ANZEIGE 03 03 international english 03 international November/Dezember/January 2016/17 November/Dezember/January ■ 04/2016 The German free of Premium …a Audio. online Voice magazine The German free of Premium …a Audio. online Voice magazine ADVERT Phase Retrostyle PHASE stellt eine Erweiterung zu den traditionellen Produktlinien des Hauses dar und vereint höchsten Anspruch an Klang mit Musikkultur und modernem Lifestyle in einer perfekten Mischung. „Das begehrteste Produkt auf der High End “ The Absolute Sound Burmester Audiosysteme GmbH · Berlin · Germany · www.burmester.de FIDELITY – MAGICAL MOMENTS FANFARE ANKER What do you really need for a tonearm? A hard bearing tip, arm tube, counter- weight and headshell… —> 003 BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENT | FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL № 03 | 04/2016 | EN FIDELITY – MAGICAL MOMENTS FANFARE —> …But why make it easy when it can be so complicated instead? The indi- vidual parts of the tangential arm from Dereneville Analogue Audio. 004 BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENT | FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL № 03 | 04/2016 | EN EDITORIAL DEAR READERS ANKER Cai Brockmann DEAR READERS, The world is getting smaller and more inter- draws enthusiasts to Denver every year, and national. Whether visiting high-fidelity stands the upbeat Panoptikum at Oswald’s Mill at hi-fi shows around the world or top flagship Audio (OMA) brings people to New York stores and their sensational showrooms, these pretty much all year round. And in this issue phenomena are readily apparent everywhere. of FIDELITY international, we’ve reported in TheHighEnd in Munich (probably the best particular detail about OMA (or “grandma” to hi-fi show on earth) is, for example, now us Germans…). After every read of the article, seeing growing competition from Poland. after every perusal of the fantastic pictures, The Audio Video Show in Warsaw has already I for one would like to buy a ticket to New created almost as much audience appeal as York… the well-established HighEnd: The compo- nents exhibited are well worth seeing and With this in mind, let me wish you pleasant hearing, and the noticeably younger visitors reading with FIDELITY international—the are enthusiastic and curious in the best sense German Voice of Premium Audio. of the words. In Hong Kong, Audiotechnique magazine attracts a really big audience to the Best regards, mega-city with its three-day AV show. In the US, the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF) 005 BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENT | FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL № 03 | 04/2016 | EN ADVERT Armonia So klangvoll wie ihr Name Die High End Kabelinnovation von HMS NEU i-fidelity.net Eine erste Pressestimme: „HMS schafft mit dem Armonia eine energetische und vitale Verbindung. Große Klasse wenn Kunst und Können in dieser Form aufein- Armonia Armonia andertreffen und die Ohren so Interconnect RCA/Cinch Interconnect sym. XLR außergewöhnlich gut vewöhnt werden“ O. Sturm Armonia Ein gelungener Technologietransfer. Die Lautsprecher und Interconnectkabel dieser Neuentwicklung profitieren von den Konstrukionsmerkmalen und hiermit erzielten klanglichen Eigenschaften unserer Top-Serie Gran Finale Jubilee. Minimalste Verluste und höchste Einstreufestigkeit offenbaren klangliche Details und eine Dynamik die in dieser Preisklasse ihresgleichen suchen. Hans M. Strassner GmbH Hubble Captures View of ‚Mystic Mountain‘ Credit: NASA, ESA, and M. Livio and the Hubble 20th Anniversary Team (STScI) Team Anniversary Livio and the Hubble 20th and M. ESA, NASA, of ‚Mystic Mountain‘ Credit: View Hubble Captures Am Arenzberg 42 51381 Leverkusen KOMPETENZ IN KABELN Tel: (02171) 73 40 06 Object Names: Object Names: [email protected] MADE IN GERMANY 32_2001 HMS Anz Armonia 220x280-fid_V3.indd 1 10.11.16 13:46 FIDELITY – TABLE OF CONTENT TOPICS AND TESTS ANKER CONTENT № 03 04/2016 Equipment November/December/January 009 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Component base / Central grounding BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENT Subbase Audio Composant S / GroundBox 021 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � SACD-Player Esoteric K-05X 021 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Master clock generator Esoteric G-02 031 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Tube Power Amplifier Bittner Audio TonMeister 500 043 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Turntables Technics SL-1200GAE 058 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Loudspeakers Piega Master Line Source 2 069 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � USB DAC AudioQuest DragonFly Black and DragonFly Red 106 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Loudspeakers Neat Iota Alpha Please note: All items are listed with German retail prices (including sales tax) at the time of equipment evaluation. Standards 003 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Fanfare 005 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Editorial 018 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Browser № 01 055 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Browser № 02 111 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Finale 113 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Preview 115 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Imprint 007 FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL № 03 | 04/2016 | EN FIDELITY – TABLE OF CONTENT TOPICS AND TESTS CONTENT № 03 Stories 082 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Report Who Is Who: Canton / Günther Seitz Music 076 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Twin A lbums Led Zeppelin vs. The Song Retains The Name II 078 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � The Hidden Treasures of Jazz The Buddy DeFranco Quartet 079 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Folkidelity Soul sings country, Country sings soul Reviews in this Issue 069 � � � � � � AudioQuest DragonFly Black and DragonFly Red Please note: All items are listed with German retail prices USB DAC (including sales tax) at the time of equipment evaluation. 031 � � � � � � � � � � � Bittner Audio TonMeister 500 Tube Power Amplifier 009 � � � � � � � � � � � Subbase Audio Composant S / GroundBox Component base / Central grounding 021 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Esoteric G-02 Master clock generator 021 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Esoteric K-05X SACD-Player 106 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Neat Iota Alpha Loudspeakers 058 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Piega Master Line Source 2 Loudspeakers 043 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Technics SL-1200GAE Turntables 008 FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL № 03 | 04/2016 | EN EQUIPMENT – ACCESSORIES COMPONENT BASE / CENTRAL GROUNDING ANKER Subbase Audio Composant S / GroundBox AN EXPERT FOR DISPOSING OF DEFECTSBy Claus Volke. Photos: Manufacturer (2) Ingo Schulz A MASTER PLAN THAT TAKES A COMPELLING, STEP-BY-STEP PATH TOWARD ONE GOAL— THE MUSIC. ▶ 009 BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENT | FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL № 03 | 04/2016 | EN EQUIPMENT – ACCESSORIES COMPONENT BASE / CENTRAL GROUNDING 010 BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENT | FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL № 03 | 04/2016 | EN EQUIPMENT – ACCESSORIES COMPONENT BASE / CENTRAL GROUNDING homas Schlipper listeners no longer hear the signal speaker feet), a Composant S launched his com- itself but the signal + defect + under each component (with pany Subbase Audio defect + defect etc. then the only CF feet under the components Manufaktur in 2004. option is to take action using a to connect to the bases) and a The first product, coordinated approach and the GroundBox, which “links” all Tthe versatile speaker base “écho”, deployment of multiple, closely connected Composant S bases to is still part of its range—contin- integrated measures. the ground via the outlet. uously refined and optimized, as Subbase Audio has thus devel- Subbase Audio has continued to all products from Subbase Audio oped a comprehensive concept refine the Composant S to a signif- have been. Having garnered that completely eliminates these icant degree and, with the current multiple positive ratings, écho cumulative interferences and re- version, aims to not only have bases provide a very effective stores the signal to its defect-free, solved the problem of coupling decoupling of the speaker from genuine audible form. Schlipper resonance frequency, but to an the ground while simultaneously provides a self-contained system even greater degree, the problems ensuring its feedback-specific that gives users the ability to elim- arising from the electrical and coupling. Along with the con- inate the defects in the playback electromagnetic faults from the tinuous further development of chain one by one, or component components themselves. The new existing products, there are always by component. base thus uses an electromagnetic new concepts being realized in Once the speaker bases were real- damping developed in-house, the ever growing product range of ized, other key steps included the which Schlipper claims reduces the manufactory, based in an old development of the component these defects by up to 80 percent. manor in the city of Neuss. base Composant S, which is now Furthermore, he has even found The philosophy followed by available in a totally new version, a way to influence the emerging Schlipper is obvious and com- as well as the GroundBox, which, electromagnetic fields in such pelling: When defects occur at as