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Siltech Classic Legend cables

It came as some surprise to me that, when it comes to Siltech Cables, we hadn’t looked at a single cable in the range for the longest time. Our last reviews of Siltech products were all about the company’s high-end amplifiers; fine, and very impressive in their own right, but hardly representative of the company and practically all of its output. It’s a little like spending time discussing a brand like Mont Blanc and forgetting about its line of pens.

Siltech Cables makes several ranges of cables, each with a name that sounds like a brand of whisky that sponsors golf tournaments; Royal Signature, Triple Crown, Classic Anniversary and now the new Classic Legend series. So sit back and pour yourself a glass of Classic Legend (just a dash of water, please… no ice), while I tee off.

Classic Legend is three different classes of cables in one; 380, 680 and 880, each having its own interconnects, speaker and power cables. There are also digital, USB and even network cables, but even if they are in one of the three classes, these stand alone in the Classic Legend range.

Core to the Classic Legend is the company’s new G9 silver-gold conductors. Metallurgy is a big concern with Siltech Cables, and the company prides itself on its research-based development of cables using the latest metallurgical developments. Edwin Rynveld, CEO and Head of Engineering of Siltech Cables, is the kind of guy who would have a subscription to Ruthenium News if such a title existed, and keeps ahead of the curve when it comes to developments in everything pertaining to the improvement of audio in general and cables in particular, so it might come as no surprise that where most cable brands make no great distinction about the metallic make-up of their cables (“It’s gold an’ silver, innit”), this is the ninth generation of silver-gold alloy used in Siltech Cable’s line since the early 1980s.

As the name suggests, G9 is Siltech Cable’s ninth (and most current) silver-gold alloy generation developed by the company’s metallurgists. They spent over 12 years of research and testing to develop a material that offers a significant, audible, and measurable improvement of the company’s previous G7 generation solid silver-gold wire (S8 being a solid-core monocrystal silver cable of the highest purity used in the flagship Crown models). The result of the G9 project is silver-gold alloy with up to two-times larger conductors than previous generations with an extraordinarily reduced boundary distortion of 0.01%. This 9th generation of Siltech silver-gold alloy contains all the latest developments and improvements in the melting process, resulting in an even smoother sound and improved cable run-in times.

Picture 3022

Going a little deeper (and perhaps highlighting the difference between actual metallurgy and someone who looks up the properties of wire in a cable catalogue) Siltech’s proprietary silver-gold alloy works to improves a natural silver wire by adding traces of gold to fill the microcracks that occur during the solidification process. This means silver conductors injected with gold, rather than simple gold-plating. This has been a core component of Siltech Cables and has been improved upon time and again since the company started the process back in 1997.

Siltech’s silver-gold alloy process is able to reach a purity of 9N by increasing the filling rate of the crystal structure gaps to the highest possible level. Launched in May this year, the Classic Legend Series is the first cable range using G9.

Alongside the new elements relevant to the latest Classic Legend, there are also standard Siltech Cable elements common to all designs in the range. Siltech holds that an ideal cable should have zero series resistance (R), zero capacitance (C) and zero inductance (L). That is, of course, notional because its functionally impossible to create such a conductor, but the lower each of these basic properties of wire can get, the more stable the sound of the system. The idea being you effectively remove the low-pass filter created by higher series impedance from high inductance, lower the capacitive load for any input, and reduce the general distortion additional series resistance introduces.

Another important concern held by Siltech Cables is that because there is no one system that Siltech Cables are used with, any form of filtration or alteration of the signal will change the performance of a system in unpredictable ways. While this sounds like stating the obvious (cables are not tone controls), this maxim becomes more important with cable length; a design needs to be stable enough to sound identical regardless of whether a cable is 1m or 8m long. Once again, this ties in with striving to produce as low as possible LCR figures in Siltech Cables.

The ‘TL:DR’ version of all this is “it’s nerd stuff, but good nerd stuff.”

Like all good cables, the Siltech Cables Classic Legend takes a while to run in. It’s not that ‘snooty’ about running in (as in, if you want to use a burn-in disc or machine, that’s fine) and once run in, it stays run in. The good news is the cables don’t need that much of a run in, anyway (a few days of music playing should do it) and they don’t go through one of those audio-psychosis run-in periods where they seem to undergo good and bad mood swings as the cable gets into its groove. It’s good out of the box. It gets better. Nothing tonally changes, just detail gets more, er, detail-y.

Having not reviewed Siltech Cables in the magazine for ages, and having not personally reviewed any Siltech Cables… ever. I started this review with a more or less clean sheet. I had some private experience of Siltech that was a very positive experience, and I distinctly remember Siltech being one of dozens of brands I auditioned in a blind listening panel for a rival magazine. But both of these events were back in the 20th Century, and a lot has changed since then.

Within a few minutes of serious listening, my first note on the page was “Why haven’t I used Siltech Cables more often?” because all that ‘TL:DR’ introductory preamble tells you everything and nothing about Classic Legend. The ‘everything’ part is that all that science does net an extremely neutral and exceptionally detailed cable series. The ‘nothing’ part is just how good that sounds beyond that.

The science bit speaks of a cable that is profoundly neutral… for good reason. Classic Legend is an extremely neutral conductor, adding or subtracting next to nothing to the sound of the equipment. It’s also extremely consistent: swap digital converters and the Siltech cable that wasn’t in the way of the first one, isn’t in the way of the second. Switch from solid-state to valve amplification and the same applies. That’s an outstanding job for a cable.

Where this bangs up against the limits of our terminology is that can read remarkably like a dull, measured and bland performance; a technical exercise in component connection. Some part of your consciousness starts reciting the famous ‘Cuckoo Clock’ speech from The Third Man at this point. But this sort of neutrality is not bland or simply ‘technically adept’; it’s the deepest goal of audio and what the magazine is all about: high-fidelity. Far from being a kind of bland neutrality, The Classic Legend sparkles by letting everything through.

Whether it’s because our terminology is flawed or because we have become so used to preferring ‘zing’ to ‘absolute accuracy’ is unclear. But that’s probably the only thing that is ‘unclear’ about the Siltech Cables Classic Legend. It’s uncannily natural and musically-directed, leaving the field open for the sound of the source to meet the sound of the amplifier with the minimum of impact.

Picture 3019

Each component of the musical whole is attenuated more by the execution of the rest of the system than it is by the connections between components. That is, ultimately, how things should be, but it’s only when you hear something like Classic Legend do you realise how much that goal of hi-fi is more honoured in the breach than the observance. And yes, I know this phrase is often misunderstood in the way I just misunderstood it, and that doesn’t really sit well when discussing a cable that prides itself on absolute honesty and integrity, but the phrase’s modern idiom is easier to understand and doesn’t require a knowledge of Danish drinking customs of the 13th Century.

Classic Legend (in all three flavours) doesn’t do what you might expect to your system. If you are expecting expanding soundstages or magical vocal projection and articulation… you really need to look to improving your electronics and loudspeakers. Similarly, although Classic Legend (again in all three flavours, and from power or network switch to speaker terminal) is at once a dynamic sound and detailed cable, it’s more an open window on your system than having any properties of dynamic range or detail in itself. These are aspects of performance that once again, the Siltech designs try their level best not to alter or interfere. In fact, you could point to almost any reviewing terminology and say the same ‘get out of the way’ point.

Instead, what they do is release the sound from the granularity and hashiness that we have become so used to, we take for granted. The Siltech cables remove that ‘electronic’ sound between recording and listener to an uncanny level. There’s a purity to the sound that you will struggle to find elsewhere to the same degree. Yes, it’s like the music is direct-injected into the loudspeakers, but that isn’t an uncomfortable process. In fact it’s extremely alluring and enticing. The electronics just doing their job without extra obstacles is hard to step away from.

I’ve got this far in the review consciously not citing musical examples or specific components that either benefit or fail to thrive with the Classic Legend. There’s a reason for that. I’m acutely aware of the fact that these SIltech Cables designs are universal in their appeal and performance, and their goal is to bow out of changing the signal as best as possible. So when talking about specific tracks, I was finding myself describing the music rather than the cable’s effect upon that music. When making notes about compatibility, I was writing more about the devices. And on it went. I guess that point about ‘neutrality’ applies just as much to the description of the cable as it does to the performance of the cable. If my job is to talk about how something sounds, and this is a fine example of not having a sound, then I might as well write about the last piece of music I played (‘Alexander’ by Sevenn) and what I played it on (a Primare I35 into Audiovector R1 Arreté). In fact, for all the impact it has on how the Classic Legend unpacks a signal, why not describe my favourite tea mug (Periodic Table of Swearing) too? The Siltech Cables work uniformly in letting devices communicate with the minimum of artefact.

That all being said, there was one specific interaction that did surprise me; the network cable. It surprised me because although I’ve heard differences in Ethernet cables before, I wasn’t so convinced the sonic disappearing act would be significant in a packetised data transfer system. But, in fact, it made a big difference. Once again, that difference was about reduction in artefact between the two devices, but the size of the sonic ‘fist’ getting out the way was large.

I’m not a cable sceptic, but I’m willing to play one for this paragraph. This could be the cable that challenges the preconceptions of such sceptics, primarily because these cables are so rooted in good engineering. They aren’t sold through the medium of psychobabble or pseudoscience, and their performance makes a good case for itself. Ultimately, if that healthy scepticism has scabbed over into unhealthy cynicism, no amount of hard science or observation will change your mind, but those approaching the whole cable ‘thing’ from a position of genuine questioning scepticism will likely be more swayed by Siltech Cables and Classic Legend than they might care to admit.

There is a distinct ‘good, better, best’ as you move through the numbers; 880 is better than 680 which is also better than 380. And better in this context means ‘successively less intrusive from an already minimally-intrusive foundation’. The size of 880 is getting quite ‘snakey’, albeit not in a ‘Boa constrictor after a good lunch’ way. I’d consider 380 as the default position for high-end entry level irrespective of price, while 880 is the preserve of the big hitter systems. In listening, I feel the 680 is in the Goldilocks spot within the cable range, and it’s certainly the one I returned to the most.

If there is a shortcoming to the Classic Legend, it’s more a reflection of listener’s demands than its performance per se. Despite repeated ‘they aren’t tone controls’ protests from practically everyone in the business of audio, consciously or otherwise people do treat cables as filters and tone controls… and when you try a cable that doesn’t play that game it shows up just how unbalanced such a system’s sound can get. Some will never be able to draw back from that unevenness in their system, whether as a sonic ‘sunk cost fallacy’ or through learning to like that unevenness. However, even here, those who actively choose valve amplifiers because they like their tonality (especially those who seek out valve amps with loads of second harmonic distortion to ‘warm up’ the sound) would still like the cables connecting those two devices to be as neutral as possible in my opinion. Which would mean a lot of listeners might think they want a cable to act as a filter, but when they hear one that doesn’t they will be swayed.

What we are incapable of testing here is just how accurate that claim is across different Siltech Cable ‘families’, however I’m pretty confident there is no problem here. These are meticulously engineered cables, as are the other cable ranges in the Siltech Cable portfolio. I have no doubt that they sound as internally consistent as Classic Legend, and I have little doubt that a pick ‘n’ mix assortment of Siltech Cable products will have the same consistency. This means that if someone buys a Classic Legend interconnect cable today, with a mind of using it with an all-Explorer cable system, the Classic Legend will be both a good ‘fit’ and show a degree of improvement to start the upgrade process. That will likely also work in the other direction; someone who buys a full system’s worth of Classic Legend cables today may well upgrade within the Siltech range to something like Royal Signature, Suntory Royal 12 Year Old Millennium, or Triple Crown. And this will be super compatible too.

You might not want to make that upgrade path, however, because Classic Legend is good enough in and of itself. To see why, please follow along with a little game I play when reviewing any kind of cable system. It’s called ‘consciously ignore the price until the end of the review’ game. OK, it’s not as commonly played as ‘chess’ or as much fun as ‘Call of Duty’ but it does allow you to place a product in its true context instead of pigeonholing it by price. I have kept price out of the review for that reason. And in sound, build, packaging and the rest, I would have placed these cables far further up the ladder than I expected. If you think an interconnect  cable that costs £2,380 is an interconnect cable that costs £5,000 – or more – by virtue of its build and (complete absence of) sound, you know you are on to a winner. And the Siltech Cables Classic Legend is certainly a winner. I’ll drink to that!

Prices and contact details

Prices as tested:

  • Siltech Classic Legend 380P power cord: £1,030/1.5m
  • Siltech Classic Legend 680P power cord: £1,690/1.5m
  • Siltech Classic Legend 880P power cord: £2,210/1.5m
  • Siltech Classic Legend 380i interconnect: £800/1.5m
    (XLR or RCA)
  • Siltech Classic Legend 680i interconnect: £2,380/1m
    (XLR or RCA)
  • Siltech Classic Legend 680L loudspeaker cables: £4,060/2.5m pair
  • Siltech Classic Legend 380 USB: £1,330/2m
  • Siltech Classic Legend Network cable: £1,030/2m

Manufacturer: Siltech/International Audio Holding BV

URL: siltechcables.com

UK Distributor: Padood

URL: padood.com

Tel: +44(0)1223 653199

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Warwick Acoustics BRAVURA electrostatic headphone system

If you cast your mind back to the early days of Warwick Acoustics, its first product that set the wheels in motion for its high-end and even automotive plans, was the Sonoma M1 electrostatic headphone and amplifier. Although largely eclipsed by the APERIO system, the Sonoma M1 is still on Warwick Acoustics’ books. At least, for now.

The BRAVURA is the result of three years development into Warwick’s unique HPEL (High-Precision Electrostatic Laminate) drive unit, the core of Warwick’s transducer system for its headphones. It’s designed as a direct, drop-in replacement for the Sonoma M1 Headphones, so those with the original matching Sonoma M1 Amp can simply buy a new pair of BRAVURAs. It’s also available as a complete kit, including the Sonoma Amp. The latter is also available in a spiffy new black finish to run alongside the existing deep brushed ‘Silver’ model. This ‘Black Edition’ and the Silver Sonoma amps are available separately, with the idea that owners of the original M1 who fancy a bit of a change to the desktop can buy a new amp/DAC. I think what’s more likely is Sonoma M1 owners will try the BRAVURA with their existing DAC, end up keeping both headphones, and adding a second Sonoma amp/DAC for a second room system at a later date. For reasons that will become clear later, I think the number of people who will try the BRAVURA system and decide the M1 is still for them is likely fairly small. Regardless, it’s good to keep all the options open.

Put simply, if you already own a Sonoma M1 then you can buy the BRAVURA just as a headphone, but if you don’t then you will need to buy the BRAVURA and the Sonoma M1 Amp as a complete system. And now, you can buy the Sonoma M1 Amp in a rich shade of black. The nomenclature could get a little tangled, so for the sake of clarity, ‘Sonoma M1’ means the previous headphone/amp system while ‘Sonoma M1 Headphones’ or ‘Sonoma M1 Amp’ refers only to that specific part. It’s simpler than it sounds… honest!

A lot has happened since the original Sonoma M1 launched, and given the similarities – and more importantly – the differences between Sonoma M1 and BRAVURA, it’s worth climbing into the Wayback machine to run through that Sonoma M1.

Originally an engineering project conducted at the University of Warwick, HPEL was an entirely new way of making electrostatic headphone drive units. HPEL, short for High-Precision Electrostatic Laminate, allows the manufacture of light and highly responsive electrostatic drivers in large multi-layer sheets, from which multiple drivers of virtually any desired size or shape could be cut and trimmed. The limits are more about the size of the laminate sheet and the equipment used to make the laminates, but we will soon see the possibility of making HPEL drivers large enough to be used as full-range domestic electrostatic loudspeakers, or shaped into car door panels, parcel shelves or footwells to act as active noise cancellation systems. It’s still early days, but the options are legion, especially as HPEL production methodology offers exceptional driver-to-driver consistency and longevity— something not easily achieved with conventional electrostatic driver manufacturing techniques.

The HPEL driver has a unique form of electrostatic driver construction; where most electrostatic designs have two metal grids, one on each side of the highly-charged diaphragm, the Sonoma M1 Headphone driver only has a single grid  and a diaphragm that is structured into hexagonal cells. This significantly reduces distortion.

In essence, each driver consists of a three-layer ‘sandwich’ comprising a stainless steel mesh grid that faces the rear side of the ear cup, a centrally-positioned open-cell insulating spacer made of a high spec engineering grade   polypropylene, and then a machine-tensioned, 15μm-thick, flexible film laminate diaphragm that faces the front (or ear) side of the ear cup. The diaphragm is made of bi-axially oriented propylene film (BOPP) with a vapour deposited aluminium surface sealed with a synthetic lacquer. This diaphragm is then clamped within a two-piece protective cassette made of 40% glass-filled polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) from which the driver is isolated by precision-made PORON™ microcellular urethane foam gaskets. This cassette drops into the headphone ear cup. When an audio signal is superimposed on a 1350V DC bias voltage, the ‘drum-skins’ formed by the flexible membrane vibrate, producing sound. Gaskets and protective cassette frame aside, there is nothing between the flexible film diaphragm and the wearer’s ears.

The Sonoma M1 Amp features a single-ended, FET-based Class A amplifier capable of a maximum amplitude of 145V. This is powered by an outboard, very high-quality switch mode power supply with extensive filtering and a fixed frequency switcher that operates at over 85 kHz. This connects to the energiser via a custom made, shielded ‘umbilical cord’ fitted with locking connectors. Internally, the energiser incorporates multiple low-noise, high-current linear regulators, with separate regulators feeding both analogue and digital sections of the energiser, as well as high and low-current circuit stages. The energiser has a built-in DAC based around a 32-bit/384 kHz ESS DAC chip for processing digital sources, and an 32bit/384 kHz ADC chip for digitising analogue inputs. It also uses DSP to produce a pseudo-diffuse field frequency response curve; this explains the digitisation process for analogue sources because they later need to be passed through that digital signal processing. This does effectively lock a Warwick user into the brand’s equipment, because no third-party energiser maker will use DSP to modify the response curve of the headphone, and no energiser will make the Sonoma M1 Headphone sound quite as good as the matching amplifier. However, that also ties Warwick Acoustics into making electrostatic headphones that work with that DSP engine (even in subsequent generations of the energiser), meaning a headphone like BRAVURA is inherently more evolution than revolution.

In truth, ‘evolution’s is probably all you need here. The Sonoma M1 was generally extremely well-received, and praised for its mid-band and top end clarity. However, it wasn’t without its criticisms, most of which were levelled at the Sonoma M1 Headphone. In particular, the bass was criticised for being ‘thin’ and ‘light’ sounding, and its sound pressure levels were on the ‘quiet’ side too. The Sonoma M1 system wasn’t the ‘headbanger’s friend’ was the general conclusion.

Aside from some sneak previews at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2016 the Sonoma M1 system began arriving in people’s hands in the next year. Four years is a long time in headphone design and a lot has happened at Warwick since those early days. Most importantly, as you might expect from a very new technology, the intervening years have seen several step-changes in the manufacturing techniques.

The BRAVURA is the product of years of HPEL development to refine Warwick’s core technology, in the process improving upon the Sonoma M1. The latest evolution of the single-ended HPEL uses a new stator design and more advanced materials that are suggested to result in ultra-low distortion, increased SPL and a wider bandwidth.

Critics will, of course, see this as both a vindication of their views on the original Sonoma M1, and see this as response to their criticism. In fact, it’s technological development on an inherently new concept; the point in a technology where the delta of change is at its steepest. That being said, Warwick has reacted to customer feedback of the Sonoma M1 Headphone, especially in the use of a new headband and revised cabling. The former helps a lot, because the BRAVURA feels less ‘clampy’ than before, but the latter helps a hell of a lot ; the older model’s cable system was prone to ‘touch it, you hear it’ effects.

Judging by the BRAVURA, this is a subtle, yet significant evolution over the Sonoma M1 Headphone. First, let’s get the ‘artist’s response to just criticism’ part out of the way. These are more comfortable headphones that feel better built than their predecessors. The black finish feels good to the touch (I didn’t have the silver models to hand, so I cannot compare directly) and the more traditional comfort strap across the headband does make the BRAVURA sit considerably more easy on the head. The previous headband was at once more rigid (translation: tighter feeling) and more sonically conductive (translation: if you are a glasses wearer, or the kind of fidget who ends up touching their head a lot during listening sessions, the Sonoma M1 Headphone’s headband was prone to ‘chattering’. The new headband scores well here, both in terms over overall comfort and reducing that plasticky ‘thock, thock’ sound you get when accidentally tapping a bit of ABS.

Then, there’s the cable. The older one was a low-tangle cable, with some very nicely made custom connectors at both ends. It conducted electrical signals quite well too. If this sounds like the cable-equivalent of ‘lovely hair’ praise, well… the other cable blotted its copy book by being more than a little bit microphonic. I’m pleased to say the new cable fixes that (that might have something to do with today’s connections in the BRAVURA headphone ear cup itself, but they look functionally identical, so I am going with the cable). This didn’t make a low thrumming sound if you move around a bit fast, or little thuds each time it hits a shirt button. Instead, it was an almost noise-free (and still tangle-free) cable. It’s not made of spooky headphone magic so it’s not fully immune to sound conduction effects because such immunity is more a myth than a reality, but the cable has gone from a ‘could do better’ C+ to a solid ‘outstanding’ A or even A+.

Now on to the meaty part. The sound of the BRAVURA really does take all the good parts of the Sonoma M1 Headphone, take away all the bad bits, and deliver a sound that at once respects the heritage of what went before while adding much to the parts that were a little wanting.

The BRAVURA treads lightly over the same ground, benefitting from that subtle DSP; that ‘modified pseudo-diffuse field’ frequency response curve, which already created a remarkably natural presentation. Having heard what the Sonoma M1 can do, this was the key ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ part of the overall performance and remains unchanged between Sonoma M1 Headphone and BRAVURA. This yields an even greater consistency to a system that is already inherently consistent, but the combination of BRAVURA and the DSP on the Sonoma M1 Amp has an additional level of clarity and tonal precision that most other headphone systems fail to get close to achieving. This comes over as sublime clarity and extension to voices, such as that of Joyce DiDonato [Stella De Napoli, Erato]. Here, she sounds on peak form, which is impressive because she always sounds on peak form, but the BRAVURA just lets her get on with singing with absolute clarity and extension. A true delight… as it was with the Sonoma M1 Headphone.

If anything, there is even more clarity on offer. Her voice is so powerful, it can challenge even the most dynamic system on offer, and here her ability to ‘belt out’ an aria is met by a considerably lower distortion system. Her voice is constrained only by the microphone here; the BRAVURA keeps that sound smooth and effortlessly natural, even at some ‘level’.

The big change is in the bottom end. While in the original review, Chris Martens found little to fault with the bass of the original system, I don’t think he listens to as much electronica as I do, and a spot of Squarepusher or Mogwai through the Sonoma M1 highlighted a truncated low frequency, arguably to the point where you could argue the Sonoma M1 Headphone ‘didn’t work’ with deep bass and the music that exploits that bass.

The BRAVURA nails this low frequency aspect. There’s close to an octave more depth to this headphone compared to its predecessor. Undistorted low frequencies are going to be something of a new thing for many listeners; we’ve long been used to a bit of port noise in loudspeakers or headphones changing their tonal balance as the beats go down and the volume goes up. None of that happens here; instead you have clean, articulate, dry sounding bass; not overbearing unless it’s called for; such as the low rumbles on ‘Chameleon’ [Trentemøller, The Last Resort, Poker Flat] fill the soundfield with menace. Oddly given this music is all synthesis, that menace takes on an organic, natural quality through the BRAVURA. Bass might not have the artificial ‘bounce’ that a wooden box does so well, but a few seconds with the BRAVURA shows what you are losing to gain that ‘bounce’.

The two other big feathers in the BRAVURA’s cap is greater headroom. I’m tempted to say the BRAVURA has performed wonders here, and added some more volume headroom than before. The BRAVURA is more of a headbanger than the Sonoma M1 Headphone could ever muster, but the headphone still isn’t the kind that will leave you waiting for your ears to relax after all that pounding music. The BRAVURA can play loud; louder than before, but not tinnitus loud, and that could be a good thing long term in terms of ear-saving.

Above all, though, where the BRAVURA does shine is in extending the performance of the Sonoma M1 Headphone. There’s a sense of ‘totality’ or especially a ‘gestalt’ where the process of scrutinising individual components of the sound are swept aside by the whole. The Sonoma M1 was already excellent in this field. Now it’s outstanding because it has greater reach, both in frequency extension and volume level.

The BRAVURA’s improvement over the Sonoma M1 Headphone reflects how much can happen in a few years, especially in a fast-moving channel of audio. The same cannot be said for the Sonoma M1 Amp, though. I’m not a great fan of the great DSD arms race, with products delivering ever-higher sampling frequencies, especially when there’s little or no verifiable software at those super high resolutions. Nevertheless, support for DSD 64 and DSD 128 and PCM will not sit right with those demanding support for DSD 512 or higher ‘because they can’. I fear this is where 2021 catches up with what 2017 had to offer. I think a BRAVURA amplifier/DAC is in order soon, complete with support for higher-res DSD and PCM files (and probably showing off a set of indicator lights on the front panel to denote selected resolution). If that doesn’t happen (or if it does and ‘in the meantime’)… the Sonoma M1 Amp looks great in black, like it was made to be in that finish.

Warwick Acoustics made a very good Proof of Concept with the Sonoma M1 system, but in the BRAVURA, that concept has been realised. All the things it did well it still does well, a few of the things it did well it does a little better and all the areas where some improvement was needed (bass, frequency extension, volume headroom) have seen improvements to bring them up to the headphone’s standard elsewhere. The name ‘BRAVURA’ means ‘great technical skill shown in a performance’ in Italian. It’s deserved… bravo!

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

headphone

  • Type: Circumaural, open-back, electrostatic headphone
  • Drivers: Full-range, low mass, single-ended electrostatic drivers
  • Effective driver area: 3570 mm²
  • Frequency response: 10 Hz–60 kHz
  • Weight: 403 grams (excluding cables)

energiser/DAC

  • Type: Class A solid-state electrostatic headphone energiser with built-in DAC, ADC, and DSP functions
  • Inputs: One USB digital input, one coaxial S/PDIF digital input, two stereo analogue inputs (one high-level via RCA jacks, one low-level via 3.5mm mini-socket)
  • Outputs: One electrostatics headphone/bias voltage output jack
  • DAC: Dual mono, 32-bit/384 kHz ESS DACs with balanced outputs
  • Digital audio formats supported:
  • USB: All PCM inputs up to 32 bit/384 kHz and DSD via DoP (DSD64/DSD128)
  • Coaxial S/PDIF: All PCM inputs up to 24-bit/192 kHz
  • Device Drivers: An XMOS device driver is required when the BRAVURA system is used in Windows environments
  • Frequency response: Bandwidth > 65 kHz
  • Distortion + Noise: < 0.05%
  • Dimensions (H×W×D): 57 × 190 × 290mm
  • Weight: 2.45 kg
  • Price: BRAVURA Silver Headphone: £1,700, Black Edition, £1.995. Silver System (with Sonoma amp), £5,495. Black Edition system (with Black Edition Sonoma Amp), £5,995

Manufacturer: Warwick Acoustics

URL: warwickacoustics.com

Tel: +44(0)24 7722 0377

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THE NEW MOON VOICE 22 – TAKING THE GUESSWORK OUT OF BUYING LOUDSPEAKERS

MOON now has its own voice!  The Canadian high-end audio manufacturer has used its audio design experience, premium materials and industry-leading technology to create the Voice 22. MOON customers no longer need to guess which pair of loudspeakers to buy when they are looking for the perfect match for their system – they can now have a full MOON solution.

The Voice 22 is a true partner for MOON amplifiers and will also bring out the best from other audio manufacturers’ systems. The new loudspeaker delivers the renowned rich and natural MOON sonic signature, and its wide soundstage gives the space to allow every small detail to flourish and for the deep, clean bass to expand.

The premium cabinet design has a modern feel with a classic twist recalling the company’s 1980 genesis. The class-leading drivers feature sleek baffles and beautifully machined bezels for a graceful appearance. The Voice 22 is available in a choice of either black or white piano gloss finishes with matching magnetic cloth grilles.

The Hover Base is a unique feature created especially for Voice 22. It lends a visually striking appearance to the speaker, and makes it appear to gracefully float above the surface on which it is positioned. It ensures that the Voice 22 can be placed on virtually any furniture without leaving a mark, while adding stability to the loudspeaker and guaranteeing sound integrity. It elevates the loudspeaker and the owner’s experience! If the listening environment requires the speakers to be placed on stands, the Hover Base may easily be removed, and the speakers can be fitted to the custom-made Stand 22. The top plate fits flush into the recessed area in the bottom of the speaker enclosure and disappears. This careful integration creates a pure and uncluttered appearance.

THE MOON ACE AND VOICE 22 – A BEAUTIFUL UNION

Renaissance believes that the award-winning MOON ACE all-in-one music system is the ideal match for a pair of Voice 22s as they combine to bring the very best out of each other. Simply hook up the speakers, connect to the internet and sit back and enjoy the music. Intuitive and easy-to-use, the ACE features Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and AirPlay2, is Roon Ready and allows the playback of all major file formats, including DSD, and MQA. And its moving magnet phono stage allows the ACE to deliver a memorable performance from any vinyl record.

With a RRP of £2,650 for a pair, the Voice 22 offers excellent value for such a premium loudspeaker.

Take the guesswork out of buying a complete system with this special promotion to mark the launch: Renaissance is offering an ACE music system and a pair of Voice 22s for £5,700 – a saving of £450. This offer is available until the 31st of July (in the UK and Ireland only).

The custom stands are £495 for a pair.

MD of Renaissance, John Carroll, said: ‘The ACE is one of our most popular MOON products due to its versatility and excellent musical reproduction. Add a pair of Voice 22s and you really do have A Complete Experience! For most music lovers, this will be all the system they will ever need.’

Renaissance is delighted to announce that its first shipment has already arrived. UK customers should be able to hear the Voice 22

at their local MOON retailer as early as next week.

MOON will be showcasing the Voice 22 loudspeakers at the High End international audio show in Munich from the 19th to the 22nd of May in Room A3.1 / C120

John Carroll of Renaissance will also be at the show and will be available to introduce the Voice 22 and other products in his portfolio.

 

Contact: [email protected].

+44(0)131 555 3922

www.renaissanceaudio.co.uk

IsoTek V5 Aquarius power conditioner

IsoTek has a significant range of power products, but perhaps the one that has always been resoundingly popular is the Aquarius. Its predecessors – the Mini Sub and then GII Mini Sub – put IsoTek on the map. Both the Mini Sub models and subsequently the EVO3 Aquarius that followed were conditioners admired by those most reluctant and curmudgeonly of power product buyers – Naim Audio users. Having been programmed not to like the idea of power conditioners by Naim’s most zealous supporters, they bought the Mini Sub and EVO3 Aquarius in droves. However, time moves on and the EVO3 line is making way for the V5 models from IsoTek and they come in their spiffy new livery. How will IsoTek’s buyers react?

The IsoTek EVO3 Aquarius was first debuted at the Munich High End Show in May 2009 and officially released to market towards the end of 2009. Since then, EVO3 Aquarius has been considered a benchmark for mains cleaning as it represents that sweet spot of performance and value for money – not only within just the IsoTek range, but in a wider context.

V5 is a bold departure for IsoTek. The company has used a very similar case work for its products throughout the 21st Century. It’s established as IsoTek’s ‘look’… and the V5 line migrates from that look completely towards something far more ‘now’; cleaner lines, curved edges, all very modern and minimalist. There’s the option to have the IsoTek V5 Aquarius in black or silver; it has previously been available in black and silver, but until V5, the black version always looked like a bit of an afterthought (at least, it did to me.) Not so now – it is rightly marketed as a beneficial feature.

Today’s V5 Aquarius is a multiple power cleaning system, featuring six independent power cleaning networks in a single chassis, two outputs running for high-current devices such as power amplifiers, while the remaining four are designed for preamplifiers, source and network components. As with the EVO3 it replaces, its role in life is to reduce Differential Mode Mains noise, and the risk of cross-contamination between individual inputs, so that the connected loads do not influence each other’s performance.

The V5 Aquarius, along with the rest of the new V5 range, might be the product of a total redesign from the ground up, but it still stays true to the company’s design principles. This meant IsoTek’s team subjected the EVO3 Aquarius to rigorous questioning to reconsider and ultimately improve its job in hand, the result being the V5 Aquarius. It appears no single element was overlooked in the V5-ification process!

The changes are big. First, V5 Aquarius now incorporates two thermomagnetic fuses, one rated at 16A for the two high-current power output sockets, the second rated at 6A for the four remaining medium-current output sockets. A standard fuse – by virtue of its electrical function – relies on a very thin piece of wire to overheat and break contact; this is just as true of expensive audiophile grade fuses. The IsoTek thermomagnetic fuse system offers an increased contact area at least 1,000 times greater than that of a standard fuse, and a connection which is consistently strong. It is a substantial upgrade, which also makes re-setting the device easy.

The V5 Aquarius’ PCB topology has also been significantly upgraded, with PCB copper loading said to be increased by over 35% to improve amperage and decrease resistance. Critical bespoke components also have better overall tolerances with improved inductance and current handling. As a result, the new circuit is said to offer twice the inductance with a claimed 40% increase in current.

Dramatically improved DCR (direct current resistance) has been also applied throughout the design. IsoTek’s key goal is to reduce DCR, bringing performance closer to the zero Ohms idea, V5 Aquarius is claimed to improve performance by 25% in comparison to its predecessor.

These technological improvements result in the V5 Aquarius delivering greater power, with unrestricted current delivery within what the power company can supply, and regulations allow. Generally, for power amplifiers or high wattage electronics, IsoTek provides outputs that offers extremely low impedance and low DCR, which completely eliminates (within the concepts of power filtering) any possibility of current restriction and enhances dynamic range. By way of contrast, when power is contaminated, dynamic range is reduced.

The limit, of course, is the mains supply. The very principle of AC power is that it doesn’t store energy in the transmission system. As a consequence, a power reserve within an AC circuit does not and cannot exist.

Power reserve would require the voltage to increase as Ohm’s law insists it must, so saying a circuit doesn’t sag isn’t a reserve of power. The AC waveform goes between maximum and minimum points at 50Hz in 10mS, it then swings to the maximum negative value. At 20mS, a full cycle is achieved. Therefore, the average values of an AC waveform are in fact zero. Only as a power wave can it be positive, due to the law of squared negatives. It looks like a ballooned sine wave where the value of 45 degrees is 0.5 not 0.7071 from a trigonometric table. Were this only a voltage wave it would have a long-term value of zero. As far as energy storage is concerned zero is the value of stored energy. Therefore any attempt at energy storage would produce a phase shift, which is sometimes described as negative energy.

Direct Current resistance (DCR) will cause sag. To put it in other words, a system has to be developed which does not limit the power reserve of the power station, meaning a circuit needs to have extremely low resistance whilst maintaining sufficiently high inductance. When done correctly and in perfect balance the inductance is virtually zero at 50/60 Hz and the DCR is also very close to zero. Therefore, an ideal filter circuit must maintain zero Ohms resistance DC (or very close) and considerable AC resistance to noise above 50/60Hz. Despite statements to the contrary, this is precisely where correctly specified materials matter most. While some might consider these ‘exotic’, they represent a critical and important part of the function and appropriate to use. IsoTek filter designs can maintain very low resistance at 50/60Hz but have very high amounts of noise cancellation above that frequency.

Most AC circuits are reactive – they produce a reaction either from the power drawn or the circuit itself. Put simply, they are not pure resistors and behave like a capacitance and resistance or an inductance and resistance. In an ideal world, the only allowable impediment is resistance and ideally this needs to be extremely low. This is something of a dilemma, do you want high transient power, or do you want heavy filtration? It’s possible to have both, but to do so one must have components of the very highest quality, which are designed specifically for purpose with the correct architecture. This is extremely complex and does not exist outside the world of specialist power engineering.

In the V5 Aquarius, IsoTek has to tow a careful path, too big a series of changes, and the company risks losing the kind of people who buy the product. Too few and it’s a ‘meh!’ launch. IsoTek – like any company – also needs to keep abreast of the world outside of its factory gates; what its competitors are doing, what systems people are using its components with today – and potentially more importantly, those who aren’t investing in IsoTek’s products… and why.

IsoTek has been doing just that in the run-up to the release of the V5 Aquarius. This seems to be more than just another product launch; it’s more a labour of love. According to IsoTek, just getting the industrial design right took almost 12 months of rigorous quality control checks to maintain consistency of fabrication. The internal design has also followed the same passionate pursuit, with ongoing critical listening tests, a considerable amount of measurement and a full shake-down of the design in every conceivable way.

The only way to really evaluate that is a spot of side-by-side comparison. I know the EVO3 Aquarius well (I knew the GII Mini Sub it replaced quite well too), and know both its strengths and its weaknesses. And the first problem for the V5 Aquarius was the EVO3 was mostly strengths and not many weaknesses! To build a better EVO3 Aquarius was enough of a daunting prospect that it took IsoTek more than a dozen years to make a viable replacement that is claimed to improve on the EVO3. But, deep down, does it?

Oh, hell yes! It’s little wonder the EVO3 Aquarius proves popular with the Naim fraternity, because it has really good musical timing (more accurately, it gets out of the way enough to let the system play good timing), but the V5 Aquarius makes the EVO3 sound like it’s on strong antipsychotics. OK, so there’s no drooling or slurred speech involved, but where the EVO3 delivers good rhythm, the V5 is peppy, immediate and upbeat. It simply leaves the EVO3 behind. Given the EVO3 is already considered one of the most fast reacting power conditioners, and that the V5 leaves it almost for dead, this new chassis (and what it contains inside) is something of a revelation.

And the V5 reveals itself when playing some swampy country rock, such as Larry Jon Wilson’s ‘Ohoopie River Bottomland’ [Heartworn Highways, Light In The Attic]. This is a great and mostly unsullied recording, with an infectious beat but one that’s prone to getting lost in the ensemble. Any sense of reticence on the part of the power conditioner makes this track sound almost tired in the middle eight (the key change is so relaxed, you barely notice it until after it happens). Here, everything is just perfectly balanced and pitched. The EVO3 reacts fast to this kind of music, faster than many in fact, but the V5 just reacts faster.

If it were just those timing benefits and nothing else, the V5 would be something to shout about, but it’s more than that. One of the big excuses for holding out on a power conditioner is that – although it might demonstrably improve the spaciousness, the detail retrieval, lower the noise floor and let the components ‘time’ better, they mess with the dynamic range… so I’m out! I can sort of sympathise; a power conditioner that improves nine out of ten things, but wrecks the last one, isn’t worth keeping. And when it comes to dynamic range, for power conditioners, the only way is down; you can’t extend that range because the limit is the AC mains itself; all a good power conditioner can do is reduce the loss to the dynamic range. And the V5 Aquarius once again scores a hit here. Play something with a spot of bombast – Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances [Telarc], for example – and many conditioners just flatten out the sweeping power of the orchestra. Once again, the IsoTek Aquarius EVO3 did good; the IsoTek V5 Aquarius did better. Much better.

There wasn’t any test I could perform where the EVO3 scored better than the V5. The EVO3 scored extremely well in all these tests; detail retrieval, sound staging, image stability et al. The V5 improved on the EVO3 in each area of performance, and then went further, it drew the sound together in the way only the very finest of this type of product can. That’s a joy to find at any price.

I’m not finding anything to dislike about the IsoTek V5 Aquarius; it looks great, it brings the best out of the sound of your equipment and if its predecessor is anything to go by it will be hugely popular and be incredibly reliable. Excellent!

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

  • Type: Power conditioner
  • Number of outlets: 6
  • Outlet options: UK, EU, US, AU, CH
  • Mains Inlet: 16A IEC C20
  • Mains voltage: 100–240V/50-60Hz
  • Medium current (230V): ×4 (6A, 1,380W total)
  • Medium current (115V): ×4 (6A, 690W total)
  • High Current (230V): 2× (16A, 3,680W total)
  • High Current (115V): 2× (16A, 1,840V total)
  • Surge Protection: 81’000A
  • Available in Black or Silver
  • Dimension (W×H×D): 45 × 11 × 35cm
  • Weight: 10kg
  • Price: £2,599

Manufactuer: IsoTek Systems

URL: isoteksystems.com

UK Distributor: Fine Sounds UK

Tel: +44(0)1592 744710

URL: finesounds.uk

 

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Burmester BC150 floorstanding loudspeaker

Burmester invited us to visit Berlin when launching the new BC150 floorstanding loudspeaker  – you can read an earlier version and exclusive preview that formed the basis of this review here. This new speaker design is an impressive statement; not only in terms of its physical presence and its £97,500 price tag, but in the sheer amount of research and development engineering that went into the project.

Just a look around the specification sheet shows why the BC150 is notable. Each BC150 weighs in at a shade under 200kg, a figure achieved by using a combination of aluminium, MDF, and steel (where appropriate) for a cabinet. This trio of materials combine (aided by some carefully chosen visco-elastic materials) making a cabinet that maximises the benefits of all three materials while minimising their own respective downsides. An aluminium frame with MDF housings and steel plates, carefully bonded together is a rare and uniquely successful approach in making a cabinet as non-intrusive and non-interactive as possible.

Each component or subsystem in the BC150 is given the same uncompromising, obsessive-compulsive approach to design and engineering. Alongside the two AMT folded ribbon tweeters (one front firing; a second, smaller and rear-mounted for adjusting spatial properties in room), the midrange is heavily modified to Burmester’s exacting specifications. That last sentence needs exploring; usually ‘heavily modified’ means “can you put our name on the front of the basket?” not “can you change the dust-cap for a phase plug, can we make that phase plug oval, and can we revise the doping materials on the paper of the cone, please? Thanks!”. In fact, when it comes to the side-firing bass unit, the company making the driver liked Burmester’s changes so much, they retrofitted many of them (such as beefing up the magnet) into its own designs.

The crossover too, shows just how seriously Burmester is taking things with the BC150. The board is large, populated with the highest grade components (many of which are ‘potted’… more on that later) and then sits on its own suspension system within its own chamber inside the loudspeaker. Short of playing the loudspeaker during an earthquake, nothing’s going to trouble that crossover. Furthermore, because it’s going to have to handle some high power, everything is built to last. Perhaps the adjustment for the rear-firing tweeter highlights this best; rather than a simple potentiometer mounted in the rear of the speaker, Burmester went the extra mile and built its own stepped attenuator. No one else does this!

Those aforementioned potted capacitors are a part of Burmester going the extra mile once more, in that the BC150 is one of the few passive loudspeakers to achieve UL certification. This means every aspect of the loudspeaker needs to be tested for fire safety, and usually applies to electronic components. Granted, if you are sufficiently infernoed to be concerned about the potential for loudspeaker terminals or internal capacitors in a crossover network to either catch fire or release toxic fumes, it’s probably already a bit late, but the fact Burmester even considered going the distance on this is impressive in its own right.

One of the things you should get from all this is that the engineers in Burmester are driven by passion, and it’s a passion that is shared by the people who end up buying the loudspeakers and enjoying them. OK, few engineers are unmotivated by their own projects, but to create a project like this, you need engineers who will spend hours on end talking about the design of the BC150’s feet, and how many iterations they went through to create the right dial-in adjustable foot sitting on its own bearings. They’ll even tell you about the creation of the tool used to adjust that foot with the kind of bright-eyed enthusiasm you might use to describe your child’s first day at school.

Following statements made early in 2021, Burmester recently announced the debut of two new products in its home audio segment. The company had dedicated itself to developing new products in its core business as part of its ambitions to grow internationally.

The company remains dedicated to its quality promise, sourcing more than 95 percent of its materials locally and relying purely on handmade manufacturing processes in Germany.

Beginning with the new BC150 loudspeakers, Burmester has translated and extended the innovation leaps from its benchmark-setting BC350 loudspeakers and brought into a more compact form.

“The BC150 brings clarity and purity of sound to another level. The time and dedication our engineers spent on its development have really paid off and will be felt from the first second the loudspeakers are played”, says Thorsten Poenig, Chief Sales Officer.

Of course, all that passion and obsessiveness is as nothing if the loudspeaker itself does not perform in the listening room. However, that attention to detail pays off as the BC150 is one of the most detailed, exciting, dynamic and transparent sounding loudspeakers you can hear. There’s also a distinct family sound emerging that follows in these lines, from the B38 up to the vast BC350, they have a lot in common; just that the further up the line you go, the more dynamic range, volume headroom and detail from a cabinet that does an increasingly impressive vanishing act (obviously not physically… it’s a big box). Granted, a loudspeaker like the BC150 needs a lot of quality electronics upstream, but that’s something Burmester already knows well, and having these loudspeakers driven by a pair of 911 mk3 power amps running in bridged mono mode is a perfect way of delivering a truly outstanding performance.

For such an imposing loudspeaker, it’s remarkably fast and musically reactive; transients hit home with speed and precision, making many ‘boxes’ sound like, well, boxes. These loudspeakers are too substantial to be a point source loudspeaker (unless you were playing them in a room about the size of Berlin itself), but the speed of the BC150 suggests otherwise; One of my regular recordings is ‘Memphis Soul Stew’ by King Curtis [King Curtis Live at Fillmore West, ATCO], not just because it’s an unsullied live mix taken almost directly off a desk a few days before King Curtis’ murder, but because each musician in the group is a master in their own art. I mean, every other drummer tries – and usually fails – to deliver a Purdie Shuffle, but when you have Bernard Purdie himself playing that shuffle, it’s like a lesson in the craft. Similarly, getting to hear Cornell Dupree play that funky rhythm guitar sound with licks he invented, and so on… you couldn’t ask for a better lesson. Any speaker that can keep up with these musicians is impressive in the extreme.

The vanishingly low cabinet coloration not only acts to keep the BC150 fast, it keeps it extremely detailed too. This is a loudspeaker that throws the window wide open on your music. Pick an instrument, preferably a solo instrument on a well-recorded album; that instrument sounds detailed, articulate, and physically ‘there’ in the room, solidly placed within a wide soundstage that projects slightly into the room, but not so much as to be intrusive. It’s detailed and precise enough that colorations are more likely to be to do with the room than the speaker, and many of those are ‘nailed’ thanks to the rear-firing tweeter. The BC150 loudspeaker is an audio reproduction instrument of high-precision, and as such if your room has a bit of a mid-range hump, you’ll notice it more immediately here. Given the BC150 and the company it keeps, that’s no bad thing, as room acoustics should be a strong consideration at this level. But, regardless, listening to something like ‘Love in Vain’, by the Rolling Stones [Stripped, Polydor] and you get to hear Jagger’s voice unsullied by the speaker itself; other speakers seem to play something more like an impression of Mick Jagger by way of comparison.

Then there’s the bass. Lung-emptying, bowel-clearing, demolition-grade bass that you can feel at the back of your eyes. Given some heavy-set amplifiers feeding the BC150, the likelihood is either you or the room give up long before the loudspeakers have hit their end-stops. I routinely use ‘Chameleon’ by Trentemøller [The Last Resort, Poker Flat] because its fast, deep, near-square wave synth bass is a torture test of ported loudspeakers. Here, however, the depth and intensity of that bass is enough to reflect the torture back on the listener… there are big, nasty things lurking in that recording, and the BC150 isn’t afraid of letting them out to play.

Perhaps most importantly though, that bass is like the rest of the frequency range; very well integrated. Everything hangs together well in the BC150, almost in the way a simple but well-made two-way loudspeaker can. The engineering that makes that effortless integration is extremely hard to do, and even some of the big names in high-end sometimes struggle with a sound that is more individuated ‘bass-midrange-treble’ than an integrated, musical performance.

Interestingly, I found many parallels with the last Burmester loudspeaker I tested, the B38 from Issue 189. That could seem like damning the BC150 with faint praise, but hear me out for a while. This is in fact a wholly good thing. First, it shows great consistency of design; a company that has wild changes in tone and balance between its product lines is doing something very wrong indeed, even if the price differential between the speakers is as profound as the one between the BC150 and B38. But, better still, the BC150 sounds more like a B38 with greater abilities to scale. Or, looking at it from the opposite direction, the B38 has much of what the BC150 offers, but in a smaller size for the more svelte listening room and wallet. Both loudspeakers have an excellent ability to portray a small-scale musical event and a larger orchestral work in their correct sizes, but where the BC150 really shines is that it both has the ability to scale up (to make that large orchestral work have the scale and majesty it deserves) and scale down (so that fey sounding ‘girl with guitar’ recording doesn’t sound like The Attack of the 50’ Woman (incidentally, great title… lousy movie). That kind of true-scale reproduction isn’t impossible to find elsewhere, but in larger full-range designs, it’s usually the preserve of the absolute pinnacle of high-end loudspeaker engineering. The BC150 shows that Burmester should be taken seriously as a loudspeaker brand in its own right. The B38 certainly had the chops, and so does the BC150.

It’s a harder job to get the big ones right in many ways. There’s so much more to go wrong in a larger loudspeaker, and the threshold of expetation is far higher. As a consequence many loudspeakers go for ‘big’ rather than ‘natural’ reproduction. One could even look to some of the earlier Burmester loudspeaker designs from about a dozen years ago and point that finger… but not any more. Yes, the BC150 does ‘big’ in the same way it does ‘deep’. It needs to; no one buys a loudspeaker this ‘physical’ with the expectation of listening to a shrinking violet of a performance, so the BC150 is impressively large sounding and dynamic when it’s called upon to be so and when its called to be more subtle and display a deft touch on the music, it can do that too.

This scaleable sound and excellent dynamics have profound implications in the BC150s ability to handle the reproduction of well-recorded unamplified instruments recorded in a natural acoustic space; one of the most significant challenges of high-end audio. The instrument should approximate the real-world sound in terms of size, its more subtle sonic characteristics, its sense of being rooted in space rather than disembodied sound, and it should have much of the air and reverberation of the room reproduced and delineated from the sound of the instrument itself. In other words, the sound of the audio system should approximate the sound of the live thing playing in the room. Few get close, and in most cases there’s always something of a trade-off (better solidity, less ambience for example). Here, however, the BC150 is a loudspeaker of great balance. There’s no sense of sacrificing one aspect of the performance in favour of another. Instead, there’s an organic feel to the way the musicians ‘sit’ in the soundstage.

It’s time to sneak another of my favourite recordings in here; Joyce DiDonato singing the ‘Tu sola, o mia Giulietta…’ from Act 2 of Bellini’s I Capuleti e I Montecci [Stella de Napoli, Erato]. OK, so this is the sort of recording that would sound good on even the cheapest audio equipment, but it – like the BC150s – has an ability to scale, and through these loudspeakers it positively shone. If you hear these big, deep and massive loudspeakers, it’s going to be a continual source of amusement how they disappear sonically, but disappear they do. You can listen to Joyce DiDonato on any speaker and be impressed by her breath control and the dynamics of her voice, but through the BC150 you also get the feeling of a performance, to the point where you want to stand and applaud at the end.

A big part of this comes down to the vast amount of detail the BC150 can resolve. It doesn’t matter whether the recording is on vinyl, CD, or high-resolution download; the level of information imparted by these loudspeakers is substantial. In lesser hands, this might feel like drowning in data, but the BC150 is as musically organising as it is detail-packed. Meaning that any information in the recording is likely to be presented to the listener as accurately and honestly as possible.

I’m mindful here that this could sound like an ‘all detail, no fun’ loudspeaker. There are some high-end loudspeaker designs that make music a sterile, if detailed, event. There are others that go for the sense of occasion, at the expense of transparency, clarity and detail. Few manage to have feet in both camps, and the BC150 is one of those rare exceptions that are both musically communicative and musically analytical at the same time. That’s a heady mix, but might require some sensory readjustment on the part of the listener; we are used to having to make a choice in this trade-off, and the first time you get to experience both the detail and the musical intention that underpins that detail, it can be a daunting experience. Don’t be surprised if that doubles your listening energies at first, but you soon get past this and will find the sound just beguiling and inviting you to play further.

A sonic reevaluation could be short-hand for ‘it sounds so bright, you need to wait a little for your ears to be reprofiled’ in some cases, but not the BC150. This is a loudspeaker of great balance, remember. The BC150 is not bright, or boomy… it’s extremely neutral. There’s just so much neutrality on offer, it takes some time to process at first. Once you get over that hurdle, there’s no real going back however. It’s that good a loudspeaker.

This is an important loudspeaker for Burmester, as the brand has been through a quiet patch of late (in fairness, given COVID-19, who hasn’t?). This is clearly not a brand that rests upon its laurels, though, and the BC150 shows Burmester’s high-end approach is equally at home making ultra-high-grade loudspeakers as it is producing top-end electronics and the best in automotive entertainment.

This is not the only new product from Burmester, and – in looking around the R&D department in the Berlin factory – and to quote Rutger Hauer’s Roy Batty character from Blade Runner, “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe.” OK, so no attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion this time but not just Burmester’s new 217 turntable… new products in the company’s traditional audio lines, and beyond.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

  •  Type: Three-way bass reflex floorstanding loudspeaker
  • Drive units: Air Motion Transformer tweeter (front and rear), 180mm midrange, 320mm woofer
  • Crossover frequencies: 155Hz, 1.8kHz
  • Frequency response: 34Hz–20kHz ±3dB
  • Sensitivity: 88.5dB at 2.83V/1m
  • Nominal impedance: 3Ω
  • Nominal load capacity
    (DIN EN 60268-5): 400W
  • Dimensions (W×H×D):
    30.9 × 60.1 × 143.3cm
  • Weight: c195kg per loudspeaker
  • Price: £97,500, €98,000 per pair.

Manufacturer: Burmester Audiosysteme GmbH

URL: burmester.de

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Music Interview: Matt Berry

It’s been 10 years since musician/comedian/actor and writer, Matt Berry, signed to iconic British indie label, Acid Jazz, and released Witchazel, an album steeped in his love of ‘60s and ‘70s folk-psych.

Since then, he’s put out eight more albums on Acid Jazz, exploring influences including funk, soul, electronica, garage-rock, vintage TV themes, country, prog and folk-horror.

This month sees some of the highlights from all of them, plus a whole bunch of demos, outtakes, and rarities, collected in a 55-track, career-spanning five-LP/four-CD box set called, rather appropriately, Gather Up. The compilation is also available as a two-LP or single CD edition.

Shortly before jetting off to Toronto for the rest of the year, to film the new series of US horror-comedy What We Do in the Shadows, in which he plays Laszlo Cravensworth, an English nobleman vampire, Berry kindly found the time to give me an interview to talk about his decade of making records for Acid Jazz. There was plenty for us to get our teeth into…

SH: Let’s talk about the Gather Up compilation. Does it feel like 10 years since you signed to Acid Jazz?

MB: No – it feels like two minutes. It doesn’t even feel like five years.

You were a big fan of Acid Jazz before you joined the label, weren’t you?

I was. As a youngster, in the days when you couldn’t search for everything on the internet, they put out some great compilations and stuff. To be signed to Acid Jazz was an honour for me. When I played them my album, Witchazel, I thought Eddie Piller [founder of Acid Jazz] might put out a single, but he put the whole thing out and that was that – it was done – and here I am, 10 years later.

You’ve curated the box set. Do you work quite closely with the label?

Very closely – there aren’t that many of us at Acid Jazz. Everybody is all over every aspect of everything, which is good, because I don’t want to f*** with their brand and everything which goes with that, but, at the same time, whatever I put out must be right for me.

Was it hard to decide what to include in the collection?

It was – no one likes to pick out the best of anything that they’ve done because it’s hard for you to tell. I asked members of my band, and Eddie and Dean [Rudland – Acid Jazz general manager] for them to pick what they consider are the best songs I’ve done on the label so far. They all came back with the same sort of things, so that’s how I arrived at it – I looked at all their lists and just did it from there.

From listening to the box set, it’s clear that your musical output over the past 10 years has been diverse – you have an eclectic range of styles and influences. When you make a new album, do you consciously set out to reinvent yourself, or react against the previous record, or is it more of an organic process?

It’s more organic, but to me it doesn’t sound that different – I’ll just take away some instruments or put every instrument on it. That’s all that I think I’ve really done. I’ve presented my songs in different forms, whether it’s with an acoustic guitar and a slight rhythm section, or with 15 guitars and 43 bass guitars!

 

The first song on the box set is ‘Take My Hand’, which is also the theme for your show Toast of London. It has a ‘70s pop singer-songwriter feel and the piano reminds me of Elton John’s ‘Song For Guy’…

I was doing a sketch show [Snuff Box] with an Elton John character in it, so I had to have some music for him to play – I came up with something very quickly and had that piano phrase. I must’ve been quite pleased with it because I developed it and it became ‘Take My Hand.’

One of the rarities you’ve included on the box set is a song called ‘Catch Me In Time’, which features US soul legend, Geno Washington. How did that collaboration come about?

I can’t really remember… We had the same manager for a while and I’d written the song, which was used in a TV show called Snuff Box. He’s got a fantastic voice and I just wanted to see what he would make of it.

The song sounds like a Northern Soul floor-filler, doesn’t it?

Yes – I’m a big fan of Northern Soul, so I suppose that was the motivation, but also to get Geno on it.

 

Your first album on Acid Jazz was Witchazel – a record influenced by your love of ‘60s and ‘70s folk and psych. What are your memories of writing and recording it?

There was an interesting juxtaposition – it’s an album containing songs about the countryside and elements of it, like animals and the weather, and, yet it was all written in a little flat on Shad Thames, in South East London. It couldn’t be further away from the things I was writing about.

So, it wasn’t like when Paul Weller goes into the countryside for a few weeks to write and record an album?

I couldn’t do that because I didn’t have a pot to piss in! It was all made on GarageBand – I had no money to do anything or master it, so I did it all myself. What you hear is all my own engineering and production – stuff recorded with two cheap microphones.

At the time, because you were known for acting and comedy, were you worried that people might not take your music seriously?

That’s never occurred to me. It’s only a journalist thing – ‘Berry wants to be taken seriously…’ I never said that, and I’ve never thought that. The way I see it is that I’m in a niche, on an independent label, and if you like my stuff that’s fantastic, but if you don’t, I’m not going to know. I haven’t ever had this ‘take me seriously’ thing – I’ve just been lucky enough to be able to do both things and be on a label. There’s no manifesto with it.

In 2013, you released Kill The Wolf – your folk-horror album. Where did you make that record?

I was on the Thames, in Rotherhithe – again, it was nowhere near the countryside. I made it in a tiny room and did it all on my own.

Was it inspired by British folk-horror films, like The Wicker Man and Blood On Satan’s Claw? Are you a big fan of that genre?

I can’t help it. I don’t know whether it’s a British thing, but it’s always been something that I’ve done. It doesn’t even feel like a genre to me – it feels like my childhood and upbringing, and it’s part of who I am, I suppose.

For your 2016 album, The Small Hours, you took a different approach – you went into a studio (Rimshot, in Kent) with your band, The Maypoles. Was it a challenge to make a record with lots of other people?

It was and now I’ve done it, I don’t need to do it again. I did it because I was expecting it to bring something new out – not just in the songwriting, but also in the playing and the sound – but I didn’t have the kind of control I’ve got when I’m doing it all myself, so it wasn’t as satisfying for me.

Everybody did an amazing job – it’s all about having the sounds that you hear in your head and making sure that your finished piece is exactly like that. The Small Hours is the only album where I can’t say that’s the case.

Television Themes, your seventh album, from 2018, includes your reworked versions of TV themes from the ‘60s to the ‘80s. What was the thinking behind that?

They were themes that were playing in my house while I was growing up. I originally wanted to release a compilation album featuring that music – to get licences to use the themes – but I couldn’t. We couldn’t find the theme from World In Action, and it was impossible to get Sorry! and Blankety Blank, unless you crudely ripped them off the internet, and we didn’t want to do that, so I recorded them all myself.

2020’s Phantom Birds was a more stripped-down record – pastoral country-folk, with some harmonica and pedal steel on it. Was the album influenced by Bob Dylan?

Just the production and the sparseness of it and keeping it to no more than three or four instruments. That was a challenge for me, because I’m naturally prone to just putting 20 guitars on some tracks – it was a lesson in less is more, and I had to stick to that. I enjoyed doing it. I got B.J. Cole to play pedal steel on it, which lifts the whole thing, as does Craig Blundell on the drums.

For The Blue Elephant album, which came out laat year, you did put lots of guitars on it – it has layered sounds, psych electric guitar and synths. There’s Moog, Mellotron, fuzz-bass, funk, prog, blues, garage-rock and cosmic psych pop…

It was made during lockdown, when I was supposed to be in Canada, playing a vampire. Instead, I had all these months free, so I really had time to learn how everything in my studio works. I got to know all the gear and got more into the recording process, and I loved it. It wasn’t a chore and I applied it to the songs. If there was a ‘60s vibe that I liked, I’d try and work out how to achieve it. There were lots of references and trying things out. I had freedom – I didn’t want to do conventional pop songs, like I’d done on Phantom Birds.

What’s your home studio set-up like?

I use Logic, but that’s the only digital aspect of it – everything else is analogue, like the desk, the effects, and the synths. I use a lot of Panasonic hi-fi reverb – it came out in the mid-‘70s and it was something you would add on to your stereo system – but I don’t know how useful it would’ve been at the time, because once you reverb the drums, everything gets lost. It’s useful now for vocals and guitar.

There are some great keyboard sounds on your records. Do you collect vintage gear?

I did do. I got a lot of it in the early ‘90s, when I worked at Tesco, because a lot of it was very cheap back then. You could get analogue synths for 100 quid, because they weren’t vintage – they were just old – and people wanted digital gear. It’s not like it is now.

I got lucky. I got a Yamaha CS-60 for 250 quid. They go for £18,000 now!

We’re the same age, and when I was at school, everyone wanted a Yamaha DX7…

Exactly – when I was young, if it wasn’t black and it didn’t have a tiny screen, then it was a piece of s***! I didn’t have that attitude – I wasn’t interested in the digital stuff. I wanted the stuff with all the knobs and the switches – and I still do.

What’s the weirdest piece of gear you own?

I have one of Jean Michel-Jarre’s phase effects pedals, which he used on Oxygène. I interviewed him and he gave it to me – he could see that I was into it, and three weeks later, there it was in the post. He was the first gig I ever saw – at London Docklands.

What’s next for you musically? Is there a new album planned?

I want to do one and I’ve got some ideas, so when I get back from Toronto, early next year, I’ll get started on something. There’s no immediate rush because I’ve released three albums in the past two years – I need to put the brakes on.

Did you ever consider calling the box set The Berry Best Of?

No, I didn’t.

Sorry. Let’s leave it there.

[laughs]. A gag’s a gag, innit?

Review of The Blue Elephant

Gather Up by Matt Berry is released on Acid Jazz Records as a five-LP or four-CD box set. A two-LP or single CD edition is also available.

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Katanga! by Curtis Amy

Of the titles released in the Blue Note Tone Poet series, some of the very best reissues have been from a label related to Blue Note only by corporate acquisition. Pacific Jazz Records, a subsidiary of World-Pacific Records, released Katanga! in 1963, only a couple of years before Liberty Records acquired the catalogues of World-Pacific and Blue Note. The session was led by tenor saxophone player Curtis Amy, who recorded six LPs for Pacific Jazz, of which this is the sixth. Amy is often referred to as an ‘underappreciated’ player. His Pacifc Jazz sales were miniscule, and he recorded little after that. Unless you picked up the Mosaic box set (CDs only) issued in 2004, odds are that you do not have a Curtis Amy LP in your collection. I first picked up this LP decades ago on the strength of its cover art, but never saw it in a bin again. Other jazz players with tiny sales kept their names afloat by grinding out albums as leaders and sidemen over the years, but Amy took another tact. He became a record label executive and recorded backing solos for pop artists. Who does not remember the saxophone solo from The Doors hit song ‘Touch Me’ on The Soft Parade? Carole King’s hit tune ‘Jazzman’ was an ode to Amy’s influence on her. He played saxophone and flute on four of the songs of King’s Tapestry and for three years in the 1960s he was the musical director for the Ray Charles Band. The music did not stop when he went home to his wife of thirty-two years, Merry Clayton. He met Clayton in the Ray Charles Band and a year before their marriage she shot to fame with her Mick Jagger duet on ‘Gimme Shelter’.

Katanga! included Amy on tenor and soprano saxophone, Dupree Bolton on trumpet, Jack Wilson on piano, Ray Crawford on guitar, Vic Gaskin on bass and Doug Sides on drums. None of the musicians became well known, but all turn in the performance of their careers on this date. Side one opens with the title song, a Dupree Bolton composition. Bolton’s trumpet performance here steals the show, but after this – and his work on Harold Land’s The Fox – he disappeared from the music scene into a series of prison stints. Ray Crawford was never a headliner, but his smooth guitar recordings as a sideman with Ahmad Jamal and Gil Evans ensures his place in West Coast jazz history.

 Bolton’s impassioned solos on the title song, trading licks with Amy, ensure his reputation as one of the mid-century’s forgotten heroes. Amy takes over equal control in ‘Lonely Woman’ and ‘Native Land’ where he plays soprano saxophone on his two compositions. Flip the LP to side two and the sextet runs through three covers, including a haunting rendition of ‘You Don’t Know What Love is’ with Amy again on soprano saxophone and Bolton conjuring up a cross between Chet Baker and Clifford Brown.

When it comes to being underappreciated, I’d give the nod to recording engineer Richard Bock, who recorded this session at Pacific Jazz Studios in Hollywood. Founder of Pacific Jazz and World-Pacific, Bock produced and recorded one of the great bodies of West Coast jazz recordings in existence from the likes of Chet Baker, Gil Evans, Chico Hamilton, Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz and Joe Pass. What you expect and receive from a Pacific Jazz title (in addition to top line music) is exceptionally well recorded music. A hallmark of Bock sound is the absence of ‘hole in the middle’ sound so often found in jazz recordings from the 1960s. Whether he was recording a quartet or a larger ensemble, his recordings present a smooth integration of the instruments across the stage and this recording is no exception.

Like all Tone Poet releases, this was curated and produced by Joe Harley and mastered by Kevin Gray. The sound is well balanced, with a deep and wide stage. Unlike so many audiophile grade releases today limited to a few thousand copies, UMG owns the title and can press as many copies as the market will support, so you will have no one to blame but yourself if you miss out on this splendid title. Even Tone Poet titles are not all created equal, and this belongs near the top of the stack.

Katanga!

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Meet Your Dealer – Peter Tyson – Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

With its three centres spanning the top of England and for the last 56 years Peter Tyson has developed a commanding name for itself as one of the main audio and audio video dealers in the country.

It has built that reputation on good service, top-notch prices, excellent facilities and an almost psychic ability to second guess what the Next Big Thing in audio will be. Peter Tyson is geared toward the practical and attainably-priced side of the audio world.

This has always been an important part of the audio market; while hi-fi+ has a reputation for dealing in the luxury end of the market, in fact we’re passionate about music played right. While high-end audio has a reputation for being snooty, snobby and all about the bling, many of us are just as happy with intelligently-designed, well‑made and practical audio equipment that meets the demands of a more metropolitan audience. And it’s in the design and execution of such systems where companies like Peter Tyson’s stands out. 

My father started the family business in 1966 and as a family we always enjoyed having a great system at home. That’s a tradition I’ve adopted for my own family.

Peter Tyson Image 3
Peter Tyson Listening Room 2

One of the company’s smartest moves is to create pre-configured systems on its site. While this sounds like an obvious move, it’s actually rarely conducted in audio at any level. Of course, the company also designs systems of a more bespoke nature alongside such turn-key audio set-ups, but in doing the selecting in advance, this helps take some of the worry out of selecting a system, especially for those taking their first few steps into separates component audio. 

Naturally, for those who prefer ‘bricks’ to ‘clicks’, the company has three showrooms. However, for our Meet Your Maker this month, we chose to concentrate on the Newcastle store. This elegant, light and sophisticated store is a not only a great audio destination in its own right, but a fine example of how a modern audio store should look.

We spoke to Martin Tyson, son of the founder, about working in the family business, the focus of the Newcastle branch and more…

What brands/products do you stock?

We have dozens and dozens of partners but at the Newcastle branch we focus on Linn, Naim, Focal, Kudos, Chord, AudioQuest, Bower & Wilkins, Devialet and REL.

What inspired you to get into the industry?

My father started the family business in 1966 and as a family we always enjoyed having a great system at home. That’s a tradition I’ve adopted for my own family.

I love hearing music pouring out of every room in the house, and the mix of music is fantastic! 

I have an LP12 at home, but I mainly stream for convenience. The thing I love about streaming services is that they introduce you to so many new artists.

Peter Tyson Image 4
Peter Tyson Listening Room

Who has been your biggest influence? 

My parents. They set me a great example of working hard and being honest. 

What music do you listen to when doing a demonstration?

I like hearing what customers enjoy, however one of my favorite tracks is by Joan Armatrading – ‘Ma Me O Beach’ – it really puts a system through its paces.

What is the best piece of advice you can give to someone who is looking to improve/upgrade their system?

To remember that investing in quality audio is a sound investment that you will enjoy for decades. You need a system that makes you grin and smile. You will never be at home enjoying a great system and regret having spent so much, but you will probably kick yourself if you were tight and don’t have a system that you can’t wait to use when you get home! 

Which do you prefer: Vinyl, CD/SACD, or downloading… and why?

I have an LP12 at home, but I mainly stream for convenience. The thing I love about streaming services is that they introduce you to so many new artists – some of my favourite artists I have only discovered over that last couple of years through streaming services.

Is streaming taking over from downloading?

Absolutely. Obviously if you download its better but I just don’t have the time or inclination.

How do you see the industry in five years from now?

I think there will be less dealers. I split my time between existing customers and acquiring new customers. So many people need to be introduced to what a real hifi is – most people have never heard one! There is so much demand for people to invest in cars, kitchens, holidays etc but they rarely see that they could invest in a fantastic home hi-fi that the whole family can enjoy. 

 

Peter Tyson Audio Visual

6 Kingston Court, Kingston Park, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE3 3FP

petertyson.co.uk

+44 (0)191 285 7179

[email protected]

dCS brings back the limited-edition Vivaldi One – complete with APEX upgrade

From the dCS press release

Following the launch of the dCS Ring DAC™ APEX, and the company’s new Rossini and Vivaldi APEX models, dCS is ‘thrilled’ to announce the release of a new limited-edition version of the Vivaldi One – the company’s beloved single-chassis Network Music Player and CD/SACD Player

Initally, just 250 Vivaldi One systems were produced, and they quickly sold out. The company has since received numerous emails, letters and phone calls from music lovers around the world looking to purchase a Vivaldi One. Whilst dCS was delighted to see such a strong demand for the product, and had often considered re-releasing the Vivaldi One, the company ultimately decided to focus its efforts on developing new features and enhancements to the Vivaldi and Rossini ranges, as well as developing the dCS Bartók.

This year, however, dCS launched a major hardware upgrade that allowed the company to further enhance the performance of the Vivaldi DAC, Rossini DAC and Rossini Player. The new dCS Ring DAC™ APEX hardware is claimed to be measurably better in several ways, and is said to bring a range of sonic improvements, with listeners noting a range of benefits, from enhanced dynamics, rhythm and timing, to greater soundstage resolution and image focus, blacker backgrounds, and a heightened sense of realism.

Following extensive development, and several rounds of testing [read more about the process here], dCS decided to launch new APEX editions of the Vivaldi DAC, Rossini DAC, and Rossini Player, which feature the Ring DAC APEX hardware as standard. The company also announced the launch of a global upgrade programme for existing owners of the Vivaldi DAC, Rossini DAC, Rossini Player and original Vivaldi One.

The response to the upgrade programme – and the launch of the Rossini and Vivaldi APEX models – has been overwhelming, according to dCS. The positive feedback received from the audio community inspired the brand to  explore the idea of releasing an APEX edition of the dCS Vivaldi One, and with the company’s 35th anniversary just around the corner, dCS felt it the perfect  time to release a new, improved edition of a much-loved and celebrated product.

The Vivaldi One APEX combines all the benefits of the original Vivaldi One with dCS’ new, enhanced Ring DAC APEX hardware to deliver what is said to be an even more profound musical experience.

The Vivaldi One APEX is a powerful network music player and CD/SACD Transport. It offers the same core technologies as the globally renowned dCS Vivaldi series, including the latest-generation dCS Ring DAC, and the dCS Digital Processing Platform, as well as the company’s proprietary clocking system.

It supports all major lossless codecs, including MQA, and is compatible with a wide range of streaming services and music management platforms, including Roon, TIDAL, Qobuz, Deezer, Internet Radio and Spotify. It also supports streaming via Apple Air Play, TIDAL Connect and Spotify Connect.

For silver disc enthusiasts, its Esoteric VMK3 VRDS-Neo CD/SACD mechanism works in tandem with dCS hardware and software to extract revelatory levels of detail from standard and Super Audio CDs. An array of digital inputs, plus multi-stage DXD oversampling with optional DSD/64 or DSD/128 upsampling, and user-selectable DSP and DSD filters, offer unrivalled flexibility.

The system’ s performance is driven by flexible firmware, which can be easily updated to deliver new product features and enhancements. An aerospace-grade aluminium chassis reduces mechanical vibration and magnetic effects for enhanced audio performance, while features such as multi-stage power regulation, twin mains transformers, and separate power supplies for digital and analogue sections ensure maximum consistency and reliability.

Just 50 units will be available in anodised silver or black – classic dCS  finishes. The system will be unveiled at the 2022 Munich High-End show, and dCS will host demonstrations throughout the four-day event.

Units are available to order now and will begin shipping in June. The first 10 systems purchased will be dispatched on June 1 and remaining models will ship in late July 2022. UK RRP is £76,500 inc. VAT

Manufacturer: dCS Audio

URL: dcsaudio.com

UK Distributor: Absolute Sounds

URL: absolutesounds.com

Tel: +44(0)208 971 3909

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Renaissance Audio appointed as Audiovector’s exclusive UK distributor

From the Renaissance Audio press release

 

From 1st June 2022, Danish loudspeaker manufacturer Audiovector joins MOON, VPI and Nordost in the Renaissance portfolio of award-winning brands. Following an extremely successful first year distributing Audiovector loudspeakers in Scotland, Renaissance will now distribute them across the rest of the United Kingdom. 

With the addition of Audiovector, Renaissance now has a complete and complementary portfolio: VPI’s turntables, MOON’s audio systems and the Nordost range of cables and accessories – everything needed for the perfect hi-fi system! 

Audiovector is a family-owned company based in Copenhagen and for more than forty years it has designed, developed, and handcrafted its loudspeakers in Denmark. In 1979, Ole Klifoth founded Audiovector with a desire to make the perfect loudspeaker for the global high-end market. To this day, the original company vision of producing high-quality, natural-sounding loudspeakers for music lovers and audiophiles is driven by Ole’s son, Mads, who is now the company CEO. 

The Audiovector range of loudspeakers has received acclaim across the globe and multiple awards from the hi-fi and technology press. Its ever growing worldwide success has brought about the need for focused distribution models in each territory. Renaissance is at the forefront of this new strategy. 

Renaissance already offers comprehensive technical support and a swift and secure delivery service for all of its brands. Strong stock levels at its Edinburgh HQ, plus an advanced international distribution infrastructure, will ensure fast access to all Audiovector products for its United Kingdom-based customers. 

MD of Renaissance, John Carroll, said: ‘Audiovector has been a perfect addition to our product portfolio and its loudspeakers are extremely popular with our Scottish customers. I am thrilled to now be able to distribute the brand throughout the United Kingdom. The R3 Arreté is a perfect example of what Audiovector stands for, reflecting the technologies, detailed construction principles and performance possibilities. I look forward to making Audiovector more accessible to a wider range of consumers.’ 

Mads Klifoth, Audiovector’s CEO, said: ‘Renaissance is our ideal partner as the team has a deep understanding of premium hi-fi and shares our passion for Audiovector. I am certain that Renaissance will be as successful with our loudspeakers in the rest of the UK as it has been in Scotland.’ 

Audiovector will attend the High End international audio show in Munich from the 19th to the 22nd of May in Room A4.2 / F203. 

John Carroll of Renaissance will be in attendance and available to introduce himself, the company and the Audiovector family. 

Renaissance Audio +44(0)131 555 3922 

renaissanceaudio.co.uk 

audiovector.com 

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HiFi Rose RA180 integrated amplifier

From the Henley Designs press release
Say hello to the otherworldly-looking Hi-Fi Rose RA180. Dr Leonard H. McCoy’s tricorder would likely identify the RA180 as a ‘stereo amplifier’, but this is ‘Stereo Amplifier: The Next Generation’. 
Specifically, the HiFi Rose RA180 is a next generation Gallium Nitride FET Applied Class AD Amplifier. In HiFi Rose’s own words, ‘In terms of power amplifier design, Class D is theoretically a topology that provides a completely linear output at 0% distortion and 100% power efficiency. To achieve the perfect Class D design theory, the switching operation speed and accuracy must be secured. To improve this problem, RA180 implemented a perfect linear output by applying a Gallium Nitride FET instead of a Silicon FET to dramatically improve the Dead Time, which affects switching speed and accuracy, to less than 1/10. The perfect linear output goes beyond the existing Class D limits and creates a natural sound like an analogue amplifier.’
Exclusively distributed in the UK by Henley Audio, HiFi Rose is the brand quickly making a big name for itself in the world of audio, especially with its premium-level streaming products. The arrival of the RA180 integrated amplifier signals a new category for the Korean brand. The RA180 boasts one of the most comprehensive feature-sets of any high-end amplifier, and serves as the ideal partner to its maker’s award winning music streamers. The RA180 is designed to bring to amplification, what the HiFi Rose streaming products bring to digital audio; consolidating connection options that are varied enough to suit any premium audio system, so users can focus on the most important thing – musical enjoyment.
Key features include:

  • Next-generation Class AD (Advanced D) amplifier design with 800W output
  • Gallium Nitride FETs in the amplification stage deliver perfect linear output
  • Four amplifier modules to support Bridge Tied Loads or Bi-Amping speaker connections
  • Frequency range spans up-to 100kHz to deliver a wide and deep sound stage
  • Separate outputs for two sets of stereo speakers
  • Built-in moving magnet and moving coil phono stage with simple switch selection
  • Phono stage has adjustable EQ to accommodate any vinyl record with faithful reproduction ✓ Active crossover for high frequency output to support Super Tweeter frequencies
  • Tonally flat output design, complemented by Bass and Treble tone controls
  • Bypass Power Amp mode suits more complex system configurations
  • Purpose-designed high-efficiency power supply with Silicon Carbide FET technology
  • Distinct, retro-industrial aesthetic with high-purity aluminium construction in silver finish ✓ Dimmable VU meters
  • IR remote control and wi-fi control (via RoseAmpConnect app) included
  • HiFi Rose RA180: £5,499.00 (SRP)
  • The HiFi Rose RA180 will be available from May 2022, throughout the UK’s HiFi Rose dealer network
  • Henley Audio exclusively distributes HiFi Rose in the UK

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Thales TTT-Slim II, Simplicity II, X-quisite CA turntable, arm and cartridge

Switzerland is home to more than watchmakers, cocoa-wranglers and discreet bankers; it’s also a hot bed of high-end audio manufacturers whose wares have been making their way to our shores for some time. Those with long memories will recall brands like Revox and its pro arm Studer, Goldmund and no doubt a few more. Another legend is EMT, which largely operated in the pro arena but now makes generators for MC cartridges. EMT might be the best known of the trio, but is actually now a sister brand to Thales and X-quisite owned by engineer/entrepreneur Micha Huber.

Thales started out making tonearms with the distinction of tangential headshells, that is the angle of the headshell changes as the cartridge traverses the vinyl. This is a clever way of getting around the fact that traditional pivoted arms are perfectly aligned at only two points on the vinyl, the rest of the time the stylus is not parallel to the groove and therefore tracking is compromised. Tangential headshells are not a new thing, I recall hearing a wooden one fitted to a Garrard 301 with a Decca MkII cartridge from the 1950s once, it was more than thrilling but probably less than accurate. However, it’s uncommon to see them among today’s high end offerings. The intrinsic problem is maintaining rigidity whilst allowing the correct degree of movement.

The name Simplicity II does not indicate that it was easy to design, manufacture and build but rather that set-up is relatively straightforward, as long as you ‘RTFM’. Thales has come up with an arrangement of two arm tubes that are joined at the bearing and headshell and share a split counterweight. The headshell such as it is fixed by two precisely tensioned bolts that allow it to change angle but remain as rigid as possible. Fitting a cartridge is a two stage process, first you fix the cartridge to a shoe and then you slide that shoe sideways onto the plate at the end of the arm, fixing it in place with a very small grub screw. Thales supply all the tools required to set up the turntable and arm in this package but in practice I only needed to use two, and of these the 0.9mm Allen key got the most use.

Installing and setting up expensive cartridges is nearly always a nerve-racking process, so it’s good to see that Thales do their best to reduce the stress. In order to align a cartridge in the Simplicity II once it has been bolted to a shoe, there is rather nicely finished and substantial jig that you slide the shoe into and align using a grid on its Perspex cover.

The TTT-Slim lives up to its name with an aluminium plinth that’s only 27mm thick but thanks to some clever machining looks even thinner. It’s suitably weighty however, especially when the platter is in place. The drive system is neatly hidden beneath this aluminium platter and consists of a large Delrin hub driven by a motor that’s decoupled to some extent by spring like fixings on either side. Drive is from a DC motor via a thin, round section belt. The bearing is a hardened steel shaft in a bronze bushing set into a cast iron case. The power for the motor is provided by rechargeable batteries within the plinth, which allow this turntable to run for up to 20 hours according to the manual. A charger is supplied and can be left plugged in at all times but equally it can be removed during playback to achieve electrical isolation. I encountered hum problems with the Thales in my system and found that removing this connection cured them by breaking a ground loop.

The TTT-Slim and Simplicity II combo can be had with full arm wiring or with plinth mounted RCA outputs, I reviewed the latter and used Townshend Fractal interconnects. Thales supplied an X-squisite CA, this is a moving coil cartridge with a micro ridge stylus on the end of a single piece or monobloc cantilever and coil body. The main cartridge body is made of wood and aluminium and the coils themselves are pure copper.

Setting up the Simplicity II arm is eased by the provision of a counterweight that’s designed for this cartridge but what’s unusual about Thales twin arm arrangement is that it doesn’t inherently provide the same tracking weight at all points across the record. You need to check both inner and outer downforces and rotate the rearmost part of the counterweight to compensate; it was necessary to turn it such that the mass was entirely on the inside to offset higher downforce at the centre of the record. I also used the azimuth adjustment to make the cartridge vertical above the platter. The platter itself is covered with a smooth rubber like material and this combined with the optional non-threaded clamp ensures that the vinyl is well damped.

The sound reflects this to some extent with a darker balance than average but one that has plenty of scope for delivering energy and solidity of sound. It has an appealingly unflappable quality that suggests it will cope with whatever is thrown at it, what you get is no more intense or aggressive than the recording requires and that is not something that all turntables can achieve. It also gives a sense of inky black backgrounds that allow the tonal character of instruments and voices to stand out.

Live recordings are delivered with a strong sense of scale and image depth and the better studio productions can sound superb. Joni Mitchell’s Mingus [Asylum] being one clear example where everything sounded spot on, the voice stood out with beautiful tone and nuance and it felt as if you could hear right into the studio. Making it particularly easy to appreciate the efforts of the various top notch musicians Mitchell gathered for this project; Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Peter Erskine being the best known but even the percussion playing is in the top flight. All of this is revealed by the way that this Thales record player shows you not only what and how each note is created but, equally important, ensures that those notes stop and start precisely and allow what artists call the negative space, the quiet between notes to be clarified as well. I forgot to put the clamp on initially with this album so got to hear the way it solidifies the bass and adds definition to leading edges when it’s added. On some turntables clamps are not always beneficial but here it brings obvious increases in resolution.

Bass is a strong point on the Thales. The low-end is both solid and particularly articulate. I often play a hi-res digital version of ‘The Drycleaner from Des Moines’ on a streamer and digital usually has advantage in the bass but this record player made it clear that vinyl can compete in this arena where there is fine detail to be extracted from an analogue recording. Tonal character is usually an area where good turntables excel and that’s certainly the case here, on Conjure’s ‘Skydiving’ [Music For The Texts Of Ishmael Reed, American Clavé] instruments like congas really pop out of the speakers and there is strong contrast between the various horns, guitars and sounds in this rich mix with all elements getting to occupy a space in the soundstage. This is relatively easy with smaller ensembles but the Thales can do it with larger bands too.

With really big bands like the National Symphony Orchestra [España, Chasing the Dragon] you get a really inky black background that allows the solo voice of Rosie Middleton to project a powerful image, the backing delivering real dynamics thanks to the solid low end of the turntable. With the contemporary folk rock vibe of Ryley Walker’s Golden Sings That Have Been Sung [Dead Oceans] it feels like the Thales is opening up the recording and giving a sense of expanded time, the relaxed nature of the songs and the depth of tone being particularly enthralling.

This Thales package combines technologies like battery power and a tangential headshell that few other record players offer. Build quality is in the premier leauge and finish superb, so there’s a lot to like. But ultimately it’s the way it makes all manner of music engaging and accessible that’s important; these technologies have been harnessed in the service of the music, which is the way it should always be.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

TTT-Slim II

  • Type: Battery powered, DC-drive turntable.
  • Rotational Speeds: 33 1/3 RPM, 45 RPM.
  • Drive Mechanism: Belt driven via brushless DC motor
  • Speed Control: Closed loop controller with ultra-precise reference voltage
  • Platter Type: 12-inch aluminium platter with high density rubber mat
  • Platter Weight: 4kg
  • Bearing Type: hardened carbon tool steel in sintered bronze bushing in graphite cast iron housing
  • Plinth Configuration: Rigid, on optional damped base
  • Dimensions (HxWxD): 100 x 423 x 305mm
  • Weight: 12kg

Simplicity II tonearm

  • Type: Five axis micro bearing-equipped tonearm.
  • Tonearm Length: 9 inches
  • Effective mass: 18g
  • Offset Angle: variable.
  • Signal Cable Length: Various options available.
  • Weight: 650g
  • Price: £11,250 including Simplicity II arm

X-quisite CA

  • Type: Low output moving coil phono cartridge.
  • Stylus/Cantilever: Micro-ridge diamond tip on monobloc ceramic cantilever.
  • Tracking Force: 1.9 – 2.1g
  • Load: 400 – 800 Ohms
  • Compliance: 12µm/mN.
  • Output (at 5cm/s): 0.3 mv
  • Weight: 14.8g
  • Price: £7,500
  • Load: 400–800 Ohms
  • Compliance: 12µm/mN
  • Output (at 5cm/s): 0.3 mv
  • Weight: 14.8g
  • Price: £7,500

Manufacturer: HiFiction AG

URL: tonarm.ch

UK Distributor: Fi Audio

Tel: +44 (0)1563 574 185

URL: fiaudio.co.uk 

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