AudioKeyREVIEWS! ISSUE 20 - JANUARY 2025 by audiokeyreviews

AudioKeyREVIEWS !

HIGH FIDELITY PERSONAL AUDIO & STEREO MAGAZINE

TRAFORMATIC RHAPSODY 300B

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

ATMA-SPHERE MP-3 & CLASS D PREAMPLIFIER, MONOBLOCKS

VIENNA ACOUSTICS

HAYDEN SIGNATURE LOUDSPEAKERS AND MORE…

E LECTRIFIED S TABILIZATION P LATFORM The Last Platform You’ll Ever Need

Music is art, art is music.

Wassily Kandinsky - Winter

Front Inside Cover: Paul Cezanne, Quatre poires

Back Inside Cover: Vincent Van Gogh - Pink Peach Tree

The Other Art. It is my belief that the artist and the musician are not only creatives, but they access heart and soul and experience, perhaps, in the selfsame ways. My own love for art and music are inseparable. And so art, music, and those things which facilitate the music shall share theses pages.

Vincent Van Gogh - Seascape near Les Saintes Maries de la Mer

EDITOR’s CHAIR

Happy Holidays to all of our readers, viewers and to the manufacturers, distributors and to our new advertisers as well! Thank you all for another wonderful year and for a smashing success with our November 2024 Issue, Best of the Year Magazine.

The Best of the Year issue was a great deal of work as exemplified by its 300 pages of content. In the end, however, it was done and many have let us know how much they continue to enjoy reading the magazine and viewing its art.

Still hard to believe that the last year has already come and gone and it’s Winter again. California native that I am, I find myself slowly adapting to these very cold and snowy climes. Who’d have thought.

This year we have a great many new products, across a broad variety of segments, under review, scheduled for review, and to soon be scheduled for review. Suffice to say, that we’ve always been picky, but we’ve gotten even more so. Why not bring to our readers and viewers the best from around the world, continually and across every issue? Well, that is, in fact, our plan.

I have also updated both my reference two-channel system and my reference headphone system and both are quite spectacular, this despite very close to real world pricing. I’ll be writing up those new systems and the why of them. It has been five years now and listening to a great deal of equipment has been very helpful in this endeavor. More coming very soon on this.

Again, thank you all these many years for continuing to find, visit, read, and explore our various magazines. And for those of you who enjoy the art, it has been my pleasure, as I do it, in truth, for my love of art. In this way, consider each magazine a museum with art coming in, leaving, and then returning.

Sincerely,

K.E. Heartsong Editor-in-Chief

THE CREW

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

K. E. Heartsong

Managing Editor

Dr. Irina Kuzminsky

Senior Editor(s)

Andre Marc

Oliver Masciarotte

Senior Copy Editor

Kathe Lieber

Columnists

Dr Irina Kuzminsky

Rain Jordan

Kathe Lieber

Music Reviewers (Video/Written)

Dr. Irina Kuzminsky

Photographer

K. E. Heartsong

Graphic Design

Wabi Sabi Design Group

HermanMiller

Wayne Thiebaud - Aquavella

HermanMiller

Minor White

Pau Cezanne - The Road, 1871

By Oliver Masciarotte

VIENNA ACOUSTICS HAYDEN SIGNATURE

An unassuming carton arrived at my house unannounced and, upon opening, I found a nicely ﬁnished pair of black “bookshelves.” Once hooked up to my reference ampliﬁer, to my surprise and delight, I immediately heard something big, lush and eminently enjoyable. Tought I, “Damn, let’s burn these little guys in!”

Edward W. Kellogg and Chester W. Rice were researchers working at General Electric. Next year will be the one hundredth anniversary of their influential published research on the moving-coil direct-radiator loudspeaker. In that same year, Edward Wente at Bell Labs had independently discovered and patented this same principle. There is really nothing new about the Haydn SE Signature in terms of technology. They simply are a highly refined version of Rice and Kellogg’s original invention. For 35 years, Vienna Acoustics loudspeaker manufacturing has been designing and fabricating their products, not too surprisingly, in Vienna Austria. The Haydn SE Signature is the smallest in their Concert Grand series, an entry level version of their The Kiss in the more evolved Klimt series. The Haydn shares a hand–coated silk dome tweeter and “spiderweb rib”–equipped

XPP mid/bass unit with several of their other models. Simple rectangular cabinet geometry and mid–level drive complement keeps the cost in the very competitive upper end of “affordable.”

Once I gave them a bit of electro–acoustic exercise, I set them up on my old skool, twin tube Sanus Foundations Steel stands with IsoAcoustics ISOL8R155 between the speaker and stand. Audio Art Cable Statement e SC Cryo cabling connected to my Parasound Halo JC5. Since the Haydn’s are rear ported, a cylindrical one at top, I kept them well away from the rear wall, about 41

Edgar Degas - Dancer, 1878

VIENNA ACOUSTICS HAYDEN SIGNATURE

inches, and also well away from the side walls (about 3.5 feet) since they are untreated at present. Though small in size, these are not efficient speakers, and will benefit from a bit of beef from your amplifier.

As I was trolling through recent releases on Qobuz, I noticed that low quality recordings were exposed for all their flaws, while high fidelity albums rewarded the listener with clean, proportional treble, a clear and warm midrange with a satisfying heft in the low end. Bass–heavy modern pop delivers the illusion of deep bass without actually going super low. In my room, I noticed the low end start to roll off at around 60Hz. Even so, I experienced quite usable output down to 35Hz but below that was beyond the capabilities of these little gals. Since they are ported, the Haydn SEs are not the last word in tight bass, though they do exhibit minimum subjective low frequency overhang.

While I compose this, it’s a gray, overcast day here in Saint Paul with the end of sunlight fast approaching. In keeping with that mood, an ECM recording seemed a fitting match…Colin Vallon’s Ronce, from his 2024 release Samares [Qobuz 96k], is a contemplative, flowing jazz piece that had me slipping into a deep, moss velvet reverie. The percussion work sparkled without sharpness or bite, while the midrange and upper bass as exemplified by Vallon’s piano work was

corporeal and just right without feeling chunky or tubby.

Given the lack of waveguides, the Haydn SEs have generally uniform dispersion. If I stood up from a seated position and approached the speakers so I was well past 40° off axis, I lost only a small amount of treble energy. The overall tonal balance did not change. Horizontally, the treble loss off axis was a bit more pronounced, but still the tonal balance remained reasonable. Parallel to the back wall, I left the Haydns pointing straight ahead as I liked that overall balance and but, in your room, these speakers may benefit from some toe in as it will add a touch of additional upper midrange.

To get an objective sense of where the Haydns sit in the grand scheme of things, let’s look at some specifications…the frequency response is stated as 40Hz –20kHz, no tolerances given. The impedance is 4Ω and sensitivity is 88.5dB so, again, not just any amp will do although that depends on how loud you typically play your music. V.A.’s recommended amplifier power is 50 to 180 Watts, which most any modern amp design can muster. As to driver array, a Vienna Acoustics 1.1" hand coated silk dome tweeter is complemented by a peekaboo 6" Spider-Cone™ X3P mid–woofer. Yes, the mid/woofer cone is clearly see–through. The rear vented bass reflex alignment employs an impulse–optimized quasi–Butterworth. The

crossover, two way of course, is 1st and 2nd order Bessel.The crossover componentry is 1% tolerance MKP capacitors, 0.7% tolerance air core inductors, and inductance–free 1% metal film resistors. These little shiny little gals weigh 22 pounds a piece, and stand

Farewell Season, helped me to confirm that the low frequency response I was hearing was not only appropriately scaled but was clearly capable of articulating Dion Nijland’s double bass work. The song starts with a duet between Nijland and piano player Philipp

14.2” tall, 6.85" wide, and 10.4” deep. My review pair was finished piano black, but cherry, premium rosewood, and piano white are also available. Magnetic grilles are included.

While writing this review, I discovered a promising series, Jazz Thing, on Challenge Records Double Moon imprint. At present, there are well over one hundred entries in the series, a recent one being Butter Bei Die Fische | JazzThing Next Generation Vol. 105 [Qobuz 44.1k] by Red Hering. The eighth track,

Rüttgers. Band leader and drummer

Maximilian Hering and the rest of the crew soon jump in for a laid back and lyrical interplay. The Haydn SEs confirmed that album’s somewhat narrow and shallow soundstage.

Other songs were not as mono and 2D… Because I love it, I have a collection of “The Moldau,” Smetana’s Vltava from Má Vlast. My playlist includes Ormandy, Stokowski, plus André Cluytens, Ferenc Fricsay and others. One of my faves is Lenny’s 1966

VIENNA ACOUSTICS HAYDEN SIGNATURE

rendition with the New York Phil. The remastered Leonard Bernstein Conducts Dvorák and Smetana [Qobuz Sony Classical 2018] also happens to be a 192k release. This recording showed off the V.A.’s ability to conjure a concert hall around 20Hz shaves off any subsonics and, since thEQorange is a linear phase filter, all that equalization incurs not even a smidge of phase rotation.

A fascinating, stripped down piece from Dean & Britta with Sonic Boom, You're All I Want For Christmas is, yes, a seasonal song in

keeping with the fresh blanket of snow outside. Thank you, Santa, for reading my wish list…I listened to the album on Qobuz [96k Carpark Records 2024], but a translucent green vinyl version is available for all you needle draggers. This is a vocal–forward Phil Spector–meets–Nashville composition, with percussion, guitars and synth supporting Britta Phillips, who not only headlined but was also the recordist. I love how the reverb–drenched castanets stand in stark contrast to the background atmospherics. The little Haydns manage to deliver a perceived Goldilocks transient response without sounding brittle or harsh. That may be from a gently rolled off high end. They don’t sound dark but, squirting sine waves in while measuring their acoustic output seemed to show they do not extend to 20k without a good bit of loss. As with the low end, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.

There are very few bookshelf speakers that I can recommend which combine a

down to earth price and crowd–pleasing performance. From the first moment I got them situated and playing, I was impressed by the level of sheer musicality they delivered. I’ve heard plenty of two–way, stand–mounted loudspeakers at audio shows, from sub $1000 entry level models to wicked spendy examples. I’ve also had some fairly high tech two–ways in the house, a prime example being KEF’s LS50 Meta. That was a while ago and human audio memory is notoriously poor and plastic but, while that LS50 was clean and more than a bit polite, the Haydn SE Signature had it all over that KEF model in terms of pure sensory gratification. Once of the aspects of these speakers I find interesting is that, although premium crossover components and in–house drivers contribute to their exceptional sound, no exotic science is used, just plain ol’ attention to detail with fine design, careful craftsmanship and lots of critical listening. As I mentioned in the intro, from the first notes those little speakers made me sit up and take notice. Throughout the review period, I never wanted for more. Yes, I did wake up my subwoofer and yes, it did add both weight to the bottom two octaves and improved midrange clarity, but had that piece of gear not been available, I wouldn’t have felt deprived or cheated.

In my home, loudspeakers come and go. Some are remembered fondly, though most

are quickly out of mind. The glossy black Haydn SE Signature is a remarkably capable little package that won’t soon be forgotten. Those plucky standmounters did most everything right for me, delivering rich musical magic at a price most seasoned hi–fiers can afford. A fine finish and understated good looks don’t detract from the experience either. Appreciatively, Vienna Acoustics have delivered a winning combination of audio performance, visual æsthetics, and value pricing that impressed me greatly. I’m beating the drum on this one…it’s a real goodie!

THE COMPANY

V.A. Lautsprechermanufaktur GmbH Weigelsdorf Österreich

https://www.vienna-acoustics.com/

Haydn SE Signature

$3495/pair in black, white or cherry

$3995/pair in premium rosewood

IMUSICAL MUSINGS

By Irina Kuzminsky

must confess to a love for the soprano voice, especially one oozing with power and passion and possessing the added bonus of an expressive low register. So when I came across Walking in the Dark, the debut album of American soprano Julia Bullock, I was immediately excited and intrigued, not least by the eclectic mix of music on the album ranging from modern classical to folk rock to jazz-based to spirituals. Intriguing, particularly when the singer unambiguously identifies herself a “classical singer”.

The first track opens with the naked voice, a voice that has me captive from the start. The piano joins in and Oscar Brown Jr’s “Brown Baby” unfolds, a call to all for a more just world for all, and the first of three songs on the album covered by Nina Simone whose influence Bullock is happy to acknowledge. Bullock gives it her own interpretation,

combining a classically trained voice with all the passion and heart of the song. A popular song from the 1950s follows, “One by One” by little known singersongwriter Connie Converse. Bullock sings it in the manner of a modern artsong, her voice velvety, caressing.

The next track, ‘Memorial de Tlatelolco’, from John Adams’s magnificent opera-oratoria El Niño (2000), comes in as a veritable aural shock as voice and orchestra (London’s Philharmonia) explode into a fiendishly difficult and fiendishly dramatic aria, with the chorus punctuating the vocal line in the second half. This is modern opera at its best, full of passion and drama, and Julia Bullock’s voice unleashes at full tilt, her range on full

Tamara de Lempicka - Arums I

MUSICAL MUSINGS

display, the high notes contrasting with the velvety low register featured in the previous two tracks. Bullock has had major roles in three of Adams’s major works and you can see why in this track which displays her technical prowess and expressive powers. Christian Reif both conducts the Philharmonia and accompanies Bullock in the other songs on the piano. (He is not only her musical partner, but her life partner as well.)

“City called Heaven” is another definite standout on the album, taking us straight into the world of spirituals. In Bullock’s interpretation it carries centuries of human sorrow and human hope and human faith. It reminded me of the great dramatic soprano Jessye Norman singing spirituals, imbuing them with all the rich emotion of her operatic voice.

More of Julia Bullock’s gorgeous low register is on show in Billy Taylor’s “I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free”, another song covered by Nina Simone (along with the final track, Sandy Denny’s “Who Knows Where the Time Goes”), with Bullock ornamenting the vocal line with beautiful melismas.

Samuel Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer of 1915”, a descriptive musical tableau for soprano and orchestra, is a centrepiece of the album, conveying the fluidity of the

constantly shifting impressions of a summer evening.

“Who Knows Where the Time Goes” returns to a different feel, with Bullock caressing the music and our ears with her voice. A muted, gentle conclusion to an eclectic album with a deeply personal choice of repertoire.

For me it was the tracks for voice and piano which stood out most, even more so against the background of the classical works, as the contrast in itself displayed the extent of Bullock’s versatility. If it’s a soprano voice capable of expressing heartfelt pain and heartfelt hope that you’re after, Julia Bullock is a most welcome arrival on the classical scene. And the fact that she can cross genres and musical boundaries so well is an added bonus.

TRAFORMATIC RHAPSODY 300B TUBED INTEGRATED

By K.E. Heartsong

As I had mentioned in the preview of the Traformatic Rhapsody 300B, I had just had a very bad experience with another 300B ampliﬁer, that shall go unnamed, as per policy. I used

very disappointed. I imagine this was the very best way to proceed, set very low expectations. In this case, if it even sounded reasonably good, then it would not be a total

Traformatic Rhapsody 300B rolled in, my sighs could be heard upon its receipt, whilst unpacking it, and, ﬁnally, while setting it up. I gave it some ‘quiet time’ with a playlist on repeat and at diminishingly low volume. I was simply not ready to hear it. Would you be after a really bad prior experience?

When I finally set down for a listen days later, in truth, I prepared to be disappointed,

Fortunately, their numbers are diminishing as I do a good bit of research before selecting my next product for review.

However, when the needle dropped, figuratively, I wasn’t in Kansas or really bad 300B territory anymore. I was in…

REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review will be non-sequential, as it will start with how the component actually

Claude Monet - Three Pots of Flowers

sounds and not the process of physically “undressing” it and/or laying out its various parts, speciﬁcations, etc. Tink of this review, then, as a non-linear movie— Memento, Kill Bill, Arrival, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, etc.—that likewise starts at the end and winds its way to the beginning.

• Fern & Roby Raven III Speakers

• Kubala-Sosna Realization Interconnects, Speaker Cables, Power cords

• Grimm Audio SQM Interconnects (XLR, RCA)

• RSX BEYOND, MAX Power Cords

• SEISMION Ampliﬁer Stand (powered)

• TORUS AUDIO Power Conditioner

THE SOUND

THE SYSTEM - REFERENCE TWO CHANNEL

• Grimm Audio MU2 Streamer/DAC/ Preampliﬁer

• Silent Angel Bonn Pro8 Network Switch

• Atma-Sphere MP-3 Preampliﬁer

• Atma-Sphere S-30 Stereo Ampliﬁer

• Atma-Sphere CLASS D Monoblock Ampliﬁers

• TRAFORMATIC RHAPSODY 300B Single-Ended Integrated

• LYRIC Ti 100 Single-Ended Integrated

• Devore Audio Orangutan 0/96

I was in a place where 300B amps or, at least this 300B amp, was diﬀerent, very ﬀerent than its Modus Operandi (M.O.) dictated that it should be. And I cut to the chase to determine how much time I’d spend with the Traformatic Rhapsody 300B. I hit it with Eiji Oue’s Stravinsky, which does not tolerate the bass adverse with its seven firing tympani.

“Wow”, I thought to myself as the tympani resounded in my listening room with weight, presence, and gravitas. I believe this is the point where I sat up, got out my book and pen, and began taking notes.

Over the course of the Rhapsody 300B’s stay with me it proved itself time and again through all manner of musical faire. Upright bass was no problem and it followed the lightning-quick, upright bass plucks of Dave Holland, Paul Chambers, Christian McBride, Gene Taylor, et al. as if it were “no thang”. I

do believe at some point I actually knelt down to see if these were really 300B tubes. Yes, there were/are 300B tubes.

The empirical proof of this came via a phalanx of beautifully rendered vocal recordings. Sarah Vaughn sat in along with Sophie Hunger, Patricia Barber, Shirley Horn, Andy Bey, Boz Scaggs, Elina Duni, etc. Their presence, their in-room humanity was exceptional. It had been a while since I had listened for days on end to vocals. My normal mix is classical, then jazz, pop/rock/ soul, then a bit of folk and repeat. It was a beautiful reconnection and the Traformatic Rhapsody 300B had made it so. Bravo!

BASS

Eiji Oue’s Stravinsky (Reference Recordings) serves as my reference for determining the bass response of the Rhapsody 300B. It is a very dynamic piece and for the track in question— V. Infernal Dance of King Kashchey —I was told by representatives of the Minnesota Orchestra that seven tympani had been assembled by Eiji Oue for this movement.

The Rhapsody’s volumetric cube was quite deep, given its match to the Orangutan O/96, fairly wide, just inside of the speakers, and relatively high. Soundstaging—width, depth, layering, spacing, and volume—overall was very good, though not as pristinely layered as the very best, but it was, nonetheless, believable.

The Traformatic Rhapsody 300B had handled the various movements of the Stravinsky recording beautifully. Its true test, V. Infernal Dance of King Kashchey, demonstrated the low rumble that one associates with amplifiers able to probe the depths of mid-bass and sub-bass as well. And when the seven assembled tympani sounded the Rhapsody 300B delivered what no prior 300B amplifier/ integrated had before— sub-bass depth that was both ponderous and tactile. I not only heard it, I felt it. This isn’t your pop’s or your grand pop’s 300B, it is a

great deal more in its ability to reach sub-bass depths.

MIDRANGE

Sublime! Well, the midrange is well known as 300B territory and the Traformatic Rhapsody did not disappoint! On the contrary, I can scarcely remember another 300B with the ‘humanity’, the naturalness, the corporeal presence that the Rhapsody 300B demonstrated in song after song. Elina Duni’s “Je Ne Sais Pa” (Partir, ECM), Olafur Arnalds’s “Árbakkinn” (Island Songs, Mercury), Andy Bey’s “Angel Eyes” (American Songs, Savoy), Boz Scaggs’ “You Don’t Know What Love Is” (But Beautiful, Concorde Records) were all beautifully served and on another level than my reference integrated, Lyric

Audio Ti 100 MkII or a number of amplifiers could match.

The Rhapsody had plumbed the deaths to the sub-bass, a true anomaly for 300B amplifiers, and had lost not a wit of the midrange prowess for which 300Bs are well known. In fact, it even pushed the midrange envelope for natural musicality and engagement. There is not another integrated amp that I have reviewed or owned that is its like.

TREBLE+

The treble has traditionally been an Achilles Heel of 300B amplifiers, as has sub-bass response, for that matter. And who wants an amp with two Achilles Heels? Well, the answer to that would be those who are monumentally in love with the human voice, with small, intimate ensembles (jazz, classical), or folk music.

To this point the Traformatic Rhapsody 300B had proven itself to surpass all previous limitations of the traditional 300B amplifier’s bass response. Though, I should also say, that

with the DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96 in-house, Rhapsody 300B ’s performance here was incredibly synergistic.

The Rhapsody 300B did have quite good treble extension on my go to for treble or the fine and precise resolution of drum cymbals —hi-hats, ride, etc.—Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Take Five” (Time Out, Columbia). This is, however, where my reference Lyric Audio Ti 100 MkII integrated edged it out. The Rhapsody 300B went nicely high and, indeed, higher than most 300Bs. But it could not go as high, nor resolve the cymbal energy/frequencies as well as the Ti 100 MkII. This is one reason the Ti 100 MkII has remained so long as a reference in Casa Heartsong’s two-channel system. The Rhapsody 300B was just a wee bit short of the topmost treble regions. But 300B aficionados will be well served as the Rhapsody 300B may easily trump their current 300B amplifier.

CONCLUSIONS

Te Traformatic Rhapsody 300B is absolutely not your pop’s or your grand pop’s 300B ampliﬁer. It is a very much new and improved version with reach— frequency response—that other 300B’s fantasize about or, at the very least, dream about. It’s got bass, the proverbial 300B midrange, though there is an argument for it being even better than most 300Bs here, and it’s got good treble extension.

Te Rhapsody has quite good transparency and resolution and in the camp of 300B ampliﬁers it would be in the topmost ranks and well regarded. Tat said, we happily confer on the Traformatic Rhapsody 300B our Gold KeyNote award for superb rendering of music above what most have come to believe as the ‘typical’ 300B sound.

Pros: Unusually deep bass response for a 300B, outstanding midrange recreation with few peers, tremendously musical and engaging.

Cons: While it has very good frequency extension, it does not reach the uppermost portions or treble+ locales.

Note: My version had ‘soft pops’ whenever the Rhapsody was turned on. Nothing truly objectionable, they were just there.

THE SPECIFICATION

TRAFORMATIC RHAPSODY 300B

• Power Output: 20 watts per channel

• Class of operation: Parallel SingleEnded (class A)

• Gain: 22dB (for 8 Ω)

• Tubes complement: 4x 300b, 2x 6SN7

• Inputs: 3xRCA + 1xXLR

• S/N Ratio: 80dB

• Speaker Outputs: 0, 4, 8 Ohms/per side

• Frequency Bandwidth: 10Hz-75KHz (-3dB)

Matisse - The Closed Window, 1919

Edgar Degas - Dancers at Rehearsal

Connect to t Performance

“ The Kubala-Sosna Emotion interconnects connected me to the music like no other interconnects I've heard, at anywhere near the price.

Robert H. Levi

Positive Feedback Online

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The Expressions present music without noticeable boundaries to a stage; sound stages don't erupt from a black background, but from an invisible and expanding one…

Larry Cox

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JOAN OF AUDIO & MUSIC

By Rain Jordan

A HIGHER LOVE WORLD BLUES: A WAYSHOWER WITH GARRICK DAVIS

Everything*

We only pass this way one time If up above is the sunshine and to the right is love you know you have everything

Time feels both precarious and precious these days. Every morning that I wake up here, I am deeply grateful for life itself. I live more in the present moment than ever before. Many of my relationships have deepened in love or have surprisingly ended. But I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you how fortunate I am, and how transformative it’s been to work with musicians and artists during these times. Musicians, and the music they create, restore my faith in humanity over and over again. Through the

heart, mind and effort of the artist, I bear witness that a more intimate, creative, compassionate, and unified world is possible. I realize that to create music, to create art, regardless of the degree of reciprocity, is an act of love. The butterfly effect is the idea that small, even tiny actions can result in something with tremendous consequences. Musicians and artists are like the butterfly. The right song, the right words, the right act of creation, no matter how small, has the power to uplift the world.

I say all this to pay homage to the musicians and artists I’ve interviewed and worked with over the past year or more. As well as the future collaborations that are forthcoming. And mostly, to roll out the red carpet for my current interview with

Painting by Rossetti

Vincent Van Gogh - Window in the Studio

JOAN OF AUDIO & MUSIC

If you can know a man through his music, then listen up. Garrick Davis is an expressive and unpretentious guitarist and storyteller. His gift is his truth. His songs are portals to the deeply personal and the wider collective soul. Garrick has aptly coined his “kind of” music, World Blues. By his own definition, he describes it as "guitar-based music rooted origins”. For me, Garrick’s music is genuine, relatable, never over- produced, yet dynamic, nuanced, dimensional, even spiritual. He makes magic with his guitar. He plays music that sounds like he’s a friend of the world. On guitar, he seems to lead with the Blues, yet he draws from almost every single genre, including sounds from afar. And all of it works together as a cohesive whole. His songs have a spirit that serve to uplift the human experience. Even the titles of his songs reveal a glimmer of what might be behind the door; House Full of Friends, The Good Road, The Maker, So Glad I’m Here,

And if you are a dreamer and have laughter to share

Say hello and breathe in the air

You have everything

JOAN OF AUDIO & MUSIC

Everything, Happy June, Grandmas Hands, Trust, just to name a few.

Open the door

Open your eyes

You don't always need to fantasize

Then you will know

You have everything

Everything you need

Everything so believe

I first heard Garrick Davis play guitar a few months ago, at The Backyard Improv, a Peter Baron production. Also, he was our guest on Xtemporize, a podcast, I co-host. He brought his guitar to the podcast studio, a beautiful white Fender, Telecaster called Zangel. Garrick named the guitar after his son Zach who passed away in 2020 (more on the very poignant story of Zach in the interview). Garrick played us a few original songs from his upcoming album, the Dignity Project. He is releasing some of the songs as singles ahead of the album. One of the songs he played for us was. “Ain’t No Devil but the Human”. The title or subject matter seems contrary to most of his songs, but it is not. It is a song about exposing our shadow to light. Shadow work, to put simply, is the work of making conscious what is unconscious. Of course, it is difficult work because the root of the shadow is fear or trauma. Its by-products are hatred, war, racism, exploitation, addiction, unhappiness, loneliness, etc.

Hence the world we live in. Yet, when we look deeply at what is affecting our lives, we expose the cause of our pain, we bring it to light. And we begin to live our purpose here from our true nature. Amazingly, “Ain’t No Devil but the Human” is a bluesy, danceable soulful, melodic, song with moving lyrics, and cool harmonic progressions. Its message tells us a hard truth; we must wake up or live in the shadow of pain. But truly listen up, the music in the song is a wayshower.

It's just life to have tough days when you're ready to fold Better days are ahead grab ahold and see what they bring

You can find my interview with Garrick Davis and his music on the following pages. The interview is more an open conversation, a beautiful and heartful glimpse into the journey of a gifted, awakening man, and guitarist. Currently, Garrick says he is experiencing a kind of renaissance, a rediscovery of his passion for lyrics and storytelling. He is writing new songs and lyrics for songs he’s already written but were largely instrumentals. “Ain’t No Devil but the Human” is one of those songs, as is “All the Girls”, which have already been released as singles. Both songs are part of the new album that he is working on now entitled The Dignity Project. Garrick explains the lyrical themes of the new album as a retrospective to

push forward. It tells the story of his upbringing, born in 1958, in Casper, Wyoming, toward the end of the Jim Crow era. Although he says, it was not an easy time for his parents and community, as a child, he saw how proudly his parents carried themselves:

“I saw the adults, particularly my family, as carrying themselves proudly, dressed nicely in church and social gatherings. Cars were washed. My grandmother's garden was orderly and well maintained. I came to understand that these people carried themselves with “dignity”, under oppressive circumstances. Children like me were “the future”, and those of my parent's generation worked to make life better for us.”

So it is in this spirit that the Dignity Project is being created. In hopes that his music can uplift the next generations. However, it is the death of his son, Zachary Ernest Davis who passed away December 28, 2020 at the age of 28, due to an opioid overdose, that has catapulted Garrick into this new stage of his life. In honor of Zach, who was also a musician, a keyboardist, Garrick and his family have created The Zach Fest Community Benefit Concert, which will take place this year on April 28th, 2024. “The goal is to serve the community, believing in the intrinsic value of the live music experience to bring people together for a greater good.”

Proceeds are donated to the non-profit organization KARA, and The Tim Griffith Foundation which provides addiction recovery and grief support. To learn more about the Zach Benefit Concerts, and Garrick’s new album, The Dignity Project, or to listen and buy his music, please visit his beautifully curated website. (link below) (Interview and music on the following pages)

Clean your car

Make your bed

Hug your child

Find something instead

Clean your car

Make your bed

Hug your child

Find something instead of bleeding

Kill that bad, bad, bad feeling

You have everything you need

Everything so believe

*”Everything" a song by Garrick Daivs Garrick Davis World Blues - Recorded Music: Albums, EP's and Singles (gdworldblues.com)

Garrick Davis World Blues (gdworldblues.com)

Conducted by Raine Jordan

Garrick Davis

INTERVIEW: GARRICK DAVIS, WORLD BLUES

“They’ll say, it’s not really Blues. Well, no it's not what you think of Blues. But it is something that I do. It is a thing.” ~ Garrick Davis

Since 2001 Garrick Davis has independently produced and released five full length albums as well as some singles. Davis' fifth album, "A House Full of Friends", that was performed and recorded live, alongside 15 musicians and vocalists from disparate backgrounds, brought together to make music and subsequently made "magic", lighting the way for a new creative path on which to journey unabashedly. This creative path, now called “Garrick Davis World Blues” is working on new material that as a collection will be titled "The Dignity Project".

Garrick’s influences include Jimi Hendrix, Richie Havens, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Eric Clapton (Cream), Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones and Johnny Winter and ZZ Top to be among his earliest influences as a young teen. Davis went on to discover the "sources" of those previously mentioned, including Son House, Bukka White, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, BB King, Freddie King, Albert Collins, Curtis Mayfield, Wes Montgomery and so many more.

My interview with Garrick Davis, both the transcript excerpt and the videos tell a poignant story of his journey and evolution through life as a musician and a father to his son who passed away in 2020 at the young age of 28.

The evolving nature of Garrick Davis’s music and life can be explored more thoroughly throughout his Discography and on his YouTube Videos.

(This is an excerpt. The full interview is available on the video provided)

Raine Jordan: Yes indeed, that’s what relationships are for, growing together. So, we were talking a little bit about your live album from the Golden State Theater in Monterey, CA. Would you call it an album?

Garrick Davis: It's an EP, an extended play. I did that just because I wanted to put something out again. I had forgotten that it was recorded on my phone. And, I just thought the energy was so good.

RJ: It was great energy.

GD: I have lots of recordings like that. So, my father told me a long time ago. First, the reason why I'm bringing my parents up so much…look, I'm a 65 year old man almost 66. They've meant so much to me and they mean more to me now in a way, but they have always meant a lot. I wouldn't be in this place if they hadn't said, “go for it and we'll always be there for you”. My father's phrase is, “daddy's work is never done”. I came to him when I was getting a divorce. I also wanted to do my first album, Glass Half Full, because I had told my son that I needed to follow through on a promise I made. I made it on purpose, so I would actually follow through. I made a promise that I'm going to do something. It cost a lot of money. I

INTERVIEW: GARRICK DAVIS, WORLD BLUES

produced it all on credit cards. It was a nightmare. I just had to do it. We do what we do to get moving. My father always meant a lot because he had always loved the fact that I was into music and songwriting. It meant a lot to him. He had always loved music himself. He played drums as a kid.

RJ: So, your dad was a musician. Was your mom in music as well?

GD: My mother's a classically trained operatic soprano.

RJ: I saw your post of her the other day. I think you were in the studio together. I commented on how much you look alike. But I think you said you look like your dad more so.

GD: Yeah, I'm a mix between both my dad and mom. So, I was talking about my dad and how important he had been to me. You know he was helping me feel like music is something I can do. After I did my second album in 2005, which is a live album, he said, “you should always record wherever you’re at in your life, whatever stage of life you’re in and I want you to keep doing this.” So that was a major thing for me. It was after the first album. I would go over to their house and play it for them in my car when the songs were just developing, you know the rough mixes. Once it was done, he said, “can you imagine what it's gonna be like when you've done with your 10th album?” I'm like man, I'm barely done with this thing and you're talking about 10 albums. So that's always been in my head. I'm on number 6 right now.

RJ: Alright so you got plenty of time.

GD: I feel like it, but at the same it's taking a long time for me to get writing lyrics again, it's been amazing. I feel it's gotten me back into understanding why I play guitar. Or why I've perpetuated my artistry because my ultimate goal is to keep writing songs. That's the well that has never dried up. Or I should say to write music and then bringing the lyrics into the music. This process of writing lyrics began in January for these songs, “Ain't No Devil but The Human”. I wrote that song last year or the year before, something like that, and the song, “All the Girls You Know”, the instrumental version. Those are the things that I am writing for the project that I'm working on right now. I'm trying to finish the whole project, but the daunting task is to get my head together to start writing lyrics for them. So, cracking the ice on Ain’t No Devil but The Human, was a big deal for me.

RJ: So, you already have the music you just need to write the lyrics. Kind of figure out what the songs are about?

GD: Yea, they all identify themselves in the practice. So, all the songs that I'm doing now, it's so interesting. because the titles have come to me in words of 3. “Ain't No Devil” and then “But the Human”, and “Leave Somebody Alone”, also, “All the Girls”. I have all the titles for the songs, and I saw that’s crazy that they're all 3’s.

RJ: Interesting.

GD: Yea, I started waking up at 4:00 in the morning in January to write for two hours before I go to work out. I'm working on this

INTERVIEW: GARRICK DAVIS, WORLD BLUES

software, MasterWriter. It's songwriting or book writing, whatever. And these things have just opened up. It’s amazing, the song that my mother sang, called My Only Son. It's incredibly beautiful. Everything is just beautiful. I am so glad, I think the gift that's been given, even though it's kind of frustrating as a guitarist, I feel like yeah, I can play with all kinds of people you know. Somebody suggested that you know it's so hard for you to breakthrough in the music industry. So why don't you just go work with some other artists? You know, try to be a studio guy or a side guy? But I know it’s not in me. I would like to at some point, but only on the merits of the work that I've done on myself. Meaning, someone would tell me that they really liked what I do, and they love my guitar playing and want to work with me based on that. Or that we should work together. That would be cool.

RJ: Yea, that's honoring the integrity of your work.

G: I take it seriously. The thing that’s happening in this phase, is that writing has really brought me back to why I have struggled to continue or why I now feel good about continuing. I feel content in the pursuit now. When I hear these songs, when I am developing the phrases, the lines and all these things, I’m like oh my God, this is the best thing in the world.

RJ: That's beautiful. So, opening up to songwriting, cracking that code as you called it, has created a kind of renaissance for you, a new stage in your work as an artist. And you're in the studio now. Tell me about that.

GD: Well, as far a when the project began. It was in June of 2021. It was in the first throws of the pandemic. The first throws of grief. My son had died almost 6 months before, at the end of 2020. So, I’m trying to reminisce. When he passed that month, I’m pretty listless. I did

a lot of walking during that time, so I decided I was going to buy a new guitar, another Stratocaster. I just wanted something new. The I decided I wanted another electric guitar because I'd always wanted that specific electric guitar. It was different, I got a Telecaster, and the thing is I bought both of these used. The Telecaster was from this guy who couldn't afford it. He had a family. I told him I was happy to take it on and I basically told him my story you know because that’s just what I do. We were in such a good conversation. I told him my son had passed a month ago and I'm just looking for something that I can create with because I think a lot of creation is going to be happening. Or I hoped. So, I got those guitars, and I named the white Telecaster, Zangel, (Zach/ Angel) after my son Zach who had died. I had named the other one, GSoul. And Zangel spoke to me. It just had this sound, and it was so easy for me to play, it just fit my hands so beautifully. It had all this brightness, this bite too, warmth. I mean it had all these dimensions. I never had a guitar quite like that. I put a sticker on it that Zach had given me of the band Phish. That was his favorite band. It was perfect. I had been recording a lot of music on Voice Memo and sometimes I would kind of skat sing, you know skat sing a melody, what it might be. There were certain songs I thought, maybe I could actually bring to the studio with Michael Rosen who's in in Oakland. He had mixed my House Full of Friends album, the live album from 2016, and he and I did another project together, a voiceover. Somebody hired me to use my voice, that was

great. He is really just a great engineer and I’m very at home with him. So, I called him up for this project. But I also thought, I've been playing with the same people for a while now and it's time for a change. It’s all about change right now. So, I recruited this drummer Bryant Mills that I've always wanted to play with. I just never had the chance because he's a very busy drummer doing covers.

RJ: A little curious, what did what did you like about the drummer?

GD: My bass player said you know one of my favorite drummers is Bryant Mills, you need to meet him. I had tried to book him like a bunch of years before, and it just didn't work out. I had forgot about him but then I saw him at this jazz club that I've been playing at for a couple of years. I thought, man he's doing jazz. This is cool. We met for the first time in in flesh and he was so welcoming. So that’s why it came to mind, and it finally worked out. The first session we had together we did 9 songs. First, we did 6 songs and then we came back and did 3 more. All originals. He was so intuitive. He didn't look like he was playing hard at all. He was hitting all these breaks and changes. Shortly after that recording session, Michael Rosen, the engineer told me over the phone that he had a problem, he said he had lost all of my files due to a corrupt hard drive. He offered to do it again free of charge, which was actually the best thing that happened because now Bryant knew the songs better. He was already super intuitive now we could actually kind of go all in. It was a blessing in

INTERVIEW: GARRICK DAVIS, WORLD BLUES

disguise. I never doubted that we could do it again

RJ: You just went with flow.

GD: You know the core of the band is the base and the drums. You know those are really important elements. Well so I did this show in 2019, it was for the John Lee Hooker Foundation at Freight & Salvage here in Berkeley, right down the street. I was playing with my tabla player. I was playing acoustic guitar. So, I met all these people all these cool talented East Bay people there that I'd never pressed the flesh with before. I don't know if you know who Ruth Davies is?

RJ: She's a bassist, right?

GD: Yea, she is like cream of the crop. And after the show, she came up to me and said I love your sound. I would love to play with you sometime. I'm like feeling all good because all these musicians there were so talented, vibrant and there was such a huge diversity of sounds. I swear to God living on the peninsula in the Bay Area is a whole other world. So, I felt like wow, finally, acceptance. So, I had a couple of songs I thought acoustic standup bass would be really cool with. Ruth Davies came in and laid down some bass tracks. I brought in my regular bass player, AJ. He is real funky, a great player. I knew I had to have him. There was another musician, Kevin Goldberg who had played with me. I met him at a house concert. So, the idea of World Blues, just so you understand where it comes from? If you look at that CD from that show, the artwork on my website. There was such a variation of

ethnic backgrounds in that, all the different people that played in that show. I think there were 16 total, outside of me, all age groups, all different nationalities, and ethnic backgrounds. I thought, man, this is World Blues. Blues is always going to be there, but this is something different. I get kind of sick of people not understanding what I do. They’ll say, it’s not really Blues. Well, no it's not what you think of Blues. But it is something that I do. It is a thing.

RJ: It’s music. We don’t always need to put music in a genre.

GD: Well, for marketing purpose you do.

RJ: You do You do. I really like the idea of World Blues. I think it has a strong sort of attraction, especially now since we are more of a global community than ever before. I know that you going to soon be moving out of the country, so having that name takes you everywhere. It really does, and it draws from everywhere. It’s pretty powerful.

GD: Somehow, I’ve always been able to name things.

(Interview continued on the above video)

Brassai

Claude Monet - Water Lily and Reed

By K.E. Heartsong

I’ve gotten to know Ralph Karsten at Atma-Sphere over the course of the past year and it’s been both very informative, Ralph knows a great deal, and

integrated review, as I needed an efficient speaker in-house that would accommodate it. That speaker was the DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96 and they had, by-and-large,

My first experience with an Atma-Sphere product was the GEM, a five-watt integrated that literally fits on your palm or my palm. It was a revelation first as a headphone amplifier, which I adapted to purpose and then as an integrated. I had to wait on the

world example of the above.

In short, working to a formula is to develop a product, cost it out, and then formulaically price the product. This is why

Ralph’s MP-3 Preamplifier and his Class D monoblocks together cost less than a good

Henri Matisse - Flowers, 1907

deal of integrated amplifiers and a fraction of what comparable separates cost. Developing to what the market would bear, on the other hand, is demonstrated by stratospherically

or laying out its various parts, specifications, etc. Think of this review, then, as a nonlinear movie—Memento, Kill Bill, Arrival, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, etc.—

gainfully employed. This difference, however, became even more stark, when I had the opportunity to evaluate and review the Atma-Sphere MP-3 Preamplifier and the Class D monoblocks. And I have to tell you, there’s no going back from there.

REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review will be non-sequential, as it will start with how the component actually sounds and not the process of physically “undressing” it and/

THE SYSTEM - REFERENCE TWO CHANNEL

• Grimm Audio MU2 Streamer/DAC/ Preamplifier

• Silent Angel Bonn Pro8 Network Switch

• Atma-Sphere MP-3 Preamplifier

• Atma-Sphere S-30 Stereo Amplifier

• Atma-Sphere CLASS D Monoblock Amplifiers

• TRAFORMATIC RHAPSODY 300B Single-Ended Integrated

• LYRIC Ti 100 Single-Ended Integrated

• Devore Audio Orangutan 0/96

• Fern & Roby Raven III Speakers

• Kubala-Sosna Realization Interconnects, Speaker Cables, Power cords

• Grimm Audio SQM Interconnects (XLR, RCA)

• RSX BEYOND, MAX Power-cords

• SEISMION Amplifier Stand (powered)

• TORUS AUDIO Power conditioner

THE SOUND

Analog is assuredly in the Atma-Sphere MP-3 and CLASS D’s DNA, there’s just no other way about it. Going from any other

“The MP-3 extracts more ambient information with greater image specificity, bass definition and dynamic range than any single-ended preamplifier, owing to its patented direct-coupled output.”

—Atma-Sphere

tube integrated or separates, this hybrid tubed/Class D amplifier combo presents an ‘analog-ease’ that most others simply can’t match. Further, its technical bonafides are beyond all others and even my reference Lyric Audio Ti 100 MkII, which had itself defeated a number of high-priced giants. And yes, the Ti 100 MkII is very good, however, as compared to the Atma-Sphere hybrid combo, it is as if the Ti 100 MkII were standing still. There could not be a more stark difference in their respective voices.

I’ve often commented on a manufacture’s marketing message across their websites or in their marketing materials. Seldom is it ever accurate, though there are those wherein the accuracy is spot on. The marketing quote above puts paid to the MP-3’s ability to sort images with a specificity, an in-room presence, a palpable density, and layering that is impossible to believe. And no single-ended amplifier, to date, has matched this hybrid combo. I sat for a long while after an album had ended shaking my head in disbelief. This Atma-Sphere MP-3 and CLASS D hybrid combo ($12,550) $2,500 more than the Lyric

had left my former reference integrated at the starting gate. That said, the Lyric Ti 100 MkII ($9,995) stood at the starting gate in

good company among integrateds and tubed and solid state separates. And the least of them was nearly double the cost of the Atma-Sphere combo, while the most expensive was over three times its cost! All were easily seen in the Atma-Sphere combo’s rearview mirror. Yes, this was, indeed, a revelation.

The revelations, however, did not end there. I had gotten a hint of how incredibly transparent, resolving, and detailed an AtmaSphere amplifier could be. The hand-held GEM five-watt integrated had clued me in on that. It had revealed information as both a

headphone amplifier and as an integrated that no amplifier or preamp/amplifier combination had ever revealed. Though its Achilles Heel was its bass response, which Ralph assures me has been corrected. I do not doubt this for a second. However, this Atma-Sphere combo went further still and in every conceivable way than the handheld GEM.

There is a transparency with this Atma-Sphere hybrid combo that attends to the entire sound stage, regardless of genre, and information simply pours through. There were some albums, long known, that I could hardly recognize. There was simply so much more information present and the resolution of that information by the combo was incredible. This, in turn, freed lots of detail.

Did I mention how incredibly alive the Atma-Sphere combo rendered the music?

There is no doubt that the Grimm Audio MU2 and the DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96s brought their mastery to bear on what was a truly outstanding quartet and performance.

The Atma-Sphere combo’s volumetric cube is very impressive. Frequently, images were just outside of the left and right speaker,

Spoiler alert. I have the Atma-Sphere S-30 Stereo Amplifier (30 watts) in-house to match with the MP-3 for the next magazine issue. ‘To date’, becomes very important because records, it has been said, are made to be broken. Indeed, they are.

BASS

Let me just say that I imagine Eiji Oue’s Stravinsky (Reference Recording) must have given my upstairs neighbor fits. That said, I am very empathetic to the peace and quiet of my neighbors and my music goes on late (after 12pm) and off early (before 9pm).

The Atma-Sphere MP-3 and Class D Monoblocks (100 watts) and the DeVore Fidelity Orangutans (96dB/W/m, 10 Ohms, 26Hz to31kHz) kindly introduced the seven assembled tympani for the V. Infernal Dance of King Kashchey to my listening room. Rumble, rumble crescendo and trouble went the tympani well nigh to 26Hz and much to the chagrin of anyone in ‘feeling’ range. Bass was rock solid and some of the best that I’ve heard. To handle the sub-bass so brilliantly, is to handle everything else superbly.

MIDRANGE

Matisse - The Closed Window, 1919 and at good depth. And staging—layering, spacing, positioning—was very good. Air? Atmosphere? Can you imagine all of the above without air and atmosphere and volume? Neither can I, as they were in symbiosis with all of the above and above reproach.

I threw every beloved midrange piece —“Àrbakkinn” (Island Songs, Mercury KX), Andy Bey’s “Angel Eyes” (American Song, Savoy), Shirley Horn’s “Beautiful Love” (You Won’t Forget Me, Verve), Patricia Barber’s “Winter” (Modern Cool, Koch Records), Joni Mitchell’s “Stormy Weather” (Both Sides Now, Reprise), Donny Hathaway’s “Jealous Guy” (Live, Rhino Atlantic), Boz Scaggs’ “But Beautiful” (But Beautiful, Gray Cat Records)—at the combo and they were all, figuratively speaking, knocked out of the park!

It comes back around to that AtmaSphere marketing piece above and specifically to the, “…More ambient information with greater image specificity, bass definition and dynamic range than any single-ended preamplifier.” This could not have been more spot on regarding vocalists and their songs. And though the birds in the background of “Àrbakkinn” did not come in as early as they had with the Atma-Sphere GEM, they were there shortly thereafter. And the singers were all present and their voices rich.

TREBLE+

My time honored favorite here for high treble resolution—Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” (Time Out, Columbia-Legacy)— missed not a single treble high note, resolved

was a good deal of air and ambiance in and around Joe Morello’s drum kit. This gave Joe’s drum kit an ‘aliveness’, that sat Joe and kit neatly stage left in my listening room.

Emmanuelle Bertrand’s Tout un Monde: Énigme (Dutilleux & Debussy: Works w/ Cello, harmonia mundi) was, by far, the best that I have ever heard it. It is a relatively sparse piece and the air and the ambiance were wonderful. I’ve not mentioned veils falling effortlessly away, but this is what happened across all of the music played, perhaps one of the reasons for the consistent ‘aliveness’ of the sound.

the S-30 Stereo Amplifier are ‘old school’ in every way, when it comes to the look, the feel, and as I speak to below, their functionality.

Atma-Sphere MP-3 Preamplifier

The Atma-Sphere MP-3 Preamplifier comes in a very straightforward rectangular, metal box, its patina is that of black ‘Wrinkletex’, which is supposedly very hardy and darn near scratch resistant. The MP-3 is fully tubed and incorporates seven 12AT7 tubes and two 12AU7 tubes, which lie inside the MP-3’s chassis. Even its front panel controls are ‘old

school’ represented by five toggle switches and three rotary knobs.

The Atma-Sphere CLASS D Monoblock Amplifiers

The Atma-Sphere CLASS D Monoblock Amplifiers couldn’t be more straightforward and, well, clean from a design perspective. They are ‘Wrinkletex’ colored rectangular, metal boxes with a champagne colored face. Their front face has at the far left an on/off switch and a red ‘on’ light at their centers. Their back face features an IEC socket at the far left, a set of Cardas speaker binding posts at center, and inputs for either balanced or single-ended connection at their far right. While many may consider the AtmaSphere combo ‘no thrills’, I find the MP-3 decidedly appealing in its ‘old-school’ way. The Class D monoblocks speak to the simplicity of sparsity.

FUNCTIONALITY

Atma-Sphere MP-3 Preamplifier

Front: As mentioned above, the AtmaSphere MP-3 Preamplifier has five toggle switches and three rotary knobs. The toggle switches from left to right are for two auxiliary balanced inputs, two single-ended tape monitor inputs, and an inversion toggle. The front panel rotary controls from left to right feature a small diameter left-channel gain control knob, a larger diameter volume

knob (centered), and a right-channel gain control knob. The smaller gain control knobs ‘trim’ the volume in the left or right channels to taste. The larger volume control knob is a “precision 23 position stepped volume control built with 96 resistors on a custom built switch”.

Back: The MP-3 features from left to right an IEC two balanced outputs. Next are four-sets of single-ended inputs for taping/ monitoring that transform the signal-ended signal to a balanced signal internally. And at the far right are two balanced inputs, three if you have opted for the built-in phono-stage, which this MP-3 has and it is rightmost positioned.

The MP-3 is a fully Balanced Differential Design, which means it’s balanced through and through and doesn’t have, well, fake balanced inputs or outputs. Those for whom optimum quiet is essential or long cable runs, there is, perhaps, no better design. Ralph also mentioned that with this design, regardless of the balanced cable used or its cost, it will make little difference relative to the MP-3’s design (this also goes for the S-30).

The Atma-Sphere CLASS D Monoblock Amplifiers

Front. As mentioned above, the CLASS D’s front face has, at the far left, an on/off switch and a red ‘on’ light at their center. Done.

Henri Matisse - Interior with Goldﬁsh

Back. Their back face features an IEC socket at the far left, a set of Cardas speaker binding posts at center, and inputs for either balanced or single-ended connection at their far right.

However, one should abide most carefully when powering up the Atma-Sphere MP-3 and CLASS Ds. The procedure should follow the input to output power up, that is powering on one’s system from source to preamplifier to amplifier.

The MP-3 has two offset light above the power light that come on initially and briefly to check left right amplification balance and then go off. Turning the amplifier on first and then the preamp will find those offset light searching, momentarily, for balance before the recede to off.

Note: You’ll need to give the Atma-Sphere Class D Monoblocks, at least, 450 hours before they sound their very best. They’ll be good before then, but not great.

CONCLUSIONS

The Atma-Sphere MP-3 Preamplifier and the Class D Monoblocks are a hybrid combination, a class above a good deal of the rest. They brought continual enjoyment to both working listening sessions and personal listening sessions and my attention was alway rapt. As reviewers know, after working listening sessions, one generally needs a break

from listening altogether. This was not the case with the Atma-Sphere MP-3, Class D hybrid combo. I listened more with them than I had listened to music in a very long time.

Interestingly enough, this hybrid combo has bettered, hands down, any single-ended amplifier that I have reviewed to date. Ralph told me that it would. I didn’t believe him at the time and though I didn’t smirk, I’m sure I wanted to. Well, the secret was in the sauce of hearing this unlikely hybrid combo featuring a OTL preamplifier and a pair of Class D monoblocks. What’s the world coming to? Wonderful, technically superb music it would seem.

You guessed it: DIAMOND AWARD, hands down! And though the November Best of the Year 2024 issue has just passed, you will definitely be seeing this combo again in the 2025 awards issue. Bravo!

Pros: Superb technical abilities married to exceptional musicality and aliveness and engagement.

Cons: Not a single one.

THE SPECIFICATIONS

Atma-Sphere MP-3 Preampliﬁer

• Line stage input impedance: 100KΩ single-ended/200 KΩ balanced

• Gain: 15 dB

Matisse - Interior with Goldﬁsh

• Diﬀerential Inputs: 2 - Single-Ended RCA

• Speaker Outputs: 0, 4, 8 Ohms/per side

• Tube Compliment: 7 x 12AT7, 2 x 12AU7

• Frequency Bandwidth: 1 Hz-200 KHz, +0 dB, -2dB

• Phono stage input impedance: 47 K Ω, adjustable

• Phono stage gain: 55 dB

• Phono bandwidth: 0.5 Hz-90 KHz within ½ dB

• Dimension & Weight: 13"x 17" x

5.5” (33 x 43 x 14 cm) 19 lbs (8.6 kg)

Atma-Sphere CLASS D Monoblock Ampliﬁers

• Power Output: 100 watts per channel into 8 Ω 200 watts per channel into 4 Ω

• Gain: 22dB (for 8 Ω)

• Speaker Outputs: 0, 4, 8 Ohms/per side

• Frequency Bandwidth: 1Hz-20KHz

• Dimension & Weight: 13"x 11" x 3" (33 x 28 x 8 cm), 14 lbs (6.35 kg), per chassis

Warranty: Tree year general coverage

Atma-Sphere MP-3 Preampliﬁer (line stage & phono stage): $7,700

Atma-Sphere CLASS D Monoblock Ampliﬁer: $6,120

www.atma-sphere.com

ralph@atma-sphere.com

Tel. : +1 651-690-2246

Atma-Sphere MP-3 Preampliﬁer (line stage only): $6,450

Henri Matisse - Interior with Goldﬁsh

Edward Hopper - Cobb’s Barn and Distant Houses, 1930-33

GRACE NOTES

WBy Kathe Lieber

MUSIC FOR MIDWINTER

hile some may argue about when it’s time to start playing holiday music (as soon as the Halloween decorations are taken down? December the first? When the first snowflakes begin to drift picturesquely across your window?), I look to seasonal music more as a way of beating back the darkness well into the grey days of February and the more hopeful, light-full days of March. It never fails to light up the darkest of days, especially now, when dusk comes so early.

The pagan solstice (December 21), Christmas, Hanukkah (which this year coincided with Christmas), and Kwanzaa (December 26 to January 1), will have passed by the time you read this, but there is no official cut-off point for midwinter music. So come along with me on a musical

journey, including some cherished classics and a few lesser-known choices for your winter-into-spring listening pleasure. Hark! The days are gradually getting longer…

Choral music somehow seems particularly appropriate for midwinter, boosting the listener’s mood as the joyous voices swell and rise. (I’m playing fast and loose with the definition of “choral” here—meaning a group of voices raised in glorious song.) Let’s start there, then throw in a ballet—well, the Christmas ballet—some songs, and some other pieces and performers you may be less familiar with.

MESSIAH—OF COURSE

I’d wager good money that Messiah was one of the first pieces that popped into your mind in this context. As you probably know, the oratorio was originally written to be

Paul Cezanne - Fruit, Jug, Fruit Dish

performed at Easter, but today it’s firmly entrenched as a Christmas standard—in many places as a sing-along. The first performance, a charity benefit, took place at the Musick Hall in Dublin in April 1742, followed by an official première in London a year later. Georg Frederic Handel (1685-1759) was born in Germany, studied in Italy, and eventually settled in London, where he became a leading light of the concert stage. The lyrics, by librettist Charles Jennens, are in English, and they’re supremely stirring. Everyone has their own favorite choruses and arias from Messiah. (Mine is “For unto us a Child is born,” which was playing on the radio we brought to the hospital as I laboured to give birth to my daughter one dingy December many moons ago.) The Hallelujah chorus, which comes late in the performance, is a delight to sing along to, and electrifying to hear

performed in concert. Messiah has been given the star treatment by many leading musicians, including Leonard Bernstein, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the Robert Shaw Chorale. It’s 2.5 hours long—you’ll want to click around to find the version you prefer. Clear some time, or dip in and out for your favorite bits.

BACH’S CHRISTMAS ORATORIO

Johann Sebastian Bach wrote his Oratorio, BWV 248, a cycle of six Christmas cantatas, to be performed in church in Leipzig during the Christmas of 1734-1735. He recycled some of his earlier compositions, notably three secular cantatas, to incorporate in the Oratorio. Not performed again till 1857, the Oratorio is based on the liturgical calendar, with text taken from the gospels of Luke and Matthew. The first part is for Christmas Day, the other parts proceeding through the

Annunciation to the Journey of the Magi and Epiphany.

With total running time at about three hours, the Oratorio is often presented in two parts. I have tried, in vain, to narrow down a few favorites from among the chorales, arias, and recitatives in this glorious work. It would certainly make a worthy project for a wintry weekend.

Tchaikovsky’s spritely music, choreography by Marius Petipa. The première of the two-act ballet, which took place on December 18, 1892, at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, was a double bill with the composer’s last opera, Iolanta. It was not a success. The choreography was criticized as “confusing,” the libretto as “lopsided.” Tchaikovsky’s score did receive a better reception. No matter.

THE NUTCRACKER

Now for a ballet with memorable music. Just mention the name and an instant image is conjured up: it’s Christmas Eve, and a giant tree rises to the ceiling, vividly wrapped presents underneath. Picture the dancers: the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Nutcracker Prince, an old man called Herr Drosselmeyer, a pair of starry-eyed children called Clara and Fritz (usually played by real children, not adults), the Nutcrackers (lifesized toy soldiers), the Snowflakes, and a cast of dozens more, their movements set to

Over the years, The Nutcracker, in George Balanchine’s reworked staging, has become extremely popular, a Christmas entertainment staple around the world.

SLEIGH RIDES

There’s something about the sound of sleigh bells jangling (not to be confused with Jingle Bells) and horses high-stepping through the forest on a crisp snowy day that spells “winter.” Two of my favorites are the Troika by Sergei Prokofiev, from his Lieutenant Kijé suite, and Sleigh Ride by Leopold Mozart

(written shortly before the birth of his son, Wolfgang Amadeus).

Oops—I almost forgot Leroy Anderson’s piece by the same name, famously written during a heatwave in 1948.

CEREMONY OF CAROLS

Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols is a choral staple. Based on medieval carols, it’s most often performed by children’s choirs, with soloists and harp. After all, what would Christmas be without children’s choirs and candle-lit processionals?

IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER

RUTTER

REQUIEM (1985) English composer John Rutter’s Requiem sets to music segments of the Latin Requiem (funeral mass), scored for soprano, mixed choir, and orchestra or chamber ensemble. (I just can’t get enough of the Kyrie.) The sixth movement is Rutter’s own anthem version of The Lord Is My Shepherd, Psalm 23. Rutter is perhaps best known for founding the Cambridge Singers—and for his Beatles Concerto for two pianos and orchestra (1977). The Mass of the Children is another great favorite. He has been commissioned to compose music for several royal events.

THE GLORIES OF A CAPPELLA

“In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan…” Composer Gustav Holst set to music a poem by the English poet Christina Rossetti, published in 1872. It tells the story of the Nativity, with “the ox and ass and camel” (though the repeated references to frigid temperatures don’t really jibe with what we know of the geographic setting of Christ’s birth). For me, looking out my window in Montreal, the words usually ring true.

Once you get hooked on a cappella singing, you’re done for. You’ll want to seek out Rutter’s Ave Maria collaboration with the Cambridge Singers, based on the annual

Christmas Festival concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The gentle, graceful settings bear repeated listening.

The King’s Singers have been touring the concert stages of the world for more than half a century. The six male choristers perform an incredible repertoire— everything from early music to standards like “The Way You Look Tonight” (Jerome Kern, arranged by John Rutter).

The Swingles, formed in Paris in 1962, originally did backup vocals for the likes of Charles Aznavour and Édith Piaf. Their first album was Jazz Sébastien Bach, and one of their early hits was Bach’s “Air on a G String,” recorded with the Modern Jazz Quartet. Originally comprised of eight voices, the seven-person group is now based in London. (I have a special soft spot for them, as they were the first group I saw in concert at Montreal’s Place des Arts in my teens.)

VOCES8

If you don’t know Voces8 (a favorite of our esteemed Editor in Chief, by the way), you have a great treat in store. The British vocal ensemble, which consists of three female and five male voices, has been touring globally since 2005, performing a vast repertoire, sometimes a cappella and sometimes with orchestras, conductors, and soloists. You might want to start by listening to their sublime rendering of Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei. Over the years, they have concertized and recorded with such luminaries as Paul Simon, Olafur Arnalds, The King’s Singers, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Well, that’s just for (delicious) starters. As with any musical adventure, we’ve just skimmed the surface, but I hope I’ve given you a good number of rabbit holes to explore on these long winter nights, preferably with candles alight and drinks in hand. Your personalized playlist awaits—an energizing project for the shiny bright new year!

AKRM

Vincent van Gogh - Fields with Blooming Poppies, 1890

DAN CLARK CORINA

By K.E. Heartsong

DAN CLARK CORINA

It is alway great fun for me to travel to the world of electrostatic components —headphones, amplifiers, speakers— via my ever evolving Tardis—now a Mid Century Modern, beautifully upholstered chair (& a half). Indeed, electrostatics provide musical insight into another world, entirely. It is a world removed from dynamic headphones and planar magnetic headphones and encompasses a vast network of lands—STAX, VIVA, HeadAmp, Trilogy, Dan Clark, Warwick Acoustics, Martin Logan, Quad, etc. Perhaps this is why after so many decades electrostatics are alive, well and thriving!

It’s over two and a half years now since I made my first trip to this planet via my then Yellow-Chair-Tardis, a time and space machine of sorts, when coupled with electrostatic ‘engines’. And on that first trip I discovered that it was possible to move beyond musical simulacrum—a very good high fidelity rendering of one’s music—to an experience that could almost literally place one in the relevant performance venue. How is that possible?

There is something about electrostatics that masterfully recreates the ambiance, the air, meticulous soundstaging—depth, breadth, layers, position, and space between performers—and then the various microdynamics—small tell-tale signs of a given venue—that allow for one’s easy suspension of disbelief. And, as a direct result, you are there with the performer(s), comfortably ensconced in venue—the nightclub, the concert hall, the arena, etc.— and upon your own purposed Tardis.

“Humbug!” You say. Then it is an experience that you’ll be needing to have for your confirmation. And I, for one, am happy to suggest the travel arrangements via the various electrostatic gear, as I imagine would Justin Wilson of HeadAmp (a truly good guy). You, however, will have to provide your most comfortable chair, as Tardis—time and space machine—to make this journey to the Electrostatic World.

I travel to the Electrostatic World this time with a well known and superb electrostatic engine/amplifier—the HeadAmp Blue Hawaii Special Edition (BHSE)—and a multi-award-winning

Edgar Degas - Ballerina

the review—Mojo Audio Mystique SE DAC, Silent Angel Bonn N8 Pro network switch, Audience FrontRow, and AntiCable wires and cables, and the TORUS RM20 power conditioner.

REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review will be non-sequential, as it will start with how the headphones actually sound and not the process of physically “undressing” them and/or laying out their various parts, specifications, etc. Think of this review then, as a non-linear movie—Memento, Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction, Transcendence, In the Shadow of the Moon, etc—that, likewise, starts at the end and winds its way to the beginning.

THE SOUND

If ever a component could itself be called ‘musical,’ then the Dan Clark CORINA is that component, are those headphones. And this will be self-evident to, dare I say, anyone

you in, immerse you in the music in a manner so few components of any type can do.

As mentioned above, the earmarks of the venue are beautifully brought together via the CORINA like few headphones have any right or ability to do. The palpability of a given soundstage, the performer(s) therein, and the various ambient cues are simply outstanding. I am forced, constantly, to stop and appreciate what I’ve just heard as it relates to a given performance. This is rather inefficient for a reviewer but tremendously informative for a lover of music.

Tone, timbre, and the texture of instruments are so incredibly natural, so lifelike as to render the performance of other headphones mere facsimiles of the selfsame performance. Further, the CORINA is, perhaps, one of if not the most natural electrostatic headphone that I have yet

DAN CLARK CORINA

reviewed. Its only current rival in this respect is the STAX SR-X9000 ($6,200).

sublime nonetheless via the assembled system and the CORINA electrostatic headphone.

may well be on the very same performance plane.

The controversial Tommy Flanagan album Solo Piano plays through and it is sublime and goes by far too quickly. It is controversial in that Tommy Flanagan is said not to be the actual pianist for the majority of the tracks across the album. And Storyville, the album’s producer, was said to have removed Solo Piano from its catalog as a result. Yikes! Can you imagine a more profound blunder? However, the music is

extraordinary and, at times, it will appear as though the sound is coming from somewhere in your listening room and not through the headphones. Electrostatics do indeed have an ability to excel beyond other headphone technologies in this respect, though the CORINA carries things a bit further still. The CORINA moves far beyond its electrostatic sibling, the VOCE, and even places great distance between itself and the STEALTH—a planar magnetic headphone —which I had found to be “incredibly natural, immersive, and very refined.”

DAN CLARK CORINA

BASS

Tight. Resolute. Focused. I do not think that there is another electrostatic headphone that is as effective or competent at rendering the bass frequency region as is the Dan Clark CORINA. Yes, in retrospect, not even the STAX SRX9000 was as tight or resolute or transparent in the bass region, despite its profound abilities.

The assuredness of the CORINA’s bass rendering capabilities is truly remarkable, as when listening to bassrich or bass-infused recordings, I am momentarily at a loss to recall if I am still/actually listening to an electrostatic headphone. With other electrostatic headphones, I can wish for this, but wishing does not make it so.

technological designations—electrostatic, planar, dynamic—can plumb these depths. The CORINA, nonetheless, does an exceptional job, and on other better recorded faire, the ‘Holy-Bass-Head-Grail’ is closer still. And it does this all with a naturalness and refinement that is incredibly immersive and addictive. The CORINA handles this track beautifully and then a host of others— David Holland’s “B-40/ M23-6K/RSW” (Emerald Tears, ECM) and its deft bass surgery, Massive

Eiji Oue’s “V. Infernal Dance of King Kashchey” (Stravinsky, Reference Recording) is a litmus test for me, despite the fact that its overall recording volume is stepped down and must be adjusted for playback relative to all other music. That said and when readjusted for playback via the BHSE, the CORINA broaches beautifully the sub-bass strata, like few electrostatic headphones can. In truth, few headphones across the

Attacks’ “Angel” (Mezzanine, Circa) with its throbbing, rhythmic bass, Marcus Miller’s “Power” (M2, Concord) with its resolute, driving bass line—all with consummate ease.

MIDRANGE

There is no other headphone medium/ technology that renders choral or live music or its meticulous layering of the soundstage like electrostatics. I listen to choral and live music and heavily layered music— symphonies—primarily with electrostatics for the experience, the pleasure, the discovery. The CORINA is phenomenal in this respect

Wassily Kandinsky - 25

DAN CLARK CORINA

while providing the ambiance and air, and the interaction of the music with the hall.

There is a transparency via the CORINA which allows one to hear, literally, everything across “Agnus Dei” (Enchanted Isle, Decca), as it provides the various microdetails, orphaned with other headphones, with a ‘voice’ that makes them germane and clearly part of the piece. The STAX SRX9000 and the SR-009S are certainly capable of providing ‘voice’ to the microdetails as is the Abyss AB1266 Phi TC, the only non-electrostatic headphone so capable. The CORINA however, in this respect, challenges them all.

Andy Bey’s voice is a blend that age and experience have honed to a graveled texture and substance, which can often cause its playback to be problematic—bloated, unrefined, opaque. On “Angel Eyes” (American Song, Savoy) via the Dan Clark CORINA Andy’s voice is natural, refined, transparent and resolved, superb! I go on memory now of the STAX SR-X9000 which gave a like rendering. The STAX SR-009S, however, which sits beside the BHSE, cannot match this rendering, cannot provide the naturalness of his voice. Not like the CORINA.

TREBLE+

In truth, Dan Clark’s VOCE was, well, a bit acrophobic—shy of heights—when it came to the treble and could not keep up with the various STAX headphones. Though the VOCE’s midrange was more than a match for the various STAX with the exception of the SR-X9000. The CORINA suffers no

similar treble limitations or treble-acrophobia as did its sibling. And in terms of naturalness and musicality it can match the STAX SRX9000!

Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” (Time Out, Columbia) is a perennial favorite when it comes to ferreting out those components able to both parse and resolve treble energy in the form of drum cymbals—Joe Morello’s drum cymbals. As “Take Five” plays through it is energetic and delicate as the tip-top treble notes are easily parsed, natural, and beautifully resolved via the CORINA. This is, no doubt, a direct consequence of the CORINA’s superb microdynamics, its rendering of ambiance and air. As I have often commented regarding lesser gear —“this is not bacon frying or some other edible sizzling away on too hot a skillet, in lieu of well resolved high-treble notes.” No. This is the natural reproduction of those tiptop treble notes beautifully executed.

Hilary Hahn’s Sonata No. 1 in G minor: Adagio (Bach: Violin Sonatas Nos 1 & 2; Partita No. 1, Decca) plays through and the tone and timbre of the notes are rich, textured, extended, and its transients hypersonic. This, the speed, of course is the domain of electrostatics—headphones, speakers—and cannot be matched by any other technology. All in all, the CORINA has indeed come very close to matching the STAX SR-X9000. Some may well even choose the CORINA for its greater overall musicality and its immersiveness relative to the STAX SR-X9000.

CONCLUSION

The Dan Clark CORINA is one of the most transparent, resolving, and musical headphones, inclusive of both dynamic and planar magnetic headphones, that I have heard or reviewed to date. The only electrostatic headphone that might top it and by a wee small margin is the STAX SRX9000. Though given the pedigree of the various other headphones reviewed and lived with, this is no small feat.

Further, the CORINA handles the full breadth of the frequency range—bass, midrange, treble—with superlative ease and refinement, and this stands it at the very top of electrostatic headphones. In this respect, it has moved well beyond the STAX SR-009S and well beyond its sibling, the VOCE, as it assumes the mantle of Top-Of-The-Line (TOTL) for Dan Clark’s electrostatic offerings.

The Dan Clark CORINA represents a top-down fusion of an electrostatic headphone subsuming the best traits of dynamic and planar magnetic headphones. This would make its acquisition extremely important for those who wish to travel to that electrostatic world of which I speak, a journey that I cannot recommend more enthusiastically. You will, however, need a fairly robust—capable, powerful— electrostatic headphone amplifier for your journey (see HeadAmp).

The Dan Clark CORINA joins the topmost echelon of components and headphones that have received our DIAMOND AWARD for excellence both technically and musically. And a special salute must go to Dan Clark for the development of

the AMTS technology responsible for this outstanding leap of ability over other electrostatic headphones.

For a long time, I had thought the STAX SR-X9000 as the ‘jewel in the electrostatic crown’ so to speak. I do not think about the STAX SR-X9000 that way anymore. Since reviewing the Dan Clark CORINA, I would be exceedingly happy to live with it instead. Bravo!

Pros: Superb technical and musical abilities with a talent for a natural, compelling and dauntingly immersive listening experience. Cons: Efficiency. As with most of Dan Clark’s headphones you will need sufficient top-shelf power to drive them well.

Cons: None.

THE COMPANY

Dan Clark CORINA ($4,499.99) 3366 Kurtz Street, San Diego, CA 92110 USA +1.619.501.6313 info@danclarkaudio.com

Wassily Kandinsky - Park of St Cloud - Autumn, 1906

SILENT ANGEL BONN N8

SILENT ANGEL BONN N8 PRO

Ibeyond, and one eschews stultifying ideologies that censure or block change and any new or relevant information, then one can be assured of continued growth and discovery and life.

a rather interesting experience which confirmed my notion of just how much one doesn’t know and how much one still has to learn. Needless to say, the Bonn N8 Pro was eyeopening.

REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review will be non-sequential, as it will start, below, with how the equipment actually sounds and not the process of physically “undressing” it and/or laying out its various parts, specifications, etc. Think of this review then, as a non-linear movie—Memento, Kill Bill,

Change can happen on many levels and in many timelines—geological, generational, yearly, and immediate. Remaining open, unlike the amplifier manufacturer for “snake oil”, can truly lead one to quite wonderful revelations.

This is but a fancy way of saying that though I had exceptional experience with the Silent Angel Rhein Z1 Streamer and Forester F2 Linear Power Supply duo, the idea of a network switch bringing to bear anything other than very marginal change or any improvement, at all, was doubtful, though I remained open.

And this brings me to the review of the Silent Angel Bonn N8 Pro Network Switch,

The Queen’s Gambit, etc—that, likewise, starts at the end and winds its way to the beginning.

THE SOUND

I plugged the Silent Angel Bonn N8 Pro into the system, attached the various ethernet cables, plugged it into the Forester F2 Linear Power Supply, and I let it all settle for a while.

Two days later, I came back, plugged myself into the system (System 1) and

Wayne Thiebaud - Morning Freeway

SILENT ANGEL BONN N8 PRO

experienced a bit of a shock, which led to a few minutes of drooling catatonia. Well, not quite, but it was, indeed, an immediate revelation.

Regardless of the price point and the system tested to utilize the Silent Angel Bonn N8 Pro Network Switch there was always, and I do mean always, noticeable improvement. Whether the Silent Angel

‘treble+’ to midrange to sub-bass is, well, “more” in every respect. More?

That which was quasi-intelligible— certain choral segments, instruments at depth within a given orchestral soundstage, a singer’s barely audible phrasing, the singing of birds offstage (Olafur Arnalds, “Arbakkinn”, Island Songs, Mercury KX), etc.—is now clear, has entered the mix earlier than previously

Rhein Z1 and Forester F2, or the Grimm Audio MU1 and Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC, the improvements were unmistakeable. And my initial skepticism was put in check time and time again.

Suffice to say that there is an abundance of clarity with the Bonn N8 Pro serving as network switch, and said clarity diminishes when the Bonn N8 Pro is removed from the system. Further, the frequency spectrum from

(see “Systems”) this was surprising. And it speaks clearly to the point that all segments, even the ethernet switch and ethernet cables, need to be well regarded and tended to.

But that revelation was but one of several. Tone and timbre became more natural, more, well, musical and involving. And while this was certainly true of the top reference systems, it was also true of the Silent Angel Rhein Z1 and Forester F2 combo, and their

siblings the ‘Tiny-Tots’—Munich M1 and Forester F1—to no small degree. Further, the stage became more real—intimate, up close and personal, if the track called for that, or vast and deep, with improved layering and positioning, as there was now more information—microdynamics, detail, relative ambiance, etc.—available.

Yes, I know, “it’s a network switch for

region to the subterranean, Holy-Bass-HeadGrail bottom. This, as most know, is no small feat and the Bonn N8 Pro was always up to the task.

THE CONCLUSION

The Silent Angel Bonn N8 Pro is a must whether you own other Silent Angel products or not, as it is quite fastidious with

crying out loud!” This represents yet another instance where I had thought only minor improvements would be forthcoming, and, as for the better systems at the cutting edge, “what could they learn?” Quite a bit it seems. Though the Bonn N8 Pro also has an internal clock which, no doubt, contributed to the substantive improvement of musical playback whenever the Bonn N8 Pro was utilized.

For the purposes of this review, I will not evaluate the Silent Angel Bonn N8 Pro across the various differentiated frequency regions—treble, midrange, bass—for the simple fact that improvement was consistently noted from the tip-top treble

regard to eliminating noise at the ‘entry point’ of one’s streaming system via optimized components, build quality, and an internal word clock. That said, having experienced the synergy between the various Silent Angel products, it is easy to comprehend an A to Z engineering/programming, via R&D, that targets optimization among ‘siblings’.

The long, slim, almost wafer-like component provides a cover that does not at all begin to tell its most profound story—if you are not already networked-switched and ‘clocked’ to the max, your system will experience improvement, period.

In terms of awards, I would say that the Silent Angel Bonn N8 Pro lifts the Rhein Z1

SILENT ANGEL BONN N8 PRO

and the Forester F2 having already won the Golden KeyNote Award to the apex of this award scope.Will the Silent Angel new dedicated Word Clock—Genesis GX— move things to the next award level?

Pros: A product that will level up most systems and all systems that are not currently using a network switch with a built-in word clock.

Cons: None.

[Note: Did not apply the Silent Angel Bonn N8 Pro to the reference two-channel system, so the above refers solely to headphone listening.]

THE COMPANY

Thunder Data, Co., Ltd.

Silent Angel Bonn N8 Pro: $1,499

Thunder Data Co., Ltd www.silent-angel-audio.com

AKRM

By K.E. Heartsong

TRAFORMATIC HEAD2 HEADAMP

Over the years, I do believe that I have tried all manner of headphone amplifiers. Some have would be against our policy.

or headphone amplifiers, that are closing the gap with the electrostatic world and quickly!

The various HIFIMAN Susvaras’

I do, however, have my favorites. It’s hard to beat the electrostatic world of headphone gear, which is one of my most favorite ways to listen to music. Electrostatics provide venue and air and space and even soundstaging like no other headphone system that I know. That said, there are those headphone technologies, be they headphones

the Allnic Audio OTL/OCL HPA 10000, the Aurorasound HEADA, and the PASS LABS HPA-1. All of the above get very close and I can’t say that the Susvaras’ coupled to a very good amplifier that drives them well, wouldn’t stop me in my tracks. It just might do that.

Well, there’s a new kid on the block that hails from Serbia and that has been fashioned

by Sasa Cokic, the President and founder of Traformatic. Here’s another case where right out of the box and off a Twin-Cites FedEx freezer truck the HEAD2 HPA came on and was wonderfully musical and immersive. How rare is that not to have started a breakin cycle, at all, and to be beautifully sung to by the HPA next up for review? It is exceedingly rare. And day after day, it just keeps getting better.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Class of operation:

• Push Pull class A

• Tubes: 1x 6N30P and 1x ECC88 per channel

• Input voltage: 230V/50Hz- 115V/60Hz selectable

• Power consumption: 60VA

• Headphone Output impedance: 25 – 50 -100 – 300 and 600ohms

• Output impedance as preamplifier:RCA outs – 6 ohms, XLR outs– 25 ohms

• Gain: 26 dB

• Maximum output power on headphone output: 2W into 50 ohms

• THD at 0.5W/1kHz: 0.2%

• Outputs as line preamplifier: XLR + RCA

• Output for headphones: Neutrik 4 pins balanced connector + ¼” connector

• Inputs: XLR + RCA

• Input sensitivity: 0.5Veff – Input impedance: 47Kohm

• Frequency bandwidth: headphone and line out 10Hz (-1dB) – 80KHz (-3dB)

• S/N: 88dB

• Weight 10 kg

• Dimensions 400 x 310 x 100 mm AKRM

Edgar Degas - Dance-School, c.-1874

HIFIMAN ISVARNA HYBRID

By K.E. Heartsong

HIFIMAN ISVARNA HYBRID

This is my third go with the HIFIMAN headphones and it’s been a blast, I must say. For one, its Susvara Unveiled and its Susvara are in the No. 1 and No. 2 positions on the Top Components List for Headphones. This is no small task as the competitors stacked below them were exceptional contenders in many if not all ways. There is just something so wonderfully natural and musical and aesthetically pleasing about the Susvara and the Susvara Unveiled. In this respect, I am always interested in the opportunity to review new HIFIMAN headphones and am on the ready lookout for what the next reviewed product might be. Well, I didn’t have to wait long as HIFIMAN’s new ISVARNA Hybrid headphone recently made its debut.

The ISVARNA Hybrid is unique in that it utilizes HIFIMAN’s nanometer thick

diaphragm for speed, dynamic range, frequency response, and minimal distortion. Collectively, the traits have come together in

HIFIMAN ISVARNA HYBRID

the previous headphones that I have reviewed in sublime naturalness, outstanding technical abilities, immersiveness, and a truly wonderful musicality.

But there’s more. In addition to its nanometer-scale diaphragm, a dynamic subwoofer driver has been added to the

ISVARNA’s design to help it more easily and accurately portray the bass response. This represents a first in terms of a hybridized headphone and not an In-Ear-Monitor (IEM). And my initial impressions, I must say, are very good. Not only is the ISVARNA aesthetically beautiful and clean, its voice, straight out of the box and hooked up to my Aurorasound HEADA HPA was very good. I imagine that there are other headphones quite worried on the Top Headphone list and based upon this one short listening, they should be.

SPECIFICATIONS

Frequency Response: 6Hz-60kHz

Impedance: 16-Ohms

Sensitivity: 93dB

Net Weight: 462g

Cost: $2,899

August Renoir - Portrait of Jeanne Samary, 1877

Vincent Van Gogh - Almond Tree in Blossom

Brassai - Pont Neuf, 1949

By K.E. Heartsong

It wasn’t that long ago that I had Ralph Karsten’s first integrated amplifier for Atma-Sphere, its 5-watt GEM here at Casa Heartsong for a look-see.

integrated had yet to be matched. The transparency, resolution, and detail were spooky good!

Fit in the palm of your hand it could and barely weighed anything at all. So I was very curious. I reviewed the GEM as a headphone amplifier first and then as an integrated, once I got the right speakers in-house.

Long story short, its headphone amplifier talents placed it at the tiptop of the other headphone amplifiers, all much more expensive than itself. This was, of course, very impressive, but its performance as an

Fast forward to this January issue and you have the Atma-Sphere MP-3 & Class D Monoblocks reviewed and they are, as you’ll read, a decided step above the GEM and in every way but one—transparency. The MP-3 and Class D have performed a master class on stereo reproduction and all the attendant technical and musical descriptives for their bona fides. However, they haven’t surpassed the GEM in its rather incredible transparency, which remains a head scratcher.

Henri Matisse- Flowers in front of a Window, 1922

Vincent Van Gogh - Roses, 1890

Well, I needn’t have waited long to have an Atma-Sphere duo—preamplifier and amplifier combo—move past the lovely little GEM. That combo is, of course, the AtmaSphere MP-3 & the S-30 Stereo Amplifier. Apparently, the GEM was mimicking its bigger brothers and while the GEM was very impressive, it did not prepare me, in the least, for its tubed MP-3 & the S-30 siblings.

I don’t know how much more that I can say without giving the show away, but Ralph Karsten’s been hiding some truly incredible goodies just down the street. And I’ll be one to tell you about them.

AKRM

Claude Monet Banks of the seine

Welcome to AudioKeyREVIEWS Magazine’s Recommended Components, which will become part and parcel of each of our various issues. The purpose of this section is to acquaint the reader with products—speakers, DACs, amplifiers, preamplifiers, turntables, headphones, IEMs, streamers, portable audio, etc.—that we feel are quite exceptional and rise above their like brethren. There will be three categories —Budget, Mid-Tier, and Top-Of-The-Line. In our Budget Recommendations there will be products that compete far above their respective price point and are, generally, also built to reflect this.Our Mid-Tier Recommendations will encompass those products within arms reach, in terms of relative affordability, that present value and a challenge to the vanguard of their respective product niches. Finally, our TOTL Recommendations will be composed of those products that are at the cutting edge of technological advancement now happening across the world. The three categories of recommendations will rotate across the various issues of our magazine and there will also be a fluidity to the products within the various lists. Things change and especially now given our current technological epoch. The various lists, however, will be fixed on the AudioKeyReviews.com website.

Paul Klee - Highways and Byways, 1929

COMPONENTS RECOMMENDED

AURORASOUND HEADA $2999: If you’re looking for an endgame headphone amplifier and even if your headphone amplifier is more expensive, try this one, you may be quite surprised. That said, the Aurorasound HEADA headphone amplifier is a top echelon component and an easy DIAMOND AWARD winner.

SILENT ANGEL RHEIN Z1 $2299: The Rhein Z1 and Forester F2 combo played far above the league that their combined price would indicate. For many, this $3,900 combo may well represent an endgame streamer/ power supply capable of exceptional fidelity with DACs from entry level to those on the cutting edge.

ABYSS AB1266 PHI TC $5999: I think that I’ve said it all. The Abyss AB1266 Phi TC is a phenomenal headphone. It brings an undying passion for musicality and a ferocity for transparency and clarity and detail retrieval, formerly the domain of the best electrostatic headphones. But this planar headphone speaks that language—electrostatic—fluently and well.

COMPONENTS RECOMMENDED

TORUS RM20 $3999: Can you say pristine, natural, open, and unhindered frequency response? Wide dynamic range? And there were oceans of detail, air, microdynamics, and ambience rendered by the Torus RM 20. It was not subtle. On the contrary, it was stunning.

RSX POWER8 $399: The RSX Power8 clearly holds to the dictum, “Do no Harm,” to the system in which it is being utilized. What it, in fact, offers is pure, clean power, a testament to the meticulous parts selection, research, and conscious minimalism all employed in its design. suffice to say, that it has no competitors at 3 to 4 times is cost.

GESHELLI LABS ERISH2 [E2] $219.99, JNOG2 [J2] $249.99: Disinterested in ostentation, Geshelli Labs believes in real world pricing with high fidelity performance. Their JNOG2 plus ERISH2 are a petite and potent bargain. With just enough character to put flesh on bone, the classy little twosome sets your music free without excessive color or dispensable features.

Paul Cezanne - Maisons au bord dune route

MAGICAL SYNERGIES

MID TO HIGH-END

The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.2

For us a Magical Synergy represents two components or more, that together make music far above what either make separately. Generally, we’ve discovered Magical Synergies via reviews, where we mix and match a good number of components to determine how one of the components—the component under review— sounds.

And while there may be strengths and weaknesses between the various combinations, the Magical Synergy represents that combination which has very few if any weaknesses and a wealth of combined strengths.

In this respect, we’ve done the homework for the reader by evaluating numerous combinations to uncover the Magical Synergy, as many of you may not have the time, options, or financial wherewithal to make these determinations. And Magical Synergies are not always uncovered in our reviews and or our research, as they tend to be, well, rare.

A note on the various Magical Synergies that we uncover. We are music lovers first and foremost and not professionals who produce music or movies for a living and require different synergies, nor do measurements come into determination for us of what is a good Magical Synergy and what is not. No,

for this we determine by ear, heart, and soul, that which moves us, provides for that “vibrational” comfort food, and a rich and engaging musical experience. The experience should, of course, come with sufficient detail and resolution and fidelity to recreate venue and/or the experience of listening to live music, when appropriate. After a long and trying day in this topsy-turvy world, wouldn’t it be wonderful if some small measure of nirvana could be achieved through one’s music and the components that play it back?

In other words, our Magical Synergies do not render music that is dry, unengaging, subtractively neutral (see dry, boring, etc.), flat, or lacking in dynamics, when called for.

Please find for your review a number of Magical Synergies below.

1, 2 The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

MAGICAL SYNERGIES UNDER $12k

HIFIMAN SUSVARA UNVEILED/AURORASOUND HEADA

The absence of the window-shade grill in the Susvara Unveiled has led to decreased levels of distortion —reflection/refraction—that are easily heard and heartily enjoyed. It offers up music of pristine relative quality and in turn frees greater detail, ambient cues, micro-dynamics, transparency, and resolution not previously imagined. The result is more intimacy and immersiveness and naturalness to a far greater degree than even the Susvara. I had reckoned on improvement, but I did not imagine that making the original Susvara seem noisy in comparison was a possibility. It is. The Susvara Unveiled is a towering improvement over the Susvara. Further, the Susvara Unveiled is also easier to drive and thus able to work with, dance with a greater variety of headphone amplifiers.

The Aurorasound HEADA headphone amplifier is musical from ‘Square One’, ‘Jump Street’, ‘Scratch’, or, practically, as soon as you turn it on, though it gets worlds better thereafter. It is a beautifully, carefully designed endgame component to pass down. If you’re looking for an endgame headphone amplifier and even if your headphone amplifier is more expensive, try this one, you may be quite surprised. That said, the Aurorasound HEADA headphone amplifier is a top echelon component and an easy DIAMOND AWARD winner.

MAGICAL SYNERGIES UNDER $30k

LYRIC AUDIO TI 100 MKII & DEVORE FIDELITY O/96

There was immediate magic from the Ti 100 MkII, though this was purely from a musical perspective, which was immersive in the extreme. However, after about 100 hours the magic suffused to all aspects of the Lyric Ti 100 MkII’s performance. Tis was easily witnessed, as it followed an exceptional pair of 200 watt/channel, solid state monoblock amplifiers with dedicated preamplifier with relatively minor lessening in overall performance. Remarkable! Te Lyric Audio Ti 100 MkII is, of course, not one of those products as it has easily met our criteria for the DIAMOND AWARD, our highest award, which reflects on its excellence.

Te Orangutan O/96s had me planted on the sofa listening to tunes for many hours at a time and as happy as an oﬃcially protected turkey on Tanksgiving Eve. It was wonderful. Impeccable transparency, resolution detail? Check. Wide top-to-bottom frequency extension? Check. Beguiling tonal/timbral accuracy? Check. A staging envelope—front to back, right to left, deep, high—to die for? Check. Tis is a reviewer’s dream speaker, no doubt, and why so many reviewers have adopted the Orangutan O/96s. And while I don’t know the numbers, I feel as though there are too few audiophiles and music lovers who are familiar with these incredible speakers. To them I say, if you want a system whose voice you can radically change without replacing the speakers, then look no farther than the Orangutan O/96s.

MAGICAL SYNERGIES UNDER $10k

DAN

CLARK STEALTH & HEADAMP CFA3

The Dan Clark STEALTH planardynamic headphone is a revelation. It exceeds its prescribed edict—to excel in planar magnetic duties—and goes on to become exceedingly familiar with, if not master of the edicts of the other headphone worlds and technologies. Again, there are very few headphones capable of doing this and fewer still with such compelling musicality. You and your music, regardless of genre, will be well served…Please note that to date, I have listened to a great many headphones, and these days it takes a great deal to move me.

Te HeadAmp CFA3 is a truly exceptional headphone ampliﬁer and, dare I say, there are no other such headphone ampliﬁers that can compete at easily twice its price, if not far more. Its impressive 15-watts of power into 50ohms allow it to easily drive even the most cient headphone on the planet, with headroom to spare. In terms of its technical abilities, which are vast, it provides the depth of stage, the meticulous separation and layering of performers, across any given stage, the daunting transparency, resolution, and detail retrieval for which electrostatics are known. Couple this with superb tone/ timbre, musicality, and naturalness, and it easily becomes the anchor of a TOTL reference headphone system.

Edward Hopper - Room by the Sea, 1951

1. MACO MACARIA LOUDSPEAKER

2. HIFIMAN ISVARA HYBRID HEADPHONES

3. BLUESOUND NODE ICON STREAMER

4. ROCKNA WAVEDREAM DAC

5. ATMA-SPHERE S-30 STEREO AMPLIFIER

6. AND other reviews, columns, interviews, videos, etc. MARCH 1, 2025

VIDEO REVIEWS

GRIMM AUDIO MU2 ALLNIC

HIFIMAN SUSVARA

Music is art, art is music.

SALUTE YOU!

ABYSS HEADPHONES

ANTICABLE

ATMA-SPHERE

AUDIO ART CABLE

AUDIENCE

AUDIONET

AURENDER

AURORASOUND

AXXIS AUDIO

BAETIS AUDIO

BOENICKE SPEAKERS

BORDER PATROL

BRICASTI DESIGN

DAN CLARK

DEVORE AUDIO

GRIMM AUDIO

HEADAMP

HERMAN MILLER

HIGHEND-ELECTRONICS

KEVALIN AUDIO

KUBALA-SOSNA

LYRIC AUDIO

MEZE AUDIO

MOJO AUDIO

MYTEK

PARASOUND

PURE AUDIO PROJECT

RSX TECHNOLOGIES

SILENT ANGEL

SONIC ARTISTRY

THE VOICE THAT IS

TORUS POWER

VERDANT AUDIO

ZMF HEADPHONES

Thank You

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