means that it’s clean and controlled. This quality of control was shown very effectively with Deadmau5’s ‘Seeya’ [while(1<2), Astralwerks], a track with deep, powerful lows that can easily get uncomfortable in the room. It may be that the Ion’s bass is on the dry side but there was no escaping the phenomenally clean and open power. A far older track in Zappa’s ‘Penguin in Bondage’ [Roxy and Elsewhere, DiscReet] proved that age is no limitation to vitality of performance, nor audience atmosphere, as is made very clear on the spoken intro.

The Exogal Comet and Ion are a fascinating pairing that offer remarkable immediacy, spaciousness, and detail for the asking price. You will be hard pressed to find a pre/DAC/power amp combo that will beat these two across the board, and if your music is in a digital format, it will be an even longer search.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Comet DAC/pre

Type: Solid-state high-resolution PCM and DSD-capable digital-to-analogue converter/preamplifier
Digital Inputs: One AES/EBU (via XLR), Coaxial (via BNC jack), one Toslink, and one USB-B
Analogue Input: One single ended (via RCA)
Analogue Outputs: One stereo single-ended (via RCA jacks), one balanced (via XLR connectors). Both outputs variable, 6.3mm headphone jack
DAC Resolution/Supported Digital Formats: All PCM from 44.1KS/s to 384KS/s with word lengths up to 32-bit, DSD64 (2.8224MHz) and DSD128 (5.6448MHz). The following format restrictions apply:
352.8KS/s and 384KS/s are supported through USB only
32-bit word lengths supported through USB only
Frequency Response: Not specified
Distortion (THD + Noise): Not specified
Output Voltage: Not specified
User Interface: remote control, Exogal control app.
Dimensions (H×W×D): 47.6 ×190 ×292mm
Weight: 4.2kg
Price: £2,950 inc power supply upgrade

Ion PowerDAC

Type: Digital stereo power amplifier with DAC
Valve complement: N/A
Analogue inputs: None
Digital inputs: Exonet (via HMDI)
Analogue outputs: One pair of speaker taps (via 5-way binding posts)
Power output: 100Wpc @ 8 Ohms, 150Wpc peak power
Minimum load: 2 Ohms
Bandwidth: 5Hz–22kHz
Sensitivity: N/A, digital input
Distortion: 0.03% THD @ 1W @ all frequencies into 4 Ohms
Signal to Noise Ratio: Not specified
Dimensions (H×W×D): 47.6 ×190 ×292mm
Weight: 4.08kg
Price: £3,350

Manufacturer: Exogal

URL: exogal.com

UK Distributor: Kog Audio

Tel: +44 (0)24 7722 0650

URL: kogaudio.com

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NEW GERMAN PHYSIKS WEB SITE LAUNCHED

A brand new German Physiks web site has been launched at www.german-physiks.com. It features a much more attractive graphic design and easier navigation.

The texts for the loudspeaker range have been updated, including high quality pictures showing the products in a range of real-life settings.

Details of our new Emperor high-end electronics range have also been added. These will be shown at Axpona 2019.

We will shortly add details of our new PION range of cables. 10 years ago we marketed cables under this brand and will bring it back with a range of new designs, starting with a power cable. There will also be power filters.

There are several other new features on the site, including an easier to use library of reviews, online product registration, a newsletter sign-up page and picture and video galleries. Please do take a look.

Interview: Wes Berwise of WBSSmedia

Wes Berwise is a clever man. He has been passionate about his music for as long as he can remember, and was an avid collector from his school days. His love of music in all its guises (but especially soul and R’n’B) led him to an illustrious career as a DJ at Colourful Radio and then Jazz FM (at which point he had three shows per week; two on Jazz FM and one on Colourful Radio), adept at moving across the genres for all the right reasons.

Gradually, radio changed and became more about the playlist than the music, and this didn’t sit well with a musical curator like Wes Berwise. He made the bold move of changing tracks… moving from DJ to founding WBSS Media in 2013. WBSS has quickly become the go-to website for learning more about black music of all styles and genres, kind of like a cross between Wikipedia, Gracenote, and YouTube rolled into one.

We spoke to him about his life, his work, and how more people should be involved in music!

AS: Do you remember your first LP?

WB: The first record LP I ever bought was from a guy called Steven Nash, who was my best mate at school. I was about 11 or 12 years old at the time. He was a huge Slade fan (I’m showing my age there) and I didn’t particularly like them. And he said “I’ve bought this album and it’s just rubbish.” So I asked him what it was and he said “It’s some black guy called Johnny Nash.” So I said, “I’ll have it! I’ll buy that!” Bear in mind that I’d never heard of him either – this was the time of either Radio One or Radio Caroline, and people like Johnny Nash just didn’t get airplay.

Anyway, I bought it from him, and it turned out it was by Jimmy Cliff, not Johnny Nash. It was ‘The Harder They Come’ soundtrack. This was the first reggae soundtrack. Ever! I don’t know why he bought it – he was a white guy and this wasn’t the time when white teenagers bought reggae albums – but I think his parents were quite ‘hip’.

I remember taking this album home, and it was a gatefold. People might not remember this, but at the time a gatefold was a new thing! I was so excited that I was reading the sleeve notes on the bus. It’s still in my collection now. I guess you could say my whole career path in DJing and now music curation started there, even if I didn’t know it at the time.

Music ran through your family, didin’t it?

Yes. I was brought up listening to a lot of gospel music. And I played the guitar from a very early age in church. I was playing guitar every weekend, or twice a week in church. Nothing was forced; it was unnatural for me to study classical at first, but after two or three weeks I was hooked. But I also listened to everything I could lay my hands on. I started listening to a lot of reggae music too, when I could. It wasn’t easy because it didn’t get any airplay on the radio then. I remember I started getting involved in funk and soul music and I thought ‘this is good! I like this stuff’

How did having eclectic tastes in music fit into the music culture of the 1970s?

You weren’t allowed to like different kinds of music; it was your identity. I was listening to reggae, but secretly listening to soul stations. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. As a young black guy growing up in the 1970s, you either liked soul music, or you liked reggae music. You were a soul boy, or you were a reggae boy. Which is very different from today, where fathers dress like their sons and sons dress like their fathers. But back in the day, everything was very distinct. If you were a punk, you were a punk. If you were a goth, you were a goth, and so on. You had your own dress code, everything. So it was a really big deal if you were really into reggae, but also liked soul! You couldn’t tell your reggae friends about it because they were in a completely different camp, which is bizarre!

Give me an example of this?

I heard this album, and you had to order them. I went to this shop called Contempo records (behind The 100 Club in Oxford Street). Two weeks later, I picked up my first soul record – the very first by Brass Construction and my first full-priced album – and I got on the bus to go home and met some of my reggae crew and thought “no! no! no! This can’t be happening.” When they saw the album, they started treating me differently for a while. I got away with it because I was a musician and I argued that I needed the record for my music, but that’s just crazy! Two years later… that had all gone!

You spent many years as a DJ, Why did you give it up?

The radio industry is changing, and in my opinion not for the better. I was never drive-time, so I didn’t have too many restrictions and wasn’t held to a playlist, but even that started to change. Pretty soon, you realise you have gone from being a passionate voice on the radio, a curator of music, to being yet another ‘that was… this is…’ guy, And I didn’t want that, so I left in 2013 and founded WBSSmedia.com.

What is WBSSmedia?

WBSS is there to feature, promote, and elevate creative and ground-breaking R&B and soul artists worldwide. It features regular informal interviews with artists young and old, hopefully discovering new classics, and letting peoople discover the classics in black music. We focus on artist profiles, and have a daily birthday slot so people can discover artists they might never have heard of otherwise. It’s the complete opposite from the playlist-dominated world of radio and I love it!

Is that playlist killing music, or has music lost its way?

People dismiss the young as not being able to write good music. That’s rubbish! Someone who spent years training at somewhere like Berklee is extremely talented and often write great, innovative songs… that don’t get onto playlists. So, they write music to get played, and then get accused of not writing good songs.

Do you still consider yourself a DJ, a musician, or a musical curator?

It sounds old fashioned, but I consider myself in show business. I have a golden opportunity to speak to some of the greatest living musicians, some of whom have been around for a long time. Those guys have taught me a lot. They taught me the meaning of that term. There’s a ‘show’ and then there’s ‘business’. The ones who have made a career in music know the difference, and know when it’s time for ‘show’ and time for ‘business’. The younger ones only know about the ‘show’ and in fact the very young ones in music only know about the ‘business’ not the ‘show’ side. You need both.

What do you think the audio enthusiast can get from WBBSmedia?

I think the big thing to gain is expanding your horizons. Music discovery services like Spotify and Tidal are great, but they are still gearing you toward a playlist. We don’t do that. It’s like being around musicians; they love music in all its colours and shapes, not just the ones we learned to like in our 20s. The site doesn’t tie you down in that way. It lets you discover our music your way. There’s a good and a bad side to all this new technology, and I really want to turn WBBS into a community. It’s very much ‘experts’ at the moment, but it won’t be like that in a year’s time.

In running a musical site like yours, you must encounter obsessive music collectors?

Yes… we do get people who obsess about everything, the guys who want to know the name of the hat the guy was wearing on the morning of 23rd March 1968, that sort of obsessive. You can’t help but be impressed though – there was this one time, I had put a feature up about an early and quite obscure blues musician. A lot of the early blues musicians had all died off by about 1940. Most of them were lucky to live into their 30s. Anyway, I put the wrong picture in! It was the right surname, but the wrong christian name. Even the family didn’t know it was the wrong image! Anyway, this guy wrote in who had spotted this… he was so disgusted. I just wanted to know where he got his facts from!

Main Image by Elin Robinson. Additional image by Indre Cukuraite.

wbssmedia.com

Sonus faber Sonetto V floorstanding loudspeaker

A few years ago, Sonus faber made the somewhat bold move of switching some of its production out of Italy. This was a great idea and gave the world speaker lines like the successful Principia, Chameleon, and Venere ranges, all built in China. However, what it also showed to Sonus faber was there was a strong call for a loudspeaker system that combined the elegance of the Italian-built designs with the clean lines of the more affordable ranges, in a package that didn’t cost as much as a Ferrari. It needed to look as ‘now’ as the Venere, but with the quality of fit and finish that only the Italian’s can muster. That range is the Sonetto.

This is a bold move on Sonus faber’s part, as it is a line that comes with a lot of crossover (in terms of sitting between Venere and Olympica… two of the brand’s core ranges) and is ultimately expected to transfer more Sonus faber production back to Italy, so the company has not just invested in the R&D in the line itself, but in a new factory for manufacturing Sonetto, and more attainable Sonus faber lines in the future.

The Sonetto V is perhaps the core product in this new line. While reviewers get excited about elegant two-way standmounts, out there in the real-world, people buy tall, slim towers. Whether for the looks, the better bass response, or simply the concept that you typically buy more speaker for the money when you buy a floorstander, the floorstander has outsold the standmount by a significant margin in every marketplace except the super-budget end.

The Sonetto V is the middle out of three floorstanders in the range, with two standmounts, two centre channels, and a wall-mounted rear loudspeaker for home cinema use. There is no subwoofer in the line, in part because that is expected to be handled by stable-mate brand Sumiko. However, with a total of eight models in the line, Sonetto is the most comprehensive range in the Sonus faber line-up.

Sonus faber could have simply revised the Venere’s geography and have done with it, but instead the company took the longer route and started afresh. There are commonalities of design between old and new – when building a loudspeaker of this quality for this price, the same economies apply regardless of place of manufacture – but what really comes over is the elegance of the design. Sonus faber is practically allergic to poor design, but this is an extremely pretty loudspeaker; retaining the elegant curves and finish properties you might find in any expensive Italian design (loudspeaker, car, or even a good pair of shoes), with a modernity that will make it hugely attractive to more than just music lovers. This is the sort of loudspeaker you can use at home, hire an interior designer, and not end up with someone having a blue fit. Even the contrasting top-plate (a recent design Sonus faber design cue) is both retained and gives the speaker an elegance beyond just a big box of drive units.

The design is always uppermost in discussing Sonus faber loudspeakers, but we should never forget that first and foremost, Sonetto isa loudspeaker, and a very good loudspeaker at that. A three-way floorstanding, vented box loudspeaker, Sonetto V features Sonus faber custom drivers throughout. The tweeter is a 29mm high definition DAD design with a DKM dome diaphragm and visco-elastic baffle decoupling. Meanwhile, the midrange is a 150mm cone driver, with an ultra-free compression basket, and a special custom diaphragm, made with a real time air dried non pressed blend of traditional cellulose pulp and other natural fibers. Then the 2x180mm woofers also use the same ultra-free compression basket but feature aluminium cones unique to the Sonetto design. These are all handled by Sonus faber’s own crossover network – an anti-resonant design, with optimised amplitude/phase response for optimal space/time performance. This also features what the company calls ‘Paracross topology’, a means of impedance compensation at low frequencies making the loudspeaker especially amplifier‑friendly.

We live in a simplified, sound-bite culture today, and although this adds in so many sweeping generalisations as to make the statement only just not fully invalid, effectively the Sonetto is the cabinet and port system of the Venere with the driver units and crossover of the more upmarket Olympica range (albeit with a wholly new bass unit), built from the ground up in Italy. This is a little like saying a Rolls-Royce is the drive train of a BMW 7-Series with a new body and some refinements, but there’s a nugget of truth in both, and in the case of the Sonus faber loudspeakers, this pithy little sound-bite works to the Sonetto’s advantage. The point of listening now is three-fold; does combining the two make the best – or worst – of both worlds, is the resultant Sonetto closer to Olympica or Venere in performance, or has Sonus faber gone after a different sound altogether?

In fact, all three conditions are met in the listening session. The Sonetto V is the best of all worlds, as it does seem to combine what was good about the Venere – a sense of ‘directness’ and purpose of sound… and the lower price, of course – with the increased refinement and top-end openness of the Olympica models. In addiition, I would put the sound in a new place for Sonus faber in absolute terms, but closer to the Olympica than the Venere in the Sonus faber canon. Disregarding the price point and the place of manufacturer for the moment, its sonic positioning makes it more than just another Sonus faber range. It makes it the sign of a designer moving beyond the company’s comfort zone, to reach a new audience. That’s a bold move.

OK, so the Sonetto V is still very much a Sonus faber design; it’s the first at the price that features the configuration of Damped Apex Dome and natural fibre midranges that the company dubs the ‘Voice of Sonus faber’ more commonly found on the Olympica, Homage, and Reference collections. That gives the Sonetto V a sense of openness, top-end extension, and overall refinement that are characteristics of the ‘Made in Italy’ lines, and shines through here, too. This is especially noticeable on female vocals, such as ‘Seven Joys of Mary’ on Maddy Prior and June Tabor’s Silly Sisters [Chrysalis], where those tight folk harmonies are beatifully rendered without ever sounding hard, harsh, or brash. The influence of the cabinet is minor by comparison to its bigger brothers, and seems centred on slight reductions to image width and depth rather than tonal or timbral changes.

However, where the Sonetto V departs from the Sonus faber norm is in the bass, where this loudspeaker goes for speed over depth. In fairness, it has pretty good bass depth, too, but the Sonetto V is a tauter, faster, more expressive performer. Jaco Pastorius’s fretless bass work on ‘Goodbye Pork Pie Hat’ [Joni Mitchell, Mingus, A&M] is effortlessly expressive here. All 36 of his fingers (how the hell else could he do that?) can be heard plucking away at that poor Jazz Bass as he tortures it into making uncanny sounds no-one else has ever produced. Here, those notes are all about the attack and release, emphasising the percussiveness of his playing rather than simply going for bass depth. This is dynamic, detailed, and above all fast bass, which is something of a departure for Sonus faber, especially for those who still equate the brand with that lush, louche bass sound of the company’s past. To those, who want every loudspeaker to be a homage to the Elector Amator, the Sonetto V will be yet another loudspeaker not to buy. However, for those more rooted in the now and who actually listen to music, this fast, rhythmically adept, and intrinsically enjoyable presentation will likely prove more attractive than the rose-tinted sound of yore.

Perhaps the biggest departure from old is the ‘fun’ element. Sonus fabers have been increasing moving toward a sound that is cleaner and less dark sounding, and the Sonetto continues that tradition, but perhaps more importantly adds in a touch of fun with rock and roll that has sometimes eluded Sonus faber in its quest for musical beauty.

One word that is never uppermost in the Sonus faber lexicon is ‘boogie’. They make a beautiful, full, and dynamic sound, but one of grace and space rather than something a little more down and dirty. The Sonetto V does boogie, however. It has an infectious sense of a beat, and makes ‘Out of the Black’ from Royal Blood’s eponymous first album [Warner] leap at you powerfully. Yes, you know this is just a two piece (like the White Stripes or the Black Keys), but it’s still a full-on metal thrash, and the Sonetto V loves it!

The Sonetto V is at the perfect junction in audio. It draws more than you might think from the Olympica loudspeakers in terms of outright sound quality but does so at a fraction of the cost of a similar Olympica speaker design, and it does all this while carving out its own elegant aesthetic and sonic performance that is extremely entertaining, especially to those who might never fully embrace the ‘live, unamplified music’ ethos of traditional high-end. Perhaps more importantly though, it shows what Sonus faber can do in creating an attainably-priced high-end loudspeaker without having to resort to building the products half a world away.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Type: Three-way floorstanding loudspeaker system. Vented box design
Drive units: 29mm high definition DAD tweeter, 150mm cone cellulose pulp midrange driver, 2x 180mm aluminium cone bass drivers
Crossover frequencies: 235Hz, 3kHz
Frequency response: 38 Hz -25.000 Hz
Sensitivity (2.83V/1m): 90dB SPL
Nominal impedance: 4 ohms
Suggested amplifier power output: 50W – _300W without clipping
Long-term max input voltage (IEC-268-5): 22V rms
Finishes: Matte white, piano black, wood
Total dimensions (H×W×D): 107.2 ×25.8×40.9 cm
Weight: 22.6 Kg per loudspeaker
Price: £4,250 per pair

Manufactured by: Sonus faber

URL: sonusfaber.com

Distributed in the UK by: Absolute Sounds

URL: absolutesounds.com

Tel: +44(0)208 971 3909

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AURALiC VEGA G2 streaming DAC with LEO GX clock

It can’t be many years since AURALiC’s first cute and curvy ARIES streamer appeared on the market, but since that time the company has created some very interesting digital audio products and last year unveiled its most ambitious range to date, G2. Thus far the range consists of the ARIES G2 network streamer and VEGA G2 streamer/DAC/preamplifier, at launch it looked as though the LEO GX clock would join the G2 range but it has taken the GX suffix. This suggests the LEO moves beyond the G2 series to future G ranges, although there is no backwards compatibility between LEO and the original G1 models.

In an interview with AURALiC CEO Xuanqian Wang published in Issue 162, the Editor asked “Which G series product surprised you by its performance and why?”, Wang sidestepped this in a way by saying that his company has developed mathematical modelling that has been incorporated into their R&D processes in order to avoid any ‘surprises’, but rather to be able to design them in such a way that the outcome is predictable. AURALiC use measurement and “attentive listening” but feel that this is not a solid enough basis for efficient R&D. I suspect that the speed of progress that the company has achieved may well come down to this factor.

The existence of two streamers in the G2 range is unusual but does mean that those who already have a decent DAC need not spend money on another one, although adding an ARIES G2 streaming transport with Lightning Link improves performance further and has an optional internal hard drive for music storage. Nevertheless, if you don’t have a reasonably up to date digital to analogue converter, the one-box streamer/DAC is the best way to go. By eliminating a digital connection you reduce the potential for bringing high frequency noise into the sensitive circuitry of the converter and that has to be a good thing. The VEGA G2 (originally tested in issue 156) inhabits AURALiC’s rather tasty Unity chassis, which is machined from aluminium billet so as to provide a low resonance case that shields the circuits from external interference; it forms all but the base of the box and looks and feels very solid indeed. AURALiC shows that it understands the enemies of high resolution by using springs in the feet of G2 components; this isolates the case from all but the lowest frequencies and if it got the maths right – and ‘getting the maths right’ seems to be an AURALiC speciality – that means down to 2Hz or thereabouts.

AURALiC keeps electrical interference out with galvanic isolation between the processing platform that deals with incoming signals and the DAC. Clocking is provided by dual 72fs femto clocks with their own low noise power supply and a temperature regulated case. The converter itself is a customised version of a Sabre DAC that is good for PCM up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD512 which, while not the highest numbers claimed, are at the limit of the majority of converters. The higher sample rates can only be accepted via USB and AURALiC’s Lightning Link a proprietary HDMI based connection that joins multiple AURALiC G series components and allows them to work in synchrony. Inputs extend to more familiar digital connections including AES/EBU and both the electrical and optical forms of S/PDIF, so it pretty much caters for all sources except actual HDMI ones like the TV. It can also accept a single analogue input so long as it’s single-ended because, unlike many DACs with a volume control on the chip, there is an actual preamp section on the Vega G2. Here AURALiC has gone to considerable lengths to provide an uncompromising volume control by using coil latched relays which are said to remain passive once volume level has been set. You can change the level with the knob on the box or with the Lightning DS control app. Analogue output connections come in the usual balanced and single-ended flavours.

Lightning DS is one of AURALiC’s USPs; it looks great thanks to clear graphics and decently sized album art and, so long as your iPad isn’t an antique, works really nicely as well. This is where you set up the VEGA G2; you can do pretty much everything you need to, which is handy because there’s slightly more set up required than with a Naim or Linn. The data from your music library needs to be imported into the streamer, which a case of picking the server or NAS that it’s stored on from the list that appears and Lightning DS then goes through the titles so it can display them properly. You can also access Tidal and Qobuz from Lightning DS, the latter being a relatively rare but welcome feature especially if your musical tastes are broader than those catered for by Tidal. The only drawback with Lightning DS is that it’s iOS only; there are third party apps for Android, however.

While everything is shown on the app, a lot of information is also displayed on the four inch high resolution screen, including album artwork, volume level, and track title… but there is no way of pausing playback without the app, unless you use the ‘any remote control’ option with the smart-IR control function in the system menu.

The LEO GX features the same Unity chassis and looks just like the VEGA G2 except for the absence of a control knob and two headphone outputs. It is naturally a bit plainer on the back as well with connections for a network cable, Lightning Link, and the Master Clock output on a threaded coaxial connector. All the interesting stuff resides within the black anodised box where two temperature-controlled rubidium atomic clocks have their own stress compensated, cut crystal oscillators that provide very high signal frequencies for the incoming sample rates. In an effort to minimise noise within the circuit AURALiC use optical isolation between the processor and the clock in much the same way as the control system is galvanically isolated from the signal in the VEGA G2. LEO GX has twin linear power supplies and according to AURALiC is so accurate that traditional measurement methods are unable to detect any errors in its performance, and the company had to resort to Allan deviation, which measures tiny phase shifts to detect clocking errors.

When the LEO GX is connected to a VEGA G2, it takes over all clocking functions within the DAC in what AURALiC calls a ‘direct-to-DAC’ design. It seems a pity to bypass those on-board femto clocks, but the best amount of clocks in any digital audio system is ‘one’. The cable provided for the signal is a military grade device with a 60GHz bandwidth and is supplied with a performance report and a spanner to tighten the tiny connecting nut, so these things must matter.

Used alone as a streamer and a DAC the VEGA G2 is a very nice piece of kit that is extremely revealing of the incoming source thanks in part to the way that the Sabre DAC chip has been engineered to work without PLL (phase lock loop) in the traditional way but rather to operate independently of the source frequency. Its dual femto clocks providing a solid basis for all of the processing and conversion it does. You can choose between various filter settings and I found that ‘smooth’ sounded best; it is pretty well the most relaxed of the bunch, but this is not what you would term a smooth DAC. It is a leave-no-stone unturned searcher after the musical truth! Give it a grungy digital signal and you’ll get a grungy analogue output. Most of the listening was done with the Innuos Zenith SE server, an ATC P2 power amplifier and PMC Fact8 speakers, but I also tried some alternatives including the CAAS and Longdog Audio P6 monoblocks, which both seemed slightly better suited to the VEGA G2. I contrasted its analogue preamplification capabilities with my long-suffering Townshend Allegri TVC which, while slightly more open and timely, revealed the VEGA G2 to be surprisingly capable with good openness and dynamics especially for a multifunction device. It reflects recording quality extremely well; Herbie Hancock’s version of ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’ [Gershwin’s World, Verve] was smooth and taut with just the right amount of spring in its step. Timing is one of the Vega’s strong-points, so maybe there’s something in bypassing PLL after all. The drumwork on Alfa Mist’s ‘Keep On’ [Antiphon, Pink Bird] seemed just about perfect with lovely snap and just the right amount of leading edge attack and very natural decay. The kick drum on another track [Billy Gibbons and the BFGs, ‘Concord’] was much more juicy, but it also kicked like a mule.

Imaging is also very strong with plenty of depth on a wide variety of recordings, the cymbal work on the Hancock track for instance being placed in the room with great definition and solidity. It’s a lot easier to make low notes sound like they are in the room than higher ones because the room reinforces them, three-dimensional high notes are a sign of a well thought out converter. Most importantly the VEGA G2 is a musically coherent and engaging piece of kit, and with a source of the Zenith SE’s calibre it draws you into the performance regardless of the musical style. I was particularly charmed by Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s Haydn piano sonatas [Piano Sonatas Vol 1, Chandos], the seeming effortless speed of his spirited playing being entrancing in this converter’s hands.

I didn’t quite know what to expect when adding the LEO GX to the VEGA G2, but it’s price meant that expectations were high. What LEO GX does is not something I’ve encountered with digital audio before: it makes the sound ‘pop’ out of the loudspeakers. Instruments like drums, and tabla in particular, become so vivid and palpable in the room that it’s frankly uncanny. It brings a presence and solidity to everything you play, making it more real and convincing than you have any right to expect with reproduced audio. It also seems to enhance dynamics, not in a loudness sense but with an increase in contrast between loud and quiet notes, so there’s a perceived increase in dynamic range.

It also brings more energy to the presentation, driving rhythmic tracks along with gusto and pushing the music into the room with a rare physicality. With a good recording this is quite a sublime experience. Michael Wollny’s Wartburgalbum [ACT] is superbly reproduced and washes over you much like the live experience. I particularly like the strength of percussive instruments and the muscularity of the double bass. John Lurie’s voice on ‘I’m a Doggy’ [Marvin Pontiac’s Greatest Hits, Northern Spy] is so tactile and the interplay of his musicians feels like it’s happening in front of you. Then there’s the blues harp playing, which is nothing short of brilliant.

This tangibility is partly achieved because backgrounds are so dark, which provides very strong contrast for the instruments and voices. This effect was no less palpable when I switched to Bowers & Wilkins 702 floorstanders; these have more ‘meaty’ bass than the PMCs and home in on the visceral qualities of the material really well as a result. They too reveal the sense that sound pops into the room and creates a strong image with lots of detail. I love the depth and scale it finds in ‘Keep On’, a recording that revels in this degree of transparency thanks no doubt to its analogue roots.

We’ve already covered the AURALiC ARIES G2 at length, but it’s great to have a second opinion confirm the first. Adding the LEO GX, however, puts ARIES G2 in another league, in particular when it comes to imaging. It creates a sense of presence that is very rare with reproduced audio of any kind which, coming as it does from a self-confessed, fully paid up member of the analogue nut club, is high praise indeed.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

VEGA G2

Type: Solid-state network streamer, DAC, digital preamplifier
Analogue Inputs: One (via RCA jacks)
Digital Inputs: One coaxial S/PDIF (via RCA jack), one TOSLink, one AES/EBU, one USB B, Lighning Link, RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
DAC Resolution/ PCM from 44.1kHz to 384kHz in 32Bit, DSD64, DSD128, DSD256, DSD512
Supported Digital Formats: AAC, AIFF, ALAC, APE, DFF, DSF, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, WV and WMA
Music services/Wi-Fi inputs: Tidal, Qobuz
Analogue Outputs: One stereo balanced (via XLR connectors), one stereo unbalanced (via RCA jacks)
Digital Outputs: None
Frequency Response: Not specified
Distortion (THD + Noise): < 0.00015%, balanced < 0.00012%
User Interface: 5inch display (on main unit), Lightning DS application software for iOS
Dimensions (H×W×D): 84 ×338 ×300mm
Weight: 7.8kg
Price: £5,499

LEO GX

Type: Temperature-controlled Rubidium atomic clock
Supported sample rates:
PCM: 44.1KHz to 384KHz in 32Bit
DSD:DSD64(2.8224MHz), DSD128(5.6448MHz), DSD256(11.2896MHz)
Frequency: 90.3168MHz (44.1KHz) |98.3040MHz (48KHz)
Output Level: 3.3V CMOS (Direct-to-DAC Design)
Oscillator: Temperature-controlled SC cut crystal
Dimensions (H×W×D): 84 ×338 ×300mm
Weight: 8.1kg
Price: £7,499

Manufacturer: AURALiC LIMITED

Tel: +1-(302)-314-5555

URL: auralic.com

Distributor: AURALiC Europe

Tel: +44(0) 7590 106105

URL: auralic.com

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