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DALI EPICON 6

LOUDSPEAKERS

TWIN PORTS EXIT AT THE REAR FROM THE SEPARATE BASS REFLEX ENCLOSURES BEHIND THE TWO MID/BASS 165MM DRIVERS. HIGH QUALITY BINDING POSTS ALLOW BIWIRING OR BIAMPING.

DALI

EPICON 6

Reviewer Edgar Kramer

LOUDSPEAKERS

D

anish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries, commonly known just as DALI, is one of Europe’s speaker-making powerhouses, playing on the same field as the likes of Bowers & Wilkins, Focal and KEF. And like those brands it has scored notable successes across wide ranges of pricing, both in territories close to home and here on the other side of the globe under its capable long-term distributor.

So while here we are reviewing speakers at the elevated heights of the company’s abilities, this reviewer also fondly recalls the extraordinary value delivered by the all-in-one-for-$3K STILE 5.1-channel package, which in my view shamed far more expensive competition at the time with its exceptional performance and superb finish. So DALI is a company that spans the classic range of speakers from high-value entry level right up to the high performance of the Epicon series reviewed here, DALI’s flagship range.

The Epicon offering begins with the Epicon 2 standmount design, and is topped by the muchlauded Epicon 8 floorstanders. Here we enjoy the smaller floorstander of the range, the Epicon 6. This trio of models could form the basis of a home theatre set-up, so DALI also has the Vokal centre speaker for such configurations.

GOT WOOD Like many large-scale manufacturers, DALI engineers and manufactures its midrange and woofer drivers at its headquarters, in this case in Denmark, since 2009. The latest-gen drivers feature DALI’s own composite material formula

consisting of a brown-toned wood fibre coating over extremely light paper diaphragms. Each Epicon 6 features two of these stiff yet light cones, both 165mm drivers backed by cast aluminium basket structures and large low distortion (Linear Drive, in DALI-speak) magnet systems with highflux SMC material (Soft Magnetic Compound).

These high output, low/uneven resonance and fast-reacting transducers are in a 2.5-way bassreflex configuration (tuned at 32.5Hz) providing the midrange and bass frequencies, each operating in its own individually tuned sub-enclosure.

DALI provides an interesting white paper – downloadable in PDF form from the company’s website – which goes into substantial detail on driver design and the engineering ideas behind the sophisticated magnet systems.

For a number of generations now, DALI has used a ribbon and cloth dome tweeter combo of its own design in its upper echelon models.

The all-in-one ‘Hybrid Tweeter’ module features both drivers mounted on a solid aluminium plate, further reinforcing that section of the 33mm dual layer low resonance baffle. The module houses the high power high excursion 29mm dome tweeter and broad dispersion 10 x 55mm ribbon.

The crossover design is undisclosed, although DALI states the transition points are at 700Hz, 2.55kHz and 15kHz, that it contains high quality components and connects to the drivers via the company’s own Cordial cable developed for the now-discontinued Megaline flagship.

DALI quotes the Epicon 6 as being 88dB efficient (2.3V/1m) and possessing a nominal impedance of 5-ohms. Frequency response spans 35Hz to 30kHz +/-3dB and DALI recommends using amplifiers capable of 50 to 300W.

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Within the context of our system and room the Epicon 6 was a scalpel at its sharpest in slicing through complex material with the cleanest of cuts...

Finally, the cabinet design. Made up of multiple MDF layers (six glued layers) and supported via a 53mm MDF spine, the enclosure walls have been pressed under high temperature to obtain the subtle non-parallel curvature which aids in the deformation of internal standing waves, dissipates deleterious resonances and increases panel rigidity. Like the entire hightolerance cabinet, all the drivers’ allocated mounting points within the baffle have been precision CNC machined in-house.

The end result is a solid and beautifully rounded enclosure finished in our sample unit in an extremely high quality gloss piano-black lacquer, while also available are gloss white, gloss walnut and ‘Ruby Macassar’ finishes.

DALI even manufactures its own speaker binding posts. The posts provide for bi-wiring and are clearly of very good quality, grippy and also easy to hand-tighten. Solid steel gold-plated buss bars link the terminals. Good quality steel spikes are provided as are floor-protecting disc receptacles. The entire presentation of the Epicon 6 is schmick chic.

Detail freak Straight from the get-go, on the first and every subsequent track, the effect of the dual-tweeter module on the performance is clear. There’s no passive listening here – the Epicon 6 is an overt and open speaker, a magnificent detail retriever and resolution acquirer which demands

dali’s renowned ribbon and cloth dome tweeters work in tandem to deliver the epicon 6’s highs.

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DALI EPICON 6

attention, and attention it gets! The tweeters float their fine nuances up in the extended areas of air and ambience where room/recording venue reverberation is rendered staggeringly realistically. This trait is also demonstrated in the speakers’ power to separate instrumental lines.

Within the context of our system and room the Epicon 6 was a scalpel at its sharpest in slicing through complex material with the cleanest of cuts. And that also translated to very fast transient attacks and a revelation in micro-detail.

Seldom have I heard with such clarity the finest of minutiae from the subtlest of recordings and most delicate musicianship.

The ribbon and dome combo really showed its mettle with the gradations in technique on Peter McGrath’s superb recording of Earl Wild’s recital Live at Carnegie Hall. The finest shades and intonations of his instrument, the Hall’s ambience, even the flu-ridden audience’s incessant coughing (was there a flu epidemic at the time?) are all revealed with the utmost accuracy. If it’s in the recording, you’ll hear it – we thought many times during our listening that the Epicon 6 would make a great reviewing tool.

LOUDSPEAKERS

This same recording is invaluable for determining soundstage performance. The Epicon 6s can throw a large soundstage in terms of width, while the apparent depth is subjectively on par with many other designs, if not outstanding in this regard. The speaker tends to project its extremely well-placed images a tad forward of the speaker plane.

It can’t have been easy to match these extraordinary high frequency drivers with mid and bass cones that can keep up with their performance,but that mandate has been met successfully in the Epicon 6 with the superbly adept Linear Drive Magnet System mid and bass partners. The cone drivers provide a matching transient performance in terms of the bass note leading edge. The upper- and mid-bass is tight, punchy, detailed and, even if not the deepest (the laws of physics apply) it is satisfying – especially in small to mid-sized rooms.

Play a track with well-recorded kick drum, such as the intro sequence in Jackson Browne’s “Casino Nation” from his Naked Ride Home release, and you’ll marvel at this small floorstander’s potent thwack. On the same album, the very deep bass notes that highlight “Sergio Leone” are, not surprisingly, lower in level than from our larger floorstanders but they are, as per the signature, magnificently detailed. You could turn to the larger Epicon 8 model for deeper bass, of course, while the aim of the Epicon 6 is to provide smaller listening environments with bass performance of superb quality from the high 30s of cycles and up.

CONCLUSION The number of companies with the expertise and resources to build both bespoke drivers and high quality cabinets can be counted on the fingers of two hands. Here, with the Epicon 6, DALI has achieved a remarkably detailed, transparent and dynamically lively speaker. It’s beautifully styled and finished to suit many a décor while boasting superbly engineered drivers. And it’s all built in its native Denmark. All those aspects combined make for an irresistible offering from a true speaker manufacturing giant. Epic.

THE REVIEWED EPICON 6 LEFT WITH THE LARGER EPICON 8 AND STANDMOUNT EPICON 2, PLUS THE VOKAL CENTRECHANNEL SPEAKER WHICH ENABLE HOME THEATRE EPICON SYSTEMS.

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SPECIFICATIONS DALI EPICON 6 FREQUENCY RANGE: 35-30,000Hz ±3dB SENSITIVITY (2.83V/1M): 88.0dB NOMINAL IMPEDANCE: 5 ohms MAXIMUM SPL: 110dB RECOMMENDED AMPLIFIER POWER: 50–300 watts CROSSOVER FREQUENCIES: 700/2550/15,000Hz HYBRID TWEETER MODULE: super high frequency driver: 10mm × 55mm ribbon high frequency driver: 29mm soft textile dome LOW FREQUENCY DRIVER: 2 × 165mm wood fibre cone ENCLOSURE TYPE: Bass Reflex BASS REFLEX TUNING FREQUENCY: 32.5Hz RECOMMENDED DISTANCE FROM WALL: > 25 cm DIMENSIONS WITH BASE (HXWXD): 1062 × 320 × 459mm WEIGHT: 30.0kg PRICE: $15,995 CONTACT: DALI Distribution Australia on 03 9873 7707 www.dali.com.au

LINN

KLIMAX

EXAKT DSM SYSTEM

Story Edgar Kramer

W

hat should be the ultimate aim of an accurate sound system? How should technology serve the artistry of the performer in a faithful way? Equally to the point, how many audio manufacturers can hope to maintain their aims along the entire chain of reproduction?

Scotland’s Linn is one that can. With its Exakt system, it aims to delete the deficiencies of reproduction and offer the closest thing possible to a live feed from the studio.

TECH CLIMAX The Klimax Exakt DSM system reflects simplicity itself. Attractive floorstanding speakers and a single elegantly-designed component – nothing looks alarmingly technical, nor quite run-of-themill, yet these seemingly plain vanilla-flavoured

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transducers are actually palate-tingling tutti-frutti in their operation and performance. Things are, as they say, not what they seem.

But let’s start at the source. The slimline Exakt DSM is machined from a solid piece of aluminium and is beautifully built, as is the custom at Linn. It’s a network music player, and Linn is no newcomer in this area, having been among the first to sense streaming in the air, and stopping its CD player production back in 2009. So the Exakt DSM is a 24-bit/192kHz-capable network player, able to on-forward packets in any format, and to losslessly stream services including Tidal and Qobuz (the latter sadly unavailable to Australia).

But the Exakt DSM also doubles as a hub, kind of a preamp, having nine digital and analogue inputs in all – two Toslink optical, one coaxial digital, analogue inputs via balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA, and – unusually – three HDMI inputs and an HDMI output, so that the Exakt can undertake audio duties for your video sources as well. And there is an Ethernet socket for connecting to your network. Indeed the back panel looks loaded with Ethernet sockets, but the others are four proprietary Exakt Links to the speakers. Analogue outputs are neither provided nor necessary, as you will read below.

So the Exakt DSM connects to the flagship Klimax 350 six-way speakers (ergo Klimax Exakt

LINN KLIMAX

EXAKT DSM SYSTEM

DSM system) via cost-effective and widely available Ethernet cables. That’s an important aspect of the design. The data is kept in the digital domain as far as possible to the amplification stage prior to the drivers. This opens up the possibilities of placing the speakers where desired, the DSM where convenient, then running tucked-away Ethernet cables as far as required, economically, losslessly, and without sonic penalties.

Exakt is also available as a separate component, making its technology available in conjunction with external amplification and passive speakers (of course, internal crossovers require bypassing and Linn has made available kits, complete with tools and binding posts for this purpose, for a growing number of high-profile speaker models).

But in this system, it is the Klimax 350 speakers which do the final processing work. They may look like attractive conventional speakers – the enclosures are well-braced and feel extremely solid, as well as attractively styled with curved side panels, and they’re available in a variety of high quality gloss and natural wood finishes, with a solid aluminium “armour-grade” plinth and high quality spiking system ensuring stability. But they’re also smart – a digital crossover in each speaker delivers independent channels for each of their six drive units, each with its own volume control, DAC and on-board Class-D power amplifier. This tech all sits within a suspended mechanically-isolated machined metal enclosure on the rear of each cabinet.

By doing the frequency splitting digitally, the powerful DSP of Linn’s Exakt system is able to provide text-book crossover parameters with zero crossover distortion, also able to correct in the digital domain for phase and time delays between drivers, without the potential compromises that tend to hinder and overcomplicate

Seemingly plain vanilla-flavoured transducers are actually palate-tingling tutti-frutti.

009

conventional analogue crossovers. Measures have been implemented to reduce jitter too, with Linn claiming improved performance in that area even surpassing its own Klimax DS digital source, itself a low-jitter device.

Those drive units in this flagship model, then, include what Linn calls its ‘3K Driver Array’ configuration for mids and highs. The 13mm silkdome super-tweeter, 25mm PU (polyurethane) tweeter dome and 75mm PU midrange driver array are positioned within a high-strength cast-metal chassis available in either chrome or black. The drivers’ physical proximity and the subtly flared chassis profile deliver point-source coherence and very wide dispersion, delivering even off-axis high frequency room coverage.

Bass frequencies are handled via an ‘Activ Bass Servo-Driven System’. The transducers are a 165mm glass-fibre composite upper bass unit, handing down to lower bass via two 200mm air-dried paper pulp drivers. There’s more clever-

LINN KLIMAX

Exakt does its calculations and, even in less than ideal positions (within reason), the results come surprisingly close to the performance provided by much better speaker placement. ness here, with the Activ system monitoring diaphragm movement as compared to the input signal, in a feedback system aiming to lower distortion and maintain solid control of the drivers. The Exakt processing also features highlyaccurate compensation for minor manufacturing variations in all the drivers.

And there’s more – ‘Space Optimisation+’ software modelling assesses the speakers, their room position and the overall acoustic environment. Room dimensions, the construction type of front and rear walls, position and size

EXAKT DSM SYSTEM

of windows, listening position, are all input into the Exakt interface software on your computer to produce a frequency response graph. Exakt then equalises the sound for optimum performance from 200Hz down (the most crucial and problematic room-related range). A ‘Practical Positioning’ option allows for a more convenient speaker location where the room’s layout or size dictate positioning closer to boundaries. In this case, Exakt does its calculations and, even in less than ideal positions (within reason!), the results come surprisingly close to the performance provided by better speaker placement (see the Showroom Session panel).

Linn’s Kazoo, a free app (iOS, Mac, Android and PC) allows all manner of functionality, including TuneIn internet radio and lossless streaming from Tidal, while providing added features such as playlist saving and editing, comprehensive search, artwork display and more.

CONCLUSION As a digital all-in-one solution the Linn Klimax Exakt DSM system has few if any peers in terms of technology, component count, ease of use and potential sound quality. And as Linn trickles down the tech to its more affordable systems, allowing access points to a wider demographic, we begin to get a clearer picture – and sound – right now, of where audio may just be in the very near future.

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SHOWN HERE ARE THE METAL HEATSINKS FOR THE ONBOARD AMPLIFICATION. THE ‘MODULE’ ITSELF IS ISOLATED IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE ELECTRONICS FROM SPEAKER CABINET VIBRATIONS.

LINN KLIMAX EXAKT DSM SYSTEM PRICE: $109,995 (Linn Exakt DSM & Klimax 350 speakers) CONTACT: Advance Audio on 02 9561 0799 www.advanceaudio.com.au

Linn Klimax

one of audio connection’s demo rooms, where the exakt dsm system was auditioned. the dsm unit is inside the cabinet while the superb dcs rossini provided cd playback.

Switching Space Optimisation on was quite the chalk and cheese experience. The low frequencies were now in balance, with substantial gains in detail and punch...

Exakt DSM SyStEM

SHOWROOM SESSION

A

udio Connection in Sydney’s trendy Drummoyne was the venue for my audition of this very promising all-out attack on the state-of-the-art from Linn. An appropriately-proportioned and acoustically appointed studio provided a suitable listening environment for the all-warmed-up ready-andwaiting Klimax Exakt DSM. I brought along a handful of reference CDs for which the amiable Nigel Ng from Linn distributor Advance Audio provided the outstanding dCS Rossini, a $37.5K disc spinner befitting of such an elevated system context. Also available were countless gigabytes of music via the in-house server linked to the Exakt DSM. First I was to audition the system ‘straight’ without any form of Space Optimisation, making observations then switching Space Optimisation on to process the result in terms of sonic differences. Finally, ‘Practical Positioning’ would be selected for a comparison assessment after moving the speakers in a less than ideal position towards the room’s corners.

The system ‘straight’ via both my test discs and server files sounded very dynamic, especially in the midrange, and extremely detailed, while remaining tonally

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smooth. Bass was fun if a little too full, not in an objectionable boomy way‌ just a tad overbearing in that room.

Switching Space Optimisation on was quite the chalk and cheese experience. The low frequencies were now in balance, with substantial gains in detail and punch, while up the range things tightened up a little too, most noticeably with vocals (which were sublime), hi-hats and cymbals. The snare drum in one of the test tracks sounded delightfully ‘live’ and excitingly dynamic.

The soundstage expanded both in the lateral and depth perspectives while image height gained a more natural stature.

Then the speakers were moved to about a foot or so from the front wall and towards the corners of the room. ‘Practical Positioning’ was then selected on the laptop’s Exakt interface and the same tracks spun. What I heard then was a very similar presentation to the sonics rendered in the more conducive position just prior.

Image specificity and stage depth were slightly diminished but overall the tonal balance, detail and dynamic expression of the system remained consistent. This was very impressive indeed and subjective proof for this listener that the algorithms at play in Linn’s Exakt DSP are rather powerful and extremely well-engineered. EK

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KEF

Reviewer Edgar Kramer

REFERENCE 3 LOUDSPEAKERS

T

he Kent Engineering & Foundry… it sounds so robustly mechanical that you might expect it to be churning out bogies for railway carriages or girders for suspension bridges. But no – this company, more commonly known by its acronym KEF, manufactures products that are capable of the most delicate treatment of sonic signals known to humankind. The Foundry was founded in 1961 by legendary engineer Raymond Cooke who, after spending influential years working alongside Wharfedale founder Gilbert Briggs, had decided to go it alone after that company was sold to the Rank Organisation in 1959. And the impetus to form the new company was most likely a cross-industry piece of thinking, after he saw an early plastic cup and realised that the moulding method had potential applications in loudspeaker cone prototyping and manufacture.

The rest is, as they say, history – 55 years of loudspeaker development and success, throughout which time certain things have remained as constants. As it likes to say, KEF has never been a “me too” company, continuing that early focus on R&D, the development of new ideas and in-house drivers, to deliver decades of thoroughly-engineered designs including many industry firsts, high among which must rank the

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KEF REFERENCE 3

KEF’S REFERENCE SERIES HAS ALWAYS BEEN ‘THE REFERENCE’, BUT THE COMPANY HAS PUSHED INTO NEW TERRITORY WITH CONCEPTS LIKE THE BLADE AND ABOVE THE MUON.

No grilles are included. Why not? Because it would be sinful to cover the gorgeous frontal aesthetic with a strip of black cloth, that’s why...

LOUDSPEAKERS

creation of the Uni-Q driver. The patent for this time-aligned ‘tweeter within a midrange driver’ concept was filed in 1988 and issued in 1991 to Laurie Fincham, KEF’s technical and organisational talent for so many of its key years.

And the company’s flagship use of this concept is the enduring Reference series – predating Uni-Q indeed, given the first of the breed was the Model 104 back in 1974. Until the recent advent of Muon (pictured left) and Blade concepts, and the odd commemorative model such as the Maidstone, the Reference series has always represented... well, the reference.

Last year KEF announced a new Reference line that benefits from the latest implementation of that proprietary Uni-Q coincident driver technology. The new products include a large standmount, two floorstanders, two centrechannel speakers and a subwoofer. Here we review the KEF Reference 3, the smaller of the two floorstanders – but by no means a small speaker!

It weighs in at a substantial 51kg, and stands 1.2 metres high, 47cm deep and 35cm wide.

REVEALING THE REFERENCE The Reference 3s are delivered well-packed in high-grade cardboard boxes with the speakers themselves wrapped in a protective white cotton sleeve. The shapely solid metal plinths require assembly to the speakers’ bottom panel via short hex-head bolts, and they feature welded cones to serve as receptacles for nicely-machined stainless steel spikes. Two very convenient touches: the plinths feature an integral spirit level and a system for conveniently adjusting the spikes’ penetration and levelling from above, via machined and anodised aluminium turning discs. Metal floor protectors are also provided. KEF provides two sets of port inserts allowing basic matching to room bass characteristics (more on this later).

No grilles are included. Why not? Because it would be sinful to cover the gorgeous frontal aesthetic with a strip of black cloth, that’s why...

The baffles are gloriously finished in brushed aluminium, with the ‘Tangerine’ waveguide of the Uni-Q unit creating its own focal point, visual as well as acoustic. Indeed the entire presentation is first class, especially with our review pair clad in the extra-cost pair-matched gloss rosewood finish. You can go for other variations – special ‘Kent Engineering and Foundry Editions’ are available in gloss white with ‘Blue Ice’ Uni-Q drivers, or gloss black with ‘copper’ Uni-Q drivers.

Yet even the standard cabinet finishes, which we have since seen when reviewing the Reference 1, are spectacularly well applied and built. Optional or standard, you’ll own a beautifully-designed and finished pair of loudspeakers.

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TRAN TRANSCENDING SONIC BOUNDARIES Total Signal Control

HOLO:PLUG® Technology

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KEF REFERENCE 3

LOUDSPEAKERS

EXPLODED DIAGRAM OF THE LATEST UNIQ ‘POINT SOURCE’ DRIVER ARRAY, COMBINING A 25MM VENTED ALUMINIUM DOME USED WITHIN A 125MM ALUMINIUM CONED MIDRANGE DRIVER.

The speakers are hand-built and tested by a master technician – in the case of our review pair it was Graham Humphries of Maidstone, Kent.

Thanks Graham!

The Reference 3 is a three-way design with twin rear ports. It features the latest Uni-Q ‘point source’ driver array, combining a 25mm vented aluminium dome with that Tangerine waveguide mechanism used coincidentally within the acoustic centre of a 125mm aluminium-coned midrange driver. Bass duties are provided via twin 165mm aluminium-coned woofers featuring massive vented magnet systems and hightemperature aluminium wire voice-coils for high power-handling. As per tradition, all the drivers are built in-house by KEF. The crossover points are specified as 350Hz and 2.8kHz, while the crossover itself features high-quality components. The drivers are flawlessly mounted (no ugly screws or bolts showing) in a thick aluminium and resin sandwich baffle that is decoupled from the enclosure via high-loss pads.

KEF specifies a frequency response from 43Hz to 35kHz ±3dB, but says the speaker can deliver frequencies as low as 28Hz in a ‘typical in-room’ situation. Sensitivity is quoted as being 87.5dBSPL, the nominal impedance quoted as being 8 ohms with a 3.3-ohm minimum. The basic instruction manual includes a production certificate which guarantees Reference series speakers are quality inspected individually and pair-tested to ensure the frequency responses of the two speakers match within a tolerance of 0.5dB. The certificate also features a frequency response graph and the assurance that the speakers have been hand-built and tested by a master technician – in the case of our review pair it was Graham Humphries of Maidstone, Kent. Thanks Graham!

The Reference 3 enclosures feel substantial.

Care has been taken to produce a constrained-

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layer-damped cabinet that is stiff, well-braced, and which should provide a platform for the high-tech drivers to perform at their best.

Once unpacked, all that is required is the attachment of the metal base, then the speakers can be positioned and levelled. I also liked the superb easy-to-tighten custom binding posts and the simple twist arrangement for switching between single- and bi-wired configurations.

PORTS OF CALL As mentioned previously, KEF includes a choice of soft foam slide-in/slide-out port inserts (first seen in the LS50 monitor) which provide different low-frequency roll-off characteristics for basic bass tuning. A simple twist-to-lock/unlock ring provides access to either a short ivory-coloured foam port insert (for use when the speakers are positioned away from walls) or a longer blackcoloured port (for near-solid-wall placement).

My own listening room is remarkably neutral and features an acoustically near-invisible rear wall so I chose the short port inserts. Kudos to KEF for providing some form of tuning system, rudimentary though it may be.

Ergo the Reference 3’s lower frequencies, both in terms of power and depth, were quite spectacular considering the modestly-sized twin bass drivers. There was power, punch and speed akin to sealed box/infinite baffle designs.

You know, that bounce… that defined leading edge that, once heard, you become addicted to.

And the quoted in-room response of 28Hz is not at all far-fetched; the Reference 3s dip low with ample amplitude.

My usual suspects in the bass-testing department provided a thrilling ride into

KEF REFERENCE 3

SPECIFICATIONS KEF REFERENCE 3 SPEAKER TYPE: Three-way bass reflex DRIVE UNITS: Uni-Q – 25mm vented aluminium dome + 125mm aluminium midrange; 2 x 165mm aluminium bass driver CROSSOVER FREQUENCIES: 350Hz, 2.8kHz NOMINAL IMPEDANCE: 8 ohms WEIGHT: 51.3kg DIMENSIONS: 1155 × 205 × 470mm, 1202 × 349 × 470mm with plinth WARRANTY: Five years PRICE: $27,499 (optional finishes available) CONTACT: Advance Audio Australia on (02) 9561 0799 www.advanceaudio.com.au

LOUDSPEAKERS

realistic bass and power from a relatively compact floorstanding speaker. Acoustic bass in particular sounded tonally correct and with an accurate balance of bloom and solidity, while electric bass had the kind of speed (or bop) that propelled the music along, maintaining its rhythmic integrity.

These woofers may be relatively small but they’re powerful high-output, low-distortion drivers.

At the other end of the scale, the Uni-Q drivers’ high frequencies are a model of refinement and subtlety. Some audiophiles may prefer a more overt or forward treble, but this reviewer (in the context of the reference system) found the high frequencies to be spectacularly delicate, natural and rich in timbral textures. The KEF tweeter implementation integrates seamlessly with its midrange partner, itself a stunning performer with all-manner of vocals, be they male or female.

Soundstaging is of the utmost importance to some music-lovers, while others value dynamic expression and tonal accuracy above all else. All, of course, are important. Having said that, the Reference 3s threw one of the widest and deepest

soundstages I have experienced in my room, and didn’t require a ‘head-in-a-vice’ sweet-spot position to achieve this. Classical and jazz recordings – Harry Belafonte’s Live at Carnegie Hall, or Ani DiFranco’s Living in Clip – were reproduced with extraordinary largesse in all dimensions, a panoramic soundfield.

Images were precisely placed in a sonic environment of exceptional width and revelatory depth far beyond the front wall. Combine that with another of the Reference 3s’ strengths, that of significant dynamic prowess, and you have a speaker that gets you closer to the music… real music.

Yes, the KEF Reference 3s scale the dynamic paradigm to an enormous extent. Once again, I’d accredit that to the superb drivers, solid enclosure and transparent crossover working in unison, allowing the transmission of maximum information from the given input signal. There is merciless separation and detail retrieval; these speakers are true to the source, and will not paint with syrup and molasses, nor detract from the revelatory truth.

If the recording is romantically warm, or conversely frightfully compressed, the Reference 3s will, given neutral electronics, faithfully relate the undistorted message. Which is exactly as it should be.

CONCLUSION KEF’s Reference 3s were among the most satisfying speakers I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing for quite some time. Within the context of my reference system, they shone as outstanding transducers, excelling in some of the most important aspects of music reproduction such as dynamic extension, bass power, soundfield reproduction and tonal accuracy.

And the Reference 3 speakers stand as a succinct example of the modern speaker designers’ art, a statement reflecting the power of engineering across all facets of loudspeaker design, from the in-house built drivers to the solid and beautifully-proprotioned enclosure, transparent crossover, and on to the acceptability and pride possible in a product of such form and flawless finish. Ever still, KEF the company is a foundry for exceptional engineering.

KEF’S CURRENT REFERENCE SERIES COMPRISES A LARGE STAND MOUNT, TWO FLOORSTANDERS THE ‘3’ IS THE SMALLER OF THE TWO, TWO CENTRE SPEAKERS AND A SUBWOOFER.

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SEMI-ASSEMBLED ELECTRONICS FOR CORONA LINE MONOBLOC AMPLIFIERS, READY FOR TESTING.

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Factory tour

MBL

IndustrIal omnIpotence

Story Edgar Kramer

MBL Factory tour

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short drive from majestic Berlin, in a rural setting amid picturesque pastures, an unassuming group of buildings gives away little of the thriving machinations within. My driver’s blinding 250km-per-hour autobahn haste (in a spanking new Audi A8) sees me arriving somewhat speed-drunk… even while a sense of excitement builds in anticipation of what is to be experienced inside the deceivingly tranquil complex. This is the MBL manufacturing facility, a network of interconnecting buildings which I’m about to tour for an insight into the company’s modus operandi.

The journey starts in a large boardroom where Sales Manager Björn Rutz introduces Production Manager Matthias Vogt, our tour guide through the facility. Vogt’s hands-on involvement gives him a thorough understanding of all aspects of the various manufacturing processes within these walls; indeed he is responsible for many of the operating systems currently in place. In humbler times, MBL’s acquisition of the factory in 1994 seemed appropriate for the relatively young company, but the ensuing steady growth forced a major extension in 2007 which saw three additional buildings added to the complex, including a large warehouse. The MBL factory is exclusively operated as a manufacturing facility – the company’s administrative and design headquarters are based in Berlin’s trendy Kurfürstendamm. There I interviewed MBL CEO Christian Hermeling and Chief Designer Jürgen Reis, but that’s another story entirely…

Pictures can paint a thousand words, as the saying goes, and many of the images here will be succinctly self-explanatory, while our main text provides a broader context together with insights into this unusual company.

So, now, the tour begins…

and relatively new five-axis units and a high-tech DMG CTX Alpha 300 turning machine. Here the front plates of components are diamond cut from aluminium blocks, while solid brass raw material is used for badging, volume knobs, component feet and other parts. The remote controls and display window frames are also machined here before finishing and anodising. These same machines can be used to mill plastics, acrylic and stainless steel, while the five-axis unit produces the panels for MBL’s Noble line, among other tasks.

Finishing area We wondered across to the finishing area, where the various models’ chassis plates receive ironsanding and are anodised or powdercoated.

One piece of particular note is the massive angled top plate for the 9008 A power amplifier, which is beautifully finished and anodised here after beginning life as a solid aluminium plate and having been machined to a 19mm thickness.

This can be a lengthy process – a Corona Line component’s face plate, for example, takes around an hour just to machine, before it moves on to an equally careful lacquering stage.

Mechanics area We start the tour in an area containing a number of milling machines which include three-axis

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Speaker module (likely the 126/126 rC) with aSSembled driverS in Situ.

two finiShed SampleS of the Stunning ‘der vorverStärker’ 6010 d referenCe line preamplifier.

FACTORY TOUR

PRODUCTION MANAGER MATTHIAS VOGT SHOWS A MACHINED FRONT PANEL WINDOW.

A TECHNICIAN TESTS AN ALMOSTREADY-TO-GO 9008 A AMPLIFIER.

MBL

ASSEMBLY AREA – AMPLIFIERS In the assembly area, the various products are constructed prior to polishing and packing. As we arrive, a technician is working on a Reference Line 9008 A amplifier and I’m struck by the sheer scale and materials/parts content of this amplifier. Perfect mates for the moderately efficient MBL speakers, the amplifiers have been designed specifically to output high power and massive current. I spy three large transformers flanked by

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hefty capacitors as validation of the concept.

On a table by the side, a team of heatsink and driver-stage circuitry modules await assembly.

ASSEMBLY AREA – LOUDSPEAKER TESTING & DRIVER FABRICATION In this section the unique MBL drivers are fabricated from a variety of materials. The now famous ‘water melon’ mid/bass driver (shown opposite, as used in the Radialstrahler 101 E MKII and 101 X-treme speakers) is assembled from 12 ‘slices’ of thin and flexible laser-cut aluminium. The slices are then press-stamped with three folds (or grooves) to become surprisingly stiff while, of course, retaining their lightness, both essential properties for quality driver design. The slices then require a specific bend, which is achieved via a dedicated Rakel machine. However, one longtime employee, Manfred Kramm, eschews the machine and prefers to manually bend the slices over his thighs. His work is so mind-blowingly precise that he is able to replicate with absolute accuracy the curvature achieved by the machine.

Two stiffening copper bars, a damping material, the massive voice coil and the spider are then assembled. A rejected driver is passed to me and I’m asked to push down on the entire contraption to test its integrity. I do, and even

FACTORY TOUR

MBL

MANFRED KRAMM WORKS ON THE DRIVER (POST THIGH-BENDING).

with substantial effort – including applying my own body weight – the driver barely flexes. The exercise coarsely illustrates both the driver’s extraordinary mechanical integrity and the absolute prerequisite of exceptional amplification; it’s no wonder monster -current MBL amplifiers are de rigeur to produce diaphragm excursion.

The tweeter uses a carbon-fibre diaphragm, again made up of ultra-thin ‘slices’ which are meticulously hand-assembled onto the voice coil and motor assembly. The carbon-fibre slices require a specific material profile in order to maintain operability over the long term, and the assembler QC-rejects up to a remarkable 20 percent of the tweeters. The tweeter building process is extremely time consuming, and can take up to 21 hours in its entirety. Ditto for the carbon-fibre midrange driver, which adds damping materials and a voice coil that is precariously glued from the inside. MBL shares this level of driver quality throughout its range of speaker models from entry point to flagship.

Finally, all the drivers are strictly QC-tested for fabrication and assembly accuracy and, of course, operability. The finished drivers are then sorted in closely matching pairs in preparation for final speaker assembly.

There’s no speaker enclosure

Manfred Kramm’s work is so mind-blowingly precise that he is able to replicate with absolute accuracy the output of the machine.

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manufacturing at the factory; for that task a European subcontractor is engaged, delivering the extremely high standards of construction and finish capabilities demanded by MBL. CONCLUSION The MBL factory’s various departments – or ‘Areas’ as they are referred to – are spacious, well equipped, bathed in natural light and conducive to high- quality manufacturing, something clearly reflected in the excellence of the throughput. The departments are also effectively autonomous, while still being part of what would seem an organic flow of steady productivity. Impressive was the efficacy of the various machining processes, the associated milling hardware and the considerable investment in the vast inventory of ready-to-be-shipped products at all price points, from the Corona through to Noble and on to Reference Lines.

The MBL facility possesses all the ingredients to be a manufacturing poster-unit for the Germanic efficiency cliché. Noble indeed.

INTERVIEW

MBL

JR: Extremely. This was a challenge for several years. First, I developed this by measurements, so I have a perfect match, perfect phase, perfect amplitude. But the bass sounded so slow, it was unbelievable. It has taken several years until I realised what I have to do to integrate the subwoofer to this speaker.

INTERVIEW JÜRGEN REIS, MBL

Interview by Edgar Kramer AT MBL’S BERLIN HEAD OFFICE, WE TALKED with MBL’s Chief Engineer Jürgen Reis, CEO Christian Hermeling & Sales Manager Björn Rutz.

Audio Esoterica: Aside from the space and the sound field differences, what do you see as advantages of MBL drivers compared to standard drivers?

Jürgen Reis: The biggest advantage is the freedom of the sweet spot, that the tonality of the instrument doesn’t change with the angle position or doesn’t change in the room. With this omni-directional system, you can have a great soundstage even if you’re totally to the side of one channel. This helps to integrate the sound in a typical home environment, where you’d want to live, and not just when sitting down in the middle.

The omni-directional loudspeaker system is the closest thing to a real music source as possible.

AE: In smaller rooms, with such omni-directional dispersion, does the room interaction become much more important?

JR: When I began to optimise the speaker system with our equaliser, I realised that it’s wrong to have flat frequency response, because the system sounds bright and very sterile. It takes a lot of time to understand behaviour, the correct mixture between direct sound and reverberation. Normally with a direct radiating loudspeaker, flat anechoic would be fine and 6dB per decade on energy response would be perfect. With this omni-directional loudspeaker system, the best is exactly in between. If we decrease 3dB per decade, this gives the best tonal balance and this ends up as homogeneous energy in the room.

The way the MBL speakers integrate into a room, it relaxes the brain, you can listen to it for a very long time because it acoustically integrates.

AE: And did you have challenges to match these omni-directional drivers with the conventional drivers used for bass frequencies?

AE: Did you experiment with active sub systems?

JR: Yeah, we have had active subwoofers but the match wasn’t satisfactory. When I developed this band-pass woofer, it gave me a lot of freedom because I can tune the back enclosure, sealed enclosure, front-ported enclosure and centre frequency to my needs. I’ve made a lot of experiments, a lot of listening, because this bass response does change with every room.

AE: I was wondering how much listening and measuring takes place, going back and forwards.

JR: I always begin with simulation measurements, always. If I see an error on the measurements I try to solve this. Then if I’m ready, I will listen to this.

And then the work begins!

Luckily I have over 32 years of experience. I’ve conducted lots of listening tests, comparing resistor A to resistor B, capacitor C against capacitor D… I have a memory bank! When I’m ready with measurements, if it’s a little bit bright here or a little boomy bass or something there, I know what parts need to be changed as the first trial.

Then I’d change that and continue listening and continue to measure.

For example, when I was designing a CD transport, I thought before I started that when the measurement data tested well, then every CD transport would sound the same. Luckily, I had unexpected discussions about different materials, which I then used, and was surprised to hear a difference, even if this did not change the data.

Then I began to think about what measurements need to be done in order to find this.

With amplifiers I have done a lot of work with simulations – just simulations for over one and a half years without even switching on the soldering iron! Because over the years I have collected different questions that came into my mind – what if this, what if that? With simulations I was able to answer a lot of questions that I have collected over the years. Then I began to build a schematic and to build the hardware and measure small cells and getting even bigger, and this ended up with our Reference Line amplifiers.

AE: Going from that, do you think there’s a sound signature to MBL products in general?

JR: Yes. The signature is changing over the years because the sound, the listening habits are

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changing. And it’s different in every line, but it’s homogeneous at the same time. For example the Corona line, every product has a balance, because I think that’s the most important thing. If the CD/DAC player is a little bit too bright, I do not want to compensate with a preamplifier which is a little dull. I try to have everything neutral.

Then I also test all the combinations that we recommend – I test the CD and DAC with an integrated, with a preamp, amplifier, etc. Even the preamps are tested and tweaked in combination with amplifiers to match.

Because of this listening experience with different resistors, parts, wires, everything, I’m able to tune the sound to be inherently homogeneous, but I can also make sound by intention. So I could, if I wish, make a Corona line sound similar to a Noble line – but then I will disturb the overall balance.

If everything has been balanced then the music flows through the units.

AE: I notice that the same tweeter and midrange drivers are used all the way up through the different models.

JR: However, the tweeters sound different in every system because everything influences the sound…

AE: And now MBL makes basically the entire signal chain, all the way to speakers. But no cables. Is there a reason for that, or are you looking at getting into cable manufacturing?

CH: That’s a tough question. We thought about going into cables, but as you know, cable is more a religious question than a question of facts! I talk to people, and we could deliver cable which may be good for a specific line, but it may still not meet the needs for these specific people. We prefer to co-operate with cable manufacturers and recommend specific cables. As a standard recommendation, we have the Wireworld Eclipse series. This is a good working cable and it works in every combination, every situation, but it leaves good headroom for improvement if a customer wants to invest more. Then importers have specific brands that they know work well too.

INTERVIEW

MBL

AE: Is MBL looking at expanding into DAC and streamer products? You have had transport and DA converters for 20 years, but combined DAC/streamers seem an area of growth for high-end brands as well as at a lower level.

Christian Hermeling: Yes, obviously, the CD is going to die any day now.

It depends on the country… and nobody knows when it will be, but it’s decreasing already… and the streaming market and computer audio is increasing. Obviously we always watch the market. We have to react and we’re already working on that.

tunes. It’s not about the music itself and they’re not even thinking about the music. They just have it on…

AE: And the biggest markets for MBL are in Asia?

CH: Yes, but actually the most important and biggest are Asia, the United States and Europe. In Asia, of course China is a growth area so that’s a very good market for us, but we also have a good market in Taiwan and in Singapore. And not only big markets, they’re also fun markets for us, because they really love the music – something you are sometimes missing in Europe, for example, or in the United States, where there are many audiophiles too. In Asia people are so passionate and into the music. It’s really great. I’m always so impressed with the knowledge of every piece of music I’m playing and especially classical.

AE: With a limitation on storage…

BR: Well, we have 128GB of storage, which is enough. But then again the headphone… I think it’s such a complex question overall. There’s not really one answer. The future will answer whether people that use the iPhone and earbuds, will they evolve beyond that? Will the headphones be better? Maybe at some point iTunes may be able to have HD music and SD music in some way and maybe people will then hear the difference with their headphones. Maybe then they will go to the HD section mainly. We can only hope that.

AE: What do you consider to be the toughest competition at MBL’s level?

CH: With our competitors it’s not really about manufacturers or brands it’s more about where the market is going. The toughest competitors are young people who listen to iPhone music, right? I think this is a problem for the entire industry.

AE: On the one hand I think you have people now listening to far more music than we ever have in terms of access…

CH: Yes, but they don’t have the quality expectations. Will many young people later become music lovers?

That’s the big question.

Björn Rutz: I always say they’re not really listening to music – they’re consuming music. They’re listening to

AE: Do you think that will lead to them actually progressing to music of a higher quality, or that’s still to be proven?

CH: It’s different – if you’re sitting in a subway and listening to music, of course there is nothing else you can do. If you go home, sit down, take your red wine and really listen to the music, that’s a big difference in the mentality, of course. Yeah.

BR: You can still decide – when you have an iPhone, for example, you can still decide on the file quality.

AE: I have to ask and to get it on the record… are all the MBL products built in Germany?

CH: Actually it’s almost every single piece. And not just in Germany, but doing them ourselves.

AE: It was impressive to see the level of production at the factory, down to the framework for the display windows and the components’ feet, where most companies would just buy 20,000 feet from Asia.

CH: Well, it changes the sound.

AE: Do you have any secret composite material?

JR: No! The thing is that when I make the final tuning, then everything is taken into account.

We have a unit there with all the metal work… these all influence each other, so I do not start with the feet and optimise the feet. I begin with a complete unit and then I have to make decisions – how to get a perfect balance. The metal work on the Noble Line is different to the metal work on the Corona Line, and different to the metal work on the Reference Line. It’s a different balance of components.

AE: What can we expect from soon-to-be-released MBL products? What’s next in the chain?

CH: We always have a couple of current projects, and it’s hard to say what is going to be released next. We don’t like to put too much pressure on

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ourselves, otherwise you’re forced to get out products which may not be ready to be released.

So we don’t publish release dates or even actually what we are currently working on.

AE: Lastly, more of a commercial question. What do you tell a potential customer who’s considering buying an MBL product? What’s the pitch?

BR: That’s not so easy to answer – because it depends where he’s coming from, particularly whether he has already had contact with MBL products before. For example, a customer from New Zealand contacted us, he had a system already, and he heard that MBL speakers sound so terrific and he was planning a visit to Berlin. And in the beginning, his concern was his room. I told him, “Please send me pictures.” So in his room a window was behind the speakers, with the room maybe four meters wide or so. Not a perfect room, and he was concerned about the window.

I always try to focus first on what kind of room do you have? What kind of speaker could be implemented in the room so that the customer, in the end, will be happy with the acoustic signature in that room. So it’s not a question of if there is glass or not, it’s a question of the complete room. When the room is right, then you can put in a great system.

JR: I’d like to add that you have to feel comfortable in the room. It’s different from culture to culture. You would lose customers if you tweak every room with this European recommendation.

BR: I always say that when it comes to room acoustics in our systems, when you put our systems in a room, for example, if you put it in a small room and you want to play like a big stadium, that will not be easy. And the same thing vice versa, more or less. When you’re playing in the stadium, it will not be easy to recreate a small ensemble. It has to fit in the room. That’s why we offer the number of speakers we do.

AE: Is that a service that you might offer people going for the 101 or maybe the Xtreme? Will you be offering some form of acoustic advice?

CH: We do. Absolutely. We offer support and recommendations to our customers.

BR: I’ve been emailing with a customer in Brazil.

The room is not yet built, there are only the plans, and just yesterday he sent me data on the room and he has a local acoustics company advising too. He’s still asking “what shall we do?” We will see how we can help him, but we have partners in Brazil. They will then support him directly, but as he’s contacting us first, then we need to give him the best possible answer we can.

AE: Gentlemen, thank you.

MARK LEVINSON No 585

Reviewer Edgar Kramer

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

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MARK LEVINSON No 585

CONNECTIVITY IS COMPREHENSIVE, COMPRISING A WHOLE STREAM OF BALANCED, UNBALANCED INPUTS/ OUTPUTS AND NO FEWER THAN SIX DIGITAL INPUTS.

The refined industrial design principles are carried through to engineering ideologies encompassing advanced circuitry and high quality componentry.

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

B

ack in the early 1970s Mark Levinson, the man, was almost singlehandedly responsible for the advent of the American high-end industry. At the time, at the helm of Mark Levinson Audio Systems, Levinson, together with a couple of his contemporaries who can also be credited for playing their part in the nascent high-end audio industry, was responsible for products of a quality level that was unprecedented. These are now considered true audio classics — mention the Mark Levinsonconceptualised John Curl-designed ML-2 Class-A monobloc amplifiers and you’ll hear tones of reverence from the audiophile cognoscenti.

Ditto for the exquisite ML-1 and JC-2 preamplifiers, considered iconic and commanding high prices to this day.

Then in the early 1980s, MLAS was purchased by Madrigal Audio Laboratories.

The new company went on to produce several components that reached similar success in terms of both critical acclaim and owner satisfaction — the No 30 Reference Digital Processor and No 31 Reference CD Transport were highlights of early digital audio engineering and craftsmanship that stand up well today even after 30 years of digital development.

Now under the ownership of multinational Harman International, the Mark Levinson name lives on and is in good stead to continue the legacy of excellence.

NUMBERS GAME Talk has been doing the rounds for some time around audio circles of a possible replacement for the very successful No 383, the company’s first attempt at an integrated amplifier. Then, at the CES Show in 2015, Harman International showed

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the Mark Levison No 585, which not only replaces the No 383 in terms of being an integration of preamp and power amp in one, but now offers further functionality by way of a built-in digital-to-analogue converter and other useful additions.

The No 585 is a sizeable component, and it’s presented in an instantly recognisable Mark Levinson aesthetic — that attractive mix of silver and luxuriously-anodised black aluminium with the large red dot-matrix-style display, the trademark look for Mark Levinson products of the last few decades. Needless to say that the exceptional build quality also lives on.

These refined industrial design principles are carried through to engineering ideologies encompassing advanced circuitry and high quality componentry. The dual-monaural Class-A/B amplification is fully balanced and features a large 900VA custom toroidal transformer with a bank of small capacitors — in close proximity to the amplification stage — used for their fast reaction times and potential lower series resistance. Twelve bipolar output transistors are used on each channel, mated to decent-sized heatsinks placed at the amp’s flanks.

In a first for the brand, this integrated amplifier features a built-in digital-to-analogue converter (DAC). This is a 32-bit resolution ‘Sabre’ device from ESS Technology, and while the device features very low native jitter, proprietary techniques have been used to reduce this jitter even further.

The rear panel sports four line inputs, with ‘Input 1’ being a balanced XLR and the remaining three via RCA. With the new DAC onboard, digital inputs abound, with connectivity for AES/EBU via XLR, two S/PDIF coaxial RCA inputs, two optical Toslink connections and an asynchronous USB-B socket. A number of communication-type ports are provided, including Ethernet RJ-45 and USB-A (flash drive) for software upgrades.

MARK LEVINSON No 585

SOLID NO-NONSENSE ENGINEERING INCLUDES A LARGE CUSTOM TRANSFORMER, MULTIPLE SMALL CAPACITORS AND APPROPRIATE INTERNAL HEAT SINKING.

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

The brand’s ‘Hurricane’ speaker binding post design is one of the best around, easily handtightened and accepting both banana plugs and spades. A set of RCA line outputs provides the opportunity to use the amp’s preamplifier stage with an external power amplifier or, if you’re feeding a subwoofer, you can access the built-in 12dB/ octave 80Hz high-pass filter.

There’s a choice of fixed output for recording purposes, or variable for configurations using a power amp, and a home theatre pass-through option is provided via the menu.

The menu itself has a number of levels and options, among them some rather clever stuff such as the ability to export all the settings to a USB drive, thereby allowing the rapid configuration of a duplicate 585 — this can also be seen as a form of settings back-up. Further options extend to input name allocation, gain matching, maximum volume

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setting, turn-on volume setting, volume control range and sensitivity adjustment along with a number of other custom configurations.

The DAC implementation is capable of 192kHz/32-bit resolution and native DSD at 64fs single and 128fs double. Navigating through the menus reveals, among other things, a choice of three PCM filters to tailor the sound. These proved quite subtle, and include a choice of ‘Fast’ with steep roll-off characteristics (ML suggests this filter for electronic music), a more universal ‘Slow’ with a gradual roll-off and ‘Mphas’ minimum phase (said to suit acoustic music). For the playback of low bandwidth compressed files (Lord help us), there’s a ‘Clari-Fi’ circuitry which aims to revitalise the sonics; it can be selectable (or preferably defeated) via the included all-metal remote control. As a nice touch among the usual functionality, the remote also provides USB input playback control.

MARK LEVINSON No 585

UNMISTAKINGLY MARK LEVINSON, THE No 585 BEARS THE TRADEMARKS OF LUXURIOUS BLACK & SILVER ANODISED ALUMINIUM WITH RED DOT-MATRIX DISPLAY.

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

The amp has been conservatively rated as being able to output 200 watts into 8 ohms (20Hz to 20kHz with a THD of less than 0.01 percent), and a frequency response spanning from 2Hz to 250kHz (+0.2dB/-3dB). The preamp stage’s input impedance is 45kohms via RCAs and XLR and the amplifier’s damping factor has been quoted as 40 at 20Hz referred to 8 ohms.

A short note: at the time of the review we were told a small firmware update was due for imminent release to alleviate a minor turn-on transient. We experienced it on our efficient speakers as a low-ish level thump (and its level would be significantly lower with speakers of average sensitivity) after the amp’s warm-up procedure. It is a trivial matter for firmware update rectification.

At this level of amplifier-building expertise the clever engineering is evidenced in terms of utter circuit silence while in operation with music playing.

INTEGRATED SOUND It’s been said that the Mark Levinson of old possessed a warm and fuller sound, while in the last few years the company’s signature has had a far more neutral bent. The 585 integrated treads the fine line between the two sonic signatures. It’s not syrupy warm nor coldly analytical.

As Goldilocks experienced, the 585 was... just right.

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This is a seductress of an amplifier whether using the line inputs from a quality source or via the asynchronous USB or digital inputs. But where some components that exhibit a sweet character can make playback a bit ‘samey’ from track to track, the 585 is incisive, resolute and detailed enough to present music in an accurate manner, while never sounding strident or brash.

This musical ease was pleasingly in evidence both via the line inputs using our reference AMR CD-77.1 CD player, and when connected via the USB input, where the pairing of amplifier and computer proved a seamless handshake which had us running computer audio in seconds. This is quite an important point; we’ve had many a hairpulling hour or two of rebooting and troubleshooting with other components in the past. The 585 just locked in instantaneously.

The subtle sweetness inherent in the sonic signature of the 585 did not detract from its power to resolve complex layers of sound and low level musical detail.

The many subtleties and minutiae of recordings such as Harry Belafonte’s gloriously epic Live at Carnegie Hall, with its spatial grandiosity intermixed with Belafonte’s lyrical expressiveness, was an easy task for the 585’s resolving power. The amp was also highly adept at marking the singer’s undulations in terms of his vocal expression and dynamic shading.

At this level of amplifier-building expertise, the clever engineering is evidenced in terms of utter circuit silence while in operation with music playing. As the audiophile saying goes, the background was the blackest of blacks.

This enabled phenomenal low level transient information to come through, allowing incidental details, be they instrumental or vocal, to cut through and be easily discerned above the super-low operating noise floor. This

MARK LEVINSON NO 585

THE REAR PANEL IS A POSTER-BOY FOR ORGANISED LAYOUT, WHILE THE ‘HURRICANE’ BINDING POSTS ARE AMONG THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS.

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

is an ultra-quiet amp. So combine this with the descriptions in the above paragraphs and you have the makings of a fluid, musical amplifier that can provide, almost paradoxically, profound levels of detail and information.

Moving on to the low frequencies, the 585’s bass control and depth were extremely satisfying. The amp’s well thoughtout power supply shows its mettle with a bass register that is tight, detailed and deep even with the demanding Wilson Audio Alexia. The overall dynamic envelope was satisfying, even if nit-picking might not place the 585 in the very highest upper echelons (that’s what ML’s big power amps are for). With more common and easier loads, such as our lovely little Axis VoiceBox S small speaker reference, the 585 procured a more extended window of dynamic contrast and fuller low frequencies.

The concept of transparency can be difficult to grasp when reading from mere words on a page but it’s easily identified when heard. It’s a sense of hearing into the recording, where not only detail is evident but where timbre and immediacy are also strongly conveyed.

The 585 excels at this too, and its delicacy with vocals and acoustic instrumentation was stunning. Every nuance and tonal characteristic was communicated by the 585 in a way that just relaxes the listener and resigns him/her to musical enjoyment. The brain seems to struggle less to process and identify sounds from its memory bank of tonality because the 585 so closely approaches the real tonal qualities of instruments and voices.

I had no qualms with spatial and imaging issues in our very soundfield-friendly testing room. The 585 behaved the way most excellent amplifiers do in this room, providing a soundstage with very good width and depth and with precise image placement that was unchanged by volume level. Easy report — excellent performance here too.

CONCLUSION With this amplifier the Mark Levinson brand has achieved a winning formula, the No 585 proving a powerhouse of thorough and skilled engineering which follows on to superb performance. It’s exquisitely built, and possesses features that effectively make it a useful analogue and digital control centre. Its USB adaptation is exceptional, while the provision for high resolution playback — including multiples of DSD — and the proprietary ClariFi circuit for compressed audio files (if you must) provide comprehensive playback options.

The Mark Levinson No 585 integrated amplifier should be in the must-audition list for any audio enthusiast and music lover looking for system simplicity, intelligent design, versatility and exceptional audio performance.

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SPECIFICATIONS MARK LEVINSON NO 585 POWER OUTPUT: 200W RMS per channel into 8 ohms (20Hz-20kHz) TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION (THD): < 0.01% (1kHz, 200W, 8 ohms); < 0.1% (20kHz, 200W, 8 ohms) INPUT IMPEDANCE: >45k-ohms (RCA and XLR) SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO: >98dB (20Hz-20kHz, unweighted); >103dB (20Hz-20kHz, A-wtd), referred to full output, maximum volume setting FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz-20kHz (±0.13dB); 2Hz-250kHz (+0.2dB/–3dB) DAMPING FACTOR: >40 at 20Hz, referred to 8 ohms LINE LEVEL INPUTS/OUTPUTS: 3 × singleended inputs (RCA); 1 × balanced inputs (XLR); 1 × single-ended line outputs (RCA); 1 × loudspeaker outputs (“Hurricane” binding posts w/banana sockets; accept spade lugs (6.3mm) spacing up to 3mm thick) DIGITAL AUDIO CONNECTIVITY: 1 × balanced AES/EBU input (XLR); 2 × coaxial S/PDIF inputs (RCA); 2 × optical inputs (TosLink); 1 × asynchronous USB input (USB-B) CONTROL CONNECTIVITY: 1 × RS-232 port (RJ12 connector); 1 × IR input (3.5mm jack); 1 × programmable 12V DC trigger output (3.5mm jack), 100mA maximum; 1 × programmable 12 DC trigger input (3.5mm jack); 1 × Ethernet port (RJ-45 connector) DIMENSIONS (WHD): 438 × 193 × 507mm WEIGHT (UNPACKED/PACKED): 32.6kg/43.4kg PRICE: $21,595 WARRANTY: Five years DISTRIBUTOR: Advance Audio Australia on 02 9561 0799 www.advanceaudio.com.au

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GRYPHON

DIABLO 300 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

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Reviewer Edgar Kramer

GRYPHON DIABLO 300

It AMPLE HEATSINKING RUNS MILDLY WARM, INDICATING HIGH BIAS OPERATION IN LINE WITH GRYPHON’S AMP IDEOLOGY.

THE COOLEST OF REMOTES  FEATURES A BUILTIN TABLE STAND AND SUPERB ERGONOMICS.

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

wasn’t that long ago the upper echelon of high-end amplification was the exclusive domain of separate preamplifier and power amplifier partnerships. More recently, however, evolved electronics component quality, advanced surface mount topologies and the benefits of CAD-assisted engineering have all contributed to a stream of high-end products which integrate the preamplifier and power amp stages, making a convincing – even seductive – impact in the high performance audio space. Strong affirmation of this trend is evident within the pages of our previous issue (Audio Esoterica issue #4, Winter 2015) which featured several variations of the high-end integrated amplifier from various manufacturers across the globe.

The traditional approach to the integrated amplifier has been to combine a line signal switching stage with level control and an amplification stage. Simple and effective. That purist approach is enduringly valid; however, in the 21st century the humble ‘integrated’ has developed multi-tasking skills. Further duties have been allotted in order to simplify the signal chain and minimise the box count with a growing number of models now sporting built-in digital-to-analogue converters and high quality phono stages. The real clever designs, like our review subject here, the spanking-new Gryphon Diablo 300, features slots that accept the added functionality of optional modules. In the case of the Diablo 300, Gryphon offers high quality MM/MC phono and multi-input digital stage (DAC) modules which can be ordered in situ or purchased at a later date, as funds allow.

DEVILISH BEAST The Diablo 300’s heritage harks back to the first high-end integrateds seen in the industry, with a pedigree stemming from a multi-award-winning lineage. The original Diablo was considered by

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many to be the high-end integrated amplifier.

The new model has been cosmetically revised in-keeping with the Gryphon look (it bears some stylistic resemblance to the company’s Mephisto power amplifier) while substantial circuit upgrades and refinements have resulted in operational efficiencies and potential sonic improvements.

As the model name states, the Diablo 300 is a 300-watt per side Class-A/B DC-coupled amplifier (doubling to 600 watts into 4 ohms and providing 950 watts into 2 ohms). Its heatsinks span the entire side panel length, and run warmish, indicating a rather high bias scheme, something that adheres to Gryphon’s Class-A amplification ideology as evidenced in its upperechelon power amplifier offerings. Also in line with company philosophy, the amplifier is a zero negative feedback design in a true dual-mono configuration. And the power supply is rather massive with a large capacitor bank providing a total of 136,000 micro-farads of storage energy, flanking a large custom toroidal transformer.

Combine that with a low 0.019-ohm output impedance and, on paper, you’re looking at good speaker control potential. The bandwidth is wide and spans the range from 0.1Hz to 350kHz, while the amp’s gain is +38dB. The connectivity count on the rear panel will allow for any system configuration. The input selection features two balanced Neutrik XLR and four unbalanced RCA options (one is configurable to phono if the MM/MC module is installed, and Input 3 can be assigned as a HT pass-through) while outputs include a +12dB subwoofer output (can also be used to connect an additional power amplifier) and tape out. A 12V mini-jack trigger in/out suite of connectors provides remote control to other Gryphon products and a further mini-jack input allows the connection of an external infrared receiver. A ground post is provided. Gryphon’s custom speaker binding posts are among the best in terms of user friendliness (tightening ease) and overall quality.

A centrally-placed IEC socket rounds out the connections complement.

The front panel is a mix of metal and black acrylic – another Gryphon style trademark – and features a cross panel that houses the large vacuum fluorescent display. A large numeric display shows the volume setting, which is micro-processor controlled, in fine 43 steps and is flanked by an input selection icon. A row of small green-lit touch-buttons on either side provide visuals for standby mode, volume up/ down, input selection, system status monitoring and menu access. This last item allows a certain level of programming and feature control such

GRYPHON DIABLO 300

WELL-ENGINEERED POWER SUPPLY FEATURES A LARGE CUSTOM TRANSFORMER AND MULTIPLE CAPACITORS STORAGE.

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

as input nomenclature, turn-on and maximum volume setting, input level matching, display level adjustment and more. The Diablo 300 is software upgradeable. A superblydesigned remote control ‘stick’, for lack of a better descriptor, provides standby on/off, input access, mute and, of course, volume control while a neat triangular stand allows table-top operation.

Packaging is also a reflection of a company’s attention to detail. The Diablo 300 comes in a wooden crate featuring collapsible walls held by a cunning plastic clip system strong enough to support the substantial weight.

Unclipping and dismantling the crate is child’s play and allows easy access to the

The Diablo 300’s heritage harks back to the first high-end integrateds seen in the industry, with a pedigree stemming from a multi-awardwinning lineage.

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amplifier inside. The package includes a nicely bound manual, white gloves to prevent scratching the fascia’s acrylic (this is further protected with a plastic film) and a polishing compound.

The Diablo 300 is a superb example of thorough engineering and peerless construction quality. Everything about it is pure class, from the black anodised heavy gauge metal work to the beautifully-polished and machined black acrylic, to the overall Gryphon-esque aesthetic – a stunningly arresting design the brainchild of Gryphon’s talented founder and industrial designer Flemming E. Rasmussen.

The unit provided for review was part of an early Australian shipment and did not feature the optional phono stage and DAC modules. We’re told Audio Esoterica may be the first publication to review this significant product.

DEVIL IN THE DETAILS Schlepping the near-40kg black mass of metal into place was no mean feat, but once it was on an

GRYPHON DIABLO 300

SPECIFICATIONS GRYPHON DIABLO 300 POWER OUTPUT: 2 x 300W (8 ohms), 2 x 600W (4 ohms), 2 x 950W (2 ohms) OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: 0.019 ohm FREQUENCY RESPONSE (-3dB): 0.1Hz–350kHz POWER SUPPLY CAPACITY: 2 x 68,000 microFarad GAIN: +38dB SUB OUTPUT GAIN: +12dB INPUT IMPEDANCE, BALANCED (20Hz–20kHz): 40kohm INPUT IMPEDANCE, SINGLE-ENDED (20Hz–20kHz): 20kohm DIMENSIONS (WHD): 480 x 230.5 x 460mm WEIGHT: 38.1kg PRICE: $24,295. DAC module (USB, balanced AES, optical, 2 x S/PDIF): $8895. MM/MC phono stage module: $3395.

CONTACT: Kedcorp on 02 9561 0799 www.kedcorp.com.au

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

isolation platform and hooked up we were ready to go. I ran the amp for three days prior to serious auditioning and continued to run it overnight during the first phase of the evaluation period.

It’s a rare occurrence where a product makes a significant mark from the get-go. The Diablo 300 was one such beast. Few amplifiers – and yes, that refers to amplifiers, not just those of the integrated variety – have profoundly impressed as much as the Diablo 300 has upon first firing it up. That first track was so powerfully presented, so strongly communicated, that I found myself smiling in blissful stupor as I listened. From that first unequivocal statement and on for the duration of the auditioning period of several weeks, the amp exhibited a level of dynamic explosiveness and absolute control over my Wilson Alexia speakers that I saw it necessary to recalibrate previouslyheld perceptual benchmarks in those aspects of music reproduction.

But as overt as the Diablo 300 was in terms of its dynamic power, it’s not all about brute force.

The entire presentation across the important midrange and high frequency spectrum was one of refinement, resolution and superb microdynamic detail retrieval.

Ergo the classic “Take Five” as interpreted by percussion virtuoso Joe Morello in his Morello Standard Time CD. The intro drum solo is very accurately recorded and the Gryphon integrated punched through the entire drum set, from kick through to toms and on to the snare, in an extraordinarily potent way. This is dynamic power at its most confronting which, with the appropriate full-range speakers and the Diablo 300 at the helm, will absolutely floor you. Guaranteed. But then, as the drum explosions subside, the sax and

bass accompaniment lead on to fluid and tonally precise… music… with superb separation and deep instrumental detail retrieval.

Renaud García Fons’ renowned bass dexterity and virtuosity is nothing but an absolute visceral delight when heard via the Diablo 300.

It’s exemplary from the lowest depths to the instrument’s highest notes in terms of control, weight, tonal rendition and transient attack.

The cinematic soundscapes of In a Time Lapse from Ludovico Einaudi’s CD release illustrated the Gryphon’s valve-like handling of tonal colours.

This recording is rich with piano, violin and guitar, among other acoustic instruments, and the Diablo 300’s reproduction of the beautiful and moving compositions displayed natural and complex midrange timbre, with all the instruments having a sense of presence both in terms of transparent verisimilitude and that hardto-describe sense of body… of image gravitas.

That midrange kinship with the very best of valve amplification is something rather extraordinary for a solid-state amplifier – an integrated no less.

Roger Water’s Amused to Death release is a Q-Sound extravaganza and features dense mixes filled with low-level information, both musical and in spoken word (even distant barking dogs). The Diablo 300’s resolving power allowed clear discernment of the minutest of details but all is presented in a natural manner.

In other words, some components are able to resolve incredible detail by featuring, to different extents, a somewhat forward or overt presentation. The Diablo 300, on the other hand, is expertly balanced to sound natural without undue highlighting or exaggeration. And all this is offered in a soundscape of massive dimensions both laterally and in the depth perspective.

CONCLUSION The Diablo 300 is attractively styled with mucho macho Gryphon panache; it is well-featured, beautifully constructed and thoroughly engineered by skilled personnel in Gryphon’s native Denmark. Its uninhibited dynamic expressiveness, its superb resolution in conjunction with its midrange beauty and treble sweetness, and its overall musical adeptness make the Diablo 300, even at its price, a high-end integrated that should sell like oven-warm bread to ravenous audiophile hordes.

Please allow me to further personalise this conclusion – a somewhat rare thing for this writer who seldom risks sounding over-enthused… so far, the Gryphon Diablo 300 is unequivocally, and by a wide margin, the best integrated amplifier ever to grace our audio testing and musiclistening environment.

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test

Bluetooth speaker

KEF Muo

portable Bluetooth speaker

Muo, son of Muon

The UK’s KEF shrinks its Uni-Q driver expertise into a portable Bluetooth speaker you can carry around. Does the sonic expertise travel well?

I

t’s a mere Bluetooth wireless speaker, but we were keen to take a closer look and listen, given that KEF used as its muse here its own massive Muon flagship speaker. Despite the apparent disparity in size, performance, and pretty much everything else, both include the industrial design work of award-winning British designer Ross Lovegrove (pictured above with a Muon). Lovegrove has chosen to use the perforations in the grille of the new Muo to reprise the shape of the rangetopper, here available in “Horizon Gold, Storm Grey, Light Silver, Neptune Blue and Sunset Orange”. It’s cleverly done — the Muo’s shape is actually nothing like the inward-curving Muon

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design, but the grille perforations mimic these curves to make the connection aesthetically. The Muo has an RRP of $549, quite a premium over average Bluetooth speaker prices, though you may find it at lower pricing. Does quality justify the rest of the difference?

Equipment

The Muo’s weight certainly impresses. Its mushroom-cap shaped cross-section is just 8cm by 6cm, its length 21cm, yet it feels surprisingly heavy at 0.8kg. In the world of hi-fi, density is often a proxy for quality, at least in terms of the power on offer, though

test

Bluetooth speaker

We also tried turning it vertical — KEF says the Muo automatically retunes its sound for this, but this reduced its good sense of space and the wide spread of frequencies also seemed affected. We’d say keep it horizontal if you can.

Less evident most of the time was a slight dip in upper bass/ lower mids which took the plumminess out of spoken male voices, though female voices had their higher mids well and realistically delivered.

There’s an app for Muo, which walks you through the initial connection and can ABOVE: KEF provides a free app for the Muo, but it seemed short of useful functionality when we tested the iOS version — simplify pairing two Muos you can use it to pair up two Muos in stereo, but otherwise it simply provides a branded path to play your on-device music. in stereo, but otherwise it just gives access to your on-device music and charging cable is different — a tight braided it’s not usually a characteristic of portable playlists — for which you might prefer your hi-fi kind of cable; we couldn’t tell you why devices (for reasons of, er, portability). normal music app. The settings don’t offer that might improve anything, but it shows the We checked it against others — the Bose EQ — the only active option is to change the front-to-back attention to detail on offer here.

SoundLink Mini II is 0.67kg, UE’s rather name of your Muo. In other words it’s an app frighteningly-named Boom 2 just 0.55g. that does pretty much nothing (at least in the But then this is KEF, UK speaker company Performance iOS version we looked at); perhaps KEF plans of great renown and engineering prestige, and And detail is a good word with which to expanded functionality in future. the company is clear that when designing its start our listening notes; the Muo delivers first portable speaker, sound quality would detail in spades from its bright top-end. remain to the fore, despite the aesthetic Weight is another early impression, with a Conclusion emphasis of its collaboration with Lovegrove. good underpinning of surprisingly low bass Even from KEF, then, a small speaker has its The drivers are no off-the-shelf woofers and which operated not just at a few resonance limits, but the power is there to kick some arse tweeters, but the most compact ever version points but across the several octaves required throughout its quoted 12 hours of battery life. of KEF’s Uni-Q technology, which places both by a bass guitar — Augie March’s ‘Watch It has the goods in aesthetic terms, oodles of high and low transducers in a single unit, here Me Disappear’ showed this well, only the clarity, and none of the processed feel of so with a 5cm woofer behind the little tweeter very lowest notes (below around bottom D) many over-EQ’d small speakers. Jez Ford in front. In a large hi-fi speaker the resulting falling away in level. That’s around 70Hz, so ‘point source’ for sound produces gains in KEF has done some good tuning work at the stereo imaging, while in a portable unit it also difficult bottom end. offers useful space savings and, in theory, a Midrange is a great strength; the vocal “sit anywhere” spread of sound. There’s also clarity delivered for the opening of Adele’s a passive bass radiator in there, presumably ‘Hello’ instantly impressive, the voice sitting between the UniQ units, as the rest of the forward of the speaker unit with richness and SPECS cabinet has no visible ports. presence. When she pushes to the chorus, You can pair up Muos in stereo, or have however, there was an unwanted edge to KEF Muo $549 them in different rooms and put them in the vocal, and the characteristic boxiness of Drivers: 2 x 50mm Uni-Q drivers, party mode to play back at the same time. The small speakers was slightly evident even at 1x auxiliary bass radiator Bluetooth spec includes aptX for those whose moderate volumes. We felt this across a range Quoted battery life: 12 hours Android phones support it, and there’s NFC of material, while at close range in, say, a Dimensions: 80 x 210 x 60mm pairing too, though conventional Bluetooth home office scenario with the speaker on the pairing was simple enough using the obvious desktop, we found the Muo just too insistent Weight: 0.8kg controls on the right side — or the top if you to the treble, perhaps a compromise to allow Warranty: One year choose to use it vertically (though see below), the treble to maintain its bite when heard at Contact: Advance Audio while the back edge of its curvy dimensions greater distance — across a room or off-axis, Telephone: 02 9561 0799 has an auxiliary minijack input and the this softened into a more enjoyable balance, Web: www.advanceaudio.com.au mini-USB charging slot. Even the USB if never quite disappearing entirely.

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AUDITION

038

GOLDMUND EIDOS 17, MIMESIS II, PROLOGOS WIRELESS SYSTEM

AUDITION

GOLDMUND EIDOS 17, MIMESIS II AND PROLOGOS WIRELESS SYSTEM

T

here’s something about Swiss precision and simplicity that exudes a sense of exclusivity and technical gravitas, be it in the world’s best timepieces, the renowned Swiss mechanical and electrical engineering industries or high-end audio. And indeed, luxury audio is the signature of Swiss high-end stalwart Goldmund. The company’s products have a clean, elegantly-simple eye-soothing design aesthetic that belies the complexities and intelligence of the advanced circuitry within.

NEW DISTRIBUTION Goldmund has appointed a new Australian distributor in Melbourne: high-end specialist Absolute HiEnd. I was invited to attend the re-launch of the brand and to audition a system solution assembled from entry-level electronics and mid-level loudspeakers. On show were Goldmund’s Eidos 17 Universal Player, Mimesis II Wireless Hub and ProLogos Wireless speakers.

THE EQUIPMENT Based on the outstanding Oppo universal platform and modified by Goldmund, the Eidos 17 will play Blu-ray 3D (BD Profile: BD-ROM Version 2.5 Profile 5 also compatible with Profile 1 Version 1.0 and 1.1), DVD, CD and SACD as well as -R and -RW versions of all bar SACD.

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Goldmund has applied its ‘mechanical grounding’ strategy to the signature solidity of the heavy-gauge chassis. The unit also features its own internal 1GB Persistent Storage (BD Live, etc.), all the latest digital surround sound format compatibility, multichannel outputs and much more.

At the heart of the system and in charge of the connectivity duties is the Mimesis 11 Wireless Hub; the perfect aesthetic and functional match for the Eidos 17 player.

The unit features a built-in wireless transmitter (no dongles in sight) and a host of connectivity options to allow for a comprehensive system configuration if required.

There are two analogue inputs via RCA, and optical, SPDIF and USB digital inputs (inputs from 1 to 3 can receive stereo audio encoded signals up to 384/32 compatible DSD over PCM) with future options being the possibility of Wi-Fi streaming and additional digital inputs. The Mimesis 11 also offers four digital SPDIF stereo outputs while a maximum of four channels is offered via the single wireless output.

No amplification is required, of course, as the ProLogos speakers are each powered via two new Telos 175 watt amplifiers (one for the tweeter and one for the mid/ bass drivers) and also feature a receiver for wireless operation (Goldmund proprietary protocol I’m told) with the Mimesis II

AUDITION

GOLDMUND EIDOS 17, MIMESIS II, PROLOGOS WIRELESS SYSTEM

Promises to deliver the company’s trademark fast and detailed presentation... (a Goldmund Dongle Emitter is required if operating directly via a computer). The solid aluminium vented enclosure is beautifully machined and finished and is home to a 25mm tweeter and two 180mm mid/bass drivers.

Goldmund’s ‘Mechanical Grounding’ strategy is also used here and this is achieved via the optional frame which is configured with a single pole/spike which acts as the ground avenue (vibrational drain point) while the entire speaker is supported via an adjustable solid metal frame support. The ‘Leonardo2’ DSP engine handles phase, amplitude and time correction. The ProLogos Wireless speakers are quoted as having a frequency response spanning from 38dB to 25kHz (–6dB) while

the in-built amplifiers’ dynamic range is said to be better than 100dB. There is one digital input and an output for daisy-chaining. The ProLogos measures 90×430×500mm (WHD) and weighs in at 35kg per unit without the frame.

Overall the Goldmund system provides a simple solution from source to speakers that is beautifully built, pleasingly styled with typical Swiss simple elegance and promises to deliver the company’s trademark fast and detailed presentation.

But what else can this system bring to the performance table?

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AUDITION

GOLDMUND EIDOS 17, MIMESIS II, PROLOGOS WIRELESS SYSTEM

pulling towards the speakers, although that may have been attributable to a room interaction.

The Goldmund system is extremely detailed down to the lowest microdynamic nuance and overall resolution is exemplary.

Having said that, it’s most definitely a modern solid-state sound, and in this case, that translates to an uncompromising neutrality over romanticism—you’ll most likely find that in many vacuumed glass topologies.

I was also pleased with the tweeter which, aside from the already-commentedon detail retrieval, also provided delicate cymbal sound (and such) without a trace of brightness and with good extension and decay.

CONCLUSION This is a complete system solution for a certain type of music lover; one with financial independence, of course, as we’re talking about a system whose asking price approaches $100,000.

But the Goldmund system offers a universal player that can cope with just about any format, a control unit that allows wireless operation while providing plentiful connectivity options and a beautiful pair of speakers—even if the look is industrial— containing bespoke amplification and DSP correction.

As expected, the build quality is superb and the sonic, functional and cachet benefits of Goldmund ownership are Edgar Kramer abundant rewards.

SHOWROOM SESSION I auditioned the Goldmund system at Absolute HiEnd’s headquarters which features a number of lounge-sized studios with acoustic panelling, reasonably high ceilings and thick carpet over concrete flooring—all ingredients for a reasonable acoustic environment promising decent sound.

The electronics were positioned on white Solid Tech racks with a colour tone that almost mirrored the gorgeousness of the Goldmund finish. Hook-up was via Voodoo, Siltech and Crystal cables. Music in hand and without time constrictions, I was able to get a strong impression of the immediate qualities of this outstanding system.

For starters, the speakers offer bass depth, power and dynamic dexterity with a sense of overall scale that belies their size— no doubt due to the in-built dedicated amplifiers married to the high-quality drivers.

Goldmund’s signature speed and detail, as I’ve previously indicated, were strong presences. Acoustic guitars and piano, in particular, sounded full and exhibited satisfying transient attack.

The system was proficient at separating layers within dense mixes. Each instrument was clearly delineated and independently portrayed within a deep and wide soundstage. Image focus was good, if not outstanding, with some instruments sometimes

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GOLDMUND EIDOS 17, MIMESIS II AND PROLOGOS WIRELESS SYSTEM Brand: Goldmund RRP: $12,800 (Eidos 17); $14,500 (Mimesis II; $57,000 Prologos Wireless System; $7,500 Speaker Stands. (All at the time of publication Warranty: One year (Electronics); Three years (Speakers) Distributor: Absolute Hi End Address: PO Box 370 Ormond, VIC 3204 P: 0488 777 999 E: info@absolutehiend.com W: www.absolutehiend.com

LOUDSPEAKERS & SPEAKER PACKAGES

SOUNDBAR & WIRELESS MUSIC SYSTEM

DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY W STUDIO

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lthough listed here in our ‘speakers’ section, the W Studio is not only a soundbar and wireless subwoofer, but also part of Definitive Technology’s wireless multiroom system (something along the lines of Sonos), so that it can operate as part of a network with speaker units and music zones all around your home. There’s wireless music streaming, full control via smartphone or tablet, and every reason to be optimistic about sound performance given the company’s strong history in soundbars and particularly subwoofers.

EQUIPMENT

The ‘W’ Studio comes with its subwoofer all in the one entertainingly bonkers box, the two elements within this triple-protected by polystyrene, plastic and cloth wrapping. They emerge in some glory, indeed, being beautiful things. The subwoofer is an artistic study in cubes and squares, with a hidden DefTech-blue highlight in its downfiring port. The soundbar is a slim unit having a perfectly square cross-section terminated by lovely solid aluminium end-caps, the 110cm length covered with the company’s usual stretched cloth, punctuated by the five controls shared by all the company’s W wireless multiroom range (see panel).

The bar can be wallmounted, or placed straight on a surface, or raised slightly (to fit over a TV base, for example) using magnetic feet which reject attempts to sit them right under the

aluminium end caps, but settle happily anywhere else convenient along its length. Should the bar happen to block your TV’s IR receiver, you can use a supplied IR blaster on a cable from a rear minijack to relay your TV’s remote commands.

Connections can be made in several ways to the W Studio. The best is to plug your sources into the bar via HDMI — there are three inputs and one output. Plugging your sources in this way will ensure the bar receives any Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1-channel surround soundtracks (it includes procerssing for both). Unusually for an HDMI-equipped soundbar, however, the HDMI output doesn’t support ARC (the Audio Return Channel), so if you want to hear any audio from the TV itself — from its own tuner, its smart TV sources or from anything else plugged into the TV directly — you’ll also need to run an optical or analogue cable from TV to soundbar.

Otherwise you could just do that — leave all your sources plugged into the TV and take the audio out to the soundbar via optical or analogue line out. But even via optical, many TVs will strip surround information down to stereo, so you may lose spatial information if not actual sound quality unless you use the HDMI plugging. (Note the HDMI sockets are 1.4a spec.)

Either way the Definitive Technology bar can learn the commands from your TV remote so you can continue to use that instead of, or in addition to, the useful remote that comes with this system.

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PERFORMANCE

Set-up was a cinch, with the bar and subwoofer pairing instantly as they were powered up, and cable connections straightforward, hampered only by things getting fairly tight in the connection bay (pictured below right) once you have four HDMI cables snaking their way inside.

We also made the connection to our home Wi-Fi network using the Definitive Technology app for its multiroom system, upon which a firmware update was applied over the internet, taking only a few minutes. After that we were quickly streaming music across to the W Studio under control of our iPad. You will need the physical remote control to make sure you’re in the right sound ‘mode’, otherwise the W Studio can play tricks with your music. With the remote control you can choose either ‘Movie’ mode (the default) or ‘Music’ mode, but behind this in the menus you can set each of these with varying amounts of what Definitive Technology calls SSA (Solo Surround Array) Immersion; the defaults are quoted at +10 for Movie mode and +5 for Music, though after a reset the default on our sample was -10 for Music.

We reset this to 0, hoping this might mean no messing with the sound (though the manual insists “There is no right setting”). In any case the effect did not seem extreme on music presentation — more useful was the separate control on the

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remote for bass, an excellent inclusion to tweak any material on which bass was either dominant or lacking; the centre point is clearly indicated by LEDs on the soundbar so it’s easy to get back to its default positions.

As hoped, the W Studio does an impressive job of carrying a tune — we beamed stereo tunes from iPad and NAS drive, and there was a rare integration between subwoofer and soundbar holding together the frequency range; Leonard Cohen’s deep vocal emerged as one piece rather than being pulled into bass and midrange elements; bass guitars were solid rather than stretched out or split. Multichannel music from Blu-ray was also impressively rendered, large and wide, its quality far above the achievements of more midrange soundbars.

Sticking to ‘Movie’ mode and dropping the bass a few dB delivered a rich presentation of the ‘Goin’ Your Way’ Sydney Opera House concert by Neil Finn and Paul Kelly, the sound supported by solid bass kick but no bloom.

With actual movies the separate ‘centre’ level control is also useful, to bring up dialogue without increasing overall volume. (There’s also a ‘night’ mode available under the on-screen menu.) When receiving genuine surround signals the drivers in the soundbar did a fine job of maximising its presentation of a 5.1-channel soundtrack through the three pairs of three-inch woofers and three 25mm aluminium dome tweeters. While they don’t seem specially angled under that black cloth, the outer woofers appear to deliver surround information, the next two woofers play the main left and right channels, while the two centre drivers play the centre channel and thereby support strong dialogue. (This arrangement was confirmed by the usefully channel-separated soundtrack of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’.)

With stereo material all six woofers are used.

One possible issue for users — we could find no lipsync adjustment in the DefTech’s menus; we didn’t need it for TV audio sent via the optical cable to the bar, but it was certainly required for our Blu-ray player going through the bar to the TV. Since the TV can’t bring the video forward in time, we had to rely on our Oppo Blu-ray player to add up to 150ms audio delay to get things together properly. If your source can’t adjust for lipsync, you could be stuck here.

THE ‘W’ COLLECTION

The W Studio soundbar and subwoofer is just one part of Definitive Technology’s wireless multiroom system, one of the most recent of the breed that has arrived to challenge the market dominance of Sonos.

The Definitive Technology family currently includes two sizes of wireless speakers — the long rectangular W9 and the smaller cubic W7 (pictured immediately above). Then there are two electronics units, the ‘W Adapt’ for streaming the Play-Fi services into an existing hi-fi system (above left), and the ‘W Amp’ as a just-addspeakers solution (above right). And finally there is this W Studio — one of the few soundbar options currently on offer in such systems, and one where, unlike the Sonos Playbar solution, the subwoofer is not optional — it is integral to the presentation of the W Studio.

Each element of the Definitive Technology system connects through your home network either by a wired Ethernet connection or via WiFi (the W Studio is Wi-Fi only). Set-up is nicely simple — when plugged in, the first ‘W’ unit creates its own Wi-Fi hotspot, and you just use Definitive Technology’s special app downloaded to your smart device (iOS or Android), which leads you through entering your Wi-Fi password — note that these units are able to use either 2.4 or 5GHz Wi-Fi bands. There is likely to be a software update to be downloaded at this stage.

One of the best recommendations we can offer overall here is that once we had finished testing and left the DefTech in our system, it just worked, and delivered clear full audio whether for day-to-day TV down the optical cable or for full-on soundtracks from Blu-ray — plus the bonus of Play-Fi streaming and the potential of working as part of a multiroom system.

CONCLUSION

You then use the app to play your music from device or networked computers and NAS drives through one (or several) of your W units around the home. Definitive Technology uses the DTS Play-Fi system, which also provides access to several online music streaming services, and which can handle high-res audio files on your own network up to 192kHz (although it downsamples these to play at 48kHz).

While the app itself isn’t currently the richest visual experience compared with some rivals, this is likely to change through time as Play-Fi upgrades come. The all-essential audio quality is high throughout the system — we’ve previously reviewed the W9 and W7 speaker units and both proved excellent wireless speakers, the $649 W7 sounding great for its useful compact size, and the larger $1099 W9 being simply one of the best wireless speakers we’ve ever heard.

Definitive Technology W Studio soundbar, subwoofer & wireless multiroom system • Excellent sound on movies and music • Versatile connections and control • No ARC or lipsync adjustment

Doubling up as an element of Definitive Technology’s ‘W’ multiroom system and as a sophisticated soundbar and wireless sub solution, the W Studio is a powerful beast, rich in sound, clever in its control of the different sound elements.

And a looker.

Price: $1999 Inputs: 3 x HDMI, 1 x digital optical, 1 x analogue minijack, DTS Play-Fi via Wi-Fi Outputs: 1 x HDMI, IR blaster out Processing: Dolby DIgital, DTS Soundbar drivers: 3 x 25mm aluminiumdome tweeters; 6 x 3-inch mid-woofers Subwoofer driver: 8-inch Quoted power: 120W (bar); 200W (subwoofer) Bar dimensions: 1092 x 83 x 84mm Sub dimensions: 318 x 356 x 324mm Warranty: 12 months Contact: Advance Audio Telephone: 02 9561 0799 Web: www.advanceaudio.com.au

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Best Buys Audio & AV 2015 #2

SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS

STEREO NETWORK RECEIVER & LOUDSPEAKERS

LINN MAJIK DSM /KEF LS50

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amed Scottish high-fidelity brand Linn has, these days, quite the range of network music streamers available, some with amplifiers, some without, and some with some rather nifty digital sound optimisation features. The Linn Majik DSM is about halfway up the range and includes both the optimisation and the amplifiers. The Australian distributor, Advance Audio, also supplied a pair of the highly regarded KEF LS50 compact loudspeakers.

EQUIPMENT

You might ask, well what’s so wrong with the review team’s own reference loudspeakers that the LS50s were required? Actually, there’s nothing wrong with our loudspeakers, but Linn has a new ‘Space Optimisation’ feature which adjusts the system’s performance characteristics based not only on the speakers’ locations, the listener’s location and the dimensions of the room but

also, ideally, on the characteristics of the loudspeaker itself. Linn has programmed in a couple of dozen loudspeaker models, and one of those is the KEF LS50.

The Majik DSM is a multipurpose device. It is a highly effective network streamer, supporting all the formats you’d hope: FLAC, WAV, ALAC, MP3, WMA (lossy only), AIFF, AAC and OGG, up to 24-bit/192kHz where available. In addition it has TuneIn radio and Tidal integrated, and can support other streaming services via an application on your computer, which intercepts their audio and sends it to the unit. The main network streaming protocol is DLNA, and Apple’s AirPlay is also supported.

But the Majik is also an amplifier with lots of digital inputs, plus a few stereo analogue audio ones, including moving magnet level phono (this phono input can be changed to moving-coil level

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or to a regular line-level input by your dealer).

And there’s even HDMI — four in, one out — so if you’re content with stereo rather than surround sound, then it can be the centrepiece of your home entertainment system. One of the analogue audio inputs is a 3.5mm minijack located conveniently on the front panel.

SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS

The network connection is wired (Linn recommends against wireless for obvious bandwidth reasons). Unusually there’s no USB connection.

Output is via two pairs of high quality binding posts.

There’s also a 3.5mm headphone output on the front.

The Majik’s twin 90W of power is provided by Linn’s ‘Chakra’ amplifiers. This has nothing to do with Eastern mysticism, but is a name applied to Linn’s interesting combined monolithic and discrete amplifier stage. In short, a monolithic amp (i.e. a specially developed integrated circuit) provides power at low to normal levels, while discrete bipolar transistors take over once a certain output level is demanded. Linn is keen on the relative speed and component consistency of its monolithic design, and deals with current output limitations using the discrete components.

The KEF LS50 speakers are compact bookshelf-sized units designed for stand-mounting.

They feature a coaxial tweeter/bass-midrange driver assembly, bass reflex loaded via a rear port.

KEF tends to group them with its high-end ‘Blade’ series of loudspeakers.

Apart from the specifications shown in the nearby box, we should mention that KEF says that the speakers are good for a maximum output of 106dB, and that their second and third harmonic distortion components at 90dB output (at one metre, 175 to 20,000Hz) are less than 0.4%.

PERFORMANCE

The documentation provided with the Linn Majik DSM is remarkably slim, essentially a double-sided A4 sheet. The ‘full instructions’ aren’t easy to find

LEFT: Linn’s Konfig application (Windows/Mac) undertakes Space Optimisation EQ and can compensate for specific characteristics of various speakers.

RIGHT: The Linn Kazoo app allows device control as well as attractive browsing of content, including album artwork where available.

(they’re in a ‘docs’ area separate to the main Linn website), but happily the unit is easy enough to set up using the basic instructions if you’re prepared to indulge in a bit of trial and error.

The first step is to download to your computer the ‘Konfig’ application (Windows and Mac).

This allows you to make lots of adjustments to the unit, many of which can also be made by entering the unit’s IP address into a browser. Among those settings is the ability to set the three inputs directly referenced from the slim, metal IR remote control provided with the unit.

For the ‘Space Optimisation’ feature you’ll need a tape measure so you can enter room measurements, along with the locations of speakers and listeners. Within one of the tabs you can specify your speaker if you have one of the relevant models: currently included are Linn’s own, of course, plus models from B&W, Epos, Spendor, Proac and several other brands.

The Konfig calculates an EQ curve for the bass end (up to 200Hz judging from the graphical

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interface) of your speakers to kill messy resonances and frequency suck-outs. That should be pretty much a one-off.

When it comes to actually using the system, you then download the Linn Kinsky or Kazoo application to your computer or portable device. Kazoo is the new version, available for PC, Mac and iPad only. What these applications do varies a little depending on the platform — principally, though, they control operation of the unit, allowing you to select inputs, adjust the volume, choose a TuneIn radio station or dial up the music provided via DLNA by your local network.

If installed on a Mac or PC, they can pipe the computer’s audio to the player, allowing whatever music services you have installed to be delivered at much higher quality than whatever speakers you have plugged into the computer.

It does not provide this capability on iOS or Android systems, but there’s AirPlay for iOS users.

So let’s use Spotify as a test case. The Majik does not support Spotify Connect (in which devices can stream directly from Spotify). If you’re using the Spotify app for Mac or Windows, then Kinsky or Kazoo will redirect the music to the Linn unit. If on an iPhone you can redirect the

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Best Buys Audio & AV 2015 #2

music to the unit via AirPlay. But there didn’t appear to be a way to have Spotify play via the system using an Android device. Spotify doesn’t support UPnP so unless you go to heroic lengths involving rooting your device, you will need to plug its headphone output into the Linn’s front panel analogue input.

You can also drive the Majik DSM via push-style DLNA using apps on Android devices; however the unit doesn’t give the same gapless playback delivered when using Kazoo or Kinsky.

The Kazoo app (shown above) was highly effective. A nice feature is that while it tends to run your musical selections through playlists, you can choose track by track, album by album, whether you want your selection to go next or to be tacked on the end of the list.

Indeed, control and track selection was perfectly solid throughout. If you run Network Attached Storage and use the Minimserver DLNA server software, there’s even an excellent search function that drills deeply down into the musical offerings to find what you’re seeking.

We did almost all our listening with CD-standard lossless and high resolution lossless files streamed from our network, using our iPad as the controller.

And we have to say that compact audio systems simply should not sound as good as this. It might be tempting to allocate responsibility for that to the KEF LS50 speakers, but they are so revealing that any defects in the Linn Majik DSM would be all too evident.

What they delivered was an exceptionally smooth, precise, dynamic and musical performance. Even the bass sounded nicely balanced, despite being the one real limitation of the LS50s. Because they deliver a creditable output down to the 60s in hertz, you tend not to notice the absence of the next octave down. Instead of deep bass, the system provides an extraordinarily wide and deep soundstage, almost spooky at times in its apparent size.

After revelling in that for way too long, we did our duty and switched off the ‘Space Optimisation’ feature and plugged in a larger set of speakers, ones capable of delivering fine bass down to 40ish hertz. This basic set-up was very nearly as impressive. More impressive, indeed, when it came to bass, which was extended, tight and controlled. Linn’s ‘Chakra’ amp provided all the power we needed, along with excellent speaker-cone control. The character of the music was retained — precision and clarity and a similarly impressive soundstage, with extremely well-defined images within the music.

We checked out the high-frequency performance of the Majik DSM. Linn seems to use a fairly gentle anti-aliasing filter, putting the response down by 1.1dB at 20,000Hz (with 44.1, 96 and 192kHz test signals), down by 2.5dB at 30,000Hz (96 and 192kHz), and down by 6dB at 50,000Hz (192kHz). When we were testing the pre-outs we had the speakers disconnected and the volume advanced to a very high level — 80 on a scale of 100 — and the unit was clearly singing along, physically, with the tests. We tried with some music, and the phenomenon was repeated.

Clearly something inside was vibrating in sympathy with the signal. However, during actual listening an indicated 63 was the highest level to which we turned up the system, and at that setting the sound emerging from the unit was only barely audible when we put our ear to it.

The HDMI connectivity proved to support full-HD up to 1080p/60, and 3D, but not 4K. The video is passed through to the connected TV with no processing. There are no on-screen indicators generated by the unit.

CONCLUSION

We find ourselves recommending both the main product of this review, the Linn Majik DSM, and the supporting product, the KEF LS50 speakers, as simply excellent. Neither is particularly cheap, but both offer high value at their asking price.

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Linn Majik DSM stereo network receiver • Excellent sound • Excellent streaming capabilities • Ability to tune performance to specific environments • Improved documentation would be appreciated • Can’t stream from the likes of Spotify on Android devices Price: $6895 Firmware: Davaar 28 (4.28.1162) Power output: 4 x 90 watts Inputs: 4 x HDMI, 5 x stereo analogue audio (3 x RCA, 1 x 3.5mm at front), 1 x phono (configurable to line level), 3 x coaxial digital audio, 3 x optical digital audio, 1 x Ethernet Outputs: 1 x HDMI, 1 x stereo pre-out, 1 x stereo line level, 1 x coaxial digital audio, 1 x optical digital audio, 2 x stereo binding posts, 1 x headphone (3.5mm, front panel) Dimensions (whd): 380 x 90 x 365mm Weight: 5.5kg Warranty: Five years

KEF LS50 stereo loudspeakers Price: $2299 Drivers: 2-way Uni-Q driver array consisting of 1 x 25mm vented aluminium dome tweeter centrally located in 130mm magnesium/ aluminium cone bass/midrange Frequency response: 79-28,000Hz ±3dB; -6dB at 47 and 45,000Hz Impedance: 8 ohms (min 3.2 ohms) Sensitivity: 85dB (2.83V/1m) Power handling: 25-100W (amplifier requirements) Cabinet: Bass reflex Dimensions (hwd): 302 x 200 x 278mm Weight (each): 7.2kg Warranty: Five years Contact: Advance Audio Australia Telephone: 02 9561 0799 Web: www.advanceaudio.com.au

Hear Your Music, Not Your Room Every room has its own particular sound. When you’re investing in a world-class music system, why let your room have such a big say in what you hear? Remove the unwanted distorting effects of your listening environment and reveal the true sound of the music.

Space Optimisation uses sophisticated acoustic modelling to build up a complete picture of how your speakers, their placement, and the unique characteristics of your room interact to affect the sound you hear. It then precisely identifies frequencies that are distorted by your environment, and reduces their energy, to reveal the music that would otherwise be hidden.

Compatible with a wide range of speakers including KEF, B&W, PMC, ProAc and many more, you’ll hear a performance that’s optimised uniquely for you.

Visit linn.co.uk to see if your speaker is compatible, and start enjoying the benefits today. Call 02 9561 0799 for more information.

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Definitive Technology Symphony 1 headphones

Def jamming The debut headphones from Definitive Technology offer multiple abilities and excellent performance.

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few years back, when headphones were going bonkers on the back of the Beats revolution, every hi-fi brand under the sun rushed to release its own take on high-end headwear. But not Definitive Technology, which has waited until now, perhaps rounding out its range alongside the delights of its ‘W’ wireless multiroom offering, or perhaps simply waiting until it had the right product for its discerning users.

Equipment

SUMMARY

Definitive Technology Symphony 1 headphones Price: $769

+ Excellent sound by wire, Bluetooth or USB + Active noise-cancellation + Good and logical controls - Not a whole lot against

Certainly the Symphony 1 design jumps in at the deep end — they offer the lot, being over-ear closed headphones that can be used with a cable connection or wirelessly via Bluetooth, plus they’re also active noisecancellers, and have one other trick up their blue-accented sleeves. Even better, they get everything pretty much right, even the tricky task of controlling wireless functionality from the headset itself.

The Symphony is entirely black except for the thick steel extension band and DefTechblue highlight where this enters the soft headband. Even the small buttons are labelled

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in black on black (very Douglas Adams), so that familiarisation is your best friend when learning these controls. They are all on the right headshell, with three buttons beside the charging and cable sockets to power them up, turn on Bluetooth if required (the Symphonys will connect automatically to the last paired device if it’s available), and a third button to activate or turn off active noise cancelling.

There are also volume and play/pause buttons very sensibly separated on the side of the earshell (unlike some rivals which are all too easy to power down when trying to adjust volume), and the play/pause has a raised dot for identification. Next/last track control of our iPod touch was usefully possible via Bluetooth by two or three presses of this button, even rewind and fast forwards by a slightly tricky holding after the third/second press. These headphones also allow you to take calls — there’s a microphone also in the right headshell.

Performance

For music listening, the Symphony can, in fact, be used in six different modes. You can use the short supplied cable and listen

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Just a touch of blue where the steel enters the headband — otherwise the Symphony 1s are all black in their solid case, with 3.5mm and USB charging cables supplied.

passively (not powered on), or actively (turned on, somewhat brighter and much louder, conserving power on your device), or actively with noise-cancelling on. Clarity was actually best when used passively, but it does take a bit of juice from a headphone socket to do so (our iPod touch was flat out). Note that the pausing/call-taking headshell buttons don’t work when you use a wired connection.

Or you can listen via Bluetooth, with or without noise-cancelling. Unusually the noise cancelling has no dramatic effect on the tonal qualities of the Symphony, just slightly raising the level and blooming the bass, while the noisecancelling itself is excellent — effective if not class-leading at lower frequencies, and nicely benign, so it doesn’t feel like your eyeballs are being sucked out, as can some more severe implementations.

We loved the sound by Bluetooth, the slight brightness of the active circuitry compensating for any softness through the Bluetooth link and delivering a lively, balanced and energetic performance.

Their 50mm drivers can deliver low, as witnessed by Neil Young’s Walk With Me suitably shuddering the skull under its low resonances, they had the

light touch required for the detail in Paul McCartney’s My Valentine, and they passed the congestion test of kd lang’s The Air that I Breathe, its tricky layers and rising dynamics remaining smooth and information-rich even during the massed vocal peaks. Bluetooth range was also exceptional; we could move several rooms away from our iPod touch before drop-outs began.

There is a sixth way to use these headphones. The internal battery required for active and Bluetooth use is charged via USB — DefTech quotes 15 hours battery life, or 10 with noise-cancelling engaged. But when connected in this way, via USB to a computer, they will not only charge, they also serve as a USB audio driver, taking a direct digital feed of your computer music and using their internal DAC to play it direct to your ears.

For laptop use, say, playing and charging at once is gold, fabulous stuff. You can play from USB using your computer when working, play via Bluetooth from your phone when resting.

An attractive hard carrycase is provided for when you’re not doing either. (In USB mode the headshell volume buttons controlled system audio on a Mac, though the pause/ next didn’t seem to do anything.)

Conclusions

Overall they feel just a little less than totally airy; there’s a slight feeling of enclosure in their fit. And with noise-cancellation engaged they can exhibit just the teeniest woof on bass guitars. Some might think they look a bit plain in their extreme blackness. But that’s all we’ve got against them — bottom to top, these headphones get it right, including a near-perfect sonic presentation for our preferences. With all the options — wired, wireless, USB, and active noise-cancellation — it really is a Symphony of talents, and one of the few headphone models to which we give a complete recommendation. JF

avhub.com.au/ M500

KEF M500 headphones

“KEF’s headphone debut has been worth waiting for...”

SPECS

Definitive Technology Symphony 1 $769 Type: over-ear closed-back headphones with active noise-cancellation and Bluetooth Driver size: 50mm Impedance: 32 ohms Warranty: One year

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Stax 2170 Earspeakers

Contact: Advance Audio Telephone: 02 9561 0799 Web: www.advanceaudio.com.au

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“we fell in love all over again with the electrostatic headphone concept...”

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No bias here A new headphone technology delivers easy-to-drive electrostatic panels supported by conventional drivers for bass. How do they sound?

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itchell & Johnson was named after its two UK founders Paul Mitchell and Dave Johnson, and began life in 2011, well before our moustachioed Aussie cricketing legend demolished their touring 2013/4 Ashes team in a 5-0 rout. (How they must have winced.) The hi-fi brand produces not only headphones but also a CD player, streamer, amplifier and even a tuner, with the declared philosophy of “state-ofthe-art technology combined with classic hi-fi design at an affordable price.” Few would argue with that.

The HP1 headphone design is certainly unusual and state-of-the-art, including a patented electrostatic technology called Electrostatz, a new transducer type originally developed

by Taiwan’s largest industrial research institute, the ITRI. Mitchell & Johnson has global exclusive use of the technology in headphones, starting with these HP1 designs and with an expanding range to follow — during our review they were fund-raising a new lower model via the crowd-funding site Kickstarter.

The defining feature of Electrostatz is that the drivers are self-biasing, so that they don’t need the usual power source required by electrostatic designs to maintain a DC potential between the grids and the diaphaghm. As we understand

it, the Electrostatz diaphragm material itself can hold that potential permanently, so that as a consequence the headphones can be driven from relatively low currents. Presto — a pair of electrostatic headphones that can easily be used with portable devices such as smartphones and tablets.

A second benefit seems to be cost — electrostatic headphones can be pricey, whereas the HP1s are $799 in Australia, and M&J promises even less expensive models.

Yet these are actually hybrids, also including a conventional 40mm dynamic driver (see insert pic, below left).

The electrostatic panels can reach up to 45kHz, but are not so strong in the bass, hence the conventional driver to deliver low-end. The Electrostatz panel is tuned to the required crossover point.

We loved the external design — the closed wooden headshells with their carved logo impressed all who fondled them, while curved metal-alloy supports and polyurethane-coated leather earcups kept things exceedingly comfortable during use, with very little sense of their 320g weight. We’d suggest making sure you audition a pair that has been run in — their sound changed significantly for the better after we soaked them in tunes for 48 hours. The HP1s were successful in delivering the electrostatic delights of speed, openness and detail. Soundstaging is excellent, with sharp-edged imaging of different elements, and we loved the minutae they could reveal, for example, from the audience mikes on Leonard Cohen’s ‘Live in London’ recording — every bustle, every chuckle, every gasp of delight. The same Cohen recording highlighted how the midrange could veil and sound slightly honky around some vocals — a tonality that may be the result of the two drivers superimposing their rather different characteristics in

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the crossover range. Below that the bass provided solid support and sounded natural, not ‘pushed’. But the highlight of listening was always those high frequencies, remarkably open (for a closed design), tantalisingly delicate on the right-channel snare on kd lang’s ‘The Air That I Breathe’, while separating all the layers delightfully, even through this track’s complex crescendos.

It’s a most promising piece of debut headphone design from these two Brits, and we look forward to seeing how the current campaign further evolves the use of Electrostatz technology. JF SPECS

Mitchell & Johnson HP1 Type: over-ear closed-back headphones Driver size: 40mm EFS 4030 E-STAT type plus Electrostatz flexible transducer.

Impedance: 32 ohms Contact: Advance Audio Telephone: 02 9561 0799 Web: www.advanceaudio.com.au

$799

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KEF M400 headphones

Brits abroad Highly portable headphones from UK speaker gurus KEF.

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EF’s first headphone, the on-ear M500 design, received a Sound+Image Highly Commended award for its combination of solid sonics and neat design. Three years on, the range has expanded to include two in-ear designs and these M400s. The M400s share a fair deal with the original M500 -- they are again headlined as having ‘Design by Studio F-A-Porsche, Sound by KEF’, they are again oval on-ear aluminium designs which sit very comfortably on the ears, and indeed they share most basic specifications, with 32-ohm impedance and frequency response quoted as 20Hz to 20kHz (no envelope stated). They also appear to use the same ultra-light 40mm neodymium-backed driver and copper clad aluminium wire voice coil that performed so well in the M500s.

So what are the differences? They have slightly lower sensitivity (101.5dB vs 103dB), and they are notably more portable, the M400s being a useful 30 grams lighter, and their headband design more integral, making them seem relatively compact. Where the M500 headband was wider and more solid, here it is thin and covered with the same protein leather that wraps around the memory-foam earpads. Add in the neat and robust folding hinges and the M400s fold up smaller than any high-quality headphone we can recall. They drop into a small cloth pouch and will disappear into the smallest of day-bag pockets.

That all goes to make the M400 an excellent travel, commute and office headphone — they are closed designs

and effect a good seal to keep your music in and outside noise out, while delivering the quality of sound you might expect from such an illustrious speaker brand. They are well balanced to sound good in both quiet and noisy environments, their midrange vocal presentation particularly strong, and their highs not sparkling but adequate to deliver zingy guitars to right and left on Bowie’s ‘Starman’ while keeping the vocal clear, an edge to the snare, and a clear, well distributed and just slightly soft bass. These lows go deep, resonating pleasingly on the low content of Neil Young’s ‘Walk With Me’, though in quiet surrounds the upper bass and lower midrange had some swollen thump to it — Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir suffered a notably boxy kick drum, as did Lily Allen’s ‘The Fear’, though this latter track again demonstrated the excellent midrange delivery of vocals.

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The larger-headed among our testers might request a fraction more extension in the headband to get the drivers firing dead centre without pressure from the headband, but that trades against their impressive portability and easy storage, which make these such a fine design when out and about (the cable includes an inline mike and remote). The M400s are available Racing Blue, Sunset Orange, Deep Black and, as reviewed, in Champagne White.

SPECS

KEF M400 Type: closed on-ear Driver: 40mm Impedance: 32 ohms Weight: 175g Contact: Advance Audio Telephone: 02 9561 0799 Web: www.advanceaudio.com.au

$399

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Definitive Technology ‘W’ Wireless Collection What a difference an app makes! The revised DTS Play-Fi software lifts the excellent W Series hardware to the top ranks of wireless multiroom systems.

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his time last year we were praising the quality of Definitive Technology’s wireless hardware, but stared rather aghast at the app that came with them — one of the emptiest least user-friendly multiroom apps on the market. It was emphatically not Def Tech’s fault — the company had adopted the DTS wireless multiroom technology Play-Fi, and were no doubt as horrified as we were at the blandness of the original app. As we said then, if we’d been Def Tech or Polk, both early adopters of Play-Fi, we’d have been screaming at DTS to lift their game.

So our final conclusion read: “If a new app is released, all our objections could melt away, leaving proper and pretty access to the excellent Definitive Technology speaker units on the end of it.” And so it has come to pass.

The app today bears not the slightest resemblance to last year — it’s colourful, attractive, effective, intuitive. It entirely lifts the whole experience of using the W Series, while the

hardware remains among the most musically satisfying on the market, with especial strengths being the top models — the W Studio soundbar and subwoofer solution, and the large but room-fillingly magnificent W9, the flagship wireless speaker of the range. All our hesitations last year in recommending the W Series wholeheartedly are thereby entirely overcome — not only by the app, but because DTS has come good on its hopes of bringing other significant brands to the platform. All Play-Fi products should work through the same app, so you can usefully mix and match a whole home of audio systems — and check out the current list: DefTech and Polk are joined by others including Anthem, Fusion Research, HP (there are Play-Fi-sending programs for Windows PCs), McIntosh, MartinLogan, and Paradigm. That’s a wide range of product all within the one ecosystem, so if you’re thinking that Yamaha, say, has

Above top – the Definitive Play-Fi app as it now looks, friendly and clear compared to the vast open spaces of last year’s version.

THE W ADAPT - $749 The W Adapt is the ‘upgrade your hi-fi’ solution from Definitive Technology, delivering W abilities to an existing amp or receiver.

THE W7 - $799 The smaller of the two standalone wireless speaker units, roughly a 17cm cube with an unusual configuration of drivers — the sides have bass radiators and additional tweeters, with the goal of achieving sound beyond the bounds of its box. Again it has two useful local inputs.

THE W9 - $1299 The larger of the two standalone wireless speaker solutions, with drivers on the side as well as the front, and useful inputs on the rear.

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Setting Up The ‘W’s...

Set-up remains simple enough, instant if you give the device Ethernet, otherwise the usual connection to its own Wi-Fi hotspot to give it your network’s password. After connecting come the usual updates, and it seemed to double up on the process, updating our Adapt and then transferring us to a separate ‘Utilities’ app to upgrade it all over again (though with a much prettier ‘loading’ screen above). It took about 15 minutes to get through all that, but it worked, and soon returned us to the proper ‘Definitive’ app which runs the system.

We also downloaded the generic ‘Play-Fi’ app from DTS, which was absolutely identical other than it differed in its opinion of whether we needed a software upgrade or not. We stuck with the Definitive app’s ruling on this.

In addition to the apps for iOS (see main article) and Android, there are two programs for Windows PCs which can send system audio (all of it) out to either one device (the free software) or from a specific program (so more purely) simultaneously to up to four devices (US$14.99 for this version of the software, just a little rude when you’ve already spent good dollars on a Play-Fi product).

Last year we wrote: “If a new app is released, all our objections could melt away, leaving proper and pretty access to the excellent Definitive Technology speaker units on the end of it.” Happily, that’s exactly what’s happened.

an edge with MusicCast because the system is available in AV receivers and soundbars as well as wireless speakers, well, now so is DTS Play-Fi. You could always use the W Adapt to play into an existing audio system, but now you could buy a new high-quality Anthem AV receiver and use it in a multiroom group with your Def Tech W wireless speakers and soundbar. And while Def Tech will of course much prefer you to buy its own wireless speakers, there are a host of others that could considered while staying within the Play-Fi eco system. It’s the first of the platforms to bear fruit in this way — even Google Cast can’t yet boast hardware brands of this calibre on the market.

Definitive Technology’s ‘W’ Wireless Collection comprises ‘receiver’ units (one to play into existing sound systems, one with amps included), standalone speakers and soundbars with subwoofers — not shown here is the smaller of the two soundbars, the W Studio Micro.

THE W STUDIO/MICRO - $2399/$1599 Definitive Technology has been making high-end soundbars for years, and has made two for its W Collection, the W Studio shown here and reviewed overleaf, and a smaller W Micro unit.

THE W AMP - $949 The ‘add add speakers’ solution in the ‘W’ range, 2 x 150W

by DefTech, and generous on the ins and outs with optical and two analogue inputs, plus analogue outs and LFE.

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The app

So the app is now a pleasure to use, and offers useful ‘help’ overlays so you quickly learn how to find your way around. Using the iPad app, the Definitive app’s master screen retains the previous version’s strange choice to use only part of the screen much of the time — about half when in landscape mode, rather less when vertical. But what’s there is clear, colourful and friendly, showing app icons for your available sources, helpfully labelled ‘Select Your Music’.

The most important button is the small Definitive logo at bottom right — a ‘home’ key which returns you to this main screen or back to your previous bit of browsing.

The first three sources on offer in this row of app logos (see opposite) are ‘Music’ tracks stored on your device, ‘Media Server’ DLNA shares on your network, and Internet Radio.

Immediately apparent on all these was that DTS has chosen to navigate using mainly text, with clear nesting folder navigation (which does use the full screen). Sing hallelujah for this — it’s so fast. Album listings show very small thumbnails, but there’s no waiting for artwork to load as on some rivals, while the need for constant scrolling is reduced because so many listings fit on a page, easily scrolled and with A-Z jump lists appearing on the right for long lists.

Similarly internet radio was one of the quickest to browse we’ve seen, with tabs at the bottom to switch quickly between location-based navigation or listing by genre, favourites, local stations and podcasts. There are prettier internet radio interfaces — TuneIn’s app, say, has colourful graphics for each station — but Play-Fi’s nested folders are much faster.

That boded well for networked music shares, and the ‘Media Server’ found our DLNA shares and happily streamed MP3,

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“All our hesitations last year in recommending the W Series wholeheartedly are entirely overcome — not only by the app, but because DTS has come good on its hopes of bringing other significant brands to the platform..”

AAC and m4a files including purchased iTunes songs, plus WAV and FLAC up to 24-bit 192kHz — but the DTS website notes that anything above CD quality will stream at 16-bit 48kHz for streaming (rather a pity).

There’s no DSD support, and stay clear of Apple Lossless files, which crashed our receiving Adapt unit twice in a row, sticking on a stutter of music like a scratched record and dropping the connection between the device and the app. (Yanking the power to the Adapt was the only way we could get it back.) Stick to the right formats, however, and all worked reliably.

The rest of the colourful icons take you to music services, not all of them available to Australia, so pleasingly (and unusually) we found a settings screen which allowed us to remove music services you don’t want from the list for each device. So farewell then KKBox, SiriusXM and Songza for those not employing a barrier-busting VPN service.

We logged onto our Tidal and Pandora subscriptions, Pandora sounding enjoyable enough shuffling our many artist channels, Tidal even better. The system is a little slow switching between services, and you may return ‘Home’ to see the current track rather than all your music sources — just tap the little ‘music note’ symbol (top right) to get there. When playing you get full screen artwork; it looks great. It should have been like this from the start — we trust the previous app designers got a good slapping.

The Home screen has arrow and +/buttons to, respectively, switch between your different Play-Fi units and to link up Play-Fi units as a group. You can save groups to revisit later. It also looks clear and easy, though since the new app came out we’ve only had one W Series unit at a time, so we haven’t done our usual exhaustive testing on the linking and switching here.

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Navigation From currently playing music (1), touch the little music note symbol to show all your available sources (2). Note the small arrow and +/i buttons which allow pairing and grouping of multiple Play-Fi units. Selecting Pandora, for example, brings up a browsing screen showing all our various created Pandora ‘stations’ (3). As usual we select ‘Shuffle’ to create a mix from our favourite stations, and we enjoy some streaming T. Rex (4). To head back to the main menu, hit the DTS Play-Fi symbol bottom right.

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LIVE IT R SERIES

AVAILABLE IN BLACK, WHITE AND WALNUT

www.kef.com

2 CHANNEL OR MULTI CHANNEL – RICH AND SPACIOUS SOUND POWERED

BY KEF’S UNI-Q. THE CHOICE IS YOURS Please visit www.advanceaudio.com.au for more information

KEF IS PROUDLY DISTRIBUTED

BY ADVANCE AUDIO AUSTRALIA.

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The W Studio Sounding as good as it looks, the W Studio delivers all you’d hope given the company’s longrunning expertise in high-end soundbars.

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eing not only a soundbar and wireless subwoofer but also part of Definitive Technology’s wireless multiroom system, there’s more than just movie sound here — onboard wireless music streaming, full control via smartphone or tablet, and every reason to be optimistic about sound performance given the company’s strong history in soundbars and particularly subwoofers.

The ‘W’ Studio comes with its subwoofer all in the one entertainingly bonkers box, the two elements within this triple-protected by polystyrene, plastic and cloth wrapping. They emerge in some glory, indeed, being beautiful things. The subwoofer is an artistic study in cubes and squares, with a hidden DefTech-blue highlight in its downfiring port. The soundbar is a slim unit having a perfectly square crosssection terminated by lovely solid aluminium end-caps, the 110cm length covered with the company’s usual stretched cloth, punctuated by the five controls shared by all the company’s W wireless multiroom range.

The bar can be wallmounted, or placed straight on a surface, or raised slightly (to fit over a TV base, for example) using magnetic feet which reject attempts to sit them right under the aluminium end caps, but settle happily anywhere else convenient along its length. Should the bar happen to block your

TV’s IR receiver, you can use a supplied IR blaster on a cable from a rear minijack to relay your TV’s remote commands.

Connections can be made in several ways to the W Studio. The best is to plug your sources into the bar via HDMI — there are three inputs and one output. Plugging your sources in this way will ensure the bar receives any Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1-channel surround soundtracks (it includes processing for both).

Set-up was again a cinch, hampered only by things getting fairly tight in the connection bay (pictured below) once you have four HDMI cables snaking their way inside. And unusually for an HDMI-equipped soundbar, the HDMI output doesn’t support ARC (the Audio Return Channel), so if you want to hear any audio from the TV itself — from its own tuner, its smart TV sources or from anything else plugged into the TV directly — you’ll also need to run an optical or analogue cable from TV to soundbar.

Alternatively run that audio cable and leave all your sources plugged into the TV, though even via optical, many TVs will strip surround information down

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IN SUMMARY

Def Tech W Studio wireless soundbar + sub Price: $2399

+ Excellent sound on movies and music + Versatile connections and control - No ARC or lipsync

to stereo, so you may lose spatial information if not actual sound quality unless you use the HDMI. (Note the HDMI sockets are 1.4a spec.)

Either way the Definitive Technology bar can learn the commands from your TV remote so you can continue to use that instead of, or in addition to, the useful remote that comes with this system.

You will need the physical remote control to make sure you’re in the right sound ‘mode’, otherwise the W Studio can play tricks with your music. With the remote control you can choose either ‘Movie’ mode (the default) or ‘Music’ mode, but behind this in the menus you can set each of these with varying amounts of what Definitive Technology calls SSA (Solo Surround Array) Immersion; the defaults are quoted at +10 for Movie mode and +5 for Music, though after a reset the default on our sample was -10 for Music. We reset this to 0, hoping this might mean no messing with the sound (though the manual insists “There is no

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wireless multiroom right setting”). In any case the effect did not seem extreme on music presentation — more useful was the separate control on the remote for bass, an excellent inclusion; the centre point is clearly indicated by LEDs on the soundbar so it’s easy to get back to its default positions.

As hoped, the W Studio does an impressive job of carrying a tune — we beamed stereo tunes from iPad and NAS drive, and there was a rare integration between subwoofer and soundbar holding together the frequency range; Leonard Cohen’s deep vocal emerged as one piece rather than being pulled into bass and midrange elements; bass guitars were solid rather than stretched out or split. Multichannel music from Blu-ray was also impressively rendered, large and wide, its quality far above the achievements of more midrange soundbars.

Sticking to ‘Movie’ mode and dropping the bass a few dB delivered a rich presentation of the ‘Goin’ Your Way’ Sydney Opera House concert by Neil Finn and Paul Kelly, the sound supported by solid bass kick but no bloom.

With actual movies the separate ‘centre’ level control is also useful, to bring up dialogue without increasing overall volume. (There’s also a ‘night’ mode available under the on-screen menu.) When receiving genuine surround signals the drivers in the soundbar did a fine job of maximising its presentation of a 5.1-channel soundtrack through the three pairs of three-inch woofers and three 25mm aluminium dome tweeters. While they don’t seem specially angled under that black cloth, the outer woofers appear to deliver surround information, the next two woofers play the main left and right channels, while the two centre drivers play the centre channel and thereby support strong dialogue. With stereo material all six woofers are used.

One possible issue for users — we could find no lipsync adjustment in the DefTech’s menus; we didn’t need it for TV audio sent via the optical cable to the bar, but it was certainly required for our Blu-ray player going through the bar to the TV. Since the TV can’t bring the video forward in time, we had to rely on our Oppo Blu-ray player to add up to 150ms audio delay to get things together properly. If your source can’t adjust, you could be stuck here.

One of the best recommendations we can offer overall here is that once we had finished testing, we left the DefTech in our system, it just worked, and delivered clear full audio whether for day-to-day TV down the optical cable or for full-on soundtracks from Blu-ray — plus the bonus of Play-Fi streaming and the potential of working as part of a larger multiroom system.

Doubling up as an element of Definitive Technology’s ‘W’ multiroom system and as a sophisticated soundbar and wireless sub solution, the W Studio is a powerful beast, rich in sound, clever in its control of the different sound elements. And a looker.

W7

The $799 W7’s performance impressed for one so usefully small — 15cm wide and about 17cm high and deep. We reviewed it in our previous round-up of multiroom systems, so rather than repeat it, scan the QR code to read it in full online, or type www.avhub.com.au/w7 into your browser of choice. A PDF is also available.

W9

The $1299 W9 challenges for largest speaker unit among all wireless multiroom systems, but is remarkable unobtrusinve for its size, and is among the best one-box solutions we’ve ever heard. Scan the QR code to read it in full, or type www.avhub.com.au/w9 into your browser of choice. A PDF is also available.

IN SUMMARY

Def Tech W Adapt wireless receiver Price: $749

W Adapt We used the W Adapt extensively to test the new Play-Fi app; it’s a small and fairly light receiver unit designed to add W streaming abilities to an existing audio system. There are coaxial and optical digital outputs as well as RCA analogue, and three inputs (one optical, two analogue) plus Ethernet or Wi-Fi connections for all the networking and streaming stuff. The analogue outputs sounded excellent, supplied cables were generous, and there’s a useful mounting kit also included.

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+ Good provision of inputs & outputs + Excellent sound from analogue outputs - Not cheap for a receiver

OVERALL VERDICT We think our point has been made — Definitive Technology’s hardware was already top-notch, while the revised app brings the W series into the very top echelons of wireless multiroom.

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subwoofers

The Revel B110 was a good looker (you know, for a sub), performed well and offered great versatility by tweaking with a computer and software.

Revel Performa 3 B110 Excellent tuning via software allows the very best results from this subwoofer which proved tuneful, fast and powerful above the lowest of infrasonics.

SUMMARY

Revel Performa 3 B110 subwoofer Price: $3845

+ Extremely powerful performance above 25Hz + Tuneful and fast delivery with music + Superb tuning facilities - No effective output at 20Hz - Fairly high 2nd harmonic distortion

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evel’s Performa 3 series B110 subwoofer is a ten-inch unit in an extremely sturdy (25kg) enclosure, finished in a nice black piano gloss (white and walnut are also available). The sturdiness is necessary because the coated paper-pulp cone of the driver has up to 1000W driving its excursions of up to 50mm against the pneumatic suspension of the air locked into this sealed enclosure.

The subwoofer accepts mono or stereo inputs via either RCA sockets or balanced XLR. In addition it has line-level outputs in both forms, with the stereo ones high-pass filtered. There is also a summed mono output in both RCA and XLR form for running the signal through to another subwoofer. There are trigger

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functions and a USB-B socket for use with a computer.

The B110 is supremely controllable, although it might not seem so at first glance. Indeed, the only controls on the back panel are for level and for how the unit is to be switched on and off. There isn’t even a phase reversal switch.

There actually is, but it comes in software form. You download the Revel Low Frequency Optimizer software and install it on a Windows computer.

Then you plug in the subwoofer via that USB socket. With the software you can back up the subwoofer’s existing DSP settings to your computer — or, more commonly, you can use the software to control the subwoofer.

How much? Just about everything you can think of. You can flip the polarity of the subwoofer. You can set the crossover frequency in 1Hz steps to anything between 50 and 200Hz. Don’t like the type of crossover? Choose from 1st, 2nd, 4th or 8th order Butterworth, 4th or 8th order Linkwitz-Riley. This applies both to the subwoofer’s own operation and the subwoofer line-level output provided for daisy-chaining to other subs. Or you can just switch off the crossover.

If you are using this subwoofer in a stereo system with compact main speakers, then it lends a hand by allowing the same options for the high-pass filter for the signal output.

But most importantly, you can set EQ curves to adjust for problems in your room. Among the adjustments is a 10-band parametric equaliser with adjustable centre frequencies and Q (width of effect) settings. There’s provision for comparing measured curves and target curves, and using these to make adjustments. That last requires you doing some measurement using external equipment — the downloadable manual advises on this.

It’s pretty technical, and while some will be interested in doing this, others may require dealer assistance, especially as additional software and a measurement

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Measurements

“fast and tight, never giving the slightest hint of overhang on impulses...” microphone is required. The possibilities are effectively limitless. I used the default out-of-the-box settings first, and then with the EQ manually tweaked by reference to my measurement system.

Performance

The Revel’s response can be tailored using a computer and the supplied software — the blue line is with EQ, orange without.

You know, I kind of fell in love with this subwoofer. It’s reasonably compact, it’s quite pretty (at least as far as subwoofers go), and it had a real presence in our system. With music it was fast and tight, never giving the slightest hint of overhang on impulses, just doing its job of effectively filling in the bottom two octaves of sound.

On movie sound, it delivered excellent levels of slam when required.

On reflection, this ability to go extremely loud tended to mask the relative lack of infrasonic underpinning of the kind offered by my regular subwoofer. But because it was so solid from around 25Hz and up, it produced the psychological effect of full and complete sound. In a way this can actually seem slightly preferable because it wasn’t delivering the sometimes acoustically oppressive effect of high levels of infrasonic sound.

In standard trim (the orange line in the graph above), the measured response was less extended than I had felt from listening, as mentioned in the main review here. The curve adopted a classic parabolic shape, with peak output around 60Hz, and with the range from 40 to 80 hertz essentially flat. By 26Hz, the output

was falling away rapidly. I did some tweaking with the software option, applying a couple of boosts using the EQ facility. This smoothed out the area from 25 to 40Hz (blue line).

I didn’t attempt to boost the output significantly below the point the fast descent commenced — only bad can result from that.

And while it did not deliver some of the deeper components of, for example, the Telarc 1912 cannon, it remained well controlled, with no suggestion of stress.

I’m guessing that the power supply of this subwoofer is optimised for 60Hz power systems, for a moderate amount of 50Hz hum was generated by the system.

When I measured the distortion components for a 30Hz signal (with the output set to 90dBSPL at one metre), the 50Hz output was clearly visible in the frequency spectrum, lower than the level of the second harmonic distortion, but higher than the third harmonic. Had it been a distortion component, it would have been at

I checked the distortion without any EQ applied. The second harmonic distortion was fairly high at the 30Hz test frequency at over 4%, though I can’t say that I noticed this during use. The third harmonic was at a fittingly low 0.4% and higher order distortion products were much lower still.

1.8%. That said, I only ever noticed it when I got up close to the subwoofer’s corner, never once during normal use.

Conclusion

The Revel Performa 3 B110 proved to be a wonderful subwoofer, perhaps not down at the very bottom for those who are not interested in infrasonics, but with its excellent tuning capabilities in particular, it would be hard to find a place in which it would not fit. SD SPECS

Revel Performa 3 B110

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1 In and outs Mono or stereo inputs are via either RCA sockets or balanced XLR, with linelevel outputs in both forms, the stereo ones high-pass filtered. There is also a summed mono output in both RCA and XLR form for easily chaining more subs.

$3845

Drivers: 254mm, forwards firing Enclosure: Sealed Inputs: 1 x stereo line level, 2 x balanced XLR Outputs: 1 x stereo high pass, 2 x balanced XLR high pass, 1 x LFE, 1 x XLR LFE Low-pass crossover: 50-200Hz Quoted power: 1000 watts (RMS) Measured room response (pink noise -6dB): 26-158Hz (no EQ), 23-150Hz (EQ)

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2 Controls The Revel is deceptively simple in having just a volume knob and trigger selector, but you can plug your computer into that USB socket to gain enormous versatility using software.

Level at 20Hz: -18dB (no EQ), -17dB (EQ) Dimensions: 428 x 364 x 342mm Weight: 25.4kg Warranty: Five years (one for amplifier) Contact: Advance Audio Australia Telephone: 02 9561 0799 Web: www.advanceaudio.com.au

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WILSON AUDIO SPECIALTIES SASHA SERIES-2 LOUDSPEAKER

Reviewer Edgar Kramer

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hen a concept, refined then realised, reaches a pinnacle in a particular product, when a great success makes further development seem unfeasible, even impossible, what then? Is it, at that climactic point, perfect? Or is perfection a moving target, seemingly in stasis for slices of time, but soon assaulted by the inevitability of impermanence?

Back in 2009, Wilson Audio Specialties announced a significant re-design of the longrunning and extremely successful WATT/Puppy — then in its highly evolved W/P 8 iteration, which morphed into the substantially more refined Sasha W/P concept. With all its engineering refinements, design improvements and performance rewards, had the Sasha W/P reached that point of critical mass advancement?

Many at the time thought that may have been the case, and this reviewer, thinking so, bought a pair. But of course, in our brutal reality, absolute perfection is only for the delusional...

RAISE THE STAKES The first-gen Sasha W/P expanded on the WATT/Puppy narrative by improving its cabinetry in terms of volume, construction and aesthetic — while still maintaining its dual enclosure truncated pyramid form — and by introducing a new midrange driver necessitating system crossover refinements. It was an all-round success story. Sasha was a shapely lass with an expertly-balanced design of upper and lower cabinet proportions and with a deft mix of slick curves and angles. It graced our listening room for a most enjoyable three years where it also served as our reference speakers until her larger sister, the conjurer Alexia, cast a spell on us.

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DESPITE THE ROOM-FRIENDLY STATURE, THE SASHA SERIES-2 IS A HIGH-POWER DESIGN THAT CAN PRODUCE FULL RANGE SOUND.

Now, five years after its introduction back in 2009, the second iteration of the Sasha W/P hits the market, the Sasha Series-2 taking the sonic mantra of the original to yet another level of conviction.

A number of internal and external changes have been implemented in order to expand on Wilson Audio’s roadmap first ventured by the flagship Alexandria XLF. Firstly, the Sasha Series-2 inherits its own version of the CST tweeter, which has been carried through from the variants in XLF to the Alexia and most recently the Duette Series-2.

The 25mm doped silk-dome Convergent Synergy Tweeter (CST) has been designed to improve on the highly-evolved Focal titanium tweeter as used across many generations of WATT/Puppy and first-gen Sasha. It has been voiced to maintain dynamic prowess and low distortion across a wide bandwidth, reaching as far down as around 1kHz (the large diameter midrange driver has been kept from frequencies much above 1kHz in order to prevent beaming, among other things).

So the family sound in the high frequencies carries a commonality of tone varied only by the relationships borne out of the tweeters’ interactivity in siblings’ different configurations.

Also in common with the rest of the company line-up — and retained from Sasha W/P — is the bespoke 178mm cellulose and paper-pulp composite midrange driver.

The most radical change has been implemented in the new speaker’s rearported upper tweeter/midrange module where engineering efforts have been made to provide further time/propagation alignment more in line with Wilson Audio’s larger models.

Where Sasha W/P featured a number of spikes of different lengths to angle the upper module for acoustic alignment at the listening position, the Series-2 has a two-plane front baffle and a simplified version of the comprehensive alignment system as featured on the Alexia.

Here, a ‘Step Block’ is used in conjunction with a single rear spike (different lengths provided) to angle and align fore and aft for appropriate propagation and acoustic summation at the listening position. This system — which offers more than 20 set-up options — works in conjunction with the designed-for-alignment front baffle where the tweeter is mounted on an angled face with a specific relationship to the midrange driver’s baffle angle, postalignment. As always, the exemplary leatherbound manual includes the alignment tables

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WILSON AUDIO SPECIALTIES SASHA SERIES-2

THE UPPER MODULE FEATURES WILSON AUDIO’S PROPRIETARY ‘X’ AND ‘S’ MATERIALS AS WELL AS SEPARATE ENCLOSURES FOR EACH OF THE DRIVERS.

(although your dealer will be going through those motions — a relatively simple exercise — when the speaker is delivered and set up).

Again, the upper module features Wilson’s proprietary and secretly-guarded ‘S’ material for its panels, aside from the tweeter’s baffle which is made of the ultra-hard ‘X’ material. The bracing strategy has been revised and improved. Twin pairs of custom binding posts connect the upper and lower cabinets via cables that emerge from the bass enclosure’s innards.

The new upper module geometry radically changes the speaker’s profile, making it visually striking if a tad top-heavy and, subjectively, not quite as elegant as the previous-generation speaker.

GOOD VIBRATIONS Changes have also been made to the rear-ported bass enclosure. The speaker still uses twin high quality 200mm Scan-Speak bass drivers, albeit in a reinforced ‘X’ material cabinet. Wilson Audio’s laser vibrometer has been used to design an enhanced enclosure with a bracing system which the company claims has substantially reduced panel resonances — by around 30 percent.

The Sasha Series-2 has been specified to be 92dB efficient at 1-watt/1m/1kHz which makes it 1dB more efficient than the previous version.

In-room average frequency response spans the 20Hz to 27kHz range within a ±3dB window. The system impedance has been quoted as 4 ohms with a minima at 2.7 ohms; this is an easier load than Series-1 and far easier than big sister Alexia. Wilson Audio recommends a minimum of 20 watts of amplification and we would not dispute that — as long as it’s accompanied by high current capacity in order to reap the best bass control and dynamic potential.

Of course Wilson Audio’s automotive high-gloss finishes in standard colours are available for Sasha Series-2, while upgraded finishes have an almost infinite palette of custom colours.

Set-up was a breeze with the speakers’ bass modules, uncrating on pre-installed castors; just wheel them straight into position. Which was pretty much where Sasha ‘The Previous’ proudly stood (and approximately where Alexia is normally positioned). Driving duties were via the more than adequately powerful, current generous and competently-sounding Musical

A number of internal and external changes have been implemented in order to expand on Wilson Audio’s roadmap first ventured by the flagship Alexandria XLF.

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LOUDSPEAKER

Fidelity kW 750 2-box power amp, fed via the sublime new Supratek DHT preamplifier. Sources were the AMR CD-77.1 CD player and MacBook via BitPerfect software using AIFF files. We had also just received the stunning Seraphim cables from ZenSati, and these took the whole thing to another elevated level — a whole ‘nuther story…

Coming from a position of owning the first-gen and then progressing on to the next level, comparisons are not only inevitable but essential and hopefully illuminating, both for reader and reviewer.

As stellar as the Sasha Series-1 was — and it really performed well in all parameters — the Series-2 travels past that horizon and on to a sonic landscape that falls in line with the expanding Wilson Audio ‘family’ sound. So where the previously-used Focal tweeter was an instrument of high resolution that exposed all manner of inadequacies in accompanying hardware and software, the new doped silk tweeter is a more forgiving device that, astoundingly, still manages to retain the perceived resolution, detail and dynamic contrast of its predecessor.

This might seem an almost self-contradictory concept, but the new tweeter — along with its relationship to the midrange driver — has phenomenal resolution while being oh so smooth and, yes, musical (to use a term some engineers scoff at for being an audiophile’s construct). It’s downright utterly natural — any cymbal, bell, the upper harmonics of the snare or trumpet…

Series-2 reproduces them all with such sweetness and naturalness that it approaches the real thing.

Sure, a ribbon may have more incisiveness or even ‘air’ (but not ‘speed’, trust me), but also makes itself more obvious, too evident, while potentially having a more compromised dispersion. No, the CST device just falls in line with verisimilitude; with… truth. That, as far as this writer is concerned, is as much as you could ask of any driver.

And it’s a seamless transition between tweeter and midrange. The inter-driver relationships and crossover design have been progressively improved over the last three generations of W/P and Sasha.

Interestingly, the new speaker’s crossover is even quieter in terms of background noise or hash — as much as this can be a difficult concept to describe and to grasp unless actually experienced.

Sasha Series-2 expresses low level transient information and minutiae succinctly, elevating the sense of being present at a ‘real’ performance.

This quality also allows vocals to sound clear and natural with extraordinary articulation.

You won’t miss a word even from, say, Rickie Lee Jones’ often-slurred incantations.

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WILSON AUDIO SPECIALTIES SASHA SERIES-2

LOUDSPEAKER

SASHA SERIES-2 IS OFFERED IN FOUR FACTORY STANDARD HIGHGLOSS AUTOMOTIVE COLOUR CHOICES. OPTIONAL FINISHES AND AN ENDLESS PALETTE OF CUSTOM COLOURS ARE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST AT ADDITIONAL COST. ‘SEA FOAM’ IS THE CUSTOM COLOUR PICTURED ON THE LEFT.

SPECIFICATIONS SASHA SERIES-2

The Series-2 retains Wilson Audio’s renowned dynamic expression, with the driver providing a sense of slam that balances with the brute force of the twin high-power 200mm bass drivers.

The new enclosure design strategies have paid off with a somewhat tighter bass with a little more transient snap and perceived detail when compared to the already stunning low-end power of Series-1.

It’s an astonishingly well balanced package with overall cut-of-the-same-cloth frequency coherency. Play a Ray Brown, Jaco Pastorius, Brian Bromberg track and you’ll hear a tonally rich and textured bass register with fast transients and deep, brutal dynamic range as seamless segues to the delicacy of piano, brushed percussion or vocals. The Wilson Audio design team has been working hard on this and it shows… the reward is a more seamless overall sonic picture.

Imaging and a wide sonic landscape have been trademarks of the pyramid’s narrow baffle design since its inception around three decades ago. The Series-2 projects a very wide soundstage, as did Series-1, but the tweeter’s balance allows for a more layered depth perspective with

information seemingly present further back beyond the front wall. Image height is also improved; vocalists take on a more realistic stature – in fact, they just ‘float’ just in front of the speaker plane – and overall the soundfield ‘bubble’ is more enveloping in all perspectives.

CONCLUSION With the W/P before it and with the first Sasha concept, Wilson Audio had progressivelly developed a relatively compact loudspeaker that was high-powered, excelled low-and-high (and in-between), was capable of profound frequencywide dynamic impact while projecting an immersive soundfield populated with accuratelyplaced images. Sasha Series-2 maintains or improves those hallmarks while now, new tweeter on-board, the speaker also features a more natural and texturally complex tonality. All this in an attractively styled and finished package with endless colour options.

Nothing is perfect — why else would we need liquid paper and ‘delete’ button. As Leonard Cohen once said, “Forget perfection, everything has a crack, that’s how the light gets in…”

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DRIVE UNITS: 2 × 200mm woofers, 1 × cellulose/paper pulp composite 170mm midrange, 1 × doped silk 25mm tweeter ENCLOSURE: X-material bass enclosure, X- and S-material midrange/ tweeter enclosure FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz-27kHz ±3dB room average response SENSITIVITY: 92dB, 1 watt at 1m, at 1kHz NOMINAL IMPEDANCE: 4 ohms, minimum of 2.17 ohms at 90Hz MINIMUM AMPLIFIER POWER: 20 watts DIMENSIONS (WHD): 1146 x 355 x 562mm WEIGHT: 94kg PRICE: $39,795 in standard automotive colours. Upgrade colours $41,095, custom colours $42,295 WARRANTY: Five years DISTRIBUTOR: Advance Audio Australia on 02 9561 0799, www.advanceaudio.com.au

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REVIEW

VTL

MB-125 MONOBLOC AMPLIFIERS

Reviewer Edgar Kramer

V

acuum Tube Logic, better known as VTL, has been in the business of making outstanding valve amplification products for around a third of a century. It was back in the early 1980s, in South Africa, that father and son team of David and

068

Luke Manley produced quality valve amplification pitched at local professional film and music recording studios. From there, word spread and soon the Manleys were building amplifiers for the domestic market in Europe. Further success, especially after 1986â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CES, saw the company moving to the US for full-scale production on a global scale.

VTL MB-125

MONOBLOC AMPLIFIERS

SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE AND NO SIMPLER The entry point of VTL’s exulted amplification line, the MB-125 monoblocs, are almost diminutive in contrast with the high-end’s almost ubiquitous ‘bigger is better’ approach. Be that as it may, the unpretentious MB-125s are built to very high standards. The amps are as simple as they are elegant, the nicely curved brushed-aluminium fascia featuring a large central smoked-glass window — a viewing porthole to the innards and the glowing glory of the EL34 power and 12AT7 signal valves.

Other than the window to valve goodness, the faceplate’s only departure from total barrenness is a power switch flanked by a small blue LED. Equal simplicity applies to the sparsely populated rear panel where only a single-ended RCA provides signal connectivity, an IEC socket provides AC connection and a well-machined pair of binding posts caters to your speaker cables.

A toggle switch provides the option of running the amplifier in either low-powered triode or full-power tetrode modes. Experimentation here is advised, as the sonic differences between each mode will vary depending on speaker load and character. Generally, it’s thought that for a purer, perhaps more full-bodied presentation you’d choose triode, while more punch and dynamics can be had by running in tetrode mode. But as they say, your mileage may vary…

The MB-125s run in Class-AB1 and are specified as being capable of 55 watts and 100 watts into 8 ohms in triode and tetrode modes respectively, and has been quoted as applying between 20Hz and 20kHz at ±0.1dB. Power increases to 65 watts and 130 watts at 4 ohms. The power specifications derive from an array of four EL34 valves per monobloc, which are driven by two 12AT7s. The amps are quoted as being able to drive down to a 2-ohm impedance load. Input impedance is a high 145 kohms, which makes these amplifiers suitable to run with almost all preamplifiers.

Overall the fit and finish is of a very high standard, and the units feel substantial in terms of their weight and their torsion strength. Care should be taken when lifting the units as they’re disproportionally weighted towards the rear where the substantial custom transformers are housed.

On a side note, VTL is not only about high-level signal amplification. The company’s two-box TL-7.5 preamplifier, now in MkIII iteration, has received universal acclaim as being of reference level and among the very best available. Similar technologies apply to the preamps on lower rungs, so very sound one brand pre/power combinations are on offer.

069

ON THE REAR PANEL, A TOGGLE SWITCH PROVIDES THE OPTION OF RUNNING THE AMPLIFIER IN EITHER LOWPOWERED TRIODE OR FULLPOWER TETRODE MODES.

The VTL MB-125 monos offer an understated elegance mixed with solid engineering and all-American manufacturing (in Chino, not China)

VTL MB-125

MONOBLOC AMPLIFIERS

SIMPLICITY APPLIES TO THE SPARSELY POPULATED REAR PANEL: A SINGLE-ENDED RCA PROVIDES SIGNAL CONNECTIVITY, AND A WELL-MACHINED PAIR OF BINDING POSTS FOR SPEAKER CABLES.

A PERFECT MATCH? In the world of audio, where the pursuit of sonic excellence is achieved via both scientific and creative avenues, the concept of synergy can be either a blessing or a curse. Insert a new component into an existing system and it could be heaven or hell, with the former leading to long-term bliss and the latter to an expensive and bumpy seat in the gear-swapping carousel.

The MB-125 has the reputation, pedigree and specifications to work with an almost universal set of speakers, and they certainly sounded outstanding with the ‘on-paper’ difficult-to-drive Wilson Sasha W/P. Here were two simpatico components that greeted each other, shook hands, and went about producing some of the best sound we’ve had.

OUTPUT POWER: 55 watts Triode and The MB-125s would have 100 watts Tetrode into 8 ohms, 65 watts triode to be one of the sweetest and 130 watts Tetrode into 4-ohms (20Hz–25kHz yet most hard-driving valve ± 0.1dB < 3% THD, stable to 2-ohms) amplifiers around, given its CLASS OF OPERATION: AB1 moderate power rating (we also run a 750-watt solid-state INPUT SENSITIVITY: 0.75V/145 kohms monster — from the sublime to the ridiculous). The amps DIMENSIONS: 400 × 318 × 178mm (WDH) exerted impressive control, PRICE: $8999 a pair not only over the twin highpower 8-inch woofers but with WARRANTY: Two years; six months on valves. the overall sonic presentation, Optional five-year warranty upon registration of especially in the dynamic the product with Advance Audio Australia contrast domain. Demanding DISTRIBUTOR: Advance Audio Australia Pty Ltd musical fare was just a walk in on 02 9561 0799, www.advanceaudio.com.au the park for these amps, the VTLs managing to tread a path

SPECIFICATIONS

070

of profound detail, resolution and instrumental separation, within a warm, full-bodied, yet quite fast and furious sound. Drums and percussion, toms and kick in particular, displayed a ‘roundness’ and a vigorous attack without excess bloom or boom — a more expressive yet less-dry presentation than some high-damping solid-state amplifiers, but one just as powerful-sounding and, in this case, more satisfying.

In that last sense, the MB-125s sound like far more powerful beasts than their specifications would suggest. And that, surprisingly, was in triode operation, our preferred mode of listening, with the tetrode mode bringing a bit more punch while losing some ‘bloom’ and magic in the midrange — just a tad.

And there was plenty of magic in the allimportant midrange. Whether vocals or brass, or the lower violin and upper cello notes — and so much more — the MB-125 monos were always resolute and sweet. Rarely have we experienced such a total lack of grain or etch, and again, stressing the solidity of the images, the large sense of space, the superb instrumental separation and the surprising dynamic modulation.

In our experience, some amplifiers at this price point exhibit a limitation of some form; sometimes it’s a touch too much bass bloom (possibly associated with cost savings and compromises in the transformer design) or a coloration or lack of transparency in the mids or highs (the association there may be related to circuit and component compromises). The MB-125s just played music; always involving, always utterly listenable.

CONCLUSION In our opinion, having at least one item in the system chain sporting valve circuitry brings the magic. The crowded Australian market offers plenty of valve amplifiers, and certainly a whole host of budget fare in over-the-topbling livery from China. But what the VTL MB-125 monos offer is an understated elegance mixed with solid engineering and all-American manufacturing (in Chino, not China).

Few amplifiers have had the impact or had our reference system singing to the triumphant levels that the visually unassuming MB-125s have. Call it synergy, within the microcosm of my reference system, or call it all-round potential excellence in the audio world at large. One thing’s for sure — shopping at this price point and not trying the MB-125s is totally at your peril because, in the world of the high-end, the VTL MB-125 little monos are one hell of a bargain.

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071

ON TEST

Hegel H160 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

H

egel is a Norwegian company which had a rather strange beginning. ‘Way back in 1988 Bernt Holter, a young electrical engineering student at the Technical University in Trondheim (NTNU), was paying his way through uni by playing in a heavy metal band called ‘The Hegel Band’.

As the band became more successful and started playing larger and larger venues, it needed more powerful amplifiers, so Holter decided to build them himself, using a new amplifier topology based on a circuit he’d developed for a thesis in which he’d proved that it was possible to reduce distortion in an audio amplifier without adversely affecting other performance parameters, in particular frequency response and damping factor (the circuit he developed is now trademarked by Hegel as ‘SoundEngine Technology’).

Australian

Rather than build ‘one-off’ amps, he decided the circuit was so good it deserved to be built into fully commercial products, capable of being mass-produced, so Holter negotiated a partnership with one of the biggest telecommunications companies in the world, the Telenor Group, which is based in Oslo, Norway, but has mobile operations in 13 markets under its own name and in another 14 markets in partnership with VimpelCom Ltd. In all, Telenor manages more than 390 million mobile subscriptions.

Of course the new company required a name, so Holter decided on using his band’s name for both the name of the company and the brand name of the amplifiers. Thus it was that Hegel Music Systems came into being.

THE EQUIPMENT Hegel variously identifies the H160 as either an ‘integrated amplifier’ or a ‘Music Machine’

072

depending on where you look on its website and although the latter label suits it the best, it doesn’t really describe exactly what it is, because as well as being an integrated amplifier, the H160 has a DAC built in as well. It would be better to call it a ‘Amplidac’ as this is the label that describes most precisely exactly what the H160 is and what it does, but unfortunately this word has yet to enter the audiophile lexicon, despite the attempts of Australian Hi-Fi’s editor to popularise it. (I’ll get there in the end… Editor.) Essentially the Hegel H160 is an integrated amplifier with an inbuilt DAC that has both hard-wired inputs (analogue, digital and USB) and a streamer, so it can stream music wirelessly from any Apple AirPlay or DLNA device (though you do need to provide your own network—the H160 can’t do everything entirely on its own!)

As an integrated amplifier, the Hegel H160 is rated with an output of 150-watts per

Newport Test Labs

Hegel H160 Integrated Amplifier

Power Output: Single channel driven into 8-ohm, 4-ohm and 2-ohm non-inductive loads at 20Hz, 1k and 20kHz. [Hegel H160]

channel into 8Ω (or 250-watts per channel into 4Ω) and has one balanced (XLR) input, one unbalanced (RCA) input and a single ‘home theatre’ (RCA) input. It also has two line-level analogue outputs (one fixed voltage, the other variable voltage) plus of course, speaker-level analogue outputs in the form of the usual colour-coded multi-way bananacapable terminals. They’re not on standard 19mm centres, so you can’t use dual Pomona banana connectors.

As a DAC, the Hegel H160 has six digital inputs: one coaxial digital input, three optical (Toslink) digital inputs, one USB (Type B) input and an Ethernet (RJ45) input. It also doesn’t use one of the ‘usual suspects’ ICs from Burr-Brown or Cirrus Logic, but instead uses an Asahi Kasei AK4396 192kHz/24-bit 128× oversampling delta-sigma device… one that has full differential SCF outputs, so there’s no need for Hegel to use any coupling capacitors.

As a Streamer, Hegel says on its website— and I quote—‘You can also stream wireless music to it from devices with Apple AirPlay or DLNA’ but this is not strictly true, because you have to use the Hegel’s Ethernet connection to link to a wireless router, and it’s only after doing this that you can interface with UPnP and DLNA clients or Apple AirPlay.

Note also that the Hegel H160 is a passive recipient of whatever music you send to it as data via Ethernet (or USB). It can’t request music from any of the components on your network, wired or wireless. Personally, I prefer this approach, because it means you don’t have yet another renderer in a system, meaning the renderers can be on other devices—devices that are more easily changed, upgraded and/or updated.

As you can see, the front panel of the H160 is beautifully simple and elegant: two large rotary encoders flanking a display with

a deep ‘blue on black’ readout. The only other thing on the front panel is a standard 6.35mm headphone socket. Unlike most headphone sockets, lurking behind the one on the H160 is a full low-impedance, highcurrent headphone drive circuit. I tested this fairly early on in the reviewing process with every pair of headphones I had at my disposal, including the in-ear Sennheisers I use when I’m at the gym, and the H160 made every pair sound brilliant: no noise, no distortion, and more power than I’d ever need.

Would that all amplifiers had headphone circuits this good!

Inside the amplifier are a multiplicity of what Hegel refers to as ‘technologies’ so you have ‘Dual Amp Technology’, ‘Dual Power Technology’, ‘Line Drive Technology’, ‘Masterclock Technology’ and others. I don’t know why Hegel calls these ‘technologies’ (maybe this is just an issue with the translation from Norwegian to English) but I think they’re more akin to being ‘features’ than ‘technologies’… which is not to say they aren’t great features. For example, let’s look at what ‘Dual Amp’ means: In most amplifiers the voltage gain stages and current gain stages are combined in the same amplifier section. Hegel’s ‘DualAmp’ approach splits the voltage gain and current gain stages into two completely different stages. According to Hegel’s Bernt Holter, this has significant advantages. ‘First, the music signal goes to the voltage gain stage, amplifying only the voltage level of the music signal, and by doing only voltage gain in this first stage, we can use amplifier building blocks that are specially designed to do voltage amplification,’ he told me. ‘Then the following current gain stage has only to do the current gain and nothing else, allowing us to use amplifier blocks that are specially designed to do current gain. Finally, there’s no feedback from the current gain stage to the voltage gain stage, which results in lower distortion and a higher dynamic range than normal audio amplifiers.’

Hegel’s ‘Dual Power’ approach ensures that the voltage gain and current gain stages are fed by completely separate power supplies. Hegel says it uses custom-designed toroidal power transformers with dual secondary windings, with each winding feeding independent high-speed rectifiers and high-capacity power supply capacitors so the voltage rails for the voltage and current stages are completely isolated from each other.

According to Holter, his ‘SoundEngine’ approach ‘combines the advantages of Class-AB amplifiers and the advantages of Class-A amplifiers without any of their drawbacks and without any global

ON TEST

feedback.’ The patented circuitry apparently cancels crossover distortion by using local feedback in combination with adaptive feedforward circuitry.

The ‘LineDriver’ seems to be a differential balanced output stage that has a low output impedance and a high-current capability, so if you need to run signal wires a long way you’ll get reliable, noise-free performance almost irrespective of the length or design of the cables you’re using. Of the other Hegel technologies inside the H160, there wasn’t sufficient information on the company’s website for me to understand how the company’s approach to, say, clocking, was different from other companies. One exception was the Hegel’s DAC technology.

HEGEL H160

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER Brand: Hegel Model: H160 Category: AmpliDAC RRP: $6,195 Warranty: Five Years Distributor: Advance Audio Australia Pty Ltd Address: Unit 8, 509–529 Parramatta Rd Leichhardt NSW 2040 (02) 9561 0799 sales@advanceaudio.com.au www.advanceaudio.com.

• Silky sound • Endless power on tap • Exciting dynamics

• Balance control • Analogue inputs

LAB REPORT Readers interested in a full technical appraisal of the performance of the Hegel H160 should continue on and read the LABORATORY REPORT published on page 24.

Readers should note that the results mentioned in the report, tabulated in performance charts and/or displayed using graphs and/ or photographs should be construed as applying only to the specific sample tested.

Lab Report 073

avhub.com.au

ON TEST

Hegel H160 Integrated Amplifier

Newport Test Labs

Whereas most manufacturers use asynchronous upsampling to convert digital audio data to analogue audio signals, Hegel uses synchronous upsampling, which it claims results in higher resolution, reduced distortion and much lower jitter.

IN USE AND LISTENING SESSIONS I didn’t really think too much about the Hegel’s analogue inputs until I hooked the H160 into my system and, after I had connected the output from my phono preamp, and that from my SACD player, I realised there were no analogue inputs left for my DVD player’s audio output or for the audio output from my external DAC (I couldn’t use the ‘theatre’ input because it bypasses the Hegel H160’s volume control). Hegel would no doubt recommend I should instead connect the SPDIF output from my SACD player to one of the digital inputs on the H160 and also get rid of my DAC and plug my computer straight into the H160 as well, which would then create a spare analogue input for the output of my DVD player. Well, yes… I could do that, but I’m rather fond of the sound of both my SACD player and my DAC… that’s why I bought them in the first place. Given that there’s plenty of room on the rear panel, maybe two more analogue inputs would not have gone astray (and maybe an AES-17 digital input while they’re at it). But if, like most people these days, most of your sources are now digital, the H160 has more than enough inputs to keep you happy.

Once I’d hooked up, I pulled out the remote… and what a great remote it is. It’s obviously made by Hegel, being formed from extruded aluminium with custom buttons (and button layout) on it. Eagerly pressing a few buttons, I discovered the remote didn’t work. It took a Philips-head screwdriver and the removal of four screws to discover the reason: no batteries. Nor does Hegel provide batteries… you’re expected to supply two of your own AAA batteries. This isn’t a very customeroriented approach, and I’d fully expect that

Australian

Power Output: Both channels driven into 8-ohm, 4-ohm and 2-ohm non-inductive loads at 20Hz, 1k and 20kHz. [Hegel H160] Australian retailers will make sure you don’t leave the store without a two-pack of goodquality Eveready Alkaline batteries… gratis.

Anyway, once I’d supplied and loaded my own batteries, the remote worked perfectly.

However, it did then take me a while to work out what buttons did what because Hegel’s Owners’ Manual identifies the buttons by numbers… and there are no matching numbers on the remote. It must be some sort of strange Norwegian logic. As it happens, of the 15 buttons on the remote, it turns out that most are dedicated for use with other Hegel components, so there are only six buttons that operate in conjunction with the H160: volume up/down; input source selection; front panel display on/off; and mute on/off. Speaking of muting, the circuit works perfectly: one of the few I’ve seen that does, because when the H160 is muted, if you touch the front panel volume control, the muting disengages, which is proper operation for this function. On most other amps, it doesn’t, which can lead to speaker damage.

You can, of course, operate the H160’s most important functions using the two front-panel rotary controls. The left-most is for input source switching. It’s an electronic selector with continuous rotation. If you rotate it to the right it will toggle through the inputs in the following order: bAl, Anl, Ht, col, OP1, OP2, OP3, USb, and NEt. And if you’re wondering about the weird upper/lower case mix I used in the previous sentence, I did it that way to try to replicate what the display looks like, and demonstrate why I found it sometimes hard to read. It comes about because the display Hegel is using is an old-fashioned seven-segment type designed for displaying numbers, not characters, which means an ‘8’ would look exactly like a capital ‘B’. This is the reason for Hegel’s ‘creative’ use of upper and lower case. It does require a stretch of the imagination to realise that col stands for Coaxial 1 though. You certainly won’t have any trouble seeing the display from a distance, because each numeral is around 1.5 centimetres high and shines a very bright blue. If you’re operating the H160 with the display turned off, it will briefly turn on whenever you use one of the controls so you can see what you’re doing, after which it will switch off again. The mains power switch for the H160 is located underneath the unit, just in front of the left-most front support foot. It’s large, with a ‘soft-push’ action that makes it easy to find and to use. Its hidden location will stop people using your hi-fi system who you’d rather didn’t use it!

I knew I was in for a great listening session right from the opening moments of 5 Seconds of Summer’s album ‘LiveSOS’ which contains tracks recorded on the group’s 2014 world tour, apparently recorded mostly in Los Angeles. The first track is 18, but before the

If, like most people these days, most of your sources are now digital, the H160 has more than enough inputs to keep you happy, but a few more analogue inputs would be nice...

074

Hegel H160 Integrated Amplifier

band starts playing, I could hear the ambience of the stadium and then, as the crowd starts cheering and screaming, the Hegel H160 caused individual voices in the crowd to stand out with breathtaking clarity. Then comes the drum intro by Ashton Irwin followed by the distorted, screaming guitars of Michael Clifford and Luke Hemmings, all underpinned by the solid bass of Calum Hood. It’s a track that begs you to turn up the volume and I did, progressively, as my speakers begged for more, and the Hegel H160 willingly obliged… power on tap. By the time we got to the line ‘I’ll make my move when I get older’ which prefaces first a guitar solo, then a crowd chant accompanied by a bass solo, I was pretty much up at concert-volume levels and everything was sounding fabulous, I had such a good feeling about the music that I was not just tapping my foot, but also air-drumming into the bargain. Real music! Fabulous!

There are 15 tracks in all on LiveSOS and they’re all great. If you dismissed 5SOS as a ‘boy band’ because they gained fame by touring with One Direction, do yourself a favour and take time out to listen to this album, most particularly if you like rock ‘n roll. All except four tracks were written by the band, and they’re all great, and the musicianship demonstrated on this album shows they certainly know their way around their instruments. Sure the boys play up to their mostly teenage female audience (all of whom know all the lyrics and sing along tunefully most of the time), but why should we blame them for that? They show a great sense of humour too, playing a great (and fast!) cover of Greenday’s American Idiot for the LA audience. At the end of this CD I put my hand on the top of the H160, because I’d been thrashing it, but it felt only moderately warm to the touch, so it doesn’t appear there will be any problem with heat dissipation, despite the fact that the heat-sinking is all internal and there is no cooling fan.

Following LiveSOS it was on to the gentler and more acoustic sounds of Sahara Beck on her album ‘Bloom’ and in this sparser, far-

Newport Test Labs

ON TEST

Power Output: Single and both channels driven into 8-ohm, 4-ohm and 2-ohm non-inductive loads at 20Hz, 1kHz and 20kHz. [Hegel H160] cleaner musical environment the Hegel H160 proved itself beautifully transparent and totally whisper-quiet. I was loving the way it delivered the guitar sound and Beck’s voice on her song Brother Sister, then transfixed by the way the amplifier caused my speakers to explode into life in the chorus. The exceptionally-good transient performance was also demonstrated in this track, with the hand-claps, synth effects and percussion reproduced perfectly. Pretender introduces Jasper Lambert’s down-tuned bass and I was left in no doubt about the H160’s ability to deliver tuneful low frequencies, pitched exactly and with exact timing. The Hegel also showed its ability to deliver the true sound of a piano (albeit one in need of a good tune!) on the track The Creators. Beck is an amazing talent, and it’s not only her voice that’s good: her lyrics are wise beyond her years and her melodies owe nothing to anyone.

I trialled the digital inputs of the Hegel H160 first using some great historic hi-res recordings I own that were made here in Melbourne by none other than Kostas Metaxas on his modified battery-powered Stellavox SM8, then transferred to disc as 48kHz/16-bit WAV files. Allowing for the eclectic nature of the music and the fact that all the performances (with

performers of various talents) were ‘first takes’ in front of live audiences, the sound quality is outstandingly good, but more important is the way Kostas captured the ‘you are there’ feeling and the total realism of the sound. What I find amazing is that despite the recordings being only ‘a little bit’ better than CD quality (technically-speaking), the ‘sound’ itself is so much better than CD. Speaking of ‘better than CD’ I trialled ‘true’ high-res—and the DAC section of the Hegel H160—by playing ‘03’ from Katzenberger Productions [www.katzenberger-music.com], a recording of the Kalnein/Gille/Sieverts/ Burgwinkel Quartet (they don’t get many gigs because no-one can fit their name on the signboards outside) playing works by Heinrich Von Kalnien, captured at 24/192, and achieving a dynamic range score of DR19. Although I am not a fan of the ‘sound’ of this type of jazz quartet (two reed instruments, string and percussion) this is a ‘must have’ Blu-ray disc because the sound will make your jaw drop… literally. (Plus you can compare with exactly the same performance on CD, because Katzenberger provides both discs in the same package.) The tenor saxophone sound on 03, in particular, is absolutely brilliant and so realistic that my neighbour commented on how much my sax playing had improved and asked when I’d started playing with a band. He was fairly disbelieving when I told him my sax playing hadn’t improved, and what he’d actually heard was just hi-res music played through a great hi-fi system.

CONCLUSION Hegel’s advertising blurb for the H160 is: “connect whatever you want and make it sound as good as it can”, and for once I agree with the advertising blurb, because the Hegel H160 is an absolutely outstanding amplifier, which would be a bargain at its asking price even if you didn’t get a top-quality DAC into the bargain as well. The icing on the cake is that it’s one of the classiest-looking, most wife-friendly high-end Blake Gelle amplifiers I have ever seen.

One of the classiest-looking and most wife-friendly hi-end amplifiers I have ever seen LAB REPORT ON PAGE 24

Australian

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Hegel H160 Integrated Amplifier

LAB REPORT CONTINUED

LABORATORY TEST REPORT On Newport Test Labs’s test bench, the power output of the Hegel H160 was measured at 150-watts (21.7dBw) per channel, both channels driven into 8Ω right across the frequency band, from 20Hz to 20kHz. With only a single channel driven, maximum output increased to 173-watts (22.4dBw) across almost the entire audio band, but decreased to 157-watts (21.9dBw) at 20kHz. When the H160’s output was measured into 4Ω loads, it delivered 240-watts (23.8dBw) per channel, both channels driven, at 1kHz, but managed only 203-watts (23.0dBw) at 20Hz and 217-watts (23.3dBw) at 20kHz. With only a single channel driven into 4Ω loads, the Hegel H160 delivered more than 250-watts (23.9dBw) right across the audio band.

Although the H160 didn’t quite manage to reach its spec’d output of 250-watts both channels driven into 4Ω, it fell only 0.1dB short, and was likely the result of Newport Test Labs not keeping the mains power stable at 240-volts (you can see that during the entire duration of testing, the mains voltage varied between 237-volts and 251-volts).

The laboratory also tested the Hegel H160’s power output into 2Ω loads, for which Hegel does not provide a rating, into which load it delivered more than 220-watts (23.4dBw) per channel at all frequencies with both channels driven, and more than 276-watts (24.4dBw) per channel at all

frequencies when only one channel was driven. For the exact results, check out the tabulated results, or for a general overview, the accompanying bar graphs illustrate the power output graphically.

Harmonic distortion was measured using non-inductive 8Ω and 4Ω loads and a 1kHz test frequency. The results at a power output of one watt are shown in Graph 1 (8Ω load) and Graph 2 (4Ω load). Performance is clearly superior into 8Ω loads, with all harmonics except for the 2nd (at –93dB/0.022%) and 3rd (at –77dB/0.0141%) harmonics more than 110dB down (0.0003%). This amounted to an overall summed THD+N result of 0.009%—an excellent result. You can see harmonic distortion increased at the lower load impedance, with the 2nd harmonic increasing to –80dB (0.01%) and the 3rd to –78dB (0.0125%). The higher harmonics also increased slightly in level, but all except the 5th harmonic were more than 100dB down (0.001%).

Note that the noise floor across most of the audio range was sitting down at around –130dB. It was only at low frequencies that it increased, but was still almost entirely below –100dB (visible at the extreme left of the graph). Importantly, all these harmonics are low-order, which sound ‘good’ to the human ear, whereas higher-order harmonics are most often perceived as contributing harshness to the sound.

Hegel H160 Amplifier/DAC — Power Output Test Results Channel

Load (Ω)

20Hz (watts)

20Hz (dBW)

1kHz (watts)

1kHz (dBW)

20kHz (watts)

20kHz (dBW)

1

8Ω

173

22.4

173

22.4

157

21.9

2

8Ω

150

21.7

150

21.7

150

21.7

1

4Ω

250

23.9

250

23.9

250

23.9

2

4Ω

203

23.0

240

23.8

217

23.3

1

2Ω

276

24.4

278

24.4

348

25.4

2

2Ω

220

23.4

220

23.4

264

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Note: Figures in the dBW column represent output level in decibels referred to one watt output.

Hegel H160 Amplifier/DAC — Laboratory Test Results Test

Measured Result

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Frequency Response @ 1 watt o/p

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Frequency Response @ 1 watt o/p

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Channel Separation (dB) Channel Balance Interchannel Phase THD+N

89dB / 91dB / 60dB 0.01dB 0.02°/ 0.2°/ 3.74° 0.009% / 0.011%

(20Hz / 1kHz / 20kHz) dB @ 1kHz degrees ( 20Hz / 1kHz / 20kHz) @ 1-watt / @ rated output

Signal-to-Noise (unwghted/wghted)

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80

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Power Consumption

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Mains Voltage Variation during Test

237 – 251

Minimum – Maximum

Total harmonic distortion at rated output was much higher, as I would expect. This time there are fewer differences in distortion between the two load impedances, as you can see from Graph 3 (which shows distortion when the Hegel H160 is delivering 150-watts into 8Ω) and Graph 4 (250-watts into 4Ω).

On these graphs, second harmonic distortion hovers around –84dB (0.0063%) and third harmonic distortion at around –65/75dB (0.0562/0.0177%). Although higher-order harmonic components are now visible, they’re all around 100dB down (0.001%) or more, and so would not contribute to the sound. (Indeed the lower-order harmonics are so low in level that it’s arguable that even these would make an audible contribution to sound quality.) What’s most noticeable on these graphs is that the amplifier’s noise floor has for the most part (above 2kHz) dropped to more than 140dB down, and the low-frequency components of the noise (most likely to be mains hum and harmonics) is around 120dB down. Excellent performance.

Intermodulation distortion (CCIF-IMD) is shown in Graph 5. There are some highfrequency IMD products visible either side of the two test signals (the ‘spikes’ at 19kHz and 20kHz) but the two highest are 90dB down (0.003%) and the others are more than 100dB down (0.001%). The unwanted IMD product at 1kHz is around 93dB down, so just 0.0022% which, although it’s measureable, is so low in level that it would be totally inaudible.

The overall wideband signal-to-noise ratios of the Hegel H160 were measured by Newport Test Labs as being 82dB (unweighted) and 88dB (weighted) referenced to an output of one watt, and at 102dB (unweighted) and 107dB (A-weighted) referenced to rated output. All figures are excellent, and the two latter results exceed Hegel’s specification, which indicates the S/N should be ‘greater than 100dB’ referenced to rated output.

Frequency response was excellent, showing that the Hegel H160 is a very wideband device. Newport Test Labs measured the H160’s frequency response as extending from 5Hz to 102kHz ±0.5dB, with the –3dB down-points of the response at 3Hz and 170kHz. Across the audio band, the response was even flatter again, as you can see from Graph 6, which shows the response into both a standard non-inductive 8Ω laboratory test load (black trace) and also into a load that simulates that which would be presented to the H160 by a typical two-way, bookshelf bass-reflex loudspeaker. As you can see, the black trace extends from 20Hz to 40kHz ±0.01dB and the red trace from 20Hz to 40kHz ±0.15dB. These are outstanding results and led me to believe that the amplifier’s damping factor would also be high, which it proved to be, CONTINUED

Australian

076

LAB REPORT

Hegel H160 Integrated Amplifier

with Newport Test Labs measuring a factor of 80 at 1kHz. This is far from being the equal of Hegel’s specification of 1,000 but it’s more than sufficient to provide adequate damping with any loudspeaker system (based on tests conducted by Floyd E. Toole at the National Acoustics Laboratory of Canada).

Channel separation was excellent almost right across the frequency band, averaging around 90dB, but diminished in the uppermost octave, dropping to 60dB at 20kHz, presumably the result of some high-frequency inductive coupling between the channels.

Channel balance was a good 0.16dB. Crosschannel phase was also good right across the audio band, again increasing only in the uppermost octave, returning 3.74° at 20kHz. The results of the square wave testing performed by Newport Test Labs were outstandingly good, as you can see by the accompanying oscillograms. There’s only a minor tilt on the 100Hz square wave top, which shows the low-frequency response doesn’t quite extend to d.c., but no bending of the top, showing excellent group delay. The 1kHz wave is impecdBFS 0.00

Newport Test Labs

cable: the output waveform was indistinguishable from the input waveform. The same was almost true of the 10kHz square wave, except that there’s the tiniest bit of rounding on the leading edge, but this is a superb result for this test frequency. When the output is loaded capacitatively there’s a substantial overshoot and some extended ringing, but this settles fairly quickly, so the amplifier would be completely stable into any loudspeaker load.

Interestingly for a European product, the Hegel H160 doesn’t have a standby mode, but even if you leave it switched on all the time (muted, or with the volume control set at minimum) power consumption is relatively low, at just over 35-watts. When the amplifier is in use, it will pull around 72-watts from your mains supply, so it’s pretty efficient, but if you work it hard, power consumption will increase to nearly 500-watts.

The Hegel H160 is a very well-designed amplifier. It has high power output, low distortion, extremely wide bandwidth, and is capable of driving even the most diffiSteve Holding cult loudspeaker loads. dBFS 0.00

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Graph 2: Total harmonic distortion (THD) at 1kHz at an output of 1-watt into a 4-ohm non-inductive load, referenced to 0dB. [Hegel H160 Amplifier/DAC]

Graph 1: Total harmonic distortion (THD) at 1kHz at an output of 1-watt into an 8-ohm non-inductive load, referenced to 0dB. [Hegel H160 Amplifier/DAC]

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Graph 3: Total harmonic distortion (THD) at 1kHz at rated output (150 watts) into an 8-ohm non-inductive load, referenced to 0dB. [Hegel H160 Amplifier/DAC]

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Graph 5: Intermodulation distortion (CCIF-IMD) using test signals at 19kHz and 20kHz, at an output of 1-watt into an 8-ohm non-inductive load, referenced to 0dB. [Hegel H160]

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Graph 6: Frequency response of line input at an output of 1-watt into an 8-ohm non-inductive load (black trace) and into a combination resistive/inductive/capacitive load representative of a typical two-way loudspeaker system (red trace). [Hegel H160 Amplifier/DAC]

077

ON TEST

Clearaudio Performance DC TURNTABLE

C

learaudio now makes the world’s third most expensive turntable, its mighty ‘Statement’, which will set you back around $237,190 here in Australia. I was once offered one for free, by none other than Clearaudio’s Robert Suchy.

There was a catch though… I had to remove the assembled turntable from the demonstration room at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas by myself. And, since Clearaudio’s Statement turntable weighs a touch over 350kg, I didn’t even try.

Having now experienced the performance of the Clearaudio Performance DC, I am rather hoping Suchy makes me a similar offer when next I turn up in one of Clearaudio’s demo rooms at an upcoming show in the US, or Europe, or Australia… though, since the Performance DC weighs only 13.5kg, I know that he won’t!

Luckily, whereas I have never been in a position where I could actually afford to buy a Statement, that certainly isn’t the case with the Clearaudio Performance DC, which is not only a fantastic turntable, but also fabulous value for money, especially in the only form

Australian

that it’s available here in Australia, which is ‘packaged’ with Clearaudio’s new Clarity tonearm (also available separately for $2,095) and the Mark 2 version of Clearaudio’s Virtuoso MM phono cartridge (also available separately for $1,195). This means that in effect, the Performance DC turntable itself has an RRP of only $2,705!

THE EQUIPMENT At first glance, the Clearaudio Performance DC looks like an ordinary turntable, but don’t be deceived, because it’s anything but. Underneath that POM platter (so there’s some high-tech right from the start, because ‘POM’ is the abbreviation for a pretty cool synthetic thermoplastic known as polyoxymethalene) you will find that there is no turntable pressure bearing. Instead the platter floats on a magnetic field and is prevented from wandering away from its 33.33rpm orbit by a lubricated ceramic shaft. Indeed the only thing that’s conventional about the platter is that it’s driven by a rubber belt that is in turn motivated by a pulley fixed to the shaft of a d.c. motor, rather than the synchronous a.c. motors that are used in many turntables.

078

Although you can fit any arm you like to the Performance DC, it seems the most usual choice by hi-fi dealers and audiophiles alike is Clearaudio’s own Clarify tonearm, which is why it’s now pre-fitted to Australian models.

This arm, too, is a ‘high-tech’ mechanism because it sports a carbon-fibre arm-tube and is suspended via magnets, rather than the more usual gimbal bearings. According to Clearaudio, using magnetic bearings eliminates bearing chatter, which enables the Clarify to, in the company’s words, ‘function much like a unipivot design but with superior stability.’

And although you can fit any phono cartridge you like to the Clarify, most audiophiles opted for Clearaudio’s own Virtuoso MM phono cartridge, now in its ‘Version 2’ guise, which sees improvements including an ebony housing for less colouration and more natural sound, even-more powerful magnets and a higher output voltage (3.6mV at 1kHz re 5cm/s)… which is why it’s now fitted as standard to Australian models of the Performance DC. The Virtuoso MM’s cantilever is aluminium and the diamond stylus is a double-polished elliptical design.

Clearaudio Performance DC Turntable

IN USE AND PERFORMANCE In common with most high-end turntables, the Clearaudio Performance DC requires some assembly (actually, make that ‘a lot of assembly’) before you can begin using it, though if you buy the standard package, the Clarify tonearm will be installed in the plinth, the Virtuoso V2 cartridge installed and correctly aligned in the tonearm, and both the tracking weight and the anti-skating force will have been correctly adjusted.

Indeed depending on the dedication of your dealer, you may even find that the three rotational speeds have been calibrated as well!

But if your Clearaudio Performance DC arrives in a box, the first thing you’ll have to do is locate and identify all the parts in the packaging. Then you’ll have to remove the protective sleeve from the ceramic bearing, and put precisely two drops of the supplied synthetic bearing oil on the bearing. Once you have done this, you should wash your hands thoroughly to make sure there’s not a trace of oil remaining, after which you should then slide the main magnetic bearing down over the ceramic bearing. After having done that, you’ll then need to slide the sub-platter down over the magnetic bearing. Finally, after you’ve done this, you will need to don the pair of white cotton gloves provided and carefully wrap the rubber belt around the sub-platter, after which you can place the main POM platter over the sub-platter.

I realise that in the previous paragraph I blithely said that you only have to ‘slide’ the various parts down, when in fact you will actually need to wait a considerable length of time for each ‘slide’ to complete, because all the parts are so well-machined, and with such fine tolerances, that the parts don’t just ‘drop’ down as with almost all other turntables. On the other hand, these superfine tolerances also mean you have to be very careful to align things perfectly before each ‘slide’, and under no circumstances should you ever try to ‘speed things up’ by forcing one component down over another.

One of the first things that struck me when assembling the turntable was that because the bearing is ‘upside down’ (as it were), it seemed to me that the oil you place on the ceramic shaft to lubricate it will, in the fullness of time, migrate downwards to the opening at the bottom, meaning that the oil will need to be ‘topped up’ at regular intervals. I suspect that this time period will be quite long, because the space between the magnetic bearing and the ceramic shaft is so small that surface tension should ensure the bearing remains lubricated. However, because my interest was piqued, I decided to pose the

question of lubrication intervals to Clearaudio’s Australian distributor, Advance Audio.

Its Marketing Operations Technologist, Nigel Ng, told me: ‘Clearaudio recommends once a year for inverted spindles or if speed variations are observed.’ So that won’t become too onerous a task then!

The second thing that struck me was that the tonearm did not appear to have an anti-skating device fitted. This necessitated a trip to the manual, which informed me that the Clarify did indeed have anti-skating, and that I had to adjust it by looking underneath the turntable, at the base of the arm post.

The manual also helpfully informed me that the anti-skating was preset at 2.4 grams, and that if I wished to change it, I should do so in conjunction with Clearaudio’s own test record (LPT43039), available at www.analogshop.de Unfortunately, when I accessed the ‘Test Record’ section of this site, it didn’t tell me which of the six LPs available was the one I should use to calibrate my anti-skating… though I guessed it most likely was not the ‘Didgeridoo Percussion Mystic’ test record!

It possibly could have been the ‘Trackability’ test record, but since the only advice the supposedly ‘English-language’ version of the analogshop website could give me was (and I quote): ‘Je höher der erreichte Wert, desto besser ist die jeweilige Tonarm-/Tonabnehmerkombination’, I really wasn’t prepared to spend 50 Euros just on the off-chance. So, in the end, I did what I probably should have done in the first place and again contacted the ever-helpful Nigel Ng, who informed me that the test LP I needed was available from Advance Audio for $125. In the end, however, I used my own Shure ERA IV record, which confirmed that Clearaudio’s factory setting was right on the money.

Because I am a bit pedantic about such things (editors are paid to be pedantic), I also decided to check the speed accuracy of the Clearaudio Performance DC. I could not check the accuracy of the 78 rpm speed, because I don’t have a 78 rpm test record, but I was able to check the accuracy at 45 rpm and 33.33 rpm. At 78 rpm, the rotational speed was exact, but at 33.33 rpm the speed was just a smidgeon fast… not so fast that I noticed when playing ordinary music LPs, but fast enough to get an almost imperceptible movement on a strobe card. Around the back of the turntable I found speed adjustment screws for the 78rpm and 45rpm speeds, but nothing for 33.33rpm, so it was back once more to consult the manual, which informed me what I’d never have guessed, which is that although the 78 and 45 adjustment screws are

ON TEST

really easy to get to and adjust, the 33.33 rpm speed adjustment screw is underneath the turntable! (Who was it who said Germans don’t have a sense of humour?)

Because I really couldn’t work out a way of adjusting the screw while the turntable was operating, I decided that the difference in speed was so small that I’d live with it.

After all, I have reviewed plenty of turntables whose platters have revolved faster at 33.33rpm than the Performance DC’s platter… and those turntables didn’t have any speed adjustment. (If you don’t have a strobe card, there’s a free one available here: [www. avhub.com.au/images/stories/pdf/strobe.pdf] that you can run off on your printer. If you’d prefer a nicer one, you can buy an inexpen-

CLEARAUDIO PERFORMANCE DC TURNTABLE

Brand: Clearaudio Model: Performance DC Category: Turntable RRP: $5,995 Warranty: Five Years (Two Years Cartridge) Distributor: Kedcorp Pty Ltd Address: Unit 8, 509–529 Parramatta Rd Leichhardt NSW 2040 (02) 9561 0799 info@kedcorp.com.au www.kedcorp.com.au • Magnetic bearing technology • Superb cartridge • Speed stability

• Antiskate location • Speed adjust location • No dustcover

LAB REPORT Readers interested in a full technical appraisal of the performance of the Clearaudio Performance DC Turntable should continue on and read the LABORATORY REPORT published on page 91. Readers should note that the results mentioned in the report, tabulated in performance charts and/ or displayed using graphs and/or photographs should be construed as applying only to the specific sample tested.

Lab Report overleaf 079

avhub.com.au

ON TEST

Clearaudio Performance DC Turntable

sive ($40) strobe here (http:// www.decibelhifi.com.au/project-strobe-it/) or an expensive ($150) one here (http://www. decibelhifi.com.au/kab-speedstrobe/).

My final act of pedantry was to check that Clearaudio had aligned the cartridge correctly, which I did with my Denneson Soundtracktor, (though you could use the functionally equivalent tools made by either Clearaudio itself [$385] or Pro-Ject [the AlignIt, at $199] or Dr Feickert [$253] if you wish).

My use of the Soundtraktor was facilitated by the fact that Clearaudio cleverly puts an alignment dot on top of the tonearm pivot to show where you should put the ‘needle’ of the alignment tool. I found that the Clearaudio Virtuoso V2 cartridge was aligned perfectly in the arm, so unless you plan on changing cartridges, you could probably save money by not buying your own alignment tool. (Though when you do change cartridges, you will certainly need to invest in one, and because of the alignment mark on the Clarify, I’d certainly recommend you purchase either the Clearaudio, the Align-It or the Dr Feickert, because these three tools have the ‘needle drop’ design that facilitates perfect alignment. The other useful mirrored cartridge alignment tool (from Turntable Basics, and for just $30) is also excellent, but will be difficult to use with the Clarify because it needs line-of-sight—at platter level—to the tonearm’s pivot point.)

My first attempt to play an LP on the Clearaudio Performance DC was frustrated by the fact that the central spindle was a little too big for the hole in the record! Admittedly the LP in question was a limited-edition Japanese pressing made directly from PCM

by Denon, but it was still a surprise that it wouldn’t fit. Eventually, I was able to coax the LP down over the spindle, but it was a tight—very tight!—fit. It was worth it though, because once I had the record on, and the stylus in the groove, the sound that resulted was absolutely amazing! It was full, rich, extraordinarily dynamic, and with a sonic presentation that had me right there in the recording studio. Perhaps most amazing was the silence… and not just the silence between the notes being played, but the silence between the tracks as well. Even the lead-in and run-out grooves were silent… well, there was some ‘groove noise’ from the surface of the disc, but not even the slightest trace of low-frequency rumble.

Removing this disc proved to be even more difficult than fitting it in the first place because when I lifted at the circumference of the LP in an attempt to remove it, it squeezed the centre hole around the spindle, in turn

very effectively preventing me from removing it at all. After much struggling and twisting, I eventually gave up trying and made myself a ‘Y’-shaped paddle so that once I’d got the LP up a little, I could slip the paddle in underneath the LP and pry it upwards using the label. The good news is that this disc, as luck would have it, was the tightest of all the discs I played, and most of my other LPs slipped over the spindle quite easily. However, quite a few were tight enough that I had to use my Y-paddle to remove them.

I then played several LPs containing slow piano music, piano being the instrument that most easily identifies slow variations in playback speed (wow) and small, higherfrequency variations (flutter). Listen though I might, I could not detect even the slightest trace of either wow or flutter from the Clearaudio Performance DC. Its pitch stability was absolutely outstanding.

Even more amazing was the performance of the Clearaudio Virtuoso V2 cartridge. I’d never before heard this cartridge, and to say I was stunned by its performance would be an understatement: it sounds absolutely fabulous. Firstly, its tracking ability was outstanding, such that I could not find a single LP of mine that could unsettle it, from my favourite two discs for testing tracking ability (Emerson Lake and Palmer and Tarkus) right up to my least favourite disc for testing tracking ability: Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, as captured in vinyl by Sheffield. (This LP is great for testing the tracking ability of phono cartridges, particularly when the cannons are fired… I am just not a huge fan of the 1812 Overture!)

During the listening sessions I discovered that even when the cartridge was working hard at keeping that diamond stylus in the groove, the quality of the bass was superb: sweet, depthy and tight, with not a rough edge to be heard even when replaying the most severe musical (and non-musical) transients. With more modest bass fare (that is, deep bass, but not at high volume levels) the bass was perhaps even more impressive, with a rich tone and a smooth way of delivering even the most complex bass lines.

Using vocals to trial the midrange had me captivated by the sheer presence of the vocal-

ists in the mix. They weren’t pushed out to the forefront, but stood out nonetheless, as if there were some type of ‘third channel’ reserved exclusively for their performance. The channel balance was very good and the stereo imaging was as close to perfection as I’ve heard from a phono cartridge. And, as I have noted on previous occasions, the imaging you hear from vinyl is in a different ballpark to what you hear from CD. Vinyl imaging is truly organic imaging, whereas CD imaging is more hydroponic…or maybe ‘clinical’.

It’s the upper octave of the audio band that I personally find sorts out different phono cartridges (when all other factors are equal), because almost all of them have a ‘signature’ that allows you to easily tell one model from another, with that signature also contributing to the overall ‘flavour’ of the sound. So you may be surprised when I tell you that I couldn’t hear a ‘signature’ at high frequencies when listening to the Virtuoso V2. All I heard were clean, crisp highs, beautifully reproduced and beautifully extended.

Aside from the few tiny operational niggles I’ve mentioned so far, I can’t finish up this review without adding two more teenyweeny ones. Firstly, the clip that’s been fixed to the end of the tonearm ground wire wasn’t big enough to go around the ground post of my amplifier, so I just clamped it under the post and made do. Second, the control buttons on the turntable made a slight ‘pop’ sound whenever I pressed them and, since there are huge blue LEDs that show whether or not a button has been pressed, that sound seemed somehow unnecessary.

CONCLUSION How good is the Clearaudio Performance DC? It’s so mind-bogglingly good that I seriously thought about concluding this review by writing something along the lines of: ‘If you’re thinking about buying the Clearaudio Statement, why not save yourself $183,000 and buy the Performance DC instead.’ OK, so that may have been a bridge that was a little too far—especially considering the considerable advantages of the Statement’s tangential tracking tonearm—but this synergistic package comprising the Performance DC, Clarify tonearm and Virtuoso V2 cartridge is so good that if you are thinking of buying any turntable with a pivoted arm, at any price up to around ten times what Clearaudio is asking, I would strongly suggest you compare that turntable to this new Performance DC before bending your plastic, because in my opinion, this Clearaudio combo is a true giant-killer. greg borrowman LAB REPORT OPPOSITE

Australian

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Clearaudio Performance DC Turntable LABORATORY TEST REPORT

ON TEST

the inherent rumble of the turntable itself.

(The ‘spike’ visible on both traces at around 50Hz is some mains hum in the test set-up, while the one a little lower on the upper trace is the resonant frequency of the phono cartridge.) Speed accuracy was exceptionally good at both tested speeds, with Newport Test Labs measuring the frequency of a 45rpm test LP playing back a 3000Hz tone at 2999Hz, close enough to perfect that it really doesn’t matter. At 33.33rpm the turntable initially played a 3000Hz recorded tone back at a frequency of 3010Hz, just 0.3% fast, and such a small difference that even someone with perfect pitch could not detect it with music. However, the speed at 33.33rpm is adjustable, and after adjustment, the Clearaudio Performance DC henceforth maintained a perfect rotational speed at 33.33rpm, playing back the 3000Hz tone at exactly 3000Hz. Overall wow and flutter was very low, with Newport Test Labs measuring it at 0.09% unweighted RMS, and 0.09% weighted CCIR. The individual unweighted contributions to these overall figures were 0.15% (wow) and 0.04% (flutter) measured using the CCIR standard.

So, overall, the lab’s tests revealed exceptional measured performance on the part of both the Virtuoso MkII phono cartridge and the Performance DC turntable. In fact I can’t recall seeing better performance from Chris Holding any turntable/cartridge combination.

The frequency response of Clearaudio’s Virtuoso MM Mk2 phono cartridge as fitted to the Performance DC was excellent, as you can see from Graph 1, which shows both frequency response (black trace) and channel separation (red trace). You can see that the Virtuoso’s response overall extends from 20Hz to 20kHz ±4dB, with the +4dB peak occurring at 53Hz, so it could have been affected by some mains hum in the test set-up, and the –4dB minima was the end result (at 20kHz) of a small roll-off that starts at around 12kHz. Between 100Hz and around 14kHz the frequency response was within just 1dB of reference: very flat indeed. Channel separation was better than 25dB from around 140Hz up to 14kHz, exactly 30dB at 1kHz and returned its best result of 31dB at 4.5kHz. Again, the apparent loss of separation around 50Hz

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Graph 1. Clearaudio Virtuoso MM phono cartridge frequency response and channel separation.

could have been the result of some hum creeping into the test set-up, but it would certainly have been less than 20dB below 100Hz in any case.

Low-frequency noise of the Clearaudio Performance DC itself was so low that at the particular time of day the test was made in the laboratory, it was difficult to discern the rumble of the turntable itself from the background environmental rumble. Graph 2 shows the turntable’s rumble spectrum using two different measurement techniques, so you’ll see two traces. The upper of the two traces was measured using a blank acetate disc, so the stylus is tracing an unmodulated groove. The lower of the two traces was measured using a special ‘rumpel-messkoppler’, a device that sits on the spindle and allows the stylus to measure the noise created by the turntable itself, without the inherent surface noise from a test disc. You can see that above 600Hz, the two traces are very similar, and that both are more than 80dB down: an excellent result. Below 600Hz, the increased noise is primarily caused by surface noise on the disc, plus rumble actually recorded on the disc, with the rumple-messkoppler trace (which rolls off at low frequencies) showing

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avhub.com.au

TURNTABLES OVER $3000

TURNTABLE OF THE YEAR OVER $3000

Clearaudio Performance DC

C

learaudio’s Performance DC is a true giant-killer: it’ll slay some competitors selling at 10 times its asking price, which is $5795. Given that it comes packaged in Australia with Clearaudio’s new Clarity tonearm (available separately for $2195) and the Mark 2 version of Clearaudio’s Virtuoso MM phono cartridge in MkII guise ($1145 separately), you can see that it is not only a fantastic turntable, it also represents fabulous value for money.

At first glance, the Performance DC looks like an ordinary turntable — and yet it’s anything but. Underneath the POM platter (that’s polyoxymethalene, a synthetic thermoplastic) there is no turntable pressure bearing; instead the platter floats on a magnetic field and is prevented from wandering away from its 33⅓rpm orbit by a lubricated ceramic shaft. The only thing conventional about the platter is that it’s driven by a rubber

belt motivated by a pulley fixed to the shaft of a standard DC motor. Clearaudio’s Clarify tonearm is also unusual, using a magnetic bearing rather than the more usual gimbal bearings. It uses a carbonfibre arm tube.

At this level there is some set-up required, though since it’s a ‘package’ the Clarify tonearm will be installed in the plinth, the Virtuoso V2 cartridge fitted and aligned, and both the tracking weight and the anti-skating force will have been adjusted. Anti-skating is adjusted from underneath the turntable, at the base of the arm post, rather than by a weight.

We could not detect even the slightest trace of wow or flutter, its pitch stability was absolutely outstanding, and the the Virtuoso cartridge sounded spectacular — sweet, depthy and tight, with not a rough edge to be heard. A truly magnificent turntable, at a price to be celebrated.

More info: www.kedcorp.com.au

NO HIGHLY COMMENDED PRODUCTS IN THIS PRICE CATEGORY

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Mini tests

KEFs TO GO It’s odd to realise that KEF has never hitherto applied its loudspeaker expertise to the arena of personal audio, but it’s true — these are the brand’s first ever head-borne musicmakers, released alongside a pair of M200 earphones. While the recent explosion in relatively upmarket headphones no doubt drew the UK company to enter the fray, this M500 on-ear (supra-aural) design is no bandwagon-jumping rush job. The aluminium alloy construction keeps things both light and flexible, with “Smart Hinges” that pivot inwards and fold upwards for storage, while the company has overcome the common difficulty of making an on-ear design comfortable by using an oval ‘racetrack’ shape together with very soft memory-foam earpads which hug to achieve a good acoustic seal without pushing inwards on your head; a relatively low weight of around 200 grams makes this doubly comfy. And that makes longterm listening a joy, especially as the sonic balance is equally unfatiguing from the 40mm neodymium drivers with copper-clad aluminium-wire voice coils — lighter than conventional copper.

Bass is full but kept under quite a tight rein, with minimal overemphasis even on modern recordings with high bass levels; this balance also survives the underlying rumble of buses and trains well.

The midrange is what you’d expect from a hi-fi company like KEF — natural and neutral, while the treble has been given a width and openness which is rare on a closed design like

KEF M500 HEADPHONES $499

this. Add in a good tangle-free flat cable and the smart inline remote (clearly labelled if a little hard to press) plus alternate cable, and KEF’s headphone debut has most definitely been worth waiting for.

The Australian RRP of $499 might seem a little high if you compare across markets, and at this level also puts them up against some quality competition, but we’ve already noticed that the street price for the M500s can be significantly lower than that quoted RRP, thereby bringing the KEF’s value equation back into enjoyably impressive territory. JF www.advanceaudio.com.au

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LOUDSPEAKERS & SPEAKER PACKAGES

STEREO LOUDSPEAKERS

GOLDENEAR TECHNOLOGY TRITON ONE

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oldenEar Technology is a US-based brand that, as the name implies, focuses on loudspeakers for those who want highly accurate sound.

It has a number of ranges, topped by the Triton series. That series is in turn topped by the Triton One floorstanding loudspeakers, and it is a pair of these that have been occupying pride of place in our system for several weeks.

EQUIPMENT

‘Towers’ is the word GoldenEar uses for the Triton One, and it is the right word. They stand nearly 1.4 metres tall, yet their main body is just 203mm wide. At 423mm deep, they seem like blades. A pre-attached plinth ensures stability. This comes with rubber feet, but spikes are included should you wish to pierce your carpet for greater stability.

Their build is very solid indeed, with each unit weighing 36.3kg. The tops slope from the front down towards the back (no pot plants will be placed on these speakers!), while the enclosures are narrow at the front and widen towards the rear.

Each is completely covered, aside from the plinth and top cap, by a black sock grille. There must be a plastic grille behind the sock to hold the material off the faces of the drivers.

Packed into each of these slim towers are six drivers, all forwards firing, as you can see from the ‘cutaway’ of the left speaker in our picture.

Handling the high frequencies is a folded ribbon tweeter. GoldenEar says that rather than pumping air in the manner of a regular cone-based tweeter, this ‘squeezes’ the air to pressurise it, using a high temperature film in a strong magnetic field generated by neodymium magnets.

Above and below this is a pair of 133mm drivers which GoldenEar characterises as highdefinition midrange/upper bass drivers. Each of these has its own internal sub-enclosure. Finally, there are three subwoofer drivers. These have a rounded-rectangle shape 127mm by 229mm.

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Here there is another departure from the mainstream: these are active speakers. That is, a 1600W ‘Forcefield’ digital amplifier is built into each loudspeaker to power their ‘subwoofers’.

The cabinets are loaded for bass performance by the use of four passive radiators, two on each side of each cabinet. Like the drivers, these are rounded rectangles, but larger.

Each enclosure has a power connection at the bottom rear, of course, and the amplifier switches on and off automatically according to the presence of a signal. One pair of gold-plated binding posts is provided on each loudspeaker, so there’s no opportunity for bi-wiring. The speakers are also equipped with line-level inputs for the subwoofers, should you want to wire your home theatre LFE

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“another departure from the mainstream — these are active speakers. That is, a 1600W ‘Forcefield’ digital amplifier is built into each loudspeaker to power their ‘subwoofers’....” output to them, for some reason. GoldenEar rates the impedance of these speakers at 8 ohms, their sensitivity at 92dB, their frequency response at 14 to 35,000Hz, and recommends amplifiers rated at 20 to 650W per channel.

PERFORMANCE

We decided to take GoldenEar at its word and install these speakers in a high-end home theatre system, using them as the subwoofer as well as the main stereo pair. Rather than pointlessly wiring them up to the LFE output on the receiver in addition to the regular speaker terminals, we also went with GoldenEar’s recommendation: speaker cable alone. We then informed the receiver that there was no subwoofer, ensuring that all the LFE content went to the Triton One speakers. We also told the receiver that all the other speakers were ‘Small’, making sure that bass from those channels would also be redirected to the Triton One speakers.

Clearly they would have a lot of work to do.

One point to note. If you are using your main speakers to carry bass from other channels in the system, be careful about the crossover frequency you choose. You might get away with, say, 200Hz if using a subwoofer. But with front speakers firing the rear channel’s upper bass directly at you, you’re likely to get way too many acoustic cues implying those rear-channel sounds really are coming from the front, and thereby wreck the surround effect.

We’d suggest never going above 80Hz for the bass crossover in these circumstances.

For stereo listening we chose the ‘Pure Direct’ mode, which cut out all processing. For surround we selected the EQ option on our receiver that leaves the front channels unaltered and adjusts the other channels to match them tonally.

As to the loudspeakers themselves, there is a level control on each for the bass section.

GoldenEar recommends putting this at the halfway mark. We conducted some measurements and confirmed that this was indeed the correct position for well balanced bass in our room.

We went through a very wide range of stereo music with these speakers, with exceptional results.

For example, our favourite rendition of Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor is from Telarc, digitally recorded decades ago, on a pipe organ for which the low C pedal has a fundamental of 16Hz. Accurate reproduction of this has proved troublesome over the years! The Triton One

speakers loped through it, reproducing the breath of the pipes as cleanly as their tone, the subtle mechanical noises, and of course that pedal. At the end of the first section there seemed to be an emphasis on the first harmonic rather than the fundamental, but even then there was a rare sense of room rumbling, the kind one experiences in an old stone church with a real pipe organ. This was impressive performance.

Just as impressive was the way the speakers maintained their coherence — their ability to sort out the threads of music — during the very busy section towards the end of the Passacaglia, where too often the music can become confused.

We tried some small chamber works, and it soon became apparent that the speakers preferred intimate audiophile-style recordings rather than studio ones. Yehudi Menuhin’s violin was clear, clean and precise, but sterile and impersonal in one of the latter. Simple recordings with some space between the instrument and the microphones were attractively rendered by these speakers in space and in tone.

Shifting over to the more modern era, we were rewarded by advancing the volume control with Yes’ Heart of Sunrise from ‘Fragile’, Bruford’s drumming lifting through the mix to be fully revealed, while Jon Anderson’s vocals, delivered with power, were controlled in their upper reaches.

Indeed, on just about all vocals there was great control of that troublesome frequency band which so many vocal microphones emphasise, threatening sibilance and harshness. Joanna Newsom’s rather strange voice, for example, accompanied by harp, managed a rare solidity to enhance its tunefulness.

The track ‘Nobody’ on Ry Cooder’s ‘Jazz’ showed again this superb vocal balance, and had a lot to say about the speakers’ stereo imaging.

Rather than a cuttingly sharp location for each and every sound in the mix, there was a kind of rounded, solid quality to each object, perhaps more reflective of reality than super-sharp imaging.

The stage depth was fairly shallow with the range of music we tested.

With movies these speakers were first-class in every respect. Obviously with a fine stereo performance they held up their end on full-range sound. But how about as a subwoofer replacement? In this department they were easily the best we think we’ve ever used. For example, we

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had previously watched ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ with our 15-inch, 400W subwoofer in play in our regular system. And from memory it delivered a little more in the way of infrasonics.

But still, when we again watched some battle scenes with the Triton One speakers taking on full responsibility for all the bass, they delivered amazing slam, with depth and power that would attract unwelcome comment from neighbours were we to repeat the performance late at night.

They won’t do the super-deep infrasonics, but they did do everything musically relevant, and also just about everything required for an exciting movie performance.

A quick check of the frequency response revealed their measured output to be pretty much dead flat from 24Hz up to 20,000Hz, and perhaps beyond. A characteristic common to passive radiators is that they tend to reduce very rapidly in output below the tuned frequency, and that was the case with these ones, with the output down by 12dB at 20Hz and 27dB at 14Hz. You will be hard put for find many loudspeakers capable of delivering anything like this level of low frequency performance.

CONCLUSION

The pricing of the GoldenEar Triton Ones may put them beyond the range of some who would love them, but if you can stretch that far, we would urge you to audition these fine loudspeakers.

GoldenEar Technology Triton One stereo loudspeakers • Excellent tonal balance • Excellent bass performance • Well-controlled upper frequencies • Lacked some stage depth Price: $7999 Drivers: 1 x High Velocity Folded Ribbon tweeter, 2 x 133mm mid/bass drivers, 3 x 127mm x 229mm long throw quadratic active subwoofer drivers Frequency response: 14-35,000Hz Impedance: 8 ohms (‘compatible with’) Sensitivity: 92dB/W/m Power handling: 20-650W (recommended) Built-in amplifier: 1600W Cabinet: Passive radiator: 4 x 178mm x 254mm quadratic planar radiators Dimensions (hwd): 1372 x 203 x 423mm (larger footprint with base) Weight (each): 36.3kg Warranty: Five years (three years on electronics) Contact: Kedcorp Telephone: 02 9561 0799 Web: www.kedcorp.com.au

LOUDSPEAKERS & SPEAKER PACKAGES

STEREO LOUDSPEAKERS

KEF R300

K

EF loudspeakers have been around longer than many enthusiastic listeners have been alive. Back in 1961 it was founded with specific intent to produce high quality loudspeakers, and it has done so ever since with quite a few models pivotal to the industry as a whole since then. Its R series is KEF’s second highest current range of conventional loudspeakers, just below the ‘Reference’ series.

EQUIPMENT

There are five normal speaker models in the R series, plus two centre-channel speakers and a dipole model for those who like that kind of sound at the rear of their surround system. The R300 loudspeaker, which we are reviewing here as a stereo pair, is the second smallest in the range.

Above it are three three-way floorstanders, while the R100 below this is a two-driver speaker.

“The stereo imaging was just

about as good as we have ever heard... astonishing precision.”

The R300 is, like the bigger models, a three-way system, although that might not be instantly obvious to the eye. That’s because KEF uses the Uni-Q loudspeaker technology upon which it has been focusing in recent years. That is, in essence, a two-way coaxial loudspeaker with a tweeter located at the centre of a larger driver. The bigger cone performs the function of a midrange or bass/midrange driver, depending on the model.

In the R300 the tweeter is a 25mm vented aluminium-dome unit, while the surrounding midrange driver features a 125mm aluminium cone. The drivers are electrically separate, with the crossover between the two set at 2800 hertz. The reason for this coaxial arrangement is to provide a point source for all the sound — or, at least, all the sound above the 500Hz crossover frequency to the bass driver. This range covers the critical mid-treble frequency bands to which the human

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ear is most sensitive, and from which it draws the bulk of its directional cues.

The bass driver is also an aluminium unit, with a nominal diameter of 165mm.

The speakers are bi-wireable, with substantial gold-plated terminals. These work with the usual speaker cable terminations, including banana plugs (you have to remove the silly EU-mandated plastic plugs in their ends if you’re going this way).

The bridge between the high and low frequency terminals isn’t the usual metal strap but a link hidden within the cabinet and controlled by a rotating knob which engages or disengages it.

The cabinets are of a bass reflex design, with the port at the rear. The speakers are provided with foam bungs, which are themselves capable of being separated into two parts, so you can tune the performance of the bass port. If you are thinking of a near-wall placement these will

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almost certainly help tame the bass boost likely to result. We conducted out listening tests sans bungs, with the loudspeakers placed on sturdy stands a good metre forward of the rear wall.

KEF rates the frequency response of these loudspeakers at 50 to 28,000Hz ±3dB, with its -6dB extremes at 42 and 45,000Hz. It puts their sensitivity at 88dB, their impedance at 8 ohms (with a minimum of 3.2 ohms) and their amplifier requirements at 25 to 150 watts. Unusually, it gives a ‘maximum’ output figure of 110dB (the criteria by which this measure is determined are not stated) and a harmonic distortion measure of less than 0.4% second and third harmonics at 90dB from 130 to 20,000Hz. On its website KEF lists these speakers in its ‘Bookshelf ’ section, but we’ll take that merely as a suggestion of their size, not a recommendation for their positioning. They are quite large for ‘bookshelf ’ speakers, standing 385mm tall, 210mm wide and 345mm deep. In these times of curved enclosures, KEF has gone for the tried-andtrue box design.

But, wow, what boxes! Each unit weighs a full twelve kilograms — that’s as much as many a lesser floorstander.

The cabinets are available in four finishes: high gloss piano black or piano white, walnut (the ungrilled speaker to the left) or rosewood (the grilled speaker). Those grilles use magnets at their corners to hold themselves (somewhat lightly) in place, and the drivers have their mounting screws (if that’s what they use) concealed behind brushed aluminium rings, so if you prefer to leave the grilles off, the speakers still look quite elegant.

PERFORMANCE

We used a mostly analogue good-quality stereo receiver, along with a high-end, high powered home theatre receiver, for this review. In the latter case we left the unit switched always to ‘Pure Direct’ mode to cut out any potential signal processing.

And let’s get straight to the point: from the very first notes to emerge from their aluminium drive surfaces, we fell in love. It was not one characteristic in particular, but the wonderful and nearly complete mixture of desirable attributes.

There was the excellent tonal balance which presented all the elements of the music, regardless of genre, with equal emphasis on all parts. You might call this ‘accurate’; we’d prefer ‘truthful’.

High fidelity is supposed to be about truth, and that’s what the KEF R300 speakers deliver.

Just as important was avoiding undue emphasis. With some early Beyonce, for example, there is a tendency towards sibilance in some sections. These speakers revealed its presence, yet restrained its effect so that listening pleasure wasn’t interrupted. The detail was simply first class.

Everything contained within the recordings — CD-standard digital, high-resolution digital and vinyl — was revealed by these loudspeakers, except for the deepest bass (we’ll return to that shortly).

Genre didn’t matter in the slightest. Jo Jo Zep’s ‘Cha’, preserved on vinyl since 1982, and Visage’s ‘Fade to Grey’, Schubert’s String Quintet, a massed orchestra for Beethoven’s Ninth, or the airy Decca CD of Ashkenazy playing the first movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, all were equally at home with this stereo loudspeaker pair.

The stereo imaging was just about as good as we have ever heard. There was astonishing precision in the realisation of instrument positions across the stereo stage, with occasionally a spread that went even wider than the stage.

When we were using the speakers with the home theatre receiver we had them set as the ‘B’ speakers with their own dedicated amplifiers, making it easy to switch between a surround system and these loudspeakers. But for several evenings we forgot to switch back to the ‘A’ speakers... and we didn’t notice. The coherence of the acoustical field they were generated was such that at times there was clear surround imaging from the soundtrack of TV material. We don’t recommend this, of course, as a replacement for a surround system. Aside from anything else, this kind of effect only works for a very narrow range of seating positions. But it shows how well these KEF speakers keep things together.

With stereo on the Schubert strings, and just about all classical, folk or World Music choral work, there was not only vertical and horizontal precision in the virtual images, but also fore/aft clarity, with layers of singers and clearly established positions for all the performers.

As if all that weren’t enough, when we let our amplifiers really loose, these loudspeakers went extremely loud without losing their coherence and clarity. There was not the slightest skerrick of confusion worming its way into their performance on climaxes, whether we were asking them to deliver Deep Purple or Bizet.

There is only one weakness in the performance of these loudspeakers and it is precisely what you’d expect: bass. Not the upper and mid-bass, for these were superbly balanced and detailed and delivered appropriate power. What would have been a clear improvement would have been just another ten hertz of extension. There was a sense of the bass underpinning being somewhat absent, reducing the otherwise spectacular solidity they express. But that is asking a lot from a compact loudspeakers. The three floorstanding models no doubt address that.

We conducted a quick in-room check of the frequency response (we mostly do that to ensure that our senses remain properly calibrated with reality) and this showed the remarkably even tonal balance across the range, with the mid bass, upper bass, midrange and treble outputting at even levels. The deep bass extended a bit further than we expected — to 42 hertz in our normal listening seat.

We also measured an in-room loudspeaker sensitivity of 87dB for 2.83 volts average input of 500 to 2000 hertz bandwidth-limited pink noise.

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CONCLUSION

We simply loved the KEF R300 stereo loudspeakers. They were sweet and powerful and precise to whatever extent was required by the music. If more bass extension is needed, then the higher-level models in the KEF range offer the same Uni-Q driver, backed by more bass drivers and larger enclosures.

KEF R300 stereo loudspeakers • Magnificent sound quality • Superb imaging • Excellent cabinet construction • Would have liked a touch more bass extension Price: $2599 Drivers: 3 way — Uni-Q driver array consisting of 1 x 25mm aluminium-dome tweeter centrally located in 125mm aluminium cone midrange; 1 x 165mm bass Frequency response: 50-28,000Hz ±3dB; -6dB at 42 and 45,000Hz Impedance: 8 ohms (min 3.2 ohms) Sensitivity: 88dB (2.83V/1m) Power handling: 25-120 watts (Amplifier requirements) Cabinet: Bass reflex Dimensions (hwd): 385 x 210 x 345mm Weight (each): 12kg Warranty: Five years Contact: Advance Audio Australia Telephone: 02 9561 0799 Web: www.advanceaudio.com.au

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LOUDSPEAKERS & & LOUDSPEAKERS SPEAKER PACKAGES PACKAGES SPEAKER STEREO LOUDSPEAKERS

DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY SUPERTOWER BP-8040ST

T

here is an enormous amount of science in the design of loudspeakers. But while you’d think that might yield just one path to ideal loudspeaker design, there are many very different ways of achieving fine sound.

US firm Definitive Technology has chosen a design path that is very different indeed to that adopted by most companies. The results, as expressed in their SuperTower BP-8040ST loudspeakers, are an unusually engaging performance.

EQUIPMENT

At first nothing seems to be too unusual with the SuperTowers, aside perhaps from their extremely narrow form. By comparison to their 143mm width, their 991mm height does grant them the appearance of ‘towers’. They are deep, too, for their width at nearly 300mm.

The manual is quite forthright in warning against use without the installation of the screw-on ‘stabilizer feet’ which extend their width at the base to nearly 300mm. The risk of toppling sideways would be quite high otherwise.

Such a narrow enclosure naturally raises questions about the size of the bass driver/s.

A baffle less than six inches wide doesn’t provide much space.

In fact, a 203mm bass unit is employed.

And each enclosure uses two 203mm bass radiators as well, for bass tuning. The space problem is solved by putting them on the side: one radiator on each side near the bottom of the cabinet, and the driver above the left-hand side (viewed from the listening position) of both enclosures, above one of the radiators.

Here’s where things get even more different: the bass driver is active. It’s driven by a 300W Class-D built-in amplifier.

So these loudspeakers need to be plugged into power as well as your amplifier. A level control is provided on the back of each unit, along with an LFE input which you can also optionally use.

The upper frequencies are provided by... well, once again things are different.

There are two 25mm dome tweeters and three 89mm midrange drivers. One of the tweeters is located on the front panel with one midrange driver above it, and one below it. The other is on the back panel along with the other midrange. That’s because these are bipolar loudspeakers. Each fire off the treble and midrange both out into the room and backwards into the space behind the loudspeaker, typically to be reflected

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from the wall behind it a couple of milliseconds later. The output is in phase on both sides. This produces some interesting and rather engaging acoustic effects.

Definitive Technology rates the impedance of these loudspeakers at eight ohms, their power handling at up to 300W, and their frequency response at 25 to 20,000 hertz.

They are finished in full-length black ‘socks’ which cover all four sides, and with plastic top and bottom caps. A single set of gold-plated binding posts is provided on each speaker for wiring.

PERFORMANCE

Setting up these loudspeakers demands a bit more attention even than regular speakers.

All loudspeakers are location-sensitive, primarily due to the effect on their bass performance, but also to a lesser extent on how imaging and clarity is affected by reflections from the surrounding surfaces.

These loudspeakers amp that up, so to speak. They give some tuning flexibility in the bass thanks to the level control, but the midrange and treble are more positiondependent than with regular loudspeakers.

After all, these signals are being fired full-bore against whatever is behind them, as well as out into the room.

As it happens our front wall — the one behind the loudspeakers — is fully covered with acoustically absorbent material, so the bipolar effects were perhaps a little muted in comparison to many environments.

Nonetheless, only a portion of the sound is going directly back. It is otherwise spreading widely in a similar dispersion pattern to that from the front.

A further complication is setting the bass driver level. The manual doesn’t give much guidance, other than suggesting you start from the mid-position. Fortunately that was spot on for our test room. If you have an SPL meter you can use a test track developed for just this purpose (available for download from the ‘Woofer Balance test’ link on the front page of hifi-writer.com).

Just ensure that both the upper frequency and lower frequency noise is the same level.

Disconnect the speaker cables on each side not being checked.

The manual doesn’t seem to mind whether or not you additionally connect the LFE output of a home theatre receiver to the speakers. It tells you the settings to apply to the receiver in either case — subwoofer on or off respectively — but also suggests that in both cases you set the front main speakers to ‘Large’. We would agree with that. It may

Best Buys Audio & AV 2014 #2

“Definitive Technology has chosen a design path that is very different indeed to that adopted by most companies.

The results, as expressed here are an unusually engaging performance...”

be tempting to set them to ‘Small’ and connect the LFE so that the receiver can do the filtering in the digital domain. But you’d need to know the frequency (we disclose that below) under which the bass driver is used, and even then there could be weird interactions with the speakers’ own crossovers. So keep them on ‘Large’. Note that ideal LFE performance might be more difficult to obtain compared with the usual practice of putting a subwoofer in a corner.

The manual also warns against using the auto-calibration facilities on home theatre receivers, presumably for fear of the confusion likely caused to the measurement of speaker distances by the different path lengths to the twin HF drivers. We were using stereo only with Pure Direct from our well-endowed home theatre receiver so there was no need for us to use this, but if you’re going for a full home theatre system you will do well to acquire an SPL meter so that you can set the levels properly.

In our listening room the tonal balance of these loudspeakers was very good, and reasonably natural. Quite up-front, though. No one is likely to accuse these loudspeakers of being ‘mellow’.

But neither was the treble or upper midrange harsh or unbalanced. Their composure and power handling was evident up to extremely high levels — neighbour-bothering levels if

you like. Yet there was no confusion in the sound, only the very slightest sense of dynamic compression at highest levels.

The bass power was clear as well, although, as we’ll see, there wasn’t much of the extremely deep stuff. All the musically important bass — down to below 40 hertz — was presented without reservation, and once again with superb control.

The drum kit on Primus was delivered with all its frantic complexity and tonal depth clearly presented within the mix.

Even with the reflective limitations of our rear wall it was clear that these loudspeakers sound quite different to regular units due to their bipolar design.

There were a number of effects. One was a reduction in the sharpness of the stereo imaging.

Instrument locations were still presented clearly, but without the razor-sharp precision of some loudspeakers, and in a sense seemed all the more real for it. Another was a marked increase in the apparent soundstage depth. Things seemed rounded, located in a place rather than appearing from nowhere. The sound was, in short, different to regular loudspeakers, but extremely attractive.

Since Definitive Technology didn’t indicate the crossover frequency between the woofer and the midrange driver, we conducted a few measurements to try to work it out. With the woofer level turned down to its minimum level, and measuring the loudspeaker up close to reduce room interference, the response was flat across the treble and midrange down to 220 hertz, where there was a clear inflection, with the response descending below that point at 12dB/octave, so it seems that the bass unit is largely responsible for the output below 200 hertz.

We measured the bass end at a number of different positions, including up close. The output was flat down to 37 hertz, below which it fell off very rapidly to be down by 18 decibels at 30 hertz.

We were surprised by Definitive Technology specifying power handling of up to 300 watts for the unit. We’d assumed that since the speakers are

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amplifying the bass themselves, they’d present a high impedance in the bass frequencies. In fact the bass impedance was roughly the same as for the midrange and treble frequencies, even a touch lower than those we spot checked. So don’t think you can get away with a lightweight amplifier or receiver just because the speakers are supplying their own amplifiers for the bass.

Your amps will still be required to deliver.

The loudspeakers switch their built-in amps on when they notice an incoming signal. This was quite sensitive and fairly quick, taking less than a second to kick in. They switch themselves off, too, after a while with no signal.

CONCLUSION

We would never recommend that you purchase a loudspeaker by mail order. You should always audition them. But that goes even more so for the engaging bipolar sound produced by the Definitive Technology SuperTower BP-8040ST loudspeakers. We liked them a lot. We suspect that most listeners will. But they should listen first to be sure that the slightly unusual soundfield is pleasing. That is a very personal thing.

Definitive Technology SuperTower BP-8040ST stereo loudspeakers • Engaging sound field due to bipolar design • Plenty of power and authority • Strong, controlled mid-bass performance • Little bass below 35Hz • Doesn’t offer high impedance load to amplifier’s bass frequencies Price: $2995 Drivers: 2 x 25mm dome tweeter; 3 x 89mm midrange; 1 x 203mm bass Frequency response: 25-30,000Hz Impedance: 8 ohms Sensitivity: 92dB (2.83V/1m) Power: 20-300 watts; 300 watts Class D for built in woofer Cabinet: 2 x 203mm passive radiator Dimensions (hwd): 991 x 143 x 296mm Weight (each): 17.95kg Warranty: Five years (three years on electronics) Contact: Advance Audio Australia Telephone: 02 9561 0799 Web: www.advanceaudio.com.auu

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SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS

SOUNDBAR & SUBWOOFER

KEF V720W

K

EF’s V720W soundbar and wireless subwoofer combo is completely ‘plug and play’. Plug in to power cables, plug in just one signal cable, and that’s all that’s needed to produce great sound. It doesn’t even have a remote.

But you do have to have the right kind of TV.

EQUIPMENT

This system consists of a soundbar and a subwoofer. The sub comes with a little wireless transmitter module which fits into a blank space at the rear of the soundbar. There are only two connections: HDMI and optical digital.

The subwoofer is a small cube — just under 300mm per side — and features a 200mm driver backed by 200 watts of Class-D power.

The soundbar has an unusual driver complement to allow a remarkably shallow enclosure. It is only 54mm deep — that is, just over two inches. Lots of soundbars can be wall mounted, but this is one that would not look at all out of place on the wall. It is relatively tall — 160mm — and reasonably wide at 1200mm.

A problem with shallow enclosures is that they don’t provide much room for deep movements (‘throw’) of speaker cones, which can limit output.

But at any given frequency output is a function of two things: the degree of movement and the size of the cones. This soundbar packs a surprising amount of cone size. There are four 115mm bass/

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midrange drivers — two each for the left and right channels. You won’t find many soundbars with as much sheer air-moving capacity.

Meanwhile treble is provided by two 25mm aluminium-dome tweeters mounted positioned at the extreme ends of the soundbar.

Provided with the unit are attachable legs for desktop mounting, a wall mounting plate and an HDMI cable. There is no remote control.

PERFORMANCE

First things first: we were startled to see that KEF recommends that you install the unit using the HDMI socket to connect to your TV. If, that is, your TV supports the Audio Return Channel of HDMI — otherwise you should use the optical input. But even if you do, you should still make the HDMI connection.

This was such a departure from anything we’ve seen before it took a little while to get our heads around it. So let’s explain what’s going on here.

The Audio Return Channel is something normally used between an AV receiver and a

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Best Buys Audio & AV 2014 #1

TV. It allows two-way data flows: video from the receiver to the TV, and audio from the TV to the receiver — convenient for a one-cable connection while allowing you to use your high quality sound system when watching TV. But with this system, there’s no picture involved. So KEF has employed the ARC function to allow the TV to feed sound to the soundbar by means of HDMI. Why HDMI and not just optical?

This is where the plug-and-play part comes in.

HDMI allows control. To use the Audio Return Channel you have to switch on the Consumer Electronics Control function of the TV. CEC is the facility whereby different pieces of equipment can communicate control codes to each other. In a regular CEC-enabled system you might use the TV’s remote’s volume key. The TV receives the command and then passes on the relevant code via CEC to your home theatre receiver, which adjusts its volume in response.

This soundbar is CEC-enabled, and as with the signals it’s all one way. You can use the On/ Standby key on your TV’s remote, and the soundbar will go on or off in sync with the TV. You adjust the TV’s volume, and the soundbar gets louder or softer. Hit the TV’s mute key and the soundbar falls silent.

Now CEC codes are merely codes, not commands. It is up to the device receiving the codes to interpret them according to how that device has been programmed. This soundbar has one additional control capability: an adjustment of the subwoofer level. To do that you press the TV remote’s Mute key three times, and this turns the volume key into a subwoofer level control. (This turned out to be an infelicitous code for us, by the way. We were using an LG TV and it seems that it uses a triple hit on the ‘Mute’ key as a request to reset all the audio and video settings of the TV!) If your TV does not support the Audio Return Channel, but does support CEC (i.e. most decent TVs released in recent years) and has an optical digital output, then you can still use this soundbar.

In that case you still connect the unit to a TV’s HDMI input and also connect an optical cable between the TV’s output and the soundbar’s input.

The HDMI cable is merely for CEC control in this case while the optical cable carries the sound.

But if your TV does not support HDMI CEC, then you do not want this soundbar because you won’t be able to control the volume. Likewise you should not connect source devices directly to it.

That’s what we did initially, planning on using a dual HDMI output Blu-ray player: one delivering the sound to this unit, the other to our projector which is our normal mode of viewing.

The results were astonishing: extremely loud music from the CD we put in, with no ability to reduce the volume. And, equally astonishing, sound that was high quality and undistorted.

But uncontrollable.

So, no, don’t expect to use this unit with a front projection system either. It is of no use without a modern TV. Because this soundbar is tied so intimately to your TV, what sound you get out of it is going to be largely determined by your TV and, to some extent, your Blu-ray player — in particular, what mixing down happens along the chain. This is not a ‘surround bar’. It does not attempt to create surround sound through some manipulation of the signal. You’re going to get two-channel sound.

However, you should try to optimise the sound for this unit. If your Blu-ray player has ‘mix-down’ options and gives you a choice between ‘Lt/Rt’ and ‘Stereo’, choose the former. ‘Stereo’ usually mixes in the surround channels, right surround into the front right, left surround into front left.

‘Lt/Rt’ takes the two surround channels, inverts the phase of one of them and then mixes both equally into the front left and right channels.

This is a Dolby Pro Logic-compatible format, but played through a stereo system it tends to give a surround effect anyway. Or at least it disembodies the surround sound.

Unfortunately, in our experience most Blu-ray players — perhaps all — discard the LFE channel during mix-down, so you will end up doing without some bass content from some multichannel movies.

Even though this unit is tied to a TV, KEF hasn’t stinted on the sound quality. This is a ridiculously good soundbar with superb tonal balance and remarkable output abilities. Since we’re reviewing this as a package, we didn’t try the soundbar alone. KEF says that the subwoofer is good for 38 hertz and we have no reason to disagree with that.

In particular, Deep Purple’s kick drum emerged loud and clear from this unit, without any apparent dynamic compression. The pedal on Bach’s Passacaglia in C Minor didn’t rumble our room at the closing of each section in the manner we prefer, but that’s because the low, low C (on our preferred version) has a fundamental of 16 hertz and first harmonic of 32 hertz, both below the effective output range of this system.

We didn’t have to rely (fortunately... see above) on the electronic method of setting the subwoofer level. The subwoofer has a physical knob for adjusting its level as well. We had the soundbar desk-mounted in front of the TV (obscuring its IR receiver, leading us to hold the TV remote in

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awkward positions) and even though the sub was the better part of two metres from the soundbar, the integration between the two was good.

KEF’s driver choice (and tuning) in the soundbar was excellent. It invited us to turn up the system loud and louder. Not with TV shows (yes, it worked fine for that with nicely coherent dialogue), but with music. As we write this Ashkenazy is pounding out the fireworks in the closing movement of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata, with no apparent limitations from the soundbar, with clarity and a full realisation of Decca’s customary rich upper bass/lower midrange delivery. (And that, mind you, is with the digital signal routed through the innards of an LG TV.)

CONCLUSION

If you want a great soundbar, but only if you have a CEC (and preferably ARC) capable TV, do check this KEF model out; see if you’re as impressed as we were.

KEF V720W soundbar & subwoofer • Very easy installation when used with appropriate TVs • Extra high quality sound for a soundbar/ subwoofer combo • Should look good wall mounted • All signals need to run through a TV • Does not re-transmit IR control signals Price: $1999

Soundbar

Drivers: 2 x 25mm vented aluminium-dome tweeters, 4 x 115mm dual-layer diaphragm bass/midrange Frequency response: 80-30,000Hz Maximum peak output: 103dBSPL Power: Class D, 2 x 50 watts Inputs: 1 x HDMI, 1 x optical digital Outputs: 1 x subwoofer, wireless subwoofer Cabinet: Sealed Dimensions (hwd): 160 x 1200 x 54mm Weight (each): 7.1kg

Subwoofer

Driver: 1 x 200mm Frequency response: 38-150Hzz Power: Class D, 200 watts Inputs: 1 x line level, Wireless Cabinet: Sealed Dimensions (hwd): 295 x 295 x 295mm Weight: 9.6kg Warranty: One year Contact: Advance Audio Australia 02 9561 0799 www.advanceaudio.com.au

Best Buys Audio & AV 2014 #1

LOUDSPEAKERS & SPEAKER PACKAGES

STEREO LOUDSPEAKERS

GOLDENEAR TRITON TWO

W

hen Sandy Gross came back from retirement three years ago, he told everyone who asked that he’d done so because he had a project in mind, which was to ‘reduce the cost of highquality loudspeakers’. One of the ways he’s done this with his new GoldenEar line is by eschewing the stratospherically-priced finishes found on many high-quality loudspeakers, which these days include leather, titanium, aluminium… even diamond. GoldenEar does not use veneers or even painted finishes. Instead, it wraps its speakers in that ultimate in low-cost finishes — stretchy black cloth ‘stockings’.

EQUIPMENT

The black stocking stretched over the Triton Two conceals not only all the drivers in this design (and when we say ‘all’, it has a total of seven drivers… though two of these are not technically ‘drivers’ because they’re passive radiators, rather than actively driven) but also a very elaborate tunnel-like perforated steel grille that not only protects the five front-mounted drivers from damage, but also keeps the black grille-cloth clear of those drivers so it doesn’t interfere with them.

Also concealed by the stocking is the fact that the Triton Two is a very unusual design, in that the high-frequency section of the speaker is passive, like a conventional loudspeaker, and therefore must be connected to a standard hi-fi amplifier or receiver. The low-frequency section, however, is an active system, so the speakers in the low-frequency section are driven by the Triton Two’s own internal amplifier. GoldenEar describes this design as a ‘speaker with a built-in subwoofer.’

Let’s look first at the passive section of the Triton Two. This section comprises two bass/ midrange drivers mounted above and below a single ‘HVFR’ tweeter (about which more in a few paragraphs). The two bass/midrange drivers are made specifically for GoldenEar, a fact that is made doubly obvious by the unusual exposed, fluted, pole-piece/phase corrector protruding from the centre of the cone that GoldenEar calls a ‘Multi Vane Phase Plug’ (MVPP). They

protrude so far that they extend nearly 5mm beyond the bulge of the roll surround (another reason for the metal tunnel). The driver itself is very solidly constructed, with the chassis made from a casting, rather than from pressed steel, and it supports a very large unshielded magnet.

The ‘HVFR’ tweeter (the initials stand for High Velocity Folded Ribbon) is described as being a ‘ribbon’ tweeter, a description we don’t think is ideal since the HVFR is nothing like the style of tweeter most people would regard as being of ‘ribbon’ design… and, perhaps more importantly, has a different operating principle.

Here at Best Buys, we’d rather describe it using the terminology of the man who invented it: it’s an air motion transformer (AMT). Invented by the legendary loudspeaker pioneer Oskar Heil, the functional part of an air-motion transformer tweeter is rather like the moving part of a piano

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accordion, being in essence a pleated membrane driven by its edges. As the ‘pleats’ or ‘folds’ move towards each other then away, they compress and rarefy the air between them in such a manner as to create sound waves. The beauty of this system is that the ‘pleats’ in the membrane are super-efficient at moving air (think of the difference between ‘squirting’ an orange pip away from you by squeezing it between your fingers, compared to throwing the pip with your hand!). Also, because the pleated membrane is inherently ‘loose’ it has a resonant frequency that’s well outside its operating range, which isn’t true of, for example, dome tweeters. US speaker manufacturer Adam Audio uses a similar tweeter and has a particularly clear description of how the tweeter works on its website: “All other loudspeaker drive units — whether they are voice-coil driven, electrostatics, piezos or magnetostatics — act like a piston, moving air in a 1:1 ratio. This is undesirable, as the specific weight of air is much

Best Buys Audio & AV 2014 #1

LOUDSPEAKERS & SPEAKER PACKAGES you stop playing music, the internal amplifier will remain on for up to an hour before switching itself automatically to stand-by mode. lower than that of the driving mechanics. Speaking in terms of electrical engineering one could say there is a bad match between source and load. The [air transformer] principle achieves a 4:1 velocity transformation between (the) driving diaphragm and the driven air. In other words, the air moves in and out four times faster than the folds are moving. This superior motor system is responsible for the enormous clarity and transient reproduction that is to be heard from the ART drive units.”

Below the passive MTM mid/bass and tweeter array are two oval-shaped drivers GoldenEar calls ‘Quadratic Sub-Bass’ drivers. Each one is around 130mm wide and 200mm high, but the Thiele/ Small diameters are 95mm and 190mm. These two ‘quadratic’ bass drivers are active, being driven by an internal amplifier that GoldenEar rates at 1200W. On either side of the Triton Two are two oval-shaped flat-plate radiators, whose plates measure around 180×254mm. These radiators are not fitted with voice-coils, but are totally passive, being moved by variations of air pressure inside the cabinet created by the movement of the two active ‘quadratic’ bass drivers.

At the rear of the Triton Two is a single pair of high-quality gold-plated multi-way speaker binding posts, a single LFE RCA input, a rotary volume control for the subwoofer section, a chameleon LED to indicate power status and a two-pin 240V socket.

There is no 240V power switch, which seemed odd, so we’d recommend that when connecting the Triton Two to mains power, you first finish all the required connections (mains power, speaker level and line-level) before switching the Triton Two on using the power switch on the wall socket.

When you do this, the chameleon LED will flash for around 40 seconds while the speaker does a self-test. After that, if there is no audio signal, the LED will turn off and the subwoofer will go into standby mode until it senses an audio signal, after which it will turn on. It will then stay on while you’re playing music. Once

PERFORMANCE

Our advice is to ask your dealer to install the Triton Twos in your home, because, as the IKEA manual says, “Some assembly is required”. It’s not much assembly, but it’s made more difficult because although the speakers are not overly heavy (27kg each), they are a little awkward to handle because of their not-inconsiderable size (190×381×1220mm), the fact that the ‘corners’ of the cabinet are mostly rounded, and that the cloth covering tends to ‘slip’ under your fingers.

Much better to let someone with lots of practice at unpacking speakers do it for you! Once installed, you will see the speakers are quite tall and the area of the base is quite small, so don’t place the speakers where they could be accidentally bumped, because it doesn’t take much to destabilise them.

We first tried operating the Triton Twos with their backs virtually right up against the rear wall of the listening room which, rather serendipitously we thought, proved to be the perfect position, which we subsequently proved by trying other locations in the room just to be sure. We rather think the reason for this being the best position is that those side-firing passive radiators benefit from being located alongside a large flat surface. For this review, we also used the connection method recommended by GoldenEar: that of using only the speaker-level inputs. (In other words, we didn’t connect the LFE input.)

The first thing you’ll have to do is set the volume level of the internal subwoofer so that its bass output best matches the low-frequency output of the passive section. GoldenEar’s manual recommends the 9-o’clock position as a good starting point. What it doesn’t mention is that it’s a bit tricky to set when you have two loudspeakers, both with volume controls. We had multiple listeners, so it wasn’t hard for one person to turn the volume control while the others listened, and we also set up only one speaker at a time, using a mono signal and completely disconnecting the speaker we weren’t adjusting. We ended up with the control on the left speaker being set at around the 2 o’clock position, and that of the right speaker at 12 o’clock. However, when we fired both speakers up, we had to back each one off further, to 1 o’clock and 11 o’clock. While this was fiddly, and took around an hour to finalise, it did make us appreciate how useful it was being able to adjust the low-bass level of the speakers individually to compensate for each speaker’s exact position in the room relative to the side walls and other furniture.

Once properly set up, we found the sound issuing forth from the GoldenEar Triton Twos was awe-inspiringly realistic, with a body and presence such that we could have been sitting listening (and watching) a live music event. The bass was both enormous and effortless at the same time… so enormous that on occasion we were thinking we’d

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overcooked the bass level using the Triton Two’s volume control, only to realise that it was the record producer who’d overcooked the bass, which in turn made us appreciate how nice it was to be able to dial in the exact amount of bass required, as well as correct for a record producer pre-loading a track with too much bass. On the other hand, if you prefer to ‘feel the beat’, you can use the Triton Two’s controls to ensure that there’s ample bass for your own personal tastes. The long and short of it is that it’s our opinion that you won’t fail to be seriously impressed by the bass performance from the Triton Twos. The bass digs really deep (and we mean really deep), and it powers through like a freight train… you’ll feel — rather than hear — the thumps of the kick drum, and you will certainly be able to rattle the room fittings when you’re listening to bass-rich musical material, no matter whether it’s classical, rock or techno! The bass is very forgiving of room placement too. Even when the speakers were in positions where some other speakers have been boomy, the bass from the Triton Twos was always clean and crisp.

CONCLUSION

Designer Sandy Gross knows what he’s doing, not least because he did it before when he founded Definitive Technology and Polk Audio. This time around, he’s doing it even better, and for even less money, and with even higher-tech and better sound quality, so everyone’s a winner!

GoldenEar Triton Two stereo loudspeakers • Huge bass!

• Ease of placement • Involving soundfield • High centre of gravity • No power switch • Lack of colour choice Price: $4695 Frequency range: 16Hz–35kHz Efficiency: 91dBSPL @ 1metre @ 2.83V Nominal impedance: Compatible with 8 ohms Rec. amplification: 20-500W/channel Driver complement: Two 5-inch x 9-inch long-throw quadratic subwoofers, coupled to two 7-inch x 10-inch quadratic planar infrasonic radiators, two 4½-inch high-definition cast-basket mid/bass drivers, one HVFR High-Velocity Folded Ribbon tweeter.

Built-in subwoofer power amplifier: 1200W ForceField subwoofer digital/ DSP amplifier Dimensions (whd): 190×1220×381mm Weight: 27.2kg Warranty: Five years (two years on electronics) Contact: Kedcorp Pty Ltd 02 9561 0799 www.kedcorp.com.au

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ON TEST

Definitive Technology SC4000 SUBWOOFER

M

ine’s bigger than yours!

That’s one thing you’ll never be able to say about Definitive Technology’s new SC4000 subwoofer, because it’s one of the smallest subwoofers I have ever reviewed. However you will be able to boast about something, because its digital display is by far and away the largest I have ever seen on a subwoofer… indeed it’s almost ridiculously big. What were they thinking? But you will also be able to boast about the level of performance you’re getting, because for a small sub the SC4000 packs a powerful punch… and for not a whole lot of money.

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THE EQUIPMENT The reason the display is so large is that it’s always ‘hidden’ underneath the black cloth covering that Definitive Technology uses as a finish for most of its speakers, so if it were the usual size, you probably wouldn’t be able to see it—or you’d be able to see it, but not be able to distinguish the numerals. A highgloss piano lacquer top plate, adds a touch of class, and there is an ‘edge’ of black gloss panelling around the base of the subwoofer, but otherwise both sides and the front of the subwoofer are covered by black cloth. I am not normally a fan of clothed finishes, but on the SC4000 I think it works quite well.

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The driver complement of the SC4300 ‘SuperCube’ (about which I’ll have more to say later on in this review) comprises a single driven element (a 203mm-diameter bass driver) and two passive elements (two 203mm passive ‘plate-style’ auxiliary bass radiators, which are usually called ‘drones’ or ‘ABRs’).

Definitive Technology calls these latter two units ‘pressure coupled planar low bass drivers’ which is a pretty good—and a pretty accurate—description. Basically, these two drivers are not connected to the amplifier at all.

Instead, they’re forced to move by changes in air pressure within the cabinet caused by the single front-firing driver’s movement.

Definitive Technology SC4000 Subwoofer

As it moves outwards, rarefying the air inside the cabinet, the two passive drivers are pushed inwards by the air pressure in the listening room. As the front-firing driver moves inwards it compresses the air inside the cabinet, forcing the two passive drivers to move outwards. This to-and-fro motion of the passive radiators generates low-frequency sound waves.

This ‘pressurised air’ drive system works best at low frequencies and even better when the cabinet containing the drivers is small, because it results in larger differences in air pressure than would be possible in a larger cabinet. However there is still a slight time delay involved between the action and the reaction, and the coupling effect also works better at mid-to high volume levels than it does at low levels. However, with regard to this last, Definitive Technology has provided a ‘fix’ in the form of a ‘Night Mode’ circuit, which compresses the dynamic range of the subwoofer so that, in the company’s words, ‘the loudest bass in a movie doesn’t get loud enough to wake the kids’, which is why it’s called a Night Mode circuit. However, you can also use this circuit to increase the apparent level of bass when playing at low volume, effectively increasing the output of the passive radiators.

As for that single front-firing driver (which has a polypropylene cone and a Thiele/Small diameter of 165mm, for an Sd of 214cm²), it’s driven by a ‘BASH’ amplifier that Definitive Technology rates at 1,200-watts. BASH™ (the letters stand for Bridged Amplifier Switching Hybrid), is a trademark owned by US company Indigo, which holds US patents (#5,075,634 and #5,510,753) for this amplifier type, which is essentially an analogue Class-AB amplifier that uses a fast-response, pulse-width modulated power supply to deliver what is arguably a Class-H amplifier.

In a ‘Class-H’ topology, rather than the rail voltage being fixed it is instead continuously varied in time with the incoming audio signal, a technique that allows very highefficiency operation, and is usually called a ‘rail-tracking’ or ‘tracking’ topology. (Though the general BASH topology also bears similarities with Class-G and Class-D amplifiers.)

The output devices used in BASH modules are MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) that are deployed in bridged Class-B mode. The power for these is provided by a switch-mode power supply whose output voltage is controlled by an audio processor that generates a PWM ‘gate pulse’ for the BASH converter. Although the BASH audio processor uses much the same schema as Class-D pulse width modulation (PWM) digital amplifiers, it controls

the rail voltage rather than the audio signal itself, which is handled (in analogue) by the MOSFETs. For those who are interested in the history behind the BASH circuit, the applicable patent is US patent #5,075,634 (for a ‘Composite Bridge Amplifier’) where the inventor is named as one John B. French.

You get more than the usual control over what the BASH amp does, in that in addition to adjusting volume, phase (you can choose between four fixed settings: 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270° ) and crossover frequency (18 fixed settings to choose from, starting at 40Hz then proceeding in 5dB steps to 100Hz, after which in 10dB steps to 150Hz) you can also invoke the ‘Night Mode’ mentioned previously, as well as toggle between four differently pre-programmed EQ settings that alter the frequency response of the SC4000.

According to Definitive Technology’s ‘User Manual’, the EQ1 setting ‘maximises the lowest bass, but in so doing, sacrifices maximum volume level’, so that you won’t be able to play the SC4000 as loud using this setting as you will when you’re not using it. EQ2 raises the level of the midbass frequencies, which Definitive Technology says ‘is a good choice for hip-hop and rock music’. EQ3 raises the level of mid and ultra-low bass, which Definitive Technology says is: ‘a great setting for movies when not played at ultra-high volume levels’.

EQ4 is (and again this is according to Definitive Technology), ‘the best setting to use when achieving maximum volume levels with minimal distortion is more important than reproducing the lowest frequencies.’ Of course you can also switch the EQ off entirely and, indeed, Definitive Technology says (and I concur): ‘this is the best starting point.’

The User Manual warns against using EQ1 at high volume levels, but if you do, the SC4000 has an overdrive circuit built in that will shut the whole subwoofer down if it’s either overdriven, or simply gets too hot.

If it has overheated, the protection circuit automatically resets itself once the subwoofer has cooled down, whereas if the problem is overpowering, the protection circuit will reset only after you turn the volume down.

Amplifier control can be managed via pushbutton controls on the rear of the subwoofer but, as I quickly discovered, this is a hopeless way to try to change the settings because the display that tells you what you’re doing is at the front of the subwoofer. So unless you have extraordinarily long arms and/or your eyes can focus up close rather better than mine are able to do (the display being so big!), you will find it quite difficult to use the rear panel controls while you’re looking at the display. The good news is that

ON TEST

Definitive Technology includes with every SC4000 a small (actually, it’s tiny, measuring just 47×100×7mm) infra-red remote control that will allow you to make all your adjustments from the comfort of your own listening chair… which is actually the best place to make such adjustments. The remote also offers ‘Mute’ and power ‘On/Off’ buttons, neither of which are available on the subwoofer itself.

Power button notwithstanding, you don’t actually have to use it to turn the subwoofer on or off: the SC4000 will do that itself automatically via a signal-sensing circuit. If the sub is off and it detects that you have started playing music or a movie, it will turn on instantly.

DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY SC4000 DSP SUBWOOFER

Brand: Definitive Technology Model: SC4000 Category: Powered Subwoofer RRP: $1,545 Warranty: 3/5 Years Distributor: Advance Audio Australia Address: Unit 8, 509–529 Parramatta Rd Leichhardt, NSW 2040 (02) 9561 0799 info@advanceaudio.com.au www.advanceaudio.com.au

• Large display • Wireless option • Small footprint

• Large display • Size of remote • Display typeface

LAB REPORT Readers interested in a full technical appraisal of the performance of the Definitive Technology SC4000 Subwoofer should continue on and read the LABORATORY REPORT published on page 82. Readers should note that the results mentioned in the report, tabulated in performance charts and/or displayed using graphs and/ or photographs should be construed as applying only to the specific sample tested.

Lab Report on page 82 095

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ON TEST

Definitive Technology SC4000 Subwoofer

When you stop playing, the subwoofer will remain in a powered-up ‘ready’ state for around an hour before it decides you have definitely finished for the day, upon which it will turn itself off. (When I say ‘Off’, it’s not completely ‘Off’ of course; it’s just in standby mode, so you’ll be pleased to hear it draws less than 0.5-watts in this mode, which is low enough to earn the SC4000 an ‘Energy Star’ rating for being green.)

As you can see from the photograph, there’s a gaping recess on the rear of the subwoofer control plate that’s marked ‘Wireless Adaptor Port’. So, if you find the best position for the SC4000 is at the back or side of your room (for either acoustic and/or aesthetic reasons) and you do not want to run a wire from it all the way back to your main system, you can pay $85 extra for the SCW-100 wireless link which buys you both the transmitter and receiver. Remember, however, that there is one wire you cannot eliminate with the wireless link… and that’s the 240V cable that you’ll need to run from the SC4000 to the nearest power point.

One advantage of having the passive radiators on opposite sides of the cabinet is that some of the inevitable unwanted cabinet vibrations will be cancelled, but there is still some cabinet vibration caused by the frontmounted driver, particularly at high volume levels. The SC4000 is supplied with vibrationabsorbing rubber feet so none of these vibrations can be transmitted to the surface it’s standing on (particularly if that surface is reverberant, such as a suspended wooden floor) but more importantly, the rubber feet will also stop the subwoofer ‘creeping’ along the floor as a result of it vibrating. (Definitive Technology also supplies spikes, just in case you don’t want to use the rubber feet.)

One cosmetic touch that constantly caught my eye whilst I was auditioning (mainly because I had positioned the sub at the front of the room, facing the listening position) was that Definitive Technology does not put its full name on the front of the subwoofer, just the first half of it: the single word ‘Definitive’. What’s that about? I can’t see Aston Martin just putting the word

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‘Aston’ on its motor vehicles. Another jarring cosmetic touch was the typeface used for the display. It may be just me, but I found it difficult to read… despite the size!

Before moving on to tell you what I thought about the SC4000’s performance, I should break the suspense I introduced when I mentioned in the third paragraph of this review that I would be talking about the word ‘SuperCube’ later in this review. So here goes… The Definitive Technology SC4000 is not a cube at all… in any sense of the word, since all three dimensions are different, so it can hardly be a ‘SuperCube’. I guess you could argue that because it measures 300×270×329mm it is close to being a cube… and it certainly looks cubic to the untrained eye, but ultimately, if it’s not a cube, it’s not a cube. I have no argument about the weight though… the SC4000 tips the scales at exactly 14.5678kg.

PERFORMANCE Small subwoofers are very spouse-friendly mostly because they’re small, but also because they’re easier to position ‘out of the way’ than larger units, which often don’t fit under or behind other items of furniture you’re likely to have in your listening room.

This isn’t quite so easy with the SC4000 because it has driver elements on three of its

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four sides, meaning that only the back of the subwoofer can be placed close to a wall. Definitive Technology recommends you try to position the SC4000 on the same side of the room as your front speakers, but rather disses the idea of corner placement, which I think is bad advice: If you find the SC4000 works best in your room in one of the corners, that’s where you should put it. As to how to work out the best place to put the SC4000, it’s a bit too complex to cover in this review, so you can read it on-line at www. tinyurl.com/subwooferplacement I warmed-up and familiarised myself with the SC4000 using movie soundtracks, not least because these days, movie soundtracks contain more—and deeper—bass than most musical works. The reason for this is simply that movie directors use these very low-frequency sounds to create a sense of foreboding in viewers… it gives them a portent that something bad is about to happen, whether it’s the ‘stomp’ of an invisible Tyrannosaurus Rex, or a vibration that will soon reveal itself on-screen as being caused by an incoming tsunami.

I found that whatever movie I watched which had impressive low-frequency sound effects (SFX): Jurassic Park, Flood, 10.5: Apocalypse, Vertical Limit, and of course my favourite cringe movie, Avalanche (the one from 1978 with Rock Hudson and Mia Farrow, the plot and dialogue of which are so exquisitely bad they’re hilarious)… but I digress. The SFX in all these movies were delivered appropriately by the SC4000, with excellent low-frequency ‘heft’ that I could feel in the pit of my stomach, as well as with my ears. It could deliver this at impressively high volume levels as well. I didn’t hear any distortion or compression while listening and the subwoofer didn’t turn off (even during my ‘torture’ testing) so all-in-all, a pass with flying colours on the movie front.

Playing music, I was impressed by the overall tightness of the SC4000’s sound quality and the ease with which I was able to integrate the subwoofer’s output with that from both my main floor-standing speakers (using the 40Hz crossover point) in my living/listening room and the smaller,

ON TEST

Definitive Technology SC4000 Subwoofer

This is a magnificent little sub. It’s powerful, wellequipped and can deliver bass so deep that I guarantee you’ll be absolutely amazed by what it’s capable of... stand-mount speakers in my den, using the 140Hz setting of the crossover. I did experiment with the EQ setting in both rooms but found that overall I preferred to leave it off, with both movies and music. As for the Night Mode, I found I mostly left it on all the time with movies, and didn’t use it at all with music, even at low volume levels.

I did, however, come to appreciate that having a remote control made it really easy to change between modes and EQ settings, so I was never in any doubt that I was always using the best mode for each particular setup and volume level. The mute button also gives you a good chance to audition with and without the subwoofer’s contribution, so you can hear what a difference it’s making to your enjoyment of what you’re hearing… and the answer is, a lot! If you have small bookshelf/standmount loudspeakers, a subwoofer will make an incredible difference to the sound you hear, so I reckon owning one is mandatory in such a situation. Even if you have large floor-standing speakers I would always recommend adding a subwoofer, because it will add significantly

to your musical enjoyment. But, once again, I digress… In addition to being tight, the sound from the Definitive Technology was also tuneful… the low frequencies were clearly reproduced and it was easy to differentiate between different instruments playing at around the same pitch, and also easy to follow quick, complex bass guitar and double-bass runs and riffs.

The sound of the SC4000 does get thicker if you play music at extremely loud levels, particularly if you’re playing pipe organ works, but unless you have a large room (in which case you should probably be looking at the larger SC6000 or SC8000 models), the volume level at which this happens is so high that it’s really not likely to occur under normal circumstances. And if you’re planning to use it mostly for movies, it’d be fine even in a large room. You should certainly watch the volume levels when using EQ1, because the amount of deep bass boost is incredible… but it’s also incredible that the SC4000 can cope with the deep bass boost. I also found the EQ3 setting needed to be treated with care… quite a bit of boost there as well.

Operationally, the SC4000 worked perfectly. I did find the way the Night Mode is switched and displayed is rather odd — ‘N N’ means ‘Off’ and ‘N Y’ means ‘On’—and also that you can’t toggle directly between the two modes using the Night Mode switch.

(You have to select, then go to another mode, then come back in to Night Mode in order to change it.) Also, whenever I muted the subwoofer, it made a single high-frequency ‘tick’ sound, which I found annoying… but I guess it was vaguely reassuring at the same time. The ticking also occurs every time you adjust phase, but you’ll only do this once (during set-up) whereas you’ll likely be muting the sub fairly regularly.

Did I mention the remote control was small? In point of fact I decided it was perhaps a little too small… I even lost it down between the cushions on my couch (that is, between them, not down the back where there’s enough room to swallow an ordinary remote).

In retrospect, this wasn’t surprising, because the remote is only 7mm thick. It does have a small hole in one corner, so attaching a length of cord should make it easier to find when you lose it. (Note that I said ‘when’ and not ‘if’!)

CONCLUSION This is a magnificent little sub. It’s powerful, well-equipped and can deliver bass so deep that I guarantee you’ll be absolutely amazed by what it’s capable of: it easily outperforms much larger and more expensive subwoofers. But I guess the real proof will come when you listen to it yourself, which I recommend you do before the Aussie dollar takes another greg borrowman downwards dive!

LAB REPORT ON PAGE 82

Australian

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LAB REPORT

Definitive Technology SC4000 Subwoofer

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 52

LABORATORY TEST RESULTS

This means that it’s highly likely that any EQ setting you switch to will sound ‘better’ to you simply because it is louder, rather than from any other difference, so be aware of this when choosing a mode.

Just from eyeballing the graphs I can see that, compared to having the EQ switched off, EQ1 (the green trace) gives a huge boost to the very lowest frequencies (nearly 10dB at 35Hz!), EQ2 and EQ3 are similar and tend to emphasise the frequency range around 50Hz, where bass drums and bass guitars produce the most energy, while EQ4 attenuates the deep bass. Interesting, although it’s not obvious on this graph, almost all the frequency tailoring is happening below 70Hz. You can see this more clearly on Graph 8, which has is exactly the same traces as Graph 1, but all have been adjusted in level via postprocessing to be equal in level at 200Hz. What all settings also have in common is that they roll off fairly rapidly above 100Hz so that the Definitive Technology SC4000’s output is, on average, around 15–20dB down at 200Hz. This indicates to me that the SC4000 is going to integrate best with loudspeakers whose native response extends at least down to 100Hz. This means that in practise, any decent-sized bookshelf or standmount speakers would be a good match, but I wouldn’t recommend using tiny ‘satellitestyle’ speakers that are barely bigger than your hand.

The number of EQ settings available on the SC4000 meant a lot more testing was required by Newport Test Labs than usual and, unfortunately, more complex graphs than usual. The number of EQ settings also means the frequency response of the SC4000 is not easily quantified, since it will vary depending on what setting you use, as well as the setting of the crossover control.

Graph 1 shows the pink noise frequency responses obtained from the Definitive Technology SC4000 using all settings of the EQ control (including no EQ at all) with the crossover control set at maximum (150Hz), plus one trace without EQ with the crossover control set at minimum (40Hz).

It’s difficult to see, but overall the flattest and most linear response was obtained without any equalisation applied at all (black trace). It extends from 26Hz to 140Hz ±3dB and, as you can see, rises slowly from 26Hz to top out at 65Hz before rolling off down to 140Hz so is very ‘balanced’, which will give a neutral bass sound. All the other EQ settings tend to favour one area of bass over others, so all will give a particular sonic ‘flavour’ to the subwoofer’s sound when they’re used.

What all the four EQ settings have in common is that they will all sound ‘louder’ when you switch to them, as well as sounding ‘different’ due to the way they alter the native frequency response.

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Graph 1: Pink noise frequency responses (smoothed to third octave) at 2.0 metres with no EQ (Black Trace) with crossover control at maximum (150Hz), at 150Hz showing effect of EQ settings (See Colour Key), and at minimum (40Hz) without EQ. (Red Trace) [SC4000] 30

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Graph 2: Nearfield frequency responses measured with crossover control at maximum (150Hz) showing all possible EQ settings (See Key). Solid traces show driver responses, dotted traces show ABR responses. [Definitive Technology SC4000 Subwoofer]

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Graph 2 seems complicated because it shows the near-field sine responses of both the front-firing bass driver and one ABR for all four settings of the EQ control, including having no EQ at all. The solid traces show the driver responses, while the dashed same colour traces show the response of just one ABR for each setting. The woofer/ABR levels have not been adjusted to compensate for the fact that only one ABR was measured, so the actual ABR levels would be higher than shown on this graph.

Graph 3 overlays the near-field EQ1 responses (from Graph 2) with the far-field pink noise EQ1 response, so you can see how the outputs of the driver and the two ABRs combine to give the response shown for this setting in Graph 1 and in Graph 4. On this graph, the ABR response has been adjusted.

Graph 4, as stated previously, shows exactly the same traces that are shown in Graph 1, but all the traces have been adjusted in level (via post-processing) to be equal in level at 200Hz in order that the frequency tailoring of the EQ modes is made more obvious (in other words, by eliminating the level tailoring).

The Definitive Technology SC4000 Subwoofer is well-designed, offers a wide range of useful equalisation settings, and has an excellent frequency response at low frequencies (below 100Hz).

Steve Holding

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Graph 3. Frequency responses with EQ1 setting. Black trace shows pink noise response at 2 metres, smoothed to one-third octave. Red trace shows nearfield response of bass driver, green trace shows nearfield response of ABRs. [Definitive Technology SC4000]

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099

ON TEST

VTL MB-125 MONOBLOC AMPLIFIERS

V

acuum Tube Logic, better known as VTL, has been in the business of making outstanding valve amplification products for around a third of a century.

It was back in the early 1980s, in South Africa, that the father and son team of David and Luke Manley produced quality valve amplification pitched at local professional film and music recording studios. From there, *David Manley died of a heart attack on December 26, 2012, at the age of 73, in Varrennes-Jarcy, France, where he had moved to live with his sixth wife, Veronique.

word spread and soon the Manleys crossed the ‘pond’ and started building amplifiers for the domestic market in Europe. Further success, especially after 1986’s Consumer Electronics Show, saw the company move to the United States where, for the first time, they embarked on full-scale production on a global scale. The MB-125 reviewed here, however, is entirely the work of Luke Manley, David having left VTL in 1993 to concentrate on his eponymouslynamed company, Manley Labs, which is now owned and operated by David’s fifth wife, EveAnna Manley. (*See left.)

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KEEP IT SIMPLE As the entry point to VTL’s line of amplifiers, the MB-125 monoblocs are almost diminutive by way of contrast with the high-end’s almost ubiquitous ‘bigger is better’ approach. Be that as it may, but the unpretentious MB-125s are nonetheless built to very high standards. And the amplifiers are as simple as they are elegant. The nicely curved brushed aluminium fascia features a large central smoked glass window—which becomes a viewing porthole to the innards and the glowing glory of the EL34 power and 12AT7 signal valves within.

VTL MB-125 MONOBLOC AMPLIFIERS

ON TEST

Power Output: Single channel driven into 8-ohm and 4-ohm non-inductive loads at 20Hz, 1kHz and 20kHz using tetrode mode.

Other than the window to valve goodness, the faceplate’s only mar from total barrenness is a power switch that’s flanked by a small blue LED. Equal simplicity applies to the sparsely-populated rear panel where only a single-ended RCA provides signal connectivity, an IEC socket provides the 240V a.c. connection and a very nicely machined pair of binding posts will cater for your speaker cables. A toggle switch provides the option of running the amplifier in either low-powered triode or full power tetrode mode. Experimentation here is advised as the sonic differences between each mode will vary depending on speaker load and character. Generally, it’s thought that for a purer, perhaps more full-bodied presentation, you’d choose triode mode while more punch and dynamics can be had by running in tetrode mode. But as they say, your mileage may vary…

The MB-125s are specified as being capable of 55-watts and 100-watts into 5Ω in triode and tetrode modes respectively. Frequency response in both modes is claimed to extend from 20Hz to 20kHz at ±0.1dB. The power specifications derive from an array of four EL34 valves per monobloc which are driven by two 12AT7s. The MB-125 is quoted as being able to drive loudspeaker loads right down to 2Ω. Input impedance is a high 145kΩ which makes these amplifiers suitable to run with almost all preamplifiers I’m aware of.

Overall, the ‘fit ‘n finish’ is of a very high standard and the units feel substantial

in terms of their weight and their torsion strength. Care should be taken when lifting the units as they’re disproportionally weighted towards the rear (where the substantial custom transformers are housed).

Although I’ve listed the warranty as being two years, if you register your product with VTL’s Australian distributor, Advance Audio, it will extend the warranty period (on the amplifier only) to five years. The valves are warranted for only six months.

On a side note, VTL is not only about high level signal amplification. The company’s two-box TL-7.5 preamplifier, now in its MkIII iteration, has received universal acclaim as being of reference level and among the very best available. Similar technologies apply to the preamps on lower rungs, so

the former leading to long-term bliss and the latter to an expensive and bumpy seat in the gear-swapping carousel.

VTL’s MB-125 has the reputation, pedigree and specifications to work with an almost universal set of speakers but, darn it, they sounded outstanding with the ‘onpaper’ difficult-to-drive Wilson Sasha Watt/ Puppies. Here were two simpatico components that greeted each other, shook hands, and went about producing some of the best sound I’ve heard.

The MB-125s would have to be amongst the sweetest yet most hard-driving valve amplifiers given their moderate power rating (I also run a 750-watt solid-state monster—so we’re talking about gravitating from the sublime to the ridiculous).

VTL MB-125 MONOBLOC AMPLIFIERS

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For a purer, perhaps more full-bodied presentation, you’d choose triode mode...

Power Output: Single channel driven into 8-ohm and 4-ohm non-inductive loads at 20Hz, 1kHz and 20kHz using triode mode.

very sound one-brand pre/power combinations are on offer.

On a size note, each of the VTL MB-125 amplifiers measures 400×300×180mm (WDH) and weighs 22kg.

A PERFECT MATCH? In the world of audio, where the pursuit of sonic excellence is achieved via both scientific and creative avenues, the concept of synergy can be either a blessing or a curse.

Insert a new component into an existing system and it could be heaven or hell, with

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Brand: VTL Model: MB-125 Category: Monobloc Power Amplifiers RRP: $8,495 per pair Warranty: Two Years (Six months on valves) Distributor: Advance Audio Australia Address: Unit 8, 509–529 Parramatta Road Leichhardt NSW 2040 T: (02) 9561 0799 E: info@advanceaudio.com.au W: www.advanceaudio.com.au

Triode & Tetrode Magic midrange Chino not China!

Power consumption Runs hot

LAB REPORT: Turn to page 58 Test results apply to review sample only.

ON TEST

VTL MB-125 MONOBLOC AMPLIFIERS

Rarely have I experienced such a total lack of grain or etch ... and there was plenty of magic in the all-important midrange.

Power Output: Single and both channels driven into 8-ohm and 4-ohm non-inductive loads at 20Hz, 1kHz and 20kHz using pentode and triode modes. [VTL MB-125] The amps exerted impressive control, not only over the twin high-power 203mm woofers, but with the overall sonic presentation, especially in the dynamic contrast domain. Demanding musical fare was just a walk in the park for these amps and, much like the many other US-based valve amps I’ve reviewed in Esoterica, the VTLs managed to tread a space where profound detail, resolution and instrumental separation were the bedfellows of warm, full-bodied, yet quite fast and furious sound. Drums and percussion, toms and kick in particular, displayed a ‘roundness’ and a vigorous attack with-

out excess bloom or boom—just a more expressive, less-dry presentation than some high-damping solid-state amplifiers, but one just as powerful-sounding and, in this case, more satisfying. In that last sense, the MB125s sound like far more powerful beasts than their specifications would suggest. And that, surprisingly, was in triode operation, my preferred mode of listening, with the tetrode mode bringing a bit more punch but at the same time losing some ‘bloom’ and magic in the midrange… but only a tad, mind.

And there was plenty of magic in the all-important midrange. Whether vocals or brass, or the lower violin and upper cello notes—and so much more—the MB-125 monos were always resolute and sweet.

Rarely have I experienced such a total lack of grain or etch. And again, stressing the solidity of the images, the large sense of space, the superb instrumental separation and the surprising dynamic modulation. In my experience, some amplifiers at this price-point exhibit a limitation of some form; sometimes it’s a tad too much bass bloom (possibly associated with cost-savings and compromises in the transformer design) or a colouration or lack of transparency in the mids or highs

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(the association there may be related to circuit and component compromises). The MB-125s just played music; always involving, always utterly listenable.

CONCLUSION In my opinion, having at least one item in the system chain sporting valve circuitry brings the magic. The crowded Australian market offers plenty of valve amplifiers, and certainly a whole host of budget fare in over-the-topbling livery from China, but what the VTL MB-125 monos offer is understated elegance mixed with solid engineering and all-American manufacturing (in Chino not China).

Few amplifiers have had the impact or had my reference system singing to the triumphant levels as the MB-125s. Call it synergy, within the microcosm of my reference system, or call it all-round potential excellence in the audio world at large. Sir or madam, one thing is for sure; shopping at this price-point and not trying VTL’s MB-125s is totally at your peril because, in the world of the high-end, these VTL MB-125 monoblocs are one hell of a bargain.

Edgar Kramer TEST RESULTS ON PAGE 58

LAB REPORT

VTL MB-125 MONOBLOC AMPLIFIERS

LABORATORY TEST RESULTS One reason audiophiles (and musicians) like valve amplifiers is that they overload very gracefully… so gracefully that it’s difficult to perceive they’re overloaded at all. Whereas solid-state amplifiers go straight into hard clipping at which point they suddenly generate (literally) hundreds of high-level odd- and even-order harmonic distortion components, valve amplifiers clip ‘softly’ and, when they do, generate only a few, low-order harmonic distortion components, many of which sound so pleasant to the ear (being predominantly low-order and evenorder harmonics) that it’s difficult (perhaps impossible) to hear they’re overloading at all. This ‘soft clipping’ effect also makes it difficult to measure the exact output power of valve amplifiers, because soft clipping is also difficult to observe visually on an oscilloscope screen, whereas hard clipping is instantly visible. As a result, the power output figures measured by Newport Test Labs were not taken at clipping, but at the level where THD exceeded 3.0%.

If you’re comparing the tabulated figures with the manufacturer’s specifications, you should note that Newport Test Labs used standard 8Ω and 4Ω test loads during the measurements, whereas VTL for some reason used 5Ω test loads when compiling its specification sheet, so the figures are not directly comparable… though 4Ω is close enough to 5Ω that any differences between using one rather than the other would mostly be academic. So I’ll start with the 4Ω loads and, using its high-output (tetrode) mode, the VTL MB-125 delivered 81-watts

(19.0dBw) at low and midrange frequencies, but managed only 60-watts (17.8dBw) at 20kHz. In its low-output (triode) mode, the VTL MB-125 was measured as delivering 40-watts (16.0dBw) at low and mid frequencies, and 20-watts (13.0dBw) at 20kHz. As you can see from the tabulated results, the power output figures were not substantially different when the amplifier was driving an 8Ω load. Although the amplifier falls short of VTL’s ratings, it didn’t fall much short, in fact it was just 1.4dB shy of spec in triode mode and just 1dB shy in tetrode mode (using the result at 1kHz as the reference).

The frequency response of the VTL MB-125 was extended, reaching out to 94kHz (–1dB) and a fraction further (110kHz) if we look at the 3dB downpoint.

At the low-frequency end of the spectrum, the VTL was 1dB down at 12Hz and 3dB down at 7Hz. This puts the ‘normalised’ response at 12Hz to 94kHz ±0.5dB, or 7Hz to 110kHz ±1.5dB. Within the audio band, the response was much flatter again, at you’d expect, and as you can see from Graph 5 (ignore the tiny ripples on the traces on this graph, which were the result of some mains-frequency hum creeping into the measurements). Into a standard resistive laboratory load (the black trace on the graph) you can see the VTL MB125’s frequency response almost tracks the 0.00dB reference line from 20Hz to 10kHz, then rises to be 0.05dB ‘high’ at 20kHz. (The response continues to rise to peak at 50kHz, before rolling off to 94kHz.) This puts the normalised audioband frequency

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response of the VTL MB-125 at 20Hz to 20kHz ±0.02dB. When the VTL MB-125 was connected to a load that simulates that of a typical two-way loudspeaker (the red trace on the graph) you can see that its frequency response was not nearly so linear as into the purely resistive load, but the overall response was still measured at 20Hz to 20kHz ±0.3dB, which is an excellent result.

(The vertical scaling of this graph must be borne in mind: it’s quite extreme, with the tops and bottoms indicating +1dB and –1dB respectively.)

Graphs 3 and 4 show the output spectrum of the VTL MB-125 when driving 8Ω and 4Ω loads at an output of one watt, respectively. As you can see, distortion is very low for a valve amplifier. Into 8Ω loads, there’s a second harmonic at –75dB (0.0177% THD), a third at –80dB (0.01% THD), a fourth at around –98dB (0.0012% THD) and that’s it (the ‘spike’ below 16kHz is a measurement artefact, and should be ignored on all the graphs on which it appears). When driving 4Ω loads, the level of the second harmonic increases to –68dB (0.0398%), the level of the third harmonic to –70dB (0.0316%) and the level of the fourth to around –94dB (0.0019%) and a fifth harmonic appears at around –99dB (0.0011%). These distortion levels are all quite low, as you can see, but also, adding second harmonic distortion is musically the same as adding a second note an octave above, which the human ear finds ‘pleasant’ and adding a third harmonic is musically equivalent to adding a fifth above, which

VTL MB-125 MONOBLOC AMPLIFIERS

again results in a sonically pleasing result.

The noise floor on both graphs shows that there’s considerable low-frequency noise in the output, likely mains-related, which accounted for the VTL MB-125’s relatively high unweighted noise figures. dBFS 0.00

Distortion at high power output levels was high, as you can see from Graphs 3 and 4, which show output at 55-watts into an 8Ω load (Graph 4) and at 70-watts into a 4Ω load (Graph 5) both graphed using the VTL’s tetrode mode. You can see that into

LAB REPORT

an 8Ω load, except for the third harmonic, all the other harmonic components were more than 70dB down, so each contributed less than 0.0316% distortion to the total.

Into 4Ω loads, save for the third harmonic at around –53dB (0.22%), the first five

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Graph 4: Total harmonic distortion (THD) at 1kHz at rated output (70 watts) into a 4-ohm non-inductive load, referenced to 0dB (Tetrode Mode). [VTL MB-125 Power Amplifier]

Graph 1: Total harmonic distortion (THD) at 1kHz at an output of 1-watt into an 8-ohm non-inductive load, referenced to 0dB (Tetrode Mode). [VTL MB-125 Power Amplifier] dBr 1.00

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Graph 2: Total harmonic distortion (THD) at 1kHz at an output of 1-watt into a 4-ohm non-inductive load, referenced to 0dB (Tetrode Mode). [VTL MB-125 Power Amplifier]

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Graph 3: Total harmonic distortion (THD) at 1kHz at rated output (55 watts) into an 8-ohm non-inductive load, referenced to 0dB (Tetrode Mode). [VTL MB-125 Amplifier]

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Graph 6: Intermodulation distortion (CCIF-IMD) at an output of 1-watt into an 8-ohm non-inductive load, referenced to 0dB (Tetrode Mode). [VTL MB-125 Power Amplifier]

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VTL MB-125 MONOBLOC AMPLIFIERS

LAB REPORT

harmonic distortion components were all below –60dB (0.1%), and above 5kHz, were mostly around 80dB down (0.01%) or more. The small spikes (‘grass’) around the fundamental (at 1kHz) and the harmonics indicates that the VTL MB-125’s power supply was working very hard during these (continuous) tests.

Intermodulation distortion (CCIFIMD) is shown in Graph 6, and you can see that as with almost all valve amplifiers, there’s a considerable (–70dB) signal regenerated down at 1kHz as a result of the two test signals (at 19kHz and 20kHz). There’s also a signal at 2kHz (–80dB). However these regenerated signals are still quite low in level for a valve amplifier, so the VTL MB-125 appears to have less CCIF-IMD than many competitive designs.

As alluded to previously, the unweighted signal-to noise ratios reflect some noise in the power supply section of the amplifier, with Newport Test Labs measuring overall figures of 54dB referred to an output of one-watt and 73dB referred to rated output. Applying standard IHF A-weighting to these results, to simulate the level of noise that would be perceived by the human ear, you can see that the S/N figures improve to 72dB and 90dB respectively.

These are good results for a valve amp.

The square wave tests (see the four oscillograms) present much of the data already measured in abbreviated (but difficult to read!) form (which is why square waves are such a useful tool in amplifier analysis).

The VTL MB-125’s frequency extension is obvious from the 100Hz and 10kHz square waves, but the 100Hz wave also shows the MB-125 has excellent low-frequency phase accuracy. Particularly impressive is the amplifier’s ability to cope with highly capacitive loads (2µF). The small overshoot visible on all the square waves (including the one into the capacitive load!) is due to that peak in the amplifier’s response at 50kHz, mentioned previously which, however, because of its frequency will be audibly benign.

Mains power consumption will be high, with this single monobloc amplifier drawing more than 100-watts from your mains at all times, and peaking at pulling more than 250-watts if you sustain playback at high volume levels.

Obviously in a system you’d have two amplifiers operating, so you need to double these figures to obtain ‘real’ consumption.

The lesson is to switch your pair of VTL MB125s off whenever you’re not using them.

(And using a dedicated 240V power outlet might also be helpful).

Overall, the VTL MB-125 is a very welldesigned valve amplifier that delivers excellent performance for its genre.

Steve Holding

VTL MB-125 Power Amplifier - Power Output Test Results Channel

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18.8

82

19.1

61

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81

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60

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VTL MB-125 Power Amplifier - Test Results Test

Measured Result

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0.18%

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73dB / 90dB

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90mV / 546mV 0.54Ω 14.8

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@ 1-watt

54dB / 72dB

NA / 112

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115 / 251

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Mains Voltage Variation during Test

240 – 252

Minimum – Maximum

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ON TEST

WILSON AUDIO ALEXIA LOUDSPEAKERS

WILSON AUDIO ALEXIA LOUDSPEAKERS

A

lexia, the female Alexius, the Greek defender of men. Or perhaps, being at the median point of the Wilson speaker collection, it’s the guardian, or the representative sentinel, for the brand’s whole speaker range. Indeed, the new speaker has become a fresh pivotal focal point that, at least for now, has stolen the limelight from the company’s best-selling and multi-generational pin-up hero—in its new Sasha guise—the WATT/Puppy.

What’s more, the Alexia plugs a void in the range’s price point, physical form and conceptual design that fits it in between the Sasha W/P and the large scale MAXX 3. But the new speaker is the recipient of much of the driver technology and overall engineering of Wilson’s flagship, the massive Alexandria XLF. So for starters, the Alexia is the

first to receive the new tweeter as used in the XLF—in a revised version to mate with the single midrange driver—and therefore shares the tonal signature of the flagship design. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

CONCEPTUAL PRINCIPLES Alexia is a new design from the ground up: Wilson Audio’s first such since the Sasha W/P… though that speaker was really an evolution of its WATT/Puppy Series 8 ancestor. Founder/designer David Wilson says that he and the company’s design team set out to create ‘a loudspeaker that would communicate the majesty of music on a grander scale while only marginally increasing Sasha’s footprint.’ So overall Alexia measures 1,350mm high by 387mm wide by 537mm deep, all of 240mm taller, 30mm

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wider and about the same depth as its little sister while weighing a substantial 27kg heavier at 116kg. The stature becomes apparent when, as you’re seated in your favourite sweet-spot chair, the tall imposing figure of Alexia and its single tweeter-eye gazes down upon you.

Said tweeter is the new Wilson Audio CST driver (Convergent Synergy Tweeter) in a modified version of the XLF’s own, which came about after a prolonged research program during which Wilson says all manner of tweeterage was tested and evaluated.

Made by Scan-Speak to Wilson’s specification (and reportedly further modified at the Wilson factory) the 25mm dome silk tweeter marks a departure from the long-running modified titanium tweeter previously used that came from Focal.

WILSON AUDIO ALEXIA LOUDSPEAKERS

ON TEST

Results in a more robust and extended low register while maintaining a room-friendly Sasha footprint.

For this new tweeter, Wilson claims a very linear response, wide bandwidth and high power-handling capabilities: all factors that permit a smooth transition to the midrange driver. Said midrange driver is a derivative of the 178mm unit Wilson has been using across the floorstanders and is said to be almost identical to the XLF’s. It features a stiff but very light diaphragm consisting of a proprietary cellulose fibre blend and a soft rubber roll surround.

In line with the larger Wilson speakers, Alexia features two disparately-sized bass drivers (203mm and 254mm, also sourced from Scan-Speak) presumably to capitalise on the speed of the smaller driver while reaching for subterranean lows with the larger one (actually, the two drivers operate in unison at very low frequencies).

The combination of the larger driver array and increased internal enclosure volume (in conjunction with a large low-tuned machined aluminium port tube) results in a more robust and extended low register while actually maintaining a room-friendly near-Sasha footprint.

The Alexia introduces for the first time at this price point the ‘Aspherical Propagation Delay’ sub-enclosure alignment techniques Wilson uses in its larger models.

Each speaker system comprises three spikecoupled enclosures; the largest, of course, being the bass cabinet housing the bass drivers while atop sits the pyramidal 178mm driver’s twin slot-ported enclosure which supports the sealed tweeter module.

Fore, aft and vertical adjustments can be made to the mid and treble modules to acoustically align the speaker, in relation to the throw distance and ear height, to ‘focus’ at the listening position. The spiked mid enclosure moves fore and aft (along two metal guide rails for the front spikes) to line-up at the rear with a machined metal stepped block which shifts along a numerical scale. The vertical/angle adjustment is

performed via an interchangeable rear spike (different lengths supplied) that sits on one of the block’s 10 ‘steps’.

The rear spike sits on the appropriate step firmly enough but a shallow spike-coupling indentation on the step would make the arrangement more solid while also centring the spike within the width of the step. This could be offered as an upgrade seeing that the step block can be removed and replaced easily enough.

The tweeter module sits within a cutaway of the mid enclosure and can be independently adjusted via a metal indentation guide integrated into its top surface.

A heavy aluminium plate serves as a brace against the mid module’s ‘wing’ cut-away panels and features a downwards-pointing spike which, once aligned with the scale atop the tweeter module (all part of the Propagation Delay adjustment suite), can be hand locked via yet another spiking arrangement which provides fulcrum pressure from the rear.

As complicated as all this may sound on paper, the procedure is self-evident once you understand the mechanical alignment principles at play and, in any case, set-up will be carried out by your dealer. The whole thing need only happen once unless you drastically change your seating position.

Even then, the entire suite of adjustments is easily made with the help of Alexia’s comprehensive and rather exemplary manual which contains the ‘Alignment Tables’ required as well as very thorough room set-up suggestions and other system information.

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WILSON AUDIO ALEXIA LOUDSPEAKERS Brand: Wilson Audio Specialties Model: Alexia Category: Floorstanding loudspeakers RRP: $67,795 Warranty: Five Years Distributor: Advance Audio Address: Unit 8, 509–529 Parramatta Rd Leichhardt NSW, 2040 T: (02) 9561 0799 F: (02) 9569 1085 E: sales@advanceaudio.com.au W: www.advanceaudio.com.au Superb performance in all sonic areas Comprehensive alignment for optimal imaging and soundstaging Exceptional engineering Superb finish Form factor may not appeal to some Step coupling could be improved via a small indent LAB REPORT: Turn to page 86 Test results apply to review sample only.

ON TEST

WILSON AUDIO ALEXIA LOUDSPEAKERS

Very impressively, the speaker ‘vanishes’ in a way that is astonishing when you consider its physical size.

Aesthetically, the whole mid and tweeter arrangement echoes the design style of the Sasha’s top module.

Aside from the superb fit and finish, these aren’t ‘pretty’ speakers—their form is dictated by their functional principles—but Alexia’s industrial design elegance will suit modern environments and please those appreciative of refined engineering.

Included with the manual are two large ‘pizza-style’ boxes with internal foam cut-outs for the provided very high quality US-manufactured tools, machined ‘diodes’, matching spikes (both for tilt-alignment and the overall speaker), brass floor protectors, microfibre polishing cloth and a set of resistors. These last can be used to tailor the Alexia’s midrange and treble response for different room acoustics and are easily user-fitted to terminals accessed via a removable brushed aluminium cover on the bass enclosure’s rear panel. Wilson advises that the resistors can also act as a form of protection should excess power threaten to harm the drivers.

Wilson Audio eschews the more commonly used MDF in favour of its own formula of composite compounds across the entire product range. Alexia enclosures feature a combination of ultra hard ‘X’ cellulose and phenolic composite materials and midrange-suitable ‘S’ material (natural fibres in a phenolic resin laminate as first developed for Sasha) where appropriate.

A number of standard high-quality gloss finishes are offered and, at added cost, a selection of premium colours or any custom tone from the infinite automotive palette.

We’re thoroughly familiar with a number of products from the Wilson stable and must note that the paint finish has markedly improved over the last three generations to exemplary mirror-like standards. Our review sample was finished in a stunning ‘Dark Titanium’ with a deep lustre resplendent with metallic speckle.

Alexia ships in three large timber crates and the logistics of delivery and installation,

although handled by your dealer, need to be considered in terms of access and container storage.

Wilson Audio specifies the Alexia as having a wide frequency response between 20Hz and 32kHz ±3dB while sensitivity is quoted as 90dBSPL/1W/1M at 1kHz with a nominal impedance of 4Ω. Impedance minima is quoted as 2Ω at 80Hz but our measurements showed otherwise… whatever the case, high-current solid-state and high-watts valve amplification would be most suitable in order to attain the full power, control and dynamic potential.

WHEEL ‘EM OUT! The Alexia comes pre-fitted with castors, something that is invaluable in terms of room position experimentation for a speaker weighing well over 100kg.

Days of wheelin’ high-jinx led to the Alexia being positioned only a few centimetres wider apart and further into the room than my reference Sasha. I had at hand a range of high-current solid-state amplifiers and some powerful valve ones too, so the Alexia was fed a good variety of the appropriate quality. Ditto for the preamplification, which featured outstanding products of valve and solid-state designs.

Going from the Sasha to Alexia demonstrated that the Wilson Audio ‘house sound’, for lack of a better descriptor, is recognisable out-of-the-box—but oh boy, do we have so much more on offer here…

This driver mix offers the most coherent cut-of-the-same-cloth sonic balance I’ve ever heard from a Wilson speaker and, indeed, one of the most coherent full stop.

In my listening room—which, untreated, has been measured to be fortuitously

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and refreshingly flat—the frequency graph’s 20-to-20 terrain is one of minor undulations within a narrow scale rather than most rooms’ mountainous and subterranean chasms. This allows the true signature of any speaker to transmit across with much less than the usual environmental editorialising.

The Alexia is top to bottom consistent and, in conjunction with the comprehensive alignment adjustments, totally disappears— but alas, only from the listening position.

While on spatial descriptions, the massive sonic field is populated with well-defined images that possess, in terms of localisation and corporeal presence, the fundamental signatures of individual instruments and voices as close to real manifestations. Very impressively, the speaker ‘vanishes’ in a way that is astonishing when you consider its physical size. Music emanates around and radiates outwards just forward of the speakers’ plane; enveloping but with clear and precise image localisation.

ON TEST

The aforementioned ability for the new drivers to coalesce also presents gains in the tonal character of the loudspeakers. The Alexia is a subtle and sophisticated handler of the textural palette and micro-detail minutiae. Instruments and voices sound natural, with correct timbre and unaffected tonality, as they do when I hear them at acoustic live performances. No better example of soundscape and tonality is Audiofon’s Earl Wilde, The Art of Transcription, Live at Carnegie Hall. Alexia reproduces Wild’s majestic piano with tremendous power and dynamic accuracy while preserving and naturally-decaying its sustain within the astonishingly realistic live acoustics and rich ambience of Carnegie Hall as captured by Wilson Audio’s own Peter McGrath (who is also Audiofon’s Chief Engineer).

And I should talk about pyrotechnics— in the sense of the type of unrestrained dynamic exuberance and bass power that the brand has always been known for. Here the Alexia provides a generous and quite surprising proportion of what much larger well-designed speakers can offer. I dare you to crank the volume while playing Bozzio Levin Stevens’ ‘Duende’ from the trio’s Black Light Syndrome release. Between Levin’s punctuated bass (especially in the intro), Stevens’ devastating guitar attacks and Bozzio’s Bofors-cannon drum rolls you’ll be left breathless… and your neighbours kind of anxious. Alexia has a much more even and balanced bass than my Sasha; yet it slams much harder while dipping far lower and seeming ‘faster’. It’s a low register that brings an unconscious smile to your face, a

WILSON AUDIO ALEXIA LOUDSPEAKERS

stupor, because its energy and excitement make it sound real. It’s pacey, clean, with sharp transient attack and massive power while petering off with natural decay.

But such low-end quality, all things being equal, is to be expected. Alexia is a large speaker with two powerful bass drivers designed by a team of experts with decades of scientific and engineering research behind them. What is much, much harder to achieve is a natural midrange and top-end while balancing the respective inter-driver and crossover interactions and managing the cabinet’s resonant behaviour.

Coming from the previous Wilson tweeter as used in the Sasha, at first listen, Alexia may seem somewhat reserved, restrained, less airy and extended. Long-term listening will, however, reveal a less forward, more refined, nuanced and natural presentation with truthful tonality, filigreed detail and stunning dynamic modulation.

I couldn’t possibly illustrate a better example of the sublime midrange and treble performance of this speaker than to ask you to give the tired and clichéd audio show chestnut that is Rebecca Pidgeon’s Spanish Harlem a whirl. I never play this for my own pleasure, or even for evaluating audio, even if it’s a fairly good recording and its ubiquity makes it somewhat of a familiar reference: its over-rotation in audiophile circles has just ruined it for me. However, at the request of a visiting friend, on it went… ‘Just for kicks and only a minute of it…’ he said. Well, I’ll be blowed! Such was the captivating beauty Alexia was able to convey that we both froze and listened to the whole track through… in my case, for the very first time in many years. Pidgeon’s voice was crystalclear, dead-centre and rendered with a verisimilitude, a purity that bestowed the tired track with new authenticity. And should you be from another planet and not expect the shakers as they come in, then you’d be

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startled at the lifelike resolution which almost allows a bead count. Spooky real.

Yet another strength in abundance is resolving power. Feed the Alexia with the most complex mixes, the most intricate instrumental dexterity and nuanced musicianship and it rewards with meticulous separation and intact micro-detail while maintaining the musical flow. Sasha is adept at this too but Alexia just renders it all with superior musicality and emotive connection.

And as much as Alexia excels at all performance parameters, what is at its core is an ability that is, surprisingly, somewhat rare in high-end hi-fi—the capacity to communicate the emotion of the music in a way that captivates the listener. And that is priceless…

CONCLUSION Wilson Audio’s model releases are the result of evolving research and ideologies.

Of course, form, physical elements and manufacturing factors will determine a new speaker’s price but it’s common for Wilson Audio to produce a new design featuring the latest thinking that, as a result, may outperform siblings up the range. In other words, new speakers are recipients of the best knowledge and design skill at hand and not constrained or hampered in order to fulfil price-point expectations.

The new Alexia fulfils the mandate required to produce a speaker that is close to being on par with the XLF flagship’s performance—save for the bigger speaker’s obvious bass superiority—while maintaining Sasha’s approximate dimensions. Alexia is a considerable investment, however, few speakers can match its level of engineering and, in the sum of its parts, it’s a product of developed and costly manufacturing methodologies. Its power and sonic excellence are directly derived from the meticulous acoustic alignment provisions, the advanced non-resonant enclosure materials, the bespoke drivers, the painstaking attention to detail in construction and the skilfully tuned ‘system’ entire.

Alexia will be a landmark product for Wilson Audio, of that I have little doubt, and may even outsell the smaller and less expensive Sasha. It’s a remarkable design.

Alexia, the new Wilson Audio lady, is not leaving this house. Review sample promptly Edgar Kramer purchased…

LAB REPORT LABORATORY TEST RESULTS The frequency response measured by Newport Test Labs that’s shown in Graph 1 is, as you can see, extremely balanced and linear, so that as graphed, using the pink noise test stimulus, the Wilson Audio Alexia’s response extends from 27Hz to 20kHz ±3.5dB. As you can see, there’s a slight bass emphasis between 40Hz and 90Hz, which is around 2.5dB higher than the average for the response between 600Hz and 7kHz, and there’s a slight dip in the region between 90Hz and 600Hz that is around 2.5dB below the average. However, both the emphasis and the dip are at frequencies that will be greatly affected by room placement, so with careful positioning you’ll be able to ameliorate these effects to gain an even ‘flatter’ response if this is desired.

Graph 2 shows the effect on the frequency response of operating the Wilson Audio Alexia with and without its grilles in

WILSON AUDIO ALEXIA LOUDSPEAKERS

place. I don’t think I’ve seen such a dramatic difference previously: performance will be audibly better with the grilles removed—so much better that I would recommend listening with the grilles off all the time (though replacing them when you’re not, to protect the drivers). Note, however, that it’s only the midrange and tweeter grilles you need to remove, you can leave the main (largest) grille over the dual woofers without affecting the sound quality at all. Looking at the response without the grilles, you can see there’s a dip at just above 4kHz. This is mostly a microphone-positioning issue caused because the microphone used to make the measurement was only two metres away: the response you’d hear at the listening position is as shown in Graph 1—perfectly linear. The sharp ‘notch’ just below 15kHz worried

me, but according to the authorities I contacted, it’s a characteristic of the soft-dome tweeter Wilson is using, and has been noted in all tests done on the Alexia—and not only in the measurements of the Alexia, but also of Wilson Audio’s Alexandria XLF, which uses the same tweeter. The bandwidth of the notch and the high frequency at which it occurs means it would not have any audible effect on the sound. Indeed for many listeners, it will occur above the highfrequency limit of their hearing.

Low frequency response (Graph 3) was fairly unusual, because the two bass drivers do not appear to be crossed over any

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Graph 2. High-frequency response, expanded view. Test stimulus gated sine. Microphone placed at three metres on-axis with dome tweeter. Lower measurement limit 800Hz. Grille on (red trace) vs grille off (black trace). [Wilson Audio Alexia Loudspeaker] 105

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Graph 3. Near-field response of lower bass driver (black trace); upper bass driver (blue trace); rear-firing bass reflex port (red trace); midrange driver (pink trace) and midrange slots ['ports'] (green trace). Ports/woofers/midrange levels not compensated for differences in radiating areas. [Wilson Audio Alexia Loudspeaker]

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WILSON AUDIO ALEXIA LOUDSPEAKERS

differently, and both have a fairly peaky response that’s centred at 65Hz, so that their combined response is around 6dB down at 45Hz and 130Hz, this upper frequency appearing to be the acoustic crossover to the midrange driver. The rear-firing bass reflex port has a very unusual tuning, so that its output is essentially completely flat from around 16Hz up to 55Hz. Above 55Hz the port’s output rolls off at 16dB/octave, so that there’s almost no output above 200Hz. This means that you could, if you wished, operate the Alexias with their backs very close to a wall without getting any unwanted high-frequency wall bounce, as you

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do with most large speakers with rear-firing ports. The midrange driver’s response rolls on very smoothly from around 80Hz so that it’s taken over by 200Hz and, as you can see, has a very even, linear output right up to where it’s rolled off so the tweeter can take over from it. The green trace shows the output from the two slots at the rear of the ‘head’ housing the midrange driver. As you can see, the slots do not provide any bass reinforcement at all, and seem present only to change the loading on the rear of the midrange driver’s cone. You can see, however, that there is quite a bit of higherfrequency output (at 450Hz) which could give some small emphasis to the midrange.

Newport Test Labs Wilson Audio has a reputation for building loudspeakers that are difficult to drive, and the Alexia is no exception, because its impedance barely rises above 4Ω over the range where most musical fundamentals are found, and drops to just 1.8Ω at 80Hz. (I was interested why Graph 4. Impedance modulus (red trace) plus phase (blue trace). Black trace under is reference 2 ohm precision calibration resistor. [Wilson Audio Alexia Loudspeaker] Wilson Audio continues to specify the minimum Newport Test Labs impedance as 2Ω whereas every other test of the Alexia I’ve seen, including this one from Newport Test Labs, shows it at 1.8Ω.) The fact that the impedance remains below 3Ω between 55Hz and 250Hz means this design could never be classified (at least under the IEC 268-5-16 loudspeaker Graph 5. Frequency response. Trace below 800Hz is the averaged result of nine individual standard) as having a ‘nomfrequency sweeps measured at three metres, with the central grid point on-axis with the inal’ impedance of 4Ω. tweeter using pink noise test stimulus with capture unsmoothed. This has been manually spliced (at 800Hz) to the gated high-frequency response, an expanded view of which is Luckily, the phase angles shown in Graph 2. [Wilson Audio Alexia Loudspeaker] are nicely controlled, only Newport Test Labs exceeding 30° at 15Hz and 55Hz, and the impedance modulus rises nicely at high frequencies, which should ensure compatibility with Class-D amplifier designs.

In the frequency response depicted in Graph 5, Newport Test Labs has used post-processing to ‘splice’ the low frequency Graph 6. Composite response plot. Red trace is output of bass reflex port. Dark blue trace response shown in Graph is anechoic response of lower bass driver. Light blue trace is sine response of midrange driver. Black trace is averaged in-room pink noise response (from Graph 1). [Wilson Alexia] 1 to the high-frequency reOhm

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LAB REPORT

sponse shown in Graph 2 in order to show the overall response over a wider graphing range (the two were spliced at 800Hz). You can see that although the tweeter is flat out to 20kHz, is still effective at 30kHz and has appreciable output at 40kHz, the general trend is that it’s rolling off above 20kHz. This graph shows the final overall response measured by Newport Test Labs for the Wilson Audio Alexia as 25Hz to 35kHz ±4dB. As usual, I have included a composite graph (Graph 5) which shows how the various drivers and ports interact with each other to produce the desired output.

However, this time I’ve simplified things by not including the response of the smaller bass driver (because it’s essentially the same as that of the larger one), nor the output of the head’s rear-firing slots. As you can see, the correlation between the various measurements is excellent.

Newport Test Labs used its standard stringent methodology to test the efficiency of the Alexia, and under its conditions, reported sensitivity as 87.5dBSPL at one metre with a 2.83Veq pink noise input.

This is just slightly above average efficiency, despite being 2.5dB lower than Wilson Audio’s specification. However, if you look at Wilson Audio’s specification in more detail, this US company specifies sensitivity at only a single frequency (1kHz). Newport Test Labs averages output levels over a far wider bandwidth, which gives a more ‘realworld’ result… even though it always results in ‘lower’ figures, much to the chagrin of manufacturers the world over.

In sum, Wilson Audio’s Alexia will place huge demands on the amplifier(s) used to drive them, in terms of both current and voltage, and will also require ‘way aboveaverage skill on the part of users in order to align the various driver elements so they deliver coherent sound at the listening position—and this is quite apart from the difficulties inherent in initially correctly locating and positioning these large loudspeakers in the room—as well as perseverance in terms of constantly removing and replacing loudspeaker grilles depending on whether the speakers are being used or not.

However, these minor niggles aside, the Wilson Audio Alexia is a well-designed loudspeaker that is capable of delivering prodigious bass, linear midrange and extended treble…and doing so very safely at extremely high SPLs for extended periods Steve Holding of time.

ON TEST

GoldenEar Aon 3 LOUDSPEAKERS

W

hen Sandy Gross retired from Definitive Technology (DefTech) back in 2010, the company he helped found in 1990, he said: ‘For decades I’ve worked 24/7 running my businesses and I saw the time approaching when I would want to slow down, take a break and contemplate my future plans.’

Just six months later he started yet another loudspeaker company, GoldenEar, whose Aon 3 we’re reviewing here. And when I say ‘yet another company’ it’s because Gross not only founded the company he retired from in 2010, he was also one of the founders of Polk Audio, ‘way back in 1972. (His co-founders were Matthew Polk, George Klopfer and Craig Georgi.)

After 40 years in the hi-fi loudspeaker business, why would Gross want to start all over again from scratch? It appears that one of the reasons was that Gross is trying to reduce the cost of high-quality loudspeakers.

The company’s website explains it this way: ‘We don’t feel that having less to spend means

Australian

that you are looking for lesser quality. We lavish the same kind of care, expertise and experience that is usually reserved for the highest-priced high-end speakers on every GoldenEar speaker that we create.’

THE EQUIPMENT Surprise, surprise! Whereas almost all most small bookshelf/standmount loudspeakers have two drivers at the most, each GoldenEar Aon 3 has four of them… well, strictly speaking two of these aren’t technically ‘drivers’ as such, because they don’t have voice coils and magnets, and so don’t connect to your amplifier at all—instead they’re just ‘passive’ radiators (also known as ‘PRs’, or drone cones), designed to make use of the energy issuing from the rear of that single front-firing bass/midrange driver… energy that is usually either absorbed inside the cabinet in a sealed box design, or routed through a hole in the cabinet in the case of a bass reflex design.

But let’s first take a look at the electricallydriven driver, and this bass/midrange driver

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is said to be made exclusively for GoldenEar, which I’d certainly believe, due to the very unusual exposed pole-piece/phase corrector, which is fluted. (GoldenEar calls it an ‘MVPP’ or ‘Multi Vane Phase Plug’ design, and has trademarked the initials.)

I have never seen a fluted phase corrector and I’ve never seen one that protrudes so far.

The one on the Aon 3’s driver is so long that it very nearly extends beyond the plane of the driver chassis. Indeed if it extended any further, it would be causing a bulge in the ‘sock’ grille that covers the entire loudspeaker (about which more later). The driver itself is very solidly constructed, with the chassis made from a casting, rather than from pressed steel, and it supports a very (very!) large unshielded magnet. The cone appeared to be made from polypropylene.

The overall diameter of the driver basket is 155mm, with the driver mounting holes on 163mm centres. The moving diameter is 140mm, but the diameter of the cone itself is 125mm. However, the most important

GoldenEar Aon 3 Loudspeakers

dimension—the Thiele/Small diameter, which is what loudspeaker designers use to calculate the effective cone area (technically known as ‘Sd’)—is 134mm, putting the Sd of the Aon 3’s front-firing bass/mid driver at 141cm².

The two side-mounted passive radiators are identical. Each one is circular, with a flat ‘plate-style’ diaphragm and has a Thiele/ Small diameter of 166mm, for an Sd of 216 cm² per driver. Unlike some manufacturers, whose passive radiators are essentially loudspeakers from which the magnets and voice coils have been removed (or, more accurately, never installed in the first place), GoldenEar has cut costs by using what is literally a ‘plate’ radiator. The radiator is a circular section of MDF, to which is attached a roll surround, and this roll surround is in turn attached to a ring of pressed steel (rather like a giant washer) that’s used to attach the radiator to the cabinet. Using MDF means the cone is quite heavy, but it seems that it was not quite heavy enough to ensure the correct ‘tuning’ for the cabinet because GoldenEar has attached steel discs to the back of the MDF plates in order to further increase the moving mass. I have to say that GoldenEar has done a splendid job on these passive radiators, because to look at them, they look exactly like ordinary bass drivers, however, if you touch one, you can instantly tell that it’s not a bass driver because pushing one side of the diaphragm inwards causes the other side to move outwards, which would not happen with a real bass driver or a PR with a spider.

Bass is always a trade-off for any given cone size. You can have loud bass, or you can have deep bass… and you have to pick one,

because you can’t have both at the same time. If you do want to have your cake and eat it too, the only option is to up your driver area, and your cabinet volume. There’s no shortage of driver area with GoldenEar’s Aon 3 because when you add together the areas of the bass driver and the two passive radiators, you arrive at a total radiating area of 573cm², which means that if this was the Sd of a single driver, it would have a ‘nominal’ diameter of around 330mm! (In fact, technically you can’t ‘sum’ the radiating areas in this way, because the two passive radiators make maximal use of their cone areas at frequencies where the cone makes least effective use of its cone area, but in this case, because of the volume of the cabinet and its tuning, it’s a reasonable approximation.)

Although GoldenEar refers to the tweeter as an ‘HVFR’ tweeter, and has trademarked these initials (which stand for High Velocity Folded Ribbon) in the USA, it certainly hasn’t trademarked or patented the design of the tweeter itself, because this type of tweeter hails all the way back to 1972 (coincidentally the same year GoldenEar’s Sandy Gross co-founded Polk) when it was invented by the legendary loudspeaker pioneer Oskar Heil. Heil called his design an ‘air-motion transformer’ because of its operating principle, which is rather like the moving part of a piano accordion, being in essence a pleated membrane that’s driven from its edges. As the ‘pleats’ or ‘folds’ move towards each other, they compress the air between them and move it outwards, to create sound waves. The beauty of Oskar’s system is that because the ‘pleats’ in the membrane are highly efficient (think of the difference between ‘squirting’ an orange pip away from you by squeezing it between your fingers, compared to throwing the pip with your hand!), the motor system has neither to be large nor high-powered. Also, because the pleated membrane is inherently ‘loose’, its resonant frequency is well outside its operating range—something that can’t be said of any dome tweeter I’ve ever heard of.

Heil’s ‘air motion transformer’ (sometimes known by its initials…

AMT) was licensed by many companies until the patent expired,

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after which even more manufacturers adopted the idea and developed their own versions. German company Elac calls its version a ‘JET’ tweeter, while other companies call them AVT (Air Velocity Transformer) tweeters. Adam Audio calls its version ‘ART’ (Accelerated Ribbon Technology). I’ve singled out Adam Audio specially because I think that Adam Audio’s explanation of the benefit of air motion transformer technology is particularly clear, so I’ll reproduce it here: ‘All other loudspeaker drive units—whether they are voice-coil driven, electrostatics, piezos or magnetostatics—act like a piston, moving air in a 1:1 ratio. This is undesirable, as the specific

GOLDENEAR AON 3 LOUDSPEAKERS

Brand: GoldenEar Model: Aon 3 Category: Standmount Loudspeakers RRP: $1,595 Warranty: Five Years Distributor: Kedcorp Pty Ltd Address: Unit 8, 509–529 Parramatta Road Leichhardt NSW 2040 (02) 9561 0799 info@kedcorp.com.au www.kedcorp.com.au • Small footprint • Bass depth • High frequencies

• Cabinet shape • Choice of finish • Speaker terminals

LAB REPORT Readers interested in a full technical appraisal of the performance of the GoldenEar Aon 3 Loudspeakers should continue on and read the LABORATORY REPORT published on page 44. Readers should note that the results mentioned in the report, tabulated in performance charts and/or displayed using graphs and/or photographs should be construed as applying only to the specific sample tested.

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GoldenEar Aon 3 Loudspeakers

weight of air is much lower than that of the driving mechanics. Speaking in terms of electrical engineering one could say there is a bad match between source and load. The [air transformer] principle achieves a 4:1 velocity transformation between (the) driving diaphragm and the driven air. In other words, the air moves in and out four times faster than the folds are moving.

This superior motor system is responsible for the enormous clarity and transient reproduction that is to be heard from the A.R.T. drive units.’

I think that it is worth noting that although GoldenEar uses the word ‘ribbon’ to describe the tweeter, it’s not really what I’d describe as being a ‘ribbon’, and works completely differently to how I’d personally describe a true ‘ribbon’ tweeter as operating… not that this is a bad thing: true ribbon tweeters have myriad shortcomings that work to offset their advantages, which is one reason why you don’t see them used more often.

The Aon 3’s crossover network is mounted on a PCB and comprised of two inductors (one air-cored, the other ferrite-cored), five capacitors (four MKT, one a bipolar electrolytic) and two resistors (one metal film, the other cermet). The speaker terminals on the rear panel of the Aon 3 are gold-plated ‘post and screw’ types on 19mm centres.

The terminals are recessed in the cabinet in such a way that I found it difficult to access them to insert and tighten speaker wires, so I’d suggest using banana plugs. Alternatively, because of the 19mm centres, you could use dual banana plugs, which would make things even easier.

The peculiar shape of the cabinet (GoldenEar calls it a ‘truncated pyramid’) makes it difficult to imagine the dimensions, so you should certainly check out a pair of Aon 3s in the flesh, but each cabinet stands 360mm high and is 226mm wide at the base (a mere 156mm wide at the top) and 280mm deep at the base. GoldenEar has used the economical ‘sock’ method to finish the speakers, where a tube of stretch cloth is fixed around the base of the speaker then ‘pulled up’ to cover all four sides, then fastened with a drawstring at the top of the cabinet.

The drawstring is then covered with a black plastic top plate that ‘plugs’ into the top of the cabinet. (It is plastic, but to call it plastic really does it a disservice, because it’s so beautifully coated in high-gloss black piano gloss that it looks for all the world like it’s made of wood!) It appeared to me that the cabinet itself is made for the most part from 19mm thick MDF with some slightly thinner sections.

IN USE AND LISTENING SESSIONS If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I would not have thought it possible. That’s pretty

much exactly what I thought about the level of bass issuing from the Aon 3 speakers.

I’ve heard deep bass from small speakers before, but never so deep as from the Aon 3s, and certainly never so loud! Self-evidently this deep bass is made possible by the fact that there’s a bass driver as well as two passive radiators delivering all the bass… and lots of it. As I noted earlier, the diaphragms of the passive radiators are not constrained by a spider and I wondered if the drivers would operate pistonically. Just from eye-balling them, I’d say they do, and logically I suspect that this would have to be the case, since the air pressure inside would act equally over the diaphragm surface, essentially forcing a pistonic diaphragm action. However, although there was plenty of bass, and that bass was certainly extended, the lower bass was not

I’ve heard deep bass from small speakers before, but never so deep... and certainly never so loud... what I’d call ‘tight’. To my ears the low bass from the Aons was rather ‘warmer’ than I hear from my reference speakers and I also fancied there wasn’t quite as much fine detail either… though this only came into play when several low-voiced instruments were playing simultaneously.

The midrange sound was beyond reproach. The detailing that’s clearly audible right across the upper bass and midrange means you won’t miss even the tiniest musical nuance, and there’s a ‘snap’ to the sound that gives it a real presence and liveliness, so that it’s not hard to imagine you’re at a live performance. Tonal purity was outstanding… I suspect the inherent distortion of the bass driver in the Aon 3 is very low. I pulled out a recording I’ve been using for years, Sheffield Lab’s incredible capture of Margie Gibson singing ‘The Song has Ended’, which has Lincoln Mayorga tinkling along on a Mason & Hamlin concert grand. The Aon 3s keep Gibson’s voice out front where it was recorded, and the separation between her voice and the accompanying instruments is spectacular.

Listen to how the GoldenEars let her voice sustain, even when she’s scatting. Also noteworthy is the way the Aon 3s can deliver Chuck Domanico’s great bass lines… I’ll wager you’ve never before heard double-bass so clearly and so well-balanced against the midrange from such a small loudspeaker.

The vocal clarity enabled by the Aon 3s was also a highlight when I was listening to Lover’s Mask (from Michael Ruff’s ‘Speaking in Melodies’, now available from Town Hall Records). The harmonies were incredibly

good, with each voice clearly delineated, but with all merging together to create spinetingling vocal harmonics. The force and majesty of the percussion is delivered with real impact by the Aon 3s. The clarity of the speakers is such that you can also hear things you weren’t supposed to hear… such as vocal asides about who’s to take the next solo!

GoldenEar’s HVFR tweeter is also a stunner. First because it enables a completely seamless transition from the bass driver… try as I might (and I did) I simply could not hear the point where the bass/midrange driver handed over to the tweeter; it was as if the sound were being delivered by a single speaker (eat your heart out you Lowther-lovers!). Second because of the air and spaciousness of the high-frequencies it delivered which, coupled with the effortlessness of the delivery itself, made the high-frequencies issuing from the GoldenEar Aon 3s high-frequencies to swoon for. Third, because unlike most tweeters, which can sound a little ‘light-on’ in the extreme highs, the HVFR just kept powering upwards… and man what a difference this makes to cymbals… and that’s just one example.

Fourth, because the imaging and soundstaging I was hearing at such high frequencies was palpable. But… and it’s only a little but…

I did find that to obtain this level of imaging and soundstaging I had to position the Aon 3s on stands so the HVFRs were at seated ear level, and I had to ‘toe-in’ the speakers so they aimed at the listening position. The HVFRs most certainly have a defined ‘sweet spot’.

Choosing an amplifier to partner the GoldenEar Aon 3s won’t tax your listening skills, because I found they weren’t at all picky about what I used to drive them. I found that 50-watts per channel was plenty powerful enough to get ‘em sounding their best, and even more than enough to overdrive them if I tried… though on the odd occasion I did manage to overdrive them they succumbed quite gracefully, with the sound becoming ‘confused’ rather than obviously distorted.

CONCLUSION Some people might be put off by the shape of these speakers, and others by the exterior finish (black cloth is not exactly a decorator favourite), but I can’t see anyone objecting to the sound quality of these speakers—particularly that bass!—or to their size. I suspect that when Sandy Gross knew he was going to come out of retirement and start up GoldenEar, he knew that in order to gain some quick publicity and guarantee that retailers (and reviewers) would come on board and promote the new brand, he’d have to come up with a design that would, as they say, ‘knock ‘em in the aisles’… and with the Aon LAB REPORT ON PAGE 44

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LAB REPORT

GoldenEar Aon 3 Loudspeakers

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 42

LABORATORY TEST RESULTS Frequency responses don’t come much flatter than the one GoldenEar’s Aon 3 delivered in Newport Test Lab’s acoustic laboratory… you only need to take a look at Graph 1 to see that. From 300Hz upwards, the trace is virtually clamped to that 80dBSPL reference level line, save for a tiny ‘sag’ between about 1.3kHz and 7kHz. As you can see, this trace is effectively a room response, being the averaged result of nine individual sweeps measured at three metres at nine different axes with the central grid point of the nine being on-axis with the tweeter. I am particularly impressed by the high-frequency performance of the Aon 3’s tweeter. Going downwards, below 300Hz there’s a little ‘bump’ that’s partially room related, but it’s no more than +2.5dB. Below 100Hz the response rolls off smoothly but quite slowly, so it’s only 6dB down at 53Hz. The high-frequency response of the Aon 3 is shown in Graph 2, with a lower measuring limit of 400Hz. This response simulates the response that would be obtained in an anechoic chamber, so you’re looking at the true response of the tweeter. The use of a different measurement technique (gated sinus) also allows more precise detailing of the response, whereas the pink noise test signal used in Graph 1 involves some averaging. However, even with this more precise measurement technique, the high-frequency response is superbly flat, essentially 400Hz to 12kHz ±1.5dB. Above 12kHz the response rises a further 2.5dB before rolling off to be at 20kHz the same level it was at 12.5kHz, then rolling off 5dB at 26kHz before picking up and regaining reference level at 35kHz. Across the whole frequency range depicted on this graph (400Hz to 40kHz) the GoldenEar Aon 3’s response varies no more than ±3.7dB. Graph 3 shows the low-frequency performance of the bass driver and passive radiators. The bass driver produces its maximum output at 130Hz and above this is very flat. (There is a slight roll-off, but this is partially a function of the near-field measurement technique used.) Below 130Hz the driver rolls off at 18dB/octave to a minima at around 47Hz. The passive radiators’ output is unusual. They start working quite efficiently at 38Hz then deliver almost exactly this same output level up to 100Hz, after which they roll off at around 6dB per octave to 200Hz. From around 250Hz up to 600Hz the radiators still contribute to the output,

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dBSPL

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95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45 40

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Graph 1. Averaged frequency response using pink noise test stimulus with capture unsmoothed (red trace) Trace is the averaged result of nine individual frequency sweeps measured at three metres, with the central grid point on-axis with the tweeter. [GoldenEar Aon Three Loudspeaker]

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95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45 40 400 Hz 500

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Graph 2. High-frequency response, expanded view. Test stimulus gated sine. Microphone placed at three metres on-axis with dome tweeter. Lower measurement limit 400Hz. [GoldenEar Aon 3]

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though at a fairly low level (around 20dB below the level of the bass/ midrange), and in a relatively nonlinear manner.

The GoldenEar Aon 3’s impedance is quite benign (as in ‘very easy to drive’), as you can see in Graph 4, with the impedance dipping beneath 4Ω only around 200Hz and below 14Hz and the phase angle never going beyond ±42°. I would, however, have liked to see the impedance rising above 20kHz, rather than falling as it does. It’s not a problem, just a better design approach. Although GoldenEar’s specification says the Aon 3’s impedance is ‘compatible with eight ohms’—and it most certainly is compatible with 8Ω—it’s technically a 4Ω design. The impedance curve shows the classic ‘double hump’ of a bass reflex design (which is what the Aon 3 is, with the passive radiators just substituting as ports), with the saddle

Frequency response was 60Hz to 40kHz ±3dB, which is an excellent result!

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Newport Test Labs

95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45 40

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Graph 3. Low frequency response of side-firing passive radiator (red trace) and woofer. Nearfield acquisition. Radiator/woofer levels not compensated for differences in radiating areas. [GE Aon3]

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Graph 4. Impedance modulus of left (red trace) and right (yellow trace) speakers plus phase (blue trace). [GoldenEar Aon Three Loudspeakers]

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Graph 5. Composite response plot. Red trace is output of bass radiator. Light blue trace is anechoic response of bass driver. Pink trace is gated (simulated anechoic) response above 400Hz. Black trace is averaged in-room pink noise response (from Graph 1). [GoldenEar Aon 3]

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between the two resonant peaks (at 32Hz and 87Hz) at just under 50Hz, making GoldenEar’s low-frequency response claim of 38Hz for the Aon 3 look rather optimistic.

GoldenEar specs the sensitivity of the Aon 3 design at 90dBSPL, but doesn’t mention under what test conditions it obtained this figure.

Under its usual test conditions (which make it a lot more difficult for loudspeakers to achieve ‘higher’ figures than manufacturers like), Newport Test Labs measured the sensitivity of the Aon 3s as 87dBSPL at one metre, for a 2.83Veq. input. This is 3dB lower than GoldenEar’s specification, but it’s still a good result for a small two-way loudspeaker design, and means you won’t need a lot of amplifier power to get the action happening.

The final graph we’ve published is a composite graph that marries all the different methods used to test the Aon 3 on one graph to give an overall picture of how things ‘fit’ together. What it does show is that overall, Newport Test Labs measured the frequency response of the GoldenEar Aon 3 as being 60Hz to 40kHz ±3dB, which is an excellent result.

Steve Holding

ON TEST

GoldenEar ForceField 4 SUBWOOFER

N

o, GoldenEar is not part of the James Bond franchise: it’s a new company, but one that’s been started by two very old—and very experienced!—hands in hi-fi… Sandy Gross (who co-founded both Polk Audio and Definitive Technology) and Don Givogue (a co-founder of Def Tech). As for why they named the company as they did, even a cursory glance at GoldenEar’s website will reveal that the two aren’t shy about blowing their own trumpets: ‘We call our newest loudspeaker company GoldenEar Technology because, in our industry, a “golden ear” is someone who hears exceptionally well. Because we do, the industry and audiophile press have consistently praised us over the years for our “golden ears” and all the many loudspeaker accomplishments that our unique talents have helped us to achieve.’

THE EQUIPMENT There are three subwoofers in GoldenEar’s range, and all are very small. There’s the

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small ForceField 4 reviewed here, the evensmaller ForceField 3 and the ForceField 5, which is the most recently-released (and largest) of the three models. As you can see, the ForceField 4 is most unusually shaped, being thinner at the top than it is at the bottom. All three models are similarly shaped, and it’s reported that this shape was created to satisfy designer Don Givogue’s desire that a subwoofer should have non-parallel sides, which he says ‘helps minimize standing waves and distortion.’ The non-parallel sides notwithstanding, the top and bottom surfaces of the ForceField 4 are still parallel, as are its front and rear surfaces.

At the front of the ForceField 4 is a bass driver that GoldenEar says was customdesigned specifically for it and rates with a diameter of 254mm. My tape measure told me that this was the overall diameter of the driver, including the chassis. The actual cone itself which, according to GoldenEar, is made from ‘computer-optimised, ultra-stiff, fibre’ is

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only 165mm in diameter. It’s coupled to the chassis via a very, very large foam roll suspension (around 35mm across). This combination of cone and surround puts the Thiele/ Small diameter at 205mm, which in turn puts Sd of the cone at 110cm².

The driver is connected to a Class-D amplifier that GoldenEar rates with an output of 1,200 watts. Reportedly designed in-house at GoldenEar, the amplifier circuitry includes digital signal processing ICs to optimise the frequency response of the subwoofer, as well as protection circuitry to prevent you from accidentally overdriving the cone.

Look underneath the ForceField 4 and you’ll discover a highly unusually-shaped passive radiator—a shape that GoldenEar says is ‘quadratic’ but I think is actually an irregular octagon (two of the opposite sides are equal in length and are longer than the other six sides). Givogue says he selected this shape to allow the passive radiator ‘to use the maximum surface area on the bottom of the

GoldenEar ForceField 4 Subwoofer

cabinet’ and that the use of a passive radiator was to ‘avoid noisy ports.’ You can see from the photograph accompanying this review that the passive radiator certainly occupies almost all the surface area available at the bottom of the ForceField 4. I must admit, however, to being confused about Givogue’s desire that the passive radiator occupy ‘all the available area’, since the optimum size of a passive radiator is usually determined by a specific formula that involves inserting the volume of the cabinet and the Thiele/Small parameters of the ForceField 4’s front-firing bass driver and has nothing at all to do with the actual area available for the passive radiator (which is also sometimes known as a ‘drone cone’).

I can only assume that when Givogue applied the formula in the case of the ForceField 4, the result required the passive radiator to have an area that was so large that all the area was required. (I determined the Sd of the passive radiator to be approximately 620cm².) The diaphragm of the passive radiator is completely flat (á la KEF’s famous B139, which didn’t look dissimilar!) but the centre has a visible fixing that suggested to me that GoldenEar is mass-loading the diaphragm from the rear in order to tune it.

The rear panel of the ForceField 4 is notable for what is NOT fitted to it, rather than what is. It has only a single gold-plated LFE input, rather than a line input. ‘Aren’t these the same?’ I hear many readers protest. ‘No they’re not,’ is the short answer, although the long answer is that on many subwoofers, they ARE one and the same. A true LFE input expects that it will be fed from a true LFE output from an AV amplifier, AV receiver or AV processor. As such, a true subwoofer LFE input will not have a filter in its circuit— whatever you feed into the LFE input will go directly to the subwoofer driver. The idea is that the AV amp, receiver or processor prefilters the signal before sending it to the subwoofer. It is this type of LFE input that’s fitted to the ForceField 4, so that if you connect via this input, the rotary ‘low-pass’ control on the subwoofer won’t do anything at all, not one thing. (And actually, the ForceField 4’s LFE input DOES have a fixed, 200Hz low-pass filter in circuit, which GoldenEar says is ‘in order to facilitate the proper interface with LFE out’).

This implementation is completely different from most other subwoofers which have a combined Line/RCA input which is

connected to the subwoofer’s internal amplifier via variable low-pass filter (but sometimes gives you the option of switching that lowpass filter ‘in’ or ‘out’, depending on whether you’re feeding the subwoofer a pre-filtered signal or not.)

This means that in order to make use of the ForceField 4’s rotary low-pass crossover control (marked 40–150Hz with a single intermediary calibration point at 95Hz), you MUST use the speaker level banana post input terminals, which are positioned on standard 19mm centres, so you can use dual Pomona connectors if you like. I was not particularly enamoured of how GoldenEar has decided to arrange the terminal pairs, which places the left and right inputs vertically above the left and right outputs, rather than side by side, as I would have expected. (And in the case that I agreed with the orientation of GoldenEar’s layout, I would have still have said that it’s ‘back-to-front’, because when you’re looking at the subwoofer, the speaker wires from the subwoofer to your left-channel speakers will come from the right-hand side of the terminal block, and those to the right-channel speakers from the left-hand side of the terminal block, so they will have to cross over each other to get to where they’re going.)

Other fairly common features missing from the ForceField 4 are a ‘Phase’ control (but read more about this later in this review!) and a subsidiary power switch. The lack of a subsidiary switch means you cannot ‘force’ the ForceField 4 to be permanently ‘on’. Instead whenever the subwoofer is powered, the subwoofer will turn itself on and off automatically via signal-sensing circuitry built in, so it will switch on when it detects an audio signal at the LFE input or the speaker level inputs and then switch off automatically after a set time period. In fact, although I can force my own subwoofer ‘on’ if I want, I actually use the ‘signal-sensing’ option, so I’m a bit of a hypocrite with this criticism. I guess I’d just like GoldenEar to offer me a choice, rather than forcing me into using a particular mode of operation!

One other thing missing from the ForceField 4 are line-level outputs, but given that there are no line-level inputs, providing outputs was never really an option.

The ForceField 4 is supported by four large, soft rubber feet that serve two purposes. The obvious one is

ON TEST

to ensure the output from the down-firing passive radiator can ‘escape’ into the listening room. The second reason is, as GoldenEar jovially puts it, ‘to keep the sub from dancing around on the floor.’ Although the feet are certainly large, they are not large enough to raise the subwoofer high enough to provide a slot if you have very deep pile carpet in your listening room. However, if you have either a solid floor of some type, or normal carpeting in your room, they will certainly do the job.

If you site the ForceField 4 on a solid floor,

GOLDENEAR FORCEFIELD 4 SUBWOOFER

Brand: GoldenEar Model: ForceField 4 Category: Powered Subwoofer RRP: $1,195 Warranty: One/Five Years Distributor: Kedcorp Pty Ltd Address: Unit 8, 509–529 Parramatta Rd Leichhardt NSW 2040 (02) 9561 0799 info @ kedcorp.com.au www.kedcorp.com.au • Very small • Unique styling • No reflex port

• No variable LP filter on line level input • Speaker terminal layout • Can’t force ‘On’

LAB REPORT Readers interested in a full technical appraisal of the performance of the GoldenEar ForceField 4 Subwoofer should continue on and read the LABORATORY REPORT published on page 40. Readers should note that the results mentioned in the report, tabulated in performance charts and/ or displayed using graphs and/or photographs should be construed as applying only to the specific sample tested.

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GoldenEar ForceField 4 Subwoofer

the edge of the subwoofer will sit 35mm above the floor level. This, in turn, will put the top of the subwoofer just 324mm above floor level. The ‘footprint’ is just 1,333cm² (the ForceField 4 being 292mm wide and 457mm deep at the base).

The ForceField 4 is finished in a fairly plain black vinyl finish. This, apparently, is the only one available: you cannot order any other vinyl finishes and there are no optional high-gloss paint finishes available either.

IN USE AND PERFORMANCE The last subwoofer I used at home (Sunfire’s Atmos) was so small I ended up having to put it out of the way to stop people accidentally tripping over it. GoldenEar’s ForceField 4 isn’t quite as small (but its smaller brother, the ForceField 3 is closer in size to the Atmos) but it is still small enough that I’d want it out of traffic areas, and it’s certainly small enough to fit under many of the ordinary furniture items you’d usually find in a living—or listening—room. When I was moving the subwoofer around the room, one of the feet came loose, and it was at this point that I realised that the feet are not glued to the bottom of the subwoofer, but screw into place using a standard thread. (This isn’t mentioned in the Owners’ Manual). This is actually an excellent feature, because if you have deep pile carpet, and therefore need to raise the subwoofer higher from the floor to achieve a 35mm ‘slot’ around the base, you can fit your own (higher) feet—most likely spikes if you have deep pile carpet, since these won’t ‘flatten’ the carpet and will also prevent the speaker from ‘dancing around on the floor.’

The fact that a subwoofer delivers very low audio frequencies means that it’s crucial that it be correctly positioned in your room— something that will usually take half-an-hour or so, depending on the room. It’s a simple procedure that requires no test instruments at all. You can find details here: www.tinyurl. com/subwoofer-placement If you use the speaker terminal method to connect your amplifier or AV receiver to the ForceField 4, you have two different options. You can run your left and right speaker cables to the subwoofer itself, then run speaker cables from the speaker outputs on the ForceField 4 to your speakers. If you choose this configuration, there’s an internal high-pass filter (a 150Hz turnover with a 6dB per octave slope) inside the ForceField 4 that removes the low-frequencies from the audio signals that are going to your main speakers. The other option is to run one set of wires to your speakers, and another set (in parallel) to the ForceField 4, so your speakers will get a fullrange signal and you can use the ForceField

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4 to reinforce (and extend) the low frequencies. Either way, you’ll be able to use the ForceField 4’s rotary low-pass control to roll off the higher frequencies produced by the subwoofer, but no matter where you set the rotary control, the high-pass filter remains fixed at 150Hz. If your receiver has an LFE output, this gives a third option, since you could use either of the two connection methods outlined in the previous paragraph, or simply forget about using the speaker level connections, and instead just use a single cable to link the LFE output on the receiver to the LFE input on the ForceField 4.

Unlike some subwoofers, whose high-level inputs cannot be connected to the speaker outputs of amplifiers with balanced outputs, or to amplifiers with Class-D output stages, the high-level speaker inputs of the ForceField 4 are fully-balanced around ground and full differential inputs that have an impedance of about 470Ω to ground from each speaker terminal. This means you can safely connect any type of amplifier to the ForceField 4. It also means that you can reverse phase if you like, simply by running the posi-

tive speaker cables to the negative terminals and the negatives to the positives, which means that despite not being fitted with a ‘Phase’ switch, you actually do have the same control over phase as a subwoofer fitted with a two-position phase switch (0º/180º).

The variety of connections it’s possible to make with the GoldenEar meant I had to make some decisions when reviewing the subwoofer as to how best to connect it to reflect how audiophiles might use it in their systems. In the end, I decided that when I used the ForceField 4 in a home theatre setup, I would connect it via its LFE input and when I used it as the subwoofer in a stereo system, I would use the speaker-level inputs to connect it to my amplifier.

Used for home theatre, the ForceField 4 delivered punchy sound that was almost visceral in its impact, and depthy enough to reproduce the usual gamut of low-frequency sound effects (the explosions, the sound of collapsing masonry, the footsteps of Tyrannosaurus Rex, the deep rumbles presaging impending doom, and so on) with satisfactory realism, though I felt there wasn’t quite the feeling of the gut-churningly low bass

Used for home theatre, the ForceField 4 delivered punchy sound that was almost visceral in its impact...

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ON TEST

GoldenEar ForceField 4 Subwoofer

that I experience when listening to larger subwoofers… you know, the type of bass you seem to feel, rather than hear… but the levels and bass extension I was getting were amazingly good when I took the size of the subwoofer into account.

When used in stereo-only music systems, the ForceField 4 also acquitted itself well, delivering its best and most musical performance when partnered with small bookshelf speakers, and with the speakers connected to the ForceField 4 so that they were relieved of having to perform their usual low-bass duties.

In this set-up I not only found the bass to be very smooth and extended, but also found that the upper bass and midrange sound of the bookshelf speakers I was using improved perceptibly, with their performance obviously benefiting greatly from not having to reproduce low bass. However, I did find that careful positioning was required to ensure a stable sound field, so that the output from the subwoofer segued properly with that from the main left and right speakers. I also found, as you’d expect, that the ForceField 4’s performance was at its best in small- to mediumsized rooms and at moderate, rather than loud, listening levels. In these situations, you will be rewarded by lovely, tight—and very tuneful!—bass that will enhance your appreciation of whatever music you’re listening to.

I trialled the ForceField 4 paired with

larger, floor-standing speakers, and felt that despite good results, the previous set-ups with smaller speakers worked better. I found I achieved best overall bass when the main left and right speakers were powered directly from the amplifier, with the amplifier’s speaker terminals also being connected to the ForceField 4. With this set-up, I found that positioning the subwoofer was less critical than it was when using small main speakers, but you will likely have to set the volume of the GoldenEar fairly low to order to ensure the upper bass isn’t overly forward (since in this set-up both the subwoofer and the floor-standers will be delivering bass at the same frequencies).

CONCLUSION The GoldenEar ForceField 4 is a powerful, punchy subwoofer. I think you’ll get the best—and most cost-effective—performance from it when you match it with smaller speakers (be they bookshelf or satellite types).

You can team the ForceField 4 with small speakers of any make or model, of course, but

the obvious ‘best fit’ would be the models specifically recommended by GoldenEar, which means a pair of SuperSat 50s if you’re looking for a two-channel system. If you’re after a full 5.1-channel surround system, you’d also need to add a SuperSat 50C centre and either a pair of the SuperSat 3s or another pair of SuperSat 50s! for the surround channels. Whichever type of system you choose, you will discover that GoldenEar’s new ForceField 4 is a great greg borrowman little subwoofer!

LAB REPORT ON PAGE 40

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LAB REPORT

GoldenEar ForceField 4 Subwoofer

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

TEST RESULTS After examining the graphs of the GoldenEar ForceField 4’s performance, I was reminded of that old but very true adage that ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating.’ Taken literally, this means that when you’re cooking a pudding, it really doesn’t matter what ingredients you use, or in what proportion you use them, or how long you cook it in the oven, or even the temperature of that oven.

In the end, all that really matters is how the pudding tastes once it has cooled down! Taken less literally, the adage means that when you’re undertaking any task, it’s the end result that matters. (Editor’s Note: I am not at all sure that that this is really the meaning of this proverb. The authorities I consulted explained that this proverb means that something has to be experienced in order to prove how good it is.

Steve and I have agreed to disagree, but as editor, I get to have my say! )

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Figure 2: Pink noise frequency responses (unsmoothed ) at 2.0 metres with crossover control at 40Hz (red trace) and 150Hz (black trace). [GoldenEar ForceField 4 Subwoofer.]

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The frequency response measured was 27–160Hz ±3dB. This is an excellent response for a small subwoofer!

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In the case of the GoldenEar ForceField 4, I would not have guessed—at least not from examining the individual contributions of the down-firing passive radiator and the front-firing woofer—that the two responses would combine in the listening room to give the overall frequency responses that are shown in Figures 1 and 2. Yet this is exactly what happened! In pondering this, I discovered that to make the nearfield measurement of the downfiring passive radiator, Newport Test Labs couldn’t put the microphone underneath the subwoofer, so instead positioned the subwoofer free-field and measured at the radiator directly.

I would have preferred it if the lab had instead placed the subwoofer on the floor, and then measured the output of the ‘slot’ formed between the floor and the bottom of the subwoofer. Unfortunately, when I asked if this could be done, the subwoofer had already been returned to the distributor, so it wasn’t possible. (Oops, mea culpa… Editor)

Australian

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However, it really doesn’t matter about the nearfield measurements, because, as I said in the introduction, ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating’ and the in-room frequency response of the ForceField 4 is very good. As you can see in Figure 1, the black trace shows the response of the ForceField 4 when the crossover control is set to 140Hz, and the frequency response measured by Newport Test Labs for this setting was 27–160Hz ±3dB. This is an excellent response for a small subwoofer, but somewhat shy of GoldenEar’s claim for ‘14Hz–250 Hz’, so I should note that GoldenEar’s specification sheet does not show dB limits. So yes, if you wish to dispense with such limits, the ForceField 4 does indeed provide output at 14Hz (albeit 20dB down from reference!) and at 250Hz (where it’s 14dB down from reference).

The red trace in Figure 1 shows the ForceField 4’s frequency response when its crossover control is set to 40Hz. With this setting of the control, Newport Test Labs measured the in-room response of the ForceField 4 as 25Hz to 85Hz ±3dB. The frequency response of the ForceField 4 when the crossover is set to 140Hz means the subwoofer will integrate particularly well with small bookshelf speakers, the response of which usually starts rolling off at around 150Hz (manufacturers’ claims notwithstanding!). This means that with the ForceField 4 control set to 140Hz, the ForceField 4 will extend the response of those speakers very smoothly all the way down to 27Hz, and the fact that the high-frequency response of the ForceField 4 rolls-off above 130Hz will mean you’ll get a very nice acoustic ‘crossover’ from the subwoofer to the main speakers.

Looking at the response measured

by Newport Test Labs when the ForceField 4’s crossover is set to 40Hz, it’s obvious that steeper high-frequency roll-off really kicks in at 70Hz, so you’d get the best ‘acoustic crossover’ between the subwoofer and the main speakers if the response of those main speakers started rolling off at around 90Hz or so. This would certainly be the case with larger two-way speakers and smallish floorstanders.

As I have now said twice, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and in the case of GoldenEar’s ForceField 4 design, it turned out to be a very tasty pudding indeed!

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ON TEST

KEF LS50 ANNIVERSARY LOUDSPEAKERS

F

ew audio companies can claim a history anywhere nearly as rich as the one KEF enjoys. Not only has this company, based in the United Kingdom, recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, but in an industry rife with short-lived ‘me-too’ products, KEF strives to create distinctive solutions while possessing the necessary skills set to produce uniquely-engineered products. In particular, the proprietary—and sophisticated—Uni-Q driver concept, which sits the tweeter within the midrange driver, sets KEF apart from the crowd.

To celebrate this 50-year acoustic milestone, KEF has released a small monitor loudspeaker aimed squarely at the high-end market—and straddling nearby borders with professional studio aspirations. In fact, the design inspiration was the legendary LS3/5A studio monitor from the 1970s, which in

early iterations used KEF drivers and went on to make a name for itself in BBC studios around the UK and in radio studios around the world.

CROSSING BRIDGES Coincidentally, my reviewing schedule had the KEF LS50 following the superb Grover Notting Code 4 speakers, my review of which appeared in the Nov/Dec 2012 issue of Australian Hi-Fi Magazine. Coincidentally, both are standmount designs, though the KEF’s cabinet is smaller—and ported—compared to the Code 4s, which have larger enclosures that are completely sealed. Also common to both is the converse idea of an established consumer brand promoting its speaker as a studio monitor in the LS50, and a professional monitor making inroads into the domestic environment in the Code

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4. As I mentioned in the Grover Notting’s review, when a speaker aspires to accurate sound, the borders between domestic and professional become blurred.

The LS50 is a gorgeously-designed and diminutively-proportioned standmount speaker in a gloss piano black finish with a curved baffle that is covered in a low-diffraction ‘rubber-like’ material. It’s a design which would not look out of place in the techiest of studios or the poshest of homes.

The speakers feature a new coppercoloured—KEF calls it ‘rose gold’—130mm Uni-Q driver with trickle-down technology from the mighty Blade, KEF’s flagship loudspeaker. The quoted frequency response is a fairly wide (for what could almost be called a mini-monitor) 47Hz to 45kHz ±3dB with KEF claiming a nominal impedance of 8Ω and a sensitivity rating of 85dBSPL.

ON TEST

The design inspiration was the legendary LS3/5A studio monitor which used KEF drivers and made a name for itself in BBC studios around the UK and in recording studios around the world.

At only 7.2kg the LS50 is easily carried around for location monitoring if need be, however I think this is a high-quality domestic speaker at heart or, as represented in various marketing images, as a permanent fixture perched atop a console in a studio mastering suite.

Lightweight it may be but the LS50’s small enclosure is well braced and feels sturdy enough to the industry-standard ‘knock on the side’ test. KEF has used constrained layer damping for the panel walls and reinforces the small enclosure with four cross-sectional bolts that couple the front baffle to the back panel. For the odd periodical adjustment and tightening, removable rubber caps on the rear panel provide access to the hex-headed tensioning bolts.

Post adjustment, the caps can be popped back in place but are somewhat loosely held and, if not inserted back carefully, can drop out all too easily (indeed the speakers I was loaned for this review were delivered with one cap missing). The rear panel also features an elliptical port which has been treated with a material that’s similar to that which covers the baffle and is flared inside and out. Both the port’s shape and its lining are intended to reduce chuffing and general port noise.

The little LS50 bears the fruit of KEF’s considerable R&D resources and advanced engineering which features Finite Element Analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics techniques.

SOUND OF THE STUDIO? After firing them up in my reference system the KEF LS50s had me surprised at the bass levels these small speakers were capable of delivering. The design does not defy the laws of physics by digging into the deepest depths of bass but what it does above a perceived 50Hz (give or take a few Hertz) is well-controlled, detailed and pleasingly visceral. I constantly needed to remind myself the LS50 is a small speaker with a 130mm driver with reduced surface area due to the inclusion of the tweeter assembly within it.

The use of a Uni-Q driver in a monitor with a relatively narrow and rounded baffle translates to extraordinarily exacting focus with images precisely placed within a very wide and extremely deep soundstage. Depending on the nature of the recording, I was sometimes pleasantly surprised at musical and instrumental information the LS50 seemingly placed way behind the speaker plane—Ani DiFranco’s Amazing Grace from Living in Clip and any track on Harry Belafonte’s Live at Carnegie Hall are supreme test beds.

The Uni-Q’s midrange is rich, resolute and forthright. Vocals are projected to the fore, but not overtly or unsavourily so. The side effect of this slightly forward midrange sees the delicate and sweet highs sounding a tad laid back but not muted. On the other hand, such a presentation provides a rather enjoyable ‘presence’ factor to well-recorded vocal performances.

The whole frequency range has the ability to separate demanding passages into distinct musical strands, each with its own individuality in terms of spatial position and timbral signature.

The LS50 offers a dynamic range capability that is very impressive, irrespective of speaker size.

Powerful drum tracks and well-recorded uncompressed material provide the jump factor that is quite the persuasive verisimilitude of the live performance. The Tony Dagradi Trio’s Live at the Column’s Limbo Jazz is one of the most dynamically powerful recordings I have ever heard. The little LS50 pulls no punches.

Really, that small driver is doing some heavy lifting in this speaker, both in terms of bass punch and sheer dynamic clout.

CONCLUSION Will the KEF LS50 live up to the revered LS3/5A’s legendary excellence? Has it fulfilled the aspirations of both the domestic

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and professional sectors? I asked myself these questions and in my opinion the LS50 certainly has the sonic fortitude to excel in all manner of high-quality audio systems, whether they’re used in domestic or professional situations.

So, barring the thinning concept of longevity, I’d say that given its heritage, the outstanding build quality, the technical sophistication of the Uni-Q driver and the superb sonic qualities, KEF’s LS50 Anniversary speakers answer all these questions with Edgar Kramer a resounding… ‘Yes!’

KEF LS50 ANNIVERSARY LOUDSPEAKERS Brand: KEF Model: LS50 Category: Standmount loudspeakers RRP: $1,999 Warranty: Five Years Distributor: Advance Audio Address: Unit 8, 509–529 Parramatta Road Leichhardt NSW 2040 T: (02) 9561 0799 E: sales@advanceaudio.com.au W: www.advanceaudio.com.au

Sophisticated Uni-Q drive unit Excellent overall sound and bass depth Attractively styled and finished

Highs are a tad laid back Rubber grommets on rear baffle drop out LAB REPORT: Turn to page 53 Test results apply to review sample only.

ON TEST

KEF LS50 ANNIVERSARY LOUDSPEAKERS

LABORATORY TEST REPORT Graph 1 shows the overall frequency response of the KEF LS50 Anniversary. As you can establish by the caption, Newport Test Labs has assembled this graph via postprocessing, using traces measured using a combination of techniques. The overall frequency response extends from 37Hz to 38kHz ±3dB (the upper graphing limit is 30kHz on this graph). This is an excellent result, somewhat more extended in the low frequencies than claimed by KEF. Newport Test Labs’ microphone is not NATA-calibrated for frequencies above 30kHz, so we can’t verify KEF’s claim of extension out to 45kHz, though you can see (on Graph 2) that the tweeter’s output is certainly high enough at 40kHz that this upper figure

seems more than achievable.

You can also see on Graph 2 that the KEF’s performance across the midrange is exemplary, with the response varying only about ±2.5dB from 300Hz up to 32kHz. The rise in response from 34kHz to 40kHz would appear to be the resonant frequency of the dome tweeter. Despite the response being very flat, you can see that the response rollsoff 5dB from 5kHz to 10kHz then hovers at 5dB down out to 20kHz, which seems to tie in well with Edgar Kramer’s subjective opinion of ‘the highs sounding a tad laid back.’

Has the ability to separate demanding passages into distinct musical strands, each with its own individuality in terms of spatial position and timbral signature.

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Graph 1. Frequency response. Black trace is the nearfield response of the bass/midrange driver which has been spliced via post-processing to the gated high frequency response (shown in detail in Graph 2). The red trace shows the nearfield response of the rear-firing bass reflex port. The green trace shows the computed complex sum of the bass/midrange driver and the port below 200Hz.

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Graph 3. Low frequency response of front-firing bass reflex port (red trace) and woofer. Nearfield acquisition. Port/woofer levels not compensated for differences in radiating areas. [KEF LS50 Ann.]

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Graph 4. Impedance modulus of left (red trace) and right (yellow trace) speakers plus phase (blue trace). Black trace under is reference 4-ohm precision calibration resistor. [KEF LS50 Anniversary]

Graph 2. High-frequency response, expanded view. Test stimulus gated sine. Microphone placed one metres on-axis with coaxial driver. Lower measurement limit 300Hz. [KEF LS50 Anniversary]

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LAB REPORT Graph 3 shows the low-frequency performance of the KEF LS50, measured using a near-field technique. You can see that the although the minima of the driver’s output is at 52Hz, the port’s output peaks 2dB lower, at 50Hz, but still produces appreciable output across the region from 40Hz to 70Hz. The port is well-behaved, with the output rolling off smoothly to 200Hz. There is some high-frequency output up around at 1kHz, but it’s very low in level and the port is facing away from the listening position in any case.

The impedance graph shows that if were KEF to follow the International Electrotechnical Committee’s (IEC) guidelines for stating nominal impedance, it would have to put it at ‘nominally’ 4Ω rather than the 8Ω it claims. As you can see, the impedance of the review samples dropped to 4Ω at 20Hz and 200Hz, and was around 5Ω from 20kHz out to 40kHz. In fact the impedance only rises above 8Ω at the two resonant peaks (at 42Hz and 90Hz) and across the region between 650Hz and 2.5kHz. And, although the phase is well-controlled, you can see the speaker will present the driving amplifier with a fairly demanding load between about 125Hz and 150Hz, where the phase angle is around –40+º and the impedance is diving down towards that 4Ω minimum. The graph shows that the pairmatching of the left and right speakers is superb, pointing at not only good engineering methods but also excellent quality control processes.

An averaged ‘in-room’ frequency response is shown in Graph 5, and you can again see a superbly flat overall response, particularly across the midrange, with the response almost hugging the 85dBSPL reference line from 300Hz up to 6kHz, though 110

The performance of KEF’s LS50 loudspeakers was simply outstanding for all Newport Test Labs’ measurements... particularly the incredible flatness and uniformity of the frequency response! you can again see that start of a roll-off at 5kHz. The slight ‘bump’ just below 200Hz could be ameliorated by careful room positioning, while the roll-off in the bass could be improved by other mounting options (for this graph, the speakers were mounted on stands, and positioned one metre from the rear wall in the room).

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I have included a ‘composite’ graph showing how the various measurements ‘fit’ together not only to give an overall picture of the KEF LS50’s performance, but also to show the high-frequency output from the port, which wasn’t visible on Graph 3 due to the upper frequency limit of that graph.

Newport Test Labs’ measurement technique for establishing a loudspeaker’s efficiency is particularly stringent, and works against ‘small’ speakers, as it’s bandwidth-related, so I wasn’t surprised that the lab reported a measured sensitivity of 84dBSPL at a distance of one metre, using a 2.83V equivalent input. Nonetheless, this is only 1dB lower than KEF’s own specification, which no doubt was measured using a different technique.

However, even 85dBSPL is 2dB lower than the ‘average’ for hi-fi loudspeakers, and indicates that you’d be advised to use a moderately powerful amplifier in concert with the LS50 Anniversary.

The performance of KEF’s LS50 loudspeakers was simply outstanding for all Newport Test Labs’ measurements, particularly the incredible flatness and uniformity of the frequency response and the almost unheard-off bass extension from such a small speaker. Magnificent measSteve Holding urements indeed!

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Graph 6. Composite response plot. Red trace is output of bass reflex port. Dark blue trace is anechoic response of bass driver. Light blue trace is sine response of midrange driver. Pink trace is gated (simulated anechoic) response above 300Hz. Black trace is averaged in-room pink noise response (from Graph 5) limited at 30kHz. [KEF LS50 Anniversary Loudspeaker]

Graph 5. Averaged frequency response using pink noise test stimulus with capture unsmoothed.

Trace is the averaged result of nine individual frequency sweeps measured at three metres, with the central grid point on-axis with the coaxial driver. [KEF LS50 Anniversary Loudspeaker]

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dCS

ROSSINI

CD PLAYER & CLOCK

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Reviewer Edgar Kramer

I

It should provide access to the vast music vaults of online streaming services while also communicating with personal networked drives that, with their increasing affordability and ever-growing capacities, are capable of storing many thousands of tracks even at very high resolution.

That seems like a description of many high quality DACs but, of course, those devices can’t spin your discs can they?

Unless you dedicate a transport to that task, the modern DAC is primarily a conduit for computer-based audio, while some may also add streaming capabilities. On the other hand many CD players today features a digital input or two – usually a

n these heady days of overwhelmingly-abundant music, is it enough for a music lover to have just a CD player? Especially now we can surpass CD quality with the growing accumulation of the world’s music catalogue available in high-resolution, or choose from a variety of streaming services in quite listenable mid-resolution and some at CD quality, should a passionate music lover not be seeking access to it all?

“Affirmative!” is our resounding reply. A digital component today should feature the latest technology for file playback, while also catering for legacy formats based on the silver disc.

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dCS ROSSINI

Let’s get straight to the point – this is an example of the best all-round performance a digital player can muster right now.

CD PLAYER & CLOCK

single USB and S/PDIF – streaming features and the ability to handle networked files are absent.

On all those counts, the Rossini Player from dCS has it covered. And it adds deep proprietary wisdom, with the company’s own DAC technology, the well-documented Ring DAC (the latest iteration being used in Rossini) and FPGA Digital Platform.

The Rossini holds yet another ace up its sleeve.

The company has designed a dedicated clock – imaginatively called Rossini Clock – which serves as an upgrade to the main unit itself. Having a dedicated clock with its own substantial power supply, higher-powered DSP and more developed supporting circuitry promises worthwhile gains in performance, mainly by way of significant jitter reduction among other subtleties, over a standard built-in clock.

So here we look at the combination of Rossini Player and Clock… and evaluate the Player sans and avec the latter. Those who have already azbadoned physicalk media entirely may like to note that a third Rossini option is available in the ‘DAC’, identical to the Player but without the disc transport.

EQUIPMENT The Rossini components reflect the new direction of dCS in design and styling, as first seen in the Vivaldi stack. Both Player and Clock chassis are built from heavy gauge aluminium all round (available in natural silver or black) while the quality of the machining – most notably in the sculpted fascia of the Player – is first class. The Player’s chassis has been further reinforced and tuned against

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mechanical vibration and magnetic interference via damping panels within. The aluminium extends to the CD tray, which is part of the high quality Stream Unlimited JPL-2800 SilverStrike laser mechanism adopted after Esoteric withdrew from production dCS’s previous preferred mech.

Rear-panel connectivity is comprehensive.

You are presented with a number of options for getting digital signals to the Player, with two AES/EBU XLR inputs, three S/PDIF inputs (RCA, BNC and Toslink) and USB Type-B. A USB Type-A connector allows hard drive connectivity while an Ethernet in/out loop presents the Player to your local network. A 15-pin D-SUB connector is there for control/programming options. Analogue outputs are by way of both single-ended RCA and balanced XLR. And then of course there are the two inputs and one BNC output for the Clock connectivity. An IEC socket with fuse rounds out the socketry.

The range of format support is extensive too, catering for all lossless PCM up to 24 bits and 384kHz, plus DSD in DoP format and native DSD up to DSD128. Also available is DXD upsampling, which is PCM at 352.8kHz or 384kHz. A variety of filters are available and, although not within the scope of this review in terms of exhaustive – and exhausting – comparisons, my recommendation would be for you to experiment at your leisure.

The review sample was provided without the optional $450 remote control. However, full functionality is provided via a comprehensive and smart dCS-designed free remote app, available for both iOS and Android (local Wi-Fi and network hook-up is needed). The app controls disc actions as well as every other aspect of the player – and this is not a trivial matter because the number of functions and set-up options are substantial.

dCS ROSSINI

INSIGHTS FROM RAVEEN BAWA EXPORT SALES MANAGER dCS

Audio Esoterica: Rossini has now adopted the new dCS Digital Processing Platform. What are the philosophies and also the practical aspects of this technology?

Raveen Bawa: Our experience as a company is across the entire signal path, and both analogue-to-digital in recording, and digital-to-analogue in digital playback – as well as designing and optimising all the supporting technology such as master clocks and digital-to-digital converters in-between. From our early days we have designed our converter technology from the ground up, and at the core of our products is the dCS digital processing platform. This hardware platform is based around Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) chips, Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chips and a microcontroller system. All of these components run software code developed and maintained by dCS software engineers.

The use of FPGAs has been key to our design philosophy as it allows our engineers to impart their knowledge into a dCS box at an almost atomic level, at the same time as making dCS products future-proofed.

In fact the entire digital signal path in dCS is done through a combination of FPGA and DSP,

CD PLAYER & CLOCK

both of which can be reconfigured through software updates in the field. This has been our design philosophy since the beginning as we try to anticipate where the market is heading and how to ensure our platform remains state of the art. Recent examples of software updates to the digital processing platform were the addition of x2 DSD support, Roon Ready endpoint support and other features the market demanded.

AE: How is PCM and DSD handled?

RB: The oversampling and filtering scheme built into all dCS DACs and Players depends on the data rate that is received. We use one control board clock frequency for incoming sample rates that are a multiple of 44.1kS/s (kilo samples per second) and a different one for rates that are a multiple of 48kS/s. For each source sample rate, there are either four or six PCM filters – currently identical to those on our Vivaldi range. The selected PCM filter will appear on the front panel of the Rossini.

The situation with DSD data is completely different as there are 4 DSD filters available and the DSD filter setting is displayed. After oversampling and digital filtering, the audio is re-encoded as five bits of noise-shaped data and passed to the Ring DAC Board. Here the 5-bit binary data is mapped onto the array of 48 latches and precision resistors which are at the heart of the Ring DAC topology.

The mapping algorithm is carefully designed to avoid any mismatches between the latches or resistors appearing as errors correlated with the signal, ensuring excellent linearity, even at low signal level. The latch outputs drive balanced currents through their associated precision resistors which are combined by a balanced mix amplifier/filter stage.

The filter removes any unwanted images and switching artefacts, leaving balanced, high-quality analogue signals.

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NO STONE LEFT UNTURNED IN TERMS OF CONNECTIVITY. MULTIPLE DIGITAL INPUTS CATERING TO ALL TYPES OF DELIVERY, NETWORK PROVISION, WORD CLOCK IN/OUT AND ANALOGUE OUTPUTS (BOTH XLR AND RCA) FOR DIRECT HOOK-UP TO AN INTEGRATED OR POWER AMPLIFIER.

Page count does not permit a full description of the menu structure but, as part-summation, you’re able to control things such as 2V/6V output, phase switching, resolution/ format selection, filter options, playback options, display customisation and streamer functionality among many other things. Briefly on the last point, the streamer functionality, the Rossini recognised our home network immediately so we were excitedly running Spotify within mere minutes. Of course, being capable of online connectivity allows easy and automatic (if so desired) firmware upgrades to be downloaded while the unit can also be upgraded via USB or CD. I also used the USB input for connectivity to my MacBook via BitPerfect playback software using AIFF music files.

PERFORMANCE Let’s get straight to the point – this is an example of the best all-round performance a digital player can muster right now. Its resolving power leaves no stone unturned.

Hearing your favourite music via the Rossini provides the confidence that whatever information was captured at the time of the recording – mastering precision permitting – will be unaltered and faithfully served up to the electronics down the signal path.

And it’s a revelation when layers of textures and instrumental subtleties are exposed for your consumption while retaining the holistic integrity of the musical performance. Attacking the system with heavy orchestral tracks such as The Gladiator soundtrack or other challenging recordings like Curandero’s Aras, with their densely complex oscillations ranging from quietly subtle to ragingly manic, proved Rossini’s outstanding unravelling powers in delivering overall clarity and independently distinct instrumental lines.

It’s a remarkable achievement, too, that there’s such significant resolving power on offer while maintaining both a neutral overall balance and superb tonal accuracy.

Many players – and indeed many components – can present abundant levels of detail and scalpel-like incisiveness, tipping the balance, in varying degrees, towards a bright-ish presentation. Only the very best gear walks the narrow line without falling on either side of the precipice. But of course, the rest of your kit has to be of equal excellence (not meaning equal value here, as true

dCS ROSSINI

excellence is available at many price points). If your kit strays from neutrality (and you just may be accustomed to that balance) you could quite likely point the finger of blame to the Player. What an error of judgement this would be…

Of course, having such resolving prowess opens up benefits in other areas of performance.

Play a well-recorded live piano piece and the decay of hammer against string is extraordinary.

As is the transient attack of the individual notes.

It’s that sense of… speed and rhythmic integrity that prompts the toe-tapping reflex.

And it’s the ultra-quiet background that further enhances the above-mentioned traits while also allowing micro-detail and all manner of musical minutiae to be clearly appreciable.

ENTER ROSSINI CLOCK The Clock component reflects the external excellence of the Player itself. Just a simple BNC cable (provided) connects Clock and Player, and that’s pretty much all there is to the set-up story aside from powering via the IEC socket. The Clock does, however, provide two additional BNC clock outputs and two D-type RS232 control ports. The front panel sports switchable ‘Dither 1’ and ‘Dither 2’ options for sound tuning to taste.

The simplest way to describe the Clock’s sonic influence is… ‘More’. It takes the considerable strengths of its Player partner and

THE dCS APP IS BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED. IT PROVIDES FULL CONTROL OVER THE ROSSINI PLAYER’S MANY FEATURES WHILE ALSO DISPLAYING ARTWORK, ETC.

CD PLAYER & CLOCK

elevates them to a higher plane, a better, more complete whole.

The first impression was an immediate recognition of a wider soundfield with more ‘air’ around instruments, a more open sound which brings a sense of ease to the music – not that this was something the Player alone lacked, but it became notable once the Clock was in circuit.

Again… ‘more’. And of course sadly notable by its reduction once you take the Clock away…

The separation of micro-detail from the higher level information around it is another ability the Clock bestows on the listener. It’s as if the information – which, as mentioned above, was always appreciable via the Player sans Clock – becomes easier to discern, allowing the brain to relax into the music rather than actively processing data in order to decode this subtle musical information.

But what really surprised – and I had to go back and forth replaying excerpts multiple times to confirm – was the improvement in mid-bass punch and detail. You might expect the spatial and low-level detail that can be gained by the Clock’s removal of jitter and other digital artefacts, but the improvements to the power and dynamic transients of bass guitars and kick drum had me relishing Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Blood Sugar Sex Magic, Sone Temple Pilots’ Purple and many others that have been recorded with generous but ohso-fun kick-drum pyrotechnics. In my opinion the stand-alone Rossini Player is a tad light in this department, but bringing in the Clock fills this out and the combo becomes a more complete music-playing machine.

CONCLUSION The Rossini Player and Clock combo represents a significant outlay at close to $50k for the combo, even though this is the relative entry point of dCS’s state-of-the-art digital product line. But for your investment you get a playback system built to the highest standards, with proprietary circuit and DAC technology, capable of spinning your legacy discs while opening the chocolate box of streaming delights and high-resolution file capabilities, including DSD. Of course, you have the option of purchasing the Player first and upgrading with the Clock at a later stage when funds allow. Note also the Player’s ability to connect to your power amp directly, so potentially saving the cost of preamplifier, if you are able to have the dCS solution as your sole system source.

Weigh those with the cachet of owning a product from one of the most respected names in high-end digital playback, and the whole shebang starts looking a wise buy for those lucky enough to afford its wonders.

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SPECIFICATIONS dCS ROSSINI PLAYER TYPE: Upsampling CD/ network player CONVERTER: dCS proprietary Ring DACTM topology DIGITAL INPUTS: Network RJ45 interface, S/PDIF on BNC and RCA, 2 × AES/EBU, USB, Optical, 2 × Word Clock on BNC, USB for NAS drive ANALOGUE OUTPUTS: 1 × RCA single-ended, 1 × XLR balaced OTHER: Word Clock output, Ethernet RJ45 output FORMATS: 24-bit PCM up to 384kS, DSD/64, DSD/128 in DFF/DSF format, all major lossless formats including FLAC, WAV & AIFF at up to 24-bit 384kS/s native sample rate and WMA, ALAC, MP3, AAC & OGG, accepts data streamed from an iPod, iPhone or iPad via Apple AirPlay, 44.1 or 48kS/s only (consult manual for input resolutions) DIMENSIONS (WDH): 444 × 435 × 151 mm WEIGHT: 17.4kg WARRANTY: Five years PRICE: $37,495 ROSSINI CLOCK TYPE: Class 1 Master Clock CLOCK FREQUENCIES: 44.1kHz or 48kHz CLOCK ACCURACY: Better than ±1ppm when shipped, over an ambient temperature range of 10°C to 30°C. Typically ±0.1ppm when shipped and stabilised DIMENSIONS (WDH): 444 × 435 × 64 mm WEIGHT: 8.3kg WARRANTY: Five years PRICE: $10,395 CONTACT: Advance Audio Australia on 02 9561 0799 www.advanceaudio.com.au

LINN

KLIMAX DSM

NETWORK MUSIC PLAYER

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Reviewer Edgar Kramer

I

f there is one level of component in the audio chain that has received the most technological attention over the last decade – revolutionised we could say – it’s the source. Linn’s Sondek LP12 turntable may have achieved classic status (and production still runs with varying levels of redesign over the years), but it’s Linn’s digital products that are now at the true cutting edge. And yes, the digital line-up still follows Linn’s GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) ethos.

Linn’s Klimax DSM is almost an all-in-one digital source solution – a disc transport would complete it – but the purpose of this most

advanced of sources is to stream your digital music, not spin it. While doing so from your networked storage source or service, it provides facilities for preamplification via multi-digital inputs and outputs, and it features Linn’s latest hero DAC technology – Katalyst.

DIGITAL CAUSE There’s design, and then there’s superb industrial design. Linn’s latest products, and in particular the top-shelf items, enjoy gorgeous aesthetic design. The Klimax DSM is a very low profile almost diminutive component that houses all its electronic circuits in chambers machined out of a

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LINN KLIMAX DSM

LINN KAZOO SERVER SOFTWARE AND THE KAZOO APP PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM, NETWORK AND PLAYBACK CONFIGURATION OPTIONS.

THE REAR PANEL FEATURES A WHOLE STREAM OF CONNECTIVITY OPTIONS INCLUDING BOTH RCA AND XLR ANALOGUE OUTPUTS FOR DIRECT-TO-AMPLIFIER HOOK-UP.

NETWORK MUSIC PLAYER

solid piece of high-grade aluminium (Klimax is available in silver or black). The chassis is immaculately built: no screws, no joins, nothing visible detracts from the simple elegance. A curved cut-out black window housing a display is the only feature on the front face. That’s it. It’s almost monolith-like in its visual minimalism.

Turn the unit around to view its rear panel, deep-set below the extended top overhang, and the story could not be more in contrast. The space is littered with connectivity. You have both unbalanced and balanced analogue preamplifier outputs (RCA and XLR) for direct connectivity to your power or integrated amplifier of choice (system gain is important here in order to avoid bit-stripping), and a set of balanced inputs alongside a ground/earth terminal. The digital socketry starts with three HDMI inputs and one HDMI output (with 4K support), a pair of Exakt links (these run to Linn active speakers), an S/PDIF input, Ethernet RJ45 and two Toslink inputs. A USB input is conspicuous only by its absence. Lastly, there’s a rather crammed IEC socket – I could not plug in one ‘audiophile grade’ python-like AC power lead, yet another was fine.

The Klimax DSM handles all manner of file formats (FLAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, WMA, MP3 and more) up to a resolution of 24-bit 192kHz. Being part of the Linn universe, the unit is Exakt ready and also features the company’s own speaker/room interaction software solution in Space Optimisation.

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Very basically, the Katalyst architecture aims at improving data optimisation primarily via using a superior Master Clock and a new high-stability input reference level which cross-checks the analogue input signal. The new circuit also makes use of independent power supplies and a “new ultra-low distortion Output Driver”.

That is it, in a very compact nutshell. The good news for owners is that non-Katalyst Klimax DS and DSM units can be upgraded to the latest Linn DAC technology, with the last-gen units’ upgrade being done locally via distributor Advance Audio (see panel for contact details) through your retailer, while older units may have to be shipped overseas to Linn.

Ditto for the Klimax’s set-up into your network, which should be done by your retailer once you’ve purchased the unit. Having said that, tying-in Klimax to your network is an easy enough task. Upon turn-on, the unit activates a set-up wizard and prompts navigation to the Linn website to download Linn’s Kazoo Server software (Windows, Mac, QNAP x86, QNAP arm compatible). Once installed the software will automatically search for other Linn products and their IP addresses within the home ecosystem.

Linn has also designed the beautiful Kazoo app (iOS and Android) that controls various aspects of the unit – including input control and naming and HDMI settings among other functions – while efficiently providing artwork metadata and other information. And while

LINN KLIMAX DSM

NETWORK MUSIC PLAYER

THE LATEST KLIMAX DSM FEATURES LINN’S NEWLY-LAUNCHED KATALYST DAC ARCHITECTURE FEATURING A NUMBER OF ENGINEERING ENHANCEMENTS. SELECT PREVIOUS-GEN KLIMAX UNITS CAN UPGRADE TO KATALYST.

using Tidal and TuneIn you can also access your iTunes library via Kazoo.

Overall the network set-up experience with Klimax is rather painless (we have experienced other products where at the end of the install you find yourself with either grey hair or none at all) and in our case it took no longer than 20 minutes to get up and running. And of course, it should be reiterated that the initial install would be conducted by the retailer.

I also set up the Klimax DSM inputting an S/PDIF signal via two disc transports – AMR’s CD-77.1 and, towards the end of the review, the outstanding Yamaha CD-S2100 – and looped out of the balanced analogue outputs to our Gryphon Antileon EVO power amplifier.

NOT JUST 1s AND 0s Yes, digital is ones and zeros and, to a lot of audio enthusiasts, there’s little difference between

quality digital-to-analogue converters. In my experience, the contrasts between converters has been anywhere between hardly noticeable and indisputable… stark… blatant. You get the gist.

Plugging the Linn Klimax DSM into the reference system resulted in an obvious sonic change from running the usual CD player and the non-Katalyst Klimax I also had on loan.

Firstly, the most overt change with the Katalyst DAC is the substantial gain in dynamic expression. The Katalyst architecture just draws out tremendous snap and attack to a point that is reminiscent of results achieved when changing from a moderate current amplifier to one which delivers oodles of current on tap. It’s like your speakers grow major cojones. Play a drum track like “Gretch me if you can” from Maarten van der Valk’s Touch release and you’ll be clutching at your chest lest you have a heart attack. Ditto with Tom Morello’s Morello Standard Time. The

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Overall the network set-up experience with Klimax is rather painless... in our case it took no longer than 20 minutes to get up and running.

LINN KLIMAX DSM

NETWORK MUSIC PLAYER

SPECIFICATIONS LINN KLIMAX DSM INPUTS: 1 × Ethernet, 3 × HDMI, 2 × Toslink, 1 × S/PDIF, 1 × XLR OUTPUTS: 2 × Exakt Link, 1 × HDMI, 1 × RCA phono, 1 × balanced XLR AUDIO FORMATS: FLAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, MP3, WMA (except lossless), AIFF, AAC, OGG RESOLUTION: Up to 24-bit, 192kHz PROPRIETARY FEATURES: Linn Exakt ready and Space Optimisation DAC TECHNOLOGY: Linn Katalyst DIMENSIONS (WHD): 350 × 61 × 355mm WEIGHT: 8.6kg WARRANTY: Five years PRICE: $44,895 CONTACT: Advance Audio on 02 9561 0799 www.advanceaudio.com.au

power and dynamic range the Klimax DSM with Katalyst provides is really startling.

And this combines with a superb retrieval of micro-detail, no doubt due to the DAC’s extraordinary resolution and low noise floor.

If a pin dropped in the studio (as long as the microphones picked it up) the Klimax DSM will not mask it. The cliché “you really hear into the recording” applies with veracity here.

And as good as the non-Katalyst Klimax DSM was, the newer DAC inarguably surpasses it. It’s bigger, bolder and more resolute in just about every area. In isolation, the older brother was a very competent performer, but compare new and old back to back and the previous-gen seems almost muted, or slow… It isn’t, of course, it’s just that new Klimax is remarkably tighter, faster, and more dynamic still.

For power rock, Rage Against the Machine’s self-titled album is one of the best recordings for bass power and explosiveness. The Klimax is remarkable in what it serves up. Play “Bullet in the Head”

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– and crank it – and you’ll be pinned to the chair with the low-end’s dynamism, control, accuracy and detail. There’s a transient snap and attack to the leading edges of notes that I’d heard only from the very best DACs on the planet. Your amplifier and speakers had better be prepared.

Equal pleasure can be derived from big orchestral pieces where the Klimax’s power of delivery excites. It’s a thrilling ride, with the unit generously delivering all the unhindered fireworks of Telarc’s 1812 while also throwing a spacious soundfield both in terms of lateral spread and depth of image.

CONCLUSION Linn’s Klimax DSM provides a thorough digital solution. It handles all the major digital formats – right down to the lowly MP3 – while also providing an analogue input and variable output, negating the need for a preamplifier. It’s a powerful all-in-one alternative to a multi-box scenario.

And the upgradeable Katalyst architecture takes the sonic performance to exemplary levels, placing it among the best DACs I’ve tested. Sonic Klimax indeed.