SON & IMAGE MAGAZINE Vol. 10 / no 5 REVIEW EMAGAZINE LE I VOL. 10,NO5 MAGE S & ON AUDIO PHYSIC SITARA FRANÇOIS DESAULNIERS PHOTOGRAPHY: lytical speaker. The key isobsessive attention to reducing information without falling into the trap of the hyper-ana- achieve the Audio Physic signature sound, i.e., maximum revised and updated.Several novel approaches are used to the entire range of speakers and their components hasbeen behind the Sitara. Under Manfred’s direction, the design of view them ontheir company and on the design objectives research and Kratochwil, CEOand Manfred Diestertich,incharge of of the Audio Physic range, butalso chat withDieter Dimexs. Visitors could not onlyseeand hear awide sample Physic was well represented by the Canadian distributor the Avanti, the Caldera and the top-of-the line Kronos. and the Scorpio. The Reference line consists of the Virgo, the HighEnd series, fol is the newest addition to the family and the entry point to Compact, Evolution, Classicand Superiormodels. The Sitara represents the entry level and, inorder, consists of the progression withinand between each series. The Yara Line three series, Yara Line, HighEnd and Reference, withaclear altering the external dimensions. and the grooves also serve to increase box volume without into the wood. The curved panels reduce standing waves panels, by means of multiple parallel grooves cutdeeply lopers of Hornflex, apatented techniquefor curving MDF construction isentrusted to the DanishfirmHornslet, deve- bly, testing and quality control of their speakers. Cabinet Audio Physic ensures in-house the design, assem- trademark, inall senses of the word. speakers (Noloss of fine detail) hasbecome their phy underlying the development of alltheir course their holographic imaging. The philoso- kers, the qualityof the construction and of reputation basedonthe elegance of their spea- Tablette speakers, Audio Physic hasbuiltasolid searching to improve the sound of hisProAc Founded nearly 25years ago by amusic lover AUDIO PHYSIC and Revelation Mistral S6. Magnepan 1.6QR,NHT3.3,Totem Model 1,Enigma Oremus, Revelation Antares, Revelation Lyra 7, Hartley, Energy 22Reference Connoisseur, Mordaunt and Short Pageant, Oracle Mentor Studio, epiphany wascostly, asI’vegone through many speakers inmy questtorelive the experience: Until then Ihadnot believed itpossibletosocloselyreproduce the emotion of aliveconcert. The ven-element electrostatic panel. WhatIheard profoundly changed my perception of recorded music. were the B&WDM70hybrids: a12"woofer inanimposingly wide cabinet, crowned byacurvedele- It was1973when Ifirstunderstood whatatop-flight high-fidelity systemcoulddo. The speakers enthusiasm when oureditor-in-chief proposed apairof At the Salon SonetImage thisyear in Montreal, Audio Audio Physic hasrevised their range of speakers into Located inthe town of Brilon inGermany, development. I t I development. lowed withinthatline by the Tempo ook the opportunity to inter- Audio Physic is sorely missing from the list,soyou’llunderstand my small and medium sizedrooms (15to 25m for the Sitaras were to achieve aspeaker thatis:adapted to As explained to me by Manfred Diestertich,the design goals A GUIDEDTOUR OFTHESITARA epnei pcfe s3 zt 0kHz,with anominal Hz to 40 response isspecifiedas35 provide more energy in the bassfrequencies. Frequency intelligibility of the musical message!) the music from another room, (always agood signof the listening sessions, and al on imaging and emotion, entices the auditor to extend his a 40to 50watt amplifier, universally applicable and strong being correctly driven by “normal” equipment, for example integrity of the supports and defeat their purpose. place do not need tightening! Doing sowillcompromise the torque wrench fanatics: the nuts holding the speakers in prevent the basket from touching the cabinet. Awarning to transducers are mounted using neoprene grommets that the coil.Lastly, to ensure another barrierto vibration, the to the diaphragm, and al transmission of resonances from the cabinet orthe basket This construction provides amechanical barrierto the mium magnet, isattached to anexternal aluminiumbasket. maximum vibration damping. The fixed part,the neody- held inplace by aninternal polymer basket designed for cally the coil,suspension and diaphragm are aligned and and fixed parts asmuch aspossible. Moving parts, specifi- double-basket construction to physically separate moving A two-and-a-halfway configuration was selected to Sitara employs another novel novel another employs and Reference series. The HHCtransducer also (HHC), thistechniqueisused inthe HighEnd Audio Physic asthe “Hyper Holographic Cone” them outthrough the crossover. Designatedby human hearing and obviatesthe need to filter This shifts resonances to beyond the range of transducer, causing the diaphragm to tighten. around the rimof the cone inthe mid-bass example, aU-shapedelastic ring isfitsnugly mission between speaker components. For vibration atits source and minimising its trans- . lows the the lows lows lows better transfer of heat from listener to clearly follow approach, the use of a 2 ), capable of

SON & IMAGE MAGAZINE Vol. 10 / no 5 REVIEW impedance of 4 ohms king double binding posts. Double or triple and a sensitivity of binding posts are offered as an option. 89 dB. The Sitara is Support and stability of the speaker are assu- a physically attracti- red by metal outrigger feet with machined ve and well-propor- adjustable spikes. Round covers (plastic but

REVIEW tioned speaker in the resembling metal) cover the outriggers and form of a 980 x 147 x nicely complete the aesthetics. On a final - 220 mm column incli- technical note, the drivers are run in at the ned seven degrees to factory, so that the owner can quickly the rear. The raked achieve the true sonic signature of the angle functions to im- speakers. Nonetheless, Audio Physic re- prove sound dispersion commends three days of run in to allow into the room and phase the speaker to reach its full expression. alignment, and substan- tially contributes to the LEANING INTO THE MUSIC physical attractiveness of For preliminary listening during the the speaker. The tweeter, a three-day run-in period, I set up the 25 mm textile dome, and speakers in a room measuring 4.6 x 3.4 the 150 mm mid and bass x 3 m at a distance of 0.6 m from the transducers are set close front wall, and 1.8 m apart. For the IMAGE MAGAZINE together in the upper sec- final touch, I levelled them with the round spirit level provided by Audio & tion of the column. I found the look appealing and felt Physic, a nice touch! You have to see no need to hide them behind and touch these speakers to truly the black cloth grills provided. appreciate the quality of the cabine-

SON Bass response is extended by a try. If the satin smooth finish of the reflex vent located halfway speakers is any indication of their down the rear face of the spea- musical qualities, then we are in for ker. With the handily placed a treat. vent and their light weight of 17 First up: “Society” by Eddie kg, the speakers are easy to Vedder from the soundtrack of reposition. Into the Wild, on system 1 (see The midrange and the bass Associated equipment). My first transducers are both Hyper Holo- impression is of a total lack of graphic Cones, but differ slightly in exaggeration or attenuation any- their coil structure. The mid has a where in the frequency range. double-layer coil for less mass and The song takes flight with Eddie better midrange reproduction, while Vedder’s voice warm and full of the bass has a four-layer coil winding emotion, as it should be, and for more mass and inductance, and solidly positioned between the thus better control in the bass. Cut- speakers. My wife stops her off between the mid and bass is provi- reading (which is rare) and ded by a second-order filter with a cor- sits with eyes closed, immer- ner frequency of 500 Hz, while a third- sed in the song. She remarks order filter does duties for the mids and that, for the first time, the the high-frequencies, with a corner fre- metallic overtones on the quency of 2,800 Hz. Again, to reduce guitar are audible. We conti- 5 o the influence of vibration, the crosso- nue with “Shape of My ver is located in a sealed compart- Heart” by Dominic Miller

ol. 10 / n ment at the base of the speaker, and Neil Stacey, where the while the terminal plate is mounted interplay between the two on a neoprene support. The care guitarists is clear and pre- taken to minimize vibration and control cise, and a joy to follow.

MAGAZINE V its dispersal is, to say the least, impressive. On the track “Ernest” by If the purchaser does not specify a prefe- Jim Lampi, the bass rence, the speakers are delivered with notes of the Chapman single rhodium-plated WBT binding posts stick are powerful and to avoid, according to Manfred, degrada- clearly delineated, pro- The 7° angled slim cabinet

SON & IMAGE SON & IMAGE tion of sound caused by jumper cables lin- equalises phase differences viding the foundation between tweeter and midrange driver. that is essential to this track. ked work. Remarkable, and a The first listening impressions are of a spea- difficult test for a speaker. My ker that neatly steps aside providing a clear early aural education involved channel for the musician’s technique and the many large speakers where the emotional message. The Sitaras are capable of bass was ample and deep, extracting a wealth of sonic detail and are able which perhaps explains my dis- REVIEW to clearly separate musical threads, but it’s satisfaction with most modern never at the expense of the music. The only smaller speakers. In this regard, drawback I could detect was the slightly smal- the Sitara performed admirably: ler scale on which instruments and musicians in Kruder and Dorfmeister’s are presented, but this did not detract from track Bomb The Bass, from the the overall experience. During the three days Bug Powder Dust (Dub remix of run-in I noted little change in the spea- album) the Audio Physic Sitara kers’ character, other that a slight opening delivered all of the depth and up of the soundstage. power of the bass, reaching Time to get serious. I hooked up the Sita- solidly down to the subterranean ras to system 2 (see Associated equipment). levels that this track requires. I The listening room (6.7 m x 7.6 m with a could not detect any cabinet cathedral ceiling of 4.3 m) is larger than the resonances during my listening 15 to 25 square metres recommended by sessions, a testament to the effort Audio Physic. In this case the manufacturer that has gone into the control of suggests adding one or two subwoofers, but vibrations in this speaker. I didn’t find it necessary, as the bass was Throughout the sound spec- just fine the speakers alone. During a seven- trum, my impressions were that hour session, I played with various positio- the speakers correctly deliver the ning and ended up listening in a close-field harmonic envelope of each instru- configuration, with the speakers 1.8m ment and sound, even if the sound away and separated by 2m. In this set-up, is synthesized. I was surprised to it was like wearing giant headphones. discover a realm of new sounds and Imaging was surreal: pinpoint, deep, high effects in the Kruder and Dorf- and wide. I could honestly forgot a sur- meister album, and relieved to find round sound system. The proof? Several that no mental effort was required minutes into the track “Moussa” by the to decode the envelope – the brain Hadouk Trio, someone in the audience just accepting each one for what it coughs and I could pinpoint it at 2 is and revelling in the sense or emo- meters outside the left speaker, 1 metre tion conveyed. This speaks highly of behind and 30 cm above. I backed up the integration between the diffe- the CD player three times just to be sure rent drivers, in the frequency and that it was in the recording... phase domains. Soundstaging was Again with the track “Society” by three dimensional, solid and stable, Eddie Vedder, every inflection of his presenting the spatial effects in voice is clear and the movement of his Kruder & Dorfmeister’s music with a fingers on the guitar are virtually remarkable degree of precision. visible. Here again, it’s not the sound We’ll stay with German music, but that draws my attention but the from a different era, this time the music. From the opening notes, time Sinfonia for strings and continuo by is suspended and I am captured and Fasch, recorded in the Carl Schroeder 5 carried along in a journey that is dif- concert hall in Sonderhausen. The per- o ficult to resist. In fact it is impossible formance is luminous and airy and I am to do anything else while the music immediately transported to the concert ol. 10 / n is playing. For a change of pace, and hall. The violins come through beautiful- to test the resolution capacities of ly with a degree of resolution and the Sitaras, what else but Amon purity uncommon for a

Tobin? In the track “Ma- reproduction of this instru- MAGAZINE V rine Machines” from the ment. On to France with the Supermodified album, the- Sonatas de violoncelle by re is absolutely no conges- Jean-Baptiste Barrière, and tion despite the incredible the first movement of the

density of this multitrac- “Sonata 1 en si mineur. The SON & IMAGE ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT DISCOGRAPHY SYSTEM 1 • Amon Tobin. Supermodified. Ninja Tune. zen CD48 • Source: Naim CDX • Eddie Vedder. Film Soundtrack. REVIEW • Amplifier: Audiolab 8000S integrated Into the Wild. Sont BMG 88697-15944-2 • Interconnect: Chord Cobra - • Dominic Miller & Neil Stacey. New Dawn. • Speaker cable: Naim NAC A5 Spinning Dog Records CD066 • Speakers: Revelation Audio Antares • Edgar Bori. Bori SYSTEM 2 • JF Fasch. Sinfonia FWV M:A2 pour cordes et basse • Source: Naim CDS2 continue. Les Amis de Philippe, CPO 7774242 • Preamplifier: Naim NAC 82 & HiCap • Jean Barrière. Sonates pour violoncelle avec basse • Amplifier: Naim NAP 250 continue. Bruno Cocset. Les Basses Réunies. • Interconnect: Naim HiLine • Jim Lampi. Greazy. Spinning Dog Records CR01 • Speaker cable: Naim NAC A5 • Hadouk Trio. Live à FIP - Hadouk Trio (2CD) • Speakers: Revelation Audio Mistral S6, Celluloïd/Melodie 67053 Mordaunt& Short Pageant series 2 • Accessories: dedicated electrical circuit • Kruder & Dorfmeister. The K&D Sessions. (10-guage wire) and Hubbell plugs G-Stone Recordings. !K7 Records. !K7073CD IMAGE MAGAZINE & pace of this movement is deliberately slow and when the cel- VERDICT list pauses between phrases, the silence is so palpable that I Competence, assurance and ease are the three words that hold my breath until the playing begins again. Again, it’s not kept coming back to me during the time I spent listening

SON the sound that grabs my attention, but rather the clear casually or intently to music through the Sitaras. With impression of finding myself in an intimate concert hall. these speakers I always felt confident that any track I chose would be a musical experience unmarred by exagge- If you are looking for speakers ration or distortion anywhere in the frequency band. I star- ted the listening session convinced that sooner or later the that combine holographic 5.9 inch drivers would call attention to themselves by a resonance in the highs, but I gave up my search, because imaging, excellent tonal in addition to the leitmotif of “No loss of fine detail” it should be added “No addition of artificial detail.” If you are balance, dynamics, emotion, looking for speakers that combine holographic imaging, excellent tonal balance, dynamics, emotion, all presented all presented in top-notch in top-notch cabinetwork, then have a good look and listen cabinetwork, then have a to the Sitara. I’ll leave the last words to my musician son who tested good look and listen to the the Sitaras while I was away at my day job: “From the dri- ving percussions of Novalima, to Robbie Shakespeare’s deep Sitara. bass lines, to the distortion-drenched guitar of Trent Reznor, the Sitaras redefined my view of high fidelity. These are enor- My preferred track for ending a listening session is mously versatile speakers that adapt perfectly to each style “Cyrano” by the reclusive artist Edgar Bori. When correctly of music and instrument, without favouring one aspect to reproduced, the emotional depth of this track is so powerful the detriment of another; speakers that are open to all the and fulfilling that I find it impossible to listen to anything musical cultures of the world.” 5 o else afterwards. On the Sitara, the piano notes that open the BY JAN-ERIK NORDOEN track immediately set the tone of disconnection. The effect is LE MAGAZINE ol. 10 / n striking and I realize for the first time why: the piano has Son & Image Magazine is available in paper been recorded out of phase. The technique sets the backdrop SON and electronic formats. perfectly – a feeling of detachment and loss – on which Bori IMAGE& Details on www.son-et-image.com artfully paints with his voice and his poetry. The contrast bet-

MAGAZINE V ween the warmth of his voice and the strangely distant piano creates the tension which is crucial to Bori’s text. You can Audio Physic Sitara guess the conclusion: it was useless to try to follow with any Price: $4,500 CND (cherry finish) other music after this track. I just wanted to sit for a few www.audiophysic.de Canadian distributor: Dimexs minutes absorbing the space and the silence left after the 514-333-5444 – www.dimexs.com

SON & IMAGE SON & IMAGE track ends. Absolutely sublime!