Avantgarde NANO G2
Issue
Five
The New Generation
EDITOR’S COLUMN I just ask myself the other day, is there anything collectable in HiFi? Some would suggest amplifiers. Problem is, amplifiers don’t last forever. Parts deteriorate and its performance goes down. Ditto speakers, cartridges and cables. CD players? You got to be kidding. Perhaps if is one thing worth collecting in hifi, it would be turntables - a purely mechanical device. Like the Swiss watch industry, the variety and quality of turntables we can buy today is nothing short of remarkable, especially when the CD is supposed to have nailed the record player some quarter of a century ago. I think I would like to do a pure turntable issue soon – take a ficticious $100,000 budget and see what that money can buy – my personal selection – for the best sounding, best looking and best value for money turntable. With an eye on it’s past legacy (if any) and its influence in the future of turntable design. Care to join me in this fantasy? As I am writing this, another 10 days and once again we have the event of the year – The International Sound and Sight exhibition. The one event all audiophiles must make their annual pilgrimage. We’ll be there as usual; so do come by for a chat at our stand if you’re there. We like to hear from you!
Marques of Distinction
Published by MODAVI Private Limited
Editor Terence Wong terence@mod-avi.com
Sales and Marketing Wong Ng Lai Leng laileng@mod-avi.com
Graphic Nainty Nine
Marques of Distinction
The title Marques of Distinction, its associated logos or devices and the contents of this magazine is the sole property of MODAVI Private Limited. Reproduction in whole or part of, is strictly prohibited. MODAVI Private Limited is not responsible for any omissions, errors, misrepresentation or any loss that arise through the use of the information provided herein. We are also not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or other materials sent to us for the purpose of publication or otherwise. We reserve the right to edit all relevant materials. MODAVI Private Limited retains ownership of all materials published and no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publishers.
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Contents
In this Issue
24 AMR-CD777 30 Roll over Holst!
05
Avantgarde Acoustic Uno NANO G2
13
A Beacon in the Sea of Confusion
16 Air Tales Marques of Distinction
for 35 AallSystem seasons
45 Enacom 47 Resonance
• Live Concert by Chang An & Xu Le (from RFS Co Ltd) • A free copy of “International Sound & Sight Exhibition 2009” test disc with every ticket purchased • First-ever demo of true 192kHz / 24bit high definition recording • The most advanced analogue & digital equipment • Full HD flat-screen TVs, projectors & home theatre systems • Seminars and talks conducted by manufacturers & experts • Special promotional discounts • Daily lucky draw with attractive prizes • For updates, please visit www.avmagazine.com
Date
:
6 - 8 Nov 2009
Time
:
11.00am - 7.00pm
Ticket
:
S$15
Venue
:
Parkroyal on Kitchener Road
Address
:
181 Kitchener Road Singapore 208533 Farrer Park MRT Station (North East Line)
Sound & Sight Fantasy
Clementi Central Post Office PO Box 67 Singapore 911203. Tel / Fax: 6467 5116 Website: www.avmagazine.com Email: avmagazine@avmagazine.com
白LOGO poster2009_10_13.indd
1
2009-10-14
11:04:53
The most formidable horns ever built!
Avantgarde Acoustic
Uno NANO G2
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In 1994, from a small 120 sq m garage in Walsdorf Germany, a new loudspeaker manufacturer is born. Exhibiting their small range at the Frankfurt High End Show the same year with great success, this new company known as Avantgarde Acoustic, make some of the most visually arresting loudspeakers available. Their speakers encompass both the classic traditional horn loudspeakers with a modern interpretation – the large beautiful molded horn looks more like sculpture than speakers. Then the large horn can be had in a color of your choice, a good move as the WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) grew immeasurably as a result. From the very beginning Avantgarde Acoustic had a mission - to create a potent, authentic and utterly unique music experience. Avantgarde developed the spherical horn systems, which comes closest to realizing their objective. After 15 years when the first Avantgarde loudspeakers – the UNO, DUO and TRIO were first exhibited in Berlin, Holger Fromme and Matthias Ruff, the founders of Avantgarde now feel the evolution of the spherical horn design has reached a sufficient maturity in its development that the new products being developed is a significant upgrade from the first generation of horn speakers. Hence Avantgarde G2 – the second generation.
The power and effortlessness of horns. Avantgarde Acoustic horn speakers are based on the physics of mother nature. They embrace the same principles that govern the
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functions of the human ear. The funnel shaped opening of the horn amplifies even the most minuscule deviations in sound pressure. A horn is the most natural and powerful way to amplify sound waves. At a given output, speakers with horns have an up to 95% lighter membrane. Driver over–excursion and the resulting distortion are avoided. In addition, for a given driver size, they have an up to 20–times higher acoustical output. As a result, the audio signature is livelier, as the membrane only has to execute a fraction of the movement. A horn is the most sophisticated form of any loudspeaker: minimal mass and motion – maximum power – increased fidelity – reduced distortion. The combination of lightweight drive system and performance make Avantgarde Acoustic horn systems inimitable. The spherical horn speakers are faster, more dynamic and more coherent.
The first model in the G2 series is the entry model NANO G2 which replaces the original NANO. The original NANO sells for $22,000 a pair in standard finish; the NANO G2 ups the retail to $27,800. The difference pays for a lot of new parts, new upgrades and a redesign of some critical components. To say the speaker has been substantially revised is an understatement. A more apt description is a whole new speaker adhering to the original design precepts, with substantially improved construction, parts and design.
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Intelligence. Large drivers are required to reproduce low frequencies at higher volumes. Inevitably big membranes have a relatively large mass. The inertia of this mass weighs down the music signal, resulting in a thick, muddied sound. The lower the sound pressure level, the more this inertia mutes details of the signal response. Big passive speaker systems thus invariably have, at low volumes, a heavily reduced bass articulation. To avoid these effects, all Avantgarde Acoustic systems are equipped with “intelligent” active subwoofer systems. The electronics detect output deviations of the driver from the input signal, and fast analog circuits compensate the cone movement. Due to the intelligence of the adaptive electronically control, the bass response of the speakers is cleaner, deeper and more dynamic – independent of room and output level. In addition, a variety of user controls allow the response to be fine–tuned and matched to the room acoustics.
Starting with the subwoofer module the SUB225G2 which replaces the old SUB225-N – the drivers now comes with powerful Neodymium magnets. The amplifier is the same 250 watts design but now comes with a larger power transformer and more storage capacitance. This should increase the power reserve for short-term transients without running out of juice. I believe the amplifier is a servo design – Avantgarde calls it intelligent
– an adaptive motional feedback circuitry keeps the amplifier and driver behaviour in check. The result is better control of the bass frequencies leading to faster, more transparent and more extended bass response with less room excitement.
Simplicity. The crucial element in the development of any loudspeakers is to reduce the number of components to the minimum. Every single part in the signal path deteriorates fidelity, and colours the response. A principle element of Avantgarde Acoustic’s purist design philosophy is to reduce the number of components to only those, which are absolutely necessary. Thus, all Avantgarde Acoustic speakers are designed with no passive filters in the signal path of the midrange horns. As such, the electrical signal from the amplifier is directly connected to the voice coil of the driver assembly. This Avantgarde Acoustic concept has an outstanding strength: simplicity!
Same driver, new horn
The G2 uses the same M1-N midrange drive unit, driven full range without any passive crossover components in the signal path. The horn however, is a new design – SH5003 for the G2 vs SH5002 in the earlier NANO. Likewise the H1-N tweeter is from the earlier NANO with a new horn design, the SH1301. The design of the horn would have an enormous effect on the sound quality otherwise Avantgarde wouldn’t have considered the new NANO
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the new generation.
Impedance. Any speaker presents a specific electrical load – which is varying, depending on the music signal – to the amplifier. The more complex these (feedback) forces, the more the quality of the signal processing of the connected amplifier are suffering. Accordingly the development of Avantgarde Acoustic horn systems does not stop at the speaker itself. Avantgarde Acoustic rather sees the loudspeaker as part of the whole audio system. The optimization of the interaction of the individual components and the audio subsystems becomes part of the engineering discipline. For this reason Avantgarde Acoustic engineering is exemplified in its sophisticated OMEGA driver technology. With OMEGA drivers, voice coils with very high impedance are utilized. The (feedback) forces induced into the amplifier are thus being effectively reduced. Avantgarde Acoustic horn speakers pose a substantially less critical load, are easy to drive, and bring out the true potential of any quality audio amplifier.
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Improved architecture
One of the most significant change is the new frame. The original UNO NANO was derived from the original UNO, the uprights sort of hold the speaker to-
gether. The problem is torsional twist when the drivers are driven hard, the whole structure would tend to flex and colour the sound, reduce the bass impact and affect extension. The new NANO G2 now comes with a significantly improve rig: spike feet instead of discs, a rigid braced frame that reduces if not eliminates torsional flex altogether.
Unfortunately, the original NANO has long been sold to make way for the G2. Coupled with the fact that the G2 had just arrived with less than 24 hours of playing time, makes it a moot point to compare it with its predecessor. What we can do however is to give an initial impression, as to not what the changes wrought but whether it does justice to music.
Listening
Room matching
The old UNO NANO is Avantgarde’s most compact full range loudspeaker. This alone would be NANO UNO’s best selling point with the current trend towards smaller homes. The substantial changes imposed on the G2 are a necessity in the evolution of this species and the NANO G2 must significantly outperform the original NANO. This audition was done in the distributor’s showroom.
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First order of the day is the realization of the sound from this speaker is able to drive the room effortlessly. There are speakers that can move a lot of air within the room but much of it is wasted in exciting room resonances to the point you would need a lot of ‘room treatment’. In contrast, the NANO G2, which utilises the same woofer system as its bigger brother, the DUO G2, with dual
ten-inch woofers, will certainly move a lot of air. One nice thing about the Avantgarde’s use of an active woofer system eliminates most placement problems - it allows you to tune the woofer system to suit. You tune the speaker’s midrange and tweeter for optimum mid to high response – getting the best sound in terms of openness and dispersion and then tune the subwoofer setting to match. That said the NANO G2, like its bigger brothers, is a loudspeaker you need to sit a little distance away for the sound from the various drive units to integrate properly. As a rule of thumb, your listening position should be a little further than the distance between the left and right speaker. It is certainly not a ‘near field’ monitor.
Amplifier matching
You might think a big speaker like the NANO G2 would mean it needs a big and powerful amplifier. In fact, it is the opposite. Avantgarde speakers are designed to make the most of every watt of amplifier power and yet offer an identical sense of scale to a live performance. As the bass region from 300 Hz down is taken care of by the active woofer system, the amplifier only needs to drive the midrange and tweeter horn. Ten watts is the recommended power rating. You can choose from 300B SETs to EL84’s or anything that you fancy. This is one speaker where the rules can be broken, there is nothing
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that says you cannot run a simple tube integrated and a simple CD player that together would sell for much less than the asking price of the NANO G2 - and get excellent performance. I dare say this $27,800 speaker might just fit a system costing not significantly more than $30,000 (give or take a couple of clams) including a decent pair of interconnect (you need two, the second one for the active subwoofer)and speaker cables! The speaker is tested in a large room, Avantgarde recommended room size suggest anything from 16 sq m upwards which means a fairly small living room – say 3m x 5m and larger would work. Seated about 5 metres from the speaker, driven with a 211 SET amplifier, I settled for a simple jazz recording – S.M.V. which has one of my favourite bass players – Stanley Clarke. My first impression of the NANO G2 is its proper balance in terms of scale – the relative perspective of the musical instruments size and relative distance is excellent in my book. Each instrument has a sense of space and air around it, not exaggerated or hyped up, it defines the space where sound expands exponentially from the body of the instrument. It struck me every time I listen to a horn speaker, there is always a sense of that typical horn ‘honk’. It is just a matter of the degree this colouration manifest
itself. The earlier generation of Avantgarde, in my opinion, do have a small degree of this colouration but by any standards, is already quite mild in comparison. In the G2, this horn colouration has effectively been exorcised, at least significantly to the point that you wouldn’t realize you are listening to a horn speaker when listening blindfolded. I wager that the NANO G2 is about one of the least coloured speaker in its price range, and we are not just talking about horn speakers. Devoid of colouration, I found I could explore the architectural presentation with ease. It was then I discovered the NANO G2’s presentation of micro dynamics is pretty awesome. These two attributes together is responsible for the sense of dimensionality of this speaker can convey for this particular recording. I can almost imagine if you would bring this speaker home, you would spend days if not weeks rediscovering all your favourite recordings in a way your former speaker will not be able to. That, I think is all the G2 needs to convince me that we have something pretty extraordinary here. And for that, Mr Holger Fromme had indeed delivered what he promised – a whole new generation of Avantgarde speakers that transcends all that has come before.
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Technical Specifications: • 104 dB sensitivity • 8 Ω drivers • 20-inch spherical midrange horn • CDC system with no crossover • Bass with active feedback control • 2 x 10 inch neodymium bass drivers • 250-watt subwoofer amplifier with 60.000 µF
The all-new Avantgarde UNO NANO G2 will be officially launched in Singapore at the Sound and Sight Exhibition 2009.
Taking up an iconic name in hifi shows a level of commitment that goes beyond mere verbalis. It anchors the fortunes of the company to a precept, one that leads in only one direction. A bold move, and it seems, is paying off after years of sheer grit, tenacity and a strong self belief that never wanes unlike other fashionable, flavour of the month products. Mr Cecil Tan, the man at the helm of Audio Note Singapore has no qualms about his convictions – Single Ended rules!
A Beacon in the
Sea of Confusion Mr Cecil Tan from Audio Note Singapore speaks to MOD Marques of Distinction
MOD: Audio Note Singapore has grown significantly in the last couple of years, what has contributed to this success? CT: One of the ingredients for our success is the constant striving for a combination of having good products and equally good service, whether at the point of sale or after the sale. Another factor that allowed Audio Note S’pore to stand out from the crowd is our continued focus on certain philosophies, like single-ended or low powered tube amplification combined with higher sensitivity speakers. While this philosophy may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it does resonate very well with a large number of our regular clientele. It has also opened the eyes (or ears as the case may be) of many audiophiles when they
listen to our systems for the first time. This has caused a number of them trading in their whole systems and converting lock, stock and barrel to one of our single-ended systems. While not everyone subscribes to this way of enjoying music, I think the respect we earned for our focus in doing what we believe in and not just selling any audio brand that has a good review just to make a quick buck tells us we are doing the right thing. Another strong point that I think has contributed to our growth is the fact that most of our staff are genuine audiophiles. Apart from my sales staff, even my technician and web designer have serious audio systems in their homes. This helps us to put ourselves in the shoes of our customers, to know what they want. Customers also feel more confident when they recognize they’re talking to fellow hobbyists who share the same interests and are experienced in all aspects of the hobby. At the end of the day, we try our best to ensure that people have a good buying experience whenever they deal with us. MOD: That makes you a niche player. Does niche players like Audio Note Singapore able to appeal to a wider
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audience? CT: The very definition of catering to a niche means we usually appeal to a certain group of audiophile, those that share the same philosophy and interests with us. If trying to appeal to a wider audience means having to dilute our core values, then we’ll probably not do it. Our “core values” have always been 2 channel only audio systems, tube amplification matched with high sensitivity speakers and analogue as the main source. There are many and valid (I think) reasons for this approach but space and time does not allow me to go further to justify my statements. Maybe another time? Having said that, we are always looking to expand our appeal. We do this by taking every opportunity to expose mainstreamers to the distinct sonic qualities of our audio systems, and also trying our best to educate them on the benefits of this approach. MOD: Audio Note Singapore is one of the few players able to exploit the internet as a sales tool, how would that benefit the consumers in the long run?
CT: Every successful business needs to constantly improve and evolve along with the community it serves. We recognized a long time ago that as Singaporeans become more net savvy, the internet would be an ideal medium in which to reach out to our clientele. We use our website not only as a sales tool, but also as a source for useful information and communication. Anyone from anywhere around the world, can easily log on to our site and view not only information of our products, but also read news updates of new products, product reviews, international show reports and view our extensive customer gallery to see what other audiophiles are using. We also have a ‘pre-owned’ section where we list all the products that were traded-in or put on consignment. This is a good source of value-for-money items for those on a budget or who are looking for something particular that is no longer available. We keep our site constantly updated to keep it interesting and hopefully that encourages end users to come back regularly to see what’s new. Facebook is also something we’re going into at this time, all with the intention of making information more accessible to as many people out there as possible. Hopefully, we’ll be able to gain more ‘fans’ to our site! We hope that with this rich source of information available, customers will be able to make more informed decisions when finally assembling their own hifi systems.
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MOD: With eCommerce on the internet, do you foresee the day when consumers buy directly from manufacturers and by passes the distributor? CT: While internet sales has increased dramatically for 2nd hand products, or accessories like vacuum tubes and even music software, buying a new hifi system consisting of a few components that synergizes as a whole is a completely different matter altogether. I don’t see the possibility, at least in the foreseeable future, of customers bypassing the traditional dealers and buying direct from manufacturers. I say this because they will then have to forego the ability to audition and compare different products before making a decision. Unlike buying literature, clothing or even music or movies online, customers still benefit from actually listening and feeling the actual product that they are considering to purchase. There is really no substitute to going to a store and discussing with knowledgeable sales staff on their specific requirements, and arriving at a combination that is well matched, right down to the wires. I call this the human touch, and that is critical in making a successful purchase where high-end audio systems are concerned. MOD: Thank You Cecil, I am sure we’ll meet again to follow up on many more subject matter of interest to our readers!
Air tales Air Tight’s astounding combo – the ATE-2 preamp and ATM-300 power amplifier Marques of Distinction
Looking at Air Tight’s round up of products reminds me of a multinational conglomerate about to set foot on the high end hifi industry. Like Panasonic and Luxman in their heydays back in the seventies, you get the feeling they put in so much care into making their products and they feel so well made and luxurious to the touch that you worry if they are trying to hide something. I mean just look at typical high end products, no need to mention names, but you can just feel the final finishing of the product seems like what’s left over of their design budget. All that cheap folded sheet metal, roughly painted, tell tale signs of rusting sheet metal beneath those blotches on the paint. Yikes, if it looks that bad when you unpack a new amplifier, just imagine how it’d looked given a few years down the road in our hot and humid climate.
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Instead, the Air Tight stuff seems positively classy in comparison. They are well built, well put together and had that wonderful silky smooth touch to the knobs that it begs to be fondled over and over again. Hence the first order of the day – money saved on the remote controls and the attendant electronics (volume, selector, mute, etc) can be put to better use, like a better paint job that stays pristine after years of use. Or perhaps the use of better parts because they sound better and stays reliable. The Air Tight components are classy looking things indeed, you feel good about them so much so you wouldn’t be embarrassed to show them off to your nonaudiophile friends.
And they sound good too. How good? Well, we have the ATE-2 preamp and ATM-300 stereo amplifier for review. The –300 as its name implies, uses a single 300B output tube per channel, with 8 watts of pure bliss. This single ended amplifier is compact and looks darn classy in all its birthday suit. Yup, the tubes are exposed in all its glory. The copper chassis sports a classy coat of paint that would be right at home on a luxury car. The colour options available is a shame though, all you’ll get is their signature green/grey tone that matches with the preamp.
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The preamp ATE-2 is a phono stage coupled with a preamp output. How else would you get a preamp with two phono stage and ... wait for this ... one line stage? The Air Tight people must be vinyl fanatics and not too hot about CD. That said, the phono stage is MM only and it is a nice one indeed. If you are using a low output MC, then you’ll need additional stepup. Air Tight just introduced one – the ATH-2A, certainly worth checking out if you love black vinyl.
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The ATM-300 amplifier on the other hand, is built for a specific purpose – to exploit the sonic characteristic of the 300B tube design. It is not meant to be a ‘be all, end all’ of amplifiers. Eight watts won’t get you too far so stop doing silly things like trying to pair it with inefficient speakers, Air Tight has other high power designs to suit these needs. Instead, if you plan to go the single ended way – Avantgardes, Feastrex, Lowthers, et al, then we are talking. To get the best dynamic range possible you need to match with a loudspeaker with high sensitivity ie >95 dB. For this reason we took on a pair of Avantgarde Meta Picco horns (106 dB/watt!). This speaker comes with a selfpowered woofer system so in essence where power is needed most, the Avantgarde takes care of itself. So the ATM-300 essentially only drives the tweeter and the midrange unit from about 300 Hz and up. One of the nice things about Air Tight is you know you’ll get the best components to get the job done, like Tamura output transformers so you wouldn’t need to do any after-market component upgrades. They even supply WE 300Bs as stock tubes so it goes to show where they put their money - where their mouth is. I can’t say the same about some French or American amplifiers though, you wouldn’t feel too comfortable about the stuff they put inside
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First impressions of the duo can be surmarised in a word, stunning. Huge airy soundstage, strong midrange presence with excellent tonal balance. If you hear the sound of a live instrument, the 300B sound comes close enough it can sound outright scary. This does not come at the expense of any form of exaggeration, or a glare-like effect to make things stand out from the mix. Its been said the 300B has a slight emphasis on the treble, no such problem here, perhaps that characteristic might manifest on lesser 300B designs. Instead, it has an easy flowing characteristic that allows music to ebb and flow just like it should. A slight perceptible lightness in the midbass region is about the only aspect I could criticize. This you can compensate a little with speaker positioning. With the Avantgarde, a slight tweak on the crossover point is all it takes to balance things.
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The ATE-2/ATM-300’s lack of noise must be strongly commended. A speaker with a sensitivity of 90 dB/watt or less will ‘ground’ the noise by not being able to resolve all that useless information. Using high sensitivity loudspeakers (>100 dB/watt) mean the speakers will show up all sorts of electronic noise an amplifier throws out. How is it that tube amplifiers with poorer signal to noise ratio can sound less noisy than solid state? This has much to do with good design, good grounding and proper screening. I am glad the Air Tight combo performs par excellence in this aspect. By now you could surmise the duo here is a pretty special package. It is well made and will outlive us and definitely outlive our memory of how many clams you’ve had to shell out for them (S$30,500 for the pair and as mentioned, with a pair of WE 300B). A truly remarkable achievement.
Conclusion: Pros: Excellent built, excellent sound, the epitome of the 300B tube, supplied WE300B an added bonus.
Cons: Careful matching with suitable speakers to bring out the best of the 300B design.
Verdict: Performance lives up to its price tag.
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AMR-CD777
Retro Chic... er chip Marques of Distinction
8 times the price of the original Sony. Further reading turn out some interesting information. Like the current fad about the early Philips D to A converter TDA1541A (circa 1985) yes, an old fashioned 16 bit/44.1 kHz, having something of a cult following. Ditto the old Philips single beam (laser) mechanism; the CDM1 and CDM9 Pro were highly sought after in the used parts market, either a complete working mechanism or merely for parts bin.
From what I gather, the first CD players (Sony CDP-101 and Philips CD100 made way back in 1982) were already pretty decent stuff. While I am doubtful if any of these players were still working today, a quick Google and there are indeed, some in working condition, of sorts, like one owner mentioned his unit need to be turned turtle before it will track and read a disc! I am in disbelief when one even mentioned the player held out pretty well compared to a certain player of well regard and of current vintage which sells for some
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Reminds me of the time when audiophiles ‘rediscovered’ the 300B. I think we have to thank the DIY fraternity for reminding us that the newest is not necessarily better. What could be better than a DIYer joining the ranks of mainstream manufacturers? That is exactly what happened when renowned DIYer audiophile cum designer, Mr Thorsten Loesch started Abbingdon Music Research in 2006. While the company is by any yardstick, a mere toddler, Thorsten brought with him many years of research, trials and hard nosed audiophile ideas to create a series of components that does justice to music.
One of Thorsten favourite is the aforementioned Philips TDA1541A DAC. This piece of ancient artefact dates back more than twenty years (by digital technology, should have been dead and buried many times over) and have stopped production for almost as long. Thorsten’s theory (also shared by many other DIYers) is that the Red Book CD is a 16 Bit format and no matter how one screw around with digital, you cannot make it better by adding additional bits or something. A better solution is to work with the 16 Bit and make the most of every Bit instead. The TDA1541A DAC is Philips first 16 Bit DAC (the first generation Philips CD players uses a 14 Bit chip, the TDA 1540) was used in many illustrious CD players in its day, the Marantz CD-12, Marantz CD94 and CD 94 MkII, Meridian 206 and 207, Naim CDI and CDS to name a few. Of course a whole slew of Philips and Sony players as well. After the TDA 1541A, Philips went bitstream. Apparently there are limited quantities of these delectable TDA1541 lying around somewhere (there are made by Philips in Holland and later in Japan), probably in service centres all over the world since the respective CD player manufacturers need to keep a small inventory of these parts. Now these are highly sought after by DIYers who make their own version of CD player. AMR make use of the TDA1541A (single and
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double crown versions) in their high end CD77 player. The TDA1541 is based on technologies in chip making back in 1985, have been a marvel in chip design, being able to squeeze so many transistors into a small silicone chip. The digital filter is not part of the original TDA chipset (trying to squeeze in a digital filter will be a real challenge in those days) and comes in another chip, a SAA7220P/A. Newer DACs after the TDA1541 till today comes with integrated digital filters. It is the opinion of many digital designers that the digital filter introduces all sorts of signal degrading effects. This led some manufacturers to eschew the use of any ‘off-the-shelf’ DACs and create their own decoding algorithms. A costly affair and led to uber expensive CD players. The TDA1541 not being bundled with a digital filter, allows the designer to opt for their own version of the digital filter, and some even opt not to use any form of digital filter. The TDA1541 is by no means an incompetent DAC, just a little dated technology-wise. In the hands of designers like Thorsden, we have the AMR players to Thank for. The AMR CD77 has in the short period of the company’s existence, won numerous accolades for its fine sound quality. The CD77 belongs to AMR’s Reference class and it has since brought out a more affordable line of product, the ‘Premier Class’ CD777. You don’t get the
original ‘King of Multibit’ TDA1541 as in the CD77 but a ‘reverse engineered’ version which Thorsden call ‘son of the King of Multibit’. It comes without a built-in digital filter on the chip so Thorsden can apply the same design concepts as with the CD77. What is unique with both the CD77 and CD777, the choice of signal processing is in the hands of the user. There are 6 user selectable settings at the digital processing stage. Setting 1 – Direct Master I - 16 Bit, no digital or analogue filtering Setting 2 – Direct Master II - 16 Bit, no digital filter, uses analogue filter Setting 3 – Oversampling 2X Setting 4 – Upsampling 96 kHz Setting 5 – Oversampling 4x Setting 6 – Upsampling 192 kHz
AMR recommends Setting I and II for best sound quality but also suggest 3 – 6 for some recordings that may have some sonic benefits when processed. I have not spent enough time to try enough discs to decide what needed upsampling and what needed oversampling so I may report in a later edition. The CD777 also comes with a proprietary clock to
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minimise jitter and data loss. Like the CD77, the CD777 is also a top loader with a proprietary transport. The CD777 is based on a Philips Pro mechanism with a Sony laser pickup; the whole mechanism is then suspended with springs. AMR believes a ‘universal’ transport is a compromise; best performance can only be had from a dedicated CD only transport. Blue LED lights bathe the disc tray and hence the CD with blue light. This light according to experts, adds some form of ‘noise’ that enhances the ability to retrieve low-level signals. If I didn’t say it correctly, then take it in good faith that many highend CD players have now come to employ blue LED to improve the sound quality of their players. The CD777 is future proof in that it has a USB input. The CD777 will function as a Digital to Analogue converter for your digital audio files. In addition, the USB can also work in reverse; it can output the digital signal from the CD. AMR claims the computer based audio conversion is on par to the CD. Do note to make use of the 16 bit DAC to decode say 24 bit files would require the signal to be downsampled. Here you trade some resolution for the ability to have the flexibility to use any of the 6 settings for optimal sound quality. Anyway oversampling will also make up for the lost bits though I must admit it is a compromise. Being of the DIY fraternity, it is likely anything Mr
Thorsden touches will be ‘enlightened’ with a vacuum tube, or two. Like the CD77, the CD777 employs a tube output stage using a pair of 6N1P with zero negative feedback. The more expensive CD77 uses six tubes, two each for rectification, two for buffer and two for output. Even the tube output stage comes with its own optimised power transformers that are hand wound by AMR and not an off the shelf parts bin. AMR has taken the original multibit processing technology and given the ultimate audiophile treatment.
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The supplied remote is a nice blue backlit touch screen version with a plastic casing while the more expensive CD77 comes with one in a stainless steel casing. What d’ya expect? They are otherwise identical. I am curious to hear what upsampling vs oversampling vs no filter. The first Philips CD players were 14 bit but with 4x upsampled to bring its resolution closer to a proper 16 bit DAC as per the Sony CDP-101. While it is debatable that 14 bit is still 14 bit, in practice oversam-
pling actually works. Now I would have the opportunity to hear if it really is worth the trouble. I started with one of my favourite recording Nils Lofgren’s Keith Don’t Go. As any audiophile worth his salt would have loved this live recording of this acoustic steel guitar solo and his awesome vocals. Going through the different settings were very telling indeed. This is one recording that sounds best on ............... (drum roll) ................. either Direct Master I or Direct Master II. Direct Master I has a very slight advantage of being more open but also have a slight tendency to sound a tad grainier. Direct Master II has a good balance between an analogue like airiness and naturalness in the midband. The difference is slight but noticeable. Not so when it comes to upsampling and oversampling. The difference is fairly drastic. A veil seems to fall over the soundstage. The Lofgren’s voice seems a more remote and detached from the live feel of the performance. In short, it takes away the raw feel of the performance, sounding more, for a better word, processed. Oversampling should elicit more detail but it did not made any difference. Ditto upsampling. In fact both upsampling and oversampling sounded remarkably similar that on blind test I would not be able to discern the difference one way or the other. Frankly, the wide gulf
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that separates Direct Master and Upsample/oversample makes it a non-issue if you would have bought this unit. You buy the CD777 (or the CD77 for that matter) for the non-filtered option, that upsampling and oversampling is available at the touch of the remote, it is essential to keep the technocrats happy should they believe it is a necessity for a modern day CD player to have that feature. The CD777 is an affordable option for those fawning on the CD77. To be able to meet the price point, something has to go. Thankfully, the core competency of the CD77 – the 16 bit DAC, non filtered option, high grade digital clock, proprietary mechanism, single beam laser, tube output stage, balanced output and USB input are retained that just might steal the thunder from its bigger brother! I see a bright future ahead of AMR as a force in digital playback to reckon with. Recommended retail price - $6500 Pros: Excellent Sound quality, excellent value for money, 6 stage user selectable conversion is one of a kind!
Cons: 24 bit files are downsampled to 16 bit Conclusion: A highly convincing player that is not afraid to speak its mind. Made for sound, not for specs. Highly recommended.
Roll over Holst! Here comes Duevel’s funky Planets! Marques of Distinction
“99.9% of loudspeakers you can buy today are not omni directional loudspeakers, that makes it a good reason as any, to acquaint yourself with one today...” The Tao of T What exactly is an omni directional loudspeaker? Traditional speakers place the drive units in front of the cabinet. Sound is projected directly from the drive units towards where the speaker point. Much of the sound is output towards the front, with some of the lower frequencies directed to the sides and rear. An omni directional loudspeaker essentially throws a lesser amount of sound towards the listener. Instead, much of the sound is directed evenly around and even behind the loudspeaker. The idea is to simulate the way sound is generated from an instrument – a point in a three-dimensional space – generating a sound wave 360 degrees. You hear part of the sound directly from the speaker and some of the sound is reflected off the room boundaries, just like how
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sound would be have in real life. As such, a well-designed omni directional loudspeaker aurally ‘disappears’ in the soundstage. What I did not hear from the cute little Duevel Planets loudspeaker is the sense I am listening to one. No its not quite the perfect transducer that transport me to the recording venue; lets
not kid ourselves that we can achieve this with a $2000 speaker when many $20,000 ones can’t. Instead I can vouch for the fact that this little bugger is onto something special. If I am getting a little ahead of myself, I must admit (shhh!), I am a closet fan of omni directional loudspeakers – good company of Bose, MBL, et al. I like the fact that with Omnis, I don’t need to sit on the sweet spot to get optimal sound. In fact, there is no restriction to where you sit in the room where a pair of omnis resides. They can sound great almost anywhere, and you hear great sound almost from anywhere as well. Duevel is one of the strong proponents of the omni directional concept. The smallest model in the range is the compact Planets, a small 83 cm tall two-way floorstanding omni that you would like to bring home and hide them away. I can just imagine you placing a pair at both ends of 3-seater couch and voila! A pair of giant headphones for three persons and you still gets a believable 360-degree sound field! Now tell me what other speaker (apart from another Duevel) can do that? The Planets (with an ‘s’) comes in a slim cabinet, slim enough to accommodate the 6-inch midbass driver. Instead of having the drive units pointing at you, they
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place them on top of the slim cabinet firing upwards towards the ceiling. Round steel spheres positioned just above the drive units, a smaller one for the tweeter and a larger one for the woofer serves to diffuse the sound though I am not sure if that will give an even 360 degree dispersion. The tweeter comes in a slight horn flare that helps to direct the sound energy towards the dispersion dome, I suppose. If you place them like traditional loudspeakers, the wider side faces you and gives you a wider, airier sound. I tried them with the narrower side facing me with a discernable loss of airiness but gain somewhat in definition. You can thus possibly ‘tune’ its placement to suit your personal tastes. The Planets has a remarkably even-handed way
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of going about its business. The sound is evenly balanced; nothing sticks up like the proverbial nail waiting to be hammered down. The bass end is surprisingly full bodied if a little limited at the really, really low end, not surprising given the smallish cabinet. That said, it has pretty full bass response and I doubt you’ll need a subwoofer in a reasonable sized room. The midrange and highs must be mentioned together as one because I feel they blend so well together that it is relatively pointless to take them apart for the sake of criticism. The rich and effortless midband is a joy to listen to though you need to play them at reasonable levels. Come on, this is just a 6-inch woofer so don’t expect the impossible. The tweeters blend innocuously into
the sound stage with a smooth airy balance, bound to please listeners. That may have something to do with the fact that you are listening to the dispersed sound from the tweeters.
Conclusion: Pro: Good balance, big volumous sound, good staging, good bass response, flexible placement, speaker is small enough to blend effortlessly into any room, subwoofer not necessary! Wide choice of colours to match your décor.
However, if you may not have much experience Cons: Limit to how loud it can play so no head banging stuff, with omnis, you may be duly concerned if this genre of suited to smaller rooms, for larger rooms you’ll need to add a sub. speakers has the ability to image well. I can tell you this, Verdict: Recommended the Planets image as well as any loudspeaker in its price range. But not many speakers in its price range will be able to throw as voluminous a soundstage as the Planets can. Hah! To get the best from the Duevel Planets, you will only need a reasonable amplifier (start with a good 50 watter), while their sensitivity is middling so they cannot possibly fill a large room without sounding too midbassy (midbass emphasis). That means the Planets is best suited to smaller rooms, which is well nigh perfect because the bass response is tuned to sound full as such. A room with hard reflective surfaces such as solid walls would be ideal to allow the speaker to breathe and throw open its volumous soundstage. The reflex ports are positioned below the cabinets and a hard floor is recommended to get the best bass balance. Sounds like the Duevel Planets is just the kind of ‘real world’ loudspeaker most suited to the kind of ‘real world’ environ we have here.
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A system
for all Seasons
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I am a strong advocate of ‘the room make’d the system’. Conventional wisdom would suggest the speakers should fire down the length of the room. Conventional wisdom also advocates balancing the reflective surfaces – the walls on the left and right should be similar so as to achieve the ideal staging capability. Finally conventional wisdom dictates speakers should not be placed close to a wall or god forbid, a corner. If this system is anything to go by, conventional it isn’t so let’s sod conventional wisdom!
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The setup of this system defies rationale, one speaker is placed close to a corner of the room, and one speaker had sidewall while the other don’t. Finally, it fires down the shorter side of the room. But the darn thing is, it works. My concerns withered away in no time. Here we have a system supplied by Audio Note Singapore. We start with the most distinctive component, the Avantgarde Uno Picco loudspeaker. Resplendent with a large flared horn, it is a surprise to note this speaker is one of the smaller models in the range. Here it
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positively dominates the smallish living room, which nary had any sort of room treatment, and sound superb to boot. The soundstage is nicely proportioned to the room size and displayed commendable scale and dimensionality. It is indeed a trait of Avantgarde loudspeakers as I have come to know, to exhibit strong adaptability to its habitat. It did not whimper a protest despite having one speaker being placed close to a room corner, which is a big no no. Perhaps the arrangement of a independently powered woofer system in each speaker enable the speaker to be tuned independently left and right enabling the corner speaker to be tuned to avoid exciting the room’s resonant nodes. The Air Tight amplifiers stood resplendent on Monaco Modular amplifier stands from GrandPrix Audio, each of the large 211 tubes delivers a stately 22
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watts more than enough for the 106 dB sensitivity of the Uno Piccos. I was suitably impressed with the dynamics and control the Air Tight ATM-211 SETs had over the Avantgardes. The preamp is Air Tight’s finest, the Air Tight ATE-2001 reference preamp with built-in phono stage and step-up transformer. It comes with a beefy power supply in a separate casing so it comes as a two-chassis preamplifier.
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This system offers two sources – the digital source in the form of Reimyo flagship CD player – the CDT –777 transport and DAP999EX DAC plus an analogue source courtesy of TW Acustic from Germany. Lets start with the CD player. Reimyo for those who are not familiar with this Japanese manufacturer is a small specialist high-end company. Reimyo products also have the infusion of tuning devices from Harmonix so it is already ‘tuned’ by the designer to its best before leaving the factory. The two box player is dedicated to just the playback of CDs – no SACD or DVD-A. You can do a better job just serving one master instead of many. This optimises the CD playback as
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compared when it would need to compromise between CD and SACD. The transport is a serious piece of gear though it doesn’t look it. I am quite taken aback by the outrigger chassis support, which seems like an aftermarket accessory but is actually part of the design. It adds stability and that helps the data extraction from the CD to a much better degree than if you would employ after market solutions. The analogue front end is one elaborate device. TW Acustic Raven AC was once the top model in TW line up but lately has been eclipsed by an even higher end model, the Raven Black Nite. One of the advantages of the open architecture design is it enables mounting more than one arm, in this case, two. Two arms mean you can mount two different cartridges to suit the kind of music you are listening to. The primary arm here is the famous Triplanar with a Transfiguration Orpheus L cartridge while the secondary tonearm is a 12-inch Reed L. The Triplanar has been around for almost thirty years and now in its ‘VII’ incarnation offers the peak of its evolutionary design started by the late Herb Papier. The Triplanar refers to the arm’s three independent planes of movement, offers a sturdy platform for low compliance cartridges, such as top end moving coil cartridges like the Transfiguration Orpheus L. The Reed L, on the other hand, has a somewhat different approach to arm design. This finely crafted tonearm boasts a wooded arm tube – made from a certain Red Cedar (Thuja plicata), which obviously is cho-
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sen for its unique sonic character it imbues the arm. The gold plating on the arm posts and counterweight exudes a sense of luxury like a well-made Swiss watch. A dial on top of the arm post allows user to make fine adjustments to the VTA as the arm is playing a record. Nice. It mates with an Air Tight PC-1 Supreme cartridge. This beautiful gold plated cartridge is both visually and sonically well match with the Reed tonearm. Initially the owner of this setup bought the TW turntable with the Tri-
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planar tonearm and the Transfiguration cartridge. Later, Audio Note Singapore brought in the Reed tonearm and the shop had the latest Air Tight PC-1 cartridge mounted on it. When he heard the combination he immediately fell in love with the new arm and cartridge for its musical and warmer tone and just have to get it. The Raven AC allows for two arms to be mounted so instead of trading in the Triplanar, he decided to keep it and mount the second arm on the turntable instead. It’s nice to have the means to get what you like! The system would not whimper if not for the cables. All the audio cables are from Harmonix (digital, interconnects and speaker cables) while premium Shunyata power cables connect to a passive line conditioner from Audience aR12p. As the name implies it comes with 12 outlets. It is interesting to note each of the 12 outlets is isolated from each other so there is no worry should you plug
a digital product to the conditioner. The run out cable is from Audience and terminates at the conditioner end via a twist lock mechanism. I was told the internal of the Audience is damped with bitumous pads, which improved the sound quality.
So how does the system sound? I had a short listen on the Reimyo CD combo and was blown away with its very musical and engaging character. As mentioned, the lack of room treatment and the limitations imposed by the speaker placement are marginal compromises at best and in no way detract from the enjoyment of this setup. Nice one!
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In sound and image equipment, audio-video signals travel virtually without distortion through the electronic circuitry to the output terminals. But once the signal starts travelling beyond the output terminals and through the interconnect cables and speaker wires, it encounters load resistance, producing a ringing, high-frequency distortion.
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Enacom noise eliminators remove this harsh noise forever. Simply by connecting the appropriate Enacom device to your equipment, noise just disappears, and sound you didn’t know was there springs to vivid life. Music becomes more cleanly delineated, right down to the least nasal and metallic vocal, giving the sweetest, clearest signal you’ve ever experienced.
ENACOM audio noise eliminators by Harmonix are the easiest - and least expensive - way to filter out annoying RF noise as well as the ringing high frequency distortion caused by the inherent load resistance of interconnect cables and speaker wires. • Connect the Line Cable ENACOM between your amplifier and each audio component and clean up the clutter. • Attach the Speaker ENACOM to your speaker’s terminals and listen to improved loudspeaker response. • Plug an AC ENACOM into an empty outlet next to your equipment and say goodbye to harsh sound forever.
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e c n a n o Res
nd u o s f o n o ti a g n lo ro p e th : e Res-o-nanc n o ti ra e rb e v re ; n o ti c e fl re y b
Resonance in hifi means different things to different people. Without resonance, there will be no sound – the resonance that emanates from the soundboard of a piano, the resonance within the body of a string instrument, the resonant within a drum when it is struck – each of these sounds will not be possible without resonance. Further more, the resonance of an instrument gives it the sonic character – you can differentiate one instrument from another. Resonance in hifi can come in one of the two forms – mechanical resonance that affects the performance of the equipment and room resonance, which affects the way we perceived sound. In this edition, we will focus on mechanical resonance, recommend how you
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can reduce or even eliminate resonance and improve your system’s sound quality. All materials – wood, metal, glass, plastic, etc have its own resonance characteristic. That means everything made with a specific material will, by nature, adopt the resonance characteristic of the material used. The more the signal is amplified, the greater the characteristic will be dominant. Take phono cartridges, they are among the most ‘tuned’ devices. The same generator system mounted on a ‘standard’ aluminium body or premium models using different kinds of wood with different density (rosewood, ebony, briar wood, etc) or even the use of stone such as marble and even semi-precious stones such as Lapis Lazuli - they all sound different and audiophiles are known to have a preference for one type of material over another to achieve the desired characteristics. In essence, the designer has the luxury of tuning his product through the use of different materials to
achieve the desired end result. tendency to sound clearer than a equivalent floorstandHowever, much of today’s audio products are ing model. The only way for a larger speaker to better a made with cost being a major consideration. Take for smaller one lies in the construction of the cabinet – the instance the speaker cabinet; a typical loudspeaker use of a series of bracing frames placed at regular interuses MDF board in its construction. MDF is a good vals within the cabinet to reduce panel flexing. material – consistent in density, easy to fabricate and Mechanical resonance can also affect electronic cheap. Ideal for small bookshelves speakers because components. A flimsy chassis of an amplifier or CD each of the panels is small, close to a reinforced corplayer will flex when subject to low frequencies. This ner, which adds strength, and a relatively high resonant resonance on the circuit boards can affect the electrifrequency for its small internal volume means the MDF cal signal coursing through the electrical tracks. It is material can absorb those energy to a certain degree. known that by simply placing a telephone directory (the Putting on a layer of vinyl wrap or even real wood veprinted version, not the CD!) on top of a CD player can neers adds to the stiffness of the cabinet. It is known improve its clarity. there is a difference in sound between a vinyl wrapped Mechanical resonance can also affect cables! cabinet vs one wrapped in real wood veneers, the latter The design of the cable such as the choice of insulasounds better. Marine ply is a superior material to MDF, tion, the tightness of the cable weave, plating vs pure it is specified as the material to build the famous BBC LS wire, all have a bearing on the result of the way a ca3/5A monitor, but hardly used today because the mateble transmit the electrical signal. There are also some rial is harder to machine (it can split and crack) leading very effective resonance tuning devices that make use to high rate of rejects, which adds to the final cost of the of some form of filters and impedance stabilizers. finished product. There are many resonance control devices Once the speaker cabinet goes up in size, say available in the market. They all work well in varying from a small bookshelf to a floorstander, trouble starts. degrees, some work better than others while some The larger panels of the cabinet will resonant more than will work well on an amplifier, for instance but may a smaller panel. This leads to the uncontrolled release of not work as well for a CD player. The only way is to stored energy within the cabinet leading to blurring of the try the device in your system, with the help of the sound, causing boomy and uncontrolled bass. That is why dealer who sells these products, to correctly apply using the same drive units – the smaller bookshelf has a the right solution to the problem.
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Harmonix Tuning Feet Harmonix tuning feet are the first step towards achieving perfect sound from any equipment - placed under CD players, turntables, preamps, power amps, speakers, and other equipment, these proven devices eliminate electronic and mechanical distortion to bring out a depth of sound you didn’t even know was there - clearly defined instruments emerge with much cleaner edges; the sound range becomes more balanced, with richness and sensitivity in the mid range; vocals snap with more accuracy and immediacy. There is a much quicker response, less decay, and no distortion. Harmonix tuning feet also reduce noise, jitter and rippling in video equipment, resulting not just in better sound, but also in better colour contrast and vividness of image. Sound Improvements from tuning feet 1) Low level signals that went unnoticed before stand out. 2) The dynamic range increases, plays louder and softer with improved sense of timing. 3) No distortion at high volume. 4) Extended bass range will exhibit far more presence.
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SYN-100
Tip-Toe spike works by grounding vibration energy - place on each, directly under speaker systems and electronics such as CD player, DAC, pre-amplifier and power amplifier. Utilising two different materials with dissimilar resonance characteristics, this spike feet is inherently self damped and will contribute no colouration or resonance to the equipment it is supporting. It can support hundreds of Kg weight with no difference in performance. You can improve its performance when used in conjunction with spike base such as RF-909X and RF-999MTmk2. Supplied in set of four spikes in two finishes – wood/gold metal and black wood/ black metal finish.
TU-666ZX
Equipment feet to enhance the ability of components such as power amp, control amp, CD/DVD players/transports and other electronics to resolve more low level information. Improvements must be heard to be believed! Adjustable high by about 5mm allow the four feet to properly support the components. Wood base with a metal chassis, in black or gold finish. Set of four. Supports hundreds of Kg.
RF-999 MT MKII
Harmonix flagship spike base. Precision engineered for utmost performance. For extended and smooth high and bass with rich mid-range. Made from a hybrid combination of wood and metal, the better your equipment, the RF-999 MT MKII will push its performance to its limit! Supplied in set of four.
TU-606Z
The ‘junior’ version of the TU-666Z is without levelling feet. Works as well if the levelling feature is not a necessity. Supplied in set of four.
RF-909X
A less expensive version of the RF-999 MT MKII, nonetheless a strong performer. Enhances the performance of tip toe cones with a resonance controlled hybrid construction – a selected wood base with a metal support top. Adds stability to allow good equipment to resolve information readily! Available in two finishes – gold or black metal top with wood base. Supplied in set of four. Supports hundreds of Kg.
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Spring Suspension Concept
Big Point spike bases
Suitable for heavier hifi components. The SSC technology is integrated between the two aluminium discs. Set of four. Load capacity: 30 kg/piec
Basic Classic isolation base
The classic base with a string suspension made from Diacron. This material is characterized by a high consistency, resilience and longevity. Normally the tension of the string suspension is factory stretched and if needed, can be easily retorqued.
Netpoint 100/200/300
The Spring Suspension Concept utilises a strong string material in a footer to ‘suspend’ and isolate the equipment sitting on it. The NETPOINT 100/200/300 are identical products only with a different top plate. The NETPOINT 100 has a felt plate on top; the NETPOINT 200 will be delivered with screw adaptor M3, M4, M6 and M8. The NETPOINT 300 is for the use with metal spikes. Set of four pieces. Load capacity/set: 60 kg
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Solid Tech
Boston Audio
Feet of Silence
Tuneblocks
The Suspension consists of age resistant O-rings. The suspension action and freedom of movement in both the vertical and horizontal planes provide an extremely effective isolation of the vibration absorber from externally generated vibrations. A steel ball on top of the vibration absorber supports the equipment. It is attached with a special viscous-elastic glue, which is absorbent, and functions as a conveyor of the internal vibrations to the absorber. The ball material has been picked because its uniformity has only one single resonant frequency and therefore will not emit other unwanted resonances.
Boston Audio TuneBlocks offer a level of performance leagues beyond their price. TuneBlocks utilize the uniquely low acoustic impedance of carbon graphite to efficiently drain mechanical energy from audio components, while simultaneously isolating the component from the shelf or table supporting it. It reduces transient smearing and increased resolution through the reduction of the components’ noise floor. TuneBlocks also improve localization of instruments and create a wider and deeper sound stage. TuneBlocks works effectively with CD/DVD/SACD players, DACs, preamps, amps, turntables and even speakers (“S” model) to reveal detail and clarity you haven’t heard before. Unlike some other footer products, TuneBlocks offer sonic gains without leaving a sonic signature of its own. Each block is machined from a billet of high purity carbon graphite (not molded carbon fiber) and contain between one and seven cubic inches of carbon, depending on the model. Once shaped, the blocks are finished with sealant and painted with an automotive paint. The stationary steel bearing is used as a coupler between the component and the carbon block. This concentrates the weight of the component into a small area, allowing vibrations to be more efficiently drained into the carbon block. Equipment does not wobble on the bearing unlike other designs.
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47 Laboratory
Unconventional, eccentric even but musical nonetheless - link -
Abbingdon Music Research
Audiophile quality electronics that are winning over critics and music lovers alike! - link -
Audience
Art Audio
Tube SET amplification - link -
Power line conditioner that works, also accessories that gives exceptional value for money - link -
Avantgarde Acoustics
Audium
A new perspective with single full range driver loudspeakers - link -
Based on the acoustic principal of a horn loudspeaker, the attractive Avantgarde is both a visual as well as aural treat - link -
Air Tight
Advanced Acoustics Acoustic treatment - link -
Audio Note
Audio Note is exemplified by its commitment to Single Ended Triode tube electronics. - link -
Premium tube amplification from this Japanese high end audio company - link -
AudioPax
Innovative tube electronics from Brazil - link -
Blacknote
Italy’s finest! High performance turntables, tonearms, CD players and amplifiers - link -
Audio Note Singapore Pte Ltd 1 Coleman Street, The Adelphi #03-35, Singapore 179803, Tel: 63347639 Fax: 63344108 URL: www.hifi.com.sg
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Boston Audio Design
Equipment support and tuning accessories - link -
Brinkmann
Dr Feickert Analogue
Purist high end solid state amplification - link -
High End Turntables - link -
Goldenote
Duevel
Purveyors of Omnidirectional loudspeakers - link -
fo.Q
Accessories that improve on the performance of any component - link -
Harmonic Resolution Systems High End Audio racks - link -
Italy’s finest! High performance turntables and tonearms - link -
Grand Prix Audio
Audio Racks par excellence - link -
Harmonix
Room tuning devices and Reimyo CD players - link -
Helius Designs
Drop dead gorgeous tonearms from the UK - link -
Audio Note Singapore Pte Ltd 1 Coleman Street, The Adelphi #03-35, Singapore 179803, Tel: 63347639 Fax: 63344108 URL: www.hifi.com.sg
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Leben
Distinctly retro, that’s how the Japanese like their tube amplification! - link -
Lehmannaudio
One of the most recognisable name in phono stages, now with USB input! - link -
Miyajima Laboratory
Exotic, precision craftsmanship of high end cartridges that the Japanese are renowned for - link -
Reed
Nitty Gritty
You never hear what your records can sound like till you put it through a Nitty Gritty record cleaner! - link -
Ortofon
Nottingham Analogue Affordable turntables and tonearms for vinyl enthusiasts - link -
Rives Audio
Parametric adaptive room compensation - link -
Shunyata
Cables that make a difference! - link -
One of the oldest cartridge manufacturer, this danish company is still in the forefront of analogue! - link -
Exquisite, precision manufacture for those that demand the highest quality in analogue playback - link -
Solid Tech
Isolation feet and equipment racks - link -
Audio Note Singapore Pte Ltd 1 Coleman Street, The Adelphi #03-35, Singapore 179803, Tel: 63347639 Fax: 63344108 URL: www.hifi.com.sg
Marques of Distinction
Sophia Electric NOS tubes - link -
SSC
Equipment support and tuning accessories from Germany - link -
Sutherland
Ron Sutherland’s battery supply phono stage is the one to beat for vinyl enthusiasts - link -
Totem Acoustic
Canadian loudspeaker with a truly musical and involving performance - link -
Transfiguration
Combining modern day cartridge design and the finest japanese craftsmanship in one fantastic line of product - link -
TW Acustic
Tri-Planar
Musical, powerful, dynamic, unmatched - the accolades never ends! - link -
Specialist turntables from Germany - link -
Triode
Great sound and exceptional value for money tube amplification - link -
Unicone
Audio Tuning Feet - link -
Zero Dust
Stylus cleaner - link -
Audio Note Singapore Pte Ltd 1 Coleman Street, The Adelphi #03-35, Singapore 179803, Tel: 63347639 Fax: 63344108 URL: www.hifi.com.sg
Marques of Distinction