STELLAR POWER CONTROL FROM ISOTEK’S SUPER NOVA £5.99

STAY HOME & LISTEN TO MUSIC! NOVEMBER 2020 • 189 www.hifiplus.com

THE darTZeel HITS THE SPOT

REL PP SUB BURMESTER B38 CHORD ELECTRONICS ULTIMA 5 VIENNA ACOUSTICS BEETHOVEN BABY GRAND MOON 860A POWER AMP

NAIM AUDIO ND 555 MORE INNOVATIONS FROM A CLASSIC BRITISH FAVOURITE

EDITOR Alan Sircom Email: editor@hifiplus.com CONTRIBUTORS THIS editorial ISSUE INCLUDE: Dennis D Davis Roy Gregory Sean Hannam Jimmy Hughes Jason Kennedy Simon Lucas ate, it seems, has a fine sense of ironic humour. Usually, Eric Neff Stephen Priest I travel a lot, both short and long-haul flights in my Nicholas Ripley Chris Thomas annual schedule. OK, so not so much British Airways

GRAPHIC DESIGNER named a Boeing after me, but I racked up a fair few Jenny Watson Fonthill Creative, Salisbury tens of thousands of miles each year. Anyone who flies ADVERTISING MANAGER Fa lot knows the risks of Deep Vein Thrombosis, and many of us Tom Hackforth Tel: +44 (0)1425 655255 perform a lot of exercises in flight as a result. No flying, no problem, Email: tom@hifiplus.com

PUBLISHER I thought… but a rookie error in my working arrangements ended in Pete Collingwood-Trewin Tel: +44 (0)1425 655699 a pulmonary embolism and almost a week in the hospital. Email: pete@hifiplus.com Many of us are now firmly ensconced as This is perhaps why you might THE EDITORIAL OFFICE CAN BE CONTACTED AT: homeworkers, and that could be a secret notice some new names this month. My Hi-Fi+ Editorial killer. Some are used to commuting, Publisher Pete Collingwood-Trewin called Absolute Multimedia (UK) Ltd Unit 3, Sandleheath Industrial Estate, having ‘water cooler’ conversations, in a lot of favours and those products Sandleheath, Hampshire going out to get lunch, and so on. The I was supposed to review have been SP6 1PA United Kingdom normal workday is packed with bits covered by others. I’d like to express Tel: +44 (0)1425 655255 where you are not simply sitting at your my thanks to those who expressed URL: hifiplus.com desk, and those have been attenuated concern for my health, and my great Absolute Multimedia (UK) Ltd is a by homeworking. Worse, our normal thanks to those who stepped in when I subsidiary of TMM Holdings LLC, 2500 McHale Court, Suite 100 social life of going to restaurants, pubs, fell down. I hope to be back in the game Austin, TX 78758, USA theatres, cinemas or simply having friends for our Awards issue next month, but the PRESIDENT over has been torn apart by COVID- usual service of lifting and shifting audio Lee Scoggins 19’s recent rebound; we replace these equipment may take some time. CHAIRMAN AND CEO social events with Zoom calls, playing Finally, the recent passing of Andy Thomas B. Martin, Jr. computer games or watching things like Clough, Global Brand Director of What Hi-Fi All Rights Reserved. Netflix or Amazon Prime… all of which hit hard. While we never worked Not one word of Hi-Fi+ may be take place at the same computer desk. together directly, he was one of the many reproduced without the written consent of the Editor. We are perfectly happy We’ve learned to factor regular ‘screen ‘fellow travellers’ in this game that I called to co-operate, but we don’t want breaks’ during our work, but don’t do the a friend. He will be sorely missed. quotations to appear out of context. same for the evening session. So, a busy Printed By period of writing and relaxing in the same Congratulations to Mark Vaughan from Pensord Press, Caerphilly place meant hours of sitting in the same the UK who is the lucky winner of the Hi-Fi+ is published twelve times a Grounding Box from Computer Audio year by; Absolute Multimedia (UK) Ltd spot and forgetting those basic rules to prevent DVT… and it nearly killed me. If Design worth £1,695. ISSN 1465 5950 you have recently found much of your life is on the same computer, don’t make hifiplus.com the same mistake… walk away from that screen for five minutes every hour, and try not to spend ten or more hours at a Alan Sircom stretch at the same computer table. editorifipluom

ISSUE 190 ON SALE DECEMBER 3 2020 (UK) JANUARY 7 2021 (US)

1 ISSUE 189 Crystal Cable Becomes

A New Name… New Technologies… A completely New Product Range

To find out more about CrystalConnect, visit: www.crystal-hifi.com

Distributed in the UK and Ireland by Padood www.padood.com | [email protected] +44 (0)1223 653199 | 20 Station Road, Cambridge CB1 2JD contents ISSUE 189 EQUIPMENT+ COMMENT REVIEWS INCOMING! NAIM ND 555 AND PS 555 DR 6 Your views on all 8 power supply combination things audio DARTZEEL CTH 8550 MK 2 15 integrated amplifier MUSIC SIMAUDIO MOON 860A V2 25 power amplifier SUSIE VANNER AND 93 KIPPER ELDRIDGE BURMESTER B38 50 years since the beginning 33 floorstanding loudspeaker of her music career, we spoke to singer turned actress VIENNA ACOUSTICS BEETHOVEN BABY Susie Vanner and Producer 41 GRAND REFERENCE Kipper Eldridge floorstanding loudspeakers

CONTEMPORARY, CLASSICAL PRIMARE R35 98 AND AUDIOPHILE MUSIC 51 solid-state, MM/MC phono stage

CHORD ELECTRONICS ULTIMA 5 57 stereo power amplifier

88 BACK ISSUES FINITE ELEMENTE CARBOFIBRE 63 isolation base 103 ADVERTISER INDEX FUNK FIRM HOUDINI 104 NEXT ISSUE 67 decoupler Find out what’s happening next time! SILVERSMITH AUDIO FIDELIUM 71 loudspeaker cables

REL CARBON SPECIAL SUBSCRIBE! 75 subwoofer FREE! CUSTOM CARDAS ISOTEK EVO3 SUPER NOVA 86 CABLE BLOCKS TO 80 mains conditioner SUBSCRIBERS! OFFER MUST END SOON!! LA SOUND “CORIUM” 82 interconnect and loudspeaker cables 57

3 ISSUE 189

Please send your letters to Hi-Fi+, Unit 3, Sandleheath Industrial Estate, Sandleheath, Hampshire, SP6 1PA, United Kingdom. Or email them to editor@hifi plus.com incoming!

in association with

LETTER OF THE MONTH WINS A DRAGONFLY BLACK

Both AudioQuest and Hi-Fi+ are passionate about music and the sound it makes. We know what makes a good audio experience, and we know what makes it better. Most modern audio equipment is googood,d, but with the right attitude, right advice, and the right components, tthehe sound it delivers can move from ‘good’ to ‘great’ to ‘fantastic’. AudioQuest hhasas to deal with a lot of queries regarding audio systems, because almost everything in an audio system is connected with a cable. The company has amassed a wwealthealth of information on a range of topics in audio, both in general terms aandnd with a team comprising keen, specialist audio experts willing to impart their expertise.

Which is why we’ve teamed up with the good folks at AudioQuest to award the letter of the month a free AudioQuest Dragonfly Black headphone amp/DAC.

Power Play Which is more of a problem for a system. Having a more powerful to be able to re-play that properly amplifi er than the rating on a loudspeaker, but not ‘thrashing’ it, or using the amplifi er needs to be able to a smaller, lower power amplifi er that has to play ‘hard’? Instinct tells momentarily fl ex its muscles and make me it’s the former, but many claim the latter is more likely to damage the speakers play that loud piece. By loudspeakers. Why? controlling the drivers properly, the Ant Gould, via email amplifi er and its power supply are better able to give you the dynamics and drive Thanks for your e-mail, and a good question, especially the “why?”. we crave from our music. With your example, an underpowered amplifi er is the worst of the An often-used analogy is a powerful two cases, without getting too technical it’s because audio system car engine is better able to help you added distortion is always bad thing. If you’re having to run a lower overtake a slower moving bus or tractor powered amplifi er ‘hard’ to get to the listening levels you want, it will be on the road, its power is very useful much more prone to distortion, and to ‘clip’. It’s that ‘clipping’ that will when the circumstances demand. potentially damage the speakers. My takeaway would be that Some amplifi er manufacturers even incorporate elements in their distortion is the enemy, it masks circuit design to protect the speaker, the one that springs to mind is information thus damaging the NADs “soft clipping” circuit. enjoyment of the music, and it also can A loose analogy is perhaps using a blunt knife to try and cut quite easily damage the components something, the extra effort needed will eventually lead you to slip and that make up our systems. cut yourself. Alternatively, a keen sharp blade, on the face of it is quite Robert Hay, AudioQuest dangerous, but it will glide and cut easily, leaving your fi ngers all in the right place! Another thing to consider is that “headroom” is desirable in a hi-fi system, OK I’m sorry that’s another hi-fi phrase, but in simple terms it means that the system has power and control in reserve. Pieces of music often have quite dramatic changes from soft to loud passages, Sat Nav… Swiss Style!

Options – all too often they are just a way of charging you extra for the stuff you actually need. A product might look like great value, but by the time you’ve confi gured it to actually do the job required, its price has risen considerably – and at CH Precision, we don’t think What’s better than Master/Slave clock synchronisation? that’s right. Using a superior, external master clock, like our T1 10 MHz Time Reference, with its super stable, oven That might seem strange, coming from a company that controlled oscillator, a unit that exceeds the jitter famously offers modular products and myriad options, performance of Rubidium clocks – without the issues but when we offer an option, it’s exactly that – an of their limited lifespan or disposing of radioactive optional function or upgrade, not a necessity whose materials once they die. absence undermines product and system performance. But for ultimate accuracy, you can sync the T1 to the Take the clocking of our digital systems as an example, GPS network, its satellites controlled by Cesium atomic where we offer four different levels of performance. In clocks, the most stable and accurate time source known a standalone situation, the internal clock fi tted to our to man, ensuring that your digital signals are handled digital components delivers exceptional accuracy. But as accurately and carefully as humanly possible. upgrade by adding a second digital box to the system – a C1 DAC to a D1 player for instance – and you’ll want So as you can see, when CH Precision offers an to synchronise their clocks to maximise performance: option it’s just that: the option to further improve the which is why we offer the optional SYNC-IO board. performance of an already outstanding product.

Keeping better time than the best Swiss watch!

Audio Art Defi nitive Audio Singularity Audio Imports Hampton Wick KT1 4DA Nottingham NG10 4QE Sheffi eld S6 1NJ audioarthifi .co.uk +44 (0)208 977 9996 defi nitiveaudio.co.uk +44 (0)115 973 3222 singularity-audio.com +44 (0)114 442 0129

ch-precision.com [email protected] +41 (0)21 701 9040 EQUIPMENT REVIEW

Naim ND 555 and PS 555 DR Combination

by Stephen Priest

hirteen grand and then I have to spend it – and it begins to make a bit more sense; live with it for a a chunk more just to get it to light up?’ while, and it becomes entirely addictive. The customer was still on the ‘wide-eyed If you’re still harbouring any illusions that this is ‘just disbelief’ side of incandescence, but it computer audio’, and thus plays second fiddle to physical looked like he wouldn’t take too much of a media, the ND 555 is likely to dispel them. This is a no- ‘Tpush to get there. Well, fortunately for him the Naim ND 555 compromise player able to outperform just about any other network music player appears on the company price-list in player on the market (and yes, here I include those that two versions: it’s now £13,500 without the 555 PS you need to spin big black discs as well as those used with 12cm silver power it (there’s no onboard power supply) or a cool £20,999 ones). Not only that, but it’s also amazingly flexible, being for the ‘Plug’n’Play’ version complete with the second box. able to stream a sports commentary from Internet radio one I know: “Twenty grand? to play Spotify…??’ moment, and a high-res DSD128 file the next, and all at a tap There’s nothing new about this separate power supply or two on the highly-developed Naim app running on your arrangement, at least in Naim-world: the company’s NAP 300 phone or tablet. and NAP 500 power amps both come with offboard supplies, The Naim NDS was already a phenomenal network while anyone exploring the upper reaches of the Salisbury player and indeed remains so, given that you can now pick preamp offering will discover extra boxes are required. And of up a ‘pre-loved’ one and an XPS power supply for around the course, the same thing applied to the old CD 555 CD player, £5000 mark with a bit of ‘eyes wide open’ eBay shopping. of blessed memory. However, when the ND 555 was announced in the Spring However, for our jaw-dropped customer, there are further of 2018, it moved things along significantly, both in terms of shocks in store: like the NDS it replaced, the ND 555 offers flexibility and performance. the intriguing possibility of adding a second 555 PS if so For a start, it gained the Naim’ New Platform’ at its core: desired. In that configuration, one power supply delivers juice a combination of hardware and software first used in the to the digital section, the other to the analogue circuity. In the current Uniti line-up, and answering all the criticisms that time process, your £20,999 network player becomes a digital front- had overtaken the original Naim network offering. Yes, some end with a price-tag just a couple of quid short of £28,000. work had been done along the line to expand the file format So, with wisps of smoke curling up from recently-vacated capability, but this was after all a design dating back to the boots the only remaining sign of that irate customer, what first NaimUniti, launched in 2009. With the new platform, the does this three-box ‘streamer’, the flagship digital product network Naims not only gained the ability to play files up to from the Naim factory, bring to the party? 384kHz/32bit and DSD128, but also support for a wider range Well yes, it does have a party mode, enabling it to be of streaming services, and futureproofing in the form of Google used with multiple Naim ND-, Uniti or Mu-so units to fill your Cast capability, allowing a much wider range of apps to play to home with music, but that might just be missing the point of them. Roon-ready status appeared too, opening up yet another this behemoth of digital audio, reducing it to just something to way of accessing the players. At the same time, the players’ play streaming music. After all, if that’s all you want – a spot Wi-Fi was also improved, not least thanks to the adoption of the of Spotify or a stream of Tidal – there’s no shortage of ways of company’s StreamCatcher buffer, able to hold a whole track, for making that happen, and for a lot less outlay. However, look more stable wireless streaming of high-resolution files (although at the ND 555 as Naim’s best-ever digital source component – wired networking was still the connection of choice). The NDX 2 yes, including all those illustrious CD players that went before and ND 555 also gained the large full-colour display seen on the

8 ISSUE 189 EQUIPMENT REVIEW / NAIM ND 555 AND 2X 555 PS

second-generation Uniti models, replacing the green-on-black It’s all about accuracy and resistance to interference: the (and somewhat failure-prone) read-outs of the originals. digital signal flows from the inputs to the DACs using I2S, However, on top of all that came a significant rethink/ with its separate clock signal, over Low Voltage Differential rework of the digital and audio sections of the players, and Signalling, used for its high accuracy and very low radiated nowhere so extensive as in the ND 555. Carried over from field, while a 40-bit SHARC DSP processor is used for the NDS was the ‘floating circuit board’ design, in which jitter-busting (or actually jitter-removing) buffering, and whole sections of the player are carried on heavy metal plates oversampling. When it comes to digital filtering, instead of suspended on springs, for vibration isolation, and requiring using Burr Brown’s DF1704 filter chip – the obvious partner transit screws to be removed (very carefully) during installation. for the pure mono R2R DAC design, which has no built-in Here it’s in an improved form, with two precision-machined digital filter – Naim uses the SHARC along with its own integer brass plates – each weighing 2.6Kg – tuned using Hooke’s oversampling algorithm converting to either 705.6kHz or Law for immunity to all vibration above 10Hz. 768kHz (depending upon incoming sample rate). The streaming board was all-new, Naim’s six-layer NP800 All this is about as far as you can get from the ‘off the streaming section being co-designed by, and exclusive to the shelf’ streaming solutions found in lesser players. In addition, company. It’s controlled by the player’s ClockMaster circuitry, the ND 555 uses 13 of Naim’s Discrete Regulators – as seen which is located near the DACs when in UPnP (network in many of its other ‘DR’-suffixed products – to noiseless clean playback) or streaming mode, to reduce jitter. In addition, DC power. Separate regulators are used for the DACs, the the streaming board is mounted in its own Faraday Cage, clocks and the output stages, and the sections of the player physically isolated from the rest of the player, while the DACs are physically separated right back to the two large multipin themselves – selected Burr Brown PCM1704U-K resistor- Burndy power supply sockets on the rear panel. ladder designs chosen purely for their sound – each sit in their And that’s where the idea of the twin power supplies own miniature Faraday Cages. comes in. As standard, with a single 555 PS connected to both Advice says we bypass the DACs internal digital filter and Burndy sockets, the 555 PS receives several separate 22V use the SHARC. This is accurate for most Naim players (e.g. supplies for the analogue section and a mixture of 15V, 12V NDX2 with the PCM1792A DAC). However the PCM1704 is a and 10V supplies for the digital circuitry. Switching over to two pure mono R2R DAC with no built in digital filter. Burr Brown 555 PS supplies effectively separates the two sections of the say use it with their external digital filter chip the DF1704. They ND 555 all the way back to the mains plugs, and means one is obviously do not use the DF1704 and use we the SHARC with only supplying the analogue section, and the other, the digital. their own integer oversampling algorithm converting to either Given that, when using a single 555 PS, the only ‘point of 705.6kHz or 768kHz (depending upon incoming sample rate). contact’ between the two sections would be in the transformer

9 ISSUE 189 EQUIPMENT REVIEW / NAIM ND 555 AND 2X 555 PS

“...it’s also a delight to listen to in ‘off duty’ periods, which to me is a pretty good indicator of the worth of a product”

of the power supply, doubling up may seem overkill. However, pretty sure of a couple of things: one was that both the player when discussing the clearly audible effect of using two power and its power supply were more than adequately run in, both supplies with the NDS, the suggestion was that as well as having been used daily and kept powered up 24/7, and the increasing this separation, the strategy reduces the load on 555 PS having been ‘inherited’ from my old NDS. The other? each power supply, which might have the effect of bringing Well, through a variety of amplification and speakers to have about a noise reduction. passed through my hands during their tenure, there was never But there’s a difference with the ND 555’s design. The any sense of wanting more, of anything being missing – not impression gleaned at the time of the launch of the new only is the Naim a superb front-end for reviewing, but it’s also network players back in March 2018 was that the extensive a delight to listen to in ‘off duty’ periods, which to me is a use of the DR technology in the ND 555 might mean the dual pretty good indicator of the worth of a product: the appeal is power supply strategy would have less of an effect than it did visceral, not merely academic. with the NDS. Not that the company wouldn’t suggest trying Having added the second 555 PS to this tried and tested it, of course – business, after all, is business… set-up, I’m not at all sure why there was any suggestion that Having run an ND 555 almost since the first review doing so wouldn’t bring distinct benefits: compared with samples escaped into the wild over two years back, I was the player with a single supply – and most obvious when

10 ISSUE 189 ESSENCE is Music

The Gryphon Essence Preamplifier

www.gryphon-audio.com EQUIPMENT REVIEW / NAIM ND 555 AND 2X 555 PS

“In truth, I didn’t find a single TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS album (or indeed track) that Type: Digital Streamer sounded better without the extra Frequency Response: -0.025dB @20Hz; -0.07dB @20kHz power supply in place…” Streaming File Formats: WAV – up to 32bits/384kHz FLAC and AIFF – up to 24bit/384kHz ALAC (Apple Lossless) – up to 24bit/384kHz switching back – was an effect not at all removed from that of MP3 – up to 48kHz, 320kbit (16 bit) switching to a more powerful amp and better speakers, such AAC – up to 48kHz, 320kbit (16 bit) was the added resolution of detail, the extended and more OGG and WMA – up to 48kHz (16 bit) tightly controlled bass, and the sheer dynamic impact. DSD – 64 and 128Fs That this was true via relatively modest amplification M4A – up to 48kHz, 320kbit (16 bit) – for ‘operational reasons’ not entirely disconnected with Audio Inputs: 2x TOSLink (up to 24bit/96kHz), 1× coax other reviewing commitments, I used my Naim Supernait3/ RCA (up to 24bit/192kHz, DoP 64Fs), 1× coax BNC HiCap DR combination as much as I did my NAC52/52PS/ (up to 24bit/192kHz, DoP 64Fs) , AirPlay, Chromecast NAP250’ olive set-up – was even more striking. Not only built-in, Internet Radio, RoonReady, Spotify Connect did this show that the idea of ‘source first’ is alive and well, UPnPTM(hi-res), TIDAL, Qobuz (hi-res); UPnP Server but it also demonstrated just how well-sorted an integrated Audio Outputs: 1× 5-pin DIN, 1x RCA (switchable) amp the SN3 is. Yes, a totally ‘mullet’ system, but with such Dimensions (W×D×H): 432 × 314 × 87mm musical rewards! Weight: 12.25kg In truth, I didn’t find a single album (or indeed track) that Price (as reviewed): £27,998 sounded better without the extra power supply in place; the weight of the Roger Waters live recordings on Us + Them Manufacturer: Naim Audio Ltd [Columbia/Legacy] went from impressive to jaw-dropping, URL: naimaudio.com with even greater insight into the instruments being played Tel: +44(0)1722 426600 backed up with a great big, tight bass. At the same time, at the other end of the scale, the gentle trio jazz of the new Espen Eriksen Trio set, End of Summer [Rune Grammofon] gained immensely from the tighter focus brought about by the network player can bring out not only the sheer air-shifting twin-powered Naim. power of those lower manuals but also deliver the way the Not only was every move of drummer Andreas Bye sound interacts with the space in which it’s being played. JSB clearly delineated, from the subtlest swish of brush on skin to certainly knew how to write a bass-line! the punch of his bass drum, but also the resonance of Lars Whether with music such as this or John Williams’ playful Tormod Jenset’s bass sang out through the mix. But the most march from 1941, which builds from hushed woodwind to the astonishing revelation was Eriksen’s piano, which sounded not entire marching band thing complete with thundering drums just like a recording of the instrument but actually as though it in the hands of the Dallas Wind Symphony under Jerry Junkin was sitting in the space before me, taking me all the way back in a glorious concert-hall acoustic [on Reference Recordings], to the experience of hearing the trio from a front-row seat in the effect is always the same, As the last note decays into a small jazz club. Well, actually in the upstairs room of a well- digital silence, the only possible reaction is a release of the heeled Surrey golf club, but you get the idea. breath you didn’t realise you’d been holding, closely followed The lazy, sleazy groove of the Stones’ Goat’s Head by a another scurry of swipe and click to find something Soup, in its latest remastered DSD64 form [Polydor Japan], else to play. sounds magnificently louche with the twin-powered ND 555 Given the advance the ND 555 represented over the delivering the tune, with all the lush layers of guitars, strings NDS, I wasn’t expecting too much of the ‘twin power’ strategy and more revealed: the ND 555 with single PSU almost gets on the newer player, but Naim has done it again. Just when I there, but this is the full-on effect. Meanwhile, Bach’s anything thought I was enjoying things as much as I could, it’s sidled up, but ‘Little’ Prelude and Fugue in D major, played by Ulrich branded hoodie tightly in place against the Autumnal chill, and Böhme on Rondeau, shows just how well the supercharged hissed ‘Now, do you want to try the really good stuff…?’

12 ISSUE 189 STATEMENT MUSIC SERVER & STREAMER ONE SERVER. ZERO COMPROMISE. BEYOND DIGITAL.

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EQUIPMENT REVIEW

darTZeel CTH 8550 MkII integrated amplifier

by Chris Thomas

very musician, regardless of their musicians and why you prefer some over others, I think it’s about their supreme chosen instrument, is looking ability to make the instrument talk to the listener through the music. Through for their voice and not just their technique, physical ability, good ear and taste, they speak to us through our own sound. When I listen to a home systems and hopefully, we respond to their message and narrative. great piano player, saxophonist Interestingly enough, Hervé Delétraz refers to his amplifiers as instruments. Eor violinist, I am always aware of the vocal After having spent some time listening to his CTH-8550 MKII integrated narrative that lies behind what they are saying amplifier, I completely understand why. I reviewed the NHB-18NS preamplifier through the instrument. That is what draws and the NHB-108 model two amplifier late last year and have never been quite me to their playing and has probably been able to shake those experiences out of my head. As this Integrated amplifier, indirectly responsible for my interest in home they have a single and mightily focused purpose, and that is to give the audio for years. When you think about serious musicians we listen to a voice and a way to tell musical tales through one of the

15 ISSUE 189 EQUIPMENT REVIEW / DARTZEEL CTH 8550 MKII

“...it has sparked a quest in me to try to explain why I believe darTZeel amplifiers are so exceptional...”

most complex art forms ever. It’s what great fabricated by a music lover to be as close to no-compromise as possible. systems, at whatever price, really should do. Let’s say that a device like this is never going to come cheap. In contrast, Experiencing both these amplifiers has most bespoke objects, not just audio but also cars, cameras, watches etc., as undoubtedly been a privilege. Still, it has desirable as they may be, tend to carry a degree of disappointment when you also sparked a quest in me to try to explain actually get your hands on them darTZeel never disappoints. why I believe darTZeel amplifiers are so Considering its power, the latest CTH amplifier comes in a reasonably exceptional in a world with many components compact chassis with gold carrying handles front and rear, giving the claiming to do, essentially, the same thing. component a particular purposeful look. It uses a more conventional volume Let me make something clear – they are not system than in the NHB-18NS. Yet, with keeping in mind the music must be alone in being so ‘musical’ and, to my ears, reproduced with the greatest possible level of emotion, and it is a beautiful thing desirable. But they are one of a small group to operate with its twin soft X-rings, and a slight notion of a haptic response that shine out and make me want to stop as the knob is rotated. The manufacturer calls it Pleasure Control on darTZeel what I may be doing and just sit and listen. amplifiers, though most of your interaction with the device will be through a The CTH is unmistakably darTZeel. Its truly excellent remote control. Yes, it too, is beautifully made out of a billet of red case and eye-catching gold front panel aluminium in matching gold, providing full access to all the features you may are instantly familiar, and the quality of the ever need. My favourite thing about it is that it will operate even when out of line metalwork is beautiful. It’s certainly a bit quirky of sight to the amplifier. For once, I was not forced to get up from another area but in a good and interesting way. Beautifully of my listening room and walk across to stand square in front of a component built close to Lake Geneva, it is designed and to adjust the volume!

16 ISSUE 189 PASS

NEW Now of fering even greater depth Preserves non-feedback core technologies while providing even clearer sound

Stereo Power Amplifier GM70PA

●Easily achieves 30 W + 30 W output even with low-efficiency speakers (4Ω load) ●Uses powerful GM70 direct-heated triodes ●4Ω‒8Ω load impedance ●Toggle between Normal, Dual and Bridge modes with the flip of a switch ●Class A single with dumping factor of 5 or more (8Ω load) ●Class A operation to achieve intricate, subtle sounds ●CS Port‒design input/output transformer and two vacuum tubes ●Non-feedback design to prevent excess operating noise ●Uses an oil condenser in the power supply section for better sound Size: 470 (W) × 201 (H) × 430 (D) mm Weight: 28 kg

○Uses C3g vacuum tube ○Equipped with Air Float linear tracking arm Stereo Preamplifier C3PR Analog Disk Player LFT1

○Uses ultra-large 4212E vacuum tubes ○Uses C3g vacuum tube Monaural Amplifier 212PA ○Ion spraying to reduce static electricity Phono Equalize Amplifier C3EQ Static Eliminator and Demagnetizer IME1 CS Port Co., Ltd. Tel. +81-76-461-4188 https://www.csport.audio/en/ Note: Specifications, design, appearance and other factors are subject to change without prior notice.

Distributed by Select Audio | Tel 01900 601954 | www.selectaudio.co.uk EQUIPMENT REVIEW / DARTZEEL CTH 8550 MKII

“Long, mood-driven, listening sessions became something to get excited about and as events to look forward to.”

Every good listening session should It’s modestly eccentric, but I like it. Internally, the darTZeel is impressive, too. be relaxed but concentrated, occasionally As you may expect with an integrated design of such power, the dual-mono bordering on the emotionally intense layout is designed around a massive toroidal transformer which deals with the experience. Getting up and down all the power section. time to adjust the volume or switch inputs In contrast, a smaller transformer sits piggy-backed on top of it and caters shouldn’t be an issue. But, a very friendly for the preamplifier section. There is, I am told, a way of isolating both sides nudge and ever-so-polite nod to Hervé – of the amplifier to use it as a pre or a power amplifier through the menu, please fit some sort of non-slip feet to the but I never used this option. Another interesting feature is the dedicated USB remote. Beautiful though it may be, it’s as key that I mistook initially for a keyring. It stores the owner’s name, the serial slippery as an ice cube and can too easily number of the unit, installed firmware version and voltage settings. This data slide off a chair arm. A small thing but, if would subsequently be used to implement any firmware or software settings. I owned a darTZeel, I would have to attach It should go without saying but probably warrants repeating that soft dimples to the bottom of the remote equipment of this nature really must be used with suitable components and handset, which might make it minutely less carefully installed down to the smallest details. My listening was performed elegant, but certainly almost perfect. with the dCS Vivaldi CD transport and DAC while the streaming included a As far as metalwork goes, the amplifier is dCS Bridge and Roon Nucleus. All electronics were placed on a Stillpoints superbly executed and the result of 3D-CAD ESS rack, while cables were the ultra-fast and very explicit Nordost Odin 1. software, a speciality of Mr Delétraz. Laser The same cable also connected the darTZeel to a pair of the Wilson Audio cutting and welding have taken structural Duette 2 speakers. I do consider this to be a well-integrated and spiritually integrity to new levels. The rear panel is rewarding music system. a model of efficient design. With seven The amplifier was rather shy out of the box but, after a suitable warming standard inputs, (RCA and XLR, and, of up period of 24 hours, music moved onto another level and continued to course, the Zeel 50 Ohm BNCs), superb improve for quite a while after. Long, mood-driven, listening sessions became speaker terminals (4mm banana or spade), something to get excited about and as events to look forward to. To say that, in as well as RCA and darT outputs plus a these strange and intensely weird lockdown times, this system helped in some couple of USB ports, a fairly compact space psychologically therapeutic way too, would be an understatement. has been well exploited. The front panel has With a nominal 200 watts into 8 ohms, the CTH-8550 MkII is a little more the aforementioned Pleasure Control and powerful than the NHB-108 power amplifier but, as far as my domestic needs several small push buttons for input selection are concerned, I would say that power was more than adequate through either or other functions that feel like perfectly one of them. They seem to have deep wells of resources to draw on and polished steel ball bearings. They are relatively the speed with which they deploy the available power, regardless of level, inconspicuous as the panel is dominated by is stunning. The 8550 is one of the very best amplifiers I have heard for low the volume control and a plasma screen that volume, late-night listening. shows the volume level and allows each There’s an interesting thing about pre/power amplification as opposed input to be configured through the menus. to integrated amplifiers, especially from the same manufacturer that I need to It’s also legible from tight angles. It is easy to touch on before I get into the listening. Conventional audiophile reasoning tells miss small design features like a scalloped us that the pre/power route is the way to go—better instrumental separation, channel that houses all the 16 switches and imaging, etc., etc. I agree with all of this except there’s a but at the end of the IR receiver, or the volume control with its the sentence. For years now, I have found instances where a really good, central darTZeel logo. For me, it is a thing integrated design had a musical togetherness that was elusive and special. The of beauty. This is, of course, purely a matter somewhat tedious audiophile in me readily acknowledges all the goodies that of taste and lies in the eye of the beholder. the pre/power route brings to the party, but I have to say there is something so

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Audio M3 Monoblocks £7,990 Ti-C SE £55,000 Electrocompaniet EC P1 Townshend Audio Isolda DCT 8m Pair DAC/Transport) £5,500 Audio Synthesis Desire Decade Phono mm/mc £390 Speaker Cable Banana/Banana £1,490 Esoteric P03/ D03 £7,500 Audio Acoustic Sapphire Ti-C £21,990 Mono-block amplifi ers £2,190 Boulder Amplifi ers 1008 Townshend Audio Isolda DCT 5m Pair EMM Labs XDS1 V1 (V2-MDAT Apogee Stage £1,990 Analog Domain Audio M75P MKII Phono Pre-amplifi er £9,900 Speaker Cable Banana/Banana £1,250 DSP upgrade) £16,990 HEADPHONES Stereo power (X-Demo) £9,900 B.M.C. Audio MCCI Townshend Audio Fractal 1m RCA B.M.C. 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“...it becomes an experience that has a freshness and intimacy living inside your head...”

focussed and unified about the CTH-8550’s by John McLaughlin, Shankar Mahadevan and Zakir Hussein. From being approach to music that it has completely something of a McLaughlin fanboy in the past, I thought I was probably done seduced me. The sense is that it is always with him after a number of albums plus a live performance that was so full-on on the side of the music as opposed to the and blisteringly intense that they were close to exhausting. His machine-gun audiophile. Don’t misunderstand me though, guitar lines had become like odd parodies of the early days of the Mahavishnu given the choice I would still take the pre/ Orchestra with little resting room, intimacy or space. Whenever he played slowly power darTZeel over the integrated amplifier. and with melodic consideration, I loved it. Is That So? is a full-blown Indian It’s just that the CTH-8550, as a great musical spiritual soundscape, dripping with ambience and showcasing Mahadevan’s storyteller, though different, never really remarkably agile voice slip, sliding through unusual scales and melodies. At the sounds like it is even remotely compromised. same time, John provides a synth guitar backdrop, supplemented with some An excellent audio system should be ridiculously good percussion from Zakir. It’s an imposing atmosphere and suits Chameleon-like and almost indistinguishable specific day or night moods perfectly. But, be warned, this is powerful stuff, from the music it conveys. And quite and you might only feel able to dip in and out in small doses. often, when you hear new music with a The darTZeel-fuelled system made this experience like going to a cross new component in place, it becomes an between a theatre and an Indian festival. This amplifier brings tremendous experience that has a freshness and intimacy precision to the occasion, but with warmth and friendly richness that is calming, living inside your head, floating in and out of yet unusual. This has nothing to do with bandwidth or bass solidity, but more your consciousness as you go about your so with meaning and the sheer textures or harmonic interplay between the daily life. Such was the case with Is That So? remarkable vocals and McLaughlin’s decision to play the role of a complex

20 ISSUE 189 KRONOS AV · WEST SUSSEX & DUNGANNON • NINTRONICS · WELWYN GARDEN CITY • NOTTINGHAM HI-FI CENTRE · NOTTINGHAM P.J HI-FI · GUILDFORD • PREMIUM SOUND · LONDON • RIPCASTER · CHECKENDON • SUPERFI · LINCOLN EQUIPMENT REVIEW / DARTZEEL CTH 8550 MKII

“It is harmonically rich, very clean, crazily TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS textured and able to resolve everything from Type: Dual mono integrated amplifier micro to large scale dynamics” Power Output: 200 watts RMS (230 watts peak) @ 8 ohms 330 watts RMS (360 watts peak) drone instrument. It’s the experience and involvement, rather than the audio @ 4 ohms artefacts that leave their mark. Close your eyes, the audio system vanishes Inputs: 4× RCA, 1× XLR, 2× Zeel BNC, from in front of you, and that is the best audio experience you can get. 1× MM, 1× MC (phono inputs are Inertia within an audio system and more specifically, within an amplifier and optional) its ways with music has been a fascination of mine since I first tried to unravel Outputs: 1× RCA, 1× RCA (record), the secret of David Berning’s magnificent QZ amplifiers many years ago. The 1× darT BNC, 1 pair speaker unforced way which each note unfolds and lives contrasts sharply with a feeling (4mm or spade) that the amplifier is electronically ‘shaping’ the music. Both darTZeel based Frequency Response: 3Hz–300 kHz systems I have listened to over the past year, have performed very much in the THD: 1% from 7 Hz to 77 kHz same way. There is very little sense of any grip by or from the amplifier. Notes S/N: 115dB (A) and musical events just happen, and I would say that the unforced precision Dimensions: 170 × 440 × 335mm the way darTZeel deploys its considerable power into musical dynamism, is (H×W×D). one of its most unique virtues. It has an open window approach, and it is an Depth with handles – 415mm amplifier that projects with such scope, that it shows you just how little of the Weight: 28kg soundstage in the recordings so many amplifiers manage to recreate. Price: £25000 There’s something about the tonal characteristics of the dry balance of the nylon-strung guitar that has always made it a much better fit with an Manufacturer: darTZeel audio orchestra, rather than the shimmering harmonic bravado of a steel-strung URL: dartzeel.com instrument. It’s the contrast of the orchestra against the loneliness of the tiny acoustic body of the guitar that helps Rodrigo’s Concierto De Aranjuez be UK Distributor: Absolute Sounds such a compelling piece of music. Likewise, the Sonata Suite from Josep Pons URL: absolutesounds.com featuring Flamenco guitarist extraordinaire Tomatito poses vast challenges for Tel: +44(0)208 971 3909 audio systems due to its perspectives. While many systems, though bristling with all the things that audiophiles perhaps traditionally look for, they at the same time bring the tension into the room and it all ends as being instead’ a matter of fact’. There’s power, lush, colourful tonality and romance here to. It’s as simple as that. It surely has to do as the scales and melodies of north Africa drift across the Mediterranean, something with the ‘voices’ the amplifier can before finding themselves caught up in a swirling dish of memorable melodies, convey to us and musical tales they tell. It is handclaps, punctuating foot stomps and percussive fire. The darTZeel is in harmonically rich, very clean, crazily textured its element with such a fusion. You simply cannot give this amplifier too many and able to resolve everything from micro to balls to keep in the air. The soundstage (again) is mighty and gives the air large scale dynamics plus it is immaculately and space these musicians demand to bring a piece of complex music to seated timing-wise, which is crucial. You don’t life. My system had a sense of relentlessness about it. Ask it an exceptionally need constant examination and evaluation. It complex musical question, and it always seemed to have the correct answer. would be way too crass. The system just lives A miraculous recovery response matches the speed and power of delivery, and breathes atmosphere. That’s what we and this interaction brings the story to life. Nothing drifts by with the darTZeel have here. The CTH-8550 MkII is a wonderful as it does with, so much of what we might call, ‘high-end’ systems. It has amplifier because it brings you face to face a clarity of musical purpose that extends beyond the singular momentary with the art form called music, and you won’t performance of the amplifier and into a rare ability to tell the story through pure find how it does it on any spec sheet. You musical colour and expression. just listen, get involved, and give it your trust. Forget the debate about tubes v solid state. Amplifiers like the darTZeel If you love music for its form and emotional transcend such things. Some amplifiers are just really, really good to listen power, the darTZeel will thrill you. I love it.

22 ISSUE 189

critical mass

systems Center Stage2

I can’t help thinking that this is the best of the best.

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Simaudio MOON 860A v2

Power Amplifier by Roy Gregory

ome products and some companies are just overlooked when the very best get discussed. But if that’s as noisy – literally, metaphorically or euphemistically. wrong as it is irrelevant to most of us, it’s an almost heinous Others are calmer, quieter and altogether more oversight when it comes to the next rung down, the sort of understated. For the last couple of decades, high-end products that we might be able to afford – products Simaudio has been consistently responsible for precisely like the 860A v2 reviewed here. Ssome of the best value, best performing and most reliable (semi-) The fi rst indication of the company’s elevated ambitions affordable amplifi cation on the market. From super-musical arrived in the shape of the superb 850P line-stage, followed a integrateds to the pocket-battleship 400M mono-blocs, these few years later by the imposing 888 mono-bloc power amps, have been go-to products for review and recommendation, products to stand comparison with any on the market. But demonstration and daily deployment. Nor is the company any even though these fl agship designs maintained MOON’s stranger to technological innovation or innovative concepts; reputation for value (at least compared to the immediate the excellent MiND network replay solution continues to win. competition), they were still way beyond the means of most MOON has been evolving and improving its products, working mere mortals. Which is exactly where he 860A v2 comes in, an its way up-market, ever closer to state of the art. amplifi er on a mission: one model that replaces no fewer than Whilst the midrange MOON electronics have a stellar three in the previous range (the original 860A, the 870A and in reputation for no-nonsense performance, and excellent value, bridged mode, the 880M) it promises to not only surpass the their more serious, high-end offerings are all too often, unfairly performance of all of them but do so at something approaching

25 ISSUE 189 EQUIPMENT REVIEW / SIMAUDIO MOON 860A V2

“...in this case, its not as simple as one size fits all and there’s more to the power than just numbers”

a reasonable price. The latest v2 incarnation of the 860A Audio reductionists will happily give the credit for this to (£16,750) remains true to MOON’s heritage, being a totally Simaudio’s use of large, linear (as opposed to switch-mode) dual-mono, fully-differential, zero global feedback design – power supplies, but there is and always has been more to it down to the separate power transformers for each channel. As than that. MOON makes products for the long haul; products such it has both evolved from its predecessor and benefitted that take time to hit their stride, but once they do, deliver music from trickle-down technology derived from the 888 flagship. that’s engaging and entertaining – and do it long-term. They The result is more power, twice the reservoir capacitance, a may not impress in a quick, starting from cold comparison, wider signal-to-noise ratio, lower distortion and improved but given the chance, they’ll impress first with the music they usability/upgradability – that latter quality reflected in the rear- deliver and later with their reliability and longevity. That makes panel switches that allow users to select between stereo and for a range of highly recommendable products, but whilst their bridged mono operation and AC or DC coupled connection (to warm and slightly rounded character makes them ideal for match different system and pre-amp requirements – something long-term listening, it also means that you need to choose many an owner of an ARC pre and Krell power combination matching speakers with care. Warm and weighty can quickly could have benefitted from). In a world where audio electronics become less than nimble in the wrong system, at which point are becoming increasingly smart, perhaps best typified by the you might as well spell fluid with a T, a U, an R, G, I and D. multi-mode (but far more expensive) CH Precision amplifiers, So let’s start with what you shouldn’t use… First and this MOON isn’t just beefy, it’s clever too. And before you foremost, you want to stop the amp’s attributes becoming start carping about nearly £17K being described as “almost weaknesses – and that means preventing its smoothly fluid affordable” take a look at the current price on the similarly weight becoming lazy. You do not want to use this amp with powered but significantly less versatile Naim NAP500… speakers that need a wake-up call or a boot up their reflex Wanting to investigate the inherent upgradability built into ports, the studied neutrality and understated dynamics of the the 860A v2, I obtained two units for the review, a decision Wilson Benesch Resolutions being a case in point. Likewise, that opened up not just mono but also bi-amped operation. although the Wilson Sasha DAWs enjoy the scale that comes Combine that with the paper power output – and MOON with hooking up the 860A(s), their easy breathing, expressive amps have a reputation for making a nonsense of their sense of rhythm and dynamics leave the combination rated outputs – and (once again, on paper) you open up an sounding like the speaker is waiting for the amp. But fear almost unlimited range of partnering speaker options. Most not, while these are both exceptional speakers, they’re also modern speakers might have eschewed the crippling loads exceptions to the rule, with candidates that do require just and insensitivity so common a decade or so ago, but that precisely what the MOON amps offer queuing around the doesn’t mean that they don’t like power! However, in this audio block. Front of the line you’ll find floor-standing speakers case it’s not as simple as one size fits all and there’s more from Magico, YG Acoustics and B&W, with the KEF Blades, to power than just the numbers. As MOON amps past have multiple PMCs and current Sonus fabers crowding in behind – so ably demonstrated, there’s power, and then there’s the a selection that embraces an awful lot of real-world systems… nature of that power and, in the case of the 860A v2, that As if to underline that point, I got to play the 860A v2 nature is pretty darned specific. MOON amps – all MOON with a wider than usual range of speakers, the Spendor amps – have always sounded bigger and more powerful than D9, Raidho TD-1.2, Vienna Acoustics Liszt and Gershman you expect: unburstable, unstoppable and utterly unflappable, Grande Avante Garde proving particularly successful. But they’ve made a point of taking pretty much anything in their one thing that did emerge across all that listening was the stride. They’ve also been warm, weighty and fluid in character, 860A v2s clear preference for plenty of cross-sectional area eschewing the etched and spot-lit, ultra-defined and almost in the partnering speaker cables. Whether Crystal, Nordost or mechanical sound of so many competing products. The 860A AudioQuest, moving up a model/size in terms of speaker wire v2 is definitely an archetypical MOON amp! always produced a disproportionate improvement. Show the

26 ISSUE 189 HEAR WHAT STREAMED MUSIC IS REALLY CAPABLE OF

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“In contrast, the jaunty clarity and upbeat rhythms... became so infectious they seem almost turbocharged.”

860’s output stage a cable with plenty of metal, and it’s going they seem almost turbocharged. Suppose transparency and to respond with all the gusto you’d expect – and then some. insight are lower down the MOON’s list of performance priorities. Amongst the partnering speakers, I found myself returning In that case, entertainment certainly isn’t and, if that judgement to the Gershman and Raidho models more often than not. Of of its character seems harsh, it perhaps refl ects a prolonged course, one advantage of pairing the MOON amps with their period spent enjoying the unforced clarity of (rather more fellow Canadians was that the Grande Avante Gardes allowed expensive) amps from CH Precision and my own VTL S400 II. me to ring the changes, stereo to mono to bi-amp – with Which makes what happened next all the more intriguing… interesting and for me at least, slightly unexpected results. Adding a second 860A v2 to the mix doubles the price, Running a single 860A in stereo mode was more than capable but doubles the options too – and for once I was surprised to of driving the wide-bandwidth and moderate effi ciency of discover a clear preference for the bridged mono set up over the Gershmans, producing a sound that put presence and the bi-amped arrangement. Yes, vertical bi-amping (using the an almost irresistible musical momentum ahead of clarity, two halves of a single amp to drive the upper and lower ranges defi nition and articulation. There’s no denying the appeal on a single speaker) brought serious benefi ts in terms of timing, of that unstoppable forward motion, but when it comes to space, focussed energy and a more natural, unforced musical tracks like The Pixies’ ‘Here Comes Your Man’, the music progression, but it couldn’t match the clarity, separation and pushes through the verse and chorus, the middle-eight and defi nition that came with the switch to mono. Running the the arrangement as a whole with such drive that some of the amps bridged restored the blunt notes in the Pixies bass line, complexity and layering in the mix gets smoothed over or just as it revealed the angular energy and physical effort in steamrollered en route. The chopped bass line that underpins Marco Ceccato’s bowing, the familiar vivacity in Gli Incogniti’s the chorus gets rounded off, the harmonies that shade the accompaniment of the Haydn Cello Concerto VIIb. In contrast, lead vocal are harder to pick. the bi-amped arrangement smoothed the cellist’s playing to In contrast, the jaunty clarity and upbeat rhythms of an almost violin-like quality that robbed the performance of its Vampire Weekend’s Father Of The Bride become so infectious captivating vitality.

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CHORDELECTRONICS.CO.UK EQUIPMENT REVIEW / SIMAUDIO MOON 860A V2

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Type: Dual mono uer ridgeale olidtate amplifi er Inputs: 1 pr single-ended RCA 1 pr balanced XLR Outputs: 1 pr 5-way binding posts/channel DC Coupling: User switchable Rated Output: 225W/Ch (8 Ohms); 450W/Ch (4 Ohms); 750W/Ch (8 Ohms bridged) Input Sensitivity: 1.2V Input Impedance: 47.5kOhms S/N Ratio: 110dB/full power output Gain: 31dB Dimensions (W×H×D): 476 × 192 × 445mm Shipping Weight: 40kg Finishes: Black, Silver, Black/Silver Price: £16,750

Manufacturer: simaudio.com

As a long-time fan of bi-amping (and sometime cynic UK Distributor: Renaissance Audio when it comes to bridging), I was surprised, to say the least. Edinburgh, Scotland But the results were consistent across all genres – if less URL: renaissanceaudio.co.uk so across different speakers. A brief trial with Living Voice Tel: +44 (0) 131 555 3922 Auditorium R25s (a less than ideal match but one that left the mono amps sounding heavy and leaden) confi rmed that results are going to be speaker-dependent, but that’s really the point. These amps don’t just let you choose – they let you This was an object lesson in just how much you can coax change your speakers or just change your mind, the kind of from a small set of speakers – if you give them the right circumstantial shifts that all too often come with serious price- encouragement. tags attached. Just be aware that it’s not a simple either/or MOON’s 860A v2 is an exciting and versatile beast, but it comparison. You will need to adjust the placement of your also stands apart. On the one hand, it cannot match – even in speakers for each amplifi cation option; such is their impact on mono mode – the unforced clarity and lucid communication low-frequency extension and presentation. of an amp like CH Precision’s M1.1. On the other, it doesn’t But the 860A v2s turned their most impressive trick with cost nearly as much. What it does offer is the sort of sheer the diminutive Raidho TD-1.2s. Big amps and little speakers is presence, musical momentum and colour that has become an old story in audio circles, but this was the most successful increasingly rare amongst the current generation of solid- pairing I’ve enjoyed since the ARC M300s fell in with the state amps – and which works spectacularly well with many Electa Amators! The MOON’s weight, presence, colour and of today’s loudspeakers. It might (sensibly) sacrifi ce ultimate scale seemed to graft effortlessly onto the Raidho’s dynamic transparency and resolution on the alter of the musical whole, discrimination and rhythmic articulation, the speaker’s subtlety but in one sense it stands astride, with one musical foot in the and resolution delivering just the structural skeleton that the past and the other equally fi rmly in the versatile, adaptable amps’ meat and two veg demand. Playing the recent Orfeo future. If the majority of remotely affordable, silicon-based Sibelius Violin Concerto, where the stereo amp tended to designs have got too clean, too tight and too up themselves, highlight Baiba Skride’s more dramatic and flamboyant this MOON quietly offers a welcome antidote. The fact that aspects, the mono amps brought forth not just her virtuosity it’s practical, reliable and versatile too is a generous layer of but the soul and depth in the playing, the scale of the acoustic icing on what is, by any measure, a pretty tasty and seriously and the power at the bottom end in the orchestral climaxes. substantial cake.

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Best Digital Hi-Fi £1,000 And Over 2019 EQUIPMENT REVIEW

Burmester B38 floorstanding loudspeaker

by Alan Sircom

urmester has, for most of its forty-plus years, been widely acknowledged as one of the pure-bred members of the High-Fidelity Royal Family. BThis reputation has helped gain its enviable position and brand recognition – lest we forget, it’s the top tier audio option in automobiles manufactured by fellow Teutonic Titans, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. However, there is far too much commitment to its home audio roots and the original vision of the late company founder, Dieter Burmester (1946–2015) for its concentration to veer too wide of the goalposts. Indeed, it remains probably the only audio company of its stature to be 100% privately owned by the family of the founder. This solid and untarnished reputation has been fi rmly established largely on the grounds of their impeccably designed, robustly built and muscular sounding audio electronics. Despite this somewhat (in) accurate perception, throughout much of the company’s tenure at the top of the audio game it has consistently designed, manufactured and introduced loudspeakers – many examples of which were/are very fi ne indeed, as a profusion of customers around the globe will testify. However, like many who have been around the block a bit in the audio game, I am loaded with preconceptions that were perhaps cemented in place years ago, and – in reality – deserve to stay in the past. So it is with Burmester loudspeakers; I couldn’t help feeling that every Burmester loudspeaker will have a treble, midrange, and bass that are impressive but unconnected. Every

33 ISSUE 189 EQUIPMENT REVIEW / BURMESTER B38

“I can’t bring myself to call it a ‘tweeter’ as it does so much more than simply ‘tweet’”

time I hear one, I realise that prejudice is impressive, highly desired ‘height’ of sound scale reminiscent of larger high- (was) rooted in the listener (me), not the end speakers. To avoid it being disproportionately high, the AMT (Air-Motion loudspeaker. There’s a salutary lesson worth Transformer) tweeter, favoured by Burmester’s top-end ‘speakers for many learning here, and not just in evaluating years, in this case, deploys a lower horizontal directivity to compensate for the loudspeakers. And there’s no better example overall cabinet height and to result in a wide (impressively so) sound stage. Also, of this lesson than the brand-newest design in another first, this AMT unit was designed in collaboration with Burmester from Burmester Audiosysteme, Berlin in the to employ a folded diaphragm in the centre of a very strong magnetic field. form of the B38. This conception was created to result in increased detail and transparency to The latest loudspeaker in the ‘B’ range combine with the wide staging of the directivity. (there exists the smaller B18 floorstander Further down the frequency range, we find a front-firing low/midrange unit and B10 standmount), this is one of those that was again explicitly designed for – and with – Burmester. This is a 170mm products that when seen in the flesh bears unit with a fibre-glass membrane conceived for very fast attack and delay little resemblance to the impression given on times and sonic clarity. This is partnered in each cabinet by an impressively paper. What first strikes you about this design sized 320mm side-firing bass drive unit, designed to be inward-facing. This is is the significant presence of it, yet its ability a long-throw but rigid woofer with a paper sandwich construction utilising a to almost ’hide’ in the room once you’re in very large neodymium magnet. front of it. This is due to the combination of Round the back, there is the option of bi-amping or bi-wiring with two a relatively slim profile hiding a speaker of sets of terminals, supplied with high quality bridging links for single amp/wire physical depth and substance with a simplistic adaptation. Less familiar is a switch located at the bottom rear featuring ‘+’ and yet highly attractive physical appearance. ‘-‘ symbols. This constitutes part of the speaker’s ‘tuning’ system that can be There are deliberately no monster-neck bolts utilised to compensate for room influence and/or resonance. I found it could or screws visible whatsoever and the dark also be used to tailor the sound to certain recordings’ failings or particular contrast finish of our pair results in both a genres (such as smaller-scale string music) – switching over to the ‘+’ setting classy and decidedly inoffensive exterior. on thinner acoustic or classical recordings gave the sound a tad more breadth You know immediately by the robust build and body without affecting the overall tonal balance. In addition, two rather quality, depth and height that it’s firmly in the significant ‘bungs’ are provided for tuning the substantial rear-firing ports ‘serious loudspeaker’ category yet remains according to room ‘liveliness’ or proximity to a rear wall, for example. Overall understated and room-friendly – as long as this makes the listening experience pleasingly flexible and tuneable without the room is medium-to-large, of course. It altering the sonic stamp of the B38. may not be the ideal choice for your average The very sturdy cabinet employs, like it’s smaller brother the B18, a shoebox central London studio dwelling, complex vibration damping system and FEM (Finite Elements Method) for example. Although not huge in stature technology in an extremely solid cabinet with a double-layered sidewall with (in high-end terms), each one weighs in at an integrated stainless steel ring for increased stability. The B38 also features 51kg, with a depth of 460mm, a slim width the precise spring-mass damping system for decoupling from the floor that is of 210mm and a not-insignificant looking also found in the B18. Standard finish colour variants are Black Matt, White height of 1165mm. Matt, American Walnut and Mid Grey. This height brings into focus one of Two traits have long identified the performance of a Burmester the contributing technological factors of the loudspeaker: The clean and extended treble from that excellent Air-Motion B38. When sitting in a listening position, Transformer high-frequency drive unit (I can’t bring myself to call it a ‘tweeter’ you notice that the height is somewhat taller as it does so much more than simply ‘tweet’), and the powerful, dynamic bass. than expected. This, again, is, of course, The latter is perhaps the most immediately obvious ‘signature’ to a Burmester a deliberate decision and results in that sound; understandably so because Dieter Burmester was at his heart a bass

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EQUIPMENT REVIEW / BURMESTER B38

player, and anything that didn’t ‘nail’ the very loud and without the foam bungs, it’s minimal (those deep bass notes are bottom end in a tuneful yet ‘meaty’ way didn’t almost low-frequency square waves and arrive fast enough for one beat to get his seal of approval. He would approve of be exiting the port while the next is waggling the bass driver). Tuning with the the B38; ‘King Tubby Meets The Rockers’ by bungs neutralised this effect in our listening room. At normal listening levels, Ernest Ranglin [Below The Bassline, Island] even without the foam bungs still, the bass exhibits little to no noticeable port is a mid-1990s slice of jazzed-up dub with ‘activity’; it’s simply there to give the bass more dynamism and energy in the – as the album title suggests – a fine reggae room. One important factor to mention regarding the bass response is to note bassline. Some loudspeakers fumble this, that – as in all the best high-end loudspeakers – it represents bass naturally. I’ll either absorbing the bass into the mix a little give an example of that sweeping and overused statement: in a good recording or presenting it as a one-note thrumming using a large orchestra employed by that of Mahler or Stravinsky, when a bass sound, where it should be gutsy and deep, drum is hit, be it fortissimo or piano, it sounds right. That is, not overblown or with each note taking on its own distinct an ‘event’ but strikingly impressive and visceral in scale and part of the overall ‘shape’ and tonality. And the B38 does picture. This sense of real low bass only when it is genuinely present always just that, so you always get the feeling of a sorts the men from the boys in loudspeaker design. master bass player at work. Moving across Similarly, that effortlessly free sounding, natural and extended treble to electronica and my pet ‘port-torturer’ that has long been a Burmester trait shines through, too. The easiest way of recording [‘Chameleon’ from The Last Resort highlighting this is to play a well-recorded, pure-sounding, articulate mezzo- by Trentemøller on Poker Flat records], it’s soprano, and there are few examples better than Joyce DiDonato singing the clear there is some very clever engineering ‘Tu sola, o mia Giulietta…’ from Act 2 of Bellini’s I Capuleti e I Montecci [Stella inside this cabinet because although there is de Napoli, Erato]. In fairness, the beauty of her voice shines through on laptop a slight touch of port congestion when played loudspeakers, but here it simply takes flight. Her voice retains the articulation

36 ISSUE 189 Yesterday Today Tomorrow

Leave Dynaudio engineers alone with a speaker and they’ll make it better. They just can’t help themselves. And they love nothing more than improving a legend.

With new tweeters, new woofers, new crossovers – and new thrills – Contour i takes all you’ve loved about the family since 1986, adds 2020 knowhow, and brings your music back to life.

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Contour i EQUIPMENT REVIEW / BURMESTER B38

“This is not a loudspeaker that can be TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ‘grown into’” Type: a a ree Drive Units: 1× Burmester/AMT folded diaphragm, 1× mm firegla midrange, 1× 320mm paper and precision she is rightfully lauded for, with that remarkable range and clarity sandwich construction woofer she manages to impart. And, through the B38, all of that comes through with Crossover: 150Hz / 2400Hz little or no attenuation; toward the end of the aria, the orchestra fades until it Frequency Response: 37 Hz–33000 Hz is just her and a French horn, and through the B38 this comes across as part Nominal Impedance: accompaniment, part conversation, where most simply make this ‘singer + Sensitivity: 86dB @2.83 V/ 1m horn’ with no great capacity for understanding the musical intent. The upper Dimensions: (W×D×H) 210 × 460 × 1165 echelon of loudspeakers can get past the surface ‘reading’ of the aria and get Weight: 51.5kg to that aforementioned musical interplay, and the B38 joins that select and Finishes: Black Matt, White Matt, illustrious few. With all types of recordings and genres, the overall imaging of American Walnut, Mid Grey the B38 really shines through. As I tend to find in most speakers with inward Price: £16,800 firing drive units the bass (when centred in the mix) is impressively solid and central. Vocals and midrange information from higher frequency percussion is Manufacturer: Burmester Home Audio exceptional in both detail and imaging, too with real jaw-dropping precision to GmbH the performance. URL: burmester.de I feel I am almost unconsciously slipping back into describing the B38 in terms of frequencies – and the qualities of individual drive units rather than as a gestalt, where one of the most striking things about the Burmester B38 is the way it ties everything together. There is a fine sense of musical integration This is not a loudspeaker that can be ‘grown and coherence across the musical spectrum; both in terms of frequency into’ with a relatively ho-hum integrated amp response and when moving from genre to genre. That’s not simply matching and the promise of future upgrades. Drive it drive units, although, in sheer frequency response terms, that is an important appropriately, and the B38 is exciting and consideration. It’s more about the loudspeaker’s overall coherency; if you move impressive (we utilised Burmester’s own, of from Albinoni to Zappa in one clunky gear-shift, you need a loudspeaker that is course perfectly matched, 032 integrated capable of detail, refinement, and – depending on the Zappa album – unbridled amplifier which has plenty of juice and a dynamic range and energy. It helps too that the B38 has that aforementioned powerful, smooth sound); take a couple of excellent sense of ‘out of the box’ imaging (which presented a wide sound in steps down the amplifier ladder and this will front of the loudspeakers and gradually grew deeper behind the speaker as not be the case. (Of course, this madness they ‘burnt-in’ after prolonged listening) and truly exceptional solidity. And, if would be akin to donning a pair of John that Zappa album is the three-album Joe’s Garage [Zappa Records], it also Lobb’s finest with a supermarket suit!) needs to be entertaining. Under the gaze of the Central Scrutinizer, it’s clear Ultimately, the sound of the Burmester the B38 takes its job seriously… but not too seriously. Listening is a genuinely B38 is exciting, dynamic, impressive and enveloping and exciting event. involving, but it is also coherent, effortless and To summarise in one phrase: this is an excellent loudspeaker for high-end has a seriously kick-ass bass line. It’s a stark performance in real-world listening rooms – but size and partnering electronics reminder that the company can – and does should be considered. The ‘Goldilocks’ room sizes are anything from about – make involving sounding loudspeakers 4×6m to 6×8m (with ‘appropriate’ ceiling heights); while there is some tailoring that match (and better) specialist designs available in the rear control, put the B38 in a significantly smaller room and it from dedicated manufacturers. It does need could overpower it, and in a considerably larger room, you may need some some driving, and those who like that soft, reinforcement and an opening of the sound by disposing of the foam port tuning warm sound often (mis)attributed to valve bungs and flicking that rear switch over to ‘+’. However, this is true of every amplification may not enjoy that presentation, loudspeaker, and the B38 never tries to bend physics by breaking the sound. but most others will find an awful lot to love Similarly, amplification is crucial, both in terms of power delivery and reserve. about the B38.

38 ISSUE 189 MOON 680D – 600i v2 40th Anniversary Limited Edition

[email protected] Distributed in the UK and Ireland by www.renaissanceaudio.co.uk

EQUIPMENT REVIEW

Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Baby Grand Reference Loudspeakers

by Roy Gregory

here is a perplexing and occasionally bizarre dichotomy that exists at the heart of audio fashion and, by extension (or perhaps as a Tresult of) reviewing. The products that get the most attention seem to fall into two opposing camps: those that are (or claim to be) so cutting-edge that they risk injuring themselves or anybody coming into contact with them, and those that rely on some obsolescent (and preferably unobtainable) technology or component. Barely a month goes by without some new, all-conquering plasma coating or NOS tube being touted as the latest big thing. But while marketing men and manufacturers alike, love to love a silver bullet solution, more often than not it’s those products that stand astride the middle ground of proven technology and established engineering that actually deliver the most balanced performance and the greatest musical satisfaction – and in no part of the market is this more obvious than loudspeakers. At first glance, the latest models from Vienna Acoustics, the very essence of a company with a “ploughing their own furrow, established technology, gradual evolutionary” approach to product development, might appear to have made a grab for the tail-board of the latest passing band-wagon – what with their talk of “composite-cone” drivers. But for once, the oft-used (and almost as often misused) description is as accurate in the engineering sense as the benefits are real

41 ISSUE 189 EQUIPMENT REVIEW / VIENNA ACOUSTICS BEETHOVEN BABY GRAND REFERENCE

“These used silk dome tweeters surrounded by flat diaphragms, stiffened with carefully profiled, radial buttresses”

in the musical sense. With not a potential poisonous metal, which to work. Several years ago, Vienna introduced their diamond coating, ceramic cone or carbon-fibre in sight, new X3P formulation and used it to create coincident, treble/ Vienna Acoustics have, nonetheless, managed to advance midrange drivers for their flagship designs. These used silk the performance of their in-house drivers significantly. Also, dome tweeters surrounded by flat diaphragms, stiffened with they have hiked the performance bar in what is arguably the carefully profiled, radial buttresses, visible through the clear most competitive area of the audio market as a whole. Meet plastic faces, an arrangement that eliminated many of the the Beethoven References, speakers that 250 years after acoustic and phase related issues that bedevil more traditional their namesake’s birth could (and probably should) do to the coincident designs. world of mid-priced, floorstanding loudspeakers what he did The drivers in the Beethovens take things a further, to classical music. generational step forwards, introducing flat “spider cones” Amidst all the marketing, mechanical and materials moulded from the latest X4P polymer compound into both mayhem, Vienna Acoustics has long been an island of reliable if mid and bass units for use in the company’s more affordable singular sanity. Their designs have always been long on proven speakers, where they are paired with their established 28mm approaches and carefully chosen materials, cost-effective coated silk dome tweeter. Just how clever these drivers are construction and niceties that actually matter – factors that can be seen in the complex profiling of those buttresses, combine to create finished products that offer performance whose depth, shape and thickness is frequency specific to that’s as exceptional and deliverable as the fit and finish is the driver’s purpose, engineered to create a perfectly even, understated and remarkable for the price. But even by their phase-coherent impulse response across the entire surface. exacting standards, Vienna’s latest offerings are more than just Having three dimensions to work in (rather than just the profile a little bit special. The fact that they embody a (slightly tongue and thickness of a cone), allows for remarkable manipulation in cheek) sideswipe at their more technologically ostentatious of the mechanical characteristics of the diaphragm and, just or constipated brethren broadens the smile they bring to this as importantly, the precision and repeatability with which its listener’s face. The term “composite” might conjure images output and roll-off can be controlled. of carbon-fibre and stealth fighters, but in engineering terms But where things get really interesting is in the centre of it’s a far more broad-based concept than that. A composite each diaphragm. The drivers feature large, 5cm voice coils, construction is one that employs more than one material, be meaning that the central area becomes a major contributor that steel-reinforced concrete or glass fibre – the end-product to the driver’s output, especially at the upper end of its extending the mechanical properties of the individual elements frequency range. Rather than a conventional dust cap, Vienna involved – the very essence of the whole exceeding the sum has opted for a carefully calculated inverted dome, formed of its parts. When Vienna Acoustics dubbed their latest driver from fabric, double-coated on its reverse side to create a construction as composite, they were being almost prosaically symbiotic extension of the radiating surface, two elements that accurate, the driver’s diaphragm combining two distinct mechanically and acoustically act as one. This helps control materials to achieve a single goal. the upper frequencies generated by the driver and improves Vienna is one of the few companies still working with dispersion, making the transition between different frequency modified polypropylene compounds for their bass and mid ranges far smoother and more contiguous, easing the job units. It might be deeply unfashionable these days, but nobody of the crossover and minimising the single biggest flaw in all said that fashion makes sense, and in this case, it ignores both multi-way, dynamic loudspeakers – irrespective of price. the physical and mechanical advantages of the material. By But there are plenty of designs out there with clever carefully selecting additives, a designer can stiffen or damp the drive-units. What makes the Beethovens so unique is that polymer, a physical quality reinforced by the ability to mould these clever drive units are mated to cabinets and crossovers it into complex shapes. Combine that with advanced FEA that embody Vienna’s already superb attention to detail. The techniques, and you’ve got a highly tuneable material with enclosures might be essentially conventional, but the materials

42 ISSUE 189 FrontRo Hybrid Electrostatic Loudspeaker Designed for real rooms. Recreating the live sound experience.

FrontRo is a hybrid electrostatic loud speaker that is designed and hand-built in England, using locally sourced materials and joinery, and embodies fresh design theory.

After years of research and refinement, FrontRo uses the Oscillating sphere concept to radiate sound as uniformly as possible in all directions, like dropping a pebble in a pond.

“the FrontRo shows how poor many loudspeakers are at repro- It immerses you in reflected sound ducing the human voice, but it’s not simply designed for speech as well as direct sound and thus replay; a loudspeaker that gets the human voice right tends to creates a holographic sound image get music right, and unless you are a fan of trouser- flapping, - unique amongst high-end speakers filling-loosening organ music or genres that include the word ‘dub’ played in barn-sized rooms, this is the antidote to rectangular for the true audiophile. wooden boxes and the limits they impose on sound.”

Paul Messenger. Hi Fi +

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are exactingly selected, the venting, bracing and internal There are two Beethoven models, both three-way damping is exhaustively optimised, and the construction on designs, the larger Concert Grand with three 7” bass units the inside is every bit as consistent as the fi t and fi nish on and the Baby Grand reviewed here, with two 6” bass drivers. the outside is fl awless. To which you can add the familiar, In audio, size defi nitely matters, but building on Vienna’s substantial, alloy outriggers together with the vast yet elegant well-established reputation for developing useable, high- and easily adjustable spikes from the Liszt, a set of Vienna’s quality bandwidth from surprisingly compact enclosures, the excellent binding posts and magnetically fi xed grilles that smaller Beethoven won’t leave you feeling short-changed. offer protection that’s so easy to remove and replace that, In fact, in many ways, it matches the quality (if not the easy well… why wouldn’t you? What you end up with is a potent breathing scale) of its bigger brother, in a smaller and easier combination of careful innovation, proven engineering, to accommodate package. On paper, you are giving up 1dB attention to detail and sheer practicality that doesn’t just of sensitivity and 5Hz of extension, but short of a side-by- promise performance, it actually delivers it. This cocktail side comparison, you’re not going to miss them, testament to of musical capability and sheer practicality is what Vienna the Baby’s beautifully balanced voicing. However, what those Acoustics seems to nail so effortlessly – and is what has numbers do hide is that other Vienna attribute, a preference always allowed their speakers to deliver so impressively. But for power. Both Beethovens are rated as 4 Ohm loads. If in terms of pound for pound performance, the Beethovens are Vienna suggests a 40 Watt minimum amplifi er requirement their most impressive achievement yet. for the Baby Grand, I’d suggest nearer to 100 Watts if you

44 ISSUE 189 www.vimberg.de

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Distributed by www.kogaudio.com [email protected] KOG AUDIO 024 7722 0650 EQUIPMENT REVIEW / VIENNA ACOUSTICS BEETHOVEN BABY GRAND REFERENCE

“Their characteristic family sound has a always been long and smooth, integrated sound and a rich tonal palette...”

want to really appreciate what they can deliver. I used both the sense of solidity and physical volume. This sonorous musical Levinson 585 and Gryphon Diablo 120 to considerable effect, authority is both planted and, when called upon, explosive. as well as the even more powerful Moon 860 v2 mono-blocs. It encompasses both Benedetti Michelangeli’s deft fluidity The results with the Canadian powerhouses were undoubtedly and impressive power and Uchida’s delicacy, precision impressive, but so too were those achieved with the high-end and sublime phrasing. But you’ll hear the benefits on every integrateds, amplifiers which together with the Baby Grands recording, from the winsome vocals and retro-tech production offer source-plus system solutions of remarkable performance of Vampire Weekend’s Father Of The Bride to the elegiac swell for the combined price. of Barbirolli’s Enigma Variations, punctuated by its percussive Experience with other Vienna speakers has instilled cannonades and wind accents. The soundstage on the healthy respect both for their capabilities and the care needed venerable EMI recording is deep and the perspective natural. to realise them fully. Their characteristic family sound has You’ll hear speakers that are more obviously transparent, with always been long and smooth, integrated sound and a rich more explicit separation, but few if any of those will match tonal palette underpinned and filled out by extended bottom- the Baby Grand’s spatial, musical and rhythmic coherence end extension. It’s a balance of virtues that cost you efficiency – or its rich tonal colours. The Viennas’ overall balance and but reward you with natural warmth, weight, scale and natural tonality are remarkably convincing, their dynamic presence. But even by Vienna Acoustic’s standards, the Baby response sufficient (and sufficiently discriminating) to bring Grand delivers superb, seamless integration, a quality that immediacy and impact to musical interjections, intimacy and contributes directly to a more natural and impressive sense body to vocals. However, they do not allow those musical of weight and musical coherence. Considering its modest moments to break free from and shatter the coherence of the cabinet dimensions and the limited swept area of its paired acoustic space, the illusion of the live event. Not so long ago, bass-units, this speaker has a greater sense of power, scale this level of spatial and dynamic control and coherence was and musical purpose than it has any right to deliver. Yet deliver the exclusive preserve of much more expensive designs. Now, it does, irrespective of the nature or genre of the recording, the Baby Grand achieves it with the sort of nonchalance that the size of or energy emanating from the band. It has an allows it to pass virtually unnoticed, just another part of the uncanny ability to sound like real people in a real space, but natural musical fabric – unless you go looking for it. that doesn’t mean it shies away from synthesised sound or That sense of scale and power is just as effective on the studio effects. Just bear in mind that that solid, purposeful, swelling, throbbing synths that underpin music as diverse as engaging and convincing sound depends on working with the Birdy or Nils Petter Molvaer’s brooding classic, Khmer. The speakers’ positioning, attitude and height off the floor until the sheer substance behind a track like ‘Wings’ or the subtle bass weight and extension supports rather than embarrasses patterns and prods that drive the jaunty rhythms of ‘Maybe’ the rest of the range. You’ll get close quite quickly, but there’s give The Fire Within the sort of emotional connection and a (perhaps) natural tendency to over-voice the bottom end, impact that you usually only experience with far larger and and that’s where the excellent spikes really come into their much more expensive systems. But they also hint at the own, allowing you to lift the cabinets a quarter turn at a time impressive dimensionality, natural size and intimacy with which until you dial in the bottom end. the Baby Grand can invest an exposed vocal. Birdy might Once you do, it binds all that weight and body generated possess an impressive voice for a teenager, but it can still by the slim cabinets to the rest of the range, which produces lack power – especially if the system lets it. The Viennas hold the sense of presence and dimensionality so characteristic her vocal utterly stable and render it solid, that seamlessly of Vienna’s speakers – except that in the case of the Baby integrated bass filling out and supporting the broad mid-band, Grand you get a whole new understanding of power and just like the theory says it should. It’s this sense of integration purpose too. It’s perhaps appropriate that you’ll hear it most that allows the Baby Grand to do not just impressive scale and obviously on piano recordings, the instrument taking on a power, but communication and immediacy too. It’s a musically

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EQUIPMENT REVIEW / VIENNA ACOUSTICS BEETHOVEN BABY GRAND REFERENCE

“All of a sudden, a few genuinely exceptional speakers have hit the market, shattering the glass ceiling...”

potent combination of virtues and one that allows the speaker it will reward you with a performance that is as satisfying and to spread its largesse across almost any genre, but also to musically compelling as it is astonishingly impressive. embrace nearly any recording. Audiophile discs are going Some speakers do big and there are speakers that do to sound great, but as Birdy so ably demonstrates, musical enthusiastic. Some speakers do presence and others that do power will always trump a modest, studio recording, while startling immediacy. Then some do seamless and those that various bootlegs served up the requisite drama and energy, do colour. But the best speakers do enough of everything: despite their limited quality and bandwidth. go deep enough and loud enough, with enough clarity and If you want a single phrase to encapsulate the Baby musical coherence to actually convince. They let the music Grand’s character and achievement, then you could do worse step away from the speakers and into the room. They than “punching above its weight.” It captures both the way bring the performance to you and you to the performance. the speaker has jolted the price/performance equation and the They have always been few and far between and invariably manner in which it’s done it. With its almost physical sense somewhere the wrong side of expensive – until now. All of a of musical coherence, its ability to present the engaging, sudden, a few genuinely exceptional speakers have hit the communicative quality in a performance, but above all, its market, shattering the glass ceiling that’s restricted affordable uncanny grasp of musical purpose, it has, in a single step, speaker performance. Vienna Acoustics’ Baby Grand is the usurped the role of high-end stand-mounts and junior tip of that wedge, setting the pace and setting the standard. floorstanders alike. Where once we aspired to those semi- This is one speaker where you need to trust your ears. Hear affordable, trickle-down designs from the high-priced brands them doing their thing, and like me, you really won’t believe that consider themselves loudspeaker royalty, their appeal has your eyes – whether you are looking at that slim cabinet or just been eclipsed by not so much a trickle-up as a tidal surge the price ticket hanging from it. Prepare to be surprised – and in ambitious models from manufacturers who excel in delivering impressed: very impressed indeed! affordable performance. Riding the crest of that wave, you’ll find the Baby Grand, the larger, more capable and even more demanding Concert Grand and the various Auditorium models TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS from Living Voice, especially the most affordable of them all, the R25. It should come as no surprise and is certainly no Type: reea loudpeaer it rear ree loading coincidence that all three are evolutions of existing models – Drier omplement 1× ienna outi mm albeit evolutions that provide a step-change in performance. soft-dome tweeter; 1× ienna outi mm Between them these latest incarnations of established ompoite midrange drier × ienna outi designs threaten to alter the loudspeaker landscape, ripping mm ompoite a drier up the rule-book, defying fashion and ultimately shifting the andidt d expectations of customers shopping in what is already the enitiit d most fiercely competitive area of the market. The R25 is the mpedane m most affordable of the three and with its higher sensitivity Dimenion ×H×D): × × mm inl pie and benign load, the easiest to drive. The Baby Grands cost × ootprint more, deliver more and demand more – distinctions that will eigt g ea probably dictate your choice. Just don’t be fooled by the rie numbers. On paper the Vienna speaker boasts an extra 2Hz of low-frequency extension; in practice, the bottom-end is anuaturer ienna outi significantly deeper, weightier and more powerful. That means Tel: that it mandates greater control from the driving amplifier and URL: iennaaoutiom more real-estate in which to breathe. But feed it properly, and

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INTRODUCING

BY

“...a winning combination of excellent “...capable of breathtaking transient engineering and exceptional execution” clarity and soundstage transparency”

Dick Olsher The Absolute Sound, October 2020

OSWALDSMILLAUDIO.COM FLEETWOODSOUND.COM EQUIPMENT REVIEW

Primare R35 solid-state, MM/MC phono stage

by Jason Kennedy

oad settings on a phono stage are rather like filter in dedicated MC stages. Interestingly it’s higher still via the settings on DACs; not everyone bothers to try XLR output at 76dB. There are no fewer than 21 options for them out, yet their effects can be pretty dramatic. resistance loading as well, probably the most comprehensive The degree of effect is often more apparent with range I’ve seen, these start at 10 ohm for MC and rise to the phono stages than it is with DACs, but in both 47 kohm generally used for MM. Unusually there is another Lcases, it’s always worth trying the available options. The new option for MM at 2.5 kohm, which I believe can work well with Primare R35 has more loading options than most for both some high output moving coils. main cartridge types, and the differences encountered were Terry Medalen at Primare was in charge of ‘voicing’ the fairly obvious, but I’m getting ahead of myself. R35, which is a posh word for tweaking the design so that The R35 replaces the R32 at the top of Primare’s small it sounds just so. There are numerous components inside a selection of standalone phono stages, and there is just one piece of electronics like this. A capacitor, say from one brand, other model, the R15. The R35 has both XLR and RCA output will sound different to one from another company, even if the connections, but limits input to RCAs alone as this is what construction type and values are the same. Therefore Terry is 99.9% of tonearms have on their output cables. It’s slightly in effect the final stage of a design process that began with ironic that a cartridge device that has an intrinsically balanced engineer Bent Nielsen creating the four-layer circuit board output, rarely has XLR connections but that does make life a topology and MM circuitry of the R35 and sourcing the power little easier for phono stage makers. I think I’ve only seen one supply and MC stage from specialists. The power supply is or two with balanced inputs in several decades of reviewing. a linear, discrete type based around a toroidal transformer in Primare designed the R35 for use with ‘virtually any’ MM a mu-metal case. Many phono stages separate the power or MC cartridge and has a wide range of loading options to supply in a second box to stop noise polluting the very low- cater for both types. It also has three levels of gain, one of level signal being amplified, so this degree of shielding is which is 70dB, higher than that typically encountered even necessary. More shielding is provided for the power supply

51 ISSUE 189 EQUIPMENT REVIEW / PRIMARE R35

“For me the most excellent thing about the design of the R35 is in its power switch: it’s so discrete that I had to find it in the manual...”

and processor boards on the R35 because noise is the enemy and in the past I’ve found that it needs as much gain as the of sound quality in a phono stage to a greater extent than any phono stage can offer. So listening commenced with the other audio component. Primare set at maximum gain. However, while the results with For me the most excellent thing about the design of the this setting were very good in many respects - the low noise R35 is its power switch: it’s so discrete that I had to find it in of the stage being evident from the start which meant that the manual, which reveals that the centre block of the front plenty of detail came through - it was somewhat hard-edged panel logo is not just there for looks. You can use the power with an undue emphasis on leading notes. This was good switch to defeat the auto-off feature as well: press it in for two for the solidity of bass but not so appealing higher up the flashes of the triangular white LED and the R35 will stay on band where the sound lacked the finesse that I know this until you press the button again. The back panel has the gain turntable and cartridge are capable of. Even my digital source switches for the two cartridge types, as well as a subsonic filter had better musical flow: it was more relaxed. So I reduced the for warped or noisy vinyl and even trigger connections for a gain, and this helped a bit, making a live recording of Sarathay fully synched system. If you want to change the resistance for Korwar’s band sound particularly good in its quieter moments MM or MC, it’s necessary to remove thumbscrews that hold (My East is Your West, Gearbox). But there seemed to be metal covers over a line of dip switches, which is an unusual something missing still, so I contrasted the Primare with a move but saves having to get inside the box as has been the Tom Evans Microgroove, a dedicated MC stage with fixed case with other brands in the past. Supplied with the R35 is a gain. This produced a much bigger sonic picture in width and polarity checking device and batteries to suit. You can use this depth where there was more space for all the instruments in to ensure that the mains is in the correct polarity, but only in the mix. I checked its settings and found the resistance to be a country where it’s possible to turn the mains plug around in at 189 ohms. the wall, e.g. Europe and the US. In the UK you would have to Going back to the R35 and changing its resistance to 200 rewire the 13A plug to do that (not recommended). However, ohms really opened things up, greatly enhancing timing and if your mains power is wired correctly it will be in phase when making the sound a lot more relaxed and easy to enjoy. Jeff it gets to the IEC plug, at least that was the case for me. Beck’s version of ‘Cause we’ve Ended as Lovers’ (Blow by The first cartridge I connected to the R35 was Rega’s Blow, Epic) being particularly sublime. Out of interest, I tried Aphelion 2 moving coil installed in a Rega P10 turntable. The the 150 ohm setting. This shrank the soundstage to the point spec for this states that it needs a 100 ohm input impedance where it was mainly between the speakers but it did enhance

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EQUIPMENT REVIEW / PRIMARE R35

“I pushed resistance up to the 1 kohm mark and found that the vocal now had a spooky realism”

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Type: Solid-state, MM/MC phono stage Phono inputs: One pair single-ended (via RCA jacks) Analogue outputs: One pair single-ended (via RCA jacks), one pair balanced (via XLR connectors) Gain: 36 to 76dB (adjustable) Input resistance: 10 Ohm–47kOhm (adjustable) Input capacitance: 100pF to 1nF (adjustable) Output impedance: 100 Ohms (via RCA jacks), 200 Ohms (via XLR connectors) Output level: 2Vrms (nominal), 9Vrms (maximum) RIAA linearity: +/- 0.2dB Distortion: THD + Noise MM <0.02% 20Hz–20kHz, MC <0.03% 20Hz–20kHz Signal to Noise Ratio: MM 85dB, MC 76dB 1KHz A-weighted 0.5mV input Gain Dimensions (H×W×D): 92 × 430 × 384mm Weight: 9.5kg the attack of the snare drum, so I went for 180 ohms and Price: £1350 found the sweet spot resistance for the Aphelion 2. Now it delivered depth of image, excellent timing and a good Manufacturer: Primare AB midpoint between focus and scale. At this stage the pure funk URL: primare.net of Beck’s rendition of Stevie Wonder’s tune became palpable. Thiago Nassif’s Mente (Gearbox, see review in the back of this UK Distributor: Karma Audio Visual issue), has a tight and punchy sound and that remained - the Tel: +44(0)1423 358846 kick drum still whacks you - but there was so much reverb URL: karma-av.co.uk around the voice and huge dynamic contrast. You get the muscularity without it threatening to bludgeon your ears. I tried a different MC cartridge in the Van den Hul Colibri XGP. This specifies a resistance setting between 500 ohm and Hennepin’ had an ethereal presence from another time and 1 kohm so I set the Primare up at the lower figure and gave it place. Who needs poetry when you’ve got: “I’ve seen it all a spin. The Colibri is a much smoother and sweeter cartridge through the yellow windows of the evening train”? with juicy bass and higher output than the Rega: if you want The Primare R35 is that rare thing: an audio component the full vinyl warmth vibe, then it will be right up your alley. with a lot of features that also sounds exceptionally revealing. After my early resistance setting experience, I tried upping the Usually, it’s one or the other, so getting both in a professionally setting to 600 ohm. I discovered that the sound could be more executed package with some superior styling touches at a physical with outstanding vocals on Raindogs (Tom Waits, sensible price is quite an achievement. Even more so for a Island) and lovely tone across the board, underpinned by a product that’s designed, QC’d and shipped in Sweden, it’s weighty double bass. In for a penny, I pushed resistance up to hard to see how they do it. I take my hat off to Primare. The the 1 kohm mark and found that the vocal now had a spooky R35 is a stonking phono stage that probably does work with realism that felt like Waits was in the room. The song ‘9th and any MM or MC cartridge.

54 ISSUE 189 With incredible r esolution, power and poise, McIntosh’s newest creations, the C8 valve preamplifier and MC830 solid-state monaural amplifier form a formidable hybrid system that delivers on every level.

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Chord Electronics ULTIMA 5 stereo power amplifier

by Simon Lucas

t the risk of stating the obvious, these are 2018’s Étude stereo power amplifier (part of the company’s turbulent times. Little in life can be confidently relatively compact ‘Choral’ range) indicated that Chord relied upon. So, it is, perhaps, more gratifying Electronics still fancied itself capable of advancing the art of than it really should be, to find the unflappable analogue amplification, though. Building on three decades Chord Electronics forging serenely ahead on a of research and engineering from Essex University, Bell Labs pathA unsullied by U-turns, flip-flops or ‘alternative facts’. and some characteristically single-minded development from Lately, of course, Chord Electronics has been making all Chord Electronics’ founder, owner, CEO and chief designer sorts of disruptive waves with its digital products. Combining John Franks, it features fearsomely complex and advanced giddily high standards of performance with reliably ‘interesting’ topology. And no less perceptive a soul than Mr Editor Sircom product names, Chord Electronics’ range of DACs, streamers himself noted during his review that “I suspect Étude will unlock and upscalers has given the company plenty of exposure in the several far bigger amps from the brand”. audio mainstream. But all this (very successful) activity on the Which brings us to this ULTIMA 5 stereo power amplifier. New Digital Frontier has also provided a distinct impression that It is, without a doubt, a far bigger amp – and, as the successor analogue amplification (Chord Electronics’ core business from to the storied SPM 1200 MkII power amp, has significant the very first) was being somewhat neglected. After all, there shoes to fill. seems precious little room for innovation in a sector where even ULTIMA amplifier topology is geared towards power, the most recent technological legwork was done decades ago. speed and high peak output current. It’s also designed to drive

57 ISSUE 189 EQUIPMENT REVIEW / CHORD ELECTRONICS ULTIMA 5

“...it delivers all of the necessary separation, focus and spring-heeled responsiveness”

even wilfully demanding loudspeakers, to deliver instantaneous Once powered up and left powered up, the ULTIMA 5 power with low distortion, and to allow no degradation to gets mildly warm – but it’s not a substitute for a central heating signal fidelity. To this end, the ULTIMA 5 topology incorporates system in the way some less civilised designs can be. And Chord Electronics’ dual-feed-forward error-correction circuitry once powered up and amplifying music (from any source and features a total of 64 proprietary lateral-structure dual-die than can be fed in via Naim’s UnitiQute 2 as a preamplifier, for MOSFETS (these transistors are continuously monitored using most of this review, though, those were Clearaudio’s Concept output-stage error-correction circuitry). The fully balanced turntable and Leema Acoustics’ Elements phono stage), this input circuitry features temperature compensation and DC- power amp strikes such a winning sonic balance between tracking servos, while the drive circuitry amplifier operates at ‘civilised’ and ‘feral’ that it makes every listen a lights-down/ a more-than-decent 300 volts per microsecond. volume-up occasion. Naturally, this would no more be a Chord Electronics The innards of the ULTIMA 5 are explicitly designed to product if it didn’t feature some singular aesthetic touches facilitate supremely fast dynamic response and flawless timing on the outside than if it wasn’t notably engineered on the accuracy (as well as, of course, bottomless reserves of power). inside. So, ULTIMA 5 is 22kg of assertively CNC-machined To that end, a 180g vinyl pressing of Bert Jansch’s Avocet aluminium, fronted by a new fascia that’s fully 28mm thick. [Earth Recordings] seems as testing a place as any to start. The polycarbonate power button in the centre illuminates in Here’s a recording that percolates calmly, alive with the same slightly medicinal blue/green as the exposed viscera virtuoso musicianship yet staunchly unshowy, and heavily beneath the perforated area of the top plate. The overall reliant on the interplay between its three protagonists. The impression is that of something HG Wells might have used ULTIMA 5 delivers all of the necessary separation, focus as a slow cooker. and spring-heeled responsiveness that allow the greater- Connectivity on the rear panel is a) surrounded by then-the-sums-of-its-parts ensemble to drive the recording heat-sinking just as purposeful as the rest of the enclosure forward – Jansch’s trademark rolling picking creates the and, b) consists of balanced and unbalanced inputs, a kind of momentum more readily associated with avalanches. pair of high-current speaker terminals and a 12v trigger. Throughout, the authority of the Chord Electronics’ power Even at comfortably more than nine grand, there’s nothing amp is never in question – and when Danny Thompson else a two-channel power amplifier needs. Not in terms of takes an extraordinarily accomplished and complex upright socketry, anyway. bass solo during Bittern, the ULTIMA 5 demonstrates all the

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EQUIPMENT REVIEW / CHORD ELECTRONICS ULTIMA 5

“it doesnt make any demands on TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS you in terms of the type of music Type: la liding ia tereo poer amplifier you prefer to listen to” Analogue inputs: One pair gold-plated unbalanced RCA jacks; one pair gold-plated balanced XLR jacks; one 12v trigger input (Chord Electronics speed, extension and dexterity required to track him faithfully. auto-start) The edges of individual notes, their attack and decay, is Analogue outputs: One pair high-current gold-plated crisply described. speaker terminals A recording like this, that’s built around woodily organic Power output: 300 watts RMS per channel @ 0.005% THD instruments (Jansch’s guitar and occasional piano, Thompson’s into 8 Ohms upright bass and Martin Jenkins’ flute, violin and mandocello), Bandwidth: (-1dB) 0.5Hz–100kHz allows the ULTIMA 5 to demonstrate not only its reserves Sensitivity: ot peified of power and deep-breathing dynamic potential but also its Distortion: As above mastery of tone and timbre. There’s a newly minted quality Signal to Noise Ratio: -100dB to the way the Chord Electronics’ power amp delivers this Damping factor: between 5,000- 12,000 recording, a bright cleanliness to the sound that’s reminiscent Dimensions (H×W×D): 150 × 420 × 360mm (as reviewed, of a sympathetically restored painting. All the finest details, with optional side blocks) whether of the tiny impact of a cuff-button on a guitar body Weight: 22.4kg or the second-stage harmonic details concerning differences Price: £9250 in fretting, are presented in the most naturalistic manner. They’re not distractions, nor do they suggest the ULTIMA 5 Manufacturer/distributor: Chord Electronics is analytical just for the sake of it – rather they’re simply small, URL: chordelectronics.co.uk but important, components of a much bigger overall picture. Tel: +44(0) 1622 721444 Exhibiting deft musicality is all well and good, of course, but to fully justify its price the ULTIMA 5 needs to be able to rough it should the necessity arise. Dogrel by Fontaines D.C. is a classic ‘everything-louder-than-everything-else’ indie time, it’s hard to know how the amp’s presentation could be thrashathon, all poetic disaffection and haircuts that seem so any more complete. severely out of fashion they’re almost certainly at fashion’s In short, then, the Chord Electronics’ ULTIMA 5 is cutting edge. There’s precious little by way of light and shade monumentally capable. It has a reasonably uncommon here. But there’s more than enough bug-eyed drive to make combination of on-paper promise (all that innovative up for it. And without sacrificing any of its poise or its powers engineering, all those colossal numbers), visual drama of organisation, the Chord Electronics’ power amp rolls its (especially if you’re into the whole steampunk/Alan Moore sleeves up and piles in. aesthetic) and implacable performance that makes the asking This is a recording that doesn’t have much need for the price look as if entirely reasonable. It certainly doesn’t make ULTIMA 5’s refinement, but it makes full use of the dynamism any demands of you in terms of the type of music you prefer that’s on offer here. Even though this album sounds like to listen to; the ULTIMA 5 plays no favourites and is as happy it’s in the red from the first note to the last, the amp gives to explain the motivations of a king-sized symphony orchestra every competing element a bit of breathing space (a little like in full attack mode, as it is those of a rapper with a sampler Moe yelling “spread out!” as he attempts to separate Larry and an 808. and Curly) and positions the vocals in a helpful pocket of If you value energy as much as precision in the way space at the front of the stage. None of this happens at the your music is described, if you value precision as much as expense of integration or unity of performance. However – scale, and if you value scale as much as insight, well… the despite the ULTIMA 5’s ability to individualise each strand of Chord Electronics ULTIMA 5 has you covered. As part of an the recording, the coherence of its timing means everything appropriate system (for which read ‘appropriately expensive hangs together as an obvious part of a larger whole. Short of and equally capable’), it could conceivably be all the stereo delivering the smell of cigarettes and stale beer at the same power amplifier you will ever need.

60 ISSUE 189 The fi rst reviews are in for R15 and R35 phono preamps!

R15 EISA PHONO PREAMP 2020–2021 "Built with the same care the company brings to its main amplifiers, its low-noise design is informed by the flagship R35 model just as its sound is the familiar ‘Primare’ mix of weight and substance allied to detail and resolution. It’s the ideal interface between a high-quality record player and the line input of your amplifier." EISA Award Citation, August 2020 R15 Hi-Fi Choice – Recommended, Five Stars "… a precision and focus that doesn’t blunt edges, blur textures or drag tempos and presents the solid and the spacious as a coherent whole with the full spectrum of tonal colours and accurately rendered instrumental timbres." David Vivian, UK, May 2020 R35 Hi-Fi News – Outstanding Product "Flagship phono stage is an analogue triumph… an incredibly flexible and capable phono stage that seemingly has the ability to extract the very best from any cartridge that crosses its path. A rare feat at any price, this only further pumps up the R35’s value." Adam Smith, UK, May 2020

For more information go to primare.net

karma-av.co.uk karma 01423 358846 Authorized United Kingdom Distributor [email protected] audio-visual Empire Apollo By ENTREQ

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For more information contact : [email protected] 07548796382 EQUIPMENT REVIEW finite elemente CARBOFIBRE isolation base

by Nicholas Ripley

arbon fibre has forever been revered by Optimised resonance absorption is, at least on paper, designers of almost any audio component as quite critical towards the end result in your living or music the magic material to allow Heaven on Earth room and what reaches your ears, brain and soul. Add as a matter of course! While that may be torsional rigidity to this and the whole matter gets slightly somewhat remote from the truth of reality, there more complicated – any two components have to add up Cis no question inherent properties of carbon fibre do bring a to a tuneful and mutually fulfilling entity. finite elemente high degree of rigidity with suitably controlled resonances and have already had years of experience and knowledge when very low mass/weight into play. developing their excellent Resonator Technology for pagode What we have here is a prudent and pragmatic application racks, and it comes as no surprise that what needed to be of what we have already witnessed as an effective option on achieved with the Carbofibre platforms (both as here and as pagode MkII equipment racks from finite elemente in Hi-Fi+ a superior sounding option for the racks) benefited from that. #185. Applying the same structural approach, Luis Fernandes Carbofibre is available in two sizes (450 × 400mm and is offering self-standing platforms made out of the, already 500 × 475mm) and two grades of thickness – SD version established, melange of a carbon fibre wrapper, proprietary (which I spent time listening to) is 23mm high (thick), while the honeycomb structure within and suitably modified “stainless more expensive HD model is 45mm high with a much higher steel” (standard Cera feet are a cost option, so those supplied upper loading limit. could not be given the same family name, but are an excellent Listening to the Carbofibre SD platform under either a clone) with M8 setscrews serving as corner supports. A nice fairly capable analogue LP playback system or a digital source and accurate spirit level in a centre front position rounds off told a very similar story to what I experienced when comparing the spec sheet. the standard maple/honeycomb shelves (platform) within the

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EQUIPMENT REVIEW / FINITE ELEMENTE CARBOFIBRE

“Overall sonic signature becomes TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS more fluid, flowing and an evident Carbofibre SD lowering of the noise floor” Sizes: 450 × 400 × 23mm and 500 × 475 × 23mm Design: Carbon Fibre (outer) and honeycomb (inner) structure, adjustable stainless steel feet with M8 pagode Edition MkII rack, albeit to a considerably more evident setscrews (option ad additional cost: Cerabase and much easier to determine effect. Just as when part of the Slimline, Cerabase Compact or Cerabase feet), tensioning frame within a rack, Carbofibre on its own brings front centre spirit level a much more naturally transparent, resolving and musically Price: £1290 incl. VAT (either size) rewarding rendition of almost any recording, irrespective of the complexity of musical contents. A sense of calm and peaceful Carbofibre HD control with politely pronounced rhythmic firmness is what Sizes: 450 × 400 × 45mm and 500 × 475 × 45mm one notices first relative to the sound of the same component Design: Carbon Fibre (outer) and honeycomb (inner) sitting on said surface without the Carbofibre. Perhaps even structure, adjustable stainless steel feet with M8 more importantly, embedded harmonic structure of the music setscrews (option ad additional cost: Cerabase seems to have gained additional cohesion and sense, with a Slimline, Cerabase Compact or Cerabase feet), more palpable, and easier to mentally register, dimensionality front centre spirit level of the soundstage. Overall sonic signature becomes more Price: £1790 incl. VAT (either size) fluid, flowing and an evident lowering of the noise floor of the sound, in general, allows listening at lower level without Manufacturer: finite elemente m a loss of the actual resolution. I am reluctant to dissect URL: finiteelementeeu my subjective impressions into bass, midrange or treble in this particular instance for a simple reason that those as a Distributor: Audiofreaks whole happen to be a product of nothing else but, more or URL: audiofreaks.co.uk less successfully, controlled resonances and minimal and Tel: +44(0)208 948 4153 correct kind of harmonic distortion. If you insist, I will say that Carbofibre makes lower and upper bass no less full bodied than when not engaged, but certainly more controlled and tuneful. And that on its own, as we know, immediately of an audio system. Secondly. because, almost like cables, sorts out and puts in place most, if not all, possible issues those tag-on potential miracles yield diametrically different of broad midrange and crucial (for imaging and soundstage) results in any variety of application or circumstances. In a areas of treble from its low to the ultra-top end. Again, the system that already performs well, they will be an icing on the most pleasing element of the Carbofibre sonic signature, as cake and make good better. Equally so, if such an additional I heard it, was a highly transparent, seamless and smooth tool happens to be truly and honestly good in what it aims nature of the sound at all times. I could not resist cranking up to do, it will expose what you already knew was wrong, but the volume of my preamplifier. I could not reach the Level 11 never admitted to yourself. Or, if you like, an isolation base, from the Spinal Tap in my quest, but I can assure you it was supporting platform (call it as you like) as Carbofibre will do possible to play everything considerably louder than I could just that. No more and no less. even contemplate before. There was no saturation, let alone There is no real conclusion or epilogue to this short story. headache. Something, perhaps, for owners of either non- finite elemente Carbofibre is a fairly costly, but proportionally suspended or excessively suspended turntables to consider beneficial addition to any superb, excellent, very good or and mull over. aspiring to be any of those, audio system. Simple to set up Reviewing products that we far too often call ‘accessories’ and simple to use it does exactly what their creators wanted or “ancillaries’, is mostly ungratifying work to embark on. it to do in a consistent and honest way. It takes away nothing Firstly, because the eye of the beholder tends to belittle those good and it adds nothing to make it worse. And, while the things compared to an even moderate discussion about music is playing, in between those two extremes of possibility, amplifiers, speakers, sources or any other ‘important’ element you might surprise yourself and keep it forever.

65 ISSUE 189 MB5 B

The new B-versions have been upgraded and optimized in almost all areas

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Funk Firm Houdini decoupler

by Alan Sircom

here will be two types of people who make noise about the Funk Firm Houdini; those who come up with a score of Tobjections, and those who have tried it. That’s the thing about the modern audio world, and in particular the modern state of the vinyl art – put two people in a room and ask them a question about vinyl replay, and you’ll get five completely conflicting viewpoints—most based on hearsay and a lot of assumption. If we lived in a sane world, the Houdini would sweep away those assumptions no matter how well-composted they are. Funk describes the Houdini as a ‘decoupler with high dynamic stability’ with suspension system and a such devices purport to eliminate these stray resonances, patented ‘tortion-tether’. What you receive is a well-made they more accurately shift the goalposts and push that 6mm high Manta Ray-shaped ‘spacer’ Closer investigation resonance up or down the frequency band to less sonically shows this spacer to be built a little bit like a tiny and inverted harmful places. Houdini replaces ‘squidgy’ with ‘suspension’, suspended turntable, with the rigid plinth attached to the and the result is incapable of singing along with the music, arm and the suspended part connecting to the cartridge. meaning the cartridge acts sonically independently of the As a consequence, the Houdini is supplied with four Delrin arm. How this sounds mostly depends on the cartridge, but mounting bolts; two to mount the cartridge to the Houdini for the first time (for most people), they will be hearing their and two more to mount the Houdini+cartridge to the arm cartridge denuded of the arm’s malign sonic influence. The itself. You will need to compensate for the marginal increase arm becomes primarily a transporter of the cartridge, rather in the mass of the cartridge and the change to the VTA/SRA than a co-conspirator in its sound. This has been one of Funk it produces. For the most part, I used a VPI MW-12 Fatboy Firm’s goals for many years, and the reason it makes arms. gimballed arm on a VPI HW-40 turntable, with the surprisingly Funk Firm makes some of the least ‘tone’ of ‘tonearms’ excellent EAT Jo No 5 cartridge. money can buy, but not everyone has – or is capable of using Most tonearms have a resonance of some sort (usually – one of Funk’s arms. In which case, the Houdini levels the relatively mild, but ever-present), which often adds a bit of playing field. We have become so used to the dull clang of fake warmth to the upper bass or fake ‘chime-y’ zing to the most arms, that we accommodate it as part of vinyl’s ‘charm’. upper registers. This takes that away. Some try to do this by However, less than a minute into listening to what vinyl can adding a squidgy interface between arm and cartridge. While sound like when that ringing, clanging, clanking sound of the

67 ISSUE 189 kudosaudio.com TITAN 505

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“that warmth is not attenuated, but it comes with additional layers of energy... that puts you closer to the musicians.”

That information is not half-buried beneath the intrinsic tone of the tonearm. I’d like to argue – in the interest of fairness – that there will be people who actually like the intrusion of their tonearm on the sound of the cartridge. But I just can’t. I can’t see a way back from using the Houdini. It would be like saying, “Driving around in a new Ferrari is lovely, but I still prefer the Wartburg.” Curiously, even the Houdini’s price works in its favour. It acts as a kind of self-selection process. No-one is realistically going to put a £300 Houdini on a £60 Crossley! However, there are also some stunning mid-to-high-end moving magnets that more than benefi t from the Houdini’s magic skills. Partner one of the better Audio-Technica MMs and you have a cartridge that is better than most un-Houdini’d MCs this side of £1.5k. And good moving coils benefi t too. The odd thing about vinyl people, however, is they might see £300 for a Houdini and hesitate, yet happily spend hundreds on instead of a headshell and thousands on a more exotic body covering the same cartridge. As I said, if we lived in a sane world, people would judge devices on what they bring to the system and what they do to the music, rather than merely rattling some jewellery and thinking they bought better. The Funk Firm Houdini is the best-named device in vinyl replay, as it makes the arm ‘disappear… like magic’. Of course, like Harry Houdini, it isn’t ‘magic’ just some very well applied practical science. It’s strange that an entertainment arm is removed is an epiphany. Sounds are so much more system that predates electricity still has its ‘well… duh!’ vibrant and alive, so much more natural and realistic. This moments (you might expect most of those to have happened doesn’t mean the sound of a Houdini’d turntable loses its decades ago). Still, the Houdini makes changes to the musical character or becomes more like CD; it’s paring back the sound performance of a turntable system so bleedin’ obvious, it’s a an LP was always capable of making if we’d not cemented wonder no one thought of it before. That, I guess, is one of ourselves into silo thinking about how vinyl ‘sounds’. the things Arthur Khoubesserian is so good at; looking at vinyl Here’s a perfect case in point; Cannonball Adderley’s epic replay in a way no one has before! Somethin’ Else LP [Blue Note]. I’ve long enjoyed this album and have it in several forms, and always feel the LP versions show off that effortlessly warm, encompassing, musically PRICE AND CONTACT DETAILS satisfying sound many associate with vinyl replay. Here, that warmth is not attenuated, but it comes with additional layers Price: £300 of energy, of the interplay between players and of those micro- dynamic cues that puts you ever closer to the musicians. Manufacturer: The Funk Firm While these were able to be discerned in most arms, you URL: teunfi rmou don’t need to put in the work with the same arms+Houdini.

69 ISSUE 189

EQUIPMENT REVIEW

Silversmith Audio Fidelium Speaker Cables

by Eric Neff

he objectivist/subjectivist audiophile debate on the veracity of cables and interconnects is one I have watched from afar for decades. Many of my binary (1’s and 0’s don’t change because of a cable) friends insist I could attach lamp Tcord to my gear and there would be no noticeable sonic difference. My time with many different pieces of audio kit and many brands of cable begs to differ. Cables can and do make a discernible difference to a system that delivers microdetail. In my experience, the choice of “Wire” matters and can be that last bit of tailoring to make the music fit. Off the rack or Saville Row; people take notice and comment. Silversmith Audio, founded in the year 2000 by Jeffrey Smith, has been researching and producing audio cables for twenty years. Jeffrey is a trained engineer who has spent his time applying materials, geometry and electromagnetics in his pursuit of cables that do not sound like anything but instead faithfully transfer what is on a recording from the amp to the speakers without editorial or additional colour. The silversmithaudio.com website offers up over one hundred pages of research and equations providing the foundations for his twenty-year search to create as neutral a cable as he can. What I found interesting and persuasive is this most recent cable, the Fidelium, is one-tenth the price of his previous flagship effort yet in Silversmith Audio’s estimation, they outperform. His concern, a well-founded one I think, is that audiophiles can be a “More expensive is better” crowd. Indeed, it may be best to demo the Fidelium before barrier strip with spade channels for Bi-wiring. The Fidelium examining the price tag. come in stereo pairs terminated with red or black labels in When I received the cables, the packaging was very lengths from four to ten feet and are ribbons 2 ¼” wide with different than many of the high-end cables I have received a notch at each end for a spade-like amplifier connection. As previously. The shipping container (small cardboard box) for previously mentioned you will need to purchase two stereo the eight ribbons (I am bi-wiring) was 5 ½” × 5 ¾” × 3 ¼” pairs to bi-wire. With the Quatro CT’s I simply folded the ends and weighed less than two pounds! A bi-wire adapter is in to fit within the spade channels. Connection to my PS Audio Beta test that will soon eliminate the need for buying two pairs BHK 300 Monoblocks was simple as well as they have two of cables. I am using Vandersteen Quatro CT’s which use a sets of speaker taps each.

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“I love a great entrepreneur story. ...I particularly love it when the engineer is also a military veteran...”

Burn-in can be a thing with many cables to finally offer up their best. The Fidelium, however, were able to bring their PRICE AND CONTACT DETAILS qualities right out of the box. Particularly in the treble. There Fidelium alloy ribbon cables 2 ¼” at less than is nothing like a triangle to show off the highs. Tears for Fears 1/1000th inch thickness “Shout” (1985 Phonogram/Mercury) starts with a triangle. Derived exclusively from electro-magnetic wave Streaming from Qobuz in 96/24 the Fidelium cables delivered euation idelium reet our deign piloop in a delight for any fan of high-frequency percussion. A series of it puret orm ingle ultratin rion ondutor clear notes with perfect decay led into the song. At the time, per polarit eamle rom end to end and itout I was using another brand of cable that was about five times traditional, sound-degrading soldered, welded, or as expensive and new, requiring a couple of hundred hours rimped onnetor and indiiduall laminated in an of break-in. I was not there yet. The new Fidelium brought the etremel tin et rugged polimide film to aiee a treble right out of the box. Very satisfying. geometr it a primaril air dieletri Next to get a sense of scale I selected Leonard Bernstein oure ilermit udio e ite Conducts Beethoven with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (Sony) Symphony No. 5 opening Allegro con brio ¼” Notched ends to facilitate a good connection with is one of the most recognized orchestral pieces ever written. terminal strips or binding posts It is a performance writ large for big speakers and powerful ailale in t D per tereo pair amplifiers. The Fidelium cables brought the house down. The t D per tereo pair sound was expansive with a large soundstage and excellent t D per tereo pair depth. The positioning of instruments was precise, and you t D per tereo pair had that sense of sitting a few rows back from the middle of the orchestra. anuaturer ilermitaudioom The next several weeks were a treat as I threw all genres of music at the Fidelium; Fingerpicking Bluegrass with perfect plucking, check. Heavy metal with speed and crunch delivered. Smooth yacht rock with Fleetwood Mac, Christopher Cross research, it is time to get the word out about the Fidelium and Ambrosia, yes to smooth. Linda Ronstadt with the Nelson Cable. In the world of high-end cables, it is a steal. $995 USD Riddle Orchestra crooning “What’s New” on DVD Audio 96/24 for each 6ft. stereo set. These cables do compete with sourced from the PS Audio DirectStream player/DVD DAC higher-priced cables. They also look terrific—a deep gold river was a particular treat as the Fidelium and female vocals are a running from your amp to your speakers. delicious combination. I came to appreciate the Fidelium alloy Over time great values in audio reveal themselves. Gear in all of its 1/1000th of an inch-thick glory. As far as I could that performs to an audiophile’s expectations yet leaves room tell with my reference gear, it was living up to its billings as a in the budget for other gear or more music. Gear like an ELAC neutral conduit for the signal between amplifier and speaker. speaker or KEF LS50, a Luxman integrated or a VPI Scout I love a great entrepreneur story. A designer has a turntable. Each find improves the system yet leaves some concept and the engineering chops to see it through to budget on the table for later. Seasoned audiophiles recognize completion and then devotes years to perfecting that concept. these products for their performance versus their affordable I particularly love it when the engineer is also a military veteran prices. The Silversmith Audio Fidelium speaker cables should who continues his work and passion between deployments join the conversation, and as an audiophile, you should take overseas. Jeffrey Smith followed his dream for twenty years notice and find a way to schedule an audition. I suspect while on active duty or the reserves. Now that he has retired you will have some new cables in your system soon. Highly and has at the same time developed this best iteration of his recommended.

73 ISSUE 189 THE HIGH END DREAM TEAM (BUILD YOUR OWN)

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REL Carbon Special

subwoofer by Jason Kennedy

EL has come a long way to a hi-fi show will have noticed another trend that REL has been pushing – since a Welshman started stacking of subwoofers, where multiple subs are used to create a line source. it in search of more realistic Which, if truly working, must be highly entertaining indeed. organ pipe sounds in his sitting Carbon Special is the latest addition to the line and a good size beast it is, room. Richard Lord sold the too. Standing 18 inches high and equipped with a 12-inch driver, it is, however, Rcompany to Sumiko over a decade ago, the described by REL as a ‘modest size’ unit. Therefore, I am clearly out of the loop now REL staff were involved with Sumiko, when it comes to what constitutes ‘big’ these days. Its shiny black cabinet is who eventually built the biggest Hi End made of 65mm thick MDF and features REL’s so-called BlackWidow carbon distribution company in the world before said fibre drive unit (so, whatever you do, don’t mate with it), the material selected key staff left to purchase and concentrate on for its combination of stiffness and self-damping properties. It has a big roll further developing REL. surround to allow for a massive 100mm throw, with which it is said to deliver As a result, REL subwoofers or, ‘explosive dynamics’, possibly a term borrowed from the rarely relaxed world sub-bass systems as Richard used to call of home cinema. That is, however, not the only drive unit on this subwoofer, them, are now sold worldwide. Any visitor there is a second one underneath the box that is also made of carbon fibre,

75 ISSUE 189 EQUIPMENT REVIEW / REL CARBON SPECIAL

“Placement is a factor, but not as big a one as I had expected”

room and the partnering speakers is critical to the end result. Placement is a factor, but not as big a one as I had expected. REL’s Rob Hunt put the Carbon Special to the right of the RH channel main speaker and a little further away from the wall, connected up the high-level input and power cable and listened to the results. Setting up process starts with finding the best phase position followed by dialling in the output level and the crossover point (roll-off) by ear. A little bit of trial and error is inevitable, but, with perseverance and effort, the final result can be good and rewarding. Rob set the Carbon Special up with Bowers & Wilkins 802 D3 speakers, which have a reasonably prodigious extension and power in the bass, albeit less so than a 1kW actively driven device such as the REL. I started listening with some acoustic guitar, Gwenifer Raymond’s latest single ‘Eulogy for a Dead French Composer’ (Tompkins but is flat and unpowered, it is a passive bass radiator that REL uses instead Square). This recording has limited low- of a reflex port. Stands are shaped to allow air movement around this driver. frequency content but sounded more relaxed, The engine in the Carbon Special is one of REL’s NextGen 5 amplifiers, a and three dimensional with the REL switched Class D 1000 Watt powerhouse that thankfully weighs a lot less than a class on, the balance became a little warmer and AB alternative would, but is said to have current reserves that “easily keep up the timing improved. It was more than a with the demands of even the most rigorous user”. Like all REL subs, there are subtle improvement and made the brilliance several ways to connect the Carbon Special, but those looking for best sonic of the fingerpicking all the more impressive results are directed towards the cable supplied with the product. This has as it brought more detail from every note. three terminals for the amplifier; right and left positive plus a single negative, When listening to a more substantial piece as well as a Neutrik Speakon plug for the sub that connects all three at the of music, Schubert’s The Great (Maxim same time. Home cinema enthusiasts have an LFE option, and hi-fi users with Emelyanychev, Scottish Chamber Orchestra a sub output can hook up to either the RCA or XLR inputs. But, if maximum Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C major, Linn), coherence is the goal, I wouldn’t recommend it. The other desirable option is the orchestra expanded before me creating a wireless connection costing an additional £300 for which you get a receiver, a vast vista of sound that felt more complete the requisite transmitter (REL supplies one called Airship) and, apparently, this and solid, yet smoother, so much so that the sounds better than the cable provided and means there is virtually no limitation level could be cranked a slightly higher than on room placement. As mentioned, one could also stack vertically up to three usual without apparent distortion. subwoofer units per channel. The Carbon Special appears to fill in the This REL is equipped with so-called PerfectFilters that allow the user to fine detail so much that turning it off creates adjust the upper roll-off frequency, the output level (which is separate for high an impression of something missing. There level and LFE inputs) and phase. Getting all the parameters right for both the is a sense of leading edges being softer, and

76 ISSUE 189 77 ISSUE 189 EQUIPMENT REVIEW / REL CARBON SPECIAL

“...there was a stronger sense of bass extension well beyond the main speaker’s reach... but not overblown”

all may not like that, but this effect is accompanied by a stronger sense of timing, which, no matter how counter-intuitive, proved to be the case with many pieces of music I played during the review. On Radiohead’s ‘Decks Dark’ (Moon Shaped Pool, XL), extra low end was clearly present from the start, as well as more information higher up the bandwidth. Almost as if the subwoofer was unearthing quieter notes that the speaker was not. This may seem strange, but did sound rather good. Another impressive virtue of the Carbon Special is a sense of the greater wealth of information being presented in an entirely coherent fashion. With Alfred Brendel playing Haydn (11 Piano Sonatas, Philips), the REL takes the edge of a slightly bright piano adding depth to each note. The very same thing happens with Lana del Rey, whose voice sounds spectacular on ‘NFR!’ (NFR!, Polydor). It’s usually strong, but the presence produced by the Carbon Special is off the scale, and the rumble in TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS the chorus is sublime. I played some more voices to see if it could do the same again and, more or less, it did, like Richard Lord’s subs never did. Type: rontfiring poered uooer I thought it would be salient to try the REL with a smaller speaker, so it donardaing paie I hooked up a pair of PMC twenty.21 stand-mount design. It was at this radiatoreuipped enloure point that the set up no longer worked and I realised how laborious getting a Drier omplement ne mm seamless transition with smaller speakers can be. However, with perseverance aronfire a drier one and pulling the PMCs away from the wall to energise the mid and treble, mm aronfire at one I achieved a good result, once again using the sub was clearly preferable to not paie radiator having it engaged. The effect was similar to that with the 802s; smoothing of nput ileel peaer input it eutri the slight forwardness and a filling in of the gaps in its presentation, while timing peaon onnetor one loleel also improved. Naturally, there was also a stronger sense of bass extension input ia a one input well beyond the main speaker’s reach, so any track with low-end power was ia ingle a and much more substantial, but not overblown. Esperanza Spalding’s bass line utput ileel peaer output it benefited considerably on ‘Ebony & Ivy’ (Emily’s D+Evolution, Concord), going eutri peaon onnetor to from a suggestion to a statement when the subwoofer was switched on. output ia a and The result with the 802 D3s was too enjoyable to stay away from, o reuen etenion at d especially when I started playing some vinyl. Jeff Beck’s Blow by Blow (Epic) mplifier poer was superb with magnificent scale and a vibrant, live sound. My ancient copy ontrol rooer ain of Led Zeppelin III (Atlantic) is usually a little on the thin side, but the REL filled in ae or degree oer the gaps and made it richer and more full-bodied. It was at this point I realised ono I’d need a stomping mat if I wasn’t going to wear out the carpet. Dimenion ×W×D 445 × 430 × mm I was genuinely smitten with results achieved by the REL Carbon Special eigt g when partnered with the big B&Ws. If those were the only speaker I used, inie iano la lauer I would probably have to acquire one. Improving so much on midrange and rie treble coming from a large floor-standing speaker by using a subwoofer might look like cheating to many. It is not. If you already have a decent system, have anuaturer outi td some understanding about the harmonic behaviour of the frequency range, el and are looking to get more fun out of your music collection, this is probably relnet the least expensive and most comprehensive way to do it.

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79 ISSUE 189 EQUIPMENT REVIEW

IsoTek EVO3 Super Nova mains conditioner

by Stephen Priest

soTek’s MD, Keith Martin, is a familiar – and omnipresent had a weight, speed and purpose that was previously lacking – figure at global audio exhibitions (remember those?) and immediacy and drive was brought to the fore to result in and I’ve experienced many of his expertly presented a highly visceral and involving experience. Siouxsie’s (yes, her demonstrations. Despite this familiarity with the company of the Banshees) voice was growling and authentically rough, and its products, the new EVO3 Super Nova is the first the accompanying staccato strings tight and sinuous, whilst IIsoTek product I’ve heard ‘in anger’ for quite some time. As Peter ‘Budgie’ Clarke’s (yes, him of the Banshees) unique, Alan Sircom noted in his review in Hi-Fi+ #167 the IsoTek Nova, consistent tribal banging made for an uncomfortably enjoyable it could easily be mistaken for a power amplifier in appearance. listen. Moving to streaming, the monumental last movement This comparison is even more apt here: Weighing in at some (‘I pini della Via Appia’) of Resphigi’s ‘Pines of Rome’ in a 45kg, this represents the pinnacle of IsoTek’s technology new recording by the Filarmonica della Scala conducted by in its Ultimate range and is a very serious-looking bit of kit. Riccardo Chailly on Decca, was equally stirring. This is a very That weight isn’t boosted by a brick, either – it’s chock-full fine, transparent recording and this last movement is a fantastic of top-spec componentry around eight individual circuits, – exercise in sustained crescendo (when performed properly) one for each of its outputs. It’s a top-spec mains conditioning which was demonstrated here with aplomb. Increased (or ‘cleaning’, as IsoTek put it) system, with newly designed detail from an impressively quiet background ensured that choke technology and each power output being individually instrumental nuances and compositional intricacies were isolated and wholly independent of each other. This all results brought to the fore. Also, here was the aforementioned in claimed elimination of both common and differential mains gradual and ‘natural’ crescendo in the piece, with the eventual noise. Each upper and lower set of four outputs is powered by growth of instruments climaxing in the entry of the organ in the a large switch located to the left and right of the rear panel. It’s last few minutes of vast, glossy orchestration and dynamics recommended for use with primary and source components were particularly realistic. I had equally edge-of-the-seat that have a constant current draw, such as CD players, music results in scale, speed and detail with, again, a ‘new’ high- servers, DACs and phono amplifiers. For amplifiers IsoTek quality recording of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique with the offers a dedicated device similar in looks, called Super Titan enigmatic Sergiu Celibidache and the Munich Philharmonic on which is also part of the Ultimate range. their own Münchner Philharmonker label. (Ironically, despite Spoiler: This thing works. Very, very well indeed. I first his posthumously released live recordings being superlative, tried it out, as recommended, with a CD player. Going in at he made very few recordings as he regarded them as no the deep end (recording-wise and musically), I clicked onto substitute for live performance). ‘Exterminating Angel’ from The Creatures excellent (and very It should be noted that the Super Nova also works hard to find) album, Anima Animus from 1999. This is a full-on extremely well with small scale music, too, such as intimate jazz track with dark, nasty lyrics and equally shocking music to trios or Bach’s Violin Partitas, for example, highlighting again match. The change from bog-standard UK mains to the Super that lowered noise floor and instrumental presence, keeping Nova was genuinely jaw-dropping. The opening bass slams things realistically ‘within scale’. Also, being an armchair

“The opening bass slams had a weight, speed and purpose that was previously lacking”

80 ISSUE 189 EQUIPMENT REVIEW / ISOTEK EVO3 SUPER NOVA

anarchist, despite it being recommended with use on ‘primary’ components, I went secondary, and I tried it with a Burmester TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS integrated amplifier (032). The result, as I suspected, was Type: filtering outlet main onditioner equally effective and genuinely musically rewarding. umer o outlet × tree pin oet or oure A fiver short of £10K for a mains conditioner is not cheap. and preamp However, it needs to be put in perspective – neither is a tuning utlet 4,600W modification on your performance level BMW, but the result oer ale oe remier is a whole bowl of fun. As an addition to, say, a system of peifiation or utralia iterland £40–50K+ it would be an integral, even essential, contributor Dimenion ×W×D): 300 × 500 × mm for an all-encompassing audio experience. Whatever is going eigt g on in that chunky chassis has a sprinkling of the fairy dust rie about it – or, alternatively, years of experience, dedication and knowledge of highest quality components and how to utilise anuaturer oe oer tem them optimally! Spending the equivalent on audio cables iotetemom (which many do) without first concentrating on your mains power quality could easily result in reduced performance and Ditriutor ule inema oroom lesser communication than you would gain from this highly puleinemaom effective unit. If you’re only just tinkering with thoughts of top- el end mains cleaning system, head here first, chances are you’ll be hooked, as I am.

81 ISSUE 189 EQUIPMENT REVIEW

LA SOUND “Corium” cables

by Jason Kennedy

ou may not be shocked to “Deviank” and “Titan” using a copper-silver alloy for the conductors and the hear that the overwhelming Olympia and Corium having 99.997% pure silver to carry the signal. Corium majority of cable brands do is lavishly wrapped in natural leather, but the combination of silver printing not actually manufacture and its woven nature makes it seem more metallic than that, it’s undoubtedly their own cable. To do so very exotic and in the case of the speaker cable, substantial. The solid core requiresY pretty serious machinery that churns conductors are a mix of gauges; 16 AWG, 21 AWG, that are produced using out miles of the stuff if it’s going to do it a continuous casting process, not something I have heard many other cable economically, so most audio companies buy brands boasting. their cable from commercial cable makers. To match the luxurious leather braiding the Corium cables are terminated They can specify a wide range of parameters in heavily gold plated terminals and the ends of the speaker cables fi nished such as conductor and insulation materials in equally shiny caps. An LA SOUND slogan is ‘Not just cables, but jewels and usually have to buy a lot in one go, to show’ which when it comes down to it sums up a lot of what high end is which is one reason why audio cable is so about, male jewellery. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just rare for an audio expensive, but they don’t have the sort of company to admit as much, but then Italians do seem to have a way with ultimate control that a cable manufacturer style. The packaging gives you some idea of what to expect as well, each pair has. LA SOUND is a division of Comar Srl, of interconnects, speaker cables and power cable coming in a real wooden an Italian cable and wire maker located in box with a leather catch and a pair of white gloves, so you don’t blemish the the north-east near Venice that specialises in gold plating. using exotic materials including silver which is LA SOUND make balanced and unbalanced interconnects and supplied a hallmark of LA SOUND audio cables. two one metre examples of their RCA EVO1 models, these are terminated in LA SOUND make four cable ranges locking RCA plugs that proved a tight fi t on nearly all the sockets I connected with the two more affordable examples them to. As well as solid core conductors they have Tefl on and expanded

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84 ISSUE 189 EQUIPMENT REVIEW / LA SOUND “CORIUM”

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

RCA EVO1 Type: Analogue interconnect with RCA jack terminations Conductor: Multi-gauge, solid core silver Dielectric: eon Shielding: ot peified Capacitance: 72.4pF Resistance: 90.5 milliohms Inductance: 1.05 µH Price: €3,300/1m pair

S8 EVO1 polythene insulation and “one or more different kinds of shielding”. That Type: Loudspeaker cable with spade sentence applies to the whole Corium range so probably relates to different terminations types of cable given that there are digital and power cables in the range. The Conductor: Multi-gauge, solid core silver Corium S8 EVO1 speaker cable has the same 99.99% silver conductors and Dielectric: eon insulation and is pretty large in diameter, making it hard to twist but not too Shielding: ot peified stiff. The connecting tails are terminated in spade connectors and fitted with Capacitance: 803.67pF a long ground connector at the amplifier end. LA SOUND explains that this is Resistance: 3.67 milliohms connected to the internal shield and should be bonded to the star ground of Inductance: 0.3 µH the system, assuming there is one available. Price: €16,000/2m pair I used a CAD GC3 Ground Control device to keep ground noise at bay and this largely deals with the earth or ground of the mains, so the speaker Manufacturer: Comar S.r.l. cable ground wires were connected to this point. However initial listening was URL: lasound.it done with the RCA interconnects between source and preamp and thence Tel: +39 0429 94968 onto the power amp, Townshend Fractal F1 carried the signal to Falcon Audio’s IMF100 transmission line speakers. The Corium interconnects made a marked impression by enhancing presence, image solidity and timing, the latter quite that, but even with solid-state electronics significantly. The balance is a bit brighter than my Townshend interconnects, the Corium cables never became forward or but this speaker is a little polite. The combination was very positive, bringing aggressive. I read that LA SOUND considers extra nuance out of Joni Mitchell’s dulcet tones and putting the band much the pure silver models to be better suited to more firmly in the room by revealing the ambience in the recording. valve electronics and they would certainly With the more revealing Bowers & Wilkins 802 D3 speakers things got work a treat with them, but if your transistor better with the electricity of the live performance, image scale and focus were system is well sorted they only make the particularly good and the extra fine detail that the cables revealed greatly sound more real and enthralling. I had a enhanced the charm of the piece, even at a low playback level. Adding in the particularly entertaining evening with these Corium speaker cables proved a worthwhile struggle, now the reverb was cables and some German Physiks HRS-130 ‘like, wow’, Yussef Kamaal’s Black Focus (Brownswood) is by no means an speakers which are also extremely revealing; audiophile recording. Now, there’s plenty of room sound around the drum kit, even the raw power of the Smashing and these cables also reveal that background noise levels are surprisingly low. Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream (Hut Recordings) I love the power and weight in the bass, but it’s the immediacy of the snare didn’t push them over the edge. I have to drum attack that is most gripping. They have a degree of transparency that is say that the LA SOUND Corium cables have rare even at the exalted prices being asked; this becomes clearer the more you restored my faith in silver as a conductor, it’s use them. With vinyl the shine you get from new acoustic guitar strings and the theoretically the best material there is but precision delivered with all sound sources is uncanny. this theory has not often been proved so Silver has a reputation for sounding bright, and I’ve certainly encountered conclusively.

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92 ISSUE 189 MUSIC INTERVIEW

Susie Vanner and

Kipper Eldridge by Sean Hannam

usie Vanner could hold the record for the longest gap between a debut single and her first album coming out. In 1968, under the name SSue Lynne, she released a 7in on RCA, called ‘Reach For The Moon’, and went on to record a handful of rare singles that became Northern Soul club floor-fillers. One of them, ‘You’ / ‘Don’t Pity Me’ is currently worth £750 on record collectors website Discogs. This year, more than 50 years after her music career began, the singer turned actress Vanner – she appeared alongside Roger Moore in the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me – has gone back to her roots and finally put out her debut album, In These Shoes. It’s a covers collection of pop songs and standards given a jazz makeover, and it came about after a chance meeting at a charity dinner with Grammy Award-winning producer To find out the story behind the project and their musical partnership, Kipper Eldridge, who has worked with Sting I spoke to Vanner and Eldridge – she was at home in London, and he was in and Gary Numan. his studio on the Indonesian island of Bali, where he’s temporarily relocated. With Eldridge at the controls and featuring musicians including renowned SH [To Susie]: How did you first get into the music business? English jazz trumpeter Guy Barker and the SV: I was singing when I was 19 – I recorded some Northern Soul tracks. BBC Concert Orchestra, it’s a record that’s I answered an ad in a local paper to work with Chris Andrews [songwriter both classy and fun. for Sandie Shaw]. He lived in Hornchurch, and I was born in Romford. I There’s a nod to her Bond girl past with trotted along to see him, and I sang ‘My Guy.’ He asked me what I was doing a version of Carly Simon’s ‘Nobody Does tomorrow, and I said “nothing”, so he said, “I’m going to RCA Records, and It Better’ from The Spy Who Loved Me I’d like to sign you up.” soundtrack, a groovy ‘60s lounge take on Lou Reed’s ‘Walk On The Wild Side’, an emotional And since then you’ve become a Northern Soul icon, whose singles reading of the ‘50s torch song ‘Cry Me A change hands for a lot of money. Some have sold for £1,000 each. River’, a bold and brassy big band reworking of SV: Absolutely – I’m shocked. At the time, I wasn’t that mad about the songs. Gloria Jones’s ‘Tainted Love’, a moving ‘Make Chris Andrews wrote them – he was looking for someone to take over from You Feel My Love’ – written by Bob Dylan, Sandie Shaw, as she’d had her day. He was still writing songs that were similar but made famous by Adele – Latin-flavoured to the ones he’d written for her, so I was a bit worried that they were out covers of Kirsty MacColl’s ‘In These Shoes’ of vogue. Little did I know that they’d come straight back into vogue 30 or and The Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take’, and 40 years later and would be selling for £1,000 a time. Noel Harrison’s ‘Windmills of Your Mind’ done Funnily enough, I came across a box of all my singles at home the other in a late-night, soul bossa nova style. day, as I’m moving house. I should let my manager know.

93 ISSUE 189 MUSIC INTERVIEW / SUSIE VANNER AND KIPPER ELDRIDGE

How does it feel to have your debut and suddenly my life was filled with music. It just felt so right – it was like it was album come out more than 50 years fate. We initially recorded in Kipper’s studio, which is in a barn in Haslemere after you became a singer? [Surrey] – it was amazing. SV: I’ve come full circle. It’s like a dream KE: After we had our initial day, Susie said that she wanted to do more come true. I’ve always loved music – in my recording – at that stage, I didn’t think we’d make a record. Susie really enjoyed childhood my mum used to put me into it, and I got a lot out of it – I like having free rein to make music, rather than talent shows, and I won them – and I always doing it for a reason, or for a particular demographic. thought I’d go back to it, but I got into acting and couldn’t fit it in, so here I am now. How did you approach making the album? SV: Bit by bit, we found songs that I really loved, and it just all came together. [To Kipper]: Let’s talk about how you We chose 14 tracks and they were all quite different – some of them were and Susie first met, at a charity dinner… suggested by Kipper and some by me, as well as one of my friends and my KE: I was sat next to Susie and her husband son. I love jazz, and I love singing jazz – I grew up with it, as my mum was at the time – her and I immediately hit it off. playing music all the time. She loved jazz and all those romantic singers, like She told me about everything she’d Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. When I’m relaxing, I like to listen to chilled done and said she’d like to get back to doing jazz, like Diana Krall and Jamie Cullum, and soul, like Gregory Porter. some singing. KE: I’m not a real jazz standards guy – I liked the idea of doing songs that I had donated an auction prize for morphed from more of a pop field and could be reinvented – like ‘Make You someone to come and sing at my studio for Feel My Love’. I also chose ‘Like A Star’, which has jazz connections but isn’t a day – I suggested that she bid for it. It was a jazz song – we could evolve it. I chose ‘Every Breath You Take’, which we a bit of a cheeky thing to do, but she won the did with a Latin feel. bid! I won’t be crass and tell you how much she bid, but I was worried how I would live up The title track of the album, ‘In These Shoes’, was written by Kirsty to it – it was more than Peter Gabriel gets for MacColl and has a mambo flavour… a day’s work in the studio! KE: I love that song – it was chosen by Susie’s singing teacher and pianist, who Susie and I didn’t speak for about a year she practises with. She said the song was so her – it suited her personality. and a half. I thought it was a shame that SV: The title, ‘In These Shoes’, could also mean ‘in my life’ – my life has she hadn’t claimed the prize, but life carried been quite amazing really. I’ve had two major health issues - I had a brain on. Then I got a phone call from her asking haemorrhage and cancer. I thought it was a great title for the album. if the prize was still available. I said it was – it wasn’t a voucher that she had to redeem [To Susie]: It also has a glamorous connotation, which suits you before the end of October! very well… I’ve worked with a lot of big stars, but I SV: Yes – you’re right. I love fashion, and I also love shoes, so that’s the other was quite nervous because I felt like I had to connotation. provide an amazing day for Susie and I didn’t really know her. I really like the first single, ‘Walk On The Wild Side’, which has a She turned up with a friend, and we had groovy, ‘60s lounge feel. really good fun. I took them to an amazing SV: I’m glad you like that one – we’ve kind of twisted the sound. I love singing pub in the countryside, and we had a great it. We’ve also done a dance remix of it, as well as of ‘Tainted Love’ and ‘In lunch that lasted a bit too long, to be honest. These Shoes.’ We recorded two songs and Susie was absolutely amazing. She did ‘Cry Me A River’ [To Susie]: ‘Tainted Love’ is a nod to your Northern Soul past, isn’t it? in one, and a half takes, which has become SV: Exactly – and we thought the lyrics were appropriate. one of the standout tracks on the record. SV: We also did ‘Like A Star’, by Corinne You recorded the album at Mark Knopfler’s studio, British Grove, Bailey Rae. Being back in the studio was like in Chiswick, West London, and with the BBC Concert Orchestra at a dream come true – I was working with one Abbey Road Studios. How did that come about? of the best producers in the entire universe, KE: After we’d finished the demos, using samples, Susie said: “What should

94 ISSUE 189 MUSIC INTERVIEW / SUSIE VANNER AND KIPPER ELDRIDGE

we do now?” I said that if she wanted to go “We had a no-holds-barred budget for the into a studio and record with an orchestra, then I could make that happen. I’ve worked record, so there was no excuse to not make a at British Grove a lot – it’s my favourite studio great sounding album. Sonically, I think it’s in the world. It’s like heroin for producers! the best record that I’ve ever made.” They have lots of old, renovated Beatles gear there, as well as stuff from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, and modern gear. We did live band takes – we didn’t record to tape, but we used an analogue desk and Pro Tools. We had a no-holds-barred budget for the record, so there was no excuse to not make a great sounding album – we were in the best studio, with the best musicians. Sonically, I think it’s the best record that I’ve ever made. It’s exactly how I love records to sound – I had time, and I had no record label shouting at me saying that I had to do a single. I was making a record that really pleased Susie and me – she trusted me. We wanted to make a record that sounded absolutely spectacular.

Guy Barker plays trumpet on the album and did some of the arrangements… KE: He’s a friend – I’ve worked with him for [To Kipper]: You’ve worked with Gary Numan. How was it working a long time. We both worked with Sting, and with Susie? Is she a bigger diva than Gary? we’ve toured together. He’s a top arranger, so KE: [Laughs]: I’m going to take the Fifth Amendment on that question! It was I immediately wanted to work with him – both a lot of fun, but we also had a lot of tears – a lot of the songs were emotional on a personal and a musical level. choices. There was an element of psychotherapy – the healing power of music. I was genuinely moved. She has a very good ear – she could be critical of [To Kipper]: You also played on the tracks, but in a very positive way. record – keys and guitar… We didn’t fall out like I might do with younger, more pretentious artists KE: I’m a multi-instrumentalist – a – it was a very pleasurable process. There’s talk of us doing some original sophisticated pop musician – but I’m not songs together. a deep jazz musician. There’s a guy called SV: I’ve started writing with some friends of Kipper’s who have been in the Ross Stanley, who is an incredible pianist business for years and are quite famous. and Hammond organ player – I wanted him to play on the record. [To Susie]: You’ve described this album as being a personal journey For the rhythm section, he suggested for you and a very emotional experience. Can you elaborate on that? people to me. We had an amazing core band SV: It’s me getting my life back. I’d been a mum and a wife and concentrating to cut the basic tracks at British Grove. Guy on keeping everyone in my family happy, but suddenly I found myself again. I’d did the arrangements to the band playing – always had that dream to sing again, and there I was doing it. Hopefully, I can a lot of the arrangements are credited to me, be an inspiration to many other people. Whatever your dream is, it’s never too Ross and Guy because sometimes Guy would late – you can pick it up any anytime. If you really want to do it, do it. use stuff that Ross or I had played as part of his arrangements. It was a great way to work. In These Shoes by Susie Vanner is out now on Dolce Vanner Records.

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97 ISSUE 189 record MUSIC REVIEW / CLASSICAL reviews How To Read em

The information contained in the record reviews is presented in the following way. Albums are identified by label and – where possible – serial number. Beneath this you will find one or more icons that denote the available formats for the recording. The first icon refers to the format Franz Schmidt CD ×3 winds. Some find the work slightly reviewed. The Four Symphonies meandering and lacking in fibre, but it The ratings at the bottom of Frankfurt Radio Symphony grows on you with repeated listening. each review reflect the reviewer’s Orchestra Paavo Jarvi’s firm clear-sighted opinion of the recording quality, Paavo Jarvi direction helps here. and musical merits of the album. Deutsche Grammophon Schmidt’s 4th symphony is You’ll soon realise that a great many 00289 483 8336 unquestionably the finest of the four musically significant albums offer and plays without a break despite less than wonderful sound. Don’t let This new cycle from Paavo Jarvi being cast in four movements. it put you off! For your information, and Frankfurt RSO is the first time Sometimes described as Mahlerian, the scale rates a standard, good any symphony by Schmidt has ever I’d cite Bruckner and Strauss as more quality pop recording as slightly appeared on DG. If only Herbert von appropriate – but only to a point. below average. Karajan championed these works, Schmidt is his own man. He creates things might have been different. some highly individual touches; the This issue’s featured reviewers are: Schmidt’s first symphony inhabits extended central section for solo the romantic world of Weber and cello, and opening/closing trumpet DD – Dennis Davis Schumann – more than half a century theme, for example. JMH – Jimmy Hughes earlier. It’s an attractive, tuneful work, With his health starting to fail, SH – Sean Hannam exuding a captivating freshness and Schmidt’s Fourth is a sad but fond JK – Jason Kennedy simplicity which makes listening a farewell – its mood of quiet, pained pleasure. Schmidt’s 1st is a gorgeous regret being akin (in part) to Strauss’ slice of musical-escapism that’s well Metamorphosen. CD CD 120g 120g LP worth listening to. I unashamedly love it! Paavo Jarvi’s affectionately-lyrical Musically, Schmidt’s 2nd performances, allied to excellent CD Gold CD 150g 150g LP marks a considerable advance orchestral playing from the Frankfurt on his first symphony. The work RSO, establish Schmidt’s cause with

HD HDCD 180g 180g LP met with success, and there was great eloquence. DG’s sonorous even a performance by the Vienna recordings display an attractive tonal

XR XRCD 200g 200g LP Philharmonic in 1914. richness and bloom. Clarity is right; Lasting around 45m, the 2nd you hear lots of important instrumental Double CD 10" 10" LP symphony is structurally unusual, detail without obvious microphone Disc being in three movements with a long spotlighting. Availability DVD DVD 1 (20m) ‘theme and variations’ central Let’s hope this excellent new As S/H LP section. Paavo Jarvi’s disc concludes set brings Schmidt’s symphonies Vinyl Double with the intermezzo from Schmidt’s to a broader audience, and finally SA SACD 120g Album opera Notre Dame – a short but establishes them on the musical

Hybrid powerfully-emotional piece. map. JMH SA CD 45 RPM 45 RPM SACD Composed in 1927/28, Schmidt’s

5.1 3rd – while for the most part sunny SA Multi- Download Channel and pastoral – exudes a delicate RECORDING sadness; for example, the opening of BR Blu-ray High-Res MUSIC Download the finale with its plaintive writing for

98 ISSUE 189 MUSIC REVIEW / JAZZ

Louis Armstrong Meets 180g quartet (this time substituting Louis Billie Holiday on a couple of songs Oscar Peterson Bellson for Buddy Rich) and Porgy and sings excellent material you will Verve/Analogue Productions & Bess with orchestral backing in not find elsewhere in the Armstrong B0031689-01 1958. In between these love fest duet discography. albums Grantz recorded an album Recorded in July and October Who among us does not have an with Armstrong taking the vocal parts of 1957 by Verve’s house recording audiophile reissue of one or more of solo. This time Oscar Peterson shares engineer Val Valentin, the album was the dozen or so great sounding Louis the top billing with Armstrong. The released in mono in 1959, followed Armstrong LPs? Most of the best- quartet is identical to that on Ella And shortly thereafter by a stereo release. known reissue companies have skin Louis Again. This reissue comes from Universal in the game—Speakers Corner, Pure At first glance, pairing Armstrong Music, who have retained Acoustic Pleasure, Analogue Productions, the with Peterson looks like a mismatch Sounds to select titles, master and now-defunct Classic Records and of styles and artistic intention. press them. Despite the mono Mobile Fidelity. All of these are from the Armstrong was hip, and he was loose. cover and labels, it is in stereo. It “mature” Armstrong, made during the Peterson, on the other hand, was a has some of the attributes of early era of the long-playing disc, starting descendent of the stride style, much stereo. Armstrong is in the middle in the mid-1950s and into the 1960s. more structured and pedantic feeling. with piano in the left channel, bass, Armstrong was already celebrated as This type of pairing was not without and guitar in the right channel. one of the greatest musicians of all successful precedent as proven by However, unlike many stereo time in his early recordings of the “hot” the matchup of Art Tatum, and Ben recordings from the 1950s, the three fives and sevens in the 1920s and Webster recorded in 1956 by Grantz. channels are well blended, and there 1930s. As good as those recordings On that occasion, Tatum just did his are no vast gaps of air between the sound, they are still historical and own thing. Peterson, who absorbed soloist and instruments. Indeed, the are best represented on CD. By much of his style from Tatum was presentation is far superior to my the 1950s, Armstrong had evolved more adaptable to group collaboration original mono copy which sounds beyond being one of the greatest than Tatum, and rather than just bulling flat and uninvolving by comparison. It jazz artists. His best and by far best ahead like Tatum, he plays behind is not as great sounding as the Ella sounding recordings were the product Armstong and does not get in his way. collaboration albums, as Armstrong of his association with Norman Grantz The LP cover photo signals stands too close to the microphone, and his Verve record label. Grantz the potential mismatch. Peterson’s adding some modest overload at created a stable of musicians that huge frame could make him look points. The mastering, by Ryan Smith has rarely if ever been equalled. His uncomfortable, and the image with of Sterling Sound, adds sparkle and best-known recording of Armstrong him balanced on a tall stool, dressed texture which are missing with the was Ella And Louis, a 1956 recording down in shirtsleeves rather than his original. The 180-gram pressing of Armstrong singing duets with Ella usual coat and tie do little to make is beautifully flat and quiet—an Fitzgerald and backed by the Oscar him look at ease. But Peterson had outstanding musical performance with Peterson Quartet (Ray Brown on already played behind Armstrong on improved sound—just what a reissue bass, Herb Ellis on guitar and Buddy several recordings, and the Verve should provide. DD Rich on drums). That LP was such a recordings provide Armstrong with a success that Grantz followed up with more modern, and indeed a superior RECORDING a couple more LPs titled Ella And band than any other he teamed within MUSIC Louis Again in 1957 with the Peterson his later career. Armstrong channels

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Country Darkness CD some of mine and Lou’s favourite Elvis ‘Different Finger’, a tale of My Darling Clementine Costello country songs with the added infidelity from Costello’s album Trust, with Steve Nieve thrill of performing them with Steve.” is given a Marty Robbins, Tex-Mex (Fretsore Records) Pre-production for the tracks took treatment, with some great accordion place at Nieve’s home in France and by Piero Tucci, and Sheridan playing Over the past year, British husband- then the recording sessions moved to some gorgeous, Spanish-style guitar. and-wife country music duo My Yellow Arch Studios, in Sheffield. The latter also turns in a wonderful, Darling Clementine – Michael Weston The songs were co-produced by aching electric guitar solo on the King and Lou Dalgleish – and Elvis Weston King, Nieve and Colin Elliot soaring soul ballad ‘Either Side of The Costello’s keyboardist and right-hand (Richard Hawley, Jarvis Cocker, Duane Same Town’. man Steve Nieve (The Imposters/ Eddy) – Elliot, who is also a member The penultimate song, the The Attractions) have released three of Richard Hawley’s backing band, haunting, sombre and atmospheric brilliant, four-track Country Darkness plays bass and cello on the album ‘Too Soon To Know’, is the very vinyl EPs, on which they reinterpret and arranged the strings and horns. essence of ‘country darkness’, while some of Costello’s songs. He is joined by fellow musicians Shez the majestic, country-soul closer Now those EPs have been Sheridan (guitars) and Dean Beresford ‘Powerless’ – a My Darling Clementine collected together on an album, also (drums) – both Hawley stalwarts – as original – is up there with the best of called Country Darkness, plus there’s well as former Van Morrison and Nick Costello. an added bonus – a brand new My Lowe horn players Matt Holland and Emma Swift’s Blonde On Darling Clementine composition Martin Winning. The Tracks, a collection of Dylan named ‘Powerless.’ For their choice of songs, My songs, contains some of the best Costello has been a considerable Darling Clementine hasn’t gone down reinterpretations of his work you’re influence on singer-songwriter Weston an obvious path. ‘Indoor Fireworks’ ever likely to hear. My Darling King – he was responsible for turning which they slow down and turn into Clementine and Nieve’s reworkings him on to country music. piano-led ballad, is arguably the most of Costello compositions is another In 1981, when he was a 19-year- well-known Costello track on here – it’s inspired record that, like Swift’s, old post-punk and New Wave from his 1986 album King of America. respects the original versions, but fan, Weston King had a ‘road to Elsewhere they resurrect some gives them a slight twist, takes them Damascus’ moment when he heard of his more obscure offerings, such somewhere else and puts the artists’ Costello’s Almost Blue album – a as the Paul McCartney co-write ‘That stamp on them. It’s a stunning and collection of country covers. Day Is Done’. That has a gospel, and classy record, with some superb vocal Talking about Almost Blue, he New Orleans funeral feel, and the performances, inventive arrangements says: “It was Elvis and Steve’s making melancholy ‘Heart-Shaped Bruise’, and top-notch musicianship. of that album which set me, and I think which was a collaboration between Thanks to Covid-19, the country many others of my generation, off Costello and Emmylou Harris. may be in darkness, but albums along a country path to discover more My Darling Clementine’s version like this can help to make it a better about this form of music previously is stripped-down, emotional and place. SH only viewed with suspicion. For me, it dramatic, with Nieve on piano. became something of a pilgrimage, a ‘Stranger In The House’, a song vocation, even a “career.” So this feels Costello recorded as a duet with RECORDING like the completing of a music circle country music star George Jones, is MUSIC of sorts – to record a selection of reinvented as rhumba, while

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MUSIC REVIEW / CONTEMPORARY

Mente CD 120g punctuated by meaty bass and their rhythms with an electronic tone Thiago Nassif crunchy synth in Nassif’s distinctive, will find plenty to enjoy. Opener ‘Trepa Gearbox Records off kilter style with an edge provided Trepa’ takes its beats from an art by Lindsay’s angular guitar. The installation, here the off kilter aspect Does the name Adrian Belew mean presence of none other than Brazilian comes to the fore with lots of bass anything? He was a key figure in late legend Vinicius Cantuária on drums weight. ‘Transparente’ burbles rather seventies and eighties pop/rock who’s is a major bonus, he drives most of effectively by combining synths with guitar brought fresh energy to the likes the tracks on the first side with beats congas alongside two guitars, one of Frank Zappa, King Crimson, Talking that are rarely in conventional time squawking in edgy style while a juicy Heads and David Bowie. His music signatures yet have an ease and bass line eases the flow. Cor is fairly made its mark even if he remains a fluency that is very engaging. ‘Pele pared down with only three musicians sideline figure in the history of that era. De Leopardo’ introduces a wider and a grungier sound, Nassif’s voice It seems to have made an impression variety of electronica with a piano getting close to Serge Gainsbourg in on Thiago Nassif, a guitar player from for tonal contrast and Nassif’s funky his Melody Nelson prime. The biggest Rio de Janeiro who’s latest album guitar backing up the groove to great line up on the album is assembled was mastered and cut in the valve effect. ‘Vóz Única Foto Sem Calçinha’ for ‘Rijo Jorra Já’ where a battery of powered environs of the Gearbox goes the opposite way with a strong synths is joined by André Sztutman studio in London. And it sounds great. acoustic feel and the vocals of Ana and Nassif on vocals over a straight Another likely reason for the Belew Frango Elétrico which have a more ahead groove. On the last number, sound is the presence of Arto Lindsay traditional ‘Girl from Ipanema’ style ‘Santa’, effects are added to the in the co-producer chair who also but don’t, one suspects, tell of such vocals and the tune is propelled by contributes guitar to several of the ten carefree times, even if they sound a beefy synth line and congas just to tracks. Lindsay is described as a ‘no open and sweet. keep you on your toes. wave icon’ and like Belew he’s played On ‘Plástico’ Nassif brings the This is only Thiago Nassif’s third with some big names in the past, vocal tempo down to give the tune the album but he’s been making them for David Byrne, Laurie Anderson and sort of feel that Yello had in their late nigh on ten years and that experience John Zorn among them. eighties heyday, here the drums are shows in the way he combines Credit should largely go to Nassif dynamic and lay down an irrepressible instruments and rhythms to such for the heady brew of angular tunes groove alongside a great bass line remarkable effect. Mente may be with a pop sensibility and Brazilian from Felipe Zenícola. ‘Feral Fox’ uses about the lies that Nassif’s and other rhythms. Mente must relate to the the light and shade of acoustic and governments use to manipulate the Spanish mentirez, to lie, and is used electric guitars to great effect, Nassif’s populace, but his music speaks the here in reference to the post truth acoustic opening up the sound with truth even if you don’t understand state of Brazil’s political regime, if Lindsay’s tortured beast letting out the lyrics, it transcends linguistic only it was just Brazil. But as most short bursts of pain in the darker barriers with its vitality and humanity, of the songs are in Portuguese we recesses. It’s a chromatic melange and it does it in a highly entertaining are saved any diatribe and left with a that’s fresh and fruity with something fashion. JK cornucopia of electronic and acoustic for anyone seeking a bit of variety in sounds accompanied by Nassif’s their sounds. versatile vocals. The second side suffers slightly RECORDING Opener ‘Soar Estranho’ is from the absence of Cantuária’s MUSIC very much in the Belew style and perfect beats but those who prefer

102 ISSUE 189 THE LEAST DAMAGE Gutwire audio cables It may very well come as surprising news to many readers, that HI FI EQUIPMENT ONLY DOES GREAT DAMAGE to the music. GUTWIRE minimises the damage, and ENSURES that your system performs at a much higher level. The improvements wrought can be revelatory, especially if one has become tired of the ‘standard’ bright and forward kind of sound, which is a plague upon most high end audio users. So logically, the equipment that does the least damage, ie. that which negatively impinges LEAST upon your system’s performance, is what one ought to be looking for. This is not that difficult to gauge, as the damage usually manifests as various forms of electronic distortion and noise. When GUTWIRE cables are introduced into most systems, the music becomes more intelligible, better flowing, less discordant, far more engaging to listen to, and by no means least-far more detailed in a three dimensional manner, as this magazine has certainly discovered, ie. the sound is more natural, and closer to the musical truth. Sundry scribes have adumbrated, that there is an extraordinary lucid coherence across the board.

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103 ISSUE 189 THE Hi-Fi+ AWARDS!

As this tumultuous year draws to a close, we will round up the best products we have reviewed in the last 12 months. As usual we cover every possible category of audio and personal audio.

Find out our top picks for 2020 at all prices.

Magneplanar LRS loudspeaker + Rokna Wavelight DAC Pre Westone ES80 + Hana UMAMI Cartridge

ISSUE 190 ON SALE DECEMBER 3 2020 (UK) JAUARY 7 2021 (US)

104 ISSUE 189 ESSENCE is Music

The Gryphon Essence Mono & Stereo Amplifier

www.gryphon-audio.com ‘...one of the finest amplifiers I have ever heard, regardless of ice.’pr HiFi News - Ken Kessler

Audio Research’s Reference Series demonstrates once design, heralding a major evolutionary step in the Series’ again that it is worthy of the name. A reference is a development. With the 160M mono amplifier, powered benchmark by which others should be judged. The flagship by the jubilant KT150 tube, auto-bias has finally met all models from ARC have always represented the state of the of ARC’s demands, with the option to switch between art in vacuum tube electronics, with the Referencere- 6 p Ultralinear and Triode modes. Now, the Reference amplifier amplifier continuing to serve as the control unit ofice cho owner can enjoy peerless operation without the needto for countless music lovers, reviewers and manufacturers monitor valve settings. who, indeed, demand a reference point for their listening. The look is captivating, with a glimpse inside the workings Joining the existing Reference line-up is an all-new of one of the finest amplifiers ever created.

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