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Sensitive Essence
As my readers will know, I am not generally a fan of designs where sensitivity/efficiency is given preference as a design goal over low coloration. But driven by a Melody 2A3-based push-pull amplifier offering all of 10W, the Essence sounded surprisingly clean and relatively neutral, as well as superbly dynamic.
I Can See Clearly Now
Part of the secret, they told me, was Clarity's new vibration control pillows. "Put cable vibration to bed" is the company's line on these extremely lightweight babies. They contain a composite of materials—they wouldn't tell me what—and are promised to be covered in black satin or something similar that looks far better than what you see in the photo. Clarity Audio Pillows cost $60 each for the large size (meant to be put atop components) and $30 for small pillows that wrap around interconnects. I'm told that a more expensive player (eg, Esoteric) needs fewer pillows, because it vibrates less than the cheap stuff. Clarity's line includes different cabling for digital and analog. I didn't get a full price list, but a 2m pair of loudspeaker cables for digital amps costs $1800. Clarity also demmed MaxxHorn's BlueMaxx CD Cleaner. Even though I was given a bottle to try at RMAF last fall, I've been relying on another brand that I knew greatly improved bass retrieval and dynamics. From the before-and-after demo I heard in Clarity's room, BlueMaxx does much the same thing. Gotta compare products when I get home. I'm so glad the stuff comes in a large bottle—far more economical than the competition
Amplification for Everyone
Initially issued in 1996—see Lonnie Brownell's February 1999 review—and last upgraded with new circuitry and cosmetics in 2006, the ST-85 has two EL34s per channel. Boasting 30Wpc in triode and up to 60Wpc in tetrode, Bea says it is especially sweet-sounding with monitor speakers. Retaining the VTL family sound, the ST-85 is a great way for the first-time buyer to explore the line. Although it was only available on static display, I have to second Wes Phillips' assessment elsewhere in this blog that the VTL MB-450 Series II Signature monoblocks and S-400 Reference amplifier were making wonderful music with the Avalon Indras. Definitely a room to check out.
You Want Cables? We've Got Cables
Tweaks for Days—Tweaks to Daze
Germany's HiFi-Tuning has announced a host of new and revised products. First and foremost are changes to their oft-reviewed HiFi-Tuning fuses. Containing a 3Ns pure silver burn wire that does not degrade in quality even as it slowly oxidizes and 3N silver endcaps, the company has removed the gold plating on those caps to increase performance. The result is a $5 price drop. Don't forget to burn in these babies for a good 72 hours. The company has also issued a CD/DVD demagnetizer ($399) that is claimed to improve on existing models from other companies by zapping the disc with two different frequencies. Each zap is eight seconds in duration: four seconds to ramp up the charge, and four more to reverse polarity and ramp it down. The treatment corrects the low-level magnetic effects caused by metals in the inks and dyes used to print labels on the CD. HiFi-Tuning also has a brand new IEC plug ($139) whose contacts are 98% copper/bronze with 24 carat gold plating on the 1.5 mm clamps. Over three years and $100,000 was invested to perfect the plugs, I was told. HiFi-Tuning's schuko plug is the plug most commonly used by American cable manufacturers (including Kimber, Shunyata, JPS, and I believe Nordost) on the cables they export to Europe. Last but not least, the Audio-Animator Ultra ($599) is a magic gold wand from ArtKustik of Austria that is said to improve the sound of CDs as well as the taste of whiskey and wine. Containing quartz crystals and God only knows what else, it is said to refresh music when waved over CDs as much as it improves the taste of food if you store it in the refrigerator (which is where your body may end up if you pretend to buy the spouse one for Valentine's Day). While the basic Audio-Animator has been around for 10 years, the Ultra version is brand new. There are also smaller versions that attach to cables ($299/pair). Ultra Systems is like a candy shop for those unafraid of thinking outside the box. I hope I have the opportunity to try some of these products out at home.
Wireworld's Alchemical Achievement
Some years back, Wireworld's David Salz realized that, due to the limitations of insulation technology, he was unable to fully achieve his goal of a neutral cable that was as transparent as a direct connection. He sought a quieter background, and a more liquid sound that would not compromise the texture of music in any way. He also wanted his power cables to work as perfect power conditioners, so that the components they powered via AC current would sound similar to the same components powered by pure DC battery storage cells. David's solution was to experiment with composites, and to apply composite technology to the new Platinum Eclipse series. (An avid sailor, he is now building a composite sailboat). These are the first cables to utilize Wireworld's Composite Dielectric Technology, which is claimed to "virtually eliminate the Noise Modulation Distortion cause by conventional cable insulation materials." Platinum Eclipse interconnects feature the "world's first" molded carbon-fiber connectors. The cable's internal construction is the same DNA Helix design found in Wireworld's other reference interconnects, except that the conductors are substantially "larger and more refined than the lesser models." "I solved the problem of tribo electric noise that is modulated by the music system by using a highly linear cable structure and CDT to increase musicality, focus, and dynamics." Wireworld has also redone its digital cable using the new technology, creating what David claims as the first 75 ohm cables with low inductance. The secret is to keep conductors close together using an oval configuration. This and their USB cable are two I'm especially eager to try in my reference system.
Rocking With Dean
Roger Skoff's long-established line of XLO cables joined the Ultralink family of cables in 2002 to form Ultralink/XLO. Since then, much work has gone into further refining cable design. The result is the continued revitalization of XLO and the launch of an entirely new line of Argentum Acoustics by XLO cables. Most of the Argentum line is made of ultra pure, Ohno continuous cast copper (UPOCC), save for the digital cable, which includes silver to handle high frequencies. According to publicist extraordinaire and former Stereophile staffer Jonathan Scull and Ultralink/XLO sales manager Nate Mansfield, Argentum tends toward a more forgiving presentation than XLO. The high-end is softened just a bit, making it easier to overlook flaws in both recordings and brightly etched equipment. I know cables are not supposed to be used as tone controls, but there you have it. I will be reviewing the Argentum Mythos line-level interconnects, Argento AES/EBU digital interconnect, Aureus speaker cable, and Proteus-12 high-current power cable for another network. XLO continues to be the company's hand-built, "high-end choice," and delivers a more linear, what you have is what you hear presentation Because some parts of Argentum cables are machine-built, their prices fall in the middle of the XLO line. New from XLO are the middle level Signature 3 single-ended interconnect and Reference 3 balanced interconnect. Both take advantage of the later technology, and are newly redesigned from older Roger Skoff designs to include different geometries, dielectrics, and metallurgy. All are composed entirely of UPOCC, and feature exposed geometry. (You can't see everything that's going on in Argentum cables). The room's demo system was one of two I heard in which Dynaudio's 30th-anniversary Sapphire speakers were demmed with their grilles off. Since the speakers were designed to be played with grilles on, the sound was too bright on loud passages. Hence, not even the excellent Wadia 571 transport, Wadia 931 digital controller, Wadia 922 mono DAC, Pass Labs 100Wpc amp, and a combo of Signature 3 interconnects, Signature 3 4B AES/EBU digital cable, Signature 3.2 speaker cable, and Signature 3 10 power cord could get the system to sound good once my chosen selection, Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony, reached the first of many thrilling climaxes.—JVS
Saving the Planet
"Green Electronics: The Search Continues," available online here, details the results of a survey of 18 top manufacturers of personal computers, mobile phones, TV, and game consoles. It assesses toxic chemicals, recycling, energy efficiency, and climate change mitigation. The company's latest Green Products Survey assesses use of hazardous chemicals, power consumption, product lifecycle, and availability of data that reveal the amount of energy consumed in manufacturing products and special innovations that help reduce the total burden to the environment. The big winner was the Lenovo L2440x wide monitor, which is far ahead of the competition. Also scoring highly were the Sharp LC-52GX5 TV, Samsung F268 mobile phone, Nokia 6210 Smart phone, Toshiba Portege R600 laptop, and Lenovo ThinkCentre M58 Desktop. It is important to note that, with the highest possible score being a 10, the best performer was the Lenovo monitor with a whole 6.9. Nothing else even achieved a 6. As might be expected, Greenpeace did not focus attention on our niche industry, except at the increasing intersection of computers, hi-end audio, and home theater. In my own questioning of manufacturers, I have noted several instances where either the company had no idea of the manufacturing conditions in factories or the environmental toll exacted by use of exotic woods. Besides compliance with Europe's ROHS initiative, relatively few high-end manufacturers are paying attention to using recycled materials, reducing power consumption, and safe manufacturing practices. It is important to note that Apple, Asus, Microsoft, Nintendo, Palm, and Philips refused to participate in the survey, and that Sony only submitted game consoles for review. Readers wishing to support companies that protect and nurture Planet Earth know what to do.
Master of Sonic Arts
And I have to admit, I'm a sucker for Nagra's grittier industrial design, having never really liked the way the PSA looked. Superficial, I know, but there you have it.
Rough Breathing
I've never subscribed to the "too much power is almost enough" school of thought—and, truth to tell, 100w isn't all that much—but the Ypsilons had more of that effortless imperturbablity that I heard from other massive amplifiers this week. It's not overwhelming, simply a sense that everything is under control—it's soothing, really. The SET-100 Mk. II had that in spades.
Navison Audio's New Deal
Currently available in a natural wood and gold finish, black and silver are coming soon. The player sells for $9,500.
Luxe!
It's packed with unique tech, too. Luxman believes that undyed circuit boards sound better, so they use uncolored Teflon boards and coats the copper traces with gold to deter corrosion. Luxman engineers also assert that 90-degree turns sound audibly inferior to gentle curves, so they perform "feng shui" in laying out gently curvilinear circuit paths that resemble something organic. Luxman engineers also think that round wre doesn't "stack" right, so the wind the transformers with copper bars that have to be hammered into place by hand. The craftsman who performs this feat can only produce two transformers per day. Each transformer weighs 55lbs, uncaged. All components are hand-connected, no soldering allowed. Luxman also employs a technology it has developed itself: ODNF (only distortion negative feedback). 0DNF is only applied to distortions within the signal, not globally. And the sound, driving the G1Giya loudspeakers? Glorious—full and vivid, but absolutely effortless. De-freaking-luxe!
Qsonix Touchscreen Music Server
The Q110 package can be built with a variety of options. Disc drive capacity ranges from 250MB to 1.5TB, and you can choose either a 15" or 17" touchscreen. So a 1TB system with 15" touchscreen for example is $7,100. Add $700 for the 17" screen and $1,800 for each additional screen. The single black box that contains all the hardware has a single optical disc drive/recorder and four pairs of RCA jacks on the back along with a single digital out. There are eight DACs built in, so you can run up to four stereo zones. Qsonix uses a very different software approach than either Sooloos or Blue Smoke, and after a few minutes of orientation, it was pretty easy to find one's way around the system. Briefly, there are three active areas on the screen: the album browser, the list of playlists, and the playlist itself. One very compelling feature was the integration of MusicGiants download store right in the interface. I would also consider this a very dangerous feature, as a little browsing through the store could easily lead to a depleted bank account. Another handy feature was the ability to quickly assemble a playlist and burn it to either an iPod or CD and any resolution you prefer. Another media server to keep an eye on.
The Heart of the Qsonix Server
Criterion!
"Define new," he said. Ah, engineer humor. I guess you could consider this new," he said, "seeing as how it is finally a reality." He pointed at the petite Criterion preamplifier ($18,500). "It's battery powered, has user adjustable gain on each input, and a really great display that can be customized for each input. It has three separate balanced outputs, including one that can be run independent of the other two. It uses a 32-bit microprocessor for the commands. It also has a separate recording output with variable output. "Like other Rowland Research components, it's milled from a solid billet of aluminum, which is why it weighs 46lbs." It was on static display, so I didn't audition it, but it was such a stunning piece of audio jewelry—and so different—that I wanted to run away with it.
Tri Harder
Esoteric E-03 Phono Section
Esoteric-a
That kind of personal mission statement used to be common for the big Japanese technology companies—at least in the flagship departments—now that kind of old-scholl audiophilia seems radical. Ohmachi-san walks the walk though—he had 10 classic Decca recordings remastered to SACD "to original master tape standards. They're available on hybrid SACD—and they do sound revelatory. Also on display was the new 200Wpc A-80 stereo power amplifier ($10,000). The A/B amp was on static display, so I didn't hear it, but the Class-A 50W A03 stereo power amplifier ($12,000) were sounding pretty special driving large Verity Audio speakers. Punchy, yet not forced, Dvorak's New World Symphony, filled the room with vivid, dynamic sound. The A-03 is pure Class-A and completely dual mono. It sports two independent high capacity toroidal transformers, and current delivery of 24 amps (17 amps continuous. It's beautifully built. The A-03 can be bridged to deliver 200W.
Ayre's QB-9 USB DAC Revealed
Another tweaky USB DAC you say? Yes, but this one takes serious technical aim at the jitter problem inherent in most of these products. Ayre is licensing Wavelength Audio's new asynchronous USB approach called "Streamlength" which essentially clocks the stream from the DAC instead of waiting for the computer to parse out the data. The result is a tighter jitter spec and all the sonic benefits that implies. The QB-9 also includes an implementation of the company's new MP filter that minimizes ringing. Though CES rooms are not a great way to judge these kinds of things, the demo ran iTunes via a Mac Mini through the QB-9 directly into the KX-R preamp and held its own against the other disc transports in the rack. Retail will be less than $2,500 and the product should hit the streets by March.
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