Croatian Hifi brand, Sound Carrier, who specialise in making valve amplifiers, have released their new 24 kg EL34 Monoblocks.
Sound Carrier describe the new amp as ” Controlled. Smooth. Powerful”.
They went on to say, “It has 140W and in line with our philosophy it has a simple, classic and elegant design. Price is not yet defined, but will be very reasonable as with all of our products”.
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Hercules Integrated is the younger brother of S.A.Lab’s flagship Hercules MkII Magister of Music. S.A.Lab say it is ‘ a more compact and affordable amplifier which is technologically identical to grand Hercules MkII Magister of Music’.
S.A.Lab Hercules Integrated’s output power is 2 х 75 W (4 Ohm). ‘Hercules Junior’ has inherited Senior’s tubes: 6072, 6v6 and Russian output 6п36с. All the valves used were produced in the 1970s and earlier.
S.A.Lab have a longstanding tradition that the output transformers are custom designed and handcrafted by the company. The transformers are similar to those used in the Hercules MkII and have a power-to-size ratio of 800 W each (2 x 800 W). The power supply contains a 600 W transformer. Separate transformers are provided for heating (200 W), biasing and the driver stage. The overall transformer’s power exceeds 1 kW.
The volume control unit is based on relay resistor arrays. There are five line inputs (4 RCA и XLR) and outputs of both types and terminals for 4 and 8 Ohm speakers. The front panel is manufactured from polished Corian (artificial marble) which allows you to choose almost any colour.
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Cary Audio say that the introduction of the SA-200.2 ES and SA-500.1 ES solid-state power amplifiers represent the next generation of the SA design. They employ a modular approach that ensures, say Cary, “consistency in performance, and ease of manufacture and serviceability”.
The SA-200.2 ES is a 200 watt stereo amplifier into 8 ohms, (350 watts into 4 ohms), with balanced and single ended inputs. The SA-500.1 ES is a 500 watt monoblock amplifier into 8 ohms, (1000 watts into 4 ohms), with balanced and single ended inputs.
Billy Wright of Cary Audio told us: “When we designed the SA-200.2 ES and SA-500.1 ES power amplifiers, one of our primary goals was to create a product that would give years of consistent and reliable use without any maintenance. To achieve that goal, we took a hard look at the designs and choice of components. For example, we use high-precision metal film resistors in almost all our circuitry, even in places where their use is not required. We have overbuilt the output stages and increased the heat dissipating capabilities of the amplifiers by as much as 50% over previous designs. The changes encompass almost every part of the designs, down to the choice of thickness of the chassis sheet metal. The monolithic front end brought major advantages to the amplifier designs with improved temperature stability, low offset, and a substantial reduction of all types of distortion across the full frequency spectrum”.
The retail price for the SA-200.2 ES is $4,495 and the retail price for the SA-500.1 ES is $4,995.
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Audionet will be launching a new integrated amplifier at High End Munich.
They will feature their Stern and Heisenberg amps that will be playing on the speakers of Audiotechnique, in Atrium 3/Showroom C121.
The new (pictured) “Über-Amp” in their Ultimate Highend Series, has been designed by Hartmut Esslinger of Apple and Audionet, and there may be a first glimpse of Audionet’s new Über-CD-player.
Emotiva’s DR Series’ XPA-DR1 mono, XPA-DR2 two-channel and XPA-DR3 three-channel models utilise up to three pairs of Differential Reference™ Amplifier Modules, fed by a fully regulated, 3 kW switch mode power supply within a heavy-duty chassis.
The DR modules are deployed in pairs to provide each channel with a balanced low-noise signal path from differential input to fully-discrete analogue Class A/B output stages. The output stages use Soft-Switch™ Class H power supply topology, allowing each to operate on a lower supply voltage at low power levels.
The amplifiers’ front panel blue LED display and protection system are designed to work with the maximum number of channels so need not be updated with the addition of extra channels. Unoccupied rear panel slots are covered with protective cover panels (XPA-DR1 for instance is configured with a pair of Differential Reference Modules and up to two further module pairs can be added).
The Emotiva XPA-DR1 (pictured) delivers 650 watts RMS into 8 Ohms, and 1000 watts RMS into 4 Ohms, with less than 0.1% THD. Price £1300.
The Emotiva XPA-DR2 delivers 550 watts RMS into 8 Ohms, and 800 watts RMS into 4 Ohms, both channels driven, with less than 0.1% THD. Price £1750.
The Emotiva XPA-DR3 delivers 450 watts RMS into 8 Ohms, and 600 watts RMS into 4 Ohms, all three channels driven, with less than 0.1% THD. Price £2150.
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Aimed at the budget market the Cyrus ONE amp packs a lot of features into its diminutive box, allied with the equally budget friendly ONELinear speakers you have a full system for a little over £1000. Ian Ringstead takes a listen.
I’m very familiar with Cyrus products having sold them for twenty-five years and having owned a CD8 and 780SE speakers when Mission and Cyrus were one company back in the 80’s and 90’s. The original Cyrus One amplifier was very popular and was loved by people because it was so neat and compact, being half width compared to the usual 430mm / 17” boxes. The speakers always proved popular and won many awards being easily accommodated up against a wall. With this new range now thirty-five years on from the original amp and twenty odd for the speakers, Cyrus as a separate company from Mission have put all their experience and know how into a radical new amplifier design and compact pair of speakers.
CONSTRUCTION
Both the amplifier and speakers come well packaged in neat boxes with good internal foam protection, an important point as not all manufacturers do. It’s a bug-bear of mine that manufacturers go to a lot of trouble and expense to design adequate packaging for their product and then customers just throw it away never thinking about the practicalities of keeping it for future use in case they move, servicing or repair maybe required and maximising resale value if sold. I always told my customers this and have followed my own advice religiously. So, rant over with, well done Cyrus for taking the time and effort to protect your product.
The Cyrus ONE amplifier has been reviewd by Hifi Pig before, but as a fresh pair of eyes and ears I will give you the reader my thoughts on it. The amplifier follows the original models form in being half width, with neat minimalist front panel made from polished black acrylic. The main casework is solid and has a textured, rubberised and high-gloss black finish. The front is dominated by the large round volume control and input selector. There is also a 6.35mm headphone jack socket for headphone lovers and a neat power switch. The volume control on the right- hand side has an outer ring of white LEDs that light up when the amp is switched on and as the volume is turned up the LEDs will light up in turn, giving a very clear indication of the level. The left- hand function selector has legends by its right side for the different inputs and each is lit by a white LED when selected. These LEDs are rather bright on full power, but Cyrus have thankfully thought of this and the brightness level can easily be dimmed by pre-set levels using the very compact creditcard sized remote supplied with the unit. I found this feature very handy. The back panel is very busy because there are a lot of inputs and two sets of speaker binding posts per channel. The mains IEC input socket is located next to the left channel speakers binding posts and then centrally on RCA sockets there is the input for a dedicated moving magnet cartridge with an earthing post, four line level inputs including an AV bypass and a set of pre outs for an additional amp for bi-amping or using a more powerful unit, not that the Cyrus ONE lacks power. There is aptX® compatible Bluetooth, a high power, high voltage Class AB headphone facility. App control (iOS and android) with IR remote control, user upgradable firmware allows for updates to the latest firmware for new features.
The Cyrus 3rd generation hybrid Class D amplifier gives an output of 2 x 100W.
SID – Speaker Impedance Detection which cleverly measures the connected speakers and automatically calibrates the amplifier to deliver the best possible performance. A large toroidal transformer which is the reason this unit is quite heavy, a linear power supply throughout for minimal noise, and eleven separate power supplies to maximise separation of different circuits. Wow, I’m worn out after all that! You can see Cyrus were determined to make this amplifier amazing value for money and feature rich for the modern age.
The ONElinear speakers are a premium loudspeaker system, which were designed to ideally match the Cyrus ONE amplifier, but also providing great performance with a whole range of other audio systems. The ONElinear is engineered with a classically ‘British’ linear frequency response curve. Cyrus wanted a completely neutral sound, so allowing the full character of the music to be revealed. The ONElinear bass/mid driver has a double-wound copper-coated aluminium voice-coil. This is light, and so produces a stronger induced magnetic field, therefore good control is achieved with the lower frequencies. The voice coil is bonded to a carefully profiled KEVLAR cone material. KEVLAR is light and responsive, storing little energy and retaining its shape well, so the audio characteristic is maintained even when pushed hard. The bass response is excellent for a compact design, with speed and accuracy. The tweeter is a textile soft-dome, having an extended frequency response.
The crossover uses high quality electrolytic capacitors to maximise the performance and the cabinet was developed using the latest techniques of advanced computer modelling and delayed cumulative spectral analysis which in English means that the cabinets noise levels are reduced (i.e. resonance) considerably by 35dB below the drive units output. The computer modelling was also used to design the crossover to maximise its performance. The ONE linear is rear-ported and designed to be positioned between 10-30cm from a rear wall. The best bass performance will generally be achieved following this advice, but as always experimentation is advised dependant on individual room situations and equipment choice.
They come finished in either high gloss black, which is what I was sent, or a gloss white, both of which will suit modern environments, and I am sure Cyrus had this in mind getting away from the usual wooden veneer.
SOUND QUALITY
After all the lengthy details of the products design what did they sound like? I used the amp and speakers together for most of the review period but also tried them separately to assess their performance individually.
The Cyrus ONE was no slouch and its hybrid Class D design certainly afforded plenty of power driving the ONE linear speakers effortlessly… or any other speakers I tried including my Audio Physic Avanti iii. I like class D amps and the hybrid design in the Cyrus ONE works very well giving a lively, open presentation that didn’t lose control if not pushed too hard volume wise. I know this because I tried the android app you can download to your mobile to control basic functions and whilst trying the volume out the slider on my screen suddenly shot up increasing the volume to an unpleasant level. I muted the volume hurriedly as I didn’t want to damage the speakers. Fortunately, it hadn’t but it made me go back to the credit card remote which was far more responsive, and I had no issue with that. Applications on mobiles are all well and good but I’ll stick to the standard RC.
I tried Nils Lofgren’s classic album out “Nils Lofgren Acoustic Live” CD and the much-used demo track at shows now “Keith don’t go”. I get why manufacturers use it but when you hear it in nearly every other room it spoils it for me in the show environment. Anyway, the live recording was reproduced exceedingly well on the Cyrus ONE with all the vibrancy intended by the engineer and to give the listener the same experience the audience had that night at the concert (lucky people). Live acoustic recordings for me are a great test of a system as I can relate to them so well as I attend a lot of concerts. It’s the sheer rawness and vitality of the artist in their element who is clearly excited by performing for an audience who appreciate their talent and music. The atmosphere of the concert was clearly conveyed by the Cyrus ONE with all the acoustic clues in place of space, location and depth and the audience in the background lapping it up.
After a few CD’s I thought let’s try the phono stage out. I’m glad I did. I hooked up my Luxman PD300 with my trusty Goldring 1092 mm cartridge as it is a mm only input on the amp and spun Kate Bush’s last album of her live concerts in Hammersmith in 2014 “Before the dawn”. I love her music and this concert conveys the atmosphere on the nights she performed. The audience are muted somewhat in the sound mix which quite a few fans criticised, but I don’t mind, it’s down to personal taste like anything. A personal favourite is “Running Up That Hill” with its intro of the keyboard effects and the drumming building up with Kate’s superb vocals piercing the soundscape having great urgency about them. It’s another track I never tire of hearing or being moved by. The Cyrus ONE handled this album well and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it in its entirety. So, the mm input is well designed and compares favourably with other amps I have used with a built-in phono stage in its price range. Certainly, for those folks who buy this amp and don’t want the hassle of an add on phono stage its ideal as it won’t let the side down and fulfils the designers’ intentions.
Included in the review package was the Google Chromecast package. Cyrus teamed up with Google and TIDAL, enabling the customer the chance to enjoy an almost limitless library of bit-perfect, CD quality music. The Chromecast unit is small and easy to use and anybody familiar with it already will appreciate its abilities. I connected it up to the amp and tried the Tidal website out with the promotional offer streaming CD quality music straight through the system. It is an easy and convenient way to sample music before you buy it and can save a small fortune in disappointing purchases. Oh, how often have I bought an album on the strength of one track I liked or a recommendation only to be gutted by the sound or music on the rest of the album. I personally don’t listen to streamed music all the time, especially through my system at home, but I find it very useful on my mobile with Amazon Prime music to sample albums before committing to buying any. The facility worked seamlessly, and the results sonically were fine, showing how variable music can sound and I have to say a lot of modern music/artists don’t do it for me. Call me old fashioned but if I like an artist enough I will support them by buying the CD or LP as I like the physical connection and ownership.
The last feature I tried on the amp was the headphone stage. Cyrus are proud of this feature in their promo material and are aiming it specifically I reckon at people who are into sound on the move using headphones but who also may well want to chill out in the evening at home without disturbing the rest of the household or neighbours. If you are a big headphone fan anyway then fine. I used my Sennheiser Momentum 2’s which I use every day at work for chilling at lunchtime, but don’t use that much at home preferring to listen to my speakers. The headphone stage is certainly good and drove my Momentum’s easily, giving a clear and articulate sound with solid bass, clear detailed midrange and sweet highs, a feature of the Momentums I really like. I didn’t have any other headphones to hand, but I am sure the results will be similar with any good design.
As Cyrus state the ONElinear was specifically designed to match the Cyrus ONE amp and that certainly bore out in my listening. They reminded size-wise of my old 780SE’s, but this new design is bang up to date. I set them up on my trusty Atacama Nexus stands to give them a good foundation and located them about 45cm from front wall of my living room. Running in time was not a major issue and I soon liked what I heard. Neutrality is what Cyrus wanted to achieve and although it’s hard to say that that is the case (think of monitors like ATC) they certainly entertained me. They were quick and agile with a lively open sound like the Cyrus ONE amp with no nasties affecting the overall presentation. Imagery and depth were good but not holographic like my much more expensive Audio Physics and the bass was obviously limited by the cabinet size and design. This is not a criticism, just an observation and in the context of the price range and systems it will be used in, the ONElinear performs very well. I have high standards and having listened to hundreds if not thousands of speakers over the last 45 years I can soon tell if I like a speaker design or not. The ONElinear doesn’t disappoint. As mentioned earlier in this review the music I used was conveyed in the same manor as the Cyrus ONE amp. That is, albums came over convincingly with good depth and imagery between the speaker’s, but unlike some more expensive designs, lacked that extra magic of greater width and depth. The fact the ONElinear is only £349 is a real credit as it performs very well in its class. The bass won’t plumb the depths of the lower registers, but it doesn’t try to show off and try too hard sticking to the design brief of accuracy and control. The mid- range was clear on vocals with no real issues and the treble was not harsh, being well controlled. I acclimatised to the ONElinear easily as they did indeed sound good to my ears and very entertaining too… not all highly neutral systems are enjoyable believe me. Accuracy is a double-edged sword. Like a high-quality camera lens, it shows up in super detail warts and all (the faults as well as the good bits which the human ear may or may not tolerate dependant on the individual). Trying the ONElinear on another amp my MYST TMA3 conveyed similar results so confirming Cyrus’ claim that they will perform well in other systems.
CONCLUSION
This is a lengthy review only because these two products, especially the amp pack a lot of modern technology and design into them and I didn’t want to sell the manufacturer short on their benefits. Cyrus are to be applauded for these innovative products aimed at both new customers to our exciting hobby and older ones like myself keen to see great value for money product being offered to the masses. Cyrus know their customers well and thoroughly researched the market to come up with two exciting products.
AT A GLANCE
Cyrus ONE
Build Quality: Very good for the budget, the amp is well made and specified.
Sound Quality: Powerful and lively presentation
Value for Money: Great value given all the features and facilities on offer.
Pros: Feature rich, remote control, good mm input, great headphone output, powerful and compact.
Cons: Remote is neat but being so small could easily be lost. Android app is ok, but I prefer the standard remote.
Price: £699
ONElinear
Build Quality: Very good for the budget, well presented and nicely put together.
Sound Quality: Powerful and lively presentation that is easy to get on with.
Value for Money: Great value compared to its competition.
Pros: Good sound that for the budget won’t disappoint and a neat compact design easy to position.
Cons: The black lacquered finish although smart looking shows up dust and finger prints like mad.
Price: £349
Ian Ringstead
Review Equipment: Luxman PD300 turntable, Jelco 750 arm, Goldring G1092, Marantz SA11 S2 sacd player, Myst TMA 3 integrated amp , Audio Physic Avanti iii, TQ Ultra Black speaker cable and Way silver RCA’s, Hifi Racks podium slimline.
– Built-in MM Phono stage
– aptX® compatible Bluetooth
– Pre-outputs – for connection to separate power amps
– 4 line level inputs – Including AV Bypass
– High power, high voltage class AB headphone
– Bi-wire compatible speaker binding posts
– App control (iOS and android)
– IR remote control
– User upgradable firmware – updates to the latest firmware
for new features in your own home
– Cyrus 3rd generation hybrid Class D amplifier – outputs 2 x 100W
– SID – Speaker Impedance Detection
– Large toroidal transformer – linear power supply throughout for minimal noise
– Eleven separate power supplies – to maximise separation of different circuits
– Dimensions: (H X W X D) – 85 x 220 x 390mm
– Weight – 5.72kg
– Textured, rubberised and high gloss black finish
ONElinear
Nominal impedance – 8 Ω
Sensitivity (2.83V@1m) – 86 dB
Recommended amplifier power – 20 – 120 W
Frequency response (±3dB) – 50Hz-24kHz
Crossover frequency – 2.1kHz
Cabinet volume – 11l
Bass driver – 5” (125mm) Woven kevlar cone
Treble driver – 1” (25mm) soft dome
Dimensions (H x W x D) – 305 x 200 x 295 mm
Net weight – 14 kg (per pair)
PS Audio has announced the availability of Sprout100, the next generation of their Sprout integrated amplifier. Sprout100 preserves the styling and compact form of the original, while improving the performance.
Sprout’s signature features remain: a built-in DAC, Bluetooth, phono preamp, headphone amp, power amp. Revised topologies improve the noise levels and dynamic capabilities of the phono pre and the headphone amp; the Sabre 9016 replaces the previous Wolfson DAC and the latest ICEpower modules are used.
In addition, the Sprout100 features: An upgraded amp capable of 50 wpc into 8Ω and 100 wpc into 4Ω. A fully asynchronous DAC that can handle 384/24 PCM or double rate DSD. A dedicated subwoofer output. An optional bass boost. A remote control. Analogue RCA inputs and outputs and a TOSLINK optical input. US MSRP is set at $599.
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USA based brand, Merrill Audio got in touch for a look at the new products they are launching in Munich this year.
The first image is the Oganesson Element 116 monoblock amp which will retail at $22,000.
The second pictures are the first images of the flagship Oganesson Element 118 which will be $36,000.
Merrill Audio will be exhibiting with CEC at High End Munich.
Holger Adler of Voxativ from Berlin dropped us a line to say what they are doing at the High End show this year. Holger says: “ We are celebrating 10 years of Pure Listening. Voxativ was born 10 years ago in 2008 with the audacious idea to reimagine the single-driver loudspeaker. From our humble beginnings, we have know become 10 years the wiser – with still so much to share. As part of this anniversary celebration, we are rebirthing the original star that put us on the world stage”.
“In Munich this week, visitors from around the world will have the first chance to hear an evolution of the original Ampeggio. At its heart, this new Ampeggio X has been refined with all of the knowledge we’ve gained over the years. The most significant change is that the cabinet can now accommodate our flagship line of field coil drivers. To accomplish this, the fully AST (Acoustic Stealth Technology) tuned cabinet has been retooled to accommodate the size and scope of these full-range reference level drivers. At the show, we have chosen the AC-XP field coil driver to demonstrate the potential of this new configuration. MSRP for the pair is $45,000USD (inclusive of the Voxativ N1 linear power supply). (Picture from a previous show)
“The Voxativ Tube power supply is ready and a new Rack is making its appearance. To power the field coil system of the new Ampeggio X – one can now choose a vintage Tungar-style tube PSU consisting of 10 rectifier tunes with stabilized voltages from 11 to 19 in 0.5 volt steps. Lead by our chief electronics engineer, Stefan Noll, this product is pure Voxativ from fit to finish. The MSRP for the pair of supplies is $9,900USD. Additionally, show attendees will notice the debut of a unique system rack designed by our team to help make the most of our system. We are also introducing the Voxativ T805 SET Integrated Amp. The only integrated amp we have yet to hear best our own T211 is this new 30 watt creation. After much discovery and some disbelief – we have found that even more power can bring more emotion from our highly-sensitive full-range drivers (but without any noise). Although the outer design is similar to the T211, the inside holds a number of new innovations that pushes what can be done with an 805 design. This is the new breakthrough from our master amp designer Stefan and immediately available for an MSRP of $27,900USD”.
Meet Holger and the Voxativ team in Atrium 3, E222
HIFI PIG ADVERTISING PROMOTION
Hifi Pig brings you a series of promotional articles about our Great British Brands at High End Munich 2018. We let them tell you all about their philosophy and products.
Welcome to the world of Music First Audio
Music First Audio became well known in 2003 for launching the transformer passive preamplifier. Now the range also includes moving coil step up transformers also known as SUT’s, phono amplifiers and power amplifiers. All products are hand built in the UK.
The Music First Audio Classic Pre Amplifier was introduced in 2003 and positioned itself at the very heart of a true high end hi fi systems. The Classic V2, Reference and Baby Reference pre amplifiers followed and the awards kept coming.
Now the Music First Audio product range includes the passive moving coil cartridge step up transformers and recently the introduction of the active transistor and valve, Classic and Reference, MM Phono Amplifiers. The most recent addition is the Senlac SJE monoblocks, which are the result of several years of investigation into what makes a good audio amplifier. The core concept, we call “complex simplicity”.
Music First Audio products are made by hand in our workshop in Hastings, East Sussex. Our products are enjoyed by satisfied customers around the world and have received an extraordinary degree of critical acclaim and many international awards. We use only the finest materials and components. Our rigorous testing, quality control and attention to detail ensure that Music First Audio products will give a lifetime’s musical pleasure.
We offer a bespoke service and we are happy to modify any of our standard products to perfectly suit your needs. Our goal today remains the same as it was on our very first day: Put Music First.
For further information please see our website and get in touch!
At High End Munich 2018, you can find our products with our German distributor, Audio Offensive in Hall 3 stand L11.
Every year we say the same thing, ‘surely the High End Show can’t get any bigger?’, but every year it does! It is now at the point when no human can actually cover every inch of the show…we have tried our very best but I think Super-human powers would be needed for that! However, being very organised and attacking it with military precision meant that we got to see most rooms and exhibits with the aim of bringing you the most comprehensive and interesting coverage of the show…we even managed to get over to the HifiDeluxe show too and bring you CanJam Munich coverage.
So, here are a few of the things that personally caught my eyes and ears at the show…there was the sublime, the beautiful, the technically very clever…and of course the crazy stuff without which Munich, well it just wouldn’t be Munich!
Most Flamboyant Designs
Munich is a show where you get to see and hear all the rare flora and fauna of the Hifi universe, the halls and rooms are packed with rare beauties that are not often seen anywhere else. Kostas Metaxas and his Metaxas & Sins brand are probably one of the most exotic Hifi brands there is. His products are stunning and actually sound amazing too. He had a static stand at Munich, but I am sure that you will agree he makes some of the most visually amazing gear that you will see at a show.
Most Unexpected Sounds
Sometimes, you may have heard a particular Hifi brand and formed a conclusion about it, which may be good or bad, but then when a brand challenges your preconceptions…well that’s a good thing!
Living Voice are one of our favourite exhibitors, their big Vox Olympian and Palladian systems are something else, especially when paired with the likes of Kondo that their distribution company, Definitive Audio, also carries. This year we went into the first of their two rooms and it sounded incredible…then we realised that it was their more conventional OBX speakers, with off-board crossovers, that were playing. The sound was stunning and made you realise that you don’t actually have to be a lottery winner to get that bit of Living Voice magic.
I have heard French brand Totaldac’s products plenty of times. They were over in the Hifi Deluxe in one of my favourite systems, featuring Soulsonic speakers and Tellurium Q cables there, but where they came into their own was in the MOC. This year there were less of the smaller cabins in the halls, with some much bigger ones that gave a much, much better listening experience. Totaldac DAC, servers, preamp and USB filters along with Absolare monoblocks and Totaldac horn loudspeaker system. The sound was beautiful, airy and unexpected, I look forward to hearing it again!
The Designated Driver
It can’t have escaped you that there is a certain brand of driver that is being featured in some very, very high end loudspeakers. Accuton drivers, whether ceramic or diamond, were in many loudspeakers that we heard at the show. I’ll stick my neck out here, with the right cabinet design these drivers just sing, and they were doing a great job in various exhibits at the show…just a few examples below. Now, this doesn’t mean that you can just take any cabinet and whack some Accuton drivers in and be guaranteed a great speaker…but when everything is in place you do seem to get some magic happening.
Lawrence Audio – there is something about this brand’s speakers, a gloriously airy and natural sound, particularly good in one of the larger cabins.
Volya – on static display but we have been lucky enough to review these speakers, simply stunning.
Estelon – the newest incarnation of their Extreme loudspeakers, they always sound amazing and are not afraid to break the mould of what a loudspeaker should look like.
Best Demo At The Show
There is an art to Hifi demonstration. Some people want to talk at you for hours and never actually play you any music, some try and tell you what you are going to hear rather than let you make your own mind up…both of these approaches tend to annoy me rather than engage me, and I imagine it is the same for most show goers. The Chord Company are a shining example of how to do a dem correctly, and I’ve experienced their dems at many shows and always been impressed by their no-nonsense approach, I didn’t experience their demonstrations at this year’s show but I imagine it was on point as usual. The Best Demo Award at this year’s High End Show has to go to Innuos. They kept it simple, using active Kii loudspeakers. Play the music on one unit. stop, plug in the other unit. Play it again. Simple but effective and the difference that we heard between the Zenith SE and the flagship ZENith Statement music servers was instantly apparent. The SE version sounded excellent, but the clarity from the Statement was just another level. Well done Team Innuos!
A Room With A View
making your room at a show welcoming and maybe a little quirky is a god way to stand out. In the past we have loved Gato and their ‘lounge with an open fireplace’ vibe, SoundKaos and their Swiss wood cabin and the funky designs of the KEF room. This year special mentions have to go to Dali with their ‘Industrial Shabby chic’ room.
Manger Audio always deserve a mention with their room being co-ordinated, calm and cool, featuring Ella Scheu’s (pictured) turntables and Mola Mola electronics too…plus they were playing a really crazy instrumental version of the Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s ‘Can’t Stop’.
Avantgarde Acoustic’s room was stunning. I love how they theme their room each year around the horn colour, this year it was understated in soft gold with moody seascapes. You can’t fail to impress me with Trios (these were the luxury edition) and basshorns and they have to be on my ‘I want it now!’ list too. Plus the team all looked very cool dressed in cream with their little Avantgarde Acoustic gold badges.
Most In Demand
We brought you all the info from the Chord Electronics press conference which was so packed that they had to ask people to move outside because the MOC team said there were too many people in the room. I managed, by the power of sharp elbows and being generally pushy, to get fairly near the front but this was my view from part way though my manoeuvres. We were really, really pleased to see the Chord team in such high demand!
Best Press Pack
The press get given lot of info about new products at the show, this generally means that you will never buy another USB stick in your life, the savvy brands know that a stick with all the info or a link to the online press pack is a lot better than trying to weigh you down with reams of paper. It is quite difficult though for a brand to give you something to make them stand out. In the past we have received, among other things, mugs, CDs and LPs, gift bags containing bath towels and headphones (from a German distributor) and chocolate pliers (brilliant and delicious) from The Chord Co. This year we were given some rather potent ‘Audiophile’ Quince brandy from Serbia, infused with silver, from the lovely Miroslav at Way Cables.
But the top Press pack award has to go to Dynaudio. After attending their launch of the new Confidence range, we were given a Lego kit to build our own C20 standmount loudspeaker!
Best Music Choice
There seemed to be a lot of opera being played at the show this year…not my most favourite of genres, it has to be said. Some systems did sound spectacular but there was plenty that just sounded like caterwauling (well to my ears anyway). By the time Saturday afternoon rolled around and our time to visit the Hifi Deluxe show I was really looking forward to something different to listen to. We popped into the first of the Fyne Audio rooms where they were playing something classical….’Do you have anything with a bit more of a beat?’ we asked ‘Why, of course!’. We were treated to some Infected Mushroom and then when we went into the next room with the larger high end loudspeakers, the CD was sent with us. Very impressed with both the more conventional floorstanders and the bigger speakers, they handled the energetic and bass-heavy music with aplomb…and good on the Fyne guys for not being afraid to chuck on something a bit out of the ordinary!
The Crazy Stuff That Makes Munich, Munich!
Let’s face it, if there wasn’t some really crazy stuff at the show then we would all be more than a little bit disappointed, we expect the way-out, the wacky and the kind of stuff that we probably would never dream of buying. High End Munich 2018 did deliver us some crazy stuff!
It’s usually an AV room that boasts that they have ‘The Biggest Subs In The World’ and boy can you usually hear them! The actual biggest sub was by Ascendo and was (perhaps thankfully) silent…we couldn’t decide if it was a gimmick or not!
Remember when you were a kid and we were promised all kinds of things in the future, like hover boards and watches we could speak into and teleporting. Some of those things have become reality, along with the Mag Lev Audio levitating turntable. No, we didn’t witness it playing, but we saw it hover!
More enormous speakers, this time from Goebel High End (man in kilt for size comparison only, he was nothing to do with the actual speakers). We did hear these and the sound was rather nice, but boy, they were huuuuuge!
To go with all the big speakers, Dan D’agostino gave us a massive amplifier. Every inch a D’agaostino amp with the signature copper heatsinks and glowing front dial, the Relentless monoblocks weigh in at 220kg each and cost £275,000 a pair. Not one to drop on your toe!
Ok, so thenthere was this…we were pondering whether it was some kind of toilet, but it is actually a totally bonkers CD player from (I think) Omega Audio Concepts. It was at the Hifi Deluxe show and the room sounded great. Full marks to the manufacturer for ignoring any advice that it may be a ‘little too much’. Crazy Hifi at its best.
Two people told me I had to hear these speakers from Bayz Audio. One was Geoff from TQ and one was Sarajan from 6Moons. They were over at the Hifi Deluxe and looked like nothing I had seen before a kind of carbon fibre ‘C’ shape with omnidirectional drivers…they sounded great and I would have loved to find out more but the guy in the room was too occupied with his phone to engage with us, a real shame.
Even more carbon fibre back over at the MOC this time from Chinese high end brand, ESD Acoustic. A massive 800,000+ USD$ full horn system with all the electronics and crossovers in what looked like handcrafted Chinese furniture, squeezed into a very hot fishbowl type cabin. I was prepared for this to be all kinds of wrong, but on Sunday afternoon it was incredible, and the team were totally lovely. The sensitivity of the speakers was something like 120 db. Would love to hear this in a really big room though.
Most Emotional Experience
Our connection with music should be emotional, it should move you in some way whether that’s to make you smile, laugh or cry…if it touches you then it’s good. To me, the mark of great Hifi is if it just gives you that connection to the music. Hands down the most emotional connection that we…and many others felt, was in the Tune Audio room. Partnered with Traformatic Audio and Skogrand Cables, the huge Tune Avaton horns that Manolis Proestakis makes sounded sublime. The music that they played was performed by Manolis’s wife, recorded just before they set of for the show. It was a piece by Chopin and, even though I am not a fan of classical, the piano playing was so emotional and moving, it was just beautiful, it brought tears to our eyes. Great job by the whole team involved with this room..this is what Hifi should be about.
The ‘I Want It Now’ Systems And Products
I am a very happy camper when it comes to our Hifi, it sounds amazing, I am really content with it, love everything about it….but, of course, like anyone that loves our crazy hobby there are loads of systems and products that I hear and see at shows that just make me go ‘I want it!’…obviously when a lottery win and a huge house with several listening rooms becomes reality then I can indulge this fantasy, until then it’s great to dream!
Joseph Audio – this room was just amazing. Jeff had managed to get his Reel 2 Reel rig through customs to the show. He was playing his Perspective loudspeakers, one model down from his Pearls that we have heard before. They were partnered with the most gorgeous lipstick red Alluxity amplifiers and Purist Audio design cables. fabulous sound, looked great and Jeff is a lovely guy.
Raidho with Chord Electronics – This was a match made in heaven. The new Raidho TD 4.8 loudspeakers were stunning and the use of a full set of Chord’s electronics including DAVE just worked a treat. This was a big, serious, high end Danish/British combo…but the sound was fun and energetic, a pleasure to listen to.
PMC – I covered the launch of the PMC fact fenestria loudspeakers earlier, but despite being something we heard early on in the show, their sound stuck with me. That’s a sign, yep, I would love a pair.
Voxativ – ‘Born in Berlin’ is their strapline and Voxativ sum up all that is good about German Hifi. Holger and his team make uber-cool gear. Right from their drivers that are seen as some of the best in the world to the speakers and the electronics…those big circular control knobs on the amps just sing simplicity in design. And they don’t just look good, consistently one of the best sounding rooms at Munich, year on year. Born in Berlin and Masters of Munich…what’s not to love.
Audionec – over to France for some very high end, very large loudspeakers. Audionec were another brand taking advantage of the new, larger cabins in the halls. Partnered with another french brand, Jadis, their Diva XL speakers were really special. Yes, you would need pots of cash and a huge listening room to have them at home, but they sounded wonderful and unforced…they were definitely flying the french high end flag!
Metronome Technologie Kalista – Keeping it French and high end I was impressed by the new Kalista DremPlay One CD player Billed as being ‘more affordable’ than a DreamPlay Cd and separate Kalista DAC it still retails at just shy of £32,000. The system featured many other components from their range, including their own speakers and it was really a masterclass in pure sounding French elegance, like French couture, stylish, effortless and very expensive.
So that’s it from me until next year, very much looking forward to high End Munich 2019 already….hope to see you there!
Linette Smith
Every year we say the same thing, ‘surely the High End Show can’t get any bigger?’, but every year it does! It is now at the point when no human can actually cover every inch of the show…we have tried our very best but I think Super-human powers would be needed for that! However, being very organised and attacking it with military precision meant that we got to see most rooms and exhibits with the aim of bringing you the most comprehensive and interesting coverage of the show…we even managed to get over to the HifiDeluxe show too and bring you CanJam Munich coverage.
So, here are a few of the things that personally caught my eyes and ears at the show…there was the sublime, the beautiful, the technically very clever…and of course the crazy stuff without which Munich, well it just wouldn’t be Munich!
Aeron has launched what they say is the smallest Hifi system in the world, the Aeron C101 pre-amplifier/ headphone amplifier and Aeron P101 Class D Stereo Amplifier. Just connect to your source and speakers.
Aeron’s new system is designed for modern era small-space living. The system was launched at High End Munich 2018 and a review of the system will be following on Hifi Pig very soon. The units retail at around 600€ for the pair.
The C-101 pre-amplifier/ headphone amplifier is just 115 x 117 x 49mm and 586g (approx.) It has USB, SPDIF, AUX, Line and MM/MC inputs, with Headphone, SPDIF, Bass and line outputs. Supports DSD 2.8/5.6MHz, PCM 384kHz/32bit and DSD native or DoP playback. It works with Apple and Android devices and can drive headphones in the range of 16 – 600ohm. It also features a SABRE9018Q2C DAC and 12AU7 tube amplifier. The P-101 class D amp is just 115 x 136 x 39mm and weigh 567g. It features a 3.5mm line in with Stereo Speaker, Pre, and two headphone outputs. Maximum output power is 50W+50W(4ohm), 30W+30W(8ohm), Headphones: 270mW / 16ohm , 450mW / 32ohm at 1kHz.
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APURNA, who we visited in Valence, France, have announced their new stereo amp the Prelude. It will be available from September 2018 in two versions, Power Amplifier and Integrated Amplifier.
Prelude will have 2 x 200W under 4-ohm load, 5 colours of finishes and anodised aluminium feet and bezel.
Powered by the Burson Max Current Power Supply (MCPS)，Fun is a dual mono Class-A head amp and preamp with added Microphone input. Outputting 2Wpc @32ohm, it shares the same amplification stage as Burson’s flagship Conductor.
The sound can be tailored through opamp rolling, prices start at 299$ USD
Bang is a dual mono Class AB stereo power amplifier outputting 40Wpc@4ohm. It is powerful, fast, transparent and very musical.
Burson say: “If born earlier, Bang would be big and heavy. Bang would sit proudly on the top shelf of any audio dealership and would have the price tag to reflect its capacity”. Instead, Bang is just 9 inches (23cm) in footprint. This is possible because Bang is powered with 4 sets of Burson MCPS. Again you can have Bang as it comes or change its opamps. Price starts at 499$ USD. Both Bang and Fun begin shipping on the 15th of June.
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For 20 years, Cary Audio have been making their SLI-80 vacuum tube integrated amplifier. It’s had many variants over the years, some enhancements under the hood and some in style.
Cary are paying homage to the past in keeping the “SLI” moniker with the brand new SLI-100. Putting the SLI-80 and the SLI-100 side by side, one can still see the roots of the SLI-100 in the SLI-80.. From the off-set output transformers and front panel controls, the SLI-100 looks familiar.
The SLI-100 is a dual mono design and utilises the KT150 tube in its circuit delivering 100 watts of push-pull ultra-linear power. The SLI-100 has four line inputs and a headphone jack. The headphone jack in the SLI-100 is fed a pure musical signal directly from the amplifier’s output. The SLI-100 comes standard with a removable cage cover and has a list price of $5,995.
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McIntosh has announced the MC462 Quad Balanced Power Amplifier. The MC462 replaces the MC452 as the American brand’s most powerful stereo amplifier. Like the MC452, the MC462 features an output of 450 Watts per channel. With a dedicated McIntosh Autoformer
connected to each audio channel, the full 450 Watts is available to any speaker regardless if it has 2, 4 or 8 Ohm impedance.
The new generation MC462 has received numerous updates. The most prominent is that filter capacity has been increased by nearly 50%, which has resulted in a 66% increase in dynamic headroom from 1.8dB to 3.0dB. Bass performance is also improved as a result of the filter capacity increase. McIntosh’s eco-friendly power management system has been added, while internal wiring and select circuit components have also been upgraded.
Aesthetically, the MC462 retains all the hallmarks of a McIntosh amplifier with a few modern enhancements. The front panel now has direct LED backlighting that improves colour accuracy and appearance. The two audio Autoformers and single power transformer are housed in new enclosures topped by a single machined cover with glass inserts. The back half of the amplifier is home to four Monogrammed Heatsinks which connect to advanced high current output transistors. Besides these updates, the MC462 also features other McIntosh technologies including: Power Guard®, Sentry Monitor, Quad Balanced design, Power Control, and our patented Solid Cinch speaker binding posts.
Balanced and unbalanced outputs make bi-amping or tri-amping speakers easier; they can also be used to send the audio signal to a secondary system or to connect a powered subwoofer. The MC462 sits on a beautiful polished stainless steel chassis and features the McIntosh black glass front panel, illuminated logo, control knobs, aluminium handles and a pair of blue Watt meters. Suggested retail price (VAT, shipping and any customs duties related to current standards of individual countries are excluded): $9,000 USD
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June was a very busy month indeed. We brought you loads of Hifi News which is all rounded up here in case you missed it. We also brought you Hifi Reviews and coverage of the North West Audio Show 2018 at Cranage Hall.…it was fabulous so make sure you check out coverage from Linette and Stuart too.
New ABYSS AB-1266 Phi CC Headphone
Nordost Reintroduce SuperFlatline Speaker Cable
Triangle Sensa Active Loudspeakers
NAD Introduces C 538 CD Player
HIGHRESAUDIO Six Month Subscription Offer
V-MODA Unveils Crossfade 2 Wireless Codex Edition Headphones
Pioneer and Onkyo Join ‘Works With Sonos’
Elipson, Tangent And Eltax ATMOS Speakers
High End Munich 2018 – 250 Page E-Mag
APURNA Announces New Prelude Stereo Amplifier
Bayz Audio Courante Loudspeaker
New Spendor A7 Loudspeaker Released
Falcon R.A.M. Loudspeakers Launched
Burson Fun Headphone Amp And Bang Stereo Amp
Cary Audio Introduces The SLI-100 Vacuum Tube Integrated Amplifier
TAGA Harmony TCB-008 Banana Plugs
Lindy Introduces Four New Cable Lines
Optoma NuForce BE Sport4 IEMs Released
American high-end audio brand Krell, who have been making amps since the early 1980s, has launched the K-300i integrated amp.
Connecticut-based Krell have released the K-300i, the latest in a long line of their integrated amplifiers. The newly developed amp circuit incorporates the latest version of Krell’s iBias technology, which delivers Class A operation without the excessive heat and power consumption of traditional Class A designs.
The K-300i also features Krell Current Mode topology, with fully differential circuitry from input to output. A 770VA transformer lies at the heart of the amp’s power supply. Power output is rated at 150W per channel into 8 ohms, doubling to 300W per channel into 4 ohms. Two versions available: a classic version with purely analogue inputs (RCA/XLR) and a fully featured ‘digital’ version that adds digital inputs and streaming. The Krell K-300i is available in the UK from August in black or silver finish. The ‘classic’ analogue-only version has an RRP of £4,698 inc. VAT. The ‘digital’ version with added digital inputs/streaming has an RRP of £5,698 inc. VAT.
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Parasound has announced a new flagship stereo power amp, the Halo JC5. Designed by John Curl, Parasound say “the Halo JC5 distils the essence of the top-of-the-line Halo JC 1 monoblock power amplifiers into a single chassis”.
The design features a high power and ultra-high bias Class A/AB topography capable of delivering 400 watts per channel. High bias class A/AB provides 12 watts per channel pure class A power and class AB to its 400 watts per channel 8 ohm rating. It can deliver 600 watts per channel into 4 ohms and can be bridged to mono for 1,200 watts into 8 ohms. The output stage employs 24 beta-matched, 15 ampere, 60 MHz bipolar transistors to deliver a formidable peak current of 90 amperes.
The power supply employs a 1.7 kVA shielded toroid power transformer with a H18 grade steel core. It has independent secondary windings for its dual-mono power supply. As with the JC 1, input stage B+/B- rails are 10 V above the output stage rails to eliminate distortion caused by voltage sagging when the amp is under load. Independent power supplies for left and right channel input stages employ filter capacitors totalling 8,880 µF. Driver and output stages employ massive Rubicon filter capacitors totalling 132,000 µF.
The Halo JC 5 is direct-coupled, protected by DC servo circuits to eliminate coupling capacitors, to extend bass response down to 5 Hz. Its balanced inputs use discrete circuits with Neutrik locking XLR connectors. The connecting hardware includes Vampire 24k gold-plated RCA input and loop output jacks. Five-way “propeller” speaker binding posts are custom-manufactured for Parasound by CHK Infinium. They are 24k gold-plated and accept 7-gauge bare wire.
Comments Parasound founder and president, Richard Schram: “The new JC 5 is a remarkable amplifier that creates a new sweet spot in our Halo product family. Our customers often tell us they love everything the JC 1 offers while wondering if we could deliver comparable performance in a no-compromise stereo power amplifier, to save them money and space. We challenged John Curl to distil the essence of two JC 1 mono blocks into a single chassis and the result has exceeded everyone’s expectations.”
Read our review of the 2.1 integrated Halo here
The JC 5 is available in silver or black. Rack mount hardware for its four rack space chassis is included. The net weight is 33kg. The Parasound Halo JC5 is available now in the UK, with an SRP of £6,999.00.
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