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Merason Reuss DAC

Merason is a small but dedicated Swiss company whose creations (including the Merason Reuss DAC) are all of the digital-to-analogue converter persuasion. Not only that, but it also makes dedicated PCM-only converters, such as the Reuss tested here. That is a niche within a niche that the company has had some success with over its eight years. 

Daniel Frauchiger runs Merason. Frauchiger originally trained as a mechanic. He has always been a hi-fi nut (as they probably don’t call them in the Cantons). He spent 30 years doing a ‘proper’ job. Finally, he realised that the meaning of life rests in the sound of great music. So, he dedicated his time to making a digital audio source. A source that could “keep up with analogue when it came to musicality and emotion”. The original Merason DAC1 was a thrilling device. It brought much of the musical reward associated with analogue sources to the digital world. The DAC1 had an acrylic and stainless steel case with minimum frippery in electronic or design terms. It made a strong impression on listeners.

Today, Merason makes three DACs: the DAC1 MkII, Reuss, and Frerot. The latter is the least expensive and offers the option of a power supply upgrade. Reuss (pronounced ‘Royce’) is a slimline beauty that maintains the less-is-more ethos inherent in all Merason converters. The Merason Reuss DAC has all the usual input types, including AES and USB. The latter runs into an Amanero input board that offers low jitter thanks to a pair of crystal clocks. All the other inputs are galvanically isolated and feature jitter-reducing transformers and capacitors.

If it ain’t broke

The Reuss uses two Burr-Brown 1794A converter chips to turn the incoming bitstream into an analogue signal. You will find these hybrid multi-bit/sigma-delta devices in all Merason DACs. Frauchiger considers the 1749A the ‘ne plus ultra’ converter chip. In a world where new is generally considered better, using a DAC that originated in 2004 with the A update in 2015 in a high-end converter is quite a statement. However, Merason is not alone in appreciating the qualities of such chipsets. Many smaller brands prize similar chips, including CAD and several in the tube tech world.

Merason Reuss DAC internal image

The drawback with the Burr Brown 1794A converters, however, is that they don’t do DSD. This one-bit format is still highly regarded in some quarters of the high-end universe. Although most streamers can convert from DSD to PCM, I suspect that there are enthusiasts for whom only native conversion is acceptable. And don’t even think about MQA. I have always preferred the sound of PCM. I even find DVD-Audio to be a more musically compelling format than SACD. So this is not a hurdle for me. Your mileage may vary.

Less is more

Build quality is very much up to Merason’s Swiss origins. The casework is simple but attractively designed with a row of input buttons, a lock light, power, and input selection buttons. The slim sans serif font and brushed aluminium front panel appeal in simplicity. Meanwhile, the absence of filters, upsampling, and volume control indicates that the designer has made all the choices. The end user can sit back and enjoy the music without worrying that there is a better setting somewhere in the submenus. While having no user adjustments means you can’t tune the Reuss to musical or sonic taste, the absence of such options can often benefit the sound quality produced; fewer switches are usually better. 

Controversial opinion time: DACs with volume control are overrated! Volume controls on DACs are great for headphone users and have a place with powered speakers. However, for those in pursuit of the absolute, they are a compromise that’s best avoided/bypassed.

Merason DACs have a quality that sets them apart from many others. The Merason Reuss DAC has a lightness of touch that is very appealing and brings out the musicality in digital sources. I used the Reuss with a Lumin U2 Mini streamer, which had a Network Acoustics power supply upgrade, and connected it to the Reuss using that brand’s muon2 USB cable. A Melco N10 server and the Qobuz streaming service brought the music signal to the party. Amplification was Townshend Allegri Reference preamp and Moor Amps Angel 6 power with loudspeakers including Vivid Kaya S12 and PMC twenty5.26i, a system which went a long way to revealing the qualities of this converter.

Digging deep

It’s a subtle device. The magic in digital music resides in the minutiae, the low-level details that combine with the fundamentals to recreate the sense of acoustic realism. Any smartphone and Bluetooth speaker can do the fundamentals well enough for background listening (well, almost any), but if you want to immerse yourself fully in performance, then the quiet stuff matters. Merason’s Reuss does these with a fluency and coherence that is highly gratifying, pulling out the nuances of phase and timbre that make sounds into something alive and inspiring. It is particularly good at reproducing three-dimensionality where it exists, one modern recording revealing a degree of spatial solidity that was surprising given its almost entirely in-the-box creation. 

Acoustic imagery is likewise well reproduced, with reverb unfolding back behind the speakers in a very natural and coherent fashion. I particularly enjoyed the Liv Andrea Hauge Trio’s ‘Istid’ (Ville Blomster). Merason’s Reuss reproduced this piano trio with a solid three-dimensional soundstage, with the instruments being exceptionally full-bodied. 

Coherence degree

Reuss’s degree of coherence made this and many other pieces enjoyable. The converter chosen for this DAC is robust in timing. It’s the area where digital usually lags behind its analogue adversary. That lag is tiny with this Merason Reuss DAC. With an excellent recording like this, it’s hair-splitting stuff.

Of course, it can only work with what you give it. King Crimson’s ‘Starless’ sounds thin and aggressive, but likewise, it’s incredibly intense. The compression is evident in the small scale of the audio picture, but that doesn’t get in the way of the musical message. It’s about as good as this record gets without resorting to a plush-sounding turntable. The Reuss has a leaner-than-average balance, but it makes the better recordings, often the more recent ones, sound spectacular. 

Some old analogue recordings did not translate to digital all that well, hence the market for remasterings on better studio hardware. The flip side is a visceral impact on transients, such as the drum kit on The God in Hackney’s ‘Interstate 5’. The God in Hackney track is a decent modern recording that uses effects but not to squash or dirty the sound. Instead, it enhances the drum sound, and the Reuss revels in the results, producing large-scale imaging and a strong sense of presence from the vocal.

In spirit

The Merason Reuss DAC did a beautiful job with acoustic recordings, such as Chasing the Dragon’s Locrian Ensemble playing Mendelssohn Octets. The open, melodic presentation flowed easily and drew me into the performance. The Reuss is a refined DAC in all respects. It digs down into the bitstream and reveals the finesse of the playing and the timbre of the instruments in a relaxed and engaging fashion. Likewise, the acoustic guitar and double bass of Baden Powell’s Solitude on Guitar were vibrant and spirited, and the live nature of the recording was immediately apparent alongside the quality of its performance.

Merason_Reuss_rear panel black

I used the Reuss with and without a Mutec MC3+ USB reclocker, which sits between the server and DAC and delivers an AES signal to the converter. This Mutec reclocker can often sound better than the Lumin streamer, but not on this occasion. One conclusion is that the USB input, with its upgraded input board, produces a better result than the other inputs, but there are other possible explanations.

Narrow the divide

I enjoyed the Merason Reuss DAC. It narrows the divide between analogue and digital sources to the point where one doesn’t need to purchase vinyl copies of great albums discovered through streaming. Well, not every time. The quality of timing and imaging is superb. This DAC is an excellent choice for anyone who enjoys immediacy and realism in their music. Its tonal balance is far from lush but does not emphasise shortcomings in lesser recordings. The music always comes first; I only noticed the tonal balance occasionally. Anyone looking to discover why streaming is the most engaging variation on digital audio for the hi-fi enthusiast should check out the Merason Reuss. 

Technical specifications

  • Type: Solid-state high-resolution PCM digital-to-analogue converter.
  • Digital Inputs: One AES/EBU, one Coaxial, one Toslink, and one USB 2.0.
  • Analogue Outputs: One stereo single-ended (via RCA jacks), one balanced (via XLR connectors). 
  • DAC Resolution/Supported Digital Formats: All PCM from 44.1KS/s to 192KS/s with word lengths up to 24-bit.
  • Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz, ± 0.5dB
  • Distortion (THD + Noise): <0.015%
  • Output Voltage: 3Vrms max via XLR, 1.5Vrms via RCA.
  • User Interface: front panel buttons.
  • Dimensions (HxWxD): 50 x 450 x 290mm
  • Weight: 4.2kg
  • Price: £4,950, $5,500, €4,900

Manufacturer

Niedal Audio Lab  

en.merason.com

UK distributor

Auden Distribution

www.audendistribution.co.uk

+44(0)791 768 5759

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PMC Active twenty5.22i

PMC is as big in the studio world as it is in our slightly larger niche. The company has consistently made active speakers, but as a rule, those models have been large and black. They have often used the amplification and crossover in separate cases—in other words, ‘pro’ models. I was under the impression that PMC makes active versions of its big ‘se’ models. However, I can’t see them on the company’s website. This leaves the PMC Active twenty5.22i from the Active twenty5i range as the only examples produced for the domestic market.

Launched at the Bristol show in February 2024, this line consists of active versions of all the two-way models in the twenty5i range. It starts with the 21i bookshelf and rises to the 24i floorstander. These are four models, including the PMC Active twenty5.22i stand-mount tested here, which share a 6.5-inch woofer. The slimmer 21i and 23i models run a 5.5-inch main driver. They share the same active power pack built into the brushed stainless crossover panel.

This pack upgrades existing passive versions of these models. The pack can also drive the previous twenty-five series (before the i series). Owners of these models can purchase the Active twenty5i upgrade kit for £1,795. To install it, remove the existing back panel and disconnect the driver cables. Next, connect the components to the Active kit, and then replace the panel on the cabinet. Dealers or end-users can do the upgrade, says PMC.

No DSP

This apparent universality suggests that the active crossover is identical for all models, which would certainly facilitate their building. Still, the crossover points are different for each model, as they have different internal volumes or different-sized main drivers. The active kit consists of an electronic analogue crossover and two 100-watt Class D power amplifiers made by ICEpower. The latter was chosen because PMC has extensive experience with these Bang & Olufsen-designed amp modules in its more manageable studio monitors, including the result6. The use of an analogue crossover is what differentiates the PMC Active twenty5.22i from many competitors. The more affordable examples of the breed all use DSP, or digital signal processing, to split up the signal. Results vary significantly depending on how well this is executed. Still, few sound as good as the analogue alternative.

PMC twenty5.22i active or passive

The benefits of active operation are numerous. A key advantage is that the amplifier is connected directly to the drive unit. This allows for significantly more control over the driver compared to passive designs. Oliver Thomas at PMC said, “It improves transient response through increased damping factor and reduces colouration for greater resolution and detail.” Having the crossover before the amplifier also means each amp only deals with frequencies appropriate to a specific driver. This means that in most cases, the amps will have headroom to spare.

Pros and cons

The active pack features balanced and single-ended inputs, a power inlet with a switch, and a gain switch with plus and minus settings. Consequently, connecting the PMC Active twenty5.22i’s up requires the use of long interconnects and suitable mains cables. The latter are supplied in the box, but not the signal cables. Connection can be to any component with a volume control, such as a preamplifier or a one-box streamer/DAC with a variable output.

The beauty of active systems is that they eliminate boxes and offer a matched combination of amplifier and loudspeaker. When you consider that this match is one of the most critical in any system, that’s quite useful. The drawback with them is that you can’t upgrade the amplifier. This has often been a barrier to popularity in the past, especially when dealers look to sell future upgrades.

The Active twenty5.22i is a medium-sized stand-mount loudspeaker. It features PMC’s Advanced Transmission Line loading with a Laminair ‘spoiler’ on the vent underneath the drive units. The tweeter is a 19mm Sonomex soft dome in a 34mm surround. It sports a grille that not only protects the dome but also aids dispersion. Therefore, it’s best not to remove it. The main driver is a 17cm unit with PMC’s preferred woven construction cone in a cast alloy chassis. This driver’s long-throw capability, allied to the ferrofluid cooling in the tweeter, means that those who enjoy a bit of level are unlikely to cause any damage. Ultimately, this is pretty much a pro loudspeaker in fancy attire.

Active all the way

Experience has taught me that active speakers don’t play nicely with passive preamplifiers; they work, but you don’t get the complete active package. For these PMCs, I used an ATC CA2, which is both price-appropriate (£2,150) and comes from a similarly pro-influenced background. I put the PMC Active twenty5.22i on a pair of Hifi Racks wooden stands and connected them up with fancy Ansuz power cables and decidedly unfancy Van-Damme balanced interconnects. My cable armoury is limited when it comes to the 2.5-plus metre runs required for active speakers. However, this decent down-to-earth cable worked well. I found some obscure silver cables to compare and went back to the Van-Damme quickly.

PMC Active twenty5.22i rear panel

What first made an impression about the PMC Active twenty5.22 is the scale of sound they are capable of. With a decent recording and a bit of level, they throw up a three-dimensional soundstage that surrounds the speakers. They almost seem omnidirectional. I tried the Irresistible Force’s ‘Nepalese Bliss’, which has recently resurfaced in the record collection, and was carried away by its sheer scale and glorious, fulsome juiciness. There are four mixes on the disc, with Amon Tobin’s delivering the crunchiest bass and deepest notes. Let me tell you, these things go very low for such compact boxes.

Monitor-like ability

The PMC Active twenty5.22 also have a monitor-like ability to reveal a lot about each recording, another old 12-inch in The The’s ‘Sweet Bird of Truth’ having a powerful 80s character alongside its apocalyptic forebodings. I also tried some much older vinyl, including Marty Paich, Charles Mingus and Jimmy Giuffre and heard clear and distinct characteristics on each, albeit alongside some very persuasive music; those guys were not making it up as they went along. 

Active operation done this well confers clear advantages when it comes to dynamics; the absence of components between the amp and drive unit means that they have a degree of grip that is rare in passive speakers. It means you get muscular, controlled bass and precise level tracking across the board. The PMC Active twenty5.22i’s jump when the signal says ‘jump’. It’s enough to make many passive systems seem limp by comparison, and those looking for the electric energy in their music will find an awful lot to enjoy. Especially if they like to play at higher levels, this is when the sound escapes the box and inhabits the room.

Small trade-off

There is a small trade-off for all this power, and that’s a degree of delicacy. A good amplifier and a pair of passive twenty5.22i’s sound more refined and are better suited to similarly inclined music (but cost more). However, achieving the same level of detail resolution and control as the PMC Active twenty5.22i would be a significant ask, and it cannot be completed within the same budget. 

Despite what I said earlier, it’s possible to use a passive preamplifier with active speakers, and that ushers in all of the delicacy you could ask for, albeit not the dynamics, and it’s the latter that makes this such an entertaining system. It delivers the visceral in a way that few amp/speaker combos at this price can approach; there’s no blurring of detail and oodles of speed. Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Alright’ has the iron fist/velvet glove edge that it requires alongside a spaciousness that I didn’t expect. Nils Petter Molvaer’s ‘Quiet Corners’ has become the reference bass track in these parts of late, and it delivered its brooding menace with considerable extension and power. 

Filth

Jeff Beck and Jan Hammer’s ‘Freeway Jam’ has mountains of atmosphere but needs a remaster to deliver the bass that it requires. The guitar, however, is pure filth, raw and dirty in the way that only Beck can provide. This was one of a few tracks that required tonal tweaking, and it would be nice if these speakers had a similar feature. However, such adjustments can often compromise transparency, making them better suited for later in the chain.

I had an absolute ball with the PMC Active twenty5.22i. They have a degree of grip and energy that is very hard to achieve in a passive design. They can do refinement, too. However, the combination of transmission line loading and absolute control over the drivers means they deliver thrilling dynamics and bottom-end grunt. Anyone who enjoys playing their music at higher volumes should give them a blast. 

Technical specifications

  • PMC Active twenty5.22i
  • Type: Two-way, two-driver, bookshelf speaker with active drive and transmission line-loaded enclosure.
  • Driver complement: One PMC/SEAS, 19mm twenty5i series, SONOMEX fabric soft dome, Ferrofluid cooled, with 34mm surround and dispersion grille tweeter; one PMC 6.5” / 170mm long-throw g-weave cone with cast alloy chassis mid/bass driver.
  • Crossover frequency: 1.75kHz
  • Frequency response: 39Hz – 25kHz
  • Amplifier output: 100W mid/bass, 100W HF.
  • Input sensitivity: 1Vrms = 99dB SPL @ 1m (low setting) / 109dB SPL @ 1m (high setting).
  • Dimensions (HxWxD): 410 x 192 x 357mm
  • Protection: Optional grilles.
  • Weight: 10.15kg/each
  • Finishes: Walnut, Diamond Black, Oak.
  • Price: £5,275, $6,999, €6,695/pair, Active update kit £1,795, $2,499, €2,095

Manufacturer

The Professional Monitor Company

www.pmc-speakers.com

+44(0)1767 686300

More from PMC

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DS Audio DS-E3

DS Audio’s range of optical cartridges has long intrigued me. So, when they updated and upgraded their entry-level model, the DS Audio DS-E3, I could not pass up the opportunity to review it.

Introduced this summer, the new ‘third generation’ DS-E3 replaces the old DS-E1, costing £2,295 for the cartridge and equaliser package. You need an equaliser to ‘decode’ the unique output of the cartridge. The cartridge does not generate a signal using a conventional moving coil or magnet. Instead, it has a purely optical system of LEDs and photodetectors. The equaliser also provides power to those LEDs.

The nitty gritty

Before delving into the details of how the system works, it is worthwhile to examine its origins. DS Audio, part of Digital Stream Corporation (DSC) in Japan, was founded in 2013 by the then 27-year-old Tetsuaki (‘Aki’) Aoyagi. Aoyagi heard the quality of vinyl firsthand while listening to a friend’s system that included a Toshiba optical cartridge. He even disassembled one! Aoyagi was confident he could improve it using modern materials and technology. The Toshiba cartridge pre-dated the introduction of LEDs and used a filament lamp and phototransistor. This caused a problem with heat build-up.

Aoyagi could draw on DSC’s considerable knowledge and experience. DSC invented the optical mouse with Microsoft. It also has a 25-year track record in laser optics for medical testing systems and laser-based optical instrumentation. He also tracked down and recruited the original designer of the Toshiba optical cartridge. 

The company now manufactures six optical cartridges, ranging from the DS Audio DS-E3 to the flagship Grand Master EX. This last features a one-piece diamond cantilever and stylus. It’s priced at £18,995 or £55,000 with the Grand Master equaliser.

Step into the light

So, how does this tiny package of hi-tech wizardry work? Well, you need to throw out everything you know about cartridges. Sure, it has a stylus attached to a cantilever in the conventional way. And, yes, this traces the record groove as you’d expect. But that’s where the similarities end. So, strap in and bear with me… 

DS Audio DS-E3 cartridge body

A DS Audio optical cartridge features no coils or magnets, instead utilising two infrared LED lights and two photo sensors, one per channel. Attached to the end of the cantilever is what they call a shading plate made from beryllium. As the stylus traces the record groove, the shading plate moves in front of the LEDs, causing changes in the light reaching the photodetectors. The photocells detect these changes in brightness, which alter the output voltage. The angular movement of the shading plate ensures that each photodetector can only pick up information from its corresponding channel. DS Audio points out that the output of the photocells is purely analogue, not digital. 

Advantages

You might think it’s very clever, but why bother? DS Audio claims that the optical system has some significant advantages. For one, the moving mass is significantly lower, with the beryllium shading plate weighing just 0.74 mg, which they claim is approximately one-tenth the mass of a conventional magnet or coil assembly. This, allied to eliminating any magnetic damping effect of a coil/magnet system, is said to leave the cantilever/stylus assembly freer to follow the modulations of the groove.

DS Audio also claims that the optical system eliminates the non-linearities and distortions in an MM or MC generator system caused by a phenomenon called hysteresis, which is the lagging of the magnetisation of a ferromagnetic material, such as iron, behind variations of the magnetising field.

Although the output from an optical cartridge requires a dedicated equaliser, DS Audio says the output requires less manipulation than traditional moving coils or moving magnets, as it is flat across the entire frequency range. This means the circuitry can be kept simple. The DS-E3 equaliser uses an op-amp to minimise the number of components in the signal path and keep the unit small. It connects to a line input on your amplifier.

Third generation

As mentioned above, the new ‘third generation’ DS-E3 entry-level replaces the old DS-E1 introduced in 2019. However, the E3 also draws on technology developed for the flagship model.

DS Audio Equaliser

It features two independent LEDs and photodetectors for the left and right channels, whereas the previous model had just one. This, it states, has dramatically improved channel separation by as much as 10 dB at high frequencies. It is also said to have eliminated crosstalk, increased the cartridge’s output from around 50mV to 70mV, and significantly improved the signal-to-noise ratio.

The DS-E3 features a reshaped shading plate, now made from beryllium rather than aluminium, which reduces its weight by more than 50% from 1.56mg to 0.74mg. DS Audio claims this is one-tenth the mass of a typical core and coil system in a moving coil cartridge. The cartridge’s internal wiring is also 1.6 times thicker to reduce impedance.

The cartridges and equalisers are hand-made by DS Audio in their factory in Sagamihara. Ogra and Namiki make the cantilevers and styli.

Proof of the pudding

Now you know how this optical cartridge works and why DS Audio believes it is an improvement over conventional design. But you and I want to know what it sounds like. My local retailer had often waxed lyrical to me about DS Audio’s optical cartridges, so I was particularly excited to try one myself, finally. So here goes…

I mounted the DS-E3 in a Tracer arm on a Clearaudio Innovation Compact turntable, playing through my Audio Note Meishu Tonmeister integrated valve amp and Russell K Red 120Se speakers. 

The Clearaudio turntable also allows two arms to be fitted. I procured a second Tracer into which I mounted a well-respected moving coil. The Tracer’s price, including a phono stage, was similar to that of the DS-E3 and its equaliser. 

The first track I played was the fast-paced ‘No One Emotion’ from George Benson’s brilliant 20/20 album. What struck me straight away about the DS-E3 was its life, pace and openness. Benson’s vocals were packed with emotion and pleasingly accurate, while the driving synth bass line was tight and moved this track along. It also allowed you to listen to the various layers of this lavish production. The moving coil cartridge sounded mellower, more laid-back, less insightful on drums and percussion, and lacked the sheer verve and excitement of the DS Audio DS-E3.

Impressive openness

Moving on to a masterful jazz singer/songwriter/piano player I have seen many times in concert, I played ‘It Didn’t All Come True’ from Ben Sidran’s superb Bop City album. The DS-E3 impressed me with its openness to Sidran’s vocals, allowing me to listen to his fleet-fingered piano play. His piano sounded open and dynamic, while the drums had a real kick and presence, and more subtle cymbal detail was well separated. When the track’s tempo picked up with the bass line moving it along, the DS-E3 was no slouch. The conventional MC cartridge was suitable, but it lacked the detail and energy of the DS Audio.

The DS-E3 also proved its worth with a superb rendition of ‘Red Lights in the Rain’ from Stephen Fearing’s The Secret of Climbing album, conveying the nuances of his vocal delivery and the skill in his guitar play. On ‘Human Nature’ from Miles Davis’s You’re Under Arrest, the DS-E3 captured his enigmatic style and sublimely understated phrasing with more allure and impact than its MC rival. It allowed me to hear more about what makes Miles unique.

Recordings from the Seventies vary tremendously in quality, but Hasten Down the Wind by Linda Ronstadt is superb. On ‘Lo Siento Mi Vida’, the DS-E3 conveyed her vocals’ nuances and power without making her sound like she was shouting. The drums and the percussion were also compellingly detailed and punchy, and the track had a more emotional impact and inner detail than its MC rival.

The light fantastic

This first acquaintance with DS Audio’s optical cartridge technology has whetted my appetite. Suppose this model is anything to go by. In that case, the optical cartridge offers a more open, dynamic, pacey and detailed sound, delivering excitement and energy while capturing subtle nuances in the mix and individual musicians’ contributions.

The DS Audio DS-E3 gave a superb performance, and I highly recommend it. 

Technical specifications

Cartridge 

  • Type: Optical pickup cartridge with dedicated equaliser
  • Body material: Aluminium
  • Cantilever material: Aluminium
  • Stylus: Elliptical
  • Output: >70mV
  • Channel separation: >26dB (at 1kHz)
  • Tracking force: 2.0 – 2.2g (2.1g recommended)
  • Weight: 7.7g

Equaliser

  • Input: RCA
  • Outputs: 2 x RCA
  • Output 2 has a subsonic filter (20Hz, -6dB/oct)
  • Impedance: 120 ohms
  • Pre-amp input impedance: >10k ohms
  • Dimensions (HxWxD): 260mm x 69mm x 195mm
  • Weight: 1.86kg
  • Price: £1,270, $1,375, €1,495. Equaliser £1,270, $1,375, €1,495. Package price: £2,295, $2,750, €2,990

Manufacturer

Digital Stream Corporation

www.ds-audio-w.biz 

UK distributor

Sound Fowndations

www.soundfowndations.co.uk

+44(0)118 981 4238

More from DS Audio

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Accustic Arts TUBE PREAMP V and AMP IV

For those unfamiliar with Accustic Arts, it is a German audio manufacturer based in Lauffen am Neckar, close to Stuttgart. Lauffen am Neckar is commonly regarded as the birthplace of alternating current electrical transmission. It’s a fitting home, then, for a maker of power amps. Accustic Arts was founded in 1997 and has its roots in Professional Audio, encompassing both recording studios and P.A. systems. This heritage lends the equipment a robust quality in the build of its products. Alongside the TUBE PREAMP V preamplifier and AMP IV power amplifier tested here, Acoustic Arts also makes CD players, transports and DACs.

The TUBE PREAMP V comes either as a line stage preamp or, if needed, with a Phono stage. The sample I was sent is the former. I am curious to hear what the Phono stage does, having spent time with the line stage version. 

Goo-free

While the power amp is transistor-based, the preamp is a hybrid design, utilising four ECC83S tubes. I usually use a passive preamplifier with a valve power amplifier. I have obtained some of the best audio results when valves are used in one stage of the playback process. However, I find that when two or more parts of the chain use valves, the sound can be too rich and gooey for my taste. This combination keeps to my observed rule!

The TUBE PREAMP V is constructed with solid aluminium and weighs 16kg. The front panel features two knobs to meet the amp’s requirements. The left knob controls the input, as indicated on the Hi-Res screen. Pressing it switches the input off, selects the active input, or navigates the menu. The right-hand knob controls volume, the mute function, or the ability to switch off the tubes to extend their lifetime.

Two minutes

In everyday practice, it takes two minutes to warm up the unit. A solid bar shows the progress of the warmup. Switching off the tubes throws you back into a two-minute wait. A button on the front panel activates the headphone amplifier section and cuts off the speakers. As I learned later, the headphone section is no afterthought: it’s genuinely excellent.

ACCUSTIC-ARTS-AMP-IV

The circuit design is fully balanced, with a Class A output stage. There are three balanced XLR inputs, three unbalanced RCA inputs, a surround bypass input, two fully balanced outputs, and two unbalanced outputs. These last can be configured to be AC or DC coupled. Importantly, the AC coupling prevents the possibility of sending DC down the speakers and the damage that can be caused.

Rather massive

The AMP IV is a rather massive affair, weighing in at 44 kg, so it is not my greatest friend, having just had a hernia operation! It stands 34cm high, almost triple the height of a standard piece of audio gear. It is a dual-mono construction and features both balanced and single-ended inputs. Notably, there is a double set of speaker terminals for biwiring. 

An exciting and novel feature is the ability to select the type of damping control. When switched on, the amplifier’s damping factor is lowered and linearised over a wide frequency range. I appreciated this function in practice, and it provided a greater grip on the bass.

On the front panel, a blue light shows operation, and two red LEDs show protection during warm-up. The power rating is a massive 2×610 Watts at 4 Ohms and 2×400 Watts at 8 Ohms.

Connecting up

Connecting the two amps to my Bowers & Wilkins 802d4 speakers (with a dCS Bartók APEX DAC and a classic Naim Audio NAT01 Tuner, together with a PS Audio PS10 Power regenerator and Townshend cables throughout) and listening to Sir Simon Rattle conducting the Berlin Philharmonic in Beethoven’s ‘Fidelio’, I’m immediately impressed by the amp’s ability to do scale. The bass is punchy, and the presentation is colossal sounding. It has real weight to the textures in the orchestra. However, this is combined with a light, airy, sweet, and highly detailed treble. 

The amps are fast, too, and the transients are razor-sharp and highly dynamic. When the texture gets thick in the Fidelio Overture, lesser amps will err on the side of confusion. To use that contemporaneously overused phrase, I sense ‘clean power’ here. There is an absence of distortion, and the amps enable the dCS Bartók APEX to shine. 

Honest combination

I am accustomed to some high-end valve power amps, which tend to overdo it to a greater degree. There is something very honest about what the combination is doing. It is very accurate and provides more stygian bass than I usually hear. I also hear a great line in the singer’s voice. The soprano possesses bell-like clarity, is free from artificial additives, and exhibits genuine power. 

ACCUSTIC-ARTS-AMP-IV-REAR

Next, Wynton Marsalis and his new album Louis Armstrong’s Hot Fives and Hot Sevens and the track ‘Skid-Dat-De-Dat’ beautifully reproduces this tribute to the great Louis Armstrong. Marsalis’ trumpet is bell-like, tight and powerful. When he comes to the Skat, there is a real sense of Marsalis in the room. The space of the performances is fabulously etched, and the backing ragtime band is stunningly portrayed. I note that the dCS output needs to be cut to the recommended 2V from my usual 6V, which I use with my passive preamplifier, the Townshend Allegri. 

Percussion test

A great test of percussion, one of the great dividers in the audio world, is the Varèse Ionisation piece for solo percussion, conducted by Zubin Mehta on Decca. It’s a bizarre piece, all about sonic textures and plenty of struck percussion. There is a cleanness of attack to the whole track that the Accustic Arts combination achieves; the notes start and stop on a dime. It is remarkable to hear the sheer tautness of the snare drums and the amount of sonic information. I haven’t listened to this track more convincingly reproduced. The piece’s sheer humour, with its police sirens, is also notable.

Barenboim’s cycle of Mozart Piano Concert playing and conducting the Berlin Philharmonic on the Elatus label contains many moments of pure chamber music joy. Listening to the Rondo K382, I am struck by just how well the colours of the Steinway are portrayed: a piano is not just a piano; it can be played to produce many different colours, moods and textures, and these are in abundance. Because these amps aren’t getting in the way, they serve as a conduit between Mozart, the performers, and me, the listener. The orchestra sounds crisp and superbly defined.

Curveball

I like to throw capable power amps a curveball sometimes, in the form of a pair of Quad 63 electrostatic speakers, which are notoriously tricky loads to drive. I use some Trilogy Valve amps for these, and sometimes I find the sound is too muffled and lacks bass grip. Hooking them up to the AMP IV yields some spectacular results. Using the Oscar Peterson Trio audiophile favourite, We Get Requests and the song ‘You Look Good to Me’, the track starts with the piano and a double bass playing long notes with a triangle in the background. The quality of the double bass is breathtaking.

On the valve amps, the bass sounds muted and out of control. The AMP IV grips the bass to make my Quad 63’s sound better than I’ve heard them before. And that’s quite apart from the quality of the sound of brushes on the snare drum: drop-dead realistic!

Premier league

The amplifier has transformed the 63’s into the league of the best contemporary speakers. The piano has lost its old-world sound, which I hear on most systems, and the Amp is digging deep down into the piano’s sonorities to create a much more detailed sonic scape. The sound I am hearing is far beyond the capabilities of the Quad 405 amplifier, with which the 63s are often paired. 

Turning now to the headphone output of the TUBE PREAMP V, which is pure Class A, and listening to the ‘Dance of the Ethiopians’ from Delibes’ ballet ‘Sylvia’, the sound is crisp, detailed and spacious on my Sennheiser HD800S. It ranks up there with the best headphone amps I have heard. The timing of the bass is excellent, the colours warm and generous, and it is clear that the headphone section is no afterthought. It has been designed and built with the same care as the rest of the preamp. 

Goat Rodeo Jazz

Finally, I donned a pair of headphones to listen to ‘Your Coffee is a Disaster’ from Yo-yo Ma’s Not Our First Goat Rodeo, a bizarre but rather wonderful collection of jazz musicians seemingly improvising. It’s beautifully recorded, and with the inclusion of a dCS Lina clock, the sheer presence of the musicians in the space is incredible. It feels like being in the booth of a recording studio. The tightness of the double bass and the clucking of the string’s pizzicato, fast and furiously accurate, demonstrate what high-end audio is all about for me!

The Accustic Arts TUBE PREAMP V and the AMP IV pack a punch as a combination. Superbly conceived and engineered without compromise, I have hugely enjoyed my time with these products. They uncovered layers of the mix I had not heard before, proving quite an education. They also excel at handling difficult-to-drive loads, such as electrostatics, and by extension, planar magnetic speakers. For those looking for audio through rose-tinted spectacles, this may not be for you. However, for those seeking superbly accurate and true high-end audio, this is the ideal choice. I would like you to please give it a listen. You may be in for a surprise! I certainly will miss them when they go back. 

Technical specifications

PREAMP V Audiophile reference preamplifier 

  • Class A output stage
  • 3 x fully balanced high level inputs (XLR) and 2 x unbalanced high level inputs (RCA)
  • 1 x unbalanced input (RCA) configured as “SURROUND-BYPASS”
  • 2 x fully balanced outputs (XLR) – 1 x AC coupled, 1 x DC coupled
  • 2 x unbalanced outputs (RCA) – 1 x AC coupled, 1 x DC coupled
  • 1 x headphone output, switchable (1/4″ stereo female jack)
  • 2 x unregulated, switchable output for the connection of an external headphone amplifier (1 x RCA/ Chinch), 1 x (XLR) Phase switch for 0° and 180°
  • Front panel, cover are made solid aluminium; turning knobs are made of chromed brass
  • Dimensions (WxHxD): 48.2×12.8×39.3cm
  • Weight: 16kg
  • Price: £25,500, $28,500, €25,500

AMP IV power amplifier

  • Dual-mono reference power amplifier with completely isolated power supply for each amplifier channel
  • 2 magnetically shielded and encapsulated toroidal core transformer of premium quality for highest output reserves
  • High damping factor for perfect speaker control
  • ACCUSTIC ARTS® damping factor linearization (switchable)
  • Professional protective circuit against clipping, HF oscillations and excess DC offset
  • Integrated switch-on current limitation for highest operational safety
  • Balanced Input (XLR) and unbalanced input (RCA) – the inputs are switchable
  • WBT loudspeaker terminals
  • Massive aluminium housing; inlay made of massive, high gloss polished and chromed brass
  • Minimum impedance: 2 Ω
  • Voltage gain: 25,0 dB
  • Power consumption without load: approx 120 watts
  • Power supply capacity: approx. 160,000 µF
  • Input impedance: balanced (XLR): 2 x 16 kΩ
  • unbalanced (RCA): 15 kΩ
  • max. 2 x 810 Watt at 2 Ω
  • max. 2 x 620 Watt at 4 Ω
  • max. 2 x 400 watts at 8 Ω
  • Dimensions (WxHxD): 47x34x44cm
  • Weight: 44kg
  • Price: £29,700, $35,000, €29,700

Manufacturer

ACCUSTIC ARTS Audio GmbH

www.accusticarts.de

UK distributor

Audio Emotion

www.audiemotion.co.uk

+44(0)1592 407700

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Gryphon Audio EOS 5

Loudspeakers are everywhere. You can find good loudspeakers from a range of companies in every hi-fi shop on the planet. However, outstanding loudspeakers are scarce. What’s more, extraordinary loudspeakers from companies best known for audio electronics are as rare as hen’s teeth. The Gryphon Audio EOS 5 floorstander is one of the rare exceptions.

Gryphon has made loudspeakers for years. The three-way, four-driver EOS 5 stands 1.3m tall, weighs over 50kg, and costs more than £40,000 per pair. It’s no lightweight. Still, compared to the mighty Kodo, the EOS 5 is a more realistic prospect. Kodo costs around £400,000, weighs 1,354kg and stands over 2.3m tall. It comes packed in eight huge wooden crates.

Go almost everywhere

The EOS 5 builds on the strengths of Gryphon’s ‘go-everywhere’ EOS 2. Munich High-End 2023 saw the launch of that two-way floorstander. It features front and rear ports, one of which is sealed depending on the room acoustics and size. The ‘go-almost-everywhere’ EOS 5 is more physically imposing and less accommodating of smaller rooms. However, the scaled-up similarities are impossible to ignore. Both use the company’s ‘Stealth’ enclosure. ‘Stealth’ features a front baffle sculpted to act as a diffuser for in-room standing waves. It is also engineered to ensure good dispersion and uniform energy output. In some loudspeaker systems, that means less of a ‘sweet spot.’ Gryphon claims ‘Stealth’ improves soundstaging. I suspect it probably does both.

Gryphon EOS 5 full length

Stealth is a deceptively complex design element. It is not simply a set of grooves etched into the front baffle for aesthetic reasons. And yes, that’s where I went when first looking at the EOS 5. Those curves and grooves resemble design cues from Gryphon’s electronics. However, the closer you look, the more you notice this isn’t the case at all. From a sonic standpoint, that rigid baffle could efficiently act as a reflective surface. The grooves help break that up.

Although there is no provision to direct the port to the front baffle, the EOS 5 shares the EOS 2’s advanced (and proprietary) ‘Line porting’, a special method of ‘tunnel-damping’ the rear sound of the bass driver towards the ports.  This ensures a direct path for the low frequencies to reach the port while providing an efficient damping of frequencies above the 60-80Hz region, without creating artefacts in the upper frequencies. 

A good box

A good enclosure is only as successful as the drivers and crossovers within. The reverse is also true: poor drivers in an excellent cabinet will never amount to much more than a mediocre performance. The EOS 5’s drivers are all unique to the design, made specifically for the task. These are once again based on the designs developed for the EOS 2. The Gryphon Audio EOS 5 features a 29mm beryllium dome tweeter; this is smaller than the 34mm design from the EOS 2 because the EOS 5 is a three-way design and therefore has a higher mid-treble crossover point. 

The tweeter is joined at the midrange to a 165mm driver, featuring the company’s TPCDTM (Thin-Ply Carbon-fibre Diaphragm), which is also used for the diaphragms in the twin 240mm bass units. Some make these woven carbon-fibre cones from the best people in the business —the teams that fabricate the carbon fibre used in Formula 1. 

We’re accustomed to seeing bass and mid-bass units equipped with either a phase plug or a simple dust cap to keep the pole piece and voice coil free from contamination. The best phase plugs improve the upper registers of a driver on-axis, while the best dust caps improve the structural integrity of the cone. 

Acting on impulse

However, by introducing what Gryphon calls an ‘impulse optimiser ring’ placed directly above the voice coil, the Gryphon gets very close to achieving both at once; it strengthens the bond between cone and voice coil, improves impulse response (as the name suggests) and makes the driver act closer to being purely pistonic, enhancing its performance outside its normal crossover point.  

Gryphon Audio EOS 5 driver detail

Speaking of the crossover, Gryphon once again pulls from the EOS 2 with its Progressive Rounded Slope network. This creates a slope with a very soft initial roll-off – for optimum overlap and blending between drivers – but becomes progressively steeper to remove the out-of-band distortion from both drivers in that network. Perhaps most importantly for Gryphon, this crossover also preserves and aligns the phase.

Gryphon has long been concerned with accurate phase response in its audio equipment, and having a crossover network that aligns the phase and impulse response across the frequency range should be the ideal blend of pace and space in a loudspeaker. 

This crossover network and driver combination delivers an actual full-range performance (20Hz-40kHz, ±2dB) in a room, which is almost unheard of in a loudspeaker of the EOS 5 size and driver complement. This is achieved at an efficient 90dB sensitivity. However, this is countered by a nominal impedance of four ohms, which dips to a minimum of 2.9 ohms, so using the EOS 5 with a flea-powered single-ended triode amplifier design is not feasible. Given that I suspect many EOS 5s will be paired with an all-Gryphon system, which likely means the Diablo 333 integrated amplifier or the Class A Essence power amplifiers, power will not be a problem. 

A quiet place

Finding the correct position for the loudspeakers is more demanding than finding the right amplifier in the Gryphon catalogue. The loudspeakers have adjustable spikes and dampers, but spike shoes are also provided, making it easy to move the loudspeakers into position and fine-tune their placement. However, these loudspeakers require precise interaction with the room and the listener’s position. In particular, the centre image is pinpoint accurate. Get one of the speakers a few millimetres off in any direction, and any central instrument moves to the left or right. Toe-in and height adjustment are similarly demanding but rewarding.

Moving the loudspeakers also highlights something almost like an audiophile optical illusion to the Gryphon Audio EOS 5. While not as backswept as the EOS 2, the front baffle does tilt back slightly. As a result, we naturally assume that the weight distribution of the loudspeaker is toward the rear of the loudspeaker. It isn’t. As you might discover when unpacking the loudspeakers and suddenly finding the drive units experiencing a spot of gravity-related potential entropy, the polite, less sweary way of saying I took the speaker out of the crate, and it almost fell forward. Consider this a warning.

Ready to roll

The Gryphon comes extremely well-packed and ready to roll. A set of jumper cables is provided in the crate. Even the grille strings come pre-fitted. There is a set of Gryphon-designed, chunky bi-wire links located at the bottom of the rear of its cabinet. The combination of ‘Soul Red Crystal’ or gloss black enclosure with the contrasting matt black front baffle, or the ‘S-Mat Black’ matt black paint finish used for the first time here, looks even better in the flesh. Sure, they are large loudspeakers for those of us without man-caves, but they aren’t imposing in the flesh.

The sound quality of the Gryphon EOS 5 ticks so many boxes. The obvious one is the bass; this is a full-range design for a real-world room, and deep, powerful bass is usually rare in such environments. Here, it has both punch and precision. It doesn’t matter if you sidle up to deep bass by being surprised at the depth of a kick drum or throw yourself in at the deep end with organ music, Mahler’s ‘Symphony of a Thousand’ or some wubby electronica. The result is always the same: a half-second realisation that you are in the presence of classy, powerful bass notes, followed by a slightly dumb-looking smile as you revel in all that bottom end.

Phase obsession

Deep bass on its own is fun, but the EOS 5 brims over with dynamic range and headroom. That obsession Gryphon has over phase pays off when you play the same piece of music at a whisper or a scream. You get the same frequency response and dynamic range, all set against a very still background. And yet, the music tracks with a fine sense of scale. That Mahler recording is given a big space, but switching over to Dylan singing ‘Masters of War’ [The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, Columbia] and the sound shrinks to just a young man with a guitar, a harmonica, and lots of talent.

Gryphon Audio EOS 5 port

Whichever aspect of musical performance you pick, the Gryphon Audio EOS 5 leads the field at its price. Soundstaging is holographic, detail is little short of magnificent, and coherence (both in musical terms and from driver to driver) is excellent. Even vocal articulation is first-rate to the point where you feel like you are peering at some of the best vocalists in the music business. And yet, for all that, the Gryphons never lose sight of the task. You end up playing a lot of music through the EOS 5 purely for the pleasure of it.

Subtlety and elegance

The EOS 5 is a speaker of subtlety and elegance. It can do gusto – and do it well. But when you’ve exhausted those show-off albums, the Gryphon Audio EOS 5 keeps coming back. It makes a sound that’s never fatiguing and always exceptionally musically communicative. It combines the precision and speed of a small monitor with the power and depth of a giant loudspeaker. It’s on the warm side of neutral, but not so warm that it holds back the music being played.

I should find something negative to say about the Gryphon Audio EOS 5. However, I was too busy listening to music. Sure, it requires careful feeding and positioning. You get that right, and the floorstander rewards you. It creates a truly beguiling sound that draws you into the music and keeps you there. This might be a heavyweight loudspeaker, but it still punches up. This is ultra high-end audio for real-world listening rooms. 

Technical specifications

  • Type: Three-way, Linear phase, floorstanding loudspeaker
  • Drivers: Tweeter: 1x 29mm, Beryllium Dome, Midrange: 1x 165mm, TPCDTM cone (With Gryphon proprietary impulse optimiser ring). Woofer: 2x 240mm, TPCDTM cone (With Gryphon proprietary impulse optimiser ring)
  • Principle: Rear reflex-ported (Line-dampened, Linear Impulse)
  • Frequency response: 20Hz – 40kHz (±2dB)
  • Sensitivity: 90dB @2.83V
  • Impedance: 4Ω (2.9Ω min. @ 80Hz)
  • Crossover: 500Hz 2nd order, 2.5kHz 4th order, progressive rising slope
  • Adjustment: Switch at 12kHz: 0dB, +2dB, +3dB (off-axis dispersion)
  • Feet: Adjustable spikes with integrated dampers (Removable)
  • Finish: Soul Red Crystal, High Gloss Black and Stealth Grey
  • Dimensions (W x D x H): 46.8×47.2x130cm
  • Weight: 50.6kg per loudspeaker
  • Price: £41,500, $49,800, €42,800 per pair

Manufacturer

Gryphon Audio

www.gryphon-audio.dk

UK distributor

Harmony HiFi

www.harmonyhifi.co.uk

+44(0)1707 629345

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Erland Cooper: Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence

Music as conceptual art can leave many people cold – I may even be one of those people. However, Erland Cooper has an impressive track record of creating interesting and engaging music, and it’s worth giving his latest project, Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence, a fair crack of the whip. It is a fascinating exploration of sound and silence. 

Cooper hails from the Orkney Islands, a remote archipelago in northern Scotland. His work is deeply influenced by the landscapes, nature, and heritage of his homeland. He first gained recognition as part of the band The Magnetic North. This band released albums inspired by British locations and folklore.

As a solo artist, Cooper began exploring the connection between music and nature with a trilogy of albums, each focusing on a different element of Orkney’s environment. Erland Cooper’s work culminated in Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence, demonstrating his artistic evolution. 

The first, Solan Goose (2018), is an ambient, neoclassical album inspired by local birdlife. It was followed by Sule Skerry (2019), which focuses on the sea and maritime culture. It blends orchestral arrangements with field recordings. 

The final album in the trilogy, Hether Blether (2020), is a tribute to the land. It incorporates spoken word and elements of folk music to evoke a sense of homecoming and personal memory. In addition to this trilogy, Cooper has worked on several experimental projects, including Music for Growing Flowers (2021), which came complete with seeds. 

Cooper’s work blends classical, electronic, and natural soundscapes. His music reflects his deep connection to place and the natural world. For Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence, we see Erland Cooper’s first composition for solo violin and string ensemble. It’s also a celebration of Orkney poet George Mackay Brown. Cooper decided to attempt a more intense collaboration with the landscape. 

In 2021, the centenary of the poet’s birth, Cooper and the Studio Collective string ensemble recorded the work onto tape. The ensemble was led by solo violinist Daniel Piaro. Cooper then buried the recording, with no protection, in a secret location on Orkney – at the same time, he DELETED all digital files. Later, he provided clues in a treasure hunt for those interested in finding it. This encouraged exploration of the land. 

The plan was always to dig it up in 2024. In 2022, they started selling tickets for a reveal at the Barbican – your reviewer was lucky enough to get a ticket. The idea was that he would then play the tape for the first time. The string ensemble would play it EXACTLY as it came out of the ground – warts and all! If there were nothing left on the tape, it would have made for an excruciating evening of silence. 

As an aside, what is it with musical performance art and Scotland? For example, the KLF burned a million pounds on the island of Jura in 1995… is it the whisky?

In the end, Cooper’s tape only stayed in the ground for a year. A couple following the clues dug it up, remarkably unscathed. There are moments of wear – the level sometimes drops down a little on one channel or another. This is particularly noticeable when listening to the album on headphones. However, don’t let this put you off a fantastic piece of music. View it as patina rather than a fault. 

Set across three movements, Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence has a joy and verve that carry you along on a wave of enthusiasm. The recordings of George Mackay Brown, which are interspersed throughout the work, are incredibly engaging. They perfectly complement the music, and the musicians’ performance is first-rate. 

The question about whether Erland Cooper’s Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence is a piece of conceptual art or an album of music is null and void – it is both, and all the more enjoyable because of that. 

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Acoustic Energy AE309²

There was a time, not too long ago, when affordable floorstanders were ubiquitous. Any speaker company that produced an affordable range would have at least one model in the lineup. There would often be room for more than one. In more recent years, however, the number of these speakers available has diminished considerably. The Acoustic Energy AE309² stands out as a product that reflects a notable pedigree in this area. It is one of the companies that has maintained its commitment to the concept. 

The 300² Series is the second tier of speakers produced by the company. The 100² models are even more affordable. It also marks the first product range to incorporate design thinking and insights gained from the creation of the flagship Corinium. This is most evident in the range-topping AE320². This features the same driver configuration as the Corinium. However, all 300 models have benefited from the expertise acquired during the development process. Acoustic Energy AE309² represents a significant reworking of the previous AE309, rather than a completely new design. This is logical, given that there wasn’t much wrong with it. 

Speed selector

The tweeter is a new soft-dome unit that Acoustic Energy has selected for its speed, clarity, and low distortion. It is a more conventional material than the unique device used in Corinium. However, the principles of reducing mass without compromising stiffness remain intact. Behind the dome is a neodymium ring magnet, which allows for a large vent in the copper-shielded pole. This, in turn, allows unwanted energy to radiate backwards rather than out the front of the dome.

The mid-bass drivers have undergone a significant rework. This latest generation of drivers is reinforced with coconut fibres. This is a material I have not seen used in audio applications before now. The 120mm cones incorporate a substantial amount of these fibres. They offer improved stiffness and reduced breakup modes. The motor structure features an extended copper pole shield to minimise midrange distortion. Meanwhile, a non-conducting voice coil former enhances extension and dynamic range. Upon examining the drivers, there are no obvious visual clues that this material is in use. 

AE309²-Matte-White-scaled

These drivers are housed in a cabinet that operates on principles similar to those of other recent Acoustic Energy speakers. The company remains a strong advocate for enhancing cabinets with stiffening material, and the Acoustic Energy AE309² is no exception. Like the 500 Series, the cabinet utilises RSC (Resonance Suppression Composite) to minimise unwanted vibrations and losses within the enclosure. It feels impressively inert considering the price point. A slot port on the rear, which is rapidly becoming a hallmark of Acoustic Energy, vents the cabinet, and the crossover supports a single set of connections.

Sober and attractive

Aesthetically, the AE309² is appealing in a subtly sober manner. The company has diligently preserved sufficient styling elements from its past to provide the new speakers with a distinct visual identity, resulting in a fundamentally modern and tidy appearance. Additional details, such as the pointed dust caps, evoke specific Acoustic Energy themes. The curved front panel and right-angled edges are both distinctive and compelling. They contribute to proportions that are elegant and suitable for any room. 

Colour options include a ‘Walnut’ finish, which I feel might be a touch too dark for some tastes, but it’s well-executed and supported by black and white, both in a sheen rather than a high-gloss finish. I like the grey, almost tweed effect grilles, which are a nice touch. The unboxing is painless, and I appreciate the details, such as the included spike shoes, which allow the spikes to do the job without damaging a wood or laminate floor. 

The standout feature of the Acoustic Energy AE309² is the low-end extension it offers. The lower roll-off is specified at 33 Hz, without a quoted ± dB figure. However, even considering it can be achieved within a 3dB tolerance, it still provides a noticeable 10Hz of additional low-end punch over any comparably priced stand-mount. It is stated to have a six-ohm impedance with a sensitivity of 89dB/w, meaning it should pair well with the wide range of £600 to £1,000 amplifiers currently available on the market without exerting undue strain on them. 

Three days in Bristol

The samples that arrived for testing were the same units that had been on display for three days at the 2025 Bristol Show, where they were played at ‘lively’ volumes throughout. This led me to give them the benefit of the doubt regarding whether they were run-in, so I connected them to a Rega Brio Mk7, which had recently passed through the review process, and began to listen. 

AE309²-Matte-Black-scaled

What resulted was impressive from the outset. Under the guidance of Designer and Managing Director Mat Spandl, the company has walked a careful and well-judged line between bringing a level of accuracy and control to modern Acoustic Energy products without losing the slightly ballistic nature of the speaker that encourages you to nudge the volume up and nod along to the music. The utterly lovely Hallucinating Love by Maribou State [Ninja Tune] demonstrates this in fine style. The AE309² effortlessly captures the infectiously groovy nature of the material. Still, it does so with a grasp of tonal realism that, and I say this as a fan of old school Acoustic Energy, wasn’t always the brand’s forte. 

Focal point

This means that Holly Walker’s brilliant vocal performance in ‘Otherside’ becomes the track’s focal point, supported by the deliberately simple backing material. The efforts Acoustic Energy has invested in its tweeters have also reaped rewards. There is abundant treble energy, yet it is complemented by a degree of refinement and forgiveness that older models would have struggled to achieve. The stereo image is spacious without being hazy; it radiates from the cabinets themselves while never creating any noticeable gap in the centre. It’s a seamless handling of scale that very few similarly priced stand-mounts can approach, and, equally importantly, it’s something that adapts effortlessly to the material being played. 

That promised bass extension is realised in fine style as well. The Acoustic Energy AE309² reaches areas that smaller speakers simply cannot, and it does so impressively, with nuanced sound. The huge low note at the beginning of ‘Song of the Stars’ on Dead Can Dance’s Spiritchaser [4AD] is delivered in a manner that is felt as much as heard; however, the control and definition of what the Acoustic Energy is doing ensure that it never feels like a blunt instrument. 

The bass integrates exceptionally well into the lower midrange, leaving the speaker sounding usefully balanced. Even when you ask for something genuinely complex like Cheb Runner’s Jawgana [Rebel Up], which has a time signature quite unlike… well, anything else I’ve ever heard, the Acoustic Energy can make sense of it and deliver the frenetic energy of the track in the manner needed for it to shine.

More power!

Although the partnership with Brio is good, there are clear indicators that the Acoustic Energy AE309² would benefit from additional power if available. I had the opportunity to run with the Roksan Caspian 4G, which provides both enhanced power and improved current delivery. This unlocks a higher level of performance from the AE309². It suggests that some of the more powerful amplifiers on the market, priced just over a grand, might be a better match. This is especially true in larger rooms. I would be hesitant to label the Acoustic Energy as hard to drive. Still, I can understand why the company uses a Rega Aethos for show demonstrations. The extra weight helps the speaker deliver their best. 

You won’t need to spend $3,000 to get a tune out of the Acoustic Energy AE309². Even allowing for the dwindling number of affordable floorstanders available, this one should be considered for any shortlist. In the manner of any self-respecting Acoustic Energy device, it is Hi-Fi when you need it to be. But it’s also simply good fun when you want to turn up the volume and be transported from the present. It looks and feels extremely smart while doing so. This is indeed an excellent loudspeaker and one that continues Acoustic Energy’s impressive run of form. 

Technical specifications

  • Type: 2.5-way, bass reflex floorstanding loudspeaker
  • Drive Unit: 120mm paper cones
  • Tweeter: 29mm fabric dome
  • Frequency Range: 33Hz – 29kHz
  • Sensitivity: 89dB
  • Peak SPL: 112dB
  • Power Handling: 120w
  • Crossover Frequency: 285Hz / 3.8kHz
  • Impedance: 6 ohms
  • Grilles: Slim, cloth magnetic fit
  • Spike Thread Size: M8
  • Finishes: Walnut, ‘Silk-Touch’ Matte Black or Matte White
  • Dimensions (mm): 900 x 170 x 270 (HxWxD, 920mm inc. spikes)
  • Weight: 18.5kg (each)
  • Price: £1,199, €1,500. $2,199

Manufacturer

Acoustic Energy

Homepage – https://www.acoustic-energy.co.uk

Product – https://www.acoustic-energy.co.uk/products/acoustic-energy-300-series/#AE309

Where to buy – https://www.acoustic-energy.co.uk/stockists/uk-stockists/

+44(0)1285 654432

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Kelly Finnigan: A Lover Was Born

San Francisco-based singer-songwriter, Kelly Finnigan, is a busy man.

Over the past few years, he has made two albums with his retro-soul band Monophonics, a mixtape, his 2019 debut solo record called The Tales People Tell, and a Christmas album, plus he’s found the time to produce other artists – The Ironsides, Alanna Royale and The Sextones. And at the end of last year saw the release of his sophomore solo album, A Lover Was Born.

A Lover Was Born is easily up there with his previous releases when it comes to classy songwriting and rich, cinematic production, and it’s inspired by the likes of Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield, as well as Northern Soul and early hip-hop.

Things get off to a glorious start with the uplifting ‘Prove My Love’ – a stirring and anthemic song that sits somewhere between Chicago soul and Muscle Shoals, Alabama – its powerful female backing vocals are supplied by long-time collaborators, Kimiko Joy and Viveca Hawkins.

The Northern Soul stomper ‘Get A Hold of Yourself’ is another of the album’s upbeat moments – a red-hot track that rips it up and owes a debt to the songs Isaac Hayes and David Porter wrote for The Soul Children and Sam & Dave.

For this album, Finnigan assembled an impressive list of friends to help him craft his sound, including Max and Joe Ramey (The Ironsides), Jimmy James (Parlor Greens), Sergio Rios (Say She She / Orgone), Joey Crispiano (Dap Kings) and Jay Mumford (J-Zone).

“I spent a few days hanging out and writing music with my friend, Joey Crispiano, in New York, at his place in Staten Island – we developed ideas and chord structures and parts,” he explains, adding: “I did the same back home in the Bay Area with my friends The Ramey brothers from The Ironsides.”

He also wrote a few songs on his own, in California and Ohio, telling hi-fi+: “I wanted to make a record that felt like the next natural step after my first solo album in 2019 – a lot can happen in four or five years, and that was the case for me. I experienced some big valleys and peaks during the last few years, and I wanted to wear that on my sleeve.”

The most personal song on the record is the emotional ballad, ‘All That’s Left’, which deals with the death of Finnigan’s musician father in 2021 – it’s stunning, with a delicate and timeless string arrangement, and it sounds like a classic vintage Southern Soul ballad that Otis Redding could’ve sung.

‘Cold World’ is the most political song here – a moody social commentary that tackles the greed and power in contemporary America, while ‘His Love Ain’t Real’, which is the darkest track musically, has lush, dramatic, and brooding orchestration, and was influenced by the productions of Jerry Ragivoy and Thom Bell.

It’s certainly a smouldering moment on the album.

‘(Love) Your Pain Goes Deep ‘and ‘Be Your Own Shelter’ dig into Isaac Hayes’s back catalogue for their inspiration – Finnigan says Hayes is the musician who’s had the most influence on him – while ‘Chosen Few’ has a wickedly funky groove and almost a hip-hop feel, thanks to the beats, bass and horns. The splicing and sampling of hip-hop culture has always been a big part of Finnigan’s musical education.

He is a huge fan of vintage gear – all the basic rhythm tracks and some of the horn parts were recorded on an eight-track, half-inch Otari tape machine that was running at 15 inches per second, and then transferred to Pro Tools, where some overdubbing took place – Finnigan then mixed it down on a console to a two-track, quarter-inch Ampex tape machine.  

A Lover Was Born isn’t afraid to put its influences to the fore – it’s in thrall to so many classic soul sounds and vintage recording techniques – but it also comes across as fresh and contemporary, which is a neat trick to pull off.

“I know it sounds like a cliché, but I love what I do, and I feel extremely lucky to be in a position where I get to wake up every day and create music that brings people joy,” says Finnigan.

Well, Hallelujah to that, and long may it continue.

More from Kelly Finnigan

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Tellurium Q Ultra Silver II

Tellurium Q Ultra Silver II updates the popular high-end Ultra Silver cables. We have loudspeaker cables and XLR interconnect cables from the original and new ranges to compare. They look similar from the outside, but sound different. The new ones sound even less forced and uncolored than the outgoing models. There’s more about how it sounds and how it compares in terms of its functionality. Otherwise… we’re done!

You see, Tellurium Q is famously gnomic about what goes on inside its cables. Other brands are eager to highlight the rarity of the shielding material, the purity of the conductors, and the intricacy of the layout. Other cable companies will couch these choices in ‘sciencey’ sounding white papers. Tellurium Q does precisely none of this. So Ultra Silver had ‘stuff’ inside, and Ultra Silver II also has ‘stuff’. The configuration of said ‘stuff’ is different between the two, and the difference is because of ‘reasons’.

Arbitrary reasoning

The logic behind being so cagey is simple: people ascribe sonic performance based on arbitrary reasons rather than actual performance. The expectation that a silver-plated copper woven cable will deliver a specific performance is based on its specifications rather than how it sounds. This logic becomes a little shaky when the cable lines have names like ‘Black’ and ‘Silver’. People can latch onto these names and presume that ‘Black’ sounds dark and broody, and ‘Silver’ is bright, fast, and detailed. None of these things relate to the cables themselves.

However, while the ‘how’ of Tellurium Q remains a secret, the ‘what’ it does is public domain. Tellurium Q focuses on reducing any phase distortion in the signal path. This is because it feels this acts as a form of filter. In a way, the impact of that filtration created by a cable varies in line with the performance of the rest of the system. This means that using a cable like Tellurium Q’s Statement in a lower-end system isn’t going to ‘throw open the window’ too wide. However, the benefits the cable bestows on a system won’t be fully realised. 

The three families

As a result, Tellurium Q has three distinct ‘families’ alongside Statement. There isn’t a single path of entry, however. ‘Blue’ cables generally sound a little warm and are ideal for counteracting the top end of a brighter system. ‘Black’ is the balanced-sounding cable, while ‘Silver’ is detailed and expressive for systems that have the high-end chops to accept that degree of detail. Each range has a standard version, an ‘Ultra’ version, and a top ‘Diamond’ version. So, in Tellurium Q world, Ultra Silver II is only bettered by Black Diamond and Silver Diamond. And the Statement range. That puts Ultra Silver and Ultra Silver II in very high-end audio territory.

I’m mindful that comparing old with new only benefits those with the outgoing cables. So, in absolute terms, Tellurium Q Ultra Silver II has the perfect high-end coupling of top-end expressiveness without sounding shrill or thin. Yet with full and deep bass and a midrange that is always extremely musical.

The cables ‘shimmer’ in all the right ways. The rolling off of a reverb tail is rendered perfectly through these cables. Voices are expressive and natural. Bass notes are deep, precise and sinuous.

Moving from structurally dense classical music, such as Mahler or Wagner, to the brightly lit sounds of K-Pop and Ultra Silver II tracks, the changes are extremely well captured. Set aside the original cable for the moment and just enjoy Ultra Silver II as a damn good XLR cable. It is also an equally good loudspeaker cable.

Balancing Act

They manage a careful balancing act throughout, playing high frequencies that are delicate to the point of fragility without any issue. And like their predecessors, the Ultra Silver II are remarkably consistent. The interconnect and speaker cable share a similar sound signature. In performance terms, they match very closely.

Ultra-Silver-II-XLR-2

However, comparing old with new is interesting. It shows how far Tellurium Q has come in the intervening years. The clean, ultra-detailed sound remains, but the new Ultra Silver II is even cleaner and more direct in its approach. It sounds like everything is just a bit more focused, and there’s less in between you and the music.

There is a caveat here that has also been beefed up between Ultra Silver and Ultra Silver II. These are not cables that suffer audio fools gladly. It demands a detailed and precise system. The Tellurium Q cable will expose any hint of inaccuracy, brightness or dull spots in the presentation. This isn’t unforgiving in performance, but it will show up what your system is doing with effortless precision. I dislike the term “reviewer’s tool” (I had that once, but antibiotics cleared it up quickly). Still, this precision insight is excellent for exposing weaknesses.

Greater insight

Ultra Silver II is better than Ultra Silver. You have more insight into the recording and the system, thanks to greater clarity and differentiation between instruments. And the change comes with no significant price hike between the two.

Should you buy Ultra Silver II? If your system is up to the task! Should you upgrade from Ultra Silver? Actually… yes! They are better enough to justify the expense. If you have a system that allows you to upgrade one cable by trickling the others down through your system, do that rather than making a sweeping change.

But once you hear it, you’ll crave a sweeping change. If Tellurium Q had kept Ultra Silver in the range, introduced Ultra Silver II as ‘Hyper Silver’ and charged half as much again, no one would have batted an eyelid in complaint. That’s how improved this is over its predecessor. Best of all, though, all this performance comes at no price increase over the original.

Make no mistake; Tellurium Q aims squarely at high-end audio with Ultra Silver II. You could spend twice as much and not get as good a sound. 

 

Price and contact details

  • Tellurium Q Ultra Silver RCA Interconnects: £935/1m pair
  • Tellurium Q Ultra Silver II XLR interconnects: £1,260/1.5m pair (as tested)
  • Tellurium Q Ultra Silver II loudspeaker cable: £1,850/3m pair (as tested)

Manufacturer

Tellurium Q

www.telluriumq.com

UK distributor

Kog Audio

www.kogaudio.com

+44(0)24 7722 0650

More from Tellurium Q

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REL Classic 99

Anyone who has ever considered adding a subwoofer to their system will be familiar with the name REL. When the new REL Classic 99 was released early last year, we made sure to grab one for review.

The REL Classic 99, priced at £1,799, is a development of the Classic 98. It was designed for use with the growing number of small, high-quality retro speakers, such as the LS3/5a. The Classic 99 is specifically designed for larger retro speakers, such as the Wharfedale Linton and JBL L100 Classic, or speakers of a similar size. Additionally, it is approximately 30% larger than the 98. It features a 12-inch downward-firing paper driver, as opposed to the 98’s 10-inch driver. The 99 also features a 450-watt amp, compared to the 98’s 300 watts. Moreover, it is available in any finish as long as it is walnut.

REL started in Bridgend, Wales, in 1990. It was born from Richard Edmund Lord’s dissatisfaction with the subwoofers of the day. He invented REL’s unique ‘High Level’ connection system (more on that shortly). By 2005, he was seeking someone to take the company to the next level. He wanted someone true to his ideas and vision. That person was John Hunter, who owned high-end US distributor Sumiko, along with Donal Brody. As a result, all REL design is now carried out at its US headquarters, with manufacturing in China.

High Level

Although connecting a REL subwoofer is easy, it differs from connecting other subwoofers. Typically, subwoofers receive their input from the preamp or amplifier’s subwoofer output sockets. The REL Classic 99 can also do this. However, it derives its signal from the positive speaker output terminals of the amp (or one or both of the speakers, if that is easier). The cable provided plugs into the Neutrik socket on the rear of the subwoofer. Consequently, the subwoofer receives the same signal as your main speakers. According to UK sales director Rob Hunt, this facilitates integration. REL says you will get the best results using the High-Level connection.

REL Classic99 Back

No digital signal processing, often used to achieve a flat response, is used in any REL subwoofer. This is because one of REL’s main design criteria is impulse response. They believe that DSP is too slow. As owner John Hunter told me: “I say to people, ‘Do you know how slow DSP is?’ Our subwoofers are blindingly fast. If we’re not faster than the [main] speakers, then we’re holding the parade up.”

Rob Hunt ran me through the setup process. He first adjusted the phase of the sub (in my system, best at 180º), then gain, which worked best in my room (19ft x 13ft) and system (Audio Note Meishu Tonmeister amp and Russell K Red 120Se speakers) five clicks up from zero. Finally, he adjusted the crossover frequency. REL do not disclose what frequency that is, but for me, two clicks up from zero did the trick. However, don’t worry; your retailer will handle all this for you. If not, there are helpful videos available on the REL website. Every setup and configuration is different, so don’t expect yours to be the same as these settings.

Epiphany

I have to admit that throughout my reviewing career, I took little interest in subwoofers. I thought, “I don’t need more bass.” But when I attended a recent public demo by Rob at my local retailer, I was astonished at how the sub improved the system musically throughout the whole frequency band. It also made it easier to follow delicate cymbal and hi-hat riffs. A subwoofer improving cymbals?! This is why I was so keen to try the REL Classic 99 in my system.

I asked REL owner John Hunter how their subs improve more than just the bass. He said that if you let things roll off from around 40Hz, many fundamentals in the music and all the harmonics that derive from them are lost. All notes, he says, have a low-frequency component.

Proof of the pudding

From the first few notes of every track I played, the inclusion of the subwoofer brought a noticeable improvement. On Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Racing in the Streets’ from Darkness on the Edge of Town, the piano was more real, with more space around it. His voice was cleaner and more emotive. Drum rimshots were crisper and sharper. When the bass line kicked in, it was not only deeper but also tighter and easier to follow.

Next, I deliberately chose Stephen Fearing’s “Fear of Climbing” (from Rega), which features just voice and acoustic guitar, with no bass guitar or bass synth. On ‘Red Lights in the Rain’, his voice was far more open, and you could hear how his voice wavered in places. You could also hear how he pushed specific notes, while his guitar was more open. I could also listen more closely to how the notes were shaped, his fingers moving along the strings, and when he slapped the guitar body. The guitar also had far more body and weight.

REL Classic99 Bottom

Similarly, on Linda Ronstadt’s ‘Lo Siento Mi Vida’, the two guitars on the intro had more presence and space around them. There was more note-shaped detail. Meanwhile, her vocals were more open and natural, revealing the nuances of her delivery and conveying the power when she pushed a note, with less harshness.

On a favourite track from sax legend Dave Koz, I could not only hear more of how he was shaping each note. I could also hear more fine percussion detail. The bass line, of course, had more weight and was tighter, moving along better. That degree of insight into what musicians are playing also shone through on guitarist Peter White’s ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ (from Groovin’). Fast runs of notes became more precise and better defined.

It’s not just about the bass

If you need to improve your system’s bass quality or quantity, then of course, the REL Classic 99 can do that with ease. However, I suspect most people do not realise that it will also improve the sound as a whole. It lends more insight and presence to the percussion, drum kit, sax, guitar, and vocals on tracks you thought you knew well. 

It’s not all about the bass. As John Hunter told me: “We are talking about wholesale improvements of the entire system. Just making deeper bass would be a thousand times easier than what we do.”

The REL Classic 99 does all of this for a remarkable £1,799. You could spend twice that much on cables! If you have not yet discovered what a sub can do for your system, try the Classic 99. I am confident it will not disappoint, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.   

 

Technical specifications

  • Type: Sealed box subwoofer with built-in amplifier
  • Driver complement: 12in amended pulp-on-paper downward-firing woofer with steel chassis and carbon fibre centre cap
  • Frequency response: -6dB at 24Hz
  • Input connectors: High Level Neutrik Speakon, low level RCA, LFE RCA
  • Amplifier: 450 watt Class D
  • Wireless capability: HT-Air MkII wireless or AirshipII (sold separately)
  • Dimensions (HxWxD): 534mm x 400mm x 350mm
  • Weight: 22.4kg
  • Finishes: Walnut veneer only
  • Accessories supplied: Mains lead, 10m Neutrik Speakon lead
  • Price: £1,799, €2,199, $1,899

Manufacturer

REL Acoustics Ltd

https://rel.net

+44(0)1656 768777

More from REL

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Allnic Audio HPA-300B

 

Integrated amplifiers that incorporate headphone outputs are not uncommon. But with very few exceptions, the head-fi element is strictly secondary, almost an afterthought. One notable exception is the Allnic Audio HPA-300B, which is recognised for offering exceptional audio quality for headphone enthusiasts. According to most of the audio industry, if we want to listen to replay of the highest quality through headphones then we need to buy a dedicated headphone amplifier as well.

It’s not just marketing at play here. Speakers and headphones present amplifiers with different technical challenges due to their respective impedances and power requirements. Things begin to look a little different, though, if we put efficient speakers with benign phase angles into the mix. Might a headphone amplifier that outputs just eight Watts into eight Ohms be sufficient to drive headphones and speakers to a high standard? Korean audio engineer Kang Su Park says yes, and as evidence, he offers his newly launched HPA-300B integrated headphone amplifier.

Gimme

Allnic Audio products are a visual riot. They sport an unmistakable design language that some might call industro-skeletal. Others might describe it as steampunk. The Allnic Audio HPA-300B is true to type; all chunky, satin-aluminium, hulking transformers and chokes under matt-grey shields, perforated tube cooling towers, stout handles, and glowing amber analogue meters. It’s a gimme for those who buy their audio with their eyes, but the HPA-300B’s appeal is more than skin-deep.

It weighs a stout 23.6 kg, and as might be expected, most of that heft is in the output transformers. It is also a substantial price. However, while the RRP of £12,600 might be towards the top end for a headphone amplifier, Park wants us to regard it as a fully-fledged high-end integrated amplifier as well. The obvious question is whether the attempt to meet the somewhat divergent demands of both headphones and loudspeakers has resulted in an amplifier that is too hobbled by technical compromise. One that does both with a degree of competence, but no more than that.

The HPA-300B certainly offers the right mix of inputs and outputs to be taken seriously as a dual-purpose amplifier. On the back we find three sets of RCA and two sets of XLR inputs, plus banana output sockets for speakers. 

Sockets

On the front are two four-pin XLR headphone sockets and two 6.3mm single-ended sockets. A mute button turns off the speaker output for headphone listening. A small rotary knob allows source selection, chosen inputs indicated by an annotated line of LEDs. The extensive rotary volume control is motorised. Behind it sits Allnic’s Constant Impedance Attenuator, which maintains a steady 10kω resistance throughout. The two analogue meters, left and right channel, show the auto-bias status. Deflection gives warning that a tube requires replacement.

Allnic Audio HPA-300B rear panel

The rectifier, driver and output tubes each sit inside their clear polycarbonate towers, capped with perforated aluminium disks. The 300Bs have tube locators, stamped from what looks to be Teflon, slid over their narrow tops. All the tube sockets sit in a semi-liquid rubber compound. This is one of several design features intended to make the amplifier more resistant to microphonic feedback.

I fed the Allnic Audio HPA-300B the balanced output of a Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC, set to 2V. I also switched between a Grimm MU1 network player and a Jay’s CDT3 MK3 CD transport as sources. An icOn5 Balanced did passive line stage duties. Allnic claims a signal-to-noise ratio of -90dB, a test result distinctly on the good side for tubes. I think we can believe it. Park’s attention to suppressing the transfer of vibration, coupled with a comprehensive and practical approach to circuit grounding. This results in the HPA-300B being the quietest tube amplifier I have encountered in the last two decades.

Sweet return

It’s said that we should never go back, but I’ve owned three different amplifiers that used 300B output tubes. The last of these was some nine years ago, and the Allnic proved to be a sweet return in some ways. The 300B is a tube praised for its rich, liquid mid-range. Still, I think the worship is somewhat overdone, partly because, in reality, its sonic qualities can be equalled by alternative tubes and even particularly well-implemented solid-state designs, and partly because in pretty much every implementation that I have heard, the 300B lacks energy at both ends of the frequency spectrum. Me, I’d take the more capable VT-4C/211 over the 300B anytime.

However, the realised performance of the 300B – indeed any output tube – is significantly at the mercy of the quality of the circuitry driving it, as well as that of the output transformers it feeds into. Park designs all the transformers and chokes used in Allnic products, and based on the evidence of the Allnic Audio HPA-300B, he is still right at the top of his game.

Fast and energetic

The amplifier sounds fast and energetic, both through headphones and speakers. It is less a typical 300B amplifier, if such an animal exists, more a modern-sounding amplifier that happens to use tubes.

Unusually – perhaps even uniquely for the sector – Park’s design doesn’t have a fixed output impedance but is auto-adaptive to work optimally with any load. I listened to a wide range of recordings via the headphone outputs, using a Sennheiser HD650, an Audeze LCD5 and a HiFiMAN Susvara headphone. The results with the Sennheiser and Audeze headphones were satisfactory in different ways. The 300 Ohm Sennheiser in particular seemed to appreciate the quality of voltage delivered by the Allnic and exhibited better soundstaging abilities than I had heard it achieve with some other amplifiers. Its un-EQd balance, smooth and on the warm side, and with a mid-range standing slightly proud of the bandwidth extremes, made it feel as if the headphone was working with the Allnic rather than being bossed by it, resulting in a presentation that invited ‘kick back and relax’ listening.

Spotlight

The 14 Ohm LCD5 sounded altogether more analytical and detailed. It’s natively richer and more weighty bass response provides some compensation for the Allnic Audio HPA-300B’s disinclination to dig particularly deep. The Audeze’s mid-range is even more prominent than that of the Sennheiser, and it casts quite a spotlight on the character of the 300B driver tubes. I found the combination able to deliver simpler, primarily vocal tracks, to a notably high standard. Through the Allnic, Amy Lee’s voice on Synthesis by Evanescence, particularly on the track ‘Never Go Back,’ where her ability to convey emotional vulnerability and then, almost within the exact millisecond, turn on an astonishing degree of feminine power, triggered multiple hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck moments.

Allnic Audio HPA-300B Black

I did wonder if it might be a little unfair to note the Allnic’s relatively modest low-end extension. However, a quick check of the same tracks through the same headphones driven by two solid-state alternatives confirmed the verdict. The Allnic is enjoyable enough, but a deeper and more textured low-end is available elsewhere if that’s what we crave. In defence of the Allnic Audio HPA-300BB, it should be noted that both of the alternatives tried are dedicated headphone-only amplifiers. The HPA-300 B doesn’t compromise loudspeaker or headphone output at all. However, those who will never use loudspeakers have the option of the HPL-5000XL and HPA-10000 dedicated headphone amplifiers.

Household reference

Into the household’s PMC MB2se reference speakers (90dB/eight Ohm nominal), the Allnic HPA-300B brought a smile to faces at the rediscovery of the uncanny way in which tube Watts sound differently to solid-state Watts; somehow more powerful. Marcus Miller’s track ‘Boomerang’ from the 2001 album M2 thundered through the PMCs’ 12-inch woofers, entertainingly, if not with the ultimate in extension or grip. More suitable material was found on the Canadian finger-style guitarist Antoine Dufour’s 2020 album Reflect. The Allnic rendered his Mario Beauregard guitar in all its organic sonic beauty. It was simply dripping with glowing, limpid tonal quality and a beguiling spatial airiness.

Context here, as with so much in audio, is everything. There’s a reason why almost all manufacturers, including Allnic, produce dedicated headphone and speaker amplifiers. However, Kang Su Park spies a particular cohort of buyers who demand excellent performance from headphones and loudspeakers. They also demand compactness and affordability. The Allnic Audio HPA-300B is for them. 

 

Technical specifications

  • Type: valve headphone/loudspeaker amplifier
  • Tubes: 1x 6DR7/13DR7 (gain and driver stage), 1x 5U4GB (rectifier), 2x 300BX (output)
  • Inputs: 3x pairs RCA unbalanced inputs, 2x pairs XLR balanced inputs
  • Headphone output: Two quarter-inch jack sockets, two four-pin XLR balanced
  • Loudspeaker output: 4Ω, 8Ω
  • Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz (±0.5dB)
  • Voltage Gain: +28dN
  • Optimum headphone impedance: 10Ω-600Ω
  • Output: 8W per channel
  • Maximum input voltage: 3W RMS
  • THD: < 0.1% (1kHz, 1V)
  • S/N Ratio: -90dB (CCIR, 1kHz)
  • Power consumption: 168W
  • Dimensions (WxHxD): 43x42x24cm
  • Weight: 23.6kg
  • Price: £12,600

Manufacturer

Allnic Audio

www.allnicaudio.com

UK distributor

BOBUSIAN (HIFISTAY UK) 

www.bobusian.com

+44(0)7922 27 7944

More from Allnic Audio

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John Giolas Joins CH Precision as Global Director of Marketing

16 July 2025 –Mr. Giolas brings over three decades of experience in high-end audio marketing, with a background that blends strategic planning with hands-on creative execution. Since November 2024, he has directed marketing at Wattson Audio—a wholly owned subsidiary of CH Precision—where he helped shape the company’s communications through refined messaging, compelling visual identity, and integrated media strategies.

Before joining Wattson, Mr. Giolas served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at dCS (Data Conversion Systems, Ltd.), where he directed global sales activity in tandem with brand communications and product launch strategies. His earlier tenure at Wilson Audio included the authorship and design of The Wilson Way, the company’s official history, and the development of in-house media capabilities that supported a shift toward more self-directed, narrative-rich marketing initiatives.

John’s background includes hands-on work in copywriting, photography, graphic design, as well as writing manuals and supporting IP-related efforts. Over the years, he has contributed to press relations, distributor communications, and the coordination of product launches. He has often focused on conveying a brand’s culture and values through multimedia storytelling—using words, images, and video to create a cohesive and engaging narrative around the products and the people behind them.

CH Precision is widely recognized for its precision design, grounded in sound engineering principles and driven by purpose-built technical solutions—all in service of the musical experience. The company’s meticulous attention to detail, commitment to quality, and culture of integrity and mutual respect extend across both its product development and its relationships throughout the industry. Mr. Giolas’s appointment reflects CH Precision’s dedication to communicating these values with the same clarity, depth, and purpose that define its engineering.

“I’m thrilled to be joining CH Precision,” said Mr. Giolas. “This is an extraordinary company—defined not just by its unparalleled engineering and execution, but by the warmth, trust, and sense of shared purpose that define its team dynamic. It’s a privilege to be part of such a visionary organization.”

Florian Cossy
CEO, CH Precision Sàrl
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.ch-precision.com

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