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Tidal Piano G3

Posted on May 31, 2023 by Anthony Cordesman

The Tidal Piano G3 loudspeaker is each an uncommon design and a problem to most of the conventions of American high-end audio. It is a comparatively small floorstanding speaker that’s clearly supposed to offer state-of-the-art efficiency in smaller rooms, or in areas that current issues with extreme bass vitality, or the place there’s a want for audio system that may slot in with a variety of decors.

At the identical time, the Piano G3 is the third model of a steadily refined product from Tidal —a agency that has grow to be a number one a part of the German excessive finish and one that gives an modern mixture of applied sciences. It can be costly even by the always escalating requirements of at the moment’s market. It sells for $64,000 a pair in an excellent, black, grand-piano-like lacquer end with stainless-steel trim, and $68,000 a pair in wooden veneer. That is a worth that makes it a competitor with a few of the most costly and largest audio system made within the U.S., at a time when such audio system appear to be in a little bit of a measurement and weight race.

In distinction, the Piano G3 is compact for a speaker in its worth vary. It is 45.6″ tall by 9.6″ large by 15.5″ deep and leans again at a slight angle. Its easy rectangular form and its drivers are also modest by comparability with many U.S.-made audio system. It is clearly designed to slot in with all kinds of pricey decors reasonably than dominate them.

It is a straightforward rectangular field with a clear black, or wood-veneer end that has well-styled, stainless-steel fittings to help it. The enclosure is comprised of Tidal’s proprietary cupboard supplies, TIRALIT and TIRADUR. The drivers embrace a relatively small, spherical diamond tweeter and two 7″ midrange/woofers. They are mounted on a entrance panel that lacks any uncommon visible options, apart from a producer emblem plate. And whereas the Piano G3 weighs 154 kilos, there is no such thing as a option to inform from taking a look at it what number of particular design options it has inside. The spouse of one in all my audiophile pals reasonably bluntly described it as “a speaker you’ll need to reside with reasonably than worship.”

It is also the one speaker I’ve ever reviewed at any worth the place the instruction guide notes that it has rear connections which let you wire it to your energy amps in a manner that the decrease woofer will not be linked—in order that it turns into a two-way speaker to be used in small rooms. It additionally has a unique set of connections to be used as a 2.5-way speaker in bigger rooms that want extra bass however not the complete vary of energy from each woofers. It is the one deliberate effort I’ve seen to design the state-of-the-art for audiophiles with main bass-response, room-size, and/or “increase” issues.

At the identical time, its visible simplicity and clear styling disguise a tremendous quantity of inside engineering. There are superb design causes that it weighs 154 kilos, and the result’s that it is likely one of the best-sounding audio system I’ve heard. It does make trade-offs in its efficiency that restrict its response within the deepest bass and its capacity to supply sound ranges that may destroy your listening to and produce home-destroying room vibration. But these identical trade-offs present a really distinctive choice to be used in lots of real-world dwelling rooms.

At the chance of showing the punchlines within the description of its sound high quality that follows, it has an excellent soundstage and imaging, a remarkably easy frequency response from the highest of the deepest bass to the very best audible frequencies, and it’s intensely musical. If you desire a speaker that you would be able to simply place in a small to regular front room, that has a visible picture that doesn’t appear like it belongs on the slopes of Easter Island, and that won’t create a divorce or the sudden departure of your companion, the Piano G3 represents the type of high-end choice that’s all too uncommon in U.S. speaker design.

Understanding the Tidal Piano G3’s Design

All kidding apart, I feel it’s notably vital to know the designer’s targets. Accordingly, I requested Jörn Janczak, the CEO of Tidal—and the Piano 3G’s chief designer—to clarify why Tidal created the G3 within the type it did.

Jörn’s English, whereas not excellent, is infinitely higher than my German, and the next excerpt from his response makes it clear that the Piano G3 did have distinctive design targets:

“The narrative for a speaker constructed like that is that it isn’t designed to supply essentially the most for a sure worth vary; neither is it too small for what it’s. We preserved the unique design transient from the first-generation Piano from 1999; we improved it with out altering the speaker’s basic idea. It could be no downside to construct a manner greater cupboard with inexpensive midrange, tweeter, and different drivers, however that isn’t what Tidal is about.

“I do know there are good merchandise on the market for five or 10 grand (and even 20 or 40 grand) to have enjoyable with and revel in. All legit. But no matter else is out there may be not constructed just like the Piano, nor does it sound like this speaker. It shines to and for many who join/drive it in the best way it was designed to shine…the place an even bigger speaker would smash the sound in that individual area and overdrive the room. It calls for and displays the best electronics and can eternally disguise its functionality if not utterly unleashed on this manner. To discover out and expertise why, for instance, one would ever pay a lot for a speaker just like the Piano, you have to be ready to drive it correctly, and we do have such electronics as a part of the techniques we provide.

“There would merely be no cause to purchase one thing so costly and never perceive the the explanation why; these aren’t the shoppers for the Tidal Piano. It stands the take a look at of rationale and emotion—once more if one is aware of and understands what it’s. If it didn’t present efficiency that allows you to overlook its worth, then it will show my level. Just connecting it with good electronics and getting one thing ‘superb & pleasurable’ could be like having a Patek Phillipe on the wrist simply to know the time or utilizing a Carrera 911 to get backwards and forwards in a site visitors jam.

“I may use some good beryllium tweeter or ribbons for a fraction of the value and have the ability to have good decision and mirror to a sure level how one is feeding the system. But attaining the final 20% above that, which permits a speaker to shine past ‘superb sound,’ is why we do all that we do. ‘Quantity values,’ like F3 [the frequency at which the bass has rolled off by 3dB—RH] and most SPL, and many others., have been modified from the start in favor of drilling out the very best sonic high quality from a comparatively modest cupboard in measurement.

“The Tidal Piano was by no means a challenge focusing on a sure worth class or viewers; neither is it a diluted design, trickled down from one thing else. As our very first product, it was born from the purpose of providing the best attainable speaker as a common and reflective device for regular rooms—not too small, not too large.”

Jörn additionally offered an in depth image of the important thing design options that aren’t obvious merely from wanting on the speaker, however that form the Piano G3’s price. One key function is the diamond tweeter and excerpts from his reply describe its growth as follows:

“We have used diamond-tweeter expertise for 20 years. Indeed, we have been the primary to make use of it this manner. No different audio firm has manufactured extra audio system with a 1.2″/30mm diamond tweeter. Plus, issues have been always improved through the years…we’ve got been in a position to prolong the general response to satisfy our sonic targets. That being stated, having a diamond tweeter doesn’t itself assure it can do job reproducing the sign/content material/music. People like the thought of one thing sounding ‘diamond,’ and advertising and marketing guys like it, however the actuality is it has each benefits and drawbacks. Nothing is more durable and strikes extra like a super piston than diamond materials. Nothing. But additionally, few issues are more durable to combine. The key, as with all components, is implementation. Resolution and dispersion can actually be one thing particular if one finds a option to meld them completely into the driving force for the frequencies above and beneath its passband—in order that the ear doesn’t hear the sign created from completely different drivers, particularly off-axis. We are extraordinarily skilled on this linear integration, which permits the listener to listen to deeper into the music.

“With regard to particular elements, certain, the best caps with lowest microphonic results and many others. will assist; we simply use or create the perfect elements in an effort to design to the purpose of listening to no crossover factors. We did discover a option to design a easy sign transition from the tweeter to the driving force beneath with completely symmetrical loops (for good off-axis efficiency) and step response, and but shield the tweeter in opposition to low frequencies. Such an enormous diamond diaphragm additionally works as an ideal warmth sink. The crossover is hermetically and microphonically sealed in opposition to vibrations saved within the lowest chamber, immediately wired to the terminal (a decoupled 15mm block of stainless-steel, from the skin polished to protect the floor the easiest way).”

Jörn was extra cautious about explaining the improvements within the G3’s midrange/woofer drivers and the considering behind the Piano G3’s bass response. The following excerpts present how he summarized some key options:

“Both mid/woofers are downscaled variations from our flagship-project the Tidal for Bugatti “Royale.” The diaphragm is black ceramic, distinctive on this form and design. Such a tough diaphragm has each benefits and drawbacks. Light, onerous, near excellent pistonic motion, however like all onerous and light-weight issues, it has a resonance peak which have to be introduced underneath management—in any other case, we hear the benefits (decision) in a short time however the disadvantages (the everyday harsh sound most ceramic drivers include if not correctly handled), as nicely.

“We can’t give away the recipe, however one should carry diametrical issues collectively: onerous diaphragm management versus easy blending-in/out. Classical minimal filters won’t work since they’ll’t management the diaphragms; steep-slope ones mess up the step response and timing. Flat response is not any indicator alone, nevertheless it is a crucial fundamental one. There are not less than 20 different parameters one must cope with, however some of the vital is step response. We mix the tweeter seamlessly into the midrange/woofer.
Not calculated by way of DSP, however via all analog expertise that’s aimed on the core downside.

“What do we’ve got on the finish of the day? A really inflexible cupboard holds the drivers in place in order that very gentle and stiff diaphragms can transfer in two instructions, completely managed by a well-designed and well-made crossover.

“The lacquer is not only some black paint. We use many, many litres of true piano-polyester lacquer (10kg per speaker) and have about 4mm thick lacquer on it. The manner we apply it to the cupboard, compress it, sand it, and polish it’d make it look good and glossy, nevertheless it additionally has an impact on the sound, since it’s the last layer of the cupboard itself, reducing Fs much more and ‘closing’ the cupboard much more from each side. The Piano responds all the way down to about 38Hz, though that does differ in observe with the room. We have skilled some amplifiers that can ship deep bass, whereas others don’t no matter setup.”

He explains the explanation for with the ability to join the speaker as each a two-way and three-way system as follows:

“There is one utility the Piano can do that every one different 2.5-way audio system can’t: It has, ‘constructed inside,’ possibly one of many most interesting 2-way screens. So, it will probably cowl small locations the place persons are in search of an answer from one thing with a 6-7″ mid/bass and a tweeter, with out overpowering the room. Compacts have disadvantages in opposition to the Piano taking part in in that mode: The Piano has all drivers and crossovers in separate chambers; a compact doesn’t have area sufficient for this—all are in a single chamber. The Piano additionally has the best way extra secure and inflexible stand and but maintains the identical footprint as a compact positioned on a stand. The magnificence is {that a} consumer can unleash a fuller-range speaker for an even bigger area if he strikes to an even bigger area or desires a deeper bass extension.”

There are many different particular design options, together with the crossover, and the strategy of connecting the G3 so it will probably grow to be a two-way speaker. Jörn sums up his view of the G3 as follows:

“We know the Piano will not be for everyone, and in reality it will probably’t be for everyone. A correct setup, together with correct related gear, will give a deep view into the recording. The Piano is our smallest speaker however no much less a reference speaker, since it’s constructed with the identical stage of perfection that we construct into our large ones.”

This effort to create a state-of-the-art monitor for real-world listening rooms is clearly a design selection, and never the results of any limits in Tidal’s manufacturing functionality. Tidal additionally produces bigger and dearer audio system, together with its top-of-the line Tidal for Bugatti collection, developed for the luxurious automotive firm—a full-out assault on the state-of-the-art. This Bugatti weighs some 480 kilos a facet and is a part of a full system of Tidal electronics, together with a discrete digital-to-analog converter. If the Piano G3 appears too small and low-cost, you may all the time purchase the Bugatti, which sells for nicely over $400,000 a pair.

Putting the Tidal Piano G3 in Perspective

Jörn’s feedback are way more helpful than most producer literature and copywriter technobabble, however there may be an apparent bias behind them. No one is goal about one thing he’s really happy with. A devoted high-end designer and producer goes to see the results of years of labor and two main generations of modification efforts as a significant achievement. He just about has to consider in his personal work.

At the identical time, I discovered no goal cause to disagree along with his feedback, and I actually loved my listening periods with the speaker, utilizing a variety of parts and supply materials. I had Pass Labs, Meitner, and PS Audio parts; a variety of interconnects and speaker cables; and a listening session the place a buddy introduced his personal single-ended tube design.

The outcomes have been spectacular with all kinds of related parts in two completely different rooms and in a number of completely different room areas. The Piano G3 did a very good job of showing the colorations of the containers and wires in the remainder of my system—one of many key assessments of a very good speaker. Properly set-up and supported by top-quality musical supply materials and electronics, the Piano G3 is likely one of the finest audio system I’ve heard.

Here, nonetheless, I ought to introduce my feedback on its musical efficiency with some vital caveats which have grow to be increasingly more vital because the inevitable limits imposed by the colorations in front-end parts, wires, and cables, musical supply supplies, listening positions, and the sound character of the listening room grow to be extra dominant facets of the sound of any system than the speaker.

I attempt to cope by testing audio system with completely different parts and with each analog and a variety of various kinds of streaming and digital recordings. I exploit completely different mixes of drugs, reasonably than a single reference system, as a result of a high-end audio system has a big “error funds” of various colorations from every passive and energetic element that impacts what you truly hear.

You can by no means audition or consider a speaker by itself. Given that high-end producers have a tendency to supply parts with a considerably constant sound character (although solely “considerably,” because the nuances they like clearly evolve in several methods over time), mixing gear from completely different producers and/or completely different generations has a big and unpredictable impression on sound high quality. The stage of synergy between parts relies upon closely on personnel effort or vendor help, in addition to entry to completely different parts to experiment with.

The listening room, speaker location, and listening place additionally colour a speaker’s sound. This is why I audition the audio system that I evaluate in several areas in my primary listening space, and in one other listening room, to listen to how the sound modifications with room circumstances. This type of experimentation has grow to be a vital a part of reviewing since you hear the speaker’s interplay with a given listening room increasingly more clearly as audio system get higher and higher. Even inches of change in a speaker placement can have a significant impression on deep and midbass. The identical is true of the ensuing variations in room reflections and modifications in listening place.

More than that, I’ve heard sufficient different audiophile listening rooms to comprehend that the private style of even essentially the most subtle high-end audiophiles differs considerably in evaluating and organising a speaker. So do their decisions of music and efficiency. I additionally know from visiting plenty of producers’ listening rooms and speaking to completely different producer design groups that even once they use related language to explain their targets, they’re in search of completely different nuances and use completely different recordings and parts to get them. I additionally understand my very own biases—and each reviewer has them. I actually take pleasure in my PS Audio FR30 speaker and the Legacy Aeris as references, however I additionally understand that their sound displays completely different private decisions by their designers that led to variations of their sound. The identical has been true of the Wilson Audio and Magico audio system I’ve used as references up to now.

Personal style in music additionally issues in optimizing a system and notably in selecting a speaker. My targets are to get the very best sound from chamber music, jazz teams, and single voice or small vocal teams. I’ve different audiophile pals who need the perfect sound from giant bands, full symphonies, or grand opera, and others who give attention to getting the perfect sound from rock, people, and rap. I’ve one buddy who judges a system largely by its capacity to loudly play the bottom organ notes, and one other that may by no means get away from the sound of the bottom digital bass.

“Quid est veritas?” a jesting Pilate stated. Reviewing the Tidal Piano G3 is all too good a reminder that seek for absolutely the sound—by producer, audiophile, or reviewer—has all the time been private, and the higher recordings, parts, set-up, and room adjustment get, the extra dominant private selection turns into. In some ways, the one distinction between the human ingredient of high-end audio and the human ingredient of America’s more and more polarized politics is that almost all audiophiles would reasonably take heed to music than argue.

The Sound of the Piano G3s

All that stated, I believe that almost all of audiophiles will nonetheless admire the distinctive sound qualities of the Piano G3s. As I’ve famous from the start, they do have two limitations which might be a part of their design. They don’t present the deepest bass or play the loudest and most dynamic passages of well-liked or classical music with the least coloration, however these limitations are comparatively minor, even in a lot bigger and extra impartial listening rooms than they’re designed for. In the actual world, it takes a subwoofer setup to supply the bottom bass realistically, and nothing you’ve in a real-world listening room goes the reproduce the reside sound of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony or the impression of the near-deafening wave of sound in a membership.

Even in a relatively giant listening room, the Piano G3s offered superb general bass and dynamics, though you may need to transfer them a bit nearer to the rear wall than ordinary, and you’ll need to experiment with bass take a look at tones or music to seek out the perfect location in rooms which have zones the place a speaker can expertise severe suckouts within the low finish—one thing that may be much more vital in small listening rooms than bigger ones. I might additionally advise you to pay attention very rigorously to the extent of midbass vitality throughout setup. Doug White, Tidal’s Premium U.S. Dealer, put in the evaluate samples in my house and went via a really cautious set-up process. However, he positioned the G3s ready the place there’s a slender zone of room points within the midbass.

Moving them about 12 inches confirmed that it actually was a room downside reasonably than a midbass downside within the G3s. Even so, I discovered getting the perfect sound required a bit extra experimentation with the finer particulars of placement, toe-in, and listening place than ordinary.

I additionally discovered that the Piano G3s nonetheless had barely much less obvious upper-bass/lower-midrange vitality than my reference audio system, though this had the impact of including a slight depth and width to the soundstage—and that soundstage bordered on the very good in a number of listening positions in two completely different rooms.

When it involves soundstage, imaging, and general transparency, I’ve no reservations in any respect concerning the Tidal Piano G3’s sound high quality. No two speaker designs sound alike, however correctly arrange, the G3s carried out as nicely in these facets as any set of audio system I’ve heard. They produced a large, open stage with wonderful depth and imaging element (when the musical supply materials offered such data), they usually did so with pure and extremely detailed dynamic contrasts.

I’m now extra used to planar drivers than the diamond tweeter within the Piano G3, whose sound is marginally much less ahead than that of my references. However, that diamond tweeter in actually excellent in creating a comparatively large listening space and was equally musically convincing. When the recording was adequate and pure sufficient, the Piano G3 offered a stage of musical element that was exceptionally revealing, with out a hint of hardening even at very loud volumes. From a room placement perspective, it additionally did so in each nearfield and extra regular listening positions, and in methods the place experimenting with positioning by way of the space between audio system and from the audio system to the listening place—and within the precise angle at which they level towards the listening place—paid off in offering a few of the finest sound I’ve heard.

The G3s’ compact measurement additionally paid off in permitting me to position them in positions that had a comparatively restricted impression on room decors—an element no true audiophile will ever care about, except he occurs to reside with just about anybody else.

In phrases of timbre and frequency response, the Piano G3s once more sounded barely extra distant within the higher midrange and treble that my references, however right here I need to stress the phrase “barely.” I’ve had the identical expertise with different good dynamic audio system and ribbon designs, and these are areas the place I’ve have heard equal or larger variations within the sound of reside music as I moved round inside completely different halls throughout a rehearsal.

This superior sound high quality was additionally clear after I began specializing in the sound of various devices and voices. The Piano G3s do very nicely in getting the complete vary of sound high quality out of solo, choral, and grand opera music. The sound of a variety of female and male voices, and the extent of element from even the perfect vocal recordings, was as a lot of a pleasure because the supply materials and affiliate parts permitted.

The identical was true in listening to the musical realism of various devices apart from these with the deepest bass, and even right here I’d say that the extent of pure element the G3s supplied with Bach organ music, and even oddities like Kodo drums, largely offset the dearth of deep-bass vitality you hear from bigger audio system. Percussion element was distinctive, even with cymbals from essentially the most advanced jazz performances. Woodwinds and brass have been equally good, with not one of the contact of dryness within the woodwinds or edge within the brass you generally discover even in in any other case excellent audio system.

As for strings and piano, the extent of element and naturalness of timbre clearly distinguished between completely different devices, and the imaging once more was as pure because the recording. As is the case with all top-quality audio system, the Piano G3s do all too good a job of showing studio-assembled music the place the soundstage by no means actually existed or was modified out of existence, however listening to music that will depend on extreme multimiking, mixing separate tracks, and reinventing the sound is, I suppose, a matter of style. The excellent news is that you would be able to actually admire a well-miked reside efficiency and one miked to supply true stereo.

Summing Up

No speaker is all issues to all audiophiles. The Tidal Piano G3 is, nonetheless, a really modern strategy to coping with actual room and decor points in ways in which reproduce virtually all the perfect high-end efficiency of a lot bigger loudspeakers.

Specs & Pricing

Type: 2-way/2.5-way dynamic loudspeaker
Driver complement: 1x unique 1.2″ Gen 2 diamond tweeter; 2x unique 7″ Gen 2 black ceramic mid/woofers
Sensitivity: 86dB
Nominal impedance: 4 ohms (3.2 ohms minimal)
Recommended energy: 30 watts minimal
Frequency response: 38Hz–>55kHz (anechoic), -6dB; 150Hz–18kHz (anechoic), ±1.2dB
Dimensions: 9.6″ x 45.6″ x 15.5″
Weight: 154 lbs. every (transport weight, 233 lbs. every in flight circumstances)
Price: $64,000/pr. in Midnight Gloss Black (optionally available veneers at further cost)

TIDAL AUDIO GMBH
Immendorfer Strasse 1H
50354 Hürth
Germany
tidal-audio.com

The Voice That Is (Premium U.S. Dealer)
Doug White
(610) 574-2518

The put up Tidal Piano G3 appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

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New Burmester merchandise and ideas: Burmester 232 Integrated Amplifier

Posted on May 27, 2023 by Hi-Fi+ Staff

First product within the new Burmester aesthetic design
New D/A converter
New rotary encoder (knob!) with haptic suggestions (customizable) for quantity, enter choice, and many others.
Modular design (phono module, DAC can be found at buy or retro upgradeable)
Supports present streaming suppliers
New operation app
New high-quality show housed behind a mirrored end
New audio idea for preamplifier (incl. quantity management) and headphones
High high quality operational amplifiers on the enter for sound efficiency
Extra quick and low-noise sign path for minimal sign interference
New devoted headphone amplifier designed for low distortion and low noise stage
New enter transistors of the ability amplifiers with nearly good pair equality (NPN, PNP) for minimal distortion
Very top quality, fastidiously chosen elements in Class A/B circuit
Each amplifier has its personal impartial energy provide, which signifies that the availability voltage for every channel is saved secure and impartial.

Alan Sircom & Stefan Größler focus on the brand new Burmester 232

Control machine: The intention of the brand new working idea was to instantly simplify the management of a flexible – and thus additionally advanced – machine. The new working idea combines the brand new Burmester management app with operation on the machine (HMI) or by way of distant management. The method of decreasing the variety of working steps was employed throughout all management choices.

New Rotary Encoder (Knob!)

In addition to the app and distant management, the brand new Burmester rotary encoder serves as the principle management ingredient of the 232 and equips the built-in amplifier with an revolutionary haptic suggestions know-how. The haptic suggestions adapts to the respective features. This consists of options comparable to resistance to rotation, quantity and spacing of ticks. In addition to controlling traditional features comparable to enter choice, quantity adjustment or scrolling by means of playlists, it additionally replaces the ability swap.

Specs:

Note: Power output, launch date and worth to be specified at later level

Audio-Inputs	analog	2 balanced XLR
	Digitale	1 USB-B	At DAC Modul
		1 USB-C	Can be used with DAC module (at SBC)
		1 HDMI	Can be used with DAC module (at SBC)
		1 elektrical RCA	At DAC module
		1 optical (TOSLINK)	At DAC module
		1 AES EBU	At DAC module
Audio-Outputs	analog	1 Stereo XLR
		1 Mono Sum Sub Out
	digital	1 electrical RCA, 1 optical (TOSLINK)	At DAC module
	Loudspeaker	1 Stereo
	Headphone	6,3 mm stereo-jack
DA-Wandler (optionales Modul)	SPDIF/PCM	Up to 32-bit 768 kHz
	DSD	DSD256 by way of DoP and native DSD512
Bluetooth	Standard	5.4
	Codecs	A2DP (Audio)	Can be used with DAC module (at SBC)
Module	DAC	Phono MC
Loudspeaker connection	oxygen free copper, gold plated, appropriate with cable lug
Connectivity	Compatible with typical SmartHome options from the audio sector
Measurements [mm]	450 x 450 x 177
Weight [kg]	29
Connections	Burlink
operation	Burmester Conduct App, distant management, Touch-Sensors und rotary encoder
Streaming	Unterstützt alle gängigen Streaming Anbieter
Standard variations	Silver, black (Aluminium anodized) Dieter Burmester

Burmester X-Amp improve

The authentic X-Amp know-how was first developed by Dieter Burmester to be used within the 870 and 877 amplifiers and subsequently employed in a wide range of merchandise as much as as we speak.

The X-AMP 3 is a three-stage, totally complementary sign amplifier that options excellent audio traits because of focused compensation strategies. The very excessive linearity even with out unfavorable suggestions in addition to the virtually full independence of all sound-relevant traits from all environmental or working situations are to be emphasised.

All elements used are inside a really slender tolerance vary and are chosen in response to the very best requirements, particularly the transistors used are carefully chosen. In addition, the shielding aluminum cowl protects the delicate electronics from exterior interference. Thus, the totally analog circuit is totally designed for a protracted life.

Sustainability concept with X-Amp (111 instance)

The buy of a Burmester product has at all times been a long-term funding in excellent sound high quality. For this cause, Burmester makes the know-how of the longer term portfolio additionally accessible to the Reference Line 111 Musiccenter throughout the scope of a modification.

The discount of the shape issue in comparison with the earlier variations is a crucial step so as to have the ability to use the X-AMP in future new gear developments below tougher house situations. In order to make sure full compatibility with current gear, particular person, just about lossless adapter boards have been developed to be used in current gear.

Bespoke Concept:

Burmester introduces ‘Bespoke’ idea, making a really unique product. At Munich had been two examples of bespoke design that includes partnerships with Alcantara (a contact that was heralded by Ferrari partnership):

A BC150 was proven in all in black with ornamental elements in Ferrari-red Alcantara®, mixed with a black high-gloss entrance panel envokes the expertise of driving in a Purosangue while having fun with music in your personal lounge. The distinction between brushed aluminum and the softness of the Alcantara® finishes invitations you on a uniquely thrilling journey of discovery.

Burmester Silver

and unique German silversmiths Robbe & Berking:

To have fun the upcoming one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the silver producer Robbe & Berking, we created a really particular product that was developed collectively in each firms’ amenities. Robbe and Berking isn’t solely identified for its high-quality silverware however can be lively within the discipline of regattas. The latter each as a sponsor and initiator of the well-known Sterling Cup, in addition to within the restoration of extremely unique historic crusing yachts.

The collectively designed speaker displays the historical past of the silver manufacturing in a novel manner. The aspect panels are veneered with authentic wooden from the profitable yacht’s deck. The chrome entrance, which encloses the tweeter and midrange, is adorned with the aid specifically designed for the anniversary 12 months.

To discover out extra go to: Burmester

Click Here For More Burmester Reviews from hi-fi+

The put up New Burmester merchandise and ideas: Burmester 232 Integrated Amplifier appeared first on Hi-Fi+.

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Living Voice Auditorium R25A Loudspeaker

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Robert E. Greene

Living Voice has lengthy been a major presence within the British speaker trade. The “25” within the mannequin quantity right here is in reference to the speaker being a 25^th anniversary mannequin. In reality, the historical past of the design goes again even a bit of additional, in that the unique Living Voice Auditorium was apparently strongly influenced by an earlier design from DALI, the Model 104. Meanwhile, the unique Living Voice mannequin has been steadily and punctiliously revised in a course of that resembles the Old Masters of violin-making refining their designs yr after yr, even era after era. Living Voice is just not distinctive on this respect. It appears a British custom, with the unique LS3/5a and the unique Spendor BC1 having led to a long time of refinements and variants, over a 50-year interval for the BC1 and near that for the LS3/5a. Still, 25 years is in itself spectacular in a world the place technical merchandise are inclined to have a brief life.

The design targets of Living Voice within the R25A and its associated fashions (there are different comparable designs at increased costs within the Living Voice line) have pursued a further objective in comparison with BBC designs, which have been looking for full neutrality. Living Voice sought not simply accuracy however excessive sensitivity. The Auditorium R25A has a listed sensitivity of 94dB. Compare this to say the LS3/5a, with its 83dB sensitivity. Clearly, we’re in a special world right here, meant to be appropriate for lower-powered tube (or Class A solid-state) amplifiers and, certainly, Living Voice’s designer Kevin Scott voiced the audio system with tube amplification. Living Voice additionally makes horn audio system with the low-power tube consumer in thoughts: The Vox Olympian has a sensitivity score of 105dB!

But none of that is to recommend that the Auditorium R25A is just not of curiosity to people who find themselves proud of higher-power solid-state amplifiers. It is, in truth, a speaker of normal curiosity, despite the fact that it might be significantly enticing to the low-power tube individuals.

Still, the sensitivity problem is a vital side of the design, and it is sensible to have a look at that normal context first earlier than attending to the extra particular sonic description.

Living Voice Auditorium R25A Loudspeaker rear panel

Size, Sensitivity, and Bass

In the early days of the fashionable high-fidelity period, the late Forties and early Nineteen Fifties, amplifiers of excessive energy by right now’s requirements weren’t accessible. An amplifier with 30 watts (per channel) was thought-about a powerhouse. But individuals wished bass with each quantity and extension. The reply was to make audio system large. The logic of that is primarily based on physics: Bass wavelengths are lengthy. A 40Hz tone is over 28 toes in wavelength. This implies that a small driver won’t couple to the air at that frequency in any respect properly and must transfer violently to supply any substantial sound in any respect. Large drivers fare higher. So, individuals ended up making actually giant woofers: the ElectroVoice Patrican 800 had a 30-inch driver! That was then, however acoustic rules don’t change, and if one desires bass with excessive sensitivity, dimension stays the best way to go. The Cerwin-Vega CLS215s—my go-to audio system for reproducing the total bass energy of the orchestra—are 96dB delicate, they usually get this mixture of bass energy and extension and excessive sensitivity by being nearly the scale of a small floorstanding fridge and utilizing two 15-inch woofers. At the opposite excessive, the diminutive Spendor S3/5, beautiful although it’s at reasonable volumes in midrange copy, is a fish out of water confronted with orchestral energy at full throttle. Its bass restrict is 70Hz, the sensitivity is 84dB, and the utmost energy enter is 70 watts: stunning sound inside its limits, however orchestral bass energy and extension should not on this system and most positively not so with a low-powered amplifier. A small speaker can pump out bass with sufficient energy driving it and the construction to deal with the ability: Subwoofers may be small and nonetheless produce low bass in a giant approach. But they want quite a lot of amplifier energy. Many have amplifiers as highly effective as 1500-watt constructed into them. And the massive energy is required, and the bass driver is pushed very laborious.

The Living Voice R25As are a well-chosen compromise within the inevitable trade-offs amongst dimension, sensitivity, and bass energy and extension They are delicate sufficient to be pushed by fairly small quantities of energy, sufficiently small to suit gracefully into abnormal home environments, they usually have sufficient bass extension and quantity functionality to be fairly satisfying for many kinds of music.

The designer of Living Voice, Kevin Scott, is firmly of the opinion that amplification of any actual energy (by up to date requirements) includes critical sonic errors. I have to say I don’t discover this to be so. But, after all, there is no such thing as a hurt in precept to having a speaker that’s so excessive in sensitivity that top energy ranges should not even near being wanted. The energy that’s accessible however not used is just not bothering something. And for some individuals, the comparatively excessive 94dB sensitivity will probably be fascinating. To try the lower-power state of affairs, I used the Schiit Aegir (solid-state, however comparatively low energy at 10 watts in pure Class A, 20 watts in what Schiit calls Continuity mode). It did a fantastic job with the R25As. I didn’t have a low-power tube amplifier to attempt, however on the whole it’s positively the case that 20 watts is loads, and I might guess that 10 can be sufficient for many functions. Certainly, the Aegir was working beautifully properly on the ranges concerned, with Class A sound in the most effective sense—stunning amplification certainly, at a really rational worth ($799 if you don’t want extra energy than is on provide). The energy was ample within the case of the R25As so long as no substantial equalization was used—extra on that time later. I additionally used the 100-watt Benchmark AHB2, which, after all, was simply loafing alongside in its impartial, distortion-free approach on the energy ranges probably with a 94dB-sensitivity speaker with or with out EQ.

What is within the R25A?

The R25A has two 170mm mid/bass drivers in an MTM (midrange/tweeter/midrange) driver configuration with a 26mm soft-dome tweeter. The drivers are made by Scanspeak. The mid/bass driver has a coated-paper membrane and is constructed particularly for Living Voice, the unique type of the driving force having been in any other case discontinued, it appears. The cupboard is a slim floorstander, uncommon in that it’s provided with a podium to raise it to a greater listening top. (Bravo for this—all too many smaller floorstanders require the listener to take a seat nearly on the ground to be on an excellent axis.) This is a good suggestion and in addition a mandatory one, as a result of, in truth, the response of the R25A varies an excellent take care of the vertical place of the listening place relative to the speaker, except the listener is admittedly far-off. The speaker has fairly a large dispersion sample total, however it’s not significantly steady in frequency response with variations of the vertical listening place (listening top). On the plus aspect, the MTM association makes the speaker work together with the ground, it appears, somewhat lower than typical. The R25A is ported, with the port within the rear. Positioning the audio system pretty far into the room appeared to work greatest in my setup. (Close to the wall behind introduced up the underside however in a considerably coloured approach.) The audio system sound like themselves on the whole phrases in quite a lot of positions, however the absolute best efficiency is dependent upon cautious adjustment, apparently particularly so due to the speaker’s complicated radiation sample. Patience is rewarded. This is just not a speaker design of the equipment method, widespread with what was once known as “mid-fi” firms, the place you load up the dishes any previous approach and push a button and the dishes get washed. (One of the actually peculiar concepts concerned right here is that one ought to match audio system by switching between them however placing all of the completely different pairs in the identical place successively, by no means minding that the most effective place is perhaps completely different for various audio system.)

Starting to Listen and the Imaging Behavior of the R25As

When I first arrange the audio system, I ran Stereophile’s Test CD1 (as is my typical follow) to confirm that the channels have been wired accurately and that the 2 channels have been “in part.” This is simple to detect on music materials, however it’s faster nonetheless to make use of indicators designed for the aim. The channels have been right (monitor 2) and so was the polarity (monitor 3). But the latter was startling to listen to. The distinction is evident on any pair of audio system which might be carefully matched in frequency response. But for the R25As, the distinction was excessive. Focus was good in polarity, and in reverse polarity, the barking canine was simply nowhere in any respect—whole lack of spatial focus. This was extra so than with nearly some other audio system I’ve tried, nearly on the degree of the Gradient Helsinki 1.5s, that are absolutely the champs at this in my expertise. No doubt there are those that suppose that efficiency on such check indicators is just not related to music, however this explicit sort of check, and the equally spectacular results of the pink noise correlated versus uncorrelated, is instantly associated to stereo imaging in principle, and so it proved in follow, with music materials. The lateral stereo efficiency of the R25As was tremendous. In addition, the depth of picture was additionally fairly startling good.

It is pure to ask whence this arises. What makes the R25As so good at stereo? The presently widespread perception is that superior stereo arises from uniformity of radiation sample. This is virtually a mantra amongst semi-technical writers on audio, that huge and uniform radiation provides rise to steady and proper stereo. Stable, possibly, however my expertise is that the absolute best focus and depth is definitely connected to sure sorts of deviations from theoretical point-source uniformity. It is hardly shocking that this is perhaps so. The ear/mind senses location of pictures acoustically not from the indicators on the two ears with a hard and fast head place, however from how the indicators differ with small, nearly subliminal head actions round that place. It is thus greater than probably that sure small variations of the soundfield with such variations of head place would give enhanced outcomes, and others not. In any case, my expertise has been that audio system that run a single driver (or within the R25As a pair of drivers) as much as a comparatively excessive crossover level earlier than the tweeter is available in are inclined to have extraordinary picture focus. And the R25As have the crossover to the tweeter at 2.85kHz. The off-centered tweeter placement, which tends to attenuate total diffraction results, may also play some function. Finally, the MTM driver association, which makes the ground interplay completely different from a two-way with two drivers performs a job I believe within the era of depth and in liberating the entrance of the soundstage from the aircraft of the audio system.

In any case, leaving such tentative theorizing apart, the imaging conduct of the R25As is prime drawer. And it is a fixed enhancement of the musical expertise. Even for those who suppose you don’t care, that solely the sound itself not the spatial side counts for you, I believe you will see that the best way during which the R25As inhabit the room with out seeming to work together with it spatially enhances the sense of listening to music as if within the authentic venue. I, a minimum of, discovered this a unbroken supply of musical satisfaction and to an uncommon extent.

The Tonal Character

The R25A’s primary tonal character is considerably distinctive, and the perceived frequency response is a bit up and down, though total it’s easily altering on the entire. From the underside up: Deep bass is lacking, although extension is just not unhealthy contemplating the scale and the excessive sensitivity. There is a sort of lumpiness round 100Hz, and beneath that the bass is a bit light-weight, although it goes nominally all the way down to beneath 40Hz. Above that, there’s a dip (common, from flooring impact, not so extreme as in some audio system). The midrange within the 500Hz-to-1kHz area is considerably over-prominent. Then, there’s a perceived broad dip across the crossover level (within the 3kHz area), arising from the truth that wherever however precisely on the precise axis vertically there really is a dip. The prime appears easy and prolonged, even barely rising precisely on the tweeter axis however considerably rolled not far off that axis. The most observable side of those options is the general lightness and midrange emphasis. And this actually is noticed, not a lot as a coloration in any slim resonance sense however as a shift in stability. The male talking voice is lightened up, the other of chestiness. And the feminine talking voice is equally affected. The cello sounds extra within the viola route than it ought to, extra alto than tenor. On musical devices this isn’t usually disagreeable, however it’s not actually proper, and the talking voice is usually fairly peculiar, particularly in comparison with the BBC faculty audio system that are optimized for the talking voice particularly. To paraphrase Lewis Carroll, “Collar that midrange” is the factor to do with some EQ. Otherwise, issues are simply too unusual, to my ears anyway. It nearly sounds as if the baffle-step compensation had been omitted or a minimum of was incomplete.

What is peculiar to my thoughts right here is that this midrange emphasis, which is sort of conspicuous to my ears, is hardly commented upon in different opinions. The RM25A has been fairly broadly reviewed, however nearly nobody appears to have even observed the distinctive tonal character of the speaker. This is a part of a pattern: In the obvious zeal to speak about different issues than frequency response, up to date audio opinions typically merely ignore frequency response results altogether. And then there’s the truth that the mixture of the “flooring dip” and the roll-off off-axis in most audio system leads very often to the midrange being considerably projected, as you possibly can see in in-room measurements when they’re printed. In any case, the impact within the R25As doesn’t look spectacular in measurement phrases, however it’s there, and it has a musical impact, whether or not one likes this impact or not. To my ears, the R25As sounded loads higher if one pulled down the 800–1200Hz area considerably, easily however positively down. With that achieved, one thing like impartial stability appeared exterior of the (not unpleasant) sense of dip round 3kHz arising from the near-but-not-on-axis dip if one strikes vertically. The corrected response was really extraordinarily enticing to my thoughts and made a shocking variety of recordings sound “good” within the sense of sounding somewhat like live performance music. Euphonic in the most effective sense!

Back to the Sensitivity Question

This brings up the difficulty of precisely what sensitivity measurements imply. Traditionally, sensitivity is measured at 1kHz. The concept is that folks are inclined to set the amount based on the extent heard at 1kHz, and that is probably roughly true, though a part of that is simply the comfort of the spherical quantity 1000. But in acoustic music, orchestras particularly, the massive energy calls for are literally additional down in frequency, as you possibly can confirm for your self by utilizing a peak-power-level meter and taking part in some music. The large energy calls for occur when the orchestra goes “whomp” within the bass. The impact of that is that if a speaker is elevated at 1kHz and down a bit decrease down, the sensitivity score at 1kHz will give a deceptive impression of what number of watts of amplifier energy you want total. (This was mentioned by RH in his editorial in Issue 335.) One watt could also be loud sufficient within the mids, however when the bass whomps come alongside, it’s possible you’ll be in hassle with the extent that was all proper for 1kHz.

This is a really actual problem. An amplifier that places out 1 watt will play 1kHz at 94dB earlier than clipping. That is sort of loud. But when the massive bass comes alongside, clipping will occur on the drop of a hat. How excessive is that this in follow? I attempted some time again a McIntosh amplifier that had peak-level meters on my Harbeth M40s, sensitivity 84dB. Playing orchestral music at reasonable ranges—mid-80dB forte degree total on an SPL meter (C-weighted), the massive bass whomps drew 170 watts incessantly. People who suppose their micro-powered amplifiers should not going to clip are probably mistaken, except they hear completely to clavichords and soprano recorders. Of course, one of many nominal promoting factors of SETs is that they have an inclination to clip gracefully—they usually certainly have to.

Looked on the different approach round, with 1kHz being the determiner of the setting for the amount, a speaker that tasks the mids will want much less bass energy as a result of the amount setting will probably be decrease. But for those who EQ the bass as much as match the mids, then energy calls for go up. In impact, the speaker operates as having decrease sensitivity.

The impact of all that is that, whether or not consciously or subconsciously, the high-sensitivity/low-power world tends to pursue midrange forwardness most of the time. As one would possibly anticipate, SETs are normally rolled on the frequency extremes. People discuss their midrange superiority. But the midrange of SETs is just not essentially superior—it’s simply extra plentiful in comparison with the frequency extremes. These results are giant in listening phrases. And comparable bias is concerned generally in audio system.

I’m not attempting to recommend that anybody units out to make a speaker with pushed-up mids in an effort to make its listed sensitivity increased. Rather, there are elements that make for increased sensitivity that additionally promote midrange forwardness. Among these are light-weight drivers, which usually tend to be full of life on the prime of their working vary, and the absence or close to absence of inner damping. This contributes to increased perceived sensitivity, since damping out sound in impact converts sonic vitality to warmth, so there’s much less sound vitality emitted to the skin world. Furthermore, the undamped sound appears livelier even when it’s not all that a lot louder: Resonances make issues sound louder. This is, after all, no place for an extended technical dialogue, however the R25As do have somewhat little inner damping, based on Living Voice.

Let me give an analogy. If you sit down at a grand piano and depress the right-hand pedal (the damper pedal or sustaining pedal), which lifts the dampers off all of the strings. The instrument appears nearly alive—the very act of making use of the pedal and lifting the dampers makes a small sound reminding one of many resonances ready to be unleashed by pushing down the retains and having the hammers hit the strings. Now these resonances are what make the music, creates the sound of the piano taking part in. But they’re all ready there to be launched.

At first sight, one would possibly suppose that for a speaker to be lifelike, it needs to be comparable; it too needs to be a bunch of resonances ready to be unleashed. But this isn’t actually the precise concept. If a grand piano with the dampers raised is a racehorse ready for the beginning gate to be opened, aquiver with pleasure of the ability to be unleashed, a speaker should be extra like a brick mendacity on a mud flat. It is just not about to maneuver except shoved and when the shoving stops, it stops transferring. Speakers want to breed the recorded results of the resonances of musical devices, however they don’t seem to be alleged to have any resonances of their very own.

Now, individuals fear loads about the way to deal with the motion of the cupboard partitions within the decrease frequencies, both by making the cupboards super-rigid or by making them barely versatile however damping them. What I’m describing is additional up in frequency than the bass. A midrange driver taking part in at say 2kHz is producing a backwave of a wavelength of about seven inches. It is just not pressurizing the field as a unit the best way bass does, however it’s nonetheless bouncing round inside in varied methods. What is one to do with that sound? Ideally, one desires merely to eliminate it as a result of it’s saved vitality that one doesn’t need to hear. So, normally, audio system are full of one thing or have sound-absorbing damping materials on the partitions of the field. This materials eliminates sonic vitality—it’s alleged to, and it does.

You can skip doing this. If you skip it, the emitted sound will change. The ensuing sound is livelier and fewer “lifeless.” But lifeless is admittedly what you need to hear—or, a minimum of, I believe so. In normal phrases, controversies alongside these traces have been happening in audio ceaselessly. How lifeless ought to issues be? How damped down ought to a listening room be? What in regards to the backwave of dipole audio system, absorbed or mirrored? It is dependent upon whom you ask, particularly about listening rooms.

To return to the R25As, they belong considerably within the “undead” class. And to my ears, they’re (within the phrases of Rex Stout’s thriller basic) “not fairly lifeless sufficient.” Even for those who EQ down the midrange prominence to get the measured response flat, there’s a sort of glow to the sound at a subliminal degree that I used to be not keen on. I stored wishing I might “put a sock in it,” actually—stuff one thing into the field, not the port however into the field itself.

Don’t misunderstand: This is just not an enormous factor. Musical devices, in spite of everything, do “glow” on this sense—they’re resonators. But to my ears they have an inclination to accumulate a bit of extra glow than is admittedly there. This is true particularly of the piano. I freely admit that numerous individuals appear to love this. Reviews of the R25As have both ignored the query or have preferred the “full of life” sound. And some individuals have praised them for percussive sound particularly.

In any case, it is a smaller matter than the frequency-response results, as such. But if you’re sensitive about this, hear fastidiously to some piano sound to get the thought. This makes a lot much less distinction on sustained materials, nonetheless.

Good News

It is necessary to appreciate that the R25As do quite a lot of necessary issues rather well, no matter points I might need had with absolute neutrality or lack thereof. As already famous, the R25As do a fantastic, certainly a spectacular job of stereo imaging. And they do that in a approach that’s of actual musical significance. Orchestral music, as an example, is correctly separated spatially, which provides to the listener’s capacity to listen to particular person traces. (Ernst Ansermet’s remark within the early days of stereo about how the primary musical job of stereo was separation of components got here to thoughts.) Comes to that, the R25As do a fantastic job of conserving complicated textures straight and unconfused. It is tough to say what’s concerned right here technically, however the lack of auditory confusion is hanging and musically rewarding.

In the Telarc Cleveland Quartet recording of Beethoven’s Opus 59, No. 2 and No. 3, the 4 devices are all the time separated in area and id, however the entire has a unity on the identical time. It actually sounds very similar to a string quartet does sound in a gratifying approach. (This is an efficient recording for these in search of the repertoire.) And when one strikes as much as extra complicated multi-lined materials, the gestalt stays wonderful. The Swan of Tuonela on Reference Recording’s Reveries CD (Minnesota Orchestra, E. Oue cond.) sounds each stunning and convincing, not solely when the solo English horn is taking part in with sparse accompaniment but in addition when the entire orchestra speaks in response. And the massive second is simply large, not in any approach muddied up. This feeling of effortlessness stays when even larger orchestral moments come up in different repertoire. Again, the readability with none harshness and with none sense of pressure (so long as quantity is stored rational—that is in spite of everything a small speaker) is musically gratifying. Even the heaviest scores of R. Strauss and Mahler stick collectively whereas remaining unconfused (the recording allowing). The sense that so typically turns up of issues falling aside, the middle not holding when the going will get intense, is blessedly lacking to an extent that’s exceptional, particularly in a speaker of this dimension. (It was a little bit of a shock to me to seek out this in a speaker with so little inner damping. I might have anticipated that the after-sound that one hears on the piano recordings would obscure barely complicated orchestra textures. however for no matter cause, the readability is there.)

At very shut vary, one hears the considerably difficult acoustic relationship among the many two drivers and the tweeter geometrically between. But at an affordable listening distance, the speaker turns into very coherent and of a bit. And the sound could be very “un-speaker-like.” These descriptions could look like customary audio-review boilerplate, however on this occasion, they’re really true. The lengthy work in adjusting crossovers and selecting crossover components which has been concerned with the design appears to have paid off—one thing has paid off, in any case. (It is all the time laborious to reverse-engineer, to know what a part of the design course of induced what, however the audible results are there it doesn’t matter what the rationale.)

One begins to know how different reviewers have determined to disregard problems with full neutrality and focus on what the speaker does properly—as a result of the issues it does properly it actually does do properly, and they’re musically vital. It is maybe foolish to name Beethoven and Sibelius “enjoyable,” however in some sense the R25As actually are “enjoyable” to take heed to or, to make use of a greater phrase, a pleasure.

Long Thoughts

As I used to be penning this, I recalled the passage on web page 102 of Issue 335 the place our editor RH discusses how even audio system on the grandest worth and dimension vary (on this case the Göbel Divin Noblesse) have a sure distinctive character of their very own, more likely to be completely different from different giant and costly audio system. This is maybe not shocking. Indeed, it even appears inevitable within the context that simply on-axis response alone, by no means thoughts the consequences of off-axis and room sound and all the remainder, the brink for audible distinction is about ±0.1dB for broadband shifts in response. All speaker designers are within the place of getting to decide on amongst a large number of potentialities, even when one supposes that they’ve full management, which, after all, they don’t.

But the odd factor is that folks, even confronted with the truth that there are going to be inevitable variations, turn into devoted to 1 or one other chance. We all need to consider that the speaker we like is one way or the other “proper” in a approach that others should not. Even amongst individuals who agree largely, impassioned disagreements come up. Have a have a look at any discussion board the place completely different variations of basically the identical speaker design are mentioned.

In this spirit, I’m in truth fairly satisfied that the R25As are too “midrangy.” But I’m ready to confess that others would possibly really feel in a different way. Perhaps it is a second when one ought to recall the traces from the Youngbloods’ “Get Together”: “Come on individuals now, smile in your brother.”

The R25As are a cautious work, refined over an extended time period and aimed toward a selected aesthetic in sound, as is any critical speaker design. In this case, the aesthetic appears to incorporate the maximization of midrange life in a speaker that’s, even so, almost full vary, reasonable in dimension, and excessive sufficient in sensitivity to be pushed by lower-power amplifiers.

If the latter level, particularly, is of compelling curiosity to you, you then positively have to audition the R25As. If you aren’t decided to stay with lower-powered amplifiers and don’t thoughts a bit of EQ to collar the midrange, the R25As are nonetheless of curiosity for his or her imaging, coherence, and bass extension in a comparatively small speaker.

Specs & Pricing

Driver complement: 1x Scanspeak 26mm (1″) comfortable dome tweeter, 2x Scanspeak 170mm (6.5″) coated-paper mid/bass drivers
Frequency response: 35Hz–22kHz, ±3dB
Sensitivity: 94dB
Nominal impedance: 6 ohms, nonreactive
Dimensions: 215mm x 1170mm (together with podium) x 270mm
Weight: 42 lbs. (every)
Price: $6995/pr.

LIVING VOICE
Long Eaton
Derbyshire, UK
44 (0) 115 9733222
livingvoice.co.uk

BORDER PATROL (U.S. Distributor)
(301) 705-7460
borderpatrol.internet

The publish Living Voice Auditorium R25A Loudspeaker appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

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Vivid Audio Giya G1 Spirit

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Jason Kennedy

I managed to get away to Greece in late July final 12 months, simply because it was reaching Greek temperatures within the UK, and loved two weeks of correct ‘scorchio’ climate. I seen how a lot hotter the cities had been (even within the shade) than the much less densely populated areas, particularly these with out buildings. This is essentially as a result of the roads and buildings absorb warmth after which slowly launch it over the day. This is what high-mass cupboards do, albeit at a unique frequency; they retailer the power that comes from the drive models and launch it over time, fairly extra time than it takes for the sign to be produced by the drivers. The heavier the loudspeaker cupboard, the extra excessive this may get even when heavy audio system do have a solidity within the bass that fairly interesting for a similar cause.

With most wood cupboards the power is instantly radiated by the panels of the field to some extent, the higher the bracing the decrease the radiation seems to be the rule. Vivid takes an entirely totally different strategy to controlling radiation by making the cupboard as stiff and light-weight as attainable. The Giya G1 Spirit is a big speaker that stands simply over 5 foot excessive and has a quantity of 180 litres however it weighs lower than 70 kilos. A Bowers & Wilkins 802, by comparability, is greater than a foot shorter and weighs practically 90 kilos.

Two skins

The Vivid Giya cupboards are produced from two skins of vacuum-infused glass-reinforced composite, a complicated variant on fibre glass, with finish grain balsa between the 2 skins to offer stiffness. A few producers make bass drivers in a sandwich association like this however they use foam because the filling; a speaker cupboard wants one thing a bit extra stable. The distinctive form of Giya just isn’t a whim of the Vivid styling division however a real occasion of type following perform. The tubular ring on the prime represents the top of the inverted horn that absorbs power from the 2 bass drivers on both facet of the cupboard. This is similar to the tapered tube idea that Vivid designer Laurence Dickie created for Bowers & Wilkins within the authentic Nautilus loudspeaker, which has subsequently discovered its method into the 800 collection fashions.

Vivid Audio Giya G1 Spirit

In Vivid loudspeakers, this tapered tube system is used with all of the drivers. You can see the place these for the tweeter, upper- and lower-midrange drivers terminate on the again of the cupboard the place small hex bolts are seen. The bass drivers which produce essentially the most power and are thus most certainly to vibrate the cupboard, should not fastened to it within the standard method. Instead they’re bodily braced in opposition to each other and held in place with a compliant mounting the place the chassis meets the cupboard, that is an strategy present in a few of the higher subwoofers, and I notice, an idea speaker that Monitor Audio confirmed in Munich High-End 2022, and signifies that the bass system is solidly anchored with minimal danger of transmitting power into the ‘field’.

This continues to be a reflex-loaded loudspeaker nevertheless; it’s simply that just like the bass drivers there are two reflex ports that look a bit like gills and sit reverse each other both facet of the cupboard behind the bass drivers. This association is used in an effort to stability the ports and let the bass system breathe evenly.

Breaking up the chain

Vivid develops and makes its personal drive unts. This is the one method that Dickie may use domes that aren’t typical hemispheres, as a substitute they’ve a catenary form which is the form a sequence kinds when it’s hung between two posts. This form was chosen as a result of its break up level is notably larger than an everyday dome even earlier than you add the carbon fibre reinforcing ring to its perimeter. If Vivid’s measurements are to be believed, and Dickie is a first-rate engineer, the catenary form has such clear benefits over common domes that one wonders why nobody else makes use of them, maybe there’s a patent at work right here.

The decrease midrange is probably essentially the most uncommon driver on the Giya G1 Spirit, it has a big oblate sphere (doughnut formed) central dome and really steep cone sides. The massive central dome signifies that this 125mm driver has a 75mm voice coil, which is a uncommon ratio. Like the domes above it this driver has a carbon fibre reinforcement ring on the base of the dome, an association not seen on every other driver together with these within the Vivid vary.

Vivid Audio Giya G1 Spirit

The G1 Spirit is accessible with a standard onboard crossover or a separate outboard one. The latter is available in a comparatively typical rectilinear case fabricated from the identical materials because the speaker, so it’s good and glossy with chamfered corners. Connection to the loudspeaker is by way of an umbilical that fixes proper beneath the speaker, with the onboard crossover the cable terminals are additionally beneath the speaker. This makes for a really neat look however requires that the speaker be laid on its facet in an effort to make the connections, which is true in each onboard and outboard crossovers. The benefit of the latter is straightforward speaker cable connection and fewer vibration for the crossover parts to deal with, nevertheless it was initially conceived to permit the G1 Spirit to be actively pushed, and this has been finished with electronics from Linn, Devialet and Trinnov prior to now.

Clean dwelling

The sonic character of this loudspeaker may be very distinct, inasmuch because it seems to have just about none of its personal. And but as a result of that is a lot extra clearly the case than with most different loudspeakers it actually stands out. The very first thing that hits you is that nothing hits you besides the music, that’s there aren’t any sharp edges, no sense of grain or distortion. Dickie disagrees with that final phrase and prefers the time period ‘coloration’ as a result of that’s the appropriate time period, nevertheless the Giya G1 Spirit doesn’t simply sound as if it has an excellent tonal response, it sounds as if it doesn’t have the sharp edges discovered with the overwhelming majority of loudspeakers. If something it is rather very like an electrostatic, it has the identical smoothness and ease as the very best examples of the style however that is mixed with the low finish energy and dynamics of a reflex design.

It’s a speaker that warrants top quality and effectively matched amplification, I used to be capable of provide this to an extent however not the complete extent so suspect that even with the unbelievable outcomes I obtained there’s extra to be heard from these extraordinary loudspeakers. Nonetheless having them within the system proved to be a completely revelatory expertise the like of which I’ve not often had the pleasure of. There is an effective number of very open sounding loudspeakers available on the market right this moment, the extra superior designers consider the truth that you’ll be able to’t get an excellent response in a traditional room except the sound that hits the facet partitions, ground and ceiling has the identical stability because the direct sound from drivers to your ears. This huge dispersion strategy requires nice driver design and a cupboard that doesn’t hinder power coming off these drivers in all instructions, the Giya G1 Spirit cupboard is devoid of sharp edges so the sign has nothing to replicate off because it exits the speaker. This reduces sensitivity to an extent but additionally reduces coloration to a a lot larger extent, this speaker’s sensitivity is definitely fairly excessive at 92dB (2.83 VRMS at 1m) and its nominal impedance a comparatively simple six Ohms. So Vivid has managed to maintain coloration down with out sacrificing ease of drive which is a uncommon achievement in itself.

Wide Dispersion

The huge dispersion is presumably one cause why this speaker sounds so relaxed, not the first cause however an element. It’s additionally why the picture scale modifications with every bit of music performed, actually all the things about each recording performed by way of the Giya G1 Spirit appears to be revealed. Give them a very good acoustic recording similar to Chasing the Dragon’s Mendelsohnn Octets and the sense of being there’s greater than palpable, it’s completely convincing. You get the openness of the excessive ceiling on the Henry Wood Hall the place the recording was made and also you get the timbre of the eight devices layered and dare I say it, vivid, in entrance of you. What additionally struck me about this and lots of different items of music is how effectively the Vivids monitor stage, that’s the quantity stage of particular person voices and devices relative to 1 one other in a given combine. Described as micro dynamics that is an space the place the extremely low noise (as a result of there’s so little cupboard vibration) of those audio system places them into one other league. It permits the listener to comply with and admire totally different performers inside a bunch and to listen to the best way that totally different components of a mixture have been handled.

If that every one sounds fairly dry what it boils all the way down to is a level of transparency that’s distinctive, and that signifies that extra of the musical sign will get into the room with out being coloured or distorted. With Mari Samuelsen’s first solo album Mari [DG] it signifies that a big group of musicians seems within the room come what may of magic, the diploma of realism is positively uncanny. This is a spectacular recording however simply how spectacular grew to become lots clearer with the massive Vivids, I’ve by no means heard string tone that’s so pure nor had a way of the dimensions and nature of a studio acoustic that was so effectively reproduced. It makes the music she creates that rather more highly effective and transferring, and it makes me realise that the Rega P10 turntable is even higher than I believed it was, and I used to be fairly impressed within the first place.

With much less pure recordings within the type of Frank Zappa’s stay You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore [Zappa Music] releases, you’ll be able to hear how he has constructed up these tracks utilizing snippets from totally different performances, a guitar break right here, a voice there. You can hear the joins however this doesn’t get in the best way of having fun with the brilliance of the music, Zappa had requirements that not even his extremely rehearsed bands may all the time stay as much as and through the use of the very best bits spliced collectively he was capable of assemble the close to as attainable good concert events for these of us unable to attend the actual factor. Having a loudspeaker that’s able to delivering that music at an acceptable quantity with none sense of effort and the entire bandwidth required is a really particular expertise that will get you as shut as you’ll be able to to being there.

Not a cartoon

The bass on the G1 Spirit just isn’t apparent, that’s like the remainder of the bandwidth it doesn’t have sharpened main edges that outline it a bit like a cartoon. Rather the bass is three dimensional, it’s obtained depth and weight and strikes with easy velocity. Essentially it’s extraordinarily pure, and simply as prolonged and highly effective because the sign calls for, so if that sign emanates from a synth or electrical bass it may be very muscular certainly. But if it’s a piano or double bass there’s extra texture and depth of tone, extra selection and color. Whatever the supply it’s very juicy and interesting and all the time bang on time.

Vivid Audio Giya G1 Spirit

The Vivid Giya G1 Spirit is an distinctive loudspeaker, because of the best way that its drivers and cupboard have been executed it doesn’t have the issues related to 99.9% of dynamic loudspeakers. Instead you get sound that’s as thrilling, highly effective and delightful because the recording permits, and lots of of them allow an terrible lot of all three. It’s a speaker that I may all too simply stay with proper as much as the purpose the place enthusiasm wanted to be summoned for one more loudspeaker assessment. It’s not a speaker for reviewers, it’s a speaker for music lovers who don’t need to make comparisons.

Technical specs

Type 4-way, five-driver, reflex loaded floorstanding speaker
Driver complement One 26mm steel dome tweeter with Tapered Tube loading; one 50mm steel dome midrange driver with Tapered Tube loading; one 125mm alloy/carbon diaphragm lower-mid driver with 75mm voice coil, two 225mm alloy diaphragm bass drivers with 100mm voice coil in 45mm hole
Crossover frequencies 220Hz, 880Hz, 3.5kHz
Frequency response + / -2dB 29–33,000 Hz
Impedance 6 Ohms nominal, 3 Ohms minimal at 20 okHz
Sensitivity 92dB @ 2.83 VRMS at 1 m on axis
Dimensions (H×W×D) 1600 × 440 × 820mm
Weight 67.4kg/every
Finishes Piano black, Pearl white, Oyster matte plus premium colors
Price £82,500/pair

Manufacturer

Vivid Audio

www.vividaudio.com

Distributor

Vivid Audio UK LTD

www.vividaudio.com

Tel +44(0) 1403 713 125

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DALI Epikore 11 launched to have fun 40 years

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Hi-Fi+ Staff

With the brand new EPIKORE 11, DALI celebrates 40 years of loudspeaker analysis and improvement. The pure evolution of the acclaimed DALI EPICON sequence — inheriting a number of new applied sciences from the DALI KORE flagship speaker — the EPIKORE 11 combines final audio realism with luxurious craftmanship to create a really distinctive musical expertise.

KEY FEATURES:

4½-way Design feat. Custom-made Drivers
SMC Gen-2 Technology for Ultra-low Distortion
EVO-Okay Hybrid Tweeter Module, comprising a 35mm Soft-dome Tweeter and a 55 x 10mm HF Ribbon Element
1 x 6½-inch EPIKORE Midrange with SMC Gen-2 and Custom Paper and Wood Fibre Cone construction.
4 x 8-inch EPIKORE Woofers with SMC Gen-2
New SMC KORE Crossover Inductors
Premium Grade Crossover Components
Adjustable Aluminium Outriggers
New High-end Binding Posts
Dual-flare Bass Reflex Ports
Die-cast Baffles
Available in 3 Exclusive High-gloss Finishes

The DALI EPIKORE 11 is a 4½-way floorstander that units new requirements for low-distortion loudspeaker design. The curved, real-wood veneer cupboard of homes 4 highly effective 8-inch bass drivers, a extremely dynamic 6½-inch midrange — every utilising DALI’s Soft Magnetic Compound Gen-2 (SMC Gen-2) magnet materials — in addition to DALI’s signature EVO-Okay Hybrid Tweeter Module.

When utilizing standard magnets in a speaker design, it’s not uncommon to expertise a phenomenon often known as hysteresis. This introduces an unintended resistance to the voice-coil, which might result in undesirable distortion within the audio sign. Designed to considerably reduces hysteresis, SMC Gen-2 is the subsequent era of DALI’s patented SMC magnet materials know-how. Introduced of their flagship DALI KORE loudspeaker, SMC Gen-2 is included into the EPIKORE 11 bass and midrange drivers, in addition to within the crossover inductor cores, and provides considerably enhanced traits over the first-generation SMC, launched within the EPICON sequence in 2014. The result’s an additional discount in hysteresis, flux-modulation and eddy currents within the magnet system. This interprets to even decrease loss and distortion, main the EPIKORE 11 to ship a extremely dynamic and genuine sound copy.

dali epikore 11

The EPIKORE 11 options DALI’s signature Paper and Wood Fibre Cone Technology, which serves to cut back weight and provides stiffness; serving to promote non-resonant break-up traits. With wooden fibre cone know-how, the EPIKORE 11 produces the best musical element and dynamics.

Developed initially for the DALI KORE, the EVO-Okay Hybrid Tweeter combines a big, in-house developed 35 mm tender dome tweeter and an improved model of DALI’s ultra-thin, excessive efficiency ribbon tweeter aspect. Together with the extraordinarily highly effective neodymium magnet motor techniques, they ship an astonishingly easy and easy high-frequency copy at any quantity.

“The EPIKORE 11 is the pure development of our award profitable EPICON speaker, making use of the learnings from our DALI KORE flagship.”, says DALI.

The newly developed 6½-inch EPIKORE Midrange Driver delivers excellent efficiency. Featuring the advanced embossed geometric construction of the paper and wooden fibre diaphragm used within the DALI KORE, which — in addition to serving to to regulate the diaphragm modes — lowers distortion with out including further weight. The titanium voice-coil, and DALI’s patented SMC Gen-2 magnet system lowers mechanical loss and distortion even additional, permitting for an impressive sonic efficiency.

Featuring exceptionally massive and highly effective magnet techniques primarily based on DALI’s SMC Gen-2 materials, the Four 8-inch Woofers used within the EPIKORE 11 fill any room with an enormous, intensive and exact low frequency copy. From the bottom, deepest bass frequencies via to the seamless overlap to the midrange driver, the EPIKORE 11 woofers reproduce the best musical particulars and dynamics, with very low lack of info.

First launched within the DALI KORE, the SMC KORE Crossover Inductors used for the EPIKORE 11 function the world’s first SMC Gen-2 inductor cores. When in contrast with commonplace air-core inductors, this know-how permits decrease DC resistance, a shorter sign path and fewer vulnerability to crosstalk between the inductors, particularly at excessive inductances. These SMC KORE Crossover Inductors, along with hand-picked, high-end capacitors & resistors, make sure the EPIKORE 11’s World-class Crossovers are optimised solely for the speaker. The properties of SMC Gen-2 materials additionally ends in round 12dB much less present distortion than equal iron-powder core inductors.

Taking inspiration from earlier DALI loudspeakers, the EPIKORE 11 options All-new Bi-wire Capable Binding Posts which embrace oversize thumbscrews, permitting for higher grip on naked wires and spade terminals. The EPIKORE 11 Die-cast Baffles are constructed from acoustically inert and very stiff supplies that present a strong and delightful platform for the drivers, whereas eliminating undesirable cupboard resonance. Twin Dual-flare Bass Reflex Ports assist the bass drivers ship an exceptionally deep and distortion-free low frequency response.

Designed and constructed in-house, the DALI EPIKORE 11 exude the minimalism, class and magnificence of basic Danish furnishings design. With Adjustable Spike Feet Outriggers, guaranteeing strong, secure contact with the ground, and out there in 3 Exclusive High-gloss Finishes (High Gloss Black, High Gloss Maroon and High Gloss Walnut), the brand new DALI EPIKORE 11 loudspeakers sound — and look — merely beautiful.

Epikore 11 will launch in August 2023 priced at $60,000, £39,998, €39,998 per pair.

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Focal Stella Utopia EM Evo Loudspeaker

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Andre Jennings

Focal calls its second-from-the-top Stella Utopia EM Evo ($149,998 pair) a technological twin sister to its topmost Grande Utopia EM Evo due to its implementation of comparable options. The Stella shares the Grande’s high-efficiency field-coil or electro-magnetic (EM) woofer, TMD (Tuned Mass Damper) driver suspension, NIC (Neutral Inductance Circuit), MRR (Machined Reinforced Rings), “W” sandwich composite cone materials, Power Flower magnet construction, Focus Time driver alignment, and OPC+ filtering, multi-adjustment sound-personalization in a three-way design with extra svelte dimensions than the bigger four-way Grande.

Being a 3 manner, the Stella has crossovers at 230Hz and a couple of.2kHz. The speaker has a single 13″ electro-magnetic woofer, a 1″ beryllium inverted-dome tweeter, and twin 6.5″ midrange drivers. The midrange and tweeter are in a bodily midrange-tweeter-midrange (MTM) association, sitting above the EM woofer’s enclosure.

The Stella has visually enticing curved surfaces on all 4 sides. Each driver is mounted in its personal optimized semi-separate chamber, organized in what Focal calls Focus Time—a mechanical system that aligns the part between drivers on the listening place. This is completed with the woofer module having an ever-so-gentle backwards tilt, with the decrease midrange module close to parallel, the tweeter module barely tilted downward, and the upper-midrange module tilted a bit extra downward. The ensuing look provides the modules the looks of being gracefully curved, like a backbone. When correctly arrange, the Stella’s module alignment higher time-aligns the drivers’ outputs on the listening place.

Internally, the Stella’s cupboard is fabricated from medium-density fiberboard (MDF) as much as 2″ thick in key areas and closely braced internally. Focal believes the MDF materials has inherent benefits for loudspeaker building, together with stability and resistance to vibration. The entrance baffle incorporates Focal’s MRRs across the drivers for elevated energy. Additional gadgets contained in the Stella embrace: further acoustic wadding for bass management; precision, 20%-thicker inner wiring to restrict present losses; and premium crossover elements.

The Stella Utopia’s base is a thick laminar materials with everlasting, low-profile, built-in wheels on the underside and 4 threaded holes within the corners to just accept Focal’s three-piece (threaded screw, higher cone, and decrease cone), customized, decoupling spike meeting, along with a magnetically attracted counter-spike (spike cup) to guard tile and wooden flooring. On the rear of the Stella’s base is a DC energy connection for the EM woofer’s exterior energy provide. There are WBT bi-wire/bi-amp speaker connections for the principle (midrange and tweeter) and bass (woofer) speaker sections. (Focal provides customized metallic jumpers for single-wired use, if you’re not bi-wiring or bi-amping the audio system.) The upper-front portion of the Stella’s base is a large, flared outlet for the bass module’s reflex port. This port is claimed so as to add no distortion or noise from air circulation, in addition to no dynamic compression of the woofer, which is built-in immediately above the speaker’s base. (The woofer module has a gap on the underside that mates with the formed, front-ported outlet of the speaker’s base.)

The 13″ EM woofer occupies the higher entrance of the bass module. The EM woofer’s cone is fabricated from the identical third-generation “W” composite materials described within the midrange module part beneath however optimized for the bass-frequency vary. Unlike most drivers out there immediately utilizing everlasting magnets comprised of numerous supplies, Focal has chosen an electromagnet. This is a metallic core fashioned right into a magnet by an exterior energy supply used to go electrical present by way of the field-coil surrounding the core. This design selection permits Focal to take care of an optimum steadiness of effectivity and low-frequency output extension. The EM woofer is round in diameter (clearly seen with the grille cowl eliminated). With the grille cowl on, the woofer appears to have a vertical oval form, which provides to the svelte slender look of the Stella—a pleasant design contact.

The two midrange modules (immediately above the woofer module on the high of the speaker) look similar. The 6.5″ midrange is centered within the module, consistent with the tweeter and woofer. The cone is fabricated from Focal’s third-generation “W” composite materials: selective fine-weaved, long-strand, glass-fiber tissue above and beneath a driver-specific-thick, structured, resin-foam core. The motor system consists of Focal’s Power Flower motor (a collection of double-stacked ferrite rings in a round array surrounding the voice coil) that helps better magnetic vitality and vented cooling of the voice coil that’s proportional to the quantity of motion throughout operation: the extra cone motion, the extra venting and thus the extra cooling. The midrange additionally incorporates Focal’s mechanical Neutral Inductance Circuit (NIC). This NIC Faraday ring is used to optimize the magnetic area across the voice coil, rising efficiency by delivering better readability, dynamics, and definition. Finally, the midrange driver has the Tuned Mass Damper (TMD), born from using finite ingredient evaluation to selectively tune the driving force’s encompass suspension and eradicate undesirable resonances, leading to extra linear cone motion, particularly within the 1kHz-to-4kHz vary.

The tweeter module, sandwiched between the 2 midrange modules, incorporates the inverted, pure beryllium dome tweeter, vertically consistent with the opposite drivers. Unlike the detachable material grille covers of the opposite drivers, the 1″ tweeter has a everlasting metallic grille cowl defending the tweeter. The driver’s operational bandwidth is 1kHz to 40kHz. The Infinite Acoustic Loading (IAL2) of the tweeter has a low resonance frequency that’s almost two full octaves beneath the in-system crossover frequency of two.2kHz.

Unlike a number of the massive high-performance audio system that ship in a number of smaller instances, the Stellas come absolutely assembled. That’s the upside. The draw back is {that a} forklift is required for supply. Each absolutely assembled Stella speaker is shipped in a really massive wood crate weighing almost 600 kilos. The crate is provisioned for forklift motion alongside the lengthy facet of the construction. The courier delivered the crates to my storage by way of forklift, the place they sat for a few days till the piano movers may take away the audio system from the crates and produce them into my listening room. The Stella lays flat on its again within the crate throughout transport and is protected on all sides internally with very sturdy closed-cell foam helps minimize exactly for the speaker’s outlines. The piano movers set the crates vertically as directed within the unpacking directions and rolled every speaker out of its crate. The 374-pound Stella had protecting padding across the decrease base and a material “gown” overlaying your complete speaker. Once the movers obtained the audio system into the home, we rolled them into preliminary positions and put in the three-piece decoupling spikes and counter-spike cups. The subsequent steps have been to take away the “gown” and padding on the bottom to disclose an attractive Ash Grey-colored speaker. Final steps concerned unpacking the EM-woofer energy provide for every speaker and making the AC-inlet connection, adopted by the EM-power-supply-to-EM woofer DC energy connection. I wired up the speaker terminals in a bi-wire configuration and turned the EM energy provide on by pushing the facility button on its high. The Stellas have been able to play music.

Before I say extra about setup, it’s price mentioning that purchasers of the Stella Utopia EM Evo will most probably have all these steps of supply and setup carried out by their vendor or consultant. If the proprietor is curious concerning the steps in setup, the Stella unpacking information and consumer handbook has helpful primary directions for getting the audio system arrange and enjoying satisfactorily. Some of the data consists of advising how placement within the room impacts bass, prompt places to make use of and keep away from, how you can join the audio system and EM module, how you can set up decoupling spikes, how you can set listening distance and speaker separation, and how you can troubleshoot set-up points. Lastly, there’s a part dedicated to using the OPC+ filter settings and the EM woofer power-supply stage.

Once the Stellas have been initially arrange with nominal settings, bodily moved and adjusted for finest in-room sound, and enjoying music for a number of weeks, I started to pay attention extra critically and discover the OPC+ and EM woofer changes.

One of the distinctive options of the Stella Utopia EM Evo is the mixture of OPC+ filtering and EM-woofer-power-supply sound-personalization changes. The EM woofer energy provide has three settings for bass output that may be chosen primarily based on the amplifier used, private desire, and/or the speaker’s room interplay. The OPC+ filter (hidden behind a entice door on the rear panel of the decrease midrange module) has 4 frequency band changes (bass high quality, midrange, tweeter slope, and tweeter stage), permitting three settings for every. All OPC+ filter bands and the EM woofer management comprise a nominal setting adopted by a stage adjustment that enables for a setting above and beneath regular. Together, the sum complete of settings out there on Stella provides as much as a wholesome 243 mixtures!

Starting with the EM woofer level-control, the “2” setting provides extra output in comparison with the “NOM” setting. This further output begins slowly within the decrease bass frequencies and rises as frequencies enhance till it reaches about +2dB at 150Hz, then begins to say no to flat when it will get to the woofer crossover frequency of 230Hz. In this setting, the higher bass is extra pronounced and may, in some cases, serve to counter a room anomaly or a floor-bounce concern in that frequency vary. If the consumer desires a fuller upper-bass sound than what is offered within the “NOM” place, this setting will even do this. The ”1” setting is used to decrease the bass output from 230Hz on right down to the decrease bass frequencies. This setting drops the output by about 1dB and is fairly linear in perform throughout its vary of operation. In this case, the setting can be utilized to easily scale back the bass output of the EM woofer. Subjectively, this setting supplies very tight and linear bass with much more management than the already wonderful “NOM” setting.

The Bass Quality adjustment within the OPC+ filter adjusts the bass frequencies from roughly 50Hz to 100Hz centered round 70Hz. Position “3” provides 1dB whereas place “1” drops the output by 1dB. Position “2” is nominal. The Midrange adjustment within the OPC+ filter operates linearly from 230Hz to 2.2kHz. Position “3” provides 1dB whereas place “1” drops the output by 1dB. Position “2” is nominal. Like the midrange, the Tweeter Level adjustment within the OPC+ filter operates linearly simply above its begin frequency of two.2kHz to properly previous human listening to. Position “3” provides 1dB, whereas place “1” drops the output by 1dB. Position “2” is nominal. The Tweeter Slope adjustment operates across the transition frequency of the tweeter, 2.2kHz. This adjustment is regular in place “2,” produces a slight dip in place “1,” and provides a slight peak in place “3.” All the adjustable dB-levels listed above are approximate values. (The OPC+ and EM woofer stage controls and their prompt settings beneath sure use circumstances are listed within the consumer handbook for additional rationalization.)

Using the Stella with regular settings could be simply tremendous if that have been the one possibility out there. My foremost curiosity for many visiting audio system is the bass efficiency in my listening room. The Stella performs very properly with these default settings. However, on condition that I had the chance to additional refine the bass, I took benefit of the scenario and opted for the subjectively tighter, barely extra linear, and managed bass of the EM woofer energy provide’s “1” setting, regardless that the output was decreased by about 1dB. The decreased bass output was not a big concern; I ended up turning the OPC+ midrange and treble controls right down to compensate and produce issues again into subjective steadiness.

I listened to the Stellas with the speaker grilles on and off. There is a distinction. Anytime you place one thing between you and the speaker’s driver, it’s extremely possible {that a} distinction will probably be seen. How a lot of a distinction could depend upon the listener and his/her style. It will definitely depend upon whether or not the producer/designer designed the audio system for use with or with out grilles, which I have no idea. In the case of Stella, the distinction between grilles and no grilles got here right down to a slight discount in transparency. After the comparability and settled listening, I collect one may simply alter to the change if grilles-on are the popular visible look.

Once correctly arrange and adjusted for the listening setting, the Stella Utopia EM Evo proved to be a superb sounding speaker. There was an uncanny quantity of transparency, paying homage to my time with some electrostatic loudspeakers. Unlike most ESLs, the Stella has frequency extremes to steadiness the sound and produce issues right into a extra holistically full perspective. Like an ESL, there’s that feeling you’re listening to extra of what’s on the recording within the essential midrange. With the Stella, one tends to listen to issues happening within the background in the course of the efficiency extra clearly. Things like a fragile hand motion on a delicate guitar vibrato by Kenny Burrell on “Mule” from Midnight Blue (Qobuz 24/192), Stanley Turrentine’s barely muted coughing round 3:27 into the identical tune, or the small sound of a key motion by Art Pepper throughout a efficiency of “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” (Tidal 16/44.1).

Another function of the Stella is the flexibility to maintain up with the rhythm and pacing of music. On Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit” from the Future Shock album, the lightning-fast rhythm of the fixed synth percussion (and the plethora of digital devices overlayed out and in of the combination) was rendered with such velocity and precision that your complete composition took on an exhilarating sense of vitality—an upbeatness that accelerated the enjoyment of this early 90s tune. Friday Night In San Francisco proved to be one other deal with. The rapid-fire enjoying of guitar from Paco de Lucia, Al Di Meola, and John McLaughlin was as pleasurable as all the time, however there was a further quantity of readability delivered by the Stella’s skill to parse, separate, and simply painting these people and but hold their performances holistically full. I’ve all the time thought of this dwell efficiency an fascinating distinction to their studio album Passion, Grace & Fire. In the dwell album it has all the time appeared as if they’re stepping on one another at instances in the course of the efficiency. With the Stella, it nonetheless sounds that manner, however the added readability reveals their particular person enjoying extra clearly throughout these cases.

Making a multi-driver speaker play as a single entity will not be a straightforward job. The Stella pulls the feat off properly. One option to establish this trait is to play a single instrument over one speaker channel. Another manner is to play a number of devices in a single speaker and observe how properly the speaker pulls their imaging off. On Art Pepper’s “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To,” the association places Red Garland on piano, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones in the identical proper channel. This trio of performers train all of the drivers within the speaker’s array whereas concurrently requiring a single speaker to maintain every instrument sounding actual but separate from the opposite devices. The Stella accomplishes this feat completely with nice separation of the three devices; but all are full sounding throughout playback, no matter variations in dynamic contrasts at any given second.

Bass efficiency is tight, managed, and real looking sounding. Brian Bromberg’s efficiency of the basic Beatles tune “Come Together” (Qobuz) is a superb instance. The bass is current and wealthy, but fast as Bromberg slaps the fretboard to cease a string tone. Each particular person be aware sounds true and real looking. Moving to one thing a bit extra artificial, James Blake’s “Limit to Your Love” (Qobuz) produces a pulsing bassline that shortly stops at its finish and but is fantastically managed throughout speedy be aware pulses. Stella performs these synth bass notes with ease, whereas producing the low-frequency energy on this monitor.

Voices are rendered with precision performed again by way of the Stella. Ella Fitzgerald’s super-pure voice in the course of the Verve years is unmistakably beautiful and fascinating. Yet, after we hearken to her singing in the course of the Pablo years, we hear Ella’s magnificent voice aged like tremendous wine by way of these audio system. Male vocals solid an identical spell with a number of the greats. Take Nat King Cole singing “Welcome to The Club.” His voice is as pure as ever when backed by a giant band enjoying with vigor and rhythm. Name your favourite vocalist after which hearken to them by way of the Stellas utilizing wonderful sources and electronics. You will most probably be greater than happy with the outcomes.

Soundstaging and imaging from the Stella audio system is great by way of instrument placement laterally throughout the stage, and picture top may be very passable for a big speaker. Playing something with embedded processing, like Q-Sound recordings, simply transfer sounds across the listener, far outdoors the speaker boundaries and behind your head if processed to be positioned in these places—suppose Roger Waters’ Amused to Death (Qobuz, Tidal, LP, CD). Standard recordings give well-placed preparations primarily based on the blending engineer’s choices, whereas extra minimalist stereo-mic recordings depict a practical house with room atmosphere when captured.

I can’t establish any obtrusive weak point or concern with the Stella Utopia EM Evo that may’t be ameliorated with correct set-up changes, supporting elements, cables, and/or sources. Subjectively, in my listening house, with such a big and bass-friendly room, I’d wish to have had a number of dB extra bass output, protecting the identical efficiency achieved with the bass settings staying precisely the place I’ve most popular them. This might be an answer the bigger Grande Utopia EM Evo would supply. The different merchandise I seen is that such a big speaker can barely sign its location at instances when devices are onerous panned on to the speaker. I ought to be aware that if I transfer my listening place one other three or extra ft away, that is a lot much less noticeable. Given that almost all massive audio system have this concern, it shouldn’t be a lot of a priority. Lastly, I’d choose only a tad bit extra lower-midrange heat with out it affecting the remainder of the midrange frequencies. This largely falls into the supporting elements and cables class. With that famous, I’ll say that once I play an emotional piece of music like Bill Withers’ 1973 Live at Carnegie Hall rendition of “I Can’t Write Left-Handed,” and the extra fashionable 2010 model sung by John Legend and The Roots on their album titled Wake Up!, these minor quibbles shortly dissolve away, as I slide into the enormously poignant and heartfelt renditions of the Withers tune.

The Stella Utopia EM Evo acquitted itself properly in the course of the analysis interval, with spectacular transparency, lightning fast transient response, close to limitless dynamic playback functionality, wonderful lateral soundstaging and imaging, superb picture top, and nice instrumental separation to enhance very tight, managed, and refined bass response. The Ash Grey end on the analysis pair is as stunning to take a look at because the sound produced by the speaker. Since the present model Stella’s introduction in 2018, many new upper-high-end audio system have entered the market from a number of producers. Today, these Stella Utopia EM Evos proceed to provide wonderful sound that’s aggressive with all of them. Go pay attention and listen to for your self how Stella(r) sounding they are often.

Specs & Pricing

Type: 3-way dynamic loudspeaker
Tweeter: 1″ IAL2 pure beryllium inverted dome tweeter
Midrange: 2x 6.5″ “W” composite sandwich expertise midrange
Woofer: 13″ “W” composite sandwich expertise woofer
Impedance: 8 ohms nominal (2.8 ohms minimal)
Crossover frequencies: 230Hz, 2200Hz
Frequency response: 22Hz–40kHz (±3dB), 18Hz (-6dB)
Sensitivity: 94dB (2.83V @ 1 meter)
Recommended amplifier energy: 50–1000 watts
Dimensions: 21.75″ x 61″ x 32.69″
Weight: approx. 374 lbs. ea.
Finish: Carrara White, Black Lacquer, or Ash Grey
Price: $149,998 pair

FOCAL NAIM AMERICA (Distributor: U.S. & Canada)
313 Rue Marion
Repentigny, QC J5Z 4W8, Canada
(866) 271-5689 (Canada)
(800) 663-9352 (U.S.)
focalnaimamerica.com

Reference System
Analog tape: Otari MTR-10 Studio Mastering (¼” 2-track) tape deck with customized Flux Magnetic Mastering Series repro head and secondary customized tube output stage, Studer A820 Studio Mastering (¼” 2-track) tape deck (x2), Studer A80VU MKII Studio Mastering (¼” 2-track) tape deck, ReVox A700 (1/4″ 2-track and ¼” 4-track heads) tape deck, Stellavox SP7 (¼” 2-track) tape deck with ABR massive reel adapter, Nagra IV-S tape deck with customized massive reel adapter, ReVox G-36 (¼” 4-track) tape deck
Analog vinyl: Basis Audio Debut Vacuum with Synchro-Wave Power Supply, Basis Audio 2800 Vacuum ‘tables; Basis Audio SuperArm 9, Basis Audio Vector IV (x2), Graham Phantom III tonearms; Lyra Atlas, Lyra Atlas SL, Lyra Etna, Lyra Etna SL, Lyra Titan-i, van den Hul Colibri XGP, Hana SL, Hana Umami Red, Hana Umami Blue, Ortofon Verismo cartridges
Analog phonostage: The Raptor (Custom), Ayre P-5xe, Musical Surroundings Phonomena II+ w/Linear Power Supply, Zanden Model 1200 Signature
Digital supply: Intel i7 tenth technology processor-based music server internet hosting JRiver Media Center, Roon, Qobuz, and Tidal. Currently researching reference DACs
Preamplification: Dual Placette Audio Active linestage
Amplification: Custom/Modified solid-state monoblocks
Loudspeakers: Vandersteen Model 3a Signature with twin 2Wq subwoofers and twin SUB THREE subwoofers utilizing M5-HPB high-pass filter, Focal Stella Utopia EM EVO
Cables: Assortment of AudioQuest, Shunyata, Tara Labs, Acoustic Research, Cardas, and customized cables
Support: Minus-Okay BM-1, Neuance shelf, Maple wooden shelf, Symposium Ultra
Acoustics: Walker Audio
Accessories: Aurios Pro, Pneuance Audio, Walker Audio, Klaudio KD-CLN-LP200, Kirmuss Audio KA-RC-1, VPI 16.5, Clearaudio Double Matrix Professional Sonic
Room: 18′ (W), 8′ (H), 43′ (L)

The put up Focal Stella Utopia EM Evo Loudspeaker appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

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Soulution Launches New 7 Series

Posted on May 12, 2023 by TAS Staff

The following is a press launch issued by soulution.

Dulliken, May 2023 – The new soulution 7 collection merchandise are new designs from floor up and do clearly outperform their extremely praised predecessors. Following our credo: do no add something, don’t omit something, we challenged ourselves by asking the query: “Can we add much less and omit much less in comparison with what we now have already achieved”? Key enhancements for the brand new 757 deemphasis preamplifier:

widespread mode rejection ratio > 125dB,
bandwidth elevated to 2MHz (deemphasis corrected)
deviation from deemphasis curve decreased to +/- 0.1dB,

The 757 deemphasis preamplifier reveals the total potential and fantastic thing about analog records with all their delicate tonal variations, dynamics, musicality and refinement, and retains the music sign unimpaired. Reproducing musical particulars which are true to life and making a three-dimensional, spatial sound to ship an actual and emotional listening pleasure.

The new 757 deemphasis preamplifier connects to MC/MM cartridges, to DS Audio’s optical cartridges in addition to to direct tape head outputs. User-selectable deemphasis curves for vinyl in addition to for tape heads permit excellent playback settings for all analog records in your assortment.

Its progressive enter stage improves the widespread mode rejection with out compromising on noise efficiency and permits to optimize the termination impedance with resistive and capacitive loadings based on the necessities of the related cartridge. This ensures that no element of the music sign will get misplaced already on the inputs.

For a purely analog playback system the 757 deemphasis preamplifier could also be related to the ability amplifiers with none preamplifier or quantity management in between. The achieve (-60dB to +80dB) is adjustable to the required stage in 1dB steps and the very quick and extremely broadband push pull class A output stage (20 MHz/– 3 dB, 1.5A) drives even lengthy interconnects with ease.

Stable and quiet energy provides are key for a reference deemphasis preamplifier. The required voltages are generated by a extremely environment friendly switched mode energy provide and quick switching DC/DC regulators adopted by ultralow noise native linear regulators.

soulution can be demonstrating the brand new 757 deemphasis preamplifier at Highend in Munich in E107, Atrium4.1. The occasion takes place on the MOC Event Center Messe München, Lilienthalallee 40, 80939 München.

Retail value: 757 deemphasis preamplifier – EUR 65’000 (incl. VAT 19%)

The publish Soulution Launches New 7 Series appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

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Fully Active & Integrated Streaming Horn Speaker? | Avantgarde’s DUO GT

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Tom Martin

There’s few loudspeakers as placing and complex as Avantgarde’s Duo sequence. At AXPONA 2023 Tom Martin received the within scoop from American Sound Distribution Angie Lisi on the NEW DUO GT.

The put up Fully Active & Integrated Streaming Horn Speaker? | Avantgarde’s DUO GT appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

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Stenheim Presents the World Premiere of the Alumine Two.Five at High End Munich

Posted on May 11, 2023 by TAS Staff

The following is a press launch issued by Stenheim.

Vetroz, Switzerland, May 11, 2023 — Stenheim, the Switzerland-based speaker firm that makes use of aluminum cupboards and high-efficiency drivers to convey out the pure magnificence and magnificence of the best recordings, will present its new Alumine Two.Five, a passive two-way, floorstanding, high-performance speaker that includes the corporate’s important design attributes in a chic tower that adapts to most residing areas.

The new Alumine Two.Five (MSRP: $23,500), like different fashions in Stenheim’s Alumine sequence of superior know-how audio system, builds on the simplicity of the unique bookshelf Alumine Two, however with better cupboard quantity and double bass drivers for decrease extension. The excessive effectivity idea means is it totally appropriate with a variety of presently obtainable amplifiers, together with low-power amplifiers.

“The Alumine Two.Five is a vital introduction for us as a result of its value places it inside attain of a better variety of music lovers who need to expertise the Stenheim sound for themselves,” mentioned Jean-Pascal Panchard, CEO-Owner, Stenheim Suissa SA. “Although it’s our entry-level floorstanding speaker there may be nothing entry-level about its efficiency.”

The new tower, which, like all Stenheim audio system, was designed and shall be hand-built in Switzerland, options two (2) 6.5” woofers and one (1) 1” gentle dome tweeter in a entrance bass reflex design.

The Alumine Two.Five shall be proven at Munich within the Stenheim room, Atrium 4.1 Room F113, and shall be obtainable in Q3 2023.

New Reference Platform

Also at Munich, Stenheim is introducing a stable aluminum billet platform for the corporate’s Reference Ultime Two and Three audio system.

Designed to reinforce stability and ease of setup, the brand new Reference platform (MSRP: TBD) creates an enlarged footprint and a excessive vary of adjustment. In addition, the platform simplifies the duty of switching from castors that allow the audio system to be simply positioned, to the spikes that present everlasting help. Three completely different spike ends are designed to be optimized for thick carpet, exhausting, and delicate flooring. Optimal set-up is achieved by knurled knobs that present 10 cms/4 in. of top adjustment.

The new platform shall be proven at Munich within the Dartzeel room, Atrium 4.2 Room F213, and shall be obtainable in Q3 2023.

The put up Stenheim Presents the World Premiere of the Alumine Two.Five at High End Munich appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

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Bowers & Wilkins Celebrates the Iconic Nautilus

Posted on May 11, 2023 by TAS Staff

The following is a press launch issued by Bowers & Wilkins.

Worthing, UK, tenth May: Nautilus is and at all times has been a novel mixture of unbridled ambition and revolutionary design – the results of really authentic ‘exterior the field’ pondering that completely encapsulates the Bowers & Wilkins model philosophy.

To rejoice the thirtieth Anniversary of this iconic loudspeaker, Bowers & Wilkins has produced a novel pair in a dramatic Abalone Pearl end. Pearl is, after all, the right color for a thirtieth Anniversary – and it’s all-the-more acceptable because it’s additionally the color of the interior shell of the marine mollusc that impressed the Nautilus title.

That Nautilus continues to be probably the most visually arresting speaker obtainable, even some 30 years after its introduction, is testimony to the exceptional, ground-breaking imaginative and prescient of each firm founder John Bowers, who initiated the Nautilus challenge shortly earlier than he handed away, and the lead engineer who would finally ship on that legacy, Laurence Dickie.

The thought behind Nautilus was easy, however immensely difficult: ‘make a loudspeaker that doesn’t sound like a loudspeaker’. Armed with an exceptionally vast temporary, no time constraints and few limitations associated to practicality or value, the Nautilus emerged virtually as an idea automotive made actuality, a radical five-year challenge to discover how most of the detrimental results of the loudspeaker enclosure might be eradicated by progressive design.

The end result was a revolution in loudspeaker engineering that launched the idea of the exponentially tapered tube to loudspeaker design. The Nautilus tube would go on to win a Queen’s Award for Innovation and was simply certainly one of many breakthroughs developed for the Nautilus challenge that may subsequently affect the entire firm’s future product design. Alongside the equally exceptional 801, the selection of music business professionals the world over, Nautilus was a key aspect in elevating Bowers & Wilkins into the world’s main audio model.

30 years later, Nautilus continues to be constructed the identical manner. Ironically for an organization that has taken the manufacturing of audiophile audio system to new business requirements of automated precision, constructing a pair Nautilus is a painstaking hand-built course of. Simply constructing one speaker enclosure takes over per week – and that’s earlier than any notions of sanding, portray or sprucing every cupboard are concerned. Small surprise that demand for Nautilus has constantly outstripped provide all through its 30-year existence, with the ready listing for a brand new mannequin at present standing at two years.

Nothing in audio seems or appears like Nautilus, which stays an icon of radical pondering and revolutionary design to today. The Abalone Pearl end of the thirtieth Anniversary pair is a shocking celebration of one of the legendary loudspeakers ever created.

Commenting on the thirtieth Anniversary, Dave Sheen, Brand President of Bowers & Wilkins mentioned:

“While Bowers & Wilkins is dedicated to advancing the way forward for high-performance audio throughout all of our product portfolio, Nautilus stays of the best significance to all of us. It readily communicates every thing that’s distinctive about Bowers & Wilkins and our no-holds-barred strategy to creating the world’s best-sounding, most superbly designed audio merchandise.”

Nautilus is offered in three commonplace colors: Midnight Blue Metallic, Silver and Black. Bowers & Wilkins additionally affords a custom-finish service that may match the product’s color to any reference the shopper chooses at an additional value.

The put up Bowers & Wilkins Celebrates the Iconic Nautilus appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

Understanding the Tidal Piano G3’s Design

Putting the Tidal Piano G3 in Perspective

The Sound of the Piano G3s

Summing Up

Specs & Pricing

New Rotary Encoder (Knob!)

Burmester X-Amp improve

Sustainability concept with X-Amp (111 instance)

Bespoke Concept:

Size, Sensitivity, and Bass

What is within the R25A?

Starting to Listen and the Imaging Behavior of the R25As

The Tonal Character

Back to the Sensitivity Question

Good News

Long Thoughts

Specs & Pricing

Two skins

Breaking up the chain

Clean dwelling

Wide Dispersion

Not a cartoon

Technical specs

Manufacturer

Distributor

Specs & Pricing

New Reference Platform

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