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New Speaker Whets the Appetite for More
The company's newest product, which will debut in final form at CES 2010, is the Nordic Tone Model 1 Reference loudspeaker ($29,500/pair). This handsome, low lying baby thrilled attendees with its warm bass, outstanding woofer control that topped most other speakers I heard at RMAF, especially its strong lower midrange, and realistic depiction of air and space. Weighing approximately 155 lbs each, the Nordic Tones boast an outer 7 mm cast aluminum shell, and internal damping similar to that used for aircraft. Frequency response is 28Hz—35kHz ±2dB, sensitivity is 90dB, and nominal impedance is 6 ohms. A three-way design, its ports can be opened to give a bass reflex system. Given that Electrocompaniet's headquarters are in Oakland, CA, a few miles from my house, I'm looking forward to far more extended listening in the future. I expect Electrocompaniet's exhibit to be flooded at CES.
Raal Solaja's Lifestyle Bliss
In fact, what for all intents and purposes looks like adjustable lighting is a novel speaker that actually does contain ambiance LED lights in its upper arms that are adjustable for color intensity or use in light therapy. But the fixture also contains a 3" Raal ribbon tweeter that feeds a waveguard secreted between its two halves, four 3" midranges that fire up and down, and in the black cylinder on the floor, two 6.5" woofers. At the demo, a pair of these omnidirectional speakers, positioned across the room from each other at equal height above the floor, were powered by the other half of the forthcoming Raal Solaja Audio Constellation, a 70W amp for the mids and highs, and 110W amp for the woofers. Complete with a four-channel active crossover, the entire constellation, manufactured in Serbia, will retail for $4000 and be distributed in the U.S. by Sam Laufer of Laufer-Teknik. What will put this constellation over big-time is not only its looks, but also its fabulous sound. Aleksandar Radisavljevic's Raal ribbons are among the best in the world, and are sold out three to four months in advance. At least nine companies are now using them, including Kaiser (see the Kaiser Kawero blog farther down) and Sonics by Joachim Gerhard. Their sound is remarkably open and extended. These diminutive speakers, which boast 87dB sensitivity and a frequency response of 45Hz–50kHz, are said capable of filling a large room with convincing sound. Playing the recently released Pentatone hybrid SACD of Schubert's Trout Quintet, the system captured by the acidity and sweetness of Christian Tetzlaff's violin with admirable clarity. Thanks to Aleksandar for trying his best to explain everything after Lufthansa lost his luggage, which was filled with fully detailed literature about the Raal Solaja Audio Constellation. Folks attending the next Burning Amp DIY fete in the San Francisco Bay Area on October 18 can meet him in person.
Soundsmith's Sonic Excellence—Marigo's Surprise
This year, Soundsmith's vaunted warmth, color, and fullness seemed even better. As I soon discovered, the phono preamp in Soundsmith's widely praised Strain Gauge Phone System SG-200 ($5499) now has the same audio circuitry as the company's higher-priced systems. Even better, the price has dropped $2000. In addition, there's a new, top-of-the-line Soundsmith phono cartridge, the moving iron Sussurro ($4499). Mounted on Teres Audio's Illius Tri-Pivot Tonearm ($4850), which in turn was mounted on a pre-production model of Teres Audio's Certus direct-drive Model 440 turntable ($14,600 and up), the Sussurro created a markedly different balance between female voice and accompaniment than did the Strain Gauge. I have no idea which presentation was closer to what was on the master recording, but both sounded extremely musical. It's all a matter of taste and perspective. When I first entered the room, Chris Brady of Teres Audio told me that the addition of Ron Hedrich's Marigo Mystery Feet VXi ($799/set of three) under his turntable's outboard power supply had made a huge difference in the sound. Since I have two sets of Marigo Mystery Feet at home, one under my transport, the other under my DAC, and love them dearly, I wanted to hear how they had affected someone else's components. The difference with and without the Marigo Mystery Feet under the Certus' power supply blew away everyone who was listening. Without Marigo's amazing supports, all the natural-sounding air and three-dimensionality we had enjoyed in the presentation vanished, leaving in their stead a deflated, uninvitingly flat image. It was as though we were listening to a very different, and far less rewarding turntable. Something that has this much an effect on sound cannot be dismissed as a mere tweak.
Eficion's Gem
Supported by Stillpoint component stands, the speakers were driven by Berning Quadrature Z class-A, zero-feedback monoblocks ($30,000/pair), Exemplar XP2 class-A, zero-feedback preamp ($12,000), an Exemplar class-A, zero-feedback, prototype DAC 5 ($4000), and CDX1 transport ($3500), all supported by Stillpoints' rack ($9000) and component stack ($2500/pair). Hardly shabby company.
Intuitive Audio's New Wowser
The Gammit Summit, an upgrade of the original Summit, is a two-way design that uses a transmission line for both the upgraded tweeters and 6.5" woofer, and a nanotube carbon fiber array in the crossover network. The compartments are separated by Stillpoints. While the speakers are flat down to 38Hz, and extend up to 28kHz, the tweeters can only be driven so far. Hence the Gamma Summits are best placed in small to midsize rooms. So much for me trying them in my large listening room. Also heard was the Mosaic Theorem prototype power conditioner ($7000), which was completed 16 hours before the show began. There are no filters or capacitors in the unit. Intuitive Audio's designer, Dale Pitcher, formerly worked for Essence and helped design and manufacture the original Shunyata Hydra. Other components in this fine-sounding system were the Belles MB-200 200Wpc monoblocks, the excellent Aesthetix Calypso preamp ($5000), Exemplar DAC by John Tucker ($2500), a discontinued Arcam CD36 CD player used as a transport ($2000), Dale's Mosaic interconnects ($2000/pair) and speaker cables ($4000/pair), XLO-Reference digital cable, and Kimber optical cable. A Sonos ZP-90 and control ($700) were on hand but not auditioned.
I Hate When That Happens
The sound of the system, with the new Brinkmann "Bardo" magnetic-drive turntable ($7990) and Luxman CD player and preamp sitting on a Stillpoints rack, driving Luxman monoblocks via Synergistic's Galileo multi-conductor, actively shielded cables—those are the cables supported by acrylic discs to the front of the photo—was impressive on a DIana Krall cut. (I love Diana Krall.) But the disturbing thing was when Synergistic's Ted Denney (photo) removed the tiny ART room-tuning devices that were fastened to the walls. I know these cute little metal bowls are too small to affect sound with a frequency below 10kHz or so. But without them, the system sounded more confused and lumpier in the bass. Replacing the ART devices brought the soundstage back into focus and the tonal balance back into coherency. I hate when that happens!
Beautiful Sound
The four products were the AMR (Abbingdon Music Research) CD-777 CD player ($3995), AMR AM-777 ($3,995), Dr. Feickert Analogue Woodpecker Turntable ($4995), Dr. Feickert Analogue DFA 10.5 tonearm ($1250, or $1000 with the table), and Rethm Maarga loudspeaker ($6995/pair). I initially encountered some insipid analog drivel when I entered the room, but I thumbed through a collection of LPs and came up with a choral performance on Erato of the Vivaldi Gloria. As it turned out, the Doc himself, aka Chris Feickert, sang the very same piece in a 150-person choir two years ago. Settling in, I enjoyed the large soundstage, ear-opening depth, realistic image placement, and, most important, sheer musicality of the experience. Whether or not you consider Vivaldi an edible pleasure, it was yummy. Switching to digital, I played the CD layer of one of my R2D4s, the beginning of Mahler's Symphony No.2 on Channel Classics' excellent hybrid SACD. The image was placed farther back, and lacked the depth that comes naturally to vinyl. Nonetheless, the sound was extremely pleasing and tonally neutral. The AMR/Rethm combo handled the loud cymbal crashes far better than had many systems costing several times the price. The biggest surprise for me was the fine, totally pleasing sound of the Rethm Maarga speakers. Very different in sound than the execrable Lowther-powered designs I have heard on previous occasions, the Maargas include an active woofer and heavily modified Lowther drivers. The new version of the speaker, not on display, will boast two 6" woofers and a 300W amp that will extend frequency response into the low 30s. (There's also a higher priced model, the Rethm Sedona, whose forthcoming three-woofer upgrade will extend response down into the high 20s). Bonnie, your fans missed you at RMAF. You are loved.
Breakthrough Approach to Audio Measurement
Co-presenters Roy Gregory of Nordost (former editor of HiFi+) and Steve Elford of Vertex AQ (pictured) projected a series of graphs that for the first time definitively demonstrated the effects of audiophile power cables, supports, and the Quantum device on sound. They also measured differences between CD players. Simply changing from a stock power cord to a well-made audiophile cord resulted in a 36% reduction in timing errors between the original WAV file and the same file burned on to a CD and played back by a typical high-quality player. Vertex AQ's support platform further reduced noise by 15%. The Quantum unit reduced noise by another 11%. Furthermore, there was no apparent hierarchy; if the support platform had been introduced first, rather than the power cord, its effect on errors would have been far greater. Errors and effects that were formerly attributed to jitter have for the first time been identified as program-related using real music as the test signal. These errors cannot be identified by the standard continuous tone tests that everyone and their mother have been using all these years. To quote Roy Gregory, "We knew this stuff worked, but we didn't know why. Now we can gain insight into how to construct cables, CD players, and amps to produce better sound." According to Gregory, the so-called law of diminishing returns, which says the more costly, high quality parts you put into a cable or device, the less of an improvement you will hear, need no longer apply. Using this new form of measurement to perfect products, it should now be possible to mate properly designed cables, components, and supports to deliver sound that reflects every bit of the time and investment devoted to their design and manufacture. This will not happen overnight—developing these measurements took a good six months, and this is very much a work in progress—but the results so far are extremely heartening. Bravos and gratitude to all.
Auspicious Debut
The speakers weren't the only premiere in Ron Gold's Gold Sound room. Parasound CEO Richard Schramm (right) introduced three new products: the John Curl-designed JC3 phono preamp ($2000), Z CD/SACD player ($400), and Z phono w/USB ($400). Along with Parasound's universally praised Halo JC 2 preamp ($4000) and Halo JC 1 monoblock amplifiers (a steal at $8000/pair), this system delivered great highs, ear-opening depth and three-dimensionality, and excellent midrange. With the volume turned way up, there wasn't a hint of strain on mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato's voice. As for the beginning of Mahler's Symphony No.2, as conductor by Ivan Fisher on a Channel Classics Record-to-Die-For, the sound was sensational enough to live for.
Incisive Combo
Heard paired with a Teac Esoteric SA-50 CD player (available for those bringing their own CDs), Genesis GR1-80W class-D amplifier, an Isotek Titan DC-coupled device that reduces impedance, and Genesis 7.1F loudspeakers ($8000/pair) whose built-in 180W amp enabled them to extend down to a claimed 22 Hz, Nordost Valhalla interconnects and power cables, and Genesis speaker cables that are specifically tuned for the speakers, the system delivered a distinctive, incisive sound. External Link :: Blog Entry :: Comments (0)
Small and Great
Now Garfinkle has pushed the limits of audiophilia with his first hi-res issues. In addition to Será Una Noche as a 96kHz WAV file DVD-ROM (with four bonus 2.8MHz DSD files) and Será Una Noche: La Segunda as a 176.4 kHz WAV file DVD-ROM, M•A. Recordings' has just released Opening, a special double-disc set of Swedish jazz by Mathias Landaeus, Palle Danielsson, and Jon Fält ($40). One of the discs is a One Point stereo CD; the other is a high-res DVD-ROM that contains 176.4kHz WAV files and 88.2kHz FLAC files, as well as the cover image and liner notes. The tracks were recorded on a 5.6MHz master recorder. Equally exciting was the sound produced by diminutive Davone Rithm speakers ($5595/pair). These attractive babies' low end sounds as if it extends beyond their published frequency range of 40Hz. And the highs extend to 22kHz. Designer Chris Sommovigo (left), who years ago achieved fame for his excellent Illuminati digital cable, had as his goal to bring great sound to "normal people's lives, people who care about how their speakers look." Chris is also preparing to release a new line of Tombo cables at the 2010 CES specifically designed for SE triode playback. The prototypes I heard, powered by a commercially unavailable SE amp, delivered astoundingly full-range sound without the rolled-off highs and lows and over-emphasized, monochromatic midrange I have come to expect from my SE triode set-ups. It's great to see M•A Recordings emerge from the vendor area to a room of its own. To quote Chris: "I feel Todd's recordings should be widely used to demo equipment because they're recorded in such a pure way." I'll second that motion.
Stereophile's Budget Bulls-Eye
Wait, you say, $3500 for the Zu Essence speakers that just splashed across the cover of the October issue? Yes. Since the Utah company decided to ditch its dealer network, Zu lowered the price by $1500! Shame on Peachtree Audio and Zu for displaying a dual cover story system that costs $5200 (plus the Apple TV) and sounds genuine high-end! Countless letter writers who were poised to complain that Stereophile only reviews ultra-expensive gear will have to find some other reason to cancel their subscriptions. Maybe I need to write another controversial "Green" "As We See It” or tout the huge benefits of upgrading stock power cables to Nordost Odin. Come to think of it, my forthcoming report on Nordost's RMAF seminar, "New Approach to Audio Measurement... Why Cables Really Matter," should give those letter writers something to live for.
Musical Triumph
A case in point was the final movement of Beethoven's Hammerklavier Piano Sonata, played by Valentina Lisitsa, and recorded live in Miami's Wertheim Hall on July 7. Although the nearfield recording didn't sound anything like my farfield memories of sitting through the entire finals of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth last June, the forcefulness and clarity of the light-framed Lisitsa's playing were astounding. Credit goes to the new Wilson Sasha WP ($26,900/pair); the Ayre MX-R analog linear class-A/B mono amplifiers ($18,500/pair), KX-R preamplifier ($18,500), DX05 Universal Blu-ray player (price TBA, probably $8k–$10k, and capable of playing CD, Blu-ray, SACD, and DVD-A, and equipped with a USB input), and the QB-9 USB DAC ($2500). Of great importance to the system's success were the Grand Prix Audio Stands and complete complement of Transparent cable, including any number of power cables ($12,600/each), Reference MM Interconnect/speaker cable combo ($50,000), and the Performance USB ($90, yes, $90). Peter urged me to return to hear a bit of a recording of young violinist whose recording is slated for eventual release on EMI. The contrast to the sound of a piano being hammered into musical heaven should be quite exciting. If you get to the room first—I've got lots more rooms to cover before I dare indulge in repeat visits—be sure to ask Peter to play the masters for you.
Wavelength's New Wavelink
Enter J. Gordon Rankin of Wavelength Audio, whose asynchronous solution to the problem has already been incorporated in Ayre's new DAC. Gordon was showing off his forthcoming Wavelink asynchronous computer interface. Priced under $1000, each WaveLink 24/96 Asynchronous USB-to-S/PDIF converter will come complete with Nirvana Audio's new T0 BNC-to-BNC digital cable and BNC-to-RCA adapter. The WaveLink runs its most important circuits off a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that is automatically recharged when the WaveLink is not in use. I can't wait to try it. Gordon was also showing off Wavelength's Brick v3 Asynchronous 24/96 USB DAC and Crimson Denominator 32/96 USB DAC, with dual asynchronous oscillators and automatically rechargeable batteries. Both are answers to many an audiophile's prayers.
An Imposing Legacy
Legacy has constantly upgraded this since its launch in 2001. The latest iteration, dating from the beginning of 2009, includes updated drivers that handle more power. Tri-wired with WireWorld's excellent Silver Eclipse 6 cabling, the speakers were driven by three Coda CS amps ($3900 each). Each amp outputs 300Wpc into 4 ohms, which is just what the Legacy wants. An Ayon 192/24 CD player ($5500) completed the chain of this impressive sounding system.
Head-Fi's Mountainous CanJam
Way at the other end of the room, and looking none the hornier for the distance, were the member exhibits. These mixed a few DIY devices with a goodly number of complete headphone listening set-ups that members had carted to the show. Local headphone enthusiast Sherwood Tyler Beebout of Castle Rock, CO, who had brought his complete headphone rig along for attendees to enjoy, explained that headphones "are very intimate, and more practical than a huge speaker set-up. There are compromises, but in some ways, you can hear more than with loudspeakers. Besides, when you're on the road, you can't carry large loudspeakers with you." Tyler opined that up to 900 people had circulated through the room on the first day, "which is great for a room tucked away in a far corner of the hotel."
Turntable Set-Up Done Right
As Stereophile readers are well aware, Michael brings a lifetime of experience with analog playback to his reviews. His passion is enormous, and his love for the craft without bounds. Step-by-step, he demonstrated everything he does to insure optimal analog playback as he switches between cartridges, arms, and platters. Thankfully, for those unable to make it to the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, Michael's two DVDs on vinyl and record player set-up, shown in the photo, will do the trick. Speaking of RMAF, first day registration figures—that's the slow day—show over 850 online registrants and over 650 new walk-ins. This is a notable increase over last year's first day attendance. Another hopeful sign was the presence of more young people than at the five previous RMAFs.
HP Speaks!
Brava to Marjorie Baumert for convincing Harry, whom I thank for giving me my first opportunity to write for a print audiophile publication, to present at RMAF 2009. Before an absolutely packed house—both me and Harry's co-presenter Roy Gregory (right) had to push our way through the large-framed men who were blocking the doorway—HP held forth on The High End: Past, Present, Future. Those expecting a capsule history of the high-end were instead treated to 15 minutes of random observations, followed by a long question and answer session. Among the nuggets dispensed for us to chew on was praise for Telarc's new multi-channel hybrid SACD of John Adams' Pulitzer Prize-winning tribute to the victims of 9/11, On the Transmigration of Souls, one of the few SACDs Telarc is releasing these days. HP praised the veracity of the surround experience as "overwhelming." He also urged all audio stores to install computer stations where people can connect their iPods, iPhones, and computers and hear the difference that high-end equipment can make. How many people here have iPhones, he asked? And how many of you have discovered a dealer who understands that in your pocket is a portable media storage device that may contain all the music you listen to? Dealers need to be of the people. Most kids aren't happy with the sound of basic MP3, he said. "They always go for something of higher resolution," even if its 256 kbps, because they can hear the difference." People want something better, but we are not reaching them. At another point, Harry noted, "If you listen on headphones all the time, you don't really hear the music. You need to feel the energy of the live concert experience." Gregory, former editor of HiFi+, then chimed in, proclaiming that the big system at Seacliff conveys a visceral experience like nothing he had heard at RMAF. Did I hear strains of "To Dream the Impossible Dream" playing in the background? "A lot of systems don't sound like music," said Harry. "They sound like hi-fi. When I go to Carnegie Hall, I sometimes close my eyes and try to pretend I'm listening to a hi-fi system, so I can see what I'm missing." Some of the great designers continued to issue great gear even as their hearing declined with age, because they were designing to what they heard in the concert hall. Hence the importance of a life reference, the experience of acoustic music performed in an excellent acoustic. Harry also reminded us that his magazine was the first to hire women reviewers, and that women's hearing is superior in the crucial 4–8 kHz range. One of the very few women present (were there more than two?) then spoke, noting that she had to flee a number of rooms at RMAF because the sound was too bright. I wonder if she saw me asking people to either turn the music down because it was too piercing, or following in her footsteps and making a quick exit. Happily, Harry repeats the seminar on Saturday night. After you attend the three seminars John Atkinson moderates and presents on Saturday, and Michael Fremer's "Turntable Set-up," be sure to return to the seminar room early to snatch a seat. You have to be there.
Dynaudio's Ultimate Consequence
The Ultimate Edition is a thorough reworking of the Consequence for the 21st century, Although it it looks similar to the original, it is 2" taller and 30% heavier, and the drive-units are new, featuring Dynaudio's Esoter2 technology. The beautifully finished enclosure comes in three sections, the lower-front module carrying the midrange and treble array, the other two forming an inverted "L," with one of two 12" woofers mounted on its front. A second 12" woofer is mounted at the top of the rear module fires into the interior of the top volume, forming a compound or "isobaric" system, where the primary woofer operates with constant back pressure on its cone, extending its response below what would have been its air-suspended resonant frequency. The inner woofer is loaded with a long port firing downward, and the system is specified as being linear to 17Hz! The unusual array of upper-frequency drive-units places each unit farther away than the one next lower in frequency from the ears of a seated listener, which, in effect, time-aligns their outputs, allowing Dynaudio to use primarily first-order crossover filters. The sound of a familiar Patricia Barber track was effortlessly natural and uncolored, but I couldn't escape the impression that I was looking down on the singer from the concert-hall balcony rather than up at at her from the stall seats.
Fosgate Signature Debut
Then we switched to the Fosgate Signature tube phono preamp ($2500), whose first production run is about to get underway. Its seven tubes delivered a very different presentation from the Aesthetix, surrounding Peyroux with her combo rather than spotlighting her up front and center. Each preamp will have its partisans; it's all a matter of taste and perspective. With either one, the music was delicious.
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