How ironic it is that one of the paramount aspects of good sound is silence. Yet there it is. Even a subtly noisy background can obscure sonic details, truncatedecays, diminish dynamic range, and subconsciously distract the listener from the music. Another type of noise, the kind that isn’t in the background but rather gloms on to individual notes or instruments, ruins the purity of those sources and taints the illusion of being in the presence of live performers.
My ruminations on noise began just moments after an initial listen to the Metronome DSC streaming DAC and digital linestage. In that session, the absence of noise was overwhelming. I knew immediately that this was the least noisy digital component I’d ever encountered.
The DSC’s lack of detrimental noise is no accident. Indeed, banishing noise was one of Metronome’s design priorities. The company made the chassis uncommonly thick and heavy, even by high-end standards, and built it out of solid aluminum to shield the DSC’s guts from RF and other airborne noise.
Internally, the Metronome employs ESS’s latest flagship DAC, the 32-bit Sabre ES9039PRO, chosen for its vanishingly low distortion figures and extraordinarily high dynamic range. Further, the ES9039PRO features an integrated jitter-reduction circuit, thereby addressing time-based digital artifacts. Power-supply strain can also contribute distortion, so Metronome bestowed the DSC with not one but three transformers.
Lastly, Metronome attacked the single most entrenched source of noise in digital linestages: the volume control. As Robert Harley explained in Issue 331, traditional digital volume controls, even those operating in a high-bit range, significantly reduce resolution and impart distortion as volume is reduced. Metronome eschewed this approach entirely, opting instead for the latest in digital-volume-control technology: Leedh. As Robert described, Leedh cleverly eliminates the sonic demerits inherent in traditional digital volume controls.
As I’ve already revealed, these combined techniques do a remarkable job of quelling digital noise. What’s left—other than music—is silence. And I don’t mean the kind of “dead” silence that can plague digital backgrounds and notes. The DSC’s silence is akin to that of good analog; it’s completely natural. This achievement would be of little more than academic interest if the DSC wasn’t also stellar at conveying music. Fortunately, it is.
Before getting to the specifics of its sound, a few words on the DSC’s incredible versatility are in order. This isn’t just a DAC or even a streaming DAC; rather, the DSC is designed to serve as the sonic nerve center and functional control point of a high-end system with virtually any combination of digital sources. Besides the built-in streamer, the DSC has inputs to accommodate PCs, CD transports, a TV HDMI output, and USB, SSD, and NAS drives. To complete the system, all that’s needed is a power amp and a pair of speakers.
The streamer itself will play anything from Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, or Deezer via either a wired or Wi-Fi (via an optional dongle) internet connection. External digital sources can be PCM up to 384/32 or native DSD up to DSD512. There’s also full support for Roon, MQA, Apple AirPlay, and Google Chromecast. As for outputs, the back panel offers both XLR balanced and RCA unbalanced ports, as well as a SPDIF digital out. See what I mean about the DSC’s versatility?
In fact, you might not need everything the DSC offers. In that case, Metronome has you covered. If you already have an analog linestage with a top-notch volume pot, you probably don’t need Leedh—or any digital volume control. For this scenario, Metronome offers the somewhat less expensive DSC1—a DSC without the digital linestage. Likewise, if you already own a DAC that you’re happy with, you can buy a streaming-only version of the DSC, called the DSS, and save a few more kilobucks. Frankly, though, there are few DACs out there up to the standards of the DSC.
Which leads us, at last, to the DSC’s sound. Because of the multi-functional nature of the unit, I approached its evaluation both in parts and as a whole. To find out how the Metronome fared as a combo-meal streaming DAC and linestage, I compared it to my similarly flexible CH-Precision I1 integrated amp. Although the I1, fully loaded, costs about $50k, that sum includes a power amp. Take that out of the equation and the two would find themselves in roughly the same price range. Given that CH Precision builds some of the best digital circuitry on the planet, I was posing the DSC a serious challenge.
Since both units support Roon, I opted to use my Roon Nucleus+ as the Roon Core and Roon’s own renderer in both cases. This eliminated multiple variables in the comparison, allowing me to truly compare streaming DACs and linestages. The approach also had the fortuitous effect of endowing both components with a common user interface, one that I could even use to switch from one component to another on the fly.
A note for those without Roon. Metronome doesn’t offer a proprietary UI/renderer. Instead, the company suggests using the third-party apps mconnect and mconnect Lite. Although I had decided to use Roon for the comparison, due diligence nudged me to try out mconnect. I found both its sound and its ergonomics to be no better than serviceable—certainly not in Roon’s league on either score. Thus, if you’re going to buy a DSC, I strongly suggest getting Roon as well.
So, how did these two pricey streamers/DACs/linestages compare? It pains me to say this, but the DSC bested my CH I1. One track, the opening movement of the Harmonia Mundi version (note: not my usual Pentatone recording) of Stravinsky’s Histoire du soldat, told the tale. Although it sounded superb through the CH Precision, as everything does, the DSC brought out more in terms of timbral colors and subtle dynamic flourishes. Moreover, the Metronome was both lighter on its feet—and thus more compelling rhythmically—and richer in tonality. That’s a rare combination, and it makes for incredibly engaging listening.
The same held true on Jeff Tweedy’s beautiful “Even I Can See” from Love is the King. Once again, I listened through the CH I1 and thought the song couldn’t possibly sound better. Then I switched to the DSC, which delivered everything the CH did plus more openness and instrumental dimensionality.
Steely Dan’s “Black Cow” was another case in point. The DSC expunged some of the brass’ tendency toward edginess and splash. Instruments were rounder—more analog-sounding—and spread more evenly across the soundstage. Bass, too, gained dimensionality and verve. All this, along with greater detail resolution.
How are all these improvements possible? The common thread is less noise. With less digital hash on singers and instruments, and a lower noise floor to boot, the DSC simply allows more music to come through. In comparison, the CH sounds “smudged.”
Employing the DSC and I1 as straight DACs yielded much the same result. For a digital source, I employed the excellent CD transport enclosed in my Bryston BCD-3 CD player, running it into the DSC and CH via BNC. Starting with my usual Michael Wolff 2am CD, the CH, paired with the ultra-revealing Acora SRB speakers, provided a glorious rendition. The sound was full, rich, and dynamically persuasive. Top piano notes sparkled, just as they should, while the standup bass had power and the proper distinctive character.
Before switching to the DSC, I also played “Waiting,” the charming opening vocal number from the Broadway musical The Band Visits. When the chorus comes in, the CH illuminates every intricately woven harmony. I wrapped up this session with “Old Man” from Neil Young’s Live at Massey Hall. Once again, I shook my head at how realistic the recording sounded.
Could the Metronome sound even better? It could and did. All the things the CH does right is 95% of the DSC’s sound. But the Metronome has that extra 5%, and it consists—as it did with the streamer as a source—of a more three-dimensional soundscape and greater timbral density. This, combined with less edginess, makes the listening experience both more relaxed and more engaging.
With its winning combination of sound quality—made possible by a groundbreakingly low level of noise—and versatility, the Metronome DSC is one of the most advanced and impressive streaming DACs on the market. While $31,000 might seem like a hefty chunk of change for such a component, remember that the DSC plus an amp and speakers is all you need to build a complete system for digital sources. That puts the DSC in direct competition with something like the dCS Rossini Apex. Sure enough, the two units are nearly identical in price.
In sum, if you’re looking for a streaming DAC plus linestage that stands out from the crowd, both technically and sonically, overlook the Metronome at your peril. The DSC is my new reference streaming DAC, outperforming some of the world’s best competition. By tamping down the noise that we take for granted in digital playback, the DSC reveals a world of music.
Specs & Pricing
Type: Network streamer, DAC, and digital linestage Digitalinputs: HDMI I2S PCM and DSD, S/PDIF RCA, AES/EBU XLR, TosLink, USB Type B PCM, DSD Digitaloutputs: SPDIF (RCA) Analogoutputs: Balanced (XLR), unbalanced (RCA) Formatssupported: PCM up to 384/32, native DSD up to DSD512 Digitalprocessing: Leedh Supportedservices: Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Deezer, vTuner (internet radio) Features: Full MQA decoding, Roon Ready, Apple AirPlay (via Wi-Fi optional dongle), Google Chromecast (via optional Wi-Fi dongle) Finishes: Black, silver Dimension: 430 x 105 x 430mm Weight: 17 kg Price: $31,000
Wynn Audio (North American Distributor) Unit 31, 20 Wertheim Court
Richmond Hill
Ontario, Canada L4B3A8
(212) 826-1111 (US)
(647) 995-2995 (Canada) wynnaudio.com [email protected]
Associated Equipment CD player/transport: Bryston BCD-3 Electronics: CH Precision I1 universal amplifier (phonostage, DAC, streamer, linestage, power amplifier) Speakers: Acora SRB, Stenheim Alumine 3 Cables and power cords: Empirical Design Roomtreatment: ASC Tube Traps Footers: Goldmund Cones
You could argue that this show, or one very much like it, belongs in the Big Apple. Unfortunately, the New York Audio Show continues to be a work in progress. That leaves the Rockville, Maryland-based Capital Audio Fest, or CAF, the undisputed reigning king of East Coast audio shows.
But CAF doesn’t hold that title merely by default. Show organizer Gary Gill puts considerable effort into making the event a success—it’s said he visits every room while CAF is in progress—and there’s impressive attention to detail. For instance, each exhibitor gets a felt rope loop that prevents room doors from clanging as guests enter and exit.
This year, the three-day affair was attended by throngs of earnest audiophiles and families alike. Many made the trip down from NYC. All were treated to a broad spectrum of systems, from the easily affordable to the most sponge-worthy audio porn. (“Million-dollar systems? We’ve got two!”)
CAF is a dealer-oriented show, and many of the bigger rooms were staffed by dealers both local and from as far away as Georgia and California. Industry heavyweights were in evidence, as well––e.g., Andrew Jones personally presenting his new MoFi speakers—and the show was replete with new-product announcements. The sound was nearly universally good. Beyond all this, CAF is infused with a sense of community that eludes many other shows. People were respectful, happy to start up conversations with strangers, and clearly enjoying themselves.
In the deficit column were the inevitable minor snafus. Signage and badge misspellings abounded. (Whoever is responsible for such things probably ought to learn how to spell “Fremer.”) One of the two elevators was out of service when crowds were at their densest. And Internet access, which many exhibitors were counting on to stream Qobuz, was spotty.
Moreover, several big-name brands were MIA. There was Magico but no Wilson; Wadax but no dCS; and Soulution but no CH Precision. Perhaps next year these companies will see the light and support what has become the best show east of AXPONA.
As in the past, the two of us encountered a surfeit of good-sounding rooms and product debuts. We therefore split our coverage along previous lines, but reversing the territory assigned last time: AQ took Inspirational rooms and components, while, this go-round, it was AT’s turn to cover Aspirational exhibits. We set some price guidelines for ourselves, but basically we reasoned that it’s pretty obvious whether a component or system is meant to be affordable or is swinging for the fences.
And so, without further ado, here’s what we found at CAF 2022.
Andrew Quint
A Dozen Inspirational New Products
Most of the new products in my category were loudspeakers, which isn’t unusual. I ventured from room to room at CAF 2022 with the goal of hearing at least one of three familiar tracks that I had on silver disc or a thumb drive or were readily streamable from show sponsor Qobuz (that is, when an exhibitor was fortunate enough to have a reliable web connection). Those tracks were: (1) Anthony McGill and Gloria Chien performing the first movement of the Brahms Clarinet Sonata, a release on the Cedille label from 2021; (2) Bernard Haitink’s 2010 recording of the opening Allegretto from Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 15 with the Concertgebouw Orchestra; and (3) the title track from Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band’s Act Your Age, a 2008 release. The exhibitors were happy to supply all the female vocalists, Dave Brubeck, Dire Straits, and electronic dance music I needed. And then some.
The Mo-Fi SourcePoint 10 makes its debut with HiFi Rose electronics
The hottest new product in Rockville was undoubtedly the MoFi SourcePoint 10 loudspeaker ($3699), known to many in attendance—to the mild annoyance of MoFi—as “the new Andrew Jones speaker.” Within hours of its unveiling, the Internet was roiling with strong opinions, positive and negative—all from people who hadn’t actually heard the thing. The SourcePoint 10 is a substantial stand-mount, a ported box measuring 14.5” x 22.5” x16.6” and weighing in at 46.2 pounds. It’s a two-way design with a 1.25” soft dome tweeter mounted concentrically within a 10” woofer. With a sensitivity of 91dB and an impedance of no less than about 6 ohms, the speakers aren’t an especially difficult load to drive. At CAF, they proved highly resolving with tons of quality bass. Within a day, 80 pairs had been ordered with shipping anticipated before the end of the year.
MC AudioTech frontman Mark Conti and his designer partner Paul Paddock introduced the company’s brand-new loudspeaker, the TL-12 ($24,900). Far more conventional-looking than the still-available Forty-10 model, the new floorstander meets the world as a four-foot-tall rectangular cabinet with an appealingly curved back. The same wideband line-source drivers, developed over decades by Paddock, are used in the new product, crossed over to a 12” transmission-line woofer; the speaker functions as a dipole above 300Hz. The TL-12 was capable of both nuance for the peaceful Brahms piece and the dynamic headroom and special ease needed for the sardonic drama of Shostakovich’s final symphony.
I nearly missed the Børresen X3 ($11,000) because…well, frankly, I wasn’t expecting to come across a full-range floorstanding loudspeaker from the elite Danish manufacturer at anywhere near this price. But there it was: a tall, slender 2.5-way with a practically mass-less ribbon/planar tweeter and three in-house-made 4.5” carbon-sandwich cones that employ a ferrite magnet system (unlike pricier Børresen models, which use neodymium). Despite the number of drivers, Anthony McGill’s clarinet was a coherent voice from top to bottom, and the piano sound registered the characteristically dense voicing of Brahms’s keyboard writing.
David Janszen presented the JansZen Nine.Five ($19,500), a “modern take” on the classic KLH Nine, the first commercially practical electrostatic loudspeaker, designed by his father Arthur A. Janszen in the mid-1950s. Each speaker sports six 8” ceramic cone woofers that cross over to the 8” x 48” electrostatic panel at a surprisingly low 200Hz. Those ’stat arrays are divided into narrow vertical strips, with the signal arriving slightly later to segments flanking the central one. This, Janszen explains, substantially broadens the dispersion, always a concern with a physically large electrostatic panel. With the 400Wpc AGD Gran Vivace stereo amplifier ($18,500), the sound was enthralling—coherent, tonally accurate, and when called for, quite powerful. The Nine.Five is sold direct to consumers.
George Ligerakis, CEO of Ideon Audio, introduces his company’s new line of digital components, as distributor Michael Vamos (Audio Skies) looks on.
Looking a little jet-lagged after a long journey from Athens were Ideon Audio’s chief designer Vassilis Tounas and CEO George Ligerakis, on hand for the U.S. introduction of the Greek manufacturer’s new mid-priced line of digital electronics, including the ION DAC ($18,000), the ESO Stream ($9000), and the EOS Time reclocker ($6000). The technology and build-quality were very much in line with the company’s exalted Absolute products, and they contributed importantly to the successful debut of the new Acora speakers (see below).
Technics SL-G700M2 CD/SACD/Network Player
To audiophiles with a North American perspective, playing digital recordings from a disc can seem almost quaint. This isn’t the case in Europe and Asia, where “physical media” remain very popular. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Technics was introducing its SL-G700M2 CD/SACD/Network Player ($3499) at the show. The new component utilizes an ESS chipset in lieu of the AKM devices employed in earlier Technic players (the AKM factory was destroyed by fire in 2020). There’s USB connectivity, and full MQA decoding is supported. I played the Shostakovich SACD I’d brought and, though there were a ton of variables to consider in the all-Technics system, I had no sense that a spinning disc was holding back the sound quality in a meaningful way.
On a swing through CAF 2022’s Headphone Lounge, I discovered the new Audeze MM-500 ($1699), an open-back planar-magnetic design. They’re sturdily constructed, with an all-aluminum housing, yet elegant looking, with real leather earpads and strap. The sound was clean and timbrally accurate on a Mozart piano concerto recording and—as no one had to know that I was tapping my toes to Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” and not some Bruckner symphony—I can attest that the ’phones do quite well with well-recorded rock and pop material.
Is a product “new” just because it becomes available in a different color? Not usually, but an exception must be made for Acora Acoustics. The enclosures for Acora’s first products were (and still are) fashioned from black African granite. Now, the Toronto-based manufacturer is producing its existing three models in white and gray quartz versions. Founder/designer Valerio Cora allows that introducing the quartz models has a lot to do with providing aesthetic alternatives, but there’s no denying that these versions, which weight substantially less, sound different, too. I got a good listen to the QRC-1 two-way ($28,000), a speaker I know well from having lived with the original granite version (Issue 308) and found that the sound was warmer and more “forgiving.” A matter of taste, to be sure—but I liked it a good deal. Do note that the prices for the granite versions have been increased a bit.
Jim Salk’s room at an audio show is always an oasis of calm and musical bliss. At CAF 2022, Salk Sound debuted their most expensive speaker ever, the BePure 3 ($19,995 to $24,995, depending on finish), very effectively paired with new McGary Audio electronics—the SPA1 preamplifier ($9000) and the MA1 monoblock power amps ($20,000/pair.) Jim Salk told me, as I listened to my test tracks: “I build speakers for myself. If someone else likes them, I’ll build ’em a pair.” I think he’ll have plenty of takers with this one.
Robin Wyatt, CEO of Robyatt Audio (a conflation of his first and last names, it would appear) was demonstrating a system that featured several infrequently heard brands. One product was the Miyajima Lab Prominent OB Field-Coil Speakers ($25,000). As is typical with field-coil loudspeakers, there was an ease to the presentation that could be quite addictive. Wyatt played a Chasing the Dragon LP I was familiar with (España), and the selections from Carmen were stunning. The playback system also provided a first listen anywhere to the compellingly named Bird of Paradise tonearm ($10,750) from Thai-Scandinavian Engineering. Also on display at Robyatt Audio were LP storage/display products by Wax Rax of Brooklyn, New York, whose founder, David Stanavich, has designed and built all sorts of custom metal furniture and architectural details but is also a serious vinyl devotee. The LP-C LP Showcase ($1650) caught my eye for its functional beauty.
A manufacturer I wasn’t at all familiar with was Kerr Acoustics, which builds its loudspeakers in Cambridge, England. The K320 mk.3 ($11,850) floorstander made its U.S. debut at CAF; it’s a two-way featuring a 60mm (2.36”) ribbon tweeter and a 165mm (6.5”) wood-fiber cone, deployed in a transmission line. The frequency response is rated at 24Hz to 45kHz. An older Robert Plant recording demonstrated ample dynamic punch and tonal neutrality.
Keeping company with David Janszen and his new Nine.Five loudspeaker was Alberto Guerra of AGD Productions, whose Gran Vivace monoblocks ($18,500/pair) deliver 400Wpc into a 4-ohm load. The amps disguise their Class D circuit topology by displaying a faux power tube on top of the component; in fact, this “tube” houses the key technology responsible for AGD products’ elevated performance. That’s the gallium-nitride power MOSFETs used in the power stage—the company claims that these devices are capable of switching at a far higher slew rate than any silicon-based MOSFET. They certainly were up to the task of driving the new JansZen speakers, which can be a difficult load for many amplifiers.
`The most striking-looking product, old or new, at CAF 2022 came from Treehaus Audiolab of Southport, Connecticut. A loudspeaker called National Treasure ($16,000) is another field-coil design but, uniquely, the enclosure has an open-baffle construction, fabricated from large “live-edge” wood slabs. The three disparate drivers have been laid out asymmetrically and one’s first impression may be of chaos—but there’s definitely a method to the madness. The immediacy of a Louis Armstrong vocal was astounding. A sense of grandeur was created by the Minnesota Orchestra’s performance of Fanfare for the Common Man for Reference Recordings, and yet my Brahms clarinet recording featured subtle dynamic gradations and the sort of tonal neutrality not associated with what superficially seems to be a loosey-goosey design. It ain’t.
Top Five Inspirational Systems
As CAF is a dealer-oriented show, you might expect to encounter some high-performing systems that leveraged the synergies of all the products involved. This was indeed the case, with top dealers from near and far travelling to Rockville to engage with a larger potential customer base, as well as to catch up with industry colleagues. Sometimes, though, excellent sonic outcomes were heard even when there wasn’t a dealer assembling the audio system. Previous experience informed some very felicitous decisions regarding component pairings.
By way of clarification, I’ve defined Inspirational systems as those composed of Inspirational individual components. That means that, while the system piece/parts are all of Inspirational intent, the total cost for some of the systems can get up there. (One system built out of what most of us would agree are moderately priced components-—for the high end, anyway-—ended up totaling just under $100k.)
This strikes me as fine, since most audiophiles assemble their systems in an incremental process that takes place over many years. That’s part of the hobby, after all. Very few of us sit down to write a check to purchase a complete high-end system all at once. So, it makes sense that the paramount consideration be that individual components are Inspirationally priced.
Theoretica Applied Physics BACCH-SP adio Stereo Purifier ($27,800, as configured at CAF) + JansZen Valentina A8-SE active loudspeakers ($14,249).
As it turns out, the most impressive of my five top Inspirational system choices was also the simplest—a pair of powered loudspeakers plus the Theoretica processor with its paradigm-busting crosstalk-cancellation filter. Plus, an SPDIF cable, which I’m fairly confident the two exhibitors will again never forget to pack for an audio show. Total cost, a little past $42k.
A world-class system for under $100k—one that will play “big” even in a large room.
Qln Prestige One loudspeakers ($6800) + Innuos ZEN server ($3149) + Meitner MA3 DAC ($10,500) + Meitner PRE preamplifier ($7500 estimated) + Jeff Rowland 625 S2 amplifier ($18,400) + Transparent Audio cables, power cords, and PowerWave X power conditioner ($10,000)
Now Listen Here, a dealer with retail stores in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Falls Church, Virginia, offered demos with a rotating trio of moderately priced stand-mounted speakers from Qln, Fyne, and Joseph Audio—an exercise of potentially great use to many people at the Inspirational point in their audiophile careers. I caught one of the Qln time slots, with top-quality componentry, cabling, and accessories behind them in the audio chain. Excellent sound with a wide range of musical genres for less than $60,000.
Haniwa Audio’s single-driver loudspeaker, with one of the two subwoofers that ships with each pair.
Haniwa Audio 20-20 Super Subwoofer System ($24,000)
As of September, 2022, Haniwa’s HSP 01 loudspeaker package includes two Sony subwoofers to comprise a full-range, time-aligned audio system. There was decent dynamic punch and tonal accuracy, though some may still find bass lacking with certain source material.
This one truly is a “budget system” that sounds better than it has any right to sound (and, in the case of the speakers, looks better than it has any right to look.) There was decent orchestral weight with the Shostakovich symphony and believable instrumental tone throughout the clarinet’s range with the Brahms sonata. The Hypex amps come in DIY kit form, but you could probably hire an engineering student to assemble it for the price of a middling interconnect.
Andrew Quint’s Best of Show
Best New Product: MoFi SourcePoint 10. I wonder how many pairs were ordered by the end of the weekend.
Best Sound (cost-no-object)
Intimate scale: The Voice That Is. Tidal, Vinnie Rossi, Siltech, Critical Mass Systems. It’s not that the system couldn’t convincingly render orchestral extravaganzas and pedal-to-the-metal rock—it certainly did. It’s just that with smaller-scale material, the musicians were convincingly brought into the room.
Grand scale: The Audio Company. Von Schweikert Audio, VAC, Esoteric, Clearaudio, Masterbuilt. The combination of the equipment utilized and the capacious environment allowed for the listener to be transported to another place. I brought a digital master of a choral concert I’d recently attended, and the sense of experiencing the performance again was uncanny.
The BACCH-SPs crosstalk-cancellation filter does things spatially that no other product can do, and the fairly directional JansZen speakers will let it happen in a typical-sized or even a smaller room.
Notable Trend
Field-coil speakers
There were five to be heard at CAF 2022, models from Classic Audio Loudspeakers, Wolf von Langa, Songer, Miyajima Labs, and Treehaus Audiolab. Not bad for a technology that was the “it” thing 100 years ago.
Best Demo
Philip O’Hanlon of On a Higher Note, is the North American distributor for several well-regarded brands, including Artesania, Graham (loudspeakers), and Bergmann. O’Hanlon starts by asking what kind of music you like and then ignores whatever you say to launch into his schpiel on “midrange magic,” utilizing five LPs he’s chosen ahead of time. The talk is engaging, informed, insightful, and a lot of fun. He’s got the whole Irish thing going, as well—the brogue, the vest, the bowtie, the derby (and, sometimes, the whiskey)—which only adds to the entertainment value. You can see a brief version of this presentation linked to our Facebook page, if you’re so inclined.
Alan Taffel
A Dozen Aspirational New Products
As was the case in Andy’s category, most of the Aspirational product introductions at CAF 2022 were speakers. However, there was still a nice, juicy phonostage or two—even an open-reel deck—to stir things up.
Conrad-Johnson deserves more attention for products like its new ART88 preamplifier
Conrad-Johnson doesn’t get as much hype as some other tubed electronics, but it should. That was evident in the 20/20 Evolution room, which featured Kharma DB9-S speakers driven by Conrad-Johnson monoblocks, a C-J phonostage, and the brand-new ART-88 Limited Edition linestage ($28,500). The sound was remarkably fast and detailed. Said Jacob Heilbrun, who joined me for this session, “You’d never know you were listening to tubes.”
Kuzma’s latest flagship tonearm
In the same room was a Kuzma Stabi R turntable, which isn’t new, but at CAF it was complemented by the flagship Kuzma Sapphire SIR 9 tonearm ($25k), which is.
The Goebel room featured the U.S. debut of the imposing Divin Sovereign Subsonic subwoofer ($29,500 each). With an 18” driver and 2600 watts of built-in power, it’s no surprise the Sovereigns went subterranean. Yet, paired with the Divin Marquis mains, they were also capable of great finesse. A dongle plugged into a rear-panel port creates a private, wireless network that allows the user to fine-tune the sub’s DSP with a control app. Importer Elliot Goldman brought two subs, but it turned out the room, large though it was, could only handle one.
Andy reported on the impressive new, Quartz-clad Acora QRC1. For larger rooms, Acora now offers the QRC2 ($37k). The granite-housed SRC1 and SRC2 remain at the top of the Acora line, but their prices are expected to rise 20–25% this winter due to an increase in material costs. For my money, the new Q Series is more approachable than the S models, with only a minor trade-off in resolution. Plus, as Andy noted, it’s available in colors!
Tidal’s third generation Piano speaker is its entry-level model, despite a $60k+ price tag.
In its 22 years of existence, Tidal has always had a Piano model speaker. Yet this year marks only the third iteration of that foundational product. The new Piano Gen 3 ($64k) is the company’s most recent “entry-level” speaker (that being a relative term, obviously). A very serious design, the cabinet is now made of Tiralit, a proprietary, layered, composite material. Other new elements include a diamond tweeter, isolation feet, and the crossover. Uniquely, the speaker can be run as a three-way, a two-way, or in an Enhanced Bass mode. The new model is available now, but don’t be surprised if you have to wait to get yours. Each is handmade, which leads to long delivery times. My audition indicates they could well be worth the wait. Driven by Vinnie Rossi electronics, the latest Piano was exceedingly neutral, with surprising power for a speaker of its size.
Another U.S. debut was in residence at the Kroma Atelier room, where you could see and hear the Stella Xtreme ($34,200) from Spain. The speaker employs dual wood ports, two small 6.25” mid/woofers and a similarly sized carbon-fiber-cone woofer. These flank an AMT tweeter. Kroma specs the frequency response at 25–25kHz. Color me impressed by this speaker’s fast bass, huge dynamics, and splendid openness. And that was when they were stone cold on the first day of the show!
I was unfamiliar with the JMF Audio brand when I walked into its room. Apparently, their analog electronics are well established in the pro-audio realm, and now the French firm is moving into the home-audio market. Its first flourish was the world premiere, in the Acora room, of the PHS 7.2 dual-mono phonostage ($22k). Paired with a Pear Audio ’table, the phonostage and associated JMF electronics, along with the Acora QRS2, delivered a spellbinding rendition of Satchmo’s “St. James Infirmary.”
At any given show, you can almost always count on the prolific folks at Nola to introduce a new speaker, each with an ever-longer name. CAF 2022 was no exception. The Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 ($150k) sits in the middle of the Reference series, which spans a huge price range of $29k–$500k. The latest model sports two dynamic woofers, four dynamic midrange units, and four ribbon tweeters. Of course, this being Nola, the mid- and high-frequency drivers are mounted on an open baffle. At CAF, driven by VAC electronics and a J.Sikora ’table with a DS Audio cart, the sound was rich, open, and extraordinarily spacious. Although the individual woofers aren’t large, together they produced thunderous bass despite Nola’s enormous room. The speaker wasn’t even intimidated by organ pedal notes. Nola claims the model works well in smaller spaces, too.
Fidelity Imports commandeered several rooms to show off its array of companies. Several, including Alare and Audio Flight, unveiled what sounded to me like worthy new speakers. But the most interesting launch was of an entirely new brand. Soul Note is a company staffed entirely by refugees from Marantz. They pride themselves on components being 100% tuned by ear, and their designers stress simple, direct signal paths. The line includes the P3 preamp ($25k), M3 monoblock amp ($25k), S3 SACD player ($20k), D2 DAC ($9k) and E2 phonostage ($9k). The sound at the show was on the lush side, yet with notably dynamic transients.
VAC’s new model 300 uses the same circuitry as some of the company’s more expensive models.
Kevin Hayes himself was on hand to introduce VAC’s latest edition to its Master Series (which slots below the Statement Series), the Master 300, whose price will be in the low $40k’s. The all-tubed amp (natch) can be configured to output 160 watts/channel in stereo or to serve as a 320-watt monoblock. The audio modules in the 300 are the same as those in the nearly twice as expensive 452 ($75k), so although it’s not cheap it represents quite a bargain.
The Alta Audio room.
Another brand with which I was unfamiliar, Long Island-based Alta Audio, has actually been in business over a decade. At the show, it introduced its latest speaker, the Titanium Hestia II ($37,500) with the new, patent-pending XTL base. The speaker employs a novel hybrid design, with a tuned port for frequencies above the resonance, and a transmission line below it, Alta claims the Hestia II delivers the best of both worlds. The Hestia II is also the rare speaker that contains no internal padding; instead, the cabinet is said to create no standing waves. All drivers are made by Morel to Alta’s specifications and feature titanium voice coils. The midrange is dipole, while the tweeter is a Raal true ribbon unit. The drivers are arranged to form a quasi-D’Apolito configuration. Driven by Infigo Audio electronics, the speaker was mesmerizing playing Leonard Cohen, with gobs of tonality and dynamics. On another track it proved able to reproduce a violin with exceeding delicacy and realism.
Finally, what would a list of Aspirational debuts be without a saliva-inducing open-reel tape deck. United Home Audio provided just that with the world premiere of the Super Record Deck ($106k). It’s basically a Super Deck with the ability to record. Like the Super Deck, the Super Record Deck consists of three chassis: an outboard power supply; an outboard DC head amp; and the transport, which now houses the recording electronics. At CAF, the UHA produced the best sound in the million-dollar Lansche Room system.
Top Five Aspirational Systems
The Goebel room featured both the Divin Marquis speaker and the U.S. debut of the Divin Sovereign subwoofer.
In the Bending Wave room, importer Elliot Goldman had set up a peach of a system, with Goebel Divan Marquis speakers ($89k), the new Goebel Divan Sovereign sub, and Thrax electronics. All in, the system cost just over $600k. Eliot broke with tradition by playing musicals, such as the soundtrack from the new Spielberg-directed West Side Story. The mids and lows were wonderfully natural, and the soundstage was relaxed rather than hyper-tight. Very dynamic, open, and lively.
While Andy highlighted the smaller Acora system—built around the QRC1, Ideon digital electronics and Hegel analog gear—as one of the best-sounding Inspirational systems, in what is surely a first Acora also had one of the best-sounding Aspirational systems. The latter consisted of the QRC2 speakers ($37k), higher-end Ideon digital components, and a full stack of JMF Audio amplification products. Cabling was by Cardas. Total system cost: $225k. The sound had purity, drive, and the resolution for which Acora has become known.
The Arion planars, unlike Maggies, are extremely high-sensitivity. Here they’re being driven by a 25-watt SET amp.
One of my favorite systems, because it was composed of brands that were new to me, included ArionAudio Apollo 12 planar speakers ($50k) with the Dual-Pack Woofer Package ($8900) and Phasemation electronics complemented by a Wolf Audio Systems Red Wolf 2 SX music server ($16,500) and a T+A SD 3100 HV DAC ($36k). The analog front end was a VPI Avenger Direct ($36k), which is now out of the prototype phase and in full production. Grand total equals $350k. The combination got right to the heart of the music by completely disappearing, both electronically and physically. A true chameleon, the system changed character with the material. It also had the best depth I heard at the show. Proving its claim of high efficiency in the planar speakers (12 AMT drivers in the main tower, 16 10” drivers in the bass tower), the amps put out just 25 watts from an SET configuration. You’d never know it.
Estelon speakers continue to impress. At CAF, you could find them in two rooms. One had the Xb Mk II (in a seductive deep black), and the other featured a pair of Xb Diamond Mk II’s in look-at-me red. I particularly liked the black pair, perhaps because they were paired with Bricasti electronics and Kubala-Sosna cables. This was one of those systems where everything immediately just sounded “right.” And, for an Aspirational system, it’s price was modest at roughly $125k.
One of two million-dollar systems at the show (the other was a Lansche/Thrax system) featured the now-familiar pairing of top-flight VAC electronics with Von Schweikert speakers. In this case, the speakers were the newish Ultra 7. This system was truly full range, from the highs of multiple super-tweeters to the lows of three big woofers. No subwoofer was needed. Bass was a depth charge, imaging was impeccable, and resolution and dynamics were simply sensational.
Alan Taffel’s Best of Show
The best sound of the show was this VAC/Von Schweikert system, presented by The Audio Company.
Best Sound of the Show (cost no object)
The Audio Company room featuring VAC and Von Schweikert room. Every year this team goes all out for a best of show award, but this time they outdid themselves. This system looked and sounded like every music-loving audiophile’s dream.
Best Sound (for the money)
The Technics room, which featured all-Technics non-Reference-Line components, most of which were under $3k apiece. The speakers were $5400/pair, and the integrated amp was the most expensive element at $9499. This under-$25k system did what recent Technics gear always does: make gloriously engaging music without any fuss.
Most Significant New Product
The MoFi SourcePoint 10 by Andrew Jones. Unshackled from having to build sub-$1000/pair speakers, Jones shows what a sub-$4000/pair speaker can do. Turns out, it’s a lot.
Best Demo
The Theoretica Applied Physics room, wherein the BACCH-SP crosstalk-cancelling processing enabled a small system in a small room to create a huge, enveloping soundstage.
Best Joke
Alan to Andy: “I just checked in. Unfortunately, my room is right between two exhibit rooms that sound like they’re still breaking in their systems.”
Andy to Alan: “Well, I hope you like Dire Straits.”
Every few years, like clockwork, Bowers & Wilkinsstages a press event to announce, describe, and demonstrate an update to one of its speaker lines. The agenda, honed over time and set in stone because it works so well, has a comfortable familiarity. The sessions are consistently informative; the new products are unfailingly impressive. This year’s rollout of the 700 Series 3 was no exception.
The event took place in early August, when members of the audiophile press convened at Bowers & Wilkins’ parent company Sound United’s Retail Experience Center in Carlsbad, California. No less a personage than Andy Kerr, Bowers’ Director of Product Marketing and Communications, flew in from the UK to personally provide the lowdown on his team’s latest handiwork.
Wanting some context, I asked Andy which product line most embodied the heart and soul of Bowers & Wilkins. Was it the approachable, versatile 700 Series, like BMW and its 3 Series? Or was it the uncompromising, technology-laden 800 Diamond Series, the equivalent of Mercedes and its S Class? Andy unhesitatingly replied that the 800 Diamond Series, with its technological prowess and omnipresence in recording studios worldwide, best encapsulates B&W’s philosophy.
Nonetheless, the 700 Series is of critical importance to the company. These speakers may not have the recording-studio cred of the 800 Series, but they pack as much of the flagship line’s technology as possible into more affordable and décor-friendly models. Further, in addition to audiophiles, the 700 Series is the company’s standard bearer in the home-theater market, which accounts for roughly 50% of the line’s sales. Overall, the penultimate line reaches more people and generates more revenue than the 800s. No wonder B&W was rolling out the red carpet for the latest editions.
The first half of the event was given over to Andy’s detailed description of the differences between the 700 S2 and S3. What became clear was the degree to which the new speakers had inherited technology and refinements from the recently launched 800 Diamond Series 4. For example, to improve cabinet stability and decrease diffraction, the 700 S3 incorporates a mild curve to the front baffle, reminiscent of the flagship line’s “reverse wrap” architecture. Further, as in the 800 D4 line, all 700 S3 drivers (save the top-mounted tweeters found on certain models) are mounted in “pods” that provide mechanical separation between their front surfaces and baffles, which further decreases diffraction.
The drivers themselves have been the subject of painstaking ministrations. Their chassis, motors, coils, and cones have all been examined, analyzed, and upgraded. The tweeter-on-top gets the elongated tube that has proven so effective in the 800 D4 Series. The woofer gets a variable-thickness cone, meant to lower distortion. Even the “biomimetic” spider assembly, made of thermoplastic polymer—a key development introduced in the flagship line—made its way to the equivalent 700 S3 drivers.
The crossovers, too, have undergone revision. They now encompass far more bypass capacitors (sourced from Mundorf) and benefit from beefed-up heatsinks. Even the plinth and spikes are revised heavily. All these improvements are packaged in enclosures that are a treat for the eyes. All the cabinets are beautifully finished and preternaturally slim. Indeed, each model is narrower than its S2 equivalent, which not only further decreases diffraction but also allows the S3 line to fit more easily into living spaces.
Of course, B&W had to save money somewhere, or the 700 S3 wouldn’t be as shockingly affordable as it is. The savings come from two areas. First, you won’t find any expensive diamond-coated tweeters in the 700s; they’re simply too expensive. Instead, the tweeters in the 700 S3 are carbon domed. Second, curved front notwithstanding, these cabinets are still mitered MDF construction. The “reverse wrap” of the 800 D4, which eliminates most parallel surfaces while increasing rigidity, is a costly process that would be untenable at the 700 S3’s price point. I’ll describe the success of these compromises, shortly, but first here’s a rundown on the model lineup:
•707 S3: The entry-level stand-mount/bookshelf model ($1800)
•706 S3: Similar to the 707, but slightly larger and with a bigger low/mid driver ($2200)
•705 S3: Still a two-way standmount, but with the tweeter-on-top ($3400)
•704 S3: The entry-level floorstander is a three-way with a baffle-mounted tweeter ($4000)
•703 S3: Larger than the 704 S3, the 703 S3 features bigger woofers and a tweeter on top ($6000)
•702 S3: Similar to the 703 S3 but with a third woofer and a down-firing port ($7000)
Sonically, two questions always hover over any new 700 Series introduction: 1) how do the new versions fare versus the prior iteration; and 2) how close do the speakers get to their 800 Series counterparts? In Carlsbad, the first question was easy to answer. In well-lubricated fashion, B&W personnel played tracks on a 700 S2 model, swapped in the S3 equivalent, and repeated the track. After doing so for several models in the range—from the smallest stand-mount to the top floorstander—some general conclusions were possible.
For every speaker we heard, the S3 version had significantly more resolution and, in every instance save the 707, also boasted greater low extension than its S2 counterpart. Owing to its petite dimensions, the 707 has limited bass extension in any case. Yet, other differences were obvious. Though, the S2 impressed with a soundstage so broad it extended beyond the edges of the speakers, its imaging was weak. The S3 version cleaned up the imaging, and the soundstage was even more expansive than that of the already excellent S2.
The 705 S2 has always been a huge step up from the 706 and 707. That tweeter on top makes a remarkable difference in air and HF extension; plus, it improves imaging. In Carlsbad, I did detect a slight steely quality to the 705 S2’s sound, which was most apparent on female vocals. In contrast, the 705 S3 offered more—and more natural (less steely)—timbres. There was also the by now familiar increase in resolution, which, among other things, completely transformed piano decays. Further, the S3 sounded like it had almost an extra full octave of bass extension. The 702 S2 vs 702 S3 was the last smackdown, and all the above comments apply. Yet in addition to more ultimate resolution, deeper bass, etc., the 702 S3 impressed with greater rhythmic steadiness.
As for the second question, concerning the new 700 Series vs the latest 800 D4 line, we journalists were left to our collective memories of the latter, as none were offered for comparison. Fortunately, I recently reviewed the 805 D4, the stand-mounted two-way that serves as the entry into the 800 line, and my recollections of its sound were fresh. The equivalent new 700 model is the 705 S3, which, as noted, costs $3400/pair compared to the 805 D4’s $8k/pair. Could the new 705 pass as a “baby” 805 D4?
All in attendance, including myself, agreed that it could. The 705 S3 captures the musical essence and sonic prowess of its superb big brother. Perhaps the tweeter, lacking a diamond coating, was a trifle less smooth. Otherwise, the 705 left nothing to be desired. This was a vivid demonstration of just how much 800 D4 DNA B&W was able to infuse in the new 700 S3 models.
None of this was a surprise. There are never surprises at B&W launch events, only confirmations of what one expects—extensive R&D yielding technical advances, which are integrated gracefully wherever possible and which turn out to be sonically meaningful. Oh, and demos wherein the incoming line soundly trounces the outgoing one. Let’s hope this streak continues.
Every few years, like clockwork, Bowers & Wilkinsstages a press event to announce, describe, and demonstrate an update to one of its speaker lines. The agenda, honed over time and set in stone because it works so well, has a comfortable familiarity. The sessions are consistently informative; the new products are unfailingly impressive. This year’s rollout of the 700 Series 3 was no exception.
The event took place in early August, when members of the audiophile press convened at Bowers & Wilkins’ parent company Sound United’s Retail Experience Center in Carlsbad, California. No less a personage than Andy Kerr, Bowers’ Director of Product Marketing and Communications, flew in from the UK to personally provide the lowdown on his team’s latest handiwork.
Wanting some context, I asked Andy which product line most embodied the heart and soul of Bowers & Wilkins. Was it the approachable, versatile 700 Series, like BMW and its 3 Series? Or was it the uncompromising, technology-laden 800 Diamond Series, the equivalent of Mercedes and its S Class? Andy unhesitatingly replied that the 800 Diamond Series, with its technological prowess and omnipresence in recording studios worldwide, best encapsulates B&W’s philosophy.
Nonetheless, the 700 Series is of critical importance to the company. These speakers may not have the recording-studio cred of the 800 Series, but they pack as much of the flagship line’s technology as possible into more affordable and décor-friendly models. Further, in addition to audiophiles, the 700 Series is the company’s standard bearer in the home-theater market, which accounts for roughly 50% of the line’s sales. Overall, the penultimate line reaches more people and generates more revenue than the 800s. No wonder B&W was rolling out the red carpet for the latest editions.
The first half of the event was given over to Andy’s detailed description of the differences between the 700 S2 and S3. What became clear was the degree to which the new speakers had inherited technology and refinements from the recently launched 800 Diamond Series 4. For example, to improve cabinet stability and decrease diffraction, the 700 S3 incorporates a mild curve to the front baffle, reminiscent of the flagship line’s “reverse wrap” architecture. Further, as in the 800 D4 line, all 700 S3 drivers (save the top-mounted tweeters found on certain models) are mounted in “pods” that provide mechanical separation between their front surfaces and baffles, which further decreases diffraction.
The drivers themselves have been the subject of painstaking ministrations. Their chassis, motors, coils, and cones have all been examined, analyzed, and upgraded. The tweeter-on-top gets the elongated tube that has proven so effective in the 800 D4 Series. The woofer gets a variable-thickness cone, meant to lower distortion. Even the “biomimetic” spider assembly, made of thermoplastic polymer—a key development introduced in the flagship line—made its way to the equivalent 700 S3 drivers.
The crossovers, too, have undergone revision. They now encompass far more bypass capacitors (sourced from Mundorf) and benefit from beefed-up heatsinks. Even the plinth and spikes are revised heavily. All these improvements are packaged in enclosures that are a treat for the eyes. All the cabinets are beautifully finished and preternaturally slim. Indeed, each model is narrower than its S2 equivalent, which not only further decreases diffraction but also allows the S3 line to fit more easily into living spaces.
Of course, B&W had to save money somewhere, or the 700 S3 wouldn’t be as shockingly affordable as it is. The savings come from two areas. First, you won’t find any expensive diamond-coated tweeters in the 700s; they’re simply too expensive. Instead, the tweeters in the 700 S3 are carbon domed. Second, curved front notwithstanding, these cabinets are still mitered MDF construction. The “reverse wrap” of the 800 D4, which eliminates most parallel surfaces while increasing rigidity, is a costly process that would be untenable at the 700 S3’s price point. I’ll describe the success of these compromises, shortly, but first here’s a rundown on the model lineup:
•707 S3: The entry-level stand-mount/bookshelf model ($1800)
•706 S3: Similar to the 707, but slightly larger and with a bigger low/mid driver ($2200)
•705 S3: Still a two-way standmount, but with the tweeter-on-top ($3400)
•704 S3: The entry-level floorstander is a three-way with a baffle-mounted tweeter ($4000)
•703 S3: Larger than the 704 S3, the 703 S3 features bigger woofers and a tweeter on top ($6000)
•702 S3: Similar to the 703 S3 but with a third woofer and a down-firing port ($7000)
Sonically, two questions always hover over any new 700 Series introduction: 1) how do the new versions fare versus the prior iteration; and 2) how close do the speakers get to their 800 Series counterparts? In Carlsbad, the first question was easy to answer. In well-lubricated fashion, B&W personnel played tracks on a 700 S2 model, swapped in the S3 equivalent, and repeated the track. After doing so for several models in the range—from the smallest stand-mount to the top floorstander—some general conclusions were possible.
For every speaker we heard, the S3 version had significantly more resolution and, in every instance save the 707, also boasted greater low extension than its S2 counterpart. Owing to its petite dimensions, the 707 has limited bass extension in any case. Yet, other differences were obvious. Though, the S2 impressed with a soundstage so broad it extended beyond the edges of the speakers, its imaging was weak. The S3 version cleaned up the imaging, and the soundstage was even more expansive than that of the already excellent S2.
The 705 S2 has always been a huge step up from the 706 and 707. That tweeter on top makes a remarkable difference in air and HF extension; plus, it improves imaging. In Carlsbad, I did detect a slight steely quality to the 705 S2’s sound, which was most apparent on female vocals. In contrast, the 705 S3 offered more—and more natural (less steely)—timbres. There was also the by now familiar increase in resolution, which, among other things, completely transformed piano decays. Further, the S3 sounded like it had almost an extra full octave of bass extension. The 702 S2 vs 702 S3 was the last smackdown, and all the above comments apply. Yet in addition to more ultimate resolution, deeper bass, etc., the 702 S3 impressed with greater rhythmic steadiness.
As for the second question, concerning the new 700 Series vs the latest 800 D4 line, we journalists were left to our collective memories of the latter, as none were offered for comparison. Fortunately, I recently reviewed the 805 D4, the stand-mounted two-way that serves as the entry into the 800 line, and my recollections of its sound were fresh. The equivalent new 700 model is the 705 S3, which, as noted, costs $3400/pair compared to the 805 D4’s $8k/pair. Could the new 705 pass as a “baby” 805 D4?
All in attendance, including myself, agreed that it could. The 705 S3 captures the musical essence and sonic prowess of its superb big brother. Perhaps the tweeter, lacking a diamond coating, was a trifle less smooth. Otherwise, the 705 left nothing to be desired. This was a vivid demonstration of just how much 800 D4 DNA B&W was able to infuse in the new 700 S3 models.
None of this was a surprise. There are never surprises at B&W launch events, only confirmations of what one expects—extensive R&D yielding technical advances, which are integrated gracefully wherever possible and which turn out to be sonically meaningful. Oh, and demos wherein the incoming line soundly trounces the outgoing one. Let’s hope this streak continues.
In a show with many demos, one demo in Munich stood out for its creativity and ambitiousness: the live with recorded (rather than live versus recorded) sound in the Stenheim/darTZeel room. At a reservation-only event, jazz saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh played music from his album No Filter live, while a recording of his band accompanied him by way of top darTZeel electronics and Stenheim speakers.
This is not the first live-with-recorded demo at a trade show. Acora had a convincing one at the most recent Capital Audiofest. That demo was typical of the ilk in that the recording incorporated its own artificial “acoustics,” in the form of EQ and added reverb. Meanwhile, the live performer was subjected to a completely different set of acoustics: the demo room itself.
However, in this case the recording—a sax-less version of the No Filter album—had been made especially for this occasion. Notably, the new version had zero added EQ or reverb. That way, the demo room’s acoustics would apply equally and exclusively to the proceedings. In theory, this arrangement should create a level playing field, as it were, making it easier for a listener to gauge the differences and similarities between the live and recorded sound.
The results were surprising, to say the least. The live sax blended so seamlessly with the recorded backup that any difference was virtually indiscernible. I asked myself, how is it possible that the sax didn’t sound substantially more live than the recorded accompaniment? Stenheim and darTZeel would argue that it was thanks to a great system, and surely that was a factor. Another logical reason would be the high quality of the 96/24 recording, which was produced by Aaron Nevezie, and mixed and mastered by Pete Rende. Again, that clearly was a factor.
But are we to take what we heard and conclude that, given a good recording and an equally good system, the industry has finally eradicated all forms of compromise in reproduced sound, and that it now sounds truly live? I think we all know that that’s not the case. And in a strange way this demo proved it. That’s because as I listened further, I realized that the excellent blend wasn’t due to both sources sounding live; rather it was because neither of them sounded live. Good as it was, you’d never mistake the sound I heard for unamplified musicians performing in a jazz nightclub.
That’s to be expected. We simply aren’t yet at the point where live and recorded music are indistinguishable—and I don’t know anyone who thinks we are. What, then, did this demo accomplish? The answer is, it raised important questions; primarily, how is it that a live performer, standing right in front of us and being backed by recorded sound, can himself sound recorded? I think there are at least two possible explanations.
First, as we all know, the recording process is inevitably lossy. Microphones aren’t perfect, nor are recording electronics or digital encoding itself. In this demo, those losses are imposed on every instrument—except the sax. So perhaps when 90% of what’s being played has a certain sonic signature caused by recording process losses, and you add 10% (the live sax) with a different signature altogether, the ear-brain mechanism attempts to avoid confusion by lumping all the sounds together. This may sound far-fetched, but there’s a lot we don’t understand about psychoacoustic phenomena.
Another possibility has to do with the room itself. Despite being heavily treated (or perhaps because of that), the room had a strong acoustic presence. As you’ll recall, those acoustics applied equally to both sound sources. This raises the possibility that the room’s sound simply swamped any subtle differences between the live and recorded music.
Although the demo may not have proved what its organizers presumably had hoped—that live and recorded music have become indistinguishable—it nonetheless illustrated that the two have become close enough that other factors come into play. At the same time, the demo raised questions worth exploring, such as how our ear-brain mechanism copes when live and well-recorded music are juxtaposed. For that reason, the exhibitors should be commended for designing such a challenging and provocative demo.
In a show with many demos, one demo in Munich stood out for its creativity and ambitiousness: the live with recorded (rather than live versus recorded) sound in the Stenheim/darTZeel room. At a reservation-only event, jazz saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh played music from his album No Filter live, while a recording of his band accompanied him by way of top darTZeel electronics and Stenheim speakers.
This is not the first live-with-recorded demo at a trade show. Acora had a convincing one at the most recent Capital Audiofest. That demo was typical of the ilk in that the recording incorporated its own artificial “acoustics,” in the form of EQ and added reverb. Meanwhile, the live performer was subjected to a completely different set of acoustics: the demo room itself.
However, in this case the recording—a sax-less version of the No Filter album—had been made especially for this occasion. Notably, the new version had zero added EQ or reverb. That way, the demo room’s acoustics would apply equally and exclusively to the proceedings. In theory, this arrangement should create a level playing field, as it were, making it easier for a listener to gauge the differences and similarities between the live and recorded sound.
The results were surprising, to say the least. The live sax blended so seamlessly with the recorded backup that any difference was virtually indiscernible. I asked myself, how is it possible that the sax didn’t sound substantially more live than the recorded accompaniment? Stenheim and darTZeel would argue that it was thanks to a great system, and surely that was a factor. Another logical reason would be the high quality of the 96/24 recording, which was produced by Aaron Nevezie, and mixed and mastered by Pete Rende. Again, that clearly was a factor.
But are we to take what we heard and conclude that, given a good recording and an equally good system, the industry has finally eradicated all forms of compromise in reproduced sound, and that it now sounds truly live? I think we all know that that’s not the case. And in a strange way this demo proved it. That’s because as I listened further, I realized that the excellent blend wasn’t due to both sources sounding live; rather it was because neither of them sounded live. Good as it was, you’d never mistake the sound I heard for unamplified musicians performing in a jazz nightclub.
That’s to be expected. We simply aren’t yet at the point where live and recorded music are indistinguishable—and I don’t know anyone who thinks we are. What, then, did this demo accomplish? The answer is, it raised important questions; primarily, how is it that a live performer, standing right in front of us and being backed by recorded sound, can himself sound recorded? I think there are at least two possible explanations.
First, as we all know, the recording process is inevitably lossy. Microphones aren’t perfect, nor are recording electronics or digital encoding itself. In this demo, those losses are imposed on every instrument—except the sax. So perhaps when 90% of what’s being played has a certain sonic signature caused by recording process losses, and you add 10% (the live sax) with a different signature altogether, the ear-brain mechanism attempts to avoid confusion by lumping all the sounds together. This may sound far-fetched, but there’s a lot we don’t understand about psychoacoustic phenomena.
Another possibility has to do with the room itself. Despite being heavily treated (or perhaps because of that), the room had a strong acoustic presence. As you’ll recall, those acoustics applied equally to both sound sources. This raises the possibility that the room’s sound simply swamped any subtle differences between the live and recorded music.
Although the demo may not have proved what its organizers presumably had hoped—that live and recorded music have become indistinguishable—it nonetheless illustrated that the two have become close enough that other factors come into play. At the same time, the demo raised questions worth exploring, such as how our ear-brain mechanism copes when live and well-recorded music are juxtaposed. For that reason, the exhibitors should be commended for designing such a challenging and provocative demo.
Twenty-five grand is a steep but by no means unheard of price for a streaming DAC/preamplifier. In the case of the Metronome DSC, you get your money’s worth. Not only is the product built to the highest of high-end standards, with an aluminum chassis to reduce RF interference and a generously sized touchscreen interface, its sound is in some ways revolutionary. Thanks in large part to a volume-control technology called Leedh, the DSC is a DAC/pre with a purity and non-digital nature you thought you’d never hear. The DAC and streaming modules are fully up to the quality of the linestage section, too, which makes for incredibly engaging and gratifying listening. Of course, you could use the DSC purely as a DAC, setting its volume control to fixed, and running it into an outboard linestage, but that would bypass its raison díÍtre. Plug this unit directly into a power amp to see what it can really do.
Twenty-five grand is a steep but by no means unheard of price for a streaming DAC/preamplifier. In the case of the Metronome DSC, you get your money’s worth. Not only is the product built to the highest of high-end standards, with an aluminum chassis to reduce RF interference and a generously sized touchscreen interface, its sound is in some ways revolutionary. Thanks in large part to a volume-control technology called Leedh, the DSC is a DAC/pre with a purity and non-digital nature you thought you’d never hear. The DAC and streaming modules are fully up to the quality of the linestage section, too, which makes for incredibly engaging and gratifying listening. Of course, you could use the DSC purely as a DAC, setting its volume control to fixed, and running it into an outboard linestage, but that would bypass its raison díÍtre. Plug this unit directly into a power amp to see what it can really do.
In 1969, Joni Mitchell was well known as a lady of the Laurel Canyon folk-rock scene. Since 1967, the Canadian transplant had been a fixture of the Southern California coffeehouse/campus circuit. She had toured elsewhere in support of her first two critically acclaimed but modest-selling albums, Song to a Seagull and Clouds, but had played only similarly small venues. Global success and her best albums, including Blue and Court and Spark, were still ahead of her.
This is the precise moment when her manager, Elliot Roberts, and David Geffen, the soon-to-be record industry magnate, arranged for Mitchell to perform at Carnegie Hall. It would be her first major concert. Out of her element, though surrounded by friends (including beau Graham Nash) and family (her parents flew in from Canada), Mitchell was nervous. She understood the stakes.
Yet Mitchell knew exactly what she wanted to do. She would give the audience a pure, unfiltered version of herself. Declining her mother’s suggestion to wear a gown, Mitchell instead opted for a second-hand dress that, as Nash fondly put it, made her appear to be cloaked in rags. Nor were there a bevy of instruments or any accompanists on stage. There was simply a piano, a guitar, Joni, and her songs.
Wouldn’t you like to know what it was like to be in that audience? Now you can, thanks to a wonderful new release, Joni Mitchell Live at Carnegie Hall, 1969. Appropriately, given the era it evokes, the album is available only as a double-LP set.
Thanks to a combination of sonic factors—careful microphone positioning, quiet vinyl, the venue’s well-captured acoustics—the album proves immersive. We feel that we’re truly sitting in on a historic occasion. We laugh along with the audience at Mitchell’s impish between-song patter, and grow reverently hushed during the songs—the better to hear and consider every word.
Of course, Mitchell had much more music—and many stylistic changes—to come. But this concert showcased all of her enduring traits: the astute, poetic lyrics; the hummable melodies on songs like “Both Sides Now” and “The Circle Game”; the open-tuned guitar; an inimitably agile voice that could flit and soar and dive at will.
The audience, clearly familiar with her two albums, was on Mitchell’s side from the outset, and its warm reception seemed to give her courage. The music flowed, the words reverberated, and on that night Joni Mitchell became a star.
Ten years later, Bruce Springsteen was also at a critical juncture. Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town,and Born in the U.S.A. had earned him worldwide renown. But his live shows, though the stuff of legend on the Jersey Shore and in New York clubs, remained hearsay elsewhere. The reason was simple: there had never been a professional recording or film of a Springsteen concert.
That changed in 1979, when Springsteen agreed to join a stellar ensemble giving live performances to raise money against nuclear energy. The resulting No Nukes album and film gave most of the world its first glimpse of the “Boss” live.
Although Springsteen and the E Street Band performed two 90-minute shows at Madison Square Garden, the No Nukes film included just three of their songs: the haunting debut of “The River,” the crowd-pleaser “Thunder Road,” and the insanely energetic “Quarter to Three.” Nonetheless, these tidbits were more than enough to solidify Springsteen’s reputation as the best live act in rock at the time—and perhaps ever.
The complete recording of No Nukes went out of print decades ago, along with any official document of Springsteen’s full set. Yet now, magically, we have the entire Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concert as a brand-new film and soundtrack album. They were manifestly worth the wait.
This album is a reminder of so many things: that Bruce Springsteen gave every concert a nearly-unimaginable level of energy and intensity; that the E Street Band was once a leaner—and yes, meaner—machine; that before his untimely death Clarence Clemons and his sax were indispensable elements of Springsteen’s sound; that in the pre-Nils Lofgren days Springsteen himself delivered the fiery guitar solos; that many Americans once considered nuclear energy a less dangerous alternative to coal.
Sorry to say, but despite being remastered by Bob Clearmountain and digital formats at 96/24 resolution, the recording is nothing great. To be sure, it’s light years ahead of the previous version. Still, the new recording is never convincingly “live” sounding, owing primarily to limited dynamics and extension. Nonetheless, the sonics don’t obscure the greatness of the music.
These days there are a plethora of live Springsteen albums. But this was the first recording of the live Springsteen juggernaut. Besides its historical significance, the album captures a band pulling out all the stops in a way that you have to experience to believe.
In any normal year, TAS would send a phalanx of writers to cover High End Munich, the largest and most important audio show in the world. This year, out of an abundance of Covid-related caution, the magazine sent a somewhat smaller contingent: me. So, you know how every year JV apologizes to exhibitors and readers that he may have missed some rooms? Please recall that sentiment this year—times five.
Nonetheless, between inhaled schnitzels and streusels, I covered a lot of ground. Which is good because there turned out to be a lot worth covering. After a two-year hiatus, manufacturers could barely contain the pent-up flood of new product releases. Further, despite the MOC’s famously inhospitable acoustics, more exhibitors than usual managed to conjure up good sound.
Overlaying these achievements was a feeling of festivity that infused every centimeter of the MOC’s halls and every face eddying from room to room. People were in giddy disbelief that Munich was really back. Even the near-total absence of Asian attendees, who dared not risk quarantines of up to three weeks to make the journey, couldn’t dampen the mood. If that unfortunate situation lowered ticket sales by 30% compared to two years ago, you’d never know it from the packed rooms and delighted exhibitors.
And so, without further ado, here’s one man’s take on one mammoth audio show.
Most Significant New Products
The $100,000/pair Børresen M1 isn’t your average stand-mount speaker.
Børresen Acoustics will soon have a new stand-mount speaker, the M1, but this is no ordinary two way. The basket (frame) for the midrange/woofer driver is 3D-printed and made of pure zirconium. The company, which eschews the use of aluminum at all costs due to what it feels are non-musical mechanical properties, claims the cost of this single basket—about $13k—exceeds the combined cost of all the drivers in a Wilson XVX. (I suspect Daryl Wilson might have something to say about that.) The driver’s motor system contains nearly 93 pounds of silver. Finally, the cone is a carbon/Nomex/titanium sandwich. With all this technology and expensive materiel, it’s no surprise that the new model will come in at around $100k when released in the Fall.
In the Göbel room, the new Divin Sovereign subs blended seamlessly with the Divin Marquis speaker.
While Göbel’s entry model in the Divin series, the Divin Marquis ($89k) has become a familiar sight at recent U.S. audio shows, the complementary Divin Sovereign ($59k) was new for Munich. The huge sub consists of a single 18** front-firing driver powered by an internal 2500-watt amp. The cabinet is sealed because, per Oliver Göbel, “at these frequencies, if you have a port, you’re mostly just hearing the port.” Oliver chose an 18** driver to compensate for the roll-off properties of the sealed box. Also, larger surface area means less excursion, which in turn reduces distortion.
Wilson-Benesch’s Optium speaker heralds a more earth-friendly approach to cabinet composition.
Wilson Benesch made two significant introductions in Munich. First up: the Omnium speaker. Slotting between the Resonance and the flagship Eminence that was reviewed by Robert Harley, the product was over four years in the making, and was developed in concert with SSUCY, a pan-European R&D project whose members include both academic and industrial entities. SSUCCY’s goal is to develop and commercialize bio-compatible (plant-based) materials to replace carbon-based equivalents in aerospace, automotive, and other areas. The Omnium’s enclosure is partially composed of a bio-composite derived from hemp. The result is said to be extremely stiff, highly damped, and sustainable.
The Milne family of Wilson-Benesch shows off the forthcoming GMT turntable.
The English firm also went back to its turntable roots, premiering the new GMT turntable. The lust-worthy display model was a working prototype, but the production version won’t be available until early 2023. The price is yet to be determined but will likely exceed $400k—and no, I did not accidentally add a zero. The GMT strives for perfection by re-thinking every element of turntable design. For instance, the direct-drive system features a very low-torque motor said to virtually eliminate cogging. The tonearm is made of hollowed-out titanium. VTA is adjustable via remote control, and the whole shebang sits on a pneumatic suspension. I auditioned the GMT by playing Donald Fagen’s “The Goodbye Look.” Much to my surprise, the new ’table infused this familiar track with a level of energy and pace I’d never heard before. “Relentless,” I wrote in my notes.
Nagra’s 70’s Anniversary Reference Turntable is, like all Nagra products, a real looker.
I encountered another turntable of interest in the Nagra room. Not only was the venerable Swiss company’s 70th Anniversary Reference Turntable built from scratch, but it’s also Nagra’s first turntable ever. The price is $175k, including an outboard power supply and a unipivot, carbon-fiber tonearm wired with Crystal Cable. The platter and body are made of Exium, a very dead alloy (which doesn’t sound like a good thing, but it is), and there are two motors onboard, one optimized for stable speed and the other with high torque for quick startup. The suspension consists of springs bathing in a silicon oil.
Fresh off their triumphant launch of the 10-Series electronics, CH Precision was back with major upgrades to their source components. Thanks to the latest-generation DSP chips, the C1.2 DAC/linestage ($36k, September) now boasts 4x more processing power than the original C1. This enables features like full MQA decoding, DSD512 and PCM 768 support, and fixed point—rather than floating point—processing, which is more accurate. Cards from any C1 are compatible with the C1.2, and the upgrade story gets even better from there. Owners of current-edition C1s can trade them in for a C1.2 merely for the $4k price difference between the two. In other words, CH will give current-version C1 owners full credit for their original purchase toward a C1.2. You can’t ask for more than that.
Munich was also the first public showing of the CH Precision D1.5, an upgrade of the famous D1 CD/SACD transport/player. The new unit has a massive, all-new transport built in-house. It’s also the first transport/player I’ve seen that supports the new MQA CD format. The D1.5 was the mainstay of demos in the CH room, and it sounded unfailingly marvelous.
Rockport’s Josh Clark introduces the new Orion, with technology similar to the flagship Lyra but in a smaller form factor and price.
In other major news, American speaker maker Rockport announced a scaled-down version of its award-winning flagship, the Lyra (also reviewed by RH, the lucky guy). The Lyra’s enclosure is built from cast aluminum inner and outer shells with a dense epoxy between them. The new Orion ($133k) has the same construction, but the outer shell is made from carbon fiber rather than aluminum, which greatly lowers the manufacturing cost while retaining the advantages of this construction. The Orion also uses the same drivers as the Lyra (albeit fewer of them) in a significantly smaller and $50k less-expensive package. Indeed, despite a 13** woofer—the other drivers are a 7** midrange and a 1** beryllium tweeter—and the layered cabinet construction, the Orion is virtually the same size as the exceedingly popular Avior.
The new Zellaton Emotion Evo (about $40k) stands next to its big brother, the Plura Evo.
Another important speaker introduction came from the bespoke Swiss brand Zellaton, which doesn’t release new models very often. In Munich, on static display, was the forthcoming Emotion Evo. Intended as a baby brother to the much-lauded Plural Evo, the roughly $40k Emotion is significantly less expensive. The two share the same soft-dome tweeter, but the 2-way Emotion has a unique 9** mid/bass unit. I predict the Emotion Evo’s décor-friendly size and shape, along with its relatively modest price (as Zellatons go) will make it a huge hit when it debuts in 1Q23.
Estelon’s new flagship, the Extreme Mk II, offers many upgrades over the previous Mk I.
In the Estelon room, visitors had the opportunity to see and hear the Estonian firm’s new top model, the Extreme Mk II ($256k). Compared to the Mk 1, the II boasts a larger midrange voice coil and a diamond tweeter revised to obviate the need for ferrofluid damping. The speaker also uses phase-linear second-order filters top to bottom, and the crossover is now housed in its own chamber to isolate it from vibrations. The Extreme II’s neatest trick is a motorized top section that can move up and down (and in and out) as needed for room optimization, while preserving time alignment.
Piega paired its new, larger Coax Series speakers with T+A electronics, with superb results.
Swiss speaker maker Piega made a rare update to its vaunted Coax Series. The coax mid/tweeter is now larger, more efficient, and stiffer than before, and its crossover point has been raised to 450Hz. That means the bass driver must handle more material, which in turn led the company to enlarge the enclosures and thicken the front panel. While the woofer is the same unit as before, Piega has changed the tuning of the passive radiators. There’s also more bracing within the cabinet. In a brief audition, the new coax driver proved effortlessly smooth and extended.
Burmester introduced two amps in Munich. They were so new the specs and pricing had yet to be finalized.
Germany’s own Burmester introduced three major new products in Munich. At about $16k, the B28 speaker slots equidistant between the B18 and the B38. The new model, like many speakers introduced in Munich, utilizes an AMT tweeter. The other drivers are a carbon-fiber midrange and two carbon-fiber woofers. On the electronics side, Burmester launched the 216 stereo power amp, a successor to the famous 911. The unit was so new its specs weren’t yet finalized. However, expect the 216 to put out roughly 450Wpc into four ohms and to cost circa $35k. Burmester also showed the 218, which is larger, more powerful, and costlier (by an as-yet undetermined amount) than the 216.
These new T+A headphones were designed with Gen XYZ in mind. They feature Bluetooth connectivity and noise cancellation.
Another hometown favorite, T+A, also had a slew of new products to show at Munich. The least expensive was the company’s new headphones. Since the Solitaire P reference ($6400) and Solitaire PSE ($3800) models have been killing it at dealers, the company felt encouraged to release another model more attuned to Gen-XYZ. The Solitaire T ($1600, available now) supports wired, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity, and is noise cancelling. In electronics premiers, the new M200 is a mono (it’s too small to call it a “monoblock”) version of the swanky S200. Available in the Fall for roughly $5k, the M200 outputs 210 watts into 8 ohms and 420 watts into 4 ohms. Another electronics release was the latest addition to the superb HV (High Voltage) series. The PSD 3100 HV is a streaming DAC/linestage that will sell for roughly $22k. Finally, the Solitaire 5540 is the company’s new flagship speaker. It’s a sealed, line-source design with a row of planar-magnetic drivers that will run $60k and is scheduled for year-end release.
Auspicious Debuts—Speakers
When Andrew Jones helmed design at Elac, he focused on bringing big sound to small speakers. Those models are still in the lineup, but in Munich the emphasis was on larger models, such as the new 5509, which will sell in the U.S. for approximately $20k. Featuring a concentric driver with an AMT tweeter, and driven by an all-Elac stack, the new speaker had a compellingly smooth demeanor.
Audiovector’s entry-level QR series has a new top model: the QR7. At just $6500/pair, the QR7 comprises dual 8** woofers, a 6** midrange, and an AMT tweeter. The speaker will be commercially available in June, and in Munich it sounded very appealing, with solid bass and smooth highs.
Next door, French speaker maker Apertura introduced the Forté (€7500/pair), a mid-range product designed to produce high-quality sound from a speaker that has low power requirements. Indeed, the new model has a very high rated sensitivity of 93dB. In Munich, the Forté was shown with a 40-watt tube amp. Unlike most Apertura models, even those below the Forté, the new speaker does not use a ribbon tweeter. Instead, with greater sensitivity foremost in mind, its designers opted for a ring radiator.
Goldmund’s latest entry-level speaker (about $15k) supports Bluetooth and has a trick grill cover that rotates behind the drivers with the push of a button.The gigantic, stunning Gaia is Goldmund’s latest flagship, shown here with Goldmund’s Rodolphe Boulanger.
Uber-luxe Swiss brand Goldmund had two new products on display. The first was an entry-level speaker, the Pulp. An active unit that can either be wired or connected via Bluetooth, the Pulp resembles other Bluetooth speakers, but with several exceptions. It’s made of metal and finished beautifully; it has a trick motorized grille mechanism; and it will cost a cool $15k when it’s released in the Fall. At the other end of the product line stands a new flagship speaker, the stunningly designed, imposingly proportioned Gaia. An active eight-driver system, the speaker has one super-tweeter, one dome tweeter, two high/mid drivers, two mid/low drivers, and dual rear-mounted woofers. Bucking the current trend of populating active speakers with Class D amps, each of the Gaia’s drivers is paired with a 300-watt Class AB amplifier. The speaker can be fed either by Goldmund’s proprietary wireless technology or via standard cables. Price is TBD (but this is Goldmund, so… not cheap) and availability is 1Q23.
Marten’s latest is the Quintet 2, available now for €62,000. The speaker is a three-way, with a trio of 6.5** bass drivers, a 5** ceramic midrange and a 20mm diamond tweeter. There’s a down-firing port, and the feet are from IsoAcoustics.
Siltech’s Minissimos really are mini, but they sound much bigger in every way.
Edwin Rynveld describes the new SiltechMinissimo as a new type of active/hybrid speaker. The speaker itself is passive, as is the crossover, which is concealed inside the speaker’s pedestal. But the crossover is followed by an active buffer amplifier said to eliminate the variability of speaker performance at different sound levels and with different source material. Played with Siltech electronics, the new Minissimo sounded lively and able to produce a scale that belied its petite proportions. Available this Fall for approximately $20k.
Auspicious Debuts—Electronics
Lampizator’s new DAC is a tube roller’s paradise.
At every trade show I’ve attended recently, Lampizator tube DACs have been everywhere. In Munich, their star turn was in their own room, shared with Gershman Acoustics. There they unveiled the Atlantic2 TRP DAC, an all-tubed, fully balanced, dual-mono “digital engine” available in standard or gold finishes and with single-ended or balanced topology. TRP stands for “tube roller’s paradise,” so dubbed because users can choose their favorite tubes from a wide variety of options. There’s also an optional volume control/linestage module with remote control. The price is €6k–10k, depending on configuration.
MSB showcased its new Digital Director. Not a DAC, but meant to work in conjunction with one, the Director is a digital isolation device that removes jitter and other noise from an MSB DAC-bound digital signal. The price ranges from $14,500 to $27,500 for the top model. Available this Fall.
Digital specialist Innuos showed its Next-Gen Power Supply, an optional upgrade to the Statement music server ($16.7–$19.5k without the Next-Gen PSU, $21.7–$24.5k with). Customers with the standard Statement can take advantage of a factory upgrade for $5k. I suggest they do so, because in a demo the difference I heard in transient detail and soundstage width wrought by the new PSU was far from subtle.
Aside from a new turntable (see below), Pro–Ject’s main release was the tiny Maia S3 integrated amp (€599, available now). Despite its diminutive size, the Maia somehow finds room for eight inputs: three line-level analog, one phono, and three digital. It delivers 40Wpc and has a headphone output to boot. The phono input is moving magnet only, but if that doesn’t suit your needs you can complement the S3 with the matching S3B phonostage (€399, now), which offers mm and mc support, balanced output, and settable loading and gain.
Auspicious Debuts—Analog
Pro–Ject’s biggest news was the Debut Pro S turntable. Much like the existing Debut Pro, the S has an MDF chassis and an aluminum ’arm and platter. However, the S differs in its use of a 10** ’arm versus the standard ’table’s 8.6** unit. The S will be available in 3Q22 for approximately €1250.
The new MC Diamond is Ortofon’s new top cartridge.
Ortofon unveiled the MC Diamond cartridge, its new flagship. Titanium-bodied, with a diamond cantilever, non-magnetic armature, and an entirely new suspension, the new model will put out 0.2mV. It’ll be available in August for roughly $10k.
To complement its new 70th Anniversary Reference Turntable, Nagra introduced the Reference Cartridge ($22k) and the HD Phono, an all-tube phonostage that was the focus of a three-year effort. Its price is TBD but will be somewhere above $80k when it launches in November.
Auspicious Debuts—Accessories
Nordost was showing off its QNet network switch. QNet ($3200, available now) sports an aluminum case to tamp down RF interference, and spaced Ethernet ports to reduce crosstalk. Want to make it sound even better? Nordost offers the QSource linear power supply for $2750. I’ve requested this pair for review.
A pair of artfully displayed Crystal Cable Future Dream 22 interconnects.
Crystal Cable announced an entirely new line, the Future Dream 22. The number 22 denotes a dual-wire, dual metallurgy—monocrystal silver plus a silver/gold alloy—design. The Future Dream 22 line slots in the middle of CC’s catalog, and while prices vary, they generally start at $2k for short lengths. The line includes a speaker cable, power cord, USB cable, interconnects, and phono cable. Ethernet is “on the way,” but the others are available now.
Not to be outdone, Siltech debuted three new cable lines at Munich. Referred to overall as the Royal Crown Series, the lines are the Royal Single Crown, Royal Double Crown, and, you guessed it, the Royal Triple Crown. Prices start at $2k, $5k, and $10k, respectively. The entire series is built on monocrystal silver, and as you move up the line you get more conductive material and better shielding. All Royal Crown cables are available in July.
Top Ten Best-Sounding Rooms
If you’re an exhibitor who couldn’t make good sound in Munich, that doesn’t mean you had bad gear or even a poor setup. It just means you fell victim to the MOC’s notoriously dreadful sound. Paper-thin walls and glass ceilings do not a good acoustic space make. But this year an unusual number of exhibitors found a way to overcome these obstacles and deliver sound that any audiophile would be proud to have at home. Here are the ten best rooms I encountered, in no particular order:
MBL showcased what is, for them, a scaled-down system. As in Florida, the 101 Xtreme II speakers anchored the setup, but this time the electronics were midrange rather than flagship level. Despite that, I found the sound in Munich far more natural and appealing than it was at FLAX. Due to the more modest amps, the speakers didn’t exhibit quite the dynamic slam of which they’re capable; but thanks to a better room than the double-auditorium setup at FLAX, the highs in Munich were much smoother and the overall sound was more coherent. Meanwhile, there was the usual phenomenal imaging and depth these omnis always deliver.
Although the mighty Magico M6 could be heard in the Soulution room, Magico took a gamble this year and gave the far more accessible A5 the spotlight in its own room. I’m sure everyone reading this report would be disappointed if it didn’t include a story, normally provided by JV, about how Magico’s room sounded disappointing early in the show but turned around later. I’m happy to provide one.
On the first day of the show, the A5’s sound, as driven by Pilium electronics, was lively and engaging, but spoiled by a pervasive graininess. The culprit, discovered that evening by an equally dissatisfied Alon Wolf, was an ungrounded DAC. When I returned a day later, the sound was entirely free of grain. Furthermore, this system offered vivid proof that the A5 is not only a great speaker and a superb value, but it possesses a sense of musical freedom that’s especially beguiling. So, there it is: this year’s Magico ugly-duckling-to-swan tale. You’re welcome.
One of the ten best-sounding rooms featured dCS digital gear, Einstein electronics, Audioquest cable and the Wilson Sasha DAW.
You could hear Wilson’s heavy hitter, the XVX, in the Nagra suite, but to my ears the Sasha DAW in the dCS/Einstein/AudioQuest room (and elsewhere, see below) stole the show. Ensconced in a space that proved perfect for the speaker’s size, the DAW sounded completely relaxed yet revealing, with superb imaging and transients.
The modestly sized WilsonSasha DAW scored again in the Nordost This time it was driven by DanD’AgostinoProgression integrated amp. You know how some systems just sound “right” on initial hearing, with no thought or analysis required? This was one such system. Here, in addition to their other attributes, the Wilsons offered killer bass incongruent with their modest stature.
The Göbel room, with a pair of the Divin Marquis mains and another pair of the new Divan Sovereign subs, plus True Life Audio electronics, proved both a winning combination and the company’s best recent trade show outing. Not only did the main speakers disappear, but so did the gigantic subs. Nor was there any trace of discontinuity between the two. Though capable of large-scale sound, it was the system’s subtle dynamics and tonal nuances that really enhanced its musicality.
In the CHPrecision/TechDAS/Rockport room, with the company’s recently upgraded source components, 10-Series electronics, Rockport Lyra speakers and Nordost Odin cable, the impression of actual musicians being in the room was spookily realistic. At one point, Buddy Holly stood there, on a physical stage, and sang with natural warmth. And that was from a Red Book CD!
TheLivingVoice This anti-trade show room was all about the music. A balm for tired ears and an elixir for the musically inclined. (See Sidebar: “Sorry, Not for Sale.”)
Rockport’s system was anchored by Avior speakers, powered by Absolare electronics and sourced by RequestAudio’s streaming DAC. This was another system, like the CH Precision room that also featured a Rockport speaker—coincidence? I think not—that was almost tangible in its realism. The sound was refreshingly unpretentious but not polite. This combo could really swing when asked to.
The Kharma room sounded like Kharma usually does, which is wonderful. Backed by Kharma and dCS electronics and a Euphony streamer, the big Exquisite Grand speakers amply displayed the specialness of Kharma’s midrange. Add in earthy bass and startling dynamics and you’ve got a system deserving of a top ten slot.
At exactly 10:01am every day, a swarm of visitors dashed across the MOC floor on a non-stop course to the Burmester Their mission: to score tickets to one of the by-reservation-only demos taking place throughout the day. Why were these seats so coveted? Was Burmester doing something unique? Or was it just that they were hometown favorites?
The best sound in the show could be heard from these CH Precision 10-Series electronics and Rockport Lyra speakers.The Kharma room, featuring the gigantic Exquisite Grand speakers, sounded typically awesome.
I had to find out. On the last day I caught the last show—but only because the nice PR people interceded on my behalf. I have no idea what the presenter was saying, because this was the only room where the language spoken was German. Perhaps that was the draw. Also, the sound was excellent. The system was the beautiful 111 music server, the new 218 stereo power amp, a 217 turntable, and a pair of big BC150 speakers. The amps displayed superhuman grip over the speakers, and the sound was exceedingly spacious, especially on analog material.
Honorable mentions go to Estelon, Gershman, Burmester, and Børresen, all of whom had admirable sound that just missed the top ten. As you can see, it was an embarrassment of riches.
Non-Audio News
You can now order your Linn Sondek LP12 in any color you want, including Robin’s Egg blue.
You can now get a LinnSondek LP12 turntable in any color you like. Just give them the color code when you order your ’table, and Linn will do the rest. In Munich, they were showing the LP12 in a robin’s egg blue, which to my eyes clashed with the ’table’s conservative ethos. But the point was made.
Smack dab between halls 3 and 4, right where you’d expect a food court at any U.S. convention venue, Munich’s MOC instead has a biergarten. A major advance, I’d say.
Did I mention the lack of effective air conditioning in the MOC? Between the 80-plus degree weather outside and the glass-ceilinged atriums creating a greenhouse effect inside, the A/C struggled to cope. I felt sorry for the many distributors and agents who, eager to make a good impression, dressed in suit and tie. Rivulets of perspiration were everywhere you looked.
After several years of retreat and retrenchment in the wake of founder and guiding light Dieter Burmester’s death, the company has clearly found its mojo again. In Munich, it displayed a revived energy, many significant new products, even a more modern sound. Welcome back, old friend!
Every single American who attended Munich risked enforced quarantine if they tested positive for Covid within 24 hours of their flight home. Several individuals, and a few entire companies, fell victim. As I write this, some are still in Munich.
Best of Show
Best Sound (Cost no object): The CHPrecision/TechDAS/Rockport room was the only one that conjured a convincing apparition of live musicians. What more need be said?
The Scansonic MB6 speakers ($11k) anchored the Best Sound (for the money) system at the show.
Best Sound (For the money): Scansonic’s room was moderately priced (for this show, at least) yet made lovely music. The MB6 speakers, which go for just $11k, supported by a modest Moon Audio stack, had an easy-going, unforced presentation. The ribbon tweeter and small mid/bass drivers were blazingly fast, and there was more depth than you usually hear at shows.
Most Significant Product Introduction: The Wilson–BeneschOptium speaker augers an era where plant-based materials, which are far better for the planet, not only replace their carbon equivalents but improve speaker performance as well.
Best Demo: The CHPrecision “Fine-Tuning a System” seminar. If your timing was right, you could catch a one-hour seminar by Roy Gregory and Stirling Trayle on how they fine-tuned the setup of the best-in-show system. Their message was that the CH 10-Series’ very fine-grain tunability really matters. And, boy, did they bring that point home.
In particular, they demonstrated the effects of the CH’s ability to adjust the ratio between global to local feedback, which allows optimization of the amp for the specific speaker, from 0 to 100% in 1% increments. Playing a simple solo piano CD, they showed how unhappy the Lyra speakers were with a mere 5% of global feedback. The playing sounded sloppy and lethargic. As the global feedback was reduced, 1% at a time, the performance gradually snapped into focus and gained vigor. With this trend, everyone present predicted 0% global feedback to be the optimal setting—but it wasn’t. At the 1% mark, everything clicked into place. At 0%, there was a thinning of timbral information and other detractions. It was clear to all that 1% was the correct setting.
Most electronics don’t provide any means of optimizing their interface with a given speaker, let alone in such fine increments. Even lower-level CH gear has courser settings. The demo proved that 1% increments is not only useful, but in this case it was essential. All in all, this was a demo that had a point to make, and it did so convincingly.
Most Significant Trend: I saw more Air-Motion Transformer (AMT) tweeters at this show than at the last several shows combined. The AMT is notable for its extension and high sensitivity. Unfortunately, in several instances the driver sounded strident.
Most Coveted Product: Wilson-Benesch again, this time with the supremely lust-worthy—and unimaginably costly—GMT turntable. Pictures don’t do it justice. Sounded great, too.
Sorry, Not for Sale
There’s a French company making elegant, McIntosh-influenced components, complete with sexy backlit front panels. They offer a full range of products. The electronics are hybrids with tubed front ends and solid-state amplification. The company places a premium on versatility, such as an unusually wide variety of connection ports for the preamp. And the sound is lovely, especially considering that prices are down to earth. Separates top out at $3k apiece.
Advance Paris electronics have a McIntosh vibe, hybrid technology, and are sadly not available in the States.
Interested? So was I. But while Advance Paris is fairly well known in Europe, it isn’t available in the States. The company is seeking U.S. distribution. Any takers out there?
Journalists at audio shows routinely ask other journalists what rooms they recommend, in order not to miss something special. In Munich, the most frequent answer to that question was The Living Voice room. So, I went there, despite never having heard of the brand, and indeed found something special.
In a way, the room was the opposite of every other at the show. There was no attempt to “out hi-fi” other rooms. Rather than the focus being all about the sound, it was all about the music. This was a system to melt your heart because there was nothing getting in the way—sonically speaking—of that happening. Yet this wasn’t one of those systems where musicality comes at the expense of sonic performance. Rather, one got the feeling that all the music was there—and that nothing was missing from the sound, either.
One of the show’s best-sounding rooms featured The Living Voice OBX-RS4 speakers, shown here with their outboard crossover.
What was creating this magic? First and foremost, The Living Voice Auditorium OBX-RS4 speakers (€18,500). These are TLV’s top of the Auditorium line. (The company also makes a line of horn speakers.) They feature outboard crossovers to eliminate parasitic vibrations and are designed for purity and high sensitivity (94dB). Bringing home the latter point, in Munich the speakers were driven by an 8Wpc 300B SET amplifier. TLV’s Kevin Scott also went above and beyond in terms of setup. As he does every year at Munich, he brought his own power—in the form of a rack of batteries and an inverter—to the show. Talk about minimizing sonically deleterious factors; Scott even bypassed the MOC’s noisy AC.
Sadly, The Living Voice isn’t available in North America. Yet. Like Advance Paris, the company is actively searching for U.S. distribution. My advice to any would-be distributors: jump on this opportunity. TLV is unique in sound, performance, and value. It’s going to be a hit on every shore where it’s sold.
The Munich Playlist
Whenever I was in a room playing a good-sounding piece of music with which I was unfamiliar—or an unfamiliar recording of music I knew)—I Shazamed it. For those of you not familiar with Shazam, it’s an app that, when instructed, listens to currently playing music and within seconds identifies it. Not just the piece of music, but the recording as well. The mind boggles at the computing power needed to perform this feat, but it works amazingly well, with few “Sorry, no matches.”
Handily, the app keeps a history of everything you’ve Shazamed. So, when you’re done with a show, you have what is effectively a playlist of all the great-sounding music you heard. Here’s my playlist from this year’s High End Munich, in no order other than when I encountered each piece. Just search each of these titles on Tidal or Qobuz and you can make your own Munich playlist. I did this on Qobuz and made my playlist public. So, to make things even easier, you can just go on Qobuz and search for a playlist called “Munich 2022 Discoveries.” It contains all the tracks below that are available on Qobuz, which is most of them.
“Liberty”—Anette Askvik
“Walking on the Moon”—Yuri Honing Trio
“Soothing”—Laura Marling
“Diaraby”—Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder
Liszt “Piano Sonata in B Minor”—Nelson Goerner
“Caronte”—Apparat
Beethoven Symphony No. 7, 2nd Movement—Bayerishces Staatsorchester
“Prelude”—Vikingur Olafsson
“That Don’t Make It Junk”—Leonard Cohen
“True Love Ways”—Buddy Holly, From the Original Master Tapes
