Connected Edition 39 by Russ Andrews

CONNECTED TO MUSIC & MOVIES

NEW yellOPower™ Issue No. 39 Summer 2017

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ns it o o m nt o Pr me r ! e e m ppl IDE m u Su S INS

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WELCOME This edition of Connected marks the end of our 30th Anniversary year. It might seem a bit strange celebrating the end of a year in the summer, but the business was oﬃcially incorporated at the end of July 1986. We started our 30th anniversary year last August so we finish it in July. What a year it's been! The best thing for me was putting together the 30th anniversary issue of Connected magazine which came out last September: it was packed with features on our history, articles on music and Hi-Fi over the 30 years, interviews and product spotlights. We also reintroduced our entry-level YellO Power mains cable; selling about five times as many as we anticipated in the first month! Another highlight saw Simon and I visiting Russ's friend Chris Bonar for our customer system feature. Chris has a full Russ Andrews Olson II system and I can confidently say it produced the best sound I’d ever heard from a Hi-Fi system - it was remarkable in the way the electronics seemed to disappear, leaving you simply listening to the performances. With all that going on at the start of our 30th Anniversary Year, we thought it only right to end it with a flourish. This issue of Connected has three guest writers from the industry: reviewer Paul Rigby makes sense of the latest trends in music purchasing by analysing figures from the British Phonographic Industry (p16); David Price (former editor of HiFi Choice magazine) concludes his three-part guide to buying

IN THIS ISSUE

classic Hi-Fi kit (p18), and Phil Hansen – our PR and marketing consultant – reflects on music and his Hi-Fi system over the last 30 years (p26). This time's Customer System couldn't be more different than the big Russ Andrews system we featured last year; I wanted a system that was more modest yet capable of delivering lots of music. The system we feature does just that – belonging to a customer in South Yorkshire, it uses Arcam amplification, with Castle Acoustics loudspeakers and Arcam and Rega sources. Read about it on p24. Simon also gives us the lowdown on the latest product reviews, of which there have been a record seven since the last issue of Connected in March – a packed 6 pages worth in all – starting on page 29. Finally, we've put together some tempting offers designed to help you get even more from your system… look out for them throughout the magazine and especially in the pull-out centre section. Whether you want to upgrade your speaker cable, improve your earthing, or fit a better digital interconnect, there should be something for you. And, as at the start of our Anniversary Year, we've got a very special offer on the YellO – this time, it's a Limited Edition cable, fitted with SuperFuse and Wattgate plug. It's only available until the end of July, it's the same price as a standard YellO and one piece of advice – get your orders in quick! ■

John Armer, Editor

Regulars

Editorial First Words News Reviews Letters Competition

3 4 5 29 35 39

Equipment Upgrades

Features

David Price: Classic Hi-Fi Buying Guide. Through the past, smartly...

High End on a Budget: Guide to cabling a second-hand system Customer System

Products

New Products

18 20

24 8

Spotlight on... Russ Andrews PowerBar

From Inside the Industry; Paul Rigby Phil Hansen Dalton’s Deliberations

16 26 28

CD Ripping Offer Free SuperClamp with PowerBar

7 22

Opinion Offers

Summer Promotions

see supplement in centre

YellO Power Limited Edition

25% off Kimber 8TC 25% off Kimber 8TC jumpers 20% off D60 digital interconnect 25% off RF Router MkII Pack of Shorties for £10

Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business Park, Shap Road, Kendal LA9 6NS, UK. 01539 797300 +44 (0)1539 797300 © Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2017. E & OE. Any views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.

Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 3

RUSS’S F IR S T WOR D S

Listening

I am often asked how I decide which products we sell. In cases where there are several options of a given item, how do I choose which one makes it into Connected magazine and onto the website? Exactly which plug, socket, wire, solder, power supply etc? The answer is really simple. I listen to them all and choose the one that fits our listening criteria for everything we sell. Among those criteria are low distortion; musicality; rhythm and timing; naturalness; information.

the best sounding parts, I found that, with only three exceptions, all parts were equally important. The three exceptions are the mains supply, the power supply and the grounding: these three are the most important. The idea that the signal path was the only area worth spending time and money on was dead!

Of course, I measured things like contact resistance and distortion where I could. Measurements, though, aren't remotely sufficient tools for choosing the best sounding components. I My objective is the If nothing fits, nothing gets clearly remember the chosen… a current example reproduction of manufacturers' competition being RCDs! We may, of course, recorded music that is through the 1970s and beyond to advise the least bad option in so real sounding that it design the lowest distorting some cases. amplifier. The process delivered is indistinguishable both unbelievably low distortion I first started this regime in the from what the and low sound quality… the early 1970s as a Hi-Fi dealer microphones heard. foolishness of chasing one choosing which systems and parameter over the objective! hardware to sell. Sadly, it is still as much a novel and 'off the wall' idea now as it was My objective is the reproduction of recorded then. At the end of the 70s I had discovered music that is so real sounding that it is directionality, cable quality issues and had indistinguishable from what the started listening to capacitors, resistors, microphones heard. diodes etc. It's not just the sound, it's the performance: To do this easily, I made a simple jig with musicians playing together interpreting a piece replaceable plug-in modules I could connect the of music. A solo singer is probably the purest items to that I wanted to compare. It was then a form: one mic, no electronic mucking about to simple matter to swap modules and compare make it sound 'perfect', just the recording done quickly and easily. The jig was simply connected right all the way through. in line with the signal from a source to Of course, there are many recordings I can enjoy the preamp. that break my rules. But I suffer! I listened to everything. I found that everything What I can do, though, is to make sure the had its own voice and made its own contribution playback system won't make all the things to the sound of a complete system. wrong in the recording sound even worse. This is Everything mattered! why I pay so much attention to the detail and have investigated the actual sound of every The voice of everything in the system contributing part, however small and seemingly contributed to the whole final result. When I innocent of blame. worked consistently through a system picking

4 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

NEWS

It’s Showtime!

Indulgence Show Advance warning: we’ll be attending The Indulgence Show at the Novotel London West hotel on 29th September – 1st October 2017. The Indulgence Show is in its second year and last year it was the first audio show to be held in central London for 10 years. ‘Indulgence’ is the umbrella brand for the ‘three shows under one roof’ format: Audio London (which we are part of ) showcases the best in H-Fi; the headroom zone is dedicated to portable and personal audio, including players and headphones; and Pure Pleasure is the section of the show dedicated to ‘lifestyle indulgences’. Entry to the show (tickets are £10) allows you visit all zones, and the organisers are planning live music, seminars and exhibitions throughout the weekend. We’re very much looking forward to being in attendance! We will have our best-selling products available for you to browse and buy, and the team will be on hand to offer upgrading tips and advice on our products. Come along and say hello!

North West Audio Show A little sooner, and closer to home for us: we are attending the North West Audio Show at Cranage Hall, Byley Lane, Cranage, Crewe, CW4 8EW, on 24-25th June 2017. We’ll have a selection of our products on display and available to buy, with the team on hand to answer any Hi-Fi or Home Cinema related questions. The North West Audio Show promises ‘The best in Hi-Fi and Audio in fabulous surroundings’ and as well as a range of systems to browse and audition, there will be live music throughout the weekend. Cranage Hall is easily accessible, being very close to junction 18 of the M6 motorway. Parking is free and entry is also free – just register for your free tickets at www.audioshow.co.uk. We look forward to seeing you there!

You can find out more about the show at indulgenceshow.com or contact us for more information. Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 5

NEWS

KWIK install cable Kimber’s KWIK cable is an ideal cable to use if you need long runs for wiring rear, surround and height speakers in a home cinema set-up. Designed to be a fine-sounding install cable, KWIK is available in two gauges – KWIK-16 and the thicker KWIK-12. KWIK employs two white and two yellow conductors – one of each colour conductor employs fine copper stranding and the other uses thicker strands; when paired together the arrangement helps to reduce resonance. The copper conductors are insulated with polyethylene insulation unlike the PVC of some other install cables, and encased in an offwhite PVC jacket. The outer covering is neutral in appearance and is tough enough to be pulled through walls; it can even be clipped gently to a skirting board. KWIK cable is available off the reel and it is supplied with stripping and preparation instructions.

Catalogue online Don’t forget that our product catalogue is available to view online: just follow the links from the Russ Andrews homepage or type www.russandrews.com/catalogue in your browser.

6 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

Kimber KWIK-16 cable comprises four conductors which, when combined, give two conductors of 16 AWG (1.31mm2). The cable’s outer diameter is approx. 7.5mm. Code: 3050 £4.50 per m Kimber KWIK-12 cable comprises four conductors which, when combined, give two conductors of 12 AWG (3.31mm2). The cable’s outer diameter is approx. 9mm. Code: 3055 £7.50 per m

NEWS

How to achieve highend music streaming the easy way Streaming music through a high-end audio device can deliver better than CD sound quality in a highly convenient package. The trouble is, it can also be very confusing to set up. So, what’s the solution? We recommend Meridian’s MC200 as the perfect combination of high quality playback and userfriendly convenience – whatever your system.

High-quality streaming in three easy steps a. Buy your MC200 all-in-one streamer/DAC/hard drive from us at just £1200 b. Allow us to upload your CDs onto the Meridian’s hard drive - we’ll even do the first 500 for free! (see below) c. Plug your MC200 into your existing system, connect an iPad featuring Meridian’s control app, and away you go.

In no time at all, you’ll be listening to superb Meridian sound quality and your entire music collection at the tap of a touchscreen.

What you’ll need

3 Internet connection 3 iPad 3 MC200 3 Optional – laptop or PC/Mac if you want to add more discs to the MC200

Meridian MC200 Code: 4536

£1200.00

1TB storage – enough for approximately 2000 albums at CD quality; analogue and digital outputs for connecting to a Hi-Fi system. 2 year warranty.

Save time and money ripping your discs For a limited period, purchasers of the Meridian MC200 can benefit from our CD ripping service, free of charge. It works like this: buy an MC200 from us and we will send you a packing case containing CD spindles. Unbox your CD collection and load them onto the enclosed spindles and we will arrange collection of your discs. We’ll rip them and load them onto your MC200 and send it to you, along with your CDs. The ripping service normally costs 70p per disc but we will rip up to 500, worth £350, free of charge: you just pay for the CD collection and delivery service in addition to the MC200. Once you receive the MC200 it’s simply a case of connecting it to your system – your collection is ready loaded onto it by us, and you are ready to start enjoying your music.

SAVE £350 when you buy an MC200 from us upto

before 30th September 2017

CD Ripping Service 70p per disc Up to 500 free with the purchase of a MC200. CD Ripping Delivery & Collection

£50.00

Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 7

New Products

NEW The Supplier™

High performance Russ Andrews Switch Mode Power Supply

Our popular PowerPak Pro DC power supply has had an update. The new model is called The Supplier™, and features casework of similar design to our PowerPurifier and AbZorber.

The new casework means that we’ve been able to uprate the output socket on the back of the unit to a more robust design; the new socket is an XLR type which gives a better connection than the old type of DC socket. The Supplier features our fine-sounding Russ Andrews Switch Mode Power Supply which incorporates Kimber Kap and Panasonic audio-grade capacitors, and also uses Kimber Kable internal wire for linking the input and output sockets to the power supply. For good measure, our Silencer mains filter is used to reduce mains noise.

About our Switch Mode Power Supplies

We introduced our upgraded Switch Mode Power Supply (SMPS) in 2003 and they’ve been very popular with customers since then for a wide variety of Hi-Fi uses – radios, DACs, turntables and streamers to name a few. A few people have asked us why we’ve used the compact SMPS instead of the larger linear supplies. Russ told us “back in 2003, I conducted extensive research to compare the sound performance of as many linear power supplies and SMPS as I could find. The results were surprising: linear power supplies did not all perform better than SMPS contrary to my expectations, and one SMPS sounded markedly better than all of the power supplies in my tests. It’s a bigger version of this power supply that forms the basis of The Supplier – with my modifications and Kimber internal wiring. If you have reservations against using switch mode power supplies, I encourage you to listen to ours. It’s clearly the best sounding power supply I’ve heard.”

8 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

Suitable for use with input voltages between 90V and 260V AC – can be used worldwide

Where would I use The Supplier? Over the last few years, there has been a substantial increase in the number of components requiring separate standalone power supplies, with many turntables, DACs, streamers and so on using them. The Russ Andrews Supplier is perfect for replacing these supplies – under tests in our systems the sound was smoother, more detailed with deeper bass – and with much more of a sense of the musical message. Incorporating The Supplier in your system is really easy and should be a straight swap for your existing power supply. To ensure you choose the correct one, see our guide on page 10.

New Products UL-approved custom casework E X C L U S I V E

Six models available, supplying 5V, 9V, 12V, 15V,19V or 24V DC. Other voltages available to special order. High-gloss acrylic faceplate with LED power indicator

Dimensions: WHD 150mm x 53mm x 210mm

Rated at 60W

IEC mains input socket for your choice of power cable (we recommend YellO Power or one of our PowerKords)

Choosing the correct power supply for your equipment

We have built up an extensive power supply database which tells us what voltage power supply is needed for a particular piece of equipment and what size DC plug (and polarity) is needed to fit it. This means that we can build a dedicated supply for your equipment. See next page for a full list of current manufacturers and equipment we can supply. We also have a number of dedicated AC power supplies available if you need that type: visit russandrews.com or contact us for more information if you are unsure whether you need an AC or DC supply.

3 pin XLR socket for connecting DC link cable (0.25m cable supplied as standard)

The Supplier

60 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

£449.00

Supplied with 0.25m link cable Longer lengths available. 2 year warranty.

Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 9

New Products

Manufacturers

At the time of writing, we produce The Supplier™ for the components below. Don’t despair if you have equipment from a manufacturer or component that isn’t listed; we are constantly adding to the list and the chances are that we will be able to make a power supply for your kit. Just call us on 01539 797300 and we can check for you. When doing so, it’s useful if you have the power supply to hand as we may need to ask you a few questions about it. Antelope Arcam

Beresford Brennan Cambridge Audio Chord

Clear Audio Creek Dynavector Graham Slee

Humax

Innuos

Lehmann Audio Logitech

Zodiac Plus irDAC rHead rPlay rPhono irDAC-II rDock-uni Caiman Caiman MK.II B2 JB7 DacMagic 100 DacMagic PLUS Hugo 2Qute QuteHD QuteHD es Concept Performance DC OBH-21 OBH-21MK2 P75 Mk. I P75 Mk. II Solo Ultra-Linear DE Solo SRGII Novo Accession Reflex-M MM Reflex-C MC Era Gold V Elevator EXP Gram Amp 2 Special Edition Gram Amp 3 Fanfare The Gram Amp 2 Communicator Revelation Jazz Club FVP-4000T HDR-1800T HDR-1100S HB-1000S Wave Music Zen Music Zen Mini Music Rhinelander Black Cube Statement Squeezebox

10 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

Logitech

Squeezebox Touch Squeezebox Duet M2Tech Young DAC Young DSD Marley Joplin-MK2 Meridian MC200 Prime Musical Fidelity V-DAC MK. 1 and 2 V-90 V90-LPS V90-HPA Naim Unitiserve NAPSC Onkyo ND-S1 Pro-Ject RPM 1 Carbon DAC Box DS Head Box DS MaiA DS Pre Box DS Stereo Box DS CD Box DS DAC Box DS Stream Box DS net Stream Box DS+ Stream Box DSA Phono Box DS Phono Box DS+ Speed Box DS Tube Box DS Pre Box RS Pre Box DS2 analogue Pre Box DS2 digital CD Box DS2T Phono Box DS2 USB Amp Box S Phono Box Phono Box USB Elemental Elemental USB VT-E Essential II Essential II USB Essential III Debut All models Rupert Neve Designs RNHP Tivoli Model 1

ANNIVERSARY

E D I T I O N

NEW LIMITED EDITION

New Products High performance UK 13A mains plug

yellOPower™

One of the most exciting events of our 30th anniversary year has to have been the reintroduction of our YellO Power cables back in September. YellO Power was originally available in the 1990s but was discontinued in 2005 and we were always a little sad to say goodbye.

The occasion of our 30th anniversary led to us updating and relaunching the original design, using a variation on the PVC-insulated copper. Like that first edition, YellO Power features eight woven conductors (four for live and four for neutral with a central earth cable). We loved the cable and so did you – we ended up making about five times as many YellOs as we expected to, ordering the raw cable from Kimber by the kilometre! YellO will continue to be available in its standard guise, but to mark the end of our anniversary year, we’re launching a very special YellO - for a very limited time. Fitted with the superb WattGate 320 EVO IEC plug and Russ Andrews SuperFuse, the supercharged YellO is available until 31st July 2017 – and it’s available at no extra charge – just £60 for a 1m length. Find out what others thought of YellO Power – see the reviews on pages 31 and 32.

FREE UPGRADE TO Russ Andrews SuperFuse

FREE

Flexible braided protective sheathing

upgrades worth

£58

High purity live, neutral and earth conductors, insulated with PVC Unique woven design effectively removes mains interference made with

FREE UPGRADE TO superb WattGate 320 EVO IEC WARRANT Y

Ideal for

3 Hi-Fi separates 3 TVs and DVD/ Blu-ray players 3 Portable systems 3 Power supplies and mains conditioners

3 Mains extensions

25 YEAR WARRANTY

E X C L U S I V E

60 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

CODE: 1050

Limited Edition YellOPower™

with WATTGATE™ 320 EVO IEC and SuperFuse

1.0M 1.5M 2.0M

OFFER PRICE

£60.00 £75.00 £90.00

Includes FREE Wattgate 320EVO IEC and FREE SuperFuse worth £58

ONLY AVAILABLE UNTIL 31ST JULY 2017 Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 11

New Products

NEW Consumer Unit

Readers of our catalogues and this magazine over the years will know that Russ has long recommended having a dedicated mains circuit for your Hi-Fi system: a separate mains ring circuit wired with our woven Kimber ring main cable, supplying one of our wall sockets and fed from one of our dedicated consumer units. Russ is constantly testing consumer units and has recently discovered one from a new manufacturer, which is, in our opinion, a significant upgrade on the existing consumer unit we offer. We’ve tested all of the parts – the circuit breakers and the isolator switch - independently and together to be sure of their performance. We are also able to treat the conductive parts with DeoxIT and our Super Burn In process. The new unit is the best sounding one we have ever offered.

About RCDs

In the past, we have supplied Consumer Units fitted with an RCD (Residual Current Device) - this new version is fitted with 100A isolator switch in place of an RCD. In our experience RCDs sound a lot worse than double pole isolator switches. The latest edition of electrical regulations (17th Wiring 12 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

Fitted with 100A isolator switch An RCD is not required in this type of circuit.

32A MCB (circuit breaker), suitable for one Hi-Fi ring circuit or radial circuit We’ve chosen the best sounding MCB we can find.

WARRANT Y

25 YEAR WARRANTY

60 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

Regulations, Third Amendment 2015), state that it is permitted to omit RCD protection “for a specific, labelled or otherwise suitably identified socket outlet provided for connection of a particular item of equipment”. Our new Consumer Units are all supplied with a socket outlet labelled ‘For Hi-Fi Use Only – NOT RCD PROTECTED’ and should be used when installing our

Consumer Unit

with double SuperSocket

with double faceplate single UltraSocket

Code: 1930 £249.00 £315.00

Consumer Unit, along with surface-mounted cabling in trunking. The circuit should only be used for your Hi-Fi system: your electrician will advise you. Our consumer units are supplied with both a certificate of conformity and fitting instructions, including clarification of the wiring regulations which may be useful for your electrician.

New Products

Compact design, 215mm high, 125mm wide, 95mm deep Plastic, self-extinguishing enclosure conforms to UL94 Where possible, we prefer plastic enclosures for consumer units and this one complies with the latest electrical regulations by being constructed from selfextinguishing material Conductive parts treated with DeoxIT contact enhancer NOW WITH and our SUPER Super Burn BURN-IN In process Pack includes one double SuperSocket (single UltraSocket available)

Goes with...

Russ Andrews Ringmain cable Code: 1515 £68 per metre

Double Faceplate single UltraSocket Code: 1901 £89 DeoxIT Code: 5434 £29.95

Wiring a Hi-Fi ringmain Adding a new Hi-Fi ringmain circuit using our Consumer Unit isn’t a DIY task. Use a good electrician: he or she will be able to ensure that the new cable is routed safely and tidily and will supply a certificate of compliance once done. There are two types of mains wiring circuit – the radial circuit which uses a single run of cable from the consumer unit to the socket, and the ring circuit which is two runs of cable – one from the consumer unit to the socket, and one back again. We recommend wiring a ring circuit for your Hi-Fi system, which has lower impedance than a radial and, from our tests sounds clearly better, with better bass and capable of delivering a more musical sound. For a ring circuit we recommend using 4mm2 ringmain cable, or our Russ Andrews Ring Main cable, which is made with woven Kimber Kable which reduces RFI. The cable should run from our dedicated consumer unit to one of our un-switched sockets – either the SuperSocket or the UltraSocket. We recommend surface-mounting your cables, protected by trunking. The benefits of fitting a dedicated mains circuit can be substantial; by separating your Hi-Fi from your other circuits, you greatly reduce the mains noise problem from household appliances and you ensure the best possible delivery of current to your system. The improvements in sound quality from doing this can be enormous and is more than worth the effort and cost.

Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 13

NewProducts

Meridian 218 Endpoint Add MQA support to Sooloos or Roon The Meridian 218 has three core functions: it can be used to add a separate zone to your existing Sooloos system, allowing you to stream your music to another room; it acts as an 'add on' to existing Meridian components, allowing it to play MQA files at full resolution; and finally it can be used as a fully-functioning preamp when combined with an iPad which you use as the controller. The 218 can be connected directly to Meridian DSP loudspeakers via their SpeakerLink cable, or to a conventional preamp or power amp via its analogue outputs. It can be easily controlled via the Sooloos system or by Meridian's downloadable app for iPad. 218 will also integrate with Roon music software, again allowing playback of music files, including MQA.

There's lots more information on the Meridian 218 on russandrews.com or contact us for further information.

Meridian 218 Endpoint

Code: 4682

£750.00

Back Box Saver Every once in a while an idea comes along that's incredibly simple and very eﬀective (aren't the best ideas the simplest ones?). The Back Box Saver is the brainchild of one of our customers and helps in those situations where a wall socket's back box lugs – the pressed metal tags that you screw the socket to – become stripped. You might only notice it when you are changing your wall socket (perhaps when you are fitting one of our SuperSockets or UltraSockets)… you go to tighten up one of the screws… but it won't tighten and the socket refuses to fit flat against the wall. Normally, this necessitates the removal and replacement of the back box and any subsequent redecoration… but there is a

14 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

solution! The Back Box saver comprises a small threaded socket that is held in place behind the damaged lug. Your existing screw passes through the stripped lug and secures into the back box saver. Simple? Yes, but this clever gadget means that you don't need to replace the entire back box… result! Full fitting instructions are at russandrews.com Remember UK mainland postage is just £2 on smaller orders under £8 value.

Back Box Saver

Code: 1919

£3.99

L AT E S T E Q U I P M E N T U P G R A D E S Our Equipment Upgrade Service is proving as popular as ever and more and more of you are sending equipment in for improvements. We’re finding that quite a few of our customers have been so pleased with the upgrade of their first bit of kit – their CD player, for example – that they are getting back in touch with us in a couple of months with their amplifier and speakers for upgrade. We regularly update the website with the most recent components that we’ve worked on and these include the Musical Fidelity M1 CDT transport and matching M1 DAC; a Linn Unidisk universal player; a Rotel RB-991 power amp; a Quad 34 preamp and Harbeth HL5 loudspeakers. Have a look at the website to see what we’ve already upgraded but if you don’t find your equipment listed, don’t despair – the chances are that we’ll be able to make cost effective changes that keep the character of your cherished component, but make it more communicative, musical and more enjoyable to listen to. The way the upgrade service works is quite simple. Contact us and we’ll agree a date with you to send your equipment to us (we can arrange a collection from UK mainland address for £14 if you wish). Once we’ve got your component, our engineer will inspect it, and if the work has not been previously discussed and agreed, we will assess the unit and make cost effective recommendations, discussing them with you before work commences. If you decide not to go ahead with an upgrade, we will return the unit to you and you just pay for the return postage. The prices of upgrades vary depending on the complexity – to get an idea of the price for an upgrade, visit our website or contact us.

Musical Fidelity M1 CDT £296.

Musical Fidelity M1 DAC £334

LINN Unidisk £531

If you have any questions regarding the service, contact Peter on 01539 797300. Visit www.russandrews.com/equipment-upgrades

Musical Fidelity M6 CD player £709 Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 15

FROM INSIDE THE INDUS TRY

Death, Destruction, Blood and Gore... The Music Industry’s Winners & Losers How is music currently being delivered to you? Paul Rigby tries to untangle a heap of new industry figures that have conflicting news for streaming, downloads, vinyl and more. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has released a number of new music industry earnings figures for 2016 that reveal a lot about how we all consume our music. It also oﬀers some surprising trends in terms of how that music is delivered to our ears which, in turn, will aﬀect our hifi purchases over the coming months and years. If you stand back and look at the industry as a whole, it will not be a surprise to many of you just how important streaming has become. If you take the paid-for element of Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz and more, you will find that this sector now rakes in £274 million. It seems that the subscription model is what we prefer in our streaming services too because Ad-supported free tiers made up just 3.6% of streaming revenues. The measure of the growth is interesting too because total streaming revenues grew 61% in 2016 when compared to 2015. If you look at the total amount of money from all music formats and services that record labels are putting in their bank accounts, you’ll see that streaming now accounts for 30% of their total revenues, which is just below those from physical formats (32%). This streaming 16 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

growth is predicted to keep on growing. In fact, it is expected to overtake the revenues of physical formats in 2018. You could look at the above figures and become very excited by them. In fact, you could easily become over-excited and get totally carried away: especially if you are a hi-fi manufacturer looking to invest in future projects. I say this because, within these same published figures, is the current sales results for downloadable music and, therein, lies a lesson to us all. According to the BPI, digital downloaded albums earned around £83.5million in revenues in 2016 with single tracks earning almost £67million. That’s a lot of cash for sure but the figures are not as impressive when you consider that the total market share for downloads has fallen from 30.2 per cent in 2012 to just 16.3 per cent in 2016. Streaming has largely replaced it, rising from 6.2 per cent to 29.6 cent during the same period. Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Weren’t downloads supposed to kill oﬀ all physical formats single handedly? Weren’t they supposed to move across the musical firmament, dominating totally how we consumed our digital - in fact all music for all time? OK, once more then, the download market has fallen by 50% in just four years. Four years. A tiny blip in music delivery history, it has to be said. Now the same experts who were proclaiming the total domination of

downloads are saying exactly the same thing about streaming. Maybe it will. Maybe streaming will stride, like a colossus, across the music industry and destroy all physical formats while it’s about it. Then again, maybe yet another new digital technology delivery service will be invented next year and the biter will be bitten once more. In four years time…will streaming’s market share fall by 50%? According to the BPI, “While revenue from physical formats dipped below £300 million in 2016, it remained the largest revenue stream for labels, declining by only 1.9 per cent. Its resilience is testament to the enduring popularity of albums on CD, where income fell by less than a tenth (9.1%), and particularly vinyl, where revenue from LP sales rose an impressive 66.5 per cent.” I nearly spilt my coﬀee when I read that. Not only are physical formats remaining largely steady (rock solid when compared to download, at any rate) but vinyl LP sales rose by two thirds! One of my main tasks in life is to run my website (the glorious and most splendid The Audiophile Man: catch it for yourself, link at the end of this text). Part of my job is to monitor social media. Apart from the proliferation of Fake News™ there was an apparently ‘real’ report that the vinyl “bubble” (bubble?) had finally burst and vinyl sales were on the way down. Many Facebook users lamented this news but, according to the BPI, the reports of vinyl’s

death were rather mistaken. Vinyl is not only holding its own, it remains on the march. And these figures relate to vinyl LPs, don’t forget, singles haven’t even been factored in here. In fact, vinyl LP sales hold around 15 per cent of the total physical album market. Not bad for the seemingly dead format. More than that, labels are seeing vinyl provide 4.5 per cent of total revenue, an important niche. As the BPI noted, “Remarkably, the vinyl market is now worth around half (50%) of the album download market or more than 60 per cent of the value of single track downloads.” Let me remind you once more that downloads were initially supposed to kill off all physical formats, in the same way that MP3s were supposed to kill off physical formats, in the same way that CDs were supposed to kill off vinyl. I must dwell on vinyl a little bit. Only because it has been around for so very long, was supposed to have died on numerous occasions and, frankly, just will not go away. Why? There’s a number of reasons from the user’s perspective. Let’s talk about the bare, basic album package. There’s: the notion of owning music in a real physical sense that enhances value for money; the retention of value (i.e. you can possibly earn from selling the vinyl on later); the sound quality (second only to master tapes, even now, even compared to DSD et al); the large format serves as a canvas for both art and notation (artwork looks far better on 12” square thick card than on a tiny, shiny, smartphone screen) and more. One of the biggest plus points of vinyl - even more than CD - and one of the main reasons that it has retained its usefulness as a music

carrying format from the industry’s perspective is that it is ‘packageflexible’. A term that I’ve just made up but one that is true enough, nevertheless. While streaming oﬀers only content, technology advances (varying resolutions) and price as marketing incentives, vinyl can match all of those (technology advances including half-speed mastering, 45rpm editions, One Stop via Mo-Fi, etc).

2016 market share by revenue 3.6% Sync/other digital 18.8% Public Performance

32.2% Physical

29.6% Streaming

16.3% Downloading

Source: BPI

Vinyl can go one major step further, though. You can sell a vinyl album as a basic ‘budget’ package but also as a highend basic release (better quality physical music carrier/disc), a high value vinyl-only box set and a high value mixed-media box set (including CD, DVD, memorabilia, etc). Varying price points can be set and all of these can be sold at once without harming the sales of the others. Part of the ‘package flexibility’ is the oft forgotten but essential - I would say critical second-hand market supported by record fairs, car boot/thrift fairs and other retail outlets. This sector provides a super-budget price point that serves to introduce new vinyl users into the arena but also acts as useful secondary retail sector that flies under the industry radar. The second-hand market surely, in itself, has aided the increase in new vinyl sales. But look, this article is not supposed

to be pro-vinyl/digital bashing. Although I myself have fallen into the trap, somewhat, I really believe that we must now stop the futile, unnecessary, immature practice of treating music delivery news as some form of gladiatorial combat report. The title to this piece is supposed to be ironic. Yet it seems to reflect much of the music/hi-fi media at times. Every time the BPI or similar organisation releases this sort of news, the media report the ‘winners and losers’ while readers are almost expected to root for their favourites as a sort of musical platform version of MasterChef. It’s pointless. And very silly. It also creates counter-productive buyer tension, insecurity and concern. I adore vinyl - I have a large vinyl collection of many thousands. I also have a CD collection in the ‘many thousands’. My digital collection currently runs into the 15TB region while I use Spotify on regular occasions. I also have a wall of cassette tapes and some 78s stuﬀed in a corner! Is it any wonder that the wife sleeps in the garden shed because of storage issues? My point is that the music carrier industry is a mature one and, like the industries that produce push bikes, handbags and cars, has long moved away from the purely mass market and split into a host of selfand mutually-supporting niches. Instead of changing the way we live to accommodate music carriers, we now ‘consume’ music to fit into our lifestyles. Let’s, therefore, embrace all music carriers. As long as vinyl triumphs in the end (…dammit, did it again). ■ To learn more, go to bpi.co.uk while you can read more of Paul Rigby’s ramblings at www.theaudiophileman.com Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 17

PA S T P L E A S U R E S

Through the past, smartly… Although there are great bargains to be had, classic hi-fi can be a minefield, says David Price. So here’s the second of our two-part guide to tip-toeing through…

CD Players

There’s a vast wealth of great classic CD players out there, and prices have crashed because they’re – for the moment at least – out of fashion. I’m not sure if this is always going to be the case; in some Far Eastern markets for example, silver disc spinners are actually growing in popularity again. There’s a vast wealth of music on CD and in many ways it’s far easier to use that messing around with flaky computer networks. Also, the truth that often dare not speak its name is that Compact Disc done properly actually sounds better than streaming, certainly when you compare the same resolution files delivered via optical disc and network, respectively. Your choice of machine depends on your budget, of course. Classic hi-fi nuts love first generation machines like the Philips CD100 (from £200) for their wonderfully quirky styling and ergonomics, and

Linn Karik 18 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

surprisingly sweet – if rather opaque – sound, but spares are no longer available, so it’s a lottery Marantz CD63 KI as to how long your ‘new’ purchase will last. The Marantz the Linn factory should the need CD63 KI Signature (from £100) arise. Those looking for a more launched a decade later is a conventional Japanese better bet; it sounded great battleship rival should consider when it was made, and still does the TEAC VRDS-20 (from £500). today. Tonally quite warm, it’s an This is a huge machine with unerringly musical machine and large amounts of metalwork and spares are relatively plentiful. beefy power supplies inside; it’s The design is reliable, although distinguished by its excellent sometimes the rear panel phono transport – for which spares are sockets come apart, yet are inexpensively fixed. Alternatively, if you can pay a little more, the Marantz CD72 (from £250) is a great buy; of the same era, this has similar innards to the CD63 but is way Marantz CD72 better made with metal instead of plastic parts used still relatively easy to source. throughout. The same reliable Sonically it’s bigger and fuller Philips transport mechanism is sounding than the Karik, for fitted, but it benefits from example, with a quintessentially superior vibration isolation, Japanese ‘high end’ sound that’s giving a strong, bold and very polished and silky, with a engaging sound that’s still fulsome bass. It makes most smooth on the ear. silver disc spinners sound small or even anaemic, but isn’t quite Moving into higher end territory, as musical as some. Finally, if you and the Linn Karik III (from £300) want a more modern machine was the high end CD state-ofwith DAC functionality, the the-art in the mid nineties. It has Audiolab 8200CD (from £300) is the Glasgow company’s your man. Just seven or so years characteristic dry but punchy old now, it’s a great value do-itsound with great dynamics and all player with modern hi-res a highly rhythmic feel. Because it capability. never became ‘flavour of the month’, secondhand prices are lower than they should be – and it can always be serviced back at Teac VRDS-20

DACs

The man behind the design of the Audiolab – John Westlake – has done great work over the years. One of his early designs was the Cambridge Audio DACMagic (from £30), from 1994. It sold for stupidly little money back then, and still does now. It has the excellent Pacific Microsonics HDCD digital filter inside, and gives an engaging and detailed sound with decent tonality too. It’s crazily good value and great to tweak too, if you’re DIY-minded. If you have a few more pounds to spare, consider the Arcam rDAC (from £100); this was the first aﬀordable digital converter to have asynchronous USB functionality, and therefore is great for computer audio. It’s a beautiful bit of industrial design, and has a crisp, detailed sound from its Wolfson DAC chip inside. Then there’s the Rega DAC (from £200) which is one of the company’s classic products; launched nearly a decade ago, it

Rega DAC doesn’t do today’s top hi-res formats via USB but sings like a bird with CD, so is a fine way to upgrade a budget CD player. Finally, the Chord DAC64 (from £500) deserves a special mention; one of the finest devices of its type just over a decade ago, it still sounds wonderful with silver disc now. It has a big, smooth, sweet sound that’s beguilingly musical.

PA S T P L E A S U R E S

Loudspeakers

We could fill the entire magazine with recommended classic loudspeakers, so it’s hard to know where to start! If you want a budget classic, the Mission 760i (from £20) is a brilliant baby box

Mission 760i from the early nineties. It sold by the gazillion, so they’re dirt cheap and yet still remain loads of fun by today’s standards. If you want its bigger, floorstanding cousin, the original Mission 752 (from £100) is a joy. Featuring advanced (at the time) High Definition Aerogel (HDA) cones, it’s super-eﬃcient, yet fast, smooth and warm sounding. Best of all, it’s a very easy load for valve amps. The opposite is the Celestion SL6 (from £300) which is a true early eighties classic, setting a trend for metal dome tweeters that caught the zeitgeist. It’s very clean and detailed, but a pig to drive so tube amps need not apply! The Epos ES14 (from £200) was a larger standmounter that followed a few years later, and is highly musical and punchy. The quintessential baby box from that period was the Acoustic Energy AE1 (from £400), which is super-tuneful and far more muscular than its diminutive dimensions suggest. Finally, if you want an iconic eighties minimonitor for pennies, the Wharfedale Diamond (from £20) is ideal; with a good source and a

powerful amplifier it will get your feet tapping – just don’t expect much bass! If you’re looking for something more exotic, the Quad ESL-57 electrostatic (from £300) is truly special. Trouble is, most will need work of some sort unless you spend an additional £1,000 for minters that have just had their panels refurbished. In fine fettle they’re capable of startling neutrality, seamlessness and imaging; bass is wonderfully taut and linear but lacks extension. The Linn Sara (from £400) is arguably the company’s best classic speaker, especially in run-out Sara 9 form. Tuneful and insightful, you will however need a real muscle amp to get the best out of them. Maybe the most famous big box however is the B&W 801 (from £500). This monitor was used in many great recording studios, including Abbey Road, back in the late seventies and early eighties. It has a commanding sound with genuine full range ability and excellent dynamic headroom. Considering it can be had fairly inexpensively now, it’s a great classic loudspeaker bargain. ■

Epos ES14 David Price is a Hi-Fi journalist, reviewer and former editor of Hi-Fi World and Hi-Fi Choice Magazine. Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 19

SECOND HAND KIT

High End on a Budget

Simon Dalton discovers that when it comes to achieving a high-end sound you really don’t have to spend a fortune. It’s very easy to be drawn into thinking that you need the very latest, top flight components in order to get anything near that elusive audiophile performance you’re after. That’s not to say that better components won’t make a diﬀerence, but a. there is no necessary link between spending more and achieving a better sound (we’ve all heard expensive kit that sounds awful), and b. if you choose carefully, you can source competitively priced components that sound really good. The question then becomes one of knowing the right kit to go for…

In the last three issues of Connected we’ve been featuring articles from the respected reviewer, editor and all-round Hi-Fi authority David Price. Here, he has gone through a number of examples of second hand Hi-Fi that still give excellent, musical results without the hefty price tag. David has long been an enthusiastic proponent of classic Hi-Fi and his own website zstereo.co.uk forms an excellent

resource for classic, quirky and long-forgotten components. Reading through his articles reminded me of what a serious alternative buying second hand is.

I speak from personal experience. I am currently running an Arcam A65 amp as a preamp feeding a Meridian power amp on loan from Zac. This is fed from two sources; an Arcam Alpha 6+ CD player, and a 1970s Pioneer PL11D turntable. The Monitor Audio BX5 Bronze loudspeakers were purchased from a local dealer as ‘lightly marked exdisplay’ for a bargain price about a year ago. In other words, we are not talking high-end esoterica here, but with the right infrastructure in place it sounds wonderful! The money saved over the purchase of new kit gives a number of options for the enthusiast. There’s the obvious choice of whether to use the savings to simply ‘save money’ or to go a notch up in the level of Hi-Fi components you are considering. One thing’s for sure; if you save money on the hardware and invest in the infrastructure to support it, you won’t go far wrong.

PowerKord-100™ mains cable is fitted to the Arcam CD player 20 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

So, what to buy and what to spend on the infrastructure? David’s articles feature a number of good recommendations for used Hi-Fi, as does his aforementioned website. General Google searches will likewise present a number of options. But what about the infrastructure? How much should you spend? And in what order? The principles are exactly the same for second-hand or older systems as they are for any other, but they are worth reiterating. Always upgrade your cables in the following order: 1. Mains 2. Interconnects 3. Speaker cable The reason for this is that every stage aﬀects the next. The easiest way to illustrate this is to take the opposite example. Let’s say you start with the speaker cable. This will, of course, bring benefits. The problem is that the reason you get the benefit is the same reason you’ll get potential problems too. For example, the cable may be more resolving and brings out

Timbre interconnects connect the CD player to the amp

SECOND HAND KIT more detail from the recording. But if it can do that, it will also highlight any issues with signal noise and mains interference further downstream, and this will colour the sound. In contrast, if you address the mains first, by the time you come to improving your speaker cable you’ll only hear a benefit.

An example

We’ve taken a simple, widely available system that we have here at RAHQ and suggested the first level of upgrades we’d make. The system comprise; a Marantz PM66SE KI Signature integrated amp, an Arcam Alpha 7SE CD player and Focal 705 stand-mount loudspeakers.

1. Following the above advice, we start by upgrading the power cable feeding the CD player. Always try to start by upgrading this cable first because this is literally the source of your music – the closer to that you get, the more significant the improvement. Think of it this way; you can never get back what you’ve lost, so any improvements at the source will be reflected throughout the rest of the system.

2. The next step is the power lead to the amp. We decided to treat ourselves a bit by fitting a PowerKord-100 (£155/1m) to the CD and a YellO Power (£60/1m) on the amp, though if you are just starting oﬀ, you could always fit a YellO to each and move up the range using our upgrade scheme at a later date (especially as there is such a great oﬀer on the YellO Power in this issue! – see p11). 3. Choose a better quality interconnect at this point, to connect your CD to the amp. Kimber’s Tonik (£70/0.5m) is a great starter cable, but we’ve gone for the Kimber Timbre (£119/0.5m) here. It’s not a lot more money but the improvement in materials is well worth the additional investment and will reward you with its sonic performance.

speakers – or even just because your budget allows – go for 8PR (from £133/2.5m pr). The doubling of the conductors is an advantage when driving larger speakers but they will also bring more out of your stand-mounts too. Once you’ve gone through this process, you can return to the beginning and start again by upgrading the mains cables, then the interconnects, and so on. Now is also a good opportunity to upgrade the mains extension feeding your system. Our first step for this level of kit would be to fit the PowerBar featured on p22. Alternatively, you could take the opportunity to add some filtration, such as a Silencer or Mains Zapperator. ■

4. The last step for this round of upgrades is to replace the wire feeding your speakers. As I said above, having made the previous improvements, the better quality speaker cable will be far more capable of reflecting these. Starting from the beginning of the Kimber range, we’ve plumped for the excellent 4PR (from £80/2.5m pr) here. If you are using floor-standing

Kimber 4PR speaker cable fitted into the back of the Marantz

When do I know when to stop upgrading? The answer to this is really quite simple: When you stop hearing any improvements. That’s one of the reasons we have the 60 Day home audition; you get the chance to judge this for yourself and if and when you find there is little improvement over your existing product, you can simply return the new one for a refund and stop there.

All the upgrades together Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 21

THE POWERBAR™ Spotlight on...

When it comes to improving the mains power supply to your system, we always recommend working backwards from the equipment towards the wall socket. So, in practice this means upgrading the mains cables feeding your individual components – starting with your source, such as a turntable or CD player, followed by your preamp and then your power amp (or integrated amp). Once you’ve fitted these cables, turn your attention to your extension and then your wall socket. There’s good reason for upgrading in this order - quite simply, it gives the best results! Many people consider the extension feeding their system as a first step, simply because a) they are using a cheap DIY store type item which is obviously built for light, general use, and b) it’s very easy to swap: no crawling around the back of the rack to get at individual components. Either way, when it comes to choosing you first dedicated mains extension for your Hi-Fi or home cinema, there’s a lot of choice out there.

Why Choose PowerBar™? PowerBar is the first dedicated mains extension in our range. When it comes to developing a product at this level, manufacturers have a key choice to make: do you add filtration or 22 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

not? Some budget audio mains blocks use inexpensive filters to try and improve sound quality, but we've found that these can have the disadvantage of taking much of the life and dynamics out of the music. In contrast, all our eﬀort has gone into the quality of the construction and wiring of the block to provide as clean and eﬃcient a connection as possible. Basically, we wanted to develop as good a block as we could for the price.

material will minimise any negative effects of magnetic fields (EMF interference) that could potentially affect the system. In its basic form, the internal cable is attached to the IEC socket with standard crimps. These are perfectly OK but in order to provide an even more secure and effective connection, we dismantle the casework and solder this joint to ensure the best possible conductivity at this vital point.

The first step was to source a high quality OEM power block to use as the basis of the PowerBar. This itself took time with many hours spent comparing the sound characteristics of the diﬀerent models, eventually deciding on the current model. What made it special? Well, for a start, it uses proper wire rather than cheap ‘busbars’, the cheap, thin, punched copper metal bars that are to be found in other inexpensive designs. One of the key influences on performance is the ability of the individual sockets to grip the plug pins tightly when your equipment is connected. This ensures a firm, eﬃcient contact and ensures that impedance is kept to a minimum. Then there’s the casework. As well as having a high strength to weight ratio, aluminium is also known for its magnetic screening properties so a block made of this

IEC mains input allows your choice of mains cable for connecting the PowerBar™ to the wall socket. Our YellO™ Power mains cable is a great match for your PowerBar, especially with our current upgrade oﬀer – see page 1 of the Summer Promotions insert.

SUPER BURN-IN Super Burn-In™ was originally developed as a cable treatment, to LITE enhance the performance of our PowerKords, interconnects and speaker cables, but for this project Russ researched a method for applying the same type of process to PowerBar. We call it Super Burn-In Lite and every PowerBar we sell is treated to this process before final PAT testing and despatch.

Inbuilt enhancements

Brackets fitted to PowerBar™ mean that the extension can be wallmounted, if required.

PowerBar™ is also oﬀered with the addition of SuperClamp™, one of our spike and surge protection units. Not only does this oﬀer protection for your system but it’s also designed to improve its performance too, because SuperClamp deals with the minor spikes and surges that are present on the mains for much of the time. What’s more, if you order a PowerBar before 31st July 2017 we’ll include the SuperClamp free of charge, saving you £10.50.

Sockets are individually wired with high performance cable. No cheap busbars which can compromise the connection.

SuperClamp™ option helps to protect your system from mains spikes and surges.

FREE SUPERCLAMP until 31st July 2017

WARRANT Y

25 YEAR WARRANTY

Your choice of 4, 6 or 8 highperformance UK sockets for a low impedance connection to the mains supply. Sockets have a tight grip and a positive ‘click’ when a mains plug is inserted.

Dimensions All: 60mm width x 48mm height 4 way: 290mm length 6 way: 415mm length 8 way: 540mm length

PowerBar™

60 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

Code: 1169

£99.00 £129.00 £159.00 Includes FREE SuperClamp worth £10.50 until 31st July 2017

4 Way 6 Way 8 Way

Where can I use it? PowerBar™ is an ideal starter mains extension for any level of system. Its robust sockets mean that it is equally at home powering a high end system as it is an entrylevel Hi-Fi or Home Cinema system - though we would always recommend our X-Blocks™ or PowerBlocks™ to get the best out of mid to higher-end systems.

Remember, until 31st July 2017 the NEW YellO Limited Edition cable is just £60 for 1m, making it a great way of connecting your PowerBar to the wall socket. See page 11. Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 23

CUSTOMER SYSTEM

Raymond

This time’s customer system is an Arcam based pre-power combo with turntable and CD… with the full complement of Russ Andrews upgrades. John Armer investigates. Raymond is a frequent Russ Andrews customer who has been steadily upgrading his Arcam system. Based in South Yorkshire, I visited bearing gifts – well, Silencers he’d sent back to us to have the SuperClamps replaced. Like most of us, the system he has put together has developed organically into what it is now; he’s added to and changed components over the years. The Arcam Alpha 8 power amp is the heart of the system, and one of the original components which he bought in 2000. At that time it was partnered with an Arcam 7R preamp, though this was later replaced with an Arcam FMJ integrated amp.

in use – Castle Acoustic Severn 2SE – in 2003. Sources comprise an Arcam FMJ CD17 CD player and Rega Planar 3 turntable. Viewing duties are catered for by the Samsung 8000 series screen, fed by a Humax HDR-1100S PVR. A new Philips soundbar is pressed into service for TV sound which is kept separate from the Hi-Fi system. The first thing that strikes you when you enter his living room is the Torlyte! The system is housed in an Alphason rack but our Torlyte Platforms are used under CD player, set-top box and both amplifiers. Cone Feet under each piece of kit ensures effective coupling of each component to its

Platform. One of our dedicated Torlyte turntable stands – along with another platform – provide support for the turntable, and the Torlyte look matches the maple finish of the speakers well. The speakers themselves are on their own Castle Acoustics platforms but I feel sure that Torlyte Speaker Plats will be on the shopping list at some point in the future. Raymond has taken great care of his mains supply. The main socket to the system is one of our UltraSockets; one of our older Reference PowerKords [now replaced by the PowerKord-300] feeds his PowerBlock which was acquired earlier in the year. From this, the CD player, integrated amp

The amp was originally partnered with Gale 4 loudspeakers, which gave way to the speakers currently 24 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

The system; clockwise from top left: Arcam FMJ integrated amp; Arcam FMJ CD17 CD player; Humax HDR-1100S set-top box; Arcam Alpha 8 power amp.

CUSTOMER SYSTEM and power amp are all fed by PowerKord-300s; our older Classic PowerKords once used on his Arcam components have been moved down to the TV, set-top box and the Soundbar. A Mini Purifier and Clarity Mains complete the mains conditioning. Interconnects and speaker cables are a mix of Kimber and Russ Andrews – Hero Cu interconnects are used between CD player and integrated amp, and between integrated amp and power amp. All interconnects have been Super Burned In, and are fitted with MiniZaps.

in between. Raymond is enthusiastic about his system: “It’s so enjoyable to listen to” he tells me. In conversation, it’s clear that the system has benefitted from a lift with his upgrades and on reflection “it sounded flat before I upgraded my infrastructure, I didn’t listen to it much – now I’m listening all the time”.

Raymond regularly attends music concerts – usually two or three a week, which is useful in ‘grounding’ you (excuse the pun) and reminding you just how instruments and voices should sound live. This can sometimes be a double edged sword; your system Having an invariably pales into integrated amp in Here was a system that comparison with a addition to a power amp means that the drew you into the musical live performance, but better systems speakers can be biperformance, that made can sound close and amped – the you want to listen. give you the integrated amp atmosphere of the feeds the treble of musicians playing in front of you. I the speakers, and the power amp don’t think Raymond’s system ever feeds the bass. Two pairs of our disappoints, he’s as passionate Crystal-24 speaker cable are used about it as the concerts he attends [Crystal-24 cable has now been and clearly derives a great deal of replaced by Kimber’s 12TC speaker pleasure from it. cable] and Raymond reminded me what a bargain the cable was. He’d seen a 4.5m pair on the Warehouse Clearance sheet that we’d included with a recent order and got us to reterminate it into two, 2.2m pairs. He’d ended up with a high-end biamp speaker cable for significantly less than the cost of a single pair of the current equivalent 12TC. The speaker cables are supported by our cable elevators and speaker Zapperators - two per speaker – complete the upgrades. We sat down to have a listen, playing a mix of music from Bob Dylan to Bach’s Goldberg Variations played by Chen Pi-hsien – and lots

When it was time to go, we reflected on the sound of the system. There was one word that Raymond kept using when he was talking about his Hi-Fi – musical. I understood exactly what he meant: here was a system that drew you into the musical performance, that made you want to listen. It was clear, open and communicative, and a joy to listen to. A keen listener, Raymond called me a couple of days later to say that the Silencers I’d delivered with their new SuperClamps were settling in nicely. “And the system sounds better than ever!” he said. ■

Castle Acoustic Severn 25E loudspeakers

UltraSocket (left) feeds the system; and along with the adjacent SuperSocket, provides a terminal for the system grounding

PowerBlock and PowerKords supply power to the components; 2 pairs of Crystal-24 speaker cable connect the amps to the speakers. Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 25

REVOLUTIONS

The Chris Bonar Commission

OR MY LIFE IN MUSIC AND HI-FI progressing to the piano and flute. And, even if I do say so myself, I was reasonably good on the flute, which adds credibility to the nature ‘v’ nurture argument, in the favour of nature – music was in my blood.

Phil Hansen is our marketing and PR consultant. He was brought up on classical music, but the first album he played on his first turntable was by Iron Maiden, and the first live concert he attended was Iron Maiden, coincidentally, in our inaugural year: 1986. Highly appropriate then to ask him to describe his life in Hi-Fi and music… My love for music started when I was, well, born really. My Dad is a huge classical music fan, with a vast collection and impressive knowledge and so there was no way I would grow up without appreciating music. Long before the creation of CDs, the majority of his collection was on vinyl. As a nine or ten year-old, the Aiwa cassette player was the only source I could use – the Ariston RD11 with its Hadcock arm and Decca London cartridge was out of bounds! Inevitably I went on to learn to play musical instruments, starting with the piccolo at age six and 26 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

And so was hi-fi, but perhaps more of a nurture thing. I remember my Dad’s system vividly – a JVC amp, the Ariston, the Videoton Minimax 2 speakers, later replaced by Nightingale NM2s. As a child, I would go to the hi-fi shop he ran with a music and hi-fi loving friend – “Selective Sound Systems” - in Gomersal, West Yorkshire, just down the road from the Richard Allan Audio loudspeaker factory. It’s undoubtedly the reason I ended up in hi-fi. Until the age of 15, my musical exposure was almost entirely classical. There were a couple of experimental jazz albums in the collection and my mum had a Beatles cassette. I didn’t like, or know anything about, pop music and was quite happy not watching Top of the Pops – odd for a teenager. On the rare occasion that I saw it, I remember thinking the bands weren’t very good – I hated the miming and thought they were largely talentless – one finger keyboard playing was not the sign of a good musician! Little did I know that these bands – OMD, New Order, Depeche Mode, The Human League etc - were pioneers of a whole new genre of music, the influence of which is considerable. And I didn't know

the one finger playing was because the first synthesisers were monophonic. Today I appreciate what they were doing and the fundamental eﬀect the first synthesisers have had. And I have been known to see some of these recently re-formed bands in concert. So how did a musically blinkered 15 year old get into Iron Maiden – it’s a leap from Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra to The Number of the Beast? It was a 1985 trip to the USA to stay with my parents’ friends that did it. Their son, who was 19, introduced me to the marvels of a teenager’s life in the ‘land of the free’. He liked Van Halen. Loud. I’d never heard anything as immediately captivating. I can’t explain what it was about Van Halen but something clicked. I was a rock fan from that day on. I used my dollars to buy the cassette of the 1984 album, with its seminal song Jump – still my absolute favourite piece of music. Back home, HMV quickly provided me with the rest of the Van Halen catalogue. Played until the tapes wore out on the handme-down Pioneer tape deck, Keletron amplifier and dug-outof-the-attic Videoton speakers. School friends introduced me to Iron Maiden and Marillion, with one giving me his Iron Maiden records, because he was going all ‘skateboards and hip-hop’. It was 1983’s Piece of Mind album that was one of the first records to be

spun on the, also handed down, Goldring Lenco GL75 turntable. Fast forward a few years and the Keletron had been replaced with a Pioneer A300 and the Pioneer became an Aiwa. CDs had arrived and, although my dad had purchased one of the early Phillips players, my system didn’t go digital, with a Marantz CD52, until 1990. I stopped buying cassettes and didn’t bother with vinyl anymore. In 1991, I qualified as an Industrial Designer and landed my first job in hi-fi, coincidentally at Richard Allan Audio, where I became product manager – responsible for the acoustic and aesthetic design of all its speakers, including What Hi-Fi? magazine award winners. My speakers were swapped for Richard Allan RA8s - a monitor developed for the BBC that had the LS3/5a neutrality. It was this accurate and uncoloured speaker that paved the way for my succession of PMCs over the past few years. In the intervening period, my employment took me to KEF and various KEF speakers rotated through the system. Despite a foray into home cinema, music was always the primary focus. The system continued to develop as the hi-fi bug bit harder, each step creating new levels of enjoyment. The KEFs disappeared when the job disappeared and PMC GB1s moved in – I was blown away by the bass from such a small box, perfect for the rock that was 98% of my listening at the time (but subsequently for all of today’s listening). Age mellows things and it’s fair to say that my tastes have mellowed

and broadened. Back in 1988 it would have been ridiculous to think I’d have seen James Taylor, Belle and Sebastian, Diana Krall and others in concert. I’ve also rekindled my appreciation for classical music, attending numerous concerts. It’s probably more of a case of matured than mellowed, as much of the rock music I was listening to in the late 80s and 90s - Poison, White Lion, Skid Row – is pretty laughable

The system continued to develop as the hi-fi bug bit harder, each step creating new levels of enjoyment. now, but that’s the learning process as you explore diﬀerent artists. I’ve remained loyal to Iron Maiden, Queen, Van Halen and Marillion – their musicianship and writing skills set them apart from the also-rans. And although I’ve seen them dozens of times, I’m trying very hard not to become stuck in the mud. Yes, the music of our seminal years stays with us forever, but there’s so much fun in discovering new artists. I’m a member of The Roundhouse, Camden and that’s opened up so many new bands, ones I’d never normally see, but am often very glad I have.

more sophisticated than the 1985 system, but still brings the same pleasure to its user – presenting music to enjoy. I’m just a little more audiophilic now and can appreciate how much more of that music it conveys. The Plinius amplifier and PMC fact12 loudspeakers have significantly more oomph than the Keletron and Videoton combo. Vinyl, from the Roksan Xerxes 20, provides the primary source. The digital sources go through a Prism DAC (with its studio heritage – as with the PMCs), and I’ve fitted Russ Andrews and Kimber mains, interconnects and speaker cables, with Torlyte supports. The whole thing just gives you the music as it was recorded – detailed and accurate, but with a real sense of involvement. Incidentally, don’t let anyone tell you that an accurate system has to be clinical and uninvolving – if it’s well designed, properly set up and care is taken over the infrastructure, the music really shines. So what will I be playing? Well, in readiness for the next concert in the diary, some 30 years after I first saw them, it will have to be Iron Maiden’s latest. On vinyl. ■

I’m sitting in the airport at Munich as I write this, after another trip to the High End Show – a mecca for the world’s hi-fi industry. I’ll be home soon, looking forward to firing up the hi-fi system. It’s somewhat Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 27

DA LTO N ’ S D E L I B E R AT I O N S

An Inconvenient Truth

I’ve just put down a very interesting article from the Jan-Mar edition of HIFICRITIC magazine, written by a technology journalist, Peter Aylett. Reflecting on his visit to CES (The Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas – the most significant show of the year for the tech industry – he notes the rapidly growing field of User Experience Design (UED). UED utilises recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create new forms of user/product interactions to, ultimately, create better user experiences of technology. One recent example is the Amazon Echo, which was featured in much of the mainstream press when it was launched in the UK towards the end of last year. Echo serves as a small Bluetooth speaker which will stream Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. but which also acts as a voiceactivated hub to control any number of other devices such as thermostats, switches, lights and so on. It will also read you the news or an audiobook, and tell you the latest traﬃc situation and weather forecast. This is a simple, entry-level device delivering what is called Distributed Ambient AI (DAAI) via the use of a far-field microphone which enables the device to hear your questions and commands from the other side of a busy room via a sophisticated voice recognition system. More advanced DAAI will utilise far-field microphones installed throughout 28 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

Email Simon at: simondalton@russandrews.com

the home to create a full-coverage, interactive network.

The author argues that such technology will help to rejuvenate user engagement with home technology, and especially Hi-Fi. It used to be like that, he suggests, when “the amplifier had a couple of knobs and a few buttons, and there was no remote control or facility to skip tracks… it was simple, elegant and analogue”.

We are used to owning our music in a material form not renting it and playing it through the ‘ether’. These are two diﬀerent kinds of interaction though, and ones that create a bit of a quandary for our industry. That old-style interaction was more kinaesthetic, it involved a physical dialogue with the equipment; placing a record on the platter – or even a cassette in its drawer – and gently lowering the stylus into the vinyl... This new wonder-tech is the opposite of that; its key ‘USP’ is convenience. For folks of my generation upwards (50+) I think that material interaction is more important than it is for the younger generation (the ‘vinyl revival’ – overstated as it is - is nevertheless an indication that there are at least some of that generation who do ‘get this’). We like things you can get hold of and

touch. That’s why, despite its convenience, it’s still taking time for many of us to convert to streaming as a main source of our music. The idea that a service such as Tidal is the future of music consumption is harder for us to get to grips with. We are used to owning our music in a material form, not renting it and playing it through the ‘ether’. That’s not to say I don’t use streaming services because I do; both Tidal and Spotify. It’s not the same though. Even CD has something about it that makes me connect in a different way to that specific album. For other, younger listeners who have been brought up on music streaming and smartphones, this is not the same. I suspect that, for them, the idea that you’ll be able to walk around the house calling out for your interactive home to “play Taylor Swift, ‘Shake it Off’” is nothing but the next logical step in their entertainment universe. Don’t get me wrong; it sounds quite exciting to me too. But it’s all built around listening as an activity you do whilst you’re doing something else rather than specifically sitting down with the sole purpose of listening to music. I’d argue that if the Hi-Fi industry is to rejuvenate its specific offering of high-fidelity playback, we need to effectively communicate the idea that actually listening to music as a dedicated activity is a worthwhile and simulating thing to do. Otherwise, what’s the point? ■

REVIEWS

Power Purifier:

Keep up to date with the latest reviews at: www.russandrews.com/blog

A revelation

Before going straight into his review of the Power Purifier, Paul Rigby starts by making a very good point about mains noise in general. “Mains noise” he points out, “is an insidious destroyer of hi-fi sound quality, mainly because it’s not obvious like a siren, drill or crying baby. You only really know it’s there when it’s gone.”

the horrible compressive spikes, gone was the ear piercing nasties during vocal crescendos”. This is not to say that everything was perfect, but the addition of the three Clarity modules not only brought more clarity but also extracted more emotional insight from the recording: “This new detail in how the song was sung meant that a lot more emotion reached the ears.”

This is a useful thing to point out because we often come across people who are convinced they do not The final step was to add the Mains Zapperator to the have an issue with mains because they can’t hear any box. This time playing The Righteous Brothers’ interference. It’s therefore useful to Unchained Melody, the vocal reiterate that this is missing the presentation became even smoother As a first step, point! and the drums “now had a largely organic presentation: that stick implementing the Paul wanted to test this on a typical hitting skin thing with an set-up of CD player, DAC and PowerPurifier system appropriate response. What a drum integrated amp, in his case from should be doing, in fact”. Leema Acoustics and Parasound. As will be almost a ‘control’ he played the track Let’s In conclusion then, Paul Rigby revelatory. Groove from Earth, Wind and Fire suggests that, on its own, the Power without any kind of mains Purifier will not solve all your mains conditioning in place. The results were not good: problems in one shot. Then again, as he points out, “no “Frankly” he reports, “in this default mode, I found the one-box system can. You’ll have to do more work on a racket unlistenable. It was quickly giving me a broader level to accomplish that in terms of shelving, headache (that’s not hyperbole, it really was)”. isolation, cables and more” he says. On the other hand, Introducing the Power Purifier with the addition of one Clarity Mains module, brought a significant lift in the performance, not least due to the fact that the track was now transformed into something listenable! Improvements included “a blessed opening of the soundstage which infused it with huge amounts of space and air that also enlarged the stage itself, giving the players far more room to move and manoeuvre.” This was far better, but there were more gains to be had by supplementing the single Clarity Mains module with three more; four in total. The eﬀect was immediate and obvious: “Gone was the bright presentation, gone were

he argues that the Power Purifier “is an important first step and, for anyone who has implemented little or no strategies to reduce noise within their hi-fi chain, implementing the PowerPurifier system will be almost revelatory”. GOOD: “modular format, reduces noise, multifunction abilities, Power Purifier transparency, detail, Rating: 8/10 Groovy easy to use” Price: from £329 BAD: “nothing” RATING: 8 Groovy

Website:: theaudiophileman.com 12 May 2017 Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 29

REVIEWS

BMU 1500:

a sonic improvement of Biblical proportions

Like his review of the Power Purifier on the previous page Paul Rigby chooses a simple system with no mains conditioning in order to test the abilities of the BMU1500 in isolation. His reaction on comparing this system with and without the unit in place? “I was dumbfounded, initially. I really didn’t expect to hear it. The balanced mains basically took hold of the entire soundstage: the size, how it was structured, how the performers were ordered within it, scrunched it up into a little ball, threw that into the bin and completely remade a brand new one for me to listen to”. Wow, that’s a pretty impressive eﬀect!

Such improvements clearly warranted a test on the reference system, so the next step was to hook the BMU supplied CD/DAC combination to his Icon Audio monoblocks. Again, this produced another He notes that it literally took seconds to determine significant lift in performance, suggesting that the improvement. The start of the track he was there was no limit to the level of system this unit listening to featured “tinkly bells and other fragile could bring improvements to. percussion“ which he had never heard so clearly before. “It was nigh It’s a sonic improvement He writes: “The music smoothed into something nigh on incredible just how detailed of Biblical proportions. on silky with those once elusive these first few seconds were” support instruments given he says. It‘s that good. further prominence and The improvements were not just in pushed further forward into the upper frequencies either, as bass improved too. the mix while bass was pushed back into the mix, He found that the lower end developed a strong better integrating with the rest of the arrangement presence without becoming overpowering or without losing any of its power and significance”. boomy. Perhaps the most impressive aspect was Unsurprisingly, having experienced the level of the way the application of the BMU1500 brought improvements the BMU1500 can bring, Paul’s out new instruments he’d never even heard before: conclusion is quite emphatic: “How to re-write your “a strumming electric guitar, percussive additions hi-fi experience? Buy yourself a balanced mains and was that a cabasa?” supply”. Simply put, “It’s a sonic improvement of This had all been achieved by just plugging in the Biblical proportions. It’s that good”. amp to the Balanced Mains Unit – now he added the CD player. And the eﬀect was to lift the whole sound up another level again. “Impressed? Stunned BMU 1500 more like” he reports. “I can only describe it as a sort Rating: 9/10 Deeply Groovy Price: £1999 of maturity. It was as if the music had grown up. Website:: theaudiophileman.com 13 May 2017

30 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

Mini Purifier:

REVIEWS

two filters in one

There are many ways in which poor mains quality can have a negative effect on sound quality, as Neville Roberts notes in his review in the April 2017 issue of Hi-Fi Choice. In relation to the current product, he rightly points out that one such issue is caused by other electrical items (both in your own home and outside) such as chargers and other devices powered by a low-voltage DC supply. These generate high-frequency noise that can be injected into your ring main and further pollute the sound from your hi-fi. Our Mini Purifier mains filter deals with this noise in two ways; first, it uses technology taken from our larger Power Purifier but in a smaller, plug top form. This deals with broad band mains noise injected onto the mains by the type of devices Neville indicates. Secondly, these same items constantly put minor spikes and surges onto the mains and the SuperClamp element of the Mini Purifier effectively deals with these too. According to the review, the result of all this filtration is "a noticeable subtle drop in background noise with a corresponding improvement in detail". That's all good news, but there's also another effect that Neville finds when he plugs the Mini Purifier in to a spare mains socket next to his audio system.

This can sometimes be a hassle though, especially where the thermostat on a fridge is hidden away at the back of the unit.

Many people are plagued by annoying intermittent clicks and pops coming through loudspeakers, interrupting their focus on the music. This is often the result of switches turning on and oﬀ on refrigerator and heating thermostats. One way to alleviate the eﬀects of these devices is to fit one of our VDR and Contact Suppressors directly to the thermostat itself, combatting the problem at source.

An alternative is to try the Mini Purifier. In Neville's case, the eﬀect was immediate and impressive "the clicks go away completely" he reports. This makes for a very simple way to combat the problem and goes towards giving the filter a hearty recommendation and a full five stars!

Mini Purifier Rating: Recommended Price: £151 Magazine: Hi-Fi Choice Issue: April 2017

Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 31

REVIEWS

YellO Power cable:

a significant improvement In their 'Choice Extras' section of the May 2017 edition of Hi-Fi Choice magazine, reviewer Neville Roberts tested out our YellO Power cable on the power supply for his preamp and phono stage, and was very satisfied with the results he heard: "There is no evidence of any mains-borne interference getting through into my sensitive phono stage or preamp - something that is certainly noticeable when I switch to a standard 'kettle lead'." This emphasises our advice to always start by exchanging the cables feeding the components nearest to your source first; these are often very sensitive devices and, as the source of your music, have a marked eﬀect on the rest of the system. That lack of "mains-borne interference" he mentioned, enabled him to hear "subtle audio improvements with the YellO in place, such as a wider and deeper soundstage with individual instruments having better focus. A recording of Haydn's Symphony No.39 in G minor exhibits clearer violins, and the performance

has more excitement and energy, especially in the opening fast-paced allegro assai". Neville concludes that it represents a well-made cable See Limited Edition that you can use on any piece of audio YellO Power cable on page 11 equipment. It also "definitely YellO Power cable oﬀers significant Rating: improvements over Recommended the standard mains Price: £60 for 1m leads that come Magazine: Hi-Fi Choice supplied with hi-fi Issue: May 2017 equipment".

Rupert Neve RNHP:

one of the best... at any price

Reviewing this already highly regarded little amp for Hi-Fi Pig online magazine, Janine Elliot is better placed than most to understand the musical abilities of Rupert Neve, having “spent a quarter of a century listening to various form of Neve mixing desks at the BBC”. Early on with the audition, she’s already impressed and observes that “the openness from the [Audio Technica W1000X headphones] and the clarity and depth from the RNHP gave a fullness of sound … that I hadn’t heard so well on a headphone amplifier anywhere near this price”. How does it compare to similarly priced headphone amps on the market? Janine’s conclusion is that it rates extremely well. Playing Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell album she was “impelled to listen on and on” leading her to conclude that “swapping the unit with other headphone amplifiers at this price point I could see just why this one was so special”. 32

CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

Conclusion Sound Quality: Detailed, quick, and very good headroom, with a classy bass end and treble finesse. A totally neutral performance with nothing added or taken away. Value For Money: “One of the best headphone amps I have heard, whatever the price.”

RNHP headphone amp Rating:

Highly Recommended

Price: Website: Issue:

£469 hifipig.com 17 March 2017

YellO Power cable:

REVIEWS

a first class cable April saw the first review of our extremely popular YellO Power mains cable again via Paul Rigby on his website, theaudiophileman.com.

Starting oﬀ with an electronic piece from Kreider's album European Song, he comments: "The first thing I noticed was the quiet elements of the music, not the big bass-ridden synth centre stage. That is, there were two minor synth eﬀects on the far left and right channels. Both were far to the extremities of the soundstage, providing a large, rather epic canvas from which the music emerged."

the restrained nature of the Clark delivery which can be rather bright via some cable designs, especially during the crescendos". This doesn't mean that there's a resultant lack of excitement though. As he says, "there was no lack of edge to his emotional delivery... no softening of his vocal attack".

Finishing off with a classical piece Immediately, comparisons Performs with by Philip Glass - his Violin Concerto with similarly priced cables No.1, the first movement - he notes distinction... come to mind - "The YellO has that the delicacy of the work was a slightly softer initial pleasingly revealed with the YellO a first class cable. presentation in terms of bass in place: strikes". Hmm, that doesn't sound too promising... He clarifies: "This is not, as "The violin solo was easily discernible. Its fine detail you might think, a lack of transient attack or sheer never swamped by the often rising lower power but a low noise effect that merely displays frequencies behind it." the organic bass characteristics to the full." Given all of the above, it's not surprising that An interesting observation, this. So often, we get Paul's conclusion is so positive. Summing up, he obsessed with the forcefulness of the bass when says that the YellO Power "performs with in fact it's not a natural or balanced presentation. distinction" and "offers a calming, concise and Here, we see that there is more sophistication detailed appraisal of music". All of than mere bass 'slam': this is encapsulated in his final sentence, when he states that the "Because of the YellO's enhanced precision, there YellO is a "first class cable". was no bass bloom, midrange smearing or any lack of control in terms of frequency discipline. This is GOOD: streamlined and quietly efficient." smooth mids, characterful Another way that this lack of subtlety can often bass, wide See Limited Edition affect the enjoyment of your system is reflected in soundstage, YellO Power cable on page 11 a hard-edged and strident treble. Again, Paul transparency observes how this 'budget' cable avoids such BAD: nothing YellO Power Cable issues which can be apparent in other designs. RATING: 8/10 Rating: 8/10 Groovy 'Groovy' Plugging the YellO into his Icon Audio PS3 phono Price: £60 for 1m amplifier and playing the Gene Clark vinyl track Website:: theaudiophileman.com The Way I Am he reports that he was "impressed by 11 April 2017 Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 33

REVIEWS

Kimber Select KS-2416 Cu USB: a fine balance Alan Sircom reviewed this fine USB cable in the March 2017 edition of Hi-Fi Plus magazine. First oﬀ, he addresses the issue of cost. At this level, £408 for a 1m length amounts to a veritable bargain. As he notes, “in the high-end USB audio world, where spending a hefty fourfigure sum for one metre of USB is not considered ‘extreme’, the £408 price tag for this cable is a breath of fresh air”. Comparisons on price though are dangerous; there are many occasions where spending more can work out better value for money, simply because you are getting far more performance for your money. Not here though. The Kimber may be less expensive, but it’s certainly not lacking performance. In fact, Alan states that “the performance of the cable is excellent in several important ways”. “First, it’s extremely good at soundstage resolution, presenting a large, open, and particularly deep image on all kinds of music”, he says. In keeping with the rest of the cable’s performance, though, the soundstage is very natural and avoids being forced: “no artificially enhanced ‘attack of the 50ft singer’ moments unless the recording overstated the image to

34 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

begin with”. This is especially so on orchestral pieces where a natural sense of layering and space is maintained, allowing a “real sense of sitting in front of a live orchestra”. The second admirable attribute of KS-2416 Cu is its inherent ability to present the music as a whole, rather than over-emphasising selective parts of the frequency range. Again, this is a classic Kimber characteristic and reflects their desire to allow the music to present itself as neutrally as possibly without the cable introducing its own ‘interpretation’. Ultimately, this leads Alan Sircom to write in his conclusion that “if I could sum up the Kimber Select 2416 CU in a single word, that word would be ‘balance’, which is what makes it a fine cable to sit and listen to for hours on end”. Well, you can’t say fairer than that… Highly Recommended.

Kimber Select KS-2416 Cu USB Rating:

Highly Recommended

Price: from £432.50 Magazine: HiFi Plus Issue: March 2017

LETTERS Equipment Upgrades Russ Andrews customer Ray Johnston spent most of 2016 having his Musical Fidelity system upgraded by us, using our Equipment Upgrade service (for more information on this see p15). The final component to be upgraded was his Michell Turntable. Ray had already had our power supply fitted to it, but wanted a new phono stage to upgrade the one fitted to his Musical Fidelity A5 integrated amp, and a new arm and cartridge to replace the Rega tonearm and Goldring 1042 cartridge fitted to his turntable. We helped in the fitting of the arm and subsequent set-up. I phoned John in March and said I wanted to upgrade my Michell Gyrodec turntable’s infrastructure to finish my system off completely, as I have had my CD player, integrated amp, headphone amp and tuner all stripped out and upgraded in 2016. I told him I was going to get a new phono stage for the turntable – I got the new Cyrus Signature phono amp – and wanted a 4ft (1.2m) silver interconnect to match for my phono stage to integrated amp. My next investment was the new Origin Live Conqueror Mk3 tonearm with silver interconnect, a new Ortofon Cadenza Black cartridge to go with the new tonearm, with two new PowerKords – a PowerKord500 for the Cyrus phono stage and a PowerKord-300 for the turntable’s power supply. John

and Zac fitted the arm and cartridge to the turntable, spending a couple of days setting everything up. I’ve been playing albums all my life and now I know how they were supposed to sound when they were recorded. I’ve spent a lot of money on this upgrade and suddenly the blind can see. Thanks John, thanks Zac you came up trumps again but I never doubted it! PS: what’s next?! Ray Johnston Kendal While we are on the subject of equipment upgrades, another local customer took the opportunity to have his equipment upgraded by us. Graham had a 1980s vintage Nytech system with ARC loudspeakers. The crossover-amp casework needed to be replaced and we took the opportunity when reboxing it to upgrade it, along with the preamp and power amps, and the Arcam Alpha 7 SE CD player. Just a few words to express my appreciation and thanks for all the help and expertise in what was for me a desperate situation – a crossover amp in bits! A big thank you to Zac for taking on what was really a mess and producing a completely upgraded ‘Boxed’ crossover amp, plus with the main amp and CD player upgrades: a transformation. I’m still having to pinch myself at the moment… even family members are showing a new level on interest

Win a Silencer mains filter, worth £52.00

STAR LETTER

Want to share your experiences with our readers? Or simply want advice? Write to us! We’ll publish the best, funniest and most interesting in each issue of Connected. The writer of this issue’s Star Letter receives a Silencer, worth £52.00

Get in touch at: connected@russandrews.com or write to us at: Connected, Russ Andrews Accessories, 2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business Park, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 6NS, UK.

in the system. “Hands off” I say. Thanks again Zac and thanks to you John for putting the wheels in motion and making it all happen. G. Webster, Kendal. PS: Oh, and by the way it sounds great.

Which Power Supply? I have a Pro-ject Debut Esprit SB turntable which is supplied with Mickey Mouse cheap rubbish Chinese power supply. I wish to upgrade to a proper one. Your AC16 1000 covers up to 1 amp, the spec requires 1.6 amps which I assume is because of the SB (speed box). Can you help with your expert advice? P. Brooker, by e-mail The AC16 1000 power supply is an AC supply. The specification of the turntable shows the power supply Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 35

LETTERS is DC and not AC and 15V rather than 16V, so in fact The Supplier (p10) would be perfect and not the AC-16. We can offer the The Supplier for all models of Debut turntable contact us to order one. PB

What are your Balanced Mains Units? Could you point me in the right direction to find out more about your Balanced Mains Units please? I’m not sure what they do and don’t do. Do they condition the mains like a conditioner? From what I have read they can reduce dynamics, or do they reconstruct what I have heard called the mains sine wave? My application is a NAIM CD555 and PS 555 DR into a headphone amplifier. That’s it. P Scragg, by e-mail In a nutshell a balanced mains unit divides your mains voltage (normally 230V) in half, so you end up with a positive 115V and a negative 115V, 180 degrees out of phase to each other with respect to ground. Any differences between them is effectively cancelled out... the differences essentially being unwanted electrical noise that introduces distortion into the music. Balanced AC mains incorporate phase cancellation or common mode rejection to eliminate noise. A lower noise floor is a resultant factor of the balanced power. I guess you could call them a filter or conditioner as they’re cleaning 36 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

BMU 1000 - £1599 the mains supply. But they are really their own thing. We’ve a guide to which BMU here www.russandrews.com/ whichbalanced-mains-unit/ which you may find useful. In the modern day of digital electronics and everyday electrical devices (lights, washing machines, computer etc..), there is a lot of noise polluting our mains. This noise corrupts and masks our audio signals, limiting the subtle detail and realism of the sound or image. Micro-dynamics and micro-details can also be lost. With an appropriate BMU, your music can seem subjectively louder and more dynamic. Even if the mains noise is inaudible, it is likely that audio (and picture!) will be coloured by the presence of electrical interference. Balanced power reduces these problems because it lowers the interference present on the mains circuit. Regarding what you’ve read, I guess like anything in life, there are good and bad designs. A poorly designed device can end up having a negative effect rather than a positive. We go to great lengths to ensure our BMUs are the best they can be. Each transformer is hand wound to ensure perfect wire alignment. The copper wire and steel cores are chosen for their high grade and purity. Internal wiring again is chosen for its sound quality and we fit our audio grade UltraSockets for the outputs. Safety is also of primary concern;

the main transformer is fitted with a resettable thermal cut-out and the mains input is fitted with a super-fast acting breaker in the event any type fault should occur. PB.

Custom Torlyte I have recently been auditioning turntables and to isolate them I moved a Torlyte Platform from underneath my Naim NAP250 power amp. The turntable sounded good, but I could not help but think there was something missing from the sound, especially with other sources such as streaming, Sky and my Oppo. The bass had become boomy and the treble lacked detail. I did not notice it for a few days due to being busy on other projects, so did not tie the two together until I took out the turntable and put the Torlyte Platform back under the NAP250. Immediately the sound improved significantly with controlled bass and sparkle from the top end. This got me thinking about how sensitive equipment appears to be to what it is placed on. I have my HiCap on Cone Feet at the moment, but given it sits at the heart of the system providing power to the pre amp and signal back to the NAP250 a Torlyte Platform would seem like a sensible upgrade. The only problem is that the HiCap is only half the size of regular components so could look odd

Torlyte Platform - £184 on a full size platform. I note you do a narrower platform for Powerblocks but this is a little too narrow. Are there any customisable sizes available? Guess this maybe prohibitive due to production constraints but thought I would check. S. Crisp, by e-mail The beauty of Torlyte is that it’s all handmade, so custom sizes are perfectly possible. A Platform exactly half the width (but the same depth) fitted with Big cones would cost £174.90. If you need to know the prices for any other Torlyte, please contact us. PB.

Fitting internal SuperFuses Encouraged by my system’s response to mains Super Fuses, but hesitant to meddle inside the casings, I procrastinated by tackling the externally accessible Internal Super Fuses - if that’s not an oxymoron! After each installation I played the same music, (a couple of Pomp and Circumstance marches,) to confirm that the system was working, and as a control. Recorded in Amsterdam by Neville Marriner it has a fairly natural perspective and readily reflects changes. Fuses for the Quad ESL 63 loudspeakers went in easily, and even immediately after the speakers ‘came back up’ I thought there was more ‘space’ and a better stereo picture, maybe clearer resolution of inner parts of the score. The Quad 66 preamp took longer to offer any improvement but soon I was aware of more ‘air’ and

‘building’ round the players. Next, the power amp. Quad 606s run warm so I didn’t expect much in the initial hour or so, but the end of the first full CD sounded better than the beginning, I thought. An evening’s listening left no doubts and emboldened me to open the 606 and fit the internal Internal Super Fuses(!) so that the whole lot could settle overnight. Next morning’s breakfast washing-up remained neglected in favour of the Elgar, and Karajan’s 1964 DG recording of Debussy’s L’ après midi d’un faun – always a winner. The tape hiss and the musician who coughs are both easier to hear, but the helpful bloom of the JesusChristus-Kirche acoustic, the shimmer and subtle internal detail are also more apparent. By the end of the day I found myself turning down the volume: the extra detail makes the replay seem louder. This prompted me to get Super Fuses for my Arcam FMJ 37 CD player. While Quad’s literature is fully informative, Arcam’s user guide doesn’t mention internal fuses so I had to remove the cover and read the legend on the circuit board before ordering. A day after I’d fitted Super Fuses inside the Arcam things began to sound decent and the improvement has continued. A ‘devil’s advocate’ might argue that this is caused by the system warming up, but pleasant surprises from CDs I’d not played recently confirm that the improvements are genuine.

LETTERS Walter Brahms 3: someone had turned on the lights!

STAR LETTER

It’s always been a decent, warm sound, suddenly the antiphonal violins are more distinct and the ‘celli and basses have different jobs to do. There’s a horn fluff or two, but you can tell an accident from a semi-quaver. Ashkenazy’s late Mozart piano concertos with the Philharmonia in Kingsway Hall for Decca were always good. Now that special, lost building comes more into the picture in both the analogue and digital sessions. For every silver lining there must be a cloud and the mains Super Fuse for the FM tuner while helping the sound also reveals the compression and limiting more clearly! Lightweight pedals in the (mono) 1947 Bach / Walcha / Lubeck recordings are now markedly less under-nourished, but the combination of piquant registration and loud finish is not always grateful. I suspect that some of the original recordings were overcooked. Maybe unfairly, within the hour I had also played Internal SuperFuse the DG Boulez / Cleveland / Masonic Auditorium ‘Pulcinella’ and the Naxos Batiz / RPO / Tooting ‘Pines of Rome’. Both offer grand sound, now grander still! I Macdonald, by e-mail

Big wow when I tried the Bruno Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 37

C O M P E T I T I O N W I N Competition NER Our Connected 38 competition gave you the chance to win a Power Purifier Classic along with a 1m YellO Power cable. We asked you to tell us about your plans for your next upgrade and, not surprisingly, we were inundated with entries. Out of the many submissions, we picked Kevin’s as our favourite, but there were so many entertaining suggestions, we felt we had to print one or two ‘runners up’ too.

“I've decided my next upgrade is to be a new pair of curtains. I recently changed them to a spare pair that were lined and noticed an immediate change in tone and bass control. I'd read about this in your literature but hadn't taken much notice of it until now, having read a bit more you say that velvet ones are best so that is my next fix. I know this isn't business for you unless you start making a Russ Andrews SuperCurtain, maybe Kimber could design the weave!”

Kevin Phillips Kevin’s entry wins him the top prize and our congratulations. The entries below will also receive a free SuperFuse: “If you could re-wire my ageing ears with Kimber cable and bring them back to an 18 year old spec then that would be my ultimate upgrade!! Let me know when you supply lug'ole upgrades! Until then a Kimber tone arm interconnect and possibly a re-wire would be my next upgrade as I listen mostly to vinyl. I would be after tighter more controlled bass with less noise and better separation of instruments so I can forget about Hi-Fi and just get engrossed in my music. Many Thanks.”

The winner!

WORTH

£389!

Kevin wins a PowerPurifier with YellO Power cable, worth £389.

“Retired from teaching Physics I have the time to enjoy listening to music. It’s a big thanks to Russ Andrews for improving my power supplies. I started with an X6 Block adding Powerkord 300 cables. Each time the sound got better. Today I received a MegaCube and Clarity Pro. The improvements were astonishing and because the Clarity Pro comes with tuning controls I have been able to find the desired sound. The improvements have saved me thousands of pounds! I would next want a Power Purifier Classic! Then I could try and work out the Physics behind it!”

Tim Tozer

WORTH

£25

Paul White

These people win...

“I recently upgraded to a Powerkord-100 and X2 Block and was wowed with the improvements in sound quality resulting in a significant increase in foot tapping and head nodding along to my favourite tracks. My next planned upgrade is a Powerkord-100 for the CD player. That should bring me even closer to where the musicians are performing and get me dancing in my chair (not just the sound but my health is upgraded too!). Your products make music sound like I am hearing it again for the first time.....”

Congratulations to all who entered – we really enjoyed going through your emails and letters. And if you weren’t lucky this time, why not enter this issue’s competition to win a PowerKord-300 Ag? See details on the opposite page.

Keep in touch... Alain Restel

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38 CONNECTED MAGAZINE Issue 39 Summer 2017

WIN

C O M PCompetition ETITION

a Silver PowerKord

worth over £2000!

WORTH OVER

£2000!

We started our 30th Anniversary year with the chance to win a superb Silver PowerKord based on our older Reference cable. To see out the year we decided to go one better and oﬀer a brand new, 1m Silver PowerKord300™ Ag mains cable as a prize.

It uses 16 pure silver VariStrand conductors, woven around the large-gauge central earth core. Terminated with the top-of-the-range Wattgate W350EVO RH IEC, the 300 Ag also benefits from our wide-format geometry and noise reducing sheathing. And to top it oﬀ we’ve added a 13A SuperFuse as the ‘icing on the cake‘. It’s a superb choice for any component such as your CD player, turntable, preamp, power amp or integrated amp. This really is a fantastic opportunity to own a stunning cable.

To be in with a chance of winning this very special prize, simply answer the following question: Which of the following is NOT part of a loudspeaker? A. Crossover B. Port C. Coil D. Platter Entries must be received by 31st October 2017 and the winner will be picked at random from all the correct entries. The winner will be informed by 14th November 2017 and will receive a 1m PowerKord-300 Ag worth over £2000.

Enter the competition online by visiting russandrews.com/competition or post your answer to: Connected 39 Competition, Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business Park, Shap Rd, Kendal, LA9 6NS. Remember to include your name, address and contact phone number.

Terms and Conditions 1. The closing date for entries is 31st October 2017 and the winner will be notified by 14th November 2017; 2. The rules of entry are given in the text of the competition; 3. The winner will be chosen at random from the correct entries; 4. No purchase necessary to enter; 5. There is one prize of a 1m Silver PowerKord-300 Ag. 6. The prize is not transferable, cannot be exchanged for cash nor will a cash alternative be offered; 7. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into; 8. We reserve the right to feature photographs and the names and counties of all winners in future publications and publicity; 9. This promotion is not open to employees of Russ Andrews Accessories or their families, or anyone connected with the promotion; 10. The promoter is Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business Park, Shap Road, Kendal, LA9 6NS, UK. Issue 39 Summer 2017 CONNECTED MAGAZINE 39

Reference Code

MiniZaps are available in phono, XLR, DIN and USB versions. See them all online at www.russandrews.com/minizaps

“I found a noticeable improvement with the MiniZaps in place. In particular, the violins sounded sweeter. Music flowed more eﬀortlessly and everything just sounded easier” Hi-Fi Choice magazine, Sept 2012.

Customer Number

Zapperators™ are dissipative filters that absorb very high frequency noise, and MiniZaps™ are a special version, fitted to ‘blanking’ plugs specifically for connecting to the outputs of any piece of equipment. They are perfect for unused outputs and pre-outs on an amplifier, or unused coaxial digital outputs on CD, DVD or Blu-ray players, and the outputs on the back of your TV.

Return address: Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business Park, Shap Road, Kendal LA9 6NS, UK.

Fit MiniZaps™ to your unused outputs

Order your MiniZaps now Phono MiniZap single Phono MiniZap pair XLR MiniZap single XLR MiniZap female pair DIN MiniZap single USB MiniZap single

£74.00 £148.00 £129.00 £249.00 £139.00 £74.00

Buy online at www.russandrews.com Exclusive UK distributor

Call UK Orderline

01539 797300 Int Tel +44 (0)1539 797300

Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd, 2b Moreland Court, Westmorland Business Park, Shap Road, Kendal LA9 6NS, UK.

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