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Smetana: Má Vlast

No conductor was more closely associated with Má Vlast than Rafael Kubelik. Smetana, in his cycle of six Symphonic Poems, pays homage to his Czech homeland. Kubelik – a Czech Émigré who left his country in 1948 – made five complete recordings of the work between 1952 and 1990.

His Boston account was taped in March 1971, and released on two LPs in September that same year. It was Kubelik’s third recording of the work, and his first meeting on record with the Boston Symphony. It also seems to have been the BSO’s first and only recording of the piece.  

Symphony Hall, Boston, has exceptional acoustics that produce a sound with wonderful tonal richness. Heinz Wildhagen, Kubelik’s regular Tonmeister, often used just a couple of Neumann stereo mics, rather than a complex multi-mic set-up. Certainly, spatial perspectives sound very natural in this recording.

Kubelik’s Má Vlast was recorded on four-track 1/2in tape – two tracks for the main front channels, and two tracks for ambience. For this new 180g vinyl reissue, DG have gone back to the original four-track master. However, to use this tape to cut LPs, they had to modify their four-track tape deck by adding a preview head which warns the disc cutter of loud/quiet passages ahead so it can vary the pitch of the grooves. 

This enabled DG to avoid further copying that would erode the pristine quality of the original tapes, and mix the four tracks keeping everything in the analogue domain. As a result, the sound is cleaner and better focused than ever before, with greater clarity and transparency.

The ambience is more convincingly portrayed, and you sense the hall’s air and space better. Overall, the reproduction is quite a bit fresher, with more fine detail, better instrumental delineation, and a firmer, deeper, better-defined bass. 

Among all the many recordings of Smetana’s Má Vlast, Kubelik’s Boston Symphony version has long been my favourite. A great performance with lovely sound, I played it many times before hearing another version.

In Kubelik’s DG recording, reverberation from the loud passage carries on over the quiet part for a second or so – something that wouldn’t happen in a drier acoustic. The effect is thrilling; a brief magical moment that has no equal in any other recording.

Also, in the same movement, the passage depicting water nymphs in the moonlight (around 5m 35s) is stunningly evoked by the sound’s wonderful depth and spaciousness. Has it ever sounded more enchanting? It makes other versions seem slightly prosaic and matter-of-fact…

The whole performance is by turns bracing and invigorating – lyrical and poetic. You sense the BSO were delighted by Kubelik’s inspired direction, and enthralled by a marvellous score they hadn’t encountered before.

This reissue includes the original set’s music notes, but not the history essay on the BSO. However, as a bonus, you get reproductions of DG’s original session sheets, plus a picture of the tape box. The new LPs are superbly cut, and sound impressively clean and detailed, with quiet surfaces. 

Climaxes peaks around 4dB higher than the original LPs, with noticeably greater presence and immediacy. Hiss levels are low due to DG having recently started to use Dolby A noise reduction – the original A301 processor – at the time of recording.  

Sides one and three are quite short – around 15m and 12m respectively. Side two lasts about 21m, with side four around 26m. On sides two and four the grooves are cut to within 4 – 6mm of the label – Yikes! Fortunately, the sound remains clean right to the end of side…  

The original 1971 boxed set of Má Vlast and subsequent reissues turn up quite frequently on the used LP market. But none of the earlier issues sounds anywhere as good as this new 180g remastered LP from DG’s The Original Source series. It really is outstanding… 

Original Source website

Back to Music

 

McIntosh DS200

Just as you recognise a giraffe when you see one, it’s difficult to confuse the work of McIntosh Laboratory, Inc of Binghamton, NY, with that of any other hi-fi brand. In fact, the company established its industrial design vocabulary quite some time ago. The lack of updates since then suggests it does not consider it broken.

So, despite this DS200 network streamer-cum-DAC being a modern device, it arrives in the same guise that every other McIntosh product has done for the last 50 years and more. Whether the design is appealing is very much down to the individual beholder’s taste.

Spec effectiveness

What is somewhat less subjective is the DS200 specification’s effectiveness. For instance, consider the “audiophile grade” quad-balanced, eight-channel DAC that McIntosh has fitted. It’s suitable for resolutions up to 32bit/384kHz, DSD512, and DXD384kHz. It has been chosen, according to the company, due to its “huge dynamic range’ and “low distortion”.

Getting digital audio information to that impressive DAC can be done in several ways. Physical connectivity includes a pair of digital coaxial inputs (supporting up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution) and a pair of digital optical inputs (with the same resolution). There’s a balanced AES/EBU input (24bit/192kHz once again) and a USB-B that can extend all the way to 32bit/384kHz, DSD512 and DXD384kHz. An HDMI ARC socket allows your television to become part of your system. There’s also a proprietary McIntosh MCT connection – it enables the company’s CD/SACD transports to bypass the limitation that SACD is not preferred for S/PDIF output. Finally, an Ethernet socket provides robust network connectivity.

The wireless equivalents extend to Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD codec compatibility and dual-band Wi-Fi. A Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection to your router enables the DS200 to function with Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Qobuz Connect and TIDAL Connect. Furthermore, the McIntosh is not only Roon Ready but also Roon Tested.

Put simply, it does the lot!

Outputs

Retrieving the audio once the DAC has completed its function can be done using a pair of unbalanced RCA sockets or a pair of balanced XLR sockets. It’s the (admittedly predictable) presence of these analogue outputs that makes me ponder why there are no analogue inputs. Both sets of analogue outputs can be configured for fixed or variable gain. This means the DS200 is poised to operate as a pre-amplifier alongside a power amp. However, it is not a full-system preamp, and is only for digital sources.

McIntosh Labs DS200 Streaming DAC-01

As for the usual McIntosh-isms of glowing green Gothic script, bright blue display, and black glass fascia, it is very much business as usual – and given the enduring success of McIntosh, ‘business is usual’ is precisely what people want. Even the fact that the glass faceplate collects fingerprints with a zeal more readily associated with a crime scene investigator could be viewed positively by McIntosh users, as it gives them an excuse to make their DS200 even shinier.

Control buttons cover the major functions like ‘power on/off’, ‘Bluetooth pairing’, and various playback controls—they operate with a pleasing positivity, much like the little remote control handset provided, which duplicates many of these functions. However, the turn/push controls, one on either side of the central display, managing volume level, input selection, and access to the menus, do not share that positive feel.

The third option

Then, there is the display. We live in a world where network audio streamers at virtually every price point either lack a display altogether or feature a bright, crisply rendered, and colourful display for album artwork and other elements. McIntosh, however, has decided there’s a third option. The DS200 is equipped with a dot-matrix display, which might seem ‘retro’ but once again is part of McIntosh’s ‘kerb appeal’.

With the DS200 connected via its unbalanced RCAs to a Naim Uniti Star serving as an amplifier and a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature floorstanders at the end of the chain, it’s not difficult to overlook the concerns regarding the perceived value of the aesthetics and instead focus on the exceptional quality of the sound this streamer produces. Whether streaming high-resolution content from network-attached storage, enjoying the best TIDAL Connect has to offer, or even using Bluetooth with the aptX HD codec, the McIntosh provides one of the most complete and thoroughly satisfying ways to access digital audio content that this kind of investment can procure.  

Switch between a 24-bit/192 kHz FLAC file of Bruckner’s Symphony No.9 recorded by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Manfred Honeck [Reference Recordings] and a 24-bit/96 kHz FLAC file of Lite Spots by Kaytranada [XL], and you’ll learn almost everything there is to learn about the way the DS200 goes about things. The sound it produces is quite strongly at odds with its unrefined appearance.

Deftly naturalistic

In every circumstance, the DS200 is deftly naturalistic, maintains an utterly convincing tonal balance, and has a similarly judicious frequency response. From the profoundly deep bass to the bright and substantial treble, the McIntosh offers an even-handed listening experience. The ability to extract a significant amount of detail from recordings is a definite advantage. The DS200 maintains a well-balanced overall picture while keeping a vigilant eye on the most transient, minor, and tangential details. If the information is available to be revealed, it will undoubtedly be, along with the appropriate weighting and context. This fine detail retrieval only serves to enhance the overall recording; it is never the focal point.

The significant dynamic shifts so beloved of a massed symphony orchestra are described in full and conveyed with the sort of casual authority that denotes effectively limitless headroom. The more nuanced dynamics of harmonic variation that the same orchestra indulges in are handled with similar command. There’s a latent potency to the McIntosh that is even more effective because it’s no shouter—only large swings in intensity or outright attack prompt the DS200 to engage the afterburners. Yet it doesn’t lack subtlety—there’s a nimbleness and lightness of touch that stand in contrast to the machine’s brooding presence.  

Having said that, there’s no denying the DS200’s considerable low-frequency presence, nor its ability to deliver an implacable force when a recording demands it. It addresses bass information with precise positivity and pays just as much attention to decay, ensuring that rhythmic expression remains coherent and confident. Above, there’s eloquence in the midrange reproduction, along with an abundance of detail that reveals a singer’s character and technique. At the top end, the McIntosh achieves an endlessly pleasing balance between brilliance and substance at the onset of treble sounds, expertly controlling their decay.

Our main weapon is spaciousness

All of this takes place on a soundstage that is spacious and reasonably deep, almost fanatically defined, and provides ample elbow room for every member of this orchestra I keep referencing to perform their part unhindered by the instrumentalist next to them. This organisation and separation do not come at the expense of unity, however – the DS200 possesses the happy knack of offering a genuine sense of togetherness, of singularity, to recordings. The sense of performance is always strong. 

McIntosh products have a distinct set of design criteria that sets them apart from the audio zeitgeist. And the DS200 meets those criteria perfectly. But more importantly, if the sound of your digital audio content is paramount, this network player truly demands to be heard. 

Technical specifications

  • Type: network streamer/preamplifier/DAC
  • Analogue inputs: none
  • Digital inputs: Ethernet; 2 x digital coaxial; 2 x digital optical; AES/EBU; MCT; USB-B; HDMI ARC; dual-band wi-fi; Bluetooth
  • DAC resolution and supported digital formats: 32bit/384kHz PCM; DSD512 (inc dff/dsf/dst); DXD384kHz. APE; FLAC; MP3; Ogg; WAV
  • Music services and wi-fi inputs: Apple AirPlay; Google Cast; Roon; Spotify Connect; TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect
  • Analogue outputs: Balanced XLR; unbalanced RCA
  • Digital outputs: none
  • Frequency response: Hz – 60kHz
  • Distortion (THD + noise): 0.005%
  • User interface: ascia controls; remote control handset
  • Dimensions (H×W×D): 52 x 445 x 432mm
  • Weight: 9.3kg
  • Price: 5,890, €5,990, $4,000

Manufacturer

McIntosh Labs

mcintoshlabs.com 

UK distributor

Fine Sounds

finesounds.com

+44(0)7714 232033

More from McIntosh Labs

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Chord Electronics Alto

The Chord Electronics Alto occupies that dimly lit nether region between the Pro Audio and Domestic Hi-Fi realms. It is designed as a headphone amplifier for studio use. Moreover, it can also drive studio monitors. The Alto features banana plugs on the rear panel and delivers 50 watts per channel into a four-ohm load. It also delivers 25 watts into an eight-ohm load. Additionally, it caters to audiophiles seeking to achieve the best possible results from their headphones. 

The technology in the Alto is a simplified version of that found in Chord’s Ultima Range of power and pre-amps. They utilise the same dual feed-forward error correction and ultra-high frequency switching power supplies. This technology originated from a paper written by Malcolm Hawksford at the University of Essex. Bob Cordell developed it at Bell Labs, with the responsibility being passed to Chord Electronics. 

Essentially, Ultima uses two additional amplifier circuits to monitor and correct the difference between the output of the reference input. Both inputs are fed to the MOSFETs, and the output of the power MOSFETs is also considered. If there is a difference between the two, the circuit adds a “difference signal” to the input of the MOSFETs to correct the error. This is then returned as part of the amplifier’s global feedback.

Uncompromising

It is an uncompromising approach to making an amplifier. However, Chord’s founder, John Franks, came from an avionics background (Raytheon, AT&T and Marconi), where exacting standards are crucial to safety. Therefore, ‘uncompromising’ has long been integral to Chord Electronics’ fundamental product design ethos.

I am aware of a few studios that use the Chord DAVE as a DAC. However, as a regular user of the DAVE, I must admit that the built-in headphone amplifier seems somewhat less impressive than the DAC section. Thus, the Alto serves as a great companion for the DAVE in terms of headphones. It is also useful for any other DAC, while providing a studio with a high-quality power amplifier for small to medium-sized studio monitors. With dimensions roughly equivalent to an A5 piece of paper (20 x 5.7 x 21.5cm WxHxD), it qualifies for the ‘portable’ category. Moreover, the Alto enables a recording engineer to master ‘on the fly’ and allows a home user to achieve excellent sound from a DAC alongside this headphone amplifier. 

Socket set

On the front panel, the Alto features four different headphone sockets: a 3.5mm jack, two 6.35mm sockets, and – a new addition for Chord – a 4.4mm Pentaconn connection for balanced high-end headphones. However, the Alto itself is not a balanced design, so the Pentaconn connection is pseudo-balanced. The rear panel features balanced XLR outputs. These can connect to a power amplifier or additional Alto headphone amps in ‘joint output mode’. However, you cannot drive headphones and speakers simultaneously. 

A robust 12-volt, 12.5-amp switch-mode external power supply powers the unit. It also features a high-quality metal remote control unit that provides general functionality.

I am a great fan of what Chord have been doing over the last few decades. The company’s contribution to DAC technology puts the brand right to the top of world-leaders in the field. The Alto is a product which sits comfortably with what Chord has already achieved. It is a useful adjunct to someone hoping to squeeze out some extra performance from their existing Chord DAC.

Sound quality

I used the Alto in my current system. This system includes a dCS Bartók DAC, a classic Naim Audio NAT01 tuner, a Townshend Allegri Reference preamplifier, a VAC Signature 200 iQ power amplifier, and Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4 loudspeakers. It also features a pair of Sennheiser HD800 headphones, which are my go-to models.

First impressions of listening to the Naim Tuner on live Radio 3 through the Alto with Sennheiser headphones yield an immaculate, punchy, and dynamic sound. The results are more detailed than I am used to. There is a distinct hint of Pro-Audio influence. It’s not a valve-family sound; it’s close to the polar opposite – taut and gritty in the best sense. 

I make recordings of the concerts in which I participate, and I find that live un-tampered (unmastered) recordings highlight the differences between equipment to a greater extent than mastered ‘finished’ recordings. Consequently, using the Alto has been a significant revelation for these recordings. 

Beyond the usual

I can discern a level of detail far beyond my usual fare, which makes the mastering process considerably more straightforward. There is greater texture to instruments and more weight to the sound. Furthermore, there is a sense of being closer to the action. It is not difficult to understand why the Alto has been such a hit among the recording community. It is truly transparent and provides a recording engineer exactly what they need to develop the recording.

Using the Alto with the Sennheiser headphones—wired with the balanced connection that the Alto provides—and listening to Tears of Joy by Antonio Forcione on the Naim Label results in a truly immersive and rhythmically etched rendition. The textures of the guitar and cello are both highly detailed and beautifully presented in space. Indeed, I don’t think I’ve heard the Sennheiser’s sound better. There is genuine layering to the sound. Moreover, the timing and pace are immaculate and brimming with energy. As a headphone amplifier, this is a win!

Preamp alter ego

Turning now to the Alto’s alter ego, I must emphasise that the Alto driving my B&W 802d4 produces some remarkable results. First up, an old favourite—Mozart’s Rondo for Piano and Orchestra K382, performed by Barenboim and the Berlin Philharmonic, yields noteworthy outcomes. The presentation possesses energy and vitality and brims with detail. In addition, the timbre of the orchestra is distinct and precise. The solid-state onboard amplifiers excel and sound like amplifiers I have reviewed that cost many multiples of the Chord Electronics Alto’s price. 

There is a smoothness to the sound; the piano positively glows and resembles a Steinway nearby. The transients are quick, and the strings display a genuine weight that I do not expect from a 50-Watt amplifier. There is a slight reduction in front-to-back depth compared to my VAC amplification. However, given its price, it offers significant value for money! The frequency response appears even to me; I feel confident that I could record and master with the Alto driving a pair of studio monitors based on what I am hearing.

Next up is something more bombastic: Andris Nelson and Shostakovich’s First Symphony, performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra on Deutsche Grammophon. This was the composer’s graduation piece from college, written in 1924-5 when he was just 19. It features a wide range of woodwind solos and includes music he would later reuse in his celebrated 8th Quartet. The Alto rolls up its sleeves and truly demonstrates how accurately it can portray woodwind colour. When things heat up, it shows just how tightly and realistically low frequencies emerge as the bass drum kicks in. 

Taut weight

There is no shortage of string weight with this amplifier, which is quite an achievement. The brass sounds taut, and the double basses are more credible than what most valve amps can manage. The only two factors differentiating the Alto from products ten times the price are the space between the players and the front-to-back depth, along with the ultimate ‘slam’. For everything else, it’s all there.
I haven’t heard the more illustrious Ultimas (Ultimae?), but this has certainly piqued my curiosity. 

The Alto is a veritable Trojan Horse, in the best sense of the phrase. Masquerading as a headphone amp, at which it truly excels, it is also an extremely capable power amplifier. It is able to drive not just small studio monitors but, as I found out, some fairly substantial speakers. The audio quality is ridiculously greater than what one would expect at the retail price. Moreover, I discovered that it comes into its own when placed in a high-end system. It exemplifies trickle-down technology at its finest. Bravo Chord! 

Technical specifications

  • Inputs: 1x RCA stereo pair, 1x XLR stereo pair
  • Outputs: 4x headphone (1×3.5mm, 1x 4.4mm balanced jack, 2×1/4”), 4mm banana loudspeaker sockets, 1x XLR stereo pair, 1x 12V jack
  • Frequency response 6 Hz-60 kHz
  • Output power (Speakers) 50 W into 4 Ω
  • Output power (Headphones) 2250 mW into 100 Ω
  • Signal-to-noise ratio 119.6 dB
  • THD (Speakers) 0.003 % into 4 Ω
  • THD (Headphones) 0.001 % into 100 Ω
  • Input maximum voltage 6V RMS
  • Output maximum voltage 15V RMS
  • Operation voltage 80-250V AC auto-switching
  • Crosstalk -95 dB
  • Dimensions (WxHxD): 20×5.7×21.5cm
  • Weight. 1.95kg
  • Price: £3,000, €3,999, $4,320

Manufacturer

Chord Electronics

chordelectronics.co.uk

+44(0)1622 721444

More about Chord Electronics

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Fell Audio Disc

Are there, in fact, degrees of counter-intuitiveness? Bear with me, because I am quite sure this is a valid question.

I’d suggest that, in the current climate, it’s counterintuitive to launch a brand-new hi-fi company. It’s more counterintuitive (counter-intuitiver?) to make one of the first two products your new hi-fi company launches a compact disc player. And it’s even more counterintuitive (counter-intuitivest?) to build this product in the United Kingdom, uncertainty surrounding Donald Trump’s “Will he? Won’t he?” trade tariffs notwithstanding.

And yet here we are. Fell Audio – for this is the company that’s the cause of all these questions – is a new UK hi-fi company. It has the backing of venerated British audio retailer Peter Tyson. There are echoes of the way Cambridge Audio emerged from the Richer Sounds empire back in the day. Fell Audio has been developing the products it’s brought to market (this ‘Disc’ compact disc player and the similarly adventurously named ‘Amp’ integrated amplifier) for three years. During that time, the company has benefited from Peter Tyson’s unrivalled knowledge of both the hi-fi market and its customers. And while not enough audio companies indulge in comparative testing, Fell Audio has spent its time doing little else.

Fell edge

Designing and constructing its products in the UK has, by the company’s own account, given Fell Audio an edge in overall quality, sustainability, and reparability. A five-year warranty and a generous repair window are certainly indicative of confidence.

And anyway, let’s be honest: no one imagined the compact Disc would rise, even a little, from the ashes created by the advent of music streaming. No one anticipated the format that Generation Z would champion, let alone Generation Alpha. No one thought releasing new material on CD would become as important to record companies as releasing it on vinyl. And yet, yet again, here we are. Maybe Fell Audio has read the room correctly.

On the outside, the Disc is quite carefully and almost playfully reminiscent of iconic British hi-fi components from back in the day – I can’t be the only one who’s clocked the Disc and been immediately reminded of the A&R A60 amplifier they have in the loft, even in the silver finish of my review sample (black is also available, naturally). At 75 x 440 x 300mm (HxWxD), it’s a standard width but gratifyingly low-rise, and the standard of build and finish is pretty impressive for the asking price.

Slot-loading

The fascia combines black and green illumination that evokes the look Naim Audio has only recently abandoned. A slot-loading mechanism capable of handling CD, CD-R, and CD-RW discs sits above a row of capacitive touch controls handling the obvious playback controls, and to the right of this is a green-on-green dot-matrix display. The display is above three more capacitive areas, allowing you to repeat one track or the whole lot, randomise playback, and control the information on the display or switch it off altogether. A big power on/off button on the right completes the line-up.

(These functions are duplicated on the supplied remote control handset, although this item is perhaps the only evidence that Fell Audio has built the Disc to arrive at a specific price-point. If there’s a more humdrum and inexpensive-feeling handset available anywhere else in hi-fi-land I’ve yet to hold it.)

Around the back there’s a chunky kettle-lead connection for mains power and a pair of stereo RCA analogue outputs. Fell Audio has also included both digital coaxial and digital optical outputs in case you want to use your Disc purely as a transport. This statement, of course, assumes your system features a DAC more capable than the ESS Sabre ES9018K2M that’s fitted here. 

Chunky

This more-than-adequate DAC chipset is joined under the bonnet by a chunky toroidal transformer. Just as with the ESS DAC, the specification of a power supply of this type is a statement of Fell Audio’s intent – few comparably priced CD players have such capable digital-to-analogue conversion circuitry, and fewer still forgo switched-mode power supplies in favour of something more efficient (and expensive).

I can’t deny feeling a little frisson of both excitement and nostalgia when I dig out a selection of compact discs from the archive to put the Fell Audio Disc through its paces – it’s been a while since I had a CD-only listening session. As well as connecting the Disc to its Amp partner driving a pair of ELAC BS305 stand-mounters, I also use it as a source in the permanent system of Naim Uniti Star and Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature on FS-700 stands. And while it works gratifyingly well in an appropriate system, it also stands up well in what is, frankly, an utterly inappropriate system.

Fell horses

When playing CDs as varied as Patti Smith’s Horses [Arista], India by Gal Costa [Mr Bongo], Mary Lattimore’s Goodbye, Hotel Arkada [Ghostly] and This Could Be Texas by English Teacher [Island], the Disc proves even-handed and non-judgemental. It’s not the most demonstrative listen you ever experienced, but its willingness to get out of the way of a recording goes a long way towards making up for its slight lack of assertiveness.

It’s really only at the top of the frequency range that the Disc’s mild hesitancy is in any way problematic. Treble reproduction is open and has decent substance, but there’s not an awful lot of bite or crunch to, say, the upper register of Mary Lattimore’s harp. It’s hard to interpret ‘politeness’ as a negative in most walks of life, I’ll admit, but the Disc may be more couth than is absolutely ideal.

After that, though, the news is all good. The midrange is similarly open, but where the treble is understated this area of the frequency range communicates in quite a forthright fashion – the amount of fine detail it can extract makes a voice characterful and direct. At the bottom end, there’s respectable punch and quite a gratifying amount of variation in tone and texture. And the Disc’s even, undemonstrative tonal balance makes recordings sound coherent and unified from the top of the frequency range to the bottom.

Carefully defined

It can create a fairly large, well-defined soundstage; this player, given the right content, sounds quite spacious and organised. Some CD spinners can make the Patti Smith recording sound congested, but that’s certainly not the case here. There’s no hint of the closed-in about the way the Fell Audio operates. This uncongested approach isn’t at the expense of intimacy or immediacy, either. There’s a positivity to the way it describes a stage that combines with the space it creates in the most gratifying way.

There’s a fair amount of well-supervised energy to the Disc’s sound too, a decent facility with dynamics that makes the upticks in volume or intensity in a recording fairly obvious without being in any way startling. Where the broad ‘quiet/loud/VERY LOUD’ variations English Teacher constantly indulge in are concerned, they’re more than alluded to without being made absolutely explicit. ‘Politeness’ again, and once again it’s no bad thing in the context of the product and its likely partnering equipment.

Up the ante

The control of low-frequency information, especially at the moment of attack, makes for a coherent account of rhythms and tempos. If you up the ante a little with a listen to Snap My Finger by Kaytranada featuring PinkPantheress [RCA], there’s authentic momentum to the presentation. If it’s really dancefloor drive and thrust you’re after, you may find the Fell Audio Disc rather too easy-going. For the rest of us, the ability to at least gesture towards the more corporeal aspects of music-making will be sufficient.

Ultimately, Fell Audio has done the right thing with the Disc, no matter how outlandish the idea might seem on paper. Compact disc players as capable as this seldom cost this little. Your choice of sub-£500 machines is enhanced quite considerably. If you didn’t fully understand why you were holding on to your legacy collection of CDs, well, now you know. 

Technical specifications

  • Disc types: CD; CD-R; CR-RW
  • Outputs: Stereo RCA; digital optical; digital coaxial
  • DAC: ESS Sabre ES9108K2M.
  • Frequency response: 10Hz – 20kHz
  • Harmonic distortion (1kHz): 0.005%
  • Signal-to-noise ratio: 98dB
  • Output impedance: 47ohms
  • Dimensions (HxWxD): 75 x 440 x 300mm 
  • Weight: 4.6kg
  • Price: £499

Manufacturer

Fell Audio

fellaudio.co.uk

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finite elemente CARBOFIBRE° Statement

In the already high-end world of finite elemente equipment support systems, CARBOFIBRE° Statement stands above them all. We’ve already looked at the first versions of the CARBOFIBRE° Isolation base in Issue 189. We also covered the Carbon version of the Pagode Edition Mk 2 equipment support system in Issue 204. But the CARBOFIBRE° Statement takes the concept to new standards. 

You use CARBOFIBRE° Statement with heavyweight power amplifiers and large analogue sources. However, it also features a more complex internal structure than the standard CARBOFIBRE° models. This complexity makes finite elemente’s ultimate isolation product suitable for any audio component. The company isn’t selling itself short – the CARBOFIBRE° Statement can hold up to 350kg of audio electronics. Also, the CARBOFIBRE° SD is more than good enough for sub-50kg products. Meanwhile, the CARBOFIBRE° HD has a load capacity of up to 100kg. 

Size matters

The big difference is in the internal layout of the three CARBOFIBRE° models. The 23mm thick SD has a single ultra-light honeycomb core wrapped in carbon fibre. HD effectively doubles this arrangement with two honeycomb cores, each encapsulated in carbon. This results in a 45mm thick platform. The CARBOFIBRE° Statement stands 85mm thick and features multiple honeycomb cores wrapped in carbon fibre. Reinforced inner layers improve torsional rigidity. This torsional strength might seem like overkill – it’s unlikely that your power amplifier will pull a Top Gun-esque high-G roll. However, in a high-mass, high-torque turntable, the greater the platform’s torsional rigidity, the better.

Foot detail

The CARBOFIBRE° Statement includes four finite-element CERABASE° ceramic ball-interface feet as standard. That is a departure from the SD and HD versions. These versions offer CERABASE°, CERAPUC°, or CERABALL° products as optional upgrades. There’s a reason for this: the original CARBOFIBRE° platforms are considered an upgrade to finite elemente’s platforms in its Pagode support systems. The CARBOFIBRE° Statement is a stand-alone device. It could sit inside a Pagode system for turntable users. The degree of custom sizing suggests it is ideal for such settings. However, it is more of an independent platform. 

Double bubble

At the rear of the CARBOFIBRE° Statement’s top plate is an inset pair of precise bubble spirit levels. These are set at 90° to best level the platform on its four CERABASE° feet. Its feet remain locked in place during shipping. An Allen key releases the foot, decoupling the platform from the outside world. It comes shipped with the appropriate tools (Allen key) and the high-end-obligatory white gloves in its solid packaging.

Levelling aid

Setting up is straightforward, if you level before installing your behemoth amp or turntable. Or maybe your DAC: high mass is becoming ubiquitous in high-end audio.

It might be worth double-checking a few days after installation to see if anything has changed with the addition of hundreds of kilos of audio. However, such is the solidity of the CARBOFIBRE° Statement that it’s more likely down to the flooring beneath the platform than to the platform itself.

Hands off

I’m used to the inherently ‘hands off’ approach to sound from finite elemente products. I was pleasantly surprised at how much more (more accurately: how much less) you get from the CARBOFIBRE° Statement. It has a tiny sonic footprint, to the point that you quickly hear where most tables hold back the sound. Bass seems to benefit from the CARBOFIBRE° Statement in the most immediately audible manner. There are increases in texture, definition, precision and ‘slam’. It’s as if your loudspeakers just got a bigger, tighter, and more precise bass response system.

CARBOFIBRE° Statement does not change the tonal balance or emphasis of the system; it just lets those bass notes be better defined, unconstrained, or unaffected by the product they rest on. You then start to hear the resolution boost permeate through the rest of the audio band. There is greater space, dimensionality, dynamic range and shading across the board. Yes, these changes are easiest to hear on well-recorded acoustic music. Paradoxically, the extremes of jazz trio and full orchestra register the improvements fastest. But once experienced, they apply universally.

No fake bloom

The sound produced isn’t a fake bloom in the system; that extra bass doesn’t mean added volume or a boost in the bottom end. The equipment on the CARBOFIBRE° Statement gets as neutral a platform as possible to show what it can do. And, for super-high-mass devices, such platforms are hard to find elsewhere. High mass places excessive strain on most audio platforms.

The CARBOFIBRE° Statement extracts the most out of a select list of extremely high-performance products, where nuance is everything. The company is like a Formula One team, getting an extra 1/1000th of a second of performance from an engine, resulting in a race-winning car. However, with the CARBOFIBRE° Statement, this takes a little time to parse. The additional bass information initially makes the listener think the music has slowed down slightly. A few minutes later, your brain starts processing that extra bass information correctly, so the sound seems to speed up again. I’ve occasionally encountered this in extremely well-balanced, full-range systems. Moreover, it’s almost like our brains hear this as more of a live event and take a few moments to reboot. 

More than heavy

The benefits of the CARBOFIBRE° Statement don’t simply apply to super high-mass devices. You get better bass definition and texture, as well as a greater, more effortless sense of dynamic range. There is space around the instruments and inherent honesty in the equipment’s tonality. This is true no matter the product that sits on the platform. 

Unlike many top-notch equipment support systems that wear their technology on the outside, which results in sometimes ‘challenging’ looks, finite elemente has long been a proponent of a more elegant solution. The CARBOFIBRE° Statement extends those refined lines to support the heaviest audio electronics. But even when used with products that don’t weigh as much as a car engine, the CARBOFIBRE° Statement’s ability to let the device play without sins of omission or commission places it among the best equipment supports. Furthermore, it does so without looking like an oil rig! 

Price and Contact Details

  • finite elemente CARBOFIBRE° Statement: £7,990, $7,990, €7,990 
  • Custom sizes available at no extra cost, but will incur longer lead times

Manufacturer

finite elemente

finite-elemente.eu

UK distributor

Audiofreaks

audiofreaks.co.uk

+44(0)208 948 4153

More about finite elemente

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Vienna Sound Fest 2026: AudioNostrum and VinnieRossi Present an Immersive Musical Experience

1 June 2026: AudioNostrum, VinnieRossi, Esoteric, Transrotor, Siltech and Crystal Cables, Artesania Audio, Kroma, Marten, YG Acoustics and TechDas, Wadax and Kuzma, Pilium, Teac, Tannoy and Taiko Audio and more are preparing awesome musical presentations, sharing good talks, art, design and technology.

Due to the lack of available space at the main HIGH END Vienna venue this year, Vienna Sound Fest was created as an additional platform where different international brands will be presenting their products during the days of the event.

From June 4th to 7th @VinnieRossi and @AudioNostrum will participate in Vienna Sound Fest 2026, an exclusive international high-end audio event taking place at Tech Gate Vienna, located just a 3 minutes walk from the Austria Center Vienna, the official venue of HIGH END Vienna.

The VinnieRossi Brama Series Pre Amplifier and Monoblocks will bring you beautiful analogue and digital tracks, through the AudioNostrum Saturn loudspeaker system, in a space created to experience music in a more intimate, emotional, and authentic way.

📍 Tech Gate Vienna – Stage 1.4

📅 June 4–7, 2026

Looking forward to welcoming you at ViennaSoundFest

World Premiere: The new Ideon Nous

29 May 2026 – Athens, Greece – IDEON Audio proudly announces the all-new Nous, a long-anticipated high-end digital playback platform representing a major new chapter in the company’s evolution of integrated reference-level digital audio systems.

The public will have the opportunity to experience Nous for the very first time during HighEnd Vienna 2026, where IDEON Audio will officially present and demonstrate it.

HighEnd Vienna 2026
Thursday, June 4th – Sunday June 7th

Information: George Ligerakis, Ideon Audio, [email protected]

HighEnd Vienna 2026 Locations:

Level 1, room 1.68    WORLD PREMIERE OF Nous (Ideon Audio Room)

Level -2, room -2.41 EUROPEAN PREMEIERE of Axiom DAC (Ideon Audio with Brodmann Acoustics Room)

The all-new Ideon Nous.

The Nous has been engineered as a complete high-end digital playback platform, integrating a fully balanced DAC, network streamer, and analog preamplifier architecture into a single uncompromising component.

Purpose-Built Digital Signal Architecture

Unlike conventional streamer-based products built around generic computing platforms and adapted consumer-grade audio stages, Nous has been designed from the ground up as a purpose-built audiophile signal-perfection environment where streaming, digital processing, clock management, DAC conversion, analog amplification, and power regulation operate as one coherent architecture.

At the heart of NOUS lies a high-performance reference-grade DAC platform combined with an integrated high-resolution network streaming engine optimized specifically for bit-perfect playback operation and state-of-the-art audio environments.

Its native streaming architecture supports today’s major digital ecosystems including Qobuz Connect, Spotify, AirPlay, UPnP streaming, Audirvana integration, local library playback, NAS rendering, and Roon Bridge operation, while maintaining a highly stable and very low-latency streaming environment designed for maximum sonic integrity.

Real-TimeCore™ Streaming Intelligence

The streaming engine itself operates under Ideon Audio’s proprietary Real-TimeCore™ playback philosophy, where rendering resources are highly prioritized exclusively for audio playback tasks. This dramatically reduces unnecessary computational interference, process instability, timing inconsistencies, and digital artifacts that negatively affect musical realism.

A New Generation Playback Experience

Nous also introduces a completely redesigned playback application ecosystem from Ideon Audio, including the user interface, library management structure, metadata architecture, navigation logic, responsiveness, and overall interaction flow between user and streamer. The objective was not merely functionality, but the creation of a genuinely modern, effortless, and highly responsive high-end streaming experience.

The new platform has been specifically engineered to operate as a plug-and-play environment while dramatically improving operational stability, usability, responsiveness, and long-term user satisfaction.

Fully Balanced Analog Control Platform

The Nous follows a true, fully balanced signal philosophy from input to output.

Its true balanced analog signal path and fully differential analog topology provide superior channel separation, lower distortion, improved common-mode noise rejection, and greater overall signal integrity throughout the analog domain. Combined with a precision, digitally controlled analog potentiometer architecture and a high-current balanced output stage, the Nous delivers exceptional transparency, dynamic authority, tonal realism, and spatial precision.

Unlike many integrated streaming devices where the preamplifier stage exists merely as a convenience feature, the Nous preamplifier section has been engineered as a serious high-end analog control stage fully capable of operating at the center of demanding reference-level systems.

The unit also incorporates two fully balanced analog inputs, allowing seamless integration of external analog sources while maintaining the integrity of the balanced architecture.

Digital connectivity includes USB Audio, optical digital input with galvanic isolation advantages, and coaxial SPDIF input for external digital transports and digital sources.

Advanced Low-Noise Signal Governance

Internally, digital architecture has been engineered around advanced low-jitter principles and proprietary signal optimization techniques designed to preserve timing precision before digital-to-analog conversion takes place.

Dedicated power regulation stages independently manage analog and digital domains to minimize cross-contamination between circuitry sections and dramatically reduce digital noise influence on sensitive analog stages.

Powerful, ultra-low noise linear Power Supply

Attention has been devoted to the grounding strategy, noise-management architecture, and power integrity throughout the entire device. The fully linear, ultra-low-noise, high-energy power supply ensures stable energy delivery under all operating conditions while preserving low-level detail retrieval, transient accuracy, harmonic integrity, and micro-dynamic behavior. Two separate oversized transformers, specially designed for the Nous, independently power the analog and digital circuits, ensuring that each section receives exceptionally stable and ultra-clean power.

This approach allows the NOUS to achieve a highly resolving yet natural presentation, characterized by exceptional clarity, stable imaging, precise spatial organization, tonal density, and an effortless musical flow.

The Unified High-End Audio Hub

By integrating streaming, DAC conversion, analog preamplification, low-noise architecture, and advanced playback technologies into a single chassis, Nous dramatically reduces cable complexity, grounding inconsistencies, interface mismatches, and signal degradation typically associated with complex multi-box digital systems.

Τhe result is a single-chassis high-end audio hub engineered for top-notch audiophile and reference playback systems – combining advanced digital architecture, analog refinement, operational simplicity, and uncompromising musical performance into one unified platform

Network Acoustics Introduce The Muon2 Ethernet Filter & Muon2 Streaming Cable: Streaming Perfected

27 May 2026 – UK streaming obsessives Network Acoustics complete the Muon2 reference range with the launch of the Muon2 Ethernet Filter and Muon2 Streaming Cable. These components work individually or as a system to remove noise from the Ethernet signal, guaranteeing its purity and timing to unlock the full potential of the finest streamers and DACs.

Co-Founder Rich Trussell says:

“With the Muon2 Filter and Streaming Cable, we set out to consider every component part holistically. The circuit must remove as much noise as possible from the analogue signal that represents the ones and zeros of the digital code, without losing or damaging the signal itself. But just as important are vibration control, enclosure material, isolation, and the cable that makes the final connection with the Streamer. Get all of those right and the result is something truly special.”

Inside the Muon2 Ethernet Filter & Streaming Cable

Four Stages Of Noise Filtering

Building on the widely acclaimed Eno2 and Muon Pro, the Muon2 Ethernet Filter employs a new 8-core architecture designed to operate at speeds up to 2.5 Gb/s. At its core is a new four-stage cascaded filtering system, with elements working in series and parallel to remove two distinct forms of unwanted electrical noise: differential noise, which interferes with the data, and common mode noise, which radiates EMI through the system. The new circuit design also prevents self-induced electrical ringing and features a fully integrated grounding system to draw noise away from the signal path.

Solid Beechwood Enclosure

From work on previous products, Network Acoustics identified that micro-vibration has a big impact on sound quality, so they established that the choice of enclosure material would be critical to achieve the level of performance they wanted for Muon2. After testing a wide range of metals and polymers, they turned to wood, settling on beech as the best material for absorbing vibration without colouring the sound. To realise their design, Network Acoustics partnered with high-end speaker maker Auer Acoustics, who precision-milled each enclosure from a single piece of beechwood.

Pyramid Isolators

To support the enclosure are Network Acoustics’ newly developed Pyramid Isolators. Hand-machined from hardened silicate minerals to a sharp point, they perfectly isolate the Muon2 Ethernet Filter from surface-borne vibration. The audible effect is greater focus, finer micro-detail, and a more stable soundstage.

Co-Founder Rob Osbourn says:

“Beech is made up of short, tightly compacted fibres that act like a bundle of microscopic acoustic springs, which force vibrational shockwaves to spread across countless cellular boundaries and be rapidly absorbed. Beech neutralises background vibrational noise, making it the perfect choice for Muon2’s enclosure.”

The Muon2 Streaming Cable

The Muon2 Streaming Cable plays two critical roles for Network Acoustics: first, it is the essential final component for linking the Muon2 Ethernet Filter to the streamer or switch; and second, it is their new reference Ethernet cable.

The Muon2 Streaming Cable is built on Network Acoustics’ new 8-core architecture, rated to operate at speeds up to 2.5Gb/s, and introduces our new reference high-purity conductor, which is precision wound and damped with a multi-layered cotton and silk dielectric, absorbing micro-vibrations at the source. Finished with Network Acoustics’ proprietary shielding, grounded only at the source end, works alongside Telegärtner Japan gold connectors to ensure a stable, flawless connection at every termination point.

Co-Founder, Rob Osbourn says:

“Streaming may still seem to some like a simple matter of ones and zeros, but whether used alone or alongside the Ethernet Filter, the Muon2 Streaming Cable is as close as we can get to the perfect Ethernet cable. It is audible proof that designing a cable specifically for streaming music, to preserve the timing and purity of the signal, can transform a recording into a live performance.”

The Muon2 Ethernet Filter is supplied with a 1.0m Muon2 Streaming Cable as standard, or the Muon Streaming Cable can be purchased separately.

Try the Muon2 Range Risk Free

The Muon2 Ethernet Filter, Muon2 Streaming Cable and Muon2 Streaming System Package are available for home demo through Network Acoustics’ worldwide network of authorised retailers, or to order direct from networkacoustics.com, with free worldwide shipping, a 60-day home trial money-back guarantee, and a 2-year warranty.

Muon2 Network Range Pricing

Muon2 Ethernet Filter (Muon2 Ethernet Filter + 1.0m Muon2 Streaming Cable)
UK £4,995 / Europe €5,799 / USA $5,799

Muon2 Streaming System (Muon2 Ethernet Filter + 1.0m & 1.5m Muon2 Streaming Cables)
UK £6,495 / Europe €7,499 / USA $7,499

Muon2 Streaming Cable (Standard Length 1.5m)
UK £2,595 / Europe €2,999 / USA $2,999

Muon2 Network Switch
UK £6,995 / Europe €7,999 / USA $7,999

Vienna Calling

We’re thrilled to announce that the entire Muon2 Range will be on full demonstration at HIGH END 2026, the world’s premier audio exhibition, taking place at the Austria Center Vienna from 4–7 June 2026. You will be able to hear the Muon2 Range in action in two partner rooms:

Ideon Audio, Brodmann Acoustics & Network Acoustics, Level -2, Room -2.41
AUER Acoustics, Level 1, Rooms 1.34 / 1.41

Throughout the show, Network Acoustics founders Rich Trussell and Rob Osbourn will be on hand to discuss the thinking behind the Muon2’s design and answer your questions. Do let us know if you’d like to meet up.

THE AUDIO ROOM EXPANDS TEAM WITH APPOINTMENT OF HI-FI STALWART PAUL CLEWES

26 May 2026: The Audio Room is delighted to announce the appointment of respected hi-fi industry figure Paul Clewes as the company continues its commitment to delivering exceptional products, expert advice and unrivalled customer service across its stores in Hull and Leeds.

With more than four decades of experience spanning retail, manufacturing and distribution, Paul brings a wealth of knowledge and industry expertise to The Audio Room team.

Paul’s passion for hi-fi was influenced by his father and, at the age of 15, he owned his first Linn LP12 (second hand). By the time he left school, he had amassed a collection of more than 1,000 records.

“All I ever wanted to do was work in the industry,” says Paul, whose ambition became reality when he joined Superfi in Sheffield in 1983. During his time there, Paul managed both the Sheffield and Lincoln stores.

In 1988, Paul moved into manufacturing and distribution with Wharfedale loudspeakers, before joining Denon in 1992, where he spent 13 years. He later enjoyed a highly successful 16-year tenure as Sales Manager at Bowers & Wilkins, before moving to Spendor Audio and sister company Cadence Distribution in 2019.

Paul also shares a long-standing connection with The Audio Room founder Darren Bamford, first meeting him decades ago through Darren’s father, who was a customer during Paul’s time with Wharfedale.

With his extensive industry experience and deep product knowledge, Paul is perfectly placed to help customers understand the benefits of the premium products represented by The Audio Room. From brands including Accuphase, Audiovector, MOON, Nagra, Rega and Wilson Audio, Paul will be able to guide customers through the available options and help them select the ideal solution for their individual requirements and listening preferences.

Speaking about his appointment, Paul said:

“The focus on excellence in everything they do – from the products they represent through to the service they offer customers – is something that is increasingly rare in our industry. I feel very fortunate indeed to be part of it.”

Darren Bamford, founder of The Audio Room, added:

“Paul’s experience, knowledge and passion for music and hi-fi are second to none and, just as importantly, he shares our belief that exceptional service and genuine enthusiasm are at the heart of a great hi-fi business. I know he will be a huge asset to both our team and our customers.”

Paul’s appointment marks another significant development for The Audio Room as the business continues to strengthen its position as an industry-leading independent hi-fi specialist.

Piega Premium 301 Gen2

If you are still hanging on to that outdated, stereotypical notion that the only things to come out of Switzerland are cuckoo clocks and cheese, think again. Did someone mention Rolex, Tag Heuer, Breitling and Patek Philippe? Moreover, Switzerland has an enviable reputation for world-class precision engineering in watches.

But did you know it is also home to many well-respected and high-quality hi-fi brands? Think Nagra – a byword in quality studio recording equipment and now making its own high-end h-fi products – Goldmund, Boenicke, Weiss and Soulution. Among those, we can also count loudspeaker manufacturer Piega. The Premium 301 Gen2 two-way stand-mount speaker is the subject of this review.

Lake Zurich

Its name may sound Italian or Spanish, but Piega’s manufacturing base is in Horgen on the shores of Lake Zurich. It traces its roots back to 1986. That year, Kurt Scheuch and industrial designer Leo Greiner took their first steps into the hi-fi arena. Furthermore, Greiner’s two sons, Manuel and Alexander, have been running the company since 2018.

Designed by Stefan Hürlemann, the Premium Gen 2 range was launched in February 2025 and comprises two models – the two-way stand-mount Premium 301 Gen 2 reviewed here (£2,500 in silver, £2,750 in black or white), and the 701 Gen 2 floorstander (£5,600). The 701 Gen 2 is a three-way floorstander sharing the same ribbon tweeter but with two bass/midrange coned drivers as opposed to the 301’s one. It also has an extruded aluminium cabinet. Indeed, the ribbon tweeter and curved aluminium cabinets are a common element in all Piega speakers. This is true from the entry-level Ace 30 at £1,100 to the flagship Coax 811 at £26,400. Additionally, its ranges include active wireless designs with built-in amplifiers.

All of Piega’s speakers are handcrafted in its Swiss factory. I have been aware of the Piega name for some time. However, the Premium 301 Gen 2 is the first of its speakers that I have reviewed. And I have to say I was very impressed with their build quality and finish. They were weighty and solid. The gently curving sandblasted black extruded aluminium cabinets were impeccably finished and looked very classy.

Magnetostatic

The magnetostatic ribbon tweeter in the two Premium models is the brand new RM 01-24. The RM honours its two inventors, Roger Kessler and Mario Ballabio.

Many speakers these days use AMT (air motion transformer) tweeters, which feature a larger folded-foil transducer rather than a true ribbon like the Piega. The advantage a true ribbon driver has is its lightness. Piega says the foil ribbon in the RM 01-24 weighs around 50 times less than a typical dome tweeter. Consequently, this gives it a fast response and good dynamics. It also boasts an innovative magnet arrangement in front of and behind the ribbon. This is said to minimise distortion. 

It has to be said that not all the attempts I have heard of to marry AMT and ribbon drivers to a dynamic driver have been entirely successful or seamless. Therefore, it will be very interesting to see how successful Piega has been in doing so with the 301 Gen2. So read on…

The new ribbon tweeter in the 301 Gen2 is joined by a new FSD-M 140mm cone bass/mid driver in a curved extruded aluminium cabinet. This cabinet borrows Piega’s own exclusive internal damping material and the wooden matrix from its more expensive Coax series siblings. All of which are intended to improve rigidity and reduce internal reflections and standing waves.

The 301 Gen 2 is reflex-loaded through a rearward-facing port, and the cabinet sits on four slightly compliant pads that hold it in place when placed on the metal top plate of your speaker stand.

Stand and deliver

To audition the Piega Premium 301 Gen2 I placed them on a stout pair of Kudos stands that are 24in tall – ideal for a speaker this size. Naturally, you should always experiment to find the ideal position for your room and system. Try varying the distance apart, from the rear and side walls and the amount of toe-in. I always find that a small amount of toe-in helps deliver a good soundstage and central image in my room.

Most standmount speakers of this size that I have tried in my 19ft x 12ft listening room have worked best when placed around 12in from the rear (sold brick) wall  and 16in from the side walls, and that is where I placed the Piegas to begin with.

Bass heavy

I was rather surprised, however, to find that the bass was too heavy with them in that position, so I moved them further out into the room, around 18 in from the rear wall and slightly toed in. There was no doubt in my mind that they worked much better there. So that’s where I left them. I also tried the Piega with their grilles on and off. They sounded much better without them. This may be owing to the fact that behind the fabric of the grille is a full-size perforated metal plate. That did not have a good effect on the music – to my ears, anyway.

With a sensitivity of 89dB, the Piega should suit a wide variety of amplifiers. I tried it with both my Audio Note Meishu Tonmeister 300B single-ended integrated valve amp (circa 10W) and a Chord Electronics Ultima integrated amplifier (125W). Sources were the Audio Note CDT-Five CD transport and DAC 5 Special. I also used that company’s TT3 turntable with PSU3 power supply, Arm Two and Io1 cartridge through the AN-S9 transformer.  Speaker cables were the QED Supremus Zr.

Well integrated

I normally have a relaxed three- or four-track ‘getting-to-know-you’ session before getting down to details. I was immediately impressed by the even balance of the Piega from top to bottom. The sound was detailed and integrated. Furthermore, they seemed to weave a coherent, seamless overall picture without any undue emphasis in any part of the frequency spectrum. 

From the first few bars of ‘Shine a Light on Me’ from Ben Sidran’s Enivré d’Amour CD (which sometimes appears as Too Hot to Touch), the Piega sounded smooth, detailed and dynamic. His voice was articulate and expressive, while drums and cymbals were dynamic and syncopated with no hint of fizz or harshness. Moreover, the sinuous bass line that really drives the track along came across with a weight and solidity that is unusual in a speaker of this modest size. And yet, it was also well controlled, tight and tuneful.

Change of mood

For a complete change of mood, I next played John Mellencamp’s ‘Cherry Bomb’ from his Best That I Can Do CD. Straight away, the drums were super tight and punchy without being harsh. His vocals were clean and expressive. I could follow the violin and accordion parts well. The track’s distinctive staccato rhythm was well conveyed.

Switching to guitarist Peter White, I played his version of the Johnny Nash classic ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ from his Groovin’ CD. White’s guitar was clean, well-voiced, and the Piegas provided good insights into how each note was shaped and played. The reggae-style bass line that pumps the track along was also weighty and agile on the Piegas.

Switching to a jazz fusion groove, I played the track ‘Galaxia’ from the superb Heartfelt album by Fourplay (Bob James, Larry Carlton, Nathan East and Harvey Mason). This track relies on the skilful and mesmerising interplay between these four legends of jazz fusion. The Piegas captured that well. The bass line was deep and articulate, drums were syncopated and rhythmically sharp, while Bob James’s piano was clear, clean and easy to follow. Carlton’s guitar was also well voiced and presented. In addition, the quirky rhythm of the track came over well, and I enjoyed being able to listen to each musician’s contribution to the whole.

Class act

The Piega Premium 301 Gen2 is an excellent speaker. It is detailed, dynamic, clean, and very well balanced. The ribbon tweeter is well integrated to produce a coherent, seamless sound. It also delivers the kind of bass you’d normally expect from a bigger box.

The 301 Gen2 strikes a sweet balance, free from any nasties. Yet, it delivers complex musical arrangements with poise and control, whether it’s John Mellencamp or Miles Davis.

They offer outstanding performance for the money, and you’d be well advised to have them on your shortlist if you’re in the market for a speaker at this price.

Technical specifications

  • Type: Two-way stand-mount loudspeaker. 
  • Drive units: 
  • Bass: 1 x 140mm FSD-M bass/midrange driver
  • Tweeter:  1 x Piega’s own RM 01-24 ribbon tweeter
  • Frequency response: 39Hz – 50kHz 
  • Sensitivity: 89dB (1W, 1m)
  • Nominal impedance: 4 ohms nominal 
  • Recommended power: 20-200 watts
  • Cabinet: Curved, extruded aluminium cabinet, reflex loaded
  • Finishes: Silver or black sandblasted aluminium, white varnished aluminium
  • Dimensions (HxWxD):  310mm x 170mm x 228mm 
  • Weight: 6.1kg each
  • Price: From £2,500, €2,682, $3,995 per pair

Manufacturer

Piega SA

piega.ch

UK distributor

Henley Audio

henleyaudio.co.uk

+44(0)1235 51166

Read more about Piega

Back to Reviews

Doshi Audio Evolution

Preamplifiers possess the peculiar tendency to be slightly more than the sum of their engineering. Two designs with appreciably similar engineering can yield radically different performance. Some specific models may prove to be considerably more than the sum of their theoretical components. Doshi Audio has established a strong reputation in this field since its founding nineteen years ago. The Evolution Line Preamplifier is part of a small range of components produced by the company.

At first glance, the recipe for the Evolution Line Preamplifier appears straightforward. However, like those deceptively simple dishes encountered in high-end restaurants, it is both more complex than it initially seems. Similarly, it’s composed of exceptionally high-quality ingredients. It utilises a single ECC99 valve per channel, with no negative feedback employed at any point. As such, it maintains a low output impedance in all use cases. Adventurous users can experiment with NOS/NS 12BH7 types for subtle tonal balance changes. The tubes are run conservatively and are expected to provide years of service.

Transformer-coupled

The volume control for the Doshi is transformer-coupled and manufactured by the venerable UK firm of Sowter/Carnhill. It features 31 steps, ranging from ‘mute’ to ‘max’. At first glance, this appears to be a relatively small number of increments. However, when used in conjunction with various partnering equipment, it has proven entirely sufficient. So sufficient, in fact, that it forces me to reconsider how many increments are truly necessary. The emphasis of this system lies in isolation; it effectively buffers both the input and the output, mechanically, galvanically isolating them from one another. This ensures that common-mode noise at the input does not affect the output. The differential design ensures that source equipment grounds are always isolated from the outputs.

This theme extends to the power supply arrangements. The power supply is external and housed in a smaller chassis, featuring a power switch on the front. Inside, there is a large toroid combined with extensive current filtration and capacitance. Every aspect of the PSU is over-specified relative to the preamp’s nominal requirements to ensure it is never momentarily inconvenienced.

Custom umbilical

The power supply and preamp connect via a custom-made umbilical cable designed and built to Doshi’s specifications. While the two units have been given a shelf of separation for most of their testing, they were initially positioned somewhat closer together, with the power supply situated behind the preamp. Even under these less-than-ideal conditions, they have remained entirely silent.

The connectivity is solid rather than truly spectacular, with four line inputs feeding into two outputs. One commendable aspect of this arrangement is that you can order your own Evolution line preamplifier with any combination of input and output in either XLR or RCA. This is highly convenient, as it allows you to select all connections in a way that suits you, rather than settling for a standard configuration. The transformer volume control of the Doshi acts as a balanced device. Nevertheless, company owner Nick Doshi emphasised during a brief chat in Munich that the preamp itself is entirely indifferent to whether the input or output is balanced or single-ended.

Twofold exertions

The final element of the design is the physical construction of the unit itself. The preamp and power supply chassis feature 14ga stainless steel. Doshi chose stainless steel for its strength and non-magnetic properties, which prevent eddy current propagation. It features an isolated sub-chassis to which all components are mounted and connected by point-to-point wiring. A constrained-layer-damped aluminium top plate suspends the sub-chassis, which, in turn, is decoupled from the main chassis.

The result of these efforts is twofold. Firstly, the Doshi feels solid and distinct from some of the other devices in this price range. Evolution isn’t the ostentatious sort of ‘well-built’ preamp that emphasises creating a unit that feels solid and overengineered. Instead, it is equipment required to function reliably without fanfare, on which crucial outcomes depend. Secondly, the Doshi appears entirely unaffected by placement, which is relatively uncommon for a preamp, particularly one featuring valves.

Straightforward

In the black finish of the review sample (a silver finish is also available that looks a touch less utilitarian), the Doshi is understated to the point of dullness; however, it is entirely straightforward to use and live with, thanks to a pair of displays that show volume and input (oddly, both display the same information rather than one indicating input and the other showing volume) the two displays indicate volume levels for each channel and should you decide to adjust the balance, the displays will show each channel. (They also make a four-channel unit) and a well-made remote control that allows access to all functionality from the seating position. It is completely drama-free, and this total absence of—to be blunt for a moment—strangeness has increasingly appealed to me as I have used it.

Undoubtedly, the true source of Doshi’s appeal lies in its auditory experience. This product stands out in a select group that begins strongly and only gets stronger from there. It has also shown remarkable consistency. It works well with the hARt Lab Tune Three, which I reviewed in issue 243. However, I later connected my resident Chord Electronics TToby power amplifier and then changed direction entirely, pairing it with a pair of Linn Klimax Solo 500 monoblocks. These amplifiers have varying impedances and other characteristics. The Doshi has proven to be an impeccable partner for all of them. 

Reliability

What Evolution achieves, with the reliability of a Japanese rail network, is balancing the reflection of its qualities in the connected equipment upstream and downstream, while gently imparting a touch of sonic magic—all the effort expended on the power supply results in a preamp that is entirely free of constraint. Listening to Kessoncoda’s startlingly vivid Outerstate [Gondwana] with the Doshi in the replay chain led me to realise that what has been considered an uncompressed take on the drum strikes in ‘KTO’ has been gently constrained.

The Doshi produces serious bass; not large dollops of uncontrolled low-end wobble, but an invigorating degree of borderline subsonic force that gives those drum strikes a visceral, room-filling presence. With every power amplifier I’ve used with it, into the same pair of Kudos Titan 505s, it has consistently generated more bass and integrated beautifully into the broader frequency response. 

That frequency response is, as you might expect from a piece of kit designed by someone with a background in professional audio, exceptionally balanced. Within this fundamental accuracy, the Doshi still possesses some tricks up its sleeve. The combination of TToby and Titan works well but is slightly unforgiving. Listen to the title track of Rival Sons Pressure & Time [Earache], and you will find the experience pleasingly intense yet a bit edgy. Insert the Evolution between the TT2 DAC and the TToby, and suddenly, there is a sweetness and cohesion that wasn’t there before. The Doshi opens up this dense recording and introduces a small but noticeable level of forgiveness to the top end, making for a considerably more enjoyable listen. 

No FX

Crucially, the Doshi never feels like an effects box or indeed anything other than a fantastically accurate device. Instead, it’s simply one that can take my periodically less-than-magnificently mastered music library and ensure it is always listenable. Buried at the end of The Tipping Point by The Roots [Island] is a one-take jam session. It is as dense and chaotic as anything I can remember hearing. The Doshi never undermines the spontaneity, energy, and rawness of the track. Instead, it utilises the enormous bandwidth it possesses to allow it to flow better and then, for good measure, delivers some frankly absurd low-end shove to underpin it. You can then put on Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden [Parlophone], and the result is every bit as audiophile as you’d expect. 

The Doshi Audio Evolution is one of those rare preamplifiers that possess a degree of magic in their operation. It goes beyond the unquestionably excellent engineering they feature. What has captivated me about the Doshi is that this magic isn’t a constant, attention-grabbing aspect of its function. It’s transparent, utterly tractable, and built like a lorry. Still, when your equipment might typically struggle to resolve everything as logically as you would hope, it steps in quietly and unobtrusively to enhance the experience. Evolution is a truly magnificent preamplifier that delivers outstanding results across a wide range of systems. 

Technical specifications

  • Stereo Inputs: Four in total, which can be specified in any combination of RCA and XLR
  • Stereo Outputs: Two in total, which can be specified with either RCA or XLR connections
  • Home Theatre Bypass: XLR Balanced or RCA
  • Tube/Valve complement: 2x ECC99/12BH7
  • Gain: Maximum Gain 12 dB, internally adjustable for lower gain
  • Signal to Noise Ratio: At least 100 dB below 1V, unweighted
  • Finish: Natural Anodised Aluminium or Black Anodised Aluminium
  • Dimensions (WxHxD, preamp only): 44x14x46cm
  • Weight: 17.7kg (Preamplifier + PSU)
  • Price: £26,000, €29,950, $29,950

Manufacturer

Doshi Audio

doshiaudio.com

UK distributor

Airt Audio

airtaudio.com

+44(0)1223 344053 

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Synergistic Research PowerCell SX

Building any piece of audio equipment with transparent panels that showcase the internal workings reflects a certain confidence from the manufacturer. On the other hand, doing this with a mains conditioner—a device often regarded as merely a box of air with some sockets on the back—feels particularly bold. Synergistic Research has considerable experience in this area. The Synergistic Research PowerCell SX certainly isn’t just a box of air. Therefore, the confidence is likely warranted.

PowerCell SX is, in fact, a cross-pollination of the existing PowerCell 12 and the higher-spec Galileo SX PowerCell. It utilises Active EM Cells, which are intended to project an electromagnetic field that filters and redirects contaminants. This feature is found in most of the company’s mains treatment devices. The power supply for these devices is sourced directly from the Galileo SX. It also incorporates the Ground Plane to reduce the noise floor further. 

Five Tubes

These cells appear as five carbon fibre tubes laid flat at the rear of the chassis. They are 25% denser than the cells used in the standard PowerCell 12. Additionally, they are connected by a sixth flat EM Cell, visible as a black rectangle with two silver stripes. In the standard PowerCell 12, this is tuned to a harmonic of the Earth’s Schumann Resonance frequency of 7.83Hz. In the Synergistic Research PowerCell SX, this is extended to all six cells to enhance the soundstage and reduce listening fatigue. 

Other parts lifted from the Galileo include the power supply for biasing all six of its internal Active EM Cells. It also includes the ability to externally ground the PowerCell SX. This is an interesting and flexible feature. Specifically, it can be connected to either an unused wall socket. Alternatively, it can be connected to one of Synergistic Research’s dedicated powered Active Ground Blocks.

Dedicated power

Also noteworthy is the mains input, which is via the dedicated SRX power cable that terminates in a locking type connection. This cable is a veritable firehose of silver conductors within an Air Dielectric shield. To its credit, it is more flexible than it appears. Thus, this simplifies installation. 

Another nod to practicality is that the PowerCell supports 12 IEC sockets arranged in two rows, one inverted over the other. Given the nature of the UK mains socket, there are no perfect solutions for fitting 12 sockets into one chassis. For example, I have found that the clearance between the lower sockets and the shelf on which the Powercell SX sits is a bit tight for some of the more rigid cables I have here. Still, it’s a commendably neat piece of packaging. Judged by the standards of mains treatment devices, it’s also quite an attractive one. The viewing panels are internally lit. There is an option to change the colour of the illumination to better match your equipment. The front one features a large ammeter. The overall build quality is perfectly good. And installation was hassle-free as well. 

Protect and survive

I have been using mains conditioners in my system for many years now. However, these have generally been selected for their protective properties. They keep my house safe from equipment, and vice versa, rather than for the presence of quantum tunnelling in their design. Nevertheless, the PowerCell X proceeded to do a number of positive things right from the outset. It has proved completely silent in use. Additionally, connecting a medley of items, including wall-wart type PSUs and switch-mode devices, did nothing to alter this.

Furthermore, focusing on a McIntosh MSA5500 as the primary connected device (and one already extensively ‘sighted’ on a more prosaic IsoTek Sigmas conditioner) reveals that the PowerCell X is capable of delivering some interesting benefits. Listening to the newly released Electric War by Little Barrie and Malcolm Catto [Easy Eye Sound] keeps the very deliberately rough and ready production intact. However, it slightly prises it open. This reveals what a great piece of music this is. Catto’s ‘not quite jazz, not quite rock, not quite breakbeat’ percussion on Spektator absolutely crackles with energy. Accordingly, the effect is hugely enjoyable. 

Soundstage promise

There are benefits, as promised, to the soundstage as well. Running with a pair of Sonus faber Sonetto V G2 floorstanders, the McIntosh is already usefully expansive. However, the PowerCell SX managed to bring a greater sense of order and depth to the live Acoustic Blues Club recording by My Baby [Self Released]. This further helps you truly feel like you are part of a live performance. Importantly, this is achieved without unsettling the fundamental realism of what you hear. 

Testing a Vertere MG-1 MkII turntable and Musical Fidelity M8 Vinyl phono stage with the vinyl copy of this album, while also connected to the PowerCell SX, revealed similar benefits in three-dimensionality and imaging. Interestingly, if only one of the two devices was returned to the resident PowerGrip YG-3 conditioner, there was a small but noticeable reduction in this effect. 

Repeatable

Regardless of my position on certain unique aspects of the Synergistic Research design language, the effects appear to be repeatable. Similarly, a Chord Electronics Hugo M Scaler and TT2—two devices I’ve found to be consistently immune to mains treatment—maintained their impressive performance in this regard. Crucially, however—unlike some devices I’ve tested with these units—the Synergistic Research did not negatively impact their performance. 

This shouldn’t really dent your perception of what is an unusual and rather effective bit of kit. The Synergistic Research PowerCell SX isn’t cheap. There are other mains treatment devices at this relatively rarefied price point that can feel more solid. However, the actual performance on offer here is extremely good. What’s more, there are enough sockets available to accommodate all but the most determinedly enormous systems. There’s a bit of visual flair while it does it as well. Viewing panels in mains conditioners might not be commonplace. But Synergistic Research has enough reason to show off what they’re doing. As a result, most owners will be pleased to have them. 

Price and Contact Details

  • Synergistic Research PowerCell SX: £9,495, $10,000, €11,000

Manufacturer

Synergistic Research

synergisticresearch.com

UK distributor

Harmony Hi-Fi

harmonyhifi.co.uk

+44(0)1707 629345

Read more about Synergistic Research

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