44 44Anker HIFI UND MUSIK 44 August 2019 / Juli ■ 8. Jahrgang ■ Für anspruchsvolle Hörer. Für anspruchsvolle Leser. anspruchsvolle Für Hörer. anspruchsvolle Für 04/2019 S 151 SKR S 151 ■ CH 20,60CH SFR ■ 04/2019 A/IT/BENELUX 14,40 € A/IT/BENELUX 14,40 ■ HIFI UND MUSIK 12,50 € D EDITORIAL DEAR READERS DEAR READERS, Anker Carsten Barnbeck Photography: FIDLEITY It’s those rare experiences that raise up all sorts of questions and every system deserves to have the optimal performance teased out of suddenly force you to see the world anew. Only a few weeks ago, I was it. And when we’ve finally got everything running perfectly, the system enveloped again. I had the exclusive honor and pleasure of spending an is left alone – to properly warm up and burn-in, of course. Then, even intimate hour with German manufacturer Tidal Audio’s top-of-the-line when we sit down with it again, we become enslaved to the intensive system. Simply put, it blew me away. Completely enveloped, I forgot processes of a listening test. everything going on around me for that blissful hour – all the details of which start on page 142 of this issue. But that sublime moment really With all this in mind, I’ve decided to add to my New Year’s resolutions got me thinking: why do I so seldom find myself fully and effortlessly for 2019: spend considerably more time simply sitting in front of the immersed in music nowadays? A question that seems strange to me, system with goosebumps. This is the top priority! And there is no lack since here in the editorial testing team we are regularly surrounded by of hardware and playthings to do it with, as you will see in the follow- exceptional components and fantastic systems. At least one thing is ing pages. certain, the Tidal series is in a class of its own. And now, we hope you enjoy reading the new FIDELITY. However, as is so often the case, the devil’s in the details – or rather in our intricate daily processes. Others might simply call it “routine:” We Best regards set the systems up, but then, instead of just sitting back, relaxing and enjoying them, we tinker for hours, striving after the perfect arrange- ment and testing out innumerable power and signal cables. After all, FIDELITY № 44 — 04/2019 003 Anker licensed for: TIDAL Audio GmbH | Immendorfer Straße 1 | 50354 Hürth | Germany | Telephone +49 2233 9669225 | www.tidal-audio.com 142 DITIONALLY UNCON­ THOROUGH Company profile Tidal and Vimberg and profile Tidal Company By Carsten Barnbeck. Photography: Ingo Schulz Ingo Barnbeck. Photography: Carsten By WWW.FIDELITY-MAGAZIN.DE — [email protected] — WWW.FIDELITY-MAGAZIN.DE ABSOLUTE FIDELITY | REPORT: A VISIT TO … COMPANY PROFILE TIDAL AND VIMBERG and craftsmanshipof his extraordinary hi-ficreations. After visiting his exceptional Tidal, company came we with away Jörn Janczak makes the sound, for compromises design no deep insights into his philosophy. ▶ 143 licensed for: TIDAL Audio GmbH | Immendorfer Straße 1 | 50354 Hürth | Germany | TelephoneFIDELITY +49 2233 № 9669225 44 — | www.tidal-audio.com 04/2019 ABSOLUTE FIDELITY | REPORT: A VISIT TO … COMPANY PROFILE TIDAL AND VIMBERG | www.tidal-audio.com | Telephone +49 2233 9669225 Telephone | | Germany | 50354 Hürth 1 | Immendorfer Straße TIDAL Audio GmbH Audio TIDAL licensed for: | www.tidal-audio.com | Telephone +49 2233 9669225 Telephone | | Germany | 50354 Hürth 1 or aficionados of premium exactly where a trailblazing manufacturer them speak for themselves – that is if you’re modules aren’t hidden, a double take’s access to an almost endless number of songs. So, I’m alone with a hi-fi chain that many audio equipment, the term of high-end audio equipment set up shop, lucky enough to experience it. On a beauti- required to realize the purpose of the cleverly “Have some fun, turn it up,” said Jörn Janczak high-end fans would give their right arm to “high-end” is associated with surrounded by TV studios and production ful spring day near Cologne, we met to do placed decorative elements. The utter silence before he left the room. “I have to take care test, and I can’t decide on the music? After an exclusive band of devices: companies. But the founder, owner and just that. of the room conveys its exquisite quality. A of a few phone calls upstairs, it will take a nine, ten swipes of the screen, my eyes rest | Immendorfer Straße chrome units from Berlin, mastermind behind Tidal and Vimberg, wall of speakers stands proud before me. The minute.” You don’t have to tell me twice. But on the familiar cover of Feist’s Metals album. champagne-colored machines from Japan Jörn Janczak, prefers a more understated noble Akira is present, framed by La Assoluta where to begin? Classic, folk, jazz, the audio- “The Bad in Each Other,” that always works. and stunning black boxes from North Amer- approach. Rather than beat his drum loudly, Separated from time and space mono power amps, the Presencio preamp, a phile standards? Akira is staring at me with One moment later and the crisp electric guitar Fica, just to name a few. But Hürth doesn’t declaring the magnificence of his hi-fi sys- And here I am – in a huge, and yet subtly GmbH Audio TIDAL D/A converter and a few skilfully laid cables. her ten black eyes, and I can almost imagine is ringing around the room, soon followed bring much to mind, does it? Yet that’s tems for some media coverage, Janczak lets optimized listening room. While the sound In my hand rests a large tablet that gives me her thinking: “What’s taking you so long?” by Leslie Feist’s gentle voice that holds a ▶ licensed for: 144 WWW.FIDELITY-MAGAZIN.DE — [email protected] FIDELITY № 44 — 04/2019 145 ABSOLUTE FIDELITY | REPORT: A VISIT TO … COMPANY PROFILE TIDAL AND VIMBERG | www.tidal-audio.com Klang ist planbar ■ | Telephone +49 2233 9669225 Telephone | Bildunterschriften: | Germany Seite 150 | 50354 Hürth 1 | Immendorfer Straße TIDAL Audio GmbH Audio TIDAL licensed for: Even a master has to start small: The first Piano from the company, still called WBE at that time, doesn’t meet today‘s standards | www.tidal-audio.com – though its in- ternal bracing is a main component of current models. | Telephone +49 2233 9669225 Telephone | | Germany | 50354 Hürth 1 slightly nasal, nearly metallic allure. Perhaps between me and the diaphragm surfaces – than subtle use of compressors. Though they while holding incredible depth. Akira pumps Jumping from album to album, title to title, “Gosh” when my colleague Schulz pops his the tonal impact intentionally underscores hardly twenty seconds have passed, and I am are a creative stylistic device: The intro, “Sea the frequencies to my position with percep- my selections unintentionally grow more head through the door and asks me blankly the album title? But that’s not my thought in already part of the music. Borne,” celebrates a waltzing rhythm, evolves tible force – and I am hardly even listening obscure. After a brief intermezzo with Liszt’s what I’m listening to. I had to pull myself to- the moment. Rather, I am captivated from the over six minutes and finally unfolds into a kind that loudly. Enormous bass billows casually Hungarian Rhapsodies, I indulge in Prodigy‘s gether for a moment before I could truthfully | Immendorfer Straße very first note: Akira lets me feel the Plektron My hesitation has been snuffed out. Next, of hypnosis. But the groove doesn’t just come through the room with incredible ease, while big beat hymn “Smack My Bitch Up,” then answer: “Uh . music?” gliding across the strings of the guitar, none comes the light-blue cover of Dead Can from the percussion. Immense compression each note from Lisa Gerrad’s “Yangqin,“ a detour through Chelsea Wolfe’s “We Will Hit of the intricate strokes escape me. Without Dance’s Dionysus. Compared to Feist’s harmonizes instruments, drums, a choir, vari- Chinese version of the zither, pierces the sonic The Wall,” before landing on an electronic My “five minutes” easily became a more than warning, the wall behind the chest-high speak- excellent Metals, this album is produced to ous samples and synth textures into a unified GmbH Audio TIDAL tapestry like pinpricks, lending an illusion of number from Boards of Canada. I’m lost in one-hour parkour of listening. And I listened ers becomes as nonexistent as the five meters audiophile standards – despite the slightly less wall of sound that floods the listening room dynamics to the compressed recording. Jamie XX’s strangely fascinating bass revelry to every song, and I mean every song, ▶ licensed for: 146 WWW.FIDELITY-MAGAZIN.DE — [email protected] FIDELITY № 44 — 04/2019 147 ABSOLUTE FIDELITY | REPORT: A VISIT TO … COMPANY PROFILE TIDAL AND VIMBERG | www.tidal-audio.com | Telephone +49 2233 9669225 Telephone | | Germany | 50354 Hürth 1 | Immendorfer Straße TIDAL Audio GmbH Audio TIDAL licensed for: | www.tidal-audio.com | Telephone +49 2233 9669225 Telephone | | Germany | 50354 Hürth 1 in its entirety, which is more than unusual for lose track of time, space and, ultimately, them- the drilled holes that stay hidden deep inside “we just tried to make good speakers.” In the The skilled toolmaker established the com- same name, which remains one of his favor- these kinds of situations. My colleague was selves, while enjoying the system. the watch. Totally crazy, no one will see them.” small room next to us, packed with photog- pany in 1999 together with his childhood ites to this day.