Articles Archive - Page 29 of 267

Technics SL-1200GR2

When a product in your inventory starts being associated with the words ‘icon’ and ‘legendary’, the business of making changes to it becomes fraught with risks that simply don’t apply to normal production items. The temptation to simply leave the device in question to just crack on being highly regarded must be a very strong one.

Panasonic Corporation; the parent company of the Technics brand has long held a more relaxed attitude towards tinkering with their big name products than most organisations. Having produced the SL-1200 turntable in one form or another for nearly forty years, the company unceremoniously pulled the plug in 2010 and canned the Technics name altogether shortly after. When the Technics name was resurrected in 2014, the SL-1200 returned a year or so later, almost completely unrelated to the outgoing model suggesting that Panasonic had no desire to preserve the design like a coelacanth with a tonearm. Now, it is time for the GR model to receive its first significant revamp with the imaginatively named GR2 replacing it.

Principle changes

The principle change for the new model concerns the business of rotating the platter. The GR2 is still a direct drive design, with the motor operating directly on the platter which connects to the hefty drive assembly via a single-rotor, surface-facing, coreless direct drive motor as opposed to a twin rotor unit in the more ornate G series models. The platter is still a metal casting with a rubber mat for the playing surface and it makes contact with the drive over a magnetic contact section.

What has changed is the manner in which this arrangement is fed with electrical power. The company calls it Delta Sigma drive and it refers to the means by which the electrical supply is controlled; in this case using Pulse Width Modulation. This is in turn controlled via a digital to analogue conversion stage which means that the Technics to all intents and purposes has a DAC in it. A low noise, high speed switching power supply is now used to supply as clean and interference free power as possible (while also eliminating the need for a bulkier transformer). For good measure, an active noise cancelling system is then employed to further improve the signal. The outgoing GR wasn’t completely analogue in terms of the power supply but this is a significant revision. Technics is not alone in this approach- we’ve seen a few such PSUs, but it seems to be something that upsets particular corners of the internet.

This approach is designed to help reduce vibration and high harmonics which can otherwise make their way to the playing surface where it can be picked up by the cartridge. Technics also says that the result has improved pitch stability as well although it is only fair to point out that the outgoing model was hardly lacking in this area. It has no effect on the operation of the GR2 which retains buttons for 33 and 45rpm playback and 78rpm is achieved by pressing both buttons at once. In keeping with tradition, there is a sliding pitch controller as well although some of the real DJ niceties like reverse playback remain the preserve of the Mk7 model.

Subtly different

Technics is less forthcoming about other changes on the GR2 but the revised model does feel subtly different to the outgoing version. The most significant area is the tonearm. It’s still an S-Shaped model with an aluminium armtube and detachable headshell but it is by far the most confidence-inspiring example I can remember using. Some of the slightly vague travel in the older version seems to have been eliminated and it has a precision and positivity that wasn’t always the case before. The supplied headshell is the same as other more recent Technics models and I’m not terribly keen on the sloped front edge which makes fitting some cartridges harder than it needs to be. It is easily changed though.

The only other real usability gripe on the GR2 is the placement of the mains socket and audio connections. The former is mounted at right angles to the rear panel under a lip and is a pig to make a connection to with no discernible benefit in neatness or cable fitment. The RCA outputs are slightly less concealed but still something that requires a degree of fumbling to attach a cable to and the vertically mounted ground post is also somewhat odd.

These quirks are thrown into sharp relief by how pleasant every other aspect of the Technics is to use. It was always going to be fairly unlikely that any significant adjustment would be made to the styling of such an iconic device but this is undoubtedly helped by the ergonomics of the GR2 being as good as they are. The separate speed selection and start button is utterly logical and while the strobed platter edge looks a little fussy, you know at a glance that your rotational speed is correct. No cartridge is included in the purchase price but the arm is more than up to the job of supporting all but the most leftfield options without issue.

Beautifully made

The whole turntable is also beautifully made. Compared to the more expensive G Series components that make more use of machined sections, the GR2 is more prosaic but it’s still bolted together with a thoroughness that makes pretty much anything else at the price resort to words like ‘artisan’ to describe how they are constructed. Thanks to usefully pliant feet, the Technics is fairly unfussy about how it is placed and the inclusion of a lid is a very welcome one too. As has been tradition for most of the SL-1200’s production life, an SL-1210GR2 is also available which is identical in every way save for being finished in black, and, in keeping with later production GR models, the tonearm is now black as well; an aesthetic tweak that I’m not completely sold on.

For my initial listening, I fitted the Technics with an Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge for the simple reason that much of my listening of the SL-1500C that I reviewed in issue 224 was carried out with the same cartridge and it provided scope to listen with a little context to that non Delta Sigma equipped design. The jump in performance was considerable and somewhat unexpected. Of course, some of this is because the GR2 is a more expensive and ornate turntable than that 1500C but I would have considered that the more affordable model, once equipped with a better cart and mat could have kept the original GR honest but that isn’t the case here.

The most important thing to stress when trying to frame these differences is that the fundamental character of the Technics is unchanged by the changes made. Listening to the title track of Hot Chip’s boisterous Freakout/Release [Domino] is everything I want a record played on a direct drive Technics to be. It’s urgent, propulsive and something that engages you at an emotional rather than cerebral level. It’s as utterly pitch stable as the digital file while possessing an energy and texture that is considerably more exciting.

Plenty of bass

Some of this is down to the bass on offer. There is plenty of it and it starts and stops with the same urgency that the platter of the 1200GR2 does when you press the start/stop button. It’s far more than a blunt instrument though. Even with the relatively affordable Ortofon in place, there is texture and detail present that brings material to life. Change tack completely to the huge orchestral swells of Berlin Sunrise on Fink Meets the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra [Ninja Tune] and this ability to capture the fine detail in the bottom octaves helps to bring the music as a whole to life.

This more refined piece of mastering is the first clue that the internal revisions that Technics has undertaken here have yielded results. I have never really considered the older models to be noisy in terms of their operation but the GR2 is exceptionally quiet and this has impressive results in how much fine detail that is worked into the presentation. By the time I changed the Ortofon out for a Gold Note Vasari Shibata; one of my very favourite cartridges under a grand and capable of exceptional detail retrieval in its own right, the GR2 was demonstrating an ability to find information in records and proceed to convey it in a wholly natural and self-explanatory way.

This is combined with a more intangible but repeatable effect that the GR2 is much more comfortable with less ballistic music than any 1200 model I’ve tested so far. The charming and delicate World on the Ground by Sarah Jarosz [Rounder Records] is reproduced without sounding forced or as if Jarosz has assumed the dimensions of an NFL quarterback. This is by far the most effortlessly delicate performance I can recall from a 1200 and it is still underpinned by a level of pitch stability that even the long sustained piano notes of Orange and Blue cannot defeat.

Final element

The final element of the improvements relates to the space and soundstage that the GR2 is capable of. The SL-1200 has never struggled to sound big and confident and in this regard nothing has changed. The vast title track of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s Welcome to the Pleasuredome [ZTT] is as sprawling and epic as it should be but there is more air around the recording than has traditionally been the case. The birdsong at the beginning of the track occurs in a space that extends far beyond the placement of the speakers and that lends the whole piece an epic scale. This is something that the Technics has consistently demonstrated with a selection of cartridges and running into a variety of phono stages and amplifiers. Where once the perception of scale the SL-1200 delivered was more akin to a ‘wall of sound’ effect, here there is more space around the music itself, helping to unfold and open out even very dense and congested recordings.

This being an SL-1200, there is more to be had from the basic turntable too. Changing out the headshell, as well as making fitting cartridges a good deal easier, can extract more from the arm as some testing with an Audio Technica MG-10 and a Goldring Eroica HX demonstrated pretty quickly. Likewise, getting shot of the stock rubber mat and substituting the lipped Achromat from Funk Firm is a very sensible option too. The improvement in performance is less marked than it was on the 1500C but it still cleans up the midrange and further improves the already impressive clarity. Once your warranty has ended, there’s scope to look at the more extensive rebuild options which tap into the fundamental strengths of that tremendous motor and freshly tweaked power supply.

Deeply impressive

Crucially though, I don’t think you will be rushing to start tearing the GR2 to pieces in the pursuit of higher performance because what it can do out of the box is so deeply impressive. Judged at the asking price, this the most complete and capable example of the breed I have yet tested and I suspect it has the scope to run the G Series models closer than might be idea. Panasonic’s lack of deference towards their design icon might seem callous at times but there is little arguing with the fact that they keep pushing their fifty year old turntable forwards at an impressive rate of knots.

The really clever bit is that this has been done without impinging on any of the things that make the SL-1200 the turntable it is. The GR2 looks and feels every inch the design classic and going back to simpler turntables afterwards can have you looking at aftermarket cueing lights and wondering how to rig them on your current turntable. Once you’ve made the connections, it asks nothing of you while delivering an exceptional level of overall performance. The SL-1200 might be a legend but it isn’t relying on past glories.

Technical specifications

Type; Direct drive record player with fixed axis tonearm and moving magnet cartridge
Motor 110-240v Delta Sigma controlled direct drive
Speeds; 33, 45, 78, selected by push button
Tonearm; Aluminium with detachable headshell
Finish, Silver, Black (SL-1210GR2)
Dimensions: 453 x 169 x 372 mm
Weight: 11.5kg
Price: £1,799, $2,199.99, €1,999

Manufacturer

Technics

www.technics.com

Burmester 111 streamer server revisited

In issue 97, we reviewed the original Burmester 111 music server and streamer. That was almost 12 years ago, and the 111 is still in production.

In fairness, the 111 has held up well over the years. It’s surprising how much modern heavy-lifting an audio platform from the early 2010s can muster. However, Burmester has this covered for future-proofing. The platform is upgradable in hardware, software, and firmware. The latest 111 might look identical to its 2012 counterpart, but it’s very mid-2020s on the inside. Thanks to an upgrade path, 111 owners can—and should—bring their older machines up to the latest specification.

Big Changes

The significant change is from spinning hard drives to SSD drives for music content storage. That gives it two 4TB solid-state drives instead of the older Winchester-style hard disc drives. This means no more worrying about RAID arrays or disc crashes and less latency. The other big upgrade is the move to the X-AMP 3. Developed for the new 232 integrated amp, the X-AMP 3 is a three-stage, fully balanced signal amplifier with outstanding audio characteristics thanks to careful component matching. Even without negative feedback, it has high linearity and almost complete independence from environmental or operating conditions.

The X-AMP 3 circuit uses components within a very narrow tolerance range. These are selected according to rigorous standards, with the transistors in the circuit subject to intense scrutiny. In addition, the shielding aluminium cover protects the sensitive electronics from external interference. This discrete amplifier module is an all-analogue design and raises the performance significantly.

X-AMP 3 is a custom operational amplifier with 100 components per module. It can be used as an output amplifier stage for DACs, phono modules and the volume controllers in preamps. Most high-end brands will use discrete amplifier circuits. They dismiss op-amps as an exercise in cost and size-saving. However, a custom op-amp controls the stage’s thermal and noise properties and bandwidth. As the name suggests, it’s the third iteration of the X-AMP. Burmester has been using operational amplifier modules since the late 1980s.

Recap

Given the original dates back so far, a quick recap is in order. The big screen might look quaint by today’s standards, but it still serves the Burmester 111 music server and streamer well. It is a helpful command and control interface when streaming, serving or ripping. Since many hide their servers from view, the Burmester demands to be front and centre of your system. It can be used as a preamplifier as well as a server. Although best used as a ripping server, it can act as a CD player.

What’s strange is the 111 shows just how far European and US listeners have travelled in the last few years. Many countries still use CD regularly (for good reasons, because the format sounds excellent in the right hands and because it’s hard to stream in countries where an internet connection is either very patchy or might end in a jail sentence). However, we may consider the format at best ‘legacy’ across much of the West. A disc, ripped into the 111, makes a very cogent argument to question that ‘legacy’ statement. It did so with the original version and now makes that argument more succinctly with the latest upgrades.

More than chrome

New purchasers of the Burmester 111 music server and streamer can do something hitherto impossible. The ultimate in shiny audio has introduced a more understated matt black coating scheme. I know many who love the mirror-chromed finish of traditional Burmester products. I also know that the chrome finish puts others off.

The new finish will appeal to almost none of Burmester’s existing customer base. They will continue to buy ultra-shiny products. Instead, it adds a new generation of buyers. It’s for those who want and can afford the Burmester experience but found the original chrome a little garish. Naturally, the black finish is beyond compare. Burmester’s products are astonishingly well-built. It’s not uncommon to find people with 30+ year-old Burmester products in their systems, and they look as good as new.

This longevity in Burmester products is part of the reason you rarely see one appearing on the second-hand market. But that burdens Burmester’s products heavily; they must be ‘deep time compatible’ by audio standards. And that’s not generally associated with music servers, with the 111 being a notable exception. That’s why the 111 includes a front-panel display built for mission-critical displays in aircraft cockpits.

In search of deep time

Despite this ‘deep time compatible’ standing, the Burmester 111 music server and streamer needed some gentle nudging into the mid-2020s. Perhaps more significantly, though, that ‘gentle nudging’ revolved around the X-AMP 3 modules. This is proof of concept for Burmester’s next big stage of development, as this module is the core of Burmester’s next generation of digital platforms and line-level devices. This is, in essence, the first product to sport X-AMP 3 modules, and it is available as a retrofit for existing clients. If it doesn’t make a big difference to performance, those clients will be less excited by the next generation of audio from the Burmester brand. So, the mid-2020s-spec 111 has a bigger than expected task.

The English have a phrase; “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.” It’s apt in this context as it means ‘in improving the 111, don’t accidentally make it worse while trying to make it better!’ The 111 is now the core of many Reference Line systems – acting as a server, DAC, and preamplifier – and improving one leg of the stool could unbalance the others. Fortunately, in the case of the 111, the improvements are deep-seated and universal. Far from risking undermining the performance, the 111 is now better than ever in its individual parts and as a Reference Line hub.

Pre’s are good

When I last used the 111, I felt that although it had a delicate preamp stage in its own right, it was no match for the flagship 077 or classic 808 Mk 5 preamp from the brand. This still holds, but the gap has closed considerably. Cutting out the preamp middleman was a good idea in theory with the original 111; now, it’s more than just an exercise in cost-saving and shelf management. The improvements in detail resolution, transparency and bass integrity are immediately audible enough that if someone sends their 111 for an upgrade, they will hear the difference minutes after installing the revised version.

The X-AMP 3 modules are used throughout the latest and upgraded 111s. Still, if you use the original 111 in its fullest sense, improvements to the preamp stage will be the most immediately noticeable performance aspect because they apply universally. Improving the DAC improves the digital side, but the preamp benefits all inputs.

Not that the improvements to the server-side of the 111 are trivial; the sound retains its distinctly Burmester warmth and richness, but alongside that chocolatey-smooth presentation, the leading-edge performance, the dynamic range, the energy, solidity and soundstaging are all improved. I used both tracks back when initially testing the 111 and new additions, and it was clear the 111 had lost none of its platform-defining edges over the years. I suspect an original, untouched 111 might not have quite the same advantage, as there have been significant improvements in server and streamer performance in the intervening decade and change.

Trends change

That decade has seen listener trends move from ripping discs to local hard drives to online streaming, and the 111 takes both in its stride. It makes a strong case for being one of the best; it always had a tendency to bring out the musicality and elegance in a recording – listening to Billie Holiday and Donny Hathaway then and now brought a lump to the throat, and that happens whether the album is ripped or streamed. What’s happened over the years is you stop minding where the music comes from and focus instead on its sonic properties.

Although this is an audiophile product written about in an audiophile magazine, the 111 is intended for the music lover first and foremost. The audiophile obsession over the twinkly bits is a distant second. Music – whatever it is, wherever it came from – is portrayed with a rare grace and serenity that is not common to digital audio. However, grace and serenity are not codes for ‘bland’ or ‘boring’. This highly detailed and exciting player makes you want to listen to more and more music. It did that in its original guise; it does it much more today.

Is 2013 still with us?

There are aspects of the Burmester 111 music server and streamer that have not moved with the times. The original design pre-dated Roon, super-high-resolution PCM, MQA, and streaming DSD files’ popularity. However, many of those ‘important’ improvements to audio sound quality have waxed and waned in popularity. From a purely pragmatic argument, the 111 has all you need to listen to music in the real world. However, Roon is an omission.

The 111 Mk II uses the ‘plug ‘n’ play’ standards of the early years of the last decade. There are more automated installations today. That said, I doubt the end user installs many Burmester 111 devices, and the dealer requires those IP addressing skills, not the end user. This also has a stealth advantage; installation is exceptionally robust, and you won’t find a 111 having a temper tantrum – or a senior moment – unless your network is very sketchy. It connects to the outside world in a manner befitting its build inside and out, a solid, belt-and-braces approach.

Simply the best?

The Burmester 111 music server and streamer is tough to follow, so the company didn’t follow it up with a new model; it made the best, better. Things may change, trends in audio may come and go, and maybe the need to rip discs will be less of a draw in 2025 than in the early 2010s. But one thing remains constant: good sound never goes out of fashion. And the 111 makes an even better sound in its latest guise. For the CD hardcore, streaming is enjoyable. To those already happy with streaming, it represents the best in streaming. Back when it was first launched, streaming was more about internet radio than dealing with Tidal and Qobuz. Whether you use it as a CD player with a really, really long memory or a state-of-the-art network streamer, the Burmester mid-2020s 111 is still the high-end digital hub to beat.

Technical specifications

Type: CD-ripping music server and streamer
Storage: 2x 4TB SSD capacity for music data storage, SSD drive for system storage
Supported audio formats: FLAC / wav / mp3 etc.
Sampling rate for D/A conversion: can be selected from either 96 kHz/24 bit or 192 kHz/24
bit
7” display
UPnP server
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
Analogue inputs: 3x XLR
Digital inputs: 3x RCA, 3x TOSLINK
Analogue outputs: 1x XLR stereo, 1x RCA stereo, 1x RCA tape out (fixed) 1x headphone jack
Digital outputs: 1x RCA, 1x TOSLINK
Dimensions (WxHxD): 46 x 22 x 41cm
Weight: Approx. 28 kg (depending on configuration)
Price: £41,500, $55,000, $44,975. Upgrade available.

Manufacturer

Burmester Audiosysteme GmbH

www.burmester.de

+49 307 87 96 80

Coming Soon… Sources special!

The front end of a system defines its performance. Whether it’s a record player, CD or SACD player, or digital streaming source, the system is only as good as its weakest link, and a good source can transform any audio system.

The nature of source components is in a state of flux. Turntables and vinyl remain as strong as ever, but digital audio has fans of streaming, local storage, and traditional disc replay through CD and SACD. Where a year or two ago, the notion of network filters and high-performance audiophile-ready switches was in its infancy, they have now become one of the most popular parts of the network streaming experience.

We’ve got exclusive access to some of the latest and greatest source components in both analogue and digital, covering the entire gamut of models from devices that get you started in high-quality sources to products that push the envelope in every way.

Also, in our ‘Out Of The Box’ feature, we will showcase new and exciting brands joining the world of quality sources. Whether they are entering the digital domain for the first time or have been stalwarts of high-performance analogue electronics for years, they all have one thing in common: They think outside the box!

And we want you to be a part of this. We want your questions and comments. If you are unsure what ‘compliance’ means when choosing a tonearm and cartridge combination, get in touch. Bewildered by network streaming? Then, send us an email! Let us know if you think LP, CD, streaming, or even DAT (remember that?) is the best format ever. Get in touch to reminisce over that first time you heard a really good record player, or the day CD changed your life. We want to hear from you, so send your email to [email protected], putting ‘Incoming! Sources’ in the subject line.

We can’t guarantee we’ll publish every email or letter, but the best Incoming! comment will get £250 to spend on AudioQuest products!

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Music Interview: Richard Hawley

When hi-fi+ sits down with Richard Hawley in the London office of his record label, BMG, ahead of a private gig to showcase some of the songs from his new album, In This City They Call You Love, he tells us he’s recently returned from promotional jaunts in Belgium and France.

“The whole promo thing has just sped up to such a point that it’s so f***ing insane, and there’s all this internet content…,” he says.

“I don’t have anything to do with social media. I don’t know much about it, but both my sons and my daughter have said ‘Dad – don’t… You’ll really hate it.’

He adds: “The thing I’ve observed about social media is that if it was an actual place – a town, a village, or a city – nobody would go. Only the nasty, crazy f***ers would get on a bus, or on a plane, or a taxi to go there.”

Like a lot of his work, the title of Hawley’s new record was inspired by an actual place – the city of Sheffield, where he was born, grew up and still lives.

The record takes its name from a lyric in the ballad People, which is one of the album’s most beautiful and stripped-down moments – in Sheffield, people refer to each other as ‘love.’

In a solo career that’s lasted almost 25 years, the velvet-voiced singer-songwriter, who also spent time as a guitarist in Pulp, has made a string of great albums, including 2005’s Mercury Prize-nominated, Coles Corner.

His latest record – his ninth – is one of his best. Several of the songs were influenced by the passing of his lifelong friend and former Pulp bassist, Steve Mackey, who died last year.

In This City They Call You Love mostly sees Hawley shifting away from some of the heavy, psychedelic garage-rock he’s explored over the past few years, and returning to melancholy, ‘50s-style balladeering (‘Heavy Rain’) and country music (‘Hear That Lonesome Whistle Blow’), as well as throwing in a touch of early ‘60s Elvis (‘Prism In Jeans’), and some soulful doo-wop (‘Deep Waters’).

Richard Hawley photographed in Sheffield by Dean Chalkley

First single and opener, ‘Two For His Heels’, is a dark, bluesy and cinematic twanger, while ‘Deep Space’ is the heaviest song on the record – an upbeat, crunching rocker that tackles the need for some peace and quiet – time and space – but also reflects on eco and social issues.

“I think it’s alright to not just have a heavy album or an acoustic album,” he tells us. “I didn’t really mind that this record stretched a lot sonically and tempo-wise.”

SH: Congratulations on the new record – I honestly think it’s one of the best things you’ve ever done…

RH: Oh, right – cheers, man.

For the most part, it feels like a return to vintage Hawley. You’ve moved away from some of the heavier, psychedelic and garage-rock stuff that was on albums like Further, Hollow Meadows and Standing At The Sky’s Edge. Was that a conscious decision or did it happen organically?

It was just completely natural. Basically, Shez [Sheridan – guitarist, co-producer] – that poor f***er – had the job of sifting through the songs first. I trust him. There were 86 songs to go through since the last bunch – because it was lockdown, and I had f*** all else to do, I’d amassed a load of material.

I definitely knew that I wanted this record to be voices – me, Shez, and Colin [Elliot – bassist, co-producer] – singing together, and a lot of space – musically, physically and emotionally.

A lot of big tunes demand that you pile loads of stuff on ‘em, but even the big tunes on the new record, when you actually break down the components, there’s f*** all to ‘em.

‘Deep Space’ is the heaviest track on the album…

Yeah – it is, but I actually recorded another four songs that were even heavier, but they didn’t make it. I thought, ‘Nah – that’s stretching it…’

The bottom line is that I’m a songwriter, and a guitarist and, I guess, a singer, and a producer, but, at the end of the day, the songwriter won this time. It’s like having different heads that you put on your shoulders, and I didn’t really mind that this record stretched a lot sonically and tempo-wise.

Once I’d done it, when we were listening to the playback, it was the first time it occurred to me that, it was kind of, not musically, but in terms of where it stretches to, like an old Beatles record – you’d have some heavier tunes, like ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’, and then ‘Here, There and Everywhere’ – the gentler things.

That can be a dangerous mix, and [sometimes] it can’t work, but, on this occasion, I think it has.

I think it’s alright to not just have a heavy album or an acoustic album.

Before you recorded the tracks in Yellow Arch Studios in Sheffield, you worked up the songs in your home studio, Disgracelands, which is in your shed, didn’t you?

Yeah – but that was the thing… ‘People’ and ‘Deep Waters’ are just demos, but I added the backing vocals to ‘Deep Waters’ after.

Even though both those songs were dashed down quickly, the actual performances were just on one microphone, so you can’t separate the guitar and the vocals – it’s the sum of its parts.

I was playing ‘People’ to the lads in the band and our drummer, Deano, said, ‘If you add to that or change it, I’m leaving the band.’

He said it was perfect as it was – I didn’t think it was, and I was thinking we could add an orchestra or this, that and the other, but once he said that, I listened back to it, and I thought, ‘He’s right…’ After all this time, you trust people…

I wrote the song while Shez was putting the kettle on in the house – he came up with some coffee, and I’d finished it off. It was done in 15 minutes. I said, ‘I’ve got this song…’ He said, ‘Don’t play it – I’ll just mic it up…’

I said I needed a drumbeat, and he quickly got this pulse thing, and I just played along to it – it was one take, and we listened back to it, and said, ‘That’s pretty good.’

I left it, and then we got into the studio with the lads, I played it to them. They all went really quiet after, and I thought, ‘F***ing hell! Is it shit?’

They all said I couldn’t mess with it – it was perfect as it was.

I don’t want to say this record was easy, because it wasn’t, but it was one of the easiest records to record. The hardest thing was selecting the songs because I had so much material.

On this album, you’ve worked with your regular band, some of whom co-produce with you. Have you ever been tempted to work with an outside producer to see what would happen?

No – a producer, ostensibly, works for the record company, and they’re ultimately answerable to them to produce something with commercial value.

I know how to do that on me own – I don’t need help with it. That’s not to say that producers are a bad thing – they’re often a very essential component to a record.

Maybe in the future, when I’m farting dust, and I can’t decide whether I’m having a piss or a shit… I don’t know.

The first single, ‘Two For His Heels’, is a bit of a red herring – it has this dark, cinematic and bluesy sound, which isn’t representative of the album…

I don’t think any of the songs are representative of the album – there’s not one of them, apart from ‘People’, possibly… You could randomly choose three of them to play on the radio, but none of them would represent what it is.

Where did the inspiration for ‘Two For His Heels’ come from?

We live next door to an old family social club and there are loads of old blokes in there who play cards – cribbage. When one of them has a boss hand, they shout out: ‘One for the Jacks and two for his heels.’

I asked about it, but because of my complete ignorance of the game, it just sounded like surrealist poetry to me – it was bizarre. That was the starting point, and I just twisted it into an eloping song.

It has some dark imagery in it – a howling dog and a city at night…

Yeah, and there’s the threat of murder in it… I made that [song] up on an old Mexican instrument that I bought called a Bajo sexto, which means ‘sixth bass’ in Spanish.

I bought that instrument with Steve Mackey, who I’ve dedicated the album to because we’ve lost him. Me and him met on the first day of infants’ [school]. Losing him influenced a lot of the songs – ‘Heavy Rain’ and stuff like that.

As you get older in this life, loss becomes an increasingly big component of living.

Several songs on the album mention the passing of time, or getting older…

I don’t want to be thinking about death all the time – it’s not particularly the greatest motivational force on Earth, but the older you get, the realities of it come crashing in through your door, whether you like it or not.

It’s unavoidable. I’m a writer – I write songs… It’s not that I’m predatory with those situations, but you have to go with what you experience and what you know.

Losing so many people that matter to me in such a brief period of time is something that you can’t ignore. Losing Steve was one of the most hideous things that’s ever happened to me and his family and friends – he was a huge component of who I am as a person because we’d known each other for so long.

You mentioned ‘Heavy Rain’ – I think it’s one of the most beautiful songs you’ve ever written. It could’ve come off Coles Corner…

Well, that’s not a bad thing. It’s like a lot of artists … Johnny Cash, Charley Pride and Charlie Rich… the apple of what they were didn’t ever fall too far away from that tree. What they do is what they do… You wouldn’t go and see Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry if you wanted to hear some classical music. There’s a lot of width in terms of what I can do, but what I want to do is more important.

I’m a songwriter and how the songs are performed and executed is definitely under the branches of a certain tree, but there are lots of different colours to it – the influences and stuff – but, ultimately, I’m not going to be writing the most legendary hip-hop song you’ve ever heard. It’s not what I do, so it’s no great surprise – and I don’t apologise for it either – when I write something that could’ve appeared on a previous record.

On this album, you played a guitar that belonged to Scott Walker, didn’t you?

Yeah – that was a massive thing. Scott was a mate – he was someone I met when he produced Pulp’s last album, We Love Life, and, for a multitude of reasons, he and I clicked. It was to do with music, but other stuff as well – we had a certain sense of humour which both of us understood.

His manager rang up on behalf of his daughter, Lee, and the timing of it couldn’t have been more fitting… It’s a Telecaster – and she had it delivered to me three days into the recording of the record.

There are only three or four guitar solos on the album – I didn’t want to stretch to twiddling and psyching-out on this record – but once I started playing that guitar… It’s a great guitar… I didn’t just play it because it was Scott’s, but that was obviously a huge component… It was pretty f***ed actually, and my guitar tech, Gordon, had to sort it out. Once he’d fettled it, as we say, that was the main guitar on the record.

Do you still write songs by singing or humming ideas into your phone while you’re out walking your dog?

Yeah – I just wrote a song in Paris while I was on me own in my hotel room. I was trying to avoid getting pissed, which sort of worked…

It’s a constant thing – I don’t necessarily think it’s a talent, it’s probably more of a mental illness. It’s just something I don’t analyse – it’s best not to.

All photos by Dean Chalkley

In This City They Call You Love is out now on BMG.

www.richardhawley.co.uk

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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.

Technical specifications

VEGA S1

Type: Solid-state network streamer, DAC, digital preamplifier.
Analogue Inputs: none.
Digital Inputs: One coaxial S/PDIF (via RCA jacks), two TOSLink, one USB B, one USB A.
DAC Resolution/Supported Digital Formats: FLAC/WAV/MP3, etc. Sampling rate for D/A conversion 384kHz/32 bit.
Music services: AirPlay 2, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Internet Radio
Analogue Outputs: One stereo balanced (via XLR connectors), one stereo unbalanced (via RCA jacks).
Digital Outputs: none.
Frequency Response: Not specified.
Distortion (THD + Noise): Not specified.
User Interface: 4 inch LCD display, Lightning DS application software for iOS.
Dimensions (HxWxD): 152x207x290mm
Weight: 4kg
Price: £1,999, $1,999, €1,999

S1 Purer-Power

Type: Dedicated power supply for AURALiC S1 series.
Output: HDMI
Dimensions (HxWxD): 152x207x290mm
Weight: 3.7kg
Price: £999, $999, €999

Manufacturer

AURALiC

www.auralic.com

UK distributor

AURALiC Europe

www.auralic.com

+44(0)7590 106105

Tenderlonious: You Know I Care

Tenderlonious, aka Ed Cawthorne, is one of the leading lights of the London’s underground Jazz scene. He’s a DJ, producer, the leader of the excellent Ruby Rushton four-piece, which also counts Yussef Dayes as a member, and the founder of the 22a record label, which he co-founded with the highly talented Kamal Williams, and on which he releases his own albums as well as music from the likes of Jeen Bassa and Dennis Ayler.

As you can tell from that opening paragraph, there are a lot of connections to be made when discussing Tenderlonious; he acts like the spider at the centre of a web of highly talented creative musicians.

Perhaps more than any other individual in the London Jazz scene, Tenderlonious is adept at seamlessly switching between genres. Whether it’s beat-heavy tunes designed to tear up the dancefloor, wildly diverse internationally inspired pieces, or more reflective, traditional Jazz sounds.

This new recording fits solidly into the latter category, and the beat-adverse among you will find nothing to complain about across You Know I Care’s 42-minute running time – unlike his 2021 EP Tek-88, which was a homage to the iconic Roland TR-808 drum machine.

And while there are definite global moments, this album is as close as anything Tenderlonious has ever created to a collection of by-the-numbers Jazz standards. Don’t take that the wrong way though, this isn’t a throwaway moment or a backwards step; You Know I Care is a wonderfully rich, perfectly pitched homage to the American Jazz sounds that have inspired him throughout his career, from artists such as Wayne Shorter, Jackie McLean and others who originally performed the six pieces on the album.

The self-taught Tenderlonious takes up alto-sax and flute duties, and is ably supported throughout by Hamish Balfour (piano), Pete Martin (bass) and Tim Carnegie (drums), and the opening ‘On The Nile’ sets the tone for who the quartet fits together for the entire album. Originally recorded by saxophonist Jackie McLean, the grand, large-scale piece delivers the perfect start.

Track two, ‘Maimoun’, kicks off with a sensual bass line and the skilful pitter-patter of drums before a top-drawer sax line kicks in to propel things forward, while the piano plays a vital but understated role throughout – this really is an incredible eight-minutes of soulful Jazz.

Track three is the Wayne Shorter penned ‘Infant Eyes’, and sees Tenderlonious pick up his flute, and have an incredible back and forth with Hamish Balfour on the keyboards. It’s a peacefully mellow way to end side 1, and one of the highlights of the album to our ears.

Side two kicks off with another classic in the form of ‘Poor Eric’, another track made famous by Jackie McLean, but which was written in memory of Eric Dolphy. The sax solo is incredibly vibrant, but the highlight for us is again Balfour’s dexterous piano work, which provides a wonderful, sweet and tender centre.

‘John Coltrane’ is a tribute to… well, no prizes for guessing who Tenderlonious views as one of the greatest saxophonists who ever lived. As many think Jazz died with Coltrane, he’s probably not alone in thinking that. This version sticks close to the Clifford Jordon original in its heart-felt tribute. This track swings in the Coltrane style, and is one of the most truly old-school pieces on the album.

Finally, You Know I Care closes with the title track, a reworking of the classic 60s ballad that sees Tenderlonious pick up his flute once more to see us home. It’s a beautiful end to a cracking album.

A final point in favour of You Know I Care, should one be needed, is its crystal clear, lovingly produced recording. The sax is sweet, and the drums, bass and piano well rendered and detailed. This all comes together to make it one of the best Jazz releases of its year.

Back to Jazz

Ayre Acoustics EX-8 2.0

Over the last decade, the boundary between an ‘integrated amp’ and ‘all in one system’ has broken down to the point where there is little more than a preference on the part of the builder to call their product one thing or the other. As you move up the pricing structure, it becomes more common to find devices that need nothing other than a pair of speakers to function that are described as ‘integrated amps’, perhaps because there’s still a little reticence to consider an all-in-one at these elevated price points.

In the case of the Ayre Acoustics EX-8 2.0, though, the decision to describe it as an integrated amplifier is reasonable because it is possible to order one in the state that warrants the term. It’s also possible to order it in a specification that makes it a true all-in-one, making the EX-8 2.0 an interesting case of ‘Schrodinger’s amplifier’ but one that is unusually flexible in terms of how it works in the context of a modern system.

Fundamental underpinning

The fundamental underpinning of the EX-8 2.0 is a class A/B stage that delivers 100 watts into 8 ohms and 170 into 4. It’s the most affordable way of experiencing an Ayre amplifier, but you still get all the bespoke engineering that the company goes in for. This includes the ‘Double Diamond’ output stage, an evolution of Ayre’s longstanding design practice of using two pairs of bipolar transistors connected via their emitters and bases by adding a new buffer stage to them. The result is an exciting alternative to a more conventional push-pull output but now runs cooler and more efficiently. This is combined with the ‘Equilock’ gain stage, which combines two transistors in a manner that allows them to work as a single unit.

In all cases, the volume control of the EX-8 2.0 operates in the analogue domain (although this doesn’t prevent it from being something you can control in Roon), and it’s relatively unusual today in that it has a start and finish point. In addition to controlling the volume via the speaker terminals, it also controls a very flexible headphone stage that offers balanced and unbalanced connections and has its own ‘Double Diamond’ output. One final part of the Ayre EX-8 2.0’s specification that many will find helpful is the inclusion of a balanced and unbalanced pre-out.

The basic EX-8 2.0 makes this amplifier available to a single XLR and a pair of RCA inputs to make a traditional integrated. The version tested here adds a digital board that significantly boosts the connectivity. Six extra inputs (Ethernet, USB, AES/EBU, S/PDIF, and two Toslink) are added, and the ethernet connection means that the Ayre can be used to access UPnP content directly, either via apps like MConnect or as a Roon Endpoint. This digital board is built around an ESS ES9038Q2M DAC and incorporates Ayre’s custom clock and minimum phase digital filter. Sample rate handling is solid rather than state-of-the-art, but the Ayre will handle most real-world libraries without issue.

To hub or not to hub…

In the UK, distributor Decent Audio brings the EX-8 2.0 in as a straight analogue integrated and in full digital hub specification. If you choose the former, it can also be upgraded to the latter later. In a market where people might have been enjoying using an all-in-one at the three to four-thousand-pound point, the Ayre Acoustics EX-8 2.0 looks like a compelling upgrade path. A few hypothetical customers might only miss an HDMI ARC input, and the reasonably bare-bones UPnP operation for non-Roon users might be a small step back. Otherwise, the Ayre is impressively flexible.

It’s also pleasant to interact with. In the black, the casework is subtle, almost to the point of anonymity, but it’s well-made and attractive. Some parts of the EX-8 2.0’s design are a little idiosyncratic; the widely spaced inputs and spade-only speaker terminals could well require a bit of a rethink to your existing cabling, and the remote control brings to mind the ones used to control hotel TVs in the 1990s. However, it works well enough, and for people using the Ethernet port, it is not going to be used that much.

My First Ayre

The EX-8 2.0 represented my first experience with an Ayre product (as I suspect will be the case for many), so I started using it via the XLR input. I used my resident Chord Hugo Mscaler and TT2 pairing to separate what the analogue and digital sections contribute to overall performance. It quickly became clear that the core amplifier version of the EX-8 2.0 is a very enticing proposition in part because it delivers a sonic balance that is uncannily and consistently well judged.

Listening to Paint the Roses, a live performance by duo Larkin Poe and the Nu Deco Ensemble [Tricki Woo] is a genuinely exciting experience. There are dynamics and muscle on offer here that belies that relatively terrestrial power output and the Ayre is impressively fleet of foot for an amp that hits as hard as it does. At the same time, though, the sweetness it brings to the Lovell sisters’ harmonies and how it handles the supporting string section of the Nu Deco Ensemble is profoundly satisfying. This amp allows you to potter through an evening of music and never once feel the urge to nudge the volume down. You’ll likely finish the night at a somewhat higher level than you started.

With such a strong foundation, the digital board has much to live up to, but it doesn’t let the side down. Compared to the Chord duo (which cost very nearly the same as the total price of the Ayre), there is a reduction in the overall soundstage that leaves the live performance of ‘Hammers’ on Nils Frahm’s Spaces [Erased Tapes] sounding spacious rather than utterly vast. Still, that incredible ability of the Ayre Acoustics EX-8 2.0 to deliver an invigorating punch with lovely tonal richness is unaffected. Frahm’s piano is a tangible presence in the recording, and it invites the suspension of disbelief in a way that simply doesn’t come naturally to some rivals.

Hold up

Something I’ve found interesting while the Ayre has been on test is how consistently this presentation holds up across partnering the EX-8 2.0 with different speakers. The bulk of testing took place with a pair of Kudos Titan 505s that have virtues that complement the Ayre very closely, and the results have- perhaps unsurprisingly- been very enjoyable. Switching over to a pair of Focal Kanta No1s – a speaker intolerant of less than stellar mastering – the Ayre still extracts a sweetness from the Focal I don’t generally experience. What’s maddeningly hard to convey when I state this is that the Ayre isn’t steamrollering the character from the speakers you connect it to. Instead, it simply ensures that their virtues are something you can keep experiencing when rival electronics might be getting their hackles up a little.

A final ribbon to an already gratifying bow is the headphone output. Some testing with the Focal Clear MG very quickly demonstrated that this is a more complex convenience feature. The same hard-hitting sweetness that is so enjoyable via the speaker outputs is no less apparent here, and it lends Amadou & Mariam’s La Confusion [Because Music] a flowing, head-nodding momentum that manages the single most crucial trick a headphone setup can do, and that’s to forget you’re listening buttoned up. Something I find especially interesting about the performance is that it is achieved without any post-processing options. The Ayre pushes the material in front of you via engineering nous rather than digital cleverness.

This nous is evident at every stage of the Ayre’s specification and performance, and it’s hard not to be won over by it. The core amplifier is good enough that the basic integrated version is appealing, but the full specification version of the EX-8 2.0 appeals the most. It offers every point of convenience that all-in-one systems do while delivering a level of performance that gives you a hefty taste of what the more premium Ayre offerings promise. This might be Schrodinger’s amplifier on paper, but in reality, the Ayre Acoustics EX-8 2.0 knows precisely what it needs to do and does it sensationally well.

Technical specifications

Audio Inputs
- USB: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8, 384 kHz, PCM 16, 20, 24 bits, DSD64 and DSD128 (as DoP)
- Optical/SPDIF/AESEBU: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz, PCM 16, 20, 24 bits, DSD64 (as DoP)
- Network: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz, PCM 16, 20, 24 bits, DSD64 (as DoP)
Analogue: 1 Balanced XLR, 2 Single-ended RCA
Outputs: Speaker Terminals (spade lugs and bare wire only)
100 watts per channel continuous into 8 ohms
170 watts per channel continuous into 4 ohms
Line Output: 4.5 Vrms balanced, 2.25 Vrms single-ended
Headphone Output: 4.0 Vrms balanced, 2.0 Vrms single-ended
Dimensions 44cm x 33cm x 11.5cm
Weight 11 kg
Finishes Black and Silver
Price: £ 5,950/$8,000 (analogue only), £7,950/$9,300 (digital hub version)

Manufacturer

Ayre Acoustics Inc.

www.ayre.com

UK distributor

Decent Audio

www.decentaudio.co.uk

+44(0)1642 267012

Sonus faber Duetto

Sonus faber first dipped a tentative toe into the deep and fast-flowing waters of digital audio streaming a couple of years ago with its Omnia wireless speaker. It was (and is, for that matter) a reasonably pricey option – but thanks to a prodigious combination of looks, finish and performance, it didn’t disgrace the brand’s proud name. Quite the opposite – it went toe-to-toe with the acknowledged market leaders and emerged as an eminently viable option.

Demonstrably flushed with this debut success, Sonus faber is back with a bigger, more extensive, and considerably more expensive variation on the ‘wireless digital audio’ theme. This ‘Duetto’ system is Sonus faber’s take on what is now an established product type—an audio system with wired and wireless connectivity options contained in a pair of loudspeakers.

Of course, new ground can only be broken once, and Sonus faber plants its flag in territory that Bowers & Wilkins, KEF, and JBL (to name but three) have been involved in for some time now. But if the company can ‘do an Omnia,’ the Duetto could be a very diverting alternative indeed.

Looking the part

Indeed, it looks the part. The relative elegance and unarguable quality of Sonus faber’s cabinetry have been a Point of Difference for the company ever since its founding in Veneto, Italy, back in 1983. Regarding aesthetics and tactility, Duetto is well up to the standard the asking price demands. The cabinets are the brand’s trademark lute shape – they’re beautifully constructed and flawlessly finished and look the business, whether in ‘walnut’ or ‘graphite’. At the rear of the cabinet, both a bass reflex port and finned heat sink are seamlessly integrated into the overall shape – and as well as being a sophisticated solution where visual appeal is concerned, Sonus faber suggests the arrangement assists in the rejection of internal resonances.

Those of a more traditional audio persuasion will opt for a pair of fine-looking optional Duetto loudspeaker stands. However, the design also lends itself to desktop or bookshelf use. While you could argue the same applies to any small two-way design, the inherent flexibility of the Duetto’s active speaker system makes a good case for extremely flexible use.

Further design flourishes are apparent in the front baffle surrounding the driver array and at the top of each cabinet. Here’s where Sonus faber has deployed – and tidily applied – its customary faux leather. There are small, magnetically attached grilles supplied with the speakers, but (at least as far as I’m concerned) the front of the speakers look better without them. The ‘primary’ speaker uses that elegant faux leather-covered top of its cabinet to house the ‘Senso’ control interface.

Bring the power

Both speakers require mains power, of course. Each has a 25mm silk-dome tweeter with a copper-capped ferrite magnet system and a 133mm paper-pulp long-excursion mid/bass driver with a Neodymium magnet system with copper cap and aluminium ring housed in an airflow-easing ‘organic’ basket. Each driver has a dedicated DAC (provided by AKM and Sabre). In a drive to balance performance with efficiency, Sonus faber has specified that each tweeter be powered by 100 watts of Class A/B amplification while each mid/bass driver receives 250 watts of Class D power. This arrangement gives a working frequency response of 37Hz – 30kHz, and the Duetto is compatible with every digital audio file type up to 32bit/192kHz resolution.

Aside from the illuminated ‘Senso’ interface, what separates the ‘primary’ from the ‘secondary’ speaker is its selection of wired and wireless connectivity options. The wired stuff consists of an Ethernet socket, a pair of stereo RCA inputs that can be switched between line- and phono-level, an HDMI eARC socket (so a TV can be part of the action), a digital optical output and a pre-out for a subwoofer. All these sockets are hidden in a recess at the bottom of the speaker; this looks better than a rat’s nest of trailing wires, but it makes installation more ‘fiddly’ than plugging into a rear panel. The sockets are also grouped closely, precluding ‘chonky’ cables. Wireless connections run to Bluetooth (with aptX HD codec compatibility), and dual-band wi-fi – which means Duetto is compatible with Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and TIDAL Connect. It also allows Chromecast to be built and the system to be Roon Ready too.

Active art

The art of an active speaker system is to convey just the right amount of information to listeners without overloading them. This is often best done through a combination of basic display functions on the loudspeaker backed up with an iOS or Android app to provide more ‘granular’ detail. ‘Senso’ has a deliberately constrained range of functions, such as power, play/pause, input selection, connection, and volume, with illuminated insets on the top plate, all controlled by gesture. With lights that move from side to side, it can look like a Cylon from Battlestar Galactica, but it performs its functions properly. There is a small remote too.

Its app allows the listener to drill down into the system set-up, accessing a webpage that informs the primary speaker if it constitutes the left or right channel of the stereo pair, lets it know where it stands concerning boundary walls, informs it as to the presence (or otherwise) of a subwoofer, and checks for firmware and software updates.

Poised and informative

The Sonus faber Duetto’s sound matches its elegant looks. No matter if it’s receiving an aptX HD Bluetooth stream of a 320kbps file of Punk as F**k by The American Analog Set [Tiger Style] from a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, a vinyl copy of 13th Floor Elevators’ Easter Everywhere [International Artists] via a Technics SL-1200GR2, a 24bit/96kHz FLAC file of Arooj Aftab’s Last Night [New Amsterdam] from some network-attached storage or a Netflix-derived stream of the soundtrack to Daniel Goldhaber’s How to Blow Up a Pipeline [Neon], the Sonus faber is a poised, informative, and thoroughly entertaining listen.

Low-frequency extension and substance are significant, but the Duetto doesn’t ignore the finer details in favour of kicking right off. It controls its bass output heroically, ensuring convincing rhythmic expression and momentum, and it loads on plenty of information regarding colour and texture as it does so. It’s nice that Sonus faber has fitted a pre-out for a subwoofer, but anyone with a listening space more modest than ‘cavernous’ needn’t rush to attach one.

It’s a similar story in which detail retrieval and insight are concerned when considering the midrange. No matter if voices are speaking or singing, the Duetto transmit lavishly, forking over every scrap of information regarding tone, attitude, emotional state, and even the shape and dimensions of the room where the vocalisation is occurring. The broad strokes are all there, of course, and in total – but the system is just as alert to the transient inputs of palate, or tongue at the back of teeth.

Despite the unpromising nature of the 1,900Hz crossover point, the transition to the top of the frequency range is smooth – and once it’s up there, the Duetto is just as substantial, just as fanatical where detail retrieval is concerned, and just as willing to sink its teeth in, as it is in every other part of the frequency range. The control of attack and decay of individual treble sounds is approaching martial, and a balance between ‘fidelity’ and ‘entertainment’ is struck with real expertise.

Tying it together

The Sonus faber ties everything together with a real sense of unity and commonality, creating a large and persuasive soundstage from which to communicate. Even dense, foggy, or inexpensive recordings get plenty of elbow room, and the Duetto keeps the gaps between individual elements lovely and dark. It dispatches even those significant dynamic shifts apparent when a symphony orchestra shifts into overdrive with no apparent effort. Still, it is alert to tiny harmonic variations when the same orchestra stands down while the pianist takes a solo. Its sense of authority and its powers of organisation is/are considerable.

The only way to make the Duetto sound anything less than utterly assured is by playing at significant volume levels. Its composure doesn’t desert it, but the previously wide-open soundstage loses a little of its three-dimensionality, and… no, there’s no ‘and’. That’s about it.

So, as far as getting a hefty serving of convenience with no commensurate drop-off in pound-for-pound sonic performance, your options became more numerous. Ultimately, a separate amp, speakers, DAC, and necessary cables will yield better audio results at the same money as the Sonus faber Duetto. But whether those results will be anything like as discreet, good-looking, or sonically vibrant, well… that’s by no means a given.

Technical specifications

Type: Bass-reflex loudspeaker system with integrated amplification, DSP, and wireless connectivity
Driver complement: 133mm paper pulp cone mid/bass driver; 25mm silk-dome tweeter
Amplification power (w)/type: 100 watts Class A/B (tweeter); 250 watts Class D (mid/bass)
Frequency response: 37Hz – 30kHz
Crossover frequencies: 1900Hz
Inputs: Ethernet; stereo RCA (line-level or phono); HDMI eARC
Wireless inputs: wi-fi; Bluetooth 5.1 w/aptX HD
Outputs: subwoofer; digital optical
Digital audio sample rates: 192kHz (streaming and optical); 48kHz (Bluetooth)
File types: AAC; AIFF; ALAC; DSD; FLAC; MP3; MP4; OGG; WAV; WMA
Dimensions (hwd, cm): 34 x 21 x 27
Weight (kg): 6.8
Finishes: walnut; graphite
Price: £3,490/$3,999 per pair, optional Duetto stands: £649/$749 per pair

Manufacturer

Sonus faber

www.sonusfaber.com

UK distributor

Fine Sounds

www.finesounds.uk

+44(0)1592 744710

Audiobyte SuperHUB streamer

The previous generation of Audiobyte products showed the world that the people behind high-end superstar Rockna can bring their best game to a more down-to-earth price. The trio of Hydra products (the HydraVOX DAC and HydraZAP power supply tested in Issue 187 and the HydraHUB streamer tested in Issue 208) showed the audio world that designer Nicolae Jitariu not only knew how to make some of the best digital audio systems around but could also produce very high-performance equipment without the bank-busting price tags.

The SuperHUB ‘Native I²S Multifunctional Streamer’ is the first product in Audiobyte’s new line. In functionality terms, it sits somewhere between ‘streamer’ and ‘digital transport’. Like its predecessor, it runs a streamlined Linux operating system as its platform. Its audio hardware is built around Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) chips. That means the SuperHUB is highly flexible and as future-proofed as modern digital audio can get. And downloadable firmware is a doddle.

Like its HydraHUB predecessor, there’s some nominative determinism going on. It is a digital hub or nerve centre, a comprehensive and complete digital audio file transport system. SuperHUB can upsample PCM files to high-rate DSD if you so will it. A programmable clock controls jitter. It’s designed to work with the current alphabet soup of network compatibilities: UPnP, DLNA, Roon, AirPlay and OpenHome. It has no digital conversion but many old-school and new digital connections. The most notable among these is I²S, connected over HDMI. This will ultimately mean the SuperHUB joining forces with the upcoming SuperVOX converter. Still, for now, it means a relatively limited range of converters, including Rockna’s Wavedream DAC (tested in Issue 201).

The power of aluminium

The SuperHUB’s circuit sits in an impressive sandblasted, anodised chassis hewn from a solid aluminium block. While not a new thing in the audio world, the complexity of the side heatsinks and their interwoven ‘S’ shape, as well as building practically everything except for the front panel and top plate into the same aluminium block, is impressive. It underlines the commitment to quality and excellence in all areas Audiobyte stands for. With minimal joints and that smooth matte finish (black or natural), it’s a significant step forward from the already well-made HydraHUB. Also, by controlling production to this degree, the chassis can be designed with precisely laid out standoffs to make final assembly more rugged and easier.

Of course, that helps when you make your circuit boards in-house. That way, the motherboard maker isn’t going to come out with a Mk II board that renders your latest batch of chassis unworkable. But that’s not the main advantage of making your circuits. Audiobyte’s FPGA architecture far removes the SuperHUB from the “let’s just slap an OEM streamer in a box” design school. However, the goods must be up to scratch; Audiobyte uses a 10-layer PCB designed in-house. This not only optimises the signal path but also means Audiobyte is no longer at the mercy of the required specifications of board-makers.

So, where many streamer and server makers struggle to improve upon a simple switch-mode power supply, Audiobyte went for a linear power supply because this is the best design for the finest possible sound quality, even from streamed digital audio.

Breaking free of control

Couple this careful power supply architecture design with a clever phase-locked loop implementation to recover signals from the potentially noisy comms channel, and you have a very audiophile-oriented SuperHUB. However, the front panel’s capacitive touchscreen isn’t intrinsically noisy. Regardless, it’s a very good idea to make sure it’s at one remove from the rest of the architecture (both physically—it sits outside the main chassis—and electronically).

The upsampler is coded into the Audiobyte SuperHUB. There isn’t provision for an external clock. Although the master clock signal is not part of the I²S standard, it’s commonly included. It syncs the internal operation of connected devices. So, the quality of the SuperHUB clock defines the streamer’s and DAC’s performance.

App-iness, app-iness?

Audiobyte’s set-up is totally ‘plug and play.’ The manual is comprehensive, describing functions that could be off-putting to the newbie, but it’s easy to navigate and use. It’s flexible enough to be driven by the touchscreen, establish preferred input (others can be accessed of course, but this is your default choice), output connection, network services, whether you want this to be a Roon endpoint, upsampling options, phase… in short, getting all the ‘fit and forget’ choices out of the way early. This is joined by the Android or iOS App, which helps to configure and set up the Audiobyte SuperHUB.

Neither the apps nor the front panel provide much in the way of track handling. That might seem odd for what is essentially a streamer, but the point of the SuperHUB is to be a transparent platform to route your music to a DAC. It’s taking the PC or laptop out of the equation. You can still access these streaming services or your local network storage using the best apps for the task, and they route them through the Audiobyte SuperHub. In truth, those who make streamers with their app to wrangle music are divided into two camps: the ones with a vast team of coders on tap to write and update software almost daily and companies that make streamers people hate using. Audiobyte, to its credit, is one of the few that instead remains agnostic.

A game of two halves

There are two Audiobyte SuperHUB reviews here. One is for people without a DAC supporting I²S, and one is for those who do. The first crowd can still get a lot out of the SuperHUB, but it’s like driving a low-riding supercar in rush hour city traffic; you aren’t getting any of the benefits, and other options might do a better job. In fairness, that’s a little harsh as the output to a USB DAC is extremely good… but it’s still not I²S. On the other hand, if you have an I²S-compatible DAC, this is your streamer! It has that ‘stripping away layers’ presentation that makes the streamed audio sound more honest, more direct, snappier, more dynamic, and better focused. None of these musical elements changed the sound from the streamed source; it uncovers sound quality typically lost in translation.

The upsampling option works well, too, although I’m not the guy to review this as I rarely like upsampled files compared to the original. I find them teased out. Yes, they often sound nice and their micro dynamics and imaging are improved. However, they lack the drive and cogency of the unadulterated files.

The land of nod

However, this is one of the best implementations of upsampling I’ve heard from a streamer, so I’m giving the SuperHUB the nod. And, if the SuperHUB can turn a ‘no’ into a ‘maybe’, then those who get upsampling more than me will likely extoll the virtues of the Audiobyte for years.

Sampling aside, the SuperHUB did precisely what it should do with digital files, as little as possible. It was highly transparent to the source. That sounds trivial until you hear that a lot of network audio flatness and unevenness (often attributed to music played through online streaming and local servers) comes from the streamer. The SuperHUB doesn’t play that music-flattening game.

I was worried that, with the SuperVOX still in the pipeline, the Audiobyte SuperHUB was an I²S streamer in perpetual search of a DAC. However, although I²S unlocks an even better performance when used with USB digital converters, it offers transparency and fidelity to the upstream music servers. It has a place in today’s digital systems. By not interfering with the performance of streamed music, it levels the playing field. It makes such sources as good as CD and exposes the lie about flat-sounding streamed music. The SuperHUB shows just how much other streamers contribute to poor sound. Buy it now and then get an I²S-chummy DAC later and be pleasantly surprised.

Technical specifications

Type: I²S Native Streamer
FPGA: AMD ZYNQ 7000 series SoC
Digital Inputs: S/PDIF Coaxial/Optical, AES/EBU, USB Type B, RJ-45
Digital Outputs: I²S (via HDMI), S/PDIF coaxial, USB Type A (native only)
Network protocol: NFS / SMB v1-v2-V3 / UPnP
Control apps: Android, iOS
Streaming Services: Roon Bridge, AirPlay, HQPlayer DLNA, UPnP, OpenHome, Tidal / Qobuz
Maximum Supported Resolution: 384kHz (PCM), DSD512 (USB in/out and I²S)
Display: 3.0-inch IPS 24bit colour touch screen
Resolution: 640 x 360 px
Body material: Aluminium alloy
Finish: Sandblasted Anodised
Colours: Matte Silver / Black
Dimensions (WxDxH): 30x29x6.2cm
Weight: 6kg
Price: £2,999, $3,200

Manufacturer

Audiobyte

www.audiobyte.net

Distributor

Audiofreaks

www.audiofreaks.co.uk

+44(0)208 928 4153

Out of The Box – IAS Loudspeakers Ltd

Our ‘Out of the Box’ Series features companies who might slip through the net from time to time. Companies with something more than hot air, who make loudspeakers but make them with a rare passion that drives them and shapes the products they design and build.

When did you start the company?

Post lockdown, though research began just before this time.

Is making a loudspeaker an ‘art’ or a ‘science’?

Science is key, but variables inevitably influence and define what is reproduced across a room from a given loudspeaker design. Therefore, a designer has to assume certain skill sets as artisan in sound as adjunct to scientific measurement parameters

where accomplishing the shaping of such influences toward a perceptibly realistic reference level can assume as near lifelike representations of a given recorded performance.

What makes your loudspeakers different to other brands?

From original horn loading concepts derived from efficient cinema-theatre loudspeaker systems of the 1930’s and the subsequent experiments in home high-fidelity from the 1950’s onward, the Beaulieu 40R has deployed, with some subtleties of re-design, the

acoustical benefits of these earlier concepts, but from a more size-efficient enclosure. This, in combination with the use of critically matched speaker units and a clever minimalist series crossover, tailors the presentation to a more neutral and transparent purpose than colored sounding horn designs found elsewhere. Additionally, with bare minimum critical enclosure damping, this not only affords the loudspeaker system the widest possible dynamic range envelope, it also achieves the lowest bass extension of any standmount loudspeaker made, and with speed, thanks to a low resonant frequency bass/mid-range unit that increases the soundstage to levels normally associated with floorstanding designs of much larger proportions. The crossover design also affords a far more open and expressive treble response, giving realism that influences the system as a whole to more dynamically realistic levels that assimilate real-life sounds. Further considerations such as the attention to wiring and the connections deployed, standards of crossover components used and system isolation, all contributing to heighten the performance still further through judicious tailoring.

What challenges do you face in making and selling loudspeakers?

Reaching musically attuned people who seek heightened musical experiences in the home in an age of compressed media, convenience and time-constrained lifestyles.

Where do you hope the company will be in five or ten years?

To merely continue with a base of clients, equally sharing a love of music, with an engaging product that acquits itself more than admirably.

Where can consumers hear about your products and find out more?

Full details on the Beaulieu 40R loudspeaker system can be found at www.iasloudspeakers.co.uk or by contacting Carl Beckwith on +44-(0)7947-122806 (weekday business hours only).

The Beaulieu 40R is on permanent demonstration (by appointment) in the historic North Dorset Saxon town of Shaftesbury, just south of the A303.

IAS Loudspeakers Website

Michi X3 Series 2

Rotel’s high-end Michi brand was revived from hibernation a few years back with the introduction of some substantial but stylish black boxes, which included the P5/S5 pre/power combo and what at the time was one of the most giant integrated amps from a mainstream brand, the X5. A marginally more manageable X3 joined that 600W beast with a mere 350W on tap from its stealthily black casework. Five years on, Michi has updated all but its flagship products to Series 2 status. They still combine a shiny acrylic front panel with very neatly integrated heatsinking, oodles of inputs and plenty of mass, but some 90 changes have been made under the hood.

These are in the way of refinements rather than revisions; the X3 S2 is integrated with both digital and analogue inputs, and plenty of them. However, most of the 90 changes are to the digital side, the fastest-moving area in electronics and, therefore, the most likely to warrant a change. So, the DAC is now an ESS Sabre ES9028PRO running four channels for fully balanced operation in current rather than voltage mode.

It also features new parts for the low pass filter on the DAC output, digital input switch, clock optimisation, and digital stabilisation. Now that Tidal no longer offers its higher resolution streams in MQA, the format’s fortunes are up in the air, but this tech was purchased by Lenbrook last year, so it may yet rise from the ashes. If it does the Series 2 Michi components will be ready with an XMOS USB receiver designed for the job.

We got tone!

The analogue side of the X3 S2 sees new volume and tone control circuits, a low voltage standby mode, a home theatre bypass with a trigger input and new coupling capacitors in the power amp stage. That power amp is suitable for a continuous 200 Watts into eight Ohms and nearly twice that into half the impedance. Those heatsinks are not just for show, but in practice, they don’t get that hot unless you have a working pair of two-ohm Apogee Scintillas and enjoy recreating Mogwai concerts in your room.

The back panel positively bristles with connections; it’s nearly in the AV amplifier league with two sets of chunky speaker terminals per channel arranged horizontally, but these are not for running two sets of speakers but for bi-wiring a single pair. Inputs include RCA and XLR for line sources and an MM phono input for suitably equipped record players. There is a compact antenna for aptX HD Bluetooth, three optical and as many coaxial S/PDIF inputs, USB and Ethernet on the digital side. However, that network connection is a bit of a red herring because the X3 S2 does not have a streamer onboard. That connection is for future firmware updates that a processor-driven amp like this may require.

Large display

I like the large, clear front panel display. The volume can be read at 40 paces, or at least it can so long as it’s not in direct sunlight. Like its stablemates, this Michi is a very nicely executed piece of industrial design, very different to its rosewood-cheeked 1990s ancestors and much more of the moment. Operationally, life is eased by the slim stick of a remote handset. This has a power button to match that on the amplifier, and if you press it long enough, it will power down and power up the X3 S2. Shutting down takes five seconds; it’s much keener to turn on.

More than a few set-up options are available from the left-hand screen; these include input naming and what appears to be up to plus or minus 10dB of gain adjustment per input (assuming the scale indicates dB). A whole section is dedicated to network management while another, ‘Audio’, covers power on volume, USB class and type of decoding: PCM only or everything, plus home theatre bypass. ‘Display’ allows you to dim the display after a chosen time and show up to four VU meters, horizontal rather than needle types, or the input and volume. Adding a child lock and checking the software versions for USB and LCD are also possible.

No streaming

It seems odd to build a multi-function amplifier like this and not include streaming, especially as Michi go to the expense of including a network connection. With Hegel, Naim and others making high-end streaming amps at this price point and appearing to do well, you must wonder what Michi is thinking. It could be that, despite the protestations of German synth-pop Alphaville 40 years ago, streaming is not ‘Big In Japan’, and companies tend to think of the home market’s needs in the first instance.

They have included a headphone output for that burgeoning market sector and the plethora of trigger connections plus its Roon-readiness would suggest more than half an eye on the US market. So maybe Michi is making the point that by applying their expertise where it counts and making most of the components in the X3 in-house, they are producing an amp worthy of its price without such fripperies.

Surprise factor

Connected to a Lumin U2 Mini streamer and the substantial yet easygoing DALI Epikore 11 speakers, the Michi revealed its capabilities in the power department almost from the off. This amp has a wide dynamic range and plenty of grip, which, with material that starts quietly and then hits hard, can catch you off guard. The inky black silence of backgrounds adds to this element of surprise, it’s handy that volume is displayed so clearly in this respect because not much else prepares you for the sort of dynamics on tap. I reviewed the larger Michi X5 when it was released and felt it was a little slow; it didn’t jump when the signal asked it to but worked up to it. The X3 S2 is nimbler in this respect, and while you wouldn’t call it fast, it knows a transient when one comes along.

The overall balance is smooth but not thick. You can hear its Japanese origins in the calmness of its delivery and that there has been some Western input into the voicing. Mids are clear, which helps to resolve the tempo of each piece, and the amp is not averse to throwing up a good-sized image when the right recording comes along; it doesn’t, however, add airiness where it’s not required.

The X3 S2 is slightly soft-edged for a relaxed speaker like the DALI, so I tried it with some PMC twenty5.26i floorstanders. This was a more successful pairing in terms of timing and tonal balance respects and was almost as good regarding dynamics. The slow burn of Evita Polidoro’s ‘Limerick’ (Nerovivo, Tuˇk Music) builds beautifully, the Michi producing the power and drive required to control the muscular bass line and spiky guitar.

Palpability

With the signal provided by a Merason Reuss DAC, the results are a little smoother through the mid and reveal more depth and shape to the soundstage; this and a pair of Vivid S12 speakers proved to be a most enjoyable combo with the X3 S2. The colossal reverb on Lady Blackbird’s signature tune went down well, with the powerful dynamics of her voice being particularly well served alongside the nature of the limiting applied in the studio. Laura Marling was in good fettle too, the bass reverb on ‘Soothing’ (Semper Femina) being clarified to a greater extent than usual, the sound radiating into the room with a palpability that it doesn’t usually exude.

I didn’t get to try the original X3, so it’s hard to say what the Series 2 changes have brought to the party, but if they have managed to give the X5 this sort of get-up-and-go, then it’s a worthy upgrade. The absence of streaming is compensated by a powerful and capable amplifier with a decent digital section; this and the wide variety of inputs and range of features add to its appeal, while the style and execution of the X3 S2 make it an amplifier that’s more than worthy of the Michi name. Those after a well-built and versatile integrated speaker that will drive any contemporary speaker should not overlook its solid, dark form.

Technical specifications

Type Solid-state, two-channel integrated amplifier with built-in DAC, phono stage, and headphone amplifier.
Analogue inputs: One MM phono input (via RCA jacks) , three single-ended line-level inputs (via RCA jacks), one balanced input (via XLR connectors).
Digital inputs: Six S/PDIF (three coaxial, three optical), one USB port, Bluetooth aptX HD.
Analogue outputs: One pre-out (via RCA jacks), IR, RS232 power control, two 12V trigger connections.
Supported sample rates:
- Coaxial and optical S/PDIF: Up to 24-bit, 192kHk
- USB: Up to 32-bit, 384kHz
Input impedance:
- High-level: 100kOhms
- Phono: 47kOhms
Output impedance (preamp): 100 Ohms
Headphone Loads: Not specified.
Power Output: 200Wpc @ 8 Ohms, 350Wpc @ 4 Ohms
Bandwidth: 10Hz – 100kHz
Distortion: THD <0.008%
Signal to Noise Ratio: 102dB
Dimensions (HxWxD): 150 x 485 x 452mm
Weight: 28.9kg
Price: £5,999, $5,799

Manufacturer

The Rotel Co., Ltd.

www.rotel.com

UK distributor

Cadence Distribution

www.cadencedistribution.co.uk

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