Articles Archive

Bricasti M1 Series II

Bricasti Design is of New England origin despite the Italian-sounding name. That New England heritage is reflected in the restrained nature of the brand’s aesthetics. Brian Zolner and Casey Dowdell combined their Christian names to create Bricasti, a brand with a 20-year history. Both men worked with Lexicon and Madrigal Labs when the latter made Mark Levinson products. One suspects that this is where they got their ideas for styling. Today, Bricasti makes a range of digital and analogue electronics recently joined by the M19 SACD transport. Here, we’re testing the Bricasti M1 Series II. This is the latest version of the DAC that put Bricasti on the audio map.

The M1 Series II looks like a reasonably simple digital-to-analogue converter. Its front display and the back panel reveal it is more complex. This DAC is a streamer, digital preamplifier, and very competent converter. You will notice the large feet underneath its precisely machined chassis. If you pick it up, you might notice they are two-part isolation feet made by Stillpoints. This indicates the attention to detail Bricasti has brought to this component. It’s a DAC with point-to-point wiring between multiple circuit boards and dedicated linear power supplies for each channel. This indicates that the M1 Series II is a dual-mono converter with separate circuitry for each channel. The placement of analogue outputs at the flanks of the back panel reveals this internal separation almost as effectively as a picture of the internal layout of the DAC.

Dual core

The heart of the Bricasti M1 Series II is the MDx digital processor. This contains the USB receiver, master clock, D/A converter chips, and dual-core Analog Devices DSP processors. These handle upsampling and filter options and essentially run all of the functions this DAC provides. The M1 Series II also converts DoP to DSD, includes clock synchronisation, and all of Bricasti’s work to reduce jitter and distortion.

Connectivity is a strong point on this DAC. It has the usual array of digital inputs, including coaxial S/PDIF on RCA and BNC sockets, AES, Toslink and USB. An RJ45 socket marked Network is provided for streaming purposes. However, it also has a secondary function as an I²S input. This is for use with the M19 transport, which has a matching output. I’ve not come across I²S via this ethernet connector before. However, Bricasti could use any connector they liked as a proprietary signal transmission system.

Internal signal routing

I²S is generally only used for internal signal routing within digital components. Still, it has become a fashionable way of connecting sources and DACs. Typically, these must be from a single manufacturer, as there is no standard for I²S connections.

The M1 Series II has a compact metal remote control with buttons marked level, input, filter and status. It also has up-down keys, allowing users to scroll through each option. The display shows the filter or input selected. It can also show the volume level when this DAC is connected directly to a power amp. The connections are via single-ended or balanced analogue outputs. The same function buttons are on the front of the machine but I didn’t get much use out of those, albeit the rotary saw some action when the Bricasti was controlling volume, it’s a smooth turner as you might expect.

DSD filters

This DAC is unusual in having filter options for DSD and PCM signals, as the M19 can provide a native DSD signal over the I²S connection, and streaming sources can deliver DoP (DSD over PCM). Three DSD filter settings offer different degrees of noise attenuation: filter zero is a pass-through, filter one has a gentle roll-off between 32k and 64k, and filter two starts at 28k and reaches a stop band at 48k. There are 15 PCM filters split into nine linear phase and six minimum phase options. You can use these on the fly, albeit with a short silence between each.

I ignored these at first but regretted doing so as soon as I discovered the quality of timing via the minimum phase filters. These don’t have the purity of tone produced by the linear phase options, but the sense of engagement is greatly enhanced. There are apparent tonal and image-related differences between the various settings, and it’s interesting to try different ones with different types of music. The linear phase filters work well with some speakers and presumably genres of music. The important thing is that you have the choice and can compare the options on your sofa.

Fine touch

The Bricasti M1 Series II is one of the most natural and delicate-sounding DACs I have enjoyed using. It has an analogue-like transparency that lets oodles of detail through and presents it in an extraordinarily coherent and engaging form. It delivers a richness of detail that you don’t get with more affordable converters. This is, of course, dependent on the quality of the signal. Still, I found that this result was on offer with a streamer and the M19 mentioned above transport, so long as the original recording had a depth of information to present the M1 Series II delivered it in a precise yet effortless form.

Other high-end DACs deliver more apparent power and dynamics at the expense of low-level resolution. They can’t resolve the fine details that combine with the fundamentals and make the music more three-dimensional and real. This Bricasti shows you the timbre and shape of the instrument as well as the acoustic signature of the room in which it was recorded.

Before a note is played

With an excellent recording such as Chasing the Dragon’s Mendelsson Octets, you can feel the atmosphere in the room before the first note is played. It’s an exceptional experience that requires excellent D/A conversion to appreciate fully, and this is an extremely good and highly finessed conversion.

I tried both AES and USB inputs from the same Lumin U2 mini streamer and heard the characteristics clearly; the AES delivered smooth fluency, while the USB had more detail but didn’t sound quite as relaxed. I ended up combining the two by putting a Mutec MC3+ USB reclocker in the signal path with USB in and AES out to the Bricasti, and that worked a treat, somehow combining the qualities of both connection types and allowing the DAC to deliver greater stereo solidity and image depth. The M1 Series II is excellent for imaging due to the depth of information it reveals, so any improvements made to the incoming signal in this respect were immediately noticeable.

Ins and outs

I also contrasted the I²S input with AES using Tiglon cables supplied by the Bricasti distributor Connecting Music. It should not have been a surprise that the I²S proved superior, albeit the difference was smaller than that between USB and AES (via Network Acoustic cables). What struck me was just how phenomenal a good recording could sound on DSD; I have not been a big fan of the format because it always seemed a bit ethereal and had poor timing compared to PCM.

However, that must have been due to hardware limitations, as the M19/M1 Series II combination delivered superb timing and a full-scale, 3D presence in spades. I don’t think that Jeff Buckley’s Grace has ever sounded as good as the SACD did via these components; the sense of presence produced by the close-miked vocal put me in the studio to uncanny effect. This album alone has made me revise my opinion of DSD, not to mention illuminating just how much Led Zeppelin influence there is in that fabulous album.

You know the rules, and so do I

Not everything played sounded this good, of course. The M1 Series II can only work with what it’s given… and Rick Astley’s ‘Never Going to Give You Up’ was not made for high-end systems, not even those made in the eighties. That said, it’s surprising how much better a lot of music sounds when converted by a DAC of this calibre. The Bricasti has so little ‘digital’ sound that only the absence of analogue source characteristics indicates a digital element involved.

The best analogue components produce huge differences between recordings. Few do so with such a low noise floor and in such a tonally even fashion. I have to say that I had a brilliant time with this Bricasti. Still, I fear that recalibrating for the relatively affordable converter that is my everyday entertainment will be painful.

Technical specifications

Type: Solid-state high-resolution PCM and DSD-capable digital-to-analogue converter/preamplifier
Digital Inputs: One AES/EBU, two coaxial (via RCA & BNC), one Toslink, one USB 2.0, one Ethernet/ I²S (via RJ45)
Analogue Outputs: One stereo single-ended (via RCA jacks), one balanced (via XLR connectors). Both outputs are configurable for fixed or variable-level operation
DAC Resolution/Supported Digital Formats: All PCM from 44.1KS/s to 384KS/s with word lengths up to 24-bit, DSD64, DSD128 and DSD256
Frequency Response @44.1kHz: 10Hz–20kHz, + 0dB, -0.2dB
Distortion (THD + Noise): < 0.0006%, 20Hz–20kHz at -30dBFS
Output Voltage: 5.2Vrms at maximum via XLR, 1.2Vrms via RCA
User Interface: Remote control, OLED display
Dimensions (H×W×D): 114 × 432 × 317mm
Weight: 6.8kg
Price: £15,000/$12,000

Manufacturer

Bricasti Design

www.bricasti.com

UK distributor

Connecting Music Distribution

www.connectingmusic.co.uk

+44 (0) 131 221 9753

Lyngdorf Audio introduces the FR-2, a floor standing speaker specially designed and tuned to be placed against the wall

Skive, Denmark – 25 October 2024 – Lyngdorf Audio launches the new FR-2, a high-performance floor standing loudspeaker that has been designed for placement against the wall to ensure a visually and acoustically ideal room integration. The speaker has been tuned for best sound performance close to a wall, while the very shallow cabinet shape and the choice of colors and fabric covers allow a space-saving integration in modern homes.

Lyngdorf Audio from Denmark is known for its digital amplifiers, multichannel processors, and RoomPerfect™ calibration. The FR-2 is the company’s 18^th model in its current speaker and woofer portfolio. FR stands for Full Range, and the FR-2 is the second full-range on-wall speaker model, joining the FR-1. The FR-2 also marks a new era for establishing Lyngdorf Audio’s new in-house cabinet production and lacquering in Denmark.

The FR-2 has its premiere at the Audio Video Show 2024 in Warsaw, Poland.

Best sound performance through wall placement
The FR-2’s drive units are integrated into an unusually shallow speaker design that takes advantage of room acoustics instead of working against them. The FR-2 has been specifically tuned for wall placement, with the woofers located as close as possible to the wall behind the speaker. This leads to an ideal impulse response in the low frequencies and results in a surprisingly tight and powerful bass, unheard of with most freestanding speakers.

High-performance woofers and tweeters
The FR-2’s two high-performance 6.5” / 18cm woofers are equipped with a rigid, vented die-cast basket, an extra-strong and large magnet, and a very light aluminum cone, while the soft-dome tweeter also uses an extra powerful magnet. This provides the highest efficiency and a high maximum volume level while keeping the distortion low. The very linear impedance (around 4 ohm) allows any amplifier to perform at its best. The bass reflex port is placed downward facing, which hides it from view and acoustically always keeps the same ideal distance to the floor boundary and wall corner.

Modern colors and exchangeable fabric covers
The FR-2 is not only tuned for the best sound performance close to a wall, but also shaped for this purpose. The speaker is unusually shallow, while the smooth, rounded edges, the front baffle merging into the top, three modern satin-matte color options, and two optional exchangeable fabric covers from Danish specialist Gabriel let the FR-2 blend into every living room. The speaker can either stand on the floor or use the optional wall mount for the smallest footprint. The FR-2 enclosure is made and lacquered in-house at Lyngdorf Audio’s new cabinet factory in Denmark.

The FR-2 production will start in November 2024 at Lyngdorf Audio in Skive, Denmark.

Statements from the team

“With the Lyngdorf FR-2, we expand our portfolio of floor standing speakers. Last year, we introduced the Cue-100, with no compromises in design or technology. Now we elevate the on-wall concept to a floor standing Lyngdorf product. We know this concept well from our Steinway & Sons range, and we are confident that our sales channels and customers will embrace this solution for its acoustic advantages and space saving room placement benefits.” Anker Haldan, CCO

“When looking at today’s loudspeaker market, it is surprising how many conventional hifi box speakers there are, and how few loudspeakers are made for living rooms in a modern and elegant way. The new Lyngdorf FR-2 is unusually shallow, specially designed and tuned to be placed right against the wall. It works with the room acoustics rather than against them, and it also features modern colors and fabric covers.” Roland Hoffmann, Product Marketing Director

“The basic shape of any on-wall speaker is very rectangular and flat against the wall, so we gave the middle part of the FR-2 an extra shape, which also covers all screws and driver baskets. With this design element, the speaker looks much more elegant and slimmer. The fabric grill is placed instead of the baffle, so it is totally flush with the speaker front.” Brian Nielsen, Mechanical Designer

VPI INTRODUCES NEW MODEL ONE TURNTABLE

25 October 2024 – VPI is pleased to unveil Model One, the first turntable in its new Forever Series. Drawing on over 45 years of experience in high-end audio manufacturing, VPI’s design and engineering team has crafted this stunning new turntable. The Forever Series ushers in a new era of performance and modularity, offering products that can evolve with the user.

At the heart of the Model One is the new motor drive and platter module. This module is mounted on a thick aluminium plate and features resonance-cancelling damping to reduce vibrations and enhance sound clarity. The belt-driven motor operates at 500 rpm and features a two-speed pulley for precise speed control. Its inverted bearing minimises surface area contact between the platter and bearing, reducing friction and boosting performance.

A standout feature of the Model One is the new VPI S-Tonearm Module, which offers enhanced precision and build quality. This 10-inch, S-shaped, statically balanced tonearm features solid aluminium architecture to eliminate tube resonances, ensuring pure sound reproduction. Vertical Tracking Adjustment in the arm base allows for precise height adjustments, while Azimuth adjustment is available in the headshell. ABEC 5 bearings provide ultra-low friction, eliminating chatter and ensuring long life. One continuous length of VPI high-purity copper wire runs from the headshell to the RCA connection, delivering a pure signal.

The Model One also introduces VPI’s new 3-Point Floating Suspension system, designed for superior isolation from external vibrations. This advanced 3D isolation system stabilises the turntable, minimising motor noise and reducing both external and internal vibrations.

The turntable retains VPI’s classic aesthetic, with a black ash veneer offering a timeless appearance, while a hinged clear dust cover protects the platter.

The modular design of the Motor Drive and Platter Module allows users to easily service, adjust, package, replace, or upgrade the system. Future upgrades or new models will seamlessly integrate with this platform. This flexible upgrade path will allow the owner to upgrade their Model One to Model Two or Model Three specifications as they become available. The Model One comes with a 10-year warranty, ensuring that VPI’s customers can trust their investment, knowing their turntable is built to last. These features are what give the Forever Series its name.

Renaissance distributes VPI products in the UK and Ireland. Its Managing Director, John Carroll, said: “To create the new Forever Series, VPI asked its customers what they wanted from a premium turntable, as well as how they would like it to look and sound. This feedback, combined with the company’s expertise in audio craftsmanship, has resulted in three incredibly special turntables. I was thrilled when I first heard Model One and immediately knew it would be extremely popular. The sound reproduction is detailed and accurate, showcasing all of VPI’s best qualities. In fact, its performance is reminiscent of the VPI Signature turntable – which costs almost twice as much.”

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP): £4,990 inc. VAT, US$5,250 exc. sales tax.
For more information, visit: www.renaissanceaudio.co.uk/vpi

Musical Fidelity A1

Dame Shirley Bassey’s catchy collaboration with the Propellerheads, ‘History Repeating,’ could be the soundtrack to recent developments in two-channel audio. Mining your heritage for something that makes us hark back to a time when things were less awful (or at least, the passage of time and some judicious rose tinting convince us it was less awful) is big business. The latest company to feel the pull of the past is Musical Fidelity. It has resurrected the Musical Fidelity A1 integrated amplifier.

The A1 integrated amplifier wasn’t entirely ‘normal’ when launched. Designed by the late Tim de Paravicini, it was a solid-state amplifier that owed more than a little to his more widely known work with valve designs. The Musical Fidelity A1 operates in Class A for a significant portion of its operating envelope. It then ‘slides’ rather than ‘switches’ into Class AB operation at high outputs. However, combining not-inconsequential operating temperatures and cost-effective components gave it a reputation for fragility it never truly deserved.

The relaunched version has the same basic design as the original. However, a selection of detail (and one reasonably significant) alterations achieve the level of performance that the basic design was capable of. The significant difference is that the new model is slightly larger. The extra size allows the casework to radiate the heat better away from the electronics. This is relative, though. A hot surface warning is the first thing that greets you when you open the A1 box. It’s not there for a laugh. The review sample ran at around sixty degrees after an hour, meaning it will need its shelf in any setup.

Detail changes

The detail changes are more interesting. Revising the internal layout and upgrading components like the volume pot result in higher performance and reliability. It is also motorised. This allows adding a small but nicely finished remote to adjust the volume and mute the Musical Fidelity A1. What once was the tape monitor button on the front panel was repurposed into a gain switch. The gain switch lets you bypass the gain stage built into the preamp. This is less crucial in a world where source equipment routinely pumps out 3v.

Tape monitor aside, connectivity remains the same as before. Bluetooth or digital inputs are far too 21st century for the Musical Fidelity A1. Instead, you get four line inputs, a phono stage that supports both MM and MC operation, and the tape loop mentioned above. This makes connecting a headphone amp a little easier, as the A1 doesn’t have one. At a price where many rivals hover near the point where they can be described as an all-in-one system, the A1 is an old-school amplifier.

1980s aesthetics

This impression only deepens when the aesthetics are taken into account. The A1 didn’t look like anything else on the market when it came out. Intervening decades have done nothing to change this. The A1 is still governed by its need to dissipate heat, giving it a functionally brutal air with a whiff of retro-futurism. I like it, but this comes with the caveat that I am something of a sucker for eighties things which means I’m probably not a wholly impartial judge. The overall build standard is excellent, though, and while this relaunched A1 is pricier than its ancestor, it feels like solid value.

Like the original, the Musical Fidelity A1 disposes of 25 watts per channel, available to a single pair of binding posts. Just like the original, this goes somewhat further than you might expect. I have done considerable listening with the Neat Petite Classic, whose six-ohm impedance and 87dB/w sensitivity might suggest a challenge, but the results have been outstanding. Scratch that. The results have been an unadulterated joy. With a Chord Electronics Qutest tipped on its side at one end of the A1 (rather than being gradually baked on the top) serving as a source, the result is greater than the sum of its parts.

Exceptionally unmechanical

The key to what made the Musical Fidelity A1 such a favourite was its exceptionally unmechanical sense of power delivery, which is replicated perfectly in the new version. The volume control feels more like a regulator that allows more flow from a supply of boundless musical energy. The spellbinding ‘Mining For Gold’ that opens The Trinity Sessions by The Cowboy Junkies [RCA] arrives at the ear with nothing so base as the mechanical process being present at any stage. Give the A1 a good recording, and it’s an astonishingly natural performer. Margo Timmins never feels embellished or enhanced. She’s just there in a way that I don’t always experience with somewhat more expensive amps.

You can frequently replicate these attributes with a well-engineered EL84 amp, but the A1 kicks on because it has a potency and sheer grunt that can sometimes be a genuine surprise. Listening to Love by The Cult [Beggars Banquet] on the A1 delivers an unlikely performance for a 25-watt amplifier. ‘Big Neon Glitter’ pounds along with a level of bite and attack that would keep even the most flat-earth adherent listener happy.

Fast and dextrous

This is a fast and dextrous amp with much more out-and-out punch than you might give it credit for. Listen through the eighties sheen, though, and Ian Astbury still sounds natural and engaging, and the soundstage, while not genuinely enormous, gives the music space to breathe.

I enjoyed digital audio played through the Musical Fidelity A1, but the phono stage is realistically the best way to enjoy the performance. I have found that all but the lowest output MC carts have not required me to use the preamp gain stage in this listening space, and the result feels very much like an organic extension of the main amplifier. Crucially, it gets all the basics right. There is little to no background noise and sufficient gain for most applications. I feel that the developments in moving magnet cartridges that have occurred since the A1 launched mean that the MM side is the more logical choice for most owners, but having the option is welcome.

Compelling naturalness

The performance has the same compelling naturalness as the rest of the amp. Listening to To Dream is to Forget by Hidden Orchestra [Lone Figures], the A1 is a good amp without caveats. Tonal realism is impressive. That same infectious energy ensures you are not simply a spectator to what the Musical Fidelity A1 does. You are an engaged participant. Change tack entirely and go for a spirited blast through the riotous Electricity by Ibibio Sound Machine [Merge]. The A1 captures the energy and power of the piece in a wholly convincing way.

Musical Fidelity’s A1 was on hand simultaneously with the beautiful DeVore Fidelity O/Baby. The results of running the two together were wholly and wonderfully enjoyable. The A1 has slightly rolled-off frequency extremes and won’t supply you with the last ounce of fine detail. However, the A1 does a great job of ensuring you ignore these aspects of your overall performance.

The Musical Fidelity A1 isn’t a no-brainer choice in 2024, but it wasn’t in the 1980s. This is a curious-looking, minimally specified device that runs like a hotplate. It would bring tears to anyone engaged in energy efficiency certification. However, the performance is sufficiently arresting that many people won’t care. The A1 remains an absurdly talented amp that will beguile a new generation of listeners. History repeating indeed.