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Munich High End 2017 – Headphones & Personal Audio

Most Promising Newcomers

Abyss Diana planar

Ever since launching its superb-sounding but also large and unorthodox-looking AB-1266 planar magnetic headphone, the Abyss team has had a vision of creating a smaller, lighter, somewhat less expensive, more conventional-looking, and almost-as-good-sounding planar magnetic headphone. The model is almost here and is called the Diana, which will be priced around $3000. The Diana is significantly lighter and simpler looking than the AB-1266 and comes in three gorgeous matt-finish colours: a tasteful and subdued grey, a subtle off-white or cream colour, and a downright delicious-looking chocolate brown.

Acoustic Research AR-H1 planar magnetic headphone

In recent years Acoustic Research has been known primarily for its ambitious portable high-res digital audio player, but Munich marked the product release of the firm’s eagerly awaited and very well priced AR-H1 planar magnetic headphone, which will sell for $599 or £549. Visually and in certain other respects the AR-H1 reminds us more than a little of Oppo’s far more costly flagship PM1 headphones, which means we may well want to seek out the model for further evaluation once review samples become available. We predict the AR-H1’s combination of handsome good looks, pleasing sound, and a manageable price will make it a marketplace winner.

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP1000 portable digital audio player

Not long after announcing its very powerful and comparatively affordable Kann digital audio player, Astell & Kern turned around to release a new cost-no-object flagship digital audio player called the A&ultima SP1000 (~ €4000) slated to take its place at the very top of the Astell & Kern range. Differences between the A&ultima SP1000 and the firm’s previous flagship AK380 include a slimmer chassis but one fitted with a larger 5-inch screen (as opposed to a 4-inch screen for the AK380), a step up to a pair of AKM’s latest AK4497EQ DACS (as opposed to dual AKM AK4490 DACs in the AK380), an increase in maximum balanced output voltage swing (from 2.3Vrms to 3.9Vrms), an even lower noise floor (the SP1000’s balanced output signal to noise ratio is an impressive 122dB), and somewhat lower distortion. Finally, the SP1000 uses an octo-core control processor as opposed to the AK380’s dual core processor. We are eager to hear this new flagship model in action.

Beyerdynamic Xelento Wireless earphones

As some readers will already know, Beyerdynamic’s Xelento earphones are in a very real sense miniaturised versions of the firm well-respected flagship T1 Tesla headphones, which is saying quite a lot. However, for Munich the German firm decided to take the next evolutionary step by offering a Bluetooth compatible, self-amplified Xelento Wireless model, which uses an elegant little Bluetooth amp/DAC module that looks like a classy albeit truncated pen, complete with a handy garment clip. The whole system packs up into an elegant travel case not too much larger than an extra thick business card case. The Xelento Wireless will sell for €1,200—or €200 more that the standard Xelento earphone.

Final AFD (Air Film Damping) planar magnetic headphone

Until now most of Final’s high performance full-size headphones have been dynamic driver-type designs (e.g., the famous flagship Sonorous X) or have been dynamic/balanced armature hybrids (e.g., the Sonorous VI). At Munich, however, the Japanese headphone and earphone specialists at Final previewed an extremely ambitious planar magnetic headphone (the firm’s first ever) to be called the AFD Planar Magnetic (with a projected price of approximately €3000). The “AFD” part of the name stands for Air Film Damping, which is part of the advanced technology behind the design—technology borrowed, in this case, from the world of high performance microphones. Final says the AFD idea was introduced to them by Dr Heitaro Nakajima of Sony fame.

The AFD planar magnetic headphone features a thin diaphragm that incorporates a spiral-shaped voice coil, plus a doughnut-shaped magnet, with the diaphragm controlled in part by a metal mesh air film damping system that is said to help control unwanted diaphragm resonances, noticeably smoothing the driver’s response. A brief listen to a working prototype suggest to me that the AFD planar magnetic offers an unusually smooth and refined yet also remarkably agile sound. We can’t wait to see how the final production model turns out.

Final E3000 earphones

Not everything Final showed at Munich was high-end oritentated—at least not in terms of price—as evidenced by two new keenly priced entry level earphone from the firm: the E2000 (€44) and the E3000 (€54). Having logged some listening time with the beautiful little E3000, which sports earpiece enclosures fashioned from mirror-finished stainless steel, I can honestly say that it looks and sounds better than it has any right to do for its modest price. Unlike most prior Final earphone efforts, most of which use balanced armature-type drivers, the E-models use tiny 6.4mm dynamic drivers based, says Final, “on the latest acoustic engineering and psychological research results.” It is too early to say for sure, but these small, beautiful, and cost-effective earphones may well set a benchmark standard in their price class.

Luxman P-750U headphone amplifier

For Munich, Luxman rolled out a new balanced output headphone amplifier call the P-750u, which is essentially an updated and improved version of the firm’s earlier P-700u model. The new amp is quite powerful (producing 2 x 4Wpc at 32 Ohms) and it features both single-ended and balanced outputs as well as two sets of balanced and one set of single-ended analogue inputs. The unit will sell for €5000 or $4500.

RHA Audio MA Wireless and the MA 750 Wireless

The Scottish firm RHA Audio has joined the Bluetooth fray by creating Bluetooth versions of its popular and excellent MA750 earphones—now re-cast as the MA750 Wireless (€149). Essentially, users get the same stainless steel earpiece design and handmade, evenly balanced dynamic drivers that made the MA750 one of our favourite affordable earphones, but with a new self-powered, Bluetooth–capable, noise-isolating, and splash and sweatproof silicone neckband.

Stax SRM-T8000 electrostatic headphone energiser

For years some electrostatic headphone enthusiasts—and in particular those who count themselves devotees of the flagship Stax SR-009 electrostatic headphone—have turned to third-party manufacturers such as Cavalli Audio, HeadAmp, and Woo Audio in order to find electrostatic headphones amplifiers capable of tapping the full performance potential of the 009’s. For Munich, however, Stax answered back with an all-new electrostatic headphone energiser (that’s Stax-speak for headphone amp) called the SRM-T8000, which promises to be an amp fully capable of exploiting all that the SR-009 headphones can do.

The units at the show were so new that no one at the Stax stand was prepared to venture a guess as to the new energiser’s price. Whatever the price turns out to be, I can confidently say that the SRM-T8000, which uses a valve-powered front end, is hand down the bests sounding Stax electrostatic energiser I’ve yet heard, and by a not subtle margin. This is the Stax amp we’ve all been waiting for…

Questyle CMA 400i desktop headphone amp/DAC/preamp

Leveraging the designs of its popular CMA800i and CMA600i desktop headphone amp/DACs, Questyle has now brought out an even more affordable model in the form of its new CMA400i, priced at €800. In terms of features, the little CMA400i gives up nothing to its bigger brothers, providing a 32/384 and DSD 256-capabably DAC, a fully balanced headphone amplifier circuit, switchable gain settings to accommodate headphones of different sensitivities. The unit also features a custom-made Noratel transformer.

Ultrasone Signature Studio headphone

While Ultrasone is perhaps best known for its superb, limited production, (and often very expensive) Edition-series headphones, it’s a mid-priced model from the firm that has been garnering a lot of attention of late. The model I am speaking of is the Signature Studio (€499), which is based on a 40mm dynamic driver equipped with a titanium-coated Mylar diaphragm. Like many of Ultrasone’s upscale headphones, the Signature Studio uses S-Logic driver mounting technology, which is said to help foster more loudspeaker like soundstaging and imaging. More so than many headphone models on the market, the Signature Studio finds the elusive sweet spot between ‘musicality’ and monitoring-grade accuracy and neutrality.

Best Headphone Sound of Show

Abyss AB-1266 Phi Reference planar magnetic headphone & Woo Audio WA33 Elite Edition valve powered headphone amplifier

When Abyss’ AB-1266 planar magnetic headphone first arrived on the scene some years ago we were duly impressed by its big, bold, full-bodied, and dynamically muscular sound and by its very high levels of resolution and superb transient speeds. The AB-1266 remained a reference for us until, just recently, the frim announced a significantly revised and updated version called the AB-1266 Phi Reference (starting at $4500 with minimal accessories, $5500 for the deluxe version with extensive accessories, and $7500 for a deluxe reference edition complete with JPS Labs upgraded signal cables). Most of the changes in the Phi Reference have to do with driver internals, so that from the outside the new model looks almost identical to the original, but in sonic terms the headphone has taken substantial steps forward. Specifically, the Phi Reference now has more linear frequency response and thus superior tonal balance, significantly higher levels of resolution at all frequencies, and even faster, more taut, and tuneful bass than the original AB-1266. The result is a headphone that preserves everything we enjoyed in the original AB-1266 but that is more refined, more precise, and ultimately more faithful to the music in every way.

At Munich, the AB-1266 Phi was driven by a fully balanced, valve-powered, two-chassis Woo Audio WA33 Elite Edition headphone amplifier ($14,999) fed by a Lampizator Golden Gate DAC. Woo’s WA33 Elite Edition is a very special piece of equipment as it is essentially a hot-rodded and uprated version of the firm’s flagship WA 33 amplifier, but one fitted out with exotic up-spec valves, Mundorf MCap Supreme and MTube capacitors, special ultra-high-bandwidth transformers made with single-crystal copper wires, an Alps RK50 four-channel volume control in a solid brass enclosure, and single-crystal copper hook-up and signal wires.

The combination of the Abyss headphones, Lampizator DAC, and Woo amp really showed in a dramatic way how very far top-tier headphone system have come in the past few years.

Audeze LCD-4i in-ear planar magnetic headphone

Of late, Audeze has been hard at work on the release of a series of compact, planar magnetic in-ear headphones collectively know as the iSine series. The range begins with the entry-level iSine 10, steps up to the higher performance iSine 20, and finally includes a virtual reality system-orientated model called the iSineVR. All three iSine models show great promise and fine sound quality at relatively modest price points, but those of us who can’t resist attempts at making good things even better could not help but wonder what an ultra high-end iSine model might be like.

Well, now we have our answer in the form of the Audeze LCD-4i (€3000, $2500), which bills itself as a compact, in-ear alternative to the firm’s flagship full-size planar magnet headphone, called the LCD-4. Truth to tell, one of Audeze’s founders had sworn me to secrecy and then given me a sneak preview of the LCD-4i several months ago, so I am pleased to say that the final production model sounds even better than the prototype did. In simple terms, the LCD-4i is one of those rare does-all-things-exceedingly-well designs that, to my ears, may actually offer stiff competition for the big LCD-4 (which is saying a mouthful). Though I only got a chance to hear it briefly, I came away thinking the LCD-4i is—along with a tiny handful of competitors—a leading contender for the title of “best in-ear headphone on the planet”. It’s that good.

HiFiMAN Shangri-La electrostatic headphone system

HiFiMAN has long held the ambition to produce a state-of-the-art, cost-no-object electrostatic headphone system and that objective has now been reached with the product release of the Shangri-La electrostatic headphone system, comprising the all new Shangri-La electrostatic headphone and its power, quiet, and ultra-high-resolution, 300B valve-powered Shangri-La electrostatic headphone amplifier (system price: $50,000).

The Shangri-La system offered the best overall headphone sound I was able to observe at Munich and by no small margin. The system offers seemingly endless levels of resolution for handling low-level details, almost shockingly quick transient speeds, and lifelike dynamics and levels of bass authority that traditionally have not been easy for electrostatic systems to reproduce. Watch for an upcoming Hi-Fi+ review of this system in the not too distant future.

HiFiMAN Susvara planar magnetic headphone & EF1000 amplifier

Earlier this year HiFiMAN previewed a new top-tier planar magnetic headphone called the Edition 6, which in its earliest incarnations seemed perhaps a bit underwhelming in that it sounded more like a lightly tuned-up version of HiFiMAN’s then-flagship HE 1000 v2 as opposed to an all-new, clean-sheet-of-paper design.

Happily, on the road to full production status, the Edition 6 received the new name Susvara ($6000) and some substantial sonic improvements yielding smoother and more even tonal balance from top-to-bottom, significantly heightened levels of resolution, and a markedly more expressive and free-breathing sound overall. The net result is a planar magnetic headphone that can and does stand tall—even in comparison to HiFiMAN’s own mighty Shangri-La system!

For Munich, HiFiMAN’s potent, valve-powered, two-chassis EF1000 integrated amplifier/headphone amplifier was used to drive the Susvara to telling effect. The Susvara and Shangri-La systems were being shown side-by-side in an isolated room within the HiFiMAN display stand and most listeners who emerged from that room would, I think, agree that the Chinese firm is not only an a roll, but has an embarrassment of sonic riches on its hands.

Questyle QP2r balanced output, high-res digital audio player

After much deliberation and careful though, Questyle has launched a 2^nd-generation follow-up to its very successful QP1R high-resolution digital audio player in the form of its new QP2R, which sells for $1,299. Changes include a higher-specification digital front end now capable of processing PCM files at up to 32Bit/384kHz and DSD files at up to DSD256. What is more, the new DAP’s amp section is more powerful and fully balanced, with a pure Class A bias control system. The QP2R is also treated to an improved clock, a new user interface, and an all-new control wheel design. Where the original QP1R was a fine sounding DAP in its own right, the QP2R has taken significant steps forward, so that it now sounds almost like a junior version of Questyle’s expensive flagship “Golden Stack” amp/DAC/preamp combo.

Worthy of Note

iFi Audio Micro iDSD Black Label

iFi has launched what is in essence an intensely hot-rodded version of its critically acclaimed Micro iDSD portable headphone amp/DAC in the form of the new Micro iDSD Black Label, which sells for $549. In the Black Label, all the signal path parts that matter most have been uprated yielding sonic improvements you can easily hear. What is more, the Micro iDSD Black Label sports a distinctive satin black chassis case that sets it apart from iFi’s traditionally silver casework. In short, iFi’s Black Label amp/DAC flat out looks every bit as cool as it sounds.

Meze 99 Neo headphone

Meze’s long awaited, cost reduced model 99 Neo has now been released and sells for €250 (this in contrast to the €300 price of the original 99 Classic). The Neo sounds almost the same as the Classic, but ultimately affords a slight warmer sound owing to subtle interior volume differences between the Neo and the Classic. Even so, the underlying sonic DNA shared between the models remains fundamentally the same.

Ultrasone Sirius clip-on Bluetooth headphone amp/DAC

Sensing that a Bluetooth revolution is in the offing (thanks for that, Apple) the clever folks at Ultrasone have developed an ingenious, semi-circular, lip-on Bluetooth adapter call the Sirius that can be fitted to any of Ultrasone’s Performance series headphones into Bluetooth headphones. The really neat part is that, once installed, the Sirius module looks like an integral piece of the original headphone’s industrial design. The Sirius takes about an hour to recharge and then yields 8-12 hours of playing time.

Australe EZ – The latest offering from Triangle

Discover Australe EZ, the new reference of the Esprit range. Using the identity of the Esprit EZ range, Australe EZ radiates its own unique character.

A great leap forward, Australe EZ boasts unmatched technological innovations that redefine the performance of the range and delivers a unique ‘live’ feel.

DPS TECHNOLOGY

With Australe EZ, TRIANGLE integrates the new DPS “Dynamic Pulse System” technology, reserved until now to speakers of the Magellan range.

This technology is based on the addition of a second tweeter at the rear of the speaker, expressing the most high frequencies without interfering with the signal emitted from the front of the speaker.

DPS technology improves the imaging and reduces directivity by providing an almost holographic restitution of the soundstage. The spot of the listener in relation to the speaker is therefore less critical. He can thus fully enjoy an unforgettable musical experience, and this anywhere in the room.

New generation of bass drivers

For more than two years, a new generation of drivers has been developed to improve the performance of the loudspeaker in low frequencies.

The membrane uses a new composite material, made of wood pulp and carbon fibre, which has the property of guaranteeing high rigidity and low mass for fast and powerful bass.

A motor made of an oversized ferrite and voice coil feeds the membrane, allowing it to go down to 29Hz. Australe EZ restores an intense bass that provides a real physical impact of low frequencies.

CABINET

The cabinet has been entirely reworked. Laser measurements were previously made on the enclosure to add a new system of internal reinforcements. This results in a perfectly rigid enclosure which eliminates all unwanted vibrations.

The new DVAS “Driver Vibration Absorption System” technology has been specially developed by TRIANGLE to mechanically decouple the woofers. A new reinforcement system of the cabinet ultimately dampens all vibrations.

PEDESTAL

A new glass stand conception has been developed with a perforated rubber absorbing plate that enables the dispersion of vibrations from the cabinet towards the floor.

The glass base has a wide surface to guarantee the stability of the cabinet, it gives the opportunity to place either aluminium spikes or rubber feet to match all types of surfaces.

CROSSOVERS AND INTERNAL CABLES

Australe EZ is optimized by high-end processes. The filter is separated into two PCBs to prevent electromagnetic interference. One part is for the medium / high frequencies and the other is for the low frequencies.

To improve the quality of the signal and minimize loss, TRIANGLE has favoured a multi-line internal cable of various sections developed for the Signature range.

The exclusive TRIANGLE terminal block in brushed aluminium allows for bi-wiring and bi-amp. The terminals are made of alloy dominated by copper in order to optimize the conductivity of the signal. They are equipped with a self-locking system for banana plugs and can also accommodate large cross-section cables.

Find out more here: http://www.triangle-fr.com/en/esprit-ez/australe-ez

Moon Audio Black Dragon Premium V2 headphone cable

One sign of the growing maturity of the high-end headphone marketplace is the number of cable manufacturers now offering specialised headphone signal cable sets. One such manufacturer is the Cary, North Carolina-based firm Moon Audio, makers of Dragon audio cables (take care, though, not to confuse Moon Audio with the legendary Canadian audio electronics manufacturer Moon by Simaudio; they are two separate entities). Moon Audio enjoys a very strong, international reputation as a versatile, world-class, online retailer of high-end headphones and associated products, but for this very reason it can be easy to overlook the company’s superb, specialty Dragon audio cables, offered both for full-size audio systems and for headphone rigs.

Our review subject here is a set of Moon Audio’s top tier Black Dragon Premium Focal Utopia V2 headphone cables, which feature precision-made LEMO-type headphone connectors to fit the specific requirements of the Utopia. The Black Dragon Premium V2 cables start at $395, with pricing dependent upon the length of the cable ordered and upon the buyer’s choice of single-ended or balanced amplifier connectors. For both single-ended and balanced-type cables Moon uses Furutech Top Line-series connectors, claiming that they are, “quite simply the best made”.

Black Dragon Premium Focal Utopia V2 cables use four 21.5AWG Teflon-insulated, stranded conductors featuring single crystal UP-OCC copper at ‘7N’ or ‘seven nines’ (99.99998%) purity. Moon says, “each conductor is made up of a special varying size stranding geometry”, where “copper stranding is mixed with Kevlar stranding” to increase the cables’ physical strength and resistance to flex-induced failures. The copper/Kevlar strands are surrounded by cotton, followed by a layer of Teflon tape. Finally, the cables receive a layer of shielding and a sturdy polyethylene outer jacket for added durability. Cable wires are soldered to their respective connectors via a high quality, high yield silver solder.

As it happens, Moon Audio makes two top-tier cables for Focal’s Utopia: the Black Dragon Premium Focal Utopia V2 cables on test here, and the slightly more expensive Silver Dragon Premium Focal Utopia V3 cables (with prices starting from $455). As the name suggests, the Silver Dragon cables use silver conductors rather than the high-purity copper conductors used in the Black Dragons. Moon Audio President Drew Baird encouraged us to try the Black Dragon model, which Moon Audio claims is “warmer in nature than the Silver Dragon Premium Focal Utopia V3”, yet emphatically “is not a laid back, lush, or dark sounding cable”. Instead, Moon claims the Black Dragon Premium V2 “is extremely smooth sounding with great low end and wonderful voicing,” with the ability to gently help make Focal’s hyper-revealing Utopia sound “a little less analytical and little more natural…”

For my tests, I used both the Questyle CMA600i fully balanced headphone amp/DAC and Moon Audio’s own valve-powered Inspire IHA-1 headphone amp/preamp as my listening platforms, using a set of Focal Utopia headphones as a reference transducer as I compared cables. Looking to assess performance at the highest levels, I played a battery of 24/96 and 24/192 high resolution recordings, switching back and forth between the Black Dragon premium V2 cables and the already excellent standard cables supplied with the Utopia. Here is what my listening tests revealed.

First off, let me acknowledge that the standard cable supplied with the Utopia is a good one—especially for listeners who prefer a presentation that emphasises extreme treble extension, high transient speeds, and crisp definition, albeit at the expense of a subtle quality of coolness in the sound and a slight tendency toward leanness in the bass. In contrast, what the Black Dragon Premium V2 brings to the party is, as advertised, a smoother and very slightly sweeter top end, but—and this is important—with no loss in transient speed, focus, or definition. Moreover, the Black Dragon Premium V2 offered a subtle degree of natural-sounding midrange warmth and a notably rounder, more full-bodied, and more strikingly three-dimensional midrange presentation. Finally, the Black Dragon Premium V2 neatly solved the perceived ‘bass leanness’ problem of the standard cable by adding a subtle but welcome touch of mid-bass weight to match the standard cable’s already excellent low-bass response (the net effect of substituting the Dragon cables is that the Utopia’s bass suddenly seems more linear and balanced in the critical mid-bass-to-low-bass transition region).

A track that nicely shows all these factors in play is ‘You Love the Thunder’ from Jackson Browne’s classic Running On Empty [Rhino UK, 24-192 re-mastered]. Apart from Browne, whose voice and guitar are of course centrepieces in the album, four key contributors are Leland Sklar on bass, Russ Kunkel on drums, David Lindley on lap steel guitar, and Danny Kortchmar on lead guitar. Through the standard cable this wonderful live recording sounds like what it is: namely, really excellent hi-fi. But with the Moon Audio cable in play, the track takes on a new life of its own, becoming more natural sounding, more three-dimensional, and much, much more engaging. Suddenly, Sklar’s wonderfully energetic bass has real punch and a visceral snarl, while Kunkel’s percussion drives the song forward with exuberant, locomotive-like force. At the same time, Lindley and Kortchmar trade beautifully phrased and artfully timed licks, raising the energy level of the song even higher. With help from the Dragon cables, Lindley’s lap steel lines, in particular, become at once sweet, soaring, and very incisive, so that the sheer beauty of the playing is at times simply breath-taking.

My point is that Moon Audio’s Black Dragon Premium V2 headphone cables help lift the sound of the superb Focal Utopia from the realm of great hi-fi on up into that rare atmosphere where great hi-fi leaves off so that truly great music can unfold. In short, this cable helps make a world-class headphone even better: highly recommended.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Type: Premium-class headphone signal cable for use with the Focal Utopia headphone. Offered in various lengths and terminated for use with single‑ended or balanced-output amplifiers.

Cable construction: Four 21.5 AWD conductors feature Teflon-insulated, multi-strand conductors featuring mono-crystal UP-OCC pure copper wire with 7N 99.9998% purity ratings. The cables use variable size stranding geometries, with cotton and Teflon dielectrics, full-length shielding, and polyethylene jackets.

Cable Connectors (Focal Utopia model):
Headphone side: LEMO-type connectors.
Amplifier side: Furutech Top Line-series single-ended (6.35mm TRS headphone plug) or balanced (4-pin XLR) connectors.

Available lengths: 5, 10, 15, or 20-foot lengths.

Pricing: Starts at $395 US.

Manufacturer Information: Moon Audio
106 Brady Ct., Cary, NC 27511 USA

Tel.: +1 (919) 649-5018

URL: www.moon-audio.com

Note: Although Moon Audio is a US-based firm it routinely arranges sales and shipments to the UK and to Europe. Contact Moon Audio for details.

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Hi-Fi+ Interviews Jude Mansilla of Head-Fi and Ethan Opolion of CanJam Global – Part 1

Head-Fi is without a doubt the largest online community of headphone and personal audio enthusiasts in the world, while CanJam Global is an organisation that, under the auspices of Head-Fi, produces an international series of headphone and personal audio expositions. Together, Head-Fi and CanJam Global represent the ‘tip of the spear’ in the rapidly expanding movement toward wider enjoyment of all things headphone-related.

Here, Hi-Fi+ magazine (itself a leading proponent of high performance personal audio) takes a moment to interview Head-Fi founder Jude Mansilla and CanJam Global head Ethan Opolion.

This is Part 1 of a two-part interview.

Hi-Fi+: How and when was Head-Fi founded? In the beginning, did you foresee it achieving the level of popularity it enjoys today?

Jude Mansilla: Head-Fi was founded in 2001, when the first headphone forum (HeadWize)–of which I was a frequently posting member–was having stability issues. It had been down for weeks in total that year so a few alternative forums were started by HeadWize members, Head-Fi being the one that grew into the community’s new home.

Back then (on HeadWize and in the first days of Head-Fi) the community was small, but growing. At any given time there might be 25 to 50 people online. Today, there are thousands on Head-Fi at a time.

It was pretty clear to me the community was going to grow, but no, I didn’t foresee it reaching the level of growth it has.

Hi-Fi+: To what do you attribute the success of Head-Fi? For outsiders looking in, what would you say is the attraction of participating in Head-Fi?

JM: The success of Head-Fi is the passionate community behind it—the many thousands of people who want to get as close to their music as possible, and who want to talk about it, learn about it, and befriend like-minded people to do that. Local Head-Fi Meets and CanJam are together the living embodiments of what we as a community share on Head-Fi.

I think the initial attraction for outsiders looking in is to find a place more about what’s out there, in terms of alternatives to the gear they’ve been using (often the came-with-it earbuds), to find out how good it can get. They often quickly discover that the pursuit of getting closer to the music is addictive, and that it’s fun to share that passion with thousands of others who are like-minded that way.

Ethan Opolion: For me the biggest success and attraction of Head-Fi is the community. It’s a place where people from around the world come to share their passion for music and audio gear. I discovered Head-Fi in the very early days in 2001 as I started researching headphones to buy and for me this was also the discovery of the whole new way of not only communicating with like-minded people but also in terms of how to make informed purchase decisions for products that were not readily available to try out at a local store.

Hi-Fi+: What new developments can we expect to see from Head-Fi in the coming year?

JM: Head-Fi has just undergone a major website transition that represents a more independent Head-Fi. The move will allow us to more independently develop the website and forum to be more custom-built around the community’s needs.

For the last couple of years, we have also been quietly working with Audio Precision and G.R.A.S. to build a state of the art audio measurement lab at Head-Fi HQ. What we can do with our measurement lab is amazing, and we’ll be working to share that lab and its measurements with the community in the coming year.

Also, because several of us at Head-Fi HQ are gamers–and because so many in our Head-Fi community are also diehard gamers–we’ll be increasing our emphasis on gaming audio sound quality. Of course fidelity of music playback will always be the primary focus of Head-Fi, but there will be more discussion of the fidelity of audio in other media, like gaming, movies and shows (which so many increasingly watch on-the-go now), virtual reality, and augmented reality.

We will also be making major updates and changes to the Head-Fi Buying Guide in the coming year, as we’ve always had a lot of fun working on that, and it’s read by a good number of people who visit Head-Fi.

Hi-Fi+: Many high-end audio enthusiasts are accustomed to loudspeaker-based audio systems and some are skeptical as to the benefits of headphones and personal audio. If you were to speak to them as one of the world’s leading ‘headphone evangelists’, what would you say to encourage them to give headphones and/or earphones a careful and open-minded listen?

JM: Many veteran audiophiles who haven’t looked in the direction of headphones in a decade or more don’t realize how far headphone audio has come. I think it very safe to say there are more innovations, more excitement, and more new product development in headphone audio than traditional hi-fi. I am a long-time audiophile and I still love listening to loudspeakers when I can—but sitting in a stationary sweet spot between two loudspeakers is not the only place I wish to enjoy music with high fidelity. We Head-Fi’ers want to be able to do this no matter where we are.

Simply put, I would encourage veteran audiophiles who are skeptical to discover that new product innovations have enabled hi-fi to accompany anyone anywhere, and to visit Head-Fi.org, and come to Head-Fi Meets and CanJams, to meet thousands of the world’s leading headphone evangelists.

EO: Yeah, in an ideal world we would be all living in environments with dedicated listening spaces and room treatments. However, for the vast majority of people living space and the modern lifestyle is less conducive to listening to music through speakers. What we see happening in recent years is a gradual shift from people looking at headphones primarily as an accessory, to where modern audiophiles are building their flagships stereo systems around headphones.

The main benefits of high-end headphone-based systems are the high level of immersion, and the sense of immediacy that would be hard to replicate in all but the most expensive speaker based systems. When you add in the convenience of being able to listen without disturbing others as well as the ability to change headphones in order to tailor the sound to specific types of music, this becomes even more attractive.

This concludes Part 1 or our interview. Click here to read Part 2.

Hi-Fi+ Interviews Jude Mansilla of Head-Fi and Ethan Opolion of CanJam Global – Part 2

Here, Hi-Fi+ magazine (itself a leading proponent of high performance personal audio) takes a moment to interview Head-Fi founder Jude Mansilla and CanJam Global head Ethan Opolion.

This is Part 2 of a two-part interview. Click here to return to Part 1

Hi-Fi+: How did the idea for holding CanJam events originate and when was the first CanJam held?

JM and EO: What we now call CanJam stems from a community-organized event in 2006 that was called the National Head-Fi Meet. There had been a growing number of locally organized Head-Fi Meets, and an enterprising team from our New York community thought a national-class event was possible, and organized the National Head-Fi Meet (also with the help of Tyll Hertsens, then of HeadRoom Corporation, and now of InnerFidelity). The following year, it was called HeadFest in California. In 2008, it was called CanJam for the first time. Since then, CanJams have taken place in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, London, Singapore, and at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver.

Hi-Fi+: What is the relationship between Head-Fi and CanJam Global? Who takes the lead role in planning CanJam events?

JM: As the CanJam events grew in scale, we needed to bring someone in full-time to organize the events. Ethan (Opolion) had organized and co-organized several successful large-scale meets over a period of years, and we worked together on CanJam SoCal 2015, so he joined us full-time to manage our CanJam Global operations.

EO: CanJam Global is owned and produced by Head-Fi.org. I take the lead in planning and managing all of the CanJam Global events with the strong support of Jude and the entire Head-Fi team.

Hi-Fi+: In what locations are CanJam events presently held? What new locations are you considering for the future?

EO: CanJam Global locations are currently New York City, Singapore, Los Angeles, London, and Denver (RMAF). We specifically look for venues that are in prime locations in city centres as CanJam is more than just an audio trade show event. It’s a gathering of the Head-Fi community at large. With exhibitors and show attendees sometimes traveling great distances, it’s great to offer them the additional amenities of being in locations where they can enjoy themselves outside of the event. This is why, for example, our CanJam NYC event is held in Times Square.

We’re currently evaluating several additional opportunities and will likely be adding 1-2 additional CanJam locations in 2018.

Hi-Fi+: Do CanJam events appeal primarily to Head-Fi ‘insiders’ or do they also attract newcomers looking to learn more about headphones and personal audio—or perhaps a bit of both?

EO: That’s an excellent question. There is definitely an element of both. We have many of our local Head-Fi members that will attend CanJam and also have Head-Fi members that will travel in. For example, our CanJam Singapore event attracts visitors from the entire region including China, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Australia, and others. More recently, we’re seeing a trend of newcomers visiting the shows and this is exciting for us as the word gets out. From our perspective, anyone that enjoys listening to music can find something that can enhance their music listening experience at CanJam.

Hi-Fi+: CanJam London is rapidly approaching. What can attendees look forward to seeing, hearing, and doing at the event?

EO: CanJam London is coming up on July 15-16 at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in Central London. It will be our biggest CanJam London event yet and we’re very excited about it. We’ll have the world’s most exclusive headphone system, the Sennheiser HE 1 on hand, as well as the exclusive private demos of the Smyth Research A16 Realizer, and the final production unit of the Sonoma Acoustics Model One electrostatic headphone system. Some notable products to check out include the new STAX SRM-T8000 amplifier, the new Chord Hugo 2 DAC/amp, the new flagship Astell+Kern A&Ultima SP1000 portable player, and the new Tia Fourte flagship earphone from 64 Audio.

Hi-Fi+: When you listen to music for personal enjoyment (and not for work), do you listen through speaker-based systems, or through headphone or earphone based systems, or perhaps all of the above—depending on your mood or the setting?

JM: I listen to loudspeakers when I can. Currently I use the KEF LS50. I also have a Naim MuSo at the office. I’m currently looking to add some active studio monitors, but haven’t yet decided on which ones to go with.

Overwhelmingly, though, I listen through headphones and in-ear monitors—they suit my lifestyle more. I’m a Head-Fi’er!

EO: I’m passionate about music and listen to music every day. While I do have a nice pair of Neumann studio monitors on my desk, I primarily listen to music through headphones.

Win! Fabulous HiFiMAN headphones and Digital Audio Players worth £3,490!

We’ve teamed up with those wonderful folks at HiFiMAN for a chance to win one of ten excellent prizes. Ten lucky winners will be selected at random at CanJam London to win one of the following outstanding products from HiFiMAN; one awesome Edition X V2 planar magnetic headphones (worth £1,099), two excellent SuperMini Digital Audio Players (priced at £404), three stunning MegaMini DAPs (priced at £249) and four pairs of the fantastic Edition S, priced at £209.

To win, simply answer the following five questions correctly, and you will be entered into the prize draw. CanJam London showgoers will also have a chance to enter at the show itself!

The questions:

1 When was HiFiMAN founded?

a) 1980s

b) 2015

c) Early 1900s

d) 2007

2 Who is the founder and still president of the company?

a) Dr Hfuhruhurr

b) Dr Evil

c) Dr Who

d) Dr Fang Bian

3 What is Dr. Bian’s PhD in?

a) Meteorology

b) Podiatry

c) Drugs

d) Chemistry with discipline in Nanotechnology

4 What was the company’s first product?

a) Fish ‘N Chips

b) Floor Mats

c) Maximus Headphonicus

d) Hi-Res Portable Player (HM-801)

5 HiFiMAN is best known for:

a) Personal Audio

b) Exotic Tie Pins

c) Bungee Cords

d) Private Jets

To answer, please send an email to [email protected], placing the words ‘HiFiMAN competion’ as the subject line. Alternatively, please send your answer on a postcard (including your name, address, and contact details) to HiFiMAN Competition, Absolute Multimedia (UK) Ltd, Unit 3, Sandleheath Industrial Estate, Fordingbridge, Hampshire, SP6 1PA, UK

Competition Rules

The competition will run from June 1st, 2017 until July 16th, 2017 The competition is open to everyone, but multiple, automated or bulk entries will be disqualified. The winners will be chosen at random from all valid entries, will be contacted via email (where possible) and their name will be published in the magazine. The Editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Absolute Multimedia (UK) Ltd. is compliant with the Data Protection Act and UK laws apply. Our policy is such that we will not pass on your details to any third party without your prior consent.

WIN! Markaudio-Sota Tozzi Two loudspeakers worth £1,500 per pair

We have teamed up with the clever guys at Markaudio–Sota to bring you a chance to win a pair of thecompany’s excellent Tozzi Two loudspeakers. Simply answer the question below to be in with a chance to win. Hi-Fi+ Editor Alan Sircom reviewed the Markaudio-Sota Tozzi Two in Issue 144. He was impressed, and wrote, “The exciting part of the whole Tozzi Two is its performance…these loudspeakers behave like a notionally ideal point source, while also possessed of incredible speed of attack and release, extraordinary detail retrieval, and pin-point precise imagery. But the ‘big’ aspect of the Tozzi Two is the drive unit; a variant of the 75mm Alpair 5 drive unit designed by Mark Fenlon. It’s the kind of loudspeaker you could use on a desktop for hours on end without any stress, and could even be used to play good sounds in a small to medium sized room brilliantly.”

One lucky winner will receive a pair of Tozzi Two loudspeakers worth £1,500.

Competition Question

What is the size of the Alpair 5 drive unit used in the Tozzi Two?

A. 25mm

B. 55mm

C. 75mm

To answer, please visit Markaudio-Sota’s dedicated

competition page at

http://www.markaudio-sota.com /tozzi-2-competition/

Alternatively, send your answer on a postcard (including your

name, address, and contact details) to Tozzi Two Competition,

143 Hull Road, Anlaby, East Yorkshire, HU10 6ST, UK

Competition Rules

The competition will run from June 1st, 2017 until August

8th, 2017. The competition is open to everyone, but

multiple, automated or bulk entries will be disquali ed.

The winner will be chosen at random from all valid

entries, will be contacted via email (where possible)

and their name will be published in the magazine. The

Editor’s decision is nal and no correspondence will be

entered into. Absolute Multimedia (UK) Ltd. is compliant

with the Data Protection Act and UK laws apply. Our

policy is such that we will not pass on your details to

any third party without your prior consent.

AURALiC POLARIS wireless streaming integrated amplifier

AURALiC titles its new POLARIS convergence device a ‘Wireless Streaming Amplifier’, which is shorthand for a wireless Roon-ready PCM/DSD streaming DAC with moving magnet phono preamplifier integrated amplifier. It can also be purchased with a 1Tb SSD driver to act as a music server as well! Essentially the POLARIS crams several class leading AURALiC technologies into this one device. There are elements of the VEGA DAC, the ARIES streamer and the MERAK Class D amplifiers. The fact that so much is available in a spouse-friendly and compactly-sized device of attractive industrial design makes the POLARIS so much more exciting.

When I arrived home to find the box waiting for me in the garage I was taken aback by its modest size. Having just reviewed the wonderful PS Audio BHK 250 amplifier (all 38Kg of it!) the POLARIS was positively svelte. Weighing out of the box at a compact 4.5kg, no assistance is required to place it where desired.

Once placed, however, there will be some effort making sure you have everything configured correctly. This is not at all a dig at the POLARIS, but rather it is a reality of the rapidly changing state of wireless tech. AURALiC’s Lightning DS app for Apple’s iPad/iPhone, available in the Apple app store, helps tie things together very nicely though. After I had placed the POLARIS on the shelf and connected an external hard drive along with my KEF LS50’s, I fired up the Lightning DS app on my iPad and got to configuring the system. The clear in-app directions guided me through giving the POLARIS its own unique wireless device name. Next I established the Lightning DLNA server and it discovered the external USB drive and song file library. If you already have your own DLNA server, that may be used too. It took a while to import the 40,000 songs, but once imported I had access to everything via my iPad. You can sort by Artist, Album, Song, etc. as you would expect from any well-developed music app. Users of any wireless audio device should be mindful that whatever brand of wireless router you use make sure you have installed the latest firmware to improve your communication with the POLARIS or any other device you would be using. AURALiC sent along a Netgear Nighthawk 1900AC just in case. Fortunately, the Apple AirPort Extreme I am using was up to date and worked without incident. For homes that have in-room hardwired abilities, there is an RJ-45 input to make the connection. I had no issue with this either as I have the room wired for CAT-6 Ethernet. Either way, pretty soon the POLARIS functioned as advertised and served up beautiful music regardless of how I chose to access it.

And boy, can you access it! Starting with the streaming function POLARIS can access music from the attached USB, network stored files, the internal drive if installed, shared network folders and the DLNA/UPnP function. If you are a TIDAL subscriber, you can integrate TIDAL within the Lightning DS app. Qobuz is also supported. How about internet radio? Yes. It can access Apple’s AirPlay. Spotify can run via your smartphone. It is also a Roon End-Point allowing Roon to be your music app of choice. All told you have a choice of 17 inputs! Assuming you install the SSD drive, you could conceivably have the one small POLARIS device and a pair of bookshelf speakers, and access tens of millions of songs all being serviced by the world-class DAC and Class D amplification AURALiC is famous for.

But what if you have shiny discs around? What about vinyl? There are two pairs of multi-function analogue RCA’s that can be used for a CD player or another analogue device. I used my Oppo BDP-105D as well as configuring one input as a phono MM pre-amp. For this I hooked up my VPI Scout 1.1 with Dynavector 10X5 cartridge. You can also configure them to support a Pre-Out function and add an external amp if so desired. Donald Fagen’s The Nightfly [2002 SACD Rhino] served up ‘I.G.Y.’ from the POLARIS with wonderful clarity. I have always enjoyed the MERAK Class D Mono’s as being fast, clear, and precise. The POLARIS clearly has benefitted from this DNA as the KEF LS50’s accepted the 120 watts into 8 Ohms and showed off their award-winning sonics to great effect. The word I kept thinking during the disc playback was ‘clean’. It was an effortless delivery without edge. Moving on to the VPI, I played Leonard Cohen’s ‘Almost Like The Blues’, the second track from his 2014 LP Popular Problems [Columbia]. The gravelly vocals and deep bass were framed by the tonally correct piano. This song on vinyl has a three-dimensional quality and that came through well via the POLARIS.

The wide variety of inputs requires a two layer deep on-screen menu. The menu is digital-centric, so level two finds the analogue inputs. My one complaint for the POLARIS is its remote control. It is fine for volume and mute, but the small grey on black button notation made it a challenge to read and change inputs quickly until I had learned my way around it from use. Getting to that second layer of menu was not intuitive with the remote. Fortunately, the on-screen menu was easy to interpret. The single volume knob can be pressed to access the menu functions and move through the many inputs without any drama.

Digital is the primary domain of the POLARIS. Picking up the iPad and activating the Lightning DS app, I scrolled through the library and selected the title song from Jethro Tull’s Song’s from the Wood [Chrysalis, CD rip]. It fired right up and began to fill the room. The front of the POLARIS showed the song time and countdown. Guitar work was well defined. Cymbals were crisp and had nice distance of shimmer. Ian’s flute had the timbre and air that made the band so distinctive. Prior to the end of the song I selected Aqualung by the same band and the whole thing started again with another album. The transition was a lovely fade in/out and quite immediate. The cross-fade was elegantly performed and I appreciated the attention to detail in the Lightning DS programming. My time with the Lightning DS app was very enjoyable. Album art was clear and vivid. From setup to daily function it was apparent that AURALiC had worked hard to perfect this central tool.

At the time of the review the POLARIS was listed in Roon as an uncertified device, and discussions with AURALiC indicate they are near the end of certification with Roon. However, there was no lack of functionality in this current state. I use Roon as my primary serving and curating music software and selecting the POLARIS as a Roon device and utilising it as I would my primary device, the PS Audio DirectStream DSD DAC, I could navigate my library and TIDAL without incident.

This review has been long on tech and a bit short on musical impression primarily due to the extraordinary nature of the convergence represented by the POLARIS’ included functions. I almost failed to mention the dual frequency Femto clock and hybrid analogue/digital volume control. Truly the tech just keeps on coming with POLARIS. This should be interpreted to mean the quality of the musical delivery was always strong and of excellent sonic character. At all times the DAC provided a near analogue performance and the amplification was fully capable of driving whatever speaker I used, from the LS50’s to the Vandersteen Treo CT’s to the GamuT RS5i’s. Never did I sense clipping or distress from the amp even during a nice long Led Zeppelin fuelled afternoon.

I wrapped up my listening with a new album from the Vancouver garage rock band Japandroids, Near to the Wild Heart of Life on TIDAL. The POLARIS grabbed the Treo CT’s and delivered a punk grunge dose of energy. This guitar and drums duo remind me of a Canadian version of the Black Keys. To me they are a musical metaphor for the POLARIS simple seeming as a Duo (Or single box audio device), but once you get into it you can enjoy the breadth without strain. Bravo AURALiC! Highly recommended.

Specifications

Continuous Output Power: 120W/180W (8 Ohms/4 Ohms)

Frequency Response: 20 Hz–20 KHz, +/–0.1 dB

THD + N: < 0.01%, 20Hz–20KHz@1W

IMD: < 0.01%, 20Hz–20KHz@1W

Streaming Inputs: Network Shared Folder, USB Drive, Internal Music Storage (Optional add-On), uPnP/DLNA Media Server, TIDAL and Qobuz streaming, Internet Radio, AirPlay, Bluetooth, Songcast, RoonReady

Digital Inputs:1 AES/EBU, 1 Coaxial, 1 Toslink, 1 USB device to computer, 2 USB host to storage and DAC, 1 RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet, 1 802.11 b/g/n/ac Tri-Band Wi-Fi

Supported Digital Formats: AAC, AIFF, ALAC, APE, DIFF, DSF, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, WV and WMA

Supported Digital Formats: All PCM from 44.1KS/s to 384KS/s in 32 Bit, DSD 64, DSD128, DSD256

Output Voltage: 4Vrms at 0dBFS (XLR) 2Vrms at 0dBFS (RCA)

Control Software: AURALIC Lightning DS for IOS
AURALIC RC-1 remote control
OpenHome compatible control software
uPnP compatible control software, Roon

Power Consumption: Sleep: <10W,
Playback: 450W at MAX

Dimensions: W 33cm × D 26cm × H 6.5cm

Weight: 4.5kg

Finishing: Matte Black or Matte Silver

Price: £3,499

Manufactured by: AURALiC

URL: www.auralic.com

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PMC twenty5.22 standmount loudspeaker

For the vast majority of music lovers the rectilinear shape of a loudspeaker is what defines its purpose; a box with square corners and round drivers is a speaker. So when PMC launched the twenty series five years ago it was taking a gamble: would the more dedicated music enthusiasts, who seem to be a notoriously conservative bunch when it comes to design, go for a box that seems to be leaning backwards? The appearance of a twenty5 series would suggest they did and that the trapezoidal shape met with commercial success. But this is also a little confusing in marketing terms. When the twenty5 series was launched at the 2016 Munich High End show, I presumed that these models would replace the twenty series. But that’s not the case, nor do the two ranges share anything more than the fixings for the tweeter. Despite the similarity of shape and size they are completely different speakers. There are clues to this in the shiny metal highlights on the drivers and the fins in the transmission line vent, and even more so in the price list. The twenty5 series is distinctly more expensive.

The main difference between this latest range and all but one other model in the catalogue is the so-called Laminair vent. This was developed for PMC’s largest professional monitor the QB1-A, an active design with four 250mm bass drivers and frankly alarming fire power. Designer Olly Thomas worked in Formula One prior to joining the company and studied the effects of turbulence on air movement. Turbulence is as much a problem at the opening of a reflex port or, in this case, transmission line as it is when you are looking for ways to make a car go faster. This is most apparent with the QB1 because of the sheer fire power produced by four bass drivers; he discovered that by introducing vertical fins or ‘strakes’ into the mouth of the vent, turbulence was dramatically reduced, which means that air could flow more easily. PMC gives a figure of 60% for the reduction in turbulence and drag produced by Laminair, so the question then becomes when will we see this technology introduced across the range? Sadly the answer isn’t ‘next week’ because it’s not just a matter of putting strakes in the vent of an existing model, as the whole bass system has to be redesigned. But given the results achieved with the twenty5.22, I’m looking forward to hearing what this will do for my fact.8s.

This is one reason for the new mid/bass driver on this range. For the first time PMC have adopted a woven glass-fibre material rather than paper for this task. This material was chosen in order to provide sufficient stiffness to cope with the higher pressures created by extra damping material in the line, it also allows for higher sound pressures, AKA higher volume. On the twenty5.22, this is a 165mm example of the breed with an inverted glass-fibre dust cap and a long-throw voice coil with a suspension system that provides excursion braking for the purpose of avoiding damage to the system if it’s pushed too hard. If you need that much level, I’d suggest a larger loudspeaker! The tweeter is a refinement of that found in the twenty series with the addition of a perforated grille designed for optimum dispersion. The crossover is built on thick glass fibre board with chunky copper tracks and a 1.8kHz crossover point. It sits behind an attractively shiny non-magnetic, stainless back panel that bears just a single pair of terminals. But they are lovely terminals: custom made in rhodium plated copper, they are a match for the best in the business. The reason given for the single pair is that it reduces signal path lengths, but what they don’t say is that the bridging plates provided with most bi-wire terminals are a serious compromise. Although bi-wiring can be advantageous in some systems, I always prefer one run of the best cables I can afford rather than two at half the price.

PMC makes a dedicated stand for the two bookshelf designs in this range, which also leans back and has two columns supporting top and bottom plates that are a sandwich of steel and damping compound to minimise ringing.

As far as I remember, I Blu-tacked the twenty5.22s to their stands and connected them to my ATC P1 power amplifier with the usual Townshend Isolda DCT speaker cable and then had what can only be described as a musical black out. The next thing I knew was that several hours had passed and I had listened to loads of tracks, pretty well all of them sounding more subtle, interesting, and attention grabbing than usual… and with no intoxicants to hand except tea. Now I know that tea can be pretty strong stuff, but it’s unusual to disappear down a worm hole of this depth with most affordable loudspeakers. Luckily I managed to scribble down a few notes, the gist of them being: How can you combine musicality and detail so effectively in a two-way standmount that even a hi-fi reviewer could afford?

On the one hand, this PMC is uncannily relaxed. It seems to avoid the tendency to highlight shortcomings in recordings while at the same time pulling out all the fine detail. This seems impossible, but presumably relates to the reduction of distortion brought about by the Laminair system and its associated driver. PMC claims that the absence of turbulence at the vent mouth means detail isn’t masked to the same extent and I can only think that there is something in this. But on the other hand, what comes out of the port is only the lowest frequencies and the deepest bass notes, so how does that mean you can hear so much through the mid and top? And why does it make the speaker so effortless? Because that’s what I am hearing, less distortion and more information presented in a remarkably coherent and timely fashion.

Systems that ‘time’ well are often slightly forward in presentation, so it must be that leading edges are emphasised and these tend to be in the upper midrange. But the twenty5.22 times better than most and has an almost laid-back demeanour. It changes the rules and makes me want to hear a Laminaired fact8 even more.

Moving over to a more affordable and less powerful amplifier in the form of a Rega Elex-R resulted in a clear coarsening of the sound, meaning the limitations of what is always an enjoyable amp were rather more obvious than usual. This wasn’t a problem with all material, but pianos and saxophones sounded grainy with this combination. There was plenty of control in the bass so power wasn’t really an issue, but the twenty5.22 is a revealing loudspeaker and reflects what you drive it with as well as alternatives at rather higher prices. It projected sound well, unveiling the presence in different pieces and letting me know all about the electric atmosphere of a live Ryan Adams concert. The power of András Schiff’s playing [Beethoven – The Piano Sonatas, Vol. 7, ECM] is characterised by the transients that define when each note starts and the reverb that follows. This worked well with the Rega, delivering charm alongside the dynamics. It suited the metric precision of Haydn’s piano sonatas [Jean-Efflam Bavouzet,Piano Sonatas Vol 1, Chandos] better than the crystalline piano highs of Arvo Pärt’s beautiful ‘Spiegel Im Spiegel’ from Alina [ECM], the latter requiring a more refined source of power. But there was no problem at all with ZZ Top’s ‘Waitin’ For The Bus’ [Tres Hombres, Warner], where the reverb opened up the space and the guitar nailed it to the wall, so to speak.

Going back to my ATC power amp and Townshend pre made matters more revealing and allowed higher playback levels without discomfort. I’m not a headbanger, but PMC tells me that this speaker would be happy to oblige if the need for high SPLs were to arise. At low and ‘normal’ levels, however, this is a stonking loudspeaker. It has uncannily low distortion and remarkable transparency in the context of a very even, almost relaxed presentation that reflects what you send over the wires with consummate ease. Build quality is superb, and I had the reddish Amarone veneer which looks great alongside the brightwork and the lovely model badge on the back. Despite appearances, this is a significantly better loudspeaker than the twenty.22, which itself is pretty respectable, and I for one can’t wait to hear what Laminair can do for the bigger models in PMC’s extensive range.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Type: 2-way, two-driver stand-mount monitor with transmission line enclosure

Driver complement: One 27mm Sonolex fabric dome tweeter, one 170mm long throw, g-weave cone mid-bass driver

Frequency response: 39Hz–25kHz

Crossover frequency: 1.8kHz

Impedance: 8 Ohms

Sensitivity: 89dB/1W/1m

Dimensions (H×W×D): 410× 92×373mm (Incl. binding posts + 9mm grille)

Weight: 10kg/each

Finishes: Oak, Walnut, Amarone, Diamond Black

Price: £2,450/pair

Matching stands: £295/pair

Manufacturer: PMC Ltd.

Tel: +44(0)1767 686300

URL: www.pmc-speakers.com

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Clearer Audio Silver-Line Optimus Reference 75 digital cable

Perhaps one of the most underrated cables in audio, the good ol’ 75 Ohm coaxial digital interconnect is beset on the one hand by those who think it a ‘legacy’ connection, and on the other by those who dismiss any implication that better audio performance can be had by a product that simply passes a digital datastream. It’s all ones and noughts after all, isn’t it?

Clearer Audio makes a strong case for the defence in both cases. In terms of ‘legacy’, while the need to hook a CD player to a DAC is beginning to become a touch out of date, the seemingly unstoppable rise (and ever increasing specifications) of the media player mean it’s not time to count coaxial out just yet. Meanwhile, the ‘bits is bits’ argument is harder to overcome; it should evaporate in the listening test stage when comparing the Silver-Line Optimus Reference 75 digital interconnect to other cables, but there’s nothing quite so robustly affixed as a strongly defended position in audio. Limpets and barnacles could learn a thing or two from some of the more rigid exponents of the ‘it all sounds the same’ club.

Clearer Audio’s nomenclature in general can be a little ‘word salad’ in approach, and the Silver-Line Optimus Reference 75 digital interconnect is no exception. Suffice it to say with that many words in the title, it damn well better be the top of the tree, and it is. This is the ne plus ultra, the flagship of Clearer Audio’s digital range of cables, and is presently only available in 75 Ohms RCA connection. A few years ago, that would have ended up creating something of a non-sequitur, because no matter how true to 75 Ohms you got in the cable construction itself, RCA terminations were notoriously unable to hit any kind of consistent, plug-to-plug impedance. This was why the digital cognoscenti all nodded toward BNCs, because those locking connectors from the broadcast industry were designed to have a consistent 75 Ohm impedance under the widest circumstances. Fortunately, terminations like the WBT 0152 Ag Pure Silver nextgen RCA plug have resolved any inconsistencies in the plug itself, thanks to their platinum-plated, pure silver contacts, advanced dielectric in the plug, and the screw-down clamping system. It’s not the only impedance-constant game in town, but one of the few that isn’t custom made for specific cable designs, and that means a pair of connectors that might cost as much as this whole 1.5m interconnect.

The cable itself is a coaxial design, featuring a central 6N (99.9999%) OCC silver central conductor, and micron-thick silver-plating over a 6N PC-OCC copper in two of the conducting braids (for the return path and the shield). The conductors are insulated by a foamed polyethylene dielectric, the diameter of which is crucial in order to make the cable precisely achieve a 75 Ohm impedance.There is an additional dual-layer active copper foil shield, and a passive silver-plated Nylon braid shield, which is said to provide ‘plane wave shielding’. Clearer Audio’s signature blue-wrapped ‘Super Suppressor’ ferrite rings are affixed at both ends of the cable, it is extensively treated through the build-up process with CAIG Labs treatment, and the fully built cable is then given a 57-hour run-in on an Audiodharma Pro 2.5 Cable Cooker. Despite this, Clearer Audio recommends an additional 50-100 hours to let a cable ‘bed in’ after connection. This level of detail is why the Silver-Line Optimus Reference 75 is not available ‘ex-stock’ but is made to order.

I hooked the cable between the excellent Hegel Mohican CD player (used as a transport) and the outstanding APL DSD-S digital converter. This combination works well, the Hegel introducing just the right amounts of ‘zing’ to energise the APL’s overall presentation, but not so much as to detract from the natural tonal balance of the converter. This combination is, however, somewhat poised on a digital knife-edge sonically, and a perfect indicator of when everything works in harmony, and when it doesn’t. And, with the Clearer Audio Silver-Line Optimus Reference 75, everything really worked in harmony. Instead of that knife-edge between too flat and too edgy, the cable helped create more of a balanced platform of digital audio. By this, I mean the cable didn’t necessarily bring a sense of order on the sound (because in the main it was well-ordered); instead it helped keep the sound ordered for longer and across a wider range of musical styles. This is no small feat; the combination of CD and DAC – though often excellent – is capable of simply failing to shine on some discs such as ‘In Salah’ from Back Country Suite by the late, great Mose Allison [Prestige], which should just jump out of the loudspeakers but simply sounds a little too ‘digital transfer’ bright and overly clean. On connecting the Clearer Audio cable, the problem was traced to the interface rather than the album itself and it became more dynamic, refreshing, and exciting. Taking the interconnect out and replacing it with a very good cable of a few years hence, and that brightness came right back.

This is one of the interesting aspects of digital cable performance. It should do nothing to the sound, but the simple expedient of getting the links in the chain right help bring out the best in even a first rate system.

I hope Clearer Audio is able to introduce a wider range of connectors than just RCA for its top digital interconnect, if only because I can see this being used in the multitude of different digital connections around the back of a four-box dCS Vivaldi 2.0 digital system. Often, that task is taken on by cables like Nordost Odin 2 and, while an excellent cable able to highlight perfectly what the Vivaldi can do, the cost of the Gordian knot of cables used to wire these four boxes together can approach or even exceed the already ‘spendy’ cost of the player. Clearer Audio’s Silver-Line Optimus Reference 75 is more than up to the task and is certainly more than good enough to let any good digital audio shine. Despite the name being a bit of a mouthful, this cable comes firmly recommended.

Price & contact details

Product: Clearer Audio Silver-Line Optimus Reference 75 Digital Interconnect

Connections: RCA only

Price: £495/0.5m (£975/1.5m as tested)

Manufactured by: Clearer Audio

URL: www.cleareraudio.com

Tel: +44(0)1702 543981

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Audio Fidelity Improvement Flat record flattener

As long as records have been stamped out of vinyl, warps and irregularities in their supposedly flat surfaces have been a problem – and devices claiming to deal with the issue are nearly as old as records themselves, whether by clamping the disc or flattening its recalcitrant curls. Just as clamps vary from simple, centrally mounted screw down or reflex designs that anchor to the central spindle, through peripheral rings, to vacuum-based systems, so flatteners span the range from a couple of sheets of glass that you slip the offending disc between before sticking it in your oven all the way up to sophisticated, self-contained devices that essentially do the same job without delaying the family roast. Perhaps the best known of the latter gadgets are the Orb (costing around £1,000) and the various Furutechs (the current DF-2 weighing in at close to £2,000) substantial devices that fulfil the fit and forget model: insert the disc, start the machine running and return several hours later to a – hopefully – perfectly flat record. And the AFI Flat might just be the best of them!

AFI (which stands for Audio Fidelity Improvement, the brain-child of audiophile and engineer Dr. Ulrich Kathe) has but one product – the Flat, a record flattener that raises both the aesthetic bar and the asking price for such devices? Weighing in at a substantial £2,695, the Flat is a slim-line device of beautiful lines, elegant operation, classy finish and an unavoidably large footprint. Built in Germany, the shiny surfaces look great and are easy to clean. It has a simple LCD display and four flush buttons to control operation. These are magnetically actuated (AFI supply a metal capped pencil, but alternative devices work) ensuring that there are no moving parts or surface films to fail over time. Open the glossy black lid and the underside is shocking scarlet, a red and white dot pattern on the exposed bed indicating the position of the disc to be dealt with. The Flat sandwiches the disc between two thick, white, felt pads. These serve several purposes, self-adapting for different disc thicknesses, ensuring even heating of the disc but also meaning that the record isn’t compressed between hard glass surfaces that risk embedding any surface detritus. Even so, AFI instructs users to clean discs thoroughly before use, which is sensible and practical advice: after all, who’s going to buy a record flattener before they’ve bought a record cleaner?

Once you’ve placed the offending record between the two felt discs and shut the lid, the start up cycle is going to need the manual – not a bad thing as, along with the magnetic actuation, it ensures against accidental operation. Set the machine running, leave it for the requisite four hours and return to discover a beautifully flattened record. If you want the technicalities then the Flat uses heat foil elements to slowly raise the disc temperature to 59 degrees before gently cooling it again in a drawn-out but precisely controlled cycle. And it works – pretty much every time. Only in one case (a viciously rim warped mid-1980s pressing that literally launched the stylus if you tried to play it) did I end up having to flip the record and repeat the process. Result? You could still see the stylus wobble as it traversed the previously warped section, but the record played without any other mechanical or sonic effect. Bottom line: it’s extremely pretty and very good at flattening records – better in this respect than the other units I’ve tried.

So, flattened records at a single pass, which is exactly what it says on the (far from inexpensive) tin. And if that was all that the Flat did then it would be little more than an extravagant curio, but it’s not the flattened records that make it so interesting. As well as the ‘Standard’ flattening programme, the AFI also offers a second ‘Relax’ setting. (There’s a user settable ‘Expert’ programme, but I have neither the knowledge nor the inclination to investigate that). No, it’s the Relax program that really makes the Flat special. Essentially a ‘Standard Lite’ setting, it also heats the disc, although not to as high a temperature and then cools it even more slowly, in a process not dissimilar to the heat-treatment used to condition alloys. Just what this does or how it works is open to conjecture, but the fact that it does work is easy to hear. I started out by treating one of a pair of identical pressings. Before treatment they were all but indistinguishable: after subjecting one to the Relax program, the benefits were shockingly audible. The Relaxed disc had a tonal and musical purity that was notably smoother and more articulate, making the untreated pressing sound clumsy, thick, and grainy. There was an unforced sense of space, ambience, clarity, and focus that made what was already a great record noticeably more natural, convincing, and enjoyable – and this on a brand new, 180g audiophile pressing of impeccable pedigree. The suggestion is that the Relax program removes physical stresses from the disc that are an undesirable after effect of the pressing process. That certainly accords with the audible benefits, but whether that’s what actually happens… who knows? What is for certain, however, is that something happens – and it’s something very good!

Suitably impressed I started looking back through my collection for older discs and examples and found the Flat to be almost as effective in relaxing 1960s and 1970s pressings as it is on current issues. Pretty soon I was simply using it on all my favourite discs, just to enjoy the benefits rather than as part of any controlled process. Which is the real beauty of the Flat. Unlike other flatteners, it is no one trick pony. It doesn’t just excel when it comes to flattening warped discs; it will improve the sound of EVERY record in your collection. It may take its time but then, it’s fully automated: you just need to remember to reload it regularly. A beautifully presented product that looks the part and more than delivers on its promise, for the audiophile who has everything, especially one with a serious record collection, the Flat could just be the very desirable icing on their musical cake. Highly recommended.

PRICE & CONTACT DETAILS

Type: LP flattener/’relaxer’

Price: £2,695

Distributor: Audiofreaks

Tel.: +44(0)20 8948 4153

URL: www.audiofreaks.co.uk

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Systemdek 3D precision turntable

History is a funny thing. It can be positive – or it can be negative. Generally speaking, saying that you “have history” with someone, isn’t good. Nor is it a fixed or finite truth, famously being written by the victors – victors who more often than not, airbrush the content as well as deciding on their own starting point. Considering just how central the three-point suspended sub-chassis turntable has been to the development of the UK audio experience, its genesis and evolution is at best murky and at worst obscured by the sort of “nothing to see here” smokescreen that any government would be proud of. Ask a Linn-acolyte and Year Zero is marked by the birth of the LP12 – the AR-XA and Thorens TD150 simply ignored, while the Ariston RD11 has been expunged from the record with all the extreme prejudice normally reserved for a Stalinist apparatchik who got a little too good at their job. Likewise, the expression ‘big three’ means different things to different people: for some it consists of the Linn, Pink Triangle, and Roksan, while those with longer memories or more fundamentalist views might include the Logic DM101 in place of the barely suspended Xerxes. But if you really want to go back to the dawn of time – at least UK ‘triple-time’ – then the third player would really be the Dunlop Systemdek, a turntable whose star had arguably already started to wane when the Logic first appeared. Which is, as is so often the case, slightly ironic, as of all the basic models mentioned above, the Systemdek, with its low-slung, low-frequency suspension was arguably the most mechanically stable and forward looking of all…

I’m not sure when ‘history’ becomes ‘heritage’, but somewhere between the demise of the original Systemdek III and the emergence of the current Systemdek 3D models (the Precision reviewed here and the bigger and pricier Reference), that’s what’s happened. Show the 3D Precision to audiophiles of a certain age and they come over all misty eyed, fondly reminiscing about those older Systemdeks (record players they were probably all too quick to dismiss with the impetuosity of youth). Of course, there’s much more to the Systemdek story than just the original Systemdek III, with the more affordable II, and cylindrical IIX enjoying considerable success – the former living on in evolved form in the shape of the various Audio Note turntables. Likewise, the company has passed from father Peter Dunlop to sons Derek and Ramsay with unbroken continuity, and the current designs are clearly the result of all that accumulated knowledge and experience, from the use of a laminated sub-chassis in the Reference to the highly evolved suspension system across the range. Look beneath the solid exterior of the 3D turntables and you quickly discover the strengths inherent in that original DNA, firmly supporting the thoroughly modern feature list.

The heart of any turntable is the main bearing and drive system. Systemdek has embraced current thinking as far as the bearing goes, a massive 20mm shaft supported by opposed magnets, running in a hybrid Teflon sleeve/oil bath arrangement that ensures not just low, but consistent levels of friction and vanishingly low rumble figures. The bearing supports a 50mm thick Delrin platter that is driven peripherally from a separate, free-standing motor pod. But showing that they are not simply following fashion, the large diameter pulley sits atop an AC synchronous motor, driven from a sophisticated external and user adjustable power supply. The bearing is of course supported on a floating sub-chassis, machined from solid aluminium and hanging from three spring assemblies that allow levelling from above – a distinct improvement on previous Systemdek set ups. The substantial depth of the platter mandates a Delrin up-stand beneath the armboard, a mixed material construction that helps inhibit ringing in the sub-chassis. The armboard itself is ovoid in shape, a stylistic feature inherited from earlier Systemdek designs, although in this case, rather than providing real-estate for the arm-rest, it is aligned with the spindle axis, allowing the 3D to accept arms between 9” and 12” in length. The substantial suspended mass combined with the spring extension is responsible for the stable, low-frequency motion of the suspension system, also inherited from and so reminiscent of the original. The Systemdek suspension has a calm, unflustered feel that gives the whole record player a subtle sense of luxury, a quality reinforced by the massive aluminium chassis, stainless steel uprights, and hardware.

Quite apart from its contribution to the dynamic character of the deck, that high suspended mass also makes the 3D precision far more tolerant of arm-mass and off-set, an important consideration if it really is going to match the widest range of tonearms. Partly with that in mind I chose to partner the 3D Precision with the Kuzma 4POINT, an 11” arm that is longer and, at a shade over 2kg in weight, considerably heavier than most arms the Systemdek is likely to be paired with. What it also offers is precise, repeatable adjustment of all cartridge set up parameters, on the fly VTA (itself a test for any suspended deck), and in these days of stratospherically priced tonearms, top-flight performance at a price that borders on the sensible. What’s more, the Kuzma’s sheer drive, musical energy, uninhibited dynamics, clarity and separation are the perfect foil for the Systemdek’s big, stable sound. The pre-cut armboard supplied (I opted for the optional carbon-fibre upgrade) made mounting the arm a doddle, and the combination of adjustable feet on the deck and the easy levelling of the sub-chassis meant that set up was incredibly straightforward – once I’d got my head back into suspended ‘table land and remembered to put a record, the Stillpoints clamp, and the arm in playing position… all before final levelling! Good thing it really was that straightforward! That aside, the Systemdek proved to be refreshingly free of set up foibles. I used it on both Hutter and HRS racks and it seemed effectively impervious to the supporting surface – just so long as that surface was capable of supporting its 45kg weight. Yes – unlike those older three-point suspended designs, the Systemdek 3D has bulked up in line with other high-end audio designs. Its slightly broader footprint might not look that much bigger, but the increase in price has allowed access to a wider range of materials and the result is a deck that remains man portable – but only just. One thing it is worth playing with: belt tension. I found that even quite small changes in the distance between the motor pod and platter had a significant impact on the deck’s sense of focus and transparency. Fortunately it’s an easy (and easily heard) tweak, so getting it right presents no problem.

With so many massive, high-mass designs dominating the market these days, the Systemdek needs to appeal to more than just the Flat Earth hold-outs: they buy Linns anyway! High-mass AND suspended? Is the Systemdek 3D Precision really trying to offer the best of both worlds? With the deck set up and ready to go it proved impossible to ignore the pull of nostalgia any longer and the first record to hit the platter had to be Dire Straits – although in this case it was Making Movies [Warner] rather than the eponymous first album or Love Over Gold. Right from the opening bars, the music was imbued with that familiar sense of pace and toe-tapping involvement, easy rhythmic flow, and direct engagement. For anybody who grew up with the early LP12 and finds current decks – the latest Linns or the alternatives – lacking a sense of involvement and musical engagement, then this Systemdek should loom large on your radar. But at £15,000 plus a tonearm, it’s an expensive way to relive your audio past, if that’s all it does. Fortunately, the 3D Precision really does seem to have succeeded in grafting the weight, presence, transparency, and power of the best heavy-weight ‘tables to the easy musical fluidity of the best suspended designs.

Where does the Systemdek lose out to the rigidly coupled competition? Reach for a piano recording and you’ll quickly find that the Precision lacks the temporal, ahhh… precision of a deck like the Kuzma Stabi M. Play ‘Slow Song’ [from Joe Jackson’s Night and Day, A&M] and the piano lacks attack or the sense of definite structure that you get from the big Kuzma. Likewise, the Systemdek lacks the dimensionality and separation you get from its own bigger brother, the Reference, a deck that throws soundstages to die for. But ultimately I suspect that these are sacrifices that many listeners will willingly make, foregoing those precise note-to-note steps in favour of the enticing flow and momentum that comes with the Systemdek’s presentation. Speed stability will always be the Achilles heel of any suspended design, but by throwing technology, careful execution, and sheer mass at the problem, Systemdek has minimised the impact, with simple comparison using the Feickert platter speed app showing a range of speed variation that approaches many rigid decks, even if it fails to challenge the best close-coupled designs or direct drives. This is after all, an area in which the Stabi M excels. Either way, the proof of the pudding is in the listening and here the 3D Precision covers its tracks with something approaching panache rather than simple aplomb. The lively, get up and go energy and momentum that the deck brings to albums certainly puts the emphasis on the big picture, the broad-brush strokes, and where the music’s leading.

The first thing you are going to notice is the sheer wallop this deck packs in its bottom end. Whether it’s the characteristically crunchy texture of the bass notes that underpin the opening bars of ‘Skateaway’, the insistent drum patterns of early Cure, or the massive opening crescendo of the Kertesz New World, there’s a presence, solidity and substance to the sound that always seemed to escape those earlier suspended decks. Throw in a smoothness and subtle, velvety darkening of the sound – possibly an artefact of the Delrin platter and certainly something I’ve heard from the Michell Orbe in the past – and there’s a sinuous sense of power and propulsion, musical progress, and intent that underpins musical performances. Running a Lyra Etna up front, with its combination of overall musical coherence, natural tonality, and exceptional resolution made for a potent set up, and while I used the Kuzma’s detachable headshell arrangement to ring the changes with other cartridges, ultimately it was the Etna that I returned to. Fleet of foot without sounding exaggerated or spot-lit, it made the most of the record-player’s sudden dynamics and its impactful shifts in density, bringing a touch of drama to proceedings, an explosive quality to drum patterns or power guitar, but also that necessary deft grace and delicacy when required. This is a player that’s at once lithe and muscular.

If you want a single disc that both demonstrates just what this deck is about and how it achieves those musical goals, look no further than the Barbirolli/RPO recording of the Sibelius Second Symphony [Chesky Records CR3 – and quite possibly the best thing Chesky have ever done]. This is classic early Sibelius, a succession of slowly building crescendos, each painstakingly assembled across the entire orchestra, building and building, one notch at a time to achieve a climax of shattering intensity. Barbirolli’s mastery of level and tempo and his deft transitions bind the fragmented instrumental voices into a single, irresistible whole: The Systemdek maintains that sense of inevitability and musical momentum, the kaleidoscope of instrumental shadings and sheer power: The result is a towering, majestic, and brilliantly compelling performance. But to understand just how this record player unlocks that sense of drive and substance, you need to listen not to those impressive crescendos, but to the quieter passages – the close of the First Movement and the opening of the Second. Listen to those softly cushioned timpani beats that underpin the closing phrases as they die away and then the extended pizzicato section that opens a new vista. Not only does the 3D Precision nail the exact texture and tone of the timps, it effortlessly tracks not just the pitch but the undulating, subtly surging changes in level of the ensuing plucked bass notes, their seamless transition from basses to celli. Instrumental groupings are stable in space and height, which plays no small part in identifying actors as well as binding the whole together, but this spatial precision is perhaps best summed up by the moment when, as the Second Movement builds, the rising swell is underpinned by a timp roll: with the Systemdek you hear quite clearly, that roll progress from left to right across the skins, each drum separated in pitch and place. This low-level resolution, the ability to preserve the scale, level, and texture of individual instruments, as well as their place in the musical fabric is what allows the 3D Precision to preserve the pace and density of each elongated musical passage, adding a gentle turn and ramping up the proceedings, whether it’s the result of an increase in level or density, the addition of more effort or more instruments. It’s a musical tour de force, excelling in exactly the area that so many systems, especially digital systems, fail – the ability to invest life, energy, and presence into recordings. Of course, both the 4POINT and the Etna are playing their part, but it’s the Systemdek that’s delivering the foundation.

What you get from the 3D Precision isn’t exactly the best of both worlds. Instead, it’s more a case of a carefully considered update on an old, established recipe, the musically engaging qualities of a suspended deck but with (considerable) added bandwidth and linearity, better speed stability, and a planted sense of substance that’s as much physical as it is musical. While many three-point suspended designs have withered and died, literally or musically, the Systemdek has re-emerged in rude health, a boisterous and highly enjoyable performer, the Benjamin Button of the turntable world.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Type: Three-point suspended sub-chassis turntable

Speeds Available: 33 and 45 RPM (user adjustable)

Bearing Type: 20mm standing bearing, magnetically opposed

Platter: 50mm Delrin

Suspended Mass: 14kg

Power Supply: Computer controlled AC supply in milled-from-solid housing. Two speed with fine adjustment

Tonearm Compatibility: 9” to 12” arms accepted, weighing up to 2.25kg

Lid: None supplied.

Dimensions (W×H×D): 495 × 200 × 425mm

Weight: 45kg

Price: £15,995

Manufacturer: Systemdek Turntables, Troon, Scotland

Tel: +44(0) 1292 319416

URL: www.systemdek.co.uk

This is Part 1 of a two-part interview.

Hi-Fi+: How and when was Head-Fi founded? In the beginning, did you foresee it achieving the level of popularity it enjoys today?

Hi-Fi+: To what do you attribute the success of Head-Fi? For outsiders looking in, what would you say is the attraction of participating in Head-Fi?

Hi-Fi+: What new developments can we expect to see from Head-Fi in the coming year?

This concludes Part 1 or our interview. Click here to read Part 2.

This is Part 2 of a two-part interview. Click here to return to Part 1

Hi-Fi+: How did the idea for holding CanJam events originate and when was the first CanJam held?

Hi-Fi+: What is the relationship between Head-Fi and CanJam Global? Who takes the lead role in planning CanJam events?

Hi-Fi+: In what locations are CanJam events presently held? What new locations are you considering for the future?

Hi-Fi+: Do CanJam events appeal primarily to Head-Fi ‘insiders’ or do they also attract newcomers looking to learn more about headphones and personal audio—or perhaps a bit of both?

Hi-Fi+: CanJam London is rapidly approaching. What can attendees look forward to seeing, hearing, and doing at the event?

Hi-Fi+: When you listen to music for personal enjoyment (and not for work), do you listen through speaker-based systems, or through headphone or earphone based systems, or perhaps all of the above—depending on your mood or the setting?

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