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Axxess Forté 1, 2 and 3

Traditionally, when a review focuses on a ‘good, better, best’ ascending trio of components, the reason for that ascension is pretty straightforward. Sometimes an amplifier or streaming platform will gain extra functionality as you head up the range, taking something rather bare bones and adding more to it as the available budget increases. In other cases, the same basic functionality is augmented by higher power, or more elaborate power supply arrangements. More prosaically, sometimes the ascending models look nicer; making use of finish options that incur costs too high for the basic model to have them.

None of these things apply to the Axxess Forté range of amplifiers. Receiving all three at once is akin to a game of spot the difference designed to induce psychosis on the part of the participant. All three models have the same connectivity. They are based around the same amplifier platform and, were it not for the fact that Axxess has helpfully written the model number on the back of each of them, I would be making no guarantees on putting them back in the correct box. Despite all signs pointing to there being no logical progression at all, Axxess is adamant there is and it has to do with a technical aspect that features across the wider Audio Group Denmark portfolio.

Tesla Coils

All three Forté amplifiers make use of component the company refers to as a ‘Tesla Coil’; a description that for those of us who played rather too many computer games in the nineties brings to mind a giant, lightning spewing device that blows things up but in this case refers to another piece of innovative thinking from Tesla. Each coil is a matching pair of coils, wound in opposite directions that results in one coil and one counter coil in close company with one another. At the scale that Axxess is using them inside components, they act as compact step down devices that respond to unwanted high frequency noise and quell it.

These coils are built in four distinct types by Axxess; passive, active, square and zirconium of which the latter three feature in the Forté models. The active coils are intended to suppress unwanted noise on the mains or incoming signal (something that they do more effectively than the passive models. Square coils are similar in function but are built into circuit boards to respond to specific noisy areas. The zirconium coils have a degree of secrecy to them and only feature in the Forté 2 and 3 models which get four apiece. Each level of Forté has more coils so where the Forté 1 has 36 active coils and 72 square coils, the Forté 3 has 108 active and 216 square coils, with the four zirconium units for good measure.

This is partnered with varying number of dither circuits, designed to induce specific noise in a controlled fashion to extract detail beneath the normal noise floor. The combination of controlled noise introduction which can then be suppressed once it has performed the required role is the cornerstone of many Audio Group Denmark products and each level of Forté adds another three of them to the package.

Same amp, three ways

This unique hardware is applied to the same basic amplifier, which makes use of Pascal Class D modules to deliver 100 watts into eight ohms. This receives power from a ‘resonant mode power supply’ inspired by sister brand Aavik that combines low noise floor with the means to supply high levels of instantaneous power when required. No figure is quoted into four ohms but none of the Fortés have struggled with the pair of Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signatures that have been on hand for testing.

Power is made available to a digital section built around a custom one-bit DAC that is bespoke to Audio Group Denmark. This claims to ‘preserve the analogue signature’ of a digital signal while offering fast data processing and insensitivity to noise. Sample rate handling is not specified but seems to be PCM to 384kHz and DSD to 256 along with MQA support. A UPnP module, USB, coaxial and optical inputs make use of this decoding.

At the time of testing (May 2024), the Fortés were not Roon certified but the app strongly hints that certification is planned. Analogue connections are limited to a single RCA input and an RCA preout and there is also a single ended headphone socket. At £4,999 where the Forté 1 enters the market, this feels in keeping with a few designs at the price but it leaves the £10,000 Forté 3 feeling a little more limited. There is an Audio Group Denmark streaming app which offers a solid if unremarkable streaming control point and Tidal and Spotify Connect are supported too. A pair of USB A sockets also allow the Fortés to read content off hard drives.

Identical, but different

As noted right at the beginning, all three amps have an identical appearance (although, thanks to the Forté 3 having a bottom plate made of copper, it’s heavier than the other models) and I’ve oscillated between being less than keen and rather fond of it. On the plus side the Axxess industrial design is unlikely to be confused with anything else. I really like the oversize black on red display which can be read even some considerable distance away from the amp and the remote handset supplied with all models is genuinely pleasant to use. The overall standard of build is extremely good too (although, as with connectivity, it’s more impressive at five grand than it is at ten).

Against this, I dislike not having direct input selection on either the remote or the control app and the 370mm width doesn’t necessarily fit with other devices but how much this will matter is going to depend on how you choose to partner the Fortés. As a person with a TV in close attendance, I feel that the do it all credentials of the Fortés would have been boosted by HDMI ARC but the optical input will work fine in this role too, albeit with less synchronisation.

Given that the decoding and amplification of the Forté is the same across all the levels it is sold at, it is perhaps just as well that these fundamentals are very good. The 100 watts of available power has been more than enough for any of the listening I’ve undertaken here the underlying presentation of this amp is very satisfying. Initially tested via the resident Chord Electronics Hugo TT2 and M Scaler via the analogue input, the impression it gives with the title track of Hayden Thorpe’s Diviner [Domino] is a beautifully judged combination of almost liquid smoothness with sufficient dynamics to convey the life and energy in Thorpe’s distinctive falsetto.

Ask the internal DAC to take responsibility for the same files streamed via USB from a Roon Nucleus and arguably the Forté 1 is even more impressive. Given it is a built in module in an amp that costs less than the Chord duo does on their own, the performance is very close, with the same compelling feeling of tonal realism and overall levels of refinement that borders on the lush without sounding bloomy or overblown. High quality recordings sound truly opulent while also keeping less than perfect material entirely listenable. Only a reduction in the perceived width and depth of the soundstage really sets it apart.

Deceptively Energetic

The Forté 1 is also deceptively energetic too. The gloriously frenzied Us on Regina Spektor’s Soviet Kitsch [Shoplifter] is gloriously full bodied but the rapid piano refrain and Spektor’s rapid vocal delivery absolutely crackle with energy. The Axxess can be slightly disorientating at points because aspects of what it does convince you that the presentation is fundamentally gentle while all the time, it is perfectly capable of going like the clappers. This is further aided by a level of bass extension that, even aided by the Bowers & Wilkins hardly being a retiring wallflower in this regard is deep, controlled and positively seismic at times.

The acid test of Audio Group Denmark’s design approach comes when you substitute the Forté 2 and connect exactly the same set of connections to the same back panel and use the usefully calibrated volume control to ensure that precisely the same level is selected. The basic attributes of the amp do not change; you’d be surprised if they did but those additional coils and dither circuits do move things on and getting a handle on what is happening is not the work of a moment. The Forté 1 has nothing you would perceive to be an audible noise floor that would require efforts to lower it. Then you listen to the Forté 2 and, against everything your brain insisted when you listened to the basic amp, there is more signal.

This means that larger scale material like the sumptuous The Olympians by the group of the same name [Daptone] is both more vivid and more tangibly real than before. The definition of each individual musician is easier to discern and some of the slight reduction in width I noted from the original DAC is restored as well. Trying to describe in writing an effect that is essentially a unique phenomenon of a single company is vexingly difficult but the closest parallel I can draw is to better phono stages and step up transformers in a signal path. The character of the turntable never changes, you simply resolve more of what it is capable of. Even this description is imperfect because the Forté 2 is every bit as lush and forgiving as before. It is at once, the same amplifier and a better one.

Repeat the same experiment with the Forté 3 and it becomes clear that while Axxess has a unique approach to good/better/best, it is not immune to the law of diminishing returns. This is a better amplifier than the Forté 2; it demonstrates particular gains via the analogue input over and above what the middle tier amp can achieve, making it a more capable device for use with a turntable and there are further gains in the perception of more signal but they feel like smaller steps forward for which a larger sum of money is required to unlock. This applies to the wider world of high end audio (high end anything in fact) but it’s made more apparent by the looks, functionality and general feel of the three amplifiers being otherwise identical.

Sweet Spot

This does mean that for me, the sweet spot of this trio is the Forté 2 but that doesn’t quite tell the whole story. I admire that Axxess has built the three levels of Forté because they speak to a different way of building and retailing product that will appeal to many people over and above more traditional approaches. In 2024, functionality alone is not generally enough to create a compelling reason to spend more on something and attempts to differentiate devices on it can feel either wholly artificial or leave some devices hobbled by deliberately omitting features to justify a higher tier. The Forté’s go about the idea of added value in a completely different way and, while I think this still results in a sweet spot in the range, I admire that they have taken a design to its logical conclusion in the form of the Forté 3.

The sweet spot for me though is the Forté 2, which sits in the space occupied by devices like the Ayre EX-8 we looked at in issue 231, appealing to people who have used one box systems up until this point. The Forté platform will be every bit as convenient and easy to live with while offering more performance considerably in excess of more terrestrial competition. This is an innovative and technically fascinating approach to the business of making an amplifier but it is one rooted in practicality and user friendliness and that delivers a level of performance that would be very foolish to ignore.

Technical specifications

Type; Integrated Streaming Amplifier
Digital input: 1 x Toslink optical, 1 x BNC S/P DIF, 1 x USB B
Output: Pre out – RCA, 1 x Speaker output, 1 x Headphones – 1/4” jack
Connectivity: 1 x Network – LAN RJ-45, 2 x USB A
Max. storage (HDD) capacity: 2 TB
Analog input: 1 x Line – RCA
Output Power: 2x 100 watts
Dimensions W x D x H: 370 x 420 x 110 mm
Weight: Forté 1: 7.9 kg, Forté 2: 8.1 kg, Forté 3: 9.0 kg
Price: £4,999, $5,500, €5,000 (Forté 1), £6,999, $8,000, €7,500 (Forté 2), £9,999, $11,000, €10,000 (Forté 3)

Manufacturer

Audio Group Denmark

www.audiogroupdenmark.com

UK distributor

Auditorium HiFi

www.auditoriumhifi.co.uk

+44 (0)7960 423194

More about Audio Group Denmark

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AURALiC VEGA S1

At the Munich High-End show last year, AURALiC unveiled two new ranges; the G2.2 is an upgrade of the previous G2.1 range, while the G3 is a flagship range at distinctly higher prices. Thus far, we have only seen the ARIES, VEGA, and most recently, ALTAIR G2.2 models; G3 has yet to enter the market. The likely reason for this has just arrived in the form of AURALiC’s new entry-level series S1, which comes at lower prices and in a somewhat different physical form to the current G1.1 models.

There are three S1 models: the ARIES S1 streamer, the VEGA S1 streamer with DAC, and the S1 Purer-Power supply, which are optional add-ons for both units. Both ARIES and VEGA S1 models have the same £1,999 asking price while the Purer-Power supply is £999. They inhabit smaller and plainer casework than the G series models, which will have helped to reduce costs, yet offer the broad range of features that the brand is known for, including Lightning DS server software, which has previously not been available in the VEGA models.

When you look at the specs, AURALiC is offering more than it does in G1.1 for a lower asking price; this is likely a response to the fact that the competition at this end of the market is getting stronger. Unlike some competition, AURALiC does not include large touchscreen panels and myriad wireless connections but concentrates on delivering as much sonic bang for the money as possible. There are plenty of options in the software; however, with both Tidal and Spotify Connect, Airplay 2 and Roon readiness, why you would want to spend money on control software when the Lightning app offers such an attractive interface is debatable.

Upping the ante

In hardware terms, the VEGA S1 offers all the benefits of AURALiC’s Tesla G3 streaming platform; these include tone and filter adjustments, a Fusion DAC with PureDAC mode operation and galvanic isolation. Its femto clock matches the 60fs of the G2.2 model alternative. It includes Direct Data Recording, which stores up to 512MB of incoming signal in memory and reads it using Direct Memory Access. Essentially, this is like a reservoir for the signal that allows jitter to be reduced and for the processor to clock the data in with minimum disruption. The only features a VEGA G2.2 offers not found on the S1 alternative are the UnityChassis II with its copper shielding, Lightning Link for direct connection between AURALiC devices and eARC socket for AV interaction. Mentioning ‘AV’ can send shivers through the audio purist’s soul, but this has a pure analogue input linked to its resistive ladder volume control, so panic not!

On paper, at least, the VEGA S1 leaves the G1.1 for dust, but that model inhabits a far more rigid chassis, which does have a bearing on sound quality; whether it’s enough to warrant keeping that model in the range, however, is another question. The S1 is a DAC and a streamer, of course, and has coaxial, Toslink optical and USB inputs for external sources such as a CD player or PC. Analogue outputs extend to both single-ended RCA and balanced XLR. The other connections include the LAN ethernet port above a USB A, marked HDD and can be used to access music files on a connected drive. This is where Lightning DS server software comes in handy. The VEGA S1 will import all the metadata from the drive to present the library in the iOS app for you to browse and play. Streamers without server software can only show the music data in the way it has been stored on the drive, which is not usually so easy to navigate.

A new feature not seen on previous AURALiCs is Tone Mode; this comes in two flavours: Clear, which delivers the best clarity and transparency, according to the spiel, and Mellow. AURALiC President, CEO, and chief engineer Xuanqian Wang says this latter adds “harmonic elements. This mode imbues the music with a heightened emotional resonance and an additional layer of warmth and richness. It does not change the frequency response curve.” Tone Mode is part of latest AURALiC’s V10 software update.

Screen and controls

The entire front panel of the VEGA S1 is a glass screen, the centre part of which can be used to display artwork, title, track number and progress or where external sources are used: the input, volume level, filter and tone settings and sample rate info. A third option is to have artwork presenting a larger version of the album cover. Those after maximum sonic delight, however, should consider letting the VEGA S1 turn off the display after a chosen period so that its operation isn’t compromised by electrical noise from this quarter. Alternatively, you can teach the AURALiC to turn the display on and off with any IR remote control via its ‘Smart IR’ learning function accessed through the front panel menu. This can make the remote do a wide range of things, including volume control, play/pause and standby, so it is a valuable feature.

I mentioned the volume level there. You can select a fixed line-level output from this streamer, or use the analogue volume control to change the output level. As a rule, the volume control in an amplifier should sound better, but it is undoubtedly worth contrasting the two; it also means that you don’t have to have a preamp at all. The playback screen in Lightning indicates that everything you stream is upsampled to 32-bit and 32x the incoming sample rate. This is shown on the play page and cannot be altered. I am told, however, that it is not upsampling per se but another form of processing.

Power purity

The last connection on the back of the VEGA S1 is an HDMI marked Ext PSU, which, as you might imagine, is a power supply upgrade port to be used with the S1 Purer-Power external supply. This inhabits a case the same size as the VEGA S1 but without the glass front panel. It has a power inlet and an HDMI outlet with the requisite cable in the box. This is the first time I’ve seen such a connection made with HDMI connections, and they relate to AURALiC using this connection for its Lightning Link inter-component connections. All will be well if no one decides to connect an S1 power supply to a G series Lightning Link port. The S1 Purer-Power is a linear power supply that offers double the capacity of the internal supply and takes over all power duties in the streamer. It also ensures total galvanic isolation between the processing and audio circuits within the VEGA S1, aiming to minimise the amount of interference and noise in the latter.

A row of buttons on top of the VEGA S1 navigate the functions on the display; some are also on the Lightning app, but many are not. You can also use these to put the VEGA S1 on standby if you haven’t programmed a remote to do this for you, a quicker and more accessible approach. Getting this streamer up and running for owners of a music library requires a procedure whereby Lightning Server scans the library for all the metadata; if you have an extensive music collection, this can take a while, but it’s a one-time deal, and it’s easy to update when you add extra titles.

After this, I turned off the various functions, such as AirPlay, Roon, etc., that wouldn’t be necessary, fixed the volume output, set the tone to clear, and set the filter to smooth, but I didn’t switch in output protection. We reviewers live dangerously.

The taut and the tame

Initially, the VEGA S1 was used with its onboard power supply in a system with Oephi Immanence 2.5 speakers and Oephi cabling in all but the interconnect department. This made for maximum immediacy with all warts revealed and proved too exposed for some of the sources tried with it. Not this AURALiC, though, which delivered a supremely engaging result, maybe not the richest in detail or tonal terms, but superbly timed with excellent definition and only the slightest hint of forwardness. I could have tamed that with the Mellow tone setting but feared that this might undermine the timing, so I stuck with it and found that it was not an issue with clean recordings. Remember, the Oephi system ferociously reveals higher frequencies, in particular.

But when I put on ‘Flying Part 1’ by the Keith Jarrett Trio (Changes, ECM), I could not turn it off, press pause or pick up the doom scroller; it had me in its headlights, and I was enthralled. I usually listen to this excellent music on the record player; I had no idea a streamer could deliver it so effectively, let alone one at such a reasonable price. I concluded that Xuanqian Wang had cracked the proverbial streaming nut (of which no one had yet heard).

Back in my regular and relatively real-world system with Townshend speaker cables and PMC twenty5.26i loudspeakers, I played something less refined in recording terms in the form of ‘Heaven & Black Water’ by the God in Hackney (The World in Air Quotes, Junior Aspirin) to see if the VEGA S1 could cope with a bit more girth. No problem; the track crackled with electricity, creating a powerful vista in which only the musicians controlled the landscape; the grit in the recording was evident but not exaggerated, and the energy palpable. It was time to see what the S1 Purer-Power supply would bring to the party, so heeding the ‘do not hot-plug’ warnings on the back panel, I hooked up the HDMI lead, transferred the power cable to the power supply and switched it on.

The effect on the sound was not subtle; it felt like the data had doubled, and the amount of musical information coming through gave the impression of moving from a cartoon to a colour photograph. It was a bit uncanny. The VEGA S1 is a stonking streamer on its own but does so without resolving fine detail in the way it can when both the internal power supply is shut down and a far more capable one is used.

Upscale

You get a sense of the gaps being filled in, which expands the image dramatically in height, width and depth and produces a much richer tonal and more dynamically nuanced presentation. This brings out the colours and textures of voices and instruments, making them more accurate and tangible. It also reveals more significant differences between recordings because not everyone manages or wants to capture harmonics and natural reverb; some would compress the sound to produce a particular effect, but at least the VEGA S1 doesn’t exaggerate such shortcomings. With an old analogue recording of Ike White playing ‘Changin’ Times’ you get the easy groove of the band, the funky blues guitar playing and the slightly disconnected nature of the vocal recording. But the whole thing hands together well. Ditto Baden Powell’s ‘Marcia Eu Te Amo’ (Solitude on Guitar, CBS), which sounds its age and lacks the depth of detail found earlier but delivers the magic of the music he made with Eberhard Weber.

AURALiC is to be congratulated on the VEGA S1; in terms of features, build and sound quality, it represents a benchmark at its price point. It is equally impressive that it only concedes one of these points when compared with the VEGA G1.1, which was discontinued three years ago. On its own or with the S1 Purer-Power, it deserves to bring AURALiC to a broader audience, especially those who appreciate that a music streamer is all about making music files sound great rather than the contents of a flashy box, for one, rather like the box as well.