Articles Archive

GutWire Consummate loudspeaker cables

In Issue 191, I reviewed GutWire’s Consummate interconnect cables. A lot has happened since then, including the passing of the then-distributor. However, one of the last discussions I had with Peter Djordjevic was about the GutWire Consummate loudspeaker cables. It’s time to honour that request.

Like the interconnect cables, Consummate stands at the peak of the GutWire range. It employs 16 AWG and 24 AWG solid-core, high-purity, oxygen-free copper insulated with silicone and protected by two shielding layers: pure copper and pure Mylar. The conductors are arranged in a rope-like, golden section configuration, measuring one and a half inches in diameter. The connectors are sourced from Furutech, featuring CF-201(R) spades or CF-202(R) banana plugs, which are cold-welded to the conductors.

No Added Quantums

GutWire avoids exaggerating its claims. There’s no ‘quantum’ magic here. Instead, the company produces high-quality cables through good engineering principles and rigorous testing and listening. Minimising EM and RF interference from internal or external sources is core to these cables.

When discussing speaker cables, they refer to eliminating ‘near-end crosstalk’ (or ‘NEXT’), which occurs when adjacent conductors influence each other. The cube at each end of the Consummate is not merely a breakout box for the positive and negative conductors; it also helps reduce that NEXT figure.

Whether it’s due to those NEXT-busting ceramic boxes or simply a characteristic of GutWire cables in general, this cable requires some time to acclimatise to its environment. This process isn’t just a few hundred hours of signal passing through the cable; it also pertains to the system and its movement. If you swap the cable, it requires a few hours to recondition. The same applies when you replace a power amplifier. The effort is worthwhile because the result is so good, but it also explains why it rarely features in reviewers’ systems; we often change components in our system so frequently that Consummate would forever be in its ‘warming up’ state.

Bring out your best!

Cynically, I’d also suggest that GutWire Consummate’s ability to bring out the best in components ultimately undermines the relentless pursuit of changing them, making the promotion of The Next Big Thing in audio more challenging. When you incorporate Consummate into your system, it sounds enjoyable, encouraging you to play track after track. You’ll first notice the size and scale; the soundstage is expansive, and the dynamic range is entirely unrestricted by this cable. Not ‘big’ in an exaggerated sense, but ‘big’ in the way well-recorded orchestras can sound. If you play something smaller in scale, it delivers on that front as well.

It’s also extremely fast and detailed, more than keeping up with the fast, glitchy rhythms of Aphex Twin, Burial, or the latest James Blake offerings. The sheer amount of detail puts you in the studio control room or with the musicians. The difference between recording styles is so easy to distinguish here that you find it frustrating when switching to other cables.

However, more important than all this is GutWire Consummate’s ability to set aside the usual musical granularity of audio, allowing you to focus on the musical whole. It’s the performance that matters, and the ‘two-minute twitch’ of audiophiles wanting to showcase their systems (often to themselves) is diminished. Consummate aids you in enjoying the music rather than fixating on the sound it produces.

If you are obsessed with audiophile ephemera or having a system featuring big-brand cables, look elsewhere. GutWire’s Consummate loudspeaker cables don’t do ‘high profile’ or ‘big-brand’ marketing. It just makes great cables. The name checks out; this is a Consummate performance.

Price and contact details

Price: £12,990/8’ pair (£1,300/1’ additional lengths)

Manufacturer

GutWire

www.gutwire.com

UK Distributor

The Audio Consultants

www.theaudioconsultants.co.uk

+44(0)118 981 9891

dCS Varése digital system

The Cambridge-based digital expert dCS names its products after noted classical composers. We’ve seen Scarlatti, Paganini, Puccini, Debussy, and even Elgar for those with long memories. Until the end of 2023, the current range included Bartók, Rossini, and Vivaldi (all now in APEX form). Then – in a break with tradition – Lina. And now there’s dCS Varése digital system at the absolute pinnacle of what the company can currently achieve.

Edgard Varèse differs slightly from the other composers that dCS uses in their nomenclature. He was been dubbed ‘the Father of Electronic Music.’ Moreover, Henry Miller described Varèse as “The stratospheric Colossus of Sound.” Why is that important? Because I don’t think I could sum up the dCS Varèse better than Henry Miller’s quote. It is a stratospheric Colossus of Sound. On the other hand, while Varèse might be a fitting name for dCS’s new range-topper, his music is best described as ‘hard work’. This is in stark contrast to the five-box system that carries his name.

One boxier

Five boxes? Isn’t the dCS Vivaldi APEX, with its four-box configuration, sufficient? Well, no. The dCS Varése digital system goes ‘one louder’ for a reason. That reason is to reconsider the fundamental workflow of a digital signal from first principles. Our traditional view of digital audio playback is a relatively linear progression from input to output. This is entirely understandable, as it stems from our conceptualisation of digital as an extension of the spinning disc. Data is extracted from the disc and subjected to error correction. The resulting datastream is then passed on to upsampling (if necessary) and to digital processing. From there, it heads to digital-to-analogue conversion, filtering, and subsequently to a set of analogue outputs. Aside from a few power supply and clock inputs, this forms a direct line from spinning the disc to the output.

Varèse reconsiders this from a conceptual ‘what if?’ perspective. What if the data didn’t require such extensive manipulation? What if, instead, the digital audio layout operated more like a client/server system? Or, what if devices such as the User Interface carried out their specialised tasks remotely? What if all the digital heavy lifting occurred within the same core device? What if a DAC could be just a DAC?

The dCS Varése digital system results from rethinking digital audio beyond conventional approaches. It emerges when conventions are set aside and a fresh start is made. Well, almost fresh; the Ring DAC, a crucial component of every dCS converter since the brand’s inception, remains present. However, even here, the boundaries are pushed.

Core values

The largest of the five boxes is the Core. As the name suggests, it is also the centre of operations. This section is where files are imported, noise-shaped, filtered, and prepared for conversion and output. It features only an Ethernet and USB input as standard, alongside eight LEMO-equipped ACTUS cable connectors. For an additional £11,500, dCS will install an Input/Output module for those wishing to connect other sources. Furthermore, a Varèse-grade CD/SACD transport (which utilises ACTUS) was released after this review was originally published.

Core interacts with the external environment through the User Interface box, which boasts a configurable front panel display. This works in tandem with the Varèse Remote; a round, CNC-milled aluminium handset with capacitive glass hotkeys. These keys encircle a central dial that controls both track functions and volume. The device charges via USB-C and connects to the dCS Varèse through Bluetooth, with the aerial positioned at the rear of the User Interface.

Back to DAC

Varèse’s Mono DACs are the ultimate result of the most successful lockdown project in audio: the Ring DAC APEX. Most of us were learning not to bake sourdough bread or failing to learn a language during the COVID-19 lockdowns. At the same time, Chris Hales (dCS Director of Product Development) spent time re-evaluating the Ring DAC. This was itself the subject of many years of refinement.

The developments that led to APEX in 2022 and transformed dCS’s existing line-up of digital converters also paved the way for the creation of a mono Differential Ring DAC. I mean, creating a Ring DAC with twice the current sources and operating in differential mode… surely that involves quite a bit of digital jiggery-pokery. No big deal? In fact, creating this Differential Ring DAC is quite challenging; it represents the single largest change to dCS’s central architecture in a generation and resembles the company’s Manhattan Project more than a leisurely weekend with the CAD/CAM package. However, were it not for that APEX lockdown project, ‘hard’ would likely have been ‘functionally impossible’.

Clocking on

As dCS pursued a monophonic DAC approach, it soon became clear that synchronising two DACs is a challenging task. To tackle this, the dCS Varèse incorporates a Master Clock featuring its innovative and patented dCS Tomix clocking technology. The company claims that this delivers “unrivalled jitter performance,” building on decades of dCS Master Clocks. During the development of Varèse, dCS found that “no existing technology allowed us to achieve perfect synchronicity when transmitting signals via IP link.” The Tomix-equipped Master Clock connects to the system through a single two-way ACTUS connection from Master Clock to Core.

We continue to refer to ACTUS because it is the proprietary connection infrastructure that links every aspect of Varèse together. The term is an acronym for ‘Audio Control Timing Unified System’. ACTUS connects each of the five components with a single, custom cable that terminates in multi-pin LEMO connectors. Given that the various digital cables between the four boxes of a dCS Vivaldi APEX have been known to exceed the cost of the hardware, transitioning to a single link between the devices is a welcome change.

A high-quality power cord is still necessary for each box (ACTUS does not transfer power from one device to another). I also suspect that aftermarket ACTUS cables will soon emerge, but the era of complex wiring diagrams for the rear panels is over for Varèse. I’m confident this won’t be the last time we encounter ACTUS in a dCS system. Even dCS’s own Mosaic app receives a boost with Mosaic ACTUS, a variant currently unique to Varèse.

Remarkable

When it comes to industrial design, dCS has certainly achieved something remarkable here. The dCS Varése digital system reflects many of the design elements seen in the Vivaldi and Rossini APEX, featuring a User Interface box that draws heavily from the Lina, but on a larger scale. The ‘handed’ front panels of the Mono DACs are a particularly nice touch, so understated that you may not notice them until someone points them out, yet they make perfect sense when placed in front of you.

I’d argue that Varèse does such an excellent job of shifting the dCS styling needle that it makes Vivaldi and Rossini APEX suddenly seem dated. These are fine products launched in 2012 and 2015 respectively, and despite firmware updates, the DACs, and a few modifications to the choice of CD transport, they possess a certain timelessness in their design. Or so I thought; in the wake of Varèse, those small clusters of tiny buttons appear rather tired compared to the elegant remote handset and button-free panels of the Varèse.

Subtle curves

The subtle curves of the front panels now seem less elegant and refined when juxtaposed with the Varèse’s understated look. Of course, this is understandable; the Varèse’s price point and the time that has passed would render the newcomer more representative of a 2020s project than models that have been in the catalogue for a decade or more, yet the speed at which the Vivaldi APEX transitioned from ‘timeless state-of-the-art’ to ‘it’s showing its age’ was quite remarkable.

The dCS Varèse reveals the potential of digital audio, but its capabilities rely on proper care and attention. The ACTUS cabling system means you don’t need to spend a small fortune on digital interconnects between devices, and the money saved should be directed towards a truly exceptional server. I used this with the Antipodes Audio Oladra tested in Issue 239, and it’s a perfect match.

No words

It’s a bit of a ‘fail’ for an audio reviewer; I find myself at a loss for words when it comes to sound quality. That’s not entirely accurate; I have the words, but it all comes down to one word; that f-bomb running through my notes. My audio vocabulary peaked with the dCS Varèse, prompting me to exclaim a series of expressions. There were two reasons for this: I’d never experienced that piece of music in such a way before, and unless I happened to get lucky in the lottery, I probably won’t hear anything quite like it again.

Nothing can prepare you for this. It’s nothing like digital or analogue. It feels like being in the studio. You are closer to the music and the musicians playing it. I tried to analyse my reaction to this sound, and at first, I thought it was the lifelike dynamic range. But that’s not it. I turned to ‘Smoke on the Water’ from Made In Japan by Deep Purple [Purple] because the dCS Varése digital system unlocks your inner teenager. It’s a visceral experience; you are there.

It’s the percussion—closer, more precise, faster, with every snare hit and all that hi-hat work. Wonderful. It’s almost a musical onslaught, and nothing’s hidden from view. If it were just the better dynamic range, I might have wanted to play air guitar, but this was a full-on air band event. I was hammering that Hammond like Jon Lord, smashing that hi-hat like Ian Paice, and pounding that bass like Roger Glover. I was about to attempt singing like Ian Gillan, but I realised that would probably cause something to burst.

Resonating hat

In all that, it was the hi-hat that truly resonated with me. It didn’t sound like a recording; it felt as if Ian Paice were sitting on a drum throne right in front of me, playing the hi-hat. It sounded authentic. The dynamic element was the snare, but that sense of timing… that was something beyond typical audio, digital or otherwise.

Everything I played after that— and I played a considerable amount of music following Deep Purple— reconfirmed those initial impressions, adding to them along the way. It was the little things; with everyone talking about Dylan at the moment, I played ‘Masters of War’ [The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, Columbia]. It’s astounding. Like a time machine. You instantly begin to ponder how all that talent could have been packed into one brain at such a young age. His voice remains distinctly Dylan’s, but no matter how skilled Chalamet is at mimicking him, he simply isn’t him, and that’s abundantly clear here.

Then there’s ‘West End Blues’ by Louis Armstrong [Hot Fives & Sevens, JSP]. It’s 97 years old and I’ve played it to pieces. It’s probably the best three minutes of music in history. I know it backwards, and I connected with it directly, just like the first time I played it.

Terminology fail

The same thing happened whether I played any genre of music. Interestingly, my notepad never contained the usual terminology. There were no discussions of dynamics, staging, or details; it was all about the music and how it made me feel. This was because those aspects of performance had been so well executed that they ceased to be a concern.

It’s the duty of a reviewer to identify any shortcomings in a product’s performance, but that’s not my role here. The only observation I would offer is this: be mindful of what you choose to listen to during that initial session. This isn’t due to your system’s inability to cope, nor is it because the Varèse is unkind to musical novices. It’s that your emotions are laid a bit more bare than you might expect by how this dCS stack presents music. If you play something evoking strong feelings, you have to confront those emotions.

I was listening to ‘Go!’ by Public Service Broadcasting from the 2015 album The Race For Space [Test Card]. For those unfamiliar with this album, it beautifully blends samples from 1960s US and Soviet space missions with indie dance electronica. ‘Go!’ captures the sound of Mission Control as the Eagle module of Apollo 11 approaches the lunar surface. It usually evokes strong emotions, but this time, I experienced both the ‘lump in the throat’ moment and a sudden urge to kick a moon landing conspiracy theorist down a flight of stairs. I should have left it there.

Ugly cry

Instead, I went bleak. I put on ‘Old Shep’ by Elvis Presley. You know the one; boy meets dog, dog gets old, boy shoots dog. It’s always been a bit of a tearjerker, but with the dCS Varèse, it becomes a full-on ‘ugly cry’ moment. So, be careful; this equipment unlocks emotions in ways that most other audio devices can’t.

There’s one more observation. I believe this settles the ‘analogue vs. digital’ debate. The dCS Varèse elevates digital audio to such a high level that record collection need no longer be an essential part of your daily musical ritual. While it’s still enjoyable to play and collect LPs, if you focus solely on the music rather than collecting for its own sake, you might find your trips to record stores becoming a bit less frequent. Naturally, it’s not an ‘either/or’ situation, and the existence of the Varèse doesn’t diminish the value of listening to music on LP; rather, those LP listening sessions can finally transition to digital.

Many elephants

Of course, there’s an elephant in the room; 217,000 elephants to be exact, and closer to a quarter of a million elephants when you include the I/O module. That’s a price tag that requires a bit of a run-up. And yet, when you spend time in front of it, that price ceases to be the focus of attention.

If, like most of us, you can’t afford it, merely sitting in front of it for a few minutes isn’t tormenting you; it’s indicating the direction of digital audio’s travel. It will take time for what the dCS Varèse achieves to filter down to increasingly practical levels, but it will occur. Yes, you return home and enjoy digital audio with a sense of regret that you can’t attain that peak just yet, but it exemplifies what can be accomplished, and perhaps it will inspire innovation to achieve that goal at every level.

Put your name down!

On the other hand, even if this is achievable for you, put your name down, now! This is what digital audio is meant to be. It’s not a false, overly warm analogue sound, nor that thin and shrill detail machine that most people mistakenly believe represents digital at its best. The dCS Varése digital system is something much more than that. It’s a lens on your music, not a microscope on a musical experiment. In audio terms, this is reminiscent of the first time you heard music that truly moved you, whether it was Beethoven, the Beatles, Metallica, or Miles Davis.

This is why we entered this hobby in the first place: a chance to experience a piece of music as the musicians or composers intended. If achieving that requires five boxes, a multitude of LEMO-connected cables, and costs as much as a house, then so be it. Returning to Public Service Broadcasting, this is our Apollo space mission, and no one approaches a Saturn V booster rocket and says, ‘Meh! I bet I can create one cheaper!’

A grave problem

My biggest criticism has nothing to do with the size, the number of boxes, the price, or the cabling. Nope. It’s that blasted grave; I keep spelling it ‘Varése’ instead of ‘Varèse’. It’s trivial, but getting to that grave on the keyboard is much more complicated than simply adding an acute accent. Even though I must have written ‘Varèse’ dozens of times now, I still get it wrong!

Saying that the only issue with a £217,000 digital player is the need to type a grave accent over a letter is likely to provoke apoplexy in some. However, it’s the only criticism I have of the dCS Varèse. It resets your listening criteria so effectively that you feel humbled in its presence, and your usual methods of contextualising an audio product become obsolete.

The wonderful thing is, you don’t care! That dCS Varése digital system experience resembles that unforgettable moment from years ago. It’s sneaking into your friend’s dad’s listening room and enjoying music on his extraordinary audio system. That system was likely far beyond your comprehension and budget, resembling musical science fiction.

Lifelong journey

Nevertheless, it set you on a lifelong journey. We have all been attempting to recapture that experience, and the dCS Varèse accomplishes just that! There will be individuals showing up at exhibitions solely to demonstrate what a bunch of fools we audiophiles are. We should be turning up with burning torches and pitchforks for a dCS Varèse demonstration. They, too, will leave with silly grins on their faces, delighting in music with child-like joy.

We’re at a pivotal moment in audio. The dCS Varése digital system demonstrates the capabilities of digital audio. That is worthy of the highest praise for dCS, but that’s only the start. Varèse is such a step change in digital that it throws down a gauntlet to other digital audio manufacturers. And not just those in the stratosphere. Now, it’s the turn of the rest of the digital audio world to catch up!

Technical specifications

Type: Digital Music System
Digital Inputs: Ethernet on RJ45 connector for network streaming. USB Type A connector for mass storage devices (navigated using Mosaic ACTUS).
If the Digital I/O Module is fitted to the Varese Core: USB 2.0 interface on B-type connector, 3x AES/EBU inputs on 3-pin female XLR.
Analogue Outputs: 2x pair balanced outputs on 4x XLR connectors. Output impedance: 1.5Ω. 2x pair unbalanced outputs on 4x RCA connectors. Output impedance: 52Ω.
Maximum load: 600Ω (10k-100kΩ is recommended).
Output levels: 0.2V, 0.6V, 2V, 6V rms for a full-scale input, set in the menu.
Digital Outputs: If the Digital I/O Module is fitted to the Varese Core: 1 x S/PDIF interface on RCA Phono connector,
Wordclock I/O: If the Digital I/O Module is fitted to the Varese Core: 1 x Word Clock Output on 1x BNC connector.
Sample Frequencies and Formats: 44.1-384kHz up to 24 bits, DSD/64, DSD/128, DSD/256, DSD/512, Native DSD + DoP, FLAC, WAV, AIFF
Residual Noise: Better than 118dB0, 20-20kHz
Spurious Responses: Better than -115dB0, 20-20kHz
Finish: Silver
Dimensions (HxWxD):
User Interface: 13.1 x 44.4 x 45cm
Master Clock: 13.1 x 44.4mm x 43.7cm
Mono DAC: 13.1 x 44.4mm x 43.7cm per channel
Core: 24.4 x 44.4 x 43.8cm
Weight:
User Interface: 14.6kg
Master Clock: 15.7kg
Mono DAC: 18.7kg per channel
Core: 33.1kg
Price: £217,000 (without Digital I/O module)

Manufacturer

dCS

www.dcsaudio.com

UK distributor

Absolute Sounds

www.absolutesounds.com

+44(0)208 971 3909

EAT C-Dur Concrete

There’s a fair bit to unpack with the EAT C-Dur Concrete. That’s even before giving any consideration to the packaging (and its 42kg kerb weight) in which this turntable arrives. Let’s start with that brand name and the model name, shall we?

‘European Audio Team’ is a perfectly valid brand name, even if it does give rise to a rather try-hard acronym. ‘C-Dur’ is German for ‘C major’ – which is also perfectly valid, even if it sounds like the sort of thing Nelson Muntz might say. And ‘concrete’, well… you know where you are with concrete, right? It makes a lot of sense as a material for a turntable plinth, even if the plinth in question ends up weighing an awful lot (32kg) and pushes the asking price of the equivalent C-Dur model with its boring old MDF plinth up quite a bit.

Jo No 8

£6,499, in fact, is the asking price for the EAT C-Dur Concrete with C-Note unipivot tonearm. My review sample is supplied with the company’s ‘Jo No.8’ high-output moving coil prefitted. It adds another £1,599 to the asking price if you buy the two together, or will set you back £1,999 as a discrete purchase.

(EAT also offers customers the opportunity to part with an additional £1,349 for the optional linear power supply, which can be had for a mere £1,079 if it’s specified at the same time as the turntable is rung through the till. It’s undoubtedly a more purposeful-looking item than the rather humdrum power cable the turntable is otherwise supplied with – but EAT insists the C-Dur Concrete’s AC generator, which uses the DC from the power supply, generates an almost entirely clean AC signal for the motor. It’s this ‘almost’ that’s addressed by the cost-option linear power supply.)

As a package, the C-Dur Concrete with Jo No.8 cartridge is undeniably glamorous – just the sort of thing that set-dressers around the world like to use as shorthand for ‘wealthy and sophisticated’. The concrete plinth is chic in an industrial kind of way (although it’s well worth bearing in mind that its weight is supported by three high-adjustable, damped aluminium feet that are quite aggressively conical in shape). They wasted no time in driving themselves into the wooden shelving of my Blok Stax 2G), and the combination of aluminium and carbon fibre from which the C-Tone arm is constructed catches both the light and the eye. The cartridge may be a bit of a biffer (and that’s putting it mildly – at 19.2 x 25.1 x 28.3mm (HxWxD) it looks almost comically large) but its chestnut body looks the part too.

Not just design

The C-Dur Concrete (plus its peripherals) is no mere design exercise, though. As the asking price demands, it’s got the technical chops to back up the looks, which is just as well, given that your price-comparable alternatives are, without exception, profoundly capable machines.

So the C-Dur Concrete is supplied with a hefty (5.2kg) platter that’s internally damped with TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) to provide both density and stability. A 900g aluminium sub-platter further isolates this platter from the motor and improves overall tolerances – it rides on an inverted ceramic ball main bearing that pairs with a Teflon plate for even greater rotational stability. The bearing block itself adds another 1.8kg to the kerb weight and uses a polished stainless steel spindle to support the ceramic ball.

The drive system isolates the motor within a steel ring mounted in the chassis, which further contributes to the stability and uniformity of the platter’s rotation. It also reduces resonance transfer (which is already vanishingly low, thanks to, well, all that concrete). The C-Dur Concrete is supplied with a couple of anti-static polished rubber belts to connect the motor to the sub-platter – the broader of the two fits on the upper part of the motor, and facilitates 33.3 and 45rpm (two of the three buttons on the top of the plinth are for speed selection, the other is to put the turntable into ‘standby’.) The second belt fits over the lower portion of the motor, and with this fitted, the ‘45rpm’ button actually delivers 78rpm.

C-Note

At 254mm, the C-Note tonearm is notably long, and the materials from which it’s made offer optimum rigidity – just as well, when you consider the relative heft of the cartridge it’s designed to support. The unipivot design ensures the Cardan bearing is never overloaded, and the bearing itself is designed for maximum stability and minimum friction. The tonearm, meanwhile, is internally damped with silicon grease to drive even greater resonance rejection.

The high-output moving-coil cartridge features a nude Shibata stylus on a boron cantilever. EAT supplies a semi-balanced five-pin DIN-to-RCA cable to deliver the cartridge’s output to a preamplifier. It’s galling – but not, by this point, surprising – to discover a fully balanced alternative is a cost option.

Connected to a Chord Huei phono stage and amplified by a Cambridge Audio W Edge stereo power amplifier driving a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature loudspeakers bolted to their matching FS-700 S3 stands (with a Naim Uniti Star acting as gain control between phono stage and power amp), the EAT C-Dur Concrete doesn’t waste very much time setting its stall out. This is not one of those sources of music that takes a while to reveal itself – what the C-Dur has, it’s willing to hand over most immediately and unequivocally.

Which means that it doesn’t matter if there’s a heavyweight 2025 reissue of Kevin Ayers’ Bananamour [Cherry Red] spinning or a much-loved (for which read ‘mildly distressed’) original pressing of Pere Ubu’s The Modern Dance [Blank Records] playing – the C-Dur Concrete plays no favourites and is entirely even-handed no matter the circumstances.

Staggering

It’s a staggeringly clean and uncolored listen, and it seems able to keep the spaces and silences in a recording as dark as any record player I’ve ever heard. Its powers of detail retrieval are remarkable – there’s not a tremendous amount of light and shade in the Pere Ubu recording. Still, the EAT nevertheless finds and contextualises harmonic variations with something very close to fanaticism.

The dynamics of tone and timbre are given proper weighting, just as the broad dynamics of ‘quiet’ and ‘loud’ are (or, in the case of Pere Ubu, ‘loud’ and ‘louder still’). Low-frequency control is unswerving, and the rhythmic positivity that results is as natural as can be. Its overall tonality is very carefully neutral, and its frequency response is brilliantly even from the top end to the bottom – the sound it creates is vividly true to life, and it seems able to peer deep into a recording and locate information that even some very capable alternatives can overlook.

It hits with well-mannered determination at the bottom end, and grants the highest frequencies a decent amount of substance to go along with their undoubted bite and sparkle. It has tremendous powers of midrange resolution – so no matter if it’s the animal-in-a-trap stylings of David Thomas or the dazed Canterbury approximations of Kevin Ayers, a vocalist’s motivations, character and attitude are made every bit as obvious as their basic technique.

The C-Dur Concrete collates every scrap of information in a recording and presents it as a coherent and consequently convincing whole. Four-piece garage band or extended ensemble with numerous elements, it’s all the same to this turntable – it unifies a recording in the most unfussy manner, and hands over the results as a singular occurrence that sounds very much indeed like a performance.

Size matters?

If there’s a shortcoming, it concerns the size of the sound the EAT generates. It has no problem describing a soundstage with absolute confidence and making its layout as explicit as possible, but it just doesn’t sound huge. Everything that happens, happens strictly between the outer edges of the two speakers at the end of the chain. So while the soundstage itself is organised carefully, there’s a slight sense of confinement to the overall presentation that just isn’t an issue with the vast majority of the deck’s price-comparable alternatives.

It’s a shortcoming, there’s no two ways about it – but everything the C-Dur Concrete does so well goes a fair way towards minimising it as an issue. And it doesn’t seem impossible that the expansive visual appeal of the C-Dur Concrete might further help you overlook the slightly hemmed-in nature of its sound.

Technical specifications

C-Dur Concrete turntable

Type: Full size
Rotational Speeds (RPM): 33.3, 45, 78
Supported Tonearm Length(s): 254mm
Drive Mechanism: Belt
Speed Control: Automatic
Platter Type: Aluminium
Platter Weight: 5.2kg
Bearing Type: Inverted ceramic ball
Dimensions (h x w x d) (mm): 170 x 496 x 396
Weight (kg): 32
Price: £6,499, $7,490, €7,490

C-Tone tonearm

Type: Unipivot
Tonearm Length (mm): 254
Effective Tonearm Mass (g): 16.5
Offset Angle (deg): 21.4
Weight (g): 16.5
Price: N/A

Jo No.8 cartridge

Type: High-output moving coil
Stylus: Nude Shibata
Tracking Force (g): 2
Load (ohms): >15
Compliance: 15 μm/mN
Output (at 1 kHz @ 3.45cm/s): 0.3mV
Weight (g): 12.5
Price: £1,999 (£1,599 if purchased with the C-Dur Concrete turntable), $2,699, €2,349.

Manufacturer

EAT

www.europeanaudioteam.com

UK distributor

Henley Audio

www.henleyaudio.co.uk

+44(0)1235 511166

Wattson Audio Announces the Madison Power S — A New Standard in Compact Power Design

Préverenges, Switzerland — 12 November 2025 —Power lies at the foundation of musical performance. Within Préverenges, the engineers behind CH Precision and Wattson Audio work as one—two brands guided by a single vision, a shared language of precision, and the conviction that true musical expression begins with flawless power delivery.

At CH Precision, power supply design has long been elevated to an art form—redefining how scale, speed, and silence can coexist within a digital source. The new Wattson Power S embodies this philosophy, distilling that expertise into a compact, purpose-built supply for the Madison Streamers. Crafted with the same intent, by the same minds, it carries forward the artistry of CH and Wattson alike—completing a system built on the harmony between innovation and musical soul.

“The Power S represents more than an accessory—it’s an expression of how we think about energy and emotion,” says Alex Lavanchy, lead engineer at Wattson Audio. “When power is delivered with absolute control and silence, the music that follows becomes more lifelike, more effortless, and more complete.”

An Upgrade by Design

The Madison Power S was conceived as the natural companion to the Madison Streamers, engineered to elevate their performance through cleaner, more stable power delivery. Compatible with all Madison Streamers—past and present—its compact chassis shares the same footprint and proportions, allowing the two components to form a seamless visual and mechanical whole when stacked.

Beyond the Madison range, the Power S can also be paired with the Emerson Analog and Emerson Digital, where its precision-regulated supply further enhances dynamic range, resolution, and musical coherence. Designed with both function and form in mind, the Power S brings new depth to the Madison Streamer and Emerson ecosystems—a seamless union of sound, precision, and aesthetic balance.

Engineered for Silence and Stability

At the heart of the Madison Power S lies a meticulously engineered hybrid power architecture that combines the efficiency of a high-frequency switching stage with the finesse of discrete linear regulation. This approach minimizes noise and ripple while maintaining speed, stability, and exceptional current delivery.

Every stage of the circuit—from input filtering to voltage regulation—has been optimized to preserve signal integrity and dynamic precision. The result is a power supply that provides not only unwavering electrical performance but also the sonic benefits of greater resolution, contrast, and musical flow.

Built from the same design philosophy that defines CH Precision’s reference-grade power systems, the Power S brings that expertise to a compact, purpose-built companion for the Madison Streamers—a foundation of quiet strength that allows the music to breathe.

Crafted with Swiss Discipline

The Madison Power S, milled from a solid block of aluminum and finished with immaculate precision, embodies Wattson Audio’s design philosophy—quiet sophistication shaped by purpose. Every surface, curve, and proportion speaks to restraint and refinement, mirroring the aesthetic of the Madison Streamer to create a visually unified, perfectly balanced system.

Beneath its minimalist form lies Swiss engineering distilled to its essence. A hybrid power architecture—combining high-frequency switching efficiency with discrete linear regulation—delivers current that is both silent and instantaneous. Noise is eliminated, voltage remains unwavering, and the musical signal is allowed to emerge uncolored and free.

By transforming raw energy into stability and control, the Power S completes the Madison ecosystem, linking technical mastery with musical intent in the purest expression of Wattson Audio’s craft.

Availability and Price

The Madison Power S is available now at your favorite authorized Wattson Audio retailer.
MSRP—$2,495.00; €2,495.00 (inc. VAT)

Tech Talk: Weishen Xu, design lead, Master Fidelity

Master Fidelity’s design lead, Shanghai-born Weishen Xu, has had something of an obsession with digital audio since he first encountered it in 1985.

Then chief sound engineer and recording director at China’s premier performance venue in Beijing, he collaborated with Philips/Polygram engineers Roddy de Hilster and Dick van Schuppen to record the very first CDs of Chinese music. It was his first experience with digital recording, and it left him conflicted. He was impressed by the 96dB dynamic range and the efficiency of nonlinear editing, but less so by the sonic comparison with analogue. Thus began a personal quest as an engineer to create a new digital environment which combined the upsides of the old and the new.

In 1988, Xu emigrated to Canada, joining the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation just as its radio system was undergoing a complete digital transformation. He relished the flexibility that digital brought to the production and mastering process, but still missed ‘the beauty of analogue sound.’

Pivotal Moment

Then came a pivotal invitation. Swiss company Merging Technologies, the co-pioneer with Philips of DXD, asked Xu to collaborate with Merging’s Dominique Brulhart on the development of new digital studio platforms, including the first-generation NADAC (it’s an acronym for Network Attached DAC) in 2015. Multiple delta-sigma DAC chips were the decoding technology choice at the time. Still, the work, at Merging’s Vancouver development site, subsequently spun off as a new company, Master Fidelity, enabled Xu to learn a lot about the strengths and weaknesses of all the contending decoding schemes.

He notes: “Dom and I got close to the essence of analogue master tape with the gen 1 NADAC, but I later learned enough to know that if there was ever a gen 2, only true 1-bit decoding on an ASIC would do.”

Not bespoke code on a programmable logic device such as an FPGA? “No. The fixed layout of logic blocks and tracks on a PLD means that there can be no control over block-to-block propagation delay. In addition, delays within the logic blocks themselves vary with voltage and temperature. All that combines to produce an environment in which jitter cannot be eliminated. Many applications don’t care, but 1-bit decoding does. It is ultra-sensitive to even minuscule variations in timing.

“Designing our own ASIC gives complete control over the layout. Logic blocks and tracks can be arranged for precise control of clock edge timing and pulse widths. Jitter and phase distortion can be mitigated through the use of optimised internal clock trees, and timing uniformity can be made predictable and thermally stable. We’ve also implemented some functions conventionally hosted on co-located PLDs on the ASIC. Here again, having complete control over routing and logic delays meant inter-chip clock domain transition delays could be eliminated.”

The revisions to the NADAC’s clocking scheme are responsible for the sonic uplift noted in the accompanying review, and Xu is relatively forthcoming about what he and his team have done. It surprises him that there appears to be a sizeable cohort in the audio engineering community that still believes anything going on out of the nominally 20Hz to 20kHz audio band is irrelevant to sonic quality. The NADAC’s overall design pays close attention to minimising EMI emissions in the high kHz to low GHz range. Still, Xu regards that as unexceptional, simply tidy housekeeping and just one hallmark of quality engineering. It’s in the clocking scheme that the attention to detail becomes, shall we say, somewhat obsessive?

Controlling time

Xu and his colleagues found that, in conjunction with 1-bit decoding, it is in the accurate control of time that lies the key to making digital sound just as natural as analogue. The NADAC therefore employs several advanced ideas, including edge entanglement technology (look it up, it isn’t very easy). Xu and his colleagues have also paid particular attention to digital wander, especially phase noise below 5 Hz. “Our measurements even extend down to 0.1 Hz, says Xu. “While these frequencies are well below the threshold of human hearing, their higher-order harmonics can intrude into the audible band, influencing the sense of realism and physicality in reproduced music.

“No single clock can be flawless across all performance dimensions. We are interested in frequency accuracy, although the influence on audio quality is relatively minor. What matters is short-term stability, which directly impacts sonic qualities such as how solid and controlled the low end is, and phase noise, which has a significant influence on SNR and THD+N. Lower phase noise translates into greater clarity, darker backgrounds and more natural retrieval of musical detail. That’s why we use multi-stage processing to harness the strengths of different clock circuits and components, ultimately producing a clock signal as close to perfect as possible.

“The rise time of the NADAC clock system has improved from 1.2 nanoseconds (1200ps) to 600 picoseconds, and it achieves a stability floor of approximately 7 × 10^–¹³, with optimisation applied to any deviations above roughly 0.7 Hz. What we do is similar to practices in crystal oscillator phase noise analysis systems, where multiple specialised circuits are cascaded to achieve the best performance. The NADAC C has multiple outputs that allow sources with 10MHz clock inputs to be included in this clock cascade, and if that’s taken advantage of then the sonic results can be even better, but even without clocking the source the results we have achieved surpass what we hear from an analogue master tape, so I’m happy that we can say we got there in the end.”

What are Xu’s listening preferences away from the development laboratory? “I play the harmonica, but as a listener and a recording engineer, I’ve always been drawn to the piano and the cello—two instruments that, in very different ways, challenge both musicians and audio engineers alike. But the human voice is the most intimate and expressive instrument we have. As moving as visual art can be, it’s the human voice that has the power to bring me to tears.”

Manufacturer

Master Fidelity

www.master-fidelity.com

+1 604 266-5067

UK distributor

Swiss Sound

[email protected]

Master Fidelity NADAC C and D revisited

We ran a review of the remarkable combination of Master Fidelity NADAC D DAC and NADAC C clock in Issue 239. Why a reprise so soon? Because the DAC, only a handful of months into production, has been given an upgrade by its maker. Was the original design flawed? Was the launch overly rushed? Master Fidelity will have to take such questions on the chin.

In my original review, I judged the NADAC pair to be ground-breaking. From a technology viewpoint, the DAC (NADAC D) and clock (NADAC C) were, by turns, a return to the past and a leap forward. At their price point, the pair was considered disruptive to the market. Because of the sonic quality they revealed to be locked inside digital files of all bit-depths and frequencies, I suggested they posed a profound challenge to the supposed sonic superiority of vinyl replay.

Profound discovery

Following the review, Master Fidelity’s design head, Weishen Xu and his team continued to work on their proprietary digital clocking scheme. What they discovered turned out to be so profound that they decided to bite the bullet, apply the revisions immediately to NADACs on the production line, and issue the upgrade recall for units already with customers.

Unaware of this having gone on behind the scenes, I did not expect the upgrade to result in anything but inconvenience while the DAC was away. Xu, it turns out mischievously, had not promised any specific sonic improvements, only saying that ‘we’ve made some changes.’ When the DAC returned, I was staggered at the sonic uplift, and told Xu so. He replied, “Now you understand the reason for the upgrade. Your subjective listening impressions align very closely with our objective technical measurements.”

As highlighted in my original review, the NADAC is worthy of examination for its technology alone, let alone the sonic result it achieves. It is built around the first one-bit application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) to be designed and manufactured since the Philips TDA1547 in 1988. Xu contends that the theoretical superiority of one-bit D-to-A conversion that Philips and others were pursuing back then is now within reach – and that makes the price of revisiting the technology worthwhile.

Top trumps

Xu believes that one-bit conversion trumps all other techniques because it is the most linear and, thereby, the most natural. Other designers express alternative preferences, but we need to recognise that it’s not simply a matter of pushing and shoving between competing technical ideologies. A significant factor in the conversion debate is the comparative cost of implementation.

If we design a DAC around one or more of the ubiquitous delta-sigma chips, our key component costs can be very low indeed. If we choose the discrete resistor ladder route, the price will be higher because high-accuracy resistors are expensive. We might write our decoding software and flash it onto a programmable logic device or two, and if we do, we will face even higher expenses. Talented software engineers don’t come cheap.

The one-bit ASIC route is the most expensive of all – and by a considerable margin. To justify the huge front-loaded cost, the designer needs a compelling sonic argument, deep pockets, and, please excuse me, large cojones. Xu won’t say precisely how much the development has cost Master Fidelity. Still, he notes that payback will be a long time coming, given the relatively small production runs typical at this level of the market. To accelerate return on investment, Master Fidelity may eventually allow other vendors to purchase the ASIC and integrate it into their DACs.

One bit at a time

A one-bit DAC is a clock whose duty cycle varies with the audio signal. The digital stream is a high-frequency series of pulses in which the precise timing and ratio of high-to-low bits directly represent the analogue signal. That is why timing accuracy—particularly edge consistency and jitter performance—is critical. It was the foremost challenge faced by designers in the era of the Philips chip, and it remains a serious impediment even today. Xu says that one-bit conversion implemented on generic programmable logic devices, such as FPGAs, is inescapably compromised for this very reason. He speaks about the criticality of timing in the accompanying TechTalk.

The upgraded NADAC features an unchanged one-bit conversion stage. It upsamples PCM to 96kHz to DSD 128 and PCM from 176.4kHz to 384kHz to DSD 256. The upgrade has seen minor tweaks to the user interface, but it’s in the DAC’s clock recovery module that things now look very different. It might be assumed that the NADAC C 10 MHz master clock (which is also a Word clock) provides an accurate time reference; however, it is more accurate to say it provides a precise time reference.

Master Fidelity’s new learnings have led to a refined cascaded clocking scheme in which the NADAC C is focused on minimising what are considered in this context long-term timing variations, such as wander and drift. The clock data recovery module locks onto this 10 MHz baseline and further refines it, focusing on removing residual jitter, aligning timing between clock domains, and generating the exact multi-channel clock signals required by the one-bit ASIC. The resulting level of precision wasn’t possible in the 80s, and that is one reason why the pioneers of one-bit decoding never achieved the sonic results they knew were theoretically possible.

Subjectivist trigger alert

Master Fidelity won’t be the first DAC developer to claim that listening tests played a key part in the development of a product. Still, Xu’s previous life as a recording engineer lends the assertion more credibility than usual. In an admission that will likely trigger objectivists into scornful fingers-on-keyboard action, he notes: “In early prototype designs we achieved THD+N as low as -122 dB, virtually eliminating distortion, yet the sound felt somewhat bland and lacking musical tension and emotional engagement. We therefore placed equal, if not greater, emphasis on real-world musicality, listening in particular for accurate imaging, a rich and well-layered musical texture, along with controlled harmonic content that enhances musicality without stepping over the line into artificial coloration.”

There’s a rarefied stratum of digital audio currently populated by only a handful of DACs. While ‘spendy’, the NADAC is very far from being the costliest of the bunch, yet even before the upgrade, it set a challenging sonic benchmark. The upgrade has taken the delivery of all four musical pillars to an even higher level. There’s more tonal density and texture, more micro-dynamic detail, more dynamic expression, and more solid, convincing musical timing, all delivered from a blacker background and an arrestingly precise soundstage. So far, so hi-fi.

Further still

What sets the NADAC further apart still is the way it dissolves the plaques between the music and our brain wiring. If we are expecting digital hardness, a mechanistic gloss that telegraphs ‘this is digital’, then the NADAC comes as a revelation because it sounds so uncannily natural. Xu wants us to understand that the hardness is not on the recording (well, mostly) but is created in the conversion chain, where wander and jitter cause frequency drift and near-end phase noise. These effects distort the entire audio spectrum—especially its phase integrity—resulting in degraded sound quality and listening fatigue.

Xu points out that analogue tape machines exhibit low-frequency wander in the form of mechanical wow and flutter. Still, because tape playback is a physical process and the medium is continuous, this mechanical modulation does not compromise the full audio bandwidth in the same way that digital timing errors can. Optimising the NADAC’s revised clocking architecture meant designing yet another dedicated ASIC. Still, by now the Master Fidelity team had had enough practice to rattle off the new chip relatively quickly.

Underlined

I don’t think I’ve ever used the word ‘substance’ in a review before. Still, listening via the NADAC to Max Bab’s album Wild Pitch, I was captivated by how Max von Mosch’s saxophone now sounded more vividly present, more extant than I’d heard it before. It wasn’t a matter of simple clarity, but such a level of tonality and controlled energy that a 3D-ness, a seemingly physically present completeness, was created in the listening room. In capital letters, I wrote the word ‘SUBSTANCE’ in my listening notes and then, just for good measure, repeated it and underlined it.

Readers who have heard a tenor saxophone played up close in an intimate space may recognise the qualities I was trying to give a name to with that word. I’d not heard digital do that before, but there it was, and the intriguing part was that in so much of what else I played – simple vocals, orchestral symphonic, folk – I heard the same effect. The NADAC changed it from being a once-in-a-blue-moon exception into an ‘oh, there is again’ common event.

I’ll offer two hostages to ridicule here and suggest that, taken in the round, the improvements make the NADAC some 25% better still. It also enables the NADAC to emphatically overturn the analogue/digital hierarchy by lifting the replay of even well-recorded 16/44.1 files to a level beyond what the best of vinyl can regularly achieve—files with more bit depth and higher frequency tip the balance even further.

Evolutionary revolutionary

As I noted in my first NADAC review, if we are recording digitally (most studios are), then playing back digitally should be better than adding three lossy electromechanical stages (lacquer cutting, pressing, replay) between the performance and our ears. The NADAC is the first DAC I have heard of that makes that theory a reality. Suppose we are building a system from scratch and have the money for a NADAC.

In that case, we can make a perfectly rational decision on the grounds of sonic quality alone to simply side-step analogue completely. That’s not to suggest that the NADAC drives a stake through the heart of vinyl. If we already have a treasured record collection, then there remain plenty of reasons to keep it and the means to play it. However, what digital does at the level of the NADAC is render vinyl an evolutionary dead-end. Sorry to be so blunt, but that’s just the way it is.

As a related and highly relevant aside here, some readers may be as shocked as I was to learn that many of today’s digital recordings are made by studios using analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs) costing just a few thousand pounds and with poor linearity and phase performance. Imagine then what a one-bit ADC, in simplistic terms, a NADAC in reverse, would do for the recording industry. Xu confirms that such a product is already in the works, a project that Master Fidelity’s considers as a logical step for bringing an ultimate analogue-feeling digital sound along the whole production chain. Is your mouth watering at the prospect? Mine too.

More than twice

Some of the competition to the NADAC costs twice as much or more. I haven’t heard all of it, so I am not equipped to suggest even a tentative hierarchy. I am also not suggesting that the alternatives don’t have technical merit. They deploy some seriously complex supporting electronics to make the best of their alternative decoding schemes.

As a trophy purchase, the NADAC, with its understated two-box form-factor, hardly competes with a six-figure multi-box behemoth DAC. However, there’s no doubt in my mind that the elegance of one-bit conversion so painstakingly implemented enables the NADAC, at the very least, to live sonically in the very top tier. Weishen Xu and his colleagues deserve respect for a truly formidable display of quality audio engineering and for exhibiting no small measure of commercial bravery, too.

Discover more about what goes into the NADAC C and D here.

Technical specifications

NADAC D

Type: Digital to Analogue converter
Inputs: USB Type C, AES3 (XLR), S/PDIF RCAx1, TosLink optical x1 (RAVENNA RJ45 to follow), Clock BNCx1
Outputs: Analogue balanced line 2x XLR, single-ended, 2x RCA, 4.4mm balanced mini headphone jack, 6.35mm single-ended headphone jack
Formats supported 44.1-384kHz, 16bit-true 32-bit. Native DSD64-DSD512 true 1bit (USB) 44.1-192kHz, 16-96bit, DoP64 (AES and S/PDIF), 44.1-384kHz, 16-32-bit. Native DSD64-DSD256, true 1bit (RAVENNA to follow).
Analogue volume control: 3dB/step attenuation,
total 20 steps
Dimensions (WxHxD): 43.5×9.5x39cm
Weight: 9.2kg
Price: £25,000, €25,000, $27,500

NADAC C

Type: Master Clock
Crystal type: Selected high-stability pre-aged, SC-cut crystal
Clock output options: 10MHz, 625Hz, Word Clock
Word Clock output frequencies (in kHz): 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8, 384, 705.6, 768,1141.2, 1536.
Frequency accuracy: <10ppb
Nominal Impedance: 50Ω (10MHz clock, 75Ω supported), 75Ω (Word Clock, 625Hz)
Dimensions (WxHxD): 43.5×9.5x39cm
Weight: 9.2kg
Price: £25,000, €25,000, $27,500

Manufacturer

Master Fidelity

www.master-fidelity.com

+1 604 266-5067

UK distributor

Swiss Sound

[email protected]

Technics SL-1300G turntable

There’s an intrinsic link between Technics and the direct-drive turntable. This is not surprising; the company has been producing direct-drive turntables since 1970. As long as ‘Technics’ has existed, so too have ‘Technics direct-drive turntables’. No longer dismissed as mere ‘DJ decks’, this range requires no introduction, though a brief explanation is warranted today. Excluding the pure DJ SL-1200/1210 Mk7 turntables, the range divides into Premium, Grand, and Reference classes. The Technics SL-1300G direct-drive turntable is the latest model in the mid-tier Grand class.

This range is evolving, transitioning from the third generation of turntables (released in 2016) to the fourth. This began with the launch of the SL-1200/1210GR2 in 2023. The SL-1300G is the next model to receive the fourth-generation treatment. It differs from the SL-1200/1210GR2 in that it eliminates speed adjustment and the strobe. It also offers enhanced rigidity and features a balanced brass and aluminium platter. In other words, this represents the quintessential audiophile Technics in the emerging Grand class. And ‘grand’ it truly is.

The Generation Game

I think a brief overview of these four generations is appropriate. The first generation dates back to 1970 and originally featured only the SP-10 turntable design. Nine years later, the second generation emerged, introducing quartz-locked speed control. This innovation gave rise to the iconic SL-1200 Mk2 turntable, which became the standard for DJs for 30 years. Despite advancements in the fundamental design, the brand had to wait until 2016 to transition to a third-generation design.

Two years after the Technics brand reemerged following its hiatus in 2010, Technics introduced its most significant change in a generation. It developed a new coreless motor and digital speed control to eliminate cogging effects. Furthermore, it constructed its turntables to a higher standard with improved tolerances throughout.

This transition to the third generation, with models such as the SL-1200G, achieved two significant outcomes for Technics. First, it illustrated that its resurgence was no mere ‘flash in the pan’. However, investing in new motor technology also signified a considerable commitment. That’s true even for a corporation as substantial as its parent, Panasonic.

Groundwork

However, perhaps more importantly, it laid the groundwork for future generations of turntable design. Starting in 2023, that fourth generation began to surface, first with the ‘DJ Styled’ SL-1200/1210GR2 and now with the ‘Hi-Fi Styled’ Technics SL-1300G direct-drive turntable. The difference between ‘DJ’ and ‘Hi-Fi’ lies in the absence of pitch control, strobe, and cueing light.

The fourth generation boasts enhancements to the twin-rotor, nine-stator coreless motor. The nine trapezoidal stators mount to a double-sided circuit board. Reinforced boards enhance the rigidity of the installation. Its design originates from the Reference Class SL-1000R turntable. It ensures that the already low-vibration, low-noise direct-drive motor operates even quieter and produces less vibration within the direct-drive motor system. More in line with Reference Class turntables, this new motor system offers the same torque levels as its top-tier counterparts.

ΔΣ-Drive

However, I believe that the new ∆∑ (delta-sigma) drive system will be the main talking point regarding the Technics SL-1300G direct-drive turntable, and with good reason. This system features digital speed control that uses PWM (pulse-width modulation) to compensate for minor rotational inaccuracies that exceed conventional wow-and-flutter speed tests. This PWM generation technology effectively minimises errors in the drive signal to the point of suppressing micro vibrations. Consequently, this enhances the SL-1300 G’s precision and quietness, thereby improving the turntable’s overall performance. Technics’ own Multi-Stage Silent Power Supply, which incorporates active noise cancelling, extends that noise-reducing objective.

This sense of low noise and high-precision calm is reflected in the overall build quality, from the adjustable feet to the balanced aluminium and brass platter. This is perhaps not surprising; Technics sold an enormous number of DJ decks for a reason—they endured the heaviest, most demanding use and just kept going. You don’t toss the Technics SL-1300G direct-drive turntable in the back of a van every night, yet it maintains the same uncompromising build. You notice this when attaching the phono cables and earth tag to the underside of the deck; when you lift it, you’ll find it’s a hefty beast at a price where such precise mass is uncommon.

Boxing clever

It’s time to nerd up. As an audio reviewer, I’m a sucker for well-crafted cardboard. Our lives involve fishing bits of electronics out of boxes. One quickly develops a keen sense of how much care and attention have been devoted to the packaging. Technics has truly excelled with this one. The company is moving away from plastics in its packaging, and this box unpacks and repacks with remarkable ease. This isn’t a trivial aspect of product design. Try handing a turntable to a courier when all that’s left of the box is merely a few Styrofoam peanuts. It invites damage, whereas this piece of cardboard origami prevents it.

Similarly, the instructions are clear, logical and easy to follow. As long as you know some basic parameters regarding the dimensions of your cartridge and that the cartridge isn’t excessively large or heavy, you can likely set up the entire turntable without any tools or measuring devices that didn’t come with the deck or cartridge.

Easy VTA

The removable headshell features a small white plastic L-shaped base that assists in aligning the cartridge with the company’s preferred Stevenson geometry. A chart in the manual shows you how to set the correct amount of VTA. Then, apply the appropriate tracking force and anti-skate. Few turntables are as straightforward to set up.

With its rubber slipmat in place, the turntable retains the classic appearance of Technics direct-drive decks from the last 55 years. The lack of pitch control lends the Technics SL-1300G direct-drive turntable a sophisticated look in the supplied silver. Judging solely by photographs, I find the black finish appears stark in comparison, but hands-on experience may yield a different outcome.

The arm is a subtly revised and improved version of the classic 9” S-shaped arm, using an aluminium arm tube instead of the magnesium one on the SL-1200.

The past is a different country

While the SL-1300G features classic styling cues, this is not your old Technics turntable! Eliminating the last vestiges of cogging from the previous generation has raised the standard, and this turntable’s lack of background noise and precision places it among the finest. Even the arm is not the ‘grey’ and ‘undynamic’ model of the past, despite looking almost identical to its predecessors.

It delivers one of the finest sonic performances I’ve encountered from a record, almost irrespective of price. It’s remarkably quiet for a record player; were it not for the small LED speed indicator and the power-on/power-off ‘thunk’, one could leave the platter turning for weeks on end and remain oblivious to its motion. When you cue up a record, the absence of background noise strikes you like a brick.

Shhh/Peaceful

I’m accustomed to exceptionally quiet vinyl backgrounds, having used some highly regarded turntables that cost several times as much as the Technics. I have experienced quiet backdrops with Kuzma and VPI turntable systems that are far more expensive than the Technics SL-1300G direct-drive turntable. But the Technics is quiet. Incredibly quiet.

This may sound a bit mad, but you can hear it in the way two records can sound completely different. It’s not just about the instruments or how the stereo sound is distributed across the records; the distinction lies in how the spaces between the notes are perceived on the two records. It’s as if you are listening more profoundly into the groove, unimpeded by the effects of the turntable. Play a few different albums, and you’ll notice that each one possesses its own sense of ‘silence’ that is typically masked by the turntable itself but is effortlessly revealed here. That level of low-detail retrieval is usually reserved for turntables that cost as much as sports cars or sports car manufacturers.

State of grace

The sound also has a sense of refinement and grace that is as rare as it is enjoyable. It is more legato and elegant than brusque, but that doesn’t mean the SL-1300G cannot hold down a beat. The Technics’s inherently musical presentation—and its DJ heritage—wouldn’t allow it to be simply ‘graceful’ without some pace.

That combination made me turn more towards The Orb than Orbital, and playing ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’ from The Orb’s Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld [Big Life] was a perfect example of what this deck achieves so well. The Rickie Lee Jones sample is clear and distinct but never overstated, while the little army of ambient synth noises and rhythms builds up and washes over you. It’s extremely detailed without sounding too intense or overbearing. As a result, I listened to all four sides of the LP for the first time in more than 30 years.

Part of the reason for that front-to-back play was the bass. Always a Technics strong point, the level of control and precision that the SL-1300G brings to the proceedings is superb. There is none of that sense of a boost or lift in the upper bass so often heard in vinyl replay, and that honesty and fidelity are extremely well received.

Gentle fade

A careful listen to ‘When It Comes To Giants Pt 2’ from Patrick Leonard’s It All Comes Down To Mood [Ruudy 6] reveals that the bass loses a touch of intensity in the lowest registers. However, this is more a gentle fading away in the lowest octave rather than something more chaotic and uncontrolled. Given that it is unlikely the SL-1300G will be used with large, full-range loudspeakers, this is merely an observation. At least from memory, the SL-1300G features deeper and better-controlled bass with a bit more ‘slam’ than its predecessors at the same price.

The SL-1300G delivers other aspects of performance with equal aplomb. It boasts excellent soundstage and image stability properties, superb coherence, a sense of delicacy, and carefully curated music. Having explored the top of the Technics tree, there is still more to be had, mainly at the frequency extremes, but also in a greater dynamic range. However, while these aren’t ‘nuanced’ differences, the SL-1300G in context is probably all most of us would ever need.

The last point may be the key to the Technics SL-1300G’s performance. In context, it stands as one of the most poised and balanced turntables available. You could theoretically upgrade the arm to the magnesium version. However, this would add approximately £1,000 to the cost of the deck. That would disrupt its perfectly balanced price-to-performance ratio. You would achieve improved sound, but not to such an extent as to justify the additional expense. It’s not a giant killer, but in a system that incorporates a Chord Electronics Huei or a similarly priced phono stage, spending significantly more on the turntable may not yield better audio performance. This perfectly places the Technics SL-1300G in the Goldilocks zone.

Kindred spirit

I found a kindred spirit in the Hana SH Mk II moving coil cartridge. To say they worked together well is an understatement. The two possessed a well-crafted balance and elegance in the sound, paired with a delightful sense of rhythm and transparency. While I’m sure other combinations perform similarly at this price point, the level of performance from the two together was a synergistic match made in turntable heaven. I often try to avoid viewing matters through the lens of price until the review is complete. However, it’s difficult not to make educated guesses. The Technics/Hana duo had me suspecting it was around £5,000-£6,000. Discovering it was just over £3,000 in total was a pleasant surprise.

While I don’t particularly favour car comparisons in audio, they can sometimes be beneficial. I anticipated the Technics SL-1300G to be the Lexus of turntables: beautifully crafted, remarkably dependable, and perhaps a tad dull. It’s merely two of those attributes. The ‘dull’ aspect… not a chance unless one considers precision, pace, and poise to be ‘dull.’

Instead, the Technics SL-1300G is an outstanding turntable. Ideally suited for cartridges and systems where a £2,799 source component might find itself. It never disappoints, delivering an exceptionally pleasing and precise sound that keeps listeners captivated. Find a high-quality cartridge, and you’ll enjoy LPs for years to come!

Technical specifications

Type: Direct Drive turntable and tonearm
Speeds: 33, 45, 78rpm
Motor: Brushless DC motor, Delta-Sigma drive control
Platter: Brass and aluminium die-cast
Platter diameter and weight: 332mm, Approx. 3.6kg (Including rubber slipmat)
Starting torque: 0.32N/m
Start-up time: 0.7 s. from standstill to 33 1/3 rpm
Braking system: Electronic
Wow and Flutter: 0.025% W.R.M.S.
Tonearm effective length: 230mm
Tonearm overhang: 15mm
Cartridge height adjustment range: 0-6mm
Stylus pressure adjustment: 0-4g (direct reading)
Finish: Black or Silver
Dimensions (WxHxD): 45.3 x 17.3 x 37.2cm
Weight: 13kg
Price: £2,799, $3,299, €3,195

Manufacturer

Technics

www.technics.com

Computer Audio Design USB Filter

Scott Berry’s first product beyond the boxes (DACs and CD transport/servers) was a USB cable. The original Computer Audio Design USB I was highly praised in its day, but that day was a dozen years ago. The latest version, the USB II-R, has received universal praise. It was tested in issue 217 and won USB Cable of the Year in our 2023 Awards. In the past, CAD offered two grades of cable. With the launch of USB II-R it made a single USB offering and launched the USB Filter as an upgrade for users of other brands of USB cables.

With all the excitement over the other grounding boxes from CAD, this small in-line USB filter flies a little under the radar. In fact, those who try it think it’s the gateway into Computer Audio Design’s ethos. Users of premium USB cables from other brands can connect the USB Filter between the cable’s USB B plug and the audio system’s USB Type B receiver socket. By doing so, they experience such an enhancement that they become believers. The CAD USB Filter does not undermine the value of a high-performance USB cable; it complements it.

Secrets

The exact nature of the filtration remains a secret. The CAD USB Filter is designed to reduce high-frequency noise on the four conductors within any USB cable: the signal, ground, and power rail. The latter is particularly problematic; USB sends 5V to power (or charge) connected devices. This method is inherently noisy. Being sensitive audio enthusiasts, cable manufacturers have endeavored to eliminate this intrinsic noise-producing characteristic. In CAD’s own cable, the +5V conductor operates independently from the other three conductors. Yet even this did not suffice. The USB Filter introduces an additional buffer between that noise source and your USB receiver.

This should make it an essential device. It even functions with audio-specific cables that lack a power conductor! Once again, regardless of the amount of shielding employed, there is still some leakage between conductors and between the cable and the external environment. The USB Filter mitigates a considerable amount of that interference.

I admit to some preconceptions here. Most high-performance USB cables make similar claims to reducing noise between conductors and the outside world. Would the CAD USB Filter have a performance ceiling? Put simply, no! You can use it with anything from a giveaway USB cable to the most exotic cables you can think of. It will help, often in major ways. While the chances of someone using a £750 filter on the end of a £5 USB cable is at best ‘unlikely’, it does make a great proof of concept.

Precision

There’s a precision to the sound of that giveaway cable with the USB filter. It challenges more expensive cable set-ups, whether that’s the attack of a percussive beat or the delicate fade of a reverb tail. The music is given a sharper focus, and you have closer contact with the sound. Those who stick to the ‘bits is bits’ argument and dismiss aftermarket USB cables as window dressing might change their minds. This change may happen after hearing the addition of the filter, if they are as open-minded as they claim.

However, as one ascends the ladder of cable quality, more sonic gems become apparent. I tested it on every USB cable I could find, and it functioned effectively on all of them! Already quick-sounding USB cables acquire a slightly ‘crisper’ and ‘livelier’ quality. Expansive cables gain additional dynamic range and scale. Those cables that excel in enhancing a soundstage suddenly uncover even more potential.

If there is a focus to the USB Filter’s sound, it lies in leading-edge extraction, enhancing rhythmic drive and dynamic range. Aspects of performance such as soundstage scale and air are not overlooked, but the more you listen, the more your foot begins to tap.

Many have already selected their ‘forever cable’ in USB; not all will have chosen CAD’s design. However, regardless of the brand, the CAD USB Filter will bring out the best in that cable.

Price and contact details

Price: £750, $750

Manufacturer

Computer Audio Design

www.computeraudiodesign.com

+44(0)203 397 0334

Tech Talk: John Franks, CEO of Chord Electronics

It’s easy to think there’s not much that changes in the world of amplifiers. Sure, we had Class D at the turn of the century, and the Class A/D hybrid that followed in 2009, but otherwise amplifier development is at the sleepy end of electronics engineering. Or so it seems.

So, when Chord Electronics looked to replacing its evergreen line of Switch-Mode power amplifiers, the company looked to research from the past to find technology of the future. Amplifier designs that were almost impossible to make outside of the lab due to the component tolerances of a bygone age can now be realised as manufacturing concepts and even end-user products today. And it’s that blend of ‘clever’ from the past meeting today’s quality control and production engineering that became the genesis of Chord Electronics latest Ultima topology, which sees its way into the brand’s amplifiers, from the smallest to the giant Reference class models.

We spoke to John Franks, CEO of Chord Electronics on the pioneering work that went into Ultima, and how it became a real-world product.

A new approach to amplifier design

Chord Electronics’ Ultima topology is based on theories that Professor Malcolm Hawksford put forward in the 1980s. This work was picked up by a young American engineer, Bob Cordell, who built a low-power audio amplifier and wrote extensively about it in Wireless World magazine.

At the time, I was researching better ways to control high-power MOSFETs in audio in order to overcome their non-linear behaviour. I was so impressed by Cordell’s work that I decided to combine his approach with my knowledge of high-frequency power techniques to see where I could take this technology.

MOSFETs in audio design

There are two major types of MOSFETs: horizontal gate and vertical gate. Vertical gate MOSFETs are not normally used in audio designs because they are notoriously difficult to control in their transition region, which is where we operate in audio amplifiers. They prefer to be either on or off. Until around five years ago, like all audio companies, Chord Electronics used only the easier-to-control lateral gate structure audio MOSFETs.

These transistors have a drain, a source, and a large gate structure shaped like a waffle-iron grid that controls the flow of current. This grid must cover the entire chip, which limits the chip’s power and makes it quite expensive. Many years ago, I used some of my aerospace contacts to develop Chord Electronics’ own special dual-chip lateral structure MOSFETs, which served us well.

However, for the same die size, a vertical MOSFET can deliver ten times the current, making it much more powerful. While they are usually too difficult to control for use in audio amplifier designs, the Ultima topology, which uses several feed-forward error-correcting circuits, monitors each individual power FET in the amplifier signal path. This enables six-sigma perfect control of the music signal within each part of the waveform.

My approach to design and development

Honestly, I love my job as Chord Electronics’ chief designer, which is why I don’t intend to retire anytime soon. I enjoy sorting out each individual issue as it arises, and I didn’t encounter any serious problems when implementing this technology.

I’ve always loved the intricacies of well-designed electronics, when done well. As a child, I would hunt for broken valve radios and try to fix them. My bedroom desk was full of semi-working, but fully lethal (!), bits and pieces.

Much later, I got an engineering job at Marconi Avionics, where I first saw some truly beautiful hardware designs. I learned a great deal, and Marconi’s advanced training taught me how to design electronics that would never fail. This experience instilled a philosophy in me to strive for electronic perfection as close as possible with the technology available at the time.

Development timescales

Development timescales can vary significantly. A relatively quick change to a current design can take up to a year, especially if there are extensive changes to the metalwork or control circuits. Additionally, meeting the qualification standards of different countries can add many months to the process.

For new concepts and technologies, the timescales can increase to around three years for my analogue ideas. With our digital products, I work with consultants, which can take many opinionated and argumentative years—far too long, but I’m sure that ultimately, it’s worth the wait.

For my own analogue domain designs, such as amplifiers, preamplifiers, and phono stages, I first draw up the circuitry and run simulations. Having good software to model parts of the designs is a tremendous help, as it gives me confidence that the complete circuit will eventually work.

However, a software simulation is only a guide, and reality usually sets in once I’ve assembled some hardware and put some nasty volts through it. But by being diligent and empirically plodding through the process, the final design often exceeds my initial simulated expectations. I believe that the enforced long stay at home during the pandemic was actually very beneficial. I set up a small lab at home and was able to explore ideas and concepts that I would not normally have had time to look at. Some of these are only now coming through into our production.

The future of Ultima

Can aspects of the Ultima topology be applied to all products? Not all, but I have used aspects of Ultima ideas in products where the outputs have power sections driving very precise, low-impedance controlled inputs.

Could this have been developed historically? Yes, I believe it could have been developed in the mid-1980s as a modestly powerful amplifier. However, electronic components are improving all the time, and the massively powerful devices I’m currently working with were not even conceived of back when the theory was developed.

Is it easy to scale up or down? It was relatively easy to scale the technology both up and down. However, the smaller size and consequent power limitations of units like our miniature amplifier, the Anni, mean great care must be taken during extended internal listening sessions to ensure it still sounds like a fine-quality Chord Electronics amplifier.

This, of course, was greatly assisted by the higher current capabilities of well-controlled, small but powerful vertical MOSFETs.

Manufacturer

Chord Electronics Ltd

www.chordelectronics.co.uk

+44(0)1622 721444

Chord Electronics Ultima Pre 3 and Ultima 3

Over the years, I’ve amassed the princely sum of two laws of audio. The first is “the thermal operating temperature of a product is directly related to the ambient temperature.” In other words, the hotter it is outside, the hotter-running the product, and in mid-winter, it’s all ice-cold Class D. The other rule is, the more you want to keep hold of a product, the shorter you get to review it. At least one out of the two almost always applies. In the case of the Chord Electronics Ultima Pre 3 preamplifier and Ultima 3 mono power amplifiers, it’s very much the latter law. There was absolutely no chance of extending the listening session on these excellent amplifiers, despite my best efforts. They had already been in circulation and were in high demand for other listening sessions.

I mention this not in some ‘woe is me’ melodrama. That popularity is almost always a sign of a quality product or products. The things that are good, but a bit ‘meh!’ tend to stick around. The products that are really, really good barely get a chance to get on the shelf before someone’s clamouring to take a listen. The Ultima 3 combo were on a very short leash. When you get a chance to listen to them, that makes a lot of sense.

New to us

While the Ultima Pre 3 is new to us, it’s the Ultima 3 monos that are the latest out of Chord Electronic’s idyllic Kentish pumphouse factory. The elevator pitch is the Ultima 3 are the most affordable mono power amps in the brand’s ‘Full Size’ range. Ultimately 3 replaces the long-standing SPM 1400 MkII. It uses Chord Electronics’ unique Ultima amplifier topology, first seen in the flagship 780W Ultima mono amp.

The Ultima 3 ‘only’ manages to deliver 480W. It retains the sliding Class AB bias and dual feed-forward error-correction system of the Ultima circuit. Sliding, or adaptive, bias is a potentially ‘best of all possible worlds’ system. The amplifier works in Class A during normal operation. It only switches to the more efficient Class B under extreme or demanding conditions. The ‘sliding’ part (adapting the bias of the amplifier to suit the load) differentiates the Ultima topology from more traditional Class AB designs. Ultima’s topology also means output devices that are (to paraphrase Futurama) built like a MOSFET but handle like a Bipolar. At least, when it comes to transconductance.

Ultima Pre 3

As discussed, the Ultima Pre 3 has been around a little longer, although is new to us. It’s a line-level preamp. Ultima Pre 3 sports two-balanced and three single-ended inputs. Then, there’s an XLR-only AV loop and one balanced and one single-ended outputs to a power amplifier. Chord Electronics began life making balanced power amplifiers for BBC active monitors. Thus, Ultima runs best in balanced operation. However, if you are allergic to XLR cables, it’s no slouch in single-ended mode. The matching handset is good and is the only way to dim the amp’s top-panel and front lighting level. It also has that reassuring hewn-from-solid heft seen in the electronics and includes buttons irrelevant to the Pre 3. The extra buttons are not ‘a swing and a miss,’ however.

Chord Electronics clearly loves colour-coding. The glowing blue orb in the middle of the front panel will change colour to denote which input is being used. The flanking controls feel great and have dual functions. The left operates volume and input selection, while the right drives balance and AV bypass. I like the simple lines this creates, but sometimes moving between modes can get a little frustrating. The modalities seem counter-intuitive, too. I keep expecting volume and balance to share one dial, and input selection and by-pass to be on the other. As it went back in the box, I had already adapted.

Running in

My samples came with a few miles on the clock, so running in wasn’t an issue. There are reports of the amps needing several hours of playing before they come on song. Once that is over, they seem to stay in good conditioning. I found they needed a few minutes of warming up from cold, but from there, things sprang to life fast. There’s no need to leave them powered up constantly; just fire ‘em up and give it a couple of minutes to come back on song, and everything’s golden.

Not that you’d notice they had been through a few hands before I got them. The review samples came in ‘Jett Black’ with matching ‘Integra’ legs. There’s also an ‘Argent Silver’ option. There’s even an acrylic side-block option for those who will never choose to stack the amps.

Not the same ring

Chord Electronics makes its amp chassis from aircraft-grade aluminium. That doesn’t have quite the same ring to it today. Perhaps Boeing might want to claim its aircraft are made of Chord Electronics-grade aluminium in future… it would bring back some confidence.

In the late 1970s, the Top Trumps craze hit many countries. These cards had various attributes (such as top speed, 0-60 acceleration, BHP, weight and engine size for supercars) for each category. You would try to list a winning attribute, so you’d win all the opponent’s cards in that round. No single card held all the records (although the Ferrari 512 BB, De Tomaso Pantera and Lamborghini Countach got close). Teenage geeks – myself included – would attempt to memorise as many of these attributes as possible. I mention this not simply to pad out the review. These Chord Electronics Ultima devices get close to holding all the winning attributes from a sonic perspective, and most of them from a technical one, too.

Everything else is a trade-off

The Ultima pairing makes most amps sound like they are a bit of a trade-off. In particular, the Chord Electronics Ultima Pre 3 and Ultima 3 mono amps make their rivals sound slow, lacking in transparency, and often quite noisy by comparison. This is no small difference in performance; ‘Hours’ by FKA Twigs [LP1, Young] is a complex bit of post-dubstep electronica. When done badly, it sounds like a soprano James Blake. Here, the speed and clarity make it sound less disjointed, less of a motley collection of bleeps and bloops, and her voice – though at the time, still finding itself – is confident and direct.

Move on to more traditional demonstration discs, and the same can be heard. Take Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances {Zinman, Telarc], for example. The sense of musical movement comes across – it’s a dance, after all – thanks to the speed and directness of the Chord Electronics performance. It’s also extremely detailed. There’s also a powerful sense of dynamic range on tap; this is a perfect test of dynamic range, both small scale (the sound of keys on a clarinet) and large (those huge orchestra swells). The Chord Electronics Ultima take it in their stride. The amplifiers always feel like they are never even remotely stressed by the music, even when dynamic music is played at a fair lick. And there seems to be an absence of background noise or hash that gives that music more room to bloom.

Useful Rachmaninov

Why Rachmaninov is so useful here (both in terms of amplifier speed and dynamics) is the dynamic passages almost become a jump-scare. You know they are coming, but they arrive with such pace and power that you find yourself physically reacting to the sound; that’s usually a function of the live event, or when played by the absolute pinnacle products in appropriately well-set-up systems.

We haven’t even touched on the other aspects of performance, such as stereo soundstaging, and image solidity, but once again these are pretty much aced by the Chord Electronics Ultima group. Most importantly, there’s a fine sense of scaling up and down in these important aspects, switch from the aforementioned Rachmaninov to a small Jazz combo and the scale and size of the stage changes to accommodate.

Big Beyoncé

Move to a singer-songwriter and it shifts again, but move to a singer-songwriter where they are so close to the microphone they dominate the soundstage (I’m looking at you, Beyoncé), and you get a big, close mic’d sound. You don’t get the ‘attack of the 50 foot woman’ stage size unless it’s really badly recorded.

Vocals are fascinating through the Chord Electronics Ultima, too. Thanks to that transparency, that speed and the dynamics, you hear every nuance, every vocal cue. That can be good and bad – spitchy, sibilant recordings have nowhere to hide – but when you have a fine set of pipes in front of you – Joyce Di Donato [Stella Di Napoli, Erato], the effect is mesmerising. It’s like listening to the real deal, a sense attenuated only by the loudspeakers. It draws you deeper into the music. All of which makes more angst-driven lyrics hard to bear. ‘Not a Pretty Girl’ from the album of the same name by Ani DiFranco, on Righteous Babe records, isn’t an easy listen, but here the track – and the entire album – is pained and shockingly so. Which is how it should be.

Characteristic sound

Yes, there is a characteristic sound to Chord Electronics, just as there is to every piece of audio electronics ever made – the ‘straight wire with gain’ maxim is still a long way from being reached. But that sound is far removed from the purely cerebral sound of the older Chord Electronics amplifiers. It’s that modern, European high-end sound that delivers excellent detail and staging properties but also manages to be musically communicative and entertaining at the same time. And the Chord Electronics Ultima Pre 3 and Ultima 3 mono power amplifiers cost about 1.2 metric BMWs less than its closest sonic rivals.

If I were to try and break things up, I’d probably single out the Ultima 3 mono power amplifiers as having that special ‘something’. The Ultima Pre 3 is very good – excellent, in fact. But in terms of sheer transparency and blistering, entertaining speed, almost everything runs behind the Ultima 3 monos.

Sense of balance

That said, there’s a sense of balance to the Chord Electronics Ultima Pre 3 and Ultima 3 mono amps. They work together extremely well in a ‘why change anything?’ sense. Sure, the bigger Ultima Pre 2 and Ultima 2 monos – or the reference-grade Ultima pre and monos – bring more to the table, but there’s no ‘planned obsolescence’ here. You don’t get that feeling of ‘I wonder…’ or ‘what if…’ here. Unless you look to the Ultima 3 models as a stepping stone to something bigger from the outset and have a perpetual urge to churn products at an alarming rate, you may be surprised at just how content you will be with the Ultima 3 models. That drive to swap boxes melts away. I wouldn’t be surprised if the same three baby blue eyes are staring back at you for the next decade or more.

That’s not code for ‘stay in your lane’ style mediocrity. The Chord Electronics Ultima 3 Pre and Ultima 3 mono amps are extremely resolving, detailed, dynamic and enjoyable. There’s nothing ‘mediocre’ about that performance. It’s more that the pairing is so adept and well-built that you need to make some very large financial jumps to make a substantial dent in the Ultima 3 ‘package’ performance. And for many, those jumps will unbalance the performance elsewhere in the system. You need to be really pushing the envelope of performance in source, cable and loudspeaker before you look to the amps.

Labour of Love

There’s a labour-of-love phono stage in the Ultima line coming (it was shown at the last Munich High-End). I’d love to see a DAVE-level or even DAVE-beating DAC in the same line. However, Chord Electronics is playing its cards close to its chest on this. Regardless, if criticism in real terms is “where’s the matching DAC?” you know Chord Electronics is onto something with the Ultima line.

The Chord Electronics Ultima 3 Pre and Ultima 3 mono amplifiers are ear-opening stuff. They work brilliantly together. This combo delivers a sound that is hard – and expensive – to better both inside the Chord tent and beyond. Their speed and resolution draws you deeper into the music. The detail and dynamics when you get there keeps you enthralled. To try them is to buy them… it’s that simple.

Learn more about Ultima here.

Technical specifications

Ultima 3 Pre

Type: Balanced and single-ended line preamplifier
Inputs: 2x XLR balanced pair, 3x RCA single-ended pair
Outputs: 1x XLR balanced pair (AV bypass); 1x XLR balanced pair, 1x RCA single-ended pair (pre-out), Type A USB (charging only), 1x 12V trigger output/input
Frequency response: 10Hz-200kHz ±3 dB
THD: 0.002 % 20Hz-20 kHz
Signal to noise ratio: -105 dB on all inputs
Input impedance: 100 kΩ
Output impedance: 560 Ω
Input maximum voltage: 10 V RMS
Output maximum voltage: 17 V RMS
Gain: x1
Channel separation: 100 dB
Finish: Argent Silver, Jett Black
Dimensions with included Integra legs (WxHxD, as supplied): 48x13x34cm
Weight: 12.7kg
Price: £6,000, €7,999, $8,945

Ultima 3

Type: Solid-state power amplifier
Inputs: 1x phase-inverted balanced XLR, 1x non-inverted balanced XLR, 1x phase-inverted single-ended RCA, 1x non-inverted single-ended RCA, 1x 12v trigger input
Output: 2x Pair of High Quality, High Current, Gold Plated Type Speaker Terminals (Bi-wireable)
Power Output: 480w RMS per channel into 8Ω, 1000W RMS per channel into 4Ω
Frequency Response: -1dB @ 0.2Hz to 46kHz and -3dB 0.1Hz to 200kHz
THD: 0.005%
Signal to Noise Ratio: Better than -84dB
Input Impedance: 100kΩ Unbalanced/Balanced
Output Impedance: 0.04Ω
Gain: 30dB
Finish: Argent Silver, Jett Black
Dimensions (WxHxD, with included Integra Legs): 48x18x36cm
Weight: 22.4kg per channel
Price: £11,500, €14,900, $17,762 per channel

Manufacturer

Chord Electronics Ltd

www.chordelectronics.co.uk

+44(0)1622 721444

Matt Berry: Heard Noises

Heard Noises is the eighth studio album by Matt Berry to be released on Acid Jazz Records and the follow up to 2021’s The Blue Elephant, which hi-fi+ described as ‘a collection of heady and disorienting psychedelic songs and instrumentals that you’d be forgiven for thinking is the soundtrack to some weird, late ‘60s / early ‘70s cult art-house film.’

Here, artistic polymath Berry has embraced a looser, more West Coast psych feel than the vintage British sounds, freakbeat and acid rock he’s explored before. But he’s hasn’t neglected his love for folk horror and eerie melodies, either.

Atmospheric opener, ‘Why On Fire?’ is exotic, funky and unsettling – strummed acoustic guitar and light piano give way to a snaking rhythm and slightly sinister, chanting backing vocals.

Speaking about the new record, Berry, who turned 50 while he was making it, said: “This is my tenth album, or whatever it is. It’s who I am now, and unlike a lot of my albums in the past, it’s reflecting personal things.”

One of the more personal songs is also one of the highlights – the gorgeous and jangly ‘60s psych-pop of ‘Silver Rings,’ on which he sings: ‘I put my things in a box and mail them back to me – my whole life was with you, now it’s over don’t you see.’

“I wanted that song to sound like it was being recorded live on The Ed Sullivan Show, with a band that someone like Simon & Garfunkel would use,” he says. “Like, a bloke who had been a session musician since the early 1950s being told to play Byrds-style, 12-string pop.”

First single, ‘I Gotta Limit’, is great fun – a groovy and upbeat duet with Kitty Liv (Kitty, Daisy & Lewis) that’s part Northern Soul and part psych aand draws on some Sly Stone. “It was written a couple of years ago as a to and fro, but I wasn’t going to put it on an album unless I found someone who could do it justice and make me disappear almost,” says Berry of the track. “And that’s what she’s done. It’s f***ing brilliant – she’s totally transformed that song. Finally, I can put it on an album.”

One of the other special guests is Berry’s mum, who appears as part of the ‘S Club 70 Choir’ on several tracks, including ‘I Entered As I Came’ – a bewitching psychedelic folk ballad that has a spoken word part by Poker Face and Russian Doll actor, Natasha Lyonne, with her distinctive, raspy voice.

The joyous ‘Sky High’ has sci-fi synths, twangy ‘60s guitar and jazzy saxophone, the trippy and spacey ‘Wedding Photo Stranger’ lopes along on a killer funk bassline, while ‘There Are Monsters’ is a riot – opening with chunky, ‘60s power-pop guitar chords, it morphs into a groove-driven, er, monster of a tune, with funky organ, electric piano, otherworldly sounds, and psych-rock guitar.

Berry recorded most of the album himself, using his treasure trove of vintage gear. He played almost all the instruments: guitars, bass and a variety of keyboards. The drums were taken care of by his long-time collaborator, Craig Blundell.

For Heard Noises, Berry didn’t have a manifesto – he says his approach was: ‘F*** it! I’m just going to do a bunch of things that I’m into.’

It shows – it’s a great and eclectic record that’s colourful, strange, intriguing, intoxicating and always entertaining – a mind-blowing trip into his wonderfully weird world.

“You never know where you are as a musician because you always just want to try something better. That’s all that I’m ever doing,” he says.

“I don’t ever want to shut any doors for myself. I don’t know what I’m going to be interested in this time next year. Where I’m at right now is where this album’s at.”

The making of the album also coincided with the end of the TV show, What We Do In The Shadows, in which Berry has played vampire, Laszlo Cravensworth, since 2019.

To mark the occasion, he’s included the character’s fangs in the artwork on the rear of the album – it’s fitting, as on Heard Noises there’s plenty for his fans, as well as new listeners, to get their teeth into.

Vertere Acoustics Calon

The role of a phono stage in a vinyl replay chain, along with its significant influence on overall performance levels, is such that it is not surprising several turntable manufacturers feel compelled to incorporate them into their ranges, ensuring the signal reaching your amplification is precisely as they intend. Moreover, phono stages seem to act as a gateway for certain turntable manufacturers to design the entire replay chain, simply to retain control.

Vertere Acoustics has entered this field by developing the Phono 1, now in its MkII form. This model pairs well with the DG-1S turntable and more traditional versions of the MG-1 MkII. However, it is less suitable for higher-spec MG-1s, as well as the SG-1 and RG-1 models that exceed it. In the UK, Vertere has distributed FM Acoustics hardware to meet this demand, but with a focus on international sales and maintaining control, it has now launched the Calon to position above the Phono 1 MkII.

Welsh Heart

The Calon (a name derived from the Welsh word for ‘heart’) features a relatively conventional specification. It is equipped with a single input, moving magnet, and moving coil phono stage that offers adjustable gain and loading, making it suitable for both balanced and unbalanced outputs. It lacks a balanced input; Vertere founder and chief executive, Touraj Moghaddam, has expressed concerns regarding the categorisation of moving coil cartridges as ‘naturally balanced’ and has chosen to forgo this practice. In an era when some phono stages accommodate multiple inputs and feature balanced designs, the Calon appears almost austere.

It is the manner in which the Calon applies gain that distinguishes it from other phono stages. The innovation lies in applying the gain to the signal before processing the RIAA curve. Vertere argues that any under- or overcorrection of the RIAA prior to gain application will result in a significantly greater deviation from the theoretical ideal. By utilising this method, the signal remains constant, allowing for more accurate equalisation. The RIAA is then applied to the amplified signal.

Due to this process change, the Calon can apply gain before and after the EQ stage. Gains of 10 or 20dB are available at the input, with an additional 8dB possible at the output. The theoretical maximum is 73dB, which should accommodate most cartridges, although this is considerably more than any Vertere cartridges require. For those models, the Calon offers impedance settings of both 1kOhms and 1.5kOhms, which are the preferred options that some competitors lack.

There’s More…

The Calon does not stop there. It features an innovative approach to the subsonic filter concept that can also be activated or deactivated. This constitutes a linear phase circuit, and Vertere claims that its measurable effect above 20Hz is virtually negligible. Additionally, there is a phase inversion switch, as an exceedingly small number of records have been mastered with incorrect absolute phase (to the best of my knowledge, I do not possess a single example), and there are two separate chassis grounds.

Internally, the Calon shuns flashiness in favour of impressive fastidiousness. It is crafted as a dual mono device on two four-layer boards with carefully selected components, all encased in casework made from antimagnetic stainless steel. This material imparts a distinctive quality to the Calon that is arguably more ‘businesslike’ than other Vertere devices I have tested.

In comparison to the smaller casework of the Imperium power supply, the Calon appears almost ordinary, and it’s difficult to argue that £15,500 (including a £2,950 Pulse HB power cord) could not buy more visually striking and tactile devices. Nonetheless, this does not convey the entire picture. The craftsmanship evident in the construction of the Vertere and the tactile quality of the controls imply that this may be the last phono stage you ever need to purchase.

There is also a reasonably good chance that the Calon will be the last phono stage you want to purchase once you hear it; or more specifically, don’t hear it. I won’t hide the fact that I have long been a bit obsessive-compulsive regarding unwanted noise. When idling, the Calon is utterly silent, and the experience of hearing the stylus land in the run-in groove, being the only sound you can discern from the system, is immensely appealing.

Lapel-grabbing?

In keeping with the presentation I’ve experienced from the Vertere turntables, the audio performance of the Calon does not instantly grab you by the lapels. I chose Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam by The Comet is Coming [Impulse!] as one of the first records I tried with the Calon, and the overriding impression is confidence rather than the swagger of performative high-end. The Calon effectively pries open this dense and chaotic recording, imbuing it with excellent tonal realism and fine detail, and it does so utterly effortlessly. However, you may find yourself wondering, ‘Is that it?…’

Do keep listening, though. Continue to feed the Calon whatever random part of your record collection piques your interest, and I wager it won’t be long before the ‘Eureka!’ moment occurs. For me, it was, of all things, To the 5 Boroughs by The Beastie Boys [Capitol]. Nestled at the end of side C is ‘An Open Letter to NYC’, an unabashed love letter to the city and one of their finest later works. It’s always a pleasure to listen to (you might not consider the Beasties to be audiophiles, but it seems they never received that memo), but in the hands of the Calon, it’s truly fantastic.

Little contribution

What I have come to appreciate at this stage is how little the Calon contributes of itself, and that the arguments for applying the RIAA curve after the bulk of the gain has been added indeed hold validity. The high-speed lyrics are perfectly intelligible without losing their intensity, and the performance itself is situated in a soundstage that is expansive without ever being diffuse.

There’s no hint of embellishment or overemphasis; the effect is to simply draw your attention to the music without any discernible sense of Calon’s involvement. When paired with the resident Vertere MG-1 MkII turntable, the effect is cumulative: more equipment busily getting out of the way of the music, and adding other Vertere components only enhances this ideal.

Gently Euphoric

With a turntable that showcases a more pronounced character—my Michell GyroDec, SME309 arm, and Van den Hul DDTII cartridge in this instance—the Calon beautifully accentuates the gently euphoric nature of the turntable while contributing very little of its own signature sound. Kessoncoda’s glorious Outerstate [Gondwana] is presented with such sheer joy that it is hard not to be captivated by.

Meanwhile, the deep, beautifully defined percussion on ‘KTO’ is weighty and immediate, endowing the entire track with a tangibility that draws your attention away from the equipment and immerses you directly into the music. It’s this capability that makes the Calon surprisingly forgiving of less-than-perfect recordings as well. The self-titled debut by The Slow Readers Club [SRC] maintains its angst and intensity without sounding as brittle as it can in certain circumstances. Perhaps inevitably, there is the more mundane issue that a phono stage as quiet as this will react to dirty and worn records with fairly predictable outcomes, but this is what cleaning machines are made to address.

After about a week, what one might initially perceive as a degree of sonic restraint, or even reticence, reveals itself to be an absolute desire to avoid becoming the centre of attention. For many individuals, this self-effacing characteristic may not meet their expectations, and an element that offers a clearer sense of identity may be more appealing.

In a system where the desired balance is achieved, the Calon offers an alluring opportunity to enhance performance without altering the overall experience. The ability to do this while accommodating the characteristics of nearly any cartridge available further adds to its appeal. If the Calon signifies the pinnacle of Vertere’s influence on the signal path.

Technical specifications

Type: MC/MM Phono Preamplifier
Power Supply; Two Linear, Internally Mains voltage switchable transformers
Gain Settings; 45dB to 73dB
Input Impedance Settings Resistance 100R to 47k
Capacitance 100pF to 1.0uF – In 9 Steps
Frequency Response 20Hz – 20kHz +/- 0.2dB
Noise < -83dB – AWD
THD+N 0.01%
Finish Silver or Black
Dimensions 412 x 290 x 88mm
Weight 7.0kg
Price £15,500. $19,995, €18,998 (including Pulse HB cord)

Manufacturer

Vertere Acoustics

www.vertereacoustics.com

+44(0)20 3716 4888